A Short Anſwer, to that called, The Agreement of the 42. Teachers, Paſtors, Miniſters and Rectors, &c. In the County of Worceſter, and ſome Adjacent parts, &c.
YOu two and fourty Teachers, Paſtors, Miniſters and Rectors, as you call your ſelves in your Agreement, dated (in page the 33.) May the 4: 1655. I have read over your Agreement, and weighed the ſame in a Ballance of truth and equity: in which you are found wanting, and in confuſion. And now ſince the Lord hath ſent ſome of his ſervants and meſſengers, amongſt you (to awaken you) you are made ſenſible of your negligences, and your miſcarriages, and how little your people are profited by your preaching; and you are reviving your old former works, and ſetting the people, as it were to make Brick without ſtraw: rather then you would have them to come from under your unprofitable Miniſtry, to wait upon the teachings of God; And you ſet up a worſhip in your wills, and is it not the ſame that was ſet up by the Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Prieſts, Prelates, and old Epiſcopals, (if not by the Pope)? and that you ſay is for the killing of ignorance, which your preaching could not do. And yet it hath been uſed by (the Popiſh Race, and) your forefathers the Biſhops, and Prelates, and were not killed thereby; but is found living amongſt you, their children and off-ſpring. And you are found in the deceit, and would keep people, in the ſame, by your flatteries, and inventions, which will all be to no purpoſe, that is acted by the ſpirit of deceit and miſcarrying nature; which you are in; And leaves the ſame ignorance unkilled, by your familiar, and perſonal Inſtructions, as your forefathers have done: you being in the miſcarriages wronging men and Chriſt, and not guided by the true ſpirit, but by the falſe, as your fruits, as well as your Agreement, maketh it manifeſt.
Concerning your warrant.
You have gathered certain verſes of the Apoſtles words, and calls them your warrant from God, when you are found our of the Apoſtles practice and order, and not at all warranted by them, to wrong men and Chriſt, as you have done, and confeſſed the ſame; you alſo are in the miſcarriages and diſobedient nature, neglecters of the great works of God, and therefore you being in that deceit, are out of the counſels of God, and liars like the falſe prophets, whoſe examples ye follow, that ſtole the true prophets words, and were ready (like you) to call them their warrant from God, or ſaying they ſpake from the Mouth of the Lord, when the Lord did not warrant them in it, no more then he doth you) but witneſſed againſt them by the true Prophet; And ſaid, he had not ſpoken to them, but they ran unſent (as you have done) and therefore they ſhould not profit the people at all (no more then you ſhall) though they ſpoke the true Prophets words (as you may do) yet they was not guided by the true Prophets ſpirit (no more then you are.) And though they ſpake their words for their own ends (as you do) yet for all that they were without Warrant from God, (as well as you are) and alſo found out of his Counſel in their inventions, and ſpeaking for their own ends, and for mony, as you do, and they cauſed the people to erre by their lies, and by their leightneſſe (as you do) and the Lord by his Spirit in his Servants witneſſed againſt them, as he doth againſt you, ſaying, I ſent them not, nor commanded them, and ſo they were without warrant from God (as you are) though they could ſpeak the true Prophets words (as you do) yet running unſent as you have done. The Lord ſaid they ſhould not profit the people at all, (Jer. 23.16.21.30.31, 32. Mi cah. 3.5.11.) No more do you, who are as you ſay neglecters of the works of God, and in the miſcarriages unpardoned, as well as wrongers of men and Chriſt: as you your ſelves in your Agreement have all ſo acknowledged, therefore your gathering of Pauls words, and the true Prophets words (being out of their life and ſpirit) to paint and garniſh your ſelves withal, and are found perſecuting the truth, as your forefathers the falſe Prophets, and Scribes, and Phariſees did their words gather together, with your dark minds, and no warrant to you from God ſo to do, nor to be called of men Maſters, Matth. 23.8.10. Nor to preach for tithes, or hundreds a year, Paul did not do it, but preached freely coveting no mans ſilver or gold, but hath ſhewed an example, which you refuſe to follow, Act. 20.33, 34, 35. therefore his words is no warrant for you to do as you do;As in pag: the 1. or 2. of your Agreement. neither did Paul go to take a ground from the Pope, or ſixth general Councel, held either at Trent or Trull, and ſay from thence, that they that are baptized ought to learn the Belief, and on the fifth day of the week ſay it over,3 to the Biſhops, &c. as you do, which you lay down as the ground of your Catechiſme and familiar and perſonall inſtruction, and ſo build upon the Biſhops and old popiſh root, as you have done; But Paul as he was a Miniſter of Chriſt,Act. 26.16, 17, 18. he was ſent to turn people from darkneſſe to the Light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and not to keep them in darkneſſe and ſin unturned to God, as you and your Miniſter doth; therefore you are out of this life and not guided by the Spirit of God as he was; And Paul as he was a Miniſter of Chriſt and the Goſpel, he were called of God, and appointed to preach, by the power of the holy Ghoſt,Gala. 1.1. Gala. 1.11.12.15, 16. Act. 13.2, 3, &c. Act. 18.9, 10, 11, &c. Act. 16.9, 10. Colo. 1.25, 26, 27, 28. who was not made a Miniſter by the will of man (as you are) but by the Will of God, Gala. 1.1, 2. in which his Miniſtry ſtood, who had the myſtery of godlineſſe, and Chriſt the Son of God revealed within him, Ephe. 3.2, 3. &c. Gala. 1.15, 16. And ſo had his warant from God, and after Chriſt and the Miniſtry were ſo revealed in him, then he went forth immediately (and not before for) to preach him, as he hath certified to the brethren, Gala. 1.11, 12. And he preached the Light, 2 Cor. 4.5, 6. Law, Rom. 8.3. Hebr. 8.10, 11. And heavenly treaſure within, 2 Cor. 4.6, 7. And the word in the heart, Rom. 10.8. by which, faith is wrought, and Chriſt the Miſtery and hope of glory within them, Col. 1.25, 26, 27. And they that believed, and were baptized into him, they put him on, Gala. 3 27. As Paul the Goſpel-Miniſter hath certified, but he did not make a ground of Catechiſme and familiar perſonal inſtructions, from the Pope, or general Councels, held at Trent or Trull (as you do) for the cutting down of Ignorance, Hereſie and wickedneſſe (as you pretend you will do); but Paul was to turn people from the darkneſſe, in which errour, hereſie, and wickedneſſe was, and ſo turning them from that, he turned them to the light, and power of the Spirit of God which was the way and means whereby Ignorance, Errour, and wickedneſſe, was to be cut down, crucified and killed, which you are yet ignorant of, as your Agreement doth manifeſt as well as your fruits, who lives in ignorance, Miſcariages, Error, Hereſie, and wickedneſſe, uncrucified or killed; And was not the ſame way and meanes, which you pretend to kill it by, uſed, (by the Pope) Biſhops, Prelats &c. (or at the Councell at Trent, or Trull) and by your fore-fathers the old out-rooted Biſhops, and Epiſcopals before you, and yet it left the Ignorance, Errors, Miſcariages, Hereſies, and wickedneſſe, amongſt you Living, and had no power to crucifie the ſame, and you ſay your preaching this many years, hath not yet killed it; and therefore you have agreed, to uſe the ſame, (Antidote or) means for the killing of it, (as they did, and if it could not expell, and kill it, by them uſeing the ſame before you, as you alſo have done) do you think to blind people by caſting a miſt before the eyes of their underſtanding, ſeeking to inſinuate into them by flatteries and garniſhing your flatteries, with colourable gloſſes, to cauſe them, to think that, your reviving, that which hath been uſed amongſt them with out-ſide,Matth. 23.27, 28.30 ▪ 31, &c. will now from you receive life, to do that which it could not do, neither, by the4 (Pope or) Biſhops, nor by you (their off-ſprings). And with the Light are you ſeen, (at your witts end) and troubled that you cannot have your wills fulfilled, who are the enemies of the Living truth, and wrongers both of men and God, as you alſo in your Agreement, acknowledge, and therefore all your Evaſions, and Colourable gloſſes muſt fall with your Image, and Imaginary worſhips, (as in your fore-fathers before you) and the Miniſtry that ſtands out of mans will, which you are yet Ignorant of, muſt through the croſſe cut down, and crucifie, and kill that which your Miniſtry doth not, nor your fore-fathers (or the Pope or Biſhops) before you, and that Miniſtry which comes forth from the Light, and power of the Spirit of God, is for the diſcovering, and killing of the Error, Hereſie and Miſcariages, (which yours hath and doth leave people in): and ſo as it kills that and the Ignorance,Gala. 3.4, 5. Eph. 2. Iohn 8.12. 1 Iohn 3.8, 9. 1. Pet. 1.18, 19, 22, 23, 1 Iohn 4.16, 17: Iohn 14.20. it quickeneth, and raiſeth the ſoul out of death, deſtroying the Ignorance, Error, Hereſie, and Miſcariages, and all the works of the Devill, and ſo bringeth ſoules out of death, and from under the power of darkneſſe: to live in the life of the Eternall truth, in the Injoyment of the Fathers love, and to Enjoy and walke in the liberty of the Sons of God: And ſaith John, We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an underſtanding to know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jeſus Chriſt, and this is true God and life eternall, 1 John 5.20. Whoſe Miniſtry without your familiar perſonall Inſtruction, diſcovereth, and killeth, ſin, Error, and Miſcariages, which you live in unkilled, and therefore out of his Minſtiry, who killeth that, and quickeneth the other that hath ſuffered under it, raiſing that, and them together with it, ſaving them by grace, and cauſing them as they at Epheſus did, to ſit with Chriſt Jeſus in the heavenly place; Ephe. 2.1, 2, 4, 5, 6. For by grace were they ſaved, ver. 8th. Through faith, and not of themſelves, nor of works leſt any ſhould boaſt, Eph: 2.8, 9. As Paul the Goſpel-Miniſter, doth witneſſe, in his Affirmation, who did not (as you do in your confuſion) ſet up a form of words without Spirit and Life, grounded upon the Popes practice, or generall Councell held at Trent or at Trull; And bid people get theſe to ſay and be catechized, &c. And ſay them over to the (Pope or) Arch-biſhops, Perſons, Preiſts Rectors, and Curates, upon pain of damnation, neither doth his words warrant you ſo to do: Therefore are they not your warrant from God for that work. Neither did Paul (go and) write out a few words, out of the 20. Chap. of Exodus. and the 6. Chap. of Matthew and ſet the people to get them upon pain of damnation and ſalvation. Which words he had before you, and witneſſed the life in the ſpirit and power of Chriſt, for the killing of Ignorannce Sin, Error and Miſcarriages:Eph. 5.13. Eph. 6.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Gal, 2.19, 20. and to quicken the mortall body, Rom. 8.10, 11. as well for the purifying of the heart, and the ſoul: 1 Pet. 1.22, 23. Which you have ſhewed your Ignorance in, and to be out of; And therefore Pauls words, is not your warrant from God, who are out of that righteous life: And Paul ſaid they were delivered from the5 law, that being dead, wherein they had been held, their ſervice ſtood in the newnes of the Spirit, and not in the oldneſſe of the Letter; Rom. 7.6. But your ſervice ſtands in the oldneſſe of the Letter (and the old Law) and not in the Goſpel and newneſſe of ſpirit,Rom. 1.16, 16. as your fruits and Agreeement doth manifeſt: Therefore you that ſerve in your wills, and ſet people to ſerve in theirs, and in the oldneſſe of the Letter, without the [Goſpel and power of God to ſalvation, and the] newneſſe of Spirit,Clo. 2.21, 22, 23. Eph. 2.14, 15, 16. Rom. 1.26. you are not by Pauls words warranted from God to do it: who was himſelf a miniſter not of the Letter, but of the Spirit, as he hath witneſſed, 2 Co. 3.6. &c. Therefore your garniſhing your ſelves, with his words, and wanting his miniſtery and ſpirit, to guide in the miniſtration, and worſhip of God: that ſpirit John 4.23, 24. 2 Cor. 3.17, 18. you are but as founding Braſſe and tinkling Cymbals, being in the envy, and out of love the of the Father, as the falſe Prophets was, therefore let Pauls words reſt where they are,1 Cor. 13. H ſ 16.9. Mic. 3.11. Iude 11. till you depart from your luſts (and go make reſtitution) for the Lord is againſt you, (and all ſuch) who are yet without warrant from God, for all your ſtealing of words to garniſh your ſelves, as your fore-fathers did. But thus ſaith the Lord, therefore behold I am againſt them that ſteal my words from his neighbour, I ſent them not, nor commanded them: Therefore they ſhall not profit the people at all, Ier. 23.30. &c.
And now that you are without warrant from the Scripture, being out of the life of truth; and reviving your fore-fathers works, taking a ground from the ſixth-Generall Councell held at Trent or at Trull, in the time of the (Pope or) Biſhopps:Matth. 7.15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 22, 26, 27. ver. 2. and are you not alſo left without warrant from them, then where are you now, and what ground do you ſtand on: are you not without ground, or bottom, and on the Sandy foundation, ready to be waſhed away when the floods come &c. Whoſe fall, as Chriſt ſaith, therefrom, is like to be great, and as may be Read, Math. 7.26, 27.
Let the Prieſts minde and ſee, If they know From whence they came.
BEhold and ſee from whence you came, and minde your return: was not your Original I head, root, and foundation the (Pope or) Arch-biſhops, and Biſhops? amongſt which was not the Biſhop of Rome, called the Pope, Chiefe Supreame head, &c. Untill the time, or raign of Henry the 8. Late King of England, as by the Lawes of this Nation may appeare, &c.
And the Called Arch-Biſhopps, and ſuch, as received Orders from them to be Prieſts, Miniſters, Deacons, and Clarks, &c. Were they not called the body Spirituall, and were and are they not called the Engliſh Church. &c.
And after the Pope was put out of Tythes (and that which he had begott) by Henry the 8; the Arch-Biſhopps (your fathers) Prieſts,6 Miniſters, Deacons, Rectors, Clarks, &c. called the body Spirituall and the Engliſh Church &c. Were they not endowed with Tythes, &c, (or the Popes honors) and ſuch Parochiall rights &c. As the Pope had begot, and were put out of, when your fore-fathers, (and you) his of-ſpring entred into his ſeat, and were they not (adorned, as well as endowed) with the Popes Bringings forth into Parochiall rights, &c. And your fore-fathers (the called Arch-Biſhopps: and Biſhopps) and (you and) ſuch as received orders from them to be Prieſts, Miniſters, Deacons, Rectors, Parſons, Vicars, Curates, and Clarks, were they not (as before is ſaid) called the Engliſh Church, as by the ſtatute of Henry the 8. may appeare: and did not the Kings and Nobles endow the ſaid Church both with honours,24 Hen. 8.12.25 Hen. 8. Cha. 20. and poſſeſſions (the Popes ornaments) viz. Tythes, Oblations, Obventions, &c. to keep them from corruption and ſiniſter affection: which it hath not done (as you confeſſe that are in the miſcarriages, Neglecters of the work of God, and wrongers both of men and of Chriſt, as your Agreement witneſſeth Page, 3, 4, 19, &c. And the Pope and the See of Rome, had the Triall (amongſt other things) of the right of Tythes, Oblations, and Obventions &c.
And by that ſtatute,The Statute. 24 Hen. 8, Cap. 12.26 Hen. 8. Cap. 1. is it not ordained and declared that all ſpiritual Prelates, Paſtors, Miniſters, and Curates, &c. as they are called, may Uſe, Miniſter, Execute and Do, all Sacraments, and Sacramentalls, and Divine ſervice unto the ſubjects of the ſame: and is not there the (ground of your ſacraments, or) proofes of calling them ſo,The Pope had the Peterpence penſions, &c. till the time Hen. the 8. who endowed the Biſhops, and Prieſts, &c. in the Popes penſions, peterpence, fruits, ſutes &c. See your ſelves and read 25. Hen. 8. Cap. 21. and not the Scriptures, in which there is not one word that ſpeaks of Sacraments and Sacramentals, as they are called, and is not King Henry the 8. and his Succeſſors declared there the onely Supreame head in earth of the Church of England.
And by the Statute of the 25. Hen. 8.20. Is it not ſaid, that the Annals or firſt fruits, which were paid by the Arch-Biſhopps of England unto the Biſhop of Rome, called the Pope, &c. ſhould ceaſe and not be paid to him, &c.
And by the Statute of the 26, of Hen. 8. Chap. 3. Is not the firſt Fruits and profits of every Arch-Biſhoprick, and Biſhoprick, Parſonage, Vicaridge, &c. ſaid to be taken, & given to Hen: 8. and his ſucceſſors, and ever and beſides a yearly Tenth of all ſpirituall livings, &c. as they are called: And did not the Biſhopps, &c. receive their places and rewards from him &c. See more at large in the 26. Hen. 8. Chap. 3.
How they did Proceed to the Election of an Arch-Biſhop.
FOr by the ſtatute of the 25, of Hen. 8. Chap. 20. Is it not ſaid, to be Ordained and Eſtabliſhed, that the King and his ſucceſſors, may grant to the Prior and Covent or the Dean or Chapter of the Cathedral Churches, or Monaſteries, a licence under the great ſeal, as of old time hath been accuſtomed to proceed to the election of an Arch-Biſhop at every Avoidance of any Arch-Biſhoprick or Biſhoprick, within the Realm of England with a Letter Miſlive, containing the name of the perſon, which they ſhall elect and chuſe, &c. See more at large concerning the ſame, in the 25. Hen. 8. Chap. 20. aforeſaid.
The Ordination of a Prieſt, or [pretended] Miniſter, &c.
BY a Statute made, the 13. of Eliz. Chap. 12. Is it not ſaid to be ordained that every perſon, under the degree of a Biſhop, which doth or ſhall pretend to be a Prieſt, or Miniſter of Gods holy Word and Sacrament, &c. ſhall in the preſence of the Biſhops, declare his Aſſent, and ſubſcribe to all the articles of religion, which concern the confeſſion of the true Chriſtian faith, and the doctrine of the Sacraments, in a book imprinted, entituled Articles; And whereupon, was it not agreed, by the Arch-Biſhops, and Biſhops, and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year, 1562. And that none ſhould be made Miniſter, or admitted to preach, or adminſter the Sacraments in England, under the age of 24. yeares, or unleſſe he be approved by the Biſhop of the Dioceſſe, being a Deacon at the leaſt, &c. And all admiſſions to benefices, &c. And all licences, or tolerations, made to the contrary to be meerly void in law, as if they never were, &c. Therefore minde where you are, and ſee if you know,
A Manifestation of your Down-fall, &c. or, your Foundation ſhaken and razed, &c.
FOr, is it not manifeſt, that the Foundation of (your fore-Fathers) the late Arch-Biſhops and Biſhops, &c. here in England, was man, &c. viz. Kings and Queenes of England, with the Priors and Covent of Monaſteries, and the Deans,3 Elizae Cap. 1.12. and the Chapters of the Cathedralls, And that the miniſters, Paſtors, Rectors, Parſons, Preachers, Vicars, Curates, and Clarks, &c. as they call them, were Members and Branches ariſing from that root, and body, viz. The Arch-Biſhops and Biſhops, of which the Biſhops of Rome called8 the Pope, was head till Henry the eight: and King Henry the eight, put him out, and let him in, &c. Which Arch-Biſhops and Biſhops, by a Late Ordinance of Parlament, were, and are taken away, and alſo rendered uſeleſſe.
And by another Ordinance, or act of Parlament, is not the Kingly Power and Goverment (by which they had been ſet up) taken away? &c.
And is it not therefore manifeſt, by the lawes, ſtatutes, and ordinances afore ſaid that the called Prieſts, Miniſters, Rectors, Paſtors, Preachers, Vicars, Curates, and Clarks, &c. were Members and Branches of the late Arch-Biſhopps, and Biſhopps of this Nation: and had their riſings and ſprung from that root and body, and of that root and body were members and branches: and that the Arch-Biſhopps and Biſhopps themſelves, were made and had their Riſe from the Kings and Queens, Priors, Covents, Monaſteries, Deanes, and Chapters: Arch-Biſhops and Biſhops, Root and Branch, and their power and Authority being diſanulled, rendered and declared uſeleſſe, aboliſhed, and taken away as afore ſaid, &c.
Doth it not clearly appeare, that all the Prieſts ſo called, and is it not manifeſt, that they and the miniſters in England, with the called Rectors, Parſons, Paſtors, Preachers, Vicars, Clarks, and Curats, being branches and members of that body and root, are (or ought to be) as branches taken away, diſanulled and aboliſhed, and the Root of their root, The Kings and Queens of England, &c. And it being clearly made manifeſt and proved that their foundation (and yours) is of man, and from man, and them, and their foundation; and the root (of their root) by man razed, taken away, made null, and rendered uſeleſſe: are not they (and you) left without foundation and bottom? &c.
Who were not one amongſt themſelves,24. H 8.12. and the 25.8.20. neither (are you) the ſame this generation, that was the laſt before, but alters and changes, with times, and men, &c. As your fore-fathers, and Prieſts of England, and their predeceſſors have done, and is it not ▪ manifeſt that in the time of Henry the Eight, the late King of England: their predeceſſors, denied the Pope for their head;2. and 3. of Ed. 6. Chp. 1. and owned Henry the Eight for their head, &c. (viz. the Prieſts) Arch-Biſhops and Biſhopps &c.
And in the time of Edward the ſixth, did not their predeceſſors (viz. the Prieſts) and your fore-fathers denie the Maſſe-Book, and inſtead thereof received the Common prayer-book; at this hand, &c, And again in Queen Marry her time, they denied the Common prayer-book, and received the Maſſe book, &c.
Seſſio ſecunda Anno Mariae primo. Chap. 2.3.
And after that in the time of Queen Elizabeth they denied the maſſe-book, and again received the common prayer-book, &c. 1 Eliz. Chap. 2.
9And in the time of the late Parliament; was not the Common Prayer Book denied, and the Directorie received (by you), rather then you would deny your worldly honours, and poſſeſſions, and what you now own is manifeſt to all the Children of light, &c. And how that you are ſetting up your fore-fathers works, and though you be made ſenſible of your deceipts, and the unprofitableneſſe of your Miniſtry, yet rather then you will deny your ſelves, of what you have received by tradition, from your forefathers, and forſake your deceipts, you rather would keep people ſtill, by force as it were, under your dead dark, cold, barren Miniſtrie, (and deſtroyes their ſoules) for your own ends, who are wrongers, both of them, and of Chriſt, and are made ſenſible of it, as you ſay: pag. 19. and feares leaſt God require their blood at your hands; &c.
And Richard Baxter and the other 40. and odd, who calls your ſelves Miniſters of Chriſt, and are the untaught teachers (out of the doctrine of Chriſt) and are in the miſcarriages, growing worſe as you ſay, you have, in the grounds and reaſons in your Agreement and Catechiſme, acknowledged the ſame, and ſo hath made your ſelves alſo manifeſt to be both the untaught teachers, and the unprofitable ſervants, and wants your pardon, (and then you muſt needs want your warrant) from God, for the ſame: therefore (as you are proved by Law and Goſpel to be without warrant) you are alſo proved by your own confeſſion, ſo to be, in your Agreement: for you ſay page 3, We the Miniſters of Chriſt, whoſe names are under written, &c. do humbly bewaile our too great neglect, that we have not employed our care, and time, and labour, on ſo great a work, according to the ſtrict and holy precepts and paterns in Gods word, &c. We earneſtly begg of God to pardon this our great neglect, &c. Here you have proved your ſelves to be the untaught teachers, that are neglecters of the work of God:Act. 6.4. Act. 20.20, 21, 22, 23.24.25.26, 27. for ſuch as are taught of God, and abide in his doctrine, are diligent in the work of the Lord, and do not neglect it as you do, who are the idle loyterers, and now you idle loyterers, and unprofitable ſervants, are you made ſo farr ſenſible of your idleneſſe and negligence in that work, which, as you ſay, is according to the ſtrict and holy precepts & patterns in Gods word, and yet you would ſhelter your ſelves under the name of Chriſt whil•ſt you are ſuch, and alſo wrongers of men, and of Chriſt, page 19. &c. And calls your ſelves the Miniſters of Chriſt, whil'ſt you are acknowledging your idleneſſe, negligence (miſcarriages, page 4. &c:) and the wrong you do to men and to Chriſt, and yet without a pardon for the ſame; Be aſhamed of your idleneſſe, and negligence in that which you have profeſſed and for which you have taken peoples monys; for your idleneſſe and negligence, miſcarriages, and wronging men and Chriſt (which you your ſelves alſo confeſſe) therefore be aſhamed of your deceipt, and of your miſcarriages (and the wrongs you have all this time done to men and to Chriſt (and have taken their mony for the ſame). Goe and reſtore four-fold, and ceaſe your deceivings, be aſhamed alſo of your lies,10 never call your ſelves the Miniſters of Chriſt whil'ſt you are the idle loyterers, wrongers of men and Him, and ſuch as neglects his work, as you do, and have all this while done, and that according to your own ſaying too? If you have all this while beene in the miſcarriages unpardoned (as you ſay) you muſt needs be the untaught teachers (as you are) and if you have all this time beene wrongers of men, and of Chriſt (as you ſay) and unpardoned for the ſame, you muſt needs be the enemies of God and good men, and ſo no Miniſters of Chriſt, for he doth not teach his Miniſters to live in miſcarriages as you do, nor to wrong him, and men (as you do) who are not taught yet to deny and forſake the ſame: therefore you are out of his doctrine, who receive not his teachings, and ſo are ye untaught teachers, as well as the unprofitable ſervants (and curſed deceivers) for if you have all this while beene in the miſcarriages; doing wrong to God and Men, and alſo idle, and out of the work of God, and now being ſenſible of it confeſſing the ſame, and bewailing your idleneſſe and negligence, and wants yet your pardon for the ſame; whoſe works have you done all this while,Mica. 3.5.11. Iſa. 56.10.11 Jer. 5.30, 31. Iſa. 55.2, 3. Ezek. 34. (the Devils or your own)? and for what have people ſpent their meanes and money on you, for your idleneſſe and negligence, keeping them in blindneſſe and ignorance, and for doing God and them wrong, who have confeſſed the ſame, and that you have beene idle and neglected to do the great work of God according to his word, therefore in neglecting that and being idle therein, and inſtead of doing the ſame,Your third Anſwer agreeing with page 3.4.17. have beene wronging both Men and Chriſt himſelfe, you have cleared your ſelves from being his Miniſters, and proved your ſelves (to be the curſed deceivers, and are found and proved) to be the unprofitable ſervants, being idle and neglecters of the great work of God, by you left undone; and then you muſt needs have beene doing the works of your Father the Devill (John 8.44. ] and your own; who are wrongers of God, and men, and ſo hath deceived their ſoules, and taken their meanes, and mony for the ſame, and for that which is not bread, as the falſe Prophets, and idle Shepherds aforetime did, therefore you that are ſuch, your judgment and condemnation will be the greater, Mark. 12.38.39.40. Have you both wronged men, and of them ſought your own ends and gaines, and luld them aſleepe in ſecurity, and taken their money and meanes for ſleeping therein, and as you confeſſe have not awakened them out of the ſame, nor yet turn'd them from darkneſſe to light, that have them yet unturned from ſin unto God, as your Agreement doth witneſſe: therefore be not offended at others, who are ſent from the Lord, to tell you the ſame, and for that your work of deceiving, and wronging Chriſt and them, take you the ſhame and give over deceiving ſoules for your own ends, and earthly gaines; for you are thoſe that labour in vaine, being wrongers of God and Men, and idle and negligent (as you ſay) in the great work of God, according to his holy word; and ſo you have proved your ſelves to be none of Chriſts Miniſter, but enemies, and curſed deceivers, for it is written, curſed be ſuch as do the work of the Lord, deceitfully or negligently, and as you have done, therefore that11 curſe ſtands upon you and them that with you remaine under the ſame; Jer. 48.10. Jer. 11.3.
And now that you are diſcovered, witneſſed againſt, and made manifeſt to be deceivers, wrongers of God, and wrongers of Men, and to be idle negligent and the unprofitable ſervants, you have alſo confeſſed (ſince you ſay you were your ſelves awakened unto the ſame) yet you make flatteries and excuſes, and falſe gloſſes to hide your deceipts under? Promiſing amendment, but doth not regard to forſake your falſe Miniſtry and worſhips, and turne to the truth in the life of it, being found out of the life in the luſt, and miſcarriages, wrongers of God and Men, and hath your people aſleepe in ſecurity, &c. But if any ſhould have beene ſent of the Lord, into your market places or ſteeple-houſes, where you ſell your ware, and uſe your trade of deceipt, to deceive ſoules, and wrong Chriſt and them, for your own ends, and if they had but told you that which you have confeſſ, you would have beene all on an uproare, and have had your diſciples, ready to fight for you with clubs and fiſts, and after have ſent the meſſenger of God, to Priſon for it, as at Kidderminſter and Worceſter, were made manifeſt, when there was not ſo much ſpoken againſt you,Titus 1.16. 2 Tim. 3.8.9. and 12. as ſince, in your Agreement, you have confeſt; but yet continue in and rather grow worſe and worſe, as deceivers (like you) evil men and ſeducers in former ages did; 2 Tim. 3.12 ▪ but your folly is made manifeſt as theirs was, who profeſſes God in words, but in works deny him as ſuch did that did ſo before you, who were reprobate concerning the true Goſpel purifying faith, (as you are) and to every good work abominable and reprobate: therefore behold your blindneſſe and folly made manifeſt, and for the time to come beare your reproofes, and take ſhame to your ſelves, if any be moved againe by the Lord to come into your ſteeple-houſes, and tell you that you have confeſſed the ſame; and that your own mouths witneſſe againſt you and your hearers, as in your Agreement, is alſo made manifeſt.
That you are wrongers of God, and of your hearers, page 19. and in the miſcarriages liven formerly in (page 4.) unpardoned, and that you are bewailing your negligence or idleneſſe, in the great work of God according to his word, page 3. and ſaying you will amend, and begg pardon for the ſame; And if any be moved of the Lord to come amongſt you, ſeeing you ſtill continue as you was, and asks why you do not come out of your miſcarriages, and give over deceiving of ſouls, and ceaſe to wrong God and Men, for your own ends, and ſay unto you, why do you not performe your promiſe, but ſay and do not, as hypocrits and the falſe Prophets do and aforetime did, as the Scripture witneſſeth; or if there come any amongſt you, and aske you, If you have yet got a pardon, &c. granted for your former negligence, miſcarriages, and wrong done to Chriſt, and to Men, or to aske you (ſeeing you go on in the ſame) if you have any toleration or warrant from God ſo to do, &c. 12Will you not cauſe them that ſo do come to aske you or ſpeak as the Lord ſhall more them) to be haled out of your Steeple-houſes, and had to priſon for the ſame (as formerly ſome of you have done) and, If any be moved of the Lord, to come to your Steeple-houſes, and ask If your hearers be awakned, out of their ſleepineſs, and to aske alſo If you be turned out of your Miſcarriages, from preaching for hire, and being called of men maſters, and from wronging others, and alſo from your Idle Lazy Negligence,John 16, 2, 3. Act. 17.5.6. &c. Act. 22.27, 28, 29, 30. &c. Will you not be offended at them, for it, as Richard Baxter was with me, when I ſpake to him in the Steeple-houſe in Worceſter, who cauſed me to be haled out, (as Anti-Chriſtian-Miniſters afore time did) and afterward the ſame day, when he was ſpoken to, in the Street would not ſtand, but fled as the Hireling uſeth to do, John the 10. And ſuffered the priſon, to be a place of ſecurity to keep truth ſhutt up into thoſe bonds, rather then to be at liberty to reprove his deceipts, which is evident by his fruits, which now alſo under a cover he hath confeſſed, and is in that Agreement of his and 40. odd, Prieſts, Paſtors, Miniſters, Preachers, Rectors, and Curates and Teachers, further made manifeſt.
And, Curſed is he that doth the work of the Lord Negligently, but Richard Baxter thou haſt done it Negligently this many yeares; and above 40. Prieſts with thee, according to your Confeſſion, in your Agreement, and therefore you are under that Curſe. And now, O ye Prieſts, this Commandment is for you; If ye will not heare, to give glory to my name, ſaith the Lord of hoſts; I will even ſend a curſe upon you, and will curſe your bleſſings, yea I have curſed them already, therefore will I make you contemptible, and baſe before the people, according as ye have not kept my wayes Mal. 2.1, 2. and ver. 9. Mal. 2.1, 2, 3, 4.8, 9.Behold ſaith the Lord I will corrupt your ſeed, and ſpread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your ſolemn feaſts; and one ſhall take you away with it, Mal. 2.3. Your agreement in which you have confeſſed your wrong to Chriſt, and to men, and your former miſcarriages then continued in, and in which you have confeſſed your negligence, &c. It was dated the 4. of May 1655. And then you wanted your pardon both for your wrong done to God and men, and your negligence in the work of God alſo: as alſo for your former miſcarriages, &c. as you have confeſſed, and therefore are guilty, and muſt come under condemnation for the ſame, but, (To flatter and diſſemble with the people) you ſay, you will reſolve for the time to come to amend, but doth not yet do it, being ſtill in the old nature and will-worſhips, perfection, miſcarriages, and doing wrong as you did, yet you ſay you and all the adjacent-churches will ſet apart a day publickly, to faſt and pray for a pardon, &c. I ſay; the church in God the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt 1 Theſ. 1.1. Which is the pillar & ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15. doth deny you and all wrongers of God and men; and perſecuters of the Innocent, and ſuch as are called of men maſters, profeſſing themſelves Chriſts-Miniſters: and all ſuch as deceive ſouls for diſhoneſt gain, and lives in perfection, and ſuch, and the like miſcarriages as you13 and your generation do, and the prayers of the wicked are ſin, & ſuch as turneth their care from hearing the Law [in the heart, and of God, Jer. 31.33. ] their prayer is an abomination to the Lord God, Pro. 28. and 9. ver. And ſuch as you that neglect the work of God, and lives in perſecution, (the work of the Devill) and in the miſcarriages wronging God and men, as you do, they are thoſe that turnes their care, from hearing the law, and their hearts from receiving the truth, ſtanding in oppoſition aganſt it (as you do); and therefore their prayers are abomination to the Lord, as yours and all that work ſuch wickedneſs, as you do, is: for thus faith the Lord unto ſuch; Iſa. 1.15. when ye ſpread forth your hands I will h•de mine eyes from you; yea when you make many prayers I will not heare, your hands are full of blood and (hearts as well as) houſes are full of deceit, and over paſſeth the deeds of the wicked, Ier. 5.26, 27. and ſuch like, and they that neglect the work of the Lord are curſed children, having hearts exerciſed with covetuous practices, 2 Pet. 2.3, 13, 14. And what Churches are you, and you that are ſuch, who are in the curſed nature, and wicked practices in ſin, and unturned to God, Iſa. 59.2? What is your faſts worth that lives in ſtrife and debate, perſecution and wickedneſſe, behold in the day of your faſts do you not find pleaſure? And are you not bringing forth perſecution, as in this Nation is manifeſt, (as well as you exact all your labours) Iſa. 58.3. behold do not ye faſt as hypocrites and perſecuters do, that faſt for ſtrife and debate:Matth. 23.4, 5. &c. who ſmite with the fiſts of wickedneſſe, cauſing your voice to be heard on high, afflicting the ſoul for a day, and hanging down the head as a bullruſh, and, inſtead of looſing the bands of witkedneſs, you ſtrengthen the hands of evil doers; & inſtead of undoing the heavy burthens, you bind them Phariſe-like upon mens ſhoulders and will not your ſelves touch them with one of your ſingers (ſueing ſome for Tythes and taking treble dammages &c.) And inſtead of letting the oppreſſed go free, you and your generation caſt the Innocent into priſons-holes, and dungeons, as your priſons in theſe parts againſt you may ſufficiently witneſſe: and are not theſe the fruits (of Jezabel, and) of the Hypocrites faſt, and not that which the Lord doth require, Iſa. 58.3, 5, 6, 7. Wherefore be ye witneſſes againſt your ſelves that you walk in the falſe Prophets and Phariſees your fore-fathers ſteps, as your fruits make you manifeſt: and as you may read, Math. 23.31, 32, 33, 34. &c and you have under a cover confeſſed the ſame, who wants a pardon for your negligence (in the work of God) as you ſay, & for your former miſcarriages [which was before the 4. day of May, as aforeſaid] and therefore you want a pardon for your perfecting and impriſoning of Tho. Goodaire, once in Kiderminſter, & twice in Worceſter, before that time, and ſome others hath been impriſoned at Worceſter,and in Worceſt ▪ Anne Himing: Richard Ke•bey for Tyths, &c. and many at Eveſham ſince your hypocriticall falſe hearted and deceitfull confeſſion, promiſing amendement, and rather growes worſe and worſe, ſo manifeſting your hypocriſie and filling up your meaſure of iniquity, as your forefathers did, & leaving both your words and actions to be ſtanding witneſſes againſt you, as they did; that it may appeare for all your Evaſions and Colourable gloſſes that you are their off-ſpring and beareth their marks by which you are known, Ma•th. 7.20. Matth. 7.15. &c.
14And ſeeing that your miniſtry takes little place in working any good effect in your hearers, but leaves them ignorant in matters of ſalvation, page 19. of your Agreement, you are reſolving in your wills and miſcarrying wombe or nature and Spirit, from whence your continued miſcarriages proceeds, to revive your fore-Fathers worke, and ſet up a forme of words for them to get to ſay over to you, as was uſed to be done to the Biſhops at Trent or at Trull, and you promiſe ſalvation upon the performance, and threatens damnation upon the refuſall (Pope-like) ſaying that that way of uſing Cathechiſing], familiar and perſonall inſtruction, and to have the people to get the Creed, the Lords prayer and ten commandements or any other**And is not thoſe (which you call any other Orthodox Catechiſme) ſuch as were ſet out by he old Biſhops and their off-ſpring that were in the miſcarriages as you alſo are &c. And confeſſe page the 4. of your Agreement. Orthodox Catechiſme, and your expositions, to ſay over to you; and ſo that will be a meanes you ſay to kill ignorance. But the ſame meanes hath been uſed by the Biſhops and Prelates, and yet it hath not done that which you would have it to do, and do you think that if it did not do it by your fore-Fathers applying, that it receives any more vertue or power from you, to do it by your revieing their work, and uſeing the ſame meanes, and with the ſame miſcarrying nature, and wrongfull Spirit, which they did make uſe of it with all: but your covers are too narrow, and leaves you bare, and ignorance remaines ſtill amongſt your hearers,Math. 11.27.28.29. Act 4.11.12. Heb. 7.25. and the miſcarriages amongſt you their untaught teachers, (as it did with your fore-Fathers.)
And you ſay the diligence of Papiſts and Sectaries will condemne you, if you will not do halfe ſo much in a right way to ſave mens ſoules,Math. 6.24. Math. 7.13.14. •5.16.17.18•9, 28 ▪ as they will do in a wrong way to pervert them; would you not here have people to ſet you up as their ſaviour, and ſo cauſe them to neglect coming from you to look unto Chriſt for teaching, who is a true Saviour, and teacher of his people, and perfectly able to ſave all that come unto God by him (without you): but your deſigne is ſeeme; and all your covers will not hide you, who ſeeks to caſt that off from you to the Papiſt and Sectaries, which your ſelves are guilty of and found in, for if the way of neglecting the work of God, and living in miſcarriages, wronging Chriſt and Men, growing worſe, and running yet further from God, as you do, and have done, be not the wrong way, and deſtructive to mens ſouls, what is? for there is but two waves the right and the wrong &c. If you walk in that wrong way, wherein you miſcarrie, and wrong God and Men, growing worſe and running further therein; do not the Papiſts the ſame, and are not you and they therein one, and ſo walk with them in that way, whoſe actions proceed from one ground and Spirit, though in ſome words and formalities you differ, but in the evill (and wronging God and Men, &c.) are Joyned together; and therefore may ſtop your mouths of condemning others, for that which you are found guilty of: your words as well as your actions beare witneſſe againſt you, and your bitterneſſe and perſecuting the ſervants of Jeſus,15 as your Priſons (and barbarous or cruel uſage) at Eveſham and other places may witneſſe for the truth, and againſt your deceit, and wrong done to men and God (as you ſay in your agreement) therefore you and the Papiſts goes on in one nature together: the Papiſts you ſay bring all•he people to confeſſe their moſt ſecret ſins unto their Prieſts, and do not you labour to bring the people to do ſo unto you, the Pariſh Maſters, idle Shepherds, and hireling Preiſts, and then are not you and the Papiſts therein both one in nature, and property,Ez•k. 3•,••&• though differing a little in words and colourable clauſes. And where you tell of creeping into houſes; who more then you creeps into the Popes houſes, which you (with and from them) call Churches? but let me aske you that run ſo out of them (from whence you ſprung) wherein do you and they differ in worſhips and practiſe therein? Whether in manner or matter? if in manner onely you differ, and not in matter, then do you not agree in the maine? if ſo, then are not you and the Papiſts in religion, and worſhips as well as nature and property one, though differing in ſome words & formalities &c. but both in the vaine traditions, and obſerving your fancies, and braine imaginations as the Serpents ſeed did in all ages.
You reſolve in your wills to ſet on a worke (in your imaginations) promiſing ſalvation upon the performance, and damnation upon the refuſall, page 30. and ſo would merit Heaven by your actings, in the nature from whence ariſeth negligence, and miſcarriages, page 3, 4. and wrong to men, and to Chriſt, page 19. and do not the Papiſts hold the ſame? thinking to merit Heaven by their own actings in that nature, and ſpirit of deceipt, which guides them to neglect the work of God, and alſo into miſcarriages, and to wrong men and God, (like you and perſecuters, and ſeed of evill doers.) If ſo, then are not you and the Papiſts one therein, and why do you crie out againſt that ſo much in others; your ſelves being guilty of and found in the ſame, and doing their work; onely differing here and there in words, formalities & ſome colourable gloſſes, &c.
You ſay page 23. you have all need to joyne heart and hand, to help one another ſafe to heaven, and all little enough you ſay; I anſwer, yea and too little too, for in that nature in will not be done, which teacheth you to wrong Chriſt and Men, for if in that nature you could do it; why might not the Papiſt in the like nature with you, do the ſame? and are not you therein with the Papiſts, one? or if any get out of your ignorance and come from under the wrong, and out of the miſcarriages in obedience to the teachings of Chriſt the true teacher and Saviour whom you wrong, that they get into Heaven before you, or ſit with Chriſt Jeſus in heavenly places, whilſt their bodys are on the earth, as the Saints at Epheſus did, whil'ſt their bodys were there: and ſuch as are ſaved by grace having their ſouls purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit, where ſelfe is denyed, are not you (through ignorance of the way that leads out of error, hereſie, miſcarriages, Popery, and darkneſſe) ready to call ſuch hereticks as are come out of that, and into the glorious light and injoyments of the ſons of God, to worſhip the Father in Spirit, I16 ſay, are you not ready to call ſuch hereticks; who are come out of it (viz) the darkneſſe,E•he. 1.6. Co. 1.13. 1 Pet. 1.22.23, 24. Reve. 21.3.23.24. Joh. 4.23.24. 2 Cor. 3.16.17. Gal. 4.4, 5, 6, 7.8. 1 Cor. 4.6.7. and hereſie which you live in, and would rank them with the Papiſts under that denomination, to cover and ſhelter your ſelves, thinking to caſt that upon them which they are freed from, and you and the Papiſts are found in union with, and guilty of, being both of you out of the right way and in the wrong, that are neglecters of the work of God and wronging God and men, and living in the miſcarriages, and ſo in the hereſies, error, and diſobedience to the truth, following your own Spirits, and obeying the imagined fancy, formed up in your own wills, and living in the vaine traditions and cuſtomes of the Heathen, as you and they do; but your miſt dazels the eye of none but the willfull blind and ſuch as are in ſleepy ſecurity, and in ſin unturned to God, who are already deceived, and the eye covered or blinded, by which they ſhould ſee both deluſion and hereſie, in which you and they therein agree, who grow worſe, and run yet further from God, &c.
For the Papiſts believe they ſhall never be free from ſin here in this life: and therein they are reprobate concerning the true Goſpel ſoul-ſaving and purifying faith: and you believe the ſame [viz] that you ſhall never be freed from ſin here in this life; and then muſt not you with the Papiſts have a purgatory? ſeeing that nothing which is uncleane ſhall in any wiſe enter into the holy City, Rev. 21.27. and the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God, as it is ſaid, and by the Ambaſſadour of Chriſt declared, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. and are not you reprobate concerning the true Goſpel,Gal. 5.20, 21. ſoul-ſaving and purifying faith who denieth the property of it in denying purity of heart; and abiding in darkneſſe, and the nature oppoſite to the true light believing, or ſaying you believe, you cannot or ſhall not be free from ſin here in this life, and therefore are not you and the Papiſts both one, and your faith and theirs in nature and property (being dead and corrupt) therein agreeth together; but I deny the Papiſts and you, the wrongers of Chriſt and Men, and that faith which doth not purifie the heart, & witneſſeth that faith and power which doth,Act. 15.89. H•b. 2.10.11. and as the Saints did, as the Scripture witneſſeth, and God which ſearcheth the hearts beareth me witneſſe as he did them who (giveth the holy Ghoſt that) purifieth the heart by faith: and we know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as ſilver and gold, from that vaine converſation which had been received by tradition from your fore Fathers, &c. Who received Silver and Gold, and did not the work which they and you pretended, who took and taketh the diſhoneſt gaine, but we were redeemed by the precious blood of Chriſt, as a lambe without blemiſh, 1 Pet. 1.18.19, 20, 21, 22, 23.
The Papiſts, they ſay they believe in one God & three perſons, & in your Agreement, in the expoſition of the Creed, you ſay the ſame: but neither you nor the Papiſts believe in that God that freeth from ſin without your tradition & vaine imagination; who ſay you are in miſcariages growing worſe17 and running yet further from Him: but by what part of Scripture the Papiſts and you prove your three perſons I know not; for the Scripture ſpeaketh not ſo, but ſaith there is three witneſſes which three agree in one, & are one,Joh. 14.20. 1 John 5.7.8. Joh. 7.21.22.23. & he that abideth in the doctrine of Chriſt hath both the Father and the Son, 2 Joh. 9. and the holy Ghoſt remaineth within, Joh. 14.15, 16, 17. 1 Joh. 3.24. which you have ſhewed your ignorance of and both of that doctrine, union and faith ▪ that in the ſame power doth ſtand, where the flattering and entiſing words of mans wiſdom (like yours and the Papiſts) are judged and condemned,Statute 2. Mariae 1. Chap. 3. as well as ſhut out by that which doth the world comprehend.
The Papiſts they call Steeple-houſes Churches, and there ſell their inventions, and brain-imaginations for their own ends, deceiving ſoules with their traditions and vaine obſervations,Stat of 2. & 3. Edw: 6. Chap. 1. who wrong them and Chriſt himſelfe: and do not you the ſame, and ſuch as are in ignorance of the foundamentals of true religion, being ignorant of, and out of the way of ſalvation, in the vaine traditions, familiar and perſonall inſtructions, ariſing out of the miſcarrying nature,It ſeemes that which is call•d Communion or the Sacraments ſo called, were commonly called the Maſſe, as appeares by the Stat 2. & 3. Edw. 6. Chap. 1. and are in ſin and ſleepy ſecurity as you and your hearers (as you ſay) are: therefore in that are not you and the Papiſts both one?
The Papiſts they ſprinkle their Infants, and holds that infants baptiſme (as they call it) came in the roome of Circumciſion, and you hold the ſame; therefore in that as well as perſecution and other things, are not you and the Papiſts both one? but what Scripture proofe without your imaginations have you for the ſame, and ſeeing that in the order of Circumciſion they did but circumciſe the male Children onely, and not the female, and, if Infants baptiſme as you and the Papiſts affirme, came into the roome; why do you breake that order, &c. in baptiſing not the males onely (as you call it) but the femnles alſo; what trick hath the Pope taught you and them to make a cover for that?
And do not the Papiſts worſhip that which they have received by tradition from their fore-Fathers and alſo ſet up an image according to their fanſie, and imaginary worſhip in their own wills, and the miſcarrying nature contrary to God: binding all they can to ſubmit to their fanſies, and worſhip their Image, and vaine conceivings,Banbury, Briſtoll Exetor, Maidſtone, Colcheſter Bedford, &c, and thoſe that cannot for conſcience ſake towards God ſubmit with them to the ſame, but oppoſe their deceipt and falſe worſhip, thoſe they perſecute and impriſſon; and cauſe them to ſuffer affliction, diſtreſſe, and neceſſity, &c. and did not you ſo at Kedderminſter, Worceſter, and Eveſham; as well as they in your nature do at Northampton, Oxford, and Cambridge, and other places, who (do and) have done the ſame; Therefore in that are not you and the Papiſts both one, or guided by one Spirit, and in union together with the deceipt, & c? and would caſt it upon the innocent whom you perſecute, that denieth the Popes wayes and your falſe worſhips, and ſtands a witneſſe againſt all deceipt in Pope and Papiſts and all the falſe worſhippers, who are jarring and jangling about words and formalities, & ioyneth together to oppoſe and perſecute the life18 and power of truth, but it is in vaine for you to ſtrive againſt the ſtreame, or hard for you to kick againſt the prickes,Statute 1. Mary 1 Cap. 3. without getting an inward wound or mayme, if not broken and daſht to peeces by ſo doing.
The Papiſts have ſacraments and ſacramentalls, as they (and you) call them, which there is no Scripture for, and you have the ſame; then wherein do you and they therein differ, except in the manner, and agree in the matter, and ſo therein become one: and yet you cry out of thoſe, who ranking you with the Papiſts deny both you and them and your will worſhips, and the deceipt and miſcarriages which you and all ſuch live in, who are wrongers of God and Men, and worſhips their fancies formed up in the dark minde, and the imaginations of their own braine, and ſo are without Scripture proofe, and warrant from God for the ſame, as you and they therein are.
John Stelham Preacher of the Goſpel, at Edenborough as he ſaith in Scotland, P. E. &c. Doth not the Papiſts hold that the bread which they receive at a Sacrament ſo called, that though it be bread before in the nature & ſubſtance: yet notwithſtanding, would they not have it to be Spirit and Life in the inſtitution at the receiveing, after their conſecration? and if they do ſo, there is of thoſe that call themſelves Preachers of the Goſpel, at Edenborough in Scotland, which Church you ſpeake of; that holds the ſame, as I can produce under their hands, and if you own it with them do you not go againſt the oath of Abjuration, and alſo agree and joyne with the Papiſts therein, and though you may differ in manner, yet owning that; is there not an agreeing in the matter: and if ſo, then do not you and the Papiſts agree therein? and are you not one in the maine, and yet are not aſhamed, ſome of your generation as well as you, to accuſe others for Papiſts, and Jeſuits, that deny all their wayes and falſe worſhips in manner and matter, and denies their deceipt and yours and ſtands to witneſſe againſt the ſame, turning that upon you and them againe, that you may ſee your caſting the name of Papiſts and Jeſuits upon them that denies both their deceipts and yours, neither proveth them to be as you ſay they are, nor cleares your ſelves from the old reliques of Popery: and if you take the oath to renounce it all? and yet live in it; are you not forſworne, and perjured perſons, or any that do ſo: conſider well of it.
And what difference is there betwixt the call of the Papiſts, Prieſts, Mimiſters, Rectors, and Curates, &c. to the Miniſtry which they live in, and the call of you the Prieſts, Miniſters, Paſtors, Teachers, and Rectors, as you call your ſelves, to the Miniſtry which you live in? Are not they called of men? And is not your calling the ſame? For had not they the rule of creating of Prieſts, Miniſters, Paſtors, Teachers and Rectors, or ordering amongſt them, &c. (untill the raigne of Henry the 8th. ) in this realme, and then did not he cut the Pope out off that which he had brought forth into Parochiall rights ſo called, as Tithes, Obventions, &c. And did not he ſet up Arch-biſhops and Biſhops, and they created or called your fore-Fathers the Prieſts, Paſtors, and Rectors, and Teachers, & c? And were not the Arch-Biſhops, their and your Creators or Callers, cut off by the late Parlirment, and rendered uſeleſſe; and do not you now call and create one another; and if ſo, are not you ſelfe-callers to ſelfiſh Miniſtry? and how can you cleare your ſelves from being inſtead19 of young, Popes, or like the young Biſhops that were before you, creating or making and calling, Prieſts, Paſtors, Teachers, and Rectors, and ſo ſelf-callers of ſelf-ſeekers, putting out and in at your pleaſure & diſpleaſure, & ſo are creating, & begetting, or calling one another for your own ends, & now are found (as you ſay) wrongers of Chriſt and men, and therefore may well fear that God will require their blood at your hands, and ſo you are on uncertain grounds, men alſo (as you ſay) of miſcarriages, growing worſe, and are yet without pardon for the ſame: The papiſts ſets up a worſhip in their wills, and in that nature which teacheth them to neglect the great work of God according to his word, and do not they excommunicate ſuch as will not walk with them in their inventions, and worſhip their Imaginary worſhip, ſet up in that nature, out of which ariſeth all Miſcarriages, &c. and do not you promiſe the ſame? And then wherein do you and the Papiſts differ but onely in the maner? if you do ſo agree in the matter, and be all one in the main, &c.
It is not your calling others Papiſts that are not, that can cleare you from that root; neither doth your ſaying that you are the Miniſters of Chriſt prove you to be ſo: who are found out of his doctrin and not knowing his commandes, or call, his miniſtry and worſhip; that refuſe his way and walk in the practice of his miniſters, who your ſelves are Lords and Maſters, and called by man, approved, ſett up, and are receiving your wages of the world, and perſecuting Chriſts meſſengers that are ſent to witneſſe againſt deceits, and deceivers, and would think to make people believe you to be that which you are not, by caſting that upon others which is yours, received from your fore-fathers, and returns upon you and Papiſts again, to remain from whence it came, and the burthen you are like to bear, and judgment from God expect for the wrong againſt him and men which you do, and have done.
And now that your deceits is made manifeſt and teſtified againſt, you are ſeeking to revive your former work, & to deceive people by your flatteries and falſe confeſſions and Colourable gloſſes: for you ſet up your will-worſhips, in the nature which is contrary to God, and hath taught you to neglect his work (as you ſay) according to his word, & in that nature by which you have been led into your miſcarriages [and promiſeth ſalvation upon the performance and damnation you threaten upon the refuſall] and ſay you ſhall proceed with thoſe that refuſe, and deal with them as the obſtinate deſpiſers of Inſtruction ought to be dealt withall (but are not you the obſtinate deſpiſers of the Inſtructions of the Lord who have neglected his work &c. and lives in the miſcarriages wronging Chriſt and men & c? then expect to be ſo dealt withall in the firſt place your ſelves) for all this you ſay you will do to others, &c. whilſt you are bewailing your own negligence in the work of God, and confeſſing your Miſcarrigaes, and wrong by you done to God and men, and telling of the little effect which your miniſtry hath wrought, and of your peoples ſleep in ſecurity, and being in ſin unturned to God: and you had then to go a begging for your pardon, May 4. 1655.
20And yet you being in the old birth and the fall, in the evil nature bringing forth ſuch evill fruits, and whilſt unpardoned, you frame your Image, reſolves to go on, and ſtates your time, layes your penalty, and promiſe how you will deal with thoſe that refuſe to (worſhip your Image, ſet up in your wills & the old nature) and will not ſubmit, you threaten to deal with them as obſtinate refuſers of Inſtructions, but is but ſuch inſtructions as proceeds from your obſtinate ſpirits, which hath kept you in the Miſcarriages and neglect of the work of God,Luke 16.11, 15. Luke 12.45, 46, 27. Math. 25.41, 42. Matth. 7.21, 22, 23. &c. wronging both Men and his Son, and wants your pardon then, as you ſay, for the ſame: and I ſay you cannot tell whether the Lord in the firſt place will deal with you as obſtinate refuſers of his Inſtructions and caſt you out as unjuſt ſtewards for both your obſtinacy, negl•gence, and wrong done to men and to Chriſt his Son he hath good grounds to proceed againſt you on, and needs little evidence from others: for your own mouths and tongues hath confeſſed the ſame, and it had been wiſdom to had waited till the triall had been over; and to know whether you ſhould have a pardon or be caſt out for what you in the rebellion of your hearts, (againſt the Light and Living truth of God, &c.) have already done: And to ſee how you ſhould have been dealt withall your ſelves for the ſame, before you ſhould have threatened what you would do to others,Rom. 2.5, 6, 8, 9. Rev. 14.9, 10, 11, Rev. 20.10, 13, 14, 15. that refuſeth your Inſtruction. Remember, That when you ſo ſaid, you was not then in the counſel of the Living God, and therefore you ſpake it without the fear of God, raſhly, out of a reprobate ſence, preſumtuouſly ſaying ſo, before your pardon for your high contempt, that wronged Men and Chriſt, &c. and knew not but that you might be condemned at the judgment ſeat, and caſt out as reprobates and neglecters of the work of God, [and for your Miſcarrariages &c.] into perdition and receive according to your deſerts, and into the pit which for others you have digged you your ſelves to be caſt and be tormented for,Joh. 16.13. Heb. 5.8, 9. at the laſt.
In page the 4. you ſet up your will-worſhips which you call Catechiſme end perſonal familiar inſtruction not being then pardoned, nor knowing the Spirit of Chriſt to guide you [out of your Error, Hereſie, Miſcarriages, and Wrong by you done to men and to Chriſt, page 19. & to guide out of deceits & flatteries] into the truth, which ſpirit is for inſtruction, & to guide all that obey it you ſay that Catechiſme & perſonal Inſtruction is for the killing of Ignorance, and quickning the underſtanding, and ſo puts that inſtead of the Spirit,Eph. 2.1. Col. 3. Rom. 8.13 14. 1 Joh. 5 20, Joh. 14.26. which is to Inſtruct and kill Ignorance, and quicken the underſtanding ▪ by bringing the things of Chriſt to remembrance, as Chriſt hath ſaid, Joh. 14.26. but wanting the Spirit you ſet up your perſonal and familiar Inſtruction to do it, as it appeares by page 21. you Intreat them there to come for ſome familiar conference and perſonal inſtruction, for the leſſe they know and remember the more help they need; and you are there calling them to come to you that are untaught, to deny your Miſcarriages, &c. And coming from the ſprituall teaching to your perſonall Inſtruction they come from the true meanes and helps: and that is the cauſe why they do not profit, andy on ſet up your paper and perſonal Inſtruction inſtead of the21 ſpirit of truth, which is the guide into all truth; John 16.13. and the remembrancer alſo, killing Ignorance; and is the meanes that prevents and keeps from it, &c. but you ſay your Catechiſme and familiar and perſonall Inſtruction is ſo (becauſe you are Ignorant of the ſame) you ſay you obſerve that the younger, when they are once married, will come no more to be Catechiſed publiquely, and too many forget that which before they had learned, which this courſe you ſay may prevent but it hath not prevented you [the perſonall familliar ſtructers] for running into miſcarriages and doing wrong to others, neither doth it lead you out of it, who are therein, and without pardon for the ſame, &c. and is people ſo ſilly to think it will do it in them, your hearers, when it hath not yet done it in you their teachers, and wrongers, whereby you manifeſt your ſelves to be meer deluders, and alſo deceivers; though the blind ſee you not, yet are you ſeen and your wayes and windings with the true light are diſcovered, comprehended, and with the light, which you act contrary unto,Joh. 8, 12. ſtoh. 14.6. Joh. 15.6. Heb. 5.8, 9. Heb. 7.25. are you to be condemned.
You ſay page 4. that Catechiſing and perſonall Inſtruction is the doctrin of ſalvation? You ſpeak you know not what, and without underſtanding of the way of ſalvation, putting that in the rome of Chriſt who is the way to ſalvation, John 14.6. he is the way to the father? Then your Catechiſme and familiar perſonall Inſtruction is not the way, for it is not Chriſt, and no man can come to the Father but by him, John 14.6. And he is perfctely able to ſave to the utmoſt all thoſe that come unto God by him,Gal. 1.9, 10. Heb. 7.25. without your Catechiſme or perſonall and familiar Inſtruction: which is ſet up in your old evil and miſcarrying nature,Prge, 19. and 29. who yet know not the way of ſalvation that are ſeting up a way of your own, and turning thereby people as much as in you lieth from Chriſt the true way: to walk in yours, who are curſed Children, neglecters of the work of God, and in your miſcarriages, wanting your pardon for that and your wrong done to Chriſt and to men, &c. (when you ſo ſaid) and then you ſet up your Image, and ſtayed your time, ſaying, you would ſet a convenient ſtated time for that work in your Pariſhes, telling people you will grant their deſires, and examine ſome privatly, ſome openly, or as they pleaſe, and ſo manifeſt your ſelves to be men pleaſers, and time-ſervers, when you will, and as you will to pleaſe people for your own ends; rather then loſe your gain: and if their ſoules periſh you will take their moneyes and meanes and tell them on their death bed, when you viſit the ſick, that you dare not ſpeak a word of Comfort unto them; yet you dare take their money in their life time for your deceiving and dead dark, dry, barren and uncomfortable doctrine, and now that your preaching is found ſo uſeleſs you cry up your Catechiſme and perſonal & familiar Inſtructions at a very high rate, ſaying it is that which life or death muſt depend upon (page 10.) but what will it effect more then your preaching hath done? even leave people as they was: except in conceits higher, and grow into Ignorance of the power of truth and way of ſalvation22 [for all that] when they have done, as they yet are, and alſo Ignorant of what you your ſolves have many years taught them, whoſe doctrin deceives their ſoules and deprives them of underſtanding the ſame. And if they periſh in their Ignorance, are not you the cauſe of it? who ſayes (in page 11.) you find by experience that the people underſtand not your publick preaching; though you ſtudy to ſpeak as plain as you can:Iſa. 55.2. Jer. 23.30, 31, 32. &c. but do you not take their money for the ſame, and ſo for that which is not bread, neither doth it profit their ſouls, and that after many years too; many you ſay can ſcarce tell any thing you have ſaid: therefore you, and they may ſee how little they are benefited by you, and what little uſe your ſtudied ſtuffe is of, and how uſeleſſe that is which you ſtudy and invent in that old miſcarrrying nature, which doth deprive peoples underſtandings (of knowing the truth) and ſo keeps them in blindneſſe and Ignorance of the onely true God. And therefore as you ſay in page 19. you are wrongers of Chriſt and of them, and may well fear that God will require their blood at your hands, who make it manifeſt that you have run unſent, and your miniſtry doth not profit the people at all? And how ſhould it be otherwiſe being untaught your ſelves (to come out of your ſelf-ends) but are in the negligence of the work of God, and the miſcarriages, &c. miniſtring from the ſame ſpirit your fore-fathers [time ſervers and men pleaſers] did,Jer. 23.1.16.20, 21, ver. it appeares by the Statute, of 25. H. 8. Cap. 21. The Pope caſt out for his miſcarriages and uſurpation and beguiling the people, &c, that were not the ſervants of Chriſt, and now you are mainfeſt to be the unprofitable ſervants and miniſtry (for to be accounted or rendered vſeleſſe as theirs is) or be holden accurſed as it is ſaid in Gal. 1.8, 9. 2 Cor. 16.22.
The Pope that had the rule amongſt Tythes and ſuch like things &c. [till Hen. 8.] here in England, was not he put out for his miſcarriages, and after the Pope was put out by Hen. 8. did not then the Arch-Biſhops bear rule [in his ſtead,] and ſet up Prieſts, Rectors and Curates, and did not they as you do [and all their Branches as Prelates, Epiſcopals, Prieſts, Rectors, and Curates, &c.] open their mouthes wide to ſpeak firſt in their own cauſe and behalf, to cry up themſelves by the name of the Miniſters of Chriſt, as you do? and did not they cry up their miniſtry and meanes as Jure divino, but they were diſcovered and made manifeſt that they was not ſo. And your fore-fathers the Arch-biſhops, & Biſhops &c. were found in Miſcarriages, & was they not both wrongers of men and of Chriſt, and cut off, (or turned out) for their Miſcarriages, & c? And by the late Parliment they were diſ-annulled and rendered uſeleſſe, and they are cryed down and their mouthes ſtopt (viz.) the Arch-Biſhops and Biſhops, &c. who cryed themſelves up with as wide a mouth as you can do ſaying, they was the Miniſters of Chriſt, (and Jure divino &c.) and were ready to call all hereticks, and the like, that diſſented from them, and witneſſed againſt their deceits: and how did they puniſh & afflict them for the ſame? And have not you learned to walk in their ſteps? And did not the Epiſcopals, and Prelates, & thoſe that were branches of the Biſhops (as you are) •o as you do? and cryed up themſelves by the name of the Miniſters23 of Chriſt, and counted others Hereticks and were ready to rank them with Papiſts as you do? But was not the Prelates, and Epiſcopals, ſound to be in the Miſcarriages, and wrongers of God and Men as you are, and was not they cut off and turned out for their Miſcarriages & c? And are not they ſilent and their mouths ſtopt and cryed down, though they were forward to cry up themſelves as you do, and to call others Sectaries and Hereticks that are not ſo as you are, but though you now open your mouthes wide to cry up your ſelves, as your fore-fathers did, (being a bough or branch from them) yet with the Light you are now ſeen: and if they was cut off (or turned out) for their miſcarriages and wrong done to Chriſt and to men; do you deſerve to ſtand who are found in, and confeſſing the ſame? But when you have filled up your meaſures and comes by all to be ſeen in the ſame, muſt not you then deſcend, and turn back from whence you came and be as you are, men in miſcarriages and neglecters of the great work of God, wronging men and Chriſt as you ſay, and your fruirs with your Agreement ſtands witneſſe againſt you: but in patience let all that ſee your deceits poſſeſe their ſoules and praiſe God for the riches of his love that hath led them out of your miſcarriages, and from under your miſt or popiſh darkneſſe, into the pure and glorious light, and teaching of Chriſt, wherein they are growing in grace,Col. 2.3, 4, 5, 6. Eph. 3.17.18, 19, Col 2.7, 8, 9. Col 3.12, 13, 14 15. Ephe. 5.11, Rev. 3.9. being rooted and grounded in the true Goſpel, ſoul-ſaving purifying faith, in which their ſoules are purifyed, whoſe loves runs out unto the bretheren, from a pure heart, being of the new birth, 1 Pet. 22.23. and denying your deceits and dead doctrin, who witneſſe againſt the works of darkneſſe and all that which proceeds from your Miſcarrying nature, and from the popiſh root and that ſpirit of deceit by which you wrong men and Chriſt, and are neglecters of his work, and without pardon for the ſame, &c. Rev. 14.9, 10, 11. Growing worſe and runing yet further from God, as you alſo ſay.
And you ſay page 19, It aſtoniſhed you many times, when you have occaſion to talke with your hearers,page 19. to perceive that they know very little of the doctrin which you ſay you have been preaching to them ſo many yeares there? The people may take notice of the unprofitableneſſe of your preaching and miniſtry, and that they have ſpent their money upon you for that which is no bread, and doth not after long time hearing and living under (little or) not at all profit them:Luke. 16, 15. but how ſhould it profit Them, when it hath not taught You to come out of your miſcarriages, and that curſed nature from which your wrong to Chriſt and men doth proceed, in which wrongfull and miſcarrying, nature your miniſtry ſtands, and therefore is not like to profit the people. But you ſpeak in your own behalf, as ſelf juſtifyers, Phariſies, falſe Prophets, and Hypocrits uſe to do: and you ſay you know that they muſt underſtand it or periſh; & yet though they have made uſe of you, and ſpend their time and money upon you, you have not, nor doth not bring them to underſtand it: and then with you their miſcarrying and untaught teachers, them to underſtand it: and then with you their miſcarrying and untaught teachers, they (accordingly as you ſay) are like to periſh, yet24 you cry up your own way at a very high rate for your own ends, and ſets the price of a periſhing condition without the underſtanding of [your brain Imaginations, which you call] your preachings [or your humane Inventions] and poor people your hearers, &c. that after they have ſpent their labour and meanes or money upon you this many years, yet want their underſtanding, and benefit from you: therefore it is high time for them to ceaſe from you and hearken to the light of Chriſt in their conſcience, that calls to repentance that it they may obey and thereby come into the teaching of God, Iſa. 54.13. Joh. 6.46. which cauſeth all to profit, 1 Cor. 12.7. that obey the true light and follow the ſame, Ioh. 8.11. Heb. 5.8, 9.
But people have many yeares heard you and are yet little (or nothing at all as you ſay) benefited by you, for they remain yet in Ignorance &c. you ſay, and are like to do ſo for you, I ſay: Whoſe miniſtry ſtands in your wills, and not in the will of God, and can alter and change as times and mens wills alter and change, but now that you ſee your miniſtry doth not kill Ignorance, &c. you are uſing the ſame meanes which your fore-fathers did, to do it, but left undone: and is found with you in the Error, Hereſies, and Miſcarriages, but you ſay that Catecthiſme and perſonall Inſtruction is a great meanes to overcome that killing Ignorance, &c. page 9. If ſo, how was it that the ſame meanes viz. perſonall Catechizing and familiar Inſtruction from the ſame ſpirit, that led into miſcarriages and to wrong men and Chriſt as you do, did not kill that killing Ignorance in the time of the Pope, Prelates, Epiſcopalls, and old out-caſt (or) rooted out Biſhops, whoſe branches from that body (are you)? and did not they ſet people on the ſame work, and to uſe the ſame meanes as you do? (which did not kill it, &c.) they ſet them to get the Creed as you call it, and the ſame Creed as you do, and the Lords prayer, ten Commandements, and thoſe Catechiſmes which they as well as you call Orthodox Catechiſmes, and their old Expoſiters as you do, and yet the killing Ignorance is unkilled amongſt you their off-ſpring, that growes a little more into ſubtilty, and gets words to talk of, and ſets people to get a few words, by you [ſummed together to talk of] but are out of the life of them: and are in pride, coveteouſneſſe, vain glory, ſelf conceitedneſſe, Error and Hereſies, perſecution and commiting abomination in as high a degree as your fore-fathers did, though under a refined ſubtilty, who pretends much in words, but brings forth the ſame evil fruits from the ſame old birth, and evil Spirit as they [and ſuch did] that drew neer to God,Iſa. 29.10.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Iſa. 59.23, 4. &c. with their mouthes, and lips, when their hearts were farr from him: and deviſing miſchief, and bringing forth cruelty, and wickedneſſe like you, and your hearers that are aſleep or in the ſleepy ſecurity, and in Ignorance, in ſin unturned to God, and you their teachers neglecters of the work of God and in the miſcarriages, wrongers of them and of Chriſt, as you ſay; and yet, in your ſelf commendation, you are not aſhamed to call your ſelves the Lords labourers, when you are wrongers of him and the people; and neglecters of his work, alſo living25 in the miſcarriages: and where you tell of a land of light, and a garden; you are found to be out of both, and in darkneſſe, and the field of wickedneſſe, in whoſe hearts the miſcarriages and weeds grows: and where you ſay, The Lord hath not dealt ſo with every Nation? I ſay,Mark. 7.21.22 ▪ 22. Rom. 1.28, 29 ▪ &c. not ſo much yet: as to diſcover to the inhabitants their teachers abominations and miſcarriages, and cauſe their own mouthes to utter, and their pens to write the ſame againſt themſelves, and their fruits to confirme it, as in this Nation you and yours doth, and hath done, which is but the fore-runners or firſt diſcovered, and ſo much made manifeſt before other Nations, who have not yet heard and ſeene what we have done. Moſt of the world you ſay, page the 17. do lie in the darkneſſe of, Heatherniſme, Idolatry, Infidelitie, and Mahometaniſme; and too much of Chriſtendome in the darkneſſe of Popery and Hereſie. True all the world lieth in wickedneſſe I ſay, and ſo ſaith the Scriptures I Joh. 5.19. but we know that we are of God, and you (in that wickedneſſe and Popiſh darkneſſe) that are in the miſcarriages are of the world, &c. And what can Heatheniſme, Idolatry, Infidelity, Mahometaniſme, Popery, and Hereſie, (though by pretended Chriſtians) bring forth more againſt the honour of God, &c. then to live in the miſcarriages, keep alive in killing ignorance, wronging both men and Chriſt, and neglect the work of God, according to his word, &c. growing worſe and yet run further from God (as you do) and if Papiſts, Idolaters, Infidels, Mahometans, and Heretiques can bring forth nothing more againſt the honour of God, (and deſtruction of ſouls) then to live in killing ignorance unkilled, and in miſcarriages unpardoned, and in ſin unturned to God, in ſleepie ſecurity, wronging both God and men, and neglecting the work of God according to his word, growing worſe and running yet further from God: then you and your hearers are found in the ſame, and ſo agreeing in that old nature from whence ariſeth negligence, miſcarriages, Idolatry; Poperie, Infidelity, Heatheniſme, and Mahometaniſme, Hereſie, &c. and being out of the new birth in the old, & guided by that nature and Spirit, do you not with Heathens, Popes, Turks, Heretiques, and Infidels agree in the maine for they can but live in the miſcarriages, aſleep in ſecurity, works of darkneſſe, in ſin unturned to God, & in killing ignorance unkilled, neglecting the work of God according to his word, to wrong Chriſt & men, growing worſe and running futther from God, which you and your hearers are found in, and doth the ſame as your fruits and book (called Agreement) doth againſt you ſtand witneſſe, &c. and here (by your fruits ſpirits and your words) you are left amongſt your own (with infidels, idolaters, Popes, Turks, and Heretiques) that are of the old birth and wicked ſeed, out of the way of ſalvation, neglecting Gods work, and perſecuting or doing the work of the Devill, in a high meaſure, amounted ſo high as to turne wrongers of Chriſt and of men, and ſo are deceivers of ſouls, and therefore inſtead of a pardon, expect judgment & greater condemnation, like ſuch, Mark. 12.38.39.40. & Math. 23.31.32, 33. &c. Behold! are you not left deſolate, being ſhut out of Chriſts Miniſtry, and from amongſt Chriſtians, and are in the nature of Popes,26 Papiſts, Idolaters, Infidels, Heretiques, and the Mahometans, &c. that are upon the ſame evill root, living on the evill tree, and bringing forth the evill fruit, though you differ in ſome words and Colourable Gloſſes,Math. 7.15.16.17.18.16.20. Iſa. 29.14.15.16. you are of the curſed root, and beares that fruit that is a•curſed, and can deceive none but the deceived, ſuch as are of that evill ſeed, bearing evill fruit, who are ſtrangers to the new birth, and without the true knowledge of the living God, and now your vizors or covers are too narrow, and all your garniſhing and Colourable Gloſſes will not maske nor hide you,Act 20.28.33.34. ver. Act 26, 26. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.7. 1 Pet. 5.1.2.3. 2 Cor. 6.3.4 5.6. but leaves you naked and bare; In that which you call your Warrant; you ſay, the Holy-Ghoſt made you overſeers, &c. but you have proved your ſelves liers, for the Holy-Ghoſt makes thoſe overſeers that do not neglect the work of God, and ſuch as are out of miſcarriages, that ſhun not to declare the Counſel of God freely, and covets no mans Silver nor Gold, who are not perſecuters nor wrongers of God, but ſuch as are blameleſſe as the ſtewards of God, &c. Tit. 1.7. But you that are wrongers of men and of Chriſt, and neglecters of the work of God (according to his word) growing worſe, and running yet further from God,2 Cor. 41.2. 2 Tim. 3.10, 11.12.13.16.17. 1 Th•ſ. 4.7. you never were made overſeers by the Holy-Ghoſt, & therefore you have lied of or againſt the Holy Ghoſt, & ſo are liers againſt God the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for in page. 3.4. you tell of your unfaithfulneſſe or negligence, and are bewaileing the ſame, as you ſay, and wanting a pardon, and yet you confute your ſelves in uttering your lies, for your own ends, where you are ſeeking your praiſe in that, called your Exhortation, &c. page 17.18.19. &c. Saying, it hath pleaſed the Lord of the Harveſt to ſend forth laborers into this part of his Harveſt, though you confeſſe too weake and imperfect, yet more numerous, and faithfull, and diligent, then moſt of his Churches elſewhere, proportionably can ſhow. That God hath ſent forth labourers into his Harveſt, is true; and they are ſtrengthened by him to labour againſt your deceipt, and they are both diligent and faithfull in his work, who neither wrong Chriſt nor men: but if you meane that you are thoſe labourers or would have people to believe that you are; your own words and fruits do witneſſe againſt you, that you ave not labourers in the Lords Harveſt, nor ſent by him, that are neglecters of his worke; and in miſcarriages not pardoned for the ſame, and then not ſent: neither are you faithfull and diligent, that are in the miſcarriages, and negligent, your own words are your contradictions, and ſelfe confutations, and if ignorance be the cauſe that thouſands periſh; if your people periſh, are not you the cauſe of it? that hath your people in ſuch ignorance; that though they can talk underſtandingly about the matters of the world, yet they can ſcarce ſpeake a word of ſence about the matters of ſalvation as you ſay, (page 19.) and upon the experience of their ignorance, you have been b•ought to conſider of your negligence, and to know how you have wronged Chriſt and them, in feare leaſt God ſhould require their blood at your hands: though you would put off with flatteries and excuſes; be ſure the Lord will call you to a ſwer before his judgment ſeate for it; your triall is not yet paſt: and your pardon you have not, and where you ſay he hath27 wonderfully diſpelled (or expelled) the miſts of Popery: I anſwer yea that he hath, and therefore thoſe that dwell in his light ſees you in thoſe miſts undiſpelled, that are ſuch deceivers and wrongers of men and of Chriſt, page 18.19. and you ſay many of Gods ſervants have laid down their lives in flames in witneſſe againſt it, I anſwer ſo they have; but what is that to you that are in the miſcarriages and wronging Chriſt and men, growing worſe and running (as you ſay) yet further from God, &c. who are caſting or cauſing to be caſt into Priſon, and perſecuting the Lords faithfull witneſſes, that are ſent to witneſſe againſt your deceipts, and gaainſt all the Popiſh miſts of darkneſſe, in which miſts and darkneſſe are ſuch as are wrongers of God and men, in the hereſis and miſcarriages as you are, who being in that miſt of darkneſſe and the miſcarrying nature, which hath taught you to lie againſt God and his work (page 18.) ſaying, he writes his law in the hearts of his living witneſſes imperfectly. I ſay you are ignorant of the living witneſſes; being your ſelves dead branches and perſecuters of his living witneſſes, as the filling of your Priſons & cruell uſage at worceſter, Eveſham, Banbury, Oxford, Northampton, and other places may witneſſe, which perſecution and cruelty (proceeds from that Popiſh miſt, or the miſcarring nature) being works of darkneſs and are reproved by us Epheſians, 5.11. and as you have ſhowed your ignorance of the living witneſſes in whoſe hearts the law of God is written, ſo have you ſhowed that you are ignorant of the writeing of the law in the heart, and ignorant of the law written therein, that accounteth the work of God an imperfect worke, and accounteth God to be an imperfect writer of the law in the heart. If he have written his law in the heart of his living witneſſes imperfectly as you ſay, who muſt perfect it? would not you be the perfecters of it? or make people beleive in you to do it, who are the tranſgreſſers of it, being in the miſcarriages growing worſe, &c. And, as you ſay you are wrongers of men and of Chriſt; ſo are you wrongers of God himſelfe, that calls his work an imperfect work, and accounts God himſelfe to be an imperfect worker, and to do his work imperfectly; when he is a perfect worker and his works are perfect, and ſo doth he write his law perfectly in the hearts of his faithfull living witneſſes, as both they and the Scripture beare a true teſtimony, though yours be falſe and not true (therein). And here I charge you (42 Prieſts Teachers, Paſtours, Miniſters, Rectors,) in the preſence of the Lord to be falſe witneſſes, and lyers againſt God and his work, and his law which he writes perfectly in the hearts of his living witneſſes, as the Scripture witneſſeth, Jer. 31.33. Heb. 8.10.11. The Lord is a perfect worker, and his law is perfect, ſo doth he write it perfectly, to do its work: Give eare ô ye Heavens and I will ſpeak ſaith the Lord God (whoſe words witneſſeth againſt you, and all falſe witneſſes that are knowne by your falſe teſtimony, therefore ſaith he) heare ô earth the words of my mouth. Deut. 32.1.2 my doctrine ſhall drop as the raine, my ſpeech ſhall diſtill as the dew, as the ſmal raine upon the tender hearbs, and as the ſhowers upon the graſſe, becauſe I will publiſh the name of the Lord: aſcribe ye greatneſſe unto our God, He is the Rock, his work is perfect, Deut. 2832.34. As for God, his way and work is perfect, the word of the Lord is tried, he is a buckler to all thoſe that truſt in him: for who is God ſave the Lord, or who is the Rock ſave our God? It is God that girdeth me with ſtrength, faith David, and maketh my way perfect, Pſa. 18.30, 31, 32. And this the living witneſſes, in whoſe hearts the law of God were perfectly written, witneſſeth, againſt you 42 falſe witneſſes, that ſaith It is imperfect; but your folly is made manifeſt (as well as your falſe teſtimony) in your Agreement.
But this is but like thy former writing, Richard Baxter (in that deceitfull booke of thine which James Nayler anſwered in print, as I did in writing, and ſent to have come to thee, before I knew of the printing of thine, or James his anſwer to that called the Quakers Catechiſme) wherein thy deceipt was (to ſome purpoſe) made manifeſt, in which thou poured forth the venome and filth out of thy old bottle: And did'ſt thou not ſay that when (ſuch as you) the Miniſters were overtaken with a lazie fit they could preach without ſtudy, as well as a woman fit for the gumble ſtoole: and hath not the lazie fit overtaken thee, and you 42 Miniſters, that you have declared your lazineſſe or negligence, and preached in your Agreement (or therein declared) your ignorance of God and the truth, and of the law in the heart, perfectly written in the heart, by the true and perfect writer of the ſame, in his faithfull witneſſes, who beares teſtimony againſt your deceipts and filthineſſe, which you daylie make manifeſt, who (as you ſay) grow worſe, and are running yet further from God.
You ſay in your Agreement, page 26. that repentance is a through turning from the fleſh and the world to God, &c. then they that throughly turne from the fleſh and the world to God, they turne out of imperfection unto perfection: and art not thou here in words become a Preacher of that which thou Richard Baxter in thy book called the Quakers Catechiſme, there, called the doctrine of the Devil, for thou called the doctrine of perfection in that booke the doctrine of the Devil: and here, in thy agreement thou Acknowledged covertly that which thou therein denied openly, and ſaith in that called your Warrant that you are to preſent every man perfect, &c: And if it was the Devils doctrine to preach perfection; and the Papiſts dung to feed on, as therein (to wit the booke called the Quakers Catechiſme) thou ſaid it was: Then art not thou either denying in your agreement, what in the other thou aſſerted, and ſo art thy own confuter and ſelfe contradicter; or elſe if thou do not ſo, doſt not thou now preach that which thou therein ſaid, the Devill bred, Chriſt deteſted, and none that had any ſparke of true grace ever believed or received. And beſides, doeſt not thou indeavour to feed people with it which thou therein called the papiſts dung? Conſider well of it, and where thou ſaid in thy ſcorne, when you have rubbed your eyes give us leave to ſmell the Pope in your endeavours; but now behold thou thy folly, and that Popiſh miſt or darkneſſe, which thou art in, how it hath blinded thy mind, and led thee into ſelfe contradictions; and to manifeſt the mote thy confuſion who art ſpeaking thou knows not what,29 but by imagination that art not yet to repentance come, and therefore art very unfit to preach††Repentance or Perfection either: for if repentance be (as thou ſays and the 41 more in conſent and approbation with thee) in that Agreement (viz) a through-turning from the fleſh and the world to God, page 26. then you are not yet come to repentance, that are not throughly turned from the world, & the fleſh unto God, but are in the world & the ſleſhin the miſcariages & negligence, page 3. & 4. & wrongers of men & of Chriſt, page 19. Therefore behold your folly made manifeſt, 2 Tim. 3.8.9. who ſay you grow worſe and ſo it appeares (and that you are in confuſion) and that is a cleare Character to know evil men and ſeducers by, as the Scripture ſaith; for they ſhall grow worſe and worſe, 2 Tim. 3, 13.
And remember, Richard Baxter, in thy book of ſlander called the Quakers Catechiſme thou didſt not onely ſlander us and all the Saints and ſervants of God and Miniſters of the Goſpel (to prove thy ſelfe to be none of them) but thou alſo ſlandered God himſelf, and Chriſt his Son: as well as in thy Agreement thou ſaies thou have wronged both Chriſt: and men, and yet continues therein (growing worſe and running on) a though thou uſe words of flatteries to make Colourable Gloſſes for thy own ends, yet art thou comprehended and ſeen, as in thy other thou was ▪ who wronged God and Chriſt, and all the Saints and Miniſters of the everlaſting truth and Goſpel of God, (ſhowing thy ſelfe to be ignorant of them, &c:) for thou ſaid the doctrine of perfection was bred by the Devill, thou believed: and here thou art reprobate concerning the faith that ſtands in the power; where thy entiſing words are ſhut out and all the deceivers: for God himſelfe bred or brought forth firſt that doctrine of perfection, and not the Devil as thou haſt ſaid. And here Richard Baxter I charge thee in the preſence of God to be a falſe witneſſe againſt the eternall truth, and alſo to be a ſlanderer of the truth, and art againſt God himſelfe, who firſt preached that doctrine of perfection, viz. the doctrine of ſinleſſe perfection, and ſaid to Abraham when he appeared to him at the age of 99. yeares, or when Abraham was 99. yeares old, and preached the doctrine of perfection unto him, when he promiſed to make a covenant with him, and multiply him exceedingly: he ſaid unto him at that appearance and in his doctrine, I am the Almighty God walke before me and be thou perfect, Gen. 17.1.
But Abraham did not croſſe the doctrine of perfection preached by the Almighty God, (at 99. yeares old) and ſay, he could not be perfect; as many of the Prieſts diſciples and ſuch in the old nature of miſcarriages (like you) do now, that ſay you cannot be perfect (though God and Chriſt commanded it) neither did Abraham ſay that the doctrine of perfection was a doctrine of the Devill, or firſt bred by him as thou Richard Baxter hath ſaid (in the booke called the Quakers Catechiſme) but art without proof for the ſame;Genc. 17.1. Math. 5.48. and haſt thou not called the doctrine of Almighty God the doctrine of the Devil? and beſides haſt thou not called the Almighty God (a Devil) as the Jewes, cheife Preiſts, and ſuch in thy nature called Chriſt a Belzebub or Prince of Devils, in that wicked ſlander of30 thine? where thou ſaid thou believed the doctrine of perfection was firſt bred by the Devill,Joh. 8.48, 49.50, 51, 52, 53. Mark 3.22. when it was firſt bred or brought forth and preached by the Almighty God himſelfe: and how wilt thou cleare thy ſelfe from the ſin againſt the Holy-Ghoſt, who art not a wronger of men only, but of God and Chriſt, alſo? and now hath in thy Agreement with the 42. Prieſts, Miniſters, Paſtors, Teachers, and Rectors, (under a cover appeared and) confeſſed the ſame, to wit, thy wrong to Chriſt and to men, and ſo to God himſelf, and is here made manifeſt, &c. And you ſay, you are growing worſe and running yet further from God: then you do not amend, but beares the marks of evill men; and ſeducers (as the Scripture ſaith) which ſhall wax worſe, and worſe deceiving and being deceived,2 Tim. 3.13. as may be read, 2 Tim. 3.13. ſo fulfilling the Scripture therein.
And againe, that doctrine of perfection was preached (but not bred by the Devill as thou ſaies) where it is given forth by command ſaying, Thou ſhalt be perfect, with the Lord thy God, Deuter. 18.13. And, the way of the Lord is perfect, Pſalm. 18.30. his law is perfect, Pſalm. 19.7. his work is perfect, Deut. 32. and God himſelfe was the Preacher of the doctrine of perfection, Gen. 17.1. and alſo did command it, Deut. 18.13. then it was neither the breeding and bringing forth of the Devill: nor the Papiſts dung (as thou, Richard Baxter, hath ſaid) except thou would dare to call the Almighty God by the name of the Devil, and his truth and doctrine (by him brought forth preached and commanded to be walked in) by the name of the Papiſts dung:Jam. 2.7. and if ſo, then behold thy blaſphemie, as well as the Popiſh miſt of darkneſſe which thou art in, to wrong God himſelfe and both Chriſt and men.
And as thou ſaid in that booke called the Quakers Catechiſme, thou believed the doctrine of perfection was bred by the Devil the greateſt ſinner, and deteſted by Chriſt, and never beleived in heartily by any man that knew himſelf, or had any ſparke of true grace or Chriſtian experience, &c. page 24. Here thou haſt done wrong to Chriſt and the Saints, and to the Miniſters of the everlaſting truth, and Goſpel of ſalvation, and thy ſayings as aforeſaid agreeth againſt thee, with thy falſe confeſſion, wherein thy lies are faſtened upon thee, and thou art confirming them in that Agreement of you 42. Preiſts, Miniſters, Paſtours, Teachers and Rectors, wherein you ſay you are in the miſcarriages unpardoned, page the 4. and wrongers of Chriſt and men, page the 19. and therefore growing worſe, and running yet further from God, it is no marvaile that you preach againſt the doctrine of perfection, which is the doctrine of the Father and the Son.
For as God himſelf preached the doctrine of perfection, and ſaid to Abraham, Walk before me and be thou perfect, and ſaid to the Children of Iſrael, Thou ſhalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, Chriſt himſelf did did not deteſt it, (as thou ſays he did) for he was ſo far from deteſting it that he highly approved of it viz. the doctrine of perfection, and when he was upon the mount, he ſo far ſhewed his love, eſtimation, and true approbation of it that he (viz. Chriſt himſelf) did preach the ſame and31 gave it forth by command upon the Mount to his Diſciples, ſaying, Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect: Math. 5.48.
And here thou haſt wronged Chriſt and lyed againſt him, ſaying, he deteſted it: thou blind guide, and falſe accuſer of the truth; behold thy abſurdity! If Chriſt had deteſted the doctrine of perfection as thou ſayes, wouldeſt not thou have had him to have gone againſt the command of the Father? and to have deteſted his own doctrine? but none will believe thee, except the willfull blind, and ſuch as are wrapt up in deceipt with thee, and hereby inſtead of miniſtring, and maintaining the truth, thou haſt both miniſtred and maintained lies, ſlanders, and deceits, and wronged Chriſt: therefore art thou no Miniſter of his.
And if the Devill ſhould have bred the doctrine of perfection, would not he have bred a doctrine againſt himſelfe, to have rooted out his own Kingdom? But are not you and the Devils diſciples ſo much againſt that doctrine that you labour with all your skill to preach it out;Gen. 17.1. Math. 5.48. Joh. 14.20. 2 Joh. 9. Joh. 14.15. 1 Joh. 5.3, 4. 1 Joh. 2.3, 4.5.6. Joh. 14.23.24. and keep it for taking place in the peoples hearts? and is there any that are againſt the doctrine of perfection (which is the doctrine of the Father and the Son) but ſuch as are againſt the Father and the Son, and as you are, who are wrongers of Chriſt and men; and do not all thoſe that deny the doctrine of perfection, deny the doctrine both of God and Chriſt and ſo are neither Goſpel-Miniſters, nor true Chriſtians; ſeeing they both do command it: and he that loves Chriſt, keepeth his command, but ſuch as love him not keepeth not his command, and ſo are out of his doctrine, and without God, 2 Joh. 9. in the iniquity and ſelfe ſeparation, and in ſin unturned yet to God, Iſa. 59.1, 2. and yet in the Hereſies, Errors, and Miſcarriages, in the killing ignorance unkilled, filthy dreamers that defile the fleſh, or in the ſleep of ſecurity, wronging Chriſt and men, as in your Agreement you confeſſe you do, and ſays you grow worſe and are running yet further from God: and ſo it appeares.
And as thou, Richard Baxter, miniſters againſt the Father and the Son, and haſt wronged them; ſo haſt thou wronged the ſervants of God, and Miniſters of Chriſt, and all the Saints and Sons of God: ſaying the Devill thou beleives bred the doctrine of perfection, & ſaying Chriſt deteſted it, when God Almighty bred or brought forth the ſame, and both he himſelfe and Chriſt his Son, did not only bring it forth and preach it; but commanded it to be obeyed and walked in: and thou ſays thou beleives that none that had any ſparke of true grace did hartily beleive in or receive the ſame: and ſo hereby with thy falſe doctrine or reprobate faith thou would exclude all from grace that received the doctrine of perfection, viz. the doctrine of God and Chriſt; and ſo the doctrine of the Father and the Son: but let me tell thee, that ſuch as doth not tranſgreſſe but abide in the doctrine of Chriſt they had and have grace, for they had both the Father and the Son, eternall life, and the holy unction abiding in them; and this the Scripture with me doth ſtand a witneſſe againſt thee and thy lyes, falſe doctrines and deceipts, and let thoſe that pleaſe32 read 2 John ▪ 9. 1 John 2.20, 27. 1 John 5.10, 11, 12. and 20. verſes. to be witneſſe for them that had grace (and received the ſame) againſt thy falſe teſtimony and lying Spirit by which thou art acted and guided.
Alſo ſeveral of the ſervants of God received the fathers doctrin in the time of old, viz. the doctrin of perfection and walked in it, and wouldeſt thou exclude them all from grace? What a deviliſh doctrin is thine, and croſſe unto the Scriptures, and contrary to the true Goſpel miniſters? Therefore is both it and thee that brings it for to be holden accurſed. Gal. 1.8, 9.
Noah was not without grace, and he received the doctrin of God the Father, and were accounted perfect in his generation: who found grace in the eyes of the Lord: and being a Juſt and a perfect man he received the doctrin of the Father: and walked with God, Gen. 6.8, 9. Abraham was not without grace, and he received the doctrin of perfection, taught him by God almighty: when he appeared to him when he was 99. years old, &c. And God bleſſed him, and made a covenant with him,Gen. 17.1. Gen. 6.18. &c. Iob 1.8. Heb. 13.20, 21. as he did with Noah: and they both had experience of his goodnes, and found favor in the eyes of the Lord: Iob 1.8. was not without grace, and he were accounted a perfect and an upright man, being one that feared God and eſchewed evil, as the Lord hath ſaid. King Hezekiah was not without grace, and experience of the Lords goodnes who walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart, and did that which was good in his ſight, 2 Kings 20.3. And David that ſaid, Marke the perfect man, for the end of that man is peace, Pſal. 37.37. was not without grace, and he exhorted or rather commanded his ▪ Son Solomon to ſerve the Lord with a perfect heart: 1 Chron. 28.8, 9. And, as David ſaid, The way of God was (and is) perfect, Pſal. 18.30; So Solomon ſaith that the path of the Juſt is as a ſhining light, that ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day, and they are not without grace that walk therein: Pro. 4.18.
Chriſt, the way to the Father, Joh. 14.6. and to ſalvation to all that obey him Heb. 5.8, 9. he commands to be perfect, Math. 5.48. And his command ought to obeyed: his miniſtry is to lead to a perfect man, Eph. 4.12, 13. The miniſters of the Goſpel preached wiſdom amongſt them that were perfect, 1 Cor. 2.6. And as many as are perfect be thus minded Phil. 3. •5. that the man of God may be perfect, 2 Tim. 3.17. to preſſe others on to perfection Heb. 6.1. that they may attain Heb. 12.22, 23. And the God of peace make you perfect, ſaith the miniſter of the Goſpel to them he miniſtred unto, and exhorted to go on unto, it. And another of the Goſpel miniſters ſaid to them he miniſtred unto, The God of grace make you perfect, 1 Pet, 5.10. Go on to perfection, Heb. 6. finally my brethren farewell, and be perfect, 2 Cor. 13.11, ſaith the Embaſſad or of Chriſt, Having theſe promiſes cleanſe your ſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and of Spirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of the Lord. And Chriſt prayed to his Father for thoſe that were given to him that they might be made perfect in one, Joh. 17.23. And all theſe had grace and Chriſtian experience, that both received the33 doctrin of perfection, and walked in it: and ſome preaching it, and ſome preſſing after it, and ſome attaining it; their words and fruits and the Spirit by which they were guided, [who had grace, and Chriſtian experience, with ſuch as received the doctrin of the Father and the Son having grace and abiding therein] doth witneſſe againſt thee Richard Baxter, and thy falſe doctrin, who garniſheth thy ſelf with their words and calls them thy Warrant from God, when thou and you 42. Prieſts are without their life and not in their practice, but are in your miſcarriages, wronging others, and growing worſe, &c. Therefore are you without your warrant from God, and are none of Chriſts miniſters, but enemies of the truth, and are againſt the doctrin of the Lord Jeſus, but you are made manifeſt and your deceit and falſe doctrin is denyed by the Children of Light, and in and with it, you are reproved and againſt teſtified.
You ſay you receive the publike maintenance to this end, that you may be enabled to lay out your endeavours for the good of the whole pariſhes from which you do receive it, &c. page 13. of your Agreement.
But have you not made it manifeſt, to have received the publick maintenance of your pariſhes & whom you receive it for your evil endeavours, that are men of miſcarriages unpardoned, growing worſe and runing further from God, whoſe work is by you neglected according to your own ſayings: and your people underſtanding little you have ſaid (or many yeares preached to them) who can ſcarſe (as you ſay) ſpeak a word of ſence concerning the matters of their ſalvation and here you are witneſſes againſt them for their Ignorance, &c. as: well as you are witneſſes againſt your ſelves for your miſcarriages and wrong done to Chriſt & them: and is not your negligence one chief cauſe of their Ignorance, and Ignorance the cauſe of deſtruction, and for runner of eternall perdition? who ſay you have wronged Chriſt and them, page 19. Therefore may it not be concluded from your own confeſſion, that you are a chiefe cauſe of ſouls deſtruction: and by your confuſion have you not run into ſelf-contradictions, and makes it manifeſt, that you take the publike maintenance of your pariſhes, not for good endeavours but, for your miſcarriages, and ſo for evil endeavors; who hath not profited the people that are ſo Ignorant of the work of God and their ſoules good, that they can ſcarce ſpeak a word of ſence in matters of ſalvation, as you ſay, and you are the wrongers of them and of God according to your own ſayings, and ſo deceives ſouls for your own ends: but the Lord hath ſhaken his hand againſt your diſhoneſt gain: and ſuch as through covetouſneſſe maketh merchandize of people:Ezek. 22.12, 23. your Judgment of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation ſlumbereth not that (with you) are ſuch: as you may read: 2 Pet. 2.3, 13 ▪ 14, 15.
But let me aske you, From whence you and thoſe that pretend themſelves miniſters of the Goſpel, who receives Tythes or Hundreds a yeare &c. tooke their firſt example? and by whom to receive Tythes, by34 compulſion, and that which they and you call their publick maintenance, &c. had you your example ſo to do from the practice of the Apoſtles of Chriſt,Obſerve, Though Prieſts was very ſcant after the (rot or) peſtilence ſpoken of, in the time of Edw. 3. yet then the pariſh Prieſts, was not by any manner of colour to receive above 6. marks wages by the yeare (without the Biſhops diſpeſnation and ſuſpenſion &) & the pain of people of holy Church ſo called giving above 5. or 6. Marks wages a year to a Pariſh Prieſt, they was to pay the doubble of that which they gave more to any pariſh prieſt then 5. or 6. Marks wages in the yeare: and it was to be converted to the uſe of Almes at the arbitrement of the Dioceſan, &c, Anno. 36. Ed. 3. Chap. 8. or from the conſtitution and decretall epiſtle of the Pope &c. For the miniſters of Chriſt, had no command to take Tythes nor hundreds a yeare for preaching the Goſpel, but freely they received and freely they gave according to Chriſts command.
And I read in the law of England, that Tythes after the Apoſtles time were free: for the people was not bound to pay them ſo farr as I ſee, till the Councell of Lateran in Pope Innocents time: and then by his conſtitution and decretall epiſtle, &c. the Tythes, it ſeems, became bound, &c. and were to be paid by the ſubjects of the Realm: and ſo came Parochiall rights, (as they call them) &c. to the Prieſts or Patrons of the Churches, ſo called: Then it is cleare to me that you have your ground to take Tythes and maintenance of the World, for preaching: &c. not from the Apoſtles practice and order, but from the Popes, &c. And that miſt of Popiſh darkneſſe is not ſo farr diſpelled (or expelled) from you, as to cauſe you to forſake the Popes Conſtitutions: or your Tythes and maiſteries and follow the example of the Apoſtles and Miniſters of Chriſt; and to leave your Miſcarriages, great parſonages: and give over wronging God and men for your own ends, and to deny your ſelves and your preaching for filthy lucre, and ceaſe bearing rule by your meanes: And if any of you receive the word and command from God, become ſervant to all and miniſter freely as the miniſters of the Goſpel (who dwelt & dwell in the Light) do & afore-time did: but before you do ſo, you muſt turn from the broad way, where the Luſt, Pride, Pompe, Covetouſneſſe, earthly-mindedneſſe, and vain glory of the world hath ſo much liberty in you: and ceaſe perſecution, take up the croſſe to your wills: Learn to know the bridle for your tongues: And let the Iſſue of lyes, and ſlanders be ſtopped, &c. that the ſtone may be ſet upon the neck and head of deceit.
Cook in his ſecond part Inſtitutes ſaith, Before the Councell of Hateran, Tythes were free or (then) any man might have given his Tythes to what ſpirituall perſon he would, and it was provided at the Councell (of Laterean) &c. that Tythes &c. ſhould be given to the Rector or Parſon of the pariſh, &c. (under pretence) that he that gave ſpiritual food ſhould reap temporal, ſo farr as I gather: ſee Cookes ſecond part Inſtitute about fol. 641. Here the Popes and their Prieſtſ, Rectors, &c. it ſeemes (like you) they could call themſelves ſpirituall men and Miniſters, Rectors, &c. as you do, and they claimed or took Tythes and publick maintenance under pretence of Miniſtring ſpirituall things as (you and) their off ſpring from that ſucceſſion now do, when they was carnally minded, &c. as you are.
And Tythes by a decretall epiſtle of Pope Innocent the 3. dated at Lateran directed to the Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, &c. in or about the yeare 1200. It is ſaid by Cook that then Tythes became lex terrae and the ſubject, became bound to pay them &c. Cook ſaiths that of35 Antient time before a new Conſtitution made by the Pope, the patron of one Church might grant his Tythes to another pariſh: and ſaith Cook, ſecond part Inſtitutes, thus began portion of Tythes, that the parſon of one pariſh hath in another: vide Concilium Leteran. Anno Domini 12 15.17. of Jo. regis.
So that Tythes it ſeems were free for any man to give &c. till the time of Pope Innocent ▪ and were they not then divided into portions to the Prieſts, and Rectors, &c. from Pope Innocent the 3? For ſince, ſaith Cook, that which is called parochiall right of Tythes were eſtabliſhed, &c. And Pope Innocent by his Bull diſcharged thoſe of the order of Praemonſtratenſes of the payment of Tythes of ſuch lands as were of their own manurance, or other Improvement: and Pope Adrian the 4. ſaid, all Orders ſhould pay tythes, &c. And ſo it appeares, Tythes ſprang up the ſecond time by one Pope: and ſo from one to another: and did not they ſpring from the Popes to the Biſhops, Rectors, and thoſe pariſh Prieſts: Conſider well of it, and ſee if you know your ſucceſſion. And had not the Popes the ordering and rule amongſt Tythes, and other things, till the time of King Henry,2 Hen. 4.28. Hen. 8. Chap. 16, for ſaith Cook by the ſtatute of Henry 4. not only Ciſterciences but all other religious and ſeculars, which put any of the Popes bulls in execution for diſcharge of Tythes of their lands, in the hands of their farmers, ſhould be in danger of a praemunire, as ſaith Cook ſecond part Inſtitures.
And by the ſtatute of the 28. of Henry the 8. Chap. 16. ſaith Cook there it is Enacted that all Bulls, Brieffes, Faculties, Diſpenſations, of what names natures or qualities whatſoever they be of, had or obtained from the (Pope or) Biſhop of Rome or any of his predeceſſors, or by authority of the See of Rome, &c. ſhould from thence forth by that Act be clearly void, and never after that, to be uſed admitted or pleaded, in any places, or Courts of this Realm (as they had been, &c.) or any other the Kings Dominions upon pain contained in the ſtatute of praemunire, &c. See Cookes ſecond part Inſtitute Fol. 641. and 652. &c.
And doth it not appeare hereby, that the Pope, &c. (that had begot Tythes by his conſtitution, to be diſtributed into pariſhes by his decretall epiſtle, and councell, &c.) were himſelf thruſt out of thoſe Parochiall rights of tythes, (as he called them) which he had begot and by his conſtitution, and councell brought forth, &c. And as the Pope was thruſt out of Tythes &c. in England, did not the Biſhops, Prieſts, Paſtors, Teachers, Rectors, &c. their off-ſpring from that root enter in their ſtead, and was not they let into the ſame? And being grafted or let in, did not they take the Popes places, and rewards, at the hands of him that diſinherited them, (viz the Popes &c.)? Conſider and ſee where you are: And was not the Biſhops, Prieſt, Paſtors, Teachers, and Rectors, &c. adorned or endowed (by Hen. the 8, &c.) with honours and poſſeſſions (or with the Popes ornaments) viz. Tythes, oblations, obventions, &c. And was they not36 ſaid to be given to God and holy Church, &c. and to keep them from corruption and ſiniſter affection, &c. 24. of Henry the 8.12. Cap.
And ſeeing that Tythes &c. by the lawes and ſtatutes of this Nation, were (ſaid to be) given to God and holy Church, &c. And being that both by God & the holy Church Tythes are denied as the Scripture under the Goſpel diſpenſation doth witneſſe; And ſeeing that the called Church of England the body ſpirituall as they call it and by them called the ſpirituality, who receive Tythes, are now found to be unholy, and not being free from corruption (but pleads for ſin and ſo for corrption for tearm of life, &c.) and ſiniſter affection; and ſtands in need of (the worlds) honours, and poſſeſſions to keep them (which rather corupts them the more, and cannot nor doth not keep them) from corruption and ſiniſter affection, for which end they (viz. Tythes &c.) are ſaid to be given, as by the ſtatute of Henry the 8. it appeareth: therefore by the lawes and ſtatutes of England (it is cleare to me that) the called Prieſts, Miniſters, Preachers, Rectors, &c. (which names you bear) who are unholy and corrupt, &c. have no right to Tythes, &c. for by the lawes of the Nation, they are ſaid to be given to holy Church, &c. and you are unholy ▪ that are in miſcarriages, and neglecters of the great work of God (as you ſay): and are mongers both of men and of Chriſt, growing worſe and running yet further from God, therefore you are unholy and corrupt, (and are not running for God, that runnes further from him as you ſay): and ſo are cut out of Tythes, & his miniſtry by your own rule and confeſſions, &c. And now ſtop your mouthes and do not cry up your ſelves to be miniſters of Chriſt and neither pleade for old Levi his right that neglects his work? Nor for any of the Saints priviledges? (Nor for Tythes from the law of the land) till you come out of Miſcarriages, and give over wronging Chriſt and men, and become holy, free from corruption and ſiniſter affection,2 Tim. 3.11, 12. Heb. 11.36, 37, 38. &c. And as you come off from the old rotten root, and out of the old nature and be born again, &c. when you are made Chriſts Miniſters, you will deny your Tythes, and maiſteries, and be content with what he ſees meet for you: and inſtead of perſecuting be perſecuted: and ſuffer of the world, and that generation which you are yet in union with, as the Miniſters of Chriſt do now: and aforetime did. Whoſe approbation &c. was not of the men of the world, but of God 2 Cor. 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 2. Cor. 11.23, 24, 25. &c.
And as you are neglecters of the work of God, page 3. and your ſelves in the Miſcarriages unpardoned, page 4. your hearers can ſcarce ſpeake a word of ſence about the matters of ſalvation,1. Theſ. 1.1. 1 Theſ, 1.1 ▪ and you are wrongers both of them and of Chriſt, page 19. So you ſay there are many untaught Children and families, page 29. Therefore you make it manifeſt, that you are unholy, and corrupt, and that you are not the holy Church, who are unholy and profain, teachers and people, and therefore have no right to that which is ſaid to be given only to God and the holy Church, which is in the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and both without corruption,37 and ſiniſter affection, whoſe miniſtry is free and not put to ſale as yours is, which is not the true Church but the falſe, whoſe Teachers are men of miſcarriages wronging Chriſt and men, growing worſe, prone to do more evill as well as their people: running yet further from God, and ſo themſelves making manifeſt, or rendring their miniſtry to be unprofitable and uſeleſſe: and how ſhould you chuſe but have untaught Children and families where there is ſuch untaught Teachers, and men of miſcarriages, &c: as you are?
And you may ſee what diſorder you are in, now that you begin (as you ſay) to be awakened. It doth appeare you were aſleep in ſecurity, or in the ſleepie dreaming condition deſiling the fleſh, which Jude ſpeaks of, and in ſin unturned to God,Jude, 7.8. Iſa. 59.2.3.4.5, 6. like thoſe the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeaks of, (that ſaw it not before) and did not the Lord ſend his ſervants to awaken you, and complaine againſt you for it, and for your own diſorderlineſſe firſt before you confeſſed the ſame (which ſince you covertly have done) but when will you amend and returne? for as there is untaught Teachers men of miſcarriages, and growing worſe, &c. ſo is there untaught Children and Families alſo in other places under the ſame profeſſed Miniſtry of yours: Children, howling and yelling like young bruites, caſting ſtones and dirt at Chriſtians in the ſtreetſ, and parents looking on, countenanceing the ſame; and ſome of thoſe untaught Children confeſſing that there was of the magiſtrates alſo that did encourage them in it, and likewiſe ſome of the Teachers hath been heard to ſay, when boyes ſtoned, and abuſed the ſervants of Jeſus (which were ſent to declare againſt their deceipts) Let the boyes alone with them and they will order them &c. when they were ſtoning and abuſing the Babes and Lambes of God? And is not theſe boyes, and untaught Children, and familyes (you ſpeake of) encouraged in their miſcarriages, unmannerlineſſe, and miſbehaviour, &c. both by their parents, as well as Preiſts their teachers, and alſo by ſome of the magiſtrates? and doth not thoſe that are the molt untaught Children and families, who lives in unmannerlineſſe, diſorder, miſbehaviour, and miſcarriage, like you their teachers that therein groweth worſe, and runneth further from God; the moſt act with club and fiſt (ſtoning and reviling) for you the Pariſh Maſters and untaught teachers; and are they nor a great help to you, and ſuch as are in union with deceipt, (unmannerlineſſe, miſbehaviour, and miſcarriages) to help to ſupport the Kingdom of darkneſſe, and to help to carry on the work of Antichriſt? but when will you teach them better? or indeed how ſhould they do otherwiſe, whilſt they have (and follow for their example) ſuch untaught teachers, and men of miſcarriages, &c. that are the cheife actors themſelves in perſecution, and lives in miſcarriages, growing worſe therein, and wronging Chriſt and them, as you ſay you do, and therefore the Scripture is fulfilled upon you, where it ſaith, The leaders of the people cauſe them to erre, and they that are led of them are deſtroyed, Iſa. 9.16. For there is like Preiſts, like people as ſaith the Prophet, Hoſea. 4.9. therefore the38 Lord will have no joy in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their Fatherleſſe, and widows, for every one (In the miſcarriages wronging Chriſt and men, growing worſe and running further from God, &c.) iſ an hypocrite and an evil doer, Iſa. 9.16.17. like you the blind leaders of them, and evill examples that cauſeth them to erre, who your ſelveſ are in the miſcarriages (as you ſay) wronging Chriſt and them, &c. And ſo it is manifeſt as your Agreement doth declare as well as your fruits, who your ſelves ſay, (inſtead of amending and turning to God) you grow worſe, and run yet further from him, therefore may it not be concluded that the Lord will have no joy in you, nor mercy on you; whil'ſt you do ſo, who are the hypocrits and the evill doers?
And you ſay, when you come to viſit the ſick, you would faine ſpeake a word of comfort to their departing ſouls [but dare] not do it, page 29. of your Agreement: but had it not been more honeſt for you to have delt plainly, and ſay when you goe to viſit the ſick, you would ſpeake comfort to them but [cannot] do it, becauſe you were never appointed for it; being in the miſcarriages, and growing worſe, and wrongers both of them and of Chriſt. But you ſay, you dare not do it becauſe you find them ſo carnall and ignorant, therefore I ſay they are moſt like unto your ſelves, naturally dead in ſin as you ſay, prone to do more evill, daily growing worſe, and running yet further from God. Therefore as the people are carnall,Iſa. 9.15.16. Hoſ. 6.9. Hoſea. 4.9. and ignorant, ſo are the Prieſts, and like unto like; being of one evill nature, and guided by a wrongfull Spirit: likewiſe your people they may ſee, that though they fight with club and fiſt for you, yet you cannot help them nor ſpeake any comfort to them, when they are on their death beds, (and ſtand moſt in need of you, if you could do them any good, but cannot) who in that miſcarrying nature and Spirit, by which you wrong Chriſt and them, never were appointed for it.
And as your miniſtry hath not profited them in their life time, ſo it is as uſeleſſe to them on their death beds, and yet you would not dare to take Wages and Tithes, &c, of thoſe that were and are ſo carnall and ignorant which you cannot ſpeake a word of comfort to on their death beds, becauſe you want it for them: and therefore you make it manifeſt that inſtead of preaching for the good and comfort of ſouls, you preach for Tithes, and your own ends; and if they periſh, ſo that you have but your own ends accompliſhed, and earthly gaine advanced what matter you? even nothing at all; for when they are on their death bed you come off with a ſhuffle, or a ſhifting trick, ſaying you dare not ſpeak a word of comfort to them, when indeed you cannot: but when did you ſay, you durſt not take Tithes, and hundreds a yeare (becauſe your people are carnall and ignorant) but you dare take that, though jour miniſtry profit them nothing, neither in their life-time nor at their latter end. Therefore it is high time for (them) to looke about them, and ceaſe from you, that they may forſake the evill, and turne to God the teacher of his people, and waite upon him ▪ for inſtruction, the manifeſtation39 feſtation of whoſe Spirit is given (to ſuch as obey him) to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7. though your miniſtry be uncomfortable uſeleſſe and unprofitable, yet his is uſefull, comfortable, and profitable, and alſo free without ſale, and to be had without mony or mony-worth, Iſa. 55. Mat. 10. And you ſay page the 9. it is undenyable, that the everlaſting perdition of multitudes is cauſed by their ignorance: and I ſay are not you (the untaught teachers) the cauſe of their ignorance, and then are not you guilty of the blood and loſſe of thoſe under you, and the ſoules of thoſe multitudes, that through ignorance go into perdition? whoſe negligence [and wrong done to God and them] is a great cauſe of that ignorance, &c. Therefore you ſay you are brought to a deep conſideration of mens ignorance through your neglects, and now you ſay you apprehend you have wronged Chriſt and them, page 19 ▪ but what are they mended by your confeſſion, if they go into perdition? and wherein do you amend ſince your confeſſion? but ſeeing your preaching to be uſeleſſe or profit (little or) nothing, but to deceive ſoules, keep people in ignorance, and wrong Chriſt and them, you pretend that you will uſe ſome perſonall and familiar Inſtruction, as a meanes to prevent that killing ignorance, Page the 9. and that you call Catechiſme, ſetting the people to get the Creed, Lords prayer, ten Commandements, or any Orthodox Catechiſme, with your expoſiters: the ſame meanes which hath beene uſed by Biſhops, Prelates, Epiſcopals, your fore-Fathers, if not by the Pope, and yet the killing ignorance is left unkilled amongſt your hearers, and you the untaught teachers: and when they have followed you in that, you will leave them where they are, and ſo the ignorance (being unkilled amongſt you and them) is left and doth remaine, &c.
To the People, &c: that are put upon it, to get the Lords Prayer, Weſtern Creed, and Ten Commandements, &c: and are yet in ſin unturned to God in the ſelfe ſeparation, Jer. 4.25.27.28, 29, 30, 31. Iſa. 9.14.15 16, 17, Iſa. 59.2.3, 4, 5, 6.
MInd the light in your conſciences that reproves for ſin and evil,Joh. 1.9. Math. 5.20 Job. 3, 3.5. Ephe. 5.11.12.13. Col. 3.5.6. Joh. 8.12. and obey that, to be led out of deceipt, and filthineſſe, for if you get all the words your Preiſts requireth of you, and do not come to forſake the evill, and imbrace the good, and ſo witneſſe the crucifying of the old nature, and be borne of God, it will little or nothing availe: therefore mind the light of Chriſt in your conſciences that diſcovereth ignorance, error, and miſcarriages to you, to follow the light, that thereby the ignorance may be killed or works of the Devill deſtroyed, and you by following the light end Counſel of Chriſt may be led out of darkneſſe, ignorance and miſcarriages, into the light of life, Joh. 8.12. And remember that the40 Ambaſſador of Chriſt (2. Cor. 5.20. ) the Councellor that declared the Counſel of God, Acts 20.27. in his meſſage and counſel co the Church ſaid to them, Pray with the Spirit and with the underſtanding, &c. 1 Cor. 14.12.13, 14, 15, therefore when you pray and ſay our Father and be not begotten by, and borne of the Spirit of God, how can you pray with the Spirit and true ſpirituall underſtanding? for ſome are baſtards and not ſons (Heb. 12.8. ) therefore if the baſtards pray to God as their Father they are without the true underſtanding, 1 Joh. 5.20. and without the true Spirit guiding therein, and though your 42 Prieſts, Paſtors, Rectors, [and untaught teachers and in the miſcarriages] let you to act in your own wills; and bid you get theſe words to ſay over, and ſome other which they have gathered together, promiſing you ſalvation thereupon, and they themſelves without pardon for their wrong done to Chriſt and to you as they themſelves ſay, yet let me tell you, that the Lord Jeſus hath ſaid (Math. 7.20.21. ) that the tree is known by its (evill) fruits? wherefore ſaith he, By their fruits you ſhall know them: Math. 7.15. &c: and to you I ſay that the Lord Jeſus hath ſaid, that it is not every one that ſaith, Lord Lord that ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven, ſo that you may get words, and yet be without the life, and not one jot nearer Heaven, and it is at poſtible for you and hypocrites and evil doers to get words to repeate without ſpirit and true ſpirituall underſtanding, and live ſtill in the killing Ignorance in you unkilled, as before: though you may get all the words, and have them ready to ſay over, which your Prieſts, and Paſtors, in their miſcarriages [untaught teachers or Popiſh Rectors] hath impoſed upon you, and yet for all that remain hypocrites, Baſtards, and be Ignorant both of the new birth: and out of the way to ſalvation: and yet ye may ſay Lord, Lord, and uſe the words: ſaying, Our Father which art in Heaven, when your hearts are from him, Iſa. 29.13, 14, 15, 16. And may alſo for all that be Baſtards, (Heb. 12.8. ) and neither ſonnes ſervants, nor Children of God, but like ſuch as Chriſt ſaid was of their Father the Devill, and be for condemnation as it is ſaid, John 8.44. Matth. 23.33. Mark. 12.38, 39, 40. And yet may uſe ſcripture words: and be [Proud, Covetous, Perſecuting, Envious,Mat. 6.5. Mark. 12.38, 39, 40. and] Children of the Devill, John 8.44. 1 John 3.15. Math. 4.5, 6. For all that not being born of God; and being out of the eternall life: and without the true ſpirit and ſpirituall underſtanding and alſo may be under the wrath of God; And in a ſtare of condemnation, and being unrighteous ſhall be ſhut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and ſo go into perdition: take notice of that 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Rev. 21.8, 17. Job. 1.6.7, 8, 9, Jer. 23.1. Jer. 21.30. Joh. 8.40, 41, 42, 43.44, 45.47, 48.
And it is poſſible for the Devill to preach the letter of the Scripture, in his diſciples, Proud, Covetous, Perſecuting, and Self-ſeeking, Prieſts, Paſtors, and Rectors, and ſet people in the evil nature to get the ſame: and not change it by repeating them over in the41 Miſcarrying, and wrongfull nature: and being in the old birth and under the curſe untaught of God, and without the true ſpirituall underſtanding, or the good ſpirit guiding them, and may be for condemnation for all that? Did not the Devill preach Scripture to Chriſt, when he came to tempt him, and ſay, As it is written, &c. Matth. 4.5, 6? Yet Chriſt rebuked him knowing his voice: and ſaid, Get thee behind me, or Go hence Satan: Matth. 4.10, 11. So ought all Chriſtians to ſay to the Satanicall Miniſters, knowing their voice, and their fruits to be from the Serpent: that lives in Miſcarriages doing wrong to God and Chriſt, [as yours ſay they do] witneſſe their own words in their Agreement, page 4.19. &c. But when Chriſt reproved Satan, and denied him, then he fled from him: who came to have wronged him,2 Cor. 6.17. Math. 7.23. Eph. 5.11. 2 Joh. 9.10, 11 2 Pet. 2.3. Jude 11. as your teachers do him and you, but your duty is to deny them and bid them depart, becauſe they are Satanical for all their colourable gloſſes, being in the miſcarriages: charging God with an Imperfect work, page 18.19. of their Agreement wrongers of him, of men, and of Chriſt his Son, but they are ſeen and made manifeſt, and wo will be your portion (that knowingly in their deceits joynes with them & doth uphold them) and did not the cheif Prieſts or the Devill in them, and in the Scribes and Phariſees, preach the letter of the Scriptures,Iſa. 9.15, 16. Iſa. 3.11. Hoſ. 6.9. Joh. 5.39, 40. Iſa. 2.12. Luke 20.12.19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, 45, 46, 47. verſes (but wanted the life of them) as your Prieſts do, who are wrongers of Chriſt and of you, (as they ſay) and made uſe of it to tempt Chriſt withall: but they and ſuch like were and are for the greater condemnation, as Chriſt hath ſaid, Marke 12.38, 39, 40. And doth not the Devill now in the chief Prieſts, Perſecuters, Proud, Covetous, Envious ones, and their diſciples, preach the letter of the Scripture; and are out of the life of them, ſeeking honour one of another, as the enemies of Chriſt did, that had the letter but wanted the life, Joh. 5.39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44? And do not they make uſe of the letter that are out of the life: & make uſe of it to oppoſe the naked truth withall? Do not Proude ones preach the letter of the Scripture, & yet live in Pride, and Coveteousneſſe, or in union with the life of the Devill who is the King of Pride, and enemy of all unrighteouſneſſe, &c. And doth not the Devill in Proud and Covetous ones, as well as Envious, and perſecuters, &c. teach them to wreſt the Scriptures for their own ends, and to plead for pride, & c? under ſuch covers, (which are not with the ſpirit of the Lord) though the woe from God be againſt them denounced,Iſa. 3.11. Iſa. 20 Iſa. 30. 2 Pet. 3.16. Iſa. 30.1. &c. And doth not the Devill in Covetous ones teach them to break the command of God, which forbids covetouſneſſe? And doth not the Devill in Covetous ones and ſelf-ſeekers, &c. 2 Tim. 3.1, 2. &c. now in theſe latter dayes teach them for their own ends, to make uſe of and preach the letter of the Scripture, when they are tranſgreſſors of the commands of God, and perſecuting [and killing] the Innocent, for he that (perſecutes and) Envies the righteous ſeed, he is a murtherer and is out of the life of the Spirit of God; as faith the Scriptures, 1 Joh. 3.22, 15: And ſo in the luſt of42 the Devill, Joh. 8.44. And in union with the Image of Pride; in proud fleſh, and bowing to it with capp and knee, as well as worſhip an Imaginary, and falſe worſhip: and tranſgreſſeth the commands of God, and therefore muſt drink deep of his wrath, Rev. 14.9, 10, 11. And if covetouſneſſe is Idolatry, then both Covetous, Prieſts, and People, are Idolaters, and therefore are they and all falſe worſhippers, and bowers to the Image of Pride, one in another; who are perſecuters of the righteous ſeed, both transgreſſors of the commands of God, and out of the new bath, new nature, and out of the new Covenant and life of God, and in old envy, Wrath, Luſt, Self-Love, pride, vain glory? and then are they not ſtill in union with the life of the Devill, which evill fruits floweth there from? and doth not the Devil in Pope, Papiſt, as well as in prelates, perſecuting, ſelf-ſeeking Prieſts, Paſtors Vicars, Rectors, and Proud painted Antichriſtian Miniſters, make uſe of, and preach the Letter of the Scripture, being without the life of truth, and in the nature of the Devill? and are not you (that are wrongers of Chriſt and in Miſcarriages, &c.) and they, guided by an evil ſpirit,Joh. 8.39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48.52. verſes and in union with that evil nature, as the Jews and cheif Prieſts, and ſuch was, that perſecuted Chriſt Jeſus? yet they preached the letter, and ſpake of Moſes and the prophets, for their own ends, by the Spirit of the Devill, Joh. 8.39. and would not receive the truth nor forſake their Sins, Pride, Will-worſhip, Self-love, Covetouſneſſe, Self-righteouſneſſe, vain glory, and honour of the world: but refuſed to deny ſelf, take up the daily croſſe, and come unto the life, and power of truth: ſo that Chriſt complained againſt them Joh. 5.40. and (letting their viſitation ſlip) he wept over them:Joh. 5.40, 41, 42, 43, 44. and therefore that you may come to underſtand the truth, & learn to pray and preach aright; minde, to be obedient to the Light of Chriſt in your conſciences which reproves in ſecret for evil, and doth convince you of ſin, ſelf righteouſneſſe, unbeliefe, Pride, Covetouſneſſe, Perſecution, the love and honour of the world, unrighteouſneſſe and your Miſcarriages, and of the wrong you do to Chriſt and men: and as your duty is to depart from iniquity, ſo you are to yield unto the light, and follow the ſame, that you may come out of your miſcarriages, and ceaſe doing wrong to Chriſt & men: & forſake the evil of your wayes (by the light) diſcovered; ceaſe to do evil, and learn of that which is good, for to do well; which reproves you for the evil, that you may come out of the wrong way unto the right, and know the power of truth manifeſted, and Chriſt at work in your hearts and ſoules, deſtroying the Pride, Luſt, Covetouſneſſe, Self-love, vain glory, unbeliefe, and ſo all unrighteouſneſſe as it is diſcovered to you: and alſo beget you [obeying and following the light] into righteouſneſſe, pure unfained love, and out of the Hypocriſie, into the faith unfained, and true patience [perfecting his work that it may poſſeſ•your ſoules] and diſpoſſeſs impatience and diſtruſt, that your ſoules may come into joy and peace, through the working of the power of43 God killing ſin and quickening you by his ſpirit, begetting and bringing forth that which is pure, holy, juſt and good, to be your rule and guide: as in ſuch it is, where the birth is known that is of the ſpirit of Gods then might you call him Father by divine right, and ſo in truth and righteouſneſſe [with the ſpirit and true ſpirituall underſtanding] might you pray with ſuch a right: as of Chriſt are taught, and are guided by the Spirit of God, &c. to ſay,
Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, and then would you hallow, and ſo Sanctify (the name of) the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready thereby (without your Miſcarrying prieſts) to give an anſwer to every man that ſhall aske you a reaſon of the hope that is in you, with meeknes and fear, 1 Pet. 3.15. having a good conſcience as the Saints and Children of God the Father hath, and aforetime had, 1 Pet. 3.16. in which the myſtery of faith is held 1 Tim. 3.9. and not in your Miſcarrying nature, or a piece of paper from your untaught teachers, that know not God, nor his eternall Living word: but are wrongers (as themſelves confeſſe) both of you and Chriſt; and becauſe they transgreſſe and abide not in the doctrin of Chriſt they have not God, 2 Joh. 9. but are under condemnation: condemned by that which their dark minde cannot comprehend, and whilſt they and you wrong men and Chriſt, and ſo regard iniquity in your hearts, God will not regard your prayers, Pſal. 66.18.
And let thoſe that uſe the words and ſay, Our Father. &c. learn to know whether or no, they yet be Children and Sons of God. For if lyers and wicked ones ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven, they are in the Miſcarriages; and ſpeak without underſtanding: And if Enviers,. Drunkards, Proud, and Covetous ones, ſuch as are perſecuters and in the old nature, not born again, ſay, our Father which art in Heaven; do not they ſhow their Ignorance of their Father [who hath begotten them into Pride, Covetouſneſſe, Drunkenneſſe, Lying, and Diſſembleing,Iſa. 28. Mal 4. Rom. 1.18 28.29. verſes and into all unrighteouſneſſe, and the perfection of wickedneſſe] and do they not pray without underſtanding? for ſaith Chriſt to ſuch Ye are of your Father the Devill, take notice of that: alſo read, John. 8.44. And know you not that the unrighteous ones are ſhut out of the Kingdom of God ▪ 1 Cor. 6, 9.10. And the unclean, abominable, and lyers ſhall not in any wiſe enter, as you may read, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. Rev. 21.8, 27. And remember that the Devill who is the King of pride, and Father of the unfaithfull, ſuch as are neglecters of the work of God, and they that are wrongers of men and of Chriſt, ſuch as are in the Miſcarriages, Perſecuters, and unrighteous, and the Father of lyers, he is caſt down out of Heaven. Therefore when you that are ſuch, prayes as you ſay, to a Father in Heaven, do you not pray without, (knowledge of your Father,Math. 25.41. to the end Pſal. 9.17. and ſo without) underſtanding, for the Devill is the Father of perſecuters, ſeed of evil doers, and of lyers; do you not know that he is in hell, and the wicked, as well as all that forgett God muſt be turned in thither, Pſal. 9.17?
44And when you ſay, Hallowed be thy Name: ſuch as do not ſanctifie the Lord God in their hearts, do not hallow his Name; for to hallow is to ſanctifie, but liars, ſwearers, curſed ſpeakers, ſtoners, revilers, perſecuters of the children of God, and all covetous and malitious ones, and ſuch as are in the miſcariages, wrongers of Chriſt and of men, &c. that lives and acts in ungodlineſſe, deceit and filthineſſe, diſhonours the Name of the Lord, and therefore they do not hallow it: but as James ſaith, they blaſpheme the worthy Name (who have the faith of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt with reſpect or perſons) and being out of the truth and partial,Jam. 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. become Judges of evil thoughts: who deſpiſe the poor and oppreſſe the ſaints, and ſervants of God, drawing them before the judgment-ſeat, and blaſpheming that worthy name, by which they are called, as it is written, Jam. 2.7. And do you not know that when the name of the Lord is polluted and blaſphemed, that he is highly diſhonoured, and ſore offended: and Chriſt Jeſus hath ſaid, that the ſin of blaſphemy againſt the holy Ghoſt ſhall never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor that which is to come; therefore look to it all that are ſuch, and you that lives in perſecutions and miſcarriages, who are wrongers of Chriſt and of men, &c.
And when you ſay, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; I ſay, ſuch as are in the miſcarrying nature, and without the true Spirit, and ſpiritual underſtanding, and wrongers of the Lord Jeſus, how ſhould you know it, when and where it is both come and preached? for it conſiſteth not in pride and vain glory, perſecution, miſcarriages, wronging God and men, and eating and drinking to ſatiſfie the luſt, nor in unrighteouſneſſe; for that is the kingdom of the devil, which conſiſteth therein. See if you know not that kingdom come, and ſet up in your hearts (though you be ſtrangers to the other). And how can you believe that ſeek honour one of another, and doth not deny your wills, and worldly honours, &c. to ſeek the honour that cometh of God only and do his will, Joh. 5.44? Who inſtead of ſeeking his kingdom, and doing his will, are doing your own, and ſeeking the kingdom of the world, and the unrighteouſneſſe thereof, and not the kingdom of God which conſiſteth in righteouſneſſe, peace and joy in the holy Ghoſt, and not in the miſcarriages, perſecution, and wronging men and Chriſt, and growing worſe, &c.
And when you pray that the will of God may be done, on earth as it is in heaven, ſee that you do his will as it is of you required, and bear not falſe witneſſe againſt any (the Lord doth forbid it) nor envy in your hearts, that is a killing and murdering; & the Lord is againſt it, Matth. 19.18, 1 Ioh. 3.12.15. and if you do the will of God, perſecution and lying will ceaſe amongſt you: and ſo will the iſſue of ſlander and deceit be ſtopped, and if you do the will of God, ſwear not at all, Iam. 5.11. then will oaths be cut off: for remember that the Lord Jeſus repealed oaths, Matth. 5.34. And ſuch as ſwear, by the Lord ſhall be cut off, Zepha. 1.4.5. And lie not one to another, Col. 3.9. then will truth take place: Do not oppreſſe, nor uſe any defraud, nor deceit: but do that which is45 altogether juſt, for this is the will of God, 1 Theſ. 4.3, 4, 5, 6.
And if you would have the will of God done, it is his will that you ſhould obey him and deny your ſelves, and ſee that you do his will as it is required of you; for he ſaith, Let every one that names the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity [and that is his will] 2 Tim. 2.19. He hath ſo determined it in heaven, left upon record in ſcripture, and witneſsed to with that in your conſciences, which calls for purity and equity, and reproves for your miſcarriages ſin and iniquity: but you, and ſuch as you are, are ready to plead for iniquity, and ſay, they cannot depart from it here in this life, &c. though God requires it, and command it. And ſuch as ſo rebelliouſly refuſe to do the will of God are in danger of being guilty of the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, and their caſe is dangerous that ſins wilfully after grace received: who refuſe to do the Will of God, Heb. 10.26, 27.
And if you or any ſay, Who hath reſiſted the will of God? I ſay there is a queſtion asked: and it is anſwered, that ſuch as reſiſts the holy Ghoſt, reſiſts the will of God: but the uncircumciſed in hearts and ears, alwaies reſiſts the holy Ghoſt, Acts 7.51, 52. Therefore [they in that nature who wrong Chriſt and men, and lives in miſcarriages, knowing the ſame and gain-ſayes the Counſel of God, in refuſing to deny their miſcarriages, but only tell of them and the wrong they do to Chriſt and men, refuſing to deny the ſame, and to amend and make reſtitution to whom they have wronged, and ceaſe wronging any, and refuſing to forſake the evil and ceaſe perſecution, to turn unto God, they refuſe to deny their wills, that they might obey the will of God, and therefore] ſuch are reſiſters of the will of God, as your untaught teachers are, and the Jews in nature like them was: whom Chriſt would often have gathered and they would not, Matth. 23.27. therefore ſaith he [ye that depart not from Iniquity, Pride, Coveteouſneſſe, Vain-talking, fooliſh Jeſting will-Worſhips, the love and honour of the world, perſecution and miſcarriages] ye will not come to me that ye might have life, Joh. 5.40.44. and ſaith he, Why call ye me Lord, and do not the things that I ſay? Luke 6.46.
And whereas you ſay, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts or treſpaſſes, as we forgive our debtors, or them that treſpaſſe againſt us, &c. I ſay, that they that Chriſt teacheth to pray, and them that he taught that prayer, and did him obey; exhorted others to do ſo: but when your wills are croſt, are you not ready to deſtroy and devour ſuch as croſſes your wills? and yet you pray ſort your forgivneſſe upon that account, and ſo if you do not forgive others, you pray for no forgivneſſe, according to that account: and if you would have God to forgive you as you forgive others, ſee that you do forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt you, or elſe if you ſeek revenge (perſecute, &c.) and do not forgive them, if they do treſpaſſe againſt you: do you not pray that God may take vengeance of you, and not forgive you, when you treſpaſſe againſt him; becauſe you do not forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt you, and prayes for your forgivneſſe of God, as you forgive men, and ſo46 when you do not forgive them, you pray that God may not forgive you, but do to you as you would do to them that offend and treſpaſſe againſt you: and you that do not ceaſe your perſecution, and alſo forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt you, you do not act according to the will of God, nor regard your own words, and vowes made to God in Prayer, and if inſtead of forgiving thoſe that treſpaſſe againſt you, you rather ſeeke their deſtruction, and ruine; do you not pray that God may deſtroy and ruine you, and to do by you as you think to do to them, and is not all this according to your Prayer? Conſider well of it, and If you do not forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt you, doth it not appeare that you are not of Gods elect, that you have not yet learned the doctrine of the Apoſtles and of Chriſt; for ſaith Chriſt to ſuch as he taught, if you forgive men their treſpaſſes your Heavenly Father will forgive you, your treſpaſſes, Math. 6.15. And if you would follow that you might ceaſe perſecution, quarrelling, and jangling, and put on, as the elect did & do, bowels of mercy, humbleneſſe of minde, long ſuffering, forbeareance, forgiving one another; and if any have a quarell againſt any, even as Chriſt forgiveth, learne of him, and do ye ſo, for the elect, and ſuch as are taught of him, and abideth in his doctrine, doth ſo Col. 3.12, 13, and exhorts others to do the ſame, but it appeares that you, or ſuch as do not ſo, viz. forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt you in obedience to the will of God, and doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, you ſhow thereby that you reſiſt the will of God, and are not of the elect, but out of both the doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and doth it not plainly appeare, that you and perſecuters that wrongs God and Chriſt, and are not yet forgiven, and therefore you do not forgive nor regard what you pray for, as to performe your vowes, &c. Therefore doth your hypocriſie more appeare, and ſo you make uſe of the Scriptures only to talke of, and garniſh your ſelves withall (as the Scribes and Phariſes did) that you may oppoſe the truth, and paint your ſelves with the words as they did, but comes not to the life of truth to walk in, but are ſhut out as they was, and now it is manifeſt for the light is riſen and ſprung up in the hearts of many, praiſed be the Lord, and your deceits and deeds of darkneſſe muſt be found out, and laid open the Lord hath his fanners and he will fift the Nations, and the day declareth every mans work of what ſort it is: and now the Lord looks for fruits, for that tree is curſed that makes a great ſhow in leaves and brings forth no fruit unto Chriſt, as the figg-tree was: read and underſtand if you can; I deſire of the Lord for you that you may, and to your ſoul's profit: but let the Serpent be famiſhed, duſt is his meate, but the Father Almighty feedeth his Children, and their ſoules doth taſte of his Manna, and knowes the daily bread, and the ſacrifice which is offered up, and is the living ſanctified ſoul's nouriſhment, and daily food; for which he is not only prayed unto, but alſo praiſed for: glory and honour be to him for evermore.
47And when you ſay, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from evill, for thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen,
Concerning Temptation, &c.
I ſay, God doth not lead into Temptation, neither doth he tempt any with evill, Jam. 1.13. but he ſuffereth Temptations to come, that he may try his, Joh. 1.12. and bleſſed is he that endureth Temptation, for when he is tried, he ſhall receive the Crown of life, which the Lord hath promiſed to them that love him: but you are hardly ſenſible of a Temptation, who are aſleepe in ſecurity, and ignorance, that can ſcarce ſpeak a word of ſenſe in matters of ſalvation, as your teachers ſay, and in carnality (deepe in the iniquity) or in ſin unturned to God, &c. but ſuch as are convinced with the light of Chriſt in their conſciences; and are awakened out of ſecurity, having their minds turned with the light from darkneſſe, and ſin towards God, to wait upon him, who are taught by Chriſt the true Teacher of his, they are by him ſupported and taught from a true ſenſe how to pray, and they know that he whoſe the Kingdoms true power and glory is, Math. 11.27, 28. who giveth them reſt, doth teach them to watch and to pray, that they by his power may be kept for entering into Temptation, as they take his Counſel and abide therein, Heb. 2.18. who himſelfe was Tempted,Luke 22.28. but did overcome, and did not enter into the ſame, Math. 4. who is the way to lead out ſuch as him follow (Joh. 14.6. Joh. 8.12) and obey, Heb. 5.8.9. and it is no ſin to be Tempted, but to enter into the Temptation, which the rich fall into, and are ſnared, for the love of money is the roote of all evil, and whilſt you are coveting after that you are in danger of peirceing your ſoules through with many ſorrowes, and to fall into perdition, as ſuch did that erred from the faith, 1 Tim. 6.9.10. therefore beware (any one that have ſet their faces Sion-ward, whereever you are) of that, and give not way to that which enclines to the Temptation, for the enemie both knows what to work upon and how, as well as he knoweth what will receive him, therefore with the light that lets you ſee the Temptation, let your minds be gi•t up, and ſtand in the croſſe to that inclination which would entertaine the Temptation, and abide in the meaſure and proportion of faith,Rom. 12.3.6. Rom. 12.3.6. and ſtand ſtedfaſt without wavering in that which ſupplies the faith, as well as diſcovereth Temptations: and there is the gift known, and power given to reſiſt the Devil, and judge the evil, and the encreaſe both of faith and patience will through the Croſſe and Judgment which crucifyeth the luſt be at work in your ſoules, and be ſupport to you in time of triall, that you may ſtand and be kept, as you in the Counſell of the pure light of Chriſt waite and abide, for he is faithfull who will not ſuffer you to be Tempted above your meaſure, as you therein ſtand, but48 doth and will with the Temptation make away to eſcape, 1 Cor. 10.13. who is the deliver, for many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all (as he did Paul, &c:) 2 Tim. 3.10.11, 12. though the unrighteous, and perſecuters, evil men, and ſeducers be ignorant of it, yet we know and are ſure, that as the Lord delivered juſt Lot, vexed with the filthy converſation of the wicked, and puniſhed them, condemning them with an overthrow, makeing them an enſample unto thoſe (like you the wicked, and perſecuters, ſeed of evil doers now, and ſuch) that after ſhould live ungodly, but the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptations (and afflictions) and how to reſerve perſecuters, ſeed of evil doers, wrongers of Chriſt, and of men, (be they Prieſts and their followers that lives in ſuch miſcarriages) and all the unjuſt unto the day of Judgment for to be puniſhed, 2 Pet. 2.4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9. Therefore all that are not hardened, and ſeared in ſin and iniquitie, give eare to the cry of the juſt, and depart from the evil of your Preiſts and your ſelves, and waite to receive the teachings of God, that you may profit, ſeare the living dreadfull Lord God; ſtand in awe of him, and ſin not, for the Lord hath ſet apart him that is godly for himſelfe, Pſa. 4.3.4. but the tranſgreſſors, ſhall be deſtroyed together, the end of the wicked ſhall be cut off, Pſa. 37.38.
And you that are wrongers of God, and men, in your miſcarriages unpardoned for the ſame, that ſets people to get that which you call the Creed, you ſay you beleive in God the Father Almighty; & in Jeſus Chriſt his Son, who ſuffered under Pontius Pilate &c.
I ſay, that ſuch as beleives in him, loves him and doth not him wrong, it was Pilate and the Jews that did him wrong, who loved him nor, and are not you found in their nature, perſecuting him in his Saints as Pilate and Herod did, that are in the miſcarriages (as they was) wronging Chriſt and men, and therefore it is manifeſt how little you beleive in him, or love him, ſuch as are wrongers of him, and liers againſt him, are out of the love and faith towards him, but you confeſſe you are wrongers of him, and therefore out of the love and the faith, he that loves him keeps his ſayings; but you neglect and keepe them not, and therefore you love him not, that are as you ſay neglecters of his work, and wrongers of him, in the miſcarriages growing worſe, and therefore you are out of his faith, and doing the worke of your Father as Pilate and Herod did. And thou Richard Baxter, art a grevious ſlanderer of him as before is proved, that ſaith he deteſted (his own doctrine, viz. the doctrine of ſinleſſe perfection, Math. 5.48. ) bluſh with your deeds of darkneſſe made manifeſt, who are out of the faith and doctrine of Chriſt, and turned perſecuters of his, and wrongers of him, but it is given to us and them in his faith (not to perſecute his, and wrong him, as you and infidels do) to ſuffer for his names-ſake, as well as beleive in his name, as the Saints and faithfull in Chriſt-Jeſus did, Phil. 1.29.30. and are nothing terrified by you and our adverſaries, Phil. 1, 28. though49 we have the ſame conflict as our brethren had (that ſuffered under Pilate, the Jewes and cheife Preiſts that crucified the juſt) and as the ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us, ſo our conſolation aboundeth by Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1.5. knowing alſo that ſuch as (you perſecute and cauſe to) ſuffer for his name-ſake (whom you confeſſe you wrong) they ſhall partake of the conſolation, as of the ſufferings they have done, 2 Cor. 1.7. that are ſtedfaſt unto him, but woe unto the wicked and you painted Tombes, and all the falſe worſhippers as well as perſecuters of his, and wrongers of him, it ſhall goe ill with you and them, Iſa. 3.11. and all your guilding, and painting flatteries, and Colourable gloſſes will not ſave you, and ſuch from the wrath of the Lambe, the cup is prepared [as you may read] for all ſuch, Reve. 14.9, 10.11. and great will be their torment, as well as yours, who are out of his faith, in the old birth and miſcarriages growing worſe as you ſay, who are perſecuters of his and wrongers of him, but you are ſeen and your deſigne is known and are left naked and bare, that to the ſingle eyed you may appeare, and that others may ſee your deceipts, and of them and you be aware leaſt they with you come under the ſame condemnation, they are warned, and I am cleared, though by your generation falſely accuſed, to be Popiſhly affected, but have left my Teſtimony againſt the Pope and his brood, and ſtands to witneſſe againſt that, and all other deceipt, and hath not the leaſt affection to it, but ſtands a witneſſe through the ſtrength of my God againſt it, and therefore that accuſation is proved falſe, and left co returne from whence it came till it returne into the Popes breſt, or where it firſt had its riſe. And though the author (being in outward bonds) have outward helps taken from him, and kept from him, yet truth is not bound, but ſtands free, and leaves againſt the deceipt (from a ſervant of the Lord) this ſame teſtimony, and returnes praiſe to the Lord for the riches of his love, and remaines therein: A faithfull witneſſe againſt Pope and Papiſts, and all deceivers, but a lover of all the honeſt hearted, ſuch as are not wrongers, but lovers of the Lord Jeſus.
To the Catechiſme, &c. Set forth by the 42. Prieſts, &c.
ANd in your Catechiſm, you ſay you believe there is one only God in 3 perſons. I anſwer; That there is one God is true, and you are proved, and have confeſſed that you are wrongers of his Son Chriſt Jeſus, and then of him, for he and his Father is one, Joh. 10.30. And there is three that beare witneſſe in Heaven the Father the word and the Spirit, and theſe three are one, 1 Joh. 5.7. but where is thoſe three perſons you ſpeake of (are you not liers therein) for he that abides in the doctrine of Chriſt hath both the Father and the Son, 2 Joh. 9. and the Holy Ghoſt remaines within, in the Saints, Joh. 14.15, 16, 17. and theſe three are one, and agree in the unity, 1 Joh. 5.7, 8. and as Chriſt hath ſaid, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, Joh. 17.23. and the unity ſtands in the eternity, which is ſhut out of the reach of your carnality, that are out of the unity, and in the enmity and ſelfe ſeparation, wrongers of men and of Chriſt (as you ſay you are) therefore you ſpeake of things which you are not in the true knowledge of, and feeds peoples fancies with your conceivings, and imaginations: you ſay alſo that God made man for himſelfe, but you are gone farr from the end, for which you were made, that are turned wrongers of him, in wronging people and his Son, and in running further from him, as your ſelves confeſſe, and ſo under the curſe: for you ſay that he gave a law, requireing perfect obedience upon paine of death: and if he requires you perfectly to obey him, upon paine of death, are you not under that penalty and lyable to that paine and puniſhment, that inſtead of yeilding perfect obedience denieth it, in denying perfection, and ſo perfect obedience, who live in miſcarriages growing worſe and worſe, and running further from God, and ſaying that the doctrine of God the Father and his Son, viz, the doctrine of (Sinleſſe) perfection, were bred by the Devil, and deteſted by Chriſt, and never received by any that had grace, &c. When the ſame doctrine was preached and commanded both by God and Chriſt, and both believed in, and received by ſuch as had grace, guiding them: and ſuch as yeild perfect obedience to the divine will and law of God, them you revile, and are not aſhamed to call them heretiques, and caſt them into Priſon, if they do but walke up into the ſame things which you preach in words, and ſpeake of, and ſeeing you out of the life of the ſame tell you of it, though now you have confeſſed it, that you are51 of what you ſet others to get inſtead of owning perfection, and yeilding perfect obedience to the law and will of God, you perſecute them that do, and lives your ſelves in the diſobedience to the divine law and will of God, (and are in your covenant with ſin and imperfection & in the miſcarriages, and (as you ſay) wronging both Chriſt and men, as thou Richard Baxter and you 42 hath done, but thou and you all are ſeen and your covers will not hide you, but leaves you bare, who are out of the doctrine of Chriſt, and under condemnation, and in danger of ſtverlaſting paine and death due to the diſobedient, except you conſider betime and truly repent, give over deceiving of ſoules, yeild perfect obedience (as you ſay) that you may come out of imperfection and perſecution, and forſake your miſcarriages, and give over wronging Chriſt and men, make reſtitution, and humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, and make it manifeſt [not by your flatteries and excuſes ſerpent-like, and ſtill continue or grow worſe and worſe in the miſcarriages and wronging God & men &c. but] by ceaſeing your perſecution, and your preaching for hire, and beareing rule by your meanes, &c. and turning to that of God which reproves in ſecret, for your miſcarriages, and forſake them and your luſts, and make your amendment and returne manifeſt by your fruits; and live not in your flatteries, but as you have confeſſed your wrong to the people, and promiſed your amendment, make good your word, and go make reſtitution for them for the ſame, and give over your trade of d•ceit: there is many Scriptures which you have ſummed together, and ſet people to get over, mixing your deceipt and imaginations amongſt them; and hath not the Pope and Biſhops (as you do) garniſhed and painted themſelves, (in their maſſe books, Pulpits, and Catechiſms, &c.) with the Saints words, when they was as farr from the Saints Spirit, life and practiſe as you are; and you for all your painting and garniſhing your ſelves, are as farr from the Saints life and practiſe as they were. And if the people get all your words to ſay over, will that change their nature, which hath not yet changed yours? and did not your Fore-fathers uſe it before you, and yet left you where they was, except more painted outwardly, and grown more ſubtle, but within full of venome, cruelty, and perſecution, and out of the life and power of truth, as is made manifeſt: for you ſay in your third Anſwer ▪ (where you ſpeak your own condition) that as men did willfully ſin and fall from God and happineſſe you ſay in your 19 page, that you are wrongers of Chriſt and men, and in the neglect of the work of God, and in miſcarriages, &c: page 3.4. in your Agreement; then are not you in that condition, entered (willfully into them) through Satans temptation? and are not you in that condition, under the wrath, in the fall under the curſe? nay do I ſay any more herein then you have confeſſed? for you ſay that man being tempted did willfully ſin (and I ſay, you that are wrongers of Chriſt and of men, you have done the ſame) and ſo fell from God, and hapineſſe (into miſcarriages perſecution and wickedneſſe) under the wrath of God,52 and curſe of the law, and the power of the Devill, (through diſobed•ence, as you are, ſo ſay you in your third anſwer) we are by nature dead in ſin, I ſay then you are not by grace yet quickened, (who are from the divine life) and what can dead men act in that death and life of ſin for God, but againſt him? and is not that the cauſe that the killing ignorance you ſpeake or remaines yet unkilled amongſt you, and your people that are aſleep as you ſay in ſecurity, in ſin unturned to God (ignorance of that which concernes their ſalvation) and therefore doth make it appeare that you are ſtrangers from the life of Jeſus, and the covenant of promiſe, and knoweth not the life of truth nor the quickening of the ſoule, nor yet how to kill the killing ignorance, that remaines amongſt you unkilled, and dead men (that are dead from the divine life) ſet up dead Papers, and dead words without life, for dead minds to feed on, which will neither kill ſin, nor quicken the ſoul, and ſo your dead Catechiſmes will work as little effect as your dead Sermons have done, and that is ſo little (and as you ſay) that people are ſo ignorant that they can ſcarſe ſpeak a word of ſence abort matters of ſalvation: and how ſhould untaught teachers teach to perfect, who manifeſt you are not ſent of God, that are as you ſay in the third Anſwer of your Catechiſme (you ſay) you are by nature dead in ſin, and therefore not quickened by grace, for they that are quickened are not dead, but you are not quickened, and ſo dead: but thoſe the Lord ſends he quickens before he ſend them, but you are not quickened and therefore not ſent, who are Children of wrath and naturally are as you ſay (in the preſent time) dead in ſin: ſo ſervants to divers luſts and pleaſures, and from thence proceeds miſcarriages and perſecution (wrong to Chriſt and men) which are the fruits of wrath, and diſobedience, and how ſhould it be otherwiſe (whil'ſt you continue therein) ſeeing you are naturally dead in ſin, and ſo the naturall men, who knowes not the things of the Spirit of God,1 Cor. 2.14.15. neither do you receive them becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, and that is known after quickening for they that are quickened by grace diſcernes in the gift:Eph 1.4, 5, 6. 1 Joh. 5.20. whereby they underſtand ſalvation and happineſſe; therefore ſaith the Apoſtle to ſuch as were quickened and knew the ſalvation, By grace you hath he quickened who were dead in ſin, and are raiſed up together and made to ſit with Chriſt Jeſus in the heavenly places, who gave them an underſtanding to know the ſame, that wore ſo quickened and knew the matters of ſalvation: which you and your hearers are ignorant of, which things are known after quickening: but you are not quickened, and therefore to you they are not known but as you ſay in your third anſwer, you are not only dead in ſin, but you are prone to do more evill continually (and ſo are Children of wrath, and ſervants of divers luſtſ as is afore ſaid) and ſo growing worſe: then where is your amendment, ye flatterers and hypocrits that do not grow only worſe and worſe, but you ſay you depart further from God alſo: And I ſay,•hat needs not to be; for you are far enough from him allready, that are dead in ſin, wronging Chriſt and men, living in53 Miſcarriages promiſing amendment and yet ſayes, you grow worſe; and ſo are of thoſe that oppoſe themſelves, ſaying and unſaying, confuting and contradicting your own ſayings, in your Agreement: and growing worſe and running further from God,Jer. 5.27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Jer. 6.13, 14, 15. you muſt needs be of thoſe that turns the grace of God into laſciviouſneſſe, Jude 4. and of them that runs further from Goodneſſe into Miſcarriages and wickedneſſe, Jer. 5.25.
And ſo dead men cannot quicken, and how ſhould they that run from God, lead unto God, but you run further from God as you ſay; & then how can you lead unto God? And how ſhould they that live in Miſcarriages & grow worſe lead others out of them into the truth, to grow in grace, & ſo become better? but you live in miſcarriages and grow worſe, as your ſelves confeſſe, in your Agreement: and your fruits make manifeſt, who are naturally dead in ſin: &c. And how ſhould the blind and dead, lead others into the way of truth, and into the life thereof, that are out of it themſelves, as you are? and how ſhould you lead others from under the curſe whil'ſt you are in the fall, under the wrath, &c. and how ſhould you turn people from darkneſſe, and from the power of Satan, that are yet in and under the ſame: according to your third Anſwer? And how ſhould you be examples and leaders of others to come out of the Miſcarriages and evill, who your ſelves are in the miſcarriages, and prone, you ſay, to do more evil continually, and to grow worſe, and depart yet further from God; and then whilſt you are doing that and departing from him you are not amending not yet leading to him, and therefore you are very unfit to diſciple the undiſcipled, and to be leaders of others from evill unto good, that are your ſelves dead in ſin, and not alive in grace: being in the ſelf-ſeparation, and in Miſcarriages, continually prone to do mere evill, and grow worſe and depart further from God; therefore you are very unfit to lead out of the evil unto God, and that is the cauſe your people are ſo Ignorant (as you ſay) and in ſin unturned to God, becauſe their teachers are ſo: and the Scripture fulfilled which ſaith, like Prieſt, like people: Hoſ. 4.9. Whoſe teachers inſtead of turning to God, run further from him: and therefore you being untaught to come out of Miſcarriages, &c. and abide not in the Doctrin of Chriſt, are very unfit to teach others the way of God, or lead into the covenant of lite: and as you ſay you grow worſe continually, it appeares ſo, by your fruits daily; your actions doth declare it, as well as your words: but how ſhould it be otherwiſe whilſt you continue therein; and run on in the ſame, ſeeing as you ſay, you yet depart further from God, and ſo from grace and goodneſs, into perſecution, and your Miſcarriages, &c. And are you not under that ſaying of the Prophet, like ſuch that are greivous revolters,Jer. 6.28, 30 walking with ſlanders, where lie ſaith, Reprobate ſilver ſhall men call them: becauſe the Lord hath rejected them, who truſted in lying words, and were given to wickedneſſe, and though they ſaid, The temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, they did not amend their wayes, and54 their doings, but lived in oppreſſion, Wrath, Envy, and the, Miſcarriages growing worſe and worſe; and ran further from God, tor they neither obeyed the voice of the Lord nor received correction: truth was periſhed and cut off, from their mouthes, as appeares by the ſaying of the prophet Jer. 7. Chap.Jer. 7. Chap. For from the leaſt of them even unto the greateſt of them, every one is given to covetouſneſſe, and from the Prophet unto the Prieſt every one doth falſely Jer. 6.13. Like ſuch as you who live in miſcarriages growing worſe and prone to do more evil continually, and running further from God, as your Agreement doth witneſſe againſt you: therefore thus ſaith the Lord, I will lay ſtumbling blocks before this people, and the fathers and the ſons together ſhall fall upon them, and the neighbour and his friend ſhall periſh, Jer. 6.20.
And in your fourth Anſwer you tell of Gods love, and giving his onely ſon to be a redeemer, &c. I anſwer; yea ſo he did, though you be Ignorant of it, that are dead in ſins, and not quickened (then not redeemed) yet ſuch as are quickned and taught by him to come out of Miſcarriages, and out of the evill and luſts of the Devill (which ſuch continue in, who are dead in ſin and departed from God, yet•Pet. 1.18.22, 23. notwithſtanding) they that are quickened and by grace ſaved, they witneſſe Gods Love and redemption from the vain converſation (and from the Miſcarriages which you live in unredeemed from) and they that witneſſe Gods Love in ſending his Son and redemption from the va•n converſation & Miſcarriages, &c. they alſo witneſſe deliverance from the power of darkneſſe, as they that write to the SaintsCol. 1.12, 13, 14. at Colloſſe did; who were delivered from the power of the Devill, and were tranſlated (when they writ to the Saints that were at Coloſſe) into the kingdom of the dear Son, by whom redemption came: and were then giving thanks unto God the Father who had made them partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light as ſuch are now giving thanks that are in the inheritance, and are quickened as the writer to and the Saints at Epheſus was, that were made to ſit with Chriſt Jeſus in Heavenly places,Eph. 5.8, 10, 12. Eph. 2.1, 6. Who walked in the light, & reproved darkneſſe after they were quickened by grace, and called into it. But what is that to you that lives in Miſcarriages doing wrong to Chriſt and men, and are perſecuters of the redeemed, who witneſſed the love of God in ſending his Son to redeem them, for whoſe ſake they ſuffer: and walking in the light are made to reprove your deeds of darkneſſe, and you that ſay you are redeemed, and are not, but lives yet in Miſcarriages growing worſe, and people as well as you in ſin unturned to God: your ſelves wronging them & Chriſt (in deceiving ſouls for your own ends &) perſecuting thoſe that are redeemed, and witneſſe againſt your deceits; and you that are not redeemed but under the curſe of the law, wrath of God, and the power of the Devill, ſo that you are by nature dead in ſin, and prone to do more evill continually, and to grow worſe and depart55 yet further from God, (as you ſay you do) and therefore are neither redeemed nor turned to God, nor come to repentance, which you ſay is a through turning from the Devill the world and the fleſh, unto God. And what have you to do to call your ſelves Saints and Miniſters of Chriſt, and tell of redemption, &c. who are not yet come to repentance; then not to redemption? that are not yet quickned, then not ſaved, ſanctified, and ſent, nor ſo much as yet turned to God: but inſtead of turning to him, are running on in the broad way (and as you ſay) further from him, (and do not the Papiſts and Hereticks the ſame?) and what have you to do to talk of the Scriptures to be your rule, that are out of the life of them, and in Miſcarriages growing worſe, which the Scripture forbids? And what do you talke of the new birth and Saints life for? that are out of their practice and your ſelves dead in ſin, and in the old birth? or doth the new birth conſiſt in Miſcarriages, death in ſin, unquickened, in growing worſe, and yet running further from God, and wronging both Chriſt and men as you do: wherefore be aſhamed and bluſh, your deeds of darkneſſe are now come to light.
And you ſay, in your Fifth Anſwer, that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath ordained that all they that receive him by a true effectuall faith, and by true repentance, are obliged (or bound) to forſake the Devill, and the world, and the fleſh, and heartily turn from them unto God, that they may receive the pardon of their ſins, and become Sons of God, and heirs of everlaſting life; then it ſeems you grant that ſuch as are to repentance come; who recieve Chriſt by an effectuall faith, and therein abide, who hath forſaken the Devill and the world, and the fleſh, and are heartily turned out of them unto God (ſuch you account to be, and grant that they are) the Sons of God, and heirs of everlaſting life. And I ſay, Are not ſuch in a ſtate of perfection? or will not you deny this again and perſecute ſuch as in ſpirit and truth witneſſe the ſame? But admitt it to be ſo, and alſo as you therein ſay; yet what is that to you, that are not turned from the Devill and out of the world, nor from the fleſh unto God, but are in the Miſcarriages growing worſe, and therefore in the world, and not turned out: who are wrongers of Chriſt and men, and therefore in the fleſh bringing forth perſecution and the fruits of the ſame, and are yet dead in ſin, (then not alive in the effectuall faith; and being under the curſe of the law then not under the grace of the Goſpel: and being under the wrath of God, you are in the diſobedience: therefore being in the diſobedience, the wrath is that which is your deſert for the ſame: and being in the diſobedience and under the wrath (as in your third anſwer, &c.) then you are not in the new covenant but out of the love of the pure God: and being o•t of his love in your Miſcarriages, and growing worſe, you are not forſaking them to become better: and therefore you grow not in grace, who are in Miſcarriages and growing worſe, and ſo you do but diſſemble and flatter, when you promiſe amendment and doth not56 amend, nor regard to perform what you have promiſed, but inſtead thereof, are accuſing your ſelves, where you ſay you wrong Chriſt and men, and are growing worſe as well as departing yet further from God: therefore you do not receive the effectuall faith nor come to repentance (which you ſay is a through turning from the fleſh and the world, &c unto God) neither do you forſake the Devill (that labours for him in doing wrong to Chriſt and men, &c.) nor the world and the fleſh who continues in your Miſcarriages, fruits of the ſame, who are therein growing worſe and worſe (as you ſay) and you do not yet turn unto God, who are oppoſite to him and running further from him, and therefore according to your own words, fruits, and ſayings, you that are ſuch are not Sons of God nor in the effectuall faith: and being without repentance arid remiſſion, therefore you are not heirs of Salvation, but in danger of damnation, according to your fifth Anſwer (but to this you add) &c.
And you ſay, they that ſincerely Love the Lord Jeſus, and obey him to the death, they ſhall be glorified; and they that will not do all this (to wit) forſake the Devill, the world, and the fleſh, and (not faignedly but) heartily turn from them unto God, and ſincerely love and obey him to the death, they that do not all this (you ſay) they ſhall be damned: here be you witneſſes againſt your ſelves, that you do not do it all, and as you ſay, that are neglecters of the work or God, page 3. and in your former and preſent Miſcarriages unpardoned, page the 4. and people in ſin unturned to God, who ſcarſe can ſpeak a word of ſence (as in your accuſation againſt them you ſay) about the matters of Salvation: and you are the wrongers of Chriſt and them, page the 19. who ate dead in ſin, and prone to do more evil continually, (promiſing amendment, but inſtead of amending are accuſing your ſelves) and ſayes you grow worſe and depart yet further from God, (Anſwer the third, of your Catechiſme): therefore you do not truly repent that doth not heartily return out of your Miſcarriages, and from the fleſh and the world unto God, then you do not believe nor receive Chriſt by an effectuall faith, who are turned wrongers of him: and therefore in not loving the good, and forſaking the evil to turn out of your Miſcarriages and from the world unto God, you that are wrongers of men and him, and lives in ſuch diſobedience, you are not doing all that which your ſelves ſay, is to be done, the which being neglected and undone is cauſe of damnation; then, are not you in that condition (conſider of it) that neglects the work of God and leaves it undone? and inſtead of doing it, continues in your miſcarriages, the works of the Devill, growing worſe as you ſay, and are running further from God, therefore you are not running for him, nor doing his work: take notice of that.
And if your people get the words which you ſet them to get, will thoſe ſayings bring them into the effectuall faith, and out of their Miſcarriages unto repentance and throughly to forſake the Devill57 the World & the Fleſh, and heartily turn them therefrom unto God, & c? Or, may not an Hypocrite and a diſſembler get the words to ſay over; and, for all that, remain an Hypocrite and a diſſembler ſtill, and ſo be a child of the Devill, and if you and they get the words to repeate or ſay over, and tell of forſaking the Devill, the World, and the Fleſh, and of turning from them unto God: and do not (turne from them unto him nor) come out of Miſcarriages, but grow worſe & doing wrong to men and Chriſt as you do: who are alſo running further from God, &c. ſaying in words and faigned flatteries, they will turn from the evil to the good, &c. and do not forſake the Devill, the World, & the Fleſh,Joh. 8.34. Math. 23.14, 16, but refuſes to turn from them unto God, are not ſuch Hypocrits, and Diſſemblers, who are ſayers, and not doers? And are not ſuch, three-fold more the ſervants of ſin and children of the Devill conſider of it and deceive not your ſelves with ſhewes, and pretences, flatteries & colourable gloſſes.
And do not you, both tell the tale, and give the anſwer? and muſt not the people be bound by you to ſay as you ſay, and ſpeak your condition, whether they be ſo or no: for you ſpeaking your own conditions, & ſaying you are dead in ſin, & continually prone to evil, growing worſe, & yet runing further from God, you would have all others to (be or) ſay ſo, if they be not ſo: but if they through the experience of grace and goodneſſe received from God, make reply and ſay, we are quickened by grace; and are growing in the ſame, having received Chriſt by an effectual faith which purifieth our hearts: and therefore we have forſaken the Devill, the World, and the Fleſh, and are unfainedly turned from them unto God, and being born of God: 1 Pet. 1.22.23. and guided by his Spirit; we are made the Sons of God, 1 Joh. 3.1. and ſo are heirs of Salvation,Rom. 8.14. and are made pertakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, for which we give thanks unto the Father who made us meet to be pertakers thereof Col. 1.14. and are come to the Spirits of juſt men made perfect: and as we have received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſo we walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith, as we have been taught:Heb. 12.22, 23. Col. 2.6, 7. Col. 1.3, 9, 10. verſeſ. a-abounding therein with thanksgiving; in whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge: for in him dwelleth all the fullneſſe of the God-head bodily: and the Saints are compleat in him, who is the head of all principality and powers as the Scripture witneſſeth: and if they ſay ſo, and ſay they witneſſe with them, would you not call ſuch hereticks, and ſay it were deluſion: or blaſphemy, and the like, & c? And do not you in your Catechiſme preach up the ſame in words; as the condition of the obedient, &c. and if any witneſs the ſame condition, which you tell them of, and ſay, I am a Son of God, and heir of Salvation, & grow in perfection, ſay, you are out of the life of what you exhort to, but are as you confeſſe wrongers of Chriſt, & neglecters of his work: and therefore have not received him by the effectual faith, neither have you forſaken the Devill, that lives in perfection; nor the fleſh, that are in Miſcarriages; nor the world, that are prone to do evil, and growing worſe continually, neither are you heartily nor in the leaſt me a ſure turned from58 them unto God, who are as you ſay running yet further from him; and therefore, running from him, are not ſent of him, and ſo cannot profit the people at all, and in diſobeying his law and wronging of him in wronging his Son: and being ſtill in the Miſcarriages, and growing worſe, &c. you are not doing what you ſay is to be done upon pain of damnation: and therefore not doing it, but, neglecting and leaving the ſame undone, (may it not be concluded from your own words being found in the neglect, that you are for the damnation you ſpeak of in your Agreement) but would you not perſecure them, which witneſſe the ſame in life and power, which you ſpeak of, (as the condition of the obedient who are Sons of God, &c.) and tell you that you are out of the life of the ſame and are neither Sons nor Servants of God, but wrongers of him and his; who are in your Miſcarriages and growing worſe, &c.
To ſpeak Truth againſt deceit is no rayling,And this is but according to what your ſelves ſay (who are witneſſes againſt your ſelves & both accuſing your ſelves & your people) in that called your Agreement who have fully laid open your deceit, if you did but ſee it: but is not the Serpent now as blind as ever he was, & Ignorant in the things of the Spirit of God:Joh. 8.44. & doth not well know his Fathers work, and what he bringeth forth, who aſſumed to call Abraham his Father, when Chriſt ſharply reproved him for it, and ſaid to the Serpents ſeed You are of your Father the Devill, and his works you will do; yet though he ſo ſaid, he did neither rail not revile, neither were his ſayings un Goſpel like, being thereunto guided by a Goſpel-Spirit: yet you will be ready to call that railing, which is in reproofe to your deceit, (which you live in: and have confeſſed in your Agreement) and ſay,1 Joh. 2.4. Math. 23.27. Math. 23.24. 1 Joh. 1.18, 16. Phil. 3.2. Acts 10.29. Luke 3.7. Math. 23.33. it is Cenſorious, and un Goſpel-like: yet notwithſtanding the Spirit of truth, and they that were guided by it, called the Serpents ſeed, by names proper to their nature, as Lyers, Hypocrites blind-guides, Seducers, and Antichriſts, as well as Doggs, Wolys, Foxes, Serpents, and Vipers: and if it were not un Goſpel-like in them ſo to do being thereunto guided by a Goſpel-Spirit, and how comes it to be more un Goſpel-like now, in them that are thereunto guided ſo to ſay by the Goſpel-Spirit? or was not the Serpents ſeed then, as well as now, offended at it, and raiſed perſecution againſt them that witneſſed by the Spirit of truth againſt their deceits, as the Serpents ſeed now doth: conſider of it, and Judge your ſelves, for the tree is known by its fruits.
And in your ſixth anſwer, you are telling how Chriſt proved his doctrine: but I ſay, you do not prove by your fruits that you are in the ſame, but out of it, and confeſſeth as well as proveth that you are (none of his Miniſters but) wrongers of him, as your words and actions againſt you witneſſeth, and therefore you ſhould firſt by your fruits and practiſe have proved your ſelves to have been following his example and the practiſe of the Goſpel Miniſters, and then you had done ſomething, for both he and his, to wit true Prophets and Apoſtles, have ſufficiently59 (thereby) proved theirs without you, whoſe lives and the Spirit by which they were enſpired, ſtands to witneſſe againſt you,Joh. 14.6. Heb. 7.25. Heb. 5.8, 9. 1 Tim. 3.15: Joh. 14.17. Job. 1.6. Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.14. 1 Joh. 2.14, 20, 27, and ſuch as are out of the way of truth, and running yet further from God: who through ignorance ſets up the letter, and your Catechiſme as the way into the truth, and knoweth not that Chriſt is the way to the Father, and to ſalvation (without you and wrongers of him, &c.) as the letter witneſſeth, and ſo is his light, Joh. 8.12. and Spirit the way out of darkeſſe, and guide into all truth, Joh. 16.13. (and is the ſtanding rule in his Church the piller and ground of truth): and that the holy Spirit doth enlighten mens hearts is true, but the letter doth not ſo, nor your Catechiſme as (in your 7th anſwer it ſeemes) you would have it, neither hath it yet turned you from Sathan unto God, who are in miſcarriages growing worſe, and as you ſay continually prone to do evill, and are running yet further from God, and therefore you are neither in the faith, nor joyned to Chriſt that are running from God and turned wrongers both of men and of Chriſt; neither are you juſtified therein, but are unpardoned for the ſame (as your ſelves confeſſe) and ſo are not made the Sons of God, that are not borne of him, nor quickened by grace, but dead in ſin, and living in your former and preſent miſcarriages, growing worſe and worſe, and ſo are neither ſanctified nor that peculiar people you ſpeak of: in Anſwer the ſeventh, in that called your Catechiſme. For you ſay, The peculier people are made the Sons of God, and ſanctified unto him, overcoming the world, the fleſh and the Devill: and are Zealous of good works, ſerving God in holyneſſe and righteouſneſſe, &c. But I ſay, you make it manifeſt that you are not ſanctified nor juſtified, then according to your ſayings you are not made the Sons of God, nor that peculiar people (which are perſecuted by you who live in the miſcarriages) growing worſe and worſe: your deeds proves your ſayings therein againſt you, that are yet running further from God, and turned wrongers of Chriſt and of men: but his peculiar people that are juſtified and ſanctified, they do not ſo, but witneſſeth againſt thoſe that live in miſcarriages that are wrongers of Chriſt and his: whoſe blind Zeale carries them forth into perſecution and unrighteouſneſſe and therefore are Zealous in an evill work (like you as both your writeing, caſting the innocent into Priſons, and your actions, againſt you declare). And where you tell of the end of the righteous and wicked, in Anſwer the eighth of your Catechiſme: In reply thereunto, Let me tell you that you have ſufficiently proved your ſelves to be the wicked, and therefore expect their reward, or that which is due for the ſame: for there is no reſpect of perſons with God. who will render to every man according to his deeds, even Indignation and wrath unto them that are contentious, and obey not the t•uth, but obey unrighteouſneſſe, as you do, that live in Miſcarriages and grow worſe and worſe,Rom. 2.6, 8, 9, 10, 11. verſes. like ſuch who after their hardneſſe and Impenitent heart, are running further from God, are treaſureing up unto themſelves wrath againſt the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God, and as you may read: Rom. 2.20,
60And you ſay, in your Ninth anſwer of your Catechiſme, that Chriſt hath appointed that fit men ſhould be Ordained his Miniſters to diſciple the undiſcipled: but I ſay you are out of that Royall ordination, and are not thoſe fit men, therefore are not appointed to be his Miniſters: for thoſe that are choſen by Chriſt and ſo fitted and appointed, they are his freinds, and do his commands, and he hath ordained that they ſhould go and bring forth fruit, & that their fruit ſhould remain and becauſe they are not of the world but choſen out of the world to witneſs againſt the evil of it,Joh. 15.14, 15, 16, 19, 20. Joh. 7.7: therefore are they hated of the World, as Chriſt himſelf was: but inſtead of being hated of the World, and ſuffering for Chriſt, & bringing forth fruit to God, you are beloved of the World, and in your Miſcarriages are growing worſe, and bringing forth fruit to the fleſh, who are running yet further from God, and turned perſecuters alſo of his, who are wrongers of Chriſt and them; and therefore you have made it manifeſt, that you are neither fitted nor appointed of him, whom you ſo wrong, and run further from: and therefore are you unfit, to diſciple or teach others to walk in the right way your ſelves, being ſtill in the wrong, continuing therein, and are yet running further on, that are running from God, and ſo run unſent, and therefore are out of the Royall Ordination, and Goſpel appointment; who are yet dead in ſin, continually prone to do evil, and therein growing worſe, and ſo under a ſtate of Condemnation; your painting and garniſhing your ſelves with the Saints words, and living out of their practice in your continued Miſcarriages, and growing therein worſe, makes it manifeſt; that you have not learned the leſſon of ſelf deniall, to come out of them: that you might follow Chriſt through the daily croſſe, and Miniſter in the ſame: and ſo you have proved that you are very unfit to teach others, who are not yet taught or have not ſubmitted to the teachings of Chriſt your ſelves: and your bare ſayings that you are Miniſters of Chriſt is not ſufficient to prove you to be ſo, when your fruits witneſſe the contrary againſt you, as well as your words, and ſelf-accuſations: who ſayes, you are wrongers of Chriſt and are growing worſe, and running further from God, and as you run further from God, you run further from grace, and goodneſſe, into perſecution, wickedneſſe, and your Miſcarriages, which is by your fruits daily made (and will be more and more) Manifeſt: There was no neceſſity that you ſhould have told us of it, for we knew it before, and the tree on which that evill fruit growes, but ſeeing you have done ſo, and alſo accuſed and confuted as well as contradicted your ſelves, your words will ſerve to witneſſe to ſucceeding ages againſt you with your fruits, as they are left upon record, &c:
And in your tenth anſwer of your Catechiſme: you tell of ſecret duties of holineſſe, but you make it manifeſt that you are out of them, and ſo are ſayers and not doers: and therefore hypocrits, and they ſerve you to talk of, but ſtill lives and goes on in your miſcarriages as well as in hardneſſe of heart, Pride, worldly mindedneſſe, fleſh-pleaſeing,59 and hypocriſie, which you ſpeak of in that anſwer, and ſo have laid open ſome of your fruits therein, ariſing from that evill nature, in which you grow worſe, who are the fleſh-pleaſes, will-worſhippers, and time ſervers. And where you tell of watching againſt temptations; inſtead thereof, do you not for the love of money fall into temptation? and ſo watch for large augmentations, and how to enſnare and impriſon ſuch as are ſent to tell you of your miſcarriages which you now have confeſſed, but are running yet further on in them, and thoſ•private duties you ſay is in your 11 Anſ. that Maſters & Parents muſt teach their Children & Servants the word and feare of God & hinder them from ſin: the which if they could do, I ſay it were well, but before they do that, they muſt know another ſpirit guiding to teacth, and hinder them from ſin, who are yet without the feare of God, that are yet aſleepe in ſecurity, and in ſin unturned to God, and untaught as you are, who lives in miſcarriages therein growing worſe, &c. And how ſhould they teach that (to wit, the word and feare of God) to others whil'ſt they are untaught yet themſelves, as well as you their untaught teachers. And in your laſt anſwer you tell of the neceſſarie duties of righteouſneſſe: but it appeares that you are out of them, that are in miſcarriages, growing worſe and therefore are ſervants of ſin and unrighteouſneſſe. 1 Tim. 6.9.10. ver. Rom. 13.3, 4. Iſa. 56.9, 10, 11. ver. But you ſay, ſuperiors muſt rule for God: ſo ſay I, and then they will feare God and hate covetouſneſſe, as ſaith the Scripture: Exod. 18.20, 21, 22. and alſo be ready to relieve the oppreſſed, and puniſh evil doers, and then how ſhould you eſcape the punniſhment that are in the miſcarriages, and doing wrong to others: and you ſay it is your duty to love your neighbour as your ſelves: but I ſay ſuch as are wrongers of them are not lovers of them (no more then for their own ends) but you are wrongers of them according to your ſayings as well as your doings, and therefore it is manifeſt that inſtead of loving them, you are wronging their ſoul's, and from your quarters are ſeeking your own ends and earthly gaines, as your brethren the falſe Prophets, the blind watch-men, and greedy dumb doggs, as well as both the beaſts of the field and the foreſt, that came to devour, did and do wrong to others then in their times, as you do now in yours, that are in the miſcarriages wronging Chriſt and men, who neglects that neceſſary duty you ſpeak of, and therefore be conviced that you leave undone that which you ſay is your duty as well as neceſſary and needfull, and ought for to be done; and ſo (according to your own ſayings) you leave that undone which you ought to do, and ſo you ſay it is your neceſſary duty to do as you would be done by, then I ſay, if you did your duty which you ſay is needfull to be done, you would not perfecute, and cauſe the innocent (cauſeleſſy) to be caſt into Priſons and Dungeons; nor to ſuffer ſuch hard uſage by your meanes, (as they do), for you would not be ſo done unto your ſelves, and not doing to them and others as you would be done unto your ſelves, you both tranſgreſſe the royall law, and alſo neglects and leaves undone that neceſſary duty you ſpeak of, but it ſerves you to talk of, (hypocrit-like)60 though you leave it undone, and regard not at all to performe the ſame as by your fruits is now largely made m•nifeſt: and you ſay it is your duty to behave your ſelves towards all men in lowlineſſe, then I ſay you muſt forſake your miſcarriages, and lay aſide envy, pride, and haughtineſſe, if you intend to performe your ſ•yings, who alſo ſaith, It is your duty ſoberly to behave your ſelves in meekneſſe, and harmeleſly, not wronging any in their bodies, &c. Then I ſay, you muſt come out of your ſuttlety if you come into harmeleſſeneſſe; and you muſt come out of your wrath and paſſion, before you learne meekneſſe: and if it be your duty not to wrong any in their bodies, then you leave it undone by filling of your Priſons, who inſtead of being lowly and meeke, are pro•de, covetous, and haughty, filled with envy and cruelty, as your fruits doth demonſtrate; who inſtead of being harmeleſſe are wrongfull, and growing worſe in the miſcarriages, and inſtead of not wronging any in their bodies, you both wrong their bodies (that without cauſe by your meanes are made to ſuffer, in Holes, Priſons, and Dungeons, as well as to be beaten, ſtoned, and abuſed in your ſtreets, that in obedience to the Lord are ſent to witneſſe againſt your deceipts, and as you cauſe wrong to be done to the Saints bodies, (according to your ſayings in your Agreement and (as you do wrong to them in their bodies) ſo likewiſe do you wrong to the ſoules (you deceive) under your unprofitable miniſtry, that ſaies you are not wrongers of them only but of Chriſt himſelfe alſo: Therefore you leave undone that neceſſary duty, who leaveth that undone which you ſay you ſhould do; and inſtead of doing that neceſſary duty, you make it your buſineſſe to wrong Chriſt and men, ſo doing that which you ought not to do, according to your own ſayings, and therefore do you act againſt the Scripture as well as neglect your neceſſary duty you tell of, makeing it your work to live in flatteries and miſcarriages, growing worſe therein, as well as to run further from God, and do wrong to Chriſt and men as your fruits with your words againſt you do witneſſe, and alſo in a large meaſure doth ſhew forth the ſame? Take notice thereof, and beare your own burden, as well as cover your faces with ſhame.
How are the Pariſh Prieſts exalted in their Pride and their pay, and likewiſe you!
IN your (pretended) warrant, where you are ſpeaking in your own behalfe, yon ſay, The Preiſts lips ſhould preſerve knowledge: here you call your ſelves Preiſts for your own ends, and yet are offended at others for calling you ſo: but if you deny the name of Preiſts, do you not deny your own warrant, where you call your ſelves ſo? whoſe lips inſtead of preſerving true knowledg, is uttering your confuſion as well as your peoples ignorance, and your wrong done to Chriſt and them, who are accuſing your ſelves both of the ſame, and alſo of your miſcarriages, wherein you grow worſe, and run further from God, and therein you declare that you are not his meſſengers, who are in ſuch miſcarriages, and inſtead of being thoſe Preiſts whoſe lips ſhould preſerve knowledge, are of thoſe Preiſts that preach for hire, and beare rule by their meanes, which the Lord by his Prophets complaines of, Mica. 3.11. Jer. 5.30.31, And you Pariſh Preiſts that preaches for hire, who receives 2. or 3. hundreds of pounds by the yeare, & c? are you not highly exalted above your Fore-fathers, or the Pariſh-Preiſts which were before you,Pariſh Preiſts and their Pay. 36. Edw. 3 ch: 8.50. Edw. 3. Ch: 5. 2 H. 5. chap. 2. which Preiſts and their Clarks with them, &c, were ſaid to beare the ſweet body of their Lord Jeſus Chriſt to ſick people, with divers other perſons of the holy Church ſo called, as appeares by the ſtatute made at Weſtminſter the 50 yeare of King Edward the third, and it is contained in the ſtatute made the thirty ſixt yeare of King Edward the third, that no Pariſh-Prieſts nor yearely Preiſts ſhould take but 5 markes or 6. at the moſt, for their wages by the yeare, but afterwards (the Pariſh Prieſts) in the time of Henry the 5th, the Pariſh-Preiſts would not ſerve under 10 or 12 markes by the yeare, which was againſt the forme of the ſaid ſtatute, to the great damage of the Kings liege-people; therefore it was ordained and eſtabliſhed by Henry the 5th, that the Pariſh-Preiſts which then was and ſhould be from thenceforth ſhould not take above 8. or 9. Marks for their whole wages by the yeare, but how are the Pariſh-Preiſts exalted ſince, both in their pride and their pay, & c?
You Prieſts that are offended at the name of Prieſts, were you not ſo called by your fore-fathers? Read, and ſee if you know your Succeſſion, &c. 37. H. 8. Chap. 21. and 24.
SUch Prieſts, that are made Prieſts by man, are you not called Prieſts in the law of man: then why are you grown ſo Proud and high minded as to ſcorn to bear the name of Prieſts,27. H. 6. Cap. 6. Pariſh Prieſts, 2. H. ſtat. 2. Chap. 2.37. H. 8. Cap. the 24. 1 Mary. Chap. 3.27. H. 8, Cap. 20. and 21.5. and 6. of Edw. 6. Chap. 1. Prieſts 1 Edw. 6. Ch. 14 marriage of Prieſts, &c: 2 Edw. 6. Chap. 21. and 5. and 6. Edw. 6. chap. 12. Preiſts, &c. 13. Eliz. chap. •6. by which you are called, who are offended at thoſe that calls you Pri•ſts, (Curates, and Clarks, &c.) Which names the law calleth you, and which names they gave you, that made you Prieſts, (Curates, & Clarks, &c.) & were you not called to your places & benefices, by the name of Prieſts, Curates, & Clarks, &c. If ſo: then in being offended at ſuch as calleth you Prieſts, &c. are you not offended at the law which calleth you ſo, and therefore if you deny the names of Prieſts, (Curates, and Clarks, &c.) do you not deny the names by which you are called, (that are ſo) to your Places and Benefits; and if you deny your names why do you not deny your Benefits: and that which attends your names, as you are called Prieſts, (Curates and Clarks, &c.) in and by the law of man? and if you be offended at the name of Prieſts, or for being (your ſelves) called by that name, are you not offended both at the law in which you are ſo called, and alſo at them that made you Prieſts; and therein called you ſo: and therefore being offended for being called Prieſts, (Curates and Clarks, &c.) are you not offended at your call, and them that called you, and gave you your meanes w•th your names: and if you change your names, muſt you not chance your old nature and meanes: or when you ground an Action in Law for to ſue for (that which you call) your parochiall rights, as Tythes, Eaſter-Reconings, and Mids-Summer-dues, &. And can you ſue for them in the name of the Apoſtles and Miniſters of the Goſpel of Chriſt, or muſt you not ſue for them in the name of Prieſt, Curate, or Clark, &c. then if you deny them names, muſt you not deny ſueing for Tythes (and preach without them freely as the Apoſtles Ambaſſadors and Miniſters of Chriſt and the new covenant did): but rather then you will part with your ornaments or that which attends your names, as Tythes, Faſter-Reconings Mid-Sumers Dues, &c. (as you call them) will yon not ſticke to your old natures and names, (of Prieſts, &c.) and yet notwithſtanding, is not Pride ſo high in you, that you ſcorn at other times to be called by the name of Prieſts, (Cu•ates, and Clarks, &c.) Except when you make uſe of them for your own ends? And if you deny your names by which you were called at firſt to your Benefits, and meanes, muſt you not deny your Benefits and meanes that were given unto you, when and by whom you received ſuch names: but will not you deny ſome of your names (under a colour) and yet hold your meanes; except you fly to your old names, when you ſeek your own ends; therefore if you63 let the one fall, let the other go with it: if you be offended for being called Prieſts, Rectors, Curates, or Clarks, &c. (tho•gh profeſſed Miniſters of Chriſt, &c.) why are you not offended at Tythes Eaſter Reconings, Mid-Summer Dues, as you call them, and thoſe meanes which you received or had ſtated upon you under ſuch denominations or names? will not the beaſt ſoon bluſh becauſe of the number of his names (which is as the number of a man) and the marke which he receives in his hands, or rather cry down ſome of his names, and (under a colour) ſeeke to hold up his other markes and him meanes, but in the end muſt they not all downe together? and though you Preiſts (Curates and Clarks, &c:) that were ſo called to your places and benefices, ſeeke to chainge your names under a colour, you ſtill labour to uphold your old nature and meanes, and inſtead of ſueing under the names of the Apoſtles and Miniſters of Chriſt for your Tithes, Eaſter rcconings, &c. do you not ſue under the names either of Preiſts, (Rectors, Parſons, Vicars, Curates) or Clarks, &c: And yet after you have taken upon you ſuch names to compaſſe your ends, would you not throw off your names when your ends are accompliſhed: and if you be called by them, art you not ready to be offended till you have need of them for your ſelfe ends, and will you not then take them upon you againe, rather then take up the daily Croſſe therein to follow Chriſt, and both deny your Tithes, preaching for hundreds a yeare, &c: and alſo deny for to be any more ſelfended, and as you are and have been, and yet for your own ends and earthly gaines though you be offended at the name of Preiſts, &c: you will rather ſtick to your names, then forſake your ſelfends (and earthly gaines, Tithes, Eaſter-reconings, &c.) and ſeeks to take upon you a cover from the Levitical Preiſt-hood, to hide you under, ſaying: The Preiſts lips ſhould preſerve knowledge, and they ſhould ſeek the law at his mouth for he is the meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts, Mala. 2.7, 8, 9.
But I ſay, that ſuch as are in miſcarriages wronging Chriſt and men growing worſe, and yet run further from God, they are not thoſe whoſe lips preſerves knowledge, neither are they thoſe that the people ſhould ſeeke the law at, nor they are not the meſſengers of him, and growing worſe in miſcarriages, and yet are (as you ſay) running further from him: and they that run from God run not for God, and ſuch as are in the miſcarriages, and neither amend nor yet come out of them, and ſo are unfit to be the Lords meſſengers, but you are in miſcarriages growing worſe you ſay, and ſo you make it manifeſt that you do not amend nor come out of them, that r•ns on in them and growing worſe therefore are you unfit to be the Lords Meſſengers, and ſuch as are in miſcarriages, growing worle and run further from God, they run from grace, goodneſſe, and from the law, and preſervation of true wiſdom and knowledge, and ſuch are not to be enquired at, neither doth their lips preſerve knowledge nor keepe the law of the Lord, who is to be enquired at, and obeyed, but they living (as you do) in miſcarriages64 growing worſe, and yet running further from God: ſuch are out of the way (as you are) and alſo corrupters of the covenant as well as tranſgreſſors of the law of God, and therefore their lips doth not preſerve true knowledge, neither keepe they the law, therefore unfit to teach others in it, no more then you are that caſt it behind your backs to run into miſcarriages and grow worſe, and ſtill run further from God, ſuch was thoſe that the Lord ſent his Prophets to cry out againſt. And in the leviticall Preiſthood, God did ordaine Preiſts under the law by which they were then made, and were ſet apart for the ſervice of God, under that diſpenſation and the Lord had a covenant of life and peace with them, the law of truth was in his, (viz, Prieſts Levi's) mouth whilſt he walked herein, iniquity was not ſound in his lips, but he walked with the Lord in peace, and equity, and did turne many away from iniquity, and then the Preiſts lips (that with God did walke and abide in that covenant or life and peace, in whoſe mouth the law of truth was) did preſerve knowledge, and the people ſought the law (not the Goſpel) at his mouth, under that legall diſpenſation, abiding in Covenant according to ordination, &c. he was the meſſenger of the Lord of hoſts, Mal. 2.5.6.7 but you are not ſuch Preiſts, (and yet pretends to preach the Goſpel) not the law, but lives in your miſcarriages and Legal tranſgreſſions, growing worſe and running yet further from God, you do not go on in iniquity onely, but leads others therein, and teacheth them to plead for ſin, tearme of life? then you do not turne others from iniquity, but runs further into it that runs into your miſcarriages and growes worſe, neither do you walke with God that runs (as you ſay) further from him: therefore you are not his meſſengers, neither are you thoſe Preiſts whoſe lips preſerves the true knowledge, and at whoſe mouth the people ſought the law in that Legall diſpenſation and adminiſtration, for they walked with God in a Covenant of life and peace, and the law of truth was in their mouths, ſo was the feare of God in their hearts, and turned many from their iniquities, but ſuch as tranſgreſſed the Covenant and went from the life thereof, and from the law and the truth they went into miſcarriages, and grew worſe, and run further from God, preached for hire, bare rule by their meanes, cauſed many to ſtumble, and corrupted the covenant (as you do) and ſuch the Lord was againſt and he is againſt you,Jer 5.25.27, 28, 29, 30, 31. and their lips did not preſerve true knowledge, though they was Preiſts and Preached for hire, Mica. 3.11. and bare rule by their meanes, and lived in miſcarriages, Jer. 5. as you do, neither doth your lips preſerve true knowledge, though you be Preiſts and preach for hire, and beare•ule by your meanes, and lives in miſcarriages (as you ſay) and as they did that corrupted the covenant: and ſo you may ſee where you are; you would beare the name of Prieſts for your own ends and yet both be offended at them which call you ſo, and tell you of your miſcarriages which you now confeſſe, but inſtead of forſaking run further in them, in running from God, therefore your mouthes inſtead65 of preſerving true knowledge, utters your confuſion, and your peoples ignorance, and ſleepie ſecurity, that are as you ſay ſo carnall and ignorant, that they can ſcarce ſpeake a word of ſenſe in matters of ſalvation, and ſo it is manifeſt by their and your fruits, cruelty, end perſecution, that you are ignorant of the Goſpel, and knoweth not the way to ſalvation.
ANd unto you 42. Preiſts, who are found in this ſtate of ſeparation from God and in thoſe workes upon which his curſe remaines, from the Lord I-ſay unto you (and to all your generation who are found in the ſame ſtate, and working the ſame workes with you) Returne and repent; and ſeeing you have confeſſed the ſame, viz. your miſcarriages and wrong done to God to Chriſt and to men, it is your duty to amend and come out of the ſame: make it manifeſt by your returne, not in flatteries and faigned hypocriſie, but by ceaſing perſecution, and cruelty; give over preaching for hire, and beareing rule by your meanes; forſake your covetouſneſſe, Pride, Pompe, and vaine glory; and ceaſe ſeeking your own ends, and make not a prey upon the innocent and harmeleſſe, but give over your wronging Chriſt and men, and learne to feare him, do not go about to make pleas for ſin, and covers for your miſcarriages, but deale honeſtly and come out of them, for it is hard for the Camel, the rich mans figure, to enter the eye of a needle, except he be broken and bruiſed, &c: ſo is it as hard for the rich man to enter the Kingdome, except he be ſtripped of his riches, Pride, Pompe and Vaine-glory, and be thereunto fitted to enter, by being made poore in Spirit, and ſo it is ſaid, Bleſſed are the poore in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God: therefore before you enter the Kingdom you muſt be ſtript of ſelfe righteouſneſſe, and come out of your miſcarriages,Math. 5.3. Math. 5.20. ceaſe wronging Chriſt and men, and be borne againe before you can enter the ſame,Joh. 3.3.5. Joh. 3.9.10. therefore do not ſeeke to cover your ſelves, and hide your miſcarriages, now that you have confeſſed them, but come forth and forſake them; for he that hides his ſin ſhall not proſper: and it is not ſufficient for you to confeſſe your miſcarriages, and run on in them, but after confeſſion to forſake: for he that confeſſeth and forſaketh, ſhall find mery, but ſo ſhall it not be with them that only confeſſe and grow worſe, who do not forſake them but run further on in them: therefore conſider and let truth and equity enter, and do not account and reckon your ſelves to be dead unto ſin, and alive unto God, whil'ſt you are naturally dead in ſin, and alive in perſecution, luſt and miſcarriages, therein growing worſe, who are running yet f•rther from God, leaſt you make a wrong account and reckon amiſſe: and though the man be bleſſed to whom the Lord doth not impute ſin what is that to you, to whom ſin is imputed, who are bewailing your negligence, miſcarriages, and peoples ignorance, who are growing worſe and r•nning further from God? except you forſake your miſcarriages, and obey that which convinceth you of them, that you may be66 led out of ſin and turned to God; and do not account the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt to be yours, whilſt you are holding the truth in unrighteouſneſſe, which the wrath from God is revealed againſt: for what fellowſhip hath righteouſneſſe with unrighteouſneſſe? and what communion hath light with darkneſſe? therefore turne to the light which ſhews you your darkneſſe, ſin and miſcarriages, and come out of fellowſhip with ſin and unrighteouſneſſe, as well as forſake your miſcarriages, and waite upon the light to know the righteouſneſſe revealed from faith to faith:Rom. 1.18. 2 Cor. 6.14. 2 Co•. 4, 5, 6, Rom. 16.17. Coll. 3. Rom. 5. •7. Iſa. 55.6, 7. for you muſt put off the old man with his deeds and come out of unrighteouſneſſe; and put on the new man which after God is Created, if you intend to be made partakers of his holineſſe, and the righteouſneſſe which is the gift of God: therefore let the w•cked forſake his wayes, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turne to the Lord and he will have mercy on them; but if you run on in your miſcarriages, and grow worſe, you run on in unrighteouſneſſe and forſake the mercy, who inſtead of turning to God runs further from him: therefore do not ſeeke to hide your ſins any longer but come out of them, and forſake them, and thinke not to hide your ſelves, and to make a cover for your miſcarriages that you may grow worſe and continue therein, with ſaying, Peter denied his Maſter, and after found mercy: but remember that when the Cock crew to put Peter in remembrace of what he had done, he wept bitterly, and made his returne manifeſt by coming out of his ſin, who did not afterward run on in the ſame, nor any more deny Chriſt as he had done therefore if you take Peter for your example, minde to follow his practice now that you are made ſenſible of your miſcarriages, weepe bitterly as Peter did; humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, be ſeperate from your ſins, and touch not the uncleane thing, make your returne manifeſt as Peter did, and ceaſe doing wrong any more to Chriſt and men, and inſtead of running from God, turne to him that you may ſtand in awe and not ſin, and this is love to your ſoules, if you can receive it.
The Vizard and Cover plucked off from the Wolves back, under which he deceived and ſpoiled the ſheep; ſo that his envy and fury appeares: or, The tree is clearely knowne by the fruit which it beares, &c.
You guilded Tombes, and whited walls who have heaped up all the imaginations, of all the generations of diſobedience, that have gone before, who exceed in Arts and Notions and changeable religions, who in your Townes have ſet up your ſeverall likeneſſes, ſo that of Images you have choice, which you contend about, and fight for, and ſome of them you have ſet very high, above the Gods of your Fathers, their Surpleſſes, Tippits, and Alters,Math. 7.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. &c. But when will you behold what you haue brought forth more then another forme and likeneſſe in the ſame power? is this all that you have been doing all this while, to throw downe one Image and ſet up divers in the ſtead, but no more life? if theirs had leſſe ſhew, and as much life, ſhall not they be your Judges? when will you begin to judge the tree by its fruit,Jer. 23.10, 11.12. Iſa. 3.15. Jer. 5.1, 2. Jer. 5.25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. and manifeſt your God in power, and not in words only, when ſhall it appeare that your God is not an Image? that he hath power in you, over your wills, and perverſe wayes, your luſts and pleaſures, and curſed covetous practices, that the land may no longer mourne becauſe of oathes, not the poore groane becauſe of oppreſſion, that the works of God may praiſe him through you in the ſtreets, and that it may he once ſaid againe intruth, The Lord liveth even the Lord our righteouſneſs, Immanuell who worketh all our works in us and for us, and not your practices to teſtifie againſt you to your faces.
And you Teachers of all ſorts who are trying one another in your ſelfiſh natures, when will you try your own hearts,Iſa. 56, 9, 10, 11. and Judge and ſuffer the light of Chriſt to lay open your abominations to your faces that you may ſee and forſake that for which you have been ſo often reproved,Mica 3.11. Jer. 29. Ezek. 34. Math. 23. and for which you are ſo much offended to heare of: you that pretend to be in place to reprove others, do you not reprove your own ſelves, who are in the ſteps of the falſe Prophets, Scribes and phariſes. Is it no ſin to be called of men Maſters? nor to ſeeke for your gaine from your quarter, to beare rule by your meanes, to preach for hire and p opheſie for money? will you live in theſe things which did ever burthen the Spirit50 of God? And is this all your confeſſion & amendment, to call them railers who tell you of it? Are theſe wayes leſſe horrible ſince the Scriptures did witneſs againſt them, then they were in your fore-fathers which had none or is it more raling now then it was before the Scriptures were written? can you ſtop the cry of God againſt you with theſe words? or do his meſſengers delight more in theſe words in repeating theſe abominations then formerly? Or which of the Prophets, Chriſt, or the Apoſtles that could be ſilent in the ſight of ſuch wickedneſſe?Mica 3.5, 11. Hoſ. 6.9. and will this excuſe you to ſay you love not theſe things, and yet live in them, and contend for them and impriſon your brethren (as you have called them) and ſpoiled their goods, if you have them not? are ye ſeeking their ſouled while you are caſting them into Priſons? Had Chriſt ever ſuch a miniſtry? and yet your hearts be filled with rage and madneſſe that you cannot beare it to be told of it,Joh. 15.18, 19, 20. Math. 6.24, 25. &c. John. 16.1, 2, 3. Heb. 11.36, 37.38. 1 Cor. 9.16.17, 18, 19. 2 Cor. 1.4.5.6. 2 Tim. 3.10.11 1 Pet. 3.18, 19 1 Pet. 4. by ſuch as ſeeke your returne, and not your deſtruction: And all the returne you make, is to complaine to the magiſtrates that you are diſturbed, and that they muſt protect you in your peace (which is not in the doctrine of Chriſt nor way of his Miniſters) but if any of you be Chriſts Miniſters come forth in his life and power, and do his worke, and receive of him what is meete, and not from the world, and ſo make proofe of Chriſt in you by his fruits, and then let him be accurſed that railes againſt you: come out of your ſtately houſes, your tithes and great parſonages, and with Chriſt and his Miniſters wander in the deſolate places of the Nations, and preach to the people that ſit in darkneſſe, who have ſouls but no parſonage: leave your maſter-ſhips and come to be ſervants to ſuch for Chriſts ſake; ceaſe bearing rule by your means and rule by the ſpirit of the lambe; ſeeke the ſouls and not the gaine, cloth your ſelves with Chriſts ſuffering and not with the wooll; ceaſe to hale their bodies into Priſon, and miniſter to the ſoules in Priſon, to the opening that eye your Fathers have blinded with their daubing, and to the quickening that which they have quenched and ſlaine, that you may preſent them living to God,Ephe. 5.4.5, 6. & 12. 1 Pet. 1.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Act. 17.16, 17, &c. Act 17.24, 25. Act. 7.47, 48, 49. Math. 6.25, 26. ſpirituall men and women, that you may become makers up of the breach, that is made by the lying divinations of thoſe that went before you, let us ſee you in the ſtreets of your Townes and Citties declaring againſt wickedneſſe, who are not aſhamed to act abominations, before the Sun: come out to witneſſe againſt your ſtage plaies, and curious arts which you call paſtimes and recreation, the Devils invention to ſteale away the minds of people from their God; come into your markets and concourſe of people and witneſſe againſt all ſweareing, lyin•, idle words, and fooliſh jeſting, which to heare doth vex the ſoule of the righteous; and all that know the condemnation that muſt come upon ſuch things: this was the Miniſtry of Chriſt in Prophets and Apoſtles, which if you were called to, and faithfull in, you would ceaſe to lay ſnares for him that doth reprove ſin in the gate, nor will you then coun•••breaking the peace; ceaſe caſting one another out of your livings to put your freinds or ſome of your forme in their ſtead, and goe forth and declare againſt all the Idols worſhip performed51 in the Idols Temple, and all formes crept in by the man of ſin, ſince the Apoſtles; and lead to the ſame forme and foundation without adding diminiſhing or wreſting that the Saints were, who were led out of the Idols Temple to cry out againſt them and the hirelings therein, then will you ceaſe to beate in your Synagogues, and hale before rulers and partake with them that are ſo uſed: then the Scriptures will juſtifie your practiſe and preaching without meanings, and the life will anſwer the words which came from it; and when the ſheeps clothing is on the ſheeps back, and the nature of the ſheepe guiding in the inward parts, then ſuch as call you wolves, your practiſe will prove them liers, and the Scriptures will to you witneſſe, and you to them without meanings: then may you lay by your (Heatheniſh) expoſiters, and commentators and imitaters too, when with the ſame Spirit you are acted in the ſame way and ſo become examples to the people in ſomthing of ſelfe-deniall beſides your words: you have long told your hearers of your faith, and beleiving God for your ſoules, but let them ſee how farr you have learned to truſt God for your bellies, and that you have ſome faith at preſent and not all in another world, for that faith which leadeth not to caſt all care upon God for the body, ill but do little good for the ſoule, in time of need, for the body is more then rayment, and the life more then meate,Math. 6.25, 26 ſo that which will not carry above the carnall will never bring you to the eternall, and little do they know of faith who take that for it: and now let your faith be tried in the life, before the world to whom you preach, for the truth is come and tried you muſt be, and that faith which wil not over ballance the world wil be found too light in the ſealed ballance, and ſo will that practiſe that will not hold with the Scriptures without wreſting, for the evill tree cannot bring forth the good fruit,Math. 7.15.16.17, 18. nor will that which was ſpoken by the Spirit of Chriſt beare witneſſe to the waies, worſhips and works of Antichriſt, and herewith are you tried, all you Pariſh (Maſters) Teachers of the Nation, your doctrines your meanings, your means, your maintenance, your preaching and profiting of the people, and how the Scriptures is your ſtanding rule to walke by, and whether you be of the unchangeable Preiſt-hood, that changeth not as the times change according to the preferment and eſtates politique, or you be of thoſe who have no other rule for your way of worſhip, then people have for the forme of their habit: and ſo you are rightly called nationall Miniſters, as every Nation hath its ſeverall kinde ſo this alſo, and all pretend Scripture, and by wreſting it can make them all lawfull, (in their account) and count all heretiques that ſpeaks againſt them, ſo long as the eatthly powers takes their part; but when they change, the face of that Miniſtry falls: and thus it is with all ſorts whoſe Miniſtry the Scriptures will not own both in matter and forme, and maintenance, without the leaſt adding diminiſhing or w•eſting,Reve. 22.18.19. for the Miniſtry of the Goſpel changeth not, and whoſoever God appointeth to rule in the Nations, or what lawes ever they ſet up, the law of Chriſt ſtands in his ſervants, who have received the law giver in Spirit, ſo52 when the wicked raigne ſuch rather ſuffer then change from the truth, who worſhip and ſerve the Creatour, more then the Creature, and theſe were never ordained by the world, but by their own Maſter Chriſt Jeſus by whom the world was made, who agrees with his ſervants about what he ſees meete, but never made uſe of the hireling, who takes his wages from the world for it is not like that the world who loves their evill deeds, ſhould uphold that Miniſtry which brings them to light, ſo with the light you are ſeene, and what you have been doing theſe many yeares, and what you are now doing: and your works and your fruits are come to light, you Pariſh maſters who have given your ſervants which attend you your liveries, who ſerve and worſhip and bow to you, and they are:Joh. 8.3.4. 2 Pet. 3.3. Act. 17.5.6. worne in your ſtreets, and by them it is knowne whoſe ſervants they are, they are your ſervants, who are now found ſcoffing and ſcorning, and dirting the ſimple, innocent, harmeleſſe Lambes of Chriſt, punniſhing beating and haling in your ſynagogues, and haling before rulers, and ſwearing againſt, and falſe accuſing, to add to the afflictions of the afflicted, & ſtrengthen their bonds, whereby the Scriptures is fulfilled upon you and them, the ſweareing, lying, filthy communications, & drunkenneſſe that is ſeen in your ſtreets,Rom. 1.28, 29. &c. the ſtage playes, and fooliſh ſports, invented for no other end but to fulfil the luſt, & draw the minds of people from their God, which you have invented fine names for, calling them paſtimes, and recreations which the Saints never did, nor lived in; the vanity pride and oppreſſion that abounds in your Townes; couzening, fighting, and ſuing, and all abominations is found in your ſervants, and you are their Maſters, which they who have no maſter but Chriſt abhors to live in: ſo your livery is worne, and your marke is received, and known you are in the light; and read your names and the number of them, your ſervants and ſervice with the worke they are found in, which you muſt own, though you rage when you are told of it, yet all theſe belong to ſome of you,Reve. 13.18. Reve. 12.7. Reve. 12.7.8, 9, 12, 13. and by this thus gotten are you maintained, and you own them and their Prophets, their ſervice and worſhip, and the ſervants of Chriſt they are ſeene, who cannot worſhip any but him, and ſo they ſuffer with him all thoſe things to be done unto them as was done unto him, and in the light they are known, and the enmity is begun, and is great between the ſeed of the woman, and the ſeed of the Dragon, and there is no more hiding place for the Serpent, nor in Heaven have they any place; ſo to the earth they are caſt, and there they are rageing diſquieting the inhabitants thereof, and ſtirring up the powers thereof, againſt the lambe to battel, and many are gathered and gathering, and the numberleſſe number is making up, to goe out againſt a ſcorned and contemptible weake and fooliſh people, with envy and in great rage, with all manner of lying divinations, that they may beſet them round, and ſmite them on every ſide, and the maſters, and their ſervants are all at worke: ſome, they are laying ſnares, and ſetting gins for the innocent, who is ſet by the Lord to reprove ſin, openly in the gate, and they are ready to ſweare againſt them that they are peace-breakers53 and turbulent peſtilent fellows, when they have almoſt murdered them in the ſtreets, all blood and bruiſed, dirted, and ſtoned yet they to priſon muſt for offenders for the words they have ſpoken: and if any be moved to goe to the Idols Temple amongſt them you call the Churches, to ſpeak a word; or if they ſpeak not a word,Act. 17.5, 6, 7, 8. Act. 21.28.30.31 ver. Act 24.5.6. Joh. 15.18, 19, 20. Joh. 16.1, 2, 3. if they be but known to be of that ſeed which will not bow in the houſe of rimmon, there they are haled, and beat, and teared, and pulled by the haire, and beat with their Bibles, and ſtruck downe, ſo that your Churches are more cru•ll then your markets; as they are further from God, ſo they are further from mercy juſtice and Judgment, not one of you once to conſider, that for this very thing it was that the ſervants of God, Prophets and Apoſtles did formerly ſuffer beating, whipping, impriſonment, bonds and death, but as though all this was nothing to you, who are the Maſters of this worke; you ſtill cry out (like men ſtark drunk with blood) to the rulers for greater punniſhment to be infflicted upon thoſe who have none on earth to plead their cauſe: So that having prevailed to the filling of moſt of the Priſons in the Nation, more then ever your fore-Fathers the Biſhops did, ſo that ſuch a liſt may be given of your inpriſoning, ſtocking, beating, whipping, and blooding, in theſe three laſt yeares, ſince the Nation had outward peace, as will not be produced in three ſcore yeares of your Fore-fathers, and further to blood you are haſting as faſt as you can prevaile with the Magiſtrates to fulfill your thirſt; how many petitions have beene formed by you Pariſh maſters, to the Magiſtrates, againſt the deſpiſed people under the names of hereſies and errors, and blaſphemies, and as envious names as your envy cold invent, to incenſe people and powers againſt them, but never yet could convince us to our faces thereof by the Scriptures, and the Saints lives without wreſtings; neither did you ever deale ſo Chriſtian like as to deſire, that your practiſe and ours may be brought face to face before the magiſtrates, and the Scriptures to ſtand as judge betwixt us and you; as it is a declaration, againſt hereſies, error and blaſphemy, but if you may not be our Judges and your own and the Scriptures too, you cry out of hereſie, and fall a rageing, and falſe accuſeing, ſhewing your ſelves to be of the generation of backbitters. who will not come to the light to convince nor be convinced, but cry out to the Magiſtrates that they muſt prepare greater punniſhments againſt us, ſhewing to all, that you ſeeke more to deſtroy the bodies then ſave the ſoules, crying out to men to Judge us and cenſure us, but will not bring us to be tried by the Saints lives and practice: how many of us have beene cenſured by drunkards and ſwearers, and carnall men by your meanes? but did you ever bring the Scriptures to lay before us, and out and of that cenſure and Judge us, as it is without your meaning added to it? but this you know would fall upon your own backs and condemne your own practice: if we be ſuch heretiques as you call us; why are we not convinced before authority by the Saints practice and judgment? can any law judge of hereſie but the law of God, and is that which we do now more hereſie then formerly, being54 the ſame both in pure life and judgment: you uſe to accuſe us falſly, ſaying we deny the Scriptures, yet are we denied the benefit to be proved and judged thereby and becauſe you ſay (we are) ſo, that is ſufficient in your account whereon to paſſe ſentence, and upon this account hath Chriſt ſuffered all along, by your generation, and doth at this day, who have erred after the error of Balaam, for giſts and rewards, and goe after the way of Caine in envy and murther, and both theſe are one Spirit, the covetous, the murtherer, ſeducer are one againſt the light, which ſhews your evil deeds, and the ground of your envy is the ſame; wherefore did Cain hate Ids brother, becauſe his deeds were evill, and his brothers good? ſo for declareing freely the way of truth, for reproving ſin in Preiſts and people, high and low as we are moved, now we beare the envy of all whoſe deeds are evill and cannot endure reproofe.