Some New Blazing Stars Styling Themselves New Lights, Section 8
Section VIII.
Conteining ſundry Libellous, Schiſmaticall, uncharitable, and unchriſtian paſſages against the Church of England, her Worſhip and Miniſters in generall.
IOhn Lilburne in his Anſwer to nine Arguments, Printed without Licenſe, London, 1645. with his picture cut before it; Writes thus of the Church of England, pag. 4. The Church of England is a true Whoriſh mother, and you are one of her baſe-begotten, and Baſtardly children, for you know a Whore is a woman as truly as a true wife, and ſhe may have children as proportionable, as the children of a true wife; yet this doth not prove her children which are baſe-begotten are true-begotten children, becauſe they have all the parts, and limbes of children, that are begotten in a true married eſtate and condition; even ſo ſay I, the Church of England neither is,Note nor never was, truly married, joyned, or united to Jeſus Chriſt, in that eſpouſall band, which his true Churches are, and ought to be, but is one of Antichrists Nationall Whoriſh Churches, or Cities ſpoken of Rev. 16. 19. Vnited, joyned, knit to the Pope of Lambeth; as Head and Husband thereof; being ſubſtitute to the Pope of Rome, from whom he hath received his Arch-Epiſcopall power, and Authority.
Pag. 18. Your Church is falſe, and Antichriſtian: Therefore if every Pariſh in England had power in themſelves (which in the leaſt they have not) to chooſe and make their own Officers, yet for all this they would be falſe, for a falſe and Antichriſtian Church as yours is, can never make true Officers and Miniſters of Ieſus Chriſt, and though that the Churches of the Separation, want Apoſtles in perſonall preſence to lay hands upon their Officers which lawfully they chooſe out from among themſelves, yet have they their Laws, Rules, and Directions in writing, which is their Office, and is of as great Authority as their perſonall preſence.
Pag. 19. And thus have I ſufficiently by the Authority of the Sacred Word of God proved all your Officers, and Miniſters falſe and Antichriſtian, and none of Chriſts, which if you can groundedly contradict, ſhew your beſt skill chalenge I you, and put you to prop, to hold up your tottering and ſandy Church and Miniſtry, or elſe your great brags will prove no better then winde and Fables, and you your ſelf found to be a Liar.
Pag. 22. And as for theſe two things, Of Converſion, and confirmation, or building up in the wayes of God, which you ſpeak of, if you mean by converſion, and opening of the eyes, to turn them from darkneſſe to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; or if you mean by converſion, a deliverance from the power of darkneſſe, and a tranſlation into the Kingdom of the Son of God, both of which the Apoſtles Miniſtry did accompliſh in the hearts and lives of Gods people, Act. 26. 18. Coll. 1. 13. I abſolutely deny it, that your Miniſtery in England doth this: And therefore I deſire you to declare, what you mean by Converſion, and prove your definition by the holy Scripture, and alſo prove that you in England are ſo converted, which when you have done I ſhall further anſwer you by Gods aſſiſtance, and as for their building them up in the wayes of God, as all true Shepherds ought to build up their ſheep, as Acts 26. 1 Pet. 5. Yet I deny it, that your Miniſters do it, for how can they build them up in that, which they themſelves are ignorant of, and enemies unto? for as Jannes and Jambres which withſtood Moſes, ſo do theſe men alſo reſiſt the Truth, being men of corrupt mindes, and deſtitute of the truth, 2 Tim. 3. 8. And do feed you with huſks and Chaffe, being neither willing to imbrace it themſelves, nor to let thoſe that would, as their conſtant preaching and ſpeaking againſt the truth of God, and the Kingdom of his Son doth witneſſe, &c. I have taken the pains by the Word of God, and demonſtrable Arguments grounded thereupon, to prove the Church of England Antichriſtian: I do promiſe you, I will by the ſtrength of the Lord of Hosts, for ever ſeperate from Church, Miniſtery and Worſhip in England, Note.all and every one of them, as Antichriſtian and falſe: Yet thus much I ſay, and do acknowledge, and the Scripture proves it, that God hath a people or an elect number in ſpirituall Babylon; yea in the Kingdom of Antichriſt, part of which the Church of England is, and none of them ſhall periſh, but be eternally ſaved; yet I ſay, it is the duty of all Gods Elect, and choſen ones, that are yet in the Whoriſh boſome of the Church of England, or in any part of Antichriſts Regiment to ſeparate away from it, and come out of it, leaſt God plague them for their ſtaying there.
Pag.Note. 23. All the Miniſters of the Church of England are not true Miniſters of Chriſt, but falſe and Antichriſtian Miniſters of Antichriſt.
Pag. 24. And as for your Minor and Aſſumption, which is, that you in the Church of England do enjoy, and outwardly ſubmit your ſelves to the true worſhip of God: It is moſt falſe, and a notorious lie and untruth, and as well might wicked Faux, and the reſt of the Gunpowder-Plotters ſay, that they ſubmitted unto Noble King James Laws and Scepter, when they went about to blow up the Parliament Houſe, that ſo they might deſtroy him and all his; for you do not only oppoſe and juſtle ou… the true worſhip of God, and throw down and trample upon the Scepter of Jeſus Chriſt his ſon, but alſo you ſet up falſe and Antichriſtian Worſhip, the inventer of which is the Devil, and the Man of ſin, his eldeſt and moſt obedient Son.
Pag. 26, 27. Now from that which I have ſaid, I frame theſe Arguments:
1. That Worſhip which is of the Devils and Antichriſts invention, inſtitution and ſetting up, is no true Divine worſhip.
But the Worſhip of the Church of England is of the Devils and Antichriſts invention,Note. inſtitution and ſetting up, as Revel. 13. doth fully prove.
Ergo, the Worſhip of the Church of England is no true Worſhip.
2. That Worſhip, which is a main means and Cauſe of pulling down the Kingdom of Ieſus Chriſt, Note.and eſtabliſhing, maintaining, and upholding the Kingdom of the Devil and Antichriſt, and ſends more ſouls to Hell, then all the wickedneſſe, impiety, ungodlineſſe, in the Kingdom doth beſides, is no true worſhip of God, but ought to be deteſted and abhorred of all his people. But ſuch is the worſhip of the Church of England; Ergo, &c.
Pag.Note. 29. I abſolutely deny your Argument, and affirme, that your Religion neither is the true Religion, nor that it leads men the true way to ſalvation.
Pag. 37, 38. I groundedly and abſolutely deny, that either the Church of England is, or ever was a true Church, and till you have proved it true, all the pains that you have taken in proving that it is poſſible for corruptions & evil livers to be in a true Church, is ſpent in vain, and to no purpoſe, and I am confident, that you nor none elſe will ever be able to prove the Church of England true, nor any other Nationall Church: for Chriſt Jeſus by his death did aboliſh the Nationall Church of the Iews, with all their Laws, Rites and Ceremonies thereof, and in the New Teſtament did never inſtitute no Nationall Church, nor left no Laws, nor Officers for the governing thereof, but the Church that he inſtituted, are free and Independent bodies, or Congregations, depending upon none but only upon Chriſt their Head: Therefore Nationall Churches under the Goſpel are of Antichriſts, that man of ſins inſtitution and ordaining, who only hath ordained Laws and Officers of his own for the governing of them; Therefore for you, or any other to ſay, and affirme, that this monſtrous, ugly, botched and ſcabbed body, is Chriſts true Spouſe, is diſhonourable to his bleſſed being and Mediatorſhip.
His Schiſmaticall ſeditious concluſion from all theſe Premiſes is this, pag. 35. Therefore let all Gods people,Note. that yet are in the boſome of the Church of England, as they love their own inward peace, and ſpirituall joy, and look that their ſouls ſhould proſper and flouriſh with grace and godlineſſe look to it, and withdraw their ſpiritual obedience and ſubjection from all Antichriſts Laws and worſhip, and joyne themſelves as fellow Citizens of the City of God, to worſhip and ſerve him in Mount Sion the beauty of holineſſe, and there only to yield all ſpirituall obedience to Chriſts ſpirituall Laws and Scepter.
This language and opinion of his, concerning our Engliſh Church, and Miniſtry, is ſeconded by moſt Independents in their late Pamphlets; of which you have had a bitter taſte in the preceding Sections, and their practice proves as much.
For firſt, though they proclaime Liberty of conſcience to all Sects and Religions whatſoever; yet they have ſo harſh an opinion of Presbyterians, and all others, who ſubmit not to their Independent Modell; that they eſteem them no better then Heathens, Maſter Henry Burton his Vindication of the Churches commonly called Independent, p. 56. 62, 63.Infidels, unbelievers; and proclaim them in their Books to be * Men who deny, diſclaim, and preach againſt Chriſts Kingly Government over his Churches; men unconverted, or at leaſt converted but in part, vvanting the main thing, to wit, Chriſts kingly Office: men viſible out of the Covenant of Grace, who have not ſo much as an outward profeſſion of Faith, who deny Chriſt to be their King; to whoſe perſons and infants, the very Sacraments and ſeals of grace, with all Church Communion, may, and ought to be denied, which is in effect to un-Chriſtian, un-Church, un-Miniſter all Presbyterians, and to make them caſt-awayes: If this be their charity to us already, what may we expect from them hereafter if their Faction bear the ſway?
Secondly, when they gather any Independent Congregation, their practiſe is, for their Miniſters ſolemnly to renounce and abjure their former Ordination in, and the people their Priſtine Communion with the Church of England, and all Congregations elſe, whereof they have been Members, and then to new-mould themſelves into an Independent Church; which practiſe they have lately begun in the Plantations of the Summer Iſlands; as a Friend of mine from thence informed me by a Letter dated, May 14. 1645. in theſe inſuing termes.
The Independent Church was ſet up here the laſt year, wherein they have covenanted to ſtand unto the death: but their Covenant is not fully expreſt reſerving power in themſelves, eſpecially in their Paſtor, to alter it when they will, and as they think good; they have expreſt nothing in writing, though often urged to it,Note. but he that joyns with them, muſt do it by a kinde of implicite faith, to imbrace what their Church doth or ſhall imbrace, not knowing what it is or will be: When they began it, their Miniſter called a Faſt for all that would be preſent, where in the publique Congregation, our Miniſters being then but three,Note. Did lay down and renounce their Ordination and Miniſtry received in the Church of England, and ſo become (as they ſaid) no Miniſters; but did joy… themſelves together in Covenant by words only to become a Church; firſt making a kinde of confeſſion of their ſins, and ſignifying that others might alſo joyn themſelves to them, if they were ſuch as after ſuch confeſſion they ſhould approve of, and there was one principall Officer did then joyn himſelf with them; they then continued weekly Lecturers ſtill, yet as they ſaid, not as Miniſters, but only as private men to exerciſe their gifts: wherein they laboured to draw others to joyn with them, and every week received in ſome: but that confeſſion of ſins grew daily more and more out of date,Such were fit to make Independant Members. the rather for that * ſome were threatned to be called in queſtion at the Aſſiſes for ſome things which they confeſſed there; ſo that at this time all is in a manner implicite, and though little or nothing be expreſſed by the party to be received in, yet he is not put back: But when they had gotten about thirty to joyne with them, they again called a Faſt for all that would be preſent, where it ſeems having appointed one of our aſſiſtant Governors for their Prolocutor, he nominated Maſter White to be their Paſtor, which the reſt confirmed by erection of hands; then it ſeems Maſter White nominated our other two Miniſters, Maſter Copland and Maſter Golding for his ruling Elders, yet they continue to preach conſtantly as before, but Maſter White only doth Adminiſter the Sacraments, and that only to ſuch as have joyned themſelves in their implicite Covenant with them.
Their practiſe therefore and their writings demonſtrate, what ungratefull ſons, and unnaturall Vipers they are to our Mother Church and Miniſters of England; which hath little cauſe to harbour theſe Rebellious Apoſtate ſons, who thus abominate, renounce both her and her Miniſters, as Antichriſtian.
Surely, ſome of their own Independent Faction, had other thoughts of her and her Miniſtry (unleſſe they diſſembled before God and man, as they commonly do without bluſh or check) but very few years ſince; and among other the five Independent Apologiſts, and Maſter Hugh Peter, (Solicit…r generall of the Independent Cauſe and Party;) whoſe Subſcription before the Biſhop of London, concerning our Church of England in the late Prelaticall times, when far more unreformed then now, I ſhall here preſent you with; the Originall whereof I found in the Archbiſhops ſtudy, under Maſter Peter his own hand, c…dorſed with the Archbiſhops, thus.
Maſter Hugh Peters Subſcription before the Biſhop of London, Auguſt 17. 1627.
RIght Reverend Father in God, and my very good Lord; being required to make known to your Lordſhip my Judgement concerning ſome thing propounded at my laſt being before your Lordſhip, from which Propoſitions though I never diſſented, nor know any cauſe why I ſhould be ſuſpected, yet being ready and willing to obey your Lordſhip in all things, eſpecially in ſo juſt a demand as this, I having conſulted with Antiquity, and with our modern Hooker, and others, humbly deſire your Lordſhip to accept the ſatisfaction following.
1.Note For the Church of England in generall (I bleſſe God) I am a member of it, and was baptized in it, and am not only aſſured it is a true Church, but am perſwaded it is the moſt glorious and flouriſhing Church this day under the ſun, which I deſire to be truly thankfull for; and for the Faith, Doctrine and Articles of that Church, and the maintenance of them, I hope the Lord will inable me to contend; Tanquam ut pro aris & focis: Yea, I truſt to lay down my life, if I were called thereunto.
2. For the Governour and Government thereof; viz. The reverend Fathers, the Archbiſhops and Biſhops, I acknowledge their Offices, and juriſdictions, and cannot ſee,Note but there would a fearfull ataxy follow, without the preſent Government, whereof I ſo approve, that I have, and do willingly ſubmit to it, and them; and have, and will preſſe the ſame upon others.
3 For the Ceremonies that are in uſe among us (as I have already ſubſcribed) ſo I ſhall diligently and daily practiſe, neither have I ever been accuſed for neglect therein,Note where I have formerly exerciſed my Miniſtry, but to them do give my full approbation and allowance.
4. For the Book of Common-Prayer, the Lyturgie of the Church, and what is in them contained (finding them agreeable unto the word of God) I have uſed as other Miniſters have done, and am reſolved ſo to do, and have not been Refractory in this particular at any time,Note nor do I intend to be (God willing) and to theſe, I Subſcribe with my heart and hand; humbly, ſubmitting them, and my ſelf to your Lordſhips pleaſure.
Your Lordſhips in all humble ſervice, HUGH PETER. London the 17. of Auguſt. 1627.
IF Maſter Peter be now of another Judgement, it manifeſts either his groſſe ignorance, or temporizing then, or his levity now, and that he is as unſteady in his opinion, as in his excentrick motion from place to place: But this is in verity, the eſſentiall property of our Lunacy New ſights, who like the Moon (whoſe light Predominates in them) are alwayes changing;2 Tim. 3. 7. yea, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth; which they continually intricate with their Independent doubts.