Some New Blazing Stars Styling Themselves New Lights, Section 1
Section I.
Containing divers ſeditious, ſcandalous, libellous paſſages againſt the authority and juriſdiction of Parliaments, Synods, and temporall Magiſtrates in generall, in Eccleſiaſticall affaires, in the late writings of ſeveral Independent New-lights, and Firebrands.
I Shall begin with a Copy of a Letter written by John Lilburne, Lieu, Colonell, (the Ringleader of this Regiment of New-Firebrands) to William Prynne Eſq; upon the comming out of his laſt book, intituled, Truth triumphing over Falſehood, Antiquity over…Novelty: Of which Letter there have bin three Impreſſions made by him, without licenſe; contrary to the Ordinance of both Houſes, reſtraining the printing or diſperſing of unlicenſed, libellous, & ſeditious Pamphlets: whre he p. 4. writes thus.
Sir, in your laſt book that you put out, you ſpend a great deale of paines in citing old ruſty Authors, to prove that Kings, Councels, Synods, and States, have for ſo many hundred yeares medled with matters of Religion. I grant you they have; but I demand of you, by what right, or by what authority out of the Word of God they have ſo done? Hath God the Father, or Jeſus Chriſt his Sonne given them any allowance in this? Or have they not hereby rather fulfilled the propheſies of the Scripture, which ſaith, Rev. 17. 17. That the Kings of the Earth ſhall give their power unto the Beaſt till the Word of God be fulfilled, which they have done in aſſiſting the Popes to joyne the Eccleſiaſticall and Civill State together, making the Golden Lawes of Chriſt to depend upon the Leaden Lawes of Man; yea upon ſuch Lawes, as was juſt ſuitable to their tyrannicall luſts, and which might the moſt advance their wicked ends and deſignes: and in the doing of this, they have ſet up a perfect Antichriſt againſt GOD'S CHRIST, yea, England is not free from this. And to hold, that Kings, Parliaments, Synods, States, have any thing to do in matters of Religion and Church-Government, he concludes pag. 5. to be a ſetting of the Potentates of the earth together by the eares with Chriſt (who is to rule all Nations, Rev. 12. 5.) to pluck his Crown from his head, his Scepter out of his hand, and his perſon out of his throne and State, that his Father hath given him to raign gloriouſly in.
Which is thus backed by Henry Robinſon the (ſuppoſed) Author of the Anſwer to Mr. William Prynnes 12. Questions concerning Church-Government, pag. 6. Particular Churches, members of a Kingdome and Nation, are not obliged in point of Conſcience and Chriſtianity, to ſubmit unto whatſoever publike Church Government, Rites, and Diſcipline, a Nationall Councell, Synod, and Parliament ſhall conceive moſt conſonant to Gods Word, unleſſe it prove ſo in the whole Kingdomes, Nations, and thoſe very particular Churches Judgement, pag. 8. The grounds of Independent Government, attribute nothing to the Magiſtrate in Church affaires further then the Magiſtrate is a member of their Churches and Aſſemblies, pag. 12. You can no more Juſtifie a Nationall Church of Chriſtians ſhall likewiſe go up to the Temple of Jeruſalem from whence by the ſame Propheſie, they are alſo to receive the Word of God, and not from Parliament, Pope, Synod or Presbytery.
Mr. Henry Burton in his Vindication of Churches commonly called Independent, &c. p. 49, 50, 51, &c: The Church is a ſpirituall kingdome, whoſe only King is Chriſt, and not Man: It is a ſpirituall Re-publick, whoſe only Law-giver is Chriſt and not Man. No man nor power on earth, hath a Kingly power over this kingdome. No earthly Lawgiver may give lawes for the government of this Republick. No man can or ought to undertake the government of this communion of Saints. No humane power or law may intermeddle to preſcribe rules for the government or form of this ſpirituall houſe. NOT COUNCELS, NOT SENATES. This is Chriſts Royall Prerogative, which is uncommunicable to ANY, TO ALL THE POWERS ON EARTH, &c. he adds, p. 60, 61.
We challenge you to ſhew us, any Parliament, Councell, Synod, ever ſince the Apoſtles, that could or can ſay thus, It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt and us, to determine controverſies of Religion, to make and impoſe Canons to binde all men, &c. Shew this to us at this time, and we will obey. But if you cannot, as you never can; never let any man preſſe upon us that Scripture, that Synod, which hath no parallell in the whole world, and ſo is no precedent or patterne, for any Councell, Synod, Parliaments.
A ſhort Anſwer to Adam Stewarts ſecond part of his over-grown Duply to the Two Brethren; with certaine difficults questions eaſily anſwered: printed (without licenſe) 1644. ſuppoſed to be written by Mr. Iohn Goodwin, p. 13, 17. But perhaps you'l ſay, there is an Act of Parliament, a Civill law declaring hereſie, or any different from the State opinions, ſuch as for the preſent are in faſhion to be cenſurable by the civill power; I anſwer, not without all due reſpect unto the lawes, and ſuch as made them, that if there be any diſtinction between a Churchſtate and a civill-ſtate, which all Chriſtians hitherto acknowledge, the enacting civill lawes to puniſh ſpirituall offences, is not only a ſoleciſme or impropriety in ſtate, but an incroaching on the Churches power, a profaning of the Keyes, and injurious to the offender, who by this meanes is puniſhed both beyond the degree and nature of his offence. If the bleſſed Spirit ſhould at any time bear witneſſe unto your ſpirit, or unto the ſpirit of a whole Parliament and Synod, what were this to the ſpirits of other men? muſt not they wait with patience untill the bleſſed Spirit be pleaſed to viſit their ſpirits likewiſe, before they can joyne with yours or the Aſſemblies ſpirit? But if the Synods determination of this or that controverſie ſhould ſeem good unto the holy Ghoſt, as the Churches decrees of Jeruſalem did, muſt they therefore be impoſed upon the Countrey, the whole world? Is not this to equallize your Synodall Canons with thoſe decrees of the Apoſtolicall Church of Jeruſalem, and to make Scripture of yours, as well as theirs? is not this to adde to Scripture? nay, to alter it, p. 28. But if King and Parliament may not force a new Religion or Sect, ſuppoſe Presbyterian, upon the kingdome, much leſſe can the Synod, which neither has not yet pretends as is alleaged, to uſe the materiall ſword? And if for matters of religion all power originally is in Chriſt, as you ſometimes acknowledge, How can King, Parliament, or Synod, wreſt it from him? Nay what think you? is it not ſecondarily in the people, as well as civill power, which you affirme in the ſame page? and ſo doubtleſſe is ſpirituall power, unleſſe you will make God to have provided mankinde better of a ſafegard, or liberty to defend their bodies, than their ſoules: If then the ſpirituall power be ſo inherently in the people next under Chriſt, as that they cannot ſo well renounce and part from it in many reſpects, by what they may of civill; how can it be thought by any one, that the King, Parliament, Synod, though never ſo much importun'd by a thouſand ſuch Aſſes, ſhould goe about to ſettle a new Presbyterian Scotch government, with an intention to force a conformity of the whole Kingdome, three quarters whereof cannot as yet be thought to ſubmit unto it willingly or for conſcience ſake, Pag. 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Qu. 5. Is it not an ungodly thing to ſuffer men to be of any Religion? Anſ. No, For both our Saviour his Apoſtles, and the Primitive Chriſtians did the ſame: neither is it in the power of fleſh and blood to hinder it. Qu. 6. Is it not the moſt unſeemely ſight to ſee the people of one Citty run ſeambling from their Pariſhes to twenty Conventicles where ſo many ſeverall doctrines are taught? An. No, but farre more monſtrous and abominable in the eyes of God, for people of twenty ſeverall opinions for feare or favour to aſſemble and Joyn together hyprocritically in one way of worſhip or Church diſcipline. Q. 8. Ought we not then at leaſt to keepe our different opinions and Religion unto our ſelves in obedience to the Civill Magiſtrate that commands it? An. No, becauſe it is better to obey God then man. Qu. 9. If Jeſuited Papiſts and other ſubtile Hereticks be ſuffered, will they not likely ſeduce many unto their erronious by-pathe? Anſ. Though a Tolleration of erronious opinions may gaine ſome to ſathan, yet truth being therewith to be publiſhed and improved will in all probabillity, not onelyonly gaine ſo many more to God; but any one thus wonne to God, unto his truth, is worth thouſands of thoſe that fall from it. Qu. 10. But may not the multiplying of Hereſies ſtifle or expell the truth like as the abounding of tares and weedes often choake the wheate and for this cauſe not to be permitted? An. Though it ſeeme to be many of the firſt, yet our Saviour in the parable of Tares. Math. 13. teaches us a quite contrary doctrine, and forbids (Hereſies) the Tares to be pulled up before [the day of Judgment] the harveſt. v. 30. 39. leaſt the wheate, the children of the Kingdome true profeſſors, v. 30. 39. be therewith rooted up. Qu. 21. Is it not a pious Act to compell a Company of careleſſe Idle people to heare a good ſermon, to do a good worke whether they will or no; Anſ. No more pious an Act, then for Papiſts to uſe the like compulſion towards Iewes and Proteſtants, inforcing them to heare their ſermons, Maſſe, or Veſpers. Q. 24. May not the Civill Goverment interpoſe to puniſh ſuch Church members with whom the ſpirituall by reaſon of their refractorineſſe cannot prevaile? Anſw. Nothing leſſe, ſince the Civill State or government has no more power, nor vertue to make a Papiſt turne Proteſtant in England, then it can prevaile to make a Proteſtant become a Papiſt in Spaine. Qu. 29. But can there be any hurt in forceing refractory people to be preſent at Religious orthodox aſſemblies, where if they will, they may be informed of the truth. An. Yes, firſt becauſe there can come no good thereof through want of willingneſſe, which God onelyonly reguards in him which is thus compelled; and ſecondly, becauſe this (forceing) is a doing evill that good may come thereof, which is prohibited, Rom. 3. 8.
The Falſhood of M. W. Prynnes Truth triumphing, &c. printed in London 1645. without licenſe (written by H. Robinſon, who hath ſet up a private unlicenſed printing Preſſe) determines thus: p. 19. 20. 26. But did, the only wiſe God think we reſolve to create man after his own Image, to eſtate him in ſuch a ſad and execrable condition, worſe then that of beaſts, wolves, Bears & Tigres, as that he muſt neceſſarily tyrannize or be Tyrannized over both in ſoul and body and yet it cannot poſſibly be otherwiſe; if you will grant a power to Kings, Parliaments or Synods, to require conformity from others in any thing which is not agreeable to their conſciences; for if ſuch a Latitude and height of Iuriſdiction be granted but to the more orthodox Kings Parliaments and Synods; both Papiſts, Lutherans, Calviniſts and Independants pretending and really takeing themſelves to be the moſt orthodox, are bound in conſcience to lay Clayme to, and put in Execution this power of Compelling all the world unto their uniformity, and ſo infallibly produce the moſt curſed enmity and hatred betwixt all the people but differing in opinion exceeding that of Cannibals, or the profoundeſt of Antipathics betweene any rationall creatures whatſoever. You ſay the opoſites to Parliaments Eccleſiaſticall Juriſdictions have formerly and more eſpecially in this Preſent Parliament addreſſed ſeverall Petitions to this High and honorable Court for Reformation of the Church, &c. wherein under favour, I conceive you have miſ-apprehended their proceedings & Intentions, which doubtleſſe was for the moſt part, or beſt affected, that the Parliament, in whom they acknowledge the Soveraigne power to reſide, would permit, Cou…tenance and encourage all godly men of gifts in preaching down Hereſies, Errors, Idolatry, Popery, &c. Many whereof had either beene formerly eſtabliſhed by Law, or not permitted to be preached downe, through the Prelates corruption contrary to the Law. This is the beſt, even all the Reformation, which the Civill Magiſtrate, as Civill, has a Capaſſity of compaſſing againſt all Hereſies and Errors, which muſt neceſſarily be vanquiſhed by the ſword of the Spirit and cannot poſſibly be ſuppreſſed by carnall weapons or the civill ſword; they may deſtroy the fleſh, but cannot properly be ſaid to touch and worke upon the Spirit. Tis no ſmall diſ-ſervice which you do both Parliament and Aſſembly, in thus expoſing their proceedings, to be queſtioned by no little, and that the*Pray God you prove ſo. moſt conſcionable and beſt affected party of the kingdome, ſuch ſpirits of contention as this of yours, were thoſe which made the firſt great breach among the Parliaments friends,
Maſter John Goodwins Theomathia, pag. 48, 49, 50. The generality and promiſcuous multitude of the World, who have a right of nominating perſons to a Parliamentary truſt and power, are but a Secular Root, out of which the Independent Brethren conceive, an impoſſibility that a ſpirituall extraction ſhould be made: A man may as well bring a clean thing out of an unclean, (in Jobs expreſſion) as make a ſpirituall extraction out of this ſecular root, who have no Authority nor power from Chriſt to nominate or appoint who ſhall be the men, that ſhall order the affaires of Chriſts kingdome, or inſtitute the government of his Church; Therefore there is an impoſſiblity that a legitimate Eccleſiaſticall power, ſhould according to the minde of Chriſt, or any precept or preſident of Scripture be by them conferred upon any man, or that the perſons ſo elected ſhould have a power by vertue of ſuch nomination or election, to enact Laws or Statutes in matters of religion; & to order under Mulcts and Penalties, how we ſhall worſhip and ſerve God.