HAving received, and perused your Epistle, directed to your Reader, wee thinke our selves bound in dutie, as well for the Vindication of our Innocency, as the sa­tisfaction of our fellow Citizens, and others, who have, or shall read you; to let your selfe, and the world know, that wee, the persons, against whom you are pleased to be so in­vective, are such as by our fruits (our lives and conversations) desire to be knowne: By Gods grace wee are what wee are; wee desire not, that our talkative tongues should applaud us before men, but that our sincere soules should approve us to God. To him, the searcher of all hearts, wee appeale; 2 Chron. 28.9 for he knowes, and his discerning Spirit testifies to, and with our spirits, that we are every one of us free from all those your viru­lent expressions; which causeth our spirits to be perplexed, and our very soules to grieve; not for our owne sakes, whom you have endeavoured to shoot and stab, with the sharpe Ar­row, and direfull dart of your siery tongue. But for your own [Page 6]sake; that you, whom wee esteemed to be principled from Heaven, (and so some of us reported of you,) should disco­ver your rotten principles, Ephesi. 4.31. by your bitternesse, wrath, ang [...], calmour, evill speaking, and malice; whereas your speech ought to be alwayes with grace, Col. 4.6. seasoned with salt.

Could it be imagined, that a man of your pretence could pos­sibly thus miscarry? Where is that divine strength that should have conquered your peevish passion? What! professe so much grace, and demonstrate so much unsubdued nature? Before you did thorowly resolve to belch out so many Bedlam blasts, why did you not remember your owne honour? Surely that, though Gods glory would not, might have deterred you from your rayling rage.

Sir, You must give us leave to trace your Tract, that so wee may fully answer every piece of your patcht Epistle that shall concerne us; for one jot further wee will not step; No, wee have already appealed to God: And now wee will appeal to the world, whether or no, wee be such as your terme us, mad­men, furious, brutish beasts; Phrases that your carnall Chri­stian surely scornes to breath forth.

The providence of God disposing of our thoughts to visite the Leaguer lately before Oxford; & the rather, for that it was credibly reported in London, that Oxford would certainly be surrendred on Saturday, the sixth of June last: And having ne­ver beene at, nor seene a Leaguer; hoping likewise that this would be the last Leaguer, that wee should have occasion to see in England; by Gods assistance, setting forth from our dwellings in London, on Friday the fifth of June in the after­noone, wee came to the Leaguer the day following, without the least thought of any manner of designe: O censorious Sir! You saw not our hearts, our hearts to whom the very name malignitie, much more the thing, come it whether in your first or second edition, if under that no­tion of malignitie, tis odious, tis abominable: Tis pub­liquely knowne, that wee have layed out our selves, and ours, for the publique.

On the Lords day, the seaventh of that June, in the morn­ing, we desiring so much as we could, at such a distance from home, and in such a place, to spend that day to Gods glory and our owne good) hearing that there would be no Sermon at Wheatly, where we Inn'd, we repaired to the Lea­guer, and inquired at the Head-quarters, who was to Preach before his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and where the Ser­mon would be, and were informed that your selfe were to exercise at the meeting-place at Marston; learning at length that by Meeting-place was meant the Church; thither we repaired, where we saw and heard from you Master Dell, a great deale of other Matter then the Presse hath met with­all; and till then, most of us never saw, nor heard of you: Yet were we so farre from anger, or headinesse, by you charged upon us, against the plaine and cleere truth of the Gospell, which you then delivered in your Exposition, that we commended you for all that we found to be commenda­ble in you: As we did, doe, and will say, (say you what you will) that you did deliver some very good matter. But yet, since we are necessitated, and since (as it now appeares to us) wise men are not alwayes so wise as they should, or might be; therefore you will have us promulge our thoughts to the world; we must declare, we were not sa­tisfied with all that then you did deliver. But pray, let us tell you, you doe ill to conclude, that because we spoake not with you, therefore we durst not come to you to dis­course with you, or looke you in the face; for all of us had not the opportunity to come unto you, and indeed after our rehearing from you by a Gentleman of our Company, who did speake with you, as you have acknowledged; though wee could have gained time, we had but little desire, the reason whereof we hereafter give you in this our Answer.

On the Munday morning, the eighth of June, we tooke our journey homewards, and by Gods blessing returned that night well and safe to our dwellings; leaving behinde us at the Leaguer, some of our Company C. F., which we had just [Page 8]cause to suspect (because you put us in minde of Designes) went thither to carry on a Designe, as appeared, by desert­ing of us; by maintaining the rumour of the SCOTS comming against the Army; by discountenancing some of our godly Preachers in London; and such other passages. Having bin a few dayes at home, a rumour came to our eares, of a seditious Sermon lately Preached in the Lea­guer; and the peoples voyce pitcht upon this your menti­oned Exposition, to be that Leagver Sermon, which so tended to sedition. The whole truth, and substance where­of (notwithstanding your affirmation) to our knowledge is not exactly set downe in the Printed Copy: For as very much is abated, which you then delivered; so, something is added, of like words indeed, but of much different sence; whereof we will not presume to passe any manner of cen­sure or judgement, for that is above us and now depending. For the report hereof stayed not long within the Citie wals; insomuch, that within a few dayes following, no­tice having bin taken of our late returne from the Leaguer, we were, with much wonderment on our part, and without our foreknowledge, privity or desire, summoned to make our appearance on Munday the nine and twentieth of the same June, in the Lords House of Parliament. Whither be­ing come, we were there demanded by the right Honoura­ble Lord, the then Speaker, Whether we were lately at the Leaguer, and whether we heard you Preach there. We an­swered, we were there, and there we heard you Expound the s [...]ven last verses of the 54. Chapter of Jsaiah. Then was pro­duced by one of the Clarks of that House, a Paper, which when he had read, we found that it contained certaine passa­ges of your Exposition, which it seemes you have now for­gotten, and therefore have either omitted or minced them. But being demanded, whether we remembred them to passe from you or not, we must speake the truth, and did confesse, that those or the like words in effect, were then and there by you delivered. Whereupon we were for that time dismissed, and commanded to attend againe on Thursday following, [Page 9]being the second of this July; where having attended some time, we were without calling in commanded to depart, till further summons.

What was then and there read unto us, as by you delive­red in your Exposition, if not in those very words; yet to that effect, doth here follow, viz.

There are no more of the Church of God in a Kingdome, then there be such as have the spirit of God in that King­dome.

Neither Old nor new Testament doe hold forth a whole Nation to be a Church.

Whatsoever a State, an Assembly, or Counsell shall say, ought not to binde the Saints, further then the judgement of those Saints shall lead them.

The Saints are those that are now stiled Anabaptists, Fa­malists, Antinomians, Independents, Sectaries, and the like.

The power is in you the People, keepe it, part not with it.

The first Party that rose against you; namely, the Pro­phane ones of the Land, are already fallen under you; and now there is another party, Formalists and carnall Gospel­ers, rising up against you; but I am confident, they shall al­so fall under you.

They are willing to become Subjects, to make the Saints slaves; nay, they are willing to become slaves themselves, that they may tread upon the necks of the Saints.

Now that being thus by your selfe occasioned, we have declared our consciences, in setting forth the whole truth of our knowledge in these proceedings; we doe, in the pre­sence of God, protest against the very thought, of all or any either old or new Designe, to be acted by us, notwithstand­ing your so much urging the same, and harping thereup­on. But if instead of our acting, those of riper and more diving judgements then we are, can or shall, out of your [Page 10]owne mouth, collect a Designe now in hand on your part, to them we shall leave both it and you.

Be not ashamed Sir to charge home, descend from your mighty mouthing Generalls, your pretended fierce, furious, contradicting, blaspeming, hellish speeches (words not be­seeming so mild a mouth as a Ministers ought to be) to plaine particulars; spare neither our persons, words nor actions: you have severall times met with us, pointed at us; Oh why would you not daigne to speak with us? We are, we hope, of such a Generation as you are, if you be, as we hope you are (notwithstanding the transcendency of your passion) of that generation that feares God: Suppose the worst, that we had wronged you (though should you say it, we dare say, your conscience would check your tongue) Oh me thinks you should not recompence to us evill for evill, Pro. 24.29. Rom. 12.17. nor thus in this vaine, frothy, wording way, seek to avenge your selfe; Rom. 12 19. Why should you be thus transported? You know whose vengeance is, and who hath said he will repay; to him both you and we must stand and fall.

Why will you thus presumingly usurpe Gods Throne? Pray remember what it is to judge; Mat. 7.1, 2. 1 Cor. 4.5. the Lord preserve us from any, and you from further operation of that Spirit, in whom no truth is. Iohn 8, 44. The whole City filled with lyes, slanders! O hyperbolicall! and you poore simple man charged with things you knew not, or rather that you will not remember; but there are though not hundreds, yet a competent number of credible witnesses, and some of them of knowne worth and piety, that when they shall be called to it, will, in dis­charge of their conscience, and according to the Cove­nant which they have taken, put you in mind of something which you would be loath to heare. Ah, Master Dell! what del-usion is it that hath thus seized upon you? What, must meere necessity constraine this, and the following Generations to be acquainted with your juglings? Because you are afraid that your whole exposition, if it look upon the Sunne, will not endure the light thereof; and searing least we being cal­led thereunto, will make a cleer discovery; therefore you [Page 11]cry out, these men resist the Spirit, and act against Christ him­selfe in the Word; a strange conclusion. We hint your drift; you think perchance by your prejudice, to cloud and eclipse us, yet your expectation may be frustrate.

Truly Sir, for our parts, we must needs confesse, that your discourse in print, is plainer then your discourse in the Pul­pit was; yet both there and here, we, whom you esteeme children borne after the flesh, and carnall Christians (the Lord more and more spirituallize both you and us) cannot be so blind, but we must needs, and doe acknowledge some­thing of the spirit in it, against which we abhorre to be at any enmity; and are as seriously resolved as you are, or can be (notwithstanding your boisterous blustering and sesqui­pidalian verborsity) to stand to, and maintaine the Cause of Christ, and the cleering up the brightnesse of his comming in the Ministery of the Gospell, against the power and ma­lice of the Devill and the world, according to our Vocation so farre as possibly we may or can, though with the losse of what is most deare and precious to us, even to the laying downe of our lives themselves: and this profession, notwith­standing all the venome that you have, or can spit against us, we doe here jointly and severally (we thank you for it, for we take it as an accidentall curtesie) make and hold forth; not doubting, but knowing assuredly that the spirit of Christ, which we trust is in us, and hope and pray that it may be in you, is, and will be predominant over that spirit that is in the world.

And now Sir, where or what is that Victory that your verball vaunting boasts of? To what purpose hath your fu­rious fury all this while runne descant? Phil. 3.19. Glory not in your shaine: Is there no other way to accomplish a greater, and more open discovery of the truth, and to cause the beames thereof to be scattered in the Kingdome, but by your curtaild notes? Oh! what pitty is it, that another, and not your selfe, did not write the forepart of this your Epistle? Let another man praise thee, and not thy owne mouth; Pro. 27.2. a stran­ger, [Page 12]and not thy owne lips. Good Master Dell, doe not con­ceive the children of the truth to be so dull, but that they wil entertaine the truth, where, and by whomsoever it comes, without asking you any leave.

Whither are you now roving? You are gotten againe in­to the clouds, and fall againe upon your paradoxes; and because you will not too much tautalogize you have laid aside your before mentioned cunning and deceiving maligni­ty, and have found out Synonimaes for Designes; and now you tell the world, that wee betray our owne and our fel­lowes Cause, and overthrow our owne and their ends: We free­ly professe our ignorance herein, we understand you not, neither know we what to make of, nor how to unfold these your ridiculous riddles: but this we plainly from our soules pronounce and say, Cursed be that person that shall think of oppressing the truth; let it propogate and flourish, and let all its enemies perish; let it flourish! yea, we are confi­dent it will flourish, and that through slanders, oppressions, contradictions, villanies, and all other your reckoned up rascally rabble: And this our confidence is built upon a strong foundation; John 3.35. The Lord of heaven and earth having gi­ven all things into the hands of his Sonne, Heb. 2.8. Col. 1.18. and having put all things in subjection under his feet; so that at length hee shall most certainly have the preheminence; for at the name, and by the onely power of Jesus Christ, Phil. 2.10. every knee shall bow, of things in Heaven and things in Earth, and things under the Earth. Let your thoughts of us be as meane and low as you please, this is that great day and thing that we looke and long for.

Oh! now at length pitty your soule, repent your rai­ling; 2 Sam. 16. 2 Kin. 18. act no longer Shimei nor Rabshakeh's part: Be asto­nished, and magnifie the omnipotent God, that hath thus dis­covered the deceitfulnesse of your heart; Jer. 17.9. and let our soules blesse the Lord, that he, the sole wonder-working God, hath by his power and goodnesse, out of this your intended evil towards us, produced thus much unspeakable joy & com­fort [Page 13]to our spirits, causing us, through the riches of his mer­cy, to cleer up our evidence for heaven, and enabling us by the freenesse of his grace, tovindicate our aspersed selves as to the world, so we hope to your own conscience. Cease there­fore, we beseech you, to calumniate those, that from their soules desire to look and walk heaven-ward: We verily be leeve, did you truly know us, you would not suffer one mans whispering to be so prevalent with you, as thus to alienate your affection from us. Though we are strangers to you, 1 John 3.14. we hope the Lord loves us; Why should you injure and op­presse us? Nay we are Brethren, why should you not love us? We wish that your C. F. Informer were so godly a Citizen as you take him to be: you will not deny that dissembled piety is double iniquity: What think you of that godlinesse that is accompanied with drunkennesse? to say no more of him, though we might speak of pride, lying, backbiting; but we are loath to brand him too much. Could we insinuate into, and fawne upon you, as others doe, then we think you would not thus condemne us: Howsoever, 1 Joh. 3 21. Mat. 12.7. since our hearts condemne us not, why should you doe it? And you have little reason to count us thorny hearers, for that you find by experience, that the Word is not choaked in us. Mat. 13.22.

As for that one among us that came to you, he was not urged thereunto, as you pretend, neither doe you set downe either a true or full relation of that discourse that passed be­tween him and you. The truth is, there was some such dis­course as you have set downe concerning Presbytery and In­dependency, and this was that wherein he rejoyced, as seem­ing to you satisfied: but you must needs remember, that other matters were then spoken of.

Neither was he so satisfied as you would make the world beleeve and how could he or any of us be satisfied? when as this your exposition tendeth much to division, by extolling the Independent party, and yet in private, you wil pretend to put no difference between Presbytery and Independency, and then evade it, by going about to make us and others be­leeve, that your intentions were not according to your expressi­ons. [Page 14]And your Relater is much mistaken in this Christians stomack, for his stomack hath been no other, either con­cerning your selfe or this businesse, then becommeth a Chri­stian to have. But of this particular, and of this Christians more particular answer to so much of your Epistle as con­cernes himselfe singly, you may perchance hereafter have a more full relation.

Thus having by the assistance and direction of our pru­dent and good God, discharged our consciences, and en­deavoured to satisfie both your selfe and the world, by fully answering every particular of your charge against us, we doe heartily commend you to the grace of God, earnestly en­treating you to be no longer mistaken in us, but to be con­vinced in your judgement, that our study is (for such we as­sure you is the bent of our soules, the Lord pardon our sins, our imperfections) to live peaceably with you and all men, Rom. 12.18. Heb. 12.14. as much as in us lieth, and to acquire holinesse; without which, we are most certaine, no man shall see the Lord.