not prejudiced by partiality against this Book my Key for Catholicks have let me know that it hath not been without Success It being indeed a sufficient Armory for to furnish a Protestant to defend his Religion against all the Assaults of the Papists whatsoever and teacheth him how to answers all their Books The second part doth briefly deal with the French and Grotian Party that are for the Supremacy of a Council at least as to the Legislative Power and sheweth that we never had a general Council nor can it be at all expected § 195. 39. But the Book which hath furnished my Enemies with matter of Reviling which none must dare to answer is my Holy Commonwealth The Occasion of it was this when our Pretorian Sectarian Bands had cut all Bonds and Pull'd down all Government and after the Death of the King had twelve Years kept out his Son few Men saw any probability of his Restitution and every self-conceited Fellow was ready to offer his Model for a new Form of Government Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan had pleased many Mr. Tho. White the great Papist had written his Politicks in English for the Interest of the Protector to prove that Subject ought to submit and subject themselves to such a Change And now Mr. Iames Harrington they say by the help of Mr. H. Nevill had written a Book in Folio for a Democracy called Oceana seriously describing a Form near to the Venetian and setting the People upon the Desires of a Change And after this Sir H. Vane and his Party were about their Sectarian Democratical Model which Stubbs defended and Regars and Needham and Mr. Bagshaw had written against Monarchy before In the end of an Epistle before my Book of Crucifying the World I had spoken a few Words against this Innovation and Opposition to Monarchy and having especially touched upon Oceana and Leviathan Mr. Harrington seemed in a Bethelhem Rage for by way of Scorn he printed half a Sheet of foolish Jeers in such Words as Ideots or Drunkards use railing at Ministers as a Pack of Fools and Knaves and by his gibberish Derision persuading Men that we deserved no other Answer than such Scorn and Nonsense as beseemeth Fools And with most insolent Pride he carried it as if neither I nor any Ministers understood at all what Policy was but prated against we knew not what and had presumed to speak against other Mens Art which he was Master of and his Knowledge to such Ideots as we incomprehensible This made me think it fit having given that General hint against his Oceana to give a more particular Charge and withal to give the World and him an Account of my Political Principles and to shew what I held as well as what I denyed which I did in that Book called Political Aphorisms or A Holy Commonwealth as contrary to his Heathenish Commonwealth In which I plead the Cause of Monarchy as better than Democracy and Aristocracy but as under God the Universal Monarch Here Bishop Morley hath his Matter of Charge against me of which one part is that I spake against Unlimited Monarchy because God himself hath limited all Monarchs If I had said that Laws limit Monarchs I might among some men be thought a Traytor and unexcusable but to say that God limiteth Monarchs I thought had never before been chargeable with Treason or opposed by any that believed that there is a God If they are indeed unlimited in respect of God we have many Gods or no God But now it is dangerous to meddle with these matters Most men say now Let God defend himself In the end of this Book is an Appendix concerning the Cause of the Parliaments first War which was thus occasioned Sir Francis Nethersole a Religious Knight who was against the lawfulness of the War on both sides sent his man to me with Letters to advise me to tell Cromwell of his Usurpation and to counsel him to call in the King of which when I had given him satisfaction he sent him against with more Letters and Books to convince me of the unlawfulness of the Parliament's War And others attempting the same at the same time and the Confusions which the Army had brought upon us being such as made me very much disposed to think ill of those beginnings which had no better an end I thought it best to publish my Detestation and Lamentation for those Rebellious Proceedings of the Army which I did as plainly as could be born both in an Epistle to them and in a Meditation in the end and withal to declare the very Truth that hereby I was made suspicious and doubtful of the beginnings or first Cause but yet was not able to answer the Arguments which the Lawyers of the Parliament then gave and which had formerly inclined me to that side I conconfessed that if men Miscarriages and ill Accidents would warrant me to Condemn the beginnings which were for another Cause then I should have condemned them But that being not the way I found my self yet unable to answer the first Reasons and therefore laid them down together desiring the help of others to answer them professing my own suspicion and my daily prayers to God for just satisfaction And this Paper is it that containeth all my Crimes Against this one Tomkins wrote a Book called The Rebels Plea But I wait in silence till God enlighten us In the beginning of this Book having reprehended the Army I answer a Book of Sir Henry Vane's called The Healing Question It was published when Richard Cromwell was pull'd down and Sir H. Vane's New Commonwealth was forming § 196. 40. About the same time one that called himself W. Iohnson but I hear his Name is Mr. Terret a Papist engaged me in a Controversie about the perpetual visibility of the Church which afterwards I published the story of which you have more at large in the following part of this Book In the latter I inserted a Letter of one Thomas Smyth a Papist with my Answer to it which it seemeth occasioned his recovery from them as is manifest in a Letter of Mr. Thomas Stanley his Kinsman a sober godly man in Breadstreet which I by his own consent subjoyned To this Book Mr. Iohnson hath at last replyed and I have since return'd an Answer to him § 197. 41. Having been desired in the time of our Associations to draw up those Terms which all Christian Churches may hold Communion upon I published them though too late for any such use till God give men better minds that the World might see what our Religion and our Terms of Communion were and that if after Ages prove more peaceable they may have some light from those that went before them It consisteth of three parts The first containeth the Christian Religion which all are positively to profess that is Either to subscribe the Scriptures in general and the ancient Creeds in particular or at most The Confession or Articles annexed e.g.
that it is unlike the primitive Episcopacy But if that which must convince you must be brought nearer your Eyes by God's help we 〈◊〉 to do that fully whenever we are called to it 8. The Words which you here except against with Admiration of the Corruptions Partialities Tyranny which Church-Government by a single Person is lyable to was taken by us out of the Book commonly ascribed to King Charles himself called Icon. Basil. but we purposely supprest his Name to try whether you would not be as bitter against his Words as against ours and did not esteem Fidem per personas non personas per fidem And further we reply it is one thing for a Bishop to rule alone when there are no Presbyters or to rule the Presbyters themselves alone and another thing when he hath Presbyters yet to rule all the Flock alone for by this means he quoad Exercitium at least degradeth all the rest or changeth their Office which is to guide as well as to teach As if the General of an Army or the Collonel of a Regiment should rule all the Souldiers alone doth he not then depose all his Captains Lieutenants Cornets Corporals Serjeants c. But especially it is one thing for Ignatius his Bishop of one Church that had but one Altar to rule it alone though yet he commandeth the People to obey their Presbyters and another thing for an English Diocesan to rule a Thousand such Churches alone And when all is done do they rule alone indeed Or doth not a Lay-Chancellor exercise the Keys so far as is necessary to suppress private Meetings for Fasting and Prayer c. and to force all to the Sacrament and enforce the Ceremonies and some such things and for the great Discipline it is almost altogether left undone We are sorry that you should be able to be ignorant of this or if you know it that such Camels stick not with you but go down so easily Instances of things amiss § 9. 1. That which you cannot grant that the Diocesses are to great you would quickly grant if you had ever conscionably tryed the task which Dr. Hammond describeth as the Bishops Work yea but for one Parish or had ever believed Ignatius and other ancient Descriptions of a Bishop's Church But is it faithful dealing with your Brethren or your Consciences pardon our Freedom in so weighty a Case to dispute as though you made a Bishop but an Archbishop to see by a general Inspection of the Parish-Pastors that they do their Office and as if they only ruled the Rulers of the particular Flocks which you know we never strove against when as no knowing English Man can be ignorant that our Bishops have the sole Government of Pastors and People having taken all Jurisdiction or proper Government or next all from the particular Pastors of the Parishes to themselves alone Is not the Question rather as whether the King can rule all the Kingdom by the Chancellor or a few such Officers without all the Justices and Mayors or whether one Schoolmaster shall only rule a thousand Schools and all the other Schoolmasters only teach them You know that the depriving of all the Parish Pastors of the Keys of Government is the matter of our greatest Controversies Not as it is any hurt to them but to the Church and a certain Exclusion of all true Discipline And whether the Office of the Bishops of particular Churches infimi Ordinis velâ— gradus be not for Personal Inspection and Ministration as well as the Office of a Shoolmaster or Physician you will better know when you come to try it faithfully or answer fearfully for Unfaithfulness We know that the knowing Lord Bacon in his Considerations saith so as well as we And for what you say of Suffragâ—â—s you know there are none such § 10. 2. We are glad that in so great a matter as Lay-Chancellors Exercise of the Keys in Excommunications and Absolutions you are forced plainly and without any Excuse to confess the Errors of the way of Government And let this stand on Record before the World to Justify us when we shall be silenced and reproached as Schismaticks for desiring the Reformation of such Abuses and for not swearing Canonical Obedience to such a Government § 11. 3. And you have almost as little to say in this Case Mark Reader that we must all be silenced and cast out of our Offices if we subscribe not to the Book of Ordination ex Animo as having nothing contrary to the Word of God And the very Preface of that beginneth with the Affirmation of this Distinction of Orders Offices Functions from the Apostles Days and one of the Prayers ascribeth it to the Spirit of God and yet now it is here said that whether a Bishop be a distinct Order from a Presbyter or not is none of the Question That must be none of the Question when the King calleth them to treat for a Reconciliation or Unity which will be out of Question against us when we are called to subscribe or are to be forbidden to preach the Gospel And let what is here confessed for Presbyters Assistance in Ordination stand on Record against them when it is neglected or made an insignificant Ceremony § 12. 4. In the last also you give up your Cause and yet it 's well if you will amend it Whether the Canons be Laws let the Lawyers judge And whether all the Bishops Books of Articles as against making Scripture our Table-talk and many such others be either Laws or according to Law let the World judge The Remedies offered for reforming these Evils § 13. 1. Whereas to avoid all Exception or frustrating Contentions or Delays we offered only Bishop Usher's Platform subscribed also by Dr. Holdsworth that the World might see that it is Episcopacy it self that we plead for you tell us that it was formed many Years before his Death and is not consistent with two other of his Discourses In which either you would intimate that he contradicteth himself and could not speak consistently or that he afterward retracted this Reduction For the first We must believe that many Men can reconcile their own Writings when some Readers cannot as better understanding themselves than others do And that this reverend Bishop was no such raw Novice as not to know when he contradicted himself in so publick and practical a Case as a Frame of Church-Government Nor was he such an Hypocrite as to play fast and loose in the things of God But upon Debate we undertake to vindicate his Writings from this Aspersion of Inconsistency only you must not take him to mean that all was well done which as an Historian he saith was done And as to any Retraction one of us my self is ready to witness that he owned it not long before his Death as a Collection of fit Terms to reconcile the Moderate in these Points and told him that he offered it the late King And
said than never to hear it and also that it was said That this Baker was one that he had elected to be a Bishop This greatly troubled the King and he called for the Book that had the Catalogue of the Bishops which Secretary Nicholas brought and said there was no such Name But the King presently spied the Name and said There it was and charged that he should be enquired after The next day we learned that it was another Baker of the same Name with the Bishop And though we also learned that the Bishop himself was a Good-fellow yet because it was not the same Man I went the next day to Mr. Secretary Morrice and intreated him to certifie the King that it was another Baker that so the Bishop might receive no wrong by it which he promised to do Yet was it given out that we were Lyers and â—anderers that maliciously came to defame the Clergy And shortly after the Bishop put it into the news-News-Book That some Presbyterians had maliciously defamed him and that it was not he but another of his Name So that though the Fact was never questioned or denied yet was it a heinouser matter in us to say that it was reported to be an elect Bishop when it was as ancient a Priest of the same name than for the Man to preach and pray in his Drunkenness I never heard that he was rebuked for it but we heard enough of it § 147. Upon this Fact when we met and dined one day at the Lord Chamberlains among other talk of this Business I said That if I wished their hurt at one of their Enemies I should wish they were more such that their shame might cast them down Mr. Horton a young Man that was Chaplain to the Lord Chamberlain and then intended to conform answered That we must not wish evil that good may come of it To which I replyed There is no doubt of it far is it from me to say that I wish it but if I were their Enemy I could scarce wish them greater hurt and injury to their Cause than to set up such Men and that those are their Enemies whoever they be that perswade them to cast out learned godly Ministers and set up such in their room as these Yet did this Mr. Horton in his complying weakness to please that Party tell Dr. Bolton That I wished that they were all such And Dr. Bolton told it from Table to Table and published it in the Pulpit And when he was questioned for it alledged Mr. Horton as his Author When I went to Mr. Horton he excused it and said That he thought I hâ—d said so and when I told him of the additional words by which then I disclaimed such a sence he could not remember them and that was all the remedy I had though none of the Brethren present remembred any such words as he reported But when the Lord Chamberlain knew of it he was so much offended that I was fain to intercede for Mr. Horton that it might not prove any hurt to him And by this following Letter he exprest his distast For my esteemed Friend Mr. Baxter These SIR I Have just Cause to intreat your Excuse for so abrupt a breaking from you I confess I was under very great trouble for the folly of my Chaplain and could not forbear to express it to him I am concerned with a very true resentment for so imprudent a Carriage Let me intreat you that it may not reflect upon me but that you will believe that I have so great a value of you and am so tender of your Credit as I cannot easily pass by my Chaplain's indiscretion Yet I shall endeavour to clear you from any untrue Aspersions and shall approve my self Your assured Friend Ed. Manchester § 148. I shall next insert some account of the Business which I had so often with the Lord Chancellour at this time Because it was most done in the inter-space between the passing of the King's Declaration and the Debates about the Liturgy In the time of Cromwell's Government Mr. Iohn Elliot with some Assistant in New-England having learnt the Natives Language and Converted many Souls among them not to be baptized and forget their Names as well as Creed as it is among the Spaniards Converts at Mexico Peru c. but to serious Godliness it was found that the great hinderance of the progress of that Work was the Poverty and Barbarousness of the People which made many to live dispersed like wild Beasts in Wildernesses so that having neither Towns nor Food nor Entertainment fit for English Bodies few of them could be got together to be spoken to nor could the English go far or stay long among them Wherefore to build them Houses and draw them together and maintain the Preachers that went among them and pay School-masters to teach their Children and keep their Children at School c. Cromwell caused a Collection to be made in England in every Parish and People did contribute very largely And with the Money beside some left in stock was bought 7 or 800 l. per Annum of Lands and a Corporation chosen to dispose of the Rents for the furthering of the Works among the Indians This Land was almost all bought for the worth of it of one Colonel Beddingfield a Papist an Officer in the King's Army When the King came in Beddingfield seizeth on the Lands again and keepeth them and refuseth either to surrender them or to repay the Money because all that was done in Cromwell's time being now judged void as being without Law that Corporation was now null and so could have no right to Money or Lands And he pretended that he sold it under the worth in expectation of the recovery of it upon the King's return The President of the Corporation was the Lord Steele a Judge a worthy Man The Treasurer was Mr. Henry Ashurst and the Members were such sober godly Men as were best affected to New-Englands Work Mr. Ashurst being the most exemplary Person for eminent Sóbriety Self-denial Piety and Charity that London could glory of as far as publick Observation and Fame and his most intimate Friends Reports could testifie did make this and all other Publick Good which he could do his Business He called the Old Corporation together and desired me to meet them where we all agreed that such as had incurred the King's Displeasure by being Members of any Courts of Justice in Cromwell's days should quietly recede and we should try if we could get the Corporation restored and the rest continued and more fit Men added that the Land might be recovered And because of our other Business I had ready access to the Lord Chancellour they desired me to solicit him about it so Mr. Ashurst and I did follow the Business The Lord Chancelloor at the very first was ready to further us approving of the Work as that which could not be for any Faction or Evil end but honourable to
for I consider'd that my Father's Exercise of Reading the Scripture was better than theirs and would surely be better thought on by all men at the last and I considered what it was for that he and others were thus derided When I heard them speak scornfully of others as Puritans whom I never knew I was at first apt to believe all the Lies and Slanders wherewith they loaded them But when I heard my own Father so reproached and perceived the Drunkards were the forwardest in the reproach I perceived that it was mere Malice For my Father never scrupled Common-Prayer or Ceremonies nor spake against Bishops nor ever so much as prayed but by a Book or Form being not ever acquainted then with any that did otherwise But only for reading Scripture when the rest were Dancing on the Lord's Day and for praying by a Form out of the end of the Common-Prayer Book in his House and for reproving Drunkards and Swearers and for talking sometimes a few words of Scripture and the Life to come he was reviled commonly by the Name of Puritan Precision and Hypocrite and so were the Godly Conformable Ministers that lived any where in the Country near us not only by our Neighbours but by the common talk of the Vulgar Rabble of all about us By this Experience I was fully convinc'd that Godly People were the best and those that despised them and lived in Sin and Pleasure were a malignant unhappy sort of People and this kept me out of their Company except now and then when the Love of Sports and Play enticed me § 2. The chiefest help that I had for all my Learning in the Country Schools was with Mr. Iohn Owen School-master at the Free-School at Wroxeter to whom I went next who lived in Sir Richard Newport's House afterward Lord Newport at Eyton and taught School at that ancient Uriconium where the Ruins and old Coin confirm those Histories which make it an ancient City in the Romans Times The present Lord Newport and his Brother were then my School-fellows in a lower Form and Dr. Richard Allestree now Dr. of the Chair in Oxford Canon of Christ's Church and Provost of Eaton-Colledge of whom I remember that when my Master set him up into the lower end of the highest Form where I had long been Chief I took it so ill that I talkt of leaving the School whereupon my Master gravely but very tenderly rebuked my pride and gave me for my Theme Ne sutor ultra crepidam § 3. About that time it pleased God of his wonderful Mercy to open my Eyes with a clearer insight into the Concerns and Case of my own Soul and to touch my heart with a livelier feeling of things◠Spiritual than ever I had sound before And it was by the means and in the order following stirring up my Conscience more against me by robbing an Orchard or two with rude Boys than it was before And being under some more Conviction for my Sin a poor Day-Labourer in the Town he that I before-mentioned that was wont to read in the Church for the old Parson had an old torn Book which he lent my Father which was called Bunny's Resolution being written by Parson's the Jesuit and corrected by Edm. Bunny I had before heard some Sermons and read a good Book or two which made me more love and honour Godliness in the General but I had never felt any other change by them on my heart Whether it were that till now I came not to that maturity of Nature which made me capable of discerning or whether it were that this was God's appointed time or both together I had no lively sight and sense of what I read till now And in the reading of this Book when I was about Fifteen years of Age it pleased God to awaken my Soul and shew me the folly of Sinning and the misery of the Wicked and the unexpressible weight of things Eternal and the necessity of resolving on a Holy Life more than I was ever acquainted with before The same things which I knew before came now in another manner with Light and Sense and Seriousness to my Heart This cast me first into fears of my Condition and those drove me to Sorrow and Confession and Prayer and so to some resolution for another kind of Life And many a-day I went with a throbbing Conscience and saw that I had other Matters to mind and another Work to do in the World than ever I had minded well before Yet whether sincere Conversion began now or before or after I was never able to this day to know for I had before had some Love to the Things and People which were good and a restraint from other Sins except those forementioned and so much from those that I seldom committed most of them and when I did it was with great reluctancy And both now and formerly I knew that Christ was the only Mediator by whom we must have Pardon Justification and Life But even at that time I had little lively sense of the Love of God in Christ to the World or me nor of my special need of him for Parsons and all Papists almost are too short upon this Subject And about that time it pleased God that a poor Pedlar came to the Door that had Ballads and some good Books And my Father bought of him Dr. Sibb's bruised Reed This also I read and found it suited to my state and seasonably sent me which opened more the Love of God to me and gave me a livelier apprehension of the Mystery of Redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ. All this while neither my Father nor I had any Acquaintance or Familiarity with any that had any Understanding in Matters of Religion nor ever heard any pray ex tempore But my Prayers were the Confession in the Common-Prayer Book and sometime one of Mr. Bradford's Prayers in a Book called his Prayers and Meditations and sometime a Prayer out of another prayer-Prayer-Book which we had After this we had a Servant that had a little Piece of Mr. Perkins's Works of Repentance and the right Art of Living and Dying well and the Government of the Tongue And the reading of that did further inform me and confirm me And thus without any means but Books was God pleased to resolve me for himself § 4. When I was ready for the University my Master drew me into another way which kept me thence where were my vehement desires He had a Friend at Ludlow Chaplain to the Council there called Mr. Richard Wickstead whose Place having allowance from the King who maintaineth the House for one to attend him he told my Master that he was purposed to have a Scholar fit for the University and having but one would be better to him than any Tutor in the University could be whereupon my Master perswaded me to accept the offer and told me it would be better than the University to me I believed
186. 30. The third Sheet was called One Sheet for the Ministry against the Malignants of all sorts containing those Reasons for the present Ministry which shew the greatness of the Sin of those that set against them It was intended then against the Quakers and other Sectarian Enemies to the Ministry but is as useful for these Times and against those that on other pretences hate and silence and suppress them and might tell their Consciences what they do § 187. 31. The fourth Sheet I called A Second Sheet for the Ministry being a Defence of their Office as continued against the Seekers who pretend that the Ministry is ceased and lost And it may serve against the Papists that question our Call for want of a Succession and all their Spawn of Sectaries that are still setting themselves against the Ministry and against the Sacred Scriptures § 188. 32. Mr. William Montford being chosen Bayliff of Kiderminster desired me to write him down a few brief Instructions for the due Execution of his Office of Magistracy that he might so pass it as to have Comfort and not Trouble in the Review which having done considering how many Mayors and Bayliffs and Countrey Justices needed it as well as he I printed it in an open Sheet to stick upon a Wall Entituled Directions for Iustices of Peace especially in Corporations for the Discharge of their Duties to God suited to those Times § 189. 33. Mr. Iohn Dury having spent thirty Years in Endeavours to reconcile the Lutherans and Calvanists was now going over Sea again upon that Work and desired the Judgment of our Association how it should be successfully expedited which at their desire I drew up more largely in Latin and more briefly in English The English Letter he printed as my Letter to Mr. Dury for Pacification § 190. 34. About that time Mr. Ionathan Hanmer of Devonshire wrote a Treatise for Confirmation as the most expedient means to reform our Churches and reconcile all that disagree about the Qualification of Church Members I liked the Design so well having before written for it in my Treatise of Baptism that being requested I put a large Epistle before it and after that when some Brethren desired me to produce more Scripture Proof for it than he had done I wrote a small Treatise called Confirmation and Restauration the necessary means to Reformation and Reconciliation But the times changed before it could be much practised § 191. 35. Sergeant Shephard an honest Lawyer wrote a little Book of Sincerâ—ty and Hypocrisy and in the end of it Mr. Tho. Barlow afterward Bishop of Lincoln wrote without his Name an Appendix in Confutation of a supposed Opinion of mine that Saving Grace differeth not Specie but Gradu from Common Grace To which I replied in a short Discourse called Of Saving Faith c. I had most highly valued the Author whom I wrote against long before for his Six Exercitations in the end of Schibler's Metaphysicks But in his Attempt against me he came quite below himself as I made manifest and he resolved to make no Answer to it In this Tractate the Printer plaid his part so shamefully that the Book is scarcely to be understood § 192. 36. Being greatly apprehensive of the Commonness and Danger of the Sin of Selfishness as the Summ and Root of all positive Evil I preached many Sermons against it and at the Request of some Friends I published them entituled A. Treatise of Self-denial which found better acceptance than most of my other but yet prevented not the ruine of Church and State and Millions of Souls by that Sin § 193. 37. After that I published Five Disputations about Church-Government in order to the Reconciliation of the differing Parties In the first I proved that the English Diocesance Prelacy is intollerable which none hath answered In the Second I have proved the Validity of the Ordination then exercised without Diocesanes in England which no Man hath answered though many have urged Men to be re-ordained In the third I proved that there are dives sorts of Episcopacy lawful and desirable In the fourth and fifth I shew the lawfulness of some Ceremonies and of a Liturgy and what is unlawful here This Book being published when Bishops Liturgy and Ceremonies were most decryed and opposed was of good use to declare my Judgment when the King came in for if I had said as much then I had been judged but a Temporizer But as it was effectual to settle many in a Moderation so it made abundance of Conformists afterwards or was pretended at least to give them Satisfaction Though it never medled with the greatest Parts of Conformity Renouncing Vows Assent and Consent to all things in three Books c. and though it unanswerably confuted our Prelacy and Re-ordination and consequently the Renunciation of the Vow against Prelacy and opposed the Cross in Baptism But Sicvitant Stulti Vitia as my Aphorisms made some Arminians If you discover an Error to an injudicious Man he reeleth into the contrary Error and it is hard to stop him in the middle Verity § 194. 38. At the same time I published another Book against Popery fit for the defensive part and instructing Protestants how to answer any Papist It is entituled A Key for Catholicks to open the jugling of the Iesuits and satisfie all that are but truly willing to understand whether the Cause of the Roman or Reformed Churches be of God In this Treatise proving that the Blood of the King is not by Papists to be charged upon Protestants I plainly hazarded my Life against the Powers that then were and grievously incensed Sir H. vane as is before declared And yet Mr. I. N. was so tender of the Papists Interest that having before been offended with me for a Petition against Popery and a Justice of all times spake against it on the Bench and his Displeasure encreased by this Book he took occasion since the King came in to write against me for those very Passages which condemned the King-killers Because comparing the Case with the Doctrine and Practice of the Papists I shewed that the Sectarians and Cromwelians had of the two a more plausible Pretence which I there recited he confuteth those Pretence of theirs as if they had been my own thereby to make the World believe that I wrote for the King's Death in the very Pages where to the hazard of my Life I wrote against it when he himself took the Engagement against the King and the House of Lords and was a Justice under Oliver and more than so signed Orders for the sequestring of others of the King's Party But the great Indignation against this Book and the former is that they were by Epistles directed to Ri. Cromwell as Lord Protector which I did only to provoke him that had Power to use it well when the Parliament had sworn Fidelity to him and that without any Word of Approbation to his Title Yet those that were
whom we have to do that our Business is to request you of the Clergy not to provoke the Law-givers to make any Law against this That it may not become a Crime to Men to pray together and provoke one another to Love and to good Works when it is no Crime to talk and play and drink and feast together And that it may be no Crime to repeat a Sermon together unless you resolve that they shall hear none which is worth their repeating and remembring And whereas you speak of opening a Gap to Sectaries for private Conventicles and the evil Consequents to the State we only desire you to avoid also the cherishing of Ignorance and Prophaneness and suppress all Sectaries and spare not in a way that will not suppress the means of Knowledge and Godliness As you will not forbid all praying or preaching lest we should have Sectarian Prayers or Sermons so let not all the People of the Land be prohibited such Assistance to each others Souls as Nature and Scripture oblige them to and all for fear of the Meetings of Sectaries We thought the Cautions in our Petition were sufficient when we confined it Subjectively to those of our Flocks and Objectively to their Duties of exhorting and provoking one another to Love and to good Works and of building up one another in their most holy Faith And only by religious peaceable means of furthering each other in the ways of eternal Life And for the Order They being not opposite to Church-Assemblies but subordinate nor refusing the Guidance and Inspection of their Pastors who may be sometime with them and prescribe them their Work and Way and direct their Actions and being responsible for what they do or say their Doors being open there will not want Witnesses against them if they do amiss And is not all this enough to secure you against the Fear of Sectaries unless all such Helps and mutual Comforts be forbidden to all that are no Sectaries This is but as the Papists do in another Case when they deny People Liberty to read the Scriptures lest they make Men Hereticks or Sectaries And for the Danger of the State cannot Men plot against it in Ale-houses or Taverns or Fields or under Pretence of Horse-Races Hunting Bowles or other Occasions but only under pretence of Worshipping God If they may why are not all Men forbidden to feast or bowl or hunt c. lest Sectaries make advantage of such Meetings as well as to fast and pray God and wise Men know that there is something more in all such Jealousies of Religious Duties § 4. Do you really desire that every Congregation may have an able godly Minister Then cast not out those many Hundreds or Thousands that are approved such for want of Re-ordination or for doubting whether Diocesans with their Chancellors c. may be subscribed to and set not up ignorant ungodly ones in their Places Otherwise the poor undone Churches of Christ will no more believe you in such Professions than we believed that those Men intended the King's just Power and Greatness who took away his Life But you know not what we mean by Residence nor how far we will extend that Word The Word is so plain that it 's easily understood by those that are willing But he that would not know cannot understand as King Charles told Mr. Henderson I doubt the People will quickly find that you did not understand us And yet I more fear lest many a Parish will be glad of Non-residence even if Priest and Curate and all were far enough from them through whose Fault I say not § 5. Two Remedies you give us instead of what we desired for the Reformation of Church-Communion 1. You say Confirmation if rightly and solemnly performed will alone be sufficient as to the point of Instruction Answ. But what we desired was necessary to the right and solemn Performance of it Doth not any Man that knoweth what hath been done in England and what People dwell there know that there are not more ignorant People in this Land than such as have had and such as desire Episcopal Confirmation Is it Sufficient in point of Instruction for a Bishop to come among a company of little Children and other People whom he he never saw before and of whom he never heard a Word and of whom he never asketh a Question which may inform him of their Knowledge or Life and presently to lay his Hands on them in order and hastily say over a few Lines of Prayer and so dismiss them I was confirmed by honest Bishop Morton with a multitude more who all went to it as a May-game and kneeled down and he dispatched us with that short Prayer so fast that I scarce understood one word he said much less did he receive any Certificate concerning us or ask us any thing which might tell him whether we were Christians and I never saw nor heard of much more done by any English Bishop in his course of Confirmation If you say that more is required in the Rubrick I say then it is no Crime for us to desire it 2. And for your Provision in the other Rubrick again scandalous Communicants it enableth not the Minister to put away any one of them all save only the malicious that will not just then be reconciled Be not angry with us if in sorrow of Heart we pray to God that his Churches may have experienced Pastors who have spent much time in serious dealing with every one of their Parishes personally and know what they are and what they need instead of Men that have conversed only with Books and the Houses of great Men or when they do sometimes stoop to speak to the ignorant do but talk to them of the Market or the Weather or ask them what is their Name § 6. To your Answer we reply Those Laws may be well made stricter They hindred not the Imposition of a Book to be read by all Ministers in the Churches for the Peoples Liberty for Dancing and other such Sports on the Lord's Day and this in the King's Name to the ejecting or suspending of those Ministers that durst not read it And those Laws which we have may be more carefully executed If you are ignorant how commonly the Lord's Day is prophaned in England by Sporting Drinking Revelling and Idleness you are sad Pastors that no better know the Flock If you know it and desire not the Reformation of it you are yet worse Religion never prospered any where so much as where the Lord's Days have been most carefully spent in holy Exercises Concerning Church-Government § 7. Had you well read but Gersom Bucer Didoclavius Parker Baynes Salmasius Blondell c. yea of the few Lines in Bishop Usher's Reduction which we have offered you or what I have written of it in Disp. 1. of Church-Government you would have seen just Reason given for our Dissent from the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy as stated in England and have known
but in general that what we ask may be granted the four and twentieth for forgiveness the five and twentieth for Good works all which are without any special reason both appropriated to the several days and placed where they stand in the order of our Requests The Petition on St. Thomas's day for so perfect a Faith as shall never be reproved in the sight of God is of doubtful conveniency because contrary to the Scripture prediction of the event In the Collect on St. Iohn Baptist's day the preaching of Penance is a word of a more misleading tendency as now used than the preaching of Repentance 14. The Lord's Prayer is a third time to be recited before the Communion when yet as it is a Rule of Prayer as to order it is forsaken through the Book The next Prayer for loving and magnifying God's Name is most necessary but there out of order The Commandments come in also out of order without any special reason of connexion to what goeth before and followeth So do the following Prayers for the King which yet in themselves are very good And the Epistle and Gospel and Creed The Churchwardens are not directed to an orderly collection for the Poor In the Sentences exciting to remember the Poor the Scriptures and Apochryphal Passages of Tobit are confounded without any note of sufficient distinction as if we would have the People believe that Tobit is Canonical Scripture The Prayer for the Church Militant one of the best is very defective having no Petition for the Church but those for Truth Unity Love and Concord The Exhortation biddeth all and intreateth them for the Lord Jesus sake even the worst and most unprepared that be present to come to the Lord's Table as invited thereto by God himself which is a great wrong to him and them And it misinterpreteth the Parable Matth. 22. to which it seemeth plainly to allude which speaketh not of our coming to the Sacrament but of our coming to Christ and into his Church Though indeed the Exhortation is very good if it were made at a sufficient distance before the Sacrament that they might have time of Preparation The next Admonition against unworthy Receiving is very good but impertinent and unseasonable while it perswadeth them to come to the Minister for Advice in order to the Sacrament which is perfectly to be administred It is a disorder for one of the Communicants to be invited to be the Mouth of the rest in Confession of Prayer If the People may pro tempore make a Minister why not for continuance and so the Common Prayer Book is for the Principles of Popular Separatists The proper Prefaces for Christmas-day and Whitsunday repeat the word at this day which is either a falshood or impertinent and non-intelligible to the most It is a disorder in the next words to begin in a Prayer and end in a Narrative It is disorderly for the Minister to receive the Sacrament in both kinds himself before the other Ministers or People do receive it in either There is no sufficient Explication of the Nature and Use of the Sacrament premised which is the greater defect where the Sacrament is allowed to be administred without a Sermon and where so many of the People never learned the Catechism or understood what a Sacrament is The Exhortation is too defective for the exciting the Faith and other Graces of the Communicants which yet we can bear with if the Minister may be allowed himself to speak such other quickening Words of Exhortation as he findeth suitable to the temper of the Communicants The Confession of Sin before the Communion is too general and defective The Consecration Commemoration and Delivery and Participation are not distinctly enough performed Sometime the Minister is to kneel at Prayer and sometime to stand up without any special reason given for it It were more orderly to make the Delivery distinct in Scripture words and not to confound Prayer and the Delivery together It is more suitable to Christ's Example that the Words of Delivery be ordinarily in the Plural Number and to the Church or to many at once Take ye Eat ye Drink ye than in the Singular Number recited to each one It is disorderly for the People to repeat every Petition of the following Prayers after the Minister That the Hymn be sung in Prose seemeth disorderly The Collects appointed to be said after the Offertory have no reason of order or connexion with what went before or followeth after The first of them beggs Assistance in these our Supplications and Prayers which should rather be towards the beginning than when we are concluding And it beggs but the oft repeated benefit of Defence against the Changes and as it is inconveniently called the Chances of this Life And another of them again asketh those things which we dare not ask But it is the greatest disorder of all that every Parishioner shall Communicate at least thrice in the year whether he be fit or unfit and be forced to it In Baptism it is the greatest disorder that Ministers must be forced though against their Consciences to baptize all Children without Exception the Children of Atheists Infidels Hereticks unbaptized Persons Excommunicate Persons or Impenitent Fornicators or such like It is disorderly that the Parents are neither of them required ordinarily to be present and present their Child to Baptism but it is left to Godfathers and Godmothers that have no power to consent for them or enter them into the Covenant unless it be in the Parents name or they be Pro-parents taking the Child as their own And it frustrateth due Enquiry and Assistance when the Parents may choose whether they will come before to the Minister to be instructed about the Nature and Use of Baptism and may choose whether they will let him know of it till the Night or Morning before The Exhortation before Baptism is very defective omitting many weighty Points So are the two Prayers before it where also it is inconveniently said That God by Christ's Baptism did sanctifie the Flood Jordan and all other Waters to the mystical washing away of Sin The ascribing of the Gift of the Holy Ghost to Infants by their Baptism as its ordinary Effect and necessary to their Regeneration is to bring an undetermined uncertain Opinion into our Liturgy The Arguments for Infant-Baptism are so defectively exprest as have tempted many into Anabaptism The third Prayer saith very little but what was said in one of those foregoing Sureties that have not the Parents power are unjustly required to promise in the Infant 's Name or the Infant by them And so it is a doubt whether many Infants have ever indeed been entred into the Covenant of God when they cannot be said to Promise or Covenant by Persons whom neither Nature or Scripture or any sufficient Authority hath enabled to that Office The Sureties are unjustly and irregularly required to profess present Actual Faith in the Infant 's name
Works are concauses with faith in the act of Iustification Dr. Dove also hath given Scandal in that point 3. Some have preached the Works of Penance are satisfactory before God 4. Some have preached that private Consession by particular Enumeration of Sins is necessary to Salvation necessitate medii both those Errours have been questioned at the Consistory at Cambridge 5. Some have maintained that the Absolution which the Priest pronounceth is more than Declaratory 6. Some have published That there is a proper Sacrifice in the Lord's Supper to exhibit Christ's Death in the Postfact as there was a Sacrifice to prefigure in the Old Law in the Antefact and therefore that we have a true Altar and therefore not only metaphorically so called so Dr. Heylin and others in the last Summers Convocation where also some defended that the Oblation of the Elements might hold the Nature of the true Sacrifice others the Consumption of the Elements 7. Some have introduced Prayer for the Dead as Mr. Brown in his printed Sermon and some have coloured the use of it with Questions in Cambridge and disputed that Precespro Defunct is now supponunt Purgatoriuâ— 8. Divers have oppugned the certitude of Salvation 9. Some have maintained the lawfulness of Monastical Vows 10. Some have maintained that the Lord's Day is kept meerly by Ecclesiastical Constitution and that the Day is changeable 11. Some have taught as new and dangerous Doctrine that the Subjects are to pay any Sums of Money imposed upon them though without Law nay contrary to the Laws of the Realm as Dr. Sybthorp and Dr. Manwaring Bishop of St. Davids in their printed Sermons whom many have followed of late years 12. Some have put Scorns upon the two Books of Homilies calling them either Popular Discourses or a Doctrine useful for those Times wherein they were set forth 13. Some have defended the whole gross Substance of Arminianism that Electio eft ex fide praevisa That the Act of Conversion depends upon the Concurrence of Man's Freewill That the justified Man may fall finally and totally from Grace 14. Some have defended Universal Grace as imparted as much to Reprobates as to the Elect and have proceeded usque ad salutem Ethnicorum which the Church of England hath Anathematized 15. Some have absolutely denied Original Sin and so evacuated the Cross of Christ as in a Disputation at Oxon. 16. Some have given excessive Cause of Scandal to the Church as being suspected of Socinianism 17. Some have defended that Concupiscence is no sin either in the habit or first motion 18. Some have broacht out of Socinus a most uncomfortable and desperate Doctrine That late Repentance that is upon the last Bed of Sickness is unfruitful at least to reconcile the Penitent to God Add unto these some dangerous and most reproveable Books 1. The Reconciliation of Sancta Clara to knit the Romish and Protestant in one Memorand That he be caused to produce Bishop Watson's Book of the like Reconciliation which he speaks of 2. A Book called Brevis Disquisitio printed as it is thought in London and vulgarly to be had which impugneth the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the verity of Christ's Body which he took of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven and the verity of our Resurrection 3. A Book called Timotheus Philalethes de Pace Ecclesiae which holds that every Religion will save a Man if he holds the Covenant Innovations in Discipline 1. The turning of the holy Table Altar-wise and most commonly calling it an Altar 2. Bowing towards it or towards the East many times with three Congees but usually in every motion access or recess in the Church 3. Advancing Candlesticks in many Churches upon the Altar so called 4. In making Canopies over the Altar so called with Traverses and Curtains on each side and before it 5. In compelling all Communicants to come up before the Rails and there to Receive 6. In advancing Crucifixes and Images upon the Parafront or Altar-cloth so called 7. In reading some part of the Morning Prayer at the Holy Table when there is no Communion celebrated 8. By the Minister's turning his back to the West and his face to the East when he pronounceth the Creed or reads Prayers 9. By reading the Litany in the midst of the Body of the Church in many of the Parochial Churches 10. By pretending for their Innovations the Injunctions and Advertisements of Queen Elizabeth which are not in force but by way of Commentary and Imposition and by putting to the Liturgy printed secundo tertio Edwardi sexti which the Parliament hath Reformed and laid aside 11. By offering of Bread and Wine by the hand of the Churchwardens or others before the Consecration of the Elements 12. By having a Credentia or Side-Table besides the Lord's Table for divers uses in the Lord's Supper 13. By introducing an Offertory before the Communion distant from the giving of Alms to the Poor 14. By prohibiting the Ministers to expound the Catechism at large to their Parishioners 15. By suppressing of Lectures partly on Sundays in the Afternoon partly on Week-days performed as well by Combination as some one Man 16. By prohibiting a direct Prayer before Sermon and bidding or Prayer 17. By singing the Te Deum in Prose after a Cathedral Church way in divers Parochial Churches where the People have no skill in such Musick 18. By introducing Latin-Service in the Communion of late in Oxford and into some Colledges in Cambridge at Morning and Evening Prayer so that some young Students and the Servants of the Colledge do not understand their Prayers 19. By standing up at the Hymns in the Church and always at Gloria Patri 20. By carrying Children from the Baptism to the Altar so called there to offer them up to God 21. By taking down Galleries in Churches or restraining the Building of such Galleries where the Parishes are very populous Memorandum 1. That in all the Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two Sermons be preached every Sunday by the Dean and Prebendaries or by their procurement and likewise every Holy-day and one Lecture at the least to be preached on Working-days every Week all the Year long 2. That the Musick used in God's Holy Service in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches be framed with less Curiosity that it may be more edifying and more intelligible and that no Hymns or Anthems be used where Ditties are framed by private Men but such as are contained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures or in our Liturgy of Prayers or have publick allowance 3. That the Reading-Desk be placed in the Church where Divine Service may beâ—t be heard of all the People Considerations upon the Book of Common Prayer 1. Whether the Names of some departed Saints and others should not be quire expunged in the Kalender 2. Whether the reading of Psalms Sentences of Scripture concurring in divers places in the Hymns Epistles and Gospel should not be set out in the New Translation 3. Whether
about this time many Books if so they may be called were written against me One by Mr. Naufen forementioned a Justice of Peace in Worcestershire who being a great Friend of the Papists had spoken against me on the Bench at the Sessions behind my back as the Author of a Petition against Popery heretofore and was angry with me for evincing to him his mistake temerity and injustice And when he saw his time he had nothing else to be the fewel of his Revenge but that very Book which I wrote against the Papists and therein against the killing of the King which I aggravated against the Army and the Popish Instigators and Actors But because in Answer to the Papists I made their Doctrine and Practise of King killing to be worse than these Sectaries were guilty of and thereupon recited what the Sectaries said for themselves which the Jesuites have not to say he took up all these Reasons of the Sectaries and answered them as if they had been my own and I had pleaded for that which I condemned by writing in a time when it might have cost me my Life when the Gendeman that thus would have proved me a Traytor did himself act under the Usurpers and took their Impositions which we abhorred and refused § 244. And here I shall insert a Passage not contemptible concerning the Papists because I am fall's into the mention of them In Cromwells days when I was writing that very Book and my Holy Commonwealth and was charging their Treasons and Rebellions on the Army one Mr. Iames Stansfield a Reverend Minister of Glocestershire called on me and tod me a Story which afterwards he sent me under his Hand and warranted me to publish it which was this One Mr. Atkins of Glocestershire Brother to Judge Atkins being beyond Sea with others that had served the late King fell into intimate acquaintance with a Priest that had been or then was Governour of one of their Colledges in Flanders They agreed not to meddle with each other about Religion and so continued their Friendship long A little after the King was beheaded Mr. Atkins met this Priest in London and going into a Tavern with him said to him in his familiar way What business have you here I warrant you come about some Roguery or other Whereupon the Priest told it him as a great secret That there were Thirty of them here in London who by Instructions from Cardinal Mazarine did take care of such Affairs and had sate in Council and debated the Question Whether the King should be put to death or not and that it was carried in the Affirmative and there were but two Voice for the Negative which was his own and anothers And that for his part he could not concur with them as foreseeing what misery this would bring upon his Country That Mr. Atkins stood to the Truth of this but thought it a Violation of the Laws of Friendship to name the Man I would not print it without fuller Attestation left it should be a wrong to the Papists But when the King was restored and setled in Peace I told it occasionly to Privy Councellor who not advising me to meddle any further in it because the King knew enough of Mazarine's Designs already I let it alone But about this time I met with Dr. Thomas Gnad and occasionally mentioning such a thing he told me that he was familiarly acquainted with Mr. Atkins and would know the certainty of him whether it were true And not long after meeting him again he told me that he spoke with Mr. Atkins and that he assured him that it was true but he was loth to meddle in the publication of it Nor did I think it prudence my self to do it as knowing the Malice and Power of the Papists Since this Dr. Peter Moulin hath in his Answer to Philanax Anglicus declared that he is ready to prove when Authority will call him to it that the King's Death and the Change of the Government was first proposed both to the Sorborne and to the Pope with his Conclave and consented to and concluded for by both § 245. Another Book wrote against me was as was thought by one Tompkins a young Man of All-Souls Son to Mr. Tompkins of Worcester and a School-boy there when I lived in that County He called it The Rebel's Plea being a Confutation of such Passages in my Holy Commonwealth as he least understood and could make most odious All these Men made me think what one advised the Papists to do for the effectual Confutation of the Protestants viz. Not to dispute or talk with them at all but to preach every day against them in the Pulpits for there they may speak without any Contradiction and need not fear an Answer § 246. Shortly after our Disputation at the Savoy I went to Rickmersworth in Hartfordshire and preached there but once upon Matth. 22. 12. And he was speechless where I spake not a word that was any nearer kin to Sedition or that had any greater tendency to provoke them than by shewing that wicked men and the refusers of grace however they may now have many things to say to excuse their sin will at last be speechless and dare not stand to their wickedness before God Yet did the Bishop of Worcester tell me when he silenced me that the Bishop of London had shewed him Letters from one of the Hearers assuring him that I preached seditiously so little Security was any Man's Innocency that displeased the Bishops to his Reputation with that Party who had but one Auditor that desired to get favour by accusing him So that a multitude of such Experiences made me perceive when I was silenced that there was some Mercy in it in the midst of Judgment for I should scarce have preached a Sermon nor put up a Prayer to God which one or other through Malice or hope of Favour would not have been tempted to accuse as guilty of some heinous Crime And as Seneca saith He that hath an Ulcer crieth Oh if he do but think you touched him § 247. Shortly after my return to London I went into Worcestershire to try whether it were possible to have any honest Terms from the Reading Vicar there that I might preach to my former Flock But when I had preached twice or thrice he denied me liberty to preach any more I offered him to take my Lecture which he was bound to allow me under a Bond of 500 l but he refused it I next offered him to be his Curate and he refused it I next offered him to preach for nothing and he refused it And lastly I desired leave but once to Administer the Sacrament to the People and preach my Farewel Sermon to them but he would not consent At last I understood that he was directed by his Superiours to do what he did But Mr. Baldwin an able Preacher whom I left there was yet permitted § 248. At that time my aged Father
the Lay-Judge And if he have power as a Presbyter why do the Bishop appropriate it to themselves If one that is no Bishop may exercise it when a Bishop bids him then is it not a thing appropriate to the Bishop's Office Besides these there are Arch-Deacons who by themselves or their Officials hold some kind of Inferiour Court which dealeth in lesser Matters Some Diocesses have one Arch-Deacon some two some few three or four The Bishops should go visit once a year and the Arch-Deacon oftner When they visit they go to some chief Town in the County and call all the Ministers to meet them where they hear a Sermon and Dine together usually They yearly compile a Book of Articles which Churchwardens are sworn to enquire after and to present the Names of the Offenders accordingly to the Bishop's Court. In brief this is the Frame of our Diocesan Government To which I only add That Fees and Money for Commutation of Penance are much of their Officers Maintenance and that such as they Excommunicate in most Cases are by a Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo to be laid in the Jail till upon their Repentance they have made their Peace and are absolved § 313. Having told you what our Government is let me tell you what the Execution of it is The Books of Articles are fitted somewhat to the Canon by those Bishops that are most moderate and cauâ—elous and therefore by the English Canons they may be known some of them usually are against Drunkards and Fornicators but the main bent of them is against those that wear not the Surplice that Baptize without the Cross that omit the Common Prayer that refuse to Baptize any Infant or that deliver the Lord's Supper to any that kneel not in receiving it or that so receive it without kneeling that stand noâ— up at the Gospel that bow not at the Name Iesus though they may sit when the same words are read in the Chapter and are not required to how at the Name Christ God c. Also about the Repair of the Church the Surplice the Books that none piss up to the Church-wall c. with many such things It is a rare thing for the Churchwardens to present any except Nonconformists that use not Ceremonies c. Swearers Drunkards and Whoremongers are seldom presented lest Neighbours be displeased but Puritans have some one or other that is more eager in looking after them When any Scandalous Person is presented he hath no other Spiritual Conviction or Exhoration to Repentance tending to Convert his Soul than at any Civil Court But telling them that he is Sorry and paying his Fees or Commutation Money he comes home But when Conscientious Nonconformists are before them whose Consciences will not let them say that they are Sorry vizâ— for praying or exhorting others in their Houses for giving the Sacrament to them that stand or sit c. they are usually Excommunicated I have been in most parts of England and in Fifty years time I never saw one do Penance or confess his Sin in publick for any Scandalous Crime nor ever heard but of two in the Country where I lived that stood in a White sheet for Adultery except in the space when Bishops were down and then I have heard many that have penitently confessed their Sin and begged the Prayers of the Congregation and been prayed for In a word their Courts are meerly as Civil Courts for Terrour but not at all to convince Men of Sin and bring them to Repentance and Salvation further than such Terrour is â—it to do it And note here That the Discipline of the Church is not to be judged of by the King's Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs which was never executed before it was void in these respects Nor yet by some of our Reformers or Chroniclers who tell you how it was exercised quickly after the Reformation in King Edward's or Queen Elizabeth's days As Hollingshead e. g. who telleth you of many Suffragans and of the Piety and Diligence of their Courts and of Exercises called Prophesying held up at the Arch-Deacons Visitations against the Subverters of which he thundereth But as it is in England at this day and hath been this Sixty or Seventy years by-past § 314. Now concerning this Diocesan Frame of Government the Non-Subscribers called Puritans by many do judge that it is sinful and contrary to the Word of God both in the Constitution and in the Administration of it And they lay upon it these heavy Charges the least of which if proved is of intolerable weight § 315. 1. They say That quantum in se it destroyeth the Pastoral Office which is of Divine Institution and was known in the Primitive Church for it doth deprive the Presbyters of the third essential part of their Office for it is clear in Scripture that Christ appointed no Presbyters that were not subservient to him in all the three parts of his Office as Prophet Priest and King to stand between the People and him in Teaching Worshipping and Governing And though the Actual Exercise of any one part may be Suspended without the Destruction of the Office yet to the Office it self which is nothing but Power and Obiligation to exercise one part is as essential as the other so then they say that That which destroyeth an essential part of the Pastors or Presbyters Office destroyeth the Office as instituted by Christ But the Diocesan state of Government destroyeth c. Ergo The Major will not be denied The Minor hath two parts 1. That governing Power and Obligation over the Flock is essential to the Office of a Pastor or Presbyter as instituted by Christ. Which they prove thus 1. The very Name of Presbyter and Pastor denoteth the Governing Power and was then used in that sence as Dr. Hâ—mmond hath well proved 2. There is no such thing found in all the New Testament as a Presbyter that had not the Power of Governing his Flock as well as Teaching it He that can find it let him Dr. Hammond hath gone over all the Texts in proving it 3. The Church long after knew no such Presbyters as had not the Spiritual Government of the Flock 4. The Papists confess that they have the Power of the Keys in foro interiori to this day which is the Spiritual Government 2. The second part of the Minor That the Diocesan Form denieth this Governing Power to the Presbyters appeareth 1. By their own Confessions â— 2. By the Actual Constitution disabling them and placing the Power elsewhere 3. By the instance of the â—orementioned Particulars and many more They have not the power of judging who shall be taken into their Churhes as Members by Baptism or Confirmed or who shall Communicate or who is to be publickly Admonished Censured Excommunicated Absolved buried as a Brother dying in Christ c. no nor what Chapter to read in the Church nor what Garment to wear nor what words of Prayer
far cease But one part of the Papists themselves are as high to the Bishops as the Bishops to us nothing â—ut all will serve their turns Whether they will have Wit enough to take less 〈◊〉 the first I hope yet the Wisdom of the Superiours will keep us from knowing by experience But after all this we were as before and the talk of Liberty did but occasion the writing many bitter Pamphlets against Toleration And among others they have gathered out of mine and other Mens Books all that we had then said against Liberty for Popery and for Quakers railing against the Ministers in the open Congregations and this they applied now as against a Toleration of our selves because the bare name of Toleration did seem in the People's Ears to serve their turn by signifying the same thing And because we had said that Men should not be tolerated to preach against Jesus Christ and the Scriptures they would thence justifie themselves for not tolerating us to preach for Jesus Christ unless we would be deliberate Liars and use all their Inventions And those same Men who when Commissioned with us to make such Alterations in the Liturgy as were necessary to satisfie tender Consciences did maintain that no alteration was necessary to satisfie them and did moreover contrary to all our importunity make so many new burdens of their own to be anew imposed on us had now little to say but that they must be obeyed because they are imposed Before the imposing Laws were made they could by no means be kept from making them that when they were made they might plead Law against those that denied to use their Impositions Before the Law was made they pleaded the Ceremonies and Formalities will be all duties when their is a Law made for them Ergo. a Law shall be made not only for them but for swearing unswearing subscribing declaring all things imposed to be so true and so good that we assent and consent to all And when the Laws are made then O what Rebels are these that will not obey the Law Then they cry out If every Man shall be Judge what is Lawful and shall prefer his own Wit above the Law what is become of Order and Government How inconsistent are-these Rebellious Principles with a Commonwealth or any Rule or Peace As if they knew not that the same words may be said for obedience to the Laws about Religion under Lutherans Calvinists Arrians Papists Turks c. And if Hobb's Leviathan be not set up a Magistrate that must be Master of our Religion what signifieth all this Yet had this talk been more ingenuous by Men that had found all these Laws and could not procure them to be amended But for those Men that first resolutely procure them for these ends to plead them afterwards in this manner as the reason of all their Actions and violence is like the Spider in the Fable to make Webs with great Industry to catch the Flies and hang them in their way and then to accuse them of a mortal Crime for coming into their Webs Or to make Nets to catch the Fish and take them in it and then accuse them for coming into their Nets I speak not this of the Law-makers but of the Prelatical Commissioners before-mentioned and their after Practices § 88. About this time or before came out a Book called A friendly debate between a Conformist and Nonconformist written as was doubted by Dr. Simon Patrick which made much talk and a second part after that and a third part with an Appendix after that He had before written a Book called the Pilgrim which with many laudable things had sharply pleaded that Obedience must enter the definition of Iustifying Faith and had censured tartly those that taught otherwise And by this he incurred as sharp a censure by many of the Nonconformists Some thought that this exasperated him others thought that without exasperation he followed his own Genius and Judgment He was one of those then called a Latitudinar an a sober learned able Man that had written many things well and was well enough esteemed But this Book was so dis-ingenuous and virulent as caused most Religious People to abhor it for the strain and tendency and probable Effects It cannot be denied but that many godly zealous Ministers are guilty of weakness of Judgment and expression and that many mistakes are found among them for who is it that hath no Errors And it cannot be denied but that the greater number of the common People who are seriously Religious and Conscionable are yet much weaker in Judgment and Language than the Ministers For if sudden Conversion and Repentance as soon as it hath changed a Man's mind and will and life in the matters which his Salvation lieth on did also possess him with all the exactness of Notions and Language which Academicks attain to in many years study to what purpose were Academies and those Studies And then it would be as miraculous a work as the first gift of Tongues This Learned Man having met with the weak passages of some Ministers especially Mr. Bridge and some of the then Independent Party who in an excessive opposition to the Arminians spake something unwarily if not unsoundly under the pretence of extolling free Grace he scrapes these together for matter of Reproach And having heard the crude and unmeet Expressions of many well-meaning Women and unlearned private Men especially that are inclined most to Self-conceitedness and unwarrantable singularities and separation he bundleth up these and bringeth them all forth in a way of Dialogue between a Conformist and a Nonconformist in which he maketh the Nonconformist speak as foolishly as he had a mind to represent him and only such filly things as he knew he could easily shame And while he pretendeth but to humble the Nonconformists for over-valuing themselves and censuring others as ungodly and erroneous and to shew them what errours and weaknesses are among themselves he speaketh to the Nonconformists in general though acknowledging some sober Persons to be among them that which is nothing to the cause of Non-conformity and laboureth to prove that the Religion of the Non-conformists is foolish ridiculous c. As if he should have sought to prove the Religion of Christians or Protestants foolish because there are ignorant persons among them And instanâ—ing in things that concern not Non-conformity but Prayer and Preaching and Discourse of Religion the Book did exceedingly fit the humours not only of the â—aters of the Non-conformists but also of all the prophane despisers and deriders of serious Godliness So that it was greedily read by all that desired matter of Contempt and Scorn against both Non-conformity and Piety and was greatly fitted to exasperate them to further Persecutions and to harden them in impenitency who had already made such doleful havock in the Church It was as sit an Engine to destroy Christian Love on both sides and to engage Men in those ways
Generality of Magistrates such as he § 326. Part of a M. S. was put into my hand to pâ—ruse by a Bookseller as Written by one that greatly valued my Judgment and would refer his Writings to my Censure but not consent to have them Printed Whereupon I valuing them did judge them worthy to be published but made some Alterations in some phrases liable to Misinterpretation in the Piece called The Right Knowledge of Christ Crucified I conjectured not who the Author was and not long after the Book was Printed and proved to be the foresaid Lord Chief Justice Hale's called Contemplations Moral and Divine published by a Friend of his by which he will Preach when he is dead the Books presently all bought up for his Name and being useful for their Spiritual Rational Serious and Plain Manner of Writing as well as Acceptable for his sake § 327. When I had been kept a whole Year from Preaching in the Chappel which I Built on the 16th of April 1676. I began in another in a Tempestuous time for the necessity of the Parish of St. Martins where about 60000 Souls have no Church to go to nor any Publick Worship of God! How long Lord § 328. About Feb. and March it pleased the King importunately to Command and Urge the Judges and London-Justices to put the Laws against Nonconformists in Execution But the Nation grew backward to it In London they have been oft and long commanded to it and Sir Ioseph Sheldon the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's near Kinsman being Lord Mayor on April 30th the Execution began They required especially to send all the Ministers to the Common Gaols for Six Months on the Oxford-Act for not taking the Oath and dwelling within Five Miles This day Mr. Ioseph Read was sent to the Gaol taken out of the Pulpit Preaching in a Chapel in Bloomsbury in the Parish of St. Giles where it is thought that 20000 or 30000 Souls at least more than can come within the Church have no Publick Worship of God or Teaching He is a Laborious Man whom I Educated and sent to the University and did so much good to the Poor Ignorant People that had no other Teacher that Satan did owe him a Malicious Disturbance He built the Chappel in his own House with the help of Friends in compassion to those People who as they Crowded to hear him so did they follow him to the Justiâ—es and to the Gaol to shew their Affections It being the place where I had used oft to Preach I suppose was somewhat the more Maliced The very day before I had new secret hints of Men's Desires of Reconciliation and Peace and Motions to offer some Proposals towards it as if the Bishops were at last grown Peaceable To which as ever before I yielded and did my part though long Experience made me suspect that some Mischief was near and some Suffering presently to be expected from them The forwardest of the two Justices that sent him to the Gaol was one Parry a Souldier one of them that was accused for slitting Sir Iohn Coventree's Nose about which there was so great a stir in the House of Commons The other was one Robinson But since then so many have been sent to the Goals for the same cause and so many died there that I must forbear particular Instances and Enumerations § 329. After Northampton Blaudford and many other Towns Southwark was Burned between 600 and 1000 Houses the People suspecting that it was done by Design And one taken for attempting again to Burn the rest of Northampton confest that he was hired and that Southwark was so Burnt whom Sir Iohn Munson sent hereupon to Goal Additions of the Years 1675 1676 1677 1678 c. § 1. AT this time Mr. Le Blank of Sedan sent to me his desire that I would publish here his Scatter'd Theses in one Volume which I purposed and Wrote an Epistle to it But some Conformists hearing of it would not have the Publication to be a Nonconformists work and so my Bookseller took 50 Books for his Title to the Copy which I gave him and quit his Interest in it to a Conformist But Le Blank sent an Epistle of his own to prevent the Conformists and died as soon as it was Printed and Published A Work sufficient to end most of the Doctrinal Controversies of this Age if the Readers were but capable receivers of the evidence which he giveth them § 2. In Iune 1676. Mr. Iane the Bishop of London's Chaplain Preaching to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen turned his Sermon against Calvin and Me And my charge was That I had sent as bad men to Heaven as some that be in Hell because in my Book called The Saints Rest I had said that I thought of Heaven with the more pleasure because I should there meet with Peter Paul Austin Chrysostom Ierom Wickliff Luther Zuinglius Calam Beza Bullinger Zanchy Paraeus Piscator Hooper Bradford Latimer Glover Sanders Philpot Reignolds Whitaker Cartwright Brightman Bayne Bradshaw Bolton Ball Hildershâ—n Pemble Twisse Ames Preston Sibbs Brook Pim Hambden Which of these the Man knew to be in Hell I cannot conjecture It 's like those that differed from him in Judgment But till he prove his Revelation I shall not believe him the need which I preceived of taking away from before such Men any thing which they might stumble at had made me blot out the Names of the Lord Brooke Pim and Hambden in all the Impressions of the Book which were many yet were made ever since 1659 and yet this did not satisfie the Man But I must tell the Reader that I did it not as changing my Judgment of the persons well known to the world Of whom Mr. Iohn Hambden was one that Friends and Enemies acknowledged to be most Eminent for Prudence Piety and Peaceable Counsels having the most universal Praise of any Gentleman that I remember of that Age I remember a moderate prudent aged Gentleman far from him but acquainted with him whom I have heard saying That if he might choose what person he would be then in the world he would be Iohn Hambden Yet these Damning Prelatists are the Men that are for our Silencing Imprisonment and Ruin as if we were unworthy to live on the Earth because we will not assent and consent to the Liturgy by which we are to pronounce all Men in England saved except three sorts viz. the Excommunicate Unbaptized and Self-murderers that is of every one of the rest we must say That God of his great Mercy hath taken to himself the Soul of this our dear Brother out of the Miseries of this Life and that we hope to be with him Were it Hobbs himself or any one of the Crowd of Atheists Infidels Papists Adulterers or any Villains now among us for such are not Excommunicate thus we must falsly contrary to all our Preaching Pronounce them all saved or forbidden ever to Preach God's Word And yet I am condemned publickly for
Dr. Tillotson to offer him my Chappel in Oxenden-Street for Publick Worship which he accepted to my great Satisfaction and now there is constant Preaching there Be it by Conformists or Nonconformists I rejoice that Christ is Preached to the people in that Parish whom ten or twenty such Chapels cannot hold § 8. About March 1677. fell out a trifling business which I will mention lest the fable pass for truth when I am dead At a Coffee-House in Fuller's Rents where many Papists and Protestants used to meet together one Mr. Dyet Son to old Sir Richard Dyet Chief Justice in the North and Brother to a deceased dear Friend of mine the some-time Wife of my old dear friend Colonel Sylvanus Tailor one that profest himself no Papist but was their Familiar said openly That I had killed a Man with my own hand in cold blood that it was a Tinker at my door that because he beat his Kettle and disturbed me in my Studies I went down and Pistol'd him One Mr. Peters occasioned this wrath by oft challenging in vain the Papists to dispute with me or answer my Books against them Mr. Peters told Mr. Dyet That this was so shameless a slander that he should answer it Mr. Dyet told him That a hundred Witnesses would testifie that it was true and I was tryed for my Life at Worcester for it To be short Mr. Peters ceased not till he brought Mr. Dyet to come to my Chamber and confest his fault and ask me forgiveness and with him came one Mr. Tasbrook an emiment sober prudent Papist I told him that these usages to such as I and far worse were so ordinary and I had long suffered so much more than words that it must be no difficulty to me to forgive them to any man but especially to one whose Relations had been my dearest Friends and he was one of the first Gentlemen that ever shewed so much ingenuity as so to confess and ask forgiveness he told me He would hereafter confess and un-say it and Vindicate me as openly as he had wronged me I told him to excuse him that perhaps he had that Story from his late Pastor at St. Giles's Dr. Boreman who had Printed it that such a thing was Reported but I never heard before the particulars of the Fable Shortly after at the same Coffee-house Mr. Dyet openly confess'd his Fault and an Ancient Lawyer one Mr. Giffard a Papist Son to old Dr. Giffard the Papist Physician as is said and Brother to the Lady Abergaveny was Angry at it and made Mr. Dyet a weak Man that would make such a Confession Mr. Peters answered him Sir Would you have a Gentleman so disingenuous as not to right one that he hath so wronged Mr. Giffard answered That the thing was True and he would prove it by an Hundred Witnesses Mr. Peters offered him a great Wager that he would never prove it by any but urging him hard he refused the Wager He next offered that they would lay down but five Guinea's to be laid on 't on an Entertainment there by him that lost the Wager He refused that also Whereupon Mr. Peters told him He would cause my friends if I would not my self to call him to justifie it in Westminster-Hall referring the Judgment of Equity to the Company The Papist Gentlemen that were present it 's like considering that the Calumny when opened publickly would be a Slur upon their Party Voted That if Mr. Giffard would not confess his Fault they would disown him out of their Company and so he was constrained to yield but would not come to my Chamber to confess it to me Mr. Peters moderated the business and it was agreed that he should do it there He would do it only before his own Party Mr. Peters said Not so for they might hereafter deny it So it was agreed That also before Mr. Peters and Captain Edmund Hambden he should confess his Fault and ask forgiveness which he did § 9. Near this time my Book called A Key for Catholicks was to be Reprinted In the Preface to the first Impression I had mentioned with Praise the Earl of Lauderdale as then Prisoner by Cromwell in Windsor-Castle from whom I had many Pious and Learned Letters and where he had so much Read over all my Books that he remembred them better as I thought than I did my self Had I now left out that mention of him it would have seem'd an Injurious Recantation of my kindness and to mention him now a Duke as then a Prisoner was unmeet The King used him as his special Counsellour and Favourite The Parliament had set themselves against him He still professed great kindness to me and I had reason to believe it was without dissembling 1. Because he was accounted by all to be rather a too rough Adversary than a Flatteter of one so low as I. 2. Because he spake the same for me behind my back that he did to my face And I had then a New Piece against Transubstantiation to add to my Book which being desirous it should be Read I thought best to joyn it with the other and prefix before both an Epistle to the Duke in which I said not a word of him but Truth And I did it the rather that his Name might draw some Great Ones to Read at least that Epistle if not the short Additional Tractate in which I thought I said enough to open the Shame of Popery But the Indignation that Men had against the Duke made some blame me as keeping up the Reputation of one whom Multitudes thought very ill of Whereas â—owned none of his Faults and did nothing that I could well avoid for the aforesaid Reasons Long after this he professed his Kindness to me and told me I should never want while he was able and humbly intreated me to accept Twenty Guinea's from him which I did § 10. After this one Mr. Hutchinson another of the Disputants with Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Wray's Friend one that had revolted to Popery in Cambridge long ago having pious Parents and Relations Wrote two Books for Popery one for Transubstantiation and another in which he made the Church of England Conformists to be Men of no Conscience or Religion but that all Seriousness and Conscience was in the Papist and Puritan and sought to flatter the Puritans as he call'd them into kindness to the Papists as united in Conscience which others had not I Answered these Books and after fell acquainted with Mr. Hutchinson but could never get Reply from him or Dispute § 11. Two old Friends that I had a hand heretofore in turning from Anabaptistry and Separation Mr. Tho. Lamb and William Allen that followed Iohn Goodwin and after became Pastors of an Anabiptist Church though but Tradesmen fell on Writing against Separation more strongly than any of the Conformable Clergy But in Sense of their old Errour run now into the other Extreme especially Mr. Lamb and Wrote against our gathering
Assemblies and Preaching when we are Silenced Against whose Mistaken Endeavours I Wrote a Book called The Nonconformist's Plea for Peace § 12. One Mr. Hollingworth also Printed a Sermon against the Nonconformists and there tells a Story of a Sectary that Treating for Concord with one afterward a Bishop motion'd That all that would not yield to their Terms should be Banished to shew that the Nonconformists are for Severity as well as the Bishops The Reader would think that it was Me or Dr. Manton or Dr. Bates that he meant that had so lately had a Treaty with Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Burton I Wrote to him to desire him to tell the World who it was that by naming none he might not unworthily bring many into Suspicion He Wrote me an Answer full of great Estimation and Kindness professing That it was not me that he meant nor Dr. Manton nor Dr. Bates nor Dr. Iacomb but some Sectary that he would by no means Name but seemed to cast Intimations towards Dr. Owen one unlikely to use such words and I verily believe it was all a meer Fiction § 13. About that time I had finished a book called Chatholick Theologie in which I undertake to prove that besides things unrevealed known to none and ambiguous words there is no considerable difference between the Arminians and Calvinists except some very tolerable difference in the point of perseverance This book hath hitherto had the strangest fate of any that I have written except our Reformed Liturgy not to be yet spoken against or openly contradicted when I expected that both sides would have fallen upon it And I doubt not but some will do so when I am dead unless Calamities find men other work § 14. Having almost then finished a Latin Treatise called Methodus Theologiae containing near Seventy Tables or Schemes with their Elucidations and some Disputations on Schism containing the Nature Order and Ends of all Beings with three more I gave my Lord Chief Justice Hale a Specimen of it with my foresaid Catholick Theologie but told him it was only to shew my respects but desired him in his weakness to read things more directly tending to prepare for death But yet I could not prevail with him to lay those by so much as I desired but he oft gave me special Thanks above all the rest for that book and that scheme And while he continued weak Mr. Stevens his familiar Friend published two Volumes of his own Meditations which though but plain things yet were so greedily bought up and read for his sake even by such as would not have read such things of others that they did abundance of good And shortly after he published himself in Folio a Treatise of the Origination of Man to prove the Creation of this World very Learned but large He left many Manuscripts One I have long ago read a great Volumn in Folio to prove the Deity the Immortality of the Soul Christianity the Truth of Scripture in General and several books in particular solidly done but too copious which was his fault Two or three smal Tractates written for me I have published expressing the simple and excellent Nature of true Religion and the Corruption and great evils that follow Men's Additaments called wrongfully by the Name of Religion and contended for above it and against it and shewing how most Parties are guilty of this sin I hear he finished a Treatise of the Immortality of the Soul a little before he dyed But unhappily there is contest about his Manuscripts whether to Print them or not because he put a clause into his Will that nothing of his should be Printed but what he gave out himself to be Printed before he dyed He went into the Common Church-yard and there chose his grave and died a few daies after on Christmassday Though I never received any money from him save a Quarter 's Rent he paid when I removed out of my house at Acton that he might buy it and succeed me yet as a token of his love he left me forty shillings in his Will with which to keep his memory I bought the greatest Cambridge Bible and put his picture before it which is a Monument to my house But waiting for my own Death I gave it Sir William Ellis who laid out about Ten pounds to put it into a more curious Cover and keeps it for a Monument in his honour § 15. I found by the people of London that many in the sense of the late Confusions in this Land had got an apprehension that all Schism and Disorder came from Ministers and People's resisting the Bishops and that Prelacy is the means to cure Schism and being ignorant what Church Tyranny hath done in the World they fly to it for refuge against that mischief which it doth principally introduce Wherefore I wrote the History of Prelacy or a Contraction of all the History of the Church especially Binnius and Baronius and others of Councils to shew by the testimony of their greatest flatterers what the Councils and Contentions of Prelates have done But the History even as delivered by Binnius himself was so ugly and frightful to me in the perusing that I was afraid lest it should prove when opened by me a temptation to some to contemn Christianity it self for the sake and Crimes of such a Clergy But as an Antidote I prefixed the due Commendation of the better humble sort of Pastors But I must profess that the History of Prelacy and Councils doth assure me that all the Schisms and Confusions that have been caused by Anabaptists Separatists or any of the Popular unâ—uly Sectaries have been but as flea-bitings to the Church in comparison of the wounds that Prelatical Usurpation Contention and Heresies have caused And I am so far from wondering that all Baronius's industry was thought necessary to put the best visor on all such Actions that I wonder that the Papists have not rather employed all their wit care and power to get all the Histories of Councils burnt and forgotten in the World that they might have only their own Oral flexible tradition to deliver to Mankind what their interest pro re nata shall require Alas how small was the hurt that the very Familists the Munster Fanaticks the very Quakers or Ranters have done in comparison of what some one Pope or one Age or Council of Carnal Tyrannical Prelats hath done The Kingdom of Satan is kept up in the World next to that Sensuality that is born in all by his usurping and perverting the two great Offices of God's own institution Magistracy and Ministry and wring the Sword and Word against the Institutor and proper end But God is just § 16. There years before this I wrote a Treatise to end our common Controversies in Doctrinals about Predestination Redemption justification assurance perseverance and such like being a Summary of Catholick reconciling Theology § 17. In November 1677. Dyed Dr. Thomas Manton to the great loss of London
Case I continued Silent as to any further Suit or Plea keeping constantly in the Communion of the Parish Churches where I lived till in 1668. I was imprisoned for Teaching a few ignorant Neighbours whom thereby I drew with me into the Church and was delivered by righteous Judges VIII The Lord Keeper Bridgman near that time called some of us as by the King's pleasure to Receive and Treat of some Proposals offered for Comprehension and Indulgence and appointed Bishop Wilkins and Dr. Burton to Treat with Dr. Manton and Dr. Bates and me which required that we opened to them our Case We came to a full Agreement which Judge Hale then Lord Chief Baron gâ—eatly approving it drew up in an Act to be offered the Commons who Voted to receive no such Act and defeated the King's Offer and our Hopes IX In 1672. the King again declared not only his Judgment but Resolution for our Leave to Preach and gave us actually Licenses But many Church-men opposed it and called it Schism and disswaded us from using our granted Liberty and said we were bringing in Popery by it And the Parliament was against it and caused the King to reverse his Licenses And in this time I wrote my Books against our Silencing in Defence of the Liberty granted by the King though they were after printed X. After this Bishop Gunning of Ely urged me to declare the Reasons of our Nonconformity and said He would Petition the King to force us to it that we might be Answered and not keep up a Schism and not tell for what I told him I would beg leave to do it on my knees but durst not lest they that called for it could not bear it XI And the Right Reverend Bishop of London urged me to the same and said That the King took us as not Sincere because we so long forbore Conforming and declared not our Reasons To whom I gave the same Answer XII The Earl of Orery told me Bishop Morley proposed some Terms for Concord to keep out Popery and urged me to draw up for the said Bishop what we must have granted which I did and had the Bishops frustrating Answer XIII Another time Dean Tillotson and Dr. Stillingfleet moved us to a Treaty for Concord as encouraged by Bishop Morley and others And we gave them all our Desires in terminis which they seem'd to consent to if the Bishop had not rejectect it XIV After this I wrote a Book of the True way of Universal Concord and directed it to to Bishop Morley and Bishop Gunning as the Men that I meant that had frustrated our hopes On which Bishop Gunning sent Dr. Crowther to inviâ—e me to a Conference and ourâ— Debate three days was Which is the true way of Universal Concord which he maintained to be by Obedience to the Legislative and Iudicial Governing of the College of Pastors I drew up the Sum in three Letters to him maintaining Universal Communion but denying all Forreign Iurisdiction and the possibility of one Humane Soveraigntâ— Monarchical or Aristâ—cratical over all Kings and Churches and all the World XV. After and under all this Discourse Pulpits and Press by Men not to be despised openly accused us as Contrâ—ving and Designing a Rebellion by continuing Nonconformists when we had nothing to say for it So that now our Silence past almost into a seeming Confession of an intended Rebellion Now I appeal to Reason and Conscience to Christianity and Humanity Whether all these Calls of Kings and Bishops Friends and Accusers justifie not a Serious Account of our Case after Fourteen or Seventeen Years accused Silence XVI Yet after all this I durst not I did not write either any Iustification of our Scruples or any Reasons to prove the Impositâ—â—ns sinful save that I gave the Reasons for our not ceasing to preach and against a spurious sort of Diocesanes of some Innâ—vatoâ—s Description But only baâ—ely named de facto what it was that we feared as sin protesting over and over not to accuse the Law or the Conformists XVII And that which on all these Provocations I have done in many Books is but these two things 1. To beg for Concord and prove and it never was nor will be had by forcing all to profess consent to numerous dubious unnecessary Things but only on Terms few plain and necessary in which all sound Christians are agreed 2. To beg for mercy not so much to many hundred suffering Ministers and many Thousand dissenting godly Christians such as no Nation under Heaven out of his Majesty's Dominion hath better that I can hear of but specially for many score thousand needy ignorant untaught Souls For I wrote with respect 1. To the Case of the whâ—le Land before I knew that Seven thousand of the former Incumbents would stay in 2. To the Case of London in the dreadful Plague when infected Men cried for help and had no Teachers the Pastors being fled and the Nonconforâ—â—sts prohibited And about a dozen that ventured and as Grosthead spake obâ—â—â—â—ently disobeyed saw wondrous Success of their Labours in the Penitence of the â—â—â—â—ghted humbled Crowds 3. To the Case of the Fire that the next year burnt City and Churches and many years but few Capacious Tabernacles were built so that Publick Worship mostly ceased And hundred Thousands of undone Persons should then have had special Comfort and Counsel But the Nonconformists were forbidden still 4. I had special respect to the Case of Great Parishes such as Martins Giles Stepney and many more where Ten Twenty Forty thousand persons have no room in their Parish Churches and Mahometans use some Publick Worship And what shall all these Persons do who by Custom excused by Necessity grow to live willingly like Atheists In my Poverty I built a Tabernacle in Martins Parish and though I have the Bishops License to preach in London Diocess I could not be suffered to use it though I would have had the Liturgy there used And I thankfully and gladly accepted of Dr. Lloyd's Consent to take it for the Parish use 5. I never beg'd leave for any to preach but loyal sound peaceable Men and that only where there was plain Necessity and for nothing of Salary and only under Government and Laws of Peace And I thank God that all the Passions Provocations Temptations and Trials that have risen have drawn to Plots or Rebellion or Disloyalty no one Person that I can hear of of all those that I was acquainted with and for whom I then beg'd for Liberty and Mercy And most of them are gone out of a Malignant World to their Everlasting Rest. XVIII The contrary minded while they cried down Division as well as I left us but these three impossible ways to cure them 1. To make all Men and Women so much wiser than themselves as to know all their Things called Lawful to be so indeed when we can get too few to understand their Catechism 2. Or else to get all that
him as knowing no better my self and it suited well with my Parents minds who were willing to have me as near to them as possible having no Children but my self And so I left my School-master for a supposed Tutor But when I had tried him I found my self deceived his business was to please the Great Ones and seek Preferment in the World and to that end found it necessary sometimes to give the Puritans a flirt and call them unlearned and speak much for Learning being but a Superficial Scholar of himself He never read to me nor used any savoury Discourse of Godliness only he loved me and allowed me Books and Time enough So that as I had no considerable helps from him in my Studies so had I no considerable hinderance And though the House was great there being four Judges the King's Attorney the Secretary the Clerk of the Fines with all their Servanâ—s and all the Lord President 's Servants and many more and though the Town was full of Temptations through the multitude of Persons Counseâ—lors Attorneys Officers and Clerks and much given to tipling and excess it pleased God not only to keep me from them but also to give me one intimate Companion who was the greatest help to my Seriousness in Religion that ever I had before and was a daily Watchman over my Soul We walk'd together we read together we prayed together and when we could we lay together And having been brought out of great Distress to Prosperity and his Affections being fervent though his Knowledge not great he would be always stirring me up to Zeal and Diligence and even in the Night would rise up to Prayer and Thanksgiving to God and wonder that I could sleep so that the thoughts of God's Mercy did not make me also to do as he did He was unwearied in reading all serious Practical Books of Divinity especially Perkins Bolton Dr. Preston Elton Dr. Taylor Whately Harris c. He was the first that ever I heard pray Ex tempore out of the Pulpit and that taught me so to pray And his Charity and Liberality was equal to his Zeal so that God made him a great means of my good who had more knowledge than he but a colder heart Yet before we had been Two years acquainted he fell once and a second time by the power of Temptation into a degree of Drunkenness which so terrified him upon the review especially after the second time that he was near to Despair and went to good Ministers with sad Confessions And when I had left the House and his Company he fell into it again and again so oft that at last his Conscience could have no Relief or Ease but in changing his Judgment and disowning the Teachers and Doctrines which had restrained him And he did it on this manner One of his Superiours on whom he had dependance was a man of great Sobriety and Temperance and of much Devotion in his way but very zealous against the Nonconformists ordinarily talking most bitterly against them and reading almost only such Books as encouraged him in this way By converse with this Man my Friend was first drawn to abate his Charity to Nonconformists and then to think and speak reproachfully of them and next that to dislike all those that came near them and to say that such as Bolton were too severe and enough to make men mad And the last I heard of him was that he was grown a Fudler and Railer at strict men But whether God recovered him or what became of him I cannot tell § 5. From Ludlow Castle after a year and half I returned to my Father's House and by that time my old School-master Mr. Iohn Owen was sick of a Consumption which was his Death and the Lord Newport desired me to teach that School till he either recovered or died resolving to take his Brother after him if he died which I did about a quarter of a year or more After that old Mr. Francis Garbett the faithful learned Minister at Wroxeter for about a Month read Logick to me and provoked me to a closer Course of Study which yet was greatly interrupted by my bodily weakness and the troubled Condition of my Soul For being in expectation of Death by a violent Cough with Spitting of Blood c. of two years continuance supposed to be a deep degree of a Consumption I was yet more awakened to be serious and solicitous about my Soul 's everlasting State And I came so short of that sense and seriousness which a Matter of such infinite weight required that I was in many years doubt of my Sincerity and thought I had no Spiritual Life at all I wondred at the sensless hardness of my heart that could think and talk of Sin and Hell and Christ and Grace of God and Heaven with no more feeling I cried out from day to day to God for Grace against this sensless Deadness I called my self the most hard hearted Sinner that could feel nothing of all that I knew and talkt of I was not then sensible of the incomparable Excellency of Holy Love and Delight in God nor much imployed in Thanksgiving and Praise But all my Groans were for more Contrition and a broken Heart and I prayed most for Tears and Tenderness And thus I complained for many Years to God and Man and between the Expectations of Death and the Doubts of my own Sincerity in Grace I was kept in some more care of my Salvation than my Nature too stupid and too far from Melancholy was easily brought to At this time I remember the reading of Mr. Ezek. Culverwell's Treatise of Faith did me much good and many other excellent Books were made my Teachers and Comforters And the use that God made of Books above Ministers to the benefit of my Soul made me somewhat excessively in love with good Books so that I thought I had never â—now but scrap'd up as great a Treasure of them as I could Thus was I long kept with the Calls of approaching Death at one Ear and the Questionings of a doubtful Conscience at the other and since then I have found that this method of God's was very wise and no other was so like to have tended to my good These Benefits of it I sensibly perceived 1. It made me vile and loathsome to my self and made Pride one of the hatefullest Sins in the World to me I thought of my self as I now think of a detestable Sinner and my Enemy that is with a Love of Benevolence wishing them well but with little Love of Complacency at all And the long continuance of it tended the more effectually to a habit 2. It much restrained me from that sportful Levity and Vanity which my Nature and Youthfulness did much incline me to and caused me to meet Temptations to Sensuality with the greatest fear and made them less effectual against me 3. It made the Doctrine of Redemption the more savoury to me and my
in to the King's Standard whereas the Londoners quickly fill'd up a gallant Army for the Earl of Essex and the Citizens abundantly brought in their Money and Plate yea the Women their Rings to Guildhall to pay the Army Hereupon the King sent to the Parliament from Nottingham the Offer of a Treaty with some General Proposals which in my Opinion was the likeliest Opportunity that ever the Parliament had for a full and safe Agreement and the King seemed very serious in it and the lowness of his Condition upon so much Trial of his People was very like to have wrought much with him But the Parliament was perswaded that he did it but to get time to fill up his Army and to hinder their Proceedings and therefore accepted not of his Offer for a Treaty but instead of it sent him Nineteen Proposals of their own viz. That if he would Disband his Army come to his Parliament give up Delinquents to a Legal Course of Justice c. he should find them dutiful c. And the King published an Answer to these Nineteen Propositions in which he affirmeth the Government to be mixt having in it the best of Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy and that the Legislative Power is in the King Lords and Commons conjunct and that the Lords are a sufficient skreen to hinder the King from wronging the Commons and to keep off Tyranny c. And he adhereth only to the Law which giveth him the power of the Militia Out of this Answer of the King 's to these Nineteen Proposals some one drew up a Political Catechism wherein the Answers of every Question were verbatim the words of the King's Declaration as if therein he had fully justified the Parliaments Cause The great Controversie now was the present power of the Militia The King said that the Supreme Executive Power and particularly the Power of the Militia did belong to him and not to the Parliament and appealed to the Law The Parliament pleaded that as the Execution of Justice against Delinquents did belong to him but this he is bound by Law to do by his Courts of Justice and their Executions are to be in his Name and by a Stat. Edw. 3. if the King by the Little Seal or the Great Seal forbid a Judge in Court to perform his Office he is nevertheless to go on Also that for the Defence of his Kingdoms against their Enemies the Militia is in his power but not at all against his Parliament and People whom Nature it self forbiddeth to use their Swords against themselves And they alledged most the present danger of the Kingdoms Ireland almost lost Scotland disturbed England threatned by the Irish and the Ruine of the Parliament sought by Delinquents whom they said the King through evil Counsel did protect And that they must either secure the Militia or give up the Protestant Religion the Laws and Liberties of the Land and their own Necks to the Will of Papists and Delinquents § 49. And because it is my purpose here not to write a full History of the Calamities and Wars of those Times but only to remember such Generals with the Reasons and Connexion of Things as may best make the state of those Times understood by them that knew it not personally themselves I shall here annex a brief Account of the Country's Case about these Differences not as a Justifier or Detender of the Assertions or Reasons or Actions of either Party which I rehearse but only in faithfulness Historically to relate things as indeed they were And 1. It is of very great moment here to understand the Quality of the Persons which adhered to the King and to the Parliament with their Reasons A great part of the Lords forsook the Parliament and so did many of the House of Commons and came to the King but that was for the most of them after Edghill Fight when the King was at Oxford A very great part of the Knights and Gentlemen of England in the several Counties who were not Parliament Men adhered to the King except in Middlesex Essex Suffolk Norfolk Cambridgeshire c. where the King with his Army never came And could he have got footing there it 's like that it would have been there as it was in other places And most of the Tenants of these Gentlemen and also most of the poorest of the People whom the other called the Rabble did follow the Gentry and were for the King On the Parliaments side were besides themselves the smaller part as some thought of the Gentry in most of the Counties and the greatest part of the Tradesmen and Free-holders and the middle sort of Men especially in those Corporations and Countries which depend on Clothing and such Manufactures If you ask the Reasons of this Difference ask also why in France it is not commonly the Nobility nor the Beggars but the Merchants and middle sort of Men that were Protestants The Reasons which the Party themselves gave was Because say they the Tradesmen have a Correspondency with London and so are grown to be a far more Intelligent sort of Men than the ignorant Peasants that are like Bruits who will follow any that they think the strongest or look to get by And the Freeholders say they were not enslaved to their Landlords as the Tenants are The Gentry say they are wholly by their Estates and Ambition more dependent on the King than their Tenants on them and many of them envied the Honour of the Parliament because they were not chosen Members themselves The other side said That the Reason was because the Gentry who commanded their Tenants did better understand Affairs of State than half-witted Tradesmen and Freeholders do But though it must be confessed That the Publick Safety and Liberty wrought very much with most especially with the Nobility and Gentry who adhered to the Parliament yet was it principally the differences about Religious Matters that filled up the Parliaments Armies and put the Resolution and Valour into their Soldiers which carried them on in another manner than mercenary Soldiers are carried on Not that the Matter of Bishops Or no Bishops was the main thing for Thousands that wished for Good Bishops were on the Parliaments side though many called it Bellum Episcopale And with the Scots that was a greater part of the Controversie But the generality of the People through the Land I say not all or every one who were then called Puritans Precisions Religious Persons that used to talk of God and Heaven and Scripture and Holiness and to follow Sermons and read Books of Devotion and pray in their Families and spend the Lord's Day in Religious Exercises and plead for Mortification and serious Devotion and strict Obedience to God and speak against Swearing Cursing Drunkenness Prophaneness c. I say the main Body of this sort of Men both Preachers and People adhered to the Parliament And on the other side the Gentry that were not so precise and
eleven Weeks and at the same time the Army being come up from the West lay in siege at Oxford By this time Col. Whalley though Cromwell's Kinsman and Commander of the Trusted Regiment grew odious among the Sectarian Commanders at the Head-quarters for my sake and he was called a Presbyterian though neither he nor I were of that Judgment in several Points And Major Sallowey not omitting to use his industry in the matter to that end when he had brought the City to a necessity of present yielding two days or three before it yielded Col. Rainsboroug was sent from Oxford which was yielded with some Regiments of Foot to Command in Chief partly that he might have the honour of taking the City and partly that he might be Governour there and not Whalley when the City was Surrendred And so when it was yielded Rainsborough was Governour to head and gratifie the Sectaries and settle the City and Country in their way But the Committee of the County were for Whalley and lived in distaste with Rainsborough and the Sectaries prospered there no further than Worcester City it self a Place which deserved such a Judgment but all the Country was free from their Infection § 80. All this while as I had friendly Converse with the sober part so I was still employed with the rest as before in Preaching Conference and Disputing against their Confounding Errours And in all Places where we went the Sectarian Soldiers much infected the Countreys by their Pamphlets and Converse and the People admiring the conquering Army were ready to receive whatsoever they commended to them And it was the way of the Faction to speak what they spake as the Sense of the Army and to make the People believe that whatever Opinion they vented which one of forty in the Army owned not it was the Army's Opinion When we quarter'd at Agmondesham in Buckinghamshire some Sectaries of Chesham had set up a Publick Meeting as for Conference to propagate their Opinions through all the Country and this in the Church by the encouragement of an ignorant Sectarian Lecturer one Bramble whom they had got in while Dr. Crook the Pastor and Mr. Richardson his Curate durst not contradict them When this Publick Talking day came Bethel's Troopers then Capt. Pitchford's with other Sectarian Soldiers must be there to confirm the Chesham Men and make Men believe that the Army was for them And I thought it my Duty to be there also and took divers sober Officers with me to let them see that more of the Army were against them than for them I took the Reading Pew and Pitchford's Cornet and Troopers took the Gallery And there I found a crowded Congregation of poor well-meaning People that came in the Simplicity of their Hearts to be deceived There did the Leader of the Chesham Men begin and afterward Pitchford's Soldiers set in and I alone disputed against them from Morning until almost Night for I knew their trick that if I had but gone out first they would have prated what boasting words they listed when I was gone and made the People believe that they had baffled me or got the best therefore I stayed it out till they first rose and went away The abundance of Nonsense which they uttered that day may partly be seen in Mr. Edward's Gangraena for when I had wrote a Letter of it to a Friend in London that and another were put into Mr. Edward's Book without my Name But some of the sober People of Agmondesham gave me abundance of thanks for that Days work which they said would never be there forgotten And I heard that the Sectaries were so discouraged that they never met there any more I am sure I had much thanks from Dr. Crook and Mr. Richardson who being obnoxious to their displeasure for being for the King durst not open their mouths themselves And after the Conference I talkt with the Lecturer Mr. Bramble or Bramley and found him little wiser than the rest § 81. The great Impediments of the Success of my Endeavours I found were only two 1. The discountenance of Cromwell and the chief Officers of his Mind which kept me a stranger from their Meetings and Councils 2. My incapacity of Speaking to many because Soldiers Quarters are scattered far from one another and I could be but in one Place at once So that one Troop at a time ordinarily and some few more extraordinarily was all that I could speak too The most of the Service I did beyond Whalley's Regiment was by the help of Capt. Lawrence with some of the General 's Regiment and sometimes I had Converse with Major Harrison and some others But I found that if the Army had but had Ministers enough that would have done but such a little as I did all their Plot might have been broken and King Parliament and Religion might have been preserved Therefore I sent abroad to get some more Ministers among them but I could get none Saltmarsh and Dell were the two great Preachers at the Head Quarters only honest and judicious Mr. Edward Bowles kept still with the General At last I got Mr. Cook of Roxhall to come to assist me and the soberer part of the Officers and Soldiers of Whalley's Regiment were willing to pay him out of their own pay And a Month or two he stayed and assisted me but was quickly weary and left them again He was a very worthy humble laborious Man unwearid in preaching but weary when he had not opportunity to preach and weary of the Spirits he had to deal with § 82. All this while though I came not near Cromwell his Designs were visible and I saw him continually acting his part The Lord General suffered him to govern and do all and to choose almost all the Officers of the Army He first made Ireton Commissary General and when any Troop or Company was to be disposed of or any considerable Officer's place was void he was sure to put a Sectary in the place and when the brunt of the War was over he lookt not so much at their Valour as their Opinions So that by degrees he had headed the greatest part of the Army with Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers or Separatists at best and all these he tied together by the point of Liberty of Conscience which was the Common Interest in which they did unite Yet all the sober Party were carried on by his Profession that he only promoted the Universal Interest of the Godly without any distinction or partiality at all But still when a place fell void it was Twenty to one a Sectary had it and if a Godly Man of any other Mind or temper had a mind to leave the Army he would secretly or openly further it Yet did he not openly profess what Opinion he was of himself But the most that he said for any was for Anabaptism and Antinomianism which he usually seemed to own And Harrison who was then great with him was for the
very young but that could not be helpt because there were no other to be had The Parliament could not make Men Learned nor Godly but only put in the learnedest and ablest that they could have And though it had been to be wisht that they might have had leisure to ripen in the Universities yet many of them did as Ambrose teach and learn at once so successfully as that they much increased in Learning themselves whilst they prosited others and proportionably more than many in the Universities do § 118. To return from this Digression to the Proceedings of Cromwell when he was made Lord Protector he had the Policy not to detect and exasperate the Ministers and others that consented not to his Government having seen what a stir the Engagement had before made but he let Men live quietly without putting any Oaths of Fidelity upon them except his Parliaments for those must not enter the House till they had sworn Fidelity to him The Sectarian Party in his Army and elsewhere he chiefly trusted to and pleased till by the Peoples submission and quietness he thought himself well settled And then he began to undermine them and by degrees to work them out And though he had so often spoken for the Anabaptists now he findeth them so heady and so much against any settled Government and so set upon the promoting of their Way and Party that he doth not only begin to blame their unruliness but also designeth to settle himself in the Peoples Favour by suppressing them In Ireland they were grown so high that the Soldiers were many of them re-baptized as the way to Preferment and those that opposed them they crusht with much uncharitable Fierceness To suppress these he sent thither his Son Henry Cromwell who so discountenanced the Anabaptists as yet to deal civilly by them repressing their Insolencies but not abusing them or dealing hardly with them promoting the Work of the Gospel and setting up good and sober Ministers and dealing civilly with the Royallists and obliging all so that he was generally beloved and well spoken of And Major General Ludlow who headed the Anabaptists in Ireland was fain to draw in his head In England Cromwell connived at his old Friend Harrison while he made himself the Head of the Anabaptists and Fanaticks here till he saw it would be an applauded acceptable thing to the Nation to suppress him and then he doth it easily in a trice and maketh him contemptible who but yesterday thought himself not much below him The same he doth also as easily by Lambert and layeth him by § 119. In these times especially since the Rump reigned sprang up five Sects at least whose Doctrines were almost the same but they sell into several Shapes and Names 1. The Vanists 2. The Seekers 3. The Ranters 4. The Quakers 5. The Behmenists 1. The Vanists for I know not by what other Name to make them known who were Sir Henry Vane's Disciples first sprang up under him in new England when he was Governor there But their Notions were then raw and undigested and their Party quickly confounded by God's Providence as you may see in a little Book of Mr. Tho. Welds of the Rise and Fall of Antinomianism and Familism in New-England where their Opinions and these Providences are recorded by him that was a reverend Minister there One Mrs. Dyer a chief Person of the Sect did first bring forth a Monster which had the Parts of almost all sorts of living Creatures some Parts like Man but most ugly and misplaced and some like Beasts Birds and Fishes having Horns Fins and Claws and at the Birth of it the Bed shook and the Women present fell a Vomiting and were fain to go forth of the Room Mr. Cotton was too favourable to them till this helpt to recover him Mrs. Hutchinson the chief Woman among them and their Teacher to whose Exercises a Congregation of them used to assemble brought forth about 30 mishapen Births or Lumps at once and being banished into another Plantation was killed there by the Indians Sir Henry Vane being Governor and found to be the secret Fautor and Life of their Cause was fain to steal away by Night and take Shipping for England before his Year of Government was at an end But when he came over into England he proved an Instrument of greater Calamity to a People more sinful and more prepared for God's Judgments Being chosen a Parliament man he was very active at first for the bringing of Delinquents to Punishment He was the Principal Man that drove on the Parliament to go too high and act too vehemently against the King Being of very ready Parts and very great Subtilty and unwearied Industry he laboured and not without Success to win others in Parliament City and Country to his Way When the Earl of Strafford was accused he got a Paper out of his Father's Cabinet who was Secretary of State which was the chief Means of his Condemnation To most of our Changes he was that Within the House which Cromwell was without His great Zeal to drive all into War and to the highest and to cherish the Sectaries and especially in the Army made him above all Men to be valued by that Party His Unhappiness lay in this that his Doctrines were so clowdily formed and expressed that few could understand them and therefore he had but few true Disciples The Lord Brook was slain before he had brought him to Maturity Mr. Sterry is thought to be of his Mind as he was his Intimate but he hath not opened himself in writing and was so famous for Obscurity in Preaching being said Sir Benj. Rudiard too high for this World and too low for the other that he thereby proved almost Barren also and Vanity and Sterility were never more happily conjoined Mr. Sprig is the chief of his more open Disciples too well known by a Book of his Sermons This Obscurity by some was imputed to his not understanding himself but by others to design because he could speak plainly when he listed the two Courses in which he had most Success and spake most plainly were His earnest Plea for universal Liberty of Conscience and against the Magistrates intermedling with Religion and his teaching his Followers to revile the Ministry calling them ordinarily Blackcoats Priests and other Names which then savoured of Reproach and those Gentlemen that adhered to the Ministry they said were Priest-ridden When Cromwell had served himself by him as his surest Friend as long as he could and gone as far with him as their way lay together Vane being for a Fanatick Democracie and Cromwell for Monarchy at last there was no Remedy but they must part and when Cromwell cast out the Rump as disdainfully as Men do Excrements he called Vane a Jugler and Martin a Whoremonger to excuse his usage of the rest as is aforesaid When Vane was thus laid by he wrote his Book called The retired Man's Meditations
as their Estates and Honour and Lives came to to have stood it out to the very utmost that had professed so much of their Wisdom and Religiousness and had declared such high Resolutions against Monarchy I say that such an Army should have one Commander among themselves whom they accounted not Religious that should march against them without Resistance and that they should all stand still and let him come on and restore the Parliament and bring in the King and disband themselves and all this without one bloody Nose Let any Man that hath the use of his Understanding judge whether this were not enough to prove that there is a God that governeth the World and disposeth of the Powers of the World according to his Will And let all Men behold this Pillar of Salt and standing Monument of Divine Revenge and take heed of over-valuing Human Strength and of ever being puffed up by Victories and Success or of being infatuated by Spiritual Pride and Faction And let all Men take warning how they trample upon Government rebel against it or vilifie the Ministers and Ordinances of Christ and proudly despise the Warnings of their Brethren § 152. And at the same time while Monk was marching against them into England the sober godly Officers of Ireland were impatient of the Anabaptists Tyranny So that Col. Iohn Bridges the Patron of Kidderminster with his Lieutenant Thompson and some few more Officers resolved upon a desperate surprizal of Dublin Castle which the Anabaptists possest with most of the strong Holds and so happily succeeded that without any bloodshed they got the Castle And that being won the rest of the Garrisons of all the whole Kingdom yielded without any loss of Blood and unless one or two without so much as any appearance of a Siege Thus did God make his wonders to concur in time and manner and shewed the World the instability of those States which are built upon an Army He that will see more of this Surprize of Dublin Castle may read it as printed by Colonel Bridges in a short Narrative Had it not been for that Action it is probable that Ireland would have been the Refuge and Randezvouz for the disbanded or fugitive Army and that there they would not only have maintained the War but have imbodied against England and come over again with Resolutions heightned by their Warnings The Reward that Col. Bridges had for this Service was the peaceful Testimony of his Conscience and a narrow escape from being utterly ruined being sued as one that after Edghill Fight had taken the King's Goods in an Action of Fourscore Thousand pound But all was proved false and he being cleared by the Court did quickly after die of a Fever at Chester and go to a more peaceable and desirable World § 153. For my own Actions and Condition all this time I have partly shewed them in the Second Part How I was called up to London and what I did there and with how little Success I there continued my Pacificatory Endeavours When I had lived there a few Weeks I fell into another fit of Bleeding which though it was nothing so great as formerly yet after my former depauperation by that means and great debility did weaken me much Being restored by the mercy of God and the help of Dr. Bates and the moss of a dead man's skull which I had from Dr. Michlethwait I went to Mr. Thomas Foley's House where I lived in Austin-Fryars about a year and thence to Dr. Michlethwait's House in Little Brittain where I tabled about another year and thence to Moorfields and thence to Action from which being at the present driven by the Plague I wait for the further disposal of my Almighty and most Gracious Lord. § 154. And now I shall annex for the Reader 's satisfaction an Account of my Books and Writings on what occasion they were written and what I now judge of them on a review and after so much sopposition § 155. The Books which I have written and those that are written against me are so numerous that I confess if they plead not to the Reader for themselves I cannot easily excuse my putting the World to so much trouble And I was once almost faln out with my self when I saw such abundance of Sermon Books printed in Oliver's days because I concurred with them in over-loading the World But God was pleased to keep me from Repentance by their Success and since then I am more Impenitent herein than ever as seeing more of the reason of God's disposal than I saw before For since so many hundred Ministers are silenced and an Act is now past in the Parliament to forbid us coming withing five miles of any City Corporation or Burgess Town and a former Act forbiddeth us speaking to above four that are not of a Family and knowing what Persons are Ministers in many of our places I now bless God that his poor Servants have the private help of Books which are the best Teachers under God that many thousand Persons have And whereas there are about Fifty Books as I remember that in whole or in part are written against me or some Passages in mine I bless the Lord that they have not disturbed or discomposed my mind nor any more hindered me from my greater duty by Replies nor been altogether unprofitable to me And that none of them nor all of them any whit disabled me from the Service of God by diminishing my Estimation with those that I have opportunity to serve or with the common Readers that may profit by my Labours but only with the Members of the several Factions Some are written against me by Quakers Iames Nayler and many others Some by Clement Writer and other Seekers and Infidels Some by Papists some by Anabaptists Mr. Tombes Fisher and many others some by Reverend Brethren that understood not all Points of Doctrine as I did which-ever of us was in the right as Mr. Rutherford Mr. Blake Mr. Burgess Dr. Kendall c. some by Antinomians and some by Separatists and some by good Men that were but half possest with their Opinions as Mr. Eires Mr. Crandon Mr. Warner c. some by proud impatient Men and some by the Prelatical Party some by young Men that wanted Preferment and thought that this was the way to get it and some by obscure Men that desired to be taken notice of and some by Flatterers that desired to please others on whom they did depend and some by malicious blood-thirsty Calumniators some by factious Temporizers as Stubbs Rogers Needham c. and abundance by erroneous impatient Men that could not endure to be contradicted in their Mistakes To many of these I have returned Answers and that some others remain unanswered is through the restraint of the Press § 156. The first Book that ever I published is a small one called Aphorisms of Iustification and the Covenants c. I had first begun my Book called The Saints
Rest and coming in it to answer the Question How in Matth. 25. the reward is adjudged to men on the account of their good works The chief Propositions of that Book did suddenly offer themselves to me in order to that Resolution But I was prepared with much disputing against Antinomianism in the Army At Sir Thomas Rous's House in my weakness I wrote most of that Book and finished it when I came to Kidderminster I directed it to Mr. Vines and Mr. Burgess out of my high esteem of them though my personal acquaintance with them was but small Mr. Vines wrote to me applaudingly of it Mr. Burgess thought his Name engaged him to write against it Two Faults I now find in the Book 1. It is defective and hath some Propositions that need Correction being not cautelously enough expressed 2. I medled too forwardly with Dr. Owen and one or two more that had written some Passages too near to Antinomianism For I was young and a stranger to mens tempers and I thought others could have born a Confutation as easily as I could do my self and I thought that I was bound to do my best publickly to save the World from the hurt of published Errours not understanding how it would provoke men more passionately to insist on what they once have said But I have now learned to contradict Errours and not to meddle with the Persons that maintain them But indeed I was then too raw to be a Writer This Book was over-much valued by some and over-much blamed by others both contrary to my own esteem of it It cost me more than any other that I have written not only by mens offence but especially by putting me upon long and tedious Writings Some that publickly wrote against it I publickly answered And because of the general noise about it I desired those that would have me of their mind to send me their Animadversions which proved so many that took me up too much of my time to answer them But it was a great help to my Understanding For the Animadverters were of several minds and what one approved another confuted being further from each other than any of them from me The first that I craved Animadversions from was Mr. Burgess and with much ad extorted only two or three Letters against Justification by Works as he called it which with my Answers were afterward published when he had proceeded to print against me what he would not give me in writing The next and full Animadversions which I received were from Mr. Iohn Warren an honest acute ingenious man to whom I answered in freer Expressions than to others because he was my Junior and familiar Friend being a School-Boy at Bridgenorth when I was Preacher there and his Father being my Neighbour Next his I had Animadversions from Dr. Iohn Wallis very judicious and moderate to which I began to write a Reply but broke it off in the middle because he little differed from me The next I had was from Mr. Christopher Cartwright of York who defended the King against the Marquess of Worcester he was a man of good reading as to our later Divines and was very well verst in the Common Road very like Mr. Burgess a very good Hebrician and a very honest worthy Person His Animadversions were most against my distinction of Righteousness into Legal and Evangelical according to the two Covenants His Answer was full of Citations out of Amesius Whittaker Davenant c. I wrote him a full Reply and he wrote me a Rejoynder to which my time not allowing me to write a full Confutation I took up all the Points of Difference between him and me and handled them briefly confirming my Reasons for the ease of the Reader and my self The next Animadverter was Mr. George Lawson the ablest Man of them all or of almost any I know in England especially by the Advantage of his Age and very hard Studies and methodical Head but above all by his great skill in Politicks wherein he is most exact and which contributeth not a little to the understanding of Divinity Though he was himself near the Arminians differing from them in the Point of Perseverance as to the Confirmed and some little matters more and so went farther than I did from the Antinomians yet being conversant with Men of another Mind to redeem himself from their Offence he set himself against some Passages of mine which others marvelled that he of all Men should oppose especially about the Object of Faith and Iustification And afterwards he published an excellent Summ of Divinity called Theopolitica in which he insisteth on those two Points to make good what he had said in his M. S. against me though the Reader that knoweth not what past between him and me will not understand how these Passages there fell in and some Divines have told me how excellent a Book it had been if he had not been led aside in those Particulars not knowing how it came to pass the ablest Men being sometimes most hardly drawn to desert any thing which they have once affirmed He hath written also Animadversions on Hobbes and a piece of Ecclesiastical and Civil Policy according to the Method of Politicks an excellent Book were it not that he seemeth to justify the Kings Death and meddle too boldly with the Political Controversies of the times though he be a Conformist Also I have seen some ingenuous Manuscripts of his for the taking of the Engagement to be true to the Commonwealth as established without a King and House of Lords his Opinion being much for submitting to the present Possessor though a Usurper But I thought those Papers easily answerable His Animadversions on my Papers were large in which he frequently took occasion to be copious and distinct in laying down his own Judgment which pleased me very well I returned him a full Answer and received from him a large Reply instead of a Rejoinder to which I summ'd up our Differences and spoke to them briefly and distinctly and not verbatim to the Words of his Book I must thankfully acknowledge that I learnt more from Mr. Lawson than from any Divine that gave me Animadversions or that ever I conversed with For two or three Passages in my first Reply to him he convinced me were Mistakes and I found up and down in him those hints of Truths which had a great deal of Light in them and were very apt for good Improvement Especially his instigating me to the Study of Politicks in which he much lamented the Ignorance of Divines did prove a singular Benefit to me I confess it is long of my own Uncapableness that I have received no more good from others But yet I must be so grateful as to confess that my Understanding hath made a better Improvement for the sudden sensible increase of my Knowledge of Grotius de Satisfactione Christi and of Mr. Lawson's Manuscripts than of any thing else that ever I read and they
convinced me how unfit we are to write about Christ's Government and Law and Iudgment c. while we understand not the true Nature of Government Laws and Iudgment in the general and that he that is ignorant of Politicks and of the Law of Nature will be ignorant and erroneous in Divinity and the sacred Scriptures § 157. 2. The Second Book which I wrote and the first which I began was that called The Saints everlasting Rest Whilst I was in Health I had not the least thought of writing Books or of serving God in any more publick way than Preaching But when I was weakened with great bleeding and left solitary in my Chamber at Sir Iohn Cook 's in Derbyshire without any Acquaintance but my Servant about me and was sentenced to Death by the Physician I began to contemplate more seriously on the Everlasting Rest which I apprehended my self to be just on the Borders of And that my Thoughts might not too much scatter in my Meditation I began to write something on that Subject intending but the Quantity of a Sermon or two which is the cause that the Beginning is in brevity and Style disproportionable to the rest but being continued long in Weakness where I had no Books nor no better Employment I followed it on till it was enlarged to the bulk in which it is published The first Three Weeks I spent in it was at Mr. Nowel's House at Kirkby-Mallory in Leicestershire a quarter of a Year more at the Seasons which so great Weakness would allow I bestowed on it at Sir Tho Rous's House at Rous-Lench in Worcestershire and I finished it shortly after at Kidderminster The first and last Parts were first done being all that I intended for my own use and the second and third Parts came afterwards in besides my first Intention This Book it pleased God so far to bless to the Profit of many that it encouraged me to be guilty of all those Scripts which after followed The Marginal Citations I put in after I came home to my Books but almost all the Book it self was written when I had no Book but a Bible and a Concordance And I found that the Transcript of the Heart hath the greatest force on the Hearts of others For the Good that I have heard that Multitudes have received by that Writing and the Benefit which I have again received by their Prayers I here humbly return my Thanks to him that compelled me to write it § 159. 3. The Third Book which I published was that which is entituled Plain Scripture Proof for Infants Church-Membership and Baptism being the Arguments used in the Dispute with Mr. Tombes and an Answer to a Sermon of his afterward preached c. This Book God blessed with unexpected Success to stop abundance from turning Anabaptists and reclaming many both in City and Country and some of the Officers of the Irish and English Forces and it gave a considerable Check to their Proceedings Concerning it I shall only tell the Reader 1. That there are towards the latter part of it many enigmatical Reflections upon the Anabaptists for their horried Scandals which the Reader that lived not in those times will hardly understand But the cutting off the King and rebelling against him and the Parliament and the Invading Scotland and the approving of these with the Ranters and other Sects that sprang out of them were the Crimes there intended which were not then to be more plainly spoken of when their Strength and Fury was so high 2. Note that after the writing of that Book I wrote a Postscript against that Doctrine of Dr. Burges and Mr. Tho. Bedford which I supposed to go on the other Extream and therein I answered part of a Treatise of Dr. Sam. Warks's which Mr. Bedford published and it proved to be Mr. Thomas Gataker whom I defended who is Dr. Ward 's Censor But I knew it not till Mr. Gataker after told me But after these Writings I was greatly in doubt whether it be not certain that all the Infants of true Believers are justified and saved if they dye before actual Sin My Reason was because it is the same justifying saving Covenant of Grace which their Parents and they are in And as real Faith and Repentance is that Condition on the Parents part which giveth them their right to actual Remission and Adoption So to be the Children of such is all the Condition which is required in Infants in order to the same Benefits And without asserting this the Advantage of the Anabaptists is greater than every one doth imagine But I never thought with Dr. Ward that all Baptised Children had this Benefit and Qualitative Sanctification also nor with Dr. Burgess and Mr. Bedford that all converted at Age had inherent seminal Grace in Baptism certainly given them nor with Bishop Davenant that all justly baptised had relative Grace of Justification and Adoption But only that all the Infants of true Believers who have right to the Covenant and Baptism in foro Coeli as well as in foro Ecclesiae have also thereby Right to the Pardon of Original Sin and to Adoption and to Heaven which Right is by Baptism to be sealed and delivered to them This I wrote of to Mr. Gataker who returned me a kind and candid Answer but such as did not remove my Scruple and this occasioned him to print Bishop Davenants Disputations with his Answer My Opinion which I most incline to is the same which the Synod of Dort expresseth and that which I conjecture Dr. Davenant meant or I am sure came next to Here note also that Mr. Tombes sollicited me yet after all this to write him down my Proofs of Infants Church-membership out of the circumcised Church which I did at large as from the Creation downward as far as Proof could be expected in Proportion to the other Histories of those Times Instead of sending me an Answer to my Papers he printed some of them with an insufficient Answer in his last Book These Papers with a Reply to him I have since Printed § 159. 4. The Fourth Book which I published is a small one called The right Method for Peace of Conscience and spiritual comfort in thirty two Directions The Occasion of it was this Mrs. Bridgis the Wife of Col. Iohn Bridgis being one of my Flock was often weeping out her Doubts to me about her long and great Uncertainty of her true Sanctification and Salvation I told her that a few hasty Words were not Direction enough for the satisfactory resolving of so great a Case and therefore I would write her down a few of those necessary Directions which she should read and study and get well imprinted in her Mind As soon as I had begun I found 1. that it would not be well done in the Brevity which I expected 2. And that when it was done it would be as useful to many others of my Flock as to her and therefore I bestowed more time
the several Articles which I did in a small Book called Christian Concord In which I gave the reasons why the Episcopal Presbyterians and Independants might and should unite on such Terms without any change of any of their Principles But I confess that the new Episcopal Party that follow Grotius too far and deny the very being of all the Ministers and Churches that have not Diocesan Bishops are not capable of Union with the rest upon such Terms And hereby I gave notice to the Gentry and others of the Royalists in England of the great danger they were in of changing their Ecclesiastical Cause by following new Leaders that were for Grotianism But this Admonition did greatly offend the Guilty who now began to get the Reins though the old Episcopal Protestants confessed it to be all true There is nothing bringeth greater hatred and sufferings on a Man than to foreknow the mischief that Men in power are doing and intend and to warn the World of it For while they are resolutely going on with it they will proclain him a Slanderer that revealeth it and use him accordingly and never be ashamed when they have done it and thereby declared all which he foretold to be true § 170. 15. Having in the Postscript of my True Catholick given a short touch against a bitter Book of Mr. Thomas Pierce's against the Puritans and me it pleased him to write another Volume against Mr. Hickman and me just like the Man full of malignant bitterness against Godly men that were not of his Opinion and breathing out blood-thirsty malice in a very Rhetorical fluent style Abundance of Lies also are in it against the old Puritans as well as against me and in particular in charging Hacket's Villany upon Cartwright as a Confederate which I instance in because I have out of old Mr. Ash's Library a Manuscript of Mr. Cartwright's containing his full Vindication against that Calumny which some would fain have fastened on him in his time But Mr. Pierce's principal business was to defend Grotius In answer to which I wrote a little Treatise called The Grotian Religion discovered at the Invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce In which I cited his own words especially out of his Discussio Apologetici Rivetaini wherein he openeth his Terms of Reconciliation with Rome viz. That it be acknowledged the Mistress Church and the Pope have his Supream Government but not Arbitrary but only according to the Canons To which end he defendeth the Council of Trent it self Pope Pius's Oath and all the Councils which is no other than the French sort of Popery I had not then heard of the Book written in France called Grotius Papizans nor of Sarravius's Epistles in which he witnesseth it from his own mouth But the very words which I cited contain an open Profession of Popery This Book the Printer abused printing every Section so distant to fill up Paper as if they had been several Chapters And in a Preface before it I vindicated the Synod of Dort where the Divines of England were chief Members from the abusive virulent Accusations of one that called himself Tilenus junior Hereupon Pierce wrote a much more railing malicious Volume than the former the liveliest Express of Satan's Image malignity bloody malice and falshood covered in handsome railing Rhetorick that ever I have seen from any that called himself a Protestant And the Preface was answered just in the same manner by one that stiled himself Philo-Tilenus Three such Men as this Tilenus junior Pierce and Gunning I have not heard of besides in England Of the Jesuites Opinion in Doctrinals and of the old Dominican Complexion the ablest Men that their Party hath in all the Land of great diligence in study and reading of excellent Oratory especially Tilenus junior and Pierce of temperate Lives but all their Parts so sharpened with furious persecuting Zeal against those that dislike Arminianism high Prelacy or full Conformity that they are like the Briars and Thorns which are not to be handled but by a fenced hand and breathe out Tereatnings against God's Servants better than themselves and seem unsatisfied with blood and ruines and still cry Give Give bidding as lowd defiance to Christian Charity as ever Arrius or any Heretick did to Faith This Book of mine of the Grotian Religion greatly offended many others but none of them could speak any Sence against it the Citations for Matter of Fact being unanswerable And it was only the Matter of Fact which I undertook viz. To prove that Grotius profest himself a moderate Papist But for his fault in so doing I little medled with it § 171. 16. Mr. Blake having replye to some things in my Apology especially about Right to Sacraments or the just subject of Baptism and the Lord's Supper I wrote five Disputations on those Points proving that it is not the reality of a Dogmatical or Justifying Faith nor yet the Profession of bare Assent called a Dogmatical Faith by many but only the Profession of a Saving Faith which is the Condition of Mens title to Church-Communion Coram Ecclèsiâ and that Hypocrites are but Analogically or Equivocally called Christians and Believers and Saints c. with much more to decide the most troublesome Controversie of that Time which was about the Necessary Qualification and Title of Church-Members and Communicants Many men have been perplexed about that Point and that Book Some think it cometh too near the Independants and some that it is too far from them and many think it very hard that A Credible Profession of True Faith and Repentance should be made the stated Qualification because they think it incredible that all the Jewish Members were such But I have sifted this Point more exactly and diligently in my thoughts than almost any Controversie whatsoever And fain I would have found some other Qualification to take up with 1. Either the Profession of some lower Faith than that which hath the Promise of Salvation 2. Or at least such a Profession of Saving Faith as needeth not to be credible at all c. But the Evidence of Truth hath forced me from all other ways and suffered me to rest no where but here That Profession should be made necessary without any respect at all to Credibility and consequently to the verity of the Faith professed is incredible and a Contradiction and the very word Profession signifieth more And I was forced to observe that those that in Charity would belive another Profession to be the title to Church-Communion do greatly cross their own design of Charity And while they would not be bound to believe men to be what they profess for fear of excluding many whom they cannot believe they do leave themselves and all others as not obliged to love any Church-Member as such with the love which is due to a True Christian but only with such a Love as they owe to the Members of the Devil and so deny them the Kernel of Charity by giving
Prayer by all the Ministers at Worcester where they desired me to preach But Weakness and other things hindered me from that Day but to compensate that I enlarged and published the Sermon which I had prepared for them and entitled the Treatise Gildas Salvianus because I imitated Gildas and Salvianus in my Liberty of Speech to the Pastors of the Churches or The reformed Pastor I have very great Cause to be thankful to God for the Success of that Book as hoping many thousand Souls are the better for it in that it prevailed with many Ministers to set upon that Work which I there exhort them to Even from beyond the Seas I have had Letters of Request to direct them how they might bring on that Work according as that Book had convinced them that it was their Duty If God would but reform the Ministry and set them on their Duties zealously and faithfully the People would certainly be reformed All Churches either rise or fall as the Ministry doth rise or fall not in Riches and worldly Grandure but in Knowledge Zeal and Ability for their Work But since Bishops were restored this Book is useless and that Work not medled with § 178. 23. When the part of the Parliament called the Rump or Common-wealth was sitting the Anabaptists Seekers c. flew so high against Tythes and Ministry that it was much feared lest they would have prevailed at last Wherefore I drew up a Petition for the Ministry which is printed under the Name of the Worcestershire Petition which being presented by Coll. Iohn Bridges and Mr. Thomas Foley was accepted with Thanks and seemed to have a considerable tendency to some good Resolutions § 179. But the Sectaries greatly regard against that Petition and one wrote a vehement Invective against it which I answered in a Paper called The Defence of the Worcestershire Petition which by an Over-sight is mained by the want of the Answer to one of the Accusers Queries I knew not what kind of Person he was that I wrote against but it proved to be a Quaker they being just now rising and this being the first of their Books as far as I can remember that I had ever-seen § 180. 24. Presently upon this the Quakers began to make a great Stirr among us and acted the Parts of Men in Raptures and spake in the manner of Men inspired and every where railed against Tythes and Ministers They sent many Papers of Queries to divers Ministers about us And to one of the chief of them I wrote an Answer and gave them as many more Questions to answer entiâ—uling it The Quakers Catechism These Pamphlets being but one or two Days Work were no great Interruption to my better Labours and as they were of small Worth so also of small Cost The same Ministers of our Country that are now silenced are they that the Quakers most vehemently opposed medling little with the rest The marvellous concurrence of Instruments telleth us that one principal Agent doth act them all I have oft asked the Quakers lately why they chose the same Ministers to revile whom all the Drunkards and Swearers rail against And why they cryed out in our Assemblies Come down thou Deceiver thou Hireling thou Dog and now never meddle with the Pastors or Congregations And they answer 1. That these Men sin in the open Light and need none to discover them 2. That the Spirit hath his times both of Severity and of Lenity But the Truth is they knew then they might be bold without any Fear of Suffering by it And now it is time for them to save their Skins they suffer enough for their own Assemblies 181. 25. The great Advancement of the Popish Interest by their secret agency among the Sectaries Seekers Quakers Behmenists c. did make me think it necessary to do something directly against Popery and so I published three Disputations against them one to prove our Religion safe and another to prove their Religion unsafe and a third to shew that they overthrew the Faith by the ill Resolution of their Faith This Book I entituled The safe Religion § 182. 26. About the same time I fell into troublesom Acquaintance with one Clement Writer of Worcester an ancient Man that had long seemed a forward Professor of Religiousness and of a good Conversation but was now perverted to I know not what A Seeker he profest to be but I easily perceived that he was either a jugling Papist or an Infidel but I more suspected the latter He had written a scornful Book against the Ministry called Ius Divinum Presbyterii and after two more against the Scripture and against me one called Fides Divina the other 's Title I remember not His Assertion to me was that no Man is bound to believe in Christ that doth not see confirming Miracles himself with his own Eyes By the Provocations of this Apostate I wrote a Book called The unreasanableness of Infidelity consisting of four Parts The first of the extrinsick Witness of the Spirit by Miracles c. to which I annexed a Disputation against Clement Writer to prove that the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles oblige us to believe that did not see them The Second part was of the intrinsick Witness of the Spirit to Christ and Scripture The Third was of the Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And the Fourth was to repress the Arrogancy of reasoning against Divine Revelations All this was intended but as a Supplement to the Second Part of The Saints Rest where I had pleaded for the Truth of Scripture But this Subject I have since more fully handled in my Reasons of the Christian Religion At the time Mr. Gilbert a learned Minister in Shropshire wrote a Small concise Tractate in Latin as against a Book of Dr. Owen's though his intimate Friend to prove that Christ's Death was not necessary absolutely but of Divine Free Choice and in answer to that Book I wrote a brief Premonition to my Treatise against Infidelity to decide that Controversy § 183. 27. Mr. Tho. Foley being High Sheriff desired me to preach before the Judges which I did on Gal. 6. 16. and enlarged it to a Treatise entituled The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ for Mortification and put an Epistle somewhat large before it to provoke rich Men to good Works § 184. 28. Some Men about this time persuaded me that if I would write a few single Sheets on several Subjects though the Style were not very moving yet it would do more good than larger Volumes because most people will buy and read them who will neither buy nor read the larger Whereupon I wrote first One Sheet against the Quakers containing those Reasons which should satisfie all Sober Men against their way § 185. 29. The Second Sheet I called A Winding Sheet for Popery containing a Summary of Moderate and Effectual Reasons against Popery which single sheet no Papist hitherto hath answered §
I do believe all the Sacred Canonical Scripture which all Christian Churches do receive and particularly I believe in God the Father Almighty c. The second Part instead of Books of unnecessary Canons containeth seven or eight Points of Practice for Church-Order which so it be practised it is no great matter whether it be subscribed or not And here it must be understood that these are written for Times of Liberty in which Agreement rather than Force doth procure Unity and Communion The third Part containeth the larger-Description of the Office of the Ministry and consequently of all the Ordinances of Worship which need not be subscribed but none should preach against it nor omit the practice except Peace require that the Point of Infant Baptism be left free This small Book is called by the Name of Universal Concord which when I wrote I thought to have published a Second Part viz. a large Volume containing the particular Terms of Concord between all Parties capable of Concord But the Change of the Times hath necessarily changed that purpose § 198. 42. The next published was a Sermon before the Parliament the day before they voted in the King being a Day of Humiliation appointed to that end It is called A Sermon of Repentance of which more afterward § 199. 43. The next published was a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen at Pauls being on their Day of Rejoycing for General Monk's Success to bring in the King It is called A Sermon of Right Rejoycing § 200. 44. The next was a Sermon of the Life of Faith preached before the King being all that every I was called to preach before him when I had been sworn his Chaplain in Ordinary of which more afterward § 201. 45. The next was called A Believer's last Work being prepared for the Funeral of Mrs. Mary Hanmer Mother to my Wife then intended but after married Its use is to prepare for a Comfortable Death § 202. 46. Before this which I forgot in its proper place I published a Treatise of Death called The last Enemy to be overcome shewing the true Nature of the Enmity of Death and its uses Being a Funeral Sermon for Mrs. Elizabeth Baker Wife to Mr. Ioseph Baker Minister at Worcester with some Notes of her Life § 203. 47. Another was called The vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite A Discovery of the Nature and Mischief of a Formal vain Religion preached at Westminister-Abby with a Sermon annexed of the Prosperity of Fools This being preached at Covent-Garden was unjustly accused and published by way of Vindication with the former § 204. 48. The next was a Treatise on Luke 10. 42. One thing is needful called A Saint or a Bruit shewing the Necessity Utility Safety Honour and Pleasure of a Holy Life and evincing the Truth of our Religion against Atheists and Infidels and Prophane ones § 205. 49. The next was a Treatise of Self-knowledge preached at Dunstan's West called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance which was published partly to vindicate it from many false Accusations and partly at the desire of the Countess of Balcarres to whom it was directed It was fitted to the Disease of this â—urious Age in which each man is ready to devour others because they do not know themselves § 206. 50. The next was a Treatise called The Divine Life which containeth three Parts The first is of the Right Knowledge of God for the imprinting of his Image on the Soul by the knowledge of his Attributes c. The second is Of walking with God The third is Of improving Solitude to converse with God when we are forsaken by all Friends or separated from them The Occasion of the publishing of this Treatise was this The Countess of Balcarres being going into Scotland after her adobe in England being deeply sensible of the loss of the Company of those Friends which she left behind her desired me to preach the last Sermon which she was to hear from me on those words of Christ Iohn 16. 32. Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be Scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me At her request I preached on this Text and being afterward desired by her to give it her in Writing and the Publication being her design I prefixed the two other Treatises to make it more considerable and published them together The Treatise is upon the most Excellent Subject but not elaborate at all being but Popular Sermons preached in the midst of diverting Businesses Accusations and malicious Clamours When I offered it to the Press I was fain to leave out the quantity of one Sermon in the end of the second Treatise That God took Henoch wherein I shewed what a mercy it is to one that hath walked with God to be taken to him from this World because it is a dark a wicked a malicious and implacable a treacherous deceitful World c. All which the Bishop's Chaplain must have expunged because men would think it was all spoken of them And so the World hath got a Protection against the force of our Baptismal Vow § 207. Because I have said so much in the Epistles of these two Books of the Countess of Balcarres the Reader may expect some further satisfaction of her Quality and the Cause She is Daughter to the late Earl of Seaforth in Scotland towards the High-lands and was married to the Earl of Balcarres a Covenanter but an Enemy to Cromwell's perfidiousness and true to the Person and Authority of the King with the Earl of Glencarne he kept up the last War for the King against Cromwell and his Lady through dearness of Affection marched with him and lay out of doors with him on the Mountains At last Cromwell drove them out of Scotland and they went together beyond Sea to the King where they long followed the Court and he was taken for the Head of the Presbyterians with the King and by evil Instruments fell out with the Lord Chancellor who prevailing against him upon some advantage he was for a time forbidden the Court the Grief whereof added to the Distempers he had contracted by his Warfare on the cold and hungry Mountains cast him into a Consumption of which he died He was a Lord of excellent Learning Judgment and Honesty none being praised equally with him for Learning and Understanding in all Scotland When the Earl of Lauderdaile his near Kinsman and great Friend was Prisoner in Portsmouth and Windsor-Castle he fell into acquaintance with my Books and so valued them that he read them all and took Notes of them and earnestly commended them to the Earl of Balcarres with the King The Earl of Balcarres met at the first sight with some Passages where he thought I spake too favourably of the Papists and differed from many other Protestants and so cast them by and sent the
the Saints Rest where I have not said half that should have been said and the Reason was because that I had not read any of the fuller sort of Books that are written on those Subjects nor conversed with those that knew more than my self and so all those things were either new or great to me which were common and small perhaps to others and because they all came in by the way of my own Study of the naked matter and not from Books they were apt to affect my mind the more and to seem greater than they were And this Token of my Weakness accompanied those my younger Studies that I was very apt to start up Controversies in the way of my Practical Writings and also more desirous to acquaint the World with all that I took to be the Truth and to assault those Books by Name which I thought did tend to deceive them and did contain unsound and dangerous Doctrine And the Reason of all this was that I was then in the vigour of my youthfull Apprehensions and the new Appearance of any sacred Truth it was more apt to affect me and be highlyer valued than afterward when commonness had dulled my Delight and I did not sufficiently discern then how much in most of our Controversies is verbal and upon mutual Mistakes And withal I know not how impatient Divines were of being contradicted nor how it would stir up all their Powers to defend what they have once said and to rise up against the Truth which is thus thrust upon them as the mortal Enemy of their Honour And I knew not how hardly Mens Minds are charged from their former Apprehensions be the Evidence never so plain And I have perceived that nothing so much hindreth the Reception of the Truth as urging it on Men with too harsh Importunity and falling too heavily on their Errors For hereby you engage their Honour in the business and they defend their Errors as themselves and stir up all their Wit and Ability to oppose you In controversies it is fierce Opposition which is the Bellows to kindle a resisting Zeal when if they be neglected and their Opinions lie a while despised they usually cool and come again to themselves though I know that this holdeth not when the Greediness and Increase of his Followers doth animate a Sectary even though he have no Opposition Men are so loth to be drenched with the Truth that I am no more for going that way to work and to confess the Truth I am lately much prone to the contrary Extream to be too indifferent what Men hold and to keep my Judgment to my self and never to mention any thing wherein I differ from another or any thing which I think I know more than he or at least if he receive it not presently to silence it and leave him to his own Opinion And I find this Effect is mixed according to its Causes which are some good and some bad The bad Causes are 1. An Impatience of Mens weakness and mistaking frowardness and Self-conceitedness 2. An Abatement of my sensible Esteem of Truth through the long abode of them on my Mind Though my Judgment value them yet it is hard to be equally affected with old and common things as with new and rare ones The better Causes are 1. That I am much more sensible than ever of the necessity of living upon the Principles of Religion which we are all agreed in and uniting these and how much Mischief Men that over-value their own Opinions have done by their Controversies in the Church how some have destroyed Charity and some caused Schisms by them and most have hindered Godlyness in themselves and others and used them to divert Men from the serious prosecuting of a holy Life and as Sir Francis Bacon saith in his Essay of Peace that it 's one great Benefit of Church-Peace and Concord that writing Controversies is turned into Books of practical Devotion for increase of Piety and Virtue 2. And I find that it 's much more for most Mens Good and Edification to converse with them only in that way of Godliness which all are agreed in and not by touching upon Differences to stir up their Corruptions and to tell them of little more of your knowledge than what you find them willing to receive from you as meer Learners and therefore to stay till they crave Information of you as Musculus did with the Anabaptists when he visited them in Prison and conversed kindly and lovingly with them and shewed them all the Love he could and never talkt to them of their Opinions till at last they who were wont to call him a Deceiver and false Prophet did intreat him to instruct them and received his Instructions We mistake Mens Diseases when we think there needeth nothing to cure their Errors but only to bring them the Evidence of Truth Alas there are many Distempers of Mind to be removed before Men are apt to receive that Evidence And therefore that Church is happy where Order is kept up and the Abilities of the Ministers command a reverend Submission from the Hearers and where all are in Christ's School in the distinct Ranks of Teachers and Learners For in a learning way Men are ready to receive the Truth but in a Disputing way they come armed against it with Prejudice and Animosity 3. And I must say farther that what I last mentioned on the by is one of the notablest Changes of my Mind In my youth I was quickly past my Fundamentals and was running up into a multitude of Controversies and greatly delighted with metaphisical and scholastick Writings though I must needs say my Preaching was still on the necessary Points But the elder I grew the smaller stress I layd upon these Controversies and Curiosities though still my intellect abhoâ—reth Confusion as finding far greater Uncertainties in them than I at first discerned and finding less Usefulness comparatively even where there is the greatest Certainty And now it is the fundamental Doctrines of the Catechism which I highliest value and daily think of and find most useful to my self and others The Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments do find me now the most acceptable and plentiful matter for all my Meditations They are to me as my daily Bread and Drink And as I can speak and write of them over and over again so I had rather read or hear of them than of any of the School Niceties which once so much pleased me And thus I observed it was with old Bishop Usher and with many other Men And I conjecture that this Effect also is mixt of good and bad according to its Causes The bad Cause may perhaps be some natural Infirmity and Decay And as Trees in the Spring shoot up into Branches Leaves and Blossoms But in the Autumn the Life draws down into the Root so possibly my Nature conscious of its Infirmity and Decay may find it self insufficient for numerous Particles and
Duties will permit I have done my part in urging you and them with my offer till you call me unto more In the mean time Madam may I intreat you to read impartâ—ally and deliberately 1. My little Book called The Trâ—â— Catholick and Catholick Church c. which I shall send or bring you 2. My Preface before the Disputation with Mr. Iohnson and the Letters in the end and the Second Part and then the first 3. My two first Books against Popery The Safe Religion and The Key For your former reading of them before any doubting had made you observe the stress of Arguments is nothing if you will but now read them again impartially after your contrary Conceptions continue a Papist if you can And truly if you will not do thus much for your own Soul because Men engage you to the contrary that dare not appear to make good their own Cause I must be a Witness against you before the Lord that you wilfully resused Instruction and sold your Soul at too cheap a rate I tried when I was last with you to revive your Reason by proposing to you the Infallibility of the Common Senses of all the World and I could not prevail though you had nothing to answer that was not against Common Sense And it is impossible any thing controverted can be brought nearer you or made plainer than to be brought to your Eyes and Taste and Feeling and not yours only but all Mens else Sense goes before Faith Faith is no Faith but upon Supposition of Sense and Understanding if therefore Common Sense be fallible Faith must needs be so But methinks yet I should have hope of reviving your Charity You cannot be a Papist indeed but you must believe that out of their Church that is out of the Pope's Dominions there is no Salvation and consequently no Justification and Charity or saving Grace And is it possible you can so easily believe your religious Father to be in Hell your prudent pious Mother to be void of the Love of God and in a state of Damnation and not only me that am a Stranger to you but all the Millions of better People in the World to be in the same State of Gracelesness and Damnation and all because we believe not that the Pope is Christ's Vicar General or Deputy on Earth and dare not subject our selves to his usurped Dominions When we are ready to protest before the Lord as we shall answer it at his Bar that we would be his Subjects but for Fear of the high Displeasure of the true Head and King of the Church and for fear of sinning and Damning our own Souls And that we are heartily willing to read and study and pray and hear all that can be said for them and some of us read as much of their Writings as of our own and more and would not stick at Cost or Pains or Loss or Shame were it to travail over Land and Sea to find out that they are in the Right if that would do it and they be so indeed But the more we study the more we pray to God for his Assistance the more diligently we search we are the more resolved and convinced that their way as it differeth from ours is false and that they are the most Superstitious Tyrannical Leprous part of the Catholick Church condemning the main Body because they will not be under their abominable Dominion and will not sin as much as they We hold all that was held necessary by the Apostles and the ancient Church and we dare not make a new Faith to our selves as the Papal Sectaries have done Must we renounce both our Sense and Reason and put out the Eye of Natural Understanding and also renounce the Catholick Church and Christian Charity and step into the Throne and pronounce Damnation not only upon all the Saints of God that we have been acquainted with our selves but also on the Body of Christ which he died for even on the far greatest part of the Universal Church and all this because they will not depart from the Word of God to corrupt his Doctrine Discipline and Worship and herein obey an usurping Vice Christ must we do all this or else be judged to Damnation by the Sectaries of Rome For my part I shall be so far from fearing their Sentance that I appeal to Christ whose Body they condemn and I had rather be tortured in their Inquisition and cut as small as Herbs to the Pot and be accounted the odiousest Wretch on Earth than be guilty of being a Papist at all but especially on such hellish Terms as these If the greater part of the Church must be damned as no part of the Church it will be impossible to prove your Sect or Fragment to be the Church any more than any other Christ is the Saviour of his Body Eph. 5. 23 and to him as to its Head it 's subject ver 24. and this Body is that which is sanctified by him ver 26. And by one Spirit all his Members are baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Did you never note where the Unity of the Body is fulliest described that Apostles themselves are made but Members and Christ only the Head 1 Cor. 27 28 29. Eph. 4. 4 5 7 11. There is but one Lord c. but diversity of gifts of whom the Apostles are the chief And when Thousands were added to the Church even such as should be saved Acts 2. 47. what made them Christians but the Baptismal Covenant and what were they Baptized into but into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Peter or Paul baptized none into their own Names nor dare the Pope himself lest his Innovation be too visible Christ hath said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. Did they ever then subject any Baptism to the Bishop of Rome Was the Eunuch Acts 8. subjected to the Pope that only saith I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God and was Baptized If men could not be saved without believing in the Pope and being subject to the Church of Rome how comes it to pass that none of the Apostles preached this necessary Article of Faith Why did they never say You must believe in or be subject to the Pope of Rome or you cannot be saved Would they be so unfaithful as to hide a necessary Article Why did Peter himself Acts 2. by Baptism take Three thousand into the Church without preaching any of this Doctrine to them The Gospel professeth that he that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And now up steps a Man of Rome and presumeth to Reverse the Gospel and say It 's no such matter for all this they shall not be
this Trouble who am SIR Your true Friend to serve you Iohn Griggs Aug. 30. 1660. The other was as followeth Dr. Pierce called Mr. Baxter bold impudent sawcy Fellow for preaching such a Sâ—rmon to the King and for printing himself his Majesty's Chaplain and his Sermon to be printed at his Majesty's Command when neither were true and called Mr. Baxter Thief Murderer the greatest of Rebels worse than a Whore-master or Drunkard c. Some of this I heard him speak my self the rest I had from a Friend which heard it from Mr. Price George Brent By this taste the Reader that knew not the Men may judge with what sort of Men we had to do for Dr. Pierce was not without too many Companions of his Temper These Men that witness these Words of his were godly Men who having been Mr. Iohn Goodwin's Disciples had been made Arminians by him and fell in with Dr. Pierce for his Agreement with them in the Arminian Points But they could not lay by Piety and Charity in Partiality for Opinions and being impatient of his Impudence thus made it known to me I purposed to have produced it before all the Bishops when Dr. Pierce was there having no other Opportunity to see him But I had no fit Occasion and was loth in Business of publick respect to interpose any thing that meerly concerned my self and so I never yet told him of it § 117. That the Reader may understand this the better by knowing the occasion of his Malice this Mr. Tho. Pierce being a confident Man that had a notable Stile and Words at Will and a venomous railing Pen and Tongue against the Puritans and Calvanists having written somewhat in Defence of Grotius as a judicious peaceable Protestant in Opposition to some Passages in my Christian Concord where I warn the Episcopal Party to take heed of Grotianism that was creeping in upon them I did thereupon write a little Collection out of the late Writings of Grotius especially his Discussio Apologetici Rivetiani to prove him to have turned Papist and that Popery was indeed his Religion though he communicated with no Church for he expresly pleadeth for our consenting to the Council of Trent and all other general Councils as the Churches Law and to the Pope's Sovereign Government so it be according to those Laws and to the Mistressship of the Church of Rome over all other Churches and to Pope Pius's Oath with much more to that purpose and telleth us that he was turned from us because he saw that the Protestant Churches had no possibility of Union among themselves c. and there is a Book written I think by Vincentius a French Minister called Grotius Papizans which proveth it And Claud Suravia an honourable learned Counsellor of Paris in his printed Epistles publisheth the same from Grotius's own Mouth But Mr. Pierce was vehemently furious at my Book and wrote a Volume against me full of ingenuous Lies and Railing for he had no better way to defend Grotius or himself In that Book he scrapes up all the Words through all my Writings where I speak any thing of my self and puts them together more impudently interpreting them than could have been expected from a Man Because I confess that the place I liv'd in was a Sequestration whence an ignorant Reader had been put out before my coming to them therefore he calls me Thief as if I liv'd on another's Bread As if no Man must ever have been the Teacher of the People till that ignorant Wretch were restored to his Soul-murdering Condition Because I had written to persuade some honest scrupulous Persons that they should not forsake the Churches Communion though some were there that had been drunken or otherwise scandalous and had spoken some Words to draw them to some charitable hopes of a Man that had been drunken or adulterous if he were not impenitent and all this to reconcile them to the Prelatical Party whom they took to be the scandalous People of the Land so little Thanks doth he give me for this Excusing of his Party that he calls me worse than a Drunkard or Whoremonger as if I had pleaded for these Sins and yet in his former Book he had said that if I came that way and would communicate with him and his Church no Man in the whole World should be more welcome dreaming that I had disowned Communion with the Prelatists which I never did for all their publick and personal Corruptions But his Venom against the Puritans is meerly Serpentine He describeth them as the most bloody traiterous wicked Generation unworthy to live and blameth the former Bishops that used them so gently and provoketh the Governors to hang them in greater Numbers than heretofore and especially against Cartwright he falsly but confidently writeth that he was confederate with Hacket Copinger and Arthington whom he feigneth to have been Presbyterians or Puritans who were distracted Fanaticks one calling himself Christ and the other his two Witnesses But Mr. Cartwright himself long ago publish'd a Defence against the Accusations of Dr. Sutcliff on this very Matter § 118. But to return from this Digression A little before the Meeting about the King's Declaration Collonel Birch came to me as from the Lord Chancellor to persuade me to take the Bishoprick of Hereford for he had bought the Bishop's House at Whitburne and thought to make a better Bargain with me than with another and therefore finding that the Lord Chancellor intended me the Offer of one he desired it might be that I thought it best to give them no positive Denyal till I saw the utmost of their Intents And I perceived that Coll. Birch came privately that a Bishoprick might not be publickly refused and to try whether I would accept it that else it might not be offered me for he told me that they would not bear such a Repulse I told him that I was resolved never to be Bishop of Hereford and that I did not think that I should ever see cause to take any Bishoprick but I could give no positive Answer till I saw the King's Resolutions about the way of Church-Government For if the old Diocesan Frame continued he knew we could never accept or own it After this having not a flat denyal he came again and again to Dr. Reignolds Mr. Calamy and my self together to importune us all to accept the Offer for the Bishoprick of Norwich was offered Dr. Reignolds and Coventry and Litchfield to Mr. Calamy But he had no positive Answer but the same from me as before At last the Day that the King's Declaration came out when I was with the Lord Chancellor who did all he asked me whether I would accept of a Bishoprick I told them that if he had asked me that Question the day before I could easily have answered him that in Conscience he could not do it â— for though I would live peaceably under whatever Government the King should set up I could not
only your Labours but also your special Assistance in a time of need unto the promoting the welfare of this poor Country certified unto us by Captain Leveret upon which account our General Court thought good to return unto you their Thanks in a Letter which I hope before this is received have made your Name both known and precious to us in these Parts The Occasion of these is in the behalf of one Mr. William Leet Governour of New Heven Jurisdiction whose Case is this He being conscious of indiscretion and some neglect not to say how it came about in relation to the expediting the Execution of the Warrant according to his Duty sent from his Majesty for the apprehending of the two Colonels is not without fear of some displeasure that may follow thereupon and indeed hath almost ever since been a Man depressed in his Spirit for the neglect wherewith he chargeth himself therein His endeavours also since have been accordingly and that in full degree as besides his own Testimony his Neighbours attest they see not what he could have done more Sir If any report prejudicial to this Gentleman in this respect come unto your Ear by your prudent Enquiry upon this Intimation or otherwise so far as the signification of the Premises unto his Majesty or other eminent Person may plead for him or avert trouble towards him I assure my self you may report it as a real Truth and that according to your Wisdom you would be helpful to him so far therein is both his and my desire The Gentleman hath pursued both others and my self with Letters to this effect and yet not satisfied therewith came to Boston to disburden his heart to me formerly unacquainted with him only some few times in Company where he was upon issue of which Conference no better Expedient under God presented it self to us than this So far as you shall see cause as the matter requireth to let the Premises be understood is finally left with your self under God Sir The Author of these Lines it shall be your favour and a pledge of Love undeserved to conceal farther than the necessity of the End desired shall call for And if hereby you shall take occasion being in place of discovery to intelligence the Writer touching your observances with relation to the concernments of this People your Advertisements may not only be of much use unto this whole Country but further your account and minister unto many much cause of Thansgiving on your behalf And I shall be bold upon such encouragement if God permits to give you a more distinct account how it fareth with us I mean of the steps of Divine Providence as to the Publick both in our Civils and Ecclesiasticks which at some spare time may hapâ—y be looked at as a matter of contentful Meditation to your self I crave now pardon for being thus bold with you and will not presume any further to detain you The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit and let him also be remembred by you in your Prayers who is in chief SIR Yours in any Service of the Gospel John Norton Boston Sept. 23. 1661. For the Reverend and his much Honoured Friend Mr. Baxter Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty Reverend and much esteemed in the Lord HOwever black the Cloud is and big the Storm yet by all this the Work and Design of Jesus Christ goeth on and prospereth and in these Clouds Christ is coming to set up his Kingdom Yea is he not come in Power and great Glory When had the Truth a greater or so great and glorious a Cloud of Witnesses Is not this Christ in Power and great Glory and if Christ hath so much Glory in the slaughter of his Witnesses what will his Glory be in their Resurrection Your Constancy who are in the heat of the Storm and Numbers ministers matter of humbling and quickning to us who are at a distance and ready to totter and comply at the noise of a probable approach of our Temptation We are not without our Snares but hitherunto the Lords own Arm hath brought Salvation Our Tents are at Ebenezer However the trials and troubles be we must take care of the present Work and not cease and tarry for a calm time to work in And this Principle doth give me occasion to take the boldness to trouble you with these Lines at present My Work about the Indian Bible being by the good hand of the Lord though not without difficulties finished I am meditating what to do next for these Sons of this our Morning they having no Books for their private use of ministerial composing For their help though the Word of God be the best of Books yet Humane Infirmity is you know not a little helped by reading the holy Labours of the Ministers of Jesus Christ. I have therefore purposed in my heart seeing the Lord is yet pleased to prolong my life to translate for them a little Book of yours intituled A Call to the Unconverted The keenness of the Edge and liveliness of the Spirit of that Book through the blessing of God may be of great use unto them But seeing you are yet in the Land of the Living and the good Lord prolong your days I would not presume to do such a thing without making mention thereof unto your self that so I might have the help and blessing of your Counsel and Prayers I believe it will not be unacceptable to you that the Call of Christ by your holy Labours shall be made to speak in their Ears in their own Language that you may preach unto our poor Indians I have begun the Work already and find a great difference in the Work from my former Translations I am forced sometime to alter the Phrase for the facilitating and fitting it to our Language in which I am not so strict as I was in the Scripture Some things which are fitted for English People are not fit for them and in such cases I make bold to fit it for them But I do little that way knowing how much beneath Wisdom it is to shew a Man's self witty in mending another Man's Work When this Work is done if the Lord shall please to prolong my Life I am meditating of Translating some other Book which may prescribe to them the way and manner of a Christian Life and Conversation in their daily Course and how to worship God on the Sabbath fasting feasting Days and in all Acts of Worship publick private and secret and for this purpose I have Thoughts of translating for them the Practice of Piety or some other such Book In which Case I request your Advice to me for if the Lord give opportunity I may hear from you if you see cause so far to take Notice hereof before I shall be ready to begin a new work especially because the Psalms of David in Metre in their Language are going now to the Press which will be some Diversion of me from a present
was done to my knowledge in Sixteen years of that kind was but this that when the Scots fled from Worcester as all the Country sought in covetousness to catch some of them for their Horses so two idle Rogues of Kedderminster that never communicated with me any more than he did had drawn two or three of their Neighbours with them in the Night as the Scots fled to catch their Horses And I never heard of three that they catcht And I appealed to the Bishop and his Conscience whether he that being urged could name no more but this did ingenuously Accuse the Corporation Magistrates and People to have appeared on all occasion in Arms for Cromwell And when they had no more to say I told them by this we saw what measures to expect from Strangers of his mind when he that is our Neighbour and noted for eminent Civility never sticketh to speak such things even of a People among whom he hath still lived § 159. About the same time about Twenty or Two and twenty furious Fanaticks called Fifth-Monarchy-men one Venner a Wine-Cooper and his Church that he preached unto being transported with Enthusiastick Pride did rise up in Arms and fought in the Streets like Mad-men against all that stood in their way till they were some kill'd and the rest taken judged and executed I wrote a Letter at this time to my Mother-in-law containing nothing but our usual matter even Encouragements to her in her Age and Weakness fetcht from the nearness of her Rest together with the Report of this News and some sharp and vehement words against the Rebels By the means of Sir Iohn Packington or his Soldiers the Post was searched and my Letter intercepted opened and revised and by Sir Iohn sent up to London to the Bishop and the Lord Chancellour so that it was a wonder that having read it they were not ashamed to send it up But joyful would they have been could they but have found a word in it which could possibly have been distorted to an evil sence that Malice might have had its Prey I went to the Lord Chancellour and complained of this usage and that I had not the common liberty of a Subject to converse by Letters with my own Family He disowned it and blamed Mens rashness but excused it from the Distempers of the Times and he and the Bishops confessed they had seen the Letter and there was nothing in it but what was good and pious And two days after came the Lord Windsor Lord Lieutenant of the Country and Governour of Iamaica with Sir Charles Littleton the King's Cup bearer to bring me my Letter again to my Lodgings and the Lord Windsor told me The Lord Chancellour appointed him to do it After some expression of my sense of the Abuse I thanked him for his great Civility and Favour But I saw how far that sort of Men were to be trusted § 160. And here I will interpose a short Account of my Publick Ministry in London Being removed from my ancient Flock in Worcestershire and yet being uncertain whether I might return to them or not I refused to take any other Charge but preached up and down London for nothing according as I was invited When I had done thus above a year I thought a fixed place was better and so I joyned with Dr. Bates at St. Dunstan's in the West in Fleâ—tstreet and preached once a week for which the People allowed me some Maintenance Before this time I scarce ever preached a Sermon in the City but I had News from Westminster that I had preached seditiously or against the Government when I had neither a thought nor a word of any such tendency Sometimes I preached purposely against Faction Schism Sedition and Rebellion and those Sermons also were reported to be Factious and Seditious Some Sermons 〈◊〉 Covent Garden were so much accused that I was fain to print them the Book is called The Formal Hypocrite detected c But when the Sermons were printed I had not a word more against them The Accusations were all general of Sedition and Faction and against the Church but not one Syllable charged in particular § 161. The Congregations being crowded was that which provoked Envy to accuse me And one day the Crowd did drive me from my place It fell out that at Dunstan's Church in the midst of Sermon a little Lime and Dust and perhaps a piece of a Brick or two fell down in the Steeple or Belfray near the Boys which put the whole Congregation into sudden Melancholy so that they thought that â—he Steeple and Church were falling which put them all into so confused a haste to get away that indeed the Noise of the Feet in the Galleries sounded like the falling of the Stories so that the People crowded out of Doors the Women left some of them a Skarf and some a Shoe behind them and some in the Galleries cast themselves down upon those below because they could not get down the Stairs I sate still down in the Pulpit seeing and pitying their vain Distemper and assoon as I could be heard I intreated their Silence and went on The People were no sooner quieted and got in again and the Auditory composed but some that stood upon a Wainscot-Bench near the Communion Table brake the Bench with their weight so that the Noise renewed the Fear again and they were worse disordered than before so that one old Woman was heard at the Church Door asking forgiveness of God for not taking the first warning and promising if God would deliver her this once she would take heed of coming thither again When they were again quieted I went on But the Church having before an ill name as very old and rotten and dangerous this put the Parish upon a Resolution to pull down all the Roof and build it better which they have done with so great Reparation of the Walls and Steeple that it is now like a new Church and much more commodious for the Hearers § 162. While I was here also the daily Clamours of Accusers even wearied me No one ever questioned me nor instanced in any culpable words but in general all was against the Church and Government Upon which and the request of the Countess of Balcaries one of my Hearers a Person of exemplary worth I was fain to publish many of my Sermons verbatim on 2 Cor. 13. 5. in a Book called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance And when the Book was printed without alteration then I heard no more of any Fault § 163. Upon this Reparation of Dunstan's Church I preached out my Quarter at Brides Church in the other end of Fleetstreet where the Common Prayer being used by the Curate before Sermon I occasioned abundance to be at Common Prayer which before avoided it And yet my Accusations still continued § 164. On the Week days Mr. Ashurst with about Twenty more Citizens desired me to preach a Lecture in
Lightfoot Dr. Collins Mr. Woodbridge and Mr. Drake shall from time to time supply the Place of each one of the said Commissioners last mentioned which shall happen to be hindred or be absent from the Meetings and Consultations and shall and may advise consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the Powers and Authorities before mentioned in and about the Premises as fully and absolutely as such of the said last mentioned Commissioners which shall so happen to be absent should or might do by vertue of these Our Letters Patents or any thing therein contained in case he or they were personally present In Witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents Witness Our self at Westminster the five and twentieth Day of March in the Thirteenth Year of Our Reign Per ipsum Regem Boocker Note that Dr. Roger Drake's Name being miswritten William Drake he there fore went not publickly with us § 171. A Meeting was appointed and the Savey the Bishop of London's Lodgings named by them for the Place There met us Dr. Frewen Archbishop of York Dr. Sheldon Bishop of London Dr. Morley Bishop of Worcester Dr. Saunderson Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Cosins Bishop of Durham Dr. Hinchman Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Walton Bishop of Chester Dr. Lany Bishop of Peterborough Dr. King Bishop of Rochester Dr. Sterne Bishop of Carlisle but the constaniest Man after was Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter On the other side there met Dr. Reignolds Bishop of Norwich Mr. Clerk Dr. Spurstow Dr. Lightfoot Dr. Wallis Dr. Manton Dr. Bates Dr. Iacomb Mr. Cooper Mr. Rawlinson Mr. Case and my self The Commission being read the Archbishop of York a peaceable Man spake first and told us that he knew nothing of the Business but perhaps the Bishop of London knew more of the King's Mind in it and therefore was fitter to speak in it than he The Bishop of London told us that it was not they but we that had been the Seekers of this Conference and that desired Alterations in the Liturgy and therefore they had nothing to say or do till we brought in all that we had to say against it in Writing and all the additional Forms and Alterations which we desired Our Brethren were very much against this Motion and urged the King's Commission which requireth us to meet together advise and consult They told him that by Conference we might perceive as we went what each would yield to and might more speedily dispatch and probably attain our End whereas Writing would be a tedious endless Business and we should not have that Familiarity and Acquaintance with each others Minds which might facilitate our Concord But the Bishop of London resolutely insisted on it not to do any thing till we brought in all our Exceptions Alterations and Additions at once In this I confess above all things else I was wholly of his Mind and prevailed with my Brethren to consent but I conjecture upon contrary Reasons For I suppose he thought that we should either be altogether by the Ears and be of several Minds among our selves at least in our new Forms or that when our Proposals and Forms came to be scanned by them they should find as much Matter of Exception against ours as we did against theirs or that the People of our Persuasion would be dissatisfied or divided about it And indeed our Brethren themselves thought either all or much of this would come to pass and our Disadvantage would be exceeding great But I told them the Reasons of my Opinion 1. That we should quickly agree on our Exceptions or offer none but what we were agreed on 2. That we were engaged to offer them new Forms which was the Expedient which from the Beginning I had aimed at and brought in as the only way of Accommodation considering that they should be in Scripture Words and that Ministers should choose which Forms they would 3. That verbal Disputes would be managed with much more Contention 4. But above all that else our Cause would never be well understood by our People or Foreigners or Posterity but our Conference and Cause would be misreported and published as the Conference at Hampton-Court was to our Prejudice and none durst contradict it And that what we said for our Cause would this way come fully and truly to the Knowledge of England and of other Nations and that if we refused this Opportunity of leaving upon Record our Testimony against Corruptions for a just and moderate Reformation we were never like to have the like in hast again And upon these Reasons I told the Bishops that we accepted of the Task which they imposed on us yet so as to bring all our Exceptions at one time and all our Additions at another time which they granted § 172. When we were withdrawn it pleased our Brethren presently to divide the undertaken Work The drawing up of Exceptions against the Common-Prayer they undertook themselves and were to meet from day to day for that end The drawing up of the Additions or new Forms they imposed upon me alone because I had been guilty of that Design from the beginning and of engaging them in that piece of Service and some of them thought it would prove odious to the Independents and others who are against a Liturgy as such Hereupon I departed from them and came among them no more till I had finished my Task which was a Fortnight's time My leisure was too short for the doing of it with that Accurateness which a Business of that Nature doth require or for the consulting with Men or Authors I could not have time to make use of any Book save the Bible and my Concordance comparing all with the Assemblies Directory and the Book of Common-Prayer and Hammond L'Estrange And at the Fortnight's end I brought it to the other Commissioners § 173. And here for the better understanding of this Work I must give the Reader these few Advertisements 1. That one of my chief Reasons for the doing of this Work was that if really the Declaration were in force and executed our Brethren that scrupled the use of the Common Prayer might have the Liberty of using such Forms taken out of the Word of God which they need not Scruple 2. And another was That the Nation might see that in our Desires of reforming the Liturgy we were not for none or for a worse 3. That it might be a standing Witness to Posterity both against the Sectarians who would have all Reformers run into Extreams and against our Slanderrers who would make the World believe that we do run into Extreams and are against all Liturgies and a Record that once such a thing was proposed which we could our selves agreee in 4. I made it an intire Liturgy but might not call it so because our Commission required us to call it Additions to or Alterations of the Book of Common Prayer 5. I put in the Directive Part called Rubricks that
last Sermon there upon Christ's words on the Cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do I was accused of it as a heinous Crime as having preached against the burning of the Covenant which I never medled with nor was it done till after the Sermon nor did I know when it was done no mind it nor did I apply the Text to any Matters of those present Times but only in general to perswade the Hearers to the forgiving of Injuries and maintaining Charity in the midst of the greatest Temptations to the contrary and to remember that it was the Tempter's Design by every wrong which they received to get advantage for the weakening of their Love to those that did it which therefore they should with double care maintain This was the true scope of that Sermon which deserved Death or Banishment as all my Pacificatory Endeavours had done § 257. When I came back to London my Book called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance was coming out of the Press And my affection to my People of Kidderminster caused me by a short Epistle to direct it to them and because I could never after tell them publickly being Silenced I told them here the occasion of my removal from them and my silencing for brevity summing up the principal things in my Charge And because I said This was the Cause the Bishop took advantage as if I had said This was the whole Cause when the Conference between him and me was half an hour long and not fit to be wholly inserted in a short Epistle where I intended nothing but the sum But the Bishop took occasion hereupon to gather up all that ever he could say to make me odious and especially out of my Holy Commonwealth and our Conference at the Savoy where he gathered up a scrap of an Assertion which he did not duly understand and made it little less than Heresie and this he published in a Book called A Letter which I truly profess is the fullest of palpable Untruths in Matter of Fact that ever I saw Paper to my remembrance in all my Life The words which he would render me so abhorred for are our denial of Dr. Pierson's and Dr. Gunning's c. Propositions about the innocency of Laws which command Things evil by Accident only where the Bishop never discerned unless he dissemble it the Reasons of our Denial nor the Proposition denied The very words of the Dispute being printed before and I having fully opened the Bishops Mistakes in an Answer to him I shall not here stope the Reader with it again § 258. But this vehement Invective of the Bishop's presently taught all that desired his Favour and the improvement of his very great Interest for their Ends to talk in all Companies at the same rates as he had done and to speak of me as he had spoken and those that thought more was necessary to their hopes presented the Service of their Pens Dr. Boreman of Trinity Colledge wrote a Book without his Name and had no other design in it than to make me odious nor any better occasion for his writing than this There had many years before past divers Papers between Dr. Thomas Hill then Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and me about the Point of Physical efficient Predetermination as necessary to every Action natural and free I had written largely and earnestly against Predetermination and he a little for it In the end of it the Calamities of the Sectarian times and some Sicknesses among my Friends had occasioned me to vent my moan to him as my Friend and therein to speak of the doubtfulness of the Cause of the former War and what reason there was to be diligent in search and prayer about it When Dr. Hill was dead Dr. Boreman came to see these Papers Both the Subjects he must needs know were such as tended rather to my Esteem than to my Disparagement with the Men of these Times Certainly the Arminians will be angry with no Man for being against Predetermination and I think they will pardon him for questioning the Parliaments Wars Yet did this disingenious Dr. make a Book on this occasion to seek Preferment by reproaching me for he knew not what But to make up the matter he writeth that it is reported That I killed a Man in 〈…〉 with my own hands in the Wars Whereas God knoweth that I never hurt 〈◊〉 in my Life no never gave a Man a stroke save one Man when I was a Boy whose Legg I broke with wrestling in jest which almost broke my heart with â—reif though he was quickly cured But the Dr. knowing that this might be soon disproved cautiously gave me some Lenitives to perswade me to bear it patiently telling me that if it be not true I am not the first that have been thus abused but for ought I know he is the first that thus abused me I began to write an Answer to this Book but when I saw that Men did but laugh at it and those that knew the Man despised it and disswaded me from answering such a one I laid it by § 259. When the Bishop's Invective was read many Men were of many minds about the answering of it Those at a distance all cried out upon me to answer it Those at hand did all disswade me and told me that it would be Imprisonment at least to me if I did it with the greatest truth and mildness possible Both Gentlemen and all the City Ministers told me that it would not do half so much good as my Suffering would do hurt and that none believed it but the engaged Party and that to others an Answer was not necessary and to them it was unprofitable for they would never read it And I thought that the Judgment of Men that were upon the place and knew how things went was most to be regarded But yet I wrote a full Answer to his Book except about the words in my Holy Commonwealth which were not to be spoke to and kept it by me that I might use it as there was occasion At that time Mr. Ioseph Glanvile sent me the offer of his Service to write in my Defence He that wrote the Vanity of Dogmatizing and a Treatise for the Praexistence of Souls being a Platonist of free Judgment and of admired Parts and now one of the Royal Society of Philosophers and one that had a too excessive estimation of me as far above my desert as the malicious Party erred on the other side But I disswaded him from bringing himself into Suffering and making himself unserviceable for so low an end Only I gave him and no Man else my own Answer to peruse which he returned with his Approbation of it § 260. But Mr. Edward Bagshaw Son to Mr. Bagshaw the Lawyer that wrote Mr. Bolton's Life without my knowledge wrote a Book in Answer to the Bishops I could have wisht he had let it alone For the Man hath
Action I was commonly censured by them as one that had granted them too much and wronged my Brethren by entring into this Treaty oâ—t of too earnest a desire of Concord with them Thus were Men on both extreams offended with me and I found what Enmity Charity and Peace are like to meet with in the 〈◊〉 But when these Papers were printed the Independents confess that we had dealt faithfully and satisfactorily And indifferent men said that Reason had once whelmed the Cause of the Dioâ—esans and that we had offered them so much a test them utterly without Excuse And the moderate Episcopal Men said the same But the engaged Prelatist were vehemently displeased that these Papers should 〈◊〉 câ—me abroad Though many of them here published were never before printed because none had Copies of them but my self § 264. Bishop Morley told me when he Silenced me that our Papers would be answered 〈◊〉 long But no Man to this day that ever we could hear of hath answered them which were unanswered Either our Reasons for Peace or our Litugy or our large Reply or our Answers to Dr. Pierson's Argument c. only Roger L'Estrange the writer of the News Book hath raised out a great many words against some of them And a nameless Author thought to be Dr. Wommock hath answered one part of one Subject in our Reply which is about excluding all Prayers from the Pulpit besides Common Prayer and in very plausible Language he saith as much as can be said for so bad a Cause viz. for the prohibiting all Extemporary Prayer in the Church And when he cometh to the chief strength of our Reasons he passeth it by and faith that in answering so much as he did the Answer to the rest may be gathered And to all the rest of the Subjects he faith nothing much less to all our other Papers § 265. Also another nameless Author commonly said to be Sir Henry Yelverton wrote a Book for Bishop Morley against me But neither he nor Boreman nor Wommâ—â—k ever saw me for ought I know and I am sure he is as strange to the Cause as to me For he taketh it out of Bishop Morley's Book and supposing what he hath written to be true he findeth some words of Censorious Application to make a Book of § 266. And about the same time Sir Robert Holt a Knight of Warwickshire near Brâ—â—â—â—châ—m spake in the Parliament House against Mr. Calamy and me by name as preaching or praying seditiously but not one syllable named that we said And another time he named me for my Holy Commonwealth § 267. And about that time Bishop Morley having preferred a young Man named Mr. S Orator of the University of Oxford a fluent witty Satyrist and one that was sometime motioned to me to be my Curate at Kidderminster this Man being Houshold Chaplain to the Lord Chancellour was appointed to preach before the King where the Crowd had high Expectations of some vehement Satyr But when he had preached a quarter of an hour he was utterly at a loss and so unable to recollect himself that he could go no further but cryed The Lord be merciful to our Infirmities and so came down But about a Month after they were resolved yet that Mr. S should preach the same Sermon before the King and not lose his expected Applause And preach it he did little more than half an hour with no admiration at all of the Hearers And for his Encouragement the Sermon was printed And when it was printed many desired to see what words they were that he was stopped at the first time And they found in the printed Copy all that he had said first and one of the next Passages which he was to have delivered was against me for my Holy Common-wealth § 268. And so vehement was the Endeavour in Court City and Country to make me contemptible and odious as if the Authours had thought that the Safety either of Church or State did lye upon it and all would have been safe if I were but vilified and hated Insomuch that Durell the French Minister that turned to them and wrote for them had a senseless snatch at me in his Book and Mr. Stoope the Pastor of the French Church was banished or forbidden this Land as Fame said for carrying over our Debates into France So that any Stranger that had but heard and seen all this would have asked What Monster of Villany is this Man and what is the Wickedness that he is guilty of Yet was I never questioned to this day before a Magistrate Nor do my Adversaries charge me with any personal wrong to them nor did they ever Accuse me of any Heresie nor much contemn my Judgment nor ever accuse my Life but for preaching where another had been Sequestred that was an insufficient Reader and for preaching to the Soldiers of the Parliament though none of them knew my Business there nor the Service that I did them These are all the Crimes besides my Writings that I ever knew they charged my Life with But Envy and Carnal Interest was so destitute of a Mask that they every where openly confessed the Cause for which they endeavoured my Defamation and Destruction especially the Bishops that set all on work 1. As one Cause was their own over-valuing of my Parts which they made account I would employ against them 2. Another was that they thought the Reputation of my blameless Life would add to my ability to deserve them 3. Another was that they thought my Interest in the People to be far greater than indeed it was 4. But the principal of all was my Conference before the King and at the Savoy in both which it fell out that Bishop Morley and I were the bassest Talkers except Dr. Gunning and that it was my lot to contradict him who was not so able either to bear or seem to bear it as I thought at least his Honour would have instructed him to be 5. And my refusing a Bishoprick increased the indignation And Colonel Birth that first came to offer it me told me that they would ruine us if we refused it Yet did I purposely forbear ever mentioning it on all occasions 6. And it was not the least Cause that my being for Primitive Episcopacy and not for Presbytery and being not so far from them in some other Points of Doctrine and Worship as many Nonconformists are they thought I was the abler to undermine them 7. And another Cause was that they judged of the rest of my Talk and Life by my Conference at the Savoy not knowing that I took that to be my present Duty which Fidelity to the King and Church commanded me faithfully to do whoever was displeased by it and that when that time was over I took it to be my Duty to live as peaceably as any Subject in the Land and not to use mâ— Tongue or Pen against the Government which the King was pleased to appoint
went away to another place And this especially with the great discontents of the people for their manifold payments and of Cities and Corporations for the great decay of Trade and the breaking and impoverishing of many Thousands by the burning of the City together with the lamentable weakness and badness of great Numbers of the Ministers that were put into the Nonconformist's places did turn the hearts of the most of the Common people in all parts against the Bps. and their ways and enclined them to the Nonconformists tho fear restrained men from speaking what they thought especially the richer fort § 59. Here Ralph Wallis a Cobler of Glocester published a book containing the Names and particular histories of a great Number of Conformable Ministers in several Parishes of England that had been notoriously scandalous and named their scandals to the great displeasure of the Clergy And I fear to the great temptation of many of the Nonconformists to be glad of other Mens sin as that which by accident might diminish the interest of the Prelatists § 60. The Lord Mohune a young man gave out some words which caused a Common Scandal in Court and City against the Bp. of Rochester as guilty of most obscure Actions with the said Lord the reproach whereof was long the talk of many sorts of persons who then took liberty to speak freely of the Bishops § 61. About this time Ian. 1668. the news came of the Change in Portugal where by no means of the Queen the King who was a debanched person and Charged by her of insufficiency or frigidity was put out of his Government tho not his Title and his brother by the consent of Nobles was made Regent and marryed the Queen after a Declaration of Nullity or a divorce and the King was sent as a Prisoner into an Island where he yet remaineth Which News had but an ill sound in England as things went at that time § 62. In Ian. 1668. I received a Letter from Dr. Manton that Sir Iohn Barber told him that it was the Lord Keeper's desire to speak with him and me about a Comprehension and Toleration Whereupon coming to London Sir Iohn Barber told me that the Lord keeper spake to him to bring us to him for the aforesaid end and that he had certain proposals to offer us and that many great Courtiers were our friends in the business but that to speak plainly if we would carry it we must make use of such as were for a Toleration of the Papists also And he demanded how we would answer the Common Question What will satisfie you I answered him That other Mens Judgments and Actions about the Toleration of Papists we had nothing to do with at this time though it was no work for us to meddle in But to this question we were not so ignorant whom we had to do with as to expect full satisfaction of our desires as to Church-Affairs But the Answer must be suited to the Sense of his Question And if we knew their Ends what degree of satisfaction they were minded to grant we would tell them what means are necessary to attain them There are degrees of satisfaction as to the Number of Persons to be satisfied and there are divers degrees of satisfying the same Person 1. If they will take in all Orthodox Peaceable Worthy Ministers the Terms must be the larger 2. If they will take in but the greater part somewhat less and harder Terms may do it 3. If but a few yet less may serve for we are not so vain as to pretend that all Nonconformists are in every particular of one mind And as to the Presbyterians now so called whose Case alone we were called to consider 1. If they would satisfie the far greatest part of them in an high degree so as they should think the Churches setled in a good condition the granting of what was desired by them in 1660. would do it which is the setling of Church-Government according to that of A. Bp. Vsher's Model and the granting of the Indulgences mentioned in his Majestie 's Declaration about Eccles. Affairs 2. But if they would not give so high satisfaction the Alterations granted in his Majestie 's Declaration alone would so far satisfie them as to make them very thankful to his Majesty and not only to exercise their Office with Chearfulness but also to rejoice in the Kingdom 's happiness whose Union would by this be much promoted 3. But if this may not be granted at least the taking off all such impositions which make us uncapable of Exercising our Ministry would be a mercy for which we hope we should not be unthankful to God or the King § 63. When we came to the Lord Keeper we resolved to tell him That Sir Iohn Barber told us his Lordship desired to speak with us left it should be after said that we intruded or were the movers of it or left it had been Sir Iohn Barber's Forwardness that had been the Cause He told us why he sent for us to think of a way of our Restoration to which end he had some Proposals to offer to us which were for a Comprehension for the Presbyterians and an Indulgence for the Independents and the rest We askt him Whether it was his Lordship's pleasure that we should offer him our Opinion of the means or only receive what he offered to us He told us That he had somewhat to offer to us but we might also offer our own to him I told him That I did think we could offer such Terms no way injurious to the welfare of any which might take in both Presbyterians and Independents and all found Christians into the Publick Established Ministry He answered That that was a thing that he would not have but only a Toleration for the rest Which being none of our business to debate we desired him to consult such persons about it as were concerned in it And so it was agreed that we should meddle with the Comprehension only And a few Days after he sent us his Proposals § 64. When we saw the Proposals we perceived that the business of the Lord Keeper and his way would make it unfit for us to debate such Cases with himself And therefore we wrote to him requesting that he would nominate Two Learned peaceable Divines to treat with us till we agreed on the fittest Terms and that Dr. Bates might be added to us He nominated Dr. Wilkins who we then found was the Author of the Proposals and of the whole business and his Chaplain Mr. Burton And when we met we tendered them some Proposals of our own and some Alterations which we desired in their Proposals for they presently rejected ours and would hear no more of them so that we were fain to treat upon theirs alone § 65. The Copy of what we offered them is as followeth I. That the Credenda and Agenda in Religion being distinguished no Profession of Assent be required but
I so far defie any Accuser who will question my Loyalty that as I have taken the Oaths of Supremacy and of Allegiance and a special Oath of Fidelity when I was Sworn I know not why as His Majesty's Servant so I am ready to give a much fulle◠signification of my Loyalty than that Oath if I had taken it would be And to own all that is said for the Power of Kings and of the Subject's Obedience and Non-resistance by any or all the Councils and Confessions of any Christian Churches upon Earth whether Greeks or Romans Reformed Episcopal Presbyterian or any that are fit to be owned as Christians that ever came to my notice besides what is contained in the Laws of our own Land And if this will not serve I shall patiently wait in my Appeal to the Un-erring Universal Judgment § 123. 2. In other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England At which Conventicle Meeting or Assembly there should be Five Persons or more Assembled over and above those of the Houshold Pos. 1. To Preach or Teach in a House not Consecrated for a Temple is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England Arg. 1. That which the Scripture expresly alloweth is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England But to Preach and Teach even Multitudes in Houses and other places not so Consecrated the Scripture expresly alloweth Ergo. The Major is proved 1. Because the Book of Ordination requireth that all that are Ordained shall promise to Instruct the People out of the Holy Scripture being persuaded that they contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of Necessity to Salvation and to teach no other And with all Faithful Diligence to banish all Doctrines contrary to God's Word And to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations as well to the Sick as to the whole as need shall require and occasion shall be given 2 The same Sufficiency of the Scripture is asserted in the 6th Article of the Church And Article 20. bindeth us to hold That it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to God's written Word So Art 21. more 3. The said Scriptures are appointed by the Rubrick to be read as the Word of God himself 4. The Law of the Land declareth That nothing shall be taken for Law which is contrary to the Word of God 5. The First and Second Homily shew the sufficiency of it and necessity to all Men. The Minor is proved 1. from Acts 20. 20. 7 8 28. last 8. 4 25 35. 10. 34. 12. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Mat. 5. 1 2. Mark 2. 13. 10. 1. Luke 5. 3. 13. 26. 2. From those Texts which command Christ's Ministers to Preach and not forbear Therefore if they be forbidden to Preach in the Temples they must do it elsewhere Iohn 21. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 9. 16. Acts 4. 18 19 20. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Luke 9. 62. 3. From the Expository Practice of the Church in all Ages 4. From the Expository Practice of the Universal Church of England who Preached in Houses in the time of their late Restraint by Cromwel Arg. 2. The Church of England bindeth Ministers to Teach both publickly and privately in their Ordination as afore recited 2. In the Liturgy for the Visitation and Communion of the Sick it alloweth private Exhortation Prayer and Sacraments 3. The 13 Canon requireth that the Lord's Day and other Holy-Days be spent in publick and private Prayers And the very Canon 71. which most restraineth us from Preaching and Administring the Sacrament in private Houses doth expresly except Times of necessity when any is so impotent as he cannot go to Church or dangerously sick c. 4. The instructing of our Families and Praying with them is not disallowed by the Church And I my self have a Family and Persons impotent therein who cannot go to Church to Teach Arg. 3. The 76 Can. condemneth every Minister who voluntarily relinquisheth his Ministry and liveth as a Lay-Man Ergo We must forbear no more of the Ministerial Work than is forbidden us Pos. 2. The number of Persons present above Four cannot be meant by this Act as that which maketh the Religious Exercise to be in other manner than allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church Arg. 1. Because the manner of the Exercise and the number of Persons are most expresly distinguished And the restraint of the number is expresly affixed only to them who shall use such unallowed manner of Religious Exercises not medling at all with others The Words at which Conventicle c. do shew the Meeting to be before described by the manner of Exercise Otherwise the Words would be worse than Non-sense 2. Because if the Words be not so interpreted then they must condemn all our Church Meetings for having above four As if they had said where Five are met it is contrary to the Liturgy of the Church which cannot be If it be said That for above Four to meet in a House is not allowed by the Church I Answer 1. That is a Matter which this Act meddleth not with as is proved by the foresaid distinguishing the manner of Exercise from the number of Persons 2. Nor doth the Act speak of private Houses or put any difference between them and Churches but equally restraineth Meetings in Churches which are for disallowed Exercises of Religion 3. Nor is it true in it self that the Church disalloweth the number of Five in private Houses as is proved before But it contrarily requireth that at private Communions there shall be Neighbours got to Communicate and not fewer than three or two And at private Baptisms and other occasions the number is not limited by the Church at all 3. Because the Act is directed only against seditious Sectaries and their Conventicles 4. Because the Words of the Act shew that the Law-makers concur with the sence of the Church of England which is no where so strict against Nonconformity as in the Canons And in these Canons viz. 73 and 11. A Conventicle is purposely and plainly descibed to be such other Meetings Assemblies or Congregations than are by the Laws held and allowed which challenge to themselves the Name of true and lawful Churches Or else secret Meetings of Priests or Ministers to consult upon any matter or course to be taken by them or upon their motion or direction by any other which may any way tend to the impeachment or depriving of the Doctrine of the Church of England or the book of Common-Prayer or of any part of the Government and Discipline of the Church So that where there is no such Consultation of Ministers nor no Assemblies that challenge to themselves the Name of true and Lawful Churches distinct from the allowed Assemblies there are no Conventicles in the sence of the Canons of the Church of England which this Act professeth to
adhere to The same Sence is exprest also in Can. 10. which describeth Schismaticks Whosoever shall affirm that such Ministers as refuse to subscribe to the Form and manner of God's Worship in the Church of England prescribed in the communion-Communion-Book and their Adherents may truly take unto them the Name of another Church not established by Law and dare presume to publish that this pretended Church hath long groaned under c. And in the 9th Canon where the Authors of Schism are thus described Whosoever shall separate themselves from the Communion of Saints as it is approved by the Apostle's Rules in the Church of England and combine themselves together in a new Brotherhood accounting the Christians who are conformable to the Doctrine Government Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England to be prophane and unmeet for them to join with in Christian Profession Pro. 3. If our manner of Religious Exercises did differ in some meer degrees or Circumstances from that which is allowed by the Liturgy and Practice of the Church it ought not no be taken to be the thing condemned in this Act. Arg. 1. Otherwise the Justices themselves and almost all his Majesty's Subjects either are already obnoxious to the Mulcts Imprisonments and Banishments or may be they know not how soon Arg. 2. And otherwise no Subject must dare to go to Church for fear of incurring Imprisonment or Banishment The reason of both is visible 1. Almost all conformable Ministers do either by some omissions of Prayers or other parts of the Liturgy or by some alterations many times do that which is dissonant from the Liturgy and practise or Canons of the Church I have seldom been present where somewhat was not contrary to them 2 Because most conformable Ministers do now Preach without Licenses which is contrary to the express Canons of the Church 3. Because few of the King's Subjects or none can tell when they go to Church but they may hear one that hath no License or that will do somewhat dissonant from the manner of the Church Pro. 4. Preaching without License bringeth me not within the Penalty of the Act. Arg. 1. Because I have the Archbishop's License Arg. 2. Because a License is not necessary for Family Instruction Arg. 3. Because else most of the Conformists would be as much obnoxious which is not so judged by the Bishops themselves § 124. 3. The Errors of the Mittimus with the explication of the Oxford Act. THis Act containeth 1. The end and Occasion that is the preserving of Church and Kingdom from the Danger of poisonous Principles II. The Description of the dangerous Persons 1. in the Preamble Where they are 1. Nonconformists or such as have not subscribed and declared according to the Act of Uniformity and other subsequent Acts. 2. They or some of them and other Persons not ordained according to the Form of the Church of England who have since the Act of Oblivion preached in Unlawful Assemblies and have settled themselves in Corporations 2. In the Body of the Act where are two parts answering the two aforesaid in the Preamble 1. The first Subject described is Non-subscribers and Non-declarers according to the Act of Uniformity c. That is Non-conformists who also have not taken the Oath which is here prescribed as a preventing Remedy 2. The second Subject is All such Persons as shall Preach in unlawful Meetings contrary to Laws which must needs refer to the second branch of the Preamble and mean only such Nonconformists and unordained Persons as shall so Preach the Word shall signifying that it must be after the passing of this Act. III. The Offence prohibited is being or coming after March 24. 1665. within five Miles of any Corporation or of any place where since the Act of Oblivion they have been Parsons Vicars Lecturers c. Or have preached in an unlawful Assembly contrary to the Laws before they have in open Sessions taken the Oath That is who have done this since the Act of Oblivion before this Act it being the purpose of this Act to put all those who shall again after this Act preach in Conventicles in the same Case with them who since the Act of Oblivion were Parsons Vicars c. That is that none of them shall come within five miles of any place where they were either Incumbents or Conventiclers before this Act since the act of Oblivion IV. The Penalty is 1. 40 l. for what is past which the after taking of the Oath will not save them from 2. And six months Imprisonment also for such of them as shall not Swear and subscribe the Oath and Declaration offered them So that in this Act the Offence it self prohibited is Coming within five miles c. But the qualification of the subject offending is absolutely necessary to it So that the Mittimus for an offence against this Act must signifie That N. N. having not subscribed and declared according to the Acts of Uniformity and other subsequent Acts or being not ordained according to the Form of the Church of England having since the Act of Oblivion preached in an unlawful Assembly and also hath so preached since this Act and hath not taken the Oath here required is proved by Oath to us to have been or come since Mar. 24. 1665. Within five Miles of a Corporation or a place where he was an incumbent or preached in a Conventicle before this Act since the Act of Oblivion and also hath refused before us to swear and subscribe the said Oath c. Now in this Mittimus 1. Here is no mention that R. B. hath not subscribed and declared already according to the Act of Uniformity or is a Non-conformist nor yet that he is not ordained according to the Form of the Church of England 2. Nor is there any mention that he hath preached in an unlawful Assembly since the Act of Oblivion much less since this Act which must be said 3. Nor that ever they had proof of his not taking the Oath before or that ever he was Convict of Preaching before he took it 4. The Offence it self is not here said to be proved by Oath at all viz. Coming or being within five Miles c. But another thing viz. his Preaching in an unlawful Meeting is said to be proved by Oath which this Act doth not enable them to take such proof of As for the Word in the Mittimus where he now dwelleth it cannot be understood as a part of Deposition 1. Because it is expressed but as the Justice's Assertion and not so much as an and or Conjunction put before it to shew that they had Oath made of it as well as of Preaching 2. Because the Word now dwelleth must be taken strictly or laxly if strictly it referreth but to the time of the Writing of the Mittimus which was two days after the Constable's Warrant and no Accuser Witness or other Person was suffered to be present and therefore it must needs
the same Justices saw that I was thus discharged they were not satisfied to have driven me from Acton but they make a new Mittimus by Counsel as for the same supposed Fault naming the Fourth of Iune as the Day on which I preached and yet not naming any Witness when the Act against Conventicles was expired long before And this Mittimus they put into an Officer's hands in London to bring me not to Clerkenwell but among the Thieves and Murderers to the common Jail at Newgate which was since the Fire which burnt down all the better Rooms the most noisom place that I have heard of except the Tower Dungeon of any Prison in the Land § 132. The next Habitation which God's Providence chose for me was at Totteridge near Barnet where for a Year I was fain with part of my Family separated from the rest to take a few mean Rooms which were so extreamly smoaky and the place withal so cold that I spent the Winter in great pain one quarter of a Year by a sore Sciatica and seldom free from such Anguish § 133. It would trouble the Reader for me to reckon up the many Diseases and Dangers for these ten Years past in or from which God hath delivered me though it be my Duty not to forget to be thankful Seven Months together I was lame with a strange Pain in one Foot Twice delivered from a Bloody Flux a spurious Cataract in my Eye with incessant Webs and Net-works before it hath continued these eight Years without disabling me one Hour from Reading or Writing I have had constant Pains and Languors with incredible Flatulency in Stomach Bowels Sides Back Legs Feet Heart Breast but worst of all either painful Distentions or usually vertiginous or stupifying Conquests of my Brain so that I have rarely one Hour's or quarter of an Hour's ease Yet through God's Mercy I was never one Hour Melancholy and not many Hours in a Week disabled utterly from my Work save that I lost time in the Morning for want of being able to rise early And lately an Ulcer in my Throat with a Tumour of near half a Year's continuance is healed without any means In all which I have found such merciful Disposals of God such suitable Chastisements for my Sin such plain Answers of Prayer as leave me unexcusable if they do me not good Besides many sudden and acuter Sicknesses which God hath delivered me from not here to be numbred his upholding Mercy under such continued weaknesses with tolerable and seldom disabling Pains hath been unvaluable § 134. I am next to give some short account of my Writings since 1665. 1. A small MS. lyeth by me which I wrote in Answer to a Paper which Mr. Caryl of Sussex sent me written by Cressy called now Serenus about Popery § 135. 2 Mr. Yates of Hambden Minister sending me the Copy of a Popish Letter as spread about Oxford under the Mask of one doubting of Christianity and calling the Scholars to a Trial of their Faith in Principles did by the Juggling Fraud and the slightness of it provoke me to write my book called The Reasons of the Christian Religion And the Philosophy of Gassendus and many more besides the Hobbians now prevailing and inclining men to Sadducism induced me to write the Appendix to it about the Immortality of the Soul § 136. 3. Oft Conference with the Lord Chief Baron Hale put those Cases into my mind which occasioned the writing of another short Piece of the Nature and Immortality of the Soul by way of Question and Answer not printed § 137. 4. The great Weaknesses and Passions and Injudiciousness of many Religious Persons and the ill effects and especially perceiving that the Temptations of the Times yea the very Reproofs of the Conformists did but increase them among the separating party caused me to offer a book to be Licensed called Directions to weak Christians how to grow in grace with a second part being Sixty Characters of a Sound Christian with as many of the Weak Christian and the Hyyocrite Which I the rather writ to imprint on men's minds a right apprehension of Christianity and to be as a Confession of our Judgment in this malignant Age when some Conformists would make the World believe that it is some menstruous thing composed of Folly and Sedition which the Nonconformists mean by a Christian and a Godly Man This Book came forth when I was in Prison being long before refused by Mr. Grigg § 138. 5. A Cristian Directory or Summ of Practical Divinity in Folio hath lain finished by me many years and since twice printed § 139. 6. My Bookseller desiring some Additions to my Sermon before the King I added a large Directory of the whole Life of Faith which is its Title which is published § 140. 7. Abundance of Women first and Men next growing at London into separating Principles Some thinking that it was sin to hear a Conformist and more That it is a sin to pray according to the Common Prayer with them and yet more That it is a sin to Communicate with them in the Sacrament And the Conformists abominating their House-Meetings as Schismatical and their Distance and Passions daily increasing even among many to earnest desires of each other's Ruine I thought it my Duty to add another part to my book of Directions to weak Christians being Directions what course they must take to avoid being Dividers or troublers of the Churches The rather because I knew what the Papists and Infidels would gain by our Divisions and of how great necessity it is against them both that the honest moderate part of the Conformists and the Nonconformists be reconciled or at least grow not into mortal Enmity against each other This Book was offered to Mr. Sam. Parker the Archbishop's Chaplain to be Licensed but he refused it and so I purposed to cast it by But near two years after Mr. Grove the Bishop of London's Chaplain without whom I could have had nothing of mine Licensed I think did License it and it was published of which more anon § 141. 8. About this time I heard Dr. Owen talked very yieldingly of a Concord betweent the Independents and Presbyterians which all seemed willing of I had before about 1658. written somewhat in order to Reconciliation and I did by the invitation of his Speeches offer it to Mr. Geo. Griffiths to be considered And near a twelve-month after he gave it me again without taking notice of any thing in it I now resolved to try once more with Dr. Owen And though all our business with each other had been contradiction I thought it my Duty without any thoughts of former things to go to him and be a Seeker of Peace which he seemed to take well and expressed great desires of Concord and also many moderate Concessions and how heartily he would concur in any thing that tended to a good agreement I told him That I must deal freely with him that
themselves believed it that the love of Kiderminster would make me Conform and they concurred in vending the Report insomuch that one certainly told me that he came then from a worthy Minister to whom the Arch-bishop of York Sterne spake these Words Take it on my Word Mr. Baxter doth Conform and is gone to his Beloved Kiderminster And so both Parties concurred in the false Report though one only raised it § 151. Another Accident fell out also which promoted it For Mr. Crofton having a Tryal as I hear upon the Oxford Act of Confinement at the King's Bench Judge Keeling said You need not be so hasty for I hear that Mr. Crofton is about to Conform And Judge Morton said And I hear that Mr. Baxter hath a Book in the Press against their private Meetings Judge Rainsford said somewhat that he was glad to hear it and Judge Morton again That it was but time for the Quakers in Buckingham-shire he was confident were Acted by the Papists for they spake for Purgatory already This Talk being used in so high a Court of Justice by the Grave and Reverend Judges all Men thought then that they might lawfully believe it and report it So Contagious may the Breath of one Religious Man be as to infect his Party and of that Religious Party as to infect the Land and more than one Land with the belief and report of such ungrounded Lies § 152. At the same time in the end of my Life of Faith I Printed a Revocation of my Book called Political Aphorisms or A Holy Common-wealth which exasperated those who had been for the Parliament's War as much as the former but both together did greatly provoke them Of which I must give the Reader this Advertisement I wrote that Book 1659. by the provocation of Mr. Iames Harrington the Author of Oceana and next by the Endeavours of Sir Hen. Vane for a Common-wealth Not that I had any Enmity to a well ordered Democracy but 1. I knew that Cromwell and the Army were resolved against it and it would not be 2. And I perceived that Harrington's Common-wealth was fitted to Heathenism and Vane's to Fanaticism and neither of them would take Therefore I thought that the improvement of our Legal Form of Government was best for us And by Harrington's Scorn Printed in a half Sheet of Gibberish was then provoked to write that Book But the madness of the several Parties before it could be Printed pull'd down Rich. Cromwell and chang'd the Government so oft in a few Months as brought in the King contrary to the hopes of his closest Adherents and the expectations of almost any in the Land And ever since the King came in that Book of mine was preached against before the King spoken against in the Parliament and wrote against by such as desired my Ruine Morley Bishop of Worcester and many after him branded it with Treason and the King was still told that I would not retract it but was still of the same mind and ready to raise another War and a Person not to be indured New Books every Year came out against it and even Men that had been taken for Sober and Religious when they had a mind of Preferment and to be taken notice of at Court and by the Prelates did fall on Preaching or Writing against me and specially against that Book as the probablest means to accomplish their Ends. When I had endured this ten Years and found no stop but that still they proceeded to make me odious to the King and Kingdom and seeking utter ruine this way I thought it my Duty to remove this stumbling Block out of their way and without recanting any particular Doctrine in it to revoke the Book and to disown it and desire the Reader to take it as non Scriptum and to tell him that I repented of the writing of it And so I did Yet telling him That I retracted none of the Doctrine of the first Part which was to prove the Monarch of God but for the sake of the whole second Part I repented that I wrote it For I was resolved at least to have that much to say against all that after wrote and preach'd and talk'd against it That I have revoked that Book and therefore shall not defend it And the incessant bloody Malice of the Reproachers made me heartily wish on two or three accounts that I had never written it 1. Because it was done just at the fall of the Government and was buried in onr ruines and never that I know of did any great good 2. Because I find it best for Ministers to meddle as little as may be with Matters of Poliâ—y how great soever their Provocations may be and therefore I wish that I had never written on any such Subject 3. And I repented that I meddled against Vane and Harrington which was the second Part in Defence of Monarchy seeing that the Consequents had been no better and that my Reward had been to be silenced imprisoned turned out of all and reproached implacably and incessantly as Criminal and never like to see an end of it He that had wrote for so little and so great displeasure might be tempted as well as I to wish that he had sat still and let GOD and Man alone with Matters of Civil Policy Though I was not convinced of many Errors in that Book so called by some Accusers to recant yet I repented the writing of it as an infelicity and as that which did no good but hurt § 153. But because an Appendix to that Book had given several Reasons of my adhering to the Parliament at first many thought I changed my Judgment about the first part of the Parliament's Cause And the rather because I disclaimed the Army's Rebellious Overthrows of Government as I had always done I knew I could not revoke the Book but the busie pevishness of censorious Professors would fall upon me as a Revolter And I knew that I could not for bear the said Revocation without those ill Effects which I supposed greater And which was worst of all I had no possible Liberty further to explain any Reasons § 154. When my Cure of Church Divisions came out the sober Party of Ministers were reconciled to it especially the Ancienter sort and those that had seen the Eviâ—s of Separation But some of the London Ministers who had kept up Publick Assemblies thought it should have been less sharp and some thought because they were under the Bishop's Severities that it was unseasonable For the Truth is most Men judged by Sense and take that to be good or bad which they feel do them good or hurt at the present And because the People's Alienation from the Prelates and Liturgy and Parish-Churches did seem to make against the Prelates and to make for the Nonconformist's Interest they thought it not Prudence to gratifie the Prelates so far as to gain-say it And so they considered not from whence dividing Principles come
my Lord there are other Fruits of it which I am not altogether hopeless of Receiving When I am commanded to pray for Kings and all in Authority I am allowed the Ambition of this Preferment which is all that ever I aspired after to live a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty Diu nimis habitavit anima mea inter osores pacis I am weary of the Noise of contentious Revilers and have oft had Thoughts to go into a Foreign Land if I could find any where I might have a healthful Air and quietness that I might but Live and Die in peace When I sit in a Corner and meddle with no Body and hope the World will forget that I am alive Court City and Country is still fill'd with Clamours against me and when a Preacher wanteth Preferment his way is to Preach or write a Book against the Nonconformists and me by Name So that the Menstrua of the Press and Pulpits of some is some Bloody Invectives against my self as if my Peace were inconsistent with the Kingdom 's Happiness And never did my Eyes read such impudent Untruths in Matter of Fact as these Writings contain and they cry out for Answers and Reasons of my Nonconformity while they know the Law forbiddeth me to answer them Unlicensed I expect not that any Favour or Justice of my Superiours should Cure any of this But 1. If I might but be heard speak for my self before I be judged by them and such things believed For to contemn the Judgment of my Rulers is to dishonour them 2. I might live quietly to follow my private Study and might once again have the use of my Books which I have not seen these ten Years and pay for a Room for their standing at Kiderminster where they are eaten with Worms and Rats having no security for my quiet Abode in any place enough to encourage me to send for them And if I might have the Liberty that every Beggar hath to Travel from Town to Town I mean but to London to over-fee the Press when any thing of mine is Licensed for it And 3. If I be sent to Newgate for Preaching Christ's Gospel For I dare not sacrilegiously renounce my Calling to which I am Consecrated per Sacramentum Ordinis if I have the Favour of a better Prison where I may but walk and write These I should take as very great Favours and acknowledge your Lordship my Benefactor if you procure them For I will not so much injure you as to desire or my Reason as to expect any greater Matters no not the Benefit of the Law I think I broke no Law in any of the Preachings which I am accused of and I most confidently think that no Law imposeth on me the Oxford-Oath any more than any Conformable Minister and I am past doubting the present Mittimus for my Imprisonment is quite without Law But if the Justices think otherwise now or at any time I know no Remedy I have yet a License to Preach publickly in London-Diocess under the Arch-bishop's own Hand and Seal which is yet valid for occasional Sermons tho' not for Lectures or Cures But I dare not use it because it is in the Bishop's power to recall it Would but the Bishop who one would think should not be against the Preaching of the Gospel not re-call my License I could preach occasional Sermons which would absolve my Conscience from all Obligations to private Preaching For 't is not Maintenance that I expect I never received a Farthing for my Preaching to my Knowledge since May 1 1662. I thank God I have Food and Raiment without being chargeable to any Man which is all that I desire had I but leave to Preach for nothing and that only where there is a notorious Necessity I humbly Crave your Lordship's Pardon for the tediousness and again return you my very great Thanks for your great Favours remaining My Lord Your Lordship 's Humble Much Obliged Servant Richard Baxter Iune 24. 1670. One Reason more also as additional moveth me That the People of Scotland would have such jealous Thoughts of a Stranger especially at this time when Fame hath rung it abroad that I Conform that I should do little good among them and especially when there are Men enough among themselves that are able if Impediments were removed Another Letter to the E. of Lauderdale I Scarce account him worthy the Name of a Man much less of an English-man and least of all of a Christian who is not sensible of the great Sinfulness and Calamity of our divided and distracted Condition in his Majesty's Dominions The Sin is a Compendium of very many heinous Crimes The Calamity is 1. The King 's to have the trouble and peril of Governing such a divided People 2. The Kingdom 's to be as Guelphes and Gibelines hating and reviling one another and living in a Heart-War and a Tongue-War which are the Sparks that usually kindle a Hand-War and I tremble to think what a Temptation it is to Secret and to Foreign Enemies to make Attempts against our Peace and to read Infallibility it self pronouncing it a Maxim which the Devil himself is practically acquainted with That a House or Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand 3. The Churches To have Pastors against Pastors and Churches against Churches and Sermons against Sermons and the Bishops to be accounted the perfidiousest Enemies of the People's Souls and the Wolves that devour the Flock of Christ and so many of the People to be accounted by Bishops to be Rebellious Schismaticks and Fanaticks whose Religiousness and Zeal is the Plague of the Church and whose ruine or depression is the Pastor's Interest against whom the most vicious may be imployed as being more trusty and obedient to the Orders of the Church How doleful a Case is it that Christian Love and delight in doing good to one another is turned almost every where into wrath and bitterness and a longing after the downful of each other and to hear in most Companies the edifying Language of Love and Christianity turned into most odious Descriptions of each other and into the pernicious Language of Malice and Calumny It is to sober Men a wonderful sort of wickedness that all this is so obstinately persisted in even by those that decry the evil of it in others And to one sort all seemeth justified by saying that others are their Inferiours and to the other by saying that they are Persecuted And 't is a wonderful sort of Calamity which is so much loved that in the face of such Light and in the fore-sight of such Dangers and in the present Experience of such great Concussions and Confusions the Peace-killers will not hold their hands My Lord Many sober By-standers think That this Sin might cease and this misery be healed at a very easie Rate and therefore that it is not so much Ignorance as Interest that hindereth the Cure And they wonder who those Persons
Subscriptions have better invitation to conform in other things Bishop Morley Bishop Ward and Bishop Dolbin spake ordinarily their desires of it but after long talk there is nothing done which maketh Men variously interpret their Pretensions which time at last will more certainly expound Some think that they are real in their desires and that the â—indrance is from the Court And others say they would never have been the grand causes of our present Case if it had been against their Wills and that if they are yet truly willing of any healing they will shew it by more than their discourses as a Man would do when the City was on Fire that had a mind to quench it and that all this is but that the Odium may be diverted from themselves while that which they take on them to fear is accomplished But I hope yet they are not so bad as this Censure doth suppose But it 's strange that those same Men that so easily led the Parliament to what is done when they had given the King thanks for his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs can do nothing to bring them to moderate abatements and the healing of our Breaches if they are truly willing For my part I suspend my Judgment of their Intents till the Event shall make me understand it Grant Lord that it be not yet too late for Charity commandeth us to take nothing of others minds for certain till we have certain Proof how perilous soever our Charitable hopes may prove § 180. Mr. Bagshaw wrote a Second Book against my Defence full of untruths which the furious temerarious Man did utter or the rashness of his Mind which made him so little heed what he had read and answered as that one would scarce think he had ever read my Book I replied to him in an Admonition telling him of his mistakes To which he pretended a Rejoinder in a third Libel but I found as I was told that his design was to silence almost all that I said and to say all that he thought might make me odious because that those that read his Books would not read mine and so would believe him and be no whit informed by my answers at all § 181. This same year 1671. I was desired by my Friend and Neighbour Mr. Iohn Corbet to write somewhat to satisfie a good man that was fallen into deep melancholly feeding it daily with the thoughts of the number that will be damned and tempted by it to constant Blasphemy against the goodness of God who could save them and would not but decreed their damnation And I wrote a few Sheets called The vindication of God's Goodness which Mr. Corbet with a prefixed Epistle published § 182. Also Dr. Ludov. Molineus was so vehemently set upon by the crying down of the Papal and Prelatical Government that he thought it was the work that he was sent into the World for to convince Princes that all Government was in themselves and no proper Government but only Perswasion belonged to the Churches to which end he wrote his Paraenesis contra aedificatores Imperii in Imperio and his Papa Vltrajectinus and other Tractates and thrust them on me to make me of his mind and at last wrote his Iugulum Causae with no less than seventy Epistles before it directed to Princes and men of Interest among whom he was pleased to put one to me The good Man meant rightly in the main but had not a head sufficiently accurate for such a Controversie and so could not perceive that any thing could be called properly Government that was no way coactive by Corporal Penalties To turn him from the Erastian Extreme and end that Controversie by a Reconciliation I published an Hundred Propositions conciliatory and of the difference between the Magistrate's power and the Pastor's § 183. Also one Dr. Edward Fowler a very ingenious sober Conformist wrote two Books One anâ— Apology for the Latitudinarians as they were then called the other entitled Holyness the design of Christianianity in which he sometimes put in the word only which gave offence and the Book seemed to some to have a scandalous design to obscure the Glory of free Iustification under pretence of extolling Holiness as the only design of Man's Redeemption Which occasioned a few Sheets of mine on the said Book and Question for reconciliation and clearing up of the Point Which when Mr Fowler saw he wrote to me to tell me that he was of my Judgment only he had delivered that more generally which I opened more particulary and that the word only was Hyperbolically spoken as I had said but he spake feelingly against those quarrelsome men that are readier to censure than to understand I returned him some advice to take heed lest their weakness and censoriousness should make him too angry and impatient with Religious People as the Prelates are and so run into greater Sin than theirs and favour a looser Party because they are less censorious To which he returned me so ingenious and hearty thanks as for as great Kindness as ever was shewed him as told me that free and friendly Counsel to wise and good men is not lost § 184. I was troubled this Year with multitudes of melancholly Persons from several Parts of the Land some of high Quality some of low some very exquisitely learned some unlearned as I had in a great measure been above twenty years before I know not how it came to pass but if men fell melancholly I must hear from them or see them more than any Physician that I know Which I mention only for these three uses to the Reader that out of all their Cases I have gathered 1. That we must very much take heed lest we ascribe Melancholy Phantasms and Passions to God's Spirit for they are strange apprehensions that Melancholy can cause though Bagshaw revile me for such an intimation as if it were injurious to the Holy Ghost 2. I would warn all young Persons to live modestly and keep at a sufficient distance from Objects that tempt them to carnal Lust and to take heed of wanton Dalliance and the beginnings or Approaches of this Sin and that they govern their Thoughts and Senses carefully For I can tell them by the sad Experience of many that venerous Crimes leave deep wounds in the Conscience and that those that were never guilty of Fornication are oft cast into long and lamentable Troubles by letting Satan once into their Phantasies from whence 'till Objects are utterly distant he is hardly got out especially when they are guilty of voluntary active Self-pollution But above all I warn young Students and Apprentices to avoid the beginnings of these Sins for their Youthfulness and Idleness are oft the incentives of it when poor labouring Men are in less danger and they little know what one Spark may kindle 3. I advise all Men to take heed of placing Religion too much in Fears and Tears and Scruples or in any other kind of
them as we could and not to hold any Communion with any that did Conform having Printed his Third Reviling Libel against me called for my Third Reply which I Entitled The Church told of c. But being Printed without License Lestrange the Searcher Surprized part of it in the Press there being lately greater Penalties laid on them that Print without License than ever before And about the Day that it came out Mr. Bagshaw died a Prisoner though not in Prison Which made it grievous to me to think that I must seem to write against the Dead While we wrangle here in the dark we are dying and passing to the World that will decide all our Controversies And the safest Passage thither is by peaceable Holiness § 196. About Ian. 1. the King caused his Exchequer to be shut up So that whereas a multitude of Merchants and others had put their Money into the Banker's hands and the Bankers lent it to the King and the King gave Order to pay out no more of it of a Year the murmur and complaint in the City was very great that their Estates should be as they called it so surprized And the rather because it being supposed â—o be in order to the Assisting of the French in a War against the Dutch they took a Year to be equal to perpetuity and the stop to be a loss of all seeing Wars use to increase Necessities and not to supply them And among others all the Money and Estate except 10 l. per Ann. for 11 or 12 Years that I had in the World of my own not given away to others whom Charity commanded me to give it to for their Maintenance before was there which indeed was not my own which I will mention to Counsel any Man that would do good to do it speedily and with all their might I had got in all my Life the just Sum of 1000 l. Having no Child I devoted almost all of it to a Charitable Use a Free-School c. I used my best and ablest Friends for 7 Years with all the Skill and Industry I could to help me to some Purchase of House or Land to lay it out on that it might be accordingly setled And though there were never more Sellers I could never by all these Friends hear of any that Reason could encourage a Man to lay it out on as secure and a tolerable Bargain So that I told them I did perceive the Devil's Resistance of it and did verily suspect that he would prevail and I should never settle but it would be lost So hard is it to do any good when a Man is fully resolved that divers such Observations verily confirm me That there are Devils that keep up a War against Goodness in the World § 197. The great Preparations of the French to invade the Vnited Provinces and of the English to assist them do make now the Protestants Hearts to tremble and to think that the Low Countries will be Conquered and with them the Protestant Cause deeply endangered Though their vicious worldly Lives deserve God's Judgments on themselves yet they are a great part of the Protestants Humane Strength But the Issue must expound God's purposes without which Men's Designs are vain § 198. This Year a new Play-House being built in Salisbury-Court in Fleet-Street called the Duke of York's the Lord Mayor as is said desired of the King that it might not be the Youth of the City being already so corrupted by Sensual Pleasures but he obtained not his desire And this Ian. 1671. the King's Play-House in Drury Lane took Fire and was burnt down but not alone for about fifty or sixty Houses adjoyning by Fire and blowing up accompanied it § 199. A Stranger calling himself Sam. Herbert wrote me a Letter against the Christian Religion and the Scriptures as charging them with Contradictions and urged me to answer them which I did And his Name inviting my memory I adjoyned an Answer to the Strength of a Book heretofore written by Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury some-time Ambassador in France the Author of the History of Henry VII called de Veritate being the most powerful Assault against the Christian Religion placing all the Religion that 's certain in the Common or Natural Notices I entitled the Book More Reasons for the Christian Religion and none against it Or a Second Appendix to the Reason for the Christian Religion § 200. The foresaid Mr. Hinkley by his impertinent Answer to my former Letters extorted from me a large Reply but when I was sending it him in Writing I heard that he intended to Print some scraps of it with his Papers the better to put them off Whereupon I sent him word he should not have them till he satisfied me that he would not so abuse them c. The rather because 1. The Subject of them was much to prove that the War was raised in England by an Episcopal Parliament jealous of other Episcopal Men as to Popery and Propriety 2. And it was so much against Diocesanes and their new Oaths as would much displease them 3. And in a sharper stile than was fit for publick View And as to the first Reason I was afraid lest any Papists would lay hold of it to make any Princes that already hate the the Non-conformists and Presbyterians to hate the Conformists and Prelatists also and so to seem themselves the most Loyal And I had rather they hated and cast off the Non-conformists alone than both This mindeth me to add that § 201. About a Year ago one Henry Fowlis Son to Sir David Fowlis an Oxford Man who had wrote against the Presbyterians with as filthy a Language almost as a man in his Wits could do having written also against the Papists His Book after his Death was Printed in a large Folio so opening the Principles and Practices of Papists against Kings their Lives and Kingdoms by multitudes of most express Citatioâ—s from their own Writers that the like hath not before been done by any Man nor is there extant such another Collection on that Subject though he left out the Irish Massacre But whereas the way of the Papists is to make a grievous Complaint against any Book that is written effectually against them as injurious as they did against Pet. Moulin's Answer to Philanax Anglicus and against Dr. Stillingfleet's late Book or the contrary this Book being copious true Citations and History is so terrible to them that their method is to say nothing of it but endeavour to keep it unknown for of late they have left the disputing way and bend all their endeavours to creep into Houses and pervert Persons in secret but especially to insinuate into the Houses and Fantiliarity of all the Rulers of the World where they can be received § 202. The Death of some the worthy Labours and great Sufferings of others maketh me remember that the just characterizing of some of the Ministers of Christ that now suffered for not
dead 2. Mr. Iohn Warren of Hatfield Broadoke in Essex a man of great Judgment and ministerial Abilities-moderation Piety and Labour The place whence he was cast out hath had no minister since to this day though a great Town and in the Bishop of London's Gift because the means is so small that none will take it And yet he cannot have leave to preach rather than none But he gets now and then one by his Interest to Preach occasionally and he heareth them in publick and then himself instructeth the People in private as far as he can obtain connivance 3. Mr. Peter Ince in Wiltshire a solid grave pious worthy able minister living with Mr. Grove that excellent humble holy Learned Gentleman who himself is now driven out of his his Country for receiving and hearing such in his House 4. Mr. Iohn How mâ—nister of Torrrington in Devonshire sometime Houshold-Preacher to Oliver Cromwell and his Son Richard till the Army pulled him down but not one that medled in his Wars He is a very Learned judicious godly man of no Faction but of Catholick healing Principles and of excellent ministerial Ablities as his excellent Treatise called The Blessedness of the Righteous sheweth 5. Mr. Ford of Exeter is a man of great Ability as his Book called The Sinner's Araignment at his Bar sheweth a Reverend Divine of great esteem for all ministerial worth with the generality of sober men And I hear a high Character of Mr. Clare near him and many more there but I know not those 6. Mr. Hughes of Plymouth a very Reverend Learned Ancient Divine long ago of London an excellent Expositor of Scripture was in his Age laid so long in Prison for silencing was not suffering enough for so excellent a Man that he fell by it into the Scurvy and died soon after His Treatife of the Sabbath is Printed since his Death 7. Mr. Berry in Devonshire an extraordinary humble tender-conscienced serious godly able Minister 8. Mr. Benj. Woodbridge of Newbury who came out of New-England to succeed Dr. Twisse a Man of great Judgment Piety Ability and moderate Principles addicted to no Faction but of a Catholick Spirit 9. Mr. Simon King some-time of Coventry since near Peterborough who first Entertain'd me at Coventry in the beginning of the Wars when I was forced to fly from Home a Man of a solid Judgment an honest Heart and Life and addicted to no Extremes and an able Scholar long ago chief School-Master at Bridgnorth Divers others of my own Acquaintance I could describe in Wales in Derby-shire Cheshire York-shire and other Counties but I will end with a few of my old Neighbours that I had forgotten 10. Old Mr. Samuel Hildersham about 80 Years old only Son to the Famous Arthur Hildersham a Conformist formerly but resolved enough against the New Conformity A grave peaceable pious learned Divine cast out of Welsh-Felton in Shrop-shire 11. Mr. Tho. Gilbert of Edgmond in Shropshire an Ancient Divine of extraordinary Acuteness and Conciseness of Stile and a most piercing Head as his small Lat. Tract of the necessity of Christ's Satisfaction sheweth 12. Mr. Samuel Fisher an Ancient Reverend Divine some-time of Withington then of Shrewsbury turned out with Mr. Blake for not taking the Engagement against King and House of Lords then lived in Cheshire and thence cast out and Silenced a very able Preacher and of a goldy Life 13. My old Friend Mr. Will. Cook bred up under Mr. Iohn Ball a Learned Man and of a most godly Life and unwearied Labour Like the first Preachers he can go in poor Clothing live on a little travel on Foot Preach and Pray almost all the Week if he have opportunity in Season and out of Season trampling on this World as dirt and living a mortified laborious Life Being an old Nonconformist and Presbyterian he was greatly offended at the Anabaptists Separatists and Sectaries and Cromwel's Army for Disloyalty to the King whom they Beheaded and this King whom they kept out and therefore joyned with Sir George Booth now Lord Delamere in his Rising to have brought in the King And being then Minister in Chester persuaded the Citizens to deliver up the City to Him For which he was brought to London and long Imprisoned But all this would not procure his Liberty to Preach the Gospel of Christ without the Oaths Subscriptions Declarations Re-ordination and Conformity required 14. To these I may subjoyn my old Friend Mr. Pigot chief School-master of Shrewsbury 15. And my old Friend Mr. Swaine some-time School-master at Bridgnorth and since a godly fervent Preacher in Radnor-shire But I must stop § 209. Let the Reader note That there is not one of all these that was put out for any Scandal but meerly not Subscribing c. and Conforming nor one of them all that ever I heard any Person charge or once suspect of Wantonness Idleness Surfetting Drunkenness or any scandalous Sin And of those of the Prelatists that were Sequestred by the Parliament I knew not one that I remember that was not accused upon Oath of Witnesses of Scandal though doubtless others knew some such Not including the siding in the Wars which each side called scandalous in the other and which yet but a small part of these named by me medled in that ever I could learn § 210. Therefore I conclude That we that know not the Mysteries of God's Judgments saw not what a Mercy it was that God took to Himself before they were Silenced such Excellent Men as Dr. Twiss Dr. Gouge Mr. Iohn Ball Mr. Gataker Mr. Ier. Whitaker Dr. Arrow Smith Dr. Hill Mr. Strong Mr. Herbert Palmer and most of the Assembly with many more such Nor yet that God took away such Men as Bishop Davent Bishop Hall Arch-Bishop Vsher Bishop Morton yea and Dr. Hammond before they were under a Temptation to have a Hand in the casting out of so many excellent worthy Men which yet I am confident by my own personal Knowledge of him that Vsher had he lived would never have done § 211. This Year the King began the War upon the Dutch in March 1671 2. About the 16 or 17 Day was a hot Sea-fight while our Ships Assaulted their Smirna Fleet of Merchants and many on both sides were killed which was most that was done And about the 18 th Day the King Published a Proclamation for War by Sea and Land The French the Elector of Cologne and the Bishop of Munster being with dreadful Preparations to invade them by Land § 212. Now came forth a Declaration giving some fuller Exposition to those that doubted of it of the Transactions of these Twelve Years last viz. His Majesty by Virtue of His Supreme Power in Matters Ecclesiastical suspendeth all Penal Laws thereabout and Declareth That he will grant a convenient number of Publick Meeting-Places to Men of all sorts that Conform not so be it 1. The Persons be by Him approved 2. That they never meet in any Place not
Churches for we must love each other and promote the Work of Christ in each others hands as the old Godly Conformists and Nonconformists did and we now do with the Godly Part of the Conformists Our Work is not to keep up a Combination against our Superiours nor to strengthen a Faction but to Combine for Godliness and to strengthen our selves in the proper work of the Gospel which we must do though some Conform and some do not 11. And our Superiours will be the less Jealous of us as to Sedition when they see us so divided in Point of Conformity than if they see us strengthened by the Unity of a distinct Party 12. And especially the Unity of such as Conform with the present Conformists will strengthen the Publick Ministery against Papists Infidels and all Vngodliness And our continued Division will be the strength of all these 13. And it is a weighty Consideration that the keeping up of the different Parties tempteth all the People of the Land to continual Censuring Uncharitableness and contending and unavoidably destroyeth Love and Concord and so keepeth Men in constant Sin On all these Reasons they were most for as much Union with the Parish-Ministers and joyning with them as the Parliament would allow them § 216. But now they found that there was little hopes of obtaining any such thing For they that were most for Toleration were most against our Comprehension by Abatement of any of the Impositions and they were many 1. All the Papists and their secret Friends were most opposite to Abatements For it was their Design from the beginning to get our Pressures to be as sharp as possible that so we might have as much need as they of a Toleration and might be forced to Petition for the opening of the Door by which they might come in or speed at least no worse than the Nonconformists 2. Those that were for the Increase of the Regal Power and Interest did very well know that the more grievously good People and so great a number were used by Parliaments and Laws the more certainly Nature and Interest would lead them to fly from them to the King for ease and refuge And also that when Men's Religion and Liberties are in the Power and at the Mercy of the King their Estates must be so too For who will not rather part with his Money than his Liberty and Religion Yea and Men's Hearts will be more with him that saveth them than with those that destinate them to Jayls and Beggery 3. And the Independents Separatists and all the Sectaries were commonly against a Comprehension for the Reasons before given Only the visible Necessities of the Nation do so strongly work towards it that doubtless in time they will prevail with the Wills of those that are for the Protestant Religion and for Property but whether Consent and Repentings will come too late God only knoweth and time must tell us § 217. In the end of May 1672. was another Sea-Fight with the Dutch with like Success as the former The Earl of Sandwich and others of ours lost and they parted without any notable Victory or Advantage of either Party but that they had kill'd one another § 218. In May and Iune the French suddenly took abundance of the Dutch-Gaâ—â—â—sons § 219. In Iuly and Aâ—gust the Dutch-Rabble tumultuously rose up against their Governours for the Prince of Orange and murdered De Wit and his Brother § 220. In Answer to a Book of Dr. Fulwood's I now Published a small Book without my Name against the Desertion of our Ministry though prohibited proving it Sacriledge to Alienate Consecrated Persons from the Sacred Office to which they are Devoted § 221. There came out a Posthumous Book of A. Bishop Bromhall's against my Book called The Grotian Religion In which 1. He passeth over the express words of Grotius which I had cited which undoubtedly prove what I said yea though I had since largely Englished them and recited them in the Second Part of my Key for Catholicks with a full Confirmation of my Proofs 2. And he feigneth me to make him a Grotian and Confederate in his Design when-as I not only had no such Word but had expresly excepted him by Name as imputing no such thing to him And before the Book was a long Preface of Mr. Parker's most vehement against Dr. Oxen and some-what against my self To which Mr. â—ndrew Marvel a Parliament Man Burgess for Hull did Publish an Answer so exceeding Jocular as thereby procured abundance of Readers and Pardon to the Author Because I perceived that the Design of A. Bishop Brombal's Book was for the Uniting of Christendom under the old Patriarchs of the Roman Imperial Church and so under the Pope as the Western Patriarch and Principium Vnitatis I had thought the design and this Publication look'd dangerously and therefore began to write an Answer to it But Mr. Simmons my Bookseller came to me and told me That Roger Lestrange the Over-seer of the Printers sent for him and told him That he heard I was Answering Bishop Bromball and Swore to him most vehemently that if I did it he would ruin him and me and perhaps my Life should be brought in question And I perceived the Bookseller durst not Print it and so I was fain to cast it by which I the easilier did because the main Scope of all the Book was fully answered long before in the fore-said Second Part of my Key for Catholicks § 222. Many Changes in Ireland much talk'd of I pass over § 223. Dr. Fulwood wrote a jocular deriding Answer to my Treatise against Saâ—ilegious Desertion of the Ministry and after that Printed an Assize Sermon against Separating from the Parish-Ministers Divers called on me to Reply to the first and I told them I had better Work to do than Answer every Script against me But while I demurred Dr. Fulwood wrote me an extraordinary kind Letter offering to do his best to the Parliament for our Union and Restoration which ended my Thoughts of that but I know not of any thing to purpose done § 224. Mr. Giles Firmin a Silenced Minister writing some-what against my Method and Motions for Heavenly Meditation in my Saint's Rest as too strict and I having Answered him he wrote a weak Reply which I thought not worthy of a Rejoinder § 225. On Octob. 11. I fell into a dangerous Fit of Sickness which God in his wonted Mercy did in time so far remove as to return me to some Capacity of Service § 226. I had till now forborn for several Reasons to seek a License for Preaching from the King upon the Toleration But when all others had taken theirs and were settled in London and other places as they could get opportunity I delayed no longer but sent to seek one on condition I might have it without the Title of Independent Presbyterian or any other Party but only as a Nonconformist And before I sent Sir Thomas Player Chamberlain
admitted to answer as Godfather for his own Child nor any Godfather or Godmother shall be suffered to make any other Answer or Speech than by the Book of Common Prayer is prescribed in that behalf The Answering forbidden is the Covenanting in the Child's Name This is expresly forbidden the Parent whole and part and lest it should be thought that he is one Agent with the Sureties as he is not to speak so not to be urged to be present Yet he is not forbidden to be present but he is forbidden to speak any Covenanting Promise or Word And this was it that I mentioned in stead of which you say he may Present the Child Whatever you call Presenting I know not but I talkt only of Covenanting 2. And why say you it is In case the Parents die or neglect their Duty when the Parents are forbidden though they have Sureties with them so much as to promise it as any of their Duty or to speak as Promising-Parties in it 3. Whether this use be an Vncharitable and scandalous Insinuation is all a Case about Matter of Fact And the Question is whether the Author or I be the truer Historian My Narrative which I stand to is this 1. God's Law and Man's requires Parents to offer Children to be Baptized and the Rubrick before Private Baptisme forbids deferring it longer than the first or second Sunday 2. They may not be Baptized without Godfathers as aforesaid 3. No Parent can force any to be a Godfather against his Will 4. Multitudes take it for a sin to be Sureties on the Terms of the Liturgy and therefore will and do refuse it 5. Many Thousands know not what Christianity or the Baptismal Covenant is as we know by Personal Conference with our Flocks and others where we have lived So common is gross Ignorance among the Vulgar 6. Many of the Learned sort dispute with us frequently that indeed Baptism is not to Contain any Covenant or Vow at all 7. So rare is it for Sureties to take the Child for their own or intend to do all in his Education which they are to promise that to my best knowledge I never knew one in all my life that ever seriously signified to the Parents such an Intent But they usually think that they are but Witnesses and are at most but to give the Parents Counsel to do what they promise to do themselves 8. Were but all People told that they must take the Child for their own as far as this Animadverter mentioneth and solemnly before God to undertake to do all that themselves for the Child which they Promise by the Book I seriously profess that I cannot say that ever I knew one Surety that feared God that I had cause to believe had undertaken it unless those that indeed took home the Child of dead Parents or an exposed one as their own The Rich never intend to give away their Children nor that the Sureties Educate them And few would be Sureties for the Children of the Poor if they must take them so for their own because of the Charge of keeping them So that I am fully perswaded that were the Vow and Undertaking thus understood not one of Forty where-ever I have lived could have any Godfathers for their Children unless they will take such as know not what they do or make no Conscience of it and of whom the Parents cannot reasonably believe that they intend any such thing And de jure its plain that it is not lawful to draw any Many in so great and holy a Work to do that which he understandeth not at all and to Promise and Undertake that before God and the Church which our Consciences tell us he never intendeth to perform nor do the Parents intend to cast it on him I pass by the Difficulty of three several persons Educating the same Child And now consider whether it be a Scandalous Insinuation for a Man to beseech the Bishop that his Child may not be refused and be Unbaptized and so denyed Christian burial if he die and worse than that according to the Liturgy and himself punished because he brings not Sureties if the Man will there profess that he could procure no Sureties who understood what they are to do and express to them any Serious Purpose to perform it Is this an Odious or Scandalous Request 4. Prop. n. 4. Of the Image of the Cross as used in Baptisme Strict m If any think the Sign of the Cross in or rather after Baptism to be a Sacramental Sign they may as well think so of the same Sign in flags or ships or banners for we ascribe no more efficacy to one than to the other whereas it is the formalis ratio of a Sacrament to be a Means not only to signifie but to confer Grace non ponentibus obiâ—em which our Church doth not ascribe to this or any other Ceremony of Humane Institution Or that the Sign of the Cross is any Sacramental but a Teaching Sign only as the Surplice is And such Teaching Signs Mr. Baxter grants may be lawfully appointed by the Magistrate and made use of in the Service of God though not as an Essential part thereof Ans. 1. You will say after Baptism For you make it not part of Baptism but a third Sacrament as I think 2. As to your Description of a Sacrament the Church taketh the word from the old Common use where as Maâ—câ—nius 〈◊〉 Sacramentum was an Oath or Covenant Quod eo Sacratuâ— homo ad rem certaâ— ut ad Militiam ut Fest. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is bound by a Sacrament Qui Sacratur fide interposita ac tum Sacramento dicitur interrogari quidâ—m See the Military Sacrament there described And the Soldiers had their Stigmata which our Cross doth imitate though transiently Without this Sacrament they were no Soldiers and might not fight against the Enemy And Tertullian disswadeth Ne humanum Sacramentum Divino Superâ—nducant opening the Analogie of one to the other In the laxer and more borrowed Senses it concerneth us not as Sacramentum is ipsares Sacrata vel ipse Miles 〈◊〉 personâ— nor as it is Quodvis juramentum or Sancta oâ—iigatio nor yet in the largest Ecclesiastical Sense as it is the Translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth a Sacred Mysterious Doctrine or Action But in the Special Church-use it signifieth either more largely a Solemn Signal Investiture in any Sacred Relation and so we may grant the Romanists that Ordination is a Sacrament and Matrimony as Sanctified c. Or most strictly for the Sacramental Solemnizing of the Covenant of God which is our present Sense And to this it is necessary That 1. it be a sign used for the solemn signification of Mutual Consent that is of Man's professed Consent as dedicated to Christ and of Christ's acceptance and Collation of the Covenâ—m-benefits 2. And that hereupon it be the Tessera or â—ymbol of our Christianity But that it
think it a heinous sin to conform yet do it or Suffer for your Dissent Q. 6. Was it not an Act of Christ's Wisdom Mercy and Soveraignty to make the Baptismal Covenant which the Church explained by the Creed to be the Stablished Universal Test and Badge of his Disciples and Church-Members And did it not seem good to the Holy Ghost and the Apostles Acts 15. to Impose only necessary things And is it not a Condemning or Contradicting God needlesly to take a Contrary Course Q. 7. Is not Christ's way and the first Churches most likely to save the People's Souls and yours to damn them For you will confess that Christ's few evident necessary Conditions of Christianity would save Men if Bishops and Rulers added no more But if a multitude more which you count Lawful are added then the Nonconformists to them are in danger of Damnation for the Crime of Contempt of your Authority So that consequently you make all your Impositions needful to Salvation and so make it far harder to be saved than otherwise it would have been Q. 8. What hindereth any debauched Conscience from entering into your Ministry who dare Say or Swear any thing while he that feareth an Oath or a Lie may be kept out And against which of these should you more carefully shut the Door Q. 9. If Agreement be desirable Which side may more easily and at a cheaper rate yield and alter you or we If you forbear Imposing an Oath Subscription Declaration or Ceremony it would not do you a Farthing's-worth of hurt If we Swear Subscribe Declare Conform we take our selves to be heinous and wilful sinners against God You call that Indifferent which we believe is Sin Q. 10. Do you not confess that you are not Infallible yea and subscribe that General-councils are not even in matters of Faith And yet must we subscribe our Assent to every word in these Books or else be Silenced or Suffer Do these well consist Q. 11. Dare you deny that many of your Silenced Brethren Study as hard as you to know the Truth and have as good Capacity And are they not as like to be Impartial who suffer as much by their Judgment as you gain by yours Judge but by your selves Doth their kind of Interest tempt you more than â—our own to partiality Q. 12. Is it not gross Uncharitableness and Usurpation of God's Prerogative to say That they do it not out of Conscience when you have no more from the nature of their Cause Motives or Conversation to warrant such a Censure And they are ready to take their Oaths as before God that were it not for fear of sinning they would Conform Q. 13. Do your Consciences never startle when you think of Silencing 1800 such Ministers and depriving so many Thousand Souls of their Ministry 1 Thess. 2. 15 16. Q. 14. Can you hope to make us believe while we dwell in England that the People's Ignorance and Vice is so far Cured or the Conformists for Number and Quality are so sufficient without the Nonconformists that they should rest Silent on supposition their Labours are unnecessary Q. 15. Is not the loss of a Faithful Teacher where through Paucity or Unqualifyedness of the Conformable he is necessary a very great Affliction to the People And Do the Innocent Flocks deserve to suffer in their Souls for our Nonconformity Q. 16. Could not Men of your great Knowledge find out some other Punishment for us such as Drunkards Swearers Fornicators have which may not hurt the People's Souls nor hinder the Preaching of Christ's Gospel Q. 17. Seeing at Ordination we profess that all things necessary to Salvation are in or provable by the Scripture Do you not confess that your â—nventiunculae are not necessary to Salvation And is the Nonconformist's Ministry no more necessay Q. 18. How say you That only Christianity is necessary to a Member of the Universal Church and so much more be necessary to the Members of particular Churches and the Universal consist of them Q. 19. Did any National Church Impose any one Liturgy or Subscription besides the Creed or any Oath of Obedience to the Bishops for 300 400 500 years after Christ's Nativity Q. 20. Can you Read Rom. 14. and 15 and not believe that it bindeth the Church-Rulers as well as the People Q. 21. Did the Ancient Discipline not enforced by the Sword for 300 years do less good than yours Or was any Man Imprison'd or Punish'd by the Sword eo nomine because Excommunicate as a Contemner of Church-power in not repenting for many Hundred years after there were Christian Magistrates Q. 22. Hath not the making false Conditions of Communion and making Unnecessary things necessary thereto been the way by which the Papists have Schismatically divided Christians Q. 23. Should not Bishops be the most skilful and forward to heal and the most backward to divide or persecute Q. 24. Could you do more to extirpate Episcopacy than to make it hateful to the People by making it hurtful 25. Would you do as you do if you loved your Neighbour as your selves and loved not Superiority Q. 26. Were not those that Gildas called no Ministers such as too many now obtruded on the People And was not the Case of the Bishops that St. Martin separated from to the Death like yours or much fairer § 257. A little after some Great Men of the House of Commons drew up a Bill as tending to our Healing to take off our Oaths Subscriptions and Declarations except the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance and Subscriptions to the Doctrine of the Church of England according to the 13th of Eliz. But shewing it to the said Bshop of Winchester he caused them to forbear and broke it And instead of it he furthered an Act only to take of Assent and Consent and the Renunciation of the Government which would have been but a Cunning Snare to make us more remediless and do no good seeing that the same things with the repeated Clauses would be still by other continued Obligations required as may be seen in the Canon for Subscription Act 2. and in the Oxford-Act for the Oath and confining Refusers And it 's credibly averred that when most of the other Bishops were against even this ensnaring shew of abatement he told them in the House that had it been but to abate us a Ceremony he would not have spoken in it But he knew that we were bound to the same things still by other Clauses or Obligations if these were Repealed § 258. But on Feb. 24. all these things were Suddenly ended the King early suddenly and unexpectedly Proroguing the Parliament till November Whereby the Minds of both Houses were much troubled and Multitudes greatly exasperated and alienated from the Court Of whom many now saw that the Leading Bishops had been the great Causes of our Distractions but others hating the Nonconformists more were still as hot for Prelacy and their Violence as ever § 259. All this
while the aspiring sort of Conformists that looked for Preferment and the Chaplains that lived in fullness and other Malignant Factious Clergymen did Write and Preach to stir up King Parliament and others to Violence and Cruelty against the Liberty and blood of the Nonconformists who lived quietly by them in Labour and Poverty and medled not with them besides their necessary Dissent Some railed at them as the most intolerable Villains in the World espeically S. Parker jocularly confuted and detected by Mr. Marvel a Parliament Man and one Hickeringhill and others came near him in their malignity And Papists taking the advantage set in and did the like One Wrote a Sober Enquiry of the Reasons why the Nonconformable Ministers were still so valued by the People which was their grievous vexation And pretended many Causes I know not whether more malignantly or foolishly which none could believe but Strangers and those that were blinded by the Faction Malignity or False Reports One Dr. Asheton Chaplain to the Duke of Ormond Wrote a Book 1. To perswade those to Subscribe who held it lawful and forbore it only for fear of offending others falsly insinuating that this was the Nonconformists Case when I never knew one Man such among them all to this day 2. To stir up Rulers to Violence to Ruine us perswading them that it is no Persecution And the Man was not afraid to profess to the World That as he was going to meet us at the Bar of God the Reason why so many Subscribed not was Reputation and Interest Pride and Covetousness And that he might not seem Stark Mad with Malice in charging Men with Covetousness that I lost all and lived so poorly upon the Charity of others mostly poor themselves he giveth you 2 proofs of their covetousness 1. That by Non-conformity they got Living for their conformable Sons 2. That they lost notheng by their Non-conformity as Bishop Gunning also vehemently told me words which tell the world that History is no more credible to Posterity than either the Concent of all Parties or the notoreity of fact or the honesty of the Writer can make it so by being known as it's evidence Words which tell you that it 's hard to devise words so false and impudent beseeming the Devil himself were the speaker which Carnal Clergy-men may not be drawn with great confidence to utter For 1. of the 1000 or 2000. Ministers that were Silenced I have not yet heard of thirty in all nor of twenty or twelve yet living that have Conformable Sons in the Ministry And of those I know not of one that Conformed by his father's consent And why should not the father's Conformity be the liker to help his son to a Living than his Non-conformity when the far greatest part of the Presenters of Patrons are Conformists And would not covetousness rather make both father and son Conform that both might have Livings than the son alone And do a thousand or 1600 Ministers that have no Conformable sons in the Ministry refuse Conformity that 20 or 40 of other Minister's sons may have Livings Did I not consider that among Strangers and Malignants any thing may be believed that is bad I should think the Devil a fool for playing his game so unskilfully 2. And that they lose nothing by losing all their Church maintenance now above eleven years together is a thing hardly to be believed by their poor families or neighbours who know that many go in rags and want bread and even in London more than one have lately died of Colds and Diseases contracted by poverty and want of the necessary Comforts of Life And it is a wonder of God's mercy and the honour of charitable People especially in London that it is not so with a very great number of them § 260. This Malignity inviteth me once more to recite my own case I have lost not only the Bishoprick which they offered me by Non-conformity but all Ministerial maintenance these eleven years now near 24. years in 1684. I have these eleven years Preached for nothing I know not to my remembrance that I have received a groat as for Preaching these eleven years but what I have returned unless I may call about the sum of ten pounds which some persons gave me on particular occasions and 35 lb. which three gave gave me in the Jail to defray my Prison-charges by that name or ten pounds per Ann. which Sergeant Fountain gave me till he dyed to whom I never Preached nor was it on that account only four pounds I received for Preaching the Merchant's Lecture and 6 lb. more was offered me as my due and some offered me somewhat after a year's Preaching at Mr. Turner's Church but I sent it every penny back to them and resolved while it is as it is to take no money for my Preaching 1. Because I preach but in other men's Churches to people that maintain other Ministers already 2. Because I want not but have to give when multitudes are in great necessity 3. Because I will be under no temptation by dependence or obligation which may hinder me from dealing plainly with Dissenters and Offenders 4. Because I perceive that when men's purses are sought to it tempteth many to question whether we sincerely seek the good of their Souls On all which Accounts not I think from proud disdain I have so long refused money for preaching And whereas they say how much I receive for my printed books I again at this year 1674. profess that having printed about 70. Books no one Lord Knight or any person to whom as it 's called any of them were Dedicated or inscribed ever offered me a groat save the City of Coventry and the Lady â—ous each a piece of Plate of about 4 lb. value And whereas the fifeenth Book printed is my due from the Bookseller which I use for almost all of them to give my friends which amounteth to many thousands I remember not that every one person noble or ignoble offered me one groat to this day for any book I gave them And I mention all this because I am not capable of confuting the malicious calumniators by distant instances so well as by my own case But yet that the Readers may partly conjecture at the case of many of my Brethren by my own who yet never received a groat from my Inheritance or Patrimony my poor kindred having much more than all Were not malice impudent these Apologies were needless for men that the world seeth are turned out of all Yea we our selves pay constantly to the maintenance of the Conformable Ministers though we have no part our selves And I can truly say that I have offered money to my old acquaintance who live silenced in a very poor and hard condition who have stiffly refused it because they thought it unlawful while they had Bread and Drink to take money while many of their Brethren were in greater need And at the same time
food to the hazard of their Eternal Souls Among many Arguments therefore for Liberty in other Papers from Policy Convenience Reason of State and Reason of Religion I have this one to offer you of a more binding Nature an Argument from Iustice Righteousness and Restitution to the Displaced It is true that the Places they once had are filled and disposed but there are others enough There are many of those who possess theirs do also keep their own and keep more There are many who are Canons Deans Prebeâ—daries that are also Parsons Rectors Vicars who have Benefices and Honours by heaps and by the bushel If it shall please you therefore in this Bill on the Anvil or in another to take Cognizance of Pluralities that for the preventing an Idle Scandalous Covetously overgrown unprofitable Ministery every Man who hath more than one Cure of Souls or one Dignity shall give them up into a publick stock or to a general Distribution you shall do the Church right and the Ejected right you shall give such Drones their Due and God his Due and strew the way by this means for the making your Grace intended in this Bill of signification In the Name of God Sirs let me move you to this if it were only Hac vice for a present needful Conjunction of us at this season We see the jaws of Popery and the Sectary opening upon us if the sober Protestant Interest be not united we perish I know who will be ready to stamp here and throw dust in the Air for it is these Sons of the Horse-Leâ—ch whose voice is still Give Give that will never be contented with a single portion A Dignity therefore with a Living let them be allowed but one Dignity and one Cure of Souls should be all tho they cuâ— themselves with Lanees It is this damn'd hard objection at the bottom the Priests Covetousness and Corruption rather than their Dispute about things indifferent that really hinders the Church's peace and prosperity To Conclude According to what every Man's mind is most upon the Publick Interest or his own such is his value more or less § 263. About this time was a great change of Affairs in Scotland their Parliament concurring with this of England in distasting the present Councils and Proceedings but not so much Proclaiming the danger of Popery as Aggravating the Burdens and Grievances of the People against the great Commissioner the Duke of Lauderdail So that Duke Hamilton became the Head of the Opposition and most of the Nobility and Commons adhered to him and were against D. of Lauderdail And the Parliament went so high that D. Lauderdail was fain to Adjourn them Whereupon D. Hamilton came to England with their Grievances to the King with some of the Nobility But the King tho he gave him fair respect sharply rebuked him and their Proceedings and stuck close to D. Lauderdail against all opposition § 264. At last D. Lauderdail found the way to turn their own Engin against themselves and whereas many of their Grievances had been settled by themselves by Act of Parliament while they were ruled by him he acquainteth the King how heavy and unsufferable they were and so the King by a Letter releaseth them And among their burdens was a great income settled upon D. Hamilton for some service Loss or Loan to the King by his Predecessors which he that had complained of Grievances was now to loss by the King removing the Grievances Whereupon he professed that he had been still ready to remit those Revenues but he could not do it in this way of a Letter against a Law lest by the same way another Letter should take away the rest of his Estate And he got the hands of Lawyers to testify it was against Law and sent it to the King who in displeasure rejected his Narrative and so the Dissention in Scotland increased § 265. At this time April 1674 God hath so much increased my Languishing and laid me so low by an incessant inflation of my head and translation of my great flatulency thither to the Nerves and Members increasing these ten or twelve weeks to greater pains that I have reason to think that my time on Earth will not be long And O how Good hath the Will of God proved hitherto to me And will it not be best at last Experience causeth me to say to his praise Great peace have they that love his Law and nothing shall offend them And tho my flesh and heart do fail God is the Rock of my heart and my portion for ever § 266. At this time came out my Book called The poor Man's Family Book which the remembrance of the great use of Mr. Dents Plain Man's path way to Heaven now laid by occasioned me to write for poor Countrey Families who cannot buy or read many Books § 267. I will not here pass by the Commemoration of one among many of the worthy silenced Ministers of London that such Examples may provoke more to some imitation viz. Mr. Thomas Gouge He is the eldest Son of old Dr. William Gouge Deceased He was Pastor to that great Parish called Sepulâ—hres whence he was ejected with the rest of his brethren at the time when the restored Prelates acted like themselves I never heard any one person of what rank sort or sect soever speak one word to his Dishonour or Name any fault that ever they charged on his Life or Doctrine no not the Prelatists themselves save only that he conformed not to their impositions and that he did so much good with so great Industry God blessed him with a good Estate and he liberally used it in works of Charity When the fire consumed much of it and when he had settled his Children and his wife was taken from him by Death of an hundred and fifty pound a year that he had left he gave an hundred of it to charitable uses His daily work is to do all the good he can with as great diligence and constancy as other Men labour at their Trades He visiteth the poor and seeketh after them He writeth books to stir up the rich to devote at least the tenth part of their Estates to works of Charity He goeth to the rich to perswade and urge them He collecteth moneys of all that he can prevail with and travelleth himself tho between 60 and 70 years old into Wales Winter and Summer and disperseth the money to the poor labouring persecuted Ministers He hath settled himself in the chief Towns of Wales a great number of Schools for Women to teach Children to read having himself undertaken to pay them for many hundred Children He printeth many thousands of his own practical Books and giveth them freely throughout Wales at his own charge And when I do something of the like by mine he undertaketh the Distribution of them He preacheth in Wales himself till they drive him from place to place by persecution when he returneth home he visiteth the
Prisoners and helpeth them to books and preacheth repentance to them The poor and the ignorant are those that he liveth for doing good to Soul and Body daily save that he Soliciteth the Rich to contribute to such uses The reading of Mr. Ios. Allen's Life hath raised his Resolution and Activity to such a Course of Life which was far higher than other Mens before § 268. Mr. Sherlock's book before mentioned making a great noise and he and the Author of the sober Inquiry and others of them when they reproached other Nonconformists being pleased to put in some Exceptions of me by Name I thought my self the more obliged to disown their Miscarriages And I first in Discourse sought to convince Mr. Sherlock and lest he should not either understand or report me aright Writings being surer Vindications than Memory I sent him some Animadversions which have since been Printed § 269. My old friend Dr. Thomas Good now published a book called Dubitantius and Firâ—ianus against Atheism Infidelity Popery and then Presbytery Independency and Anabaptistry very superficial He was formerly indeed a professed Prelatist but moderate and himself never hindered from his Ministerial work and maintenance and joyned with us in our Disputations at Kederminster and our Concord in Worcestershire among the dissenting parties Yet being Canon of Hereford and Mr. of Baliol Colledge in Oxford tho old waiting for more he asserted in his Book that they were confessed things indifferent that we refused Conformity for and that all the Nonconformists without Exception had a hand in the late King's Death one way or other by Consent c. The Impudency of which assertion moved me to write the Contradiction here adjoined To my Reverend Friend Dr. Good Mr. of Baliol Coledge in Oxford Reverend and Worthy Sir IT is now about a Month since I received a Letter from you for the furthering of a good work which I sent to Mr. Foley by his Son Mr. Paul F. not having opportunity my self to see him I have stayed so long for an Answer not hearing yet from him that I think it not meet any longer to forbear to acquaint you with the Reasons of the delay He liveth quite at the other end of London from me and my weakness and business keep me much within Doors and it 's hard to find him within except at those hours when I am constrained to be in bed But I have reason to Conjecture that his Answer will be 1. That the Rich men whose Judgments are for Conformity are far more Numerous than those of another mind and therefore fitter to promote that work And there are so very few that do any thing for the ejected Ministers that some of them live on brown bread and water which hindereth these Gentlemen from other kind of Charitable works 2. And I must crave your patience being confident by your ancient kindness of your friendly Interpretation while I tell you that this day I heard one say we can expect that Dr. Good do make his Scholars no beter than himself And what reason have we to maintain and breed up Men to use us as he hath done in his late Treatise I got the book and was glad to find much good and several moderate passages in it And I knew you so well that I could not but expect moderation But when I perused the passages referred to I could say no more for them but that I would write to you to hear your Answer about them For I confess they surprized me Tho at the same time I received many new books of a sanguine Complexion from other hands without Admiration I. The first passage referred to was pag. 104. Which are confessedly things indifferent This is spoken indefinitely of the Presbyterians Where have I lived I know not one Presbyterian living that divideth from you for any thing which he confesseth indifferent I crave your Answer containing the proof of this At least to name some one of them that we may reprove him We take conformity to be so far from indifferent that we forbear to tell the World the greatness of the Sin which we think to be in it lest Men cannot bear it and lest it should disaffect the people to the Ministry of the Conformists II. Your pag. 156. I pass by The main matter is pag. 160. 161. that tho All the Nonconformists were not in Actual Arms against the King nor did they all as natural Agents cut off his head but morally that is very sinfully and wickedly they had their hand stained with that Royal blood For whosoever did Abet these Sons of Belial in their Rebellions Treasons Murders of their King and fellow Subjects either by consenting to their Villanies praying for their Prosperity praising God for their Successes c. The Charge is high If it be not true 1. They are almost as deeply wronged as you can wrong them 2. Our Rulers are wronged by being so provoked to abhor them Silence and Destroy them 3. Posterity is wronged by a misinforming History I. You are too old to be ignorant that it was an Episcopal and Erastian Parliament of Conformists that first took up those Arms in England against the King The Members yet living profess that at that time they knew but one Presbyterian in the House of Commons Interest forced or led them to call in the Scots and Presbytery came in with them If you doubt of it see the Propositions to the King at Nottingham where a Limited Episcopacy is one II. The Lord Lieutenants that seized on the Militia were far most Conformists and scarce any Presbyterians at all III. The General Officers and Colonels of the Earl of Essex Army were ten to one Conformists and few if any Presbyterians save after deboist Mercenary Scots if they were such which I know not And the General Episcopal himself IV. The Major Generals of the Militia in the several Countries were mostly Conformists and Scarce any Presbyterians V. The assembly at Westminster when they went thither were all Conformists save about 8 or 9 and the Scots Commissioners VI. One of the two Arch-Bishops was a General in the Parliament's Army VII Many of the present Conformable Ministers were in Arms against the King and some wrote for his Death and many of them took the Covenant and Engagement VIII The most of the conformable Gentry of my acquaintance that were put upon it took the Engagement against the King and House of Lords IX The Non-conformable Ministers of Gloucestershier Mr. Geery Mr. Capell Mr. Marshall c. were against the Parliament's War though the Parliament's Gaâ—â—ison was over them Mr. Bampfield who hath lain 6 or 7 years in the common Jail for Preaching with his Brother sometimes Speaker of the House of Commons were so much against the Parliament's Cause that to this day even while he lay in Jail he most zealously made his followers renounce it Many Non-conformists in many Counties were of the same mind X. Many of the Non-conformists lived in
accuse me for one word that ever I Preached nor one Action else that I have done While the greatest of the Bishops Preach not thrice a year as their Neighbours say themselves § 305. The dangerous Crack over the Market-house at St. Iames's put many upon desiring that I had a larger safer place for Meeting And though my own dulnss and great backwardness to troublesome business made me very averse to so great an undertaking judging that it being in the face of the Court it would never be endured yet the great and uncessant importunity of many out of a fervent desire of the good of Souls did constrain me to undertake it And when it was almost finished in Oxenden-strtet Mr. Henry Coventry one of his Majesties principal Secretaries who had a house joyning to it and was a Member of Parliament spake twice against it in the Parliament But no one seconded him § 306. I think meet to recite the names and liberality of some of those pious and Charitable persons who contributed towards the building of this place The money was all put into the hands of Mr. Tho Stanley a worthy sufficient Citizen in Bread-street who undertook the care and Disbursement for I never toucht one penny of it my self nor any one for me Nor did I think meet to make a publick Collection for it in the place where I Preached The Lady Armine 60 l. on her death-bed Sir Iohn Maynerd 40 l. Mr. Brooke Bridgdes 20 l. Sir Iames Langham 20 l. at first time The Countess of Clare 10 l The Countess of Trecolonel 6 l. The Lady Clinton 5 l. The Lady Eleanor Hollis 5 l. The Countess of Warwick 20 l. Mr. French and Mr. Brandon Non-conformable Ministers 20 l. The Lady Richards 5 l. Mr. Henly a Parliament man 5 l. Sir Edward Herley 10 l. Mr. Richard Hambdon and Mr. Iohn his Son 8 l. The Lady Fitz-Iames and her three Daughters 6 l. Sir Richard Chiverton 1 l. Mrs Reighnolds 1 l. Alderman Henry Ashurst and his Son-in-law Mr. Booth the first Undertakers 100 l. Collected among all their City Friends and Ours whom they thought meet to move in it And that we might do the more good my Wife urged the Building of another Meeting-place in Bloomsbury for Mr. Read to be furthered by my sometime helping him the Neighbourhood being very full of People Rich and Poor that could not come into the Parish-Church through the greatness of the Parish and Dr. Bourman the Parish-Parson having not Preached Prayed Read or Administred Sacraments these Three or Four Years § 307. This Week Iun. 14. many Bishops were with the King who they say granted them his Commands to put the Laws against us in Execution And on Tuesday about Twelve or Thirteen of them went to Dine with the Sheriff of London Sir Nathanael Herne where the business being mentioned he told them that they could not Trade with their Neighbours one Day and send them to Goal the next § 308. Dr. Tully by his book called Iustificatio Paulina constrained me to Publish Two Books in Vindication of the Truth and my self viz. Two Disputations of Original Sin and a Treatise of Justifying Righteousness in which I â—oblished my Old Papers to Mr. Christopher Cartwright Dr. Tully presently fell sick and to our common Loss shortly died § 309. I was so long wearied with keeping my Doors shut against them that came to distrein on my Goods for Preaching that I was fain to go from my House and to sell all my Goods and to hide my Library first and afterwards to sell it So that if Books had been my Treasure and I valued little more on Earth I had been now without a treasure About Twelve Years I was driven an Hundred Miles from them and when I had paid dear for the Carriage after Two or Three Years I was forced to sell them And the Prelates to hinder me from Preaching deprived me also of these private Comforts But God saw that they were my Snare We brought nothing into the World and we must carry nothing out The Loss in very tolerable § 310. I was the willinger to part with Goods Books and all that I might have nothing to be distreined and so go on to Preach And accordingly removing my Dwelling to the New Chappel which I had built I purposed to venture there to Preach there beiug Forty Thousand Persons in the Parish as is supposed more than can hear in the Parish-Church who have no Place to go to for God's Publick Worship So that I set not up Church against Church but Preached to those that must else have none being loth that London should turn Atheists or live worse than Infidels But when I had Preached there but Once a Resolution was taken to surprize me the next Day and send me for Six Months to the Common Goal upon the Act for the Oxford Oath Not knowing of this it being the hottest part of the Year I agreed to go for a few Weeks into the Countrey Twenty Miles off But the Night before I should go I fell so ill that I was fain to send to disappoint both the Coach and my intended Companion Mr. Sylvester And when I was thus fully resolved to stay it pleased God after the Ordinary Coach-Hour that Three Men from Three parts of the City met at my House accidentally just at the same time almost to a minute of whom if any One had not been there I had not gone viz. the Coachman again to urge me Mr. Sylvester whom I had put off and Dr. Coxe who compelled me and told me else he would carry me into the Coach It proved a special merciful Providence of God for after One Week of Languishing and Pain I had Nine Weeks greater Ease than ever I expected in this World and greater Comfort in my Work For my good Friend Richard Berisford Esq Clerk of the Exchequer whose importunity drew me to his House spared for no Cost Labour oâ— Kindness for my Health or Service For understanding of which and much more in these Papers seeing I record such things for the Notice of Students and Physicians that other mens Health may have some advantage by my Experiences and Sorrows I must here digress to mention the State of my vile Body not otherwise worthy the notice of the World § 311. What is before written hath notified that I have lain in above Forty Years constant Weaknesses and almost constant Pains My chief Troubles were incredible Inflamations of Stomach Bowels Back Sides Head Thighs as if I had been daily fill'd with Wind So that I never knew heard or read of any man that had near so much Thirty Physicians at least all called it nothing but Hypochondriack Flatulency and somewhat of a Scorbutical Malady Great bleeding at the Nose also did emaciate me and keep me in a Chachectical Atropie The particular Symptoms were more than I can number I thought my self that my Disease was almost all from Debility of the
long if there be cause § 315. Whilst this was my Employment in the Countrey my Friends at home had got one Mr. Seddon a Nonconformist of Derbyshire lately come to the Gity as a Traveller to Preach the Second Sermon in my New Built Chappel He was told and over-told all the Danger and desired not to come if he feared it I had left word That if he would but step into my House through a Door he was in no danger they having not Power to break open any but the Meeting-house While he was Preaching Three Justices with Soldiers supposed by Secretary Coventry's sending came to the Door to seize the Preacher They thought it had been I and had prepared a Warrant upon the Oxford Act to send me for Six Months to the Common Goal The good man and Two Weak Honest Persons intrusted to have directed him left the House where he was safe and thinking to pass away came to the Justices and Soldiers at the Door and there stood by them till some one said This is the Preacher And so they took him and blotted my Name out of the Warrant and put in his Though almost every Word fitted to my Case was false of him To the Gatehouse he was carried where he continued almost Three Months of the Six and being earnestly desirous of Deliverance I was put to Charges to accomplish it and at last having Righteous Judges and the Warrant being found faulty he had an Habeas Corpus and was freed upon Bonds to appear again the next Term. § 316. By this means my Case was made much worse For 1. The Justices and other Prosecutors were the more exasperated against me 2. And they were now taught to stop every Hole in the next Warrant to which I was still as liable as ever So that I had now no Prospect that way of Escape And yet though my Charge Care and Trouble had been great for his Deliverance and Good People had dealt very kindly with him my usual Back-biters the Prelatists and Separatists talk commonly of me as one that had unworthily saved my self from Danger and drawn a Stranger into the Snare and therefore deserved to bear all the Charges Though as is said 1. I was Twenty Miles off Preaching publickly 2. They that askt him to Preach told him the Worst 3. He went into Danger from Safety by the Conduct of some Persons of that censorious humour 4. My Danger was Increased by it as well as my Charges But Man's Approbation is a Poor Reward § 317. Just when I came home and was beginning to seek Mr. Seddon's Deliverance Mr. Rosse Died the Fiercest of the Justices who had sent me to Goal before The other Two are one Mr. Grey and Sir Philip Matthews § 318. The Parliament being sate again a Letter was secretly printed containing the History of the Debate in the Lord's House the former Sessions about the Test and it was Voted to be burnt by the Hangman but the more desired and read it In which it appeareth That when it came to be their own case more was said by the Lords for the Cause of the Nonconformists than ever they were permitted to say for themselves § 319. A most Excellent Book was written for the Nonconformists for Abatements and Forbearance and Concord by Dr. Herbert Crofts Bp. of Hereford without his Name of which more afterward § 320. The Lords and Commons Revived their Contests about their Powers and Priviledges and the Lords appointed Four Lawyers to plead their Cause and the Commons set up Orders or Votes to forbid them And the Duke of Buckingham made a Notable Speech against Persecution and desired the Consent of the Lords that he might bring in a Bill for the Ease of His Majesty's Protestant Subjects in matters of Religion but while it was preparing the King on Monday November 21st Prorogued the Parliament till February come Twelve-month § 321. The Speeches of the Earl of Shaftsbury and others about the Test were secretly Printed and a Paper of Reasons for Dissolving this Parliament and Calling a New One which were given in the House of Lords And the Debates of this Test opening a little of the Noncouformists Cause as to the Oxford Oath together with what the Earl of Shaftsbury hath done with Wit and Resolution hath alienated many even of the Conformists from the present prevailing Bishops § 322. The other of the fierce Justices that Subscribed a Warrant for my imprisonment died shortly after viz. Colonel Grey The Death of Mr. Barwell Sir Iohn Medlicot Mr. Ross and Mr. Grey besides the Death of some Informers and the Repentance of others and the Death of some late Opposers of the Clergy made me and some others the more to compassionate Persecutors and dread God's Judgments § 323. The Town of Northampton lamentably burnt § 324. An Earthquake in divers Counties § 325. My Dear Friend Sir Matthew Hale Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench falling into a Languishing Disease from which he is not like to Recover resolvedly petitioned for a Dismission and gave up his Place having gone through his Employments and gone off the Stage with more universal love and honour for his Skill Wisdom Piety and resolved Justice than ever I heard or read that any English Man ever did before him or any Magistrate in the World of his rank since the days of the Kings of Israel He resolved in his weakness that the place should not be a burden to him nor he to it And after all his great practice and places he tells me That with his own Inheritance and all he is not now worth above Five hundred Pounds per Annum so little sought he after gain He may most truly be called The Pillar and Basis or Ground of Iustice as Paul called not the Church but Timothy in the Church the Pillar and Basis of Truth His digested knowledge in Law above all Men and next in Philosophy and much in Theology was very great His sincere honesty and humility admirable His Garb and House and Attendance so very mean and low and he so resolutely avoided all the Diversions and Vanities of the World that he was herein the Marvel of his Age. Some made it a Scandal but his Wisdom chose it for his Convenience that in his Age he Marryed a Woman of no Estate suitable to his Disposition to be to him as a Nurse He succeeded me in one of the meanest Houses that ever I had lived in and there hath ever since continued with full content till now that he is going to his Native Countrey in likely-hood to die there It is not the least of my pleasure that I have lived some years in his more than ordinary Love and Friendship and that we are now waiting which shall be first in Heaven Whither he saith he is going with full content and acquiescence in the Will of a gracious God and doubts not but we shall shortly live together O what a blessed World were this were the
no Acts of Government but the Parliament in being should continue or if none then were that which last was should be in power and exercise all the Government in the Name of the King This offer took much with many but most said that it signifyed nothing For Papists have easily Dispensations to take any Tests or Oaths and Queen Mary's case shewed how Parliaments will serve the Prince's will § 39. Divers Papists turned from them to the Protestants upon the Detection of their wickedness and bloody Principles and minds And among others Mr. Hutchinson that called himself Berry against whom I lately wrote He first wrote for the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and after forsook them seemingly for a time § 40. When I had written my Book against Mr. Gale's Treatise for Predetermination and was intending to Print it the good man fell sick of a Consumption and I thought it meet to suspend the publication lest I should grieve him and increase his sickness of which he dyed And that I might not obscure God's Providence about sin I wrote and preached two Sermons to shew what great and excellent things God doth in the World by the occasion of Man's sin And verily it is wonderful to observe that in England all Parties Prelatical first Independents Anabaptists especially Papists have been brought down by themselves and not by the wit and strength of their Enemies and we can hardly discern any footsteps of any of our own Endeavours wit or power in any of our Late Deliverances but our Enemies wickedness and bloody Designs have been the occasion of almost all Yea the Presbyterians themselves have suffered more by the dividing effects of their own Covenant and their unskilfulness in healing the Divisions between them and the Independents and Anabaptists and the Episcopal than by any strength that brought them down tho since men's wrath hath troden them as in the dirt § 41. In April I finished a Treatise of the only way of Union and Concord among all Christian Churches In three parts 1. Of the Nature and Reasons of Union an Concord 2. Of the true and only Terms 3. Of the Nature of Schism and the false Terms on which the Church will never unite § 42. Two years ago by the Consent of many Ministers I Printed one Writing called the Judgment of Nonconformists concerning the Parts or Office of Reason in Religion which having good acceptance by the same Men's consent I yielded to the Printing of three more one of the difference between Grace and Morality Another called the Nonconformists Judgment about things indifferent commanded by Authority And another What Nonconformity is not disclaiming several false Imputations To which I added a 4th of Scandal But when they were Printed some of our Political friends in Parliament and else where were against the publishing of them saying they would increase our sufferings by exasperating or offend some Sectaries that dislike some words And so I was put to pay 23 l. for the printing of them and suppress them § 43. I wrote also Divers Treatises of Nonconformity One opening their case by a multitude of Quere's Another by way of History and Assertion specially vindicating them from the Charge of Schism Another to prove it their duty to continue preaching tho forbidden c. § 44. The Earl of Argyle told me that being in company with some very great men one of them said that he went once to hear Mr. Baxter preach and he said nothing but what might beseem the King's Chappel and concluded that it was his Judgment that I ought to be beaten with many stripes because it could not be through ignorance but meer faction that I conformed not And the Bishops and Clergy to this day make unstudied Noble Men and Gentlemen believe that we confess all to be lawful and meer Inconveniences which we deny Conformity to O inhumane Impudence A Plot of Satan to tempt men never more to believe Clergy men's History Hereupon the said Earl of Argyle after many others desiring me to write down the points that we deny Conformity to I wrote 1. The case of the Nonconformists in a brief History 2. An Index of about 40 or 50 of the points that we cannot conform to but barely naming them without proof to avoid prolixity which may expose them to any Pretender's Confutation And at the importunity of a friend this week May 2. I permitted the shewing them to the Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow who is a Man firmly zealous against Popery of great Reading and Learning long a publick Professor of Divinity in Oxford and esteemed of as equal at least with the best of the Bishops And yet told my friend that got my Papers for him that he could hear of nothing that we judged to be sin but meer inconveniences When as above 17 years ago we publickly endeavoured to prove the sinfulness even of many of the old Impositions and our petition for peace was printed in which we solemnly professed that nothing should hinder us from Conformity did we not believe it to be sin against God and endangering our salvation Yet thus talk the best and Learnedest of them as if they had dwelt a thousand Miles from us and had never heard our Case Some would persuade us that they are all meer hardened impudent Worldlings that know all to be Lies which they thus speak But I am persuaded that this is too hard Censure and that some yea many of the Clergy think as they thus speak because the Schism of the Age doth make them meer strangers to us knowing little more of our minds than what they hear from one another by such Reports And yet we never had leave to speak or write our Case to tell men what it is that we think sin in the New-Conformity much less to give our Reasons § 45. The firing fury going on still God leaving the Papists to self-destroying madness on Friday night May 9. Some Papist prisoners bribing the Porter they set the prison on fire and burnt much of it down the Porter and they escaping together which put the Parliament to appoint the drawing up of a stricter Law to prevent more firing But what can Laws do to it § 46. On the Lord's day May 11th 1679. The Commons sate extraordinarily and agreed in two Votes first that the Duke of York was uncapable of succeeding in the Imperial Crown of England 2. That they would stand by the King and the Protestant Religion with their Lives and Fortunes and if the King came to a violent Death which God forbid would be revenged on the Papists § 47. The Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland Iames Sharp was Murdered this Month. The Actors a Servant hardly used by him or a Tenant drew in some Confederates since suffered § 48. The Parliament shortly dissolved while they insisted on the tryal of the Lord Treasurer § 49. The Scots being forbidden to preach and Meet in the open Fields being led by a few rash
men at a Meeting being assaulted defended themselves and so were many drawn into resistance of the Magistrate and were destroyed § 50. There came from among the Papists more and more Converts that detected the Plot against Religion and the King After Oates Bedlow Everard Dugdale â—ranse came Ienrison a Gentleman of Gray-Inn Smyth a Priest and others But nothing stopt them more than a Plot discovered to have turned all the odium on the Presbyterians and Protestant Adversaries of Popery They hired one Dangerfield to manage the matter but by the industry of Colonel Mansel who was to have been first accused and Sir William Waller the Plot was fully detected to have forged a Plot as of the Presbyterians or Dissenters and many great Lords And Dangerfield confest all and continueth a stedfast Convert and Protestant to this day § 51. But my unfitness and the Torrent of late Matter here stops me from proceeding to insert the the History of this Age It is done and like to be done so copiously by others that these shreds will be of small signification Every year of late hath afforded matter for a Volume of Lamentations Only that Posterity may not be deluded by Credulity I shall truly tell them That Lying most Impudently in Print against the most notorious Evidence of Truth in the vending of cruel Malice against Men of Conscience and the fear of God is become so ordinary a Trade as that its like with Men of Experience ere long to pass for a good Conclusion Dictum vel scriptum est a Malignis Ergo falsum est Many of the Malignant Clergy and Laity especially Le Strange the Observator and such others do with so great Confidence publish the most Notorious Falshoods that I must confess it hath greatly depressed my Esteem of most History and of Humane Nature If other Historians be like some of these Times their Assertions when-ever they speak of such as they distaste are to be Read as Hebrew backward and are so far from signifying Truth that many for one are downright Lies It 's no wonder Perjury is grown so common when the most Impudent Lying hath so prepared the way § 52. Having published a Confutation of Mr. Danvers about Infant-baptism one Mr. Hut binson an Anabaptist in a reproachful Letter called me to review what I had written on that Subject And in a few sheets I published it called A Review of my thoughts of Infant-Baptism which I think for the brevity and perspicuity fittest for the use of ordinary doubters of that point And Mr. Barret hath contracted my other Books of it in certain Quaere's § 53. The act restraining the Press being expired I published a Book that lay by me to open the case of Nonconformity called A Plea for Peace which greatly offended many Conformists tho I ventured no farther but to name the things that we durst not conform to Even the same Men that had long called out to us to tell them what we desired and said We had nothing to say could not bear it The Bishop of Ely Dr. Gunning told me He would petition Authority to command us to give the reasons of our Nonconformity and not thus keep up a Schism and give no reason for it The Bishop of London Dr. Compton told me That the King took us to be not sincere for not giving the reasons of our dissent I told them both it was a strange Expectation from Men that had so fully given their reason against the old Conformity in our Reply and could get no Answer and when their own Laws would Excommunicate Imprison and Ruin us for doing any such thing as they demanded But I would begg it on my knees and return them most hearty thanks if they would but procure us leave to do it Yet when it was but half done it greatly provoked them And they Wrote and said That without the least provocation I had assaulted them Whereas I only named what we stuck at professing to accuse none of them And they thought Seventeen years Silencing Prosecuting Imprisoning Accusations of Parliament men Prelates Priests and People and all their Calls What would you have Why do you not tell us what you stick at to be no provocation Yea Bishops and Doctors had long told Great Men That I my self had said That it was only things inconvenient and not things sinful which I refused to Conform to Whereas I had given them in the Description of Eight Particular things in the old Conformity which I undertook to prove sinful and at the Savoy began with one of them And in the Petition for Peace offered our Oaths that we would refuse Conformity to nothing but what we took to be sin And now when I told them what the Sins were O what a common Storm did it raise among them When Heathens would have let Men speak for themselves before they are Condemned its Criminal in us to do it Seventeen years after § 54. Dr. Stillingfleet being made Dean of Pauls was put on as the most plausible Writer to begin the assault against us which he did in a printed Sermon proving me and such Others Schismaticks and Separatists To which I gave an answer which I thought satisfactory Dr. Owen and Mr. Alsoy also answered him To all which be wrote some what like a Reply § 55. Against this I Wrote a second Defence which he never answered § 56. One Mr. Cheny an honest weak Melancholy-Man wrote against my Plea for Peace to which I Published an Answer § 57. One Mr. Hinkley Wrote against me long ago which occasioned some Letters betwixt us and now he Published his Part and put me to publish mine which I did with an Answer to a Book called Reflexions c. and another called The Impleader and a Re-joynder to Mr. Cheny-Long of Exeter was one of them § 58. Because a Book called The Counterminer Le Strange and many others endeavoured still as their Chief Work to perswade Rulers and all that we cherished Principles of Rebellion and were preparing for Treason Sedition or a War I much desired openly to publish our Principles about Government and Obedience but our Wise Parliament-Gentlemen were against it saying You can publish nothing so truly or warily but Men will draw Venom out of it and make use of it against you But having been thus stopt many years it satisfied not my Conscience and I published all in a Book called A second Plea for Peace And it hath had the strange fate of Being Unanswered to this day nor can I get them to take notice of it Though it was feared it would have been but â—ewel to their Malice for some ill effect I added to it The Nonconformists Iudgment about things indifferent about Scandal The difference between Grace and Morality and what Nonconformity is not § 59. Upon Mr. H. Dodwell's provocation I published a Treatise of Episcopacy that had lain long by me which fully openeth our Judgment about the difference between
the old Episcopacy and our new Diocesans and Answereth almost all the Chief Writers which have Written for such Prelacy specially Bishop Downance Dr. Hammond Saravia Spalatensis Setavius c. I think I may freely say it is Elaborate and had it not done somewhat effectually in the undertaken cause some one or other would have answered it ere now It makes me admire that my Cathol Theology our Reformed Liturgy my Second Plea for Peace that I say not the first also and this Treatise of Episcopaoy could never 〈◊〉 an Answer from any of these fierce Accusing Men when as it is the Subjects of these Four which are the Controversies of the Age and Rage by these Man so much insisted on But I have since found some Explication about the English Diâ—cesanes necessary which the Separatists forced me to publish by misunderstanding me § 60. Mr. Hinkley grew more moderate and Wrote me a Reconciling Letter but Long of Exceter if Fame misreport not the Anonimous Author Wrote so fierce a Book to prove me out of my own Writings to be one of the worst Men living on Earth full of Falshoods and old â—â—â—racted Lines and half Sentences that I never saw any like it And being overwhelmed with Work and Weakness and Pains and having least zeal to defend a Person so bad as I know my self to be I yet never Answered him it being none of the matter in Controversie whether I be good or bad God be Merciful to me a Sinner § 61. I published also an Apology for the Nonconformists Preaching proving it their duty to Preach though forbidden while they can And Answering a Multitude of Objectors against them Fowlis Morley Cunning Parker Patrick Druell Saywell Ashton Good Dodwell c. With Reasons to prove that the honest Conformists should be for our Preaching § 62. I published a few Sheets called A Moral Prognostication what will befall the Curches as gathered only from Moral Causes § 63. Because the accusation of Schism is it that maketh all the noise against the Nonconformists in the Mouths of their Persecuâ—ors I Wrote a few Sheets called A search for the English Schismatick comparing the Principles and Practices of both Parties and leaving it to the 〈◊〉 to Judge who is the Schismatick shewing that the Prelatists have in the Canons ipso facto Excommunicated all Nobility Gentry Clergy and People who do but affirm that there is any thing sinful in their Liturgy Ceremonies or Church 〈◊〉 even to the lowest Officer And their Laws cast 〈◊〉 of the Ministery into Goals and then they call us Schismaticks for not 〈◊〉 to their Churches Yea though we come to them constantly as I have 〈◊〉 if we will not give over Preaching our selves when the parishes I lived in Lad 〈◊〉 Fifty thousand the other Twenty thousand Souls in it more than can come within the Church-doors This Book also and my Prognostication and which I most valued my True and only way of Vniversal Concord were Railed at but never Answered that I know of no more than those fore-mentioned § 64. One Mr. Morrice Chaplain to Arch-bishop Sandcroft Wrote a Learned and Virulent Book against my Abstract of the History of Bishops and Councils and against a small Book of Mr. David Clerkson against the Antiquity of Diocesancs To this Mr. Clerkson and I conjoyned our Answers In mine â— Epitomixed Iob Ludolphus History of Habassia in the Preface and I think sufficiently Vindicated my History of Councils and so think they that were greatly taken with Mr. Morrice's book till they saw the Answer And Mr. Clerkson hath shewn himself so much better acquainted with Church History than they that whether they will attempt to answer his Testimonies and mine in my Treatise of Episcopacy which disprove the Antiquity of Diocesanes or will trust only to possession power and noise I know not § 65. Mr. H. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock by publick accusation called me out to publish a Book called An Answer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock confuting an Vniversal Humane Church-Sovereignty Aristocratical and Monâ—â—chical as Church-Tyranny and Popery and defending Dr. Isaac Barrow's Excellent Treatise against it For Dr. Tillotson had newly Published this Excellent Post humous-Treatise and Sherlock quarrel'd with it In this I confuted Mr. Dodwell's Treatise of Schism and many of his Letters and Conferences with me which I think he will pass by lest his own Reply should make those know him who read not mine § 66. In a short time I was called with a grieved heart to Preach and Publish many Funeral Sermons on the Death of many Excellent Saints Mr. Stubbes went first that Humble Holy Serious Preacher long a blessing to Gloucestershire and Somersetshire and other parts and lastly to London I had great reason to lament my particular Loss of so holy a friend who oft told me That for very many years he never went to God by solemn Prayer without a particular remembrance of me but of him before Next died Mrs. Coxe Wife to Dr. Thomas Coxe now President of the Colledge of Physicians a Woman of such admirable composure of Humble Seriâ—â—â— Godliness meekness patience exactness of Speech and all behaviour and great Charity that all that I have said in her Funeral Sermon is much short of her worth Next died my most intire Friend Alderman Henry Asâ—â—rst commonly taken for the most exemplary Saint that was of publick notice in this City so sound in Judgment of such admirable Meekness Patience Universal Charity Studious of Good Works and large therein that we know not where to find his Equal Yet though such a Holy Man of a strong Body God 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 by the terrible Disease of the Stone in the Bladder And in 〈…〉 to be Cut and two broken Stones taken out by Thirty pieces and more with admirable patience And when the Wound was almost â—â—aled he was fain to be Cut again of a third Stone that was left behind and after much 〈◊〉 and patience died with great peace and quietness of Mind and hath left behind him the perfume of a most honoured Name and the Memorials of a most exemplary Life to be imitated by all his Descendents Next my dear Friend Mr. Iohn Corbet of just the like tâ—mper of Body and Soul having endured at Chichester many years Torment of the same Disease coming up to be 〈◊〉 died before they could Cut him and had just three 〈…〉 in his Bladder at Mr. Ashurst's were his worth is known in Gloucester 〈◊〉 London and by his Writings to the Land to be beyond what I have published of him in his Funeral Sermon He having lived in my House before and greatly honoâ—red by my Wife She got not long after his exâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Wife 〈◊〉 to Dr. Twiss to be her Companion but enjoyed that comfort 〈…〉 while which I have longer enjoyed § 67. Near the same time died my Father's second Wife Mery the Daughter of Sir Thomas 〈◊〉 and sister to Sir 〈…〉 in the Waâ—s Her
Mother the old Lady 〈◊〉 died at my Father's House between Eighty and One Hundred years old And my Mother-in-Law died at Ninety six of a Cancer in 〈…〉 having lived from her youth in the greatest Mortification 〈◊〉 to her Body and 〈…〉 of Prayer and all Devotion of any one that ever I knew In the hatred of all sin strictness of Universal obedience and for Thirty years longing to be with Christ In constant daily acquired infirmity of body got by avoiding all Exercise and long secret prayer in the coldest Seasons and such like but of a constitution naturally strong afraid of recovering when ever she was ill For some days before her death she was so taken with the Ninty first Psalm that she would get those that came near her to read it to her over and over which Psalm also was a great means of Comfort to Old Beza even against his Death § 68. Soon after dyed Iane Matthews aged Seventy six My House-keeper fourteen years though mean of quality very eminent in Kiderminster and the parts about for Wisdom Piety and a holy Sober Righteous Exemplary Life And many of my Old Hearers and Flock at Kiderminster dyed not long before Among whom a mean Freeholder Iames Butcher of Wanmerton hath left few equal to him for all that seemeth to approach perfection in a plain Man O how many holy Souls are gone to Christ out of that one Parish of Kiderminster in a few years and yet the Number seemeth to increase § 69. The Book which I published called The Poor Man's Family Book was so well accepted that I found it a useful work of Charity to give many of them with the Call to the Vnconverted abroad in many Countries where neither I nor such others had leave to Preach and many Hundreds since with good success § 70. The times were so bad for selling Books that I was fain to be my self at the charge of Printing my Methodus Theologiae some friends contributed about Eighty pounds towards it It cost me one way or other about Five hundred pounds About Two hundred and fifty pounds I received from those Non-conformists that bought them The Contrary party set themselves to hinder the sale of it because it was mine tho' else the Doctrine of it being half Philosophical and half Conciliatory would have pleased the Learned part of them But most lay it by as too hard for them as over Scholastical and exact I wrote it and my English Christian Directory to make up one Compleat Body of Theology The Latin one the Theory and the English one the Practical part And the latter is commonly accepted because less difficult § 71. My short piece against Popery called The Certainty of Christianity without Popery proved of use against Infidels as well as Papists But most deceived men will not be at the labour to study any thing that is distinct and exact but take up with the first appearances of things § 72. The Miserable State of Youngmen in London was a great trouble to my mind Especially Rich men's Sons and Servants Merchants and Lawyers Apprentices and Clarks carried away by the flesh to drinking Gluttony Plays Gaming Whoring Robbing their Masters c. I wrote therefore a smal Tractate for such called Compassionate Counsel to Young men Sir Robert Atkins contributed towards the charge of Printing it and I gave of them in City and Country One thousand five hundred besides what the Bookseller sold But few will read it that most need § 73. About this time dyed my dear friend Mr. Thomas Gouge of whose Life you may see a little in Mr. Clark's last book of Lives A wonder of sincere industrie in works of Charity It would make a Volume to recite at large the Charity he used to his poor Parishioners at Sepulchres before he was Ejected and Silenced for Non-conformity His Conjunction with Alderman Ashurst and some such others in a weekly Meeting to take account of the honest poor samilles in the City that were in great want he being the Treasures and Visiter his voluntary Catechizing the Christ's Church boyes when he might not preach The many thousand Bibles Printed in Welsh that he dispersed in Wales The Practice of Piety The Whole Duty of Man My Call and many thousands of his own Writing given freely all over Wales his setting up about Three hundred or Four hundred Schools in Wales to teach Children only to read and the Catechise his industry to beg money for all this besides most of his own Estate laid out on it His Travels over Wales once or twice a year to visite his Schools and see to the Execution This was true Episcopacy of a silenced Minister who yet went constantly to the Parish Churches and was authorized by an old University License to Preach occasionally and yet for so doing was Excommunicate even in Wales while he was doing all this good He served God thus to a healthful age Seventy four or seventy six I never saw him sad but always chearful About a fort-night before he dyed he told me that sometime in the night some small trouble came to his heart he knew not what And without sickness or pain or fear of death they heard him in his sleep give a groan and he was dead O how holy and blessed a Life and how easie a Death § 74. Finding the Success of my Family Dialogue I wrote a second part 1681 and 1682 called The Catechising of Housholds teaching Housholders how to instruct their Families Expounding First the Law of Nature Secondly The Evidence of the Gospel Thirdly the Creed Fourthly the Lord's Prayer Fifthly the Commandments Sixthly the Ministry Seventhly Baptism Eighthly the Lord's Supper It is suited to those that are Past the common little Catechism And I think these two Family-books to be of the greatest Common use of any that I have published If Houshoulders would but do their parts in reading good books to their Houshoulds it might be a great Supply where the Ministry is defective and no Ministry will serve sufficiently without Men's own Endeavours for themselves and families § 75. Having been for retirement in the Countrey from Iuly till August 14. 1682 returning in great weakness I was able only to Preach twice of which the last was in my usual Lecture in New-street and it fell out to be August 24. just that day twenty year that I and near Two thousand more had been by Law forbidden to Preach any more I was sensible of God's wonderful mercy that had kept so many of us Twenty years in so much Liberty and Peace while so many severe Laws were in force against us and so great a number were round about us who wanted neither malice nor power to afflict us And so I took that day my leave of the Pulpit and publick Work in a thankful Congregation And it is like indeed to be my last § 76. But after this when I had ceased Preaching I was being newly risen from Extremity of
excepting Lay-Chancellor's use of the Keys ipso facto Excommunicateth all Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons that say That it is repugnant to the Word of God And it 's time to take heed what we Swear when the Act of Uniformity the Oxford-Act the Corporation Act the Vestry Act the Militia Act and the Oath of Supremacy do bind all the Nation by Solemn Oath not to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State And yet most Reverend Fathers who most sharply call us to Conformity do Write for a Foreign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the Name of an Universal Colledge of Bishops or Council having such power as other Courts even Commanding Pretorian Legislative and Judicial to all the Church on Earth and that obedience to this Foreign Jurisdiction is the necessary way to escape Schism and Damnation And if it be no alteration of Government to bring King and Kingom to be subject to a Foreign Jurisdiction this Oath and the Oath of Supremacy and the 39 Articles and Canons and several Statutes which renounced it are all unintelligible to us We renounce all subjection to any Foreign Church or Power but not Communion We have Communion with the Church of Rome and all others in Christianity but not in their sin and we are not yet so dull as to know no difference between Foreigners Government of us and their Communion nor to think that Separation from a Usurped Government is Separation from Christian Communion Nor can we possibly believe the Capacity of Pope or Council or Colledge of Bishops as a Monarchy or Aristocracy to Govern all the World in one Soveraignty Ecclesiastical till we see one Civil Monarchy or Aristocracy rule all the Earth And we dread the Doctrine and Example of such Men as would introduce any Foreign Jurisdiction while they are for Swearing all the Land against any alteration of Church-Government And we must deliberate before we thus Conform while so Great Men do render the Oath so doubtful to us I appeal to the fore-cited Profession of my Loyalty published many years ago as being far more full and satisfactory to any that questioneth it than the taking of this doubtful controverted Oath would be A true Copy of the Iudgment of Mr. Saunders now Lord Chief Iustice of the King's-Bench given me March the 22d 1674 5. 1. IF he hath the Bishop's License and be not a Curate Lecturer or other Promoted Ecclesiastical Person mentioned in the Act I conceive he may Preach Occasional Sermons without Conforming and not incure any Penalty within this Act. The due Order of Law requires that the Delinquent if he be forth-coming ought to be summon'd to appear to Answer for himself if he pleases before he be Convicted But in case of his withdrawing himself or not appearing he may be regularly Convicted Convictions may be accumulated before the Appeal be determined but not unduely nor is it to be supposed that any undue Convictions will be made As I Conceive Edm. Saunders M. day 22. 167â— Mr. Polixfen's Iudgment for my Preaching Occasionally A. B. before the Thirteenth of this King being Episcopally Ordained and at the time of the Act of Uniformity made Car. 2. not being Incumbent in any Living or having any Ecclesiastical Preferment before the Act of Uniformity viz. 25 Feb. 13 Car. 2. obtains a License of the then Bishop of London under his Seal to Preach in any part of his Diocess aud at the same time subscribes the 39 Articles of the Church of England Quest. Whether Licenses Preceding the Act be within the meaning of the Act I conceive they are For if Licensed at the time of the Act made what need any new License That were but actum agere and the Clause in the Act unless he be Iacensed c. in the manner of penning shews that Licenses that then were were sufficient and within the Provision And the followiug Clause as to the Lecturers is Express now is or shall be Licensed The former part of the Act as well as that extends to Licenses that then were For the same License that enables a man to Preach a Lecture must enable a man to Preach Q. Whether he be restrained by the Act of Vniformity to Preach a Funeral Sermon or other occasional Sermon I Conceiâ—e that he is not restrained by this Act to Preach any Occasional Sermon so as it be within the Diocess wherein he is Licensed Hen. Pollexfen Decemb. 19. 1682. § 77. While I continue night and day under constant pain and often strong and under the sentence of approaching death by an uncurable disease which age and great debility yields to I found great need of the constant exercise of patience by obedient submission to God and writing a small Tractate of it for my own use I saw reason to yield to them that desired it might be publick there being especially so common need of obedient patience § 78. Having long ago written a Treatise against Coalition with Papists by introducing a Foreign Jurisdiction of Pope or Councils I was urged by the Writings of Mr. Dogwel and Dr. Saywell to publish it but the Printers dare not Print it Entitled England not to be perjured by receiving a Foreign Jurisdiction It is in two Parts The first Historical shewing who have endeavoured to introduce a Foreign Jurisdiction citing Papists Grotius Arch-Bishop Bromball Arch-Bishop Laud Thorndike Dr. Saywell Dodwell four Letters to Bishop Guning and others The 2d part strictly Stating the Controversy and Confuting a Foreign Jurisdiction against which Change of Government all the Land is Sworn I may not Print it § 79. When I saw the storm of Persecution arising by the Agitators Hilton Shad Buck and such other and saw what the Justices were at least in present danger of and especially how Le Strange and other weekly Pamphleteers bent all their wit and power to make others odious and prepared for destruction and to draw as many as possibly they could to hate and ruine faithful men and how Conscience and serious piety grew with many into such hatred and reproach that no men were so much abhorred that many gloried to be called Tories tho they knew it was the name of the Irish common murdering Thieves I wrote a small Book called Cain and Abel in two parts The first against malignant Enmity to serious Godliness with abundant Reasons to convince Malignants The second against Persecution by way of Quaere's I wrote a third part as Impartial to tell Dissenters why while I was able I went oft to the Parish Church and there Communicated and why they should not suffer as Separatists or Recusants lest they suffer as evil doers But wise men would not let me publish it And the two first the Booksellers and Printers durst not print but twice refused them § 80. But the third part the Reasons of my Communion with Parish Churches that have honest able Ministers I sent to one friend who telling others of it a Bookseller after two
and Men cannot be Pastors against their wills and the will of their Diocesans That I contradict my Treatise of Episcopacy in denying this With more like this To which I say I. If the Parish Congregation were but part of a Church you might joyn with it as a part as well as with part of an Independent Church And they that can hear a Lay-man with the Separatists might hear the Ministers thereâ— II. Whether I contradict my self or not is nothing to your Cause and Conscience I undertook not when I wrote that none should wilfully or ignorantly misunderstand me The formal Notion of a National Church is nothing but a Christian Kingdom The Matter is Christian Rulers and Subjects and as ordered Confederate particular Churches England hath been such for many Ages Here from the Reformation they owned the Sovereign Power as the Head of the Political National Church as Christ is of the Universal under him They owned Parish-Churches under Diocesans and true Ministers therein Their Books shew their Judgment their Articles Apology Homelies Liturgy Ordination Canons c. These Books are still owned by the Church But at last a new sort of Bishops rose up that would have made the Parish Churches to be no proper Churches but like Chappels under the Diocesan These called themselves the Church of England when there were but about four or five Bishops left alive who Dr. Hammond said were of his mind Some such domineered afterward and would have set up that way but never prevailed either to retract the Churches Books and Laws nor to get the major part of the Clergy to own them Now all the vain question here is Which of these two Parties shall be called The Church of England Neither of them alone They are two disagreeing parts of it I argued against the last professing not to do it against the first which your Counseller would take no notice of And what 's all this to you If you will not be of the National or Diocesan Church you may be of a Parish Church III. I proved that if all the Bishops and Parliament had said The Parish Ministers are no true Pastors this would not have made them none though they might be guilty of deposing them as far as they could no more than it would make the Nonconforming Ministers and Churches to be none Because we all take the Office as instituted by Christ and Men to be but investing Servants to him having no power to alter it And as in the Marriage the Husband shall have power over the Wife though he that marry them say Nay so shall an ordained Elder be a true Pastor though the Ordainer say Nay IV. I proved that the old Church Books and Doctrine are in force still by Law and the Kingdom and Church are sworn or bound not to endeavour any alteration in the Government of the Church Therefore not to put down the Parish Ministry and Churches Therefore this is the Sence of the Church of England though not of the new Faction that usurped that Name V. Though a Man cannot be a Pastor against his will yet he may be one without his knowledge if by Errour he think he is none For he may consent to all the Office while he thinks it is not all and denieth the Name If a Man think that a Deacon may do all essential to a Pastor and so that he is but a Deacon he is nevertheless a Pastor if he consented to the Work Many thousands are Christians that think they are not and do truly consent to Christianity while they think they do not And why may it not be so also to the Ministry VI. But our Case needeth none of these Reasons For where there is all that is essential to true Pastors and Churches there are true Pastors and Churches But by God's great mercy in many thousand Parishes in England there is all that is essential to true Pastors and Churches Therefore they are such When you will call me to dispute it with any Denier I will fully prove to you That there is great need of Reformation 1. That the Church of England as it is a Christian Kingdom containing Confederate Churches under a Christian King and Laws is that very Form that Christ offered to settle in Iudea and did settle by Constantine 2. That if the Diocesans be good Men and lawfully chosen as they are meer Successours of Timothy and Titus and others that had the oversight of many Churches and Pastors by the Word they are righter than the Opposers 3. That the Incumbents of the Parish-Churches have a valid Ordination by such Bishops and Presbyters righter than the Dividers 4. That many thousands of such Pastors are Men of competent Abilities and many of greater Ministerial Abilities than most of us Nonconformists yea that no known Nation under Heaven hath in so small a compass so many able Ministers as England And that to deny it and separate is great ingratitude towards God 5. That Parish Bounds are a laudable Distribution of Churches the capable Members being Communicants and the rest Catechumens 6. That the ordinary Communicants in multitudes of Parishes are Membrs that have all that is essential to Church-Membership 7. That the Pastors have power from God for all their Work and Mens denial even the Ordainers nullifieth not that Power when they are in general ordained Presbyters 8. That by the Law of the Land they have all Power essential to Pastors They may keep from Communion all that are not Confirmed and there have owned their Baptismal Covenant or are ready and desirous so to do and therefore may try their readiness This is required by the Liturgy And they may deny the Sacrament to all that live in scandalous Sin And they must prosecute such to the Bishops Courts The Law calleth them Rectors Rulers and they own themselves for such And even the Canons that are their worst restraints do own the same and so do the rest of the church-Church-Books and Laws that they all subscribe to and promise not to alter Ask them whether they take not themselves for true Pastors if you would know whether they consent to be such 9. Though some late Innovators that called themselves The Church of England would as far as they could have nullified in some part the Parish Ministry and Churches and the Canons themselves do sinfully limit the Exercise of their Power the Cause of our Calamities yet this nullifieth not the Office and Churches the Essential Power being setled both by God's Laws and the Churches and the restraint of Exercise nulleth not the Power 10. That to Exclude any from Communion that are Baptized and at Age have owned their Christianity and are not proved by sufficient witnesses to have nullified that Profession by Apostasie Heresie or a wicked or scandalous Life is Church Tyranny and Injustice of which all are guilty that do it or desire it 11. That if this Discipline be neglected by the Ministers sinful Sloth or by the
or the Law and Canon Answ. It is an hard Task to a Minister of Christ either so to practice or so to speak as shall seem to accuse his Rulers and the Laws but when the saving of our own or other Mens Souls requireth it there is no remedy Our own silence if we ceased Preaching and our practice contrary to the Law in Preaching or Praying which is forbidden do against our wills unavoidably intimate that we suppose great sins to be commanded us And whether we preach or be silent while we Subscribe not Declare not Covenant not and Swear not and Practice not all that is required of us this cannot be hid Though our cautelousness and fear of accusing our Governours or the Conforming Ministers have given some Men occasion to affirm That we take not Conformity for a sin or that no considerable persons among us dare say so we spare the Authors whose published Names are dishonoured by themselves when prefixed to such words as he that will but read our Petition for Peace and our Reply unanswered delivered to the commissioned Bishops 1660. will say did ill beseem a Doctor a Preacher a Christian or a Man We profess from the first to this day that it is a great sin in us to forbear our Ministry or to exercise it in a forbidden manner especially when such doleful Divisions and Calamities follow it if it be not sin that is required of us and if it be not many and heinous sins our peace in suffering will have some less reason to that than we have thought it had Therefore being urged I cannot in Conscience deny a plain Answer to this Question But I despair of satisfying those Men that must have that which Augustine said he hated viz. A short Answer to a long and hard Question and that cannot away with distinction when distinct matters must be spoken to Let such Readers cast this Answer aside as being not suited to their Wits and Dispositions 1. We must distinguish between an Infant or Child in the Parents Family and one that is at Age or gone out of the Family 2. Between a thing that is either Duty or Sin or Indifferent in it self by the Law of God and Mens thinking it to be so or not so 3. And particularly between a Minister justly silenced and People justly prohibited to meet and those that are unjustly silenced and forbidden 4. Between the Prohibition or Command of the Civil Magistrate and of the Bishops 5. Between the Command of Laws or Parents to hear such and such Ministers and their Prohibition not to hear others nor joyn in such Assemblies 6. Between an Act of Formal Obedience to a Command and an Act of Prudence moved by the good or hurt that will follow 7. Between guilt of Divine Revenge and guilt of Humane Punishment I make use of all these distinctions in resolving your Doubt by 〈◊〉 following Propositions I. There is no Power but of God and none above God nor agâ—â—â—â—â— or any of his Laws All Laws are null to Conscience as being no Acts of true Authority thereto that are against the Laws of God in Nature or Scripâ—â—â—e II. Though only Rulers be Judges publickly to decide Controversiâ—â— and punish Offenders every rational Man must judge discerningly of his Duty what God's Law and Man's require else we were not governed as Men but 〈…〉 nor were accountable for our Actions to God any further than whether we obeyed Men And else all under Heathens Mahometans Papists Heretiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 be of the Kings Religion And then if the King and a Usurper strive for the Crown we must not be Judges whose part we must take All which are intolerable Consequents III. Every true Minister of Christ is in his Ordination devoted and consecrated to that Sacred Office during Ability and Life And it is from the Law of Christ that their Authority immediately ariseth as the Lord Mayor's from the King's Charter though Men elect and the Ordainers invest them in it by delivery And as he that crowneth the King cannot depose him or he that marrieth Persons cannot unmarry them no more can any depose a Pastor and dissolve his Obligations to his Office but in case of such Crimes as God's Law deposeth him for and enableth them to do it Of which Bishop Bilson of Obedience speaketh soundly too large to be here recited IV. For a Minister of Christ to forsake his Calling or Work while his Vow and the true â—â—cessity of Souls continue his Obligation and this meerly because he is unjustly forbidden by Man is to be odiously persidious and sacrilegious and a Deserter of his great Lord and Master's Work and a Murderer of the Souls which he neglecteth as verily as Parents murder their Children whom they give not food to And no Murderer hath Eternal Life were it but of the Body or Temporal Life such being as Cain of him that was a Murderer from the beginning and contrary to Christ who came to seek and save the lost V. The unjust forbidding Christ's Ministers to preach his Gospel is a sin so exceeding heinous as that no Christian should either concur in the Guilt or be so scandalous as to seem to do it Had I lived in Germany when many hundred Ministers were ejected and thereby the Churches cast into division and confusion and Protestant Preachers turned against each other about the Form or Book called the Interim while Melanchthon and some good Men partly conformed to save the Churches from ruine and Illyricus and more were Nonconformists I would not for all the Riches of the World appear before God in the Guilt of those three Men that did Compile that Book Iulius Pâ—â—ug Sidonius and Islebius Agricola or of those that for it silenced or banished Christs's Ministers 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine 1. Thess. 2. 15 16. Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sins always for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost When they persecute you in one City flee to another Shake off the dust of your feet against them It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Iudgment than for that City Matth 10. 14 15. and 23. 22. VI. God hath set up more Governments in the World than one and each hath its proper works and bounds and one may not destroy the other There is private Self-Government Family-Government Church-Government and Civil-Government each have their proper Ends also though all have one common End the pleasing of God The King in his manner and measure and to his Ends the Publick Good is
lived at Kidderminster some had defamed me of a covetous getting many hundred pounds by the Booksellers I had till then taken of Mr. Underhill Mr. Tyton and Mr. Symmons for all save the Saints Rest the fifteenth Book which usually I gave away but if any thing for Second Impressions were due I had little in Money from them but in such Books as I wanted at their Rates But when this Report of my great Gain came abroad and took notice of it in print and told the World that I intended to take more hereafter and ever since I took the fifteenth Book for my Friends and self and Eighteen pence more for every Rheam of the other fourteen which I destinated to the Poor With this while I was at Kidderminster I bought Bibles to give to all the poor Families And I got Three hundred or Four hundred pounds which I destinated all to Charitable Uses At last at London it increased to Eight hundred and thirty pounds which delivering to a worthy Friend he put it into the Hands of Sir Robert Viner with an Hundred pounds of my Wives where it lyeth setled on a Charitable Use after my Death as from the first I resolved If it fails I cannot help it I never received more of any Bookseller than the fifteenth Book and this Eighteen pence a Rheam And if for after Impressions I had more of those Fifteenths than I gave away I took about two third parts of the common price of the Bookseller or little more and oft less And sometimes I paid my self for the printing many Hundreds to give away and sometimes I bought them of the Bookseller above my number and and sometimes the Gain was my own necessary Maintenance but I resolved never to lay up a Groat of it for any but the Poor Now Sir my own Condition is this Of my Patrimony or small Inheritance never took a Penny to my self my poor Kindred needing much more I am fifteen or 16 years divested of all Ecclesiastical Maintenance I never had any Church or Lecture that I received Wages from But within these three or four years much against my Disposition I am put to take Money of the Bounty of special particular Friends my Wives Estate being never my Propriety nor much more that half our yearly Expence If then it be any way unfit for me to receive such a Proportion as aforesaid as the Fruit of my own long and hard Labour for my Necessary and Charitable Uses and if they that never took pains for it have more right than I when every Labourer is Master of his own or if I may not take some part with them I know not the reason of any of this Men grudge not at a Cobler or a Tailor or any Day-labourer for living on his Labours And why an ejected Minister of Christ giving freely five parts to a Bookseller may not take the sixth to himself or to the Poor I know not But what is the Thought or Word of Man Dr. Bates now tells me that for his Book called the Divine Harmony he had above an Hundred pounds yet reserving the Power for the future to himself For divers Impressions of the Saints Rest almost twice as big I have not had a Farthing For no Book have I had more than the fifteenth Book to my self and Friends and the Eighteen pence a Rheam for the Poor and Works of Charity which the Devil so hateth that I find it a matter past my power to give my own to any Good Use he so robs me of it or maketh Men call it a Scandalous Thing Verily since I devoted all to God I have found it harder to Give it when I do my best than to get it Though I submit of late to him partly upon Charity and am so far from laying up a Groat that though I hate Debt I am long in Debt c. c. c. SIR Yours R. B. Numb VIII The general defence of my Accused Writings called Seditious and Schismatical 1. MAtter of Right cannot be determined without foreknowing the following Matter of Fact I. There is an Enmity and War through all the Earth between Christ and Satan Christ and his Soldiers strive for Light Love and Mercy or Beneficence Satan fighteth for Darkness against Light and for Harred against Love and for Hurting and Destroying against Mercy and Good Works All Christians in Baptism are Vowed and Listed in this Warfare to Christ against Satan All Ministers are vowed in their Ordination to be Leaders in Christ's Army and to preach the Gospel according to the Holy Scriptures In all Ages and Nations Satan hath wofully prevailed against this Light Love and Mercy by hindering Preachers partly by Persecution and mostly by Corrupting them Till Christ came as the Light of the World the Darkness of Ignorance and Idolatry overspread the Earth Three hundred years all Princes were against the Gospel when Constantine owned it the rest of the Empires of the World long resisted and to this day all that receive it are but a sixth part of the World And in the Christian Empire and Churches the erroneous and corrupt Princes and Bishops took up Satan's Silenceing Work Constantius and Valens and the Arrian Bishops almost extinguished the Orthodox Light The Gothes did the like The Macedonians Nâ—storians Eutychians and the Parties for and against the Council of Ephesus of 〈◊〉 the â—ria Capitula the Monâ—thelites the Adoration and Use of â—mages and the Councils for and against Photius and Ignatius c. left but few Bishops of Note in the Eastern Empire that were not by turns Condemned and Deposed by the contrary side when it was upper most The Pope himself was an hundred years at once renounced by a great part of Italy II. But the corrupt sort of Popes out did all others They Silenced the Christians that reproved their Crimes and murdered say Historians above a Million calling them Hereticks Hunnericus and the Gothish Arrians had before kill'd many and cut the Tongues of some that after spake by miracle but the Pope made more general Desolation In the Wars between many Emperours and Popes Bishops that were for the Emperours were damned as Henrician Hereticks and decreed by Councils to be burnt when dead General Councils decreed to Excommunicate and Depose all Temporal Lords that would not Exterminate as Hereticks all that were against Transubstantiation and such like Divers Popes did so notoriously do Satan's Work that they interdicted the Preaching of the Gospel and all Publick Worship of God to England France and other whole Nations for a Quarrel with the King Robert Grosthead the holy Bishop of Lincoln wrote to Innocent the Fourth That the hindering of the preaching of the Gospel was next the Sin of Lucifer and Antichrist the greatest in the World and not to be obeyed by any Christian whoever commanded it As Reforming Light arose Papal Silenceing and Cruelty increased till Inquisitions Flames Massacres in Spain Low-Countries Bohemia Germany France
Cause against those ravening Wolves and strengthen all thy Servants whom they keep in Prison and Bondage Let not thy Long suffering be an occasion to increase their Tyranny or to discourage thy Children c. The Homilies have many Passages liable to hard Interpretations The use of none of these is Sedition XXIV From 1650. to 1660. I had Controversies by Manuscript with some great Doctors that took up with Dr. Hammond's and Petavius's new singular way of Pleading for Episcopacy which utterly betrayed it They held that in Scripture time all called Presbyters were Diocesan Bishops and that there was no such thing as our Subject Presbyters and yet that every Congregation had a Diocesan Bishop and that it was no Church that had not such a Bishop and that there are no more Churches than there are such Bishops And so when Diocesses were enlarged as ours the Parishes were no Churches for no Bishop had more than one And that Subject Presbyters are since made and are but Curates that have no more power than the Bishop pleaseth to give them Dr. Hammond in his Vindication saith That as far as he knoweth all that owned the same Cause with him against the Presbyterians were come to be of his mind herein And we know not of four Bishops then in England And the Et caetera Oath and Canons of 1640. and the Writers that nullified the Reformed Churches Ordination and Ministry and pleaded for a Forreign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and for our Re-ordination all looking the same way I thought they knew the Judgment of the few remaining Bishops better than I did and sometime called it The Iudgment of the present Church here that is of these Church-men and the English Diocesans but proved that the Laws and Doctrine still owned as the Churches was contrary to them and took the Parishes for true Churches and the Incumbents true Pastors and the Diocesans to be over many Churches and not one alone whereas the Men that I gainsayed overthrew the whole Sacred Ministry among us and all our Churches as of Divine Institution for our Presbyters they say were not in Scripture times Our Parishes are no Churches for want of Bishops our Diocesans are no Successors of such Apostolick Men as were over many Churches ours having but one And they are not like those that they call the Scripture Diocesans for they say these Doctors had but single Assemblies These Men I confuted in my Treatise of Episcopacy and other Books But the Scribe or Printer omitting my Direction to put still The fore-described Prelacy and Church instead of The English Prelacy and Church I was put to number it with the Errata and give the Reader notice of it in the Preface and Title Page and have since vindicated the Church of England hereform XXV I hear the angry Protestant Recusants say It is just with God that he that hath done more than all others to draw Men to the Parish-Churches and hath these Thirty years been Reconciling us to the Papists in Doctrinals and is now called Bellarminus junior for his Arguments for Liturgies and Forms and in his Paraphrase hath so largely and earnestly pleaded for Charity to Papists as not Babylonish or Antichristian should be the first that should suffer by them and that for this very Book that so extraordinarily doth serve their Interest To which I say take heed of mis-expounding Providence that Errour hath cost England dear If I be put to doath by them I shall not repent of any of those Conciliatory Doctrines and Endeavours I have reviewed my Writings and am greatly satisfied that I suffer not for running into either Extream nor for any false Doctrine Rebellion Treason or gross Sin but that I have spent my Labour and Life against both Persecuting and causeless Separating And that I shall leave my Testimony against both to Posterity and for what could I more comfortably suffer It is by decrying their Persecution and Cruelty that I have angred the hurtful Papists and by confuting their gross undoubted Crimes more effectually than you do by the Name of Antichrist Babylon and the Whore And if their Cruelty on me should prove my Charge against them true I shall not be guilty of it Nor will their Sin abrogate God's great Law of Love even to Enemies and if it be possible as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all men follow peace with all men blessed are the peace-makers c. The disorderly tumultuous Cries and Petitions of such ignorant Zealots for Extreams under the Name of Reformation and crying down all moderate Motions about Episcopacy and Liturgies and rushing fiercely into a War and young Lads and Apprentices and their like pricking forward Parliament Men had so great a part in our Sin and Misery from 1641. till 1660. as I must give warning to Posterity to avoid the like and love Moderation I repent that I no more discouraged ignorant Rashness in 1662. and 1663. but I repent not of any of my Motions for Peace XXVI I am sure that my Writings besides Humane Imperfection have no guilt of what they are accused unless other Men put their sense on my words and call it mine and say I meant the Rulers when I spake of Popish Interdicts Silencings and Persecutions And by that measure no Minister must speak against any Sin till he be sure that the Rulers are neither guilty nor defamed of it lest he be thought to mean them and so our Office is at an end If the Text and the general Corruption of the World lead me to speak against Fornication Perjury Calumny Lying Murder Cruelty or any Vice must I tell Men whom I mean by Name I mean all in the World that are guilty And why must my meaning be any more confined when I with the Text speak against Persecution and unjust Silencing the faithful Ministers of Christ while I say that Rulers may justly Silence all that forfeit their Commission and do more hurt than good XXVII Can any Man that hath read Church-History Fathers and Councils be ignorant how dolefully Satan hath corrupted and torn the Church by the Ambition and Tyranny of many Popes Patriarchs and Metropolitans while the humble fort of Bishops and Pastors have kept up the Life and Power of Christianity Or can any Man that maketh not Christ and his Church a meer Servant to Worldly Interest think that this should not by all true Christians be lamented Let such read Nazianzen's sad Description of the Bishops of his time in striving for the highest Seats and his wish that they were equal And the same wish of Isidore Pelusiota and the sharp Reproof hereof by Chrysostom Great Grotius expoundeth Matth. 24. 29. of the Powers of Heaven shaken thus It is the Christian Laity who after the Apostles times began to be marvellously shaken by the Tyranny of the Prelates who loved Pre-eminence and to Lord it oyer the Clergy by rash Excommunications and a daily increase of Schisms He that will
poor Plowmen understood but little of these Matters but a little would stir up their Discontent when Money was demanded But it was the more intelligent part of the Nation that were the great Complainers Insomuch that some of them denied to pay the Ship-money and put the Sheriffs to distrain the Sheriffs though afraid of a future Parliament yet did it in obedience to the King Mr. Hampden and the Lord Say brought it to a Suit where Mr. Oliver St. Iohn and other â—Lawyers boldly pleaded the Peoples Cause The King had before called all the Judges to give their Opinions Whether in a Case of need he might impose such a Tax or not And all of them gave their Opinion for the Affirmative except Judge Hatton and Judge Crook The Judgment passed for the King against Mr. Hampden But this made the Matter much more talk of throughout the Land and considered of by those that thought not much of the Importance of it before § 25. Some suspected that many of the Nobility of England did secretly Consederate with the Scots so far as to encourage them to come into England thinking that there was no other way to cause the Calling of a Parliament which was the thing that now they bent their minds to as the Remedy of these things The Earl of Essex the Earl of Warwick the Earl of Bedford the Earl of Clare the Earl of Bullingbrook the Earl of Mulgrave the Earl of Holland the Lord Say the Lord Brook and I know not how many more were said to be of this Conâ—ederacy But Heylin himself hath more truly given you the History of this That the Scots after they came in did perswade these Men of their own danger in England if Arbitrary Government went on and so they petitioned the King for a Parliament which was all their Consederacy and this was after their second Coming into England The Scots came with an Army and the King's Army met them near Newcastle but the Scots came on till an Agreement was made and a Parliament called and the Scots went home again But shortly after this Parliament so displeased the King that he Dissolved it and the War against the Scots was again undertaken to which besides others the Papists by the Queens means did voluntarily contribute whereupon the Scots complain of evil Counsels and Papists as the cause of their renewed dangers and again raise an Army and come into England And the English at York petition the King for a Parliament and once more it is resolved on and an Agreement made but neither the Scottish or English Army disbanded And thus began the Long Parliament as it was after called § 26. The Et caetera Oath was the first thing that threatned me at Bridgenorth and the second was the passage of the Earl of Bridgwater Lord President of the Marches of Wales through the Town in his Journey from Ludlow to the King in the North For his coming being on Saturday Evening the most malicious persons of the Town went to him and told him that Mr. Madestard and I did not sign with the Cross nor wear the Surplice nor pray against the Scots who were then upon their Entrance into England and for which we had no Command from the King but a printed Form of Prayer from the Bishops The Lord President told them That he would himself come to Church on the morrow and see whether we would do these things or not Mr. Madestard went away and left Mr. Swain the Reader and my self in the danger But after he had spoken for his Dinner and was ready to go to Church the Lord President suddenly changed his purpose and went away on the Lord's Day as far as Lichfield requiring the Accusers and the Bailiffs to send after him to inform him what we did On the Lord's Day at Evening they sent after him to Lichfield to tell him that we did not conform but though they boasted of no less than the hanging of us they received no other Answer from him but that he had not the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and therefore could not meddle with us but if he had he should take such order in the business as were fit And the Bailiffs and Accusers had no more wit than to read his Letter to me that I might know how they were baffled Thus I continued in my Liberty of preaching the Gospel at Bridgenorth about a year and three quarters where I took my Liberty though with very little Maintenance to be a very great mercy to me in those troublesome times § 27. The Parliament being sate did presently fall on that which they accounted Reformation of Church and State and which greatly displeased the King as well as the Bishops They made many long and vehement Speeches against the Ship-money and against the Judges that gave their Judgment for it and against the Et caetera Oath and the Bishops and Convocation that were the formers of it but especially against the Lord Thomas Wentworth Lord Deputy of Ireland and Dr. Laud Archbishop of Canterbury as the evil Counsellers who were said to be the Cause of all These Speeches were many of them printed and greedily bought up throughout the Land especially the Lord Falklands the Lord Digbies Mr. Grimstones Mr. Pims Mr. Nath. Fiennes c. which greatly increased the Peoples Apprehension of their Danger and inclined them to think hardly of the King's Proceedings but especially of the Bishops Particular Articles of Accusation were brought in against the Lord Deputy the Archbishop the Judges Bishop Wren Bishop Pierce and divers others The Concord of this Parliament consisted not in the Unanimity of the Persons for they were of several Tempers as to Matters of Religion but in the Complication of the Interest of those Causes which they severally did most concern themselves in For as the King had at once imposed the Ship-money on the Common-wealth and permitted the Bishops to impose upon the Church their displeasing Articles and bowing towards the Altar and the Book for Dancing on the Lord's Day and the Liturgy on Scotland c. and to Suspend or Silence abundance of Ministers that were conformable for want of this Super-canonical Conformity so accordingly the Parliament consisted of two sorts of Men who by the Conjunction of these Causes were united in their Votes and Endeavours for a Reformation One Party made no great matter of these Alterations in the Church but they said That if Parliaments were once down and our Propriety gone and Arbitrary Government set up and Law subjected to the Prince's Will we were then all Slaves and this they made a thing intolerable for the remedying of which they said every true English Man could think no price to dear These the People called Good Commonwealth's Men. The other sort were the more Religious Men who were also sensible of all these things but were much more sensible of the Interest of Religion and these most inveyed against the Innovations in the
Church the bowing to Altars the Book for Sports on Sundays the Casting out of Ministers the troubling of the People by the High-Commission Court the Pilloring and Cutting off Mens Ears Mr. Burtons Mr. Prins and Dr. Bastwicks for speaking against the Bishops the putting down Lectures and Afternoon Sermons and Expositions on the Lord's Days with such other things which they thought of greater weight than Ship-money But because these later agreed with the former in the Vindication of the Peoples Propriety and Liberties the former did the easilier concur with them against the Proceedings of the Bishops and High Commission Court And as soon as their Inclination was known to the People all Countreys sent in their Complaints and Petitions It was presently known how many Ministers Bishop Wren and others of them had suspended and silenced how many thousand Families had been driven to flie into Holland and how many thousand into New-England Scarce a Minister had been Silenced that was alive but it was put into a Petition Mr. Peter Smart of Durham and Dr. Layton a Scotch Physician who wrote a Book called Sion's Plea against the Prelates were released out of their long Imprisonment Mr. Burton Mr. Prin and Dr. Bastwick who as is said had been pillored and their Ears cut off and they sent into a supposed perpetual Imprisonment into the distant Castles of Gernsey Iersey and Carnarvon were all set free and Damages voted them for their wrong And when they came back to London they were met out of the City by abundance of the Citizens with such Acclamations as could not but seem a great Affront to the King and be much displeasing to him The Lord Keeper Finch and Secretary Windebank fled beyond Sea and saved themselves The guilty Judges were deeply accused and some of them imprisoned for the Cause of Ship-money But the great Displeasure was against the Lord Deputy Wentworth and Archbishop Laud Both these were sent to the Tower and a Charge drawn up against them and managed presently against the Lord Deputy by the ablest Lawyers and Gentlemen of the House This held them work a considerable time The King was exceeding unwilling to consent unto his death and therefore used all his skill to have drawn off the Parliament from so hot a Prosecution of him And now began the first Breach among themselves For the Lord Falkland the Lord Digby and divers other able Men were for the sparing of his Life and gratifying the King and not putting him on a thing so much displeasing to him The rest said If after the Attempt of Subverting the Fundamental Laws and Liberties no one Man shall suffer Death it will encourage others hereafter to the like The Londoners petitioned for Iustice And too great numbers of Apprentices and others being imboldened by the Proceedings of the Parliament and not fore-knowing what a Fire the Sparks of their temerity would kindle did too triumphingly and disorderly urge the Parliament crying Iustice Iustice. And it is not unlikely that some of the Parliament-men did encourage them to this as thinking that some backward Members would be quickned by Popular Applause And withal to work on the Members also by disgrace some insolent Painter did seditiously draw the Pictures of the chief of them that were for saving the Lord Deputy and called them the Straffordians he being Earl of Strafford and hang'd them with their Heels upward on the Exchange Though it cannot be expected that in so great a City there should be no Persons so indiscreet as to commit such disorderly Actions as these yet no sober Men should countenance them or take part with them whatever ends might be pretended or intended The King called these Tumults the Parliament called them the Cities Petitioning Those that connived at them were glad to see the People of their mind in the main and thought it would do much to facilitate their Work and hold the looser Members to their Cause For though the House was unanimous enough in condemning Ship-money and the Et caetera Oath and the Bishops Innovations c. yet it was long doubtful which side would have the major Vote in the matter of the Earl of Strafford's Death and such other Acts as were most highly displeasing to the King But disorderly means do generally bring forth more Disorders and seldom attain any good end for which they are used § 28. The Parliament also had procured the King to consent to several Acts which were of great importance and emboldened the People by confirming their Authority As an Act against the High Commission Court and Church-mens Secular or Civil Power and an Act that this Parliament should not be dissolved till its own Consent alledging that the dissolving of Parliaments emboldened Delinquents and that Debts and Disorders were so great that they could not be overcome by them in a little time Also an Act for Triennial Parliaments And the People being confident that all these were signed by the King full sore against his will and that he abhorred what was done did think that the Parliament which had constrained him to this much could carry it still in what they pleased and so grew much more regardful of the Parliament and sided with them not only for their Cause and their own Interest but also as supposing them the stronger side which the Vulgar are still apt to follow § 29. But to return to my own matters This Parliament among other parts of their Reformation resolved to reform the corrupted Clergy and appointed a Committee to receive Petitions and Complaints against them which was no sooner understood but multitudes in all Countreys came up with Petitions against their Ministers The King and Parliament were not yet divided but concurred and so no partaking in their Differences was any part of the Accusation of these Ministers till long after when the Wars had given the occasion and then that also came into their Articles but before it was only matter of Insufficiency false Doctrine illegal Innovations or Scandal that was brought in against them Mr. Iohn White being the Chair-man of the Committee for Scandalous Ministers as it was called published in print one Century first of Scandalous Ministers with their Names Places and the Articles proved against them where so much ignorance insufficiency drunkenness filthiness c. was charged on them that many moderate men could have wished that their Nakedness had been rather hid and not exposed to the Worlds derision and that they had remembred that the Papists did stand by and would make sport of it Another Century also was after published Among all these Complainers the Town of Kederminster in Worcestershire drew up a Petition against their Ministers The Vicar of the place they Articled against as one that was utterly insufficient for the Ministry presented by a Papist unlearned preached but once a quarter which was so weakly as exposed him to laughter and perswaded them that he understood not the very Substantial Articles of
that those Men are reproveable who say that nothing but Deceit and Jugling was from the beginning intended For who knoweth other Mens Intents but God Charity requireth us to think that they speak nearer to the Truth who say that while the Diocesan Doctors were at Breda they little dreamt that their way to their highest Grandeur was so fair and therefore that then they would have been glad of the Terms of the Declaration of Breda and that when they came in it was necessary that they should proceed safely and feel whether the Ground were solid under them before they proceeded to their Structure The Land had been but lately engaged against them The Covenant had been taken even by the Lords and Gentlemen of their own Party at their Composition There was the Army that brought them in who were Presbyterians as to the most of the ruling part to be disbanded and how knew they what the Parliament would do Or that there would be none to contest against them in the Convocation How could they know these things beforehand Therefore it was necessary that moderate things should be proposed and promised and no way was so fit as by a Declaration which being no Law is a temporary thing giving place to Laws And it was needful that the Calling of a Synod were delayed till the Presbyterians were partly cast out and a way to keep out the rest secured And if when all these things were done the former Promises were as the Independants called the Covenant like an Almanack out of Date and if Severities were doubled in comparison of what they were before the Wars no Man can wonder that well understood the Persons and the Causes § 144. Presently after this Mr. Crofton writing to prove the Obligation of the solemn National Vow and Covenant not as binding any Man to Rebellion or to any thing unlawful but in his Place and Calling to endeavour Reformation to be against Schism Popery Prelacy and Profaneness and to defend the King he was sent Prisoner to the Tower where when he had laid long at great Charges he sought to get an Habeas Corpus but his Life being threatned he was glad to let that Motion fall and at last to petition for his Liberty which he obtained But going into his own Country of Cheshire he was imprisoned there and when he procured his Liberty he was fain to set up a Grocer's Shop to get a maintenance for his Family While he was in the Tower he went to the Chappel Service and Sermon his Judgment being against separating from the Parish-Churches notwithstanding their Conformity so be it he were not put himself to use the Common-Prayer as a Minister or the Ceremonies And this occasioned some that thought his Course unlawful to write against it to which he somewhat sharply replied and so divers Writings were published on both sides about such Communion § 145. This calleth to my Remembrance how earnest the Brethren of London and the Countries were to have had us draw up among our selves how far we should go when Conformity was imposed that we might not be weakened by differing among our selves which I could never persuade my self to attempt considering as I oft told them 1. That we had no such Design as to unite and strengthen one Party against onother but to keep up the Interest of Religion in the Land 2. That if God permitted some able Men to conform though sinfully he would do good by it to his Church by keeping the Parish-Churches in such a Case that all of us might not be driven to forsake them 3. That the thing desired was utterly impossible 1. Because no Man could tell beforehand what would be imposed on us and therefore none could tell wherein we should be forced to dissent 2. Because the same Act as coming to Common-Prayer or Sacrament in the Churches might become a Duty to some Men and a Sin to others by diversity of their Stations Relations Pastors Churches Occasions Circumstances as I proved How then could all beforehand set a bound how far to go It would be much better to persuade Censorious Brethren to unite in Christian Faith and Love and to keep Charity and Peace with all that agree in the Foundation and not to make a Breach by their Censoriousness and then say others make a Breach by differing from us Nor to be of the same Spirit with Imposers while they are in the Heat of Opposition against them or of sufferings by them The Difference is but in the Expressions of Uncharitableness one Party silenceth imprisoneth and banisheth and the other Party censureth those that differ from them as Temporisers and unfit for their Communion 3. And if any had set down his Terms or Bounds who can dream that all would have agreed to them when Mens Judgments and Interests and Temptations are so various 4. The thing would have seem'd intollerable to our Governors and they would have taken us for Factious that had more desired to strengthen a Party against them than to live in Peace and Concord § 146. About this time there fell out an Accident that gave Occasion to the Malicious to reproach us It was our great Grief that so many faithful Ministers were put out and so many unworthy Persons restored or newly put into the Ministry Every Day almost People talkt to us of one drunk at such a Place and another carried in a Cart or lying in a Ditch at such a place or one taken drunk by the Watch at Night and another abused and made a Scorn in his Drunkenness by the Apprentices in the Streets and of Three that the Day when they had been Ordainedâ— got in their Drink three Wenches to them in the Inn or Tavern which having their married in their manner c. two fled and the third was fain to take his Wench to Wife with abundance such News that fill'd the City We modestly told some of it and they made us odious by it as malicious Slanderers as if a Word had not been true At last the City did ring of one Baker that preached a funeral Sermon drunk at Westminster and fell a railing at the People in the Church in his Sermon with much of the like Because the Rumour was so common we enquired after it till it was attested to us by the Hearers and having such unquestionable Witness some Brethren would by all means tell the King 〈◊〉 it as by the by to move â—im to reform such things When we were next with him Dr. Manton told him of it and there being one Baker elected by the King to an Irish Bishoprick and the common Fame and some of the Hearers saying that it was the same Man I seconded Dr. Manton and told the King That we could not say upon our knowledge that it was true but when the Fame of such things was common as to affect his Subjects be it true or false we thought it better for his Majesty to hear what the People