Exceptions against this Article of Your New Faith.

First, That in the first part of it concerning God, the Tearms are more and different. That ( viz. the Settlement) hath onely these, viz. That such as professe Faith in God by Jesus Christ; (words few and simple) The Addresse, That all persons who pro­fesse Faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his eternall Son, the true God, and in the holy Spirit, God coequall with the Father and the Son, One God blessed for ever. Which because they are not ( all of them) the words of Scripture, (for where saith it, God coequall with the Father & the Son? And for that those of them which are Scripture words, are no where spoken by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures, so together as Ye have set them, nor for that purpose, viz. to hold forth a Distinction of Persons, of three Persons in the Godhead or Trinity, which the Imagination of Man hath formed of God, which knowes not God; And in re­gard these Your Tearms are laid as so many Shibboleths or Snares for the tender Consciences of those who cannot speak of God in the will and words that Mans wisdome teacheth (which must be con­founded) but in the will of God, and the words which the holy Ghost teacheth. And, forasmuch as ye are, notwithstanding so Dogmaticall and peremptory therein, as that ye make the Confes­sion of this your Faith, to be the Quallification, sine qua non, with­out which there is no Protection; And have placed it as the bound or limit of Conscience-Liberty, under which it must come or suf­fer, (which indeed, destroyes Liberty of Conscience, for where it is bound in any one Particular, there it cannot be said to be Li­berty of Conscience) And inasmuch as Ye seem to set such a high value on the Scriptures, that ye make the acknowledging of what ye have pleased to call it (though not in its own words, nor have ye made it to appear that it saith so of it self) essentiall to Prote­ction, (of which in the next particular) And finally in that ye exact this Profession as the issue and fruit of all the bloud and Warrs, and your late Deliverance. I say, upon these Conside­rations, in the Name and dread of the Eternall God, I do require you, and all your Doctors, and both their Mothers, the two Uni­versities, and all their Children the Priests, to prove, in Plain [Page 16] and expresse Scripture words together, where the Scriptures do attribute Faith or believing, to the holy Spirit as a distinct Person, as here ye have set it, Or, confesse that ye cannot, and so raze out with your own Pens, your new Confession of Faith contained in this Article, which ye seek to enforce as the fruit and issue of all, and with such a Penalty; Or, if ye are silent, ye shall be taken pro confesso, that is to say, by your silence to confesse, that ye can­not. True it is, the Scriptures bear Record of Christ, that he said to his Disciples, Ye believe in God, believe also in me, John 14. 1. And, He that believeth in me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, this spake he of the holy Spirit, which they that believe on him [should] receive, for the holy Ghost was [not yet] given, because that Jesus was not yet glo­rified, John 7. 39. And no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. The Comforter, when he is come, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testifie of me, John 15. 25, 26. And Paul said unto them at Ephesus, Have ye received the holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him [we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost] And when Paul had laid his hands on them, [the holy Ghost came on them] Act. 19. 1, 2, 6. And again, In whom also, [after] ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, Ephes. 1. 13. And, There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear wit­nesse on earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Bloud, and these three agree in one, 1 John 5. 7, 8. And this we believe and set our seals to. But where say they as ye have exacted it? Now the words of Mans wisdom concerning God, which knowes not God, which must be confounded, which must be brought to nought, which the holy Ghost teacheth not, and the Doctrines which are not from the Spirit of Truth, we reject.

Secondly, that the words, viz. And do acknowledge the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, to be the revealed, or written word or will of God. Are wholly added as so many Shibboleths or snares, also for those who in tenderness of Con­science to God cannot say of the Scriptures, what they say not in their own words of themselves. And that there be who in tenderness of Conscience to God cannot do thus, is known by the sufferings of [Page 17] many in divers parts of the Nation, because of it. True it is, the Scriptures say of Christ Jesus, that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, the same was in the beginning with God; All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glo­ry as the glory of the only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth, John 1. 3, 14. Ʋpholding all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. His name is called the word of God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Revel. 19. 13, 16. And of this Word the Scriptures are a true declaration, Luke 1. 1. And all Scriptures is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproofe, for correction, for instruction in righte­ousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good words, 2 Tim. 3. 16. And the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1. 20, 21. And this the Scripture saith of it self, and this we own and testifie, and our Testimony is true, but as for the terms revealed, or written word, or will of God, where sayes the Scripture such words; I require you and your Doctors again, to prove it, for we cannot take a testimony of the Scripures, which is not from the Spirit that gave it, which spake its own words, and its words we receive, who have received the Spirit, which cannot be imposed upon by the wisdome of man, which must be confounded. 'Tis strange, and a thing to be noted, that ye, your Priests and Doctors, who keep such adoe about the Scriptures, and who have put you up­on this, and so magnifie the Letter, cannot make four lines of a Confession of your faith, in the Letter of the Scriptures (as ap­pears by this your Article) and that those whom ye seek to en­snare with terms about the Letter, which it saith not of it self, and whom ye judge (but unrighteously) as undervaluing of the Letter, and as not attributing that to it which ye would have; yea, as denying it, and therefore have made such a provision, should be constrained by your going from the Letter, (whilest ye are making the confession of your faith in the Letter, and set­ting that your confession up for all to worship your Image of the Letter; I say, that they should be constrained, or that ye should give them this just occasion, to Judge you for departing from the [Page 18] Letter, whose Judgment ye cannot avoid, for that it is the Judgment wherewith (by this your provision) ye Judge, and so thou art inexcusable O man, who judgest another, and yet doest the same thing, for in so doing thou condemnest thy self. And is it not also a strange thing, for any to be so deluded by the Prince of Darkness, as to believe that those who witness the holy Spirit which spake in them, who spake forth the Scriptures, as they were moved of the Holy Ghost, and who by the Revelation of the same Spirit, that moved in them who spake forth the Scriptures, know it to be true, and witness it to be fulfilled, and fulfilling in them (as do the people of the Lord, who are aimed at in this pro­vision) I say, to beleeve that such are denyers of the Scriptures, and that such a snare, and in such terms should be laid for them, as such, as in this Article, surely they can as soon deny their life, the holy Spirit in them, as the words it spake forth.

But to your terms, the revealed or written word, or will of God. How can any thing be called or said by the creature to be the will of God, but what is Gods discovery of himself, or Revelation to the Creature; otherwise, who can attribute or say any such thing of God, as his will, seeing that he is infinite, and cannot otherwise than by the Revelation of himself, and the language of his Spirit, in the measure of himself be comprehended or ex­prest. How is it then, and from whence comes it, that ye thus distinguish, the Revealed will of God, which implies something else, that is or may be called by the Creature, the will of God, which cannot be affirmed, so intruding into those things, which ye have not seen, in a voluntary humility, and worshipping of the Scriptures, into which ye are beguiled, and of your reward (for your former service to the Nations Liberty) by the subtilty of men, which have lain in wait to deceive you, vainly puft up with their fleshly mind, & not holding the head, from which all the body by joynts, and bands, having nourishment Ministred, and knit to­gether, encreaseth with the encrease of God. How soon do ye appear by this to be sunck in the Ground of your Divinity (which ye lay as a foundation for all to build upon, as a God for all to worship) whilest ye are soaring aloft to speak that of God, which ye do not understand, to distinguish of Gods will, who is undistin­guishable? And so ( Friends) how soon is Babel writ upon your goodly buildings? How quickly is your language confoun­ded [Page 19] lifting it self up (indeed) to Heaven, but is thus brought down to Hell. Cease, vain man, whose breath is in thy nostrils, to take upon thee, to speak of Gods secret, for wherein art thou to be accounted of, cease ye potsherds of the earth, to prescribe to conscience, as to the things and worship of God; of which only he is Lord, least he dash you to peeces. Come down to the door, the witness of God in you, the little thing that is as a grain of Mustard-seed, to that which reproves (the Dominion of God) to that which makes manifest, (the Light which comes from the Son of God, the Saviour of all them who believe in him) least ye be turned out amongst the Beasts of the Field, and times pass over you, till ye acknowledge that the most high ruleth among the children of men, that God alone, is as of right, Lord of Conscience.

Again, as to the things of God revealed on record in the Scriptures, or the Scriptures of truth. Can any man say, that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost? Is it not thus written, can any man say, that all Scriptures is given by inspira­tion, but by the Revelation of the same Spirit, which inspired the holy men of God, who spake and wrote as they were moved of the Holy Ghost? Knows any man the things of God, but the Spi­rit of God; and they who have received the Spirit, that is not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God; that they may know the things that are freely given them of God? And are not the Scriptures the things of God, the things freely given of God, the deep things of God, which none but the Spirit re­veales, none but the Spirit searcheth out? Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liber­ty. Are they not a Book sealed, and is not the vision of all be­come to all, (who have not received the Spirit) as a book sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this I pray thee, and he saith I cannot, for it is Sealed; and the Book is de­livered to him that is not learned, and he saith, I am not learn­ed? Is it not thus written, yea; Is it not also written? Bind up the Testimony and Seale the Law among the Disciples, (those who have received the Spirit) yea; saith not Christ Jesus, Fa­ther, I thank thee, because that thou hast hid these things, from the wise, and prudent, and hast revealed them to Babes, even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight? And said he not to his Disciples? to you it is given to know the mysteries of the [Page 20] Kingome of Heaven, but to them it is not given, therefore speak I to them in Parables, because they seeing, see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled that of Isa. &c. and those were the Jewes, of whom it is writ­ten, that they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the Prophets, which are read every Sabbath day; they have fulfilled them in condemning him. How then can any man know of a truth, and acknowledge them to be the revealed word or will of God, but by Revelation, the Revelation of the same Spirit as moved them who wrote it to speak it forth, and if it cannot be of a truth acknowledged to be such, but by Revelation, how is it then that ye require all to ac­knowledge it to be the revealed word or will of God, without hav­ing respect to the Spirit, or to Revelation? What faith is this that ye impose upon all People, to confess upon pain of being denyed protection, whether they have received the Spirit or not? which Spirit unless they have received and by it speak, they can­not acknowledg it to be such without a lye against the truth? What a Religion have ye here held forth? that saith, Profess so and so, of God, Christ, the Spirit, whether thou of a truth, know them to be so or no? And acknowledge the Scriptures to be so and so, whether they say so of themselves, or of God, Christ, the Spirit, or that thou understandest them by the Spirit to be so or not, or thou shalt be cast out; What a cruelty is in this Religi­on, that requires a man to profess what he knows not, nor can without another, viz. the Spirit, (as I have proved) and the gift of the Holy Ghost cannot be bought with money, nor can it be forced) or excludes him the benefit of the Law, the priviledge of his Birth-right (how diserving soever he be as to the Nati­on, or howmuch soever he hath fought, or suffered, or done, for Liberty, for Liberty of Conscience, Liberty Civil and Religious, or exercises a good Conscience towards God or Man, or is serviceable in his Generation, or according to Scripture in his profession; or knows the Lord, or fears before him, or other­wise) so that if he profess what ye say, and not by the Spirit, which (as hath been made appear) ye have not respect to, for ye require it of all that mind your protection, and all have not the Spirit) he lyes, and so ye expose him to the danger of the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone, as it is written, and [Page 21] all Lyars are for the Lake, if he do not profess it he is in danger of being cast into the Pit, for preserve him out of it, ye say, ye will not, in saying such shall not be protected; That is to say, in plain English, Profess of God, and Christ, and the Spirit, and acknowledge of the Scriptures what we will have thee, and say, thou shalt whether thou canst, or not, whether thou hast the Spirit and by it canst speak, or otherwise; Or, Do who will, what they will with thee in thy Profession: And so ye expose him to be undone, either in Soul or Body, or both: Time was, it was otherwise with you (O my Friends, and I knew it) yea, it was your case, from your (then) and the Enemies of all who were against the enslav­ing of Conscience. But now, alas! How soon hath night over­taken ye? and Darkness covered ye? Wherein differs this your Profession from that of the world? This Imposition, in the root, from that of Rome, unto whose height of Coertion and cruelty, it will (in time) ascend, if not beyond, unless it be cut down.

Thus much for your Terms, Revealed or written Will of God.

Now for the other, viz. Revealed or written Word of God.

Is not a word a Revelation (truly, and so understood) in Pro­priety of speech? How is it then, that your Doctors cannot yet speak of their believing, without a heresie in proper speaking? A Revealed Word, as much as to say, a written writing, a spoken speech. Do they not call such Improprieties, as these, Bulls, at Oxford? And disdaine they not those who speak so, as the Vul­gar or Ignorant? Deserve they not then to be turned back again from their Doctorship of Divinity, in things concerning God, or being Teachers of others (unto which they pretend) to learn the Art of proper speaking unto men? May not this be brought as a just reproofe and a Taunt, upon those who have despised Truth, because it hath been brought forth by a stammering tongue, as to Natural learning, viz. Has not the Head of the Ʋniversity, yet attained the Tongue of the learned?

The Revealed Word of God, say ye.

Here ye are taken, as in the former; For, in that ye say, the Re­vealed Word of God, what do ye thereby imply, but that there is [Page 22] another word of God? Now Christ Jesus is the Word of God, or Gods Revelation of himself to the Creature, and further than this the Creature cannot go, nor look, nor say, as to the Word of God; For, as I said, God is infinite and cannot be comprehended, nor un­derstood, but in the Declaration of himself, Christ the Word; Nor to, or of this, can the Creature go or say, but by Revelation; For, saith Christ Jesus, the Word of God, All things are delivered me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him: The Comforter, when he is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, he shall testifie of me. Now to say, there are two Words of God, or to distinguish of the Word of God, that one part of the Word of God is so, and another part is not so, (as ye must needs be understood to imply in the case) what is it, but to say, there are two Christs, or that Christ is divided, who neither is, nor can be; Than which, what can be more Blasphemous.

Again, for your Terms, Written Word of God.

How can, or dare any to say, without the highest Blasphemy, that the Scriptures, or any visible, comprehensible thing, is the word of God, who is invisible, incomprehensible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, God blessed for ever, who cannot be written, and his word is like himself; for when ye speak of a written word of God, yee speak of something that is circumscribed, Physical, or Local, that is to say, something that may be seen, toucht, or han­dled by Man, as Man, which God cannot be, nor his word, nor his will, (which is himself) nor his Church (which is in himself) the Ground and Pillar of truth. For, though God, from the beginning hath not left himself without a witness, but hath placed some thing of himself in Man (which reproves, which makes manifest, the Light which comes from Christ) to which he hath spoken through all generations, and declared his will so far as concerned that generation, to which he spake, as after divers other manners, so by writing, of which the Scriptures of truth (now extant) are a part, and but a part of what was so written, as the Scriptures themselves testifie) yet to say of all that hath been so spoken, de­clared and wrote, from the beginning hitherto, that it is the word [Page 23] or will of God (which is unfathomable, incomprehensible, unutter­able, inexpressible) much less of the Scriptures (which are but a part of what was so written as aforesaid) to say, that that is the written word or will of God (which the Scriptures no where say of themselves) is as absurd as Blasphemous, and can no more be said to be the written word or will of God, because they are a decla­ration of the will of God to many generations, or a Record in wri­ting, with Pen, and Ink, of his word so spoken, by which his will was so declared to those Generations; Or because they being so recorded, are a Testimony, that God left not himself throughout all ages without a witness, nor his people, and so are useful for the Man of God (as the Spirit testifies in them) and were written for our learning (the Church of God (to which the Holy Ghost in Paul spake) which is in God) than the Heavens can be said to be the word of God, which were made, and are upholden by the word of his Power; for they declare the glory of God; Or, the Firmament, for it sheweth his handy work: Or the day, for day by day, uttereth speech; or the night, for night unto night shew­eth knowledge; or all of them, for there is no speech, nor Language, where their voice is not heard: their line is gone out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the world, which cannot be said of the Scriptures, this the Scriptures testifie, yea, even that the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are (saith the Holy Ghost in Paul, of those who held the Truth in unrighteousness, because that which is to be known of God, is manifest in them, for God hath shewn it to them) without excuse, yea, that he left not himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

And yet, how do ye darken Counsel by words without knowledge, (words which neither the Scriptures know, nor the Spirit of Truth, nor do ye your selves understand what ye say) and then set it up as the Faith of Gods Elect, to be imposed upon all, yea, upon Gods Elect; yea, for a Snare for Gods Elect; whose Faith never sought to inforce it self, otherwise upon any, than by com­mending it self to that of God in every mans Conscience, which this of yours doth (viz. by the Penalty of exclusion of Protection, [Page 24] if it be not Professed, and therefore we rejct it; and should, though it were in the very words of Truth (which this of yours is not) because coertion in matters of Faith or Conscience, in things Spiritual or Evangelical, we are sure is out of Truth, and comes from him who is out of it, to wit, the Devil: O how would vain man be wise, in his wisdom, to speak of God, who by wisdome knows not God, for so it hath pleased the wisdom of God? But man is born as the wild Asses colt.

To conclude this particular; How can he be written who is without beginning of Dayes, or end of life? of whom it is written, who can declare his generation? How can he be said to be written, who is the Son of God, the word of God (and there is no other) without circumscribing him, without making him an Image, a thing like unto your selves?

The third Exception against this 6 ^th. Article of your Address, is, that instead of the words, however differing in judgment from the Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline publickly held forth as aforesaid, (viz. Article 1. where ye say, it is intended that Christian Re­ligion be held forth, and recommended, as the publick Profession in this Nation (which we desire may, by the grace of God be refor­med to the greatest purity, in Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline, ac­cording to the word of God, the instructing of the people whereunto, in a publick way (so it be not compulsive) as also the maintain­ing of able Teachers for that end, and for the confutation and dis­covery of heresie, error, & whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine, is allowed to be provided for, by our Representatives, the mainte­nance of which Teachers may be out of a publick Treasure, and we desire not by Tythes. And Article 2. That to the publick Profession so held forth, none be compelled, by Penalties or other­wise, but onely may be endeavoured to be won by sound Doctrine, and the example of a good Conversation. Which are the imme­diate preceding Articles to this third; of either of which Articles, there is not a whisper in this your new Profession; I say, the third Exception is, that instead of the words, however differing in judg­ment from the Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline, publickly held forth, as aforesaid) shall not be restrained from, but shall be pro­tected in the Profession of their Faith, and exercise of Religion, ac­cording to their Consciences; These only are inserted, viz. Shall not be restrained from their Profession, but have due encourage­ment [Page 25] and equal Protection, in the Profession of their Faith, and ex­ercise of their Religion, which varies the case, both as to the mat­ter of the third Artitle of your said Settlement, and Cause, and plainly shews, that the allowance of the Profession of their faith, and the exercise of the Religion of such as Profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, according to their Consciences (however differing in judgment from the Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline, publickly held forth, is not intended in this Article, nay its clear cut out; but the forcing of the Consciences of all such as shall differ in judg­ment from that which it holds forth as the Publick Profession, which quite overthrows Liberty of Conscience. And it is worthy the observation, that the Clauses, viz. However differing in judg­ment, from the Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline publickly held forth, and according to their Consciences; are wholly left out of this sixth Article of your Address; it is the whole matter and words of the first and second Article of your Settlement, aforesaid, unto which these Clauses of the third have relation.

Which undenyably manifests, that as there is not a word of Conscience in this your new Cause and profession of Religion, so that it proceeds from the Spirit, not that which fought for, but that which fought against: and hath murthered Liberty of Con­science. And further, that the good old Cause is changed, and that the hand hath done it which engaged against it.

Fourthly, The fourth Exception is, that whereas in your Settle­ment, Article 3. ye say, shall not be restrained from, (viz. such as profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ) but shall be protected in the profession of their faith, and exercise of Religion, according to their Consciences in any place (except such as shall be set apart for the Publick Worship, where we provide not for them, except they have leave) This Article of your Address runs it thus; shall not be restrained from, (viz. All persons, who profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, &c.) their profession, but have due encouragement and equal protection; that is to say, such only shall so have, as are of the same Profession, as is therein publickly held forth, which indeed, is no encouragement at all, nor Protection of Liberty of Conscience, but a meer delusion, as seeming to hold forth that which it contains not, neither doth it intend, for (as I said before, in the former exception (the Provisions, viz. However differing in judgment from the Doctrine, &c. Publickly held [Page 26] forth, &c. And according to their Consciences, and the Provision mentioned in this Exception, viz. In any place, &c. ( Except such as shall be set apart for the Publick, &c.) are wholly left out: And so the words, shall not be restrained from their Publike Profession, but have due encouragement and equal Protection in the Pro­fession of their Faith, and exercise of Religion, must necessa­rily refer onely, (& be so understood) unto those of your own profession, thus publickly held forth, that is to say, all such persons as are of our own Profession, shall not be restrained from their profession, but all such Persons shall have encouragement and equal protection in the profession, &c. and no others; so setting up one Profession of Religion onely, and protecting onely such as are of that Profession; and this whilest ye are speaking of the fundamentals of the Good Old Cause, and the endeavouring the Settlement of this Common-wealth, upon such a foundation as may assert, establish, and secure the liberties of the people in refe­rence unto all, as men and Christians; and of your full and fixed resolution (through the assistance of God) effectually, even to the hazzard of your lives, to endeavour the recovery and security of the same; and of the signal Providences wherein the Lord hath owned the Parliament, and you their forces, both by Sea and Land, in asserting that righteous Cause, wherein the civil and religious liberties of the People of these Nations are involved, so as all open opposition was beaten down before them, and of the Discourage­ments which that publick Spirit, which appeared in that work, hath received since that time, in the late changes of Government: And of another raised up, drawing back to the same things the Parliament had contended against, even to the hazxard of the Essentials of that cause. And lastly, of your thinking it your Duty, upon serious thoughts of heart, once more to appear against those back-sliding wayes. I say, whilest ye are speaking of such things as these, in the Preamble to this your profession; Are not your eyes yet open? Do ye not yet see how ye are deceived, and who hath deceived you? And how the smoak of the bottomless Pit hath smothered you, whilest the coersive, or imposing Spirit hath slipt up between your Representation and Deliverance?

Fifthly, The fifth exception is, that whereas your Settlement saith, so as they abuse not this Liberty, to the actual disturbance of the Publick Peace, on their parts; (words honest and good, [Page 27] neither limiting the Lord, nor stinting his witness, nor compel­ling conscience, nor medling with worships, things of Religion and conscience, but with what is proper, to the Magistrate to take cognizance of, and to exclude protection, viz. Distur­bance, actual disturbance (or disturbance made by overt act, or force, qualifying it to the Law, and speaking plainly that men may certainly know what it makes a transgression) of the Publick peace, and this on their parts too, not on, nor by occa­sion of, or under the pretence of them; such as shall so abuse the Liberty afforded them, shall not be protected) I say, where­as your Settlement thus saith, this article leaves this clause whol­ly out, and adds another altogether strange and forraign and destructive to the Cause of Liberty of Conscience, contended for in the Warrs, and contained in the Settlement, viz. The di­sturbance of others (saith the Article) in their way of worships, neither saying what disturbance, or explaining what shall be un­derstood, to be such a disturbance, as shall exclude protection; nor of what worships, (for there are many worships used in Eng­land, and there is but one true worship) and the true worship­pers, who worship God in Spirit and truth, whome the Father seeks to worship him, (and the hour is come wherein the true wor­shippers worship the Father in Spirit and in truth) seek not to man for protection) nor qualifying it to the Actual disturbance of the Publick Peace, and this on their parts; but only to the di­sturbance of others in their way of worships, (general words like the bottemless Pit, out of which they come) so that, be the worships, what they will, or the worshippers, or the way of their worships, how false, invented, vile, wicked, hypocritical soe­ver; be the occasion, cause or ground, witnessing against them, never so righteous, just and substantial; be the command of the Lord, never so urgent to bear witness against them; If any such witness-bearing be, whether in the time, or place, or out of it, whether in Writing, Speaking, or Printing, whether in looking, standing still, or sitting, (for it sayes not, where nor when, nor what, nor how, but disturbance in the general Term or latitude) This (as it hath been, and the witnesses of God have suffered for, as to all these things, from this adulterous generation, and the humble Petition and Advice hath a Law for most of it, even to imprisonment, working and whipping, if they [Page 28] speak but to a Priest, as he is going to, or coming from his wor­ship; yea, at the discretion (or rather malice) of the Justices (for most of them were their enemies on a Civil and Religious account, & laid it cruelly upon them, being given up by your Gene­ral & you, in the time of your Degeneration, as sheep to the slaughter) is now desired by you, yea, that they be continued under the same slavery and sufferings for it, and because of conscience for ever, and this in the day of your bewailing of, and saying ye desire to take shame to your selves, wherein soever ye have back-slidden. For in that ye say, that all Laws, &c. to the contrary may be declared null and void, those which are according to it, are such as must be understood to be by you desired to stand, yea, as the foundation of the Common-wealth, for so ye lay it in this your Address.

I say, this as it hath been, so it must be deemed a Desturbance in the construction of the Law aforesaid, which ye have thus provided to stand, unto which there must be recourse, ye ha­ving not assigned the particulars wherein; yea, such a one, as cuts off Protection, so that the Lord (in whom is the breath of your nostrils) may not speak, may not testifie against Idolatry or I­dolators, false worships or false worshippers, Priests or People, for those who shall speak his word, and be his witnesses against such worships, or worshippers, or wayes of worships, must have no Protection; this is your new Cause and Religion, this the fruit of your late Representation and Contrition.

Sixthly, the sixt Exception is, that ye say in the conclusion of this Article, viz. And that all Laws, Statutes, Ordinances and Clauses, in any Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, to the contrary, may be declared null and void. That is to say, All Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, and Clauses in any Laws, Sta­tutes, and Ordinances, for Liberty of Conscience. For this pro­fession, excluding all Professions from Protection, but it self, (as I have proved) cuts off Liberty of Conscience, to any other Profession, but it self, and all Laws, &c. to the contrary of this profession, which so cut off, Liberty of Conscience being voided and made null, it makes null and void, whatsoever is in the Laws for Liberty of Conscience. Are ye awakened yet? Do ye yet see where ye are, and how ye have shut out, and barred the door a­gainst Liberty of Conscience.

Seventhly, (to add no more) the seventh exception is, that [Page 29] ye do at all therein, meddle with Conscience, as to the things of God, things Spiritual or Evangelical, which (as I have proved out of your own mouths) quite changes the Cause, and layes the foundation of (what ye call) a free State or Common-wealth, in the thraldome of Conscience.

Thus much by way of exception to this sixth Article of your Address, upon comparing it with the third Article, under the ninth general Head of your Settlement concerning Religion; I shall now give you in your own words, what your selves have said, of your said Settlement, to the Nation in your Declaration thereunto annext, and so conclude this my second instance, out of w ^ch it is taken, to prove, & by which I have fully proved, out of your own mouths, that this sixt Article quite changeth the Cause, from what it was, to that which it was against. Your words in your said Declaration to your said Settlement, Pag. 28, 29. follow.

We shall not otherwise commend it, (say ye of your Settle­ment) than to say, it contains the best, and most hopeful foundati­ons for the Peace, and future well government of this Nation, that we can devise, or think on, within the line of humane Power; and such wherein all the people interested in the Land, (that have not particular interests of advantage and power over others, di­vided from that which is common and Publick, are indifferently and equally provided for. And we call the consciences of all that read or hear it, to witness, whether we have therein provided, or propounded any thing of advantage to our selves, in any capacity above others; or ought, but what is as good for one as for another. And therefore, as we doubt not, but the Parliament being now freed from the obstructing, and perverting Counsels of such Members, by many of whom a corrupt complyance, with the Kings interest hath been driven on, and all Settlement otherwise hath hitherto hindred) those remaining worthy Patriots; will, for the main allow thereof, and give their Seal of Approbation there­to. So we desire, and hope, that all good people of England, whose heart God shall make sensible of their, and our common concern­ment therein; and of the usefulness, and suitableness thereof, to the Publick ends it holds forth, will cordially embrace it, and by subscription declare their concurrence, and according thereto, when it shall be tendred to them, as is directed therein, wherein, if it shall please God, we shall find a good reception of it wiih the [Page 30] people of the Nation, or the well affected therein, we shall rejoyce at the hoped good to the Conmon-wealth, which thorow Gods mercy may redound therefrom, and that God hath vouchsafed thereby to make us instrumental for any good Settlement to this poor di­stressed Country, as he hath formerly made us for the avoyding of evil. But if God shall (in his righteous Judgment towards this Land) suffer the people to be so blinded, as not to see this their own common good, and freedome, endeavoured to be provided for therein, or any be so deluded, (to their own and the Publick prejudice) as to make opposition thereto, whereby the effect of it be hindred, we have yet by the preparation, and tender of it, dis­charged our consciences to God, and duty to our native country, in our utmost endeavours for a Settlement, (to the best of our un­derstandings,) unto a just Publick interest; and hope we shall be acquitted before God, and good men, from the blame of any fur­ther troubles, distractions, or miseries to the Kingdome, which may arise thorow the neglect, or rejection thereof, or opposition thereto. Words truly serious, and deep, than which, I need say no more in this matter for your convincement, and which will be a witness against you for ever, except ye repent,

Having thus treated, of the matter of the said sixth Article of your Address, I shall enquire a little concerning the language of it, whose language it is.

The language of your solemn declarations, &c. it is not, as hath been made manifest.

The language of the Good Old Cause, it is not, as hath been abundantly proved.

The Language of Liberty of Conscience, it is not, for it restrain­eth it, and where Conscience is restrained, it cannot be said to be at Liberty.

The Language of a Free-Sate, it is not, for where Consci­ence thus suffers, the persons or outward man is not free, and indeed it is the person, or outward man, that suffers in the re­striction of Conscience; for Conscience cannot be touched by an outward Power, but the vessel in which it is. And so the right of freedom of Conscience, is a civil Right, and a civil Right it is to have the freedome of Conscience; And where this Liberty is abridged by a State, that State is not free, For (according to the received Axiome) a free mind, and a free speech, and a Free State, [Page 31] go together, and weere the two former are wanting, the later is not, nor doth it call such a people happy. But on the contrary saith it, faelix cui libera gens, libera mens, libera lingua, (or) a happy people, where there is a free Nation (or State) a free mind (or Conscience) a free speech (or profession) and where all professions are excluded, but one, and Provision made onely for that one Profession, how can there be said to be a Weale Common, or a Common-Wealth?

The Language of Christian Religion, the faith of Gods Elect, it is not, for that never sought to enforce it self (as I have said) otherwise then by commending it self to that of God in every mans Conscience. And the Apostles said to the Chief Priests and Rulers, who commanded them to speak no more in that name (who spake in the Temple in that name, against the worships thereof, and for that cause were sent to Prison, and stockt and whipt) whether it be better to obey God or Man, judge ye. And the Lord saith, for as much as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, and their feare towards me, is taught by the precepts of men, therefore I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people; even a marvellious work, and a wonder, the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid; your Case at this Day.

The Language of Nature, of Humanity, it is not; For, what man ever hated (cast out of protection) his own flesh? And they that were without natural affection, were such as liked not to re­tain God in their knowledge, therefore God gave them up to a re­probate mind. And Liberty of Conscience is a natural Right, (as said your late General to the Parliament, September 12. 1654.) And so, to force Conscience, is all one, as to force nature, that is to say, to murder: And the common Law voids all Statute Laws made against nature, and all the Judges cannot make that a Law, which is against Nature.

The Language of those who would desire Liberty for them­selves (which was once your Case) of those who do as they would be done to, it is not; for that which imposes its own profession, with exclusion of all others, would not be imposed upon it self. And if it be Lawful for a Magistrate, as a Magistrate, or for one generationn of Men, because in Power to meddle with Religion, to impose their profession, it is lawful for another generation of men, [Page 32] as they come into Power, to impose their profession. And so all the blood and sufferings of the Martyrs and the witnesses of God throughout all generations, against the imposed profession of the Men in power, in each generation, comes to be justified, and the generation of the Just, to be condemned. And the Question, as to the Jus Divinum, the right, is not, whether it be in truth, but whether there be power. Now no Profession can be assured of its Station, where one is excluded; But must expect to vary ac­cording to the mutability of him or them, who have power to their will, as the dayes of Henry, 8. Edward, 6. Q. Mary, and Q. Elizabeth: in this Nation do abundantly witness.

The Language of this Parliament it was not (they held another ballance) till they spake after you.

To conclude; The Language of your late Representation, April 6. 1659. Upon this sence of your danger, it is not; for therein ye say, that ye have, as Members of the Army, often so­lemnly declared, not without appeals to God, for your sincerity there­in, that ye did engage in Judgment and Conscience, for the just Rights and Liberties, Civil and Religious, of your Countries, and not as a Mercenary Army, that ye had been silent so long, that ye feared, it had been a disadvantage to the Cause, and bred (though ye hoped groundless) jealousies of you, in many of your friends, and till ye and and all that is dear to you, the intrest ye have so long contended for, was in danger to be lost. That being then un­der the sense of imminent dangers, and necessities awakned, ye did in a deep sense of misery and approaching judgment threatned, and pursuance of your duty in all humility represent, that the Good Old Cause against Tyranny and intollerable oppression in matters Civil, and Religious, whereupon ye first ingaged, and un­der which the Lord had, in such a continued series of Providence, given so signal a Testimony, and for the carrying on whereof there had been, such a plentiful pouring forth of Treasures, Prayers, Tears and Blood, during the late warr (in the difficulties and dangers whereof, ye also, the lively Monuments of Patience and mercy, had had your shares) was very frequently and publickly d [...] ­rided and reproached, and the implacable adversaries thereof, promised themselves, to be so far in possession, and Masters there­of, that they began to appear, every where visible among you, and to mix themselves, in the midst of those places, where that cause [Page 33] was wont to receive its chiefest countenance and shelter. So that upon the whole, ye did evidently see, there was but a step betwixt the publick Cause of these nations, wherein ye had been so signally blest, and owned of God and good men, and the death thereof; and that it was not likely to expire without a sure presage of the sad Funerals, of the dear and never enough valued peace of these your Native Countreys: That ye could not but bewail your own great failings, and turnings aside, and that wherein soever ye had back­shidden, ye had cause, and desired, to take shame to your selves. That ye were then as ever, equally endeared to your Good Old Cause, and utter enemies to all Tyranny, oppression, and disturbance of the publick Peace; under what pretences soever. And lastly, ye desire, that there may be such a publick asserting of the Good Old Cause, and Justification of all proceedings, in prosecution and maintenance thereof, and Declaration against its enemies, as may for the future, deter all Persons, from speaking, or attempting any thing to the prejudice thereof, and of the Persons that have acted in prosecution of it, and afford present security to the civil & Riligious Rights and Liberties of these Nations, and the Peace thereof. And that the Liberty of good and well affected people, in repairing with freedome to their meetings for the worship of God (of late much violated by indicting, and imprisoning many of their Persons) may be still asserted and vindicated. But this sixth Article of your Address, cuts of Religious Right, viz. Liberty of Conscience, (and consequently civil, for as I have shewed) they cannot be separated, but where a man suffers in the Liberty of his Consci­ence, he suffers in his person) and casts out of Protection, such whose Consciences, cannot be bounded by your said Profession (the people ye mind in this last clause, who must witness against false worshippers and worships, and the wayes of them (the Lord mo­ving) even through death it self, should that be inflicted; As it hath cast away the Cause, as soon as ye are delivered from the Em­minent Dangers and necessities, under the deep sense of which the Honesty in you, wrote in your said Representation, as hath been re­hearst. And so all that ye have said, returns on your heads, and is your own judgment pronounced by your selves, and aggravates your condemnation.

Whose Language is it them?

Friends, I shall tell you, and in the fear of God, seriously [Page 34] consider it, It is the Language of that Spirit, which first divided from the Common Cause, to set up it self over it, (as I have shewed in the State of the Case.

Which cast such from whom it divided, and over whom it sought to set up it self) out of all places of Trust, Military, and Civil, and persecuted as schismatical Hereticks.

Which obstructed the passing of the List of Officers, for the New Model of the Army, (in which were some of you) so long, that the members of this Parliament, (then called the House of Commons) were forced by reason of the danger thereby, threat­ning the overthrow of the Cause, to let the members of the other House (then called the House of Peers) know, that if they con­curred not, they would pass it without them.

Which made all the obstructions to you in the New Mo­del.

Which divided ye at Blandford in Dorsetshire, upon your first march, and sent part of you to relieve Taunton in the West, (where ye might have been eaten up like as ye were presently be­sieged) and part of ye against Oxford, (where ye might have been beaten off) and part of ye, to joyn with the Scots Army, as the field Army, (where ye might have been interposed, (the Scots retreating towards West-moorland) and part of ye to the Isle of Ely in the East, (where ye might have been surprized) which put a lock at South-ham in Warwick-shire, upon the feet of that part of you, as followed the Kings Army, who were marching into the Eastern assotiation, (your untoucht Magazine for men and money) to preserve that, commanding ye not to fight them, but to march to Oxford, to beleaguer Garrisons, ere ye were Masters of the Field, or so much as recruted, as was promised, leaving the enemy to his pleasure. And all this near about the same time, that ye might have been cut off, whatever had been the issue of it to the Nation.

Which sought to ensnare ye into a Scotch Presbytery, and interest, or to divide you among your selves, by reason thereof, in sending order for the covenant to be taken, by all of you, which many could not, in tenderness of Conscience, and so ye laid it aside.

Which was offended at your not receiving its Ministers as your [Page 35] Chaplains, at your speaking, or preaching to your Souldiers; At your going into Steeple-houses, and speaking there, and sent orders from the (then) House of Peers, to restrain it, which ye observed not.

Which when the over-ruling hand of the Lord, and inevitable necessity, had brought the greatest part of you together at Nase­by after such your division, longed and looked for, and was over confident, in its hopes of your destruction, scoffing ye with the derision of the New Nodel.

Which was sore pained at the heart, and grieved at that victo­ry, and the rest of your successes, though it was the Nations reviving, and covered over the Sorrows of War, with the garment of rejoycing.

Which (those Wars being ended) endeavoured to enforce its reduced General Essex, by the Scotch Army, your Commander in Chief, and his Officers in your steads, as a check upon your victories, and thought it too much for you, to breath in English aire, by whom (as instruments) England breathed, but by his sudden death was prevented.

Which remanded General Lisle from Ireland, as soon almost, as he had put his foot thereon, after the great expence of that expedition, and delivered all into Inchequin's hand (who soon gave it to the King) to serve as a ballance on you.

Which emptyed some Garrisons of you and your friends, dis­mantled others, seized the Armies Artillery, and Ammunition in its hands, that it might be Treason in any else to touch it, in preparation against ye, and hanged many for what they had done as Souldiers for the Parliament.

Which would have divided and destroyed you, upon the pre­tence of the Reliefe of Ireland, and judged ye Traytors by its majority in Parliament, upon the report of a harmless petition intended by you, to the Parliament, by your Generals hand, for your rights as Souldiers, unseen and unheard, and enforced you to embody and engage to and with one another, at Triplo Heath, for your mutual preservation, and not to disband or divide, nor suffer your selves to be divided, or disbanded, till the common ends, on which ye, and your friends engaged, and your grievances, were secured and satisfyed. Though they intended no such thing as the reliefe of Ireland by you, but by this of Ireland (as I said) [Page 36] to destroy you; for one of the Eleven Members confest, viz. That their Ministers put them on this attempt against you, ren­dring it no less than damnation, to send such Schismaticks as you, into Ireland: So far were they from intending you thither, & the Re­giments for Ireland were kept near a year (some of them) quar­tering on the Countrey, in reserve for, and ordered to be drawn up for this end, viz. to Ballance your forces.

Which prepared Shibboleths for your Consciences, whilest your Bodies were drawn in the field, for the Liberties of your Countrey, as witness the Ordinance for Blasphemy (commonly called the Bloudy Ordinance, brought in by Bacon and Tate) to torture your bodies for your Consciences.

Which stirred up the Rabble of Boyes, into that insufferable and unheard affront on the Parliament (the first that ever was, on such an Assembly) whom some of Its Rabbi Priests were seen to clap on the Shouldiers to encourage them thereunto) forcing the Speaker, and such of the Members, in whom that Spirit ruled not, to fly to you, and raising up; and Garrisoning the City of London, and arming the desperate Reformadoes against ye; and endeavouring to draw the whole Nation also, and Scotland (some of whose forces were near the borders on their march) so endeavouring to engage this poor harassed Countrey into blood again, to satiate its revenge, because by you, Peace was brought, and flowed in unto their Countrey.

Which trinkled with the King, at the Isle of Wight, and made a private bargain with him, and stirred up the People in the Na­tion, to petition for a Personal Treaty, and under that and the pretence of his imprisonment, to raise Armes again, which was boforehand Plotted, and formed by insurrections, and tumults, & put ye to fight it over again more sharply than before, 2000 to 10000, from Pembroke Castle, to Preston in LANCASIRE throughout, and a thwart the Nation, yea to march to Eden­borough, and brought in Duke Hamilton and his Army, which it would not vote (viz. the then House of Peers) an Invasion, and out of question, had questioned ye for it, had ye not pre­vailed against him, which signed the Treasonable Engagement in London, and Petitioned for Batten to be Vice Admiral, (who had received his Commission from the Prince) and broke the Na­vy, and would not Settle the Militia; And voted the Con­cessions [Page 37] of the King at the Treaty at the Isle of Wight, in order to a safe Peace, and held ye out at Colchester, and got so into the House of Commons, and put ye so to it there, that ye were necessitated for the preservation of the Publick interest, ( ye had contended for) and your selves and friends, to purge the House of Commons, of those who had so voted, and who carryed on, and were for a corrupt closure, and complyance with the King, yea, to try the King, to lay aside the House of Peers; to exheriditate his issue, to extirpate Monarchy, to chang the Government into a Free-state or Common-wealth, without a King, or House of Peers.

Which put ye to a sudden expedition in Ireland, to recover that which was (in a manner) lost to the Gates of Dublin, and when with wonderful success, and hard service, ye had reduced that Nation, would not thank God for the deliverance, as it re­fused to pray for your success. But the more ye were loaden with victories for the Nations sake, the more was it burthened with grief for the sake of your victories.

Which became the third partie, to bring the Kings eldest Son and the Scotch together against the Common-wealth, with whom they joyned and Plotted, and whom it assisted in Pulpit and o­therwise, and Commissioned Commissioners to joyn with the Scots in Treaty with him at Breda, (whom they had declared King) and joyned in the conclusion of the Treaty, viz. to put him by force of Armes, in the throne of England; and wrought off, your Renowned General Fairfax, from leading you against them, and to lay down his Commission, upon some scruples that were in him, it thinking thereby to have broken ye (in all which its Priests were chiefly active and consulted) and put ye to it early to look to your own House, by marching into theirs, who were preparing for yours, and to pass thorow the sore ex­tremities of wet and weather, of want of victuals and provision, in a cold naked and Sterile Countrey, during the winter season, and to attend under these upon the Scots couched in their Fast­nesses, whilest the Plots in England, might have set England in a flame behind ye (on which they waited) and miserable ne­cessity, should, in a manner reduce your Souldiers, in the midst of ye, into little better condition, than of dying men (which was even effected) that then its Army, before ye, might swallow ye up (which it attempted) even when all those distresses had even [Page 38] compassed ye about, and it so thought it, and it was so, and then it vaunted it self, and spake proudly, and sought to come between the passages and ye, that ye might not get home into your Countrey; And then sought ye at Dunbar, where ye were delivered with a wonderful Deliverance. My Friends, let it never be forgotten, nor the wonderful Discovery, and breaking of their Plots in England, which immediately foreran it, and corresponded there­with, and were on the Point of execution to have served it, (Call to mind the former things, and let the things that are past come into Remembrance.) And then held yee there another winter, whilest Plots, and designs were forming up in England again, by Christopher Love and his Brethren, the Preists and Confede­rates, and the Cavaleire Party (who thought to have attacht those of you in this Nation, in the depth of Winter, by a general Insurrection, which the breaking forth of that of Nor­folk hindred, before the general Day was come) and when they were disappointed thereby, wrought yet more subtilly, and made all things ready against Spring to have risen up generally as one man ( Cavaleir and Presbyter) to have ser­ved, M. G. Massies designed invasion of England, with a Bri­gade of Horse, which being also discovered and broken, put yee upon your attempts on Fife, wherein ye being made success­ful as formerly, it slipt into England (as its last Refuge) whilest ye were engaged at St. Johnstons, & lay down in Worcester, till your long march from Johnstons reached them, and ye with your friends in this Nation joyning together, soon encompassed them about, and gave them, and it, a total overthrow.

To conclude, which was glad at the late Interruption of the present Parliament; and complyed with him that made it, and set him up, that it might set it self up, by him again, in a single Person, and House of Lords, and in all things that it had before endea­voured, upon Conscience and the Liberties of the Nation; And which by him did set it self up (in the late Humble Petition and Advise, and other Acts of that Parliament, over the Liberties of the Nation and Conscience (wherein ye may read the Lan­guage of this Article) and then ( he being cut down, when he had built again the things that he destroyed, so making himself a Transgressor) sought to over-run, and cut down you, who yet stood in its way, Trampling on the Cause, viz. in asserting a coer­sive [Page 39] power in them, in matters of Religion, of Conscience, in its intended Declaration for a fast (as this Article doth in you, where ye may read its Language again, even the Language of both to be the same, and from one Spirit) I say, trampling on the Cause and you, and the sufferings of truth together (shewing what it would do as it had power, and who they were it looked upon as its enemies, viz. the Truth, the Cause and you Israel, and Judah were a [...]licted together) and prepared a Pit for you all, which opening its mouth wide, to swallow you up, and your eyes being opened to see it, started ye so that ye cryed to the Lord, and con­fessed, and vowed (as in your late Representation) who heard your Cry, and delivered you. Now being delivered, this Spirit ex­pected no other, than to be tumbled into the Pit, which it had digged for you, which was ready to receive it, and to close its mouth upon it, unless it could so work as to enter into you (a dif­ficult, and one would think, an impossible thing, as things stood) and in and by you, preserve it self out of it, and so set up it self at last through you, over all, which by wrapping it self in a friends mantle, and coming under it (viz. the Garment of a Priest who had formerly been your friend ( ye may guess whom I mean) it hath (now) done; raising up it self in you to do that, which a man looking upon you, as in your former Declarations and en­ [...]ngagements, and your late Representation, and hour, and deli­verance, and the sense o [...] them all that was upon you) would have thought impossible that ever ye should do, and which will lead you further, (as ye are led by it) to do that which if a man should tell you now, ye would say, are we Dogs thus to do? perking its head on, and over your shouldiers, above the Good Old Cause, (who had trod that Spirit under foot (and was now ready to make of i [...] an utter end) and treading under foot the Good Old Cause, which on and over your shouldiers, and you upon it, had stood above it, and which by you had trod it under. This is a Lamentation, and shall be for a Lamentation.

And yet, which of you of this is sensible, but so it is, after all your victories and apportunities, and deliverances over and upon, and from this Spirit and its workings, and this last especially, which was the greatest of all, by which this Spirit was given into your hand, as appointed by God to utter destruction, which would have destroyed ye) ye have let go out of your hand, the Spirit which [Page 40] God hath appointed to utter destruction; Therefore your life, (or the life of those of ye, or him, who wrought, and hath done it) shall go for its life, and your, or his people for its: Its faithfulness in me, to tell ye or him so, (and wo to me if I should not being required of the Lord, of whom I have received it) However the King of Israel may take it, and go to his house heavy and displeas­ed, ye know the history, Read and apply it to your selves in the case, ye who are concerned, who have done this thing, for it is your Portion, and shall assuredly come upon you from the Lord.

Yea, is not the day from the Lord, come upon you already? is not your strength, your life, already gone? Are not your Locks al­ready cut off? viz. your distinct Consistency in your selves, to chuse your General from among your selves, to receive your Com­missions and Orders, from such your General, not to disband, or divide, nor to suffer your selves to be disbanded, or divided, till you, and the just grievance of you and your friends in the Nation, and the Cause, were fully satisfied, and secured, into which Engagement ye were necessicated at Triploe Heath, & resolved for the mutual preservation, of your selves, and the Cause, and your friends which were engaged in it, against this over-ruling Party in Parliament, who rose up against it, and them, and you, and ordered your dis­banding for that purpose, that, ye and it, and them, might have been brought under at their pleasure. So ye were no longer as an Army Commissionated by them, but as a Body of people; who upon inevitable necessity and manifest justice, where incorporated in, and with, and among your selves, and to and with your friends in the Parliament and Nation, for the through Prosecution of the Cause of Liberty, in which ye were at first engaged, called out, entrusted and assisted, against all attempts to the contrary what, and in whomsoever, which was of God. By vertue of which ye were in a capacity, and did ease this present Parliament of those of their members, who carried on a corrupt and unsafe closure with the King, and with their obstructing Counsels, (as ye de­clare) not onely hindred the Settlement of the Common-wealth, but often endangered it; after that, the Speaker and those Members of the Parliament (who were faithful to the Cause) being forced by the tumultuous violence of Boyes & Reformadoes, to withdraw to you, were by you (notwithstanding the raising of London in [Page 41] Armes, and endeavouring to do it through the Nation, and Scot­land, by the remaining Party at Westminster) put into their House again, and secured in their Sessions; and lastly, brought this Parliament to sit again, after six years interruption, to the haz­zarding of all, in which capacity ye should still have stood, and have been, as heretofore, the Honourable and happy Instruments of your Countries Liberties, and its life reserve against all Tyranni­cal, and intolerable oppressions, in matters Civil, and Religious, had ye remained with God; but it is (now) otherwise, ye are bowed down, ye are humbled, (as the case now stands) your last is done, your Locks are off; ye are bound, and ye have have bound your selves; ye can work (as now) no more such deliverance in the Earth, for your selves or Countrey, as have been through your hands, it must come now from another place, ye are submitted; and ye have submitted your selves; ye are lower'd, and have brought your selves low (as now) and your Friends, and the Cause of Liberty of Conscience, even to the ground, to the dust. Your Masters (as they come) may (now) put you to grind, at their pleasures, to disband, to do as they will; and if ye shall hereafter go out, and shake your selves, when affliction is on you, as hereto­fore, ye will find your Cause (which whensoever ye brought it in your hand, and could say in Truth, Lord here's the Cause, he never failed to deliver you, what ever were your straits and Difficulties; I say, ye will find your Cause, your Locks, your strength, your power, to be gone, and your selves bound as with Fetters of Brass.

O! what will ye do then? and wither will ye go, when ye shall find it so, and both your eyes out, and night over you, and the pre­sence of the Lord removed from you, and that he answers ye not, neither by Dreames, nor by Ʋrim, nor by Prophet? If ye go to the Wizards, to those who have familiar Spirits, to the false Pro­phets, the Spirit that ye have cut off throughout all these Nations, and desire that it Divine unto you, and bring ye up him, whom ye shall name) who formerly was with you, (Samuel, the Prophet of the Lord, the Angel of his presence, which went before you, ad­vised ye, and delivered ye out of your straits, and subdued all un­der you,) and the Witch to whom ye go, the Spirit which ye had cut off, and to which ye have promised, that no punishment shall [Page 42] happen to it, for what it shall do, that it shall be protected, shall bring up to you, him whom ye name, viz. an old man covered with a mantle (the likeness of Samuel) and ye stoop with your face to the ground, and bow your selves, and upon his saying, why have ye disquieted me, to bring me up? ye say to him, we are sore distressed, and the Phylistians make Warr against us, and God is departed from us, and answereth us no more, neither by Prophets nor by dreams, and therefore we have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto us, what we shall do; he will answer you, wherefore then do ye ask of me, seeing the Lord is de­parted from you, and is become your enemy; and the Lord hath done to you, as he had spoken by me: for the Lord hath rent the Kingdome out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even to David, because ye obeyed not the voyce of the Lord, nor executed his fierce wrath upon Amalek. Therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto you this day; Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with ye, into the hands of the Phylistians, and to morrow shall ye and your Sons be with me; The Lord shall also deliver the Host of Israel into the hands of the Phylistians, then will ye fall all along on the Earth, and be sore afraid, and no strength will be in you. And then will ye remember, that of these things ye were told, and warned in the day of your delive­rance.

And is it not just it should be so? even that you who have so soon changed the Cause, and thereby given up your power to the enemy, should as soon have the case changed with you, viz. that your power should be taken away, by your friends; that ye who have given up the Cause of Liberty of Conscience, or ra­ther betrayed it, or rather are betray'd into it, should be gi­ven up to an incapacity any more to relieve, to secure it. So that deliverance, if it arise to consoience (and arise it will when the great Hour is over, which is at hand, the like was never, nor shall be after it, in which the Lord alone will appear) must arise from some other place, ye have bound your selves, and are bound; and so how can it arise any more from you, this is that, indeed, which the Enemy endeavoured thorowout the warrs, and the Iate alterations since the warrs, that it might have its end upon Conscience, and you, but could do never, because ye held the [Page 43] Cause, now the thing hath prospered against you, because ye have not held the Cause, but changed it, to that of the Enemies.

And so, is not the Word of the Lord, which I wrote unto you, from his mouth, and called to the Heavens, and said, hear O Heavens, and to the Earth, saying, give ear O Earth, and be ye witnesses, and all good men, (viz. If ye do not so, and so, as in your representation ye have said, and as in that my letter, is of it rehearst and exprest, which ye have not done, but the contrary) ye shall not prosper, the Lord hath spoken it. If ye start aside once more, farewel, ye have confest against your selves, and your re­presentation is witness against you. Deliverance shall arise from another place, but ye, and your house shall perish; I say, is not this word of the Lord beginning to be fulfilled upon you, who took not warning, when from the Lord God (as it was told you) it was a warning to you all; yea, that ye should have blotted out the name of Amalek (i.e. the Principle that is against Liberty of Conscience from under Heaven; yea, that ye should not forget it; yea, that ye should remember Amalck (i. e. the soul murthering, and Conscience binding Clergy-man) and what he did unto you by the way, when ye were come out of Egypt; how he met you by the way, and smote the hindermost of you, even all the feeble be­hind you, when ye were faint and weary, and he feared not God, and that therefore ye should blot out the name of Amalek from un­der Heaven. For at the moving of the Lord, that was wrote also; Amalek the first of the Nations, that warred against Isra­el, when they were come out of Egypt, whose latter end shall be that he perish for ever; as Balaam said when his eyes were open, Cain Adams first born in the transgression, who slew his Brother about Religion, because his offering was accepted (and it was different) but Cains was not; Cain the fugitive, and vaga­bond, who is cursed from the Earth, which opened her mouth to receive his Brothers blood from his hand, the principle that is a­gainst Liberty of Conscience, to be blotted out from under Hea­ven, ye shall not forget it, saith the Lord) But ye have forgot it, and instead thereof endeavoured to record its name (which God will blot out, and remember what Amalek did, though ye have forgot it) when the Lord required the contrary, so ye have diso­beyed the Commandement of the Lord, therefore the Kingdome is rent from you, and is given to a neighbour of yours; that is [Page 44] better than you; And have broken the Covenant of the wife of your youth, therefore will I Judge you, saith the Lord, as women that break wedlock, and shed blood, are judged, and I will give your blood in fury, and jealousie, for a short work is the Lord making in the Earth, yet a remnant of you shall return, even a remnant, unto the mighty God, and the Consumption decreed, shall overflow with righteousness; The day is at hand, the Lord hath spoken it. And though Agag the King of Amalek, whom Saul and the People, (contrary to the commandment of the Lord) have spared alive, may come delicately to Samuel (the Prophet of the Lord, who said to Saul, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remem­ber that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt; now go, and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, Oxe and Sheep, Camel and Ass) and though Agag may say, surely the bitterness of Death is past, yet Samuel shall say, as thy sword hath made wo­men Childless, so shall thy Mother be Childless among women. And Samuel shall hew Agag in peeces before the Lord, even in Gilgal; he that can receive it, let him receive it.

Ah my Friends, wherewithal shall I bewail you? How shall I la­ment you? How soon are ye revolted? How soon are ye backslid­den, and started aside? How soon hath darkness overspread you, and night covered you? How soon are your feet stuck fast again in the mire? The honesty that stirred in you, how soon is i [...] plunged again into the Pit? Cryed ye not lately to the Lord in the day of your Distress? Said ye not what ye would do, if he would once more deliver you? And hath he not been gratious to you, at the voyce of your cry? When he heard it, did he not deliver you? And when he had delivered you, did he not warn you, as aforesaid (for I was moved of him, and from his mouth I spake, and a witness I am for him for ever; yea, that ye should bring forth fruit meet for Repentance? Were ye not told, that this was your day, your day of Tryal from the Lord; where­in he was trying ye, and proving you, to see whether there was an heart in you to do according to all that he had said (even that ye would fear him, and keep all his Commandements alwayes, that it might be well with you, & your children after you forever) [Page 45] And that for that cause he had once more overthrown your ene­mies, and in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, had shewn himself above them; and put the power of these Nations, into your hands to try you, and prove you, and to see whether ye would do as ye spake; yea, that it was your Hour of Tryal, wherein the Lord was trying you, to see, whether, being delivered, and having power in your hands, ye would stand by, and secure the Cause and your selves. And are the dawnings of your day so soon closed into Night? Are ye so soon tryed and found too light? Are these your fruits meet for Repentance (which must be repeneed of, if ever it be well with you) Are ye rose so early, and corrupted all your doings? Are ye delivered, to commit such an abhomination as this? Ah foolish people and unwise! of the Rock that begat you, how soon are ye unmindful; And how have ye forgotten God that formed you? And lightly esteemed the Rock of your Salvation (they sang his praise, they soon forgat his works, they waited not on his Counsel, they forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the Land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea. Many times did he deliver them, but they provoked him, with their Counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity; never­theless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry, and he remembred for them his Covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies; He made them also to be pittyed of all those that carryed them Captives, and had regard unto his name, that it might not be polluted among the Heathen: I say, Oh my Friends! How shall I lament you? Wherewithal shall I bewail you? Truly I bear a burthen of grief for you, and the weight thereof is heavy; Oh that my head were water, and mine eyes a Fountain of Tears, that I might weep day and night for you, because of the day that I see is coming upon you, ex­cept ye Repent.

My love was alwayes dear to you, with you I travailed (as a Fellow Member and otherwise) through the Difficulties ye met with from your first march to Windsor, to the late Interruption, wherein I bare not the least part of the burthen, as there be a­mong you can witness.

In the late Interruption I was not, but was against it (for this [Page 46] Reason (among others) because I foresaw (it being shewn me of the Lord) what hath since been attempted, and for that I also knew and observed the workings of him (and he knew it) that miss-led you, from Worcester fight to that time; yea, I observed how that Principle entred and wrought, from the time of his (and many of your) falling under the King, by an Heart of unbelief, assoon as he and you were delivered) by the Spirit that rose in the Souldiery, and the inferiour Officers at Triploe Heath, from the Major party in Parliament, which voted you Traytors unheard, for your Innocent Petition intended to be presented them by your General, for things necessary to you as Souldiers, and ordered your disbanding as aforesaid, which spirit (as I have said) he (and many of you) falling under, (viz. upon distrust, how, as the case stood then with you) ye should be able to carry it against King and Presbyter in Parliament (who and their interest ye expected, would be united against you, he being, at that time in their custody) upon that your new Engagement (not minding the Arm that had delivered you so oft, and but then had wrought your Deliver­ance, to a Miracle, and so taking into your Custody, out of the Parliaments, the King whom ye had opposed, the Spirit of the King, or of Absoluteness, Monarchy or King-ship, against Civil Liberty (under which he, and many of you fell) then entred him (and many of you) as that of the Priests, or the Spirit against Religious Liberty, or Liberty of Conscience (ye falling under it, by an heart of unbelief, assoon as ye were delivered, hath, now, into you, viz. upon diffidence, how (as was now your (case) ye should buckle with the same generation engaged against ye in Parlia­ment, and ye expected, would be much more now, upon that their Dissolution (who ordered the Dissolution of your Counsels, and ye know what that signified, even the Dissolution of you) should ye lay aside their Coersive Principle in matters of Re­ligion, held forth in their intended Declaration for a Fast, May 1659.

And consequently the Priests, upon that your new state or con­dition, (not considering your former, and but then astonishing De­liverance,) and so taking the Principle which ye had engaged against out of the Parliaments Declaration into your Address, ye fell under it (as I have said) and it entred into you) & that Spirit [Page 47] of absoluteness, being entred into him (who had so withstood it, and cut it down) it never rested till (as time & opportunity would admit) it had wrought it self into that Head-ship in him (thorough multitudes of disguises) as it was at his Death, where It buried his Name and his Memory, and his valiant Acts, together with his Carcass, in the Pit of Infamy, and the Common-Wealth) which he trampled upon, and despised, and made so inexpressibly to suffer in order to this end, is rose over him (as the same Spirit against Liberty of Conscience, (Mark what I say, and remember for the time to come) will do by as many of you, as shall not speedily repent (we will be to you, out of whom it is not purged till ye die) and Truth, the Dominion of God, in and over Conscience, Liberty of Conscience, (which that Spirit in this your Article hath trampled upon and despised, and all the Blood that hath been shed for it, and against which it purposely provided, as in that Article, and laid a foundation therein, to work it self Lord over Conscience, or Lord (as I may say) over the God of the spirits of all flesh, who is Lord alone of Conscience (as the other endeavoured over the Common-Wealth, and will (through notable disguises, yea more notable than have been yet) endeavour, and make to suffer, in order to this end, beyond what hath been, or will be after it; I say, Truth, the Dominion of God, in and over Conscience, Liberty of Consci­ence, shall (when it is as (yea more) unlikely, than was the late case of the Common-Wealth, yea (I may say) impossible as to men) rise over your graves and carcasses, and Spirit, and Rule for ever. The Lord hath spoken it, and the things make hast, blessed is he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved; ye may think these things strange, but the time is at hand) I say, I was not for, but against the late Interruption, because it was not only foreshewn me by the Lord, even what hath since come to pass, yea, that he would never return (as there are that can testifie, to whom I then told it) but I knew, and was within the Curtain of his Cable, or misterious proceedings in order thereunto, and did often put checks to his carreir in that attempt (though single and alone, for though I signified it to some Members of Parliament, whom I could trust, and proposed a plain way for the prevention there­of, yet they had no heart thereunto,) and at length, seeing how the design hastened to an Issue, and that no Spirit appeared in them, whose proper work it was, to endeavour to crush it, and ha­ving [Page 48] no other way before me, in behalf of the Common-Wealth, (the Committee of the Coucil of State, for Examinations and Discoveries (of which I was Secretary) being unrevived, by rea­son of a vote for that purpose, obtained of the New Counsel, November 1652. by him, for the security of his design) I caused it to be devulged, yea the very day, when it would be (and on which it was) done, if so be such an Alarm might raise up a Spirit in the Parliament to prevent it, which it did not, nor could any thing hinder it, for the thing was of God, for the stayning of the pride and glory of Man, and the bringing about of his mighty works of wonder, for the glory of his Name, who alone will be known to be King, and to Rule in the Earth.

Since the Interruption, what I have done, and suffered, I speak not, my life is given me for a prey (after all the Secret huntings after my blood) and my entegrity is with me, having a Testimony among men, as with the Lord, that as from the beginning I never betrayed, nor acted contrary to my Principle, nor was induced there­unto, upon any Temptation whatsoever, neither valuing my life, nor what I had, in relation to the Common-Wealth, so I have con­tinued to this day, mourning with them that mourned, and weeping for them who wept for it.

When the late hour was, I felt your burthen, and the weight of the powers of Darkness, which sought to overwhelm, and obstruct you, and the power of God wrought through me, which overcame your difficulties and overthrew your enemies, even at the very instant (as there be that can bear me witness, to whom I signified here what was doing, at the time of its Action) ye being deliver­ed I waited, and with much gladness of heart, received whatsoever the Lord shewed me and required to write in order to your di­rection, and sent it to you, that ye might be preserved, which was the earnest desire and breathing of my Soul, yea, that it might have been so, I could freely have been offered up in the will of the Lord, so dear were ye, to me; and least ye should back-slide, and fall under Temptation again, and that inrecoverably, I hasted that warning to you, as I was moved of the Lord, unto which ye having not took heed, but being fallen, I am faithful in shewing you what ye have done, and what will assuredly befall you except ye repent, as I have received from the Lord; and so having born my Testimony, and [Page 49] fulfilled the will of the Lord, and suffered the sore travail of this last hour that is to come, as I did of the former before it came, and wept over your graves, I rest in peace, being assured, that as I have lived to see that day over, so I shall, to see this; and that the word which I have spoken in the name of the Lord, he will fulfill; and that he that hath betrayed you, into this, shall bear his burthen; and that judgment shall run down as waters, and righteousness, as a Mighty stream in England. And that the end of the Lord in the Wars shall be accomplished, in their time and season, but not in the way, or in the time, nor after the manner, that man expects it.

Not that we desire, or need your Protection, do I thus write, nor that we are offended, in the least, at this your provision, as to us; nay, be it known unto you, and all the People of [...] Nations, our Trust alone, is in the name of the Lord, who as he hath opened his peoples graves, and raised his seed out of it, in despight of all the powers of Darkness; and hath carried on his seed thus far, under the shelter of his wings, through multitudes of sufferings; so he will not rest till he hath set it over the heads of all its enemies. And verily this generation shall not pass, till this be fulfilled. Yea, ra­ther do I expect (and so I did whilest your late affairs seemed most promising to the contrary) the greatest Tryals that have been yet, than a freedome from them. Because, I know, that before the seed of God reign over all, it must be tryed to the uttermost, and the day hastens, yea, the hour approacheth, wherein the son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners, who shall do unto the seed of God, whatsoever his hand, and his Counsel hath before determi­ned to be done; then shall God raise it over all, and crown it in his enemies sight; therefore, Judas, what thou hast to do, do quickly.

These things I signifie, that when they come to pass, ye may remember that ye were told of them before; I say, I write not this, for that we desire or need your protection (though if inte­grity and faithfulness, activity, and diligence, fighting, and suffering, for the Nations Rights in General, do bespeak our right to enjoy them in particular (as without controversie it doth) we ought to have as much as any; yea, full freedome in soul and body is our due, and the due of the People of these Nati­ons. But this I write in Bowels of love to you, that ye may see and be convinced of the evil of your doing, that so the fierce [Page 50] wrath of the Lord▪ which is ready, to break forth, and will light on the head of the wicked, may be turned away from you; For from the Lord of [...] ▪ I have [...] consumption even deter­mined on the whole earth, and wee will be to them, by whom his seed is betrayed and suffers.

And so I am, and the Lord is, clear of your blood, and the word of the Lord, which came to me, at Bristol, the 23. day of the third moneth, called May, 1659, upon reading this Ar­ticle of your Address, word for word, in the News Books, as voted by the Parliament; viz. Son of man, wilt thou not judge them? wilt thou not judge them? yea, declare to them their abhomination, I have fulfilled. It concerns you to mind what I have said, and me to wait, till the appointed end. And so I have finished this my. Testimony.