〈◊〉 4◠〈◊〉 Mans dayes are vaine and as a flower they fade Heere 's one proclames whereon man's life is stay'd His sufferings Changes Comforts in strict thrall Shon's GOD alone preserues and Gouernes all THE Second part of that Book call'd INDEPENDENCY NOT GODS ORDINANCE OR The Post-script discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren with the jugglings of many of their Pastors and Ministers to the misleading of the poor people to the detriment of their own souls and the hurt both of Church and State with the danger of Novelties in Religion proving that Independency is one of the most dangerous Sects that ever appeared in the world since Mortality inhabited the Earth In the which also there is a satisfactory Answer given to the principall cavils of him that writ that railing Pamphlet stil'd The falshood of Mr Will. Prynnes Triumphing in the Antiquity of Popish Princes and Parliaments With Doctor BASTVVICKS just Defence against some calumnies in way of Preface BY JOHN BASTVVICK Dr in Physick 1 THESS 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed by John Macock for Michael Spark junior and are to be sold at the sign of the blue Bible in Green-Arbour 1645. Dr Bastwicks Defence against some calumnies with an Answer to certain cavills for a Tolleration of all Religions in way of Preface to the ensuing Discourse WHen I was a prisoner in the Northern parts and first heard of the miserable distractions and great divisions that were amongst Christians in London and in all the Eastern Western and Southern parts of the Kingdome about Religion and the Government of the Church and saw the great rejoycing of the common Enemies at it as who hoped by this meanes to facilitate their way of attaining to their designe which was to make themselves our masters and all the people their slaves I conceived that it was but a meer fiction and that indeed there had been good agreement amongst the brethren as having all joyned in a solemne covenant which ought never to be forgotten against all Popery and the Prelaticall party for the upholding of the true Protestant Religion and that they had been so really united together in love and affection one towards another and in so sweet an harmony amongst themselves that all the enemies of the truth and of our Country could never have raised any discord or made the least jar or breach of friendship amongst them But not many weeks after having received certain Intelligence from good hands that there was indeed a reall rent and division amongst those that were and had formerly been best affected to Reformation it did not a little perplex me knowing very well the danger of divisions and the evill consequences that would ensue if they were not timely prevented And after that I had informed my self what the ground of the difference was viz. About Independency I declared my self unto such as were permitted to come to me as they can witnesse that as I conceived that opinion to be a meer novelty so it tended to nothing but to distraction and making of a breach in Church and State and thought withall that it was brought about by the subtilty of the Prelaticall and Jesuiticall party for this very purpose howsoever the dissenting parties discerned not the craft of the adversaries And I promised then if ever God gave me liberty though for my own particular I wholly dissented from the Independent brethren in their Assertion yet I would use my best diligence to moderate between them that if it were possible I might make up all breaches amongst brethren that they might the better unite all their Forces for the common defence But the Independent brethren hearing that I was for the Presbytery against their tenents after they had used some arguments which I have set down in the insuing discourse to diswade me from writing about that subject or at least that I would stand Neuter and perceiving that I would not be silenced of friends they all became my enemies and fell into open hostility at least in words against me so that I could not enjoy the very Laws of civility in many of their Companies and abused me with such reviling language as would be above beleefe to recite them all amongst other of their expressions they affirmed that I was the greatest Incendiary in the Kingdome and that they would prove it and that I was an Apostate and that now I had forgot my own sufferings and the kindnesse that had been shewed unto me by the godly party and of a sufferer was become a persecuter of the Saints many words of contumely and disgrace they daily utterd against me and for no other cause but that I dissented from them in opinion and that I profest it was not for the safety of the Church and Kingdome to tollerate all Religions for I never wronged any of them in word or deed So that they gave me just occasion then to suspect though I knew there were many truly fearing God in that number yet that the Religion of many of their leaders was but a meer faction and I had very good reason for this my conceipt as the following discourse will more fully declare for I never yet thought that true Religion consisted in word and tongue or in opinion but in rightly believing and in conscionably and duly practising what God in his holy Word hath taught unto his people which is to lead a godly righteouus and sober life and to live in charity and amity amongst the Brethren and to shew love unto all for the better winning of them and to follow Christ in doing and suffering to whose example all Christians must conforme themselves if they will be his Disciples and partake with him in his glory and as they must set Christ before them for imitation so they must be obedient likewise to his commands who hath enjoyned all his followers to love one another telling them that by this it will be knowne that they are his Disciples if they love one another Now although I heard often of the Independents New-lights I saw none of their new lives for I well perceived they had no great regard to this command of Christ of mutuall loving their Brethren which he had so often inculcated upon all Christians and that upon the least dissenting from them in their new and fond opinions of Independency they forthwith proclaimed us all enemies of Christ and his kingdome and disavowed all communion with the Brethren in holy things and would neither admit our children to baptisme nor our selves to the Sacraments with them but separated themselves from us and in most odious Pamphlets laid all disgrace upon their Brethren dehorting their followers from reading our books or hearing of our godly Ministers and declining all communion with us and rather joyning with the common Enemy all which their proceeding made me think that their religion was but faction and that now there
the whole Gospell and in the thirteenth of the Romans and in both the Epistles of Saint Peter and that of Saint Jude in all which such as speak evill of dignities and despise their authority are reckoned amongst the worst of men and out of that Word of God we are also taught that Christian Magistrates are Custodes utriusque tabulae for God that gave the Law to Fathers Mothers Masters of Families and Magistrates commands them all that they should take a care and see that all those under their severall charges should keep the commandements of the Lord as is manifest Exod. 20. and Deut. 6. and Deut. 11. and many other places of holy Scripture might he produce to that purpose and that they should all see to bring up their Children in the nurture and fear of the Lord which they cannot do if they or any of them give a tolleration of all Religions And Christ himself the Lawgiver saith Mat. 5.17 18 19. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill for verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called the greatest in the Kingdome of heaven Now it is most evident by all that Sermon that Christ speaks of the Morrall Law and ratifies it with all its sanctions and punishments annexed to it against the violators of that his Royall Will and by the Law and Prophets and by the Gospell he hath confirmed all Christian Magistrates in their Authority and by all them hath taught all his people that the power of the Magistrates in all respects under the Gospell is as great and as ample if not more extensive then it was under the Law So that whatsoever by the Law of God or Nature deserved death or was worthy of punishment under the Law the same deserveth death and punishment under the Gospell And therefore as Atheisme Idolatry Blasphemy profanation of the Sabboth and all manner of impiety and tolleration of all Religions and all manner of wickednesse was by the Law of God to be punished by the Magistrates under the Law the same ought by the Christian Magistrate to be punished under the Gospell and therefore all good and godly Christian Magistrates Parents Ministers Masters of Families and indeed all such as fear God ought to joyne together for the exterminating and rooting out all false worship out of Gods service and all manner of heresies and will-worship with all manner of humane inventions and whatsoever consent not to the wholsome words of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 And this is the duty of all Christians in any authority And truly if ever there were a time that call'd for an establishment of one religion and a setled government with uniformity in a Church and State and a suppression of all Heresies Sects and Factions now it is when by the sad effects already of divisions and variety of opinions we may well perceive what ruine will come upon the three Kingdomes if there be a toleration of all religions granted For divisions and factions especially in religion have been fatall to Kingdomes and Common-wealths in all Ages as most Histories relate And if men will not learn their duties from Gods command nor from the example of all the holy Patriarks Prophets and Apostles that would have but one religion then let them learn it from the Independents who whiles they pleade for a toleration of all religions in every Nation and Countrey will not give a toleration of them in their own Families Churches nor in New-England nor of any other but their own so that any man that is not stupidity it self may well perceive they say one thing and mean another and what toleration of religion they would afford us if they were in authority But this we learn that it is the Magistrates place to execute the will of God against offenders and against such as would bring in a toleration of all religions And it is the duty of all Ministers and people fearing God and such as desire the peace of Church and State to assist the Magistrates and to oppose all Heresies and Innovations in Religion and to study every way to maintaine love and amity amongst Brethren which a confusion of all religions can never do and this I thought fit in way of Preface to premise in my own just defence and for conviction of the blaspemous Tenents of that Scribler that writ against learned Mr. Prynne The Postscript SAint Paul in 1 Cor. 10. setting before the Christians of his time the sins of the Jewes and their often rebellion against God and how frequently they had provoked him specifies also the judgements that came upon them for their disobedience and ingratitude and tels the Corinthians and in them all Christians that whatsoever hapned unto the Jewes it was for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come so that if we take not heed by their example and shun not those sinnes that they provoked God by we shall likewise make our selves liable to the same punishments And as no Nation had God so nigh unto them as the Jewes nor no people upon the face of the Earth that God had so freely loved and miraculously delivered out of the hands of their enemies when at any time under their great oppressions they cried unto him and continued still to be their Saviour and Redeemer out of all their captivities and slaveries with the ruine and overthrow many times of their enemies and sent his Prophets and Wise men early and late to instruct and teach them his Statutes and Ordinances commanding them to seek the old way and the good way that they might finde rest unto their soules Ier. 6. and had in all respects been so abundantly gracious that he himself saith Isaiah 5. What could I have done more to my Vineyard then that I have done Yet notwithstanding they left him the fountaine of living waters and digged unto themselves broken sisternes that could hold no water Ier. 2. So that in Chap. 5. vers 30 31. the Lord saith A wonderfull and a horrible thing is committed in the land The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof In the which words the great sinne of rebellion and ungratitude in that people is sufficiently set down they listned unto the false Prophets and yeilded obedience unto what they preached unto them the same complaint Saint Paul makes in 2 Cor. and in his other Epistles concerning the false Apostles of his time and
the kingdome as they all deserved they are all now murmured against as Moses and Aaron were by those Bricklayers as soon as they were delivered from their fiery furnaces and with them we desire to returne into Egypt and wish our old Masters againe and think their tyranny a good government and all this is done not by the Malignants and the ordinary Protestants only but by those that seem the greatest promoters of reformation such as would be thought the only Christians Saints as they term themselves bidding all others depart from them as being more holy than they and flye in the very face of one of those men who they had with singular encomiums a few years since magnified as one of the worthies of the kingdome and predicated as one of the witnesses spake of in the book of the Revelation and whom they had received in his return from banishment with their acclamations of joy I mean that learned Gentleman Master William Prynne Esquire my brother in afffiction and fellow sufferer who is now the same that ever he was and one that for the testimony of Jesus I am most confident would dare to suffer more then many that now traduce him dare thinke And if any fiery tryall should indeed really come he would I doubt not undauntedly stand in the defence of truth when they would flye and take their heels as formerly they have done or squlke in holes or play lest in sight or temporize howsoever they now vapour when there is no danger yet of this very man whom they idolized before they now speak of as of one inspired with the devill and as of a man of no religion and professe that they are sorry they ever prayed for him and wish that when he had lost his eares he had lost his head and athousand such expressions they dayly utter and not only against all those I have above specified do they vent their passion by their railing lauguage but they abuse any man whatsoever that opposeth their Novelties although they had never so honourable thoughts of him before conceived never so well of him for his godly life by which they declare their unconstancy and the ficklenes of their unstable minds so that we have just cause to remember that of David Psal 146. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish So unstable creatures are men won with an apple and lost with a nut imitating the Jews one day crying Hosanna and another day crucifie him one day with the foolish Galathians they would put out their eyes to do Paul good and another they counted him their enemy But what I pray is the cause of this their so great displeasure against our brethren in Scotland against the Parliament against our noble Generalls against all the godly learned and painfull Ministers of the Kingdome and against Master Prynne and indeed against all their faithfull brethren for they rail and murmur against all but those of their own faction as it is well known It is because forsooth they would set up a Presbytery and desire to establish that kinde of Government in the Church which is Gods Ordinance which they say to the precious Saints for so they terme themselves will be more unsupportable then the Prelaticall Government and because they would have the people enter into a publike Covenant for the bringing in and setting up a through reformation and because they have appointed a set day of fasting and humiliation through the Kingdome which they in no sort allow of because say they there may be an occasion of rejoycing that very day and so there might have been a cause also of mourning amongst the Jews at such very times as they had their appointed seasons of rejoycing and feasting but that is not all why they are offended with the Scots and with the Parliament and with the godly Ministers and with all their brethren but this displeaseth them exceedingly Because they have made a late Order that none shall Preach publikely but such as for their sufficiency and learning and soundnesse of Doctrine are able rightly to instruct and teach the people the right way both of serving God and obeying men and how they may live comfortably here and be usefull and profitable to others and be kept from heresies and schisms and ereonious doctrines which tend to nothing but faction and destroying of their own souls and the disturbing of the Church and State and for the bringing in of a confusion of all Religions and for the alienating of the affection of brethren one from another and for the overthrowing of all order in Families Villages Towns Cities Countries and Kingdomes and for the bringing men in time that they shall neither know what to beleeve nor what to practise as by sad experience we already finde to be frequent Now because our brethren of Scotland and the Parliament and the godly and faithfull Ministers and those that as truely fear God as any of them desire such a reformation and such a Government as by which Truth and Peace may be established amongst us and heresies and schisms and factions may be rootedout the disturbers of Peace that we may all live happily here and gloriously hereafter This kinde of government not suiting with their humour nor with their opinion therefore they abhor it and all such as indeavour to establish it and desire and wish rather that all the old trumpery were brought in again and professe it that they had rather have the Government of the Prelates then this kinde of Government yea some of them have not been ashamed to protest unto some Malignant and Prelaticall Priests with whom they can very well comply when occasion serves that before the Presbyters shall rule over them they will cut all their throats and joyn with them for there-establishing of the Hierarchy and this the Priests themselves with great joy have related And there must needs be some great Mistery of Iniquity that is not yet brought to light in these new factions for it is notoriously known to many thousands in the Kingdome that the Malignants at home and abroad as their words and Letters do declare confide as much in these Sects for the attaining unto their designes as they do in all the Cavaliers So that it is high time for the great Councell of the Kingdome and for all that love the true Religion and wish the peace and welfare of both Church and State to stand upon their guards at home as well as abroad and to shew their vigilency and care for the preventing of the intended evill against us all And truely it might awaken any man if he take but notice of the great distractions and of the sad effects these new opinions have produced not onely in London and in the Counties round about it but also in Yorke-shire Lincolnshire and in
to contaminate the reputation of those that have deserved so well from us and therefore all such as have neither a bridle for their tongues nor their unruly passions ought to have a bit put in their mouthes to teach them better manners more humanity and gratitude But this has ever bin the practice of all the enemies of God his government in all ages to make all his Servants the holy Prophets yea Christ himself and his blessed Apostles hatefull to the people under that notion of disturbers of all Kingdomes enemies of Caesars and of all government And this made the Popish faction in Qu. Maries dayes when they heard that those Ministers that fled out of England to Frankford in Germany and into other places intended to set up the Presbyterian government in England if the Lady Elizabeth ever came to the Crown so to bestir themselves and set their wits on work to hinder and frustrate that their intention for they said among themselves if that government were once established in the Kingdome their Catholick Religion could never get place or take rooting here any more and therefore seeing they could not take away the life of that most excellent Lady nor any way keep her from the Crown after her Sisters decease now all the policy would be to hinder that work Whereupon they suborn'd many of the most famous wits out of both Universities that under pretence of religion and zeale to the Protestant profession should flye over to Frankfort and to the other places where those Ministers were as if they had done it out of conscience and pure love to the Protestant religion and seemed in all points of doctrine to be as zealous as any of those that were there and the only desirers and advancers of the true Protestant Religion but they professed unto them that for the manner of government the Hierarchicall way of ruling the Church in their opinion the purity of religion being once established would most tend to the preservation of it as being most powerfull for the suppressing of Sects and Schismes and for the upholding also of the Kingdome and that the Presbytery would tend to nothing but the bringing in of Anarchy and what with their craft subtilty and wranglings as the Independents now do in the Assembly they so interrupted their proceedings as they could not then bring their good designe to perfection and so hindered that glorious work of Reformation for that time and all under the pretext of piety and good to the peace of the Church and Kingdome And as soon as Queen Mary was dead and that the Lady Elizabeth was preclaimed Queen of England then they all repaired home and having a strong party in the Court all seeming zealous Protestants though Papists in their hearts they commended these men as wise and moderate men and such as were lovers of Monarchies and regall government to the Queen and disgraced all those that stood for a Presbytery as such as were factious and affectors of innovation and such as were no way to be preferred to eminent places in the Church but because as they said they had suffered for their conscience they were willing they should have good Parsonages and Benefices through the Towns and Villages where they might preach to the people but they were all set in the Black Bill as men not fit to preach in Courts and as men uncapable of great places and high promotion in the Church were ever kept under as those that were seditious and not fit for Ecclesiasticall honours And all the other that were either Papists in their hearts or ill affected to the Protestant Religion though seeming Protestants were advanced to all Church-dignities and made Archbishops Bishops and Suffragates Deans Archdeacons and the Queens and Noblemens Chaplains And in a very short time they established their High Commission Court under pretence of suppressing Popery whereas they intended nothing but the rooting out in time of all true Religion and the re-establishing again of their old worm-eaten and rotten profession And they had in a good measure accomplished this their diabolicall plot and had really effected it had it not pleased our God to call this Parliament and Assembly who by their vigilancy and care frustrated this their designe And all this they then brought about by bringing the Presbytery into hatred and disgrace as the Papists themselves have often gloried and bragged among their Companions when they would shew how they had ever out-witted the Puritans And at this instant of time they have their complices that foment all these factions by whose means they labour to hinder the Presbyterian government knowing very well that if it ever be establied the Kingdome of Antichrist will never get head againe amongst us nor none of their abominable Sects have rooting in these Kingdomes but that the truth by that means will flourish maugre all the maligners of it and be propagated through the world which is the only cause that not only the Devill but all ungodly men and straglers are so inraged against the Presbyterian-government which they know is so prevalent for the suppressing of all Heresies and eronious opinions and for the curbing of all vice wickednesse and all prophanenesse as that they will never be permitted to roost in these dominations And whereas they look upon all the Presbyterians as they tell us in their writings as the enemies of JESUS CHRIST and his Kingdome I look upon all the Sticklers against the Parliament and Presbytery by what names and titles soever distinguished what seeming piety soever they make shew of as on a company of Juglers And truly as the Juglers in Saint Pauls time bewitched the foolish Galathians so these by their cunning craftinesse have infatuated too many well meaning and godly people who howsoever they have learned to forget the very lawes of civility and common charity and to condemne all those of a different opinion from themselves as enemies of Christ yet I shall ever learne to distinguish between the people that are mislead and they that seduce them for I conceive of many of them as such as desire to serve God with all sincerity and in the purest way of worshipping him and because their Teachers perswade them that these their new wayes are the wayes of God and they not being able to discern truth from error and to discover their hypocrisie are all deceived by them as the poor Widows were by the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time who our Saviour said devoured their houses under pretence of long prayers and as they brought in the leven of their own doctrine and inventions into Gods worship and service so do the false teachers of these our times bring in their own grolleries and Baggatellies prefer their own traditions before the Commandements of God and violate all the lawes of love and charity for the establishing of the same And as ignorance in all people is the cause of error for so our blessed Saviour
as a generation of men not worthy to give guts unto a Bear But I say when men are called to the warre by the State and prest to that service they can then appear with joy before all men and look death it self in the face with courage whether in the field or in cold blood in the hands of their enemies when they suffer as evill doers for they can then comfort themselves with their calling knowing that they were imployed by the State and it is their duty to obey and that as they were borne under obedience with cheerfulnesse and alacrity they can dye And therefore all such as the Independents that go about to disparage the Parliament and the great Councell of the Kingdome for pressing of men for the publick service do things derogatory to their authority and all such as are prest and able to fight and do either run away from their Colours or wilfully or rebelliously detract their obedience ought to be hanged And as it is lawfull in the Magistrate to presse men to fight for their countrey so it is law full likewise for them to fight for their religion and to presse men for that purpose and he that will not fight for his religion if he be a Magistrate certainly he has little religion in him and he that is a private man that will not suffer for his religion if he be called to it nor fight for it both voluntarily and when by authority he is put upon it but flye from either of the imployments of doing or suffering and will not come out to helpe the Lord against the mighty he deserveth not only the bitter curse against Merosh Judg. 5. but to be hanged What doe the Brethren the Independents now hold it a thing unlawfull to fight for religion for so they professe to their friends when not long since they so animated others to it It seems they are very changeable in all their oopinions I believe they have found out some new-light of direction how to runne away againe as they did before if the times change But yet such as have learned how to performe their duty and have read the holy Scriptures and amongst many other places the two and twentieth of Ioshua for one have been taught that when the Israelites on the other side of Jordan had set up an Altar though it was not with a minde and intent to alter religion yet if they had not given a satisfactory answer for their so doing to Ioshua and the Elders of Israel their Brethren they would speedily have made warre upon them for it as any State for ought I know or any christian Nation by their example may doe against what enemy soever they be whether forein or domesticall that shall attempt to alter the true religion and Christs government established in his Church which is his kingdome and bring in an Idolatricall one or an Independent one or any other that tendeth to the destruction of that that God himself hath appointed his people to serve him with and all such as shall refuse to fight for their religion if they have no bodily hindrances or some just impediment when the magistrate calleth or presseth them to it ought to be accounted as the enemies of religion and rebels against both God and their countrey And all such as shall endeavour either clandestinly or openly to speak words tending to deterre men from going out to helpe the Lord against the Mighty or refuse being Christians to fight for the Gospel except by their bodily infirmities they be hindred from the duty I know no reason but they ought to be hanged as a company of Rebels against both God and men and as such as are unworthy the name of Christians that will not fight for the honour of the King of Saints and King of Kings and for his royalty and dignity that has redeemed them from the slavery not only of Satan but of Antichrist For we have read that Michael the Captaine and Commander of his Church and kingdome and his Angels makes warre against the Dragon and his Angels which is not to be understood only in a spirituall sense but in an ordinary way and litterally also for Christ has his souldiers that besides their weapons of the right hand their prayers tears and humiliations have also their weapons and armes of the left hand as their swords and all warlike instruments to fight for the honour dignity and soveraignty of their King and anointed Christ who at his departure from his Disciples bad them sell their coats and buy each of them a sword by which he invested them with authority as well to fight if occasion required for the honour of their King and Master and for their own safety and although he condemned in Peter the temerarious and rash use of his sword and bad him put it up for that time yet the left the use of it to him and to the other Apostles upon their just occasions And who knowes not that there is a time for warre and a time for peace and God himself professeth that he is the Generall of the Armies of his people and the Lord of their Hosts and he taught his servants hands in times past to war and their fingers to fight as they with thanks acknowledged And he is the same God now to his people that ever he was and will be nigh unto them and a present help to all those that fight his battels And what I pray are so properly his batrels as those that are made against Antichrist and his complices by what names or titles so ever they be called whether they be the Kings or Emperours of the Earth or any other Malignants that have given their power to the Beast and make warre against the Lambe Neither shall I ever be of an other minde but that it is the greatest honour any Christian can be called unto to fight for his countrey and for the Gospel against what enemy of either soever he be And as I shall live and dye by Gods assistance in this opinion so I shall likewise ever believe that all such as will neither fight for their countrey nor religion but deter and disswade others from it are enemies of both and so ought to be esteemed whatsoever pretences of seeming love they make to their countrey and religion and that such as will not fight for the protestant religion deserve not the favour of protection from those States and countries they live in whose preservation or ruine is all to them so they may enjoy their owne ends and become masters of those they causelesly hate and unchristianly and uncharitably think evill of and whose distruction they not only daily wish and pray for but as much as in them lyes bid defiance to and proclaime open warre against them and use or rather abuse the holy Scriptures for the maintenance of their authority in their contending and fighting against their christian Brethren the Presbyterians for their independency and
as idolatry and errours is a cause of Gods wrath and by that a cause of all troubles so the removing of the cause is the way to settle the peace of Kingdomes And if we reade the History of the Judges and indeed all the Prophets and holy Scriptures we shall finde the not questioning and bringing of the Seducers and false Prophets to condigne punishment was the cause of all their captivities and of all the warres and troubles the Israelites were continually imbroyled with And therefore they that are acquainted with the holy Scriptures may easily see the falsity and impiety of this assertion to say nothing what all Ecclesiasticall Histories and the Stories of all Ages relate of the continuation of peace in all those Nations and Kingdomes as long as men were both questioned and punisht for bringing in of Heresies and teaching of false doctrines and as long as they preserved the truth of Christian doctrine amongst them which no sooner begun to be corrupted and errors set up but immediately upon it Gods wrath was kindled against those Kingdomes and Countries and if we will give credit unto the Word of God and to the Annals of times the suffering and tollerating of errors in religion amongst them was the cause that the Lord was angry with them and removed at last their Candlesticks from them as we may see at this day in the seven Churches of Asia and all the Easterne and Westerne Churches and if we will not shut our eyes we may see also it has been the cause of all these miserable distractions and troubles that now these three Kingdomes are involved in which if they had established the Gospell in its purity and kept out Idolatry and all Heresies wickednesse and Schismes we should not have thus been afflicted on every side at home and abroad for the neglect of our duties in not keeping out of errors in religion hath brought down all these judgements upon us and therefore the tollerating of them all would much more increase our misery and disturbe the peace both of the Cities and countrey and therefore all such as plead for a tolleration of all religions ought to be spued out of the Kingdome as prophane and impious men And this shall suffice to have been spoken of this third assertion which is indeed to make war against God himself and not against us only For the fourth where he saith That it is impossible to prescribe such a way for suppressing new or different opinions whatsoever which to any State or Church may seem hereticall but there will still be left a gap a possibility of fighting against God even when such State on Church think they fight for him most of all This Position also is not only contrary unto the Word of God but indeed overthroweth all authority and by this no justice should be done against any blasphemous Seducers or against any impious offendours in points of Religion or against such as offend against the Lawes of Kingdomes and Nations because for footh by doing of their duty which God requires at Magistrates hands there will still be left a gap and a possibility of fighting against God as if to do good and that which God enjoynes them would leave open a gap and a possibility of fighting against God I have read That we may not do evill that good may come of it I have also read that God can create good out of evill and bring light out of darknesse but I have never read in the Word of God That Christian Magistrates and Rulers should be deterred from doing their duty suppressing of Schismes Errors and Heresies because through the wickednesse of men and the craft and subtilty of Satan there may sometimes troubles immediately arise to any Nation by it All good Magistrates are to do their duty and what God commands and leave the successe to God and to commend themselves and their endeavours to the Lord who hath a recompence of reward in store for them for their well doing and ought not to be deterred from their duties by such poor cavils as these which are both impious and ridiculous And whereas in the fifth assertion he affirmeth That it is impossible that either the weak believers misbelievers or unbelievers can be wonne by our godly conversation as is required 1 Pet. 2.12 and 3.1 2. and 1 Cor. 7.12 16. So long as we will not suffer them to live amongst us What is this but openly to fight against Gods Word and God himselfe Who Deut. 13. and in many other places of Scripture commandeth that Secucers should be put to death and exterminated and cast out from amongst Gods people whose wicked conversation would corrupt others and be so far from winning weak Believers mis-believers or unbelievers as it would make them all worse and worse and utterly vitiate all the places they dwell in as daily experience teacheth us and as the Scripture affirmeth which assert that A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. vers 6. As for the places of Scripture he there citeth as they make nothing for his purpose so they sufficiently shew that he is a meer stranger in Divinity and in the Word of God as I could evidently make appear if I studied not brevity And it might also be made evident that the banishments and persecutions of many of Gods people as well as their presence and co-habitations amongst the wicked have been the cause of many thousand mens conversions who seeing men willingly to relinquish all earthly things and leaving their own countries and nighest relations for their religion made others the more to look into that doctrine and to enquire after that religion that men for the love of would lose all things yea liberty and life it selfe which I say hath been the cause of the conversion of many thousands so that not only the presence but the absence of men is the cause of many others conversion by which the vanity of this assertion is also sufficiently manifest But it seemes strange to me that this wrangler should use this Argument to prove a Tolleration of all Religions when the practise of the Independents is contrary who cast all that are of a different opinion from them out of their Congregations and where they have power in their hands banish them from amongst them and yet here in England they would have all Religions tollerated to do mischiefe when Saint John notwithstanding in his 2 Epistle to the Elect Lady forbids her and in her all Christians to receive false teachers into their houses or so much as to bid them God speed lest they that shall so do partake with them in their evills by which doubtlesse he never gave a tolleration of all Religions but as I said before it is well known that people are converted many times as well by the absence of men as by their presence whether it be for errour or for the Truth for by enquiring after the cause of it and why they were
his kingdome and therefore if they do not change their opinions and alter their judgements all the poor Presbyterians may expect lesse friendship from them then from the common enemie And if due notice be taken of all their consultations and of their buzings together and their juglings they tend to no other end but to make their partee and Faction stronger as within these few dayes they in the contriving of a Petition to the Parliament would have made it one of their requests to the Honourable House That the Assembly of Divines might have been dismist and sent every one of them to their particular charges but that some of more wisedome thought it unseasonable and therefore put it out and other things of high nature are spake of that they would have inserted into their supplication all making for the corrobarating of their partee for if the Assembly were but once dissolved before there be any Government setled and if the lights were taken away then what would not these men do in the dark amongst the simple people who by their craft they make beleeve any thing and who labour by all their power and wit out of the hatred they have to all the Presbyterians to make them odious and their Government detestable to the people and perswade them that the Presbyterians way is worse then that of the Pope and the most tyrannicall that ever was and professe they will fight to the last drop of their blood before they will be subject to them And this that I now say I speak upon very good ground for I know their indignation and cause-lesse malice against all the Presbyterians and I have heard great words from them when they took me for one of their number what they would do if they were forced to it and the truth is among those they think they may confide in they affirm they will not be beholding to the Parliament nor any body else for their liberty for they will have it and aske them no leave they have the sword now in their hand and they thinke their partee strong enough to encounter any adverse and opposing partee and they professe they care not how soon they come to cutting of throats and speak of nothing but the slaughtering and butchering of the Presbyterians and therefore there is just cause given us to think we may expect better quarter from the very enemies then from the Independents who call us in their Pulpits Brethren but in their hearts hate us and our government and alwayes magnifie their own and endeavour to establish it and their own Religion which if it were once tollerated what safety would there then be for the Presbyterians yea what comfort can any take in this world to live amongst such who think little better of their Brethren then of Infidels and separate themselves from us and our Assemblies as from a company of Dogs and Swine and so call us and professe that they are resolved all to dye for their Religion meaning Independency before they will submit themselves to the Presbyterian government but they should call to minde it is not the punishment but the cause that makes the Martyr it must be such a death as seals Gods truth and not mans inventions and traditions that will be accepted lest it be asked another day who required these things at your hands let them therefore try first how their religion is bottomed for such as rush themselves upon needlesse danger under pretence of Religion are commonly called the Devils Martyrs but sure I am they are none of Gods Martyrs that suffer for a Religion of their own making and such are all the Independent novelties and amongst other of their tenents this of a toleration of all religions But they should also consider that if they were in a good cause as they are not and should offer to be burnt for the true Religion yet if they have not love and charity towards their Brethren this sacrifice would do them no good nor be no more accepted of God then that of Cain if Saint Paul may be believed 2 Cor. 13. vers 1.2 And therefore before they go to that Altar or any other I would wish the Independents to lay down their gift and first to renounce their heresies novelties and their blasphemous tenents and all their uncharitablenesse and come and be reconciled to their Brethren and to the Church of England their Mother from which they have made so shamefull a defection and in which they have by their wantonnesse in opinions caused so fearfull a rent that they have cause to repent and mourne for it all the dayes of their lives and then they may have comfort if they be forced to sacrifice themselves for religion or otherwise they will have no comfort And if no Art of perswasion can prevaile with them to bring them to unity I shall desire then if there be any bowels of affection to their Wives Children and Families or if there by any love to their Country or any desire to live in love and unity with those that are as dearly beloved and as truly the people of God as themselves that now all by-respects being laid aside and all prejudicate opinion cast away they would againe return into the bosome of the Church and make up all breaches and joyn both their prayers and their strength with us against the common enemies both of our religion and countrey But if our Brethren shall forget all the Lawes of nature and humanity and the law of God and will unreasonably persevere to trouble the Church and State I know not but the Magistrate may not only lay commands upon such to be silent but also severely punish them for their contumacy if they refuse to obey All which I speak not to tolerate persecution as I said before which I know is so heinous a sin as there is but one greater but only to shew the vanity of these mens proceedings who endeavour indeed to overthrow the authority of the Christian Magistrates under pretence of liberty of conscience as if it were not lawfull in them to punish busibodies and evill doers when as the Apostle Peter in his 1 Epist chap. 4. vers 15. bids all Christians take heed they suffer not under that notion And it is a vaine thing in any men to pretend conscience for religion when under that colour they have base and wicked designes as to make a faction and to bring in a tumultuation both in Church and State And therefore as we are taught by the good will and pleasure of God Ier. 2. how greatly it displeased him That his people left the fountaines of living waters and digged themselves Sisternes that could hold no water So out of the same Word of God we are taught that all Christian Magistrates who are the Ministers of God for the good of his people and who are no terrour to good workes but to the evill have the sword committed unto them as is evident through
all other places where they are imbraced and how in a short time Christians minds are alienated one from the other and from the Parliament by reason of the difference of their opinion to the great rejoycing of the common enemy whose especiall hatred is against all those they call round heads that is the old Puritans of England and all the towns wherein they dwell who are and ever were since the dayes of reformation the onely upholders of the true reformed Religion and are at this day the onely bulworks of it under God and amongst those Towns that have kept out these new Factions by their care and providence Leicester Darby and Chesterfield deserve high commendations who through the prudence of their Ministers and Magistrates and through their own knowledge and the well-groundednesse of all the good Christians there in their Religion have hitherto kept out all manner of Schisms and Factions where the poor people to their immortall honour be it spoken under all their sufferings by reason of the common calamity serve their God night and day with the twelve Tribes of Israel and live in love and amity amongst themselves without any variance and in the midst of war and in these distracted times enjoy peace one with another and submit themselves with cheerfulnes without repining at all Ordinances of Parliament for the Common good and safety of the Kingdome and are most active constant friends to the uttermost of their power yea above their abilities unto the Parliament And because they are so unmoveable in their Religion and continue in their ancient integrity after the manner of the old Puritans of England they are more hated by the Cavaliers then any other towns and by all the Novelists for all the old Puritans and them they call Presbyterians are equally hated by both yea this is generally observed That all Papists and prophane persons in generall and all Sects whatsoever although they disagree amongst themselves and differ in their manners opinions and affections too one from another as Herod and Pilate did yet to persecute Christ as they did then agree so all these Sects can accord and joyne together in a common amity and with the Pontificians and Malignants persecute the Presbytery which is next unto the Word of God an Argument to move me to beleeve that it is Gods Ordinance because it is so hatefull to all men for as our Saviour said of his Disciples That they should be hated of all men for his names sake so generally all Gods constitutions finde little favour amongst all such as leave the high way of Gods Commandements and follow the by-way of errours and Novelties and continue in the pathes of irregeneration or new-fanglenesse the sin of these times when Heresie is Religion and Schism the best trade in the Kingdome and the onely way of preferment And truely the contemplation of the change of all mens minds and manners within these few years and those rents and divisions in the Church makes me call to minde the old plot that the Jesuits and their complices and all the Popish crew have been long a laying and contriving for the undermining of the State and overthrowing of the true Protestant Religion which was dividie impera The Jesuites had nothing more common by heart and by book then that the way for the alienating of these three flourishing Kingdomes to a forain jurisdiction and for the extirpating of the true Religion in them and reducing again of popery and for the advancing of the Papal usurpation was first to make sects and divisions among our selves and then to foment them by some of their crafty companions who want neither wit learning nor industry and know very well how to personate every man in saying doing counselling and complying with all sorts of Sects as if they themselves were the most zealous defenders of those conceived truths and the greatest abettors of them when under that vaile they hide themselves and do not only maintain those that are on foot and such as they have already hatcht but daily bring forth new ones and every one more monstrous then other and all this for the subversion of the three Kingdomes and the true Protestant Religion established in them and which is the cause of all the calamities that are now amongst us But for the effecting of all this they seem to pretend a singular holinesse and more then ordinary piety and put themselves therefore in sheeps-clothing in all their actions and plead for a christian liberty and therefore they especially labour to hinder any setled government in the Church but such an one as they well know will bring confusion upon us all and which no wise state can tolerate and yet none but this will please their humour and therefore they labour principally to make odious the Presbyterian government which the Ponteficians and all prophane men and all Sectaries and Hereticks have ever hated and therefore have alwayes indeavoured to make it odious to all people as a government tending to inslave Kings and Princes and distructive to all well ordered Common-weals and to the liberty of the subjects and to the destroying of the Nobility and Gentry in kingdomes and for the making of a parity amongst all men and a community of all things and by this means in a short time to bring in a confusion in Church and State And by such suggestions as these they have for many generations as in these our times made the Presbyterians hatefull to all men And it is the study at this day of all the Malignants and of all Libertines Male-contents and Sectaries and of all the Independents to make divisions betweene people and people and between Nation and Nation and to render those men despicable that they seemed but a few years before highly to honour love and magnifie as now they do our Brethren of Scotland whom they seemed not long since greatly to esteeme and who yet ought and that deservedly to be exceedingly honoured for their love to us who exposed their own lives and welfare yea their whole country to danger for our aide assistance and defence and yet these men now with our Novelists and all unstable creatures those Reeds shaken and turned with every winde of doctrine and every streame of new opinions as much as in them lies are made as hatefull as any common enemies to the dishonour of God and our Nation and shews great unthankfulnesse in us all to the deterring of any Nation to come to our succour or relief and all this their malice and hatred is because they have set up the Presbyterian government amongst themselves and desire for the more uniting of the three Kingdomes to gather in a more nigh affection to establish it here wherein they have done God and the Kingdome good service and will finde a reward in Heaven for it if they fail of it here and it will not be for the honour of our Nation to suffer any black mouthes
Reformation thus long Ye see saith he that a little handfull of Independent Ministers in the Synod have given three Kingdomes imployment these two yeares so that they can do nothing and boasted of this wicked act as a matter of vantation and triumph So that if men well consider the whole negotiation of the Independents in the Reverend Assembly it is to hinder the work of reformation then the which there cannot be a more diabolicall designe And then they spread it abroad among the people that they have not liberty to speak when it is most notorious that one of them speaks more than half a dozen of the other Ministers And they have published it also all over the Town that the Presbyterians durst not let their reasons be set out in Print to the view of the world for they knew very well that as they were unanswerable so that all the people would forthwith have been of their judgement and by this their babble it is incredible how they have strengthned their Faction and gained disciples for their followers beleeve all they say as Gospell And truely if there were nothing but these their under-hand dealings and malicious practises and rejoycing at evill it were enough to make all men abhor their wayes but the truth is they have no certainty in any thing they beleeve to day and by their practises they contradict all their doctrine and tenents And that all men may be yet a little better acquainted with the Independent Ministers juglings I thought good to insert here these sixteen Observations sent me by a learned and godly Gentleman who is very well verst in all their doctrines and manners They are these 1. THey hold themselves the principall Labourers and Pillers of faith when as they professe that their present judgements shall not binde themselves for the future but that they beleeve all things with a reserve to alter their thoughts faith and judgements upon new or better Light 2. They pleade for liberty of conscience yet will impose a Covenant upon every mans conscience they admit into their congregations else exclude him 3. They plead against toleration of any corrupt members c. in a Church and yet plead for a toleration of all Religions in a State under the notion of liberty of Conscience 4. They plead against the Magistrates Coarsive power in matters of Religion and yet banish men in New England and expell all out of their Congregations that are not of their way 5. They pleade against Synods and yet they professe themselves members of the present Synod 6. They speak against Parochiall Congregations as against the Kingdome and Law of Christ and yet some of them accept of such and yet will neither Baptize nor administer the Lords Supper to their Parishoners though they take their tithes 7. They write against Tithes as Jewish Popish c. yet some of them take them and sue for them as greedily as any others 8. They condemne all set formes of Prayer or Preaching and yet themselves plead for a set forme of Church-Government Jure Divino in all particular circumstances whatsoever 9. They condemn non-residency and pluralities yet many of them have divers Livings and Lectures of good value and yet are resident and keep hospitality at none of them 10. They call some Presbyterians Lord Bishops because they ride now then on horse-back by reason of age or infirmity to the Assembly yet many of them ride thither in Coaches and some of them can ride 6. or 7. miles on the Lords day in a Coach and 4. horses to Preach an afternoon Sermon which Christ and his Apostles never did and no Presbyterian practiseth 11. They condemn Presbyterians of harsh language and bitternesse in their writings against them yet none are so desperately Libellous Satyricall and scandalous in their writings as many of them against Presbyterians 12. They professe nothing but truth and yet many of their writings savour with malicious mis-informations scandals forgeries untruths invented by themselves to defame their innocent Christian brethren 13. They pretend themselves the onely propugners of the Parliament Priviledges and Jurisdiction yet none more oppugned them in the hight of opposition as they 14. They professe themselves more estranged from and mortified to the world yet none more covetous oppressive ambitious of honours preferments and hunting after all manner of gainfull Offices and imployments as they nor none more unfaithfull unconscionable in them then some of them 15. They pretend the Scripture to be the onely rule of their way and Discipline and yet can produce no one Text or Example of Scripture for any thing their Church warrants or they hold wherein they differ from the Presbyterians 16. They dare not undertake to binde themselves for the future by any thing they held or concluded touching Church government much losse any of their party therefore it is vaine to dispute with or receive any thing from them in matter of government or discipline who will neither be bound by their own mother-judgements or practice but hold and practise all things only duranti bene placito Out of all the which as out of my former discourse it is easie for any man to gather that of all the Seducers that have yet appeared in the world these are most to be taken heed of whatsoever seeming holinesse they may make shew of to the people But that I may now draw to a conclusion of this my Postscript leaving the narration of many other passages of theirs till their Answer comes out which their followers say is ready for the Presse let me say this to all such as desire the knowledge of the truth in sincerity and that love peace that all men may see how fair we offer the Independents and all such as are affected to their novelties whereas the Independent Ministers have perswaded the people that their Arguments by which they have laboured to prove That in the Church of Jerusalem there were no more Believers then could all meet in one congregation to partake in all acts of worship were unanswerable and have affirmed withall that if it could be made evident or proved unto them That there were more Christians in the Church of Jerusalem then could all meet in one Congregation that then they would relinquish their opinion of Independency I and Mr. William Prynne Esquire my Brother in affliction who the Independents have causelesly maligned and reproached not to take the work out of any learned and godly Ministers hands who we honour for their singular erudition and worth and far prefer before our selves for all sufficiency and accomplished learning shall with all humility undertake to maintaine and make good these ensuing Propositions The first That there were more particular Assemblies and Congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem then one The second That all those severall Congregations made but one Church The third That those severall congregations were all under one Presbyterie The fourth That the government of the Church of Jerusalem is to be a patterne of government to all succeeding ages The fifth That the gathering of Churches after the Independent way together with their Church-covenant and all other their proceedings wherein they differ from the Presbyterians hath neither precept nor president in the whole Word of God All these positions we undertake to make good against all the Independents in the Kingdome not out of any contention for victory but truth and that in the spirit of love and not in our own strength but and in the Name and in the Power of the King eternall immortall the mighty Potentate the Lord of Hosts And if we shall not by the grace of God and his blessed assistance be able to make good what we undertake we shall not refuse to undergoe the greatest censure for this our temerity But if we make good our tenents and evince and prove their Independency and the manner of the gathering of their Churches to be but their own inventions and meer novelties all the persecution that we shall then wish may be exercised against our Brethren for the great distractions and breaches they have made among us is this that we shall desire all the godly people of the City to be humble petitioners with us unto the great Councell of the Kingdome that as they lately made a pious and a godly Ordinance for the silencing of all such as undertook the ministery without sufficiency of abilities and a lawfull call so they would now silence all these novelties and command the Independent Ministers hereafter to preach the Gospell purely and sincerely to the people without those mixtures of their own traditions annexed to it by which they shall bring a great deale of glory to God honour to themselves and procure if not peace to the whole Kingdome yet love amity and unanimity amongst the people which ought to be the prayer of all those that wish the peace of Zion and the salvation of their Brethren and the welfare of the Nation My request to the Independents in behalfe of the Expectants and Seekers LIghts Lights Gentlemen-INDEPENDENTS hang out your Lights your New-lights there hang out your Newborn-lights there That the poore Seekers may finde a Church amongst you Imprimatur Ja. Cranford FINIS
listen after it The same may be said of all the former Christians and Martyrs in Ages past and of all our glorious Martyrs here in England some of which were haled before King Henry the eighth and others in Queen Maries dayes before all the Tribunals before the Judges and Rulers of the Land by which means as they gave evidence unto the truth and sealed it with their blood so it was one of the principall causes of first propagating the Protestant Religion through the Kingdome and of afterwards establishing of it here whereas if they had never been questioned for their consciences by all likelyhood it would only have remained in some corners of the Kingdome and in some private Families and never have been publickly authorized For the confirmation of all I have now said the places above cited and Christs own words might sufficiently evince But it will not be amisse to hear Pauls testimony concerning this point whose witnesse I conceive is more to be credited then all the Independents put together much lesse then this Bablers He in 2 Tim. chap. 2. vers 9. speaking by the Spirit of God concerning persecution saith Wherein I suffer trouble saith he as an evill doer unto bands but the Word of God is not bound and in 2 Tim. chap. 4. vers 7. The Lord stood with mee and strengthned mee that by mee the preaching might be fully known that all the Gentiles might heare c. Out of the which words we may observe two things First that the Apostle suffered for his conscience not for evill doing Secondly that his suffering notwithstanding hindred not the preaching of the Gospell to all Nations for he himself affirmeth the contrary saying That by his bonds the Word of God was not bound and by this his questioning and persecution the preaching of the Gospel was made fully knowne that all the Gentiles might hear c. I refer it therefore to the judgement of any learned and intelligible man whether we ought rather to believe the Spirit of God speaking in Paul or this Chatter of uncircumcised ears and lips And Paul in Acts 20.22 23. saith And now behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knwing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me The same also was foretold unto him by Agabus in Chap. 21. vers 11. Yet Pauls bonds neither in Jerusalem nor in any other City and his being questioned for matters of conscience about the Resurrection before Foelix King Agrippa and Festus hindred not the propagation of the Gospell to all Nations as this Jangler would infer for Paul himself testifying the contrary in his Epistle to the Philippians chap. 1. vers 12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren saith the Apostle that the things that hapned unto me speaking there of persecution have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospell so that my bonds for Christ are manifest in Caesars Court and in all other places By this testimony also of Paul it is evident that the persecution for cause of conscience rather furthereth the preaching of the Gospell to all Nations then hindreth it as is yet more manifest through the whole story of the Acts as for one instance chap. 8. vers 4. where it is said That they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word And all Ecclesiasticall histories testifie the same so that by this that I have now said and many more evidences that might be produced it is clear that persecution for cause of conscience imposes not an impossibility that by it the Gospel should be preached to all Nations For persecution is the Bellowes of the Gospell driving every spark of truth into a flame So that all judicious men may see the vanity and invalidity of this Cavillers first assertion And this shall suffice to have been spoken of that Now I come to prove my second conclusion viz. That persecution for cause of conscience hindreth not the growth of grace and knowledge in the Saints yea it is so far from hindring Christians from growing in knowledge and from one measure and degree of faith unto another as this fond Babler in his second assertion would inferre as it every way improves their graces and knowledge as we may see in those in Heb. 11. concerning some of which the Lord giveth this testimony vers 34 35 c. Who through faith quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the Aliens And others were tortered not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And others had triall of cruell mockings scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandred about in Sheepskins and Goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthie they wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth and all these having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise c. All these thrived rather by their afflictions and persecutions and increased in grace and out of weaknesse were made strong if we may believe the Scripture The same is also affirmed concerning afflictions persecution for conscience sake in Rom. 8. where Paul saith Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep to the slaughter nay in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us By this witnesse of the Apostle persecution which has been the lot of the Saints all the day long that is to say in all ages is so far from hindring the increase of grace and the degrees of faith that it makes them more then conquerours through him that loved us And Peter writing to his counntrey men that by persecution were scattered and dispersed through Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia affirmeth the same who in chap. 1. vers 5 6 7 c. saith That they were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein meaning persecution ye greatly rejoyce saith he though for a season if need be ye are in heavinesse through many temptations that the triall of your faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Jesus Christ who having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glorie receiving the end of your hope even the salvation of your soules And in chap. 3. vers 14 15. But if ye suffer
Apostles from visiting one another for if there had been but one congregation then of necessity Paul and the other Apostles should have met there in so long a space and therefore it stands with all reason that there were many congregations of Believers in Jerusalem if we had no testimonies of holy Scripture for to prove it For if any credit may be given to the Historians that write of these times there were above three of four hundred Synagogues in Jerusalem I speak within compasse and common understanding dictates that there were some hundreds of assembling places where there was so many hundred thousand people and such multitudes of Teachers And in those Synagogues the people met together to hear the Law and Prophets both read and interpreted unto them and the Synagogues both in Jerusalem and through all Judea and Palestine were the places of the morall worship as the Temple was the principall place of the cerimoniall service And as here in London Pauls was the place where after the Jewish or rather Heathenish fashion and manner they had their ceremoniall imployments which consisted in outward performances as crouchings and cringings capings and kneeings pipeing and tooting in Popes Surplices and their four square Cow-turds and crotchets windings and turnings Altars Crosses and Crucifixes and a thousand other such trumperies the acting of all which made the judicious Christian-beholders think themselves rather in the school of Numa Pompilius or in the Colledge of the old Roman Priests then conversant in the Church of God so the other Churches through the City were the places where the Morrall worship was chiefely exercised as the reading preaching and hearing of the Word chatechising exhortation admonition prayers thanksgiving c. So after the same manner it was in Jerusalem The Temple was the principle place of the Ceremoniall Worship and the Synagogues were the places of the Morrall Service where Moses and the Prophets were read and interpreted unto them every Sabbath day And it followeth of necessity that there must needs be a very great number of Synagogues in Jerusalem where there were many hundred thousand people and such multitudes of Rabbies and Doctors and such a number of Priests Levites Scribes Pharisees and Lawyers all Interpreters of the Law and such as sat in Moses his chair who our Saviour commanded the people to hear Now as in the dayes of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth after their Latine Service and their Idolatrous Masses were cast out of all the Churches and the reformed Religion was set up in the severall Congregation in place of that fals Worship and all the people repaired still and more willingly and more abundantly unto their severall Parish Churches and Chappels to hear the Word Preached and as the meetings and meeting-places were still continued whereas they onely heard Masses before which they understood not now they heard the Gospell purely preached unto them in lieu of that and the people came more abundantly unto those assemblies Even so whereas before the comming of John the Baptist and of our blessed Saviour they had the Law Psalms and Prophets read and Interpreted unto them in all their Synagogues after the Gospell began to be published to the Law and the Prophets the glad tidings of Peace was Preached by Christ and his Apostles and the other Primative Christian Mininisters and by many of the Priests that imbraced the faith and that in all their Synagogues every Sabboth day especially where the people upon all occasions in great multitudes met together for it is said That the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force Now to any man that will not resolve to shut his eyes and refuse to see the Sun-shine of the truth it may appear that all the Synagogues in Jerusalem as in all other Cities after the Christian Religion was so generally imbraced and the Jews were turned Christians were the places where they still continued to meet in to hear the Gospell as formerly they had done to hear the Law and there is many testimonies out of holy Scripture to prove this Assertion neither can we in charity think that they being made Christians were lesse zealous to hear the Gospell then they were to hear the Law yea their diligence in that good work is often mentioned in the holy Scripture to their praise and honour as that they met dayly in the Temple and in every house to hear the Word and to partake in all the Ordinances And it is well known that Paul into what City soever he came was as diligent in preaching as the people in hearing Now when he remained in Jerusalem fifteen dayes he would not be idle and it is to be beleeved that the other Apostles were as diligent in their severall Ministries as Paul was as I said before so that their much imployment without doubt was the onely cause that hindred the Apostles from comming unto him and retarded Paul from saluting of them for we may not conceive that so famous an Apostle as Paul was could lye hid in Jerusalem or be unknown so long from the other Apostles neither in charity may we think that there was any love wanting either in Paul towards them or in the Apostles towards Paul but we most impute their not visiting of each other to the multiplicity of their imployments that so hindered them that they could not finde convenient time each to see other So that by this I have now said it is evident to any rationall man that there were more Christians and beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then either could or did meet together in one place for all Acts of worship for they met every Sabbath day together in their Synagogues to hear Moses and the Prophets read and Interpreted as the Scripture affirmeth yea from house to house dayly and therefore we may easily gather that as many Synagogues and meeting places as there were in Jerusalem to say nothing of the Temple so many Churches and Congregations of beleevers there were in Jerusalem for Synagogue and Church are all one in Gods dialect and they that were Jews before the preaching of the Gospell were now made Christians and beleevers Neither had the Christians and beleeving Iews any cause to separate themselves from the congregations for there was nothing in their Synagogues to scruple them without the law of Moses should offend them and that the Scripture testifies they were very zealous of and many of them that were converted perswaded the Gentiles after their conversion and illumination to joyn the Ceremoniall Law to the Gospell which although it was not permitted unto them yet for a time it was connived at and tollerated in the weak Jews yea in the tenth of the Hebrews the Christians are blamed for forsaking of the assembling of themselves together and it was counted a fault in them and therefore it may without any error be concluded that there were as many if not more Assemblies and Synagogues of beleevers
in Jerusalem after the preaching of the Gospell and in the Apostles times as were before of the Jews for they after they were Christians continued still to assemble themselves if not dayly every Sabbath day at least in their Synagogues as they were wont to do where the Apostles were all so taken up in preaching as they had no leisure for reciprocall salutations and therefore of necessity there were more congregations in the Church of Jerusalem and a greater multitude of Christians them could all meet in any one or a few places even as it was here in England in King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths dayes as I specified before there was no fewer congregations and assemblies of Protestants in London then was before of Papists for as many Parish Churches as there were in the city of London so many severall congregation of Protestants there were then through the city and they that profest Popery before did now imbrace the Protestant Religion and made so many congregations and severall Churches of Protestants as there were congregations of Papists before and as it would be accounted great absurdity yea a ridiculous thing in any man to affirm that there was but as many Protestants in London in King Edward his time or in Queen Elizabeths dayes as could all meet in one place or in one congregation so to any understanding and intelligible man it is as absurd to conclude that there were no more christians and beleevers in Jerusalem then could all meet in one place and congregation when the Scripture it self affirmeth that all Jerusalem was turned Christians and had their meetings and assemblies in the Temple and in every house and that there was many assemblies there and it stands with all reason that if there had been but one Congregation of beleevers in Jerusalem when Paul went to visit Peter that then he of necessity should have seen some at least of the other Apostles besides Peter and Iames for without doubt Paul was dayly among the Christians a preaching to them in their Synagogues or meeting places and the other Apostles also whose duty it was to be continually taken up in praying and preaching amongst them would not so long a time have layen idle and private but in that neither Paul saw them not the Apostles Paul it is a sufficient Argument to prove there were many congregations and assemblies of beleevers in Ierusalem which so imployed them all in their severall Ministeries as they had no time for mutuall visits and that was the onely cause that hindred them from saluting one another so that I conceive by that which I have now said all understanding men will gather that there were more congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then one and that all these severall assemblies made but one Church and were all governed by the joynt consent and common councell of one Presbytery whatsoever the Independent Ministers perswade the poor deluded people to the contrary for the upholding of their imaginary Presbyterian Government which is against all Scripture Antiquity Reason and Ordinary sense And therefore I may boldly assert in their dealing with their severall Congregations when they set before them their Churches of Ierusalem Ephesus c. as consisting of but one Congregation and Assembly a peece they juggle with them for no other end but to make themselves Lords and masters of them and to get the Soveraignty in time over the people into their own hands while they would seem to be their servants And therefore it highly concerns all men that desire the peace and welfare of Church and state duly to weigh and seriously to consider the danger of Schisms and rents in either which ought to move them to study by all means how rather they make up the breaches already made and how now to unite themselves together in love and unity against the common enemies of them both then to follow such blind leaders and guides as by their factions and fractions will bring us all into the pit of destruction and expose us and our posterities to as great misery and slavery both for souls and bodies as ever Nation groaned under And as it is the duty of every private Christian in his particular family to teach and instruct his children and servants in the nurture and fear of the Lord and with all singular care to purge his house of all such as may misleade them and seduce and corrupt them that are in their tender years and not well grounded in the principalls of Religion to give them speciall charge to haunt no such places and company as by which they may be viciated in their manners or poysoned with fals and erronious doctrines and opinions as the Word of God commands both in the Old and New Testament So it is the duty of all Magistrates and Ministers in their severall places who are the Pastors of the people the one for their bodily preservation and the common peace and the other for their spirituall good to joyn together for the setting up of Gods true Worship Government and Service in all Cities Towns and Parishes through the Kingdome the one by their power and authority and the other by lifting up their voyce like a Trumpet as all the holy Prophets and Apostles did in all their generations against all false teachers and to warn the people under their severall charges to take heed of them and shun them as they either desire Gods glory their own eternall Salvation or the publike present good and the prosperity and tranquility of their off-spring in succeeding ages and to be as sedulous and diligent in suppressing errours and schisms as all the godly Magistrates and faithfull Ministers have been in their severall times whose praises for this their good work is frequently recorded in holy writ and in all the Ecclesiasticall Records to their eternall honour and renoune and for our instruction And truely if the examples of the holy Prophets blessed Apostles and godly Magistrates and of all the deer servants of God whose names and fames are glorious to all posterity in the holy Word of God will not move us then at least let us learn of the very enemies of the Papists Sectaries and Hereticks in all precedent and fore-going Generations for they as all histories and dayly experience teacheth us not onely labour to remove all such out of their families and Churches as be of a contrary opinion to them but study also to exterminate them out of their very territories if they have strength or policy so to do And if none of their examples may yet perswade us to our duty then let the example of all those that now differ from us in opinion but in the matter of government teach us what to do in this point for they will not willingly entertain any into their families that is not of their own minde and opinion nor suffer their children to be instructed in any other way then their own and shun in as
much as in them lyes the very company of such as they count Presbyterians and rarely if ever come at our assemblies And in New-England it self it is well knowne that they doe not only cast those out of their Churches that differ from them in opinion but also expose them to banishment and to greatest misery and think all they do to be their duty and publish it to the world for the imitation of all other their Churches and Congregations and I am most assured had they the authority in their own hands here in England they would be as severe towards the Presbyterians as ever the Prelates were against the Puritans And I am induced so to believe both from their words and writings for what can be more bitterly uttered against them then that they daily speak upon the least occasion if any but preach or write the least thing in opposition to their opinions professing that all such Preachers ought to be hanged and had they the power in their hands they would trusse them up as many can testifie and witnesse and in their writings how prodigiously daily they abuse with all manner of calumnies and reproaches and with all reviling speeches the Presbyterians all that have patience to reade their blasphemous Pamphlets can tell so that whiles in them they pleade for a tolleration of all Religions they will not tollerate the Presbyterians to defend their own by which they sufficiently declare what favour they would shew them if they were in their hands on whom they look as the profest enemies of Christs kingdome Now I say if neither the example of Gods dear Saints and Servants nor the Word of God can move us to our duty nor the example of the Papists and Hereticks of all ages then at least let us follow the example of our Brethren both in New-England and Old-England for they as all men know remove all from them that differ from them in their Church-way and seperate themselves from us and gather congregations by by themselves Independent refusing to communicate with us as an unholy people and not suffering or permitting us to communicate amongst them in the Ordinances either of baptisme or the Lords Supper but upon their own tearmes and account us all as unclean things and to be separated from which I affirme should move all solid Christians and such as truly and unfeinedly desire that God may be glorified and his truth every where set up to oppose all their errors and novelties in religion under what pretenses soever they be brought in and under whatsoever seeming holinesse they be set forth and so much the more care is to be had and diligence used both by the Magistrates Ministers and all the reall godly of the land by how much they know the craft and subtilty of those that seduce them for there was never yet any Sect whatsoever that came to any rise perfection or name in the Church of which the first venters and contrivers had not some seeming shew of godlinesse and holinesse of life and that more then ordinary to which they usually added the bravery of language and fine alluring speeches and cunning craftinesse as they were many of them men of singular elocution and deep subtilty as the Prophets and Apostles through the whole Scripture signifie And Paul in the 16 chap. of his Epistle to the Romans speaking of those that made divisions contrary to the doctrine that he had taught them hath this expression Verse 18. For they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here we see the false Teachers of his time made use of good words faire speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple And in Gal. 4.14 the Apostle there exhorting them saith Henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive In this place the Apostle gives all Christians a charge to take heed of all erroneous doctrines and withall sets down the manners and ordinary carriage of all seducers that they might be the more carefull to shunne them for such saith he use in the deceiving of you the flight of men and cunning craftinesse This has ever been the method of all false teachers as Saint Peter also in his 2 Epistle chap. 2. vers 1 2 3. c. witnesseth for speaking of the false teachers of those times he lived in and of those in future ages that should bring in damnable doctrines even denying the Lord that bought them and bringing upon themselves swift distruction he foretels also that many should follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth should be evilly spoken of And then also he sets down the manner and customes of those seducers and amongst other things he saith of them that through covetousnesse and with their faire words they should make merchandize of the people So that we may see all false teachers clothe their craft with their rhetorick and fained words for otherwise they would prevaile but little Now by how much more the Christians in this our age have to deale with a generation of cunning and crafty Juglers who seeme to equallize if not to transcend all others in holinesse and godlinesse in their outward cariage at least it concerneth every one I say more diligently to take heed of them and of all their new-wayes their new born truths and their New-lights for God himselfe by his holy Prophets and blessed Apostles has commanded us not to decline from those wayes we have learned of him and those truths that he hath taught us in his holy Word Neither to the right hand nor to the left Dut. 4.5 Iosh 1. Prov. 4. Nay if an Angell from Heaven should teach otherwise then God hath taught us by Christ and his Apostles we are to account him accursed Gal. 1. And in the expresse words above specified we are prohibited to be carried about with every wind of doctrine So that all those that vent those new-truths and set up those new-lights which are all indeed new-lights of doctrins be they never so seemingly holy are all cunning deceivers fighters against God And all those Christian Magistrates for ought I know that tollerate such and all those orthodox Ministers that connive at them and are so meal-mouthed as they dare not preach against them and forwarne the people of them neglect their duty and are not faithfull Watchmen over their flocks committed to their charge and are blameworthy for it And all those people that being so often taught by God himself in the holy Scriptures to take heed of all such as come to them in sheeps clothing and with their fained holinesse with their fair speeches to deceive them and make merchandize of them and yet will not take heed of these novelties doe as much as in
man never hears so much as the mention of them he may very well go to Heaven and hold fast the truth and be fully perswaded in is heart of the truth of his religion and this truth the Word of God holdeth out to all those the god of this World hath not blinded their eyes that they should not see the glorious Light of it so that there needs not a tolleration of all Religions for their illumination to finde out what Religion they will make choice of as this presumptuous gain-sayer infers who peremptorily concludes That it is impossible for a man to hold fast the truth or be fully perswaded in his own heart of what he does or of what religion he makes choice of unlesse it be left arbitrary to him to reject or chuse what seems good to him in his own judgement which if it be not a piece of blasphemy I never read any or any thing more tending to the overthrow of the authority of holy Scripture and to subject the Will and pleasure of God to the will pleasure and judgement of man then the which there 〈◊〉 be nothing more intolerable for God teacheth us one thing and this Doctor teacheth the clean contrary and by his doctrine leaves not only a gap a possibility of sighting against God but it is a doctrine in it self that fights against God and gives the Spirit of God the lye which confirmes the contrary And if such doctrines as these may be tolerated and such Teachers as these go unpunished they will in time reject the whole Scripture both Law and Gospell as many of the Sectaries have already attempted to do to the unsufferable dishonour of God and to the provoking of his displeasure against the whole Nation And such doctrine as this is is hereticall and so is a great deale more of the Independent doctrine which is one of the reasons which makes me so much oppose it For as the false Teacher Acts 15. vers 1. and Gal. 5. taught the Brethren besides the Gospell that except they were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved which was a Heresie and that that Saint Paul speaking by the Spirit of God told them would exclude them out of Heaven as is evident Gal. 5. vers 2 3 4. So now the Independent Ministers impose their own inventions and traditions upon the people as things necessary to salvation which makes it a Heresie And therefore when they preach up their own novelties as necessary to life eternall proclaiming unto the people that their way is the straight way to Heaven and that they that are out of it are in the broad path to destruction as can be proved by a cloud of witnesses and indeed their daily practise teacheth it and when they urge this doctrine upon the people as necessary to happinesse I affirme it is an hereticall doctrine and ought of all Gods people as much to be detested as any Popery for it is Popery it self in new clothes which all the faithfull in the Land have taken a covenant to expell and so much the more they ought to have a singular care that this doctrine spread not too far nor that this Faction get not a Head For I heard it not long since from the mouth of a very godly Gentlewoman of a good Family who affirmed it in the presence of an Independent Ministers Wife That to her knowledge there was an hundred pound at one time sent up to London or at least procured to be paid by some from Oxford for the gratifying of some here that were very great Sticklers and Promooters of the Independent party for their farther incouragement and animated them by any wise to uphold that faction for they conceived it would be one of the best means for the attaining of their own ends and the common design for the ruin of us all and the enslaving of the whole City and Kingdome Now I say if this Independent Doctrine be so prejudiciall to us all for soul and body and so dangerous in every respect it concernes not onely the Parliament and great Councell but the whole City and Kingdome to looke about them and take heed how they have their hands in supporting of it or any way how they soment it as they tender either the glory of God or the present or future good of soul or body of this Nation and the good of the Church and State And truely if there were nothing to bring a man into a detestation of their wayes but their uncharitablenesse unto their brethren it were enough to make any good christian dislike them for they never speak of them but with contumelious names and with vilifying and blasting language such as is too low for any people of virtue reputation and honour using to call them all at every word the enemies of Jesus Christ Presbyterian Persecutors dehorting people from hearing our Godly Ministers or for reading any thing written by them or any other against their opinions after the manner of the Jesuits slighting the most learned Preachers and their Orthodox writings as things of nothing saying that every boy and silly woman in their Congregations can answer any thing any Presbyterian can write and then set one or other of their confounded widdows or some such creature upon that imployment who scrible non-sense as familiarly as a Jackanapes cracks nuts and this is admired amongst all the Independents as an incomporable peece and their authorities are often cited in the Pamphlets of their learned Ministers Neither is it among themselves onely that they count all the Presbyterians the children of the Devill but publikely also and that in presence of Noblemen and Peers of the Kingdome and in the hearing of many Gentlemen of the Parliament and others and in their very Companies they can slight all the faithfull of the Land besides themselves for I being not many dayes since at Westminster where there was a Sagomore of the Independents amongst some honourable company I formerly mentioned and I taking an occasion to speak to him about Independency and the Noble man also speaking to him about it and others in the presence of them all he uttered these words That all the godly in the Kingdome and all such as were well affected to Religion were of that way and this I say he speaks in the hearing of them all to which the Nobleman and one of the Parliament men replyed Then it seems say they that all that are not Independents in your opinion are neither godly nor well affected to Religion and so the Noble man departed the roome and left the great Independent there Now if this their opinion of themselves be not a most Pharisaicall proud and uncharitable one I leave it to the judgement of any advised Christian so that they cannot look upon their brethren with any love who they think ungodly and men not well-affected to Religion and in their writings call the profest enemies of Jesus Christ and enemies of