seing they iustifie themselves in them and say they sinne not therefore their sinne remaineth and cannot bee taken away by Christ As for example You all iustifie the baptizing of infants now when you repent of all your sinnes of ignorance have you anie thoughts to repent of that and if you were asked would you not with your last breath iustify that you have done wel therein and that the baptizing off Infants is a holy ordinance of Christ but if it be no ordinance of Christ and that you sinne therein cā you be so simple as to imagine that this sinne shall come within your general repentance Wherein you blesse and iustifie your selves You can no more bee forgiven at Gods hands then they that ignorātly set vp a false Christ ād iustify him to be the true Christ or thē they that put the true Christ to death and iustify he is a false Christ We know your answere in this willbee that if you could see it to be your sinne to baptize infants and to mainteyne it to bee a holy ordinance off God you would repent of it but before you cannot wil not God answere you that when hee can see you repent he wil forgive you but before he cannot Ezek. 18.21.27 Wil not the Pope make the same answere for al the bloody persecutions wherewith he hath and doth persecute al Protestants so called Wil not the lord Bishop make this answere for all their wicked and cruel persecutions against the Puritanes ād Brownists so caled but shal they be pardoned they iustifying thēselves in al these wickednesses wherein they think they doe God service because they repent of al their sinnes of ignorance whereof they iustifie these to bee none wil God pardon thē in al this their wickednes because they cannot see it to be their sinne You al wil grant they cannot be pardoned of these sinnes they iustifying themselves therein neither can anie be pardoned of anie sinne they iustifying themselves therein If this were duely considered it would make men take heed what they professe or practice in the profession of Christ seeing if they professe or practice anie thinge that is not according to the word of God and iustifie it for good they must perish and cannot be saved it stands therefore al men vpon the peril of their soules to looke to their waies and to bee vpon a sure ground from Gods word what they condemne for evil or error ād what they mainteyne and iustifie for truth for if they that iustifie the wicked they that condemne the iust be an abhomination vnto the Lord. Pro. 17.15 Then they that iustifie error and wickednes and condemne truth and righteousnes calling light darknes darknes light such must needs bee an abhomination to the Lord. If al the learned Scribes and Pharisies and false Prophets in the world had harts to beleeve this and confesse it it would make them take heed what they iustified for truth ād what they condēned for error and how they taught others to do so If al the careles professors of Christ that professe him in word would beleeve this word of the lord to bee true it would make them looke more circumspectly to their waies and not thinke that anie profession of Christ is sufficient and that they may professe Christ after that manner that is best pleasing to their owne mynds makeing the way large that they may walke therein at liberty according to the vanity and excesse of their owne harts If the simple harted who in manie things are weyued from the world and who have manie zealous disires in them did faithfully beleeve the Lord herein that if they iustifie anie false waies vntruth or error and condemne anie way off light and truth their sinne remaineth they are an abhomination to the Lord if they did beleeve God herein it would make them take heed how they went on in their ignorant zeale being led by their Teachers approving and iustifying what they teach thē and disapproveing and condemning what they reach them to disaprove and condemne Forsakeing the teaching off Gods Spirit not thinking it possible for themselves to attayne to the vnderstanding off the Scriptures but by the teaching of their learned and good men as they falsely cal them but if they did beleeve this word off the Lord that they must perish if they iustifie anie one error or false way and condemne anie one truth it would make them with feare and trembling to seeke wisedome knowledg and vnderstanding of God that they being taught off God might bee able of themselves by the helpe of the holy Spirit the onely true Teacher and leader into all truth to discerne and iudg betwixt good and evil light and darknes truth and error least they relying vpon men be seduced and led to iustifie false waies and condemne the way of truth in anie perticuler and so fal vnder the iust iudgment off the Lord evē the iudgment of eternal death and condemnation a right recōpence of reward for al that wil of ignorant simplicity out of their good meanings ād zealous affectiōs falsly so called submit themselves to be led ād taught onely of men seeking for knowledg at their mouthes ād not wholly depēding vpō the scriptures for instruction and the spirit of God to teach thē the vnderstanding thereof neclecting of faith the reading and searching and meditating of the scriptures day and night and earnest praying without doubting that the Lord would give them the spirit of wisedome to direct thē to the true vnderstanding ād meaning of God in the Scriptures that they might be able if an Angell frō heaven should come and teach them anie other doctrine then Christ and his Apostles hath taught to iudg him accursed when this way shal be once truely learned ād faithfully practized of Gods people to attayne to true knowledg then shal all that seeke after Christ strive to enter into his kingdome by regeneration and new birth being borne againe of water the Holy Ghost then shal men learne to knowe the true baptisme of Christ which is the baptisme of repētāce for the remission off sinnes and be therewith Baptized and put on Christ and not satisfie themselves with childish baptisme in which baptisme they have not nor could not put on Christ and without which baptisme of repentance for the remissiō of sinnes they cannot put on Christ and then shal the elect of God not be deceived by the multitude of false Prophetts with al their lying wonders that say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but they shal take heed to the glorious brightnes of his coming which shal be in the shining light of his truth vnto the which the chosen of God shal flie ād come from far as Eagles to their pray And to this clere light of truth the Lord that hath bought you all with his blood raise vp your harts that you may seeke his face and be filled with the fulnes of his presence
weeke which are three daies and a half Iohn saith Revela 11. The two witnesses the Word and Spirit off Truth lye killed in the streets three daies and a half And Reve. 12. The Woman which is the Kingdome of Christ the heavenly Ierusalem the mother of al the faithful Gal. 4. fleies into the wildernes for a time times and half a time which may with good warraÌ„t according to these prophesies be expounded to a day two daies aÌ„d a half Thus then we coÌ„clude The true sacrifices and oblations of the people of God The word and spirit And the Heavenly Ierusalem the spowse of Christ Ceasing speing dead in the streetes and being fleed into the wildernes it must needes followe that there was an vtter desolation off all the holy thinges and of all the meanes of salvation For further confirmation of this see the wordes of Thapostle 2. Thes 2.3 speaking of the last day where he saith That day shal not come except there come a departing first It were much weaknes in anie to thinke that this is not spoken of a general departing in that there were manie particuler departings in Thappostle times But here he speakes of a departing from the truth and an exalting of an adversarie the man of sinne to sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe that he is God whome the Lord shal consume with the spirit of his mouth abolish with the brightnes of his cominge These wordes shewe to the vnderstanding of the most simple that there is an vtter departing in that there must bee a comeing againe for the abolishing of this wicked man And here may bee discovered by the way the damnable heresie of those men which are twice dead and plucked vp by the rootes and those are they which are fallen from grace which were once dead and have beene quickned by the word and Spirit of God aÌ„d are dead againe which now hold aÌ„d say that the man of sinne sitts and rules in the Church off Christ In this place it is shewed that the spirit of the Lords mouth consumes the man of sinne and the brightnes of Christs coming abolisheth him Now wee confesse if there can bee a Church of Christ where the spirit of the Lords mouth is not and where his brightnes shineth not in such a church the maÌ„ of sinn may sit and rule as God and these men are onely fitt subjects for such a Kingdome but let the children off God learne to knowe and professe that in the Church of Christ there is the spirit of the Lords moueth and his shininge brightnes which consumes and vtterly abolisheth the man of sinne and therefore they cannot both cule in one house Now for the bare words about which they contend thus much wee say not to them but to such as may bee in danger to be seduced by theÌ„ These are the words Thappostle speaking of the man of sinne who exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped saith thus So that he doth sitt as God in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Now as it is said he sits as God shewing himselfe that he is God even so doth he sitt as in the Temple of God shewing it to be the Temple of God This exposition is agreable to the ground of the scriptures and according to the proportion of faith for the scriptures teach vs every where and wee beleeve that Christ is the head of his Church And he walkes in the midst of the seaveÌ„ goldeÌ„ câ—ndlestickes he sits in his church being God aÌ„d the maÌ„ of sinne caÌ„not sit with God as God in the teÌ„ple of God Therefore we say vnto these meÌ„ as our saviour Christ said vnto Sathan hence from vs. It is written 2. Cor. 9.15.16 What concord hath Christ with Belial And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols etc. and 1. Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drinck the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils yee cannot bee pertakers of the table of the Lord and the tâ—ble of Devils But seeing these men can find no better a pretence to followe and to helpe to heale the deadly wound of the head of the Beast then by pretâ—ding that they have found him sitting in the Temple off God they looking with the same eie may find also in the same place that he sheweth himselfe that he is God and if they wil abide by the letter of the Scripture herein likewise then have they found a new temple and a new God most fitting for them because that their Temple and God and they shall all perish together wee meane those onely that have bene enlightned with this truth that Christ and the man of sinne cannot rule and reigne or dwel together in one house aÌ„d now have they found as they most blasphemouâ—â—y affirme Christ and the man of sinne exalted both in one Temple In al this we have not digressed from the matter in haÌ„d in that we have shewed that by the departing the man of sinne was exalted aÌ„d therefore the departing was general and the maÌ„ of sinne his exaltation general as doth further appeare by the words of Daniel 9.27 where he saith speaking of the sacrifices for the overspreading of the abhominations he shall make it desolate Answerable to this prophesie is that prophesie in the booke of the Revel 13.7 where it is writteÌ„ it was giveÌ„ vnto him speaking of the Beast that had 7. heades and 10. hornes to make warr with the Saâ—cts to overcome them power was given him over every kindred tongue nation Who can deny but this is general eveÌ„ a general desolatioÌ„ wheÌ„ the Sainctes are overcome And wheÌ„ al that dwel vpoÌ„ the earth as followeth vers 8. Shal worship the Beast All our perticuler knowledg of the fulfilling of this prophesie wil make it more evideÌ„t And who doth not knowe and see that this prophesie is fulfilled in that Romish misterie of iniquitie who yet sits vpon manie waters with whome have comitted fornication the Kinges of the Earth the inhabitants of the earth are dranken with the Wine of hir fornication Revel 17.2 Wee doubt not but manie will agree with vs in this vnderstanding and wee that wish vnfainedly the salvation of al and that they would come to the knowledg of the truth do earnestly desire that those that are over-whelmed in this misterie of iniquitie and vnder the power of this deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes would but consider which way it can bee avoided but that this prophesie is fulfilled in that great exaltatioÌ„ of the man of sinne in that Romish profession and if they would come out to the Scriptures and perticulerly vnto this booke of the Revel they should be forced either to deny the prophesies of this booke to bee true or els they must needes yeild that they are fullfilled in that their profession for how shal they bee able to point our vpon the face of the whole earth
and say Iudah was a true Church Israell a false Church and the Philistimes no Church these are but your owne sayings aÌ„d devisings without proofe whereby you have and doe mightilie deceive although your words bee without all vnderstanding for Israell was a true Church as Iudah was for the Israelites were the true seed off Abraham seperated from the world vnder the Covenant off God which was the Covenant off Circumrision Gen. 17 7-15 as well as Iudah in Hezechiahs time when they same to the passover And if they had beene the false seed off Abraham then had they beene false Israelites then had their circumcision beene false and they had beene a false Church So had they beene no seed off Abraham no Israelites their Circumcision no Circumcision and so no Church For a full conclusion and a certen rule off drection from the Word off God whereby the People off God may try all your deceitfil distinctions off this kind when you put difference betwixt True False and none in or off anie Ordinance off God Lett all observe and would to God you your selves would bee informed that God and his lawes and Ordinances are one Iohn 14.6 Off equal power authoritie and truth and therefore you can no more say a true Church a false Church and no Church a true Baptisme a false Baptisme and no Baptisme which are holie ordinances of God then you can say a true God a false God and no God and your distinction wil hold no more betwixt a false Church and no Church a false baptisme and no baptisme then betwixt a false God and no God and iff a false God be no God then a false Church is no Church of God and a false baptisme is no baptisme of Christ Your false Church then being as is shewed and proved no Church of God then it is the Synagogue of Satan and your false baptisme being no baptisme of Christ then it is the baptisme of Sathan The Lord give you to consider of your estates and standings herein that although your contempt of ve is and hath beene great yet you may not stil conâ—emne Christ and his truth the meanes of your salvation though witnessed by vs that are so much despised in your eies Haveing thus shewed you by evidence off truth that you bringing your false baptisme out of a False church both which yourselves confesse your baptisme is no baptisme and that false Church is no Church this being made plaine as the indifferent may iudg wee will trie Mr. Robinsons ground for this reteined baptisme who wil bee found to make haist to deceive with as manie windings and turnings as anie anâ— he not altogether trusting to bring his baptisme froâ— Israel he strives withal deceitful skill to prove that their baptisme is true in one respect though brought from Babilon And this matter he vndertakes afâ—â— this manner in his booke off iustification of seperition Pag. 184 185. He Commends vnto the Reader a distinction off a twofold respect Baptisme saith Mr. R. is to be considered first nakedlie and in the essentiall causes the matter water The forme washing with water into the name off the Father c. These are the essential causes of Mr. R. naked Baptisme in this respect he confesseth true baptisme both in England and Rome Mr. R. shal wee speake angerlie to you and mourne for the hardnes off your hart and great blindnes and ignorance Have you lost the beginings of knowledg in the misterie of Godlines is all light shut from your eies and al truth debarred from your vnderstanding that you should write thus That water and washing and words are the essential causes or matter of Baptisme if you had knowne Christ of whose Baptisme you pretend to speake you would never have written thus do you knowe that Christs Kingdome is a spiritual Kingdome his Ordinances spiritual Ordinances and wil you confesse this with your tongue and with your tongue and deeds denie it Which that it may appeare plainelie you do consider with your selfe and let all that seeke the Lord in spirit and truth consider with what vnderstanding you can say that naked Water washing words are the essential causes of a spiritual Baptisme thus doe you spoile men through Philosophie and vaine deceit in which iniquitie you abound away with your naked respect and bee counselled to buy whit rayment that you may bee clothed that your vile nakednes do not appeare Knowe you not that al they that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ And do you come with your Philosophie to teach simple soules a naked baptisme and make it good with respects The Lord give you grace to see your great evil herein and the Lord deliver his poore people from these your deceitful waies and the lord give them to learne to knowe from the word of God that there is but one Baptisme of Christ Ephes 4.5 And that whosoever is baptized into Christ hath put on or is clothed with Christ Gal. 3.27 and therefore whosoever shal walke with your naked baptisme shal bee found naked at the day off Christs appearing though you peece it and patch it with greene leaves and for your essential causes lay downe plainlie what baptisme you speake of and you shal be convinced in your selfe as thus if you say off Christs baptisme which is spiritual that the essential matter thereof is earthlie water would not your ignorance easilie appeare the like of your forme if you should say that the forme of spiritual baptisme is bodilie washing onelie with bare words your owne vnderstanding would reprove you It were to be wished and you have often bene required to lay away your schoole tearmes in the causes of God whereby you do for the most part but hide the truth and blind the eies of the simple How do you thinke the simple should vnderstand you in the essentiall causes and matter and forme of baptisme do the Scriptures shew that anie of the holie men of God did ever thus distinguish if your Art had bene good or profitable could not our Saviour Christ have vsed it for the manifestation of his truth aÌ„d would he not have endued his Apostles with that gift Yea the Lord endued them with the most excellent gifts for the evident declaration of his truth whereof Lodgick and Philosophie was none which vaine sciences if you had not vsed you could never have forged so manie deceits as you have in your booke And now wee disire you to knowe that the Scriptures teach not anie Baptisme that is in one respect true and in other respect false there is no such thinge in the whole word of God these are but your owne devices wherein you devide Christ to serve your owne turnes to deceive perswading men that they are in one respect truelie baptized and in another respect falslie baptized and if they wil come and walke in your waie and ioyne to your societies you can make that part which was false true What Poperie
Iudah a falfe Church Iff therefore you hold or account England as Israell then must you hold aÌ„d account England a true Chur. for it is but your devisings to say Israell was a false Church and iff England bee as Israel a true Chur. then are al your sinnes exceeding great who have made such a seperation as you have And if you bee come from Babilon then looke the whole booke off God throughout and you shal find that no Babilonian circumcision could be admitted into the house of the Lord. And let all behold in the booke of the Revelation what the estate and condition off Babilon is and of al them that are in hir and how the voice off the Lord is come out of hir my people and if any shal worship the Beast his image receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand or receiveth the print of his name he shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of God Therefore there may nothinge bee reteyned that is brought from Babilon no marke nor print off name And will you bring the Print seale and name of your Christianitie from thence what vaile of darknes overspreads your harts herein you are deceived through the vaine ymaginations of your owne harts supposing that although you come out of Babilon yet you were not Babilonians but if you hold the assemblies of England Babilon as you declare you doe then except you can shew your genealogie that you with your vessel of baptisme which is your baptizing were brought from Ierusalem and out of the house of the Lord iff you cannot prove this which were duble follie to go about â—hen must you be conâ—ent to knowe your selves that you were Babilonians aÌ„d yet are in that your seale of Christianity is the seale of Babilon and so are you but Babilonian Christians and servants of the Beast bearing the beasts marke title and name in your foreheads And whereas you and all the rest of the false Prophets of your professioÌ„ do in flatterie aÌ„d dissimulation not knowing the misterie of Godlines affirme and acknowledg of the assemblies in England that there are thousands amoÌ„g them that truelie feare God alluding to the seaven thousand in Israell you make them beleeve thereby that they stand in the estate of grace and salvation so do you prophesie peace and salvaâ—ion where the lord prophesieth destruction for the Lord prophesieth that al that come not furth of Babilon shal be partakers of hir plagues and that whosoever yeilds anie obedience or braces anie marke of the Beast shal bee tormented with fire brimstone Reve. 14. but you prophesie that there are thousands in England which you acknowledg to be BabiloÌ„ who receives not the beasts marke and that are careful to keepe the comaundements off God and faith of Iesus and that truelie feare God if such bee not in the estate of salvation then no flesh is or can bee but this cannot be the estate of anie one in Babilon which if you vnderstood the misterie off Godlines you might easilie see for the bondage of Babilon is spiritual bondage and all that are in Babilon are in spiritual bondage aÌ„d none that are in spiritual bondage can bee in the estate of grace and salvation For all that are in the estate of grace and salvation must stand faâ— in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free and may not bee intangled with the yock of bondage Gal. 5.1 And where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3.17 Add vnto this that which is formerlie shewed that al that come not furth of Babilon must perish with Babilon Deceive not your selves therefore and flatter not them off England for there is no one person either of them or you we speake off persons of vnderstanding that are in the estate of grace or salvation or shal ever bee saved if you come not furth of Babilon and cast away the marke of the Beast wherewith you are al marked Revel 19.20.21 Wee exhort you all therefore that by grace in Christ you worke out your salvations with feare and trembling or els you perish from the highest to the lowest The King off Kings the Lord of Lords hath said it that Babilon shal bee destroyed withall that are found in hir Ier. 51.6 Revel 18.4 Wee wil now conclude with you putting you in remembrance that seeing no distinction nor differeÌ„ce can be made betwixt a false Church and no Church but they are both one For a false Church are they that say and make shewe they are a true Church but are not as false Apostles are they that say and make shewe they are Apostles and are not 2. Cor. 11.13 and false Iewes are they that say and make shewe they are jewes aÌ„d are not Re. 2 This your distinction being vtterlie overthrowne so as you shal never bee able to open your your mouthes to maintaine it But the simplest soule amongst you shal bee able to discover your deceit Your whole false building is at once fallen to the ground for a false Church being no Church then England being by you all adiudged to bee a false Church is no Church so is your baptisme brought out of no Church aÌ„d your false Baptisme is no Baptisme and thus shal the simplest amongst you bee able to say to you is our baptipsme that wee had in England a false baptisme then is it no baptisme then are we not Baptized and to this you shal never bee able to answere them although you should set your selves to vercaie Gods truth and their soules so likewise if you tell them that England is a false Church they shal say vnto you then is it no Church and you shal not knowe which way to contradict theÌ„ in that the scriptures do teach that a false Church is no Church as a false God is no God a false Christ no Christ a false Appostle no Appostle so is a false Ordinance no Ordinance off Christ a false Baptisme no Baptisme off Christ Thus wee doubt not but through the grace of God wee shall see by the brightnes of Christs coming that your darke deceitful waies wil be discovered to the simplest and you shal bee ashamed to speake of a false baptisme and to say it is partlie the true baptisme of Christ and partlie the baptisme of the Devil and so ioine Christ and Beelzebub together and make them partners in one baptisme Wee hope the feare off God wil teach you better wisedome â—hen thus still to blaspheme for the supporting of your kingdome off darknes And if you were not a stifnecked people aÌ„d of vncircuÌ„cised harts and races you would not thus long with contempt and violence have resisted the truth of God as you have done and do persecuting it with bitter envyings and raylings for the which the Lord may iustlie give you vp to hardnes of hart but the Lord in great mercie shew mercie vpon you al that do it ignoratlie we haveing from the word of the
Lord shewed you with all the evidence of truth that wee are for the present able to do that your distinction betwixt a false Church and no Church is vaine and fained aÌ„d that the word of God admits of no such distinction in the Lords Ordinances but that which is a false Ordinance is no Ordinance off God for God hath no false Ordinances You must therefore now be forced to hold and say off the assemblies off England that they are either true Churches of Christ or no Churches of Christ and if you hold them no Churches of Christ then can you not with anie manner of shew of truth say that you may retaine your baptisme which you have received in no church of Christ but in a church or congregation of infidels and vnbeleevers which you must needs account them if they be no Church of Christ for now al people in the world are either of the world or chosen out of the world and those are Christs disciples Ioh. 15.19 And al people are either with Christ or against Christ He that is not with me is against me saith Chr. Mat. 12-30 It is now high time to leave of halting betweene opinions and â—aâ—â—ering one another in our sinnes It is time now to leave of talking of Seperation and to seperate indeed and to tel the people of God their sinnes and shewe them their transgressions and not to account them Christians that by the hearing of the word doe become almost Christians as King Agrippa did but to shew theÌ„ that if they do not become altogether Christians they must bee content to be accounted infidels as Agrippa was for al the world are either beleevers or infidels If there be anie knowledg of God in men they wil graÌ„t thus and who will not grant that all that beleeve in Christ Iesus are holy and Elect and shal be saved if they continew to the end Concerning England therefore you must either make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree evil and the fruit evil If the faith off the Church of England be a true faith then is the Church of England a true Church and if the faith bee a false faith then it is a false Church that is no faith of Christ and no Church of Christ and if their faith be no faith of Christ theÌ„ are they al infidels and vnbeleevers of whome although you have so accounted by your walking towards theÌ„ yet by your words you declare them to bee otherwise wheÌ„ you are vrged to speake plainelie though in your writings you shew them to bee infidels when you affirme that God never made Covenant with them But you have too long walked deceitfullie in this point therefore wee presse you to it if you professe vprightnes either to God or men to manifest in all plainenes whether you hold the assemblies off England beleevers in Christ Let vs have no respects no duble respects nor no putting off difference off persons for all the Church off England are one body seeing they all drink of one Cup 1. Cor. 12 And if you hold them beleevers in Christ and truelie baptized into his name then are they your brethren aÌ„d you may not account them as enimies but admonish them as brethren 2. Thess 3.14.15 Then is your seperation most wicked and your building of new Churches contrarie to all rule of Scripture and you have falslie appiâ—ed the voice of the Angel Crieing against England Babilon is fallen she is fallen Come out of hir If they bee beleevers in Christ Iesus the voice of this Angel can not bee applied vnto them you must walke towards them by an other rule even by that rule which Christ hath appointed that all should walke by towards their brethren iff they sinne Mat. 18. and not seperate from them and build Churches vpon new foundations If in this our writing concerning you called Brownists wee bee iudged to convince sharplie wee hold it lawfullie done because you are a froward generation and great deceivers of mynds makeing a glorious vaine shaw to come out of Babilon but do not and notwithstanding that we have written in some thinges sharplie we could desire to be feâ—ed from froward suspects which you might free vs from the rather because there are divers off you both neare and deare vnto vs whome we require in love as wee do all to applie the sharpest reproofes to themselves for they had need And touching you Mr. Ro. remember that you have a letter of most loveing respect in your hands concerning these thinges to which you have not made answere whereby to prevent the publishing of this that especiallie concerne you Now as we have said vnto you called Brownists in this point so say wee to England and to the Presbitary If the Pope and they off that profession bee beleevers in Christ Iesus and bee truelie baptized into his name then have you of England and all the Nations off the Earth sinned greatlie to seperate from Rome in that you were al off one bodie and members one of another and being beleevers in Christ Iesus they are your brethren and you ought to walke towards them as brethren and ought not to seperate from Rome as you have done and do and build new Churches everie one vpon several foundations Iff you of England and the Presbitary and you called Brownists did make anie conscience to walke by the rules of Christ herein you would not walke towards Rome as you doe Iff you hold them beleevers in Christ Iesus and truelie baptized into his name which if they bee then are al the scriptures that are applied against Rome to prove hir Babilon and that Great whore that sits vpon manie waters and vpon the scarlet cullored Beast and Antichrist al these scriptures are misapplied to Rome these cannot bee applied to anie Persons or People that are beleevers in Christ Iesus and have put on Christ by baptisme And there is no voice of the Lord that cals to come out from beleevers in Christ Iesus the scriptures teach no such thinge Therefore Brownists must returne to the Church of England and the Church of England and the Presbitary must returne to Rome and bee al Sheepe of one sheepfold and repent of your vniust seperation from the bodie whereoff you were and are all members wee say are all members because by one spirit you are all Baptized into one bodie and though you say you are not off the bodie with the Church of Rome are you therefore not of the bodie 1. Cor. 12.13.15 You have and do al by one baptisme put on Christ aÌ„d you al have brought that your baptisme from Rome and so are you all Christians and beleevers by succession from Rome and you al account Rome beleevers in Christ Therefore though you say you are not off one bodie with Rome yet you are all members of one bodie with Rome Furthermore if Rome bee beleevers in Christ Iesus then are these Prophesies of scripture no where to
this the Covenant of the new Testament is a Covenant of life and salvation onely to all that beleeve and are baptized Mark 16.16 The seale off the CovenaÌ„t must needs be aunswereable to that holy Covenant a seale of life and salvation onelie to them that beleeve and are Baptized Ephes 1.13.14 Revel 2.17 and 28. Thappostle here to the Ephes doth shewe that after they beleeved they were sealed with the holie Spirit of promisse Let all then confesse with whome there is anie vprightnes that infants who cannot beleeve for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 cannot bee sealed with the seale of this Covenant it is not in the power of parents to set this seale vpon their infants as it was in their power to set the signe of Circumcision vpon their Flesh Therefore is it not required of them by the Lord and it is altogether impietie and wickednes and a prophaning of the holie ordinance of God to take in hand to administer it vpon infants and the Lord will revenge himselfe for such wickednes if it bee not repented of But against this ground of truth that the Covenant of life and salvation is made onelie with them that beleeve and are Baptized it is obiected that the Covenant is made with them and their seed and though manie writers write thus and most men affirme it yet Mr. Robinson being next hand wee will produce his warrant for this ground being as good as anie others and he as vnadvisedlie overseene in the setting it downe Thus speakes he in his Booke Pag. 282. The Scriptures everie where teach that parents by their faith bring their Children into the Covenant off the Church intitle them to the promisses litle doth Mr. Rob thinke how suddenlie in his accustomed haist he hath brought in a meritorious faith it were to bâ— wished that he and al meÌ„ did see and feele that their faith is little enough to bring themselves vnder the Covenant of God if it were not for the gracious and most mercifull acceptance off God in Christ But God hath not promissed anie where to accept to salvation of the parents faith for their Children nor to condemne them for their parents infidelity this is but one among manie of Mr. Ro. doctrines of Devils which he hath heaped vp in his tedious booke his proofe for his doctrine is Gen. 17. And wee prove his doctrine most false by Gen. 17. where AbrahaÌ„ his faith and earnest praier to God could not bring Ismael his Child of 13. yere old vnder that Covenant vers 18-21 Thus is Mr. Ro. altogether overseene in the scripture that he himself allegeth Add moreover to this Gen. 25.23 Where Izhaks faith could not bring Esau vnder the Covenant Thus may all see that Mr. Ro. doth but quote scripture for his proofe and not shewe how it proves his ground The next proofe for this ground is Act. 2.39 Where Thappostle speaking to and of al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils saith the promisse is made to you and to your Children even as manie as the Lord our God shall call How Mr. Ro. will apply this to his purpose we knowe not but wee confesse that this promisse They that beleeve and are Baptized shal bee saved is made to al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils and their Children to this day but this doth no way prove that the faith of the parents in titles children to the promisses nor that the promisse of salvation is made to the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils or to their Children except they and their children amend their lives and be baptized And whereas Mr. Rob. as it should seeme vnderstands children in this place to bee infants wee wil first leave that to him to prove that thappostle speakes heare concerning infants and then wee will require of him how he proves that the inheritance off the Kingdome of heaven goes by succession of generation as the land of Canaan did For the second part of his vniust and vngodly affirmation that God takes occasion by the sinnes off the parents to execute his iustice to condemnatioÌ„ vpon the children herein Mr. Ro. dubles his sinne in that as he hath before made the parents faith the cause of blessing to salvation which he saith is every where to be found in the scriptures but shewes no where so now he affirmes that parents infidelity is the cause of Gods iudgment to condemnation vpon their children Mr. Ro. propounds his doctrine and rule for a general rule and doctrine To prove him a falfe Prophet in this also wee refer the Godly reader to the 1. King 14. where it is shewed that Abyah the sonne off most wicked Ieroboam being but yong was not cursed for his Fathers sinnes and Iosiah being but eight yere old when his Father died the Lord blessed him aboundantly in his infancy notwithstanding al the grevious transgressions of his Father Ammon 2. Chro. 33. and 34. Chap. Neither did the Lord punish the people of Israels children for that their great transgression Num. 14 27-39 when they murmured because of the spies by which sinne although they so provoked the Lord to wrath as he caused al their carcasies to fal to bee waisted and consumed in the wildernes not suffering anie one of them to go into the Land of Canaan save Ioshua and Caleb yet eveÌ„ then in his anger he declared his mercie to al their Children promissing to bring them into the Land Now wee confesse with Mr. Ro. that wee are al by nature the Children of wrath conceived and borne in sinne but wee disire to knowe of Mr. Ro. whether he hold not that al Children are alike the Children of wrath and alike begotten in sinne or that some parents confer grace by generation more then others and if they do not as wee assure our selves you wil confesse but that all Infants are alike in themselves the Children off wrath then let vs see not after a sort but directly by what evideÌ„ce of scripture it can be proved their sinnes being al alike in themselves that God should execute his justice to condemnation vpon some children for the sinnes of their paâ—ents and shew mercie to salvation vpon others for the faith of their parents seeing the iust God hath said that every one shal receive salvation or condemnation according to that which hee hath done in the flesh and not acording to that which his parents hath done And let al se Mr. Ro. great iniquity in this his affirmatioÌ„ in that he blaÌ„sphemously chargeth the most holy and iust God to punish infaÌ„ts to condemnation for the actual sinnes of their pareÌ„ts when they themselves have not sinned after the same manner of transgression Rom. 5.14 and we pray M. R and al men to consider the words of the lord Exo. 20. who saith he wil visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the childreÌ„ of theÌ„ that hate him which hatred is shewed by the breach of his comaundemeÌ„ts but do infaÌ„ts hate