they allow of that doctrine proclaming themselves to be the only Saints the holy people and the godly party the generation of the just and separate from their brethren as impure creatures Therefore the Independents do not walk in that old way of righteousnesse the old Puritans of ENGLAND walked in who made no separation in the worst times from the publike Assemblies or ever refused to pray with their Christian brethren and therefore in this point they have not outstripped them nor overgrown them from which I boldly conclude that herein that Predicant did abuse the world in saying that there is no difference between the Independents and the old Puritants of ENGLAND For the old Puritans were humble self denying men and the Independents are pharisaicall boasters of their own holinesse and sanctity and therefore in this their way is not the way of righteousnesse but a great aberration from it Again the old Puritans of England though never so learned and never so sufficiently furnished with all accomplished abilities of divine knowledge which many of them by their indefatigable pains study and industry and by their prayers unto God night and day and by their continuall waiting upon the Ordinances and Gods blessing upon all their endeavours had attained unto so that they were taken notice of by all men both in the Universities and amongst all the learned to be incomparable men many of the which I could name yet not any one of them ever preached either in publike or private without great study and prayer yea and without a speciall call and they alwayes with Saint Paul exercised their Ministery in fear and much trembling 1 Cor. 2. ver 3. saying with him 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things Those holy and godly Puritans though transcendently learned yet were always conversant in all holy duties especially in preaching and prayer with fear and trembling thinking themselves never sufficiently enough provided for for those duties And truly Saint Paul's example is worthy alwaies to be looked upon who though he were immediately inspired by God himselfe and had alwayes the assistance of his spirit and ten thousand times more learning then all the Independents put together yet he preached alwayes with fear and trembling and cryed out who is sufficient for these things Now if we compare the Independents and their Predicants with the old Puritans of England we shall find the old Puritans alwaies and in all things imitating the example of holy Paul and the other Apostles in their Ministery which they had a command to follow Phil. 3. ver 17. who intruded not themselves rashly upon the Ministery as the false Apostles and Seducers usually did and as all the Independents and Sectaries daily do they cryed out who is sufficient for these things and how can any preach except he be sent Rom. 10. saying No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as Aaron Hebr. 2. 4. Those old Puritans were all men of Saint Paul's spirit they durst do nothing without a call nothing without great study nothing without their parchments and books imitating Saint Paul in this who would alwaies have his parchments with him that is his books bring me my parchments saith he they preached not without fear and trembling this was the continuall practice of the old Puritans they could never be seen in a Pulpit before they had some dayes prepared themselves by prayer and study and yet after all this they would then cry out Who is sufficient for these things Whereas all the Independents and Sectaries assert that every man may preach and every man of them is sufficient and many also hold that women may preach yea and to manifest that they are all sufficient for these things and for the dispensing of the great mysteries of Heaven which the very Angels desired to pry into they run through Town and Country and wheresoever they come get up into the Pulpits and preach with such impudencie impiety and blasphemy as it is not lawfull to name their very doctrines being so destructive to all piety goodnesse and good manners and Ruffian like they go in their hair and apparrel and so insolent and proud they are that one would rather take them for Luciferians then Saints and such unbeseeming expressions they have in their prayers to God as would terrifie a truly consciencious and godly man to hear them as not long since one of them in London publickly speaking unto God in his prayer said Right Honorable Lord God which kind of expressions as they are blasphemous so ridiculous exposing Religion and the sacred Ordinances of God to ludibry and derision But yet this is the dayly practice of the Sectaries through the Kingdome far different from that of the old Puritans of England and therefore in this point of fear and reverence and of an holy awe of Gods divine Majestie and a reverend adoring of the ministery and mystery of the Gospell the way of the Independents is not that either of the holy Apostles or of the old Puritans there being as vast a difference between them as between light and darknesse and therefore the way of Independency in this particular also is not the way of righteousnesse but the way of rebellion and impudency Againe the old Puritans of England had all of them a reverend opinion of all in authority and did ever beleeve that there was no power but of God and that all powers were ordained of God Rom. 13. and they beleeved that every soule ought to be subject to the higher power and that whosoever resisted the power resisted the Ordinance of God and for that their Rebellion they should receive to themselves damnation and they ever believed that every soule ought to be subject unto authority not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake this was the Doctrine of the old Puritans of England and their practice in yeelding continuall obedience to them and praying for them is knowne to all men yea they did acknowledge that as all power was given unto Jesus Christ in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. Psal 2. so they did beleeve that all power in Church and State was derived from him as the head of all Principalitie and power who had said Prov. 8. 15. 16. By me Kings raigne and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and Nobles yea all the Iudges of the earth c. this doctrine the old Puritans of England had learned and taught and were obedient unto as having precept upon precept for it as from the words above quoted out of the thirteenth of the Romans so out of 1. Pet. chap. 2. verse 13 14. who said submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evill Doers and for the prayse of them that doe well for so is the wâ—ll of God that with well doing yet may
know and their daily scriblings in print can witnesse the contrary whereupon to take away if it were possible all occasion of their calumnious tongues I writ unto Reverend and Learned Master Cranford intreating him that hee would for the stopping of all their mouths license his Booke which he willingly to pleasure me condescended unto giving his reason withall in writing under his owne hand why he made such a transgression the which Master Knollys concealed wherein he dealt not candidly for it gave great occasion to the Sectaries to traduce Master Cranford not a little And after this was printed came forth an other Pamphlet by one I. S. called Flagellum Flagolli or Doctor Bastwicks quarters beaten up which was the cause of the Title and Inscription of this Booke and I being not many weeks after at Westminster some asking me there why I had not yet replyed unto them I answered not in a triumphing manner as my brother Burton relateth but merrily yet in respectful terms that I understood my Brother Burtons Booke was comming forth against me and when once that appeared I would answer them altogether This is all as I remember was spake by me Now they having their Emissaries and Lisners in all corners it seemes some of them over-heard that which was spoken by me which they related to my Brother Burton in other language then I uttered it the which provoked him a fresh as he saith page 1. in arâ—nam descendere and to take both my bookes in hand and so una fidelia duos parietes and although he was disswaded from fowling his fingers with my Post-script as hee confesseth yet being as hee saith bound by a double ingagement the one for the cause the other for his person he hasted at length as fast as before hee was slow to give me an answer to them both and howsoever I had not so much as named him in either of my Bookes but onely sent him them he having desired it yet he being not capable of the good counsell that was given him by his friend fouled not only his fingers with me but the whole man soule and body picking a groundlesse quarrell with me telling me though I named him not that I had vellicated him and pluckt him by the very beard and as the Prelate of Canterbury said once that when I writ against the Pope I meant him so my Brother Burton imagined I meant him because in my Post-script pag. 44. I had these words that not onely the Novices Younkers and Fresh-water souldiers but grave men in their great white-basket-hilted Beards with their swords in their hands came out to fight against their brethren for their Independency c. which merry expression of mine though I spake in the number of multitude he applying unto himselfe affirmes that I meant him as if there had beene none amongst the Independent in white-basket-hilted beards but himselfe which moved him to great choler and indignation against mee and so inraged him that he sheweth nothing but passion through his whole Booke as will easily appeare to every one that readeth it in the which he tels mee that the Wise man saith Prov. 20. ver 29. 16. 31. the beauty of old men is their gray head yea a crown of Glory being found in the way of Righteousnesse which I shall ever assent unto but if a gray head be found in the way of error Schisme and Vnrighteousnesse then that place is not for his purpose Now I shall referre these two Questions or Queries to the judgement of all solid Christians First Whether or no my Brother Burton be found in the way of Righteousnesse Secondly Whether Independency be the way of Righteousnesse And to begin with the first in the second page of his Booke he promiseth me that I shall not find with him so much as a white staffe to lift up against me and yet in the seventh pag. he comes out against me with Phocions black Hatchet which is his Pole-axe with which he fals upon me soule and body cleaving both my head and heart sparing no part of me and in the same second page he promiseth me that he will answer me in the words of truth and sobernesse and in the spirit of meeknesse and love These are his words who would not thinke that should heare him speak but that he herad the sweet voice of Iacob yet if hee looke but into his Booke before he commeth halfe way to the conclusion he will soone see the rough hands of Esau and well perceive that he answers me in the words of error and passion and in the spirit of bitternesse insolency and hatred and that he hath learned that Lesson well Calumniare audacter aliquid haerebit calumniate boldly something will sticke which he hath done with as much acrimony as I thinke any man ever did against a Brother and quondam Fellow-sufferer all which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard and harsh termes I can no lesse then spread before the Lord the Righteous judge ever remembring Regium est male audire cum bene feceris Now whether or no my Brother Burton in breaking thus his promise with me in all respects and dealing so unrighteously and injuriously with mee though he come out in his beautifull Gray Head be found in the way of Righteousnesse and be one of those men Solomon speaketh of I referre it to the judgement of the Learned But before I passe on to my second Querie I shall take liberty to make use of some of Reverend and Learned Master Calamies words for the more corroborating the judgement of the Reader concerning this first question He in his just and necessary Apology against my Brother Burtons unjuct invective concerning Truth shut out of doores page 2. hath this expression concerning my brother Burton His words saith he are swords and speares rather then words Hee fights with his heeles rather then with his head and kicks rather then argues and whips rather then answers Scarce any man since Montagues Appeal hath written with more bitterness I may say of him as Dr Rivet doth of Bishop Montague Non potest vir ille sine convitiis quenquam a quo dissentit vel in levissimis nominare Rivet Apol. this man cannot so much as mention any one from whom he differs in opinion though it be but in the slightest matters without reproach And as Plato said to Diogenes when hee trode upon the pride of Plato thou treadest upon my pride with a greater pride So saith Master Calamy doth Mr Burton tread upon me and whatsoever is blame-worthy in me with a pride more then episcopall and surely if to be railed upon and reviled be sufficient to bring a man into discredit then I must be esteemed as the dung off scouring and filth of the world c. Thus that learned man truly spake of my brother Burton whose faculty chiefly lies in abusing most men that differ from him though but in the least things But what Mr Calamy says of
seeing I have upon this occasion began to compare the old Puritans of England with the Independents and Sectaries who their Predicants assert are but the old Puritans over-growne that is Christians in all respects transcending them in all duties of piety and godlinesse and in all offices of Love and Charity towards others and in the whole frame of their lives and conversations and for their uprightnesse and honesty in their dealings and for their sincerity in all their actions and for their moderation in the temperate use of all the creatures and for their humble walking towards others I shall briefly here set downe the practices of the old Puritans concerning some of these particulars and parallel them with the proceedings of the Independents and Sectaries of our times It is sufficiently knowne that the old Puritans of England ever loved and honoured all the Orthodox faithfull painefull and diligent Preachers of the Word of God through the Land whether Conformists or non-Conformists and they never thought they could yeeld them reverence enough and were willing at any time to the uttermost of their abilities to relieve and supply them with all necessary accomodations for the support of themselves and their Families and they were so farre from taking from them any thing or hindring them of their dues either in respect of honour or maintenance that they would run and ride in their behalfe for the maintaining of their reputations and livelyhoods and if at any time they had beene oppressed by the power and tyrannie of the Prelates in any Court or by any wicked enemies of the Church they had the assistance and ever the good word of the old Puritans and their prayers and their purses to support them and sustaine both them and their Families they were never knowne to desert them or to give them an ill word and this was the carriage of the old Puritans of England towards their godly and painfull Ministers of all sorts and they never favoured any hereticall and schismaticall Teachers and this was that way of Righteousnesse they walked in Now if we looke upon the practices of the Independents and Sectaries they are chiefest enemies of all the painefull and godly Ministers through the Kingdome and the only friends of all Seducers schismaticall and hereticall Preachers so that it is well knowne they doe not only reproach and abuse them in words calling them Baals Priests the limbs of Antichrist and the Devils Ministers and a thousand such ignominious names but so persecute them in word and deeds that they cannot safely dwell by them where there is any number of the Sectaries yea there is scarce a Committee through the Kingdome where they have not persecuted their most faithfull Ministers yea it is their chiefe designe to take away their Tythes from them and to deprive them of their Livings by which they should support themselvs and their poor Families and they have made the lives of many of them so irkesome unto them and so wearied them with their calumnies and carriage towards them that though they highly honoured them before they turned Sectaries yet after that they became their mortall enemies and for no other reason but that they continued still to preach those orthodox doctrines they had formerly taught inveighed against the dangerous and blasphemous opinions that were now preached up every where by the Seducers of these times for this cause alone and for no other ground they have wearied many of them out of their very lives and forced others to leave their places of their habitations many presidents of this kind I could produce but one I cannot but instance and that is of one Master Beton of Rye in Sussex a most painefull orthodox and laborious Preacher and a man of no small fame as well for his godly life and diligence in his Ministry as for his singular knowledge in Hebrew and all the orientall tongues and yet this man every way so unblameable and accomplished did the Sectaries joyning with all the Malignants of that place drive from his habitation there The ful story of that particular businesse would make a pretty larg book which would sad the hearts of all such as are truly godly to hear that any that pretend unto Christian Religion should practise so contrary unto all Christian principles and the practice of the old Puritans of ENGLAND and yet what those Sectaries of Rye with their complices have done against that godly and learned Minister is generally practiced by all the other Sectaries and Independents through the Kingdome as can sufficiently be proved who generally implacably hate those that they have formerly loved and have still a cause to honour as who next under God have been a means of their conversion if ever they were really converted So that in these their proceedings they are not the old Puritans of ENGLAND overgrown which walked in the way of righteousnesse in honouring their faithfull Ministers according to Gods command 1 Thess 5. and Heb. 13. Which way the Independents do not walk in but in the contrary way of malice and hatred towards them as all their practices proclame Therefore inthis respect also the way of Independency is not the way of Righteousnesse And as for their charity and practice of love and their integrity and sincere dealing towards their brethren the old Puritans of ENGLAND were famous for their reâ—dinesse to pleasure them in any thing who would at any time ride â—un or go to do any neighbour that dwelt peaceably by them a good turn yea though they differed some thing from them in judgement whereas it can be proved that the Independents will take great and dangerous journeys to do any of their Presbyterian brethen mâ—â—chiâ—fe to defame and traduce them and to hinder their preferment yea and they will do it to such also as they seem to be very loving and shew an outward kindnesse to And yet at that very infrant of time they most faune upon them they will fearfully betray them yea it is well known that some of the Independents have betrayed their own fathers their masters their most familiar friends and acquaintance after they have turned from the Tresbyterian way to that faction especially they use exceedingly to hate such as they professed greatly to love if they have found them rigid as they speak or unmoveable in their Religion and would not connive at their Independent wayes I could say much upon my own experience how many of the Sectaries seemed not a little to honour me and spake as well of me as of any man living before they saw they could not prevaile with me to be of their mind nor to favour them in their erroneous opinions but as soon as they perceived that I was immoveable in my resolution their love turned into implacable hatred as it is well known And I am confident there might be thousands of presidents produced of the like nature many of which I know yea I may truly say this
his Throne all such as these are I say make Christ a Pagent King and salute him with haile Master as the Jews did to usurpe some of their own rhetorick and learned elequence but indeed they disthrone him For what is it to disthrone a King if writing of Warning Peeces and Pamphlets against Kings service and Kings-honour be not And what I pray is it to disthrone a King if this be not to passe all acts of Government in the peoples name and to send out all their warrants and mandates in the peoples name and to command all their officers to manage all their imploiments in the peoples name never so much as mentioning or taking notice of the King in a publique act of Government Are not all these actions and passages to any rationall creature a sufficient demonstration that the King in that Kingdome is either absolutely disthroned or is but a King to them in ludibry as Christ was to the wicked Jews I am confident that all understanding men will so conclude Now when in all the new congregations those new gathered churches the Ildependents there have such amongst them that write books and that with their approbation against Iesu-Worship that is against the Worship of Iesus who is the eternall King of his Church and when every day in all their particular churches they exercise all the acts of Government in the name of their churches and not in Christs the Kings name and that against the command of Christ and his Apostles I affirm and by the grace of God I hope ever to make it good that all this is not onely a robbing Christ our Lord and King of his due honour but a blasphemous and more then a Papall usurpation and derogating from his Kingly dignity and royalty yea it is indeed a plain disthroning of Christ their King and thrusting him out of his place and putting themselves in it which whether or no it be not the highest point of contumacy rebellion and blasphemy I leave to the judgment of others as for my self I know not what either of these things be if they be not blasphemy for when I learned Divinity I was taught that blasphemy consisted in this either to give unto God that that belonged not to him and to the excellency of his Majesty divine nature or to detract from him that that peculiarly belonged either to the essence persons or glorious attributes of the diety or to give the honour properly and peculiarly due to God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost or to any person in the glorious Trinity to any creature or malitiously or wickedly to speak evill of God his essence attributes word works c. or to do or act any thing obstinately and wilfully that is or may be derogatory to the dignity and honour of the Divine Majesty of God blessed for ever any of these things when I studied Divinity were thought blasphemy and worthy of severest punishments and those that perpetrated any of those crimes were reputed unworthy to live and proclamed blasphemers and men unsufferable and yet there are many such kind of creatures in our new gathered Churches who are guilty of all that can be called blasphemy and that rob Christ the Lord of his Worship and write against Iesu-worship blaspheme the holy Scriptures and deny the diety of Christ and the blessed Trinity c. and disthrone Christ in their new Congregations whiles they cry hail Master exercising all acts of Government amongst themselvs in the name of the Church never so much as mentioning the name of Christ the King and many more intolerable insolencies they dayly commit against the Soveraign Majesty of heaven and earth the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and King and all these notwithstanding are counted Saints that commit these vices and malifices and great books are writ in defence of all these wicked blasphemous wretches and both their errors and their persons are countenanced and that by their great Rabbyes and Champions all which notwithstanding are in Gods dialect and in his holy Word both old and new counted abominable creatures and men unholy and displeasing unto God and the acters and abetters and countenancers of all such blasphemies and wickednesses were thought equally guilty and great and fearfull judgements were denounced against them all as it is apparently evident out of Gods holy Word and yet these great evills are counted but the infirmities of the Saints amongst our Independent masters Now then I say when the Illdefendents are guilty of all these crimes as partly acting them partly tolerating such as are both actors and abetters or conniving at them and countenancing them pretend they what they will of setting up Christ upon his Throne I hope to be ever able to make it good that they all of them disthrone Christ manifest to the world that as much as in them lies they would not have him raign over them and so make themselves guilty of that crime they lay to the Presbyterians charg whom they dayly accuse to be enemies of Jesus Christ his Kingdom and such as would not have Christ rule over them when notwithstanding the Presbyterians do and ever will by Gods divine assistance set up Christ King upon his Throne and shall ever desire that all honour and glory and praise may be given for ever and ever to the King eternall immortall invisible the only wise God the King of Saints and King of Kings and that he may solely rule for ever and that all his enemies and such as rob him of his honour and dignity may be made his footstoole in the number of which the greatest part of the Sectaries are and all such as comply with them And this shall suffice to have spoken concerning the first part of my undertaking against I. S. which was to set forth the wickednesse of the Independents and to shew how by their doctrine they rob Christ of his honour and Kingly dignity when they pretend they set him upon his Throne which is an unsufferable blasphemy in them And now I come to prove against I. S. that I undertook in the second place to make good viz. that by their doctrine they not only rob Christ of his honour but all Christs blessed Apostles Ministers and Servants of their power and leave them nothing but the name and shadow of authority which is a horrid injustice and wickednesse in the Sectaries and Independents to do which although I have briefly proved before yet I shall here again for the more full elucidation of the truth and for the better setting forth of the Ill-dependent wickednesse a little further expatiate in this business and answer to all that I. S. hath materially or with any colour to speak in behalfe of his cause where I presume he hath spake as much as he and his complices thought and conceived made for it and for which their vain and impious jangling they must one day give a dreadfull account I undertake therefore now to prove