The Grand Oppressor, Text 2
To the Independent Paſtors and Teachers in Wales, and in England alſo.
THE great deſign that God hath to doe this day is to undoe man, Zeph. 3.19. Hag. 2.22.and the mighty ones of the earth by dividing and deſtroying that oppreſſive power upon the ſtates and ſpirits of men, that the outward and inward man may have deliverance at laſt, and perfect liberty to ſerve the Lord in holineſs and righteouſneſs before him without fear all the dayes of our life. Luke 1.75.This was the end of Chriſts firſt coming in the fleſh, and of his ſecond in the Spirit, by which as the man of ſin, the great whore Babylon muſt be deſtroyed: ſo divided into three parts, as in the ſlaughter of Midian, by the annointing by the Spirit of the Lord, or God manifeſt in our fleſh, by whom all yokes and burthens are removed, Iſai. 10.26, 27.
Now Babylon or the Aſſyrian being the great Oppreſſor in Church and Common wealth, Rev. 17.3.in the Civill and Eccleſiaſtick eſtate (for the Beaſt carries the Whore) both muſt be broken, as all the Prophets, and John the laſt doth propheſie: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and a third fall wee ſhall ſee anon. How hath the Oppreſſer fallen, Iſaiah 14.4.the golden citie, the Lord hath broken the ſtaffe of the wicked, and the rod of the Rulers: The rod of Oppreſſion appears not to men, but in the civil eſtate, and the ſtaffe of the wicked there, but we ſhall find it more in the rulers or ruling Elders of Churches, we lookt for the wicked onelyonly in the world, Ezek. 7.10, 11but ſince the rod is budded, pride hath bloſſomed, and wickedneſſe is grown up co a rod; the wicked may be found in the Church, in Iſrael it ſelf: The Church I call now the people of God, in Church fellowſhip or not; but as among my people, ſaith God, Ier. 5.26.are found wicked men, who ſurpaſſe the deeds of the wicked: ſo ſince God hath prophaned the Princes of the Sanctuary, Iſal. 43.26.or the holy Princes, as I ſaid before; there are principall men among the people of God, for whom the Prophet muſt cry and howle, becauſe the Sword is drawn forth both againſt the righteous and the wicked, Ezek. 21 3. And againſt all the Princes of Iſrael, verſe 12. Yea, the Sword is doubled the third time, the Sword of the great men, which enters into their privy Chambers, (or cloſeſt Councels) and the point of the Sword is ſet againſt their gates, (or Governments) that their hearts may faint, and their ruines be multiplied, ah it is made bright, and wrapt for ſlaughter, verſe 14, 15.
But among all the holy Princes there is one eſpecially whom the Lord calls upon, Thou prophane wicked Prince, whoſe day is come, when iniquity ſhall have an end, verſe 25. Remove the Diadem, take off the Crown, this ſhall not be the ſame, &c.
As King and Lords had an end, and twice the Sword hath been againſt the Prclatick and Presbyterian party, ſo the Sword being doubled, the third time will ſmite that prophane and wicked Prince, whatever he be, who is the Oppreſſor, who is imperious, proud, peeviſh, covetous, cruell and cunning for bloud; oh the Sword of the Lord will find him out, for 'tis wrapt for ſlaughter, 'tis wrapt, I ſay, and ſecretly 'twill come forth, to cut off the man that ſtands before God, to oppoſe the appearance of God in men, to oppreſſe the ſpirits of men, and the Spirit of God in them, the Sword of his mouth ſhall ſlay him, 2 Theſſ. 2.8.
I ſhall not now meddle with matters of State, nor of ſecular men (though theſe alſo may come under the King of Babylon) but our Lords ſpirituall are thoſe here who are called the King of Babylon, againſt whom thou ſhalt take up a Proverb or a taunt, ſaying, How hath the Oppreſſor ceaſed? The golden City ceaſed, Iſai. 14.4.
The golden City is the moſt glorious Church ſtate, or the people of God in higheſt honour and glory; this is the golden City, or (as the Geneva reads) the Gold thirſting City, the exactreſſe of Gold, as the margin notes.
None doe more exact, and more thirſt after Silver and Gold this day, then the people of God in ſpirituall power, and therefore no wonder they doe ſo oppreſſe both the ſtates of men, and the ſpirits of men, yea, the Spirit of God, as may be ſeen at large, Micah 2.2, 6, 7. compared with 8, 9, 10. verſes, Even of late my people is riſen up as an Enemy, &c.
Oh the great Oppreſſor! how the earth doth rejoyce at the ruine of that man, who ſmote the peogle in wrath with a continuall ſtroke, that ruled the Nations in anger, (nothing of love, mercy, and goodneſſe to mankind, or the poor, appeared in him) but he perſecuteth and no man hineth, ſaith the Prophet, Iſaiah 14.6, 7, 8.
And as the whole Earth is merry at his fall, ſo hell from beneath is moved for him, to meet him at his coming it ſtirs up, the dead, even all the cheif ones of the earth, and all the Kings of the Nations riſe up from their Thrones, they ſay, art thou alſo weak as we? art thou become like unto us? verſe 4.10.
What are the people of God, and Princes of Iſrael the holy Princes, ſo prophane? Is the prophane Prince of Iſrael ſo weak? weak as the imperious whoriſh woman? Ezek. 16.30. Art thou ſo weak as we? weak in thy paſſions and pettiſh Spirit? art thou become like unto us, as one of the Kings of England, or the Princes of Wales? What man would think, that the Church or People of God ſhould ever come to this, to oppreſſe both God and man, good and bad at once? But this is naturall to ſpirituall men in Church formes, yea, to the fleſh of the beſt Chriſtians, 1 Cor. 3.3. Gal. 4.29.who may for a time be very fleſhly, and yet the children of God, as Iſhmael was Abrahams ſonne after the fleſh, perſecuting him that was born after the Spirit; yea, Saints by calling may be called carnall, much more when they are become ſo wiſe after the fleſh, ſo mighty, and ſo noble, 1 Cor. 1.26.which muſt have an Almighty power of the Spirit, to make them fooliſh, and weak, and baſe, and nothing, to bring to nought things that are; the great things and Conqueſts here attained by the people of God was when they were nothing, now being ſomething they are overcome by all, and by themſelves.
When men doe adore the people of God, and idolize them as the Gods of the earth, Zeph. 2.11.then a thouſand to one, God does befoole and famiſh them, and they fall to be proud, and to oppreſs the world, yea, their own Brethren, and their Father alſo, even the moſt high God, appearing in loweſt Saints above them in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord, in ſimplicity, in pureneſſe, and peace, and in patience alſo.
Well this is the thing that God will doe with his own, he will undoe them, either by the high diſcoveries of himſelf in them, as the Prophet was, Iſaiah 6.1. who came to this, that he ſaw himſelf, though as good as the beſt, yet as bad as the worſt, verſe 3, 5. Or elſe he will undoe them, by diſcovering that without to the world which is within in the heart, 1 King. 8.38. Iam. 3.6.what a plague is in it? what a ſinke and ſea of ſin? yea, a hell is in the tongue, this the Saints will not ſee, but God does, and men ſhall, when he ſhall turn their inſide out, their hidden hypocriſie ſhall appear to all, for they ſhall openly practiſe hypocriſie, as men doe groſſe prophaneneſs, for the vile perſon ſhall be no more called liberall, nor the Churle ſaid to be bountifull, &c. Iſaiah 32.5, 6, 7. ſee it.
Alas man, Thou maiſt give all that thou haſt to the poor yet have no love: 1 Cor. 13.3. Tit. 3.4. 1 Ioh. 4.16.Oh belye not the Spirit of God in thee, for God is love, and good to all mankind, while thou art a murtherer in hating thy brother, John 3.15. yea, in not loving him ſo as to lay down thy life for him, verſe 16. much more in not laying out thy livelihood, and this worlds good, verſe 17. not onelyonly for the godly, as they ſay, but for any man that needs thee, who is both thy brother and thine own fleſh, Iſaiah 58.7.
Nay tis not enough that thou art no Oppreſſor, as I ſaid before, but to looſe the bands of wickedneſſe, Iſai. 58.6.to undoe the heavy burthens, to let the Oppreſſed goe free, and to break every yoak is the duty of love, if there be power in thine bands to doe it.
But when the people of God are ſilent, and ſit ſtill, ſeeking onelyonly ſelf, not ſenſible of the burthens of the oppreſſed, of the Priſoners bands, nor of poor families who cry for bread, how dwelleth the love of God in them, ſaith John.
Well, want of love, beſides worldlineſſe, wrath, and that oppreſſive power in the Churches, Gen. 49.7. Iſai. 19.2. Ier. 51 49.is the cauſe why they are ſo divided among themſelves, yea, God divides them (as he did prophane them) he ſets Brother againſt Brother, Ruler againſt Ruler, one ruling Elder againſt another.
'Tis Rule and Government the Churches ſtill aime at, therefore they not onelyonly daſh one againſt another, but are like to deſtroy that civill Government, and the Governours they depend upon, for ſince the Apoſtacy, the Churches have ever had a dependance on worldly powers, and undone the powers with themſelves, and therefore our preſent Governours are wiſe to beware of men.
But Men, and Miniſters, and Churches, as we ſee, are divided this day like Babylon into three parts, as we ſhall ſhew anon, and ſo their deſtruction is of themſelves; I ſay, they ſeek for rule, and this ruines them.
Now there is a threefold kind of Government among men Monarchy, Ariſtocracy, and Democracy; the firſt is as of the King, the ſecond is like that of the Parliament, the preſent Government ſome compare to the third, though it appears not yet, but Parliament and Army have voted the Supream power to be in the people.
Well, the Churches muſt have power and rule alſo, the Prelatick Church was Monarchicall, all were ruled by one, by an Arch-Biſhop, the Kingly Power or Prerogative fell by that: The Presbyterian Church is an Ariſtocracy, the Elders or chief of theſe govern as 'twere in a Parliament, and Parliamentary priviledges was like to fall by them, if not fallen already: The Independent, or baptized Churches (both is one) are a pure Democracy, for not the ruling men, or Miniſters, but all the Members, have equall power to order and ordain as they profeſſe, and therefore called Independent, I wiſh they were ſo, but if they have a dependance on the Civill or Martiall power, 'twill be worſe for both, if both be not wiſer than former times.
A word to the wiſe, 'tis my folly to uſe ſo many to underſtanding men as the Miniſters are, eſpeciall Independents, being men of parts, power, policy, and of piety alſo many; I ſhall fear none of them, becauſe I love them all, and they me, though wrath at preſent may appear in both, as it doth among themſelves ('twas ſo once between God and his own people of old, a perfect-hatred, loathing and abhorring one another.)
Well, the Vials are yet full of the wrath of God, when theſe are poured forth, Love will appear, that is, the Lord himſelf in us all, who will bring forth light out of darkneſſe, and love out of our diviſions: And as he in wrath remembers mercy, ſo in much love, I pray you, remember
Your, WILLIAM ERBERIE.