A57970:1128
Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters
Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherford's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a well-wisher to the work & people of God.Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherfoord's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a wellwisher to the work & people of God.
Rotterdam? : s.n., 1664
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To my Lord LOWDOUN. (214)
Right honourable & my very worthy Lord.
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: Hearing of your Lo: zeal & courage for Christ our Lord, in owning his honourable cause, I am bold [& I plead pardon for it] to speak in paper by a line or two to your Lo: [since I have not access any other way] beseeching your Lo: by the mercies of God, & by the everlasting peace of your soul, & by the tears & prayers of our mother-Church, to go on as ye have worthily begun, in purging of the Lord's house in this land & plucking down the sticks of Antichrist's filthy nest, this wretched Prelacy, & that black Kingdom, whose wicked aims have ever been & still are, to make this fat world the only Compass they would have Christ and Religion to sail by, and to mount up the man of sin, their god-father the Pope of Rome, upon the highest stair of Christ's throne, and to make a velvet-Church [in regard of Parliament-grandeur & worldly pomp, whereof always their stinking breath smelleth] & to put Christ & truth in sack-cloth & prison, & to eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction: Half an eye of any not misted with the darkness of Antichristian smoke, may see it thus in this land: & now our Lord hath begun to awaken the Nobles & others to plead for born-down Christ & his weeping Gospel: My dear & noble Lord, the eye of Christ is upon you; the eyes of many noble, many holy, many learned & worthy ones in our neighbour Churches about are upon you: This poor Church, your mother & Christ's spouse, is holding up her hands & heart to God for you, and doeth beseech you with tears to plead for her husband, his Kingly Sceptre, & for the liberties that her Lord & King hath given to her, as to a free Kingdom, that oweth spiritual tribute to none on earth, as being the free-born Princess & daughter to the King of Kings. This is a Cause that before God, his Angels, the World, before Sun & Moon, needeth not to