i.. be made his foot-ftool; which is the very thing we are now in expectation of. Now one thing more which I think fit to acquaint the world withall in this Epistle, is this, That none of these thorny hearers, durft after come to Difcourse with me, or to look me in the face; but one among them, that feemed of a better temper than the rest, upon the urging of a godly Citizen then prefent, did Speak with me; and the queftion he asked of me, was this, Whether I thought that all Presbyterians, were carnal Gofpellers? I told him, I was far from thinking any such thing; for I knew some of them very godly Chriftians, and did acknowledge the grace of God in them; and that for mine own part, I did not allow any fuch diftinction of Chriftians, as Presbyterians, and Independents, this being only a diftinEtion of mans making, tending to the divifion of the Church; and added, that as in Chrifts Kingdom, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature; fo in this fame kingdom of Chrift, neither Presbytery availeth any thing, nor Independency, but a new creature; and that the Kingdom of God, ftands not in Presbytery or Independency, but in righteoufnefs and peace, and joy in the holy Spirit, and that if I saw any thing of God, or Chrift, or the Spirit in any one, I reckoned him as a Brother, not taking any fuch Opinion into confideration; and that the unity of Spirit, and not of Opinion is the bond of Peace in Chrifts Kingdom. The Man then pretended to be fatisfied, and to rejoyce in his fatisfaction; but fince (as is related) hath shewed his ftomach again; but because he seems to be a Chriftian, the Lord lay it not to his charge. And truly Reader, it is a fad thing, that ever these names of Presbyterians and Independents grew up to this height in the Church; and that these Opinions fhould be reckoned more in a man, than the prefence and dwelling of God himself, and the Spirit in him. For my part, I utterly disclaim all fuch distinctions of mans making, and will allow of no diftinction of men, but what God himself hath made; and that is this, The world, and they that are taken out of the world; or, The Church, and they that are without; and in the Church, the Children that are born after the flesh, and the Children that are born after the Spirit; or, which is all one, Carnal and Spiritual Chriftians. This diftinction of men, God hath made, and this I do and must needs nfe, though the world (as it appears) likes this Worfe than the other. For the diftinction of Seeds in the Church, is the true diftinction; and the more this is brought about by the Word and Spirit, the more glorious will the Church be. Now fome Spiritual Chriftians may be among those that are called Presbyterians, and fome among those that are called Independents; and all thefe, though called by different names, are of one Spiritual Church: And again, fome Carnal Chriftians may be among those that are called Independents, and fome among those that are called Prefbyterians; and all these, though called by different names, are of one Carnal Church. And therefore I could wish, we had obtained fuch wisdom from God, as to let the diftinction and divifion of men, lie only there where God hath made it, and not where flesh and blood bath made it; and fo fhall the true Spiritual Church be delivered from these dictinctions of flesh and blood, and be feparated from the world, and be gathered together in it felf, and be at unity with it felf, which will be Gods great glory, and its own great strength, comfort and happiness, and the great terror and dread of all prophane men and Formalifts. Another thing, which I find my heart stirred up within me to do, is to teftifie to the world what I now in mine own experience, touching the Army under the Command of that most faithful and worthy General, Sir Tho. Fairfax and that because I am not ¿ ignorant ignorant of the great undervaluing, and defpifing, and reproaching of it, by many, even of those, whose blood runs warm in their veins, and who enjoy all the comforts they have in the world, through the faithfulness, diligence, activity, labours, hunger, thirst, cold, wearinefs, watchings, marchings, engaements, formings, wounds and blood of these men, inftruments in the hand of God for the fubduing that malignant power that rofe up against the State and Saints of God; yea Inftruments of Gods own choofing and calling forth to his foot, for this great and glorious Service, which after ages will wonder and stand amazed at, as well, as at the vile ingratitude of this age, to fuch Inftruments as these; for which God will not hold it guiltless. This then for mine own part, I am most confident on, that there are, as many gracious and godly Chriftians in it, as in any gathering together of men in all the world again; men full of Faith and the Spirit, and the admirable endowments of it. More particularly, there are thefe Six things most remarkable in this despised Army. 1. Their Unity, which is admirable; it being more the Unity of Chriftians than of Men; more a Unity in the Spirit than in the flesh; in the Father and Son, than in themselves. And this hath been one great means of their great fuccefs, they being all, both in Counsel and Action, but as one man. The Lord hath taken them, and knit them up in one bundle, and fo their Enemies could not break them, but have been broken by them. Many of their matters of greatest moment, have been carried in Councel with that Unity, that sometimes not so much as one hath contradicted. 2. Their Humility; which hath been admirable, as well as the former. For after great and glorious Victories, to the wonder of the Kingdom, and of the World, when Kings of the Army did flee apace, and the Men of might ran away as Women. I have never heard any of the worthy and godly Commanders or Officers ever to fay, I did this, or that, or to boast of his own counfel counsel or his own ftrength, or to attribute any thing to himself, or any body elfe, of what God had done; but very one to fay, This was the Lords own doing,and it is marvellous in our eyes; and it was not our own Sword, or Bow, but the Lords right hand, and his arm, and light of his countenance. And they have been moft willing to be nothing themselves, that God might be all. And this bath been one means to keep them humble, because though God hath been much with them, yet the world hath been much against them, not for their own fakes, who have done the work of the Kingdom faithfully and honestly, but for Gods fake in them; because there is more of God among these men, then among other men; therefore are they fo maligned by many men. For the world always most hates, where there is moft of God; and you may have a fhrewd guess, where there is most of God, by obferving where the greatest hatred of the world lies. 3. Their Faith; There are many in the Army, men of great and precious Faith; through which, they have wrought righteoufnefs, obtained promifes, ftopped the mouths of Lyons, quenched the violence of fire, éfcaped the edge of the fword, out of weakness were made ftrong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens. Through this Faith, they have purfued their Enemies and overtaken them, and turned not again, till they had confumed them; they have beaten them fmall, as the duft before the wind, and caft them out as dirt in the Streets. Through Faith they have entred strong Cities; and Ican truly and particularly fay (let them that will needs be offended, ftumble and fall at it) that Bristol (among other places) was Conquered by Faith, more than by Force; it was Conquered in the hearts of the godly by Faith, before ever they stretched forth a hand against it; and they went not fo much to storm it, as to take it, in the afF furance 74 furance of Faith. Through Faith, one of 5. The special prefence of God wit |