ALthough I have no acquaintance with your person, yet by some of your writings, I thinke I can discerne somewhat of the frame of your Spirit; and though I cannot well conjecture what use you will make of that which I purpose to expresse towards you in love to your Soule; yet I thinke it my dutie at this time, in this manner to admonish you, that sinne may not rest upon. You know the Commande­ment of our God doth oblige me to this, Levit. 19.17. And our Saviour doth confirme the same in cases of offence betweene brethren. Matth. 18.15. Now I must declare unto you in true simplicitie, that your wayes of dealing with your Brethren are very offensive unto me; and I conceive that you are bound in Conscience, to give me some satisfaction in that which I shall propose unto you; either by acknowledging and mending the dangerous error of your wayes; or else by rectifying my judgement in the apprehension which I have of it.

The thing then is this, that finding you a Preacher of the Gospell as you call your selfe; and meddling with the controversies of the time about Church-Government to give Counsell therein to the State what to doe; you follow no Rule of edification, but venture boldly upon all the Wayes of destruction, and savour nothing of Charitie; in dealing with your Brethren of the Ministery; but endevour to make them every way contemptible unto the world by injurious and false aspersions; and to provoke their Spirits to invitation and disputes against you, by a disorderly & quarrelsome way of writing against them. I take no delight (God is my witnes) as you seeme to do (in your publicke Writings, with a kind of insultation over a whole Assembly of Divines); to lay this charge (in a private way) upon you; but it is a grief to me to expresse it, that I should finde any that cals [Page 3] himself a Minister of the Gospell of Christ, lyable unto such faults; and so far out of the way, which Christs Spirit (the anointing which you so much speake of) doth teach his true Disciples to walke in. Well then, that I may ease my selfe upon you, of the griefe which you have occasioned, to the end that the Lord may be mercifull unto you, to incline you (if it be possible) to take away the cause therof; I shall truly and faithfully let you see whence it doth arise, and how your procee­dings have begotten it in me.

I have seene heretofore a litle Tract of yours which you call a New Quaere concerning Church-Government, wherein you endevour to perswade the State to keepe it in an Unsettlement: that Tract, in the aime which you have in it, and the way you take to insinvate it, with many fallacies in Divinitie fit to intangle the weake, and with many Principles of corrupt, sensuall, and worldly State-Policie, fit to stir up and confirme Envie and Pride in the hearts of earthly men that have power in their hands; did not a little sad my spirit, when I read it; & had thoughts to have spoken to you about it, when I was at London; but the opportunitie was not offered, and so I left off the thought of it, chiefly when I found that some body answered it.

But now beeing out of London I meet in the Country with another Tract, of a far worse nature, (if worse may be) then that was; concerning the Divine Right of the Presbyterie, wherof I shall speake unto you plainly, and in all true love, my thoughts, if perhaps God may be pleased to open your eyes, to see the snare wher­in you are caught by Satan, to be his instrument, to tempt all men, to all manner of disorders, to disturbe this distracted State, and bring it to Rvine, which I beseech God in mercy to prevent. For truly the way which you have taken, and wherein you proceed with a great deale of confidence, provoking others to follow you and to answer you in the same kind; if it should be entertained on all sides; can pro­duce nothing but the Gall of bitternesse, and destruction in the end. For if yee bite and devovre one another; yee are in danger to be consumed one of another saith the Apostle. Gal. 5.15. Therefore he is carefull to Teach men, that suppose they live by the Spirit of Christ, to set themselves to walke also in the Spirit, from ver. 16. till the end of the Chapter, shewing that he who endevours to walke in the Spirit, shall not be led away to fullfill the lusts of the flesh, because such as are Christs, have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, and are not desirous of vaine glory, by provoking one another, or envying one another; as (in all that I have seene of your writings in this kind) you are fully and strongly bent to doe; and that under a kind of pretence of zeale for Religion and Moderation: when as, in effect I meet with none that useth more devouring words then you have done; or that applyeth them with more cunning to deceive, and to work mischiefe in the mindes of men. Pardon these expressions, they are not words of passion to reproach, but of compassion to warne you of the Spirit by which you are led; [Page 4] that you may reflect upon your selfe, and take heed unto your way; and not excuse the matter, with colourable pretences. For what although some Antagonists have set themselves to discover the shamefull nakednesse of your Brethren unto the world; and to grate upon the sores that are painfull, rather to warne others of a danger, then to recover these that are the cause of the danger, from the error of their waies? I say; what although some have done thus; & have not dealt with the men of a dissenting judgement as with Brethren, overtaken in a fault; to restore them in the Spirit of meeknesse: should you therfore that pretend to be spirituall, suffer your self to be provoked by them to follow the same way of irritation; to increase the fewell of wrath; and inflame the Spirits of men whom you judge carnall and destitute of the anointing? Suppose they deale uncharitably with those that you stand for; is it therefore lawfull for you or expedient to the cause of Religion, or advantageous for your own aime, to deale as uncharitably with them, or rather more injuriously? you that affect so much the Spirit, and plead for love; should you be overcome with evill, to recompense evill for evill, and not rather studie to overcome it with good? recrimination is no just defence; and chiefly with such a kind of reproachfull accusation as you make use of; and in such away of applying it as you are fallen upon: for if your accusations be not only railings, but falshoods; and if you apply them to the unsettlement of all mens affections towards each other; namely to stagger the weake of all sides and incense the strong of each side to their utmost endevours of strife; if (I say) this be so; then let me intreat you to reflect upon your selfe, and consider what use Satan makes of your tongue and pen for his endes; for if you are not afraid to write in publicke that which I see under your name; I may without uncharitablenesse, imagine, that your tongue in private will not spare to walke through the earth in a more desperate path, perhaps then I can, or will admit into my thoughts, of him whom I do esteem a brother, therfore, as to a brother, for whom I am sollicitous (I speak it in the right of Christ) let me intreate you (before I come to the particulars which I purpose to lay before you, from your writings) to take heede to your speaking; It is in­cident to men of nimble wits, to speak freely, to plot designes, and uttering them, to set themselves or others upon the acting thereof; and I am afraid it may be made some part of your employment, to worke the divisions of this State and Church to the height by private contrivements; if your spirit in your more secret walking, be not otherwise affected towards your Brethren, and tempered towards the publike Peace; than it appeareth unto me to be in your publicke counsels and writings: wherof now to discharge the grievances which I have against you at them (I should have said rather against them unto you); I will give you a distinct and particular acount; and lest I should seeme to complaine without a cause, or take upon me towards you more, then I would have you to doe towards my selfe in the like case: therefore let this be said once for all all, Cursed be he that doth [Page 5] the worke of the Lord deceitfully: or that under the Colour of Christian love, in such a case doth seeke any other advantage then the gaining of his Brother to a cleere dutie in the Gospell. If then I shall erre in judgment (for who can pre­sume to be without error) I desire you to rectifie my mistakes, with the same af­fection whereby I offer my selfe now to discover your mistakes unto your Con­science, beseeching the Lord in mercy to let you see the danger of them, for your good, and the preservation of others that may be endangered by them, and wrought upon to follow your footsteps.

First it is a grievance to my spirit to find a specious promise in the title of your Treatise, stirring up an appetite to taste of some ripe fruit of tendernes, which my Soule desireth in all these Controversies, when as in the Treatise it self, I can finde no cluster at all of comfort or refreshment. And therefore I have cause to cry out with the Prophet Mich. 7. Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the summer frvits as the Grape-gleanings of the Vintage: there is no Cluster to Eat, the good man is perished; they all lye in waite for blood; they hunt every man his neighbour with a net &c. If then you will ease me of this griefe I pray you shew me where the Brotherly tendernesse is, and that sweet­nesse which Master Bachiler commends your Treatise for. If it be no where but in pag. 8 and 9. where you propound for the Parliament that all sides may enjoy their libertie in their judgement, as now they doe which is in strife and conten­tion for it, with all manner of contrivements to make their practise according to their judgement, prevalent against each other; if this be all, what the better will the State or Church be for this Counsell? What love will this beget? Will it not rather in the unsettlement of all relations and bands of mutuall edifica­tion and of orderly proceedings (which should prevent offences, which beget murmurings and disputes) leave the Reines loose unto all men to runne riot one against another; and in a Carnall way pleasing themselves (as you I conceive have done in this Treatise) they will not care whom they doe displease. I did truly expect some lenitive and mollifying cataplasme or ointment to abate the inflam­mation of our paines and sores; and behold a cold water sprinkled upon them only on the outside to make them burne more vehemently and ake more inwardly, & harden the boiles that the corrupt matter may never be purged out. If you had ei­ther used some arguments convincingly pressed home, to provoke men to that love which Christ requires in us all, and to that forbearance in love which might tend to the healing of breaches: or if you had propounded some equitable wayes of Treating betweene the parties to come to a better understanding and reconcile­ment of differences: or if you had shewed how the distemperat execesses of passi­onate men on all sides, might be without violent courses (which may reflect upon the Consciences of tender & weak ones) taken away; I would have relished some sweetnesse in your spirit, or some tendernesse towards your Brethren. But in very [Page 6] deed your spirit (if I can see any thing in the disposition of spirits, (1 Cor. 4.6.) is contrary to the Apostolical rule (even there where your tendernes doth lye) puffed up highly for one against another & if your conclusion of the Treatise, wherin you declare the aime you have in writing should be beleeved aswell as the title; it wil appeare that the title of tendernesse is a meer flourish and baite to allure a simple soule to swallow a hooke: for you professe in plaine termes that you write to pro­voke others to shew their strength against you, as in a matter of high concern­ment; and your self beeing a man (forsooth) that regard neither an University nor a Pulpit; neither a Doctor nor a Teacher of these Reformed Churches, as if they were all inferior unto your anointing; because some of them have not much more then Art and Habit. What doe you meane by this? Doth this proceed from a sweete fountaine? Can there be tendernesse towards a brother, with­out humilitie in ones selfe? And can such unsavoury provocations, in such high termes, stand with true inward humility? Only by pride commeth contention saith, Salomon Prov. 13.10. And the Apostle James. 4. tels us, that warres and fightings come from our lusts; Looke then to your aime, and see what it lusteth after; and in what manner your spirit doth expresse that lust which it hath; and then tell me from your Conscience, whether your lust is not to envy and to strife? And if it be clearely by your own words found such; doe not boast too fast of your anointing; and doe not lye against the Truth of your aime with a pretence of tendernesse: for though you lay no claime to Arts nor Habits; yet the wisdome by which you are led in this matter descendeth not from above but is earthly and sensuall. Which I grieve to see, and wish that you would lay it to heart to be humbled before God for it, that he may be mercifull unto you, and give you indeed that anointing, which you seeme to boast of; for not he that commends himselfe, or can discommend others, is praise worthy; but hee whom God commends, by giving him the spirit of wisdome unto sobriety, in thinking of himselfe, and unto charity, and meeknesse in dealing with others: which I wish you from my heart henceforth.

The Second Grievance is, the insulting over your Brethren of the Assem­bly in your Preface to them; by triumphing over them as Humbled from that height wherein you seeme to intimate that they thought themselves set; what doe you here gaine either for their edification or your owne? and by re­proaching them with a fault of going beyond their bounder; I am afraid, as you intend not to heale any thing in them, but to exalt your selfe alone, to be equall to them all, in your own imagination; so perhaps in depressing their estimation to the magnitude of your selfe; you may have a worldly ende, to please some that seeke pretences against them. I leave this to the Considera­tion of your Conscience, whether I have not cause to suspect some such thing, where so much of worldly respect to greatnesse, and in order to that, such selfe-Love [Page 7] is expressed in so high a degree, as to despise all their judgements in com­parison of your owne. Who is ignorant, that as laying too much weight upon the voyces of Synods or Assemblies of men; there hath beene or may be, a Mystery of Iniquity; but will you deny that there hath not beene or may not be, as great, or a greater Mystery of iniquitie, in that Spirit, which doth extoll it self above the spirit of the Prophets, when it ought to be subject thereunto? whereunto if you (who boast your self so easily in vanity) are not in danger to be tempted, I am much deceived: therefore it will be your wisdome to looke in humilitie to your standing, lest you be also tempted, seeing you think that a whole Assembly of men, of greater abilities then you selfe, may come to fall.

The Third Grievance to my Spirit is this; that you are not afraid to informe the world of many Untruths to the prejudice of your Brethren, that they may be disrespected in their Ministery.

And the Fourth Grievance, is this; that you have a peculiar Artifice in the Application of your accusations to exasperate mens spirrts with hatred a­gainst your Brethren, beyond any man that I have knowne.

Under these two heads I comprehend all the particular Grievances which are in the whole Treatise, which is nothing but a bush of thornes which scarse can be touched any where without a prickle: and if your spirit can bring forth none other fruits (which I hope by repentance it may) your end will be sad; for you that can kindle so much fire in other mens spirits; must needes have a great deale of fewell within your selfe, which you will do wisely to cast out betimes, lest you taste of the fruit of your own doings and your backsliding re­prove you when it may be too late.

I shall endevour only to point at matters briefly; and to ease my spirit of the burden which you have laid upon it; I shall rectifie your mistakes; and shew what should have beene done for edification in truth; if your aime had beene upright and to gaine your lawfull end if you had followed a commendable course:

Under the third head of grievances, I ranke all the Untruths wherewith you asperse your Brethren: and by the untruths I meane all the fals positions in matter of Doctrine, which you father upon them; either as their owne or such as they are bound to make good; and all the false Assertions which you lay as grounds of truth to be received by all; that they in their Ministery may be vilified; and all the injurious inferences whereby you misreport their meaning, in their Peti­tion to the Houses.

1. Here you tell us that they pretend a Right to the Ministery, by vertue of that Ordination only, which is derived by a Personall succession from Bishops, and so upwards to the Apostles without interruption: and from this false [Page 8] supposition of your owne, which you father upon them as their position, you spin out a great many absurdities, which you will oblige them to make good; or to be guilty of. This is the matter of pag. 1 and 2.

Secondly, Then you oppose the Nature of their Congregational Eldership to their Classicall and Synodicall; and upon unsound grounds, which you assert as truths; calling the Constitution of their Elders, and of the extent of their Con­gregations, into question; you labour to bring a disrespect upon them, and this is the matter of pag. 3. and part of pag 4.

Thirdly, Because they pretend Art to have such an immediate Call as the Apostles had, but have only an ordinary measure of gifts, you inferre from thence that they have no right to challenge Church-power to themselves, or to alledge and apply the Scriptures giving that power to Ministers, unto themselves: and this you insist upon, pag. 4. 5. 6.

Fourthly, You traduce the purpose and the ende of the Constitution of a Nationall Assembly and make it formidable to a State, and no losse then Anti­christian. pag. 7.

Lastly, your inferences upon the heads of the Petition, are the vilest and most injurious misrepresentations of their meaning that any can devise; to make them bee thought proud and intending to exalt themselves above the Parliament, to make them guilty of mis-interpreting the Nationall Covenant; and to make them wholly dependent in all their Administrations upon the State, or else to be thought absurd in petitioning the removall of the Commis­sioners, and this is the substance of your pag. 11, 12, 13, 14.

These things are nothing else but a masse of Untruths, and false repre­sentations of matters tending onely to stagger the Simpler sort and to gra­tifie the enemies either of that Church-Constitution; or else of all Religion that by the dissolution of that frame of Government they may bee able to sinne without Controll, and doe what they will,

Now that any who cals himselfe a Preacher of the Gospell, should set himselfe thus to tradvce these whom hee cals Brethren: to the ende that their Ministerie may become contemptible, is a sad matter unto me: both in respect of the Gospell which thereby is made unprofitable unto many: and in respect of these that are wronged, and him that doth the wrong. But that I may not seeme to delight so much in the aggravating of wrongs as in the rectifying of them: I will Charitably suppose that you have erred partly through ignorance; and partly through heat of passion in all these mis-representations of matters: and not against the light of your Conscience, and through pure Malice. For although there is a spirit of Malignity in our corrupt nature leading us to wrest things to the worst sense, which con­cerne those to whom we seeke to insult over: yet I hardly can thinke that [Page 9] any who is not a reprobate and voide of all Conscience; can wittingly and willingly against his owne knowledge set himselfe thus to be injurious unto his Brethren in the profession of the Gospell; to make them Universally odious and despicable in the Ministery. Therefore I thinke it onely an error of judgement in you heightned with passion, to take advantages against them, to exalt your selfe over them, and make them despicable. And to Remedy this evill, I will give you my true sense of these thinges which are alledged wrongfully by you to their disreputation; that your mistake may bee rectified.

I say then that the Reformed Church in these and other parts, which hath received the light of the Gospell since the discoverie of Poperie doth hold that the true Ordination of Ministers doth not depend upon any Person­all Succession of Men, but upon the appointment of God: who hath given by the Manifestation of his Truth, gifts unto his Church which are to be ad­ministred therein by the Office of the Presbyterie, which hath a power to pro­pagate it selfe; for the continuance of the worke of the Ministery in this world. If then since the Apostles times there hath beene a Church; that is a Com­pany of true Beleevers in the world, alwayes extant; (whether visible or invisible to the world, that is not materiall; all hold that the Church is alwayes visible to it selfe) wee must acknowledge that to that Church the gifts of the Spirit have never beene wanting therein: and if the gifts have never failed, there hath alwayes beene a Power in the Eldership of that Church to administer the same unto the members thereof; by verue of Gods Commandement. 1 Peter 4.10, 11. As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God, if any man minister, let him doe it as of the abilitie which God giveth. From this Commandement wee learne that God hath alwayes in his Church Stewards of his grace; and that hee doth give unto them an Abilitie to minister the same. This abilitie is partly inward in the pro­pertie of the gift, partly outward in the propertie of the Office, by which it is to bee administred unto the Church in an orderly way: and that the orderly way of administration may not faile in the house of God (for God is the God of order and not of Confusion) no man is to take the Office unto himselfe, but hee is honoured therewith who is called there­unto by God as Aaron was Hebr. 5.4. Now the power of calling in an or­dinary way, is by the Office of the Eldership in the Church, and not by any Personall Succession: For it is the Eldership that giveth Ordination by the imposition of hands. 1 Tim. 4.14. and where the Office is established, it may and ought to bee propagated by these that are intrusted therewith [Page 10] towards others that are fit to Administer the same unto others also that there may be a perpetuall continuance thereof: for so the Lord hath ap­pointed. 2 Tim. 2.2. Wee say then, that the Lord hath never left the world without some true Ministers of the Word; by their Ministerie of the Word, Faith hath beene begotten; and with Faith the gifts of the Spirit sent forth; and where the gifts have beene, the Administration thereof hath also beene by vertue of an Office residing in those to whom God doth give a­bilitie: if then a Minister of the Reformed Church bee called unto an ac­count of the Right which hee hath unto his Office; hee will give this proof of it: That in a true Church of God, according to his appointment, after tryall, and manifestation of his gifts and graces, found fit for edification; hee was called, and by these that did Administer in that Church the Office of the Eldership, was in an orderly manner ordained and dedicated with Prayer and imposition of hands unto God, to have a lot and part in his Service: and they justly reject from the Societie of that Office all such as come not in by this orderly and ordinary way; nor ought they to admit of any; or acknowledge him to be a Steward of the My­steries of God, who is not thus called by the Eldership of some true Church.

If you knew this to be the true meaning of the Reformed Churches, and did neverthelesse runne out upon the Cavills you have in your first and second page, you are much to blame; but if you knew it not; you should have made enquiry; and not have condemned your Brethren upon a false presupposall: the Ministers of the Low-Countries and of France are not ordained by Bishops; and none doth question their Calling to the Ministery.

As for the Congregationall, Classicall, and Synodicall Presbyteries; if they bee Rightly Constituted and met together in the Communion of Saints for their mutuall edification in love, they all stand a like by Divine Right; for if the Eldership of one single Congregation hath a right from God to determine that which is fit for its owne edification within it selfe; it cannot be denyed but the Elderships of many Congregations joyned together have the same right: whatsoever they have Single; they cannot lose Conjoyned, but their Right is rather strengthened by their union. And what you speake of a Prudentiall Judicature, is but a Cavill: All Churches have a right from God to judge of all affaires Prudentially for their owne building up in love by the Rules. 1 Cor. 14.26, 40.

Then to the exception which you make against Elders as Constituted by the countenance of an Ordinance of Parliament, and not by the Apo­stolicall Scripture-Rule; I say that their constitution to bee Officers [Page 11] in the Church is onely from the Apostolicall Rule and the Parliament-Ordinance is but an outward accidentall concurrence and helpe to the setling of them by the Rule; therefore this is nothing, but a Cavill in like manner. So is also that which is called a Parishionall Congregation, no­thing else but a Circumstantiall outward boundary of a certaine number of people, in which a Spirituall Congregation is to bee setled according to the Word; and therefore this is another Cavill like unto the former. And as for the Assembly in this Extraordinary way of Reformation; it is a necessary helpe in the Communion of Saints for Counsell and Advice to maintaine the Unitie of the Spirit amongst Brethren in the bond of Peace; and their Convocation by the approbation of Parliament, is but acci­dentall to the Right which the Ministers have to come together to doe things for mutuall edification, and to determine among themselves their wayes of or­derly proceeding in love.

We confesse that the Primitive Elders and Apostles were immediatly and more eminently qualified, then these that are now in place, but wee say also that the different measure of gifts makes no essentiall difference in the nature of the Administration; there is but one Faith, and one Spirit, and one Body, the anointing of all is the same; and every member is bound in his place, according to his Office, Rom. 12.4. to supply to others that gift for the Administration whereof Ephe. 4.16. the whole Body by Christs Ordinance and under him is fitly joyned together and compacted: that God may be glorified in all things by Jesus Christ. If wee beleeve in the Word of the Apostles, wee have Communion with them, and are bound to follow them in all the Ordinances of worship, and of mutu­all edification. 1 Cor. 11.1, 2. The Corinthians were no more priviledged to this than any Company of true beleevers are now; therefore it is but a meere Cavill to tell us, because we have not such a degree of the anointing, that wee may not Administer the Ordinances; according to that degree and measure of gifts which wee have: there is a promise that if wee be faithfull in little we shall bee set over much. If wee beleeve truly wee have a right to all the Ordinances by the Word; and all Offices and Officers in their Administrations, are warranted thereby [...] edifie their fellow members within themselves, without any depe [...] dance upon any extrinsecall power: and although they ought to doe this; and to doe it as by the abilitie which God giveth; yet they cannot pretend to any infallibilitie in their Administrations, whether of Doctrine, of Worship, of Government, or of Censures, but in humilitie as under the Direction of the Word, they make use of their gifts till God bring them to the Stature of a Perfect man in Christ; and that they may come to this [Page 12] perfection they stand joynted and compacted with their Brethren in the Communion of Saints, and thinke it not safe or lawfull for them to dis­joynt themselves, as I understand you have done; from such as call upon God out of a pure heart; and are grounded in the same Truth of Faith with them, and are united to the same God and Father by the same Covenant of Grace in Christ: from such you have separated your selfe, and are now become a Cavillator and wrangler against them, seeking by all meanes of rayling and false imputations to disturbe their Peace, and make people disaffected towards them: for which sinne if you repent not, you will become a wandering Starre, and never settle for ever: from which judgement I beseech the Lord to preserve you: for I feare that you are on the way of loosing your hold of the Scriptures, aswell as of the Truth of Love to the Brethren. When men once take a libertie to doe all things that their owne Spirit doth lead them unto by passion, and boast withall of the Spirit and anointing, and despise others in compari­son of themselves; and doe not study to shew from the Scriptures that light which God hath manifested unto them for the instruction and directi­on of others to recover them with love and meeknesse from the wayes of error; but insult over them, and trample upon them for their defamation and destruction, (I say) when men are thus acted by Satan; they are in a dan­gerous condition.

Concerning a Nationall Assembly wee say that it hath no power but in matters of Spirituall concernment; and that the Divine Rights which is in all the particular Churches by an aggregation of strength is Contracted in it, and therefore is the true supreme Judicature in matters of difference amongst Brethren: yet according to the Word, and by the Word, and through the manifestation of the will of God, the judgement is Authorita­tive and not otherwise: and you but Cavill and play the Polititian to flat­ter States-men, for some ends of your owne, when you labour to stirre up a jealousie in the Parliament against the Authoritie of a Nationall Assembly: their Spheres are so farre different in nature, their ends so distinct, their Principles so farre distant; and the Manner of their pro­ [...]eding in dealing with those that relate unto them, so quite oppsit; that [...] they will not purposely goe out of their wayes they cannot entrench [...]pon one anothers borders of Power, but each is under God immediat­ly within it selfe, over all its members; and one is mutually subordinate to another according to his Will: the Ecclesiasticall Persons are under the Civill Judicature in matters of this World; and the Civill Persons are under the Ecclesiasticall Judicature in matters of the World to come; but you confound all these Relations, and either ignorantly or witting­ly [Page 13] for some endes, will heede this distinction of Powers, committed to each in their severall Administrations under God; the one for the in­ward, the other for the outward man, which ought no more to bee at variance in a State then Soule and Body in one and the same Man in their facultties and operations upon their distinct Objects. Here you shew the rayling disposition of your minde, when you parallel the Nationall As­semblies of all the Reformed Churches (against all evident experience of their behaviour to the contrary; and against the cleere light of their Doctrine whereby they Challenge no interest in the Government of worldly matters) with the Papal and Antichristian Power, which hath exalted it selfe above all that is called God on Earth, and in Heaven also.

The inferences which you make upon their Petition are such as truly deserve none other observation but this; that it is an untruth which you say at the beginning of every inference; namely that you may inferre from their words that which you doe inferre, for I say that you may not make evill inferences and misconstructions of any mans meaning from his words; if they can beare any better sense then you can put upon them to his prejudice, may you bee injurious and uncharitable to your Brethren? May you accuse them of wicked intentions against their cleare professions? if you may doe this, what may you not doe? I pray you looke to your selfe what liberty you take: you pressed to bee in a Spirituall liberty; but looke now whether in using your libertie thus, you give not an occa­sion to your flesh, to sow the seede of divisions of Complaints of murmurings and disputes, and of all evill affections against your Brethren.

Therefore the last grievance which I shall offer unto you to Consider in your way, is, the Artifice which you use to exasperate the Spirits of men by a misconstruction even of the best things which are in them to the worst sense; with so much boldnesse and varietie of applicati­ons, and in such a Tautologicall way to beate it upon the imagina­tions of Earthly men; and to intricate the thoughts of the simple, that it is a great matter of sorrow, to see you so busie in a perverse zeale to sowe dissension amongst Brethren. You builde upon your own false supposalls and inferences, a kinde of Method to instruct people in the wayes of opposition; wherein It will not trace you because it is tedious and unprofitable, and needlesse to shew you all the deceit­full windligs of your Spirit; to which you give an unlimited libertie to intangle men by fallacies. I shall rather represent unto you what in your case if you had beene zealous for the Truth and not for decei­ving, and leading men out of the way; you should have done. Hearken [Page 14] now then, and consider, you that talke so much of Truth. All The Truth which wee should aime at, and beare witnesse unto, one towards another; is either of Doctrine or Practise: The Truth of Doctrine is the Testimony of the Word and Spirit, whereby God hath revealed himselfe and the things belonging to Christ and his Kingdome, unto us: that by this know­ledge wee might receive all things pertaining to life, and to Godli­nesse. The Truth of Practise is that upright and sincere dealing with others in God for their good according to our best knowledge of the things which wee would desire to have from them in the same kinde. The meanes to make this Truth of both kindes effectually profitable to our selves and others, is to endevour that which the Apostle exhorts us unto, Ephes. 4.15. Namely to speake the Truth in Love; and the effect of this en­devour will bee, that which hee doth promise, there shall follow thereupon, Namely to grow up in all things into him, who is the Head, even Christ. Thus then whether it bee a matter of Doctrine or of Practise whereunto we are to beare witnesse; if we desire thereby to grow up within our selves, or to build up others into Christ (which is the onely warrantable aime wee can have) wee must apply our mindes to speake the Truth in Love, and to doe the Truth in Love; For the originall words [...] containe the sense of both in one expression. If then this is the Rule by which wee should walke in all things, that wee may approve our Consciences to God as his true servants, and enjoy Christ by walking after his Spirit in all things: then wee must never suffer any humane and worldly aimes to sway our thoughts, to speake or act, that which may tend onely to satisfie our own or other peoples humours; but before wee undertake a businesse towards others, whether the concernment be private or publicke, we should settle the affections of Truth, and discerne the way of uttering them in Love, to gaine these with whom wee deale, to some dutie of godlinesse, wherein they and wee may grow up in Christ. Now then to apply this Spirituall Method of proceeding to your Case, let us State the Question which you make, and consider how you should, and I would have proceeded, if it had beene my Case; to desire a Resolution for my selfe or others in it.

The Question is Concerning the Divine Right of the Prebyteriall Churches to judge themselves of the scandalls of their Members according to the Word of God; whether yea or no it doth belong unto them? I would have set downe this Quaere distinctly, as a Doubt: and then would have sought out a way, to resolve my selfe without partialitie onely for love to the Truth in it: and to this effect I would have lookt upon the frame and constitution, with the Doctrine and Practise of the Churches which are called Presbyteriall: and set downe truly all that I should have found sub­stantially [Page 15] materiall in them for their owne beeing; or distinctively obser­vable to difference them from other Churches. Then in the second place I would have made enquirie of their true meaning of that which they call a Scandall in a Member, and of that which is called Judging within them­selves of Scandalls. And lastly of that which is called a Divine Right, whereunto they pretend in this act of judging, and when I should have satis­fied my selfe in this enquirie so farre as I could attaine; if then I had judged them to bee in an error either of Doctrine or Practise hurtfull to the Kingdome of Christ, and to their owne and others interest therein; I would have taken a resolution to deale with them in Truth and sincerity to reclaime them from that error; and answerable to such a resolution, would have declared unto them my aime in dealing with them; and desired them to weigh, and seriously to consider the doubts which I had concer­ning their Pretence of a Divine Right, perswading them to lay downe the plea thereof. And if in their ordinarie Practises to maintaine and get pos­session of this Right I should have observed things destructive to the glo­rious Gospell of Peace, or to the edification and true libertie of their Bre­thren, I would with all zeale and true affection have warned them of the danger, and laying the fault cleerly before them on the one side, I should have laboured to cause them to see the dutie which God requireth of them on the o­ther: and so commended them to the Grace of God; having discharged my Conscience towards them. And thus I have at this time discharged my Con­science towards you: and I have endevoured to walke within the com­passe of my Rule in considering you and your wayes, and in dealing with you freely and roundly to pull you out of the fire; so I shall desire you to deale with mee by the same Rule, and if in this matter of griefe, which your unruly dealing hath occasioned; I have exceeded in a Word of cen­sure too sharply heere or there perhaps; I shall desire you not to take it in the worst sense: I have not much time to spare from some other employ­ments, and therefore in the griefe of spirit, and beeing in haste with-all to dispatch these thoughts unto you; I may easilie have failed in some words: for in many things wee faile all, saith the Apostle James 3. (not excluding himselfe) and he that offendeth not in a word, hee is a perfect man; there­fore I must plead for a Charitable construction of all my expressions; and the rather, because the former part of this letter to you is alreadie sent to London, before I could deliberatly review it, as I might have done if time would have given me leave; nor have I any Copy of that which is gone, which is at least three parts of foure; but I hope the friend to whom it is sent will keepe a Copy thereof for mee; and will not (I know) doe any thing [Page 16] in the divulging of these things to your prejudice: but will faithfully concurre with me in this aime of your edification.

I pray you look not upon matters in appearance, but look upon them in the Truth: set your selfe to bee a Servant of the Truth, in Love; by provoking all men unto the love which Christ requireth of us; and not to the wrath which our passions (by conceiving of things according to their worst construction) may waken in others; to trouble them and increase their sin: Remember, that the wrath of man doth not fulfill the righteousnesse of God: and if your zeale bee a wrathfull zeale rather to finde out faults, and make them odious, then to amend and heale the breaches of our spirits; you will bee so far from doing good to those with whom you deale, that you will not onely make them lesse corri­gible; but you will make your own side worse, by being out of all patience against them: for the Method that you follow, as it is pleasing to the fancy of flesh and blood; so it cannot but work upon those that are ignorantly zealous, (and that give credit unto your assertions) most violent and distempered com­motions, against those whom they imagine to bee so hatefull to God; and so in­jurious to the publick and to all their Brethren, as you make them, and if they bee not so hatefull indeed as you make them; what judgement, you may expect; and reward, for judging of others unjustly, in the day of Accounts; I leave you to consider: It is very good to minde often that wee shall give an account of all our idle words: and that by our words wee shall bee judged: and by our words wee shall bee condemned. The Lord teach us his feare in all things, and grant, that before all keeping, wee may keep the wayes of our heart from double aimes in spirituall matters: not to look a▪squint unto the worldly designes of States, or great-Ones; to serve their turnes with our indevours. Doe not in­quire who I am, you may come to know mee in due time; look upon mee, as I doe upon you, in your Writings; I never saw your face to my knowledge, and perhaps you will never see mine: I desire to know no body after the flesh; take you onely notice of that which I am to you in the spirit,