The Bishop of London, Title page 1 – Title page 2
THE Bishop of London, The Welsh Curate, AND Common Prayers, WITH Apocrypha In the End. By WILL. ERBERY.
Isai. 24.1. to the end. Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and turneth it upside down.
Acts 17.6. These that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also.
Printed at London, 1652.
The BISHOP OF LONDON: OR, An EPISCOPAL SPIRIT risen, And appearing at London-House: That is, The Spirit of Prayer ceased in the CHURCHES. Being a brief Narrative of what passed at London-House among Church-Ministers, Mr. Simpson at Bishops-gate, and others, On Munday-night, Novemb. 22. 1652. By WIL. ERBERY.
They shall go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not finde him: he hath withdrawn himself from them, Hos. 5.6.
Printed at London, 1652.
The BISHOP OF London.
THe Churches of London, both Independent and Baptized ones, Isai. 8.9, 11, 14. compared.having formerly associated and girt themselves with a Sword, or Martial power, I mean, some Army-preaching men, joyned in a Body at Great Alhallows, to pray for a new Representative, and to preach somewhat against the old; for which they received no Countenance, but rather a Check from the State, and some highest of the Army.
Having there laboured in vain, and spent their strength for nought; not finding the Spirit in a Presbyterial or Parochial Church, they changed their quarters, and came to seek it in the Episcopal Sea at London-house.
There (as men who would build up Babylon again) they founded a Structure of two stories high; not a Pulpit and Reading-Pue, but a stately frame of wood to preach and pray in two distinct Forms.
The One, being the highest, I conceive is for the Independent Fellowship, (for such onelyonly I saw sitting there:) the lower is the Baptized Footstool.
The Lord brought me there, at first, to behold their Order; but seeing their Confusion, I yet heard one praying belowe, afterwards another above, Captain Spencer; at whose loud and long Prayer, my spirit was so stirred, I could scarce contain from crying out, Vox, & praeterea nihil.
Mr. Knight was next: but hoping to finde no better from him, I departed in peace and silence.
The next Munday I had no thoughts to come there any more: but being occasionally by Pauls in the evening, it was in my spirit to visit my brethren, Rev. 19.10and to see if the Spirit of Jesus would yet appear in the Churches of Christ so called.
The first man that I heard preaching, was Mr. Feak, who (methought) spake to the purpose concerning Prayer, That the Saints should now return to their old spirit of prayer in Gospel-times, which was not in loose requests, and long confessions of sins, but in short breathings out their present desires to God, with abundance of fervency and faith to obtain.
This was the sum of what he spake very well.
The next succeeded to pray, or rather to preach, (for his Praying was meer Preaching) or heaping a company of Promises in studied Petitions, larded with whole Scripture-verses together.
This was belowe: but looking up on high, I spied Mr. Simpson, Mr. Cokayn, and others, as preparing themselves to something. The first (in stead of praying, began to preach, or prophesie, as he terms it, and thinks it so; so do not I; neither do I think, Act. 12.5.that when prayers were made for Peter by the Church, that they spent their time in Preaching.
Before Mr. Simpson would name his Text, he opens himself in a large Preface; and, (as if he had stood on the Stool of Repentance) he confesseth his faults before us all.
First, he professed himself a fool, for the rising of his heart against that which another held forth not according to his apprehension.
Secondly, he said that be was a fool again, for that rigidness of spirit, to stick to his own, or to oppose the light that might shine in another, i.e. the Lord in them.
He shewed further, how God had judged that rigidness in Prelacie and Presbytery, and would also in the Independents, or Dippers; so he calleth the Baptized Churches, though I dare not.
But see how the man doth judge and condemn himself, or backslide into the same sin or folly he confess'd but now.
For first, whereas Mr. Feak had truely declared what was said before concerning Prayer, Mr. Simpson doth presently censure, and publikely condemn, in preaching, what his brother had spoken in truth and peace, with much submission.
Truely I wondered at that Magisterial spirit in the honest man, that self-confidence besides. But he confess'd himself a fool before, and, it may be, he had not thorowly repented of it.
But was it Wisdom, think you, to fall on so suddenly? And was it not a Truth, that the spirit of prayer in Gospel-times, was more in Spirit, less in the Form? Were there such large confessions of sins in the Primitive Saints, when they came in prayer to seek some special thing? Mr. Feak shewed the contrary, in Acts 4.24. And I could shew another Scripture, Acts 1.24, 25. where, in the chusing of another Apostle, Peter's prayer was onelyonly to that present occasion, and his Petitions summ'd up in two verses. Truely on the like occurrence, as chusing an Elder, &c. not onelyonly the Presbyterian Classis, but the Independent Churches, would have made a Prayer of an hour long at least, and not one, but many; and much confession also.
Master Simpson brought forth Daniel confessing his sins, Dan. 9.4. to 19.&c. But what proof is that under the Law, to the Gospel-spirit of prayer?
I'll say no more; 'tis but a Narrative I publish, to prevent misreports, and, if possible, the mistakes of many precious Saints.
I will not repeat any thing of Mr. Simpson's Sermon, how lowe and Legal it was; On 1 Joh. 3.22.let the wise speak: I shall onelyonly give an account of my deportment there, which so many judge I know not what, 1 Cor. 4.3, 5.neither do I care Mans judgement or day; the day of God will discover all things and thoughts, yea the hidden secrets of darkness, as well as that of light, very shortly.
Though men said there, I was mad; yet truely I spake nothing but words of Soberness and Truth to me, with peace and love to all.
My spirit indeed was exceedingly stirred; and though I came thither to hear in silence, yet my heart being hot, I spake at last with my tongue;
Mr. Simpson, you have preached long; will you suffer another fool to speak a little concerning Prayer?
Here, at first, a confused cry-arose from the great ones there, saying, Take him away. I said I would be gone. But others in the croud call'd upon me to speak. Some answered, 'Twas an Episcopal spirit, or contrary to their own principles, to forbid any sober-minded or peaceable man from speaking his minde. I desired not that any trouble or tumult should be among them; therefore I once more in peace besought liberty to go on.
There was still a reluctancie and secret murmurings in many: men and women by, bid me hold my peace. Then said I, Whether you will hear, Ezek. 3.27or whether you will forbear, I must speak a word; 'tis this, to the Churches.
Prelates had their Common Prayers, and your Prayers are common also; Presbyters had their Directory, so have you this day, teaching one another how to pray.
One says it must be in short Petitions onelyonly to the present purpose, without such enlarged Confessions; another contradicts, and says none are fit to pray, but such who are most humbled, &c. (As if men could not be humbled without sight of sin: how then doth God humble himself, Psal. 113.6 Phil. 2.8.&c. and how was Christ humble even to the death of the Cross?) Again, saith he, it must be with confession of sins, as Daniel did.
Such Confusion me thought I saw on their spirits and mine, that I took leave to enlarge a little further, proving their present Devotions to be but as Common Prayers, because quite contrary to the practice of Primitive Churches, wherein Prayers were peculiar and proper onelyonly to Saints, and among Saints alone, as fellowship and breaking of bread: And Prayers was a Private exercise of Saints together in the Church, not with the world, Acts 2.42. Acts 4.24. 1 Cor. 14.12, 15, 19, 26. vers. compared.
Secondly, I shewed that Prayers were publike in the Jewish Church, that being a National Church, and the Church a Nation: Therefore where-ever the Nation met, Prayers might be made (as Solomon and Nehemiah) and the Temple likewise was the house of Prayer, 1 King. 8.22. Neh. 9.and they had hours of prayer, when Peter and Iohn went up to preach in publique, Act. 3.1. but they returned to their own company to pray, Act. 4.1, 23.
I could not be suffered to speak any more, onelyonly I told the Churches,
Sirs, your Prayers are legal, and your Preachings legal: I see you are all in the dark, and so I bid you Good-night.
As I was going away, I was will'd by some to stay, and to heare what the Ministers would answer; but they being silent, up starts a Martiall man, my very good friend in the Army, Major Packer.
He stood up on a forme, and told the people of me, and of my Ranting Spirit.
I would not give a Gentleman the lye; but I told him presently to his face, that he spake lyes before God and men; and he that could so openly lye to men, how could he dare to speak to God?
But he was a souldier, and could venture at any thing in earth, and heaven also: for after he had vented his spleen, he falls on most valiantly to his prayers, with what Spirit, let men and Angells judge.
I left the man of War praying, and the company in a peaceable posture: thus I departed with my heart to heaven, waiting when God will come down, and manifest himself to all his people.
Oh that the gathered Churches and scattered Saints could see themselves in Babylon, as dead dry bones, without breath or the Spirit of life, that they might once be made silent to God; and as those divided sticks in the Prophets hands, in which they shall all at last be raised up in one, Ezek. 37.11, 16, 17.
But as yet they are dashing one against another, and so lie dead together, praying for many things without order, yea without any sense at all. Three things they pray for: but, 1. What is it for them to pray for the Spirit, who know not the want of the Spirit, the Baptisme of the Spirit being not in the Churches, nor the Church confessing this?
2. Why do the Churches now pray for a way of propagating the Gospell, seeing the wise know it cannot be, but by the Spirit and power from on high, not yet appearing in the Churches?
3. How can the Churches pray for an Union or love together, while they continue in divided formes, and defiled also? Ezek. 37.23.Could the Prelates and Presbyters ever unite? and can the Independent and Baptized Churches? they may in a form in outward fellowship, or common prayers.
But never shall all the Saints unite, and come to one in love, Isa. 26.8, 16, 20. Rev. 15.1. Isai. 32.13, 14, 15. Zech. 2.11.till wrath be poured forth on all their Forms and Flesh (even 7 Vials full of the wrath of God in men.) Then the Spirit shall come from on high, and gather up all the Saints and men in God.
FINIS.
THE Welsh Curate: Or, PAƲL's CARE Of ALL THE CHURCHES 2 Cor. 11.28.By WILL. ERBERY.
Then said I, I will not seed you. That that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off: and let the rest eat every one the flesh of his [fellow-(Member, Hebr.] Zech. 11.9.
Printed at London, 1652.