An Answer to Eight Queries Propounded by the House of Commons, Title page – Dedication
AN ANSWER TO THE Eight Quaeries propounded by the Houſe of Commons, to the Aſſembly called Divines, ſitting at Weſtminſter, April. 22. 1646. never to this day by them Anſwered, nor they called to an accompt by the Parliament, for their ignorance or negligence therein.
Pſal. 31.6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities, but I truſt in the Lord.
Jonah 2.8. They that obſerve lying vanities, forſake their own mercy.
Pſal. 82.6.7. I have ſaid, ye are Gods; and all of you are Children of the moſt high: But ye ſhall dye like men, and fa l like one of the Princes.
Jer. 5.30. A wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the Land, the Prophets propheſie lyes, and the Prieſts receive gifts in their hands: and my people delight therein, what will ye then do in the end thereof.
Cor. 1.14.36. What, came the word of God out from you, or came it unto you only.
Gal. 4.16. Am I therefore become your enemy, becauſe I tell you the truth.
2 Cor. 4.2. But have renounced the hidden things of diſhoneſty, not walking in craftineſſe, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifeſtatiō of the truth, cōmending our ſelves to every mans Conſcience in the ſight of God.
Col. 2.8. Beware leaſt any man ſpoil you through Philoſophy and vain deceit &c.
1 Tim. 6.20. Oh Timothy, keepe that which is cōmitted to thy truſt, avoiding profane & vain bablings.
By Edward Barber Freeman of England, Citizen and Marchant-Taylor of London. 1648.
To thoſe Noble Senators, the choſen Stewards and Servants of the freemen of England, the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, with that Right Noble Generall, the Lord Fairfax, and Lieut. Gen. Crumwell.
RIGHT HONORABLE,
TAking into conſideration the Quaeries ſo long ſince propounded by your Honours, to the Aſſembly called Divines at Weſtminster, deſiring their Anſwers therein, as once Nebucadnizer did of his dream, from his Magicians, Aſtrolog…rs, Sorcerers, and Caldeans, whom he had choſen, and to whom was appointed a dayly proviſion of the Kings meate, and of the wine which he drank. Dan. 2. That ſo being nouriſhed at his Table, at three years end, they might ſtand before the King, But they being called forth to ſatisſie the Kings deſire, in telling page missing &c. as Ier. 51 6.7. compared with Iſaia 21.9. and Micha 2.10.11. Ariſe ye and depart, for this is not your reſt, becauſe it is polluted it ſhall deſtroy you, even with a ſore deſtruction, if a man walking in the ſpirit of falſhood do lye, ſaying, I will propheſie unto thee of wine and ſtrong drink, he ſhall even be the prophet of this people, compared with 2. Cor. 6.14. to 18. and Revel. 18.4. come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her ſinnes, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Now as the people of God were thus called forth of temporall and ſpirituall Babylon, ſo the inſtruments by which the Lord will do this great work, ſhall be by diſpiſed perſons, that ſo the great wiſe men of the world may ſtay themſelves, and wonder who are blind & make you blind, inſtead of this they render it, cry ye out and cry, Iſai. 29.9. to 15. & alſo, that the whole glory may be given to God only, & not to men, and as for ſuch as have received their Call and Ordination from the beaſt, or no calling at all as ſome now pretends, if ever they ſhould be converted and to ſubmit unto the Order and Government of King Ieſus in the Goſpell way, yet will theſe be the unſitteſt for the carrying forth of that rich treaſure of the Goſpel, they having formerly ſworn themſelves Servants unto Antichriſt, and therefore will be but as the Gibiouites, who although by their craft had ſaved their lives, yet were by Joſuah that glorious Tipe of Chriſt, appointed to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water, Joſuah 9. or Lovies Sonnes, Sam. 1.2.36. who at that time when the Lord ſhall raiſe up his faithfull Prieſt, ſhall come and crouch for a peece of ſilver, or a morſell of bread, ſaying, put me I pray thee into one of the Prieſts Offices, that I may eat a pecee of bread, or with thoſe Merchants of the earth, who when the Kings and Magiſtrates of the earth, who have committed fornication with the whore, and lived deliciouſly; at her overthrow, ſhall bewail her, and lament for her, Revel. 18.9. then alſo ſhall thoſe Merchants of the earth weepe and mourn; for no man buyeth their Merchandize any more, verſ. 10. This will cauſe them as the Jewes, Acts 22.22. to diſcover their madneſſe who eaſt duſt upon their heads, ſo theſe crying, weeping, & wayling, ſaing, alas, alas, that great City wherein were made rich, all that had Ships in the Sea, by reaſon of her coſtlineſſe, for in one howre is ſhe made deſolate, verſ. 19. and verſ. 20. the Church holy Meſſengers and Prophets are called forth to rejoyce over her for God hath avenged them on her when all profit and delight is taken away from her, verſe 22.23. the Reaſon is layd down verſ. the laſt, becauſe in her was found the blood of Prophets and of Saints, and of all that were ſlain upon the earth; oh that therefore your honours would give liberty for publike diſputes, that thereby the truth might be tryed, and that there might be ſome time allowed after the publike Exerciſes is done; wherein the hearers thoſe whoſe mouthes the Lord by his ſpirit ſhall open, might have liberty to adde to what is delivered, or contradict if irronious, and that there might be ſome places that are vacant, as Paules, or the like appointed, for ſuch exerciſes and tryalls of the truth, according to Iohn 1.4.1. where he ſaith, believe not every ſpirit, but trie the ſpirits whether they are of God, becauſe many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world, and Theſ. 1.5.21. The Apoſtle exhorts the Saints to prove all things, and to hold faſt that which is good, which cannot be done in that way that is practiſed by them, they tying up the mouthes of all but themſelves, by their Antichriſtian power and practice, that therefore the Kings of the earth, and you the Majeſtrates would be wiſe, and conſider your wayes, & know as it was once ſaid to Saul, as he was going to Damaſcus, having received Authority from the High Prieſts to perſecute and hale to priſon all that called upon the name of the Lord Jeſus, Saul Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me, it is hard for thee to kick againſt the pricks, ſo it will one day be ſaid to all thoſe that perſecute Chriſt in his Members, which through the ſubtelty of Antichriſt is uſually done under the name of Heriticks and Sectaries, as in Queen Maries dayes, &c. for know as the Prophet David ſaith, Pſal. 2.2. to 6. although the Kings of the earth ſet themſelves, and the Rulers take Councel together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Chriſt, ſaying, let us break his bonds aſunder, and caſt away his cords from us; but he that ſits in Heaven ſhall laugh, the Lord ſhall have them in deriſion, then ſhall he ſpeak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his ſore diſpleaſure, yet have I ſet my King upon my holy hill of Zion, all which their doing was but a vane thing in Davids Accompt, verſ. the firſt, and verſ. 10.11.12. he exhorts them ſaying, be wiſe now therefore on ye Kings, be inſtructed, ye Judges of the earth ſerve the Lord with feare, and rejoyce with trembling, kiſſe the Son leaſt he be angry, & ye periſh from the way, if his wrath be kindled, yea but a little, bleſſed are they that put their truſt in him, compared with Prov. 16.20. Iſa. 30.18. Jer. 17.7. & 27 7. Rom. 9.33. and 10.11. 1 Pet. 2.6. For ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 60.12. The Nation and Kingdom that will not ſerve thee ſhall periſh, yea thoſe Nations ſhall be utterly waſted, on that England would conſider this in time! leaſt one day it be ſaid to it, as was once ſaid by Chriſt to Jeruſalem, Luke 13.34 and 19 41. where coming nigh to the City, he beheld it, and wept over it, ſaying, if thou hadſt known even thou at leaſt in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thy eyes.
So the Lord for many years having called upon this Kingdom of England for repentance, and turning unto him by amendment, ſollowing us with mercies and deliverances, fatherly chaſtizing us by peſtilence, ſword and famine; but what amendment is there of any ſince, but that in juſtice, pride, cruelty, neglect of the poore, Idolatry, covetouſnes abounds, & as the proph. ſaith, Iſ. 56.11. every one for ku gaine from his quarter, that love of mony the roote of all evill remaining as much as ever. 1 Tim. 6.10.
That therefore we would turn unto him according to promiſe, in keeping the Proteſtation and Covenant, in ſtanding for a reformation according to the word of God and inſtitutions of Chriſt, and not covetous mens deſires and inventions, who in all ages have been obſtructers of the true worſhip of God, & perſecuters of his ſervants, as King. 1 22.22. to 28. Ier. 18.18. Come let us ſmite him with the tongue, Ames 7.10.11 Mic. 1.1. &c. 3. Ier. 26.11. to 19. Mat. 23.13. who ſhut up the Kingdom of Heaven againſt men, they neither go in themſelvs, neither ſuffer them that are entring to go in; but as Theedoro Beza obſerves from Act. 6.9. to 15. that falſ teachers becauſe they will not be overcome, flee from diſputations to Magiſtrates & open ſlandering, and falſe accuſations, & that the firſt bloudy perſecution of the Church of Chriſt began, and ſprung from a Councell of Prieſts by the ſuggeſtion of the Univerſity Doctors, that therefore we might beware of men, and according to the command of God heat ken only to the voice of Chriſt, Mat. 17.5. that ſo we obeying him the great Prophet and Anointed, the Lord may be gracious unto us in cauſing the ſword to be ſheathed, and that he may delight to dwell among us, in turning the hearts of the Fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children to the Fathers; which ſhall be the deſire and prayer of him, that deſires the happines here and glory hereafter of you, and all that love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in fincerity.