which still more destroy it as any thing of long time hath been published It is true that in many things they were real weaknesses which he detected and that he knew more himself than most of those whom he exposed to scorn And it is true that many of them by their censoriousness of the Conformists did too much instigate such Men But it is as true that while Christ's Flock consisteth of weak ones in their Earthly State of Imperfection and while his Church is an Hospital and he the Physician of Souls it ill becometh a Preacher of the Gospel to teach the Enemies of Christ and Holiness to cast all the reproach of the Diseases upon the nature of Health or on the Physician or to expose Christ's Family to scorn for that weakness which he pittieth them for and is about to cure if he had first told us where we we might find a better sort of Men than these faulty Christians or could prove them better who meddle with God and Heaven and Holiness but formally and complimentally on the by he had done something And it is certain that nothing scarce hardened the faulty persons more in their Way and weaknesses than his way of reprehending them For my part I speak not out of partiality for he was pleased to single me out for his Commendations and to exempt me from the Accusations But it made my Heart to grieve to perceive how the Devil only was the gainer whilst Truth and Godliness was not only pretended by both parties but really intended § 89. Yea it would have grieved the heart of any sober Christian to observe how dangerously each party of the Extremes did tempt the other to impenitenitency and further Sin Even when the Land was all on a Flame and we were all in apparent danger of our ruin by our Sins and Enmities the unhappy prelates began the Game and cruelly cast out 1800 Ministers and the people thââeupon esteeming them Wolves and malignant prosecutors fled from them âs the Sheep will do from Wolves not considering that notwithstanding their Personal Sin they still outwardly professed the same Protestant Religion and when any Prelatist told the Sectaries of their former Sin Rebellions or Divisions they heard it as the words of an Enemy and were more hardened in it against Repentance than before yea were ready to take that for a Vertue which such Men reproached them for when as before they had begun from Experience to repent And on the other side when the Prelatists saw what Crimes the Army-party of the Sectaries had before committed which they aggravated from their own Interest they noted also all the weaknesses of Judgment and Expression in Prayer which they met with not only in the weaker sort of Ministers but of the very Women and unlearned People also and turned all this not only to the reproach of all the Sectaries but as their Passion Interest and Faction led them of all the Non-conformists also of whom the far greatest part were much more innocent than themselves § 90. And so subtil is Satan in using his Instruments that by their wicked folly crying out maliciously for repentance he hindered almost all open Confession and Profession of repentance on both âides For these self Exalters did make their own interest and Opinions to pass with them for the sure Expositor of the Law of God and Man And they that never truly understood the old Difference between the King and Parliament did state the Crime according to their own shallow passionate conceits and then in every book cryed out Repent Repent Repent of all your Rebellions from first to last you Presbyterians began the War and brought the King's head to the ãâ¦ã cut it off And as they put in Lies among some truths so the people thought they put in their Duties among their sins when they called them to repent And if a man had professed repentance for the one without the other and had not mentioned all that they expected and made his Confessions according to their prescripts they would have cryed out Traytors Traytors and have pressed every word to be the Proclamation of another War So that all their calling for repentance was but an Ambuscade and Snare and most effectually prohibited all open repentance because it would have been Treason if it had not come up to their most unjust measures And all men thought silence safer with such men than Confession of fin And the sectaries were the more persuaded that their sin was no sin And this occasioned the greater obduration of their Enemies who cryed out None of them all repenteth and therefore they are ready to do the same again And so they justifyed themselves in all the Silencings Conâinings Imprisonments c. Which they inflicted on them and all the odious representations of them § 91. But that great Lie that the Presbyterians in the English Parliament began the War is such as doth as much tempt men that know it to question all the History that ever was written in the World as any thing that ever I heard spoken Reader I will tell it thee to thy admiration When the War was first raised there was but one Presbyterian known in all the Parliament There was not one Presbyterian known among all the Lord Lieutenants whom the Parliament Committed the Militia to There was not one Presbyterian known among all the General Officers of the Earl of Essex Army nor one among all the English Colonels Majors or Captains that ever I could hear of There were two or three swearing Scots of whom Vrrey turned to the King What their opinion was I know not nor is it considerable The truth is Presbytery was not then known in England except among a few studious Scholars nor well by them But it was the moderate Conformists and Episcopal Protestants who had been long in Parliaments crying out of Innovations Arminianism Popery but specially of Monopolies illegal taxes and the danger of Arbitrary Government who now raised the War against the rest whom they took to be guilty of all these things And a few Independents were among them but no considerable Number And yet these Conformists never cry out Repent ye Episcopal Conformists for it was you that began the War Much less Repent ye Arminian Grotian innoveling prelates who were reducing us so near Rome as Heylin in the Life of Laud describeth for it was you that kindled the Fire and that set your own party thus against you and made them wish for an Episcopacy doubly reformed 1 with better Bishops 2 with less secular power and smaller Diocesses § 92. Some moderate worthy men did excellently well answer this Book of Dr. Patrick's so as would have stated matters rightly but the danger of the Times made them suppress them and so they were never printed But Mr. Rowles late Minister at Thistleworth printed an Answer which sufficiently opened the faultiness of what he wrote against but wanting the Masculine strength and cautelousness
them as we could and not to hold any Communion with any that did Conform having Printed his Third Reviling Libel against me called for my Third Reply which I Entitled The Church told of c. But being Printed without License Lestrange the Searcher Surprized part of it in the Press there being lately greater Penalties laid on them that Print without License than ever before And about the Day that it came out Mr. Bagshaw died a Prisoner though not in Prison Which made it grievous to me to think that I must seem to write against the Dead While we wrangle here in the dark we are dying and passing to the World that will decide all our Controversies And the safest Passage thither is by peaceable Holiness § 196. About Ian. 1. the King caused his Exchequer to be shut up So that whereas a multitude of Merchants and others had put their Money into the Banker's hands and the Bankers lent it to the King and the King gave Order to pay out no more of it of a Year the murmur and complaint in the City was very great that their Estates should be as they called it so surprized And the rather because it being supposed âo be in order to the Assisting of the French in a War against the Dutch they took a Year to be equal to perpetuity and the stop to be a loss of all seeing Wars use to increase Necessities and not to supply them And among others all the Money and Estate except 10 l. per Ann. for 11 or 12 Years that I had in the World of my own not given away to others whom Charity commanded me to give it to for their Maintenance before was there which indeed was not my own which I will mention to Counsel any Man that would do good to do it speedily and with all their might I had got in all my Life the just Sum of 1000 l. Having no Child I devoted almost all of it to a Charitable Use a Free-School c. I used my best and ablest Friends for 7 Years with all the Skill and Industry I could to help me to some Purchase of House or Land to lay it out on that it might be accordingly setled And though there were never more Sellers I could never by all these Friends hear of any that Reason could encourage a Man to lay it out on as secure and a tolerable Bargain So that I told them I did perceive the Devil's Resistance of it and did verily suspect that he would prevail and I should never settle but it would be lost So hard is it to do any good when a Man is fully resolved that divers such Observations verily confirm me That there are Devils that keep up a War against Goodness in the World § 197. The great Preparations of the French to invade the Vnited Provinces and of the English to assist them do make now the Protestants Hearts to tremble and to think that the Low Countries will be Conquered and with them the Protestant Cause deeply endangered Though their vicious worldly Lives deserve God's Judgments on themselves yet they are a great part of the Protestants Humane Strength But the Issue must expound God's purposes without which Men's Designs are vain § 198. This Year a new Play-House being built in Salisbury-Court in Fleet-Street called the Duke of York's the Lord Mayor as is said desired of the King that it might not be the Youth of the City being already so corrupted by Sensual Pleasures but he obtained not his desire And this Ian. 1671. the King's Play-House in Drury Lane took Fire and was burnt down but not alone for about fifty or sixty Houses adjoyning by Fire and blowing up accompanied it § 199. A Stranger calling himself Sam. Herbert wrote me a Letter against the Christian Religion and the Scriptures as charging them with Contradictions and urged me to answer them which I did And his Name inviting my memory I adjoyned an Answer to the Strength of a Book heretofore written by Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury some-time Ambassador in France the Author of the History of Henry VII called de Veritate being the most powerful Assault against the Christian Religion placing all the Religion that 's certain in the Common or Natural Notices I entitled the Book More Reasons for the Christian Religion and none against it Or a Second Appendix to the Reason for the Christian Religion § 200. The foresaid Mr. Hinkley by his impertinent Answer to my former Letters extorted from me a large Reply but when I was sending it him in Writing I heard that he intended to Print some scraps of it with his Papers the better to put them off Whereupon I sent him word he should not have them till he satisfied me that he would not so abuse them c. The rather because 1. The Subject of them was much to prove that the War was raised in England by an Episcopal Parliament jealous of other Episcopal Men as to Popery and Propriety 2. And it was so much against Diocesanes and their new Oaths as would much displease them 3. And in a sharper stile than was fit for publick View And as to the first Reason I was afraid lest any Papists would lay hold of it to make any Princes that already hate the the Non-conformists and Presbyterians to hate the Conformists and Prelatists also and so to seem themselves the most Loyal And I had rather they hated and cast off the Non-conformists alone than both This mindeth me to add that § 201. About a Year ago one Henry Fowlis Son to Sir David Fowlis an Oxford Man who had wrote against the Presbyterians with as filthy a Language almost as a man in his Wits could do having written also against the Papists His Book after his Death was Printed in a large Folio so opening the Principles and Practices of Papists against Kings their Lives and Kingdoms by multitudes of most express Citatioâs from their own Writers that the like hath not before been done by any Man nor is there extant such another Collection on that Subject though he left out the Irish Massacre But whereas the way of the Papists is to make a grievous Complaint against any Book that is written effectually against them as injurious as they did against Pet. Moulin's Answer to Philanax Anglicus and against Dr. Stillingfleet's late Book or the contrary this Book being copious true Citations and History is so terrible to them that their method is to say nothing of it but endeavour to keep it unknown for of late they have left the disputing way and bend all their endeavours to creep into Houses and pervert Persons in secret but especially to insinuate into the Houses and Fantiliarity of all the Rulers of the World where they can be received § 202. The Death of some the worthy Labours and great Sufferings of others maketh me remember that the just characterizing of some of the Ministers of Christ that now suffered for not
186. 30. The third Sheet was called One Sheet for the Ministry against the Malignants of all sorts containing those Reasons for the present Ministry which shew the greatness of the Sin of those that set against them It was intended then against the Quakers and other Sectarian Enemies to the Ministry but is as useful for these Times and against those that on other pretences hate and silence and suppress them and might tell their Consciences what they do § 187. 31. The fourth Sheet I called A Second Sheet for the Ministry being a Defence of their Office as continued against the Seekers who pretend that the Ministry is ceased and lost And it may serve against the Papists that question our Call for want of a Succession and all their Spawn of Sectaries that are still setting themselves against the Ministry and against the Sacred Scriptures § 188. 32. Mr. William Montford being chosen Bayliff of Kiderminster desired me to write him down a few brief Instructions for the due Execution of his Office of Magistracy that he might so pass it as to have Comfort and not Trouble in the Review which having done considering how many Mayors and Bayliffs and Countrey Justices needed it as well as he I printed it in an open Sheet to stick upon a Wall Entituled Directions for Iustices of Peace especially in Corporations for the Discharge of their Duties to God suited to those Times § 189. 33. Mr. Iohn Dury having spent thirty Years in Endeavours to reconcile the Lutherans and Calvanists was now going over Sea again upon that Work and desired the Judgment of our Association how it should be successfully expedited which at their desire I drew up more largely in Latin and more briefly in English The English Letter he printed as my Letter to Mr. Dury for Pacification § 190. 34. About that time Mr. Ionathan Hanmer of Devonshire wrote a Treatise for Confirmation as the most expedient means to reform our Churches and reconcile all that disagree about the Qualification of Church Members I liked the Design so well having before written for it in my Treatise of Baptism that being requested I put a large Epistle before it and after that when some Brethren desired me to produce more Scripture Proof for it than he had done I wrote a small Treatise called Confirmation and Restauration the necessary means to Reformation and Reconciliation But the times changed before it could be much practised § 191. 35. Sergeant Shephard an honest Lawyer wrote a little Book of Sincerâty and Hypocrisy and in the end of it Mr. Tho. Barlow afterward Bishop of Lincoln wrote without his Name an Appendix in Confutation of a supposed Opinion of mine that Saving Grace differeth not Specie but Gradu from Common Grace To which I replied in a short Discourse called Of Saving Faith c. I had most highly valued the Author whom I wrote against long before for his Six Exercitations in the end of Schibler's Metaphysicks But in his Attempt against me he came quite below himself as I made manifest and he resolved to make no Answer to it In this Tractate the Printer plaid his part so shamefully that the Book is scarcely to be understood § 192. 36. Being greatly apprehensive of the Commonness and Danger of the Sin of Selfishness as the Summ and Root of all positive Evil I preached many Sermons against it and at the Request of some Friends I published them entituled A. Treatise of Self-denial which found better acceptance than most of my other but yet prevented not the ruine of Church and State and Millions of Souls by that Sin § 193. 37. After that I published Five Disputations about Church-Government in order to the Reconciliation of the differing Parties In the first I proved that the English Diocesance Prelacy is intollerable which none hath answered In the Second I have proved the Validity of the Ordination then exercised without Diocesanes in England which no Man hath answered though many have urged Men to be re-ordained In the third I proved that there are dives sorts of Episcopacy lawful and desirable In the fourth and fifth I shew the lawfulness of some Ceremonies and of a Liturgy and what is unlawful here This Book being published when Bishops Liturgy and Ceremonies were most decryed and opposed was of good use to declare my Judgment when the King came in for if I had said as much then I had been judged but a Temporizer But as it was effectual to settle many in a Moderation so it made abundance of Conformists afterwards or was pretended at least to give them Satisfaction Though it never medled with the greatest Parts of Conformity Renouncing Vows Assent and Consent to all things in three Books c. and though it unanswerably confuted our Prelacy and Re-ordination and consequently the Renunciation of the Vow against Prelacy and opposed the Cross in Baptism But Sicvitant Stulti Vitia as my Aphorisms made some Arminians If you discover an Error to an injudicious Man he reeleth into the contrary Error and it is hard to stop him in the middle Verity § 194. 38. At the same time I published another Book against Popery fit for the defensive part and instructing Protestants how to answer any Papist It is entituled A Key for Catholicks to open the jugling of the Iesuits and satisfie all that are but truly willing to understand whether the Cause of the Roman or Reformed Churches be of God In this Treatise proving that the Blood of the King is not by Papists to be charged upon Protestants I plainly hazarded my Life against the Powers that then were and grievously incensed Sir H. vane as is before declared And yet Mr. I. N. was so tender of the Papists Interest that having before been offended with me for a Petition against Popery and a Justice of all times spake against it on the Bench and his Displeasure encreased by this Book he took occasion since the King came in to write against me for those very Passages which condemned the King-killers Because comparing the Case with the Doctrine and Practice of the Papists I shewed that the Sectarians and Cromwelians had of the two a more plausible Pretence which I there recited he confuteth those Pretence of theirs as if they had been my own thereby to make the World believe that I wrote for the King's Death in the very Pages where to the hazard of my Life I wrote against it when he himself took the Engagement against the King and the House of Lords and was a Justice under Oliver and more than so signed Orders for the sequestring of others of the King's Party But the great Indignation against this Book and the former is that they were by Epistles directed to Ri. Cromwell as Lord Protector which I did only to provoke him that had Power to use it well when the Parliament had sworn Fidelity to him and that without any Word of Approbation to his Title Yet those that were
the Saints Rest where I have not said half that should have been said and the Reason was because that I had not read any of the fuller sort of Books that are written on those Subjects nor conversed with those that knew more than my self and so all those things were either new or great to me which were common and small perhaps to others and because they all came in by the way of my own Study of the naked matter and not from Books they were apt to affect my mind the more and to seem greater than they were And this Token of my Weakness accompanied those my younger Studies that I was very apt to start up Controversies in the way of my Practical Writings and also more desirous to acquaint the World with all that I took to be the Truth and to assault those Books by Name which I thought did tend to deceive them and did contain unsound and dangerous Doctrine And the Reason of all this was that I was then in the vigour of my youthfull Apprehensions and the new Appearance of any sacred Truth it was more apt to affect me and be highlyer valued than afterward when commonness had dulled my Delight and I did not sufficiently discern then how much in most of our Controversies is verbal and upon mutual Mistakes And withal I know not how impatient Divines were of being contradicted nor how it would stir up all their Powers to defend what they have once said and to rise up against the Truth which is thus thrust upon them as the mortal Enemy of their Honour And I knew not how hardly Mens Minds are charged from their former Apprehensions be the Evidence never so plain And I have perceived that nothing so much hindreth the Reception of the Truth as urging it on Men with too harsh Importunity and falling too heavily on their Errors For hereby you engage their Honour in the business and they defend their Errors as themselves and stir up all their Wit and Ability to oppose you In controversies it is fierce Opposition which is the Bellows to kindle a resisting Zeal when if they be neglected and their Opinions lie a while despised they usually cool and come again to themselves though I know that this holdeth not when the Greediness and Increase of his Followers doth animate a Sectary even though he have no Opposition Men are so loth to be drenched with the Truth that I am no more for going that way to work and to confess the Truth I am lately much prone to the contrary Extream to be too indifferent what Men hold and to keep my Judgment to my self and never to mention any thing wherein I differ from another or any thing which I think I know more than he or at least if he receive it not presently to silence it and leave him to his own Opinion And I find this Effect is mixed according to its Causes which are some good and some bad The bad Causes are 1. An Impatience of Mens weakness and mistaking frowardness and Self-conceitedness 2. An Abatement of my sensible Esteem of Truth through the long abode of them on my Mind Though my Judgment value them yet it is hard to be equally affected with old and common things as with new and rare ones The better Causes are 1. That I am much more sensible than ever of the necessity of living upon the Principles of Religion which we are all agreed in and uniting these and how much Mischief Men that over-value their own Opinions have done by their Controversies in the Church how some have destroyed Charity and some caused Schisms by them and most have hindered Godlyness in themselves and others and used them to divert Men from the serious prosecuting of a holy Life and as Sir Francis Bacon saith in his Essay of Peace that it 's one great Benefit of Church-Peace and Concord that writing Controversies is turned into Books of practical Devotion for increase of Piety and Virtue 2. And I find that it 's much more for most Mens Good and Edification to converse with them only in that way of Godliness which all are agreed in and not by touching upon Differences to stir up their Corruptions and to tell them of little more of your knowledge than what you find them willing to receive from you as meer Learners and therefore to stay till they crave Information of you as Musculus did with the Anabaptists when he visited them in Prison and conversed kindly and lovingly with them and shewed them all the Love he could and never talkt to them of their Opinions till at last they who were wont to call him a Deceiver and false Prophet did intreat him to instruct them and received his Instructions We mistake Mens Diseases when we think there needeth nothing to cure their Errors but only to bring them the Evidence of Truth Alas there are many Distempers of Mind to be removed before Men are apt to receive that Evidence And therefore that Church is happy where Order is kept up and the Abilities of the Ministers command a reverend Submission from the Hearers and where all are in Christ's School in the distinct Ranks of Teachers and Learners For in a learning way Men are ready to receive the Truth but in a Disputing way they come armed against it with Prejudice and Animosity 3. And I must say farther that what I last mentioned on the by is one of the notablest Changes of my Mind In my youth I was quickly past my Fundamentals and was running up into a multitude of Controversies and greatly delighted with metaphisical and scholastick Writings though I must needs say my Preaching was still on the necessary Points But the elder I grew the smaller stress I layd upon these Controversies and Curiosities though still my intellect abhoâreth Confusion as finding far greater Uncertainties in them than I at first discerned and finding less Usefulness comparatively even where there is the greatest Certainty And now it is the fundamental Doctrines of the Catechism which I highliest value and daily think of and find most useful to my self and others The Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments do find me now the most acceptable and plentiful matter for all my Meditations They are to me as my daily Bread and Drink And as I can speak and write of them over and over again so I had rather read or hear of them than of any of the School Niceties which once so much pleased me And thus I observed it was with old Bishop Usher and with many other Men And I conjecture that this Effect also is mixt of good and bad according to its Causes The bad Cause may perhaps be some natural Infirmity and Decay And as Trees in the Spring shoot up into Branches Leaves and Blossoms But in the Autumn the Life draws down into the Root so possibly my Nature conscious of its Infirmity and Decay may find it self insufficient for numerous Particles and
last Sermon there upon Christ's words on the Cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do I was accused of it as a heinous Crime as having preached against the burning of the Covenant which I never medled with nor was it done till after the Sermon nor did I know when it was done no mind it nor did I apply the Text to any Matters of those present Times but only in general to perswade the Hearers to the forgiving of Injuries and maintaining Charity in the midst of the greatest Temptations to the contrary and to remember that it was the Tempter's Design by every wrong which they received to get advantage for the weakening of their Love to those that did it which therefore they should with double care maintain This was the true scope of that Sermon which deserved Death or Banishment as all my Pacificatory Endeavours had done § 257. When I came back to London my Book called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance was coming out of the Press And my affection to my People of Kidderminster caused me by a short Epistle to direct it to them and because I could never after tell them publickly being Silenced I told them here the occasion of my removal from them and my silencing for brevity summing up the principal things in my Charge And because I said This was the Cause the Bishop took advantage as if I had said This was the whole Cause when the Conference between him and me was half an hour long and not fit to be wholly inserted in a short Epistle where I intended nothing but the sum But the Bishop took occasion hereupon to gather up all that ever he could say to make me odious and especially out of my Holy Commonwealth and our Conference at the Savoy where he gathered up a scrap of an Assertion which he did not duly understand and made it little less than Heresie and this he published in a Book called A Letter which I truly profess is the fullest of palpable Untruths in Matter of Fact that ever I saw Paper to my remembrance in all my Life The words which he would render me so abhorred for are our denial of Dr. Pierson's and Dr. Gunning's c. Propositions about the innocency of Laws which command Things evil by Accident only where the Bishop never discerned unless he dissemble it the Reasons of our Denial nor the Proposition denied The very words of the Dispute being printed before and I having fully opened the Bishops Mistakes in an Answer to him I shall not here stope the Reader with it again § 258. But this vehement Invective of the Bishop's presently taught all that desired his Favour and the improvement of his very great Interest for their Ends to talk in all Companies at the same rates as he had done and to speak of me as he had spoken and those that thought more was necessary to their hopes presented the Service of their Pens Dr. Boreman of Trinity Colledge wrote a Book without his Name and had no other design in it than to make me odious nor any better occasion for his writing than this There had many years before past divers Papers between Dr. Thomas Hill then Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and me about the Point of Physical efficient Predetermination as necessary to every Action natural and free I had written largely and earnestly against Predetermination and he a little for it In the end of it the Calamities of the Sectarian times and some Sicknesses among my Friends had occasioned me to vent my moan to him as my Friend and therein to speak of the doubtfulness of the Cause of the former War and what reason there was to be diligent in search and prayer about it When Dr. Hill was dead Dr. Boreman came to see these Papers Both the Subjects he must needs know were such as tended rather to my Esteem than to my Disparagement with the Men of these Times Certainly the Arminians will be angry with no Man for being against Predetermination and I think they will pardon him for questioning the Parliaments Wars Yet did this disingenious Dr. make a Book on this occasion to seek Preferment by reproaching me for he knew not what But to make up the matter he writeth that it is reported That I killed a Man in ãâ¦ã with my own hands in the Wars Whereas God knoweth that I never hurt ãâã in my Life no never gave a Man a stroke save one Man when I was a Boy whose Legg I broke with wrestling in jest which almost broke my heart with âreif though he was quickly cured But the Dr. knowing that this might be soon disproved cautiously gave me some Lenitives to perswade me to bear it patiently telling me that if it be not true I am not the first that have been thus abused but for ought I know he is the first that thus abused me I began to write an Answer to this Book but when I saw that Men did but laugh at it and those that knew the Man despised it and disswaded me from answering such a one I laid it by § 259. When the Bishop's Invective was read many Men were of many minds about the answering of it Those at a distance all cried out upon me to answer it Those at hand did all disswade me and told me that it would be Imprisonment at least to me if I did it with the greatest truth and mildness possible Both Gentlemen and all the City Ministers told me that it would not do half so much good as my Suffering would do hurt and that none believed it but the engaged Party and that to others an Answer was not necessary and to them it was unprofitable for they would never read it And I thought that the Judgment of Men that were upon the place and knew how things went was most to be regarded But yet I wrote a full Answer to his Book except about the words in my Holy Commonwealth which were not to be spoke to and kept it by me that I might use it as there was occasion At that time Mr. Ioseph Glanvile sent me the offer of his Service to write in my Defence He that wrote the Vanity of Dogmatizing and a Treatise for the Praexistence of Souls being a Platonist of free Judgment and of admired Parts and now one of the Royal Society of Philosophers and one that had a too excessive estimation of me as far above my desert as the malicious Party erred on the other side But I disswaded him from bringing himself into Suffering and making himself unserviceable for so low an end Only I gave him and no Man else my own Answer to peruse which he returned with his Approbation of it § 260. But Mr. Edward Bagshaw Son to Mr. Bagshaw the Lawyer that wrote Mr. Bolton's Life without my knowledge wrote a Book in Answer to the Bishops I could have wisht he had let it alone For the Man hath
themselves believed it that the love of Kiderminster would make me Conform and they concurred in vending the Report insomuch that one certainly told me that he came then from a worthy Minister to whom the Arch-bishop of York Sterne spake these Words Take it on my Word Mr. Baxter doth Conform and is gone to his Beloved Kiderminster And so both Parties concurred in the false Report though one only raised it § 151. Another Accident fell out also which promoted it For Mr. Crofton having a Tryal as I hear upon the Oxford Act of Confinement at the King's Bench Judge Keeling said You need not be so hasty for I hear that Mr. Crofton is about to Conform And Judge Morton said And I hear that Mr. Baxter hath a Book in the Press against their private Meetings Judge Rainsford said somewhat that he was glad to hear it and Judge Morton again That it was but time for the Quakers in Buckingham-shire he was confident were Acted by the Papists for they spake for Purgatory already This Talk being used in so high a Court of Justice by the Grave and Reverend Judges all Men thought then that they might lawfully believe it and report it So Contagious may the Breath of one Religious Man be as to infect his Party and of that Religious Party as to infect the Land and more than one Land with the belief and report of such ungrounded Lies § 152. At the same time in the end of my Life of Faith I Printed a Revocation of my Book called Political Aphorisms or A Holy Common-wealth which exasperated those who had been for the Parliament's War as much as the former but both together did greatly provoke them Of which I must give the Reader this Advertisement I wrote that Book 1659. by the provocation of Mr. Iames Harrington the Author of Oceana and next by the Endeavours of Sir Hen. Vane for a Common-wealth Not that I had any Enmity to a well ordered Democracy but 1. I knew that Cromwell and the Army were resolved against it and it would not be 2. And I perceived that Harrington's Common-wealth was fitted to Heathenism and Vane's to Fanaticism and neither of them would take Therefore I thought that the improvement of our Legal Form of Government was best for us And by Harrington's Scorn Printed in a half Sheet of Gibberish was then provoked to write that Book But the madness of the several Parties before it could be Printed pull'd down Rich. Cromwell and chang'd the Government so oft in a few Months as brought in the King contrary to the hopes of his closest Adherents and the expectations of almost any in the Land And ever since the King came in that Book of mine was preached against before the King spoken against in the Parliament and wrote against by such as desired my Ruine Morley Bishop of Worcester and many after him branded it with Treason and the King was still told that I would not retract it but was still of the same mind and ready to raise another War and a Person not to be indured New Books every Year came out against it and even Men that had been taken for Sober and Religious when they had a mind of Preferment and to be taken notice of at Court and by the Prelates did fall on Preaching or Writing against me and specially against that Book as the probablest means to accomplish their Ends. When I had endured this ten Years and found no stop but that still they proceeded to make me odious to the King and Kingdom and seeking utter ruine this way I thought it my Duty to remove this stumbling Block out of their way and without recanting any particular Doctrine in it to revoke the Book and to disown it and desire the Reader to take it as non Scriptum and to tell him that I repented of the writing of it And so I did Yet telling him That I retracted none of the Doctrine of the first Part which was to prove the Monarch of God but for the sake of the whole second Part I repented that I wrote it For I was resolved at least to have that much to say against all that after wrote and preach'd and talk'd against it That I have revoked that Book and therefore shall not defend it And the incessant bloody Malice of the Reproachers made me heartily wish on two or three accounts that I had never written it 1. Because it was done just at the fall of the Government and was buried in onr ruines and never that I know of did any great good 2. Because I find it best for Ministers to meddle as little as may be with Matters of Poliây how great soever their Provocations may be and therefore I wish that I had never written on any such Subject 3. And I repented that I meddled against Vane and Harrington which was the second Part in Defence of Monarchy seeing that the Consequents had been no better and that my Reward had been to be silenced imprisoned turned out of all and reproached implacably and incessantly as Criminal and never like to see an end of it He that had wrote for so little and so great displeasure might be tempted as well as I to wish that he had sat still and let GOD and Man alone with Matters of Civil Policy Though I was not convinced of many Errors in that Book so called by some Accusers to recant yet I repented the writing of it as an infelicity and as that which did no good but hurt § 153. But because an Appendix to that Book had given several Reasons of my adhering to the Parliament at first many thought I changed my Judgment about the first part of the Parliament's Cause And the rather because I disclaimed the Army's Rebellious Overthrows of Government as I had always done I knew I could not revoke the Book but the busie pevishness of censorious Professors would fall upon me as a Revolter And I knew that I could not for bear the said Revocation without those ill Effects which I supposed greater And which was worst of all I had no possible Liberty further to explain any Reasons § 154. When my Cure of Church Divisions came out the sober Party of Ministers were reconciled to it especially the Ancienter sort and those that had seen the Eviâs of Separation But some of the London Ministers who had kept up Publick Assemblies thought it should have been less sharp and some thought because they were under the Bishop's Severities that it was unseasonable For the Truth is most Men judged by Sense and take that to be good or bad which they feel do them good or hurt at the present And because the People's Alienation from the Prelates and Liturgy and Parish-Churches did seem to make against the Prelates and to make for the Nonconformist's Interest they thought it not Prudence to gratifie the Prelates so far as to gain-say it And so they considered not from whence dividing Principles come
Subscriptions have better invitation to conform in other things Bishop Morley Bishop Ward and Bishop Dolbin spake ordinarily their desires of it but after long talk there is nothing done which maketh Men variously interpret their Pretensions which time at last will more certainly expound Some think that they are real in their desires and that the âindrance is from the Court And others say they would never have been the grand causes of our present Case if it had been against their Wills and that if they are yet truly willing of any healing they will shew it by more than their discourses as a Man would do when the City was on Fire that had a mind to quench it and that all this is but that the Odium may be diverted from themselves while that which they take on them to fear is accomplished But I hope yet they are not so bad as this Censure doth suppose But it 's strange that those same Men that so easily led the Parliament to what is done when they had given the King thanks for his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs can do nothing to bring them to moderate abatements and the healing of our Breaches if they are truly willing For my part I suspend my Judgment of their Intents till the Event shall make me understand it Grant Lord that it be not yet too late for Charity commandeth us to take nothing of others minds for certain till we have certain Proof how perilous soever our Charitable hopes may prove § 180. Mr. Bagshaw wrote a Second Book against my Defence full of untruths which the furious temerarious Man did utter or the rashness of his Mind which made him so little heed what he had read and answered as that one would scarce think he had ever read my Book I replied to him in an Admonition telling him of his mistakes To which he pretended a Rejoinder in a third Libel but I found as I was told that his design was to silence almost all that I said and to say all that he thought might make me odious because that those that read his Books would not read mine and so would believe him and be no whit informed by my answers at all § 181. This same year 1671. I was desired by my Friend and Neighbour Mr. Iohn Corbet to write somewhat to satisfie a good man that was fallen into deep melancholly feeding it daily with the thoughts of the number that will be damned and tempted by it to constant Blasphemy against the goodness of God who could save them and would not but decreed their damnation And I wrote a few Sheets called The vindication of God's Goodness which Mr. Corbet with a prefixed Epistle published § 182. Also Dr. Ludov. Molineus was so vehemently set upon by the crying down of the Papal and Prelatical Government that he thought it was the work that he was sent into the World for to convince Princes that all Government was in themselves and no proper Government but only Perswasion belonged to the Churches to which end he wrote his Paraenesis contra aedificatores Imperii in Imperio and his Papa Vltrajectinus and other Tractates and thrust them on me to make me of his mind and at last wrote his Iugulum Causae with no less than seventy Epistles before it directed to Princes and men of Interest among whom he was pleased to put one to me The good Man meant rightly in the main but had not a head sufficiently accurate for such a Controversie and so could not perceive that any thing could be called properly Government that was no way coactive by Corporal Penalties To turn him from the Erastian Extreme and end that Controversie by a Reconciliation I published an Hundred Propositions conciliatory and of the difference between the Magistrate's power and the Pastor's § 183. Also one Dr. Edward Fowler a very ingenious sober Conformist wrote two Books One anâ Apology for the Latitudinarians as they were then called the other entitled Holyness the design of Christianianity in which he sometimes put in the word only which gave offence and the Book seemed to some to have a scandalous design to obscure the Glory of free Iustification under pretence of extolling Holiness as the only design of Man's Redeemption Which occasioned a few Sheets of mine on the said Book and Question for reconciliation and clearing up of the Point Which when Mr Fowler saw he wrote to me to tell me that he was of my Judgment only he had delivered that more generally which I opened more particulary and that the word only was Hyperbolically spoken as I had said but he spake feelingly against those quarrelsome men that are readier to censure than to understand I returned him some advice to take heed lest their weakness and censoriousness should make him too angry and impatient with Religious People as the Prelates are and so run into greater Sin than theirs and favour a looser Party because they are less censorious To which he returned me so ingenious and hearty thanks as for as great Kindness as ever was shewed him as told me that free and friendly Counsel to wise and good men is not lost § 184. I was troubled this Year with multitudes of melancholly Persons from several Parts of the Land some of high Quality some of low some very exquisitely learned some unlearned as I had in a great measure been above twenty years before I know not how it came to pass but if men fell melancholly I must hear from them or see them more than any Physician that I know Which I mention only for these three uses to the Reader that out of all their Cases I have gathered 1. That we must very much take heed lest we ascribe Melancholy Phantasms and Passions to God's Spirit for they are strange apprehensions that Melancholy can cause though Bagshaw revile me for such an intimation as if it were injurious to the Holy Ghost 2. I would warn all young Persons to live modestly and keep at a sufficient distance from Objects that tempt them to carnal Lust and to take heed of wanton Dalliance and the beginnings or Approaches of this Sin and that they govern their Thoughts and Senses carefully For I can tell them by the sad Experience of many that venerous Crimes leave deep wounds in the Conscience and that those that were never guilty of Fornication are oft cast into long and lamentable Troubles by letting Satan once into their Phantasies from whence 'till Objects are utterly distant he is hardly got out especially when they are guilty of voluntary active Self-pollution But above all I warn young Students and Apprentices to avoid the beginnings of these Sins for their Youthfulness and Idleness are oft the incentives of it when poor labouring Men are in less danger and they little know what one Spark may kindle 3. I advise all Men to take heed of placing Religion too much in Fears and Tears and Scruples or in any other kind of
Churches for we must love each other and promote the Work of Christ in each others hands as the old Godly Conformists and Nonconformists did and we now do with the Godly Part of the Conformists Our Work is not to keep up a Combination against our Superiours nor to strengthen a Faction but to Combine for Godliness and to strengthen our selves in the proper work of the Gospel which we must do though some Conform and some do not 11. And our Superiours will be the less Jealous of us as to Sedition when they see us so divided in Point of Conformity than if they see us strengthened by the Unity of a distinct Party 12. And especially the Unity of such as Conform with the present Conformists will strengthen the Publick Ministery against Papists Infidels and all Vngodliness And our continued Division will be the strength of all these 13. And it is a weighty Consideration that the keeping up of the different Parties tempteth all the People of the Land to continual Censuring Uncharitableness and contending and unavoidably destroyeth Love and Concord and so keepeth Men in constant Sin On all these Reasons they were most for as much Union with the Parish-Ministers and joyning with them as the Parliament would allow them § 216. But now they found that there was little hopes of obtaining any such thing For they that were most for Toleration were most against our Comprehension by Abatement of any of the Impositions and they were many 1. All the Papists and their secret Friends were most opposite to Abatements For it was their Design from the beginning to get our Pressures to be as sharp as possible that so we might have as much need as they of a Toleration and might be forced to Petition for the opening of the Door by which they might come in or speed at least no worse than the Nonconformists 2. Those that were for the Increase of the Regal Power and Interest did very well know that the more grievously good People and so great a number were used by Parliaments and Laws the more certainly Nature and Interest would lead them to fly from them to the King for ease and refuge And also that when Men's Religion and Liberties are in the Power and at the Mercy of the King their Estates must be so too For who will not rather part with his Money than his Liberty and Religion Yea and Men's Hearts will be more with him that saveth them than with those that destinate them to Jayls and Beggery 3. And the Independents Separatists and all the Sectaries were commonly against a Comprehension for the Reasons before given Only the visible Necessities of the Nation do so strongly work towards it that doubtless in time they will prevail with the Wills of those that are for the Protestant Religion and for Property but whether Consent and Repentings will come too late God only knoweth and time must tell us § 217. In the end of May 1672. was another Sea-Fight with the Dutch with like Success as the former The Earl of Sandwich and others of ours lost and they parted without any notable Victory or Advantage of either Party but that they had kill'd one another § 218. In May and Iune the French suddenly took abundance of the Dutch-Gaâââsons § 219. In Iuly and Aâgust the Dutch-Rabble tumultuously rose up against their Governours for the Prince of Orange and murdered De Wit and his Brother § 220. In Answer to a Book of Dr. Fulwood's I now Published a small Book without my Name against the Desertion of our Ministry though prohibited proving it Sacriledge to Alienate Consecrated Persons from the Sacred Office to which they are Devoted § 221. There came out a Posthumous Book of A. Bishop Bromhall's against my Book called The Grotian Religion In which 1. He passeth over the express words of Grotius which I had cited which undoubtedly prove what I said yea though I had since largely Englished them and recited them in the Second Part of my Key for Catholicks with a full Confirmation of my Proofs 2. And he feigneth me to make him a Grotian and Confederate in his Design when-as I not only had no such Word but had expresly excepted him by Name as imputing no such thing to him And before the Book was a long Preface of Mr. Parker's most vehement against Dr. Oxen and some-what against my self To which Mr. ândrew Marvel a Parliament Man Burgess for Hull did Publish an Answer so exceeding Jocular as thereby procured abundance of Readers and Pardon to the Author Because I perceived that the Design of A. Bishop Brombal's Book was for the Uniting of Christendom under the old Patriarchs of the Roman Imperial Church and so under the Pope as the Western Patriarch and Principium Vnitatis I had thought the design and this Publication look'd dangerously and therefore began to write an Answer to it But Mr. Simmons my Bookseller came to me and told me That Roger Lestrange the Over-seer of the Printers sent for him and told him That he heard I was Answering Bishop Bromball and Swore to him most vehemently that if I did it he would ruin him and me and perhaps my Life should be brought in question And I perceived the Bookseller durst not Print it and so I was fain to cast it by which I the easilier did because the main Scope of all the Book was fully answered long before in the fore-said Second Part of my Key for Catholicks § 222. Many Changes in Ireland much talk'd of I pass over § 223. Dr. Fulwood wrote a jocular deriding Answer to my Treatise against Saâilegious Desertion of the Ministry and after that Printed an Assize Sermon against Separating from the Parish-Ministers Divers called on me to Reply to the first and I told them I had better Work to do than Answer every Script against me But while I demurred Dr. Fulwood wrote me an extraordinary kind Letter offering to do his best to the Parliament for our Union and Restoration which ended my Thoughts of that but I know not of any thing to purpose done § 224. Mr. Giles Firmin a Silenced Minister writing some-what against my Method and Motions for Heavenly Meditation in my Saint's Rest as too strict and I having Answered him he wrote a weak Reply which I thought not worthy of a Rejoinder § 225. On Octob. 11. I fell into a dangerous Fit of Sickness which God in his wonted Mercy did in time so far remove as to return me to some Capacity of Service § 226. I had till now forborn for several Reasons to seek a License for Preaching from the King upon the Toleration But when all others had taken theirs and were settled in London and other places as they could get opportunity I delayed no longer but sent to seek one on condition I might have it without the Title of Independent Presbyterian or any other Party but only as a Nonconformist And before I sent Sir Thomas Player Chamberlain
Prisoners and helpeth them to books and preacheth repentance to them The poor and the ignorant are those that he liveth for doing good to Soul and Body daily save that he Soliciteth the Rich to contribute to such uses The reading of Mr. Ios. Allen's Life hath raised his Resolution and Activity to such a Course of Life which was far higher than other Mens before § 268. Mr. Sherlock's book before mentioned making a great noise and he and the Author of the sober Inquiry and others of them when they reproached other Nonconformists being pleased to put in some Exceptions of me by Name I thought my self the more obliged to disown their Miscarriages And I first in Discourse sought to convince Mr. Sherlock and lest he should not either understand or report me aright Writings being surer Vindications than Memory I sent him some Animadversions which have since been Printed § 269. My old friend Dr. Thomas Good now published a book called Dubitantius and Firâianus against Atheism Infidelity Popery and then Presbytery Independency and Anabaptistry very superficial He was formerly indeed a professed Prelatist but moderate and himself never hindered from his Ministerial work and maintenance and joyned with us in our Disputations at Kederminster and our Concord in Worcestershire among the dissenting parties Yet being Canon of Hereford and Mr. of Baliol Colledge in Oxford tho old waiting for more he asserted in his Book that they were confessed things indifferent that we refused Conformity for and that all the Nonconformists without Exception had a hand in the late King's Death one way or other by Consent c. The Impudency of which assertion moved me to write the Contradiction here adjoined To my Reverend Friend Dr. Good Mr. of Baliol Coledge in Oxford Reverend and Worthy Sir IT is now about a Month since I received a Letter from you for the furthering of a good work which I sent to Mr. Foley by his Son Mr. Paul F. not having opportunity my self to see him I have stayed so long for an Answer not hearing yet from him that I think it not meet any longer to forbear to acquaint you with the Reasons of the delay He liveth quite at the other end of London from me and my weakness and business keep me much within Doors and it 's hard to find him within except at those hours when I am constrained to be in bed But I have reason to Conjecture that his Answer will be 1. That the Rich men whose Judgments are for Conformity are far more Numerous than those of another mind and therefore fitter to promote that work And there are so very few that do any thing for the ejected Ministers that some of them live on brown bread and water which hindereth these Gentlemen from other kind of Charitable works 2. And I must crave your patience being confident by your ancient kindness of your friendly Interpretation while I tell you that this day I heard one say we can expect that Dr. Good do make his Scholars no beter than himself And what reason have we to maintain and breed up Men to use us as he hath done in his late Treatise I got the book and was glad to find much good and several moderate passages in it And I knew you so well that I could not but expect moderation But when I perused the passages referred to I could say no more for them but that I would write to you to hear your Answer about them For I confess they surprized me Tho at the same time I received many new books of a sanguine Complexion from other hands without Admiration I. The first passage referred to was pag. 104. Which are confessedly things indifferent This is spoken indefinitely of the Presbyterians Where have I lived I know not one Presbyterian living that divideth from you for any thing which he confesseth indifferent I crave your Answer containing the proof of this At least to name some one of them that we may reprove him We take conformity to be so far from indifferent that we forbear to tell the World the greatness of the Sin which we think to be in it lest Men cannot bear it and lest it should disaffect the people to the Ministry of the Conformists II. Your pag. 156. I pass by The main matter is pag. 160. 161. that tho All the Nonconformists were not in Actual Arms against the King nor did they all as natural Agents cut off his head but morally that is very sinfully and wickedly they had their hand stained with that Royal blood For whosoever did Abet these Sons of Belial in their Rebellions Treasons Murders of their King and fellow Subjects either by consenting to their Villanies praying for their Prosperity praising God for their Successes c. The Charge is high If it be not true 1. They are almost as deeply wronged as you can wrong them 2. Our Rulers are wronged by being so provoked to abhor them Silence and Destroy them 3. Posterity is wronged by a misinforming History I. You are too old to be ignorant that it was an Episcopal and Erastian Parliament of Conformists that first took up those Arms in England against the King The Members yet living profess that at that time they knew but one Presbyterian in the House of Commons Interest forced or led them to call in the Scots and Presbytery came in with them If you doubt of it see the Propositions to the King at Nottingham where a Limited Episcopacy is one II. The Lord Lieutenants that seized on the Militia were far most Conformists and scarce any Presbyterians at all III. The General Officers and Colonels of the Earl of Essex Army were ten to one Conformists and few if any Presbyterians save after deboist Mercenary Scots if they were such which I know not And the General Episcopal himself IV. The Major Generals of the Militia in the several Countries were mostly Conformists and Scarce any Presbyterians V. The assembly at Westminster when they went thither were all Conformists save about 8 or 9 and the Scots Commissioners VI. One of the two Arch-Bishops was a General in the Parliament's Army VII Many of the present Conformable Ministers were in Arms against the King and some wrote for his Death and many of them took the Covenant and Engagement VIII The most of the conformable Gentry of my acquaintance that were put upon it took the Engagement against the King and House of Lords IX The Non-conformable Ministers of Gloucestershier Mr. Geery Mr. Capell Mr. Marshall c. were against the Parliament's War though the Parliament's Gaââison was over them Mr. Bampfield who hath lain 6 or 7 years in the common Jail for Preaching with his Brother sometimes Speaker of the House of Commons were so much against the Parliament's Cause that to this day even while he lay in Jail he most zealously made his followers renounce it Many Non-conformists in many Counties were of the same mind X. Many of the Non-conformists lived in
a Nonconformist and is your Address to your self or do you take the Word Church there also equivocally and improperly If so you should have said so The Prelatists grant with Cyprian that ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia and with Ignatius that to every church there is one Bishop with his Presbyters c. No King no Kingdom no Master no School nor Family no Bishop no Church Therefore the Prelatists hold that we have no true proper Church below a Diocesan and that Parishes are not Churches but Chappels or parts of a Church and this is not the least part of our Nonconformity how hold that Parishes are or should be true Churches and not only parts of a Church in fini ordinis without any proper Bishop Tell me better I pray which side you here intend to take Quest. 4. Seeing p. 111. c. you very well plead for the Power of Kings in Determination of Parish-Bounds and Church Orders as under the Jewish Polity and the new way of the Conformists is so far contrary as that they hold that if a Bishop command one Time one Place one Translation Metre Ceremony Utensil c. and the King another that the Bishop is to be obeyed before the King because it belongs not to him but to the Church Is it the New Conformity in this that you are for or for the old and the Nonconformists who in this Agree Quest. 5. Some Words p. 124 125. move me to ask you whether such Anabaptists as you formerly taught and joined with or the ignorant irreligious vulgar as you then accounted them were the better People If the Religion of them that mind little of God or Life Eternal further than to join with the Church be the true State of Regeneration and Holiness were it not more worth your Labour to write a Book against that which now we take for Holiness seeking first God's Kingdom and Righteousness But if other Wise and Pious Sectaries be better than impious Churchmen were those times so much better than these as you describe them in which there was not one counted Religious e. g. from 1625. till 1637. for Three that I say not for Ten or Twenty that are now in most places that I have known Quest. 6. And I add hath not Scotland kept out Sects without our Conformity more effectually than Conformity here kept them out Quest. 7. P. 129. Had you nothing but Suspicion and Opinion to oppugn and must that be granted you and yet have lived so long where you live Quest. 8. Because you talk so much of Shism sinful in it self without ever telling us exactly how to know it I pray tell me if Mr. Sangar Dr. Manton and such others should say to these Parishioners we are in the Relations which we were truly and justly stated in and because the Magistrate hath given others the Parish-Churches and the Tythes you separate from us and come not to our Assemblies therefore you set up a sinful Schism as some did in the Churches of the Roman Empire who adhered to Pastors put in by the Emperors while the People adhered to their former Pastors How shall I answer them better than they do you Quest. 9. Your Question p. 157. moveth me to put you to think it over again whether you think indeed as your Words import if all the People of England these fourteen Years past had heard no Sermon but in the Parish-Churches and so had heard none of the 2000 Nonconformists or neer that were silenced even in all those Parishes where the reading of the Liturgy is the far best and likeliest means of the Peoples Good and in all those Parishes where not one of very many hath any Church to hear in I say do you think that there would have been more Persons truly converted and saved by this means If you think that all these 1800 or 2000 Mens Preaching hath done and doth more harm than good had it not been a directer way to have written to them to convince them of it that they might cease of which more anon Pag. 161. You say If instead of this each Christian of you had kept to Parochial Communion and each outed Minister had kept their Residence among them and Communion with them as private Members in the Parish way and had also in a private Capacity joined with those Ministers which have succeeded them in doing all the Good they could in the Parish as by a private Application and Improvement of the publick Labours of their Minister together with Catechizing and other personal Instruction and Exhortation privately administred to the several Families in the Parish c. Quest. 10. Will you do us the Favour as to answer first those Books that be written to prove our Obligation to Preach such as Ios. Allen's Call to Archippus and my Sacrilegious Dissertion c. was not that to have gone before such Advises as this If you say Dr. Fullwood hath done it I beg of you to tell me what Arguments of his you think have done it while he yields the contrary Quest. 11. Would you have all those Ministers take this course that must lye in the Common Goal if they come within five Miles of the Place can they do it in Newgate If you say that the Act of Consinement had not been made but for Conventicles we have Proof of that nor is the Occasion now any Remedy for the future Quest. 12. Do you not know that Conformists will not endure us in this private Diligence which you speak of I will give you in the end an Instance from the Parish where I live Quest. 13. Do you well know what sort of Ministers are in too many Parishes of England I will not imtate the Gloscester Cobler in gathering up their Faults but only ask you if for Instance Mr. Corbet that was turned out of Bromshut had stayed there where Mr. Hook the Patron hath often told me that their Preacher was formerly an Ale-seller and was so common a Drunkard that he would be drunk in the Pulpit could you have advised him to do nothing but apply this Man's Sermons as you say When I was young the first place I lived in had four Readers successively some Drunkards all my Masters the next place had in my time an old Reader that never preached as had most of the Churches round about us his Curates were successively three Readers of which one never Preached one Preached and was a Stage-Player another my Master also a common Drunkard never preached but once and then he was stark drunk when the Old Man's Eyesight failed that was the chief Incumbent he said Common-Prayer by rote and one Year a Day Labourer and another Year a Taylor read the Scriptures and we had no more What Mr. Dance and Mr. Turner were at Kidderminster and Mitton Chappel I suppose you know Quest. 14. Would you have those Ministers take the Course which you describe in the Parishes where the generality of the People must be
Gospel will convince you to great Satisfaction as also of what Oppositions and Deâiverances and Preservations he met with there And you have here some Taââs and Informations of his Thoughts and Studies and of his Books and Letters to divers Persons of different Stations and Quality and also of what Pens and Spirits wrote against him He was of such Repute and Figure in his day as that many coveted to see his Face to hear his Voice and to receive his Resolution of weighty Cases of Conscience proposed to him And in all this you will find that verified of him which the Lord Bacon hath deliver'd from his Pen viz. Much Reading makes Men full Much Writing makes them judicious and acute and much Conversation makes them ready I have been amazed to see how hastily he turned over Volumes how intimately he understood them how strangely he retained his Reading and how pertinently he could use it to every proposed Case Men stayed not long for what they wrote to him about and what he wrote was to great satisfaction and to the purpose He wrote his Books with quick dispatch and never but when he thought them needful and his duty then to write them And when as the Reader well considers his Apology for his Books hereafter mentioned let him but seriously weigh what is alledged and accordingly form his Censures His mentioned and recited Casuistical Letters and Books savour at least of Thought and Pains and perhaps the Reader 's patient and attentive minding of both his mention'd Books and Letters will not be loss of time and pains And though through too much haste and heedlesness some few Escapes perhaps Inaccuracies in the beginning may distaste his curious eye yet a very few Pages following will yield him better Entertainment § VII But the great things which are as the Spirit of this History are the Accounts he gives of the Original Springs and Sources of all these Revolutions Distractions and Disasters which happen'd from the Civil Wars betwixt King Charles the First to the Restoration of Charles the Second and whaâ was Consequent after thereupon to Church and State And here we shall find various and great Occurrences springing from different Principles Tempers and Interests directed to different Ends and resolved into different Events and Issues The Historian endeavours to be faithful candid and severe Nothing of real serviceable Truth would he conceal Nothing but what was influential on and might or did affect the Publick Interest would he expose to Publick View Nothing that might be capable of candid Interpretation or Allay would he severely censure Nothing notoriously criminal and fatal to the Common Good would he pass by without his just Resentments of it and severe Reflections on it As to his immediate Personal acquaintance with or knowledge of the things reported by him I know no further of that than as he himself relates As to what he received from others by Report how far his Information was true or false I know not Indeed I wrote with tender and affectionate respect and reverence to the Doctors Name and Memory to Madam Owen to desire her to send me what she could well attested in favour of the Doctor that I might insert it in the Margent where he is mentioned as having an hand in that Affair at Wallingford House or that I might expunge that passage But this offer being rejected with more contemptuousness and smartness than my Civility deserved I had no more to do than to let that pass upon Record and to rely upon Mr. Baxter's report and the concurrent Testimonies of such as knew the Intreagues of those Times Yet that I might deal uprightly and upon the square I have mention'd this though obiter to testifie my Respects to him with whom I never was but once but I was treated by him then with very great Civility indeed § VIII I cannot deny but it would have been of great advantage to the acceptableness and usefulness of this Book had it's Reverend Author himself revised compleated and corrected it and published it himself I am sure it had ministred more abundantly to my satisfaction for I neither craved nor expected such a Trust and Legacy as his Manuscripts Nor knew I any thing of this his kind purpose and will till two or three days before he dyed My Heart akes exceedingly at every remembrance of my incumbent Trust and at the thoughts of my Account for all at last I am deeply sensible of my inability for such Work even to discouragement and no small Consternation of Spirit I want not apprehensions of the Pardon which I shall need from God and Candour from Men both which I humbly beg for as upon the knee I know the heart and kindness and clemency of my God through Jesus Christ But I know not yet what Men will think speak write concerning me God speak to Men for me or give me Grace and Wisdom to bear and to improve their Censures and Reflections if such things must be my Discipline and Lot Quo quisque est major magis est placabilis ira Et faciles motus mens Generosa capit Corpora Magnanimo satis est prostrasse Leont Pugna suum sinem cum jacet hostis habet At lupus turpes instant Morientibus ursi Et quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est Ovid. Trist. Eleg. iv However let the Reader bear with me if I attempt to obviate what I apprehend most likely for Men to reply and urge upon me by offering these things to serious and impartial Thoughts relating to 1. The Author 2. The Treatise 3. The Publication And 4. My self First the Author 1. He was one who lov'd to see and set things in their clearest and most genuine Light he well considered what sort and size of Evidence and Proof all things were capable of Matters of Sense are evident by their due Appulses on the Senses Matters of Doctrinal Truth by Demonstration Matters of History by credible report and he could consider well how Certainty and Probability differed Nor was he willing to he imposed upon or deceived through Prejudice Laziness Interest or a factious Spirit To say he never was mistaken for undoubtedly he had his Errours and Mistakes some of them retracted and publickly acknowledg'd by him when discern'd is to attribute more to him than any meer Man can say and more than any impartial and severe Student will arrogate to himself I shall never call the Retractation of a discovered Errour or Mistake a Fault but rather a commendable Excellence and I judge it better to argue closely than bitterly to recriminate or traduce Truth needs neither Scoff nor Satyr to defend it 2. This made him so solicitous to leave behind him such an Impartial Account of the History of his Times and of his own Endeavours in his place and day to promote Holiness Truth and Peace 3. He hence observ'd how these great Concerns were either promoted or obstructed and by whom What was
of his publick Ministry in London p. 301. His going to the Archbishop to beg a License p. 302. His Majesty's Commission for the Savoy Conference p. 303. an Account of what past at the Conference p. 305. Exceptions that Mr. Baxter drew up against the Common Prayer at that time p. 308. the Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer that were deliver'd in to the Commissioners p. 316 c. Of the choice of the Convocation and of Mr. Calamy and Mr. Baxter for London p. 333. a further account of the Conference p. 334 c. a Paper then offer'd by Dr. Cosins about a way to terminate the differences with an Answer to it p. 341 c. An Account of the Dispute manag'd in Writing at that time between Dr. Pierson Dr. Gunning Dr. Sparrow and Dr. Pierce and Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb and Mr. Baxter who were deputed for that purpose p. 346 c. A Reply to the Bishops Disputants which was not answer'd p. 350. a Continuation of the Conference p. 356. a Copy of the Part of the Bishops Divines in the Disputation p. 358. A Censure of this Conference and Account of the Managers of it p. 363. of the Ministers going up to the King after the Conference p. 365. the Petition they presented to his Majesty on that occasion p. 366. to which by reason of their Affinity is annexed a Copy of the Concessions that were made by Bishop Usher Bishop Williams Bishop Moreton Bishop Holdsworth and many others in a Committee at Westminster 1641. p. 369. Books written against Mr. Baxter by Mr. Nanfen Dr. Tompkins and others p. 373. He goes to Kidderminster to try if he might be permitted to preach there p. 374. Bishop Morley and his Dean endeavour to set the people there against him p. 375 376. Bp. Morley and Dr. Boreman write against him p. 377. Mr. Bagthaw writes against the Bishop p. 378. Of the surreptitious publication of the Savoy Conference p. 379. other assaults that Mr. Baxter met with p. 380. a false report rau'd of him by Dr. Earls p. 381. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to him on that occasion with his answer to it p. 382. Divers Ministers imprison'd particularly in Worcestershire on occasion of a pretended Conspiracy p. 383. Of BLACK BARTHOLOMEW DAY 1662. wherein so many Ministers were silenc'd p. 384. of the sad consequences of that day p. 385. Mr. Calamy's imprisonment for preaching occasionally after the silencing p. 386. the state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at that time p. 336. the sum of their several Causes and the Reasons of their several ways p. 387 c. Of the King's Declaration Dec. 26. 1662. p. 430. Old Mr. Ashes Death and Character ibid Mr. James Nalton's Death and Character p. 431. How Mr. Baxter and Dr. Bates had like to have been apprehended for going to pray with a sick person p. 431. of the imprisonment of divers Ministers about the Country p. 432. Strange Iudgments of God about this time turn'd by the Devil to his own advantage ibid. Much talk about an Indulgence or a Comprehension in 1663. p. 433. An Answer sent in a Letter to an honourable Person at that time to this Question Whether the way of Comprehension or Indulgence be more desirable p. 434. But the Parliament that then sate considerably added to former rigour p. 435. Mr. Baxter and others go to the Assemblies of the Church of England p. 436. His Answer to the Objections against this practice and Reasons for it p. 438. He retires to Acton p. 440. A Letter to Mr. Baxter from Monsieur Amyraut another from Monsieur Sollicoffer a Switzer which by reason of the Iealousies he was under he thought not fit to answer p. 442. He debates with some ejected Ministers the Case about Communicating sometimes with the Parish Churches in the Sacraments p. 444. A Letter from my Lord Ashley with a special Case about the lawfulness of a Protestant Lady's marrying a Papist in hope of his Conversion with Mr. Baxter's reply p. 445. PART III. Written for the most part in the year 1670. OF the Plague in the year 1665 p. 1. during the Sickness some of the ejected Ministers preach in the City Churches p. 2. at the same time the Five-mile Act was fram'd at Oxford ibid a Censure of the Act p. 3. the reasons of mens refusal to take the Oath imposed by that Act p. 5. Queries upon the Oxford Oath p. 7. further Reflections on it p. 10. Twenty Nonconforming Ministers take this Oath p. 13. a Letter from Dr. Baâes to Mr. Baxter about that affair p. 14. of the Dutch War p. 16. of the Fire of London ibid. of the Instruments of the Fire p. 18. The Nonconformists set up seperate publick Meetings p. 19. of the burning of our Ships at Chatham by the Dutch p. 20. the disgrace and banishment of my Lord Chancellour Hide ibid. Sir Orlando Bridgman made Lord Keeper p. 22. the Nonconformists conniv'd at in their Meetings ib. Mr. Baxter sent for to the Lord Keeper about a Toleration and Comprehension p. 23. Proposals then offer'd by Mr. Baxter and others p. 24. the Lord Keeper's Proposals p. 25. Alterations made by Mr. Baxter and his Associates in his Proposals p. 27. falsly pag'd 35. Reasons of these Alterations p. 28. falsly pag'd 36. Alterations of the Liturgy c. then offer'd p. 31. falsly pag'd 39. two new Proposals added and accepted with alterations p. 34. an Address of some Presbyterian Ministers to the King with a Letter of Dr. Manton's to Mr. Baxter about it p. 36. great talk of Liberty at this time but none ensued p. 38. Of the Book call'd A Friendly Debate p. 39. of Parker's Ecclesiastical Policy p. 41. of Dr. Owen's Answer and Parker's Reply p. 42. An Apologue or two familiarly representing the Heats and Feuds of those times p. 43 c. Mr. Baxter's further account of himself while he remain'd at Acton p. 46. of his acquaintance with worthy Sir Matth. Hale p. 47. of the disturbance he receiv'd at Acton p. 48. he is sent to New Prison p. 49. a Narrative of his Case at that time p. 51. the Errours of his Mittimus with an Explication of the Oxford Act p. 56. His Reflections during his imprisonment p. 58. His Release and perplexity thereupon p. 60. His Benefactours while in prison ibid. His bodily weakness ibid. An Account of his Writings since 1665. p. 61. on Account of a Treaty between him and Dr. Owen about an Agreement between the Presbyterians and the Independants p. 61. a Letter of Dr. Owen's to Mr. Baxter about that matter p. 63. Mr. Baxter's Reply to it p. 64. how it was dropp'd p. 69. of his Methodus Theologiae ibid. and some other Writings p. 70. the heat of some of his old people at Kidderminster p. 73. the renewal of the Act against Conventicles p. 74. Dr. Manton's imprisonment ibid. Great offers made to Mr. Baxter by the Earl of Lauderdail if he would go
LIFE OF THE REVEREND Mr. Richard Baxter LIB I. PART I. § 1. MY Father's Name was Richard the Son of Richard Baxter His Habitation and Estate at a Village called Eaton-Constantine a mile from the Wrekin-Hill and above half a mile from Severn River and five miles from Shrewsbury in Shropshire A Village most pleasantly and healthfully situate My Mother's Name was Beatrice the Daughter of Richard Adeney of Rowton a Village near High-Ercall the Lord Newport's Seat in the same County There I was born A. D. 1615. on the 12th of November being the Lord's Day in the Morning at the time of Divine Worship and Baptized at High-Ercall the 19th day following And there I lived from my Parents with my Grandfather till I was near Ten years of Age and then was taken home My Father had only the Competent Estate of a Freeholder free from the Temptations of Poverty and Riches But having been addicted to Gaming in his Youth and his Father before him it was so entangled by Debts that it occasioned some excess of worldly Cares before it was freed We lived in a Country that had but little Preaching at all In the Village where I was born there was four Readers successively in Six years time ignorant Men and two of them immoral in their lives who were all my School-masters In the Village where my Father lived there was a Reader of about Eighty years of Age that never preached and had two Churches about Twenty miles distant His Eye-sight failing him he said Common-Prayer without Book but for the Reading of the Psalms and Chapters he got a Common Thresher and Day-Labourer one year and a Taylor another year for the Clerk could not read well And at last he had a Kinsman of his own the excellentest Stage-player in all the Country and a good Gamester and good Fellow that got Orders and supplied one of his Places After him another younger Kinsman that could write and read got Orders And at the same time another Neighbour's Son that had been a while at School turn'd Minister and who would needs go further than the rest ventur'd to preach and after got a Living in Staffordshire and when he had been a Preacher about Twelve or Sixteen years he was fain to give over it being discovered that his Orders were forged by the first ingenious Stage-Player After him another Neighbour's Son took Orders when he had been a while an Attorney's Clerk and a common Drunkard and tipled himself into so great Poverty that he had no other way to live It was feared that he and more of them came by their Orders the same way with the forementioned Person These were the School-masters of my Youth except two of them who read Common Prayer on Sundays and Holy-days and taught School and tipled on the Week-days and whipt the Boys when they were drunk so that we changed them very oft Within a few miles about us were near a dozen more Ministers that were near Eighty years old apiece and never preached poor ignorant Readers and most of them of Scandalous Lives only three or four constant comperent Preachers lived near us and those though Conformable all save one were the common Marks of the People's Obloquy and Reproach and any that had but gone to hear them when he had no Preaching at home was made the Derision of the Vulgar Rabble under the odious Name of a Puritane But though we had no better Teachers it pleased God to instruct and change my Father by the bare reading of the Scriptures in private without either Preaching or Godly Company or any other Books but the Bible And God made him the Instrument of my first Convictions and Approbation of a Holy Life as well as of my Restraint from the grosser sort of Lives When I was very young his serious Speeches of God and the Life to come possessed me with a fear of sinning When I was but near Ten years of Age being at School at High-Ercall we had leave to play on the Day of the King's Coronation and at Two of the Clock afternoon on that Day there happened an Earthquake which put all the People into a fear and somewhat possessed them with awful thoughts of the Dreadful God I make no Commentary on the Time nor do I know certainly whether it were in other Countreys At first my Father set me to read the Historical part of the Scripture which suiting with my Nature greatly delighted me and though all that time I neither understood nor relished much the Doctrinal Part and Mystery of Redemption yet it did me good by acquainting me with the Matters of Fact and drawing me on to love the Bible and to search by degrees into the rest But though my Conscience would trouble me when I sinned yet divers sins I was addicted to and ost committed against my Conscience which for the warning of others I will confess here to my shame 1. I was much addicted when I feared Correction to lie that I might scape 2. I was much addicted to the excessive gluttonous eating of Apples and Pears which I think laid the foundation of that Imbecillity and Flatulency of my Stomach which caused the Bodily Calamities of my Life 3. To this end and to concur with naughty Boys that gloried in evil I have oft gone into other men's Orchards and stoln their Fruit when I had enough at home 4. I was somewhat excessively addicted to play and that with covetousness for Money 5. I was extreamly bewitched with a Love of Romances Fables and old Tales which corrupted my Affections and lost my Time 6. I was guilty of much idle foolish Chat and imitation of Boys in scurrilous foolish Words and Actions though I durst not swear 7. I was too proud of my Masters Commendations for Learning who all of them âed my pride making me Seven or Eight years the highest in the School and boasting of me to others which though it furthered my Learning yet helped not my Humility 8. I was too bold and unreverent towards my Parents These were my Sins which in my Childhood Conscience troubled me for a great while before they were overcome In the Village where I lived the Reader read the Common-Prayer briefly and the rest of the Day even till dark Night almost except Eating time was spent in Dancing under a May-Pole and a great Tree not far from my Father's Door where all the Town did meet together And though one of my Father 's own Tenants was the Piper he could not restrain him not break the Sport So that we could not read the Scripture in our Family without the great disturbance of the Taber and Pipe and Noise in the Street Many times my Mind was inclined to be among them and sometimes I broke loose from Conscience and joyned with them and the more I did it the more I was enclined to it But when I heard them call my Father Puritan it did much to cure me and alienate me from them
for I consider'd that my Father's Exercise of Reading the Scripture was better than theirs and would surely be better thought on by all men at the last and I considered what it was for that he and others were thus derided When I heard them speak scornfully of others as Puritans whom I never knew I was at first apt to believe all the Lies and Slanders wherewith they loaded them But when I heard my own Father so reproached and perceived the Drunkards were the forwardest in the reproach I perceived that it was mere Malice For my Father never scrupled Common-Prayer or Ceremonies nor spake against Bishops nor ever so much as prayed but by a Book or Form being not ever acquainted then with any that did otherwise But only for reading Scripture when the rest were Dancing on the Lord's Day and for praying by a Form out of the end of the Common-Prayer Book in his House and for reproving Drunkards and Swearers and for talking sometimes a few words of Scripture and the Life to come he was reviled commonly by the Name of Puritan Precision and Hypocrite and so were the Godly Conformable Ministers that lived any where in the Country near us not only by our Neighbours but by the common talk of the Vulgar Rabble of all about us By this Experience I was fully convinc'd that Godly People were the best and those that despised them and lived in Sin and Pleasure were a malignant unhappy sort of People and this kept me out of their Company except now and then when the Love of Sports and Play enticed me § 2. The chiefest help that I had for all my Learning in the Country Schools was with Mr. Iohn Owen School-master at the Free-School at Wroxeter to whom I went next who lived in Sir Richard Newport's House afterward Lord Newport at Eyton and taught School at that ancient Uriconium where the Ruins and old Coin confirm those Histories which make it an ancient City in the Romans Times The present Lord Newport and his Brother were then my School-fellows in a lower Form and Dr. Richard Allestree now Dr. of the Chair in Oxford Canon of Christ's Church and Provost of Eaton-Colledge of whom I remember that when my Master set him up into the lower end of the highest Form where I had long been Chief I took it so ill that I talkt of leaving the School whereupon my Master gravely but very tenderly rebuked my pride and gave me for my Theme Ne sutor ultra crepidam § 3. About that time it pleased God of his wonderful Mercy to open my Eyes with a clearer insight into the Concerns and Case of my own Soul and to touch my heart with a livelier feeling of thingsâ Spiritual than ever I had sound before And it was by the means and in the order following stirring up my Conscience more against me by robbing an Orchard or two with rude Boys than it was before And being under some more Conviction for my Sin a poor Day-Labourer in the Town he that I before-mentioned that was wont to read in the Church for the old Parson had an old torn Book which he lent my Father which was called Bunny's Resolution being written by Parson's the Jesuit and corrected by Edm. Bunny I had before heard some Sermons and read a good Book or two which made me more love and honour Godliness in the General but I had never felt any other change by them on my heart Whether it were that till now I came not to that maturity of Nature which made me capable of discerning or whether it were that this was God's appointed time or both together I had no lively sight and sense of what I read till now And in the reading of this Book when I was about Fifteen years of Age it pleased God to awaken my Soul and shew me the folly of Sinning and the misery of the Wicked and the unexpressible weight of things Eternal and the necessity of resolving on a Holy Life more than I was ever acquainted with before The same things which I knew before came now in another manner with Light and Sense and Seriousness to my Heart This cast me first into fears of my Condition and those drove me to Sorrow and Confession and Prayer and so to some resolution for another kind of Life And many a-day I went with a throbbing Conscience and saw that I had other Matters to mind and another Work to do in the World than ever I had minded well before Yet whether sincere Conversion began now or before or after I was never able to this day to know for I had before had some Love to the Things and People which were good and a restraint from other Sins except those forementioned and so much from those that I seldom committed most of them and when I did it was with great reluctancy And both now and formerly I knew that Christ was the only Mediator by whom we must have Pardon Justification and Life But even at that time I had little lively sense of the Love of God in Christ to the World or me nor of my special need of him for Parsons and all Papists almost are too short upon this Subject And about that time it pleased God that a poor Pedlar came to the Door that had Ballads and some good Books And my Father bought of him Dr. Sibb's bruised Reed This also I read and found it suited to my state and seasonably sent me which opened more the Love of God to me and gave me a livelier apprehension of the Mystery of Redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ. All this while neither my Father nor I had any Acquaintance or Familiarity with any that had any Understanding in Matters of Religion nor ever heard any pray ex tempore But my Prayers were the Confession in the Common-Prayer Book and sometime one of Mr. Bradford's Prayers in a Book called his Prayers and Meditations and sometime a Prayer out of another Prayer-Book which we had After this we had a Servant that had a little Piece of Mr. Perkins's Works of Repentance and the right Art of Living and Dying well and the Government of the Tongue And the reading of that did further inform me and confirm me And thus without any means but Books was God pleased to resolve me for himself § 4. When I was ready for the University my Master drew me into another way which kept me thence where were my vehement desires He had a Friend at Ludlow Chaplain to the Council there called Mr. Richard Wickstead whose Place having allowance from the King who maintaineth the House for one to attend him he told my Master that he was purposed to have a Scholar fit for the University and having but one would be better to him than any Tutor in the University could be whereupon my Master perswaded me to accept the offer and told me it would be better than the University to me I believed
eminent Physicians agreed that my Disease was the Hypocondriack Melancholy and not the Scurvy To recite a Catalogue of my Symptoms and Pains from Head to Feet would be a tedious interruption to the Reader I shall therefore only say this that the Symptoms and Effects of my General Indisposition were very terrible such as a flatulent Stomach that turn'd all things into Wind a Rheumatick head to a very great degree and great sharpness in my Blood which occasioned me no small trouble by the excoriation of my Fingers ends which upon any heat I us'd or Aâomatick thing I took would be raw and bloody and every Spring and Fall or by any kind of heating my Nose still fell a bleeding and that with such a great violence and in such excessive quantities as often threatned my Life which I then ascribed to such Causes as I have since liv'd to see my self mistaken in for I am now fully satisfied that all proceeded from Latent Stones in my Reins occasioned by unsuitable Diet in my Youth And yet two wonderful Mercies I had from God 1. That I was never overwhelm'd with real Melancholy My Distemper never went so far as to possess me with any inordinate Fancies or damp me with sinking Sadness although the Physicians call'd it the Hypocondriack Melancholy I had at several times the Advice of no less than Six and thirty Physicians by whose order I us'd Druggs without number almost which God thought not fit to make successful for a Cure and indeed all Authors that I read acquainted me that my Disease was incurable whereupon I at last forsook the Doctors for the most part except when the urgency of a Symptom or Pain constrained me to seek some present ease 2. The second Mercy which I met with was that my Pains though daily and almost continual did not very much disable me from my Duty but I could Study and Preach and Walk almost as well if I had been free of which more anon At last falling into a sudden and great decay and debility I went to Sir Theodore Mayerne who kept me in a long Course of Physick which did me some good for the present and after that riding much in the Army did me some good than any thing But having one Symptom on me the constant excoriation of my three formost Fingers ends on both Hands to the raw flesh he sent me to Tunbridge-Waters where I staid three Weeks and after that my Defluctions and Agitation of the Serous Matter much encreased though the Excoriation ceased at that time and hastned my greater ruine Especially one Errour of his did me hurt He vehemently persswaded me to the eating of Apples which of all things in the World had ever been my most deadly Enemies so that when it was too late Dr. Mayerne perceived that though Acrimony disposed the matter yet meer flatulency pumped up the Blood and was the most immediate Cause of the Haemorrhagie Having taken cold with riding thin clothed in the Snow and having but two days eaten Apples before Meat as he perswaded me I fell into such a bleeding as continued six days with some fits of intermission so that about a Gallon of Blood that we noted was lost and what more I know not Upon this both he and other Physicians gave me up as hopeless through the weakness thereby occasioned and concluding that all would end in a Dropsie for my Leggs began to swellâ By a Friend's perswasion I wrote to Dr. George Bates Archiater to King Charles the Second as Sir Theodore Mayerne was to King Charles the First who concurred so exactly in all points with Dr. Mayerne as if they had consulted the Case and the Medicaments prescribed being unusual that I marvelled at their Concord and by both their Counsels though neither of them had any considerable hope of my Life I was necessitated besides other Remedies to be oft in purging for all my weakness to prevent a Dropsie Within a quarter of a year I was able weakly to Preach again but continued divers years in languishing Pains and Weaknesses double or fourfold to what I had before So that besides all my former Inâââmities ever after this Bleeding my chief Disease is a Praematura Senectus through the great Diminution of Nature's Stock And just the same Symptoms as most men have about Fourscore years of Age are added to those which I had before In some seeming Necessities my latter Physicians after all this did four or five times take some Blood from me and once a spoonful in about seven Ounces of Serum did coagulate but at no other time would one jot of it ever coagulate or cohere but was a meet putrilage sine fibris like thin Ink or Saw-pit Water To keep this Blood in the relaxed Vessels was now all my Cares which daily shed abroad upon my Eyes and Teeth and Jaws and Joynts so that I had scarce rest night or day of some of the Effects and my Remedy which God blessed to my ease I shall speak more afterward With such Blood in a kind of Atrophie which hath caused a very troublesome Drowsiness to seize upon and follow me I have lived now these many years and wrote all the Books that ever I wrote and done the greatest part of my Service My chiefest Remedies are 1. Temperance as to quantity and quality of Food for every bit or spoonful too much and all that is not exceeding easie of digestion and all that is flatulent do turn all to Wind and disorder my Head 2. Exercise till I sweat For if I walk not hard with almost all my strength an hour before Dinner and an hour before Super till I sweat well I am not able to digest two Meals and cannot expect to live when I am disabled for Exercise being presently overwhelmed with chilliness flatulency and serosity 3. A constant Extrinâick Heat by a great Fire which may keep me still near to a Sweat if not in it for I am seldom well at ease but in a Sweat 4. Beer as hot as my Throat will endure drunk all at once to make me Sweat These are the Means which God hath used to draw out my days and give me ease with one Herb inwardly taken which I write for the sake of any Students that may be near the same Distempers but almost all Physick did me harm And no Aromatical Thing now can I taste but it setteth my Nose a bleeding though since I bled a Gallon I am not so prone to it as before I have cast in all this here together that the Reader may better understand other things and may not too oft be troubled with such Matters But now at the Age of near Seventy years what Changes and sad Days and Nights I undergo I after tell § 10. About the Eighteenth year of my Age Mr. Wickstead with whom I had lived at Ludlow had almost perswaded me to lay by all my Preparations for the Ministry and to go to London and get
from their Houses and more such Penalties which I remember not so short Lived a Commonwealth deserved no long Remembrance Mr. Vines and Dr. Rainbow and many more were hereupon put out of their Headships in the Universities and Mr. Sidrach Sympson and Mr. Io. Sadler and such others put in yea such a Man as Mr. Dell the Chaplain of the Army who I think neither understood himself nor was understood by others any farther than to be one who took Reason Sound Doctrine Order and Concord to be the intollerable Maladies of Church and State because they were the greatest Strangers to his Mind But poor Dr. Edward Reignolds had the hardest Measure for when he refused to take the Engagement his Place was forfeited and afterwards they drew him to take it in hopes to keep his Place which was no less than the Deanarie of Christ's-Church and then turned him out of all and offered his Place to Mr. Ios. Caryll but he refusing it it was conferred on Dr. Owen to whom it was continued from year to year And because the Presbyterians still urged the Covenant against killing the King and pulling down the Parliament and setting up a Commonwealth and taking the Engagement some of the Independent Brethren maintained that its Obligation ceased because it was a League and the Occasion of it ceased And some of the Rump said it was like an Almanack out of date and some of the Souldiers said they never took it and others of them railed at it as a Scottish Snare So that when their Interest would not suffer them to keep so solemn a Vow their Wills would not suffer their Judgments to confess it to be Obligatory at least as to the part which they must violate § 100. For my own part though I kept the Town and Parish of Kiderminster from taking the Covenant and seeing how it might become a Snare to their Consciences yea and most of Worcestershire besides by keeping the Ministers from offering it in any of the Congregations to the People except in Worcester City where I had no great Interest and know not what they did yet I could not judge it seemly for him that believed there is a God to play fast and loose with a dreadful Oath as if the Bonds of National and Personal Vows were as easily shak'd off as Sampson's Cords Therefore I spake and preach'd against the Engagement and dissuaded Men from taking it The first hour that I heard of it being in Company with some Gentlemen of Worcestershire I presently wrote down above twenty Queries against it intending as many more almost against the Obligation as those were about the Sense and Circumstances And one that was present got the Copy of them and shortly after I met with them verbatim in a Book of Mr. Henry Hall's as his own one that was long imprisoned for writing against Cromwell Some Episcopal Divines that were not so scrupulous it seems as we did write for it private Manuscripts which I have seen and plead the irresistability of the Imposers and they found starting holes in the Terms viz. That by the Common-wealth they will mean the present Commonwealth in genere and by Established they will mean only de facto and not de jure and by without a King c. they mean not quatenus but Etsi and that only de facto pro tempore q. d. I will be true to the Government of England though at the present the King and House of Lords are put out of the Exercise of their power These were the Expositions of many Episcopal Men and others that took it But I endeavoured to evince that this is meer jugling and jesting with Matters too great to be jested with And that as they might easily know that the Imposers had another sense so as easily might they know that the words in their own obvious usual sense among men must be taken as the Promise or Engagement of a Subject as such to a Form of Government now pretended to be established And that the Subjects Allegiance or Fidelity to his Rulers can be acknowledged and given in no plainer words And that by such Interpretations and Stretchings of Conscience any Treasonable Oath or Promise may be taken and no Bonds of Society can signifie much with such Interpreters § 101. England and Ireland being thus Conquered by Cromwell by deluding well-meaning Men into his Service and covering his Ambition with the Lord Fairfax's Generalship the Parliament being imprisoned and cast out the King cut off and the Rump established as a new Commonwealth those great and solid Men Pim Hampden c. being long before dead and rid out of his way who else had been like to have prevailed against the Plots of Vane in the Parliament you would think there were nothing now standing in his way to hinder him from laying hands upon the Crown But four Impediments yet stood before him 1. The numerous Cavaliers or Royalists ready for new Enterprizes against him 2. The Scots who resolved to stick to the Covenant and the King 3. The Army which must be untaught all the Principles which he is now permitting them to learn For those Principles which must bring him to the Crown are the worst in the World for him when once he is there 4. The Ministers of England and Scotland and all the sober People who regarded them The first of these he most easily though not without strugling overcame making his advantage by all their Enterprizes The second put him harder to it but he overcame them at last The third proved yet a greater difficulty but he seemed absolutely to overcome it yet leaving still some Life in the root The fourth strove against him more calmly and prudently with invincible Weapons and though they were quiet were never overcome but at last revived the spark of Life which was left in the third and thereby gave a Resurrection to the first and second and so recovered all at last not to the state of their own Interest or to that Condition of Church Affairs which they desired but to that Civil State of Royal Government to which they were engaged and from which the Nation seemed to have fallen These are the true Contents of the following parts that were acted in these Lands The Rump I might mention as another of his Impediments but as they now were doing his work so I conjoyn the Relicts of them which then disturbed him with the Army who were the strength by which they did it § 102. The King being dead his Son was by right immediately King and from that time he dateth his Reign The Scots send Messengers to him to come over to them and take the Crown But they treat with him first for his taking of the Covenant and renouncing the Wars and the Blood that was shed in them by his Fathers Party By which I perceive that the Scots understood the Clause in the Covenant of Defending the King's Person and Authority in the Defence
as gross Drunkards and such like and also some few Civil Men that had assisted in the Wars against the Parliament or set up bowing to Altars and such Innovations But they had left in near one half the Ministers that were not good enough to do much Service nor bad enough to be cast out as utterly intollerable These were a company of Poor weak Preachers that had no great Skill in Divinity nor Zeal for Godliness but preached weakly that which is True and lived in no gross notorious Sin These Men were not cast out but yet their People greatly needed help for their dark sleepy Preaching did but little Good Therefore we resolved that some of the abler Ministers should often voluntarily help them but all the Care was how to do it without offending them And it fell out seasonably that the Londoners of that County at their yearly Feast did collect about 30 l. and send it me by that worthy Man Mr. Thomas Stanley of Bread-street to set up a Lecture for that Year Whereupon we covered all our Designs under the Name of the Londoners Lecture which took off the Offence And we chose four worthy Men Mr. And. Tristram Mr. Hen. Oasland Mr. Tho. Baldwin and Mr. Ios. Treble who only now conformeth who undertook to go each Man his Day once a Month which was every Lord's Day between the four and to preach at those Places which had most need twice on a Lord's Day but to avoid all ill Consequents and Offence they were sometimes to go to abler Mens Congregations and wherever they came to say somewhat always to draw the People to the Honour and special Regard of their own Pastors that how weak soever they were they might see that we came not to draw away the Peoples Hearts from them but to strengthen their Hands and help them in their Work This Lecture did a great deal of Good and though the Londoners gave their Money but that one Year yet when it was once set on foot we continued it voluntarily till the Ministers were turned out and all these Works went down together So much of the Way and Helps of those Successes which I mention because many have enquired after them as willing with their own Flocks to take that Course which other Men have by Experience found to be effectual § 138. Having before said somewhat of my Troubles with Mr. Tombes I shall here more fully tell the Reader how it was Mr. Tombs being my Neighbour within two Miles and denying Infant Baptism and having written a Book or two against it he was not a little desâous of the Propagation of his Opinion and the Success of his Writings and he thought that I was his chiefest Hinderer though I never medled with the point Whereupon he came constantly to my Weekly Lecture waiting for an Opportunity to fall upon that Controversy in his Conference with me But I studiously avoided it so that he knew not how to begin And he had so high a Conceit of his Writings that he thought them unanswerable and that none could deal with them in that way At last some how he urged me to give my Judgment of his Writings and I let him know that they did not satisfie me to be of his Mind but went no farther with him Upon this he forbore coming any more to our Lecture and he unavoidably contrived me into the Controversy which I shun'd for there came unto me five or six of his chief Proselites as if they were yet unresolved and desired me to give them in Writing the Arguments which satisfied me for Infant Baptism I asked them whether they came not by Mr. Tombes's Direction And they confessed that they did I asked them whether they had read the Books of Mr. Cobbet Mr. Marshall Mr. Church Mr. Blake for Infant Baptism And they told me No. I desired them to read that which is written already before they call'd for more and then come to me and tell me what they had to say against them But this they would by no means do but must have my Writings I told them that now they plainly confessed that they came upon a Design to promote their Party by contentious Writings and not in sincere Desire to be informed as they pretended But to be short they had no more Modesty than to insist on their Demands and to tell me that if they turned against Infant Baptism and I denied to give them my Arguments in Writing they must lay it upon me I asked them whether they would continue unresolved till Mr. Tombes and I had done our Writings seeing it was some Years since Mr. Blake and he began and have not ended yet But no Reasoning served the turn with them but they still call for my written Arguments When I saw their factious Design and Immodesty I bid them tell Mr. Tombes that he should neither thus command me to lose a Years time in my Weakness in quarrelling with him nor yet should have his End in insulting over me as if I fled from the Light of Truth Therefore I offered him if we must needs contend that we might do it the shortest and most satisfactory way and spend one Day in a Dispute at his own Church where I would attend him that his People might not remain unsatisfied till they saw which of us would have the last Word and after that we would consider of Writing So Mr. Tombes and I agreed to meet at his Church on Ian. 1. And in great Weakness thither I came and from Nine of the Clock in the Morning till Five at Night in a crowded Congregation we continued our Dispute which was all spent in manageing one Argument from Infants right to Church-Membership to their Right to Baptism of which he after complained as if I assaulted him in a new way which he had not considered of before But this was not the first time that I had dealt with Anabaptists who had so much to do with them in the Army as I had In a Word this Dispute satisfied all my own People and the Country that came in and Mr. Tombes's own Townsmen except about Twenty whom he had perverted who gathered into his Church which never increased to above Twenty two that I could learn So much of that Dispute of the Writing more anon § 139. If any shall demand whether the increase of Godliness was answerable in all Places to what I have mentioned and none deny that it was with us I answer that however Men that measure Godliness by their Gain and Interest and Domination do go about to persuade the World that Godliness then went down and was almost extinguished I must bear this faithful Witness to those times that as far as I was acquainted where before there was one godly profitable Preacher there was then six or ten and taking one Place with another I conjecture there is a proportionable increase of truly godly People not counting Hereticks or perfidious Rebels or Church-disturbers as such
as their Estates and Honour and Lives came to to have stood it out to the very utmost that had professed so much of their Wisdom and Religiousness and had declared such high Resolutions against Monarchy I say that such an Army should have one Commander among themselves whom they accounted not Religious that should march against them without Resistance and that they should all stand still and let him come on and restore the Parliament and bring in the King and disband themselves and all this without one bloody Nose Let any Man that hath the use of his Understanding judge whether this were not enough to prove that there is a God that governeth the World and disposeth of the Powers of the World according to his Will And let all Men behold this Pillar of Salt and standing Monument of Divine Revenge and take heed of over-valuing Human Strength and of ever being puffed up by Victories and Success or of being infatuated by Spiritual Pride and Faction And let all Men take warning how they trample upon Government rebel against it or vilifie the Ministers and Ordinances of Christ and proudly despise the Warnings of their Brethren § 152. And at the same time while Monk was marching against them into England the sober godly Officers of Ireland were impatient of the Anabaptists Tyranny So that Col. Iohn Bridges the Patron of Kidderminster with his Lieutenant Thompson and some few more Officers resolved upon a desperate surprizal of Dublin Castle which the Anabaptists possest with most of the strong Holds and so happily succeeded that without any bloodshed they got the Castle And that being won the rest of the Garrisons of all the whole Kingdom yielded without any loss of Blood and unless one or two without so much as any appearance of a Siege Thus did God make his wonders to concur in time and manner and shewed the World the instability of those States which are built upon an Army He that will see more of this Surprize of Dublin Castle may read it as printed by Colonel Bridges in a short Narrative Had it not been for that Action it is probable that Ireland would have been the Refuge and Randezvouz for the disbanded or fugitive Army and that there they would not only have maintained the War but have imbodied against England and come over again with Resolutions heightned by their Warnings The Reward that Col. Bridges had for this Service was the peaceful Testimony of his Conscience and a narrow escape from being utterly ruined being sued as one that after Edghill Fight had taken the King's Goods in an Action of Fourscore Thousand pound But all was proved false and he being cleared by the Court did quickly after die of a Fever at Chester and go to a more peaceable and desirable World § 153. For my own Actions and Condition all this time I have partly shewed them in the Second Part How I was called up to London and what I did there and with how little Success I there continued my Pacificatory Endeavours When I had lived there a few Weeks I fell into another fit of Bleeding which though it was nothing so great as formerly yet after my former depauperation by that means and great debility did weaken me much Being restored by the mercy of God and the help of Dr. Bates and the moss of a dead man's skull which I had from Dr. Michlethwait I went to Mr. Thomas Foley's House where I lived in Austin-Fryars about a year and thence to Dr. Michlethwait's House in Little Brittain where I tabled about another year and thence to Moorfields and thence to Action from which being at the present driven by the Plague I wait for the further disposal of my Almighty and most Gracious Lord. § 154. And now I shall annex for the Reader 's satisfaction an Account of my Books and Writings on what occasion they were written and what I now judge of them on a review and after so much sopposition § 155. The Books which I have written and those that are written against me are so numerous that I confess if they plead not to the Reader for themselves I cannot easily excuse my putting the World to so much trouble And I was once almost faln out with my self when I saw such abundance of Sermon Books printed in Oliver's days because I concurred with them in over-loading the World But God was pleased to keep me from Repentance by their Success and since then I am more Impenitent herein than ever as seeing more of the reason of God's disposal than I saw before For since so many hundred Ministers are silenced and an Act is now past in the Parliament to forbid us coming withing five miles of any City Corporation or Burgess Town and a former Act forbiddeth us speaking to above four that are not of a Family and knowing what Persons are Ministers in many of our places I now bless God that his poor Servants have the private help of Books which are the best Teachers under God that many thousand Persons have And whereas there are about Fifty Books as I remember that in whole or in part are written against me or some Passages in mine I bless the Lord that they have not disturbed or discomposed my mind nor any more hindered me from my greater duty by Replies nor been altogether unprofitable to me And that none of them nor all of them any whit disabled me from the Service of God by diminishing my Estimation with those that I have opportunity to serve or with the common Readers that may profit by my Labours but only with the Members of the several Factions Some are written against me by Quakers Iames Nayler and many others Some by Clement Writer and other Seekers and Infidels Some by Papists some by Anabaptists Mr. Tombes Fisher and many others some by Reverend Brethren that understood not all Points of Doctrine as I did which-ever of us was in the right as Mr. Rutherford Mr. Blake Mr. Burgess Dr. Kendall c. some by Antinomians and some by Separatists and some by good Men that were but half possest with their Opinions as Mr. Eires Mr. Crandon Mr. Warner c. some by proud impatient Men and some by the Prelatical Party some by young Men that wanted Preferment and thought that this was the way to get it and some by obscure Men that desired to be taken notice of and some by Flatterers that desired to please others on whom they did depend and some by malicious blood-thirsty Calumniators some by factious Temporizers as Stubbs Rogers Needham c. and abundance by erroneous impatient Men that could not endure to be contradicted in their Mistakes To many of these I have returned Answers and that some others remain unanswered is through the restraint of the Press § 156. The first Book that ever I published is a small one called Aphorisms of Iustification and the Covenants c. I had first begun my Book called The Saints
Rest and coming in it to answer the Question How in Matth. 25. the reward is adjudged to men on the account of their good works The chief Propositions of that Book did suddenly offer themselves to me in order to that Resolution But I was prepared with much disputing against Antinomianism in the Army At Sir Thomas Rous's House in my weakness I wrote most of that Book and finished it when I came to Kidderminster I directed it to Mr. Vines and Mr. Burgess out of my high esteem of them though my personal acquaintance with them was but small Mr. Vines wrote to me applaudingly of it Mr. Burgess thought his Name engaged him to write against it Two Faults I now find in the Book 1. It is defective and hath some Propositions that need Correction being not cautelously enough expressed 2. I medled too forwardly with Dr. Owen and one or two more that had written some Passages too near to Antinomianism For I was young and a stranger to mens tempers and I thought others could have born a Confutation as easily as I could do my self and I thought that I was bound to do my best publickly to save the World from the hurt of published Errours not understanding how it would provoke men more passionately to insist on what they once have said But I have now learned to contradict Errours and not to meddle with the Persons that maintain them But indeed I was then too raw to be a Writer This Book was over-much valued by some and over-much blamed by others both contrary to my own esteem of it It cost me more than any other that I have written not only by mens offence but especially by putting me upon long and tedious Writings Some that publickly wrote against it I publickly answered And because of the general noise about it I desired those that would have me of their mind to send me their Animadversions which proved so many that took me up too much of my time to answer them But it was a great help to my Understanding For the Animadverters were of several minds and what one approved another confuted being further from each other than any of them from me The first that I craved Animadversions from was Mr. Burgess and with much ad extorted only two or three Letters against Justification by Works as he called it which with my Answers were afterward published when he had proceeded to print against me what he would not give me in writing The next and full Animadversions which I received were from Mr. Iohn Warren an honest acute ingenious man to whom I answered in freer Expressions than to others because he was my Junior and familiar Friend being a School-Boy at Bridgenorth when I was Preacher there and his Father being my Neighbour Next his I had Animadversions from Dr. Iohn Wallis very judicious and moderate to which I began to write a Reply but broke it off in the middle because he little differed from me The next I had was from Mr. Christopher Cartwright of York who defended the King against the Marquess of Worcester he was a man of good reading as to our later Divines and was very well verst in the Common Road very like Mr. Burgess a very good Hebrician and a very honest worthy Person His Animadversions were most against my distinction of Righteousness into Legal and Evangelical according to the two Covenants His Answer was full of Citations out of Amesius Whittaker Davenant c. I wrote him a full Reply and he wrote me a Rejoynder to which my time not allowing me to write a full Confutation I took up all the Points of Difference between him and me and handled them briefly confirming my Reasons for the ease of the Reader and my self The next Animadverter was Mr. George Lawson the ablest Man of them all or of almost any I know in England especially by the Advantage of his Age and very hard Studies and methodical Head but above all by his great skill in Politicks wherein he is most exact and which contributeth not a little to the understanding of Divinity Though he was himself near the Arminians differing from them in the Point of Perseverance as to the Confirmed and some little matters more and so went farther than I did from the Antinomians yet being conversant with Men of another Mind to redeem himself from their Offence he set himself against some Passages of mine which others marvelled that he of all Men should oppose especially about the Object of Faith and Iustification And afterwards he published an excellent Summ of Divinity called Theopolitica in which he insisteth on those two Points to make good what he had said in his M. S. against me though the Reader that knoweth not what past between him and me will not understand how these Passages there fell in and some Divines have told me how excellent a Book it had been if he had not been led aside in those Particulars not knowing how it came to pass the ablest Men being sometimes most hardly drawn to desert any thing which they have once affirmed He hath written also Animadversions on Hobbes and a piece of Ecclesiastical and Civil Policy according to the Method of Politicks an excellent Book were it not that he seemeth to justify the Kings Death and meddle too boldly with the Political Controversies of the times though he be a Conformist Also I have seen some ingenuous Manuscripts of his for the taking of the Engagement to be true to the Commonwealth as established without a King and House of Lords his Opinion being much for submitting to the present Possessor though a Usurper But I thought those Papers easily answerable His Animadversions on my Papers were large in which he frequently took occasion to be copious and distinct in laying down his own Judgment which pleased me very well I returned him a full Answer and received from him a large Reply instead of a Rejoinder to which I summ'd up our Differences and spoke to them briefly and distinctly and not verbatim to the Words of his Book I must thankfully acknowledge that I learnt more from Mr. Lawson than from any Divine that gave me Animadversions or that ever I conversed with For two or three Passages in my first Reply to him he convinced me were Mistakes and I found up and down in him those hints of Truths which had a great deal of Light in them and were very apt for good Improvement Especially his instigating me to the Study of Politicks in which he much lamented the Ignorance of Divines did prove a singular Benefit to me I confess it is long of my own Uncapableness that I have received no more good from others But yet I must be so grateful as to confess that my Understanding hath made a better Improvement for the sudden sensible increase of my Knowledge of Grotius de Satisfactione Christi and of Mr. Lawson's Manuscripts than of any thing else that ever I read and they
convinced me how unfit we are to write about Christ's Government and Law and Iudgment c. while we understand not the true Nature of Government Laws and Iudgment in the general and that he that is ignorant of Politicks and of the Law of Nature will be ignorant and erroneous in Divinity and the sacred Scriptures § 157. 2. The Second Book which I wrote and the first which I began was that called The Saints everlasting Rest Whilst I was in Health I had not the least thought of writing Books or of serving God in any more publick way than Preaching But when I was weakened with great bleeding and left solitary in my Chamber at Sir Iohn Cook 's in Derbyshire without any Acquaintance but my Servant about me and was sentenced to Death by the Physician I began to contemplate more seriously on the Everlasting Rest which I apprehended my self to be just on the Borders of And that my Thoughts might not too much scatter in my Meditation I began to write something on that Subject intending but the Quantity of a Sermon or two which is the cause that the Beginning is in brevity and Style disproportionable to the rest but being continued long in Weakness where I had no Books nor no better Employment I followed it on till it was enlarged to the bulk in which it is published The first Three Weeks I spent in it was at Mr. Nowel's House at Kirkby-Mallory in Leicestershire a quarter of a Year more at the Seasons which so great Weakness would allow I bestowed on it at Sir Tho Rous's House at Rous-Lench in Worcestershire and I finished it shortly after at Kidderminster The first and last Parts were first done being all that I intended for my own use and the second and third Parts came afterwards in besides my first Intention This Book it pleased God so far to bless to the Profit of many that it encouraged me to be guilty of all those Scripts which after followed The Marginal Citations I put in after I came home to my Books but almost all the Book it self was written when I had no Book but a Bible and a Concordance And I found that the Transcript of the Heart hath the greatest force on the Hearts of others For the Good that I have heard that Multitudes have received by that Writing and the Benefit which I have again received by their Prayers I here humbly return my Thanks to him that compelled me to write it § 159. 3. The Third Book which I published was that which is entituled Plain Scripture Proof for Infants Church-Membership and Baptism being the Arguments used in the Dispute with Mr. Tombes and an Answer to a Sermon of his afterward preached c. This Book God blessed with unexpected Success to stop abundance from turning Anabaptists and reclaming many both in City and Country and some of the Officers of the Irish and English Forces and it gave a considerable Check to their Proceedings Concerning it I shall only tell the Reader 1. That there are towards the latter part of it many enigmatical Reflections upon the Anabaptists for their horried Scandals which the Reader that lived not in those times will hardly understand But the cutting off the King and rebelling against him and the Parliament and the Invading Scotland and the approving of these with the Ranters and other Sects that sprang out of them were the Crimes there intended which were not then to be more plainly spoken of when their Strength and Fury was so high 2. Note that after the writing of that Book I wrote a Postscript against that Doctrine of Dr. Burges and Mr. Tho. Bedford which I supposed to go on the other Extream and therein I answered part of a Treatise of Dr. Sam. Warks's which Mr. Bedford published and it proved to be Mr. Thomas Gataker whom I defended who is Dr. Ward 's Censor But I knew it not till Mr. Gataker after told me But after these Writings I was greatly in doubt whether it be not certain that all the Infants of true Believers are justified and saved if they dye before actual Sin My Reason was because it is the same justifying saving Covenant of Grace which their Parents and they are in And as real Faith and Repentance is that Condition on the Parents part which giveth them their right to actual Remission and Adoption So to be the Children of such is all the Condition which is required in Infants in order to the same Benefits And without asserting this the Advantage of the Anabaptists is greater than every one doth imagine But I never thought with Dr. Ward that all Baptised Children had this Benefit and Qualitative Sanctification also nor with Dr. Burgess and Mr. Bedford that all converted at Age had inherent seminal Grace in Baptism certainly given them nor with Bishop Davenant that all justly baptised had relative Grace of Justification and Adoption But only that all the Infants of true Believers who have right to the Covenant and Baptism in foro Coeli as well as in foro Ecclesiae have also thereby Right to the Pardon of Original Sin and to Adoption and to Heaven which Right is by Baptism to be sealed and delivered to them This I wrote of to Mr. Gataker who returned me a kind and candid Answer but such as did not remove my Scruple and this occasioned him to print Bishop Davenants Disputations with his Answer My Opinion which I most incline to is the same which the Synod of Dort expresseth and that which I conjecture Dr. Davenant meant or I am sure came next to Here note also that Mr. Tombes sollicited me yet after all this to write him down my Proofs of Infants Church-membership out of the circumcised Church which I did at large as from the Creation downward as far as Proof could be expected in Proportion to the other Histories of those Times Instead of sending me an Answer to my Papers he printed some of them with an insufficient Answer in his last Book These Papers with a Reply to him I have since Printed § 159. 4. The Fourth Book which I published is a small one called The right Method for Peace of Conscience and spiritual comfort in thirty two Directions The Occasion of it was this Mrs. Bridgis the Wife of Col. Iohn Bridgis being one of my Flock was often weeping out her Doubts to me about her long and great Uncertainty of her true Sanctification and Salvation I told her that a few hasty Words were not Direction enough for the satisfactory resolving of so great a Case and therefore I would write her down a few of those necessary Directions which she should read and study and get well imprinted in her Mind As soon as I had begun I found 1. that it would not be well done in the Brevity which I expected 2. And that when it was done it would be as useful to many others of my Flock as to her and therefore I bestowed more time
on it and made it larger and fit for common use This Book pleased Dr. Hammond much and many Rational Persons and some of those for whom it was written But the Women and weaker sort I found could not so well improve clear Reason as they can a few comfortable warm and pretty Sentences it is Style and not Reason which doth most with them And some of the Divines were angry with it for a Passage or two about Perseverance because I had said that many Men are certain of their present Sanctification which are not certain of their Perseverance and Salvation meaning all the Godly that are assured of their Sanctification and yet do not hold the certainty of Preserverance But a great Storm of Jealousie and Censure was by this and some such Words raised against me by many good Men who lay more on their Opinions and Party than they ought Therefore whereas some would have had me to retract it and others to leave it out of the next Impression I did the latter but instead of it I published not long after § 160. 5. My Book called R. B's Iudgment about the Perseverance of Believers In which I shewed them the Variety of Opinions about Perseverance and that Augustine and Prosper themselves did not hold the certain Perseverance of all that are truly sanctified though they held the Perseverance of all the Elect but held that there are more Sanctified than are Elect and that Perseverance is affixed to the Elect as such and not to the Sanctified as such which Bishop Usher averred to Dr. Kendal before my Face to be most certainly Austin's Judgment though both he and I did incline to another From hence and many other Arguments I inferred that the sharp Censures of Men against their Brethren for not holding a Point which Austin himself was against and no one Author can be proved to hold from the Apostles Days till long after Austin doth argue less Judgment and Charity than many of the Censurers seem to have I never heard of any Censure against these Papers though the few Lines which occasioned them had so much § 161. 6. Before this I had published two Assize Sermons entituled True Christianity one of Christ's Dominion and the other of his Sovereignty over all Men as Redeemer The first was preached before Judge Atkins Sir Tho. Rous being high Sheriff The second before Serjeant Glyn who desiring me to print it I thought meet to print the former with it § 162. 7. Also I published my Apology against divers that had printed Books against many things which I had written It consisteth of five parts 1. An Answer to Mr. Blake 2. An Answer to Dr. Kendall 3. A Confutation of Ludiomâus Colvinus 4. An Answer to Mr. Crandon 5. An Answer to Mr. Eyres The first Mr. Blake a reverend worthy Man of my acquaintance in a Treatise of the Covenants had written much I thought mistakingly against me and though I replyed without any sharpness it was very displeasing to him Dr. Kendall was little quick Spirited Man of great Ostentation and a Considerable Orator and Scholar He was driven on farther by others than his own Inclination would have led him He thought to get an Advantage for his Reputation by a Triumph over Iohn Goodwin and me for those that set him on work would needs have him conjoin us both together to intimate that I was an Arminian while I was replying to his first Assault he wrote a second and when I had begun a Reply to that meeting me at London he was so earnest to take up the Controversy engaging Mr. Vines to persuade me that Bishop Usher might determine it and I was so willing to be eased of such work and to end any thing which might be made a Temptation against Charity that I quickly yielded to Bishop Ushers Arbitriment who owned my Judgment about Universal Redemption Perseverance c. but desired us to write against each other no more and so my Second Reply was supprest As for Ludiomaeus Colvinus it is Ludovicus Molinaeus a Doctor of Physick and Son to Pet. Molinaeus and publick Professor of History in Oxford He wrote a small Latin Tractate against his own Brother Cyrus Molinaeus to prove that Justification is before Faith I thought I might be bold to conâute him who chose the Truth and his own Brother to oppose Another small Assault the same Author made against me instead of a Reply for approving of Camero and Amiraldus's way about universal Redemption and Grace To which I answered in the Preface to ther Book But these things were so far from alienating the Esteem and Affection of the Doctor that he is now at this Day one of those Friends who are injurious to the Honour of their own Understanding by overvaluing me and would fain have spent his time in translating some of my Books into the French Tongue Mr. Crandon was a Man that had run from Arminianism into the Extream of half Antinomianism and having an excessive Zeal for his Opinions which seem to be honoured by the extolling of Free-grace and withal being an utter stranger to me he got a deep conceit that I was a Papist and in that persuasion wrote a large Book against my Aphorisms which moved laughter in many and pity in others and troubled his Friends as having disadvantaged their Cause As soon as the Book came abroad the news of the Author's death came with it who died a fortnight after its birth I had before hand got all save the beginning and end out of the Press and wrote so much of an Answer as I thought it worthy before the publication of it Mr. Eyres was a Preacher in Salisbury of Mr. Crandon's Opinion who having preached there for Justification before Faith that is the Justification of Elect Infidels was publickly confuted by Mr. Warren and Mr. Woodbridge a very judicious Minister of Newbury who had lived in New-England Mr. Woodbridge printed his Sermon which very perspicuously opened the Doctrine of Justification after the method that I had done Mr. Eyres being offended with me as a Partner gave me some part of his opposition to whom I returned an Answer in the end And a few words to Mr. Caryl who licensed and approved Mr. Crandon's Book for the Antinomians were commonly Independants No one of all the Parties replied to this Book save only Mr. Blake to some part of that which touched him § 162. 8. Because my Aphorisms had so provok'd so many and the noise was very loud against them to make the Passages plainer which ofended them about Justification Sanctification Merit Punishment c. I wrote a Book called The Confession of my Faith about those matters which I gave the World to save any more of them from misunderstanding my Aphorisms and declared my Suspension of my Aphorisms till I should reprint them intending only to correct two or three Passages and elucidate the rest But afterward I greatly affected to bring them into a small
the several Articles which I did in a small Book called Christian Concord In which I gave the reasons why the Episcopal Presbyterians and Independants might and should unite on such Terms without any change of any of their Principles But I confess that the new Episcopal Party that follow Grotius too far and deny the very being of all the Ministers and Churches that have not Diocesan Bishops are not capable of Union with the rest upon such Terms And hereby I gave notice to the Gentry and others of the Royalists in England of the great danger they were in of changing their Ecclesiastical Cause by following new Leaders that were for Grotianism But this Admonition did greatly offend the Guilty who now began to get the Reins though the old Episcopal Protestants confessed it to be all true There is nothing bringeth greater hatred and sufferings on a Man than to foreknow the mischief that Men in power are doing and intend and to warn the World of it For while they are resolutely going on with it they will proclain him a Slanderer that revealeth it and use him accordingly and never be ashamed when they have done it and thereby declared all which he foretold to be true § 170. 15. Having in the Postscript of my True Catholick given a short touch against a bitter Book of Mr. Thomas Pierce's against the Puritans and me it pleased him to write another Volume against Mr. Hickman and me just like the Man full of malignant bitterness against Godly men that were not of his Opinion and breathing out blood-thirsty malice in a very Rhetorical fluent style Abundance of Lies also are in it against the old Puritans as well as against me and in particular in charging Hacket's Villany upon Cartwright as a Confederate which I instance in because I have out of old Mr. Ash's Library a Manuscript of Mr. Cartwright's containing his full Vindication against that Calumny which some would fain have fastened on him in his time But Mr. Pierce's principal business was to defend Grotius In answer to which I wrote a little Treatise called The Grotian Religion discovered at the Invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce In which I cited his own words especially out of his Discussio Apologetici Rivetaini wherein he openeth his Terms of Reconciliation with Rome viz. That it be acknowledged the Mistress Church and the Pope have his Supream Government but not Arbitrary but only according to the Canons To which end he defendeth the Council of Trent it self Pope Pius's Oath and all the Councils which is no other than the French sort of Popery I had not then heard of the Book written in France called Grotius Papizans nor of Sarravius's Epistles in which he witnesseth it from his own mouth But the very words which I cited contain an open Profession of Popery This Book the Printer abused printing every Section so distant to fill up Paper as if they had been several Chapters And in a Preface before it I vindicated the Synod of Dort where the Divines of England were chief Members from the abusive virulent Accusations of one that called himself Tilenus junior Hereupon Pierce wrote a much more railing malicious Volume than the former the liveliest Express of Satan's Image malignity bloody malice and falshood covered in handsome railing Rhetorick that ever I have seen from any that called himself a Protestant And the Preface was answered just in the same manner by one that stiled himself Philo-Tilenus Three such Men as this Tilenus junior Pierce and Gunning I have not heard of besides in England Of the Jesuites Opinion in Doctrinals and of the old Dominican Complexion the ablest Men that their Party hath in all the Land of great diligence in study and reading of excellent Oratory especially Tilenus junior and Pierce of temperate Lives but all their Parts so sharpened with furious persecuting Zeal against those that dislike Arminianism high Prelacy or full Conformity that they are like the Briars and Thorns which are not to be handled but by a fenced hand and breathe out Tereatnings against God's Servants better than themselves and seem unsatisfied with blood and ruines and still cry Give Give bidding as lowd defiance to Christian Charity as ever Arrius or any Heretick did to Faith This Book of mine of the Grotian Religion greatly offended many others but none of them could speak any Sence against it the Citations for Matter of Fact being unanswerable And it was only the Matter of Fact which I undertook viz. To prove that Grotius profest himself a moderate Papist But for his fault in so doing I little medled with it § 171. 16. Mr. Blake having replye to some things in my Apology especially about Right to Sacraments or the just subject of Baptism and the Lord's Supper I wrote five Disputations on those Points proving that it is not the reality of a Dogmatical or Justifying Faith nor yet the Profession of bare Assent called a Dogmatical Faith by many but only the Profession of a Saving Faith which is the Condition of Mens title to Church-Communion Coram Ecclèsiâ and that Hypocrites are but Analogically or Equivocally called Christians and Believers and Saints c. with much more to decide the most troublesome Controversie of that Time which was about the Necessary Qualification and Title of Church-Members and Communicants Many men have been perplexed about that Point and that Book Some think it cometh too near the Independants and some that it is too far from them and many think it very hard that A Credible Profession of True Faith and Repentance should be made the stated Qualification because they think it incredible that all the Jewish Members were such But I have sifted this Point more exactly and diligently in my thoughts than almost any Controversie whatsoever And fain I would have found some other Qualification to take up with 1. Either the Profession of some lower Faith than that which hath the Promise of Salvation 2. Or at least such a Profession of Saving Faith as needeth not to be credible at all c. But the Evidence of Truth hath forced me from all other ways and suffered me to rest no where but here That Profession should be made necessary without any respect at all to Credibility and consequently to the verity of the Faith professed is incredible and a Contradiction and the very word Profession signifieth more And I was forced to observe that those that in Charity would belive another Profession to be the title to Church-Communion do greatly cross their own design of Charity And while they would not be bound to believe men to be what they profess for fear of excluding many whom they cannot believe they do leave themselves and all others as not obliged to love any Church-Member as such with the love which is due to a True Christian but only with such a Love as they owe to the Members of the Devil and so deny them the Kernel of Charity by giving
the Shell to a few more than else they would do Whereas upon my deepest search I am satisfied that a Credible Profession of true Christianity is it that denominateth the Adult visible Christians And that this must contain Assent and Consent even all that is in the Baptismal Covenant and no more and therefore Baptism is called our Christning But withal that the Independants bring in Tyranny and Confusion whilst they will take no Profession as Credible which hath not more to make it credible than God and Charity require And that indeed every man's word is to be taken as the Credible Profession of his own mind unless he forfeit the Credit of his word by gross ignorance of the Matter professed or by a Contrary Profession or by an inconsistent Life And therefore a Profession is credible as such of it self till he that questioneth it doth disprove it Else the Rules of Humane Converse will be overthrown for who knoweth the Heart of another so well as he himself And God who will save or damn men not for other mens Actions but their own will have mens own choosing or refusing to be their inlet or exclusion both as to Saving Mercy and to a Church state And if they be Hypocrites in a false Profession the sin and loss will be their own But I confess mens Credibility herein hath very various degrees But though my fears are never so great that a man dissembleth and is not sincere yet if I be not able to bring in that Evidence to invalidate his Profession which in foro Ecclesiae shall prove it to be incredible I ought to receive him as a credible Professor though but by a Humane and perhaps most debile Belief § 172. 17. After that I published four Disputations of Justification clearing up further those Points in which some Reverend Brethren blamed my Judgment and answering Reverend Mr. Burgess who would needs write somewhat against me in his Treatise of Imputed Righteousness and also answering a Treatise of Mr. Warner's of the Office and Object of Iustifying Faith The Fallacies that abuse many about those Points are there fully opened If the Reader would have the Sum of my Judgment about Justification in brief he may find it very plainly in a Sermon on that Subject among the Morning Exercises at St. Giles's in the Fields preached by my worthy Friend Mr. Gibbons of Block-Fryars in whose Church I ended my Publick Ministry a Learned Judicious Man now with God And it is as fully opened in a Latin Disputation of Monsieur le Blanc's of Sedan and Placaeus in Thes. Salmur Vol. 1. de Iustif. hath much to the same purpose § 173. 18. Near the same time I published a Treatise of Conversion being some plain Sermons on that Subject which Mr. Baldwin an honest young Minister that had lived in my House and learnt my proper Characters or short-hand in which I wrote my Sermon Notes had transcribed out of my Notes And though I had no leisure for this or other Writings to take much care of the stile nor to add any Ornaments or Citations of Authors I thought it might better pass as it was than not at all and that if the Author mist of the Applause of the Learned yet the Book might be profitable to the Ignorant as it proved through the great Mercy of God § 174. 19. Also I published a shorter Treatise on the same Subject entituled A Call to the Unconverted c. The Occasion of this was my Converse with Bishop Usher while I was at London who much appoving my Method or Directions for Peace of Conscience was importunate with me to write Directions suited to the various States of Christians and also against particular Sins I reverenced the Man but disregarded these Persuasions supposing I could do nothing but what is done as well or better already But when he was dead his Words went deeper to my Mind and I purposed to obey his Counsel yet so as that to the first sort of Men the Ungodly I thought vehement Persuasions meeter than Directions only And so for such I published this little Book which God hath blessed with unexpected Success beyond all the rest that I have written except The Saints Rest In a little more than a Year there were about twenty thousand of them printed by my own Consent and about ten thousand since besides many thousands by stollen Impressions which poor Men stole for Lucre sake Through God's Mercy I have had Informations almost whole Housholds converted by this small Book which I set so light by And as if all this in England Scotland and Ireland were not Mercy enough to me God since I was silenced hath sent it over on his Message to many beyond the Seas for when Mr. Elliot had printed all the Bible in the Indians Language he next translated this my Call to the Unconverted as he wrote to us here And though it was here thought prudent to begin with the Practice of Piety because of the envy and distaste of the times against me he had finished it before that Advice came to him And yet God would make some farther use of it for Mr. Stoop the Pastor of the French Church in London being driven hence by the displeasure of Superiors was pleased to translate it into elegant French and print it in a very curious Letter and I hope it will not be unprofitable there nor in Germany where it is printed in Dutch § 175. 20. After this I thought according to Bishop Usher's Method the next sort that I should write for is those that are under the work of Conversion because by Half-Conversion Multitudes prove deceived Hypocrites Therefore I published a small Book entituled Directions and persuasions to a sound Conversion which though I thought more apt to move than the former yet through the Fault of the covetous Booksellers and because it was held at too high a Price which hindred many other of my Writings there were not past two or three Impressions of them sold. § 176. 21. About that time being apprehensive how great a part of our Work lay in catechising the Aged who were Ignorant as well as Children and especially in serious Conference with them about the Matters of their Salvation I thought it best to draw in all the Ministers of the Country with me that the Benefit might extend the farther and that each one might have the less Opposition Which having procured at their desire I wrote a Catechism and the Articles of our Agreement and before them an earnest Exhortation to our Ignorant People to submit to this way for we were afraid lest they would not have submitted to it And this was then published The Catechism was also a brief Confession of Faith being the Enlargement of a Confession which I had before printed in an open Sheet when we set up Church Discipline § 177. 22. When we set upon this great Work it was thought best to begin with a Day of Fasting and
Prayer by all the Ministers at Worcester where they desired me to preach But Weakness and other things hindered me from that Day but to compensate that I enlarged and published the Sermon which I had prepared for them and entitled the Treatise Gildas Salvianus because I imitated Gildas and Salvianus in my Liberty of Speech to the Pastors of the Churches or The reformed Pastor I have very great Cause to be thankful to God for the Success of that Book as hoping many thousand Souls are the better for it in that it prevailed with many Ministers to set upon that Work which I there exhort them to Even from beyond the Seas I have had Letters of Request to direct them how they might bring on that Work according as that Book had convinced them that it was their Duty If God would but reform the Ministry and set them on their Duties zealously and faithfully the People would certainly be reformed All Churches either rise or fall as the Ministry doth rise or fall not in Riches and worldly Grandure but in Knowledge Zeal and Ability for their Work But since Bishops were restored this Book is useless and that Work not medled with § 178. 23. When the part of the Parliament called the Rump or Common-wealth was sitting the Anabaptists Seekers c. flew so high against Tythes and Ministry that it was much feared lest they would have prevailed at last Wherefore I drew up a Petition for the Ministry which is printed under the Name of the Worcestershire Petition which being presented by Coll. Iohn Bridges and Mr. Thomas Foley was accepted with Thanks and seemed to have a considerable tendency to some good Resolutions § 179. But the Sectaries greatly regard against that Petition and one wrote a vehement Invective against it which I answered in a Paper called The Defence of the Worcestershire Petition which by an Over-sight is mained by the want of the Answer to one of the Accusers Queries I knew not what kind of Person he was that I wrote against but it proved to be a Quaker they being just now rising and this being the first of their Books as far as I can remember that I had ever-seen § 180. 24. Presently upon this the Quakers began to make a great Stirr among us and acted the Parts of Men in Raptures and spake in the manner of Men inspired and every where railed against Tythes and Ministers They sent many Papers of Queries to divers Ministers about us And to one of the chief of them I wrote an Answer and gave them as many more Questions to answer entiâuling it The Quakers Catechism These Pamphlets being but one or two Days Work were no great Interruption to my better Labours and as they were of small Worth so also of small Cost The same Ministers of our Country that are now silenced are they that the Quakers most vehemently opposed medling little with the rest The marvellous concurrence of Instruments telleth us that one principal Agent doth act them all I have oft asked the Quakers lately why they chose the same Ministers to revile whom all the Drunkards and Swearers rail against And why they cryed out in our Assemblies Come down thou Deceiver thou Hireling thou Dog and now never meddle with the Pastors or Congregations And they answer 1. That these Men sin in the open Light and need none to discover them 2. That the Spirit hath his times both of Severity and of Lenity But the Truth is they knew then they might be bold without any Fear of Suffering by it And now it is time for them to save their Skins they suffer enough for their own Assemblies 181. 25. The great Advancement of the Popish Interest by their secret agency among the Sectaries Seekers Quakers Behmenists c. did make me think it necessary to do something directly against Popery and so I published three Disputations against them one to prove our Religion safe and another to prove their Religion unsafe and a third to shew that they overthrew the Faith by the ill Resolution of their Faith This Book I entituled The safe Religion § 182. 26. About the same time I fell into troublesom Acquaintance with one Clement Writer of Worcester an ancient Man that had long seemed a forward Professor of Religiousness and of a good Conversation but was now perverted to I know not what A Seeker he profest to be but I easily perceived that he was either a jugling Papist or an Infidel but I more suspected the latter He had written a scornful Book against the Ministry called Ius Divinum Presbyterii and after two more against the Scripture and against me one called Fides Divina the other 's Title I remember not His Assertion to me was that no Man is bound to believe in Christ that doth not see confirming Miracles himself with his own Eyes By the Provocations of this Apostate I wrote a Book called The unreasanableness of Infidelity consisting of four Parts The first of the extrinsick Witness of the Spirit by Miracles c. to which I annexed a Disputation against Clement Writer to prove that the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles oblige us to believe that did not see them The Second part was of the intrinsick Witness of the Spirit to Christ and Scripture The Third was of the Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And the Fourth was to repress the Arrogancy of reasoning against Divine Revelations All this was intended but as a Supplement to the Second Part of The Saints Rest where I had pleaded for the Truth of Scripture But this Subject I have since more fully handled in my Reasons of the Christian Religion At the time Mr. Gilbert a learned Minister in Shropshire wrote a Small concise Tractate in Latin as against a Book of Dr. Owen's though his intimate Friend to prove that Christ's Death was not necessary absolutely but of Divine Free Choice and in answer to that Book I wrote a brief Premonition to my Treatise against Infidelity to decide that Controversy § 183. 27. Mr. Tho. Foley being High Sheriff desired me to preach before the Judges which I did on Gal. 6. 16. and enlarged it to a Treatise entituled The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ for Mortification and put an Epistle somewhat large before it to provoke rich Men to good Works § 184. 28. Some Men about this time persuaded me that if I would write a few single Sheets on several Subjects though the Style were not very moving yet it would do more good than larger Volumes because most people will buy and read them who will neither buy nor read the larger Whereupon I wrote first One Sheet against the Quakers containing those Reasons which should satisfie all Sober Men against their way § 185. 29. The Second Sheet I called A Winding Sheet for Popery containing a Summary of Moderate and Effectual Reasons against Popery which single sheet no Papist hitherto hath answered §
I do believe all the Sacred Canonical Scripture which all Christian Churches do receive and particularly I believe in God the Father Almighty c. The second Part instead of Books of unnecessary Canons containeth seven or eight Points of Practice for Church-Order which so it be practised it is no great matter whether it be subscribed or not And here it must be understood that these are written for Times of Liberty in which Agreement rather than Force doth procure Unity and Communion The third Part containeth the larger-Description of the Office of the Ministry and consequently of all the Ordinances of Worship which need not be subscribed but none should preach against it nor omit the practice except Peace require that the Point of Infant Baptism be left free This small Book is called by the Name of Universal Concord which when I wrote I thought to have published a Second Part viz. a large Volume containing the particular Terms of Concord between all Parties capable of Concord But the Change of the Times hath necessarily changed that purpose § 198. 42. The next published was a Sermon before the Parliament the day before they voted in the King being a Day of Humiliation appointed to that end It is called A Sermon of Repentance of which more afterward § 199. 43. The next published was a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen at Pauls being on their Day of Rejoycing for General Monk's Success to bring in the King It is called A Sermon of Right Rejoycing § 200. 44. The next was a Sermon of the Life of Faith preached before the King being all that every I was called to preach before him when I had been sworn his Chaplain in Ordinary of which more afterward § 201. 45. The next was called A Believer's last Work being prepared for the Funeral of Mrs. Mary Hanmer Mother to my Wife then intended but after married Its use is to prepare for a Comfortable Death § 202. 46. Before this which I forgot in its proper place I published a Treatise of Death called The last Enemy to be overcome shewing the true Nature of the Enmity of Death and its uses Being a Funeral Sermon for Mrs. Elizabeth Baker Wife to Mr. Ioseph Baker Minister at Worcester with some Notes of her Life § 203. 47. Another was called The vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite A Discovery of the Nature and Mischief of a Formal vain Religion preached at Westminister-Abby with a Sermon annexed of the Prosperity of Fools This being preached at Covent-Garden was unjustly accused and published by way of Vindication with the former § 204. 48. The next was a Treatise on Luke 10. 42. One thing is needful called A Saint or a Bruit shewing the Necessity Utility Safety Honour and Pleasure of a Holy Life and evincing the Truth of our Religion against Atheists and Infidels and Prophane ones § 205. 49. The next was a Treatise of Self-knowledge preached at Dunstan's West called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance which was published partly to vindicate it from many false Accusations and partly at the desire of the Countess of Balcarres to whom it was directed It was fitted to the Disease of this âurious Age in which each man is ready to devour others because they do not know themselves § 206. 50. The next was a Treatise called The Divine Life which containeth three Parts The first is of the Right Knowledge of God for the imprinting of his Image on the Soul by the knowledge of his Attributes c. The second is Of walking with God The third is Of improving Solitude to converse with God when we are forsaken by all Friends or separated from them The Occasion of the publishing of this Treatise was this The Countess of Balcarres being going into Scotland after her adobe in England being deeply sensible of the loss of the Company of those Friends which she left behind her desired me to preach the last Sermon which she was to hear from me on those words of Christ Iohn 16. 32. Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be Scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me At her request I preached on this Text and being afterward desired by her to give it her in Writing and the Publication being her design I prefixed the two other Treatises to make it more considerable and published them together The Treatise is upon the most Excellent Subject but not elaborate at all being but Popular Sermons preached in the midst of diverting Businesses Accusations and malicious Clamours When I offered it to the Press I was fain to leave out the quantity of one Sermon in the end of the second Treatise That God took Henoch wherein I shewed what a mercy it is to one that hath walked with God to be taken to him from this World because it is a dark a wicked a malicious and implacable a treacherous deceitful World c. All which the Bishop's Chaplain must have expunged because men would think it was all spoken of them And so the World hath got a Protection against the force of our Baptismal Vow § 207. Because I have said so much in the Epistles of these two Books of the Countess of Balcarres the Reader may expect some further satisfaction of her Quality and the Cause She is Daughter to the late Earl of Seaforth in Scotland towards the High-lands and was married to the Earl of Balcarres a Covenanter but an Enemy to Cromwell's perfidiousness and true to the Person and Authority of the King with the Earl of Glencarne he kept up the last War for the King against Cromwell and his Lady through dearness of Affection marched with him and lay out of doors with him on the Mountains At last Cromwell drove them out of Scotland and they went together beyond Sea to the King where they long followed the Court and he was taken for the Head of the Presbyterians with the King and by evil Instruments fell out with the Lord Chancellor who prevailing against him upon some advantage he was for a time forbidden the Court the Grief whereof added to the Distempers he had contracted by his Warfare on the cold and hungry Mountains cast him into a Consumption of which he died He was a Lord of excellent Learning Judgment and Honesty none being praised equally with him for Learning and Understanding in all Scotland When the Earl of Lauderdaile his near Kinsman and great Friend was Prisoner in Portsmouth and Windsor-Castle he fell into acquaintance with my Books and so valued them that he read them all and took Notes of them and earnestly commended them to the Earl of Balcarres with the King The Earl of Balcarres met at the first sight with some Passages where he thought I spake too favourably of the Papists and differed from many other Protestants and so cast them by and sent the
reason of his distaste to the Earl of Lauderdaile who prest him but to read one of the Books over which he did and so read them all as I have seen many of them marked with his hand and was drawn to over-value them more than the Earl of Lauderdaile Hereupon his Lady reading them also and being a Woman of very strong Love and Friendship with extraordinary Entireness swallowed up in her Husband's Love for the Books sake and her Husband's sake she became a most affectionate Friend to me before she ever saw me While she was in France being zealous for the King's Restoration for whose Cause her Husband had pawned and ruined his Estate by the Earl of Lauderdaile's direction she with Sir Robert Murray got divers Letters from the Pastors and others there to bear witness of the King's sincerity in the Protestant Religion among which there is one to me from Mr. Gaches Her great Wisdom Modesty Piety and Sincerity made her accounted the Saint at the Court. When she came over with the King her extraordinary Respects obliged me to be so often with her as gave me Acquaintance with her Eminency in all the foresaid Vertues She is of solid Understanding in Religion for her Sex and of Prudence much more than ordinary and of great Integrity and Constancy in her Religion and a great Hater of Hypocrisie and faithful to Christ in an unfaithful World and she is somewhat over-much affectionate to her Friend which hath cost her a great deal of Sorrow in the loss of her Husband and since of other special Friends and may cost her more when the rest forsake her as many in Prosperity use to do those that will not forsake their Fidelity to Christ. Her eldest Son the young Earl of Balcarres a very hopeful Youth died of a strange Disease two Stones being found in his Heart of which one was very great Being my constant Auditor and over-respectful Friend I had occasion for the just Praises and Acknowledgments which I have given her which the occasioning of these Books hath caused me to mention § 208. 51. After our Dispute at the Savoy somebody printed our Papers most of them given in to them in that Treaty of which the Petition for Peace the Reformed Liturgy except the Prayer for the King which Dr. W. wrote the large Reply to their Answer of our Exceptions and the two last Addresses were my writing But in the first Proposals and the Exceptions against the Liturgy I had less to do than some others § 209. 52. When the grievous Plague began at London I printed a half-sheet to stick on a Wall for the use of the Ignorant and Ungodly who were sick or in danger of the Sickness for the Godly I thought had less need and would read those large Books which are plentifully among us And I the rather did it because many well-winded People that are about the Sick that are ignorant and unprepared and know not what to say to them may not only read so short a Paper to them but see there in what method such Persons are to be dealt with in such a Case of Extremity that they may themselves enlarge as they see Cause § 210. 53. At that time one Mr. Nathaniel Lane wrote to me to intreat me to write one sheet or two for the use of poor Families who will not buy or read any bigger Books Though I knew that brevity would unavoidably cause me to leave out much necessary matter or else to write in a Stile so concise and close as will be little moving to any but close judicious Readers yet I yielded to his perswasions and thought it might be better than nothing and might be read by many that would read no larger and so I wrote two Sheets for poor Families The first containing the method and motives for the Conversion of the Ungodly The second containing the Description or Character of a true Christian or the necessary Parts of Christian Duty for the direction of Beginners in a Godly Life These three last Sheets were printed by the favour of the Archbishop's Chaplain when the Bishop of London's Chaplain had put me out of hope of printing any more With all these Writings I have troubled the World already and these are all except Epistles to other mens Works as one before Mr. Swinnock's Books of Regeneration one before Mr. Hopkin's Book one before Mr. Eedes one before Mr. Matthew Pool's Model for Advancing Learning one before Mr. Benjamin Baxter's Book one before Mr. Ionathan Hanmer's Exercitation of Confirmation one before Mr. Lawrence of Sickness two before two of Mr. Tombe's Books and some others of which there are two that I must give some account of The Bookseller being to print the Assembly's Works with the Texts cited at length desired me by an Epistle to recommend it to Families I thought it a thing arrogant and unfit for a single Person who was none of the Synod to put an Epistle before their Works But when he made me know that it was the desire of some Reverend Ministers I wrote an Epistle but required him to put it into other mens hands to publish or suppress according to their Judgment but to be sure that they printed all or none The Bookseller gets Dr. Manton to put an Epistle before the Book who inserted mine in a differing Character in his own as mine but not naming me But he leaveth out a part which it seems was not pleasing to all When I had commended the Catechisms for the use of Families I added That I hoped the Assembly intended not all in that long Confession and those Catechisms to be imposed as a Test of Christian Communion nor to disown all that scrupled any word in it If they had I could not have commended it for any such use though it be useful for the instruction of Families c. All this is left out which I thought meet to open lest I be there misunderstood Also take notice that the Poem prefixed to Mr. Vines's Book of the Sacrament was not printed by any order of mine Having received the Printed Book from the Stationer as Gift it renewed my Sorrow for the Author's Death which provoked me to write that Poem the same Night in the Exercise of my Sorrow and gave it the Donor for his Book and he printed it without my knowledge § 211. Manuscripts that are yet unprinted which lye by me are these following 1. A Treatise in Folio called A Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Divinity In four Tomes The first called Christian Ethicks The second Christian Ecclesiasticks The third Christian Oeconomicks The fourth Christian Polisticks It containeth bare Directions for the practice of our Duties in all these respects as Christians as Church-Members as Members of the Family and as Members of the Commonwealth But there is a sufficient Explication of the Subject usually premised and the Directions themselves are the Answers of most useful Cases of Conscience
thereabouts though the Cases be not named by way of Question But where it was necessary the Cases are distinctly named and handled My intent in writing this was at once to satisfie that motion so earnestly made by Bishop Usher mentioned in the Preface to my Call to the Unconverted which I had been hindred from doing by parts before And I had some little respect to the request which was long ago sent to him from some Transmarine Divines to help them to a Sum of Practical Divinity in the English method But though necessary brevity hath deprived it of all life and lustre of Stile it being but a Skeleton of Practical Heads yet is it so large by reason of the multitude of things to be handled that I see it will not be of so common a use as I first intended it To young Ministers and to the more intelligent and diligent sort of Masters of Families who would have a Practical Directory at hand to teach them every Christian Duty and how to help others in the practice it may be not unserviceable 2. Another Manuscript is called A christian indeed It consisteth of two Parts The first is a Discovery of the calamities which folow the weakness and faultiness of many true Christians and Directions for their strengthening and growth in Grace which was intended as the third particular Tractate in fulfilling the foresaid request of Bishop Usher The Call to the Unconverted being for that sort and the Directions for a sound Conversion being for the second sort who are yet as it were in the birth And this being for the weaker and faultier sort of Christians which are the third sort To which is added a second Part containing the just Description of a sound confirmed Christian whom I call a Christian indeed in sixty Characters of Marks and with each of them is adjoyned the Character of the weak Christian and of the Hypocrite about the same part of Duty But all is but briefly done the Heads being many without any life or ornament of Stile This short Treatise I offered to Mr. Thomas Grigg the Bishop of London's Chaplain to be licensed for the Press a man that but lately Conformed and professed special respect to me but he utterly refused it pretending that it favoured of Discontent and would be interpreted as against the Bishops and the Times And the matter was that in several Passages I spake of the Prosperity of the Wicked and the Adversity of the Godly and described Hypocrites by their Enmity to the Godly and their forsaking the Truth for fear of Suffering and described the Godly by their undergoing the Enmity of the wicked World and being stedfast whatever it shall cost them c. And all this was interpreted as against the Church or Prelatists I asked him whether they would license that of mine which they would do of another man 's against whom they had not displeasure in the same words And he told me No because the words would receive their interpretation with the Readers from the mind of the Author And he askt me whether I did not think my self that Nonconformists would interpret it as against the Times I answered him yes I thought they would and so they do all those Passages of Scripture which speak of Persecution and the Suffering of the Godly but I hoped Bibles should be licensed for all that I asked him whether that was the Rule which they went by that they would license nothing of mine which they thought any Readers would interpret as against the Bishops or their Party And when he told me plainly that it was their Rule or Resolution I took it for my final Answer and purposed never to offer him more For I despair of writing that which men will not interpret according to their own Condition and Opinion especially against those whose Crimes are notorious before the World This made me think what a troublesome thing is Guilt which as Seneca saith is like a Sore which is pained not only with a little touch but sometime upon a conceit that it is touched and maketh a man think that every Bryar is a Sergeant to Arrest him or with Cain that every one that seeth him would kill him A Cainites heart and life hath usually the attendance of a Cainities Conscience I did but try the Licenser with this small inconsiderable Script that I might know what to expect for my more valued Writings And I told him that I had troubled the World with so much already and said enough for one man's part that I could not think it very necessary to say any more to them and therefore I should accept of his discharge But fain they would have had my Controversal Writings about Universal Redemption Predetermination c. in which my Judgment is more pleasing to them but I was unwilling to publish them alone while the Practical Writings are refused And I give God thanks that I once saw Times of greater Liberty though under an Usurper or else as far as I can discern scarce any of my Books had ever seen the Light 3. Another Manuscript that lyeth by me is a Disputation for some Universality of Redemption which hath lain by me near Twenty years unfinished partly because many narrow minded Brethren would have been offended with it and and partly because at last came out after Amyraldus and Davenant's Dissârtations a Treatise of Dallaeus which contained the same things but especially the same Testimonies of concordant Writers which I had prepared to produce 4. There is also by me an imperfect Manuscript of Predetermination 5. And divers Disputations of sufficient Grace 6. And divers miscellaneous Disputations on several Questions in Divinity cursorily managed at our Monthly Meetings 7. And my two Replies to Mr. Cartwright's Exceptions against my Aphorisms 8. And my two Replies to Mr. Lawson's Animadversions on the same Book 9. And my Reply to Mr. Iohn Warren's Animadversions which being first done is least digested 10. And the beginning of a Reply to Dr. Wallis's Animadversions 11. And a Discourse of the Power of Magistrates in Religion against those that would not have them to meddle in such Matters being an Assize Sermon preached at Shrewsbury when Coll. Thomas Hunt was Sheriff 12. And some Fragments of Poetry 13. And a Multitude of Theological Letters 14. And an imperfect Treatise of Christ's Dominion being many popular Sermons preached twenty Years ago and very rude and undigested with divers others § 212. And concerning almost all my Writings I must confess that my own Judgment is that fewer well studied and polished had been better but the Reader who can safely censure the Books is not fit to censure the Author unless he had been upon the Place and acquainted with all the Occasions and Circumstances Indeed for the Saints Rest I had Four Months Vacancy to write it but in the midst of continual Languishing and Medicine But for the rest I wrote them in
no fixing any more Diocesses in the World than Twelve or Thirteen and whoever since pretended to succeed them in those Twelve or Thirteen Diocesses 3. And if following Bishops or Princes fixt Diocesses that is no divine nor unalterable Law 4. We never read that an Apostle claimed any Diocess as proper to him or forbad any other to officiate in it or blamed them for so doing 5. It is certain that while they went themselves from Country to Country they fixed Bishops to every Church or City Act. 14. 23. Yit 1. 5 6. Ad 9. 1. The Apostles fixed not Bishops of the lowest Rank Vicatim nor Rigionatim but in every Church which was then in every City where were Christians even the same Church that had Deacons and Presbyters fixed 2. Bishops preached to Infidels to whom they were not Bishops but Preachers 3. The Christians of neighbour Villages came to the City-Church and when they had Oratories or Chappels there it made them not another Parish and excluded not such from personal Communion with the Bishops Church nor extended to such as by Distance or Numbers were uncapable of such personal Communion 4. Titus was either an ambulatory Evangelist to go about as the Apostles gathering and Setling Churches as I think or if fixed he was an Archbishop who was to settle Bishops under him in every City as Dr. Hammond judged It followeth not that a meer Bishop may have a Multitude of Churches because an Archbishop may who hath many Bishops under him 5. As the Magnitude of human Body so also of a particular Church hath its Limitation suited to its Ends Communion by Delegates or Officers only is the Case of many Churches associated But Personal Communion in Doctrine Worship Conversation and Discipline is the End of each particular Church and if you extend the Form to more than are capable of that End even to many such Societies by so doing the Species is changed § 38. About this time a reverend learned Brother Mr. Martin Iohnson being of the Judgment of Dr. Hammond and Dr. Gunning and yet a Lover of all honest peaceable Men and constant at our Meetings Lectures and Disputations was pleased to write to me about the Necessity of Episcopal Ordination I maintained that it was not necessary ad esse Ecclesiae and that he might be a true Minister who was ordained by Presbyters and that in Cases of Necessity it was a Duty to take Ordination from them He opposed this with Modesty and Judgment being a very good Logician till at last he yielded to the Truth These Letters with their Answers are added in the Appendix § 39. A little after this an Accident fell out that hindered our Concord with the Episcopal Party and is pretended at this Day by many to justifie the Silencing of all the Ministers that were afterward put out Oliver Cromwell who then usurped the Government being desired by some to forbid all Ministers of all Parties whatsoever to officiate who were notoriously insufficient or scandalous taketh hence Occasion to put in with the rest all those that took part with the King against the Parliament and so by offending them hindred our Agreement with them which provoked me then to protest against it and publish my Judgment against the hindering of any Man to preach the Gospel upon the Ground of such Civil Controversies as those § 40. And about the same time Experience in my Pastoral Charge convinced me that publick Preaching is not all the ordinary Work of a faithful Minister and that personal Conference with every one about the State of their own Souls together with Catechising is a Work of very great Necessity For the Custom in England is only to catechise the younger sort and that but by teaching them the Words of the Catechism in the Liturgy which we thought besides the Doctrine of the Sacrament had little more explicatory than the Words themselves of the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue Therefore I propounded the Business to the Ministers and they all upon Debate consented that I should âârn our brief Confession into a Catechism and draw up a Form of Agreement for the Practising of that Duty I drew up the Catechism in Two leaves in 8 vâ comprehending ãâã is necessary to be believed consented to and practised in as narrow â room and just a Method as I thought agreeable to the Peoples Understandings And I proposed a Form of Agreement for the Practice which might engage the ãâ¦ã to go through with the Work And when I brought it in it was conseââed to and subscribed and many neighbouring Ministers of other Countries desired to join with us and we printed the Catechism and Agreement together § 41. Of all the Works that ever I ãâã this yielded me most Comfort in the practice of it All Men thought that the People especially the ancienter sort would never have submitted to this Course and so that it would have come to nothing But God gave me a ãâã willing People and gave me also interest in them and when I had ãâã and my People had given a good Example to other Parishes and especially the Ministers so ãâã concurring that none gainsayed us it prevailed much with the Parishes ãâã I set two Days Week apart for this Employment ãâã faithful unwearied Assistant and my self took fourteen Families every Week those in the Town came to us to our Houses those in the Parish my Assistant ãâ¦ã to ãâã Houses besides what a Curate did at a ãâã ãâã they ãâã the ãâã to us a Family only being present as a ãâã and no Stranger admitted after that I first helpâ them to understand it and next enquired modestly into the State of their Souls and lastly endeavoured to set all home to the convincing awakening and resolving of their Hearts according to their several Conditions bestowing about an Hour and the Labour of a Sermon with every Family and I found it so effectual through the Blessing of God that few went away without some seeming Humiliation Conviction and Purpose and Promise for a holy Life and except half a dozen or thereabouts of the most ignorant and senseless all the Families in the Town came to me and though the first time they came with Fear and Backwardness after that they longed for their turn to come again So that I hope God did good to many by it And yet this was not all the Comfort I had in it § 42. For my Brethren appointing me to preach to them about it on a Day of Humiliation at Worcester when we set upon it I printed the Sermon prepared for that use with necessary Additions containing Reasons and Directions for this Work in a Book called The Reformed Pastor which excited so many others to take the Course that we had taken that it was a far greater Addition to my Comfort than the profiting of the Parish or County where we lived Yea a Reverend Pastor from Switzerland wrote me word that it excited
Church where he is President and where he Ordaineth if there be any left I suppose as to a Parochial or Congregational President in one Eldership you will grant this and why not to the President of the Association for Peace when he that is Ordained a Pastor of your particular Church is thereupon made an Officer in the Universal therefore others should have some care of it or else I 'le let Objections pass in silence only desire you if these two last dislike you not therefore presently to reject the rest but lay these by On these Terms in the two last Propositions Bishop Usher when I propounded them to him told me That the Episcopal Party might well agree with us and the moderate would but the rest would not To my Reverend Brother Mr. Philip Nye § 47. After this I was yet desirous to make a fuller Attempt for the reconciling of those Controversies so far as that we might hold Communion together And I drew up a larger Writing instancing in about Ten Points of Difference between the Presbyterians and Independants proving that the Differences were not such as should hinder Concord and Communion The Writing being too large to be here inserted you shall have with the rest at the end of the History Since Prelacy was restored there hath been no Opportunity to Debate these Matters for the Reasons aforesaid and many others Only I put these Papers into Mr. G. Grissith's hand who speaketh much for Reconciliation And when I call'd for them about a year after he had shewed them to none nor made any use of them which might tend to the desired Concord and so I took them away as expecting no more success § 48. About the same time the great Controversie that troubled all the Church being about the Qualification of Church Members I apprehended that the want of a due and solemn manner of Transition from the Number of Infant-Members into the Number of the Adult was the cause both of Anabaptistry and Independency and that the right performance of this as Calvin and our Rubrick in the Common Prayer would have Confirmation performed would be the most excellent Expedient both for Reformation and Reconciliation finding that the Independants themselves approved of it I meditated how to get this way of rectified Confirmation restored and introduced when in the mean time came forth a Treatise for this way of Confirmation by Mr. Ionathan Hanmer very judiciously and piously written And because it was sent me with a Request to write my Judgment of it I put an Epistle before it further to prove the desirableness of the thing The Book was very well accepted when it came abroad but some wrote to me desiring me not only to shew the usefulness of it but also to produce some fuller Scripture Proofs that it is a Duty whereupon I wrote a little Treatise that is called Confirmation the way to Reformation and Reconciliation And in my own Congregation I began so much of the Practice of it as is acknowledged to belong to Presbyters to do § 49. And about the same time while Cromwell professed to do all that he could for the equal promoting of Godliness and Peace and the Magistrates Assistance greatly facilitating the Work of the Ministers and many Ministers neglected their Duty because the Magistrate compelled not the People to submit to them and some never administred the Lord's Supper because they thought nothing but Constraint by the Magistrate would enable them to do it aright And on the other Extream Cromwell himself and such others commonly gave out that they could not understand what the Magistrate had to do in Matters of Religion and they thought that all Men should be left to their own Consciences and that the Magistrate could not interpose but he should be ensnared in the Guilt of Persecution I say while these Extreams prevailed upon the Discourses of some Independants I offered them a few Proposals suited to those Times containing those few Duties by which a willing Magistrate might easily settle the Church in a safe and holy Peace without incurring the guilt of Persecution or Profaneness or Licentiousness but having no Correspondency with Cromwell or any of his Council they were never shewed or made use of any further than for the perusal of him to whom I gave them who being one of their Faction I thought it possible he might have further improved them The Paper was this which followeth By the Establishment of what is contained in these Twelve Propositions or Articles following the Churches in these Nations may have a Holy Communion Peace and Concord without any Wrong to the Consciences or Liberties of Presbyterians Congregational Episcopal or any other Christians 1. FOrasmuch as God hath appointed Magistracy and Ministry as Functions of a different kind but both necessary to the welfare of Mankind and both for the Church and the Salvation of Men and the maintaining of due Obedience to God Therefore let not either of them invade the Function of the other Let Ministers have no Power of Violence by inflicting Corporal Penalties or Mulcts nor be the Judges though in Cases of Heresie or Impiety who is to be ãâã punished and who not but let them not be denied to be the Ministers of Christ and Guides of the Church And therefore let the Word of God be their only Rule what they must Preach and whom they must Baptize and receive into the Church and to whom they must Administer the Lord's Supper and whom they must Reprove Admonith Reject or Absolve and so for the rest of their Ministerial Work And let not Princes or Parliaments make them Rules and tell them whom to admit or reject otherwise than from the Word of God for according to this Rule we are bound to proceed whatever we suffer for it But yet as the Magistrate is by us to be instructed and guided according to the Word of God so we are by him to be commanded and punished if we offend And therefore we acknowledge it his Duty to command us to Teach and Govern the Churches according to the Word of God and to punish us if we disobey and we must submit to such commands and punishments And therefore if the Parliament see cause to make any Laws according to which their Judges and Officers shall proceed in punishing Ministers for Male-administration we shall not disobey them if agreeable to God's Word if not we shall obey God and patiently suffer from them 2. Seeing there is very much difference between an Infant state of Church-Membership and an Adult one being but imperfect Members in comparison of the other and one being admitted on the Condition they be but the Seed of the Faithful and the others Title having another Condition even a Faith or Profession of their own and one having right only to Infant Priviledges and not to the Lord's Supper and other parts of Communion proper to the Adult because they are not capable of it And seeing
he lived in the House of a certain Nobleman near our parts and that being much in London he is there the chief Hector or great Disputer for the Papists and that he was the chief of the two Men who had held and printed the Dispute with Dr. Pierson and Dr. Gunning And when I saw what Advantage he had got by printing that Dispute I resolved that he should not do so by me and so I printed all our Papers but before I printed them I urged him to some farther Conference and at our next meeting I told him how necessary it was that we should agree first of the meaning of our Terms and I wrote down some few as Church Pope Council Bishop Heresy Schism c. which I desired him to explain to me under his Hand promising him the like whenever he desired it which when I had got from him I gave him some Animadversions on it shewed their Implications to which he answered and to that I replyed And when he came no more to me nor gave me any Answer I printed all together which made him think it necessary at last to write a Confutation whereto I have since published a full Rejoinder to which I can procure no Answer § 84. And not long after hearing that the Countess of Balcarres was not well I went to visit her and found her grievously afflicted for her eldest Daughter the Lady Ann Lindsey about sixteen or seventeen Years of Age who was suddenly turned Papist by she knew not whom She told me that when she first heard of it she desired Dr. Gunning to meet with the Priest to dispute with him and try if her Daughter might be recovered who pretended then to be in Doubt And that Dr. Gunning first began to persuade her Daughter against the Church of Scotland which she had been bred in as no true Church and after disputed but about the Pope's Infallability and âeft her Daughter worse than before and that she took it to be a strange way to deliver her Daughter from Popery to begin with a Condemnation of the Reformed Churches as no true Churches and confess that the Church and Ministry of Rome was true She desired me that I would speak to her Daughter and try whether she would yet enter into Conference about the Reason of her Faith But she utterly refused it and would say nothing to that purpose but refer us to the Church and profess her acquiescence in its Judgment and when I desired to know of her how she knew what was the Judgment of the Church whether it were not meerly the Word ãâã the Priest that satisfied her in this and therefore desired her that she would hear that Priest or Jesuit on whose Word she built all her Faith in the Presence of some one that was fit to help her in the Tryal of his Assertions and intreated her to procure a Conference in her hearing between him and me she promised readily that it should be done The next time I came again and askt whether she had spoke with him about it and whether time and place were agreed on she confidently told me that he was ready to do it when I pleased and that all he desired was that my Promise might secure him from Accusation and from the danger of the Law and that was all that he was solicitous for I offered her to bring only two Witnesses on each side and that we might have two days Conference or Dispute in one of which he should give his Reasons why she ought to change her Religion and I would answer them and in the other I would give my Reasons why she ought not to change and he should answer me and I thought this the clearest and most impartial Method for the discerning of the Truth And I promised her all the Security which I could procure him from any danger The next time I came to know the Day she told me the Gentleman would not meet nor dispute I desired to know the Reason But she told me that she did not know her self I intreated her to procure some other to do it in whom she put the greatest Confidence and desired her to take the ablest she could get among all the Jesuits or Priests of the Queen or the Queen-Mother with whom I knew she was not unacquainted But she would not undertake for any whereupon I was forced to urge her with Provocations and tell her that seeing she was forced to resolve all her Faith into the Word of particular Priests by which only she knew the Sense of the Church and all that History which induced her to believe that Rome was the true Church she seemed very little to regard her Soul who would so far venture it upon the Words of Men that would not be provoked to an equal Conference in her hearing The next day I came I urged her again to procure a Conference She told me that the Gentleman would not consent And when I urged her to tell me his Reason she told me that he knew me very well and that he had very high Thoughts of me and that it was not now through any fear of Danger for he durst venture his Life in my Hands but since he knew it was me that he was to meet with he would not come but would not tell her why And though still I told her that there were more enough if he refused I could not procure her to bring any of them to a Dispute But at last when I purposely continued to provoke them she told me that he would yield to Dispute so it might be done only in Writing and not a Word spoken nor any thing written but Syllogistically and according to the strictest Rules of Disputation I told her 1. That I supposed that she understood not when an Argument was in Mood and Figure nor what a Fallacy was and therefore that this was not designed to her Edification 2. That I supposed that she had not read one of many of all those Books already written against them which are unanswered And if Writing will serve turn a printed Argument is as good as a written one Nor had she read the late Disputation between Mr. Iohnson and me nor were any one of my Books against them yet answered and why then should I write more till those were answered 3. I told her that Mr. Iohnson's Writing and mine held us above a Twelvemonth and yet was not driven to the Head And I asked her whether she would be willing to wait a Year or two and suspend her Resolution in Religion till she saw the Issue of our Disputation in Writing 4. I told her that it was like that he that offered this understood that by his Majesty's Pleasure I was then newly engaged in another Work which occasioned him to make this Offer 5. But yet that her Deceiver might have no Excuse I offered her that I would do all that he desired and manage it in Writing so be it
call it self and such Men Holy Dare you read what I have written of their Holiness in my Key chap. 34. Detection 25. or procure them to answer that and the rest there 2. Are all that are Holy the Rule or Rulers to all others when you have conversed among the Papists one seven Years if Delusion leave you Reason and impartiality you will be more capable of comparing them with your own Parents and such as you lived amongst here and judging which were the more holy 3. As Catholick signifieth a Member of the Church Catholick or such is hold the Catholick Faith so other Churches are much more such than Rome As it signifieth the universal Church Rome is none such The same I say of Apostolick Those that are most exactly of the Apostolick Faith are to be called Apostolick but Woe to us if we were in that no better than Rome 14. You may see now what pitiful Grounds you have for flying into a Pest-house as a City of Refuge or for ãâã all the cleanest Rooms in the House of God and ãâã your self to that Room that hath the most leprous infected Persons in it as if it were the only Church of God And for Novelties O that the whole Case ãâã there be tried and let that Church that hath introduced most Novelties in Faith and Discipline and Worship be most rejected as unclean Were you impartial the several ãâã of our Religion might put that part of the Controversy ãâ¦ã you For our Rule of Religion is only the Holy Scripture if you shew ãâã that we misunder stand it we shall renounce that misunderstanding but to misunderstand Scripture is to make a new Rule no more than to understand your Councils And you know the Scripture is no Novelty but the Eldest Your Rule is Councils and Papal Decrees which are new contradictory and endless and you never know when you have all and when your Faith is at its maturity and no more to be added under pretence of Determinations If you dare read my 24th 25th and 35th Decection in my Key you may see quickly who are the Novelties One chief Reason of my abhorring Popery is that I am absolutely certain of its Novelty Madam I must take the freedom to say That when your Priests dare neither Dispute in your hearing upon all the provoking offers that I made not yet will answer the Books that I have written nor yet give you leave to read them they have imprisoned your Soul in the partiality of a Sect and while you are so unfaithful to your self if you be miserable because you would not make use of the Remedy and deluded because you are resolved or obliged from coming into the Light your Friends will have an easier account to make for you before God than your self as having discharged their Duty when you wilfully refuse yours What you read formerly against Popery before you doubted or heard their Fallacies was as nothing I suppose for I do not think you observed or remember the stress of the Argumentation which you read We will have leave to pray for you though we cannot have leave to instruct you and God may hear us when you will not which I have the more hopes of because of the Piety of your Parents and the Prayers and Tears of a tender Mother poured out for you and your own well-meaning pious disposition I have known some such Piety bred among us carried by mistake into their Church but little initially bred there Though they pretend that Persons of Charity and the Spirit of God with us must go to them to receive it I would I knew whether you can say by true Experience I felt no true Love of God in my Soul before but as soon as I turned Papist I did and have now the Spirit of God and his Image which before I never had Sure the Change of an Opinion about your Pope and Church is one thing and the Renewing Grace and Love of God and Heavenly mindedness is another I fear not your Prayers bringing your Delusions and Idolatry in your Mother's Chamber as to her self while she walks uptightly with God Nothing that I find in your Manual or the Mass-Book will ever have that power For the Liberty of your Religion which you say you hope for on the Grounds of the King's Declaration I have no more to say but 1. That I never loved Cruelty in any and it hath increased my version to Popery that I still observed that lying and uncharitable cruelty have been the two Hands by which it makes such a bustle in the World 2. And that iâ Italy Spain and Austria Bavaria c. would grant Liberty to Protestants we should see more Equality in the Expectations of it here but if you get Dominion as well as Liberty it will be no Evidence of the Truth and Goodness of your Cause Our God our Rule our Hope our End and Portion are the same in the Inquisition Prison and Flames as in Prosperity We have a Kingdom that cannot be moved and Treasure that none can rob us of It is for that and not for Worldly Prosperity that we renounce all Sensuality Heresie Superstition Idolatry Tyranny and false Worship and desire in Pure and Spiritual Worship with Faith and Patience to wait for the Coming and Righteous Judgment of the Lord. Who with the Spirit of his Mouth and the brightness of his Coming will destroy that wicked One the Son of Perdition 2 Thess. 2. Madam I rest your Servant for and in the Truth of Christ Rich. Baxter London Ian. 29. 1660. Since the Writing of this I am informed that Mr. Iohnson is the Person that you would have had to Dispute for you and that did now and formerly Dispute with Dr. Gunning If so I like your Condition or Religion never the better for your denying itâ when you confessed he feared not any injury from me Our Religion is more a Friend to Truth For the honourable Lady Anne Lindsey at Calice This. § 87. When the King was received with the General Acclamation of his People the Expectations of Men were various according to their several Interests and Inducements Some plain and moderate Episcopal Men thought of Reconciliation and Union with the said Presbyterians yea and a Reward to the Presbyterians for bringing in the King The more Politick Men of the Diocesan way understood that upon the King's Return all the Laws that had been made in Nineteen Years viz. since his Father's departing from the Parliament were void and so that all their Ancient Power and Honour and Revenues would fall to them without any more ado and that they had nothing to do but to keep the Ministers and People in quietness and hopes till Time should fully do the work Some few Presbyterians thought the King would favour them as well as others for stirring up the Soldiers and City to restore him In London I found that Mr. Calamy for his Age and Political Understanding and
Churches or to any Colledge in either of our Universities where we would have the several Statutes and Customs observed which have been formerly And because some Men otherwise Pious and Learned say they cannot conform to the Subscription required by the Canon at the time of their Institution and Admission into Benefices we are content so they take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy that they shall receive Institution and Induction and shall be permitted to exercise their Function and to enjoy the Profits of their Livings without any other Subscription until it shall be otherwise determined by a Synod called and confirmed by our Authority In a word we do again renew what we have formerly said in our Declaration from Breda for the Liberty of tender Consciences that no Man shall be disquieted or called in question for Difference of Opinions in Matters of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom and if any have been disturbed in that kind since our Arrival here it hath not proceeded from any Direction of ours To conclude and in this place to explain what we mentioned before and said in our Letter to the House of Commons from Breda that we hoped in due time our self to propose somewhat for the propagation of the Protestant Religion that will satisfie the World that we have always made it both our Care and our study and have enough observed what is most like to bring disadvantage to it we do conjure all our Loving Subjects to acquiesce in and submit to this our Declaration concerning those differences which have so much disquieted the Nation at home and given such Offence to the Protestant Churches abroad and brought such reproach upon the Protestant Religion in general from the Enemies thereof as if upon obscure Notions of Faith and Fancy it did admit the Practice of Christian Duties and Obedience to be discountenanced and suspended and introduce a License in Opinions and Manners to the prejudice of the Christian Faith And let us all endeavour and emulate each other in those Endeavours to countenance and advance the Protestant Religion abroad which will be best done by supporting the Dignity and Reverence due to the best Reformed Protestant Church at home and which being once freed from the Calamities and Reproaches it hath undergone from these late ill times will be the best shelter for those abroad which will by that Countenance both be the better protected against their Enemies and be the more easily induced to compose the Differences amongst themselves which give their Enemies more advantage against them And we hope and expect that all Men will henceforward forbear to vent any such Doctrine in the Pulpit or to endeavour to work in such manner upon the Affections of the People as may dispose them to an ill Opinion of us and the Government and to disturb the Peace of the Kingdom which if all Men will in their several Vocations endeavour to preserve with the same Affection and Zeal we our self will do all our Good Subjects will by God's Blessing upon us enjoy as great a measure of Felicity as this Nation hath ever done and which we shall constantly labour to procure for them as the greatest blessing God can bestow upon us in this World Note That the two Papers which the King's Declaration publisheth his Offence against were 1. A Declaration which the Scots drew the King to publish when they Crowned him in Scotland disclaiming his Father's Wars and Actions in Language so little tender of his Father's Honour that it was no wonder that the King was hardly drawn to it then nor that Cromwell derided their Doings as Hypocritical nor that the King was angry with those rash People whoever they were who now reprinted it 2. A Book of Dr. Cornelius Burges who though he was for a moderate Episcopacy had written to prove the Necessity of a Reformatation in Doctrine Discipline and Worship whereas in all our Treaty we had never medled with the Doctrine of the Church Because though the most part of the Bishops were taken to be Arminians as they are called yet the Articles of Religion we took to be sound and moderate however Men do variously interpret them § 106. When we had received this Copy of the Declaration we saw that it would not serve to heal our Differences Therefore we told the Lord Chancellour with whom we were to do all our Business still before it came as from us to the King that our Endeavours as to Concord would all be frustrate if much were not altered in the Declaration I pass over all our Conferences with him both now and at other times In conclusion we were to draw up our Thoughts of it in writing which the Brethren imposed on me to do My judgment was That all the Fruit of this our Treaty besides a little Reprival from intended Ejection would be but the Satisfying our Consciences and Posterity that we had done our Duty and that it was not our Fault that we came not to the desired Concord or Coalition and therefore seeing we had no considerable higher hopes we should speak as plainly as Honesty and Conscience did require us But when Mr. Calamy and Dr. Reignolds had read my Paper they were troubled at the plainness of it and thought it would never be endured and therefore desired some Alteration especially that I might leave out 1. The Prediction of the Evils which would follow our Non-Agreement which the Court would interpret as a Threatning 2. The mentioning the Aggravations of Covenant-breaking and Perjury â I gave them my Reasons for passing it as it was To bring this to pass more effectually they told the Earl of Manchester with whom as our sure Friend we still consulted and whom the Court used to Communicate to us what they desired And he called the Earl of Anglesey and the Lord Hollis to the Consultation as our Friends And these three Lords with Mr. Calamy and Dr. Reignolds perused all the Writing and all with earnestness perswaded me to the said Alterations I confess I thought those two Points material which they excepted against and would not have had them left out and thereby made them think me too plain and unpleasing as never used to the Language or Converse of a Court But it was not my unskilfulness in a more pleasing Language but my Reason and Conscience upon foresight of the Issue which was the Cause But when they told me that it would not so much as be received and that I must go with it my self for no body else would I yielded to such an Alteration as here followeth It was only in the Preface that the Alteration was desired I shall therefore that you may see what it was give it you as first drawn up and afterwards alter'd Our Petition to the King upon our Sight of the First Draught of his Declaration May it please your Majesty SO great was the Comfort created in our Minds by your Majesty's oft-expressed
the ruling of the People whose Rectors they are called And when I perceived some Offence at what I said I told them that we had not the Judgments of Men at our command We could not in reason suppose that our Concessions or any thing we could do would change the Judgments of any great Numbers and therefore we must consider what will unite us in case their Judgments be not changed or else we labour to no purpose § 109. But Bishop Morley told them how great our Power was and what we might do if we were willing and he told the King that no Man had written better of these Matters than I had done and there my five Disputations of Church Government c. lay ready to be produced and all was to intimate as if I now contradicted what I had there written I told him that I had best reason to know what I had written and that I am still of the same mind and stand to it all and do not speak any thing against it A great many words there were about Prelacy and Re-ordination Dr. Gunning and Bishop Morley speaking almost all on one side and Dr. Hinchman and Dr. Cosens sometimes and Mr. Calamy and my self most on the other side But I think neither Party doth value the rambling Discourses of that Day so much as to think them worthy the recording Mr. Calamy answered Dr. Gunning from Scripture very well against the Divine Right of Prelacy as a distinct Order And when Dr. Gunning told them that Dr. Hammond had said enough against the Presbyterains Cause and Ordination and was yet unanswered I thought it meet to tell him that I had answered the Substance of his Arguments and said enough moreover against the Diocesan Frame of Government and to prove the validity of the English Presbyters Ordination which indeed was unanswered though I was very desirous to have seen an Answer to it which I said because they had got the Book by them and because I thought the unreasonableness of their dealing might be evinced who force so many hundreds to be Re-ordained and will not any of them answer one Book which is written to prove the validity of that Ordination which they would have nullified though I provoked them purposely in such a Presence § 110. The most of the time being spent thus in speaking to Particulars of the Declaration as it was read when we came to the end the Lord Chancellour drew out another Paper and told us that the King had been petitioned also by the Independants and Anabaptists and though he knew not what to think of it himself and did not very well like it yet something he had drawn up which he would read to us and desire us also to give our Advice about it Thereupon he read as an Addition to the Declaration That others also be permitted to meet for Religious Worship so be it they do it not to the disturbance of the Peace and that no Iustice of Peace or Officer disturb them When he had read it he again desired them all to think on it and give their Advice But all were silent The Presbyterians all perceived as soon as they heard it that it would secure the Liberty of the Papists and one of them whispered me in the Ear and intreated me to say nothing for it was an odious Business but let the Bishops speak to it But the Bishops would not speak a word nor any one of the Presbyterians neither and so we were like to have ended in that Silence I knew if we consented to it it would be charged on us that we spake for a Toleration of Papists and Sectaries But yet it might have lengthened out our own And if we spake against it all Sects and Parties would be set against us as the Causers of their Sufferings and as a partial People that would have Liberty our selves but would have no others have it with us At last seeing the Silence continue I thought our very Silence would be charged on us a Consent if it went on and therefore I only said this That this Reverend Brother Dr. Gunning even now speaking against Sects had named the Papists and the Sââinians For our parts we desired not favour to our selves alone and rigorous Severity we desired against none As we humbly thanked his Majesty for his Indulgence to our selves so we distinguish the tolerable Parties from the intolerable For the former we humbly crave just lenity and favour but for the latter such as the two sorts named before by that Reverend Brother for our parts we cannot make their Toleration our request To which his Majesty said That there were Laws enough against the Papists and I replyed That we understood the Question to be whether those Laws should be executed on them or not And so his Majesty brake up the Meeting of that Day § 111. Before the Meeting was dissolved his Majesty had all along told what he would have stand in the Declaration and he named four Divines to determine of any Words in the Alteration if there were any difference that is Bishop Morley Bishop Hinchman Dr. Reignolds and Mr. Calamy and if they disagreed that the Earl of Anglesey and the Lord Hollis should decide it As they went out of the Room I told the Earl of Anglesey That we had no other business there that day but the Curches peace and welfare and I would not have been the Man that should have done so much against it as he had done that day for more than he was like to get by it for being called a Presbyterian he had spoken more for Prelacy than we expected And I think by the Consequent that this saying did some good for when I after found the Declaration amended and asked him how it came to pass he intimated to me that it was his doing § 112. And here you may note by the way the fashion of these Times and the state of the Presbyterians Any Man that was for a Spiritual serious way of Worship though he were for moderate Episcopacy and Liturgy and that lived according to his Profession was called commonly a Presbyterian as formerly he was called a Puritan unless he joyned himself to Independents Anabaptists or some other Sect which might afford him a more odious Name And of the Lords he that was for Episcopacy and the Liturgy was called a Presbyterian if he endeavoured to procure any Abatement of their Impositions for the Reconciling of the Parties or the ease of the Ministers and People that disliked them And of the Ministers he was called a Presbyterian that was for Episcopacy and Liturgy if he conformed not so far as to Subscribe or Swear to the English Diocesan Frame and all their Impositions I knew not of any one Lord at Court that was a Presbyterian yet were the Earl of Manchester a good Man and the Earl of Anglesey and the Lord Hollis called Presbyterians and as such appointed to direct and help
this Trouble who am SIR Your true Friend to serve you Iohn Griggs Aug. 30. 1660. The other was as followeth Dr. Pierce called Mr. Baxter bold impudent sawcy Fellow for preaching such a Sârmon to the King and for printing himself his Majesty's Chaplain and his Sermon to be printed at his Majesty's Command when neither were true and called Mr. Baxter Thief Murderer the greatest of Rebels worse than a Whore-master or Drunkard c. Some of this I heard him speak my self the rest I had from a Friend which heard it from Mr. Price George Brent By this taste the Reader that knew not the Men may judge with what sort of Men we had to do for Dr. Pierce was not without too many Companions of his Temper These Men that witness these Words of his were godly Men who having been Mr. Iohn Goodwin's Disciples had been made Arminians by him and fell in with Dr. Pierce for his Agreement with them in the Arminian Points But they could not lay by Piety and Charity in Partiality for Opinions and being impatient of his Impudence thus made it known to me I purposed to have produced it before all the Bishops when Dr. Pierce was there having no other Opportunity to see him But I had no fit Occasion and was loth in Business of publick respect to interpose any thing that meerly concerned my self and so I never yet told him of it § 117. That the Reader may understand this the better by knowing the occasion of his Malice this Mr. Tho. Pierce being a confident Man that had a notable Stile and Words at Will and a venomous railing Pen and Tongue against the Puritans and Calvanists having written somewhat in Defence of Grotius as a judicious peaceable Protestant in Opposition to some Passages in my Christian Concord where I warn the Episcopal Party to take heed of Grotianism that was creeping in upon them I did thereupon write a little Collection out of the late Writings of Grotius especially his Discussio Apologetici Rivetiani to prove him to have turned Papist and that Popery was indeed his Religion though he communicated with no Church for he expresly pleadeth for our consenting to the Council of Trent and all other general Councils as the Churches Law and to the Pope's Sovereign Government so it be according to those Laws and to the Mistressship of the Church of Rome over all other Churches and to Pope Pius's Oath with much more to that purpose and telleth us that he was turned from us because he saw that the Protestant Churches had no possibility of Union among themselves c. and there is a Book written I think by Vincentius a French Minister called Grotius Papizans which proveth it And Claud Suravia an honourable learned Counsellor of Paris in his printed Epistles publisheth the same from Grotius's own Mouth But Mr. Pierce was vehemently furious at my Book and wrote a Volume against me full of ingenuous Lies and Railing for he had no better way to defend Grotius or himself In that Book he scrapes up all the Words through all my Writings where I speak any thing of my self and puts them together more impudently interpreting them than could have been expected from a Man Because I confess that the place I liv'd in was a Sequestration whence an ignorant Reader had been put out before my coming to them therefore he calls me Thief as if I liv'd on another's Bread As if no Man must ever have been the Teacher of the People till that ignorant Wretch were restored to his Soul-murdering Condition Because I had written to persuade some honest scrupulous Persons that they should not forsake the Churches Communion though some were there that had been drunken or otherwise scandalous and had spoken some Words to draw them to some charitable hopes of a Man that had been drunken or adulterous if he were not impenitent and all this to reconcile them to the Prelatical Party whom they took to be the scandalous People of the Land so little Thanks doth he give me for this Excusing of his Party that he calls me worse than a Drunkard or Whoremonger as if I had pleaded for these Sins and yet in his former Book he had said that if I came that way and would communicate with him and his Church no Man in the whole World should be more welcome dreaming that I had disowned Communion with the Prelatists which I never did for all their publick and personal Corruptions But his Venom against the Puritans is meerly Serpentine He describeth them as the most bloody traiterous wicked Generation unworthy to live and blameth the former Bishops that used them so gently and provoketh the Governors to hang them in greater Numbers than heretofore and especially against Cartwright he falsly but confidently writeth that he was confederate with Hacket Copinger and Arthington whom he feigneth to have been Presbyterians or Puritans who were distracted Fanaticks one calling himself Christ and the other his two Witnesses But Mr. Cartwright himself long ago publish'd a Defence against the Accusations of Dr. Sutcliff on this very Matter § 118. But to return from this Digression A little before the Meeting about the King's Declaration Collonel Birch came to me as from the Lord Chancellor to persuade me to take the Bishoprick of Hereford for he had bought the Bishop's House at Whitburne and thought to make a better Bargain with me than with another and therefore finding that the Lord Chancellor intended me the Offer of one he desired it might be that I thought it best to give them no positive Denyal till I saw the utmost of their Intents And I perceived that Coll. Birch came privately that a Bishoprick might not be publickly refused and to try whether I would accept it that else it might not be offered me for he told me that they would not bear such a Repulse I told him that I was resolved never to be Bishop of Hereford and that I did not think that I should ever see cause to take any Bishoprick but I could give no positive Answer till I saw the King's Resolutions about the way of Church-Government For if the old Diocesan Frame continued he knew we could never accept or own it After this having not a flat denyal he came again and again to Dr. Reignolds Mr. Calamy and my self together to importune us all to accept the Offer for the Bishoprick of Norwich was offered Dr. Reignolds and Coventry and Litchfield to Mr. Calamy But he had no positive Answer but the same from me as before At last the Day that the King's Declaration came out when I was with the Lord Chancellor who did all he asked me whether I would accept of a Bishoprick I told them that if he had asked me that Question the day before I could easily have answered him that in Conscience he could not do it â for though I would live peaceably under whatever Government the King should set up I could not
only your Labours but also your special Assistance in a time of need unto the promoting the welfare of this poor Country certified unto us by Captain Leveret upon which account our General Court thought good to return unto you their Thanks in a Letter which I hope before this is received have made your Name both known and precious to us in these Parts The Occasion of these is in the behalf of one Mr. William Leet Governour of New Heven Jurisdiction whose Case is this He being conscious of indiscretion and some neglect not to say how it came about in relation to the expediting the Execution of the Warrant according to his Duty sent from his Majesty for the apprehending of the two Colonels is not without fear of some displeasure that may follow thereupon and indeed hath almost ever since been a Man depressed in his Spirit for the neglect wherewith he chargeth himself therein His endeavours also since have been accordingly and that in full degree as besides his own Testimony his Neighbours attest they see not what he could have done more Sir If any report prejudicial to this Gentleman in this respect come unto your Ear by your prudent Enquiry upon this Intimation or otherwise so far as the signification of the Premises unto his Majesty or other eminent Person may plead for him or avert trouble towards him I assure my self you may report it as a real Truth and that according to your Wisdom you would be helpful to him so far therein is both his and my desire The Gentleman hath pursued both others and my self with Letters to this effect and yet not satisfied therewith came to Boston to disburden his heart to me formerly unacquainted with him only some few times in Company where he was upon issue of which Conference no better Expedient under God presented it self to us than this So far as you shall see cause as the matter requireth to let the Premises be understood is finally left with your self under God Sir The Author of these Lines it shall be your favour and a pledge of Love undeserved to conceal farther than the necessity of the End desired shall call for And if hereby you shall take occasion being in place of discovery to intelligence the Writer touching your observances with relation to the concernments of this People your Advertisements may not only be of much use unto this whole Country but further your account and minister unto many much cause of Thansgiving on your behalf And I shall be bold upon such encouragement if God permits to give you a more distinct account how it fareth with us I mean of the steps of Divine Providence as to the Publick both in our Civils and Ecclesiasticks which at some spare time may hapây be looked at as a matter of contentful Meditation to your self I crave now pardon for being thus bold with you and will not presume any further to detain you The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit and let him also be remembred by you in your Prayers who is in chief SIR Yours in any Service of the Gospel John Norton Boston Sept. 23. 1661. For the Reverend and his much Honoured Friend Mr. Baxter Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty Reverend and much esteemed in the Lord HOwever black the Cloud is and big the Storm yet by all this the Work and Design of Jesus Christ goeth on and prospereth and in these Clouds Christ is coming to set up his Kingdom Yea is he not come in Power and great Glory When had the Truth a greater or so great and glorious a Cloud of Witnesses Is not this Christ in Power and great Glory and if Christ hath so much Glory in the slaughter of his Witnesses what will his Glory be in their Resurrection Your Constancy who are in the heat of the Storm and Numbers ministers matter of humbling and quickning to us who are at a distance and ready to totter and comply at the noise of a probable approach of our Temptation We are not without our Snares but hitherunto the Lords own Arm hath brought Salvation Our Tents are at Ebenezer However the trials and troubles be we must take care of the present Work and not cease and tarry for a calm time to work in And this Principle doth give me occasion to take the boldness to trouble you with these Lines at present My Work about the Indian Bible being by the good hand of the Lord though not without difficulties finished I am meditating what to do next for these Sons of this our Morning they having no Books for their private use of ministerial composing For their help though the Word of God be the best of Books yet Humane Infirmity is you know not a little helped by reading the holy Labours of the Ministers of Jesus Christ. I have therefore purposed in my heart seeing the Lord is yet pleased to prolong my life to translate for them a little Book of yours intituled A Call to the Unconverted The keenness of the Edge and liveliness of the Spirit of that Book through the blessing of God may be of great use unto them But seeing you are yet in the Land of the Living and the good Lord prolong your days I would not presume to do such a thing without making mention thereof unto your self that so I might have the help and blessing of your Counsel and Prayers I believe it will not be unacceptable to you that the Call of Christ by your holy Labours shall be made to speak in their Ears in their own Language that you may preach unto our poor Indians I have begun the Work already and find a great difference in the Work from my former Translations I am forced sometime to alter the Phrase for the facilitating and fitting it to our Language in which I am not so strict as I was in the Scripture Some things which are fitted for English People are not fit for them and in such cases I make bold to fit it for them But I do little that way knowing how much beneath Wisdom it is to shew a Man's self witty in mending another Man's Work When this Work is done if the Lord shall please to prolong my Life I am meditating of Translating some other Book which may prescribe to them the way and manner of a Christian Life and Conversation in their daily Course and how to worship God on the Sabbath fasting feasting Days and in all Acts of Worship publick private and secret and for this purpose I have Thoughts of translating for them the Practice of Piety or some other such Book In which Case I request your Advice to me for if the Lord give opportunity I may hear from you if you see cause so far to take Notice hereof before I shall be ready to begin a new work especially because the Psalms of David in Metre in their Language are going now to the Press which will be some Diversion of me from a present
Attention upon these other proposed Works Sir I am very well satisfied with your Explications of the Point of Free-will in fallen Man which I have read in a small Treatise of yours which I once had the happiness to see I doubt not but you will give me leave to talk a little according to my weakness Gen. 1. 26. God made Man after his own Image Likeness I have oft perplexed my mind to see the difference of these two Divine Stamps upon Man That God's Image consisteth in Knowledge Holiness and Righteousness is clear and agreed expressed in Scripture But what our likeness to God is is the Question Why may it not admit this Explication that one chief thing is to act like God according to our light freely by choice without compulsion to be Author of our own act to determine our own choice this is spontaniety The Nature of the Will lyeth in this Between God's Image in Man and the Likeness of God in Man are these two Differences 1. God's Image was loât and changed and in the room of it Original Sin was infused inflicted upon the Soul and in this Change the Will suffered But the Spontaniety was not lost nor changed But the Will doth freely act according to these new ill Qualities and freely chooses to Sin as afore this Change it freely acted according to the good Qualities which it was endewed withall So likewise at Conversion and in Sanctification the Will suffereth the Powerful Work of the Spirit to change these Qualities to kill the old Habits of Sin and to create the new Habits of Grace that it may freely act according to Grace as afore it freely acted in Sin 2. Difference is that God's Image are separable Qualities of the Will and the moral Ground which maketh our Actions good legal regular and virtuous As orignal Sin is the ground that maketh our Actions illegal and sinful But Spontaniety is the Form and Nature of the Will which if it cease we should cease to be Men and to act by Choice and so not capable to sin or to act virtuously Sir I pray pardon my Boldness and Weakness thus to talk but it is for my Information in this Point I observe also in yours a thing which I have not so much observed in other Mens Writings viz. That you often inveigh against the Sin of Gluttony as well as Drunkenness It appeareth to be a very great point of Christian Prudence Temperance and Mortification to rule the Appetite of eating as well as drinking and were that Point more inculcated by Divines it would much tend to the Sanctification of God's People as well as to a better Preservation of Health and lengthening of the Life of Man on Earth I lately met with an excellent Book of learned Dr. Charleton's about the Immortality of the human Soul composed in a gallant Dialogue where speaking of the admirable Advancement of Learning in these late Days he among other excellent matters speaketh of that long talk'd of and desired Design of a universal Character and Language and what Advance hath been made towards it by some of the learned of these Times and that by the way of Symbols Of this he speaketh p. 45 46. I doubt not but that it is a divine Work of God to put it into the Heart of any of his Servants to promote this Design which so great and eminent a Tendency to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ which shall be extended over all the Kingdoms and Nations of the Earth Rev. 11. 15. Not by the personal Presence of Christ but by putting Power and Rule into the Hands of the Godly Learned in all Nations Among whom a universal Character and Language will be both necessary and a singular Promotion of that great Design of Christ Now whereas the Proposal of it is by way of Symbols I would make bold to propose a way which seemeth to be of more Hopes of Success and that is by the Hebrew Language which above all other Languages is most capable to be the Instrument of so great a Design If you please to look into a Book called Iordini Hebreae radiceâ composed by Decads into Heroick Verses the Hebrew Radix with the Signification in Latin helping to smooth it into a Verse a worthy Work wherein bene meruit de Lingua Hebraica This Author in his Preface speaketh most honourably of the Hebrew Tongue and sheweth that by the trigramical Foundation and divine Artifice of that Language it is capable of a regular Expatiation into Millions of Words no Language like it And it had need be so for being the Language which shall be spoken in Heaven where knowledge will be so enlarged there will need a spacious Language and what Language fitter than this of God's own making and composure And why may we not make ready for Heaven in this Point by making and fitting that Language according to the Rules of the divine Artifice of it to express all imaginable Conceptions and Notions of the Mind of Man in all Arts and Sciences Were this done which is so capable of being done and it seemeth God hath fitted Instruments to fall to the Work all Arts and Sciences in the whole Eucyclopaedie would soon be translated into it and all Paganish and prophane Trash would be left out It would be as now it is the purest Language in the World And it seemeth to me that Zeph. 3. 9. with other Texts do prophesie of such a universal and pure Language Were this done all Schools would teach this Language and all the World especially the Commonwealth of Learning would be of one and that a divine and heavenly Lip Moreover This learned Doctor speaketh very honourably of that renowned Society the Colledge of Physicians in London and no whit above their Deserts as appeareth by the admirable Effects by the blessing of God upon their Studies and Labours which they have found out and produced for the Benefit of the Life of Man In which Art by the Blessing of God upon them they seem to me to design such a Regiment of Health and such an exact Inspection into all Diseases and Knowledge of all Medicament and Prudence of Application of the same that the Book of divine Providence seemeth to provide for the lengthning of the Life of Man again in this latter End of the World which would be no small Advantage unto all kinds of good Learning and Government And doth not such a thing seem to be Prophesied Esay 65. 20. If the Child shall die one hundred Years old of what Age shall the old Man be But I would not be too bold with the Holy Scriptures If unto all this it may please the Lord to direct his People into a Divine Form of Civil Government of such a Constitution as that the Godly Learned in all Places may be in all Places of Power and Rule this would so much the more advance all Learning and Religion and good Government so that all the World would
Milkstreet for which they allowed me 40 l. per Annum which I continued near a year till we were all Silenced And at the same time I preached once every Lord's Day at Blackfryars where Mr. Gibbons a judicious Man was Minister In Milkstreet I took Money because it came not from the Parishioners but Strangers and so was no wrong to the Minister Mr. Vincent a very holy blameless Man But at Blackfryars I never took a Penny because it was the Parishioners who called me who would else be less able and ready to help their worthy Pastor who went to God by a Consumption a little after he was silenced and put out At these two Churches I ended the Course of my Publick Ministry unless God cause an undeserved Resurrection § 165. Here also my Accusations followed me as maliciously and falsly as before and I was fain to clear my self by printing some of my Sermons in a little Book called Now or Never and in part of another called a Saint or a Bruit § 166. Before this I resolved to go to the Archbishop of Canterbury then Bishop of London to ask him for his License to preach in his Diocess Some Brethren blamed me for it as being an owning of Prelatical Usurpation I told them that the King had given him a power to suffer or hinder me and if he had no power at all I might lawfully desire any Man not to hinder me in my Duty much more having power as the Church-Magistrate or Officer of the King And though I was under no necessity I would not refuse a lawful thing when Authority required it The Archibishop received me with very great expression of Respects and offered me his License and would let his Secretary take no Money of me But he offered me the Book to Subscribe in I told him that he knew that the King's Declaration exempted us from Subscription He bid me write what I would I told him that what I resolved to do and I thought meet for him to expect I would do of choice though I might forbear And so in Latin I subscribed my promise not to preach against the Doctrine of the Church or the Ceremonies established by Law in his Diocess while I used his License And I told him how grievous it was to me to be daily haunted with such general Accusations behind my back and asked him why I was never accused of any Particulars And he confessed to me That if they had got any Particulars that would have deserved it I should have heard particularly from him I scarce think that I ever preached a Sermon without a Spy to give them his report of it § 167. But my last Sermon that ever I preached in Publick being at Blackfryars was defamed with this particular Accusation That I told them that the Gospel was now departing from them Insomuch as the Lady Balcarres told me That even the old Queen of Bobemia told her she wondered that I was so impudent as to say the Gospel was going away because that I and such as I were silenced while others were put into our places But all this was the breath of Mis-reporters without any colour of ground from any thing that I had said as may be seen in the printed Sermons § 168. For when the Ministers were all silenced some covetous Booksellers got Copies of the last Sermons of many of them from the Scribes that took them from their Mouths Some of them were taken word by word which I heard my self but some of us were much abused by it and especially my self for they stiled it A Farewel Sermon and mangled so both Matter and Style that I could not own it besides the printing it to the offense of Governours So that afterwards I writ out the Sermon more at large my self on Col. 2. 6 7. with another Discourse and offered them to the Press but could not get them Licensed for Reasons afterwards to me mentioned § 169. On April 23. was his Majesty's Coronation Day the Day being very serene and fair till suddenly in the Afternoon as they were returning from Westminster-hall there was very terrible Thunders when none expected it Which made me remember his Father's Coronation on which being a Boy at School and having leave to play for the Solemnity an Earthquake about two a Clock in the Afternoon did affright the Boys and all the Neighbourhood I intend no Commentary on these but only to relate the Matter of Fact § 170. To return at last to our Treaty with the Bishops If you observe the King's Declaration you will find that though Matters of Government seemed to be determined yet the Liturgy was to be reviewed and reformed and new Forms drawn up in Scripture phrase suiâed to the several parts of Worship that Men might use which of them they pleased as already there were some such variety of Forms in some Offices of that Book This was yet to be done and till this were done we were uncertain of the Issue of all our Treaty but if that were done and all setled by Law our Divisions were at an end Therefore being often with the Lord Chancellour on the forementioned occasions I humbly intreated him to hasten the finishing of that Work that we might rejoyce in our desired Concord At last Dr. Reignolds and Mr. Calamy were authorized to name the Persons on that side to manage the Treaty and a Commission was granted under the Broad Seal to the Persons nominated on both sides I intreated Mr. Calamy and Dr. Reignolds to leave me out for though I much desired the Expedition of the Work I found that the last Debates had made me unacceptable with my Superiours and this would much more increase it and other Men might be fitter who were less distasted But I could not prevail with them unless I would have peremptorily refused it to Excuse me So they named as Commissioners Dr. Tuckney Dr. Conant Dr. Spurstow Dr. Manton Dr. Wallis Mr. Calamy and my self Mr. Iackson Mr. Case Mr. Clark and Mr. Newcomen besides Dr. Reignolds then Bishop of Norwich And for Assistants being the other Party had Assistants Dr. Horton Dr. Iacomb Dr. Bates Mr. Rawlinson Mr. Cooper Dr. Lightfoot Dr. Collins Mr. Woodbridge and Dr. Drake According to the King's Commission we were to meet and manage our Conference in order to the Ends therein expressed The Commission is as followeth CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our trusty and well-beloved the most Reverend Father in God accepted Archbishop of York the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Bishop of London Iohn Bishop of Durham Iohn Bishop of Rochester Henry Bishop of Chichester Humphrey Bishop of Sarum George Bishop of Worcester Robert Bishop of Lincoln Benjamin Bishop of Peterburgh Bryan Bishop of Chester Richard Bishop of Carlisle Iohn Bishop of Exeter Edward Bishop of Norwich and to our trusty and well-beloved the Reverend
Antbony Tuckny Dr. in Divinity Iohn Conant Dr. in Divinity William Spurstow Dr. in Divinity Iohn Wallis Dr. in Divinity Thomas Manton Dr. in Divinity Edmund Calamy Batchelour in Divinity Richard Baxter Clerk Arthur Iackson Clerk Thomas Case Samuel Clark Matthew Newcomen Clerks and to our trusây and well-beloved Dr. Earles Dean of Westminster Peter Heylin Dr. in Divinity Iohn Hacket Dr. in Divinity Iohn Barwick Dr. in Divinity Peter Guââing Dr. in Divinity Iohn Pierson Dr. in Divinity Thomas Pierce Dr. in Divinity Anthony Sparrow Dr. in Divinity Herbert Thorndike Batchelour in Divinity Thomas Horton Dr. in Divinity Thomas Iacomb Dr. in Divinity William Bates Iohn Rawlinson Clerk William Cooper Clerk Dr. Iohn Lightfoot Dr. Iohn Collins Dr. Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake Clerk Greeting Whereas by our Declaration of the Five and twentieth of October last concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs we did amongst other things express an esteem of the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer and yet since we find some Exceptions made against several things therein we did by our said Declaration declare we would appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the same and to make such Alterations therein as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in the Scripture phrase as near as might be suited to the nature of the several Parts of Worship we therefore in accomplishment of our said Will and Intent and of our continued and constant Care and Study for the Peace and Unity of the Churches within our Dominions and for the removal of all Exceptions and Differences and Occasions of Differences and Exceptions from amongst our good Subjects for or concerning the said Book of Common Prayer or any thing therein contained do by these our Letters Patents require authorize constitute and appoint you the said accepted Archbishop of York Gilbert Bishop of London Iohn Bishop of Durham Iohn Bishop of Rochester Henry Bishop of Chichester Humphrey Bishop of Sarum George Bishop of Worcester Robert Bishop of Lincoln Benjamin Bishop of Peterburgh Bryan Bishop of Chester Richard Bishop of Carlisle Iohn Bishop of Exeter Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas manton Edmund Calamy Richard Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clark and Matthew Newcomen to advise upon and review the said Book of Common Prayer comparing the same with the most ancient Liturgies which have been used in the Church in the primitive and purest Times And to that end to assemble and meet together from time to time and at such times within the space of four Kalender Months now next ensuing in the Masters Lodgings in the Savoy in the Strand in the County of Middlesex or in such other place or places as to you shall be thought fit and convenient to take into your serious and grave Considerations the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and Things in the said Book of Common Prayer contained and to advise and consult upon and about the same and the several Objections and Exceptions which shall now be raised against the fame And if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as by and between you and the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons hereby required and authorized to meet and advise as aforesaid shall be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the giving Satisfaction unto tender Consciences and the restoring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches under our Protection and Government But avoiding as much as may be all unnecessary Alterations of the Forms and Liturgy wherewith the People are already acquainted and have so long received in the Church of England And our will and pleasure is that when you the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons authorized and appointed by these our Letters Patents to meet advise and consult upon about the Premises aforesaid shall have drawn your Consultations to any Resolution and Determination which you shall agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing âr enlarging the said Book of Common Prayer or any part thereof that then you forthwith certifie and present unto us in Writing under your several Hands the Matters and Things whereupon you shall so determine for our Approbation And to the end the same or so much thereof as shall be approved by us may be established And forasmuch as the said Archbishop and Bishops having several great Charges to attend which we would not dispense with or that the same should be neglected upon any great occasion whatsoever and some of them being of great Age and Infirmities may not be able constantly to attend the Execution of the Service and Authority hereby given and required by us in the Meetings and Consultations aforesaid We Will therefore and do hereby require and authorize you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pierce and Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike to supply the place or places of such of the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich as shall by Age Sickness Infirmity or other occasion be hindred from attending the said Meeting or Consultations That is to say that one of you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pearce Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike shall from time to time supply the Place of each one of them the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich which shall happen to be hindred or to be absent from the said Meeting or Consultations and shall and may advise and consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the Power and Authority before mentioned in and about the Premises as fully and absolutely as such Archbishop or Bishops which shall so happen to be absent should or might do by Vertue of these our Letters Patents or any thing therein contained in case he or they were personally present And whereas in regard of the Distance of some the Infirmities of others the multitude of constant Imployments and other incidental Impediments some of you the said Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas Manton Edmund Calamy Rich. Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clarke and Matthew Newcomen may be hindred from the constant Attendance in the Execution of the Service aforesaid We therefore will and do hereby require and authorize you the said Tho. Horton Thomas Iacomb William Bates Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Iohn Lightfoot Iohn Collins Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake to supply the Place or Places of such the Commissioners last above mentioned as shall by the means aforesaid or any other Occasion be hindred from the said Meeting and Consultations that is to say that one of you the said Thomas Horton Thomas Iacomb William Butes Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Dr.
faithful Ministers were silenced at once and a Hundred thousand godly Christians kept out of the Churches Communion and persecuted than one Ceremony should be cast out of the Church or left indifferent or one Line reformed in their Common-Prayers § 212. But when Dr. Pierce could not have leave to take up his Dispute he sat upon me with kind Persuasions and Bishop Morley and he first told me that it was strange I should make such a stir for other Mens Liberty to forbear kneeling in the act of Receiving when I profest my self to take it to be lawful I told them that they might perceive then that I argued not from Interest and Opinion but from Charity and for Love and Peace They told me that it was we that had filleds the Peoples Heads with these Scruples and then when we should dispossess them of them we pleaded for their Liberty If I would but teach the People better they would quickly be brought to Obedience and would need no Liberty I told the Bishop that he was much mistaken both in saying that we put these Scruples into their Heads and in thinking that my Power with them was so great as that I alone could preach them out He reply'd with great Confidence that if I would but endeavour in good earnest to satisfy them they would quickly be satisfied I told him that he had both before the King and here declared that no Man had written better about the Ceremonies than I had and had produced my Book and therefore I thought he confuted himself For I wrote that Book before the King came in even in the heaâ of the Nations Zeal against Ceremonies and how then is it like that I put those Scruples into their Heads when I wrote against them And I thought Writing was the publickest manner of Teaching where I spake to many thousands who could never hear my Voice How then could he say that I wrote so well and yet did not reach the People what I wrote But I told him that he must pardon me that in the Pulpit I found greater matters to do than to preach for Ceremonies and could never think that such kind of preaching tended most to the saving of Mens Souls And I many times told him and the rest that I perceived that it was like to be a great Wrong to us and a greater to themselves and the Kingdom that they mistakingly imagined our Power to be greater with the People than it is and that they think we could reduce them at our Pleasure to Conformity when it is no such matter and that they imagin that the Godly People who dissent from them do pin their Religion so absolutely on our Sleeves and take up all their Opinions on trust from us Whereas I assured him that he will find by Experience that so many of them know why they hold what they hold and do it so purely for Conscience sake that if all we should turn and set against them there would so many thousands continue in their Opinions as I would not be a Persecutor of or excommunicate for more than ever their Lordships will get by it But the Bishop exprest more confidence still that I could reclaim them my self if I were but willing and that they only followed the Opinions of their Teachers I intreated him again to tell me why then they did not follow my Opinion which he himself saith I have published in Print Hereupon Dr. Pierce would needs lovingly desire that he and I might but go about the Country and preach People to Conformity and he did not doubt but they would quickly be reduced I told him that for his part I knew not how powerful his preaching might be but I could expect no such Success of mine and I marvelled why he had not recovered all the Country before this Day having had so many Years time to have gone about and preacht them to Conformity if he would have used it He answered That he had recovered all his own Parish I told him That if he had done so by all others there would have been no need of all this Trouble But I often told the Bishop and him that they knew that though I took not kneeling to be unlawful yet I took their Subscriptions and Oath of canonical Obedience and other things to be unlawful and I perceived that they intended no Abatements and consequently that they intend the silencing of me and all that are of my Mind for all their Commendation of my Writing on that Subject And I ask't them then how I can go about to preach for them when they have first silenced me Or if they would be so favourable to forbear me till I had done preaching for their Ceremonies it was but an odd kind of motion for them to make come preach for our Ceremonies so long and then you shall never preach more and an odd Employment for me to undertake to go about to persuade People to obey them in a Ceremony or two that are intended when that is done to forbid me and others to preach the Gospel and the People to enjoy their Peace upon other Accounts and no doubt to call us Schismaticks when they do it This Speech they were offended at and said that I sought to make them odious by representing them as cruel and Persecutors as if they intended to silence and cast out so many And it was one of the greatest matters of Offence against me that I foreknew and foretold them what they were about to do They said that this was but to stir up the Fears of the People and cause them to disaffect the Government by talking of silencing us and casting out the People from Communion I told them that either they do intend such a Course or not If they do why should they think us criminal for knowing it If not what need had we of all these Disputes with them which were only to persuade them not to cast out the Ministers and the People on these Accounts And it was but a few Weeks after this that Bishop Morley himself did silence me forbidding me to preach in his Diocess who now took it so heinously that I did foretell it Yet because the Hearers knew not what would be their Party justified them and concurred in censuring me as uncharitable for speaking to hardly of them and this maketh me remember that thus I have formerly been blamed by all whose Miscarriages I foretold When I told many both of the Parliament and Country what the Army did intend to do against them and many others more particularly foretold it the Army was angry with them and me and accused us of making them odious by our Slanders and cast out many Members of the Parliament on that Pretence and yet within a few Weeks they did the very things that we foretold So unanimous are all Men that have ill Designs in going the same way to their Accomplishment and so dangerous is it to foreknow what cruel
Motions for Accommodation in these Points of Discipline and Worship in which we were disagreed and your professed Resolutions to draw us together by Mutual Approaches and publishing your Healing Declaration which was received with the Thanks of your House of Commons and the Applause of the People and the special Joy of those that longed for Concord and Tranquility in the Church In which your Majesty declareth so much Satisfaction in the Foundations of Agreement already laid as that you should think your self very unfortunate and suspect that you are defective in the Administration of Government if any Superstructures should shake these Foundations and contract or lessen the blessed Gift of Charity which is a Vital part of Christian Religion And as in the said gracious Declaration your Majesty resolved to appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the Liturgy and to make such Alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in the Scripture Phrase as near as may be suited unto the nature of the several parts of Worship and that it be left to the Minister's choice to use one or other at his Discretion so in Accomplishment thereof your Majesty among others directed your Commission unto us for the review of the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and things in the said Book of Common Prayer contained and if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as by and between us shall be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the giving of Satisfaction to tender Consciences and the restoring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches under your Protection and Government and what we agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing or enlarging the said Book of Common Prayer or any part thereof forthwith to certifie and present it in Writing to your Majesty In Obedience to this your Majesty's Commission we met with the Right Reverend Bishops who required of us that before any Personal Debates we should bring in Writing all our Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer and all the Additional Forms which we desired Both which we performed and received from them an Answer to the first and returned them our full Reply The last Week of our time being designed to Personal Conference was at the Will of the Right Reverend Bishops spent in a particular Dispute by three of each part about the sinfulness of one of the Injunctions from which we desired to be free and in some other Conference on the by And though the Account which we are forced to give your Majesty of the Issue of our Consultations is that No Agreements are Subscribed by us to be offered your Majesty according to your Expectation and though it be nono of our intent to cast the least unmeet Reflections upon the Right Reverend Bishops and Learned Brethren who think not meet to yield to any considerable Alterations to the Ends expressed in your Majesty's Commission yet we must say that it is some quiet to our Minds that we have not been guilty of your Majesty's and your Subjects disappointments and that we account not your Majesty's gracious Commission nor our Labour lost having Peace of Conscience in the discharge of our Duties to God and you that we have been the Seekers and Followers of Peace and have earnestly pleaded and humbly petitioned for it and offered for it any price below the offence of God Almighty and the wounding or hazard of our own or of the Peoples souls and that we have in season born our testimony against those Extreams which at last will appear to those that do not now discern it to have proceeded from uncharitable mistake and tended to the division and trouble of the Church that whatever shall become of Charity Unity and Concord our Life our Beauty and our Bands our Conserences tell us we have not deserted them nor left any probable means unattempted which we could discern within our power And we humbly beseech your Majesty to believe that we own no Principles of Faction or Disobedience nor Patronize the Errours or Obstinacy of any It is granted us by all that nothing should be commanded us by Man which is contrary to the Word of God that if it be and we know it we are bound not to perform it God being the Absolute Universal Soveraign that we must use all just means to discern the Will of God and whether the Commands of Man be contrary to it that if the Command be sinful and any through the neglect of sufficient search shall judge it lawful his culpable Errour excuseth not his doing of it from being sin and therefore as a reasonable Creature must needs have a Judgment of discerning that he may rationally obey so is he with the greatest care and diligence to exercise it in the greatest things even the obeying of God and the saving of our Souls and that where a strong probability of great sin and danger lyeth before us we must not rashly run on without search and that to go against Conscience even where it is mistaken is sin and danger to him that erreth And on the other side we are agreed that in things no way against the Laws of God the Commands of our Governours must be obeyed that if they command what God forbids we must patiently submit to Suffering and every Soul must be subject to the higher Powers for Conscience sake and not resist that Publick Judgment Civil or Ecclesiastical belongeth only to publick Persons and not to any private Man that no Man must be causelesly and pragmatically inquisitive into the Reasons of his Superiours Commands nor by Pride and Self-conceitedness exalt his own Understanding above its worth and office but all to be modestly and humbly self-suspicious that none must erroneously pretend God's Law against the just Command of his Superiour nor pretend the doing of his Duty to be sin that he who suspecteth his Superiours Commands to be against God's Laws must use all means for full Information before he lettle in a course of disobeying them and that he who indeed discovereth any thing commanded to be sin though he must not do it must manage his Opinion with very great tenderness and care of the Publick Peace and the Honour of his Governours These are our Principles If we are otherwise represented to your Majesty we are misrepresented If we are accused of contradicting them we humbly crave that we may never be condemned till we are heard It is the desire of our Souls to contribute our Parts and Interests to the utmost for the promoting of Holiness Charity Unity and Obedience to Rulers in all lawful Things But if we should sin against God because we are commanded who shall answer for us or save us from his Justice And we humbly crave that it may he no unjust grievance of our Dissent that thereby we suppose Superiours to err
about this time many Books if so they may be called were written against me One by Mr. Naufen forementioned a Justice of Peace in Worcestershire who being a great Friend of the Papists had spoken against me on the Bench at the Sessions behind my back as the Author of a Petition against Popery heretofore and was angry with me for evincing to him his mistake temerity and injustice And when he saw his time he had nothing else to be the fewel of his Revenge but that very Book which I wrote against the Papists and therein against the killing of the King which I aggravated against the Army and the Popish Instigators and Actors But because in Answer to the Papists I made their Doctrine and Practise of King killing to be worse than these Sectaries were guilty of and thereupon recited what the Sectaries said for themselves which the Jesuites have not to say he took up all these Reasons of the Sectaries and answered them as if they had been my own and I had pleaded for that which I condemned by writing in a time when it might have cost me my Life when the Gendeman that thus would have proved me a Traytor did himself act under the Usurpers and took their Impositions which we abhorred and refused § 244. And here I shall insert a Passage not contemptible concerning the Papists because I am fall's into the mention of them In Cromwells days when I was writing that very Book and my Holy Commonwealth and was charging their Treasons and Rebellions on the Army one Mr. Iames Stansfield a Reverend Minister of Glocestershire called on me and tod me a Story which afterwards he sent me under his Hand and warranted me to publish it which was this One Mr. Atkins of Glocestershire Brother to Judge Atkins being beyond Sea with others that had served the late King fell into intimate acquaintance with a Priest that had been or then was Governour of one of their Colledges in Flanders They agreed not to meddle with each other about Religion and so continued their Friendship long A little after the King was beheaded Mr. Atkins met this Priest in London and going into a Tavern with him said to him in his familiar way What business have you here I warrant you come about some Roguery or other Whereupon the Priest told it him as a great secret That there were Thirty of them here in London who by Instructions from Cardinal Mazarine did take care of such Affairs and had sate in Council and debated the Question Whether the King should be put to death or not and that it was carried in the Affirmative and there were but two Voice for the Negative which was his own and anothers And that for his part he could not concur with them as foreseeing what misery this would bring upon his Country That Mr. Atkins stood to the Truth of this but thought it a Violation of the Laws of Friendship to name the Man I would not print it without fuller Attestation left it should be a wrong to the Papists But when the King was restored and setled in Peace I told it occasionly to Privy Councellor who not advising me to meddle any further in it because the King knew enough of Mazarine's Designs already I let it alone But about this time I met with Dr. Thomas Gnad and occasionally mentioning such a thing he told me that he was familiarly acquainted with Mr. Atkins and would know the certainty of him whether it were true And not long after meeting him again he told me that he spoke with Mr. Atkins and that he assured him that it was true but he was loth to meddle in the publication of it Nor did I think it prudence my self to do it as knowing the Malice and Power of the Papists Since this Dr. Peter Moulin hath in his Answer to Philanax Anglicus declared that he is ready to prove when Authority will call him to it that the King's Death and the Change of the Government was first proposed both to the Sorborne and to the Pope with his Conclave and consented to and concluded for by both § 245. Another Book wrote against me was as was thought by one Tompkins a young Man of All-Souls Son to Mr. Tompkins of Worcester and a School-boy there when I lived in that County He called it The Rebel's Plea being a Confutation of such Passages in my Holy Commonwealth as he least understood and could make most odious All these Men made me think what one advised the Papists to do for the effectual Confutation of the Protestants viz. Not to dispute or talk with them at all but to preach every day against them in the Pulpits for there they may speak without any Contradiction and need not fear an Answer § 246. Shortly after our Disputation at the Savoy I went to Rickmersworth in Hartfordshire and preached there but once upon Matth. 22. 12. And he was speechless where I spake not a word that was any nearer kin to Sedition or that had any greater tendency to provoke them than by shewing that wicked men and the refusers of grace however they may now have many things to say to excuse their sin will at last be speechless and dare not stand to their wickedness before God Yet did the Bishop of Worcester tell me when he silenced me that the Bishop of London had shewed him Letters from one of the Hearers assuring him that I preached seditiously so little Security was any Man's Innocency that displeased the Bishops to his Reputation with that Party who had but one Auditor that desired to get favour by accusing him So that a multitude of such Experiences made me perceive when I was silenced that there was some Mercy in it in the midst of Judgment for I should scarce have preached a Sermon nor put up a Prayer to God which one or other through Malice or hope of Favour would not have been tempted to accuse as guilty of some heinous Crime And as Seneca saith He that hath an Ulcer crieth Oh if he do but think you touched him § 247. Shortly after my return to London I went into Worcestershire to try whether it were possible to have any honest Terms from the Reading Vicar there that I might preach to my former Flock But when I had preached twice or thrice he denied me liberty to preach any more I offered him to take my Lecture which he was bound to allow me under a Bond of 500 l but he refused it I next offered him to be his Curate and he refused it I next offered him to preach for nothing and he refused it And lastly I desired leave but once to Administer the Sacrament to the People and preach my Farewel Sermon to them but he would not consent At last I understood that he was directed by his Superiours to do what he did But Mr. Baldwin an able Preacher whom I left there was yet permitted § 248. At that time my aged Father
Action I was commonly censured by them as one that had granted them too much and wronged my Brethren by entring into this Treaty oât of too earnest a desire of Concord with them Thus were Men on both extreams offended with me and I found what Enmity Charity and Peace are like to meet with in the ãâã But when these Papers were printed the Independents confess that we had dealt faithfully and satisfactorily And indifferent men said that Reason had once whelmed the Cause of the Dioâesans and that we had offered them so much a test them utterly without Excuse And the moderate Episcopal Men said the same But the engaged Prelatist were vehemently displeased that these Papers should ãâã câme abroad Though many of them here published were never before printed because none had Copies of them but my self § 264. Bishop Morley told me when he Silenced me that our Papers would be answered ãâã long But no Man to this day that ever we could hear of hath answered them which were unanswered Either our Reasons for Peace or our Litugy or our large Reply or our Answers to Dr. Pierson's Argument c. only Roger L'Estrange the writer of the News Book hath raised out a great many words against some of them And a nameless Author thought to be Dr. Wommock hath answered one part of one Subject in our Reply which is about excluding all Prayers from the Pulpit besides Common Prayer and in very plausible Language he saith as much as can be said for so bad a Cause viz. for the prohibiting all Extemporary Prayer in the Church And when he cometh to the chief strength of our Reasons he passeth it by and faith that in answering so much as he did the Answer to the rest may be gathered And to all the rest of the Subjects he faith nothing much less to all our other Papers § 265. Also another nameless Author commonly said to be Sir Henry Yelverton wrote a Book for Bishop Morley against me But neither he nor Boreman nor Wommââk ever saw me for ought I know and I am sure he is as strange to the Cause as to me For he taketh it out of Bishop Morley's Book and supposing what he hath written to be true he findeth some words of Censorious Application to make a Book of § 266. And about the same time Sir Robert Holt a Knight of Warwickshire near Brââââchâm spake in the Parliament House against Mr. Calamy and me by name as preaching or praying seditiously but not one syllable named that we said And another time he named me for my Holy Commonwealth § 267. And about that time Bishop Morley having preferred a young Man named Mr. S Orator of the University of Oxford a fluent witty Satyrist and one that was sometime motioned to me to be my Curate at Kidderminster this Man being Houshold Chaplain to the Lord Chancellour was appointed to preach before the King where the Crowd had high Expectations of some vehement Satyr But when he had preached a quarter of an hour he was utterly at a loss and so unable to recollect himself that he could go no further but cryed The Lord be merciful to our Infirmities and so came down But about a Month after they were resolved yet that Mr. S should preach the same Sermon before the King and not lose his expected Applause And preach it he did little more than half an hour with no admiration at all of the Hearers And for his Encouragement the Sermon was printed And when it was printed many desired to see what words they were that he was stopped at the first time And they found in the printed Copy all that he had said first and one of the next Passages which he was to have delivered was against me for my Holy Common-wealth § 268. And so vehement was the Endeavour in Court City and Country to make me contemptible and odious as if the Authours had thought that the Safety either of Church or State did lye upon it and all would have been safe if I were but vilified and hated Insomuch that Durell the French Minister that turned to them and wrote for them had a senseless snatch at me in his Book and Mr. Stoope the Pastor of the French Church was banished or forbidden this Land as Fame said for carrying over our Debates into France So that any Stranger that had but heard and seen all this would have asked What Monster of Villany is this Man and what is the Wickedness that he is guilty of Yet was I never questioned to this day before a Magistrate Nor do my Adversaries charge me with any personal wrong to them nor did they ever Accuse me of any Heresie nor much contemn my Judgment nor ever accuse my Life but for preaching where another had been Sequestred that was an insufficient Reader and for preaching to the Soldiers of the Parliament though none of them knew my Business there nor the Service that I did them These are all the Crimes besides my Writings that I ever knew they charged my Life with But Envy and Carnal Interest was so destitute of a Mask that they every where openly confessed the Cause for which they endeavoured my Defamation and Destruction especially the Bishops that set all on work 1. As one Cause was their own over-valuing of my Parts which they made account I would employ against them 2. Another was that they thought the Reputation of my blameless Life would add to my ability to deserve them 3. Another was that they thought my Interest in the People to be far greater than indeed it was 4. But the principal of all was my Conference before the King and at the Savoy in both which it fell out that Bishop Morley and I were the bassest Talkers except Dr. Gunning and that it was my lot to contradict him who was not so able either to bear or seem to bear it as I thought at least his Honour would have instructed him to be 5. And my refusing a Bishoprick increased the indignation And Colonel Birth that first came to offer it me told me that they would ruine us if we refused it Yet did I purposely forbear ever mentioning it on all occasions 6. And it was not the least Cause that my being for Primitive Episcopacy and not for Presbytery and being not so far from them in some other Points of Doctrine and Worship as many Nonconformists are they thought I was the abler to undermine them 7. And another Cause was that they judged of the rest of my Talk and Life by my Conference at the Savoy not knowing that I took that to be my present Duty which Fidelity to the King and Church commanded me faithfully to do whoever was displeased by it and that when that time was over I took it to be my Duty to live as peaceably as any Subject in the Land and not to use mâ Tongue or Pen against the Government which the King was pleased to appoint
that Party in the News-book and in their Discourses That Calamy that would not âe a Bishop was in Iail And when his Sermon was printed an Invective against him came out in Language like an Inquisitor that shewed a vehement thirst for Blood But precious in the sight of the Lord is the Blood of his holy Ones § 282. Abundance more were laid in Jails in many Counties for preaching and the vexation of the Peoples Souls was increased At St. Albans Mr. Partridge the ejected Minister being desired to preach a Funeral Sermon a Captain or Lieutenant came in with his Pistol charged and shot one of the hearers dead and the Preacher was sent to Prison § 283. There were many Citizens of London who had then a great Compassion on the Ministers whose Families were utterly destitute of Maintenance and fain they would have relieved them and had such a Method that the Citizens of each County should help the Ministers of that County But they durst not do it lest it were judged a Conspiracy Wherefore I went for them to the Lord Chancellour and told him plainly of it that Compassion moved them but the Suspicions of these Distempered Times deterred them and I desired to have his Lordship's Judgment Whether they might venture to be so charitable without misinterpretation or danger And he answered Aye God forbid but Men should give their own according as their Charity leads them And so having his preconsent I gave it them for Encouragement But they would not believe that it was Cordial and would be any Security to them and so they never durst venture upon such a Method which might have made their Charity effectual but a few that were most willing did much more than all the rest and solicited some of their own Acquaintance for their Counties Relief § 284. And here I think it meet before I proceed to open the true state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at this time I. The Conformists were of three sorts 1. Some of the old Ministers called Presbyterians formerly that Conformed at Bartholomew Tide or after who had been in possession before the King came in These were also of several sorts some of them were very able worthy Men who Conformed and Subscribed upon this Inducement that the Bishop bid them Do it in their own sence And so they Subscribed to the Parliament's words and put their own sence upon them only by word of mouth or in some by-paper Some of them read Mr. Fullwood's and Stileman's Books and could not answer them and therefore Conformed For no Man ventured to put forth a full and satisfactory Answer to them for fear of ruine Though somewhat was written before by Mr. Crofton and after by Mr. Cawdry and others Some were young raw Men that were never versed in such kind of Controversies Some were perswaded of the sinfulness of the Parliaments War and thence gathered that the Covenant being in order to it was a Rebellioâs Covenant and therefore not obligatory And other things they thought were small Some had Wives and Children and Powerty which were great Temptations to them And most that I knew when once they inclined to Conformity did avoid the Company of their Brethren and never askt them what their Reasons were against Conformity 2. A second sort of Conformists were those called Latitudinarians who were mostly Cambridge-men Platonists or Cartesians and many of them Arminians with some Additions having more charitable Thoughts than others of the Salvation of Heathens and Infidels and some of them holding the Opinions of Origen about the Praexistence of Souls c. These were ingenious Men and Scholars and of Universal Principles and free abhorring at first the Imposition of these little things but thinking them not great enough to stick at when Imposed Of these some with Dr. Moore their Leader lived privately in Colledges and sought not any Preferment in the World and others set themselves to rise These two forementioned Parties were laudable Preachers and were the honour of the Conformists though not heartily theirs and their profitable Preaching is used by God's Providence to keep up the Publick Interest of Religion and refresh the discerning sort of Auditors 3. The third sort of Conformists was of those that were heartily such throughout And these were also of three sorts 1. Those that were zealous for the Diocesan Party and the Cause and desirous to extirpate or destroy the Nonconformists And these were supposed to be the high and swaying Party 2. Those that were zealous for the Party and the Cause materially but yet were more moderate in their private wishes to the Nonconformists and did profess themselves that they could not Subscribe and Declare if they did not put a more favourable sence on the words than that which the Nonconformists supposed to be the plain sence 3. Those that were raw or ignorant Readers or unlearned Men or sensual scandalous Ones who would be hot for any thing by which they might rise or be maintained This Composition made up the Body of the Conformists in this Land and all this Difference there was among them II. § 285. The Nonconformists also were of divers sorts 1. There were some few of my Acquaintance who were for the old Conformity for Bishops Common Prayer Book Ceremonies and the old Subscription and against the imposing and taking of the Covenant which they never took and against the Parliaments Wars But they could not Subscribe that they Assent and Consent to all things now imposed nor could they Absolve all others in the three Kingdoms from being obliged by the Vow and Covenant to endeavour Church Reformation though they would not have had them take the Vow 2. A greater Number of the Nonconformists or Reconcilers of no Sect or Party but abhorring the very Name of Parties who like Ignatius's Episcopacy but not the English Diocesan Frame and like what is good in Episcopal Presbyterians or Independents but reject somewhat as evil in them all being of the Judgment which I have described my self to be in the beginning of this Book that can endure a Liturgy and like not the Imposition of the Covenant but cannot Assent and Consent to all things required in the Act nor Absolve three Kingdoms from all Obligation by their Vows to endeavour in their Places the alteration of the English Diocesan Form of Government Though they doubt not but Sedition and Rebellion should be abhorred of all whether for Reformation or any other Pretence 3. A third sort of Nonconformists are the Presbyterians whose Judgment is fore-described and manifested in their Writings to all the World Of these two last sorts if I be not taken for a partial Witness are the soberest and most judicious unanimous peaceable faithful able constant Ministers in this Land or that I have heard or read of in the Christian World Which I am able to say I speak without respect of Persons in Obedience to my Conscience upon my long Experience 4. The
skill in Laws than they 12. They find that even the greatest Episcopal Divines approved by our Princes and most Learned Defenders of Monarchy and Obedience do yet set up the Laws above the King and write more in this Case than we can consent toâ Mr. Tho. Hooker whom King Charles the First commended to his Children to be read speaketh so very high not only in his whole Eighth Book dedicated by Bishop Gauden to the King but also in his First Book which was extant when King Charles the First commended his Works that for my part I do not believe him that the Body as such hath the Legislative Power and that the King is singulis major and universis minor with much of the like And therefore I have wrote a full Confutation of him in the Fourth Tome of my Christian Directory And yet he is one of the most magnified Authours with the Bishops And so is Bishop Bilson who in his Treatise for Christian Subjection dedicated to Queen Elizabeth hath that terrible passage for resisting Kings before-recited § 253. 13. And they find that not only Politicians speak more in this Case than we allow and the Roman Greek and other Historians but the Historians and Chroniclers of this Land For instance Hollingshead Lib. 1. in his Chapter of Parliaments saith This House hath the most high and absolute Power of the Realm For thereby Kings and mighty Princes have from time to time been deposed from their Thrones Laws either enacted or abrogated Offenders of all sorts punished and corrupted Religion either disannulled or reformed which commonly is divided into two Houses or Parts c. Here is more then I assent to or think to be justifiable Now when all these say so much more for Resistance than we judge sound it seemeth hard to us to go so far contrary to them all in Matters of other Mens Profession as to Subscribe That on no pretence whatsoever no one Commissionated by the King may be resisted by taking up Arms. 14. And we read how Dr. Mainwairing and other Divines have been condemned by Parliament for Matters of this Nature And whatever any Latitudinarian may say we are sure that on no pretence whatsoever are words that exclude all these fore-mentioned Pretences from being lawful And if it yet be said That it is disloyal to suppose that any such illegal Commission will be granted we do not suppose that it will be so but if it be not possible to be so in this Age or another then we are contented to Subscribe this Clause For Parliaments will not differ about Impossibilities § 395. Incident to this Controversie are other Clauses of the Declaration as that the Covenant was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed against the known Laws c. which though they contradict not yet many that were Children then and know neither Matter of Law or Fact no not so much as the Fundamental Laws and Constitution of the Kingdom do think themselves very uncapable of determining § 396. And for the Trayterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by him We see no position here recited and therefore must annex this Clause to the former as before supposing that the meaning is that it is a Trayterous Position to say That it is lawful by the King's Authority to take up Arms on any pretence whatsoever against c. And we all confess that it is a Contradictory and Trayterous Position for any man to say that he may take up Arms by the King's Authority against his Authority or Dignity or Honour or Person But all the Doubt is as aforesaid Whether the King's Laws have not his Authority and whether his Laws and his Commission may not be contrary or one Commission contrary to another And in that case whether it be Trayterous to say that one side hath his Authority against the other As if his Law allow Men to defend their Lives and Purses against Assaults and an Assailant produce a Commission whether the King's Authority in his Laws and Courts enable not a Man by Arms to save his Purse or Life against such a pretended Commissioner And how shall any Subject at the time of the Assault be sure whether the Commission be true or spurious If as Ioaâ and Abner sent the young Men to play mad play before them and the Romans caused their Gladiators to fight to make them sport so if the King to try the Valour of some Subjects would Commission a few on both sides to fight against each other doth it follow that both sides were Traytors because they both fought by his Authority against such as were Commissionated by him If it be said That this is not the meaning of the Act we answerâ That where Forms are supposed to be deliberately worded by a Parliament if we must not understand Universals universally but may put in Limitations or Exceptions at our Pleasure then their words are not the signifiers of their Minds and we know not whether to go to understand them nor what be the Exceptions and Limitations allowed but every Man may except according to his Fancy and thus all will be but Equivocation and Deceit And Dr. Sanderson resolveth it That when Oaths and consequently subscribed Forms are ambiguously worded and the Imposers will not explain them it is not fit at all to take them Some Lawyers tell me that if it came before the Judges they would judge an unlawful Commission to be no Commission and that the Judges are the Expositors of the Law I answer 1. We have no assurance that the Judges would so judge much less unanimously nor that they have so done 2. Lately Mr. Ioseph Read offered at the King's-Bench-Bar to take the Oxford Oath as expounded in that sence by the Vote of the Lords about the Test and he was reproved for his Offer and told that he must take it as the Law imposed it and was sent back to Jail 3. The Law-makers only can expound a Law as antecedently Obligatory to all the Subjects The Judges can only expound it consequently for the decision of a particular Case in order to Execution and ad hoc which warranteth no Man to take that for the true meaning of the Statute § 397. IV. The Fourth Controversie is about the Oath of Canonical Obedience And the Reasons why this is scrupled by the Non-Conformists are these Because they take the Power it self to which they are to swear to be specifically Evil and against the Word of God of which their Proofs are given before And therefore they dare not be guilty of swearing Obedience to them lest they 1. Take the Name of God in vain and Oath being a thing which is not to be ventured on but with the greatest reverence deliberation and sincerity 2. And lest they scandalously approve of Usurpation in Christ's Kingdom to the wrong of his Crown and Dignity and contract the guilt of Treason or Disloyalty
I must confess I have great reason to believe the clean contrary if by Light they mean Knowledge that the old Non-conformists had much more insight into these Controversies than Professors have of late For 1. We know that when the Parliament had cast out Bishops Liturgy and Ceremonies the generality both of Ministers and People took it for granted that they were all bad and so had more Light than their Forefathers had before they ever studied the Controversies I have asked many of them that have boasted of this Light whether ever they read what Cartwright Bradshaw Ames Parker Baynes Gersome Bucer Didoclavius Salmasius Blondell Beza c. have said on one side and what Saravia Bilson Whitgift Covell Downham Burges Hooker Paybody Hammond c. have said on the other side and they have confest they never throughly studied any one of them 2. And we see it by experience that one of those Men have written more on these Subjects than any of these can say or understand who boast that they have greater Light How weakly do they talk against Bishops Liturgy and Ceremonies in comparison of these ancient Non-conformists However that which was Truth then is Truth now And we have the same Scripture to be our Rule as they had Therefore let them that say they have more Knowledge bring it forth and try it by the Law and Testimony Isa. 8. 20. § 439. Having lived three years and more in London and finding it neither agree with my health or studies the one being brought very low and the other interrupted and all Publick Service being at an end I betook my self to live in the Country at Action that I might set my self to writing and do what Service I could for Posterity and live as much as possibly I could out of the World Thither I came 1663. Iuly 14. where I followed my Studies privately in quietness and went every Lord's Day to the Publick Assembly when there was any Preaching or Catechizing and spent the rest of the Day with my Family and a few poor Neighbours that came in spending now and then a day in London and the next year 1664. I had the Company of divers godly faithful Friends that Tabled with me in Summer with whom I solaced my self with much content Having almost finished a large Treatise called A Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Divinity that I might know whether it would be Licensed for the Press I tried them with a small Treatise of The Characters of a Sound Christian as differenced from the Weak Christian and the Hypocrite I offered it Mr. Grig the Bishop of London's Chaplain who had been a Non-conformist and profest an extraordinary respect for me But he durst not Licence it Yet after when the Plague began I sent three single Sheets to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Chaplain without any Name that they might have past unknown but accidentally they knew them to be mine and they were Licensed The one was Directions for the Sick The second was Directions for the Conversion of the Ungodly and the third was Instructions for a Holy Life for the use of poor Families that cannot buy greater Books or will not read them § 440. March 26. being the Lord's Day 1665. as I was preaching in a Private House where we received the Lord's Supper a Bullet came in at the Window among us and past by me and narrowly mist the Head of a Sister-in-law of mine that was there and hurt none of us and we could never discover whence it came § 441. In Iune following an ancient Gentlewoman with her Sons and Daughter came four Miles in her Coach to hear me Preach in my Family as out of special Respect to me It fell out that contrary to our custom we let her knock long at the Door and did not open it and so a second time when she had gone away and came again and the third time she came when we had ended she was so earnest to know when she might come again to hear me that I appointed her a time But before she came I had secret intelligence from one that was nigh her that she came with a heart exceeding full of Malice resolving if possible to do me what Mischief she could by Accusation and so that Danger was avoided § 442. Before this divers Forreign Divines had written to me and expected such Correspondence as Literate Persons have with one another But I knew so well what eyes were upon me and how others had been used in some such accounts that I durst not write one Letter to any beyond the Seas By which some were offended as little knowing our Condition here Among others Amyraldus sent one upon the occasion of a word of honest Ludae Molinaeus a Dr. of Physick who had said that he had heard that Amyrald had said somewhat as slighting the Non-conformists in England and me in particular which with what vehemency and great respect he disowneth his Letter following will shew Another was from a Minister in Helvetia who would have had my Advice about setting up the Work of Ministerial Instruction of the Families and Persons of their Charge particularly which I will also add but I sent him an Answer by his Friend by word of mouth only And so I refused the answering of all others Literae D. Amyraldi Ad Reverendum Virum Dom. Dominum Baxterum Fidelem Evangelis Jesu Christi Ministerium Londinum VIrtutum tuarum fama Vir Reverende ad aures meas ante aliquot annos pervenit nec omnino me latuerat quam honorifice de me privatam sentias publice loquaris Verum quia audio scripsisti Anglice tantum modo cognitio autem linguoe vestrae quam ante quadraginta Annos qualemcunque Londini adeptus eram e memoria mea desuetudine obliterata est parum commercii mihi est cum libris vestris nec hactenus contigit ut quidquam quod à te prodixerit oculis usurpaverim Eo de causâ quamvis nonnunquam ceperit me impetus aliquis ad te scribendi ut honorem quo te prosequor testificarer ut significarem quod me publice laudasti ingrato non accidisse Etsi enim tenuitatem meam agnosco non dissimulabo tamen non esse mihi fibram adeo corneam quiâ laudari amen à te potissimum laudato Viro Attamen quotiuscunque id in Animum induxi vel occasio literas ad te mittendi suppeditata non est vel me repressit aliquis metus nequid de me suspicaveris At quod hucusque distuleram Vir Reverende expressit à me indignatio concepta ex lectione literarum Domini Simonii ad me in quibus vidi nescio quem male feriatum hominem etenim eum ne de nomine quidem novi scripsisse ad Molinaeum Amyraldum de te deque Scriptis tuos loqui valde contemptem adeo ut si verum esset quod ille quisquis est dicit justissimam causam haberes cur
the Dutch whom the French assisted § 28. The Plague which began at Acton Iuly 29. 1665. being ceased on March 1. following I returned home and found the Church-yard like a plow'd field with Graves and many of my Neighbours dead but my House near the Church-yard uninfected and that part of my Family which I left there all safe thro' the great mercy of God my merciful Protector § 29. About this time the French surprized St. Christophers and some other of our Plantations in the West Indies and the Dutch took our Plantation of Siranam And the Wars proceeding nearer home in the end of Iune 1666. in the which many were kill'd on both sides and the D. of York so near the danger as that he ventured himself in fight no more Among others the E. of Marlborough being slain there was found about him a Letter written to Sir Hugh Pollard Comptroller of the King's Houshold in which being awaken'd by Sea-dangers he disclaim'd Sadducism and pleaded for the Soul's Immortality which was Printed because being intimate Friends they were both before supposed to be Infidels and Sadducees that believed no Life after this § 30. On Iuly 25. was the 2d great Sea-fight in which the English had the better And in August we seemed to prevail yet more insomuch that Monk was said to proceed so far as to enter their Harbour and burn 120 Ships in the River and to burn a Thousand Houses on the Land and give the Seamen the Plunder for which in the end of August the King appointed a Day of Thanksgiving to be kept in London which was done though many muttered that it was not wisely done to provoke the Dutch by burning their houses when it was easy for them to do the like by us on our Sea-Coasts and so to teach them the way of undoing us while neither party gained by such doings And that it was no good sign of future prosperity when those that believed not that there is a God or at least that his providence disposeth of such things would give God solemn Thanks for an unprofitable burning of the Houses of innocent Protestants And our Confidence was then grown so high that we talkt of nothing but bringing down the Dutch to our mercy and bringing them to Contempt and Ruine But our Height was quickly taken down by the loss of many Hamborough ships first and then by a loss of many of our men in an Attempt upon their Merchant ships in the Sound at Denmark but especially by the firing of the City of London § 31. On Septemb. 2. after midnight London was set on fire and on Sept. 3. the Exchange was burnt and in Three Days almost all the City within the Walls and much without them The season had been exceeding dry before and the Wind in the East where the Fire began The people having none to conduct them aright could do nothing to resist it but stand and see their Houses-burn without Remedy the Engines being presently out of Order and useless The streets were crowded with People and Carts to carry away what Goods they could get out And they that were most active and befriended by their Wealth got Carts and saved much and the rest lost almost all The Loss in Houses and Goods is scarcely to be valued And among the rest the Loss of Books was an exceeding great Detriment to the Interest of Piery and Learning Almost all the Booksellers in St. Paul's Church-Yard brought their Books into Vaults under St. Paul's Church where it was thought almost impossible that Fire should come But the Church it self being on fire the exceeding weight of the Stones falling down did break into the Vault and let in the Fire and they could not come near to save the books The Library also of Sion-Colledge was burnt and most of the Libraries of Ministers Conformable and Nonconformable in the City with the Libraries of many Nonconformists of the Countrey which had been lately brought up to the City I saw the half burnt Leaves of Books near my Dwelling at Acton six miles from London but others found them near Windsor almost twenty miles distant At last some Seamen taught them to blow up some of the next Houses with Gunpowder which stopt the Fire And in some places it stopt as wonderfully as it had proceeded without any known Cause It stopt at Holborn-Bridge and near St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street and at Sepulchre's Church when the Church was burnt and at Christ's Church when the Church was burnt and near Aldersgate and Cripplegate and other places at the Wall and in Austin Friars the Dutch Church stopt it and escaped and in Bishopsgate-street and Leadenhall-street and Fenchurch-street in the midst of the Streets and short of the Tower and all beyond the River Southwark escaped Thus was the best and one of the fairest Cities in the world turn'd into Ashes and Ruines in Three Days space with many score Churches and the Wealth and Necessaries of the Inhabitants The Number of Houses are recorded by others § 32. It was a fight that might have given any Man a lively sense of the Vanity of this World and all the Wealth and Glory of it and of the future confâagration of all the World To see the Flames mount up towards Heaven and proceed so furiously without restraint To see the streets filled with people astonished that had scarce sense left them to lament their own calamity To see the fields filled with heaps of Goods and sumptuous Buildings curious Rooms costly Furniture and Houshold-Stuff Yea Warehouses and furnished Shops and Libraries c. all on a flame and none durst come near to receive any thing To see the King and Nobles ride about the streets beholding all these Desolations and none could afford the least Relief To see the Air as far as could be beheld so filled with the smoak that the Sun shined through it with a colour like Blood yea even when it was setting in the West it so appeared to them that dwelt on the West side of the City But the dolefullest sight of all was afterwards to see what a ruinous confused place the City was by Chimneys and Steeples only standing in the midst of Cellars and heaps of Rubbish so that it was hard to know where the streets had been and dangerous of a long time to pass through the Ruines because of Vaults and fire in them No man that seeth not such a thing can have a right apprehension of the dreadfulness of it § 33. The Extent of the Fire consuming the City within the Walls calleth to my remembrance that a Fortnight before one Mr. Caril a Gentleman of a great Estate in Sussex and said to be one of the most understanding and sober sort of Papists first sent and then come to have visited me as earnestly desiring my Acquaintance and then sent me a Paper to answer being Exceptions against the Preface to my book called The âafe Religion written by one
In the mean time he wish'd us to use our Liberty temperately and not with such open Offence and Scandal to the Government He said our Meetings were too numerous and so besides that they were against Law gave occasion to many clamorous People to come with complaints to him as if our design was wholly to undermine the Church and to say Sir These are they that you protect against the Laws He instanced in the folly of Farringdon's Preaching in the Play-House We told him we all disliked the Action and that he had been sorely rebuked for affronting the Government under which we live with so much peace but I forgot to disclaim him He instanced in one more but with a Preface that he had a great respect for the Person and his Worth and Learning who draweth in all the Countrey round about to him this Person is Mr. Baxter of Acton he instanced in him because of a late Complaint from a Iustice of Peace who had a mind to be nibling at him bât feared it would be with the offence of his Majesty we imagine Ross to be the person I replyed That you went to the publick did it in the interval between Morning and Evening Service beginning at Twelve That the first Intendment was for the benefit of your own Family that this great Company was not invited by you but intruded upon you that it was hard to exclude those who in Charity might be supposed to come with a thirst after the means of Edification I alledged the general necessity and that Nonconformists were not all of a piece and if people of unsober principles in Religion were permitted to preach a necessity lay upon us to take the like liberty that those who have invincible scruples against the publick way may not be left as a prey to those who might leave bad impressions upon them which would neither be so safe for Religion nor the publick peace To which His Majesty reply'd That the riffle raffie of the people were not of such Consideration they being apt to run after every new Teacher but people of Quality might be intreated to forbear to meet or at least not in such multitudes lest the publick Scandal taken thereby might obstruct his Intentions and Designs for our good He seemed to be well enough pleased when I suggested that our Sobriety of Doctrine and medling only with weighty things and remembrance of Him in our prayers with respect preserved an esteem of his Person and Government in the Hearts of his people and that possibly people of another humour might season them with worse Infusions Then Arlington pluck'd him by the Coat as desiring him to note it Finally I told him That you would have waited upon him with us if you had not been under the Confinement of a Disease This is the Sum express words I have not bound my self unto only kept as near as I can remember Since this our Address hath been considered by the Cabinet Council and approved the Business was debated whether it should be made publick most were for that Opinion but the final result was that we should be left at liberty to speak of it with such Restrictions as our Wisdom should suggest We met him privately in my Lord Arlington's Lodgings I am now in very great haste I must abruptly take leave of you with the profession that I am Sir Your Faithful Brother and Servant Covent-Garden this Friday Morning Some other things when they come to mind I will acquaint you with § 86. But the Minister that offered this acknowledgment did neither publish it nor give out any Copies of it I suppose lest they should be thought to be the Persons that were opening the Door to a Toleration which should take in the Papists For ever since the King himself published a Declaration of his purpose to give such a Liberty as they also should have their part in and by the Observation of all that passed before and since by-standers made this Epitome of their Expections 1. The Papists must have the Liberty of exercising their Religion 2. The State must not be reproached by it as intending Popery 3. The Bishops must have no hand in it lest they be taken to intend the same which some of the People are already too apt to believe especially since they refused Concord with the Ministers and are for their silencing and so great severities against them 4. The Papists must not be seen in it themselves till they can be sure to carry it lest it stir up the Parliament and People against them 5. Therefore it must be done by the Nonconformists 6. The Presbyterians are four and will not 7. The Independent Leaders are for the doing it but they dare not say so for fear of becoming odious with the Presbyterians Parliament and People And they intend no good to the Papistsby it when they have done but to strengthen themselves Therefore they dare not appear in it till the Presbyterians join with them 8. When the smart of the Presbyterians is greater it may be their Stomachs will come down Who knoweth whether Extremity may not force them rather to desire a part in a common Liberty than to see others have it while they lie in Goals 9. At least when they wait and beg for their own Liberty that which is given to all others will seem to be given chiefây in compassion to them that were the Sufferers and their Necessities will make it said that they were the Causes 10. And when it is granted it is easie to distinguish c. And the Presbyterians are the backwarder on these two accounts 1. When they are known to be the most adverse to Popery and to have made their Covenant and opposed the Bishops c. on that account and suspect the Bishops to design again such a Confederacy as Heylin defendeth and confesseth and to have promoted their silencing to this end after all this to force these Sufferers to take on them the task and odium of procuring the Papist's Liberty while they that would have it cry out against it seeemeth to them so intolerable an Injury that they cannot willingly submit to 2. Because if they had a part in a common Toleration they believe it is very easie to turn them out of it quickly and leave the Papists in by some Oath which shall be digestible by a Papist and not by them such as the Oxford Oath or some others 11. But either they are mistaken in some of these Conclusions or else the Papists desire to have two Strings to their Bow For Heylin in Laud's Life and Thârâdike in three late Books do plainly tell the World that one Business to be done is to open the Door of the Church of England so wide by reconciling means that the Papists might be the easilier brought in to us and may find nothing to hinder the moderate sort from coming to our Assemblies by the Pope's consent and so all notes of Distinction may so
far cease But one part of the Papists themselves are as high to the Bishops as the Bishops to us nothing âut all will serve their turns Whether they will have Wit enough to take less ãâã the first I hope yet the Wisdom of the Superiours will keep us from knowing by experience But after all this we were as before and the talk of Liberty did but occasion the writing many bitter Pamphlets against Toleration And among others they have gathered out of mine and other Mens Books all that we had then said against Liberty for Popery and for Quakers railing against the Ministers in the open Congregations and this they applied now as against a Toleration of our selves because the bare name of Toleration did seem in the People's Ears to serve their turn by signifying the same thing And because we had said that Men should not be tolerated to preach against Jesus Christ and the Scriptures they would thence justifie themselves for not tolerating us to preach for Jesus Christ unless we would be deliberate Liars and use all their Inventions And those same Men who when Commissioned with us to make such Alterations in the Liturgy as were necessary to satisfie tender Consciences did maintain that no alteration was necessary to satisfie them and did moreover contrary to all our importunity make so many new burdens of their own to be anew imposed on us had now little to say but that they must be obeyed because they are imposed Before the imposing Laws were made they could by no means be kept from making them that when they were made they might plead Law against those that denied to use their Impositions Before the Law was made they pleaded the Ceremonies and Formalities will be all duties when their is a Law made for them Ergo. a Law shall be made not only for them but for swearing unswearing subscribing declaring all things imposed to be so true and so good that we assent and consent to all And when the Laws are made then O what Rebels are these that will not obey the Law Then they cry out If every Man shall be Judge what is Lawful and shall prefer his own Wit above the Law what is become of Order and Government How inconsistent are-these Rebellious Principles with a Commonwealth or any Rule or Peace As if they knew not that the same words may be said for obedience to the Laws about Religion under Lutherans Calvinists Arrians Papists Turks c. And if Hobb's Leviathan be not set up a Magistrate that must be Master of our Religion what signifieth all this Yet had this talk been more ingenuous by Men that had found all these Laws and could not procure them to be amended But for those Men that first resolutely procure them for these ends to plead them afterwards in this manner as the reason of all their Actions and violence is like the Spider in the Fable to make Webs with great Industry to catch the Flies and hang them in their way and then to accuse them of a mortal Crime for coming into their Webs Or to make Nets to catch the Fish and take them in it and then accuse them for coming into their Nets I speak not this of the Law-makers but of the Prelatical Commissioners before-mentioned and their after Practices § 88. About this time or before came out a Book called A friendly debate between a Conformist and Nonconformist written as was doubted by Dr. Simon Patrick which made much talk and a second part after that and a third part with an Appendix after that He had before written a Book called the Pilgrim which with many laudable things had sharply pleaded that Obedience must enter the definition of Iustifying Faith and had censured tartly those that taught otherwise And by this he incurred as sharp a censure by many of the Nonconformists Some thought that this exasperated him others thought that without exasperation he followed his own Genius and Judgment He was one of those then called a Latitudinar an a sober learned able Man that had written many things well and was well enough esteemed But this Book was so dis-ingenuous and virulent as caused most Religious People to abhor it for the strain and tendency and probable Effects It cannot be denied but that many godly zealous Ministers are guilty of weakness of Judgment and expression and that many mistakes are found among them for who is it that hath no Errors And it cannot be denied but that the greater number of the common People who are seriously Religious and Conscionable are yet much weaker in Judgment and Language than the Ministers For if sudden Conversion and Repentance as soon as it hath changed a Man's mind and will and life in the matters which his Salvation lieth on did also possess him with all the exactness of Notions and Language which Academicks attain to in many years study to what purpose were Academies and those Studies And then it would be as miraculous a work as the first gift of Tongues This Learned Man having met with the weak passages of some Ministers especially Mr. Bridge and some of the then Independent Party who in an excessive opposition to the Arminians spake something unwarily if not unsoundly under the pretence of extolling free Grace he scrapes these together for matter of Reproach And having heard the crude and unmeet Expressions of many well-meaning Women and unlearned private Men especially that are inclined most to Self-conceitedness and unwarrantable singularities and separation he bundleth up these and bringeth them all forth in a way of Dialogue between a Conformist and a Nonconformist in which he maketh the Nonconformist speak as foolishly as he had a mind to represent him and only such filly things as he knew he could easily shame And while he pretendeth but to humble the Nonconformists for over-valuing themselves and censuring others as ungodly and erroneous and to shew them what errours and weaknesses are among themselves he speaketh to the Nonconformists in general though acknowledging some sober Persons to be among them that which is nothing to the cause of Non-conformity and laboureth to prove that the Religion of the Non-conformists is foolish ridiculous c. As if he should have sought to prove the Religion of Christians or Protestants foolish because there are ignorant persons among them And instanâing in things that concern not Non-conformity but Prayer and Preaching and Discourse of Religion the Book did exceedingly fit the humours not only of the âaters of the Non-conformists but also of all the prophane despisers and deriders of serious Godliness So that it was greedily read by all that desired matter of Contempt and Scorn against both Non-conformity and Piety and was greatly fitted to exasperate them to further Persecutions and to harden them in impenitency who had already made such doleful havock in the Church It was as sit an Engine to destroy Christian Love on both sides and to engage Men in those ways
which was necessary to deal with such an Adversary he was quickly answered by fastening on the weakest parts with new reproach and triumph And the Author was doubly exposed to suffering For whereas he was so neer Conformity as that he had taken the Oxford Oath and read some Common prayer and therefore by connivance was permitted to preach in South-Work to an Hospital where he had 40 l. per Ann. and was now in expectation of Liberty at a better place in Bridewell he was now deprived of that And ãâã had little relief from the Nonconformists because he Conformed so far as he did And having a numerous family was in great want § 93. The next year came out a far more virulent book called Ecclesiastical Policy written by Sam. Parker a young Man of pregnant parts who had been brought up among the Sectaries and seeing some weaknesses among them and being of an eager Spirit was turned with the Times into the contrary extreme for which he giveth thanks to God And judging of ãâã called Puritans and Nonconformists by the people that he was bred amongst and being now made Arch-Bishop Sheldon's houshold Chaplain where such work was to be done he writeth the most scornfully and rashly and prophanely and cruelly against the Nonconformists of any man that ever yet assaulted them that I have heard of And in a fluent fervent ingenious style of Natural Rhetorick poureth out floods of Odious reproaches and with incautelous Extremities saith as much to make them hated and to stir up the Parliament to destroy them as he could well speak And all this was to play the old game at once to please the Devil the Prelates and the prophane and so to twist all three into one party than which if prelacy be of God a greater injury could not be done to it being the surest tryed way to engage all the Religious if not the Sober also of the Land against it § 93. Soon after Dr. Iohn Owen first tryed to have engaged me to answer it by telling me and others that I was the fittest Man in England for that work on what account I now enquire not But I had above all men been oft enough searched in the malignant fire and contended with them with so little thanks from the Independents tho they could say little against it that I resolved not to meddle with them any more without a clearer call than this And besides Patrick and that Party by excepting me from those whom they reproached in respect of Doctrine disposition and practice made me the unfittest person to rise up against them Which if I had done they that applauded me before would soon have made me seem as odious almost as the rest For they had some at hand that in evil speaking were such Masters of Language that they never wanted Matter nor Words but could say what they listed as voluminously as they desired § 94. Whereupon Dr. Owen answered it himself selecting the most odious Doctrinal Assertions with some others of Parker's book and laid them so naked in the Judgment of all Readers that ever I met with that they concluded Parker could never answer it Especially because the Answer was delayed about a year By which Dr. Owen's esteem was much advanced with the Nonconformists § 95. But Parker contriv'd to have his Answer ready against the Sessions of the Parliament in Octob. 1670. And shortly after it came out In which he doth with the most voluminous torrent of naturall and malicious Rhetorick speak over the same things which might have been Comprized in a few Sentences viz. The Nonconformists Calvinists Presbyterians Hugonots are the most villanous unsufferable sort of sanctified Fools Knaves and unquiet Rebels that ever were in the World With their naughty Godliness and holy Hypocrisie and Villanies making it necessary to fall upon their Teachers and not to spare them for the Conquering of the rest But yet he putteth more Exceptions here of the Soberer honest peaceable sort whom he loveth but pittyeth for the unhappiness of their Education and in particular speaketh kindly of me than he had done before For when he had before persuaded men to fall upon the Ministers and said What are an hundred men to be valued in Comparison of the safety of the whole When Dr. Owen and others commonly understood him as meaning that there was but a 100 Nonconformable Ministers when 1800 were silenced he found out this shift to abate both the Charge of malignant Cruelty and Untruth and saith that he meant that he hoped the seditious hot headed party that misled the people were but a few Whereby he vindicated fifteen hundred Nonconformable Ministers against those Charges which he and others frequently lay on the Nonconformists by that name But the second part of the Matter of his book was managed with more advantage because of all the Men in England Dr. Owen was the Chief that had Headed the Independents in the Army with the greatest height and Confidence and Applause and afterward had been the greater persuader of Fleetwood Desborough and the rest of the Officers of the Army who were his Gathered Church to Compel Rich. Cromwell to dissolve his Parliament which being done he fell with it and the King was brought in So that Parker had so many of his Parliament and Army Sermons to cite in which he urgeth them to Justice and prophesyeth of the ruine of the Western Kings and telleth them that their work was to take down Civil and Ecclesiastical Tyranny with such like that the Dr. being neither able to repent hitherto or to justify all this must be silent or only plead the Art of Oblivion And so I fear his unfitness for this Work was a general injury to the Nonconformists § 96. And here I think I ought to give Posterity notice that by the Prelatist's malice and unreasonable implacable Violence Independency and Separation got greater advantages against Presbytery and all setled accidental extrinsick order and means of Concord than ever it had in these Kingdoms since the World began For powerful and Godly Preachers though now most silenced had in twenty years liberty brought such numbers to serious Godliness that it was vain for the Devil or his Servants to hope that suffering could make the most forsake it And to the Prelatists they would never turn while they saw them for the sake of their own Wealth and Lordships and a few Forms and Ceremonies silence so many hundred worthy self-denying Ministers that had been Instruments of their Good and to become the Son of the prophane malignant Enmity to the far greatest part of the most serious Religious People in Three Kingdoms And Presbyterians were forced to forbear all Exercise of their way they durst not meet together Synodically unless in a Goal They could not ordinarily be the Pastors of Parish-Churches no not for the private part of the Work being driven five Miles from all their former Charges and Auditors and from every City
the same Justices saw that I was thus discharged they were not satisfied to have driven me from Acton but they make a new Mittimus by Counsel as for the same supposed Fault naming the Fourth of Iune as the Day on which I preached and yet not naming any Witness when the Act against Conventicles was expired long before And this Mittimus they put into an Officer's hands in London to bring me not to Clerkenwell but among the Thieves and Murderers to the common Jail at Newgate which was since the Fire which burnt down all the better Rooms the most noisom place that I have heard of except the Tower Dungeon of any Prison in the Land § 132. The next Habitation which God's Providence chose for me was at Totteridge near Barnet where for a Year I was fain with part of my Family separated from the rest to take a few mean Rooms which were so extreamly smoaky and the place withal so cold that I spent the Winter in great pain one quarter of a Year by a sore Sciatica and seldom free from such Anguish § 133. It would trouble the Reader for me to reckon up the many Diseases and Dangers for these ten Years past in or from which God hath delivered me though it be my Duty not to forget to be thankful Seven Months together I was lame with a strange Pain in one Foot Twice delivered from a Bloody Flux a spurious Cataract in my Eye with incessant Webs and Net-works before it hath continued these eight Years without disabling me one Hour from Reading or Writing I have had constant Pains and Languors with incredible Flatulency in Stomach Bowels Sides Back Legs Feet Heart Breast but worst of all either painful Distentions or usually vertiginous or stupifying Conquests of my Brain so that I have rarely one Hour's or quarter of an Hour's ease Yet through God's Mercy I was never one Hour Melancholy and not many Hours in a Week disabled utterly from my Work save that I lost time in the Morning for want of being able to rise early And lately an Ulcer in my Throat with a Tumour of near half a Year's continuance is healed without any means In all which I have found such merciful Disposals of God such suitable Chastisements for my Sin such plain Answers of Prayer as leave me unexcusable if they do me not good Besides many sudden and acuter Sicknesses which God hath delivered me from not here to be numbred his upholding Mercy under such continued weaknesses with tolerable and seldom disabling Pains hath been unvaluable § 134. I am next to give some short account of my Writings since 1665. 1. A small MS. lyeth by me which I wrote in Answer to a Paper which Mr. Caryl of Sussex sent me written by Cressy called now Serenus about Popery § 135. 2 Mr. Yates of Hambden Minister sending me the Copy of a Popish Letter as spread about Oxford under the Mask of one doubting of Christianity and calling the Scholars to a Trial of their Faith in Principles did by the Juggling Fraud and the slightness of it provoke me to write my book called The Reasons of the Christian Religion And the Philosophy of Gassendus and many more besides the Hobbians now prevailing and inclining men to Sadducism induced me to write the Appendix to it about the Immortality of the Soul § 136. 3. Oft Conference with the Lord Chief Baron Hale put those Cases into my mind which occasioned the writing of another short Piece of the Nature and Immortality of the Soul by way of Question and Answer not printed § 137. 4. The great Weaknesses and Passions and Injudiciousness of many Religious Persons and the ill effects and especially perceiving that the Temptations of the Times yea the very Reproofs of the Conformists did but increase them among the separating party caused me to offer a book to be Licensed called Directions to weak Christians how to grow in grace with a second part being Sixty Characters of a Sound Christian with as many of the Weak Christian and the Hyyocrite Which I the rather writ to imprint on men's minds a right apprehension of Christianity and to be as a Confession of our Judgment in this malignant Age when some Conformists would make the World believe that it is some menstruous thing composed of Folly and Sedition which the Nonconformists mean by a Christian and a Godly Man This Book came forth when I was in Prison being long before refused by Mr. Grigg § 138. 5. A Cristian Directory or Summ of Practical Divinity in Folio hath lain finished by me many years and since twice printed § 139. 6. My Bookseller desiring some Additions to my Sermon before the King I added a large Directory of the whole Life of Faith which is its Title which is published § 140. 7. Abundance of Women first and Men next growing at London into separating Principles Some thinking that it was sin to hear a Conformist and more That it is a sin to pray according to the Common Prayer with them and yet more That it is a sin to Communicate with them in the Sacrament And the Conformists abominating their House-Meetings as Schismatical and their Distance and Passions daily increasing even among many to earnest desires of each other's Ruine I thought it my Duty to add another part to my book of Directions to weak Christians being Directions what course they must take to avoid being Dividers or troublers of the Churches The rather because I knew what the Papists and Infidels would gain by our Divisions and of how great necessity it is against them both that the honest moderate part of the Conformists and the Nonconformists be reconciled or at least grow not into mortal Enmity against each other This Book was offered to Mr. Sam. Parker the Archbishop's Chaplain to be Licensed but he refused it and so I purposed to cast it by But near two years after Mr. Grove the Bishop of London's Chaplain without whom I could have had nothing of mine Licensed I think did License it and it was published of which more anon § 141. 8. About this time I heard Dr. Owen talked very yieldingly of a Concord betweent the Independents and Presbyterians which all seemed willing of I had before about 1658. written somewhat in order to Reconciliation and I did by the invitation of his Speeches offer it to Mr. Geo. Griffiths to be considered And near a twelve-month after he gave it me again without taking notice of any thing in it I now resolved to try once more with Dr. Owen And though all our business with each other had been contradiction I thought it my Duty without any thoughts of former things to go to him and be a Seeker of Peace which he seemed to take well and expressed great desires of Concord and also many moderate Concessions and how heartily he would concur in any thing that tended to a good agreement I told him That I must deal freely with him that
when I thought of what he had done formerly I was much afraid lest one that had been so great a breaker would not be made an Instrument in healing But in other Respects I thought him the fittest man in England for this Work partly because he could understand the Case and partly because his Experience of the Humours of Men and of the mischiefs of dividing Principles and Practises had been so very great that if Experience should make any man wise and fit for an healing Work it should be him And that a book which he had lately written a Catechism for Independency offensive to others was my chief Motive to make this Motion to him because he there giveth up two of the worst of the Principles of Popularity acknowledging 1. That the People have not the Power of the Keys 2. That they give not the Power of the Keys or their Office-Power to the Pastors I told him that I had before this driven on an Agreement between the Presbyterians and Independents in another manner but that I plainly saw that while the Lord Chancellor and such others were still talking of Plots and Conspiracies they would be so jealous of our Union that they would give out that we were strengthening our selves by it as Confederacy against the King and it would have tended to the sudden increase of our Suffering He answered me That for his part he thought the Work so necessary that he would trust God and over-look such dangers I told him That the danger being so visible Prudence in the management of the Work was our Duty though not carnal Policy to desert it The great difficulty had always been to find out the Terms on which we must be United if ever it be done This was it which could not be done in the Assembly at Westminster nor in all the Years of our Liberty and Difference ever since And this is a thing which a few Hands may dispatch much better than many I told him therefore that my Opinion was That he and I only should first try whether we could come to Agreement in Principles and that none living might know of our Attempt till it was fininished that if we could not agree the notice of our Failing might not be a hindrance to others nor a reproach to our selves but if we did agree it were easie to make use of the Terms agreed on when ever Prudence should tell us it was conducible to our Ends and to get two or three of a side to Subscribe it first till it were fit to make it publick for the use of more This much we agreed on and our next Question was of the method I told him that as to the positive Terms of Concord I thought that those Essentials of Religion and Communion which are the Terms that all Christians must agree in must be ours and that we had not any new Terms to devise but only some new Means to bring us to consent to Communion upon those Terms To which end I thought it would be a good way to draw up a Writing containing all the Points of Discipline which the two Parties are really agreed in great and small that while the World seeth the extent of their Agreement the few things which they differ in may seem so small among all those and not to be sufficient to hinder their Communion He approved of the Motion and desired him to draw it up which when he put off I desired that each of us might bring in a Draught but he would needs cast it on me alone When I had drawn up abundance of Theses as the Matter of our common Concord and left them with him the next time I came to him he commended the thing but said that they were too many and I could do it in a narrower room I perceived by this that his Thoughts were that many that were among them would not grant all those Points and so it must be wider yet I told him that if he changed the Design we must change the Means If he thought it the better way to draw up only those Points which are necessary to our Agreement then we must do it in as narrow a compass as may be which being determined of I urged him again in vain to do it but he cast it upon me and I brought him speedily a Draught of so many of the things which both Presbyterians and Independents are agreed in as are necessary to their Practical Concord and Communion with respect to the things in which they are or seem disagreed When he had kept them a few Weeks I waited on him again and again and he told me that it was the fairest Offer and the likeliest Means that ever he yet saw and he saw nothing yet but that it might well conduce to the End intended I desired him to give me his Animadversions 1. Of all that he took to be false or unfound in it 2. Of all that he thought the two Parties were not agreed in 3. Of all that he thought inconvenient and unapt to the End intended 4. Of all that he thought unnecessary which he consented to and shortly after sent me this Letter which intimateth his purpose of coming to me because I invited him to take the Country Air with me in a Cold that he had c. § 142. SIR THE continuance of my Cold which yet holds me with the severity of the Weatherâ have hitherto hindred me from answering my purpose of coming unto you at Action but yet I hope ere long to obtain the advantage of enjoying your Company there for a Season In the mean time I return you my Thanks for the Communication of your Papers and shall on every occasion manifest that you have no occasion to question whether I were in earnest in what I proposed in reference to the Concord you design For the desire of it is continually upon my Heart and to express that desire on all occasion I esteem one part of that Profession of the Gospel which I am called unto Could I contribute any thing towards the Accomplishment of so holy so necessary a Work I should willingly spend my self and be spent in it For what you design concerning your present Essay I like it very well both upon the Reasons you mention in your Letter as also that all those who may be willing and desirous to promote so hlessed a Work may have Copies by them to prepare their Thoughts in reference to the whole For the present upon the Liberty granted in your Letter if I remember it aright I shall tender you a few Quaeries which if they are useless or needless deal with them accordingly As 1. Are not the Severals proposed or insisted on too many for this first Attempt The general Heads I conceive are not but under them very many Particulars are not only included which is unavoidable but expressed also which may too much dilate the original Consideration of the whole 2. You expresly exclude the Papists
it Of which in that Book he saith so much to the pity rather than satisfaction of the Judicious his Book being otherwise the soundest and most abounding with Light of any one that I have seen But the very necessity of explaining the Three Articles of Baptism and the Three Summaries of Religion the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue hath led all the common Catechisms that go that way of which Vrsine Corrected by Paraeus is the chief into a truer Method than any of our exactest Dichotomizers have hit on not excepting Treleatius Solinius or Amesius which are the best § 147. The Nature of things convinced me That as Physicks are presupposed in Ethicks and that Morality is but the ordering of the Rational Nature and its Actions so that part of Physicks and Metaphysicks which opened the Nature of Man and of God which are the Parties contracting and the great Subjects of Theology and Morality is more neerly pertinent to a Method of Theology and should have a larger place in it than is commonly thought and given to it Yet I knew how Uncouth it would seem to put so much of these Doctrines into a Body of Divinity But the three first Chapters of Genesis assured me That it was the Scripture-Method And when I had drawn up one Scheme of the Creation and sent it the Lord Chief Baron because of our often Communication on such Subjects and being now banished from his Neighbourhood and the County where he lived he received it with so great Approbation and importuned me so by Letters to go on with that work and not to fear being too much on Philosophy as added somewhat to my Inclinations and Resolutions And through the great Mercy of God in my Retirement at Totteridge in a troublesome poor smoaky suffocating Room in the midst of daily pains of the Sciatica and many worse I set upon and finished all the Schemes and half the Elucidations in the end of the Year 1669. and the beginning of 1670. which cost me harder Studies than any thing that ever I had before attempted § 148. In the same time and place I also wrote a large Apology for the Nonconformists Partly to prove it their Duty to Exercise their Ministry as they can when they are Silenced and partly to open the State of the Prelacy the Subscriptions Declarations c. which they refuse for the furious Revilings of Men did so increase and their Provocations and Accusations and Insultings were so many and great that it drove me to this work as it were against my will But when I had done it I saw that the Publication of it would by Imprisonment or Banishment put an end to my other Labours which made me lay it by for I thought that the finishing of my Methodus Theologiae was a far greater work But if that had been done I think I should have published it whatever it had cost me § 149. This Year 1670 my forementioned Cure of Church Divisions came out which had been before cast by which occasioned a storm of Obloquy among almost all the separating Party of Professors and filled the City and Country with matters of Discourse which fell out to be as followeth I had long made use of two Booksellers Mr. Tyton and Mr. Simmons the former lived in London and the later in Kiderminster But the latter removing to London they envyed each other in a meer desire of gain one thinking that the other got more than he was willing should go besides himself Mr. Tyton first refused an equal Co-partnership with the other Whereupon it fell to the others share to Print my Life of Faith and Cure of Church Divisions after my Directions to weak Christians together Which occasioned Mr. Tyton to tell several that came to his Shop that the Book as he heard was against private Meetings at least at the time of Publick and made those Schimaticks that used them Mr. Simmons met with a credible Citizen that gave it him under his Hand that Mr. Tyton said that he might have had the Printing of the Book but would not because it spake against those things which he had seen me Practise c. which were all gross Untruths for the Book was never offered him nor had he never seen a word of it or ever spoken with any one that had seen it and told him what was in it Mr. Tyton being a Member of an Independent Church this sort of People the eaâilier believed this and so it was carried among them from one to one first that I wrote against private Meetings and then that I accused them all of Schism and then that I wrote for Conformity and lastly that I conformed so that before a Line of my Book was known this was grown the common Fame of the City and thence of all the Land and sent as certain into Scotland and Ireland yea they named the Text that I preached my Recantation Sermon on before the King as stirring him up to Cruelty against the Nonconformists So common was the Sin of Back-biting and Slandering among the Separating Party so it were but done at the second hand and they that thought themselves too good to joyn with the Conformists or use their Liturgy or Communion yet never stuck at the common carrying of all these Falshoods because they could say a good Man told it me So that Thousands made no bones of this that would not have defiled themselves with a Ceremony or an imposed Form of Prayer by any means Yea the Streets rang with Reproaches against me for it without any more proof Some said that I took part with the Enemies of Godliness and countenanced their Church-Tyranny and some said that I sought to reconcile my self to them for fear of further Suffering And thus the Christians that were most tenderly afraid of the Liturgy and Ceremonies were so little tender of receiving and vending the most disingenuous Falshoods as if they had been no matter of Scruple So easie is a sinful Zeal and so hardly is true Christian Zeal maintained § 150. At the same time there fell out a Case which tended to promote the Calumny The old Reading Vicar of Kiderminster dyed about the Day of the Date of the Act against Conventicles Sir Ralph Clare his chief Friend and my Applauder but Remover being dead a little before the old Patron Collonel Iohn Bridges Sold the Patronage to Mr. Thomas Foley with a condition that he should present me next if I were capable which he promised as also that he would Present no other but by my consent Because I had done so much before to have continued in that place and had desired to Preach there but as a Curate under the Reading Vicar when I resused a Bishoprick and the Vicaridge was now come to be worth 200 l. per Ann. and this falling void at the same time when the Independents had filled the Land with the Report that I was Writing against them for Conformity hereupon the Bishops
and to what they tend and what a disgrace they are to our Cause and how one of our own Errors will hurt and disparage us more than all the cruelty of our Adversaries and that sinful means is seldom blessed to do good § 155. But upon fore-fight of the tenderness of Professors I had before given my Book to the Perusal of Mr. Iohn Corbet my Neighbour accounted one of the most Calm as well as Judicious Nonconformists and had altered every Word that he wished to be altered And the same I had done by my very worthy Faithful Friend Mr. Richard Fairclough who Perused it in the Press and I altered almost all that he wished to be altered to take off any Words that seemed to be too sharp But all did not satisfie the guilty and impatient Readers § 156. For when the Book came out the Separating Party who had received before an odious Character of it did part of them read and interpret it by the Spectacles and Commentary of their Passions and fore Conceits and the most of them would not read it all but took all that they heard for granted The hottest that was against it was Mr. Ed. Bagshaw a young Man who had written formerly against Monarchy had afterward written for me againsâ Bishop Morley and being of a resolute Roman Spirit was sent first to the Tower and then laid there in the horrid Dungeon where the damp casting him into the Haemorrhoids the Pain caused that Sweat which saved his Life Thence he was removed to Southbây-Castle near Portsmouth in the Sea where he lay Prisoner many Years where Vivasor Powel an honest injudicious Zealot of Wales being his Companion heightned him in his Opinions He wrote against me a Pamphlet so full of Untruths and Spleen and so little pertinent to the Cause as that I never met with a Man that called for an Answer to it But yet the ill Principles of it made me think that it needed an Answer which I wrote But I found that Party grown so tender expecting little but to be applauded for their Godliness and to be flattered while they expected that others should be most sharply dealt with and indeed to be so utterly impatient of that Language in a Confutation which had any suitableness to the desert of their Writings that I purposed to give over all Controversial Writings with them or any other without great necessity And the rather because my own Stile is apt to be guilty of too much freedom and sharpness in Disputings § 157. The next to Mr. Bagshaw now again in Prison for not taking the Oath of Allegiance it self who behind my Back did most revile my Book was Dr. Owen whether out of Design or Judgement I cannot tell but ordinarily he spake very bitterly of it but never wrote to me a Word against it He also divulged his dissent from the Proposals for Concord which I offered him though he would say no more against them to my self than what I have before expressed § 158. At this time also one Hinkley of Norfield near Worcester-shire desiring to be taken notice of wrote a virulent Book against the Nonconformists and particularly some Falshoods against me and a vehement Invitation to me to publish the Reasons of my Nonconformity when he could not be so utterly ignorant as not to know that I could never get such an Apology Licensed and that the Law forbad me to Print it unlicensed and that he himself taketh it for a Sin to break that Law But such impudent Persons were still clamouring against us § 159. By this time my own old Flock at Kiderminster began some of them to Censure me For when the Bishop and Deans and many of their Curates had preached long to make the People think me a Deceiver as if this had been the only way to their Salvation the People were hereby so much alienated from them that they took them for Men unreasonable and little better than mad insomuch as that they grew more alienated from Prelacy than ever Also while they continued to repeat Sermons in their Houses together many of them were laid long in Jayls among Thieves and common Malefactors which increased their Exasperations yet more They continued their Meetings whilst their Goods were Seised on and they were Fined and Punished again and again These Sufferings so increased their Aversation that my Book against Church-Divisions coming out at such a time and a Preface which I put before a Book of Dr. Bryan's in which I do but excuse his Speaking against Separation they were many of them offended at it as unseasonable and judging by feeling Interest and Passion were angry with me for strengthening the Hands of Persecutors as they call it whereas if I had called the Bishops all that 's nought I am confident they would not have blamed me And they that fell out with the Bishops for casting me out and speaking ill of me were some of them ready to speak ill of me if not to cast me off because I did but persuade them of the Lawfulness of Communicating in their Parish-Church with a Conformable Minister in the Liturgy § 160. At this time as is said the old reading Vicar dying it was cast on me to chuse the next But the Religious People who were the main Body of the Town and Parish would not so much as chuse a Man when they might have had their choice no nor so much as write or send one word to one about it lest they should seem to consent to his Conformity or to be obliged to him in his Office Whereupon I also refused to meddle in the Choice and the rather because some of the malignant slanderous Prelatists who write of me as Durel L'strange and many others have done would in likelyhood have said that I contracted for some Commodity to my self and because Mr. Foley the Patron was a truly honest Religious Man who I knew would make the best choice he could § 161. When he had chosen them a Minister whom they themselves commended for an honest Man and a good Preacher and rather wished him than another I wrote a Letter to them to advise them to join with the said Minister in Prayers and Sacrament because I had before advised them not to own the Ministry of Mr. Dance for his utter incapacity and insufficiency but if ever they had a tolerable Man to own him and Communicate with him And because he was the best that the Patron by their Consent could chuse and for many Reasons which I gave them But their Sufferings had so far alienated them from the Prelates that the very rumour of this Letter was talkt of as my Book against Divisions was so that it was never so much as read to them § 162. And here it is worth the nothing how far Interest secretly swayeth the Judgments of the best A few Ministers who have a more taking way of Preaching than the rest and being more moving and affectionate are
either His Assistant Mr. Parsons I before named 7. Mr. Watson is so well known in London for his Ability and Piety that I need not describe him however quarrelled with by the debate-maker 8. Mr. Thomas Doolittle born in Kiderminster is a good Schollar a godly man of an upright Life and moderate Principles and a very profitable serious Preacher 9. Mr. Chester is a man of a very sober calm peaceable Spirit sound in Doctrine and Life and a grave and fruitful Preacher 10. Mr. Turner is a man of great Sincerity and extraordinary humility and profitable Labours and Industry 11. Old Mr. Stubbs who joineth with him is one of a Thousand sometimes Minister at Wells and last at Dursley in Gloucestershire an ancient grave Divine wholly given up to the Service of God who hath gone about from place to place Preaching with unwearied Labour since he was silenced and with great Success being a plain moving fervent Preacher for the work of converting impenitent Sinners to God And yet being settled in peaceable Principles by aged Experience he every where expresseth the Spirit of Censoriousness and unjust Separations and Preacheth up the ancient zeal and sincerity with a Spirit suitable thereunto 12. Mr. Whitaker Son to the famous Ieremy Whitaker is a Man of great calmness Moderation peaceableness and Soundness in Doctrine and in Life 13. Some others there are Mr. Grimes Mr. Franklin Mr. Patrick Mr. VVest c. whom I am not acquainted with § 206. Besides these there are many in London that come out of other Countries I will name but some few that I can speak of with most assurance 1. Mr. Iohn Corbet sometimes Preacher in Gloucester and after at Chichester and after at a place in Hampshire 200 l. per Annum which he left to keep the Peace of his Conscience liveth privately and quietly a Man of extraordinary Judgment ãâã moderation peaceable Principles and blameless Life a solid Preacher well known by his Writings the interest of England the History of Gloucester War Rushworth's Collections which were much of his Composure 2. Mr. Wilson sometime of the Charter-House and since of Peterborough hath such universal Praises follow him from all the Country about Peterborough of his âare Skill ability Piety diligence and extraordinary success the multitude of People there that he did good to that it made my Heart ake to think that our Sins had brought us under such Prelates as think it a Service acceptable to God to deprive Cities and Countries of such Men and put no better in their places than they have done 3. Mr. Stancliff from Stanmore an Excellent Man of marvellous fullness and accurateness in Prayer and it 's like he is the same in Preaching though I never heard him 4. Mr. Vaughan Minister of Grantham where he was laid in Goal for not Conforming and thence went to Barmudas with his Family and from thence was discouraged by the Quakers and returned to England and liveth in London obscurely and in a very low Condition an able sober Godly Judicious moderate man and of great worth 5. Mr. Silvester from Nottinghamshire Mr. Trueman's Friend a Man of excellent meekness temper âound and peaceable Principles godly Life and great ability in the ministerial Work 6. Mr. Hodges living lately with the Lord Hollis a grave ancient Godly moderate Divine who answered the Debate-maker 7. Mr. Richard Fairclough a Man of great sincerity and soundness of Judgment moderate Principles and a godly upright Life and of great quickness of parts and fervency and diligence by which at Mells in Somersetshire he excelled most Men in excellent Labours and success 8. His Brother a very solid judicious grave and worthy Minister of equal moderation and peaceableness 9. Mr. Tobias Ellis a Man of great sincerity and zeal and desire to do good and devotedness to God who falling into the Life of a private Schoolmaster doth follow it with almost unimitable diligence living with very little Sleep less Food great Labour and delight in all by which he hath been saved better than by all physick from a Melancholly Inclination 10. Richard Morton Dr. of Physick whom I should have named as Minister of Kinvar near Kiderminster Son to my old Friend Mr. Robert Morton Son-in-Law to Mr. Whateley of Banbury minister at Bewdley Dr. Norton is a Man of great gravity calmness sound Principles of no Faction an excellent Preacher of an upright Life now practising Physick 11. Mr. Button though not a Clergy-man being never ordained or in the Ministry yet is not to be left out Being put out of his place of Canon of Christ-church in Oxford Orator to the University an Excellent Scholar but of a greater Excellency a most humble Man of a plain sincere Heart and blameless and a great Sufferer who besides a great loss in his Estate was about six Months in Goal for teaching privately two Knights Sons who perswaded him to it Many of his Neighbours of Brentford being imprisoned with him for serving God privately by Ross the Scottish Justice who imprisoned me which they chearfully endured But there are so many more that I must proceed no further § 207. Besides there are many in the Villages round about London and that were thence cast out As 1. Mr. Clarkson from Mortclack a Divine of extraordinary worth for solid Judgment healing moderate Principles acquaintance with the Fathers great Ministerial Abilities and a Godly Upright Life 2. Mr. Samuel Cradock Elder Brother to Dr. Cradock of Greys-Inn who left a place in Somersetshire of about 300 l. per Annum to preserve his Conscience a Man of great Solidity and Piety and Ministerial Ability but extraordinary for meekness Humility Moderation and Peaceableness known by his useful Writings 3. Mr. Pareman put out at Harrow on the Hill an ancient grave sound pious sober aud peaceable Divine 4. Mr. Taverner put out at Vxbridge an ancient grave peaceable Divine of an unblamed Life 5. Dr. Spurstow put out at Hackney an ancient calm reverend Minister one of the Writers of the Book called Smectymnuus 6. Which maketh me remember Dr. Tuckney whom his Widow married an ancient Learned Godly Divine sometime Minister of Boston in Lincolnshire then one of the Assembly and long Regius Professor called Doctor of the Chair in Cambridge which place he performed with so good acceptance as that I need not commend his ability any further Only he was over humble and backward to disputes and to put out himself in great appearances notwithstanding that place of publick Exercise I would further mention Dr. Arthur of Clapham Mr. Gilbert of Brentford Mr. Perkins Mr. Warrham of Henden and many more if I were willing to go beyond my ocquaintance upon reports § 208. And though it cannot be thought that one man that lived so retiredly should know very many yet I could name you excellent men known to me either throughly or in some measure whose Excellencies make their Names very precious to me For Instance 1. Mr. Truman lately
while these envious Preachers cryed out against our Preaching and perswaded men how fully we were maintained they laboured for Laws to increase their setled maintenance and some of them in my hearing Preached how miscrable a case the Clergy were in were they left to the people's kindness and bounty And yet proclaim our fulness who are left to the kindness of those few who also pay fully their Tythes to the Parish Ministers who these Envyers say are but the smaller and poorer sort in the Land which comparatively is true though by this time I think the far greatest part are grown into dislike with the present Prelates who yet cleave to their Church And if their noble rich and numerous followers would leave them in want were they left to their Charity it seems they take their Church to consist of men much more covetous and less Religious and liberal than our few poor men § 261. The Lord's day before the Parliament was dissolved one of these Prelatists Preached to them to perswade them that we are obstinate and not to be tolerated nor cured by any means but Vengeance urging them to set Fire to the Fagot and teach us by Scourges or Scorpions and open our eyes with Gall. Yet none of these men will procure us leave to publish or offer to Authority the Reasons of our Non-conformity But this is not the first proof that a carnal worldly proud ungodly Clergie who never were serious in their own professed belief nor felt the power of what they Preach have been in most Ages of the Church its greatest plague and the greatest hinderers of Holiness and Concord by making their formalities and Ceremonies the test of Holiness and their Worldly Interest and Domination the only cement of Concord And O how much hath Satan done against Christ's Kingdom in the World by setting up Pastors and Rulers over the Churches to fight against Christ in his own name and livery and to destroy piety and peace by a pretence of promoting them § 262. This foresaid Preacher brings to my remembrance a Silenced Minister who heard the Sermon Mr. Iohn Humphrey a man not strait and factious in Doctrin Government or Worship as his Books shew for the middle way about Election Justification c. and his former Writings for giving the Lord's Supper to the Ungodly to convert them and his own Reordination and writing for Reordination The former Sessions of Parliamen he printed a sheet for Concord by restoring some silenced Ministers and tolerating others for which he was Imprisoned as was Dr. Ludovicus Molinaeus M. D. Son to old Peter for writing his Patronus against the Prelatists but delivered by the Common Act of Pardon And this Session the said Mr. Humphrey again printed another sheet and put it into the hands of many Parliament men which though slighted and frustrate by the Prorogation of the House yet I think hath so much reason in it that I shall here annex it though it speak not at all to the righteousness of our Cause and the Reasons of our Non-conformity that the Reader may see upon what Terms we stood But the truth is when we were once contrived into the Parliament's Inquisition and persecution it was resolved that we should be saved by the King or not at all and that Parliaments and Laws should be our Tormenters and not our Deliverers any more Mr. Iohn Humphrey's Papers given to the Parliament-Men Comprehension with Indulgence Nihil est jam dictum quod non fuit dictum prius Terence IT hath pleased his Majesty by several gracious Overtures to commend a Union of his Protestant Subject to the consideration of a Parliament A design full of all Princely Wisdom Honesty and Goodness In this Atchievement there is a double Interest I apprehend to be distinguished and weighed that of Religion it self and that of the Nation The advance of Religion doth consist much in the Unity of its Professors both in Opinion and Practice to be of one Mind and one Heart and one way in Discipline and Worship so far as may be according to the Scriptures The advance of the Nation does lie in the freedom and flourishing of Trade and uniting the whole Body in the common Benefit and dependence on the Government The one of these bespeaks an Established Order and Accommodation the other bespeaks Indulgence Liberty of Conscience or to eration For while People are in danger about Religion we dare not launch out into Trade say they but we must keep our Moneys being we know not into what straits we shall be driven and when in reference to their Party they are held under severity it is easie for those who are designing Heads to mould them into Wrath and Faction which without that occasion will melt and dissolve it self into bare Dissent of Opinion peaceably rejoycing under the Enjoyment of Protection The King we know is concerned as Supreme Governour and as a Christian Protestant Governour As he is King he is to seek the welfare of the Nation as he is a Christian the Flourishing of Religion and the Protestant Religion particularly is his Interest as this Kingdom doth lie in Ballance he being the chief Party with its Neighbour Nations The Judgment now of some is for a Comprehending Act which may take in those who are for our Parochial Churches that severity then might be used for reclaiming all whosoever separate from them The Judgment of some others is for a free and equal Act of Grace to all indifferently the Papists with most excepted whether separatists or others abhorring Comprehension as more dangerous to them upon that Account mentioned than all the Acts that have passed Neither of these Judge up to the full interest of the King and Kingdom as is proposed It becomes not the Presbyterian if his Principles will admit him to own our Parochial Churches and enjoy a Living to be willing to have his Brethren the Independents given up to Persecution And it becomes not the Separatist if he may but enjoy his Conscience to Repine or envy at the Presbyterian for reaping any further Emolument seeing both of them supposing the later may do so have as much at the bottom as can be in their Capacities desired of either It is an Act therefore of a mixt Complexion providing both Comprehension and Indulgence for the different Parties must serve our Purpose And to this end as we may humbly hope there is a Bill at present in the House A Bill for the ease of the Protestant Dissenter in the business of Religion Which that upon this present Prorogation it may be cast into this Model I must present the same yet in a little farther Explication There are two sorts we all know of the Protestant Dissenters one that own the Established Ministry and our Parish Congregations and are in Capacity of Union upon that account desiring it heartily upon condescension to them in some small matters The other that own not our Churches and so are
food to the hazard of their Eternal Souls Among many Arguments therefore for Liberty in other Papers from Policy Convenience Reason of State and Reason of Religion I have this one to offer you of a more binding Nature an Argument from Iustice Righteousness and Restitution to the Displaced It is true that the Places they once had are filled and disposed but there are others enough There are many of those who possess theirs do also keep their own and keep more There are many who are Canons Deans Prebeâdaries that are also Parsons Rectors Vicars who have Benefices and Honours by heaps and by the bushel If it shall please you therefore in this Bill on the Anvil or in another to take Cognizance of Pluralities that for the preventing an Idle Scandalous Covetously overgrown unprofitable Ministery every Man who hath more than one Cure of Souls or one Dignity shall give them up into a publick stock or to a general Distribution you shall do the Church right and the Ejected right you shall give such Drones their Due and God his Due and strew the way by this means for the making your Grace intended in this Bill of signification In the Name of God Sirs let me move you to this if it were only Hac vice for a present needful Conjunction of us at this season We see the jaws of Popery and the Sectary opening upon us if the sober Protestant Interest be not united we perish I know who will be ready to stamp here and throw dust in the Air for it is these Sons of the Horse-Leâch whose voice is still Give Give that will never be contented with a single portion A Dignity therefore with a Living let them be allowed but one Dignity and one Cure of Souls should be all tho they cuâ themselves with Lanees It is this damn'd hard objection at the bottom the Priests Covetousness and Corruption rather than their Dispute about things indifferent that really hinders the Church's peace and prosperity To Conclude According to what every Man's mind is most upon the Publick Interest or his own such is his value more or less § 263. About this time was a great change of Affairs in Scotland their Parliament concurring with this of England in distasting the present Councils and Proceedings but not so much Proclaiming the danger of Popery as Aggravating the Burdens and Grievances of the People against the great Commissioner the Duke of Lauderdail So that Duke Hamilton became the Head of the Opposition and most of the Nobility and Commons adhered to him and were against D. of Lauderdail And the Parliament went so high that D. Lauderdail was fain to Adjourn them Whereupon D. Hamilton came to England with their Grievances to the King with some of the Nobility But the King tho he gave him fair respect sharply rebuked him and their Proceedings and stuck close to D. Lauderdail against all opposition § 264. At last D. Lauderdail found the way to turn their own Engin against themselves and whereas many of their Grievances had been settled by themselves by Act of Parliament while they were ruled by him he acquainteth the King how heavy and unsufferable they were and so the King by a Letter releaseth them And among their burdens was a great income settled upon D. Hamilton for some service Loss or Loan to the King by his Predecessors which he that had complained of Grievances was now to loss by the King removing the Grievances Whereupon he professed that he had been still ready to remit those Revenues but he could not do it in this way of a Letter against a Law lest by the same way another Letter should take away the rest of his Estate And he got the hands of Lawyers to testify it was against Law and sent it to the King who in displeasure rejected his Narrative and so the Dissention in Scotland increased § 265. At this time April 1674 God hath so much increased my Languishing and laid me so low by an incessant inflation of my head and translation of my great flatulency thither to the Nerves and Members increasing these ten or twelve weeks to greater pains that I have reason to think that my time on Earth will not be long And O how Good hath the Will of God proved hitherto to me And will it not be best at last Experience causeth me to say to his praise Great peace have they that love his Law and nothing shall offend them And tho my flesh and heart do fail God is the Rock of my heart and my portion for ever § 266. At this time came out my Book called The poor Man's Family Book which the remembrance of the great use of Mr. Dents Plain Man's path way to Heaven now laid by occasioned me to write for poor Countrey Families who cannot buy or read many Books § 267. I will not here pass by the Commemoration of one among many of the worthy silenced Ministers of London that such Examples may provoke more to some imitation viz. Mr. Thomas Gouge He is the eldest Son of old Dr. William Gouge Deceased He was Pastor to that great Parish called Sepulâhres whence he was ejected with the rest of his brethren at the time when the restored Prelates acted like themselves I never heard any one person of what rank sort or sect soever speak one word to his Dishonour or Name any fault that ever they charged on his Life or Doctrine no not the Prelatists themselves save only that he conformed not to their impositions and that he did so much good with so great Industry God blessed him with a good Estate and he liberally used it in works of Charity When the fire consumed much of it and when he had settled his Children and his wife was taken from him by Death of an hundred and fifty pound a year that he had left he gave an hundred of it to charitable uses His daily work is to do all the good he can with as great diligence and constancy as other Men labour at their Trades He visiteth the poor and seeketh after them He writeth books to stir up the rich to devote at least the tenth part of their Estates to works of Charity He goeth to the rich to perswade and urge them He collecteth moneys of all that he can prevail with and travelleth himself tho between 60 and 70 years old into Wales Winter and Summer and disperseth the money to the poor labouring persecuted Ministers He hath settled himself in the chief Towns of Wales a great number of Schools for Women to teach Children to read having himself undertaken to pay them for many hundred Children He printeth many thousands of his own practical Books and giveth them freely throughout Wales at his own charge And when I do something of the like by mine he undertaketh the Distribution of them He preacheth in Wales himself till they drive him from place to place by persecution when he returneth home he visiteth the
long if there be cause § 315. Whilst this was my Employment in the Countrey my Friends at home had got one Mr. Seddon a Nonconformist of Derbyshire lately come to the Gity as a Traveller to Preach the Second Sermon in my New Built Chappel He was told and over-told all the Danger and desired not to come if he feared it I had left word That if he would but step into my House through a Door he was in no danger they having not Power to break open any but the Meeting-house While he was Preaching Three Justices with Soldiers supposed by Secretary Coventry's sending came to the Door to seize the Preacher They thought it had been I and had prepared a Warrant upon the Oxford Act to send me for Six Months to the Common Goal The good man and Two Weak Honest Persons intrusted to have directed him left the House where he was safe and thinking to pass away came to the Justices and Soldiers at the Door and there stood by them till some one said This is the Preacher And so they took him and blotted my Name out of the Warrant and put in his Though almost every Word fitted to my Case was false of him To the Gatehouse he was carried where he continued almost Three Months of the Six and being earnestly desirous of Deliverance I was put to Charges to accomplish it and at last having Righteous Judges and the Warrant being found faulty he had an Habeas Corpus and was freed upon Bonds to appear again the next Term. § 316. By this means my Case was made much worse For 1. The Justices and other Prosecutors were the more exasperated against me 2. And they were now taught to stop every Hole in the next Warrant to which I was still as liable as ever So that I had now no Prospect that way of Escape And yet though my Charge Care and Trouble had been great for his Deliverance and Good People had dealt very kindly with him my usual Back-biters the Prelatists and Separatists talk commonly of me as one that had unworthily saved my self from Danger and drawn a Stranger into the Snare and therefore deserved to bear all the Charges Though as is said 1. I was Twenty Miles off Preaching publickly 2. They that askt him to Preach told him the Worst 3. He went into Danger from Safety by the Conduct of some Persons of that censorious humour 4. My Danger was Increased by it as well as my Charges But Man's Approbation is a Poor Reward § 317. Just when I came home and was beginning to seek Mr. Seddon's Deliverance Mr. Rosse Died the Fiercest of the Justices who had sent me to Goal before The other Two are one Mr. Grey and Sir Philip Matthews § 318. The Parliament being sate again a Letter was secretly printed containing the History of the Debate in the Lord's House the former Sessions about the Test and it was Voted to be burnt by the Hangman but the more desired and read it In which it appeareth That when it came to be their own case more was said by the Lords for the Cause of the Nonconformists than ever they were permitted to say for themselves § 319. A most Excellent Book was written for the Nonconformists for Abatements and Forbearance and Concord by Dr. Herbert Crofts Bp. of Hereford without his Name of which more afterward § 320. The Lords and Commons Revived their Contests about their Powers and Priviledges and the Lords appointed Four Lawyers to plead their Cause and the Commons set up Orders or Votes to forbid them And the Duke of Buckingham made a Notable Speech against Persecution and desired the Consent of the Lords that he might bring in a Bill for the Ease of His Majesty's Protestant Subjects in matters of Religion but while it was preparing the King on Monday November 21st Prorogued the Parliament till February come Twelve-month § 321. The Speeches of the Earl of Shaftsbury and others about the Test were secretly Printed and a Paper of Reasons for Dissolving this Parliament and Calling a New One which were given in the House of Lords And the Debates of this Test opening a little of the Noncouformists Cause as to the Oxford Oath together with what the Earl of Shaftsbury hath done with Wit and Resolution hath alienated many even of the Conformists from the present prevailing Bishops § 322. The other of the fierce Justices that Subscribed a Warrant for my imprisonment died shortly after viz. Colonel Grey The Death of Mr. Barwell Sir Iohn Medlicot Mr. Ross and Mr. Grey besides the Death of some Informers and the Repentance of others and the Death of some late Opposers of the Clergy made me and some others the more to compassionate Persecutors and dread God's Judgments § 323. The Town of Northampton lamentably burnt § 324. An Earthquake in divers Counties § 325. My Dear Friend Sir Matthew Hale Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench falling into a Languishing Disease from which he is not like to Recover resolvedly petitioned for a Dismission and gave up his Place having gone through his Employments and gone off the Stage with more universal love and honour for his Skill Wisdom Piety and resolved Justice than ever I heard or read that any English Man ever did before him or any Magistrate in the World of his rank since the days of the Kings of Israel He resolved in his weakness that the place should not be a burden to him nor he to it And after all his great practice and places he tells me That with his own Inheritance and all he is not now worth above Five hundred Pounds per Annum so little sought he after gain He may most truly be called The Pillar and Basis or Ground of Iustice as Paul called not the Church but Timothy in the Church the Pillar and Basis of Truth His digested knowledge in Law above all Men and next in Philosophy and much in Theology was very great His sincere honesty and humility admirable His Garb and House and Attendance so very mean and low and he so resolutely avoided all the Diversions and Vanities of the World that he was herein the Marvel of his Age. Some made it a Scandal but his Wisdom chose it for his Convenience that in his Age he Marryed a Woman of no Estate suitable to his Disposition to be to him as a Nurse He succeeded me in one of the meanest Houses that ever I had lived in and there hath ever since continued with full content till now that he is going to his Native Countrey in likely-hood to die there It is not the least of my pleasure that I have lived some years in his more than ordinary Love and Friendship and that we are now waiting which shall be first in Heaven Whither he saith he is going with full content and acquiescence in the Will of a gracious God and doubts not but we shall shortly live together O what a blessed World were this were the
Generality of Magistrates such as he § 326. Part of a M. S. was put into my hand to pâruse by a Bookseller as Written by one that greatly valued my Judgment and would refer his Writings to my Censure but not consent to have them Printed Whereupon I valuing them did judge them worthy to be published but made some Alterations in some phrases liable to Misinterpretation in the Piece called The Right Knowledge of Christ Crucified I conjectured not who the Author was and not long after the Book was Printed and proved to be the foresaid Lord Chief Justice Hale's called Contemplations Moral and Divine published by a Friend of his by which he will Preach when he is dead the Books presently all bought up for his Name and being useful for their Spiritual Rational Serious and Plain Manner of Writing as well as Acceptable for his sake § 327. When I had been kept a whole Year from Preaching in the Chappel which I Built on the 16th of April 1676. I began in another in a Tempestuous time for the necessity of the Parish of St. Martins where about 60000 Souls have no Church to go to nor any Publick Worship of God! How long Lord § 328. About Feb. and March it pleased the King importunately to Command and Urge the Judges and London-Justices to put the Laws against Nonconformists in Execution But the Nation grew backward to it In London they have been oft and long commanded to it and Sir Ioseph Sheldon the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's near Kinsman being Lord Mayor on April 30th the Execution began They required especially to send all the Ministers to the Common Gaols for Six Months on the Oxford-Act for not taking the Oath and dwelling within Five Miles This day Mr. Ioseph Read was sent to the Gaol taken out of the Pulpit Preaching in a Chapel in Bloomsbury in the Parish of St. Giles where it is thought that 20000 or 30000 Souls at least more than can come within the Church have no Publick Worship of God or Teaching He is a Laborious Man whom I Educated and sent to the University and did so much good to the Poor Ignorant People that had no other Teacher that Satan did owe him a Malicious Disturbance He built the Chappel in his own House with the help of Friends in compassion to those People who as they Crowded to hear him so did they follow him to the Justiâes and to the Gaol to shew their Affections It being the place where I had used oft to Preach I suppose was somewhat the more Maliced The very day before I had new secret hints of Men's Desires of Reconciliation and Peace and Motions to offer some Proposals towards it as if the Bishops were at last grown Peaceable To which as ever before I yielded and did my part though long Experience made me suspect that some Mischief was near and some Suffering presently to be expected from them The forwardest of the two Justices that sent him to the Gaol was one Parry a Souldier one of them that was accused for slitting Sir Iohn Coventree's Nose about which there was so great a stir in the House of Commons The other was one Robinson But since then so many have been sent to the Goals for the same cause and so many died there that I must forbear particular Instances and Enumerations § 329. After Northampton Blaudford and many other Towns Southwark was Burned between 600 and 1000 Houses the People suspecting that it was done by Design And one taken for attempting again to Burn the rest of Northampton confest that he was hired and that Southwark was so Burnt whom Sir Iohn Munson sent hereupon to Goal Additions of the Years 1675 1676 1677 1678 c. § 1. AT this time Mr. Le Blank of Sedan sent to me his desire that I would publish here his Scatter'd Theses in one Volume which I purposed and Wrote an Epistle to it But some Conformists hearing of it would not have the Publication to be a Nonconformists work and so my Bookseller took 50 Books for his Title to the Copy which I gave him and quit his Interest in it to a Conformist But Le Blank sent an Epistle of his own to prevent the Conformists and died as soon as it was Printed and Published A Work sufficient to end most of the Doctrinal Controversies of this Age if the Readers were but capable receivers of the evidence which he giveth them § 2. In Iune 1676. Mr. Iane the Bishop of London's Chaplain Preaching to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen turned his Sermon against Calvin and Me And my charge was That I had sent as bad men to Heaven as some that be in Hell because in my Book called The Saints Rest I had said that I thought of Heaven with the more pleasure because I should there meet with Peter Paul Austin Chrysostom Ierom Wickliff Luther Zuinglius Calam Beza Bullinger Zanchy Paraeus Piscator Hooper Bradford Latimer Glover Sanders Philpot Reignolds Whitaker Cartwright Brightman Bayne Bradshaw Bolton Ball Hildershân Pemble Twisse Ames Preston Sibbs Brook Pim Hambden Which of these the Man knew to be in Hell I cannot conjecture It 's like those that differed from him in Judgment But till he prove his Revelation I shall not believe him the need which I preceived of taking away from before such Men any thing which they might stumble at had made me blot out the Names of the Lord Brooke Pim and Hambden in all the Impressions of the Book which were many yet were made ever since 1659 and yet this did not satisfie the Man But I must tell the Reader that I did it not as changing my Judgment of the persons well known to the world Of whom Mr. Iohn Hambden was one that Friends and Enemies acknowledged to be most Eminent for Prudence Piety and Peaceable Counsels having the most universal Praise of any Gentleman that I remember of that Age I remember a moderate prudent aged Gentleman far from him but acquainted with him whom I have heard saying That if he might choose what person he would be then in the world he would be Iohn Hambden Yet these Damning Prelatists are the Men that are for our Silencing Imprisonment and Ruin as if we were unworthy to live on the Earth because we will not assent and consent to the Liturgy by which we are to pronounce all Men in England saved except three sorts viz. the Excommunicate Unbaptized and Self-murderers that is of every one of the rest we must say That God of his great Mercy hath taken to himself the Soul of this our dear Brother out of the Miseries of this Life and that we hope to be with him Were it Hobbs himself or any one of the Crowd of Atheists Infidels Papists Adulterers or any Villains now among us for such are not Excommunicate thus we must falsly contrary to all our Preaching Pronounce them all saved or forbidden ever to Preach God's Word And yet I am condemned publickly for
Assemblies and Preaching when we are Silenced Against whose Mistaken Endeavours I Wrote a Book called The Nonconformist's Plea for Peace § 12. One Mr. Hollingworth also Printed a Sermon against the Nonconformists and there tells a Story of a Sectary that Treating for Concord with one afterward a Bishop motion'd That all that would not yield to their Terms should be Banished to shew that the Nonconformists are for Severity as well as the Bishops The Reader would think that it was Me or Dr. Manton or Dr. Bates that he meant that had so lately had a Treaty with Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Burton I Wrote to him to desire him to tell the World who it was that by naming none he might not unworthily bring many into Suspicion He Wrote me an Answer full of great Estimation and Kindness professing That it was not me that he meant nor Dr. Manton nor Dr. Bates nor Dr. Iacomb but some Sectary that he would by no means Name but seemed to cast Intimations towards Dr. Owen one unlikely to use such words and I verily believe it was all a meer Fiction § 13. About that time I had finished a book called Chatholick Theologie in which I undertake to prove that besides things unrevealed known to none and ambiguous words there is no considerable difference between the Arminians and Calvinists except some very tolerable difference in the point of perseverance This book hath hitherto had the strangest fate of any that I have written except our Reformed Liturgy not to be yet spoken against or openly contradicted when I expected that both sides would have fallen upon it And I doubt not but some will do so when I am dead unless Calamities find men other work § 14. Having almost then finished a Latin Treatise called Methodus Theologiae containing near Seventy Tables or Schemes with their Elucidations and some Disputations on Schism containing the Nature Order and Ends of all Beings with three more I gave my Lord Chief Justice Hale a Specimen of it with my foresaid Catholick Theologie but told him it was only to shew my respects but desired him in his weakness to read things more directly tending to prepare for death But yet I could not prevail with him to lay those by so much as I desired but he oft gave me special Thanks above all the rest for that book and that scheme And while he continued weak Mr. Stevens his familiar Friend published two Volumes of his own Meditations which though but plain things yet were so greedily bought up and read for his sake even by such as would not have read such things of others that they did abundance of good And shortly after he published himself in Folio a Treatise of the Origination of Man to prove the Creation of this World very Learned but large He left many Manuscripts One I have long ago read a great Volumn in Folio to prove the Deity the Immortality of the Soul Christianity the Truth of Scripture in General and several books in particular solidly done but too copious which was his fault Two or three smal Tractates written for me I have published expressing the simple and excellent Nature of true Religion and the Corruption and great evils that follow Men's Additaments called wrongfully by the Name of Religion and contended for above it and against it and shewing how most Parties are guilty of this sin I hear he finished a Treatise of the Immortality of the Soul a little before he dyed But unhappily there is contest about his Manuscripts whether to Print them or not because he put a clause into his Will that nothing of his should be Printed but what he gave out himself to be Printed before he dyed He went into the Common Church-yard and there chose his grave and died a few daies after on Christmassday Though I never received any money from him save a Quarter 's Rent he paid when I removed out of my house at Acton that he might buy it and succeed me yet as a token of his love he left me forty shillings in his Will with which to keep his memory I bought the greatest Cambridge Bible and put his picture before it which is a Monument to my house But waiting for my own Death I gave it Sir William Ellis who laid out about Ten pounds to put it into a more curious Cover and keeps it for a Monument in his honour § 15. I found by the people of London that many in the sense of the late Confusions in this Land had got an apprehension that all Schism and Disorder came from Ministers and People's resisting the Bishops and that Prelacy is the means to cure Schism and being ignorant what Church Tyranny hath done in the World they fly to it for refuge against that mischief which it doth principally introduce Wherefore I wrote the History of Prelacy or a Contraction of all the History of the Church especially Binnius and Baronius and others of Councils to shew by the testimony of their greatest flatterers what the Councils and Contentions of Prelates have done But the History even as delivered by Binnius himself was so ugly and frightful to me in the perusing that I was afraid lest it should prove when opened by me a temptation to some to contemn Christianity it self for the sake and Crimes of such a Clergy But as an Antidote I prefixed the due Commendation of the better humble sort of Pastors But I must profess that the History of Prelacy and Councils doth assure me that all the Schisms and Confusions that have been caused by Anabaptists Separatists or any of the Popular unâuly Sectaries have been but as flea-bitings to the Church in comparison of the wounds that Prelatical Usurpation Contention and Heresies have caused And I am so far from wondering that all Baronius's industry was thought necessary to put the best visor on all such Actions that I wonder that the Papists have not rather employed all their wit care and power to get all the Histories of Councils burnt and forgotten in the World that they might have only their own Oral flexible tradition to deliver to Mankind what their interest pro re nata shall require Alas how small was the hurt that the very Familists the Munster Fanaticks the very Quakers or Ranters have done in comparison of what some one Pope or one Age or Council of Carnal Tyrannical Prelats hath done The Kingdom of Satan is kept up in the World next to that Sensuality that is born in all by his usurping and perverting the two great Offices of God's own institution Magistracy and Ministry and wring the Sword and Word against the Institutor and proper end But God is just § 16. There years before this I wrote a Treatise to end our common Controversies in Doctrinals about Predestination Redemption justification assurance perseverance and such like being a Summary of Catholick reconciling Theology § 17. In November 1677. Dyed Dr. Thomas Manton to the great loss of London
Being an able judicious faithful man and one that lamented the intemperance of many self conceited Ministers and people that on pretence of vindicating free grace and providence and of opposing Arminianism greatly corrupted the Christian Doctrin and Schismatically oppugned Christian love and concord hereticating and making odious all that spake not as erroniously as themselves many of the Independents inclining to half Antinomianism suggested suspicions against Dr. Manton Dr. Bates Mr. Howe and my self and such others as if we were half Arminians On which occasion I Preached two Sermons on the words in Iude They speak evil of what they understand not Which perhaps may be published § 18. This year 1678. dyed Mr. Gabriel Sanger a Reverend faithful Nonconformist sometimes Minister at Martin's in the fields And this day on which I write this I Preached the Funeral of Mr. Stubbs a holy Excellent Man which perhaps may be published if it can be licensed § 16. Mr. Long of Exeter wrote a book against the Non-conformists as Schismaticks on pretense of confuting Mr. Hale's book of Schism and in the end cited a great deal of my writings against Schism and let fall divers passages which occasioned me to write the Letter to him which is inserted in the Appendix No. 5. § 29. Some young Gentlemen wrote me a Letter desiring me publickly to resolve this Case The King Laws and Canons command us to joyn in the publick Parish-Churches and forbid us to joyn in private Meetings or unallowed with Non-conformists Our parents command us to joyn with Non-conformists in their Meetings and forbid us to hear the Conformists in publick which yet we think lawful which of these must we obey I answered the Case in the Pulpit and drew it up in writing and have inserted it among other papers with the end No. 6. § 21. My Bookseller Nevil Simons broke which occasioned a clamour against me as if I had taken too much money of him for my books When before it was thought he had been one of the richest by my means and I supposed I had freely given him in meer charity the gains of above 500 pounds if not above 1000 pounds Whereupon I wrote a Letter to a Friend in my own necessary Vindication which see also at the end No. 7. § 22. The controversie of Predetermination of the acts of sin was unhappily shared this year among the Non-conformists on the occasion of a sober modest book of Mr. How 's to Mr. Boil against an objection of Atheistical men And two honest self-conceited Non-conformists Mr. Dauson and Mr. Gale wrote against him unworthily And just-now a second book of Mr. Gale's is come out wholly for Predetermination superficially and inperficially touching many things but throughly handling nothing falsely reporting the sense of Augustin or at least of Prosper and Fulgentius and notoriously of Iansenius c. and passing divers inconsiderable reflections on some words in my Cath. Theol. Especially opposing Strangius and the excellent Theses of Le Blank with no strength or regardable Argument Which inclineth me because he writeth in English to publish an old Disput in English against Predetermination to sin written 20 years ago and thought not fit to be published in English but that an antidote against the porson of Mr. Gale's Book and the scandal that falls by it on the Nonconformists is made necessary Mr. Gale fell sick and I supprest my answer lest it should grieve him And he then dyed § 23. A paper from Mr. Polehill an excellent learned Gentleman occasioned the answer which perhaps may be published § 24. Continued backbitings about my Judgment concerning justification occasioned me to write the summ of it in two or three sheets with the solution of above thirty controversies unhappily rais'd about it § 25. One Mr. Wilson of Lancashire long importuned me by a friend to write somewhat against needless Law-suits and for the way of voluntary reference and arbitration which I did in a Sermon on 1 Cor. 6. Is there not a wise Man among you which is lost by the Bookseller § 26. I wrote an Answer to Mr. Iohnson Alias Terret his Rejoynder against my book of the Churche's visibility But Mr. Iane the Bishop of London's Chaplain refused to License it But at last when the Papists grew odious he Licensed it and my Methodus Theologiae And the former is Printed but by the Bookseller's means in a Character scarce legible § 27. About Oct. 1678. Fell out the murder of Sir Edmond Berry Godfrey which made a very great change in England One Dr. Titus Oats had discovered a Plot of the Papists of which he wrote out the particulars very largely telling how they fired the City and contriving to bring the Kingdom to Popery and in order thereto to kill the King He named the Lords Jesuits Priests and others that were the chief contrivers and said that he himself had delivered to several of the Lord 's their Commissions that the Lord Bellasis was to be General the Lord Peter Lieutenant General and the Lord Stafford Major General the Lord Powis Lord Chancellor and the Lord Arundel of Warder the chief to be Lord Treasurer He told who were to be Arch Bishops Bishops c. And at what Meetings and by whom and when all was contrived and who were designed to kill the King He first opened all this to Dr. Tongue and both of them to the King and Council He mentioned a multitude of Letters which he himself had carried and seen or heard read that contained all these contrivances But because his father and he had once been Anabaptists and when the Bishops prevailed turned to be Conformable Ministers and afterward he the Son turned Papist and confessed that he long had gone on with them under many Oaths of Secrecy many thought that a man of so little Conscience was not to be believed But his Confessions were received by some Justices of the Peace and none more forward in the Search than Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey an Able Honest and diligent Justice While he was following this Work he was suddenly missing and could not be heard of Three or Four Days after he was found kill'd near Marybone-Park It was plainly found that he was murthered The Parliament took the Alarm upon it and Oates was now believed And indeed all his large Confessions in every part agreed to admiration Hereupon the King Proclaimed Pardon and Reward to any that would confess or discover the Murder One Mr. Bedlow that had fled to Bristow began and confessed that he knew of it and who did it and named some of the Men the Place and Time It was at the Queen's House called Somerset-House by Fitz-Gerald and Kelley Two Papist Priests and Four others Berry the Porter Green Pranse and Hill The Priests fled Pronse Berry Green and Hill were taken Pranse first confest all and discovered the rest aforesaid more than Bedlow knew of and all the Circumstances and how he was carried away and by whom
the old Episcopacy and our new Diocesans and Answereth almost all the Chief Writers which have Written for such Prelacy specially Bishop Downance Dr. Hammond Saravia Spalatensis Setavius c. I think I may freely say it is Elaborate and had it not done somewhat effectually in the undertaken cause some one or other would have answered it ere now It makes me admire that my Cathol Theology our Reformed Liturgy my Second Plea for Peace that I say not the first also and this Treatise of Episcopaoy could never ãâã an Answer from any of these fierce Accusing Men when as it is the Subjects of these Four which are the Controversies of the Age and Rage by these Man so much insisted on But I have since found some Explication about the English Diâcesanes necessary which the Separatists forced me to publish by misunderstanding me § 60. Mr. Hinkley grew more moderate and Wrote me a Reconciling Letter but Long of Exceter if Fame misreport not the Anonimous Author Wrote so fierce a Book to prove me out of my own Writings to be one of the worst Men living on Earth full of Falshoods and old âââracted Lines and half Sentences that I never saw any like it And being overwhelmed with Work and Weakness and Pains and having least zeal to defend a Person so bad as I know my self to be I yet never Answered him it being none of the matter in Controversie whether I be good or bad God be Merciful to me a Sinner § 61. I published also an Apology for the Nonconformists Preaching proving it their duty to Preach though forbidden while they can And Answering a Multitude of Objectors against them Fowlis Morley Cunning Parker Patrick Druell Saywell Ashton Good Dodwell c. With Reasons to prove that the honest Conformists should be for our Preaching § 62. I published a few Sheets called A Moral Prognostication what will befall the Curches as gathered only from Moral Causes § 63. Because the accusation of Schism is it that maketh all the noise against the Nonconformists in the Mouths of their Persecuâors I Wrote a few Sheets called A search for the English Schismatick comparing the Principles and Practices of both Parties and leaving it to the ãâã to Judge who is the Schismatick shewing that the Prelatists have in the Canons ipso facto Excommunicated all Nobility Gentry Clergy and People who do but affirm that there is any thing sinful in their Liturgy Ceremonies or Church ãâã even to the lowest Officer And their Laws cast ãâã of the Ministery into Goals and then they call us Schismaticks for not ãâã to their Churches Yea though we come to them constantly as I have ãâã if we will not give over Preaching our selves when the parishes I lived in Lad ãâã Fifty thousand the other Twenty thousand Souls in it more than can come within the Church-doors This Book also and my Prognostication and which I most valued my True and only way of Vniversal Concord were Railed at but never Answered that I know of no more than those fore-mentioned § 64. One Mr. Morrice Chaplain to Arch-bishop Sandcroft Wrote a Learned and Virulent Book against my Abstract of the History of Bishops and Councils and against a small Book of Mr. David Clerkson against the Antiquity of Diocesancs To this Mr. Clerkson and I conjoyned our Answers In mine â Epitomixed Iob Ludolphus History of Habassia in the Preface and I think sufficiently Vindicated my History of Councils and so think they that were greatly taken with Mr. Morrice's book till they saw the Answer And Mr. Clerkson hath shewn himself so much better acquainted with Church History than they that whether they will attempt to answer his Testimonies and mine in my Treatise of Episcopacy which disprove the Antiquity of Diocesanes or will trust only to possession power and noise I know not § 65. Mr. H. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock by publick accusation called me out to publish a Book called An Answer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock confuting an Vniversal Humane Church-Sovereignty Aristocratical and Monââchical as Church-Tyranny and Popery and defending Dr. Isaac Barrow's Excellent Treatise against it For Dr. Tillotson had newly Published this Excellent Post humous-Treatise and Sherlock quarrel'd with it In this I confuted Mr. Dodwell's Treatise of Schism and many of his Letters and Conferences with me which I think he will pass by lest his own Reply should make those know him who read not mine § 66. In a short time I was called with a grieved heart to Preach and Publish many Funeral Sermons on the Death of many Excellent Saints Mr. Stubbes went first that Humble Holy Serious Preacher long a blessing to Gloucestershire and Somersetshire and other parts and lastly to London I had great reason to lament my particular Loss of so holy a friend who oft told me That for very many years he never went to God by solemn Prayer without a particular remembrance of me but of him before Next died Mrs. Coxe Wife to Dr. Thomas Coxe now President of the Colledge of Physicians a Woman of such admirable composure of Humble Seriâââ Godliness meekness patience exactness of Speech and all behaviour and great Charity that all that I have said in her Funeral Sermon is much short of her worth Next died my most intire Friend Alderman Henry Asâârst commonly taken for the most exemplary Saint that was of publick notice in this City so sound in Judgment of such admirable Meekness Patience Universal Charity Studious of Good Works and large therein that we know not where to find his Equal Yet though such a Holy Man of a strong Body God ãâã his ãâã by the terrible Disease of the Stone in the Bladder And in ãâ¦ã to be Cut and two broken Stones taken out by Thirty pieces and more with admirable patience And when the Wound was almost ââaled he was fain to be Cut again of a third Stone that was left behind and after much ãâã and patience died with great peace and quietness of Mind and hath left behind him the perfume of a most honoured Name and the Memorials of a most exemplary Life to be imitated by all his Descendents Next my dear Friend Mr. Iohn Corbet of just the like tâmper of Body and Soul having endured at Chichester many years Torment of the same Disease coming up to be ãâã died before they could Cut him and had just three ãâ¦ã in his Bladder at Mr. Ashurst's were his worth is known in Gloucester ãâã London and by his Writings to the Land to be beyond what I have published of him in his Funeral Sermon He having lived in my House before and greatly honoâred by my Wife She got not long after his exââââ ãâã Wife ãâã to Dr. Twiss to be her Companion but enjoyed that comfort ãâ¦ã while which I have longer enjoyed § 67. Near the same time died my Father's second Wife Mery the Daughter of Sir Thomas ãâã and sister to Sir ãâ¦ã in the Waâs Her
Mother the old Lady ãâã died at my Father's House between Eighty and One Hundred years old And my Mother-in-Law died at Ninety six of a Cancer in ãâ¦ã having lived from her youth in the greatest Mortification ãâã to her Body and ãâ¦ã of Prayer and all Devotion of any one that ever I knew In the hatred of all sin strictness of Universal obedience and for Thirty years longing to be with Christ In constant daily acquired infirmity of body got by avoiding all Exercise and long secret prayer in the coldest Seasons and such like but of a constitution naturally strong afraid of recovering when ever she was ill For some days before her death she was so taken with the Ninty first Psalm that she would get those that came near her to read it to her over and over which Psalm also was a great means of Comfort to Old Beza even against his Death § 68. Soon after dyed Iane Matthews aged Seventy six My House-keeper fourteen years though mean of quality very eminent in Kiderminster and the parts about for Wisdom Piety and a holy Sober Righteous Exemplary Life And many of my Old Hearers and Flock at Kiderminster dyed not long before Among whom a mean Freeholder Iames Butcher of Wanmerton hath left few equal to him for all that seemeth to approach perfection in a plain Man O how many holy Souls are gone to Christ out of that one Parish of Kiderminster in a few years and yet the Number seemeth to increase § 69. The Book which I published called The Poor Man's Family Book was so well accepted that I found it a useful work of Charity to give many of them with the Call to the Vnconverted abroad in many Countries where neither I nor such others had leave to Preach and many Hundreds since with good success § 70. The times were so bad for selling Books that I was fain to be my self at the charge of Printing my Methodus Theologiae some friends contributed about Eighty pounds towards it It cost me one way or other about Five hundred pounds About Two hundred and fifty pounds I received from those Non-conformists that bought them The Contrary party set themselves to hinder the sale of it because it was mine tho' else the Doctrine of it being half Philosophical and half Conciliatory would have pleased the Learned part of them But most lay it by as too hard for them as over Scholastical and exact I wrote it and my English Christian Directory to make up one Compleat Body of Theology The Latin one the Theory and the English one the Practical part And the latter is commonly accepted because less difficult § 71. My short piece against Popery called The Certainty of Christianity without Popery proved of use against Infidels as well as Papists But most deceived men will not be at the labour to study any thing that is distinct and exact but take up with the first appearances of things § 72. The Miserable State of Youngmen in London was a great trouble to my mind Especially Rich men's Sons and Servants Merchants and Lawyers Apprentices and Clarks carried away by the flesh to drinking Gluttony Plays Gaming Whoring Robbing their Masters c. I wrote therefore a smal Tractate for such called Compassionate Counsel to Young men Sir Robert Atkins contributed towards the charge of Printing it and I gave of them in City and Country One thousand five hundred besides what the Bookseller sold But few will read it that most need § 73. About this time dyed my dear friend Mr. Thomas Gouge of whose Life you may see a little in Mr. Clark's last book of Lives A wonder of sincere industrie in works of Charity It would make a Volume to recite at large the Charity he used to his poor Parishioners at Sepulchres before he was Ejected and Silenced for Non-conformity His Conjunction with Alderman Ashurst and some such others in a weekly Meeting to take account of the honest poor samilles in the City that were in great want he being the Treasures and Visiter his voluntary Catechizing the Christ's Church boyes when he might not preach The many thousand Bibles Printed in Welsh that he dispersed in Wales The Practice of Piety The Whole Duty of Man My Call and many thousands of his own Writing given freely all over Wales his setting up about Three hundred or Four hundred Schools in Wales to teach Children only to read and the Catechise his industry to beg money for all this besides most of his own Estate laid out on it His Travels over Wales once or twice a year to visite his Schools and see to the Execution This was true Episcopacy of a silenced Minister who yet went constantly to the Parish Churches and was authorized by an old University License to Preach occasionally and yet for so doing was Excommunicate even in Wales while he was doing all this good He served God thus to a healthful age Seventy four or seventy six I never saw him sad but always chearful About a fort-night before he dyed he told me that sometime in the night some small trouble came to his heart he knew not what And without sickness or pain or fear of death they heard him in his sleep give a groan and he was dead O how holy and blessed a Life and how easie a Death § 74. Finding the Success of my Family Dialogue I wrote a second part 1681 and 1682 called The Catechising of Housholds teaching Housholders how to instruct their Families Expounding First the Law of Nature Secondly The Evidence of the Gospel Thirdly the Creed Fourthly the Lord's Prayer Fifthly the Commandments Sixthly the Ministry Seventhly Baptism Eighthly the Lord's Supper It is suited to those that are Past the common little Catechism And I think these two Family-books to be of the greatest Common use of any that I have published If Houshoulders would but do their parts in reading good books to their Houshoulds it might be a great Supply where the Ministry is defective and no Ministry will serve sufficiently without Men's own Endeavours for themselves and families § 75. Having been for retirement in the Countrey from Iuly till August 14. 1682 returning in great weakness I was able only to Preach twice of which the last was in my usual Lecture in New-street and it fell out to be August 24. just that day twenty year that I and near Two thousand more had been by Law forbidden to Preach any more I was sensible of God's wonderful mercy that had kept so many of us Twenty years in so much Liberty and Peace while so many severe Laws were in force against us and so great a number were round about us who wanted neither malice nor power to afflict us And so I took that day my leave of the Pulpit and publick Work in a thankful Congregation And it is like indeed to be my last § 76. But after this when I had ceased Preaching I was being newly risen from Extremity of
pain suddenly surprized in my house by a poor violent Informer and many Constables and Officers who rusht in and apprehended me and served on me one Warrant to seize on my person for coming within five miles of a Corporation and five more Warrants to distrain for an Hundred and ninty pounds for five Sermons They cast my Servants into fears and were about to take all my Books and Goods and I contentedly went with them towards the Justice to be sent to Jail and left my house to their will But Dr. Thomas Cox meeting me forced me in again to my Couch and bed and went to five Justices and took his Oath without my knowledge that I could not go to Prison without danger of Death Upon that the Justices delayed a day till they could speak with the King and told him what the Doctor had sworn and the King consented that at the present imprisonment should be forborn that I might die at home But they Executed all their Warrants on my Books and Goods even the bed that I lay sick on and sold them all and some friends paid them as much money as they were prized at which I repayed and was faint to send them away The Warrant against my person was signed by Mr. Parrey and Mr. Phillips The five Warrants against my Goods by Sir Iames Smith and Sir Iames Butcher And I had never the least notice of any accusation or who were the Accusers or Witnesses much less did I receive any Summons to appear or answer for my self or ever saw the Justices or Accusers But the Justice that sign'd the Warrants for Execution said that the two Hiltons sollcited him for them and one Bucke led the Constables that distreined But though I sent the Justice the written Deeds which proved that the Goods were none of mine nor ever were and sent two Witnesses whose hands were to those Conveyances I offered their Oaths of it and also proved that the books I had many years ago alienated to my kinsman this signified nothing to them but they seized and sold all nevertheless And both patience and prudence forbad us to trie the Title at Law when we knew what Charges had been lately made of Justices and Jurles and how others had been used If they had taken only my Cloak they should have had my Coat also and if they had taken me on one Cheek I would have turned the other for I knew the case was such that he that will not put up one blow one wrong or stander shall suffer two yea many more But when they had taken and sold all and I borrowed some Bedding and Necessaries of the Buyer I was never the quieter for they threatned to come upon âe again and take all as mine whosesoever it was which they found in my possession So that I had no remedy but utterly to forsake my House and Goods and all and take secret Lodgings distant in a stranger's House But having a long Lease of my own House which binds me to pay a greater Rent than now it is worth when-ever I go I must pay that Rent The separation from my Books would have been a greater part of my small Affliction but that I found I was near the end both of that Work and Life which needeth Books and so I easily let go all Naked came I into the World and naked must I go out But I never wanted less what Man can give than when Men had taken all My old Friends and Strangers to me were so Liberal that I was fain to restrain their Bounty Their kindness was a surer and larger Revenue to me than my own But God was pleased quickly to put me past all fear of Man and all desire of avoiding suffering from them by Concealment by laying on me more himself than Man can do Their Imprisonment with tolerable Health would have seemed a Palace to me And had they put me to death for such a Duty as they Persecute me it would have been a joyful end of my Calamity But day and night I groan and languish under God's just afflicting hand The pain which before only tired my Reins and tore my Bowels now also fell upon my Bladder and scarce any part or hour is free As Waves follow Waves in the Tempestuous Seas so one pain and danger followeth another in this sinful miserable Flesh I die daily and yet remain alive God in his great Mercy knowing my dulness in health and ease doth make it much easier to repent and hate my sin and loath my self and contemn the World and submit to the Sentence of death with willingness than otherwise it was ever like to have been O how little is it that wrathful Enemies can do against us in comparison of what our sin and the Justice of God can do And O how little is it that the best and kindest of Friends can do for a pained Body or a guilty sinful Soul in comparison of one gracious look or word from God Woe be to him that hath no better help than Man And blessed is he whose help and hope is in the Lord. But I will here tell the Reader what I had to say if I had been allow'd a hearing The CASE of R. B. § 79. HAving been prosecuted as offending against the Oxford Confining-Act and finding that my silence may occasion the guilt of such as understand not my Case and being by God's hand disabled personally to appear and plead it I am necessitated to open it by Writing to undeceive them that mistake it 1. As to the Sence of that Law I conceive that it reacheth to none but Noncouformists and that because they are suspected to teach Schism and Rebellion For though the body of a Law someteme extend further than the Title yet when the title containeth both the end of the Law and the Description of the persons meant as hear it doth it is expository to the Law Therefore the words all such in the third Paragraph must mean all such as aforesaid viz. Nonconformists and not all such others viz. Conformists For 1. The Conformists are supposed to be from under the Suspicion 2. And else it may ruin many Churches If the Curate omit the Liturgy or part and the Incumbent Preach it will be made an Unlawful Assembly by the same reason that House-Meetings are so called for want of the Liturgy For the Law imposeth the Liturgy on Churches but not on Houses 3. Many Conformists have still used to repeat their Sermons in their Houses to more than four Neighbours without the Liturgy And if any such thing be judg'd a Conventicle to Fine the Incumbent Forty pounds and Banish him Five Miles from his parish ever after seems contrary to our Discipline II. My Case is this 1. I am no Nonconformist in Law-Sence and my Conscience hath no Judge but God For I Conform to the Liturgy and Sacrament as far as the Law requireth me I was in no place of Ecclesiastical Promotion on May
excepting Lay-Chancellor's use of the Keys ipso facto Excommunicateth all Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons that say That it is repugnant to the Word of God And it 's time to take heed what we Swear when the Act of Uniformity the Oxford-Act the Corporation Act the Vestry Act the Militia Act and the Oath of Supremacy do bind all the Nation by Solemn Oath not to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State And yet most Reverend Fathers who most sharply call us to Conformity do Write for a Foreign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the Name of an Universal Colledge of Bishops or Council having such power as other Courts even Commanding Pretorian Legislative and Judicial to all the Church on Earth and that obedience to this Foreign Jurisdiction is the necessary way to escape Schism and Damnation And if it be no alteration of Government to bring King and Kingom to be subject to a Foreign Jurisdiction this Oath and the Oath of Supremacy and the 39 Articles and Canons and several Statutes which renounced it are all unintelligible to us We renounce all subjection to any Foreign Church or Power but not Communion We have Communion with the Church of Rome and all others in Christianity but not in their sin and we are not yet so dull as to know no difference between Foreigners Government of us and their Communion nor to think that Separation from a Usurped Government is Separation from Christian Communion Nor can we possibly believe the Capacity of Pope or Council or Colledge of Bishops as a Monarchy or Aristocracy to Govern all the World in one Soveraignty Ecclesiastical till we see one Civil Monarchy or Aristocracy rule all the Earth And we dread the Doctrine and Example of such Men as would introduce any Foreign Jurisdiction while they are for Swearing all the Land against any alteration of Church-Government And we must deliberate before we thus Conform while so Great Men do render the Oath so doubtful to us I appeal to the fore-cited Profession of my Loyalty published many years ago as being far more full and satisfactory to any that questioneth it than the taking of this doubtful controverted Oath would be A true Copy of the Iudgment of Mr. Saunders now Lord Chief Iustice of the King's-Bench given me March the 22d 1674 5. 1. IF he hath the Bishop's License and be not a Curate Lecturer or other Promoted Ecclesiastical Person mentioned in the Act I conceive he may Preach Occasional Sermons without Conforming and not incure any Penalty within this Act. The due Order of Law requires that the Delinquent if he be forth-coming ought to be summon'd to appear to Answer for himself if he pleases before he be Convicted But in case of his withdrawing himself or not appearing he may be regularly Convicted Convictions may be accumulated before the Appeal be determined but not unduely nor is it to be supposed that any undue Convictions will be made As I Conceive Edm. Saunders M. day 22. 167â Mr. Polixfen's Iudgment for my Preaching Occasionally A. B. before the Thirteenth of this King being Episcopally Ordained and at the time of the Act of Uniformity made Car. 2. not being Incumbent in any Living or having any Ecclesiastical Preferment before the Act of Uniformity viz. 25 Feb. 13 Car. 2. obtains a License of the then Bishop of London under his Seal to Preach in any part of his Diocess aud at the same time subscribes the 39 Articles of the Church of England Quest. Whether Licenses Preceding the Act be within the meaning of the Act I conceive they are For if Licensed at the time of the Act made what need any new License That were but actum agere and the Clause in the Act unless he be Iacensed c. in the manner of penning shews that Licenses that then were were sufficient and within the Provision And the followiug Clause as to the Lecturers is Express now is or shall be Licensed The former part of the Act as well as that extends to Licenses that then were For the same License that enables a man to Preach a Lecture must enable a man to Preach Q. Whether he be restrained by the Act of Vniformity to Preach a Funeral Sermon or other occasional Sermon I Conceiâe that he is not restrained by this Act to Preach any Occasional Sermon so as it be within the Diocess wherein he is Licensed Hen. Pollexfen Decemb. 19. 1682. § 77. While I continue night and day under constant pain and often strong and under the sentence of approaching death by an uncurable disease which age and great debility yields to I found great need of the constant exercise of patience by obedient submission to God and writing a small Tractate of it for my own use I saw reason to yield to them that desired it might be publick there being especially so common need of obedient patience § 78. Having long ago written a Treatise against Coalition with Papists by introducing a Foreign Jurisdiction of Pope or Councils I was urged by the Writings of Mr. Dogwel and Dr. Saywell to publish it but the Printers dare not Print it Entitled England not to be perjured by receiving a Foreign Jurisdiction It is in two Parts The first Historical shewing who have endeavoured to introduce a Foreign Jurisdiction citing Papists Grotius Arch-Bishop Bromball Arch-Bishop Laud Thorndike Dr. Saywell Dodwell four Letters to Bishop Guning and others The 2d part strictly Stating the Controversy and Confuting a Foreign Jurisdiction against which Change of Government all the Land is Sworn I may not Print it § 79. When I saw the storm of Persecution arising by the Agitators Hilton Shad Buck and such other and saw what the Justices were at least in present danger of and especially how Le Strange and other weekly Pamphleteers bent all their wit and power to make others odious and prepared for destruction and to draw as many as possibly they could to hate and ruine faithful men and how Conscience and serious piety grew with many into such hatred and reproach that no men were so much abhorred that many gloried to be called Tories tho they knew it was the name of the Irish common murdering Thieves I wrote a small Book called Cain and Abel in two parts The first against malignant Enmity to serious Godliness with abundant Reasons to convince Malignants The second against Persecution by way of Quaere's I wrote a third part as Impartial to tell Dissenters why while I was able I went oft to the Parish Church and there Communicated and why they should not suffer as Separatists or Recusants lest they suffer as evil doers But wise men would not let me publish it And the two first the Booksellers and Printers durst not print but twice refused them § 80. But the third part the Reasons of my Communion with Parish Churches that have honest able Ministers I sent to one friend who telling others of it a Bookseller after two
is necessary absolutely to the Being of the Ministerial Calling I doubt not but all the unhappy Consequences will be unavoidable which you mention concerning the Churches of all the West But whether it be you or I that is to be blamed for those Consequences it is not your Word only that must determine and I am willing to try by weight of Reasons Except to Sect. 13. And now for the Proof of all this the whole weight is laid by this Book 1. Upon an Argument a comparatis If they the Protestants beyond Seas are lawful Pastors and Presbyters whose Necessity and Plea of Necessity publickly to have been made by those these our new Presbyterians cannot deny then our new ordained ones by Presbyters are Presbyters also though they want all such Pretence all colour of Necessity for themselves were the first Authors of it to those that ejected them which yet did not bring a Necessity neither which we all know If Necessity be pleaded to be above Ecclesiastical Laws as sometimes it hath dispensed even with divine positive Laws themselves then they pro imperio will be above them by their own Magisterial ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and by Consequence if they will take this to themselves that whatsoever is lawful to others upon necessity is and shall be lawful to themselves without Necessity they may in the next place Pope-like take to themselves to dispense with divine positive Laws also because necessity has sometimes dispensed with them Reply to Sect. 13. 1. You may as well say we dare not say the Sun Shineth as that we dare not deny the Protestant Churches to have been without Bishops to this day through necessity against their Wills when in almost all of them the full Power Civil and Ecclesiastical is supposed to be among themselves though I deny not but some particular Persons among them would fain have Bishops yet I think very few in comparison of those that were willing to be rid of them when they were received here 2. You boldly affirm without Proof that the Ministers of this County who were not ordained by Bishops were Ejectors of them or Authors of the Necessity 3. I shewed you before we have more Necessity than you mention and besides a Necessity whereof we are not guilty there may be a culpable Necessity which yet may free our calling from a nullity though not our selves from Sin What if God should permit all the Churches of Ethiopia or the Greeks to deny the Ius Divinum of Episcopacy which is possible as well as to permit the Reformed Churches to do iâ aud so to set up Ordination by meer Presbyters while I speak to you on your own Grounds I suppose this to be their Error and so their Sin yet would you presently unchurch them all and rather have God's Worship forborn as to the Publick There be many among us who are against Diocesan Bishops who give us good testimony of a sincere Heart impartial studying of the Point with as much self-denial and earnest Prayer for God's Direction as any Episcopal Man that ever I knew and yet remain against Episcopacy This kind of Necessity may sure free their Calling from the Charge of Nullity which needs not this Plea though it could not free them from the Charge of Error Except to Sect. 14. Instead of answering one Word to Ignatius God's Holy Saint and Martyr his renowned Epistles which he knew lately vindicated or to all the ancient Fathers avowing in terminis the jus divinum of Bishops above Presbyters and the Bishops sole Power of ordaining or producing any to the contrary he fills up his Books with Citations of modern Mens Writings which they all wrote charitably for the Patronage of those poor afflicted Protestants who had no Bishops because they could have none So that as well his Authorities as his Reasons are all drawn a loco comparatorum arguing weakly from the Priviledge of necessity to their licentiousness with or without Necessity which is one continued Sophism Reply to Sect. 14. 1. Though Ignatius were both a Saint and Holy yet I know not what call I had in those Papers to meddle with him Unless I must needs dispute the point of Episcopacy which I did disclaim 2. As I would not undervalue the late Vindicacation of Ignatius so I would not have you so far overvalue it as to think it should so easily and potently prevail 1. With all those that see not any Cogency in the Arguments or sufficiency in the Answers to the contrary Objections 2. Or with hose that will take Scripture only for the Test of this Cause 3. Or with those that are confident that you can never prove that Ignatius speaks of Diocesan Bishops but only of the Bishops of particular Churches 3. Your talk of all the Ancient Fathers avowing in terminis the Bishops sole Power of ordaining doth but discredit the rest of your Words You suppose us utter Strangers both to those Fathers and the English Bishops who maintain that Presbyters must be their Coadjutors in Ordination 4. What if I should grant that all the Fathers would have Bishops to have the sole Power of Ordaining ordinarily and for Order Sake And that it is a Sin of Disorder where unnecessarily it is done otherwise that 's nothing to the Question that I had in hand which is whether such Ordination by Presbyters be not only irregular but null and whether an uninterrupted Succession be necessary to our Office 5. I plainly perceive here again that you are loath to speak out your Mind but you seem to dissent from these charitable Maintainers of the Protestants Why else do you set Ignatius and the ancient Fathers as the Party that I should have respected instead of these if you did not think that the Fathers and these Men were contrary 6. My Business was to prove that according to the Principles of the Protestant Bishops in England our Ordination was not null eo Nomine because without a Bishop now I am blamed for proving this by Modern Writers and not Fathers If you will disclaim the Modern Protestant Bishops do not pretend to be of their Party but speak plainly If I fill up my Book with such Citations then I hope I was not deficient in bringing the Testimonies of the Protestant Episcopal Divines and yet many more I could cite to that end 7. To that of the Protestants Necessity enough is said till your Words are canonical or your Proof stronger I do not think but there are some Protestant Bishops so called at least in France and Holland now that went out of Britain and Ireland why cannot they ordain them Bishops in their extream Necessity Why did the angry Bishops so revile poor Calvin Beza the Churches of Geneva Scotland and many others for casting out Bishops and setting up Presbytery if all were done on a justifiable Necessity But enough of this Except to Sect. 15. But that these Authors cited by him may be authentical all the
and Applications 5. Inasmuch as he stands an Elder over them and is weakened in his Confidence against Infant Baptism which they are so confident against and also cannot baptize Believers otherwise than to satisfie their Scruple of Conscience that shall desire it out of doubt of the Defect is in their Infant Baptism and with Cautioning of such to take heed of their taking it up so as to denominate their Christianity Saint-ship or Church-ship thereby if any Party of the Congregation can not bare him thus but should separate and so want means of Edification or as some say rather be Quakers than so indifferent or as one of them says he would join with the Church of Rome if he thought that true which Mr. Lambe says namely That he may have Communion with Persons not so baptized whether considering their Danger he ought not hide or cease to desist on his Sense or what he ought to do 6. Considering his present Temptatious and Assaults to his Faith and Sense of God's Love it be his present Work to study to be setled in a full Persuasion one way or other about Baptism But to mind his spiritual Defence against these Violent Assaults which makes him say O that he were in his late confidence again and so is resolved to study the Arguments that are against Infant Baptism And he is directed to your Twenty Arguments in the Book about right to Sacraments about the necessity of Faith to interest in Baptism Now sweet Mr. Baxter shall I have so much Grace in your Sight as to have your distinct Answer to these Particulars truly it will be Service to Jesus Christ whom we have desired to serve in all singleness of Heart from our Youth up and have no desire in this World like to this to know his Will and do it whose Love and the Light of whose Countenance is better than Life to our Souls having no Design but to serve our Lord upon the best Terms who hath dealt bountifully with us whose Mercy and Faithfulness we have often experienced I trust it is of God that put it into my Heart to write to you and I will wait that the Son of Righteousness may shine through you a Star in his Right Hand to our Guidance in this Night of our Temptation I acquaint none that I do it were it known it might occasion me some farther Tryals Therefore I intreat your Secrecy in it My Husband hath indeed sometimes said he would write to you but hath said again Mr. Baxter will not regard me and indeed he hath scarce freedom of Mind to any Business he should take a Journey to Worcester which if he do he says he will come to you I do not acquaint him with this but your Advice I know I shall be able to help him by Now our Lord Jesus Christ who still giveth Gifts to Men and doth continue Means in his Church sufficient to the help of all his poor Servants be your Helper to us ward with craving Pardon for my great Boldness I take leave and remain YOURS in our Lord Iesus Barbara Lambe London in Great St. Bartholomews this 12th of August 1658. I have inclosed sent a Copy of the mentioned Arguments which pray peruse and keep private Sir I desire what you write in answer to me may be inclosed in a Cover to Mr. James Marshal in Friday-Street at the Half Moon who is my Son in Law and so I shall have it with privacy I shall long to know that these come safe to your Hands For Mr. Rich. Baxter Minister of the Gospel in Kidderminster These present Dear Mrs. Lambe HOW true did I feel it in the reading of your Husband's Lines and yours which you say in the beginning that unacquaintedness with the Face is no hindrance to the Communion of the Saints So much of Christ and his Spirit appeared to me in both your Writings that my Soul in the reading of them was drawn out into a strong a Stream of Love and closing Unity of Spirit as almost ever I felt it my Life There is a Connaturality of Spirit in the Saints that will work by Sympathy and by closing uniting Inclinations through greater Differences and Impediments than the external Act of Baptism As a Load-stone will exercise its attractive Force through a Stone Wall I have an inward Sense in my Soul that told me so feelingly in the reading of your Lines that your Husband and you and I are one in our dear Lord that if all the self-conceited Dividers in the World should contradict it on the account of Baptism I could not believe them About a Year ago Sir Henry Herbert gave me one of your Husband's Books about Baptism which when I had read I told him that the Author and I were one in Love though not of one Opinion and that he wrote in the most savory honest moderate Style of any of that Mind that ever I read But truly the perusal of these Arguments persuade me yet to higher Thoughts of him much more may be said than he hath said in that great and weighty Case but yet I have met with none that hath said so much in so small a room It delighteth me to feel the workings of a Catholick Spirit in his Lines Nothing hath more undone us except flat Ungodlyness than the loss of Catholick Principles and Affections among Christians few are more void of them than the Papists that boast of them It must be this loving a Christian as a Christian that must hold when all is done He that loveth Christ in Christians will love all Christians where Christ appears Should not Dividers fear least Christ say to them that castoff most of his Holy Members for this Opinion sake Ye did it unto me Is Christ in these Saints or his he not What! a Saint and Christ not in him that cannot be And is he in them and shall he be used so unkindly so uncharitably as to be cast by Oh dear Mrs. Lambe the Lamb of God hath reconciled greater Differences and closed greater Differences than these and his tender Bowels yearn over those that we sullenly reject He that said to his sluggish Followers The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak and that sent so kind a Message to Peter that lately denyed him as soon as he was risen and that still shewed such matchless Compassions to the weak will give little Thanks to dividing Spirits that cast out his poor Servants whom he himself doth not cast out I know not Mr. Lambe by Face but Mr. Allen I know could he find in his Heart to deny me Brotherly Communion if I desired it of him and protested that I would be of his Opinion and Practice if I durst and my contradicting Judgment did not hinder me I have told the Pastors of the Re-baptized Churches here that if any of their Judgment and Practice will satisfie themselves with being again Baptized and will live in peaceable Communion with us they shall
were all distinguished by the Limits of their Habitation or Proximity so that there was never two Churches in the same City or Bounds save Hereticks and Men of divers Tongues at least where one could hold them all But it 's otherwise with the Separatists 4. No lawful Church in Scripture was gathered out of a true Gospel-Church But theirs are 5. Scripture Churches had fixed known Tests to know qualified Members by which was consent to the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lord's-Prayer and Commandments So that all Churches had the same Test and Terms of Qualification and so had one Profession But these Men leave this Arbitrary to the Pastor or People to try whether Men are converted by uncertain Terms and Words devised by every Minister so that the Terms are unknown and not agreed on among their Churches and may be as various as Ministers 6. Scripture-Churches never divided the Christians of the same Family some to one Church and some to another But these Men do so to great Confusion 7. They are not agreed on any Form of Doctrine to be a Test of their Agreement with other Churches with whom they will have Communion If they say that the Scripture is that Test I answer a General Belief that Scripture is the Word of God is neither sufficient to Salvation nor to Communion Many have this who deny the Essentials of Christianity And an explicite Understanding and Belief of every Text no Man hath Thousands of Texts are not understood by most Christians or Teachers therefore there must be some Collection of the Essentials in a Creed or else there can be no certain Notice whether so much of Scripture Truth be explicitely believed as is necessary to Salvation And if single Pastors require more it must be only in order to Growth and Edification and not as a necessary Qualification for Membership or Communion of Churches I have great Cause to know what I say of them A Parliament once chose Fourteen Ministers to draw up the Fundamentals of Religion as a Test of such as were to be tollerated in Union There were Dr. Owen Mr. Nye Dr. Thomas Goodwin Mr. Sydrak Sympson Dr. Cheynel and others Bishop Usher was chosen and refused and I was chosen in his stead Before I came they had drawn up Fourteen or Fifteen Articles all in new Terms of their own and some neither Essential nor true I told them that we were not to make a new Christianity or Creed but must own that which the Christian Church was known by in all Ages But I could not be heard though Mr. Vines and Mr. Mantân joined with me At last they wrote this for a Fundamental That they that allowed themselves or others in any known Sin cannot be saved I told them that though I could not be heard by them I durst say that I would make them presently blot it out They bid me do it if I could I said The Parliament taketh Independency Separation Anabaptistry and Antinomianism for Sin And they will say These Divines pronounce us all Damned if we allow them They said not a Word but threw away their Fundamental The rest of them they printed But the Parliament were glad with silence to pass by all their Works and take no notice of it lest it should be a publick Reproach that we could not agree on the Fundamentals And I am glad that I hindered such an Agreement as they would have made instead of the old Creeds which they would not rest in And can such Churches be of any known Consistency or Concord If you join with them how know you what Religion they are of Or how know they what other particular Churches are in their Communion for I hope they hold a Communion of Churches Arrians and Socinians say they believe the Scripture No Man understandeth all the Scripture The necessary selected Articles they have no known Agreement in If they say that they own the same Creed that we do why then do they not use it as the Test of Christian Profession but instead of it leave every Pastor to make one in Terms that is only his and no two Churches have the same To agree in Independency or Separation is not to agree in Christianity There are abundance of Books written for very false Doctrines by men called Independents it 's odious to name them Are all the Author of their Communion or not The Assembly could never get them to tell whom they would take to be of their Communion and whom not 8. Therefore their Churches are not compaginate nor confederate so as the Members of our Body should be and as Scripture-Churches were and as Christ would have had the Jewith National Church to be 9. They have no Certainty and Concord in their Church-Worship which they have little more than such Preaching and Praying which cannot be known for true or false sound or unsound till the Words are past And it may justly be expected that Separatists Antinomians Anabaptists Socinians and all erroneous Men should put their Errors into their Sermons and Prayers and sinfully father them all on God And so all God's Worship must be contiually uncertain to the Flocks and of as many different Strains as the Preachers differ in Parts and Wisdom And it must be low and poor and confused wherever the Ministers are young raw erroneous or ignorant They once met at the Savoy and drew up an Agreement of many Pastors But in that they differ from many other Churches called Independants and from the Anabaptists And they expresly contradict the Scripture 1. In saying that we have no Righteousness but Christ's which is imputed to us when as Scripture many Hundred times mentioneth also another personal inherent or acted Righteousness 2. They say that Faith is not imputed for Righteousness I think they mean well But they should rather expound Scripture than flatly deny or contradict what it saith and after defame those falsly that would help them more distinctly to understand it Their People are taught to speak evil of what they understand not and to represent Men as dangerous or odious who think not of many wordy Controversies as confusedly and ignorantly as they Their Churches are too usually constituted of such Novices in Knowledge of both Sexes as are like a School where the Boys call their Teacher a Deceiver for every word by which he would deliver them from their Errours and teach them more than they knew before 10. They lazily gather a few that seem so much better than the rest as will put them to no great labour in Teaching and Discipline But if all the rest of the Parishes lye in Ignorance how little are we beholden to these Separatists for the Cure When I came to Kidderminster some inclined that way importuned to me to take a few Professors of Zeal for my Flock and let the rest follow their ignorant Readers But when I renounced their Counsel and after my own and my Assistants long Catechizing them
sinful Omission of the People that will not first privately and then before witness and then to the Church or Pastor admonish the Offenders this is the Sin of Pastors and People but nullifieth not the Church or Office 12. Through God's great Mercy the Doctrine professed by the Church of England and usually preached in many thousand Parish Churches is sound and as well preached as in any other known Kingdom on Earth though Ministers have had their Sins which we still smart for and by 13. There is nothing in the Liturgy-worship which the Laity in the Congregation are ordinarily to perform or joyn in which they may not lawfully do or joyn in or be present at most that needeth Reformation being in Rubricks and By-Offices Baptizing Confirmation Excommunications Absolutions Burials and in the Ministers part 14. The Ministers have all the three parts that can be accounted by any party necessary to an outward Call 1. They have the Magistrates Consent by his Law who is Judge whom he will maintain and tolerate 2. They have the Ordainers Consent and Mission Bishops and Presbyters who are Judges whom to Ordain 3. They have the Communicants Consent expressed in their constant Attendance and Communicating who are the discerning Judges to whom to commit the Pastoral Care and Conduct of their own Souls And though more be desirable no more is of necessity 15. The Confederate Parish-Churches of England that have able godly Pastors want nothing which CHRIST or his APOSTLES or the UNIVERSAL CHURCH of Christ for Six hundred years yea or to this day did ever make or judge necessary to the being of Ministers or Church Nor have the said Churches any Errour or Sin in Doctrine Worship or Government which either Christ or his Apostles or the Universal Church for Six hundred years after Christ did judge inconsistent with the being of a valid Minister and true visible Churches The large proof of these Fifteen Propositions I offer though too long now to perform which though they will not justifie such Ministerial Conformity as I have been urged to yet you may easily see by them 1. What Church-Frame is most agreeable to Scripture 2. And what to judge of the false Accusers of the Church 3. How far Separation is sinful Division and contrary to Christian Love and Union I know the Dividers say 1. That I am turned Conformist 2. And why do I not Conform if I think so well of the Parish Churches and Liturgy And 3. Why have I lost above Twenty thousand pounds in Five and twenty years by refusing a Bishoprick and other Preferments To whom I answer If our printed Proposals Disputes and Petitions for Peace in 1661. and my first second and third Plea for Peace and many more such Writings and my Cure of Church Divisions and my Book for the true and only way of Church Concord and my Confutation of many that made me a Separatist while I Communicated in my Parish Church and never gathered a Church meerly because I forsook not my Ministry but gratis preached a Lecture and my Book against Sacrilegious Desertion of the Ministry I say if all these Books will not silence these ignorant Objectors nor restrain them from speaking evil of that which they understand not I owe them no more nor can hope to cure their quarrelsome Ignorance should I say or write never so much more They have contemned so many excellent Rulers and Pastors single and Assemblies far wiser than I and so censoriously condemn almost all the Body or Church of Christ on Earth that I am not so vain as to expect to escape their Censure Even in New-England not only Mr. Wilson Mr. Norton and such other single Independent Ministers lived and died in lamented Separation and warning the Land against it as their danger but their Synods have been at much trouble thereby and left their Healing Determinations and Testimony against that Dividing Spirit and Way They that would see more may read a small Book of Mr. Philip Nye for Hearing the Parish Preachers and a bigger Book of Mr. Iohn Tombes the greatest and most learned Writer against Infant-Baptism vindicating the Lawfulness and Duty of joyning in ordinary Communion in Word Prayer and Sacrament with the Parish-Churches Dr. Thomas Goodwin on Ephes. 1. Serm. 36. pag. 488. explaining some Words in the foregoing Sermon IT was understood as if I said That all Parish Churches and Ministers generally were Churches and Ministers of Christ such as with whom Communion might be held I said not so I was wary in my Expressions I will only say this to you about it There is no Man that desireth Reformation in this Kingdom as the generality of all godly People do but will acknowledge and say That multitudes of Parishes where Ignorance and Prophaneness overwhelmeth the Generality Scandalousness and Simony the Ministers themselves that these are not Churches and Ministers fit to be held Communion with Only this The Ordinances that have been administred by them so far we must acknowledge them that they are not to be recalled or repeated again But here lyeth the Question my Brethren and my meaning Whereas now in some Parishes in this Kingdom there are many godly Men that do constantly give themselves up to the Worship of God in publick and meet together in one place to that end in a constant way under a godly Minister whom they themselves have chosen to cleave to though they did not choose him at first These notwithstanding their mixture and want of Discipline I never thought for my part but that they were true Churches of Christ and Sister-Churches and so ought to be acknowledged And the contrary was the Errour that I spake against Secondly For holding Communion with them I say as Sister-Churches occasionally as Strangers Men might hold Communion with them And it is acknowledged by all Divines that there is not that Obligation lying upon a Stranger that is not a Member of a Sister-Church to find fault in that Church or in a Member of it as doth on the Church it self to which one belongeth I will give you my Reasons that moved me to speak so much It was not simply to vent my own Judgment or simply to clear my self from that Errour but the Reasons or rather the Motives and Considerations that stirred me in it were these First If we should not acknowledge these Churches thus stated to be true Churches of Christ and their Ministers true Ministers and their Order such and hold Communion with them too in the Sence spoken of we must acknowledge No Church in all the Reformed Churches None of all the Churches in Scotland nor in Holland nor in Germany for they are All as full of mixture as ours And to deny that to our own Churches which we do not to the Churches abroad nothing can be more absurd And it will be very hard to think that there hath been no Church since the Reformation Secondly I know nothing tendeth more to the
the Transgressors of it and the Curse of what Covenant it was that Christ redeemed us from in being made a Curse for us For touching these things I confess my self not well resolved The hanging on the Tree was but a Temporal Curse and was not all that Christ redeemed us from And when you have a fitting Opportunity I pray you return them to Your obliged Servant Will. Allen. London May 27. 1671. Those of the Separation that are more moderate do blame Mr. Bagshaw and think you need not answer him and his Temper is to have the last word If you think otherwise a calm Answer will be best Dear Sir I Received your Preface by which you have been pleased to add unto all former Obligations wherein I stand bound I have moved Mr. Simmons about printing the Copy acquainting him with your Preface but not with the Author of the Papers but I perceive he hath no mind to undertake it since when I have not spoken to any other Sir It hath been sometimes on my thoughts to draw up some thing against Separation more then what is in my Retractation at least to be published after my death if surviving Friends should think fit but have âorborn to publish any thing of that nature hitherto partly to avoid suspition of strengthening the hand of Severity against the Separatists to the doing of hurt to whom I would not be in the least accessary and likewise to avoid the suspition of being acted therein by Carnal Motives However something I have now prepared and herewith sent you presuming yet once more to give you the trouble at your leisure of casting your eye upon it And do pray that you will please to correct or direct me to correct what needs correction and to give me advice whether it will be best to make it publick or to forbear I confess I have been induced to do what I have done at this time upon occasion of the Indulgence as conceiving it not less necessary nor less seasonable to say no more than it was before And your motion of reprinting my Reâractation had its share in inclining me to this present Undertaking As I have been taken in the Snare of Separation for a time so I was in that of Anâinomianism about 37 or 38 years ago not long after my first coming to London as not being able to withstand the Insinuations of it and yet to retain the Opinion of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in that Notion of it in which I had been instructed and never fully recovered my self till I heard Mr. Iohn Goodwin The Experience of what I suffered my self and occasioned others to suffer by my running into those Errours hath put me upon doing more to warn others against them or recover them out of them then otherwise I should have thought fit for me to have done You may perceive in part how frail my memory was by my often blottings and interlinings Excuse me for this time and you are never like to be troubled with any of my Papers more whether I live or die The good God that hath out of good will to the World made you so meet to be serviceable to it continue you long in it and still strengthen you to succeed and prosper you in his Word So prays Your very much obliged Servant Will. Allen. London Iune 29. 1672. I live next the Green-Man in Prince's-street by Stocks-Market and not at the Bottle in the Poultrey Dear Friend I This Day received and read your Book and knowing so well the Author's Experience Judgment and Sincerity it hath made a great change upon my Judgment viz. Whereas I once thought that some Mens Usage of this poor Kingdom and Christ's Ministers and the false Reports and Representations made of them did shew not only Charity but common Honesty and Humanity by which the civil differ from others to be with such Men very low I find now my better Thoughts of those Men much revived by finding that so good a Man as you can in any Measure in such a time and place so far mistake the case as you have done But long Experience hath acquainted me with more of the Cause than perhaps you have observed your self That is 1. All Mens Capacities are narrow and we cannot look every way at once Our thoughts are like a Stream of Water which will run but one way at once and carry down all that 's moveable in that Stream When you were for Anabaptistry and Separation it 's like the Stream of your Thoughts run all that way and you studied more what was for you than what was against you and now the Sense of your Error hath turned your Thoughts the contrary way I may judge by the Effects that you think more what may be said against Nonconformity than what may be said for it 2. And Experience makes me take it for granted that to judge hastily before they fully understand or hear the Cause is the common Disease of Man's depraved Intellect which few are cured of in any great Degree I would not be guilty of it while I blame it if my Frailty can avoid it and therefore I will suppose that you have more Reasons for what you say that I yet understand and shall only as a Learner desire you to help me to understand them And 1. Seeing almost all your Book is against Anabaptistry and Separation I desire you to acquaint me why you entituled it An Address to the Nonconformists when it is certain that the ignorant Multitude who have some such Thoughts already will hence be more persuaded that the Nonconformists are commonly for Separation which being a Calumny I suppose you thus indirectly propagate it for some Reason which I know not Falshood and Hatred are so befriended by common corrupted Nature that they need no Books to be written to encourage them If a Philosopher wrote against Manicheism and called it An Address to the Christians Or a Papist wrote against Anabaptistry and Separation and called it An Address to the Protestants the Intimation were unjust Quest. 2. Will not the Conformists think that you prevaricate in pretending to plead for a National Church p. 101. and when you explain your self speak but of a Church Inorganical that is equivocally and ineptly so called seeing forma denominat and the Word Church in the common Controversy about National Provincial Diocesan Churches is taken for an Ecclesiastical Polity and Society and not for a meer Community A Family without a Master a School without a Schoolmaster a Kingdom without a King and a Church without a Pastoral Regiment are equivocal improper Denominations a materia when you knew that the Nonconformists have long asked which is the true constitutive Ecclesiastical Head of this National Church When you were upon the Subject it would have done well to have told them for an accidental Head the King they confess as much as others Quest. 3. When you plead so much for Parish-Churches are you therein
Faction or Turbulency who preacheth but to a few in his own House And where should he use his Ministry if not in so vast a Parish where so many Thousands are untaught and where he is not sure that his old relation is dissolved though the Tythes and Temple be given to another One Mr. Grove that oft heard me being lately dead and his Widow sick she sent for Mr. Sanger to visit her who after a short Instruction prayed with her while he was at Prayer Dean Lampley the Parson or Vicar of the Parish came in and heard him at Prayer staying till he had done in an outer Room and as soon as he had done as Mr. Sanger affirmeth came in upon him and fiercely askt him What he did there He told him Nothing but what beseemed a Minister of the Gospel to visit the Sick when he was sent for And to the second Expostulation told him That he thought he should be thankful to him for helping him in such a Parish To which the Doctor answered That then he should have done it according to the Liturgy fiercely adding Get you out of the Room At which when he demurred he more fiercely took him by the breast and thrust him and said Get you out of the Room which to avoid unpeaceableness he forthwith did I saw not this but I think no Man that knoweth Mr. Sanger will question the Truth of his deliberate Affirmation of it In what Parish of England should a Man expect leave to visit the Sick when sent for rather than in St. Martins From what Minister in England should one rather expect leave than from Dr. Lampley who hath so many Thousands more than he and his Curate and Lecturer can suffice to teach and visit and who I hear is a very worthy Man and a Teacher of more than ordinary diligence and especially excelleth almost all that I hear of in Constancy in the needful Work of Catechising for which though I know him not I do much honour him And what Minister in England may expect leave to visit the Sick or privately help the Peopleâ if not Mr. Sanger who was lately the Publick Incumbent himself and is a man as unlikely to stir up any Man to Envy or Wrath as most that ever I knew I will not parallel my own Case with his If I be unworthy of such liberty might not such as he be tolerated so far This being our Case will you be the Man that shall tell us and the world that we should have kept our Residence and joyned with the succeeding Ministers in private helps and how well we and Religion had then sped as if you had not lived in England to make Men think that the Parish Ministers are willing of this Yet I will again say Necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I preach not the Gospel though Men forbid it And if I either give but to one poor Man when I might give to a thousand or teach but one ignorant Sinner when I might teach a thousand how shall I look my Judge in the Face who gave me that terrible warning 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. as well as Matth. 2â And did I think that ever you would have been one that should publickly have perswaded us to this When it is the grand Work of Satan to Silence the Preachers of the Gospel and the great Character of all sorts of his Agents one way or other on their various pretences to effect it Papists would silence me Prelatists would silence me Quakers Anabaptists Antinomians and Separatists would silence me and would my dear and judicious and experienced Friends silence me also Alas how many Difficulties have we to overcome while our weary Flesh and too cold Love and the Relicks of Sloth and Selfishness which loveth not a laborious suffering Life doth hinder us more than all the rest But the Judge is at the Door To Mr. W. Allen. Number V. SIR I Find that in a Book of yours defending Schism against Mr. Halis on pretence of opposing it you were pleased to think many Passages in my Writings worthy of your Recital to your ends I thank you that you chose any Words for Peace which some may make a better use of than your self But I think if you had referred Men to my own Books to read them with what goeth before and after they would have been more easily understood I understand by your Book that you think that you are in the Right which is the most that I have yet learned out of it unless it be also that you think the Nonconformists be not yet hated and afflicted enough or that he that sweareth must ascend by treading upon him that feareth an Oath I am in some doubt least you have wronged our Prelacy by so openly proclaiming the Enmity of so great a Man as Hales against them and by enticing Men by your Noise to read his Book which you contradict which if they do I doubt your Confutation will not save them from the Light But the Reason of my troubling you with these Lines is only to crave some Satisfaction about two or three Matters of Fact in your Book which would seem strange to me did I not find such things too common in Invectives against the silenced Ministers and did I not know that is part of Satan's Work to persuade the World that no History hath any certainty of Truth that so sacred History may be disadvantaged I. One is in these Words p. 101. When they had in the gand Debate given in their Objections to the Liturgy some of the Brotherhood had prepared another Form but a great part of their Brethren objected many things against that and never as yet did as I hear of agree upon any other nor I think ever will I crave the Justice of you to tell us which was that you call the Grand Debate and who those were that dissented or what Proof you have of any such thing Either you knew what you say or not If not and publish it in such a manner while you are accusing others of Sin What is this to be called if you did it is yet far worse either you speak of the Westminster Assembly which made the Directory or of the Commissioners in 1660. Not the first sure for none I think was yet ever vain enough to pretend that they thus drew up another Liturgy It must needs then be the latter Of which this is past denyal by any but the 1. That the King's Commission under the Broad-Seal authorizing to make some Additional Forms 2. The late Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Sheldon when we came according to appointment to try by Friendly Conference what Alterations each Party might yield to for our desired Concord without any injury to their Consciences began with a Declaration that we being the Plaintiffs they would no farther proceed or treat with us till we had given them in entirely in Writing 1. What we blamed in the Liturgy and our
Ireland and England had made those Muâders and Devastations which no true Christian dare own III. At this day the Light of clear found Doctrine is obscured and such Preaching silenced or ceased in most of the Christian Churches on Earth Besides the bloody Persecutions which met those honest Jesuits and Fryars that preached in Congo Iapan China and other Heathen Lands In Abassia Egypt Syria Assyria Armenia there is very little Preaching at all yea want of Printing keepeth them without the holy Scripture which is rare and in few hands Turkish Oppression hath so debased the Greek Church that sound Preaching is rare among them In all the Empire of Muscovy Preaching is long ago put down lest Men should preach Sedition Among most Papists and Protestants beyond Sea it is turned too much into Invectives against one another This is the Success of Satan's War IV. Being vowed doâbly to Christ in my Baptism and Ordination I had been a ãâã Traytor against him ãâã I had not hated this Sin and done my part in my place against it There is no Age or Land so good where Christ and ãâã Light and Darkness have not this War and Secular Interests or Quarrels are made Satan's Advantages who pretendeth to great Power in Disposing of the Riches and Honours of the World This War ended not in England with Queen Mary's Regin The unhappy Differences of Frankford came over with the Exiles One Paââty running into Extreams against Episcopacy and the Liturgy and the other forbidding not only them but all Ordained Ministers to preach or expound any Doctrine or Matter in the Church or elsewhere without further Licence I lived to see so much of the Effects of these Differences as grieved my Soul Excellent Preachers and of Holy Lives mistakingly censorious against some lawful Things and Silenced for it some flying to America and some absconding here I saw the diseased Passions and Divisions thus caused and how much it extinguished Christian Love At last we all saw it break out into the Flames of an odious War And even the Usurpers that by Silencers pretended their Provocation fell into the Crime which they Accused and cast out many Learned Bishops Doctors and Preachers for refusing their Covenant and their Engagement and their Way of Worship and for being against their War Thus Satan's Silencing work went on When Experience and Smart brought most Men to their Wits and they had found that a divided Kingdom cannot stand and that returning to Love and Unity must be our Recovery I laboured with Ministers of each side with all my power for Agreement on such Terms as we were then capable of and that was to joyn in the amicable practice of all that they were agreed in and to bear with one another in the rest which were no necessary things On these Terms Worcâstershâre and seven or eight other Counâiâs quickly agreed Ireland profest consent More were closing But the Divisions of the Usurpers and the begun Reconciliation of the Peace-makers or Pretenders presently restored the King Men were then variously affected between hope of Unity and fear of Discord and of the old Silencing dividing Work That we had one lawful King to Unite in who promised his help hereunto and declared his Judgment for necessary Indulgence and that Lords and Knights printed their professed Renunciation of Revenge and Doctors professed Moderation did greatly raise Mens hopes that there would be no more such Divisions as should Silence faithful Ministers But they that knew how hardly Love and Moderation are restored after the Exasperations oâ so odious a War and how few conquer Worldly Interest and old Opinions and do as they would be done by feared that still the Silencing Work would be carried on I was certain that good Men would not be united by coming all over to the Opinions of each other which Party soever was in the right in all the Points called Indifferent by some and Sinful by others I knew the Difference would continue And it doth so I knew that those that were most obedient to God would not do that which they judged he forbad them I knew that if for this they were forbidden to Worship God in Church-Worship they would not forbear till Suffering disabled them I knew that there were so many such and the Suffering that disabled them must be so great that the Land thereby must needs be divided into the Afflicting and Afflicted Parties And the more conscionable the more constant would they be It were well if most understood all things necessary But that all should understand all indifferent things that might be commanded to be indifferent I knew would never be if all the Land were Doctors It was easie to know what Exasperations of Mind all this would cause and what a Conqueââ Satan would make here against Light Love and Mercy that is against Christ. In the deep Sense of this Danger I set my self to try whether Terms of Possiblâ Cââcord might be obtained The London Ministers joyned The King greatly encouraged us First by his Declaration at Breda and that against Debauchery Next by Personal Engaging us in a Treaty with the Bishops and his Promise that he would draw them to meet us if we would come as near them as we could Then by his gracious Declaration and the Testimony there given of our Loyalty and Moderation Then by his Commission to treat for Alterations of the Liturgy ãâã the Bishops denied the Need of any Alterations and dasht all our Hopes And ãâ¦ã and Parliament cast by the King's Indulgence and issued all in ãâ¦ã Uniformity I was the more earnest to have prevented this because I knew not but that most of the whole Ministry of the Kingdom might have been Silenced in one day I knew what was said against much that is imposed And I knew that near Ten thousand Ministers had Conformed to what the Parliament had imposed and most taken the Covenant and used the Directory and not the Common Prayer And how knew I that only Two thousand would stick at the New Impositions and Seven thousand obey them and Assent and Consent to the New Book which they mostly never saw it coming not out of the Press till too late V. While I was engaged in this Treaty by the King the Bishops denied all further Debates with us till we had given them in Writing all the Faults that we found in the Liturgy and all that we desired in stead or as Additions So that we did by Authority and Demand write and deliver as our Proposal before so our Desires and Reasons of the mentioned Alterations and a long and humble Petition to prevent the foreseen Breach and our Reformed Liturgy and Reply to their contrary Reasons which some Scribes for gain after printed I knew not who with abundance of Errata VI. After this 1663. the King revived our hope in part by a Declaration of his Judgment and Purpose for our Leave to Preach and Worship God VII In this
very young but that could not be helpt because there were no other to be had The Parliament could not make Men Learned nor Godly but only put in the learnedest and ablest that they could have And though it had been to be wisht that they might have had leisure to ripen in the Universities yet many of them did as Ambrose teach and learn at once so successfully as that they much increased in Learning themselves whilst they prosited others and proportionably more than many in the Universities do § 118. To return from this Digression to the Proceedings of Cromwell when he was made Lord Protector he had the Policy not to detect and exasperate the Ministers and others that consented not to his Government having seen what a stir the Engagement had before made but he let Men live quietly without putting any Oaths of Fidelity upon them except his Parliaments for those must not enter the House till they had sworn Fidelity to him The Sectarian Party in his Army and elsewhere he chiefly trusted to and pleased till by the Peoples submission and quietness he thought himself well settled And then he began to undermine them and by degrees to work them out And though he had so often spoken for the Anabaptists now he findeth them so heady and so much against any settled Government and so set upon the promoting of their Way and Party that he doth not only begin to blame their unruliness but also designeth to settle himself in the Peoples Favour by suppressing them In Ireland they were grown so high that the Soldiers were many of them re-baptized as the way to Preferment and those that opposed them they crusht with much uncharitable Fierceness To suppress these he sent thither his Son Henry Cromwell who so discountenanced the Anabaptists as yet to deal civilly by them repressing their Insolencies but not abusing them or dealing hardly with them promoting the Work of the Gospel and setting up good and sober Ministers and dealing civilly with the Royallists and obliging all so that he was generally beloved and well spoken of And Major General Ludlow who headed the Anabaptists in Ireland was fain to draw in his head In England Cromwell connived at his old Friend Harrison while he made himself the Head of the Anabaptists and Fanaticks here till he saw it would be an applauded acceptable thing to the Nation to suppress him and then he doth it easily in a trice and maketh him contemptible who but yesterday thought himself not much below him The same he doth also as easily by Lambert and layeth him by § 119. In these times especially since the Rump reigned sprang up five Sects at least whose Doctrines were almost the same but they sell into several Shapes and Names 1. The Vanists 2. The Seekers 3. The Ranters 4. The Quakers 5. The Behmenists 1. The Vanists for I know not by what other Name to make them known who were Sir Henry Vane's Disciples first sprang up under him in new England when he was Governor there But their Notions were then raw and undigested and their Party quickly confounded by God's Providence as you may see in a little Book of Mr. Tho. Welds of the Rise and Fall of Antinomianism and Familism in New-England where their Opinions and these Providences are recorded by him that was a reverend Minister there One Mrs. Dyer a chief Person of the Sect did first bring forth a Monster which had the Parts of almost all sorts of living Creatures some Parts like Man but most ugly and misplaced and some like Beasts Birds and Fishes having Horns Fins and Claws and at the Birth of it the Bed shook and the Women present fell a Vomiting and were fain to go forth of the Room Mr. Cotton was too favourable to them till this helpt to recover him Mrs. Hutchinson the chief Woman among them and their Teacher to whose Exercises a Congregation of them used to assemble brought forth about 30 mishapen Births or Lumps at once and being banished into another Plantation was killed there by the Indians Sir Henry Vane being Governor and found to be the secret Fautor and Life of their Cause was fain to steal away by Night and take Shipping for England before his Year of Government was at an end But when he came over into England he proved an Instrument of greater Calamity to a People more sinful and more prepared for God's Judgments Being chosen a Parliament man he was very active at first for the bringing of Delinquents to Punishment He was the Principal Man that drove on the Parliament to go too high and act too vehemently against the King Being of very ready Parts and very great Subtilty and unwearied Industry he laboured and not without Success to win others in Parliament City and Country to his Way When the Earl of Strafford was accused he got a Paper out of his Father's Cabinet who was Secretary of State which was the chief Means of his Condemnation To most of our Changes he was that Within the House which Cromwell was without His great Zeal to drive all into War and to the highest and to cherish the Sectaries and especially in the Army made him above all Men to be valued by that Party His Unhappiness lay in this that his Doctrines were so clowdily formed and expressed that few could understand them and therefore he had but few true Disciples The Lord Brook was slain before he had brought him to Maturity Mr. Sterry is thought to be of his Mind as he was his Intimate but he hath not opened himself in writing and was so famous for Obscurity in Preaching being said Sir Benj. Rudiard too high for this World and too low for the other that he thereby proved almost Barren also and Vanity and Sterility were never more happily conjoined Mr. Sprig is the chief of his more open Disciples too well known by a Book of his Sermons This Obscurity by some was imputed to his not understanding himself but by others to design because he could speak plainly when he listed the two Courses in which he had most Success and spake most plainly were His earnest Plea for universal Liberty of Conscience and against the Magistrates intermedling with Religion and his teaching his Followers to revile the Ministry calling them ordinarily Blackcoats Priests and other Names which then savoured of Reproach and those Gentlemen that adhered to the Ministry they said were Priest-ridden When Cromwell had served himself by him as his surest Friend as long as he could and gone as far with him as their way lay together Vane being for a Fanatick Democracie and Cromwell for Monarchy at last there was no Remedy but they must part and when Cromwell cast out the Rump as disdainfully as Men do Excrements he called Vane a Jugler and Martin a Whoremonger to excuse his usage of the rest as is aforesaid When Vane was thus laid by he wrote his Book called The retired Man's Meditations
wherein the best part of his Opinions are so expressed as will make but few Men his Disciples His Healing Question is more plainly written When Cromwell was dead he got Sir Arthur Haselrigge to be his close Adherent on Civil Accounts and got the Rump set up again and a Council of State and got the Power much into his own Hands When he was in the height of his power he set upon the forming of a new Commonwealth and with some of his Adherants drew up the model which was for popular Government but so that Men of his Confidence must be the People Of my own displeasing him this is the true Account It grieved me to see a poor Kingdom thus tost up and down in Unquietness and the Ministers made odious and ready to be cast out and a Reformation trodden under Foot and Parliaments and Piety made a Scorn and scarce any doubted but he was the principal Spring of all Therefore being writing against the Papists coming to vindicate our Religion against them when they impute to us the Blood of the King I fully proved that the Protestants and particularly the Presbyterians adhorred it and suffered greatly for opposing it and that it was the Act of Cromwell's Army and the Sectaries among which I named the Vanists as one Sort and I shewed that the Fryers and Jesuits were their Deceivers and under several Vizors were disperst among them and Mr. Nye having told me that he was long in Italy I said it was considerable how much of his Doctrine their Leader brought from Italy whereas it proved that he was only in France and Helvetia upon the Borders of Italy and whereas it was printed from Italy I had ordered the Printer to correct it fromwards Italy but though the Copy was corrected the Impression was not Hereupon Sir Henry Vane being exceedingly provoked threatned me to many and spake against me in the House and one Stubbs that had been whipt in the Convocation House at Oxford wrote for him a bitter Book against me who from a Vanist afterwards turned a Conformist since that he turned Physician and was drowned in a small Puddle or Brook as he was riding near the Bath I confess my Writing was a means to lessen his Reputation and make men take him for what Cromwell that better knew him called him a Iugler and I wish I had done so much in time But the whole Land rang of his Anger and my Danger and all expected my present Ruine by him But to shew him that I was not about Recanting as his Agents would have perswaded me I wrote also against his Healing Question in a Preface before my Holy Commonwealth And the speedy turn of Affairs did tye his Hands from Executing his Wrath upon me Upon the King's Coming in he was questioned with others by the Parliament but seemed to have his Life secured But being brought to the Barr he spake so boldly in justifying the Parliaments Cause and what he had done that it exasperated the King and made him resolve upon his Death When he came to Tower-hill to die and would have spoken to the People he began so resolutely as caused the Officers to sound the Trumpets and beat the Drums and hinder him from speaking No Man could die with greater appearance of gallant Resolution and Fearlesness than he did though before supposed a timorous Man Insomuch that the manner of his Death procured him more Applause than all the Actions of his Life And when he was dead his intended Speech was printed and afterwards his Opinions more plainly expressed by his Friend than by himself When he was Condemned some of his Friends desired me to come to him that I might see how far he was from Popery and in how excellent a Temper thinking I would have askt him Forgiveness for doing him wrong I told them that if he had desired it I would have gone to him but seeing he did not I supposed he would take it for an injury for my Conference was not like to be such as would not be pleasing to a dying man For though I never called him a Papist yet I still suppose he hath done the Papists so much Service and this poor Nation and Religion so much wrong that we and our Posterity are like to have cause and time enough to Lament it And so much of Sir Henry Vane and his Adherents § 121. The second Sect which then rose up was that called Seekers These taught that our Scripture was uncertain that present Miracles are necessary to Faith that our Ministry is null and without authority and our Worship and Ordinances unnecessary or vain the true Church Ministry Scripture and Ordinances being lost for which they are now Seeking I quickly found that the Papists principally hatcht and actuated this Sect and that a considerable Number that were of this Profession were some Papists and some Infidels However they closed with the Vanists and sheltered themselves under them as if they had been the very same § 122. The third Sect were the Ranters These also made it their Business as the former to set up the Light of Nature under the Name of Christ in Men and to dishonour and cry down the Church the Scripture the Present Ministry and our Worship and Ordinances and call'd men to hearken to Christ within them But withal they conjoyned a Cursed Doctrine of Libertinism which brought them to all abominable filthiness of Life They taught as the Familists that God regardeth not the Actions of the Outward Man but of the Heart and that to the Pure all things are Pure even things forbidden And so as allowed by God they spake most hideous Words of Blasphemy and many of them committed Whoredoms commonly Insomuch that a Matron of great Note for Godliness and Sobriety being perverted by them turned so shameless a Whore that she was Carted in the Streets of London There could never Sect arise in the World that was a lowder Warning to Professors of Religion to be humble fearful cautelous and watchful Never could the World be told more lowdly whither the Spiritual Pride of ungrounded Novices in Religion tendeth and whither Professors of Strictness in Religion may be carried in the Stream of Sects and Factions I have seen my self Letters written from Abbington where among both Soldiers and People this Contagion did then prevail full of horrid Oaths and Curses and Blasphemy not fit to be repeated by the Tongue or Pen of Man and this all uttered as the Effect of Knowledge and a part of their Religion in a Fanatick Strain and fathered on the Spirit of God But the horrid Villanies of this Sect did not only speedily Extinguish it but also did as much as ever any thing did to disgrace all Sectaries and to restore the Credit of the Ministry and the sober unanimous Christians So that the Devil and the Jesuits quickly found that this way served not their turn and therefore they suddenly took another § 123. And