doctrine of the Gospell Yet neuertheles Christ did not neither did his holy Apostles therevpon Iustifie them For then neither he nor they would so soone after haue made such exceptions and write so suspitiously as they did of many of them saying Striue to enter in at the straight gate for many I say vnto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Euery tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen Many will say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out diuells and in thy name done many great workes And then will I professe vnto them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you But there are some of you that beleeue not All these things Christ spake vnto his Disciples who though they did beleeue were baptized yet they had not al of them eaten of his flesh and drunke of his bloud all did not beleeue in him vnto iustification of life all brought not forth good fruit And therefore he saith No man can come vnto me except it be giuen him of my Father And euery branch that beareth not fruit in me he taketh away And euery branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruite So that men may beleeue after a generall maner and be baptized and be in some sort branches in the vine in regard of the outward profession thereof receiue great gifts doe wonderfull workes in the name of Christ and yet not be come to Christ not haue the faith of Christ which iustifieth not beare fruit in him And it will come to passe that in the day of iudgement he will say vnto them Depart from me yee that worke iniquity I neuer know yee And the Apostles also writing to the Churches of their times where all were beleeuers and baptized and that lawfully say that such among them as had not the Spirit of Christ were none of his and doe charge some of them to be carnall and contentious striuing about their outward baptisme some will be of Paul some of Cephas some of Apollo and some of Christ As if this baptisme and the worthinesse of the person by whom they were baptized did make them happy and some of them better then other Some againe there were that did set light by the Apostles of Christ esteemed better of some other false Apostles Some were vncleane lasciuious persons I feare saith Paul to some that when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found vnto you such as you would not Examine your selues saith he whether ye be in the faith Proue your selues know ye not your owne selues that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates By which it is euident that men may beleeue and be baptized and yet not be in the faith of Christ not know Christ to be in them which to know is the faith that Christians must haue if they be not reprobates Againe some they charged with the want of the knowledge of God And some that denied the resurrection of the dead And some that made their belly their God and minded earthly things some to be false Apostles false teachers such as taught heresies some false brethren some couetous persons some hipocrites some that raised needlesse questions about the Law some that taught circumcision necessary to saluation and that Christians must be circumcised or they could not be saued some were whisperers Backbiters some were louers of pleasures more then louers of God treacherous high minded yea and what not And yet all beleeuers and Lawfully baptized and were in the Churches euen in the Apostles times but not so approued of them as some others were They did not account of all whom they baptized to haue true repentance and Iustifying faith neither before they baptized them nor after for they knew that it neuer was nor could be so some would proue false in heart and in some the grace of God did not yet appeare vnto iustification therefore they sensured none till they saw iust cause neither did they iustifie any till they saw proofe of their faith but then they did to both their comforts and consolations Nay when they saw great cause of feare and suspition of many yet they vsed strong arguments and perswasions to bring them to repentance as we see how they both spake and write They did not easily reiect any no not an Hereticke without twise or thrise admonition And when Simon Magus discouered himselfe to be in the gall of bitternes and that Peter saw his heart was not right in the sight of God yet Peter cast him not off but said vnto him Repent thy selfe therefore of thy wickednes and pray God If perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiuen thee Now if this was the estate of the Church in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles how may we thinke it can be better now nay but whē we striue to make it better we make it worse As concerning the inward estate the gifts of the Spirit and power that then were in the Apostles and faithfull seruants of Christ both in the respect of the Administration of the word grace of life and peace and workes of righteonsnes I am sure we all come short of and shall we thinke to outstrip them in the outward Nay doubtles I would we could therein but compare with them so we did also pertake of some of their inward graces otherwise the outward can doe vs small pleasure It is an euident signe that where there is much contending about the outward forme externall washings and such like the inward purification of the heart is little thought of So then as concerning the outward estate of the Church we conclude that as from the beginning there was Cain a beleeuer and sacrificer as was Abel though Abel had iustifying faith and not Cain and as Ishmael was circumcised as well as Isaac though Ishmael might not inherite the heauenly promises as well as Isaac and as in the Church of the Iewes from time to time all that acknowledge that true God and his word and did submit themselues to the outward ordinances of the law were circumcised and were Iewes outwardly though but few were Iewes inwardly and circumcised in heart so was it in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles so is it now and so shall it be to the end Christ himselfe went neuer about to alter this but both he and his Apostles baptized those that did
worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God According as the Prophet had spoken of him long before prophesying also of his destruction saying How art thou falne from heauen O Lucifer sonne of the morning how art thou cut downe to the ground thou that didst weaken the nations and saidst in thine heart I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the starres of God I will sit also vpon the mount euen the holy mount of the congregation of God in the sides of the North I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds I will be like the most high So that the great Antichrist was to sit and doth sit euen in the Church in the Temple of God in the place where indeed he ought not to sit If then all these things be so as these Scriptures doe declare If it be not the outward calling ordination or succession in the offices and places of the true Elders and Ministers of God in the outward state of the Church of God that can either make them true faithfull Ministers of God such as come by the doore as Christ speaketh Or the Church of which they are ouerseers and ministers the true holy Church of Christ but that these Elders and Ministers may yet neuerthelesse proue false Prophets false teachers grieuous rauening wolues in sheepes cloathing Antichrists c. And the Churches be corrupted by them robd and deuoured both outwardly and inwardly and become euen heathenish and Antichristian And that these deceiuers shall rise in the Church of God and be such as haue had their outward ordination and succession from hand to hand as it were euen from the Apostles And that the great Antichrist himselfe shall sit in the holy place in the temple of God vpon the holy mount of the congregation of God aboue and besides the starres of God What reason haue we then to thinke I say this being so that the outward calling or ordination which the Elders and Ministers of the Church of England receiued at first from the Church of Rome should make either them or the Church false and Antichristian It was not the outward ordination or succession in the offices and place of the Elders that did corrupt any of them before mentioned Nay The Bishop of Rome himselfe might haue beene Bishop of Rome long enough to this day to the day of Christs comming in the cloudes of heauen and haue done his master Christ good seruice If he had kept the first faith If he had liued the first life If he had successed the Apostles and Elders in faith in doctrine in exhortation in patience in temperance in meekenesse in mortification in loue in good workes in feeding the flock of Christ and giuing them their meate in due season as he did succeed them in outward place he had then beene a Scribe well taught in the kingdome of God A faithfull Bishop an Elder worthy of double honour and happy had that flock beene of which he had beene an ouerseer and his master at his comming would haue said Blessed be this seruant But seeing he failed in all these things and did not succeed his Elders in this way and order of succession as all their true successors to this day haue euer done seeing his heart was euill and vnfaithfull ambitious couetous and loued pleasures and voluptuousnesse more then God and said in his heart My master will deferre his coming and therefore take vpon him to smite his fellowes to eate and drinke with the drunken his Lord will come in a day which he thinketh not on and in an houre that he is not aware of and will hew him in peeces and giue him his portion with the hypocrites and vnhappie is the flock that hath him for their shepherd The Church of Rome was once a glorious Church not in regard of any such pomp and princely state as she that now is sits in which poore virgin she was neuer acquainted with but in respect of the light and brightnesse of her faith as Saint Paul testifieth which by reason of the fruite it did effect and bring forth in her shined and made her face to shine throughout the world She was a sister and daughter of that woman which Iohn saw so wonderfully and heauenly deckt and adorned and which he describeth saying And there appeared a great wonder in heauen a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone vnder her feete and vpon her head a crowne of twelue starres that is to say she had put on Christ he dwelt in her heart by faith she was clothed with him his righteousnesse couered her nakednesse and all her defects and made her beautifull within and without she had the earth and all earthly glorie vnder her feete as transitorie and vaine she was mortified to sinne and to the pleasures thereof and her soules delight was with her Lord in heauen where he was ascended and yet remaineth and her crowne of state which she had on her head in those days was the Lambs twelue Apostles whose doctrine and example of walking were her guide and patterne and who as they had receiued of the Lamb the word of God so they left it with her to be her light and leader in the desart when her publique guides should faile her of which word of truth not so much the letter as the spirituall true intent thereof she and her children her true successors haue been the sustainers and pillars of to this day This was once of a truth the estate of the Church of Rome as also of other Churches elsewhere but alas it lasted but a while it fared with her as with the rest for by the bloody persecution of the great red Dragon her outward beautie was defaced she was dispersed and forced to flie with them into the wildernesse and then after a while when the storme of persecution was ouer and that a calme began to be settled so as she began to conceiue some hope of recouering her first estate heresies sprang vp and were maintained with great force on the one side and carnall securitie grew on the other and that iniquitie might be increased according as the Lord had foretold the loue of many waxed cold The mystery of iniquitie which began to worke in the Apostles times they being departed took now faster footing according to their words and stroue daily to perfection and at last he that letted was taken away and the man of sinne Antichrist was reuealed and set vp in the throne of the Dragon and the Dragons religion was by him and his so commanded and commixt with the external profession of the name and religion of Christ as that no man could partake of the better but he must partake of the worse For after that the Bishop of Rome had obtained at the Dragons hāds that his Church should be the Mother of all other Churches and that all must
notwithstanding all these truths there maintained I dare not attribute so great a work as this vnto any mortall man whatsoeuer any otherwise then his ministery to be the ordinary meanes thereof but desire to giue the praise both now and for euer onely to God vnto whom it is due he being the principall and chiefe worker therein by the powerfull minstration of his holy Spirit that so he may be all in all vnto all And thus in all humilitie of soule I humbly take my leaue proceeding vnto that which followeth beseeching God euen the God of all peace grace mercie and loue to confirme direct and informe all our hearts by his holy Spirit whereby we may not only come to vnderstand the truth thereof but also to practise the same in our liues and conuersations to the praise of the glorie of his grace vntill we come to be safe ariued at the promised Ierusalem which is the hauen or port of eternall rest therein shall all teares be wiped from our eyes and so enioy the presence of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Prince of our saluation to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glorie giuen of his Saints for euermore Amen Yours in all Christian dutie Edmond Iessop A DISCOVERIE OF THE ERRORS OF THE ANABAPTISTS Their first point That God did predestinate all men to be saued vpon condition that they repent and beleeue the Gospell We answer GOD did not predestinate all men to be saued nor any man vpon any condition either of repentance faith or whatsoeuer else was to be expected or could be foreseene in them But his predestination was in this sort First God before he created any thing saw and foreknew what would be the nature euent of all things how though he made as excellent creatures as could be created yet there would be weaknesse and folly found in them because to be absolutely perfect and vnchangeable is proper only to God the Creator So that it was impossible God should make his creature equall with himselfe to will all things that be good perfectly and vnchangeably and to do all things that such a will can desire for then he must be God able to create which is impossible because there can be but one God which is the first beginner and Lord of all creatures This one God foreseeing I say what would become of the best creatures he could make how though he should require nothing at their hands but that which they might easily obserue and it was meet and very requisite they should acknowledge a dutie to him their first beginner and Lord in whose goodnesse and power their life and safetie did depend yet they would neglect the same and fall from him he therefore of his meere goodnes hauing great respect vnto his creature which he had resolued to make and being exceeding willing not for any thing he could foresee in them but for his owne good pleasure glorie sake to saue and glorifie of the same consulting with himselfe and with his eternall Wisedome which way and how he might bring his desire to passe did determine by election in and through the same his eternall Wisedome his euerlasting and onely Sonne which was before the depths euer with him as his counseller and hearts delight to sustaine of the one sort I meane the Angels and to redeeme of the other sort I meane mankind such a compleat sufficient companie of both as himselfe pleased to be at his right hand to behold his glorie to minister before him to partake of his pleasures for euermore And because there was no way else but by redemption to saue mankind by reason the first man being once fallen all the rest then in his loines who were to come of him by generation fell together with him and that there was not any one in heauen or in earth that was able to vndoe the workes of the diuell and to deliuer those his elect from his seruitude and bondage but onely the same his eternall Wisedom the Word whereby he made the world therefore as he had chosen them in him so did he decree to send him into the world and in a wonderfull maner to take mans nature and flesh on him that therein he might accomplish his purpose and bring his counsell and desire to passe in subduing his and their enemie and purchasing redemption for them by his death and resurrection And as he did determine before the world was to send him so did he predestinate them whom he had chosen in him and foreknew to be conformed to his image that he might be the first borne among many brethren the rest he resolued to leaue and to reward them with the fruite of their owne wayes Thus God foresaw all things thus did he by his wisedome find out a way to sustaine and restore of his creatures this was his decree and in this sort did he predestinate God did not neither is he euer said in Scripture to predestinate any to do euill nor to preordaine any to condemnation but vpon the foresight of their folly and wickednesse as the cause and ground thereof and so the saluation of man is freely and onely in God in Christ and the condemnation of man is meerly and truly of himselfe without any secret reseruation whatsoeuer as it is written O Israel destruction is of thy selfe but thy saluation is of God Their second point That God did not elect before all time to grace and life any particular persons but in time he doth elect qualities as faith and obedience and then finding these qualities in men he doth elect their persons for the qualities sake Answ TO affirme that God did not elect in Christ before all time some particular persons to grace holinesse life eternal is to denie Gods free vndeserued loue and to say that God doth elect qualities is senslesse and to teach that God doth elect persons for qualities sake is very erroneous and Antichristian We say therefore that Gods election is after this maner First before men or qualities of any sort were God of his meere loue did elect and chuse in Christ out of the whole posteritie and race of mankind which he foresaw and were before him as if they had actually been a seed a remnant to be his people to be his heritage to be holy and without blame before him in loue as Saint Paul doth testifie saying Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue hauing predestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will to the praise of the glorie of his grace Whence it is euident that God did chuse a
to others the sauour of death vnto death not of it selfe but through the wickednes of mens hearts so likewise there is a two-fold administration thereof the one generall common to all the other speciall peculiar to a few that which is generall and common is a publique declaration that such a thing there is whereby all men in general haue this benefit namely yâ— whereas after Adam had sinned before the promise was made that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head there was no time nor place for repentance to any nor remission of sins vpon any ground to be expected now since that time by vertue of the promise all sinne iâ— made pardonable there is time and place for repentance to all and remission of sinnes thereupon granted so that whosoeuer shall come and with sorrow of heart confesse his sinnes vnto God and humbly desire mercie and forgiuenesse at his hands shall receiue it and thus far the Gospell is preached to all euen to euery creature vnder heauen as Saint Paul speaketh so that there is not nor hath been a nation or people in any time or part of the world that can truly say we haue not heard it for as it is written their sound went forth throughout all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world and so all are left without excuse because God hath not left himselfe without witnesse But the maner and measure of Gods declaration of his Gospell hath been diuers he declared it vnto the nations of the Gentiles in former times yea and at this present doth in diuers parts of the world onely by the workes which he hath created and benefits that he daily giueth them as the heauens and firmament day and night Sunne and raine and in that he giueth them fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse with many other blessings all which do in their maner and kind preach and declare vnto them that God is good and gracious to mankind and hath some speciall respect vnto him and doe also call vpon them daily to seeke him that made all and giueth all those good things vnto them and proueth vnto them that if they had sought they might haue found in him yet greater things which some of them doubles haue attained vnto the rest by this means are left without excuse He shewed it to the nation of the Hebrewes not onely by his works and benefits which they especially had in great abundance but in another more excellent maner and in a far greater measure as namely by the testimonies of the Fathers and by the ministerie of Moses and the Prophets who receiued it from God and spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost he stretched forth his hand all the day long vnto that people preaching his Gospell the word of faith vnto them so as that they of all other had least reason to say in their hearts Who shall ascend into heauen for vs to fetch it vs or who shall go downe into the deepe to bring it vs that we may heare it and doe it but the word was nigh enough vnto them euen in their mouthes and in their hearts and if the Gentiles were left without excuse much more they And now he hath spoken and declared it vnto vs in these last times by his Sonne Iesus Christ that Seed which was promised to Adam to Abraham was spoken of by Moses foretold by the Prophets in whom by whom and through whom all blessings all hope all grace and life is granted is purchased is to be attained by him I say and by his holy Apostles in the power and gifts of the holy Ghost he hath declared vnto vs all things cleerly many whereof being such as in all other former ages were not knowne so that the earth floweth with the knowledge of the Gospell in these dayes aboue all those other times past and many haue been enlightned through the preaching of it by the Spirit and haue beleeued and giuen their assents vnto the truth of it many haue tasted of the heauenly gift and haue been made partakers of the holy Ghost haue tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come many are able to preach and discourse thereof in great and excellent measure and if the Hebrewes could at no time truly say we haue not heard it nor yet those Gentiles that had not the Law to wit those Scriptures and ordinances of the Law which the Hebrewes had what can we then say who haue not only had all the meanes and light which those Gentiles Hebrews had but also the plaine reuelation of the Gospell according as it was foretold to be in these last times confirmed by the death resurrection of Iesus Christ and left recorded vnto vs by his holy Apostles in full measure how can it be I say therefore but that the things which we haue heard and beleeued will be vnto vs the sauour of death vnto death in a fuller and larger measure then vnto any of them seeing we haue receiued a greater larger measure of knowledge if we obey not the Gospell if we attaine not vnto the speciall grace and benefits thereof for as the Lord himselfe testifieth He that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes But some will say we haue not onely knowledge of his will but obedience also we are not like vnto those strange fornicators and idolaters of the Gentiles nor as the cruell vnbeleeuing Hebrewes which killed the Prophets and murdered the Lord of glorie neither are we of the common sinners of the world though we haue been so heretofore nay the power of the holy Ghost by the preaching of the word of God hath altered vs the foule spirit is now cast out by a stronger then he we are now cleane escaped from the filthinesse of the world our liues and actions are reformed we apply our selues now to the hearing of the word we conferre thereof and reade it oft we pray also oft we receiue the Sacraments oft we instruct our children and our seruants in the principles of Christian religion we keep the Sabbath we distribute of our goods to the poore we neglect no dutie which we conceiue we ought to performe so that we are washed and sanctified by the blood of the testament I confesse thou hast here a kind of obedience and doest in part thy masters will and art so far forth sanctified by the blood of the testament for by it all graces and gifts of the Spirit are purchased and thou couldest neuer haue attained to these things but by vertue of it yet I say notwithstanding all this the chiefe thing may be wanting in thee for if this be to do thy masters will according to our Sauiours meaning then doubtlesse the Scribes and Pharises did his will as wel as thee they made
and meeknesse whatsoeuer they shall inflict vpon them for they are here called to suffer And that there will come a day in which all Kings Princes and powers must lay downe their Crownes and Scepters at the feet of Christ and resigne all their power and authoritie to him the King of kings and Lord of Lords whose right all the kingdomes of this world are and that all powers and principalities peoples and nations shall serue and obey him the most high Lord and King of all for euer and euer the Scriptures do euidently and often declare so often as would be too long for me now to recite onely some few I will mention for proofe thereof The Prophet Daniel hauing described the foure great Monarchs which were to reigne in the earth ouer the inhabitants thereof frō that time to the end of the world and hauing also foreseene the end and destruction of them saith I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heauen and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him and there was giuen him dominion and glorie and a kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his kingdome that which shall not be destroyed This doth he further explane in the 27 verse of this Chapter saying And the kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen shall be giuen to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serue obey him As also in the interpretation of the dreame of Nebucadnezzar the first of the f◅ure Monarchs after he had described the last he saith And in the dayes of these kings shall the God of heauen set vp a kingdome which shall neuer be destroyed and the kingdome shall not be left for other people but it shall breake in peeces and consume all these kingdomes and it shall stand for euer And againe speaking of the reigne of the same Monarch he saith But the Saints of the most High shall take the kingdom and possesse the kingdom euen for euer and euer By all which the Prophet sheweth plainly that the Stone which was cut out of the mountaine without hands Christ which was to come of the house of Dauid should by the power of the most high through the word which was to proceed out of his mouth breake in peeces consume destroy all those Monarchs which were to reigne in the world and that he the Lord owner of all should possesse the kingdome and reigne on the earth for euer and euer world without end And that the Saints of the most High not the carnall Iewes yet remaining as some imagine but all his redeemed from the beginning of the world to the end shall possesse the kingdome and reigne with him not in a carnall earthly maner but in a heauenly estate of glorie not for a time but for euer euer beyond all time and that then from thenceforth all powers and dominions people and nations whatsoeuer shall serue and obey him This in briefe is that which the Prophet intendeth which also the rest of the holy Prophets foresaw and foretold of as Saint Peter testifieth saying And he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached vnto you whom the heauens must receiue vntill the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began meaning this great restitution which is to be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heauen when the seuenth Angell shall sound the last Trump as Saint Iohn witnesseth saying And the seuenth Angell sounded and there were great voices in heauen saying The kingdomes of this world are becom the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for euer euer And that this shall not be till the great Trump shal sound mentioned by Esaias the Prophet by Christ in the Gospell by Saint Paul to the Corinthians Thesfalonians by Saint Iohn in the Reuelation till Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen and that euery eye shall see him euen they that pierced him and that all the kindreds of the earth shall mourne and waile before him is manifest I say by all those seuerall Scriptures as also by the testimonie of the holy Author to the Hebrewes where he saith For vnto the Angels hath he not put in subiection the world to come whereof we speake but one in a certaine place testified saying What is man that thou art mindfull of him or the son of man that thou visitest him thou crownedst him with glorie honour and didst set him ouer the workes of thy hands thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete c. In which place the Apostle sheweth cleerly that it is the world to come in which all powers and things shall be actually and visibly seene to be vnder his feet and all the kingdoms of this world shall be the Fathers and his then I say in that world not in this as Christ saith My kingdom is not of this world then when the last enemy is destroyed when this world shall be made another world according to his promise then shall all powers and principalities all people and nations serue and obey him he will no longer be dishonored by them they shall not vse their tongues and powers then as they list and as they had wont to do but all tongues shall confesse and euery knee shall bow to him they that in their life times would not be brought by the faire meanes of his Gospel to serue obey him shall be brought to do it after death by paine yea Satan himselfe the author of wickednesse who neuer intended to giue praise and honour to God or to Christ euen he with all his angels and spirits of wickednesse vnder their torments and by force of the rod of iron which Christ the King of the whole earth shall exercise ouer them in that world shall be compelled with all powers people and kings whatsoeuer to confesse and bow before him serue and obey him praise and magnifie him his iustice and mercie for euer For if at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bow both of things in heauen and things in earth things vnder the earth and that all tongues shall confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father as the Apostle speaketh then doubtlesse Satan and his followers are not exempted yet euermore vnder torments as we haue said If Satan and his Angels or any of the cursed children of men which shall be condemned and tormented for euer with them should after iudgement raile against God and blaspheme him as some do teach they shall or