very Life and Spirit of it and thinks they are very Religious when they handle the matter so as to neglect greater Duties to perform these This is to be imputed I verily believe partly to his fiery Nature partly to his Ignorance and want of Judgment partly to a rash and precipitate Forwardness and very much to his Self-Admiration m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â— p. 444. a vain Conceit of his own Abilities and a Desire to be the Author of some great Discovery that should make him considerable among his Party Hot and fiery Dispositions were antiently noted to be the Movers of Troubles though not simply such as had a great Fervour in them but when it was without Reason and Learning which begets an audacious Rashness in their Spirits Ignorance you know can never be just in its Judgment no more than a man can go right in the dark False Alarms are wont to be given in the Night which is the time of Robberies and Murthers as well as of Dreams and Phantasms Rashness and Inconsiderateness is little better it being much what the same to have no eyes and not to use them Where this Answerers eyes were when he read my Book its hard to say not in his Head sure in Solomon's sense for he never hits the Meaning when he opposes and still misses his way in that which he confidently affirms His whole Discourse if it may be called by that name is beside the Book and managed in such a manner as if his Reason served him but like an half Moon in a Coat of Arms n As Sir Hen. Wotton somewhere speaks to make only a notional Difference between him and other Creatures not for any Vse or Active Power in it self This together with his Prejudice and Passion his vain Confidence and Presumption of his Skill made him so regardless of what he said that as sometimes he cites such Words out of my Books as are to be found in neither of them o P. 44. This should cause you to reflect on your self as somewhere you have dâ—â—â— upon Deâ—lâ—rm This it is to be a great Divine and unâ—equ inâ—â—d with the Scriptures so he hath stuft his own with Slanders and Lies Detractions and Calumnies and notoriously defamed not only my Design but also my Self and every where perverted the Sense of such Plain Words as an innocent Child may easily understand These things he would have had a greater Care to avoid did he either know wherein the Life and Power of Religion consists or used the Means he contends about as much for the purposes of Holiness as for the Marks and Characters of a Party You must not expect that I should enumerate them here You will find as many of them as the brevity I designed would permit in the Body of the following Book which I have writ partly to vindicate my Self but most of all to vindicate and further declare the Truth The Power and Authority of which is such as Polybius an excellent Historian and of great Fidelity p L. 13. excerpt Who yet could not escape Calumnies for one Scylax wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an History opposite to his as Suidas tells us speaks that it hath a kind of Divinity in it So that when all contend against it and there are great numbers of fair and probable Tales ranged with great care on the side of Lies and Falshood she insinuates her self I know not how by her own force into the Souls of men And sometimes she shews her power on a sudden sometimes being darkned and obscured a long time in the end so baffles those Lies by the Strength which resides in her self that she triumphs over them all q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not so little knowledg of Humane Nature nor so little Experience in what is past as to think that Truth will conquer all no not though we take her part and lend her our Assistance in the best manner we are able Prophets I know have been slighted when Juglers and Enchanters have been admired sober Reason rejected when idle Fancies have been greedily swallowed But yet we must not despair of all because of the perverse Obstinacy and heady Opposition of some Nay the most fierce and violent Enemies of Truth if we chance to meet with them in a calm Season and when they are disposed by the Grace or Providence of God to be humble and meek wâ— may have some hopes to prevail withalâ— The Confidence of this very man is noâ— so high but it may be taken down 〈◊〉 he will read with the same mind thaâ— I wrote voâ—d I protest of all angenâ— and resolved to â—â—â—mit to the Evident of Truth whensoever it should presenâ— it self He will complain perhaps of the Sharpness of my Stile in some places but he may believe me it was not my Passion but my Judgment which dictated those Words to me It was necessary I thought to disabuse Him and his Followers too who otherwise would not have been awakened to see his Folly If I am mistaken in the Fitness of this Proceeding it is but a pure Error of my Mind not any Vice in my Will as far as I can find I was not hurried but went deliberately into it by the Guidance of the best Reason I had This tells me also that I have not done ill in undervaluing his Answer and consequently himself as not worthy the name of a Book but rather of so much blotted Paper It is not the Work of one whose Heart studies to answer as Solomon's words are or that uses Knowledg aright but whose Mouth poureth or belcheth r So it is in the Margin Pâ—o 15 4. and v. 28. out Foolishness And St. John himself as Mr. Burroughs observes s Vindiâ— against Mr. Eâ—w p. 2. that Disciple so full of Charity speaks contemptuously of such and tells the Church he would reckon with Diotrephes for his Malicious-Prating They do not err alone but draw Company into their Follies The Violent or Injurious Man intices his Neighbour and leads him into a way that is not good He shutteth his Eyes to devise froward things moving his Lips he brings evil to pass Prov. 16.29 30. And therefore such Persons must be rebuked with some Sharpness because as they are not insolent merely for themselves so when one of them is lashed many more may learn their Duty at his Cost There are some I know who think he needed not have been replied unto at all and I my self for a good while was one of those For either the People will read my Book or they will not If they will not to what purpose should I write If they will they need but read what is writ already and there they will find an Answer themselves without any more ado But further Thoughts perswaded me to resolve otherwise because there are many men who know well enough he hath missed the Mark
call Praying and Discoursing about good things and such like matters He whose Religion only alters the Countenance and busies himself in composing the Face and ordering the Postures of the Head shall sooner be believed though he pour out an hundred Lies than that well-designing Person who studies to bridle his tongue to speak nothing but the Truth and to order his Life according to the Will of God These shall all be disparaged and vilified by an empty and talkative Devotion which shall be preferred much before them You may think this to be scarce credible but when you consider the Ignorance of some the Weakness of other mens Natural Parts the naughty Affections that most are possessed withal and bring along with them to the reading of Books even of the Holy Scriptures and how Truth it self was rejected when it came in Person into the World and the sacred Volumns have been so wrested that the absurdest Fictions have been made out of them you will not wonder that a Pious Discourse meets with this Bad Entertainment Either men consider not that some Truths lie deep and must be drawn up with a great deal of labour or they have not indifferent Minds but suffer their Desires and Wishes to form their Opinions for them They run over a Book in post-hast and only spend a few slight thoughts upon it or they want that Honesty and Integrity of heart which is necessary to a right Vnderstanding They are fiercely bent to maintain their own conceits they are blinded by the Love of this World or by Anger and Hatred of others or by a proud and vain Opinion of themselves which rise up to contradict the plainest Truth that strikes at them And of all the rest nothing more indisposes the Soul and prejudices it against the Truth than that laest thing now named a vain Conceit of themselves which makes men bold and confident apt to censure rather than to learn to be angry at all Reproofs and to conclude that is false which they do not instantly understand St. Austin e L. 3. Conf. chap. 5. Turgidus fâ—stu mihi gâ—randis videbar confesses that this would not let him understand the Holy Scriptures which contain things that are of this Property to grow up with a little one but I disdained saith he to be a little one and being swoln with Pride and conceit seemed some great Person in my own eyes To this there often joyns it self an Envious Humour which loves to detract from others that men may seem better themselves than indeed they are Or rather as Dr. Sibs hath observed f Sermons upon 4. 5. and 6. of â— Canticles p. 285. This is a thing which springs from the poisonous Pride of mens Hearts that when they cannot raise themselves by their own worth they will endeavour to do it by the ruin of anothers Credit through Lying and Slanders The Devil was such a Lyar and Slanderer then a Murtherer He cannot Murther without he Slander first This disposes them to believe any thing of others though never so false and then moves them to fling it abroad by Word and Writing thinking it enough to salve their own Credit should they be caught in a Falshood and convicted of notorious Lies to thrust in these old Words they say it is reported g Aiunt feâ—tur and such like wherewith all the Tales and Legends that are have been ushered into the World In this manner Apion calumniated the Jews and thus the Primitive Christians were abominably abused And all this with Security enough the Folly and Ill Nature of the Multitude being so great that they dote upon these Forgeries and Detractions and suffer themselves as Josephus hath observed h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. l. 2 contra Apion sooner to be won by them than by that which is writ with more care and consideration they rejoyce in Reproaches and are ill at ease and vexed when they hear mens just Commendations Some are credulous and others are negligent a Lie steals upon some and it pleases others Those do not avoid it and these have an appetite to it i Sen. l. ult nat Qu. c. 16. But I need not go to those antient times to seek instances of this hard Vsage there being one so fresh and pregnant nearer at hand of all that hath been said There came forth a little Book not long ago whose Design as God knows and all Sober men might easily discern was not to make men less but more Religious not to abate the Force and Power of true Godliness but to direct unto it encourage and advance it that its Name might be venerable among men For which end the Author earnestly desired that men would not deceive themselves and others with mere Words and Phrases that the Scriptures of God might be carefully studied rightly explained and wisely applied that the People might be taught the wholesome Words of the Lord Jesus and not fed with vain and empty Fancies that the Holy Faith of Christ might be made more effectual for its end Goâ— might be worshipt with greater Reverence Charity and Vnity among Brethren preserved and restored all those notorious Sins which stare meâ— in the Face though they wear the Mask of Religion might be repented of and that they might not make those things the mark of Religion which do not distinguish Bad men from Good in short that they might talk less and do more not rest themselves in the Means nor quarrel about them but seriously mind that Religion which is the End of all Sermons Prayers Holy Conference and of Faith it self and may certainly be promoted and attained by such means as the Laws of this Christian Kingdom allows Against this innocent and harmless Book a malecontented Person hath opposed himself with that unbridled and unruly Heat which without Reason and Knowledg was noted of old k Greg. Naz. orat 26. p. 446. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be one great cause of all the Disturbances and Divisions that have been in the Church of Christ Religion he would have you think is not only assaulted in its Out-works but the whole Fabrick of it undermined For which purpose he hath contrived a great many Stratagems and Maximes out of his own Imagination but as he would have it believed out of that Debate wherewith he tells the World he sees me going on destroying and to destroy Piety and introduce Ungodliness and laying an exact Method and Platform to compass and effect the Extirpation of all practical Holiness even from Dan to Beersheba l Pres to the Sober Answer p. 12.15 This is the Sum of his Charge against me and in his own words For which there is no Cause at all but that I set not the same Esteem that he doth upon their keeping of Daies talking about Religion and such like things which are at most but Means of Piety when lawfully used but in which he places it should seem the
Parkhurst at the end of Mr. Sam. Rolls his Book called London's Resurrection But I should write a new Book should I proceed to represent only all the weak and ungrounded Conclusions which this Man makes in that Preface Who he is I have plainly enough signified to those who will be at the pains to read this Dialogue relying chiefly upon his own confession to several persons though it is easie enough other ways to find him out To whom I intended at first another person should have directed a very short Preface I mean that the Epistle of Isidorus Peleusiota to Candidianus d L. 1. Epist 480. should only have been prefixed to this Book and no other And though for good Reasons I have made a longer my self yet I shall commend that also to his Meditations Why dost thou make such hast to injure him whom thou oughtest rather to love for declaring what opinion all have of thee Differences have often corrected and set straight men of ingenuous spirits by making way for a cure of that which they have contumeliously committed If therefore thou thinkest those things reproachful which thou hast heard preserve thy self by well-doing unreproachable For if thou dost amend thy works these disgraces will vanish together therewith That I assure you was my end in Writing again to make him better known to himself and the Truth better known to the People to make him more careful what he writes and them more careful what they believe If any will still surmise that I have other ends than what I have declared in this and former Prefaces I have nothing to say to such now but that which a discreet and grave person e Mr. Francis Merbury mentioned upon a good occasion in the following Book Epistle before his Sermon at the Spittle 1602. whom they dare not discommend said long ago when he was misconstrued The falseness of mans heart if he set himself seriously before God cannot so deceive him but he may discern whether he have a care to avoid evil and to glorifie God In this care I have had my part and if men will report me otherways my Conscience as Job 31.36 shall make her a Garland of their Reports I am not the first whose words have been wrested and design mis-represented and defamed nor shall I be the last as long as any honest man will speak truth and but one of that angry and discontented brood remains which occasioned that apology now mentioned His words are remarkable in the middle of his Sermon concerning those who then desired a change with which I shall conclude There are two Cruel Beasts in the Land with gaunt bellies the wickedly needy and the wickedly moody The wickedly needy are they in all degrees who have consumed their own Estates and now hover over other mens The wickedly moody are they who have treasured up wrath and revenge in their minds against those who have been Gods instruments for their Nurture These disdain that a due defence should be opposed to their undutiful offence and both these and the other as it is said of Lions have for a time crookt in their nails to keep them sharp but they look for a day And God grant a day to as many of them as be impenitent and that the day they shall see may be as Zachary saith 14.12 when their eyes shall sink in their holes and their tongues consume away in their mouths Octob. 13. 1669. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS THe Arts and shifts of the N. C. page 1 2 3 c. Some of them noted by my Lord Bacon page 5 6. A cheat cryed up by some of them for a mighty work of God page 7 8 Their ont-cries and clamors page 10 And scornful pity page 11 With denouncing of judgments upon their adversaries page 12 The surious folly of Philagathus page 13 Who resolved not to be convinced page 14 15 And phancies himself another David page 16 But is more like Don Quixote page 17 c. A short account of his misadventures from page 19 to 38 A ready way to compose a great Book c. page 39 40 An answer to his cavil against the Title of my Book page 41 How he misrepresents my words page 43 A wretched Apology for his Friends page 44 45 c. His unjust and undutiful complaints page 46 Makes the people believe they are Martyrs page 47 And in Eyptian bondage page 48 Ingratitude to their Governours c. page 50 51 The bold Ignorance of this man page 52 c. An instance in his Discourse of the Demonstration of of the spirit and of power page 54 62 Origen's interpretation of those words page 57 c. St Chrysostom's page 59 And divers others of the Ancients page 60 And of the Modern Writers page 61 Which clearly shew the impudence of this Writer page 62 63 He abuses Peter Martyr c. page 64 An casie way of writing Books page 66 67 Eâ—asmus put in to make a vain show page lb. page 68 Another instance of his shameless boldness page 70 The true ground of my Interpretation of those words page 71 72 73 c. Mr. Baxter's opinion of Grotius page ib. Philagathus rather to be called Antilegon page 75 An odious discase which some of them are sick of page 76 77 The sum of my charge against this man page 79 Their pride makes them call those proud who oppose them page 80 Of Faith's justifying us page 83 c. Other things about it page 87 c. His idle questions noted page 90 91 His rare qualities page 92 His Ignorant Discourse about the Pomps of the World page 93 What they were which Christians renounced in Baptism page 94 95 c. How inticing they were page 98 99 The Assemblies Definition of Faith page 100 c. 106 107 A new Cheat discovered page 101 102 c. An authentick Explication of the Assemblies meaning page 108 The Act of Indemnity impertinently alledged page 110 111 c. A true report of that Act and of Oblivion page 114 to 130 A fine way to keep posterity in ignorance page 118 Philagathus his false zeal page 119 120 The N. C. crossed the Design of the Act of Oblivion page 125 126 They keep up marks of Distinction page 127 Their old bad Principles ought to be remembered page 129 They make a show with words without sense page 130 Their partiality page 131 How they get credit with the people ib. page 132 133 Who are abused by ignorant but confident talkers page 135 A remarkable instance of it page ib. 136 An account of the Liturgy of Scodand and others page 137 to 145 Mr. Capel's and others opinion of Set Forms page 144 Another proof of Philag bold ignorance page 147 And presumption page 149 c. His lame account of their Opinions about the Covenant page 152 to 157 The great Charity of the N C. page 153 In what danger we are if all be true that Phil. says
he saw a Sampson threatning to pull down the whole Fabrick of Religion as he did the House upon the Philistins n Pag. 22. of the Preface And then it was a Goliah as I told you o Ib. p. 28. and a very few minutes before p Ib. p. 27. it appeared like Geryon a Gyant with three heads nay he did not know but it might be a whole Legion compassing Religion as he elegantly speaks with Rams Horns to make it fall like the walls of Jericho q Ib. p. 25. N. C. I think you are horn madd C. You imitate his puny jests very well And to confess the Truth I am a little out and must correct my Error in not begining in good Order I should have told you as the custom is that of all the days in the year it was April 21. r As he tells in the the begining of his Book in the cool of the Spring Å¿ Which makes the adventure more wonderful Don. Q. fury happeniâ—g in the warmest day of July the Nonconformists being then in the tenth degree of Taurus or to speak in plain terms in the Second of the twelve Signs of the Zodiack of their sufferings N. C. Your wit sure is in the fall of the leaf C. Very well I am glad to see you in so good a humour but you must laugh at him and not at me for they are his words I assure you t P. 246. I had almost said they have run through all twelve of the Signs in that Zodiack of Suffering which I spake of Then I say it was when the good Knight Philagathus or as he is sometimes stiled Philogathus for there is a difference about his Name as there was about Don Quixote's abandoning the slothful plumes and causing certain old rusty Arms to be scoured which had a long time lain neglected and forgotten in the great Magazines of Qui mihi Propria quae Maribus Syntaxis and other such like famous Armories put on his Cap took up his Pen or Lance call it which you please and mounted his Steed marvellous content and jocund to think what a noble enterprise he took in hand of cleaving Giants beheading Serpents killing Monsters finishing Enchantments and in one word righting all the wrongs and redressing all the injuries that had been done to the N. C. He had no sooner sallied forth but a world of windmills whirl'd in his head and at every turn he fancied he saw some huge Giant some impious Goliah defying the Armies of the living God Upon these he sets with a zealous rage and by his own single arm in his conceit vanquishes them all not having so much as a Sancho Pancha to wait upon him A Monster or Prodigy of ill Nature for instance presents it self the greatest one of them that ever he heard of u Pag. 80. At the first sight it seemed to his roving thoughts like Bloody Bonner but a little after like cruel Nero breathing out nothing but death and destruction This put him out of all patience as he tells you so that after a few words he could neither think nor speak any more of it but falls on to thresh it like a Sheaf of Wheat to the very dust for fear it should heat a fiery furnace which now appear'd in his Imagination and which the Monster he thought might bespeak for them Thus it was in danger to become a Nebuchadnezzar and before he had done it appeared in the shape of the Devil himself every one suspecting that if it were in the power of this Fiend he would cast them body and soul into endless torments x They are his words p. 149. And who do you think this Nero-like Monster was you will scarce believe it but if you consult the Book you will find it was no body but St. Paul himself or a poor Conformist explaining and using his Words y Friendly Debate 1. Part. p. 53. to shew his neighbour that according to the Apostles opinion he might as well suffer him only to commend some persons a little as suffer others to do a great deal more than that comes to This made it vehemently suspected that our Don's brains did more than Crow at this bout and that he crasht his teeth and was perfectly madd with rage The first occasion of which was a bodily fear wherewith he was surprised that the Monster had a design to forrage all the Country and leave it so naked of Belly-ware that he and his must starve This kindled his wrath and made his eyes so red that he could see nothing but Blood Death and Hell fire though there was not the least spark I assure you of envy anger or ill-will in him whom he yells against But let us pass by this and next behold a Monster of Pride taller by the head and shoulders than most others which started out of his fancy and set it self before him It was the more frightful because it was thus large and yet but a young Cub not yet grown up unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Pride as he is pleased to describe it z P. 196. He resolved therefore to slice him and make minc'd meat of him before he grew too boisterous and stretcht himself as high as Lucifer or the Morning Star Iâ— which Planet if you will believe an History a Lucian Verae Hist L. 1. as true as his Book there are people by this time so big that from the waste upward they are as tall as the great Colosfus of Rhodes But of all the Apparitions he encountred in this Frenzy there were none put him into so great a Passion as an huge Giant just like that wicked Alifamfaron a furious Pagan mentioned in the famous History of Don Quixote L. 1. Part. 3. c. 4. For he conceived he saw him taking a course that Divinity might be exchanged for Philosophy Christianity for Heathenism our Bibles and the Precepts thereof for Seneca and Epictetus b Preface p. 18. All the Country was in danger to be wasted by him for he threatned as he imagined to pull down the whole Fabrick of Religion c Ib p. 22. and to extirpate praectical Holiness from Dan even to Beersheba from one end of the Land to the other d Ib. p. 12. For the compassing of which behold a great rout with a numerous train of Artillery following him at the heels I know not how many Maximes Stratagems Directions Aphorisms and other clattering words as you may find in his terrible Preface Where he tells you they are very unsound and unsavoury yea prophane and impious yea and bent against Religion e Ib p. 39. Thus he multiplyed Monsters in his wild Imagination which made those things appear prophane and impious yea and bent against Religion for these things are different in his conceit which are as in nocent as that Flock of Sheep which Don Quixotâ— took for so many Giants in Alifamfarons
own accord wave them all and desire them to stand by or go into whose service they please intending to shift as well as I can without them Now what have you to say I am not only a single person as you see but quite naked and disarm'd of all those weapons wherewith he is so well appointed so that you may hope to prevail if Truth cannot defend me And that I protest Is the thing I will contend for not for Victory N. C. Come on then Say well and do well How can you defend so much as the Title of your Book Are you a friend to those whom you cannot endure within five mile of you c Pag. 4 of his Book but urge the Law against them C. You have answered your self and and would have called him carnal I am sure should One of us have askt you such a Question Do you that are so Spiritual understand no other kindness but what is done to your Bellies I love you so well that I would have you Innocent and am such a Friend to you that I desire to see you at the widest distance from any sin N. C. Pray stay Sir your kindness is much suspected If I should propose some such question to you as Christ diâ— to Peter Simon lovest thou me you durâ— not say thou knowest I love thee d Ib. C. No indeed N. C. Did not I tell you so C. I think I may conclude withouâ— any offence that you are not yet sâ—â— knowing as to search the heart Youâ— Philag indeed supposes our very souls liâ— open to you else why doth he endeâ—vour to satisfie me e Preface pag. 1. that he doth nâ—â— know himself to have ever received the least injury from me in deed or word 〈◊〉 thought But you must pardon us if we be of another mind and cannot appeaâ— to you as St. Peter did to Christ If yoâ— will judg of us by our words then 〈◊〉 can more than say I can protest that even those Debates were writ in kindness to you and he ought to have thanked him that told you of your faults had you any mind to amend them I protest also that I had no respect to any particular person in that passage which he thinks so full of deadly poyson f P. 4. of the Book and therefore it was the aking of his own Tooth that made him snap at me But why do I spend the time in such trivial things as these The Prefaces to both my Books might have satisfied any unpassionate Reader what my intention was But he very fairly takes no notice of them least they should have made him throw away a great deal of the civil languge he had to bestow upon me And for as good a reason I make no doubt he over-lookt the Continuance of our Debate because it would have undone a good part of his Book which is there already answered g As about the non-execution of Laws sharpness scandal and many more too long to number N. C. I must not let you pass thus with the Reputation of good Nature It was not kindly done of you to bring in the N. C. uttering such words as make the King to be a Tyrant h P. 8. of his Book C. As imply you should have said But I pray tell me What shall be done to this false tongue'd Philagathus who tells us in another place very boldly that I bring in the N. C. speaking Treason even saying that the King is a Tyrant Will you never leave this Trade of Lying N. C. You must pass by that C. If he had not told the world an hundred Lies more I should not have taken notice of â—t As to the thing he charges me withal I did but set down those words which more besides me have often heard and supposing they were rashly spoken without consideration of what they implyed let them go with that Confession What greater Candor could he desire and what reason was there for his pains to excuse the N. C. from judging the King a Tyrant save only that he was glad to snatch an opportunity to praise as well as be could the mercy and clemency of his Majesty towards them But I believe I shall make him wish he had held his tongue and spared his ill-savour'd and ill-contrived Rhetorick For first 〈◊〉 only tells us that the Sober Non-Confâ—rmists â—refar from thinking the King a Tyrant i Ib. p. 8. It seems there are some so madâ— and desperate as to be of the contrary opinion And how many who can tell or what may be the issue oâ—â—t N. C. For the love of God be not severe against that slip Or let the Sober men make an amends for their defects 〈◊〉 it is possible they love his Majesty more than you C. And it is possible they may not love him at all Was there ever such a wretched Orator to plead any mans cause in so great a matter as this Would any man of wit have apologiz'd for his Friends with his it may be 's it is possible for any thing I can tell and such like words with which his Book abounds N. C. Whatever his words are he doubts not as you may see but that N. C. have a greater Sense of his Majesties mercy than C. C. Why so N. C. Because they have been so great offenders C. Did ever any man hear such Reasons Do we find that they to whom much is forgiven commonly love very much Are there no ungrateful wretches in the world Or Hath it not been the constant complaint that the most are insensible or forgetful of benefits And doth not one refusal of mens deâ—â—â—es often blot out the memory of all former grants of grace and favour N. C. You forget our Saviours words which he quotes C. As he doth a number of other Scriptures nothing to the pâ—â—pose Thâ—y to whom much is forgiven will â—â—â—e much if they be truly penitent as that woman in the Gospel was but Who shall answer for all these mens Repentance and that it is never to be repented of N. C. Come let this alone C. But pray let us see whether this very man do not say those things which plainly strike him out of the number of the Sober N. C. N. C. Will you make him say or imply the King is a Tyrant C. You shall hear How can they be Martyrs and killed all the day long and the King be free from that imputationâ— Do they suffer any thing but according to the Laws And whose are the Lawâ— I beseech you but the Kings Can the Parliament make Laws or any body else but only the Sovereign See noâ—â— how this rash and desperate man hath intangled himself To say the Laws are tyrannical he confesses is Treason or next to it because it implies the King to be 〈◊〉 Tyrant page 8. And yet before he hath done he says in effect they are tyraâ—nical When he tells us the N. C. dâ— think that
of it N. C. I know not what it means Lucian in â—u Sale of Philos C. I 'le tell you then if you will Answer me Do you know your own Father or Mother N. C. Yes sure C. Suppose then I should bring one veil'd into your company and should ask you whether you know him what would you say N. C. That I know him not C. But it is your Father and therefore if you know not who it is you know not your own Father N. C. It is a notable fetch C. Just thus your Champion assaults me Do you know Sir What Faith is Yes say I He finds the Question answered in my Book But he disguises muffles and puts it into a great many strange shapes as well as his wit will serve him and asks me again Is this it you call Faith To which he answers for me No and then concludes most smartly thus you see you know not what Faith is For this is it you called Faith A most profound Disputer I protest At the next Sale of Philosophers b He pretends to be one p. 246. when you hear them cryed about the Street I pray enquire after the price of him It is possible some may venture to give three farthings for him especially when they hear with what excellent qualities he is endued For be it known to all he hath the best skill of any man I know in 〈◊〉 king Galamaufry's and Hotchpotches 〈◊〉 larding of English with bits of Latiâ—â— and in making of slaps and sauces 〈◊〉 discourses He is furnisht with a whâ—â—â— shopful of shreds a Magazine of Taâ—â— and may set up an Office for Apologieâ— which he hath at his fingers end 〈◊〉 your fault what it will He can shuffle 〈◊〉 wrangle and scold all these in persection And besides he hath a boâ—â— face and can lye at no aim and 〈◊〉 you should chance to loose him yoâ— may know him from all the men in thâ— world by certain Marks he hath aboâ—â— him For where you find a man at aâ—â— turns putting you off with it may beâ—â— it is said for any thing I know all 〈◊〉 some and such like words which I before noted lay hold of him that 's the man Besides he hath either robbeâ— another or else you may know him by the Ordeal and Plowshares Pelion and Ossa the Pomps and the indelible Châ—â—racter N C. I cannot imagine what you mean C. They that have read a Book about the Rebuilding of London know well enough For there c P. 178. 217 332 335. they meet with all these just as we do here in this by which you may know that he hath such a set of words and phrases as will be sure to discover him And now I speak of Pomps you shall give me leave to shew you what a vain pretense this Ignorant man mâ—kes to Learning The ancient Christians he tells you d P. 179. of Sober Answer having found the great inconvenience of Stage Plays and increase of wickedness by them pâ—r a word on purpose into the Baptismal vow to deter people from going to them and that is the Pomps of this World For some Glossaries say that Stage-plays were formerly called Pomps if you will believe Bishop Usher whom saith he I have some where found quoted for this And so have I in the Book about the Rebuilding of London e P. 217. where the Author saith Positively Bishop Vsher hath observed that the Ancients inserted a passage against Ssage-plays in the Baptismal vow viz. That we should renounce the Pomps of the world now Pomps said he did of old signifie Stage-plays But where the Bishop hath observed it or said it he tells us not so that in effect he quotes his own Authority when he tells us here I have found him somewhere quoted and draws this conclusion out of his own imagination that though we allow Playâ— in a due measure yet the old Christrâ—ans did not but obliged those that were baptized to renounce them N. C. And what say you to it C. I have told you he speaks out a of his own idle head and there is not a word of Truth in what he says For Pomps never signified any such Plays as ours N. C. Will you not take Bishop Usker's word C. I will see it first and have it under his hand for I cannot trust this vain talker who doth not understand I plainly see what he reads To pretend to know all that Bishop Usher ever writ or said would be vanity in me but I will not believe it till I have better authority than his that he ever gave this sense of the word Pomp. Some Plays or rather Games and Publick Sights f We render Ludi by the word Plays but we should rather say Shows or Common Sights made for the peoples entertainment and consecrated to some Deity called Spectacula he or any body else might say were by a figure called Pomps but the Ancients distinguished them and to speak exactly we must say that the Pomps of the World were not those things which the Romans called Ludi and Spectacula which we should render Sports Sights or Games but that stately Procession which was made before one of them For Pomp you mustknow is in its first signification nothing else but the sending of something and the carrying it also from one place to another g Thence Mercury was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he carried down and transmitted souls to Hades more particularly the carrying something to be shown and exposed to publick view through the Streets But the word most properly belonged to that splendid and magnificent Procession as I may call it which went before the Races and Combates in the Roman Circus which were the most famous sports among them So Tertullian assures us h Circensium paulo pompatior suggestus quibus peopriè hoc nomen pompa praecedit c. who likewise informs us more particularly of what that Pomp consisted In the first place there was a long row of the Images of their Gods publikely exposed and carried in the Sâ—reet then of the Images of men of Noble Families at whose charges those Sports were made then followed a great number of Chariots and Waggons of divers sorts which have much troubled the brains of Criticks then the Seats or Thrones of their Gods then their Crowns and their Robes and Ornaments together with all the Sacrifices which were to be offered and all the Sacred implements belonging to them After which came their Colledges of Augurs their Priests and their Civil Officers This in short was the Pomp as every body knows who hath read his Book De Spectaculis chap. 7. Where he tells us that this was the principal part of the old Idolatry there being such a great number of their Gods too many for me now to mention carried in this great and solemn Procession at Rome Which was the reason I conceive that it was imitated in
into mere fools by dispossessing â—s of our Reason together with our Passions Then you may do what you will with us and the Nation shall deserve to be your slaves if after they have been robbed of so many pretious things they suffer you to despoil them of their Memories and deprive them of the benefit of their dear bought experience But be serious I beseech you if all that hath been done writ or spoken must be buried in perpetual Oblivion How durst the Kings Prime Physician s Dr Bates his Elench Motuum nuperorum in Anglia Dedicate and present to his Majesty himself and that not long after this Act was past and yet fresh in memory an Account and smart Reproof of the late Commotions in England In which he lays open the base Arts the Fraud Cruelty Hypocrisie breach of Faith Ambition Covetousuess and Pride which were then so rife among you Why was this Book licensed by one of the Secretaries of State t Sir Will. Morice April 6. 1663. And why did not this busie Philagathus who dedicated part of a Book to that Physician with some others u Physical Contempl. on Fire c. 1667. twitch him a little and whisper this in his ear Good Sir Parden me I beseech you you are my great Friend but you have horribly violated the Act of Indemnity Why did he not in his great zeal at least inform him of this that he had wronged that great Saint in the Army whom here he so much commends x P. 152. of Sober Answer but the Doctor saith was a wily man y Elench pars prima p. 76. attent to his own private profit and betraying the Presbyterians to serve himself N. C. Pray let such things pass without further Reflection C. I would not so much as have mention'd this if it had not been to shew either how Ignorant this man is who knows none of these matters and yet will be a Writer of Books or how full of hypocrisie who pretends his Spirit was so moved that he could not but buffet me for the wrongs I have done them and yet can flatter another who hath dealt more severely with them N. C. Shew your self merciful too and say no more of this to him C. The greatest kindness I can do him is to shew him if it be possible that he is not the man he takes himself for If he will not be convinced yet do you blush to think that any one among you should write thus idly while others speak and act such things as will call what is past to our mind unless you knock out our brains whether we will or no. We must think a Spade to be a Spade and if need be call it so The things stand upon record in the Books as yet unburnt which you would have us forget Many of those out of which I quoted some passages are still in your houses Why should we blot the images of things out of our memories which are stampt in Paper not yet blotted nor â—orn in pieces or Why should we sorbear to mention that which you do not forbear to read When Queen Elizabeth put out her Injunction that her Subjects should not call one another Hereticks or Schismaticks it was not sufficient for a guilty man to say to him that convinced him of Schism and called him Schismatick you regard not her Majesties pleasure you make nothing of her commands No when some troublesome persons pleaded this I find the Answer was z Suâ—cliffs Answer to a certain Libel Supplic 1592. p. 131. that the Queens Injunctions did not protect factious Mates but good and quiet Subjects such as you will not shew your selves to be That 's my Answer now keep the Laws and by my consent you shall never hear of your breaking them heretofore Be more humble and modest and we will never remember you of your Pride Do not talk as if you were infallible and knew all Gods Secrets and we will not tell the people how you have abused them N.C. Not talk any more I hope of the Act of Indemnity C. Stay a while I have not said all my lesson but the hardest part is still to come For suppose my good Neighbour that the words of the Act had been as he affirms that we must not mention any crime or any thing that was ever done which you see is not true To what purpose doth he tell me of it unless he first prove that it is but three years since June 24. 1660 If he can do this he will be as great a man as he thinks himself otherwise he is an impudent reviler in proclaiming me so often and so lowdly a most high and grievous offender against a Law which is out of date and which if it were in force I had no way broke And yet now that I bethink my self he must prove that it will never be more than three years since 1660. otherwise he is a shameless Lyar in saying the Act requires that their crimes should be no more objected and never more rehearsed as you have heard And after he hath overcome this difficulty as he hath a strange faculty in stretching there is another still to conquer and that is to prove that I wrote Maliciously else the former Herculean labour will do him no service For if I wrote not to satisfie any passion much less revenge nor to do any man any mischief as I protest I did not but only to prevent such calamities as we have already suffered to benefit posterity to reform those who are still top full of the old ill humors to humble those that break the Laws and to undeceiue the simple then it was alway lawful even during those three years to remember you of what was past and now it is become necessary To conclude this there is another labour to be undergone after all these though they are enough one would think to make his heart ake and that is to contradict himself who is so far from accusing me of Malice that he is perswaded I was rather carried about by others more cholerick than by my self with so rapid a motion a Preface p. 39. as he thinks I have been And more than that he resolves by the help of God not to judge me at all b P. 276. for which there is very good reason if you mark what follows in these words yea I think I have judged you as little as any man under my Circumstances if at all Since he knows so little of himself yea of his own Book that he cannot tell certainly whether he hath done a thing or no he ought not to think that he knows much or others and to be very careful how he judges And if he will hold that good resolution or stand to what he hath confessed then he hath thrown all his words against me into the wind which come flying back into his own face charging him if not with spight yet with
herefore it is lawful to go about that â—ork which cannot be done unless we â—â—st discover them and then shew the rottenness of them and let the people see how much they have been cheated by them I could add a great deal more out of other Papers but I think it time to make an end having sufficiently shewn that all that this man and his pertakers talk about these matters is only smoak and vapour which will not abide the touch and that they deal with the Act of Oblivion as they do with the Divine Writings If they get a word by the end they make a great noise and cannot tell when to have done with it never minding the sense At they cry Free grace and the Covenant 〈◊〉 grace the Covenant of Grace so they cry the Act of Oblivion the Act of Oblivion But look into either of them and consider them well and you will find they are no such thing as thâ—â— which they mean by them N. C. Let the world judg between you For I will meddle no further iâ— this matter C. It is the greatest favour I would desire of you all that you would iâ— down calmly and after both sides heard indifferently judg between us You would soon see I make no doubt that his Book and not that which m As he pretends p. 26 of the preface he writes against is a fiery invective But the mischief of it is that many of you will never read what we write You will only hear of one ear and believe what a man of your party saies and then all' your own For which Partiality if you judg not your selves God will Among those also who will read our writings there are so few I doubt that consider or that are able to make a tryal and discern when a cause is well maintain'd and when not as Mr. Baxter n Preface to his Confession of Faith speaks that he who will confidently pour out words how far soever he digress from the Truth or mark is as soon believed as he that gives the soundest reason But then let such a man pretend zeal for Religion which is the cause of all this stir let him bawl and cry aloud and say his Adversary is an enemy to it or hath laid a train to blow it up and that He is come forth with great hazard to himself to prevent that mischief and shall be a Martyr if he dye in the quarrel o As that man tells us p. 26 of the pref He will be sure to be admired and held in great Veneration by the Ignorant people When he hath once fill'd their ears with the sound of these things his work is done to purpose and it will be hard to get a word we have to say to enter into them Especially if the man who hath ingaged the affections of unwary Souls in this manner joyn a shew of Mortification contempt of the World dislike and hatred of all sin together with his zeal for the cause of God and Godliness When they see men go simply in the Streets saith the Bishop p Speech at Lisnegarvy I named the last time and bow down their heads like a Bulrush wringing their necks awry shaking their heads as though they were in some present grief c. when they hear them give great groans and cry out against this and that sin not in their own hearers but in others especially their Superiours and finally make long Prayers when I say the multitude hear and see such kind of men they are by and by carried away with a marvellous great conceit and opinion of them And with such shews have many Pharasaical Teachers drawn the multitude after them who have not their senses exercised to discern between good and evil but judg only by the outward appearance N. C. God send you and me a right judgment in all things C. We must not only pray but labour for it by subduing our Passions and laying aside all Prejudices so that we may with indifferent and equal minds consider and try all things and be inclined by nothing but truth N. C. It is a hard matter to keep our selves from being byassed by something or other And the goodness of any man is apt I confess not only to draw and incline my affections to him but to make me of his belief C. Are there no good men think you who want judgment and are of a weak understanding Must you believe all they say because you know they will not deceive you They may be deceived themselves They may be ignorant and then be transported by their zeal as this man is to talk of things they understand not N. C. I will not easily believe him without strict examination whatsoever credit I give to others C. You had need be the more careful because the confidence which some men use may make you too much presume of their knowledg As I doubt this mans boldness in his Assertions and in his Rebukes will deceive many He beseeches me for instance with no small scorn to reconcile two passages in my first Book which he saith are as opposite one to the other as the East and West or to make a greater sound the Artick and Antartick Poles q P. 274. both which you must think he hath seen as he past through all the Signs of the Zodiack of their Sufferings One is in p. 95. where I say that according to the Covenant you ought to have some Form of Divine Service because you bound your selves to reform according to the best reformed Churches The other is pag. 223. where it is affirm'd that you took Scotland for the best reformed Church and therefore they must be the pattern Now I pray Sir saith Philag What Liturgy had they wont to use in Scotland or When was the Church of Scotland for the use of a Liturgy If they were always against and without a Form of Divine Service by their good will how are men bound by the Covenant to use a form of Divine Service every time they meet by being bound to reform according to their pattern And he concludes with a piece of Latine imprting that a Lyar ought to have a good memory N. C. That might have been spared But I think he hath charged you shrewdly C. I think the stroke will return with a vengeance upon himself and he will find he hath wounded his own credit and not mine But I confess the reading of this made me sigh to think that the Nation should be thus abused by every forward and daring man who hath so good an opinion of himself as to write Books and become a publick Instructer of others If wise men will not take care to remedy it they must be content to see themselves as well as us over-run with folly And what remedy is there but that no man be the judg of his own Abilities but every work pass the approbation of discreet and judicious persons This was never
more necessary than now when those undertake to inform and teach the Nation who have not so much knowledg as the Prophesying Ape with which Giles of Passamonte went about to cosen the Country N. C. What was that C. It had this notable faculty that it could tell nothing at all of what was to come but knew something of what was past and a little of things present otherwise it would never mount up to Giles his shoulder and chatterin his ear But this Phil. of yours frisks and grins in my face and grates his teeth apace and looks upon me as a scurvy lyar and yet confesses himself Ignorant of what is past and that when he mounts up himself without any bidding to talk of it Thus the poor people are cosened and this man cosens their Conscience while such as the other only pick their pockets of twelve pence a piece N. C. Why What Liturgy were they wont to use in Scotland or when was the Church of Scotland for the use of a Liturgy Were they not alway without and against a Form of Divine Service C. You need not repeat his words I was going to tell you that it is endless to write to such a Scribler who will ask that Question again which hath been already Answered Did I not tell you in our last Dehate r Continuation of the Friendly Debate p. 409. that the Scottish Form of Prayer was printed here in England in the beginning of the late Wars But he is not at leisure to read Books He is a writer forsooth and cannot spare so much time from this great imployment as to read the Book he writes against For had it pleased him to be at this pains there he might have heard of the strange thing which he imagines no body ever saw the Scots Form of Divine Service But he will think perhaps that I wrote like himself without any care at all and transcribed that passage out of my own imagination and not from the sight of my eyes For your better information therefore you may know that there being some persons at Frankfort in Queen Maries time who would admit no other Form of Prayers but that in the English Book Mr. John Knox a principal Reformer in Scotland afterward joyned with those who quarrell'd at it But it appears by the story that he was not against a Form of Divine Service no nor against all things in the English Book But as he had an high esteem of the Composers of it s Witness the Commendation he gives Cranmer whom he called that Reverend Father in God Admonition to the Professors of the Truth in England An. 1554. p. 51. so he approved in great part of the work it self A brief description indeed of it being sent by him and Whittingham to Mr. Calvin and his opinion of it return'd Jan. 22. 1555. Mr. Knox and four more were ordered to draw forth another order of Divine Service which was the very same with that of Geneva But part of the Congregation still adhering to the Book of England after some Conference they composed a new Order by the advice of Mr. Knox some of it taken out of the English Book and other things added as the State of the Church required and to this all consented as we are told in the Discourse of the Troubles of Frankfort t Repriâ—ed here 1642. P. 30 31. A little after Dr. Cox coming thither answered aloud as the manner is here which bred a new contention And to be short the English Book was again established and continued though afterward they left off the use of the Ceremonies and Mr. Knâ—â— went to Geneva There I find he was when Queen Mary dyed being one of those who subscribed the Letter to the Church at Frankfort u Decemb. 15. 1558. desiring that whatsoever offences had been given or taken might be forgotten and that all might lovingly agree when they met in England Not long after he went into Scotland where some had begun a Reformation More particularly it had been concluded by the Lords and Barons a little after their first Covenant x In which they who forsook Popery ingaged themselves to each other by a Common Bond. Decemb. 3. 1557. that it was thought expedient advised and ordained that in all Parishes of the Realm the Common Prayer should be read weekly on Sundays and other Festivals publickly in the Parish-Church with the Lessons of the Old and New Testament conforming to the ORDER OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER And if the Curates of the Parishes be qualified to cause them to read the same if not or they refuse that the most qualified in the Parish use and read it y History of the Church of Scotl. ascribed to Mr. Knox. Book 1. pag. 110. In this Settlement Mr. Knox found them and though the Queen discharged the Common Prayers and forbad to give any portions to such as were the principal young men who read them yet they continued to be read z Ibid. Book 2. pag. 170. an 1559. And what was thus began by a few persons was afterward compleated by a more Publick Decree For by a General Assembly holden in December 1562. it was ordained that one Vniform Order should be observed in the Administration of the Sacraments according to the Order of Geneva That is as I understand it the very same which Mr. Knox and the rest had used when they were there And two year after Decemb. 1564. It was again ordained that Ministers in the Ministration of the Sâ—craments should use the Order set down in the Psalm Book a Both these I have out of the Disputation against the Assembly at Perth and they are alledged to prove there should be no kneeling at the Sacrament because their Old Order did not prescribe it to which now that Form I suppose was annexed Nor did Mr. Knox think himself above these Forms but made use of them as appears from hence That being desired before the Council to moderate himself in his Form of praying for the Queen he related to them the most vehement and most excessive manner of Prayer that he used in Publick and after he had repeated the words at length concluded thus This is the Form of Common Prayer as you your selves can witness b Ib. Book 4 p. 380. an 1564. The same History also records a Form of Publick Prayer used in the Church of St. Giles in Edenburgh upon the Peace made with France c July 8. 1560. p. 245. and aâ—â— ther Form d P. 287. at the Election of Superintendents He also that wrote the Mederate Reply e An. 1646. to the City Remonstranâ—â— against Toleration presents the Remonstrants in the last leaf of his Book with a Form of Thanksgiving used in the Church of Scotland for their deliverance from the French by the English An. 1575. Bâ—t why do I mention these particular Prayers There was Printed as I said 1641. the Service and
which is a marvel seeing I never read them in all my life N. C. How not read them C. It is as I tell you upon my honest word N. C. And yet he is not content to mention it once but repeats it again k P. 122 195. C. And would put a jealousie into you that I have such a fire kindled in me as makes me burn with desire to ofter Sacrifice to another Idol I am a shamed to set down his words they are so lewd Nor can I imagine what should bring such things to his mind which are so far from my thoughts but his own filthy inclinations or what should make him mention some things l Batchelors prettiaess Wives c. See p. 23 122 153. so often and in such a manner as he doth but his love to smutty Discourse He is not content to make mouths at me of whom he hath so little knowledg but in effect at St. Paul himself who commends those that preserved themselves Holy in a single life m P. 153. As if he placed perfection in wedlock or was of that Gentleman's mind who taught the people this lesson in the late times n Some Flashes of Lightaing c. Sermoâ— upon 1 Cor. 11.10 11 12 1648. P. 172. God needs such a vessel as Christ to put himself in Christ needs such a vessel as you to put himself in God would run every way settle no where be bounded in nothing if he did not settle in his Son The Son would rest no where have no content if it were not in thee Men would run every way rest no where if not bounded by a wife N. C. Why do you not let such abominable stuff lie buried in oblivion C. I had rather have been ignorant of it than put to the trouble to detest it But since it is divulg'd and comes in my way I thought it a piece of very fit dirt to stop such a foul mouth as his withal N. C. I wish he had not open'd it in these matters C. Nor would he if he had been indued with a little of that virtue which St. Bernard so much commends in his last Sermon upon the Canticles Modesty I mean which he calls among other things the Praise of Nature the Sign of all Honesty the First fruits of Virtue the Sister of Continence the Preserver of Purity the Keeper of our Fame the Beauty of Life and the special Glory of the Conscience But his whole Book â—s a stranger to this excellent quality and writ in such a manner that they who can like it are in a worse condition in my judgment than those who love to feed upon coals and ashes He is come to such a pitch of boldness that he will undertake to tell you not only what Authors I read but how much I have read in my Books And that for instance I had no more wherewith to charge T.W. than what I produced o Pag. 51. Which is the greater piece of impudence because I have sufficient reason to conclude that he hath not read his Works himself and so cannot tell what absurdities I have observed Nor hath he read W. B. later Works though he commend them for the good and savoury passages that are in them His former p P. 194. indeed he thinks he hath read I say he thinks for he repeats it that he hath read more in them than I pretend to have done A Huge piece of Learning He might have safely left out his I think and spoken more confidently for if he had read but one line it would have been enough to make good his word Because whatever I have read I have pretended Nothing at all in that matter but spoken only of his new Sermons But he will make you an amends for this diffidence for he hath a great secret to tell you with open mouth concerning the Conforming Ministers some of which he saith are known or judged to be arrant Socinians q Pag. 70. And how doth he know it think you Is it by Revelation Verily to use one of his own words for any thing that I can perceive he doth not know it but only suspect it And then how dare he or others judg them to be Socinians Mark I pray his partition They are either known or judged to be such that is they are judged to be so sometimes though they are not known to be so These are men of a very nice and tender Conscience who take upon them to sit in the Judgment Seat and pronounce sentence of Condemnation upon their Neighbours before they understand their Cause or have any assurance that they are guilty of the Crime When such men have Power proportionable to their Malice Lord have mercy upon us If judgment and knowledg be divided in this manner who is there that may not be voted to destruction They will clap their hands and cry as a man goes along thinking no harm A Socinian a Socinian and straightway the Hounds are let loose N. C. Use I beseech you more civil terms C. You have forgot I perceive your own phrase so common in the late times when you incouraged one another to go a Parson hunting But you will remember it when you have power and the people as I was saying will run like so many Dogs to tear the Innocent in pieces For my part I wish he may be questioned by those who have Authority about this matter that he may either make good his suggestion or else be branded for a malicious Scribler N. C. There is nothing of malice I am confident in his words C I crave your pardon if I do not believe you I have cause to think he knows not One. For among all my acquaintance I could never meet with a man that knows or suspects so much as one single Minister to be of that perswasion And one would think that Conformists should be known to one another better than to such triflers as he Therefore I cannot but look on this as a piece of his disingenuity and spight of which I told you I would give an instance Socinian he knows is an odious name and so he would willingly fasten it on some of us if he could the better to stir up the Peoples hatred against all those whom they please to imagine men of that strain And for the very same cause I doubt not he talks of our Idolizing Grotius It is a popular word as was said the last time we met together which he hath not yet forgot Whensoever they would have any thing hated it is but saying that such and such make an Idol of it and immediately the People will abhor both it and them Thus they said we made an Idol of the late King And you may easily know with a little recollection who it was that told a Gentleman when he said Grace and pray'd God would bless the King a little before his Death Your Idol shall not stand long But they dare
He cannot be so base C. It is as I tell you Witness what he writes p. 121. It hath been said you have been teaching two year the reason why we are Christians as if all the Congregation had been Infidels This was said the truth is of a Minister in the Town whom he good man all along takes for me in a Liâ—el lately laid under the Church Bible as I have heard from those to whom this very Gentleman hath reported it And if you saw it all it would be singular testimony how much some at least of your people improve in those great Virtues of arrogance self-conceit wrath bitterness and reviling And how welcome such a Reprover as this will be to them who shall only whine and say Verily It is very uncomely you may easily imagine For I am inform'd withal that there are other lyes there and several expressions as modest and humble as those and of the same nature which one used in his Prayer in the beginning of the late Wars before the Minister of the Parish Good Lord Good Lord deliver this Congregation from this man who is unlearned unpowerful unprofitable or as these O Lord thou knowest good Lord that we never had the truth preached among us until now N. C. Now you are going to tell us the faults of our Prayers But Sir if you would not be thought to be a perfect Atheist If you would not contract a hundred fold so much odium as did he that wrote the Gangrene If you would not have your name rot and stink among all good men throughout all generations if you would not C. Pray spare your Conjurations a lurry of which I remember in his Book t Pag. 100 101. for they are of no efficacy at all I am far from thinking you the only good men that must embalm our names or else they rot and stink That 's a proud imagination of your own which will never enter in my thoughts Are you the great Chamberlains of the House of God as the Bishop of Galloway u Defence of his Apology p. 44. speaks Are all the vessels of Honour in it committed to your custody Are you Keepers of the Book of Life wherein the names of the Heirs of Grace are all registred Have you the Balance of the Sanctuary or is the Fan put into your hands to separate chaff and corn speak no more so presumptuously and let not such arrogance come out of your mouth lest it prove true upon you which St. Austin hath to Parmenian Because you have lost patience and make hast before the time to separate Chaff and Corn accounting at your pleasure some men abominable and some approved you have declared your selves to be but chaff and most light chaff carried out of the compass of Charity by the wind of your own Pride But be what you please know that I despise your proud vaunts and am not afraid of your big and scornful looks I matter not your hatred nor regard your rash and supercilious censures As for the odious names wherewith you brand us they are but a trifle in my account I have other reasons to keep me from such imployment about which I never had so much as one thought N. C. Not a thought He saith there is Book coming out supposed to be yours consisting of a Collection of Non-sense and Blasphemy said to have faln from some mens Prayers C. I know nothing of it no more than himself But whatsoever he hears supposes or imagines must down presenâ—â—y in Print And that 's the way to mâ—ke great Books in an instant and likewâ—se to raise great wrath in the peoples hearts against me out of mere surmises N. C. You have shewn your inclination this way by what you have told me just now C. You shew your ignorance Those are passages in Print already which you may find in a Book x Haeresiogrâ—pâ—y p. 66. of Mr. Ephraius Paget's who tells you the first of them was uttered in his own Pulpit and in his presence concerning himself And I could send you to other Books where from gooâ— Authority you may find many more But I hate the way of this Scribler who relates stories that have no body to be their vouchers for it is a course neither Wise nor Honest Who is there that cannot invent a thousand out of his own head if he be so minded And how shall the people know that the truest are not mere devices when they know not so much as the person who reports them If I had been guilty of such a fault who have referr'd you to Authors in Print for all the matters of fact that I have related he would have told me of it on both ears and cryed out as he doth upon the occasion of something which he saith I did but insinuate Shew me such a thing in Print or quote me such a passage out of their Sermons y Pag. 81. But he hath one rule for himself and another for other folk We must write out of Books in Print but he from News Merchants or his own Imagination never considering that we are not so dull or unacquainted with the world but if we list we can give him as they say a Rowland for his Oliver Nay repay him with such stories I assure him and those so well attested as shall make every vein in his heart to ake Let him put it to the trial if he please to go on at this rate For the present I 'le let him alone and only follow him to hear what he hath further to say out of his Apocrypha for certain and authorised Histories he hath none It is thought saith he to me z Pag. 82. that you your self in those days for some reason that is suggested had not so great a zeal against all that which some men call Sacriledg as now you pretend to have and were so far from reproving others for it that What 's the matter now that he makes a stop Is he choakt with his tale and doth it give him the lye in his throat Or Is this a wicked Art he hath of telling half a spightful story and reserving the rest that the people may make it up with what they please N. C. He speaks not confidently but only tells you it is thought from something that is suggested c. C. So it was thought and more than suggested that a right Reverend Person kept a great deal of the Poors mony in his hand when he never so much as finger'd it If the Father of Lyes suggest things will you presently divulg them and send them abroad Nay must your evil surmisings be made so publick as to be put in Print N. C. That I confess was ill done C. It had not been so bad if he had told you all that was thought and the reasons upon which it was suggested but now he leaves every body to think all the evil of me that their ill nature can invent As they
bad as their complaints represent it For those nine would not have been undone if they had lost the places they then held And I must tell you it hath been an old trick as to multiply the numbers of those who are disaffected to the Religion and Government established so to magnifie their sufferings They have always made a grievous moan and cryed out of hard and cruel dealing if but a little punished that might move the pity of the people towards themselves and their hatred towards their Governours Thus Campian I remember exclaimed and complained of the Queens rigor in putting him twice upon the rack which he said was worse thaâ— hanging just as Philag saith burning of them is a shorter suffering than starving p. 80. when as he had rather seen than felt that punishment as the Lieftenant of the Tower told him Being able after he came from it to go to his lodging without help and use his hand in writing and all other parts of his body which he could not have done had he been put to that punishment with any such extremity as he spoke of But what will not bold men say especially such men as he whose inpudence as Mr. Alex. Nowel and others told him was very great in charging her Majesties Government with cruelty when the Authors and Professors of his Religion had so horribly tormented many for the maintenance of ours f True Report of the Disput had in the Tower with Edm. Campian Ang. the last 1581. Printed 1583. The very same you cannot but see may be said to your Complainer who treads in the same steps and magnifies as the worth so the sufferings of some men as if the like was never heard of Burning is as merciful or rather more than that condition of which they are in danger N. C. Come do not repeat his words but confute them if you can C. First then let us note where your Philag makes your Ministers sufferings and hard usage to begin and that is at the Kings Restauration N. C. No sure C. It is clear from the place where he computes the number of Sufferers after his fashion g P. 233. and supposes that the cold dew of an Ejection fell upon two thousand N. C. Ministers at and before Bartholomew-tide 1662. Which he explainâ— in his Preface though it needed not where he tells us they have been out and so thousands of souls starved for want of the sincere milk of the Word almost ten years h Pag. 25. This is very dutifully done â—o make their Miseries commence with his Majesties Happiness And a marvellous honesty there is in this Doctors Principles who reckons their removel from other mens Free-holds for a part of their hard usage and tells us they were cast out of that which they ought to have freely restored What is this but to justifie all Sequestrations N. C. Not a word of that I beseech you C. He plainly discovers those Principles are in him which his Majesty told us should be rooted up But I am content now to examine the truth of his complaints concerning their great poverty though it will not prove as you shall see that they are hardly used and I would have you desire him to tell you how they agree with the Boasts which one of them makes in a Book called A Plea for Ministers in Sequestrations i An 1660 p 13. where we are told It is well known that 's to be observed many of us that 's to be observed many of us need not nor did need their Estates for a subsistance The greater number of us mark that * For it auswers his Quest p. 7. where are those rich ejected Ministers to be sound through the mercy of God could boast of as great Birth Estates Friends and offers of Preferment as they We having many of us our selves Livings and Preferments to bestow and some bestowed upon deserving men Of this he was very confident and well assured else he would not have uttered these scornful words I pray God that we may never feel Prelatical câ—mpassion to us and our families N. C. That was not very modestly said C. The rest of his words require Philagathus to shut his mouth a little and not to gape so wide in his complaints for a considerable number of the poor starved families he speaks of are cut off from the List by this Swaggerer As for those that remain I have great cause to believe that he over-lashes very much when he saith there are many hundreds of families that have hardly meas to fill their bellies or clothes to cover their nakedness and in short are in such a condition that it is to be lamented with tears of blood Some I believe there are in a very mean condition and so there are among the Conforming Clergy But that there should be so many and so miserable as he speaks we must have better Authority to make us believe it than his Word Nay it is not easie to believe when we consider what he says elsewhere that there are any at all I rather look upon these grievous and doleful complaints as an easie Art to draw the peoples compassion to them as was said before and to raise their displeasure against their Rulers who have reduced them to these straits And that you may not think this is a new thing I pray call to mind the clamours of some in the late Times when they could not have their will and how disproportionable the Cause was to the Cry Hear how the followers of John Lilburn mouth'd it In the mournful cry as they called it of many thousand poor Tradesmen ready to perish k Or the Warning Tears of the oppressed 1647. O that the crowings of our stomachs could be heard by the Parliament and City O that the tears of our poor famishing babes were botled O that their tender Mothers cries for bread to feed them were engraven in brass O that 〈◊〉 pined carkasses were open to every eye O our hearts faint and we are ready to 〈◊〉 in the top of every street O you Members of Parliament O you rich men in the City O you Souldiers shew bowels of mercy O hear how our Children cry Bread Bread Bread and we now once more with bleeding hearts cry pity pity an oppressed enslaved people c. One would think that these were the last groans of a dying multitude and that in the next Bills of Mortality we should have heard of thousands starved or fain down dead in the Streets since they found no relief But they were alive and alive like They meant not to take their leave of the world yet but stay to bellow on this manner For which there was no cause at all but only this that they could not have such Liberties for the people as they desired This was the ground of their mournful cry which seemed to be written as they were told l Declaration of John Lilb and some of
Primitive Christians have set us an example and it is glorious in it self comfortable to those in whom this virtue is and the best way to thrive and prosper and attain their end The old N. C. being deprived took this course and neither thought it a just cause for a separation from us nor complained after this Scriblers manner but quietly submitted to the sentence Have you not seen the Protestation made by those who were suspended or deprived in the third of King James N. C. No. C. I 'le tell you then two or three Branches of it We hold say they l protestation of the Kings supremacy c. 160â— â—â—anch 8th that Kings by virtue of their Supremacy have power yea also that they stand bound by the Law of God to make Laws Ecclesiastical such as shall tend to the good ordering of the Churches in their Dominions and that the Churches ought not to be disobedient to any of their Laws c. But in case the King should command things contrary to the Word they declare m Branch 9th that they ought not to resist him therein but only peaceably to forbear obedience and sue unto him for grace and mercy and where that cannot be obtained meekly to submit themselves to the punishment And further n Branch 11th that he may by his Authority inflict as great punishments upon them for the neglect of his Ecclesiastical Laws as upon any other subjects c. N. C. I wish however that the punishments had been less C. Or they more patient Christians N. C. For then we should not have had these sad complaints of sufferings hardships and miseries C. And Persecution N. C. No he will not call it so though he confesses the N. C. in Scotland live in a hotter climate than we do here C. We understand his phrase very well They are intolerably persecuted though you be not N. C. He only says such severity being used against them as would make a mans heart to bleed o P. 244. of his Book C. Yes if Fame may be trusted as he adds which we know hath brought many a lye to him and is as little to be trusted as himself For you may be sure of this that they are better used a great deal than they used others heretofore N. C. Whence shall I have that assurance C. From a little Book newly come forth there and said to be published by Order where in answer to these complaints of Severity I find these words p modest and free Conference between a C. and a N. C. â—â—ant the present distemperâ— in Scotland 1669. p. 11. and more you may read p. 60. I must so far justifie the rigour you have met withal as to shew it is far short of yours The people are required to do nothing but live peaceably and joyn in worship whereas you made them swear to you And the Ministers are not made swear to maintain the present establishment mark this and to root out the contrary as you did they are only required to concurr in Discipline and to promise submission to Episcopacy A great peice of business most grievous and severe Impositions What will they conform unto who cannot away with such small things as these Must such reasonable Laws as these be changed only to humour them If they be not then there is no help for it they must be deprived And if they are so far from submitting to Episcopacy that they set themselves against the Government they may with the greater reason be sharply dealt withal who are so fiery as to oppose that which is so innocent But yet I can hear of no such terrible proceedings against them as this man talks of For the fore-named Book tells us q P. 32. whatsoever noise they make about Persecution it is more on the side of the C. than of the Nonconformists For to an ingenuous spirit it is a far greater trial if he be not above such things to be aspersed and railed at every where and made the hatred of the people than to suffer a little in the world Which suffering also I must tell you though it may conduce in the end much to their good yet it puts their Governours to a new trouble to inflict it after they have been long troubled nay persecuted by their perversness and fierce oppositions For tell me I pray you they are the words of St. Austin r Against Cresconius quoted in this case long ago 〈◊〉 plain Declar. 1590. pag. 68. when a man that is in a Phrensie doth vex the Physician and the Physician binds him whether do both persecute each other or no If that be not a Persecution which is done to his disease then certainly the Physician doth not persecute the phrantick or mad-man but he persecutes the Physician His Application is that the Penal Laws of the Princes were as the Bands of the Physician to bind the phrensie and furious out-rage of the Donatists Who made such a clatter there about their Persecution and grievous sufferings as this Philag and others do among us O said they when any Law came forth against them now your Bishops have inflamed the Rulers to persecute us They have made them our Enemies to deprive us of that liberty which Christ hath left us We ought not to be compelled our wills were made free and you may not offer a force to them And so they run on in long Declamations against the Catholick Church for using them so cruelly for all the world like this bawling Writer of yours who I think in my Conscience would have been more modest if he had not been so gently used N. C. Phy for shame C. I know what I say there is always less murmuring and men are more thankful for the liberty which is allowed them when Laws are strictly and constantly executed But now the Nation is filled as he confesses with clamours and noises of their great sufferings and miseries which he repeats in a most doleful manner I cannot tell how often This he begins withal p. 5 6 7. And again we meet with it p. 79 80. And thrice s P. 149 220 229. more before he comes to a tedious set discourse about it p. 231 c. In which he makes their contempt a part of their suffering a thing which they pour on us far more than we on them and Excommunication also which is commonly for their obstinate contempt of the Court nay the want of those degrees in the University which they may have a mind unto and of Dignities and Offices are thrown in to make up the tale though he pretends that he cares not to mention them whereby we may see how sorely they are hurt who have list and leisure to think of such things And yet he hath not done with it neither but we find him bemoaning their condition again t P. 283. as if like the poor Samaritan they were stript of their rayment wounded and half dead
the emptiness of the former without the latter and how much the poor people have been cosened by forms of Religion and canting Phrases which some of your selves have confessed when it would serve their turn N. C. Where did they acknowledg it C. Some Officers of the Army told the rest that setting a part days for seeking of God when the way is not good will not hereafter blind English mens eyes Doing things unwarrantably and then intituling God to them as they will never the more be owned by him so they will be never the more acceptable to discerning men c Humble representation to the Lieft. Gen. Nov. 1. 1659. Thus also the purest of you all thought it no profaness heretofore to unmask the hypocrisie of some great Zealots in Religion as they thought it and expose their canting to scorn To omit Mr. Edward's for brevity sake the Author of the Image of our Reforming Times d Or Jâ—hu in his proper Colours 1654. p. 11 12. set out you know whom under another name in this manner Jehu will have a word for all his Actions and do all according to the mind of the Lord. O Heavenly man whose tongue is tipt with Scripture the Experiences of the Saints and the Revelation of the Prophets But now as I was going to say before you interrupted me we have found a man that would fain blind the eyes of English-men as much as ever and in stead of confessing honestly as others have done that a great many walk in a vain show and image of godliness who deny the true power of it he amuses you with a long discourse of a Design laid to overthrow all Religion root and branch And for that end presents you with a great many Maximes and Aphorisms composed with much art to that wicked purpose Such as these Let there be no Godly Discourse Let keeping of Days of Fasting and Prayer be jured Let mirth and jollity be in incouraged Teach men to distrust their spiritual senses with divers others of the same Nature Which are none of mine as every one may see that can read a Book But he throws in your faces the snivel of his own nose and would make you believe it is not the excrement of his brain but of mine N. C. How came such a word to drop from your mouth C. Are they uncivil N. C. I doubt they will be thought so C. They are the words of Mr. Baxter e Postscript to his Book of the True Catholick Church pag. 283. without any alteration to another man who accused him absurdly and may as well be applied to this Who after he had filled a great part of his Book with such senseless stuff as I now ment oned makes a long snufling Preface to the same effect And some of your people I am told receive it with as much contentment as if he had come out of that Country where if we will believe a story f Lucian Ver. Hist Lib. 1. like his Discourse the dropping of the peoples Noses is sweeter than Honey N. C. You did well to say some for all have no such good opinion of it C. There is no man that being puft up with a good opinion of himself speaks with confidence and zeal but will find some admirers though his Noddle be lighter than an Oak Apple and as void of wit as Cockles are of meat in the wane of the Moon A sad thing indeed it is that the world should be troubled and abused by some men of emptiness and noise but so it always was and we must be contented with it Nay grave and solemn persons are sometimes carried with a furious zeal to accuse their opposites of such impieties as never entred into their thoughts and will make their Books speak what the Authors never so much as dreamt Mr. Calvin and other Reformers it is possible Philagathus may know were charged with depraving and adulterating the sense of the Holy Scriptures which give testimony to the Deity of our Saviour Christ And there is one g Feu-arâ—entius his Notes upon â—he Fragments of â—renaeus â—ag 508. who hath given us a Beadrole of them longer than that of the Aphorisms which this new zealot hath fansied to himself and formed out of my Book In his Comments also upon the Epistle of Sr. Jude writing on those words v. 4. Ungodly Men he tells us among other things that Calvin would have the Holy Trinity neither to be adored nor invocated h Comment in Epist â—udae â—595 â—ag 87. And upon those words denying the Lord Jesus Christ he gives us a Catalogue of the Old and New Hereticks who opposed the Deity and Majesty of our Saviour and after Simon Magus Menander and the rest of that Rabble come Luther Calvin and their followers as men that preached and writ much against the Mystery of the Trinity the Majesty of God the Father and the Deity of Christ and of the Holy Ghost i Ib. â—ag 117. But what need I go so far back for instances of this kind when it is but a few years ago since Mr. Baxter was solemnly accused for a Papist by Mr. Crandon And Mr. Eyre of Salisbury endeavoured to perswade the world that when he wrote against the Antinomians he meant Antipapists k Confess â— Faith â—ag 6. just as this man would perswade you that when I write against N. C. I mean Religious people and such as oppose profaness Nay he made such a Monster of him as if you should conceive the Body of a Horse to be joined to the Head of a Man for he said he was a Socinian Papist and Jesuite And that he was not only a down right Papist but one of the grosser sort and that he subtilly endeavoured the Propagation of Popery and all his pretences to the contrary were but Jesuitical dissembling and lastly that no Papist spoke more of Merit than he did Others undertook to conjure the Devil of Pelagianism out of him as he himself also tells us l Disputations about the right tâ— Sacraments pag. 520. And another m Vindication of â— Sir Hen. Vane 1659. accuses him of calumnies and invectives against the most eminent Protestants reckoning up withal eight godly men whose names he mentions that had writ against him And I find mention in Mr. Baxter of three more whose names are not there beside Mr. Blake which make them up a dossen And that you have 13. to the dossen I may cast in Mr. Will. Lyford who put him into the black bill of those who are guilty of Errors and Heresies because of some opinions of his about the sin against the holy Ghost Nay some boldly published him to be a Subverter of Fundamentals observe it even then when he was constrained to be as confident that he should subvert the foundation it self if he should think otherways n Confess of Faith pag. 111. What need I add more to shew the mad zeal of some
to God of humbling your selves before him of your holiness of life and conversation c. As if they had arrogated to themselves some singularity in using these means when they only said that there were such means which might and ought to be used not that they were eminent above others in the diligent use of them If either they or I had said as this man doth there is one of great moderation but he shall be nameless t P. 225. of his Book c. you might have suspected we meant our selves and wrote our own commendation which is very familiar with him not only in this Book but also in others where he tells you the whole tenor of his conversation and practice hath alway proclaimed him a moderate man of a reconciling spirit and of an healing temper u Preface to London 's Resurrection Without all doubt He hath given us an ample testimony of it in this New Book In which me thinks it looks far more like boasting than any thing I have said to tell us in how short a time he finished this great work having in less than six weeks space x Pag. ult of the Sober Answer demolished a great many Fortresses Bulwarks and Strong holds and carried into captivity every notion that exalted it self against Truth and Godliness defeated and confuted so many Stratagems Maximes and Aphorisms as he hath mustered up in his Preface and yet he hath not mentioned all as he himself assures you y Preface pag. 24. There are many other exploits that he hath performed besides these He hath rectified mistakes given an account of the N. C. opinions of the reasons of their actions of the method of repairing breaches and by the way told us the Hinge of the Controversie the Knot of the Question z Preface pag. 40. with many fine knacks beside all which he hath accomplished sooner by a third part than a Bitch can bring you forth a litter of Puppies Who could have said more of him than he hath said of himself If this be modesty it will be hard to find a man that can compare with him iâ— this great virtue He is the fittest Messenger that could be sent to buffet me for my spiritual pride a disease I perceive so incideâ—â— to men of his Education even when they have very little to be proud of that he imagines we cannot live without it but must rather swell to such a bigness that we are saiâ—â— to ease and vent our selves in boasting But I must take leave to tell you that my breeding hath been otherways having been taught from the beginning to lay the foundation of all true wisdom and goodness iâ— humility of mind and not to think it so great a busines if I understood a little more than the vulgar people And since he constrains me to say a few words of my self I shall without intrenching I hope upon any rule of modesty add thus much that of all other follies I find my self the least inclined to that which he accuses me of being still disposed at this day rather to be a learner than an instructor of others And as I have not one jot the worse opinion of my self for all that he hath blattered against me so I have not one jot the better opinion of my self for all the praise which he saith others bestow upon me I have other and truer measures of my self than he or they can take of me and know very well that I am just the same man I was before I heard either of the one or of the other and that they can neither add unto nor take away from my stature N. C. Did you not think too highly of your abilities when you thought no match fit for you but a whole Assembly of Divines C. Thus Mr. Baxter was told heretofore that his words implied he took himself to be more judicious holy and experienced than the Assembly a Disput of the Sacraments pag. 522. and I know not how many more Which Answer was as good as any to make those who would not be at the trouble to try all things to think him to be both proud and ignorant But I cannot chuse but wonder a little at the impudent folly of this man in repeating this charge so often b Pag. 81 129 195 196. Do not they take the liberty when they list to dispute against whole Councils of greater men Doth not this little Sophister himself take so much upon him as to reprove the Vniversities of this Kingdom for negligence and injustice too in bestowing degrees c P. 241. where he saith they let Papists slip into Degrees withhold them from N. C. How he can make good his charge I know not Nay Did they not think themselves fit to reform all the world and hope that their Gospel-Covenant should fly to the ends of the Earth d Continuation pag. 148 149. What Infallible Chair then I beseech you was there in this Assembly that all must submit unto and no man date to open his mouth against I know the usual Prayer of your Preachers was when they first met together that God would shew them the pattern in the Mount e Modest offer pag. 1 1644. And Mr. J. Saltmarsh himself addressed an Epistle to them with this Inscription To the most Sacred and Reverend Assembly and begins it with this compellation Most Sacred Divines f Exam. of Mr. Fullers Sermon As if they lookt for some new Discovery from Heaven that should make them so many spiritual Kings and Emperours from whose Sovereign Authority none might appeal But they did not long keep this Veneration even among your selves To omit the railings of Martin's Eccho and others This very man who held them for most Sacred and thought their shade most comfortable and miraculously healing within a few years forsook them and ran from under it for fear of a yoke which he saw them laying upon his neck It is no small incouragement said he in the year 1642. That I sit like the Prophetess under the Palm tree under such a shade as yeaâ— selves Whatsoever weakness may appear in my assertions your Patronage will heal them For 〈◊〉 they brought forth the sick into the streets thâ— at least the shaddow of Peter might touch sâ—â—â— of them But this Song of Praise was turn'd by 1646. into sighs and groans and he told them you call for a yâ—ke which neither we nâ—â— our Fathers were able to bear g Saltmarsh Groans for Liberty 1646. Then they were lookt upon as so many Tyrants and some were so bold as to challenge them all to dispute with them h Compass Samaritan p. 58 59. And one feared not to tell them in the conclusion that an Army or Kingdom of strange opinions were brought forth and they had not laid any one of them upon their backs by Argument i Answer to the Decl. of the Kingd of Scotl. 4 Jan.
As far as a man may gather from his Answer to my Book he would sooner turn a Turk than a Son of the Church of England for he hath expressed a great deal of wrath and spite against some of us but none at all against any of the Turks What an untoward Adversary have I to deal withal who if we will not be impertinent leave our business and go out of our way to dispute with a man concludes that we have nothing to say to him He loves so to ramble himself that he takes it much to heart if we will not bear him company As W. B. pottage you know led his prophane fancy to the story of the Girl that cryed Butter Butter too when her Mother taught her the Lords prayer and came to those words Give us our daily bread l I hope you do not mislike the word Bread in the Lords prayer and as thinking that expression too dry cry out as a Child did c. p. 265. N. C. Why should it be called prophane It is but a merry story C. In the Child it was not prophane who knew not what it said but in him it is impious to suppose it possible that I should mislike those holy words of our Lords and think them defective and dry unless I might pray with this Addition Give us our daily Bread and Butter too I did not think there had been a Divine among you who was so much a Child or else so little a Christian as to write such stuff as this Martin indeed was so bold as to desire the Lord he would put it into the Assemblys heart to divide the Directory not only into Chapters but into Verses into Verses too that so we might have a new Directory-Gospel But this you know was called an horrid Blasphemy N. C. Pray do not you tell stories too C. Mine is no old wives tale like his but to be seen in Print in a Book m A fresh Discovery of some new wandring blasing starrs c. 1646. Sect. 5. where you may find more such scoffing Prayers from the men of the New light whom Philag is resolved to defend N. C. I pray God deliver us from their darkness C. Shut your windows then against them And pray withal that God would send Philag more wit or more Modesty that he may not trouble the world with such wretched Prefaces and Books any more As for the advantage which you fancy the Papists may make of what I have said it is not to be considered in compare with that which they make of your Schism and your loud clamours for more liberty then the Laws allow We did sweare said Mr. Rutherford n Sermen 25. June 1645. at the Abbey p. 6. the extirâ—ation of Popery c. now we preach profess and print that liberty is to be given for the Consciences of men and how can this â—e denyed to Papists This design of Liberty which you have in your heads is that white Devil that noon day Devil if you will believe Mr. Edwards o Antapolog p 56. which coming under the merit of much suffering and well deserving clad in the white Garments of innocence and holiness is like to do the more hurt And it was the opinion I find of an old Dr. in Cambridg long before you or I was born that if ever Popery come into this land again to have any power it would be by the means of such Precisians as you N. C. Why do you call any body by that name C. Let Dr. Feately tell you an Author whom Philag quotes very often Our refined reformers saith he p A Consecration Sermon March 23 1622. as they would be thought according to their name of Precisians pare the nailes of pretended Romish rites in our Church so near that they make her fingers bleed For 〈◊〉 of monuments of Idolatry all ornaments of the Church must be taken away For feâ—â— of praying for the dead they will allow 〈◊〉 prayer to be said for the living at the burial of the dead For fear of bread Worship they will not kneel at the Communion of Christs body and blood But how fairly you have contributed more than any body else to bring that which you fear upon us by disturbing the Government of Church and state and still continuing a lamentable separation from us there is none now among us of any understanding but easily discern For he is blind indeed that cannot see through the holes of a Sieve It is possible you may remember also who that Gentleman was that told the City of London when he was upon the Scaffold that it was part of his prayer to Almighty God that the tumultuous people of this Nation might not be like those Pharisees and their followers who pretending a fear of the Romans coming and taking away their place and Nation when there was no cause for it but they only made use of that suggestion to further their mischeivous design of murdering the innocent had at last the Romans brought upon them indeed and were utterly ruined by them Truly the factious and tumultuous people of this Nation saith my Author q Eaglanâ—â— Complaint An. 1648. have in all other things the most resembled the Pharisees that ever any people did God in his mercy grant that they do not also resemble them in this N.C. There is no fear of that I warrant you C. A great deal the more because you are not sensible of the danger For as if it were a small matter to make such a wide breach in our Church you seek to make it wider by advancing your selves above all other men disparaging us and our Ministers and loading them with reproaches as if they were not worthy to be named together with you Which forces us to say that of you which otherways should never have come out of our mouths though alas it could not have been hid you proclaim it so loudly your selves This very Advocate of yours hath given such a Character of you in his Book as may satisfy all wise and sober men what you are though we should hold our peace For he hath one faculty you must know wherein he surpasses most other writers and that is after he hath made a long discourse to prove a thing at last to overthrow it all Or to speake in his own phrase he is such a Cow as having given a great deal of Milk throws it all down with her foot For after all the evil he had said of me in conclusion as I showed you he acknowledges so much goodness in me as is inconsistent with his accusations And in like manner after all the praises he had bestowed on the N. C. for their piety sincerity modesty patience and such like things in the end he grants the worst things that I charged them with all and makes them as bad as bad can be Though you may be sure it was not his design only truth would out when he did not
observe it N. C. You should not study revenge by taking notice of the motes that are in the eye of his discourse because he did so by yours r Sober Answ p. 11. C. If I sought for motes I could find a great one in that very phrase These are logs which I am going to speak of that a man may see with half an eye First he confesses that they are self conceited impatient of contradiction wedded to their own opinion such as will rule even their Ministers if not despise and abandon them unless they please their humor Else why should they so easily run away from them nay spew them out of their mouth ſ They are his own words p. 228. and see p. 223. if they perswade them earnestly to that which they think in their conscience is their Duty They are so currish also and hard hearted that they will give such a Minister a Bill of Divorce and he may starve if he will for any thing that they will do for him t His own words p. 229. But the reason is that they are in a rage in a violent fermentation and boiling against our Church and therefore must not be medled withall but let alone for fear as he tells you of making them stark mad which it is thought would be the effect of an attempt to reduce them to that which I call sobriety u pag. 227. So uncapable they are of good instruction that they speak evil of our Bishops and others with open mouth being the Authors or abetters of false and scandalous stories concerning them and yet cannot be perswaded that they have done it sufficiently or that they can open their mouths too wide in this case N. C. A horrid slander C. Say you so I will read his very words then to you that you may be convinced though others will not Neither must they x pag. 228. i. e. your Ministers presume to keep a Day of Humiliation for the sin you there mention p. 235. viz speaking evil of Bishops c. though either to raise or take up a false report against any man especially if in Authority is a great sin yet to keep a day of Humiliation among the people upon such an account as that who will not be convinced that they can open their mouths too wide in that case were immediately to divorce themselves from them ☞ or to cause the people to give them a Bill of Divorcement and to be married to some worse Husband N.C. I am astonisht at his negligent writing I shall not be angry hereafter if you call him a shatter'd-brain Scribler C. Who not only confesses that you cannot be convinced that you can bawl too loudly though falsely and scandalously against our Governours but that the hearts of your people are alienated from us and have an antipathy against us as he tells you in the next page And that some of them hate our Worship worse than a Toad as he assures us upon his own knowledg y pag. 224. Canepejus angue and are so ungrateful withal to our Sovereign that they will not so much as wish for the peace and prosperity of their Native Country unless they can enjoy such quiet as they desire N. C. There is no such thing sure in his Book C. No! read then what he saith in another place p. 221 222. Where he tells us we must not expect that you should be perswaded to seek our peace by such easy means as I directed you to for men cannot easily so much deny themselves as to promote the interest of those by whom they have been ruined and are ruining all the day long If you urge that text saith he seek the peace of that City whether I have caused you to be carried captive and pray to the Lord for it some are ready to reply how many who knows Yea and so we will seek your peace and presperity when you make good what is there added for in the peace thereof yee shall have peace They will condition you see with his Majesty or else he must not have the benefit of their prayers for the tranquillity and happiness of his Realmes N. C. Would He had held his peace and never undertaken our cause C. There is a plain reason he tells you for this surliness They are grons high and proud they swell with grief anger and vexation z pag. 281. because they cannot have their will or as he calls it are trod and trampled upon And though they are it seemes so low yet their spirits are so high and so far from humble and silent patience that they have clamoured both upon King and Parliament 〈◊〉 and down the Nation for the undoing of many families a So he tells us p. 236. which tells you what excellent Christians they are for that word clamour as one b Mr. Fullers Vindic of his Sermon 1643. told Mr. Saltmarsh sounds in a bad sense in the Holy Scriptures as arguing an ill tempered spirit with amixture of Pride and impatience for which he cites 9. Prov. 13.4 Ephes 31. But some of them are gone higher and have a rebellious principle in them as he confesses if what I said be true c Sober Answer p. 105. as I am sure it is And yet for all that there are no such people as they the power of Godliness is their peculiar portion thus far this man himself is possessed with those proud fancies that he thinks from what I have said against them it will be inforc'd that all that which is called Religion is meer Hypocrisie and imposture d Preface p. 22. 23. Lastly as for lying and speaking falsly you shall not easily meet with a greater example of it than in himself And if one of your guides be so addicted ro this vice that he blushes not to put them in Print when he may be so soon confuted what a number of lyes in all probability are there whispered in corners by your common people N. C. You should say they are mistakes and no more C. I would willingly have called them all by no worse name than falshoods but upon serious consideration of all things I cannot but conclude that too often there was something of his will in it and that he had a mind to calumniate And for our more orderly proceeding this being you know part of my Charge against him I will first set before you some of the lyes and falshoods in his preface and then some of those that are in his Book For the former there is no truth in those words you meet withal p. 3. that I call some men all to naught nor did I say so much as this which he confidently affirms that W. B. is the greatest Impostor that ever I knew in the Christian Religion c My words are He is one of the principal Impostors that perverted the truth and a lulterated c. Contin p. 108. These are forgeries of
his own like that which follows p. 8. You bring in the N. C. saying the King is a Tyrant But what will not he be bold to invent who dare tell you p. 10. that I knockt so hard not only upon the Act of Indemnity which I have show'd you is notoriously false but upon all overtures for peace and accommodation that he was not able to lye still when part of my business was to show the way to it and when it was fit for you to expect the favour you desire If we say not what pleases him it seems we had better hold our peace If he like not our propositions he will make no bones to say we offer nothing nay are against all peace and accomodation with them They must have their own way and be set at Liberty as he tells us before they will try to make us and you friends and then it is but upon condition neither if we will refer it to them and be bound to stand to their award g They are his own words p. 220. 221. Such another ugly lye is that which immediately comes after this that I reflect obliquely upon most eminent persons and insinuate that they never deserve to be loved or trusted more notwithstanding his Majesties confidence in them This he found in the same place where he met with all those Stratagems and Maximes he tells you of in the following pages as that I would put down Religious conference and bring men out of conceit with experiences and have spiritual preaching laught out of Countenance h P. 16 17. of the Preface and that I have used my wit to abuse earnestness in Prayer preaching of the love of Jesus Christ and using of Scripture language i Page 31. Ib. with a number of other such like things which are such gross lyes that they cannot be forced from my words by doing violence to them and putting them upon the Rack For I told you in plain termes what experiences the Apostle commands and when Religious conference is profitable to our selves and others and what it is to preach spiritually c. which I do not mean to repeat over again for his conviction In stead of that I will recommend to his consideration one Stratagem which he doth not think of though he is very expert in it and though it be a Stratagem of Satan who as Acontius might have inform'd him in a Book bearing that Title k Sâ—â—â—ns Straâ—agâ—â—es Book 2. p. 50.52 translated 1648. prompts men to cavil at one anothers words in their disputes whereby opposition is made not so much against what is affirmed as against what the opposer hath by a false Interpretation feigned to himself which kind of practice tends to nothing saith he but to provoke the Adversary and to make a mans self ridiculous by opening a Window to himself whereout to cast a thousand follies not a jot to the matter in hand Yet some men as he adds are exceedingly conceited of themselves if misinterpreting their Adversaries words they can infer some great absurdity there from Howbeit this custom ought to be left to vain Sophisters who as another excellent writer observes l Mouns Balzac can make use of true propositions to infer an erroneous conclusion and like petti-foggers still cite the Law to Authorise their injustice Such a Caviller is this Philagathus between whose Maximes Aphorisms c. and my propositions there is as wide a difference as we find oft-times between the Text and the Commentaries the meaning of the Author and the Criticismes of Grammarians So he will confess himself if he will but take the counsel of Acontius and forsaking the Devil with all his Works report what I say without addition diminution or alteration I can warrant only my own words which are sound and innocent as the other writer speaks in the like case not those of my Adversary which are full of malice and rancor For what I have written I am responsible and am ready to maintain it but all the Visions and fancies that come into other mens heads are not in my power nor am I accountable for them If Philag will say that I affirm one of W. B. Sermons is not so good as a Play m Preface p. 20. c. what remedy is there who can defend themselves from being abused by such squint-ey'd Readers I cannot make my words plainer than they are which were only these that the Sermon about the Cupboard of Plate and Gods departing from us c. hath more of fiction in it than many of the Playes n Friendâ—â— Debate 190. What ever other words I should go about to place in the room of them he may as well deprave as he hath done these and many other throughout his whole Book making them depose such things as were never in my thoughts But now we have to do with the Preface in which there are so many falsities of this Nature that if I could find the like in my Book I should think as Dr. Corn. Burges saith in another case o Antidote against AntiSobrius p. 31.1660 that it deserved the reward of the Hangman and I would either burn it my self or hire him to dâ— it for me It would tire you to hear them all and therefore I will only add that notorious one which you find in the first of those Stratagems of Satan which he hath invented to cast that blame on us which justly lyes upon themselves It is this that we have brought all the practical Divines such as Scudder Culverwell Rogers c. quite out of Request that now adays there is no enquiring after those kind of Books p Presace p. 12. N. C. He only tells you that a grave Book-seller told him not long since that the Rational Divines as some would have them called had brought all our practical Divines c. C. Take heed you do not falsify too He hath made this lye his own in these words which follow q Ib. page 13. Sure I am the writings which you have taught the World to set at naught have been as great Seminaries and nurseries of Religion as most in the World N. C. Is it not too true C. There cannot well be a more impudent falshood For it was the canting of some among your selves which first struck those Books out of your peoples hands and destroyed those great Nuâ—series which he speaks of They made them believe there was a greater Gospel-Light now broken forth than had been since the Apostles times that they brought them more glorious Discoveries of the love of God and held forth free grace more clearly and fully and that there was both a freer streaming of Christ's Blood to poor sinners laid open and a more plentiful powring out of the Spirit in these latter dayes than our Fore-Fathers had seen In short that there was more of Law and of Mount Sinai in those old Preachers and now more of Gospel and
his conclusion like Harp and Harrow These are some of his arguments A man was cured of a dangerous imposthume by a stab which was intended to take away his life therefore God cures men of their despair by misapplications of holy Scripture St. Austin's life was saved by missing his way when one lay in wait to kill him therefore God delivers men from their trouble of mind by missing the sense of his word The Prophet Elijah was fed by Ravens and Jericho's Walls fell down by Rams-horns therefore God conveys peace into mens hearts by their fanciful interpretations and mistakings of what he saith These are some of his reasonings which never a Rational Divine of them all can equal N. C. He saith God can do all this and is able to cause the light of comfort to shine through the chinks of mens mistakes p. 75. C. He means that he doth do it or else it is nothing to the business And if there were not some chink or flaw in his brain he would have seen that he ought to say he comforts them not only through the chinks of their mistakes but by their mistakes And he would have discerned also that these goodly Arguments which prove he can do this prove that he can comfort them by a leafe or Sentence of any other Book let it be what it will And the more unlikely and improportionable m They are his words pag. 75. the means are whereby the cure is effected suppose a bit of Tom Thumb or the like the more it will redound to his glory and get him greater honour then if it l p. 73.74 were by a piece of Scripture and that well understood N. C. Phy for shame C. This is the force of his reasoning as appeares further by the illustration which follows A physitian is more to be admired he tells you who deceives his melancholy into a cure than he that sets him right by a long course of physick The consequence of which is clearly this that the more absurd the conceit is by which he cures him the more he is to be admired and so the further a thing is from the mind of God the more glory it will be to him if a man receive comfort by it This according to one of his resemblances is like Elijahs being fed by a Raven which n Ib. pag. 74. was more like to beguile him than feed him c. to bring him carrion rather than wholesome food N. C. I do not believe that God doth all that he can do C. Now you have overthrown all he hath said in a word And happy would it be for him and better much for you if you could but teach him this one little peice of Logick For this mad way of talking and preaching hath debauched Religion and taught any man to set up for an instructor of others who understood not common consequence It is but putting on a bold face and quoting a great many Scriptures and scraping up some stories and making a show with similitudes and examples and then pittying all others and sighing over them as strangers to the Mind and Methods of God and without any more ado they shall be taken for great men by the Ignorant They can commence Master of the highest knowledg in an instant And without any study understand the mind of the Spirit Or if they do not understand it the difference is not so great but it may do as well For Scripture misinterpreted can bring comfort from God and therefore why not other things Say what you will this confident folly shall be maintained Such men as this are resolved it is plain not only to countenance and defend the never to be too much lamented misinterpretation of Gods holy word but to incourage and promote it by interessing God in it nay making it for his greater glory to convey peace into mens souls by this means N. C. God forbid any man should be so resolved C. Rather than acknowledge their errors I mean or be thought to have less of the Spirit of God than indeed they have they will justifie all their fancies and abuses of Gods Word and by new faults maintain the old And whatsoever this man pretends I doubt not but the ground of that wrath which he and others like to him have conceived against me is only this that they find their follies laid open and exposed to the view of the World They are not so much concerned for the credit of Religion as appears by his being contented the Scripture should be still misinterpreted as for their own credit which they think is impaired Rather than suffer this what is there they will not endure To oppose the Army were it on foot again would be without any controle for any thing I can see to resist the Holy Ghost for that mighty things have been done by them cannot be denied o Continuation of Friendâ— Debate â— 156. N. C. Meddle not with these things C. No we must let it pass for the Word of God if a Reformer tell us that be staggers not at the promise through unbelief p Ib. p. 162. though it will puzzle you I believe to find a promise to encourage you to reform the Church after your patterns against the will of your Prince N. C. I know none C. I 'le try to help you out from the writings of those Ministers who urged the taking of the Covenant by this Argument We have seen the day of the Lords power in this Land wherein his people have most willingly offered themselves in multitudes like the dew of the Morning q Answer to the reply of the Ministers of Aberde p. 15. If the people be but willing to assist you presently you will find promises to encourage you in your designs N. C. I shall leave you if you proceed at this rate C. Stay a little You cannot be content I am sure that this man should curtail the Scripture as he doth my words to make it seem on his side N. C. He is not guilty of that I hope C. Read the 3. Coloss 23 24. to which he refers you r P. 33. for a proof of what he saith about looking to our reward though little to his purpose VVhatsoever you do do it heartily as unto the Lord knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance For ye serve the Lord Christ. So he quotes the place but leaves out these material words for the finding the sense and not unto men and then expounds it thus That we must have an eye to the glory of God and Christ in what we do or else we shall not receive the reward whereas the Apostle doth not oppose serving the Lord to serving themselves but to serving men as appears by the words which he laid aside as lying cross in his way and would have them please their Masters though Heathens thinking all the while they were doing a part of Christs work
because they impose terms of Communion which are unnecessary to be imposed e p. 134. N. C. That might have been left out I think for he adds and which our Conscience cannot submit unto C. But is he in good earnest May we leave a Church without sin whensoever it imposes any thing that our Consciences will not let us submit unto N. C. Pray do you determine C. You shall determine it your selves for we have not time to discuss this matter thoroughly now Pray tell me upon what account did you accuse the Independents of Schism heretofore They would not in Conscience submit to your Government and yet Mr. Jenkins calls it The Schism of Independency f â—ind Guide guided p. 11. and so doth Mr. Edwards Antopolog p. 248. and it is the third general Reason given by the London Ministers in their Letter to the Assembly against Tolleration That Independency is a Schism which they prove by such Arguments as I cited in our first Debate out of your own Authors which this man wisely passes over and among the rest by this they separate from a true Church and therefore make a Schism There was one I know who replied upon this that it is no true Church which uses compulsion but he was answered immediately then the Churches of New England are false Churches for they will suffer no Sectaries neither But we must not debate this further unless there be another occasion and I must also pass by several things I thought to have said about scandal because it is not fit to weary you It shall suffice to admonish you of that good rule of Mr. Baxter ☞ It is a private uncatholique Principle that a Minister should more feare or avoid the offending and hurting of his own particular flock then the offending and hurting of the Catholique Church or of many particular Churches where the interest of Christ and the Gospel is greater c. g True Catholique Church p. 144. If Philagathus had considered this or what I said the last time he would not have made that lame excuse for your Ministers which you meet withal p. 130. Which shows he had a mind to make a Book rather than an Answer Such another is that which he makes for their meeting in time of Divine Service h pag. 15. which he could not but know is a covering a great deale too short for them Do they therefore meet at that time because the Churches will not hold all our people open thy mouth man as at other times and speake out Is this the cause dost thou verily think that they hold their Assemblies at those hours when we hold ours Let him assure himself this very thing hath laid such as he is very low in the opinion of some who had better thoughts of them before that they strain themselves on this fashion to alledg those for the reasons of their Brethrens actions which they know in their consciences are not the reasons It is a great discredit to themselves and an affront withal to their Neighbours N.C. How so C. By imagining them so silly as to be put off with such flams as these But we may pardon such little things in a man who can presume many things to be true without any reason at all Nay he can presume contrary to reason and the very scope of my discourse as I have shown you that some things which I had learnt more than ordinary contain an enumeration of all the material points our Minister hath preached to us after it may be six years residence with us i They are his own words p. 138. And that I would turn one of them if need were p. 147. and that if our Governours should put forth their hands and touch all we have we would curse them as the Devil * You see whom he imitates in this wicked presumption said Job would curse God though not to their faces yet behind their backs p. 28. and that they themselves would not be so rigorous as they were if they had power again p. 84. N. C. Some of them he saith would not c. C. who are they A very worthy man as he tells you he is p. 111 the Author of Nehushtan will not have it lawful to tollerate the Common-Prayer His Auditors you need not question are of that mind and thought those Sermons would do well to be printed to make more Proselytes How many they are we know not but will not they be earnest think you had they power for the abolishing of the Liturgy as a Monument of Idolatry And when indulgence was consented unto in some cases was it not conditioned expresly that it should not extend to tollerate the use of the common-prayer in any place whatsoever k Four Bills and propositions ordered to be printed 11 March 1647. p. 32. How shall we be sure that such stiff men would be more yielding if they were armed with their former strength But this man hath such a strong belief otherwise called conceit that he can presume any thing no less than this that he deserves some Countenance from our Governours for writing this goodly Book l Preface p. 35. and from his party no doubt for presuming so lustily for them that there is no such principle as this which the N. C. hold that things lawful enough in themselves become unlawful when they are once enjoyned in the worship of God m P. 105. When the contrary is so apparent that some say it is Idolatry to use such things N. C. You tell me news C. It is easier a great deal to write a Book about this bigger than any I have made than to say all those things which we have now discoursed Did I not tell you the last time of one who makes the imposing of any Form model or method of worship though made by a Council of Elect Angels to be an usurpation of Divine Authority and a setting up of a mans self for God n Continuation of the Friendly Debate p. 386. c. How come you to be so forgetful N. C. Now I remember it more words C. Let me tell you he is not singular in this but it is a common opinion spread very much among you that no man on Earth hath power in matters of Religion o Christ on his Throne p. 60. 〈◊〉 and therefore any ordinances about such matters are an Evacuation of Christ's Death an apparent Apostacy from him and sute not with the liberty of the Gospel wherewith Christ hath made us free The most moderate of this sort of men and many that go under the denomination of Presbyterians tells us that it is an invasion of their Christian Liberty which they ought to maintain But the more zealous say it is an invasion of Christs own royal Prerogative which is incommunicable to any to all the powers on Earth and which they ought not to betray to prescribe rules to men which he hath
will suppose from his words who never guesses aright that I was a Reprover of others in those days when the truth is I was then but a boy newly come from School so they will be apt to imagine I was at least an applauder of that which I now condemn But the most quick-sighted of that lying faction I hope I may have leave to use those words of a very great person a His Highness Prince Rupert in his Declaration 1642. p. 3. will never be able to find the time the place the man or woman when where and before whom I signified the least approbation of so great a crime as I always accounted it Let Philag himself when he hath more knowledg of me be sent to all the places where I have lived to trace my steps and when he returns let him put the worst he can hear of me in Print I shall not blush to read it N. C. You are very confident C. Not that I shall escape all slanders for I have already met with good store and have been admonisht also to expect them if ever I went about to promote any publick good or to remove any old or newly settled evil This every body can teach us it is so common Let such a man saith one of the late times b Fountain of Slander discovered resolve that according to the good he would do so shall his aspersions be Nor let him think when time and his constant actions have worn out one or two or ten aspersions that he shall be therefore free but if he continue to mind their good he shall be sure to find new ones such as he never dreamt of nor could imagine Such an one is this now cast upon me by Philag who snarls at my heels very often and would fain fasten if he could but now barks perfectly in the dark as a worthy person somewhere speaks without the help of Moon-shine to direct him in his snarling He may as well accuse me of Witchcraft as of any thing of that nature or say that I worship the Man in the Moon for it is as true as that I so much as favour'd any thing that any men call Sacriledg N. C. He cryes you mercy if he be misinform'd Ib. p. 82. C. Let him ask mercy of God and repent of such gross hypocrisie as makes him wantonly play with a mans good Name and when he hath abused it think he hath made amends with a word saying I cry you mercy Sir N. C. Have you not spoken concerning others C. Not without good ground and great cause to vindicate our selves from their proud contempt and the odious name of Time-servers and to take from them that unjust reputation which they affect of being more knowing and more godly than all orâ—ers N. C. You might have put amore candid construction upon their silence c Ib. p. 82. about Sacriledg C. He can tell me nothing to alter my opinion but only that it is possible their silence might spring from no other cause but this that they had not the same notions and apprehensions concerning Sacriledg as some have or that they did think that Church-lands would not have been so disposed of as they were c. A very doughty Champion To have such an extraordinary motion to undertake your defence and to be able to perform so little when he comes to the business is a very great shame N. C. Why Is this nothing C. What doth it amount to It is possible there were other causes and it is possible I have hit on the right and more than that it is possible he may think so when I have told him the unlikelihood of his Did they not know how many people had of a long time gaped for the remnant of the Church-Revenues Were they not inform'd by one of their own Authors in Queen Elizabeth's time that too many of their Scholars coveted and craved them with great hunger While they hear us speak saith the Author of the Ecclesiastical Discipline against Bishops and Cathedral Churches it tickles their ears looking for the like prey they had before of the Monasteries Yea they have in their hearts already devoured the Churches Inheritance They care not for Religion so they may get the spoil They could be content to crucifie Christ so they might have his Garments Our Age is full of spoiling Souldiers and most wicked Dionysius's who will rob Christ of his golden Coat as neither fit for him in Winter nor Summer They are cormorants and seek to fill the bottomless Sack of their greedy Appetite They do yawn after a prey and would thereby to their perpetual shame purchase to themselves a Field of Blood d It is quoted in Bishop then only Doctor Bancrofs Sermon at Pauls-Cross 1588. p. 9. who admonished them elsewhere that by their out-cries they might farther impoverish the Church but they should be sure to be little better for it Thus T.C. more sharply inveighed against the wickedness of some who then followed them than I have done against any now He made bold to say the Age was sull of such irreligious men as I think abound now and yet I must be thought wicked ungodly and malicious for such a supposal and he no doubt a zealous reprover of sin But let that pass This so early and open declaration of the evil Spirit that then ruled in the Enemies of Bishops should have taught and admonished all your Ministers one would think in such a tumultuous and audacious Age as ours to take all occasions to warn men against such wickedness For that the chief of them esteemed it so I make no doubt whatsoever this Ignorant Apologist surmises Mr. Rich. Vines I remember very honestly gave the Parliament a touch of it by citing in a Sermon not Printed a place concerning Sacriledg out of Mr. Hildersham on the 51. Psalm But he tells Mr. Baxter in a Letter to him e Which he Printed upon another occasion in his third Disput about Ch. Government and Worship p. 350. that it did not please and adds withal that most are of opinion that while the Church lies so unprovided for the donations are not alienable without Sacriledg And therefore it is most probable the Annotators were of that mind and so should have indeavoured at least to prevent the farther growth of this profaneness by some cautions against it if not told that High Court with the freedom and plainness which they seem to affect what the Lord Bacon hath said viz. That the Parliament of England oweâ— some satisfaction for the many injuries and unjust oppressions formerly done by them to the Church and therefore should be far from going about to increase that debt There was a pious man one Mr. Vdal f Minister at St. Austinsgate that ventured an undoing in this cause being sequestred and more than that put into the First Century of Scandalous Ministers for writing a Book called Noli me tangere In which saith
Mr. White g Cent. 1. Example 22. he charges the Parliament with Sacriledg This was all they had to say against him together with these words That he affirm'd the great Reformers of the Church now were Hypocrites for as for the last clause that he otherways expressed great malignity against the Parliament it was but a form you know then in use when they had nothing against a man that deserved such cruel usage whether he said the latter words or no I know not but I am sure he is falsely charged with the former for he did not say the Parliament was guilty of Sacriledg as appears by the Book it self which I have read h Printed 1642. He only shews the danger of this sin and what judgments have faln upon those who were guilty of it even upon Sacrilegious Princes And his instances are such as might have given his Majesty more just reason of anger than the Parliament of whom he only says this That no man should think the nature of the sin altered if the alienation of Church-Lands be done by a National-Assembly of the Estates in Parliament and desires them rather to think it a worthy work and befitting a Parliamentary Reformation to restore the Tithes to the proper owners than taking away the residue of their Lands Gravely Praying withal to God that he would grant them wisdom to see the injustice and impiety of the peoples desires this way who for the most part are led by wicked passions and distempers rather than by Reason and Religion But it seems it was so dangerous a thing then only to name the word Sacriledg with abhorrence that the poor man lost his Living and his good Name too and suffered otherways most lamentably for desiring them to have no hand in it and praying God the ungodly desires of the people might not hurry them to that to which perhaps they had no inclination of themselves This was enough to terrifie all that had not great integrity and courage from meddling in this matter N. C. In which I wish Philag had not meddled but let it pass for it doth but make you bring out old stories which I love not to hear of C Then you think belike that it was very discreetly done of him to pass over so great a part of my Book as he hath left untoucht and only snapt at it here and there though I must confess I look upon this as a part of his disingenuity and partiality For why did he not plainly confess the truth of what I said in many places and pray you to reform Why did he not bewail the folly wherewith this poor Nation is over-run by your new invented phrases i Pag. 34 35. of Friendly Debate The kicking of your people against reproof k Pag. 17 18. the rest you 'l easily siad their reviling of Common Prayer their bold pretence to familiarity with God when they only let their tongue loose without any restraint their unreasonable antipathies to a Form of Prayer their headiness and ungovern'd passion their conceit of themselves and their own gifts their rash censures and gross superstition their contempt of Governours and malepertness toward their Superiours the licentiousness of their tongues and rejoyceing in iniquity their appropriating to themselves the name of Godly their murmuring impatience wicked and scandalous reports of Bishops without any foundation with a great heap of other things which this brisk Gentleman very nimbly and confidently skips over It seems your people have no list or leisure to think of these matters There are higher and more glorious Discoveries to take up their thoughts and they leave this dull low Morality to us The slaying of the Witnesses the downfal of Babylon the calling of the Jews c. are fit subjects for their meditation not these poor things which concern their Duty Thus Mt. Greenham observed long ago l Fifth part of his works Chap 74. p. 797. It is often the policy of the Devil to make men travail in some good things to come when more fitly they might be occupied in good things present And experience saith he teacheth that many meddle with the matters of the Church who are sâ—nseless and barren in the Doctrine of the Nowâ—â—irth In one thing indeed I must commend his ingenuity in that he fairly acknowledges they break his Majesties Law to get a living m Read p. 5. This is an honest confession and thus far he did well in not excusing the business with a company of Religious Phrases If he had also told us that a great reason of his writing against me was to get a little mony I believe he had come neareâ— the truth than when he tells us of his zeal for God But he could not hold long in a good mood For he is so kind and good natur'd to his own party that he thinks not only fear of wanting a maintenance but want of good company fit for a Scholar is sufficient to warrant their breach of the Law n Pag. 7. and at last he talks also of opportunities of doing good as if there were no opportunities but only in prohibited places Nay he asserts this most pernicious principle that they are not bound to obey the Laws unless they be forced o P. 6 Of the Book and Pref. p. 14. that is not for Conscience no nor for fear of wrath but when Justice lays hold of them and is too strong for them N. C. Why Do you read that Christ left Nazareth till they rose up and thrust him out of the City Luke 4.29 c. p Ib p 6. C. Nor do we find there was any Law against Christ's being at Nazareth Why do you not blush at this vile and beggerly way of arguing Do the Novices he talks of that come frisking into the Pulpit with the shells on their heads q P. 284. ever discourse thus weakly Is it easie to find a Boy of any parts that would reason after this childish fashion If he reason no better in his Sermons than he doth in his Writings God help the people that are instructed by him They are like to be abused even by the holy Scripture and to have many an untruth confidently imposed on them with the Word of God to avouch it And therefore had better a great deal be taught by one of those striplings if humble and modest than by this bold frisking Senior N.C. I am convinced of the impertinency of this Quotation C. And what doth the rest of his Discourse in that place amount unto but this that when men have no temptation to break a Law he hath nothing to plead in their behalf but when they have though it be but small as the want of good company or the like he desires they may be excused An excellent Casuist By this device all the world may be saved for What man is there that sins without a temptation And if men may break Laws for fear