you let me freely speak unto you in the language of the Apostle Acts 2. 25. How be it as his speech was distastefull then so I doubt mine will be to many Palets now but I hope such as fear the Lord will hear and be pricked in their hearts Acts 2. 37. Truly though I have received his spirit for my directions herein 2. Cor. 3. 17. Eccles. 12. 10. Yet if it were possible I would not displease you I confess my matter or message is contrary to most of your judgements but for all that as I shall endeavour to deliver the same in as fair terms as I can so I hope ye will accordingly take the same in good part surely I look upon your Declaration to be your real intention and take it as a great mercy of God that ye are such men as be able to hear reproof Prov. 13. 18. Prov. 15. 5. 10. 31. And of such qualifications to fulfill such terrible places of Scripture whereas if it had been the lot of some proud hot intemporate men who would not endure to be told of what they were by their station they might have gone to Hell without mollestation or any to pity them It is averred by some that a Cockatrice seeing it self in a glass and by beholding its own deformity immediately dieth I do not wish you should do so But I wish that when I shew you by the Scripture what ye are now that ye would become what you should be to your eternal happiness I know God can turn a Saul to Paul Acts 9. 4 5. and I hope no less of you for God can turn the shadow of death into a morning Amos 5. 8. he can make darkness light and crooked things straight Isai 42. 16. so that there shall be no shadow of death nor darkness where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34. 22. all these things are possible with God for them that believeth Mark 9. 23. Matth 19. 26. Indeed my main matter is both hard for me to utter and for you to understand Rom. 16. 25. 26. John 6. 27. 1 Timoth. 5. 17. Heb. 5. 11. Nahum 1. 1 2. Habaâ— 1. 1 2. for I am under a burthen which presseth me sore and have been twenty years under the same and though many think it but an easie thing to declare the minde of God and to open the mysteries of his word as they are fulfilled yet I tell you it is so hard and requireth so much courage strength and labour that none knoweth it but such as are exercised therein Jer. 9. 3. Jer. 23. 16 17. But it is an easie thing to be a flattering false Prophet who swim always with the stream crying peace where there is no peace and the World follow such Jer. 6. 14. for we see the true Prophets were generally men of sorrows condemned and persecuted by the World because they did not flatter nor spare men in Authority but told them their sins for which cause they were so rejected that some of them wished to die or that they had never been born to see the truth and their love slighted and the people ruined Jer. 20. 18. Jer. 22. 3. 4 5 6 7 8. 1 King 19. 4. and men in Authority never wanted false Prophets to flatter and destroy them by perswading them to go on and prosper 1 Kings 22. 12. until their sins were ripe and no remedy left Therefore it is better for you to hear me now while the Sun of prosperity shineth upon you then to hear those thousands who tell you the World is yours and cause you to bless your selves in the imaginations of your own hearts Deut. 29. 18 19 20. as if God were pleased with injustice bloud shed tebellion robbery opression spiritual pride drunkenness and a many other abominable inormities which the late Parliament countenanced among us for I am assured that what I do now tell you is true and will as certainly come to pass as those truths have done which I foretold to those that were in Authority before you It is certain that you do by your Declaration require a worship and acknowledgement of your power as if you were a Parliament why should I wrong and flatter you by giving you a false Title ye cannot be ignorant that according to the Laws of England ye are not a Parliament And I wonder much that ye did take that name upon you ye being so unlike to it for ye know a Parliament consists of Lords spiritual and temporal and Commons called in by the Kings Writ and chosen by the people but the generality of them as one said to me do not look upon you as a Parliament though many be forced to lie against their consciences by calling you so Is it not therefore best that I tell you the truth which is that the people do not own you as a Parliament which I fear ye will finde when they see a fit opportunity which they wait for to rise up against you whereof if I should not warn you and tell you the truth which is so clearly revealed unto me I should be a murtherer and bring your bloud upon mine own head Ezek. 3. 4 5 6 7 8 9 17 18 19. then how can I rest or hold my tongue seeing no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 1 Joh. 3. 15. and sure it is that there is a heavy judgement to come upon you unless by repentance and amendment ye speedily prevent it And now me thinks I hear some of them in power say what shall we do to prevent this judgement I answer give that unto God which is his due and unto Caesar what is due unto him and unto all people thier just rights and Liberties 1. Do right unto God and that is restore to God all those things which were taken from the Church by the late Parliament or any other in Tithes and offerings Malach. 3. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Ye know well enough what the Tithes are and for the offerings first they are the praises of God which were sung and said dayly in our Churches both Cathedrals and others throughout the Kingdom which singing and praising of God with instruments of Musick in Scripture is called the daily sacrifice Daniel 8. 11 12 13. Daniel 12. 11. Psalm 150. Psalm 50. 14 15. Rev. 5. 8 9. Rev. 14. 2 3. All which praises being his due ye ought to restore unto him again and for other offerings belonging to God they are all those things which have been given by our fore-fathers for pious uses whether to the Church to maintain Ministers in in several places or to the maintainance of poor Orfants and aged people or any other ways left to be disposed all which ye are to restore and dispose off according to the minde of those good people that gave them for those things were sacrâ—ficed unto God who taketh care for his Ministers and for the poor and acknowledgeth that what was given to them Matt. 25. 40.
the late Bishop of Canterbury was the same man for the number of his name as divers affirm that in all businesses which he subscribed he wrote only thus Will Laud And I find the number of this name VVILL LaVD to be 666. for the numeral letters are these and they be the very same that ye have in the other names before DLL 600. LVV 60. VI 6. so that in all they come to 666. But if we take notice of the name of this man of God as it is at large we shall find another mysterie therein For I find the number of this name VVILLIaM LaVD to be 1667. And the numeral letters are these M 1000. DLL 600. LVV 60. VII7 so that in all they come to 1667. and that is the yeer of rest for before it be Anno Dom. 1667. most of the world yea and Rome it self will acknowledge their error see the truth and submit to William Lauds rule in form of worship doctrine and discipline as the only way to salvation the most decent and agreeable to Gods word being without doubt the true way whereby to worship God long before preordained of God to abide for the direction of men for ever and ever which Rule was given in King Edw. 6. his days preserved and refined in Queen Elizabeth and King James their days sealed and perfected to the glory of Jesus Christ with the blood of his noble mattyrs chiefty of King Charls and Bishop William Laud who as the Scripture saith Heb. 11. 35. would not accept of deliverance when he was offered by the Parliament to go into New England with M. Peters but he chose rather to die that he might obtain a better Resurrection Therefore to conclude I say that the Book of Common Prayer as it was established in the Church of England is the only true way whereby to worship God as I have sufficiently proved by the Scripture in my Book called A Voice from Heaven and in my other Book called An Eccho to that Voice from Heaven written in the yeers 1651. and 1652. And as for your vain jangling God hath not any delight in it 1 Tim. 1. 6. 2 Tim. Titus 3. 9. for the coming neer unto God with the mouth and the worshipping of God according to the Commandments of private men is a vain thing Mat. 15. 5 6 7 8 9. that is when they command that every one may do in the worship of God what seemeth right in his own eyes Judg 17. 5 6. and 21 25. as Israel did when they had no King But the event of such a State was destructive to them as you may read and see Judg. 19. and 30. and 21. But for the Kings Command it is said Eccles. 1. 2. I charge thee to keep the Kings commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God thou hast sworn to obey him Again it s said Prov. 16. 10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the King his mouth erreth not in judgement Thus a true Christian King is endued with an infallible judgement and so is the sentences of K. Charls his mouth To this King the Apostle commands obedience in all things 1 Pet. 2 13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as them that are sent by him For the Apostle foresaw by the Scripture Zach. 14. 2. Zeph. 3. 9. That the Lord would hold forth at last a King whose Laws in all things should be right of this you have more at large in my fore mentioned Books for there is no right nor peace to be had but where there is a King of righteousnes and a King of Peace That is when the King Comes in by the right way being the right Heir And though the title King be given by the Scripture somtimes to Usurpers set up by the peoples power and by money which is but a molten Calf God owns them not but calls them their Idols for saith he Hos. 8 4 5 6. They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not of their silver and their gold have they made them Idols that they may be cut off Thy Calf O Samaria c. And again saith he Eze. 43. 9. Let them put away their whordoms and the Carcasses of their Kings far from me and of such Kings he speaks Rev. 17 12 13 14 15 16 17. as you shall find it made Cleare at large in the postscript of my book called A Voice from Heaven And of such Kings the Lord saith that they had set their thresholds by his thresholds their post by his post Ezek. 43 8. for the Lord had a post by which his Kings of the seed of David stood 2 Kin. 11. 14. Ezek. 46. 2. according to Gods command it seems the usurping Idolatrous kings set up by the people presum'd to come there as our great Ones presume now to bury their friends in the Royal sepulchers at Westminster where none but the Kings Family was wont to be buried yet certainly their carcasses shall be removed as the Lord hath spoken Eze. 43 7 8 9. But the true King that cometh to judge the wicked ones is called the glory of the God of Israel that is the glory of Jesus Christ for he is the God of Israel And if we compare Scripture with Scripture we shall find it so for you shall fine Ezek. 43 1 2. That the King coming form the Eaâ—t with his Train and Armie is called the glory of the God of Israel and v. 3. he saith it was like the glory that he saw when he came to destroy the Citie That is like Nebachadnezzars coming in the head of his Army to destroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and v. 5. he saith that the glory of the Lord filled the house v. 6. he tels us that this glory spake to him and it a man saith he the man stood by me and he said unto me c. v. 7 8. he tels you what this glorious king said to make it yet more clear observe v. 4. that this glory came into the house at the east gate And compare it with Eze. 44 1 2 3. and you shall find that the East gate must be shut that none must com in or out by that gate but the king Here M Aspinwall may see that the true Kings set up of God may come to the post and the threshold of that gate as their own place Ezek. 46 2 2 Chron. 23. 13. and that the usurping Kings set up by the people and called their Kings must be put away Ezek 43 9. And though Saul who indeed was the Lords Anointed 1 Sam. 24 6. 1 Sam. 8 4 5. 1 Sam. 12 13. 1 Sam. 13 13 14. yet for that the first moving cause for him was from the people his heart was not real to God Therefore Saul relying so much upon them tâ—â—â—ease the people disobeyed the command of God
and lost the kingdom 1. Sam. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aspin wall concerning your throwing away of our Laws therein you talk idly for do you think that your generation who are of no such wisdom and learning as our former Parliaments were can make better Laws in one year then out Laws be which were in making and â—â—â—â—…ing above five hundred years and had not our former Parliaments the word of God for their direction therein as well as you or any now a daies and were they not more sober and prudent in the understanding of those Lawes I pray entertain no such foolish conceit And you tell us likewise of the Statutes of Omri Mica 6. 16. that is even such things as you set up for if you observe Jeroboam Omri and Ahab though they had many sorts of worship yet any one abject of the people served to be a Priest or a Teacher of them 1 Kin 12 31. 2 Chro. 12 8 9. 1 Kin 16. 25 26. And must the statutes of David be cast away because the statutes of Omri be nought must the statutes of K. Hen. 8. K. Edw. 6. and Q Eliz. which are against popery be cast away because other Kings statutes are Idolatrous and for popery And further you tell us an untruth That Jehojada the Priest having the supreme authority in his hand took men recommended to him by some others whom you call the Church to put them in civil authority No Sir Jehojada had not as you affirm the supreme Authority then for it is evident Athaliah did reign that six veers while he was guardian to the Kings Son 2 Kings 11. 3. But in the seventh yeer he being the Priest of God God stirred up the Spirit of Jehojada to do right to the King Princes and Levites so that he sent to bring the Princes who by right were rulers over hundreds and took an oath of them to be true to the King and presented him before them and they by his command gathered the faithful Levites to come to their charge neither took he anv mans advise in the businesse nor was any upon the attest of others received by him and put into Civil Authority as you falsly assert for he had the Spirit of God to direct him as our every one to his charge and place and directed them in what they should do as from the mouth of God and all of them did so obey Jehojada that the work was perfected even the King set on his Throne as you may see 2 Kings 11. 2 Chron. 23. But you seem by such falâ—e grounds to set up the tenent of the Romish Church which is if a man by birth be Heir to a Kingdom and ought there to rule yet if the Church of Rome do not approve of him they will deprive him if they can and give his right by their attest unto another whereby to enjoy that Civil power so that their Church do unjustly in this thing Thus there will be brave stir when your divided Churches which are part of Iron part of clay even the toes of the Image Dan. 2. 33 34 42. go about to set up men by their attest to govern in Civil Authority Then Jack Straw is set up by one Congregation and Hob. Carter by another to throw him down so that there shall be an endlesse war among them until the Stone cut out of the mountain without attest of hands to justify it smite the Image upon the feet and break it to shivers Dan. 2. 34 35 45. for the King needs not the attest of men because all know him to be the Ruler by right Another untruth you would force upon us on that Text in Gen. 49. 10 which saith The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shilo come from Judah many Kings have sprung who gave good laws kept the Scepter what say you of David and Salomons writings are there therein no Laws given out by them sure they had power from God to do it and Iesus Christ himself alloweth of their Laws insomuch that he somtimes defends himself thereby against his enemies and did not Jesus himself come of Iudah who removeth that earthly Scepter from Iudah according to the word and gives it to Shiloh which Shiloh we must understand to be another Tribe come from Japhets loyns and not from Sem Gen. 9. 26 27. yet you say the kings of Iudah gave no laws nor could any give laws till Iesus came How contrary to the truth even to Christs own words this your assertion is is manifest by the Scripture Christ would noâ— be troubled with such outward things for when the people would have enforced him to be their King he absolutely refused it Joh. 6. 15. neither would he be so much as a Iudge in a civil cause Luk. 12. 13 14. nor would he take but rather give tribute Mat. 22. 17 to 22. 17. 24. to 28. Therefore your assertion is utterly false and you force the Text to a quite contrary sense as you do in all the rest of your Pamphlet wrest other Scriptures Now for the law of Christ it is altogether a spiritual law which serveth not for any particular Country but for all in general as a rule whereby to frame laws Therefore saith Christ By me kings reign and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Pro. 8. 15 16. that is what laws they make according to his word are made by him For this cause the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake first to the king as supreme then to them that are sent by him And why because whatever is done by the king and his nobles or judges is done by the Lord Iesus for they being his ministers Rom. 13. 4 5 6. are directed by him and the kings heart is in the hand of the Lord Pro. 2â— â— therefore his mouth cannot err in judgment Pro. 16. 10. Now to leave Gods rule and set up silly mean fellows to be judges they to search for precepts that are as you say scattered up and down the scripture whereby to rule all Countries in all causes and then be subject to their wresting those Scriptures what way they please would be a brave way of judging the people who having no known laws whereby to walk must be alway waiting what scripture the Iudge will make use of to please his fancy either to make them offenders or to favour them and if you say the Iudge must allow a dispute then may the greatest offender beat him with his own weapon and escape no Christ hath not promised to rule by such vile persons but by men of eminency viz. by kings princes nobles judges who decree justly Pro. 8. 15 16 and if that land be blessed whose king is the son of Nobles Eccl. 10. 17. then that land is cursed whose rulers are sons of clowns that
put the late King to death So it is evident that this little horn is not a king but a State that completeth the wickedness of the State of Rome and fourth Beast Good Reader take heed therefore of this Aspinwall and all such for this is not only a matter of life and death but also of salvation and damnation of souls and know for a certain that he either understandeth not or wresteth the Scriptures as you see apparent by what hath been already spoken so that he is both deceived and deceiveth others making them serve his turn in speaking for the present time be it never so wicked Now M. Aspinwall I hope you see it is clear that you have said a wrong foundation for your Fabrick or fist Monarchy in applying those Texts to K. Charls which doth further appear Dan. 7. 24. He shall subdue three Kings and this He you say is K. Charls How did K. Charls subdue three Kings Did he ever take any Kingdoms from any It is true by Birth he was Heir to three Kingdoms and did enjoy them to the great happiness of his subjects until that unreasonable Beast Parliament violently and unjustly did wear out his people took his three Kingdoms from him and his life too And did not that Beast Parliament v. 25. Change Times and Laws And was not that Beast Parliament destroyed April 22. 1653. as ye have it v. 11 And though that Beast Parliament be destroyed in part that is as they were a Body consisting of so many men yet the Parliament men being in Gods account every one of them a Beast by himself and are called Beasts v. 12. who though their Dominion be taken away from them at the time of their dissolution yet have they their lives prolonged for a season and time fit to call them to a further account and total destruction as ye have it v. 26. Again M. Aspinwall you may clearly see your error That K. Charls was not the little horn neither are the Kings of Europe those Beasts who had their Dominion taken away when K. Charls died For where is any of those seven Kings whereof you speak that have lost their Dominion But it is evident to all That the Parliament was that Beast or little horn and that the Parliament men are those Beasts who lost their Dominion when the Parliament was destroyed Further By this also the little horn appeareth to be the last Parliament The little horn had eys and a mouth speaking great things and looked more stout then his fellows v. 8. 20. Is not the eys their knowledge by which the late Parliament pretended to see more from Scripture then any other before them So that in their own conceits they were both wiser and stouter then any former Parliament That their mouth and Votes spake great and monstrous things even such as were never heard of before in any Heathenish Assembly of State so that all Christians yea I am confident some of themselves do now abhor the wickedness that proceeded from them 1 Sam. 24. 13. And as concerning the ten horns or kings there is no judgement to come upon any of them all but only three of them namely England Scotland and Ireland for they suffer very much and according to their sufferings they shall be exalted again to reigne with their King in glory Dan. 7. 27. For as you have it v 9 10 13 14. 18. 22. By the Ancient of days there is signified Jesus Christ and by the Son of man is signified K. Charls who in regard the Lord Jesus found him faithful to the death for the maintenance of his Laws in Church and State will make him Ruler according to the promise Luke 12. 42 43 44. over all that he hath So that this Charls Stuart thus being found so just a Steward whom Aspinwall doth vilifie is indeed that wise and faithful Steward whose seed shall rule all that the Lord Jesus hath for ever and is the most High on earth Dan. 7. 25. 27. and Prince of the Host or Prince of Princes Dan. 8. 9 10 11. 25. who under Jesus Christ is the only father and begetter of the fift Monarchy and his seed shall be chief in it for ever And the Laws of England both for Church and State as it was established in his time for the maintenance of which Laws he died even that Law shall go over all the earth and shall be the law of the fift Monarchy for ever And to make it yet more clear the little horn in Dan. 7. 8. is that Beast Rev. 13. 1. that hath its ten horns also as is evident by the mark in its mouth For as the little horn had a mouth speaking great things 1 Dan. 7. 8. 20. 25. so the Beast in Rev. 13. 5 6. hath a mouth speaking great things Again the late Parliament in Scripture is called by divers names somtimes it is called the little horn Dan. 7. 8. 20. somtimes the Beast Dan. 7. 12. Rev. 13. 1. and somtimes the Whore Rev. 17. 15 16. in regard of its unfaithfulness and trechery to their King Head Father and Husband of the Kingdom And as the Beast or Where was to be destroyed with its own ten horns Rev. 17. 16. so the Beast Parliament was destroyed April 22. 1653. by the now Lord General and about ten of those horns that afore defended them for the Beast was to be destroyed without hands only by the spirit of his mouth Dan. 8. 25. Dan. 11. 20. 2 Thes. 2 8. So that Beast Parliament a raiser of Taxes was destroyed without anger without battel without hands only by the Word from the Generals mouth Whereby it is evident to all who are not wilfully blind that the late Parliament was this little horn or Beast expressed in the former cited Scriptures But as concerning K. Charls himself there was much anger and after many battels fought against him he and his followers had many hands laid upon them and then according to the Word Rev. 20 4. they had their heads cut off because they would not worship and submit to that Beast Parliament And see how the holy Spirit long before takes notice of the Nature and Cowardlyness of this Beast who as before saith of them That they should be destroyed without hands that is without so much as one Box of the ear much less then to have a sword drawn against them And yet saith that this Beast should have its deadly wound by a sword Rev. 13. 3. 14. so that but only ten of their servants came into the House and spake to them not in anger the very thought of a Sword struck them all dead so that they who about nine of the Clock came into the House looking upon themselves to be the greatest Princes in Europe before eleven went out baser then the basest of all the people insomuch that the very Boys in the streets and the most vulgar sort of people did hiss and hoot at them as at the
most abject and abominable creatures not worthy to live yea the very Balladmongers had them in derision Whereas indeed had they been valiant men for the truth and worthy to rule before they had quitted their places and left the Nations who depended upon their protection in such a distraction as to deliver them unto the power of the Sword hundreds of them would have risen up and seized on those ten and committed them to the Tower and immediately also sent to the Army in all places not to stir on pain of death without their commands But the General knew what they were and that most of them durst not behold the drawing of a sword much less to contend with such a man as he is Yet K. Charls his valour was such that he contended to the death for the Truth being faithful and trusting in God not fearing what man could do unto him And further if we would compare K. Charls with them we shall find him to be the true shepherd who gave his life and all that he had to maintain the Laws and Liberties of his people John 10. 11 12. But contrarywise the Hypocritical hireling Parliament that styled themselves The Keepers of the Liberties of England at the sight of a few souldiers coming to the House where they sate did shamefully fly and surrender the people into the mouth of the Wolf or power of the sword to have all their Laws Lives Liberties and substance devoured by it at pleasure And thereby their hypocrisie is discovered to all the world for they gave out themselves to be Saints that feared God and trusted not in the arm of flesh nor feared it but coming to the tryal it is evident they trusted not in God but in the arm of flesh which they only confided in and feared For no sooner did the General who is but a mortal man appear but they vanished so that to stand out for God and his people in hope of assistance from him against the Arm of flesh was counted folly by that hypocritical generation Therefore for your pretended saints we deny them to be any of the saints of God or that they have any godliness and true faith justifiable by Gods word in them For will you make solemn protestations in hypocrisie lifting up your hands before the Lord who is the searcher of all hearts whereby to draw the people who entrusted you from their dutiful obedience to the Lords Anoynted both to ensnare them and damn their souls with false oaths and say this is godliness Is not this the height of hypocrisie Hos. 10. 4. Zach. 5. 3 4. Eccles. 8. 2 3 4. Rom. 13. 1. 4. 1 Sam. 24. 6. 10. Will you destroy Gods Ministers and Ordinances Will you destroy and defile his sanctuary Will you rob him in Tythes and Offerings committing all manner of sacriledge against him and say This is godliness 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Mal. 3. 7 8 9. Rom. 2. 22. Will you break all your Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to God and the King Will you break your Protestations and Covenants calling God to witness to them and say that all this is godliness still Zach. 5. 3 4. Hos. 10 4. Prov. 24. 21 22. Will you contrary to your solemn Oaths destroy the King the Lords Anoynted for keeping his Oath to God and his people committed to his Charge Will you rob him and his posterity of all their Rights for ever and say this is godliness too Eccles 8. 2 3 4. Eccles. 10. 20. 2 Chron. 13. 10 11. Zach. 3. 7. Will you kill destroy and rob the Lords people that keep faith and a good Conscience by observing their Oaths to God and the King and say This is godliness Jer. 7. 8 9 10 11. Will you make Jesus Christ as your Captain who are such apparent Robbers Murderers spiritual Whoremongers and false Swearers Surely he will be avenged on you for these things 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. Luke 18. 7 8 Dan. 8. 24. Will you through your Policy betray the Nation of their Laws Lives Liberties Livelyhoods and their good Conscience also by forcing them to forswear themselves and say This is godliness Isa. 29. 15. Will you seek the ruine of other Nations Will you yet thirst after more innocent blood until ye be drunk therewith and say This is godlyness Isa. 10. 7. Rev. 17. 6. Will you set up your abomination that maketh desolate in every place where it comes destroying the faithful ones tolerating all sorts of wicked Atheists Blasphemers Hereticks and cursed Rebels against God and say This is godliness Matth. 24. 15. M. Aspinwall you know such are your saints on whom you put all the glory They come neer to God with their mouths but their hearts are far from him and their works abominable to God and man And how contrary their sending forth Preachers to preach is to the way of Jesus Christ who sent his Disciples is evident They send forth their preachers with swords pistols and Troops of horse as Vavasour Powel went into Wales with Commission to raise forces to propagate the Gospel as they call it and such kind is of the Divel Mahomet or John of Leydens sending forth to preach For Iesus Christ when he sent forth his Disciples though he could command legions of Angels to go with them doth not Matth. 26. 53. but he bids them take no provision for their journey no not so much as a staff for their own defence Matth. 10. 9 10. Luke 9. 3. Luke 10. 3 4. Yet M. Powel in his Commission must have a power to raise a Troop of horse and souldiers to guard him and to terrifie and plunder the Country Iesus Christ bids his Disciples wheresoever they came to salute all with peace and if the people should rise up against them to flee from that place to another Matth. 10. 12 13. 23. Luke 10. 5. M. Powel bids his disciples with Arms to salute the Country and if they rise to persecute them and beat them from one place to another Iesus Christ bids his Disciples freely heal the sick where ever they come Matth. 10. 8. Luke 9. 2. M. Powel is so far from healing them that he bids his disciples fight and wound them Thus you see clearly how opposite in all things you are to the Gospel of peace Eph. 6. 15. For my part I have no spleen or malice against any mans person God knows I speak the Truth for I am as a dying man lame and sickly not able but creeping about the house every night at deaths door yea desiring to die and to be with my Lord Iesus Christ But I would die with a clear Conscience and not have my Talents buried with me but lay them out to the glory of God and for the benefit of the living Therefore I beseech you bear with my boldness of speech for I would not willingly offend any one and though you will not yet I must not forbear to declare and make the things of God
have no Nobility in them Therefore to conclude I beseech you to consider seriously what you do and pull not down your house before you have ability skil opportunity time to erect another lest you becom in a worse condition then the wilde beast of the field all the Statute laws that were in force in the days of K. Charls were right But for the evil Customs that crept into Courts places of Iudicatory through the corruption of men in authority which the law never intended I am against as much as you can be And now M. Aspinwall you see wherein we differ and that it is because you did not search the Scriptures so exactly as to find out the truth of them wherein therefore you err concerning K. Charls for I am better opinionated of you then to think you did it wilfully because the times favor such things or that you are so hardned but that you may be yet converted which is the humble desire of your friend and Servant in Christ Iesus ARISE EVANS POSTSCRIPT YOu may please to see the folly and falseness of this Aspinwall in his Pamphlet who first would needs perswade us That the late K. Charls was a fierce arrogant Tyrant whereas indeed the World knows there was not a more mild and gracious King upon Earth to his Subjects then he was 2. He would blind our eys and perswade us that those people are saints and must govern the world who when they had gotten from K. Charls more then ever was gâ—â—â—…ted by any K. of England to the subject Who so rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house Prov. 17. 13. rendred him evil for good most abominably rose against him deprived him of life and all Surely there is no man having the spirit of Jesus Christ in him dare say such doings are the deeds of Saints or they are Saints that to deceive will forswear themselves and keep no faith toward God or man 3. He would have 〈◊〉 think Jesus Christ to be the Head of such perfidious people and that He will put the power of 〈◊〉 Kingdom or fiâ—t Monarchy into such went hands as if he intended that when they get the power of the Kingdom of Iesus into their hands they may serve him as they did K. Charls and deprive him of all his right on earth But they cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is the searcher of the heart as they deceived K. Charls Ier. 17. 10. for saith he I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give to every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his doings so that we must rather believe that Iesus will judg them for their wicked deeds against him his Anoynted then put the power of his Kingdom into the hands of such a perfideous generation and that he will exalt Charls that was faithful to the death for him to the throne Re. 2. 10. 3. 21 that Charls and his seed for ever should have the preheminence ever all the earth 4. He would perswade us to cast away our Law made and composed by holy men according to the word of God which by all mens judgement hath brought England to such a Civility that no Country can be compared to it and seek a New Law he saying it is scattered up and down the Scripture Truly the Scripture is a sweet garden for that purpose and serves for all the world but since our Predecessors sought in this garden and gathered the sweetest flowers thereof and composed them together into so sweet a Posie that we and all the world as many of them as came among us have found the experience thereof and bear witness that there is not the like on earth For us to cast this Law away and look for a new Law from this generations composing were as if a man should leave his sheep and go snear the hogs so he should find a great cry but little wool as we found from our long sitting Parliament great Votes but little good Laws or as if a man have a great sack of wool and cast it away and then go a wool gathering among briers and thorns it could not but be counted a great folly so for us to cast away our Laws and be perswaded by such silly fellows as Aspinwall is a greater folly 5. I beseech you also to consider this shallow brain'd fellow a child that can but tell 20. will tell you that ten and one is 11. yet Aspinwall cannot make more of the ten horns and a little horn which ten and 1. must needs be counted 11. but ten which interpretation of the horns he makes the principal matter in his Pamphlet both in the first and last page thereof and judge you whether a man that is not able to tell 20. but misseth 1. in 11. is fit to declare such high things to the world and to presage of times Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. Arise Evens FINIS Isa. â—9 19. Deut. 32. 33. Isa. 22. 15 16 17 18 19 20. 21 22 23 24 25. Isa. 5. 20 21 22 23.