it in that the whole cause depends thereon And wee repeat it vnto the King in these few words which shall never be disanulled or made void whilst the heavens and earth endure not because they are our words God forbid anie such arrogancie should possesse our harts but they shall never be made void neither shall anie ever be able to gain-say them with anie shew of truth because they are the words of the everlasting God of truth whereby wee shew vnto the King that the King cannot have that power in respect of Religion to God in the kingdome and over the house and Israell or people of Christ now that the Kings of Israell had in the old Testament or in the tune of the law The ground wee repeat vnto the King is this That the kingdome of Israell was an earthly or worldly kingdome an earthly or worldly Temple Tabernacle or house an earthly or worldly people and the King an earthly King who in and over all that kingdome Temple and people could require onely earthly obedience But the kingdome of Christ now is an heavenly kingdome not of this world his Temple Tabernacle or house an heavenly Temple Tabernacle or house his people a heavenly or spirituall people not of this world and the King Christ Iesus a heavenly spirituall King requiring spirituall obedience Therefore our lord the King can not as a King have anie power over this kingdome Temple Tabernacle house and People of God in respect of the Religion of God because our lord the King his kingdome is an earthly kingdome and to our lord the King belongs onely all earthly obedience service and duty which ought to suffice anie earthly man And the God of all Grace give our lord the King a gracious hart fully to be satisfied and contented with that great honor power and dignity that belongs vnto the King and to give glory and honor to God for it that it may go well with the King and his posterity for ever And the God of heaven deliver the King from all such enchanters of Egipt as shall perswade the King to take vpon him the power of the Kings of Israel over the Church of Christ onely for the setting vp and supporting of their High Priest hood with vrim and Thummim with Pompe and power and the Leviticall revenewes of Israell which they challeng and hold as apperteyning thervnto forceing the Kings people by cruelty to obey them as though with them onely remayned the oracles of God And now if they will shew anie manner of vprightnes vnto God or faithfulnes to the King or anie regard to Gods people let them not mainteyne their kingdome which they have obteyned of the King by deceit and flatteries as is prophesied Dan. 11.21 Let them not mainteyne it by the Kings sword and power but let them come furth with that sword and power whereof they glory so much and vse so little and mainteyne their names power cruelty with it and wee professe before God the whole hoast of heaven before our Lord the King and all his people that if they can prove evidently to our consciences by the holy word of God that wee may obey them in all their Canons and decrees and give them those names and titles without the everlasting destructiō of our soules and bodies in hell yea if they can but prove that wee ought to rest or depend vpon their iugdments vnderstandings in the exposition of anie one part of Gods word or that they have power to ordeyne and appoint anie one Ordinance or the manner of administring anie one Ordinance in the worship of God and Church of Christ wee profess vnto our lord the King wee will yeild them all the obedience they require But if they will prove these thinges onely by Conuotation Canons how can our lord the King require that the Kings servants should dishonor God by casting his holy truth away and with it the salvation of our soules and depend vpon their Canons and yeild them obedience and perish both in soules and bodies Wee have rather chosen thus to say downe our lives at the feet of our lord the King in presenting the cause into the Kings presence Saying with Ester If we perish we perish for coming thus boldly vncalled into the Kings presence but we will wait with hope and expectation that through the gracious worke of the lord the King will hold furth his golden rod that wee may live and not so onely but also that by the Kings meanes comfort and delivrance shall appeare vnto Israell And that our lord the King will say as that great King of Persia said Ezra 1.2 The lord God of heaven hath given me many Kingdomes of the earth and hath comaunded me to build him an house in Ierusalem who is he amongst you of all his people with whome his God is let him go to Ierusalem build the house of the lord God of Israell And as King Darius said Ezra 6.7.16 Suffer the worke of the house of God that the Israelites may build this house of God in his place that they may offer sweet odours vnto the God of heaven and pray for the Kings life and for his sonnes And as Artahshashte King of Persia said Ezra 7.23 what soever is by the comaundement of the God of heaven let it be done spedily for the house of the God of heaven for why should he be wroath against the Realme of the King and his children Thus beseeching the director of all harts to direct the Kings hart in these thinges wee continew praying for the King and his Sonne and the Kings Realmes and children That the King and his seed to Gods glory may sitt vpon the throne of Great Brittane whilst the earth endures possessing from God wisedome and Riches and Honor befitting the dignity of their high Renowne that they may walke in the waies of god that god according to his promisse may prolong their dayes And the Lord give all the Kings people faithfull vpright and honest harts that they may all with one hart as one man Feare God and Honor and obey the King with all the honor and obedience that hath or can be due to anie earthly King or Prince which is all earthly and worldly obedience with lands goods bodie and life And wee most humbly supplicate our Lord the King and all the honorable and worthy Gouernors vnder the King that they will not suffer them selves to be missed in judgment in condemning vs as movers of Sedition and our bookes for seditions bookes because wee differ from the recieved profession of Religion in the land but that they will according to that great gravity and wisedome that is vpon them wey what Sedition is and they will easly find that to professe and teach a differing judgment in Religion to the State cannot be proved Sedition for then had our Saviour Christ and all his Disciples bene found seditious persons which neuer could be proved against
seing they iustifie themselves in them and say they sinne not therefore their sinne remaineth and cannot bee taken away by Christ As for example You all iustifie the baptizing of infants now when you repent of all your sinnes of ignorance have you anie thoughts to repent of that and if you were asked would you not with your last breath iustify that you have done wel therein and that the baptizing off Infants is a holy ordinance of Christ but if it be no ordinance of Christ and that you sinne therein cā you be so simple as to imagine that this sinne shall come within your general repentance Wherein you blesse and iustifie your selves You can no more bee forgiven at Gods hands then they that ignorātly set vp a false Christ ād iustify him to be the true Christ or thē they that put the true Christ to death and iustify he is a false Christ We know your answere in this willbee that if you could see it to be your sinne to baptize infants and to mainteyne it to bee a holy ordinance off God you would repent of it but before you cannot wil not God answere you that when hee can see you repent he wil forgive you but before he cannot Ezek. 18.21.27 Wil not the Pope make the same answere for al the bloody persecutions wherewith he hath and doth persecute al Protestants so called Wil not the lord Bishop make this answere for all their wicked and cruel persecutions against the Puritanes ād Brownists so caled but shal they be pardoned they iustifying thēselves in al these wickednesses wherein they think they doe God service because they repent of al their sinnes of ignorance whereof they iustifie these to bee none wil God pardon thē in al this their wickednes because they cannot see it to be their sinne You al wil grant they cannot be pardoned of these sinnes they iustifying themselves therein neither can anie be pardoned of anie sinne they iustifying themselves therein If this were duely considered it would make men take heed what they professe or practice in the profession of Christ seeing if they professe or practice anie thinge that is not according to the word of God and iustifie it for good they must perish and cannot be saved it stands therefore al men vpon the peril of their soules to looke to their waies and to bee vpon a sure ground from Gods word what they condemne for evil or error ād what they mainteyne and iustifie for truth for if they that iustifie the wicked they that condemne the iust be an abhomination vnto the Lord. Pro. 17.15 Then they that iustifie error and wickednes and condemne truth and righteousnes calling light darknes darknes light such must needs bee an abhomination to the Lord. If al the learned Scribes and Pharisies and false Prophets in the world had harts to beleeve this and confesse it it would make them take heed what they iustified for truth ād what they condēned for error and how they taught others to do so If al the careles professors of Christ that professe him in word would beleeve this word of the lord to bee true it would make them looke more circumspectly to their waies and not thinke that anie profession of Christ is sufficient and that they may professe Christ after that manner that is best pleasing to their owne mynds makeing the way large that they may walke therein at liberty according to the vanity and excesse of their owne harts If the simple harted who in manie things are weyued from the world and who have manie zealous disires in them did faithfully beleeve the Lord herein that if they iustifie anie false waies vntruth or error and condemne anie way off light and truth their sinne remaineth they are an abhomination to the Lord if they did beleeve God herein it would make them take heed how they went on in their ignorant zeale being led by their Teachers approving and iustifying what they teach thē and disapproveing and condemning what they reach them to disaprove and condemne Forsakeing the teaching off Gods Spirit not thinking it possible for themselves to attayne to the vnderstanding off the Scriptures but by the teaching of their learned and good men as they falsely cal them but if they did beleeve this word off the Lord that they must perish if they iustifie anie one error or false way and condemne anie one truth it would make them with feare and trembling to seeke wisedome knowledg and vnderstanding of God that they being taught off God might bee able of themselves by the helpe of the holy Spirit the onely true Teacher and leader into all truth to discerne and iudg betwixt good and evil light and darknes truth and error least they relying vpon men be seduced and led to iustifie false waies and condemne the way of truth in anie perticuler and so fal vnder the iust iudgment off the Lord evē the iudgment of eternal death and condemnation a right recōpence of reward for al that wil of ignorant simplicity out of their good meanings ād zealous affectiōs falsly so called submit themselves to be led ād taught onely of men seeking for knowledg at their mouthes ād not wholly depēding vpō the scriptures for instruction and the spirit of God to teach thē the vnderstanding thereof neclecting of faith the reading and searching and meditating of the scriptures day and night and earnest praying without doubting that the Lord would give them the spirit of wisedome to direct thē to the true vnderstanding ād meaning of God in the Scriptures that they might be able if an Angell frō heaven should come and teach them anie other doctrine then Christ and his Apostles hath taught to iudg him accursed when this way shal be once truely learned ād faithfully practized of Gods people to attayne to true knowledg then shal all that seeke after Christ strive to enter into his kingdome by regeneration and new birth being borne againe of water the Holy Ghost then shal men learne to knowe the true baptisme of Christ which is the baptisme of repētāce for the remission off sinnes and be therewith Baptized and put on Christ and not satisfie themselves with childish baptisme in which baptisme they have not nor could not put on Christ and without which baptisme of repentance for the remissiō of sinnes they cannot put on Christ and then shal the elect of God not be deceived by the multitude of false Prophetts with al their lying wonders that say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but they shal take heed to the glorious brightnes of his coming which shal be in the shining light of his truth vnto the which the chosen of God shal flie ād come from far as Eagles to their pray And to this clere light of truth the Lord that hath bought you all with his blood raise vp your harts that you may seeke his face and be filled with the fulnes of his presence
and ordinances are not carnal but spiritual But if you wil have infants Baptized that is washed with water and certen words then you bring in a carnal rite which purgeth not the conâ—cience for you do not hold that the Infants consciences are purged thereby and so doe you make the new Covenant and ordinances carnal like vnto the old which may not bee except you wil directlie oppose the evident word of the Lord as you have long herein done to your vtter destruction except you repent Wee disire moreover the people off God whose harts are sect to seeke his face that they wil search the Scriptures to see what the baptisme of the new Testament is declared to bee which being faithfullie searched into shall convince vnto all the Earth that it cannot apperteyne vnto infants And first in the gospel according to Mark. 1.4 It is preached by Iohn to bee Baptisme of amendement of life for the remission of sinnes And Thapostle Rom. 6.4 saith Baptisme is a burieing into the death of Christ that wee should walke in newnes of life and Gal. 3.26 27. Thapostle saith Baptisme is the putting on of Christ by faith How should this Baptisme belong vnto infants can there be amendemeÌ„t off life for the remission of sinnes in Infants and can Infants bee buried into the death of Christ to walke in newnes of life and can infants put on Christ by faith if they can do none of al these thinges which is most plaine they cannot then may they not bee Baptized What were sufficient to give satisfaction in this long conceived error of baptizing infants You may see by the ordinance it selfe they are not capeable of it and you may see that the lord by the covenant doth not commaund nor require anie such thinge at the hands of parents to Baptize their Infants and all their houshould The Covenant is that men should beleeve and bee Baptized but their is no one word to comaund them to baptise their infants and all their hous hould Oh that you would bee wearie of this your great ignorance to say that baptisme is the seale of the Covenant and yet you wil seale them that cannot receive the seale and them that are not once mentioned in the Covenant bringing in vnder the Covenant whome you wil without the wil and mynd of the Lord and although the Covenant shall still overthrowe you that there can none bee vnder the Covenant but they which beleeve and are Baptized for the Lord wil admit of no other then he hath mentioned in his Covenant though you seale never so manie with water and words although this might suffice yet wee will endeavor by the Lords assistance to convince you by your owne ground You cannot denie but that there is neither rule nor example in al the new Testament for the Baptizing off infants whereby you confesse that the Mediator off the new Testament hath not appointed it therefore you are driveÌ„ to prove it by consequence makeing your selves and the simple beleeve that it must needs follow by a necessarie consequence that as infants were circumcised so must they bee baptized Iff you will have a necessary consequence of this then must you make it off the whole matter and not of part as you thinke good as thus Hee that wil bee a Proselite must bee circumcised and all the males in his houshould so then if your consequence from this ground be necessary he that wil be a Disciple of Christ must be baptized and al his houshold it followeth he vpon your consequence that no man can be admitted a Disciple except al his houshold wil bee baptized for no man could be admitted a Proselite except all his males were circumcised If then a Iew that hath a wyfe and divers Children and bondmen as they have come to the faith of Iesus iff his Wyfe or anie of his Children or bondmen will not bee Baptized then cannot he bee admitted to bee a disciple of Christ except you will allowe him by his authoritie to cause them to bee Baptized whether they beleeve or no as they did by their authoritie circumcise their hous hold Thus must your consequence stand iff you will not bee willing to deceive your selves in the meanes off your salvation Deale Faithfully therefore with God and his truth and his people you that take vpon you to bee guids and lead not Gods people to destruction by such deceits as this that when you have neither rule nor example to prove that infants must be baptized yea and when the Covenant of the Lord doth evidently debarr them and the Ordinance off Baptisme considered in it selfe also yet you will to bring in and mainteyne he tradition off your Elders prove it by a consequence from the Covenant of the old Testament and make the new like the old When the Lord saith it is not like nor shall bee according to the old And if the people off God would but with vpright harts read diligently the whole Epistle to the Hebrewes they should through the grace off God find to their ful satisfaction the difference betwixt the old Covenant and the new and the Preisthood and the Tabernacle aÌ„d the Ordinances Services and Sacrifices set downe so plainly as it would make an end of this controversie and manie moe to the advancement of Gods truth and the salvatioÌ„ of the soules of his people that shall follow him in the regeneration or new birth which is to bee borne againe of water and of the spirit In which regeneration or new birth who so followeth him not cannot enter into the kingdome off Heaven In that Epistle to the Heb. they that read shall find as wee have formerly shewed that the old Covenant was a carnall Covenant and commaundement Heb. 7.16 and as the Lord speaketh to Abraham Gen. 17.13 speakeing of the Covenant off circumcision saith my Covenant shal be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant and as the Covenant was so was the Preisthood and the Tabernacle aÌ„d the sacrifices and service al carnal and worldly 〈◊〉 is withal evidence and plaines in that Epistle set downe but the new CoveÌ„ is not a Cove in the flesh but is a CoveeÌ„ in the spirit a spiritual CoveÌ„ written in the harts mynds of Gods people established vpon better promisses then the first Covenant and all this is evident by the words off the Covenant which are They that beleeve and are Baptized shall bee saved And as this Covenant is spiritual so is the Preisthood so is the Tabernacle and all the Ordinances Sacrifices and services there off and al this is most plainly set downe in that Epistle to the Hebrewes Which difference betwixt the old and the new Covenant if it were carefully searched vnto and found out it would overthrowe your deceitfull consequence which â—yoâ— drawe from CovenaÌ„ts that are dislike or not a like in substance contrary to al vnderstanding and it would make you cast away your carnal baptizing of infants and to
Christs owne works Ioh. 10.14 And al the power you have to administer is by the authority of the Bishops bull which you have in so great contempt and yet it is all the seale of your admittance to your ministerie and warrant for your administration therein a most sit warrant for such administrations Oh that you could see these thinges if you have anie the least love of God in you cast of al these abhominations aÌ„d become the disciples of Christ and preach Christ in his owne ordinance as his disciples did Act. 11.19 which if you wil not doe buâ— runne on in the heate of your blind zeale in this your false ministerie theÌ„ shal you be found to be those false prophets that come in shepes clothing of whome our Saviour Christ hath fore told Mat. 7.22 that shal say Lord Lord have wee not by thy name prophesied by thy name cast out Devils by thy name done manie great workes To whome he wil answere I never knewe you depart from me ye that worke iniquity Let this suffice to have proved by Gods word that your Election and Ordination to the Office off your ministerie is not off God and that you have not entred in by the doore but have climed vp another way and therefore are theeves robbers false Prophets hierlings straingers whose voices Christs sheepe knowe not but they flee from you and wil not followe you Ioh. 10.5 And by this are all they that heare you and followe you most plainly proved vp the most evident words off Christ that they are no one of them his sheepe for he saith His Sheepe knowe his voice followe him they wil not followe a strainger for they knowe not his voice And this is al the comfort that Gods word doth afford anie one of you in your flocks that followe you they are not Christs Sheepe And this is all the comfort that the people can have off you You are not Christs Sheepherds so are you like people like Preist like Sheepherds like Sheepe And you shall perish everie Man for teaching and drawing them after you because you are false Prophetts and are not sent of God and the People shall perish everie one off them for hearing and following you because you are straingers and hirelings iff you and they repent not Luk. 13.3 This is the word off the Lord the which you shal neither al nor anie one off you bee able to gainsay for you shal never bee able whilst heaven and Earth endureth to make anie shew from Gods word for your entrance into your Office off ministery and then are you vtterly confounded in al your waies aÌ„d al the people that follow you Wee have spoken sharply vnto you as it may bee thought and if wee have not wee had need seeing you have bene so often spoken vnto off this your false ministery and that with excellent words and yet you have not regardâ— which might discomfort vs in you and discorage vs in our owne simple playnnes But the love of Gods glory which through his grace wee hold most precious and the longing disire off our soules after your salvation and the salvation of this whole land which is so deare vnto vs and wee so much wish and pray for And the hope and assurance we have of Gods mercie and power to prevaile by weake meanes these causes have stirred vs vp driven vs on and encoraged vs to speake thus vnto you And wee pray you by the name off Iesus that as there is anie purpose off hart in you to feare God and walke-in his waies or anie love in you to this people whome you are bound so much to regard with al faithful carefulnes make haist to reforme your owne waies and to enforme this people in the way to life and salvation according to the strict rule off Gods word and do not stil lead them on in the way to death and condemnation according to the new inventions off your owne harts and old traditions off other men Wee will now returne to speake a few words off your ground and reasons or rather excuses that cause you to vndergo these thinges whereoff you cry out so much for reformation One 〈◊〉 because it is vnder a Christian King Wee demaund off you how iff the King should bid you truely enforme him whether it were more lawful for a Christian King to restraine the Church off some off the Ordinances which Christ hath appointed then for a Heathen King It can not bee that you would tell the King that a Christian King might more Lawfully do such evill then a Heathen King iff you should you would make Christianity a liberty â—o sin which may not bee why then iff a Christian King may not more lawfully do such evil evil sure you hold it to be els why cry you out so much for reformation neither may you more lawfully obey him in such evil then a heathen King Leave off such deceitfull pretences and vaine ymaginations for the which iff you should bee required warrant out off Gods Word you would easily see that it is but an excuse off a false shewe The Disciples off Christ who were most obedient subiects and taught you and vs all obedience vnto our King yet they would not be restrained in the causes off God but chose rather to obey God then men and rather to suffer imprisonmeÌ„t and beating then to bee restrained either of preaching or practicing anie off the ways off God although they were commaunded imprisoned beaten by the High Preist the Counsel and al the Elders off Israel that were no heathen Governors Act. 5. Those were faithful disciples and were content to obey in al sufferings And such obedience should you have submitted vnto iff your harts had bene vpright to God and the King herein but you have al bene found deceitful vpon the weights aÌ„d lighter then vanity it selff in these thinges when you came to trial and have dawbed with vntempered morter and no marvil though you fel because the lord was not your streÌ„gth in that you sought not the right way but would have established a Presbitary Hyrarchie and a decreing Synod which would have bene no more pleasing to God then an Hyrarchie off Arch Bishops and Lord Bishops and a Canonical ConvocatioÌ„ house for they have both one mynd with the Beast and give the right haÌ„d off fellowship one to aÌ„other seeking aÌ„d exercising one power which is to rule over mens consciences by their owne lawes and decrees Therefore strive no more for that your waie the Lord wil ever be against you in it For iff a Ruling Presbitary by their Synodal decrees and ordinances bee lawful then why not a Ruling Prelacy by Convocation Canons lawfull and then why not a Ruling Pope These are all off one Condition in their degrees and not anie one of them more pleasing to God then another although they bee every one more sinful in their degrees then other yet they al abolish
Christs ruling power but if they repent not Christ wil crush them with a septer of iron breake them in peeces like a potters vessel and wil rule his people with his Septer of righteousnes Your next ground and cause off vndergoing these thinges you so much dislike is because you are loath to breake the peace of the Church Where you have learned to vndergo sinne for peace sake we knowe not but sure we are of God you have not learned it Paul and Barnabas had not learned your lesson therein for if they had they would not have made such great dissention in the Church at Antiochia as they did about the doctrine of circumcisiō If Paul had bene of your peaceable mynds he would seing he had suffered Tymothy to be circumcised for peace sake also have suffered a little the doctrine of circūcisiō but he would not Furthermore Thapostle comaunds the Church Rō 16.17 To avoid or have no fellowship with those that cause division offences cōtrary to the doctrine which they had learned And the same Apostle warnes the Thes 2. Thes 3.6 In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that they withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh inordinately ' not after the instructiō which they had received Now if there be in you anie cōsciēce of the Religion of God see how corruptly you walke in these things making a shew of godlines but denying the power thereof Do not your brethren the Archbishops and Lordbishops with Archdeacons Chacellors and the rest cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and do they not walke inordinately and worse too and not after the instructions that both you and they have received of Thapostles how then is it that you wil not according to the Apostles comaundment exhortatiō and so strait warning avoid them ād have no fellowship with them and with draw your selves from them is this your peace a Godly peace which is so contrary to the whole word of God Besides this wee must tel you beare it patiently that it is but ignorant dissimulation in you to say you vndergo all these thinges because you would not breake the peace off the Church for if you did so much tender the peace off the Church as you pretend and that you would not have your beloved stirred vp nor wakened before she please why then have you written so manie bookes off open contempt Why have you sought so much and made challenge for disputations why doe you make so manie loude outcries and dayly complaints and tedious Parliament suites How can you possibly device more vnpeaceable courses except you should raise tumults contrary to the law of God and of the King which we know is not in your thoughts you can no way device to bee more vnpeaceable Had it not bene a much more peaceable course quietly to have seperated with love and humility then to have stirred vp so much bitter strife in the bosome off the Church whose peace you pretend so much is regard Oh that you could see that it is your owne peace that you respect in al this For what breatch off peace had it bene in the Church iff you al had peaceably withdrawne yourselves and loveingly admonished the Church holding it a true Church as you do had it not bene much more peace and much lesse troble for the Church iff you had so done There is no question it had but whether your peace and profit would have followed is the question and take heed that bee not the cause of your for peace as you call it vndergoing off these things Wee could speake largly of this point but wee spare you onely wishing you not to perswade your selves nor to make the people thinke that you have suffered great things whilst you eate the fat of the Land but knowe this all you that eate anie bread from whose hands soever by or in respect of your Office of ministery that you feed off the portion of his meat whome you seeke to destroy fulfilling the prophesie of Dan. 11.26 Where he prophesieth of the destruction of the Man of sinne saying They that feed of the portion of his meat shal destroy him And may not the simple vnderstand that you getting your bread by that Office which Office as is proved you have and execute by the power and vnder the authority of the man of sinne you feed of the portion of his meat serving at his alter and so eate you of the things that apperteyne to that Alter you gayning them by that Office And let al the poople knowe of all Estates and degrees whatsoever that give you anie maintenance or entertainment in respect of that Office entertaning you as Prophets they shal never receive a Prophets reward but sinne against God in maintening and entertaning false Prophets although they bee as full off good meanings as the Papists are in entertaning their preists Wee have not the least intent herein of diswading anie frō doeing good vnto you but that they should not receive you nor give you a Cup of cold water in the name of Prophets for al their liberalitie bestowed vpon you in that regard shall never receive recompence of reward at Gods hands seeing you are all false Prophets and so adiudged by Christ himselfe in that you have not entred by Christ into the sheepfold And if you shal anie of you open your mouethes to defend your selves herein the word of the Lord shall convince you and stopp your mouthes that you shal not bee able to speake with anie vnderstanding And now wee advise you to bee ashamed to plead that you doe vndergo these thinges for the peace off the Church except you wil hold your peace For you are wise enough to knowe that there is no other way to breake the inward peace of the Church which peace you must needs meane for it is not in your powers nor hartes to breake the outward peace of the Church and there is no other way to breake the inward peace of the Church but by words and writings of opposition and contention and makeing devision al which you have practised to the vttermost of your powers and when for feare of your owne peace you durst go no further then have you sett out your bookes of vnknowne Authors which therein are no better then Libels wherein you have no regard what troubles and dissentions you make in the Church so you can preserve your owne peace And thus do you mainteine by al force and violēce of contention a most troblesome civil war which of all is most dangerous in Church and Comon wealth and yet you professe you suffer and vndergo al these evils you complaine of because you tender the peace of the Church and so through ignorance you fall into great dissimulation and hypocrisie it being if you could see onely your owne peace you seeke and therefore it is you vndergo these things that you disaprove off For would you
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
false Prophetts like these Prophets that wil teach you to seperate and Come out from Babilon and to touch no vncleane thinge And when they have done teach you to reteine the Baptisme received there which they teach and you professe to bee the seale of the Covenant of Grace so are you sealed vnto the Covenant of grace by Babilon so are you made Christians and members of Christ by BabiloÌ„ for without this baptisme you are no Christians Oh how you crie out against the sweetnes of the stollen waters of Babilon and yet your selves caÌ„not beware thereof but are bewitched therewith the which you retaine with as little vnderstanding as when you received it and were washed or Baptized therewith But your false Prophets to make good the reteining of your Babilonish baptisme like deepe deceivers with turning of devices plead that your baptisme must be reteined and is not to be repeated no more then Israels circumcision when they came to the passover in Hezechias time Oh that al men would see your deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes herin that to draw simple people after you and to build your selves vp a kingdome you crie against the assemblies of England they are Babilon Egypt and Sodom seperate your selves bee not vnequally yocked with infidels What fellowship hath light with darknes What concord hath Christ with Belial c. Therefore aâ— must bee cast away no comunion is to bee kept But when you are vrged or called on for the reteyning off your baptisme you received in Babilon then Israels circumcision is your hold so make you England Israel and your selves Iudah pretending hereby as though you came out of Israel what deceitfull deceiving is this What turning of devices to crie Come out off Babilon and touch no vncleane thinge and to shew and declare in al words and writings that if anie man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand he shall drinke of the Cup of Gods wrath applying this perticulerly to England and when you have done come farth sealed in the forehead with the seale of baptisme as you calâ—i haveing no other seale for your whole Christianitie for wee hope you wil not say that there may bee a Church of vnbaptized Christians and all this you prove good because Israels circumcisioÌ„ was good vnder Ieroboam so make you a shew in this perticuler as though you came but from Israel but if your first crie had beene come out from Israel and seperate your selves from Israell You might have cried long enough before anie that had feared God or had anie vnderstanding of his truth would have followed you to have built new Churches and set vp an Hyrarchie of Ruleing Elders as they and you brethren in evil therein also have done To draw to an end in this point if you be come from Israel then were you true Israelites before then al that you have left behind you are true Israelites as wel as you for al the Ten Tribes vnder Ieroborm were true Isralites and you and the assemblies of England from whence you came were all in one estate and conditioÌ„ off profession before you seperated and they stil remaine as you left them aÌ„d as you daylie leave them they are not become Samaritanes if they were non before if you like therefore to stand vpon this ground that you have brought your Baptisme fro rebellious Israel then you Iudah must needs acknowledg Israel to bee your sister for the Lord testifieth that Israel was Iudaes sister Neither did Iudah ever denie Israel to be hir sister therefore may not you vtterlie cast off England that is your sister Israel And whereas you acknowledg in your booke called the Apologie Pag. 113. Through ignorant dissimulation and flatterie that you never doubted but there are thousands in the Romish Apostacie in England which receive not the Beasts marke in their forehead or hand but bee careful to kepe the Commaundements of God and faith of Iesus must you not acknowledg except you bee destitute of al vnderstanding that these thousands that are baptized with the same baptisme that you are and that receive not the marke off the Beast and bee carefull to keepe the comaundements off God and faith of Iesus must you not acknowledg that these thousands are a true Church or true Churches as wel as you Dare you say more of your selves whereby to challeng anie preheminence are you anie more if you were so much then truelie baptized free from the marke of the Beast carefull to kepe the Commaundements of God and faith of Iesus What darke blindnes is this and palpable words of flatterie To confesse in words there are thousands in Englands Apostacie in as holie and blessed estate as anie people of God can bee and when you have so done both by practice writing and teaching denie all spirituall comunion with anie one of them and not to suffer anie one of them to have comunion with you except they make and submitt to a new Covenant with you which covenant you have made according to the devisings off your owne harts What Syon have you built that wil not open hir gates to men as you confesse truelie baptized haveing no marke off the Beast kepeing the comaundements of God and faith of Iesus how woefullie are you overtaken in these things how caÌ„ we thinke lesse of this theÌ„ that it is ignorant dissimulation and flatterie with such faire words to stopp the mouthes and blind the eies of Mr. Bilson and the Oxford Doctors and when you had walled vp that breach and dawbed it with morier of deceitfull temper then to professe and practice the contrarie Thus do you when it wil serve your turne make England Israel and when you please it is Babilon Sodom Egipt and hereby have you a long time and stil do like most subtile charmers charme the simple and ignorant so that they receive not the love of the truth that they might bee saved building and holding vp hereby your kingdome and throne aÌ„d if anie incline to returne from you to England againe then is England Sodom Egipt Babilon and worse iff worse could bee and if anie make question of casting away that Baptisme or washing received there then England is but rebellious Israel and let hir take away hir fornications out of hir sight and hir adulteries from betwene hir brests and she may still bee a wife What can bee said to this your deceitfull duble dealing wee must bee forced to leave a simple duble answere thus If you were Babilonians and have Babilonns baptisme vpon you then have you no rule nor example that the Babilonians circumcision could bee accepted and admitted to the passover and if you were true Israelites before you seperated and have Israels Baptisme vpon you and so become to Iudah then must you acknowledg Israel from whence you are come which is England your sister and so may you againe go follow the voice of that old deceiver that
diligentlie with your whole harts the law and statutes off the Lord that you may keepe them which lovâ— when you shal diligentlie aÌ„d faithfully search into through out you shal no where find it once mentioned that anie infants are to be Baptized and therefore it is but the meere vaine invention and tradition of men which who so followeth can never have favour nor acceptance with God because they make the Law off God of no authority Mark 7.13 In this great and waighty cause wee wil not through the grace of God burden you with manie grounds or arguments but lay downe before you some few things withall the plainnes and evidence of truth wherwith God shall make vs able And first wee pray al those whose harts God hath inclined to seeke his truth and who desire in vprightnes to walke in the light that they wil duelie consider what the CovenaÌ„t of the Gospel is and with whome it is made and thus hath the Lord set it downe This is the Covenant saith the Lord that I wil make with the house of Israel I wil put my law in their inward parts and write it in their â—aâ—ts and I wil bee their God and they shal bee my people Iere. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 And our Saviour Christ declares this more fullie Mark 16.16 Where he saith Go ye into al the World and preach the Gospel to everie Creature he that shal beleeve and be baptized shal bee saved Thus doth the Lord by his spirit in the preaching of the Gospel put and write his law in the harts of men according to the Parrable of the sower Mat 13.23 And they shal beleeve in him and bee Baptized Thus they shal be his people and he wil save them and so is he their God Here is the new Covenant set downe by the Holie ghost both on Gods behalf and on their behalf with whome it is made and here is it plainlie declared and expounded by Christ himself The Lord on his behalfe doth Covenant that he wil put and write his law in mens hâ—res by the power of his spirit in the preaching of the Gospel and he wil bee their God and save them and the Covenant on his peopls behalf which they are to keepe and performe is to beleeve the Gospel and bee Baptized Let al men now that have anie willingnes of hart to bee enformed by the word of God and whose harts are not wilfullie set to go on in their igno◠〈◊〉 â—old waies without trying their waies whether they bee of God or no let them wee say search examine and try by what shewe of truth it can possibly bee conceived that vnder or by this Covenant of the new Testament infants should be baptized where the Lord requires no such thinge in this Covenant of men to baptize their infants and if you wil but see and consider with wise and gracious harts how the Lord doth set downe the Covenant which he made with Abraham Gen. 17. You shal see with what evidence the Lord in mercie doth set it downe Thus saith the Lord to Abraham I wil establish my Covenant betweene thee and me thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting Covenant to bee God vnto thee and thy seed after the and I wil give to thee and to thy seed after thee all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I wil bee their God this is on the Lords behalf and saith the Lord This is the Covenant that thou and thy seed after thee shal kepe Let every man-child amonge you bee circumcised yee shal circumcise the foreskinne of your Flesh and every man-Child at eight days old aswel he that is borne in the house as he that is bought with monie this is the Covenant on Abrahams behalf and his seed Thus doth the lord declare in every perticuler his Covenant with his people aswel what he wil do for them as also what he requireth them to do in obedience to him aÌ„d here wee see God hath comaunded Abra aÌ„d his seed to circuÌ„cise al the males in their house And now this Covenant is disanulled and all the Ordinances thereof as is shewed Heb. 7.18 And the Lord saith he wil make a new Covenant with the house of Israel not like the old teaching vs that wee should not forme and frame it according to the old but that wee should receive it according to the new forme and frame wherein he delivers it vnder which Covenant the Lord doth not commaund or require of his people that they should Baptize all their houshold and infants both borne in their house and bought with monie according as vnder the old Covenant he commaunded that they should circumcise them How dare you then thus contend against the Lord and whereas he saith he wil make a new Covenant not according to the old you wil say and have it according to the old for you wil have it that according as infants were circumcised vnder the old Covenant so you will haue infants Baptized vnder the new is not this to set yourselves against the lord and to change his Covenant which he hath sealed with his blood and after your owne wils in what you thinke good to make it according to the old Covenant directly contrary to the Lords owne word aÌ„d saying and you have no way to mainteyne the baptizing of infants but by saying the new Covenant is according to the old and this is to say directly contrary to the saying of the Lord who is the Covenant maker and who saith in plaine words the new Covenant which I wil make with Israell shal not bee according to the old Here it is made evident to al that wil not resist the truth that your baptizing of infants is contrary to the new Covenant of the Lord. Thus do you to make your owne tradition good make the new Covenant like the old which the Lord saith is not like the old how can you possibly oppose the word of the lord more directly Furthermore the holy ghost by the Author vnto the Heb. Chap. 9. endeavoring by al evidence to prove that the new Covenant is not like the old sheweth that the old Testament or Covenant had a worldly Sanctuary and that the service of that Tabernacle onely stood in meates and drincks and divers washings and Carnall rites which purified the Flesh but purged not the Conscience and the holie Ghost sheweth there that the new Testament or Covenant hath not a worldlie Sanctuarie and that the service of that Tabernacle stands not in carnal rites which purge not the conscience but 〈◊〉 is a perfect Tabernacle the sacrifice where of doth purge the conscience from dead workes to serve the ljveing God Thus doth the scripture shew that the ordinances of the new are not according to the ordinances of the old and for this cause saith the holy ghost Christ is the Mediator of the new Testament that is because the new Testament or Covenant and Cabernacle