<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2012-08-17</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A74751">
<STC T="T">E32_8</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99871237</BIBNO>
<VID>154564</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>QVERIES OF HIGHEST CONSIDERATION, Propo&s;ed to the five HOLLAND Mini&s;ters AND THE Scotch Commi&s;&s;ioners (SO CALLED.) Vpon occa&s;ion of their late Printed Apologies for them&s;elves and their <HI>Churches.</HI> In all Humble Reverence pre&s;ented to the view of the Right Honourable the Hou&s;es of the High Court of Parlament.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Imprinted in the yeare MDCX.IV.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>QVERIES OF HIGHEST CONSIDERATION, Propo&s;ed to
<LIST>
<ITEM>M^r^. <HI>Tho. Goodwin</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>M^r^. <HI>Phillip Nye</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>M^r^. <HI>Wil. Bridges</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>M^r^. <HI>Jer. Burroughs</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>M^r^. <HI>Sidr. Simp&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST> AND To the Commi&s;sioners from the Generall A&s;&s;embly (&s;o called) of the Church Of SCOTLAND; Vpon occa&s;ion of their late Printed Apologies for them&s;elves and their <HI>Churches.</HI> In all Humble Reverence pre&s;ented to the view of the Right Honourable the Hou&s;es of the High Court of Parlament.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Imprinted in the yeare MDCXLIV.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>TO THE <HI>Right Honourable</HI> Both Hou&s;es of the High Court Of <HI>PARLIAMENT.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT is a wofull <HI>Priviledge</HI> attending all great <HI>States</HI> and <HI>Per&s;onages,</HI> that they &s;eldome heare any other <HI>Mu&s;ick</HI> but what is known will <HI>plea&s;e</HI> them.</P>
<P>Though our <HI>Mu&s;ick</HI> &s;ound not <HI>&s;weet</HI> but <HI>har&s;h,</HI> yet plea&s;e you fir&s;t to know, it is not fitted to your <HI>Eares,</HI> but to your <HI>Hearts,</HI> and the blee|ding <HI>Heart</HI> of this aflicted <HI>Nation.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis true, we have been humbly bold to pre&s;ume as <HI>E&s;ter</HI> into <HI>Aha&s;uerus</HI> his pre&s;ence, again&s;t your Order: For who can pa&s;&s;e the many Locks and Bars of any the &s;everall <HI>Licencers,</HI> appointed by you with &s;uch a Me&s;&s;age? By &s;uch Circum&s;cribing and immuring of your &s;elves by &s;uch a <HI>Guard</HI> (their Per&s;ons we honour and e&s;teem) it is
<PB REF="4">rarely po&s;&s;ible that any other <HI>Light,</HI> but what their He|mi&s;pheare affoords, &s;hall ever &s;hine on your <HI>Honours</HI> Souls, though ne're &s;o <HI>&s;weet,</HI> &s;o <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> and though it come from <HI>God,</HI> from <HI>Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e Worthy and much e&s;teemed Per&s;ons unto whom we Quaery, we have heard to be Men of <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> of <HI>Abilities,</HI> and are in this worthy of double <HI>Honour,</HI> that (according to their <HI>Con&s;ciences)</HI> they appear in the <HI>Front,</HI> and pre&s;ent their <HI>Moulds</HI> and <HI>Patterns</HI> of <HI>Church Go|vernment,</HI> from <HI>Holland,</HI> from <HI>Scotland,</HI> to our inqui|ring <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P>Their mutuall ju&s;t <HI>Exceptions</HI> which they have alrea|dy, or may further expre&s;&s;e again&s;t each others <HI>Tenents</HI> we leave to them&s;elves, (though we might expre&s;&s;e them to our advantage.) We &s;hall be humbly bold in the name of the Lord Je&s;us; and the many thou&s;and precious &s;ouls, for whom he hath paid &s;o deare a Ran&s;ome; to pre&s;ent &s;uch <HI>Quaeries</HI> to your <HI>Honours</HI> view, as re&s;pect their joint Agreement (Pardon the I hra&s;e) like <HI>Ephraim</HI> and <HI>Ma|na&s;&s;eh</HI> (though fighting each again&s;t other, yet) both again&s;t Chri&s;t Je&s;us the Lion of Iudahs Tribe; we mean &s;o farre as they appo&s;e the Truth and Purity of his la&s;t will and Testament.</P>
<P>Mo&s;t Renowned Patriots, You &s;it at <HI>Helme</HI> in as great a <HI>Storm,</HI> as ere poor <HI>Englands Common-wealth</HI> was io&s;t in: Yet be you plea&s;ed to remember, that (excep|ting the affaires of <HI>Heaven,</HI> of <HI>Religion,</HI> of <HI>Soules,</HI> of <HI>Eternity)</HI> all your <HI>Con&s;ultations, Conclu&s;ions, Exe|cutions,</HI> are not of the <HI>Quantity,</HI> of the <HI>value</HI> of one poor <HI>drop</HI> of <HI>water,</HI> or the little <HI>du&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Ballance,</HI> of <HI>Elaiah</HI> were a true Prophet, <HI>E&s;a. 40.15.</HI></P>
<P>Yet concerning <HI>Soules,</HI> wee will not (as mo&s;t doe)
<PB REF="4">charge you with the loads of all the <HI>Soules</HI> in <HI>England, Scotland, Ireland:</HI> Wee &s;hall humbly affirme, and (by the help of Chri&s;t) maintaine, that the <HI>Bodies</HI> and <HI>Goods</HI> of the Subject is your charge: Their <HI>Soules</HI> and yours are &s;et on account to tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e to be the <HI>Lights</HI> and <HI>Guides,</HI> the <HI>Me&s;&s;engers</HI> and <HI>Emba&s;&s;adors</HI> &s;ent from <HI>Heaven</HI> to them.</P>
<P>You will plea&s;e to &s;ay, We are con&s;tantly told, and we be|lieve it, that <HI>Religion</HI> is our fir&s;t <HI>Care,</HI> and <HI>Reformati|on</HI> of that our greate&s;t <HI>Taske.</HI></P>
<P>Right Honourable, your <HI>Wi&s;domes</HI> know the <HI>Fatall Mi&s;cariages</HI> of <HI>Englands Parliaments</HI> in this point; what <HI>&s;etting</HI> up, <HI>pulling</HI> downe, what <HI>Formings, Refor|mings,</HI> and againe <HI>Deformings,</HI> to <HI>admiration.</HI></P>
<P>Three In&s;tances are dreadfull, yet to expre&s;se Sea&s;o|nable.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The la&s;t and be&s;t of <HI>Englands changes,</HI> e&s;tabli|&s;hed <HI>Lord Bi&s;hops:</HI> they and two more <HI>(Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Dea|cons)</HI> are by Law the e&s;tabli&s;hed <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> of <HI>Englands Church:</HI> The former makes the latter, &s;o far as concerns a lawfull <HI>externall</HI> Calling. The <HI>Lord Bi&s;hops</HI> them&s;elvs, are now &V;oted <HI>Antichri&s;tian;</HI> Your Wi&s;domes then &s;ee what Callings by Law, the other two &s;orts, <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Deacons</HI> have all this while bin furni&s;hed with.</P>
<P>Secondly, if hee that eates and drinkes the <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>blood</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> unworthily, eateth and drinketh his owne <HI>judgement,</HI> and all <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> &s;oules are bound by <HI>Law</HI> to cate that <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Blood</HI> at &s;ixteene, who &s;ees not, &s;ince (as tis confe&s;t &s;carce one of a thou&s;and, but is found <HI>igno|rant, Impenitent, Unregenerate</HI> at tho&s;e yeeres) that the <HI>Body</HI> of the People are compelled by <HI>Law,</HI> to eat and drink at &s;ixteen their own <HI>judgment.</HI></P>
<PB REF="5">
<P>Thirdly, for <HI>Non-conforming</HI> to the&s;e and other practi|&s;es, the <HI>Engli&s;h Ma&s;&s;e-Booke,</HI> &amp;c. what heavy <HI>Per&s;ecu|tion</HI> have <HI>thou&s;ands</HI> felt, and that by <HI>Law</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed?</P>
<P>We &s;hall in all <HI>humble Reverence,</HI> &s;uggest our <HI>Feares,</HI> that for the very <HI>Laws</HI> and <HI>Statutes</HI> of <HI>Englands Parli|aments</HI> concerning <HI>Religion,</HI> and happily for &s;ome not yet &s;u&s;pected, the <HI>Lord Ie&s;us</HI> hath drawne this <HI>Sword,</HI> that's daily drunke with <HI>Engli&s;h Blood.</HI></P>
<P>It &s;hall never be your Honour to this or future Ages, to be confined to the <HI>Patterns</HI> of either <HI>French, Dutch, Scotch,</HI> or <HI>New-Engli&s;h Churches</HI> We humbly conceive &s;ome higher <HI>Act</HI> concerning <HI>Religion,</HI> attends and be|comes your <HI>Con&s;ultations:</HI> If he who&s;e name is, <HI>wonder|full, Coun&s;ellor,</HI> be con&s;ulted and obeyed according to his last Will and Te&s;tament (as you may plea&s;e in the <HI>Quaeries</HI> to view) wee are confident you &s;hall <HI>exceed</HI> the <HI>Acts</HI> and <HI>Patternes</HI> of all <HI>Neighbour Nations;</HI> bighly exalt the name of the <HI>Son</HI> of <HI>God;</HI> provide for the <HI>Peace</HI> of this di&s;tre&s;&s;ed State, engage the <HI>Soules</HI> of all that feare <HI>God,</HI> to give <HI>Thankes</HI> and <HI>Supplicate</HI> for you; further the <HI>Salvation</HI> of thou&s;ands, and leave the &s;weet perfume of your Names, precious to all &s;ucceeding <HI>Generations.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD>QUERIES PROPOUNDED To the five <HI>Holland</HI> Mini&s;ters, and the <HI>Scotch Commi&s;sioners.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>WORTHY SIRS,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IN &s;erious Examination of your late <HI>Apo|logies,</HI> we &s;hall in all due re&s;pect and ten|derne&s;&s;e humbly Querie:</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="I" UNIT="Querie"> Fir&s;t, What Precept or Pattern hath the Lord Je&s;us left you in his la&s;t Will and Te&s;tament for your <HI>Synod,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">What warrant from the Lord Ie&s;us for the A&s;&s;embly of Divines?</NOTE> or A&s;&s;em|bly of <HI>Divines,</HI> by vertue of which you may expect his <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance?</HI></P>
<P>If you &s;ay (as all Popi&s;h <HI>Synods</HI> and Councels doe) the Pattern is plain, <HI>Acts</HI> 15.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 15. <HI>exa|mined.</HI></NOTE> We aske if two or three Brethren of one particular Congregation at <HI>Antioch,</HI> &s;ent to that fir&s;t Mother Church at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> where the Apo&s;tles were, who being (immediatly) in&s;pir'd from God, could &s;ay, <HI>It &s;eemeth good to the</HI> holy Spirit <HI>and Vs, to lay upon you no greater bur|then,</HI> &amp;c. as al&s;o who had power to make Decrees for all the Churches, <HI>Acts</HI> 16. We aske whether this be a Pattern,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Nationall A&s;&s;embly ne|ce&s;&s;arily infor|ceth an A&s;&s;em|bly of the whole world.</NOTE> for a Nation or Kingdome (and &s;o con&s;equently for more Nati|ons and all the World if under one Government, as in <HI>Au|gu&s;tus Cae&s;ars</HI> tax) to &s;end their &s;everall Prie&s;ts and Deacons (for other &s;pirituall Officers then Bi&s;hops, Prie&s;ts and Dea|cons you know we have not) to reforme or forme a Reli|gion, <HI>&amp;c?</HI></P>
<P>We pray you to con&s;ider,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. Daniels <HI>I|mage, a type of State Religi|ons.</HI></NOTE> if the golden Image be not a type and figure of the &s;everall Nationall and State Religions, which all Nations &s;et up and Ours hath done, for which the wrath of God is now upon Us?</P>
<PB N="2" REF="6">
<P>We pray you al&s;o to an&s;wer in what part of Chri&s;ts Te|&s;tament is found that title,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Title, the A&s;&s;embly of Divines exa|mined.</NOTE> <HI>The A&s;&s;embly of Divines;</HI> and whether it be not in Engli&s;h, <HI>The Church of Godly ones?</HI> And as we Queried your ground for &s;uch a Church, &s;o have we al&s;o cau&s;e to pray you to tell us, Where Chri&s;t Je&s;us hath given you power to a&s;&s;ume and appropriate &s;uch a Title to your &s;elves, which &s;eems in Scripture to be common to all the Children of God?</P>
<P>Some expre&s;&s;e it in Print and pulpit,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">That title, the A&s;&s;embly of godly Divines examined.</NOTE> the A&s;&s;embly of god|ly Divines; we derogate not from the worth or godline&s;&s;e of any of them: yet you know the A&s;&s;embly of Saints, or godly Divines, is no other in Engli&s;h then the A&s;&s;embly or Church of Saints, or <HI>godly godly ones. All that will live godly in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution:</HI> We pre&s;ume you will grant o|thers to be Saints and godly too in that &s;ence: but Oh that that whole A&s;&s;embly or Congregation were truly re&s;olved, (by way of Eminencie) to lead all the godly in the Land in &s;uch a Chri&s;tian practice.</P>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE II.</HEAD>
<P>Whereas you both agree (though with &s;ome difference) that the Civill Magi&s;trate mu&s;t Reform the Church, e&s;ta|bli&s;h Religion, and &s;o con&s;equently mu&s;t fir&s;t Judge, and Judicially Determine which is True, which is Fal&s;e: or el&s;e mu&s;t implicitly beleeve as the A&s;&s;embly beleeves, and take it upon tru&s;t, and &s;o con&s;equently is he the Head, Root and Fountain of the Supremacie of all Spirituall power, and hath the power of the Keyes of <HI>opening</HI> and <HI>&s;hutting heaven gates, &amp;c.</HI> Of which power upon a grudge (as 'tis &s;aid) about his Wife, King <HI>Henry de&s;poild the Pope,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>King</HI> Henry <HI>the</HI> 8. <HI>&s;et down in the Popes chaire.</HI></NOTE> and with con&s;ent and Act of Parlament, &s;ate down him&s;elfe in the Popes Chaire in <HI>Eng|land</HI> as &s;ince his Succe&s;&s;ors have done?</P>
<P>We now Querie, &s;ince the Parlament (being the repre&s;en|tative Common-wealth) hath no other power but what the Common-weale derive unto,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Common|weale, yea the world the head of the Church.</NOTE> and betru&s;t it with; whether it will not evidently follow, that the Common-weale, the Na|tion the Kingdome, and (if it were in <HI>Augu&s;tus</HI> his time) the whole world mu&s;t rule and govern the Church, and Chri&s;t him&s;elfe as the Church is called, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.12?</P>
<P>Furthermore, if the Honourable Hou&s;es (the repre&s;enta|tive
<PB N="3" REF="6">Common-weale) &s;hall erect a Spirituall Court, for the Iudging of Spirituall Men and Spirituall Cau&s;es (although a new Name be put upon it,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A new High-Commis&s;ion.</NOTE> yet) whether or no &s;uch a Court is not in the true nature and kind of it, an High Commi&s;|&s;ion? And is not this a reviving of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and the &s;anctifying of a new Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> of which we heare nothing in the Te&s;tament of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, nor of any other holy Nation, but the particular Church of Chri&s;t? 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9.</P>
<P>Is not this to &s;ubject this <HI>holy Nation,</HI> this heavenly Jeru|&s;alem, the Wife and Spou&s;e of Je&s;us, <HI>the pillar and ground of Truth,</HI> to the vain, uncertain and changeable Mutations of this pre&s;ent evill world?</P>
<P>Who knowes not in how few yeares the Common-weale of <HI>England</HI> hath &s;et up and pull'd down?
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Parla|ments of</HI> Eng+lands <HI>won|derfull changes in Religion.</HI></NOTE> The Fathers made the Children Hereticks, and the Children the Fathers. How doth the Parlament in <HI>Henry</HI> the 8. his dayes condemn the ab&s;olute Popery in <HI>Henry</HI> the &s;eventh? How is in <HI>Edwards</HI> the 6. his time the Parlament of <HI>Henry</HI> the 8. condemned for their halfe Popery, halfe Prote&s;tani&s;me? How &s;oon doth Queen <HI>Maries</HI> Parlament condemn <HI>Edward</HI> for his ab&s;olute Prote&s;tani&s;me?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The pre&s;ent Parlament would have been e&s;teemed Hereticall in former times.</NOTE> And <HI>Elizabeths</HI> Parlament as &s;oon condemn Queen <HI>Maries</HI> for their ab&s;olute Popery? 'Tis true, Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> made Lawes again&s;t Popery and Papi&s;ts, but the Government of Bi&s;hops, the Common Prayer, the Ceremo|nies were then &s;o high in that Queen and Parlaments eye, that the Members of this pre&s;ent and ever renowned Parla|ment, would have then been counted little le&s;&s;e then Here|ticks. And oh! &s;ince the Common-weale cannot without a &s;pirituall rape force the con&s;ciences of all to one Wor&s;hip, oh that it may never commit that rape, in forcing the con|&s;ciences of all men to one Wor&s;hip, which a &s;tronger arme and Sword may &s;oon (as formerly) ari&s;e to alter.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE III.</HEAD>
<P>Whether &s;ince you profe&s;&s;e to be Builders,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The only true Matter for a true Church are living Stones.</NOTE> you have not cau&s;e to feare and tremble, lea&s;t you be found to reject the <HI>Corner &s;tone,</HI> in not fitting to him only <HI>living &s;tones?</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. Of the&s;e <HI>living &s;tones,</HI> (true Beleevers) the co&s;tly Stones of the Temple were types: and without true matter, which (as it is
<PB N="4" REF="7">in all works in the World) it is impo&s;&s;ible to build a &s;piritu|all Hou&s;e unto God?</P>
<P>This matter, the One of you confe&s;&s;e and practice, the Other que&s;tions and mingles Sheep and Goats together, con|trary to the &s;pirituall nature of the Lord Je&s;us, and his true Pattern; contrary to the nature of God, who is a Spirit, and will be Wor&s;hipped by Spirituall Wor&s;hippers; contrary to the peace and &s;afety of any naturall Soule and con&s;cience, hardned in a dream of Fellow&s;hip with God, who &s;aith to the ungodly, <HI>What ha&s;t thou to doe to take my Covenant into thy mouth, and hate&s;t to be reformed?</HI> P&s;al. 50.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE IV.</HEAD>
<P>Whether in your con&s;ciences before God, you be not per|&s;waded (notwith&s;tanding your promi&s;cuous joyning with all) that few of the People of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Few of the people of</HI> Eng|land <HI>or</HI> Scot|land, <HI>living Stones.</HI></NOTE> and fewer of the Nobles and Gentry are &s;uch <HI>&s;pirituall matter, living &s;tones,</HI> truly <HI>regenerate</HI> and <HI>converted;</HI> and therfore, Whether it be not the greate&s;t Courte&s;ie in the world, which you may po&s;&s;ibly perform unto them, to acquaint them impartially with their conditions; and how impo&s;&s;ible it is for a dead Stone to have Fellow&s;hip with the <HI>living God,</HI> and for any man to enter into the Kingdome of God, without a &s;econd Birth? <HI>John</HI> 3.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE V.</HEAD>
<P>Although the fame and &s;ound is great of Reformation, we Querie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Impo&s;&s;ible to reforme the dead in &s;in, the &s;piritually liv|ing, are only capable of re|formation ac|cording to Chri&s;t.</NOTE> Whether a dead &s;oule is capable of any Reforma|tion, untill the fir&s;t principle of Chri&s;tianity, Repentance (<HI>Heb.</HI> 6.6.) be found in him: otherwi&s;e, as a thou&s;and &s;eve|rall renewed Forms of Apparell, alters not the condition of a dead man: or a thou&s;and new Formes of Po&s;tures of an Armie of Cavaliers cannot make a Parlament Army: So we Querie how po&s;&s;ible that a per&s;on or per&s;ons, vi&s;ibly in a &s;tate of <HI>nature, dead</HI> in &s;inne, in a &s;tate of <HI>enmitie</HI> and <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> a|gain&s;t God (<HI>Ephe&s;.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Definitions of ought mu&s;t not be from the corruption, but In&s;titution of it, according to which mi&s;t be the reformati|on.</NOTE> 2. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.) can ever plea&s;e God, be vi&s;ibly maried to God, fight for him under the Banners of Love? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Allegations may be brought from the <HI>corruptions</HI> of the Church of the Jewes, and the Churches of Chri&s;t: but We doe not u&s;e to define a Man by his Di&s;ea&s;es, nor a Garden by Weeds, nor a Citie by a Tumult, or an Army by a Rout or
<PB N="5" REF="7">di&s;order, e&s;pecially when we treat upon an In&s;titution or Re|&s;turation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE VI.</HEAD>
<P>Although you both profe&s;&s;e your Holyne&s;&s;e, Diligence, Zeale, Courage, Selfe-denyall, Patience, and the one of you the incomparable &s;pirit of your Fathers in the worke of Re|formation; yet we Querie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Excellent Wit|ne&s;&s;es of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, who ne|ver proceeded to a Church|e&s;tate</NOTE> Whether there hath not been as Holy, Able, and Zealous Men &s;ince the Apo&s;tacie; Men like <HI>Antipas,</HI> Rev. 2. <HI>faithfull Witne&s;&s;es</HI> of the Lord Je&s;us (in what Light they &s;aw) even to Death, who yet never came up to &s;uch a worke of Reformation as you &s;peak of: Yea (without offence be it &s;poken) have there not been as excellent and heavenly Reformers as your &s;elves and Fathers, who&s;e pro|fe&s;&s;ed Reformation you now di&s;like? Who &s;hall out&s;hine many of the Walden&s;ian Reformers for Holyne&s;&s;e, Zeale,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>Excellent re|formers, who&s;e worke now &s;eems to be be|&s;ide the fir&s;t Pattern, and this Age di&s;|likes, for&s;akes,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>One of the greate&s;t Par|laments that ever was, after all rejoycing and triumph|ing in it found Gods anger for their errors, in reformation of his wor&s;hip.</HI></P></NOTE> patience? Where is, or hath that pretious man been found, who hath (for per&s;onall excellencies) out&s;hined <HI>Luther?</HI> and who &s;hall o'retop tho&s;e glorious Cedars <HI>Bi&s;hops, Doctors,</HI> &amp;c. burnt for Chri&s;t Je&s;us in Queen <HI>Maries</HI> dayes?</P>
<P>Yea, where the Church we grant to have been true (accor|ding to its In&s;ti&s;tution, for the time of it) What A&s;&s;embly, what Parlament can compare with that of <HI>David</HI> and his Captains of thou&s;ands, Captains of hundreths, and every Lea|der, and all the Congregation of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from <HI>Shi&s;hor</HI> of <HI>Egypt,</HI> to the entring in of <HI>Hemath</HI> a&s;&s;embled together to reform the Wor&s;hip of God, in that true, but Nationall. Typical, Church e&s;tate of <HI>I&s;rael?</HI> What rejoycing, what playing was there of <HI>David</HI> and all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> with Harps, P&s;alteries, Timbrells, Cym|balls and Trumpets, and yet how angry was God, what a Breach did he make? for <HI>David</HI> and all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> tran&s;gre&s;t the due appointed Order, 1 <HI>Cron.</HI> 13. 1 <HI>Cron.</HI> 15.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE VII.</HEAD>
<P>Since the Law was given by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>A Nationall</HI> Covenant, <HI>and a Natio|nall</HI> Church, <HI>not found in the Doct ine of the Son of God</HI></NOTE> but Grace and Truth came by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, by whom (though God &s;pake divers times and divers wayes to the Fathers) he hath now revealed his councell in the&s;e la&s;t times, Heb. 1. We Quere, where you now find one foot&s;tep, Print or Pattern in this Doctrine of the Son of God, for a Nationall holy Covenant, and &s;o con|&s;equenty (though we conceive the one of you &s;tumble at it)
<PB N="6" REF="8">a Nationall Church? Where find you evidence of a whole Nation, Country or Kingdom converted to the Faith and of Chri&s;ts appointing of a whole Nation or Kingdome to walk in one way of Religion?</P>
<P>If you repaire to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Such as hold a Nationall Church of God mu&s;t needs di&s;claim Chri&s;t and follow</HI> Mo&s;es.</NOTE> con&s;ult with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the old Covenant or Te&s;tament, we aske, are you <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> or <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> Followers? or do you yet expect the comming of the Son of God to &s;et up the Chri&s;tian <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> the holy Nation, the par|ticular Congregation of Chri&s;tian Wor&s;hippers, in all parts of the world? 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. Heb. 12. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>We further Quere, Whether a Nationall Covenant, lead not (in ca&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>If one whole Nation, where &s;hould we &s;top, why may not many and the whole world?</HI> &amp;c.</NOTE> and as is practi&s;ed) unavoydably to a holy Cove|nant of many Nations? 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 10.20. yea, to a holy league or Covenant (in ca&s;e of <HI>Augu&s;tus</HI> his Government) of the whole world, which &s;hould then turne the Darling and Spou&s;e of God, between whom and it there is &s;uch enmitie, that <HI>if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him?</HI> 1 John 2.</P>
<P>The Doctrine of Chri&s;t Je&s;us tells us that, <HI>Acts</HI> 10.35. <HI>That in every Nation he that feares God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The nature of the true Church or Congregation of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us</NOTE> &amp;c.</HI> Not every Nation that feares God. Chri&s;t Je&s;us tells us that his Church may come together to break bread in One place, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. which Na|tions and Countries cannot po&s;&s;ibly doe: Chri&s;t Je&s;us tells us this his Congregation is now the Common-weale of <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI> inve&s;ted with the true Kingly power of the Lord Je&s;us, to put forth every wicked per&s;on (though King or Key&s;ar) from among&s;t them.</P>
<P>We Querie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>There cannot be</HI> 2 <HI>true kinds of Churches, no more then</HI> 2 <HI>true Parlia|ments.</HI></NOTE> Whether it be po&s;&s;ible there &s;hould be 2 true &s;orts or kinds of Churches, any more then 'tis po&s;&s;ible there may be 2 true Parlaments in <HI>England,</HI> though many &s;cores or hundreths &s;hould be called?</P>
<P>There are indeed 3 &s;core Queens, and 4 &s;core Concubines and Virgins without number, which &s;eem to imply (and that even in the&s;e times, as &s;ome al&s;o have interpreted) &s;everall kinds of Congregations or Churches,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Severall &s;orts of Churches like Brazen, Silver, and Golden Can|dle&s;ticks.</NOTE> and yet Chri&s;ts Dove is but <HI>one, and the only one of her motherr, Cant.</HI> 6. The Light of much Truth may &s;hine forth on the <HI>brazen Candle&s;ticks</HI> of &s;trong Nationall Churches, maintained and held up by the &s;eeming &s;trong Sword of Steel in an Arme of Fle&s;h <HI>&amp;c.</HI> There may be <HI>&s;ilver Candle&s;ticks</HI> more refin'd and pure in re&s;pect of the
<PB N="7" REF="8">Matter of which they are con&s;tituted, <HI>viz.</HI> godly per&s;ons, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But Chri&s;t Je&s;us only walks in the midd'&s;t of his <HI>Golden Can|dle&s;ticks,</HI> Gathered and Governed after the Golden In&s;tituti|on of Chri&s;ts Word, which is like fine Gold, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 19.</P>
<P>Againe, we aske,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A National Religion mu&s;t rack Soules and Bodies,</NOTE> Whether in the Con&s;titution of a Nati|nall Church, it can pos&s;ibly be framed without a racking and tormenting of th&egrave; Soules, as well as of the Bodies of per&s;ons, for it &s;eems not pos&s;ible to fit it to every con&s;cience: &s;ooner &s;hall one &s;uit of Apparell fit every Body, one Law pre&s;ident every Ca&s;e, or one Size or La&s;t every Foot?</P>
<P>La&s;tly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The dangerous con&s;equences of it.</NOTE> Whether it be not the cau&s;e of a world of Hypo|critets, he Soothing up of people in a Formall State Wor&s;hip to the ruine of their Soules; the ground of Per&s;ecution to Chri&s;t Je&s;us in his Members, and &s;ooner or later, the kind|ling of the devouring flames of Civill Warres, as all Ages te&s;tifie?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE VIII.</HEAD>
<P>Whether,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">No Wars for Chri&s;t but Chri&s;tian or Spirituall.</NOTE> although (as is expre&s;t) the godly in the 3 King|domes de&s;ire a Reformation: yet &s;ince the Lamb of God and Prince of Peace hath not in his Te&s;tament given us a Pat|tern, Precept or Promi&s;e, for the undertaking of a civill War for his &s;ake; we Querie how with comfort to your Souls you may incourage the Engli&s;h Trea&s;ure to be Exhau&s;ted, and the Engli&s;h Blood to be &s;pilt for the Cau&s;e of Chri&s;t? We rea|dily grant the Civill Magi&s;trate armed by God with a civill Sword (<HI>Rom.</HI> 13.) to execute vengeance again&s;t Robbers,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">War lawfull in civill ca&s;es.</NOTE> Mur|therers, Tyrants, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Yet where it meerly concerns Chri&s;t, we find, when his Di&s;ciples de&s;ire vengeance upon Offenders, <HI>Luke</HI> 9. he meekly an&s;wers, <HI>You know not what &s;pirit you are of, I came not to destroy Mens Lives, but to &s;ave them.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie&s;us forbids fight|ing for his &s;ake.</NOTE> If ever there were cau&s;e for the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t Je&s;us to fight it was then, when (not his Truth, or Servants, or Ordinances, but) his own mo&s;t holy Per&s;on was in danger, <HI>Math.</HI> 26. yet then, that Lamb of God checks <HI>Peter</HI> beginning to fight for him, telling him, <HI>that all that take the Sword &s;hall peri&s;h by the Sword,</HI> for with one Reque&s;t to his Father, he could have been re&s;|cued by more then 12 Legions of Angells:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Rea&s;ons of it.</NOTE> He renders the Rea&s;on of his unwillingne&s;&s;e to have Fighting for his &s;ake, which was his Fathers good plea&s;ure in the fullfilling of the
<PB N="8" REF="9">Scripture: Unto which al&s;o may be added, <HI>Iohn</HI> 18.36. <HI>My Kingdome is not of this world, if my Kingdome were of this world, then would my &s;ervants fight that I &s;hould not be delivered, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>If it be &s;aid his Kingdome then was not of this world, but now it is, or &s;hall be: then was the hower of his Suffring, but now of his &s;ervants Reigning:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;ts &s;uffe|rings to be fill'd up by his Followers.</NOTE> we Querie, What <HI>filling up of the &s;uffrings of Chri&s;t Paul</HI> &s;peaks of, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. when he mentioneth <HI>that which is behind of the &s;ufferings of Chri&s;t?</HI> What means that generall Rule of the Lord Je&s;us <HI>Luke</HI> 9. <HI>If any man will follow me, let him take up his Cro&s;&s;e or Gibbet:</HI> and that of <HI>Paul,</HI> 2 Tim. 4. <HI>all that will live godly in Christ Ie&s;us mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution?</HI></P>
<P>We Querie (if Securitie may be taken by the Wildome of the State for civill Subjection,)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The con&s;ciences of Idolaters not to be oppre&s;t by the Sword,</NOTE> why even the Papi&s;ts them|&s;elves and their Con&s;ciences may not be permitted in the World? For otherwi&s;e, if <HI>Englands</HI> Government were the Government of the whole World, not only They, but a world of Idolaters of all &s;orts, yea the whole World mu&s;t be driven out of the World?</P>
<P>We Querie, Whether the Common Body of Prote&s;tants, impenitent and unregenerate, be not further off Salvation, and lye not under a greater guilt (like <HI>Chorazin</HI> and <HI>Beth&s;aida</HI>) then does the body of ignorant Papi&s;ts?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignorant Pa|pi&s;ts not &s;uch great &s;inners as knowing Prote&s;tants.</NOTE> And we humbly de|&s;ire it may be deeply pondered what &s;hould be the kindling of the Jealou&s;ie of God, to poure forth the Blood of &s;o many Thou&s;ands of Prote&s;tants, by the bloody hands of the Pa|pi&s;ts (&s;ince mo&s;t ju&s;t He is and righteous in all his Judge|ments) whether or no the Lawes inacted, and Violence offred even to the Con&s;ciences of the Papi&s;ts them&s;elves, have not kindled the&s;e devouring flames?</P>
<P>'Tis true, the Prophe&s;ies are great concerning Chri&s;t and Antichri&s;t throughout the Prophets and the <HI>Kevelation,</HI> but can you &s;ufficiently demon&s;trate the&s;e to the con&s;ciences of men?
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The Prophe&s;ies of</HI> Daniel <HI>and</HI> John <HI>not &s;o ea&s;ity demon|&s;trated.</HI></NOTE> Are you tho&s;e our ble&s;&s;ed Prophets which can tell us <HI>how long? P&s;al.</HI> 74.</P>
<P>Can you clear up the my&s;teries of <HI>Daniels</HI> 2300 dayes, <HI>Dan.</HI> 8. <HI>Daniels</HI> 7 weeks and 3 &s;core and 2 weeks, his one week, and his halfe week,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Daniels <HI>and</HI> Johns <HI>my&s;ti|call Numbers.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Dan.</HI> 9? His <HI>time, times,</HI> and <HI>half</HI> a <HI>time,</HI> his 1290 dayes, and 1335 dayes, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12?</P>
<P>Can you unlocke tho&s;e my&s;ticall numbers of <HI>Iohns</HI> 42
<PB N="9" REF="9">moneths, 1260 dayes; the 3 dayes and a halfe, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.12. the <HI>time, times,</HI> and <HI>halfe</HI> a <HI>time, Rev.</HI> 12. and the <HI>thou&s;and yeare, Rev.</HI> 20. with divers others, which may e&s;tabli&s;h the Judgements and Con&s;ciences of Men, and give them Warrant whereon to venture their Souls, and &s;hed their Bloods, for the pre&s;ent de&s;truction of Pope and Popery (not by the breath of Chri&s;ts mouth, and the Sword of the Spirit, but) by the breath of murthering Canons, and a flaming Sword of &s;teele?</P>
<P>Otherwi&s;e, we Querie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wonderful &s;laughters of Papi&s;ts and Prote&s;tants in the famous warres of the Walden&s;ians.</NOTE> Whether the blood of &s;o many hun|dreth thou&s;and Prote&s;tants, mingled with the blood of &s;o many hundreth thou&s;and Papi&s;ts, as was &s;pilt &s;ome hundreth yeares in the Walden&s;ian warres, when all the Prote&s;tant par|tie that took the Sword peri&s;hed with it, be not a warning to us their off&s;pring?</P>
<P>'Tis true, <HI>Iohn</HI> tells us of Chri&s;ts great Battells again&s;t the Kings of the Earth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great bat|tels of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us yet to be fought.</NOTE> again&s;t the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e Prophet again&s;t <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog:</HI> but where &s;peaks he of other Ammunition and Artillerie, u&s;ed by the Saints, but what we find in <HI>Pauls</HI> Chri&s;tian Magazine <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6? Where read we of any other Hor&s;e and Armes but tho&s;e all <HI>white? Rev.</HI> 19. And yet the Lamb &s;hall have the Victorie over the Bea&s;t, and fal&s;e Pro|phet, and over <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog</HI> in the appointed &s;ea&s;on.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gods children have been &s;uc|ce&s;&s;efull wit|ne&s;&s;es again&s;t the Abomina|tions</HI> &amp;c. <HI>but never did well in Church Re|formation, which their children after them di&s;cover, to vary from the Pattern.</HI></NOTE></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE IX.</HEAD>
<P>You both profe&s;&s;e great Sufferings, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We Querie, Whe|ther any of the Sufferings of Gods Witne&s;&s;es &s;ince the Apo|&s;tacie, have been only right again&s;t the <HI>darke</HI> part, the Inventi|ons, Abominations and U&s;urpations of Antichri&s;t, according to <HI>Rev.</HI> 11? As for the <HI>light</HI> part, who &s;ees not but to this day the Childrens Reformations in new changes condemn their Fathers, who&s;e Zeale and Patience again&s;t the <HI>dark</HI> part, have hitherto exceeded the Childrens.</P>
<P>We Querie, Whether the fini&s;hing of the Te&s;timonie, with the &s;laughter of the Witne&s;&s;es, and their 3 dayes and halfe la&s;t great oppre&s;&s;ion be over and pa&s;t, that &s;o the <HI>light</HI> part may ari&s;e in its brightne&s;&s;e?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Martyrs, that is, Witne&s;&s;es, not peculiar to tho&s;e that die for Chri&s;t.</NOTE> And though you commonly and on|ly call tho&s;e Martyrs, who lo&s;t their lives for Je&s;us: yet we al&s;o Querie, Whether Martyrs, that is Witne&s;&s;es, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. be not applyable to all the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t, who Witne&s;&s;e a|gain&s;t any part of the Bea&s;ts Kingdome and Tyranny, al|though
<PB N="10" REF="10">they never Witne&s;&s;e to the Death?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE X.</HEAD>
<P>Since you report your oppo&s;ing and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of Here|&s;ies, and glorious &s;ucce&s;&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We Querie, Whether that be a demon&s;trative argument from the Scriptures, for a Truth of a Church, or Government of it, &s;ince even the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> may boa&s;t of the &s;ame again&s;t many Schi&s;mes and He|re&s;ies, and doth try umph with wonderfull &s;ucce&s;&s;e, even a|gain&s;t the Truth, and the Witne&s;&s;es of it, according to <HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>Johns</HI> Prophe&s;ies? <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.</P>
<P>Thus it plea&s;ed God in his Providence to turn the &s;cales of Victorie (with a reliefe of their Armies) to the Idolatrous <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> and <HI>Edomites</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Moabites,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God &s;ometimes gives great &s;ucce&s;&s;e of Vi|ctorie, even to Idolaters.</NOTE> 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 3. and miraculou&s;ly to deliver Idolatrous Apo&s;tate <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from the mighty Armies of the <HI>Syrians,</HI> 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 7. Thus he al&s;o rewar|ded hypocriticall <HI>Jehn</HI> for his temporall &s;ervice in de&s;troy|ing <HI>Ahabs</HI> hou&s;e with a temporall Honour to the fourth ge|neration, though him&s;elfe and his continued in the Schi&s;me, Apo&s;tacie and Idolatry of the hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>We pray you al&s;o to call to mind how it plea&s;eth God, out of the bottomles Ocean of his Goodne&s;&s;e, <HI>to cau&s;e his Sun to &s;hine, and his raines to fall upon the righteous and the wicked; and time and chance</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Salomon) happens unto all, and one event.</HI></P>
<P>It plea&s;ed the Lord to heare the Prayers of wicked <HI>Ahab,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">God &s;ometimes heares the prayers of le|gall cries of Idolaters, and the Dwells them&s;elves.</NOTE> and to remit his temporall Affliction upon his temporall Humiliation.</P>
<P>Thus the Lord Je&s;us heard the prayers of the Divels them|&s;elves, <HI>Luke</HI> 8. Upon the cry of the Idolatrous Mariners God mercifully provided to an&s;wer their prayers, and cea&s;e the Storme by the ca&s;ting out of <HI>Jonah.</HI> Thus upon the external legall Humiliation of <HI>Ninivie,</HI> it was reprieved and &s;par'd a &s;ea&s;on; and <HI>Sodome</HI> had not been burned to a&s;hes, but had con|tinued untill Chri&s;ts time, upon a &s;uppo&s;ition of their legall Humiliation, <HI>Matth.</HI> 11.</P>
<P>Thus although the Idolatrous <HI>A&s;&s;irians</HI> feared <HI>Jehovah,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudgements taken off from the A&s;&s;yrians, upon the lea&s;t &s;hadow of Gods wor&s;hip.</NOTE> and &s;erved their gods (2 <HI>Kings</HI> 17.) yet we hear no more of the Li|ons among&s;t them when the King of <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> had taken order for one of <HI>I&s;raels</HI> Idolatrous Prie&s;ts, to teach the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> &s;om|thing of the manner of Gods &s;ervice.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="10">
<P>We Querie, Whether all the&s;e In&s;tances amount to more then Evidences of the infinite Mercies, Goodne&s;&s;e and Pati|ence of God but are not proofs of their Wor&s;hipping of God according to his Ordinance, that their In&s;titutions were from him, and their Reformations according to his Appointment?</P>
<P>Yea, we further Querie, Whether the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>godline&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;hi|ning forth in per&s;ons may evidence their <HI>&s;tate</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> good?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The power of godlines may &s;hine in &s;ome per&s;ons living in great pro|phanations of Gods wor&s;hip.</NOTE> You both confe&s;&s;e the great <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>godline&s;&s;e</HI> in <HI>England:</HI> yet we beleeve the one of you acknow|ledge the Church of <HI>England</HI> as a Nationall Church not true; and both confe&s;&s;e the Government, Governours, and the Common Prayer (the Service and Wor&s;hip of it) to be abo|minable. Yet it is confe&s;t that <HI>Englands fal&s;e</HI> National <HI>Church,</HI> with her <HI>Bi&s;hops, Common Prayer, ceremonies &amp;c.</HI> had more <HI>evidence</HI> of the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>godlines</HI> in her Children, then was to be found among&s;t the Scotch, French Dutch, who pretend a Reforma|tion purer. It &s;eems therfore evident, that neither oppo&s;ing of Here&s;ies, nor &s;ucce&s;&s;e in Victories Deliverances, nor <HI>power</HI> of <HI>godline&s;&s;e</HI> in &s;ome per&s;ons, can evidence and prove their State and Wor&s;hip to be right and plea&s;ing unto God, accor|ding to his Ordinance in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE XI.</HEAD>
<P>Since you both &s;eem to magnifie the Seales of Bapti&s;me, and the Lords Supper, with a difference and excellency above other Ordinances, We Querie where the Lord Je&s;us appoin|ted &s;uch a difference and di&s;tinction? And whether there was not as full Communion practi&s;ed by the fir&s;t Chri&s;tians in the Word, Prayer, and Communitie, as in the breaking of Bread? <HI>Acts</HI> 2.42.</P>
<P>Further we Querie, &s;ince Bapti&s;me is one of tho&s;e Funda|mentalls, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. and every one that will be &s;aved is bound to prove his Faith and his Bapti&s;me true (<HI>Mark.</HI> 16.16. <HI>he that beleeveth and is bapti&s;ed &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI>) We Quere, how a Bap|ti&s;mes or 2 Great Seals can be true in the Kingdome of <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us,</HI> any more then 2 Great Seales can be true in the King|dome of <HI>England?</HI> And whether a Chri&s;tian Commi&s;&s;ion, Pattent, Pardon, Writ, can be truly &s;eal'd (as is maintained) from <HI>Rome,</HI> any more then a civill Commi&s;&s;ion, Pattent, Par|don or Writ can be truly Sealed at <HI>Oxford?</HI></P>
<PB N="12" REF="11">
<P>To in&s;i&s;t upon a late in&s;tance: &s;ince the Bi&s;hops power and Calling is condemned as Antichri&s;tian, how can we evidence the Seale of Bapti&s;me true, which we have received from them?</P>
<P>Furthermore, &s;ince a true Bapti&s;me giveth Right to all the Ordinances of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, we Querie, how any Prote&s;tant or Papi&s;t, who&s;e Bapti&s;me you acknowledge to be true, can be denied Communion in the Supper al&s;o, according to 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.12. <HI>By one &s;pirit are we all baptized into one body,</HI> and con&s;e|quently into the participation of the Ordinances therof: and if &s;o, we Querie how farre off <HI>Rome</HI> and the Pope him&s;elfe is from our bo&s;omes?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>QUERIE XII.</HEAD>
<P>Since you both profe&s;&s;e to want more Light, and that a greater Light is yet to be expected; yea, that the Church of <HI>Scotland</HI> may yet have need of a greater Reformation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> we Querie, how you can profe&s;&s;e and Sweare to Per&s;ecute all o|thers as Schi&s;matiques, Hereticks, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that beleeve they &s;ee a further Light, and dare not joyn with either of your Chur|ches? Whether the Lambes Wife have received any &s;uch Commi&s;&s;ion or Di&s;po&s;ition from the Lamb her Husband, &s;o to practi&s;e? Whether (as King JAMES once wrote upon Re. 20.) it be not a true mark and character of a fal&s;e Church to Per&s;ecute? It being the nature only of a Wolf to hunt the Lambs and Sheep, but impo&s;&s;ible for a Lamb or Sheep, or a thou&s;and Flocks of Sheep to per&s;ecute one Wolfe: we &s;peak of &s;pirituall Sheep and &s;pirituall Wolves: for other VVolves again&s;t the Civil State, VVe profe&s;&s;e it to be the Dutie of the Civill State to per&s;ecute and &s;uppre&s;&s;e them.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, whether the States of <HI>Holland</HI> who tollerate, though not owne (as you &s;ay) the &s;everal Sects among&s;t them which differ from them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The States of</HI> Holland <HI>in permitting o|ther con&s;cien|ces, obey the Command of Chri&s;t of per|mitting the Tares.</HI></NOTE> &amp; are of another <HI>con&s;cience</HI> &amp; <HI>wori&s;hp,</HI> whether or no they com not neerer the <HI>holy Pattern</HI> &amp; <HI>comma~d</HI> of the Lord Je&s;us, to permit the <HI>tares</HI> to have a civill being in the <HI>field</HI> of the <HI>world,</HI> untill the <HI>harvest</HI> the end of it. <HI>Mat.</HI> 13?</P>
<P>VVhether tho&s;e <HI>tares</HI> can po&s;&s;ibly be taken for Hipocrites in the Church, or Scandalous per&s;ons in the Common weal, but are mo&s;t properly fal&s;e <HI>wor&s;hippers,</HI> and in e&s;peciall, and punctually intended by the Lord Je&s;us Antichri&s;tians, the
<PB N="13" REF="11">Children <HI>of the wicked one,</HI> oppo&s;ite to the true Chri&s;tians, the Children <HI>of the Kingdome?</HI></P>
<P>VVhether for this very Truth which tho&s;e States profe&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Noctate for the time bath been ble&s;t by God as that to admiration.</NOTE> beyond either <HI>England</HI> or <HI>Scotland,</HI> it hath not plea&s;ed the <HI>Lord</HI> to pro&s;per the State, above any other State in the word, for the time, &s;ince &s;uch their wi&s;e Permi&s;&s;ion? Whether there can po&s;&s;ibly be expected the lea&s;t look of Peace, in the&s;e fatall Di&s;tractions and Tempe&s;ts rai&s;ed, but by taking Councel of the great and wi&s;e&s;t Polititian that ever was, the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in this particular?</P>
<P>VVe know the Allegations again&s;t this Councell: the head of all is that from <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> (not Chri&s;t) his Pattern in the typi|call Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> the Kings of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Iudah,</HI> &amp;c.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The danger and mi&s;chiefe of bringing</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>his Pattern into Kingdomes now &s;ince Chri&s;t Ie&s;us his comming.</HI></NOTE> We humbly de&s;ire it may be &s;earched into, &amp; we beleeve it wilbe found but one of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;hadows, vani&s;hed at the comming of the Lord Je&s;us: yet &s;uch a &s;hadow as is directly oppo&s;ite to the very Te&s;tament and coming of the Lord Je&s;us. Oppo&s;ite to the very nature of a Chri&s;tian Church, the only <HI>holy Nati|on</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael of God.</HI> Oppo&s;ite to the very tender Bowels of Humanity, (how much more of Chri&s;tianity?) abhorring to poure out the blood of Men meerly for their Soules beliefe and wor&s;hip. Oppo&s;ite to the very E&s;&s;entialls and Funda|mentalls of the Nature of a Civill Magi&s;tracie, a Civil <HI>Com|mon-weal</HI> or <HI>combination</HI> of Men, which can only re&s;pect <HI>civill</HI> things. Oppo&s;ite to the Jewes Conver&s;ion to Chri&s;t, by not permitting them a civill life or being. Oppo&s;ite to the civill Peace, and the lives of Millions, &s;laughter'd upon this ground, in mutuall per&s;ecuting each others Con&s;cience, e&s;pecially the Prote&s;tant and the Papi&s;t. Oppo&s;ite to the Souls of all Men, who by per&s;ecutions are ravi&s;hed into a di&s;&s;embled Wor&s;hip, which their Hearts imbrace not.</P>
<P>Oppo&s;ite to the be&s;t of Gods &s;ervants, who in all Popi&s;h and Prote&s;tant States, have been commonly e&s;teemed and per|&s;ecuted, as the only Schi&s;maticks, Hereticks, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Oppo&s;ite to that Light of Scripture which is expected yet to &s;hine, which mu&s;t by that Doctrine be &s;uppre&s;t as a new or old Here&s;ie or Noveltie. All this in all Ages experience te&s;tifies, which ne|ver &s;aw any long liv'd Fruit of Peace or Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to grow upon that fatall Tree.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>Errata.</HEAD>
<P>Pag 6. line 13. <HI>dele Peter.</HI> p. 9. l. 12. r. yeares &s;ince. l. 26 r. have not been.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
