elsewhere even every where where the tares are resolved to stand alone and so Homo Homini Lupus Christianus Chriâ—…i no Diabolus men must be wolves and devils each to other throughout the world Besides if the power in any place be ignorant and under an erring conscience that conscientia errans will oblige him seemingly to himself at least to tread down truth and set up false hood and all this by a law yea if the Magistrate take the part of any religion against all other so as to establish it alone and root out them whether it be the true one or a false one that he sets up not tolerating all others but forcing them to submit to it the mischief is in a manner intolerable on either hand for if false have not we all felt the smart of being forc'â—… to false wayes Smectimnus as well as others if he hath not forgotten the groans that for liberty of conscience came once out of his own mouth while he was crusht under him that was crusht under the Popedom but in the Marian dayes above but if true the forcing men to own it before they see ground freely to receive it makes a world of formalists of nominal Christians who had as good be nothing at all as no better then they are of hypocrites which are worse then nought the worst sinners in the world for is it not better for me to remain a Jew under a blind conscience till I see the truth then to turn Christian against my though blinded conscience for fear of men before convinc'â—… or before I yet see it to be the truth a forced feigned profession for â—…ear of men if it happen to be of the truth it self is at best but splendidum peccatum a guilded sin Besides us to weave the spiders webbe as Isa. 59. to make laws and penalties to bind conscience which brawny conscienc'â—… men can creep ore let them be what they will as we see in Nebuchadnezzars dayes and in the Popes time and ever since all people for fear fall down and worship the golden image the King and Clergy sets up save such as fear God indeed And if it be thought that if the civil power take not the part of truth as I wonder where and when ever it did at least since Constantines times till of late it will be lost more in the croud of errors and Heresies that will ensâ—…e a general toleration then any other way it can I say let truth alone and turn it loose to plead fully for it self and it will work out its way and live and thrive maugre all the entanglements it can have from tares plain truth may be trusted to treat with the subtlest and proudest opposers it hath in the world that caeteris paribus do make head against it but if it be set against by the forrain power of a civil sword premi yet then too haud supprimi potest do but defend it onely from injury equally with others by the civil andâ—…then it will defend it self by the spirituall sword against them all Wherefore I again humbly represent that grave Councel of Gamaliel whose reason is good to all the civil Magistrates throughout the earth by whose subjects t is shâ—…rpely controverted and zealously quaeried what is truth viz. that they refrain from meddling more with men though they seem mad men to the world and besides themselves for the sake of truth in pretence left happily they be found fighters against God for if any way be not of God t will in Gods time come to nought of it self and ye cannot establish it if of God you cannot withstand it but t will come on in this juncture specially wherein it dawns toward the great day and God is about to pluck up every plant he hath not planted And if men be in your apprehension blind leaders of the blind in things of God yet let them alone if they will not go to the right way when called to it they will see when they both fall into the ditch And likewise I humbly beg that what is further and more clearly held forth concerning this subject of liberty of conscience by Mr. Blackwood in the first part of his storming of Antichrist may be well weighed by our Magistrates together with the thirty quaeries presented to them lately by Mr. Iohn Goodwin and his vindication of them against the Apologist neither of which ever will be answered solidly by their parish Ministers And as for the PPPriesthood it self though I hope the night is too farre spent for any save such as will be ignorant and if any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 28. and so say I to doubt but that the day is dark over them and theirs they are blind leaders of the blind in many things which many others see of whom yet they are asham'd to learn and which is worse such as stand not a little in their own light by snuffing at it that the Russet Rabbies and Clergy of Laâ—…cks should presume to instruct them more perfectly in the way of God which God in these daies wherein the last must be first and the first last will subject the proudest spirited Priests in Christ'ndom to take from some illiterate and perhaps non-sensical yet honest hearted Saints stammerers in speech babes with them bablers as of old eloquent Apollos from Aquila and Priscilla or else it may be hid from their eyes And though what they would not that others do to them when they were underlings each to other they have done unto all other professions that were underlings to them in the day of their raign hasting what they could to the hunting of the Sectaries out of their synagogues or their native rights and enjoyments therein which they have subjugated to be their Synagogues counting the compasse of whole Common-weals and Kingdomes little enough for them to Lord it over and set their several names of Papal Prelatical or Presbyterian there confounding and Babilonishly blending Church State Power together so that t was hard for any to ken clearly which was which or to know where to set the sole of his foot almost upon European ground in any Nation buâ—… he and all his conscience and all must come under the command and fall within the verge of some or other of their mercilesse Church Monarchies yet neverthelesse my humble desire to the powers on their behalf is that they may be tolerated and protected in the practise of what profession Religion way of worship doctrine discipline or church-Church-government soever they see occasion among themselves and such as shall see occasion to cleave to them or any of them to set up so far as they shall desire to build their several BBBabels without that blood of souls and bodies of men in which they have imbrued both their own and the Princes hands of the Christian Nations in former dayes I heartily plead for a toleration for them if
us with his teeth we shall be constrained to lend him one or two blowes more toward the dispatching of him out of the way and then we shall be ready to meet with the force that follows Review And indeed they do conclude the whole Church of God to have erred most fearfully in one of the most necessary points of religion as if she had been totally deserted by the spirit of God and Christ had not made good his promise Re-Review First I observe that when ever it seems best to serve your turn so to do you stile baptism so necessary a matter one of the most necessary points of Religion abouâ—… the administration of which to erre is most fearfully to erre litâ—…le lâ—…sse then downright damnable otherwhile again as when you would modifie mens spirits towards your proceeding in infant baptism from proceeding so eagerly against that practise in case it should prove to be the error and ours the truth then you speak as diminutively of it as may be as if it were a matter which it matters not so much whether it be done your way or ours in childhood or at years by dipping or sprinkling so it be done an error which is not worth so much ado and striving to râ—…prove and rectifie as the Anabaptists make of such indifferency that t is not fit sith t is now the custome that the peace of the Church should be disturbed about it as if this truth of the Church though troden down must not have an hand lent it to help it up again for fear of displeasing and awaking the Church from her swâ—…et sleep of superstitious security till she pleases not so fundamental a defection which hand soever it lies but that it may be left ad libitum dispensed ad placitum so that such as will have their infants sprinkled may and such as will not or cannot be satisfied that is the true baptism may chuse and be baptized themselves if they please or not at all if they please and yet not be disowned so far one by another but that they may notwithstanding different judgements in so fiddling a thing as that is fall together but it will be by the ears sure at last into one fellowship and I know not how much such prety prate doth passe from your partie sometimes to lull us in as it were to wink at small faults and to make no noise about such a petty matter if infants baptism should be as many Priests know it is e. g. Dr. Gouge yet know it not no more then a meer Tradition of men At Pater ut gnati sic nos debemus amici Si quod sit vitium non fastidire What a deal of Patheticall Popisticall perswasion to this purpose as to pacify peoples spirits towards your errors in small points passes from you p. 26 27. of your paper viz. to avoid a querulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at agnat giving over the company of the flock of more goats then sheep for every rub alias refusing to reform seperating from the congregation alias the parish church of the Popes congendring for a ceremony alias some small thing which to synodical prudence it hath seemed good to add to the ordinances of Christ as if his wisdome had not made things full and fine enough e. g. the surplice the forced gesture of kneeling before the railes and Altar yoking of sheep and swine together in the Supper and in baptism the crosse the form of slatting two or three drops of water with wet fingers on the face instead of dipping and orewhelming and this too but to an infant instead of a professed believer by which ceremonious quiâ—…ks they brought in not so much alterationem as aâ—…erum and ceremonized the whole substance of what Christ required quite away to endeavour after a true temper of a son of the church humbly to submit to the judgements of others sooner then our own alias to see through the Priests eyes and say we see it not what ever we see to the contrary not to dare to contend with any much lesse Superiors alias Popes Counsels whole Classes of Clergy men for they will bite Mic c. 3. 5. without strong and evident and convincing reason for our assertions which if we have not for our baptism against yours never men had in any controversy since truths resurrection from under the pawes of the Pope and Priesthood to this day not to see things amisse alias go on hoodwinkt with implicit faith if we cannot but see things amisse to hide and cover them specially the nakednesse of our father and shame of our Mother alias the Pope and Clergy out of whose loines and the Catholique Christendome in whose womb almost all error is ingendred least if their spiritual fornications should be rendred too discernable reformation should prove too desirable and that too destroyable to their enjoyments not to let a light matter alias so light aâ—…d vain a thing as the vanity of infant-baptism work dislike in us much lesse departure and divorce not to depart by seperation save in case of a great and unsufferable crime alias some worse and more fearful error then can well be about the dispensation of baptism of which there 's dispair of redresse which was the Protestants case with the Church of Rome and our case also with the Protestant nations in which though we reprove them roundly for it as well as declare against it we see little forwardnesse to forbear their infant-sprinkling which by your leave gentlemen for all your soothing and smoothing and smothering over the thing as no great one if it be one sometimes for your own ends yâ—…t to take you at your own words in this place is little lesse than an unsufferable crime and a business in which to erre is most fearfully to erre in one of the most necessary points of religion and either betokens a totall desertion by the spirit of God or else you shew your selves but ignorant men in speaking so of it and that is the very truth of it indeed for though an error about the subject and essential from of baptism be at no hand to be set so light by as t is by you when you see men resolved to depart from your societies in case of your refusal to reform that double error which in that point remaines yet among you while you Rantize infants yet neither is it to be so mightily magnified and made such a hydeous such a fundamental such a dangerous such a damnable error unlesse persevered in willfully against light or conscience and then a smaller matter then that may prove of sad consequence to any soul is as inconsistent with all possibility of their salvation that in times of ignorance did happen to hold it or puts all such persons under an absolute impossibility of having any thing of the spirit of God in them as meerly by reason of non
discovery of it do go astray by it as to go round again you who care not which extream you run out into when you suppose your own turn against us to be served by it do seem to make and magnifie it in this place Neverthelesse as I said once above as much as you sleight it other while and Mr. Baxter also who spends a pair of pages viz. 10. 11. to shew how little stress God lates upon this point making it as the non-Churchers usâ—…y do upon whose principles how neer he borders some see better then himself though he yet own the use of ordinances as it were a low small matter a piece of â—…remony 〈◊〉 which God will dispense with saying circumcision is nothing i. e. in suâ—…o sensu not much material whether baptized or not a small part of the ministers work which Paul left to other to dispense at belonging not much to him to administer who was sent to preach and yet I believe if we say as indeed we do that there 's no such need that the dispensation it self be done by the hands of one that is specially sent to preach and in holy orders Mr. Baxter will either be against us oâ—… else against all his brethren of the lergy who will have none to baptize but such as are sent to preach as much I say as you and Mr. Baxter sleight it and as little fundamental as you make it yet I must tell you in Mr. Baxters words and your own too that Christs commands are to be obeyed by us great and small as far as we know them and so necessary a point of Religion is this as to the outward part of Religion that how beit Mr. Baxter p. 11. denies that outward part of baptism or external washing to be called one of the foundations Heb. 6. 2. any otherwise then for its praecedency viz because its first laid in order of time not because it beareth up the building even that outward burying of believers in that baptism is both to be done necessitate praecepti by special command from him Act. 2. 38. 1â—… 68. whose voice whoever will not hear i. e. obey when heard in all things whatever he saith little commands as well as greater Mat. 5. 19. shall be cut off from among his people Act. 3. 22. 23. and therefore how farre forth necessary necessitate medâ—… and ad salutem to life it self so far forth as we know his will in that particular let Mr. Baxter judge And also Secondly is to be done in such wise and manner as he himself hath commanded and not after mans precept and tradition there being no lesse rejection plague and cursing denounced against changing the ordinances and serving God after such manner as men require then to neglecting it altogether Isa. 24. 5. 6. 29. 13. Mat. 15. 9. And also thirdly is to be done first after once we do repent and believe and that so necessarily first necessitate both praecepti and medii in order to outward membership and fellowship in the visible Church of Christ and in order also to the true being of the visible Church in that outward right form and order that if it be not first done and done according to his own mind and not mans and first laid as a foundation among the rest of those principles Heb. 6. 1 2. of Christs doctrine which altogether are called the foundation i. e. to the visible Church of Christ which is said to be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets i. e. their doctrine or that form of doctrine they delivered whereof baptism in water was a part and a principle though not the principal part Eph. 2. 22. Rom. 6. 2. 3. 17. I deny that there can be any visible Church of Christ at all truly constituted according to his own will and such a bearer up of that building it is thaâ—… abstract it and there is no building fitly framed together nor people growing together visibly an holy Temple in the Lord and he that in these latter dayes will ever erect that holy City and Temple which was trodden under foot by the Gentiles advancing all into the name of the Church at the door of infant-sprinkling must preach and practise again that true baptism of repentance for remission of sins in the absence of which there was no true visible Church as to outward order and form at all in their opinion as well as mine who hold and so does the whole Clergy that baptism is the way by which persons enter and out of which there is no entring at all into the visible Church in which therefore to erre is in truth such an unsufferable crime and so fearfully to erre in one of the most necessary points of Religion as pertaining to visible Church order that except ye repent of your infant-sprinkling O ye Priests and be baptized truly according to Christs will in the name of the Lord Iesus for remission of that and all other your sins and superstitions your error is enough to justifie our separation from you nor find we how we can in Christs name and according to his will or without violation and palpable breach of that outward order which he gives no dispensation for to us abide in one body or Church fellowship with you in the supper Secondly Sirs though I told it you before yet to conclude this I now tell you again though we deny infant baptism yet we do not hold at all nor conclude thereby that the whole Church of God hath universally erred i. e. the Church of Christ in all ages and places and howbeit it is true as Dr. Featley saies p. 19 and we with him That particular Churches have erred and may erre as the Greek Church and the Latin Church the two legs upon which Mr. Marshal strives to make infant baptism stand still because it hath stood there so long and general councels which the Schooles term the representative Church are subâ—…ect to error and have sometimes as Dr. Featley saies and so often say I that that I le never build my faith upon them decreed here sie and falshood for truth howbeit all christendom hath erred after the Clergy in this point and many more for 1260 years yet t is true as Dr. Featloy saies that the formal Church as they speak i. all the assemblies in the world cannot be impeached with errour in this point of infant baptism forasmuch as the trueâ—… Churches of the first times never knew it and many faithful witnesses that knew it to be a corruption testified against it in the darkest times and the best reformed Churches even no lesse then scores of Assemblies do deny it at this day to the shame of that one general Assemblie that would have settled it Review And not onely so but if Mr. Fishers doctrine which hâ—…â—…ely delivered as a judicious gentleman affirâ—…d who heard him that â—…ll that did believe and were dipt should be saved but all that did believe and were
and let Mr. Ba. who was once in doubt of infant baptism upon sight of the slender grounds that other divines did hold it from till satan seduced him back again to the belief of it again be perswaded if it be thy will on sight of the more weak and slender principles which with much ado he hath found out whereon to satisfy himself and others and to sit still in the shadow of that superstition to be not almost onely but altogether saving their sufferings from him such as thy servants are whom he yet vilifies what he can As then to Mr. Baxters Appendix of Animadversions on Mr. Bedfords Dr. Burges and Dr. Wards absurdities about baptismal regeneration of infants t is no matter to us yea I conceive it a likely means of it self to make wise men renounce Infants baptism that read there at what ods they are and how they wrangle among themselves that own it beside sith he that passing by meddles with a strife not belonging to him is like one that takes a dog by the ears Pro. 26. 17. ile passe by for my part and not meddle with it at all Fourthly another part of Mr. Baxters book is a small slender tract of about one leaf long penned in proof of baptisms a biding a standing ordinance of Christ to the worlds end and therein so far am I from excepting and contradicting that I rather approve it considering the high head of contradiction that in this last loose age already is and within a while much more and more headily will be made against it and how the subtility of Satan is such that sith he can uphold his kingdome now no longer by his old souldiers tâ—…e Rantizers which changed the lawes and ordinances of Christs kingdome he seeks to do it by erecting a new moddle of men I mean the seekers and Ranters who rase the very foundations of it and how sith he can prevail no more to deceive the nations from the narrow way of truth by his old Spiritualty the spiteful Priest he hath spit a new Spiritualty out of his mouth from which as from a greater Carnalty then the other the earth that it may be ripe for the sickle as it must be at Christs coming shall abound with abomination i. e. they that separate themselves from the true Church after their separation with them from the false sensual having not the spirit yet pretending more highly to it then ever any considering all this I â—…ay I seriously side with Mr. Ba. as to that subject and to shew him who simply supposes we are all a people posting towards the pulling down of Christs ordinances because some do and because all of us as we are sworn to it seek what we are able to pull down mens to shew him I say notwithstanding his conceits to the contrary how close we keep according to the counsel both of Peter and Iude in that behalf 2 Pet. 3. 2. Iude 17. to the commandements of Christ and his Apostles in these last daies wherein they declare that others should depart from and despise them to shew him also how little reason he hath to charge us with their evils who are to use his own phrase p. 26. above ordinances i. e. above obedience to God and so Gods themselves I intend God willing before this work escape my hand that is now under it to bestow some few lines on the same subject having been often requested to it by others in vindication to the truth Fifthly as for the forepart of Mr. Baxs book for more then a fourth part of it is worn out in Preamâ—…ular passages apologies epistles to the Church at Kederminster at Bewdley which Churches alias parishes of Ked and Bew. for all the people till of late that some few have separated themselves together to Mr. T. are Church-members with Mr. Ba. in those two places p. 280 which parishes I say howbeit sowing pillowes that they may slâ—…ep themore securely in superstition Mr. Ba. by a dedication of his doings to the Câ—…urch at Ked to the Church at Bew. would fain flatter into a faith that each of them is a Church of Iesus Christ yet I must crave leave to inform those Churches from Christ that as yet they are no other then Churches of the Popes calling and constitution for the parochial posture of Christning and so inchurching of all that are born within the bounds and barely abide within the preincts of the parish had its order from the head of those Churches viz. the Vicar of Christ but not at all from Christ Iesus himself yea and though there may be many honest men in both Ked and Bewdley among whom if Mr. Ba. be one it shall not grieve me at all yet according to Dr. Featleys nor yet according to Mr. Baxs own definition who say a true visible Church is a particular company of men professing the Christian faith known by two markes viz. tâ—…e sinâ—…ere preaching of the word and due administration of the Sacraments Dr. Featly p. 4. or a society of persons separated from the world to God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called out of the world c. Mr. B. p. 87. neither of those two parishes are true visible Churches of Iesus Christ for neither were they ever yet called out of the world or separated from the world to God in that wise i. e by such meanes and in such manner as Christs Church is i. e. by the pure preaching of the word and pure power of God but rather by the power of the word of man i. e. partly of the Pope and partly of the civil sword in this nation of old under a penalty imposing upon them their present posture nor is the word preacht to them to this hour sincerely by Mr. Ba. or any other parish minister who unlesse he sing a new song will make them no more a Church of Christ then he found them but with wonderful much mixture of mans invention yea the fear of God is taught by him according to the precepts of men much lesse are the Sacraments rightly administred for their baptism is no baptism at all And as touching separation I know but three separations they have had since they stood under the name of Christian Churches answerable to the different Christian Religions of point blank Papism prelatical Prostantanism and present Presbyterianism which the parishes haue past under since they have been Parishes viz. a Presbyterian separation by appointment of the present Parliament who on pain of their displeasure commanded all to separate from the lesser superstitions of episcopall formes ceremonies services to a finer and more directorian kind of Protestant profession a generall Protestant separation by the Appointment of our english state under K. Ed. and Q. Eliz. who commanded all on pain of their displeasure to separate from the Romish grosser superstitions Popes Supremacies masse and other Marian opinions and professions also a parochial and a paropopical separation or distinct oppidal division
blaspheme that worthy name wherby the poor in this world which commonly are the richest in faith are called Ia. 2. 6. that the Kings of the very Christian Nations would throw down their crowns and give up their power and strength unto the beast commit fornication wiâ—…h the W W Whore and at her instigation make war with the Lamb and at last be overcome by him Rev. 17. 14. 17. and be put down together with all their rule authority and power as very enemies though once his ordinance under his feet 1 Cor. 15. â—…4 25 I find also Ephe. 4. that he hath sit in his Church Apostles Pastors c. for the work of the Ministery and affairs of it but I no where find in his will and Testament that Christ intended the Magistracy as his Ordinance though undoubtedly in other cases the supreme ordinance of God to men whether in the Church or out of it for civil good to officiate so immediately in matters of Religion saith church order c. as to execute Church-discipline Church censure for â—…er Church disorders Church Divisions Church offences or so as to make all men within their jurisdiction and yet though their Churches be no true Churches neither so the CCClergy would have it to believe as the Church believes worship as the Church worships and be members of the Church whether they will or no if not to pray with them yet at least to pay to them or else to be excommunicated out of all they have and under the name of Hereticks dischurcht out of the world for so verily they do doctrinally at least who teach such false doctrine that men of false relegions whether heathens Jewes Turks or Pagans or men erring most grosly about the true as Papists or whatever else though never so submissive in all civil things to the civil Powers yet may not lawfully be licensed to live in civil States or in any Common-wealth under the Sun for by the same reason that Iews Turks Heathens Hereticks may not without sin be tolerated in one Nation but must ex officio be rooted out of it upon that meer account of denying and defying Christ which is as high as ever any Heretick went they may not without sin be permitted to be in another and so either some nations must sin in allowing these to live in them or else though de facto they cannot by reason of their number yet de jure they ought as far as they well can by Kings and Princes among whom few or none are so well acquainted as they should with what is Heresie and what truth to be driven quite out of the world and so the poor Iewes whose conversion the Priests pray for with much zeal and compassion must in quiet live no where at all that they may be converted but must belike be turned altogether into the sea Besides the notion of their being Christians adds nothing to mens power as Magistrates so but that if such magistrates as are Christians are Church officers as Magistrates then other Magistrates as heathen Magistrates must be Church officers as well as they and then how well that Christian Church is likely to be served and governed whose head Church-officers are Heathens a fool may see Yet whether the Magistracy be Heathens or Christians it matters not to the Church so long as they are the ministers of God and Christ to them and others too for civill good to punish evil doers that are injurious against the common or any mans proper weal Church-member or other in body goods or name by stealing lying murder defiling defaming defrauding c. whereby any are prejudic'd in point of their outward well being mean while whether he be the minister of God onely or Christ also and that not onely as God but God man also it matters not so long as he is an ordinance to us for civil good so that if any matter of Division of inheritances or of wrong and wicked lewdnesse be brought before the Magistrates committed whether by a church-member or any other it is all one reason wills that the Magistrate should hear it and be they Heathens or be they Christians who stand before him determine and destribute ac cording to the equity of his civil Law and as much as Mr. Baxter looks askew at this assertion p. 120. as if he thought the Magistrate were to do a Pagan no right against a Christian without partiality not favouring a Christian in a civil cause against a Heathen a Turk an Egyptian a Pagan so as to take the Christians part further then the equity of his cause in hand may justly call for it more then the others though the Magistrate himself also be a christian and a brother to the christian whose cause depends before him or a member of the self same congregation with him not balking to do civil justice against Church-members they deserving punishment as if the church were exempted from his jurisdiction in civil things because he is no christian but a heathen nor yet denying to do right to church-members if they be injured by others for if he do any of this I am sure he does no justice in his place whereupon Gallio the Depuputy Governour of Achaia who was not a little to be commended in one thing was no lesse to blame in another Act. 18. 17. in that when the Greeks in a rude and barbarous manner took Sostenes the chief Ruler of the Synagogue and beat him for letting Paul preach in it before his face and before the very judgement Seat too yet he cared for none of those things for those were the things that fell duly and directly under his cognizance as he was a magistrate and so the minister of God to men for good whether they be Christs disciples or no for the redresse of such civil abuses neither is Christ yet in his own person Luke 12. 13. 14. nay nor yet by any Church-officers of his qua sic unlesse they be civil Magistrates also and then as in that capacity they must do that right that concerns them as such as meer church-officers to be judge in those outward cases and as therein the outward man onely is concerned for then Paul one of the chief Apostles and officers of the Church being then present might have taken upon him in the behalf of Sostenes and himself as the Pope and the PPPriesthood do for the most part in their religions to have determined for themselves in that civill dissention but Christ as man and his church as his Church are yet no judgers nor dividers over men but the Magistrate by Gods and if I say by Christs appointment it hurts us not is made as onely in such so the only judge and divider in such civil matters but if it be a question and a brabble about Heathenism Turcism Iudaism Christianism and about Religion worship and faith and Iesus and words and names as Antinomists Arminians Anabaptists Pelagians Socinians
that it have as mutuall protection from them as it yields subjection to them for this is the good will of God concerning them as such and whether they be Heathens or Christians they are Gods Ministers to attend continually upon this very thing viz. to render unto all men their dues as men viz. a room in quiet in the world of what wayes of religion soever yea though Indians and redress of any civil wrongs as they expect to have all men of what religions soever within their power to render to them their dues of tribute honour custome fear for for this cause pay they their tribute also because Magistrates are Gods Ministers to the world ward and to the Church as part of the world and in no other sense then as to the rest of the world to attend continually on this very thing to dispense praise or punishments for civil good and evil among men not spiritual for then they may punish evill thoughts proud looks ignorance non-profiting by the word not Gods Church-ministers to dispense good or evil for good or evil done in the Church but as the same actions may have reference to the state also as theft or the like civil abuse which comes one way under the Churches censure and another way under the Common-wealths they are not I say Church Ministers nor Ministers to the Church qua Church as the Priests principle seemes to make them for then they may claim not only Tribute but Tith also as well as the Priest but that he will be loath to part with though in truth it belongs to him for his Church wasting work full as little as to the other I humbly beg therefore I say of the Powers that truth which hath been trod under foot may be tolerated among them in their several civil States Common-wealths and Kingdomes and to the end it may undoubtedly be so let all that which the Powers in the several Nations do judge in their own consciences to be truth in point of Religion have toleration and protection and no more countenance by them as Magistrates but bare protection from injury as other waies also may have and not such extraordinary supports from a power Heterogeneal to that of the Church nor such extraordinary gratulations gratuities revenews incomes preferments and portions out of the common State-stock let their own private purses be as open to them such as professe it pay to its Ministry as much as they will for besides the partiality of this thing of making other Religions and wayes that judge themselves to be the truth as well as that pay and be tributaries to the true one and the grumbles it will ingender in mens minds this proves the greatest mischief under heaven to the truth when the Ministers who should expect nothing but shame and suffering with their Master who was Beelzebub are slusht with the outward pomps and vanities of this world till they forget themselves so as scarce to know what ground they stand on and howbeit Magâ—…trates may mean honestly in their high honourings of them as that good man Constantine the great did yet as his high embraces and graces done to Christi in Bishops proved besides his intent the stirrup whereby those Lord beggars got up on horse back and rode to the devil for so hath that Romish whore rid both her self and the beast under her which is Christ'ndome so though I hope it never will yet it may possibly be so again if care be not taken against it witnesse the two other more seemingly modest and maidenly Minions Episcopacy and Presbitery which qua Ministry came out of her loines wâ—… have not brought the world so far out of that old Babilon towards Sion as they pretended to do by reformation as else they might have done being slugged luld asleep by benefits and benefices in the way for posit â eadem causà ponitur idem effâ—…ctus sublat â tollitur golden cups ever yet made wooden Priests and ever will do let truth have liberty and peace it will desire no more of the State if it be truth indeed And Secondly let all other wayes and religions besides that which the Magistrate judges to be truth that judge themselves to be in the truth save that of those whose very way as abovesaid is no way but dishonesty and whose way isto root out all wayes but their own by civil power be also tolerated practised and protected from outward violence and oppression as well as that for this besides the knitting of the hearts of men of all wayes under one civill power in intire love and strong affection to that Power that domineers not ore their conscience besides that I say this tolerating all practices in point of religion save that practise of non toleration of any but it self in civil states must needs tolerate the truth among the rest whether it ly in this way or that and so the Power shall be out of all danger and hazard of coming under the guilt of truth treading which the P P Priesthood hath engaged the civil power in for 1260 years together as else it cannot for if toleration be of no way but one then if that chance to be the wrong and themagistrates are no more sure then other men that they are in the right yea 100 to 1 they are not if they use civil violence to others First because the false wayes are many and bread and easie and fine and the true way but one and that so streit and narrow mean and base that not many noble and mighty and men of power ever find it 1 Cor. 1. 26. Secondly because as King Iames said persecution is a certain note of a false Church then truth is unavoidably smothered by them and will first or last pull vengeance upon that power Rev. 6. 11. 12. though it be under the name of Heresie onely that he suppresses it and plucks it up under the name and notion of weeds and taâ—…es that would else choak the wheat besides therefore a most strict charge that Christ gives Mat. 13. that in the world i. e. the civil States and Common-wealths of it the Tares should stand together among the wheat untill the harvest which alone is an Argument putting all out of doubt in this controversie he gives this good reason viz. least in plucking up the Tares the wheat also chance to be rooted up with them t is for the wheats good therefore for the Tares to stand and for the wheats sake that Christ wills they should though not in the Church yet in the world to the very end thereof And because the Divine cannot yet divine that to be Christs meaning in that scripture that false worshippers hereticks c. may lawfully if not civil offenders be licenced to live in civil States let us consider how sinister his own conjectures are upon it I have met with some and some of chiefest note in this County of Keâ—… who have shifted it
things that offend every plant that the heavenly father hath not planted out of his Kingdome which taken at large is the whole world and to bundle them for the fire To all these many more reasons may be added why the Magistrate may not force men at all in matters of faith repentance Religion worship see Barbers answer to the Essex watchmens watch-word p. 7 c. the Magistrate receives no charge from God about Religion neither is cura animarum but cura corporum onely committed to him Luther himself was of this mind that the Lawes of the Magistrate extended no further then to the bodies and goods that which is external and that God would have none to rule in the soul but himself therefore where the Magistrate goes about to govern in the conscience he usurps that jurisdiction which God reserves to himself certainly this is that great arrogany in the Whore or Woman of sin which God will severely punish in that SSShee gives lawes to the conscience and sits in the Temple and Church of God as a God King Iames in Parliament 1609 said That it is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church with violence and blood and again in his Apâ—…logy for the oath of Allegeance p 4 speaking of the Papists that took the said oath That he gave a good proof of it that he never intended persecution for conscience but onely desired to be secured of them for civil abuses that it was usually the condition of Christians to be persecuted but not to persecute Again Faith and repentance to acknowledgement of the truth is Gods gift and if wee 'l believe our Clergy no way in every mans power no not by gift from God to perform and so the Magistrate must punish mâ—…n belike because God who gives where he lists does not give them to believe c. Again Blasphemers Persecutors as Paul Idolators as the Corinthians yea Iewes Turks and Pagans may be converted in time by the word therefore are not to be plucked up out of the Earth for then they can never possibly repent Again persecution was never taught by Christ nor practised by his Apostles but arose among Heathens and was continued by the Roman Antichrist and his Ministers Yet there 's one way more whereby they evade all this and that is by denying that by the Tares here are meant Hereticks False Worshippers and Antichristians and asserting them to be Hypocrites in the Church and this is the way of Mr. Cotton whereby you may see again how Divines are divided among themselves in all things almost as well as some which Mr. Cotton in a book which the Bloody Tenet relates to gives ouâ—… as I remember that by tares is meant hypocrites in the Church who are so like the wheat that they cannot well be discovered nor discetned from it and so must be let alone in the Church by the Ministers of the Church least they mistake and pluck up wheat instead of tares and cast out men for hypocrites who its possible may be sincere for ought we know In answer to which I must confesse men that cast out persons for Hypocrites had need be pretty wary and not overhasty yea better an inconvenience than a mischief betâ—…er erre in letting some Hypocrites stand in the Church then for hast cast out one that seemes to be so to us and yet is not But this is not the sense of our Saviour in this place for as it cannot be the Church that the Tares are here bid to be let alone in as I have shewed above so much lesse by the tares can be meant hypocrites so neer the wheat i. e. true Saints in shew and likenesse and pretence as to be hardly discâ—…rned from them For First Though Hypocrites are like Saints and appear so to be oft it may be alwaies to the deceiving of us yet the Tares are not at all like the wheat nor at all to any but such as are stark blind appearing to be wheat Secondly an Hypocrite in the Church who is one that appâ—…ars to be what he is not must be supposed while he is in the Church to be discovered or not discovered so to be when not discovered he is no hypocrite to us to whom things are as they appear what ere he may be to God but as true a Saint as the rest and when discovered till when to us he is a Saint and must stand under the notion of a Saint then he must not stand in the Church which is not to harbor any that are palpably wicked and who is so palpable as he whose simulata sanctit as is dulplex iniquitas But now First the tares heâ—…e spoken of are plainly said and seen to be tares and appeare to be tares and a distinct stuff from the Wheat and yet for all that they are bid to be let alone in the Field as Hypocrites must not be in the Church when they appear to be such But in the field i. e the world t is true enough that hypocrites may stand even after they are cast out of the Church unlesse they act any thing that civil justice will reach them for and so also may Antichristians and all false Worshippers T is evident then that in this place as well as Matth. 15. 13. 14. that in the time of the Gospel Church Tares that much hinder the wheat that are mingled in the same Field world Civil States Countreyes Common-wealths of Satans sowing among the Wheat Weeds Nettles Bryers Thorns Plants that are not of the heavenly Fathers planting Faâ—…se worshippers Hereticks men and their Ministryes of false Religions doctrines faiths waies of serving God may and ought by permission and commission from Christ be let alone and allowed to stand by no means in the same Church by all means in the same world or part of the world locally considered for the Church is not locally considered as a place measured by and consistent of such or such a compasse of ground as the Popes parish Churches did whereupon they went on procession once a year lest they should forget the bounds of their Church but mystically of such or such a company of men however scattered locally here or there yet in one fellowship I say in the same part of the world nation City Countrey civill corporation with the wheat Saints true Church under the protective power of civil Magistracy free from molestation meerly for their religion so be they live justly soberly and peacably with all men any thing said to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding by the Priest who of all men hath least reason to be against toleration of tares in the world and of plants which the heavenly father never planted if he consider what he is himself and unlesse he desire to be rooted out in hast by the civill power before his time See the parable and read it with the exposition of it Mat. 13. 37. c. He that sowed good seed
in the field is the son of man i. e. Christ the field is the world therefore not the Church the good seed or wheat are the children of the Kingdom i. e. the Saints the true Church and worshippers the tares which while men slept and did not mind it the enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ—… beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians gâ—…w up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the pâ—…inciple of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pâ—…ue whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus â—…aesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—…n why he would have the tares to be leâ—… alone least by rooting out the taâ—…es the wheat be roâ—…ed out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all peâ—…ple may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4. 5. then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and â—…o there 's quiâ—… for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall
at any that any persons should be spared or but so much as favoured in any measure in such a case for their religions sake though it be the tâ—…e one and they of never so high account and eminent standing in it For howbeit the men who are commonly but not properly called Clergy but specially the Clergy immediately under the Popes supremacy were priviledged so far as to stand exempted from the reach of the civill law and to save themselves the trouble of being hanged when they had deserved it as much as other men by a businesse called the benefit of the Clergy i. e. the immunity of the Clergy from the civil law some relikes of which benefit the Clergy once had and still hath in some places seem to me to remain in our civil Courts wherein we see in some capital crimes the malefactour si legat ut Clericus if he can but read like a Clerk or Clergy man he escapes execution when else he should have died without remedy which favour is also called the benefit of the Clergy yet we desire that no manner of men may have exemption from the course of civil Justice yea if we whom they call Anabaptists do any thing at any time wordly of death by the civil law rightly regulated we refuse not to die but as we desire that others should so are we willing our selves in civil matters to stand at Caesars i. e. the civil Magistrates judgement seat where we ought to be judged in such cases and thus did Paul when accused by the Priests as a Pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition meerly for preaching the Gospel To the Jews saith he have I done no wrong nor yet against Caesar have I offended c. therfore no man may deliver me to them I appeal unto Caesar Act. 24. 5. 12. 13 14. 20. 25 8. 11. where we see that in case of civil injury charged upon him as committed by him he appeals to Câ—…sar to judge though Cesar was a heathen and he a Christian and not of Cesars Religion which he had been a mad man in doing had the question been simply about the right Religion yea when any question a aroâ—…e in the Church about Religion as in the point of circumcision Act. 15. the Apostles Elders and brethren considered of it among themselves consulting the mind of the spirit in the word and had they not agreed it they would not have referred it nor had any not conformed to their determination in that point would they have complained of them to Câ—…sar and as Paul would not stand at Cesars judgement seat in Religious as he desired to do in civil so Cesars Deputies would not meddle at all as Magistrates in Religious cases for when the Jews set Paul before the judgement seat of Gallio deputy of Aâ—…haia and complained saying This fellow perswadeth men to worship God contrary to the law Gallio said if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lowdnesse O ye Iews reason would that I should bear with you but if it be a question of words and names of your law look ye to it for I will be a judâ—…e of no such matters and he drave them from the judgement seat as who should say we are set to keep civil peace and right among you but not at all to determine you in your worships Oh therfore that the Magistracy would consider it that they are set not to force men to submit all to one worship nor yet sorcibly to suppresse either Heresie or truth but to prevent tumultuoulness about either If Demetrius and the craftsmen of like occupation who make shrines for Diana have a matter of wrong against any let the civill law be open and let them plead each other there but if the enquiry be concerning other matters as namely setting at nought their craft prophaning the Temples of their Goddesse and destroying their false worships by plain preaching of truth what 's Heredox what Orthodox in worship c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let that be determined in a lawfull Assembly i. e. as the word is in the Greek insome lawful Church congregation or select meeting for that purpose Last of all though the Lord prohibit the standing of Idolators c. in the Church 2 Cor. 6. Rev. 2. yet he himself who could presently root them out if t were his mind permits not onely true but also falseworshippers Hereticks c. to have a being in the world and therefore me thinks Gods Vicegerent should not be against it It is according to the will of God himself permitting not approving them that heresies do arise but its according to his good will approving and in his word appointing that they shall stand in the world when risen further then they can be annihilated by the word And as the Scripture shewes how far he himself tolerates them so the Divines themselves as shy as they are of having them tollerated do Give these good Reasons of Gods suffering of Hereticks 1 For the discovering of the sound that Gold and Silver may be known from hay and stubvle that by the Devills sitting of us the good corn may be discerned from chaâ—… it is the Apostles Reason 1 Cor. 11. 19. that they which are approved may be known for who they are that with the weapons of the Churches warfare are valiant for the truth indurers of hardship as good Souldiers of Christ c. would not appear if there were no Hereticks False worshippers Antichristians Truth treaders c. to try them true love to Christs truth can never be seen if never tryed nor tryed if truth never opposed hated hunted and that to death too sometimes by the fierce wrath and cruel malice of its enemies 2. That truth may be discussed and fetcht out as fire from the concussions of flint and steel Truth had not been fetcht half so far out of the dark nor from under that Popish Smoother of traditions at this time as it is had not the C C Clergy so hotly hunted it and so fiercely clasht against all that came out to clear it If there had not been an Hereticall C C Clergy crying out Heresie against all truth the world had never heard so much of it in these latter daies as now it hath and I verily perswade my self that as the day breakes and the shadowes fly away the way of truth in the hearts of the Just and in the eyes of the of the world by how much the CCClergy calls Heresie upon it shall shine more and more still to the perfect day if Luther and Calvin had not been and that so fiercely slung at by Popish Priests because they preached against indulgencies and selling pardons for money and against the Lordlines of the Popish Hirrachy they had not heard so much against them but that they might have sold more pardons then they have done since and the 2 latter litters of Spiritual lords that qua CCClergy came out of the
me saith the Lord yea had you been sprinkled with holy water it self yet except you repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for remission of sins through his blood which so doing saves even them that shed it you are not onely by eating and drinking unworthily i. e. disorderly at the Supper which baptism must precede in Gospel reformation but also by your cruelty to his disciples whom you would have crusht if you could tell how become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord however repent or repent not this I say unto you from the Lord that your bloody principle of persecution for conscience and forced conformity to your foolish forms canons creeds chatechisms dictates directories shall utterly perish from off the earâ—…h I wish the Independents for their turn 's next look to it in time and take heed of turning aside too much from that precious principle of depending upon no King but Christ in conscience cases neither state Councells nor Church councells nor Classes save onely for conscience to Christ to be subject freely in all meer civill cases to the one and for cognizance sake to consult in meer church and conscience cases with the other and whom else they please keeping Church and State as distinct as t is possible which the CCClergy have confounded so together that we have lost the true Peculiarities of either and as not suffering such sawcy doings as to have most general Assemblies of the Kiâ—…k quâ Church Assemblies to be tampering at all with state affairs so not troubling any officers of state qua State officers no not the highest nor Committees nor Sheriffs to wearinesse with representations of things pertaing purely to churches and church orderes expecting no more then a passive permissive influence from them to the church-ward i. e. to let all Churches and all religions Jewes themselves alone to their light till they see the true one so be they live faithfully under them and quietly peaceably and civilly one by another but me thinks I smell a mixt mongrel Independency too much on foot and creeping on an Indepency by the halves a Presbyterian Independency Independency too dependant in church work upon the state for state pay enquiring after parish maintenance telling some truth and taking as much tith as they can lay their hands on lending liberty to themselves to have no supper in the parishes when they please yet resolving to make the people pay for it so long as they preach whether they eat a bit of it at all yea or no A thing I cannot well tell what to call it that has a smack too much of Smectimnuus and yet t is not so tyrannical neither nor yet so tender towards a toleration of all consciences and Religions though of all tender conscienced Christians as that the poor Jew or natural Israelite can have any room or creep hole by it into the Common-wealth in order to his conversion he must keep out unlesse he be so converted before he come as to resolve heel own Christ and not speak against him as not the Christ which what power in any State under heaven can banish a Jew out of any nation for doing I plainly know not an Independency that is willing to let Israel go but not to let another Israel come into the Land so as to promulgate his principle which I'm sure is contrary to the principles of Christian Religion oâ—… if the Jew may deny Christ and yet live in the world in quiet why not another unlesse the word can gain him to the belief of it as well as he Independents a word or two with you by the way no hurt I hope if you will have but patience I find proposals presented Fâ—…b 11. 1651. that make me amazâ—…d to think that they should come from Independents for I took Independents till of late to be genuine Independents indeed but I see there 's nothing but may have something like it which is not the same and such is your Semi-demiindependency to me For supply of all parishes in England with Orthodox Ministers it s propounded that the Sheriff of each County give account to the Committee what parish hath no Minister â—…hat maintenance each such parish hath what Ministers that reside in each County have no livings and such of them as are Orthodox be placed there as the Committee shall think sit For settling right constituted Churches that all Churches that are or shall be gathered signifie to the Committee of the Universities or elsewhere whom they have or shall choose for their Pastors and that such and such onely shall be declared right constituted Churches whose Pastor shall be approved by the Committee to be able godly â—…nd orthodox Fye Fye Sirs that you will still have such a minglement of Sheriffs Committees Ministers Churches in a kind of Omnigatherum about the Gospell and your Churchwork and that you will trouble the Sheriffs to find what pay is in parishes what parishes want Ministers and what Ministâ—…rs lack means if your Ministers lack meanes cannot they look after it themselves and bestow them selves in some honest calling or other to get a living out on or if they cannot cannot your Churches see to them a little what they lack or do you lack to have the tithes and parish pay turned ore to you now as the Presbyters gaped after augmentations from the Bâ—…shops Deans and chapters lands if you do I hope the State will save your longing as they did theirs and take them sheer away root and branch and let those Churches that have Ministers maintain them if they need and let the Gospel be preached freely by Messengers from Churches to the Gentiles to the world without charging them with it till converted to it for such you suppose the nation to be now as well as we and not a Church of Christ why else do you gather Churches of Christ out of it will you gather Churches of Christ out of Churches of Christ what rule have you for that surely Churches must be gathered out of the world and if so that the nation be no true constituted Church of Christ it s no true Church of Christ for Christ hath no falsely constituted true Churches that I know of and so her Ministers no true Ministers of Christâ—… for Christs Ministers are not Ministers of no Church but such as came remotely as to their ordination and parish posture baptism and all from the Pope whom if you also look upon with such favourable construction as to own him and his ordinations and his baptism and administrations and what the Prelate and Presbyter sucks in a way of succession from thence as Apostolical so as to stand Ministers and baptized by it I shall think the world goes round then indeed and that whoever chances to get on horseback and sit in the Saddle here in England whether Prelate Presbyter or Independent they cannot chuse for customes sake but face about still
point had not happened to them they should see of themselves that men cannot seek secular honour to themselves by siding with such a sect as ever was and ever will be whilest the world stands such is its hatred to the truth every spoken against yea verily the name of these churches that own and keep close to all the principles of Christs doctrine and own the whole truth for Christs sake whose they are both are and yet will be cast out as evil by all other churches yet grant these Churches should grow into more request and favour among men as they do at sometimes more then some Act. 9. 31. yee their Messengers to the world must expect to be continually under clouds and to be counted deceivers disturbers trouble townes turners of the world upside down where ere they come and to be in tumults and dishoâ—…ors and evill reports among most men 2 Cor. 6. 4. 10. yea wo unâ—…o those Ministers that desire all men should speak well of them t is a shrewd sign they are none of Christs I think God hath set forth us Messengers last of all saith Paul of the Messen gers to the Church of Corinth when it was at rest 1 Cor. 4. 9. 13. as men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and Angels and men we are fools for Christs sake we are weak the Church themselves may be honoured but we must be dispised we hunger and thirst and are naked and are bussetted and have no certain dwelling place and labour working with our hands being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made the filth of the world and are the offscouring of all 's things unto this day So that I marvel men should think we seek to be cryed up among men yet thus are we censured by the Clergy and all that ever were forward for the truth and sought to vindicate it in any part thereof since it began to return from under those clouds wherewith the Clergy hath overcast it were so censured by the Common Councel of Clergy men in their several climates as drawing disciples after us that they might be called after our name and not Christs and so wee and not he be glotified The papists calumuiated Luther with it that he affected his disciples should be called Lutherans but he denyed it non sâ—…o fatue non sâ—… oro ut meum nomen taceatur avsâ—…t of mihi faetidoâ—…ermium succo accederet ut filii Christi meo vilissimo nomine dâ—… cerentur in like manner say we to them who are insatuated into the same faith concerning us Non sic O sacerdâ—…s non sic Oramus non ut nostrum sed ut Christi nomen nominetur et ut quisquis nominat nomen Christi ab iniquitate ista abscedat 2 Tim. 2. 19. Imo absit a nobis gloriari nisi in cruce Iesu Christi per quem mundus nobis cruâ—…isixus est nos mundo Gal. 6. 14. novit dominus qui sui junt as for your selves O Priests non videâ—…is idmanticae quod in tergo est T is the praise of men that most of you seek much more then the praise of God this makes you so erre from the way of truth this makes it more tedious to you then t is ordinarily to other men to be of that sect that is every where spoken against and to see the Gospel whose constant companions disgraces are when it shines upon you you are impatient of hearing so much ill as poor Christ in his disciples must and so are for the most part capable but of little good 4. Covetousness St paul cals it the root of all evil al in the church al in the commonwealth growes out of the root of Papal Prelatical Presbyterian I had almost said and might say it if they turn Tith-mongers too whether per se or per alios Independent covetousnesse Achans larâ—…iledge Naboths Murder Naamans Idolatry Iudas's treason Demetrius's persecution Demas's apostacy even all the mischief of all these kinds which haue been acted by the CCClergy throughout all christendome who as is shewed above are in truth the most sacrilegious cruel false worshipping Christ selling truth treading and Apostatical generation that age from Apostolical purity doth proceed from this rotten root of covetousnesse which hath so corrupted the whole Masse of men called Ministers for this 1260. years and upward that vel duo vel nemo few or none of them have ever preacht the Gospel nor freely and fully held forth the truth in all points as it is in Jesus from thenceforth to this very day And indeed how can any other be expected then corrupt doctrines from men of corrupt minds which hold gold to be godlinesse 1 Tim. 6. 5. and pose liberal and bountiful maintenance and rich Revenues to be the chief corner stone in their church work yet thus the Clergy by their wonted clamors for it not onely at Rome but at Westminster also seem to me to suppose yea the higest pitch that many of them seem to point at in reformation of religion is the restoring of impropriations and crushing the pride of the swelling Poppies or Episcopal clergy and conferring that large allowance on the Presbyterial you cry out that a base Ministry can never do good upon the people and that the poverty of the Ministry is enough to bring them into contempt and that the church is robbed of a painful Ministry because there is not hony enough in the hives to feed a drone But I say you have made your selves more base by far and brought your selves into more contempt by your covetousnesse and greedy gaping after riches then ever yet you came into by poverty and that one Drone will devoute more maintenance if men put into his mouth as long as he will open it as many honest self-denying ministers will make a good shift not only to live but to live to Christ on they are not seducers that preach on cheaper terms but the basest Ministers if you count that basenesse to be destitute of liberal maintenance were ever yet the best Ministers of the Gospel and the most inriching Ministers to the people Christ foresaw clearly enough that a rich ministry would make but poor work in his Vineyard therefore in his wisdome chose not many rich nor mighty nor noble but the foolish weak base abject dispised ones in the eyes of the world and earthen vessels to send his treasure by into the world 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. 28. 2 Cor. 4. 7. yea those Ministers of Christ that were in afflictions necessities distresses hunger and thirst cold and nakednesse poor and having nothing that neither had nor provided silver nor gold nor brasse in their purses as Peter and Paul and the rest of the primitive preachers had not were the most pretious plain painful profitable preachers of the Gospell that ever the earth bore Matth. 10. 9. Act. 3 6. 1 Cor. 4. 11. 2 Cor. 6.
blushing at the lives of those men who stiled themselves their successors I have done with the câ—…uses of his heresies and come to his design The design of the Heretick even this Heretick of Hereticks the CCClergy is to propagate his Error and as his grounds are wicked so are his manners in mannaging of them intrat ut vulpes regnat â—…tleo he pretends verity but intends onely vctory that he may reign over the kings and people of the earth and that they might all stoop to his commands directions and under pretence of verity at first he did get victory at last over the whole world so that Pape Oh strange the whole world wondered after him and doted upon him as their Lord God and became slaves in chains to his Priestly will yea as he loved to be supreme and overcome so the lord let him for a time that he might manifest his own power the more in the overcomming him for ever in the end yea power was given him to make war by the beast that bears him even all nations of Christendom which he overcame first against the Saints and to overcome them also and so to be filled with his own inventions he gives out when any disputes against him that his desire is to be satisfyed by disputing and so perhaps he would but t is with riches more then rightousnesse with tith more then truth for in truth he seemes if he must meet with such as charge him with error in his doctâ—…ine of baptism tith forced maintenance forcing conscience as if he would renounce his opinions and practises in these points if any can prove them to be corrupt but seeks onely opportunities to spread his odd opinions of what sc'â—…ism and sacriledge and robbing of God it is if submission be not acted and tithes be not offered to him among the vulgar among whom his Ghostly pretences produce a kind of aweful affrightment and dread of doing any thing against what he saies being resolved before hand never to be convinced of the truth as t is in the word for that overturns him in all his preferment projects and plucks him up from all the profits of his present princely posture which is such a right eye to him that he hath not faith enough to believe that it can possibly be more profitable to him to part with though Christ himself till him tis then to preserve and perish with it His disciples are for the most part not such as the noble Beraeans that would take nothing upon trust from the very Apostles mouths but searched the Scripture dayly whether the things were so or no not onely men but honourable women too not a few but rather meer idle implicit forefather faitht men simple and weak women who try nothing but keep their Church and believe as their Church believes and as their good churchman saies led away with diverse lusts and pleasures leaning onely on their Priests understandings pinning all their Religion upon their sleeves adoring all that their Orthodox divines deliver at a venture ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as t is in the word whose honest ignorant devotions he hath won to himself by his cunning artifice of pretended piety voluntary humility seeming zeal to the truth long prayers or rather multitudes of short prayers and praises Pater Nosters Miserere Meâ—…'s Magnificats Te deums Gloria Patri's per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrums and such like devoutries and being once gained are so carried on with the streme of corrupt custome present fashion foolish affection that no reason in the world can reclaim them he deterreth lay people as much as may be from reading expounding or too much prying into the Scripture alledging unto them the perils they may incur by misinterpretations he hath laid his foundations so firmly in the dark consciences of men women by perswading them of his own infallibity Ecclesiastical Authority his Ius Divinum in the Government and guidance of the Church as here in Britain and even of his Temporal jurisdiction too as at Rome over both heaven and earth hell and purgatory of his power in the agony of mens souls to forgive sin that men and women are becharmed into beleif of him he hath woven himself so far into their credulity that all his sayings are received as oracles all his doings as divine all his traditions as truth it self all his Adminstrations as Apostolical all his doctrines as Orthodox all his Arguments though confessed by himself to be weak as unanswerable and all others Administrations Actions Answers Arguments though never so consentaneous to the true sense of Scripture valued at that price which he sets upon them as if the holy chaire of Papall determination Episcopal Convention Synodical constitution could not possibly be mistaken yea the Scripture it self is but a nose of wax with him of what shape soever the CCClergy casts it into of no more authority then Aesops Fables with the Papists if the Pope say the word so as to disdate digrade it or put any part of it out of commission of no other sense then the Bishops and Synod seem to say is the sense on 't with their good Protestants so altogether Oraculous is the Pope among his the Bishop among his the Presbyter among his and even all the three several CCClergies among their three several sorts of CCCreatures that their different ipse dixits are ipso facto divine directory and discharge enough too for these different doters on them insanire cum ratione to dote to and fro by Authority so as to do and undo and do and undo and do by In a word he is too bold to be born down not so much from such things as mae the righteous witnesses to truâ—…h as bold as Lioâ—…s before God and men viz. the goodnesse of his cause for that is stark naugh and rotten nor the clearnes of his call â—…ther to his Clerical function or any actions he goes about by vertue and in persuance thereof for t is clear enough that his orders emission commission as to the external etymology of them are more from the Pope then Christ and the true Church nor any good answer of a good conscience for either his conscience is so cloudy that he cannot or so cowardly that he dares not or so resolved that he will not see or else so clear that he is condemned of himself wâ—…en tâ—…uth shines plainly upon his face but rather from either his great interest in or directive authority over the civil power that hath long back as well as bellyed him as in England or his having it all in his own hands and dispose as at Rome where â—…e duo gladii both swords are in the Clergyes clutches so that he can quickly correct those that conâ—…radict him he is too clamorous to be silenced calling out with such a heavy noise and divine ditty against the truth and condâ—…ing it with such an
dies Christ shews all mens labour in their religion is lost by reason of it in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine the traditions of men the Apostle shuts heaven against it 5. Gal. and twice over denounces cursing to any yea angels from heaven that preach any other then what they preached and I am sure they never preached infant sprinkling yea whoever is an heretick vel dandi vel auferendi saâ—… in either excesse or defect by adding or taking away from the word God will add the plagues upon him that are written in that book and take away his name out of the book of life Saint Austin saith of Arrius how true that saying is I say not but t is an argument Adhominem a good item however for every one that is any other way Antichristianus that his paines are increased in hell as oft as any one thorough his hereâ—…e is seduces from the faith therefore va vobis Scribae Sacerdotes c. 〈◊〉 of all to mourn for the calamities of the true Church which hath for this 1600 yeares been spoiled and under clouds and partly by the Roman Empire Heathen partly by the Roman Empire Christian been trod under the feet of tyrannical truth treaders the losse of souls the Scandal of true Religion which is and hath been every where spoken against houses and lands wives and children goods and liberties when lost consumed destroyed are lamented by us should not Châ—…ists losâ—…s be more dear and how much more the losse of Christ himself who as he told of that ecclipse of that primitive entercourse which he had with his people then by the interposition and comming of the prince of this world between him and them so hath now of a long time been a great stranger in all Christendome Oh What comfort had it been to have had the Son of God walkiâ—…g with us may the Christian world say in the midst of the flames that have devoured and wasted in all corners of it but specially the third part of Christian men which hath been killed by the fire and by the smoak and by the brimstone which issued out of the mouths of the four Angels that were bound before in the great River Euphrates i. e. the four cruel Territories of the Turkish Empire united all under one head viz. Ottoman the Great some 390 years ago and from thenceforth getting ground on this side Euphrates to no lesse then a third part of Christendome as being indeed prepared for an hour a day a month a year i. e. 391. years to slay the third part of nominall Christians with most inhumane mercilessenesse and cruelty Rev. 9 12. ad finem I say what comfort would it have been to have had not onely the name but the spiritual presence of Christ preserving for those that were consumed in that divellish devastation but alas the Herestes Blasphemyes and abominable idolatries of the Christian nations have made him depart and leave the men that meerly by name are Christians to utter distress and darknesse without either succour or support under such bloudy sufferings those sins where not so much suffered in civil States for that may be as set up and stablished as the onely Christianity to be allowed of as they have been by the national Antichristian Christian Churches so that true Christianity is suppressed and suffers for the sake out and for nonconformity thereunto are ever and ever will be the forerunners of the removal of his Candlestick and of the destruction of the very denomination of Church at last among that people that have a name to live and are dead However let us O ye that are the true Christian Churches Mourn for our own sins those sins which have provoked God so much to wrath against his true Churches in former times are beginning to be too rise among us therefore why may he not justly if we lay it not to heart in time deal so with us as of old with them so as to dischurch us so as to lay open our senceâ—… tread down our hedge break down our â—…ower and expose his vine to every beast of the Forrest let us be zealous and repent and in secret let our souls weep for the abominations done in the midst of Sion let horror take hold on us and rivers of tears run down our eyes because men keep not Christs law le ts mend what we can and mourn for what we cannot mend and whilest as the Ranter and his Rout laughs our weak works to scorn on the one hand so the CCClergy and their Clients on the other puff at our Mechanick buildings as Sanballat scoffed at the Iewes Neh. 4. 1 2 3 saying in malice and mockage What do these feeble folk will they fortify themselves against our Orthodox Dâ—…vines will they sacrifice without a Priest among them will they make â—…n end in a day to reform which is many a years work for a learned Synod will they revive the stones even the dead bones of old Hereticks out of the heaps of â—…bish that are burnt that which they build if a fox go up he shall even break down their stone wall le ts not be discouraged nor afraid to proceed in the way and work of the Lord let them laugh but let us weep for them as well as not spare to reprove them so far as we have any hope to reform them let them curse but let us blesse yea let us fast and pray not with Wednesday and good Fryday fasts and Lent'n Letanies nor with the Pharisees twice a week fasts who paid â—…th and refused to submit to Christs baptism nor yet with Jezebells fasts who set honest Naboath on high and accused him of blasphemy on that day with so much the greater advantage and finer pretence as if the Clergy did not when they obtained fasts against hereticks t will not repent them so much another time as some think it may yet of those repentances nor yet with the Jews fasts that fasted for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse that hung down their heads for a day like a bulrush and thought God was half beholding to them for it because they spread sackcloath and ashes under them though they neither loosed the bands of wickednesse nor let the oppressed go free nor undid heavy burdens nor broak every yoak nor dealt their bread to the hungrie nor brought the poor that were cast to their houses nor coveted the naked when they saw them but rather hid themselves from their own flesh and hardned their hearts against the poor and heaped up riches for themselves and oppressed full as much and it may be much more then before shall we call these fasts and acceptable daies to the Lord Isa. 58 they are all abominable rather thenacceptable Therefore let us fast as well from as for iniquity and what ever others do let us serve the Lord let us call for justice and plead for truth let us not defile
do when the Kingdome appointed by the Father to him in reward of his for them and by him to his disciples in reward of their sufferings for him Luke 22. 28. is come this I utterly deny nay rather he is yet in his Saints an underling to the civil powers the miserable ignorance of which time wherein Christ shall take unto himself his great power and reign and be de facto as he was de jure before King of Kings and Lord of Lords makes the Divines so dote as to Interpret that place Isa. 49. 23. of Kings being nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers and bowing down and licking the dust of the Chuches feet and a hundred more as fulfilled now in this his day of small things in this his personal absence which when the divel is blind at least and bolted up in the bottomless pit Rev. 20. they l surely see are not in esse actuali till then and to suppose Magistrates to be now Christs chief Church officers Supremely under him to rule in it when as were they not already blind themselves they could not but see it to be contrary unto truth for women may be Magistrates but not Church Ministers and may be Supreme in authority in a State as Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth but are bid to be under obedience and fordid in Church matters so much as to speak much more to usurp authority in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 34. 35. viz. in refusing to be judge in matters of faith and religion * For Custoâ—…s et vindex ut ciusque tabulae under the Gospel because it was sounder that typical standing of the Law is but a tale and a trick of our Priests whereby to curry favour with their princes the truth is that whole Jewish State which was also a Church as no one whole nation under heaven now is was a type and both the Kingly Priestly and Prophe tical office that then headed that Church were typical of that tripple true head of the Gospel Israel Christ Jesus and are no more to be drawn in as an example so as to argue more warrantably from the Kings then to the civil Rulers now then from the High-Priest-Hood to the Popedome * my Petition to the powerâ—… on behalf of the Church is that it may have as much peace and as little preferment as they please for ever Cum Ecclesia peperit divitias silia devoravit matrem y Twospritualties whereof as bad as the first is the latter will be more sensuall then the former having not the Spirit Jude 17. though pretending to it more supremely then the other under which last the devil now acts as under a new vizard to the deceiving of people from the way of truth perceiving his old vizard worn so thin that all men begin now to see through it * Luk. 9. 53. 54 55. * Witness the Iesuites that 〈◊〉 kil Kings if Hereticks the Northen presbitery that may lawfully sight England if it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ctory and the Episcopal war against the State * So Iulius the second who seeing himself vanquisht threw away Saint Peters keyes into the River Tyber protesting he would thence forth help himself with S Pauls sword * The contrary towhich where ere t is well may men submit out of fear till they can help themselves but never out of love while the world stands for consci ence is a tender thing and though but a woâ—…m yet if trod upon wil turn again * Howbeit they shall never want flatterers to perswade them that they are Abj. Ans. * Vid. â— Tho. Beacons Reliquâ—…s of Rome sâ—…t forth cum privilegio 1563. Pope Servitius ordained that Hereticks should be banisâ—…t An. 588. fol. 214. Pope Pelagius the first that all Hereticks and Schismaticks should be put to death by the secular power provided that the Bishops in their spiritual courts do first prosecute convict and condemn them for Hereticks and then commit them to the temporal Magistrate to dispaâ—…ch them out of the way by fire sword or halter for they say as the chief priests to Pilate it is not lâ—…wful for us to put any to death In the councel of Lateran by Innocent the third 2 Patriaâ—…s 70 Aroh-bishops 400 Bishops twelve Abbots 800 Priests the Legates of the Greek and Roman Empire the Embassadors of Spain Jerusalem France England Cyprus it was decreed that all Hereticks and so many as should in any point resist the Catholique faith should be condemned that the secular power of what degree soever should be compelled openly to swear for the defence of the Catholique faith and to the utmost of their power to root out and destroy in their kingdomes all such persons as the Catholique Church should condemn for Hereticks and if any King should be a Heretick or defender of them and not reform within a year then his subjects should be absolved by the Pope from yielding any further subjection or obedience to him or keeping any fidelity with him and so t was in the case of John here in England who resigned to the Popes Legate his Crown kissing his knee as he came into England which John was after poisoned by a Monk who having his pardon from the Pope poisoned himself first to poison the King and also that the Pope may give that land to Catholiques to possesse peaceably and without contradiction all Hereticks being rooted out of it Obj. Ans. * 1 Sam 5. 24 * which he hath more saith then I that believes they ever will for surely the CCClergies Win all or lose all will pull them down at last * 〈◊〉 Es. 15. 5. to the 12. 49. to 57. Rev. 11. 〈◊〉 6. 19. 2. * for howbeit it was the Roman civil power in Potius Pilate passing sentence yet it was the Priestly malice that caused him to be crucified or else Pilate had re leased him so its Princely power but PPPriestly malice crying out crucifie him crucifie him that hath caused himunder the Gospel be crucified in his truth and Saints or else many of the civil Powers would release him â—…om 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—… 2. 13. Magistâ—…es are called 〈◊〉 â—…dinance oâ—… Godâ—… the mâ—… tâ—…it oâ—…â—…he thing we 〈◊〉 goâ—…ern nâ—… is oâ—… him the ordinâ—…ce of 〈◊〉 to â—…he 〈◊〉 form of governmâ—… viz. whâ—…her it shall be by Kings Parliâ—… c. and also the paticular persons that shall execuâ—…e that form is alâ—…ogether in choice of the people * Act. 18 12 13. 14 * â—…e supra p. 279. * For that name Clergy however by themselves improperly impropriated to themselves as if they onely were the heritage of God for that 's the plain English of that Anglico-greek word Clergy yet in plain truth pertains properly to all Christs people and that in contradistinction too from the Ministry for the spirit speaking of the Elders and Pastors of the Church charges them not to Lord it over the heritage i. e. in other locution not
Ioanes example they may yet by Pauls rule they may not usurp authority in the Church * For now that 's put down also as to the present session as every power will be and that suddenly and with shame that puts down others for tyranny covetousness unrighteousness self settlement in greatnesse and delay of justice to poor people that cry for it in these latter daies and yet succeeds them in the same sins and in such security as to say Populus me sibilet at mihi plaudo Ipsa domi simulac nummos contempler in Arca. * I mean take tith for you pay none * of which you have the fift not the tenth if the husbandmans charges be all considered * If you were not blind your selves you would gather thus much from that viz. that while men are blind they sat under your ministry but when once they begin clearly to see they can see no ground to sit under you any longer * Nicholas the first was I think the first that prohibited the Clergy marriage saying that it was more honest to have to do with many women privately then openly to take one â—…fe Insomuch that a Priest of Placentia being accused to have a wife and children was deprived of his Benefice but proving the said woman to be the wife of another mâ—…n and his conebine onely he was again restored Helin p. 183. * That there should be 40000 dipped disciples at the first beginning of them too shall be no article of my faith who find an increase but to a few 1000s of such here in England undâ—…r no losse then seven years talking of this truth and find men more refusing to be baptized at all in truth then forward to be baptized ore again yea in this English Sectarian army of Anabaptists as it s termed by you Priests who have a habit of naming all men Anabaptists whether baptized or no that are up in lawful armes for the civil rights and liberties of the people against those Priests and Princes that have destroyed them t is to be feared there 's not one of an 100 did ever own Christ so far yet as to be baptized * Qui intravit ut vulpes reg navit ut Leo moâ—…ieb atur ut Canis came in a like a Fox reigned like a Lion dyed like a Dog * O monstrous is â—…age come upon our Doctors now in the hight that Apollo is the true God with them and his Oracles which by Christians were ever counted the Devils Gods oracles and the spoiâ—…ing of his Temple the spoiling and rifling Gods church and the ruin which Machinatione Daemonis say Historians themselves that write it fell on them that attempted it the curse of God for this sin of Sacriledge and Robbing God of his due so it should seem for defining Sacriledge to be a robbing of God a rifling of his Churches stripping Religion of her necesâ—…ary dresse and decent rites and ceremonies and asserting that God will curse with strange curses those that are guilty of it his first instance is the revenging hand of God on Xerxes for medling with the Temple of Appollo Surely these men who have so high an esteem of the God Appollo and his Temple would have had the like of Appollo's Sister Diana the great Goddess of the Ephesians and her Temple whom all Asia and the world worshipped Act. 19. 27. and counted Paul a Sacrilegious fellow in dispising her Magnificence and turning away people from her worship as Demetrius did who got his wealth by her standing had they been alive at that time yet this is the Doctor we are sent to for furniture with knowledge of the truth by you Ashford Accountants * Alias the Great gawdy building that was there in as much veneration as Pauls Church in London is for that is the Church with some whom a stone Church and wooden Priesthood pleases better then a spiritual house of living stones and spiritual ministry in it * Built by Queen Helena who if you consult the Story in no lesse Superstitious Devotion then they the Vessels of the Temple did consecrate the Temple it self to the Honor of Christ Pueri sacer est locus extra meiite * Alias the holy habitations of the most abominable holy Fryers who no question fryed in the fire of holy wrath and rage to see their holy Cloisters and Chappels sacrilegiously prophaned to civil uses which by them and their Lady Abbesses were wont to be made use of saving their holy Superstitions to nothing but uncivil and unclean * For then by my consent they shall be counted Sacrilegious too that shall ever happen to be spoilers of the tripple crown So Mr. Bayly and Mr. Baxt. Featly p. 161. 167. also Featley and Pagits title pages * Helin p. 161 * See Baâ—… Ep to the Read also Feat in his Epist. to the Read and p. 161. * Sae Featleys Epist. to the Read * Helin p. 189 * pâ—…va est vobis cura linguarum minor Artium mini ma pietatis were most of you as little learnd as good a peaâ—…cod shell might make you gown and hooâ—… Hang out your lights here your new lights quoth he scoffingly who in pride prints himself Capape Captain generall of all the Presbyterian forces in England c. viz. Dr. B. * Sir Henry Wotton Ciceâ—… 2. de naâ—… deor 1 Causes * After the oâ—…throw of the exâ—…chate 〈◊〉 Empâ—…rs now neglecting Italy the Roman began now to be governed by the advice power of the Popes Pepin and his son Charls having overthrown the Lombards give unto the Popes the Ex archate Urbine Ancona Spolero and many other Towns and territories about Rome Act. 18. 3. 4. Act. 20. 33. 34. 35. 2 Cor. 11. 7. ad 12. so 12. 13. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 11 12. 1 Thes. 2. 9. 2. Thes. 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. * Witnesse Al bert Archbi of Mentz who being at the diet at Ausbourge An. 1530. finding a bible on the the Table reading some leaves thereof where by chance he opened it said tâ—…uly I know not what book this is but this I see it makes all against us * Magister art is ingenii que laâ—…tor venter docuit negatas artifex sequi voces * 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. * Featly p. 113. 2. Design 3 Effects * see the last clause of the first part of the Ashford pamphlet p. 11. Mr. Wilson Mr. Williamson * Mat. 15. 9. * Hâ—…tness Luther himself who though he wrote bitterly against indulgences yet durst not 〈◊〉 ought from the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 most holy Father Leo See an Epistle of his to Pope Leo the 10â—… * See Dr. Featleys dippers dipt See Dr. Helins Geography where speaking of Pope Joan he calls her both the literal and the mysticall Whâ—…re of Babylon * See Rutherfords Presbytery in the Epistles Dedicatory to the Reader * One of the three parts Rev. 16. 19. of the great City BBBabylon viz. the Pope and his carnal crue of Clergymen the Prelate found out but in nostris talpae in alienis linces sumus was so pittifully purblind at home that he could never find out a second the second part of that Babylonish WWWhore which are the Prelate and his Priesthood the Presbyter found out and began to cry out upon them also as an harlot but standing so much in his own light that he cannot see himself for himself and cannot see wood for trees to this day he cant hit upon the third but even that also which is the Presbyterian Clergy is in Tyranny so like the rest that the name Babylon will appear upon their foreheads too within a while * The term Christ used to Peter for his subtle selfishnesse immediately after he had honored him with the name of Peter Mat. 16. where the actions are Satanical the reproof cannot be too Satyri cal to whom soever See Brain 's Babels fall * Nos RustÄ«ci haud cÅ«â—…ănus quanâ—…ītătem SyllÄbÅrum
the Gods of the earth to judge all men that are under you whether in the Church or of the world in earthly cases and matters of meer secular concernment that you are not the Gods of heaven that is the Church so far as to meddle at all as earthly judges to correct in those meer heavenly cases and though the PPPriests perswade you t is a piece of acceptable service to God to let your whole Nations be by law from you compelled to be their Churches that as you civilly so they uncivilly may go hand in hand Moses Aron like share with you in subjecting violently all souls your selves too to their SSSacer dot all suggestion in soul cases that you may lawfully punish Hereticks into the hearing of them banish them into a blind obedience to their directions yet I am bold in the Lord to assure you that as you should have little thank from him should you force men to such a worship as for the matter of it is according to Christs will against their own so will he once check you in wrath if you repent not in time for forcing all men to worship after the CCClergies will against Christs for as the first is at best but a piece of honest ignorance so this last is at least no lesse then a piece of divellish darknese Rev. 13. 7. 8. Hearken no more therefore O ye the Magistrates as you respect the true good of your Republiques to the clamors of your CCClergy when they cry out to you to hunt out Hereticks i. e. such as after the way they call heresie so worship God where by they run you unavoidably if you run after them upon certain ruine and on the hazard of fighting against God and then wo be you of rooting the wheat his Saints out of the Field the world in which it ought to stand and the tares too even till the harvest and of infinit cumbrances inconveniences and brangles about Church matters wherein as Magistrates you are not so immediately concâ—…rned as they dictate to you who are such a contentious sect of men both with all others and each with other about one Church businesse or other continually that t is impossible now specially since truth is returning home which they have so long driven from her own border but that the nations will be imbrued in their own and one anothers blood in defence of their fopperies if you engage as oft as they would egge you to it on their behalfs What animosities have ever been between the Temporalty and these Lords Spiritual What quarrels and jarres between the Fryers of several orders what whole Countrey clashes and consumptions have been made in Germany between the Calvinists and Lutherans what inveteracy between the CCClergy of the severall FFFormes of Government which though they can agree all against the true Clergy or heritage of God yet hate each other unto the death yea oh the infinite wrangâ—…gs and little lesse then divellish dissentions wherewith as with a sire they have wasted all corners of their CCâ—…Christendomes that they have been more like the places of burying dead bodies then like the houses of Christs flock yea they have consumed themselves in their miserable burning whilest in their holy wars they have called 〈◊〉 â—…everally the civil sword to the ultimate determining of their spiritual controversiâ—…s and made carnal weapons the instruments of their churches warfare as if the best way to coâ—…vert the nations to Christ were to convert them to dust and ashes how have they sâ—…amed upon occasion of different opinions so as to tear and rend people to pieces and engage them their princes at swords point for their lusts and wills sake how have they cast the people from one element to another one falie way unto another till they have made whole Countreys Cities and their own Academies Aâ—…aes feild of blood and like foaming and â—…aging waves of the Sea shâ—…ving together for the dictates of that kind of Clergy still that they are the Sâ—…ries of insomuch that some observant spirits have wisht to dy and depart this life among other ends for this that they might be delivered from the sight of the implacable hatred of Divines all which thiâ—…gs also do take off the Magistracy from a tendance to their main businesse of relieving the oppressed judging the fatherlâ—…sse pleading for thâ—… widâ—…w and the works of justice and mercy among their people which God will have and noâ—… sacrifice and take beâ—…ter from them then the improvement of themselves to set up either the Pâ—…pe the Prelate or the Prâ—…yier or establish any form of Religion whatsoever by a law On the eâ—…re that the Powers would consider it though I fear me mâ—…st nations in Châ—…e will not till they pay dear for theiâ—… learning and leave their people free to clâ—…use what God they will serve and which way they will serve the true God by suffering all waies to stand before them in the world and be objected fairly to their tryall then shâ—…ll truth be sure to be told them as well as errour and leave them without excuse that shall rejectâ—… Mean while as to the civil interest of the whâ—…e and each pâ—…re of heir Commonweaâ—…s to see strictly to it that they atâ—…end contiâ—…lly on 〈◊〉 very thing for which they are when once the ordâ—…nence of men by their election the ordinance and ministers of God and to be â—…red to as both the ordinance of God and man and that for both conscience sâ—…ke and the Lords that they attend upon the protection of all people from being injâ—…d one by â—…er in any cases pertaining to externalls and the maintaining â—…f outwaâ—… peace civilâ—…ty and good mâ—…ners in all men to the whole and to each other by punishâ—…g â—…vil dâ—…s of such a nature and rewarding of such as do well without parâ—…ality or respect to any persons or parties in which cases Reguâ—… est parâ—… subâ—…is â—…t deâ—…llare superboâ—… thus doing they must necessarily maintain true Religâ—…n too so far as they are called as Magistrates to maintain it whilst when all states â—…ave trod it down under pretence of maintaining it that supprest all as Schism that suited not with the Monarchiall minds of the men called CCClergy this state sets it up as far as men may or can set it up that suffers it to live and thrive among the false If there be any matter of wrong or wicked lewdness done by any as well members of the true Church as any other reason wills and therefore no Christians but CCClergy man and their creatures whose way is against reason will be against it that such should suffer according to the law in that behalf whether unto bonds or unto banishment or unto confiscation or unto death without benefit of the Clergy who have benedicted all benefits to themselves and not be favoured because members or because Ministers of such Churches neither is it fit