K. James owed his Crown to Coleman's Halter POSTSCRIPT WHereas I am in a scandalous Libel suspected to be the Author of the Declaration of the Congregational Divines in and about the City of London against Antinomianism and the preaching of ignorant scandalous Persons I do declare 1. That when I read this Charge against me I had not then read the Declaration 2. This Charge made me soon to do it and I find it true what the Bishop of Worcester and all Orthodox Men of what Perswasion soever say it is a sound and valuable Book God render a thousand sold into their Bosoms who oblig'd the World with so excellent a Confession I say with Mr. Lobb and others almost all the censur'd Errors there are in Dr. Crisp's Book a much worse Book than the Racovian Catechism I cannot but think as well of Sosinus as of Crisp only where it is here said Believers are not to mouvn for Sin confess or beg pardon I acknowledg Dr. Crisp tho he write Blasphemously and Atheistically against mourning for Sin yet not a word against Confession or begging Pardon and the reason may easily be conjectur'd which I gave in my three contending Brethren He could not read Common-prayer without Confession or begging Pardon This old nasty Ceremony monger never intended to turn out for this or to leave the good sat Parsonage at Brinksworth It is however well known some of his Followers are against confession of Sins or begging Pardon who are no Common prayer men 3. Since this Censure of me the Congregational Diviues I thank them have reprinted the Book wherein they declare That all except two or three men to whom they thought it not fit to communicate the matter approv'd of it Was not the Draper one Dr. Chauncy himself to his immortal honour was one of the Approvers this is certified by good Mr. Griffith Mr. Lobb Mr. Mead Mr. Taylor Mr. Nisbet 4. It is believed by some Antinomians as well as others that this Libeller whose Name nor Habitation can I know did not or could not believe I was the Author For 1. Mr. Lobb Mr. Nisbet and others to all Persons declar'd it to be theirs Could not the Slanderer have gone sent or written to them to know whether they disown'd it 2. I would have been not only a wicked Villain but a most impolitick one too who in my Apology for Congregational Divines against the Charge of Crispianism or Antinomianism The countenancing the preaching of incompetent Tradesmen wrote my self a Presbyterian if after all I should write my self an Independent and that in the name of the whole Body of such Ministers here when I might so easily be confuted But see the disingenuity of this skulking Scribler to render me odious he says I wrote against the Reverend Mr. Baxter When many of this Tribe caressed me about that Book the greatest disparagement to it and say which God forbid ever I should They believe he is not in Heaven And I declare undesir'd by any Man I was once thoughtful to recal the Book and give this as the only reason inducing me to it the wicked use these Men made of it Now to blacken me Mr. Baxter shall be a worthy pious Divine which I never denied but these Men do I never said Thare was never any Cause of God going in Church or State but Mr. Baxter would oppose it Nor there was no Sin but he had semething to say for it c. This is ten thousand times worse than for me to cite Mr. Crandon That he would if desir'd prove that not one Flower in his Aphorisms of Justification was his own but all stoln out of Popish Authors Mr. Bagshaw indeed says in his Epistle to him from his Poison You grant I am upright in the main I cannot grant so of you This was never any Language of mine both may be in Heaven for ought I know which way Mr. Baxter might get there I can imagine But for George Fox Muggleton and Dr. Crisp three unlearned Impostors I cannot so imagine if I could I would never question Arius Socinus Bellarmine or Pope Innocent XIV the Protestant Pope I have heard Mr. Baxter one day asking Mr. T.R. what Books he read He answer'd I read this day that an old Woman told St. Austin that if he had begotten as many Children as he had written Books he had done excellent service to the Commonwealth which made the old Gentleman grumble to purpose I am glad for Mr. Gouge that he is one of the Approvers of this Congregational Declaration and as I hear hath given away several of the Books This I have to say in behalf of the London Baxterians that they like Men and Christians rejoice that their Congregational Brethren have at last quitted themselves like Men Would they had done it sooner Now whatever foul Language this Libeller gives me returns on these Divines whose excellent profound Book he makes contemptible as if done by a man of a distemper'd Brain Are the now known Authors such Can no ingenious Discourse come out without a Name but Mr. Trepidantium Malleus as he calls me must be suspected presently to be the Author I never thought the Draper to be the Accuser I never believ'd he could print so much Grammar or Sense tho we are told We feel not what he hath felt No we are honester Men. Heaven forbid we should for it would put a modest Man to a blush to relate Whether the unworthy Branch of Dr. Crisp were the Author I doubt No Lie is too great for him to print that said Mr. Baxter died a Crispian Are the Pinners-Hall Lectures theirs now Was my Apology for them a Mistake Do not these now justify me as I once apologized for them God make him go weeping to his Grave for printing his Father's Book which will be the damnation of thousands of Souls I am now clear'd or else no man ever was in any Cause whatever tho I confess I much doubt whether Mr. T. who dispos'd of so many of that vile Book Honey out of the Rock Christ subscrib'd bona fide My Defamer censures the Authors for going to the Philistins Forge because they gravely cited Orthodox Dr. South and yet to blacken me could censure me for writing against the Reverend Mr. Baxter accounted by this Company a verier Philistin than Dr. South This is like censuring the Book because the Authors Names are not there when neither his nor Printer's can be found or heard of An Antinomian lately came from hearing one preach Obedience as the way and particularly Repentance call'd so a thousand times in Scripture said Drunkenness is as much the way as Repentance before me and others As for those words in a late Mercury there is come out an Answer to the Rebuke by that Learned Critick Y g of Plymouth in which is neither Wit nor Sense but a Jacobitish Cant c. The Writer was my Brother not I about Physick and Astrology not Divinity I wish him and my Learned Friend Dr. Salmon could better agree or more friendly diffent May I be so hold to direct Dr. Salmon my Brother or others to give them one Prescription how to make their Costive Patients soluble I pray them not to be displeas'd Get Dr. Crisp's Picture when his first Books come out and let them look on it one quarter of an hour or less for I declare it is able to give a man a Stool to see it as it was done truly by Mr. L. not falfly by his unworthy Branch Could any Man imagine I wrote a Jacobite Cant I cannot help it if he did Is he a crack brain'd Man as there call'd If he be some unusual Distemper hath lately seiz'd him I pray the Adorers of this Family to consider how many Heylin in particular Cosmog are forced to confess the Stuarts were a spurious Brood ab origine The Father of the first was a Great Man and Steward in Scotland Therefore his base Child bore the Name of his Father's Office a thing common among Bastards end Bastard-makers Doth Bishop Spotswood in his History of the Church of Scotland say much less than that King James the 6th of Scotland and 1st of England was the Illegitimate Son of David Reese the Queen's Musician Did not the Earl of Lenox the Queen's Husband so believe when he slew David when sitting by the side of the Queen then big with Child of King James Hence it was he when a Man could never endure the sight of a Sword no not in knighting any One. From this invincible Timidity Flatterers gave him the Motto Beati Pacifici For the Old Rowly that filthy Stallion he had his Charles Nelson c. the Son of Charles and Nel. The now ejected King the Duke of Berwick c. Bless God that hath rooted out these and given us a King whose Life is a compendium of the best Morals and Politicks too As for the old Vinegar Bottle his pretended Zeal for Mr. Baxter and the Great K. is but Covetousness the Govering is too thin God forgive him for belying me A Country Tutor and Mr. Short of this City that Excellent Philosopher and Philosopher-maker too to my knowledg He is the basest Adversary I ever had who like an Owl fears the Light His Idol must fall that play'd the madman at Salters-Hall with Mr. S. and Mr. P. two ingenious Divines a Story too shameful to relate FINIS
Cheswell and she liv'd in Clarkenwell and died in Bridewell and so Sirs farewel I 'll tell you old Nol's Fidler was not the only Man that would fiddle for Money To the sober and truly conscientious Jacobites for such there are tho deluded ones I Know you have been impos'd on in the two last Reigns by designing Clergymen and Statesmen about Non-resistance and you call'd this New Turcism Old Christianity I have compassion on you because I once imbib'd your Notions and was a great pleader for them twenty Years since hearing and reading so many Discourses about it But the Political Catechism first made me at a stand and greater Writers fully convinced after Some of you appeared at first in the Cause of K. William and rejoiced for the Successes he had when you knew what King James did to some of you and intended to do to all But now they seem to repent and plead that of the Wise Man Oppression maketh wise Men mad when some of us answered them that Oppression rather then made mad Men wise I know you are not infected with Atheism who when you urge the Instance of Abraham the twelve Patriarchs the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea and Wilderness into Canaan The Miracles and Resurrection of Christ to prove the Truth of their Religion shall meck and say to this or the like effect So we read how Saturn swallowed up a Stone given by Ops his Wife instead of Jupiter and afterwards by a Drink she gave him vomited up his two Sons Neptune and Pluto How Bacchus was taken out of Jupiter's Thigh and therefore called Bimater How when Juno was jealous of Lecherous Jove she made Argus to watch him who had Eyes before and behind The old Fornicator made Mercury play him asleep and then slew him for which Juno turn'd Argus into a Peacock That Mercury was the Messenger of the Gods the God of Eloquence Physicians and Thieves too by his cunning stealing Sheep from Apollo and was the guider of Souls to Hell Mereuri foecunde Nepos Atlantis c. Horace He hath all this in few words And this Infection they got by reading these Fables monstrous vile Stories in Schools when young against which practice Mr. Norris hath well written in his Conduct of Humane Life as others before him How many of you loath the Name of Roger L'Estrange who led you hoodwink'd to the Gates of Rome Beware of all Scepticks among you who ridicule Religion as if nothing certain Would you disregard History on any such Pretences I have often thought of the various Opinions about Cesar why so call'd Leigh speaks of Some said from Caesarie his Bush of Hair with which he was born Some a cecis oculis from his gray Eyes Some a ceso Elephanto because he flew an Elephant Some ceso matris utero because they say he was ript out of his Mother's Belly the like is said of Edward the Sixth but question'd by Dr. Burnet in his History of the Reformation when it may be after all it is a Primitive word So may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be for ought I know for all what is said about its derivation will it follow the History of Caesar is therefore a Fable and that there is no God Rochester Oldham or such vile Poems shall be read more than Scripture Would all did as little care for the former as he himself before he died who caused them to be burnt before him or as the pious wise Non-conforming Father of the latter whom I knew who cares not to see the Book or hear of it Let them get but a little Story as of the Wilde Poet and Lilly the Astrologer when C. Love was beheaded in a terrible day of Thunder Lightning c. Wilde made the Heavens put on mourning to weep and groan Lilly to shoot off his Cannons for joy such a Traytor 's Head was upon the Block they laught at Providence I know to your commendation you love the Persons Piety and Books of holy Bishop Vsher Bp Hall Mr. Bolton and other great Men tho accounted Puritanical You that will not be laught out of your Health nor Money be not so out of Religion good Company or Heaven I cannot but value you being conscientious Non-jurors more than such as have complied only for preventing Trouble or getting Preferment Most of them are content with the saving Conformity such as Mr. L. of Exon c. some for getting Conformity such as Dean S. and others I pray you Brethren for I refuse not yet so to call you as true serious Protestants Make it your daily Work herein to exercise your selves to have Consciences void of Offence towards God and towards Man So if any of you need my Charity you should have it whilst not Plotters and live peaceable Men. You say of the Jurors they are a pack of Knaves and they say of the Non-jurors they are a pack of Fools and perhaps both say true But however it is better be a Fool than a Knave at any time Had all the Non-resisters been Non-jurors Nonconformists had been long ago in our publick Churches then had the King seen no longer his Enemies preferr'd and Friends supptest but his Enemies supprest and Friends preferr'd Would in any Dialogue between Satan and Sherlock the Devil had never helpt him to a rotten distinction of a Providential King or a King de Facto only after Dr. Sanderson which still made the best of Kings a Usurper but got him preferment and that was enough I do believe on long and close observation that there is not one Dissenter to five but is guilty either of notorious Covetousness which is idolatry or of an implacable irreconcileable unforgiving Spirit which Christ makes a certain sign of not being forgiven by God or of officious Lies to further Trade which is not consistent with common Honesty much less Christian Piety or secret Drunkenness if not Uncleanness and such cannot inherit the Kingdom of God or of secret Insidelity which makes them so cold in works of Piety and Charity and that that Man knows them not who will always trust them because they are Dissenters Yet I do as firmly and heardily and impartially believe that where there is one Man in the Church of England that hath gotten above these reigning Lusts there are ten Dissenters that have so done and this I think on as long and close observation of them every where as of the Dissenters And I do also believe that where one Jacobite is serious and upright ten Churchmen are so You cannot but know that your Gracious Sovereign when Duke of York ever hated an Englishman and said England was a good Country if new peopled And that if he thought he had one spoonful of English Blood running in his Veins he would not be quiet till he had let it out But no wise Man that observ'd times and seasons believ'd he had any there His Brother by the Mother might be honestly begotten
For God's sake Gentlemen be more politick than thus to talk for if any Phanatick should know this Discourse they would hate us more than they do R. F. I never did any one thing for God's sake nor will not be guilty of no such a piece of Phanaticism now to begin but thousands of things for the Devil's sake or if you will all things for my own sake and not one thing for any one else I know the Phanaticks better than you for their hatred of us on due information of our Morals is so great it is not capable of any addition And seeing you would be Saintish too they say your Character of no man is to be regarded and that your Pride is intolerable and made them unlearned men except Mr. Pool and Mr. How You that make them Fools say they fly in the Face of God too and have said that he knew not whether Men should be saved or damned till they died If Vorstius or a few more denied Prescience supposing a God I think it folly and madness Mr. H. Who said thus Mr. T. M. He once wrote me a Letter two years after he left me to give me thanks for my Arguments inducing him to Conformity and as I lately told him I have often mention'd the Story What good a Man may do by words he thinks not regarded and Mr. Stop Sir He said then to you He was positive in it He never wrote you such a Letter when he was awake and if he did it in a sleep he supposeth you received it in a dream That he never conformed had Presbyterian Ordination never us'd Cross or Surplice or our Form of Baptism only sometimes read Common-Prayer as other Noncons did when he had privileged places seven years nay sometimes us'd none of the Liturgy This made him the more doubt your Answer to his Question Whether you did your best to save the Life of your Brother John Hicks His own Son's Letter to the contrary signified but little to him who knows what he is He was a proud Ape he says once and odious as such If Dr. Calamy call'd his Father an Old Rogue how much or little a conforming Son might be concerned for the death of a Nonconforming Father he knows not He denies That your Charge is true He said not You did not your best but only doubted it and thought you or others must have so understood him You answer You did And seeing you protested in the presence of Almighty God you did your best and Mr. Lobb told him he was satisfied you did he hath given it under his hand to you That he charitably hopes you did and will so declare to others but says the Reasons of his Doubts were these 1. He was sure you lov'd not your Brother would speak of him with unusual contempt and visited him not as he complain'd when last in London you as he phrased it went up and down in your Wheelbarrow Coach and regarded him not tho once he help'd to maintain you as he said 2. In a printed Letter of Mr. John Hicks he hath these words I have written to your Uncle George to intercede for me but I cannot hear from him Or to this purpose 3. It was reported you then said If he would not subscribe to a Confession sent him you would not intercede 4. That your Books discover your bloody Principles and you were justly accounted one of the greatest Enemies to the Dissenters in the three Kingdoms and therefore might not care for your own Brother because such tho so much a Gentleman every way No Fool as you were wont to call him R. L. D me What a long Story have we heard of a damn'd Fanatick and Rebel as before forsooth of Sin and Duty Drawer bring us up the best Wine you have Drawer Yes Sir and a pretty Wench R. F. This is to the purpose this is Preachment worth a hearing Come shut the Door Here is a Health to King James another to Queen Mary another to the Prince of Wales another to the Confusion of the little Man of the Hague and all his Adherents R. L. About with it brave Boys again and again A. S. Come Gentlemen the time is come to read Prayers R. L. Pox on 't you should have brought the Book sooner whilst we were all sober A. S. If I should never read Prayers but when all the Company were sober it would never be done drunk or sober I will read Reform we pray thee these perjur'd Nations Restore to us thy Servant King James our lawful Sovereign In the mean time comfort him in all his Adversity and Sufferings Bless the Queen and Prince of Wales And R.F. Nay stop speed in one thing before you ask more I believe more than one are of Brother B's mind in Somerset That had he thought King James would have been so long a coming he would have better considered it before he had left his place for him Besides what talk you of Prayer If there be a God we cannot believe he regards our Prayers King James will never return unless you give over praying for it I remember I have heard of a Parson that would often pray in the Pulpit for his Patron who one day said Mr. Parson I beg one Kindness of you What is that said he Leave me out of your Prayers for I can never hear that you pray for me but I have always a terrible fit of the Gout after it But what says your Grace my Lord of Salisbury A. S. Would I had a good Parsonage A Bird in the Hand is worth two in the Bush Hope delayed maketh the Heart sad Were my Wife the only Woman that wanted with her Children I would not care but oh there are others of the Fair Sex R. L. I advise you as an old Man go into some corner of the Land where you are not known and conform swear to the Usurper but be sure break your Oath by the first opportunity R. F. Stay let him not be too hasty let us see what will be the end of Plotting first For my part I may say to the Spark what she did to Jason Adeone credit omne consumptum nefas If King James should return and find us Williamites we have spun a fair Thread But can you tell Mr. H. what makes that unsanctified Villain T. M. you talkt of but now to write of late by way of Dialogue which is by many accounted no fair way of writing You know the Dialogue between R. and F. Mr. H. He says thus in defence of himself 1. That Patrick's Friendly Debates were all approved of by us tho foully managed by him this way 2. That he blames not any of ours that write this way if they bring in an Adversary in his best dress He thinks the Dialogue between Irenaeus and Novatus done by Fisher the blind Man of Cambridg to be one of the shrewdest Books written for the Church of England 3. This was the antient way of
them never expect to be remembred R. L. But seeing we are for once playing the honest Men and speaking our hearts I know not when we shall again pray Gentlemen what think you of the Prince of Orange you Mr. F. whom you once magnified and afterwards vilified R. F. Gentlemen I cannot forbear thinking him to be one of the best of Men one of the best of Princes who would rather be lov'd than fear'd All the World knows he is one of the greatest Souldiers in it as King James is one of the greatest Cowards he was not for an He illic but Venite hic And as another Ego vester Vos mei With Antoninus Pius he is a Cynici Sector and searcheth into things He is so politick as if with Domitian he had every where his Phengites He can see what is done behind him as well as before him as we too well know I can never get or long keep preferment under such a King I wish therefore King James his Return tho I am not such a Fool as to say with Agrippa when she was told Nero would reign but would kill her Occidat modo imperet Hang him before I should have such a thought I am sure it cannot be said of me I am neither Guelph nor Gibeline I have been both Those two Dutch Brethren acted one for the Emperor the other for the Pope I can do all the Feats my self allow me time Now what think you of the Prince of Wales was King James guilty and of the Design with France R. L. I will tell you a Story that every Man doth not know A plain Man among the Dissenters seeing the King walking in a melancholy Fit at the Success of the Prince be came up to him and said Sir be advised by a plain Man If you are not guilty about the birth of the Prince of Wales c. never stir a hair of your head will not fall to the ground But if guilty go away as soon as you can and save your life This Dissenter was often with him before K. James went away a day or two after I doubt not in the least but we had had the French Government and Religion too ere this time had he staid But I am clean Paper Kings may write what they will on me I hate all Religion and look on it as a Cheat. Mr. H. Pray Sir give over you may with Rochester cry out before you die O that God had made me a Toad crawling in a Ditch or that I had been a Link-boy rather than what I was when I scoft at Religion God no doubt had mercy on him I wish he may on you Remember Buckingham's Cry O that God would give me a heart to repent but I cannot repent I am undone to all Eternity R. L. Pray Sir hold your tongue I think you are such a Prophet in Divinity as in Politicks You know you told the World in that wordy Book Jovian That notwithstanding all that you had said for Non-resistance of a Popish Arbitrary Prince yet the people of England had as good security for their Religion and Civil Rights as any could desire for 1. It must be suppos'd Princes are Men of Conscience as well as others 2. The Duke of York in particular was a Man who never broke his Word and had made many Promises to the Church of England 3. The strength of our Laws Test c. 4. The danger his Ministers would be in that should act contrary to Law after his decease I cannot exactly write your words it is above fifteen years since I read the Book Now you know you were hooted at by Church Tories as well as Whigs when the Bishops were sent to the Tower c. Nay you there ask Whether it could be suppos'd the Duke of York was a Papist who in Scotland had a Protestant Minister to say Grace at his Table tho so many Parliaments had declared him so long before to be a Papist and propos'd Bills of Exclusion against him because as such he had countenanced the Popish Plot. This sticks according to the French Proverb for you are frenchified too as well as I as the Dirt of Paris For Lutetia a Luto Hold you your peace And what is your Opinion my Lord of Salisbury of the new Church of England May it please your Grace to tell us in a few words A. S. Her Priests are Jeroboams Priests It is an Apostate Church Sherlock is a notorious Apostate with his Providential King tho he talkt after Sanderson with his Providential Government when he wickedly pleaded for taking the Engagement Burnet is a temporizer not only they but William Penn and other active Quakers are apostatized too tho we and they with some Roman Catholicks once took sweet counsel together R. L. Never be concern'd for many Clergy-men that have sworn Allegiance to the little Man of the Hague have since answer'd King James that they did it only to be in a greater capacity of serving him And some of them you know have written to us with a God be merciful to us Sinners Tho we have been as the Phanaticks say lately taken as wild Birds or Birds of Prey from fleeing in the open Air taking the lesser but best Birds and have been clapt up in a Cage together Yet Qui nil potest sperare desperet nibil Sen. Med. Si fortuna volet fies de Rhetore Consul Si volet hac eadem fies de Consule Rhetor. Juv. Mr. H. O but little hopes now is left whatever was in the time of the War Now is a time of Peace occasion'd by the Valour and Wisdom of Prince of Orange And I cannot but grant God's Blessing with both as if the Golden Age were return'd again Non Galeae non ensis erat sine militis usu Mollia securae peragebant otia gentes However the beginning of this Usurpation and long continuance was troublesome yet the Williamites are now ready to sing Nocte pluit tota redeunt spectacula mane Divisum imperium cum Jove Caesar habet R. F. Give not over all hope A. S. Qui spe aluntur pendent non vivant Sometimes I have hope I do already in many places look and act with such state tho a very poor Man's Son and a poor Serviture in Oxford as if I were already consecrated and sat down in my Episcopal Chair We have found King James to be Rex Diabolorum as all Kings of England are said to be R. L. I swear he might well be said to be so that hath no better Subjects than we Come come a Health to the Confusion of the Fanaticks and to the worst sort of them the now call'd Church of England the perjur'd King-dethroning Church Here is an Epitaph made for her long ago and you know by whom when T. the Archbishop was alive who was never Christned Hic jacet Ecclesia Anglicana Cujus Rex Batavus Cujus Patriarcha Ethnicus Non Romanorum nec Fanaticorum furore Sed