THE Old Leaven purged out OR THE APOSTACY Of this DAY further Opened BEING A true and faithful Narrative of the orderly Proceedings and Dealings of the Lesser part of the Congregation formerly walking with Mr. John Sympson with and against severall Souldiers of the Army who being fallen in with the APOSTACY of this DAY contrary to Professed and Declared Principles and the many out-goings of the Lord thereupon are withdrawn and separated from together with Mr. Sympson their Chief Abettor and others after neer two Years labouring whilest we were in the Congregation and neer two Years more since AS ALSO The true Coppies of seven of the Letters which Mr. Sympson wrote with his own Hand and sent to the Congregation whilest he was a Prisoner for Truth in Windsor-Castle WITH An Answer to severall Objections that have been or may be raised against Printing and Publishing the Whole ALL Humbly presented to Publique view not in Strife Vain-glory or to be seen of Men but we hope out of conscience to endeavour a Recovering of the Name of the Lord which hath layen under so great reproach through Misreports raised of us since our first withdrawing 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly c. 2 Tim. 3.4 5. Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Printed in the Year of our Lord 1658. To all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity in this evill day whether in Churches or out Beloved in our Lord INcrease of Faith Hope Love Humility Zeal Wisdom and Patience with all other the fruits of the Spirit be multiplied unto and bestowed upon you according to the purchase of our Lord Jesus who is King of Saints and Nations that you may bee able to stand upon the Sea of glasse mingled with Fire and maintain your Victorie over the Beast and his Image and Number of his name having the Harps of God in your hands that when his Iudgments shall be made manifest and a reward given to Babylon according to his word you may not with the Merchants and great Men of the Earth stand afar off crying alas alas but may with the Angell and the followers of the Lamb who are called chosen and faithfull with rejoycing say Righteous art thou O Lord because thou hast judged thus How unmeet such as we are above any who have obtained like precious faith to appear in this publike manner is best knowne to the Lord and our own souls being in some measure through his Free grace made sensible of our insufficiency to so weighty a Work the consideration whereof might wholly discourage our proceeding herein did not the honor of God the interest of Christ Jesus our Lord groundedly provoke us thereunto for now as all will behold whether Saints or Sinners so many being already prejudiced in their judgments thorough false reports received of us as they have been apt enough will shoot their arrowes against us but with how much unwarrantableness on their parts let the Reader judge by this ensuing Narrative Others being convinced of the truth and goodness of the cause we are ingaged in as they do not speak against us so on the other hand lest they should come under the like reproach with us are silent in saying any thing on our behalf yet some Elijahs there are who have been and still are willing to bear part of the burthen with us Adding hereunto that we are a stumbling block to many thorough the many failings infirmities and miscarriages such poor nothing-creatures as we are have been compassed with in the management of so honourable and weighty a cause as this is for which each one of us have great reason to be truly humbled before the Lord though hereby we may humbly say Are we as Signs and Wonders in Isreal Howerver notwithstanding all the reproaches and hard speeches that hitherto hath attended us from many of our Brethren and Familiars whom we desire dearly to love in the Lord as wel as from the Apostates of this day the latter of which as we have may expect it so we do not much regard it We have been strengthned in our Head the Lord Jesus to bear up under all though many halts stops have been made in this work thereby which hath caused some searchings of heart amongst us and we trust that the same power and goodness of our Father which hath been so wonderfully manifested towards us to this very day will still carry us on therein to the glory of his grace by Jesus Christ which is to be acknowledged by us before him and his people with all humility and thankfulness some passages whereof are inserted in these following particulars First by frustrating the intentions of those from whom we are seperated to have proceeded against us even to a casting out though the chiefest of them were unanimous therein and in making them confused and abortive in all their indeavors that way Secondly that when they had sent as they apprehended to the soberest and choicest of the Independent and Baptised Congregations in the City to countenance them therein who accordingly sent chief men from amongst them they hitherto have been so over-ruled by the Lord as that they have not been capable of advising therein Thirdly In keeping us together as one intire body from first to last though full of weaknesses inabling us from time to time that according to Gospel-rule to admonish those from whom we are seperated end to watch over one another in love though Mr. Sympson gave out upon our first with-drawing that he was confident we should break asunder within three moneths or thereabouts as the just hand of the Lord against us And therefore the Lord having so graciously owned us we do not desire to be fore-casting what will be the event or issue of this our publike testimony but looking up to him desire to rest satisfied in this that herein we have done no more then our duty for these following reasons First That in regard the Lord hath been and is so greatly dishonoured by a professing generation sinning against so great light as never was known before amongst whom the Souldiers and Mr. Sympson we are seperated from are apart it may appear there is a remnant among the Churches of Christ who do not wink at or comply with so great iniquity but do desire to bear a sutable Testimony against and make a due seperation from it Reas 2. There being many reproaches and calumnies cast upon us as to the matter and
at this day which makes the hearts of the righteous sad whom the Lord would not have fadned and the Enemy great ground to rejoice that so large profession should end in the greatest oppression wickedness that we could have expected from the adversaries of his glory against whom so great a contest hath been by blood for so many years and for our Brethren to own and approve of him who hath so greatly dishonored the Lord by serving him with their Swords in their hands cannot we think free them from being transgressors thereof in a high measure And now we shall humbly lay before you some particular instances from these generals though one would think this were enough to every impartial eye for by how much sin comes to be countenanced c carryed on by a Law by so much it is the more dangerous for particular persons to fall in with it Our Brother Kelzey cannot be freed from having a hand in the v rise of the Government the Cockatrice Egge of this day in regard himself and Coll. u Coll. Kelzey did at Mr. Sapmsons house in Cole-harbour before many brethren more fully confess what was laid to his charge in coming down to the Fleet then is laid down in the paper Moreover at that time he said also That before his coming down to the Fleet he was at a Meeting of the Officers of the Army when the Government was presented to them in writing for their approbation and that he himself did alder something therein and so gave his consent it being his judgement and conscience as he said although when his coming down to the Fleet was first laid to his charge it was denyed by him in these words That he had not directly or indirectly a hand in the rise of the Government whereby he was guilty of a plain untruth onely this is to be remembred That whereas it is said in the paper Coll. Clark was with him when the first came down to the Fleet it was a mistake for it seems he came down alone that time Clark was imployed in December 1653. to come down to the Fleet then riding before Portsmouth brought along with them the Paper of Government in writing with a blank in that Article where the Persons Name who was to be Protector should be inserted when it was also declared that it was thought the Lord General should be the Man but it was not yet determined Likewise since that he hath taken upon him to be a Major General whereby the Nation is divided into Provinces the plain fruit of Monarchical Conquest as if twelve or thirteen years War wherein so much blood both of the Saints and others had been spilt though in pretence for Christ yet indeed to establish the lustful interest of one particular person founded upon a more Tyrannical and Antichristian bottom then the late King who was cut off for his Tyranny Moreover as a Fruit of this our Brothers new degree of honour he hath oppressed several of the Lords People by forcing Taxes from them as from Coll. Rich. †A copy of Coll. Rich his Letter to Kelzey was produced to know the reason of his sending Souldiers to quarter upon him and Kelzey's answer wherein he declared That there they should quarter till the Tax were paid a prisoner for truth of which we have been particular in making it out how long the Souldiers quartered at his house in Kent selling his Corn killing three of his Tenants sheep for Food and last of all distrained which they might have done at first but that they resolved to make the yoke as heavy as they could and not onely so but took between four of five pounds more then the Tax came to Likewise since that Taxes have been forced from Capt. Burcher Capt. Owen and Capt. Price in Canterbury from the first of whom the Souldiers took to the value of thirty shillings to pay for their quarters a day and night as they said and if this be not Oppression we know not what it Also he justifieth the imprisonment of our Brethren by saying 'T is possible they suffer for evil-doing Our Brother Capt. Harrison was Keeper to our Brother Sympson whilest he was a x It is some grief of heart unto us that we should make mention of Mr. Sympson's Name as declined from that spirit of Testimony which was upon him whilest he continued a prisoner prisoner for truth and though he might do it in love yet that will onely excuse the aggravation of the sin and not the sin it self for we are to do no evil that good may come of it yea we are to avoid every appearance of evil and since that the Church took cognizance of our Brothers evil therein and did declare their dislike of that act yet notwithstanding have they received him by their last vote without the least acknowledgement of his sin Our Brother Ducket did in the presence of the Brethren at London-house declare his full approbation of the present Government as if there had been no sin in its first rise and indeed did so justifie the iniquity of this day that the generallity of the Brethren were much dis-satisfied with him Also he declared That he would have none in his troop but such as would engage to be true to the present power which did then much dis-satisfie the Brethren and our Brother Sypmson also since which he hath been in Scotland Our Brother Strange had the custody of our Brother Major General Harrison until we think he was ashamed out of it by some of the Lords servants who came to visit him professing their non-communion with our brother Strange in common eating whilest he was his brothers Jaylor Likewise our brother Strange did ask our brother Speneer in Marybone-Park VVhether the Souldiers had sold their Debentors unto him Brother Spencer answered No he did profess they would not sell them Strange answered Is not their time out if it be cashiere them This our Brother Strange denyed saying If that can be proved you may judge all the rest to be true but it was witnessed to his face at our brother Gardners house Likewise he did declare That he would have none of the congregation in his troop which came to be made known upon this occasion Our brother Hathorne declared to our brother Spencer his desire to ride in the Major Generals Troope whereupon our brother Spencer sent him to the Major General but not having an opportunity to speak with him he less his Errand with brother Strange and coming back to brother Spencer he told him Thou hast undone thy self for Strange hath said he will have none of the Congregation in his Troop which he also denyed with a great deal of cavilling but it was witnessed to his face Our brother Summer being asked what he fought for now he replyed For half Crowns Whether a Saint if called to venture his life onely for money can with comfort lay it down having
excusing of them and by his suddain starting such a question of Non-communion without serious consideration whereby many Brethren and Sisters were ensnared as they afterwards confessed and notwithstanding that truth had such hard usage from the beginning almost to that time yet we have since our withdrawing been waiting upon the Lord almost one whole year and half thereby bearing a more particular Testimony against their evil also by admonishing them twice according to the rule of the Gospel but no repentance as we can discern apprearing but rather hardness of heart and their sin every day more and more manifesting it self to the great dishonour of God and reproach of his Name We do therefore hereby declare That we can have no more fellowship and Communion with them then with Heathens and Publicans till the Lord shall give repentance unto life by acknowledging and forsaking their iniquity and do hereby humbly Testifie our separation from the accordingly Secondly That our Brother Sympson whose condition we desire to mourn for yet can but humbly testifie that he hath been for many moneths a secret opposer of those Brethren that prosecuted the cause of Christ against the evils of those Brethren of the Army and every day more and more did and doth stand by maintain and plead for them Nay more he is not afraid nor ashamed to plead for those very evils which he himself hath declared against openly and for which he for sometime suffered very boldly so that we can do no less then declare before the Lord Angels and men that he is now become guilty with the other Apostates to build again the things which he and they formerly destroyed and is become very skilful to cover the iniquity of this day which appeareth to all unbyast persons But least any should think that we had neglected our duty in not admonishing him privately before this publique testimony against him we answer That several Brethren had been with him privately upon that account Moreover we did at another time by several Brethren in the name of the whole apply our selves unto him intending particularly in love and due respects to have opened our hearts concerning his evil but in stead thereof he absolutely refused to give the least entertainment unto us as Brethren and Sisters or to hear any thing we should say unto him upon that account but looked upon us as Heathens and Publicans and thereupon refused so much as to pray with the Brethren who were sent by us Adding hereunto that thorow his pleading for and excusing of them he hath been the Instrumental Cause of this breach and separation and hardning the hearts of the Souldiers when some of them were in some measure convinced of their evil as we thought saying That if it were a sin to have Communion with them let it be charged upon himself and such as were satisfied with them as they should answer it at the day of the Lord Jesus For which and much more if needful at this time to declare We can have no more fellowship with him nor scarce so much as with those Brethren among you that wear the sword whose wickedness we have been so long contending against onely leaving him unto the Lord who can when he pleaseth convince him of his evil and give him grace to do his first works Thirdly That several other Brethren whom we could Name if need require have likewise much abetted excused and pleaded for this iniquity and particularly one of them who was formerly so convinced of the Soldiers evil as being the first person that put pen to paper to draw up Articles against them who said It was true but he thought it would not come to this And therefore we do judge it our duty also humbly to Testifie against them and separate from them as such who are greatly partakers of the Souldiers evil though it is possible that they may be much oversway'd in ther judgements by our Brother Sympson and cannot have Communion with them till such time that the Lord doth convince them of their evil and cause them to return from whence they are fallen and do their first works Fourthly That many other Brethren and Sisters though they have little to plead for the Souldiers as under those sins laid to their charge yet care not for inquiring into truth neither considering that Scripture 1 Cor. 5.6 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump purge out therefore the old leaven that you may become a new lump But are willing to have their judgements byassed thorow affection to our Brother Sympson and so are willing to stand or fall in his bottom as we have just ground to fear and thereby become partakers of their evill deeds and if the Lord do not in time graciously awaken them out of this drowsie sleepy frame of Spirit we fear they may in time feel the sorrow of that Scripture Isa 9.16 For the Leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed And therefore hereby testifie and declare that we cannot hold Communion with them till the Lord shall discover unto them their evil therein Fifthly As for those Brethren and Sisters amongst you that groan and mourn under the sense of those crying abominations that our Brethren the Souldiers with their Abettors are guilty of we do desire to open our hearts to them with all bowels of tenderness and compassion declaring that although we can see no Scripture ground or bottom for their present practise and the rather when the Lord hath enabled their poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters though but a remnant to withdraw and separate from the evil doers whereby the decission is made And that Scripture Psal 26.4 5.6 Seems unto us a plain word of Instruction for them in these words I have not sate with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compass â—â—â—e Altar Whence the Spirit of the Lord seems to hint himself not innocent had he not refused Communion with dissemblers and vain persons without having respect whether they were the greater or the lesser number And how they can call that part of the Body a Church when those they joyn with are onely the disorderly walkers for those who bear the Testimony are withdrawn we do not well understand which is the more considerable when they are commanded to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly However we judge it our duty to continue our prayers for them and to spread their condition before the Lord in secret as if it were out own that he would enlighten and inform them in their duty and give them obedient hearts thereunto that the Lord would deliver their feet out of the snare and do hereby intreat exhort and desire them as they tender the glory of God and the comfort of their own Souls in the time of Tryal and Temptation to come out from amongst them and separate
Moreover we should thereby have given occasion to some to have given a Reply to many things which we suppose will hereby be avoided But if any notwithstanding our indeavors shall adventure to blemish the Truth and Cause we do hereby contend for we trust the Lord will give us wisdom to make an humble and sober Reply â—o such persons if need be And therefore for the better clearing of truth to the understanding of the Reader some Marginal Annotations are onely added whereby the matter of fact is proved by the Armies Declarations and Engagements c. whilest they pretended to be faithful to the cause of Christ whereof the Souldiers aforementioned were then and still are Members besides several particulars proved against them all being contained in our first paper and after that comes in our gradial proceedings against them and their Abettors upon their perseverance in so great evill that so it may appear we have walked according to Rule in order to the convincing and recovering of them if the Lord had so pleased We know upon perusall of the subject-matter contained in this Book there will be many infirmities and weaknesses shewing forth themselves therein but we hope the Lord hath given you such bowels of tenderness as to pass them over and rather be eying the drift and scope of what is intended hereby and therefore shall take up no more time in an Epistolary way but leave it unto the blessing of the Lord with this Exhortation to you as well as unto our selves Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity hating even the garment spotted by the flesh that so at the appearing of our Lord Jesus he may say unto us Well done good and faithfull Servants enter you into your Masters Joy Signed in the name and by the appointment of the greater number of the Congregation who have seperated from those now walking with Mr. John Sympson Humphrey Hathorn Caleb Ingold John Seely John Portmans THE Old Leaven purged out OR The Apostacy of this day further opened A true Copy of our first Paper to Mr. SYMPSON and the other part of the Congregation after we were withdrawn upon the account of the Souldiers declaring the grounds and reasons of our withdrawing Dated the first day of the fourth month 1656. Delivered in writing at London-house the next first day after the date hereof by six of our Brethren accompanied with the whole Onely the Marginal Annotations were since added to prove what we have asserted in the body of our papers Dearly beloved Brethren Sisters in our Lord Iesus Christ HAving spent some time together and apart to seek the Lord for counsel and direction since we absented our selves from you having had as we hope some sorrow and grief of heart that we cannot with any comfort partake with you at present of those Ordinances our Lord Jesus hath left his people to be exercised in until his second coming and appearance and we trust have endeavoured in some degree of sincerity to search our own hearts concerning those sins laid to our charge as Vncharitableness Pride Rashness Self-will'dness Arrogancy c. which we must acknowledge to be in as in too great a measure yet doubtless this we may speak to the glory of the free Grace of our Father in Jesus Christ That notwithstanding Satan togegether with the body of sin we carry about us hath had great advantage to blemish that blessed Cause and Interest we have been so long contending for we may we hope declare That in â—â—plicity and godly sincerity this Work hath been managed by us and also that it is out of love to Truth as well as on Truths behalf we are so far engaged It is in the conclusion of our waiting upon and seeking to the Lord much upon our hearts to lay before you the Truth we are so much under a Cloud for that if the Lord will we may find such a fruit of this our seeking to and waiting upon him as will bring most glory to God and comfort to you and us and the provoking the Churches of Christ in this Nation too generally fallen in with the iniquity of this day Dear Brethren and Sisters and longed for in the Lord You very well know how for some years together the Lord hath been risen out of his holy place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity and notwithstanding those Inhabitants have and do under a form of godliness get into Zion yet so narrow hath the Lord been and still is in his search at this day that the sinners in Zion are afraid for he hath set up his fire in Zion and fornace in Jerusalem and will not leave till he hath throughly purged his floor in which great Work we find that his own people have not been without their refinings in regard of so great filth they carry about them for he saith that he must wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion from the midst thereof and purge away the blood of Jerusalem by a spirit of Judgement and a spirit of Burning that upon all the glory may be a defence The nature of this Work hath been not onely by the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God in the 〈◊〉 of his Servrnts the Prophets but also by the Sword of a man or the material Sword and herein we find the Saints not onely by their prayers but their persons also have been instrumental making good that Word in the Psalms Let the high praises of God be in their â—â—â—ths and a two-edged Sword in their hands to execute upon the Adversaries of his glory the judgments written to binde their * * VVas not the vengeance executed upon the King his Issue Nobles Gentry Clergy and other abettors a manifest return of prayer to the Lords people and in part a fulfilling of that Scripture Yea let the army the souldiers from whom we are separated look ouer their Declarations and Remonstrances c. upon this-account See Abridgm Remonst at Albâ—ns pag 30-31 oâ— Book called The Looking Glass and Decl July 19 1650 pag 46 47 of that Book Decl Aug 1. 1650 p 48 49 50. or in a sheet or paper commonly seen Decl after old Parl was dissolved p. 53 54 in their Speech to the little Part p. 55 56 58 61 62 63 of the aforementioned book and we entreat all the churches of Christ in this city and the three Nations to consider how far they encouraged the army therein whether they did not take up arms for the interest and cause of Christ at the invitation of their Pastors and Elders if not so we are not able to judge upon what account churches as churches should be sent unto to take up the material Sword but if tâ—â—e what means this general silence under falling in with the present power upon the old â—â—ock of Monarchy who not onely have taken the remainder of the great Houses
Robes Revenues c out of the spoils of the late Monarchy and put them among their ownstuff which ought to be improved to carry on the work of the Lord but also the old bribing practice of giving receiving honors with other arbitrary antichristian powers that part of the accursed thing which should wholly be destroyed to uphold themselves and court in that outward Pomp Pride Luxury yea greater oppression tyranny which so much faith prayer appeals hath formerly been put up and exercised blood and treasure spent for the ruin and destruction of Kings in Chains and Nobles in Feters of Iron c. But oh that which we desire to mourn before the Lord for is That after nine or ten years War wherein for the latter part thereof our adversaries have been but as dust before the Wind not being able to stand before the Faith Prayers and Persons of the Lords people either by Sea or Land Wherein we cannot but think that the dispensation of the Lord hath been somewhat like that of Israel in their journey to Canaan and our present standing somewhat like that in the sixth and seventh of Joshua where Achan thorough his Covetousness made bold with a wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment contrary to the command of the Lord in the destruction of Jericho upon which account it is called an Accursed thing wherein give us leave humbly to observe this e e Mr. Sympson upon asecond day at All hallows spake from Ioshua 6.26 Cursed be the man before the lord that riseth up and buildâ—s the Citie Iericho c. and raised the same observation from the words that we have here inserted and did then say That he looked upon the late King and his Monarchy with the Hierarchy of the Bishops to be that Jericho in whose ruin the lord was as much glorified as in that of Jericho being the fruite of the faith and prayers of the lords people as well as of their persons and that whosoever should build it or when built maintain it did hazard the bringing themselves under the curse of the lord for so doing and by way of allusion unto Jericho did spiritually discover the present apostacy manifesting how dangerous it was to be an abettor unto and a complyer with the lericho builders of this day That that person or those persons who shall build that which the Lord hath got himself so much glory in the destruction of do transgress the Command of the Lord and hazard the bringing themselves under the Curse of the Lord for so doing and such also who partake with them in this their building become guilty thereof before the Lord and not onely so but to partake of the Wedge of God and Babylonish Garment surely such persons are in a high measure accessary to such transgressions by means whereof the Work of the Lord is retarded as to any visible appearance yea he is withdrawn from us and goeth not forth with our Forces f Hath there not been a series of providences loudly witnessing against the present apostacy since its first rise and to mention but three or four of many First In frustrating the consultations of both his Parliaments though as we conceive they were called and garbled on purpose to settle the person in power Secondly the very chargeable and in a great measure fruitless expedition of the Navy to the Straits Thirdly The wonderful blasting that so much boasted of design to and at Hypaniola though some have vainly said That the Lord was bound to carry on that design to manifest their integrity for Christs interest yet hath it hitherto been greatly dishonourable to this Nation and the loss of many thousand lives by a few cow-killers and a great mortality there and at Iamaica Fourthly In not onely withdrawing the prayers of his people from but engaging them against it and their forces doth clearly declare that God is departed from them and become their Enemy Isa 26 11 by Sea or Land as of old but we fall and consume away before our Enemies according to that in Isa 30.15 16 17. And now give us leave in the fear of the Lord and we hope in humility to declare That our dear brethren who wear the Sword to maintain the present Power and Government the new erected Jericho of this day being all of the formerly engaged for God and Christ before the present Apostacy cannot free themselves from those publike sins laid before them by us in the presence of the Congregation to wit First Treason contrary to an Act g If every just Ordinance of man ought to be obeyed 1 Pet 2 13 then surely this Act of Jan. 30. 1648 with that of March 17. following see Looking-Glass pag. 43 44. being a fruit of the Parliament together with the Lords people and the armies publike testimony against Oppression and Tyranny as also Monarchy the foundation thereof in prosecution whereof the Army and Navy were wonderfully blessed against all opposers not that we magnifie that form of Government otherwise then as we saw it at that time more conducing to the advancement of the interest of Christ and the Nations liberty and more refined in its nature than Kingly Government could be at the best from whom many corrupt members being purged Tyranny was in some measure supprest and the cause of Christ carryed on in opposition to antichrist for otherwise we judge that all forms of mens invention may be broken and made void when they answer not the end for which they were appointed made by Parliament the then Authority of this Nation after many out-goings of God not onely against the late King as a Tyrant but against his Monarchy as the root of Tyranny whereby the Form as well as the Power was destroyed as that Jericho which stood in opposition to the Lord his Cause and People so that to build it or when built to maintain it the Lord being much glorified in the ruin of it can be no less then publikely scandalous for without the Army of which our Brethren are Members and some of them very eminent in office in the judgement of reason this h An image of the Beast in regard it prosecutes the same tyrannical interest from a tincture of the same spirit which the late King did stands upon the same yea a more bloody bottom so much of the Saints others blood being shed in opposition to it is more arbitrary then the former having first by himself and secondly under the false cover of a second garbled Company of Sallary and self-interested men without the lords people and the Nations consent taken the Military power and a negative voice c. which no King ever was allowed and is not onely sinful and scandalous but contrary to the mind of the lord and right Reason Therefore when Soul through a spirit of apostacy in and from the wrath of God upon the people was chosen king Samuel declared he would be such a one 1 Sam. 8.9
comply with our Brethren lying under these sins be not a breach of the bond of love according to that in the Corinths Love rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth And whether it be the union and wisdom of the spirit to hold the bond of peace without purity according to that in James 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable c. So that our present practise seems unto us to be a pressing after that Grace of love in its true end according to the Scripture yea it is counted by the Lord a hating of our brother to see sin upon him and not to admonish him Lev. 19.17 and to withdraw from him in cafe that Admonition bring him not to such an acknowledgement of his sinne as to forsake it 9 9. Whether it be sufficient to excuse us at the great day of the Lord d The occasion of this query did arise from the great outcry made against us by the generality of them charging us with Schism and making division in the Church when our Lord saith that offenees will come but wo be to those by whom they do come And whether the crying evil of the Souldiers hath not justly given offence and Mr. Simpson and some others chiefly abetting of them hath not also added thereunto we leave unto the upright in heart to judge and whether it be not a popish principle and also they do not hereby condemn their own practice in seperating from the National church so called of England in saying There is no withdrawing from a Brother walking disorderly because the maior part of a congregation falls in with them And is it not the argument of the Church of Rome at this day who say we do withdraw from the Mother-church because the grand apostacy first sprang from a true Church in home who in number have all along been the maior part that Wee did cry out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we when at the same time it will appeare that wee have those amongst us who do defile the Temple of the Lord to the view of the World for the Temple of God is holy and that you should rejoice in such defilement surely all such rejoycing is not good And whether our Lord Jesus by the Evangelist John doth not charge five of the seven Churches in the Revelation for complying with sin yea one of them for their lukewarmness is threatned to be spued out of his mouth as being a Church onely in Name and not in deed and one of the other two to wit Smyrna hath no sin laid to their charge but are exhorted to be faithful unto death and they shall receive a Crown of life for the Devil would cast some of them into prison Now we suppose that the Devil there it taken for some of his Instruments which makes out That their testimony was of such a publike nature that the power in being would take hold of them and yet it cannot be supposed but that they had their sins of weakness though nothing is laid to their charge in regard of their faithfulness to some present Truth 10 10. Whether sin in a Church of Christ we mean sinnes of scandal be not more dishonourable e If the incestuous persons sin or two or three Brethren committing the same or other sins be dishonorable to God then surely if the church whose duty it is to reprove cast out such from amongst them Matth. 18 17. com with 1 Cor. 5.13 should either be guilty of the same or own them that are so their sin would be so much more But to come more home to our present case see Numb chap. 14. chap. 16. where the lesser part of the congregation to wit Moses Aaron Caleb and Ioshua who were pressing on from Egypt to Canaan the work of God in that generation were counted faithful owned by him for that very cause but the greater part of the conregation who said Let us make a captain and return into Aegypt and would have stoned Moses and Aaron c. their sin was so dishonorable to God and did so provoke the eyes of his glory that their carkasses must fall and not see the good Land they were going into yea and their children after them wander in the Wilderness forty years And in Numb 16. The sin of the greater part of the congregation in joyning with Korah and the renowned men amongst them in opposition to the Spirit of the Lord in Moses c. upon the forementioned account see verse 13 14 was like wise so abominable in his fight that he bid Moses and Aaron ver 21 24 26. Separ te from them and also speak to the congregation to depart from the Tents of those wicked men and touch nothing of thews lest they be consumed in all their sins Then surely the wickedness of them in Power who have indeed made a Captain and are gone back to Aegypt and those that uphold them whilest they oppose and persecute the Lords spirit in his little Remnant who are pressing from Monarchy and Tyranny towards the promised Zion and Kingdom of Christ the work of God in this generation doth equal if not exceed the sin of that congregation of Korah his company it is as great an evil to touch with them or receive any of their things upon that account as dishonorable to God to stand by uphold them therein or for Churches or others to own them that do so as it was to have countenanced upheld or touch't with Korah and his company in that day to God then the like in a private brother or two or three Brethren And how can we be said to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly when we quietly sit down with the Church that owns them in their sin as we conceive and do break bread with and prophesie amongst them for we cannot see how this will hold before the Lord when we are to avoid every appearance of evil 11 11. Whether to acquiess in the judgement of a Church concerning sin though a restimony have been born against it be not something of the reliques of the man of sin and in process of time may not bring us under this Maxime To believe as the Church believes though we ought to be very tender and careful how we proceed in such a business that we be upright in heart before the Lord earnestly seeking to him for direction and counsel 12 12. Whether our Brethren that wear the Sword are not to be charged with Schism making a rent in the Church having through their just offence given to many Brethren and Sisters in the Congregation and many other choice Saints in the Nation made division amongst us and as we hear several others standing in the like quality with them have been f There was a mistake about the Souldiers mentionend in this query as cast our of two Congregations in VVales for so soon
as they began to lay their sin to their charge they withdrew themselves and came no more to them as we are since informed otherwise they had proceeded further against them cast out of two Churches in Wales upon the same occasion to wit Mr. Jenkin Jones Mr. Powells Churches and likewise as we hear another in England whose Name at present we have forgotten 13 13. Whether that Principle of the Congregation namely Communion with Saints upon the account of union with the Head be not unduly charged as broken by us when it is not intended by so good and righteous a principle that a Brother or Sister should take a liberty thereby as an occasion to the Flesh to walk scandalously among Saints and sinners for that is the corruption and not the true end of it The consideration whereof we think doth lye with such sorrow upon our souls as we may truly say hath wrung tears out of some of our hard hearts We shall not add more at present fearing it may be thought we have been too large in this already onely this that whereas it is said Nothing would content us but the sudden casting out of our Brethren without an orderly process according to the Scripture to which end we had resolved our present withdrawing before we came to the Church We do therefore desire to leave this with you as before the Lord That it was the least in our thoughts so to do for we hoped that truth would have taken so much place as that our brethren would have been admonished of their sin by the Church and so to have withdrawn from them if happily thorow a more narrow search into their hearts hereby the Lord might please out of his Grace to discover this their sin which hath and doth bring so great dishonor to the Name of the Lord though at present as they say unseen to them and in this Work not to have counted them as enemies but admonished them as brethren but so sudden a vote for communion with them lying under so great sin as we judge by what was offered that day did so amaze us that when we came out of London-House we knew not what to do only some of us did then conclude to meet together to enquire what was the mind of the Lord in this thing in which way of seeking to him we have continued to this day Now we hope you will bear with us and put a brotherly interpretation upon any thing therein that may not seem to carry with it that Love Affection and Gentleness which we desire from our hearts should be it not being our intention to justifie our selves in any evil but rather to lye at the Lords and your feet therein yet would gladly be found faithful to the Lord in such a day as this when they that tempt God are delivered and they that work wickedness are set up yea he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey and a snare is laid for him that reproveth in the Gate Thus we humbly leave these our thoughts to your serious consideration hoping that whatever our failings may be yet we shall not want the guidance and direction of his spirit in every way of truth and we also trust That as you are in some measure pressing after that excellent Grace of Love so you may abound therein more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that you may approve things that are excellent in such a day as this being sincere and without offence until the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God and then it will be our joy and rejoycing to return unto you and in the mean time we judge it our duty to be waiting upon the Lord and you till his mind and Will be further revealed concerning us in whose protection we leave you and remain Dated the first day of the fourth Month 1656. Your poor destitute and mourning Brethren and Sisters in some measure till the Lord restore you to your primitive spirit of Faith Light Love and Zeal for his glory wherein you have been as a Beacon upon the top of a Mountain AFter some solemn waiting upon the Lord this Paper was signed by threescore in number or thereabouts and was intended so to have been given in but was otherwise determined upon for these two Reasons First Because in such an evil day as this we ought not to trust in a Friend no not in a Guide but to keep the door of our mouths from those that lye in our bosome If so then not to trust our hands with those who had so unworthily betrayed the Cause of Christ Secondly It was judged most for the glory of God to go in person all of us being about twelve more then signed it and own the said Paper which would be more authentick and less advantage given against any particular person and therefore an exact Copy was drawn out and carryed unsigned all of us accompanying the Brethren to whom it was chiefly committed unto London-House the next first day after the date thereof when being come a Brother of ours stood up and spake a few Words to this effect That we were here come to present unto them in brotherly love after solemn waiting upon the Lord a Paper containing the evil of those persons amongst them against whom we had been so long contending together with the Grounds and Reasons of our withdrawing to this day which we had the more hastened to give in in regard we were several times urged thereunto by several Brethren sent by their appointment unto us and further desired that liberty might be granted unto one of the Brethren by us intrusted for the reading of it Which was not onely denyed us but much scruple raised by some What Scripture-Warrant we had to give in our dissatisfactions in Writing To which answer was made That we judged it our Gospel-liberty to give it in by writing or otherwise as might be most for the glory of God for by this writing we did give in our joynt Testimony against the present evil with the reasons of our withdrawing which we apprehended could not be so well done by a private brother or brethren in speaking but that we might have had just grounds of exceptions against some things that might be spoken against such brethren Hereupon our Brother Marsh who walks with them said That he thought it was not onely our Gospel-liberty but the Scripture would warrant our practice else Pauls writing to the Corinthians about the incestuous person was not warrantable but if it was then our practice had ground in Scripture and therefore conceived there need be no further discourse about that And by this means was that Scruple in some measure removed and some Way made for the reading of our Paper but not by any one of us which although we judged it a little unreasonable yet for peace sake we condescended thereunto
it shall appear that it is groundlesly division and therefore we should have no vote with them neither should there be any vote in the Church except we would withdraw Which not a little grieved our spirits But notwithstanding so foul an aspersion we made little reply but waited to heare what others would say but a general silence continuing we concluded that the major part were of his mind Whereupon we departed and waited patiently for some time to see whether they would send us their thoughts about the Souldiers since they would not let us have a vote with them and least if should be laid aside which Mr. Sympson endeavoured all along to do We did by Messengers remind them several times likewise to know whether those Words then spoken by Mr. Sympson were the sense of the whole which they disown'd as being Mr. Sympsons Words alone but to the other We could get no return to this day as by our next Paper given in to them doth more at large appear Likewise before the delivery of the ensuing Paper having spent some particular time to seek the Lord for direction and counsel and also to enquire into his Will at this time it was judged a duty incumbent upon us to go to our Brother Sympson lay his evil before him in abetting the Souldiers and declining the Testimony of Christ he had suffered for in Windsor Castle as by several Letters from thence being read amongst us did appear some Copies whereof the Reader may peruse in the close of this Book and accordingly six Brethren in the Name of the whole were sent unto him and with all humility to intreat his hearing of what by them we had to say which accordingly they did but how unkindly they were received will appear by the eusuing Narrative being the substance of what then passed between him and them The 11th of the 9th Month 1656. A briefe account of some Passages between our Brother Sympson and the Brethren appointed by us to meet with him about some Letters he wrote to the Congreation during the time of his imprisonment in Windsor Castle it being apprehended he is very much fallen from the truths therein laid down to the great dishonour of the Gospel and the grief of many of the faithful in this day THE six Brethren appointed to this Work met at a Brothers House in Coloman-street the day abovementioned about two in the Afternoon to commend their present Work unto the Lord and desire his blessing upon them therein and then made their repair to our Brother Sympson where after a little waiting for the coming of our Brothers Shrimpton and Marsh who desired as the Brethren were informed to hear what should pass in relation to the Letters This motion was also made by Brother Powell being also present That before any progress be made there might be a word put up to the Lord for a blessing To which end another brother made answer That it would be necessary the naked ground of their coming should be first laid down that we might pray with understanding Which being done the Brethren sent by us declared their readiness to joyne therein Hereupon one of the Brethren proceeded to declare the ground of their coming to this effect That several of our Brother Sympsons Letters from Windsor Castle being presented to several Brethren who met at our Brother Caryes house intentionally upon another account but those Letters intervening we spent our time in perusing them which in the reading did so work upon their hearts that they throught meet to present unto the Brethren Sisters in whose Name they were then come the said Letters and to offer Whether some Brethren should not be chosen in the Name of the rest humbly to lay the matter contained in them before him that if it were the Will of the Lord he might be convinced wherein and how far he had declined the Cause and Interest of our Lord Jesus and be provoked to that old Spirit of Life and Zeal in testifying to so glorious a Cause and accordingly upon reading of them we were of one heart that the Brethren aforementioned in the Name of the whole be desired to lay them before him with as much love tenderness as could be and that we were also reproved in our own spirits as having missed of the Will of the Lord that we had it no more upon our hearts to beg mercy for him at the Throne of Grace that the Lord would restore unto him that primitive spirit for the cause of Christ that many of our hearts were broken on his behalf at the reading of his Letters After an account thus given it was offered that a Word should be spoken to the Lord in prayer before any discourse should be Our Brother Sympson then spake to this effect That having had some knowledge of their coming from some of us and the occasion of their coming from some others before their meeting here he had privately commended the business they were come about unto the Lord as he did suppose they also had done likewise he judged that if any of them should speak unto the Lord in prayer he could not freely joyne with them so neither if he should speak there might be that spoken wherein they could not freely joyn with him which being pre-considered be judged it most convenient to proceed to the work without prayer and thereupon spake further to this purpose That since they profest they had in all plainness declared the ground of their coming he would give them as plain an Answer which that he might the better do he should lay down his Answer under three heads 1. As to themselves and those whom they represented 2. As to the Church meaning those with whom he walked 3. As to the Letters about which our Brethren came As to the first They were to know that he could not have discoursed with them in regard that the Church had dealt with us and not onely declared their dissatisfaction of our withdrawing from them but also that he had in the Name of the Church admonished us of our evil therein that they had waited upon us a great while to the end we might repent and return but we persisting in our sin and refusing to hear the Church we were thereby cut off from the priviledges of the Church and therefore he could not look upon us as Brethren but as heathens and publicans and so to refuse discourse with them upon account of the Brotherhood according to that in Matth 18. Which though they might look upon as very harsh and a manifestation of little love yet it being the Rule of Christ in the Gospel he therefore was not to dispute the reason of it but rather to judge That obedience to the commands of Christ in this as well as in other things is the only rule of love and therefore did declare That the Church having so proceeded against us he could not entertain any debate with
upon our hearts to have delivered by word of mouth should be done in vvriting as vvell for your sakes as in discharge of our own duty according to the Rule of the Gospel and therefore vve intreat that you will suffer us hereby to plead a little vvith you for truths sake and vve hope it is unfeignedly upon our hearts to lay your great sin before you from some sense of the great dishonour brought unto the Name of the Lord by you and let these lines be patiently read through before you judge you poor unvvorthy brethren and sisters for we can truly say that we disire to mourn and groan in secret for you as well as for our own vveaknesses and this is some part of our joy That in simplicity and godly sincerity many of us have been by the space of two years and upwards endeavouring to get your feet as well as our own out of the Snare of the apostacy of this day having compassion of you as of our own souls for we are in some measure perswaded that some eminent hand of the Lord wil be manifested in due time to distinguish between those that serve him faithfully and those that serve him not In the first place therefore we pray you to consider the six great and scandalous sins laid to the charâ—g of the brethren amongst you wearing the Sword which for brevity sake we shall here onely mention referring you to our paper already given in for a more particular knowledge thereof wherein We desire the Scriptures in the margent may be diligently perused and some remembrance had of vvhat the Lord did inable us to speak from them when our Paper vvas debated in the Church although it is very vvell knovvn so much liberty vvas hardly obtained First Treason against Christ as King and Prophet of his people and King of Nations also for the latter part of the late VVar did run in that Channel Likewise against the faithful and vvell-affected in this Nation whose Liberties and they are made bond-slaves to their brethren though some blood was spilt and treasure spent to obtain it our of the hands of the late Tyrant Secondly Convenant-breaking and false swearing having engaged before the Lord and his People to perform the good promised on the behalf of Christ his People and the Nation vvhich are novv broken in the face of the Sun Thirdly Oppression by Tythes Taxes c. upon the bodyes and consciences of the Lords People and the well-affected the Nation at this day Fourthly Persecution of Saints many of the Lords people having been and some are still imprisoned for their testimony on the behalf of the Lord his Cause and the Nations liberty and therein the Souldiers are altogether active there being no rule not so much as according to the Law of the Land to justifie their practice by Civil Officers Fifthly Maintaining Antichristian Laws Statutes and Customs contrary to former Engagements and Declarations by vvhich the Saints of old have suffered and some do now suffer at this very day Sixthly Hereby the hearts of the righteous are greatly grieved for that brethren at least professing themselves so to be should be active in abetting and supporting so great vvikedness That these sins were plainly proved against our brethren wearing the Svvord novv amongst you is very manifest not onely in general but also in a great measure particularly and therfore shall leave it unto the Lord vvho judgeth righteously Yet vve do hereby humbly admonish them of their evil as being very great and scandalous After this there is laid down several Queries how vve vvere in duty bound to withdraw from them and by the same Rule to admonish and withdraw from your selves as being partakers with them having made your selves m Guilty for they are hereby encouraged to keep their places whereby the Man in Power is encouraged to go on in his apostacy and to judge himself in pretence at least to be in a good condition for when he hath been told That he had not the love of good people as formerly and that many were grieved at his present actions he replyed They were but a few inconsiderable people who were dissatisfied for the greatest part of honest men in the Army and Churches were for him and approved of what he had done which approhensions are begotten by members of Churches and other professors holding places under him for whilest they do so their tongues are tyed that they dare not openly speak their minds though they really apprehend yea and will to some confess That the present state of things are out of course and are not so honest as in the day of their straits they declared they should be Wherefore doth is not concern the Churches to take heed how they encourage those by continuing them among them who abet and uphold the present apostacy lest they become guilty thereof themselves and incur the Lords displeasure for so doing guilty of their iniquity by your vote of communion with them And this vve do in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ who hath commanded us to withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly though herein we would distinguish between such of our Brethren Sisters as do plead for encourage and support them in their evil and others who for want of a true knowledge understanding thereof together with the overawing of some amongst you as we fear are notwithstanding in their degree also become partakers with them in their evil And here desire so far to digress as to answer one objection namely That our brethren the Souldiers desired leave to go off from us before we procceded so far as now we have but we would not To which vve answer That it is to be considered their sins are very scandalous and if so such a practice would be contrary to the Rule directing in such cases That if a brother or brethren offend to admonish them particularly then more publikely as he or they are found to persevere in their sin that if the Lord will they may see their evil and repent and not suffer them to go off without knowledge of their evil for if they should it may prove to the hardening of their hearts and consequently to the ruine of their souls Indeed to have let them gone off would have been much more easie to us and pleasing to the flesh for we did in some measure foresee how hard it would be in this rough path to follow the Lord fully yet we take comfort in this That our Cause is of God and our hearts we trust in the main upright therein Now we shall proceed to give you a short account how the Lord hath led us since our said withdrawing wherin it will be manifest if the Lord give you a spirit of discerning that we have to this day been patiently waiting upon the Lord and you to the end that if it had pleased our heavenly Father it might have put you upon inquiry how far you are become
guilty of the great iniquity of this day which hath brought so great reproach unto the Name of the Lord even through the World but instead of inquiring and smiting upon the thigh saying What have I done your practice doth demonstrate that you say You have well done Further We desire you to remember That the same Evening after the debate our Paper the whole Church being there We desired their result to wit Whether our brethren the Souldiers by what was offered were not in a great measure guilty of she evil laid to their charge Whereupon our Brother Sympson spake to this purpose That the holy spirit had set a mark upon us for such as had made division and therfore declared that we were not persons fit to have a vote amongst them neither should there by any vote had there unless we would depart Which words though we cannot say he spake in the Name of the Church yet we are sure the major part were n It is the great fault of Church-members and other professors in this day and much discovers their darkness that they approve their hearts no more to God but are so much led whether right or wrong as their Pastor or some eminent member or person among them steers their course which low carnal frame of spirit the more the spirit of the Lord is poured forth will not onely stink in the Nostrils of his faithful people but be condemned and dye for the true spirit doth so redeem those who have it from the fear and favour of man to God as they will follow no man nor things let their pretence be never so high and glorious further then they follow and are for Christ according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 1â— 1 so silent that notwithstanding he spake so unadvisedly there was little spoken against it so that for peace sake it was judge meet to depart at that time without the result of the Congregation Next after this several Brethren in the Name of the whole withdrawn from you were sent to London-house to desire That since you would not admit us to have a vote with you we might by your selves have the sense of Paper to wit that which was first given in but you wholly refused to give us a hearing of what we had to say Since which several Brethren in the Name of the Whole were sent to Allhallows upon a first day in the Afternoon after breaking of bread to know your sense Whether those Words spoken by our Brother Sympson to wit That we were marked by the holy spirit for such as had made a rent in the Church and that he admonished us of our evil therein in their namo Likewise whether by their vote of communion with the Souldiers this were not to be taken into the vote to wit notwithstanding the evil laid to their charge to the former they said They did not remember any admention but to the latter your Brother Sympson said That we might know their mind by their practice to which they were generally silent none contradicting what our Brother Sympson had spoken whereupon those brethren took their leave and departed out of the Vestrey for the Message vvas only delivered to the brethren being fifty or sixty in number or thereabouts it not being thought meet so speak in publike first because many strangers were present Secondly We did desire to order it as might make most for peace After this upon further inquiry what our duty was yet to do notwithstanding so much means used to provoke you to jeanlousie and no fruit of it but hardness of heart and a further closing in with the present evil by your continued practise There were several Letters of our brother Sympsons presented to us Dated from Windsor Castle when he was a prisoner there it being judged that the Lord was eminently present with him as by the said Letters will appear Which Letters being read among us the Lord was pleased so generally to melt out hearts in the sense of that spirit of truth We judged then to be breathing in him but his present frame of heart compared with what it was then seeming to us as contrary as light to darkness It was thereupon concluded as a duty incumbent upon us to appoint several brethren in the Name of the Whole to take those Letters and in love and meekness to read them to our said brother to the end that if the Lord so please he might thereby consider from whence he is fallen and do his first works hoping also that he might thereby be brought to consider whether he had not missed of the Will of God in endeavouring not onely to excuse but as We judge to countenance our brethren the Souldiers in their evil Way But oh that which We desire to mention with grief and sorrow of heart instead of receiving us in love as We came unto him and giving us leave to open our hearts before him he absolutely refused not onely to pray with those brethren sent by us but also to entertain them in our Name as brethren or to admit any conference with them upon that account in regard that we were by him admonished in the Name of the Church of our evil in making a rent and division as he said And since that he said they had waited upon us to see if we would return and repent but we not returing they looked upon us as Heathens and Publicant and that he did so look upon us also And for the letters they were directed to the Church meaning your selves without us and that if they had any thing to question him about'them he would make answer unto them Vnto which this Answer in general was made That We humbly thought he spake an untruth in that We could not remember there was ever any such Admonition given us as yet much less had We any account that We vvere esteemed no other then Heathens and Publicans After the Brethren sent by us to him departed being much grieved that our love should be so returned upon us but so it was the Lord lay it not to his charge if it be his Will upon further seeking to the Lord what was our next Work it was thought meet That as We had been a long time waiting upon you by patience and much long-suffering as We judge our Weakness excepted having laid the sin of our Brethren before you by our selves and of your own evil in abetting them some more and some less but instead of returning from your evil you have fallen in with it more directly in o It seems they were not contented with their first vote in declaring communion with the Souldiers notwithstanding their evil though at our first coming off they disowned that by saying That they did onely declare a continuance of communion with them as Souldiers without respect to the evil laid no their charge But by revoteing communion with them they have plainly declared the evil laid to their charge to be no evil and so
have directly justified them therein And that their evil who approve of and uphold the present Apostasy may more plainly appear see the following Scriptures Numb 27.3 to 7. The Daughter of Zelophead to cleare their title to a portion of Land they claimed in right of their deceased father in the Land of Canaan pleaded That he dyed in the wildernesse in his own sin and was not in the company of Korah and those with him who gathered themselves together against the Lord implying that if he had been among them and standing on their side when they opposed Moses and Aaron c. who were going to possesse the Land of Canaan a type of the work of our day was greater then any other of his sins and that which would have cut him and them off from such a portion of Land as was allotted to those who followed the Lord to his foot in the work of that day And is not the Souldiers Sin the same revoting communion with them so that your practice is no less to us then adding sin to sin And particularly our brother Kelzey who confessed more as having a hand in the Government at its first rise then We could prove though at first he denyed it Likewise That he had summoned some persons to shew cause why they would not pay tythes from whence did follow further trouble to those persons by his Deputy so far as they were taken into custody til they had made their composition We ought now according to Rule to take with us several brethren full of Grace and godliness faithful to the Lord and his Cause in this day and spotless in their lives and conversations vvho might go along with us as Witnesses in our further Testimony against so great evil that out of the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established and accordingly We did present our selves with the said brethren intending to have laid the evil before you and thereof in brotherly love to have admonished you as We now do by these lines in VVriting because you would not vouchsafe us to do it otherwise Likewise to this further end That none of our brethren and sisters may plead ignorance of the end of our coming at that time having ground to fear that many are whose conditions We desire to tender as our own souls were We in their estate But it may be objected That we might have had liberty to have spoken what was upon our hearts when we were last with you had those friends which came with us departed according to your desire To which We answer That our coming there at that time was in obedience to a command of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit That when a Brother or Brethren will not hear so as to return from his or their evil being privately admonished We are then to take other Brethren with us as VVitnesses to vvhat we should say so that had we given way to such a motion we must have made void that Ordinance of Christ moreover we our selves had been with you several times by our selves as is already mentioned besides the sins laid before you are publike and not private sins and therefore needed not so much secresie Thus desiring you will receive this Admonition in love being done we hope for Christs sake and in tender regard to your souls VVe subscribe our selves Your poor unworthy brethren and Sisters who do apprehend that as truth is with us so the power of the Church rests in us John Proud Tho. Cary Caleb Ingold James Chadwick Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the whole none contradicting Dated the fourth of the 11. Moneth 1656. AFter the delivery of the said Admonition in writing we continued waiting upon the Lord to see what good would be wrought up on their hearts thereby but instead thereof in some short time after they send unto the several Churches in the City without our knowledge or consent as they did when we sent in our first Paper to the end they might send chosen men from amongst them to hear and determine the matter in difference between us which we did a little wonder at hoping rather the sense of their evil laid before them might have provoked them to a godly jealousie but so it was that the Pastors and Elders with chief men amongst the Brethren in the Churches were sent according to their request the 26 of the 11th Month 1656. But before we give an account of what passed that day we shall crave leave to hint thus much That after our knowledge of their intention to send to the Churches as aforesaid and before the day of their coming abovesaid not knowing under what tryal we might come thereby we set our selves to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer to know what might be our duty therein and as the result of our waiting upon him came to this conclusion That it would be most for the glory of God to choose out several brethren from amongst us to give in our Reasons unto the Pastors and Elders of the Churches when they were met with the other part of the Congregation why we could not admit they should hear the matter in difference between us And accordingly five Reasons were draw up and committed to fix brethren to deliver in writing or by word of mouth as they should see cause The Reasons should be here inserted but because they will be most proper for perusal when given in to the Pastors and Elders at their meeting we shall refer the Reader thereunto pag 38. and so proceed to give an account of that dayes meeting When the Pastors and Elders c. of the Churches were met the six brethren chosen by us according to appointment were there present when they came first into London-House the place of their meeting they found Mr. Sympson in prayer and after he had ended prayer he proceeded to give a Narrative of what had passed between us and them to that day but with how much partiallity in many things and in some things direct p Mr. Sympson asserted these three things in his Narrative first That he admonished us in the Name of the Congregation Secondly That we had nothing against our Brethren the souldiers but meerly their places in the Army Thirdly That we went from House to House to get away numbers from them How far the two first are untrue we think the Reader by what hath been already laid down may be able to judge For the third we can clearly acquit our selves having been so far from any such practice that those of us whose wives are members of the Congregation have not been provoked by us but have wholly left them to be guided by the Lord therein untruths the brethren then present by our appointment can testifie After he had ended his Narrative Mr. Nye chief speaker of the Pastors and Elders c. stood up and spake to this purpose to Mr. Sympson That he had given in a large
mourn and grieve for you that if it were the Will of our heavenly Father you might be recovered out of the Snare and do trust many of you will but in case We should join with you before the least acknowledgement of your evil should not we return to you before you return unto the Lord and so come under the reproof of that Scripture Jer. 15.17 and that also in 2 Cor. 6 17 18. Yea Would it not rather be a grieving of the Spirit and making light of so precious an Ordinance as Prayer is Have We not some sad experience hereof already in that dya of Prayer kept with you when our first Paper was to be debated What contrariety of spirits did then appoar Were We not in the duty deeply judged and censured by one of the chief amongst you when We came to lay the matter in difference before the Lord If so little confort then sure less now Can two pray together except they be agreed We do therefore humbly apprehend before any such conjuction be that you will first inquire into the great evil amongst you and not to eat with such persons but in brotherly love to admonish them and then to waite and see whether the Lord will humble them in the sence thereof if this were done We know that the consequence on your part would be to lye low before the Lord for complying with them to this day and when you shall minifest repentance by such a Work then We should have joy and confort in joyning with you to be further humbled before the Lord and also to lie at the Lords and your feet as to any other thing you should desire of us for his Name sake for We hope it is not in our hearts to be lifted up above our Brethren but onely to be faithful unto the Lord in a day of so great Apostacy Now as to the second thing about seeking to the Lord for a right way what you and we ought to do for the healing of the breach between us This seems to turn the goodness of the Lord upon himself and to forget his loving kindness yea to deny that We have been in a right Way after so much seeking unto and waiting upon him for direction and counsel from time to time yea give us leave to say That we humbly judge the Lord hath led us in a right path to this day and hath made darkness light crooked things straight before as well as since our first withdrawing Moreover wholly to question the ground of our proceedings to this day would be also of great reproach and dishonour to the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ and pre-declare to any discerning eye that We are returned from whence We vvere withdrawn upon no solid substantial grounds To the third namely That if there were any other thing necessary to be added we might have our freedom This we conceive needs little return respect being had in our answer to the two former propositions Thus desiring a tender construction if it may be of what is here laid down as to your last Message and chiefly to eye the first part as it relates to the choice of persons for clearing of the difference between us We remain Dated the first day of the first Month 1657. Your poor unworthy Brethren Sisters mourning for you yet apprehending that as truth is with us so the Power of the Church rests in us Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the whole none contradicting John Proud Tho Cary Caleb Ingold John Sealey AFter the delivery of this Paper We continued waiting upon the Lord as formerly expecting a return as to the contents of the first part thereof relating to the choice of persons by us and them to hear the matter in difference which many of us did the more earnestly desire not onely for the further manifestation of truth but also to take off that scandal laid by them upon us That we were altogether Judges of our own cause and would not admit of the hearing of it by others but three months time expiring since the delivery of our said Paper or thereabouts and no return given unto us one Way or other it seemed to many of us that their silence was a flat denyal to our render to the first part of our said Paper which put us upon further inquiry into our duty and to that end a day was set apart to seek the Lord for advice and counsl and the greatest part whereof being spend upon that account we then came to enquire of each other what the Lord had set upon our hearts as our further duty and after some discourse about it came to this result That having made so many tenders unto those from whom we were withdrawn with so little effect we had hopes to obtain our reasonable desire from them and therefore judged it our duty to proceed to the work of separation And accordingly some Brethren were chosen out from amongst us to make a draught thereof as the Lord should direct them and yet hereby not to exclude any Message that might come in the mean time from the other part neither to be too sudden about it so that it was about five or six Weeks before the draught of separation was brought in but after it was presented and agreed upon it was questioned by some whether it should yet be given in for some reasons urged by them unto which it was answered by others That they conceived the Lord would be much glorified in the delivering of it in as the unanimous consent of the whole But some again stood up and said That they conceived this would most glorifie God at present to wit that we should revive the tender make in our foregoing Paper notwithstanding their by their practiso to this day But this was opposed again by others judging that it would be little effectual considering how we had been dealt withall from the first day of our withdrawing until now however it was â—udged meet this being our last step towards those from whom we were withdrawn to be very diligent and watchful least Satan should take advantage upon us at the last and the Lord thereby be dishonour to take the advice of some upright and grave brethren who were faithful unto the Lord in this day of apostacy and present our Paper of Separation unto them for advice and counsel so far as the Lord should administer unto them Which was accordingly concluded bernard upon and the Brethren aforementioned to wit Mr. Cann Coll. Danvers Mr. Squibb c who accompanyed us as Witnesses when we gave in our Admonition at London-House were sent unto and upon their Meeting the Paper of Separation was delivered unto them who received it and in brotherly love took the matter into consideration taking their times and seasons of meeting together spreading it several times before the Lord in prayer as we have been credibly informed upon their desire we did also diliver in
ground of our seperation and with-drawing to this day so as that the name of the Lord is greatly reproached thorough these Misreports concerning us it might therefore hereby appear that the cause why we do so is for such sins as are publikely scandalous and sinful that so whatever becomes of our persons the truth may be vindicated Reas 3. That all who fear the Lord in uprightness of heart may consider and see it 's their duty to with-draw and seperate from all such persons For what saith the Apostle Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Purge out therefore the old leaven c. And may it not be spoken with grief of heart that the lump or generality of the Churches in this day are much leavened with a luke-warm sensual selfish spirit seeking the honor and favor of men for their own advantage rather then setting the Lord before them and approving their hearts to him and indeavouring after the advancement of his glory in the world which comes to pass in a great measure for want of doing their duty to such persons in this particular Reas 4. That if it should please the Lord to call any or all of us further to suffer herein or upon such like account it may appear we suffer for his Name sake and not as evil doers the mouthes of many professors having been already opened in this respect though wee could wish it hath not rather been to palliate and cover over their own Apostacy Reas 5. Because thus saith the Scripture Them that sin to wit in the sight of all men as these have done and that against the light of Nature and Grace rebuke before all that others also may see and fear and do no more so wiâ—kedly for as Jannes and Jambres Korah Dathan and Abiram with their company withstood Moses in the work of GOD in their day so these likewise do resist his cause and truth in our day proceeding from iniquity to iniquity Reas 6. That so such as are unknown to us and have been already engaged in this work of seperation may bee incouraged and not discouraged and may know that whatsoever their afflictions and trialls are thereupon the same are also accomplished in others of their Brethren upon the same account that so from a spirit of love to truth we may be strengthning one anothers hands in so blessed and honorable a work Rea. 7. If Pilate was so sensible of the innocency of Jesus Christ that he could do no less but in the presence of the Court and the whole multitude take water and wash his hands saying these words the better to clear himself from being guilty of his blood I am free from the blood of this just man look ye to it Doth it not much more concern us in such a day as this when our Lord in his members and cause contended for in the late warrs is again crucified afresh put to open shame to take this water of our publike testimony in the presence both of Saints and Sinners and testifie our dislike of and seperation from so great iniquity as also the persons guilty thereof And if our Lord Jesus could charge upon the Jewes all the righteous blood shed from Abel to that day and Peter Act. 3.13 and so Stephen Act. 7.51 52. likewise charge them for retaining their forefathers wicked spirit though they pretended otherwise manifested in denying betraying delivering up and killing of Christ and the Saints who were witnesses to the truth in that day May not wee justly fear that if we should be silent in this day the guilt of their blood which was shed in the late wars as also of the sufferings of the Saints formerly and yet imprisoned for their faithfulness to the despised cause and interest of Christ who did and do offer themselves so willingly may be found upon us when the Lord makes inquisition for the same and we come to be partakers of that judgement which we are perswaded will lye heavie upon all that shall be found guilty more or less Reas 8. Because of the so plain discovery through a generall silence of a Laodicean or luke-warm spirit for Christ in this day which the Lord loaths and threatens to spue out of his mouth But on the contrary commends the Churches of Ephesus and Smyrna c. for their zeal and faithfulness in discovering of and not bearing with sin nor sinners yea the Lord delights in such who offer themselves willingly And the Inhabitants of Meroz are cursed with a bitter curse not because they appeared against Gods cause and people but for standing Neuters and not coming forth when an opportunity was offered to his help against the mighty So in Psal 94.16 there seems to be another plain word of instruction in this case where the Prophet by way of Proclamation hath these vvords Who will rise up for me against the evil doers Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity He doth not say as some say novv Sit still and let God alone for he will finde out wayes and means to do his work in his appointed time himself for he hath power at command why do you trouble your selves more then a great many wiser men No So the Lord seems to speak in this day as once Iohn said Who is on my side who And although such poor creatures as vve are can adde nothing to him yet he loves to see us shevv our good affection and to do vvhat vve are able and he hath so appointed that the foot yea the feet of the poor and the steps viz the indeavours of the needy shall tread down the lofty City And the least of the Flock shall draw them out c. And it may not be forgotten how that the Parliament in the time of the late war as they took notice of Neuters by way of dislike on the one hand so they did very kindly resent the constant good affections of others on the other hand Reas 9. When sin comes to be National First in respect of the sin it self Secondly in respect of the persons committing it being in a National or publike capacity Thirdly And contrary to professed and declared light as the sin of this day is and persisting therein after many admonitions so as that we may truly say of the transgressors of this day as the Spirit of the Lord by Isaiah said of Israel of old Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin that walk to go down to Aegypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharoah and to trust in the shadow of Aegypt c. Now as in verse the eight the Prophet is commanded to go write is before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for
the time to come for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people c. so ought we to do the same if we would be found faithful to the Lord his despised Cause People in our day as the Prophet Isaiah was in his the sins and persons committing them in our day being very like the sins and persons guilty thereof in that day And though to bear up a sutable testimony in this day be as irksome unto us as it was to Jeremiah chap. 20.8 9 10. yet when we consider what encouragement he had from the Lord to hold on his way and not to return to them and though they might lay many snares for him he would stand by him and make him as a fenced City and brazen walls against them and be with him to save and deliver him We are comfortably perswaded that he will likewise be with us his poor nothing creatures in this our testimony if we be found faithful herein unto the death as he was For these forementioned Reasons among others that might be given are we encouraged to publish our proceedings from the day of our first withdrawing to the day of our separation being the substance of three years labouring or thereabouts for the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus and therefore give us leave to contend earnestly for the faith of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus once deliver'd to the Saints and for common Justice and righteousness which hath been sealed unto with so much of the Saints and others blood in the late Wars though now it be very unworthily betrayed not by Enemies but professed Friends many of whom are Brethren in Church-Relation We hope we can as in the presence of the Lord that searcheth all htarts however others may judge of us profess our selves very disirous to follow after those things which makes for peace so far as the shooes of the Gospel will carry us but to have peace with Dishonesty Injustice Unrighteousness Lying Deceit or Oppression c. is contrary to the mind of the Gospel of peace any of which sins should Paul himself been found guilty of were ground sufficient by his own Argument for the Church of Corinth and so by consequence for any other Church to refuse Communion with him therefore to have peace upon this account is to have peace where God would have war and to bring our selves under that wo pronounced against those who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness c. And if any shall yet blame us for appearing in this publike way give us leave to say unto them as David said unto his brethren when he came into the Camp of Israel What have we now done is there not a cause Adding hereunto also the report gone out amongst many of those from whom we are separated saying That if we could prove any thing against the Souldiers they were ready to do their duty towards them as well ae we Wherefore it is very requisite that others should see the matter of fact and judge whether from the whole we had not just ground for this our withdrawing and separation and we also hope that such among them who are sensible of the evil testified against will bear with us in what we have done therein But if any shall say of us deridingly as Michal said of David How glorious was the King of Israel to day who uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth himself c. Give us leave for answer to say as David said It is for the Lord otherwise we had rather be silent then displease any much less those whom we dearly love in the Lord. But if this be to be vile we shall yet be more vile we hope in our own sight also and although flesh may in some respects be ready to shew it self in this case yet if all things be duly considered there is little reason for it for where flesh would shew it self it is for some advantage but it seems to us as if there were little fleshly advantage to be reaped by it for flesh naturally loves a good report of all especially among the generallity of professors but do we not hereby yea have we not already lost the good report of men and of Brethren too Again flesh loves the Rulers favour where there is hopes of honor profit or preferment c. But on the contrary do we not hereby hazard our Estates and lives and all But admit that flesh will be shewing it self as we have sufficient cause to fear and as we have experience and may too sadly complain thereof in our own souls in the best and most warrantable Work the Lord may require of us yet this ought not to be matter of discouragement but of caution Pray therefore for us all ye faithful ones in the Work Kingdom and patient expectation of our Lord Jesus to whom this especially is directed and on whose behalf in a great measure this Testimony comes We humbly intreat that you would beg of the Lord that flesh may receive a rebuke every way What temptations we have and do meet withall none knows so well as our selves it being sometimes suggested to us That it were better to lay down our Testimony and venture no further then run the hazard that may follow thereupon but when we think of that Scripture Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter thou into thy Masters joy c. It is then matter of encouragement to us to persevere therein considering also how easie a thing it is for us to lose the Crown of our Testimony Rev. 3.11 by declining the Cause of Christ we through Grace have been and yet are engaged in although we may not lose the salvation of our own souls which puts us in mind of Barnabas of whom it was said He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost exhorting the Saints at Antioch to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart yet afterwards this good man received a check by joyning with John whose Sirname was Mark who left Paul in the Work at Pamphilia that Paul testifies against him for so doing and afterwards we do not hear of Barnabas in any further Work for Christ as formerly he had been so good it is to stick close to Christ in an Evil day And have we not also this further promise Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keepe thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth It would have been too long and tedious to have inserted the whole matter as it was publikely debated in the whole Congregation drawn from those six scandalous sins laid to the charge of the Souldiers then amongst us
them in prison this is no other then the invention of the Pope and his Brethren the Magistrates of Antichrist to support their interest and power over the people and not the mind of Jesus Christ whose appointment is That although his Ministers who administer their spiritual things to others should if they are poor live of the Gospel and reap of their carnal things 1 Cor. 9 10 14. com with Gal. 6.6 yet he hath no where appointed that any should be compelled to hear or maintain them much less presecuted of imprisoned for refusing either but the contrary see Matth. 10.8 11 13 14 com with Luke 10.5 to 10. The Lord in Mich 3 5 doth threaten those priests and prophets that teach for hire and divine for money and prepare warre against him that putteth not into their mouths com with Isa 56.11 All which with much more that might be spoken to this purpose being considered we wonder how such who have so highly declared for Christ against antichrist dare be supporting of such abominations he that runs may read the daylie Oppression of this kind except there be a bowing down to the Golden Image of the national Clergy with her head are forced from many to the oppression of some and the undoing of others and so they oppress a man and his house a man and his Heritage Now it is not so much our selves are likely to suffer if we should willingly walk after the Commandment but the glory of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light will be so much blemished as is beyond expression And indeed this is much to be lamented that there are so few to bear up their testimony for the Lord against the Evil-doers at this day Likewise our posterities if the Lord should not mercifully ease us of our Oppressors would feel the weight of so great bondage as to be at the will and mercy of one man to dispose of their persons and Estates and this backed with an Army of thirty thousand men and what is likely to be the consequence if the Lord should continue us under this bondage we think that eighth chap. of the first of Samuel from verse 9. to verse 19. to gether with Amos 5.10 11 12. will plainly make out the sadness of our condition and the dislike of such who shall quietly acquiess in and approve of those oppressions and the sad condition also of such who shall be active for such Oppressors and Oppressions Moreover we desire to ask our Brethren who wear the Sword these two questions First Whether they do not receive the unrighteous Wages of Warre in a time of peace Secondly Whether the Wages so received be not to enslave us p A Testimony for this in the former and present imprisonment of many of the servants of Christ for testifying against the abominations of this day to wit Mr. Carew Major General Harrison Mr. Feake Mr. Rogers Mr. Courtny Coll. Rich Sir Henry Vane Major General Overton Vice Admiral Lawson M. Cann Cornet Day and several others some whereof remain in prison to this day and the Soldiers the chief instruments in this oppression yea their General lately to take off the odium that such a wicked act would bring upon him Commissionates the Mayor and Sheriffs of the City who employ the baser sort of man Act. 17.15 that like themselves will do any drudgery is put upon them to come to the meeting in Coleman street to interrupt and hale the Lords faithful people to prison for nothing but pleading for and pressing after those good things which himself and the army have been greatly instrumental to lead them into for declaring against their back-sliding from them therefore what man or woman that hath any love to Christ his Cause and People can pay Taxes to maintain such Oppression and Persecution or hold communion with any of them in the Ordinances of Christ in our consciences as wel as in our persons For whatever the Government saith We shall have liberty of conscience it is only to such who can quietly acquiess in their unjust and Antichristian proceedings Fourthly Persecusion of Saints q Besides what is already mentioned concerning the Soldiers being instrumental to imprison the faithful in this day and what is hinted in this place there are some things more particularly charged upon Coll. Kelzey Major Strange Capt. Harrison c. immediately following the sixth head adding hereunto besides the Scriptures in the margent Obad. v. 10 11 12. where Esau is charged for his violence and persecution against his brother Iacob and for standing on the other side when his Enemies dealt hardly with him Then surely they are guilty who uphold the present persecution and say It is possible our Brethren suffer for evil-doing Let also Acts 7.58 comp with chap. 22.20 be considered where Paul after conversion acknowledgeth himself a persecutor before conversion for standing by and keeping the Rayment of them which stoned Stephen thereby consenting to his death And are not the Souldiers who are members of Churches and professed brethren much more guilty who can imprison their brethren themselves and be their Jaylors too Yea some of them to get the applause and favour of man lye in wait to catch the Lords people who visit their Brethren in prison and when they have caught them like Soul Acts 9.2 go to the head persecutor to obtain an Order to keep them there as Mr. Feake was dealt withall at the Tower not long since yea Coll. Eaxter one of the new Lords many times keeping not only the acquaintance but Wives and Relations of the Lords people in his custody from visiting of them which Heathens would abhor to do see Acts 24.23 and yet the plausible pretences these men make are with their Pastors c. and some other professors blinded as themselves like the whore Prov. 30.20 wiping her mouth as if they had done no evil Wherefore we may justly take up the lamentation of the Prophet Psal 55.10 11 12 13 14. which we desire the Reader to peruse particularly for plain it is many of our Brethren and others suffer imprisonment for bearing testimony against the present Iniquity having no evil to lay to their charge and in this that which we would mourn before the Lord for is That some of our Brethren do not stick to say That it is possible they suffer for evil-doing Which word It is possible is no less to us then an indirect justifying the persecutors in their imprisoning of them thereby adding affliction to their bonds wherein we think that Scripture doth truly reach them Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. And in this the Souldiers are altogether instrumental having neither the Law of God or man to justifie their practice by civil Officers And we are sure that good Moses though he might have been owned and honored as Son to Pharoahs Daughter could not in
and accordingly delivered in our Paper which was read by the Brother aforementioned though it was so late before he began that there was hardly time to read it thorough by day-light much less to debate it and open the Scriptures therein however before we departed they made us a promise that We should have full liberty another time to read it our selves deliberately and debate it with the Scriptures laid down for proof of what was there asserted We also promised them to come whensoever they should desire it And so We departed for that time continuing with one accord together in prayer and supplication expecting to hear from them according to promise but contrary hereunto in some Weeks after they sent for several Pastors and Members out of other Congregations without our consent to receive their Advice how to deal with us Their Names are as followeth Mr. Cockayn Mr. Jackson Mr. Roberts Mr. Jessey Mr. Hubbard Mr. Isles Mr. Knowles Mr. Highland Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Jacksen Chir. Mr Woolaston Mr. Barebone Mr. Taylor Having knowledge of this Meeting thorough the report of others We did appoint a time to seek the Lord to consider what might be our duty how far we should appear therein or whether we should appear or not and at last came to this issue That we should appoint several Brethren in the Name of the whole to go unto those Brethren above mentioned when they should meet with the other part of the Congregation and acquaint them with the Grounds and Reasons why we could not own them in the Work they were come about The Reasons are these 1 1. They meaning those from whom we were withdrawn had not performed their promise to us having declared when We were last vvith them That the Paper presented should be debated in the Church according to the Scriptures there inserted Which hath not yet been done though We promised to be with them whensoever they would send for us about it 2 2. We see no rule in Scripture that any Brethren from any Churches or others should be sent for to debate our Paper before it had been debated in the Church amongst us and the Scriptures in the Margent opened 3 3. We conceive it had been meet according to Scripture that We the Brethren and Sisters differing from them should have had cognizance and approbation of the persons so nominated to debate the matter in difference 4 4. Whether they have taken the consent of the h We would not be understood by these two Queries as if we did judge that in extraordinary cales particular Brethren out of Churches might not be sent for without the consent of their respective congregations to determine a Church-difference there being onely one occasional practice by the Church at Antioch to Jerusalem Act. 15 2. But that which we chiefly aim at as by the third and the close of the fifth Query will appear was their sending without our consent in the Name of the church when we our selves were a part likewise there was several persons there against whom we had just exceptions if it had then been meet to speak of it Moreover their case was ordinary not difficult to them for that most of the churches in the city more or less seem to us guilty of the same transgression and therefore we apprehend that such a practice was more binding to them then to us as our case at this time stands otherwise we desire to keepe strictly to every primitive practice that hath any such instructions for us Churches for the choice of those Brethren they have sent for If not What Scripture Rule they have to do so 5 5. Whether such a practise doth not savour of an arbitrary spirit amongst men much more among the Churches of Christ in calling several Brethren without the consent of the Churches to whom they belong which We cannot own lest we should betray the cause of Christ for which we contend into the hands of a few which will be a bad president for other Churches for the time to come The said Queries being laid before the Brethren aforementioned did so prevail with them as they not onely judged it unmeet but did wholly refuse to meddle with the matter in difference as the case then stood declaring It was but reasonable We should have a free debate of our Paper in the Congregation according to promise before any other means be used and so they departed for that time Within a short time after this a day and time was agreed upon between us and the other part of the Congregation from whom we were withdrawn to seek the Lord together and then to proceed to the debate of our Paper though that vvhich provoked them hereunto as We conceive was from the refusal of those Brethren they sent for to meddle therein as the case stood rather then their ovvn voluntary act But the day appointed being come the fore-part of it vvas spent in prayer opening our hearts before the Lord and each other hereby hoping such a spirit might be sound both in them and us as the debate would have been to the glory of God and the discovery of truth on either side but instead thereof so many grating expressions both in prayer and speaking vvere uttered by Mr. Sympson against us as vvas to the grief of most of us and the indisposing of some in a great measure unto the Work We were met about However about two in the Afternoon we proceeded to the debate of our Paper with some reasonable liberty though commonly interrupted by Mr. Sympson who when any thing came close upon the Souldiers would frequently be speaking in excusing of them and condemning us In the close of the day having got through our Paper We desired to have the result of the Congregation Whether by what was laid before them they did not judge the Souldiers to be guilty of those sins laid to their charge by us Whereupon Mr. Sympson stood up and spake in Words to this effect That he looked upon us as such who had made a rent in the Church and that there was a mark set upon us by the Holy Spirit being such as had made i We desire that Scripture Rom. 16.17 18. may be considered where those words spoken by Mr. Sympson are laid down and it will appear the Apostle was speaking of such persons as we are now separated from to wit such as serve not the Lord Jesus but their own bellies May we not truly say That worldy interest and self-advantage hath been the ground and root of this apostacy wherein the Souldiers are chief and to palliate so great wickedness are not good words and fair speeches the cover by which they deceive the hearts of the simple and give us leave humbly to ask what belly-advantage have we thereby Do we not rather hazard all that is near and dear unto us yea we are become the reproach of most professors having much evil laid to our charge through we trust
Narrative of the matter in difference which containing many things would require some time to be searching into but before any entrance be made thereupon he desired to know whether any of the other part gone off from them were there if they were he did desire to hear somthing from them in this case did hope that the Pastors Elders there present would be very careful how they did intermiddle therewith for if what he had heard herein were true it was a marvellous good separation upon good grounds or to this effect After this a Brother of ours stood up and spake to this purpose That after solemn waiting upon the Lord several Brethren in the Name of the Whole withdrawn from that part of the Congregation were there present being chosen to present unto them in love and humility the Reasons why We could not admit of their hearing the matter in difference between us but before that they desired the liberty of three Questions if it might be granted and then the Brother which spake kept silence to hear their Answer Upon which Mr. Nye stood up again and said It was but reasonable that we should have our liberty Hereupon the Brother which began stood up and proceeded with the following questions two to the Brethren and Sisters from whom We were withdrawn and one to the Pastors and Elders c. Quest 1. Whether they did look upon us as part of the Congregation To which Mr. Sympson made answer That sure we were for he knew not when we were dealt with to the best of his remembrance Q. 2. We humbly propose to the Pastors Elders and Brethren of the Churches now present Whether they were all of them sent and chosen by their respective Congregations Here there was a great silence but afterwards several of them spake some saying That they were chosen by their respective Congregations others That they were sent unto as particular persons Whereby it was plain there was a disorder in their choice which was in love acknowledged by them Q. 3. Whether the Pastors Elders and Brethren of the respective Congregations then present were invited and sent unto in the name of the whole Church Here several of them were at a stand not knowning well what to say but they generally gave in at the last That they were sent unto in the Name of the Church Which was not so for that themselves in answer to our first question acknowledge us to be a part and what was done in sending for them was without our knowledge or consent After this one of our Brethren stood up and desired liberty to give their Reasons in our Name Why they could not condiscend to the hearing the matter in difference by the Pastors Elders and Brethren of several Congregations then present Which are as follows 1. We conceive it to be contrary to the practice of the Churches of Christ in the New-Testament that brethren of other Churches though chosen by consent of their respective Congregations should hear a Church-controversie without the consent of both parties amongst whom the difference is see Act. 15.1 2 3. the whole Church at Antioch sent to Jerusalem about Circumcision as well those that were against it as those that were for it Upon this Mr. Nye stood up and did acknowledge that there was a plain disorder and miscarriage in their choice every way but desired to know whether notwithstanding such miscarriages the Brethren in our Name had power to enter upon the debate To which one of the brethren spake to this purpose ' That they had several Reasons more to urge and then they should make further answer And liberty being granted the brother who began proceeded to the next reason viz. 2. That it seems contrary to Morality much more of Christianity for members of other Churches to enter into the debate of a Church-difference when that part of the Congregation with whom the difference was did not choose any of them neither had they knowledge of the matter till the other part resolved upon it and had sent their messengers to invite them thereunto To this Mr. Nye stood up and said That it was indeed contrary to the principles of Morality and then was silent whereupon the brother proceeded to the third Reason 3. That We should betray the cause our Lord Jesus Christ to give it up unto the Judgement of the Pastors Elders and Brethren then present First In regard they came not with our consent Secondly For that against some of whom We might have just grounds of exceptions if it were meet to speak of it at this time 4. It seems to us preposterous to enter upon such a Work till We had the result of the whole Congregation about the matter in question or of that part at least from whom We are withdrawn which We have not had though We often intreated and sent to them about it 5. The foregoing Reasons being true we humbly conceive that if a debate of the matter in difference should at this time be admitted we should walk out of Gods way and so not obtain the promised blessing in matters of that nature These Reasons were no sooner given in but the Pastors Elders and Brethren of the several Churches there met together rose up suddenly to goe away which Mr. Sympson observing he asked them before they were gone Whether they would give them no advice in the present business To which Mr. Nye made answer That they were not in a capacity as things stood to give any advice To which Mr. Sympson said What no advice VVhereupon Mr. Nye replyed That the least they could do was to make a tender unto us whether we would joyn with them in sending to the Churches and this was all the advice they could give and so they departed and presently after those brethren sent by us came away also but as they were going one of the other part that sate in the speaking-place asked the brethren sent by us whether they would embrace the advice given To which answer was made That they were no more then six brethren intrusted by us to give in our dislike of what they had done but were not impowred to meddle w th any thing else but if they had any thing to offer they knew our time and place of meeting when and where the whole being present they might if they pleased tender any thing they thought meet so those brethren came away But the same day in the Afternoon being our time of meeting to edefie and build up one another in our most holy faith two brethren came to us from them with the same Message which was received in love and this onely given in answer That we should consider of it and return an answer so soon as conveniently we could And accordingly either the same day on the next first day following we concluded upon a day to spread their Message before the Lord which when done we sent them a return
within a fortnight after by messengers of our own the answer to their message should be here inserted but being contain'd in our next Paper we shall here omit it Now the Reason why our Answer was given in writing was for that those our brethren who declared the same verbally brought return unto us That they desired it should be so pretending that they did not understand it or rather as we may say it not suting with their desire they would not understand it but however upon this report unto us by those brethren who were sent in our Name some from amongst us were appointed to draw it up in VVriting and present it to the whole for their approbation which vvas accordingly done but the same day it should have been brought in to us vve received another message from the other part of the Congregation vvhich should be here inserted but it being also contained in our next Paper vvith our Ansvver thereunto vve shall purposely omit it and refer the READER to the same Our Answer about sending to the Churches in the the City to hear the matter in difference between us Together with another Message from the other part of the Congregation wherein they desire us to joyne with them in keeping a day of fasting and prayer with our Answer thereunto Dear Brethren and Sisters in our Lord Iesus Christ UNderstanding by the brethren who were sent in our Name unto you to give a return unto your last Message that our Answer was very ill resented and because it was not in full compliance with and according to your expectation they were not suffered to speak out what was upon their hearts without much interruption by some amongst you as it hath been customary for the most part since our withdrawing from you which We cannot but look upon as arbitrary amongst men much more unsavoury among Saints though you seldom received such unkindness from us as we can remember and not onely so but We our selves are looked upon as such who act in hypocrisie which We hope the Lord hath will preseve us from for such shall be sure to finde the weight of his indignation at this day Isaiah 33.14 The consideration whereof together with that invitation We received from some amongst you not opposed by any hath engaged us to send the same in Writing that so there might be no mistakes or still interpretations of what was then spoken or advantage taken through our weakness to blemish so blessed a Cause and we trust that upon looking back into our own hearts there is found a root of uprightness in the management thereof and that it is not wilfully in our hearts to speak or act hypocritically whatever some amongst you do says or apprehend But before we come to the Answer it self being the chief drift and scope of these lines we humbly apprehend it necessary to lay before you the several Reasons last given in when without our consent desired you were pleased in the Name of the Church to send for several brethren to determine and udge of the matter in difference between us The Reasons as they were laid dovvn in this Paper being already inserted in the foregoing Leaf vve do here purposely omit them as being a needless repetition These Reasons you very wel knovv the Lord did make so convincing to those brethren vvho came at your request that upon knovvledg thereof they absolutely refused to meddle therein til such time as you had advised with us or the least asked our consent Now We hoped that before you had made any further progress you would have laid before the Lord those r The Readen may remember that in pag. 22. several Brethren of other Churches were sent for by them to hear the matter in difference which they resused till our first Paper given in was debated in the Church likewise the other time mentioned in this Paper which are the two disappointments spoken of two disappointments you had received and in a due fence thereof enquired into his mind and will but instead thereof at the same time without so much as the leastlying low before his face the same did forth with send your Messengers unto us to know whether we would join with you in sending to the several Churches for hearing of the matter in difference Who were some what pressing upon us to have a present return one way or other which We durst not adventure upon for two Reasons First in respect of our own weakness and insufficiency being poor foolish creatures Secondly In respect of the weight of such a Work not being to be done without solemn seeking to the Lord that being the Way he hath appointed to lead advise and instruct his people about any business they are dark in and accordingly We did send Answer by your Messengers to that effect The next first day being a full meeting of the Congregation withdrawn from you We did spread your desire before the Lord and sought of him a right Way how far We might comply with you therein and in the close of the day after much discourse course about it judging likewise that We had the Mind and Will of God came to this result That before We could give a direct answer to you desire that you would be pleased to give us your positive judgement Whether those Brethren of the Army were guilty of those sins laid to their charge by us or no which We have often desired intreated and sent to you about but could not obtain it to this day as is expressed in our fourth Reason before mentioned to which We then received this return That you were not in a capacity to answer us therein because you were divided into three parts some judging they were under those sins others that they were not and a third party could not tell whether they were or not This Answer thus returned with some other circumstances not considerable here to be inserted We did spread it before the Lord together with your former desire and in the end came to this conclusion That We were wholly dis-satisfied with your Answer to our last request apprehending it somewhat strange that you should be unanimous in revoting communion with them after so plain proof of their sin laid to their charge especially some of them and yet not be united in your judgments whether they were under those sins or not And though We might hereupon wave any return to your desire till We had your plain answer thereunto yet least it should be judged that We were unwilling or fearful the Cause of Christ We are engaged in should have the hearing amongst other brethren We did thereupon for the Name and Honour of God and clearing up our integrity herein and for the further manifestation of truth with a due saving to those two Admonitions already given conclude That We were and are very willing and shall rejoice therein for Truths sake to comply with your desire with this limitation That We
might according to our Christian liberty in this extraordinary case choose on our part faithful Brethren many of which had hazarded their lives for the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ so openly betrayed at this day against whom We trust there shall be no just grounds of exceptions as to their lives and conversations and you may proceed to send unto the Churches on your part as you shall think meet Now least the objection you made when the Brethren were last with you by our appointment to wit That by this Answer we do wave that our sleves which we have pressed upon you about sending to the neighbouring Congregations when we were not willing to join therein Which we do plainly deny for we never moved it unto you much less pressed it upon you but your proceeding herein hath been your ovvn voluntary act without us though indeed we excepted against your practice as it was by yourselves without our consent therewith also apprehending your present estate to be no less then the plain fruit of open backsliding from the Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ though we desire to mention it with fear and trembling and due respect unto some amongst you as not so guilty herein as others are likewise we have ground to fear that most of the Churches of Christ in this City are more or less tainted with the sore Apostacy of this day not that we delight in such reflections but desire to speak it with humility grief and sorrow of heart and should be glad there vvere no just ground for such a jealousie This pre-considered it seems more obliging unto you to follow that practice then unto us at this time and may excuse the formality of the practice on our pare and the rather when you proceeded in such a VVork not onely without the consent but without so much as a tender thereof unto your brethren and sisters joyntly concerned therein until this last time which was not so much of your selves as seemingly necessitated thereunto by those Brethren of other Churches who refused to advise you in or hear any thing of the matter in difference till at least you had asked our consent and approbation thereof and therein you may please to remember the stress of their refusal did lye to heare ought you had to say and if so we humbly apprehend it will take off that scandal of hypocrisie and changedness of mind laid to our charge by some amongst you Thus having given you a brief account of our last Message together with what hath passed between us and you since our last Paper was given in having therein unfeignedly and in all plainness opened our hearts unto you we shall not add more onely desiring That in case you do not think meet to receive our tender herein but proceed as formerly yon have done that then you will favour us so far or rather the Truth as to let this Paper be read unto the Brethren you shall send for before any proceeding be afterward the other two in their order as your intention was the last time the Messengers of other Churches were with you Intending here to conclude not having ought considerable to add some of our Brethren inform us of a Message received from you the last sixth day was a seven night to be communicated to us in words to this purpose That you did think meet to offer unto us that there might be a day of solemn fasting and prayer unto the Lord wherein you desire our conjunction the chief end of the duty being upon these three accounts First That both you and we might be deepely humbled before the Lord and be made sensible of all our evils and miscaerriages especially as they do relate to the present difference between you and us Secondly To enquire of the Lord a right way what you and we ought to do for the healing of it Thirdly That if there were any other thing we bought necessary to be put in we had our freedom to add thereto The consideration whereof hath put us upon a further enlargement in writing by way of answer and to which we desire to give this humble Reply That as to the VVork of humiliation it self and a day to be appointed in order thereunto we do fully approve of as being not onely a Gospel Ordinance but also incumbent on the Lords People in this day of sore affliction and time of Jacobs Trouble not onely as it may relate to our miscarriages evils committed since our first withdrawing wherein we desire to acknowledge before the Lord and you that herein we have ground sufficient to lie low before him and cover our Faces with shame in the sence thereof so far as it may not eclipse the riches of Grace in our Lord Jesus Christ but also in respect of the crying evils through the backsliding of professors under so great light which we fear doth fore-run some sore judgement upon this Nation in general and upon professors in particular but how to join with you as the case now stands between us we can see no Scripture-bottom or rational ground for the same it being pre-supposed first That you have amongst you those that are guilty of gross and scandalous sins upon which account We are withdrawn from you Secondly that you have not onely voted communion with such persons notwithstanding their sins but by a second Vote and continued practice justifie them in their evil and so many of you are become greatly partakers with them of their evil deeds and the rest also though less guilty Thirdly That you have so far own'd and approved of them as to forget their evil and charge us your poor brethren and sisters with making a rent and division for doing our duty when they indeed are the persons from whom the offence first came and some chief among you as greatly guilty as they by pleading for and excusing of them and so properly to be charged with making a rent and division in the Church Fourthly You have endeavoured to carry it on against us so as to take upon you the power of the Church without us and thereby would have proceeded to admonish us son making air out as you say in the Church had not the Lord wonderfully frustrated you in all your endeavours that Way though We should have rejoiced therein being comfortably satisfied that it would have been for his Namesake because We are contending for truth against the great iniquity among you and so the persons offending with their Abettors though the greater number to be admonished and withdrawn from by the lesser which if true then the power of the Church resides in the Lesser number and this in effect is no more then according to the practice of all the Congregational Churches in their withdrawing from the Parochial Churches Dear Brethren and Sisters these things are plain and true and therefore bear with us for We have yet longings of heart after you and desire to
to them all our Papers containing the sum and substance of what had been done by us as to those from whom vve vvere vvithdrawn that so they might have the clearest knowledge of things as we were able to give them and after some VVeeks we received this return from them viz. That according to our request they had been meeting together and waiting several times upon the Lord that they might be able to give us such advice as they might judge to be of the Lord and that as to what we had already done they did conceive we had been graciously led by the Lord and could not but own and approve of our proceedings hitherto but withall did apprehend before any further proceeding should be by us wherein they were very unanimous namely That we should yet once more make a further tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn about hearing the matter in difference between us as formerly we had done for these following Reasons viz. 1. To the end that those Brethren and Sisters of whom we write so tenderly in our Papers might thereby be brought off from those disorderly persons or else be the more without excuse if after such a tender made though refused they shall yet continue vvith them 2. In case such a debate be granted it is conceived that Truth of the one hand and Iniquity on the other will be thereby discovered and the eyes of many opened to whom the knowledge thereof shall come or else we thereby the more vindicated as to any further proceedings if such a tender should be refused 3. That those Brethren whose advice had been desired will be the more cleared and justified in any further proceedings whether a debate be granted or not 4. That the Messengers of the Churches called in by the other part of the Congregation were so tender as not to proceed without the consent of both parties therefore those brethren whose advice we have desired could do no less then make such a proposal unto us that if possible a debate of the matter in difference my be obtained 5. That though it is believed what is contained in our Papers be true yet by such a debate truth will be made more plain unto those Brethren whose advice we have desired for their further proceeding and justification before others 6. That this VVork being of Concernment unto all the Congregations in the Nation ought therefore to be done with as much consideration as may be in regard the issue of it if done in the spirit of the Lord will be much for his glory and the advantage of his despised and reproached Cause and People at this day After these Reasons laid before us a Brother stood up in the Name of the whole and gave them a kind acknowledgement of their brotherly love That there were any who would own and stand by the truth in such an evil day as this is and for what they had offered concerning another tender to be made unto those from whom we were withdrawn we should consider of it with their Reasons inducing thereto and according as we should be directed by the Lord so we hoped it was in our hearts to preceed and no otherwise And so those Brethren departed after which a little time was spent together and a day concluded upon to seek the Lord by prayer as to what they had offered unto us and accordingly at the time appointed we met and in the conclusion of the day came to this result That it would be much for the glory of God respect being had to the foregoing Reasons to make another tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn and that two brethren be forthwith chosen to acquaint them therewith The substance of the Message delivered to the other part of the Congregation at Allhallovvs the sixteenth day of the fifth Month 1657 by the two Brethren appointed thereunto That they were sent in the Name and by the appointment of the Brethren and Sisters withdrawn from them to present a Message unto them after seeking the Lord as being that which they judge to be his mind and will concerning them and is to this purpose Notwithstanding we had two several times already offered unto them for the further manifestation of truth and clearing up our integrity in the matter and ground of our withdrawing we did hereby once more make this further tender unto them that according to the tenure of our last Paper given in we might according to our Gospel-liberty in this extraordinary case choose on our part men fearing God and working righteousness and faithful to the Cause of Christ in this evill day and such who have hazarded their lives for the same whether in Churches or out to hear the matter in difference between us and they might on their parts take the like liberty if they thought meet there being no command forbidding or injoyning us to send unto Churches onely in matters of Church difference though we conceive it be a very equitable way to send unto Churches did it not appear the generality of Churches are either silent under or complying with the Apostacy of this day and in regard we had already waited about three or four monthes since our first tender in this kinde without any return we judged it meet to offer that we might receive your answer one way or other by this day fortnight And so the two Brethren intrusted with the delivery of the said message came away leaving it to their consideration About twelve dayes after Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh brought us an answer to the said Message which is inserted in our next paper it being thought meet to be given in writing that they might the more plainly judge of our Reasons why we could not condescend thereunto and likewise that it might either be a witness for or against us for the time come And is as follows A paper Containing our Reasons why we could not condiscend unto the message brought by Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh Dear Brethren and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ VPon the 28th of the Last moneth we received a return to our last message by Master Jessey accompanied with brother Palmer and Brother Marsh and was in words to this effect That himself with Master Knowles and Master Barebone were by you acquainted with a message received from us being the same we had formerly delivered And in regard the matter in difference was by you referred to the members of several Churches to do therein as they think meet of whom they were a part they did thereupon give notice to the rest of their Brethren intrusted with this businesse who meeting together came to this result to which they had also received your consent to wit That they thought it but reasonable we should have the liberty of our choice provided those we sent unto be Church-members chosen by the consent of their respective Congregations if so they were to have
many of you Indeed we have ground to fear that many of you are so far become guilty as to call their evil good and our withdrawing from them and you upon this account evil And although we have been now one whole year and half or thereabouts waiting upon you in the Lords way by our withdrawing from you wherein we have been desirous to exercise patience and much long-suffering and as we hope with yearning bowels towards you in some measure willing to have compassion of you as of our own soules left we should also be tempted Likewise a year and half before our withdrawing bearing our Testimony against the evill amongst you so that had there been any heart in you to purge out the old leaven you might have become a new lump unto the Lord in so long time and thereby have been a vessel of honour meet for the Masters use in your generation but notwithstanding their sin hath been so often laid before you by us since as well as before our first withdrawing and having we hope out of love to your soules as well as for the glory of God in discharge of our own duty admonished the Souldiers of their evill and your selves as their Abettors according to the Rule of the Gospel that if it had pleased our heavenly Father you might thereby have been duly humbled under his mighty hand by smiting upon the thigh saying What have I done and each one have considered from whence you are fallen and done your first works Moreover in regard it was imputed to us That we would have none to Judge of or hear the ground of our withdrawing but our selves we did thereupon offer unto you that we were willing others should have the hearing of our Cause or rather the Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ wherein such poor worthlesse wormes as we are ingaged Provided we might have Liberty on our part to choose Persons of known Integrity and Godliness of whose faithfulness to the cause of Christ we might have good ground of Assurance in such an evil day as this is which by your practice you have absolutely denied us and in stead thereof have sent a third time to the several Congregations in and about the City without our consent or approbation that they might by their messengers hear and judge of the Matter in difference between us though they have refused to meddle with it And Oh that the consideration thereof might yet at the last put you upon some serious inquiry what should be the minde and will of the Lord concerning you therein and whether a third denial of this kinde doth not speak that you have so often gone out of the Lords way about that work and have refused susch equal wayes as might tend to the further discovery of truth as we humbly apprehend Likewise about 7. or 8. weeks since after seeking the Lord and receiving advice from such as were faithfull to the cause of Christ in this day we did judge it our duty notwithstanding your refusall to this day yet once more to make the same tender unto you as we had done formerly That the matter in difference might be debated in the presence of a certain number of godly persons one half chosen by you and the rest by us and all of them having equal liberty of speaking as occasion might require To which we received Answer being little less then a plain denial of our tender however we make a speedy reply in writing that our willingness to such a work might appear for answer whereunto we have been about four weeks in expectation but having no return we do discern that the Lord hath shut up your hearts from it which doth the more plainly appear for that we are informed those Members of Churches to whom you have committed the perusal of our last paper did give in their Judgement That our desire therein was but reasonable and ought to be condesscended unto Now we could wish that the sence of your great evil might lie more upon our hearts wherein we would also not be unsensible of our own miscarriages in the management thereof desiring we hope to mourn before the Lord for the same yea we desire not onely in the words but Spirit of the Prophet Jeremiah to say Oh that our heads were water and our eyes a fountain of tears that we might weep night and day for our own sins and iniquities as well as for the great abominations of this time being an open Apostacy from the Cause of Christ and this Nations freedom sealed unto in the late Wars by the Faith Prayers Blond Tea's and Estates of many thousands of whom not a few were Saints whereinto you are so greatly fallen and it is upon the hearts of some of us that if the Lord shall not mercifully yet at the last send his Angel and pull you out from amongst this Apostatizing generation this may probably be your portion That Partaking of their sins you may partake of their Judgements An therefore that we might be remisse in nothing so far as the Lord hath discovered it to be his minde and will unto us It is after seeking of his face for Councel and direction and some searching of our own hearts judged to be our duty to leave this paper with you as our last Testimony against the crying evils and abominations amongst you and cleaved unto by you some more some lesse as is hereafter mentioned First As to our Brethren the Souldiers We humbly declare and testifie in the Name and fear of the Lord who is the searcher of all hearts they do appear unto us very manifestly guilty of those several sins laid to their charge by us as being principall Abetters unto and Supporters of the Apostacy of this day headed by the Person now in Power by whom our Brethen stand and so stiffly contend for as if they would justifie him in all his Oppressions wherein he ariseth and higher to the great reproach of the Gospel The sin we shall onely name being more largely set down in our first paper First Treason having betrayed the Cause and Intrest of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Nations Liberty contended for in the late Wars which did maniselt it self First In pulling down all Antichristian laws Statutes ⋆ Having before proved that there is an Apostacy we now come to shew the rise of it and is as followeth When the War was ended at Worcester the Lords people expected that the good things the Army declared for and promised should be brought forth Also the man in Power and the Army appear'd in words to do so to And do blame and pretend they dissolved the old Parliament for not doing those good things and likewise to call the Little Parliament as men fearing God and Principled to bring them forth as also to Act for the Advancement of Christs Kingdom And go on to say that something was at the door and that we were at the edge and threshold of the
Promises and Prophesies and therefore should lift up our hears and rejoyce however if there were neither promise for this nor prophesie we should covet and endeavour after the best things and do speak as to purity in Magistracy and Governments as if none but who had the Spirit were fit to Act upon Christs account at this day And likewise hint as if themselves were a part or at least had the Spirit of the Stone which shall break and consume all other Kingdomes c. And as if the Call of the Little Parliament was a fruit of the Stones smiting quoting Dan. 2.44 With many other excellent good words relating to the Calling of the Jews and the glory that will be in that day See his speech to them either by it self or in pag. 56. to 63. of book called the Looking-glass Now what did this hold forth but that they would endeavour to bring things as near as might be before Christ comes to what they shall be when he is come Isa 32.1 2. Mich. 4.1 2. Psal 72. But all this as we have too just ground to fear and by what hath since appear'd was but to cover the designe of self Advancement For when those who were faithful in the Little Parliament came to do those good things and to take away all Antichristian and Oppressive Lawes and Customes that were and are yet remaining among us Several self intrested men among them and others easily led by them perceiving that if they went on it would go ill with be Lawyers Clergy and other Corrupt Intrests took Counsel together how they might dissolve that Parliament and in Order thereunto came to the Parliament House in a morning two hours sooner then usually and moved tho resigning their Power But some of the other party coming in opposing it they durst not venture to put it to the vote but with the Speaker rose up and went away leaving a considerable number behinde them who were soon after turn'd out by Collonel Goff Lieunant Collonel White and Musquetteers thereby putting a stop to the Work of God and the aforementioned Persons going to White-hall and signing a Paper whereby they pretended to resign their Power to the Man who is now in Power Is the foundation of this present Government and so of the Apostasie and Customs any ways intrenching upon the Consciences of the Lords people in their publike Worship Secondly To prevent making any such Lawes for the time to come Thirdly To pull down all lawes in any measure oppressing the bodies of the Lords people or any others that violence may be no more heard in our Land Fourthly to deliver the Spiritual Church of Christ from the like oppression of Body or Spirit in any of the Dominions of Antichrist Fifthly To execute the Judgements written upon the great Whore who is drunk with the blood of the Saints Sixthly That Christ might be King in these Nations and his Lawes our Rule to walk by Seventhly that Monarchy or the power in one single Person might be extirpated because opposing Christs Dominion and utterly inconsistent with Common Freedome Eighthly That men fearing God and hateing Covetousnesse might be in Authority and no other Now whether Treason be not comitted in all these respects at this day and our Brethren therby become Traytors in abetting thereto with their swords in their hands we shall leave unto the Lord who judgeth Righteously and one day will make it known when the thoughts of all men shall be revealed Secondly Covenant breaking and false Swearing there being many Engagements and Declarations of the Army wherof our Brethren were and now are Actual Members for removing the evil and establishing the good mentioned in the foregoing Head Thirdly Oppression of the Bodies and Consciences of the Lords People and others well affected in this Nation by Tythes Taxes and Illegal Imprisonments The Latter of which the Army formerly Declared so much against as being very Oppressive that any man should suffer Imprisonment without any Legall cause ⋆ See Looking-glass pag. 7. Say they that no man be kept in Prison above a moneth but in that space to be brought to Triall by a lawfull jury of his equalls or else be discarged of Course There are many the like expressions in other of their Declarations shewed for it and keeping them there at will and pleasure and how frequently this hath been practised since this last Apostacy and is still continued we leave to all unbyassed persons to judge Fourthly Persecution of Saints two of them having been jaylors to their Brethren and the rest standing by in the day of their Brothers Calamity and Justifying the Persecutors by saying It is possible a Saint may suffer for evil doing Fifthly Maintaining Antichristian Lawes by which the Saints of old have suffered and do now suffer though so much blood and treasure hath been spent for the abolishing of them Sixthly Hereby they are the cause of sadning and grieving the hearts of the Righteous whom the Lord would not have sadned though our Brother Kelzey was and herein is more particularly guilty above any of the rest as hath been plainly proved which at first he denied yet afterwards confest at Brother Sampsons house much more then could be proved against him not with any sense of his evill therein but said It was his Judgement and Conscience to do what he had done And Notwithstanding that many of us had been labouring to Convince them and inform the Brethren to whom the ruling part of the Congregation was committed of their evils upwards of a year and half before our withdrawing who at first joyned with us and were more ready to be active herein then our selves yet afterwards declined for no other reason as we know but because their sin being of a publique nature was like to receive more then an ordinary countenance and so the more difficult and hazardous if they with us should be found doing our duty impartially not fearing the faces of men but it being to our labor proved fruitlesse and those who before were forward in the work of the Lord now became backward and not onely so but many of them excusers and Abettors in a very great measure to the grief of many of our hearts However that we might keep in the Lords way it was after solemn waiting upon him judged our duty to bring their evils before the Church that so if possible they might thereby have been brought to the acknowledgement thereof And here we hoped that iniquity shold have bad it's mouth stopped and truth have had the preheminence in such a Congregation as this had been for so many years being like a Beacon on the top of a Mountain but instead thereof the greater part votes Communion with them notwithstanding their evil laid before them which is to be mention'd not with joy but with grief and sorrow of heart though we conceive that vote was chiefly occasioned by our Brother Sympson thorow his constant pleading for and
honoured who at all times and in all ages hath doth and will hear the prayers of his faithful ones in Christ we have cause mutually to rejoyce that God hath heard your prayers for my fellow Prisoner and me and that God hath heard our prayers for you At my meeting with you I shall see more of God in some of you then ever I saw though some may wither away and come to nothing and I am confident that you shall behold the Image of Christ more plainly in me then ever formerly you beheld it God doth still notwithstanding many infirmities in me shine upon the Soul of his unworthy Servant in the face of Jesus Christ I shall grow in grace my faith is quickned my repentance shall be encreased my love will abound to you to all Saints my hope shall be lively and my joy shall be full And I shall never be ashamed that I have given you an Alarm of Christs comming in the Spirit among his People I do yet by free grace glory that I shall receive more of the Spirit in gifts and graces then yet is given unto me Isa 45.11 God hath commanded me to ask him of things to come Christ hath perswaded me that this Prison is a Jerusalem where I must wait for the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 Pray therefore for me for your selves and for all Saints that they and we may be Baptized with the holy Spirit not many dayes hence The Spirit will return again unto believing Saints and the Churches of Christ according to the New Testament institution shall be the Schools of the Prophets Universities as now they stand upon an Antichristian foundation must be tumbled down Antichrist hath set up those Cages of unclean Birds that they who go thither may learn to sing the whores songs but not the songs of Zyon what the Spirit shall be to the Spiritual Church those places have been to the Carnal Church when Antichrist forced the Woman into the wildernesse and taught men to believe that the Spirit was not to be expected any more but that was to cease in his gifts and to supply the want of the Spirit which was in the true Church he laid the foundation of Universities and from them and not from the Churches and Spirit of Christ he taught Men to expect a Ministry But these Monastries must down Down with them sweet Jesus and lift up thy self in thy Spirit among the Congregations of thy Saints The Ministry likewise must down which stands upon a Popish foot and Antichrists foundation yea the best of Ministers must be thrown down so far as they stand upon an Antichristian Bottom though God will own what is of his own Spirit in them And God will most eminently appear against those sons of Hophnye and Phineas as he did against their fathers the Archbishops and Bishops 1 Sam 2.16 Who say unto the People as they did Nay but ye shall give it me now and if not I will take it by force The Judgement is gone forth from the Mouth of the Lord against them and all the Babylonish Protectors in the world shall not be able to defend them and to maintain them in the enjoyment of their Antichristian maintenance But Jehovah shall Arise and have mercy upon Zyon Psal 103.13 For the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof The Spiritual Saints which are the stones of this Zyon begin to delight in one another and as they do abhor what is most glorious and seemingly Spiritual in Babylon so there is nothing so mean no outward Ordinance of Zyon so base and contemptible but they do honor it and thus they favor the Dust thereof Wherefore my Brethren if you are perswaded that this will be the work of God in this Generation night and day pray down those things Persons and Places which are Antichristian and yet standing in England Come out and be seperated from the wisdom and Spirit of the world and come up with me into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Labor to practise the Lesson of self denial in opposing those Errours and sins which are pleaded for by the world and some Saints in these times as truths and vertues and so with Noah you shall be upright in your Generations Indeavour to know what are those truths which God will now bring forth to Light and not suffer them any longer to lie under the Cloud of Antichrist and resolve to overcome your enemies either by doing or suffering And not loving your lives unto the death give all diligence that you may be Christians in power and not in form onely disclaim your own strength every day value not a faith repentance love or hope of your own working it is not worth a rush But look up unto Jehovah to work all grace in you by the operation of God Pray for me that I may have a more glorious Mission and Commission from Christ to Baptize and Preach the Gospel Isaiah had a more glorious Call at the second time then he had at his first calling Isai 6.1 though to the glory of grace I do acknowledge that I have had a sufficient call yet for the exaltation of grace I beg a more glorious Call to Preach the Gospel Oh that I might Preach as one having Authority and not as Vniversity men Oh that I might have more of the Spirit that I might serve you better then ever I have done and might in some measure be enabled to requite you for those pledges and expences of love which I have received from you I am for many favors in the Spirit engaged unto you Particularly for your great gift of love which you sent the last week by some of our Brethren you have obliged me unto you beyond my desires and expectations The Lord knoweth that I sought no such thing from you directly or indirectly I was very well content to spend onely out of my own purse in this Prison but seeing God hath drawn you forth to express your love this way I am bound thankfully to accept your gift and do profess that if I know my own heart I am more taken with your love then with your gift or should be taken with it if it were a hundred thousand times more then it is and shall pray that my God may supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Windsor the 12th Moneth 4th day 1653. This is a true Copy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren of the Lord Jesus SInce I did write unto you as the Lord did move Elijah to write unto Jehoram so I do apprehend that the Lord did stir me up to write unto the Lord General and contrary to my own resolutions the Lord did presse me to put my life into his hands by dealing
Secondly I know that Christ knoweth the poverty of some of you but you are rich Rev. 2.9 The Lord hath left in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord Zeph. 3.12 Woe be unto the full for they are empty blessed be the empty for they are full Woe be to the rich for they are poor Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God Labour therefore to be poor that you may be rich And if any man seem to be wise among you let him become a fool that he may be wise He that will be nothing shall be something and he that will be something shall be nothing He that hath ears to hear let him hear what Christ saith unto his Church Thirdly some of you live where Satans seat is and yet hold fast the Name of Christ and do not deny the faith of your King Rev. 2.13 Some are labouring in spirit to help Christ to the throne of England Others if you can but give them some comfortable hopes of a place or preferment or some other worldly thing they care not whether the interest of Christ sink or swim they are contented that Satan shall keep his seat and the throne if he will but gratifie their lusts But the Kingdom of England shall be the Kingdom of Christ let Souldiers and Devils and carnal Policy do what they can to hinder it For the Kingdoms of this world are become already to out saith Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 Fourthly There may be some among you though very few of whom Christ may say I know thy works and love and service and faith and patience and thy works and the last to be more then the first Rev. 2.19 Hold fast this Crown the Lord Jesus doth lay none other burthen upon you and therefore I will not That which you have already hold fast til he come Rev. 2.24 25. But fifthly I am afraid that Christ may say to some of you as to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead Rev. 3. There may be dead sinners in a congregation of Saints Oh! What will it advantage you to be in Church Communion with Saints here when you shall keep company with Fiends and Devils and Judases in hell to all eternity Externel priviledges and common gifts in the kingdom of heaven here will but agrivate our condemnation in hell hereafter unlesse Christs findes burning oyl in our Lamps internal and unfeigned graces in our souls Lay a carkass in the midst of a congregation of living men and will the carkass be enlivened by it so the presence of living members in a Church cannot quicken Church members who are dead in sins and trespasses strive therefore rather to be then to be accounted living Christians Sixthly There are some of you concerning whom Christ in the spirit doth inwardly give this testimony that they have a little strength Rev. 3.8 As Christ gave the same testimony concerning Philadelphia's Angel To you that have grace in truth more grace shall be given the weak shall be made strong grow therefore in grace and in the knowledge of the mystery of the Father Son and Spirit And while the lusty youths who are strong in their own strength shall faint and be weary and utterly fall They who have no might shall encrease their strength And they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.29.30 Seventhly I would that I had no ground to fear that there are some lukewarm Laodiceans among you whom the Lord will spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 One end of our redemption by Christ is zeal in good works Titus 2.14 He who is a professor in these dayes without zeal will not be a professor long The Lord will suddenly bring his furnace to Zyon to burn up the hypocrites and refine the true Saints I do beg this at the hand of my God that you may all in this Looking-glass behold the graces and spots of your souls and behold your several conditions I shall reminde you of that which I moved when I last spake among you That our Brother Wise may be called forth from among you to be a teaching Elder I apprehend that by the grace of God it may be to Gods glory your edification and confirmation in faith and love and my great comfort and refreshment And likewise desire that you will endeavour to walk in the order of the gospel as becomes the Churches of Christ A City may as well be without Government an Army without Military Discipline as a Church of Christ without discipline and government the Lord compleat you in graces gifts and officers in the knowledge and practice of all the ordinances of Christ our Saviour and in the fulness of his Spirit which in the Spirit is and shall be the prayer of him who by grace am made Your Companion and Brother in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ John Sympson 16th day 12th Moneth 1653. from my Prison in Windsor Castle This is a True Copy of the Original Examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren in Christ GRace Wisdom Discretion Valour Gentlenesse Meeknesse Zeal and Peace be multiplied upon you through the Knowledge of God and our Father who is God Blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 The word which I have from the Lord unto you at this present is to direct you in the right manner of doing that which is good unto the glory of the Father When we seriously consider how many in these times have held forth most glorious truths and done many righteous things and afterwards have apostatized from the way of truth and righteousness we cannot but conclude that they never did any of them well the heart of foolish man doth not deceive him more in any thing then in holding forth truth and in doing that which is good in it self if we are for truth and do that which is good our deceitful hearts are ready presently to canonize us for Saints when in the mean while we may be rotten hearted Hypocrites It is not enough to do that which is right and just but that which is good must be well done any defect though never so small in an action may make it evil but there must be a joynt concurrence of all Causes and Ingredients to make an action really good There is a broad way to hell in doing that which is materially good Praying Preaching Fasing meeting with the Saints breaking of Bread with them and to them may be a stage upon which a man with the approbation of the Saints may act his lusts and the truths of God in all ages have never suffered more sadly then by some zealous and religious Stage players who
the Lambs company upon Mount Zion you will never be able to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 The very noise and rumout that Christ is going unto a Prison and that we shall not be able to keep Company with him and minde his Interest vigorously unless we are made willing to follow him into a Prison will make some recant and rather blasphemously Father the Issues and births of the Spirit in them upon the flesh then run the hazard of suffering persecution for the Truths concerning Christ and his Interest which they have declared But you will say Why do you send these lines unto us are we not all for Christ and his People their Cause and Interest I answer with Paul to Agrippa I wish that you were not almost but altogether all of you such as I am except those bonds I wish that you were all as really for the Cause of Christ and his people against all Antichristian Spirits whatsoever as you seemed to be when the Churches at the first met at All-hallows But know that men do easily deceive themselves in generals In general Papists carnal Protestants all Professors of Christianity are against Babylon and Antichrist the man of sin who professeth himself to be Christs Vicar will say that he were not worthy to live if he were not against every Antichristian Spirit And therefore come to particulars if you will not be deceived and deluded by your own hearts Again if you will not be deceived by the great Cheaters Jugglers Impostures your own hearts do not onely try your selves in particulars in which all men Saints and sinners agree and which you may agree with them in without suffering persecution but come to particulars in the profession of which you may suffer persecution The word of Christ in our generation may be a word for a while for which we may suffer Christ had never had any Martyrs if there had not been some raised in Spirit to hold forth something in opposition to the judgement of the powers of the world under which they lived It is an easie thing to Preach and maintain a thousand truths without suffering And it may be that Christ would have one truth preached and witnessed unto which will certainly bring persecution at the heels of it You may Preach and speak against ten thousand sins and not suffer the loss of one hair by it And yet there is one sin which Christ will have his People speak against which may cost them their lives which I could easily demonstrate but the messengers departure doth inforce me to break off abruptly The Lord preserve you in wayes of truth and peace and make you more willing to suffer with the Interest of Christ then to raign with a base beggerly and proud Interest of men which shall be the prayer of him who in the Spirit of truth can subscribe himself Your Brother and Christs Prisoner John Sympson Windsor 1. Moneth 25. day 1654. This is a true Coppy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren in the Lord IF I am not mistaken concerning the time in which we live the next eminent work of God which will appear upon the stage will be the filling of his Temple with smoke from the glory of God and his power Rev. 15.19 And therefore it will not be an unseasonable word to stir you up to pray for the Accomplishing of it there will not be any great thing done beyond what you have seen with your eyes until the Angell of the Covenant come into his Temple to fill it with the glory of his Spirit surely the Spirit is upon his return to the Churches of Jesus Christ During the raign of the man of sin the Learned Impostures of the world with their Accademical Anointings have ecclipsed the glory of the Saints but when the promised Spirit of glory in Graces and gifts shall dwell among Sions Congregations the learned wisdom and policy of the carnall Church will be confounded As yet as I humbly conceive one vial hath not been poured forth But suddainly a great voice will be heard out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your wayes and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth Rev. 16.1 As when the Temple of Solomon was Consecrated fire came down from Heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the house and the Priests could not enter into the Temple 2 Chron. 7.1 2. So Christ of whom Solomon was a Type is about to Consecrate his New Testament Temple which Antichrist hath profaned and polluted And suddenly the glory of Jehovah will fill his Churches fire will come down from heaven upon his beloved ones The Angel will fly thorow the midst of Heaven preaching the everlasting Gospel and the earth will be enlightned with his glory Hitherto onely some of Antichrists body hath been destroyed but then his Spirit will be confounded and destroyed It was the speech of Luther concerning King Harry the 8 th that he hated the body of Antichrist but loved and lived in his Spirit So there are many in these times who hate the body but love and live in the Spirit of the Whore The Spirit of the Whore is exalted in England and though few can see Spirits yet blessed be God there are some who have Eagles eyes and behold the Spirit of Christ and Antichrist combating upon the stage of England As blinde as I am who am not worthy to be accounted a spiritual Saint from Windsor Castle I descry and behold the Spirit of Babylon gotten upon the throne in England yea I behold a Beast risen in England with two horns like a Lamb but he speakes like a Dragon It was the speech of a Pope concerning an Archbishop of Canter bury That he was a Pope of another world Alterius orbis Papa Meaning of England I tell you the truth there is not onely a Pope of Rome but there is a Pope of another world but by faith I do behold his hornes dropped off And I pray to my God that that may happen unto him which befell the Caldean Lion Dan. 7.4 That his wings may be pluckt and he made to stand upon his feet and that a mans heart may be given unto him Oh that he might cease to be a beast and become a man If the Spirit of Antichrist be in the Pope and his Cardinals he is in this Beast and his Delegates The Lord Jesus hath set in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing Helps Governments diversity of Tongues But this Beast by his Ecclesiastical Antichristian power hath set up Commissioners Patrons Parsons Vicars Curates and Lecturers The Lord Jesus doth make Ministers by the Unction of the Spirit But this Beast doth make Ministers by a Sealed Instrument The Lord Jesus hath appointed that his Ministers should live by the free contribution of the People But this Beast will
maintain them in the injoyment of a maintenance which by the Mother of Harlots is inforced and compelled from the People Sweet Jesus open the eyes of the People of England that they may see themselves in the midst of Babylon Dear Brethren be not offended with the subject of this Letter I am bound as a Watchman to give you notice of the approching of the Beast and be not offended with my manner of expressing of my self It is best to speak of Christian and Antichristian things and persons in the language of the Scripture or Scripture like words What I write I write with a good conscience without doubting or wavering blessed be Jehovah for it and therefore receive it in love learn to love every truth of God if any of you be otherwise minded concerning this matter God shall reveal even this unto you in the mean while whereunto you have already attained walk by the same Rule of Christ and minde the same things Pray to God that he may keep you sound in the Faith which I hope you have received from Jesus Christ and take heed of those deceitful workers who overthrow the plain and simple gospel of Christ Do not hazard your own soules endamage the soules of others not encourage them by lending an ear unto their Sermons and discourses beware of familistical and notional wolves in sheeps clothing remember that victory over false Teachers is part of that victory which we have by Christ Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them John 4.4 Because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world If any therefore come into your City and bring not the plain Doctrine of Faith according to Godliness bid them not God speed for he that biddeth them God speed is partaker of their evill deeds 2 John 10.11 Do not murther Soules by encouraging Soul-murtherers by hearing of them but beware lest being led away by the errour of the wicked you fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.16.17 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ To him be glory both now and for ever Amen Your Brother in the Spirit of Jesus John Sympson Windsor the 2. Moneth the 8 th day 1654. This is a true Coppy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Dear Brethren I Have thorow mercy a whole week together tasted the sweetness of God in close Imprisonment it is nothing to be alone if it be for many years together where there is a gracious presence of God he that with Enoch walketh with God can never be alone It was the speech of an heathen I am never less alone then when I am alone how much more may a Christian say who in truth can say Truly my fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Unless the New Courtiers did love me very well they would not deal with me as they do If they knew what an Advantage close Imprisonment were unto me That my Faith Joyes Hope Sanctification might arise higher my Father gave forth his Orders that the under Gaolers should keep me close Prisoner Father if thou wilt be so sweet in all thy dispensations to thy worthless and vile Creature though by grace thy Son it shall not be grievous unto me If it shall please thee to suffer them to deal more roughly and barbarously with me God is so sweet that I cannot but glory in Tribulations I have my wife and children about me while I am alone because my Jesus is with me My personal Communion is so sweet with God that were it not that I would not live onely to my self and my own comforts in glorifying God but do desire to be usefull unto others in glorifying God I should never desire more external Liberty God doth smile upon me yea that you may wax confident by my Imprisonment and not be ashamed of my reproach I must tell you the cause for which I suffer doth smile upon me Who am I that God hath so highly honoured me in thinking me worthy to suffer for Righteousnesse sake in bearing witness against the Covetousnesse Lies Perjuries Hypocrisies and Tyranicall Practises of Men I would not change my Imprisoned condition with the highest condition of my persecutors and oppressors How much is it better to be a persecuted Saint then a Persecutor The Lord will succour and relieve the oppressed but will break in pieces the oppressor I begin to be perswaded that there is some truth in the things which formerly I spake doubtfully of About at twelve moneth since in Martins fields I was transported into a Spirit beyond my own and in it the downfall of great O. was revealed unto me About the dissolution of the Parliament I saw great O. four severall Mornings Intellectually In the first he was hastily running towards a Crown In the second he sat in a Chair of State In the third he was presented with a part of Horns upon his head and in the fourth he was shamefully tumbled from his Pomp and Glory I have seen the three first come to pass and for the third I do now more fully understand it then ever I did His two Horns are his Tyrannical Power by which he doth push at and persecute the poor Saints and his Antichristian power by which in things Spiritual and Ecclesiastical he doth oppose Christ in his Royal Prerogatives as he is King of Saints and an appointer and ordainer of Preachers according to his own Laws I pitty the man in the place in which he is now seated If he were an Angel in his present place and feat he could not but be a persecutor of the Saints for he is one of the ten horns of the Beast which must make war with the Lamb but he shall overcome him for he is Lord of lords and King of kings and they that are with him are called chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 I had an impulse of Spirit in which I was strongly carried to believe that that Bastardly Government in the setting up of which the mouthes of Gods enemies were opened to blaspheme should die and not live though in it self it might be good enough and too good for us unless we did walk more worthy of our mercies yet considering it as set up by them who declared so much for the Liberty of the free born people of England and the Interest of Christ it is a bastard begotten conceived in a night of Hypocrisie and brought forth in a day of bold faced impiety and the Lord will make a grave for it for it is vild I did apprehend that great O. was set up by God permissively by the Dragon voluntarily by himself ambitiously by the Army cowardly by willing Saints Trayterously and by unwilling Saints passively mournfully I do repeat these things that you may know I am confirmed not weakned in my perswasions that you may know what comfortable ground I have to wait for
confess doth weigh in the ballane of truth yet this doth not prove that we ought to publish their sins by writing and therefore we would gladly hear what Scripture you have for the same Answer In case it appears that according to the nature of their sin and the capacity they stand in they cannot be rebuked before all but by publishing them by writing then we think it cannot be supposed but that it is our Gospel liberty so to do or otherwise as may most answer the end of the Scripture that their folly being manifest to all they may proceed no further else how came Pauls epistle about the Incestuous Person to be published surely none will Judge that the Apostle did write out of malice or revenge But further we desire more particularly that that Scripture in Isa 30.1 2. and 8. verses together with the Scriptures in the margent may be compared and it will appear that the sin of Israel in that day runs parallel as face answers to face in a glass with the sin of our day as if it were the very time he prophesied of In the first and second verses after he hath laid down their sin with the aggravations of it he is commanded in the eigh verse to write it in a table and note it in a book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever And the sin of the Souldiers in this day seemes to run in a line with the sin of Israel in that day and without doubt the Propher by the Spirit of the Lord was directed to foresee our very day that what he then writ might be a word of Instruction for after ages For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning c. Rom. 5.4 Object The end of Pauls writing about the Incestuous person was not so much about publishing by writing the sin of such a person or persons in the like maner guilty but rather for direction unto the Churches how they ought to proceed against persons guilty of such gross sins Because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump And for that Scripture in Isa though it be full unto the purpose for which it is urged yet we conceive he had an extraordinary command for it Also the Church of the Jews being National it was no more then a publishing their sin in the Church Answ We do grant as is laid down in the objection that one end of the Apostle was to give direction how brethren in Church relation guilty of grosse sins ought to be proceeded against yet this doth no ways weaken the other end the Apostle might have in leaving this Epistle upon record that if God may be glorified by it to publish by writing the sins of such persons for generations to come which being compared with that in the 30. of Isa aforementioned seemes unto us strongly to warrant such a practice And although it is urged in the Objection that what Isaiah writ was by an extraordinary Spirit and unto the Jews as a National Church So was all the Scripture writ with an extraordinary Spirit wherein are some things for our positive Rule and the rest as words of Instruction for the people of God in after ages that they might with that ordinary portion of the Spirit given forth unto them with the help of the Scripture be throughly furnished to every good work And for what is further urged That it was a Church Act they being a National Church That we conceive is a mistake or at least much shortning the scope of the Spirit thereby intended for in the 9. verse of that Chapter the Prophet is directed to write down their transgression not onely as a Church but as a Nation in these words This is a rebellious people there is their national state and in the next words lying Children there is their Church State so that we conceive this Scripture stands firm and unanswerable Object Was not Ham Noahs son reproved for uncovering his fathers nakedness though guilty of the sin of drunkennesse Gen. 9.22 And if they should be published this Scripture would reprove us for hath not Mr. Sympson been as a father unto us Answ Noahs sin was private committed in his cent Noahs sin was not Wilful but Ignorantly for he being the first that planted a vine as we read of was drunk with the wine not knowing the strength thereof Also Ham uncovered his fathers nakedness before fore he had humbly laid his evil before his father for else we conceive that if Noah had persevered to justifie himself after admonition once and again as the Souldiers and Mr. Sympson do and continue in their evil Ham would not then have been charged with uncovering his fathers nakednesse Now the sin of the Souldiers is a National sin in turning aside to the old Abominations after many out-goings of God to the pulling them down and solemn Declarations Ingagements and Promises to the Contrary And for Master Sympson We conceive that in publishing his Letters we rather cover then uncover him by holding forth to the view of all what and excellent Spirit was formerly in him for Christ and his Glory But further we meddle not neither in the Narrative preceding otherwise then in our proceeding against the Sonldiers he comes in as their Abettor Object Was not the sin of Judas in betraying Christ a publique sin yet we do not read that the Disciples ever made mention of him except it were in the choice of another Apostle to take his place and therefore we do conceive that although their sin be publique and they in a publique capacity yet it ought not to be published Answ This Objection seems unto us to have no weight in it in case it were so as you assert For Judas went and confessed his sin to the Chief Priests and Rulers and then destroyed himself as the just Judgment of God upon him for his great iniquity in Betraying our Lord Jesus And therefore not so needful to testifie against a person who was taken out of the world by so eminent a Judgment But yet we finde that as the Lord by his Spirit in his faithful ones hath Recorded and published the sins of Asa Jehu Hazael and other Rulers as also the sins of his own people in the old Testament So by the same Spirit hath the Disciples Recorded the sins of Judas in the New and to his perpetual infamy published him to the world as a covetous and treacherous person in betraying our Lord Jesus As also the sins of Demas and Alexander Likewise have the Apostles persevered in their ⋆ publique testimony against the Scribes and Pharises c. for continuing in and justifying of the sin of their forefathers in shedding of innocent blood And do not the Souldiers by their sin in upholding the Oppression Tyranny and Persecution of this day also justifie the former Oppressors Tyrants and Persecutors in their sin adding thereunto more and more to the
shame of Profession not onely in this but other Nations also Wherefore it is much upon the hearts of some of us That if our Transactions in this kinde had not been published we should not have been able to free our selves from the guilt of the blood shed in the late Wars In regard we have hereby a price put into our hands and so are called to serve the Lord there with Object Notwithstanding what hath been spoken we are not satisfied as to the Printing and publishing of the said papers for it seemes to us to savour of vain-glory at the least and therefore were desire that 2 Sam. 1.20 concerning the death of Saul may be considered where David makes use of these words concerning him Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph Now if Sauls iniquity ought not to be published who had so foully backslidden from the Lord lest the enemies of the Lord should triumph then surely the Souldiers evil ought not to be published which we think doth not exceed Sauls though we are satisfied that the Lord is greatly dishonoured by them Answ For a right understanding of this Scripture and thereby a due answer unto this objection we desire that 1 Sam. 31.8 and 9 verses may be weighed Where it will appear that the Philistines the next day after the battel finding Saul among the slain of Israel out off his head and sent it into the Land of the Philistines round about to publish it in the house of their Idol Gods and among the people so that Sauls death was alreadly published all over the land of the Philistimes and therefore as it ought not so it needed not to be published by Israel for he had not sinned against the Philistines But the Souldiers have sinned not onely against the people of God but the whole Nation and in this wickedness keep the Nation under their oppressive power and not onely so but cover their evill to many Godly as well as Carnall men saying They have done no evil and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to undeceive the people and many gracious hearts who still follow them as some did Absolom that rebelled against David In the next place though Saul had back-slidden in a particular command about saving Agag alive and preserving the Cattell of the Amalekites to offer Sacrifice with yet still he fought the Lords battells and rul'd by the same Lams as before so that though his sin was known in the Nation where he dwelt yet it was not as we can read known to any other Nation for Israel held correspondency then with no Nation but were a distinct people separate from them all so that it would indeed have savoured of vain-glory to publish his evill to such But the Souldiers have ingaged to stand by the grand Apostate who hath sworn to maintain the body of the old Beastly Antichristian Laws contrary to the end of the Lord and his people in the late War and their own Declarations and Ingagement so solemnly made in the day of their straits Also they fight Antichrists battells and not the battell of our Lord Christ and so their sin exceeds Sauls and if they persist therein so also wil thei Judgement And therefore may and ought to be published within the bounds of our own Nation against whom they have sinned Moreover Saul was Gods anointed and therefore he was ingaged to stand by him against his enemies had he not back-slidden so that had they published his death it was in a manner to have disowned the Lords Anointed upon which account it was as we conceive that David mourned for him after his death as being the glory of Israel but we hope there is none will be so void of understanding as to make such a comparison between the Souldiers and Saul Adding hereunto also that Saul by his death as the just hand of the Lord upon him was removed from any further dishonouring of his Name by his Apostacy And so there needed no testifying against him which was not in being no more then against Judas after the just hand of the Lord had reached him for his inquity But the Souldiers have the Power of the Nation in their hands and stout it out against the Lord and his People persevering in their evil and adding more and more to the dishonor c reproach they have already brought to the name of the Lord by covering their iniquity under a Form of Godlinesse and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to unvaile their hypocrisie and discharge a good conscience by a sutable testimony against them FINIS [a] Rev. 15.2 [b] Rev. 15.4 [c] Rev. 18.10 11. [d] Rev. 16.5 compared with ch 19.2 [e] Isa 8.18 [f] 1 Cor. 5.6 [g] 1 Tim. 5.20 com with Deur 19 20. [h] 2 Tim 2.8 comp with Num. 16.3 12 13 14. [i] Mat 27.19 24. [k] Mat. 23.34 35. [l] Mat. 23.30 [m] Rev. 3.15 16. [n] Rev. 2.2 3 10. [o] Judg. 5.9 â—3 [p] 2 King 9.32 [q] Isa 26.6 comp with Jer. 49 20. [r] Isa 30.1 2. [s] Jer. 15.19 20 21. com with chap. 1.17 18 19. [t] 2 Cor. 6.14 Phil. 4.8 [u] 2 Cor. 7.2 [⋆] Isa 5.20 [x] 1 Sam. 17.29 [y] 2 Sam. 6.20 [z] Luk 11.43 [a] Prov. 29 26. [b] Rev. 1.9 [c] Mat. 25.23 comp with Luke 12 from 35 to 45. [d] Acts 11.22 23 24. [e] Acts 15.38 [f] Rev 31.10 [g] 2 Tim 2 19 com with Jude 23 [a] Isa 26.21 [b] Isa 33.14 comp with chap 4.4 5. [c] Isa 4.4.5 [d] Psal 149 4. Gal. 2.18 Rom 21.32 Rom. 2.3 Phil 4.8 Mic. 2.2 Zeph. 3.4 comp with Ezek. 22.27 Ezek. 46.18 Pro. 22.22 Zech. 7.10 Neh. 5. v. 9 to 14. Iam. 2.6 2 Chron. 36.16 Matt. 23.30 31 34. 2 Chro. 19.2 Esther did otherwise chap. 8.3 5. com with chap. 7.3 4 6. yea she desired that the ren sons of Haman the persecutor might be hanged also Esth 9.13 Luk. 11.23 Mic. 6.16 2. King 10.29 30 31 32. Isa 29.13 14. com with Matt. 15.8 9. Lam. 2.15 16. Rom. 2.23 24. com with Isa 52 5.6 Psa 79.4 Dan. 9.16.2 Sam. 12 14 2 King 19 3 Jam. 2 7 Psa 69 9. Ezck. 13.22 Isa 10.1 ⋆ This also was by Kelzeys Order ⋆ To wit the time allowed them to look after their own occasions Matth. 18.19 20. Jam 1.5 chap. 5.16 Mal. 3.16 Luk. 24.14 15 17 32. Matt. 18.7 Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 13.6 Matt. 18.16 17. [g] Gal. 5.13 ⋆ Brethren of the other part of the Congregation ⋆ The man in Powerbid Mr. Jessey others call him Iugler if tythes were not taken away by the third of Septem 1654. ⋆ Mal 18 16 ⋆ It being as he said so great a case of Conscience And which indeed is so to us [q] Isa 64.5 ⋆ Viz pag 38. of this Book [s] Those two Admonitions are contained in our first second paper delivered in unto them ⋆ Note ⋆ Captain Harrison kept Master Sympson Major Strange kept Major Generall Harrisou ⋆ To wit Mr Ecak at that time a Prisoner there for the same cause of Christ with him ⋆ The Man in Power judged the Ministry of England stood upon a Popish Bottom and none to be Christs Ministers but those who had received the Spirit for that use See his speech to little Parliament in Looking-glass Pag. 60. Note Note ⋆ The Man in Power was of this minde also See his Speech to Little Parliament Looking-glass p. 62. ⋆ Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note who doth so now VVho doth so now Note Note ⋆ Note Note Who is a Lecturer now Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Is not Kelzye Strange Harrison Ducker Sumner whom we have charged with this And others the willing Traytors according to his own words ⋆ Among other Scriprures see 2 Kings 21.11 12. Jer 15.4 Hos 1.4 (c) Mar. 27.19 24 (d) As by their Declarations doth appear ⋆ Isa 31.1 Hos 8.3 4 Hab. 2.6 9 15. Amos 6.1 3 4 5 12 13. Hos 5.7 Isa 19.15 21. Isa 30.9 10 11 12 16. 2 Chr. 36.16 Mat. 2.24 48 49. ⋆ The Judgements against Judah were written in a Roll and published in the Lords house and abroad to the people And their fins likewise the cause of those Judgements were there with declared see Jer. 36.2 4 6 28 31 32 comp with chap. 35.13.15 17. ⋆ Gen. 9.21 22. ⋆ Matth. 26.15 16 25 47 48 49. Mark 14.10 11 43 44 45. Luke 6.16 Chap. 22.47 48. John 18.2 3. 2 Tim. 4.10 14. ⋆ Acts 7.51 52. ⋆ Rev 17.13 14. compared Jer. 51.56 57. ⋆ 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5.