A WARNING PIECE TO AFFLICTED ENGLAND: OR The Church of GOD under a state of DESERTION.  
Laid out in VII. maxims WITH APPLICATION to the present Times Together With The Testimonies of several Reverend Divines concerning the danger the Church of God is in.  
By JOHN MAUDIT, Minister of the Gospel at Pensherst in Kent.  ZECH. 1. 5, 6. Your Fathers where are they? and the Prophets do they live for ever? Yet my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the Prophets, did they not take hold of your Fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. 
London, Printed by D. Maxwell for SA. GELLIBRAND, at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard. 1659   

TO THE Godly and Faithful MINISTERS of the GOSPEL in ENGLAND. Grace, Mercy and Peace be multiplied.  
Reverend Fathers,  
I Humbly commend these few papers to you, as the best judges of the case set forth therein. You know what the state of Desertion is, whither it fall upon a particular person or upon a Nation; and of all the sons that Sion hath brought up, you chiefly have bowels and compassions for her to be sensible of what evil befalls her.  
Jerusalem, Shilo, the Asian, and Roman Churches are before your eyes continually, as so many pillars of salt with Lots wifes Motto on them, Remember. Oh be pleased to look home, and see how it is with your own Vineyard that you are set to keep. Take these few short hintes into your bosom, and weigh them in the balance of the Sanctuary, and enlarge them as God gives you a call and occasion. This only I premise, what Jacobs Sons did with their brother Josephs coat, the like do I in this case that is before you, they brought their brother Josephs coat torn and new-dyed with blood, and said to their father, This have we found; know now whether it be thy Sons coat or no The like is here before your eyes, you have here robes torn, and sullied with dirt and blood, now do you know whose they are? Is this Sion the joy of the whole earth, and is this her sad condition? If so, consider what is to be don, and seek her peace. Which is all that I take the boldness hereby to remember you of. Who am  
One of your fellow labourers in the Gospel of peace. JOHN MAUDIT.   

The State of the Visible Church upon Earth under Desertion.  

The First maxim.  
That the Church visible may fall sometimes into a State of Desertion.  
BY the Church visible is meant either a particular Church, or the collective general Church. That any particular Church may be deserted, and totally exterminated, either by means of persecution, or in progress of time by its own proper defection from the faith, and Orthodox truth of Christ, appears by these Arguments;  
First, the Word of God asserts it, Hos. 2. 3. Jer. 7. 12, 14▪ 15. Rev. 2. 5. and 3. 16.  
2. Experience confirms it in the Churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Laodicea, Jerusalem, and many other instances, God having long since removed his golden Candlestick from them.  
3. There can no special Promise of privilege or exemption be shewed to secure any particular Church from this danger.  
Again, By the Church visible may be meant the collective or general Church upon earth, which are all the particular Churches considered together: And of this the Proposition is also meant in some sort, that it may come to pass that all the external particular visible Churches may as to common apprehension, fall away from the true Worship of God by a general Cataclysme; so as that the whole visible Church of Christ here upon earth may seem to be cast off, and forsaken of God and abolished. Proofs of this:  
First, Under the Old Testament the Prophets bewailed such defections and desertions. The Church being reduced to so obscure a State and Condition, as that no outward and visible face of the Church appeared in public any where; neither were the Members of the true Church able to discern one another, as in the dayes of Elias, 1 Kin. 19, 14.  
Arg. 2. Under the Gospel we find, That Christ and his Apostles have foretold, that many should fall from the Faith, yea, that there should be a general apostasy and falling away, 2 Thes. 2. 3. And so strong should the defection be, as that, if it were possible, the Elect themselves should fall away, Matth. 24. 24. And when the Son of Man should come he should scarce find faith on the earth, Luke 18. 8. A Caution. Yet notwithstanding it can never be that all the particular societies and Churches should be really extinguished, and utterly corrupted, and laid aside from the true Worship of God; but that alway God will keep some true worshippers▪ more or less, whose assemblies, though obscure, doth constitute a true Church for the promise of Christ shall preserve the Church from utter and real extirpation, Matth. 16. 18.   

The Second maxim.  
That the State of Desertion is, Gods hiding of his face 
The state of Desertion defined.  from his people generally, and leaving them to be exercised with great afflictions, and that for a very long season, Psal. 44. 23, 24, 25.  
THe hiding of Gods face implies three things: First, The with-holding of his gracious Spirit in Counsel, that should direct us what is best to be done, and in what manner to do it, and a want of his fostering grace that should help us to do all things: in our straits God seems incogitant of us, asleep and taking no great notice of our distresses, fears, fasts prayers, changes, designs that are carried on. As when God refused to answer Saul when he asked counsel: Or to give the Church any tokens of his presence, any Prophets that could 
Psal. 77. 9.  tell them how long the affliction should endure.  
2. The hiding of Gods face implies, the delivering up of a people to strong delusions, violent temptations; a giving them up to their own hearts lusts and counsels, that they might eat the fruit of their own doings, Prov 1. 30, 31. and Satans delusions: As in Ahabs case, God delivering him up and his council to the suggestion of a lying spirit, that he might fall at Ramoth Gilead in battle.  
3. It implies, great displeasure in Gods heart against a people All three Persons in the blessed Trinity deelaring against them, as a people turned off and divorced, who are no longer in league with him, 2 Chr. 15. 2. Deut. 31. 16, 17. Hos. 1. 9, 8, 7, 6. The Father counting them a burden upon his heart until he be eased of them, Isa. 1. 24. He will hear no intercessor for them, Jer. 15. 1. He will cast them out of his sight, and not suffer them to stand any longer before him, Jer. 15. 1. Yea, he will appoint them to several fearful judgements, v. 2. He will at length scatter them abroad into other kingdoms and places, v. 4. and will harden the hearts of men against them in their Captivity, that none shall pity them, v. 5. Christ the staff of beauty is broken over their heads, they have no benefit from Jesus Christ and his Intercession and blood to keep the peace between God and them any longer; their names are in a manner crossed out of Christs Ephod, He puts off those sweet names and gracious titles of High Priest, King, Elder Brother, Husband, Saviour, Advocate; and puts on terrible names and marches out against them upon his Fathers Commission. He calls himself a furious teased Lion, Hos. 5. 14, 15. that will tear and none shall dare rescue them. A Leopard for subtlety, Hosea 13. 7. to catch them unawares; a Bear bereft of her whelps, vers. 8. that shall devour with fury; a piercing Eastwinde, vers. 15. that shall dry up root and branch; a consuming fire, Psal. 18. 8. A cruel archer, Lament. 3. 12, 13. a resolute terrible enemy, Ezek. 21. 3, 4, 5, to 15. Lastly, the Spirit of God dis-owns them: 1. He ceases to strive with them by inward counsels upon their hearts. 2. He fights against them, testifying out of Gods Word and by his Ministers, and every Judgement perpetually against them. 3. By witnessing in heaven against them; for as it is the Spirits office to witness sometimes for us, so upon this occasion he bears witness against us; as he intercedes sometimes with us, so now he cries and groans against us, Hebr. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. this makes God swear solemnly that he will destroy such a people for grieving so kind a Messenger.  
Thus Desertion appears to be a hiding of Gods face; three Circumstances yet remain in the definition to be opened.  
Its a hiding of Gods face from a people generally: every cloud upon the Sun that shadows our place does not make night, but when the Sun is down, and all the Horizon in every point obscured, then 'tis night: So afflictions or Gods hiding his face from some particular soul does not make a desertion of the Church; but when it is general, a damp upon every family, upon all ranks and conditions, Cities, Countries, then 'tis a plain desertion, as these places of Scripture testify, Isai. 9. 19, 20, 21. and 10. v. 22, 23. Isai. 1. 5. 6. 4. 
T 〈…〉 D 〈…〉 si 〈…〉  7, 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.  
Again, it is not the close of Gods favour or hiding of his face in some degree that layeth a people in this forlorn estate, but Desertion is a loss of grace and favour in an eminent degree, high dis-favour, a leaving them to be exercised with great afflictions: the absence of a Nurse from the Child is not straightway a forsaking of it, or a letting it fall as Mephibosheths Nurse did him, but a casting it out of her arms as Hagar did Ishmael, and going away that she might not see it die: At the beginning God was but lightly displeased with Saul, but at last he finds that God had forsaken him, and delivered him up to an evil spirit; at first God lightly reproved the people of Israel by his Prophets, but they taking no notice, God leaves them wholly in their enemies hands, as the Prophet Zecharie notes, Zech. 1. 4, 5, 6. Or else we may count upon it that Desertion comes on by degrees, as God was noted to go out from before the Cherubims and stand upon the threshold, and from the threshold of the Sanctuary to a mountain near the city, and at last quiter away; so God deserts his people not all of a sudden, but as a gracious father loathe to depart, he forsakes by little and little, warning them to repent, but if our heart grows hard, his heart hardens too, till he have at last cast off his people.  
The third and last Circumstance is, That it is for a long season. Desertion is a hiding of Gods face, not for a short space, as it was upon Achans sin in Joshuahs time, but for many years together, as it was upon Israels sin in Samuels time, 1 Sam. 7. 2. Hosea 2. 2. to 13. Thus was Israel left for seventy years together in their captivity.   

The Third maxim.  
In times of Desertion the three Essential Marks of a true 
symptoms and signs of Desertion.  Church visible, are exceedingly lost, blurred, and defaced.  
THe first Essential Note of a true visible Church( agreed upon by all men) is the pure, faithful preaching of the Word of God; for if you abide in my word, saith our Saviour, then are you my disciples indeed, John 10. 27. therefore the Church is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, that is upon the Doctrine and truth delivered by the Prophets and Apostles, Eph. 2. 20. and the Church is hereby defined; Coetus in quo verbum Dei purè praedicatur est vera Ecclesia, quemadmodum è converso; now in times of desertion the Scriptures and written Word of God are rejected 
2 Chron. 15. 2, 3, 5, 6. Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16, 20.  for a rule, and self inventions and carnal policies take place; the pure clear truths of the Word wrested and baffled or put off by Governors and their people, and a false word and rule accepted of; the kingdom of God resisted that it cannot take place, and false errors spread boldly and connived at, there being no public profession and Church-agreement in the Articles of Faith and Religion.  
The Second Essential Note of a true Church that enjoys communion with God is, That therein the holy Sacraments are purely and faithfully administered▪ For Christ hath not onely left a word to be taught his Disciples, but for their confirmation in a greater measure in the truth, hath annexed certain visible rites which are used as certain 〈◇〉 or Seals which are appendent to his Word. For the Writing and Seals put together give us the greater confidence in Christ in whom are the Promises. When therefore these Seals are dispensed religiously, according to Christs holy institution in the Churches, then it argues, they are the true Churches of Christ to all the world; but when these are laid aside or vitiated and corrupted wilfully, then will God desert his people; for this 
Rev. 2. 4, 5. and 3. v. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21.  Reason it was that God accounted the shane of Egypt, to be upon his people, until at Gilgal they rolled it away by renewing the Sacrament of Circumcision; there being no mark of God more upon them before, then was upon the Egyptians.  
The Third Note of a true Church of Christ is, That Eutaxia or Holy Discipline that Christ hath instituted for the cutting off of scandalous offenders and fostering of the true babes of Christ in all grace. Wherefore where Ecclesiastical Discipline is rightly dispensed according to the Canons of Christ and his Apostles, there is an evident note of a true Church: but where this is laid aside, it notes out a Synagogue of Satan rather then a Church of Christ: in Christs flock his lambs are tractable and willing to be disciplined; but wild Wolvs and Asses are not easily held and tamed. In times therefore of desertion this sweet and holy power of Christ is counted 
Psal. 2. 3, 5, ●9.  bonds, and broken asunder, and flung off by the rude multitude: the government that was laid upon Christs shoulder, Isai. 9. 6. is took off him, and a reed put into his hands, and a crown of thorns on his head; and that holy rule, that should take place in the house of God, 〈◇〉 
1 Cor. 14. 42.  is counted an abridgement of liberty too intolerable, so that in stead of order confusion takes place generally.   

The Fourth maxim.  
In times of Desertion: The two great Ordinances of magistracy and ministry fail much in their power, and become at length like a dead corps.  
SAd accidents upon the Magistrates at such times: 1. Good Magistrates are soon taken away, and have but a short time, judge. 2. 7. to 15. 2 Kings 23. 25, 26, 27, 29. 2. As God takes away good hopeful Governors so he sets worse in their room, wicked, ignorant, profane men, and oppressors, Isai. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Idol shepherds that take no care of the flock, Zech. 11. 15, 16, 17. Ezek. 21. 25, 26, 27. 3d. Sad Accident: That the wisest designs and fabrics of Governors that are framed for the good of the Common-wealth are eminently opposed and frustrated; so that their labour is in the fire, Hab. 2. 13. and like the moulding of potters day that is soon broken to pieces again, Isai. 29. 15, 16. 4. Sad Accident, That The wise designs of Governors are turned about by the hand of God to burden, distress, and undo the people whose welfare was consulted by them, 2 Chron. 28. 20, 21. Jer. 46. 17. 16. 1●. Job 18. 7, 8. Lam. 4. 17. 5. The Magistrates power prestringed, shortened, disallowed, denied, slighted, at least-wise in matters of Religion, 2 Chron. 30. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Psal. 2. 2, 3. 6. The great and frequent changes from vessel to vessel, from one governor to another, from one sort of government to another; as in Israel, from Jeroboams family to Baasha, and from Baasha to captain Zimri, and from Zimri to captain Omri, and then to captain Jehu's family, then to Shallum, then to Menahem, then to Pekah, then to Hoshea, and at last to Salmanasar King of Assyria that carried Israel captive: In Judah also it came to pass in like manner, from Jehoahaz the government was transferred to Eliakim, from Eliakim to Zedekiah, from Zedekiah to Gedaliah, Ishmael, Johanan, and at length to the Grecians and Romans.  
Upon the other Ordinance of the Ministry these sad accidents also are visible in times of desertion: 1. The visions of Gods Word are suspended, the Spirit of God much withdrawn, and the Spirit of error and delusion sent abroad, Hos. 3. 4. Isai. 29. 10, 11, 12. 1 John 2. 18, 19. 2d. Sad accident, Faithful Pastors are removed into corners, and greatly persecuted and forsaken, Isai. 30. 20. Gal. 1. 6. 3. Their counsel not hearkned to Zech. 1. 4. 1 Sam. 10. 8. compared with Chap. 13. v. 7, 8, to 14. 4. Their Reproofs ill taken, and requited with wranglings, law-suits, ill-usage, Isaiah 29. 21. 5. Their persons and office wronged, contemned, denied, 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16, 17. 6. Their Power in Churchgovernment slighted, rejected, 2 Peter 2. 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Psal. 2. 2, 3. judas 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19.   

The Fifth maxim.  
In times of Desertion; Abominable Corruptions grow in Courts of Justice, and great councils of the Land. And False-Worship, Errors and Lukewarmness overspreads the Churches.  
FIrst, abominable corruptions appear in Courts of Justice, and great Councils of the Land: Gods Vine yielded him but wild grapes, Isai. 5. 4. He looked for judgement but behold oppression, for righteousness but behold a cry, vers. 7. Then he decrees to take away the hedge of the Vineyard, and break down the wall thereof, and lay his vine waste, that it should not be pruned nor digged any more, but choked with briars and thorns that grew about it and over-top'd it; then he commands the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Now Justice fails either in the Legislative power, or the executive power of a Kingdom these ways: First, in the Legislative power of the Kingdom, when the power that should extend itself in making of necessary Laws for the relief of the oppressed, is restrained; therefore in all difficult cases Moses allowed the Judges to come to him, and he through the Counsel of God made additional Laws, as occasion required, Deut. 1. 17. and 17. v. 8. to 14. Numb. 27. 1, &c. otherwise justice had failed.  
Secondly, When unjust Laws are continued or corrupt Expositions of good Laws go for Presidents uncontrolled, which ought timely to be reformed least Oppression itself be made a Law.  
Thirdly, When fundamental constitutions in Courts of Justice are ill laid, Officers being either exorbitant or defective, Charges and Fees too great; Juries made in a mixed way of good and bad men, ignorant and unable to judge in difficult cases; Parties not suffered to speak for themselves whereby many righteous causes have been betrayed and overthrown, Places of Justice set to sale, and the like.  
In the Executive power likewise: First, When Judges, Iustices and Magistrates put off the complaints of the oppressed for want of gifts, not willing to move for their relief without hire, whereas they are bound to help them readily upon complaint, Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Isai. 1. 23. Secondly, When Judges and Magistrates, Counsellors, Juries, and all conspire together to overthrow a righteous cause for filthy lucre sake, Micah 3. 11. Ezek. 22. 12. Deut. 27. 25. this hath a solemn Curse upon it, Isai. 5. 23. Thirdly, When Justice is delayed beyond what is meet, after that the cause hath been thoroughly heard, by shifts and tricks of Law, to toil and weary the oppressed in seeking their right, Hab. 1. 2, 3, 4. Isai. 59. 14. Fourthly, When through favour, or affection, or by-respects a wrong doer is acquitted, and let go unpunished; Jer. 5. 28. 1 Kings 40. 42. 5. When a wicked person is not onely connived at and spared, but also assoiled as guiltless, and justified in Court, Prov. 17. 15. and 24. 24.  
Again, When False-Worships, Errors, Lukewarmness, over-spreads the Churches. 1. Either when Idolatry, Superstition, and False worships are allowed of, or connived at, judge. 2. 10, 12, 13, 14, 15. 2. When there is a great defection from the true Worship of God, and drawing off from Gods Ordinances and holy Church-fellowship. Princes and Nobles giving no example of obedience and zeal for the worship of God in their own persons and families, nor putting forth their authority for encouraging the service of God. And the people( a few scattered ones only excepted) generally revolted from the Gospel-worship, and could and indifferent about religion Rev. 3. 15, 16. both in public and private. 3. When abominable destructive Errors and Heresies are spread abroad and take with men, Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23.   

The sixth maxim.  
In times of Desertion; generally Grace decays; Sin grows ripe. Judgments are augmented, and at length Desolation is decreed.  
GRace decays. First, in the Principle of life; the Holy Spirit with-holding his counsels, quickenings, sweet motions and gracious strivings. 2. Grace decays in its vivacity and working, so that men are not so vigorous for God, and ready to good works and cheerful in duties as they were. 3. Grace decays in the extent, when Love grows could towards God and our brethren: Faith is scarce to be found, men are difficult in receiving Gospel-truths and Gospel-commands that are of great importance, the word not made a rule, nor savoury in its precious consolations. No delightful expectation of Christs appearing; zeal for God very rare, and low; and little delight in communion with God. 4. Grace decays in its effects. 1. When there is not much comfort in mens spirits but doubts, fears, wounds, scars, complaints. 2. When Satan takes courage against Christians, and comes on with great wrath and violence, as a Conqueror when he fees his enemies give ground, and cast away their shields comes on with power. 3. Christians are like foolish Virgins drowsy and unprepared for Christs coming.  
Sin grows ripe, Gen. 6. 5. 7. 11▪ 12, 13. 1. Sin grows ripe, when the root is come to its full magnitude; now the root of sin is the love of sin; when men allow themselves in their sin, and hate him and persecute him that reproves him in the gate, having a fixed purpose to go on their way, whatsoever God and his Spirit and Ministers say against it. 2. Sin grows ripe when the branches are many and large; great enormous crimes are the branches of sin, great pride, and vain glorious pomp and state, greedy coveting of worldly things; oppression of the poor, and afflicted, rioting, and high jollity joined with an insensibleness of the sad judgments of God abroad, and the afflictions of Gods distressed Joseph; profanation of the Sabbath, contempt of Gods Word, and counsel of his faithful Ministers; persecution of the godly, Isai 5. 8, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Levit. 26. 14, 15, 34, 35, 43. 2 Chron. 26. 15, 16, 17, &c. Luke 21. 12, 16, 17. Amos 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c. 3. Sin grows ripe, when itis pestilential shadow spreads large over all sorts and conditions of men, Court and Country, Prince and Prophets, Cities, Universities, Courts of justice, and councils of the Nation, killing by its deadly quality every plant that is set under it. 4. Sin grows ripe, when its fruit grows mellow, men being emboldened in sin and facilitated to it to commit sin with ease, and without check of conscience, steeled against the reproofs of God, taking up a resolution of Sceler a sceleribus tuenda. Old monstrous exploded sins and errors being revived amongst men.  
Judgments are augmented: God begins his reproof of Nations with easier judgements at first, and then raises them higher and higher, making one take what the other left, God sometimes rises by seven fold, Levit. 26. 16. to 39. Joel 1, 2, 
Mat. 24 8. 7. 6. Isai. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8. Judges 8. 32. 3. Hos. 3. 4.  3, 4, 6, 7. Luke 21. 8, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. famines, droughts, deluges, want of free-trading with foreign Nations, sickness, pestilences, upon men and beasts, earthquakes, fire, winds, in the civil state great mutations in the government for the worse not for the better, civil wars, tumults, Anarchy, foreign invasions. At length Desolation is decreed: when a people will not bow to God, they must needs break at length, Zeph 2. 2. &c. Luke 21. 20, 24. Isai. 1. 7, 8, 28, 29, 30, 31.  
The Church is dissolved; the Church is the city wherein God is said to dwell, and when that is dissolved God is departed, Hebr. 12. 22. Zech. 2. 5, &c. Or else through continual wastings it is reduced to a small number, Micah 7. 1. 2.   

The seventh maxim.  
In times of Desertion terrible preternatural accidents are set forth by the hand of God in the Heavens and Elements, to give men warning and work them over to a holy fear of the Lord and his judgments; dreadful and unusual Eclipses, Comets, flaming Swords, Apparitions in the Firmament; intention of light, or creation of some new Star in the eight Sphere; the Sea, and Earth, and Fire, being a womb of frequent, monstrous and extraordinary dreadful effects, monstrous births amongst mankind and beasts, Luke 21. 11, 25, 26. Joel 2. 30, 31.  
NOw what more sad and dreadful condition can people fall into then to be forsaken of God, and yet it is hard for us to be convinced that we are under such a condition, or going apace into it: First, because it comes on gradually; Gods departure is not altogether of a sudden, but by little and little, and therefore the more insensible; the Lord notes it in his people when he tells them, that gray hairs are here and there upon them, and yet they could not be persuaded that they grew old because old age had crept upon them by little and little; yea, God had set fire round about them, and burnt them up, yet they did not feel themselves hurt.  
A second Reason is, Men take up with the outward enjoyment of some Ordinances in a formality, and are contented with a little Religion, so that as long as they have something left of Religion they are well enough contented; the Calves in Dan and Bethel served Israels turn, as well as the true worship of God at Jerusalem, and in Judah; they cried, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, at the very last, thinking they were well enough, because they had a little form and outside of Religion left.  
3. The more God draws off from us, the greater our insensibleness grows; and therefore we cannot discern Gods departure for want of a sensible heart.  
4. Some mens portion is still fat, and they want not for mirth and all fullness, and therefore they think all is well; this temptation is apt to hold those that are in great power and places, as it did Zedekiah and his Princes, and the Lords of the Philistines when they delayed and sent the Ark about from city to city, thinking all that mortality was but a chance, and all that while it reached not unto them it was well enough.  
5. Reas. Some men are entangled in their own particular troubles and interests, as they cannot be at leisure to think how it is with the public and Church of God: Thus a strange stupidity grows upon the hearts of men, and the farther they go off from God, the more miserable and more insensible of their misery.  
The Lord convince us, the Lord who onely can deal with a heart of ston, and pull it out of our bosoms, when it passes all the art of Men and Angels; the Lord, I say, convince us before it be too late, and state this case aright: How is it with us! How it is between us and him? Doubtless it would be the greatest point of our wisdom to inquire into the truth of this our present case, which though sadly hinted at now and then by the gracious and faithful Ministers of this age, yet has not hitherto been stated ex professo by any; We want not, Oh blessed be God, that yet we want not faithful able Prophets and Seers that would give counsel from the Lord, and show us how great our danger is, and what is to be applied as a remedy, unless we mean to let all go for lost, and past recovery. Thus they said in Jeremies time, There is no hope, there is no remedy, past cure; and in Samuels 
Jer. 2. 25.  time, though they had wise and godly Ministers of the Sanctuary, and a Prophet, so singular a Prophet, as that Samuel was, by whom God spake so evidently, yet asked they not after the Lord in his time for 20 yeers together. O ye vigilant Shepherds of Gods people, ye Princes and Ministers of the Church of God, see you to this betimes, for it chiefly concerns you, for verily in times of Desertion, the heaviest blows of Gods displeasure in general judgments are most sure to fall upon you, if you sit careless and mindless of the flock in this condition: Woe to the idle Shepherd that regardeeh not the state of the flock, the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his righe eye, his arm shall be clean dried up; and his right eye shall be utterly darkened, saith the Lord. Alas! how many 
Zech. 11. 17.  men had not died if they had not been over confident of their life; and how many goodly kingdoms and Churches had not been sovereign, if they had not been secure when the mighty hand of God was lifted up against them, this is our temper we know not our time. Man knoweth not his time( saith Solomon) but like as the fish is caught in an evil net because he knoweth not his time: so is man; he takes not his time to avoid the danger that is gathering about him.  
What is our case? is it nothing to us? all this that hath been spoken, is it nothing to us? Ah, I wish hearty it did not at all concern mine own Country; may that ever be the blessed abode of Gods presence and never be forsaken; but is it in truth nothing to us? like Nathans parable to David doleful story, but nothing to him until the Prophet said, Thou art the man. Then give me leave, O beloved England, and dear Christian brethren, give me leave in very faithfulness and love, and dearest love, and dolour of my very heart to say, that that is the case of this afflicted Land and Nation. We have surely been under a great measure of Desertion already, and what the end will be, I dread to think; itis true, we are not yet wholly given up, but yet I grieve to say, we are far gone, and promise ourselves better times then I see ground for. Look back upon the years that are past; for these thirty years together and more, how little of God hath been in our Civil and Ecclesiastical councils? Yea, what a conspiracy was there in that Kings Reign, by prostituting the Word, Sacraments and Sabbaths of God, and abusing and banishing the Godly Ministers of the Land? What a conspiracy was there to drive God out of the Land, and the purity and power of true Religion, and set up Superstition and profancness? and certainly there hath been a great miss of Gods presence, even in the great councils of the Nation in these latter times. Sometimes God hath stirred up the spirit of his faithful Ministers, who delivered the mind of God to them, as appears by several Sermons upon record against this generation; but their complaints have not been harkened to, they turned away the shoulder even to this day, and have not accepted of the Kingdom of God offered to them: Go search through the Tribes of our Israel, and see how small the number is of those that bear up a profession of Christs name, but generally how opposite are the people of the Land to the work of Reformation? which indeed is the very great work that Christ calls for in these dayes if we mean to prevent our ruin that cometh on fast upon us. This I have noted, as a fatal mark upon a people and generation a little before their destruction, that God said of them, They would none of my Counsel, they despised all my reproof, they put out the eyes of their very Seers, and said to their Seers, see not, and to the Prophets prophesy not; now how are a people like to have the counsel of God, when they say( as that wretched Ahab) of their Prophets, They hate us and will prophesy no good bus evil to us; they cry down the advice of holy Ministers and Church councils, as needless, by whom if by any upon earth, God uses to sand his counsel to the nations, then to be sure the destruction of that people is nigh, God is not amongst them; They dig deep; saith the Lord, to hid their counsels from me, and when they cry I will not hear.  
Again, how have we been delivered up to our own counsels, and toiled in our own devices, and carried about with the fierce tempest of strong temptations through manifold mutations back and forth, which wise states-men use to observe as a forerunning cause of the overthrow of republics, as Physicians do also of their sick men, when they cry, carry me from bed to bed for I find no ease, then is death nigh: Thus are we toiled till our hearts be almost broken, and no one knows what to do, or what to advice poor Sion crying out, is there none of my sons that I have brought up that is able to help me? Divisions, cavellings, self-seeking have toffed men about like light chaff in a whirlwind. How has the whole blessed Trinity groaned over us and stirred with great indignation against us. The Father casting off his people, as if they were a burden upon his heart; reaching as if he would spew them out of his mouth into other lands, yea out of the land of the living, throwing thousands and hundreds of thousands into the grave. How has the Lord Christ watched like a Lion, and like a Leopard, and catched the very choice ones of the flock and rent them in pieces? How has the Spirit striven and reproved this people till he be now almost weary? for methinks I see that blessed and most active Spirit sitting down and saying, I will strive no more, if they will be a lost people let them be lost, I have done, I have done with them, the work of conversion shall cease, let the world now make converts of them and their posterity.  
Again, Note how generally hath the wrath of the Lord gone through the land even almost to make a full end: what County, what City or Country, what family in these three Nations hath not tasted of the bitter cup of Gods displeasure; and that too in a very terrible manner, yea and for a long season too? Wrath hath been climbing higher and higher, even for these 30 years, and if the ancient ones might speak, perhaps they would set the account higher.  
Look upon the three great marks of the Church of Christ upon earth, and see how they are clouded and darkened: How is the word slighted, dis-savour'd, quenched? The holy Sacraments thrown by and fled from, as if the flesh of Christ were not our meat, but our bane, and we could be better without it. The peace and order and Government of the Church broken to shivers and cast off, so that unless I look into some by-corners of the Nation, here and there, I can scarce find the splinters and relics of the true notes of the holy Church of Christ amongst us. O sad word; what are we declining to after all our professions, vows declarations? what will we fall off from the Church of Christ like withered leaves in winter, will we banish ourselves, exclude ourselves, fly from the sweet and precious spouse of Christ, and mother that bare us, and paps that gave us suck? Look farther yet upon the Ordinances of Magistracy and Ministry and look with waking eyes, and with sighing hearts: are these become as dead corps, a lifeless Effigies, little vigour, and honour and power in them? do they lie in thy streets. O Sodom, like the slain witnesses, fitter for the grave then for the Throne, whiles the profane ones make merry with the liberty they have, and insult over them as those, that whiles they had the power of God were bonds and cords to them and tormented them. What sad breakings have our eyes seen upon Parliaments, and Princes, and councils, as if the Lord did say, in vain do you trust in broken cisterns when you have forsook the cistern of living water. We have had a little hope sometimes, and said, but now we hope God hath provided faithful zealous magistrates for his people, and painful ministers, but how soon hath God turned his hand and took them away again? yea how soon have they turned their hearts and said, we have no power in the things of God, if the Lord be God he will pled for himself? See and acknowledge what checks have been set against many good purposes of repairing the breaches of the Nation, and settling the Government thereof in righteousness, when we are carried back again into Egypt almost. Look upon our Courts of Justice and wisest councils of the Nation, and do not they answer the distressed as that King of Israel, Alas! if God do not help we cannot help; is there not a great cry of the oppressed in the land, surely God hears it. What numbness and indifferency upon the Churches? the best complain of decay of vigour for God, of the growth of sin, of the continuance of judgments; as that poor people so are we, we roar like bears and mourn like doves. Yea lastly, consider, hath not God wrote dreadful characters in the heavens and earth, enough to make the stoutest spirited Belshazer tremble if he had any sense left, and do not we yet conclude of our danger? What is it that bears up our hopes? What would we object; would we say, we hope no such danger? for God has set up amongst us godly magistrates and ministers now adays? Blessed be God for them; but yet this argues not but that there has been a great desertion upon the land aforetime, and even yet also it may continue: God set up godly Magistrates in the reign of Josiah over Judah, and yet their desolation and captivity was not prevented.  
But there is some little work of reformation begun, and therefore we hope God means not to cast off the Nation.  
So it was in Josiahs time likewise, and Zedekiahs time there was a very glorious work begun by Josiah, and the worship of God set up with more solemnity ten times then now a dayes; Prince and people joining like one man in that blessed work, and yet it prevented not their ruin; whereas the reformation amongst us is so little, and the opposition so eminent; that I must say, that even for this, for the very discouraging and opposing of the kingdom of God amongst us, we deserve to be all ruined together. Oh! tell it not in Gath and publ●sh it not in Ashkelon, least the uncircumcised of the Nations mock at our shane, for what Nation has had God so nigh them, offered to them in his Gospel, and invited by so many great salvations, and answer of prayers in our calamity, as this Nation of England, and yet we do not own God as he expects, which makes him go on in a course of judgments amongst us still.  
But God has done well for his people in these sad times; casting out their enemies that sought their subversion and the subversion of the true Worship of God, and giving his people liberty in their profession, and exalting them in the room of those that held them in bondage, and therefore we hope these are not times of desertion.  
I answer two ways to this Objection: First, that it is usual with God thus to do in times of general desertion, to mind in a special manner his poor peoples good; when he leaves other things to the plunder, yet at that time he makes up his jewels, and hides them in a safe place: when he strikes at all, yet he knows where his blows 
Mal. 3. 5.  fall, and he lays the heavier end of his staff upon his foes, whiles his children crowd under his arm, and least there should be any mistake, he sets a mark in their foreheads too, that he may be sure to make a difference. But yet because they are spared, it does not argue that others were not beaten, and because he passes by their door posts, it cannot be said there was no general plague in Egypt. This is the very thing that God aims at in general desertions, to refine his people thereby, and so to settle their peace; see Isai. 5. 13. compared with 17. When God had said, Therefore my people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst; but what, is it so with Gods own choice people, doth the Lord make no difference? Note what follows, Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat: it does not follow therefore, that it is no time of desertion upon the Land, because God provides well for his people at such time.  
Again, take another answer, The desertion may not be yet over, it may fall heavy, though you have been spared hitherto, your turn may come next, and the sooner because of your ingratitude, unfruitfulness and security under judgments; nay if you come in the room of those that God cast out before you, and sin even as they, it shall be worse with you then with them, as God threatened his people when he dis-possessed the Amorites to make room for Israel. Now ah! doth not your apostasy and lukewarmness, yea coldness in love and zeal, and drawing back from holy fellowship and Gospel precious Ordinances? yea, doth not oppression, pride, worldliness, hardness of heart, and looseness, and other abominable filthiness of Sodom, witness against you that profess better things? therefore I fear there will come a time wherein those also shall have their share. Hear ye that are afar off, what I have done saith the Lord, and ye that are near aclowledge my might. The sinners in Sion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of 
Isai. 33.  bribes, that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil: He shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure.  
But this is your opinion onely; who is there of those famous Lights and godly Ministers yet among us, that is of this judgement, for in the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth is established? But what Witnesses join with you in this: That the State of the Church hath been for many yeers, and yet is a State of Desertion?  
Indeed I must confess I have not met with any that have ex professo stated this case, and therefore I had many waverings in myself in undertaking of it, and to say truth, I had never adventured upon it, had not the Lord put the little book into my mouth and made me eat it before I published it; mybelly was made bitter with the disgust thereof, for so it pleased the Lord, first to led me by the irresistible terrible hand of his sovereignty against much reluctancy of my spirit through this sad and doleful condition that I might have experience of Gods dealing herein, and be more sensible of the Churches case. Now the light that the Lord had communicated to my heart, I durst not set under a bushel, for God seems to require it of me, and if I should with-hold it, in the consciousness of mine own infirmity, it would be to my peril. I know it is a sceptical age wherein we live, and the plainest truths of God are cavell'd at, and hard to be received, yet whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear, God uses to give warning by his faithful Ministers, with whom his secret is, and I beseech the Lord to give his own people understanding, that they may know the thoughts and counsel of his heart therein. And yet I think the Lord has not put me forth singly upon this work neither; but whiles I was thus fluctuating amongst many discouragements, it pleased God to bring to my hand providentially the testimonies of several godly precious Ministers of this age( which has indeed abounded with many) collaterally abetting this truth, and strengthening my hands, as Ezekiel did Jerem●ah, preaching the like word.   

The First testimony which seems in part to favour this Position is, that of Mr. Greenhil upon Ezekiel, cap. 3. v. 12. p. 311. put forth in the year of our Lord, 1645. The Happiness( saith he) of a people is to have the Lord and his glory amongst them, and their greatest misery is to have God depart from them; most think the happiness of a people to lye in liberty, honour, plenty of all things: David once subscribed to it, Psal. 144. 15. Happy are the people that are in such a case, but he quickly crosseth out that subscription, and saith, Yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord: There's the happiness to have God amongst them, he is the glory of a people, Zach. 2. 5. He was the glory in the midst of Jerusalem, there God dwelled, as his worship, laws, oracles, miracles testified, and so he made Jerusalem glorious among all Nations: Where true Religion is, pure worship, and Ordinances, and God working for the good of his people, defending them, that is the glory and excellency of a kingdom; Chron. 13. 25. saith Abijah, God is with us for our captoin; this was more then all the strength of Judah beside, when Jeroboam came against him with 800000 chosen men, with you are the golden Calves, ver. 8. you have a great number, but God is not with you to be your glory and defence, you have the calves, which is your shane and nakedness, but God is with us who is our glory and defence: and when Jerusalem fell to Idolatry, God tells them, that they had changed their glory for that that did not profit, Jer. 2. 11. they had driven away their glory, and here was the beginning of their wo; that's the misery of a Kingdom to have God depart from it, then public enterprises prosper not, 2 Chron. 22. 24. then counsel fails, 1 Sam. 28. 15. protection is gone Isa. 5. 5. then peace, loving kindness and mercies go, Jer. 16. 5. this is as taking the Sun out of the Firmament, the eyes out of the head, or soul out of the body; now a kingdom and people he exposed to all evils and mischiefs, Hosea 9. 12. Woe to them when I depart from them; all mischiefs presently step in, crowd in upon a people left of God; famine, wars, captivity, a perverse spirit, and treacherousness one to another came upon this people when God left his place; and so after Christs death, when God left them, and that voice was heard in the Temple, Migremus hinc, which Tacitus in his Annals also mentions, Audita mayor humana vox excedere Deos, simul ingens motus excedentium; after this dreadful misery befell them, war, famine, dispersion was their portion; they are without God, Christ and mercy to this day, an undone and most unhappy people. We had almost driven God away by our sins, specially by our Idolatry and superstition, but God and his glory are not quiter gone, Jer. 14. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name leave us not. Thus far Mr. Greenhill he confesses at that time God seemed about to depart, God and his glory are not quiter gone, and this indeed is true yet, and may it ever be a truth amongst us; God is not quiter gone, but if he be upon going and go farther and farther, what shall we say at last. Let us hear the complaints of Gods Ministers since that time, which was thirteen years ago, and see if they complain not still in like sort.  
The next year after this God sets the same note upon Mr. Lockiers 
The 2d Witness.  heart, An. Dom 1646. upon Colos. 1. See both his Epistle; and upon v. 20. he saith thus: Sinners view these times, they are very bloody, God is out with us certainly, how much doth it trouble you? are you not the same men you were? in the same ways? can a man live in his sins and be at peace with God? can a man be at peace with his lusts and with his God? security slays us, nothing will break our bones; we flatter ourselves but rise not to our duty: men thus in with themselves are certainly out with God; tis Englands heavy plague. God looks not as man looks; when you feast, he mourns. Victories speak not God reconciled: what victories do you see truth make upon mens lusts? are not men as dead-hearted, as stout-hearted, as rotten-hearted as ever? The Works of God must be acknowledged but not abused; you must have other things then this or that external victory to make a true medium to demonstrate God reconciled to you; when justice kills bodies on our side, it may kill as many souls on the other side: wrath works without and within. Lord how many are hardened and fattened by the blood of others? evil men understand not judgement, but they that seek the Lord understand all things. Prov. 28. 5. A man had need pray over one act of Providence a thousand times ere he venture to interpret it once; tis the highest wisdom in the world, to understand the works of God; the words of God are ambiguous, the works of God are more ambiguous, yet compared they will illustrate one another; but few do this at all, not one of a thousand an artist this way; and hence tis that Persons and kingdoms cry peace, peace when there is no peace; we take up words and works by root, and ruin ourselves and others; if all the Kings side were slain, yet were we never the nearer peace with God if we continue to resist his will; he hath many ways to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant, and to make all sides know their own. National peace and personal peace have one foundation, a through embracing of Christ, as you see Persons or kingdoms pursue or falter herein, so fear or hope. He is our peacewhich hath made two one, & broken down the wall of Partition. Christ is our peace, as we become one with him, we become one with God and the creature; Christ and we two, God and we are two; God and we out, we must needs be out with one another, and with all the Creation.  
The same Reverend Author goes on farther pag. 185. What condition but is full of mutation? brave States, brave kingdoms, bleeding to death, and brought almost to nothing. Our sin is ripe, wrath is gone forth; England that was the Queen of Nations for all fullness is wasting to nothing: Natives that for a while have left us, and now return to visit us, scarce know their mother land, her face which looked so pleasantly, is now so besmeared with blood; here was the seat of my ancestors, but tis burned; there had I brave and sweet kindred, but now they are slain, and those that live wish for death, because nothing left to live upon; we had treasure as the flints of the brook, estate to accomplish any thing, but now we faint in every undertaking for want of silver sinews. We had many Callings, as so many several Ornaments and pillars of State, now all is turned into one, all grave-makers one for another, every one with his spade by his side, to dig into the heart of his brother, to dig out a subsistence: Light was little, but Love was much; truth could not be found, but if it could, O how sweet( said we) should it be unto us, dearer then all? truth now shineth in our consciences and we care not for it: Ah Lord! this is the saddest change of all, the living are dead, the souls living are slain with an evil time; Gods vows were upon us, but now thrown off and because the time will not bear them. Outward changes are bad, but inward changes are far worse: England where are those flames of love which blazed so gloriously a few years ago? brethren in new England were precious▪ O Othat we had Ilium in Italium, New England in Old; Brethren in Holland were precious, O that we had them again, and the mercies which there they enjoy! and now they are with us, they are trampled upon as the dirt, and all their pains to hold forth Christ and truth to us: are not these sad changes? Englands out-side, in-side, all changed; from virtue to sin, from love to malice, from wrath to blood, and thus lies weltering and no eye pities her, neither Gods eye nor her own; is this Naomi? Twas Naomies friends speech to her, her condition was so altered that they knew her not: is this pleasant? O no, saith she, call me not pleasant, call me Mara, bitterness, for the Lord hath dealt bitterly with me: so may I now say, is this England? pleasant England? O no, call it Mara, bitterness, for affection is turned into gull and wormwood, she deals very bitterly with God and his people, and the Lord deals very bitterly with her; sin multiplies and hightens itself as misery doth; if God be not very merciful, twill make misery last till there be not a man of us left.  
Hear another witness speak of the danger of the times, Mr. 
3. Witness.  Willtam bridge in a Sermon before the Parliament, May the 17. 1648. Upon Math. 25. 6. pag. 20. We red of two sorts of signs which go before the coming of Jesus Christ; some that are more remote and transient, some that are more immediate and just at his coming. Those that are more immediate and just at his coming, ye red of in the 20. of Math. v. 29. 30. Immmediately after the tribulatian of those dayes shall the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  
There are yet to come, but those that are more remote, all seem to be past already, Before the coming of Christ( says the Apostle) the man of sin shall be revealed, that is past; before the coming of Christ there shall false Prophets arise, and say I am Christ, and another I am Christ, this is past: before the personal coming of Christ, there shall be wars and rumours of wars, this is past.  
And before that day, there shall be great divisions even in the matter of Religion; one saying, Lo here is Christ, and another, Lo there is Christ; this is already: and immediately before, and at his coming, men shall be smiting their fellow servants, eating and drinking with the drunken; this is already: the wise and foolish virgins shall be all a sleep, and was there ever a time when both wise and foolish were more a sleep then now? when men set themselves to sleep they draw their Curtains, put out their lights and will have no more light come in; so now. When men are asleep their senses are bound up that were open before, they see not, hear not, taste not, smell not, their senses are locked up; sleep is ligatio sensuum. And was there ever time when mens senses were more bound up that were formerly exercised, then now? are there not some that would pray, and hear, and red, that will not now? who have now thrown off all duties, Ordinances, and means? O what sleeping is here? was there ever such sleeping among professors as now there is? if ever wise and foolish Virgins were asleep, they seem to be in our dayes.  
The same Reverend Author witnesses again, July the 15. 1649. in his Vindication of Ordinances on Deuter. 18. 15. pag. 27.  
I do exhort you, by the sweat of all your Ministers dead and living, by the love you bear to your own precious souls; hold and keep close to Ordinances in these declining times; see where they are in purity, and power, but keep close to them. I am persuaded that there is never a one of you but would be a friend to Christ, says Christ Then are you my friends if you do what soever I command you. And can my heart tell me, that I am a friend to Christ if I cast off all his appointments, and all his Ordinances; I am persuaded that there is none of you, but desire to be the children of God. wisdom is justified of her children, Christ is the wisdom of the Father, and if you be the children of wisdom, you will justify Christ in all his appointments, but if Christ the wisdom of the father shall give you such institutions and Ordinances, and you cast them off and say, they are low and fleshly and the like: Oh how will you justify Christ the wisdom of the Father? wherefore I say, you that are professors, hold your hold in these declining times, and if you know any of your friends that are departed from the good Ordinances of God, Oh stand and mourn and lament over them, and say, alas! alas! my friend how is his crown fallen from his head; if you have a neighbour that hath a monster born in stead of a child, you will lam ent over your neighbour, and say, my neighbour instead of a sweet child hath an ugly monster with the head of a hog and the ears of an ass: Ah my poor neighbour hath a monster born in her family. Why this Non-Ordinance is Englands monster and as people carry monsters up and down to show them, so in other Countries they go up and down, and say, come and behold the English Monster, a thing never seen before, that Professors should deny Ordinances: And yet good Lord, how many families in this Kingdom have this Monster born there! Ah! will you not pray, weep, and lament over the families of your friends? Christian hold thy hold, in these sad and declining times hold thy hold.  
Another Witness is Mr. Baxter in his Saints Rest, part 3. c. 5. 
The 4th Witness.  Sect. 3. An. Dom. 1650. who complains thus, Christ hath been pleading with England these fourscore yeers and more, by the word of his Gospel, for his Worship, and for his Sabbaths, and yet the Inhabitants are not persuaded; nay he hath been pleading these six years by threatenings, and fire and sword, and yet can prevail but with very few; and though these bloody arguments have been spread abroad, and brought home to people from Parish to Parish almost as far as the Word hath gone, so that there is scarce a Parish in many Counties where blood hath not been  shed, and the bodies of the slain have not been left, yet multitudes in England are no more persuaded then they were the first day of their warning; and they have not heard the voice of the rod, which hath cried up and down their streets, yet O England, will you not sanctify my Sabbaths, nor call upon my Name, nor regard my word, nor turn from your worldliness and wickedness? God hath given them a lash and reproof, a wound, and a warning; he hath as it were stood in their blood with the sword in his hand, and among the heaps of the slain hath he pleaded with the living and said, what say you? will you not worship me, and fear me, and take me for your Lord? and yet they will not: Alas, yet to this day England will not! Let me here writ it, and leave it upon record, that God may be justified, and England may be ashamed, and posterity may know if God do deliver us, how ill we deserved it, or if he destroy us how wilfully we procured it; and if they that pass by shall ask, wherefore hath God done thus to a flourishing and prosperous Land? you may give them the true, though doleful answer, They would not hear, they would not regard, he smote them down, he wounded them, he hewed them as wood, and then beseeched the remainder to consider and return, but they never would do it; they were weary of his ways, they were weary of his ways, they polluted his Sabbaths, they cast his word and worship out of their families, they would not be at the pains to learn and obey his will, nay, they abhorred his Ministers and servants, and holy paths, and all this at the last breath; when he had slain five thousand at a fight, the rest did no more reform, then if they had never heard of it: nay, such a spirit of slumber is fallen upon them, that if God should proceed, and kill them all save one man, and ask that one man, wilt thou yet seek me with all thy heart? he would rather slight it. Lord have mercy upon us! what is gone with mens understanding and senses? have they renounced reason as well as faith? are they dead naturally as well as spiritually? can they not hear and feel, though they cannot believe? that sad judgement is fallen upon them mentioned in Isai. 42 24, 25. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel( England) to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his Laws; therefore he hath poured upon them the fury of his anger, and the strength of the battle, and it hath set them on fire round about, yet they knew it not; it burned them yet they laid it not to heart. Yea this much more let us leave upon record against England; they have been so far from reforming and taking up the worship of God with delight after all this, that multitudes have contrarily abhorred it at the very heart, and fought against it as long as they could stand; and when they have been wounded and overthrown in one conflict, they have been as forward to the next, as if they had never felt the hand of God at all, and to root out the sincere worshippers and worship of God is their continued endeavour, and still they that succeed them do the like. Lord, how hast thou deserved so much ill at these mens hands! what harm hath praying, and reading, and preaching painfully, and sanctifying the Sabbath, and fearing to offend done to England? have they suffered for these, or for their enmity to these? And for the Discipline of Christ, though all parts of the world have much opposed it, yet where hath it been so powerfully resisted? the Lord grant that this hardened, wilful, malicious Nation fall not under that heavy doom, Luke 19. 27. But those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me.  
Hear another witness for God against the present times, whom 
Witness.  I should have name with the first, because his Testimony was given in his Sermon before the Parliament, August 13. 1644. I mean Mr. Herbert Palmer upon Psal. 99. 8. p. 32, 35, 39. Those that some yeers ago made great Conscience of the Sabbath, and of family duties, are now many of them come even to question, Whether the Sabbath be at all to be observed or no? and though they deny not that family devotions are duties, yet they themselves do ●●ttle regard that their families should observe them; some that were by their own confession, so greatly conscientious of secret prayer, as that they could never omit it without an inward check, now do not make any the least show that they take any time for it day or night. The faithful Ministers are set against, their tithes ●nd deuce with-held and denied, with pretence one while that they are Jewish, another while that they are Popish, any thing that they may weary them out, and that they may have no Ministers at all, or only those that are altogether according to their own lusts; formerly even in ill times, a conscionable Minister in some places could do somewhat toward the bringing his people to knowledge, who now wholly cast off the yoke( because there is no government neither Ecclesiastical nor Civil that they think will at all meddle with them, how refractory soever they be) and grow more brutish and barbarous every day then other. And now above all former times, whoredom and adultery do fearfully abound and grow impudent; even incest is to be found in divers places, and no punishment to be found for it. I cannot forbear putting you in mind of that expostulation of the Prophet, Ezek. 23. 24. &c. The people there flattered themselves with a conceit that God intended to give them peace in possessing the land, from whence their brethren were driven or carried away captives. Abraham say they was one, and he inherited the land, but we are many, the land is given us for an inheritance; but God answers them with an appeal to their own consciences, and then with a peremptory threatening of the contrary, v. 25. &c. You eat with the blood; and lift up your eyes toward your Idols, and  shed blood, and shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your Sword, ye work abomination and ye defile every one his neighbours wife; and shall ye possess the land? Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Surely they that are in the wast shall fall by the Sword, &c. Have not we too much of such confidence as they express? and yet no less cause to fear such an answer from God as that was. You thus and thus misbehave yourselves, and shall you have peace? shal you have settling? shal you possess the land? may we not also much more admire the patience and long-suffering of God towards us all this while, that a complete vengeance hath not been taken upon our misdoings, as well as upon Germanies and Irelands and even upon some parts of our Kingdom and Nation? and if we sadly consider how God did not spare those faithful men the text points at, did not let faithful Moses and Aaron the Saints of the Lord, live to see the happiness of his people, inheriting the Land of Promise, may we not upon the remembrance of our greater provocations, tremble least none of us should be suffered to live to see an end of our troubles, and the Church of God peaceably settled in an holy Reformation? Sure we have no reason to expect it, unless we live to see and help to procure our own hearts, and lives, and families, and whole party, to be apparently more faithful.  
Hear also another Witness, and an acute Observer of the times, 
The 6th Witness.  
An. do● 1646.  forewarning our danger, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, in his Heart-Divisions, upon Hos. 10. 2. c. 1. p. 203.[ The Lord convince us of and humble us for the sinfulness of our Divisions by his Word, that desolating judgments be not upon us to convince and humble us. St. Jerome in his Comment upon these words notes, That the Scripture, 2 Kin. 17. tells us, That Hoshea was the last King of Israel, and in his time Israel was carried Captive, yet v. 2. it is said He did not evil in the sight of the Lord▪ as the Kings of Israel that were before him. Now the Jews put this question, Why was not Israel carried captive with their King, when they had the worst King, but rather when things seemed to go something better then before? God yet chooses this time. The answer they give is, Because in former times the people might pretend they could not tell how to help what they did amiss in the matter of Worship. Indeed they worshipped the Calves, but they were forced to it by the tyranny of their Kings; it should be the loss of all they had if they did not. But say they, in the dayes of Hoshea there was more liberty given then before: Now those who would might go up to Jerusalem to worship; and that they say is the reason of that expression, That Hoshea did not evil as other Kings had done; but when they came to have more liberty, they came to wranglings among themselves( which is an usual concomitant of liberty) now their division rose high, some would go up to Jerusalem to worship, others would not; those that went up, cried out of those that went not; those that went not, vilified those that went. Now their hearts are thus divided, now shall they be found guilty; the desolating judgement must now come, this the time for their captivity, now he gives them up to the enemy; God was exceedingly provoked with their contentions one against another at this time. What?( says God) when I was in some way of favour towards them, when I took off( in great part) the yoke of Bondage that was upon them that sore oppression that was before, none of them( a while since) dared go to Jerusalem to worship, and now their Governors are more moderate, their oppressing Courts are down, there is more liberty in the Land for my true Worship, and do they fall out, contemn, divide, wrangle one with another? Let them go into Captivity, let the enemy come in upon them, my soul takes no delight in such a crooked and perverse generation as this is. Our Condition seems to parallel with theirs very much, we lately were under sore and ciuel bondage, nothing was more dangerous then the worshipping God in his own way; we were under hard task-masters, oppressing, undoing Courts; the Lord hath in a great measure eased us, it is the unthankfulness, the sinful distemper of mens spirits that makes them say, what is done? it is as ill with us, as ever it was; No, we have much ease, such liberties, as were our forefathers raised out of their graves to see, they would admire Gods goodness, and bless him with meltings of heart, we spend that strength in siding, wrangling, contending, quarreling, urging and oppressing one another, that we should spend in magnifying, blessing and praising the name of God for that mercy we enjoy; we are a divided people whose hearts are divided, and heads too, and hands too; peace and unity seems to be flown from us, and a spirit of contention and division is come upon us; Kings and subjects are divided, Parliament is divided, Assembly is divided, Armies are divided, Church is divided, and State is divided, City is divided, Country is divided, Towns are divided, Families divided, Godly people are divided, Ministers almost every where are divided; yea, and what heart almost is there at this time, but is divided in itself? the thoughts, the counsels, contrivances, endeavours, ways of men, almost of all men, how are they divided? O blessed Saviour, are these the times thou speakest of, wherein five should be in one house divided, three against two and two against three; the Father against the Son, and the Son against the Father; the Mother against the Daughter, and the Daughter against the Mother? Oh woe unto us! we find it so amongst us, and yet there is found no healing; we are broken and there is no binding up; it is with us as it was with Ezek. 2. 6. Briars and thorns are with us, and we dwell amongst scorpions.▪ O Lord, what is this thy curse at this time upon England? briars and thorns shall it bring forth; we are rending and tearing, and devouring one another, while the adversary stands before us ready to devour. Ephraim is against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim. A fire is come out from Abimelech and devours the men of Shechem, and fire comes from the men of Shechem and devours Abimelech; yea there is a fire kindled in our own bowels, it rises from ourselves. Ezek. 19. 14. Fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule; this is a lamentation, and shall be for a lawentation: this is amongst us at this day, and how long it shall continue, God only knows. What this people were in their divided condition, that we are; and what does this threaten but that we should be as they a while after this were? namely, a people given up to the rage and fury of the enemy, which the Lord forbid.  
The last witness I shall produce, is Mr. strong in his Sermon before the Lord mayor and Aldermen of London, Nov. 5. 1653. upon Revel. 18. 4. pag. 20, &c.  
Consider the instruments that are abroad in the world; we red of frogs sent out of the mouth of the Beast, Rev. 16. 13. that is by his special command and commission, and these go forth unto the Kings of the earth in all shapes; and we have to fear( nay apparent ground to believe) that besides the men of corrupt minds risen up among ourselves, there are many of those sent in among us; it were well if we could look upon our Cities, Army, Navy, yea councils to be free; and so much the rather it is to be feared because we see all ancient Heresies revived. Arrians, Macedonians, Montanists, Patriparsians, yea that conceit of Joachim abbess, that there is a Gospel of the Spirit, another Gospel then that preached by Christ; and to observe by what mean persons these Doctrines are vented, and yet all the ancient arguments used to maintain them; a considering man observing this, can hardly imagine, but that there be some that do secretly, and with the best advantage instil such into them, and that in an unobserved way; for they are said to be spirits, that is, though they act very powerfully, yet invisibly; their motions, ways and practices are not known. Consider that constant pressing of liberty of conscience, which if granted, must be universal, for who hath power to lay a restraint upon one mans conscience more then another? and therefore the patrons of this opinion do pled for a toleration of Popery, upon a religious account. As also that Doctrine of Mariana the jesuit, now so generally insisted upon, and pleaded for Princeps nile statuat de Religione, the magistrate is not to meddle with matters of Religion.  
These two principles received, lay all open to Popery or atheism; for if popery, as a religion, receive but a toleration, and the same countenance that otheres do( it being a religion most agreeable to nature, as corrupt, and so exactly fitted to it) it will soon have the most followers; for when Popery first appeared in the world, the whole world wondered after it, as it had done after arianism a little before. Look upon the apostasy of the present age, men falling from all things in religion, and with an impudent face denying, deriding all; the Scriptures, the Trinity, the Godhead of Christ, his sufferings and satisfaction, justification by imputed righteousness, the Law of God as the rule of obedience, and whatsoever Doctrines Christian Religion is built upon: Now we know that a great apostasy did make way for popery, 2 Thes. ●, ●. God giving them up to believe a lie, and by this means the man of sin 〈◇〉 the lawless one was revealed. And there is great cause to fear, that the present apostasy amongst us may have such a tendency; for we see men fall from one thing to another until they hold to nothing in matters of Religion; Such an apostasy( as I think I may without breach of charity say) that there hath not been the like in any Christian Church since the great apostasy before name: and being thus become as it were an outward Court, may we not fear that God should give us over to be trodden down of the Antichristian Gentiles again? and not receiving the truth in the love thereof he should give us up to believe that lie.  
See more, Ibid. for I am weary of holding the pen of those learned Scribes and writing after them, and my heart aches, and my spirit sinks within me to consider how many dreadful clear warnings God has given by his spirit in the Prophets of these times, foretelling our ruin that is so nigh, and yet their words are laid aside, as if they had never been spoken, or pass as the wind which no one takes notice of. But to draw up my argument in short from the testimonies of those worthy Prophets. Say now you that have heard the witnesses of God speak over again to you what they formerly delivered, What think you? doth not all that they have spoken amount to a confirmation of this truth in hand: That the present state of the Church is a state of desertion in a great measure? though they say it not expressly yet do they not equivalently intimate it; do they not say that very condition in reality is befallen us that we call a true Desertion.  
If any one will be contentious farther I appeal to as many of those faithful Witnesses as are yet alive, and to all the faithful godly Ministers of these Nations, to say, whether all this horrible apostasy from God, his Ordinances and truth, which is confessed; those vile and abhorred sins that are got loose amongst us, those sad and dismal temptations that make men weary of themselves; whether all these mutations, overturnings, tempests, shipwrecks, wherewith the Princes, Nobles, Ministers and People of this land have been broken before our eyes, whiles we live to observe them and tell posterity what sad Monuments of Gods displeasure lye along by our shore; whether all these sad calamities( I say) that have befallen us, do not witness a real and plain desertion.  
The Lord convince us and our poor posterity after us of the present general judgement, that we or they may be humbled under his mighty hand, and cry mightily to God to stop it timely, before it make an utter end; for this is Gods method from which he varies not, that when he is in a way of desertion, he ceases not to inflict one judgement after another, until he hath utterly consumed that impenitent people that contend with him.  
I thought to have struck off here, affecting brevity in this work that so it might be soon red over, but one objection farther requires answer, and it is this.  
Grant there has been a great measure of Desertion upon the times, yet is it not now well over, is not the war at an end, and our swords beaten into plowshears, the adversary overcome and great rest given us on every side?  
Blessed be God for this, who has remembered mercy in the midst of judgement, and does not contend for ever; but this I take to be but a parley, a short breathing; did not God draw off Nebuchadnezers army from Jerusalem, and diverted him upon Egypt, and then afterwards set him on again, and caused him to led away Zedekiah and all his Princes, and the people of the land captive, and when they thought after this that the wrath of the Lord was at an end; do we not hear of Ishmaels massacre and carrying of Johanan and the remnant into Egypt. It is not then for us to be secure because God hath made a little stop; and I will give you my reasons for it, joining testimony with a faithful Minister of God whom we have name before, Reverend Mr. bridge.  
First, Because the hand of the Lord seems to be stretched out still in a way of displeasure. What year hitherto produces not the sad effects and tokens of wrath, a breach upon Parliaments, a breach upon Princes, a breach upon the whole Church of God, and the holy Ministers of God, a breach upon man and beasts, a breach upon the fruits of the earth and trading of the Land. Surely we may conclude as the Prophet, That for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.  
2. Reason, God is not reconciled to us, because we are not yet reconciled one to another. Our love is a reflection of Gods love; his love is the cause of our love, and our love the sign of his love; so on the contrary: Therefore when the Lord had said of those evil times by the Prophet Mic. 7. v. 5. Trust ye not in any friend, put ye not confidence in a guide, keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom, for the Son dishonoureth the Father, the Daughter riseth up against her Mother, the Daughter in law against her Mother in law; a mans enemies are they of his own house. What follows? Sure enough this is a sign of Gods anger upon the Nation; and therefore v. 9. it is added, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. Alas! says the Church, God is out with us; we will humble ourselves before the Lord, and bear the indignation of the Lord in all this, for the cause of all this evil is our sin.  
3. Reason, How can we think but that God is still angry with us because the former sins that God hath been punishing all this while, and which are the very causes of desolation do still abide amongst us.  
Defection from the worship of God, declining from our first zeal and love, tolerating of wicked and erroneous persons in Church-fellowship, lukewarmness in religion. Jer. 15. 6. Mic. 6. 2, 3, 8. Mal. 3. 7. judge. 8 33, 34. Rev. c. 2, 3. judge. 10 6, 7, 8, 9. Rejection of the Word of the Lord sent by his faithful Ministers and abusing them, Zech. 1. 4, 5, 6. & 7. 11, 12▪ 13. 2 Chr. 36. 15, 16, 17. &c. 1 The. 2. 15, 16. Luk. 21. 12. 13, 16 20. 1 Sam. 12. 14, 15. Evil customs, unrighteousness and oppression in Courts of Justice, Mal. 3. 5. &c. Isa. 5. 7, 8 & 1. v. 10, 17, 21, 23, 24. Jer. 22 1, ad 19. remissness in Government, judge. 8. 32, 33, 34. & 4. v. 1. & 10. v. 5, 6 ad 9. Cruel usage and persecuting of the people of God by profane ones, Lu. 21. 12, 13, 16, 20. Isa. 59. 15, 18. Mic. 3. 2, 3, 4. 1 Sa. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4. &c. Ezek. 25. 16. and following Chap. Hab. 1. 13, 15. sacrilege, pride, rioting, regardlesness of Gods judgments, open profaneness, notorious villainies, Impenitency & forsaking the Covenant of God, & profanation of his Sabbaths Mal. 3. 8. ad 12 ch. 3. 5 &c. c. 4. 1. Lev. 26. 2, 14, 16, 43. Is. 3. 9 c. 5. 11. 12, 8  
4 Reas. That makes us conjecture further wrath, is the opinion of godly Divines & learnedst Cronologers upon the times, expecting the slaying of the witnesses & advancement of popery yet again, to which they conceive the mystery of iniquity works apace. add to this the inundation of the Emissaries of the Church of Rome into this land▪ the acceptation of arminianism and spiritual popery amongst the vulgar, the recess of many English Divines and gentlemen unto that Church, and favourable compliance with the grand abettors thereof, and then consider what the end will be.  
Go to then, and let us draw up the conclusion of the whole matter: It is evident that the Church of God hath been for many years, and yet is under a great measure of desertion, which hath crept down along like a gangrene from the Churches of Germany, Bohemia, and others unto our dayes, and even to these kingdoms, God striking all afar off before he would touch this choice and lovely vine of England, which he had high esteem for. Now what the end of the judgement will be the Lord only knows, this we may humbly say, that as all desertions use to do, so this must at length fall into one of these points.  
Either an utter desolation and general ruin, or else through mercy and our repentance, a purifying of the house of God, and advancement of the true worship of God, and power and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ amongst us or our posterity: If this lamentable desertion should end in a general ruin and desolation▪ Oh, what heart does not break to hear it. Surely it stands us upon to let fall all private interests and set ourselves with perpetual fasting and humiliation to propitiate God, and regain his presence before he be utterly gone. Or if it be like to end well, as▪ sometimes terrible desertions do, yet still it calls upon us mightily to seek God, and put away all that does offend him, that we may make way at length for mercy, that we perish not.  
Ah, who amongst us pities not himself and his poor posterity, and the Church of God, and the Nation where his lines are cast? who lies a sleep like Jonah in the keel of the Ship when this tempest threatens us all? Oh, you Ship-masters, the Governors of the people of God go about and see, and if any sleep, rouse them by your authority; pity yourselves and us who are in like danger, search what is the matter that withall this earnest rowing you cannot bring the Ship to land and set it in a safe harbour; Alas, we are like to perish, because in our vessel there is not only One Jonah asleep but Many.   
FINIS.