peraphrasticall amplification and genuine application thereof so that both you and the World may read as it were in text letters your own abstâ—…act from that of mine when you please and signing the Titles of the CCClergy whether true or surreptitious with three letters in the front as C. C. C. P P P c. most commonly when I speak of â—…hem in the lump to denote the three P P Parts into which that great City B B Babylon which they make stands divided I proceed as followeth That Herestes must be the Apostle hath said yet it makes no more for a tolleration of them in the true Church I mean though others mean in the civil state than that of our Saviour of offences saying foreseeing no question how by means of the Clergies crying out Heresie Heresie Schism against the way of truth being once turned aside to Heresie themselves the world would be offended at his little ones for walking in it They must come but wo to the man by whom they come the Apostle reckons Herestes among the works of the flesh Idolatry Witchcraft c. Gal. 5. 20. which alone to argument sufficient against the Patronagâ—… and Invitation of them unless withal license in the true Church should be given to all other carnal sins why should the Church of God upon Earth make much of those against whom the Kingdome of Heaven shall be â—…ut her pale is not so strong to keep them out from breaking in upon her like wild bores and wolves to spoil and wast her but her good will should not be so great to them as to wellcome them in to her fellowship till they repent from their dead works of superstition bloody tenet of persecution for cause of conscience worshipping God after mens traditions blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven trampling the holy City Heresie Schism from the primitive truth c Neverthelesse how beit to tolerate and harbour Hereticks in communion with them whilest they oppose the true way of Christ would be an error and an evill too intollerable in a true Church of Christ yet I hold that opinion of the C C Clergy not onely intollerably Heretical in it self but intollerably hurtful also to themselves that Hereticks may not be tolerated in a civil state for if Fines Prisons Banishments Racks Wâ—…ips Tortures headings hangings burningâ—… and such like punishments with the civil sword were the due of every Heretick and Schismatick in the faith as the C C Clergy have for ages and Generations born the world in hand that they are to the causing of all these their national Church censures to be inflicted on the Saints when they have once blindly sentenct them to be Schismaticks to the civil power if this I say were the due of every Heretick or Schismatick and every true Heretick and Schismatick had his due too good Lord how have the C C Clergy condemned themselves out of their own mouthes to devastation when the civil powers shall find them to be the Arch-Hereticks in the world if taking them at their word they shall do with them as they say they ought to do in this case concerning others but God forbid that with what judgement they judge they should be judged and with what measure they meet it should be measured to them again at our suggestion if their own Cheek-by-jole carriage to the Stern-men of the State do not pull it unavoidably upon themselves yea verily though as far as those that oppose themselves against the truth of Christ they may well challenge the name of Schismaticall Hereticks and though Amen might justly be said by the Magistrate in this point to the opinion of Gangraena and his Gang and might Amen be said to his wise wishes as concerning us who teach and practise baptism in its primitive fashion we could expect to be suffered in the Common-wealth no more then High-way Murderers yet dare we not desire their extirpation out of any of their native rights in the several states wherein they are nor such uncivill suppression of them meerly for their erroneous Tenets as they have sollicited the higher powers to concerning us we have not so learned Christ nor would they if they had heard him and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus for howere it comes to passe that the C C Clergy whose own the worst would he if that were true and execution done accordingly are so besotted as to believe that Hereticks and Schismaticks from the faith men of false waies worships religions though elsewise never so peaceable and innocent must not onely be dischurched but discommunicated also from the patronage of the civil power and cut off from the priviledges of other Subjects yet neither Christ nor any of his Apostles as from him gave any order for such rigid rejection indeed the Apostle Paul wills in his Epistle to Titus cap. 3. who was a Church officer that a Heretick after a second and third admonition be rejected i. e. from the Church and Gal. 5. 12. wishes that they were cut off from the Church that did trouble the Church and Rev. 2. 20. 21. the Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and seduce his servants to fornication i. e. false worships c. but it will noâ—… follow therefore that such may not have license to live civilly in civil states for the weapons of the Churches warfare wherewith she is to fight against Heresies and which she is ever to have in readinesse to revenge all disobedience to Christ by are noâ—… carnall 2 Cer. 10. 4 5 6. not such as are used by the officers of States but onely spirituall as admonition reproof and in case of obstinacy putting out from among them delivering up to Satan and not delivering up to the secular power as the Popish Priesthood used to do when any of their creatures specially of their Clerico-creatures turned Hereticks i. e. departed from their Heresies to the truth saying pray take him into your power and be merciful to him meaning hang or burn him for a Heretick The Church I say is neither to use the carnal weapons of the State nor yet to stirr up the State so to use them on 〈◊〉 and truths behalf as to imprison sine hang burn or banish false worshippers unbelievers misbelievers or Hereticks further then they are withall as by meer unbelief they are not offenders against the civil State I find the Lord Christ foretelling by himself and his Apostles that for the most part the more is the pitty the Rulers Kings Governours and Princes of the world would be such enemies against his Gospel that his Disciples should be hald before them as evill doors for his names sake Matth. 10 18. that not many mighty and noble men would own his truth 1 Cor. 1. 26. that rich men would oppresse the Church and draw them before their Judgement seats and
Anti-christians Pedobap tists Sectaries c. and about his law and about Heresie and spiritual Truth and Schism in the Church and Ministry and such like about which the eares of the civil powers have been dâ—…d by the usual addresses of the PPPriesthood unto them for help against Hereticks and Schismaticks and by their hideous outcries viz. of the Prelates against the Presbyters saying help O King and the Presbyters against the Sectaries help O Parliament all will be overspread with a Gangrene of Heresie Murder Murder c. O ye Magistrates restrain dipping in cold water as you will save the lives of your subjects and such stuff and folly as is powred out to the Magistrate by the Minister against men more true to Christ and Magistracy then himself I humbly conceive the Magistrate may lawfully and more acceptably to God then otherwise save himself so much labour as to let these matters alone yea he may do well to see that whatever Religion men be of that are under his civil power in each state whether Iewish Turkish Heathenish Popish Prelatical Presbyterian or Independent may not be injurious each to other without satisfaction in civil matters and to see that none commit any uncivil actions that are contrary to that common honesly and righteousnesse among men which men as magistrates are set to vindicate to see that none live be they of this or that Religion dishonestly without correction to see that none usurp Dominion over each others faith so as to make all men believe as some do whether they see ground to believe so yea or no by the civil sword to see that in order to their own eternal good they find out and walk in the way of truth themselves as it is in Jesus and when they are once assured that they are in the truth themselves to let that truth be verbally declared per se or per alios as much as they please but not forced upon others as their faith further then the light of preachings and discourses may prevail to fasten it on others consciences and to see that even enemies to the Gospel and true Church may have no more then the weapons of the Churches warfare which are not carnal used towards them to make them friends and as to those who walk in truth whoever they are or shall but be supposed by the successive representatives Princes or Powers to walk in the way of truth to see that they be countenanc't but not too much maintenanc't because Christs disciples nor cockt up to all the honour and preferment and places of trust and advantage above their fellow subjects to the ingendring of jealousies and emulations in others that may be happily though not so neer the truth of Christ yet as trusty to the State as themselves for that too often choaks the Church but onely that with an indifferent impartial hand as men whether in Church or out being otherwise honest and able and of publique spirits not selfish nor covetous nor cruel c. may seem fit to be intrusted with such and such places so they may be chosen and disposed of thereunto in a word to see that such as make prayers and supplications and intercessions and giving of thanks for all men for Kings and such as are in authority living in all godlinesse and honesty may as well as others and others also as well as they living soberly and honestly though not Godly in Christ Jesus nor worshipping in way of truth but falsly may live a quiet and peaceable life without persecution as to confiscation bonds or death for doing and denying according to the dictates of their own though yet blinded conscience and that men of all Religions may live without molestation one from another any more then by meer manifestations of their light one to another at seasonable times in wayes of query disputation and preaching and then to leave all men to worship God according to their several wayes even misbelievers Hereticks and Iewes themselves and others that yet believe not in Christ but deny him till the Lord lend them light by the word of truth and to stand or fall to their own master Christ Jesus to whom every conscience shall give account of it self at last who if any man hear his words and believe not nor receives but rejects them judges him not here either by himself or the civil magistrate or by his Church any further then to non-communion with them yet by the word that he hath spoken unto him will judge every man at the last day Thus it is most evident the magistrate whether Christian or Heathen is to do and not otherwise viz. to give protection to men as men living honestly so berly and justly without respect to their Religions whether true or false And as to Religions to allow Tolleration to all men to practise according to their principles the practise of whose principles is not directly destructive to the true Religion common honesty civillity morallity righteousnesse and the peace and safety of the Common-wealth as some mens principles are if put in practise yet verily I know none among Christians at least save those of the two Spiritualties vix the Rantizing PPPriest that in his precincts which is the whole world could he catch it would have no tolleration for any way of worship but his own and the Ranting Prophet who would have toleration of all and more too not onely all Religions but all as well unciuill unnatural lewd abominable as irreligious actions which nature it self cries shame on among beasts magistracy finds it self an ordinance of God to give correction to among heathens for those men are now acting upon the stage of whom Iude speaks when he saies Iude 10. what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves the principles of that old PPPriest and this new Prophet if practised in the hight of them are utterly inconsistent with the standing of truth in the world untrampled viz. that of the Priest and also with the standing of very manhood among men of civility in civil states of the common-health of the Common-wealth it self viz. that of the Prophet the one is so far from owning any power to be a terror to evil works and incouragement to good that despising all Government and speaking evill of dignities he holds that there is at all neither good nor evil nor better nor worse amongst works but all alike and then good Lord how fast must iniquity dishonesty unrighteousnesse and incontinency thrive and abound upon earth to the ripening of iâ—… for the sickle when it shall be acted with allowance from such a principle as this viz. that there is now no iniquity at all this man would have the civil power allow all Religions and good Manners too but allowes of none at least thinks he needs use none himself and is for a Toleration of all truth in the world thoughall truth is the intollerablest thing in the
they would against Christ simply and solely I say because of that neither find I as before any warrant in the word for Caesar the civil powers of the world to prohibit or sub paenâ—… any false Religions from standing growing preaching promulgating practising their own principles be they Jews or Heathen Romans or Diaâ—…tish Ephesians in their several dominions under the Gospel any more then to prohibit the true Christian Religion it self All Religions lived under Caesar in Christs and the Apostles dayes and were not by him persecuted nor constrained either to be of his Religion nor to say nothing against it nor against any other in after times indeed when the Emperours grew bloody against the Christians all Religions lived quietly under Caesar but the Christian that was worse then nought and I think it not a little too bad and not doing as our duty is to all men as we desire they should do to us but the way back to Priestly blindnes if we put Caeâ—…r on now because he is a Christian to let the Christian Religion live quietly under him and none else for my part I dare not desire that the Jews may not not onely live but till they see better serve God in their wayes of worship in the State as well as otheâ—…s for a being they must have somewhere and may no where without sin if not here for is it more sin for one Common-wealth to let false worshippers live in it till tâ—…ey see the truth then for another yea and let them and others too preach and promulgate even all that ere they can for their way Ob. I know men fear false Religions will seduce men from the true to themselveâ—… Aâ—… Let them gain what they can whom can they gain not the elect which in your sense are a sort of individuals without respect to any thing done in time personally 〈◊〉 positively and not conditionally determined to faith and final perseverance in it to the death and if they seduce others to damnation it self they are no other then such with you as are as particularly peremptorily and not conditionally onelâ—… of their loving darkness more then light afore of old ordained to that condemnation therfore me thinks you of that principle of all others should â—…ee no dan ger of doing more huâ—…t then God decreed to have done by suffering sedâ—…cers in the world before the foundation of it and as for us who hold no such though as much election and reprobation as your selves in that sense in which the Scripture speaks out which bids us know that God hath chosen the godly man to himself and ordained ungodly men to condemnation not determining the individuals to life or death before birth but upon account of belief or non-â—… of the truth that 's told them for he hath chosen men to life no otherwise then through 〈◊〉 and ordained men to be holy i. e. that they shall beâ—…ve and lâ—…ve holily thaâ—… mean to live for ever even we that know there is danger enough and yet hope enough too of life for men that neglect not their own salvation â—…re venture truth among all false wayes whatsoever which when and where ere it lives uncurbd as it never yet did in England without molestation more or lesse to these our dayes for a 1000 years and upwards will shine through all the rest so clearly to mâ—…s souls as either to save them or else at least to convince them so as if they perish by following any false wayes that grow up by it to leave them without excuse because they either did know and did not what they knew or might have known more then they did but would not besides if any religion be as I am sure the true one is not though the R R Romish Jewish Turkish and all others are such a dead Sea of Divinity as hath not life enough in it to live of it self if it may have bare leave unlesse all others that would live beside it be sneapt by the civil sword so that they must not shew their heads by it for its sake let that Religion be the Jews and the Turks and the Popes and the Prelates and the Presbyters and the Independents too if it will for me but while I live to Christ surely t will be none of mine So I have done with you my dear friends of the Independent way and shall wait and pray that you may first laying as your foundation then leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ gooâ—… unto perfection T is time to return to talk on with the Pope and P P Priesthood to whom I have almost forgoâ—…ten what more I was about to say being put by it by ones presentment of these proposals to me intersâ—…ribendum which draw'd me on to this long Peâ—…hesis and off from my present purpose viz. the proving of the P P Priesthood to be that themselves which they most falsely father upon them whom they as falsely call Anabaptists I have shewed how though they call us an 〈◊〉 and carnal sect a cruel and bloody sect yet themselves are both these much more then we yea and much more â—…hats nought then either of these two also For next whereas you stile us a prophane and Sacriledgious sect yet that you are a more Profane and Sacrilâ—…gious generation then those whom Dr. Featly calls so will appear very plainly if you consider either what Sacriledge and Profaneness are indeed or what Dr Featley if he may be your spoksman to whom you refer us doth falsey suppose it hath defined it to be for he states profaneness or sacriledge for these two with him are one to be the extream in the defect to Religion to which the extream in the excess saith he is superstition which is the offering to God what he claimes not for his own whilst the other i. e. profaneness Sacrilegiously Robs God of that which is his own in a particular maâ—…ner which if so then you C C Clergy men are more guilty in this behalf then any other under the Sun for besides that you erre from the true religion in the excesse by superstitious attribution of such things to God as his by institution which are not his but your own inventions viz. payment of Tithes to you infant-sprinkling and many other which you plead for as if the Lord had required them Iure divino or Iure Apostolico whereas it is no false Latine because true English to say they stand Iure humano et Apostatico or rather Daemonico by the devil and the whores appointment you erre from it also in the defect by Sacrilegious ablation and abolition of the true Baptism and Ordinances from the Church which Christ hath appointed this though it be wonderful strange yet is marvellous true for though ordinary men miscarry from the mean but by one extream ordinarily e. g if men erre from the vertue liberality by prodigality they are not covetous too or if by covetousness they are not
talkt to that say to the Sâ—…ers see not prophecy to us smooth things that will not endure sound doctrine nor any troublesome truth that say of the words of Christ the doctrine of his baptism that calls for self-denyal the practise of which exposes to the crosse censure scorn shame suffering losse of credit custome offence of friends fathers mothers husbands wives c. which whoever loves above Christ is not worthy of him these are hard sayings who can bear them take heed I say of such ears as love to hear some truth but not all that stand open gladly to any thing but the losse of Herodias the darling lust what ever t is whether the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye or the pride of life God in his Iust Iudgement suâ—…ers such to fall Learn to be doers of the word not hearers onely and doers of all that you know and not some things onely as some do and patient both hearers and doers of what God and not what man saies Temptation hardly provails against that soul that is built upon the practise of Gods commandements but as is shewed above and exemplifyed in the parish people that are so built and no otherwise and whose fear toward God is taught after the precepts of men the soul that is built on the practise of mens commandements in his religion faith worship is easily prevailed with to be of any Religion the State pleases as well a false as a true as well Popish as Episcopall or Presbyteriall 4. To beware of the ordinary converse and needlesse society of these Schismatical Seducers the PPPriests that have drawn the whole world into a deep dotage after themselves and desperate departure from the plain doctrine of the primitive Churches and Apostles not to frequent groundlessely their popish parochial Antichristian Assemblies that say they are Jewes i. e. the Churches of Christ and are not but do ly and are the Synagogue of Satan and if any of the disciples or others think themselves strong enough to encounter with them or if they be so indeed yet to take heed of being foiled and spoiled throw their philosophy and vain deceit after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 2 Col. 8. and however of offending weak ones by their example The Arguments of some nay of all these HHHierarchian Hereticks have not prevailed half so much to the perverting of the saith of so many millions of men and women as in all ages of their reign have been perverted from the truth as it is in Jesus as the examples of some shall I say nay of wellny all the Great ones in all nations the gentry the mighty the wiâ—…e the noble not many of which can submit to own the Carpenters son in the homely ordinances mean waies foolish and base things he hath chosen 1 Cor. 1. yea the Kings of the earth that falling â—…uto folly and committing fornication with this cunning women the CCClergy were besotted to sacrifice all their Crowns and the wealth and power and strength of their whole kingdomes to her will and to set up her waies Rev. 17. 2. 17. Who perhaps onely for noveltie or curiosity at first but at last after some few ages and generations out of principles of foolish custome and pretended antiquity have been present themselves and not by their own example onely but extremity of Lawes and Statutes which the Saints onely in each age have smarted for the breach of enforced others to be present at their will worships superstitious services extravagant dispensations and erroneous exercises and yet the bare example of great ones in a false faith without other enforcement is inforcement great enough amongst Parochiallists and the carnal commonalty who commonly live and believe much more by example then sound reason the faith of he Rulers right or wrong is usually the rule of their faith and Rex sum such a convincing reason with them as seldome receives other reply then nil ultra quaero plebeius 5. Not to be too rash to believe every Spirit nor to receive any more implicitly the spirit of the spiritualty the PPPriesthood no though it come in never so ghostly shapes and gorgeous pretences of piety humility zeal prayers tears c for she is a mystery and this is the very mystery of the Whores iniquity that she hides all her guile with a godly garb In nomine domine incipit omne malum saith the old Proverb and I wish that in homine domini occidat omne malum may be a new one if it prove a true one i. e. that in thy fall O man of God there may be an end of all mischief yet surely a worse mischief to the true Church sharp and short will arise out of thy ashes yet before the end false prophets must come in the name of the Lord as well as true ones Now gloriously did Balaam profess As Austin faith of Pelagius whose doctrine he counted devillish that his life was like a Saints so I say the Sancti Sanctorum of all Christendome in pretence have been in doctrine the veryest devils Alexander of â—…ales writes say some of Bonaventure that Adam did not sin in him and yet of all the Papists none lest more blasphemy behind him the Crocodile weeps till he hath got his prey the Priesthood won the world to it self with the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and then set up the trade of being Lords and Lawgivers themselves and rooted out his from off the earth 6. having once found out and fallen into fellowship with the true Church that is rightly constituted upon the true foundation of the Prophets and Apostles or principles of the doctrine of Christ to be stedfast and unmoveable in the way of truth not suffering themselves to be swayed aside in any wise by any deep devises or perverse pretences Satan of whatsoever and in order to their standing to avoid aweak and querrulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at a gnat giving over the company of the flock for every rub forsaking the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is seperating from the Congregation not so much for a ceremony as through a crooked and carnal conceit that t is but a meer ceremony to assemble and meet or meddle with any outward ordinances at all a matter in force onely for that small moment of the primitive age of the Gospel and now of no moment to us weak worships low things carnal ordinances unprofitable dispensations em pâ—…y elements bodily exercises beggerly rudiments c. like bruit beasts depraving the precious precepts of Christ even those holy matters of his which they understand not the weight and worth of these and such like have made such as of old Jude speaks of and we see so doing at this very day to depart and seperate themselves from Saintship to sensuality from Church-fellowship in the faith to fellowship
croslie and contradictorily to what they were intended as yea and nay are one unto the other that children at three or four years old as your selves then affirmed may be instructed I granted and do still acknowledge with you but that I said at that age they might be baptized upon that account of bare instruction unless apparently effectual to their true conversion to the faith so that by Profession they give good ground to our consciences to believe that they believe I here disclaim it as either a mis-conception or rather a meer conception and birth of your own brains and profess it in the sight of God and all men to be that which in the sence you here insert it in came not so much as into my mind much less out of my mouth at that time and though I find you so un-ingenuous in your dealing that I wonder how you can wish me to deal ingenouusly with youâ—…s you do yet can I not conceive you to be so unjudicious as to conceive I confest as you have here accounted since my speech to all that were not dull of understanding was most plain to a very contrary purpose and tended to shew the utter unwar rantableness of baptizing at any age at all whether in Non-age Middle-age or Old-age unless it be found in the way of Faith and therefore of baptizing anie Infants in respect not only of their incapacitie to believe but much more to make profession of belief I shall therefore give you and the world too wherebie yours must needs appear to be a juggle a more true Account of the Dilation that was then between us on this wise it was I confess I granted for 't is the verie truth though not of a straws weight to your purpose that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 18. 3. was meant children in Non-age to which Christ saies his Disciples must be like although bie the phrase v. 6. viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I asserted then and see no occasion of saying otherwise to this hour that he means his Disciples whom he likens to the other and not little ones in age and bodily Stature in proof of which I referr'd you to Mat. 10 42. where under the self same greek phraise viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expresses no other than his Disciples there being no little child then among them of which he could be imagined to speak moreover I shewing how that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did properly signifie not such an Infant as you sprinkle which cannot speak called infans quasi non fans but a child capable at least to be instructed and so you are to seek still for Infant-baptism 't was bolted out bie you that at three or four years old many began to be instructed even in principles of Religion and that then at least they might be baptized whereupon I replyed that 't was neither this nor that age old or young gave right yea that no age could make a fit subject for Baptism but that wherein a person is apparently instructed to conversion and that when so instructed they were to be baptized whether old or young so that if you could so effectually instruct children at three or four years of age as to bring them to make such profession of faith as I could not but judge to proceed from the reality thereof within I could then for my part baptize them yet I thought it was a thing very seldome if ever at all visibly effected to this effect and much what in iisdem terminis did I then deliver my self yet so willingly were you mistaken in my meaning as downrightly to set me out for such a Childish Novice as met you before thousands to maintain the unlawfulnes of Childrens Baptism and held a Discourse of 6 hours to that end and yet confest the lawfulness of it so soon as ever we had well begun but Sirs suppose I had confessed as I did not that children of three or four years old because capable at that age to be instructed might without respect to the begetting of faith in them by that instruction even then and thereupon only be baptized yet will you not at last be ashamed think you of that ignorant assertion of yours namely that infants of a day old are as capable of baptism as they for grant it should be granted you as it is not that bare instruction without any success thereof to conversion is a good ground to baptize persons on at three or four years of age yet is it a ground whereupon to baptize Infants of a day old that are not capable of so much as that bare instruction a man may in much wisedom and some hopes if not of present yet of future conversion thereby begin to indoctrinate his children at three or four years old and instill the principles of truth into them as preparative to their obeying it hereafter and also to baptism it self in due time yet I judge him as very a Child as his Child that goes about to instruct and baptize it so soon as t is born yet after your own assertion by which you would make men believe I asserted that children of three or four years old are capable of instruction and consequently of baptism so young you second it with another more absurd and false than the former namely that children of a day old are as capable of it as they Say you so Sirs are infants of a day old capable of Baptism that cannot so much as be instructed in principles much less be begotten to the true Religion or if you say you hold not their right to baptism from a capableness of instruction from which you plead the other but upon other grounds upon what grounds I beseech you Sirs upon what grounds as you offered to shew them then so shew them now if you can for none of the Arguments in your Account can possibly prove such a thing What Infants of a day old I 'le saie it again that you may consider it for sure you did not consider what you said when you said it what children of day old fie for shame Sirs had you said infants of eight daies old it might have held some proportion with that grand ground you go upon viz. the Analogy between Baptism and Circumcision but this opinion doth not cotten at all with that for the subject of Circumcision which you all say though falsely is one and the same with that of Baptism was one of at least eight daies old and an Infant of one day only was not a warrantable subject thereof nor an infant of seven daies neither though likely to die before the eighth but as for you though your chief plea for your timely untimely rantizing Infants be grounded upon that timely dispensation of Circumcision yet as if you had a mind to proclaim your selves be-blinded so that you cannot walk by Christs Right rules nor your own wrong ones neither you take the
things that offend every plant that the heavenly father hath not planted out of his Kingdome which taken at large is the whole world and to bundle them for the fire To all these many more reasons may be added why the Magistrate may not force men at all in matters of faith repentance Religion worship see Barbers answer to the Essex watchmens watch-word p. 7 c. the Magistrate receives no charge from God about Religion neither is cura animarum but cura corporum onely committed to him Luther himself was of this mind that the Lawes of the Magistrate extended no further then to the bodies and goods that which is external and that God would have none to rule in the soul but himself therefore where the Magistrate goes about to govern in the conscience he usurps that jurisdiction which God reserves to himself certainly this is that great arrogany in the Whore or Woman of sin which God will severely punish in that SSShee gives lawes to the conscience and sits in the Temple and Church of God as a God King Iames in Parliament 1609 said That it is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church with violence and blood and again in his Apâ—…logy for the oath of Allegeance p 4 speaking of the Papists that took the said oath That he gave a good proof of it that he never intended persecution for conscience but onely desired to be secured of them for civil abuses that it was usually the condition of Christians to be persecuted but not to persecute Again Faith and repentance to acknowledgement of the truth is Gods gift and if wee 'l believe our Clergy no way in every mans power no not by gift from God to perform and so the Magistrate must punish mâ—…n belike because God who gives where he lists does not give them to believe c. Again Blasphemers Persecutors as Paul Idolators as the Corinthians yea Iewes Turks and Pagans may be converted in time by the word therefore are not to be plucked up out of the Earth for then they can never possibly repent Again persecution was never taught by Christ nor practised by his Apostles but arose among Heathens and was continued by the Roman Antichrist and his Ministers Yet there 's one way more whereby they evade all this and that is by denying that by the Tares here are meant Hereticks False Worshippers and Antichristians and asserting them to be Hypocrites in the Church and this is the way of Mr. Cotton whereby you may see again how Divines are divided among themselves in all things almost as well as some which Mr. Cotton in a book which the Bloody Tenet relates to gives ouâ—… as I remember that by tares is meant hypocrites in the Church who are so like the wheat that they cannot well be discovered nor discetned from it and so must be let alone in the Church by the Ministers of the Church least they mistake and pluck up wheat instead of tares and cast out men for hypocrites who its possible may be sincere for ought we know In answer to which I must confesse men that cast out persons for Hypocrites had need be pretty wary and not overhasty yea better an inconvenience than a mischief betâ—…er erre in letting some Hypocrites stand in the Church then for hast cast out one that seemes to be so to us and yet is not But this is not the sense of our Saviour in this place for as it cannot be the Church that the Tares are here bid to be let alone in as I have shewed above so much lesse by the tares can be meant hypocrites so neer the wheat i. e. true Saints in shew and likenesse and pretence as to be hardly discâ—…rned from them For First Though Hypocrites are like Saints and appear so to be oft it may be alwaies to the deceiving of us yet the Tares are not at all like the wheat nor at all to any but such as are stark blind appearing to be wheat Secondly an Hypocrite in the Church who is one that appâ—…ars to be what he is not must be supposed while he is in the Church to be discovered or not discovered so to be when not discovered he is no hypocrite to us to whom things are as they appear what ere he may be to God but as true a Saint as the rest and when discovered till when to us he is a Saint and must stand under the notion of a Saint then he must not stand in the Church which is not to harbor any that are palpably wicked and who is so palpable as he whose simulata sanctit as is dulplex iniquitas But now First the tares heâ—…e spoken of are plainly said and seen to be tares and appeare to be tares and a distinct stuff from the Wheat and yet for all that they are bid to be let alone in the Field as Hypocrites must not be in the Church when they appear to be such But in the field i. e the world t is true enough that hypocrites may stand even after they are cast out of the Church unlesse they act any thing that civil justice will reach them for and so also may Antichristians and all false Worshippers T is evident then that in this place as well as Matth. 15. 13. 14. that in the time of the Gospel Church Tares that much hinder the wheat that are mingled in the same Field world Civil States Countreyes Common-wealths of Satans sowing among the Wheat Weeds Nettles Bryers Thorns Plants that are not of the heavenly Fathers planting Faâ—…se worshippers Hereticks men and their Ministryes of false Religions doctrines faiths waies of serving God may and ought by permission and commission from Christ be let alone and allowed to stand by no means in the same Church by all means in the same world or part of the world locally considered for the Church is not locally considered as a place measured by and consistent of such or such a compasse of ground as the Popes parish Churches did whereupon they went on procession once a year lest they should forget the bounds of their Church but mystically of such or such a company of men however scattered locally here or there yet in one fellowship I say in the same part of the world nation City Countrey civill corporation with the wheat Saints true Church under the protective power of civil Magistracy free from molestation meerly for their religion so be they live justly soberly and peacably with all men any thing said to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding by the Priest who of all men hath least reason to be against toleration of tares in the world and of plants which the heavenly father never planted if he consider what he is himself and unlesse he desire to be rooted out in hast by the civill power before his time See the parable and read it with the exposition of it Mat. 13. 37. c. He that sowed good seed
in the field is the son of man i. e. Christ the field is the world therefore not the Church the good seed or wheat are the children of the Kingdom i. e. the Saints the true Church and worshippers the tares which while men slept and did not mind it the enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ—… beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians gâ—…w up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the pâ—…inciple of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pâ—…ue whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus â—…aesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—…n why he would have the tares to be leâ—… alone least by rooting out the taâ—…es the wheat be roâ—…ed out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all peâ—…ple may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4. 5. then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and â—…o there 's quiâ—… for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall
elsewhere even every where where the tares are resolved to stand alone and so Homo Homini Lupus Christianus Chriâ—…i no Diabolus men must be wolves and devils each to other throughout the world Besides if the power in any place be ignorant and under an erring conscience that conscientia errans will oblige him seemingly to himself at least to tread down truth and set up false hood and all this by a law yea if the Magistrate take the part of any religion against all other so as to establish it alone and root out them whether it be the true one or a false one that he sets up not tolerating all others but forcing them to submit to it the mischief is in a manner intolerable on either hand for if false have not we all felt the smart of being forc'â—… to false wayes Smectimnus as well as others if he hath not forgotten the groans that for liberty of conscience came once out of his own mouth while he was crusht under him that was crusht under the Popedom but in the Marian dayes above but if true the forcing men to own it before they see ground freely to receive it makes a world of formalists of nominal Christians who had as good be nothing at all as no better then they are of hypocrites which are worse then nought the worst sinners in the world for is it not better for me to remain a Jew under a blind conscience till I see the truth then to turn Christian against my though blinded conscience for fear of men before convinc'â—… or before I yet see it to be the truth a forced feigned profession for â—…ear of men if it happen to be of the truth it self is at best but splendidum peccatum a guilded sin Besides us to weave the spiders webbe as Isa. 59. to make laws and penalties to bind conscience which brawny conscienc'â—… men can creep ore let them be what they will as we see in Nebuchadnezzars dayes and in the Popes time and ever since all people for fear fall down and worship the golden image the King and Clergy sets up save such as fear God indeed And if it be thought that if the civil power take not the part of truth as I wonder where and when ever it did at least since Constantines times till of late it will be lost more in the croud of errors and Heresies that will ensâ—…e a general toleration then any other way it can I say let truth alone and turn it loose to plead fully for it self and it will work out its way and live and thrive maugre all the entanglements it can have from tares plain truth may be trusted to treat with the subtlest and proudest opposers it hath in the world that caeteris paribus do make head against it but if it be set against by the forrain power of a civil sword premi yet then too haud supprimi potest do but defend it onely from injury equally with others by the civil andâ—…then it will defend it self by the spirituall sword against them all Wherefore I again humbly represent that grave Councel of Gamaliel whose reason is good to all the civil Magistrates throughout the earth by whose subjects t is shâ—…rpely controverted and zealously quaeried what is truth viz. that they refrain from meddling more with men though they seem mad men to the world and besides themselves for the sake of truth in pretence left happily they be found fighters against God for if any way be not of God t will in Gods time come to nought of it self and ye cannot establish it if of God you cannot withstand it but t will come on in this juncture specially wherein it dawns toward the great day and God is about to pluck up every plant he hath not planted And if men be in your apprehension blind leaders of the blind in things of God yet let them alone if they will not go to the right way when called to it they will see when they both fall into the ditch And likewise I humbly beg that what is further and more clearly held forth concerning this subject of liberty of conscience by Mr. Blackwood in the first part of his storming of Antichrist may be well weighed by our Magistrates together with the thirty quaeries presented to them lately by Mr. Iohn Goodwin and his vindication of them against the Apologist neither of which ever will be answered solidly by their parish Ministers And as for the PPPriesthood it self though I hope the night is too farre spent for any save such as will be ignorant and if any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 28. and so say I to doubt but that the day is dark over them and theirs they are blind leaders of the blind in many things which many others see of whom yet they are asham'd to learn and which is worse such as stand not a little in their own light by snuffing at it that the Russet Rabbies and Clergy of Laâ—…cks should presume to instruct them more perfectly in the way of God which God in these daies wherein the last must be first and the first last will subject the proudest spirited Priests in Christ'ndom to take from some illiterate and perhaps non-sensical yet honest hearted Saints stammerers in speech babes with them bablers as of old eloquent Apollos from Aquila and Priscilla or else it may be hid from their eyes And though what they would not that others do to them when they were underlings each to other they have done unto all other professions that were underlings to them in the day of their raign hasting what they could to the hunting of the Sectaries out of their synagogues or their native rights and enjoyments therein which they have subjugated to be their Synagogues counting the compasse of whole Common-weals and Kingdomes little enough for them to Lord it over and set their several names of Papal Prelatical or Presbyterian there confounding and Babilonishly blending Church State Power together so that t was hard for any to ken clearly which was which or to know where to set the sole of his foot almost upon European ground in any Nation buâ—… he and all his conscience and all must come under the command and fall within the verge of some or other of their mercilesse Church Monarchies yet neverthelesse my humble desire to the powers on their behalf is that they may be tolerated and protected in the practise of what profession Religion way of worship doctrine discipline or Church-government soever they see occasion among themselves and such as shall see occasion to cleave to them or any of them to set up so far as they shall desire to build their several BBBabels without that blood of souls and bodies of men in which they have imbrued both their own and the Princes hands of the Christian Nations in former dayes I heartily plead for a toleration for them if
onely to the truth but your selves also for you give out in the next page but one before that I denied Circumcision to be a seal of the Righteousness of faith which in your own sense is as much as of the Gospel-Covenant to any of Abrahams posterity and that I multipli'd words in proof of the contrary and yet here in relation to that very Relation of your own in the weak wilfulness of your memories you give out that I had confessed Circumcision to be even to Ishmael the seal of the Gospel-Covenant that is with you still of the righteousness of faith thus for your own ends fathering your own false-tenet upon me ye have not lost all by the shift for you have fastn'd the fault of forgery upon your selves and this puts me in mind of another of your mis-reports which because t is so suitable to this I 'le give you some little sense of it here though I find it farre off hence in your Review p. 13. l. 1. 2. where looking or rather lacking over all your arguments again as somewhat rude and deform'd in their first delivery and among the rest this from Circumcision of infants to their baptism you positively affirm thus that the Adversaries confess baptism to be the seal of the Gospel-Covenant whereas if by Adversaries you mean your friend my self among others besides what else shall elsewhere be produced in proof of my dissent from you in this point your selves can bear me witness or if you will not a thousand others will that on the very day of Disputation when the Clergy-man of Kenington stiled baptism an initial seal I deni'd it to be a seal at all and am sure it would have found you all more work then you are aware of to have made good that un-gospel like expression of it though I grant it to be a sign of the Gospel-Covenant Report Another as flat a falsiâ—…y as ever fell from the mouths or pens of men who pretend to truth is that clause which lies in the last line of the seventh page and first line of the eighth wherein consider it with the words before you say I confessed that the spiritual seed of Abraham and their children had under the Gospel as good right to the seal thereof which is baptism as Ishmael who was that carnal seed of Abraham had right to the seal of the Gospel-Covenant Circumcision Reply Whereas besides my constant denial of Circumcision to be a seal to any but Abraham as I said immediately above and as your selves testifie of me and besides my denial of baptism to be a seal at all I either did deny the children of the spiritual seed i. e. of believers to have right to baptism or else to what purpose did you oppose me for this was the very question between us which as you affirm'd so I from the beginning to the end of the Disputation all along most inalterably deny'd Indeed I confessed ore and ore again that Abrahams spiritual feed i. e. believers have right to baptism but that the natural seed of this spiritual seed of Abraham are Abrahams spiritual seed as so born or that believers children quà tales are semen fidei as well as their parents is a most silly saying of your own page 14. but that which all the day long I most strenuously stood against much more that they were the subject of baptism yet you say here in the Preter-plu-perfect tense that I had confessed their right to baptism as good as Ishmaels to Circumcisâ—…n which me thinks if I had done so would have been exprest some where or other in the foregoing part of your true Account or else it is not so true as 't would be taken for but sith it is not to be found that I confest such a thing in all your Relation of the most materiall things that past among which this had it been confest as you here say had been the most materiall of all for it had been the full giving you the cause and saving you the labor of more Disputing we 'l take it for granted if you please rather then charge your true Relation of the most materiall things as not relating the most materiall of all that this your Testimony of my confession of this matter is most prodigiously false and abusive Sirs I wonder you are not ashamed so palpably to speak contrary to what you have here recorded I know not well what you mean by so many foul mis-reports unless as a certain great Benefactor to the Romish religion perceiving it unable to stand by the Scriptures bestowed a Legend of lyes towards its support which is call'd Legenda aurea so you supposing your Infant-baptism uncapable to be maintain'd any longer by principles of truth and reason have thereupon been so bountiful to the cause as to give in this golden-leaden-legend Another sorry tale and strange story you tell is not of me but of one of my side as you are pleased to speak and this me thinks if I be not mistaken with a kind of Emphasis of the Featlean strain as if it were some presumption for a Russet Rabby or secular Artizan to climb so high and slutter and file so neer the pulpits and pompous Belconies of the Priests and as if he were a man Sacerdotalis ambitionis loving the uppermost Room and chief place in the Synagogue more to be taken notice of himself then that the truth should be taken notice of by the people in which things if you muse as you use yet know Sirs that we have no such custome nor the Churches of God of whom you say thus Report That having plac'd himself on the highest of the pulpit stairs to be seen of all and craved the liberty granted by the propositions to ask questions and receive satisfaction he profest himself a stranger and to come thither by accident though both afterwards appeared contrary Reply Though both will yet appear to be contrary to what you would have them appear to be if you could tell how viz. a couple of untruths for verily he was a stranger and so I then told Mr. Prigg who askt me of him that had not been long in the Countrey and was unknown both by face and name not to my self and some others yet however to most of that Auditory in which I believe not one of many could say who or whence he was as to his coming thither by accident so he did too i. e. unappointed and unsent for in which sense I 'm sure some of you came not by accident but as specially bespoke in the name of a great Patron of your Party both to be there and undertake the business and appointed if not primarily yet secondarily or upon their refusal for whom some too confidently undertook they should undertake it who yet say of your selves page 3. you were not the men appointed to undertake it if by accident you mean thus as well you may for a man may come by accident enough to a
Birth-priv p. 22. and also a matter so immaterial that the cause doth not depend upon it at all so Mr. Marshall to Mr Tombes p. 218. yet both he and Mr. Blake and Dr. Featley p. 42. 43. and I think well-nigh every one that writes presses all these housholds as a president and forces from them all they have in them and more too in proof of infant baptism Babist We have examples not to be contemned of the baptism of whole housholds saies Mr. Blake and whether infants were there or no as it is not certain though probable so it not material The president is an houshold he that follows the president must baptize housholds it appears not that there were wives there yet he that followes the president of baptizing housholds must baptize Wives and so I may say quoth he Servants if they be of the houshold Baptist. Pray stay Sirs not to fast at â—…st least you run your selves out of breath at last Is this a competent account upon which to baptize wives and servants too as well as infants viz. if they be of the houshold then tell me whether unbelieving wives and unbelieving servants may not be of the houshold where the husband and Master believeth and if so must these also be baptized for shame call in that again this is a pigge of the old sow believers children are of the Nations and I wonder what man woman or child is not therefore they must be baptized For shame also forbear to name those housholds any more as presidents of infant-baptism wherein your selves confesse that it is not certain that there were any infants nor materiall whether there were any or no. Babist You shall find saies Mr. Marshall the Gospell took place just as the old administration by bringing in whole families together usually if the Master of the house turned Christian his whole family came in and were baptized with him Baptist. Just so Sirs and not a jot otherwise what not one way nor other otherwise then of old Then first me thinks the wife and other females should not be actually baptized with him but rather virtually be baptized in the husband for you say just so it was in the administration of circumcision Secondly Then I marvel in my heart how it came to pass that there was such quaerying whether believing husbands and unbelieving wives believing wives and unbelieving husbands believing Servants and unbelieving Masters c. might not live together and resolution given affirmâ—…ively that they might if that there were whole Families taken into the Gospell all together Thirdly But most of all I wonder how there was such quarrâ—…lling as there was and Christ said there would ever be in families about the Gosâ—…el that instead of imbracing it all together they would be divided against tâ—…emselves for the Gospels sake so that from thenceforth that the Gospel began there should be five divided about it in one house two against three and three against two the Fathâ—…r against the Son aad the Son against the Father the Daughter against the Mother and the Mother against the Daughter the Daughter in Law against the Mother in Law and the Mother in Law against the Daughter in Law the husband against the wife and the wife against the husband so that he must be fain to keep the doors of his lipps from her that lies in his bosom Mich. 7. 5. and a mans foes for the Gospel sake should be those of his own house Luke 12. 51 52 53. and also such oppositions on earth in countreys and Nations whereby Christs disciples should still be dâ—…agged before the Rulers and Governors that under one pretence or other should still persecute the Gospel till Christ comming for till then the term of Nursing Fathers falls not to them which immethodical and tottered face of things which was at the beginning of the Gospel and is to be again towards the end at the Gospels resurrection from under popish superstition and mans tradition that hath made it void I have often seen and do see daily in that true though troublesome way of the Gospel we now walk in but I never saw it in all my daies in that false smooth fine fashionable formal forced national Gospel of yours where whole families Countreys and Kingdomes i. e. all the folk within such a Dominion are threatned into one Mock-Christian Religion whether they will or no I wonder I say how all this should come to pass if as of old the whole Nation and therein the whole families of the Jewes were taken in at once to that covenant so now and so you say all it is now whole Nations and therein whole families and housholds without exception are to be brought in and baptized all at once into the Gospel Sure I am that though persons were so born Christians to the Popes Prelates and Presbyters crooked Christianity viz. of the flesh and of blood and of the meer will of man mâ—…king lawes to compell them so to be yet none are by right to be admitted to Christs Christendome but such Ioh. 1. 12. 13. as appear by faith to be born of God Babist But me thinks as Mr. Marshal saies well the whole houshold of Coâ—…nelius the houshold of Stephanus the houshold of Aristobulus the houshold of Crispus the houshold of Narcissus the houshold of Lydia the houshold of the Jaylor these are examples for baptizing whole housholds and so consequently infants not to be contemned Baptist. I muse much why the houshold of Caesar is not named as well as all the rest but then Mr. Marshall had clearly contradicted his own assertion viz. that whole families were taken in all at once for there were many famous disciples and Christians that imbraced the Gospel in Caesars houshold though Caesar was no Saint nor Christian himself Babist It is not said the houshold of Caesar but they of Caesars houshold Baptist. Nor is it said the houshold of Aristobulous and Narcissus but them of Aristobulus and Narcissus's houshold which shewes that though with him these two masters were disciples themselves yet but some of their housholds were disciples with them yet he alledges these as examples of infants baptism when in the Scriptures nomination of them there is no nomination of infants or baptism either As for all the rest if they are not to be contemned yet are they not to be confided in unless there were much more then is expressed at least implied to such a purpose as exemplary proof for infants baptism for if those whole housholds were all and every one in them baptized yet possibly no infant for all that for at this hour I know some whole housholds of baptized believers that have not so much as an infant within them yea one where there is or lately was both parent children or grand children all baptized and yet no infant nor infant baptism amongst them neither and indeed howbeit the word whole houshold is no where named in the new Testament in
blaspheme that worthy name wherby the poor in this world which commonly are the richest in faith are called Ia. 2. 6. that the Kings of the very Christian Nations would throw down their crowns and give up their power and strength unto the beast commit fornication wiâ—…h the W W Whore and at her instigation make war with the Lamb and at last be overcome by him Rev. 17. 14. 17. and be put down together with all their rule authority and power as very enemies though once his ordinance under his feet 1 Cor. 15. â—…4 25 I find also Ephe. 4. that he hath sit in his Church Apostles Pastors c. for the work of the Ministery and affairs of it but I no where find in his will and Testament that Christ intended the Magistracy as his Ordinance though undoubtedly in other cases the supreme ordinance of God to men whether in the Church or out of it for civil good to officiate so immediately in matters of Religion saith church order c. as to execute Church-discipline Church censure for â—…er Church disorders Church Divisions Church offences or so as to make all men within their jurisdiction and yet though their Churches be no true Churches neither so the CCClergy would have it to believe as the Church believes worship as the Church worships and be members of the Church whether they will or no if not to pray with them yet at least to pay to them or else to be excommunicated out of all they have and under the name of Hereticks dischurcht out of the world for so verily they do doctrinally at least who teach such false doctrine that men of false relegions whether heathens Jewes Turks or Pagans or men erring most grosly about the true as Papists or whatever else though never so submissive in all civil things to the civil Powers yet may not lawfully be licensed to live in civil States or in any Common-wealth under the Sun for by the same reason that Iews Turks Heathens Hereticks may not without sin be tolerated in one Nation but must ex officio be rooted out of it upon that meer account of denying and defying Christ which is as high as ever any Heretick went they may not without sin be permitted to be in another and so either some nations must sin in allowing these to live in them or else though de facto they cannot by reason of their number yet de jure they ought as far as they well can by Kings and Princes among whom few or none are so well acquainted as they should with what is Heresie and what truth to be driven quite out of the world and so the poor Iewes whose conversion the Priests pray for with much zeal and compassion must in quiet live no where at all that they may be converted but must belike be turned altogether into the sea Besides the notion of their being Christians adds nothing to mens power as Magistrates so but that if such magistrates as are Christians are Church officers as Magistrates then other Magistrates as heathen Magistrates must be Church officers as well as they and then how well that Christian Church is likely to be served and governed whose head Church-officers are Heathens a fool may see Yet whether the Magistracy be Heathens or Christians it matters not to the Church so long as they are the ministers of God and Christ to them and others too for civill good to punish evil doers that are injurious against the common or any mans proper weal Church-member or other in body goods or name by stealing lying murder defiling defaming defrauding c. whereby any are prejudic'd in point of their outward well being mean while whether he be the minister of God onely or Christ also and that not onely as God but God man also it matters not so long as he is an ordinance to us for civil good so that if any matter of Division of inheritances or of wrong and wicked lewdnesse be brought before the Magistrates committed whether by a church-member or any other it is all one reason wills that the Magistrate should hear it and be they Heathens or be they Christians who stand before him determine and destribute ac cording to the equity of his civil Law and as much as Mr. Baxter looks askew at this assertion p. 120. as if he thought the Magistrate were to do a Pagan no right against a Christian without partiality not favouring a Christian in a civil cause against a Heathen a Turk an Egyptian a Pagan so as to take the Christians part further then the equity of his cause in hand may justly call for it more then the others though the Magistrate himself also be a christian and a brother to the christian whose cause depends before him or a member of the self same congregation with him not balking to do civil justice against Church-members they deserving punishment as if the church were exempted from his jurisdiction in civil things because he is no christian but a heathen nor yet denying to do right to church-members if they be injured by others for if he do any of this I am sure he does no justice in his place whereupon Gallio the Depuputy Governour of Achaia who was not a little to be commended in one thing was no lesse to blame in another Act. 18. 17. in that when the Greeks in a rude and barbarous manner took Sostenes the chief Ruler of the Synagogue and beat him for letting Paul preach in it before his face and before the very judgement Seat too yet he cared for none of those things for those were the things that fell duly and directly under his cognizance as he was a magistrate and so the minister of God to men for good whether they be Christs disciples or no for the redresse of such civil abuses neither is Christ yet in his own person Luke 12. 13. 14. nay nor yet by any Church-officers of his qua sic unlesse they be civil Magistrates also and then as in that capacity they must do that right that concerns them as such as meer church-officers to be judge in those outward cases and as therein the outward man onely is concerned for then Paul one of the chief Apostles and officers of the Church being then present might have taken upon him in the behalf of Sostenes and himself as the Pope and the PPPriesthood do for the most part in their religions to have determined for themselves in that civill dissention but Christ as man and his church as his Church are yet no judgers nor dividers over men but the Magistrate by Gods and if I say by Christs appointment it hurts us not is made as onely in such so the only judge and divider in such civil matters but if it be a question and a brabble about Heathenism Turcism Iudaism Christianism and about Religion worship and faith and Iesus and words and names as Antinomists Arminians Anabaptists Pelagians Socinians
world to him and though it hath leave from him to grow besides him and will too among some yet he hopes to loosen it by lending it so much scope that it may come up the more easily by the roots and seeks what he can to kill it by his kindnesse The other viz. thou P P Priest though that thou mayest seem to be totally for the truth and all others to be enemies to it but thy self and thine thou cravest I might say commandest and challengest such a large toleration for what thou callest truth that nothing else must be tolerated besides it yet the truth is the truth as it is in Jesus which is Heresie with thee is lesse beholding to thee then to the other for iâ—… hath not so much as leave from thee to live if it can nay it can take no root at all at least not thrive above ground if it do where thou livest at the length of thy Lordlines for like Nimrod the mighty hanter before the Lord thou hast built to thy self great B B Babel a Triple Tower a threefold Fort or form of Tyrannical Churchlines wherein thou seatest and securest thy self and whence being jealous least all that comes neer thee under the name of truth should undermine thee thou fightest it afar off Thou art as it were a wild man like Ismael having thy hand against every man and every mans hand against thee dwelling alone as much as thou canst in the midst of thy brethren by thy sword and thy bow by cutting and fleshing and shooting out thy sharp arrowes even bitter words viz. Hereticks Hereticks against all that heed not what thou sayest before thou hearest them these are the rough hands of Esau wherewith thou handlest thy brother Iacob that will obtain the blessing before thee TTThou art the 3 heads of that Eagle spoken of 2 Esdras cap. 11. cap. 12. and wheresoever thou lookest and spreadest thy black wings thou lookest that all other birds should tremble under thee and be subject to thee so that none of old durst so much as chirp against thee no not one creature upon earth but so soon as any began to appear any where within thy range that was not Pullus Aquilae a chicken of thy own brood thou hast rapaciously torn it with thy Talents and made it a prey to thy youngones and whersoever thy wonted principle of persecution for conscience hath taken place and thy gawdy greedy griping Government stood up in full force the truth hath lien groaning and grovling under thee upon the ground Thus verily hath it been not onely for ages and generations within the dominions of the old Bruitish but also more lately under the domination of our BBrittish Priesthood Yea thou O P P Priest hast been such a thicket of thorns to the Lilly that she could never flourish upwards without a thousand scratches from thee such a tall crop of tares as hath overtopt starved and strangled the wheat TTThou knowest not what spirit TTThou art of thou wouldst fain command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as if it were Christs mind that receive not Christ Jesus in the wayes of thy own invention thou judgest them that are without that are none of thy C C Church whom were thy Church the true Church thou should leave to God to judge 1 Cor. 5. 13 if they be but in the same Nations wherein thy Church is and that shrewdly too sometimes when thou canst get the strength and power of states to stand to thee and execute such censure as thou saiest is due to Hereticks and Schismaticks in the Church yet I cannot much blame thee whilst thou clap'st whole common-wealths at once under thee as thy Church which ought as much to be corrected into an observance of the directories and decrees of Synodical power in matters spiritual as of the Senatical in matters civill thy chief way to cure Hereticks when they are in health is to kill them this Paâ—…pharmacon is letting blood thy present remedy against the remedilesse disease of Truth-telling Truth-spreading is Truth treading and present smoothering it from the vulgar by stopping the passage of the press and opening the Pipes in the Pulpit and present tampering with the Truth-teller who if he unsee not what he sees is â—…nse recidâ—…ndus to be dispatcht out of the way ne pars sincera trahatur lest sincere ones that seek after truth should find it when it flies abroad and be in-per-fected by it as well as he thou massaciest men to the Masse slayest men into thy service books sâ—…st up thy religion by treason when it can stand no more by reason fightest with fire and sword when thou canst do little by the spirit and word makest thy pen knife keen enough to cut when thy pen is not quick enough to countetfeit thou stopst Stevens mouth with stones and bearest him down with brick-bats that he blasphemes when thou canst not resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which he speaks like the wolf in the fable thou accuâ—… the poor innocent lamb of troubling the waters for nothing but drinking at the pure fountain and when the lamb replies my cause is better then thinâ—… On but quoth the wolf my teeth are better then thine I must devour 〈◊〉 Now therefore as to the civil Magistracy throwout all Nations Tongues kâ—…ds and people where thou O proud P P Priesthood ridest them I humbly beg of them in the name of Christ and on behalf of his truth and people which thou haâ—… suppressed that they would no longer set TTThee up as Lady of Kingdoms as 〈◊〉 over Gods heritage as Supream dictators to the whole nations where they live so in all Matters of Religion faith and Gospel as that all people must fal down to thee and worship God only according to thy more dimme and divided then divine directions but that people may go forth from under thy Egyptian prohibition to serve the Lord according to his own will and word which thou hast hid from the vulgar by unknown tongues and forcing thy own constructions on men in nations wherein its mostly truly translated and believe no more at a venture as the P P Priests believe by any law as from the Magistrate whose duty it is not to force men to unity of faith and uniformity in Religion further then they find freedome to fall into such unity among themselves but to force men to live at unity and peace in honesty and innocency in all justice and civility one towards another under what diversity of religion soever may be among them and whilest any Religion puts its people in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates in civil things for conscience sake and not to resist them in rebellious waies in such cases under pain of resisting the ordinance of God and receiving to themselves damnation according to Rom. 13. 1 2. Titus 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15. to see