A blow at the serpent; or a gentle answer from Madiston prison to appease wrath advancing it self against truth and peace at Rochester. Together with the work of four daies disputes, in the Cathedral of Rochester, in the Countie of Kent, betweene several ministers, and Richard Coppin, preacher there, to whom very many people frequentlie came to hear, and much rejoyced at the way of truth and peace he preached, at the same whereof the ministers in those parts began to ring in their pulpits, saying, this man blasphemeth, ... Whereupon arose the disputes, at which were some magistrates, some officers, and souldiers, peaceable and well-minded, and very many people from all parts adjacent, before whom the truth was confirm'd and maintained. The whole matter written by the hearers, on both sides. Published for the confirmation and comfort of all such as receive the truth in the love of it. By Richard Coppin, now in Maidston Prison for the witness of Jesus. Twenty five articles since brought against him by the ministers, as blasphemie, and his answers to them, how he was

CHAP. XVIII. A childs condition is Christs Kingdome, their coming to him, his hand laid on them, they blessed by him, of his arm to all men, and when.

AGaine, there is one thing more, which you have said, and that I must open, That is; you say that thousands of Children are now in hell for their originall sin, which is a trouble to many people to heare such things asserted, therefore what the Lord may discover to me at this time concerning this thing, that will I declare to you; That when the Lord Jesus would declare unto his disciples, who were subjects fit for the Kingdome of God, he takes a little child in his armes, and sets him in the midst of them, saying, except you become, as this child, you cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, that is, to become a child in the knowledg of things below Christ, to know no more sin nor divell then a child doth, and to be as meek and as humble, as inno∣cent and as harmlesse as a child is, now Christ tells them, they must be borne againe into a childs condition, that is, to be little. even as nothing in their owne wisdome, and not to know themselves, able to act themselves forth in any thing; neither in thought, word, or deed, but in all things to be acted by another, even God, and this Spirituall birth, Nicodemus, a Ruler among the Jewes, was ignorant of▪ saying unto Christ, How can a man be borne when he is old, can he enter the second * 1.1

time into his Mothers womb, and be born, no, saith Christ, not so, but except you be borne of the Spirit, of Regeneration, and the new birth and so become as a little child to know no evill, sin, nor divell, nor any thing of selfe wisdome, knowledge, or righteousness which he was concieved in by that Mother, the flesh, or carnall mind, but to be as one dead in all old things borne * 1.2 by that Mother, and liveing againe in a new life, to behold all things made new in him, and Christ knew that a little child was the fitest subject he could compare a soule unto, whereby he might know himselfe a subject fit for the Kingdome of God, free from all sin.

Againe, there were some that brought little children unto Christ, that he should touch them, and his Disciples reproved those that brought them, and Christ said suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdome * 1.3 of God, this Scripture I know is brought by the Ministers to prove the baptizeing of children with water, though I denie it not to them that are free to do it, though here were none of them baptized by Christ, for he baptized not, but his Disciples, and they baptized no children, but onely such persons as would then be * 1.4 under Johns administration of water, which was onely to last Johns time, and then to be made void, and people did thinke then, as some doe now, that unlesse their children did recieve baptisme, they shall not inherit the Kingdome of God, therefore would say, Oh give them that they come for, lest they should die before they had it; Now, saith Christ, who will forbid a little child that he should not inherit the Kingdome of God, I say let such come to me, for of such is the Lords Kingdom, and they come to me as to their Saviour, their Lord, and Master, therefore forbid them not, though they were never baptized with water, for they are subjects already, fited for the Kingdome of God, as a King∣dome of righteousness, meekness, truth and love, having in them no unrighteousness, as pride, lying, and hatred, but they, like Christ, doe know noe sin, being not borne in sin, till they have * 1.5 the knowledg thereof, and oh that all men were become such children, free from all sin, and so receive the Kingdome of God as a little child.

Againe, he took them up in his armes, laid his hands on them,

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and blessed them, and this he did to let the people know that they are the blessed of the Lord, and that they are within the compass of his armes, as being never out, but always lodging in his bosom of goodness, mercy, love and favour, as being heires of his Kingdome.

And of this arme, God saith, all the day long have I stretthed it forth, to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to bring them * 1.6 to this state of a little child, into meekness and love, from sin and rebellion, and when this hand of the Lord shall thus come to be laid on any of you, then shall you be as a weaned child from the brest of your owne haughtie and laughtie Spirit by which you were nursed up into the state of rebellion against God, and of * 1.7 this the Prophet saith, who hath belived our report? and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed? speaking of Jesus Christ, the arme of God, that took from us all our sins and laid upon him∣selfe, as 'tis written, he hath laid on him the iniquities of us all, and by which arme Daniel when he lay with his face on the * 1.8 ground, was raised up upon the knees and palmes of his hands, and from thence to stand upright upon his feet, and when he knew it was by the hand of the Lord, he stood trembling, that is, all things of himselfe trembled in himselfe, when he stood upright in the Lord.

Now when this hand is laid on you, and doe but touch you the first and second time, which is the first and second coming of * 1.9 Christ in manifestation to the soule, then shall you stand upright in the Lord, and be for none but the Lord, and saith Christ, feare not, for I have the keyes of the house of David, which is Heaven, and I have the keyes of death and of hell, and I can open, and none can shut, and shut, and none can open, therefore feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer, for behold, saith Christ, I know thy works and tribulation, and the divell * 1.10 shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tryed, and you shall have tribulation for a time, but be thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee a Crowne of life, therefore feare nor, for I having the keyes, will not suffer you to be shut up any longer then I please, but will break open prisons, and prison doores, saith the Lord, and all this is done by his laying his hand upon us, and blessing of us, therefore henceforth judg charitably

of all men in all conditions; and no more judge any childe to condemnation that knowes no sin nor Devil, but rather this, that the Lords mercy is over all his works, and will lose nothing of his own.

Rosewell.

I desire to have no more to do with this man, you see I hope what his aime and end is in all his discourse: You say we would hide knowledge from the people, but I wish all men did know as much of good as I doe, provided I did know no lesse then I doe; and I have taken a great deal of pains in my private Studies, and publique endeavours, for that knowledge I have, and if I know any easier way, I would spare my paines: You labour to bring all men off from our principles of Religion, therefore know there is many hundreds of able Ministers, and thousands of good Christians, which are furnished with arguments against you, and all the Jesuites in the world, for my part I am not worthy to carry their books after many of them, and I say you are a shame to the world, and the Turks and Papists may laugh at us to see our division in our Church, and I would not have this Auditorie juggled out of their Faith; and if any man hath given any incouragement to such a Blasphemer as this is, let them be humbled for it, and do so no more, and I shall Preach against it to my utmost endea∣vour, for he doth overthrow all Ordinances of Baptisme, and Sacraments, which our Antient Fathers have used, which he saith are not necessarie to salvation since Christ; and so is an e∣nemy to God, Psalme 21. 8. I will end with this, Thine hand shall finde out thy enemies that hate thee, thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger, the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire of hell shall devoure them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn 3. 4:
• * 1.2

  Iob 17: 14▪
• * 1.3

  Mark 10: 13: 14, 15, 16.
• * 1.4

  John 4. 2:
• * 1.5

  Jer. 1: 5:
• * 1.6

  Rom. 10. 21.
• * 1.7

  Psa: 131: 1. 2: Isaiah 53▪ 1. 6:
• * 1.8

  Dan: 10: 10. 11
• * 1.9

  Men cast in 〈…〉〈…〉ison by the Devil.
• * 1.10

  Revel: 2: 9: 10: