long-swords do keepe out the Ordinances of Christ Iesus Haue you not so taught and written Mal. content Indeed I thinke I so writ once in a Sermon vpon Rom. 12.6 7 8. and in some of my Petitions to the Parliament c. Flyer In your c. you may vnderstande many other Bookes the most of your publique Sermons and specially your Conuenticles in secret where your priuat Disciples might priuately applaud you And if you remember I was one of your Classis when in Cambridge you in secret chattred out that Sermon vpon Rom. 12. which afterwardes was published without name because it seemeth you were not minded for it publiquely to take up Christs crosse and so to follow him Mal-con You Flyers be exceeding harsh in your censures Flyer And you sir Mal-content exceeding doble in your dealinges But to come to the poynt doe you not stand a member of that Church whose gouernment is Antichristian Mal-con What if I doe Flyer Then you are a member of Antichrist and all your Prayers and Preachinges but so many badges of the Beast and all accursed Mal-con But it may be I stand no ordinarie member of that Church Flyer Are you a member of the Church of England yea or no Mal-con A member I am but no Ordinarie member For though I sometimes heare some man preach that is but occasionally as a man passing by some Scolds might occasionally giue them a while the hearing And as for the sacrament of Communion I neuer meddle with it because Righteousnes can haue no fellowship with vnrighteousnes and so I am no ordinarie member Flyer O monstrous hypocrisie with your two-peny-ordinary Was it euer heard of in the Bible that a man should be a member not a member of a Church which you call a member not-ordinary So I may be a member of the Church of Rome a member of Mahomets Sinagogue and of whom not It this be not a Babel a Confusion of men and manners what then can bee But answere to this question Under whose gouernment are you whiles you are in a parish Church hearing a Preacher of the Bishops ordination Mal-con To speake the trueth vnder the regiment of Antichrist Flyer Are you not there held for a Subiect to the sayd Antichristian regiment Mal-cont The most it may be doe but it may be that some there know that my heart is against their doinges Flyer So the good testimonie which you should seeke for of men doth rest vpon It may be it may be It may be you may leaue this halting but I know not when The Prophet Daniel had not this subtiltie when though he did well he would not be thought of any to do euill as omitting duetie of prayer to God Hananiah Azariah and Mishael could by your Religion haue bowed before the Idoll and notwithstanding haue sayd that their heartes were against it and one of them could haue borne witnesse of anothers good meaning But they had learned that both body and soule were bought with a price euen with the blood of the immaculate Lambe and therefore they must glorifie God in both Trueth is naked and seekes none of these corners But tell me I pray you If the King should giue all his Subiects leaue to forsake all communion with the Confused people leitourgie and gouernement of the Church of England would you not for sake them all and betake you presently to that Church whereof I am a member Mal-cont Indeed I should And that is the maine point in truth the King not giuing leaue to come out of this Aegypt this spirituall house of bondage Flyer Mal-content You tearme your Church uery fitly A spirituall house of bondage And because Spirituall therefore not to be fraied in till y e King giue leaue to goe out Do more then the Theefe Adulterer or Durtherer is to stay in his sinne till the King bid him go out And yet these euils against the second Table onely whereas the other is hypocrisie in Religion and flat Idolatrie against the first Table of the â—orall law which commaundeth Holynesse towardes God as the second inioyneth Righteousnesse towardes man Though Daniel Hananiah Azariah Mishael and their brethren might not depart Babel them coastes till y e King gaue leaue yet they might ought and did depart from their Idolatrie and false worship howsoeuer their Godyes for testifying against it were â—ardly intreated and still kept in corpoâ—all bondage Mal-con Mee thinkes M. Flyer you now â—uch your selfe who departes the Kinges territories and your owne natiue land which is more for planting a Church amonst a people of hard language For which respect a principall Norwich-man of your sect hath helde you for a true Church while yee were in your owne Nation But departing once the limits of your owne language he hath taught that so ye apostate from Fayth and Charitie and to be no true Church I thinke you cannot answere him Flyer If I could not yet that is no excuse for your standing in spirituall euil But I pray you did not Elias fly in time of persecution Did not our Sauiour so and teach his Apostles to do so Mal-con True but no flight to continue with any people whose language they vnderstood not much lesse there to plant a Church Flyer Well for that poynt I am not yet studied I will aske councell about it Meane time looke you to your winding and doubling euen against the light of your minde and confession of your mouth Mal-con Nay we haue some of vs moe exceptions against you For you cannot be contented onely to depart from vs but you condemne euery soule of our Church for a lim of the sonne of Perdition and so to stand visibly in the state of damnation Whereas you know well enough that many of vs grone vnder the burden of sinne and do striue after that is good Flyer Mal-content Mal-content you must not onely grone vnder sinne but grieue at it and fly from it as I and others haue who as Hee-goates before the Flocke haue gone foorth with our faces towardes Sion Mal-con Besides M. Flyer in the writings you publish you fill all the Margines with allegations from Scripture and the most to none or to a lying purpose As to giue one instance It is held of you and vs that the new Testament hath his peculiar forme of Church-gouernment giuen by Christ and that the old Testament hath his peculiar gouernment giuen by Moses And yet for proofe of Christes Discipline and Institutions you quote Scriptures from the olde Testament which planely establish the Mosaicall orders A seconde instance may be this Such Scriptures as speake of the inuisible Church knowen to God for holy and vnspotted you quote for probatioÌ„ of the visible Church her state and constitution which you intende must be Visibly all holy and vnspotted in this life If such allegation of Scripture be not a notable taking of Gods name in vaine I then vnderstand nothing Flyer First let it be so
to be truly reconciled to that Church againe I returne I returne sweete Father of Heauen keepe me in my returne The Seuenth Dialogue betweene Flyer and Mediocritie Flyer WHO is that which goes afore myne old friende Mediocritie Medocri What M. Flyer I heard you were gone beyond-sea Flyer I haue been beyond sea a few dayes This foreroone I but landed and so am setting homewardes as fast as I can Mediocri I pray you what a Land is it you hane been in Flyer Surely I can not tell All the time was there taken vp with the matter 〈◊〉 the Tongue as I had no leasure to suruay the subiect of my Feete Buâ— this I am sure that a man can not passe there by the by-way but he shall be assaulted with one transformed spirit or another Neuer in my life did I meete with such Heretiques and deceitfull Hypocrites Had I not seene heard and felt I should neuer haue beleeued Mediocri I am glad that you haue learned by Experience what you would neuer learne by my tender Information But I pray you How stand you now affected for Religion Flyer Stand quoth yee I haue been so much acquainted with falling as I know not well what to say vnto standing Meeting with an Anabaptist and vnderstanding the groundes of my Separation he by strength of the same groundes did beat me from that hold and spite my heart made me to graunt a separation from Doctrine so well as from Discipline so that I was ready to turne Anabaptist Then I met with a Legatine-arrian a perilous fellow hee vpon the graunt of no visible-visible-Church for the time of Antichristes raigne did vnauoydably conclude that neither any visible Church could yet be till God raysed vp new Apostles who might with Doctrine and Myracles gather people to the true Fayth and so incommend vnto them the Sacramentes and other Ordinaunces To him ouernight I consented but harke what fell out the next day in the morning Next day I met with a Familist Hee by his talke of Loue Loue and the beeing in Loue and nothing but Loue so preuayled togither with his running glozing on Scripture as I left all to follow him till I see his beeing in loue and luâ—t with Tannikin the TapuÌ„er which shamefull sight made mee to bid Fie on them all And turning my face homewardes againe I pluckt vp my feete to Flushing I came stayde the winde a while had shipping readie and to Grauesend I came in a few howers God haue the prayse for all his mercies Meâ—iocâ— Then I hope that you will returne againe to vnitie with our Church Flyer If I doe not so I must turne Turke for any thing I yet see I am â—omwhat ashamed to returne First for â—hat I should be thought to be vnconâ—â—ant and yet constancie in a Schisme â—s but obduration in ill Secondly I â—â—care to become a â—â—ast vnto many for â—auing so foolishly consumed my Paâ—trimonie and yet better be flouted at â—f a few meâ— for a time then to be perpetually ieaâ—ed at of Diuels Mediocri Brother brother be contented to beare your shame for passed folly Know and reuerence your Mother not withstanding her wantes Her wantes be of the By not of the Mayne She hath the Word of eternall life then whither will you goe Antichristianisme as I often told you consistes not in euery ill for then euery soule vnder heauen should be Antichristian but it consistes in such an euill as is fundamentally opposite to the Ghospell that is to the Doctrine of Fayth For which cause the Apostle â—earmeth Antichrist such an Aduersary as is Antikeimenos the layer of an opposite foundation And such a one indeed were he an Angell from Heauen is to be helde Anathematized The very Wheate-fielde it selfe Christes possession hath Tares not onely in it but also in Communion with the Wheat Yea in so strict communion with the Children of the Kingdome as such euil-ones cannot be excommunicate with the good of the Church and therefore permitted to grow till GOD weed them out The Tare is not euery euill for then euery euill should grow and the Churches censures were idle but they be such euil-ones as can be no more remooued with the Churches good then Tares from Wheate with which it first groweth vp hypocritically as Wheate but in time discloseth it selfe for a close winder about not an vpright grower Wantes are to be lamented and the good not fled from much lesse condemned for no Wheate because it standes in some communion with Tares Other Weedes that grow loose from the Wheate are timelily to be remooued and yet if the Husbandman sometimes neglect that dutie God forbid that we should therevppon conclude that all the Wheate is no more Wheate and so no visible Christian in the Lordes possession Nor do the Holy thinges of God cease to be Holy because they be sometimes conueyde to euil-ones so well as to them be good euen as the Raine is the same which God sendeth vpon the Wheate and Tare Hearbe and Weede but the Holy thinges prophaned become Iudgement to the prophaners and yet cease not to be Holy be it Word or Sacrament to the Reuerend receiuers O brother the Sacrifices were seasoned with Salt before they flamed on the Alter and so should our Soules be seasoned with Discretion before they flamed in our Churches Some haue Knowledge no Zeale a cold house must-there be kept and some haue much Zeale small Skill no maruaile if he set the house on fire No man sayth the Apostle striuing for a maisterie is crowned except he striue as he ought This is farre from beeing as it ought 1 To call our Mother the Church an Whore because she hath some wantes or in somewhat crosseth our humour 2 To spit in her face and to runne away from her so soone as we thinke we can shift for our selues 3 To goe and band our selues with other Mâ—l-contents for murdring our Mother as hauing no life of God in her 4 Yea to proclaime all her Children Bastardes For if she were neuer a true Church neuer maried to Christ then could she neuer bring foorth a lawfull but a bastardly-seed And so all our holy Martyrs dying in and for the same Fayth should also with vs be Aliens from the life of Christ Iesus Fearefull actions blaspemous conclusions But better it can not be with such as withdraw vnto perdition O my soule haue no pleasure in them Flyer Sweete Mediocritie I now see the soundnes of al these conclusions which before Experience I but held as pleas for corruption God lay not that sinne to my charge and he for his Sonnes sake reduce other wandring soules to peaceable vnitie with our Church that so we may be as one flocke vnder that one great Archbishoppe of our soules Christ Iesus Amen Mediocri Amen Now we be come to the Citie and it is hy-time for him to eate that did not eate any thing to day I
thâ— whole corporation of such people aâ— teach an opposite ground to the ground of the Gospell wherevpon vnhappily they may build much other euill but all that is of the By noâ— of the Mayne and yet condemnable also With which By or euill accidentes the truest Church and Christian in this life hath is and shal be more or lesse cumbred and yet noâ— â—â—erefore Antichristian seeing she and â—ey be sound in the foundation of â—â—e Gospell For the Foundation â—eld there may be Straw and other â—ooleries through ignoraunce or â—eaknes buylded vpon it â—othing â—utable to the ground and yet the â—uilder saued though as the Apostle teacheth it be as by the Fyre But a contrary foundation layd and held till the end it auayleth nothing what Golde and Siluer was builded vpon it for the foundation sinketh and man and all standing vpon it perisheth 5 This Man of sinne then must be considered not onely in the whole as one Corporation but also in the partes or members which concurre to the beeing of that Body and both of them according to their Place or situation The principall members of that body are registred of S. loâ—n in his Apocalips to haue the Seauen hilled Citie Rome for their place The members in subordination to the former are of him compared to Waters for their multitude variable noyâ—â— of language because that Rome wâ—â— to haue people of many Languageâ— subiect to the Doctrine that shoulâ— flow from that Sea What soule theâ— soeuer whether in the Church of England or other true Church shall submit it selfe to Antikeimenisme it longeth to the Romish-head And whatsoeuer soule within the territories of Rome shall submit it selfe to the contrary foundation which is in Christ Iesus such a one appertaineth to that body whereof Christ is the head and indeed is a fellow member with vs. For euery one that walketh eateth and sleepeth in a Kinges Court is not therefore of that Court noâ— euery one that dwelleth and hath ordinarie communion with a Kingdome is therefore one with that King in the foundation of subiection None therefore can iusâ—ifie all within a true vsible Church nor condemne all that be within the Beastes visible Kingdome seeing all Within it are not essencially Of it Beeing one in the foundatioÌ„ one is so Essencially of it but â—f seuered in the fundamentall poynt of obedience then such a one is but a member Accidentalâ—y And Accidents specially proceeding of weaknesse may burne and be consumed without detriment to the foundation or him that in humility resteth vpon it 6 Which ground held the Romanist is easily answered Hee asketh Where our Church was 200. yeares since I answere As there might be some part of the Church in some part of the earth though to vs vnknowen euen as wee are vnknowen to some partes of the earth so our Church hath been where their Synagogue hath been and many of the members of it still persecuted by them Besides they were to come into the Church as Tares came into the Wheat-field by way of vsurpation not right And this the Apostle foretolde when he sayth that the Antikeimenist should sit in the Temple of God God reared a spirituall Temple at Rome as appeareth in the Apostles Epistle to that Church but afterwardes the Man oâ— sinne entred into the Lords House and there not only laboured to ouerturne the foundation laid in Christs-blood but also layd a contrary ground as fast as he could pull vp the other Vpon which that Church became for constitution like vnto the ten Tribes of Israâ—l when their Calues were reared vp Which Calfe since in the time of the Romanistes is turned to a Bull howsoeuer we with Iudah cannot meet with the Popes Bull but we baite him The veritie of all this will better appeare when hauing read the Epistle to the Romanes it shal be examined whether wee or they be furthest departed from the veritie of that Doctrine which that Church first held And then I am sure that their part of the Cake is like to prooue dough Amen But as for the Romanist he fals into the errour of the left hand and that kind of errour may come to be touched in his season Thus briefly touching the Church and that her aduersary Anti-christ THE SHEPHEARDS Elegiaque Epilogue YOu Shepheards of our Lawnes leaue off your layes Alacke for woe these be no ioying dayes While many of our Sheepe do peake aside Staring for Daintrels in their height of pride O welladay then prowling Reinard teares And learing Wolues do take them by the eares And from their iowles do squeaze the crimsen die Where-with life endes Accurst Phlebotâ—mie Or if you needes must strayne an Oten-pipe O let ' be greene so shall it cry and shrike And bubble foorth some iucy fainting teares Which may procure some mones of all it heares A neede of Iakobs Staffe if e're to beat Backe these blood-suckers which make Lambes their meaâ— Poore Lambes their meat alacke and welladay Wring hand in hand in roume of Roundelay Aminta'â— Crowne fâ—â— she was worth a Crowne Her Head I found last day aback the Downe There litle Lucrece with her specked powle Was fleest of all her Wooll poore pretty sowle But as she ready was to gasp last breath I came goodhaâ— and rescued her from death Black VVill that time was joorring of the Fox And so escapt with losse alone of locks Great Megge was tangled in a cursed Bryer Bald-paâ—ed all like to an holy Frier That lately had been in the Pollers hands I troe she will no more come in these bands But ayes me man aback the Poplar tree Where Shepheards eate their shaled Pease with glee And in the Trench about that Table square Compact of Dazy soddes but now all bare There there woes mee three Tups haue left their lyues With sundry seores of their poore Lambs and Wyues Heere lyes a lock and there a scrap of skin The botthom of the Trench the bloods lyes in And then vile sacriledge the vpper seat Where Vmpire of the Shepheards sits at meat There there the Wolues haue trampeled and trod And cast their Gorge vpon the Royall sodde Yee Shepheards of our Lawnes it resteth All Ioyne heart and hand for keeping of our Stall Wee negligent haue been indeed too long While cruell Cattle are become too strong Wee sing of matters farre beyond the Sun While all this mischiefe heere at home is don I feare I feare that some in Shepheards pay Be one in night with Wolues with vs â— the day Iwis our Maister can but take it euell His Sheepe through lacke of food run to the Deuell Not euery Sonet is for selfe-same turne For some câ—use ioy and some enforce to moorne Strow strow that fodder fore your Charges faces Which may them keepe from foraigne vncouâ—h places And with your eye so lead them in the way As sylly-soules they may no longer stray They may no longer stray but able bee Through all their flattring stratagems to see Meane time I moorne I moorne Maryahs stray Returne that Sheepe ô Lord ô Lord I pray Returne I humbly pray Returne them all That truly long vnto our Maisters stall FINIS Errata Page 25. lyne 20. read implying Pag. 33. line 17. read Midianite Pag. 34. line 12. read calling Pag. 46. line 11 read Antichriâ—t Page 53. line 4 read peaceable Math. 24â—23 c. Math. 7.15.16 c * This phrase is vsed in Prouerbs 10.21.31 18.20.21 c. Isai. 65.5 2. Tim. 3.6 * Ezek. 3.6 Gala. 3 1â— * A beeing * Io. L. a Weauer * Ioh. 6 68 * 2. Thess. 2.4 * Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. § Math. 13 24. c * 1. Cor. 11.29 c. * 2. Tim. 2.5 * Luke 3.23 c. Math. 16.18 ch 28.20 Reu. 12 17. ch 21 2-3 Gal 4.26 * Math. 13. 24. See for this my Antidoton * 1 Cor. 3 16. 2. Cor. 6.16 * 1. King 12. 18. * As Elias Eliâ—â—a Hoseih Amos Ionah with others * In Reuel 14.6 it would be turned The euerlasting Ghospel rather then An eueâ—lasting Ghâ—spel * Gal. 2.16 * 1. Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. * 1. Cor. 3.15 * 2. Thess. 2. 3. 2. Thess 2.4
ERROVR On the Right hand through a preposterous Zeale Acted by way of Dialogue 1 Betweene Mal-content and Flyer 2 Betweene Flyer and Anabaptist 3 Betweene Anabaptist Legatine-arrian 4 Betweene Flyer and Legatine-arrian 5 Betweene Flier Legatine-arriā Familist 6 Betweene Flyer and Familist 7 Betweene Flyer and Mediocritie Whereto is also added certaine Positions touching Church and Antichrist as without the true holding thereof it is impossible for a zelous soule to auoyde either Schisme or Faction By Henoch Clapham Eccles. 7. 18 Be not thou iust ouer-much neither make thy selfe ouer-wise wherefore shouldst thou be desolate 19. Be not thou wicked ouer-much nor be thou foolish wherefore shouldst thou perish not in thy time Imprinted at London by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane 1608. TO EVERY SOVLE that seeketh after Trueth in humilitie for God resisteth the Proud and giueth Grace to the Humble OVR Sauiour fore-seeing that many vnder the cloake of Going out of Babel would go out of the Church saying Here is Christ there is Christ he chargeth his Folowers not to beleeue them much lesse to goe out This wickednesse is growen now so excellent as if the true Christ could not be found otherwhere then without in Woods Mikes by-Stables Barnes and Hay-loftes wherevpon all the speach now is Goe out goe out of Babel come into the secret places Our Sauiour foreseeing that Woluish-teachers should come to the people in Sheepes-skinnes that is in Sheepe-like conuersation and by such sheepish outward moralitie labour to couer their Woluish pricking Schismaticall Doctrine for Doctrine is the fruite there spoken of their outward cariage being otherwise Sheepish he sayth to his true Folowers Yee shall know them by their fruites that is you onely that be indued with the true spirit of meekenes lowlines shall know them by the Fruite of their lippes their schismaticall Doctrine They shall haue the name of Prophets a verie good name and their outward cariage shal be like to Christes sheepe a very commendable thing and able to draw many but examine once the fruite of their lippes issuing from them as Prophets Tunc Lupus est in fabula t hen he is a deuowring Wolfe howsoeuer he say as some did in Esaias time Stand apart come not neere to mee for I am holier then thou And of such sort sayth the Apostle vnto Timothy are these which creepe into houses and lead captiue simple women laden with sinnes led with diuers lustes which women are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth The Spirit of Prophecie hauing so plainely fore-prophesied of our times and false-spirites what are we that we should be negligent in trying the spirits whether they be of God And seeing that these spirituall Wolues shall for their outwarde cariage and life seeme to be Christes Sheepe and poore innocent Lambes and for that many times be more worthy reuerence then some of the truest Teachers it standeth people therefore vpon not to be caryed with a few painted flimflams but by the speare of Discretion to gage the side of the Grecians wooden Horse for trying out whether the inwardes be not planted with engines of death Latet anguis in herba the fairest face hath not alwayes the truest heart Satan in policie would haue his Seminaries in th'outwarde appearance to excell Christes Ministers that so as them selues be deceiued they may likewise deceiue others As for the true Ministers of Christ Satan must needs labour to spot them outwardly seeing he cannot keepe backe the doctrinall sappe of Gods spirit which distilling from the lippes of the Teacher is to beget and feed many Herevpon it is that true Doctrine is often reiected because of some externall want in the Teacher And againe because of some excellent commendable outward things in a Duckfrier or a smooth Pharise any doctrine is easily swallowed be it schismaricall hereticall or trayterous A plaine signe that such people are yet destitute of that spirit whereby they should be able to try Doctrine and discerne Spirits And not onely that but also full of giddy passions and head-strong affections as wil appeare in the ensuing Dialogues where the very naturall character of such spirits is by mee set downe not without sundrie yeares experience had of them all as also with no small expences If thine heart be vn-hardned it will easily ioyne with mee If otherwise yet herein I shall be comforted that in this worke I haue serued God and his Church truly though weakely If something in the Conferrours seeme too light consider first it is but the naturall character of that spirit and secondly that it is but as a feeling of that spirites pulse without any commoration or dwelling vppon it As I could I haue done If it please it is that I pray for if it displease any I shall through Gods grace not onely peaceably passe by it but also with patience awayte the change of their iudgement and affection Farewell Thine as he may He. Clapham THE FIRST DIALOGVE Betweene Mal-content and Flyer Mal-content Mal-content WEll ouertaken Sir how farre do you trauaile this way Flyer Flyer So farr as Grauesend Mal-con So doe I Sir God blesse vs in our iornaie Flyer I cannot say Amen to your Prayer Mal-con Why sir Would you not be blessed in your iornaie Flyer Yes but in saying Amen to your Prayer I should testifie my selfe to be one in spirituall communion with you Whereas if you be that Mal-content which I sometimes haue seene at the Royal-exchange you are a notable lim of Antichrist and of all the Protestants the most hipocriticall for you say do not You say that the Church-gouernement in England is Antichristian that is opposite vnto the true Christ and yet with Isachar you beare the burden of the Sonne of perdition and say that rest is good whereas you ought for redemption of your soule to Fly out of Babel Mal-con Pardon sir I thinke I should know you Is not your name M. Flyer Flyer It is and I charge you in paine of damnation to fly out of Babel Mal-con First it is a question sir if so the Church of England may be truly called Babel Secondly if so it should be prooued a Babel the question is whether I may goe out of Babel without the Kinges leaue First for that Israel came not out of Aegipt before Pharaoh gaue them leaue And secondly for that the lewes came not out of Babel till Cyrus gaue them leaue I pray you sir therefore let mee heare what you can say first for the proouing it Babel secondly for our lawfull flight from it Flyer O sir Mal-content haue not you your selfe taught in word and writing specially in your suites to Parliament that the true gouernment of Christ Iesus consisting in Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons and Wydowes is lacking and that Antichrist in the roome thereof hath foysted in the gouernment of Arch-bishops Lord Bishops c. who with their
It shall be but as some of you haue done before vs. Let the Recordes be searched Secondly when the particulars shal be by you or any your side produced we shall giue in a reasonable answere Mal-con Nay sir which is more M. Henrie Barrow drawing a Description of the true Church when he comes to deliuer the Canons of discipline he in that sheete of Paper doth after the Excommunication place that Canon of the Apostle in 2. Thess. 3.15 Yet count him not as an enimie but admonish him as a brother because he beleeued that excommunication was a power to edification not to destruction Your Congregation then some yeares after his death do reprint it putting to it the olde date corrupting his method falsifying his Will by placing the sayd Canon before Excommunication because after the casting out you would rid your handes of all tendernes and compassion as delighting in nothing more then in bitternesse against the soule distressed The Apostle can say Though it be but a mans Couenant or Will when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto But you haue done that which No man that is no honest man would doe in so causing his Will to speake contrary to his meaning Flyer Mal-content I cannot beleeue that thou sayest Mal-con But I beleeue it and the Copies will prooue it Besides that I know him which reprooued that euill at the comming foorth of the second Aedition at A. at the charges of Arthur Bâ—llet Whereas the first was printed at D. where other Writings also of the same man were then printed But in a word M. Flyer there be diuers of vs are minded eare long to leaue the Church of England but with these prouisoes First to ioyne with your congregation we dare not and that because of the many bloody vnrepentant censures lying vpon the neck of your Church as M. G. Io. hath layde downe plainely in his Booke against your Societie Secondly in departing the Church of England We are minded notwithstanding to hold many of them Disciples to the true Christ and so doubtlesse wee shall finde some succour from them Flyer I thought Mal-content thou wouldst discouer thine hypocrisie Thy flying from Babel shal be yet with applauding some in Babel that so out of Babel thou mayst haue some maintenaunce I see that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the band of iniquitie Either hold the Church of England as the sayd Protestant doth for a true Church with some wantes for which notwithstanding the Church is not to be forsaken or hold with vs. A true Church it was neuer or if some time it were it now is no more a true Church then y e Church of Rome Halt not therefore betweene two opinions If Iehouah be y e Lord follow him but if Baal be the Lord then follow him Mal-con Maister Flyer I neither hold your side for Iehouah nor the Church of England for Baal But for your side I hold it as an Errour on the right hand and the other side as an Errour on the left hand In mâ—dio quorum consistâ—â— virtus In midst whereof I stand and betweene which I meane to walke Flyer Mal-content thou wouldst faine â—alke betweene the barke and tree and â—ot be pincht Thou wouldst be one â—ith vs as afore if the King would â—iue thee leaue and now we are as an â—rrour on the right hand Againe thou 〈◊〉 one of these dayes without the â—inges leaue take leaue of the Popish Antichristian gouernement and yet iustifie many bearing that marke of the Beast in hand forehead for Disciples of the true Christ. Iwis thou holdes thou knowes not what and they be seduced that swallow thy doctrine But be thou and some as yee shall I haue no small hope that thousands in England that now stand on the tiptoe will ere long fall flatly on our side Heare you not of Teachers and people in the farthest partes of Lincolne-shire and Nottingham-shire c. who are flatly already seperated Mal-con I heard of it th' other day by a London-Preacher who sorroweth much for a Gentlewoman of place who is sayd to be absolutely gone from the Church But as I know some of them Teachers and specially him that is sayd there to haue baptized one of their Children in a Barne so my hope is that their Seperation is not so far as yours but one with that which I purpose Flyer You purpose you know not what Besides that moe and new â—indes of Seperation will cause the 〈◊〉 Protestant to be more stiffe in his standing and the Time-seruer will thereby take occasion to stout at vs all Mal-con Then come backe vnto vs. Flyer Nay come you forwarde vnto vs and so become more perfect But stay is not this Grauesend hard by Mal-con It is Flyer Then be we husht for feare some ouer-heare vs that may giue intelligence to the crabbed Searchers For the trueth is I am with the next wind to goe to Sea and I feare none beere so much as that kind of cattle and busy-body prying into this and peering into that that a man can hardly haue a Swordes scabberd lined with French-crownes bowed as D. Arthur Billet had or an olde clumperton paire of Shooes whose soles be lyned with Angels as my brother George Clayton the Brick-layer had but they will either by a priuie search finde them or the feare a man shal be put vnto while they be about these will be so terrible as a sicknesse worse then the Sea-sicknesse will sodainely surprize him Mal-con Were it not at the first you denied coÌ„munion with me in Prayer which makes me suspect you disdaine all fellowship with me at Table I would willingly inuite you to a ioynt of Meate and a pint of Wine before our parting Flyer For that sir it is but felowship Ciuill whereas the other is Spirituall We may eate drinke with a Turke but not pray with a Turke Mal-con Will it please you then sir to take a Dinner with me Flyer I will and I thanke God for it who will haue Elias fed if but by the ministerie of an vncleane Rauen. Mal-con Doe you then hold me vncleane and yet the Rauen I take it was not vncleane till he was dead Flyer In your present standing you are dead in sinne and you and all your actions vncleane Mal-con Are we so Then doubtlesse the Cooke is vncleane and the Victuals vncleane and you by eating them should be vncleane and therefore go shake your eares for your Dinner And if you doe further prouoke mee it is like I shall make the Searchers acquainted with you and your cleane Nobles And yet they being coyned by men vncleane they shal be vncleane also Packe and be quiet for feare I prouoke some to shaue you of all your vncleannesse THE SECOND DIALOGVE Betweene Flyer and Anabaptist Anabapt HOW farre do you trauaile sir Flyer No further then Middleburghe to night Anabapt You come newly from Sea doe you
not Flyer Uerily I doe And happy it was for the Shippe as a Marchants factour could lately say that I was in it for had not I longed earnestly after Zion and according to Gods decree were predestinated before all worldes to come safely vnto the true Church planted in these partes as the Factor could say all the Ship had been cast away Anabapt What true Church is it sir which you meane is planted in these partes Flyer Certaine Englishmen separated from the Whore of Babilon I meane the Church in England Anabapt FroÌ„ the Protestants Church meane you Flyer The very same My heart leapes to thinke how farre I am got from the skirtes of that proude bloody Fornicatrix Are you a Duch-man that you can parlie so in English Anabap. I am and sometimes was a member of the Dutch-church that is in Norwich But God opening mine eyes to see the falsehoode of that Church I forsooke it and came so into these partes to liue with a Congregation purely christian Flyer What with our people I pray you Anabapt There be certaine English people of vs that came out from the Brownistes Flyer From the Brownistes Whya they be the people that I come to But I pray you let me admonish you of one thing Leaue that tearme of Brownist for they despise Brownes standing I tell you Anabapt Yea they despise his present standing for that he is returned to the Church of England but meane time they haue slapt vp his Vomite and maintaine the blind Schisme he made from that Church Flyer Call you it a blind Schisme Blind they be not that see the Holy thinges they see Nor Schisme is it but a faythfull departure from Babel Anabapt Babel You know not what â—abel meanes for they be a people ouer head and eares in Babel so farre from being fled from it Flyer Prooue that and I le leaue my Religion Anabapt You leaue it You may say if God will giue you the Grace to leaue it For it is a peculiar Grace to leaue Sodome and Aegipt spiritually so called Flyer It is trueth you say But I pray you Of what Religion may you be Anabapt Of the true Christian Religion commonly tearmed Anabaptisme TroÌ„ our baptizing of people againe comming from the false Church whereof your Congregation is a maine arrogant member Flyer I tremble to thinke that you should dare so to blaspheme the Tabernacle pight of God and not of man Anabapt Pight of the Diuell and the Antichristian Man Let mee spurre you one question Are you Baptized Flyer That I am I thanke God Anabapt Who Baptized you Flyer A Minister of the English Church And I thanke God it was done with a Sermon and without the Crosse in the forehead Anabap. Are the Ministers of England true Ministers Flyer No they be slaues to Antichrist in all his inuentions Anabapt Marke what a foole you be neither call I you foole Vnaduisedly You seperate from Babel and yet iustifies the ministeriall action of the Ministers of Babel Can they be Antichristian Ministers and their essentiall ministeriall actions Christian Hath Christ appoynted any limme of the Beast to keepe his Signet and to seale his people with Baptisme Hath Christ giuen power vnto any to Baptize to whom he sayth not first Goe and teach Will the Ministers of Antichrist seale vnto the true Christ Flyer Though they and their places be Antichristian yet the Baptisme may be Christian. Anabap. Once againe if happily God may bring you out of that misterie of iniquitie Was the Minister him selfe first a true Christian before he entred into that function Flyer No for he was a lim of that Beastes body Anabap. Did his ministerie then make him a true Christian Flyer At no hand being a Minister in the body of the same Beast Anabap. He being neither a true Minister nor so much as a true Christian and your selfe also a member of the same Antichrist How could you by his Baptisme become a true Christian Out of a bitter Fountaine can there come any sweete Water As the first fruites are are not also the branches Flyer I was no true Christian then nor it any true Baptisme but now being separated from them as these of the Ten Tribes which came vnto Iuda My Baptisme is good as their Circumcision then became good Anabapt English-man the Comparison is not alike They of Israel were commaunded to circumcise but no Minister of Antichrist is commaunded to Baptize The Israelites were a people that had been a true constituted Church but as your selues say England was neuer constituted of or to the Lord. Thirdly any Israelite might circumcise his Childe but in your opinion a Preacher of the word may onely doe that Till therefore you can prooue that the English Minister did but the commaundement of God in Baptising as the Israelite did it in Circumcising you may goe with the Beastes marke in your forehead as old and young in your Church carry it But come wee to another poynt â—â—e you hold that Christ which your â—â—iptian Priestes did teach you Flyer Yes verily and by Gods helpe so I will Anabap. And yet you are come out of Babel Can they that teach people dayly the true Christ be Ministers of Antichrist Are they not true ministers that teach and seale to the true Christ Or if they 〈◊〉 false Ministers which you graunt must not their principall felsehood â—â—en lie first in teaching a false Christ and secondly in sealing to the false Christ That is the Ministers can not be Antichristian but they must direct â—â—d signe the people vnto Antichrist vnder a cullour of Christ and that onely can be the mysterie of iniquitie But another question By what â—eanes seeke ye to be one with your Christ Flyerâ— By Fayth onely which is wrought 〈◊〉 my heart by the outward ministerie 〈◊〉 the word and the inward operation 〈◊〉 Gods spirit Anabap. Silly silly Can you call these Ministers of Antichrist whom you defende for such as haue not onely aâ— you say taught you the true Christ but also lead you by the true meanes vnto that true Christ. Thus the blinde hath led the blinde and both tumble in the ditch Either make the Treâ— good and his fruite good or make it bad and his fruite bad O friend I muse not though you stand amazed I my selfe was sometimes in such 〈◊〉 strait but he that gaue me simplicitiâ— of heart gaue mee to wind out of thaâ— Laborinth Iohn could not see the mysterie of that Beast in the Apocalips till he went out into the Desart God might for your lynsi-wolsie Fayth haue cast you away in the Sea but in mercie he hath reserued you vnto a better hower He did not cast me into your way for nothing I hope foâ— a blessing though otherwise in your perishing I should become a good fauour vnto God Thou in the Heauens take the Scales away from his eyes that he may see into the end of thinges that are to be abolished
Flyer Me thinkes it should be true that the â—â—ues of Satan should onely serue â—atan in their ministrie as the Gallyâ—aues with Ores do serue the Turkes Lieftenant Anabapt A very good comparison whose Seruant one is his workes they doe For no one can serue two Maisters specially so crosse as Christ and Antichrist Flyer I pray you sir then what be the Arâ—â—cles of your fayth Anabap. For that friend remember what is written in Ezek. 43.11 When they be ashamed of all that they haue done shew â—â—em the forme of the house and the patâ—â—rne thereof and the going out thereof and â—he comming in thereof and all the fashion thereof and all the ordinaunces thereof c. â—â—ploying thus much that the Holy mysteries are not to be reuealed but â—nely to such a soule as is first ashaâ—ed of all by-pathes of false worship â—or the Childrens Bread is not to be â—st vnto Dogs that will ball against â—â—e trueth nor Pearles vnto Hogs â—â—at wallow in their owne shame Flyer I am ashamed of my standing not only with the Protestant but also with the Separist and Priuate and I firmely betake my selfe to your Fayth till death vs depart Anabapt The Deaw of heauen come vpon you To morrow I will bring you into our sacred Congregation that so you may come to be informed in the Fayth and after that to be purely Baptized Flyer Thankes reuerend man of God I thinke sir you are some Minister your selfe Anabapt That word Minister fitteth not I am a Prophet of the Lord spoken of in the eleuenth of the Reuelation which in homely apparaile as Sackcloth doe bewayle the peoples sinnes protesting against the Beast that come out of the bottomlesse Pitte And as I had in vision this night the Beast in time shall put mee to death for the Holy testimonie But an Angell hath comforted mee and sayth that before that time I shall turne the hearts of many Fathers to the Children and the heartes of Children to the Fathers least otherwise the great power should smite the Earth with cursing Flyer O sir mee thinkes the spirit of life is entred hoâ—te into mee Mee thinkes I could leape into that passage-Cart and prophecie Fire vpon England and all English Sectaries Anabapt Stay holy Proselite thou must first be Baptized and haue some diuine Vision from aboue And so being made a perfect Emâ—usiast thou shalt be able to turne backe the Floodes of Iordane But stay one is at our heeles If wee fall into any talke of Religion lay you your hand of your mouth and be silent Flyer I will O miraculous Prophet THE THIRD DIALOGVE Betweene Anabaptist and the Legatine-Arrian Legatine-Arrian WEll ouer-taken Father goe you vnto Midleburghe Anabap. I doe sir. Legat. ar I would be glad of your company and so much the rather for that you are gray-headed and Moses commaundeth such Youth as I am to rise vp before tâ—â— gray-headed Anabap. Thou sayst well sonne and I am glad thou readest Moses with some obseruance Legat. ar Without such diuine reading and obseruatioÌ„ Man is worse then a Dog What religion are you of Father Anabapt Of the true Christian religion Legat. ar Professed according to what what forme Father For the Papistes professe him according to one forme the Protestants after another forme and so the Puritaines Brownistes Anabaptistes and others Anabapt I professe him sonne after that manner which is reuiled by the name of Anabaptistes though Ana-baptisme or Râ—-baptization is a thing we be not ashamed of but rather glory in as hauing onely power from the Lord to deliuer that seale of Baptisme Legat. ar Are you Baptized then Anabapt I am sonne Legat. ar And I am of minde that there is no true Baptisme vpon the earth Anabapt Not in the earth I pray thee sonne say not so The coâ—â—â—egation I am of can and doth administer true Baptisme Legat. arr Say you so Father Your congregation as appeareth in Sleydan is but as of the last day Was not the true Church according to S. Iohns Uision in the Reuelation to be for manie yeares inuisible and not to be seene in the earth Anabapt That is certainely true And so I thinke my Brother that heere walketh with vs your countryman forsooth is accordingly minded Flyer I am Legat. ar I am of the same minde and therefore conclude therevpon thus The Church being to be latent and inuisible for many yeares so that her place was no more to be found it must accordingly follow that there could be no more a visible Church till some notable men were surred vp of God to raise it againe out of the dust Anabapt I graunt that And notable men haue we had Legat. ar The men that began the frame of the Church of Israel were Moses and Aaron The men that began the New-testaments Church were the Apostles All these were furnished with the guift of Myracles for the perswading of their hearers For without Myracle they could not be beleeued to come from God for establishing a new Church-pollicie Now Father who were the first layers of your Churches foundation They must bring Myracles with them or who but mad-men will take them for new Founders Anabapt My sonne wee haue had sundry men that haue been myraculous Legat. arr Indeed Sleidan recordeth your Snapper-doling and some others that were marueilous for their Dreames wherevpon they practised all filthines and intollerable bloodshed But to passe by that and the like Of whom had the first of your people his Baptisme The first had it doubtlesse in the Church of Rome and so consequently from Antichrist and Adam the first being impure we that follow can be no better As is the first fruite so be the branches New Baptisme there can not be till there come new Apostles New Apostles there can not be who are not endued from aboue with myracles Myracles we heare of none onely of idle Dreames and so consequently no true Baptisme in the earth nor any one true visible Christian Anabapt Doe you not beleeue your selfe to be one Legat. arr Not for alter an vtter ceassing of visible Christianitie there can be no raysing vp of that worke to visible appearance till Ministers haue begun it who may by Myracle confirme their calling For not our Sauiour Christ would so much as abolish the Shadow and establish the Substaunce but he would first vnto the people cleare his calling by an effectuall declaration of Myracles And what are you that you should be beleeued of your bare words Anabap. I perceiue sonne that thou art against all Churches and all Churches against thee as was the hand of flouting Israel turned out of Abrahams house the father of beleeuers Legat. ar You are au old Dunse to liken mee vnto Ismael a figure of Reprobates For you and others once graunting that y e Church according to that in the Reuelation chap. 6.14 represented by the Heauens departing once away as a Scrowle when it is rowled must needes therevpon conclude that
there could be no more a true Esse of the Church till from God some myraculous Ministerie should breath new life into the people as of Stones raysing vp Children vnto Abraham Anabapt A true Esse What is that I hold my life it is somewhat of the Romane beastes language Legat. arr I despise the seauen headed Monster more then you Neither care I a straw for Hebrew Greeke or Latine for thankes to his diuine Maiestie I neuer was an Uniuersity-man much lesse an Academicall Diuine or Theologue nor haue I troubled my selfe about the Beastes tongue Only as in reasoning I haue bin pressed with such a word I haue obserued it for slaying another time the Medianite with his owne sword Anabapt Fowle Heretike I would thou knew it I hate this prophane learning and language so well as thou I am a Prophet of the true Church and yet get my lyuing by making of Swordes the first calling I was trayned in Legat. ar Whia sir foole you hold the Magistrate to be onely an Ordinaunce since Christes time without the Church and that the vse of the Sword is vnlawfull You therefore in making Swordes doe vphold Bloodshed and Warres which otherwise you hold vnlawfull And so a raucke hypocrite Anabap. Sawcie princocks the Apostle hath charged vs to walke in the same calling wherein we were called to be Christians but when I was called to be a Christian I was a Sword-maker therefore in that called I ought to continue Legat. ar Gray head and greene minde by like proportion I reason thus The Apâ—stle commaundes a man to walke in the same calling a man was of when he was called to Christianitie But when I was called vnto Christianitie my calling was to keepe an Whore-house therefore being now called to be a Christian I ought yet to keepe an Whore-house Country-man take heede of him for vnder his pâ—aine habite voyde of Silke Ueluet and Pearse and yet I warrant thee of as softly English cloth as his Purse could purchase there lurketh all counterfaite dealing He would be thought most aduerse to the Romanistes and yet in the doctrines of Predestination Freewill Iustification mayne fundamentall poyntes he iumpeth one with them besides that execrable Heresie that Christ had a Corporall nature from Heauen not from vs wherevpon must necessarily follow that then he could neuer satisfie Gods iustice for vs. Anabapt Heauens-power how great is thy lenitie in bearing with such blasphemie Faythfull Proselite hanke in thine eare come to me there to night or tomorrow morning and thou shalt be inspired from aboue with power to resist all the deuises of such Charmers charme they neuer so wittily Farewell deare Proselite for I will trudge before least my eares become receptacles of his vnhallowed breathinges THE FOVRTH DIALOGVE betweene the Flyer and Legatine-arrian Legatine-arrian DEare Countryman may I be so bold as to inquire wherefore you came into these parts Flyer Good sir to speake the truth I came from the Separistes in London with full purpose to ioyne with that Church of them which is in these partes But meeting with this man as I came from Flushen where I landed and discoursing with him about Religion I verily resolued to ioyne with him and his Congregation But perceiuing by your Dialoguizing with him that all is meere foolerie to beleeue that either Hee or Brownist or Mal-content is of any true Church yea that there can be no Christian communion till a myraculous Ministerie be stirred vp of God for baptising people and calling them into Christian communion I herevpon haue giuen him the bagge Fish where he shall he shall haue no Fish of mee And therefore good sir seeing it pleased the Almightie to saue mee myraculously from seas and I perceiue it was for keeping mee to be instructed of you my humble desire is to vnderstande of you what a soule is to doe in this case there being not onely no true visible Church on the earth but also no true visible Christian I beseech you pray for mee or else I know not what shall become of mee Legat. ar Pray for you I may but pray with you I may not Prayer with one is an action of communion as for example if I should say Our Father Giue Vs this day our bread Forgiue Vs our sinnes Lead not Vs into temptation this should imply that you and I were in communion or christian fellowship But before that myraculous Ministerie as afore shall come and gather the Gentiles into such communion and Elias come for calling the Iewes there can be no such fellowship and therefore no such prayer When I come at my Chamber I will pray for you Flyer I pray you sir let me next Sabaoth day haue accesse vnto your Congregation for I doubt not but you haue some Congregation heere in Zeland Legat. ar How sillily you speake I haue all this while taught you that there is no Church nor visible Christian in the world as yet seeing no myraculous Apostles haue yet been sent to Baptize people and call them into communion and you talke of a Church Besides it is a notable badge of Antichrist for any christian Congregation vpon the Sabaoths conuention or any other time of the Churches meeting to admit of any vnbeleeuer or stranger to the fayth vnto the Pastorall exercise For is it not written in 1. Cor. 14.22 Prophecie serueth not for them that beleeue not but for them which beleeue Flyer Then I perceiue that all such as I haue left behinde me haue serued Antichrist in hypocrisie for they suffer any Infidell to come vnto their exercise of Prophecie or Preaching But my Countrimen the Flyers haue herein sinned aboue all for they permit infidelious Marchantes and others to come on the Thurseday vnto their exercise of Prophecie when ten to one by reason of some brabling canse then to be pleaded the Congregation meeteth â—ayeth and departeth without any Prayer at all or exercise of their propheticall guiâ—tes Legat. arr Propheticall guiftes Propheticall fooleries Tom Lace-seller and Abraham Pin-seller so I thinke M. Henry Barrow spoke in the Fleete must come out and spatter their meaninges and this must be called the exercise of Prophecie Flyer O excellent man of God I am sory that we be come notâ— into the tayle of Midleburghe for that will brake off our Discourse Legat. arr O prophane speach you should haue sayd into the Suburbs of Midleburghe Flyer The word Suburbs I tooke to be â— word of Latine and so of the Beastes language which made me to auoyde it Legat. ar Therein I commende your zeale For in their Translations they cannot be contented to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but before it they must put downe their prophane Latine Elj Elj lamasabâ—thenj Nor can be contented to say God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne to cry Father but they must turne it Abba father At Amsterdam I once checked a Preacher that is now in England for such fooleries
would pray you to walke home with me to take part thankfully of such as God shall send for the present Flyer I thanke you sir. Hauing gotten the Citie againe on my backe methinks I am as the Prodigall that hauing left a company of filthy Swine behinde him hath got his Fathers house on his bead where he may feed comfortably and sleepe safely CERTAINE POSITIONS NECESSARILY to be held for auoyding errour first touching the Church secondly Antichrist Touching the Church 1 THE Church of God had a visible beeing vpon Earth from Adam vnto Christ or else S. Lukes draught of the Genealogie were to small or no purpose 2 The Church of God from Christes time hitherto hath and to the worlds end shall haâ—e as true a visibilitie as the former Christ hauing no lesse care ouer his Church in her Ful-age then he had before in her Non-age 3 But as the Church of the olde Testament was not alwayes alike visible so neither this of the new Testament 4 For as the Church is compared to the Moone so in the Moone we see much change inowe more and inowe lesse seeable and lesse glorious And howsoeuer sometimes she be quite latent and hid to some part of the Earth yet to some otherpart of the Earth she is euer patent and visible And euen so it is with the Church in this life 5 And as she is compared to a Wheat-field in the middest whereof some enemie doth secretly sowe Tares So she consisting of the Children of the Kingdome shall haue to her griefe Children of the wicked in midst of her bosome Howsoeuer at the first plantation by the Apostles through all Natiâ—ns she was excellently visible yet afterwardes her Field is ouergrowne with euill to the vexation of waking Ministers And so she is to continue with grieuance of spirit till the great Haruest time that there can be a seperation made without violence vâ—â—o her body 6 As she was represented by Salomons Temple which is inowe all beauteous and rich Inow robbed and spoyled anone consumed to the Earth but afterwardes as Ezekiel saw raysed vp with greater glory Euen so the Church in her beginning was glorious by Kinkes bringing their Crownes to it she became Rich. Afterwards sacrilegious persons fleeced her of her Plate carrying it into the house of their God Belly not Bell. And in the end she shall be layde flat with the Earth and passe as refyned through Fire But an happy ResurrectioÌ„ shal be made to the augmentation of her glory-eternall And that and no other is her Re-plantation 7 Idolatrie set vp in the Hy-places of Israel from the time of their Schisme from Iudah till their deportation it neuer caused a Nullitie of the Church howsoeuer a Diminution And therefore it was that the Lord not onely called Israel his people but also raysed vp Prophets vnto them continually hauing also amongst them whole schooles of Prophets and Prophets children euen in the corruptest times The same may be sayd of Iudah when Idols were reared vp in the Temple The like also may be remembred of Israel in Aegipt Ezek. 20. 5. c. The reason is rendred sometimes for the sakes of a few he spareth many Sometimes againe he will not take the aduantage against her for his owne names sake 8 Sometimes the Church restes in orderly constitution as in Iudeâ— sometimes shaken out of order as was the Apostolicall Church at Ierusalem and caryed away captiue as the Iewes were for seauentie yeares And yet whether in Constitution or out of Constitution ordred or disordred she was trueâ—y visible Secundum Maius Minus A lesse priuiledge the Church of the New Testament cannot haue 9 That Commaundement in Math. 18. Tell the Church is an affirmatiue iniunction as is that Three times a yeare euery male shall come to Ierusalem As these three times a yeare could not be obserued when they were in Captiuitie so neither the Church could be told but when she was vnscattered and in some tollerable constitution Commaundements Affirmatiue do not alwayes binde but Negatiues doe No euill forbidden may be done at any time but many Affirmatiues enioyned may sometimes be lawfully vndone because the occasion or meanes of doing them is lacking The Romanistes therefore presse that Dic Ecclesiae to no purpose 10 The Church so alwayes hauing some visible face it must ineuitably follow that Hel-gates neuer preuayled against her And so by consequent that that doctrine of Fayth in Christ which Peter peached in Math. 16. it neuer fayled in the Church but of some of her members haue been held and preached truely and effectually and so that is the Euerlasting Ghospell spoken of in the Reuelation which in the last times maugre the Beast is preached as farre as the Heauens extend Touching Antichrist and Antichristianisme 1 ANtichrist implyeth either one that is opposite vnto Christ or one that taketh falsely vpon him the place of Christ. If he take vpon him the place of Christ it is as the counterfaite Lambe in Reu. 13. to dispense saluation by a contrary meanes as is the doctrine of Iustification before God by Workes the Ghospell saying the contrary Not by Workes but by Fayth 2 As he is opposite vnto Christ so specially and in Scripture-sense in a manner onely for that he teacheth a contrary Ghospell that is A glad tydinges contrary to that of Christ and so it comes to the former according to his title Antikeâ—menos obserued from the 2. Thess. 2.4 giuen also in 1. Cor. 16.9 to such as opposed to the foundation of Fayth preached by the Apostle Sottish therefore be such Schismatiques as haue taught that euery euill is Antichristianisme They may as well say that euery one of Gods Children hath Antichristianisme in him and in sinning whatsoeuer sinne he is an Antichrist And as foolish haue they been who conclude all vnder any Apostaticall Pope to be damned as lymmes of Antichrist when as vnder the most corrupt regiment many howsoeuer ignorantly stayned with sundry euils haue held the Ghospels foundation euen the doctrine of Iustification most truely and soundly Sed vno mâ—lo concesso sequuntur Infinita 3 Antichristianisme so properly vnderstood is a matter of Doctrine not of Discipline a matter of Fayth not of externall Policie And not of any Doctrine or any Fayth but a Doctrine opposite to that Fayth which is to be had in Christ Iesâ— onely for perfect iustification Anâ— that aduerse Doctrine is as that stinâ— of the Locust-scorpion in Reuel 9â— which exceedingly payneth the seâ—duced soule bringing it to plaine desâ—peration For howsoeuer the doctrinâ— of Iustification by Workes doth lookâ— amiably at the first blush yet wheâ— that soule shall lay her Workes to thâ— ballance of the Law it shal be so farrâ— from finding comfort in it as it shalâ— dispaire seeke by vntimely deathâ— to strangle the Remembrance of it 4 The Antichrist or Antikeimenisâ— considered then as one Man is