no man to perish but would that al men come to repentāce but not by perseqution but by the word of reconciliation which he hath committed to his ministers And as kings and Bishops cannot command the winde so they cannot command faith as the winde bloweth where it listeth so is every man that is borne of the spirit You may forcemen to Church against their consciences but they wil beleeue as they did afore when they com there for God giueth a blessing onely to his owne ordinance and abhorreth Antychrists And kings are to thinck that they are men as well as Kings ād that Christ hath ordeyned the same meanes of faith for Kings which he hath for subjects and that subjects are Christs freemen as wel as Kings subjects Kings that beleeve are Christs Servants even as subjects are Kings servants and both are bought with a price therefore both ought not to bee the servants of men in matter of faith religion but Kings shal giue a greater account at the day of judgment then their subjects And to judge mē now for religion is to judge afore the tyme ād also to sit in the judgement seate of Christ to whom onely it belongeth yet not before the day appointed how much lesse to Kings and Bishops I read that Constantyne the Emperor called the greate wrought to the Bishop of Rome that he would not force and constrayne any man to the faith but onely admonish and commit the judgment to God Christes Kingdom is not of this world therefore may it not be purchased nor defended with the weapons of this world but by his word and spirit no other weapons hath he giuen to his Church which is his spiritual kingdom Therfore Christ saith He that wil not heare the church let him be to thee as a hethen a publicane he saith not bur ban hang or inpriso him that is Antichrists ordinance And though a man be an heretick yet ought he not to be bur but to be rejected after once or twise admonition that is cast out of the Church but as in the chur of Rome people of al sorts are by perseqution forced thereinto by the Bishops and ministers therof so it is in the Church of England also which sheweth that the Bs and min of Rome and Eng are of one spirit in gathering peopel to their faith and church which is the spirit of Satan who knoweth wel that his kingdom the false Church wold greatly decay if perseqution were laid downe seing himself cannot stand before the word and spirit of God much lesse his Bs and mi therfore he wil haue them for a name and shew to vse the word of God but indeed if the false interpretation and alledging of the scriptures wil not help then saith he constrayne them by fyer and sword or els if people haue liberty of consciēce they wil trye the spirits which of them is of god as the Apostle joh teacheth and then saith he the Prince as wel as people wil try all things keep that which is good and wil also prove themselves as the Apostle Paule teacheth whether they are in the Apostoliq faith or not And as the Church of Rome provoketh the Magestrats to peesequte to death such as are excōmunicated out of her so doth the Church of England provoke the Magistrats to persequte to death such as she excomunicate And as the Bs. and min of Ro wil perswade the prince and people to heare ād read none but themselves so doe the Bs and min of Eng also But the Bs ād min of the Apostoliq Church doe perswade al men to prove trye the Spirits whether they are of God which they cannot doe except they heare and read other mens doctrines as wel as the Bs ād their min neither can they if they would so long as the Bishops have power from the King and state to silence and imprison etc al preachers ād to burne al books which teach not their doctines Your Majesty and Parliament shal vnderstand that al those that confesse freely without compulsion that Iesus is the Messiah the Lord and that he came in Flesh are to be esteemed the Children of God and true Christians seeing such are borne of God and no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost therfore not to be persequted And as Abel killed not Cayne but was killed himself ād as Isaack ād Iacob did not persequte Ismael and Esau but was persequted of Ismael and Esau who ād Caine were figuers of al persequters so the beleeving doe not persequte the vnbeleeving nor the true chur the false but the beleeving and true chur are as they have beene most often persequted thē selves of whom Abel Isaack and Iacob were figures whose childrē are al beleevers and free mē that stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made thē free ād wil not be tangled with the yoke of bondage no not with cir-cumcision much lesse with the discipline and doctrijne of the Church of Rome whose Bs are able ministers of the fyer and sword both to Prince ād people as many Historyes doe lamentably witnes to theyr vtter infamy and overthrow Also if the beleving should persequte the vnbeleving to death who shold remayne aliue then none but the beleeveing shold liue in the world and the vnbeleeveing shold dye in theyr vnbeleeif and so perish for ever the Lord wil not that the beleeveing shold live to the destructiō of the vnbeleeveing but vnto theyr conversion edificatiō and salvation And by persequting of Prince and people to death because they wil not heare and beleeve is no gayning of soules vnto God but vnto the devill And whereas ignorant and wicked Bs. may thinck to wijn soules by killing Prince and people for religion they are deceaved greatly for therby they loose many soules viz their owne and the vnbeleeving their owne they loose because they wilfully breake the Lords Commandement that saith Thou shalt not kill meaneing such as are corporal malefactors and the others which dye in their vnbeleeif they confesse themselues are eternaly lost except they as som of their minist hold a redemption after this life And the Bs. shold know that error and heresy cānot be killed by the fyer and sword but by the word and spirit of God that is the onely weapons of Christs Bs. and Ministers and such onely Christs Ministers doe vse whose liues and conversations are so harmlesse holy ād gentle that therby and by their deaths ād sufferings they wynne many soules vnto god wherby they are knowen fro al false Bs. and ministers who like wolues and beares not like sheep and lambs make pray and devour both Prince and People that are not of their kinde if they bee able to Master them Besides may it please your Majesty and Parlia to vnderstand that the beleeveing man that hath an dnbeleeveing
wyfe and the beleeveing woman that hath an vnbeleeveing husband cannot liue together as the scripture teachet for the salvation of the vnbeleeveing if they be persequted to death Indeed som therby are forced to comfesse with the mouth that which they beleeue not in heart and so are made true dissemblers in steed of true Christians wherby many men and womeÌ„ are deceaved with dissembling husbands and wyves as wel as the King and State are deceaved with dissembling servants and subjects but the word of God if permission of conscience might be granted would procure vpright puer and vnfeyned husbands and wyves servants and subjects so that thereby neyther Prince nor people should be deceaved for al good shepherds wil devide and seperate and not force slay and persequte for if men and women be found hereticks they shal be seperated from the Church but if they be vnbeleevers they shal not be joyned vnto it vntil they be converted by the word of God much lesse forced Which conversion for ought we know may be at their death if not afore seing the Lord caleth som at the elevent hower so wel as at the first and not at the King and Bs. pleasures Kings and Magistrats are to rule teÌ„poral affayers by the swords of their temporal Kingdoms And Bs aÌ„d Ministers are to rule spiritual affayers by the word and spirit of God the sword of Christs spirituall Kingdom and not to intermedle one with anothers authority office and function And it is a greate shame for the Bs. and Ministers not to bee able to rule in their Church without the assistance of the King and Magistrat yea it is a greate signe they are none of Christs Bishops and ministers of they were they would not be afrayd nor ashamed of their faith nor yet would they perswade Princes and people to persequte and force one another to beleeve them but would use onely the assistance of Gods word and spirit and therwith suffer their faith and doctryne to bee examined proved and disputed both by word and writing And he is a true Bishop who is vnreproveable aÌ„d that is able to stop the mouthes of his adversaries by Gods word and Spirit onely and whose faith and discipline agreeth with the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and maketh no contracictioÌ„ but al those Bishops that force Princes and peoples to receaue their faith and discipline by perseqution doe with Iudas goe against Christ in his members with swords slaues aÌ„d halberos who seing Gods word wil not help them betake themselues with al hast and hazard vnto the authoritie of the King and Magistrate I read that a Bishop of Rome would haue constrayned a Turkish Emperor to the Christian faith vnto whom the Emperor answered I beleeve that Christ was an excellent Prophet but he did never so far as I vnderstand command that men should with the power of weapons be constrayned to beleeue his law verely I also doe force no man to beleeue Mahomets Law Also I read that Iewes Christians and Turks are tollerated in Constantinople aÌ„d yet are peaceable though so contrary the one to the other If this bee so how much more ought Christians not to force one another to religion aÌ„d how much more ought Christians to tollerate Christians when as the Turks doe tollerate them shal we be lesse merciful theÌ„ the Turks or shal we learne the Turks to persequte Christians It is not onely vn merciful but vnnatural and abominable yea monstrous for one Christian to vex and destroy another for difference and questions of Religion and though tares haue ouergrowen the wheate yet Christ wil haue them let alone til harvest least whyle you goe about to pluck vp the tares you pluck vp also the wheat with them as your predecessors haue done who thought they had gathered vp the tares and burned them but you see now that they haue burned the weate in steed of tares Wherfore in al humility aÌ„d Christian modesty I doe affirme that through the vnlaufull weedhooke of persecution which your predecessors haue used and by your maiesty and Parliament is still continued there is such a quantity of wheate plucked vp and such a multitude of tares least behinde that the wheate which remayne cannot yet appeere in any right vissible congregation And now beloved soueraigne and Parliament I know that through ignorance you doe persequte as did also your predecessorâ—s Amend your lives therefore and turne that your sinns may bee put away when the tyme of refreshing shal come from the presence of the Lord who before hath shewed by the mouth of his holy servant Iohn that the woman meaning the church shold fleye into the wildernes for a tyme tymes aÌ„d half a tyme from the presence aÌ„d persecution of the Serpent And that the wynepresse shold bee troden without the Citty vntil â—loud came out of the wynepresse vnto the horse brydels by the space of a thousand and sixe hundred furlongs and thus he hath fulfilled it Now therefore I humbly beseeth you suffer not your Bishops and ministers any longer to perswade to force your subjects or any others to their faith and Church by perseqution neyther suffer them therewith to defend their faith and Church against their adversaries if they have not any thing from Gods word against vs let them yeld and submit themselves if they thinck they have any thing against vs let them betake themselves onely to Gods word both in word and wryteing for the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God to that purpose and is profitable to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the Man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto al good works With which Scripture and not with fyer and sword your Majestyes Bishops and ministers ought to be armed and weaponed And whosoeuer shall not heare the words of such Bishops and ministers then such Bishops aÌ„d ministers are commanded by Christ not to to imprison burne ban and hang them but to shake the dust of theyr feete against them for a witnes when they depart from them affirming that at the day of judgment it shal bee easier for Sodom and Gomorrha then for such persons And this com of Christ did his Bishops and ministers obey as you may read By which and by that which follow your gratious may and Princely and honorable Parliament may perceave the will and mynde of our Lord and Saviour Christ vnto whose mercy I commend you and to the word and wisdom of his grace which is able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctifyed Amen Your faithfull and loveing subject Leonard Busher Not Furbusher Certayne reasons against perseqution FIrst because Christ hath not commanded any King Bishop or Minister to persequte the people for difference and judgment in matter of Religion Secondly because Christ hath commanded his Bishops and ministers to
naturaly descended of him therfore beleving Kings may safly walke in the steps of their Father Abraham and with their swords defend their subjects against their adversaries and redeeme their bretheren out of the jawes of al devouring beasts and bloudy persequtors for they beare not the sword for nought And now also I desier those subjects of what degre soever that wold destroy their Kings and Governors for difference in Religion to consider that therin they justifye their Kings and Governors which destroy their subjects for difference of Religion For as it is sinne for Kings and Governors to destroy their subjects for difference of religion at the perswasion of their Bishops So is it sinne but in a higer degree for subjects to destroy their King and Governors for difference of religion at the perswasion of their Bishops and Ministers Therfore perseqution for difference in religion is a monstrous aÌ„d cruel beast that destroyeth both Prince and people hindereth the gospell of Christ and scattereth his Disciples that professe and witnes his name But permission of conscience in difference of Religion saveth both Prince and people for it is a meeke and gentle lamb which not onely furthereth and advanceth the gospel but also fostereth and cheris heth these that professe it as may bee seene by the permission of the Princesse Elizabeth and others that were permitted and fostered in Dutchland at that time Also permission of conscience is a greate and suerband and benefit to the King and State as may likewise bee seene in the same Princesse Eliza who if she had not beene permitted but had suffred death as the bloudy Bishops earnestly desyred then had not the Kingdom been so suerly not yet so purely kept aÌ„d preserved for his Mayesty ad his Royal issue as now it is the Lord be praysed therfore Further I beseech his right excellent Maiesty and parliament to obser that perseqution was the occasion that the Apostoliq Church was at first scattered and driven into the wildernis that is desert places of the world whether she fled to save herself from the rage and Tyrannye of Antichrist and his Apostles and Ministers the first Authors of perseqution vnder the Gospell Therfore his Majesty and Parliament may please to consider that so long as perseqution continue so long will the Apostoliq Church continue scattered and persequted into the secret places of this world and no mervayle for her faith and discipline is as offensive as odyous and as vnwelcom vnto Antychrist and his Bishops and Ministers now as it was then as their burning banishin hanging and imprisoning doe withnes even vnto this day And it is to be noted that as the Apostoliq faith and discipline in the Apostles dayes when through them true signes and wonders were wrought by the extraordinary gift and power of the Holy Ghost did let and hinder the mistery of iniquity wrought by Antychrist his Apostles and Ministers by whoÌ„ the lyeing signes and wonders were done through the extraordinary spirit of Satan So now the Catholiq or Antichristian faith and discipline haveing gotten the vpperhand by her lyeing signes and wonders and by perseqution doe by the same let and hinder the mistery of Godlines wrought by Christ his Apostles and Ministers by whom the true signes and wonders were done without perseqution And it is well worthy to bee observed both of King Prince and people that the Bishops Ministers of Antychrist cannot abide nor endure the faith and discipline of the Apostoliq Church because it willbee the overthrow of their blasphemous and spirituall Lord ships and of their Antichristian and bloudy Kingdome And therefore are they so fyery hot and zealous for the Catholiq or Antichristian faith and disciplyne for by their faith they shew plainly that they are succeeded and descended from Antychrist VVho confessed not that the Messiah came in flesh and by their discipline or goverment they playnly shew they are Antichrists Bishops and Ministers who persequte with fyer and sword al degrees both King Prince and people that will not confesse their faith and obey their discipline And it is very plaine and easy both for King Prince and people if they wil not take vp religion oncredit and content them with the religion they were borne aÌ„d brought vp in as doe the papists to discerne who they be that teach the Apostoliq faith and discipline and who they be that teach Antychrists faith and disciplyne for the holy Apostle sheweth it to al men that wil give heed therto for he saith Dearly beloved beleeve not evry spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world which confesse not that Iesus Messiah came in flesh Hereby shal you know the spirit of God evry spirit that coÌ„fesseth that Iesus Messiah came in flesh is of God and evry spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Messiah came in flesh is not of God but this is the spirit of Antychrist whom ye have heard how that he shold come now already is he in the world The same is the Antychrist that denyeth the Father and the Sonne whosoever denyeth the son the same hath not the Father The Apost meaneth such as deny Iesus to be Messiah the Lord that came downe from Heaven as Christ and they have taught such have not the Father but doe deny hem also as they have taught him and therfore Christ saith The tyme shal come that whosoever killeth you wil think that he doth God good service but these things they wil doe vnto you because they have not knowen the Father nor me the Father loveth such as beleeve that I came out from God thus faith Christ But Antychrist and his Ministers beleeve not this doctrine neither doe they thus teach Christ Iesus the Messiah And you may please to vnderstand that of this Antichrist or rather as the â—â—riack of this false Christ came the Church of Rome whose bishops and Ministers teach not this doctrine aÌ„d as the Mother so the daughter also teacheth not this doctryne but will likewyse persequte both Prince and people that shall confesse that Iesus Messiah came in flesh as Iohn teacheth or that the Son of Man ascended vp where he was before or that he was glorified with his Father before the world was as himself saith or that he was the second man the lord from heaven or that he had and hath a heavenly body as Paule teacheth for these aÌ„d such like doctrynes doe the Church of Rome aÌ„d her daughters persequte with fyer aÌ„d sword being indued with the spirit of Antychrist By which Antychrist his Apostles and Ministers the Apostoliq Church was scattered and driven into the wildernes that is desert and secret places of this world eveÌ„ by their bloudy perseqution The which stil they continue and raise against the members and witnesses therof who wâ—ere and
being made known many men may stumble and fal theron and so perish both bodies anâ— soules the which is more lameÌ„table and as Roks in the seas the more they manifest theÌ„selfâ— the more furtherance in the way to the Heaven So errors in the world the more they manifest themselves the more furtherance in the way to heaven And you shal vnderstand that errors being brought to the light of the word of god wil vanish as darknes before the light of a torch eveÌ„ as the chaffe before the winde cannot stand so error before truth cannot abide therfore it is no hinderance but a great furtherance to haue al erroneous Rocks in the haven to heaven made knowen and published And a greate and suer argument it is that those Bishops and Ministers have not the truth that publikly dare not dispute or wryte against error as may be seene in the Bishops and Ministers in Queen Maryes dayes which could not abide to have books written and printed of that which they caled error and heresy but caused that if any such were written both them and the Authors to be burned if they could com by them Therfore if permission of conscience and liberty of the gospel be not granted and burning lawes repealed then the Bishops and Ministers now may perswade and cause to be burned both the books and the Authors that have the truth in steed of heresy and heretiks even as their predeâ—ssors have done already and so shed more innocent bloud and also provoke the Lord to further wrath against the King and State It is not the gallosse nor the prisons nor burning nor bannishing that can defend 〈◊〉 Apostoliq faith indeed the King aÌ„d State may defend RelioÌ„s peace 〈◊〉 their sword and civil power but not the faith otherwise then by the â—ord and spirit of God The dutch Princes and peeres say that force word gallosse in matter of Religion is a good meanes to spil bloud make 〈◊〉 vprere in the land but not to bring any man from one faith to another The â—agans wil not persequte one another for religion though as I read 〈◊〉 be aboue three thowsand sorts among them And you know both â—ing Henry and Queene Mary thought themselves defenders of the â—â—ith and thaught they burned herericks and heresy when they burned 〈◊〉 and their books but now you see and must acknowledg that they â—ere persequtors of the faith insteed of defenders therof and also that 〈◊〉 through the instigation of their bloudy Bishops burned the word 〈◊〉 God and those that professed and wrought it insteed of heresy and â—â—reticks And thus it wil be now if the Bishops and their Ministers â—ay haue their wils and therin they as their predecessors fullfill the â—ord of God in gathering Kings of the earth to the battell of the great day of â—od Almighty For they perswade Kings to force their subjects to reâ—â—ave the faith and to bee of the Church whereas the Word of God teaâ—eth otherwise saying Faith commeth by heareing and hearein by the word 〈◊〉 God and not by the Kings sword And Christ saith Teach al nations 〈◊〉 force al nations and this teaching is to be vnderstood by the word aÌ„d â—â—iting of the Prophets and Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Christ which is the Word of God For they that wil bee of the true faith aÌ„d â—hurch must be caled thervnto out of the World by the Word of God â—â—every nation and not forced and constrayned in every nation as the â—â—shop of Rome and al other false Bishops and Ministers have and 〈◊〉 perswade Kings Emperors and Magistrats And his Majesty and Parliament may please to vnderstand that so â—doe is to quench the Spirit of God in Christ Bishops and ministers and alâ—â—â— furstrate the precept of Christ which saith Preach the Gospel to evry 〈◊〉 besides it maketh their owne office aÌ„d functioÌ„ voyd they ought to preach instruct with al meeknes them that are contrary minded proveing if God at any tyme wil give them repentance that they may know the truth for the ministers of the Lord must not strive but be apt to teach gentle towards all men suffring evil men patiently telling Kings and Princes that the weapons of Christs Bishops and Ministers are not carnal as the weapons of all false and Antichristian Bishops and Ministers are but Spiritual mighty through God to cast downe holds casting downe evry high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God bringing into captivity evry thought to the obedience of Christ Also if all within the land be forced to be of the church as the Bishops and their ministers would stil have it theÌ„ there would be no world in the land but al the land wold be the Church which is absurd and contray to the scriptures and great ignorance doe the Bishops and their ministers shew when they thinck the whole nation of people is the Church of Christ for there it cannot be said out of greate Brittayne the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as shold be saved seeing within the land there would be none without to be added Also within that land then would be no perseqution seeing the Church of Christ doth not persequte at al much lesse it self but the Ministers and members of that Church doe persequte one another and therefore it cannot be the spiritual Kingdom and Church of Christ but of Antichrist seeing it is devided against it self and persequteth one another and wil with her mother greate Babilon be consumed and condemned seeing as she they burne bannish hang and imprison one another which is no Christian but Antychrist an monstrous cruel woulvish and a tyranous part ano practise for Christ sent hiâ— Ministers as lambs among wolves not as wolves among lambs Againe I humbly and withal reverence doe beseech his right excelleÌ„t Majesty to give me leaue to put him in mynd of those things that doâ— concerne the glory of God the assurance of his owne salvation the stablishment of his throne and the benefit both of the Church of Christ and the common wealth of al his dominions And though as Iosias he findâ— by reading in the booke of the new Testament a great alteration of the Apostoliq faith change of the lawes ordinances of Christ within his dominions Yet not to be dismayed as Henry le grand but be encouraged aâ— Iosiah to labor and endevor the redresse therof according to the mynâ— of Christ in his new Testament And I doubt not but as Iaacob the Patriarch prevayled with God Men So shal Iaacob the King prevayle both witâ— God men especially being his chief stuard by his new Testament Through the zealous reading whereof wil be found that Antychrist the king of the Catholiq faith and discipline caled the mistery of iniquity doth sit in the Temple of God even as