will not be perswaded though never such reason be showed them yea if an Angel from he even or one of the old Prophets arising from the dead should speak against their Opinions and wayes 't is to befeared many of them would yet go on The strong delusion that God hath sent upon many of them to beleeve lies the great interest of divers in regard of preferment and profit the Popes Crown and the Monks bellies the deep ingagements of others to that way by many relations and having mens 〈◊〉 in admiration make it is hard work to convince men though there be never such evidence of Reason I may complaine of the Sectaries of our times as Paraeus doth of some Lutherans and others in his time that things are altogether carried by opinions yea by affections no Arguments no Apologies can take place They that at the will and pleasure of some men do not approve of unprofitable scandalous yea monstrous opinions they are cast off the right hand of fellowship denyed them although they preach Christ sincerely But now in the interim till that Treatise can come forth which I intend shall preoede the Fourth Part of Gangraena I wish the Sectaries to consult Baldwins cases of Conscience who handling that case of Conscience whether the Authors and maintainers of false opinions are to be spoken against by name resolves it affirmatively giving Scriptures and Reasons for it yea showing that false teachers are rather by name to be branded then those who lead only wicked lives and Calvins Tractate against the Libertins giving reasons of his owne practice and answering objections in not only writing against the opinions of the Libertines but naming Coppinus and Quintinus cheife heads of that fastion Secondly a man would wonder at it that the Sectaries should so rage and cry out against me and my Gangraenaes for meddling with matters of fact and nominating men when as long before I put pen to paper in that kind divers of them had in Pamphlets spoken against many Presbyterians by name both godly Ministers and other worthy persons as Master Calamie Doctor Burges Master Prynne c. Master Burton telling in 〈◊〉 Pamphlet a story of me by name a◠Colchester but false and raking 〈◊〉 old matters at Bury against Master Calamie in another Pamphlet call'd Truth still Truth though shut out of doores and all before the First Part of Gangrana was printed and indeed the Sectaries have all along both before my Books came forth and 〈◊〉 since upon all occasions yea such of them as have spoken and written most against me for so doing as M. Saltmarsh M. Goodwin M. 〈…〉 on c. writ against the Pres 〈…〉 rians by name and related all 〈…〉 of fact stories of them and in a disgracefull manner and way comparing them with D. Pockling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a scoffing 〈…〉 ing abusive way dealing with them and 〈◊〉 hath not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only by Independents to Presbyterians but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written Books and given us stories and that long before I 〈◊〉 thought of this way of 〈◊〉 Sectaries a◠Anti 〈…〉 ians Anabaptists Familists and that by names with all particulars of their doings as well as opinions and of his judgement upon them as Master Wells his History of the Rise Raigne and Downfall of the Antinomians and some others in that kind so that in this I doe but follow them and write after their Copie and I appeale to the ingenuous Reader how they can with any colour blame that as a great evill and wickednesse in me which they account in themselves zeale of Gods glory and a doing God service especially considering that the Sectaries in their naming of Presbyterians and bringing in matters of fact and stories have proceeded in a sixfold manner and way all which in matters of this kind be the things most liable to blame and exception and which I have all along carefully shunned and declined First the Sectaries in writing Books against the Reformation and Presbyterians have not spared to write against and that in a most reproachfull and vild way whole bodies Assemblies Communities and those the highest and greatest as the House of Peers House of Commons the City of London and Common-Councell the Assembly the Kingdome and Generall Assembly of Scotland some scores of such Books written by Sectaries being in all mens hands whereas in my writing against Sectaries I have spoken only against particular persons but to whole Bodies and Societies I have tendred all due respect vindicating them and their power against the Pamphlets and aspersions of Sectaries Secondly the Sectaries in their writings of matters of fact have not only named ordinary persons but persons of the greatest quality and place abusing them by name as divers Members of both Houses the Speakers of both Houses some of the Lords and some of the Commons the Lord Major of London by name but I have all along declined the naming of persons in authority and Magistracie viz. in that way Thirdly the Sectaries in their personall matters and stories of the Presbyterians have still related things manifestly untrue of which there hath been no ground at all as Master Price ' s story of Master Bellamie 〈…〉 ding it unlawfull to sell Prayer Bookes as the Anabaptists in the Lord Majors farewell of the late Lord Major as some stories of Cretensis Master Burroughs and Master Burton of me the contrary unto them being the truth as a passage in Master Dels Epistle Dedicatory to the House of Commons concerning Master Ley of the Assembly most false as a passage in Master Burtons Epistle of his Conformities Deformity of the new Lord Major known to be untrue and so I could go on with instancing in passages in Master Saltmarsh Lilburne and other such Books manifestly untrue and indeed of all the stories and matters of fact the Sectaries have in their Pamphlets in disgrace of the Presbyterians I hardly know one true one whereas the stories related by me of them the most of them are knowne to many and are certain and I have beene all along carefull as by my Reply to Cretensis is evident Fourthly the Sectaries in their matters of fact have fallen upon Presbyterians with old matters many yeeres ago before Presbyterians yea gone back as farre almost as to their childhood as Master Price did to Master Bellamie and Master Burton goes back to Bury ten yeeres before to finde something against Master Calamie and so I might instance in others but I have confined my selfe within three or foure yeeres and to the times since they were Sectaries Fifthly the Sectaries have brought in against Presbyterians matters of bodily infirmities of their complexions and such like as Saltmarsh in his pretended Answer to my Second Part of Gangraena upbraids me saying Your face and complexion showes a most sadly parched burnt and withered spirit but I have forborne that least I should reproach my Maker for he that made me made them Sixthly many
Knollys p. 19. p. 48. 241. M. Peters p. 24. 27. 76 77. 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146. M. Tandy p. 54 57 58. George Young p. 64. M. Dell p. 63 64. 213. 262. M. Randall p. 25. Thomas Collyer p. 27 28 29 51 52. William Bowling and his errours p. 35 36 37. Captain Paul Hobson the Taylor p. 45. 49. John Sims a Shoomaker p. 50. 〈◊〉 â—â—ckmoore p. 51. John Pâ—â—le p. 54. Floid a Preacher p. 62. Matthewes p. 66. M. Eaton p. 68. 264. M. Saltmarsh p. 72. 75 76. 113 114. Lamb p. 78. 113. Kiffin p. 78. Turner p. 78. M. Kendall p. 79. Thomas Moore p. 80. M. Wainwright p. 81. Heath a Collar maker p. 81. Rice a Tinker p. 81. Field a Bodiesmaker p. 81. Crew a Taylor p. 81. M. Feake p. 81. 147. M. Harrison p. 81. M. Downing p. 81 82. Henry Den p. 85 86 87. M. Beedle of Glocester p. 87. Andrew Debman p. 88. M. Erbury p. 89 90. 250. Sir Worts p. 95. Potter a Smith p. 96. John Durance p. 96 97. M. Larkin p. 97. M. Powell p. 97. Brabson p. 97 98. Cornwell p. 98. M. Blackwood p. 98. M. Batcheler p. 102 103 104 105. Dagnall a Bookseller p. 105. Barre a Weaver p. 105. Hich p. 105. Carter p. 105. M. Bunniard p. 105. M. Postlethwait p. 105. M. Craâ—ts p. 105. Oats a Weaver p. 105 106. Tench p. 106. M. Burroughs p. 107 108. 118 119. 164. 180. 181 M. Symonds p. 108. 131. Crab p. 110. Thomas Weâ—b p. 111. Blunt p. 112. Emmes p. 112. Wrighter p. 112. Cretensis p. 114 115 116 117 118 119 120. 159 160 161. M. Cradock p. 131. 163. Richard Overton p. 148 149 150 151 152. John Lilburne p. 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 262 John Price p. 160 161 162. M. Sympson p. 163. Andrew Wicke p. 169 170. Katherine Chidley p. 170 171. John Hall p. 171. Lanceter p. 170 171. M. Symonds p. 241 242. M. Burton p. 242 243 244 245 246 147. Greene the Felt-maker p. 248. Spencer a Coachman p. 249. Gorton p. 249. Lievtenant John Web p. 251 252. 254. Colonell John Hewson p. 252 253. Major Axton p. 253. Margeret North p. 253. A New and further DISCOVERY OF The Errors Heresies Blasphemies and Proceedings of the Sectaries of these times HAving given the Reader an account in my First and Second Parts of Gangraena of many of the Errors Heresies Blasphemies and pernicious Practises of the Sectaries I shall now proceed to adde divers more Errors Blasphemies and insolent unheard of Practices by all which the Reader may observe those words of Paul fulfilled in our times viz. that evill men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and that place speaking of false Teachers and Doctrines for they will increase unto more ungodlinesse and their word will eate as doth a Gangrene and in this Third Part I shall more particularly and largely set downe the corrupt Opinions and Principles that have been vented against the Civill Magistrate and the Government of Common-wealths as also relate more Practises and insolencies of those Sectaries who are Souldiers and belonging to the Army then I did in the former Parts And first of all I shall lay down the erroneous Opinions not enumerated in the former Catalogues which being added to the two hundred and fourteen set down in the First and Second Parts will amount with those in the Appendix too to neer upon three hundred The third Catalogue of the Errors Heresies and strange Opinions of the Sectaries of these times 1. THat God hath a bodily shape and proportion man was made according to the likenesse of God in personall shape and God the Creator beareth the same form in shape and person which man hath This Opinion was held by some Hereticks in the fourth Century first known by the name of Audiani and afterwards call'd Anthropomorphitae Augustine in his Book de Haeresibus ad Quodvult Deum cap. 50. writes of them Audianos quos appellant alii vocant Anthropomorphitas quoniam Deum sibi fingunt cogitatione carnali in similitudinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis Theodoret in his fourth Book Haeret. Fabul writes there was one Audaeus who said God was like to man and gave to God the parts of a man who fell into this Error by his misunderstanding of those places of Scripture which speak of God according to mans understanding Danaeus in his Tractate de Haeresibus fully confutes this Opinion and shows the story of it and in that this Heresie should be now pleaded for in Print it shows us how the Devill in these times revives old Errors dead and buried for many hundred yeers 2. The story of Adams eating the forbidden fruit and of the Serpent is an Allegory by the Serpent in that place is no other then concupiscence and by the fruit of the tree some other eating then the eating of a materiall Apple is understood This also is an Error revived held by David George who lived a hundred yeers ago In David Georges life written in Latin by his sonne in law Nicolaus Blesdikius pag. 161 162. 't is related that by the Serpent entising our first Parents he meant concupiscence and pleads for an allegoricall interpretation of the Serpent because the Historicall Narration of the Serpent as it is laid down by Moses saith David George draws divers absurdities with it 3. In marriage there are no degrees of bloud or affinity forbidden but a man may marry the next of kin to him a brother may marry his Sister an Uncle his Neece a Sonne his Fathers Wife and so in any degrees without exception so that if this liking to marry happen betwixt the nearest of kindred then it is also the most naturall the most lawfull and according to the Primitive purity and practise The maine scope of this booke called Little Nonsuch or certaine new questions is to plead for Incestuous Marriages where the Author sets himselfe to evade all the Scriptures in the Old and New Testament saying T is not marriage simply with Sisters Brothers Wives c. that is forbidden so long as a man keeps wholly to such a one having taken her for wife but the committing fornication with them not being married Now I shall show the falsenesse of this by two Scriptures The first in Leviticus 18. where both in the generall verse 6. and in particular the several degrees are forbidden expressely verse 7. 8 9 10 c. of the Fathers wife of the Sister of the Fathers Sister c. And whereas the Author of that wicked Pamphlet pleads that uncovering of nakednesse is meant of fornication only and not of marriage I Answer The Holy Ghost in that Chapter expounds the uncovering of nakednesse to be marrying verse the 18. and makes taking to wife and uncovering nakednesse to be the same
of the Armies that is a preacher there and drawes away many people and though the Minister of the place did yeeld much to give him and others content in being willing to joyn with him and others to keep away scandalâ—us persons promising to watch over one another giving â—ree leave to this Potter and others to except and object any thing against him or others admitted to the Lords Supper yet nothing would give them content but this Potter and many others whom he hath drawn away meet in Separated meetings on the Lords day will pay no Tithes A godly Minister told me August 18. that some souldiers belonging to Colonell Iretons Regiment quartering but two nights in his Parish infected many he had rather have given a great deal of mony then they should have come thither He saith they be generally Arminians and sate with their hats on in Prayer Singing of Psalmes One of these souldiers told a godly woman in his Parish that if she did not beleeve Christ died for all she should be damned There is one John Durance spoken of in the Second part of Gangrana who was apprentise to a Washball-maker at the Three Herrings in Lumbard-street who after preaching some years without being ordained Minister doth now presume without any ordination to Baptize and administer the Lords Supper against which high presumption God hath lately witnessed by making one in this kind a fearfull example in York-shire which story most true and certain with the particulars of it I intend to give the reader in a Tractate of a Catalogue of the judgements of God upon the Se-Sectaries within these four last years Now this Master Durance besides preaching at Canterbury in one of the Churches hath gathered a Church to which in one of the Prebends houses wherein he dwels he preaches and administers the Lords Supper in the evening this man at Sandwich prayed strangly concerning the King as the Reader may remember and being spoken to about it he was so farre from repenting that he added this That he hoped ere long to see the King fettered in Newgate which I hearing could hardly beleeve a man should speak so wickedly of the King and therefore write down i 〈…〉 o Kent to enquire of the truth of it of them to whom it was spoken and I had this Answer returned me in a Letter that Master G. a Jurate of Sandwich had averred no lesse then what it should seem you have heard already concerning him Besides this Durance preaching presently after the newes of the surrender of Oxford said That for all that there would be no Peace till there were a generall Liberty of Conscience in England In Kent not fâ—rre from Greenwich there is a feirce Independent one Master Larkin a man of wh 〈…〉 I have heard many things both of his preaching aod conversation concerning whom there are many Letters come from New England attested with many hands writing of his ill behaviour and the scandals that are upon him there besides many passages related of his preaching here against the Assembly Ministery and of his carriage in severall particulars but I shall speake no further of him at this time There is one Master Powell at Dartmouth in Kent a great Sectary he sometimes preached in Crooked-lane where he vented many erroneous things and â—ow does a great deal of hurt in those parts of Kent There was a neighbour Minister a godly man that being behind in paying some of his Taxes being deeply taxed one imployed to gather up monies unpaid coming to him for monies not paid he demanded 〈◊〉 shillings for his charges in coming and used these words You are one that oppose Master Powell and if the Minister would not pay whatever he demanded would straine his Cowes There is one Brabson in Middlesex about Han 〈…〉 ll a great Sectarie and Preacher he preaches much against Tithes and broaches many Errours some of the Middle 〈◊〉 Ministers have told me of such a man and I am promised a full account of the man There is one Cornwell in Kent an Anabapeist who hath put forth divers Pamphlets one against Baptizing of Children others lately printed Dedicated to particular members of the House of Commons The first pamp 〈…〉 called The vindication of the royall Commission of King Jesus set forth about three years ago was given to divers Members at the doore of the House of Commons In which Book this Cornwell brands all the Reformed Churches and the whole Christian world at this day which Baptize their children with the odious name of an Anti-christian Faction There is one Master Blackwood about the Wild of Kent an Anabaptist who hath write about a yeare and a halse ago a Book called The storming of Antichrist the subject matter being against Poedobaptisme and for Liberty of Conscience so called wherein as I remember he is for a universall Toleration except it be in Blasphemy and denying the Scriptures to be the word of God but about a year ago a godly Minister told me he speaking with him about that book and about his limitations and whether he was of that judgement still he told him he had received thanks for that book from a great Commander in the army for so far as he had gone right but wished him to re-collect his thoughts whether be was not out in those limitationâ— bounds so that said M. Blackwood I am somewhat unsatisfied in my former limitations doubting whether there ought not to be a universall Toleration without any of those bounds and in a book since printed he is against any restraint in the c 〈…〉 of Blasphemy and denying the Scriptures retracting his â—ormer distinctions There is one Master Niobâ—las Davison of New-England who came over from New-England with accounts amounting to a good s 〈…〉 e which he was to give here in London and landing in the West at that time when all the West was in the Enemies power for feare of loosing his accounts and being taken durst not venture to come up to London but lived in Barstable unknown almost three quarters of a year which being then one of the Kings Garrisons he was glad to conceale himselfe they not knowing whence be came nor what he was now being sometimes in the company of the Cavaliers and of some of their Schollars he heard them often speaking among themselves of the Independents and of the differences among us and they spake to one another not thinking he took notice that there were from severall Colledges beyond the Seas Jesuites come over they named their names and the places from whence they came to act the pitts of Independents and Sectaries to blow up the difference and contention Now when the West was open and this man got faâ—â— to London he told this to divers to a godly Citizen among â—â—hers who acquainted me with it and this Master Davison being spoken to by some Independents as being a New-England man to go to Guildhall upon some businesse when some
least twenty times and saw nothing in it that men should make such a stir about it Wâ— spake to him of his speaking in his Sermon against the City R 〈…〉 st he stood to justifie what he had said and calld it a wicked thing and being asked wherin he said there was a passage in it that no godly man must live amongst us or have any place of trust in the Kingdome being told there was no such passage in the Remonstrance and that he being a Minister might be ashamed to speak that which was so false a friend of his standing by said Master Peters meant it was so in effect and Master Peters said that we would let no Sectaries as wee term'd â—hem live or have any place of trust amongst us and for his part hee was an Independent and one of those we termed Sectaries and in that no Independent nor Sectary might have any places of trust that implyed the godly it being replyed the word Independent was not expressed in the Remonstrance he affirmed it was but other discourse put of the examination of it Master Peters said what would we have and asked if we did not live well and quietly enough and might not follow our Trades and businesse in peace and why should we trouble our selves with these things the Sects and Schismes did us no harme we told him there was other danger besides our Trades they destroyed soules and wee were bound by our Covenant to oppose Heresies and Schismes and asked him whether or no it was not lawfull and warrantable to Remonstrate or Petition against sinne and â—â—rour and whether our late Petitions against Popery and Prelacy were not Justifiable and whether or no he had not a hand in that against Bishops He answered he thought Errors did not so destroy soules and that he could worke upon a Papist as soon as one of your Protestants And for the Bishops had not they troubled him in his temporalls by taking from him his maintenance and subsistence he had never molested or troubled them for he knew not but that the Papists Prelats and we might live quietly together and serve God in love and peace And being asked then how the Parliament could justiful their quarrell and Warre yet on foot seeing they opposed both by open Armes terming it in all their Declarations the cause of God and Religion He answered that the true cause was not for Religion for he knew no word of God to warrant fighting or taking up of Armes in the cause of Religion but it was only to maintain our civill rights and liberties and there being discourse of the Magistrats power he asked what the Magistrate had to do in Religion answer was made the Magistrate had power to put Blasphemers and Idolaters to death Master Peters replyed yes in the old law but none in the Gospel He being asked by what power they in New-England did banish for opinions he made a kind of a slight answer saying they did but send them over a River out of the Patent and would you would give us Cornwell we would be content to live there He being spoken to about what he said of the King was asked whether wee ought not to use all lawfull wayes for bringing the King unto his people seeing he lately had made such faire offers Master Peters replyed we might trust him if we would but if we knew what Letters of his they had lately intercepted in the Army we would soon be of another mind Master Peters asked us whether as we came to him about what he preached had we ever been with Master Edwards about what he had written against the Saints we told him we conceived Master Edwards had written nothing against the Saints neither was what he had written any offence to us as what he had preached was and that we had cause to beleeve what Mr Edwards had written was true he being a godly Minister Master Peters asked what had he to do with the particular infirmities of particular men we told him as he was a Minister of the Gospel he had to do with them as Paul had to do with Hâ—meneus Rhileâ—as Master Peters said that was in matter of Faith but Master Edwards had medled with the Saints in matters of practise to which wee replyed that Saint John wrote against Diotrophes in point of practise and wherein men made their seeming holinesse a meanes for the receiving of their Erroneous opinions there was cause that their practises should be spoken against to undeceive people and so parting with him one of us advised him to forbear his practises for hee laboured to deceive the people June the third 1646. I walking in Westminister Hall Master Peters meeting me spake to me that I had abused him in Print and that I had broken a Gospel rule which was If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone I answered him I had not transgressed the rule for that was in case of private ofâ—â—nding but he had publikely preached and vented himself and private telling would not have been a remedy sufficient he said I had wronged him in those things I had written of him and that coming twice up from the Army each time he found himself in a Book of mine I told him I would prove them and name time and place when and where delivered and he was like to be in a third Book whereupon hee call'd me Knave and stincking â—ellow I answered him he had abused our Brethren of Scotland and I told him what I had written I would make good and so spake quick and freely to him whereupon he said speak not so loud and threatned to beate me or fall about my eares saying I spake against the Saints I replyed Paul Best Wrighter c. such Saints but he made nothing to speak against the Reformed Churches and Presbyterians in his Sermons and they were no Saints with him some other discourse there passed at the same time between us but no more of it now And lastly that the Reader may judge of Master Peters by his discourse I was told it within these few weeks from good hands upon occasion of pigeons being on a table that Master Peters at that table spake what a world of pigeoâ—s they had in New-England how hee had seen such a flight there such a â—â—mber at once even covering the heavens and being asked whence they should come he answered from an Island not far off which was twenty miles long and three miles broad which was so full of pigeons that the Island was all covered over with pigeons dunâ— two foot deep Now as I have given the Reader some passages of his Sermons and discourses so I will give a taste of the man by eâ—tracting a few things out of some of his Pamphlets and I will begin with his Book call'd Mr Peters last Report of the English Wars which a great Commander of the Army commonly call's Peters Politicks upon which
held it not lawfull to go fight against them others of the Sectaries have reasoned against sending releif thither as saying whom should we releive to â—e Protestants there were an unworthy people that Kingdome had cosâ— us more to keep it then ever we goâ— by it that it was 〈◊〉 to hazard that Army upon it which was so faithful and 〈◊〉 for much for us with other words to this purpose other Sectaries have laughed at the Presbyterians being so forward in preaching and praying for releif to be sent over in all hast into Ireland A Gentleman in publick place told me not long since he had heard an Independent say upon discoursing of the hazard of the losse of Ireland that it was not a three penny matter to England if Ireland and Scotland both were lost England had no need of them severall strange speeches have fallen from the Sectaries in reference to Ireland Tenthly the Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and dealt most unworthily with the City of London a whole book might be written of all the calumnies reproaches abuses that have beene offered the City of London within this last twelve months especially about that late excellent Remonstrance how hath the late Lord Major the whole Court of Common-councell and City Remonstrance been written preached spoken against by the Sectaries of the Army City and Country giving reproachfull names raising wicked lies upon them and for nothing but for petitioning the Parliament for setling the Government and declaring themselves for the Covenant against Hereticks Scismaticks and Blasphemers Cretensis that great Sectary cals the late Lord Major of London and the Common-councell Brethren in iniquity with me the Author of the Pamphlet call'd the Lord Majors farewell from his Office of Majoralty resembles the late Lord Major to wicked Ahaz saying the Saints will say of him in succeeding ages this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name Lilburne in his Pamphlet entituled Londons Liberty calls by way of scoffing the Prerogative Lord Major Adams A Sectary in the Army call'd him rascall The Common-councell and Citizens have beene commonly call'd the Sect of the Adamites and in print to in the Pamphlet The just mans justification pag. 16. The Sectaries frequently cal the Citizens Preist-riden slaves They have in Pulpits beene call'd the great mountaine that hinders the liberty of the people refined Malignants and that if ever this Kingdome was brought into slavery the City would be the cause of it some of the Sectaries have said that the King the Scots and the Common-councell did drive on one designe it were too long to reckon up al the abuses offered the City of London and the Honorable Court of Common-councell by some of the weekly Pamphleters as the Moderate Intelligencer Perfect Occurrences and by some Sectarian souldiers threatning that they would as willingly come against the City as ever against the Cavaliers The City Remonstrance hath beene branded by them one Captaine in the Army said the Remonstrance was as devilish a thing as ever was penned by man Lilburne in his Londons liberty in chains discovered page 36. speaking of the City Remonstrance calls it that most devilish wicked bloudy unchristian Papisticall Remonstrance of the Prerogative men of London c. Other Sectaries have call'd it that monster with many heads the â—ifteene headed monster a base railing Remonstrance M. Peters hath spoken his pleasure of it in the Pulpit and the Moderate Reply to the City Remonst with the City Remonstrance remonstrated have many naughty passages against the Common-councell and City Remonstrance as that it was the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. but I shall passe them by and transcribe only one passage out of M. Burtons Conform Deform where in the Epist Dedicatory to the present Lord Major he writes thus Give me leave tobeseech you that you would improve the whole power of your office among other evils for the not only suppressing but utter obliterating out of all Records of memory or mention that late Remonstrance of London which like the Trojan horse is stuffed with such matter as if the importunity of some might have had its desire would unavoidably hale in ruine both to City and Country Nor doth any thing more clearly demonstrate that spirituall judgement of blindnesse and hardnesse of heart to be upon all those who have their heads and hands in that Remonstrance and wilfully persist in the prosecution of it now in cold bloud then the unnaturall hating and hunting after the destruction of those very men as our mortall enemies who have with the extrem hazard of their lives been honoured of God to be the preserâ—ers of them our City and Country c. For the spirit of that ten-horned beast is now making warre with the Lamb and this spirit warreth under new colours not red but white whose word is Reformation and this under afair colour of a Covenant by vertue wherof pretending a just title to the War he hopes by the help of the Remonsstrance and the prime Authors thereof and their adherents to erect a new bestiall Tyranny over soules bodies and estates under new names and notions Elevently the Sectaries have carried themselves towards the Assembly with the greatest scorne and reproach that ever any sort of men carried themselves towards such a company of Ministers learned and godly and called by a Parliament to advise with in matters of Religion O how many books have beene written against them within these two last yeers or thereabouts as The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho and their fellowes O the railing bitter disgracefull passages in Li 〈…〉 ns Letter to Mr. Pryn Tender Conscience religiously affected and divers other Pamphlets against the Assembly calling them the black-coats in the Synod Dâ—ivines good for nothing but to be burnt having two hornes like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teaching the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven O how commonly by word of mouth and in writing is the Assembly call'd Antichristian Romish bloudy the plagues and pests of the Kingdome Baals Preists Diviners Southsayerâ— all manner of evill being spoken of them A Ballad hath beene made of them having a first and second part wherein they are scoffed with the title of Black-bird Divines the name of the Ballad is A Prophecy of the Sâ—ynâ—eards Destruction to the â—uâ—â— of the merry Souldier or the jovâ—â—ll Tiâ—ker this Ballad calls the Assembly Swinheards saith these Swineheards are sitting to build old Babels Tower The Assemby â—â—th beene abused all kind of wayes threatned if they give advise to the Parliament against a Toleration of Independents they shall be chastised as evill Councellors disturbers of Church and State no lesse then great Strafford or little Canterbury all kind of imputations charged on them and they made by the Sectaries the cause and ground of all evilâ— that are upon the Kingdome The lâ—st warning to
of the Sectaries in their writings against the Presbyterians the Assembly godly Ministers the Scots and particular persons by name have done it in the most scornfull prophane blasphemous and abusive way even to the abusing of the Scriptures the Spirit of God Proaching Prayer and other Ordinances as ever was heard of in any age witnesse The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho Cretensis and divers others but in my Discoveries of the Errors Heresies Practises of the Sectaries I have shunned all such wayes setting my selfe plainly to discover the Errors and abominable Practises confuting them with Scriptures and Reason and in a serious sad manner applying the danger of those evils to the consciences of all both Presbyterians and Sectaries and thus much for removing that stone of offence out of the way taken from the manner and way of writing 2. For the matter of this Booke that there 's a Truth in the Opinions Stories Practices related in it notwithstanding the clamours and speeches of the Sectaries that they are lyes all lyes I desire the Reader to observe and remember these following particulars 1. That the Sectaries of our time are so shamelesse in this kind as to say all things written against them are lyes thus they have said the stories of the old Anabaptists in Germany written by Sleydan Bullinger Lambertus Hortens 〈…〉 s other worthy men were lyes and they would not beleeve them so Master Saltmarsh in one of his Pamphlets against Master Ley denies the truth of those stories and other Sectaries in Pamphlets before him have said the same affirming if the King had over-come the Parliament stories would have made them as bad as the Anabaptists and the Princes of Germany prevailing against them set men on work to set them out so but all was false Now if our Sectaries will speak and write thus of all the relations of the old Anabaptists how can it be expected but that they will cry all downe for false written of themselves So our Sectaries will not beleive the stories of the Antinomians Anabaptists Familists in New England of Mistris Huchinson and the rest but say all is false all lyes and some of them have cryed out of Master Wells his Booke of the Antinomians of New England as much as of mine 2. The truth of the maine substance and matter of this Booke both for opinions and matters of fact is in the Booke it selfe by quoting Books knowne to hundreds by naming of persons knowne for witnesses by relating of things common in the times and these set by the Errors in the Margents or joyned to the matter so manifest that he that runs may read it and rationally there can be no more question made of them then whether the Scots tooke New-Castle the Parliaments Forces had a Victory at Nazeby Feild there be such a man as M. Hugh Peters or John Lilburn 3. That the Sectaries have used devices and found out inventions on purpose to possesse people that relations of things in my Books are false when most true as for instance some Sectaries that have been of the same name of those Sectaries that I have related stories of though they could not but know by many circumstances and particulars in the stories they were not the men but others have said Ther 's a story related of me I am the man he speaks of and t is all false for I was at such a place then and could not do so thus one Webb an Officer in the Army did telling the people in the West where he found Gangraena that the story of Webb was of him I am that Webb in Gangraena and 〈◊〉 all false I never preached such things nor was ever questioned about such things or did such things related This a godly Minister in the â—â—st of England told me he heard one Webb an Officer in the Army speak thus to the people to possesse them against Gangraena Now I writ not of that Webb but another Webb a younger man here in London not one of the Army who put out a Booke for the vindication of himselfe where he confesses most of the things and this other Webb could not but by many passages related as of the age as of being a Schoole-Master as of the Christian name and divers others but know well enough I meant him not and yet by this did he labour to blast my Book Again some who having beene mentioned in Letters written up to friends and printed by me have come to my house denying peremptorily those things spoken of them in the Letters desiring to know who writ them that they might have â—eparations I having told them their names withall writing to those Ministers to know more fully their grounds of such relations they have returned 〈…〉 e Answers that those things were most true and they would make them good when ever they should question them in which kind I could give divers notable instances but the nature of a Preface not admitting many I will relate only one namely of Master Mascall of Dover spoken of in a Letter sent from Dover subscribed by five hands to a Member of the Assembly printed in the Second Part of Gangraena in p. 135. of the Second Edition who presently after the coming forth of that Book coming to my house with a friend of his and mine formerly denyed positively and peremptorily what was written of him in the Letter declaring he was of another judgement then to speak so of our Ministers and Synods as is expressed in that Letter holding our godly Ministers to have a lawfull calling and Synods to be needfull wherupon I writing to one of the Ministers all passages that passed betweene us and desiring to know what he said to it he sent me this Answer Worthy Sir I received your Letter dated June the 18. but could not conveniently Answer it till now because I would see the carriages of the Independents on last wednesday when we chose our Elders What we wrote of Master Mascall we can cleare and will maintaine and much more and according to your advice you shall not faile of sufficient testimony if that Letter be crossed whereas he saith that he holds our godly Ministers to have a lawfull calling he will not say it in Dover till he have distinguished the word godly into a shadow For his saying they never kept Church-meetings in time of the publicke exercises it s a very false untruth and for his seeming to accord with us in our account of Synods he knows that we hold it a duty to combine Churches and to have a combination rule the Elders and Pastor of a Congregation which we know they will never allow Thus much in breife for Master Mascall who I dare say will not challenge any man in Dover for that that is done against him or if he doth will find as ready an Answer as ever man received by man Your loving friend and Brother MICH. PORTER June 29. 1646. And thus much for
the First generall head concerning the manner and matter of this Book For the Second the commending some directions and taking off some misconstructions and cavils for the better understanding of the subject matter and manner of this Booke let the Reader observe and consider these following 1. That the Sectaries run such around of all opinions as that they are come to hold many Popish and Prelaticall opinions and to go upon the Papists grounds and mediums for many of their Tenets which in the Errors Positions and Practises reckoned up in this Booke the Reader may observe as the 5 6 7 36 Errors nay there 's almost no Popish or Prelaticall principle and Error but many Sectaries are fallen into it and in the practise of it as being against the Perfection Sufficiency Perspicuity of the Scriptures being for Pope Toleration and a Dispensation for want of an Infallible Judge as the Papists are for the Pope upon that ground denying preaching to be the word of God and the service of God as much or more then ever any of the Prelates did being for Musick Organs Hymns in the publick Assemblies holding anointing the sick with Oyle maintaining Perfection in this life with some Popish Friers besides divers other Popish Errors hence divers Popish Bookes written by Preists and Friers have beene Translated and lately set forth by some Sectaries sold openly and I suppose Licensed because the Stationers names for whom printed and Printers names expressed 2. The Reader shall find in this Booke the Sectaries Designe and Practise not to be only corrupting Religion running out into extravagancies and strange conceits that way but to be against Magistracy and Civill Government their designe of opposing setled Government and bringing an Anarchy and Confusion into Church and State being here so fully laid open that they who run may read it T is in this Book unvailed and the wâ—â—king of this spirit in all sorts of Sectaries and places clearly manifested they have in Terminis in divers Pamphlets and some Sermons declared against Monarchie and Aristoâ—acie and for Democracie they have expressed themselves in such a manner concerning that that they make it noe other then an Anarchie making all alike confounding of all rancks and orders reducing all to Adams time and condition and devolving all power upon the state Vniversall and promiscuos multitude whom they make the Creator and Destroyer of Kings Parliaments and all Magistrates at there meere pleasure without tying them to any rule or bounding them by any lawes 3. I doe more punctually and particularly give the proofes of the Errors and Heresies named in this Third Part then in the two â—ormer with Animadversions by way of Confutation or Observation upon more of the Errors and Practises then I did before as having beene desired by some so to do and being that which I judge will make the work more profitable and the Reader shall finde the proofs of the Errors set in the Margents just by them and the Animadversions under every particular Error or else of divers of them put in one where the Errors are more of a kind and the Reader will finde I have in all Books quoted all along to prove the things I charge the Sectaries with dealt very punctually and faithfully and I challenge them to name any one thing quoted false or wrested among so many and for other Relations I have them from such knowne godly Ministers and Christians being eare and eye witnesses of them that I cannot easily be deceived t is possible some circumstances of order time place number may in some stories be mistaken and yet the maine storie true as we see in Histories of battles and other humane things they often are though I know nâ—ne such and have beene in all circumstances as well as substance as faithfull and carefull as a man can well be and I can say it that of all the particulars in this kind that I have related in these three Books besides many matters of fact in Antapologia which in all amount to some thousands I do not know of any one particular related by me excepting one that I have reason to suspect was not true and yet that was written me in a Letter by a Reverend and godly Minister and was the voice of the Country and all I did was only printing that Letter no otherwise affirming it which particular when the untruth of it shalâ— be made apparent to me from the man himselfe or his freinds I shall be ready and have offered it to some who have spoken of it to right him publickly in print 4. Whereas some Letters written to my selfe or some other Ministers are printed in this Booke which have some passages in them casting honor and praise upon me resembling me to some Worthies in their times as Luther c. for which I may be censured as being the hand instrument of publishing my own praises and counted vain-glorious I do by way of taking off this exception desire the Reader to consider these things First that I have left out of Letters many passages which reflect honour on my selfe constantly passing by such Titles Epithites and other expressions that are matters of praise in all particulars excepting the justifying of my work in writing thus against the Sectaries Now my Books for the manner and way of writing having beene so cried out of by all the Sectaries and many weak Christians by their meanes having beene also offended I thought it necessary to print some passages of Letters from godly Ministers giving testimony to my Books and approving me in the way of my writing them justifying me by the practise of Morney Plesseus against the Papists and of Luther and the judicious Reader shall find if he observe I print no other passages that may so much as reflect any kind of praise upon my selfe but only those that justifie my undertaking in this kind against the Sectaries and which the Lord knowes I print not so much for my selfe or my owne praise but for the sakes of others that they may be satisfied of my Books against all the calumnios cast upon them and profit by the reading of them Secondly T is not unknowne how the Sectaries by writing and speaking have set themselves to disparage me and to cast scornes of all kinds upon me such as hardly ever were upon any man in any age and all to weaken my esteeme credit and authority with the people that being looked upon as a man so weak that a woman can answer my writings and that I know not how to put the Nominative Case and Verb together c. all I do against the Sectaries might be slighted as not worthy to be looked upon Now it being apparent this is the designe of the Sectaries and their master peice and God by his providence without my seeking in the least stirring up many learned men to bear witness to my works in Letters to their Freinds which have beene brought to me and in
Saltmarsh Creâ—ensis Walwin Webb and divers other Sectaries who hath been a Man-midwife to bring forth more monsters begotten by the Divell and borne of the Sectaries within this three last years then ever were brought into the light in England by all the former Licensers the Bishops and their Chaplaines for fourescore years he hath licensed Books pleading for all soâ—ts of Sectaries as Seekers Antinomians Anabâ—ptists c. as Sâ—â—t 〈…〉 sh and Walwins Books and for Antibaptists denying since Christs death all Baptisme by water as Wâ—bbâ— Book page 6. where is â—id down that I 〈…〉 Baptisme which was water did end at the coming of Christ and that there is no Baptisme by water instituted by Christ yea for Antiscripturists Arians Anitrinitarâ—ans Questionists and all Blasphemers as is apparent by his licensing that late wicked Pamphlet call'd Some modest and humble Queries concerning a printed paper Intituled an Ordinance presented to the Honourable House of Commons c. where if the Reader do but compare the former part of that Ordinance in what cases only that Ordinance inflicts death viz. upon the wilfull and obstinate publishers of such damnable Heresies and Blasphemies with the second Quere made upon that Ordinance whether it be agreeable to the mind of Christ for men to inflict the heavie censure of death upon their Brethren for holding forth such Doctrines or opinions in Religion suppose contrary to admonition which for ought the Inflicters know except they make themselves infallible may be the sacred truths of God he must needs find thus much pleaded for that therefore such blasphemies and Heresies contained in the Ordinance yea Atheisme it self for that is in the Ordinance that God is may not be punished with death because for ought any man knowes they may be the â—acred truths of God and the maintainers and publishers of them our Brethren So that at once in this Quere upon the Ordinance all the fundamentalls of Christian Religion are overthrown and such Doctrines and opinions as are contrary unto them for ought any man knowes except he make himself inâ—allible may be the sacred truths of God yea grosse Scepticisme and Atheisme is brought into the Church This Master Bachiler hath Licensed severall Pamphlets for a Toleration yea noâ— only for a limited bounded Toleration of some Sects and opinions as suppose Anabaptists Independents but for a Universall gâ—nerall Toleration of all consciences and opinions as may be seen in Walwins Books licensed by him yea he hath licensed unlice 〈…〉 sed Books printed before he was borne as a Pamphlet entituled Religious Peace made by one Leonard Busher and printed 1614. wherein there is a pleading for a Toleration of Papists Jewes â—very person or persons differing in Religion and that it may be lawfull for them to write dispute confer print and publish any matter touching Religion either for or against whomsoever And that the wickednesse of Master Bachiler the Independent may the more appear I desire the Reader to observe in his licensing this and some other Books these following particulars First He gives not a bare Imprimatur to his Book of Bushers but gives his Imprimatur with a speciall Recommendation in these words This usefull Treatise entituled Religious Peace long since presented by a Citizen of London to King James and the High Court of Parliament then sitting I allow to be reprinted and so to some of Saltmarshes Books Smoake in the Temple Groanes for Liberty Reasons for Vnity Love and Peace c. We have Imprimaturs with speciall approbations and discourses of the lovelinesse exellenty sweetnesse glory shining in them Secondly in the reprinting of this Book for generall Toleration call'd Religious Peace Master Bachiler made some materiall alterations and writ in the margins of such places in the Book where some speciall passages were for Toleration that they should be printed in a great letter differing from the letter in which the body of the Book was printed for that end no doubt that the Reader might better observe them and this I was told from a person of some quality and a Scholler who saw the Originall Book wherein such alterations were made and told me they were the same hand with that whiâ—h gave License to the Book I shall give the Reader an instance or two and no more whereas Bushers Copie page 16 is thus Therefore I humbly desire his Majestie and Parliament with all godly carefulnesse to consider that 't is not possible that the Church of Rome called Catholick or those that ate descended of her and have received their Faith and Discipline from her ever was or could be the Apostolick Church call'd Primitive Church or shee that is descended from her Master Bacheler changes it from Faith and Discipline into Ministery and Ordination reading it thus and have received their Ministery and Ordination from her That passage in the old Edition page 11. printed in the same letter the whole Book is viz. Therefore as the Papist when they complaine of the Turks and Pagans for their bloody persecution do therein condemne themselves because they are found to do the same yea worse for 't is a greater tyrannie for one Christian to force and kill another then for Turks and Pagans to kill a Christian for that is no such great wonder seeing it is a Paganish part who have no better knowledge but Christians should have better knowledge and more mercy then to play the Pagans against Christians is in this new Edition printed in a different character a greater letter neither is this the only Book wherein 't is discovered John Bachiler treads in the steps of some Licensers who went before him being acquainted with Index Expurgatorius but in Webbs Book he altered and changed as in the second part of Gangraena I at large have shewed The man hath justified and acquitted the former Licensers Doctor Baker Doctor Bray Doctor Heyward Doctor Weeks and the rest of that race who in the point of licensing were Saints to him who hath licensed such books and things that I am confident none of them durst have done for feare the people would have risen up and torne them in peeces and certainly the people would never have borne with such books in the Bishops dayes besides should any man before the sitting of this Parliament have writ or licensed such Books of which good store have been both writ and licensed within this three last years that man or men whoever they had been had without all question been first questioned and proceeded against by this Parliament of all men This Bachiler is such a desperate Licenser that nothing now in that kind can stick with him having swallowed down those wicked Queries upon the Ordinance against Heresies and Blasphemies and I am afraid that if the Devill himselfe should make a book and give it the Title A plea for liberty of conscience with certaine Reasons against Persecution for Religion and bring it to Mr. Bachiler hee would license it and
the Socinians One of the Dutch Ministers of this Town told me when we were speaking of this purpose that a Book-seller said to him that sundry English Merchants were seeking to buy the works of Socinus Ostorodius Oniedinus Crellius and especially Socinus de servatore and when the Book-seller answered that they could not have those books in those Countries because they are discharged by Ordinance of the Generall States the Merchants said unto him Neverthelesse you may bring them from other Countries and we will give you for them what you will whereupon that Minister when he told me this said The Estate of England is lamentable for it seemeth that Socinianisme waxeth there for this practice and that excepting at the word is too great evidence thereof I heare also that Master Simons hath written unto his Congregation here very confidently that Toleration shall be granted even with these terms In spight of them who have enterprised the contrary Wherefore beloved Brethren I humbly beseech you to let me know the certainty of this matter that if possible I may give satisfaction unto wel-affected persons who think this excepting at that word to import no lesse then a condemning of or at least a departing from the Orthodox Confessions of all the Reformed Churches If in this or any other particular Occurrents it will please you to give me intelligence you may direct your Letters unto R. W. who is a Skipper and comes usually betwixt London and this Town wherein you shall do good unto many and especially unto Octob. 13. 23. 1646. Your Loving Brother There is one Andrew Wyke of the County of Suffolk a Mechanick but turned a great Preacher and Dipper who for his Preaching and Dipping being brought before the Committee of that County carried himself like Lilburne Overton and other fellow Sectaries refusing to answer the Chair-man any questions as whether he had been at the University saying I am a free man and not bound to answer to any Interrogatory I will answer to no Interrogatory either to accuse my self or any other besides he gave reproachfull words reproving the Committee as You may think to speak what you please now with such other language This Wyke or some other Sectary hath printed a Pamphlet call'd The Innocent in Prison complaining or A true Relation of the proceedings of the Committee at Ipswich the Committee at Bury St. Edmunds in the County of Suffolk against one Andrew Wyke a witnesse of Jesus in the same County who was committed to Prison June 3. 1646. In which Pamphlet the Committee and divers Members of it by name are abused resembling them to the Jewes who condemned Christ and himself to Christ and the Committee is exclaimed upon fearfully pag. 10. There is one Katherine Chidly an old Brownist and her sonne a young Brownist a pragmaticall fellow who not content with spreading their poyson in and about London goe down into the Country to gather people to them and among other places have been this Summer at Bury in Suffolke to set up and gather a Church there where as I have it from good hands they have gathered about seven persons and kept their Conventicles together who being one night very late together about their Church-affairs a mad woman breaking from her Keeper and running out of the house she was kept in happened to light upon the house where this company was and stood up in the entry of the house they being upon dissolving their meeting and going to their severall homes as they were going out there stood this woman in her smock in the entry speaking never a word which when they saw they ran over one another for fear of this white devill some one way some another almost frighted out of that little wit they had Gaffar Lanseter of Bury for so he was unlesse he hath commenced Master by preaching whom I have spoken of in the Second Part of Gangraena was a great man with Katherine Chidly and her sonne and is left Preacher to that company of Sectaries in their room and I have great reason to think by the Epistle to the Reader that Katherine Chidly and her sonne made that Book call'd Lanseters Launce because Katherine Chidly and her sons Books for the mother and the son made them together one inditing and the other writing are highly magnified and the brasen-faced audacious old woman resembled unto Jael but as for Lannâ—ters Launce for my Gangrana I shall shew it to be made not of iron or steele in no sort able or usefull to lance or enter the Gangraena but a lance of brown painted paper fit for children to play with and to assure the Reader of it I received this last week a Message to this purpose from one of the Ministers who gave intelligence about Lanseter that he was about perfecting the proofes and particulars about Lanseters businesse and I should shortly hear from him and within this two dayes a godly understanding man who was present at this meeting when Lanseter preached upon Ezra gave me an account of the businesse of the truth of the whole and hath put me in a way whereby under the hands of persons present at the meeting I may have it confirmed and so among the confutations of some other Pamphlets I shall insert this of Lanseters There is one John Hall a great Sectary who hath vented many erroneous Positions in some parts of Barkshire and thereabouts I had a copy of them from a Reverend Minister of the Assembly and in the Second Part of Gangraena in the Catalogue of Errors such Errors as he vented viz. such as were not reckoned up in the First Part of Gangraena were there inserted by me though he was not named at all in that Book but now discovering in severall Counties more Sectaries then I did formerly in the First and Second Parts I have thought good to name him among many others that the people of those parts may beware of him and shun him as a dangerous man concerning whom I received a Letter from a godly Minister in Barkshire which is as followes Sir THat I may not be wanting to the Cause of God or my promise to you I sent the last week to speak with Master F. but failed of a full answer he not being within but thus much I received that Master S. had been there and that he had taken a Copy of the Positions so that if you have any acquaintance with him he can fully inform you about this matter He is one of the Synod a Reverend and Orthodox Divine I shall send to Master F. again and when I understand more if I see just cause you shall hear further from me The Teacher of these things is one John Hall sometimes of Colebrooke but as I am informed now resident in or about Henley upon Thames Thus desiring the Lord both to direct and prosper your labours in vindicating the Truth of God and opposing Heresies I rest Yours in the Lord Christ Aâ—gust
Commons the Knights and Burgesses assembled in Parliament by the voluntary choyce and free election of the people thereof with whom and in whose just defence I le live and die maugre the malice of the House of Lords and in page 18. he in way of deâ—ision calls the Lords House the Superlative House and speaking of the Lords laughing at his answers he saith of that House such carriage such a Court For indeed Comedies Tragedies Masks and Playes are more fit for such idle kind of men And above all other Demonstrations of the outragious insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Peeres let the Reader peruse that Pamphlet entituled An Anatomy of the Lords tyranny and injustice exercised upon Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne which is throughout insolent both for matter and manner particularly page 12 13. Lilburne writes that he being in the painted Chamber desired Master Brisco one of his Keepers to go and tell the Lords from him that seeing they had the impudencie and boldnesse to tread the Lawes and Liberties of England under their feet and did so contemne and undervalue the authority of the Honorable House of Commons to whom he had appealed as yet to go on in their illegall courses with him with whom by Law they had nothing to doe that he must be forced in the highest nature he could to contemne and despise their proceedings and therefore was resolved not to come to their Bar without a forcible compulsion and to come in with his hat on his head and to stop his eares when they read his charge in detestation and bearing witnesse against their usurpations and injustice page 14 15. Lilburne writes he thus spake to the Lords And my Lords I tell you to your faces that by right the House of Commons are your Judges as well as mine in this case and I doe not doubt but to live to see the day that they will make you to know whether you will or no that they are so and of their justice and protection I doe not in the least doubt And therefore my Lords seeing you have dealt so illegally and tyrannically with me as you have done I now bid defiance to your power and malice to doe the worst you can And therefore my Lords I protest here before the God of Heaven and earth if you shall be so unworthy as to persevere in endeavouring the destruction of the fundamentall Lawes and Liberties of England as at present you doe I will venture my life and bloud against you to oppose you with as much zeale and courage as ever I did any of the Kings party that you set us together by the eares with page 21. Lilburne saith all his catriage and expressions before the House of Lords in the case now betwixt them to be as justifiable by the Law of this Kingdome and in the eyes of all understanding men as for a true and just man to draw his sword and cut the theif or rogue that sets upon him upon the high-way on purpose to rob him of his life and goods and in page 23. hee earnestly beseeches the Honorable Committee to remember the Commoners and improve all their interest to punish or at least effectually to curb the Lords House Thus the Sectaries in their Petitions and all their Pamphlets printed speaking of the Lords House and of their proceedings they give such kind of termes as these Barbarous Tyrannicall Arbitrary Illegall unjust dealings worse then the unjust Stat-chamber it selfe Insolent unheard of usurpations intrusions and many such like And in divers Pamphlets now of late the Parliament being spoken of is understood only the Commons of England they call'd the Parliament by way of exclusion of and opposition to the H. of Peers and Books written on purpose and dispersed given freely to stir up the people to adhere to the Comons as considered apart and distinct in interest power from the Lords with unworthy reflections upon the Lords as The last warning to all the Inhabitants of London p. 7. Mind your own good and cleave fast to the House of Commons let no sorcery or sophistry divide you from them the Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concerns the Nations their large answer to your last City Petition for Church-government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly So A word in season to all sorts of well-minded people in this distracted Nation with Answers to the City Remonstrance and divers other Pamphlets 4. The Sectaries have been guilty of and daily are of abusing contemning and taking away the power of the House of Commons given it by the Lawes Constitutions and Customes of this Kingdome and though in many Pamphlets especially this last yeere they cry up the House of Commons and seeme to give them not only their owne power but the power of the King and House of Lords making both them meere ciphers yet it will be found by many of their principles laid downe they have destroyed the House of Commons and doe break their Priviledges speak their pleasure of them both by words and writing as often as they please Many Pamphlets and whole Books have beene written by Sectaries against the House of Commons it selfe and not only against Committees or particular Members charging the House with tyranny injustice oppression horrible pride seeking of particular interests Arbitrary Governm 〈…〉 breaking of Magna Charta and going against the Liberties of the subject resembling them to the Star-chamber High Commission Court to Strafford and Canterbury refusing to answer any questions upon the command of the House scorning to Petition the Commons either to sue for their favour or to acknowledge their justice and after such favour shown as to release without petitioning yet taxing them with dishonesty and demanding reparations for imprisonment for the abundant proofe of which I referre the Reader to many Pamphlets written by Sectaries as Englands Birthright The Copie of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne to a friend Lilburnes Innocency and truth justified Englands lamentable slavery with other Letters printed about that time Another word to the wise written by M. John Musgrave A Pamphlet entituled An exact collection of the Parliaments Remonstrances Declarations c. A Remonstrance of many thousand Citizens and other free borne people of England to their owne House of Commons out of which I shall faithfully transcribe some passages that the insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Commons may be observed Lilburn in his Letter to his freind writes thus page 1 2. That Master Corbit being in the chaire and telling him he was commanded by the House to demand a question of him Lilburn instead of answering him desired to know the cause of his commitment and M. Corbit replying the House was not bound to declare unto him the cause of his commitment thereupon Lilburne answered Then I have beene a long
and Church government and to presse them upon every mans conscience w 〈…〉 is it but with Nebuchadnezzar to erect this golden Image and with an immortall Law of the Medes and Persians to bind all men to fall downe and worship it Or what is it but with Jeroboam and his Councell to set up the golden Calves with a strict comandement of universaâ—l conformity none daring among all those ten Tribes openly to proâ—esse the pure worship of God saving the Prophet Elijah to whom these seven thousand were not knowne The Parliament may do well to take notice that he resembles their settling Church-government and Religion among us to Nebuchadnezzars erecting his golden Image and Jeroboams setting up the golden Calves Thirdly the Pamphlet entituled The tender Conscience religiously affected descanting upon a part of the Preamble of an Ordinance made by the Lords and Commons concerning suspension of ignorant and scand alous persons from the Lords Supper where the Parliament saith never any of Gods servants since theâ— foundation of the world had 〈◊〉 high and strong engagements beartily and sincerely to endeavour the compleat establishment of purity and unity in the Church of God then we have charges the Parliament with speaking of blasphemy and aske where had the Lords and Commons this large Commission to middle in the affairs of King Jesus so farre c. 2. For the Sectaries opposing all the Ordinances of Parliament in matters of Religion and tending to Religion to say nothing now of Ordinances in civill mâ—tters as the additionall Ordinance of Accounts Lillurnes Innocency and Truth justified page 69. the Ordinance of Excise the Ordinances for Takes spoken against in Englands birth-right page 44 4â— t is so apparent that I can give not only passages out of Books written against all the Ordinances in that kind but relate insolent tumultuous practises contrary unto and in scorne and contempt of the Ordinances of Parliament There are many books and passages in books written against the Ordinance of Tyths as that Pamphlet call'd Ordinance for Tyths Dis 〈…〉 ted Englands Birthright A Copie of a Letter written to Master William Pr 〈…〉 with divers others wherein they speak both against the thing and the Parliament calling Tyths Antichristian Jewish Diaboli 〈…〉 the root and support of Popery c. charging the Parliament with breach of â—ovenant for making that Ordinance There are Sermons preached all the Kingdome over against this Ordinance of Tyths that being one of their subjects commonly in all their preachings and the Sectaries in places have abused and beaten those who have beene gathering of Tyths and themselves deny payment and provoke others not to pay by all the meanes they can A great Sectary in Bermonsey parish being call'd in question for non-payment of his Tyths by vertue of the Ordinance of Parliament said of that Ordinance the Parliament had made an Ordinance to rob men and they who executed it were theeves and robbers The Ordinance against mens preaching not being Ordained how hath it beene scoffed at in severall Pamphlets of the Sectaries and how doe souldlers and every mechanick not only disobey it but put by many godly Ministers from their Pulpits preaching whether they will or no causing many tumults and riots in Churches yea threatning and laying Ministers by the heeles for publishing it The Ordinance for the better observation of the monthly Fast how hath it beene and is slighted by the Sectaries spoken against as legall popish not observed but things done in contempt of the Fast and when civill Officers have questioned people for travelling and worldly works on those dayes some Sectaries have opposed them in the execution of their offices the proofe of which particular and that of committing a Minister to prison for reading the Ordinance against Lay mens preaching the Reader may finde it in the Letters sent from the Committee of Exeter to some in London The Nationall Covenant taken by both Houses and appointed by Ordinance with solemne instructions for all to take it how fearfully is it scoffed at and jeared in many Books of the Sectaries Arraignment of Persecution c. and forced Jesuiticall equivocations and interpretations put upon it by many as by Walwyn in A word more to Master Edwards as by Cretensis in his large Preface to the Reader before his Anapologesiates Antapologias The Nationall Covenant is called a double faced Covenant the greatest make-bate and snare that ever the Devill and the Clergy his Agents cast in among honest men in England in our age which I dare pawne my head and life so to prove it to be in a fair and publick discourse against the greatest maintainer thereof in England Lilburns Londons liberty in chains discovered page 42. The Directory established by Ordinance is in severall Books of the Sectaries spoken much against resembled to Jeroboams calves said to have contradictions to the Canonicall Scriptures Turners Heavenly confidence for Syons Saints page 64 65. scoffed at in a Ballad call'd A Prophecie of the Swinâ—herds destruction The Ordinances for the Presbyteriall Government and the Government it selfe in the going to set it up have beene preached written against and all manner of wayes opposed by the Sectaries What hath beene more familiar and common with the Sectaries in their Pulpits and Books then to call the Presbyterian Government Antichristian a â—lim of Anti-christ Tyrannicall Lordly cruell a worse bondage then under the Prelates a bondage under Taskmasters as the Israelites in Egypt besides many bitter jeares and scoffs have beene made both of the Government and Ordinances as 〈◊〉 The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho Ordinance for â—yâ—â—s dismounted The last warning to all the Inhabitants of London as also they have made disgracefull pictures of the Presbytery one printed and joyned to a paper call'd Severall Votes of tender consciences another to a Pamphlet call'd The tender Conscience religiously affected But among all the Sectaries Books abusing the Parliaments Ordinances about Presbyteriall Government let the Reader take notice of the Pamphlet call'd Tender conscience religiously affected propounding questions of weighty consequence in which the Author descants upon the Ordinances of Parliament and charges them with speaking blasphemy and many other crimes and the Ordinance for Tyths dismounted where that Sectary speaking occasionally of the Ordinance of Parliament for the Lords Supper saith For indeed at the first onset it was not policie to rush such a diabolicall and villâ—nous invention point blanck upon us with an It is decreed and ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament But after a more mysterious manner of Ordination slily intrude it upon us unawares in the godly and specious vizor of Rules and Directions as if our Parliament men â—ad such a spirituall and holy care â—ver â—s to give us such wholsome and 〈…〉 directions 〈…〉 indeed under this innocent apparition in the shape of Lam 〈…〉 they are no other then ravening Woolves rending and tearing us in p 〈…〉 ces
to invade Churches Pulpits to commit tumults râ—ots break the Kings peace affront Ministers Magistrates in their places and if any of them be questioned troubled they bring them off by one means and trick or other hence the more active any are in spreading Errors the greater Preachers they prove the greater Errors and stranger Opinions they hold the more they are countenanced the sooner preferred to places of profit trust honor hence the Sectaries on all occasions and in all places joyne and side with the arrantest Malignants Papists loosest and ungodliest men in a Country or Kingdome to further Errors and to hinder any means which might probably suppresse them hence they will go against their own professed avowed principles and rase their own foundations be mainly instrumentall to bind heavy burdens upon others which they account intolerable wish joy and be active in the imposition of that upon their brethren which themselves who are for the imposition of it yet count unlawfull to be submitted to as in the point of Commissioners the imperfect enumeration of scandalous sinnes in the labouring to bring in scandalous and ignorant men to be Elders and opposing able godly men in their choyce on purpose to make the Presbyteriall Government odious and that people might fall to them of which I could tell large stories as at Dover hence the Sectaries will raise and invent all kind of lies go against all kind of jâ—stice and right use all kind of dishonest wayes and meanes indeed nothing comes 〈…〉 isse to increase Errors and Heresies and to stop all meanes against them they will with Aâ—â—ziâ—h go and enquire of Bâ—â—lzebâ—â— the God of Ekron for help and lastly hence our Sectaries doe not only plead for a Toleration but plead for the things themselves have found out many wayes to extenuate lessen justifie yea to saint the grossest Errors worst practises and the vildest Hereticks It would fill a great book to reckon up all the distinctions excuses pleas pretences arguments evasions apologies found ouâ— and made use of by the Sectaries within this two or three last yeers in defence of Heresies and Errors in generall and of the greatest Errors in particular as denying the Trinity the Scriptures c. And in defence of Hereticks as being Saints holy men men of tender consciences harmelesse peaceable quiet men Whoever shall but read Cretensis Answer to my First Part of Gangraena his 38. Queres upon the Ordinance for preventing the growth of Heresies Walwyâ—â— Salt 〈…〉 arshâ—â— Master Burtons Master Bâ—tchelers Commâ—ndatory Imprimaturs with divers other 〈…〉 te Pamphlets must needs say Errors are small things and that many men go for Saints and Brethren among Independents that there are many better in Hell then they and we may as well call Dives Saint Dives as such Sectaries Saints All error now is christned and call'd Conscience tender Conscience Piety the feare of God as in these books Conformities Deformity The Parable or Consultation about Master Edwards Tender Conscience religiously affected the Reader may finde and the vildest Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers loose ungodly persons are cried up for Saints the godly party honest men and it is observable that among all the Independents and Sectaries who have written against my Books as Sâ—ltmarsh Gretensis Walwin Mr. Burroughs Mr. Burton with many others not one of them condemned any one Error or man that I writ against but justified all crying out upon me with great bitternesse without any distinctions at all of opinions or persons for speaking against the Saints the Saints Some say they know no Errors nor Sects at all or if there be any none so dangerous as the new sprung up Sect of Presbytery and the opinion of compulsion in matters of Religion Errors in matters of Faith as in the Doctrine of the Trinity the Divinity of Christ c. are pleaded for that they be Errors not against the light of nature but against Revelation and Faith and so more pardonable that among the Arrians there were many good men and that when Errors are according to a mans conscience and not against conscience they are not so dangerous Paul Best that â—earfull Blasphemer and his damnable Heresie against the Trinity hath been in my hearing excused extenuated and publikely also thus pleaded for by many Sectaries that he was not guilty of blasphemy that he denied only the tripersonality not the Trinity Athanasiuâ— Trinity noâ— the Scripture Trinity that he denies not the operation of the Persons but only the name of the Persons that he lent his writing about the Trinity to a freind in private and he betrayed him not that he had published his opinion The questioning of the Doctrine of the thre Persons hath been excused that the Persons were Schoole notions the word Person was not to be found in Scripture that it came not into the Church till some hundreds of yeers after Christ that so long as men granted the thing that there were three though they held them operations or vertues it was not so materiall And as Errors are thus pleaded for excused by Sectaries so all kind of sinnes and wicked practises are pleaded for to be no sinnes or else made light account of or the persons protected and the offences smothered thus some Sectaries plead for Incest to be no sinne the putting away and forsaking of husbands and wives to be lawfull and a casting off Antichristian yokes the making no conscience of the Christian Sabbath to be a part of Christian liberty the casting away of prayer and holy duties to be a comming unto perfection that nothing is sinne to the regenerate that they cannot sinne that such persons committing vild ungodly practises must not be brought to punishment nor prosecuted because they are the Saints and Christ will not take it well to have his Saints molested t is most strange to speak of the fearfull bating with hiding concealing justifying excusing the shuffling off uncleannesses drunkennesses and all kind of wickednesses among the Sectaries as by Master Jesse and his company in the case of Mary Abraham as by Lams Church in the case of one M. leaving and living from his wife as in the case of some Sectaries that have been drunk in the Army with many such so that the Sectaries of our times are in a speciall manner guilty of the patronising protecting yea and taking pleasure in all kind of Errors and wickednesse which is an aggravation of sinne and a greater evill then the holding of such Errors or committing such facts as is evident by these Scriptures Rom. 1. 32. not only do the same but have pleasure in them that doe them Matthew 5. 19. Whosoever shall breake one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of beaâ—en and Prov. 28. 4. They that forsake the Law praise the wicked but such as keep the Law contend with them upon which text I wish the
any of them or all of them upon any of the points controverted and I can put forth an Answer to their new Modell and shake their Babel and if God spare me life and hâ—alâ—h but a few yeares they shall find by Gods gracious help that by my pen and preaching not with swords and armed men as they propagate their cause I shall make Independencie Anabaptisme all kind of Sectarisme and a Toleration as vild and cheap as ever Lâ—tther made the Popes Supremacy Indulgences and Pardons Purgatory and the Doctrine of merit and however Master Goodwin puâ—s a bold face upon it writing thus to cast a scorn jeare and a blur upon my writings which he cannot tell how to Answer yet I know and can prove it he and his party fear my writings and are more troubled at them then at any other mans who hath yet appeared As for Mr Burroughs Vindication presently after it came forth I drew up an Answer to it of about some ten sheets an Answer so full that hardly a line escaped without some Animadversion and had I thought his time had been so short it had come forth in his life that he might have confidered what he had done in that Answer which I had in a plaine home way charged on his Conscience and how unlike the spirit that breathed in that Book was to what Master Burroughs had written of a gracious spirit of Selfe-deniall of Love and brotherly agreement being a book made up of great passion horrible pride scornfulnesse equivocations many un truths as I have fully shewed but being more carefull and zealous of Gods name and truth then mine own and seeing that so deeply suffer in the Errors Heresies Blasphemies Insolent practises of the Sectaries I laid my Answer by from fully perfecting it till I had put forth a Third Part of Gangraena and a Treatise against Toleration then resolving to re-assume my Answer to Master Burroughs Master Goodwin and some others of them but it hath pleased God before my Third Part of Gangraena could be printed to take Master Burroughs out of this life for which I am heartily sorry and the more besides that I should have bin glad he might have read my book because I do conceive the putting it forth after his death may be liable to more mis-constructions then it could have been in his life time so that now whether I should publish it I or no or rather let it dye with Master Burroughs I am in suspense and shall advise upon it what may be best in that case however I am fully satisfied t is lawfull for a man in severall cases to put out Answers to Books though the Authors of them be dead and in regard Master Burroughs dealt so uuworthily with me I might be well excused if I should put it forth but whether I do or no I desire the Reader to take notice of my Answer to two or three particulars I for his excusing himself about that objected he gave under his hand concerning the story of Nichols by saying the story of Nichols page 79. is all false all of it being proved true and a mistake only in a Circumstance that he meant only that part of it in that page not medling with that in another page I Answer This is a new equivocation brought to salve the other for as the first was an equivocation upon the word such a meeting so this is upon the page 79. and if he intended not to deceive the Reader by possessing him against me why did he not say that part of the story of one Nichols page 79. was false but that story Master Edwards hath which implies the whole and t is apparent Mr Goodwin and all Mr Burroughs friends took it so viz. of the whole and if Master Burroughs had been alive I had provided an Appeale to his Conscience to have put him to answer me as in the presence of God whether in writing that paper sent to Cretensis he did not think men would not or could not find it out but would take it as conceiving all that story of Nichols false and if Master Burroughs had meant fairly why did he not acknowledge what was true in the story as the first part now confessed true and for the Second Part of it why did he not confesse at a meeting Master Greenhill told him such and such things and that he answered Mr Greenhill so and so and have denied it was a set meeting upon that occasion If Mr Burroughs had done thus he had dealt fairly but this would not have made good Mr Burroughs his end to breed a beleif in the Reader of the falsenesse of matters related in my book I had then bin rendred to the Reader only mistaken in a circumstance of a story which would have been accounted no great matter and the truth of the story for the substance and the severall particulars in it would have weighed down all misprision in the minds of men against me by reason of that circumstance 2. For that Master Burroughs charges me with page 2 and 3. that when I have heard vild reproachfull things against such as I owned to be godly and they living neer me in the City have sent to me to offer to satisfie me if I would confer with them and cleerly convince me of the falsenesse of such reports how the men were traduced and I abused in such reports yet that I should refuse to conferre with them and fall a laying on c. I do utterly deny that ever there was any such thing or any ever sent to me and cannot imagine any reason in the world Master Burroughs should writ so and whoever told him any such thing abused him and I could by many reasons prove the contrary if I were giving a formall Answer to Master Burroughs Book Is it likely that I who have gone on purpose to so many and do dayly upon all occasions that have write so many Letters even to remote places to know the certainty of things reported that imploy others to inquire out the truth where I cannot so well do it my self that intreat persons who relate things to me to send the eare witnesses and proofs to me that reject many reports of things which may be true and are reported with much confidence because I caÌ„not see a full proof of them that I should decline to speak with those who send to me to satisfie me in the truth of things and whom I own to be godly No this is utterly false a very legend against my genius and constant course of proceeding in this work I taking much content in searching all wayes to be satisfied in the truth of things related me or in their falsenesse that so I may not by printing any thing mistaken give an occasion to the questioning of the truth of those things that are undoubtedly true and for further satisfacttou to the Reader there was no such thing why could not the parties themselves come
put in a Postscript and must be reserved for the Fourth Part and I am of the minde when Lanceter shall come to reade them he will wish he had beene opening his Pack when he was writing his Pamphlet As for Drapes his â—illy Pamphlet cald A Bâ—amâ— in Master Edwards his eye Master Edwards hath the Beame in his hand and could easily so handle it as to knock Drapes and Captaine Paul Hobson on the heads and dash out their braines with it but I must not be put out of my way of writing more usefull Tractates by every little bauling currâ— As for Gangraena-chrestum writen by Master Piâ—nel and Maddocks against some passages in a Letter written by a godly Minister and printed by me in the First Part of Gangraena the Authors shall receive a full answer from some of the Ministers of those parts who having been upon the place know all particulars for proofe of which I have been written unto as followes I have lighted upon a Libell of Master Pinnels and Maddocks which however it cast scorne enough on you Master Gower and Master Ford I know you will scorn and I shall take care in what is materiall to see it Answered in a Book by it selfe which if you will let me know when the Third Part of Gangraena is likely to be ready I would put out before it that you may the better make use of it And in another Letter upon my Answer to this that I thought my Third Part would have come out much sooner then now it doth I am thus written to I am sorry in reference to my selfe that your Third Part comes out so suddenly I had thought an answer to Pools relation should have preceded it But however if you have occasion to speak any thing in reference to it you may bid the Reader expect an Answer from these parts shortly And you may your selfe take notice how our opposites Pinnel and Maddocks doe equivocate and deny not the things charged as in the point of Pinnels strange Doctrine and the Revelation woman As for Walwins Prediction of Master Edwards Conversion and the Consultation upon Master Edwards both from the same hand as I judge I would have Master Walwyn and his companions know that Mr. Edwards goes upon surer grounds in what he does against the Sectaries then to be so soone removed he hath not been so long in the Schoole of Christ had experience so many yeers of the wayes of God in trialls of many temptations divers afflictions conflicts with all sorts of wicked men and Errors both in the Prelates times and now searchings and shiftings out the truths of God in the Controversies both of the former and present times as to be taken off from the Doctrines of truth and according to godlinesse and to be turned unto fables by the foolish weake Pamphlets of the times If Mr. Walwin and his fellowes have any â—opes in this kind they are much deceived For as Luther sometimes writ in an Epistle of his to Spalatinus concerning his writing against the Papists that he should presume any thing of him praeter Palinodiam fugam so may the Sectaries imagine any thing of me rather then a Recantation and repenting of writing those Books wherein I have discovered the Errors Heresies and Blasphemies of the times As for Mr. Salmarshes Answer in few words to the Second Part of Gangraena a part of his shadowes flying away I shall reckon with him for every line in it in that Answer to other Pamphlets of his only I desire the Reader for the present to observe these things First that Master Gataker in his Reply to him hath proved him to be a shadow without substance hath taken off the shadowes and vaile he had cast on many truths of the Gospel and showed this new light with his dawnings of light to be nothing else but a shadow of death and darknesse and hath caused this great light to go out in a smoke and snuâ—â—e Secondly that he calls one leafe and lesse then a halfe an Answer to my Second Part of Gangraena consisting almost of thirty sheets and to another Book call'd An after Reckoning of about ten sheets Thirdly in that little he saith though he call it an Answer he doth not so much as offer to disprove any one particular in the Book hee saith not one word to disprove or deny the Woman Preacher which in my Second Part I had made good against his bold deniall of it in a former Pamphlet but declaimes in generall against me and my Book railing fearfully and cursing me Fourthly the great hypocrisie and dissimulation of Master Saltmarsh pretending in all his writings love peace sweetnesse among Christians and in this Pamphlet where his Answer to the Second Part of Gangraena is inserted t is call'd Reasons for Vnity Love and Peace and charging me with bitternesse uncharitablenesse want of the sweete Spirit of Christ whereas himselfe hath the bitterest uncharitablest and most railing censorious passages against me and a godly reverend Minister he joynes with me that a man shall hardly ever meet with the like in any Book in a mans life time applying those words of Christ to the Devill unto me the Lord rebuke thee even the Lord charging me with sinning aganst the holy Ghost with being in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity telling me of gnawings flashings of having a burnt and withered spirit threatning they will pray me either into repentance or shame or judgement ere they have done with me and putting the other Minister and me together he stiles us Pensioners to the gâ—â—at Acouser of the Brethron bids us fill up the measure of our iniquities if we will needs perish whether he will or no and saith all the powers of hell set us on work with many such like passages So that I may justly say to Master Saltmarsh as Paul in Rom. 2. 21 22 23. Thou therefore that teachest another Teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that teachest a man should not steale dost thou steale Thou that â—aiest a man should not commit adulâ—ery dost thou commit adultery c. Or as Christ in Matthew 7. 3 4. 5. And why beholdest thou the motâ— that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye or how canâ—â— thou say to thy brother lot me pull out the motâ— out of thine eye and behold a beame in thine owne eye Th 〈…〉 hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mâ—te out of thy brothers eye Master Saltmarsh charges me with bitternesse uncharitablenesse and is ten times worse himselfe and I challenge Master Saltmarsh and all his party in all the Books that I have written put together to produce if they can so many unchristian passages as are vented by him against me in oâ—e leafe Where and in what part of my books have I charged Master Saltmarsh with sinning against the holy
Reader EVill men and seducers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived as a Fountaine casteth forth water their hearts cast forth wickednesse and yet none greater pretenders to truth and holinesse then these and by these pretences they deceive many This the Holy Ghost in Scripture fore-tells the Stories of former ages testifie that it may not seeme strange to thee if in our daies also Egyptian darknesse be accounted Gospell-light licentiousnesse Christian Liberty and pretended Saints if unmasked appeare reall Devills In two former Treatises the hereticall and blasphemous opinions the scandalous and abominable practices of our Sectaries have been discovered and to the end thou mayest be warned and the truth of God not left without witnesse in Ages to come This third being a higher and fuller Discovery of the Frrours Herefies and Insolencies of the Sectaries is penned by the former Authour and allowed to be printed by him that is thy Friend in the truth Ja. Cranford The third PART of GANGRAENA OR A new and higher Discovery of the Errors Heresies Blasphemies and insolent Proceedings of the Sectaries of these times with some Animadversions by way of Confutation upon many of the Errors and Heresies named As also a particular Relation of many remarkable Stories speciall Passages Copies of Letters written by Sectaries to Sectaries Copies of Letters written from godly Ministers and others to Parliament men Ministers and other well-affected persons an Extract and the substance of divers Letters all concerning the present Sects together with ten Corollaries from all the forenamed Premises Briefe Animadversions on many of the Sectaries late Pamphlets as Lilburnes and Overtons Books against the House of Peeres M. Peters his last Report of the English Warres The Lord Mayors Farewell from his Office of Maioralty M. Goodwins thirty eight Queres upon the Ordinance against Heresies and Blasphemies M. Burtons Conformities Deformity M. Dells Sermon before the House of Commons Wherein the Legislative and Iudiciall Power of the House of Peeres over Commoners is maintained and fully proved against the Sectaries the Power of the House of Commons clearely demonstrated to be overthrowne upon the Mediums brought by the Sectaries against the Lords the late Remonstrance of the City of London justified the late Lord Mayor and the City vindicated from unjust Aspersions our Brethren of Scotland cleered from all the calumnies and reproaches cast upon them and the Magistrates power in suppressing Heresies and Blasphemies asserted As also some few Hints and briefe observations on divers Pamphlets written lately against me and some of my Books as M. Goodwins pretended Reply to the Antapologie M. Burroughs Vindication Lanseters Lance Gangraena playes Rex Gangraena-Chrestum M. Saltmarshes Answer to the second part of Gangraena A Iustification of the manner and way of writing these Books called Gangraena wherein not onely the lawfulnesse but the necessity of writing after this manner is proved by Scripture Fathers the most eminent Reformed Divines Casuists the practice and custome of all Ages By THOMAS EDVVARDS Minister of the Gospel Iude 8. v. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh despise dominion and speake evill of dignities 2 Pet. 3. 17. Tetherefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastnesse London Printed for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Cornehill 1646. The Preface IN this following Book as in a cleare and true Glasse every impartiall and ingenuous Reader may plainly behold the many Deformities and great Spots of the Sectaries of these times Spots of all kinds Plague spots Feaver spots Purpule spots Leprosie spots Scurvey spots Spots upon them discovering much malignity rage frensie great corruption and infection of whom may be said as in Moses Song Deut. 32. 5. They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children they are a perverse and crooked generation O that the Sectaries themselves and others easie to be deceived with good words and faire speeches apt to be carried away with good names and specious showes as godlinesse purity of Ordinances Conscience would but look into this Glasse and continue looking therein diligently in the feare of God reading over this Book and observing what 's here written comparing and examining one thing with another which would they do I am confidently perswaded many of the Sectaries who know not the depths of Sathan would quickly be taken off become out of love with their way and returne and others kept from going after those wayes this would prove a Soveraigne Antidote both to expell the poyson already received and to prevent the taking infection Now that this Book by the blessing of God may the better attaine these ends I shall in generall prâ—mise two things 1. Remove some objections that may lie in the way of the Reader wipe off the dust and dirt cast upon this Glâ—sse that might hinder the clear sight of things 2. Give some Rules Directions and Cautions as for the better understanding of it so for preventing some cavils and mistakes that otherwise might be For the first I observe two things have beene objected against these Books of discovering the Errors Heresies and Practises of the Sectaries First the manner and way of writing 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ing with matters of fact particularising men by name and bâ—ing very bitter and sharpe Secondly the matter as being untrue and consisting most of lyes falshoods and fables Now for the satisfaction of the Reader in the first the manner and way of writing these parts of Gangraena I have drawn up a large Treatise upon this subject viz. a Justification of relating matters of fact and the names of Sectaries as wel as their Opinions and Arguments which I have proved from the Scriptures of the old and new Testament both in commands and examples Orthodox Fathers Augustine c. other Ancient Writers as Bernard c. the most learned and famous among the moderne 〈◊〉 Luther Beza Bullinger Danaus c. the judgement of 〈◊〉 as Baldwin c. from the practise of Sectaries themselves as Donatists c. in all ages both in writing one against another and against the Orthodox and from many strong convincing Reasons and besides these proofs have answered fully all objections of all sorts brought against it as that t is a speaking against the Saints uncovering our brothers nakednesse a going against the Rule of Christ in Matth. 18. which is to tell our Brother alone which Treatise of the Justification of writing these Gangrâ—naes I am confident will not be only satisfactory but triumphing over all the clamors oâ—tcries and objections made by the Sectaries against my Books slaying their Absâ—loms and cutting off the heads of their great Goliahs as that of speaking against the Saints and in the judgement of al learned and ingenuous men stopping their months for ever Notwithstanding al which I cannot but expect 〈…〉 of the Sectaries will still clamor speak evill and
Letters writ to my selfe I suppose I may in such a case without the censure of vain-glory print such testimonies to counterballance the despisings and scornings of the Sectaries yea if I had gone further and printed not only passages justifying my work but what they had expressed of me in other kinds considering how the Sectaries vilifie me I might have beene excused Saint Paul a humble and modest man yet when by false Teachers he was in his person presence and speech among the people presented weak and contemptible to the end his ministery might be made ineffectuall he would not beare it but takes off all those things enters into a commendation of himselfe showing he was equall with the very cheifest Apostles and speaks of his owne knowledge and gifts and speaks that in this case he was compelled to glory 2 Cor. 10. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 11. 5. 6. 16. 2 Cor. 12. 11 12. And in such a case as this if Casuists be consulted with as Amesius c. they conclude that credit and a good report may not only be maintained but sought for viz. for the glory of God and that we may by our work and example profit others the more by that means 5. Whereas in my Book there are many Relations of Sectaries in the Army some passages in Letters speaking of the Army and some things spoken by my selfe that some may take to reflect upon the whole Army I desire the Reader to understand aright that nothing related by me though written by others or spoken by my selfe is meant of the whole Army or the greater part of it but only of that part of the Army viz. the Sectaries in the Army I acknowlege the New Modell under Sir Thomas Fairfax hath done gallant service against the enemy and did the greatest and best services when it had not so many Sectaries as it hath now and my intent is not in the least to cast dirt upon the Army but only to relate Errors and insolencies of a part of the Army The Sectaries who though but a part and much the lesser may be somtimes in discourse or writing call'd the Army viz. in that sense as the Independents crying up the Army in Pamphlets and Sermons use the word Army saying here 's an Army the army hath done thus when they mean by the Army and expresse so much in other words the Independents and Saints in the army so do I when I speak in any place of the hurt the Army doth or the Errors there I understand not the Army but the Sectares in it 6. Whereas in this Book there are many passages that Sectaries may be likely enough to interpret a striking at the Parliament a casting reproach upon them and more particularly upon the Honorable House of Commons I do here declare and professe against any such misconstructions or consequences it being not my intent to reflect either upon both Houses as conjunct or upon each as considered distinct or upon the Committees of either House the most that can be drawne is that some passages in Letters or Relations show there are some particular Members that are or favor Sectaries which in writing so much of the Sectaries as I do for the good of the Parliament and the Kingdome cannot possibly be avoided though I forbear the naming of or deciphering any of them and that there are some such crept into the Parliament all the Kingdome knowes and speaks of it and therefore I meddle not to speake against the Houses in all my Discourse neither do I insinuate any thing in the least to bring the people out of love with Parliaments or this Parliament I formally declare least any should mistake t is the peoples great interest and blessing to have the power and Priviledges of Parliament maintained and they must take heed they be not so discontented with miscarriages of any particular Members or Committees that may fall out as to set loose in their hearts from Parliaments and desert them Parliaments are the strong Boundaries of the exorbitancies of Princes and their Ministers they have by the constitution of the Kingdome and the Lowes power more then sufficient to restraine the Tyranny of Princes and to correct their greatest Favourits and Officers of State let the people once lose Parliaments and be out of love with them and then farewell all Liberty Property and slavery will come in like an armed man and that nothing in my Book can be against the Honorable Houses however someparticular Members may be guilty of some things I speak of and that party wresting my words to such a sense to make the Parliament offended with me yet that there can be no such thing I desire these things may be considered 1. I do de Industria and at large discover and write against the Sectaries for speaking and writing against the Parliament against the House of Lords and Commons and do plead and contend for the power of both Houses both in matters of Religion and civill things against the Sectaries and therefore I cannot be thought to do any thing against them but for them 2. That in speaking sometimes of the House of Commons I speake not positively that they do so or use such words of them as mine or bring such Arguments as if I owned them but speak the Sectaries words and show what followes upon their grounds against the power of the House of Commons 3. For any passages in Letters or Relations that may seem to have any reference to one or both Houses of Parliament aâ— speaking against any under them imployed in Military or Civill affaires or any other matter I meddle not with those passages at all as to justifie or assert them but do only barely relate and print them and for no other end but that the body of both Houses may know that which may be they have not heard of viz. such a dangerâ—us man imployed in their service such insolencies committed by men vnder their pay and may know the Countries sense of such and such things how ill t is taken such wicked men should bee implied and may prevent in time the mischeifs and evils which may grow out of such things and the discontents that may be occasioned thereby Fourthly I doe with salmission conceive that for a Minister a known friend and servant of the Parliaments in a respective way not in a reproaching reviling way to make known to the Parliament what the best affected say and write to â—riends of such and such particulars as the suffering yea preferring of all sort of Sectaries as the not settling Religion in so long a time as the letting freinds waite long before they can have their Petitions received as about the Elections of some new Members as about the carriage of many Sectaries in the Army c. is so farre from speaking against the Parliament or becomming their enemy that t is one of the greatest and faithfullest services can be done them and whatever passages I
may have printed in any of these or any other of this kind I conceive t is highly for their service that they may know what hurt the Sectaries doe them and how the Kingdome takes things and truly next to the glory of God the great thing that moves me to write as I doe of the Sectaries is the great dammage and prejudice that comes to the Parliament by them that as Hester said of Haman to Ahazuerus the enemy could not countervaile the Kings dammage So the Sectaries doings all the Kingdome over in all kind of Mechanicks preaching in making tumults and riots in Churches in driving away godly Ministers and venting all kind of abominable opinions does so much wrong to the Parliament in the Countries severall wayes that they can never countervaile the Parliaments dammage and losse and I have related such things for no other end but to let them know so much and I could wish both Houses had read all passages in Letters sent from severall parts of the Kingdome and from beyond Seas to London which I have sâ—â—ne of this nature aâ— what ill bloud these things breed and how because of the Sectaries they lose a peice in the hearts of their best freinds with many other passages which I forbeare now to relate The Parliament upon many of the wicked doings of the Sectaries as baptizing a Horse making uproares in Churches c. may take up a like speech which Jacob said to Simeon and Levi Ye have troubled me to make me to stinck among the Inhabitants of the Land You have troubled us to make us to lose the hearts of many well-affected people in City and Country and thereby encouraged the common enemy to be ready to gather themselves against us again and we being few in number in danger to be deserted of the people by reason of you we shall be destroyed and our House 7. Whereas some of the Sectaries in their Pamphlets as Master Walwyn and others have often insinuated that I have preached and written so much against the Sectaries out of Policy Superstition worldly and selfe Interest to maintain my owne Covetousnesse Ambition desire of Domination distinction betweene Clergy and Laytie out of a spirit of opposition and Persecution against conscientions and peaceable men all which they have done out of a designe to blast my books among many who know me not not knowing otherwise how to answer them I do therefore that I may countermine the Sectaries in this and take of these prejudices declare as in the presence of God I never have nor do appeare against the Sectaries and Errors of the times from any of these principles but from a zeale of the glory of God and his Truth and that founded upon knowledge and search a compassion to the Souls of poore people deceived and the discharge of my duty and Conscience as a Minister of the Gospel and as for those other of Policy Self-interest c. they have never fallen so much as under my consultation unlesse that I have considered and forecast that what I was doing in writting such a Book and such a Book was against all Policy Self-Interest and the ready way as the times were and are to run the hazard of the ruine of my selfe and my family and that what I write is truth and the Sectaries speeches aspersions I desire the Reader to observe these following particulars and do challenge all the Sectaries to disprove any one particular if they can 1. Many years ago when I was persecuted by some Prelates and their Creatures in no possibility nor capacity by my principles and practices of preforment as the best of the Independents well know I preached against and upon all occasions declared my self against the Brownists Separatists Antinomians and all Errors in that way as well as against Popish Innovations and Arminian Tenets There are many who were my Auditors in those times can and will witnesse what I have preached at London and at Hartford aginst those Errors when I have in the same places preached such Sermons against the prevailing Opinions Innovations and Corruptions of the Prelates that many thought I should never have preached again and indeed was not without manifold sufferings and troubles being put out of places stopped from coming into others and at last Letters missive with an Attachment sent out to bring me into the High Commission Court About thirteene years ago at Magnus Church I preaching against forsaking the Publick Assemblies had on a Lecture night at the same Church a Bill given me up among the Bills to pray for the sick speaking bitterly for so doing At Hartford about 10. years ago when Independency and the Church way began to be fallen too by some men of Note and some people to look after it I preached against it earely and by all wayes laboured to preserve the people About 8. yeares agoe when Errors on the right hand tooke with many I did at a Lecture in the City at Aldermanbury and Coleman-street preach against Apostasie and falling to Errors on the right hand and more particularly at Coleman-street many in that parish being then leaning that way gave some considerations against Errors on the right hand and warned the people of the white Devill quoting a saying of Master Cartwright out of the Proverbs and Master Brightman out of the Revelations against leaving the Church of England and Master John Goodwin was then well pleased with my Sermon that he gave mo great thanks 2. I never yet sought any great things for my self great livings or coming into publicke places of honor and respect to be of the Assembly or to preach in any publicke places before the Magistrates either at Westminster or London but have contented my selfe with small meanes and to preach in private places in comparison having refused many great livings and places preaching here in London for a little and that but badly paid aâ— many well know minding the worke and service little the maintenance I can speak it truly that in these open times when many young men raw preachers men who never bore the heat of the day have got great Livings of two or three hundred a yeere well situated with houses and all accommodations I have for the publick good declined all such offers spent my owne temporall estate to minister to my necessities not having had for almost these two last yeers 40. li. per Annum not withstanding any constant preaching on Lords dayes week-dayes and all extraordinary occasions of Fastings and thankesgiving I have beene willing to forsake my fatnesse and sweetnesse to neglect my profit health benefit of my Familie all advantages and in a sort to sequester my selfe from freinds and all worldly enjoyments to spend my time strengh spirits estate and all in reeding writing studying of the Controversie of these times having prepared many Tractates against the Errors of the times And as for Domination and affecting of Rule and Government I have little meddled in
and idely by going from Country to Country preaching And indeed instead of any Ministers or people opposing the Sectaries out of Policy worldly Interests t is evident t is the high way to some gainfull Place or other to become a Sectarie or to favour them hundreds turning Independents and Sectaries meerly for preferments and Places as heretofore men turned Prelatical and Arminians because of great Livings and how the Independent party have feathered their nests got well for themselves above other men the Reader shall find more spoken of it in this Book 7. As for that which is said I write so against the Sectaries out of a spirit of persecution and hatred of peaceable consciencious men I can say truly if I persecute consciencious peaceable men whom do I then love my love delight and interest is in such and I am so far from a spirit of persecution that I would be glad but to find the same measure from Independents Brownists Anabaptists and others which I would measure unto them if it were in my power namely I would not imprison banish them and such like only hinder them from all places of power and trust in the Kingdome and from spreading their Errors and Opinions to the hurting of others keep the unsound from the sound which if I differed in judgement from what was established in a Church and had nothing else done to me I should never conplaine of persecution and violence for that for t is absolutely necessary for the peace and welfare of the civill State besides what t is for the honor of God in the preventing the spreading of all Errors and Heresies And for a conclusion of this I have the clear and full testimony of my conscience that my appearing against the Sectaries hath not risen from any such base and poore grounds as the Sectaries alledge but from a sense of my duty that I might witnesse to the truth of God in this sinfull and adulterous generation And now to draw to a conclusion of this Preface nothing that hath yet befallen me of scandals reproaches and other sufferings or that shall further befall me in this way of Books set out against me of persecutions and troubles to bonds imprisonments losse of estate shall the grace of God assisting me turn me out of my way of constantly opposing the Sectaries so long as they go on in their way but when they for my writing against them shall speak against me as most vile and abominable I shall answer them as David It was for the Lord that I have done it and I will be yet more vile then thus and though every day naybour in the yeer should bring forth some book against me as bad as Balthazar Paeimontanus writ against Zuingl and Bolsecuâ— against Calvin yet for my part I shall be so far from being troubled that I shall take all those books as Job speaks and bind them as a crown to my head nay if all the Sectaries in England were combined against me and there were as many of them as tiles upon the houses in the City and every one of these Sectaries were a Devill yea had a legion of Devils as I beleeve some of them are possessed with many yet I would go on against them and if the Sectaries should be able out of this Book or any other to take advantage of my zeale faithfulnesse and plainnesse of spirit to make something of some words to stir up the Civil powers to trouble me yet for all that I shall not give them ever but write so much the more pâ—int them 〈◊〉 pray speak against their Errors and if God should give me so into their hands as to be able to deale with me as the Papists did with some of the â—itnesses of the truth yet I am confident they should have no cause to rejoyce but I should overcome even in that like Sampson kill more Philistims by my death then by my life and many Brethren would waxe more â—old to preach and write against them and out of my ashes should arise those who should further discover them I know the Sectarian faction must be destroyed and fall Babell must come downe as well as Babylon and the making of them naked is a preparatory work to the making of them desolate and eating their flesh But O that God would rather give them to see what they have done and make them to confesse give him glory and returne helping to build his House with both hands which they have so laid waste and hindred all this while and O that they would take well this Book look into it and observe Gods hand in finding them out accept of it as it was indeed intended for their good and not cast it away with saying t is sharp and bitter but rather remember that of the Apostle that men must be sometimes sharply rebuked That they may be sound in the â—aith Erasmus often said of the Papacit in his time that it was so corrupt that it weedeâ— acrem medicum a sharp Physitian a gentle would have done no good and therefore he raised up Luther a man of a free and hot spirit that cared not for gold and that feared not great men but went on in the cure of the Church strong and rough humors needing strong phisick to purge them out The foulnesse and strength of the disease of Sectarisme at this time call'd and calls for a strong Pâ—tion and may justly plead against the offence of any acrimonie and quicknesse that may be found in it Jesus Christ himselfe that meeke Lamb of whom it was written he should not strive noâ— cry neither should any man heare his voice in the streets yet his zeale of his Fathers House made him as t is in the second of John to make a 〈…〉 rge of cords and drive all that sold Oxâ—n Sheepe and Doves and the châ—â—gers of money out of the Temple and overthrow the Tables saying unto them that sold Doves take these things hence make not my Fathers House â—n house of merchandise and I remember not that ever I reâ—d of the like sharpnesse and quicknesse of Christ as this in any other case that against the Scribes Pharisees and S 〈…〉 es false Teachers was the likest and certainly the servants of Christ in a 〈◊〉 when the Church of God and Religion is bought and sold and made merchandise of by false Teachers as Saint Peter speaks the precious truths of God and the immortall souls of them for whom Christ died prestituted and sold to the base lusts and selfe ends of men when there are not found in the House of God so good intruders as thâ—se that sell Oxen Sheepe and Doves such profitable creatures but those that sell T 〈…〉 Crocodiles Pipers Serpents and all kind of Monstâ—rs they may and ought at such times and in such cases to imitate Christ and to doe something more then ordinary for the purging of the Church and that may show their zeale for
God and for his House THE TABLE THe Catalogue of the Errours laid down in this Booke from page 2. unto page 17. Animadversions by way of Confutation on the Errors of the Sectaries about civill Government as that all power of Civill Government is founded onely in the choise and election of the present people as that all the legall supreame Legislative power of this Kingdome is in the House of Commons layd downe in the third and fourth sheets of this Book and in page 158 159 160. A Catalogue of some Blasphemies of the Sectaries and a Relation of some passages in their Prayers laid downe in the latter part of the fourth sheet A Relation of a story of some Sectaries in contempt of Baptisme pissing in the Font of the Church at Yakesly in Huntingtonshire and bringing a Horse into the Church and baptizing it pag. 17. 18. which relation is attested by their hands A Relation of some Sectaries here in London annointing with oyle an old blind woman to restore her to sight p. 19. A Relation of a storie of some Troopers in the Army destroying a Dove-House because they were fowles of the Ayre given to the sonnes of men all having a common right in them p. 20. Copies of Letters written from godly Ministers Committees and other persons of quality and well-affected to Members of the House of Commons Minist 〈…〉 and Citizens of London concerning the opinions and insolent 〈…〉 ctises of Sectaries in the Army pag. 21 22. p. 30. 41. 42 43 44 45 46 47. Copies of Letters written from Ministers and others concerning the opinions and practises of Sectaries not belonging to the Armies and Sectaries in generall p. 33. 35 36. 55. 66 67 68 69. Copies of Letters written by Sectaries themselves to other Sectaries or to some of our Ministers p. 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 35 56. 58 59. 62. Copies of Letters written from godly Ministers Committee men and other persons well-affected out of the North concerning out Brethren of Scotland and their Armies p. 71. 72. 73. 74. Copies of Letters written from godly Ministers out of severall Countries to me and other Ministers in the City approving of my manner and way of writing these Books against the Sectaries cal'd Gangrana and of their usefulnesse and the good they have done p. 33. 3â— 40. 74 75 77 78. Copies of Letters written from Holland or New-England concerning some Errours and Practises p. 94. 168 169. A Relation of some opinions of a Lievtenant of a Company in the Army p. 22. A Relation of some words spoken by a Colonell in the Army and another of the Ar 〈…〉 concerning Ireland p. 23. A Relation of the souldiers preaching in Oxford and in the publike schooles p. 23. A story of a Sectarie that would not be married by a Minister as holding it unlawfull and afterwards when he had lived with her casting her of and denying she was his wife p. 24. A Relation of some words and speeches of Sectaries against the Scots Assembly Ministery City the late Lord Mayor p. 24. 25. A Relation of a story of Mr. Jenney and Mrs. Attâ—â—aâ—ay and of Letters sent her from a Prophet and his Doctrine of generall Restauration and of Esau's world and Jacobs words p. 26. 27. A Relation of a Sectarie holding that the Parliament must give the Kingdome that is both England Scotland and Ireland to the Saints p. 28. 29. A Relation of a Troope of Colonell Riches Regiment preaching and dipping in Wales and of a womans dying within a day or two after being dipped by him p. 31. A Relation of a Minister hearing in a meeting of Sectaries one who exercised affirme that he was Jesus Christ and of the Ministers conference with him about it and his standing in it that he was Christ p. 32. A Relation of some sectarian souldiers affronting and disturbing a godly Mininister in the Church and of beating a man for gathering Tythes p. 32. An Information from Norwich under the Mayors hand of a she â—ectary one Priscilla Miles p. 34. 35. A Relation of one Sims a Shoomaker of Hampton with his examination who goes about as an emissary all the West over being apprehended by authority p. 50. A Relation of M. Sickmooreâ— baptizing John Sims p. 51. Animadversions by way of confutation on a Letter of a â—â—e Sectary p. 61. A Relation of severall Positions laid down by M. Dell and preached before the Generall p. 63. A Relation of a story of one M. Kendall a great Sectary who hath renounced his Ministry turned Captain when a godly Minister was to preach he stepped up before him p. 70. 80. A Relation of a story of some Sectaries who refuse to keepe Fast daies or daies of Thankesgiving because they will not give thanks for killing men who affirme they have seen Christ and the Devill p. 80. A Relation of a young maid of 16. yeares of age that preaches p. 86. A Relation of a Minister who boasted he had pulled downe the Bishops and hoped to do as much for the Presbyterians p. 81. A Relation of an Officer in the Army who was cashiered because hee would answer the Sectaries when they spoke for their opinions and against the Presbyterians p. 81. A Relation of severall Sectaries trades-men turned Ministers and other Sectarian Ministers p. 81. A Relation of a Shoomaker of Coventry who goes about the Country venting his erroneous points p. 81. A Relation of one M. Downings preaching at Hackney casting aspersions on the Common Councell of London as if they were for the Cavaleers p. 81. 82. A Relation of M. Jesse commending one Mary Abram to one M. Clark of London to look to his house and how she worked on his son a young youth and being in an Apoplexy to be married to her by an old schoole-master p. 82 83. The Petition of Mr. Clarke to the house of Commons p. 83 84. A Relation how Mary Abraham had before entangled an Apprentice and though M. Jesse knew as much yeâ— he commended her to him and how M. Clarke found a paper in his sons chamber of her agreement with another young man and he showing it to Mr. Jesse he kept it and would not give it him againe saying that this Mary Abraham had confessed her sin p. 85. A Relation of a story concerning Henry 〈◊〉 spoken of in the first part of Gangraena and his examination by a Justice of Peace together with the replies made by himselfe p. 85. 86 87. A Relation of a story concerning a schoole-â—master of Glocester who denies the holy Ghost to be God though he was dealt with by all fairnesse to shew him his errours p. 87 88. A Relation concerning one Andrew Debman a Cooper who can neither write nor read and yet is a great Preacher among she Sectaries p. 88. A Relation of a great Sectary whose wife lay a dying who being spoken to to pray for her said what good would prayer do her or them p. 88. A Relation how
composed by Protestant Synods who have an eye to the Scripture in what they doe but the assuming of such a power so as to enact a Law to bind all to conformity 't is a falling under that in Esay Their fear towards God was taught by the precept of men 't is with Nebuchadnezzar to erect his golden Image with Jeroboam and his Councell to set up the golden Calves 't is a rejecting of Christ from being King an utter overthrowing of the Kingly Prerogative and Office of Christ and a destroying a foundation of faith 47. That all Power Places and Offices that are just in this Kingdom ought only to arise from the choise and election of the people and that all the power right any man hath in governing and ruling over those he rules stands wholy in the choice and election of those that are ruled and that men need not ought not to yeeld obedience and subjection to the Commands Summons Lawes c. of any but of those they have chosen and who are their Representers and to submit yeeld obedience to any others whom they have not chosen is inconsistent with the nature of just freedoms and to exercise any power not derived from choice is no lesse then usurpation and oppression 48. That all the Legall Supreame Soveraigne Regall Legislative power of this Kingdom is in the House of Commons the chosen Commons of England and in no other whatsoever there 's no other the Svpreame Court of Judicature of this Land but the House of Commons That all Majesty and Kingship inherently residing in the people or state universall the representation or derivation of it is formally and legally in the state Representative or elect and in none else The Supreame power only of right belonging to the House of Commons they only being chosen by the people 49. That the state universall the body of the common people is the Earthly Soveraign Lord King and Creator of the King Parliaments all Officers and Ministers of Justice Underived Majesty and Kingship inherently resides in the state universal and the King Parliaments c. are their own meer creatures to be accountable to them and disposed of by them at their pleasure the people may recall and re-assume their power question them and set others in their place 50. That whatever the Fundamentall Constitutions of Kingdomes and Common wealths have been by forefathers whatever agreements compacts have been of subjection and obedience of such a people for themselves and posterities to one as under Kingly government or to more yet the men of the present age following many hundred years after ought to be absolutely free from what their forefathers yeelded unto and freed from all kinds of exorbitancies molestations without exception or limitation either in respect of persons officers degrees or things and estated in their naturall and just Liberties agreeable to right reason 51. That the House of Commons cannot have any power nor exercise any power justly but what the people who chose them conferred upon them and the common people having given them no power to establish Religion as having no such power in themselves and therefore could not conferre that which they had not therefore the House of Commons cannot assume a power to controule Religion or a way of Church Government upon the people and although the Kings Writ for chusing Knights and Burgesses implies the establishment of Religion yet all implications in the Writs of the Establishment of Religion showeth that in that particular as many other we remain under the Norman yoak of an unlawfull power from which we ought to free ourselves and the House of Commons ought not to maintain upon us but to abrogate 52. That seeing all men are by nature the Sons of Adam and from him have legitimatly derived a naturall propriety right and freedom Therefore England and all other Nations and all particular persons in every Nation notwithstanding the difference of Lawes and Governments rancks and degrees ought to be alike free and estated in their naturall Liberties and to enjoy the just Rights and Prerogative of mankind whereunto they are Heirs apparent and thus the Commoners by right are equall with the Lords For by naturall birth all men are equally and alike born to like propriety liberty and freedom and as we are delivered of God by the hand of nature into this world every one with a naturall innate freedom and propriety even so are we to live every one equally and alike to enjoy his birth-right and priviledge 53. That the body of the people may do all that lawfully of themselves which their Deputies Trustees Representors chosen ones do for them only for greater conveniency they Depute them and they may go no further in any thing nor sit no longer nor dispose of any thing but according to their Commission and power received from the Represented I might here also annex to these Errours many strange and false Expositions of Scripture given by Sectaries in their Sermons and Discourses but I will only give two or three 1 That of Matthew 28. v. 18. Allpower is given to me in heaven and in earth By heaven there is meant the uncreated heaven there are the created heavens and the uncreated heaven here is meant the uncreated heaven the God-head so that the meaning of these words is all the uncreated power of the God-head is given to Jesus Christ 2 That of Genesis the ninth And surely your bloud of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it That by Beast there was meant a wicked man 3 That of Luke 24. To day shalt thou be with me in paradise that to day was to be referred to Christs saying so not to the time when he should be in Paradise of which the Reader may find more in some following pages 100. 101. In my First and Second Parts of Gangraena page 28. 29. of the First Part Third Edition and in page 1. and 117. of the Second Part Second Edition I have laid down some Tenets of the Sectaries destructive to Civill Government and humane Society but now in this Third Part among these Errors mentioned I have discovered much more of their Anarchicall and Antimagistraticall spirit many of these last Errors plainly showing they are enemies to all Government Order and Distinction and would bring all into a popular confusion and reduce all Common-wealths and Kingdoms into such a condtion as they were before they had Laws Customes of Nations Rulers over them and that as often as the weak judgements and humours of the giddy in constant multitude pleased and this spirit of Anarchy fully showes it self in many whole Books written on purpose some Sermons many Speeches and in many late practises of the Sectaries I have forborne quoting in the margine one or more particular Bookes with the Pages just against the Errours for proof as I have done in other Errors because not only one Book
so certainly and generally spoken of that a godly Minister who dwelt hard by heareing of it came next day to the Town to find out him who baptized this horse and the rest who had a hand in it and to stirre up the Parish to complaine and prosecute them Which story being thus related to me with much confidence from these two Citizens as having spoken with this neighbour Minister and divers of the Inhabitants of Yaksly yet because I well know that reports will flye variously and many mistakes may arise in relations and because this was so sad a 〈…〉 ory and such a dâ—sperate proph 〈…〉 ation and contempt of Gods Ordinance of Baptisme I therefore intreated these Citizens for my satiâ—faction and for the credit of the story to others to get under the hands of some of the Inhabitants of quality who related it the truth of the story wh 〈…〉 of it was true and what might be built upon 〈◊〉 certa 〈…〉 â—herâ—upoâ— they sent about it and took such a course that aboâ—t ten dayes agoe in September I received from the hands of a godly Minister this certificate to a tittle and do keep the Originall by me to produce when ever I shall be called to make proof of it August 15. 1646. THat Captaine B 〈…〉 an t was quartered at Yakesly in the County of Huntingdon about June 2. 1644. and preached on the Lords day in the Parochiall Church and in the time of his quarter there his souldiers fecht a bald horse out of Master Finnmo 〈…〉 s stable of the Captaines where he was quartered and in the Church at the Font having pissed in it did sprinkle it on the horse and call him Ball 〈…〉 because he was hairie and crost him in the forehead They had souldiers Godfathers and one Widdow Shropshire a souldier sonick-named was the Godmother This the Leâ—â—tenant Brayfield by name reported to the Captaine and they all gloried in it at Master Finnmoâ—rs and the other souldiers immediatly reported the same to be done in many houses where they were q 〈…〉 Which we the Inhabitants of Yakesly do witnesse whose names are subscribed William Finn 〈…〉 Thomas Eva 〈…〉 John Caryer Robert 8 Sumerly his marke John Pal 〈…〉 er Robert Cu 〈…〉 dge Hollâ—â— Bell. Robert Ra 〈…〉 er Corporall was the man 〈◊〉 acted the part of the Minister Bartly Ward by name was the Godmother Laureâ—ce Dodds 〈…〉 man was 〈◊〉 that fâ—cht the horse out of the â—â—able The â—ame godby Minister who hath relation to those parts and 〈◊〉 whom I hall this paper tells 〈◊〉 here are 〈…〉 y other misde 〈…〉 anore of some of the Sectariaâ— souldierâ— spoken of By many in these parts as the baptizing of a piggâ— and other straâ—ge exploith with he will enquire the 〈◊〉 of and 〈…〉 ordingly 〈…〉 finds give me notice and he saith 〈◊〉 S 〈…〉 souldiers are so 〈◊〉 that the godly Orthodox Ministers cannot with safety to their persons preath against some of those 〈◊〉 which they 〈◊〉 as against universall grace and some others some of these souldiers to one godly and able Minister who preached against their opinions laid their hands upon their swords threatning him with a great deal of â—ury There is a godly Minister and a man of some place more then ordinary whose wise being much incl 〈…〉 ed to the Sectaries and going often to their meetings he went divers times with her and among many strange passages which he hath seen and heard in those Assemblies he relates this following story for a certain truth which hee both saw and heard but was not willing to have his name made known because of some estate lying so that he perhaps might suffer much for discovering any thing concerning the Sects About Algate in London there was a great meeting of many Sectaries among others one Master Knowls Master Jesse and some other of the Sectarian Ministers were there for the restoring of an old blind woman to her sight by anointing her with oyle in the name of the Lord The manner of it was after this manner the old blind woman was set in the midst of the Roome and she first prayed aloud all the company joyning with her to this effect that God would blesse his own Ordinance and Institution for the restoring of her sight after she had done praying Master Knowls prayed for some spice of time to the same effect for a blessing upon this anointing with oile and after prayer she was anointed with oyle these words being words uttered by him who anointed her or to this effect The Lord Jesus give or restore thee thy sight In my first part of Gangr 〈…〉 a a story is related of some Sectarian Troopers assaulting Master Andrews a Minister in Northamptonshire Now I shall give the Reader a continuation of that story viz. so farre as to shew to what place these men went from Wellingborrough and what pranks these and others of that Troop played in Warwickshire which was told me by a good hand from one who came out of those parts and assured me it was most true and proferd to give it me under his hand and the hands of others in that Town and the story is as followes That very company spoken of came to a Town call'd Lemington or Remington in Warwickeshire and to the house of one John Mathews who looks to Baron Trevers estate there where their Captaine quartred viz. one Captaine P. and they told him of the passages at Wellingborrough boasting what they had done and how narrowly the Priest escaped them and what they would have done if they had gotten him and there was a great deale of applauding them by their fellowes who were there The constant course of that Troop whilst they quartered in that Town was to speak against the Ministrie calling them Priests disswading the people from going to Church hardly three of a hundred of that Troop would goe to Church they would tell the people that they would give them a Book should do them more good then all the Sermons they should ever hear in all their lives from all the Priests and that they could preach better then the Ministers of England and this Company of Sectarians was so rude that they did more hurt to a fine Dove-house of Baron Trevars which this John Mathews was to look to then Prince Rupert and all his souldiers when they quartered there This John Mathews intreated them they would not make such spoyle and wast killing old as well as young without distinction and he prevailed with their Captaine to go to them to forbid them but they answered him that pigions were soules of the aire given to the sons of men and all men had a common right in them that could get them and they were as much theirs as the Barons and therefore they would kill them take their liberty and not part from their right upon which words the Captaine said he was so convinced with their arguments that he could not answer
Christ saving only he should not dye for the sinnes of men This Mistris Attaway had a great parchment role wherein many things were written and this was to be given to Jenney and this Jenney beleeved all Mistris Attaway told him as fully as might be that he should never dye c. This Mistris Attaway also gave out that there should come ships from Tarshish to fetch away all the Saints to Jerusalem and all that would not turne Jewes should be destroyed and this whole Land should be destroyed and therefore she would goe away before hand to escape This Jenney Mistris Attaway and some of their Tribe held no hell but what was in the conscience the soules mortall they held the Book of Esdrâ—s had great things in it to them who had the spirit to understand it and that there was Esaus world and Jacobs world this was Esaus world but Jacobs world was comming shortly wherein all creatures shall be saved And this Prophet who was shut up was to come forth to preach this new Doctrine of generall Restauration and Salvation of all and though all should be saved yet there should be degrees of glory between those that have been Saints they should be more glorious and those who were the wicked though now restored This Jenney held from that Scripture in Genes where God saith I will make him an help meet for him that when a mans wife was not a meet help he might put her away and take another and when the woman was an unbeleever that is not a Sectarie of their Church she was not a meet help and therefore Jenney left his wife and went away with Mistris Attaway A Commander belonging to the Army told me last July he had seen some of the Sectarian Preachers preach lately with their hats on and sitting he told me he had heard Master Cradock Master Peters and other such Preachers insinuate into the souldiers flatter them all kind of wayes telling them what they had done what fame they had atchieved how they had conquered â—he Kingdome and particularly a little before he heard Master Peters preaching thus you who have conquered the Kingdome done all this service and now when you have done all this might expect your Arrears look to enjoy your Liberties yea and expect preferments good places as you have well deserved it may be you shall be cast into a stincking prison but if it should be so t is the will of God and yee must provide to beare it There is one Thomas Collier a great Sectary in the West of England whom I have spoken of in the second part of Gangraena and have printed some Letters of his in this third part I have seen a Book of his printed in the year 1645. called certain Queres or Points now in controversie examined wherein among other Errours laid down by him he makes Baptizing the Children of the faithfull not only to be vaine bâ—t evill and sinfull yeâ— the commission of Baptizing Children to come from the Divell or Anti-Christ or both And secondly that Magistrats have no power at all to establish Church-Government or to compell any to the Government of Christ by any humane power and upon occasion of discoursing of the power of the Civill Magistrate what hee should do now religion is corrupted and the Magistrates endeavour is to Reforme it and to this end have called an Assembly of Learned men to assist them in this work This Learned Master Collier if he might be thought meet makes bold to present these three words in this case to the Parliament First To dismisse that Assembly of Learned men who are now call'd together for to consult about matters of Religion and the reason this Learned Clark gives is because he cannot conclude that God hath any thing to do there for them he knowes no rule in the Book of God for such an Assembly and therefore cannot expect a blessing The second Word To go on in subduing of Antichristian enemies so farre as by Civill Law they have power for there must by this or some other meanes be a desolation upon the tenth part of the City The third Word is That the Parliament would give the Kingdome to the Saints and for who gives the Kingdom to the Saints so it be done Master Collier will not much dispute whether it be the Lord Jesus immediatly or Jesus by a Parliament only thus much he would have men take notice that by the Kingdome is meant an externall Kingdome for the Saints shall possesse that as well as the spirituall Kingdome and Government of the Church of Christ Hence we may see by Master Colliers words that his Saints viz. those whom he hath described before in the former part of his Book Separatists Anabaptists do look for from the Parliament that they should give the Kingdome to them and all temporall power and rule and take it out of the hands of all others So that the King the Parliament unlesse there be some of Master Colliers Saints among them the Judges and all men who by the Lawes under the King and Parliament have any Civill power of rule in the Kingdome must have it taken from them and given to the Sectaries Saints Yea I conceive by Colliers words not only England but Scotland and Ireland are to be taken from the King and to be given by the Lord Jesus immediatly or by Jesus by a Parliament to the Saints which whether it be not so or no I leave the Reader to judge upon transcribing Colliers own words where giving his second word of advice to the Parliament of going on to subdue Antichristian enemies so far as they have power because there must by this or some other meanes be a desolation upon the tenth part of the City he interprets his meaning in these following words Which I think to be England and those Dominions belonging to it Scotland and Ireland I conceive this to be the time that the Kingdome is to to taken from him who shall arise and subdue three Kings that is Kingdoms speaking great words thinking to change times and Laws but the Judgement shall fit and take away this Dominion to consume it and destroy it to the end Dan. 7. 26. Therefore let not your hearts faint neither your hands draw back God will finish his work The third Word is that they would give the Kingdome to the Saints Dan. 7. 27. Who gives the Kingdome to the Saints The judgement that pulls down the power and Kingdome of the one gives to the other Whether iâ— be the Lord Jesus immediatly or Jesus by a Parliament I shall not much dispute but leave it to your considerations Only thus much take notice that by the Kingdome is not only meant an externall Kingdome for the Saints shall possesse that but the spirituall Kingdome and Government of the Church of Christ c. This Collier as it appears by his Letter before mentioned
other Commanders and souldiers June 7. 1646. being Sabbath day in the forenoon used these or the like words in effect viz. 1. There are no more of the Church of God in a Kingdome then there be such as have the spirit of God in that Kingdome 2. Neither Old nor New Testament do hold forth a whole Nation to be a Church 3. Whatsoever a State an Assembly or Councell shall say ought not to binde the Saints further thenthe judgements of those Saints shall lead them 4. The Saints are those that are now stiled Anabaptists Familists Antinomians Independents Sectaries c. 5. The power is in you the people keep it part not with it 6. The first party that rose against you namely the prophane ones of the Land are already fallen under you and now there is another party Formalists and carnall Gospellers rising up against you and I am confident they shall fall under you 7. They are willing to become subjects to make the Saints slaves nay they are willing to become slaves themselves that they may tread upon the necks of the Saints 8. His Sermon or exposition for the greatest part of it tended meerly to division and sedition 9. Being spoken with after his Sermon by some of his hearers toâ—ching these and such like passages he said to this effect his intentions were not according to his expressions and hee thought he had preached only to souldiers Peter Mills John Haine Nichoas Widmergole Henry Potter Theophilus Smith There were Copies of these Positions given into the hands of some Members of both Houses and some Citizens with these names subscribed And when Master Del did put forth his Sermon with an Episte before it wherein some passages were inserted to cleare himself from these matters laid against him the Citizens above named put forth a Book entituled a Vindication of certaine Citizens that lately went to the Leaguer then before Oxford weherin they attest the seven former Positions against Mr Del page 9. And of this Mr Del the Reader may read more of him in a foregoing Letter written by a Learned and godly Minister out of the Army Some passages taken out of a Letter written lately by a godly Minister in Cheshire to a worthy friend of his in London George Young Lieutenant Colonell Ger. souldier on Sabbath was sevennight I being absent brake to peeces the railes which for these foure years have been transformed into seates very commodiously for the parish refused to stay his hand at the instance of divers who told him I would amend it if any thing were amisse telling them I would sooner set up such things then pull them downe and that he would do it if I were present and that the Church should down within a yeare and reported in the Towne that I was drunk with the blood of the Whore of Rome wisheth his tongue had cleaved to the roofe of his mouth when hee had taken the Covenant And it 's much feared that spirit works mightily in Ger. Company and others Five Independents are determined for the five Captaines of foot for this Country judge you what 's intended Great striving hath been to get me out of my Lecture here that an Independent might come in but I have undertaken the Lecture if need be gratis rather then any evill fall out by my removall Some passages taken out of a Letter written from a Reverend and Learned Minister in the Northerne parts to a worthy freind of his in London AN eminent Parliament man of our Country came downe lately with whom I had some conference about Master Edwards and about the Schismes and Blasphemies that are broaâ—hed and connived at amongst you He said he thought that Master Edwards was a very wicked man and did as much as was in him to embroyle the Kingdome in a new Warre and deserved c. In all his discourse he savored of the new leaven which I feare many of the higher powers are too much tainted with I complained that Schismes and Schismaticks were to much suffered by them He answered that truth was victorious and will be triumphant of it self and as when many thick mists gather about the Sunne in the morning the Sunne by his own light and heate dissipates them by degrees so would truth do all contrary Errors of it self in time and therefore it was but reason that men should first bee convinced of their Errors and satisfied in their consciences by reasons and arguments and not be compelled by force to constraine their consciences to mens wills I objected Bests case to him he said that Best shewed himself amoderate man and willing to be satisfied by reason and to lay down his opinions if he might be convinced of them and his conscience satisfied I also spake of Lilburne to him he said he was a very good and deserving man and thought that he might say and do and justifie all that was yet laid to his charge He said that Anabaptists were not Hereticks but only Schismaticks at the worst and that he thought the baptizing of Children could not be proved out of the word of God I laboured to prove it by Scripture and reason the testimonies of the most Orthodox Fathers and the constant practise of the first best and purest times of the Primitive Church but he slighted my proofs and said that my Scripture and reasons were not expresse and demonstrative and for the Fathers and practise of former times we were not to be ruled by them ex ungue leonem He is learned and wittie active quick and ni 〈…〉 ble and magisteriall I feare he hath many abettors which are ejusdem farinae Yet I think that he is no broacher of these opinions much lesse perswader of any to them but only by way of discourse accidentally as thus with me June 22. 1646. An Extract of a Letter written to me out of Lancashire SIR THere is imployed in this County by the House of Commons as t is commonly taken one Mathewes a man active and of strong parts he boldly and confidently denies the Scriptures to be the word of God and pretends to Revelation we have heretofore signified to some Members of the House what a scandall t is that such men should be imployed by them but cannot yet learn that they have put him out I have here inclosed sent you two papers that were given me by one of our Sectaries here being divers more and some that are active of his opinion August 8. 1646. A Copy of the two Papers inclosed GOod Christian Brethren forasmuch as the immortality of the Soule is maintained to be a truth whereof I am doubtfull I desire you who are able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainsayers to make it good by Scripture that the Soul is immortall and that it may so appear I desire you will be pleased in a rational way to proceed by giving in writing a definition of the subject whence it is and what it is and where it
up they have not a word to say And see how the Lord blesses them all their enemies in Scotland are routed and brought to nothing The King refuses to proclaime Montrosse and his adherents Rebels But the King of kings hath taken the quarrell into his own hand and utterly dispersed them I have not time to write the particulars only to let you know I am Your assured friend R. Balsom May 21. 1646. A Passage Extracted out of a Letter written from a godly Minister in Suffolk to a speciall Friend of his in London HEre in the Country Malignants and Sectaries do generally murmure against the Scots and would be glad to hear that the Armies should go against them which I pray God prevent I pray that this Nation do not so requite their labour of love and faithfulnesse unto us May 19. 1646. A Copy of a Letter written to me from a friend out of Kent Worthy Sir SInce you are so pleased as both in your former and latter Letters to take notice of me in your kinde salutes give me leave to take notice of your kindnesse and re-salute you and both in my own name and in the name of a friend of yours to let you know we have not only run over but read your Second part of Gangraena â—nd therein observe your willingnesse if it be possible to cure that evill by sucking out the corrupt blood which is the method of the most careful Chyrurgions that are not so dainty as desirious of their Patients recovery Nimius amor et admiratio personâ—rum hath hitherto been a great inlet to all Heresies whence they say Cyprian unice admirans Tertullianum et antonomastice often calling him his Master sucked in that errour of his concerning the nullitie of Baptism administred by Hereticks yea so did Nestorius through his admiration of Anastasius find fault with some expressions So subject are most men jurare in verba magistri which Plutarch also well observes in his Book de Auditione And therefore we do freely professe we cannot dislike your practise in lessning their credit that are corrupters Christ Jesus himself and all his Apostles heretofore endeavoured no lesse Yea and if Mr. Saltmarsh why may not you as warrantably distinguish and say as he doth concerning the old Non-conformists That it is the old man of your adversaries you write against and not their new or themselves so far as they are men so far as they are lovers of themselves and have only a form of godlinesse c. Surely the man would be hardly put to it â—o undertaâ—e to maintain his own and yet take away your distinction who will easily we doubt not answer not only him but all others in whom we see but little wisdome though perhaps some wit in inventing as Apothecaries are wont for their Boxes such specious titles for their Books as those whereof Jacobus Acontius complains in an Epistle of his to Johannes Wolphius Nullam ad rem ingeniosi sunt praeterquam ad speciosos titulos excogitandum quibus ex hominum manibus bonos libros extorqueant ac suos eorum loco obâ—â—udant et tam stolidum est vulgus ut quos expuere debuisset suspiciat nonnunquam celebret c. Certainly Mr. Saltmarsh doth not only want a grain but a whole bushell of salt to season his unsavory mouth opened not only against you but the reverend learned and judicious Mr. Gataker together with the whole City and all the Orthodox Ministery who might ask him more then ever he would be able to Answer if they should but chatechize him concerning his Baptisme whether it be of the first or second or third or fourth sort what think you is he not a Sebaptist a Seeker We are sure if all be true I lately heard from a good friend of yours in these parts that he the said Mr. Saltmarsh at a meeting of sundry Ministers of this County at Maidstone publikely professed in presence of them all his endeavour was to forget whatsoever formerly he had known and seemed to wish they might be all of his mind untill one Minister who was then and there present â—old him merrily He was but a young man and such as himself might happily wish with Themistocles that they had the art of Oblition but as for his own part he had too many gray hairs to desire to forget whatsoever he had learned least he might not have time to learn so much again The Committee of Kent intended by their late order the suppression of sundry Petitions of dangerous consequence that were handed up and down by our Sectaries and towards the promoting whereof the new Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Mr. Hugh Peters was as I am informed come down to Maidstone to visit this his Diocesse as he usually calls it The most and best of our Ministers hereabouts for all I can learn are willing if they must die to be buried as valiant Ensign bearers in their colours There is a merry story told by a Baron of the Ports or Jurate of the town of Sandwich concerning Mr. Symonds the Independent who hath a living there One coming to him to be Catechized he sent him to a Mechanick of that Town to Catechize him for him and when his Father in law Mr. H. another Jurate of the same Town expostulated the case with him and asked him the reason why he would do so his Answer as Mr. F. related it was that one Goose might best teach another to eate So merry are our most demure Independents Among whom if there be a Stoick he is the most in shew who hath lately as t is reported got an addition of meanes to the Benefice he yet holds though it were formerly valued at above 100. pounds and he himself be absolutely in show against all tithes himself therfore will not but lets his wife receive them who whether he were not ab origine as well as Mr. Saltmarsh a comick your self may best find out or we will if you please but to get us a writ Ad melius inquirendam till then we may perhaps the rather think them to have been such being so still men that personate abundance of austerity but are c. June 22. 1646. Some passages taken out of two Letters written from a godly Minister out of the country to a reverend and godly Minister in London who shewed me the Letters I Have read Mr. Edwards Book thorough and as a friend to deal freely I professe Morney in my opinion never gave a greater blow to Papists then he hath given to the Sectaries and that which is yet more soberly sadly As for the whole businesse of Webb of Milton taken before Colonel K. a Minister thereabouts hath promised to send M. Edwards an eâ—act narration The working I see of some humours makes me hope the summer is past and it is neer the autume of schism which had its spring before c. Only let us all be doing Hugh Peters as I hear was lately at
Parliament men came downe as I take it upon one of the Cities Petitions about Church Government for say the Independents the Presbyterians will get the upper hand he refused to go and answered them who spake to him in words to this effect You little know what you do and whose work you further in opposing the Presbyterians for saith he the Independents in Old-England are nothing like to them of New-England no more then black to white you Independents here do that which we abhorre there I met â—ith this man with one who came from New-England and he held himself there an Apostle for which he was whipped and here hâ— is a great preacher and in great account and this he told to divers This man is accounted a godly man in New-England and went back thither this June For a further proof and confirmation of this here is a person of good account one of the Committee of Account that speaks confidently of informations he hath received of the coming over of Jesuits on purpose to mixe themselves with Independents and the Sectaries to increase that Faction for thâ—ir own ends I have been told also with much confidence that a Gentleman going through Colâ—man-street and seeing great store of People coming out of an Alley asked what the matter was some told him they were Sectaries come now from their Conveâ—â—ticles whereupon standing still to take notice what manner of People they were he sawe come out among them fome whom he had known to be Jesuits and Priests There is a young man a Schollar and a preacher who lived some years in Holland and that among some of our English Sectaries sometimes of the Church of Arâ—bâ—im who tells me they all generally and their Families were Anabaptists and that they made much of that scurrilous wicked book The Arraigment of Persecution These Sectaries not many months before they came over into England namely about the Spring last gave thanks at one of their Church meetings for a Toleration of the Sects which as they heard had passed thâ— House of Commons which the Beformed Ministers of that place hearing of were much troubled at it yet hoping it was not so that God would not leave the Parliament to be guilty of so great an evill after he had done so much for them These Sectaries would speak much against the Covenant and this Preacher hath heard some of them say they would be hanged before they would take it and had rather see one another hanged then to take that abominable Covenant One of the compapany used to preach constantly in the forenoon and then in the afternoon two or three others by turns as Master C. Master A. and when these were from home and there was no preaching then their Families staid at home and would not heare the English Reformed Ministers but some of them said If those Ministers would promise never to preach for Baptisme of Children nor against their way they would hear them Upon the newes coming over of the burning of Master Archers booke that made God the author of sinne they justified all in that book saying what was in it was his to a word and one of them said he could shew the Copy and they spake much against Assembly Parliament and that he had as high a place in heaven as any of them would have and they would make what he had written good This young man once speaking against the opinion they were very angry at him saying what had he to do they would speak against our Ministers with much indignation and scorn as if none of them had any worth A worthy Member of the House of Commons told me the last day of August that one Captaine B. told him we had beene fed by our Ministers thaâ— mens souls when they die went to heaven but now we see a New Light in that they do not go to heaven to whom this Parliament man replyed That the souls of the faithfull do for Christ told the thief Luke 24. To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise unto whom this Captain replyed That to day was to be referred to Christs saying so and not to the time when he should be in Paradise so that the meaning was Christ said unto the thief those words to day but not that to day he should be in paradise with him and so the words were to be read Verily I say unto thee to day and there the point and then after to be read thou shalt be with me in Paradise which though it should not be to the end of the world would be no impeachment of the truth of Christs speech whereupon this Parliament man answered to this purpose this were to make Christ eqivocate and deceive like as your faction does Animadversions upon this Exposition THis Sectary is not the first that hath wrested this place thus but some before him have separated to day from the words that follow and joyned it with the words going before so that the distinction should be Amen I say unto thee to day and then should follow thou shalt be with me in paradise upon which let the reader look Theophylact who handle this place largely and Jansenius Harmony on the Gospell Cap. 143. besides in the Greek Copies to day is joyned with the words thou shalt be and not with the word I say of which read Beza upon the place yea le ts looke upon the words they are an answer of Christs to the Theifs prayer that Christ would remember him when he came into his Kingdome not to remember him in this world to save him from the Crosse and temporall death now Christs answer is accordingly that he shall be partaker of his heavenly Kingdome and tells him the time to day that is thou shalt be with me without any delay and so there shall be no danger that I shall forget thee when I come into my Kingdome for behold this very day I shall take thee to my Kingdome vide Rollock in Cap. 19. Johan The theif in his prayer speaks to Christ as going presently into his Kingdome and desires to be remembred upon his coming thither as now being upon the Crosse in a cursed condition now if Christ had said to him then he should be with him but not told him the time when the theif knowing he should be dead to day but meaning it of a long time two thousand years afâ—er this would not have been so comfortable to the theif besides there was no reason nor need of adding to day to that word I say to th 〈…〉 for the theif knew they were spoken to day yea at that instant to him neither could to day be for asseveration Christ using that word word of asseveraton A 〈…〉 instead of that neither is there any paralell place in Scripture where to day is used in such an acception There is one Master John Baâ—hilâ—r Licenser-Generall of the Sectaries Books and of all sorts of wicked opinions Licenser to Master
doe as a gifted Brother but as a Minister and is an act of power and office not of love and charity onely the Independents greatest and onely Argument to speak of used in the Assembly in their Sermons and some printed Books against a Presbyteriall Church and Ministers ruling in common over more then their particular Congregation is fully answered for if they may of themselves without the consent of the Minister of that Congregation baptize who are not of their Church then certainly they may with consent of the Ministers and Officers of such Churches joyn in the ruling and governing of them who are not of their Congregations and by this the ruling power of Ministers does not extend further then their power of feeding by the word and Sacraments and therefore till I give Master Burroughs a particular Answer to this Reason of his Wee would have the ruling power of Ministers not to extend further c. pag. 29. of his Vindication against Master Edwards and such a like passage in his Irenioum I referre him to Master Goodwin to be satisfied what reasons hee hath to baptize those over whom he hath not a Pastorall charge and the same will be found to hold stronglier for a power of governing those who are not of a Ministers particular Congregation and yet Master Burroughs if hee were pleased to take notice might find this very Argument answered in the Antapologia being brought by the Apologists in their Apologeticall Narration and in the Assemblies Answer to the Reasons of the Dissenting Brethren given in against Presbyteriall Government which Answers were never yet taken away by the Apologists or any of them and Cretensis in his late pretended Reply to my Antapologie takes no notice of them as he does not to the rest of the Arguments against their Non-communion c. but is so wise as after taking two yeares and upward for Answer yet to crave further day for payment filling up many sheets with mending the Printers and Correctors faults and making many faults where there are none letâ—ing passe all the materiall thingâ— both in matters of fact and Arguments till a Second Part which the Reader may expect ad Graeâ—as Kalendas And of this learned Reply to the Antapologie a worthy Divine writes to me Septemb. 12 as followes I have lighted upon the frothy Answer to the Antapologie of which lay aside pedanticall jeers unchristian misconstruction Rhetoricall flashes and Jesuiticall equivocations there will be scarce so much of a solid Answer remaining as would fill one sheet of those 38. that swells its puffe-paste bulk There is one Master Hugh Peters who came over from New-England about five yeares agoe a great Agent for the Sectaries who hath many wayes by preaching writing conference and discourse and above all by acting in severall kinds promoted the Independent way The Reader shall find him spoken of in the First and Second Parts of Gangraena Pag. 40 41. of the third Edition in some of Master * Pryâ—s Books in a Book called The Sectaries Anatomized pag. 3. Now I will give the Reader an account of him in relating some of his passages in Sermons Books and Discourses In Sermons hee hath preached as followes In the first yeare the Scots came into England hee hath in the Pulpit spoken well of them as in a Sermon at Covent Garden commending their Army hee said there was in one Regiment of the Scots fifteen hundred or seventeen hundred Bibles but since that time of the new Modell of the Army hee hath preached against them as at Lewis in Sussex where also hee spake against the Presbyterians because they will not live voluntarily upon the good will of the people but will stand upon such a meanes whereas the Independents will preach freely asking nothing So at Master Gatakers Church at Redriffe on the monethly Fast-day May 27. 1646. hee preached against the Scots by name that these Scots now in the Land were a new Generation not those Scots that came in at first to our help but these were other Scots come from Sweathland Germany and he knew not whence that to his knowledge they had sent away whole bushels full or â—uns full of money at that time also hee preached concerning the monethly Fasts that they were Canonicall set Fasts and hee wished they were suspended for a time and Fasts taken up occasionally And on May 17. at Cruciat Friars he preached concerning the Scots and of our Army what a holy religious Army it was and that they would have no warre with the Scots unlesse it should appeare out of the word of God they ought to have and if it should prove so yet they would goe to fight with their Brethren of Scotland with tears in their eyes On the last of May 1646. preaching at the Three Cranes in the Evening he spoke against the * Common Councell for medling with that they had nothing to do with going beyond their Commission saying Let them look into their Charter and see if there be any such thing mentioned He found fault with the City Remonstrance saying We now fall upon Remonstrating and Petitioning one against another instead of giving God thanks for his late deliverances and mercies vouchsafed unto us In this Sermon he spake slightly of the Covenant and of those who made such a stirre about it in pressing the people to be carefull in sticking to it as if they would have them to make an Idoll of the Covenant In this Sermon also hee spake about the King to this purpose what a stirre here was about a King as if we could not live without one and how fond we were to hug and embrace him who struck us a box on the eaâ—e the other day and all because he now stroakes us on the cheeks In this â—ermon also he spake that wee were now grown to a refined Malignancy so that he saw no more difference between these times and the first times of the troubles then between a half crown piece and two shillings and six pence by his discourse in the Pulpit it was carried in such a way as under the Malignant striking at the Presbyterian party who opposed Sectaries In this Sermon he spake also of the Army to this effect that when hee thought of the Army and the carriage of men towards them hee thought of Jesus Christ how like they were to him that as he went about doing good and working miracles and at length the people crucified him so will men do with this Army This Sermon was so offensive that I was told of it by divers and some Citizens went to speak with him about it and the conference that passed between him and them I shall acquaint the Reader with under the head of Master Peters discourses Master Peters in the Army in Hedington Fort hath preached against the City of London incensing the Army against the City of which the Reader may read more if he turn backward to page 24. Since the taking of
give out that they will never lay down their swords whilst ther 's a Priest in England Who write and print libells full stuffed with invectives and seditious speeches against the Right Honourable House of Peers undoubtedly a Court of Record the highest Court of Iudicature in this Kingdome Who make wicked libells and spread them abroad of Noble men and persons of great place by name as that religious and Noble Earle of Manchestor the Lord Major of London a whole Kingdome as Scotland and a whole City as London Who have endeavored and do by all wayes to involve these Kingdomes into a new War more deadly and destructive then the former And yet Anabaptists of our times are guilty of all these and many more as the Reader may sind proved in this Book and divers others written in these times Thirdly speaking of himself he saith He remaines now where he was for substance fifteen years since which I cannot judge to bee true no nor that he is the same for substance which he was seven years agoe and because I will be brief I will put but one question to Master Peters and that is whether fifteen years or but seven years agoe â—e was for a Toleration of â—ll sorts of Sects Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers Papists c. and thought so lightly of Errors and Heresies as now he does or whether he ever did or durst in New-England in the time of Anabaptists and Antinomians growing there preach such Sermons for a Toleration of them and speake so favourably of them as he hath done and doth here I am of the mind if any man should have told him fifteen or seven years agoe Master Peters the time shall come that you shall live in a Kingdome where all damnable Heresies and wicked doctrines shall be vented by printing preaching and you shall be so farre from seeking to suppresse and hinder them as that you shall make nothing of them preach for a Toleration of them cry them up for Saints who hold them plot act ride work night and day for the upholding of them he would have been very angry boisterous and have said as Hazael to the Prophet Am I a dog that I should do these things nay I am so well perswaded of Mr Peters that he was so farre fifteen years agoe from being of these opinions and running these wayes that I am confident 't is but a few years agoe since he is fallen thus and that the two things that have poysoned him are his being in the Army and his converse with some wicked Politicians of these times who upon matter of worldly interest being men of small and broken estates that they may be great and the Heads of a great party countenance and patronize all kind of abominable Sectaries not caring what becomes of Religion and who prophesies falsly so they may beare rule by that meanes Fourthly Speaking of turning his cheek to the smiter hee saith with Jeremy though he neither borrowes nor lends c. yet this may be his portion Now I wonder he can say so when aâ— his hand hath been against every man medling with all sorts of men a Polupragmaticall medling in the Armies with many abusing the Common Councell and the City of London the Assembly the Reformed Churches our Brethren of Scotland Committees the King and his children and indeed who not I could name particular persons of both Houses of whom he hath spoken his pleasure who have deserved a great deale better of him Fifthly There is an unjust and scandalous passage pag. 11. reflecting upon the City and their Remonstrance as if they remonstrated about their wills and not about things needfull and just grievances and as if the increase of the plague upon the City were for any neglect towards the Parliament whereas I would have Master Peters know and all his party the City of London could not do lesse and have but done their duty the Reformed Churches Scotland the body of this Kingdome and all who are not Independents and Independentish doe bear witnesse of the faithfulnesse of this City to the cause of God and the Parliament and this Remonstrance was so farre from being a matter of meer will as Master Peters words import that I am of the mind and I beleeve not alone in it that it will never be well with England till the City of London the Ministry of the Kingdome and all the Counties as one man make a plainer Remonstrance in a more particular way and manner of all the growing mischiefs and abominations in Church and Common-wealth desiring a speedy and effectuall redresse of them And as for his hinting the cause of the increase of the plague to come from the City Remonstrance or want of the Cities full consent to a match with the Parliament I dare boldly say of him in â—o saying He is a false Prophet a dreamer of dreams speaking the visions of his own heart and declaring false burdens and do offer from the word of God to make it good against Master Peters that if the City of London would oftner Remonstrate and Petition in this kind and use the power they have by their Charter and the Lawes in force to punish Hereticks and Sectaries and disturb their meetings the plague would sooner be removed from them Sixthly That also is a false and untrue Assertion That the design of the Army is onely to obey their Masters the Parliament the slighting the Army is their money triumphant chariots would have broke our necks understood in Master Peters sense viz. of that part of the Army the Sectaries for if it were so as he speakâ— what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen that I and many others hear If their only design be to obey their Masters the Parliament what 's the reason they break conte 〈…〉 their Ordinances viz. that against mâ—ns preaching not ordained Ministers that for the better observing of the Monethly Fast those for the setling of Presbyteriall Government c. What means those speeches of some of them If they knew the Countries mind as well as the Countries might know theirs they would have another kind of Reformation then the Parliament is about that they have not so long fought for liberty and now to be enslaved with many such like And if the slighting of the Army is their money and triumphant chariots would have broke their necks certainly they have then had little pay and their necks would have been broken long before now for never was Army better provided for since these warres with moneys recruits all kind of things and many particular men speciall persons of that party which Master Peters counts the Army have been well rewarded over and above pay c. And for triumphant chariots there have been men on purpose employed to provide them triumphant chariots weekly to carry them throughout the Kingdom and forraign parts in the weekly newes books wherein they have been lifted up to heaven in praises
of a comfortable place for people and maintenance in England without Ceremonies and Subscription he would have taken a Parish Church in England before he would have gone to Master Peters at Roterdam but if upon his coming to Roterdam there was any such change as Master Peters speaks of that he was really turned to be an Independent and of the Church-way and would have carried on that way with Master Peters it was the mercy of God to him to take him away just upon his removing and new coming to Roterdam before he had appeared actually engaged in that way or written for it because his name and authority being a learned man might have swayed the more with many and we see Master Peters makes use of his name to credit that cause thirteen years after notwithstanding that he died upon the borders and entrance into it before any notice was ever taken by the Reformed Churches of any such thing though I much question whether or no in his latter time there was any such change as Master Peters speaks of Eighthly Master Peters writes many things hypocritically which he and his party neither practices nor intends but a snake lies under the green grasse as that of a door open for the Gospel and of Itinerary Ministers in a County three or foure which is for no other end but to leaven the whole Kingdome with Independency and to fore-stall Presbytery from being setled as that of almost lost liberty the English being ruled by love as cautions about a new slavery and wishes of all marks of slavery to be taken off when as 't is evident he and his party mean by liberty a freedome to hold what they will and to be under no Church-Government and that he and his party are the greatest means in all places for keeping up all those things which the people have used to account marks of slavery and against English liberty as that of walking plainly in your Councells God preserveth the simple as speaking against Arcana Imperii deep-set counsells of men c. whereas he and his party have and doe practise quite contrary having deep-set counsells using all Machivillian tricks to undermine men looking one way and rowing another which is so evident that all men speak of it and whereof I have given in my former Books many instances under that head of the practices of the Sectaries Epiphanius resembles Hereticks to Moulâ— who doe all their mischief by working under ground but if once they be above ground they are weak and contemptible creatures just such are our Independents and Sectaries they have done all and still doe by their under-hand working but if they would play above board speak plainly what they would have and not hide themselves we should quickly take them all Many other particulars I might observe in the manner and way of carrying on his designs secretly laid down in these Answers as also I had thought to have made some Animadversions and Observations upon his Sermon preached at Christ-Church and another printed pamphlet of his but because I have enlarged already and perceive I shall exceed the number of sheets I at first intended when I fell upon writing this Third Part of Gangraenâ— therefore I shall forbeare any more of this kind for present I have given the Reader some account of Master Peters in his Writing Preaching and Discourses it remains I should speak of him in his Actings what hand he hath had in promoting severall Petitions in City and Country in favour of the Sectaries as that Anti-Petition commonly so called framed presently after the City Remonstrance which was carried up and down the City by his man to get hands to it what meetings he hath been at severall times at severall places as at the Nags-head as in Coleman-street c. what Countries and places he hath ridden to to get Burgesses for Parliament what persons of worth hee hath complained of to some in Authority whereby they have been sent for and taken off their imployment in such places the thing aimed at in it and yet the things never proved but the quite contrary proved what great summes of money with other gifts besides two hundred pounds per annum for him and his heires lawfully begotten which hee by his stirring and acting hath obtained but I shall speake no more of him now but reserve what I have further to say unto a Fourth Part of Gangrâ—na There is one Master Feake an Independent named in page 81. of this Book of whom because when I writ that sheet I had not my full profe of particulars as I desired I passed him over lightly till another time but having since received full and particular information of him I think at good to pay my debt of promise sooner then I made account of This Master Feake within this twelve months was Preacher in London and hath preached many strange and odd things at Peters in Cornhill besides Wool-Church and other places as for separation from our Assemblies expressing many heterodox things about mixed Communion at the Lords Supper against maintenance of Ministers by Tythes and in Sermons and Prayers hath had many sâ—ings at the Assembly but now is Preacher in the Town of Hartford the shire Town and in the greatest Parish and Church of that Town viz. All-Saints being put into a Sequestrated Living by the power of some of the Independent partie in that Town without the approbation of the Assembly having never been with the Assembly according to the Order of the Honour House of Commons nor with the Committee of Plundred Ministers neither as I beleeve who use to send those that come to them for Sequestrated Livings to the Assembly before they grant them power and interest in such places As for his carriage at Hartford where he hath preached since last January it hath been as followes His preaching and praying shewes him no friend to the Assembly nor to the Directory he hath never used the Lords Prayer since he came thither but hath preached against the use of it as a prayer 'T is observed of him by understanding men his Auditors that they never heard him appoint or sing a Psalme he reades but one Chapter or a peece of a Chapter he hath not baptized any since his coming One of the Committee a Justice of Peace put up some Articles against him at the Assizes at Hartford to both Judges then on the Bench The first was this That Christ would destroy not only unlawfull Government but lawfull Government not only the abuse but the use of it and as he had begun to destroy it in England so would he by raising combustions in the bowells of France and Spaine and that he would destroy Aristocracy in Holland for Tolerating Arminianisme When he denyed the words one being present and asked affirmed him to have preached thus and there are foure others understanding men and of good worth will testifie the same Then Master Feake explained himself before
shall be content and rest In this Arrow against all Tyrants written as it seems to some Member of the House of Commons page 6. he writes thus Sir We desire your help for your own sakes as well as ours cheifly for the removall of two most insufferable evills daily encroaching and increasing upon us portending and threatning inevitable destruction and confusion of your selves of us and of all our posterity namely the encroachments and usurpâ—tions of the House of Lords over the Commons liberties and freedomes together with the barbarous inhumane blood-thirstie desires and endeavours of the Presbyterian Clergy O the desperate wickednesse of this man and some other Sectaries who have writ such like passages against the Lords and the Ministers and that for no other cause as appeares by this Pamphlet and divers others themselves being witnesses but because the Lords questioning some men for printing the most abominable sedicious cursed libells against all Royall Authority and the fundamentall â—awes and Government of this Kingdome that ever in any age were published and they in the most unparralleld manner of which I beleeve no presidents can bee shewn in any Chronicles or histories of this Kingdome carrying themselves contempruously and scornfully they committed them to prison and because an Ordinance to punish damnable Blasphemies and Heresies hath been brought into the House of Commons by two worthy Members and that by the prâ—curement of the Clergie as the Pamphlet saith Now for what the Lords have done against Lilburne Oâ—erton Larner and such fâ—llowes in labouring to suppresse â—uch â—editious Presses in punishing them as also in their speedy admitting into their House and thankfull acceptance of the Remonstrances and Petitions of the City of London County of Lancashi 〈…〉 c. And for what Master Tâ—â—t and Master Bacon have done in presenting such an Ordinance against Blasphemies and Heresies they are highly accouâ—â—ed of by all the godly and Orthodox Ministers and people in City and Country and their names will be famous in all generations when the names of Lilburne Overton c. yea and of all their great Patrons whether in the Army or out of the Army will be a by-word and a curse and canonized in the Kalenâ—â—r of such Saints as John of Leyden Thomas Muncer Kâ—ipperdollâ—â—g c. In page 10. of this poysoned Arrow Overton writes thâ—s Why therefore should you of the Representative body sit still and suffer these Lords to devoure both us and our Lawes Be awakened arise and consider their oppressions and encroachments and stop their Lordships in their ambitious career for they doe not cease only here but they soare higher and higher and now they are become Arrogators to themselves of the naturall Soveraignty the Represented have convayed and issued to their proper Representors even challenge to themselves the title of the supremest Court of Judicature in the Land as was claimed by the Lord Hounsden when I was before them which challenge of his was a most illegall Anti-Parliamentary audacious presumption c. Behold Reader this wicked Sectary labours to set the House of Commons against the House of Lords to make division between them All the hopes of these sonnes of division lie in breaches which they fâ—ment all kind of wayes and in all kind of things wherein there is union as between the Houses the Scots and â—he Parliament the Parliament and the City the Parliament and the Ministry of the Kingdom They have no hopes but in wars fishing in troubled waâ—ers keeping all things in confusion from being setled In pag. 11 12 hee speaks thus Therefore the soveraign power extending no further then from the Represented to the Representors all this kind of soveraignty challenged by any whether of King Lords or others is usurpation illegitimate and illegall and none of the kingdomes or peoples neither are the people thereto oblieged Thus Sir seeing the Soveraign or Legislative power is only from the Represented to the Representors and cannot possibly further extend the power of the King cannot be Legislative but only Executive and he can communicate no more then he hath himselfe and the Soveraign power not being inherent in him it cannot be convayed by or derived from him to any so that his meer Prerogative creatures cannot have that which their lord and creator never hath had or can have namely the Legislative power Many other strange passages there are both in his Pamphlets and Petition and Appeale made up of intolerable Arrogancy Impudency and Anarchy point blanck against the Fundamentall constitution of the Government of this Kingdom but by these the Reader may judge of the whole ex ungâ—e leonem and so I leave him to the justice of the House of Lords There is one John Lilburn an Arch Sectary the great darling of the Sectaries highly extolled and magnified by them in many Pamphlets called The Defender of the Faith A Pearle in a Dung-hill That Worthy Sufferer for his Countries Liberty this Worthy man a precious Jewell indeed of whom I had thought to have given a full Relation in this Book and to have laid him open in all his colours by following him from place to place and shewing how time after time he hath behaved himself since he came out of his Apprenticeship as by declaring what set him first on work to print Books against the Bishops how hee carried himselfe in the Fleet whilst he was Prisoner there how since this Parliament both before the warres begun and since the warres how whilst hee was Prisoner at Oxford how in the Earle of Manchestors Army how in the City at many meetings about Petitions since he left the warres how before the Committee of Examinations how the first 〈◊〉 he was in Newgate by order of the House of Commons how hee behaved himselfe before the House of Lords and how the second time of his imprisonment in Newgate and how since his last commitment to the Tower but because this Narration alone will take up some sheets there being many remarkable things to be written of him of his insolent loose ungodly practices and of his Anarchicall Principles destructive to all Civill Government whatsoever and I have already filled up that number of sheets I aâ— first intended when I resolved to write this Third Part though I have many things yet to put in this Third Part therefore I must deâ—erre it till a Fourth Part and shall then by the help of God doe it so largely and fully that I shall make his folly and wickednesse known to all men and vindicate the honour and power of the House of Peers from his and all the Sectaries wicked Libells shewinâ— the weaknesse of those Principles That all power in Government is founded upon the immediate free election of all those that are to be Governed And of a necessity that all who are to be subject and obey must be represented And that all who have power in Government must be Representers which I shall doe for the
uncleane c. Now by this the Reader may see the Sectaries agree not some excluding the Lords from all power because not chosen by the universality of the people others excluding the Commons from their power because chosen by the universall people so that according to Master Goodwins doctrine the Lords being of Noble Parentage and well bred not chosen by the rifâ—e raffe of the people Atheists Drunkards the prophane world may be fitter and have more Authority to nominate and appoint who shall be the men that shall order the affaires of Christs Kingdome then the Commons And thus have I set the Pharises and Sadduces one against the other Secondly I propound some Queres to Lilburne Overton c. to Answer against I set forth a fourth part of Gangraena 1. Quere If all subjection and obedience to Governors be founded only upon the parties immediate present election of them and not other wise whether then may any obedience so much as to appeare before answer any questions or submit be given to Justices of Peace Judges Keepers of the great Seale Sheriffs Committees c. who are not chosen by the people 2. Whether any obedience respect coming without resistance upon Warrants sent for may be performed to Majors of Townes or Deputy Majors not chosen by the Town where they serve but appointed by Ordinance of Parliament 3. Whe her if men remove from one Town to another where they had no hand in chusing Majors and Magistrates must they demand a liberty and power to chuse them before they will obey any of their commands and whether must all the young youths of a Town when they come to twenty one years â—or years of subjecting demand in the places where they live a power of chusing Aldermen or Burgesses of Townes before they can submit to them 4. Whether does not a constitution of a Government for such a people and Nation made by the wisdome of Ancestors some hun-hundred years before though not by election of the people one in every year or seven or more but founded upon such and such good Lawes and in succession of persons by birth and inheritance bind a people to obey and subject as well as if chosen by them 5. Suppose in formes of civill Government and constitution of Kingdomes every particular were not so good and exact as might be desired by some and possibly might be yet whether is not a peoples submitting and accepting that forme of Government many years togethera consenting to it and equivalent to a formall Election There is one John Price an Exchange man Cretensis beloved Disciple and one of his Prophets who among others preach for him when he hath any Book to Answer or some Libertine Tractate to set forth This man hath put forth three Pamphlets one about Independencies the other two Replyes or Answers one to the City Remonstrane the other to a Vindication of the Remonstrance in all which he shewes himself to be Schollar to Cretensis and somewhat allyed to Lilburne Overton and the rest of those Sectaries who give all the supreame power of this Kingdome to the House of Commons For in his City Remonstrance Remonstrated and in his moderate Reply he is against the City Remonstrance for giving only a share of the supreame power to the House of Commons and instead of three Estates the King Lords and Commons of which the fundamentall Constitution of the Government of this Kingdome is made up he holds there is but one and that the Commons for which hee gives his Reasons such as they be and puts Queres to the Author of the Justification of the City Remonstrance their scope being all along to give the whole supreame power and not only a part to the Commons Certainly these Books of Master Price were not written in the yeare 1645. but in the yeare 1646. that they agree so with Lilburne Overton c. And if I should use his Master Goodwins Argument against him here I wonder how hee would answer it Those who are chosen by the generality of the Land Worldlings drunkards uncleane persons are not fit to have the whole supreame power of the Kingdome and neither King nor Lords to have any part with them But so are the Commons of England chosen Ergo. Now both the major and the minor are his Tutor Goodwins only the major is stronger as I put it for if according to Master Goodwin because they are chosen by the Common people and not only by Saints they are uncapable of a part of the supreame power because there is an impossibility of a spirituall extraction out of a secular root then much more should they not have the whole supreame power And as this man is bold with the power of the King and Lords to exchange it and give it to the Commons so he is with the City the Court of Common-Councell calling the City Remonstrance made by the Common-Councell the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. And so in page 13. 22. there are passages aspersing the Remonstrance and the Common-Councell This Master Price contents not himself to preach only in London but I heare of him by a godly Minister who was lately at Edmunds-Bury that he hath preached there in a house and a godly judicious Citizen told me and some others that he maintained to him some dangerous and hereticall opinions as that men might be saved who were not elected and that if men did improve nature well God would surely give them grace So that it seems this Exchange man sells other wares besides Independency and Separation and does as the Apostle Peter speaks with fained words make marchandize of mens soules Master Price also I suppose this Price was at a meeting here in London where some of severall Sects Seekers Antinomians Anabaptists Brownists Independents met with some Presbyterians to consider how all these might live together notwithstanding their severall opinions and he was as all the Sectaries were for a generall Toleration and they agreed together like buckle and thong only the Presbyterians were not satisfied There is one Master Cradock who came out of Wales and is going thither again to be an Itinerary Preacher whom I have spoken of in page 131. that hee declined coming to the Assembly but now lately October 14. seeing the pay could not be had without the concurrence of the Lords and in all this time having made some leading men his friends hee came to be examined and is passed but besides that he hath gathered a Church administring the Lords Supper in a house at evening he hath preached many odd things in the City straines tending to Antinomianisme Libertinisme as speaking against men of an old Testament spirit and how poore Drunkards and Adulterers could not look into one of our Churches but hell fire must be flashed in their faces That if a Saint should commit a grosse sinne and upon the committing of it should be startled at it
that would be a great sinne in him And now lately this October or at the latter end of September he preached on that Text in Thames-street Wee are not of the night but of the day upon which Text he delivered matter to this effect that since the Apostles times or presently after them there had been a great night but now the day was breaking out after a long night and light was coming every day more then other and there were many Gospel priviledges and of the new Jerusalem that we should then enjoy In that day there should be no Ordinances to punish men for holding opinions there should be no Confessions of Faith there every one should have the liberty of their consciences then as in Micah 't is prophesied of those Gospel times All people will walke every one in the name of his God and wee will walke every one in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever which place was brought for liberty of conscience by him And in that day neither Episcopacy nor Presbytery nor any others should intermeddle or invade the rights of the Saints many such flings he had and this Sermon was preached just upon that time when the Ordinance against Heresies was taken into debate and the Confession of Faith to be brought into the House of Commons so that by these and many more particulars his hints about dipping often and suffering such shewes what the first fruits of these Itinerary Preachers are and what a sad thing 't is men so principled should go among such a people as the Welch with so large a power of preaching as he and his fellowes have Master Sympson the Independent preaching presently after the second part of Gangraena came forth at Black-Friars on June 12. as 't is given me under ones hand and in his Sermon discoursing about the Angels bringing no railing accusation against Satan he advised his people how to behave themselves at this time now the Saints infirmities were laid open First not answer a word as the King of Judah commanded those he sent to Rabshakeh Secondly to pray against them yea and to pray against them by name for God would avenge them Reader take notice of the charity and love of Independents to their Presbyterian Brethren to stirre up the people to pray against them and that by name with giving them an incourragement from Gods avenging which I never read was practised by the Primitive Church but only against Julian the Apostate whom the Church judged with one consent to have sinned against the Holy Ghost These Independents and Sectaries did in many Books before my first part of Gangraena came forth name many Presbyterian godly Ministers and others laying open infirmities committed long before yea abusing Members of both Houses and worthy persons by writing lyes and false things of them as that religious and Noble Earle of Manchester Master Pryn Colonell King Master Calamy with many more and have abused by name in printed Books lately many able and godly Ministers of the Assembly as Master Vines Master Marshall Master Sedgwick Master Gataker Master Ley Master Newcomen Master Seaman Master Hill Doctor Burges with some City Ministers and this is no fault in the Sectaries neither are these worthy men Saints be like in the Independent Kalender nor may the Presbyterians I hope pray against Master Saltmarsh Cretensis Lilburne and others of them by name but for Master Edwards because he hath written of the damnable Errors Heresies and Blasphemies of these times and the better to preserve the people and to make them take heed hath given the names of some of the prime seducers Wrighter Erbury Hich Wallwyn Denne Kissin Lambe Lilburne c. not Saints in his Creed nor their opinions and wayes infirmities but deliberated plotted abominations therefore hee must be prayed against and that by name and as Master Sympson gives him his blessing so his Brother Borroughs presently after the coming forth of the Antapologie preaching at Cornhill was speaking of some that laid open the infirmities of the Saints and that raked up Letters stories and all to bring out against the Saints but of such saith he I will say no more but as Michael the Archangell the Lord rebuke thee which in the carriage of the passage and way of expression was so evidently against me that I beleeve of godly Ministers and Christians twenty told me of it and they said many who heard him spoke of it and said it was a poor thing of Master Burroughs to speak so in the Pulpit he should do well to answer the Book Now as for the prayers of the Sectaries against me and their curses I would have them know that though I am sorry for them they should do so yet I feare not their curses but well understand that when they curse God will blesse and that the curse causelesse shall not come Prov. 26. 2. besides I know in this very thing I have more with me then against me and in many Countries of this Kingdome both North and West I am assured from godly Ministers and Citizens who have been with me that I am in an especiall manner prayed for and many thanks given to God in my behalf for enabling me and stirring me up to this work against the Sectaries There is a godly Minister of Cheshire who was lately in London that related with a great deale of confidence this following story as a most certaine truth known to many of that County that this last Summer the Church of Duckingfield of which Master Eaton and Master Taylor are Pastor and Teacher being met in their Chappell to the performing of their worship and service as Master Eaton was preaching there was heard the perfect sound as of a man beating a martch on a drum and it was heard as coming into the Chappell and then as going up all along the I le through the people and so about the Chappell but nothing seen which Master Eaton preaching and the people that sate in the severall parts of the Chappell heard insomuch that it terrified Master Eaton and the people caused him to give over preaching and fall to praying but the martch still beating they broke up their exercise for that time and were glad to be gone Now I conceive this passage of Providence towards these Independents speaks thus much to them and to the Kingdom especially considering this Church of Duckingfield is the first Independent Church visible and framed that was set up in England being before the Apologists came from Holland and so before their setting up their Churches here in London First that the Independents are for wars desirous of wars to maintain and uphold their Independent Churches by them and thirst for a new warre with Scotland as much as ever an unhappy boy did to be at fisty-cuffes with another boy and for that end provoke the Scots all kind of wayes study all wayes to make a breach with them Secondly The warres
Majors any otherwise but as a Member of that Honourable Court concurring with the rest and then whereas this Libeller calls it an unjust Remonstrance 't is a most just and equall Remonstrance as hath been fully proved by Master Bellamie in his Justification and Vindication of the City Remonstrance and in that Book entituled the Sectaries Anatomized and if I would give liberty to my pen I could further justifie not only the justnesse of it but the necessity of it and show demonstratively that it will never be well with this Kingdome whilst Sectaries are in places of publike trust and that the subjects of this Kingdome can never expect justice nor right whilst men of other Religions then what is established by Law are in places of power and I wonder that the Anabaptists and Sectaries should be so offended at that part of the Remonstrance when as 't is their dayly practise not by faire and just wayes God knowes but by undermining watching for iniquity laying snares for men yea going against all principles Military and Civill of Honour and of Justice to put men from places of Trust and Command of which there are many remarkable unparalleld instances and the world in due time may have a true account of them And lastly whereas 't is said presenting a Remonstrance for procuring Licence and Authority to suppresse all such as have good principles and grounds for their practises that 's most false for in the same Remonstrance against Hereticks Blasphemers Anabaptists c. they petition for the setling of Religion and Church-government according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches which Religion Church-government so built hath certainly good ground for its practise For the second I desire the Reader to observe a few things upon some of the expressions in this Pamphlet that he calls the Anabaptists and Sectaries the meek and quiet of the Land as Master Peters doth the harmlesse Anabaptists then which that there are not a more turbulent unquiet people in the world made of Salt-Peter let this Book witnesse and the language in it given the cheif Magistrate of the City with the railing seditious Libells put out dayly against the King House of Lords Assembly yea and the House of Commons too The Anabaptists of old calld themselves the meek of the Earth and said that now the promise must be fulfilled the meek shall inherite the Earth when they by bloud Rapine cruel Warrs seased on the possessions of others Secondly that these Sectaries will take things for granted and therupon passe desperate censures upon Magistrates Ministers and all when as there is no such thing but quite contrary as going on to aggravate things against my Lord Major and resemble him to wicked Ahaz c. for breaking his promise when as he performed it most punctually and conscientiously considering himself both as a Christian and as a Magistrate in such an eminent place Thirdly that these new Anabaptists as well as the old are guilty of speaking evill of dignities and bringing railing accusation in print against Powers branding the Lord Major with that brand set by God himself on wicked Ahaz this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name c. A Citizen a freind of mine having been this last summer in Cheshire and divers other Countries upon his occasions heard many Malignants say they would turne Independents for then they should not take the Covenant nor be forced to any thing but be at their liberty June the 11. I was told by a godly Citizen and a cordiall friend to the Publike that some of the Independents have said they will have their way yet whatsoever it cost them In some of the weekly news-Books I have observed passages inserted of the great love and unity in the Army between the souldiers Presbytery and Independency making no breach and in the Perfect Occurrences of the Week calld the two and twentieth Week ending the 29. of May 1646. the Pamphleter tells us 't is very observable to consider the love and unity which is among the souldiers Now I asked about that time a Chaplaine of the Army a moderate Presbyterian whether it was so and how it came about he gave me this answer through the great forbearance of the Presbyterians who suffered them to have their wills and crossed them not took all patiently and said he if the Presbyterians should not have done so but stood upon things as the Independents it had been impossible but the Army had been broken in twenty peeces many a time before this for the Sectaries are of such a proud high spirit that if they had not had their wills there would have been no peace and indeed both in Armies Assembly City there hath been that forbearing yeelding on the Presbyterian party in reference to the publike that the Independents and Sectaries if they had been in their place would never have done though it had cost the totall losse of three Kingdomes I beleeve no age nor story can parallell all things considered the Love Patience long-suffering of the Presbyterians yea the passing by and putting up so many provocations and unsufferable abuses as they have done and that from a contemptible handfull of men in comparison but that 's our comfort That the patient expectation of the poore shall not be forgotten for ever and that God will save the afflicted people but will bring downe high looks I have been assured from divers good hands as Citizens and others that the greatest thing in the City Remonstrance that the Sectaries are offended at is that about places of publike trust they take that most hainously that Sectaries should not have places of honour profit and power which clearly shewes to all the world 't is not a bare Toleration of their consciences of enjoying their own personall Estates in the Land that they seek or which would content them but they look for Preferment Rewards power to have others under them so that 't is a Domination and to be in such a condition that others may seek to them to be Tolerated that they aime at a Toleration and liberty of conscience contents them not but a Liberty of Offices and a power of great places both in Military and civill affaires they stand for Master Burroughs in the yeare 1645. both preached and printed even in that Tractate where he pleades for a Toleration That the Magistrate may to men who differ from the State in greater Errors at least deprive them of the benefits and priviledges of the State notwithstanding their pleas of conscience and in evills of lesse moment put them to some trouble in those wayes of evill so farre as to take off the wantonesse of their spirits and the neglect of meanes some trouble may be layed in the way so that men shall see there is something to be suffered in that way and there is no reason why any should be offended at this yea Master Burroughs
Person and Authority and to maintain His just power and greatnesse the Independent replyed presently what was his just power suppose saith this Independent there were a theife and you should make a Covenant with him to maintaine his just priviledges what of that might you not for all that bring him to punishment labouring to bring him to the Gallows were his just priviledges and no breach of Covenant whereupon said this Citizen Is this your interpretation of the Covenant I would never have taken it whilst the world stood in that sense and further said this Citizen when this Covenant was made and sworne what ever you can say against the King as raising Wars against the Parliament and what ever else you imagine It was before this Covenant was taken you knew as much of him before as now so that t is strange you should speak so And then this Citizen reasoned with this Independent against punishing the King David was guilty of Murther and Adultery and there were then Elders of the people Princes and Judges in Israel as well as now and yet none of them offered to question David upon his life or inflict punishment neither do we find that God by the prophets gave any such direction to punish David though by the Law death was due for Murther to other men we know God sent the prophet Nathan to reprove him and to bring him to repentance for his great sinne but not to stirre up the Princes Judges and Elders of the people to proceed against him as they did against Malefactors A Relation and Discovery of the Libertinisme and Atheisme horrible fearfull uncleannesses of severall kinds Drunkunnesse generall Loosenesse and licentiousnesse of living Cosening and Deceiving both of particular persons and of the State and Kingdome fearfull Lying Jugling and falsifying of promises abominable Pride and boasting in the Arms of flesh unsufferable Insolencies and horrible misdemeanors of many Sectaries of these times particularly their Insolencies against the Lawes of the Land the King the House of Lords House of Commons some particular worthy Members by name of both Houses Committees of both Houses both Houses of Parliament as conjunct in their Authority and Ordinances against our Brethren of Scotland the Kingdom of Ireland the City of London the Assembly the whole Ministery of this Kingdom and all the Reformed Churches against inferior Magistrates and Courts as the Judges Justices of Peace Majors of Cities Committes and all sorts of Officers of Justice THe Particulars in all these kinds are so many and so infinite that particularly to reckon them up and give their story would fill a great volume and I have already in the foregoing part of the Book given some instances in most of them and therefore I shall but breifly point at and give hints only upon these severall heads referring the Reader for further satisfaction to many Pamphlets and Books daily printed and openly sold and to his own observation of things 1. The great Libertinisme and Atheisme of many Sectaries appears by their violent and feirce pleading for by word and writing a free Liberty and Toleration of all kind of Religions and Consciences whatsoever and that not only in lesser points of Doctrine but in the most fundamentall Articles of Faith yea and of denying the Scriptures and that there is a God and by the pleading for Liberty in such away and by such mediums viz. that no man is infallible and certaine in any thing he holds that t is possible he may be mistaken c. as do necessarily overthrow all Religion whatsoever There have been within these few yeers some scores of Books written wholly for Toleration and pretended Liberty and some hundred of Books wherein that 's pleaded for together with other things and so farre are the Sectaries gone in Libertinisme * that all true love piety Religion conscience is placed in a generall allowance of what mens corrupted and defiled consciences like and the greatest sinne wickednesse evill that men can commit or be capable of is placed in the using of good means and the power God hath given to hinder and restraine this Liberty There is a Book called Toleration justified printed 1646. asserteth t is not safe to put any bounds to Toleration or to restraine in any thing whatsoever no not in denying the Scriptures and a Deity There is a Pamphlet A Demurre to the Bill for preventing the growth and spreading of Heresie that came out lately since that Ordinance against Heresies was brought in to the H. of Commons that pleads page 3. with many Libertine Arguments against all punishing of those that maintaine there is no God as among others with this We beseech you let not God and the truth of his being be so excessively dispâ—raged as not to be judged sufficient to maintaine it against all gainsayers without the helpe of any earthly power to maintaine it Let Turks and those that beleeve in strange gods which are 〈…〉 gods make use of such power and infirme supporters of their supposed d 〈…〉 s but let the truth of our God the only God the omnipotent God be judged abundantly able to support it self t is a tacit imputation of in 〈…〉 s to imagine it hath need of our weake and impotent assistance There are Queres concerning a printed Paper entituted An Ordinane for the preventing and growing of Heresies c. where among many Libertine questions the second proclaims it self to be Scepticall and Athâ—isticall supposing except men make themselves infallible that the preaching printing and maintaining contrary to these Doctrines That God is that God is present in all places that God is Almighty that God is eternall perfectly holy c. may be the sacred truths of God for ought any man knowes There have beene and are daily many strange speeches uttered wholly tending to Libertinisme and Atheisme A Reverend godly Minister told me July the fourth 1646. he heard and Independent say what if I should worship the Sunne or the Moone as the Persians did or that Pewter Pot standing by what hath any man to do with my conscience A great Sectary pleaded in the hearing of persons of worth from whom I immediately had it for a Toleration of Stage-playes and that the Players might be set up againe I heard a Sectary plead for a Toleration of Witches and I urging that argument that Witches might say they in their conscience hold the Devill for their God and thereupon worship him it was answered that precept against not suffering Wirches was spoken to the Israelites not to us and will you because Witches deale with a familiar spirit therefore send them to the Devill by taking away their lives Many Sectaries often say that all the judgements of God upon us are because we will not receive the Government of of Christ suffer it to be set up among us viz. to let every one beleeve what he will and serve God according to his conscience as also they say if ever
naught with him and they were taken in the act this is knowne to many in London and some to whom shee had â—o commended her askt her what shee thought now In Bermondsey Parish there is a Sectary hath committed adultery with another mans wife and for it he hath beene before a Justice of Peace and could not deny it There is an Independent Preacher who hath lectured in and about London one of M. Greenhils Church as t is commonly said who hath carried himselfe unchastly towards a young woman having a husband an old man and towards a young maiden who was to warm his bed after Preaching he did things unseemly and would have gone further but the married wife acquainted her husband abominating this young Independent saying does he thinke I am such a one as to be his whore and the young maiden to resist him burnt his hands with the warming-Pan to keep him off from her There are divers other instances of their uncleannesse and filthines but I must reserve them for a fourth part and wish the Reader for the present with theâ—e here related to joyne other such relations of the sectaries uncleannesses as are mentioned in the former parts of Gangraena and in precedent pages of this third part 3. Many of the Sectaries in these times are given to drink and wil fit tippling all the day there are divers Sectarian Troopers faulty in this kind I have been told a story of the drunkennes of an Independent Captain in the Army and of the complaint against him and how he was brought off and continued in his command for al that but t is too large to relate particulars A godly Minister tels me of a speciall freind of his that is fallen to be a drunkard and a sot since turned an Independent I have beene told a story of an Independent a member of a famous Independ Church here in London that was taken drunk in the night by the Watch and carried to the Counter and next morning carried before an Alderman Many other instances there are with instances of many drunkards turning Independents and Anabaptists but I must passe them by for present 4. Many Sectaries and Independents are very loose in the generall course of their lives and take a great deale of liberty which the Presbyterians dare not take neither did they before they turned Independents many of them make little of the Lords day nothing at all of Fast dayes nor of Thanksgiving dayes not of the fifth of November many of them will play at Cards and Tables and use liberally other kind of sports and recreations they will plead for going to Playes and thousands of them are carelesse in all holy duties casting of Prayer singing of Psalmes reading the Scriptures repeating of Sermons instructing their families yea many are not ashamed to speak against them I have beene told for certaine there are Sectaries will sweare by their tender consciences and all the Sectaries generally take more liberty in brave and fashionable apparell in long haire in jesting and laughing in loose and idle discourses then godly strict Christians use to take many of them preach seldomer then before turned Independents and will have a care they take not too much paines 5. Many Sectaries are very guilty in cosening and deceiving both the publike and particular persons I am perswaded if all that the Sectaries have cozened the State in of monyes that they have received and never brought in of moneys paid them for such services which they never performed of monyes paid them for bad commodities and not valuable were known it would amount to a great masse of money I have been told divers stories from good handâ— of moneys received in Kent by Sectaries and never brought in to the publike but pocketed up of some Sectarian Chaplaines that have received for pay good summs of money and never gave the Regiments to which they belonged a Sermon or ever looked after them of two Sectaries that would have hired a poor man to have sworne falsly against a woman one Mistris B. by which they hoped to have gotten fiftie pounds of a great Independent who mingled with Silver base mettle of lead brasse iron and so carried it into the Tower in great Ingots to be melted and to have money according to the weight of it and is now in question for it he being at last found out but I cannot stand to enlarge any further and the Reader may find more instances in this kind in the Appendix of the first part of Gangraena and in this third part page 25. and 26. 6. The Sectaries are guilty of grosse lying slandring jugling falsifying their word and promises so that a great Book would not contain the particulars and I have thoughts to set them forth in a Tractate by themselves I could relate at large notorious lyes raised by some of them of godly Ministers of the Assembly and City of which not the least colour or ground for as also promises and engagements made by some of them to persons of worth Ministers and others upon their coming in and being chosen for places which they have not only not performed but afterwards boldly denyed any such promises with many things of this kind I could tell also of propagating and supporting the credit of the Independent party by many lies told in Pulpits written in Letters and printed on purpose of the great valour and gallantry of such and such Sectaries in the Army when as Presbyterian Commanders performed these very services and of many Relations Printed of such and such unworthy things done by Presbyterian forces and Commanders when no such matter but I must for beare particulars and for present do referre the Reader to Master Pryns Lyar Confounded to Master Calamics Answer and Apologie against Master Burton to Doctor Bastwicks Books written against the Independents and particularly his Book written against Lilburne and his last Book entituled The utter-routing of the whole Army of the Independents and Sectaries page 357 358. 7. The Sectaries are guilty of excessive pride boasting and trusting in Armes of flesh as in that Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax I do not think that in this latter age of the world the great Tuck the Spaniard or any other Nation have gloried and trusted more in any one Army of theirs or attributed greater things to it then the Independents have done to that which they call theirs O how strangely have they boasted and trusted in it as if humane things were not changeable as if that Army could conquer all the world recover the Palatinate Ireland and give Laws to France Lorraine Constantinople c. and do whatsoever they pleased I have beene told from an honest and faithfull Commander in the Army that Master Peters speaking of the Army said they wanted nothing but more Nations to conquer and his folly in this kind is extant in print of which the Reader may find some Animadversions upon it by me in the 133 134.
142. pages of this Book I might fill a Book in relating the passages in Discourses Sermons and printed Books spoken in way of boasting of this Army and of particular persons belonging to it of the Independent way calling one Infallible the Saviour of three Kingcomes a second the Terrible a third whom God hath especially fitted for Sea or Land one whom foraigne States would be proud of having such a servant and so of others but I will only point at some expressions in a late Book of Master Burtons called Conformities Deformity wherein the Army is in a sort deified page 17 18. speaking of pressing the Parliament for an Ordinance against Heresies and Schismes he speaks what this Ordinance would do against those men who have prodigally poured their dearest bloud viz. trample upon them and not suffer them to breath in their native aire and thereupon runs out in the extolling of that sort of men in the Army that by them we yet breath that they have beene the preservers of the Land that many glorious victories have made them admirable to the neighbour Nations yea to the whole world and terrible to their professed enemies and ours yea and to pretended freinds too who would master us at home were not these masters of the feild God hath made them the great instruments of the preservation and deliverance of our Country and City from the most desperate bloudy and beastiall enemies that ever the earth bred or hell hatched God hath vouchsafed to cast great favour and honour upon them and as he hath crowned them with so much glory and they have â—ast their crownes at the feet of the Lamb that sits upon the Throne So should we come and first giving all the glory to God gather up those crownes and set them upon the heads of those our Preservers and Deliverers and put chains about their necks so far off should we be from trampling such Pearles under foot or casting them out of our Gates and Ports 8. The Sectaries are guilty of unsufferable Insolencies horrible affronts to Authority and of strange outrages having done those things that all things considered no story of former ages can paralell and here I have so large a feild that I might write a Book in Folio upon this head but I will only give a touch upon the particulars and referre the Reader for further satisfaction to their owne Books 1. Some of the Sectaries have spoken and written that against the Lawes of the Land both Common and Statute as I beleeve neither Papists nor any English men ever did before them I have read divers passages of this kind in divers Pamphlets within these two last yeers as in some books written against Master Pryn but above all Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne in his Just mans Justification page 11 12 13 14 15. and A Remonstrance to their owne House of Commons page 13. 15. 19. damns the Common Law as coming from the Devill and being the great bondage of England the Norman Yoake as the Reader may easily see by these words That which is the greatest mischeife of all and the oppressing bondage of England ever since the Norman Yoak is this I must be tried before you by a Law call'd the Common Law that I know not nor I thinke no man else neither do I know where to finde it or read it and how I can in such a â—asâ— be punished by it I know not such an unfathomable gulâ—e have I by a little search found the Law practises in Westminster Hall to be that seriously I thinke there is neither end nor bottome of them so many uncertainties formalilities puncâ—ilios and that which is worse all the enâ—ries and proceedings in Latine a Language I understand not nor one of a thousand of my native Country-men so that when I read the Scripture it makes me thinke that the practises in the Courts at Westminster flow not from God nor from his Law nor the Law of Nature and Reason no nor yet from the understanding of any righteous just or honest men but from the Devill and the will of Tyrants The Kings Writs that summons a Parliament implying the establishment of Religion showes that we remaine under the Norman yoake of an unlawfull power from which we ought to free our selves Ye know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy a free people and deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason which ought to be the forme and life of every Government Magna Charta it selfe being but a beggerly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage and the Lawes that have beene made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppressive and intolerable The Conquerer erected a trade of Judges and Lawyers to sell justice and injustice at his owne unconscionable rate and in what time he pleased the corruption whereof is yet upon us from which we thought you should have delivered us we cannot but expect to be delivered from the Norman bondage and from all unreasonable Lawes made ever since that unhappy conquest By which passages t is evident the Sectaries aime at a totall change of the Laws and Customs of this Kingdom 2. They have spoken and written much against the King speaking of him as a Delinquent terming him the great Delinquent and that he should not come in but as a Delinquent when news hath beene of messages and gracious offers from the King and when his late Letter to the City was spoken of they have slighted all saying we can have them without him and what can he do for us he is a Delinquent They have taken one of his titles from him and given it to that unworthy mean man Lilburne stiling him Defendor of the Faith they have taken other of his Titles as Soveraign Leige Lord Majesty Kingship Regality and given them to the H. of Commons and to the common people making the Universall people to be the King Creator and the King their meer creature servant and vassal and as they have taken from him his Titles so his power denying him all Legislative power and to be one of the Estates of Parliament yea they have pleaded for the King to be deposed and justice to be done upon him as the grand murtherer of England and not only that he should bee beheaded but the Kingdome also viz. this Kingdome deprived of a King for ever and Monarchie turned into Democracie And as they have endeavoured to strip him of all his Titles and power as a King so to take from him all priviledges as a man and a Christian speaking against Ministers praying for him and that he should be excommunicated from all Christian society For proofe of which particulars let the Reader read over the late Remonstrance of many thousand Citiznes to their owne House of Commons and among other passages that in page 6. It is high time we be
plaine with you we are not nor shall not be so contented that you lie ready with open Armes to receive the King and to make him a great and a glorious King Have you shooke this Nation like an Earth-quake to produce no more then this for us We do expect according to reason that you should in the first place declare and set forth King Charles his wickednesse open before the world and withall to show the intolerable inconveniencies of having a Kingly Government from the constant evill practises of those of this Nation and so to declare King Charles an en 〈…〉 my and to publish your resolution never to have any more but to acquit us of so great a charge and trouble for ever and to convert the great rev 〈…〉 w of the Crowne to the publike treasure to make good the injuries and injustices done heretofore and of late by those that have possessed the same and that we expected long since at your hands and untill this be done we shall not thinke our selves well dealt withall in this originall of all oppressions to wit Kings The Just mans Justification page 10. I wish with all my soule the Parliament would seriously consider upon that Law Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed that so wilfull murtherers might not escape the hand of Justice but especially that they would thinke upon the grand murtherer of England for by this impartiall Law of God there is no exemption of Kings Princes Dukes Earles more then of fishermen c. The Arrow against all Tyrants page 11 12. Soveraignity challenged by the King is usurpation illegitimate and illegall c. The power of the King cannot be Legislative but only Executive So Overtons Defiance to the House of Lords Overtons Petition and Appeale to the High and mighty States the Knights and Burgesset in Parliament Assembled Englands Legall Soveraignâ— power The last warning to the Inhabitants of London with divers such like 3. The Sectaries have spoken written done much against the House of Peeres the supreme Judicature of this Kingdome that House which gives to the Parliaments of England the denomination of the High Court of Parliament as t is a Court of Record and having power of judiciall triall by oath c. of the greatest subjects of this Kingdome in the greatest matters as life estates liberty whose Tribunall and Power hath ever beene acknowledged and dreaded in this Kingdom in all times by the greatest Peeres and persons of the Land and when questioned by them have given all high respect and humble submission as we see that great Favorite the Earle of Strafford did yet this Supreme Court hath beene by word and deed so used by base unworthy sonnes of the earth as the 〈…〉 st Court in England or p 〈…〉 iest Constable never was till these times and certainly the ages to come who shall read the History of these times and the Books of the Sectaries written this last yeere against the House of Lords will wonder at our times and inquire what exemplary punishment was done upon them The facts of some Sectaries abetted and pleaded for also by other of their fellows have been these 1. Refusing upon the Summons Warrants of the House of Peeres to appeare before them and resisting to the utmost so that the Officers have been necessitated to drag them and bring them by force as Overton who in print is not ashamed to relate it 〈◊〉 When they have beene committed and under custody refusing to be brought by their Keepers to the House of Peeres upon command of the House to answer to their charge as Lilburne did keeping his chamber shut refusing to come forth and resisting to the utmost so that glad to carry him by power to the House of Lords which relation also Lilburne hath printed 3. In refusing to answer any questions put them by the House of Peeres 4. In refusing to kneele at the Barre in token of any submission to the House or to be uncovered 5. In appealing from and protesting against the House of Peeres and any power they have over them both by word of mouth and writing drawn up and thrown into the House 6. In stopping their eares in a contemptuous manner that they would not heare their charge read 7. In reproving sawcie taking up and reproaching the House of Peeres to their faces in the House 8. In Petitioning the House of Commons for justice against the House of Peeres and for reparations of dammages using many reproachfull words of that Right Honourable House even in their Petitions as is to be seene in Overtons John Lilburnes and Elizabeth Lilburnes Petitions 9. Threatning the House of Peeres what they will do against them if they maintaine their power and honour and what the house of Commons will do 10. Stirring up and inciting the common People also to fall upon them to pull them downe and overthrow that House The Speeches and writings of the Sectaries against the House of Peeres within this last sixe moneths or thereabouts ever since the commitment of Learner about The last warning to the inhabitants of London are fearfull and strange many Pamphlets having beene written in that time tending apparently to the totall overthrow of the House of Peeres and of having any Lords in this Kingdome denying them all Legislative and Judiciall Power and giving it all to the House of Commons or rather to that Beast of many heads the common People allowing the Commons only so much as they please and for so long making them their meer deputies and servants at will I shall give the Reader a few passages out of their Books and referre for further satisfaction to the Books themselves A Pamphlet entituled The Just man in Bonds writes thus pag. 1. The power of the House of Lords is like a shallow uneven water more in noyse then substance no naturall issues of Lawes but the extubâ—rances and mushromes of Prerogative the wens of Just Government putting the body of the people into pain as well as occasioning deformity Sons of conquest they are and usurpation not of choyce and election intruded upon us by power not constituted by consent not made by the people from whom all power place and office that is just in this Kingdome ought only to arise A Pamphlet call'd A Pearle in a Dung-hill pag. 3 4. speaks thus And why presume ye thus O ye Lords Set forth your merit before the people and say For this good it is that we will raigne over you Remember your selves or shall we remember ye Which of you before this Parliament minded any thing so much as your pleasures Playes Masques Feastings Gaming 's Dancings c. What good have you done since this Parliament and since the expulsion of the Popish Lords and Bishops where will you begin It was wont to be said when a thing was spoyl'd that the Bishops foot had been in it and if the Lords mend not it will be
time mistaken for had I thought that the Parliament had had no rule but their owne will to have walked by I should never have drawne my sword for them and for my part I knw no difference betwixt tyranny and such proceedings therfore I pray read the Petition of Right and the Act made this present Parliament that condemned the Star-chamber and High Commission Page 5. hee writes as followes Time was when the Parliament had to doe with the King and had the Bishops Star-chamber and High Commission to pull downe they would owne me and doe me justice c. but having served their owne turnes of me I never could have justice from them since though I think I have beene as faithfull a servant to the Common-wealth as any they ever imployed and whereas Magna Charta saith justice and right we will deny to 〈…〉 or we will defer to none yet have I waited these foure yeeres upon them at great expences and cannot get them to put their owne Votes in execution and if this be according to Magna Charta let the world judge And p. 10. speaking of the H. of Commons committing him saith O brave times and brave justice and yet for all this I say my resolution is to stand fast in the liberty and freedome wherewith Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and severall Acts made this present Parliament as also divers late Declarations have made me free and not to be intangled againe with any yoake of bondage that shall be hung about my neck by any kind of Tyrant by what name or title soever he be dignified or distinguished Master Musgrave a great Separatist as he shows himself in many passages of his Book entituled Another word to the wise writes thus of the House of Commons Courteous Reader thou maist very much wonder at the delatory and slow proceedings of the House of Commons in doing justice and right from whom the Commons of England may justly expect more then from any Judicatory being they are immediatly chosen by them and to speak properly are no more but their Stewards and servants for whose good and benefit all their actions ought to be extended Yet by their poceedings daily we see t is in vaine to expect justice from them so long as they are linked and glued in factions each to other by their private interests in their great places which ties all such amongst them to maintaine one another in all their unjust wayes and to oppresse and crush us as much as they are able all the prosecutors of just and righteous things and so to barre and stop justice that it shall have little or no progresse divers of them and their creatures Sonnes Brothers Uncles and Kinsmen and Allies in the sub-Committees having already committed so much unjustice that they are undone in their blazed honour and ill-gotten estates if justice should runne in its native luster and full current and of necessity they and their great places would quickly be destroyed O therefore that the Free-men of England had but their eyes open to see the mischeife of Members of the House of Commons men of their owne election and chusing to sit in the supreme Court of England to be entangled themselves or intermeddle with any other place whatsoever then that whereunto their Countrey have chosen them what a shame is it to see the mercinary long gown-men of the House of Commons to runne up and down like so many â—ackney Petty-â—oggers from Bar to Bar in Westminster Hall to plead before inferiour Judges and besides how can such great practisers chuse but mercinarily be engaged to help their clients over a stile in case that ever they have to doe with any of their owne Committees and besides what is this else but to sell justice for money Besides what a snare is it to the new Judges who are placed in the roome of those that have bought sold and betraied the lives liberties estates of all the free Deniâ—ons of England to see three or foure eminent Lawyers Members of the House of Commons come before them â—n an unjust cause when they consider that if they should displease them it partly lies in their power to turne them out of their places being they are as it were wholly made Judges by the House of Commons and nominated by the Lawyers therein we profesâ—e seriously that to pull the gownes over these mercinary mens eares and for ever to throw them out of the House of Commons as men unfit to â—it there or to plead at any Bar in England is too little a punishment for them and the same we conceive doe they deserve that are Members of the House and take upon them to sit as Judges in inferior Courts by means of which they rob the free-men of England of the benefit of any appeale in case of injustice because they have no where to appeale to but the Parliament where they sit as Judges in their owne cause which is a most wicked intolerable and unjust thing in any Judge whatsoever we hope shortly that if these men be not ashamed of their evill herein some honest and resolute hearted English man will be so bold as publickly to post up their names as destroyers of the Kingdome And as great an evill 't is to the Kingdome for Members of the House of Commons to take upon them to bee fingerers and Treasurers of the publick money of the Kingdome because they are thereby in a condition to fill their owne coffers and do what wrong they please or else how comes it to passe that so many of their children are so richly married of late that were but meane before and no man knowes how to call them to account unlesse they deale with them as the Romans sometimes dealt with their Senators or as the Switzers dealt with their Tyrants for the money is the Kingdomes and not the Members of the House of Commons and the Kingdome ought in justice reason and right to have a publick punctuall and particular account of it and therefore it ought not to be in the hands or fingers of those that are able to make so great a faction as are able to protect them from justice and an exact account O that that gallant man Lieut. Generall Cromwell to whom the Kingdome for their preservation under God oweth so much would a little more deny himselfe and cease to be a stalking horse and a dangerous president of most dangerous consequence to these wicked mercinary Pluralists Non residentary great place men for whom an Hospitall of any great consequence cannot fall but they must be Governors of it nor a petty place in the petty bag office but they must get into it which men if the Kingdome would rightly consider it have just cause to disclaime as none of their Patrons but proclaime as their enemies and destroyers being pecuniary self-seekers For so long as Parliament men can get into their hands the riches and treasures of
prophane persons ignorant c. who having no knowledge in Religion and so likely to chuse such as themselves were unfit for such a work and afterwards in print being charged with it by Master Prynne as proved against him before the Committee of plundered Ministers he justifies his Preaching of which the Reader may see more in those Answers and Replyes that passed betwixt Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Pryn and particularly in Mr. Pryns Truth triumphing over falshood Epist Dedicat. and in the Book pag 106 107 108. The Author of the last warning to all the inhabitants of London pag. 5. saith That the betrusted Commons have not permitted this liberty in policie of every one worshipping God as they will but in Justice and upon mature knowledge that they neither are nor can be betrusted to make Lawes to rule men in the practice of Religion The Sectaries Remonstrance to their own House of Commons as they call the Honorable House pag. 12 13. speaking of matters that concern the worship of God denys the Commons any power at aâ— to conclude the people in such things It is not for you to assume a power to controule and force Religion or to force a way of Church-Government upon the people because former Parliaments have so done and affirms the Commons could not have such a power justly entrusted upon them by the people that trusted them And what need any further witnesse The House of Commons to their faces in the last 〈…〉 a st Sermon before them heard enough by Master Dell a famous Sectary and the Generalls Chaplaine against their power and authority to meddle in things of this kind Fifthly the Sectaries have written publikely and spoken openly against many particular Members of both Houses by name yea against the Honourable Speakers of both Houses by name and divers other prime eminent Members of note as well for their estates and ranks out of the Houses as power in the Houses calling by name some of them Traitors Achanâ— accusing them of treason and wilfull betraying of their Countries and Trusts as the Religious Earl of Manchester Sir Henry Vane Senior Master Barwis charging others by their severall names with other crimes as injustice oppression protecting of Delinquents sending many thousand pounds to the King at Oxford procuring by their publike places in the House contrary to the Self-denying Ordinances private and profitable places to themselves pride and loftinesse of carriage breach of promises giving out of the Scots that they have a wicked design tending to the prejudice of the State It would fill up many pages to relate all the passages in Lilburns Overtons Master Musgraâ—es Books Englands Birth-right and such like Pamphlets of Sectaries against some of the Peers by name as thâ—â— thrice Noble and Worthy Earl of Essexâ—â—tely â—â—tely deceased the Earl of Stamford Lord Hâ—â—sden and divers of the Commons as Sir Arthur Hazelrig Master Lilsle Master Glyn Master Blackstone Master Gorbet Master Whitaker Master Allen Master Tâ—et Master Bâ—â—on yea they fall foule upon Sir Henry Vanâ— the younger Master Sollicitor Lievâ—enant Generall Cromwell Sir Henry Mildmay Master Holland c. and would have them turned out of their places as being Nonrefidentiaries Pluralists strengthening others in those wayes by their examples telling them these other places distinct from their Memberships of Parliament prejudices greatly the Common-wealth sowes up their lips makes them they dare neither speak nor doe what they should and without which 't is hoped they would but I must not enlarge more on this head and therefore referre the Reader to the Books themselves to peruse the particulars at large Sixthly The Sectaries have spoken written publikely against contested with the Committees of Parliament the Committees of each House both of the House of Commons and Lords How Lilburne carried himself to the Committee of Examinations his pamphlet entituled The copy of a Letter from Liâ—â—t Col. Lilburne 〈◊〉 a Friend shewes at large what Master Musgraves carriage was to a Committee of the House of Commons of which Master Liâ—ts was the Chair-man himselfe relates in his pamphlet entituled Another word to the wiâ—e and in that Book he speaks against the proceedings of that Committee and in that of all the Committees of the House of Commons shewing his reasons why he declined that Committee and the answering of their Interrogatories Now his words are as followes I am blamed because I decline the Committee how should I expect any good from them when they dare not or will not suffer our cause to be publikely heard and debated but doe shut their doores against both our friends and also against strangers contrary to Law yet suffer they our adversaries whom we accuse to sit with their hats on as Judges in the cause both permitting them and they taking upon them to examine us And how can I assent unto the Committes demands to bring witnesses to be examined before such a Committee as cannot or is not authorised to administer an oath and so consequently cannot determine or give any judgement for or against the party accused for that all matters of fact and causes criminall are to be tried and determined by the verdict of twelue men upon solemne oaths and deposition of witnesses And how can I without incurring the hainous sinne of perjury submit unto the Arbitrary proceedings and determinations of any Committee being bound by solemne oath and protestation to maintaine the Lawes and just liberties of the people and that the Proceeding Orders and Results of the Committees be Arbitrary and not regulated by the Law I need no further proofe then that exorbitant and unlimiâ—ted power they take upon them and daily exercise in seazing on free mens goods and imprisoning their bodies contrary to Law for which if they should as they ought pay 500. li. a peice and trebble dommages to every party greived according to the Statute of 17. Carol. made for the abolishing of the Star-chamber I beleeve they would not adventure so boldly to transgresse Overton in his Pamphlet call'd A Deâ—â—ance against all Arbitrary usurpations either of the House of Lords or any other p 14. 13. declares his contemptâ—os insolent carriag towards a Committee of the Lords House how when he was asked by the Earle of Essex two severall times whether he were a printer or no he answered that he would not answer any questions or Interrogatories whatsoever but would stand to the rights and properties of the people of this Nation as also that he asked the Committee some questions talked sawcily to them as to know where or before whom he was What is a Committee of Lords the most supreme Court of Judicature in the Land Gentlemen if you be a Committee of Lords then I appeale from you Seventhly the Sectaries have carried themselves in word and deed insolently against the Parliament of England not only as I have fully proved abusing apart the House of Lords the House of the Commons Commit of each House and
divers particular Members of both Houses by name but as conjunct in their Authority Power and that in both the senses in which the Parliament is taken whether as we meane the three Estates in Parliament in their Legislative power the King the Lords the Commons or whether the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament making the highest Court to punish other Courts and offendors according to Lawes already made and having a power to make Ordinances and to set out rules and directions in emergent occasions of the Kingdome till a Law can be made Now in the first acception of Parliament the Sectaries have by word writing and all their proceedings especially of late overthrowne Parliaments and the fundamentall constitution of the three estates King Lords and Commons and that in denying all Legislative power to the King and Lords and of three Estates leaving and making but one cutting off both King and Lords from their unquestionable legall power according to the Lawes and fundamentall constitution of the Government of this Kingdome yea indeed destroying all the three estates taking away all the power and authority from the King Lords and Commons and placing it in the universall people giving them power to doe what they will and as often as they will as being the Creator of all and making the King Lords and Commons their meere creatures to be disposed of as they please and as the Sectaries are against the power of the three Estates in Parlia to make new Lawes giving this Legislative power only to the Commons and that to at the discretion of the people so are they against the Lawes and Acts already made by King Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament having inveighed against all Lawes from first to last both Common and Statute yea against Magna Charta it selfe calling it a poore and beggarly thing below a Freeman c. of the proofes of which particulars though the Sectaries Books are full I shall only name one place in the Remonstrance of the Sectaries to their owne House of Commons page 15. where they speak thus to the Commons Yee know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy of a free people and deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason Magna Charta it selfe is but a beggarly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage and the Lawes that have beene made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppressive and intolerable and in all their Books they speak against the knowne positive Lawes of the Land and cry out for Lawes according to right reason and for naturall primitive rights the just rights and prerogative of mankind which as they are the sonnes of Adam from him they have legitimatly derived of which they make themselves the sole Judges for otherwise our Ancestors who first founded this government and Lawes and the Parliaments ever since in all ages being rationall men have judged the present forme of Government and the Lawes to be most agreeable to Right Reason and Equity for this Nation and accordingly have confirmed and ratiâ—ied them so many times Now if this insolent outragious carriage of many Sectaries be well considered it will be found Treason in the highest forme not only against the King but the Kingdome too as my Lord Cook spake in the case of the Gunpouder Traytors they having plotted endeavoured written many Books done many actions to overthrow the fundamentall constitution and lawes of this Kingdome and that not by blowing up one Parliament but by their gun-powder spirits labouring to destroy all Parliaments in their constitution of three Estates for ever and if Strafford and Canterbury for endeavouring to subvert the fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome though they professed ignorance in many things and for what they did pleaded the command of the King and carried themselves with all duâ—ifull submission to the Parliament not to their faces and in the time of a Parliament endeavouring to overthrow Parliaments and Lawes and confronting them were yet charged and suffered death how many deaths hath Lilburne Overton and the rest of their fellowes deserved who have with so much violence sought the overthrow of the three Estates and the Lawes of the Kingdome and in the stead of the Fundamentall Government Lawes and Constitution of this Kingdome to set up an Utopian Anarchie of the promiscuous multitude and the â—usts and uncertaine fancies of weake people for Lawes and Rules and if these audacious men and their daring books shall escape without exemplary punishment and instead thereof be countenanced and set free I do as a Minister pronounce that the plague of God will fall upon the heads of those who are the cause of it Aâ—d in the second acception of the Parlia for what hath been done by the joynt power of both Houses in their Ordinances and commands yea the power which they claime and is expressed in the Writs by which they make such Ordinances and command obedience to them both the Authority and the Ordinances following from that Authority are denied and reproached all kind of wayes by the Sectaries and here I have so large a feild to walke in that I might make a fourth part of Gangraena in laying open the particulars of this kind but I will only speak a few things In the generall the Authority of both Houses of Parliament in matters of Religion and all Ordinances whatsoever tending that way have beene all violâ—â—ed with a high hand and trampled undeâ— foot with scorne and detestation openly declared against in the strangest manner that ever was in any age Now for the Sectaries opposing the Parliaments Authority to establish Church-government and to set up the true Religion I will among many quote only three First Collyer a Master Sectary in his Queres p. 24. answering that question what power c. saith they have none at all and that t is one of the first and greatest degrees of Antichristian tyranny for man to assume to himself power in spirituall things vide p. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Secondly Mr. Burton in his Pamphlet entituled Conformities Deformity it being the maine scope of his Book speaks against the power and practise of this State and present Parliament to enact a Law to binde all to conformity in Religion and makes it to be the feare of God raught by the precept of men to be hypocrisie idolatry to be that which turnes men away from the truth and so from Christ page 7. 15. and in page 12 1â— he writes thus Aâ—d therefore in this time of pretended Reformation belike the Parliament doth but pretend Reformation because it sets not up by a Law Independencie and Sectarisme Presbyteriall Government the Diâ—â—ctory Confession of Faith Catechisme being all but pretended Reformation with Master Burton to erect this great Idoll to wiâ— a power in man to prescribe Lawes and to lâ—gi 〈…〉 commandements for worship
againe this Sectary speaking of Parliament men about their Ordinance saith But what they are let all the people judge let them consider whether there can be the least dram of honesty or Religion in them or respect to the liberty of this freeborne Nation therein seeing they lay upon us a heavier â—eake then ever was laid upon us in the dayes of the Bishops It will be the greatest thraldom and bondage that â—ver the Kingdome was involved into and by this Ordinance of the Supper I am afraid we shall all go supperlesse to bed and speaking of the Classes Synods he addes if we can finde no Justice there we may appeale for sooth to our Gods themselves the Parliament life everlasting world without end of who 〈…〉 how may we expect 〈…〉 or justice th 〈…〉 that thus before hand w 〈…〉 with the stings of Scorpions and griâ—d us betweene the devouring jawes of such divilish tyr 〈…〉 icall Courts which will even crush our 〈…〉 s in peices and squeese out our very marrow and juyce and 〈…〉 ck out our very hearts bloud like so many greedy 〈◊〉 And as I have shown how the Presbyteriall Government and Ordinances for it have beene by word and writing opposed so I shall give some instances of the Sectaries insolent actings and workings against it In London when according to command of Authority the Ministers and people met to set up the Government to chuse Elders in Congregations some Sectaries came into Churches when they were â—â—using and made a disturbance by objecting openly against the office aâ— at Aâ—dersgaâ—â— and some other Churches other Sectaries joyned together hindered the election objecting they would not chuse Elders till they had chosen Ministers first because their Ministers were put in by the Bishops in former times or by the Parliament of late without their formall choyce an instance of the first was at Michael crooked â—ane where by the meanes of some Sectaries the Election was hindered and is to this day and things were carried with a great deale of confusion and tumult an instance of the second was at Th 〈…〉 Apostles As some other Churches of London where upon the Church doores a paper was set up to give notice of Elders chosen in such places and that they were to be tried at such a time in such a Church and that if any had any thing to except against them they should bring in their exceptions these papers were pu 〈…〉 downe and in their place a scandalous paper call'd severall Vo 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 consciences having a disgracefull picture of a Presbyter having Antichristian written by him in the midst of the Pope and Prelate was set up as for instance 27. of July last on the Church doore in Clements Eastcheap the paper about Elders was taken downe and this paper set up At Dover in Kent when one of the parishes was to chuse Elders the Independents and Sectaries carriage was extreme insolent as the Reader may observe by these following passages written to me in a Letter from a Reverend Minister of that Towne Now for the day of Electing our Elders if a State and the Truth were ever trodden downe at once by men it was in the preparation for that day and the practise of it Before the day some of them went about to perswade the people to hold their liberties and not to bring themselves in bondage They chose our Elders for us and perswaded people to accept of them and being asked by some whether they thought them fit to be Elders in their Independent Church they answered no nor members neither they spâ—ke evill of our best men and accused them of wavering and malice and when some told that if they should chuse such Elders as they named people would not be joyned with them they replied no matter they might then come to their Church and when the day was come and time to chuse our Elders albeit their owne Pastor was preaching in the towne at the same instant yet some of them came to our choyce and there affirmed though not by an open ouâ—cry yet by private perswasions to some that we were not building the walls of Babal and went to divers persous and got them to forbeare giving their voices to Master P. telling them that they knew he would not take it by which meanes we feare he will lose it to be brief we know that they are opposite to order and if there be not restraint will bring all to a lawlesse condition so thinks June 29. 1646. Your loving freind and Brother Eighthly â—he Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and carried themselves very unworthily towards our Brethren of Scotland the Sectaries in the Army City Country and in all places of this Kingdome have at all tables and in all Pamphlets and all kind of wayes abused and railed against the Scots inventing many wicked lies raising groundlesse jealousies and feares of them and that of their Kingdome and State their Army their Commissioners resident here their Generall Assembly of particular worthy persons by name and as they have done thus about this two last yeers with all industry and subtilty imploying Emissaries so more especially since the Kings going to the Scottish Army they have bestirred themselves by their weekly Pamphleters by many libellous Pamphlets written on purpose by many strange and false reports raised on purpose to incense the Kingdom against them and to make them odious I could fill a great book in setting downe all the hard speeches the ungodly Sectaries have spoken against them in Sermons and other discourses in transcribing out of the Sectaries Books all the bitter scoffing lying railing passages written against them in relating all strange facts and cruell unkind dealings of that party against them but they are so well knowne and all wise men so well acquainted with them that I need not much enlarge only for the sake of weake ones who live remote I shall touch upon a few things and truly t is the honour of our Brethren of Scotland that the Sectaries hate them so infinitely for would they have beene false or remisse in the Covenant and to their principles they should have beene the great favorites with them and might have had what they would but because they were too honest and not to be corrupted by any worldly thing and they looking upon them as the great thing that letteth and will let untill it be taken out of the way therefore they have sought to blast them and destroy them all kind of wayes they could desire They have therefore laboured to possesse the people by word and writing that the Scots are a false dishonest selfe-seeking People all for their owne ends and alwayes were that they coâ—ply with the Kings designes are firmly his as ever the Cavaliers were that they will joyne with the King against the Parliament a mercinary people that have got a world of money and sent it out of the Kingdome in whole barrels full
the Inhabitants of London page 7. saith the Assembly are only to advise the House of Commons when they requiâ—r them and have not dealt fairely to side with the Scots or to sway with the City or to 〈…〉 ge the Parliament in the least Twelfthly the Sectaries have carried themselves wickedly and insolently toward the whole Ministry in this Kingdome and that both in City and Country reproaching them and 〈◊〉 against them in Pulpits Presses and in all places threatning them to send them packing to Rome that they will leave never a Preist in England distuâ—bing them in their owne Churches and Pulpits in giving them the lie calling them by disgracefull names as foole knave false Prophet Antichrist Frog in the Revelation pulling them out of the Pulpits keeping them by force from preaching invading their Pulpits against their wills drawing swords against them assaulting them in their houses with weapons of war and driving them from their habitations and laying their Churches wast A large book would not containe all the stories of the Sectaries misusing the godly Ministers in this kind I have many instances with the proofes by me of the Sectaries insolent carriages in these kinds in Oxfordshire Glostershire Summersetshire Wiltshire Bedfordshire Northamptonshire Warwickeshire Lestershire Devonshire it would be too much to particularize all the wicked facts done in this kind by Col. Heuson Major Axton Leiut Webb Capt. Paul Hobson and divers others as also to repeat all the wicked reproachfull names given the godly Ministers of the Kingdom in the printed pamphlets of the Sectaries as the Devils Agents The professed â—nemies of Christ The sworne enemies of Christ Persecuting Presbyters Croaking Frâ—gs and twenty such names and worse Thirteenthly the Sectaries have spoken wickedly against all the Reformed Churches scoffing at their Synods Classes Ordination c. Let their books be looked into and they will be found to have written more scoffingly and reproachfully aganst those Churches then ever the Papists or Prelates did yea they have blasphemed those Churches the eminent servants of God among them and the truth of Christ taught in them What should I speak of the Arraignment of Persecution and his fellowes belching out blasphemies against the reformed Churches many other pamphlets besides that sort are extremely faulty as The compassionate S 〈…〉 riâ—â—ne Divine Light c. The Reformed Churches are ranged by some of the Sectaries with Papists and Turks and Calvin that worthy Instrument of Reformation and one of the Stars of the first magnitude is evill spoken of and â—ancked with the Romanists Fourteenthly The Sectaries have inveighed against inferior Magistrates Courts as Judges Justices of peace Majors of Cities Committees and all sorts of Officers of Justice and have offered severall affronts unto these and t is no wonder that they who with so high a hand dare affront heaven and earth God his truth Ministers and Ordinances the higher powers and the supremest Court of Judicature as I have showed the Sectaries have done should not be afraid of speaking against and carrying themselves uncivilly towards Magistrates in lower places The Courts of Justice in Westminster Hall and all their proceedings have been reviled by Lilburne and other Sectarian pamphlets All the Lawyers have beene cryed downe and reproached in Englands Birth-right and other pamphlets some of the Judges have beene affronted in their Circuits at the last Assizes by some Sectaries as at Hartford and other places Some Justices of Peace for executing Ordinances of Parliament upon Sectaries as that of Tyths and Committing upon blasphemies have beene arrested and sued by Sectaries as on Southwark â—ide as also abused and reproached to their faces and books written against them for discharge of their office besides Constables and Officers who have distrained and served their Warrants have beene molested and sued Majors of Cities Sheriffs Aldermen have beene branded for arbitrary tyrannicall prerogative Aldermen Sheriffs and miscalled at pleasure as in Lilburnes late pamphlets The Lord Majors farewell to his Maioralty Committees in the Countries have beene affronted by Sectaries putting on their hats when brought before them as in Bedfordshire and in one word all sorts of officers of Justice have one way or other by word or deed beene abused by Sectaries either by disobeying the Warrants they have brought or by miscalling them or by branding them in print as Lilburn hath done in severall pamphlets severall officers the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Commons the Keepers of Newgate he being more insolent and clomineering in prison over all kind of officers then his Keepers over him but above all the Sectaries insolencies towards that faithfull Gentleman Colonel Francis West and other officers under him appears by Lilburnes late libellous pamphlets and by the threatning speeches of some Sectaries comming to see Lilburn in the Tower who being by the Warders spoken unto to give their names and where they dwelt told them they should answer the prohibiting of them from going to Leiutenant Colonel Lilburne and that the time was at hand when they would come in whether the Leiutenant of the Tower would or no. And thus I have given a touch upon severall heads of the Sectaries tumultuous insolent unsufferable carriages but among all their wickednesses and abomiuable courses which may make them justly abhorred of all good men and of these Kingdomes the Reader may observe these following 1. That they make it their work and businesse to corrupt destroy and overthrow all Religion and godlinesse to lay all wast and to set open a wide gate to all error and licentiousnesse of living for the effecting of which they doe not only use all means and wayes for a Universall Toleration of all Heresies Blasphemies Atheisme which may happen to arise that there being such they may be tolerated go unpunished which Toleration alone would cause growth of Heresies fast enough and the ruine of Religion and godlinesse but they plot all wayes and take all courses under heaven that all Heresies and Errors may grow and increase that there may be both abundance of Errors and persons holding them and therefore they use all their power and interest to hinder all things which might prevent the growth of Heresies aâ—d Errors as the settling of Church-government and peace in Church and Common-wealth as the bringing in of Orthodox godly zealous Ministers into places with the establishing of maintenance upon them as the publishing of such Books as might keep men from Errors having suppressed some Books so which have come from New-England as a Tractate against Toleration c. And on the contrary doe any thing though never so unreasonable though never so much against their owne principles though never so wicked and abominable so it will but advance Errors hence they suffer many Emissaries to go from Country to Country from place to place to broach and vent among people all kinds of Errors and that by force of Arms against the will of the Ministers and people
and would trample as much upon the City of London and the Countries as ever John of Lâ—yden and Knipperdolling did upon the poor Citizens of Munster 4. The Sectaries hypocrifie appears by their pretending a bare liberty only peaâ—â—ably and quietly to enjoy their owne consciences and that without any offence or molestation to others And however if this might not be granted after they had helped to overcome the common enemy they would quietly sit downe and leave the Kingdome not offer to make any disturbance and this was held out along time in their speeches and in many books I have heard Master Peters speak thus and he was wont in many places to speak thus and the Apologists in their Apologeticall Narrat 〈…〉 supplicate the Parliament to look upon them as those that doe pursue no other interest or designe but a subsistence be it the poorest or meanest in their owne Land with the allowance of a latitude to some lesser differences with peaceablenesse as not knowing where else with safety health and livelihood to set their feet on earth But by these and many other specious pretences being increased in number and power and having gotten the sword into their hands now they speak out and are not contented with a bare Toleration but stand for all the places of power honor and profit in the Kingdome crying out of the City Remonstrance most of all because it petitioned against Sectaries being in places of publick trust its apparent a Domination they aime at and to have things in such a posture that they may suppresse all the Orthodox hence many speeches have sallen from them to this purpose that they will never lay downe the sword whilest there 's a Preist lefe in England that they will pack them all away for Rome and this last yeere in many places where they come they ordinarily will not suffer the Ministers to preach in their owne Churches Pulpits but by sorce hinder them yea pull them out of Pulpits threaten them assault them hence they will not endure zealous godly Presbyterians to enjoy any places in the Armies or other where but watch for iniquity use all tricks and unjust wayes to keep them out and turne them out of which there are many examples 5. The Sectaries abominable hypocrisie showes it selfe in yeelding to things against their mind and conscience that thereby they may be in a capacity and inabled to destroy and overthrow what they seeme to be for working and using all their power against it as for example many of the Sectaries took the Covenant and do take it which they hate with al their souls that so they might come into such places keep such places where being they improve those places all they can to destroy the Covenant and the contents of it hindring a Uniformity and the neerest conjuction in Government c. and are all for a Toleration and instead of endeavouring to extirpate Heresie Schisme they promote it all they can and plead for strange forced interpretations and Jesuiticall equivocations of the Covenant contrary to all literall sence the generall scope and the minds of those that made it alwayes so declared from first to last 6. The Sectaries great hypocrisie is seene in that in their speeches oft-times many of their Pamphlets and for divers of their actions why they do such things and why they refuse this and that as not hearing our Ministers preach not joyning to our Assemblies not paying their Tyths with many such they alledge the Covenant and bring that for their ground t is against such an Article of the Covenant or such a clause of an Article when as t is knowne to God and hotoriously manifest to all the world they care not at all for the Covenant make nothing of it but daily with a high hand breake every-Article and every clause of each Article but their doing and refusing of such and such things are upon other grounds and ends as the saving their purses their destroying of a settled Ministry the increasing and spreading of all Errors and Heresies and bringing in of confusion into Church and State I could write a large book upon this subject how the Sectaries daily break the Covenant and are indeed like to those spoken of in Daniel 11. 32. Such as do wickedly against the Covenant I will begin with the first clause of the first Article indeavouring the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine worship Discipline and Government c. when as they daily write with all bitternesse against the Church of Scotland their Discipline and Government c. yea have furthered the printing and spreading wicked books against the Government of the Church of Scotland written by Prelats and their greatest enemies O how is Master Burton in his Conformities Deformity in his 19 20 21. pag. guilty of breach of Covenant in writing so against their Church Government as to stirre up Princes and all civill powers against them as much as against the Popes Supremacie I might proceed to show though they take the Covenant into their mouth yet they go against that clause of indeavouring to extirpate Heresie Schism prophanesse c. on the contrary indeavouring the spreading and growing of all Heresies Errors and so I might in the rest but I shall conclude this with one word which is that they are fearfully and hypocritically guilty of the breach of the solemne League and Covenant and that if ever the Sectaries should be a meanes to involve and ingage in a war against Scotland our Brethren in their weakest condition even when their Armie 's put to the worse might in the head of their Armie spread before God the solemne League and Covenant and appeale to heaven to help them as the great Turk did once in such a case against the Christians and might well trust that God who is a God keeping Covenant a God of truth that helped the Turks against the Christians in such a case would help them his servants against the Covenant breaking Sectaries 7. The Sectaries hypocrisie appeares in casting that upon others and unjustly charging them with such things which themselves are faulty in both practise and purpose to practise only speak against such and such things in another party that others being suspected by this meanes and they not they may compasse their ends the better thus they have given out many reports and raised jealousies upon many worthy men as if not right that they sought not the good of their Country Religion but only preferment and their owne ends that so they being taken to be the faithfull men might raise their owne fortunes and bring about their owne designes many Sectaries have given out things on purpose of the Scots that they are false and alwayes were for their owne ends c. the better to hide their owne basenesse being indeed that themselves which they falsely cast upon our Brethren Thus the Sectaries give ouâ— that if
said again and again of his Protestation Protested I will if he will not be angry with him it was this that in that Book there was grosse Brownisme which he nor his Brethren no way agreed with him in and that for his part he would as soon subscribe to the Book of Common-Prayer as to divers things there Shall I tell him what Mr. Symonds of Roterdam one of the moderatest and modestest of that way said upon the comming forth of his last Book Conformities Deformitie to a friend of his that shewed it him and asked him of it no I will forbear least it should trouble the old man too much I could tell some stories of Mr. Burton and his Church I have a relation given me in writing by 〈◊〉 whâ— was present and heard all about a difference that fell out in the time of the Church-meeting between M. Burton and a Butcher and some others of his Church about prophecying but 't is too long to insert here and I promise it the Reader in the 4 part of Gangraena I have been told a late famous story by divers godly Ministers of the City of a great falling out betweene Mr. Burton and some of his Church about singing of Psalmes Baptising of Children prophecying and somewhat else and upon some Brethren cal'd in to hear the businesse how far M. Burton yeelded in those particulars both against his judgment and his practise but I must reserve that too I could make large Animadversions on his Pamphlets and show many strange positions in them beside contradictions falshood weaknesse hard speeches against the faithfull servants of God much pride and arrogancie but I will for present animadvert a few things only on his last Book Conformities Deformitie in a Dialogue between Conformity and Conscience and I shall refer all I have to say at this time to three heads 1. To show the scope of Mr. Burtons Book and what the man would have in it 2. To represent to M. Burton and the Reader the great evill of it and how unlike Mr. Burton is to what himselfe was formerly 3. Propound some queries to Mr. Burton to show him how he is mistaken all along in the ground he goes upon For the first his main scope is under the name of Conscience to represent the Sectaries as the only conscientious men and under that colour to plead for a Toleration of them all and an indempnity from all restraint by the civill Magistrate and under the name of Conformity to brand all Presbyterians and to speak against all establishment of Religion and Church-Government by Magistrates and Synods as great Hypocrisie Idolatry rejecting Christ from being King c. destroying the foundation of faith and in his prosecuting this besides Sion Colledge the Assembly the City of London the Ordinance for preventing the growth of Heresies which he fals fouly upon he railes fearfully and speaks most wickedly against the Generall Assembly and the Scottish Church-Government saying that in the Generall Assembly there is the like Supremacie set up which the Pope 〈…〉 selfe claimeth â—ver Kings States Kingdomes Common-wealths that 't is a spirit of Antichristian pride and tyranny of rebellion and treason in lifting up a Papall Throne above Kings and Kesars above Kingdomes and Common-wealths to the ensâ—aving of the whole Nation in their soules bodies aâ—d estates that it sets up in the Church an Oracle of Infallibility and such a Supremacie as no true-bred English Christian can interpret for other then Antichristian Tyranny and all under the name of a Christian Presbyterian Church-Government that if that Presbyterian Government be set up thereby our Fundamentall Lawes Priviledges and power of Parliaments Liberties and freedome of all true-bred English Subjects would be brought under perpetuall bondage worse then that eitherof Egypt or Babilon all which and much more the Reader may find in page 19 20 21. of-that Booke For the second Mr. Burtons great evill and how unlike Mr. Burton now is to Mr. Burton formerly it may apppeare thus in that M. Burton in all this booke builds up againe the things he formerly destroyed undoing all his owne acts agreeing with Canterbury Pocklington c. in their Principles and Practises against the Reformed Churches particularly the Scots and their Church-Government M. Burton being Cantuariensis redivivus nay let me not wrong the dead though they were great Enemies to the Scots and Presbyteriall-Government yet in all their writings I doe not find such rancorous malicious passages against the generall Assembly as in this Booke of M. Burtons he makes use indeed of the Bishops and their creatures Arguments and weapons against the Presbyteriall Government and the Reformation but withall goes higher and in patronizing and pleading for all Errours and Heresies under specious pretences as they did Arminian Popish and Socinian Doctrines not writing one word against all the Heresies and Blasphemies of these times but speaking against my books and Dr. Bastwicks for the discovering of them O how is M. Burton fallen I heard a godly and â—â—arned Divine say lately of him upon reading his Conformities Deformity that he had alwaies thought M. Burton to be a godly man but he now thought him the greatest Apostate in England He should not have wondered much to have seen such a book written by John Goodwin but that M. Burton should he could not have believed it had he not read it and certainely in his writing this Booke and many others God left him the man is departed from all his former principles of zeale and love to truth he can finde no Deformitie now in Heresie nor Blasphemy but onely in Conformity to Presbyteriall-Government and the Magistrates non-Toleration of Errours The Lord hath made him a fearfull example and all men may take warning by M. Burton for turning Independents who before he turned Independent was so zealous against the least Errours and the least Innovation in Worship as that he would straine things and make a great matter of a little but now he hath no heart against the greatest Errours he can doe nothing in all his Pamphlets for the honour of Christ he can see no deformitie in all the Blasphemies Heresies of these times but onely in the Orthodox Reformed Churches and Presbyteriall-Government and that which aggravates his sin is he hath done this after sad and serious admonition given him in the fourth Corollarie of the first Part of Gangrâ—na and after a great sicknesse this Book being stiled by himself in his Title page The first fruits of his late recovery from death to life If any man 9 or 10 years ago when M. Burton was upon the Pillory for writing against some great men who favoured Popish and Arminian Tenets should have said to the people this man whom you now see thus suffer and whom you so love and adore the time is coming when he shall plead for a Toleration of all Religions and speak against the Magistrate for defending Religion by Lawes and Edicts this man
whom you thus see shall come to preach againe in this City and have free Liberty of his Ministrie when all damnable Heresies and Errours shall be vented by preaching and writing and yet shall never speake against them this man who hath preached and written with so much earnestnesse against bowing at the Name of Jesus against people coming up to the Raile about the Table to receive the Lords Supper against Christs dying for all men sufficiently when the Divinity of Christ shall be denied the Scriptures denied to be the Word of God when all Churches Ministry and Sacraments shall be denied he shall never write nor preach against them yea this man who will not yeeld now to Bishops in a Ceremony or some outward matter of order to keepe his Ministry shall afterwards yeeld to the people and submit to base conditions contrary to his judgement as to forbear baptizing some of his peoples children and to let singing of Psalmes be suspended with other such like and all to enjoy his Ministry and Church Certainly the people would have beene ready to have stoned such a man and said it could not bee or if they had believed it fewer certainly would have pitied him or visited and rewarded him in prison nay when Mr. Burton was in prison if any man had sent to him such a Message that he should do what he does now viz. write against and be a more bitter enemy against the Reformed Churches our Brethren of Scotland yea the godly Ministers Mr. Calamie c. then ever Canterbury was or Dr. Wren certainly the man would have defied such a Message and said as Hazael am I a dog that I should do so and yet now we see what he hath done and doth daily Mr. Burton surely is in a sad condition and I have often thought of him to be in the case of that Idolater the Prophet Esay speaks of 44. Esa 20. hee feedeth of ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soule nor say is there not a lye in my right hand The Lord in mercy open his eyes and give him repentance for this last five years work and particularly for writing his last Book cal'd Conformities Deformity Thrdly I shall propound a few Quaeries to Mr. Burton to show him how he is mistaken all along in his grounds 1. Let me ask you M. Burton why you are so angry with the Magistrate the Assembly Sion Colledge the City for establishing and setling of Church-Government if it bee of God and they are perswaded so why should they not be for it and if Independency Brownisme Anabaptisme c. be not of God as they are well assured they are not why should they not be against them hinder and suppresse them M. Burton you will upon your rash and weake perswasion hinder Presbytery all you can the Administration of the Sacraments in a Presbyteriall way may not then the Magistrate upon strong perswasions after serious debates by a learned Assembly and Scripture-grounds satisfying their consciences enact by a Law Presbytery and forbid Independency c. 2. Mr. Burton whether is this a good Argument because Jeroboam did evill by a Law and commandement to set up the golden Calves at Dan and Bethel therefore Asa Hezekiah Josiah c. might not lawfully command the true worship of God in their Kingdomes and put down the false and whether may not Magistrates lawfully make use of their power from God for good because some Magistrates abuse that power for evill and if it be no good Argument as certainly 't is not then hath M. Burton said little against the Magistrates power in matters of Religion for this is the way of his reasoning in Conformities Deformitie and the strength of the man 3. Pray M. Burton let me ask you this question suppose the Parliament would by a Law or Ordinance set up Independent Government and the Church way would you account this so great a sinne as Hypocrisie Idolatry c. and if not how can you then the setting up of Presbyteriall Government especially seeing the question is not so much about this or that particular but the enacting by a Law that which all should conforme to 4. Mr. Burton I am serious with you pray answer me here are such and such men hold all kind of errours and vent them up and down and they say 't is their conscience would you have them suffered to preach write and infect all that come neare them if there be no such evill and danger in errours but they may be preached printed why were you so fierce and violent against the Bishops and their Chaplaines for preaching writing Arminian Popish points though they vented them in an orderly way in comparison of your Saints who goe from Country to Country venting errors in their own Pulpits and when called to preach by Authority not intruding into other mens Pulpits and printing with license not in contempt of Authority There are divers other Sectaries to be discovered and their waies and preachings laid open as Greene the Felt-maker who was one of the first Mechanicks that presently upon the first sitting of this Parliament preached in our Churches publikely as at Algate and elsewhere and was one of that company that went over with Colonell Homstead about Summer was two yeares to Trinidado but is returned lately and now preaches in an Alley in Coleman-street once on the Lords day and once on the weeke day where there is great resort and flocking to him that yards roomes and house are all full so that he causes his neighbours Conventicles as Cretensis and others to be oft times very thin and Independents to preach to bare walls and empty seats in comparison of this great Rabbi as Spencer sometimes the Lord Brooks Coachman an early Preacher too as Gorton who hath lately set forth a Book cal'd Simplicities Defence against Seven-Headed Policy wherein are many dangerous and erroneous passages but I cannot speake of them now the fourth part of Gangraena will supply what 's now wanting I have lately seen divers Letters and some Petitions that have been written and sent up from godly Ministers and others to Worthy Members of the House of Commons to some Members of the Assembly to other Ministers in the City and Citizens concerning the insolencies tumults and strange carriages of many Sectaries Commanders and Souldiers as also other persons both men and women of their Sect but it would be too long to give a Copy of them as I have done of others in the former part of this Book and therefore I will onely relate the Contents of some of them In one Letter a godly Minister about Bristow writing to a Member of the Assembly tells him he had formerly written to him of a preaching Troope that had infected the Countries with errours but now he wâ—ites to him that many of them breake into houses steale Horses and have been indighted here These are our Saints saith he who need
contention an evill conscience and when some lust though secret hath brought forth an errour this and that false doctrine then those Doctrines fully received daily strengthen and nourish those lusts yea daily increase unto more ungodlinesse as the not being liable to be questioned by superiour Assemblies as Classes Synods emboldens men to broach and spred such errors as holding that God sees no sinne in his Children that all our sinnes cannot hurt us nor all our good workes further our salvation encourages men to sinne more freely as believing that the soules dye with the bodies or else sleep till the resurrection yea that there is no resurrection makes men say let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye that is since the soule dyes with the body and the body shall rise no more therefore let us take what we find here enjoy our pleasures and satisfie our lusts whilest we may 3. Coroll Hence then we may clearly see from many of the principles and practises laid open in this booke that many of the Sectaries of our times Anabaptists Libertines Independents are not onely against Government in the Church all Authoritative power of Classes Synods but against Civill Government too Monarchie and Aristocracie both Kings and Lords have been cryed downe in many Books Speeches yea and in Sermons of the Sectaries and for Democracie though in divers Pamphlets they seem to contend for that as in opposition to all Kingly and Lordly Government yet in pleading for it they have laid downe such positions as are not consistent with any Civill Government at all but what necessarily would bring any Common wealth the most popular into a chaos and confusion and had they any reason or wisdome they could not but see the weaknesse of their owne Principles and the dreadfull consequences that must necessarily follow thereupon but as the Apostles Peter and Jude speake of the Hereticks of their times upon occasion of speaking evill of Dignities and despising Dominion so may we of ours These as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed speake evill of the things they understand not In a word nothing pleases them not the Government nor any part of it not the Lawes their designe is to have all pull'd downe to have a totall change made that being abrasa tabula they might write in it what they pleased and might come to have the new modelling of Church and Common-wealth O how like are our Sectaries to the old Anabaptists of Munster and Germany their very spirit having entred into our men O how like is John Lilburne to John of Leyden as if he had beene spit out of his mouth M. Dell to Thomas Muntzer and so others of them to severall great Sectaries that I could name I dare be bold to say and can prove it that the old Anabaptists never delivered or held principles more destructive to humane society to all kind of Government both Politicall Ecclestasticall and O economicall to all godlinesse and Religion then many of our Sectaries nay I believe no instance can be given of them whilst they were under command and in the hands and power of the civill Magistrate that ever they carried themselves so scornfully and contemptuously to the supremest Courts and Judicatures of Kingdomes and States and committed such outragious actions publikely even in the worship of God against the Religion established the faithfull friends of the States as our have done 4. Corol. Hence then we may plainely see by what 's laid down in this Book our evills are not taken away but onely changed or rather some persons and instruments removed not the evills There are other men now under other habits and names do the same things and farre worse for instance one of the great complaints against some Bishops was the putting men into the Ministry and to preach who had been Serving-men Barbers and such like behold it is now in fashion worse are now suffered and that in such a way as the Bishops Lay-preachers never attempted viz. to put by painfull Orthodox men from their places whilst they with their ignorance and errours starve and poyson the peoples souls Another great evill under the Biships was the corrupting of Religion and destroying it in time by countenancing corrupt men and discountenancing the zealous Orthodox under the name of turbulent violent men who made divisions c. and is noâ— the same in use among us now Is it not more apparent by many Bookes written Speeches and Actions which hundreds and thousands are witnesses of that a Toleration and the ruine of the Protestant Religion is intended and designed now then that the Bishops intended to bring in Popery Another great evill was the speaking against and reproaching the Reformed Churches and speaking evill of some of the great Reformers as Calvin Beza Knox c. which some of the Prelates and their Chaplains in some of their Books Sermons Discourses or Disputations in the Universities as Canterbury Wren Pocklington Martin Cosens Duncombe Mountague had done and O how were these cried out on for so doing but alas now the Reformed Churches particularly Scotland whom we have covenanted to defend and according to the example of the best of them to reforme yet after such a Covenant both Churches and the prime Reformers as Calvin Knox c. have been a thousand times worse reproached And so I could go over all the rest and that not onely in Religion but in the matters of Justice and the Liberty of the Subject but I must take off manum de tabula 5. Coroll Hence we may see by all the Errours Heresies strange Practises discovered in this booke into what a condition we are fallen and from what fallen that we can do and suffer such things as we do I knew the time when it might have been said of us as of the Angell in the 2. Revel 2. we could not have borne them that were evill and this we had when we were at worst we hated the doctrine of the Nicolaitans but now wee have left our first love zeale are become a people that can suffer any thing the twentieth part of what we now make nothing of but have pretences excuses and pleas for seven yeares agoe would have made us cry out bitterly kept daies of fasting and prayer for though with the hazard of our lives and Liberties made complaints and spoken one to another looked for the judgments of God to have come upon us but now we beare all nay what was most evill in the Bishops and their Chaplains for which they wicked men as they were commonly cal'd have been cast out as Popery Arminianisme prophaning the Lords day countenancing Papists Arminians c. is new light and new truth in Sectaries and Independents prophanenesse ahd ungodlinesse in them is now become conscience godlinesse Saintship Now the grossest Arminianisme without making mince meat of it can go down we can swallow without any trouble Popish Arminian
to attend to what he should â—ay and now to know it Now if those times be of all others the most perilous where there are false teachers venting errours and hereâ—ies but in a way of creeping into houses how perillous and dangerous are those times where there are false Teachers and seducers holding all sort of errours armed being Commanders and Officers of Regiments and Companies who creep not into houses but openly command houses and abide in them and by their power can and do drive away the faithfull shepheards that should defend the sheep that so the Wolves and Foxes may the more freely devoute them and that when they have â—avened and made havock in one place can march to another and so go into all places by their power forcing and commandiâ—g what they please All which clearely shewes us we are in a far worse condition then when the enemy was in the height of his successes and victories at the taking of Bristow or ever since the Parliament began God is more dishonoâ—ed pretious soules more destroyed all things tending to Anarchy Confusion and new Broyles worse then before Certainly in God have any delight in this Kingdome or purpose to do it good he will deliver us from this wicked generation of Sectaries one way or other They have these three last yeares been encreasing and growing very bad but this last yeare they have been outragious I am confidently perswaded if a Commission were issued out from both Houses to faithfull godly men and they backed with such power not to fear the Sectarian souldiers to sit in the severall Counties to examine and enquire out the insolencies and enormities of the Sectarian souldiers and Chaplaines that were in the noble Earle of Manchesters Army and now in Sir Thomas Fairfax'es Army with assurance of protection to the complainants and witnesses there would be the dreadfullest and abominablest things found out both in opinions practises that ever were heard of in any Army of Christendom and most of the Cavaliers would be found Saints to them so that t is evident there 's more need of disbanding and cashiâ—ring the Companies and Regiments consisting most of Antinomians Anabaptists Seekers Antiscripturists c. then of Vandâ—â—sks Regiment of which there were so many outcryes and that justly too as I believe 7. Corollar Hence then by what is laid down in this Booke of the. Errours Heresies Practises insolencies of the Sectaries we may see that never in any age or in any Christian State or Kingdom whether Orthodox or Hetrodox Protestant or Popish hath there been such a sufferance and Toleration of those who have been contrary minded to the Religion established by civill Authority as hath been and is in our Kingdome The Sectaries talke much upon all occasions of Toleration and liberty of conscience in Holland Poland Transylvania France Switzerland Turky but let any man look into those Countries and but understand aright what is allowed in those places and then consider what is daily practised in England and suffered without all questioning and he must needs confesse there 's no such liberty nor Toleration in any of those places enquire and aske after Holland France Poland c. where there are Tolerations whether Sectaries or Dissenters from what 's setled by the civill Sanction do come into publike Churches causing tumults and riots and by violence put by the Ministers from preaching pulling them out of their Pulpits abusing them grossely and preach openly with all kind of reproaches against the established Religion whether Books are suffered to be printed with license and sold openly â—enting all kind of errours blasphemies yea branding with most odions names the Religion established and the supreme Authority who settles it yea daring to present into the hands of and at the doores of the houses where the supreme Judicatories sit Bookes and Pamphlets with Protestations against what themselves have enacted whether great numbers of Emissaries Mechanicks of all sorts are suffered to be daily sent forth into all parts of their Countries and Kingdoms to draw away the people from their Religion and if any man in authority dare be so bold to molest them though they abuse Magistrates to their faces yet they are one way or other delivered and presently fall the faster to their work again whether the way to preferment and places of honour profit trust command be in those Countries to oppose and to be most active against the Religion and Government established and the ready way to be kept out of all such places and by one device or other to be turned out yea to be brought in trouble be for a man to be zealous for the Religion and way of worship setled in that Country whether in any of those Countries if those who be Hereticks and Schismaticks or Dissenters only from what the Magistrates of the Countries have established being cal'd in question by those in highest place for writing against and reproaching their Ordinances and Lawes and thereupon affronting them to their faces and writing Bookes publikely against them have they notwithstanding continuing in all contempt escaped without punishment and received those favours and priviledges which none before them though never so conformable to the Lawes and State have received and so I might instance in many other like particulars Now I challenge any man in all his reading or travelling to give me any such instances in Holland France Transylvania Turky c. but I can give many proofes in all these kinds within these three last yeares in England In the Bishops times before this Parliament there was great favour shewed towards Papists and persons Popishly affected but did they come into our Churches established by Law and bringing their Priests put by our Ministers from preaching and celebrating the Lords Supper and set up against the will of the Ministers and Parishioners their owne Priests to preach points of Doctrines and to say Masse or did the Bishops when Popery was most countenanced suffer Popish Books railing against our Ministery Church c. to be licensed by their Chaplains and sold openly In the Kings late Armies where as it hath been reported there have been many Papists and Popish Commanders yea and Priests did they ever where they were quartered drive away by force the Protestant Ministers and in the midst of the publike exercises on Lords dayes come with their souldiers and disturbe them in Prayers preaching and put up their Priests in their rooms I never heard of any one such example in this kind O what outcryes would these things have made if done either by Bishops or Papists but these things are ordinarily and daily practised by the Sectaries Indeed the liberty the Sectaries now have in England is rather a Domination then a Toleration a Raigne rather then a sufferance yea their Raigne and Domination is swel'd so high that the godly Ministers and Christians who are for the Church-Government and way established by Parliament have much a
Anapologesiâ—tâ—s Antapologias came forth I was resolved upon writing this Third Part and had entred upon it and so till I had finished that and another that is to follow upon it viz. A Treatise against Toleration I purposed to let Cretensis alone only I have among other great Sectaries spoken something of him in this Book and that upon occasion of his 38. Queries upon the Ordinance against Heresies and other things that have come to my knowledge concerning him As for his pretended Reply to my Antapologie besides the censure given of it in page 120. of this Book I affirme t is an Answer unworthy a Scholar or an ingenuous man and such a one as I am confident never any man who had the name of a Divine and in Controversies of Divinity ever gave the like instead of answering Arguments Reasons matters of fact to fill up many sheets with finding and making faults in words and phrases playing the part of a Grammaticastor a Paedantical usher and a sub-corrector of the presse rather then of a learned Answerer for suppose all those Grammatical literal exceptions raked together were faults indeed and let passed by me all he saith in that kind true which I deny and shall prove the contrary some of them being the faults of the Printer and by me put in among Errata others of them good Grammar yea Elegancies and Proverbiall sayings yet what 's all that to my Antapologie though there be many Grammatical and litterall faults improper phrases harsh and hard expressions how do these Answer Reasons disprove matters of fact vindicate and set right the Apologetical Narration which must be done to satisfie any judicious and impartiall Reader I appeale to any man who hath common sense or reason whether matters of fact charged be proved false or reasons made weak or they be answered by saying there was a verbe left out the nominative case and verbe were noâ— well put together the antecedent and the relative not rightly placed such a phrase was harsh or improper and whether such a kind of Answer be not ridiculous to Scholars and learned men It hath been the course of many men who have had a bad cause and knew not how to maintain it with Arguments to slight the men who have wounded their cause as no scholarâ— and to brand their books as wanting learning thus some Papists have done in Answer to Protestants Prelates to Non-conformists and Arminians to the Orthodox but Master Goodwin is gone a note beyond all further then ever any Author did to spend his time and abuse the reader with giving him Grammaticall faults what Book is there writ by any man especially one who hath much other work of forty sheets that if a Reader will set himself to find faults and to wyer-draw every word and phrase may not find such faults enough between the Author whose mind is intent upon the matter and scope of his work and the Printer at the presse I could give many instances of greater Errata in this kind in Books of the most learned men then any Cretensis hath observed in mine and that both in Latine and English but I shall instance only in two Voeâ—ius his Book intituled Desperata causa Papatus and Rivets Catholicus Orthodoxus nay I will undertake Master Goodwins Answer to the Antapologie though it consists of fewer sheets hath the largest Errata of any such English book I have seen this last five years the design of the book being also to disparage me by observing false English improper Phrases c. and therefore cannot be but in reason expected he would be more specially carefull and exact in that kind then in other of his Books to find and prove more faults in all those kinds yea grosser then any are in mine and indeed the man trips in all tongues he makes use of in his Book both Greek Latine and English as I shall hereafter show nay the man stumbles in Limine the first word of his Title page and Book being false Greek using a word viz. Anapologesiates there being none such in the Greek tongue and if he say he meant it not one word but two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having relation to Antapologias I Reply t is strange that in the Title page he who is such a severe Critick upon other mens words should have no greater care of his own then to let them so passe as to let two words be put in one but 2ly granting Master Goodwin this Salvo yet t is false Greek for it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Eta not with an Epsilon as he makes it And I suppose were there no other proofs of the strength and weight of my Antapologie Master Goodwins Reply to it would be a sufficient and demonstrative testimony that he after two yeeres and upwards for want of substantiall objections and materiall exceptions against it should fall upon words and phrasâ—s Grammaticall mistakes and not Theologicall show himself such a Tâ—ifler and Scribler as he hath done for which learned work I assure him he will never be reckoned among the Schoolmen however he may and hath been among the Schoolboyes That man who hath a Lordship a Manor propounded to him after a ful view of and enquiry into it can find no fault with the Tenure Title dweling house water wooding situation of it c. but cavils that some strawes are upon the ground some sticks are broken in a hedge a pane or two of glasse is cracked the Evidences for the Land are not so fairly written nor in so good language as they might possibly have bin t is a good sign clear Argument t is an excellent Manor and Lordship that nothing else is objected against it So when a Book hath passed the test and triall of a cruell adversary who dares say any thing so it will serve his turne and yet can find nothing to except against it but what is common to all mens Books some mistakes in words and phrases Errata of the Presse there being no Book without such such a man instead of weakning the Authority of that Book hath among all wise men with a high hand confirmed it and accquitted it from all the aspersions and imputations of weaknesse falsenesse all men concluding had there been any great matters of exceptions they would have been produced and not the time spent in picking of strawes and catching of flyes catching at words and phrases and letting the matter alone And for conclusion of this I would have this Trifler and great Rabbi of the English tongue know that though in his conceit I cannot put the Nominative case and Verbe together c. yet by the help of God I can put such sense and reason together such matters of fact and truth together that in the controversies of the times of the Church Government Toleration mixt Communion Lay-mens preaching c. I can put Cretensis and the Apologists together answer them and offer to deal with
to speak with me but must send others I am easily enough to be spoken with refusing none as all know who come to me besides how did Master Burroughs know any such had been with me to make me such offers and that I refused and what if some reported to him that which was false might not he be easier abused by a report for he speaks not this of his own knowledge he never came to me nor was the man ever desired to confer with me about any of these particulars then I can be mistaken in this businesse to whom these offers of conferences and satisfactions should have been made 3. For that Master Burroughs page 18. taxes me with concerning what I related about his going out of the Kingdom in my Antapologie that had I been willing to have conferred with him about it as he desired before I printed he should have so fully satisfied me that I could never have stumbled at this I Answer I never was unwilling to confer with Mastet Burroughs about this or any other thing that he should have desired and I can say it truely if he had sent the least boy at any time to me to have desired a conference with me and appointed me where to meet him I should have waited on him but for what is here written I neither know nor remember any such thing that Master Burroughs either by writing or word of mouth ever desired to have spoken with me about his going out of the Kingdom and certainly at that time when I was writing my Antapologie there was no such great distance between Master Burroughs and me but that he might either have come to me or spoke to me of it when he met me occasionally or I should have come to him none of which ever were moved to me and I cannot but wonder at Master Burroughs writing of this and divers other passages 2 As for that hee said hee should have satisfied me upon conference that he went out of the Kingdom not upon the ground I alledge but upon another a call from the Church of Roterdam which he relates page 19 20 21 22. I must confesse I am unsatisfied in it now and so I beleive are all rationall men and let the Reader but aske Master Marshall and Master Calamie who knew the businesse well and Master Burroughs at that time whether they do not beleive he went over to Roterdam upon a complaint made of some words spoken about the Scottish Warre and if I should have given the Reader all that I have drawn up by way of Answer to this it would abundantly clear me and lay open Master Burroughs weaknesse very much but I shall only hint this Suppose the King had in this War prevailed over the Parliament and taken the City and just upon that time Master Peters and Master Wels had gotten away in all haste to New England and suppose after this some man writing of Master Wels and Master Peters departure from England should have expressed this as the ground the danger they were in upon the Kings taking London now if Master Peters and Master Wels should by way of Answer have denied this to be any cause and have alledged their solemne call to their Churches in New England being sâ—nt for again and again and their purposes of going expressed yea and that in the Pulpit before ever the King was in a way of taking London would not all men laugh at such an Answer For is not the contrary evident by the experience of their staying in England now they may stay safely notwithstanding all their call and being sent for they stirre not and just so it was with Master Burroughs and I am confident that had it not been for the danger of those words he would no more have gone to Roterdam then Master Peters and Master Wels go to New England and as himselfe tels the story his putting of giving his resolution of going defering from time to time and from place to place to make any conclusion â—ill the businesse of words grew to a height declares plainly as much besides Master Burroughs at that time was not of the Independent judgement as appears by his Book put out in the yeare 38. writing By Jeremiah Burroughs Minister of the Gospel which was not long before his going over whereas all his Books he hath put forth since he went to Roterdam are By Jeremiah Burroughs without Minister of the Gospel which to them who know the Controversie is a clear proofe he was in the yeare 38. no Independent though afterwards in the writing his other Books he was and therefore declined that Title Minister of the Gospel And whereas in the body of this Third Part in two or three severall places I take occasion to relate some things of Master Burroughs which may by some be ill taken because he cannot answer for himselfe and may be interpreted a speaking evill of the dead I desire to let the Reader know they were both written and printed off long before Master Burroughs sicknesse and death and indeed no understanding man will once imagine a Booke of above Forty sheets could be made written out and printed in a month especially by one who Preaches often and hath many irons in the fiâ—e at the same time and to put it out of all question besides my own testimony the Book-seller and Printer can testifie this Third Part hath been above this quarter of a yeare in the Presse a printing Aâ— for that Pamphlet written against my Second Part Entituled Gangraena playes Rex I Answer breifly Gangraena playes the Parliament that is conforms to what the Parliament hath expressed in the foure or five first yeares of their sitting against the Sectaries and I do offer to make good what I have written in Gangraena against the Sects out of the Declarations Remonstrances Ordinances Covenant Messages and Transactions of the Parliament with Scotland and their Instructions to the Assembly upon divers occasions and could make a better Parallel between the passages in Gangraena and the passages in Declarations Remonstances c. against the Sectaries then the Author of that Pamphlet hath done and am likely to do it though a Postscript is not the proper place for it only I say this would to God there had not beene some men among us and that in place too to have so carried things and brought matters to that passe as to give too great occasion unto many to say The King was a true Prophet in what he spoke in his Declarations concerning Anabaptists Brownists and Sectaries As for that Pamphlet cald Lanceters Lance for Edwards Gangraena I have lately received from two godly Ministers in Suffolk a large relation by way of justification and proofe of what in my Second Part of Gangraena was written of Lanceter as also some other passages related in those papers concerning Lanceter one Chidly and Barrowe but they containing a whole sheet of paper are too much to
Ghost hating the light once known blaspheming the work of the Spirit and so I might instance in the rest though I beleeve I could give better grounds why Master Saltmarsh should a great deale more probably bee guilty in that kind then he can upon any pretence of me though I professe I do not charge him with that sinne but the charging godly Presbyterians for writing against Errors and Heresies with committing the sinne against the holy Ghost and despighting the Spirit and sinning wilfully is the great charity and brotherly love of Sectaries divers of them having done thus Master Price charging M. Bâ—ll 〈…〉 ie Master Goodwin Master Brinne and M. Saltmarsh me But I would have Master Saltmarsh know ti 〈…〉 not his bugbar of charging me with the sin against the holy Ghost and threatning me with flashings lightnings and praying against me for contending earnestly for the Faith once delivered unto the Saintâ— against certaine men crept in turning the Grace of God into lasâ—iviousnesse can scare me to make me go out of my way and I find this branding with the sinne against the holy Ghost of Orthodox men by Sectaries to be no new thing but very old used by the Donatists in Saint Austins time who as Augustine showes in his writings accused the Orthodox of being guilty of the sinne against the holy Ghost Fifthly for his two stories he relates of discourse with me upon two severall times speaking together they are deceitfully and falsely related the greatest part concealed and what is related not justly set downe I writ them both downe in my Diary espâ—cially the last immediatly after I left Master Saltmarsh and so can give a just and good account of them but they are too long to be inserted in a Postscript and of the first that being at Master Vicars his house and in his hearing he hath given the Reader already a good part of it in his Schiâ—â—â—atick sifted little I think to M. Saltmarshes credit And now good Reader the next Tractate thou shalt expect from me shall be a Tractate against a Toleration which I hope by the end of the next moneth or the beginning of February may be in thy hands and nothing by Gods help shall divert me or re 〈…〉 d that I am resolved if twenty Pamphlets should be written against this Third Part to let them all lie till I have put forth a Treatise against Toleration and pretended liberty of Conscience And now finally Brethren pray for me that God would be in a speciall manner with me in the setting forth of that Tractate at this time and that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified and â—hat I may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men and that my service which I have for this Kingdome may be accepted of the King Parliament and all that are in authority of the City of London the Ministers of the Kingdome and of all Saints Amen FINIS a Paraeus in 2. Galath v. 9. Hodiâ— quid fit Opinionibus res geritur imo affectibus Nulla Argumenta nullae Apologiae locum inveniunt b Baldwin Cas Consciâ—n lib. 4. cap. 7. pag. 10. 53. 1055. Falsorum dogmatum Propugnatores nominatim perstringendi sunt quomodo enim alias ab auditoribus caveri possunt c Calvin Instructio adversus libertines cap. 4. * The Vision of God by Cardinall cusanus The third part of the Rule of perfection by a Cappuchian Friar Another booke written by a Preist A mesius lib. 5. de Coâ—sc c. 14. ☞ ☜ * Cal. Instr advers libert c. 4 Quod autem Quintinus ejusque socius ex Sartoribus Doctores facti atque ita immutati sunt id in causa â—uit quod delicate molliter vivere vellent nec sibi putarent labores convenire Propterea coÌ„modius omni no existimarunt ut quemadmodum sacerdotes monachi cantillando sic ipsigarriendo vitam quaererent ☞ Erasmus saepe dixit Deus dedit huic postâ—emae aeâ—ati propter morborum magnitudinem acrem medicum Mel. Adam vit luth p. 162. For proofe of this vide Pamphlet entituled Little-Nonsuch printed at London very lately pag. 2. Animadvers Little Nonsuch pag 4. Animadvers * Danaeus in his Tract de Haeresibus cap. 4. 3. Among other Errors of the Origenists shows this to he one that in the interpretation of Scripture they would perpetually Allegorize so that they left nothing certain in the word of God neither that Paradâ—se nor Adam nor Eve nor the waters nor any thing which Moses laies down in the whole Book of Genesis Whereupon Augustine writ 12 Books de Genesi ad literam against such Allegorists and Corrupters of the Scripture Little Nonsuch pag. 5 6 7 8 9 10 c. Animadvers * Vide Ainsworth in Lev. 18. v. 19. ☞ For proof of this see page 25. of this third Part of Gangr This Doctrine was Preached at a Funerall sermon in London brought to comfort men against that trouble of death They shall 〈◊〉 and he removed from their friends and â—e strangers to the affairs bâ—low This point was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bâ— way of Answer i 〈…〉 upon and amplified I and divers other Ministerâ— were â—are witnesses and spake together of the Sermon when it was done I have been told it also from good hands â—hat an Independent Minister of great note when he was dying 〈◊〉 to his wife and friends to have a care how they used his body when it was dead for 〈◊〉 should know what they did to him Animadvers Animadvers Animad vers * This Error the other three last mentioned were preached last Sept. 17 at a Funeral Sermon by an Independent of great note I many other Ministers were â—are witnesses of these doctrines * Proof Webs Pamph. writteÌ„ against my first Part of Gangr page 6. * Respondâ—o Baptismum Johannis discrepasse à Baptismo Christs qua tenus Christus Baptizat interius baptismâ— spiritus Et hac in parte diffâ—rt Baptismus Christi ab omnibus Ministâ—orum Sacrorum baptismis nihil autem discrepasse à baptisme ceremoniali à Christo instituto nisirationâ— temâ—oris significationis clâ—ritate quâ— ante Chriti manifestationem taâ—ta non suit quanta post cam Non sâ—â—us ac Apostolorum baptismus ante mortem Christi diversâ—â— suit à baptismo ab ipsis post mortem ejus administrato pag. 25. 26 27. * Proof of the 10. and 11. Errors pag. 36 37. of this Third Part. * Proof p. 80. of this Third part Proof of the 13 14 pag. 80. of this Third part Proof of the 15. pag. 21. Proof of 16. pag. 80. 45. Vide Proofe of these pag. 20. of this Third part * Vid. Proof of this pag. 107. * For proof see a Book entituled Divine Light manifesting the love of God unto the whole world with the true Church printed in the year 1646. * Divine Light maniâ—esting the love of God pag. 25. The maine scope of that Pamphlet