many of the other stories as these And whether these may not be a president to judge of the rest 4. Whether Mr. Edwards hath not dealt very uncharitably to say no worse of it in taking such a Machivillian course to screw out the failings of his Brethren and to put them to sale 5. If one should take the same course as he hath done whether he might not find farre greater and more abominations among the Presbyterans then is contained in his Gangrena 6. Thus having spoken to the most materiall substantiall things in his books and hoping I have sufficiently cleared the guitlesse I shall a little reason with Mr Edwards and speak mildly to him Master Edwards how long will you give up your selfe to scandalize the Saints and to fight against the members of Christ When will you cease to reprove passion with passion Doe you think the Lord Christ takes it well at your hands that you should slander just ones that you should print the testimonies of vaine men against the Saints of the most high God and so boldly stamp the superscription of truth upon their forged relations Did not you think it unjust that the testimony of a prophane lying Apparator should be received against you and yet will you receive the testimony of as bad against your Brethren When will you learne to doe as you would be done by How long will you dote on your p ivate interest Will you never cease the adventuring the ruine of the whole to set up your selfe will nothing but Naboths Vinyard his inheritance and life satisfie you When will you cease to incense the Magistrate against a faithfull people Think not on Sacrifice while you neglect Mercy Good Sir what is the reason you are so violent against those you call Independents are you a fraid you shall loose your credit livings Tythes Offerings honour and respect If these come falsely to you they are better lost then found When will you be contented that others shall injoy the same liberty as your selfe The Parliament hath established Presbyterie by an Ordinance you like it not would you be contented to be forced to it Doe you not expect a Toleration your selfe And shall not your Brethen be suffered as well as you When will you cease to cry up the Magistrates power in Religion so long as you think they will establish your desires no longer Why doe some of your Brethren strict Presbyterians say the Parliament is a swarme of Sectaries not the Parliament that was first chosen Why doe any of you give out such threatning speaches what the Common-councell will doe before long When will you be contented with the assistance of the truth of the most high to declare it selfe by Is there never a wise man among you never a good Souldier that can indure hardnesse that can fight the good fight of faith which is only able to root out errour even by the sword of the Spirit I desire you may see you are not at Dothan but at Samariah When wil you cease Nero like to kindle a fire in the Kingdome and say the Independents have done it when will you cease like Ahab to say Elijah is the troubler of Israel when it is your selfe and your Fathers house All your bitter threats accusations slanders imprecations nicknames unjust dealing Machivillian plotting moves me not I desire your happinesse and that you may acknowledge your evill doing and be ashamed do no more so wickedly I desi e with all my heart that you may speedily unwrite that which you have either falsely or malitiously written in your bookes and write so no more then am I perswaded your volumnes will be much lesse a great deale cheaper and abundance better Yo tell us your books will be believed in after ages If you prevail according to your prophesie it is probable So would Oxford Auâ— cusses had the Kings prevailed but they will be never the tâ—er because believed by your owne party That you may testifie unto all the world your desi es that nothing but truth may be credited Bind up this with all the other answers to your bookes that you intend to record for posterity Triumph not because al your stories be not suddenly answered CoÌ„sider you have agents al over the Kingdom many may not hear of your stories others may not have leasure at present others thinke it not worth the while being perswaded you are resolved to have the last word right or wrong and so they envy you it not What I have written is in vindication of truth in discovery of errours of your partiallity which if you shall see and acknowledge that God may be gloryfied I have gained my end You that are the free-borne People of England take heed whom yee believe and what you believe you see your Ministers themselves are subject to errours listen not to them neither to opâ—ose the Parliament or those that God hath made famous in suffering so much opposition and contradiction for you lest you bring your selves into that lamentable slavery as you had like to have done by hearkning to the Bishops Sacrifice not your liberties lively-hoods servants and Brethen which have sacrificed their estates and blood for you upon the lust fury pride avarice or ambition of any whatsoever You that are called to be Saints be not dismayed nor discouraged think it not strange to be reviled slandered and persecuted for this hath been the portion of the Saints in all ages Elijah was slandered by Ahab to be the troubler of Israel Amos by Amaziah The Priest of Bethel was accused for conspiring against the King of Israel Amos 7.10 Thus did Haman slander the Iewes saying they did not observe the Kings Lawes Hester 3.8 Thus did false witnesses rise up against David laying things to his charge that he knew not of Psalm 27 12. Psalm 35.11 Thus was two men sons of Belial set before honest Naboth â—ecaâ—se he would not part with his birth-right to beare false witnesse against him sâ—ying thou diddest blaspheme God the King Thus was Stephen by suborned men charged and accused falsly suffered Martyrdome Thus were the Apostles called seducers heretiques deceivers enemies to Caesar and the like Oh be not you troubled for your Lord Master the great Lord Iesus sâ—ffered the contradicti n of sinners The Iewes accused him falsly and put him to death through the false suggestion and slanderous accusation of Caiaphas the high Priest for blasphemy Follow your Master blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that dispighfully use you and persecute you Render not Jeere for Jeere taunt for taunt answer not folly with folly passion with p ssion But as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men and the God of Peace shall be with you and Sathan the Prince of darknes shal shortly be trampled under your feet And the Lord Jesus shall be advanced and you though despised here shall at his comming apeare with him in glory FINIS
continuer of them against those that have seen his nakednes and departed from him There are two things endeavoured to be effected by those Book The one to render all those whom M. Edwards stiles Independants Anabaptists Separatists odious in the eyes of the Magistâ—ate and People The other to exâ—lt himselfe and his Presbyterian Bretheren in which he so inordinately gâ—â—ryes That this Design of his may be effected the stronger and hastened the sooner he prophesies the certain downfall ruin and destruction of all those he calles Independants Anabaptists Separatists 〈◊〉 lust like the Prophets that endeavoured to deterâ—e N hâ—miah from the worke of the Lord in his hands Nehemiah 6.12 13.14 Are not all the Letters in his Gangrenous Bookes written by the Copy of Rebum's the Chancellour and Sh â—shâ—s the Sâ—ribe to the King to hinder the advancement of the Temple of the Lord Ezzra 4.12 to the end of the â—6 verse saying Be it known unto thee O Kings unto you O Parliament that thâ—se People have been a rebellous People if you suffer them to increâ—se or to l ve at peace amongst you they will be Kings themselve rebell pay you no Toll nor Tribute for they are a heady People nemyes to Government to Magistracy therefore suppresse them command them to desist and to preach no more lest England be filled with their Doctrines and wee lose our Names our Livings our Tythes and Offerings and then what will become of us for no man will buy our Merchandise any more Rev 18.11 I earnestly desire that no man whom God hath called to worke may be discouraged by this Prophesie and that the Magistrates might not so listen to those stories letters and bloody accusations preferred against a generation of just men as to command them to forbeare the building repayring and adorning the Temple of God with new and living Stones built upon a sure foundation b lieving all things which their enemies accuse them of so as to slight disregard discountenance and destroy them as enemyes who have hitherto approved themselves in all their Straits their closest friends But that they and all people would seriously weigh from whence this prophesie came whether from a vision or divine revelation or whether the ground of it is not An I would have 〈◊〉 so I desire it may be so and long till it is so I shall never be contented til then thâ—y stand in my light and keepe the Sunne of preferment from shining on me As for the eight Symptoms layd own by him and applyed to those that in his dialect are Independâ—nts Anabaptists Sectaryes c. They are to me the clearest discovery of his and his Bretherens nakednes that can be and were they impartially reflected they would confâ—sse it and if they are infallible signes of ruin they would acknowledge their own at hand I shall briefly rehearse the substance of them all in order as they are set down and faithfully reflect them that M. Edwards and his Bretheren may see and be ashamed 1. The first Symptom as M. Edwards saith of the Independants ruine is their horrible pride insolency and arrogancy extolling themselves to the heavens despising all others trampling upon them yea upon Kings and Parliaments the Kingdome of Scotland Assembly of Divines and the Common Councell of â—he City of London which pâ—aâ— of theirs appeares in their writing Speeches gestures and actions in endeavouring to breake all that will not daâ—ce after theiâ— Pâ—pe from which he concludeâ— this their Pridâ— having gone before their destruction will follow suddenly after Here is a high accusation foule crimes layd to the charge of all those whom he stilâ—s Independants had he as truly proved them as boldly affiâ—med them I had never dared to have appâ—ared for them neither do I seeke the vindication of any mans pride or arrogancie though he may be vaâ—â—ed with the name of an Independant c. But that M. Edwards should charge the crimes of one or two upon all that are called Independants seemes to me to be both uncharitable and unrâ—â—sonable did I not kâ—ow that envy makes wise men to forget themselves to doe they knoâ— not what and runne they know not whether from one extream into another I should scarcely have bâ—n â—nduced to believe that M. Edwards had forgotten the old rule ex particulari non est concludendum as I now see and know he hath if himselfe knoweth what his Pen hath written If one be proud insolent and arrogant must all be so too If one be a Heretique must all be Heretiques If Iudas one of the twelve veil'd with the name of a Disciple be a Devill must all the eleven be Devils too Iâ— one Professor be a Simon Magus a Dâ—mas Hymeneus or Philetus must all the Professors of Christ be such If one that is stiled by M Edwards or himsele to be an Independant Anabaptist or the lâ—ke should be in the gâ—ll of bitternesse must all be so too that go under that name I desire M Edwards would tell me what consequence this is whether it be good reasoning whether the grounds of it flowes from Religion or reason from a plain demonstration or from a reasonable supposition surely all these reject and abhorre it as spurious contradicting the lawes of God and man I am very confident if one should scâ—ape off the filth soil and dirt that is to be found amidst the refuse of their Congregations and throw it in his own face and the face of the rest of his Bretheren that abhorrs their Egyptian darknes he would be very angry cry out of persecution Iâ— he shall hereafter say he accused not all but some then surely he hath dealt very maliciously and hipocritically to make the world believe one thing in his Books and himelfe to intend another Is not this equivocation Mentall reservation But if he stiâ—k to his principles to conâ—emn all he had done well to have named more for as yet he hath named but few and some of them are never the worse for being named bâ— him their holynesse integrity and honesty standing still unshaken and unmoveable some of them being so farre from pride arrogancy and seeking his or hiâ— bretherens ruine desolation and destruction thâ—t I know would rejoyce to become his and their sâ—rvants in the Lord Christ though not in Antichrist Had but M. Edwards taken such a strict survey and made such a through inquisition into the Parochiall assemblyes yea into the very Angels and Mâ—nister oâ— tâ—em as it seemes by hâ—s Epistle to his Gâ—ngrena he hath done into the INDEPENDENTS their Assemblâ—es he would have found a taske hard enough an incoâ—nter sharpe enough to have rooted out the pride arrogancy and insolency that is between the Presbyterian Church walles before he had so desperately adventured to charge the guiltless in the open field had he lookt well before he had leapt he had saved himselfe much labour my soule desires his instruction not his destruction Therefore I
a seeming shew of great zeal trampling upon all that stand in their waâ— gnashing their teeth to thinke a pore Mordecai will not bowe to tâ— m and endeavouring to hang him on a Gallâ—wes fifty Cubits high O the â—olâ—ce of these men O the uncharitablne O the haâ—d heartednes O the cruelty f these men How many Sermons have they preached How many Papers ha they presented How many Petitions Epistles have they written and preferred to the Parliament stufft full with accusation against a company of pore men that stand in their light desiring the Parliament may be the executioners to cut the Independants off in the mean while I challenge all the world to name any Independants that have preferred one Petition to the Parliament for th râ—in of the Presbyterians Have they not rather sate still and in all their Petitions desired to be ruled by the Parliament in all civill things then to rule ovâ—r them at the other have done How violent is M Edwards and his Bretheren against all those that submit not to uniformity which few knowes scarce themselves that a e the greatest sticklers for it what it is and none knowes what it may be If to dâ—sire the Timber that is in the houses of those that wake not as they do may be pul'd down that Gallows may be made of it at their own dâ—es to hâ—ng them on if to say they hâ—te the Independants as Toads yea with a deadly hatred and the l k savâ—urs of violence Two great Champions of the rs Mr. Byfield and Mr. Ryâ—raâ—t to name no more will evidently prove their violence to be of a scarlet die and if violence presage ruin to the violent let M Edwards and his â—eth ten looke about them Violence was the practize and the ruin of their Fathers the B shoâ—s and whâ—n the Fathers have eaten sowre Grapes it is no wonder if the childrens teeth beset on edge I come to the third Symptome which M. Edwards sayth is the Independants great prosperity strange successe in their wayes and opinions every wind favouring them If by their prosperity in their wayâ—s he meanes the great successes God hath given them in manageing any trust reposed in them I am sory he should so farre maligne the Kingdomes happin sse but if he meanes their prosperity in their wayes to be their encrease in number M e thinkâ— he should not thinke that strange successe since in another place he sayth they are bu an it considerable Party If he intends by their successe the toleration of them in this Kingdom let him consider whether he his bretheren are not tollerated also was there ever any Ordinance passed for the establishment of Independency is there hath been for Presbytery their number is greater a nationall Church â—sâ— of them every Parish Church is frequented by them who are esteemed like them the Church Dores the Pulpit dores are open for them 200 l. or 300 l. or 400 l. and more per annum attends them large benefices g eâ— store what if they were contented could they desire that they have not Will nothing satisfy them till they have Naboths Vineyard untill they have taken away the Independants Inheritances from them It seemes all their successes are nothing so long as Mordecay doth not homage to them But he saith Scotland hath been afflicted with Sword and pestilence If so I desire M Edwards would cease to judge of persons and thing by common event for his own words confesse his bretheren the Presbyterians even the Scots themselves may be subject to the Pestilence and would not wonder that two of M Goodwins children dyed of the plague thus if success s and prosperity fore tell ruin it is high time for him and his bretheren to repent for they sit as Queens the world wonders after them But I come to the fourth Symptome of ruin Which M. Edwards saith is the great plotting of the Sectaryes forsomust all Independants in Mr. EDWARDS Dialect be called though let me tell him it had been much better for him solidly to have if he could first proved them so and not so unadvisedly to have cryed out VENI VIDI VICI but this is a cunning plot whose foundation is layd in the bottomlesse Pit to render many Saints odious He tels us in the generall of plotting but what those plots are he knowes not how to describe like some of his bretheren that in the frontispiece of their Bookes write a confutation of divers errors and in the body of their discourse scarce lay open what the errors are they would if they could confute But if he meanes the Independants rising up early sitting up late riding running fighting studying by all honest wayes just endeavours to make thes Kingdoms exceed their former beauty in the injoyment of Peace and pyety this is a matter of thanks and joy not of murmring repining and sorrow Oh that he would cease to blame that generation of men upon whose reputation he cannot fasten one stain It remaines for him or any else when they can to prove that ever any of those that are stiled Independants were guilty of one plot against this Kingdom or that they ever falsified any trust reposed in them if be or any of his brethren can shew it let them bring forth their evidences let them declare the time when the Plot was the place where the manner how and when they haue proved them guilty I believe none will refuse to suffer till then let them cease to make the world believe so But if plotting contriving Machiavilian Jesuiticall courses and wayes prognosticates desolation I should rejoyce if they could exempt themselves from it If they say they can I demand of them what meanes their Syon Colledge Plots their multiplyed Petitions and Papers their Remonstrances their subtill insinuations into Magistrates and People against the Independants poss ssing them that they are an heriticall schismaticall People a People enemies to government to Caesar that would live under no Lawes crying out crucify them crucify them away with them away with them they are unfit to live D d Machiavill ever more cunningly seeke to intrap and destroy his opposers then M Edwards as his Gangreous Epistle testifyes by his Going Writing Eaves dropping his sending his Spyes Emisaries Agents and factors abroad to pry into the haltings failings infirmityes and nakednes of his bretheren and having discovered any exposing them to a publique sale to the view of all men even to his own shâ—me Thus may M. Edwards if his eyes be opened see his own Picture lively delineated by his own Pen even to be such a Picture that I thinke will not eâ—sily be found among them he intended it for But I proceed to examine his fift Symptome of the ruine of those he calles Independents Annabaptists c. Whih he saith is this that Independency is a faction which he assâ—yes to prove thus as 1. It is not carried on in Gods way as a matter of Religion but
he doth not affirme it to be a truth that either Oates or the water killed her which is his best course since they cannot prove Oates baptized her but is only a report and cannot prove such a thing ever let him repent of his untruths and possitive affirmations of some to be so killed for page 188. of the second part of Gangrena he boldly charges them with bloody guiltinesse in that particular let him not vent hearesayes for oracles any more But suppose one that had been dipped should have dyed soone after in much lesse space then twenty dayes must the water necessarily have killed her For my part I can conceive no reason for it but let him and his brethren of the Tribe of Levi looke back and consider how many poore Infants without there consent they have sprinkled being sick and wel nigh halfe dead in peoples estimation but would they take it well if any should endict them for killing their infants Surely they would be esteemed ridiculous yet for such a practise is there as much ground to frame an â—ndictment and more then for the other Let M. Edwards bring better proofes hereafter for his accusations or else let all his friendâ— that love him perswade him to leave glorying in his shame for the future 2. The second Article materiall is he saith they use all wayes and meanes in their power to engage the two Natâ—ons in a Warre one against the other Let M. Edwards now bring forth his witnesses and make good his Charge if he know how Had he but halfe so much colour to charge the Independants c. to be incâ—ndiaries between the two Kingdomes as I have against him he had some proofe for what he hath written Hâ—s second part of his Gangrena tels me that he hath either received information that the Scots are resolved to engage themselves against a party at least of this Kâ—â—gdome and that a considerable one or he would have it so else what meanes that expression of his page 193. viz. God will honour our bretheren of Scotland to make them a great meanes of their failing speaking of the Independants and they shall faâ—l before the Scots as the Prelatical Popish party did marke how did they fall before the Scots they came in a hostile manner was so â—pâ—sed See if all you that take notice of his expressions cannot easily view his spirit painted in great red letters he saith further page 194 God will make thâ—â— come v z. the Sectaries Anabaptists Independants that whole Faction and woâ—shâ—p before their feet viz the Scots that is they shall overcâ—m and triumph over these Sectaryes a little after in the same page speaking still of the Scots he sayth thou shalt have victory over thy enemies and thou shalt enrich thy selfe with their spoiles he tels the world that the Scots shâ—ll be notable Plunderers and have the Pillage of the field will the Scots thank him for this To all which I shall only reply thus much He may be deceived for God frustrateth the token of the Lyars and maketh Diviners mad and turneth wisemen backward Esay 44.25 But he goeth on and saith they are guilty of prophanesse loosenes of life carnall confidence and the lâ—ke I have already declar d what prophanesse is amongst the Presbyterian-Churâ—h members not withstanding J have not yet heard of one excommunicated since the Bishops times but wheras he blames for carnall confidence J wonder he blushes not to say so let me tell him of their carnall confidence it is so great that for ought J can see most of them have no other how do they cry out for a sword of Steel to be their helpe they call upon Prisons Fines Banishments Confiscation of Goods Fire and Faggot to helpe them or they are undone when these that he termes Independants having Truth on their side they knowing truth defends them dare appeare in the middest of Wolves Lyons and Beares without an arme of flesh and the other shrouds themselves under Monarchy secular Authority and will go no further then they will accompany them If great sins and wickednes is a forerunner of sudden destruction it is time for the Presbyterians to looke about them but I come to his eighth and last symptom 8. Which he sayth is their not being moved to repentance when God hath testifyed against them and spit in their faces as by laying open their nakednes and fully discovering their wayes by some Bookes written by stirring up the City of LONDON against them but rather blaspheme the more and not beene humbled Hath God dealt thus with them and they made these returnes to him J cannot believe it but I see the main thing is when God hath discovered any infirmity to them they have not testifyed their humility and repentance to him and his bretheren is there no confession but auricular Is there no humiliation but in their presence But this is an usuall thing in his dialect to speak what comes uppermost I advise him seriously to examine his own heart and the truth of what I have declared and manifested and let him tell me whether their nakednes is not great and the covering of it but Figge leaves it may be he will once speake truth and confesse their sinnes and evill wayes appeares as Sodom and Gomorah but yet he hath a salve to apply to his sore a hole to creep out at he may perhaps say they keep dayes for fasting and humiliation for their sinfull nakednes and spirituall and carnall abominations But if he can thus blind the eyes of men yet the Al-seeing God sees that great hypocrisie that lurkes under their Fasts are they the more humble because they abstain from bread Doe they thinke that God is well pleased with their fasting when they fast for strife and debate and their hearts and hands are full of bloud Is this their humiliation is this Evangellicall Repentance Is this the Fast that God hath chosen The proclayming of a Fast will not excuse Ahabs taking away Naboths Vineyard and his life too He saith God hath discovered the Independents nakednes surely M. Edwards much forgot himselfe when he wrote this God hath discovered their Covering rather hath not God made it manifest in the eyes of all People that they are cloathed with so much honesty inocency integrity pyety and courage in all their undertakings that it is impossible for him to uncover them though he endeavours it all he can Surely Gods dealing hath been so plain that if their eyes were not shut they would see God going before them by a cloud by day and a pillar by night honouring them before the People giving them favour notwithstanding his and his brethrens constant endeavours to destroy them the more they have enâ—eavoured to destroy them the more they have encreased though they like cruell taske-masters have endâ—avoured to make their worke their bondage and misery greater and their strength and helpe lesse yet God hath the more multiplyed them