and say Iudah was a true Church Israell a false Church and the Philistimes no Church these are but your owne sayings aÌ„d devisings without proofe whereby you have and doe mightilie deceive although your words bee without all vnderstanding for Israell was a true Church as Iudah was for the Israelites were the true seed off Abraham seperated from the world vnder the Covenant off God which was the Covenant off Circumrision Gen. 17 7-15 as well as Iudah in Hezechiahs time when they same to the passover And if they had beene the false seed off Abraham then had they beene false Israelites then had their circumcision beene false and they had beene a false Church So had they beene no seed off Abraham no Israelites their Circumcision no Circumcision and so no Church For a full conclusion and a certen rule off drection from the Word off God whereby the People off God may try all your deceitfil distinctions off this kind when you put difference betwixt True False and none in or off anie Ordinance off God Lett all observe and would to God you your selves would bee informed that God and his lawes and Ordinances are one Iohn 14.6 Off equal power authoritie and truth and therefore you can no more say a true Church a false Church and no Church a true Baptisme a false Baptisme and no Baptisme which are holie ordinances of God then you can say a true God a false God and no God and your distinction wil hold no more betwixt a false Church and no Church a false baptisme and no baptisme then betwixt a false God and no God and iff a false God be no God then a false Church is no Church of God and a false baptisme is no baptisme of Christ Your false Church then being as is shewed and proved no Church of God then it is the Synagogue of Satan and your false baptisme being no baptisme of Christ then it is the baptisme of Sathan The Lord give you to consider of your estates and standings herein that although your contempt of ve is and hath beene great yet you may not stil conâ—emne Christ and his truth the meanes of your salvation though witnessed by vs that are so much despised in your eies Haveing thus shewed you by evidence off truth that you bringing your false baptisme out of a False church both which yourselves confesse your baptisme is no baptisme and that false Church is no Church this being made plaine as the indifferent may iudg wee will trie Mr. Robinsons ground for this reteined baptisme who wil bee found to make haist to deceive with as manie windings and turnings as anie anâ— he not altogether trusting to bring his baptisme froâ— Israel he strives withal deceitful skill to prove that their baptisme is true in one respect though brought from Babilon And this matter he vndertakes afâ—â— this manner in his booke off iustification of seperition Pag. 184 185. He Commends vnto the Reader a distinction off a twofold respect Baptisme saith Mr. R. is to be considered first nakedlie and in the essentiall causes the matter water The forme washing with water into the name off the Father c. These are the essential causes of Mr. R. naked Baptisme in this respect he confesseth true baptisme both in England and Rome Mr. R. shal wee speake angerlie to you and mourne for the hardnes off your hart and great blindnes and ignorance Have you lost the beginings of knowledg in the misterie of Godlines is all light shut from your eies and al truth debarred from your vnderstanding that you should write thus That water and washing and words are the essential causes or matter of Baptisme if you had knowne Christ of whose Baptisme you pretend to speake you would never have written thus do you knowe that Christs Kingdome is a spiritual Kingdome his Ordinances spiritual Ordinances and wil you confesse this with your tongue and with your tongue and deeds denie it Which that it may appeare plainelie you do consider with your selfe and let all that seeke the Lord in spirit and truth consider with what vnderstanding you can say that naked Water washing words are the essential causes of a spiritual Baptisme thus doe you spoile men through Philosophie and vaine deceit in which iniquitie you abound away with your naked respect and bee counselled to buy whit rayment that you may bee clothed that your vile nakednes do not appeare Knowe you not that al they that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ And do you come with your Philosophie to teach simple soules a naked baptisme and make it good with respects The Lord give you grace to see your great evil herein and the Lord deliver his poore people from these your deceitful waies and the lord give them to learne to knowe from the word of God that there is but one Baptisme of Christ Ephes 4.5 And that whosoever is baptized into Christ hath put on or is clothed with Christ Gal. 3.27 and therefore whosoever shal walke with your naked baptisme shal bee found naked at the day off Christs appearing though you peece it and patch it with greene leaves and for your essential causes lay downe plainlie what baptisme you speake of and you shal be convinced in your selfe as thus if you say off Christs baptisme which is spiritual that the essential matter thereof is earthlie water would not your ignorance easilie appeare the like of your forme if you should say that the forme of spiritual baptisme is bodilie washing onelie with bare words your owne vnderstanding would reprove you It were to be wished and you have often bene required to lay away your schoole tearmes in the causes of God whereby you do for the most part but hide the truth and blind the eies of the simple How do you thinke the simple should vnderstand you in the essentiall causes and matter and forme of baptisme do the Scriptures shew that anie of the holie men of God did ever thus distinguish if your Art had bene good or profitable could not our Saviour Christ have vsed it for the manifestation of his truth aÌ„d would he not have endued his Apostles with that gift Yea the Lord endued them with the most excellent gifts for the evident declaration of his truth whereof Lodgick and Philosophie was none which vaine sciences if you had not vsed you could never have forged so manie deceits as you have in your booke And now wee disire you to knowe that the Scriptures teach not anie Baptisme that is in one respect true and in other respect false there is no such thinge in the whole word of God these are but your owne devices wherein you devide Christ to serve your owne turnes to deceive perswading men that they are in one respect truelie baptized and in another respect falslie baptized and if they wil come and walke in your waie and ioyne to your societies you can make that part which was false true What Poperie
Iudah a falfe Church Iff therefore you hold or account England as Israell then must you hold aÌ„d account England a true Chur. for it is but your devisings to say Israell was a false Church and iff England bee as Israel a true Chur. then are al your sinnes exceeding great who have made such a seperation as you have And if you bee come from Babilon then looke the whole booke off God throughout and you shal find that no Babilonian circumcision could be admitted into the house of the Lord. And let all behold in the booke of the Revelation what the estate and condition off Babilon is and of al them that are in hir and how the voice off the Lord is come out of hir my people and if any shal worship the Beast his image receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand or receiveth the print of his name he shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of God Therefore there may nothinge bee reteyned that is brought from Babilon no marke nor print off name And will you bring the Print seale and name of your Christianitie from thence what vaile of darknes overspreads your harts herein you are deceived through the vaine ymaginations of your owne harts supposing that although you come out of Babilon yet you were not Babilonians but if you hold the assemblies of England Babilon as you declare you doe then except you can shew your genealogie that you with your vessel of baptisme which is your baptizing were brought from Ierusalem and out of the house of the Lord iff you cannot prove this which were duble follie to go about â—hen must you be conâ—ent to knowe your selves that you were Babilonians aÌ„d yet are in that your seale of Christianity is the seale of Babilon and so are you but Babilonian Christians and servants of the Beast bearing the beasts marke title and name in your foreheads And whereas you and all the rest of the false Prophets of your professioÌ„ do in flatterie aÌ„d dissimulation not knowing the misterie of Godlines affirme and acknowledg of the assemblies in England that there are thousands amoÌ„g them that truelie feare God alluding to the seaven thousand in Israell you make them beleeve thereby that they stand in the estate of grace and salvation so do you prophesie peace and salvaâ—ion where the lord prophesieth destruction for the Lord prophesieth that al that come not furth of Babilon shal be partakers of hir plagues and that whosoever yeilds anie obedience or braces anie marke of the Beast shal bee tormented with fire brimstone Reve. 14. but you prophesie that there are thousands in England which you acknowledg to be BabiloÌ„ who receives not the beasts marke and that are careful to keepe the comaundements off God and faith of Iesus and that truelie feare God if such bee not in the estate of salvation then no flesh is or can bee but this cannot be the estate of anie one in Babilon which if you vnderstood the misterie off Godlines you might easilie see for the bondage of Babilon is spiritual bondage and all that are in Babilon are in spiritual bondage aÌ„d none that are in spiritual bondage can bee in the estate of grace and salvation For all that are in the estate of grace and salvation must stand faâ— in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free and may not bee intangled with the yock of bondage Gal. 5.1 And where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3.17 Add vnto this that which is formerlie shewed that al that come not furth of Babilon must perish with Babilon Deceive not your selves therefore and flatter not them off England for there is no one person either of them or you we speake off persons of vnderstanding that are in the estate of grace or salvation or shal ever bee saved if you come not furth of Babilon and cast away the marke of the Beast wherewith you are al marked Revel 19.20.21 Wee exhort you all therefore that by grace in Christ you worke out your salvations with feare and trembling or els you perish from the highest to the lowest The King off Kings the Lord of Lords hath said it that Babilon shal bee destroyed withall that are found in hir Ier. 51.6 Revel 18.4 Wee wil now conclude with you putting you in remembrance that seeing no distinction nor differeÌ„ce can be made betwixt a false Church and no Church but they are both one For a false Church are they that say and make shewe they are a true Church but are not as false Apostles are they that say and make shewe they are Apostles and are not 2. Cor. 11.13 and false Iewes are they that say and make shewe they are jewes aÌ„d are not Re. 2 This your distinction being vtterlie overthrowne so as you shal never bee able to open your your mouthes to maintaine it But the simplest soule amongst you shal bee able to discover your deceit Your whole false building is at once fallen to the ground for a false Church being no Church then England being by you all adiudged to bee a false Church is no Church so is your baptisme brought out of no Church aÌ„d your false Baptisme is no Baptisme and thus shal the simplest amongst you bee able to say to you is our baptipsme that wee had in England a false baptisme then is it no baptisme then are we not Baptized and to this you shal never bee able to answere them although you should set your selves to vercaie Gods truth and their soules so likewise if you tell them that England is a false Church they shal say vnto you then is it no Church and you shal not knowe which way to contradict theÌ„ in that the scriptures do teach that a false Church is no Church as a false God is no God a false Christ no Christ a false Appostle no Appostle so is a false Ordinance no Ordinance off Christ a false Baptisme no Baptisme off Christ Thus wee doubt not but through the grace of God wee shall see by the brightnes of Christs coming that your darke deceitful waies wil be discovered to the simplest and you shal bee ashamed to speake of a false baptisme and to say it is partlie the true baptisme of Christ and partlie the baptisme of the Devil and so ioine Christ and Beelzebub together and make them partners in one baptisme Wee hope the feare off God wil teach you better wisedome â—hen thus still to blaspheme for the supporting of your kingdome off darknes And if you were not a stifnecked people aÌ„d of vncircuÌ„cised harts and races you would not thus long with contempt and violence have resisted the truth of God as you have done and do persecuting it with bitter envyings and raylings for the which the Lord may iustlie give you vp to hardnes of hart but the Lord in great mercie shew mercie vpon you al that do it ignoratlie we haveing from the word of the
of God did ever by example practice nor by rule comaund nor give power that anie should be compelled by anie bodily punishment to obey their lawes and Ordinances which were infalibly true holy and good How much lesse ought our lord the King to comaund or give a power to Arch-Bs lord Bs. men full of the spirit of error to make lawes Canons with aucthority from the King to compell by imprisoment sharpe persecutions the Kings true subiects and people of God vnto the obediente thereof who for their religion to God although they be contrary mynded to the K. therein ought not seeing they deserue not to be punished either with death or bonds this is cōfirmed to the K. by the testimony of King Agrippa and noble Festus the governor who adiuged Paul to have done nothing worthy of death or bonds but that he might have bene loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar yet Paul was contrary mynded to Cesar to the jewes in his religion to God But they iudged him by the lawe of Nations by the power of which law the Kings of the nations are to rule judg according to their owne severall lawes against which law Paul had not transgressed for his cause was concerning the faith of Iesus Christ which could not be judged by that law And let our lord the King give his servants leave to comend this to the Kings best observatiō which is worthy to be observed that where soever in the new testament throughout the professors of the faith of Iesus were adiudged by earthly rulers Governors for anie thinge that they did or held of conscience to God of faith to Iesus Christ if earthly Rulers and Gouernors tooke the cause in hand by their power the iudgment was alwaes wicked and abhominable And if our lord the King will but begin his obseruation at the fore-runner of Christ Iohn Baptist whome Herod put in prisō and beheaded And then let the King come to Iesus Christ whome they iudged and crucified finding no evill he had done And so if it please the K. to looke throughout the whole booke of the Act. there the King knowes how the disciples of Christ were imprisoned threatned beaten stoned The made Saul hauock with his letters of Comission and entred into every house and drew out both men wemen and put them in prison Then Herod stretched furth his hand and vexed certen of the Church and Killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and Caught Peter and put him in prison Then were Paul and Sylas taken at Philippi by the Gouernors and people and were sore beaten cast into prison and the Iailer comaunded to kepe them surey being charged to preach Ordinances which were not lawfull for the Romans to receive nor observe Here may our lord the King see a true patterne how the people of God are persecuted when the Civill power doth iudg their cause of their faith and profession in their religion to God Thus have worldly Gouernors delt with the Church of Christ when the disciples fell vnder their censure for their faith to God And all these sentences of death bonds and persecutions the King can iugd to be vniust and vnlaw full in that these Rulers and Gouernors had no lawfull power nor aucthority to iudg Christ nor his disciples for matters of faith they being in all other thinges obedient to their lawes But men wil say all this is answered in one word They were heathen Rulers Now if our lord the K. will challeng a Prerogative or power becaus he professeth Christ then let it be lawfull for the King servants to tell the King that it he will professe to be a disciple of Christ that gives the King no power to do anie of all these thinges to imprison to banish to put to death that belongs onely to his earthly Kingdome for Christ and Appostles had no such power given them neither taught they the disciples to take vpon them anie such power and to execute it vpon the contrary mynded but taught them the cōtrary to instruct thē with meeknes and by preaching the word seeke their conversion with all long suffering and not to destroy them by severe punishments yea the disciples of Christ must wait and labor for the grafting in againe of the Iewes according to the prophesies of the scriptures Rom. 11.24.27 and therefore the King knowes they may not be destroyed although they be the greatest enimies of Christ that are vpon the earth and have and yet do cast the greatest reproach and contempt vpon Christ with such words as are most fearfull to vtter yet must the disciples of Christ wait for their conversion and not worke their destruction And let our lord the King call to mynd how the Appostle Paul teacheth all the disciples of Christ to be mynded towards all infidells Rom. 1. 14.15 where he saith Iam debter both to the Grecian and to the Barbarian both to the wise and to the vn wise And the same Appostle 1. Cor. 9.20.21.22 saith To the Iewes I become as a Iew to them that are vnder the law as though I were vnder the law to them that are without the law as though I were without the law to the weake I become as weake that I may wīne the weake I am made saith Th-appostle all thinges to all men that I might by all meanes save some All these instructions and directions are for our lord the King to direct the King how he should go in and out with holines all meeknes before his people to wynne them to Christ and not to set vp a Cruell Hyrarchy to make havock of the K. people as Saul did pulling them out of their houses both men and wemen casting them into prisons forceing them to flee the land and persecuting them with all cruelty May the King suffer all this to be done by his power vpon this ground of being a Christian King the Kings servants shewe the King yet once againe in all humility that Christ the King did not so himself he never appointed to be punished anie one man for desobeing his Gospell with the least bodily punishment And therefore wee instantly exhort our lord the King that the King would be no longer seduced by those most dangerous deceivers that have gottē the Kings power to punish those that Christ the King of Israell would not punish that persuade the King that the King hath the same power in the Kingdome and over the house and people of Christ that the Kings of Israell had in that Kingdome and over that house and people of God as it was the Church of God Wee according to our great weaknes have shewed to our lord the King before that the King cannot challeng that power meaning onely in respect of Religion And wee will by the Kings favour repeat the substāce of the whole ground in few words and wee beseech the King that wee may the rather do
name and title of a king then of the power and goverment of a king Let the simple iudg whether is greater a king of great power and goverment or a king of great name and title Let them contend and see who shall get the victorie All this wee set downe to shewe how greatly you do er through ignorance that cannot deserne that power and govermeÌ„t in earthly kings is much greater theÌ„ name and title and therefore you err in Common iudgment But you do err much more in spirituall iudgment in that you cannot deserne Christs name and power off goverment to bee of equall estimaâ—ion for if you doe not hold al thinges in Christ and all things of Christ to bee equall and of like condition or proportion you overthrow the nature and propertie off God as thus Al the Graces of Christ in himself are equall a like and al his workes are equal a like It was all one with God to make Behemoth spoken of Iob. 40. and the Pismice Pro. 30. and God estemeth theÌ„ both a like so al the word of God is a like aÌ„d of like power and authoritie as Christ himself sheweth when an expounder of the law asked him which is the first and great Comaundement Iesus answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with al thy hart soule and mynd this is the first and the great Comaundement the secoÌ„d is like to this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe And thapostle Iames makes it most plaine that the comaundements of God are all of like power and authoritie and al of like necessitie to be obeyed aÌ„d the holy ghost doth shewe an evident reason wherefore everie comaundement is a like to be obeyed and why the breaking of one is the breaking of al because saith the holy Ghost by Thapostle he that comaunded one comaunded al. Iam. 2.10.11 From which ground of truth wee thus speake vnto you in the words of the holy ghost He that hath comaunded in the Church the true preaching of the word true baptisme and true administration of the Lords supper The same God hath comaunded also true goverment in the Church therefore although you should have the word of God truely preached and baptisme and the supper of the Lord truely administred yet iff you have a false Goverment you are transgressors of the whole law of God and gilty of al. Thus doth the word of God disaprove aÌ„d vtterly condeÌ„ne that blasphemous doctrine of pous whereby you fearefully deceive your selves and the people of God whilst you hold and teach that Christs goverment in his Church is not fundameÌ„tall And besides the word of God we have endeavored to shew you that in al humane sence and vnderstanding a king that hath not the power of govermeÌ„t over his subiects but they submit to the goverment of strang lords they are disobedieÌ„t aÌ„d rebellious aÌ„d give their king onely the name of King aÌ„d such subiects are you giveing Christ onely the name of a king but give his power of goverment to strang lords your lord Archb. and Bishops who enlarge you by their spirit and you are enlarged and who restraines you by their power and you are restrained who sets you vp for shepherds when you please theÌ„ aÌ„d puts you downe like hirelings wheÌ„ you offend theÌ„ who if they destroy your flock before your faces and you stand by you dare not aid theÌ„ but give Councel for peace to submit to their crueltie although they should condemne your most innoceÌ„t and iustifie the most gilty and al this evil aÌ„d much more you iustly bring vpon your selves and the people in teaching and professing that you differ not froÌ„ the Lord Bs. in any fundameÌ„tal point making and accounting there by the goverment which Christ hath appointed in his Church not to be fundamental wherein you sinne against God with an high haÌ„d makeing Christ Iesus a vaine Lawgiver whilst by your practice and profession both in deeds aÌ„d words you declare that the Ordinances of Christ which he hath appointed for the whole goverment of his Church are not of absolute necessitie and fundameÌ„tal If the Iewes had so said and practiced against the ordinaÌ„ces which they received for the goverment of the TeÌ„ple and Tabernacle and appointing the officers by the mouth of Moses it had made an vtter coÌ„fusioÌ„ of al aÌ„d they must have died And behold a greater theÌ„ Moses is here giveing ordinances for the goverment of his Temple aÌ„d Tabernacle and for the ordeining of Officers against which iff you resist and admit of anie other you must dye except you repent Heb. 10.28.29 and 12.25 for you make an vtter confusion of al. Oh that you would but looke with your eies and see what a confusion it would have brought into the Temple and Tabernacle if anie other Officers and anie other goverment had bene brought in then Moses appointed had not all their sacrifices and services bene polluted aÌ„d most abhominable to the Lord would Moses ever have endured it and would Aaron have consented there vnto They would not and if all the people had they al had bene destroied with Korah Dathan and Abiram who would have overthrowne the goverment and Officers of the temple for the Lord would have bene as iust in his iudgment vpon al as vpon sâ—me Oh that you would consider this and forget not God least he teare you in peeces and there bee none that can deliver you Are the Lawes and Ordinances given by Iesus Christ for the govermeÌ„t of his Temple and Tabernacle and appointing of his Officers not so perfit as those that was given by Moses and wil not the bringing in of anie other Officers and goverment into the Church of Christ then hee hath appointed cause as great as confuâ—ion as it would have done in the Temple and shal not al the sacrifices and services be polluted and most abhominable as theirs would have beene wil Christ Iesus the Mediator and high Preist endure it or consent vnto it anie more then Moses and Aaron would have done if you say he would then you make Christ lesse faithful then Moses and make his Church lesse holy then the Temple was and his lawes and Ordinances not to peâ—fit as those that were given by Moses and so shal the transgression against them deserve lesse punishment but but all the Prophets and Apostles and Christ Iesus himself testifieth the contrarie to this as you know right wel and most especially the Author to the Hebrewes handleth these thinges at large shewing that the Temple Tabernacle and al the Officers and offices and ordinances off administration for Goverment and service given by Moses were but a paterne shadowe and similitude of the Heavenly Temple and Ordinances established and given by Christ who is the Mediator of a better Testament established vpon better promisses and is the High Preist of a more perfect Tabernacle and hath purified al the ordinances with a better blood he is faithful as
wherein you are by great and marvelous signes and wonders as the spirit of God hath declared Revel 15. and 16. Chap. by the seaven Angels which powre out the seaven vialls of the wrath of God vpon the Earth But you must knowe that this is a spirituall Prophisie and al these are spiritual signes and wonders which the lord hath graciouslie promissed to shew vpon Babilon Egipt and Sodom spirituallie so called to the destruction and everlasting overthrowe of the Scarlet cullored Beast and the Woman that sits vpon him which woman is that great Citie Babilon and vpon all the people that come not furth at the call of his voice Revel 17.18 Chap. But take heed you bee not deceived by lookeing for their things with carnal eies as the Iewes did who looked for an earthlie King to deliver them so that whē their spiritual king came they knewe him not but hated him dispised him persecuted him killed him and cast him out and so remaine in transgression and vnder condemnatiō vnto this day by the iust iudgment of God Take heed least you do so in sueing after and seeking by earthlie meanes to be delivered out of your spiritual bondage and when the spirituall meanes and way is shewed you you contemne it dispise it hate it persecute it speake al manner of evil against it oppose it reiect it and condemne it and so remaine stil in your transgression and vnder the condemnatiō of the iust iudgment of God which the Lord hath pronounced against all those that come not furth of Babilon partaking thereby with hir in hir sinnes and so shal be made pertakers of hir plagues which plagues you cannot escape if you come not furth but beleeve those false Prophets that prophesie lyes vnto you Be not deceived by your good intents ād meanings and good desires whereof you are full Nor by your great affections of zeale wherewith you abound above al people that we knowe or have heard of that have anie knowledg of the Gospel wee speake not of the ignorant zealous Papists that go before you and all the earth that knowe the name of Iesus in these things which makes them thinke their estates most happie Take you heed least you bee also still hereby deceived Wee confesse these are excellent things if knowledg and faith go with them Furthermore your obedience vnto the second and great comaundement which is Love thy neighbour as thy self and al the particuler dueties thereof as Honor Parents do not comit adultery Kil steale beare false witnesse Covet nothinge that is thy neighbours In these excellent duties verie manie of you greatly abound and wee cannot but with great affections looke vpon you and love you for them yet knowe that manie Papists are nothinge behind you in these thinges Therefore let not these things deceive you as though you had all things because you have these You see it testified by our Saviour Christ that a man may have or do all these things and yet not follow Christ as is shewed in the example of that excellent Ruler whome Christ looked vpon and loved for those excellent things in him Mark 10.21 And therefore please not your selves so much in those things although wee acknowledg they are worthie of great comendations in you and our soules are much affected to you for them But iff you followe not Christ in the regeneration that is if you bee not borne againe of water of the Spirit so enter into the Kingdome off Heaven all is nothinge as you see by the example of this Ruler And Cornelius Act. 10. If he had not bene baptized with the holy ghost and with Water for all his praiers and almes he had not nor could not have entred into the Kingdome off Heaven Thus entered all the people off God of whose entrance the Scriptures give testimonie either by rule or example and therefore if there bee anie other entrance found out it is not nor cannot bee of God this onelie is the doore which Iesus Christ hath set open for all to enter in at that enter into his Kingdome Iohn 3.5 and the Lord sanctifie al your harts with grace that you may enter in thereby For no other way off salvation hath Christ appointed but that mē first beleeve and bee Baptized Mark 16.16 Thus have wee freely spoken the truth vnto you from our harts suspect vs not of the least contempt or dispite iff wee seene sharpe There are multitudes of you of that Puritane profession so called that knowe our love is most true and vnfained to you all and that wee cannot but love and reverence you and therefore wee cannot but the more seeke your reformation wish it and pray for it and wee will not give the Lord rest therein vntill hee heare vs that wee may see your salvation accomplished THe next false profession off Christ and false Prophets amongst you that wee will by Gods assistance speake of is that false profession and those false Prophets which are vsually called Brownists you are they that say you are Iewes but are none and have made your selves a name to bee the Seperation and are falsly so called but are not as through the helpe of our God we shal make it plaine by the Word of the Lord both to your owne consciences if you wil not alwaies resist the truth and also to the consciences of al others And this we will do by those grounds of truth which you acknowledg which you must be forced either to forsake or els be cōvinced by them And the first ground is this in your Booke called the Apologies the first part of your third position stands thus set downe A true visible Church is a Companie of people called and seperated from the world by the word of God and ioyned together by voluntary profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospel And by this meanes that is by the word of God and by thus doeing that is seperating themselves from the world and ioyning together say you they are become a true visible Church Now to come to a full discoverie off your false profession off Christ Let it be observed that you confesse you were off the World before you seperated Which when you were then were you Enimies vnto Christ for Christ testifieth the World hates him Iohn 7.7 Then were you none off Christs for those that are Christs or off Christ are not of the world Ioh. 17 1◠and now to be come Christs you say you are called and seperated from the World by the word of God and ioined together by voluntarie profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospel This is your constitution wherein you have erred as may plainlie appeare for when you were called and as you say seperated you should have ioined to Christ and have entred into his Kingdome which seing you have not done you are not seperated from the world nor have no fellowship in the Gospel Wee confesse the
Lord hath called vnto you and you have ioined your selves together in a voluntarie profession but you have not ioyned your selves to Christ ād therefore is your profession a false profession and you have a false Christ that is no Christ as shal bee hereafter plainlie proved And to shew you that you are not ioyned to Christ you being of the world before you constituted or set vp your Church by your owne confessions the word off the Lord doth evidentlie declare that there is no way for them that are of the world who are not in Christ but enimies to Christ as all that are of the world are there is no other way to ioyne and come to Christ but onelie to Amend their lives bee Baptized Act. 2.38 and Gal. 3.27 Al ye that are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Let vs now intreat you on Gods dehalf that you wil no longer be feighters against God in contending against his truth from the which wee trust through the mercie of God you shal not bee able anie longer to hide your selves For if al men that knowe God and his Sonne Christ Iesus will not confesse that infidels and vnbeleevers have no other way to come and be ioyned to Christ but onely by beleeving and being baptized then you that confesse you were of the world before you set vp your Church must needs confesse also that you were infidels and vnbeleevers for you shal bee ashamed to say that there are anie beleevers of the world seeing our Saviour Christ saith Iohn 14.17 The World cannot receive the Spirit of truth and Iohn 16.8.9 The Comforter shall reprove the world of sinne because they beleeved not in me and Iohn 17.25 O righteous Father the World hath not knowne thee and Iohn in his first Epist Chap. 5.18.19 speakes thus We knowe that were are of God this whole World lieth in wickednes And this being the condition of thē that are of the world 1 That they cannot receive the Spirit of truth 2. That they beleeve not in Christ 3. That they knowe not God 4. That they lye all in wickednes You confessing your selves to be of the world before you ioined your selves together in your voluntarie profession by a Covenant of your owne devisings you being of the world your Condition was the same Then were you without the Spirit of truth vnbelevers not knowing God Lying al in wickednes and so are you all infidels ād their was nor is no way for you to ioyne vnto Christ but to amend your lives be Baptized and by Baptisme to put on Christ Which seeing you have not done you are stil of the world the spirit of truth is not in you you are infidels and vnbeleevers you knowe not God and you remaine in your wickednes and so is your profession a false profession of Christ and you have not the true Christ but a false Christ and so is your Baptisme a worldly baptisme brought out of the world an Ordinance of the world and not the baptisme and Ordinance of Christ whose baptisme is not of the world as he is not of the world Shal wee need to lay downe anie other ground to convince you and stop al your moueths is not this easie plaine and evident enough What can bee more plaine You confesse your selves you were of the world before you made your seperation from England and our Saviour Christ saith that they which are of the world beleeve not in him and who wil not grant that they that beleeve not in Christ are infidells or vnbeleevers then you being of the world were infidells or vnbeleevers and the Holy Ghost teacheth that infidels or vnbeleevers must Amend their lives be baptized by Baptisme put on Christ And our Saviour Christ Mark 16.16 giveing a generall direction to his disciples to preach the Gospel to al gives likewise a general direction what al vnbeleevers must do iff they wil bee saved They must beleeve and be Baptized This strait are you now driven vnto either to confesse that before your seperation you were infidells or vnbeleevers and then you must beleeve and be baptized or els that you were beleevers and faithful and then have you Seperated from a faithfull and beleeving People and not from the World and you must returne to your vomit with that false prophet your first and cheife Shepherd that hath misled you vp on these false grounds who not being able through his infidelitie to kepe his face towards Ierusalem and the Land of Canaan hath fainted in the way and rebelled in the wildernes and is returned to his so much formerlie detested Babilon and Egipt And next let vs shewe vnto you that your Prophets are al false Prophets and although it bee a full sufficient proofe that they are false Prophets because they are Elected and ordeined to their Office by a cōgregatiō of infidels or vnbelevers that are not ioyned to Christ and have not put on Christ by baptisme yet wee wil further shewe them to bee false Prophets because they Prophesies lies and by their lying wonders would if it were possible deceive the verie Elect these are deceiptful workers transforme themselves into the Prophets of Christ as though they were the Ministers off righteousnes whose end saith Thapostle shal bee according to their workes 2. Cor. 11.13.15 yet they doeing it ignorantly through vnbeleife if they repent may be received to mercy 1. Tim. 1.13 but they must repent as Paul did who left of being a persecutor a blasphemer and an oppressor els he could never have bene saved so must they leave of being false Prophets seducers and deceivers or els they shall all bee damned Revel 19.20 And first to shew how your false prophets do trāsforme themselves whereby they are most dangerous deceivers and tempters they in the forefront of their crie come with a maine ground of truth ād this they vtter with a lowd voice It is fallen it is fallen Babilon that great Citie Go out of hir my people c. and seperate your selves and come out this is al their crie to bring the people from the assemblies of England ād then they runne vpon England and prove it Babel and Babilon we confesse with proofe enough which when they have done working a iust distaist in the harts of some people of the spiritual abhominatiōs in those assemblies so far as they themselves dislike but being loath to cast Babilon cleane to the ground and vtterlie to make hir naked and desolate and to lay all hir honor in the dust and not being willing through hardnes of hart and want of true zeale and holines to runne the rate to the end and to seperate thēselves from al vncleanes they teach you stil to reteine your first and cheife badg or marke of Babilon which is your baptisme wherein you receive the seale of the covenant of grace as they say ād teach you ād this you may not part withal vpon anie condition Is there anie
is this to take vpon you to dispence with the false administrations in the ordinances of Christ thus do you runne into darke places whilst you forsake the lanterne that should light your pathes which light of truth teacheth you and all men that the baptisme of Christ is the Baptisme of amendement of life for the remission off sinnes Mark 1.4 And our Saviour Christ saith Except a man bee borne off water and off the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3. and Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare with a true hart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Here is the true Baptisme set downe which is the Baptisme off amendement off life for the remission off sinnes And here is the true matter where with men must bee washed which is water and the Holie Ghost that is pure from an evill conscience and washed with water Therefore can you not devide the water and the spirit in this Baptisme Christ hath ioyned them together and he that denies washing or is not washed with the spirit is not baptized and hee that denies washing or is not washed with water is not Baptized because wee see the Baptisme of Christ is to bee washed with water and the Holie Ghost And to take away a subtile exception if a man bee in prison or anie place and bee coÌ„verted to the lord aÌ„d would be baptized with water but cannot he is accepted with God who accepts the will for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and herein is the Lords mercie equal with his iustice for if a mans hart consent to evil he is giâ—â—ie before the Lord although he do it not Mat. 5.27.28 Thus much to discover the great deceitfullnes off your waie in the first respect of your false distinction wherein you would prove onelie the essential matter water and washing with water and words he essential forme Wee passe by your forme of words because wee thinke you wil not stand vpon it in that you see there is no certen forme of words held Act. 10 48. and 19.5 And take this with you to consider of that if there were anie truth in your distinction and respect then were anie washing with water with those words the true matter and forme of Christs Baptisme and so if one Child baptized another with water and those words it is true baptisme in that respect and let that Child come aÌ„d ioyne to you ad you can make it good in al respects Passe not these things over as you have done for you are not able to answere them with anie true vnderstanding from Gods word and so wee come to your second respect Secondly you say baptisme is to be considered clothed with such appurtenances as wherewith the Lord hath appointed it to bee administred as for example a lawful person by whome a right subiect vpon which a true Comunion wherein it is to bee administred dispenced in which regard you say you do not approve it to bee true Baptisme either in Rome or England If darkest error did not possesse your hart you could never have written such thinges but that wee knowe your stifnes in your false waies wee should pittie to point out your palpable ignorance in these thinges did ever man of anie vnderstanding in religion write thus You are lighter then vanitie herein Will anie man that hath anie knowledg of God bee so blind as not to see how the spirit of error doth lead you to iustifie that a baptisme where there is neither the spirit off God lawful minister right subiect nor true comunioÌ„ is the true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in the essential parts thereof Hath the like ignorance appeared in these daies esspecially amongst men that will â—rie out for proofe by Scripture in all things If this your ground were true then a Turk baptizing a Turk with water and those words in anie assemblie whatsoever is the true Baptisme of Christ in the essential parts thereof see what rocks you runne vpon whilst you forsake the waie of truth it may now appeare no marvil though you would have baptisme to bee nakedlie considered you have made a most naked baptisme and ordinance of Christ of it First where there is no spirit of God no lawful minister no right partie to bee baptized no true comunion it may wil be called a naked baptisme and you a naked man of al grace and godlie vnderstanding to maintaine it for a true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in anie respect If al this wil not serve to convince you wee will yet smite you with the rod of froÌ„ aÌ„d breake you like the potters vessel in this point You professe and acknowledg that Baptisme comes in the fâ—ead off Circumcision then let all men iudg whether if Circumcision being administred by an vnlawfull person vpon no right subiect and in no true Comunion could ever have beene approved for the true ordinance of God in the essential causes thereoff and whether one so Circumcised could vpon anie conditioÌ„s have bene admitted to the passover you wil we hope be destitute of al devices to aÌ„swere this al those that are anie waie indifferent betwixt you and vs wil see your great error herein that iff a Babilonian had circumcised a Babilonian in their babilonish assemblies that Circumcision had not bene in anie respect the Ordinance of God and such a one could vpon no condition have bene admitted to the passover by that Circumcision Now to shew that you hold England Babilon in your booke throughout it appeares but wee especiallie hold you to these Pag. 277. and 338. where you affirme that Rome and England were never within the covenant of God as Iudah was So have you debarred your selff from bringing your circumcision and so your baptisme from Apostate Israel and therefore you must hold your selfe to this to prove circumcision administred in BabiloÌ„ by an vnlawful person vpon a wronge subiect and in no true Comunion you must prove such a circumcision the Ordinance of God in anie respect aÌ„d that one so circumcised might bee admitted to the passover prove this and wee will confesse that your skill is above all mens herein and Ezra and Nehemiah shall bee reproved off you for causing the people to put away the Children that were borne off the straing Wives in Babilon Ezra 10.3 Nehem. 13.23.24.25 Off whome if you make question whether they were circumcised you cavell without cullor for then had the Israelites bene giltie of the breach of the Lords covenant whereby they were commaunded to circumcise all their males in their houshould But wee will leave you to prove your Babilonian Circumcision to bee in anie respect the Ordinance off God and prove it by Scripture and by sound reasoning from the ground off Scripture and not by Lodgick and Naturall Philosophie shewing things in nature to bee true which will not in Spirit bee proved true And thus do you deceive