Englands Unthankfulness Striving with Gods Goodness, Division 2 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
1. §. FOr notwithstanding you are guilty of all I have laid to your charge whereof one sinne is soule Ma…her; which will cost you deare one day, either in tears, or in torment. No man under Heaven, thinks better o… himselfe. For as M…cha could d…ingly say, Now I know that the Lord will … good unto me, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest. Or as those Hypocrites before spoken of, Jer. 7. 4. could applaud themselves for their outward work… and priviledges, Esay 66. 3 4. So wilt thou most shamefully, though tho… dost even renounce both Christ, and thy Baptizme, in persecuting him, an… all that sincerly professe …, as I have abundanly showne.
2. §. True, as the pretended M…her, that stole away the live Childe, 1 King 3. 16. to 28. prosessed before King Solomon; a… great love to it, and pleaded as hard for it, as the naturall M…ther could d…e: and yet so little did sh… care for it, that she wa… content to have … divi…d: which shewed plainely that love of strife, and envy to the true Mother, prevailed … with her then true affection to the thing striven for: so thou pretendest as gre… love to Christ, and the true Religion, as their best and truest friends … when it comes to the tryall, they have no greater enemy. For for matter of Reli…ion, thou art much like the ancient Romans: whom a sensualist would have taken to be very religious, and conscionable: for they al…ed of …he service of all Gods; and to that end built a Temple to all Gods, …alling it Pan…beon: yet it was evident they were not, because they would ne…er ad…it of the true God, to wit Jehovah. So thou, (and in indeed all … at large) art very religious: For thou wilt conforme to any Religion the State shall establish, were it Popery it selfe: as when super…, and …, were …dvanced in England by Queen Mary did not ninteen, or rather ninty nine parts of the Land conforme to Popery? And would they not doe the like now, if the streame should turne: yes, it is more then probable they would. And indeed men that scoffe at the power of godlinesse, are for any Religion; so they may injoy their i…ities, D…n 3. 7.
3. §. Let none object their suffering since the Parliament; and how constant they are to their principles: For I grant t…y are as stiffe as a stake, as immov…le a… a R…e, in their resolution against Reformation. That they will …ick as close to their wicked, and s…stitious Custo…s, as Clay to a Cart wheele. Yea, th… a…e m…e … t… Sa…n for the most part; then Christs s…vants are to him. But if ever a meere ei…ill man suffer for his faith in Christ, and for … sake, … have my head cut off. No, they will rather worship a …alse wi…h the Israelite…, Exod. 32. 4. O… a golden Image with the Cha…deans, D…n. 3. 7.
I know divers will say, (not for want of ignorance in the Scripture) if these honest, moral men, go not to Heaven: Lord have mercy upon us. And yet Chri… s…aith, except the most ri…hteous of them, have another righteousnesse exceeding their owne: they shall never come th…re, Mat. 5. 20. Yea, he plainly affirmes, that Publicans, and …rlots shall get into Heaven sooner, Mat. 21. 31. as I shewed you befo…. And for further answer, … Isaac, if he had not been …, w…uld … h…ve bl…ssed Jacob for …sau: nor Jacob, taken … for Rachel if he had not been in the darke. So these, if they were not carnall themsel…, and so by consequence ignorant of the Scriptures: they would not take meere …vill m…n, ignorant, formali, titular, stature, out-side Christians, that have no more of Religion, then a bare shadow; for true and reall Christians in de…d. … its a true proverb, the blind … m…ny a fly: and all colo… are alike … him … is in the ….
4 § A…d so (as I suppose) … h… … … Hypocri…e, and … Iusticiary, have a … of themselves. Y…, there is some probability, that I have convinced them, that they are of the number of those ignorant, unbeleeving, ingrateful, and wi…ked wretches concerned in the former part of this Treatis…: However, it will appear plainly enough to others. And truth is truth, as well when it is … …knowledged, as when it is.
Now these having leave to withdraw, bring hether the M…erly Muck-worm.