you do then so may we if we list to do the same And upon that ground may meet in little companies where we please and leave our Churches quite empty A thing without all doubt which his Majesty abhors to think of You your selves have declared in times past that it is absurd to think that Laws nay Ordinances of Parliament even in matters of Religion should not equally oblige all the subjects of one Kingdom If therefore the Laws oblige us then they oblige you If they do not oblige you then they oblige not us neither We are all alike either bound or free But to leave all these Considerations there is something more remarkable me thinks in this case that deserves to be remembred above any thing else And truly I cannot but smile sometimes N. C. Why what is the matter C. I was going to say but the very thought of your odd humour hindred me a little that I cannot but smile to my self when I call to mind how you shift your Principles and change your Maximes according to your Interest There is no Weathercock more guided by the wind than You are by this For it was a Fundamental Maxime heretofore I well remember and obstinately maintained among your party who now fawn and flatter That the Law is the Kings Superior and that he hath not so much power over it as to be its Supream Interpreter That his Oath tyes him expresly to observe it and binds him to see it executed Upon which score all the Kingdom was filled with loud complaints about the Non-execution of Laws and of the Indulgences granted to several persons who offended against them For execution they said was the Life of the Law whithout which it became vain and useless This was the bold Doctrine currant not many years ago and he was held for a Malignant that did not believe it But now on a sudden we hear you sing a new Song in praise of his Majesties gracious Indulgence for so you will call it and withal you earnestly desire the Execution of Laws may still be suspended that is ly dead and become vain and useless For which alteration I can find no reason but this that now the Indulgence is to your selves and then it was to other folk Then also you thought your selves able to make the King bow to you and now your Weakness forces You to worship him N. C. Where do you find any such Maximes For my part I have forgot them C. I can send you to several Books where you may refresh your memory particularly to the Medicine for Malignants which tells you p. 25. That the King hath not power over the Law but the Law over the King But for your greater ease I will only refer you to one small Pamphlet called Known Laws in which you shall not fail to meet with more than I have said N. C. These I believe were the Maximes of the State-faction C. I know no difference between Them and your Divines in this matter I am sure Mr. Will. Bridges who differs from Mr. Will. Bridge as little as their Names do makes none at all In whom I find a passage so directly opposite to your present Opinions about the obligation of the Oxford Act and declaring so fully the sense of your Divines about the Kings Power that I must crave leave to mention it N. C. I am content to hear it But you must remember that these were but the Opinions of private persons C. You are mistaken This man made an Answer published by Authority 1644. to a Book called the Loyal Convert in which he tells the converted Gentleman that he speaks illegally if he say the King can protect a Papist any way His reason is Universal though his Instance be Particular for whom the Law Protects not the King either cannot or ought not to protect No he ought not as he tells us so much as to require the help of such persons to protect him For they ought only to be Tributaries and to hold themselves to their U B I to their place Which words I would have you apply to that business which begat this Discourse I would fain know of your Divines how his Majesties Power comes to be so variable at their pleasure Whence is it that He can dispense with your Residence in the V B I or place to which you are by the Law confined who could not dispense at all with others nor release them no not for his necessary assistance from that place to which according to your Doctrine they were immoveably chain'd The Law protects both alike that is not at all what is the cause then that he can give you Protection notwithstanding the Law and not them Mistake me not it is the farthest thing from my thoughts to call in question the extent of his Majesties Supream Power I only question your Principles who pretend to be no Changelings Answer me this If the King have a power to give an Indulgence and dispense with the Law why did you so rudely and barbarously clamour against him heretofore and say the contrary If he have not why do you every where seek to justifie your selves in your illegal Practices with a meer shaddow and fancy of his Indulgence N. C. There is a great distance of time between the one and the other and they have changed their minds upon second thoughts C. Very likely And you believe also that if Presbytery were in its height and Glory his Majesty might dispence wich the Laws of their making as well as with his own Do you not Alas good man you shall find I doubt to your cost if things were come to that pass that no Authority could remit the Rigour of them For they have condemned all Dispensations and Licenses as Antichristian Their Decrees are so sacred that as there lyes no appeal from their Courts so none may take Authority to relaxate their Laws For they take themselves to sit in Christs Tribunal Seat and so their Laws are no more to be dispensed with than his But why do I insist so long upon one thing since there are so many instances of your windings and turnings as your Interest leads you There was a time I remember when the Parliament was magnified as the only keepers of the Peoples Liberties We were told * Observator on his Majesties Answers 1642. that we might not so much as imagine the Houses could be injurious or that a Committee should have any private ends to mislead them And therefore they could nor sit too long nor prove a burden to the good people But now you are quite in another strain There is no greater grievance than a Parliament No more intollerable mischief than their long Continuance For which different judgment there is no reason that I can see but this that then the Parliament was for you and now it is against you The time was also as I told you before when the Commons alone might impose a Protestation
only observe that heretofore your Ministers thought it no light Argument against the Separatists that all Reformed Churches acknowledged the Church of England as their sister and consequently did not think her wicked for imposing Forms of Prayer So you may read in the Book I told you of before published by Mr. Rathband p. 6. though the truth is those Ministers have taken that Argument out of the Book of Mr. Bernards * Errors of Barrow and Greenwood confuted 1608 pag. 178. who speaks discreetly when he saith That though we do not make this our only or chief defence whereby we seek to approve our selves to God or the consciences of his people yet it is a thing that gives some reputation to us For even Saint Paul who received not his calling either from or by men alledges for the credit of his Ministry that three chief Apostles approved him and gave him the right hand of fellowship And which is more he seeks to win commendation and credit even to those Orders which he by his Apostolical Authority might have established by the example and judgment of other Churches * For which he cites 1 Cor. 7.17.11.15.14.33.16.1 N. C. Then you are for imposing C. I am for that which all men of any discretion think necessary viz. that every body should not be left to do according to their present humour and fancy when they come to worship God in the publick Assemblies Even the famous Smectymnuus allowed impositions in some cases For they propound this as an expedient that if it shall appear any Minister proves insufficient to discharge the duty of prayer in a conceived way it may be imposed on him as a punishment to use a set form and no other †Answer to the Humble Remonstrance p. 14. This was indeed a contrivance to disgrace the Liturgy as if it were fit for no bodies use but the duller and heavier sort of People but yet it shews their judgment above imposing which you now complain of And I would fain know what they would have done with such insufficient persons as had a good opinion of their gifts and thinking themselves wrong'd in being condemned to the forenamed Pennance would not obey them Would they have forced them to obedience or no If not their expedient signified nothing If they would then why should not the Magistrate do it now who knows that most of those who love liberty have a better opinion of their own abilities than they ought N. C. We wish the Common Prayer was left at liberty to be used or not as men found themselves inclined C. Do you so That 's because you despise it and think it good for little or nothing But were there one of your own Inventions to be established you would never leave us at Liberty if you had power to make use of it or let it alone Nothing should stand in competition with it but every thing else as well as Common-Prayer fall before it as Dagon before the Ark. Did not the Independents incur your displeasure for craving an allowance to order a few Churches after their own fashion Mr. Dury himself I remember a man of peace and composer of differences resolved their way was not to be tollerated For it would lay said he †Epistolary Discourse p. 21. Licensed by Mr. Cranford July 27. 1644. the foundation of strife and Division in the Kingdom to have two wayes of Church Government which may agree with some Matchiavilian but no Christian Policy And therefore it will be no wisdom in the State to yield to the Suit of the five Brethren except it be induced thereunto by the Necessity of avoiding some greater inconvenience than is the admitting of a seed of perpetual Division within it self which is in my apprehension the greatest of all other and most opposite to the Kingdom of Christ Now the less the cause of separation is the greater is the fault in those that make it and the less cause the State hath to give way to the making of it You remember therefore what Ordinances were made for the electing of Elders and that all Parishes and places whatsoever as well priviledged and exempt jurisdictions as others should be brought under the Government of Congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies a Ordin of 19. Au. 1645. And this was according to their solemn promise of setling Uniformity which part of the Covenant they said if you will believe them was alwayes before their eyes b Ordin 14 Mar. 1645. In pursuance of which also the City desired c Humble Remonstrance and Petition May 26. 1646. that some strict and speedy course might be taken for the suppressing of all private and separated Congregations And the House of Lords ordered the Printing of their Petition which was grounded upon a Remonstrance †Decemb. 15. 1642. of the House of Commons wherein they declared that it was far from their purpose or desire to let loose the golden rains of Discipline and Government in the Church or to leave private persons or particular Congregations to take up what form of Divine Service they please As for the sacred Covenant that Holy Ordinance as Mr. Case calls it and choice piece of Divine Service you know no man could be a Minister or an Elder no nor practice as an Attorney or Solicitor at the Law unless he took it and the refusal of it was generally made a Mark of ungodliness as I will prove when you please N. C. I know not what reasons they went by then C. The same whereby they would proceed now if they had the same power and the same hopes And so I believe would the Independents too who are for imposing their own things as much as they are able For they have invented you must know a Model and form of their own heads which is not appointed in Holy Scriptures As first that the Members must be examined and give an account of the manner of their conversion which is in a certain Method and Form too in New-England and that before the Church Narration of some Church Courses in N. England by W. R. collected out of their own reports c. chap. 4. pag. 16. Then it is required that they enter into a Church-Covenant which is not the Covenant of grace but distinct from it For they acknowledge a man may be within the Covenant of Grace who is not in this and one may be in this who is not in that And yet it is a Sacred not a Civil thing which must be made publick before all the Church vocal and express so binding that none can be loosed from it without the consent of the Church And then it is held at least by many that the Members must prophesy i. e. exercise their gifts in and before the whole Congregation by preaching expounding applying the Scripture by instruction confutation Reprehension with all Authority †Which they say is an Ordinance
well enough the humour of those who according to their breeding seem with an equal passion to oppose every thing they dislike even to the colour of a Garment or the fashion of a Girdle You have enough Readers concerning the Motives to this Continuation of the Debate when you are only told this farther that the Author having heard of some exceptions against the former Book thought good to Answer and as they deserve to shame them in this It is like some of our deceived Brethren will hold this labour damnable and execrable Preface to the Confutation of the Errors of the Brownists B. 2. as being bestowed in their opinion against the Church of Christ against the Saints and Children of God and his Holy truth To whom I answer as the Non-conformists did to the Old Separatists Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my Mouth when I endeavour to speak and my Pen stick to my fingers when I attempt to write any thing against the Church the Children or the Truth of God But the Errors and follies in those whom I think to have some goodness in them may I hope be reproved without being thought to reprove their goodness besides by endeavouring to keep them from being Righteous overmuch I take a course to preserve them from becoming too Wicked And now I believe nothing would be more grateful to some than to know the Authors name but I have nothing to say to them but that it is an impertinent curiosity to inquire any farther after him since he hath no mind to be known and since there is no need of it For his name can add no credit or strength to his Reasons and as for matters of Fact he hath directed you where to find them without inquiring after him to be resolved about them But if any body think it good manners to inquire into that which others would have kept secret Yet I am sure it argues great want of good breeding to say no more to bespatter as some have done this and the other person whom they only conjecture to be the Author Laying to their charge things that they know not Let me advise them to be more Civil Since I am sure they do not yet know me nor I believe ever shall unless I please and since by disturbing themselves and others still in this kind they are like to reap nothing save their own further shame I end with the great Counsel which Mr. Whittingham long ago concluded a Letter of his withal * Troubles at Franckfort Printed 1575. Know before you judge and believe not all flying tales keep one ear open and report the best April 15. 1669. THe Reader may take notice that there is an Alteration made in this second Edition of almost two pages in the first 364.365 The Author conceiving that those words of the Book which he confuted should be otherwise construed than he thought at first sight as was intimated in the Errata But in stead of them he hath now noted some other very much deserving to be censured IMPRIMATUR Tho. Tomkyns R. Rmo in Christo Patri ac Domino D mo Gilberto Divina Providentia Archi-Ep Cant. a Sacris Domesticis Apr. 24. 1669. Ex Aed Lambeth The Contents of the Continuation THe Non-conformists affected language and foolish imitation of Scripture-phrase noted pag. 1. About taking Gods name in vain and breaking the third Command pag. 2 3. The Covenanters highly guilty of it pag. 4 5. c. How Mr. Case taught them to take the Covenant pag. 7. Some pleaded Religion for breaking it pag. 8. Contrary to the solemn Protestation taken by both Houses before pag. 9 10. Non-conformists offended at the Friendly Debate and why pag. 11 The Apostles sense of giving no offence 1 Cor. 10.32 Ib. The Debate not guilty of it pag. 12 Non-conformists did not think heretofore that they ought to forbear reading Common-Prayer because some said it gave them scandal pag. 13 Great scandal of Schism Ib. Of grieving the Godly pag. 14 Non-conformists guilty of it in the proper sense by casting scorn on Divine Service and our Governors pag. 15 Mr. W. Bridge an instance of this pag. 16 Just severity against such defamers petitioned for by themselves heretofore pag. 17 Answer to another objection against the Friendly Debate for being writ Dialogue-wise c. Ib Non-conformists have writ Dialogues too and those very absurd pag. 18 c. Mr. Hughes's Conference noted Ib. And two more Ancient one of which teaches to depose Kings c. pag. 21 The Non-conformists pretence of not being guilty in breaking the Laws because they are ready to suffer the penalties answered pag. 22 Their presumption that it is his Majesties pleasure they should take this Liberty against the Laws answered pag. 24 Their change of Principles who held heretofore that the Law was the Kings Superiour pag. 26 c Mr. W. Bridges remarkable for this Doctrine in a Book of his published by Authority pag. 27 28 More instances of their changing for their interest pag. 29 30 This remarkable in the Army Saints pag. 31 Who writ after the Copy set them by their Superiors pag. 34 That the Author of the Debate is of a harsh bitter and jeering spirit answered at large pag. 35 c. Railing not the better because in Scripture phrase pag. 39. Some instances of Non-conformists reviling language the better to shew whence the present railers learnt theirs pag. 40 Reflections upon a passage in Mr. Case pag. 41 An instance of sanctified wit as they call it pag. 43 Some famous New England preachers guilty of foul language pag. 44 That it hath wofully infected the people is apparent pag. 45 And it is an old disease Ib. How they were served in their kind pag. 46 c. The Author falsely accused of writing out of Malice c. pag. 51 52 How the Non conformists despise those that are not of their party pag. 53 The Authors moderation in his censures pag. 54 How he hath dealt with Mr. Bridge Ib. His way and spirit further discovered pag. 55 c. Particularly that it is Antichristian and schismatical as appears by the Sermon of the two Witnesses pag. 59 c. His dangerous doctrine about their power to disturb the state c. pag. 60 His prefixing the time for it out of the Revel pag. 62 * How often they have been deceived in their conjectures About this time pag. 65 66 c. * The danger of interpreting every judgment that befals in favour of their conceits pag. 64 A rare interpretation of the prophecies forenamed pag. 68 A reflection upon those bold deceivers pag. 71 The cause of these conceits pag. 72 Their presumption that their platform should be a pattern to all Churches pag. 74 Mr. Case his high opinion of the Covenant pag. 75 His and Dr. Wilkinsons and some of the Scots and others opinions of us pag. 77 78 c. And of the favours they receive from others pag. 80
breaking the Oxford Act and the Act against Conventicles For you make as if they were obliged to keep within that distance from this place which the Law prescribes if they have not taken the Oath And if they have yet not to hold Assemblies without Common-Prayer especially in time of your Service Now it is plain to us that they are not obliged to keep these Laws so as you would have them Mark what I say they do not refuse to obey them only they cannot do it in your manner There are two wayes I have heard them say sometimes of obeying Laws either by doing what they Command or by suffering what they inflict Now our Ministers are content to endure the penalties chusing to satisfie the Laws that way which is most convenient for themselves C. Have you done N. C. Yes C. Then give me leave to tell you I do not believe they are so well contented as you pretend But if they be they are no better observers of Laws than a Thief who is content to be hang'd after he hath rob'd his neighbors I doubt they are contented both alike i. e. they hope to escape without punishment and when they are laid hold on they submit because they cannot help it But when that 's done they are still both alike under sin because it is not the thiefs hanging and your fine and imprisonment which the Prince intends but the doing that which he commands If this be neglected or you do contrary to his Laws you offend God as well as your Prince and are liable to be punisht by both N. C. There is a wide difference in these things For God you know requires we should not steal but he doth not lay such Commands on us as your Laws C. He requires you to obey the Magistrate which your Apology plainly confesses while you suppose he is sufficiently obeyed if you suffer the penalties of his Laws Which I must tell you is a ridiculous fancie and makes the Magistrate a most barbarous Tyrant who is as well pleased or takes himself to be as well obeyed if his subjects be hang'd or broken on the Wheel after they have done a world of Mischief as if they had been honest and peaceable Members of the Common-wealth Away with these absurd doctrines which suppose all Governors to punish the innocent and all Subjects to obey meerly for wrath and not for Conscience sake You had best go and correct St. Paul or else correct your selves believing that you are guilty of a sin when you do not the things which a Law not contrary to God's requires or else the Magistrate could have no right to punish you and that your Punishment also is not to free you from the guilt of the First Fault but to prevent a Second N. C. But this is not all they have to say for themselves They are men of a tender Conscience whatever you think and have a great regard to the commands of their Governors nay think they ought to be obeyed for conscience sake C. To what purpose then do they use the former shift N. C. Pray let me go on They consess I say that Laws should be kept and yet they are are well assured they commit no sin in not keeping those you speak of C. They are wonderful men N. C. For they are very confident it is his Majesties pleasure that they should take this Liberty against the Laws C. Good Sir take heed what you say How come you to know his Majesties Pleasure where did he whisper it so softly that none could hear it but your selves N. C. I was going to tell you if you would but be patient We hold that since his Laws are not executed it signifies his pleasure to allow us this Liberty and we esteem it a sufficient warrant for our present practice Nay a tacit Declaration that he doth not desire the Laws should be obeyed And upon this account you are justly blamed who being but a private man have expressed greater severity against them than the Magistrate himself for you have charged them with the guilt of Sin when the Magistrate doth not so much as punish them Do you not think the King can dispense with us and doth he not in effect give us a dispensation when his Laws are not executed Why do you then disallow what he approves of May not his Majesty do what he thinks good C. I understand you well enough and therefore these Repetitions are needless But I would fain know what warrant they had when they first ventur'd to act contrary to those Laws What assurance had they that it might be done without danger to themselves or dislike to their Prince N. C. Indeed I did not think of that C. If you cannot satisfie that Question you must acknowledge you have but spun a Cobweb in making this Excuse And confess in plain terms that when they broke the Ice and first took this Boldness they were Sinners and now they make one sin the Justification of another N. C. How so C. They first tried whether any notice would be taken of their abiding here and of their closer meetings contrary to Law and when they found there was none then they ventured further and opened their doors more confidently for all comers and still there being no notice taken of this license they gave themselves now they make it an argument to justifie what they do and would perswade us it is as good as if they had a license from others for these unlawful practices So I call them for you must know further that the Non-execution of the Laws is no proof of his Majestie 's pleasure they should not be observed For it may be imputed to the negligence of his Officers and Ministers in the discharge of their Duty But if to serve your turn you will say it is an argument of his will and not of their neglect you must unavoidably serve some bodies turn besides your own In plain English you must affirm it is his pleasure that the Mass should be said and the Papists should take the same liberty and openness in the exercise of their Religion that you do in yours Nay I do not see why all Drunkards Swearers and Blasphemers may not think themselves allowed in their crimes because little or no notice is taken of any of them To which I may add that several persons who think the non-Execution of Laws is a warrant to you yet find very much fault with your meetings in the time of our publick Assemblies Which is void of all sense if your Reason be good for there is no more notice taken of that than of your meeting at other times And yet it is demonstrable that the not punishing your meeting in time of Divine Service doth not signifie his Majestie 's pleasure to allow it and consequently your not being punished can never signifie his pleasure to indulge you in other matters For if from thence you can gather that he approves of what
on all the Subjects under the Pain of being incapable of any Office if they refused it But now you will be free from all imposition of this Nature And an Oath enjoyn'd by the King and both the Houses under no severer penalty than a small Restraint is look't upon as a grievous Oppression There are those likewise that can remember when the Commons alone put out another Order about some of the affairs of Religion But now a Law enacted by the Kings Authority is thought an high invasion of Christs Prerogative and he must not meddle in matters of his Worship The reason is any thing may be done by any Body to advance your fancies but nothing against them by no creature in the World Nay we have not forgotten the time when Mr. Case used this Argument among others to perswade the People to take the Covenant * Sermons about the Covenant p. 64. because Antichrist and his faction had prosper'd so much by entring into Covenants therefore the People of God should try what this way will do which hath been so advantageous to the enemy For God said he may make use of that Stratagem to ruin their Kingdom which they used to build it But now if any of us say that the same Persons have maintain'd a great reverence in the people to their Religion by many Stately Ceremonies splendid Vestures and Pompous Rites and therefore we may hope to keep the Ordinances of God from contempt by a few solemn and grave Ceremonies by decent habits and such rites and gestures as may beseem the dignity of our Religion presently you raise an out-cry against us and the People are told that we are Popishly affected of an Antichristian spirit and imitate Idolaters For which I can assign no cause but this that then the Argument was for you and now it makes for us And you are resolved to serve your selves by all means though it be by approving and anon rejecting the very same things If a thing like you well it shall go very hard but you will find some Scripture for it And if none speak plainly you will torture and draw some or other to be on your side and labour to prove that they signifie according to your meaning But if a thing dislike you then you ask for plain Scritprue Nothing will satisfie unless we shew it you in express terms It is Superstition Will worship any thing but good unless we produce a text in so many words to confirm it Of the same shifting humour was the late Army as appears by their unparalel'd Story which in brief is this On the 20. of April 1653. they turn'd their Masters whom they had long served out of doors as a company of Self-Seekers who minded their own private more than the publick Good About six years after finding the good Spirit declining which formerly appeared among them in carrying on the great work those are their Canting expressions and the good old Cause it self become a reproach they were led to look back and examine the cause of the Lords withdrawing his wonted presence from them And among other things they remembred what Injuries they had done to the remnant of the long Parliament and that they were eminent asserters of that Cause and had a special presence of God with them and were signally blessed in that Work And therefore invited them by their Declaration of May 6. 1659. in which you may find these things to come and sit again promising to yield their uttermost Assistance for their sitting in safety Would you not imagine now that they would for ever reverence these Eminent these Blessed men and that to oppose them in their great work would be in their opinion to fight against God to drive away the good Spirit and to endeavour to destroy the Cause of God And yet it was not long before they were of another mind They held themselves for all this to be the greater Saints the Army of the living God and so immutably setled in his favour that they should not lose it do they what they would And therefore as soon as ever the Parliament refused to act according to their mind they refused to yield their obedience When they voted some of their Commissions void and resolved to govern the Army by Commissioners in stead of a Lieutenant General these late penitents could see nothing of God any longer among them The special Presence of God vanished and in a moment disappeared So that on the 13th of the next October they lockt up the doors of the House set themselves once more above their Masters and in an insolent manner declared * Declara agreed at Wallingford House Octob. 27. all their Orders Acts pretended Acts or Declarations and all proceedings thereupon had or done on Munday the 10. of that Month and on Tuesday and Wednesday following null and void to all intents and purposes in as full and ample a manner as if they had been never done And immediately after they pact the Men away after these Acts and Orders Nay this they did notwithstanding that they had stiled themselves several times but five dayes before this 10. of October Your faithful Servants the Army and professed that having diligently inquired into their hearts and wayes Humble Represent and Petit. Octob. 5. they found nothing among them but faithfulness and integrity to the Parliament concluding their address in this manner that notwithstanding all endeavours to the contrary they would by the help of God be found faithful to them Were not these gallant fellows Wonderful constant to their Principles and Professions Mightily overawed by the presence of God Single-hearted and faithful to their word Yes by all means you must needs say for of such as these a great part of the Churches of the Saints is now composed And faithful they were to themselves and that was enough Constant to this principle that they were alway in the right and what would you have more They could Cant still in Scripture language and therefore God was not withdrawn from them They could fast and pray still and had a power to turn even the Lords-day into a day of Humiliation and therefore the Good Spirit had not forsaken them They hated Antichrist that is us and were resolved to burn the flesh of the Whore with fire so still remained the Army of the Lord of Hosts For as if they had some such work in hand as the Apostles had they call upon all the Godly in the nation to say on their behalf who are sufficient for these things and to cry aloud for them before the Throne of Grace that the Lord himself would appear and carry on his work in their hand And great reason there was to expect it since they had once more injur'd those who asserted his cause and done that very thing for which as they said he had before withdrawn his wonted presence from them O the Impudent foreheads of these Men O the
the holy Scriptures and that it had been a great part of the work of that Generation to pervert and abuse them And withall you see what is become of their high Confidence that they should not miscarry in their Designs upon us whom they baptized with the name of the Complices of the Apocalyptick Beast Their hopes are prov'd abortive and now they are travailing with a new Wind and are in pain till they bring forth a Lye They that were triumphant a little while ago have taken in their Flag and chang'd the Motto Now the word is Ichabod Where is the Glory They have altered the Phrases very much and speak in a complaining tone After so glorious a progress in the Work of pulling down Babylon and such Assurance they should have the Beast under their feet they are cast back again and are but at their Witnessing-work and Prophesying its Destruction Now Mr. Bridge tells us * Seasonable Truths in Evil-times p. 100. this is the work of our Generation Witness-bearing to the truth of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Antichrist in Antichristian times This is the work of our Generation Good lack That the World should be thus turn'd upside down That their hands should be lately at the work that the Carpenters * Mr. Bridge sermon before the Parl. Nov. 29. 1643. 17. should be at work in every part of the Kingdom to cut off the borns and now they should have no work but for their Mouths Witness-bearing-Work is all the business strange The work of the time said Mr. Bridge above 20 years ago is to measure the Temple Nay we are upon the work of Reformation building the Temple * Ib. p. 24. He saw the measuring line in the Parliaments hand yea the Stones were going to be laid and all the fear was they should not lie even But now all is vanished a new Vision appears the Church is hidden the Inner-Court is not to be seen and the Holy-city is still trod under foot and they are got no further than Witnessing-work Then the work was to cast out the Gentiles * Ib. p. 17. and now the Gentiles remain within and the work is only to witness against them * Seas Truths p. 112. This is the work to which a thousand years of Glory and Comfort is promised This is the work witness bearing to the Truths of Christ in opposition to the ways of Antichrist as he tells over and over in his late Sermons * P. 101. Seas Truths printed 1668 Sermon before the Parl. p. 17. Do you not wonder at this that the work was so long ago to cast out the Gentiles and the word was given forth * Vp and be doing and do it fully Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently and with-holdeth his hand from shedding of Blood But now they are only Witnessing waiting for the Power to turn the Nations into was blood N. C They are grown very humble C. No. This is but a new proof of their insufferable Pride They will not ingenuously acknowledg their Errors They are still as bold confident in prophecying from the Revelation as if they had never been mistaken And you feed and incourage their Presumption while you admire these Dreamers and suffer them to lead you quietly by the Nose backward and forward just as they please The Cause of which I doubt is your Pride too who are resolved not to be ashamed of your vain hopes nor abate your confidences but surrounding your selves with Prophesies and Promises to harden your faces and look as boldly upon us as ever The world must not think you have missed the Mark but only suppose you have received a farther light and that the mind of God is more fully revealed and that now you have found certainly in the Revelation whereabouts we are Or rather many of this sort make no reflection upon what is past A new Phrase is able at any time to blot out all remembrance of former things Let them but get this by the end and there is no other talk no other thoughts Away go all Objections and Difficulties all doubts scruples and fears All sad thoughts if they have any vanish as soon as they hear this and you may quiet them with it when you will as you do a Child with a Rattle when it cryes Lord say they it is Witnessing-time How shall thy poor Creature go through this Witnessing-work Alas Christians sayes another when he meets his Friends we are faln into the Witnessing-days Bear your Testimony Fear not their faces only let your Testimony agree If you would bear Witness unite your Testimony O it is a sackcloth-condition Seasonable Truths p. 124.125 replies a Third Let us mind the duty of a sackcloth-condition let us wear our sackcloth handsomly I and then saith a Fourth Christ will pay all the charge that you are at in Witness-bearing If a man have a suit at Law and have 5 or 6. Witnesses and carry them an hundred mile he bears all the charge of their Witness-bearing Saith Christ I will give power to MY Witnesses they are MY Witnesses Ye are Christs Witnesses and look whatsoever charge you are at he will bear the charge he will bear all the charge of your Witness-bearing And therefore be faithful in your Witness-bearing In this manner they are lull'd asleep and tickled out of the remembrance of all things past Nothing else comes into their Minds nothing into their Mouths as long as the strength of these New Phrases last And their Ministers having found the admirable power of them and how they stick in their Fancies and work there and wholly possess them they will not fail to furnish them with good store of them when there is occasion And should they but change a certain Word now in use into one of these Phrases I believe it would help to do their business very effectually N. C. You will not teach them sure in this Art What do you mean C. Preaching you know hath been a Word long in use among us and no body needs be told what we mean by it But this being an old Phrase there were some that grew weary of it and changed it into Teaching And for some time who taught to day was the Phrase But this growing common fell into dislike too and so they called it Exercising And when this became stale also and pleased them no longer then I remember some called it Lecturing But this would not take and so Speaking became in a manner the only Word And among the most pure the question still was who Speaks here this Morning But afterward this was held forth by him to day A great many more such Alterations it 's like you can remember who are better acquainted with these matters than I. But I was going to tell you that if any man should have the conceit to call it Witnessing or Prophesying and this Phrase should get among them
yield unto many except they can fairly perswade those many to yield to them a Epistolary Discourse pag. 22. N. C. But what if they cannot agree C. I was going to tell you If they cannot agree it is just they should forfeit their Spiritual right and liberty which Christ hath conferred upon them and fall under the Arbitriment of the Secular Power which ought to look unto its own safety lest those that make Divisions and multiply Breaches in the Church about small matters disturb also by that means the publick peace of the State b Ib. p. 24. Of this mind also was Mr. John Cotton a mild Independent Good Kings saith he c Upon the 1 Canticles v. 10. pag. 44. Use 2. ought to put upon their people wholsome Laws and straight binding to the purity of Religion and the Worship of God It is no impeachment to their Christian Liberty as the Anabaptists dote but an ornament to their beauty making their necks comely as with chains of Gold And a little after d Ib. Use 3. It is no impeachment of Christian Liberty to bow to Christian Laws Yea it is the beauty of a Christian Church to wear those chains those Laws which were made for the good of the Church and it ☜ was their prophaness and rebellion that said Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us N. C. He speaks of those purer Laws which they found out not such as yours C. It 's as much to my purpose if he did for it proves he would have the people strictly tyed to Laws and wear these chains alwayes about their necks and our Governors think theirs as good as any and so may as innocently bind men fast to them as you tye them to yours And let me tell you both Presbyterians and Independents would have their Orders so strict that their people should not be allowed the liberty of going to hear where they please Mr. Edwards a Gangraena 1 part p. 30. Error 125. I remember in his Catalogue of Errors Heresies and Blasphemies puts down this for one That it is part of mens Christian Liberty not to hear their own Ministers but to go and hear where they will and whom they think they may profit most by And the New-England Churches condemned those that said b Catalogue of the Opinions condemned by an Assembly of the Churches Aug. 30. 1637. Error 80. if a man think he may edify better in another Congregation than in his own that is ground enough to depart ordinarily from Word Seals c. notwithstanding the offence of the Church often manifested to him for so doing N. C. But why should there be any penalties C. You may as well ask me over again why any Laws which will be ridiculous without them But I wonder you are not ashamed to speak against penalties and force who pressed the Covenant with more severity than ever any body did Conformity What crosness is this as the Bishop of Down said c Visitation Speech at Lisâ—egarvy 26. August 1638. that when we press men to conform to the Orders of our Church they alledg it is contrary to Christian Liberty to inforce men to the doing of any thing against their Conscience and that a man should be fully resolved in his own mind of the Lawfulness of that which he doth and yet we urge that only under pain of suspension and excommunication and that after much patience and forbearance using all fair means to perswade them But they compel men to subscribe the Covenant against their Conscience by Pike and Pistol threatning no less than loss of life or goods and Lands in case of refusal By this we may judge of sincerity and what they would do in other things had they Power in their hands The truth is one could scarce live among you when you had power for all that would not take the Covenant were held to be Malignants and if you know not what was to be done with them an eminent person will tell you N. C. Who do you mean C. Do you not remember who it was that complemented the Parliament as the keepers of our Vineyard and commended them for being wanting in nothing to their duty N. C. What then C. You shall hear He saith they had endeavoured to fence the Vineyard with a setled Militia and then to gather out the Malignants as stones and to make a Wine-press therein for the squeezing of Delinquents a Epistle before the Sermon to the Commons 25. Jan. 1643. N. C. I know not who this was C. I 'le be so civil to his Memory as to let this pass without naming him But he was one of those you call a moderate Presbyterian by which we may know what mind the Zealots are of And as for the Independents they were for an exact and thorough Reformation too for that which they were about had cost God dear they said and he would not lay out so much for an imperfect poor and low reformation and therefore exhorted the Parliament not to spare the lash to effect it but do as Jesus Christ did when he came to purge the Temple not only chide the money changers but whip them away and overthrow the very Tables lest they should recover their Trade again b See Mr. Bridge Sermon before the Commons Nov. 29. 1643. p. 24 25. Which others delivered in this phrase Dagon is begun to fall befor the Ark his head is off but let not so much as the stump remain i. e. give no Liberty to these Church of England men let them not enjoy the least relick of their worship And accordingly you know I shew'd you the last time there was an Ordinance prohibiting the use of Common-prayer under great penalties in any private family not excepting the Kings c Page 218. Of Friendly debate 3 Edit N. C. I remember it and some say it was an unworthy Construction you make of the words there was no such intention C. They had better have held their tongues for I shall prove it to purpose When Commissioners were sent down to treat with his Majesty at the Isle of Wight he was content as he had expressed himself before May 12. that the worship of God should be performed according to the Directory for three years provided only that his Majesty and those of his judgment who could not in Conscience submit thereunto might not be obliged to it but left free to their own way a This was Septemb. 29. 1648. But this would not be granted for you must know that though the Parliament had Ordained b Ordin of March 1.4 1645. the Chappels or places in the Houses of the King and his Children should continue free for the exercise of divine duties without any Elders yet this was no more than they allowed to every Peer in the Realm and those Duties also were to be performed according to the Directory and not otherwise And