A WORD To the LII LONDON MINISTERS. Showing That the most zealous Professors of Religion in all Ages have been the greatest Persecutors of Christ and his most spiritual Members, illustrated and proved.  
By Nicolas Cowling.  IOH. 16. v. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues, yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service. IOH. 7. v. 48. Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharises believed on him? 
LONDON, Printed in the year, 1648.   

A Word to the 52. London MINISTERS.  
HAving seen of late a little Book entitled a Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ: and finding myself by name, listed for an heretic, in that I have formerly Asserted that a believer is perfect in this life, or never, which I yet hold for a truth, seeing that as the tree falleth so it shall lie, and it hath been the doctrine of reverend Hierom, Bolton, Dod, and others; As the day of death leaveth thee, the day of judgement shall find thee: but to be convicted for an heretic by no other Argument but that female one, it is so because it is so, I cannot so be satisfied; therefore my humble desire unto you is, that some one amongst you will be pleased to set forth from the letter of the Holy-Scriptures (without any of your fallible interpretations. The time when, the place where, and the means by which, a man that before he dies is not perfectly made one with the Father and the son by the Spirit, but shall be made so after death: It shall be sufficient unto me to retract my opinion although I have nothing asserted but is Scripture phrase in the letter thereof, if you please to consider the same, seeing the Apostle affirmeth on the behalf of his brethren the Jews. I bear 
a Rom. 10. 2.  them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Giveme leave to set before you that glass that hath plainly shown me my former mistakes, when I was zealus in my conformity unto that administration of the Prelacy, & since of that covenanted form of Independency, those that did know me in either, can bear me witness of the truth of my zeal unto my principles: but having a clear manifestation of the true ground and cause from whence ariseth all the revilings bitings and devourings that is amongst brethren, to be no other but that old root of bitterness which separated Adam from his Maker, namely Ambition and covetousness; his Ambition led him no higher than God, but to be equal with him in knowledge, his covetousness led him out to that which was none of his, either by gift or purchase: the same principle of Ambition and Covetuosnes remaineth, but in a different manner, no more ascending up so high as God, for that way our necks were broken; but now the design is we will fetch God down as low as ourselves, or we will have none of him, nay we will knock him out of the country, if he dare to manifest himself in any other way than we prescribe him. As we may plainly see in Cain, when he had formed a sacrifice in which he thought GOD was bound to meet him, and the way of Abel was accepted, and his rejected; how was his countenance cast down, and wrath increased against his brother, so that nothing could satisfy his disconted soul, but the death of his brother, that so he might no more be troubled with such a manifestation of God as appeared in him, which was contrary unto his for me? 
b Gen. 3. 5. 6.  Korah because all the people were holy, would not allow that manifestation of God unto Moses, to be any whit superlative unto him, or any of the people, and therefore stubbornly we will not come up. 
a Numb. 16. 12.  more particularly come and see the reason why the Prophets of the Lord could perish nowhere but at Jerusalem, where the temple of God was, the high Priest that was anointed with holy oil, the Tabernacle, the Mercy seat, the Altar of Incense, the daily sacrifice, and the Holy of Holies, where were the Oracles, and yet in this place must the prophet's fall.  
Undoubtedly for no other cause but that the Lord was pleased to manifest himself in them, unto the people in a more spiritual and salubious manner than he did appear in the Scribes who were their expositors of the law of Moses, seeing therein no farther than the bare letter (the Prophets being no weekly Lecturers, nor Masters of any Synagogues) but spoke only when sent, and as the Spirit gave them utterance. It may seem strange that Isaiah a Prophet of so long standing as to prophesy unto four Kings, should in his old age be by the learned rabbis awarded no better death, than to be sawed in pieces. It must needs be for some grievous blasphemy; two of which ye may find in his prophecy 
a Isa. 42. 1. 6. 7.  according to their expositions, the first was that the Gentiles should be a glorious Church, the second was that which reigneth so much amongst us now, namely he preached down 
b Isa. 66. 3.  Ordinances, he that killeth an ox as if he slew a man, he that sacrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swine's blood, he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol, this was blaspheming enough to deserve the saw, and that the first was blasphemous enough to deserve death, may appear by that of St. Paul Act. 22. 21. And he said unto me depart, for I will send thee far hence, unto the gentiles, v. 22. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lift up their voices and said away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live: so that to all such now as are yet in the ministration of Moses, & no farther, can and will kill any that live higher above Ordinances, in the Spirit, if they can but get Pilate to give judgement, for the like causes did all the rest of the Prophets suffer, the being more spiritual, God bearing witness in them, did outshine those that lived in the bare letter of Ordinances, and therefore could not bear such doctrines that did cross their mouths. First, their Sacrifices and their standing before the Lord to inquire after his will, their hypocritical humiliations and bowing down the head like a bulrush. These things with many other spoken of by the Prophets, and sharply inveighed against; many more (which I could mention, but for brevity I omit) were the only causes why those godly men according to the letter did deal so inhumanly barbarous with those dear servants the Prophets of the Lord, but you will say if the whole Sannedrim of the Jews did consent, how came their prophecies to be enroled in the cannon of holy writ? It is probable that in all ages there were some few that had their negative voice, and did survive the execution of those horrid counsels and when good Magistrates reigned, than were those records reveiwed, & then was enquiry made for their Sepulchers to have them adorned; and had we lived in the days of our fathers we would not have killed the Prophets of the Lord as they did, and so the generations successively filled up the measure of their father's iniquity; more plainly, this is to be seen in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we consider well how he being so popular, when he came to save his life by the vote of the people, lost it so shamefully that a murderer was preferred before him, and the more strange it is that their affections but two days before were so fixed on him, that they durst enter into the strong garrison of Jerusalem, being then under the command of the Romans, Pilate being governor; and there openly to proclaim a new King of the house of David, crying Hosanna, Alarum sufficient to have brought them to a council of war, and there they might have thrown dice for their lives; and yet these men upon serious consideration changed their minds, and within three days voted him to death. But you will say this was a giddy multitude easy to be drawn by cunning, crafty, wicked men; the Jewish nation were never accounted fools in worldly wisdom, neither were these men profane, but devout in expecting their Mesias, and upon that account they followed him from sea to sea to hear his Doctrine, and see his Miracles, and when spies were sent to carp at him, none so ready as they to justify him, as, when the Christ cometh will he do greater things than this man hath done. And lo on an instant, crucify him, away with him, he is not worthy to live. Let's inquire into the cause hereof, and surely you shall find it not to proceed from lightness, malice against God, or from profaneness, but rather from their zeal unto God, and the preservation of his holy Ordinances, as appeareth thus. Upon this uproar Caiphas calleth an assembly (not of drunkards, swearers, and profane persons) but of the most reverend Priests, 
a Ioh. 11. 49. 50.  Scribes, Pharisees, and devout men, that walked constantly in the performance of all Religious duties towards God, according to the fashion of the Church in those days; and some of them had walked in all good Conscience towards God, as concerning the Law, unblameable unto that day.  
Now saith he, Ye know nothing at all, neither do ye consider that our nation is like to perish, if this Jesus remain alive, you are so conscientious of shedding blood lest he should be a Prophet, and so you think you shall thereby fill up the measure of our father's iniquity; but we must sometimes act Providentially, as well as Piously and justly; and therefore whether is it better that one man should die, or a whole Nation perish? this is now put to the vote, and carried in the affirmative, only two are in the negative Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, but here is the quaere, the people so dote on him, that they will stone us, we must therefore get him by night, and when we have seized him we shall easily draw off the people from him: for in deed and truth he is not of God, but doth all his works by Belzebub, and thus the people shall clearly see when we have gotten him: Christ is now in their hands by the treason of his own servant, and that in the night when the multitude was asleep, and now the people are called in having secured his person from their reach; and now the high Priest begins to act his part, beginning thus or the like, brethren you are the Children of Abraham, of the noble stock of Israel; to whom are committed the Oracles of God, and you are all of you devout and zealous towards God, as we are this day, according to the Law of Moses, and the traditions of the Fathers, for ye are sure that God spoke with Moses; but I shall make it appear unto, that all that this man hath done is by the power of Beelzebub, for you may be assured that whosoever keepeth not the commandments which Moses gave us, is not of God, and when this doth appear, you will have other thoughts of him, call in the witnesses, doth this man, your great Prophet, keep the Sabbath day? nothing less, he works himself, and justifies others, also he made clay for a plaster, he allowed his Disciples to gather corn, he commanded the impotent man to carry his Bed, he cured the withered hand, and many more such pranks he doth on the Sabbath day: well, what think ye, is he a friend to our nation? or doth he not complot with the Romans to destroy us? It is very probable; for we desired him to resolve us whether it was lawful to give God's penny to Caesar or no, he bids us Give unto Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and unto God, the things that are God's; see he cares not how he burdeneth the nation. What think ye of him concerning the Ordinances and the Temple, doth he maintain them? here is witness that he did intend to destroy the Temple: a very good testimony; what sayest thou to all that is witnessed against thee, answerest thou nothing for thyself? we intend to do nothing against thee but justice; nay, thou shalt have mercy from us, so far as it may not impeach the glory of God for which our zeal is purely fervent. Christ answers nothing, as if he were sure the major vote of the people would carry it for him,  
He is now commanded to withdraw, and now the priests turn to the people what think ye, is he worthy to live? some of the wiser and more conscientious amongst them demurred upon it, the witnesses not agreeing fully in every punctilio to the Articles exhibited against him: now the Priest replies I see a mighty besottedness upon your spirits; the breach of the Sabbath, the destruction of the Temple, the laying aside of Ordinances is nothing with you, I think you will tolerate Blasphemy; likewise (nay) there is no blasphemy proved against him, but what if you hear him blaspheme to your faces? call him in again: Come sir you have hard thoughts of us, as if we intended to take away thy life right or wrong, which appears to us by thy silent carriage towards us; but I would have thee know we are holy conscientious men, and do earnestly wait for the Mesiah, and if we were sure thou wert him, we would worship thee, this set the people right to judge of him: now follows the oath ex officio. I adjure thee by the living God to tell us whether thou be the Christ the son of the living God. Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven. Now ye have heard his blasphemy. Mat. 26. v. 66, to 68 See then how priest and people (though devout) were transported into a frantic zeal, for preserving God from being blasphemed, not being able to bear the appearancy of God in the flesh, and so became the betrayers and murderers of the Lord of life, and so those people that but even now feared no danger for Christ, being no higher principled than in the carnal commandment of godliness given by Moses, which is but the utter Court of the Temple, were easily drawn aside (by the specious pretence of that seeming godliness which the Scribes and Pharisees lived in, and thereby deceived themselves as well as the people) and so thought it a more Pious equitable work to vote, that a murderer (who was penitent) should live, than to preserve a Blasphemer, that continues in his sin, and so disturbs the peace of their carnal Church. Upon the same account did our Popish Bishops destroy the Lollards, and burn the Martyrs, not because they were godly people, but because they were adjudged heretics, yet we condemn them as great persecutors of the Saints: and yet we must make up the measure of our father's iniquity? if Penry Barraw and Grenwel will be so bold as to affirm Bishops to be Antichristian, he must hang for it, in the days of famous Elizabeth; and if Hack●t will affirm that Christ is in him the hope of glory, he must●russ likewise: I hope you will not conclude our Clergy to be maliciously wicked, but what they did was in order to the peace of the Church, and the glory of God, as it did then appear unto them. Christ told Peter that flesh and blood revealed not that confession; as if he should have said, If thou hadst all the Divinities of the priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and learned Grecians, nay, if thou hadst been Doctor of the Chair in Oxford and Cambridge, all these, nor any of these can reveal me, but my Father which is in Heaven; and therefore the time shall come, and still is that the rabbis of the Churches shall think they do God good service when they kill my beloved ones.  
Now my dear hearts, and fellow members in that glorious head the Lord Christ Jesus, be not bitter in your spirits, and judge nothing before the time; experience is the best teacher, and therefore to you that are not privy to yourselves of any secret selfishness, but are simply and purely zealous for God, as was Saul, and will not knowingly smite or offend the least of Christ's members, I say let me be bold in love to impart unto you my former experience in the mystery of Christ. I thought a long while a faith in Jesus, that died at Jerusalem, was the top gallant of a Christian, but since it doth clearly appear, that all the faith the disciples had in Christ their Master, which was a faith only without, and none of the mystery of Christ within them. I say that faith in the person of the Lord Jesus died with him, so that when he was dead there was not one that did expect ever to see him again; for Mary went not to see whether he was risen, but to anoint his dead body; yea the disciples who had ground enough for belief, could be so charitable as to judge Mary to be no better than a liar, in reporting feigned things, affirming that he was risen, and we trusted it had been him that should have delivered Israel, said the two disciples, but he is dead; so that its clear all the faith they had in Jesus died with Jesus: now the Apostle tells you Phil. 3. 9 That we may be found in him: not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ (not in Christ) the righteousness which of God by faith. And likewise it is not sufficient that we believe there was such a one died at Jerusalem, and God was fully pleased in him. But the same Apostle tells you, Col. 1. 24. That as the head passed through sufferings, so there is a remainder of afflictions of Christ in our flesh, for the body's sake. And ver. 27. And that it sufficeth not that there is a Christ without us. But Christ in you the hope of glory. And therefore it is Christ in the mystery that will save; a wooden leg that is tied on may do some service, but the leg that is naturally fixed is useful for all occasions▪ seeing by all those former examples, that the Prophets, the Lord Jesus, the holy Martyrs, not one of them in their generation, died as the servants of the Lord, but as blasphemers and dangerous heretics, according to the account of the reverend Clergy then living, whose zeal (for God and the preservation of the peace and purity of holy mother Church, to preserve the glory of the one, and the honour of the other, was the principle cause that led them forth to deal so cruelly with them. Now seeing that unmatchable Pharisee Saul (which profession in the church of God in that generation was accounted most pious) that could say as concerning the law he was unblameable in his conversation) being mad in his zeal for God, against the dear Saints of God. Consider in how desperate a condition he was in, when going to Damascus, if mercy had not met him: and seeing the Lord Jesus constitute in his church, never a Constable nor justice of peace to meddle with any of his Saints, why are you so importunate to call in the Magistrate for your assistance, seeing you do not produce your warrant or precedent from him, & seeing I find but one civil officer in his family, namely a Treasurer: and for his sake, be so courteous as not in the least to engage the civil Magistrate with his corrective power to enforce any man to be a believer, before that holy spirit convince him, so shall the church more probably be freed from hypocrisy and backsliding, and you shall not through mistakes attract any guilt upon them or yourselves; and the rather because you ingeniously confess that you do but conceive this way you prescribe to be the right way.  
See how our grandmother Eve was deceived in her conception when she brought forth Cain, it could be no less than the Mesiah, as she thought; and lo a murderer▪ and Abraham a Prophet of the Lord, and the father of the faithful, thought he had gotten the heir of promise when he had Ishmael, and he had nothing but a persecuting scoffer, therefore take heed of zeal not rightly informed: and surely those several forty stripes save one, which Paul so frequently met with, will fall very smart upon his back, that will at any time take the boldness (upon his fallible judgement) to lend them unto any Saint; and surely it will not repent any Saint of God that he did not enterprise to grieve the least little one, that believeth. And therefore sweetly David, 1 Sam. 25. 33, 34▪ By which counsel he was diverted from executing the determination of his counsel of War; consider seriously who they were that persecuted Jesus Christ, the Prophets, and the Martyrs, were the men that did openly profess themselves enemies to godliness, nothing less; suppose in the days of Christ Jesus the people would have had Religion reformed, who should have been chosen for the Assembly? doubtless it must have been Scribes and Pharisees, and no Publicans; surely Gamaliel was likely to have been Prolocutor, and his disciple Saul might have been the public notary; and yet see how these learned souls in their zeal for God were mistaken; leave all the rest, and to our present time, how many of our reverend Divines in the time of their prelatical obedience, how earnestly did they contend for the upholding of the liturgy, against such as opposed it: which now they cast out with tongues and slice. And had Bishop Laud not steadfastly believed God was highly concerned in those material churches, and that men's cringing and crouching were of high concernment before God, he would never have run the hazard of his head as he did. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. Gal. 4. 18. And having no other ground but our fallible conceptions to guide ourselves and others by, let us be very tender of enforcing.  
Now Christ alone having the government upon his shoulders who is only wise and infallible, and seeing the temple is filled with smoke and that he will bring his people into the wilderness and plead with them, and that tongues shall cease, and ye shall no more say one to another know the Lord, but ye shall be all taught of me, from the greatest to the least, why shall we limit the holy one of Israel, and say the time is not yet? And seeing he hath a fan in his hand, he will throughly purge his floor. And be not like those officious husbandmen, who no sooner thought they saw a blade like a tare, but they must be picking of it up; the answer was, let both grow together until harvest, and unto James & John, ye wot not of what spirit ye are of, I come not to destroy but to save. It may seem here is begging for a toleration; for myself I pass not what men conclude on in the matters of God, if they break his bonds, cast away his cords, and will not have Christ to reign over them, they are but laughed at, and will fall to pieces, knowing and being well assured that there is a rest for the people of God, and they that enter into it cease from their works as God did from his, and that the kingdoms and the powers shall serve the Lord Christ in the Saints, and this sufficeth me.  
FINIS.