IT hath ever been the sad condition of the Church of God in all ages to suffer and receive most injuries and unkind­nesses from those who have pretended greatest love, and have seemed to have neerest relation to them: especially, when any such have had opportunity to gain place or power over them. This we find began in Cain against Abel, and went on in Ish­mael against Isaak; so in Esau against Jacob, the ten Brethren against Joseph: and after the Church of God came to be a corporated people, and had a Temple with Ordinances and Officers, then it was pestered with false Prophets, wicked and idolatrous Priests: thus ye find Isaiah complaining, Isa. 28.7. [Page 2] so Jeremiah, Chap. 2.8, 26. & 5.31. & 26.7. to 11. so chap. 16.13. & 9.10. & 23.11, 21, 22. & 25.26. so the Church in the Lamentations, chap. 4.13. Hos. 6.9 so Ezek. 22.26. and 34. the beginning: and in divers other places ye finde the sad complaints of the Church and people of God against the wic­kednesse of their false prophets and wicked priests.

And as it is the practice of our false Prophets and wic­ked priests, not only to deceive and delude the multitude, and lead them into superstitious idolatrous practices and wor­ships, and take them all in to be their disciples; but likewise to set up themselves, and use all the interest they have in the people in opposition to the true Church of Jesus Christ, to persecute and destroy them: So was it of old. Thus ye finde the 400 false prophets all against Micaiah, and Zedekiah that false prophet smiting him on the cheek for speaking the truth to the King, 1 King. 22.24. This was the condition of the Church of God in Elijah's time, 1 King 18.19 to 23. when there were 850. prophets in Israel; and yet saith Elijah to the people, ver. 22. I, even I only remain a prophet to the Lord: so 1 King. 19.10.

Thus if you please to observe in Scripture, where-ever ye finde the Chu [...]ch of God before Christs incarnation in apo­stacie, or declining from the true worship of God to Idola­try and superstition, the originall cause of it arose from the lying spirit in the mouthes of their false prophets which led them.

And so ye finde, when the Lord Jesus Christ himself came in flesh to bring the word of Reconciliation to us, to make them that were afar off nigh by his own blood, and to break down the partition wall betwixt Jews and Gentiles; to abolish or take away the enmity, even the law of commandements contained in ordinances, Ephes. 2.13, 14. who were then his greatest oppo­sers? were they not those whom he might have expected to have been most welcom to? namely, the Jewes, who were then a people who had been in covenant with God for many ages; a nation whom God had chosen to himself out of all the nations in the world to be his peculiar people, Deut. 14.2. yet [Page 3] these were the people which were the most cruell persecuters of Christ in the flesh. The first news that ever they heard of him put them all into an uproar, Herod and all Jerusalem was troubled, Matth. 2.3. and the Lord Christ, the Saviour of the world was forc'd to fly into Egypt, to a people that were aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers to the co­venants of promise, to save himself from his own people: which makes the Evangelist sadly complain, Hee was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not; he came to his own, and his own received him not, Joh. 1. ver. 10, 11. So Christ himself sadly complains, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me: the ox knoweth his owner, and the asse his Masters crib, but Israel doth not know me, my people doth not consider, Isa. 1.23.

It is needlesse to give you a relation of their carriage to­wards Christ in the flesh, the four Evangelists being but a brief history of it; of their persecuting him from one City to another, of their cruell mockings and scourgings; of their haling of him before Magistrates, and at last crucifying of him: and all this he suffered from them as an evill doer, as a sower of sedition, a destroyer of their Temple and Law, as a blasphemer &c. And among these poor blinde z [...]alous Jewes, who were the chief ringleaders of them, and stirrers of them up against Christ and his Apostles but the priests? or, according to our Popish distinction, the Clergy, the Learned, the University-men, those which were best read, and most knowing in the law; namely, the high-priests, Scribes and Pharises: these ye shall find at all times, and in all places indeavouring to ren­der odious to the world the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ, calling the word of Reconciliation sedition, the very truth of God himself heresie and blasphemy: following of Christ from place to place, to stir up the people against him to destroy him; this ye finde Matth. 26.3. & 16.5, 21. & 15.1. & 20.18, 21. so Mark 8.11, 31. & 14.1, 43. so Luk. 5.21. & 6.7. & 9.22. & 20.1. & 22.2, 66. & 23.10. And since the time of Christs finishing his work in the world, which he did upon the crosse, John 19.30. since the Captain of our salvation hath [Page 5] been made perfect through sufferings, Heb. 2.10. Whereby he hath given all that are his, sufficient testimony, that if they will follow their Lord Christ, they must take up his crosse, Luk. 19 23. and All that will live godly in Jesus Christ shall suffer persecu­tion, 2 Tim. 3.12. that In the world they shall have tribulation, but in him they shall have peace. For (saith Christ) the disci­ple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord; it is enough for the disciple to be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his houshold? Matth. 10.24, 25. I say, since this chaste spouse of Jesus Christ the spi­rituall Church of God hath been left in the world, as the Ark of God was among the Philistims, as Daniel in the lions den, or as Jonas in the whales belly, void of all hope and help in the world, as far as sense and reason, or any thing below faith was able to apprehend, the flesh, the world, and the Divel hath ever since proclaimed open war against Christ in his people, though the gates of hell could never yet, nor ever shall prevail against them, Matth. 16.18. For no sooner had they done crucifying Christ, but presently they began to persecute the Apostles and Saints at Jerusalem: And they were all scat­tered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles, Acts 8.1. and they which were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word: and the Apostles did not go about to stir up Jerusalem to petition the Magistrate a­gainst them then: but what was then the duty and practice of the Saints, is now punishable by our learned Presbyters for Schism and Heresie; and because they have neither precept nor practice, neither Scripture nor good reason to convince their differing Brethren, therefore are they procuring lawes. and ordinances, that then they may cry out to the Magistrate as the Jewes did to Pilate, Wee have a law, and by our law hee ought to die.

Those who are the drivers of this designe, let us pray that the Lord would not lay this sin to their charge; but that hee would open their eyes, and let them see the evill of their do­ings, that they may put it far from them; and take this into [Page 4] their consideration, that England hath too much innocent blood upon its score already, which hath cost it very deer late­ly. God hath given our Nation blood to drink in great mea­sure, as if he would tell us every drop of the blood of his saints which this Kingdome for many yeers hath been de­stroying and banishing, should cost us a fountain; and hath so disperst and scattered all our former persecutors, as if hee were minded to let them see how good persecution and ba­nishment were; or to make them as forward to fetch those home again whom they have formerly banisht and forc'd out of the Kingdom, as he did the Egyptians, to thrust the Israe­lites out, whom they did formerly force to stay in their King­dom. I shall here onely use Davids words in the very same case, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts de­light my soul. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the Lord is my defence, and my God is the rock of my refuge: And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickednesse; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off, Psal: 94.19, 20, &c.

It hath been the sad condition of the Church of God for above a thousand yeers last past, ever since the falling away spoken of 2 Thess. 2.3. to suffer by her enemies as an evill do­er; truth hath ever since been persecuted for errour, light for darknesse, Christ for Belial: and therefore this last hath been the most cunning and cruellest way of persecuting that ever the adversary attained to; therefore saith Christ, prophesying of this last and greatest adversary to the Church, Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. So, Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmlesse as doves. As much as if he should say, ye have a subtle and cruell adversary to deal withall, therefore arm your selves with wisdom and innocency. Or thus, Ye have been formerly persecuted by open enemies, such as have not been ashamed to appear against you in, their own likenesse; but now your [Page 6] enemy shall be your pretented friend, such as shall be in your own likenesse: they will be wolves still, but they will be in sheeps clothing, Matth 7.15. They will still kill you, but they will pretend to do God good service by it, John 16.2. Christ further prophesieth of the Saints sufferings under the Gospel by this wicked cruel devouring adversary, Mark 13.19. For in those dayes shall be afflictions, such as were not from the begin­ning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be: And then if any man shall say, Lo here is Christ, or lo there is Christ, beleeve him not: for false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall shew signes and wonders, to deceive, if it were possible, even the very elect. And if ye will beleeve the Scri­pture, those false Christs and great deceivers spoken of so much, are not such kinde of creatures as wee are, crying out against poor illiterate mechanick fellows, as we call them; for such were Christ and the Apostles esteemed of by the world; Is not this the Carpenters son? Matt. 13.55. Mar. 6.5. So in Acts 4. when the Apostles Peter and John were brought before the high priest and his kindred to be examined: When they saw the boldnesse of Peter and John, and perceived they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took know­ledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. These priests had more goodnesse in them then many of our priests; for they will not take notice of any whom they call unlearned and ignorant men, to have been with Jesus, if they have any Christian boldnesse in them; but call it audaciousnesse, and out facing Authority, meaning their own Antichristian pow­er: as if there were no coming to Jesus but by Rome, the same way by which themselves come. But those false Christs and false Apostles spoken of in Scripture are not unlearned me­chanick fellowes; but such as have in them all the humane learning and wisdome the world can afford: not such men as are forc'd to run up and down the Country, sculking here and there in private places to broach their opinions to some poor despised people; for there is no possibility that these men, if deceivers, should be persecuters too. But these de­ceivers have in their hands all the power the earth can af­ford, [Page 7] to stir up Nation against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdome, to bring before and deliver up to Counsels, to beat you in their Synagogues, to hale you before Kings and Rulers, Matth. 10.17, 18. Mark 13.8, 9. These deceivers are of that man of sin, that son of perdition spoken of 2 Thess. 2.3. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God, ver. 4. These deceivers are they whose coming is like the working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, and with all deceivablenesse of un­righteousnesse.

Now those deceivers which the Church of God hath been troubled withall for these many ages are such kinde of de­ceivers as these are, men of great places and high esteem in the world, having had all the power of the world to back them, which never were able to carry on their businesse with any strength of argument, the Scripture hath been so point-blank against them, and therefore they have made use of the power and strength of Emperors and Kings; and where the Magisteriall power hath faild them, they have made use of the Military, and have stirred up Emperors and Kings to war one with another, and by this means these bloody decei­vers have been the cause of thousands of millions of Christi­ans lives to be lost, and their blood to be spilt to maintain their Antichristian power and domination over the whole Christian world. And all this hath been done under the pious pretences of Reformation, Church order, punishing of Hereticks, &c. pretending zeale to Gods glory and the Churches good in the most bloody enterprises that ever they undertook.

They have alwayes pretended to reform the Church of its Heresie and Schisme, &c. and on the contrary, have deform­ed it into formality, superstition, and idolatry: And when their wicked practices and false worships have begun to ap­pear so visible to the eye of the world, that the very light of nature hath been ashamed of their abominations; then for fear that the mystery of iniquity should fully discover it self to their utter ruine, they have again transformed themselves [Page 8] into some other likeness or shape, thereby to deceive the world, and make them beleeve they were a reforming them­selves and the Church, out of their zeal to Gods glory, when they alwayes staid in their old Idols Temple, while it were ready to fall on their heads, and then built themselves another of the same materials, onely painted over with some other colours: And this ye shall finde to be the center of all Synodi­cal Reformations to this very day; never countenancing nor suffering more of the power of godliness in any, where they could suppress it, then what would serve them for a stalking horse, to destroy their dissenting Brethren by. And as they have sought the exaltation of their own glory, the establish­ment of their own power, and the manifestation of their own humane wisdom and learning in all their undertakings, and have despised, the wisdom, power, and glory of God in his people, because God hath hid that treasure in earthen vessels, 2 Cor. 4.7. because it is the good pleasure of the Father to hide those things from the wise, and prudent, and reveal them unto babes, Matth. 11.25. because not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise, 1 Cor. 1.27. Therefore hath God likewise refused them, and hath given them up to the pride, and deceit of their own heart: Therefore hath God pronounced a wo against them, Isaiah 30.1. Wo to the rebelli­ous children, that take counsel, but not of me, that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit: So in the 29. of Isaiah 13. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have re­moved their heart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Is not the sin and punishment of the Prince of Tyre met in our days? Eze­kiel 28. Is it not visibly discovered to us, that our learned Wise men, such as have endeavoured to confine all the true knowledge of God, and the mysteries of his Kingdom to [Page 9] their learned capacities have ever been our deceivers, and se­ducers: Such as have been our leaders into all manner of Superstition and Idolatry; may we not well say with the Apostle, Where is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the dis­puter of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1 Cor. 1.20. Doth it not appear, That Christ is made by God alone unto us wisdom? 1 Cor. 1.30 Have not those which have called themselves the Reverend Clergy, the Learn­ed Tribe of Levi, the Bishops, Pastors, and Ministers of Christs Church, been for above a thousand yeers, to the begin­ing of this Parliament, the great deceivers, the grand Secta­ries, the chief sowers of Sedition, the very Throne and Body of Antichrist, and the proudest enemies to the Church of God?

Let us leave England a little, and observe the greatest part of the World, called Christendom, as Italy, Spain, France, Ger­many, &c. and do they not at this very day, generally live in the very darkness of Popery, making it their very Religion to maintain the Popes supremacy, the authority of the Church, and a few idolatrous Superstitions Ceremonies; and are other-wayes altogether as ignorant of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, as the very Heathens? And who are the Leaders of these people in their ignorant superstition, and idolatry? Is it not the Clergy, the Learned, the University men? Is it not they which are their Popes, Cardinals, Jesuites, Fryers, Monks, &c? Is it not they which hath broacht, and imposed all those damnable Heresies, and Errors, now in the Church of Rome? And have they not to fill up the measure of their iniquities, caused to be presented, and put to death many thousands of Christians, for not beleeving, and receiving their damnable Superstitious Errors? Nay further, hath it not been they which throughout all Christendom for these many ages, have been the chief and onely contrivers, and plot­ers of all the bloody barbarous plots, wicked insurrections, and traiterous rebellions, against Kings and Kingdoms? Hath it not been their constant practise to stir up Nation against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, under pre­tence [Page 10] of Holy War, to the destroying and ruinating many thousands of good Christians: the whole Histories of Chri­stendom being but a brief story of the bloody wicked barba­rous practises of these blood-thirsty Clergy-men; there would be no end if I should come to particulars, whole Volumns not containing them. But thou mayest object and say, We know the Romish-Clergy are bloody deceivers, cruel persecuters of good Christians: We have heard often of the Spanish Inquisition, and the bloody massacre in France, &c. But what is this to us? we have had a Learned, Pious Clergy in England for many yeers. Let me intreat thee to consider a little, what pious men they have been; where shall we begin? in Henry the eights time, or in Queen Maries dayes? For till those dayes they were all as Romish as the other are now. Let me intreat thee to peruse well the Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Master Fox his Books of the Acts and Monuments of the Church, his History of Martyrs; and when thou hast done, then tell me, whether the Clergy of England hath not been more wicked, bloody, and cruel, then all the Clergy of Christendom besides: How many thousands of precious Christians have had their blood spilt, and been put to cruel torments, such as ye hardly read of in any other story by our cruel bloody English Clergy-men? And this is chiefly observable in them, wherein they have exceeded all others, That they have not onely been as Popish, superstitious, and cruel, as others in other Kingdoms, when the stream hath run that way; but that they were never true to their own principles, wherein they have been alwayes a shame to their cloth; for as their Popish Superstition and Idolatry, hath declared them to be not Christians, but Antichristians: so their turning like the weather-cock, with all windes, hath declared them unworthy cowardly people, as they are meet natural men. Thus ye shall finde them in Henry the eights dayes, when the Kingdom was under the height of Popery, they were all cruel Papists; when the King denied the Popes supremacy, and went about to demolish the Abbeys, and Monasteries, which they all knew was not out of any pious [Page 11] zeal he had for Reformation, but out of wrath, pride, and coveteousness; yet how did they all fide with him, except the Cardinal, and the poor Fryers, and Monks, that were all un­done, and beggered by it? Then in the dayes of Edward the sixt, by reason of the Kings pious disposi [...]ion, though young, they feared a turn, and presently a great part of them fell a Preaching against some particular points of Popery; and such as defended them, did as if they had not greatly cared what Religion they were on: but in the mean time, the Lord Protector, with several others, were resolved to reform the Church; and presently abolished the Mass with most of the Popish Service, and caused the Common-Prayer Book to be read in English to the people; and presently all the Clergy were zealous Protestants, great Common-Prayer Book men, except some four or five of their chief Bishops, as Gardiner, Bonner, Toustal, and Day; and about three or four yeers after, at the most, when Queen Mary was made Queen of England, they presently all turned about again, except such another number, as Cranmer, Rogers, Hooper, Ferrer, Ridley, and La­timer, and grew more cruel throughout the whole Kingdom against the poor Saints then ever they were; Bonner being then Bishop of London, did drive the very same trade Master Edwards is about now; for if ye observe it, the first officer Antichrist entertains when he is begining a new designe, is a good Scout-master General, to keep a correspondency with all the rest of the wicked Clergy spred abroad over the King­dom, as ye may see by those many wicked Letters, and accu­sations, which daily he received from all parts of the King­dom, against one poor man or other; so that friends durst not talk together for fear some words should slip, and Bonner should come to hear of it, which was the bloodiest minded man that is upon record, for persecuting the poor Saints, and inventing punishment for them, or I hope we ever shall hear of, if God keep but Master Edwards and his ungrateful bloody faction out of authority: And in this rage did those wolves continue devouring the poor sheep of Christ all the dayes of Queen Mary; and how many thousands of good Christians were destroyed and banished by them, would make [Page 12] a Jews heart bleed to consider off; and all those suffered by them as evil doers, as Heretikes and Schismatikes; and them­selves then, as they do now, assumed the name of Christs Ministers, and Ambassadors: Then after Queen Mary was dead, and Queen Elizabeth swayed the Scepter, in six moneths the whole tribe of them, except some few of their Bishops which had gotten money enough to live upon any where, and so did not care much for their trade, turned quite about again, and all turned Protestants: in which shape, and under which visage, they have continued to the beginning of this Parliament; who then presently discovered to the whole Kingdom, that they had been as deceitful, and as cruel in this shape, as ever they had been in the former; that they had one­ly got on sheeps clothing, but were all inwardly ravening wolves: they had got a trick to call all their Antichristian practises, and Popish ceremonies, the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England; and all their Antichristian proud Prelates, with the rest of their superstitious dumb Priests, must be called the Bishops Stewards, and Ministers of Jesus Christ; and all the true worshippers of God in the Kingdom, they were all scattered abroad, silenced, and persecuted under the name of Heretikes, and Schismatikes, &c. Every day growing worse then other, bringing in some new invented Popish ceremony or other, to the end they might have further advantage against such as could not submit to them: sure it will be needless for me to give you any par­ticulars of their insolent proud wicked carriage in our times; it must needs be fresh in your memory; their incroachments upon the Civil power; their oppressions by their wicked Courts in all parts of this Kingdom; their superstition and idolatry, which they were every day inventing and bringing into the Church; their insolency and pride in setting them­selves up with, if not above the Nobility of the Kingdom; their wicked and damnable plots, tending to the ruine of both Church and State; doth not all the blood, both of England, and Ireland stand upon the stone of these bloody men? have not they been the great fomenters of this bloody war [Page 13] amongst us, by stirring up the spirits of wicked cruel men, against the poor Saints of God, in the three Kingdoms; and was there ever any wicked plot discovered, either against Church or State, but these men have had a great hand in it, if not the chief contrivers of it? If a Deputy of Ireland be in fault, ye may be sure of an Archbishop of Canterbury: How did they flock to the Kings party at the beginning of this war, that in some Garrisons, as Oxford, Newark, York, and several others, there were whole Troops and Companies of black-coats? and where ever the greatest flocks of these learned Deceivers were resident, there were the people most dis­affected to the Parliament; as witness the Universities and Cathedrals, which appeared to be the very nests and cages of unclean birds: If the Parliament should have forborne to have given them the tenth of the Kingdom, till such time as the tenth of the Clergy had been of their sides, the Ordinance for Tithes might yet have been unpast. If I should go on to particulars, of their Malignant speeches and actions, which they have spoken, and done against the Parliament, and their proceedings since this war begun, you would not have the patience to read them; of their villifying the Parliament and all that adhered to them, under the names of Rebels and Traytors; frequently charging them of sacriledge and robbing the Church of her ancient Rites and Ceremonies; extolling the Book of Common-prayer, calling it the Divine Service of God, thereby to render the Parliament odious for taking away such holy things; with abundance more of this nature; so that all these things well considered and laid together, I wonder who will appear the great Sectaries, the grand Heretikes, the factious Fellows, the sowers of Sedition, and destroyers of Religion in the Kingdom? whether the Laity or the Clergy? and who we have now most cause to stand in fear of? whether those which are now discovering the superstitious blindness, and wicked practises of the Clergy, or the Clergy themselves? which are driving on their old de­signes in a new shape, that are building a new Babel out of the old rubbish, that are giving that great skarlet whore, a [Page 14] new dress, thereby to make the world once more wonder after her, that they may once more hear that voice, Great is Diana of the Ephesians; but let me perswade thee not to fear them, neither it is enough for their servants, their vassals, such as stand and fall with them, to live in fear of them: But if thou best one of those which follow the Lamb, wheresoever he goeth, Rev. 14 4. that art willing to carry the cross of Christ, as well as wear his Crown, that art willing to suff [...]r with him, as well as raign in the day of their great calamity, When they shall drink the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his Indignation, and shall be tor­mented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and of the Lamb, Revel. 14.10. Then shalt thou stand with the Lamb upon mount Sion, verse the first. Then shalt thou sing a new song before the throne, Verse 7. Then shall you sing A [...]leluia, salvation, honor, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand, Revel. 19.1, 2. Therefore be not now at all troubled, when thou seest the day begin to grow dark; it is but a cloud that is arising, it will be no more night with the Church; if they have a dark hour, the sun will shine through the cloud; For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over-gone, the flowers begin to appear on the earth, Cant. 2.11. It is now spring-time with the Church, and though there may be many a cold blast, and stormy showre, yet they are rather to be desired then feared. They will cause the fig-tree to put forth her green-figs, and the vine with the tender grape to give a good smell, Cant. 2.13. What though Truth be yet called Error, and Light darkness, the Saints and faithful servants of God, Schismatikes, and Heretikes? &c. let not this trouble thee; it is no new thing that hath befaln thee, they never were called by other names yet by this generation of men, called Clergy; and Paul was not ashamed to con­fess to Felix, that after the way they call Heresie, he worship­ed the God of his Fathers; and if thou best ashamed to con­fess that now, thou mayest come to be ashamed of Christ, [Page 15] and Truth, and so deny both; Therefore do not thou minde so much what men cry up for truth, and tread down for error; for all is not error that is voted so: It hath been the lot of truth in most counsels, if not in all, to have the fewest voices; and thou mayest be sure, they themselves that put truth upon vote, are not themselves satisfied what truth is, till they have done voting: But if they were the sons of truth, or had any love to, or high esteem of truth; if they had ever tasted of that word of truth and righteousness; if they had ever received the truth in the love of it, it would be more pre­cious to them, then to be ventured at one stake:

But this doth fully declare to us they hold the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1.18. These are such as Isaiah speaketh off, Isaiah 48.1. Which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousness. These men never followed Christ for the love of Truth; it is the loaves more then the miracles that they minde. These Simon Magus's which have purchased their Apostleships by their money, love their wages better then they do their work: The first thing they minde, is how to get a Gospel-maintenance, and then they never fear a Gospel Ministery; they know by ex­perience, the former begets the latter. These are not of the race of that true Shepherd, for his work was to save mens lives, Luke 9.56. But the business of these hath been to de­stroy mens lives: He came to lay down his life for the sheep, John 10.15. These come to take away the lives of the sheep, John 10.10. His work was to feed the flock, John 10.9. These take the fleece, and starve the flock, Ezekiel 34.2. His dis­position and expression to the flock, are full of love and tend­er bowels, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the Lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young, Isaiah 40.11. But these like those wicked cruel shepherds, are on the contrary nature. The diseased have you not strengthned, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was [Page 16] broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them, Ezek. 34.4. These are of those theeves Christ speaks off, John 10.10. that come not but for to steal, to kill and destroy: but I am come that ye might have life, saith Christ, and that you might have it more abundantly. These are not onely of those hirelings, whose own the sheep are not, which onely flee when the wolf comes, and leaves the sheep to the wolf, John 10.12. but these are rather those wolves which Christ forewarned the Church of, Matth. 7.15. These are of that sort Paul prophe­sieth of, Acts 20.29. For I know that after my departure, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock: These may be fitly compared to Jerusalems false prophets and wicked priests, Ezek. 22.25, 26. There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring lion, ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof: Her Priests have violated my law, and have pro­phaned my holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and prophane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sab­baths, and I am prophaned among them. Her Princes in the mid­est thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daub­ed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord hath not spoken. If there were but such a noble spirit in thee, as those Beareans had, Acts 17.11. to search the Scriptures daily, whether those things be true or no that men hold forth to thee, how soon would the vanity and simpleness of these learned deceivers be discovered to thee? If thou wouldest but take the Apostles for an example, not to have regard to the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, 1 Cor. 2.13. If thou wouldest not beleeve every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God or no, because many false prophets are gone out into [Page 17] the world, 1 John 4.1. How would light break forth to thee, and darkness flee away? but we have been more fearful to scruple or question the testimony of men, and their subtile in­tricate interpretations of the Scripture, then we have been to question the testimony of God himself, and the plain say­ings of the spirit in the Scripture; and the Laws and Ordi­nances which these men have procured, and caused to be esta­blished against Heresie and false Doctrine, did never run in the defence of the Scripture, as it stands pen'd by the Spirit of God, but as it were interpreted by them (not thus) If any man shall declare or hold forth any doctrine or opinion con­trary to the Scripture, or contrary to the form of sound words delivered by Christ and his Apostles: (but thus) by the Papists, If any man shall hold forth any doctrine or opinion contrary to the holy Catholike Church, or shall deny the supremacy or infallibility of our holy Father the Pope, &c. And among the Protestants thus, If any man shall hold forth any doctrine or opinion contrary to the present government established, or contrary to the doctrine or articles of Faith, received by the Church, &c. he shall be proceeded against as an Heretike, &c. and accordingly, If any have been accused of Heresie or Schism, &c. why they have been proved Here­tikes, &c.? by those Laws and Ordinances, and not by the Scripture, nor by Christs precepts and practice, as they stand upon record from his mouth; neither will it avail the accused to plead in his defence any testimony from Scripture, to main­tain the lawfulness of his practice; but his adversaries will cry out, we have a law, & by our law he ought to die; and thus hath these men, like those wicked Pharisees Christ proves, Matth. 15.6. made the Scripture, and Law of God of none effect by their own traditions; they have been alwayes striving, and contending with Kings and Parliaments for Laws and Ordinances, pretending them against Heresie and Schism, and hath ever turned the edge of them against the very power of godliness: this being their very way and [Page 18] means, whereby they have destroyed so many good Christians, as you see they have done in all ages; so that they have not been satisfied to persecute and destroy good people themselves, but have hereby imbrued the hands of Emperors, Kings, and Parliaments, in the blood of many millions of Gods people, to the ruinating of themselves and their Kingdoms; besides the loud cry of blood to God for vengeance against them, which he will surely require at their hands; and when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cryed with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Revel. 9.10. And I heard the angel of the waters, say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be, because thou hast judged us; for they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy, Revel. 16.5, 6. When the Lord shall once come to make inquisition for blood, it is not a pretence of building up Sion, and establishing the peace of Jerusalem that shall satisfie his justice; no, he will avenge it on all hands. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement and pervert all equity. They build up Sion with blood, and Jeru­salem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Sion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest, Micah 3.10, 11, 12. And do but compare the practice of these men, to the practice of Christ and his Apostles, and see what little agreement there is betwixt them, and then chuse whether thou wilt serve God or Mammon; for no man can serve both, Matth. 6.24. Ye shall finde Christ himself, which was not onely the great, Prophet and Teacher of his Church, [Page 19] Acts 3.23, 24. but likewise their great King and Law-giver, Isaiah 33.22. one that hath all the power of heaven and earth committed to him, and yet did he never use any arbi­trary power over, or in the Church; but saith he, All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you, John 15.15. It was his Fathers business, not his own, that he came to do, Luke 2.49. John 4 37. & 17.4. His Fathers will, not his own, that he came to fulfil, John 5.30. Mark 14.36. And in his Fathers name, not his own, did he do all that he did, John 5.43. & 17.6, 26. And so the Apostles which were chosen and ordained by Christ himself, to the work of the Ministery, which had in them an infalliable spirit to guide them, and yet you never finde them speaking or doing any thing in their own name, or in the name, or authority of any other, but Christ himself, producing his precepts and pra­ctices for all their words and actions, That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, 1 John 1.3. so Acts 4.20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (they do not say the things which we have considered and and agreed upon.) So ye read in the first of the Acts and verse the second, That Christ by the holy Ghost had given commandment to the Apostles, whom he had chosen; and in obedience to those commands of Christ, did they act, and do all which they did. This was the doctrine Peter preached, Acts 10.42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testifie, that it was he which was ordained of God, to be judge of quick and dead; and when Peter and John were commanded to preach no more in this name, Acts 4.19. Peter and John answered, and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you, more then unto God, judge ye. And as they did not de­cline the preaching in the name never the more for being commanded to the contrary; so would they not have preach­ed it ever the less or more, for being commanded to do it by any but Christ, who had alone power to inable them to obey his commands; therefore saith David, I will run the way of [Page 20] thy commandments, when thou shalt inlarge my heart, Psal. 119.32. If men could inlarge hearts, as well as give commands, there might be some hopes of their forcing to beleeve in Christ, and to walk in the way of his commandments. But in vain do ye worship me, saith Christ, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, Matth. 15.9. Though the command­ments which those Pharisees take for doctrine, were com­mandments of men, to worship the true God, and that after the most strictest manner, according to the Law of Moses, as they judged, Acts 26.5. and yet this was then vain wor­ship, how comes it now to be orthodox? and so you finde Paul, that great Apostle, called and chosen to the Ministry by Christ himself, Acts 9.5, 6. and to that end was filled with the holy Ghost, Verse 7. of a contrary spirit to the A­postles and Ministers of our times: when there was several divisions and opinions in the Church of Corinth, he did not side with one or two of them, to see if he could suppress the other; he did not countenance those that cryed up Paul, no more then those that cryed up Apollo, nor those that were for Cephas, less then those that were for Christ; but his designe was to have Christ advanced above Paul, Apollo, and Cephas two; he included them altogether, and writ to them all as Brethren, 1 Cor. 1.10, 11. and the thing which he propound­ed to them was not, whether any of the rulers, or of the pha­risees beleeved on him, as they did, John 7.48. but, Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized into the name of Paul? Verse 13. threw himself down that Christ might be set up: He doth not direct his Epistle to them under the names of their several opinions, as they stood divided, neither doth he call them Sectaries nor Schismatikes, though they were as really such, as most that are so accounted of a­mong us; but to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be Saints, &c. Verse 2. Neither doth he charge the cause of their divisions, upon their illiterate, mechanick Teachers, though such they [Page 21] had, Verse 26, 27. for if he had, they might have said to him, Paul thou art but a Tent-maker; but all that Paul prest at, was to tread down, and that with detestation, all humane wisdom and learning; and let them know, it had no share, neither in him, nor in Christ, as you may see in the three first Chapters of this Epistle, which would have been useless at that time, if that had not been the cause of their mistake; they did not know that God would destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, V. 19. That the foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God stronger then men: For ye see your calling Brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are. They did not consider, that God would have no flesh glory in his presence; that Christ was made alone by God, wisdom, and righteousness, to his people, Yerse 29, 30. But so far have these self-exalting, vain-glorious Clergy-men been, from using any of these Arguments, or Scriptures, against divisions and opinions, that it is little less then Heresie with them, for any to read or make mention of these Scriptures to them, if it cross their designes: that if Paul were now alive amongst us, and should preach such doctrine as this [...] were enough to fill two or three Gangrena's: but though they have hitherto, and still may deceive, and delude the world with their humane inventions, and vain imaginations, so shall they not do the Church; For the Lord knows how to de­liver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished, 1 Peter 2.9. And though the Wolves and Goats may follow them, because they are all of one nature and spirit, yet the sheep of Christ will follow him; For they know his voice, and a stranger will they not follow, [Page 22] but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers, John 10.4, 5. Neither shall the time of their deceiving last alwayes, Onely he who now letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way; And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming, 2 Thess. 2.7, 8.