in hand let it bee truely observed whether those that are off the Romish profession servants of the first beast coming in question before this Hyrarchy have not found much more favour then those that have stood most for reformation and hath there not beene gnashing of teeth and gnawing off tongues with al extreame perversnes and contempt against the one when there hath bene good myld and eeven carriage towards the other Which good carriage towards them wee disaprove not nor envye not but could wish that the holesome word of doctrine withall the cords off love were applied and vsed vnto them for their information and drawing them from their blind errors But wee mention it to this end to shew what vprightnes there can bee to God or the King in this For first it is not possible but this whole Hyrarchy wil confesse that those which seeke reformation have much more light of truth and gifts of knowledg for the building vp of a people vnto God then the other and that the first and they are al of one iudgment concerning the doctrines off the Scriptures in the foundamental points of Religion as they speake and yet there is no comparison betwixt their pacient enduring them of the Romish professioÌ„ aÌ„d there impacieÌ„t not enduring of the other is this vprightnes to God Secondly touching the King and State the ChildreÌ„ in the streets knowe the treachery and infidelitie that hath beene found in divers of the one profession aÌ„d they themselves knowe the ever vntouched fidelitie of the other what vprightnes is this to the King and State the evident reason of this may appeare vnto the wise and may not this appeare to beâ— it That the Romish profession is but cheifly an enemy to the Kingdome of Christ and but dangerous in some of them to the Kingdome of the King approving of ArchBishops and Lord Bishops and could wiâ—h they were Cardinals But those of al sorts that seeke reformation are most cheifest enimies to the Kingdome off ArchBishops and LordBishops and would have them humble and faithfull Pastors to feed the fâ—oth and therefore in no wise are to bee suffered how true soever they bee to God and their King And doth not all this shewe the affinitie and nearnes betwixt the first and second Beast But least anie should stumble at this part of the prophesie Revel 13. vers 12. Where it is spoken that the second Beast causeth the Earth and them that dwel therein to worship the first Beast and therefore the Romish Beast being the first this Hyâ—archy cannot bee the second in that it doâ—h not cause men to worship the Pope off Rome Wee pray it may be observed how that it is shewed 2. Thess 2.7.9.10 That the mistery of iniquitie is a working power of sathan which working power according to the degrees there of is set furth vnto vs in the booke of the Revel after divers maners aÌ„d discribed vnto vs in divers shapes or similitudes aÌ„d named vnto vs after divers names and in the hight off the exaltation thereof this power is set furth aÌ„d discribed vnto vs vnder the two names and similitudes of the first and second Beast both which exercising one power though in divers likenesses do bring al both smale aÌ„d great vnder the subiection of that one power both their harts being set to do mischief talking of deceipt at one table Dan. 11.27 And so doth the second beast cause al to worship the first in that it is al one power building vp one kingdome And the Popes person is not the mistery of iniquitie for then when the Pope were dead the mistery off iniquitie and the Beast were dead vntil another Pope were set vp and iff the Popes person were the man off sinne then the Lord by the spirit off his moueth should abolish and consume the Popes person but there is no such prophesie of scripture And then should the prophesies of the fal off Babylon bee vnderstood off the overthrowe and consumeing of the earthen or stone wals and timber houses off a Citie But this were too carnal an vnderstanding to conceive that the spirit off Gods mouth which shal consume the man off sinne spoken off 2. Thes 2. and shal shake in sunder the Citie which spiritually is called Sodom Egypt It were to carnal to vnderstaÌ„d this to be of earthly houses and Cities aÌ„d fleshly persons they are not the matter aÌ„d substance that shal be abolished by the brigtnes of this his comeing here spokeÌ„ off as we doubt not but wil easily appeare to the wise though some have bene and are much mistaken herein And that we may come to the true vnderstanding of this part of the prophesie Chap. 13. vers 13. And he did great wonders speaking of the second Beast so that he made fire come downe from heaven in the sight off men And to see how it is fulfilled in the second Beast wee must remember as we have formerly said that this is a spiritual prophesie of a spirituall mistery of iniquitie which none may deny and then doth it appeare that these wonders wrought by makeing fire come downe froÌ„ heaven are lying spiritual wonders and the fire is a false spiritual fire The which even as the true spiritual fire which is the holy Ghost doth truly worke woÌ„derful powerfully vpoÌ„ the harts and affections of them that beleeve the truth even so this false fire which is the spirit and power off Sathan doth worke effectually vpon the harts and affections off those that receive not the love off the truth and that after a wonderful manner off deceivablenes off vnrighteousnes so that men are strongly perswaded and beleeve that it is the true Fire from heaven even the spirit off God And this Fire hath the Hyrarchy off ArchBishops and Lord-Bishops made come downe from heaven especially in their former times when men had their word and power with their praier booke and al their Cathedral abhominatious in such admiration and with such zeale were affected vnto them and as yet some are to this day zealously perswaded off the holines and goodly order off these things al which in the Beast that hath two hornes like the Lambe made such a glorious shewe being compared to the former thinges as men were ravished in their spirits and thought and yet some fewe do thinke that their harts and affections were kindled with fire from heaveÌ„ By this false fire which is by an effectual working power in al deceivablenes of vnrighteousnes even hereby hath and doth the first and second Beast worke all their signes and lying wonders and whilst men through great ignorance have and do looke for some straing seights from heaven to knowe the two Beasts by their harts have bene are with the pleasures of vnrighteousnes stolne away This can all that are of anie vnderstanding who now remaine vnder the power of the second Beast easily discerne how by a wonderful fiery blind zeale all those that
the new Testament which he hath purchased sealed vnto vs with his blood to stand for a law of Election and Ordination for ever vnto which who soever addeth or taketh away either in word or action by Doctrine or example the Lord will add vnto them all his judgments and take away all his mercies Reuel 22.18.19 You being thus by the word of truth all declared and proved to be false Prophetts not haveing entred into the shepefold by the dore it must needs follow according to the words of the Lord that all the great signes and wonders that you shew in this your false ministery are lying signes and wonders Let it not be grevious vnto you to heare of these thinges whereby to provoake you to wrath but let it be grevious to you that you thus sinne and so be provoaked to indignation against your selves that you may come to repentance Here is all your Zeale of wonder and signes of so great fervency whereby you worke vpon the blind consciences and ignorant affections of the simple deceaved soules proved to be false and deceaveable all your fire wherewith you kindle the harts of men and seduce simple woemen makeing them beleeve you have brought it from heaven all this is but the false enlightning and heat of a false spirit even of that spirit which your spirituall Lord breathed vpon you when you kneeled on your knees before him and he laid his hands vpon you and most blasphemously even in the high dishonor of the spirit of grace bad you receive the holy ghost by and in the power of this spirit do you preach and pray and do all your great wonders and other spirit have you none for this is the spirit to which you have submitted and by this spirit onely are you sent and therefore are you all false Propheets and you have not the spirit of God abiding in you ye are gone out of the way ye have caused manie to fall ye have broken the Covenant of levi in that you are admitted to the Order of Priesthood by the Man of sinne who is an adversary against God to whose blasphemous consecrating of Preists directly contrary and opposite to the holy established ordinance of Iesus Christ in the Gospell â— the spirit of God can give no approbation 〈◊〉 neither admitt of such to be the Prophetts of God that have not entred by Christ the true doore and way but have entred by him that sitts as God in the Temple of God but adiudgeth you all to be false Prophetts Leave of therefore your great daies of humiliation by fasting and praier wherein sometymes you make the people to Cover the Alter with teares and whereby some of you have taken vpon you to cast out manie Devills goeing on to the hight in shewing signes and lying wonders to deceave if it were possible the very Elect according to the prophesie of Christ which is thus fulfilled in you Kindle fire vpon the alter of the Lord no more in vaine the Lord hath no pleasure in you neither will accept an Offering at your hand but will curse you as deceavers who vow a holy Offering but bring a Corrupt Sacrifice vnto the Lord Mala. 1.14 and all this you do and shall do so long as you serve in your Office and Ministery received by the power and authority of the Man of sinne contrary to the holy Ordinance of Election and ordination appointed by Christ in the new Testament And now al these thinges we dare not but thinke you have done and do through ignorance Amend your lives therefore and turne that these your great and grevious sinnes may be put away when the time off refreshing shal come from the presence of the Lord. And take heed both you and al the people that do with such admiration runne after you as wee our selves have done wee speake it to our owne shame take heed least that now your ignoraÌ„t zeale and fiery spirits of error wherewith you have enflamed the harts off the simple being discovered take heed least you boyle in great heat gnawe your tongues for sorrow blaspheme the God of heaven for your paines for your sores repent not of your works as is prophesied men shal do Revel 16 9-11 From which hiest measure off sinne the Lord for his Christs sake deliver you and through Gods grace wee wil hope better thinges off you which the Lord grant we may find in you for the Lord knowes our vnfained harts disire is that you might al be saved And we exhort the people off God no longer to harken to the voice off straingers but that they flee from them according to the Counsel of our Saviour Iesus Christ Ioh. 10.5 And let the people see with their owne eies how you have al shewed your selves to bee hirelings which are not the Shepherds neither the sheepe are your owne in that seing the wolfe coming you have fledd and left the sheepe nay manie of you even of those that are accounted most faithful and holy have and do go your selves and lead Your flocks to heare the voice of strangers that are set vp and stand vp in that Office and publique place which you challeng for your owne and are glad your selves to preach in corners Others of you make a secret composition with the Hyrarchy which you professe to abhor and then heir some wretched maÌ„ vnder you to surplice aÌ„d crosse and sinne for you Oh how hateful and abhominable are the works off darknes of this kind which are done off you in the light and al this vnder a great seeming shew off holines but is meere hypocrisie aÌ„d dissimuâ—ation because you are hirelings and not good shepeherds who would lay downe their lives for their sheepe rather then lead them into the hand of the destroyer and if you deny them to bee theeves and robbers that come into your places aÌ„d are made pastors over your flocks against your wils and against the mynd off the flock then must you needs acknowledg them true shepeherds over the flock and that they have come in by the doore aÌ„d acknowledg your selves iustly thrust out seeing you in your iudgments hold but one Pastor over a flock Wee wil not follow you in these perticulers except further occation be offered But remember how you compare your fellow Preists to Circumcellions or Fryers goeing vp and downe with the bishops bulls like beggers to see where they can get entertainment and see not al this while your selves yea some of your cheife spirits for working lying wonders stand in the market place to be hired from the East to the west aÌ„d to be transported froÌ„ North to South wheresoever you can get a good Towne pulpit or a privileged Chappel a great Chamber or dyning parlor to administer in how prophane soever the Towne or houshold be you wil not let to make theÌ„ all partakers of the holy thinges at first before you knowe your shepe or your shepe knowe you contrary to
they have al together forgotten to keepe it Oh that our lord the King would but take his sword out of these lord Bs. hāds to whose Officie it doth in no sort apperteyne if they were Christs Bishops and that the K. would let them onely vse that sword which is sharper then anie two edged sword which onely belongs to Christs Bishops in their Office let the King turne them out and let them if there be anie māner of vprightnes in them come furth with that sword and armor onely which the holy ghost hath appointed them if they be Christ disciples Ephes 6.11.17 And wee wil come to them through Gods grace in the spirit of love and meeknes but when they smite vs with the Ks. sword of justice maynteine their aucthority onely by that power and yet wil be spirituall lords how can wee with faithfullnes to the cause of God but shoot them thorow with the arrowes of the Almighty filling them the double Revel 18.6 Discover by the word of truth the height of their iniquity for if it may please our lord the K. to consider there is no other way to try and discover them whether they be spirituall or no but to apply the word of God vnto them examine compare them by it as the Church of Ephesus did them which said they were Apostles but were not found thē lyars Reuel 2.2 if this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. will not nor may not be tryed by the word of God but will still cause by all the meanes they can as many as will not worship it should be killed so that none may speake or write against it but they shal be by death by imprisoment or by banishmēt destroyed thē our lord the K. cā iudg that knowes the practice of the first Beast in all these things that where the first Beast hath full power none may write nor speake nor looke amisse but they dye the King can iudg whether this Hyrarchy of Arch B. and Lord B. be not the second Beast who hath thus caused to be made the jmage of the first Beast And if the Kings people may not thus say and write and by the word of God prove this Hyrarchy so to be but must without gainsaying beleeve the scriptures worship God as they comaund then are they Lords over our faith and the people of God have no power from God to vnderstand the scriptures but all power is given to them and then must wee beleeue they cannot err And wee beseech our lord the King that is a man of wisedome to give righteous iudgment herein whether the Lord Bs. do not challenge onely to themselves all power to vnderstand the scriptures and not to eer when they will by force and violence of imprisoment banishment or death Compell the Kings people to yeild obedience to their vnderstanding onely for if the Kings people must not beleeve that they onely have the power of the spirit and cannot eer how comes it that the Kings people must be compelled onely to obey them in all their vnderstandings and practices Except the Kings people must obey them though they do err And if our lord the King will not altogether turne his eare from the deepe complaints of his servants then let the King heare his servants in this point which is so hatefull to the King and is of all estates that have anie vnderstanding in the mistery of godlines so much detested yea the Lord B. themselves do in words professe great detestation thereof and that is that presumptious sin of blasphemy of that Romish Beast who holds he cannot err and therefore thinkes that he may change times and lawes as is prophesied of him Dan. 7.25 and this he doth as our lord the King well knowes appointing or comaunding lawes days and times forceing obedience and saying he cannot err so that what soever he doth it must be obeyed as holy and good Oh that our lord the King all his people would see that the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. do no lesse although in word they deny it yet in deeds they practice and hold the same thinge that they cannot err And this can never be denyed neither shall they ever be able to open their mouth to deny it if they might but be brought ta answere for shall they ever be able to anniswere it that they should expound the scriptures make spirituall lawes Canons and decrees comaund absolute obedience and in divers of their Canons decreeing excommunication ipso facto but that they shal be forced to shew by their deeds that they cannot err men must obey them vpon that ground because they cannot err or els vpon this ground that they must be obeyed although they do err for they must be obeyed vpon which last ground thausends do obey them But wee beseech our lord the King that it may be lawfull without offence vnto the King to try the Hyrarchy vpon the first ground which is that as the Hyrarchy of Rome say in words they cannot err that so in their deeds this Hyrarchy do absolutely professe they cannot err Wee with our best ability make it plaine to our lord the King and to every eie and eare thus The Hyrarchie of Rome expounds the scriptures makes lawes Canons and decrees and binds all mens consciences to obey forceing them therevnto by excommunication imprisoment banishment death none may examine the power aucthority or warrant thereof by the scriptures but all must be received for holy and good because the Hyrarchy of Rome say in words they cānot err And wee beseech our lord the K. to see that the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. do all the same thinges they expound the scriptures make lawes Canons decrees bindes all mens consciences to the obedience thereof forceing the Ks. true obedient subiects therevnto by excomunicatiō imprisoment banishment the K. in mercy justice restraning them of blood none may examine the power aucthority of anie of their decrees by the scriptures but all must be received for holy good Doth not the K. in the wisedome of his hart see may not all the K. people see that this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and lord Bs. in all their deeds do shewe they challeng to have the same power not to err which the Hyrarchy of Rome do say in words they have thus do they absolutely in deeds professe they cannot err which the Hyrarchy of Rome professe in words and herein the Hy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. are the more deceipt full deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes And now wee beseech the Creator of harts to give our lord the King a new hart to consider of all the exalted abomination of desolation executed practiced by this Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. and let our lord the K. know that it concernes the King highly on to consider of it in that it is set vp and supported and all the
hath so long bewitched you who lies in wait for you knowing that you cannot stand vpon these grounds but you must bee forced either to cast away your baptisme or els returne from whence you had it except you wil bee the most wilful blind people vpon the whole Earth that have anie knowledg off Christ of the which you give iust cause off iealousie Therefore in Gods feare take heed and perish not in your stifnecked perversnes To shew yet further that you are false Prophets and prophesie lies wee produce out of your Booke subscribed with general subscription your Apology Pag. 110. Where you gainsay Mr. Bilson for saying you affirme by consequence their Sacraments no Sacraments Church no Church To cleare your selves of this imputation you teach that wee must bee careful in al such causes alwaies to discerne and distinguish betwene a true Church a false Church and no church Betwene true Sacraments false Sacraments and no Sacraments Your proofe and example is Iudah a true Church The Ten Tribes of Israel a false Church The Philistimes and others the like no Church and so at this day the Turks and Pagans may be reputed no Churches The Romish Synagogue and al hir daughters false Churches The Christians which bee set in the true faith and order true Churches Thus you say the difference may bee put but you are al false Prophetts herein and teach lies these are but the devices of your owne harts these are your schoole distinctions where by you pervert the holie word of truth and we exhort all the people of God to take heed of you when you distinguish and when you bring your matters about with in a respect and in a duble respect not but that we hold it lawful to vse distinctions and to shew respects but because you vsually deceive thereby there is no truth off God so evident but with your distinctions and respects and twofold respects you wil pervert it and when you are not able with evidence off truth to mainteyne your false waies then your distinctions and respects must make it good whereby you insnare the simple and compasse them about as with a thick mist wherein they cannot see which way to go but are faine through hardnes of hart and infidelitie which are the causes of their ignorance and blindnes to give their harts to you to be led and you like deceiptful blind guides lead them into the pit as in this pecticuler in hand wherein if you bee overthrowne and discovered your whole cause is thus far destroyed as you are al yet once againe proved infidels and vnbeleevers And wee doubt not but by the gracious aid and helpe of our God we shal bee able by his word to convince you al herein without whose great helpe and aid wee in humilitie confesse we are not able to withstand such stronge and wise adversaries of his truth as you are who do exercise your selves to deceive our owne experiences and knowledg of you causeth vs thus to speake wee hope you do it ignorantlie or els there were no hope of your repentance and salvation To the point in hand wee say and prove by the word off God that you can in no ordinance of God distinguish or put difference by the warrant of Gods word betwixt false and none and your vaine distinction will hold onelie in worldlie things and you are carnall herein and sold vnder sinne blame vs not though wee reprove you sharplie for this because you have deceived your selves and the whole World hereby so far as your voices have sounded and you have and do daylie destroy the faith of manie Wee proceed to prove that you cannot by Gods word distinguish nor put difference betwixt false and nons in Gods ordinances and this the eternall word of truth doth shew Revel 2.2 Where the holie ghost speaking of false Appostles comends the Church off Ephesus for examining them which said they were Apostles but were none and were found lyars And vers 9. I knowe the blasphemy of them which say they are Iewes but are none but are the Synagogue off Sathan And Revel 3.9 The same words are vttered by the holie Ghost Thus doth the spirit of God teach vs that a false Church is no Church but a Synagogue of Sathan and false Appostles are no Appostles so then are false Sacraments no Sacraments and so false and none in Gods ordinaÌ„ces are al one and you cannot distinguish nor put difference betwixt them And for further manifestation of the truth hereof let vs referr the thinges that are of God to God and so shall it appeare to all but those that will not see that there is no difference nor distinction to bee made in Gods ordinances betwixt false and none as thus A true Church of Christ a false Church and no Church of Christ if now a false Church bee not no Church of Christ then it is a false Church of Christ so is there two sorts or kinds of Churches off Christ and so should Christ have two bodies a true bodie and a false bodie what blasphemie is this when thapostle saith there is but one bodie so likewise iff you say there is a true faith of Christ a false faith and no faith of Christ if a false faith and no faith bee not all one then there are two faiths of Christs a true faith and a false faith of Christ but Thapostle saith There is but one faith In like manner if you wil say as you doe that there is a true baptisme a false baptisme and no baptisme if a false baptisme and no Baptisme bee not al one then is there two baptismes but Thappostle saith there is but one baptisme and of all these there is but one as there is but one God and Father off al which is above all and rhrough all Ephes 4.4.5.6 Who if he were in you all you would submitt to this his truth and never open your mouthes more against it Cast away these your logical distinctions which are fit to distinguish betwixt a false houreglasse and no houre glasse and a false looking glasse and no looking glasse and not fitt to distinguish betwixt a false Baptisme and no Baptisme a false Church and no Church betwixt which the holie ghost admits of no distinction nor difference Wee conclude therefore with the word of truth against al these your deceitful distinctions and lying prophesies that a false Church is no Church of Christ at all for Christ haâ—h no false Church Therefore you holding EnglaÌ„d a false Church it is no Church of Christ and so your false Baptisme is no Baptiâ—me off Christ and so are you all infidels vnbelevers and false Christians that is no Christians and you are they that say you are Iewes and are not but are the Synagogues off Sathan And lett this suffice for the overthrowe of your most false and deceitfull distinction And whereas you bring for your proofe of a true Church a false Church and no Church
is this to take vpon you to dispence with the false administrations in the ordinances of Christ thus do you runne into darke places whilst you forsake the lanterne that should light your pathes which light of truth teacheth you and all men that the baptisme of Christ is the Baptisme of amendement of life for the remission off sinnes Mark 1.4 And our Saviour Christ saith Except a man bee borne off water and off the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3. and Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare with a true hart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Here is the true Baptisme set downe which is the Baptisme off amendement off life for the remission off sinnes And here is the true matter where with men must bee washed which is water and the Holie Ghost that is pure from an evill conscience and washed with water Therefore can you not devide the water and the spirit in this Baptisme Christ hath ioyned them together and he that denies washing or is not washed with the spirit is not baptized and hee that denies washing or is not washed with water is not Baptized because wee see the Baptisme of Christ is to bee washed with water and the Holie Ghost And to take away a subtile exception if a man bee in prison or anie place and bee coÌ„verted to the lord aÌ„d would be baptized with water but cannot he is accepted with God who accepts the will for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and herein is the Lords mercie equal with his iustice for if a mans hart consent to evil he is giâ—â—ie before the Lord although he do it not Mat. 5.27.28 Thus much to discover the great deceitfullnes off your waie in the first respect of your false distinction wherein you would prove onelie the essential matter water and washing with water and words he essential forme Wee passe by your forme of words because wee thinke you wil not stand vpon it in that you see there is no certen forme of words held Act. 10 48. and 19.5 And take this with you to consider of that if there were anie truth in your distinction and respect then were anie washing with water with those words the true matter and forme of Christs Baptisme and so if one Child baptized another with water and those words it is true baptisme in that respect and let that Child come aÌ„d ioyne to you ad you can make it good in al respects Passe not these things over as you have done for you are not able to answere them with anie true vnderstanding from Gods word and so wee come to your second respect Secondly you say baptisme is to be considered clothed with such appurtenances as wherewith the Lord hath appointed it to bee administred as for example a lawful person by whome a right subiect vpon which a true Comunion wherein it is to bee administred dispenced in which regard you say you do not approve it to bee true Baptisme either in Rome or England If darkest error did not possesse your hart you could never have written such thinges but that wee knowe your stifnes in your false waies wee should pittie to point out your palpable ignorance in these thinges did ever man of anie vnderstanding in religion write thus You are lighter then vanitie herein Will anie man that hath anie knowledg of God bee so blind as not to see how the spirit of error doth lead you to iustifie that a baptisme where there is neither the spirit off God lawful minister right subiect nor true comunioÌ„ is the true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in the essential parts thereof Hath the like ignorance appeared in these daies esspecially amongst men that will â—rie out for proofe by Scripture in all things If this your ground were true then a Turk baptizing a Turk with water and those words in anie assemblie whatsoever is the true Baptisme of Christ in the essential parts thereof see what rocks you runne vpon whilst you forsake the waie of truth it may now appeare no marvil though you would have baptisme to bee nakedlie considered you have made a most naked baptisme and ordinance of Christ of it First where there is no spirit of God no lawful minister no right partie to bee baptized no true comunion it may wil be called a naked baptisme and you a naked man of al grace and godlie vnderstanding to maintaine it for a true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in anie respect If al this wil not serve to convince you wee will yet smite you with the rod of froÌ„ aÌ„d breake you like the potters vessel in this point You professe and acknowledg that Baptisme comes in the fâ—ead off Circumcision then let all men iudg whether if Circumcision being administred by an vnlawfull person vpon no right subiect and in no true Comunion could ever have beene approved for the true ordinance of God in the essential causes thereoff and whether one so Circumcised could vpon anie conditioÌ„s have bene admitted to the passover you wil we hope be destitute of al devices to aÌ„swere this al those that are anie waie indifferent betwixt you and vs wil see your great error herein that iff a Babilonian had circumcised a Babilonian in their babilonish assemblies that Circumcision had not bene in anie respect the Ordinance of God and such a one could vpon no condition have bene admitted to the passover by that Circumcision Now to shew that you hold England Babilon in your booke throughout it appeares but wee especiallie hold you to these Pag. 277. and 338. where you affirme that Rome and England were never within the covenant of God as Iudah was So have you debarred your selff from bringing your circumcision and so your baptisme from Apostate Israel and therefore you must hold your selfe to this to prove circumcision administred in BabiloÌ„ by an vnlawful person vpon a wronge subiect and in no true Comunion you must prove such a circumcision the Ordinance of God in anie respect aÌ„d that one so circumcised might bee admitted to the passover prove this and wee will confesse that your skill is above all mens herein and Ezra and Nehemiah shall bee reproved off you for causing the people to put away the Children that were borne off the straing Wives in Babilon Ezra 10.3 Nehem. 13.23.24.25 Off whome if you make question whether they were circumcised you cavell without cullor for then had the Israelites bene giltie of the breach of the Lords covenant whereby they were commaunded to circumcise all their males in their houshould But wee will leave you to prove your Babilonian Circumcision to bee in anie respect the Ordinance off God and prove it by Scripture and by sound reasoning from the ground off Scripture and not by Lodgick and Naturall Philosophie shewing things in nature to bee true which will not in Spirit bee proved true And thus do you deceive
diligentlie with your whole harts the law and statutes off the Lord that you may keepe them which lovâ— when you shal diligentlie aÌ„d faithfully search into through out you shal no where find it once mentioned that anie infants are to be Baptized and therefore it is but the meere vaine invention and tradition of men which who so followeth can never have favour nor acceptance with God because they make the Law off God of no authority Mark 7.13 In this great and waighty cause wee wil not through the grace of God burden you with manie grounds or arguments but lay downe before you some few things withall the plainnes and evidence of truth wherwith God shall make vs able And first wee pray al those whose harts God hath inclined to seeke his truth and who desire in vprightnes to walke in the light that they wil duelie consider what the CovenaÌ„t of the Gospel is and with whome it is made and thus hath the Lord set it downe This is the Covenant saith the Lord that I wil make with the house of Israel I wil put my law in their inward parts and write it in their â—aâ—ts and I wil bee their God and they shal bee my people Iere. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 And our Saviour Christ declares this more fullie Mark 16.16 Where he saith Go ye into al the World and preach the Gospel to everie Creature he that shal beleeve and be baptized shal bee saved Thus doth the Lord by his spirit in the preaching of the Gospel put and write his law in the harts of men according to the Parrable of the sower Mat 13.23 And they shal beleeve in him and bee Baptized Thus they shal be his people and he wil save them and so is he their God Here is the new Covenant set downe by the Holie ghost both on Gods behalf and on their behalf with whome it is made and here is it plainlie declared and expounded by Christ himself The Lord on his behalfe doth Covenant that he wil put and write his law in mens hâ—res by the power of his spirit in the preaching of the Gospel and he wil bee their God and save them and the Covenant on his peopls behalf which they are to keepe and performe is to beleeve the Gospel and bee Baptized Let al men now that have anie willingnes of hart to bee enformed by the word of God and whose harts are not wilfullie set to go on in their igno◠〈◊〉 â—old waies without trying their waies whether they bee of God or no let them wee say search examine and try by what shewe of truth it can possibly bee conceived that vnder or by this Covenant of the new Testament infants should be baptized where the Lord requires no such thinge in this Covenant of men to baptize their infants and if you wil but see and consider with wise and gracious harts how the Lord doth set downe the Covenant which he made with Abraham Gen. 17. You shal see with what evidence the Lord in mercie doth set it downe Thus saith the Lord to Abraham I wil establish my Covenant betweene thee and me thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting Covenant to bee God vnto thee and thy seed after the and I wil give to thee and to thy seed after thee all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I wil bee their God this is on the Lords behalf and saith the Lord This is the Covenant that thou and thy seed after thee shal kepe Let every man-child amonge you bee circumcised yee shal circumcise the foreskinne of your Flesh and every man-Child at eight days old aswel he that is borne in the house as he that is bought with monie this is the Covenant on Abrahams behalf and his seed Thus doth the lord declare in every perticuler his Covenant with his people aswel what he wil do for them as also what he requireth them to do in obedience to him aÌ„d here wee see God hath comaunded Abra aÌ„d his seed to circuÌ„cise al the males in their house And now this Covenant is disanulled and all the Ordinances thereof as is shewed Heb. 7.18 And the Lord saith he wil make a new Covenant with the house of Israel not like the old teaching vs that wee should not forme and frame it according to the old but that wee should receive it according to the new forme and frame wherein he delivers it vnder which Covenant the Lord doth not commaund or require of his people that they should Baptize all their houshold and infants both borne in their house and bought with monie according as vnder the old Covenant he commaunded that they should circumcise them How dare you then thus contend against the Lord and whereas he saith he wil make a new Covenant not according to the old you wil say and have it according to the old for you wil have it that according as infants were circumcised vnder the old Covenant so you will haue infants Baptized vnder the new is not this to set yourselves against the lord and to change his Covenant which he hath sealed with his blood and after your owne wils in what you thinke good to make it according to the old Covenant directly contrary to the Lords owne word aÌ„d saying and you have no way to mainteyne the baptizing of infants but by saying the new Covenant is according to the old and this is to say directly contrary to the saying of the Lord who is the Covenant maker and who saith in plaine words the new Covenant which I wil make with Israell shal not bee according to the old Here it is made evident to al that wil not resist the truth that your baptizing of infants is contrary to the new Covenant of the Lord. Thus do you to make your owne tradition good make the new Covenant like the old which the Lord saith is not like the old how can you possibly oppose the word of the lord more directly Furthermore the holy ghost by the Author vnto the Heb. Chap. 9. endeavoring by al evidence to prove that the new Covenant is not like the old sheweth that the old Testament or Covenant had a worldly Sanctuary and that the service of that Tabernacle onely stood in meates and drincks and divers washings and Carnall rites which purified the Flesh but purged not the Conscience and the holie Ghost sheweth there that the new Testament or Covenant hath not a worldlie Sanctuarie and that the service of that Tabernacle stands not in carnal rites which purge not the conscience but 〈◊〉 is a perfect Tabernacle the sacrifice where of doth purge the conscience from dead workes to serve the ljveing God Thus doth the scripture shew that the ordinances of the new are not according to the ordinances of the old and for this cause saith the holy ghost Christ is the Mediator of the new Testament that is because the new Testament or Covenant and Cabernacle
are vnder the power of the first Beast are misledd but they cannot discerne their owne estates which are one and the same vnder the second Beast who is more deceiveable because of his two hornes like the lambe and therefore men had need more carefully to looke vnto thēselves least they be still deceived except men wil rest in security and perish to destruction which all must do that obey the power either of the first or second Beast as is withal evident plainnes shewed Revel 14.9.10.11 where it is written If anie man worship the Beast and his jmage and receive his marke in his fore-head or in his hand and whosoever receiveth the print of his name he shall drinke saith the spirit of the lord of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred into the cup of his wrath and shal be tormented with fire brimstone they shall have no rest day no◠night What will prevaile with men if neither the fore warning prophesies nor threatning iudgments of the lord will move them to consider and flee the feirce vengance that is already come Doth our Saviour Christ tell that the abhomination of desolation shal be set vp in the holy places and doth Thappostle Paule shew that the man of sinne exalts himselfe and sitts as God in the Temple of God and doth the prophesie of the Revel so duely set downe and declare the manner of the workeing of the misterie of iniquitie according to the severall degree thereof vntil it come to that hight of exaltation before spoken of by Christ by Th-appostle in the similitude of the first and second Beast who beares the names of blasphemy in takeing vpon them the names and attributes of God as is before shewed causing all that dwell vpon the earth to worship the Beast and his image and so sitts as God in the high places and in the Temple of God which is in the harts of men 1. Cor. 3.16 and 2. Cor. 6.19 and do wee see all these things fulfilled before our eies and will not he that readeth consider And doth our Saviour Christ showe the greatest iudgments of the lord to be vpon men in those days in so much as no flesh shal be saved and except those days should be shortned no flesh should ever be saved doth th-Appostle Paul shew that because men will not receive the love of the truth the lord shall send them strange delusiōs that they should beleeve lies that all might be damned which beleeve not the truth but have pleasure in vnrighteousnes And doth the spirit of God in the Reuel by Iohn say that all who worship the Beast or beare the least marke of the Beast and his jmage shall drincke even of the meer wine of Gods wrath out of the cup of his wrath And wil not all this move the hardned harts of men to looke about and carefully to search out the prophecies of scripture concerning these things compare them with these times and seeke and find out how they are fulfilled which through the grace of God every faith fuil hart seeking shall now easily discerne seeing the first Angell Revell 16. hath powred out his viall so that noysome grevious sores do appeare vpon the men which have the marke of the Beast and vpon them that worship his image yea Glory and honor and praise be given to our God the fifth Angell hath also powred out his viall vpon the throne of the Beast and his Kingdome doth already wax darke who doth not see this that lookes but with anie seeing eie after religion Doth not now more then ever the noysome botches of manye grosse absurdities appeare in the bewitched vnderstanding of those men that beare the marke and worship the Beast and his jmage and is not the palpable darknes of blind ignorance openly discovered vpon the throne of the Beast And doth not the bewty of his image fade Is not the baptizing by midwives quit vanished And doth not Bishoping of yong and old much decay Doth not the duely reading of Iniunctions and homilies growe to forgetfulnes and are not prophane perambulations well layd aside and do not holy evens and days and ember wekes almost passe out of mynd and is not the booke it selfe become much out of vse Hath not whole conformitie received a blowe and will not anie halting subscription serve the turne Oh that the spirituall Lords of this spirituall Kingdome could see that the smoake of the burning there of is already deeply begun and doth highly ascend that they themselves might helpe to heape coales vpon the throne thereof and flee from the burning therewith Let them not fore cast to preserve it nor seeke to deliver it out of the hand of the Almighty they may more easily pull the pray out of the lyons mouth or dravve out leviathan vvith an hooke then prevent the mighty one that hath iudged these things Revel 18. vvho is clothed vvith a garment dip◠in blood and his name is called The. vvord of God And vvho hath vpon his garment and vpon his thigh a name written The King of Kinges and Lord of Lords Reuel 19.12.16 Thus have wee according as wee foretold of our selves set downe these thinges with great jnability but yet with all fidelity according to our consciences in the best measure of vnderstanding concerning the second Beast who hath caused to make the jmage of the first And wee disire the Godly wise that seeke salvation by the Lambe that they will compare the Beast which wee all agree to be the Romish Hyrarchy and his jmage which how can it be ymagined but the Hyrarchy of Arch. Bishops and lord B. must needs be compare them together in their spirituall Pomp spirituall names of blasphemy spirituall power and Cruelty and cast but a partly indifferent eie vpon their administrations in their Offices Officers Courts Canons and decrees and then let the word and spirit of God direct the to judg righteously of the Beast and his jmage to knowe them that thou mayst not submitt to the spirituall power of the Beast and his image neither receive his marke in thy forehead nor in thine hand or the least print of his name for if thou dost thy portion is to drinke of the Cup and vvine of Gods wrath and to be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angells and in the sight of the Lambe The word of the lord hath spoken it and his word is true and not lieing BVt shall wee now thinke wee have fully discharged our selves to God and men in speaking generally vnto all and shall wee not in humility perticulerly call vpon those servants of the lord of whome he hath especially prophesied that they shall hate the whore and make hir desolate and naked shall eate hir flesh and burne hir with fire this shal be done saith the lord by the Kings of the earth Reuel 17.16 of whome wee could be content not once to speake for feare of
vp as they pretend the spirituall Tabernacle Temple and Church of Christ which if the King shall suffer them to do he shall sinne against God in entring vpon the kingdome of Christ who onely is King of Israell Ioh. 12.15 whose power and sword are spirituall whose Tabernacle TeÌ„ple and house is holy made with out hands 2. Cor. 3.17.1 Pet. 2.5 Heb. 9.11 and therefore hath given spirituall gifts vnto men for the gathering together of the Saincts for the worke of the mistery and for the building vp of his body which is his Church and doth not will nor require to have people comaunded and compelled by an earthly sword or power as in the days of Hezekiah and Iosiah Kings of Israel for that was an earthly or carnall comaundement Heb. 7.16 and they had a worldly Tabernacle made with hands and worldly ordinances and Carnall rites Heb. 9.1.2.10 and therefore were the Ordinances or law comaunded to be kept by a worldly power and the Tabernacle to be built by hands but now wee have a Tabernacle which the lord pight and not man Heb. 8.2 and that carnall comaundement is changed Heb. 7.12 and wee have a comaundement after the power of endles life vers 16. vnto the obedience of which law no earthly Kings power can cause or bring anie one man to obey in anie one thing and the which Tabernacle not made with hands no earthly power which consists onely of the strength of hands can cause to be built in anie one part thereof but all this is to be done onely by the K. of Israels power who hath all power given him in heaven and in earth whose power is all sufficient to bring vnder obedience all his subiects where vnto no earthly power can be helpfull whose sword is his word which is lively and mighty in operation and sharper then anie two edged sword Heb. 4.12 and therefore needs not the helpe of anie Kings sword If his sword will not prevaile to bring men vnder obedience to his owne lawes what can our lord the Kings sword do it is spirituall obedience that the lord requires the K. sword caÌ„not smite the spirits of meÌ„ if our lord the K. shall force coÌ„pell meÌ„ to worship eate the lords supper against their coÌ„scieÌ„ces so shall he make his poore subiects to worship and eat vnworthily whereby he shall compell them to sinne against God and increase their owne judgments On let not our lord the K. suffer such evill to be done by his power little doth our lord the King know how many thousands of his people have bene compelled through troble and for feare of troble to worship and to eat the lords supper vnworthyly and so to worship and to eat and drincke to ther owne damnation who although they perish in their owne sinnes yet their blood wil be required at their hands that have compelled them so to sinne against their consciences and the lord in mercy give the K. a hart to looke vnto it that it be not laid to our lord the K. charg if he shall suffer them to exercise such powre by his authority And wee bow our selves to the earth before our lord the K. in greatest humblenes beseeching the K. to iudg righteous iudgment herein whether there be so vniust a thing and of so great cruell tyranny vnder the sunne as to force mens consciences in their religion to God seeing that if they err they must pay the price of theyr transgression with the losse of their soules Oh let the K. iudg is it not most equall that men should chuse their religion themselves seeing they onely must stand themselves before the iudgment seat of God to answere for themselves when it shal be no excuse for them to say wee were commanded or compelled to be of this religion by the King or by them that had authority from him And let our lord the K. that is a man of knowledg yet further consider that if the K. should by his power bring his people to the truth and they walke in the truth and dye in the profession of it in obedience to the Kings power either for feare or love shal they be saved The K. knowes they shall not but they that obey the truth in love whome the love of God constrayneth their obedience onely shal be acceptable to God 1. Cor. 13. Thus may our lord the K. see that by his Kingly power he cannot cause or make men bring an acceptable sacrifice to God and will the King make men whether they will or no bring an vnacceptable sacrifice to God and shall the King herein thinke he doth please God God forbid If the King will please God in such service then must he seeke to convert sinners from goeing astray Iam. 5.20 turne men to righteousnes Dan. 12.3 not with his sword of iustice but by the foolishnes of preaching for that is the meanes whereby God hath appointed to save them that beleeve 1. Cor. 1.21 and 27. for God hath chosen appointed the foolish things of the world the weake things the vile things the things that are dispised and things which are not to confound and bring to nought things that are and these things hath God chosen to set furth Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God Here is not the absolute auctenticall word of comaund nor the mighty powerfull punishing sword of our lord the King required to this worke of the publishing of the Gospell of Iesus-Christ And let the King call to mynd that which no doubt the King hath often redd in the gospell according to Luk. Chap. 9.52.56 That when the Samaritanes would not receive Christ and that his disciples said wilt thou that wee comaund fire to come dovvne from heaven and consume them Iesus rebuked them and said â—ye knowe not of what spirit ye are the sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them wherby the King doth see that Christ will have no mans life touched for his cause if the Samaritans will not receive him he passeth by them if the Gadarens pray him to depart he leaves them if anie refuse to receive his disciples he onely bids them shake of the dust of their feet for a witnes against them Here is no sword of iustice at all required or permitted to smite anie for refusing Christ Then let not our lord the King suffer his swore of iustice which God hath given him with power from himself to defend and rule with aucthority keepe in all obedieÌ„ce his owne people people of God vnto the Ks. owne lawes statutes which apperteynes to the well governing and ruling of the Kings state kingdome which is worldly and must fade away Let not our lord the K. suffer this sword to be vsed to rule and keepe in obedience the people of God and of the K. to the lawes statutes and ordinances of Christ which apperteyne to the well governing and ruling of the
lord Bs. say this is not to be vnderstood generally of every sinne against God but perticulerly of some and herein must wee be subiect to the spirit of their vnderstanding and that rule of Christ must be made no sure nor perfect rule Next let vs shew the K. that if there be such a sin comitted as the Bs. do iugd to be a sin according to their rule which let the K. give his servants leave to suppose to be adultery that it proceeds or comes to this degree that it must be told vnto the Church which wee vnderstand to be the whole congregatioÌ„ moe or lesse The lord Bs. by their spirit of vnderstanding say tell the Church That is to be vnderstood tell the Ordinary which is either the Bishops chaÌ„cellor or the Archdeacons Officiall they are they that have power to bind in earth it shal be bound in heaveÌ„ their fees being paid theÌ„ they have power to loose on earth it shal be loosed in heaven Oh that the Ks. eare would but heare half the depth of this iniquity the Ks. servants knowe the Ks. hart would never endure it that his peoples consciences should be thus wounded and their soules destroyed by being coÌ„pelled to submitt to such spirits of vnderstanding Furthermore let our lord the King knowe that whereas the Holy ghost testifieth Act. 14.23 saieing that they had ordeyned Elders by Election in every Church and praied and fasted this wee vnderstand was the whole Congregations fasting and praying and Election and that the Church hath power to appoint some to ordeyne or lay on hands if there be no Elders as they did Act. 13.2.3 but all this say the Lord B. by the spirit of our vnderstandings doth belong vnto vs and the Patron and the people have nothinge to do but must be content to have such a Pastor as wee appoint though they never heard him knewe him nor saw him and although the congregation after ward should like neuer so well of him yet the Lord Bishops they have power to take him away from them to deprive him and silence him punish them if they heare him although he be never so well approved amongst them Thus must the Kings peoples be compelled to vnderstand the scriptures for the advancement of their power of Ordination and deprivation And whereas wee the Kings servants vnderstand according to the best vnderstanding that God hath given vs that Th-appostle Paul giving a rule of direction for the people of God how to worship God when they come together 1. Cor. 14.26.33 That every one as he hath a Psalme or a doctrine or a tongue may speake to edification and if anie thinge be revealed to another that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace for all that have gifts may prophesie one by one and in all this God is noe the God of confusion but of Order Thus do we hold the disciples of Christ ought to come together to worship God and edifie one another in the libertie of the spirit according to the gifts and graces that are given to every one Rom. 12.6 And that every man as he hath received the gift may administer the same one to another 1. Pet. 4.10 The lord Bs. vtterly deny the substance of all this vnderstanding and their spirit of vnderstanding directs that when the Congregation is come together the Preist or Curate that is licensed by them onely must performe the worship and must beginne their worship with their booke strictly tying them to such sentences and then to that which is written after then a Confession then an absolution with virsickles and answeres and Psalmes and lessons and Te Deum and the Latany 3. daies a weeke and at other times when the Ordinary shal comaund Thus may our lord the King see how his peoples spirits are in bondage to the lord Bs. spirit in the vnderstanding of the scriptures and they must of force against their consciences vnderstand them as they comaund or els go to prison And our lord the King may also see that whereas neither Christ nor his Appostles ever commaunded or practiced anie set forme of worship whose spirit had bene most fitt to have ordeyned such an order yet the Lord Bs. in the perfect jmage of the first Beast have composed a proportion and framed an order of praiers and readings for the worship of God comaunding absolutely the observation thereof forceing the spirits of the Kings people to be subiect to ther limitations herein and so deliuer Gods people their bread by waight and their water by measaure not suffering the hungry to be satisfied with the bread of life nor the thirsty to be quenched froÌ„ the rivers of waters but forceing the vnwilling to drincke stolne waters out of their Cesexons and eat hidden bread out of their store-houses but the simple that eat and drinke thereof knowe not that the dead are there that their ghests are in the depthes of hell Pro. 9.17.18 Let not our lord the K. be despleased seeing his servants speake but the words of sobriety and if the K. shall thinke wee misapâ—y theÌ„ that is the thinge which wee so humbly earnestly beseech the K. may come to tryall by the Ks. free consent and that the Kings hand of power may not be against the iust and due tryall thereof Now when wee the Kings servants do sue for a tryall wee disire our lord the King not to conceive that his servants meane a day of dispute and so to handle the cause of the lord as men that contend for prizes who submitt their cause to private censure for that it is private and concernes but themselves but our humble and most equall sute to our lord the K. is that seeing this Hyrarchy of Arch. Bs. lord Bs. do challenge such power prerogative over our consciences that all who cannot of consciente yeild it vnto theÌ„ may walke according to their consciences and publish their defence against them that these that beare the names of spirituall lords may by spirituall power onely convince their gain-sayers and not pretend to be spirituall Bishops and vse onely the Kings temporall sword to rule and convince men with And that our lord the King would suffer vs his servants to demaund of them that take vpon them to be lord Bs. of whome they have learned to rule by such power and who hath taught them to put the contrary mynded in prison how they wil be able to answere him that will bring the greatest of them to answere who taught all his disciples to 〈◊〉 not the contrary mynded with meeknes proveing if at anie time God will give them repentance and hath taught them to be gentle suffering the evill 2. Tim. 2.24.25 And let our lord the King give vs his servants leave to ask these Lord Bs. whether they thinke that God hath forgotten this his comaundement or that he wil quite forget to put it in their accompt because
but the same that was in Christ and his Appostles times in which times all earthly power was in the hands of earthly Kings and Princes and them that were in aucthority vnder them and Christ and his Appostles diminished not Kings and Princes of the least tittle thereof And all spirituall power was in the hands of Christ and his Appostles that were in aucthority vnder him of which spirituall power aucthority Christ nor his Appostles would suffer no earthly K. to diminish them of the least tittle thereof but rather gave them their lives if then our lord the K. do deserue that earthly Kings and Princes had the same power then that Kings and Princes have now and that Kings Princes had no power then over mens religion which was spirituall and belonged to Christ men were then to give vnto God that which was Gods and vnto Cesar and so vnto all earthly Princes onely that which apperteyned to them Then let our lord the King judg by what warrant of Gods word the King can now take to himself a spirituall power and set vp an Hyrarchy of Arch Bishop Lord B. and give aucthority to them to make lawes and Canons of Religion and to give them power to compell men vnto the obedience there of by such seveer courses as they have done Let our lord the King consider and the Lord give the K. wisedome therein that if no King nor Prince could have set vp such an Hyrarchy with such power and titles then but they had vtterly troden vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles for Christ and his Appostles must have bene subiect therevnto neither may anie King set vp such an Hyrarchy now because it doth vtterly tread vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles as well now as it had done then for wee have now Christ and his Appostles in all their power dignity as well as they had in those dayes according to that saying of our Saviour Christ in the parable They have Moses and the Prophetts And wee humble beseech our lord the K. a little to suffer the foolishnes of his servants although wee may seeme as fooles vnto the king herein If there had bene such a steaing Hyrarchy set vp in Christ and Th-appostles daies would the Hyrarchy have suffered vs that are thousands of the K. of great Brittans subiects to have gone to Christ his Appostles to have asked them whether wee should have obeyed them or no in all their Canons and ordinances And whether wee should have given thē those titles of superiority and all that ruling power which they challeng over vs the Kings subiects sureby they will say they would not have denyed vs that liberty to have gone in so waighty a cause and being so manie to have asked Counsell of Christ and his Appostles what wee should have done 20. thousands being ignorant and 10. thousands being doubtfull whether anie such power might be submitted too or no and thousands being out of all doubt that it might not be submitted vnto they will say they would not have denyed vs but wee knowe what their Canons would have made of it and wee may suspect justly that they would have enformed the King that it were very dangerous to suffer so manie to go vnto Christ and his Appostles for counsell and that it were not fitt to suffer such giddy heads to have that libertie for makeing rents and divisions and that it were much more safety for the King to suffer them to make all whole by their power and to subdue such busie refractary spirits Let the King with fauour suffer his servants thus to speake by the way least peraduenture anie such thinges come in the way And wee the Kings servants now takeing it for granted that the Arch Bs. and lord Bs. that professe such great holines would not have deneyd vs to have gone to Iesus Christ and his Appostles to be directed And if Christ and his Appostles had in the hearing of all our owne eares being so ma witnesses comaunded vs absolutely not to yeild the Arch-Bs and lord Bs. anie such power or names could wee yeld it them Although the Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. should with 20. thousands of witnesses affirme that Christ and his Appostles spake otherwise to their hearing Would our lord the King thinke it equall that wee should be forced to beleeue their hearing because they are lord Bs. contrary to the hearing of our owne eares being so manie witnesses of one Nation and tongue besides hundreth thousands of witnesses of other Nations tongues Wee knowe our lord the K. would thinke it no more equall if the case were so that wee should be forced to beleeve the lord Bs. hearīg then that they should be forced to beleeve our hearing Then iugd O King for the case is all one and the same for wee have Christ and his Appostles in their writings and they do absolutely speake to our vnderstandings that in no wise there ought to be anie such Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. in Christs Church And the Lord Bs. say that Christ and his Appostles speakes to their vnderstandings that there power and names are not cōtrary to Christs words Can our lord the King that is accompted a most wise and iust Prince in his iudgment iudg that wee are all bound to cast away our owne vnderstandings of Christs speaking and are to be compelled to beleeve and vnderstand Christ to speake as the lord Bs. vnderstād Christs speaking Oh let our lord the King with compassion consider whether ever since the heavens and earth were created there was a more vnequall extreame cruelty then this that the Kings people should be compelled in a cause that concernes the everlasting condemnation of their soules bodyes to Hell of force to submitt their soules and bodies to the vnderstanding of the Lord Bs. that are not able to direct themselves from the waies of death but are perished every man that ever bare that Office with those names and power if they repented not thereof although they had no other sinne and they also that do now beare that Office with those titles power shall likewise all perish to everlasting destruction if they do not repent thereof and cast it away the spirit of the lord hath spoken it Reuel 19.20 the Beast was taken and with him that false Prophet that wrought myracles before him whereby he deceived them that received the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his jmage these both were cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And thus manifesting to our lord the K. that Iesus Christ is onely K. of Israell that sitts vpō Davids throne therefore onely hath the power of the King of Israel and none may partake with him in that kingdome and power who had the Spirit without measure and yet neither he nor his Appostles that had the Spirit without error to deliuer the Counsels
violate and vtterly abolish that holy law of Election which Christ hath ordeyned in his Church for the chusing of the true shepherds of his sheepe and for the keeping of theeves and robbers out of his shepefold Next in order to be spoken of is Ordination a holy ordinance of God comanded by the holy ghost Tit. 1.5 and the example of the administration thereof given vs by th-Appostles in the church of Christ Act. 6.6 practiced by the disciples Act. 13.1.3 And taught vs to be a doctrine of the beginings of Christ and of the foundation Heb. 6.1.2 being called the Doctrine of laying on of hands And this Ordinance was performed and done in the presence of the Church or congregation by fasting and praier and laying on of hands ordeyning and appointing and seperating thereby those that were Elected and chosen to Office Act. 6.6 and 13.2.3 and 14.23 And all this was performed and done by and in that Congregation whereof they were chosen Officers the Church or Congregation being in this holy māner assembled together to performe this 〈◊〉 ordinance all fasting and praing to the lord with one hart and soule to give a blessing vnto that his owne Ordinance Is your Ordination like vnto this which the best of you all are fayne to get by sute and service by riding and runing by attending and wayting by Capping and curtseing and at last by prostrating your selves on your knees at the feet of an Arch-Bishop or lord Bishopp receiving your Ordination from him who herein exaltes him self above God exercising the power of the beast dispoyling Christ and his Church of this holy Ordinance takeing it wholly into their owne power and disposing of it onely to such as promisse faith full obedience vnto the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bishop and lord Bishop which is the second Beast and which your selves say both in words and writings is an Antichristian Hyrarchy The lord give you eies to see how you have broken the Covenant of the lord in polluting and abolishing this his holy Ordinance and be ashamed to remember the Covenant you have made with this Hyrarchy by which Covenant of obedience you have gotten your Ordination and so are the Prophetts of the Beast for to whome soever you give your selves to obey his servant you are to whome you obey Rom. 6.6 although you deny him in words as you do Have you gotten an Office of the Hyrarchy and vnder the Hyrarchy and will you in words and writings protest against the Hyrarchy and yet reteyne your Office which you have gotten by promissing obedience therevnto and thinke you to serve Christ with this your stolne Office Halt not so betwene Christ and the Man of sinne but if you will deny your lords that have preferred you to Office deny their Office also in both which you shall do well but if you will reteyne your Office reteyne your Lords also that have preferred you in both which you shall do evill What conscionable answere will you make to these thinges dare anie affirme that Christ hath appointed such an Ordination either in the manner of administration or in the meanes of coming by it hath Christ appointed you to sue and make meanes to a Prelate and ride manie myles with letters of comendations pay all fees that are due wee speake within our compasse to get Ordination Did Th-appostles ever ordeyne Pastor but before or in the presence of the flock did anie ever go and sue or seeke to Th-appostles to be ordeyned and when anie were ordeyned did they kneele downe at Th-appostles feet and did Th-appostles bid them receive the holy ghost is this the manner and meanes set downe in the scriptures of coming by Ordination and if it be not how dare you seeke and submitt your selves to it Will you say that Christ hath appointed no certen due order and meanes of Ordination then do you blaspheme in saieing the rules and examples of the new Testament are vncerten rules of direction and so make you Christ not so faithfull as Moses Is the holy Ordinance of laying on of hands one of the doctrines of the foundation Heb. 6.1.2 and may it be come by by anie meanes or from anie persons yea even from the Pope and you approve of it as you do seeing you have no Ministery but from Rome it is the roote from whence all your Ministery is sprung and the Wild Olive wherein you are all by your Ordination engrafted and therefore as the roote is such are the branches and the roote you all confesse is most vnholy and so doth the lord judg you you evill servants out of your owne monethes you are all most vnholy and false Prophetts the Prophetts of the Beast and not of Christ in that you are not Elected and Ordeyned by the rules of Christ and have not the word of God nor testimony of your flocks for your true entrance What can you now have to say for this your Office thus vniustly come by except you will plead possession how vniustly soever it be come by for a good title and so justify Ahabs possession of Naboths vineyard when Iezabell had slayne the right owner thereof As the lord liveth no lesse but much more is the wickednes of your possession in that the Beast hath troden vnder foote and crucified the Sonne of God Reuel 11.8 and sitts as God in the Temple of God and hath appointed you his Preists to serve at the Alter and thus have you consented together in evill and trample vnder foote the Testament which Christ hath purchased with his blood and have broken into the sheepfold of the lord like theeves and robbers and do nothing but steale kill and destroy for you distroy all the people that submitt to your Ministery in that you bring them thereby vnder the power of the Beast you haveing fallen downe on your knees and worshipped the Beast receiving your spirit and Office from the Beast and the people are all partakers of this sinne in that they admitt of you in your Office and thereby yeild that power which Christ hath reserved in his owne body which is his Church vnto the Beast so are you all dispisers of the law of God and have given away his holy Ordinance of Election and Ordination which he hath by his owne word and Spirit appointed in his Church you have given Christs honor herein vnto the Beast and so are all both Preists and people worshippers of the Beast and his jmage and have received his marke and therefore shall you all drinke of the mere wyne of the wrath of God if you repent not Reuel 14.9.10 And thus much to the ministery of the Puritane profession to prove them all false Prophetts as those that runne and God hath not sent them their Election and Ordination to their Office and their possession of their Office being most vnholy and vniust not being according to the exact rule of the law of Christ Iesus distinctly and most perfectly set downe in