speakes of as all the learned wil easily by his expressions perceive but hee is a meere novice in all divine learning and al good literature a fellow very wretched worthlesse and such an one as deserves to be exploded out of the schools of the learned and to be thrust out of the society of all orthodox and conscientious honest Christians and indeed if he were dealt with according to his merits hee deserves to be spewed out of the seven new churches of whom before I come to my reply I will take liberty to say yet a little more and as of him so of my Brother Burton and Master Knollys that as they are fratres in malo so they are equally guilty of the same sacriledge unrighteous dealing foras I. S. so they also rob the Church of Ierusalem of all those Members that were converted by Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and his blessed Apostles and Disciples before Christs death as is manifest from their words quoted before and from I. S. his scruples hee speakes of page 8. and 9. where hee unchurches and unchristians all those that were converted by Iohns and Christs ministry hee also with them with-holds the truth from the people in unrighteousnes and as if that had not been enough in the words I have now quoted out of the tenth page besides his denying that I have proved my first Proposition which indeed is a meere Presumptiou and begging the question to use his grollish expression hee to all his iniquity adds transgression and sinne which is the height of wickednesse accumulating error upon error as will frequently appeare for here againe hee first cuts off all those that were baptized by the Baptist from the Beleevers in Ierusalem whom hee deridingly cals Iohns disciples and converts Secondly Hee affirmeth of them all that they stucke in Iohns Baptisme and were but temporary Beleevers and ceased to walke with Christ Thirdly Hee affirmeth that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist did afterwards disperse themselves into severall countries And fourthly Hee asserteth that those that did continue at Ierusalem did gradually grow up into church fellowship Every one of the which assertions of Sir I. S. howso ever they are presumptuously laid downe by him as so many certaine and infallible truths yet I attest there is not the least warrant for any of them in the whole word of God no not so much as a shaddow of any authority to cover or colour them over yea they are all as egregiously and notoriously erroneous as they are uncharitable for they are all contrary to the word of God and to the law of love and kindnesse which thinkes no evill yea they contradict the revealed will of God as wee shall see in some particulars for whereas hee arrogantly amongst other of his false assertions saith That those that did remaine in Ierusalem did gradually grow up into Church fellowship as if they had not by Saint Iohns Ministry been made perfect Christians I say this is contrary to the expresse words of our Saviour Luke the 7. where hee giveth this testimony concerning all those that came out of Ierusalem to Iohns Baptisme all which were Inhabitants and innumerable companies for the Scripture saith Matt. the 3. and Marke the 1. That Ierusalem went out to him and they of Ierusalem that they justified God and rejected not his counsell against themselves to their owne destruction as the Pharisees and Lawyers did but they embraced Gods mercy to their salvation So that by Christs own testimony and witnesse the Pharisees and Lawyers onely excepted all the other were good and perfectly made Christians and in such a Church fellowship as with which they grew up to a perfect stature without any new Church-fellowship and therefore I. S. not onely saying that they were temporary Christians and ceased to follow Christ but that those of them that remayned in Ierusalem did gradually grow up in Church-fellowship afterwards in all hee saith I affirme hee giveth the spirit of God the lye who hath recorded the contrary as that they were perfect good Christians as having not rejected the counsell of God to their owne perdition but imbraced the promises to their salvation so that they were all by Iohns Ministry very well instructed in their duty in all respects Therefore both J. S. my brother Burton and all the Ill-dependents are most abominably wicked thus with their scriblings to unsettle the minds of the people ever pratling about a kind of Church fellowship of which they have neither Precept nor President in all Gods holy Word and which they themselves could never declare unto the world what it was and â—et they are ever babling of this Church-fellowship unchurchying all Churches but their owne because forsooth in their opinion they are not cast into a Church mold after the New Testament forme nor are not in church-fellowship whereupon they rashly proclame us all enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdome and it is no wonder that they thinke so contemptuously of all those that were baptized by the Baptist and that they judge so wickedly of us all for I. S. saith in the words above cited which is another of his great errors that it is suspicious that the three thousand converted at once were not so soone instructed in church-fellowship as converted These are his expressions From which I gather that Sir I. S. and all his complices are a generation of men very censorious and that they are creatures full of jealousies and causelesse suspicions and therefore that they ought by all good men to be shunned and avoyded as both dangerous and treacherous for here wee see they suspect those very three thousand converted by Peter as not well instructed in church fellowship notwithstanding in the very same chapter it is related that they were all well taught their duties both towards God and one towards another truly if ever any people were wel instructed they all were in whom all the acts fruits of faith are evident for wheresoever it comes it purifies the hearts of al those to whom God hath given it Acts 15. as here it is manifest it did it in that the soules of all those converts being pursued by the guilt of their owne sinne in crucifying the Lord of life and being sensible of the wrath of God due unto them for this their sinne their consciences also accusing them and aggravating unto them the haynousnesse of it it made them all fly unto Christ and roule themselves upon him and wholly rely on him for mercy and forgivenesse and wrought love also in them all toward God and Christ and charity one towards another the effects of which are set downe by the Holy Ghost and fully recorded in the second chapter verse 42 43. who saith That they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and that all that beleeved were together and had all things common and sold their
envyings are of the flesh and they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdome of God A double misery follows those that do these things misery here and misery hereafter it excludes men out of heaven The contemplation of the sad condition that will inevitably come upon that Land Kingdome and Church where those variances and heart-burnings are and where there is such diversity of opinions and by reason of them such difference in affection put me chiefely upon this imployment to see and try if by any possible meanes I could by shewing wherein the difference between the brethren lyeth be an instrument of a good accord amongst them resolving with my self by Gods assistance whatsoever others do to observe to the uttermost of my abilities the royall Law Jan. 2. 8. I do conceive that if there were a right understanding one of anothers opinions the world would wonder there should be such invectives in every pamphlet one against another and such varience among those that are joyned together and that with nighest relations The truth is the mis-understanding of each others opinions and the mis-prisian of each others intentions is the onely cause of this diversity of affection which to the dishonour of God and of our holy profession and indeed to the disgrace of Christian Religion every where too much venteth it selfe And therefore as Abraham said unto Lot so say I to all those that love the truth in sincerity and wish the Peace of Zion Let not us contend especially with evill language for we are brethren we have one father we worship one God we have one light one truth one way And this I professe to all the world That I contend not for victory but for that ancient light the faith once delivered unto the Saints Iude 3. For that truth which we have heard from the beginning 1 Iohn 2. ver 14. for the old way verse 6. The way the truth and the life Ioh. 14. and for the honour of that Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile in the which there are all those undeceiveable marks as are able for ever to declare her to be built upon the foundation of Peter in which the Gospell of Jesus Christ is purely and sincerely both preached and beleeved and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and in the which there is the true invocation of God and all other requisites that make her a true Church and from which there is no just cause of separation That I have dedicated this Treatise to no man nor sought the patronage of any Authority no mortall creature I presume will blame me knowing my Reasons For writing in defence of the Prerogative Royall of Kings against Papall Usurpation I dedicated my booke unto the King of great Britaine France and Ireland supposing my selfe safe under his protection whose honour and imperiall dignity I maintain but all men know what misery to the ruine of me my wife and many small children came upon me by it through the power and exorbitant authority of the Prelates so that for my duty and Loyalty to the King I had a prison for my reward and the scornes and contumelies of the world to comfort me in it And when I most humbly petitioned his highnesse complaining against the injustice done me and most submissively supplicated his Majesty who was the Caesar to whom only I could then appeal that he would be pleased to grant me one of these humble requests either That his Majesty would be pleased but for one houre to give me a hearing of my just defence or if that could not be granted That at lest he would then grant me that liberty in his Kingdome that he denyed not to Crows and Kites and other Vermine that I might provide for my young ones and if his highnesse would not be pleased to condescend unto either of the former just demands That then he would give me leave to depart the Kingdom and to go into any other Country where I might enjoy my Liberty and provide for my poore distressed family I am most assured there was never a more equall Petition put up to any Prince in the world yet his Majestie vouchsafed not to yeeld unto any of these my requests nor to any other Petition put up either by my poor distressed wife or calamitous children so that without any wrong unto his Majesty I may truely say That Paul found more favour from a Heathen Roman Caesar then I had from a Christian King the defender of the faith After I saw all possibility of releefe was now taken from me I writ my Apology to the Bishops themselves discovering unto them their unjust proceedings in their Courts and their unrighteous dealings towards my selfe and gave them my reasons of all I spake without any offensive language and without any perturbation of Spirit and Dedicated this my Booke to the Lords of his Majesties Privy Councell expecting ayde and reliefe from them and indeed I had no hope of succour from any other nor knew none to whom I could better apply my selfe earnestly imploring their patronage but they as it is well knowne of Patrons became my unjust Judges and after they had made me a spectacle to Men and Angells and exposed me to the scorne and ludibry of the world sent me into banishment where I lived a living death and a dying life and suffered such intolerable misery of all sorts as would exceed beliefe to relate and I am most confident if all the particulars were truly known the world never heard the like and there I had ended my dolefull life had not God of his infinite mercy called this Parliament and put into their hearts to redeem me from my captivity for the which incomparable favour I do as of duty I am ever bound professe my selfe to the last drop of my blood to be their servant in the Lord and in all their most just and honourable imployments I hope with all fidelity to answer to the expectation of the world and shall in life and death shew my selfe to be one that without all by-respects shall ever aime at the glory of God the honour of them and my Country and the common good of all and shall never by Gods assistance do any thing in their concernment that shall be unbeseeming a Man and a Christian Now because by my sad experience I found that I could neither from King nor Nobles have protection I resolved never any more in Gods matters to shroud my self under any covert but Divine Providence and that I with an assured confidence promise my self especially when I now maintain the prerogative royall of the King of Saints King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ Who is our Lawgiver upon whose shoulders the government of his Church is laid who is the wonderfull Counseller the Prince of peace whose dignity and royalty in all this dispute between me and Mr. Walter Mountague I have to the uttermost of my power maintained under the
wanted that part of Discipline I beeleeve they would exercise some more of their authority to teach such an one better manners or more wit Even so it was in the Church at Ierusalem they had discipline in that Church though wee reade not of the putting of it in execution as we do in the Church of Corinth and Ephesus neither wil any rationall man conclude that all the other Primitive Churches wanted that part of discipline because I say wee reade onely of the execution of it in the church of Corinth and that of Ephesus which is commended for it and some of the other seven churches are blamed for not casting out their corrupt Members and because they had not at that time exercised their authority neither reade wee of it in the churches of Galatia Colosse nor amongst the Thessalonians nor in the church of Rome nor Antioch nor in Samaria will any man therefore say that all these churches wanted that part of Discipline because wee reade nothing of it in them I am confident they will not be so fanaticall as to make such a conclusion from so brainsick a premise much lesse will any intelligible christian argue as my Brother Burton does saying wee reade not of that part of Discipline in the church at Ierusalem of casting out corrupt Members Ergo it had it not this would indeed prove a non sequitur and such a consequenct or conclusion could least of all have been made from the Church at Ierusalem upon such an Antecedent then from any of the other churches because the church at Ierusalem had not only the power of the Keyes within it selfe but a legislative power also who gave Lawes to all other churches both for the ordering and ruling of them and for the exercising of their Discipline in every particular and that by Gods appointment for out of Sion shall goe forth the Law saith the Prophet Isa 23. and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem So that the Church at Ierusalem the Mother church gave power to all the daughter churches and that both the power of Order and Jurisdiction the power was radically in it and in that church was the fountain of all authority the streames of the which flowed to all the other churches of the world For out of Zion shal go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And can any rationall man thinke it gave away all its power and did not keepe a reserve donec ad triarios redierit res I beleeve that all the Independents will much blame my brother Burton for this his rashnesse in affirming the church at Ierusalem wanted that part of Discipline for casting out corrupt Members when the Apostles themselves had all power in their hands bequeathed unto them by Christ himselfe who said Mat. 28. verse 18. 19. All power is given to mee in Heaven and Earth goe yee therefore and teach all Nations c. and Iohn the 20. verse 21 22 23. as my Father hath sent mee even so send I you and when hee had said this hee breathed on them and saith unto them receive yee the Holy Ghost whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins yee retaine they are retained Loe here was plenary authority given unto all the Apostles who as they had the Keyes promised them in the sixteenth of Matthew here they now received them and therefore they had the power in their hands both of order and jurisdiction which the Keyes imported as all the learned know and the very Independents doe not deny now this power was not onely given unto them but unto all faithfull Ministers their successors to whom Christ made a promise as well as to the Apostles Matth. 28. that hee would be with them to the end of the world neither doe wee ever reade that the Apostles and Ministers in the church of Ierusalem did ever relinquish their power and therefore they wanted not that part of Discipline as my Brother Burton grollishly affirmeth who begins now to doubt when hee begins to dote but if there had been any just occasion without all controversie they would have put it in execution but that church consisting of visible Saints and having no scandalous persons amongst them had no occasion of the exercise of that part of Discipline which they wanted not though they exercised it not for it is to be believed that the Apostles would have discharged their duty in punishing offendors if there had beene any And I believe that the Independents would blame any of their Schollers and Members if they should say their new congregated churches wanted that part of Discipline of casting out of corrupt Members though they have not as yet in some of them put it in execution for they have learned to distinguish between the power of a Church and the execution of that power in a church for as it doth not argue that a Court of Justice hath not power of life and death when notwithstanding it is invested with the Authority of hanging and drawing though perhaps after it is erected they either have no occasion of executing that authority that is given or them out of Clemency will for a time shew mercy and use lenity towards offendors not taking the extremity of the Law the more with humanity and kindnesse to reclaime them even so in all well constituted Churches the not executing of the power given them by Christ or the not having just occasion of putting that power in execution doth not prove a want of that power and if any of the Members of the new congregations should so argue against their new church Officers I believe they would soone make use of their Keyes to shut such a Member out of their Church doores as my brother Burton falsly complaines that Truth was lately shut out of Aldermanbury Church doores And truly if one of their whibbling congregations have no want of that part of Discipline though they execute it not shall any man be so temerarious and unadvised as to thinke that the power of the church in Ierusalem was evacuated or enervated or that they had not that part of Discipline when there was greater power in it then in any church in the world all who had all the Apostles amongst them and as Christs and Iohn Disciples all of them armed with the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and when the Magazine and treasury of all power resided continually in that church and therefore that part of Discipline when all other churches derived their power authority and jurisdiction from that as the mother church And to this I now say I am most assured all judicious men will easily consent and agree And therefore my brother Burton affirming that the church at Ierusalem wanted that part of discipline of casting out of corrupt Members saying That neither the Church at Ierusalem was a perfect patterne nor none of the Primitive churches were compleat within themselves but that they must
wavering for hee is faithfull that promised and let us consider one an other to provoke unto love and good workes not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one an other and so much the more as you see the day approaching It seemes the Jewes presuming of their owne holinesse and that they were the peculiar people of God thought basely of the Gentiles and began to separate in that regard from their publike assemblies as too many now adayes of the Ildependents doe from their brethren thinking themselves more holy then they the Apostle therefore writing to his countrey men the Jewes blames them for this and in them reproveth all that doe the like and forbids them so to doe and Saint Iohn speaking of such as made schismes in the Church saith that if they had beene of us they would not have gone out and departed from amongst us but in that they separated from amongst them it was manifest that they were not of them so that hee maketh it a marke and note of Apostates to make rents and schismes in any Church from the publike assemblies in all these regards therefore wee ought to take heed of separation and ought in this to make the church of Ierusalem and the other Primitive Churches our paterne and example and not to separate from the churches and assemblies of the Saints though indeed there should be many faylings in them which when the churches of the congregationall way daily doe they are highly to be blamed as offenders against precepts and presidents both of Christ and the blessed Apostles and against the example of all the Primitive churches who never did it all the which notwithstanding my brother Burton saith ought to be conferred together for the making up of a perfect paterne for our imitation they therefore not following their paterne but making rents have in their so doing much to answer for Lastly as the church at Ierusalem and all the other churches my brother Burton enumerates are to be a paterne to all churches in succeeding ages in their well doing and in what was prayse worthy so likewise wherein either the whole churches or any officers or members in them were fayling in their duty and for it either reproved threatned or punished for their owne disobedience or but for their indulgence at others in their sinnes as old Ely I Sam. 3. in that hee did not correct and chastise his wicked sons and the seven churches of Asia for their particular faylings especially those of Pergamos Thyatira and Laodicea for suffering the doctrinc of Balaam Jezebel and of the Nicolaitans though it was not with approbation of the same but onely in that they connived at them and did not exercise their power in casting out those offenders and punishing those luke-warme Laodiceans who were indifferent what religion was set up or imbraced amongst them I say in all these respects both these churches and people and all other churches for their faylings and punishments are examples to us to teach and forwarne us not to offend in the like manner lest partaking with them in their sinnes wee partake with them also in their severall plagues and punishments for whatsoever was written was pend for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. verse 11. and therefore if wee will tolerate all religions among us and shall not be zealous for the honour of our God and labour by all our might to establish his true worship and for the extirpating of all heresies and scandals the Lord will have a controversie against us as hee had against them and if wee repent not will remove his Candlesticke from us and leave us in darkenesse and in the shadow of death as hee hath done those churches in Asia who are all now under the Mahumetan superstition For wee must take notice that as every command of God is both preceptive and prohibitive so there is something in the practise and manners of all the Saints and churches of God as that in the Israelites 1 Cor. 10. and in the above mentioned churches that have some things in them to be shunned and avoyded as their speciall sinnes and faylings and some things in them likewise to bee imitated as their zeale piety vertues and godly examples and holy courage which as they are all praise worthy and for which they ought ever to be honoured so they are set downe for our learning and imitation that wee should doe the same yea this their example is as a command to us that wee should follow them in this their well doing and where they did evill and fayled in their duty in this there is a prohibition to all christians and to all churches in succeeding ages to the end of the world to take heed left they doe the like and so fall into the same condemnation as Paul speakes 1. Tim. 3. verse 6. where prohibiting the Evangelist to ordaine a novice for a Minister he saith lest being lifted up with pride hee fall into the condemnation of the Devill for by his pride hee was cast out of heaven that saith the Apostle hee was condemned for therefore lay thou no hands upon a novice lest hee be lifted up with pride and fall into the same condemnation So that in all the former respects both the church at Ierusalem and all other churches and the people of Israel are a paterne to us upon whom the ends of the world are come that wee should alwayes set them before our eyes if wee desire to injoy those mercies and blessings they partaked in for their well doing or to shun and avoid those punishments were inflicted upon them for their sins negligences and rebellions And this I thought good to say in way of answer to my brother Burton concerning the Church at Jerusalem and the other Churches enumerated by him all the which hee asserteth are to bee conferred together for the making up of a compleate paterne and plat forme of Church government and yet grollishly denieth that they can be a paterne in all things which to speake the truth is a peece of non-sense and a contradiction But before I conclude with him and shut up this discourse I shall desire the Reader a little to ponder and weigh my brother Burtous expressions in the very entrance of this his answer and reply to his own argument For your indefinite enumeration saith he of those multitudes baptized by John the Baptist and Christs disciples wee take no notice of them unlesse formed into a Church or Churches but following the expresse Scripture the first formed church wee find is in Acts the second These words deserve due consideration Amongst those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe was one the Lord of life who sanctified that ordinance in his owne person and that in a speciall manner as being done by his speciall command and that for the fulfilling of all righteousnesse both in himselfe