IT is a question not easily determined whether the Church of Christ suffer more by brethren, her mother's sons Edom within, or by strangers, Babel without her walls: It is undeniable that thousands of godly people are carried away to Familism, Antinomianism and love to follow strangers because people are floods and seas, and teachers sit upon the waters as fair or stormy and rough winds; I have been long silent, but when I did see not long ago privileges of state, if in a feather violated must be judged bloody and unexpiable by sacrifice, or any way else, and heresies, fundamental blasphemies, foul inventions of men, are thought to be zealous errors, godly fancies, things of the mind not to be spoken against, except M. Tho. Edwards, or any other who out of zeal to God, cry against the New altar, would be charged to sin against the Holy Ghost, therefore I dare not but give a Testimony for the truth. Silence may be a washing of the hands with Pilate, saying, I am innocent of the blood of lost souls, but it washeth away the guilt with waters of ink and blood. And except my heart deceive me, give me leave to borrow an expression of Job, If I lift up my hand, or a bloody pen against the truly godly, or have a pick at holiness, Let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. [Job 31.21,22.]

I am not to oil any man's head who hath been exorbitant in his superpluses or overlashings against personal infirmities of the true godly, as if godly and elect men, and elect Angels were terms reciprocal (I would the Antinomians had not biased too many with such an opinion) for Judas the Traitor, for ought we read, was orthodox in point of doctrine, and Peter not so in playing Satan's part to dissuade Christ from suffering, and in complying with the masters of out-dated ceremonies, nor should cumin and mint divide us, though there may be a little pearl of truth in these, and I would not willingly side against lower and under-ground truths, that Christ will own, though little and small. But sure it is not Christian, but Ass's patience, to open the bosom and the heart to lodge Familists, Antinomians, Arminians, Arrians, and what not under the notion of the godly party, and to send to hell others sometime judged the godly party, because of two innocent and harmless relations of Scottish and Presbyterial: As touching the former M. Henry Burton [Conformities deformity. p. 17.] is pleased to call the Scots the vilest of men, and if I mistake him not [Preface to the L. Major of London.] partakers with murderers, with rebels, with Traitors, Incendiaries, underminers of Parliament and City, that they may reign, whose violent and fraudulent practices proclaim them to be not friends, but such as in whom to put the least confidence, is to trust in the reed of Egypt, whereon if a man lean, it will pierce him through. And [pages 20,23.] speaking of the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, he saith, Thus in reference to the spirituality or the Church there seems to be set up in their National Assembly the like Supremacy, which the Pope himself claimeth over Kings, States, Kingdoms, Common-wealths, and M. Rutherfurd in his government of the Church of Scotland tells us that though none in this Grand Assembly have decisive voices, save only Commissioners, yet the acts of the Assembly oblige all the absents not present in all their members, and that because, what is by these Commissioners determined and concluded is matter necessary and agreeable to God's word, as being no less infallible than those decisions of the Apostles, Acts 15.—And whosoever shall not conform in all things to the constitutions of that General Kirk Assembly, when once the horn is blown, then ipso facto imprisonment, confiscation of Goods, banishment, and what not?—What? to set up in the Church an Oracle of infallibility and such a Supremacy, as no true bred English Christian can interpret for other than Antichristian Tyranny—and thereby shall our fundamental Laws, privileges, and power of Parliaments, liberties, and freedom of all true bred English subjects be brought under perpetual bondage—worse than that either of Egypt or Babylon. But that we may speak for our selves. I answer to all these, in the following considerations, without recrimination.

1. If any truths of Christ because holden by the Church of Scotland leave off to be truth than shall we say, these that by divine providence (which casts a measuring line of acres and lands to every Nation) have obtained the warmer side of the Sun in South Britain, and a fatter soil have the more excellent Christ, as if Gods grew in gardens, as they said they did in Egypt.¹ But as Religion should not wear the shape, fashions & hew of men, so sure England and Scotland differ non specie & natura sed accidentibus meris, a little vicinity to, or distance from the Sun is a poor difference, when we come up to our father's house the higher Jerusalem (which he who bringeth many children to glory, I pray, and hope shall do) I trust we shall not stand in a vicinity to, or a distance from his face who sits on the throne and the Lamb, as English and Scottish, and though Scotland be resembled to Egypt, as M. Burton says, we have not pierced through our brethren, but are the causes under God far more now, why M. Burton and our brethren breath in English air, than when we came first into this land, for M. Burton said himself, to some of our number then, we was then the Kingdom of Judah, helping the Ten tribes their brethren against the Taskmasters of Egypt, and spoilers of Babylon, and our General Assembly in Scotland was then beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. But now the tables are so far turned, that our General Assembly is a Papal throne above Kings and Kesars [Cęsars], and we ourselves are worse than Egypt or Babylon. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? My brethren, these things ought not so to be. But what although Scotland by Egypt and Assyria, Esaias saith, ch. 19.18. And in that day shall five Cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts. And though we be Assyria (as M. Burton the title page saith) we like that better of the same Prophet, verse 24, In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands. But I am afraid, that Familists, Antinomians, Arminians, Socinians, whom M. Burton calleth the Saints, shall not be found the only true Israel of God.

2. We pass not to be judged the vilest of men by M. Burton, or partakers with murderers, with rebels, with Traitors, Incendiaries, underminers of the English Parliament, Antichristian and Papal Tyranizers over the bodies, estates, consciences of the free born English, under the notion of Presbyterians.

For 1. M. Burton is but a man, and speaketh thus from the flesh, and hath three times changed his mind or profession touching Church-government and other points of tolerating Arminians, Socinians, and the like against which he gave a testimony in his Apologie and other writings, he that changeth thrice, may change four times and ten times.

But if we should stand or fall by the Testimony of men, I should rather name Apostolic Calvin, renowned Beza, godly and learned Cartwright, Prophetical Brightman, with other worthies, M. Dod, M. Hildersam, M. Dearing, M. Greenham, M. Perkins, M. Baynes, M. Pemble, D. Ammes, D. Sybs, D. Preston. I speak not of many eminent lights in Scotland, who now shine in another firmament, of M. Knox, M. Bruce, M. Welch, and many the like worthies, if these who are asleep in the Lord, were now living, they would deny you, and your Independency, and separation, your Schisms, Atheistical and Epicurean tenets of toleration of all Sects, Religions, false ways, your Antinomians, Familists, Socinians, Arminians, Arrians, Antitrinitarians, Antiscripturians, Seekers, Anabaptists; all which I cannot but judge to be yours, because you are so far from writing against them, or denying them, that in your books, to write against them, is to persecute the Saints of the most high, few or not any of your way wrote ever one jot against them. But you spend all the blood and gall of your pen on Presbyterians, on the Scots, the City of London, the Assembly of Divines, on Sion College, as against Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Antichrist, tyrants over the conscience, persecutors of the Saints, such as would enslave England. You plead for a toleration to them all, they are the Saints, the godly party, the only Anointed ones. I deny not but many carnal men may, and do crowd in amongst Presbyterians, but are they owned by them? plead they for them? do they book them in their accounts as the godly party? But the Presbyterians spread a thousand lies of them: yea to say no more of them then what their Printed books speak, which were never disclaimed by them. They cannot be lies when the Authors and Patrons who plead for toleration to them, are not only silent, but reply and duply in Press and Pulpit for the vindication of their innocency.

But if Antitoleration may go pari passu equal foot and pace with Antinomianism, Arminianism and Socinianism, and such like heresies, and false ways as consistent with godliness and Saintship; why should Presbyterians be blotted out of the Kalender