only wait till Christ assures him that he had made all the promises to him For thus he explains the business Jacob would not believe that Joseph was alive till he saw the Chariots that were come for him These sent from Joseph to Jacob brought Jacob to Joseph So every believing Soul is poor and feeble disabled to go to God and to believe in the Lord Jesus Doubting-Christian drawn to Christ p. 148.150 Therefore be must look to the Chariots of Israel first it should be of Joseph according to the resemblance and that will convey him to the promise and when the chariots are come get up into them The Lord Jesus is gone to heaven and hath sent these chariots for thee therefore get thee up and say Lord take me up with thee And so they did They got up into I know not what fiery Chariots and mounted into the Air and there fancied they saw the Lord Jesus immediately revealing himself to them and so carrying them to the promise the absolute promise And I verily believe these Doctrines were they from whence the American Jezabel as they call'd her extracted her Poisons and by which the people were prepared to drink of the cup of her Fornication perswading themselves that a man is united to Christ and justified without Faith that Faith is not a receiving him but discerning be hath received him already that a man is united to Christ only by the work of the Spirit upon him without any act of his that there is a testimony of the Spirit and a voice unto the Soul meerly immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the word And that there are distinct seasons of the workings of the several Persons so that a Soul may be said to be so long under the work of the Father and not the Sons and so long under the work of the Son and not under the Spirit And in conclusion that a man is not effectually converted till he hath full assurance and that this is given immediately all the activity of a Believer being only to act to sin All these I say are the plain sense if there be any at all in this Book of what he delivered in more obscure words N. C. Pray go not about to prove this For my head begins to turn round already meerly with the scent of these intoxicating ingredients C. If these Doctrines had been broacht by any of us you would have found out our picture long ago in the Revelation and said that the Church of New England was Thyatira and this the Jezabel which called her self a Prophetess and that such Divines as these were the Prophets of Baal the Priests of Jezabel and these Doctrines the Doctrines of Devils All which you might have done with a greater colour and shew of reason than apply these names to our Priests But you are favourable to one another and wink at such Books as these provided the Authors be Nonconfurmists and cannot as you ignorantly speak bow to Baal N. C. I am glad there are none of these Doctrines here in this England C. Those Books are here and highly admired by such sound Believers as take all for Gospel that some men say but can find nothing of Christ among those that speak sense and make the Doctrine of Christ intelligible Nay I can find you Disciples of such Authors as these among your Preachers who will sometimes tell you that Christ will do all for you Sips of sweetness or Cons for weak Believers by John Durant 1662. and then tell you presently that something must be done by you Thus one of them introduces the Soul complaining That the Duggs of Divine love are full but I cannot suck Answer Be of good comfort Christ will not only open his Bosom but thy Mouth But I cannot fetch out the Milk that lies in his Breast I am but weak Answer Christ is sweet and with his finger be will force out the Milk of Mercy into thy Mouth if thou canst but open thy Mouth What need he have made an if of it if Christ would open its mouth and if he will do that and every thing else why did he not make an end of the business in one word and say All the Activity of Believers is to act to sin And so comfort the believing Ewes who are big with young in a sinful sense and say N. C. We talkt a little while ago of some mens bellowing and braying and now you are going to fall a bleating C. You are very pleasant I hope then it will not offend you to let you know that I was giving you the explication which this man makes of those words in Isaiah 40.11 I will gently lead those that are with young that is saith he according to the admirable way Pag. 102 103. now in fashion of expounding the holy Writ Christ will be very kind to those Saints that step aside which is called whoring in Scripture and deal gently with those who are big with young in a sinful sense whom I was going to tell you he comforts thus O ye sinning Ewes who have been big with young hath not be gone after you and furned you and laid you upon his shoulders rejoycing * Pag. 114. The very Phrase of Mr. Hooker Though thou canst not find the way to heaven yet he will find thee c. and lay thy Soul upon his shoulders i. e. upon the Riches of the freeness of his Grace p. 149 150. It may be thou hast been wandring like Dinah from thy fathers house art big with young and afraid to go home But fear not go and try be will not cast you out of doors Though you come with big bellies to keep to the Metaphor he will deal gently with thee though with young p. 119. N. C. We have followed these Ewes or Goats or what you do please to call them too far C. It 's true But at first I intended only to tell you how he describes weak believers Who have as Divines say the Faith of Adberence they will stick to Christ as theirs but they want a faith of Evidence they cannot see themselvs to be his p. 18. N. C. These Divines speak Nonsense C. Judg then in what uncertainty the Disciples of these Divines live who never tell them plainly what Faith is And what a strange blindness they labour with who cannot see as they speak that they are Christ's though they perswade themselves that he is theirs Nor do I see what satisfaction they are like to receive in particular cases any more than in this the greatest of all Your Doctrine seems to me to be so obscure that it 's hard to come to any solid setlement or peace of mind One of your Rules for instance is that we must have a warrant from the word of God for every thing we do If there be neither Precept nor Practise that we can find there to justifie an action we intend it must not be done
Heaven that it rain not is the power to hold all tidings of forgiveness mercy and peace from the Antichristian Gentiles i. e. such as We while they continue such and declaring them a people to whom no Heaven no Forgiveness belongs while in that condition i. e. while we oppose your desires You may read this p. 70. p. 73. N. C. Enough of this I see their Vanity plainly C. Nay let me tell you a little more for fear you should forget all this and shut your eyes again About two year after this Prophet another who will not name himself arose and dedicated a Book to the parliament with this Title The great Mystery of God or the Vision of the Evening and the Morning Opened Printed 1645. In which he tells us the two Houses of the Lords and Commons are the two Witnesses which the Spirit of Christ foretold should be raised up to Heaven the high place of Justice and Judicature For though all the people of God were Witnesses for 1260 years yet they in a more especial manner because they were not only to protest against Antichrist but were that judgment which should sit and take his Kingdom and Dominion from him raised to Heaven by the power of Christ for that end 7. Dan. 26. * For the Ruin of mystical Babilon he tells you in his Title page and erecting the Spiritual Jerusalem were the ground of our Commotions which were not to cease till by that Parliament the work was so compleated that Christ in and by his Sts. should raign on earth a 1000. years And therefore he is very confident that our Lord reckoned the 1260. years from the year 375. So that the time of the Witnesses prophesying in Sackcloth ended 1635. Then they were slain i. e. deprived of their civil power if they spoke any thing against the Pope and Prelates and those three Gentlemen mention'd before he tells us were a lively Emblem of the rest But then between 1638. and 1639. the Spirit of God entred into the hearts and Spirits of the Godly party both in England and Scotland as he did into Cyrus and they took all the power and strength they had to free themselves from that dead and slavish condition whereinto Antichrist had brought them And a great fear fell upon all the Antichristian party both in England and Scotland yea such if you will believe him was the terror of their appearance at Rome it self And then presently they heard a voice from Heaven i e. the place of Judicature saying come up hither i.e. that Wise Godly men would ascend now to those places to do justice upon Antichrist This Voice was heard first from the whole Commons in Scotland in whom mind it well for it's rare Doctrine all the power that is in Heaven did originally reside ☜ and afterwards in England both from the whole Common-wealth likewise from the King himself who sate in Heaven And they ascended to Heaven i.e. to the high places of Judicature the same time 1639. in Scotland and afterward here in this Kingdom For the rest of the godly were with Child with this great Truth that the Lord Jesus in and by his Saints was to rule all nations with a rod of Iron Which is spoken of he saith 12. Rev. 1. c. And they cryed and travail'd in pain to God by humble and servent Prayers and to his Witnesses which sate in Heaven by humble petitions from the year of Christ 1639. to 1641. That the Lord Christ that man-child v.p. 5. p. 26. might in and by his Saints rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron Whereupon the great Red Dragon i. e. the Popish Lords and Prelates bestirred themselves to devour this man-child as soon as it was born but the people of God bestirr'd themselves both to God by Prayer and to the godly party in Parliament that these Popish Lords and Prelates might be cast out And these Petitions and prayers were heard of Christ and his Witnesses 12. Rev. 5. And so the Church did not only bring forth the Man-child of Government mark that for it tells you some Presbyterians taught that all power was originally in the People but it was likewise received up to God and his Throne into the high place of Judicature But the Dragon with his tail drew a third part of the Parliament to fall off at the same time and likewise a war was raised between the Dragon and his Angels i. e. the King and his Followers and the Lord Jesus and his Witnesses sitting in Parliament In short he tells you that what was done here should be done in all other Kingdoms in the year 1655. When Christ and his Witnesses should take the power of all the Ten Kingdoms which Antichrist had into their hands and should raign Yet so that there should be some little reliques of Antichrist in the hearts of men till the year 1700. Then the New Jerusalem he assures you shall be built and the Lamb be married to his Church and Antichrist cast not only out of the World but out of the hearts of men These are some of the goodly Dreams or Visions call them which you please of your Divines heretofore And no doubt they were then as much believed as Mr. B's Predictions are now Who if he live to see himself deceived will be able it 's like to invent some new beginning for the 1260. years and you will still be so foolish as to give him credit unless these things convince you of the madness of the Prophet But if he be at a loss and think such a blind creature as I can give him notice of any thing he sees not already I may help him at a dead lift and direct him to a Book where he shall find relief All my fear is that he will give me little thanks for my pains because it will make his heart sick to hear his hope is like to be so long deferr'd For after these Writers I have mention'd Mr. Tho. Parker of New-England printed a Book about these things The Visions and Prophec of Dan. opened 1646. in which he layes down two wayes of accommodating the years If they begin when there were but dark and weak beginnings of the signs mentioned that was he thinks in the year 390. and so the 1260. years end with 1649. Then the Turks will cease to be loosed and the next year after they may begin to fall together with the Pope if this way of accommodation hold If it do not then we must stay a great while For the more evident open and perfect state of the things foregoing was not till the year 600. and so no shutting of the Heavens no turning the water into bloud at least no putting off their sackcloth which Mr. B. now expects till the year 1859. N. C. Stop Sir I beseech you once more For I think you have told me too much of this stuff C. The last man speaks modestly and
therefore it was not amiss to hear him As for the rest I should not have troubled you with their conjectures had it not been to let you see First what they think of us whom they call the Antichristian the Popish party the Gentiles and Nations the followers of the Dragon and such like Names Secondly what they think themselves who are in their own esteem the Witnesses of Christ Jesus the Godly party the Saints that are to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron the followers of the Lamb who are to ascend to Heaven the Seat of Justice and do execution upon us Lastly What a Sandy Foundation their hopes are built upon and how confident they are and well perswaded of themselves without any cause at all And that indeed is the chiefest thing I aimed at To make you sensible they have no ground for that high opinion they have conceiv'd of their own wisdom and insight into the things of God they being blindly lead by their own Imaginations and passionate Desires while they think they understand and see more than all the Wise men in the World So the last man but one that I named brag'd and vapoured glorying that he had found out that truth which none of the wicked should understand neither Priest nor Prophet Rulers nor Seers All is hid and covered from them and the reason is because they drank of the Cup of the Whore of which if a man take but one Sip he is utterly incapable to have the Visions or mysteries made known to him And therefore he triumphs in this manner over all our Nobles and Clergy Who will beleive of all our great men and learned Prelates that Jesus Christ is come in the Clouds of Heaven and is set down upon the Throne of Judicature in his Saints and Witnesses to judg that man of sin No indeed they had more wit And yet this the man thought in his self-conceited Wisdom to be as clear as the Sun N. C. I am fully satisfied that they were much out of the way And therefore more words are needless C. That the way you might have said and Spirit of Mr. Bridg is mostly and chiefly to be out of the way N. C. I leave those conceits to you C. And you will leave it to me also for you take no notice of it to tell you the cause of all this N. C. Because I do not know it C. It 's easy to see that is nothing else but their pride and vain conceit of themselves as if God would reveal all his secrets to them and hide them from others For they are the Watch-men upon the Tower the Embassadors of Christ the Angels of the Churches the Lords Worthies And they that follow them are the Holy ones the Dear people of God the little Flock the Lambs of Christ the Meek of the Earth the Redeemed ones and the Remnant of Jacob. Nay as soon as ever any person comes to hear them preach they hope there is a work of Grace in their hearts and that they begin to savour the things of God and to desire the sincere Milk of the Word As for our Ministers Alas poor Creatures they are the False Prophets blind Guides Idol Shepherds that have eyes indeed but cannot see at all And our people are the World the Wicked the children of the Evil one Enemies of God and such as remain still in Egypt At least the vail is before our eyes or we have taken a sip of the Cup of the Whore and that sends up such fumes into our heads that we cannot possibly discern the mysteries of God Hence it is that the meanest of you takes himself to be wiser than the best of us than any of our Bishops and Priests nay the whole Clergy put together And if we will not have such a man in the same esteem that he hath himself presently we are lookt upon as enemies of the power of Godliness formal fellows or meer moralists that hate the true seed N. C. Doth not David tell us that God had made him wiser than any of his Teachers C. See how you still equal your selves with men inspired From which vain conceit and arrogant Opinion I make no doubt it is that you take every sudden fancy and strong imagination that comes into your head to be an Inspiration of God And that you are so adventurous and bold in expounding the Holy Scriptures as if it were given you in that moment as it was the Apostles what you should think and what you should speak Nay so deep have you drunk of this Witches Cup and are so intoxicated with self-conceit and self-love that you imagine all your Devices and forms of Religion and Government must be received by all the world For your mind is the mind of God and your words the Oracles of God So even Mr. Edwards himself seems to fancy Epistle before his Antapolog when he exhorts all people that were waving and hung doubtful between Presbytery and Independency to wait upon God in that way of his and Assembly of so many learned and Godly men to see What he will be pleased to speak by them N. C. What is this to all the World were they bound also to listen to what this Oracle would utter C. You are too quick I was going to add that as they think themselves the best people here so the best in the world and look upon the Reformation it self as needing a Reformation And therefore hoped that if they setled Religion among us according to their mind there would be a pattern from the Word set up in this Island for an example to all other kirks abroad Thus the Commissioners of the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland tell us * Directions to Ministers anent Malignants p. 12. and therefore call upon the Ministers to stir up themselves and the people in Truth and Unity because say they it will be a powerful means to preserve our Religion and to propagate the same to other Churches groaning under their several burdens and panting for such a Reformation as the Lord in Mercy hath granted us And accordingly they indicted the Fast I told you of on the Lords-day for the promoting Unity in Religion and Uniformity in Government and the advancing the Kingdom of Christ i. e. their Discipline every where N. C. None excepted C. No. For Mr. Case tells the Commissioners of the General Assembly * Epistle before his book called The quarrel of the Covenant dedicated to them that God had honoured their Nation in making them the first fruits and pattern of a thorough and Covenant-Reformation to us and all the rest of the Christian World And withal sayes I am humbly confident that the same shore shall not bound this Covenant which bounds the now two Covenanting-Nations But as it is said of the Gospel so it will be Verified of this Gospel-Covenant The Sound thereof shall go into all the Earth and the Words of it to
the End of the World * P. 62. of that Book N. C. Strange Presumption C. I suppose he could have found a text for it in the Revelation if you had presumed then to question his humble confidence For I observe the General Assembly tell his Majesty that if they may but have that Unity in Religion and Uniformity of Church-Government in the two Kingdoms which they petition him for it will appear then that the unhappy Commotions and Divisions among us were but the * Letter to his Majesty July 27. 1642. Noise of many Waters and the Voice of a great Thunder before the voice of Harpers harping with their harps which shall fill the whole Land with Melody and mirth and the name of it shall be the Lord is there The place to which they refer you know is 14. Rev. 2. Now immediately after this joy and Melody there follows as you may see v. 6. an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto every Nation kindred tongue and people That is as Mr. Case perhaps might have expounded it this Gospel-Covenant St. John saw upon the wing about to fly to the end of the World N. C. No man could be so absurd C. What greater absurdity is there in this than in the application which the general Assembly make of the foregoing words to the same purpose N. C. I approve of neither C. But then possibly they might have perswaded you it was a good exposition when Mr. Case made you believe the Covenant was an Ordinance of God and Holy Ordinance * V.P. 8. and other place of the fore-cited Book a pure and Heavenly Ordinance yea one of the most special and solemn being a joyning Ordinance which strikes the main stroke between God and us the Marriage knot whereby God and a people are made one a piece of Divine Worship and as far as I can discern a more holy or higher Ordinance in his esteem than the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud N. C. For shame do not abuse men C. I am far from it as you may see if you will but consult his Answer to this Objection which some made against it It is needless say they to take the Covenant or rather a prophanation of so holy an Ordinance since we have done it over and over again in our former Protestations and Covenants To which he replies * Pag. 40. You receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper once a month that is but a Seal of the Covenant Consider it be convinced N. C. I am convinced of this that you do not bely him C. Very well And therefore he exhorts the Ministers to indeavour to sanctifie the people for so holy a Service as the taking of it and tells the people they must get their hearts into an holy Ordinance frame Just as if they were going to a new mount Sinai to be entred into a new Religion and seperated from the Nations to be a peculiar people zealous of the Covenant And indeed he all along makes it of the same nature with that Covenant which the children of Israel made or renewed with God and so confidently applies all the places of Scripture which speaks of that to this holy service that one cannot tell by any thing he says but this was the Covenant which the Holy Books speak of Nay some of them when the Covenant came into England lookt upon it as the Ark of Gods presence as Mr. Feak tells us * Beam of Light upon the account of which they should certainly prosper And Mr. Case I remember tells us this was the sin of England in former times That our Fathers knew not this service it was hid from them they regarded it not and those times of Ignorance God winked at or God lightly regarded them N. C. Sure he did not imagine all our Pious Ancestors to be Heathens C. You shall judge by and by what thoughts these men have of us all when I have told you that in the strength of these high towering thoughts and lofty imaginations they taught the people to go to battle against their Soveraign and to fancy the Lord march't before them They were confident they should prevail because they were the Jacobs and we but Esau's and the Elder must serve the Younger nay we the seed of the Serpent and they the seed of the Woman and so they must wound our head i. e. give us an incurable mortal blow Thus they were taught by Mr. H. Wilkinson in an Epistle before a Sermon * Preacht before the Parliament 25. Octob. 1643. of his in which he tells the Parliament again that they have to do with a brood of Serpents p. 13. at the best that we are but a piece of Papal Christendom as his phrase is p. 8. Nay when the pride and passion boiles up to its height then they look upon us and the rest of the world but as Infidels and Pagans What other construction can you make of the letter of the Scots in Ireland to the General Assembly * Convened at St. Andrews in July 1642. In which they desire them to send over some Ministers to them God having now opened a fair door to the Gospel by the banishment of the Prelates and their followers Nay they call to them as if they made an address to so many Apostles and the Protestants in Ireland were but so many Heathens Pitty poor Macedonians crying to you that you would come and help us c. Send able men to help to lay the foundation of Gods house according to the pattern And agreeable to this Petition they returned an Answer * August 6. of the same year in the Apostolical language telling them though they are loth to stretch themselves beyond their own measure yet they dare not be wanting to the inlargement of Christs Kingdom And so they send them some men to plant and to water according to the directions of Jesus Christ and the Doctrine and Discipline of that Kirk wishing that they who are sent may come with the full blessing of the Gospel of peace and that they will with all chearfulness embrace make use of the message of Salvation Who would not think that reads this if he were a stranger to our Countrey that some few Christians in that Island had sent for some Apostolical men or Evangelists to plant the Gospel among a Pagan People And that the Prelates and Ministers under their obedience had been but so many Heathen-Priests that nurs'd up the Nation in barbarous Ignorance Such is the goodly conceit they have of themselves and their horrible contempt and scorn of all others From whence it is that they call us the Nations asking their people when they do any thing that we do Why do you imitate the Customes of the Nations And there used I remember to be no phrase more common than this when a man removed his dwelling to a place where
who Witnesses to day in such a Congregation or who Prophesies in your Meeting or will you go hear Mr. A. B. C. bear his Testimony to day No doubt it would take wonderfully and make a Rabble run like mad to hear what new thing this Witness-bearing is For such is the filliness of this people that they imagine with every new phrase there is some new thing to be learnt and that the old Preachers are nothing to the new Teachers and they who hold forth have something more to say than he that only Speaks And therefore what will they fancy there to be in Prophesying and Witness-bearing nothing less I warrant you than a clear Discovery of the things that lay hid from Ages and Generations the opening of Seals the numbring of the years and unlocking all the Secrets of the Revelation And though they understand never a word yet they will believe themselves marvelously inlightned when they are well stuft with phrases and are able to talk of Generation-work Witnessing times shutting up Heaven and commanding that it rain not turning the waters into blood and such like things especially when they can fancy themselves to be Witnesses and to have Power given them to prophesie and to send fire out of their mouths to devour the Adversaries V. Season Truths p. 120 121. This is comfortable Doctrine indeed that they can but open their mouths and out-come scortching and devouring Judgments at their prayers to blast and destroy us all If this fancy get into their heads it will be sure to keep them in heart and blow up their furious Zeal to a greater Heat And if ever they chance to reflect on the miscariage of their former hopes wherewith they were big they will then have a trick ready at hand to salve the business that it shall not discourage their present confidence It was only because they were not hot enough and did not open their mouths wide enough and breathe forth fiery and devouring prayers against the Enemy And therefore now they will call to one another as Mr. Bridge teaches them * say Christians is there a fire a fire in your mouth Ib. p. 121. 126. O you that have any credit in Heaven pray now What Doth fire come out of the mouth of the Witnessing-people of God to devour their Enemies and will you shut your mouth and not pray O you that are Witnesses now open your mouths for fire proceeds out of your mouths to devour the enemies that hurt the Witnessing-people of God Open your mouth wide and you that never prayed pray now Thus they open their mouths but shut their eyes and will not see how they have been deceived They maintain their confidence by these Arts and are all agreed in this never to agree with us They must have war with Amalek for ever And though they have many differences as Mr. Bridge acknowledges and are divided into many opinions and perswasions yet if they agree in this one thing which is the main to unite their Testimony against us it is enough This shall bear up their Spirits and make them hope though they clash and jarr in a thousand things Let but their witness against us agree and their hearts shall not fail but they shall still talk as if they were infallible N. C. I was loth to be so uncivil as to interrupt you too much in your carreer but you have drawn your discourse to such a length that it would weary your Friends were they here as much as vex your Enemies C. I did not intend so many words But my thoughts ran so nimbly before me in this Argument that feeling no weariness in my self I never reflected how much I might tire you Pray pardon me N. C. Well it 's done now And I will not begin it again by making any reflections on what you have said But this I must needs say that Mr. Bridge was always held a very precious man one that hath a deep insight into the things of God much inlightned in the knowledg of the Mysteries of Christ and of long experience in his ways and therefore I confess I much wonder at these things and am troubled that he should write on this fashion Yet say what you will there are those who will follow and admire him C. Do you think I am so simple as to doubt of it when I consider as a French Gentleman once said how there are scarce any kind of Beasts which hath not heretofore been adored among Idolaters nor any Diseases incident either to Body or Mind whereunto Antiquity hath not erected Teruples what should make me wonder at so small a thing as this that divers men have those in high esteem who are no ways deserving It is no marvel if simple people hold Sots in high reputation since they have addressed their Incense to Apes and Crocodiles There are those I have been told who prefer the neighing of an Horse before the sweetest and most musical voice of Singing-men and Singing-women and others that have thought the smell of Garlick to exceed the best perfumes why should I think it strange then if there be such men found as are more moved with the knocking of hoops and walloping of milk and such like Sounds than with the still voice of the clearest most harmonious Reason In short I am not forgetful of the Proverb that the Purblind is King in the Blind-man's Country N. C. I lookt when you would bring forth a Proverb again C. And is it not significant I think it deserves to stick in your mind more than any of your Phrases N. C. But I always thought what-ever you judg of us otherways that you had all allowed us to be the most knowing people in the Land C. Yes in your own conceit But otherwise you have discovered the greatest solly For you would never hear Instruction but alway tickled your selves with this fancy that you had the work of God in hand and that what you designed was the very mind and counsel of the Lord who would never let it miscarry but bring all your thoughts to pass Otherways you need not have been in this condition wherein you are For I can tell you who forewarn'd you of it in Print five or six and twenty years ago and bad you take notice of these words If it shall come to pass that in point of Reformation what formerly was proffered by the Soveraign and refused by the Subject shall hereafter be requested by the Subject and denied by the Soveraign we shall have leisure enough to admire Gods justice bemoan our own condition and instruct our posterity not to out-stand good offers lest for want of seeing their happiness they feel their own misery But you have no spare moments it seems to admire any thing but your selves Nor to bemoan any thing but that you do not still sit in Heaven the place of Judicature to which you thought your selves advanced And are so far from
instructing posterity in any true wisdom that you would have them think the greatest happiness we can next desire is to see the still Nation turn'd to war and blood The old saying was that if things were to be done twice all would be wise but you N. C. Pray leave off your old sayings We do not understand matters of Policy and human Wisdom but in the things of God sure you will not deny us to have a spirit of discerning more than other folk C. In the Revelation you mean and the ancient Prophecies In Witnessing-work and the work of the Generation In which indeed you have discovered a marvellous skill and shown that you can see as far you will needs have it farther into a Milstone than other men N. C. I am sufficiently convinced that we know no more of those secrets than you But there are a great many other you know beside those in which it was ever thought we were well seen C. Now perhaps I guess at you meaning You have great skill in expounding the Works of Providence though not in interpreting Prophecies And can give the reason of those misfortunes which befall some particular persons contrary to the express sentence of our Saviour Luk. 13. N. C. Those very words of our Saviour deterr us from passing rash Censures C. Do they so How came Mr. Vicars then professedly to handle this Argument and not only tell stories of Gods hand upon Malignants but expresly affirm Looking glass for Malignants Or Gods hand against God-haters this was a direct judgment of the Lord for desperate Malignancy and that a clear evidence of Gods undoubted indignation And now how came Mr. John White to license this desperate Book but that you thought you might do any thing to promote the cause because it was the cause of God This makes you still compose Prophecies to amuse the credulous and fill the Nation with the noise of Prodigies to set the timorous into a fit of Trembling When your troubled imaginations present you with a throng of dismal thoughts then you thunder out judgment against us and when any unusual thing befalls any of us then you instantly cry out See the hand of God! Behold how the Lord plagues them for our sakes You know I do not lye There are two or three whole Books writ since the King's return that will witness against you if you should gainsay me And so would Mr. Vicars who hath nothing to affrighten Neuters withal but such tales as this that a certain Malignant being filled with terrors on his death-bed repented of his crime obtain'd assurance of Pardon from the Lord saw Christ himself in a Vision who told him he had a cause on earth and that the Parliament of England defended it and shortly none of those wicked Ministers that had mislead Gods people should be left among them N. C. I renounce all those Books and hate that the cause should be served with such stories of Gods judgments C. I wish it be because Christ taught you better and not meerly because experience hath a little instructed you that this weapon may be turn'd against you and wound your side as well as ours I my self could tell you strange but true Misfortunes that have besaln some of your way which I will not interpret to the justifying of our cause or the condemning yours I will only remember how you were wont to clamor if any man took notice of unusual calamities upon any of you and to cry Blasphemy Blasphemy Though you were so prone to cry Providence Providence when the like betided any of us Mr. W. Bridges for instance when the converted Gentleman spoke of some remarkable strokes upon three great Persons Answer to Loyal Convert p. 12. whose names I will not so much as mention replyed in a great passion Surely were not prophaneness and blasphemy as toyes and trifles among you you durst not speak much less print such blasphemies as these Solomon saith that all things fall alike to all and the same condition in regard of outward things is to the just as to the wicked As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath There is one event to All. For my part I embrace this Doctrine with all my Soul for a greater than Solomon hath taught me not to construe events according to my own fancy and as will best promote and justifie my opinion Only I wish you would not alter your mind when the persons are altered and make one rule for us and another for your selves N. C. No. You and I are well agreed in this C. Thank you for nothing When you see that which you took to be a sharp sword prove but a wooden Dagger you throw it away Such is the great wisdom and knowledg you brag of You first furiously lay about you not regarding whether you hit friend or foe and when you have hurt both alike then you repent and say you will do so no more I pray God you be as good as your word But I much fear you will prove like King Saul who when he heard David was in Keilah said Now God hath delivered him into my hands for he is shut in a City that hath Gates and Barrs And though he saw he was deceived yet grew never a whit the wiser but when his Enemy was in a New strait concluded again that God had intrapped him and would not let him escape his Vengeance According to the old saying They that have forward desires fall into Dreams although they do not sleep N. C. We have done I assure you with expounding the meaning of Gods Providence And shall not pry any more into his hidden Counsels C. Very good What piece of knowledg then have you to brag of more than others Unless you mean some secrets which you keep to your selves Special and extraordinary Excitations and Christian Inspirations to make a Reformation without the calling of the Supream Magistrate as Mr. Saltmarsh's words are An inward call from God giving you leave to break his Law or as Mr. Bridge expresses it to make a change but not in a legal way This I confess is a Trick but no such Mystery a new device but no great Secret There is none of us all but can easily learn it and that we do not is not because we have not so much Wit but because we have more Conscience N. C. No body ever pretended to such knowledg C. Yes but there did Mr. Saltmarsh confesses that the early setting forth of private men in the work of Reformation is apt to exceed to a tumultuous motion Yet for all that he would not put them so far behind as that they should lie Animad v. on Mr. Fullers Serm. dedicated to the Assembly like the Lame and Diseased at the Pool of B. thesda waiting till a Supreme Power come among them No there are many publick ingagements which they are capable of and which Providence