Davvnings of light wherein the true interest of reformation is opened in generall, and in particular, in this kingdome for the establishment of weaker judgements, and many other things impartially hinted, to a further discovery of truth and light in many of our present controversies : with some maximes of reformation / by John Saltmarsh ...

The advancers out of Babylon.

IN our commings out of Babylon, we have many fellow travellers that pretend as well to leave her be∣hinde as we; and these are called Hereticks, Schismaticks, Anabap∣tists, Separatists. Now before wee be too far engaged in this, being they are such as pretend to come from the same point of advancement, or setting forth, it would be well enquired how Popery and Prelacy come to oppose them so directly, and their interests to be so inconsi∣stent, if they be all enemies to the truth: I finde Christs maxime tend to another sense, How can Sathan cast out Sathan?* 1.1 yet here again, I finde that Sathan may appear as well an Angel of Light as Darknesse, and Heresies may walk abroad, as well in white as in black; and that some vi∣ces are as inconsistent and destructive to one another, as vices and vertues.

However, they pretend with us to come out of Babylon, so it is possi∣ble they may only mistake their way in their going out: yet we must ask further in such cases, where popery & Prelacy agree with us thus in uno∣tertio (as appears in this one experi∣ment of calling the others Hereticks and Schismaticks) whether a godly jealousie may not do well? for it is possible, to cast out the courser part of popery and Prelacy, and yet hold it by a finer thred, as it hath been to this age in our partial Reformations, when at first popery was cast out only by the head, and so gradually still holding it by some parts, for it is harder casting out a mysterie then e∣very one conjectures at the first sight,* 1.2 for popery being a mysterie in the Spi∣rits sense, hath something more then a visible traine of Hierarchy courts and ceremonies, there is something more spiritual in it, their mixed uni∣ty, their tyrannie, their magistrality, their universality, their implicite obe∣dience, with others, &c.

Now it would be enquired what

interest or remainder these may have left behinde, for it is possible for po∣perie to leave such roots and stumps in the ground where it hath planted so deeply, & to work again upon these hidden and occult dispositions, for the Man of sin rose by such interests at first, and this the holy Spirit had ob∣served betimes, saying,* 1.3 the mysterie of iniquity doth already work, defecti∣ons, compliancies, and ap••stasies, as we have seen, are easily obtained, when the man of sin hath such invisi∣ble interests and agents layed in to work by; nor ••as the grosser or more visible ag••••ts the only meanes to actuate this Kingdom back againe towards Rome so often (as we expe∣rience) but these more secret and mercuriall engines which I have na∣med.

First for their unity, it hath such cold principles as freeze and con∣geale multitudes heterogenially to∣gether in the worship of God, and then puts the name of Schisme upon all the Reformed Churches that will not come into the dark with them,

where all colours are like.

[ 2] Their tyrannie reaches to the most spiritual cruelty, That of compelling soules under the penaltie of martyr∣dome.

[ 3] Their magistrality, in obtruding the decrees of their counsels, their in∣fallibility, with Anathema's, their Lording it over the heritage.

[ 4] Their universality, in holding out their religion for Catholick, because the ten horns have given their King∣dom to the Beast,* 1.4 though no longer then untill the words of God shall be fu••fi••••d.

[ 5] Their implicite obedience, wherein all light and liberty is denied to the people, but such as streams through their ministery & dispensations, which must needs be of their own colour, and will never be purer, comming so; Now these and such like would be enquired into further; and our ministery may do well, a little more then they do, to set upon this part of discovery of the interests of popery and prelacie in their magistrality, u∣nitie, and implicitie obedience (as their

Covenant oblieges them) for this I take to be the more spirituall part of it, and little studied, and thus they shall be more faithfull to their Cove∣nant, which ingages them to a uni∣versall extirpation: and now that we are upon reforming, or refining, the extractions must not be only of the grosser, the government, supersti∣tion, ceremonies; but of the more es∣sential, and formal, and vertual parts of prelacie and popery in the things I named; only we must take heed, that in such extractions, the purer spirits doe not exhale with the other, and therefore in such spirituall experi∣ments the furnace must be chimically heated, for it is possible that Gods unity, order, and subordination may go out with the other, if the extra∣ctions be more violent, then the word of God, and Apostolical practices will endure.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 12.16.
• * 1.2

  Rev. 17 5
• * 1.3

  1 Thess. 2.7.
• * 1.4

  R••v. 17.17