Satan at Noon, Appendix
The laſt note upon this Doctors Appendix, pag. 106. concerning his Appeale to the Higher Powers.
HE ſaith, many were againſt his appeale, and his Petitioning the higher Powers, and why? becauſe it was a thing too conformable to the cuſtome of the world, and too ſlaviſh for men that live to the li…e of Chriſt, out of the waies of Babylon. Obſerve, theſe many are ſome of his owne, as you may judge by the phraſe, turbulent, and ignorant ones, as if Magiſtracy were a piece of Babylon, & not an ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt. The truth is, men are mad becauſe they cannot be ſo, mad at heart, becauſe they cannot be mad in hand, enraged againſt the preſent power in anothers hand, becauſe they cannot be outragious with it in their own Government was looked on as tyrannicall and fleſhly among the Munſterians, but when they came to have it, they were ſo fleſhly and tyrannicall, that they ſpared no fleſh that came in their way.
He proceeds to give an account of the reaſon of his applying himſelfe by the way of appeal, to the perſon or perſons; here are ſo many unworthy reflexions that we are very unwilling to follow him, we doe not deſire in the leaſt to provoke the ſupreme Magiſtrate againſt him, onelyonly we crave leave to beſeech his conſideration, as to the temper of theſe men; verily a Man could hardly have ſpoken more contemptuouſly than this Doctor hath done, if he had been before the grand Signior at Conſtantinople, or the great Cham of Tartary: his reaſon is,
1. He thinks there ſhould be rulers, and ruled, and that from the inward worlds which he hath ſeen, and there 1. from the Government of Hell; 2. from the Government of Angels, (which is more than ever the Dr will prove, though his inward ſences hath converſed with them this 5. yeares) then 3. from the outward world, (as he calls it) as Moſes, Joſhuah, &c.
His inference is this, now, what now? why now if we are to owne, i. e. to *Take notice of this.take notice of the rulers of Hell, how much more of the rulers of the world, though made according to the rules of the Spirit of this world? how ugly doth this expreſsion look? yet for a ſalvo to ſave his skin, he comes in with an id eſt, that is (ſaith he) according to the wiſe Canons of rationall policy, what ailes this man? here is not a word of Chriſtian Magiſtrates, are not our Magiſtrates Chriſtians? is not the Goſpell more cleare and pure in England, than in moſt, nay any part of the Chriſtian world? doe they not take care for the good of precious Soules? the Lord increaſe their care, and pitty to them 1000 fold: 'tis ſadly true we confeſſe, and may it be for a lamentation, that there are many, very many thick fogs of Familiſme, Socinianiſme, Anti-Scripturiſme among us, and (were it convenient) we ſhould ſay, that if the Magiſtrates doe not ſcatter them, by juſtice, Gods juſtice may ſuffer them to ſcatter the Magiſtrates.
He proceeds to diſtinguiſh how men came to power, to this purpoſe ſome, by immediate Divine deſignation, ſome by ſucceſſion or Free election, ſome by ambition, but he makes no application of his diſtinction, he doth not tell us, of which of theſe the preſent powers are, the reaſon is, as we apprehend, not difficult to be rendered, 'tis facile enough, becauſe, if he had applyed his diſtinction, he muſt either have boldly affronted the preſent Magiſtracy, which is not to be endured, or elſe highly diſpleaſed his owne Sect, which he cannot endure.
To the laſt member of his diſtinction, ſc. theſe who aſſume power of neceſſity, policy, ambition, &c. he puts a boundleſſe, & caetera, leaving himſelfe ſcope enough to ſay what he pleaſes amongſt his owne.
The Doctor names three wayes of coming to Magiſtracy, indeed this third is no way at all, unleſſe it be of Boniface, Kniperdoling, or the Quakers.
Some wiſe men name a fourth, and that is Power, thus, Upon the alteration of Government, either in the Line, or in the Forme, (and who thinkes that either of theſe ſimply, in natura rei, is unalterable, doe we not read the contrary in all Hiſtory? do we not find the contrary in ſome Countries?) in ſuch a caſe, Power ſets up Authority, which is, as we may ſay, the materiale, and this being confirmed by the fundamentall order of the Countrey, where ſuch alteration is made (which is as it were the formale of it) becomes fully compleate, and entirely legall to all the exerciſes of Authority.
Which in briefe is no more but this, Power brings in Authority, and Authority is nothing elſe but eſtabliſhed, and regulated Power. As for mens aſſuming power out of ambition, Pride (which is one of the Doctors brainleſſe heads) we cannot judge of that, For, Who knowes the minde, and ends, and deſignes of a Man, but the spirit of a man? Let them look to the ſincerity of their hearts, and againſt the irregularity of theſe baſe ends, for Every Man ſhall beare his owne burden, whoſoever he be; but things of this nature are above our compaſſe, and without our buſineſſe, this being to ſubmit, and not to diſpute, therefore we proceed.
He tells us, that he bows to the powers, as Abraham did to the Heathen people, and as Paul gave the Ethnick Princes their titles, appealing for juſtice to Caeſar, a Heathen tyrant, and this may be done by him, (as Paul did it) without owning himſelf of, and in union with their corrupt ſocieties. Further he ſaith, that as there was no neceſſity for the Jewes who lived in Ethnick Babylon, to partake of their ſins, though they were civill to the power, ſo they that live in Chriſtian Babylon, are not neceſſitated to partake of their ſins, though they give them titles, and appeals …t them.
We profeſſe our ſelves at a ſtand to determine, whether here be more ignorance, or ſed…tion, here is ſo much of both; are our Magiſtrates the Sons of Heth? is he Abraham? are they Heathen Caeſars? is he Paul? is England Babylon? may not Chriſtians be Magiſtrates?
Object. Your note is partiall, he quotes, Romans 13.5, 6, 7.
Anſw. The Quakers who would be glad to ſee all the Bibles light and flaming in the fire, doe yet quote them for their owne ends, to deceive; and the people ſay in their ſimplicity, they quote the Scriptures, and ſo are bewitched by degrees, when as theſe men hate the Scriptures, and Blaſpheme them, they meane no ſuch thing; ſo here even in this alſo, this Doctor hath ſaid, notwithſtanding this text now printed by him:
1. That he cared no more for the higher powers, or any man in England, then he valued the duſt under his feet; and this in the Pulpit, and as we conceive, nay are certaine, ſince he hath been in the third Heaven as he pretends.
2. He hath ſaid, that there ſhould be no Parliament, nor Magiſtrate, nor Governor in England ere long, and being demanded how men ſhould or could live without Magiſtrates and Law, he anſwered, the Saints ſhould take the Eſtates of the wicked to themſelves, and the wicked ſhould be their ſlaves, and that there ſhould be a kinde of Majeſty, sparkling out from the Saints that ſhould over-awe the wicked; and Mrs. Pordage ſaid to a profeſſor, what you have ſhall be ours, and what we have ſhall be yours; this was ſpoken ſince his inward ſences have converſed with the Angels, and the eternal world, and it was ſpoken confidently, as if he had been a Prophet, but the time prefixed, which was about two yeares is expired, and he a falſe Prophet.
Had this Doctor vented this ſtuffe in his Pulpit, or blurted out this riffe raffe before the Commiſſioners, or any others elſe, and not publiſhed it in Print to the view of all, we ſhould have buried it in ſilence, and let it have rot, we ſhould have been more reſpectfull to the Government, and the honour of the Nation, then to have publiſhed his ſaucy and ſeditious language.
He ſaith that his Highneſſe, the Councell and the Nation, may thanke the Commiſſioners, for haſtning the poureing the vials of Gods wrath upon the Land for their perſecution.
Anſw. Thus the ſhakers pronounce the curſe againſt thoſe that oppoſe them in their deteſtable opinions; what means this man to ſpeak thus? when as the clean contrary is true, it is the Magiſtrates doing juſtice upon Seducers, eſpecially in fundamentals, that is a Scripture way to prevent the powring forth of wrath upon the land, and to preſerve the people from the Plague, that all Iſrael may hear and feare, and doe no more ſo.
The higher powers have no cauſe to thanke him for his uncivill kindle-cole, appendixe, made meerly to ſatisfie ſome, that they may appeale to the Powers, though they and he agree in the maine, viz. That the Powers notwithſtanding ſuch an appeale are Babiloniſh.
For our parts we deſire to lead a quiet and peaceable life, where, as here in the land of our Nativity hitherto, we may do ſo in all godlineſſe and honeſty.
2. We bleſſe God, and praiſe him for the liberty of the Goſpel, and we confeſſe we pray againſt a wretched univerſall Toleration.
A toleration of Idolatry infected the ten Tribes; that Infection proceeded to break forth to a Botch, they became Idolaters; that Idolatry was the chief Sinne from whence came their Captivity, which Captivity was into a ſtrange Land, where they continue to this time.
God did forbid them to ſuffer any ſtrange Gods, nay not to ask after their names, nor to enquire how the Nations did worſhip them: but they hearkned not, They mingled themſelves with the heathen, Pſal. 106, 35, 36. And what then? they learned their works; What works? they worſhipped their Idols; And what followes? which became alſo their ruine.
They had many warnings and Sermons from God by the Prophet; but perhaps they thought they were reſolved, and wiſe enough, than ever to ſay to a ſtone, thou art my Father, or to worſhip the hoaſt of Heaven (as many a man in England would have even ſpit in a mans face, if he ſhould have been told 12. years ſince, that he would deny Sabbath, nay Scripture, nay Chriſt the Lord, with an Am I Dog, which yet is wofully come to paſs) by this meanes they were enſnared, and did as the Heathen, and were well nigh 2…00. yeares ſince carried away by a Heathen Prince into a Heathen Countrey, no man knowing where they are to this day.
3. We doe not envy at mens exerciſing in a miniſteriall way, ſo they be qualified according to the Scripture, although they never ſmell the ſmoke of the Univerſity, w uld all the Lords people were Prophets Yet we ſay, 1. we are hearty we…l-wiſhers to thoſe places, and the learning there attainable which is exceedingly advantagious, and we confeſſe, that the ſpight of the Devill, the ſubtilty of the Jeſuits, the barbariſme o… New lights, as they are called, the hard ſpeeches of Looſe ones, makes us prize them both the more; ſure it muſt be ſome great good that is condemned by theſe: 2. As for Ordination, we believe it was inſtituted by Jeſus Chriſt, and never hitherto by him made null, and therefore neceſſary where it may be had.
We cannot but ſadly look upon, and lament over the wofull effects of the Separation; How hath God born witneſſe againſt it in our ſight, as heretofore in Germany? Into what Errors, Hereſies, Blaſphemies, Looſeneſſe, Leudneſſe, neglect of Duties, ſcorning of them, have thouſands run? A man may run and read it, we call theſe, and might name many particulars under theſe, effects of the Separation, we think they are more than Conſequences.
Obj. What need this? to what purpoſe do you mention it?
Anſw. The unworthy ſpeeches of this Dr. and ſuch like have even forced this confeſsion from us, and yet not in regard of our ſelves, that we may ſtand right in the eyes of men (we would live in the Teſtimony of our own hearts) but in regard of the word of the Goſpel, that the lewd reports of men, who make it their buſineſſe to ſpeak evil, may not prejudice (as it doth too much every where by the policy of Sathan) men from hearing, and through Grace entertaining the truth, whereby they may be ſanctified and ſaved. Now God, our Father, who hath freely loved us, and given us everlaſting conſolation, through Grace, and our bleſſed Lord Jeſus who hath loved us, and waſhed us from our Sins in his own Blood; and the holy Spirit, who doth reveale that Grace in the Scripture, and ſeal it upon our hearts, vouchſafe, that Truth, and Righteouſneſſe, and Peace may meet and dwell in the midſt of us, and our children after us, and grant that thoſe, who hold the Head, and walk in the Light, may have fellowſhip one with another, that the glory of the Lord may dwell in the Land in our daies, and the Generations that ſhall come after us, till time ſhall be no more.
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Fowler, Satan at Noon (1655)