News FROM HEAVEN BOTH GOOD AND TRUE CONCERNING ENGLAND showing the right way to Compose all differences and reconcile all disagreements betwixt King and Subjects, Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Masters and Servants. And so to procure the Prince of peace to dwell in our LAND. Being a DIALOGUE between Mr. TINDALL and Mr. BRADFORD, two famous English MARTYRS. Collected by E. F. LONDON, Printed by R. O. & G. D. 1641. News from HEAVEN Mr. Bradford. AH my dear Brother Tindall, do you hear what stirs and discords there are at this time in our native country England, betwixt superiors, and inferiors? Tind. Yea my sweet Brother Bradford I both hear of them, and know the cause of them. Brad. O What is the cause I pray you. Tind. The true cause is the want of doing their duties each to other, as Christians ought to do. Brad. Well then the remedy is for each one to do their duty, werefore my dear Brother, I beseech you declare unto me what is their duty each to other and I will send my Friend to be your messenger to carry it to some godly brother of ours yet in the flesh. Tind. My sweet brother you know I did it when I was in the flesh, and they have my works amongst them. Brad. O but brother, your works are very hard to be found and those that have them do not raed them so oft as they should, but of you would be pleased to send a Message from Heaven, O how acceptable it would be unto many. Tind. Well then sweet brother, sith you will needs have it so, The King's duty. I will grant your request, wherefore I pray you first let the King know that though in the temporal Regiment he be in the room of God, and representeth God himself, and is without comparison better than his Subjects, yet let him put off that and become a brother, remembering that his people are Christ's inheritance, and possession, bought with his blood, and therefore in that respect are his brethren, and equal with him in the kingdom of God, let him not therefore think himself too good to do them service, neither let him seek any other thing in them then a father doth in his children, yea then Christ sought in us, let him do and leave undone, all things in the commonwealth, in respect to the good of his people, that it may be manifest he seeketh nothing but their good when a cause cometh before him that requireth the execution of justice then let him take the Parson of God upon him, then let him know no creature but hear all indifferently, and judge righteously, for the judgement is the Lords; let him rule his realm himself with the help of laymen that are sage, wise, learned, and godly: let him take their advice what is necessary for the defence of his realm, and the peace of his people, let him defend his people from the wrongs of other Nations, and let him keep his faith and truth▪ and all lawful promises and bonds not only with Christian Princes, but also with the Turk or whatsoever other infidel it be, for that is right before God, as the examples of Scripture testify, and thus briefly touching the duty of the King Brad. But stay sweet brother, is it not meet that the King should make use of them they call spiritual Lords for his Counsellors? Tind. O no by no means, for is it not a shame above all shames and a monstrous thing, that no man should be found able to govern a worldly kingdom save Bishops & Prelates, that are appointed to preach the kingdom of God, which kingdom Christ saith is not of this World? The truth is dear brother, to preach God's word is too much for half a man one man therefore cannot well do both for no man can serve two Masters. Brad. Well then sweet brother, proceed on I pray to show the duty of Subjects. Tind. subject's Duty. The Apostle Paul saith, let every soul be subject to the authority of the higher Powers, &c. God therefore hath given laws unto all Nations & put Kings and governors in his own steed to rule the world through, for there is no power but of God; by power understand the authority of Kings and Princes therefore subjects are to obey not for fear of punishment so much as for conscience sake, for those Subjects that have Christ's spirit in them, do not look what is profitable, good, glorious, & honourable for themselves, neither on their own will, but on God's will only, and so they do reverently think of and voluntarily subject unto their King for God's Ordinance sake. Brad. And sweet brother must Subjects do this to bad Kings as well as to good Kings? Tind. Sweet brother, this is most certain; that heads and governors are ordained of God, and are the gift of God, whether they be good or bad, and whatsoever is done unto us by them, that doth God, be it good or bad, if they be evil: why are they evil? verily for our wickedness sake are they evil, we read in the Book of Sammuel, that God was angry with the people, If Christians must be thankful for a Tyrant, then surely England hath cause to be thankful for a Christian King. and moved David to number them and though Joab and other Lords dissuaded him from it, yet it holp not; God so hardened his heart in his purpose to have an occasion to slay the wicked people: and this is sure though a King be the greatest Tyrant in the world; yet is he unto his subjects a great benefit for whom they ought to thank the Lord highly for it is better to suffer one Tyrant then many, and to suffer wrong of one then of every man, and better to pay the tenth then to lose all. Brad. Then surely sweet Brother, it is not lawful for Subjects to avenge themselves of their King though he be wicked. Tind. O no sweet Brother by no means, but rather pray to God heartily for him: if any man might have avenged himself upon a King, that might David most righteously have done upon King Saul, who so wrongfully prosecuted him, yet when God had delivered Saul into his hands, that he might have done what he would with him, he did no more but cut off the lap of his garment, and yet for that his heart smote him, and when his men encouraged him to slay him, he answered, God forbid that I should lay my hands upon the Lord's anointed, neither suffered he his men to hurt him, for if he had he had sinned against God, for God hath made the King in every realm judge over all, and over him is there no judge. He that judgeth the King judgeth God▪ and he that layeth hands on the King layeth hands on God: if the Subjects sin they must be brought to the King's judgement, if the King sin he must be reserved to the judgement and wrath of God. Brad. Well then now sweet brother proceed in the next place to speak of the duties of Husbands to their Wives. Tind. The Apostle Peter exhorts husbands to give reverence to their wives as unto the weaker vessel, Husban●s duty. in many things God hath made the man stronger than the woman, not to rage upon her or be a tyrant unto her, but to help her & bear her weakness, let him therefore be courteous unto her and win her to Christ, and overcome her with kindness, that of love she may obey the Ordinance that God hath made between man and wife. Let man beware that his love to his wife be not provoked by his lusts, but let him love her for Conscience sake, as unto the Lord Christ, for Christ hath authority over marriage, therefore let a man have an eye unto him, and not look on his wife's unworthiness, want of goodness▪ or untowardness to be ruled, but on the will of Christ, and so go on in playing the good husband and seeking to win his wife unto God, and if she continue still untoward, let him say within himself, alas it is the Lord's scourge on me, for that I have not been as I ought to be in obeying Christ my spiritual husband, wherefore let him not be rigorous towards his wife, seeing that he himself deserveth to be thus humbled, his duty is yet to love her and to bear with her, yea though there be vices in her, he must not pass what the person is, but must consider she is his wife, and that Christ allotteth him such a portion because it is meet for him, wherefore let him consider his sins and pray for the pardon for them, and then that the Lord would be pleased to take away that rod and deal more gently with him: and for the enabling him to do this the first and chief point is▪ that God be called upon, for though a man use all the means that can be, yet if he trust in his own wisdom and power, he shall but lose his time for God will laugh his presumption to scorn, but if he do consider that God hath his wife's heart in his hands and can bow it as it pleaseth him, and do thereupon call to the Lord to give his wife grace, then will the Lord hear him, and let him not say tush let me alone, I will compose her well enough, as who would say he were a God, and as though God had reserved nothing to himself, whereby to teach men to come unto him, to meeken their wife's hearts and bow them to obedience and mildness: and thus also have I showed you the duties of husbands to their wives. Brad. Proceed I beseech you likewise to show the duties of Wives to their Husbands. Tind. Who created the woman, knoweth what is in that weak vessel, as Peter calleth her, and hath therefore put her under the obedience of her husband, let the wife, therefore see that she fear her husband, as Paul commandeth her, for her husband is unto her in stead of God, therefore she is to obey him, and wait on his will and command, for his commands are God's commands, yea though he be a wicked and unkind husband, if she grudge against him and resist him, she grudgeth against God and resisteth God, it is the Lord's Ordinance that the husband should rule over the wife, and how can the husband rule over her if she obey him not. Brad. But stay sweet brother and by the way tell me, in how many things the wife must be subject to her husband. Tind. You know sweet Brother the Apostle saith in all things, that is both in her opinion, affection, speech, action and all that concerneth the Husband must savour of subjection, and that not only to the good and godly husband but though the husband carry the very Image of the devil, yet in regard of the place and Office he beareth, she must be subject unto him, for Christian Wives in their subjection to their Husbands must have respect unto Christ, in whose room their Husbands are unto them, therefore they must be subject not so much because their Husbands love them, or for that they are kind to them, or maintain them well, no nor yet for fear of his displeasure, but because of Christ's Ordinance, whereby their Husbands are made their head, thus holy Women of old subjected themselves to their husbands, and a wife cannot be holy, except she thus subject herself for conscience sake, and so have I also done with the duty of the wife to her Husband. Brad. Well then, dear bro●her, I pray proceed in the next place to show the duties of Parents to their Children. Tind. parent's duty. The Apostle saith, Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonishment of the Lord, le● Parents teach them to know Christ and set God's Ordinances before them saying Son or Daughter, God hath created and made thee through us thy Father and Mother, and at his command have we so long so kindly brought thee up, and kept thee from perils and he hath commanded thee to obey us▪ the which if thou do thou shalt grow in favour both with God and man, after this manner let Parents deal with them, and not rate them or revile them lest they be discouraged, for when the Parents are weyward, hasty, and churlish, ever brawling and chiding; there are the Children discouraged and heartless, and apt for nothing neither can they they do any thing aright, yet let them not so much encourage them with worldly ends, as to say, if thou do thus and thus thou shalt come to wealth and honour, but encourage them with the hope of God's favour and of eternal happiness, and if need require▪ let them give them seasonable moderate and due correction, and ever be sure to pray heartily to Christ for them: and moreover let Parents mark how they themselves were disposed at all Ages and by experience of their own infirmities, help their Children and keep them from occasions, and let not Parents stretch their authority to the utmost towards their Children, but some times suffer with them and bear with their infirmities, as they desire Christ should do theirs, and so seek to win them to Christ by gentle and loving means, and so have I also briefly declared the duty of Parents towards their Children. Brad. Go on I beseech your, o show the duty of Children to their Parents. Tind. The Apostle saith, Children obey your Parents in the Lord, Childens' duty. whence note that Children must so perform their duties to their Parents as they would or should perform it to the Lord, that is in conscience, or for conscience sake, which is all one as for the Lord's sake, not because their Parents are rich, and therefore able to give them good Portions, nor yet because they are kind and therefore ready to reward them, nor yet because they fear they will punish them if they do not; but because God requires it, and it is well pleasing to the Lord, let Children know than it is their duties to love and fear their Parents, whatsoever they be, whether poor or Rich, good or bad, and that they owe unto them whatsoever they, either are, or have, and therefore whatsoever they do unto their Parents whether good or bad they do it unto Christ, when they please their Parents they please Christ, and when their Parents are justly angry with them Christ is angry with them, neither is it possible for them to come into Christ's favour again, no though all the Angels in Heaven should pray for them until they have submitted and reconciled themselves to their Parents again, and so have I also done with the duties of Children towards their Parents. Brad Go on I beseech you to show the duty of Masters to wards their Servants. Tind. The Apostle saith, ye Masters do even the same things unto your Servants, that is, be a Master after the example and Doctrine of Christ, Master's duty▪ put away threatenings, give them fair words, and exhort them kindly to do their duties, yea and nurture them as thine own Children, with the Lord's nurture, that they may see in Christ a cause why they ought lovingly to obey, do unto them that which is just and equal remembering that you have a Master in Heaven, give them food, raiment and learning, be not bitter to them, rail not on them, nor give them a cruel countenance but deal kindly with them, and when they labour sore, cherish them, pray heartily to God for them, and if they have need of correction, let God's word be by, and do it after such a good manner, that they may see you do it only to amend them, and to bring them into that way which God would have them walk in▪ and not to avenge yourselves▪ or to wreck your malice on them, and if at any time through passion you exceed measure in correcting them, recompense it in pardoning them another time, and be sure you have a special care of the good of their souls: and thus you see also the Master's duties to their servants. Brad. Conclude than I beseech you, in showing the duty of Servants to their Masters. Tind. The Apostle saith, Servants obey your Masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling▪ servant's duty. in singleness of heart as unto Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as the Servants of Christ, doing his will from the heart, wherefore let Servants in what respect or degree soever they are, during the time of their covenants know for a surety that their Master is unto them in the stead and room of God and that God through him feedeth thee▪ clotheth thee▪ ruleth thee and learneth thee, his commandments are God's commandments, and thou oughtest to yield obedience unto him as unto God, and in all things to seek his pleasure and profit, for thou art his goods and possession as well as his ox and Horse, therefore Paul the Apostle though he had need of Onesiemus to minister to him in his bonds yet would he not retain him without the consent of his Master: if thou be a Christian servant, thou must do thy duty to thy Master for conscience sake, as having an eye to Christ his will and Ordinance, not for by respects, as for that thou wouldest be bountifully rewarded, or that thy Master may praise thee, nor yet to avoid correction, but have thou an eye unto Christ and his acceptation, and this thou must not only do to a good and courteous Master, but also to the froward, though he take no notice of it nor reward thee for it, and thus my sweet brother, according to your desire I have declared, the duties both of Superiors and Inferiors, in a Christian commonwealth. Brad. Well then dear brother, I will now speedily send my angel to my dear Native Country England, even to that famous City of London where I shed my blood for the love of that truth which now is there powerfully Preached, and he shall tell them good news from Heaven, yea from the Lord, Lev. 26.3.6.12. saying, O England, if ye walk in these Ordinances, and keep these commandments, and do them, I will send peace in the Land, and ye shall sleep, and none shall make you afraid; and I will walk among you; and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people. Amen. FINIS.