desire for if I had had more of them they should yesterday have all gone J verily beleeve you said he and so we parted And in a very little while after came the Warden himselfe with the Porter and J being in my bedd hee asked me how J did Said J I am well I blesse my God for it and am very merry and cheerfull Well said hee you have undone your selfe with speaking what you did yesterday Sir said I I am not sorry for what I said but am hartely gladd that the Lord gave mee strength and courage to speake what I did and were I to speake againe I would speak twice as much as I did if J could have liberty though I were immediatly to loose my life after it wouldst thou so said he Ey indeed Sir would I with the Lords assistaÌ„ce said I for I fear not the face of Man And concerning what I yesterday spake J did not in the least manner speake against any of the Lords but did openly declare that I did willingly with all contentednes submitt my selfe to their Censure and as for the Bishops I said nothing against any of their persons but only against their callings Ey said the Warden and thou saidst their calling was from the Devill Yes Sir so I did said I and J will prove it and make it good or else I wil be willing to loose my dearest blood For if you please to reade the 9. 13. chap. of Rev. you shall there finde that the Beast which ascended out of the bottomlâ—sse Pitt which is the Pope and Roman State hath his power and authority given him by the Dragon the Devill So that all the power which the Pope hath and doth exercise originally comes from the Devill If you reade also some Bookes lately set forth by the Prelates themselves and their Creatures you shall there finde that they claime their jurisdiction standing and power from the Pope Now if their power and calling be from the Pope as they themselves say it is then it must needs be from the Devill also For the Popes power and calling is from the Devill And he cannot give a better power and calling to them then he himselfe hath and I pray Sir if the Bishop of Canterbury be offended at that which J spake yesterday tell him I will seale it with my bloud And if he please to send for me I will justifie it to his face and if I be not able to make it good before any noble man in the Kingdome let mee loose my life Ey but it had been a great deale better said he for thine owne particular good to have beene more sparing of thy speech at that time No Sir said I nothing at all for my life and bloud is not deare and precious to me so I may glorifie God and doe him any service therewith I assure thee said he I was exceedingly chidd about thee and also there were old businesses rubd up against mee concerning Dr. Laiton and Mr. Burton for that Liberty that they had Wherefore were you chidd for me said I About the Bookes said he that you threw abroade in regard you were close Prisoner and yet had those Bookes about you I would aske you one question Did you bring those Bookes to the Fleete with you or were they since brought to you by any other I beseech you Sir pardon me for revealing that said I. Then he would have knowne who they were that most resorted to me I desired I might be excused in that also Ey but you must give me an answer said hee for I must certifie the Lords thereof Then said I I pray you tell their Honours I am unwilling to tell you What were those Bookes said he that you threw abroade were they all of one sort Those that have them said I can certifie you of that I my selfe have one of them said he and have read it and I can finde no wit in it there is nothing but railing in it Sir said I J conceive you are mistaken for the Booke is all full of wit it is true this Booke which you lighted on is not so full of soliditie as other of his Bookes are but you must understand that at that time when the Dr. made that Booke hee was full of heavines and in danger of a great punishment for the Prelates had breathed out more crueltie against him for writing his Apology And at that time also he was compassed about on every side with the Pestilence Therefore he made that Booke to make himselfe merrie But said he hee doth not write any thing in it to the purpose against the Bishops callings Sir said I I must confesse you lighted on the worst of the 3. And it is true there is not much soliditie and force of argument in it but only mirth But the other two are as full of soliditie as this is of mirth What were they of 3. sorts said be Yes Sir that they were said I. What were the other two called said he The one said I was his Answer to Sr. John Banks his Information The other is an Answer to some Objections that are made against that Booke which you have But if ever you reade his Latine Bookes you shall there finde soliditie enough and the wickednes and unlawfulnes of the Bishops Callings and practises set forth to the full What Latine Bookes be they said he His Flagelluw for which hee was first Censured said I. What hath hee been twice Censured said he Yes said I he was Censured in the High-Commission Court for writing his Flagellum And after that he wrote his Apology and that little Booke which you have which were the cause of his Censure in the Starr-Chamber But hast thou any more of those Bookes said he Sir said I if I had had 20. of them more they should all have gone yesterday But hast thou any more of them now said he Sir said I I verily thinke that if I should tell you I had not you would not beleeve me and therefore if you please you may search my Chamber So I must said he for the Lords have commaunded me so to doe therefore open your Trunke Sir said I it is open alreadie Search it John Hawes said he So he searcht it and found nothing there Open the Cubbard said he So I gave the Porter the key of my Cubbard to search it and he found nothing there but my victuals Search his pocket said the Warden Indeed Sir said I there is none in them Yet he searched them and found as I said Then he searched all my Chamber over but found nothing at all Well Sir said I now you can certifie the Lords how you finde things with me But I pray Sir must I still be kept close Prisoner I hope now the Lords have inflicted their Censure on me they will not still keepe me close No said hee within a little time you wil be eased of it So we tooke our leaves each of other and
with rejoicing I haue undergon vnto whose censure I do with willingnes cheerefulnes â—ubmit my selfe But seeing I now stand here at this present I intend the Lord assisting me with his power and guiding me by his spirit to declare my minde unto you I haue nothing to say to any mans person and therefore will not meddle with that Onlie the things that I have to say in the first place are concerning the Bishops their calling They challeng their callings â—o be Iure Divino for the oppugning of which those three renovvned living marters of the Lord Dr. Bastwick M. Burton M. Prinne did suffer in this place and they have sufficientlie proved that their Calling is not from God which men I love and honour and doe perswade my selfe their soules are deere and precious in the sight of God though they were so cruellie and butcherlie dealt with by the Prelates and as for Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne they are worthie and learned men but yet did not in manie things write so fullie as the Dr. did who hath sufficientlie plentifullie set forth the wickednes both of the Prelates themselves of their callings as you may reade in his Bookes that they are not Jure Divino which noble and reverend Dr. I love with my Soule and as he is a man that stands for the truth and Glorie of God my verie life and hart blood I will lay downe for his honour and the maintaining of his cause for which he Suffered it being Gods cause As for the Bishops they vsed in former times to challeng their jurisdiction Callings and power from the King But they haue now openly in the High Commission Court renounced that as was heard by many at the Censure of that Noble Dr. And as you may fullie read in his Apollogeticus And in his Answer to Sr. Iohn Bankes his Jnformation Novv J will here mantaine it before them all That their Calling is so farre from being Iure Diuino as they say they are that they are rather Iure Diabollico Which if I be not able to proue let me be hanged vp at the Hall Gate But my Brethren for your better satisfaction read the 9. 13. Chapters of the Reuelation and there you shall see that there came Locust out of the Bottomlesse Pitt part of vvhom they are and they are ther liuely discirbed Also you shall there finde that the Beast which is the Pope or Roman State and Goverment hath given to him by the Dâ—agon the Devill his Power and Seate and great authoritie Soe that the Popes authoritie comes from the Devill and the Prelates and their Creatures in their printed Bookes do challenge their authoritie jurisdiction and Power that they exercise over all sorts of people is from Rome And for proving of the Church of England to be a true Church their best strongest argument is that the Bb. are lineally discended from his Holines or impiousnes of Rome as you may read in Pocklingtons Booke called Sunday no Sabboth So that by their own confession they stand by that same power and authoritie that they haue receaved from the Pope Soe that their calling is not from God but from the Divill For the Pope cannot give a better authoritie or calling to them then he himselfe hath But his Authoritie and Calling is from the Devill Therefore the Prelates Calling and authoritie is from the Devill alfoe Revel 9.3 And there came out of the smoake Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth haue power to hurt and vndoe men as the Prelates dailie doe And also Revel 13.2 And the Beast which I sawe saith S. Iohn was like unto a Leopard and his feete were as the feete of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon that is to say the Devill gaue him his power his seat and great authority and ver 15.16.17 And whether the Prelates as well as the Pope do not daily the same things let every man that hath but common reason judge For do not their daily practises and cruell burdens imposed on all sorts of people high and low rich and poore witnesse that their discent is from the Beast part of his state and kingdome Soe also Revel 16.13.14 All which places do declare that their Power and authority being from the Pope as they themselues confesse Therefore it must needes originally come from the Devill For their power callings must of necessitie proceede either from God or else from the Divill But it proceeds not from God as the Scriptures sufficiently declares Therefore there calling and power proceeds from the Devill as both Scripture and there owne daily practises doe demonstrate and prove And as for that last place cited Rev. 16.13.14 Jf you please to reade the Second and third parts of Dr. Bastwicks Letany you shall finde he their proves that the Prelates practises doe every way suite with and make good that portion of Scripture to the vtmost For in their Sermons that they preach before his Majestie how doe they incense the King nobles against the people of God labouring to make them odious in his sight stirring him up to execute vengance vpon them though they be the most harmelesse generation of all others And as for all these officers that are vnder them made by them for mine own particular I cannot se but that their callings are as unlawfull as the Bishops themselves and in particular for the callings of the ministers J do not nor will not speake against their persons for I know some of them to be very able men and men of excellent guiftes and quallifications and I perswade my selfe their souls are very deare and pretious in the sight of God Yet not withstanding this proves not their Callings to be ever the better As it is in civill government If the King whom God hath made a lawfull Majestrate make a wicked man an officer hee is as true an officer and as well to be obeyed comming in the Kings name as the best man in the world comming with the same atthoritie for in such a case he that is a wicked man hath his calling from as good authority as the godliest man hath And therefore his calling is as good as the others But on the other side if he that hath noe authoritie make officers though the men themselues be never so good and holie Yet their holines maks their calling never a whitt the truer but still is a false a calling in regard his authority was not good nor lawful that made theÌ„ eveÌ„ so the ministers be they never so holy meÌ„ yet they haue one and the same calling with the wickedest that is amongest them their holines proues not their callings to be ever the truer seeing their authority that made them ministers is false and therefore they haue more to answer for then any of the rest by how much the more God hath
Booke till I came back againe into England And for my having a Chamber in Mr. John Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinkes the Bookes were kept J was soe farre from having a Chamber there as I never lay in his house but twice or thrice at the most and upon the last Friday of the last Tearme I was brought to the Star-Chamber Barre where before mee was read the said Edmond Chillingtons Affidavit vpon Oath against Mr. John Wharton and my selfe The Summe of which Oath was That hee and I had Printed at Rotterdam in Holland Dr. Bastwicks Answer and his Letany with divers other scandalous Bookes Now here againe I speake it in the presence of God all you that heare mee that Mr. Wharton and I never joyned together in printing either these or any other Bookes whatsoever Neither did I receive any mony from him toward the printing any Withall in his first Oath hee peremtorilie swore that wee had printed them at Rotterdam Vnto which I likewise say That hee hath in this particular forsworne himselfe for my owne part I never in all my daies either printed or caused to be printed either for my selfe or Mr. Wharton any Bookes at Rotterdam Neither did I come into any Printing house there all the time I was in the Citty And then vpon the Twesday after he swore against both of us againe The summe of which Oaths was that I had confessed to him which is most false that I had Printed Dr. Bastwicks Answer to Sr. John Banks his Information and his Letany another Booke called Certaine answers to certaine Objections And another Booke called The vanity impiety of the old Letany that J had divers other Bookes of the said Dr. Bastwicks in Printing that Mr. Wharton had beene at the charges of Printing a Booke called A Breviat of the Bishops late proceeding and another Booke called 16. new Queries and in this his Oath hath sworne they were Printed at Rotterdam or some where else in Holland that on James Oldam a Turner keping Shop at Westminster-hall-gate disperced divers of these bookes Now in this Oath he hath againe forsworne himselfe in a high degree for wheras he took his Oath that I had printed the Booke called The Vanitie and impiety of the old Letany I here speake it before you all that I never in all my daies did see one of them in print but I must confess I haue seen read it in written hand before the Dr. was censured as for other books of which he saith I haue diverse in printing To that I answer that for mine owne perticuler I never read nor saw any of the Drs. Bookes but the forenamed foure in English and one little thing more of about two sheetes of paper which is annexed to the Vanity of the Old Letany And as for his Lattine Bookes J never saw any but two Namely his Flagellum for which he was first censured in the High Commission Court and his Apologeticus which were both in print long before J knew the Dr. But it is true there is a second edition of his Flagellum but that was at the presse aboue two yeares agoe namly Anno 1634. And some of this impression was in England before J came out of Holland And these are the maine things for which I was Censured and Condemned Being two Oaths in which the said Chillington hath palpably forsworne himselfe And if hee had not forsworne himselfe Yet by the law as I am given to vnderstand I might have excepted against him being a guilty person himselfe and a Prisoner and did that which hee did against mee for pvrchasing his owne liberty which hee hath by such Iudasly meanes gott and obtained Who is also knowne to bee a lying fellow as J told the Lords I was able to proue and make good But besides all this there was an inquisition-Oath-tendered vnto mee which J refused to take on foure severall daies the summe of which Oath is thus much You shall sweare that you shall make true answer to all things that shall be asked of you So helpe you God Now this Oath I refused as a sinfull and vnlawfull Oath it being the High-Commission Oath with which the Prelates euer haue and still do so butcherly torment afflict and vndoe the deare Saints and Servants of God It is also an Oath against the Law of the Land As Mr. Nicholas Fuller in his Argument doth proue And olso it is expressly against the Petition of Right an Act of Parlament Enacted in the second yeare of our King Againe it is absolutely against the Law of God for that law requires noe man to accuse himselfe but if any thing be laid to his charge there must come two or three witnesses at the least to proue it It is also against the practise of Christ himselfe who in all his examinations before the High Priest would not accuse himselfe but vpon their demands returned this answer Why aske yea mee go to them that heard mee With all this Oath is against the uery law of nature for nature is alwaies a preserver of it selfe and not a distroyer But if a man takes this wicked Oath he distroyes and vndoes himselfe as daily experience doth witnesse Nay it is worse then the Law of the Heathen Romans as we may reade Act. 25.16 For when Paull stood before the Pagan Governours and the laws required Judgement against him the Governour replyed it is not the manner of the Romans to condemne any man before his accusers hee were brought face to face to justify their accusation But for my owne part if I had beene proceeded against by a Bill J would haue answered justified all that they coulde have proved against me by the strength of my God would have sealed whatsoever I have don with my bloud for I am privy to mine own actions my conscience beares me witnes that I have laboured ever since the Lord in mercy made the riches of his grace known to my Soule to keep a good conscience and to walke inoffensably both towards God man But as for that Oath that was put unto me I did refuse to take it as a sinfull and unlawfull Oath by the strength of my God enabling me I wil never take it though I be puâ—d in peices with wilde horses as the ancient Chritians were by the bloudy Tirants in the Primitive Church neither shall I thinke that man a faithfull Subject of Christs Kingdome that shall at any time hereafter take it seeing the wickednes of it hath been so apparently laid open by so many for the refusall wherof many doe suffer cruell persecution to this day Thus have J as briefly as I could declared unto you the whole cause of my standing here this day I being upon these grounds censured by the Lords at the Starr-chamber on the last Court day of the last tearme to pay 500. poÌ„ to the King and to receive the punishment which
bestowed greater guifts vpon them then vpon others and yet they detaine the truth in vnrighteousnesse from Gods people and do not make knowne to them as they ought the whole will and counsell of God And againe the greater is their sinne if their callings be vnlawfull as J verily beleeve they are in that they still hold them and doe not willingly lay them downe renounce them for they do but deceiue the people and highly dishonour God and sinne against their owne soules while they preach vnto the people by vertue of an Antichristian and vnlawfull Calling and the more godlie and able the Minister is that still preaches by vertue of this calling the more hurt he doth for the people that haue such a Minister will not be perswaded of the truth of things though one speake informe them in the name of the Lord but will be ready to reply Our Minister that preaches still by vertue of this Calling is so holy a man that were not his calling right good I do assure my selfe he would no longer preach by vertue thereof And thus the holines of the minister is a Cloake to couer the unlawfulnes of his calling and make the people continue rebells against Christs his Scepter and Kingdome which is an agreuation of his sinne for by this meanes the people are kept off from receiving the whole truth into their soules rest in being but almost Christians or but Christians in part But Oh my Brethren it behoues all you that feare God and tender the Salvation of your owne Soules to looke about you to shake of that long security formality in Religion that you have layne in For God of all things cannot indure Luke warmenes Revel 3.16 And search out diligently the truth of things and try them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary I beseech you take things no more vpon trust as hitherto you haue done but take paines to search and finde out those Spirituall and hidden truthes that God hath enwraped in his sacred Booke and finde out a bottom for your owne soules For if you will haue the comforts of them you must bestow some labour for the getting of them and you must search dilligently before you finde them Pro. 2. Labour also to withdraw your neckes from vnder that Spirituall and Antichristian bondage unto which you haue for a long time subjected your soules least the Lord cause his plagues and the fearcenesse of his wrath to seize both vpon your bodies and soules seeing you are now warned of the danger of these things For hee himselfe hath said Revel 14.9.10.11 That if any man worship the Boast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand The same shall drinke of the wine of his wrath which is powered out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shal be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presences of the holy Angels in the presence of the Lambe and the smoake of their Torment ascended vp for ever and ever and they haue noe rest day nor night who worship the Beast his Image and whosoever receiveth the marke of his name Therefore as you loue your owne soules and looke for that immortall Crowne of happines in the world to come looke that you with draw your selves from that Antichristian power slavery that you are now vnder even as God himselfe hath commanded and injoyned you in Rev. 18.4 saying Come out of her my people that you bee not pertaker of her sinns and that yee receive not of her Plagues for her sinnes have reached vnto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Here is the voyce of God himselfe commanding all his chosen ones though they have lived vnder this Antichristian slavish power and estate along time yet at last to withdraw their obedience and subjection from it My Brethren wee are all at this present in a very dangerous and fearefull condition vnder the Jdolatrous and spirituall bondage of the Prelates in regard wee have turned Traytours vnto our God in seing his Almighty great name and his Heavenly truth troden under foote and soe highlie dishonoured by them and yet wee not onely let them alone in holding our peace but most slavishlie wickedly subject our selves unto them fearing the face of a peece of durt more then the Almightie great God of Heaven and earth who is able to cast both body Soule in to everlasting damnation Oh repent I beseech you therefore repent for that great dishonour you have suffered to bee done unto God by your fearfullnes and cowardlines for the time to come put on couragious resolutions like valiant souldiers of Iesus Christ and fight manfullie in this his spirituall battell in which battell some of his souldiers haue allready lost part of their blood and withall Study this Booke of the Revolâ—tion and there you shall finde the mistery of iniquitie fullie vnfolded and explaned and also you shall se what great spirituall battels haue beene fought betwixt the Lambe his Servants and the Dragon the Devill and his vassals and some are yet to fight Therefore gird on your Spirituall armour Spoken of Ephes 6. that you may quit your selves like good faithfull Souldiers and feare no coulors the victory and conquest is ours allready for wee are sure to have it I do not speake of any bodily and temporall battell but onelie of a spirituall one and be not discouraged and knoct of from the study of it because of the obscurity and darkenes of it for the Lord hath promised his enlightening Spirit unto all his people that are laborous and studious to know him aright and also he hath promised a blessing and pronounced a blessednes vnto all that read and labour to keepe the things contayned in this booke Rev. 1.3 My Christian Brethren in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beseech you doe not contemne the things that are delivered to you in regard of the meanesse and weaknesse of mee the instrument being but one of the meanest and unworthiest of the Servants of Jesus Christ for the Lord many times doth great things by weake meanes that his power may be more seene for wee are to ready to cast our eye vpon the meanes and instrument not looking up unto that Almighty power that is in God who is able to doe the greatest things by the weakest meanes and therefore out of the mouthes of Babes Sucklings he hath ordayned strength Psal 8.2 And hee hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty base things of the world things which are dispised hath God chosen Yea things which are not to bring to nought things that are 1. Cor. 1.27.28 And he giues the reason wherefore he is pleased so to do That no flesh should glory in his presence So you se God is not tyed to any instrument