the emptiness of the former without the latter and how much the poor people have been cosened by forms of Religion and canting Phrases which some of your selves have confessed when it would serve their turn N. C. Where did they acknowledg it C. Some Officers of the Army told the rest that setting a part days for seeking of God when the way is not good will not hereafter blind English mens eyes Doing things unwarrantably and then intituling God to them as they will never the more be owned by him so they will be never the more acceptable to discerning men c Humble representation to the Lieft. Gen. Nov. 1. 1659. Thus also the purest of you all thought it no profaness heretofore to unmask the hypocrisie of some great Zealots in Religion as they thought it and expose their canting to scorn To omit Mr. Edward's for brevity sake the Author of the Image of our Reforming Times d Or Jâ—hu in his proper Colours 1654. p. 11 12. set out you know whom under another name in this manner Jehu will have a word for all his Actions and do all according to the mind of the Lord. O Heavenly man whose tongue is tipt with Scripture the Experiences of the Saints and the Revelation of the Prophets But now as I was going to say before you interrupted me we have found a man that would fain blind the eyes of English-men as much as ever and in stead of confessing honestly as others have done that a great many walk in a vain show and image of godliness who deny the true power of it he amuses you with a long discourse of a Design laid to overthrow all Religion root and branch And for that end presents you with a great many Maximes and Aphorisms composed with much art to that wicked purpose Such as these Let there be no Godly Discourse Let keeping of Days of Fasting and Prayer be jured Let mirth and jollity be in incouraged Teach men to distrust their spiritual senses with divers others of the same Nature Which are none of mine as every one may see that can read a Book But he throws in your faces the snivel of his own nose and would make you believe it is not the excrement of his brain but of mine N. C. How came such a word to drop from your mouth C. Are they uncivil N. C. I doubt they will be thought so C. They are the words of Mr. Baxter e Postscript to his Book of the True Catholick Church pag. 283. without any alteration to another man who accused him absurdly and may as well be applied to this Who after he had filled a great part of his Book with such senseless stuff as I now ment oned makes a long snufling Preface to the same effect And some of your people I am told receive it with as much contentment as if he had come out of that Country where if we will believe a story f Lucian Ver. Hist Lib. 1. like his Discourse the dropping of the peoples Noses is sweeter than Honey N. C. You did well to say some for all have no such good opinion of it C. There is no man that being puft up with a good opinion of himself speaks with confidence and zeal but will find some admirers though his Noddle be lighter than an Oak Apple and as void of wit as Cockles are of meat in the wane of the Moon A sad thing indeed it is that the world should be troubled and abused by some men of emptiness and noise but so it always was and we must be contented with it Nay grave and solemn persons are sometimes carried with a furious zeal to accuse their opposites of such impieties as never entred into their thoughts and will make their Books speak what the Authors never so much as dreamt Mr. Calvin and other Reformers it is possible Philagathus may know were charged with depraving and adulterating the sense of the Holy Scriptures which give testimony to the Deity of our Saviour Christ And there is one g Feu-arâ—entius his Notes upon â—he Fragments of â—renaeus â—ag 508. who hath given us a Beadrole of them longer than that of the Aphorisms which this new zealot hath fansied to himself and formed out of my Book In his Comments also upon the Epistle of Sr. Jude writing on those words v. 4. Ungodly Men he tells us among other things that Calvin would have the Holy Trinity neither to be adored nor invocated h Comment in Epist â—udae â—595 â—ag 87. And upon those words denying the Lord Jesus Christ he gives us a Catalogue of the Old and New Hereticks who opposed the Deity and Majesty of our Saviour and after Simon Magus Menander and the rest of that Rabble come Luther Calvin and their followers as men that preached and writ much against the Mystery of the Trinity the Majesty of God the Father and the Deity of Christ and of the Holy Ghost i Ib. â—ag 117. But what need I go so far back for instances of this kind when it is but a few years ago since Mr. Baxter was solemnly accused for a Papist by Mr. Crandon And Mr. Eyre of Salisbury endeavoured to perswade the world that when he wrote against the Antinomians he meant Antipapists k Confess â— Faith â—ag 6. just as this man would perswade you that when I write against N. C. I mean Religious people and such as oppose profaness Nay he made such a Monster of him as if you should conceive the Body of a Horse to be joined to the Head of a Man for he said he was a Socinian Papist and Jesuite And that he was not only a down right Papist but one of the grosser sort and that he subtilly endeavoured the Propagation of Popery and all his pretences to the contrary were but Jesuitical dissembling and lastly that no Papist spoke more of Merit than he did Others undertook to conjure the Devil of Pelagianism out of him as he himself also tells us l Disputations about the right tâ— Sacraments pag. 520. And another m Vindication of â— Sir Hen. Vane 1659. accuses him of calumnies and invectives against the most eminent Protestants reckoning up withal eight godly men whose names he mentions that had writ against him And I find mention in Mr. Baxter of three more whose names are not there beside Mr. Blake which make them up a dossen And that you have 13. to the dossen I may cast in Mr. Will. Lyford who put him into the black bill of those who are guilty of Errors and Heresies because of some opinions of his about the sin against the holy Ghost Nay some boldly published him to be a Subverter of Fundamentals observe it even then when he was constrained to be as confident that he should subvert the foundation it self if he should think otherways n Confess of Faith pag. 111. What need I add more to shew the mad zeal of some
more necessary than now when those undertake to inform and teach the Nation who have not so much knowledg as the Prophesying Ape with which Giles of Passamonte went about to cosen the Country N. C. What was that C. It had this notable faculty that it could tell nothing at all of what was to come but knew something of what was past and a little of things present otherwise it would never mount up to Giles his shoulder and chatterin his ear But this Phil. of yours frisks and grins in my face and grates his teeth apace and looks upon me as a scurvy lyar and yet confesses himself Ignorant of what is past and that when he mounts up himself without any bidding to talk of it Thus the poor people are cosened and this man cosens their Conscience while such as the other only pick their pockets of twelve pence a piece N. C. Why What Liturgy were they wont to use in Scotland or when was the Church of Scotland for the use of a Liturgy Were they not alway without and against a Form of Divine Service C. You need not repeat his words I was going to tell you that it is endless to write to such a Scribler who will ask that Question again which hath been already Answered Did I not tell you in our last Dehate r Continuation of the Friendly Debate p. 409. that the Scottish Form of Prayer was printed here in England in the beginning of the late Wars But he is not at leisure to read Books He is a writer forsooth and cannot spare so much time from this great imployment as to read the Book he writes against For had it pleased him to be at this pains there he might have heard of the strange thing which he imagines no body ever saw the Scots Form of Divine Service But he will think perhaps that I wrote like himself without any care at all and transcribed that passage out of my own imagination and not from the sight of my eyes For your better information therefore you may know that there being some persons at Frankfort in Queen Maries time who would admit no other Form of Prayers but that in the English Book Mr. John Knox a principal Reformer in Scotland afterward joyned with those who quarrell'd at it But it appears by the story that he was not against a Form of Divine Service no nor against all things in the English Book But as he had an high esteem of the Composers of it s Witness the Commendation he gives Cranmer whom he called that Reverend Father in God Admonition to the Professors of the Truth in England An. 1554. p. 51. so he approved in great part of the work it self A brief description indeed of it being sent by him and Whittingham to Mr. Calvin and his opinion of it return'd Jan. 22. 1555. Mr. Knox and four more were ordered to draw forth another order of Divine Service which was the very same with that of Geneva But part of the Congregation still adhering to the Book of England after some Conference they composed a new Order by the advice of Mr. Knox some of it taken out of the English Book and other things added as the State of the Church required and to this all consented as we are told in the Discourse of the Troubles of Frankfort t Repriâ—ed here 1642. P. 30 31. A little after Dr. Cox coming thither answered aloud as the manner is here which bred a new contention And to be short the English Book was again established and continued though afterward they left off the use of the Ceremonies and Mr. Knâ—â— went to Geneva There I find he was when Queen Mary dyed being one of those who subscribed the Letter to the Church at Frankfort u Decemb. 15. 1558. desiring that whatsoever offences had been given or taken might be forgotten and that all might lovingly agree when they met in England Not long after he went into Scotland where some had begun a Reformation More particularly it had been concluded by the Lords and Barons a little after their first Covenant x In which they who forsook Popery ingaged themselves to each other by a Common Bond. Decemb. 3. 1557. that it was thought expedient advised and ordained that in all Parishes of the Realm the Common Prayer should be read weekly on Sundays and other Festivals publickly in the Parish-Church with the Lessons of the Old and New Testament conforming to the ORDER OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER And if the Curates of the Parishes be qualified to cause them to read the same if not or they refuse that the most qualified in the Parish use and read it y History of the Church of Scotl. ascribed to Mr. Knox. Book 1. pag. 110. In this Settlement Mr. Knox found them and though the Queen discharged the Common Prayers and forbad to give any portions to such as were the principal young men who read them yet they continued to be read z Ibid. Book 2. pag. 170. an 1559. And what was thus began by a few persons was afterward compleated by a more Publick Decree For by a General Assembly holden in December 1562. it was ordained that one Vniform Order should be observed in the Administration of the Sacraments according to the Order of Geneva That is as I understand it the very same which Mr. Knox and the rest had used when they were there And two year after Decemb. 1564. It was again ordained that Ministers in the Ministration of the Sâ—craments should use the Order set down in the Psalm Book a Both these I have out of the Disputation against the Assembly at Perth and they are alledged to prove there should be no kneeling at the Sacrament because their Old Order did not prescribe it to which now that Form I suppose was annexed Nor did Mr. Knox think himself above these Forms but made use of them as appears from hence That being desired before the Council to moderate himself in his Form of praying for the Queen he related to them the most vehement and most excessive manner of Prayer that he used in Publick and after he had repeated the words at length concluded thus This is the Form of Common Prayer as you your selves can witness b Ib. Book 4 p. 380. an 1564. The same History also records a Form of Publick Prayer used in the Church of St. Giles in Edenburgh upon the Peace made with France c July 8. 1560. p. 245. and aâ—â— ther Form d P. 287. at the Election of Superintendents He also that wrote the Mederate Reply e An. 1646. to the City Remonstranâ—â— against Toleration presents the Remonstrants in the last leaf of his Book with a Form of Thanksgiving used in the Church of Scotland for their deliverance from the French by the English An. 1575. Bâ—t why do I mention these particular Prayers There was Printed as I said 1641. the Service and
Discipline and form of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments used in the English Church of Geneva received and approved by the Church of Scotland and presented to the High Court of Parliament that year And though in that there are now and then such passages as this the Minister shall use this Confession or the like in effect yet they are not to be found in the ancient Books I have been long Owner of a Form of their Divine Service Printed at Edinburgh Cum Privilegio Regali 1594. and bound up with the psalm-Psalm-book spoken of before and there is no such allowance given in any place of the Book The Confession is enjoyned in these words Ane Confession that sall ga befoir the reading of the Law and befoir every Exercise And if you read the first Book of Discipline presented to the Lords of the Secrct Council of Scotland 20 May. 1560. and by them confirmed f Though never coafirmed by Act of Parliament Mr. Knox complaining that some in chief Authority called the same Devout Imaginations you shall find they make some things utterly necessary and others only profitable for the keeping the Kirk in good Order Among the first sort are these that the Word be truly preached the Sacraments rightly administred Common-Prayers Publickly made These things be so necessary say they that without the same there is no Face of a visible Kirk And that they mean the Form of Prayer agreed upon appears by what follows in the end of that Chapter g All this you may fiad in the ninth head concerning the Policy of the Kirk In Private houses we think expedient that the most grave and discreet persons use the Common Prayers at morn and night for the comfort and instruction of others More particularly when they tren of Discipline h In the seventh head they advise in case any man be excommunicated his Friend should travel with him to bring him to knowledge of himself and Commandment given to all men to call to God for his Conversion And that for this purpose a solemn and special Prayer be draâ—â— for then the thing would be more graâ—â— done They are their very words By all which it is apparent what the constiâ—â—tion of their Church in the beginning was and that later times have swerved from the Decrees of their Fore-fathers So the Doctors and Professors of Aberdeâ—â— i In their Daplia's 1638. pag. 37. and they no mean men neither tel those who came to urge the Coveâ—â—â— on them They who have subscribed to it misregard the Ordinances of our Reformen praefixed to the Psalm-Book concerning the Office of Superintendents or Bishops Funeral Sermons and set Forms of Prayer which they appointed to be publickly read iâ— the Church This was a thing so well known though this Bold-face gives me the lye for supposing it that Ludoviâ— Capellus * Thes Salmur pars 3. p. 658. had reason to write these words At the Reformation the Sacred Liturgie was purged from all Superstitiâ—s and Popish Idolatry c. and so there wert several Forms of holy Liturgie pure and simple made and prescribed all about by the several Authors of the Reformation in Germany France England ☞ SCOTLAND the Netherlands c. Departing as little as possibly they could from the ancient Forms of the Primitive Church which the reformed Charches have used hitherto happily and with profit every one within the limits of their own Nation and Territories Till at last there very lately arose in England certain morose scrupulous and nice and delicate that I say not plainly superstitious persons to whom the Liturgie of their Church hitherto used seemed fit for many though most slight and frivolous causes not only to be disapproved but plainly abrogated Bishop Hall N. C. Enough enough You will be as long and tedious as the Common Prayer C. If that were shorter you would find the greater fault and if I used fewer words he would keep the greater quoile He is not one of those whom a word will suffice He will struggle and keep a stir even when he is overthrown and he must be oppressed with Proofs and Arguments or else he will not cease to quarrel and contend I shall add therefore the words of Bishop Hall k Apology against the Brownists Sect. 37. who justifying a stinted Form of Prayer against the Separatists saith Behold all Churches that were or are in the World are Partners with us in this Crime O Idolatrous Geneva and all French SCOTTISH Danish and Dutch Churches All which both have their Forms with us and approve them The same you may find in a Divine of your own l Mr. Sam. Clark collection of the lives of ten Divines p. 255. who tells us in the Life of Mr. Capel That he was clear in his opinion for the lawfulness of the use of Set Forms of Prayer according to the Tenent of all our best and most judicious Divines and according to the practice of all Churches even the best reformed saith M. Rogers now and in all former Ages So saith Mr. Hildersham Yea and Mr. Smith himself saith upon the Lord's Prayer though as then he was warping and afterwards wandred far in the waies of Separation that it was the practice of the ancient Church and of all the Reformed Churches in Christendom Of the Churches immediately after the Apostles nay saith he of the Church in the time of the Apostles as may be probably gathered out of 1 Cor. 14.26 This hath also been the practice of the best Lights that ever were set up in the Churches of Christ It is very well known that the flower of our own Divines went on in this way when they might have done otherwise if they had pleased in their Prayers before their Sermons To this Testimony which may serve also for other purposes I would cast in more but that you complain of weariness already N. C. I had rather take your word than be troubled with them C. And will you take Mr. Impudence his word against all these Author ties What say you Was there never a time when they used a Form of Prayer in the Church of Scotland Were they alway without nay against a Form when they were left to their own choice Did their Queen force them to Common Prayers when she forbad the use of them What do you think Must we believe all these strong Proofs and solid Testimonies or will he rub his forehead and say like himself believe me before them all In good time Sir Let him play never so many tricks let him frisk about and tumble up and down and endeavour to make you sport that you may forget the Question you came about You will have more wit I hope than to let him deceive you any more Remember Whise the Ape dances on the Rope that 's the time which is taken to cut the Purses of the Spectators But I think he may put all that he hath gain'd
Ignorant people than these memorable words of his I look not to scape the fangs of such excepters if I say that I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for no doubt but some of them can find Heresie or somewhat that countenances it in this o Appendix to the Disp of the Sacraments pag. 487. They love to quarrel with every thing when they have once taken a pique at a Book and let your writing be never so innocent they smell some dangerous design in it For which purpose you will scarce find a man who hath a better nose than this caviller who either for want of understanding or else through passion and hatred misinterprets and perverts every thing that he meddles withal N. C. You make him a strange man C. I 'le prove it to purpose before we have done and hope that all his clamours will be of no more force to make you believe that I have laid any platform to batter down all godliness than the many Volumns writ against Mr. Baxter will perswade you he is a Papist a Subverter of the Faith and calumniator of Protestant Divines For there is no more impiety in my Book than there is Popery in his nor will any body have such a thought unless it be such as come to suck poyson and food for their censuring opinionative zeal out of the Books they read p They are his words concerning one of his N. C. Some men love to be doing C. Though it be but to disturb those things which lie well enough already And they fansie they are doing some mighty service to the world merely because they put themselves to a great deal of trouble Witness this busie man whose pains to remove this stumbling-block out of the way as he calls it is altogether as idle as was the labour of Marchetto Piombino who going to Rome to seek a Master and lighting by chance upon a stone in the way began to spurn it with his foot and in this imployment spent so much of his time that when all his companions returned back they found him still troubled about this stone which he was resolved he said to spurn as far as Rome and there thrust it into the walls so far that it should never more annoy such strangers as travailed thither N. C. Pray do not imitate him but let us pass by this occasion of offence which hath turned us out of our way I am sure for I was going to tell you that you are thought to have arrived to the highest degree of Pride C. To walk you had better have said on the Battlements of Pride N. C. Pray hear me seriously for it is no laughing matter C. If the power of laughing as a very serious and holy Divine q Dr. Jackson of the Cath. Church pag. 176. of our own said a great while ago proceed from the nature of man and the nature of man consist in Reason it will be very hard for any man to refrain laughing that hath but so much reason as to consider the vanity of this mans Conclusions The case is this Because in writing a Discourse between two persons of opposite perswasions and parties I represented the one commending his Parish Priest whom he must be supposed to hear or rather vindicating him from that contempt and scorn which the other party poured on him he infers that I commend my self and boast of my own reason and skill in the holy Scripture He had best go and teach his Mother to suck instruct the University in a new way of drawing conclusions for no body ever learnt any such Logick there And till this upstart Reformer set Pen to Paper any body might make two men maintain a Dialogue as long as he pleased of matters disputed between the Parties they adhered to and never be thought he spoke of two single persons only But the sport of it is Our new Doctor will have that which is said of the N. C. in our Debate to reach to all and every one of that party or else it signifies nothing but what is said of the C. must be confined to a single person and that 's my self alone In good time he may make an incomparable Expounder of Books if he do but follow as he hath begun those Rules which passion and spight will dictate to him and never let a sober thought enter into his head For mark it again after he hath so often stretcht what is said against the N.C. to every one of them he can find in his heart at some turns to restrain my words to one single person even then when I speak in the plural number Such is the perversness of his humour that he will interpret what I say quite contrary ways if thereby he can lay hold of any occasion to cavil and load me with the ill will and hatred of his credulous Companions As for example when he takes notice of what I said concerning the black and white caps upon some N. C. Ministers heads r P. 88. of his Book he presently tells you in spight of all that he had said himself and of the large ness of my words that it is strongly conjectured who is the mark I aimed at and that it is his good head-piece I am more offended with than his caps and lace But he hath always as ill luck in his conjectures as in his reasonings For I had no particular man in my thoughts I assure you and to confess the truth spoke only from what I remembred since I was a boy and from their pictures in Books not from any observation since I was a man As for any of their head-peices I neither fear nor envy them though they were as good as Mambrino's golden Helmet Only I must remember you that men of such like brains as his have as little judgment in head-pieces as that Dâ—n who took a Barbers bason for that impenetrable Helmet Nor can I look upon this whole invention of his otherwise than as a malicious piece of his folly which would reproach me as effectually as he was able and lay all the blots which his little wit could devise upon my reputation But I may rest contented with it for far better men than I shall ever be have been thus dealt withal by ill nature when it could only cavil even then when they wrote no Dialogues The Reverend Professers and Ministers of Aberdene for instance when they only told the Ministers who came to urge the Covenant that there were other means and more effectual than their Covenant to use for holding men from Popery mentioning in particular extraordinary Humiliations frequent Prayer amendment of Life diligence in Preaching and searching the Scriptures s Reply the Eleventh 1638. they presently received this Answer to their Reply You have taken an ample testimony to your selves of pains in disputing writing and preaching and in doing all things that can be expected from the most zealous of frequent prayer
all Churches And then he concludes with a perswasion to all good Christians to lay aside contention and endless and many of them also needless Questions about this matter And seeing it must of all who are well advised be granted that the publique prayers are helps to stir up Gods graces in us and to convey to us the many good blessings of God which we want to look therefore to themselves every way so carefully that they may be fit to be helped and benefitted by them and with the same well ordered hearts and minds to attend unto and apply to themselves the prayers which either before and after Sermon are uttered or the other which through the whole action of Gods worship are read in their hearing and not to be led by opinion that they can take no profit by them N. C. I see very well what kind of writer he is C. And you see he is not for the â—â—oth of the men of these days in which Philag confesses your Ministers dare not perswade the people in this manner much less tell them that all who are well advised are sensible of the benefit that is to be received by the publike prayers read out of a Book This one passage is enough I doubt not to make such Books as these to be rejected as well as their Admonitions N. C. I believe these very good men and meant exceeding well C. But were weak and in a lower dispensation N.C. I dare not say so but I think they would not please now C. No I warrant you especially when they met with a form of prayer which this Author himself hath drawn up at the end of the fourth Treatise y Chap. 20. p. 537. c. Edit 5. 1630. In which among other things he teaches the people to acknowledge the great goodness of God in giving them to live under a most Christian and Religious Prince and King defending and maintaining the Gospel against all Antichristian Malice and tyranny and other adversary powers and the same truly and sincerely preached c. These are words which do not sound well in many of your ears they would be loath to joyn in this acknowledgment For we are told by one that God hath ecclipsed the light of the Sanctuary z T. W. Godlymans picture p. 114 By another that our Aarons too often make golden Calves a Rebuild of London p. 359. And by Philagathus that the Gospel is gone from many congregations in England and else where b Sober Answ p. 284. And that the Goshens that were when the N. C. were in them are grown as dark as the land of Egypt c pag. 285. and were it not for some reasons he tells you he would not have spoken of it but let it alone till the cry thereof so came up to Heaven as to cause the God of Heaven to say as in Gen. 18.11 concerning Sodom I will go down and see if they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come up unto me c. d p. 286. By which it should seem N. C. No glosses good Sir nor Inferences C. There needs none We may plainly observe what judgments they expect to come upon us because of their removeal We are in Egypt already though the word of God be read every where and must be made like Sodom and Gomorrah I wish heartily that in stead of such acknowledgments as good M. Rogers taught the people to make though many in those times were suspended and deprived they do not now clap petards on heavens gates that they may fly open and send down Fire and brimstone upon us N. C. Are you mad what wild fire hath got into your head Phil. called you a Crack now he will call you a Cracker C. You are not well read I perceive T. W. tells you that Prayer hath a power to destroy the Insolent Enemies of the Church For the two VVitnesses have a flame at their lips Fire proceeds out of their mouth which devours their Enemies Rev. 11.5 and this Fire is certainly to be interpreted of their Prayers c Godly mans picture by Mr. Tho. Watson p. 129. Now that you may better understand their power he tells you that Prayer is a petard which will make Heavens Gate to flye open f Ib. p. 130. N. C. I cry you mercy I did not expect to have found such expressions any where C. Not in Mr. Rogers I warrant you nor any of the Seminaries before named who will never trouble you with such conceited language as this nor tell you that Prayer is a seed sown in Gods ears g Ib. p. 128. N. C. Good now dismiss both him and Mr. Rogers I have had enough of them C. Let me tell you first that this book of his was abridged by Mr. Egorton * Anno. 1618. and put in Quest and Answ who commended it in his Preface to Mr. Hen. Scudders daily Walk and called the practice of Christianity A Book well know and much read when I was a Child and hath an Epistle of Dr. Gouge before it and at the conclusion certain Advertisements concerning Prayer * At the end of the seventh Book chap. 11. pag. 691. Edit 5. 1635. In which he declares that it is lawful and in some Cases expedient to use a set Form of Prayer And there being in respect of place and company three sorts of Prayer Publique in the Church private in the Family and secret by a mans self he concludes that the greatest liberty may be taken in solitary Prayer by a mans self because we are sure provided we be humble and upright that God will not upbraid any man for his Method Order Words or utterance In private Prayer he thinks we may not take so great a Liberty as when alone and justly fears that some well affected people have been somewhat faulty and offensive in this the weaker sort being not so capable of that kind of Prayer which is called conceived or extemporall varying every time in words phrase manner and order though the matter and substance be the same But as for the publique Congregation special care he tells you must be had that nothing be done in praying preaching or administring the Sacraments but what is decent and orderly because there many eyes do see us and many ears hear us and upon this account it is expedient for the most part to keep a constant Form both of matter and words c. This was the Doctrine of the Divines of those dayes though it be not relished now by those who reverence their Name more than their Books Dr. Preston himself another Name which this man vapours withal declared his opinion about the lawfulness of set forms in the first Sermon h Preached before he was Chaplain as Mr. Ball tells us in his Life published by Mr. Clark p. 112. he preached before King James at Royston upon 1 John 16. where he hath these remarkable
words which will be thought too scornful by many of you now That a set Form of prayer is lawful much need not be said the very newness of the contrary opinion is enough to show the Vanity and falshood of it The truth of it is it was so new that there were few of those old Divines but they opposed it in their constant practice This Dr. now named Dr. Sibbs Mr. Hildersham Mr. Dod Mr. Bradshaw c. alway using one Set Form of Prayer before their Sermons and some of them in their Families For which the last mentioned gave this reason as Mr. Gataker tels us in his Life i Life of Mr. Wil. Bradshaw published by Mr. Clark p. 67. in Fol because he sitation in prayer is more offensive than in other discourse unto profane ones especially whereof in mixed multitudes and meetings some lightly too many usually are And he affirmed this also to have been Mr. Th. Cartwrights practice with whom he sometimes conversed And Mr. Clark I remember confesses that Mr. Sam. Crook who dyed no longer ago than 1649. was the first man who brought conceived prayer into use in those parts where he lived in Somerset-shire k Collect of 〈◊〉 o◠〈◊〉 Diviâ—â—â— p. 38 〈…〉 If you would see more of this you may read Dr. Prestons Book called the Saints daily Exercise l 〈◊〉 6. 1 31. p. â—â— set forth by Dr. Sibbs and Mr. Davenport where you will find this Question largely handled whether we mâ—y â—se set Forms of Prayer and resolved assirmatively For which he gives many reasons N. C. I 'le seek them when I am at leisure C. Only remember this for the present that he saith he knows no obâ—ection of weight against it How do you like this Doctrine now N. C. Is not the Spirit straitned in stinted Prayer And doth not a man find his Spirit bounded and limited when he is tyed to a Form C. That 's the main objection he tells you to which he gives three substantial Answers The first is that those very men who are against this and use this reason do the same thing daily in the Congregation for when another prays that is a Set Form to him that hears it who hath no liberty to run out though his Spirit should be more large but is bound to keep his mind upon it And therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a man might not use a set Form because the Spirit is straitned it would not be lawfull to hear another pray though it were a conceived Prayer because in that case his Spirit is limited Secondly he tells you though the Spirit be limited at that time yet he hath a liberty at other times to pray as freely as he will It is no general ty though he be then bound up And Thirdly he adds that there is no ty and restraint upon the Spirit because there is a ty to words For the largness of the heart stands not so much in the multitude and variety of Expressions as in the extent of the affections which have no ty upon them when we are tyed in words N. C. Too many words will not do well in any other thing Let us therefore make an end of this C. I shall only tell you that if you turn a leaf or two further m Saints daily Exercise p. 84. you will find another case resolved about the gesture of Prayer which he would have to be very reverend especially in publique And that Mr. Hildersham exhorts to kneeling as the fittest gesture And complains of those that neglected it as also of such as would not sit bare at the reading of the holy Scriptures wishing withall that when we come in and go out of the Church we would give some signification of such reverence as now is rather derided than approved By all which you may see without travelling through the rest of the Authors which he mentions that they will not down with your squeamish stomacks and have been thrust out of doors by a number of frivolous writers among you who can better humour the childish fancies and the corrupt appetites of the professors of this Age. This very man is one of them who jeers those old Puritans as they were called as well as us when he compares a man that uses a Form of Prayer to an Horse in a Mill * Page 97. of his Book which goes round and round and cannot easily go out of his way if he do but jog on though he be hood-winkt and blindfolded N. C. But Religion as he sayes is like to suffer greatly by the not reading of those good writers C. That 's spoken only upon supposition that our Ministers have made them to be rejected but if they have been the cause of it themselves he can tell you another story Doubt not of it he can find you Authors enough as good as they if not better and as many as you please twenty or forty or more Say how many you would have for it 's all one to him whether it be twenty or forty n Pag. 55 56 57. one is as soon said as the other and they shall be such Treatises that there are not better extant in the World of those Subjects N. C. Do you think he will write against himself C. That 's a very small matter with one that minds not what he writes In a twelve moneths time you may think it is easie for a man to forget what he hath writ and so no wonder that he who told us in 1668. that some good Scholars were put to such hard shifts as to beg their bread the Laws at that time being too hard for them and too strictly observed to let them get any sufficient employment for a livelihood o Rebuilding of London p. 331. c. should tell us now 1669. that the severe Ordinances signified next to nothing where he was conversant and should ask to what purpose it is to mention them as long as I tell of no Execution done by them p Sober Answ p. 254 255. But he can do a great deal more than this comes to in an hours time or so he can forget what he hath said and say the contrary In the 31. page of his Preface he tells you that he hath endeavoured to restore me with a Spirit of meekness notwithstanding that but two leaves before p. 26. he had excused himself for not making a milder answer flesh and blood being not able to bear some of my expressions In his Book also if you mark it he desires you to believe he is far from being one of those who say as if we were the Jews or Gentils he speaks of in another place For what acquaintance should we perswade our people to joyn with you Or how came we to ow you so much Service q Page 221. And yet he hath not writ many leaves before he tells us in plain termes without excepting himself that the N.
d p. 162. of his Book and speaking of other partculars he leaves out this and then basely slanders me for putting experiences or those that treasure up and communicate them among the workers of iniquity When I only said that the power of godliness did not consist in such things as these But there is 50â— much folly which he powres out on this subject that it would make too great a part of a Book to lay them open Would you think any man should be so senseless as when I smile at a man that brings his own experience to prove the truth of Christianity to tell me â—f the experience the World hath had of the Gospel being propagated far and near Is this to omit what might be otherwise replyed any of your particular experiences Do you feel that the Jews are a miserable People at this day which is another thing he mentions If we must write Books at this rate it will be endless for a man must be forced to write the same things over and over again to convince such opposers And therefore fare him well let him enjoy all his idle conceits about Holy-days and tell us of their unwillingness to keep such days as we do not keep our selves e St. Swethen St Georg c. p. 151. that this Saint is better than that and say as he doth profanely that they are disposed to keep a Fast rather than a Festival in remembrance of St. Bartholomew f They are his own words p. 153. one of the Holy Apostles to whom some part of the World was beholden for preaching the Gospel Let him prefer his Major Gen. if he will before him and make this an Argument against observing our Holy-days because they are no better observed g p. 155. I resolve not to trouble my self with such matters nor all the rest of his impertinencies on this subject N. C. I am glad of it with all my heart I hope we are almost at an end C. And I am as glad that he hath bestowed his six week time almost in abusing me and perverting the sense of my Book if it have kept him from worse imployment N. C I know not what you aim at C. The same that a Gentleman of a neighbouring Nation did who was used by another Phil. h Philarchus who writ againt Balzac just as I have been by this and his comfort I take to my self This little misch of which is done me may be of some use 〈◊〉 the Common-wealth and while malice amuses it self about matters of this concernment it may not find leisure to intermeddle in affairs of higher moment They that imploy their time in perverting the sense of Books and falsifying mens Works are of such a disposition that it is possible as this man speaks they might have been busied in forging of Wills or cliping of Money And he that comes only to desire a Licence or Priviledg for a Book i As he did to Seignior Ld. Chaac of France in a letter to whom these passages are might haue sued for a Pardon or a Reprieve It is much better that injustice should sport it self in the spoiling of a poor Dialogue than that it should trouble the publick tranquillity and that it should transpose words and alter periods than remove the bounds of lands or perplex mens estates To say the truth it is the most innocent imployment that Vice can have and I might be thought to have served my Country if I had done no more than find such idle people some work who might have proved dangerous Citizens if they had not chosen to be ridiculous Censurers N. C. I hope you do not apply all this to him C. I must at least let him know thus much That I am perfectly well content if the heat of his brains exhale this way and his intemperate rage find no other vent If he know not what to do with his zeal let him continue to spend it on me rather than suffer it to be more dangerously imployed If this scope and liberty which he gives to his folly will go no further he may proceed as he hath begun And let him call in what assistance he please to pelt me and powre whole showers of stones upon me it is like I may be able as that Gentleman said in his case I may be able to build my self a Monument with those stones which Wrath and Malice hurl at me without doing me any harm N. C. You will have good luck then for you may expect other kind of stones than you think of if all be true that he saith Hail-stones or Thunder-bolts for he tells you he hath but anticipated others that would have come against you in a whirlwind and all in Thunder-claps whereas he speakes in a still and gentle voice which might have broken all your bones k Preface 31. C. Pish They will prove but the noise of Pot-guns I warrant you And I look upon this but as a Vapour and a piece of that Vanity I told you he is guilty of which hath contrived I cannot tell how many punishments for me It is but a small matter that in the beginning of his Preface he supposes I deserve to be cut off l pag. 3â— he can tell you the manner of it Either by a Leprosy like Gehazi or by a worse means being in as much danger as most men he knows to dy like Herod of the lowsy disease m They are his words pag. 80. And why so think you N. C. Your pride and insolence is so great as he tells you as appeares particularly by telling us of W. B. lowsy similitudes which he cannot divine how it should come into your mind unless your head be already full of lice C. Is not his pride and insolence greater than that he layes to my charge who presumes you see there can be no good Reason for a thing if he do not know it Let him know now once for all that I did not throw any word carelesly into my Paper as he doth but wrote deliberately and gave such Epithetes to things as I judged upon consideration most proper if he like me the worse for this I care not I like my self the better N. C. Could you have any reason for so Vile an Epithete C. Suppose I had learned it out of your Books and only returned your own words back again to you where had the fault been I am sure I find some of your Spirit in times past called the Orders in the common-Common-prayer Book carnal beggarly lowsy and Antichristian n Dr. Bancrost's Sermon at Pauls Cross p. 20. N. C. But you should not have imitated such beggarly language C. Nor W. B. used such beggarly similitudes For the true Reason o I told you I had a good one continuation p. 116 I assure you of that Epithete was this that he compares an unconverted person to a Beggar who drops lice as the other doth sins where ever he
call Praying and Discoursing about good things and such like matters He whose Religion only alters the Countenance and busies himself in composing the Face and ordering the Postures of the Head shall sooner be believed though he pour out an hundred Lies than that well-designing Person who studies to bridle his tongue to speak nothing but the Truth and to order his Life according to the Will of God These shall all be disparaged and vilified by an empty and talkative Devotion which shall be preferred much before them You may think this to be scarce credible but when you consider the Ignorance of some the Weakness of other mens Natural Parts the naughty Affections that most are possessed withal and bring along with them to the reading of Books even of the Holy Scriptures and how Truth it self was rejected when it came in Person into the World and the sacred Volumns have been so wrested that the absurdest Fictions have been made out of them you will not wonder that a Pious Discourse meets with this Bad Entertainment Either men consider not that some Truths lie deep and must be drawn up with a great deal of labour or they have not indifferent Minds but suffer their Desires and Wishes to form their Opinions for them They run over a Book in post-hast and only spend a few slight thoughts upon it or they want that Honesty and Integrity of heart which is necessary to a right Vnderstanding They are fiercely bent to maintain their own conceits they are blinded by the Love of this World or by Anger and Hatred of others or by a proud and vain Opinion of themselves which rise up to contradict the plainest Truth that strikes at them And of all the rest nothing more indisposes the Soul and prejudices it against the Truth than that laest thing now named a vain Conceit of themselves which makes men bold and confident apt to censure rather than to learn to be angry at all Reproofs and to conclude that is false which they do not instantly understand St. Austin e L. 3. Conf. chap. 5. Turgidus fâ—stu mihi gâ—randis videbar confesses that this would not let him understand the Holy Scriptures which contain things that are of this Property to grow up with a little one but I disdained saith he to be a little one and being swoln with Pride and conceit seemed some great Person in my own eyes To this there often joyns it self an Envious Humour which loves to detract from others that men may seem better themselves than indeed they are Or rather as Dr. Sibs hath observed f Sermons upon 4. 5. and 6. of â— Canticles p. 285. This is a thing which springs from the poisonous Pride of mens Hearts that when they cannot raise themselves by their own worth they will endeavour to do it by the ruin of anothers Credit through Lying and Slanders The Devil was such a Lyar and Slanderer then a Murtherer He cannot Murther without he Slander first This disposes them to believe any thing of others though never so false and then moves them to fling it abroad by Word and Writing thinking it enough to salve their own Credit should they be caught in a Falshood and convicted of notorious Lies to thrust in these old Words they say it is reported g Aiunt feâ—tur and such like wherewith all the Tales and Legends that are have been ushered into the World In this manner Apion calumniated the Jews and thus the Primitive Christians were abominably abused And all this with Security enough the Folly and Ill Nature of the Multitude being so great that they dote upon these Forgeries and Detractions and suffer themselves as Josephus hath observed h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. l. 2 contra Apion sooner to be won by them than by that which is writ with more care and consideration they rejoyce in Reproaches and are ill at ease and vexed when they hear mens just Commendations Some are credulous and others are negligent a Lie steals upon some and it pleases others Those do not avoid it and these have an appetite to it i Sen. l. ult nat Qu. c. 16. But I need not go to those antient times to seek instances of this hard Vsage there being one so fresh and pregnant nearer at hand of all that hath been said There came forth a little Book not long ago whose Design as God knows and all Sober men might easily discern was not to make men less but more Religious not to abate the Force and Power of true Godliness but to direct unto it encourage and advance it that its Name might be venerable among men For which end the Author earnestly desired that men would not deceive themselves and others with mere Words and Phrases that the Scriptures of God might be carefully studied rightly explained and wisely applied that the People might be taught the wholesome Words of the Lord Jesus and not fed with vain and empty Fancies that the Holy Faith of Christ might be made more effectual for its end Goâ— might be worshipt with greater Reverence Charity and Vnity among Brethren preserved and restored all those notorious Sins which stare meâ— in the Face though they wear the Mask of Religion might be repented of and that they might not make those things the mark of Religion which do not distinguish Bad men from Good in short that they might talk less and do more not rest themselves in the Means nor quarrel about them but seriously mind that Religion which is the End of all Sermons Prayers Holy Conference and of Faith it self and may certainly be promoted and attained by such means as the Laws of this Christian Kingdom allows Against this innocent and harmless Book a malecontented Person hath opposed himself with that unbridled and unruly Heat which without Reason and Knowledg was noted of old k Greg. Naz. orat 26. p. 446. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be one great cause of all the Disturbances and Divisions that have been in the Church of Christ Religion he would have you think is not only assaulted in its Out-works but the whole Fabrick of it undermined For which purpose he hath contrived a great many Stratagems and Maximes out of his own Imagination but as he would have it believed out of that Debate wherewith he tells the World he sees me going on destroying and to destroy Piety and introduce Ungodliness and laying an exact Method and Platform to compass and effect the Extirpation of all practical Holiness even from Dan to Beersheba l Pres to the Sober Answer p. 12.15 This is the Sum of his Charge against me and in his own words For which there is no Cause at all but that I set not the same Esteem that he doth upon their keeping of Daies talking about Religion and such like things which are at most but Means of Piety when lawfully used but in which he places it should seem the
very Life and Spirit of it and thinks they are very Religious when they handle the matter so as to neglect greater Duties to perform these This is to be imputed I verily believe partly to his fiery Nature partly to his Ignorance and want of Judgment partly to a rash and precipitate Forwardness and very much to his Self-Admiration m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â— p. 444. a vain Conceit of his own Abilities and a Desire to be the Author of some great Discovery that should make him considerable among his Party Hot and fiery Dispositions were antiently noted to be the Movers of Troubles though not simply such as had a great Fervour in them but when it was without Reason and Learning which begets an audacious Rashness in their Spirits Ignorance you know can never be just in its Judgment no more than a man can go right in the dark False Alarms are wont to be given in the Night which is the time of Robberies and Murthers as well as of Dreams and Phantasms Rashness and Inconsiderateness is little better it being much what the same to have no eyes and not to use them Where this Answerers eyes were when he read my Book its hard to say not in his Head sure in Solomon's sense for he never hits the Meaning when he opposes and still misses his way in that which he confidently affirms His whole Discourse if it may be called by that name is beside the Book and managed in such a manner as if his Reason served him but like an half Moon in a Coat of Arms n As Sir Hen. Wotton somewhere speaks to make only a notional Difference between him and other Creatures not for any Vse or Active Power in it self This together with his Prejudice and Passion his vain Confidence and Presumption of his Skill made him so regardless of what he said that as sometimes he cites such Words out of my Books as are to be found in neither of them o P. 44. This should cause you to reflect on your self as somewhere you have dâ—â—â— upon Deâ—lâ—rm This it is to be a great Divine and unâ—equ inâ—â—d with the Scriptures so he hath stuft his own with Slanders and Lies Detractions and Calumnies and notoriously defamed not only my Design but also my Self and every where perverted the Sense of such Plain Words as an innocent Child may easily understand These things he would have had a greater Care to avoid did he either know wherein the Life and Power of Religion consists or used the Means he contends about as much for the purposes of Holiness as for the Marks and Characters of a Party You must not expect that I should enumerate them here You will find as many of them as the brevity I designed would permit in the Body of the following Book which I have writ partly to vindicate my Self but most of all to vindicate and further declare the Truth The Power and Authority of which is such as Polybius an excellent Historian and of great Fidelity p L. 13. excerpt Who yet could not escape Calumnies for one Scylax wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an History opposite to his as Suidas tells us speaks that it hath a kind of Divinity in it So that when all contend against it and there are great numbers of fair and probable Tales ranged with great care on the side of Lies and Falshood she insinuates her self I know not how by her own force into the Souls of men And sometimes she shews her power on a sudden sometimes being darkned and obscured a long time in the end so baffles those Lies by the Strength which resides in her self that she triumphs over them all q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not so little knowledg of Humane Nature nor so little Experience in what is past as to think that Truth will conquer all no not though we take her part and lend her our Assistance in the best manner we are able Prophets I know have been slighted when Juglers and Enchanters have been admired sober Reason rejected when idle Fancies have been greedily swallowed But yet we must not despair of all because of the perverse Obstinacy and heady Opposition of some Nay the most fierce and violent Enemies of Truth if we chance to meet with them in a calm Season and when they are disposed by the Grace or Providence of God to be humble and meek wâ— may have some hopes to prevail withalâ— The Confidence of this very man is noâ— so high but it may be taken down 〈◊〉 he will read with the same mind thaâ— I wrote voâ—d I protest of all angenâ— and resolved to â—â—â—mit to the Evident of Truth whensoever it should presenâ— it self He will complain perhaps of the Sharpness of my Stile in some places but he may believe me it was not my Passion but my Judgment which dictated those Words to me It was necessary I thought to disabuse Him and his Followers too who otherwise would not have been awakened to see his Folly If I am mistaken in the Fitness of this Proceeding it is but a pure Error of my Mind not any Vice in my Will as far as I can find I was not hurried but went deliberately into it by the Guidance of the best Reason I had This tells me also that I have not done ill in undervaluing his Answer and consequently himself as not worthy the name of a Book but rather of so much blotted Paper It is not the Work of one whose Heart studies to answer as Solomon's words are or that uses Knowledg aright but whose Mouth poureth or belcheth r So it is in the Margin Pâ—o 15 4. and v. 28. out Foolishness And St. John himself as Mr. Burroughs observes s Vindiâ— against Mr. Eâ—w p. 2. that Disciple so full of Charity speaks contemptuously of such and tells the Church he would reckon with Diotrephes for his Malicious-Prating They do not err alone but draw Company into their Follies The Violent or Injurious Man intices his Neighbour and leads him into a way that is not good He shutteth his Eyes to devise froward things moving his Lips he brings evil to pass Prov. 16.29 30. And therefore such Persons must be rebuked with some Sharpness because as they are not insolent merely for themselves so when one of them is lashed many more may learn their Duty at his Cost There are some I know who think he needed not have been replied unto at all and I my self for a good while was one of those For either the People will read my Book or they will not If they will not to what purpose should I write If they will they need but read what is writ already and there they will find an Answer themselves without any more ado But further Thoughts perswaded me to resolve otherwise because there are many men who know well enough he hath missed the Mark
that are contented notwithstanding his Book should pass for an Answer and will commend it till the Nakedness of it be discovered Others also are easily cheated with a Multitude of Words and will rather distrust themselves than a godly Minister as they esteem him who is so confident and hath the Scripture continually at his Tongues end This makes a Show of Religion and of Wisdom too and though it be nothing to the purpose there seems to be much of God in it As there are confident Ninnies sometimes in the Garb of Wise men and Sententious Absurdities that carry the appearance of Aphorisms So there is a blustering Language which looks like Rhetorick ridiculous Conceits which make a show of Wit and ignorant Bablers in Holy Phrase who seem like great Divines It was a Trick of the Separatists from the beginning to paint the Margin of their Books with the Chapter and Verse of many Scriptures which were the Ornaments also of their Preaching and familiar Discourse This very much astonished the simple and credulous who perswaded themselves that the Cause of those men stood upon the ground of Gods Word which they had so ready at their fingers end But if a serious man come to examine them he shall find they alledg Scriptures against us to prove that which we do not deny or if they be brought to confirm the matter in Controversie they are unconscionably or ignorantly wrested against or beside the meaning of the Holy Ghost t They are the words of the grave and modest Consutation of the Separatists c. paâ—l 1644. in the Pref. This I thought good among many other things to reprove in this ignorant Boaster though the instances of it are so many that I could not without tiring the Readers note them all Many other things I have also passed by untouched for this only Reason that there are such heaps of Absurdities as it would make a Volumn of too great a Bulk to gather them all together There is nothing I protest which I could not as easily have confuted as those Follies which I have mentioned nor did I wave any thing because of its Difficulty but since some things must be let alone for fear of being tedious I took those into consideration which came readiest to my mind and which I thought the most material leaving the Reader to conceive by the handling of them what I could have said of the rest if I had thought it worth my pains I speak in the singular number because my name is not Triumvirate much less Legion as some vainly surmise v See his Pref. p. 1. and 17. There is nothing in the two former Books or in this either but what is the fruit of my own Diligence without the least help from any body else No Collections were made to set me up nor have I received so much as one Observation from any person since I began I had no Adviser neither no man to instigate me to the Vndertaking or to speak in his Dialect to be my Intelligence or Assistant Form to move me and carry me about x Ib. p. 39. All these Suggestions are out of some of their own idle and empty Brains for the whole was purely from and by my self alone And it is no such wonderful Work neither in my Judgment now that it is performed If it be it is more than I know and I have the very same Opinion of my self that I had before it was conceived What that is you will find in this Book and therefore I shall not here repeat it Though I must tell you were I blown up as he suspects by the Breath of other mens Praises it would be more pardonable than to swell with my own and vaunt at such a rate as he doth Who as he absurdly fancies me dealing with Religion as Abraham was about to do with Isaac so he conceives himself like the Angel which hindred the Execution and cries out Pardon me if I rise up to staythy Hand wonder not if I adventure all to keep Religion from being made one whole Burnt-Offering by you y Preface p. 25. The Earnestness of which Request he might well have spared for it would have been granted without so much as asking It is no wonder at all to see Ignorance daring and adventurous It is the Mother z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. ib. we have learnt of insolent Brags and bold Rashness Which brood as one hath well ezpressed it many years ago breaking the Shell with too much Hast cackles afore it be full hatched a Bishop of Rochesters Epistle of the Ministers of Scotland before his Sermon Sept. 21 1606. of this you have a Proof in this great Vndertaker whose raw and indigested Thoughts made him resemble the Destruction of Religion which he was speaking of to a whole Burnt-Offering to God and talk of staying my Hand after it had given the Stroke Many such incongruous Conceptions you will meet with in the following Book which if it do not bring him down from his lofty Perch and humble him in his own Thoughts will lay him low I believe in the esteem of equal Readers who will see he is so far from being like an Angel that he hath done nothing like an ordinary man As for the time which was spent in composing this or the former Pieces I am not yet so vain as to tell the World how little it was He shall only know thus much for his satisfaction that there is no Truth in what he hath been told of Collections made for them several years The second Part wherein he saith there is much Reading being not so much as thought of till I heard what a stir they kept about the First and had notice of so many unjust Exceptions against it And now I see this man was one of those that defamed it though with no more Conscience and Truth than he uses when he tells the World that it was the earnest Wish and Longing of the Debater as well as of his Friends that his Book might see the Light b Pref. p. 37. This is a Fiction of his own or he had no more Cause to say so than he had to pronounce who was the Author of these Books that is none at all but a Rumour of that publick Liar which hath brought so many other Tales to his Ears For he had not the same Argument as he falsly pretends c If you ask how I prove the the two Debares to be writ by you I answer by the same argument wherewith you prove W. B. c. p. 29. to prove that person whom he strikes at to be the Author of them which I have to prove those Ten Sermons cited so often in the first Debate to be the work of W. B. Those two letters being set before them and we being told in words at length that they were composed by Mr. Wil. Bridge in a Catalogue of Books printed by Tho.
Parkhurst at the end of Mr. Sam. Rolls his Book called London's Resurrection But I should write a new Book should I proceed to represent only all the weak and ungrounded Conclusions which this Man makes in that Preface Who he is I have plainly enough signified to those who will be at the pains to read this Dialogue relying chiefly upon his own confession to several persons though it is easie enough other ways to find him out To whom I intended at first another person should have directed a very short Preface I mean that the Epistle of Isidorus Peleusiota to Candidianus d L. 1. Epist 480. should only have been prefixed to this Book and no other And though for good Reasons I have made a longer my self yet I shall commend that also to his Meditations Why dost thou make such hast to injure him whom thou oughtest rather to love for declaring what opinion all have of thee Differences have often corrected and set straight men of ingenuous spirits by making way for a cure of that which they have contumeliously committed If therefore thou thinkest those things reproachful which thou hast heard preserve thy self by well-doing unreproachable For if thou dost amend thy works these disgraces will vanish together therewith That I assure you was my end in Writing again to make him better known to himself and the Truth better known to the People to make him more careful what he writes and them more careful what they believe If any will still surmise that I have other ends than what I have declared in this and former Prefaces I have nothing to say to such now but that which a discreet and grave person e Mr. Francis Merbury mentioned upon a good occasion in the following Book Epistle before his Sermon at the Spittle 1602. whom they dare not discommend said long ago when he was misconstrued The falseness of mans heart if he set himself seriously before God cannot so deceive him but he may discern whether he have a care to avoid evil and to glorifie God In this care I have had my part and if men will report me otherways my Conscience as Job 31.36 shall make her a Garland of their Reports I am not the first whose words have been wrested and design mis-represented and defamed nor shall I be the last as long as any honest man will speak truth and but one of that angry and discontented brood remains which occasioned that apology now mentioned His words are remarkable in the middle of his Sermon concerning those who then desired a change with which I shall conclude There are two Cruel Beasts in the Land with gaunt bellies the wickedly needy and the wickedly moody The wickedly needy are they in all degrees who have consumed their own Estates and now hover over other mens The wickedly moody are they who have treasured up wrath and revenge in their minds against those who have been Gods instruments for their Nurture These disdain that a due defence should be opposed to their undutiful offence and both these and the other as it is said of Lions have for a time crookt in their nails to keep them sharp but they look for a day And God grant a day to as many of them as be impenitent and that the day they shall see may be as Zachary saith 14.12 when their eyes shall sink in their holes and their tongues consume away in their mouths Octob. 13. 1669. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS THe Arts and shifts of the N. C. page 1 2 3 c. Some of them noted by my Lord Bacon page 5 6. A cheat cryed up by some of them for a mighty work of God page 7 8 Their ont-cries and clamors page 10 And scornful pity page 11 With denouncing of judgments upon their adversaries page 12 The surious folly of Philagathus page 13 Who resolved not to be convinced page 14 15 And phancies himself another David page 16 But is more like Don Quixote page 17 c. A short account of his misadventures from page 19 to 38 A ready way to compose a great Book c. page 39 40 An answer to his cavil against the Title of my Book page 41 How he misrepresents my words page 43 A wretched Apology for his Friends page 44 45 c. His unjust and undutiful complaints page 46 Makes the people believe they are Martyrs page 47 And in Eyptian bondage page 48 Ingratitude to their Governours c. page 50 51 The bold Ignorance of this man page 52 c. An instance in his Discourse of the Demonstration of of the spirit and of power page 54 62 Origen's interpretation of those words page 57 c. St Chrysostom's page 59 And divers others of the Ancients page 60 And of the Modern Writers page 61 Which clearly shew the impudence of this Writer page 62 63 He abuses Peter Martyr c. page 64 An casie way of writing Books page 66 67 Eâ—asmus put in to make a vain show page lb. page 68 Another instance of his shameless boldness page 70 The true ground of my Interpretation of those words page 71 72 73 c. Mr. Baxter's opinion of Grotius page ib. Philagathus rather to be called Antilegon page 75 An odious discase which some of them are sick of page 76 77 The sum of my charge against this man page 79 Their pride makes them call those proud who oppose them page 80 Of Faith's justifying us page 83 c. Other things about it page 87 c. His idle questions noted page 90 91 His rare qualities page 92 His Ignorant Discourse about the Pomps of the World page 93 What they were which Christians renounced in Baptism page 94 95 c. How inticing they were page 98 99 The Assemblies Definition of Faith page 100 c. 106 107 A new Cheat discovered page 101 102 c. An authentick Explication of the Assemblies meaning page 108 The Act of Indemnity impertinently alledged page 110 111 c. A true report of that Act and of Oblivion page 114 to 130 A fine way to keep posterity in ignorance page 118 Philagathus his false zeal page 119 120 The N. C. crossed the Design of the Act of Oblivion page 125 126 They keep up marks of Distinction page 127 Their old bad Principles ought to be remembered page 129 They make a show with words without sense page 130 Their partiality page 131 How they get credit with the people ib. page 132 133 Who are abused by ignorant but confident talkers page 135 A remarkable instance of it page ib. 136 An account of the Liturgy of Scodand and others page 137 to 145 Mr. Capel's and others opinion of Set Forms page 144 Another proof of Philag bold ignorance page 147 And presumption page 149 c. His lame account of their Opinions about the Covenant page 152 to 157 The great Charity of the N C. page 153 In what danger we are if all be true that Phil. says
page 154 155 Their great presumption page 157 The Power of Boldness page 159 Some instances of the great Impudence of this man page 160 161 c. Of their smuity Discourse page 163 A wicked Suggestion page 166 Two of their Popular Arts page 168 169 How Smect dealt with Bishop Hall page 170 They abuse the Scripture as the ancient Hereticks did page 171 172 c. A Discourse of Dr. Jackson's on this subject page 174 c. W. B. misapplication of Scripture page 176 And others page 177 Their conceit of themselves page 179 198 And sottish abuse of holy words page 180 181 Impudent excuses they make rather than confess Errors page 181 182 186 Of pretences to Visions page 183 Another dangerous notion of W. B. page 185 Of Pretences to Revelations page 187 c. New Lights page 18â— How mild they are toward high offenders among themselves page 192 c The reason men so easily believe lies and asperse others page 195 And rake Libels for them page 19â— His wicked suggestions about Sacriledge page 201 20â— c His pitiful Apology for them page 20â— Mr. Udal's Book about Sacriledg page 20â— How they misimploy their thoughts page 2â—â— A wretched reasoning page 212 21â— How little they value the Peace of the Church page 21â— How much the Ancients valued it page 21â— The hard haerteduess of the N. C. page 216 21â— The lying and jugling of this Writer page 219 c Their aptness to complain page 2â—â— And self-love page 224 Another old trick of the disaffected page 225 c. Their undutiful and causeless clamours c. page 227 228 c. Deprivation for not Conforming to Publike Order is not Persecution page 234 235 c. Magistrates Power to appoint fit Instructers of his people page 237 238 Necessity of punishing those that do not conform page 240 c. The N. C. against so much as a connivance heretofore page 244 The peaceableness of the old N. C. when deprived page 247 Now they are like the Donatists page 250 Men murmur least when Laws are strictly executed page 251 The witlessness of Malice page 255 It is not Godliness but themselves which they contend for page 256 N.C. have acknowledged the Canting of some of their own party page 257 c. How Mr. Calvin and others have been belyed by furious zealots page 260 c. The wild Logick of Philag page 264 c. The Assembly slighted by themselves page 269 c. They love to abuse us in holy Language page 272 The wicked spirit among N. C. page 273 Several sorts of them page 275 Their proud conceit of the power of their Ministry page 278 c. Men grow worse when they become Separatists page 282 Their own Books inform us of a wicked generation among them page 286 c. Advantage the Papists make of their Schism page 289 c. Why called Precisians page 290 Philag his Character of the N. C. page 295 c. Lies and falshoods in his Preface page 298 c. Anotable instance page 302 303 c. Lawfulness and usefulness of Forms of Prayer maintained by Mr. Roger's page 307 308 c. A Form of his which they will not imitate now page 311 Their Prayers more dangerous page 312 Mr. Egerton's Advertisement about Prayer page 313 Dr. Preston's page 315 The newness of the contrary opinion and practice page 315 316 The spirit not straitned by a form of words page 317 Philag against himself page 319 Of the Lyes which are in his Book page 323. to 330 Particularly about Excommunication page 330 331 c. Of going to Plays page 334 to 339 The Ordinances of Parliament about them page 340 How he abuses good sense page 342 c. The N.C. could see and Act worse Plays than any are now page 346 c. Of Trading in Promises page 354 And absolute Promises page 355 c. Their Faith acknowledged sometime to have no ground page 357 c. Of eying the Glory of God page 359 c. Wretched Interpreters of Holy Scripture page 361 c. Of Desertions c. page 364 c. How they have debauched Religion page 367 368 Justifie abuse of Scripture page 369 c. Pretend to mysteries when they are none page 374 c. His vain babble about Experiences and other things page 376 c. Of Perverters of the Sense of Books page 378 c. Punishments contrived for me page 380 c. W. B. lowsie similitude page 382 Wit not to be sought page 384 c. Wrangling without cause page 388 Considerations about the making up our breaches page 391 c. Of Schism page 394 Scandal page 395 Presumption of this Writâ—â— page 396 c. And of his fellows page 398 399 What Praving by the Spirit page 403. ERRATA Page 25. line 2. read Caraculiambre p. 26 l. 16. for Landaf r. Caerleon p. 26. l. 1. add in the marg p 151. of Sober Answer p 60 l. 26. r. manner p. 75 l. 24. r. Sophisters is in him p. 142. marg r. Duplies p. 143. l. 13. d. and before nice p. 153. l. 1. r. and will l. 20. O ye p. 184. l. 19. r. wherewith p. 225 l 27. that they might p. 230. l. 4. r cravings p. 234 l. ult r. their Discipline p. 278. penult flatly deâ— p. 282. l. 20. r. pertly champer p. 285. l. 6. r. to sins p. 288. l. 25. r. Martin Mar Priest p. 31. l. 12. r. for the tooth p. 323. l. 2. d. as p. 325. 2. for from r. form p. 333. l. 14. r. Caracalla p. 34â— l. 22. r. the point p. 354. l. 19. r. Traders p. 355 l. 25. r. of it p. 356. l. 1. r. requires p. 361. l. 1. Dav. Kimchi p. 364. l. 5. r. desertions p. 367. l. â— r. melancholy patient p. 377. l. 8. r. so much p. 37â— marg r. Lord Seguier Chancellor c. p. 380. l. 11 d. I may be able A FURTHER CONTINUATION AND DEFENCE OF THE Friendly Debate N. C. NOw for an Ishmael C. Are you the Isaac's then against whom to speak a word is to scoffe at the Children of God And must we be all cast out like the bondwoman and her son to make room for you the Holy Seed N. C. I did but use the words of a late Writer who hath answered your two Debates p. 19. C. That hath snarl'd and carpt you should have said at some things in them which he did not understand and N. C. This is your old Pride C. It is one of your old Arts rather and wretched shifts to call men proud when you cannot confute them and when you have blotted a great deal of Paper with senseless or impertinent stuff boldly to cry it up for an unanswerable piece N. C. What Arts do you tell me of I know none we use but honesty and plain dealing C. We know a great many other which have alway stood you in mighty stead One is to extoll the men
longer This shews him to be one of the right strain that can do these things which they condemn and immediately betake themselves to their Prayers and say I hate my self for it c p. 22. and then they are well and ready to do the same again A thoroughly honest man would have laboured to undo what he saw he had done amiss as he might if he had pleased with one stroke of his pen. But there is no such demonstration of his fierce and fiery spirit as this that he resolved to confute the second part of my Book before he saw it at least before he would consider it N. C. Why do you say so C. Because it did not come to his hand as he tells you d it was May 3. and he began April 21. pag. 81. till he had written several sheets and printed some as I have reason to think and yet they bear the Title of an Answer to the two Friendly Debates At least he clapt on this Title as soon as the second part appeared and before he had duly weighed all things in it for I know those that saw some of his sheets printed with that Title presently after May the 3d. when he first received my Book Was not this bravely done and like a man in his sober wits Are not these like to prove excellent men to guide your Consciences who resolve before hand if we reason with them not to be convinced but to adhere to their party right or wrong I could not but fancy him when I observed this in such a posture as Mr. Burroughs thought he saw Mr. Edwards fretting and chasing in his study saying to himself I will answer him I that I will I will reply I that I will Like one Piso St. Hierome speaks of who though he knew not what to say yet he knew not how to hold his peace If he could have had a little patience till he had read but the Epistle of my Book seriously he might have met with such advise as would have cooled him better then his Prayers viz. To know before he judged and not to believe all flying Tales But an Answer it seems was to be thrust out in all hast no matter how it was composed or of what lyes it was made up He could not stay to think much about it nor indeed was there any great need being to please those mean Spirits who like a work best as a great man observes when it resembles those Sacrifices out of which the heart is taken and where of all the Head nothing is left but the tongue only N. C. And why I beseech you should not he answer you Are you such a Goliah of Gath that no man can deal with you C. I took a measure of my self before ever I took pen in hand and know very well how much inferiour I am to my neighbours But the more to set off the greatness of his own courage and noble Atchivements he paints me like that uncircumcised Philistine and then fancies himself to be a chosen one pickt out by God e As God would have it I proved to be the man p. 192. like another David to enter into a single combate with me This he was not contented to tell us once f p. 1. but as his manner is he repeats it again in his fulsome preface g p. 28. Having no fear but this that after he had killed Goliah he should rise again and renewing the fight should bring some other Giant into the field with him and be two to one which all know is unequal And therefore distrusting my generosity of which he had some opinion when he concluded his Book h p. 192. I think you a more generous Enemy than to set any body beside your self upon me who have encountred you without the help of a second c. he betakes himself to Conjurations to keep me from taking that advantage I may well conjure you saith he that if I must be replyed to you alone would do it for it is not equal that you should have a second and I have none It was enough for such a stripling as David to encounter one Giant at a time and you are taken by some for another Goliah What ailed thee O thou flowr of Chivalry to faint on this fashion How came thy stout heart to quail at last Thou that canst pour out Scripture upon thy Enemies as thick as Hail-shot that canst charge and discharge as fast as a man can spit that canst dispatch Dragons as easily as Goliah's Why shouldst thou fear a thousand Giants though as big as Steeples any more than so many Crows N. C. Pray cease your fooling C. I assure you he must pass at least for one of the Seven Champions for no body he tells you is thought to be my march unless a St. George who kill'd the Dragon i Pag. 292. Behold the man then Horse and Arms and all See how he flourishes and swaggers and resolves to pull me down from the third Heavens whither he fears the breath of the people and my own vanity may in fancy have transported me k Ib. 292. But the mischief of it is this Doughty Knight had no sooner bestrid his Beast and marched a few paces but by some Inchantment or other he lost his wits and was turned into a new Don Quixote For if you look into the very next page l 293. As he told Hezekiah that he would deliver him 2000. Horses if he were able to set Riders up a them so it hath been said if any man would be the Rider 〈◊〉 mean the Answerer of your Book he or rather his Book should come mounted into the World upon the Back of aâ— Authentick License c I hope then I shall not miscarâ—y c. you will find that he fancies my Book to be an Horse himself riding on the back of it and which is most wonderful at the same time fighting with it and it was none of his fault I assure you that he was not also mounted upon the back of an authentick License But nothing daunted for want of that up he gets on the Back of the Book and giving it line upon line as he speaks and lash upon lash away he flies with his head full of Chimaera's and impossible Imaginations For he had but just fetcht his breath and spoken a few words before the poor Book was turned into a strong City or Fortress and he walked round about it as his own description of his adventures tell us told the Towers thereof markt well its Bulwarks considered its Palaces m Pag. 294. and setting down before it either besieged or storm'd it he knew not whether and in his fancy pulled down all the strong holds thereof and brought into Captivity every Notion in it that did exalt it self against Truth and Godliness And yet he had not travail'd farr before it was turn'd into a mighty man again and he thought
he saw a Sampson threatning to pull down the whole Fabrick of Religion as he did the House upon the Philistins n Pag. 22. of the Preface And then it was a Goliah as I told you o Ib. p. 28. and a very few minutes before p Ib. p. 27. it appeared like Geryon a Gyant with three heads nay he did not know but it might be a whole Legion compassing Religion as he elegantly speaks with Rams Horns to make it fall like the walls of Jericho q Ib. p. 25. N. C. I think you are horn madd C. You imitate his puny jests very well And to confess the Truth I am a little out and must correct my Error in not begining in good Order I should have told you as the custom is that of all the days in the year it was April 21. r As he tells in the the begining of his Book in the cool of the Spring Å¿ Which makes the adventure more wonderful Don. Q. fury happeniâ—g in the warmest day of July the Nonconformists being then in the tenth degree of Taurus or to speak in plain terms in the Second of the twelve Signs of the Zodiack of their sufferings N. C. Your wit sure is in the fall of the leaf C. Very well I am glad to see you in so good a humour but you must laugh at him and not at me for they are his words I assure you t P. 246. I had almost said they have run through all twelve of the Signs in that Zodiack of Suffering which I spake of Then I say it was when the good Knight Philagathus or as he is sometimes stiled Philogathus for there is a difference about his Name as there was about Don Quixote's abandoning the slothful plumes and causing certain old rusty Arms to be scoured which had a long time lain neglected and forgotten in the great Magazines of Qui mihi Propria quae Maribus Syntaxis and other such like famous Armories put on his Cap took up his Pen or Lance call it which you please and mounted his Steed marvellous content and jocund to think what a noble enterprise he took in hand of cleaving Giants beheading Serpents killing Monsters finishing Enchantments and in one word righting all the wrongs and redressing all the injuries that had been done to the N. C. He had no sooner sallied forth but a world of windmills whirl'd in his head and at every turn he fancied he saw some huge Giant some impious Goliah defying the Armies of the living God Upon these he sets with a zealous rage and by his own single arm in his conceit vanquishes them all not having so much as a Sancho Pancha to wait upon him A Monster or Prodigy of ill Nature for instance presents it self the greatest one of them that ever he heard of u Pag. 80. At the first sight it seemed to his roving thoughts like Bloody Bonner but a little after like cruel Nero breathing out nothing but death and destruction This put him out of all patience as he tells you so that after a few words he could neither think nor speak any more of it but falls on to thresh it like a Sheaf of Wheat to the very dust for fear it should heat a fiery furnace which now appear'd in his Imagination and which the Monster he thought might bespeak for them Thus it was in danger to become a Nebuchadnezzar and before he had done it appeared in the shape of the Devil himself every one suspecting that if it were in the power of this Fiend he would cast them body and soul into endless torments x They are his words p. 149. And who do you think this Nero-like Monster was you will scarce believe it but if you consult the Book you will find it was no body but St. Paul himself or a poor Conformist explaining and using his Words y Friendly Debate 1. Part. p. 53. to shew his neighbour that according to the Apostles opinion he might as well suffer him only to commend some persons a little as suffer others to do a great deal more than that comes to This made it vehemently suspected that our Don's brains did more than Crow at this bout and that he crasht his teeth and was perfectly madd with rage The first occasion of which was a bodily fear wherewith he was surprised that the Monster had a design to forrage all the Country and leave it so naked of Belly-ware that he and his must starve This kindled his wrath and made his eyes so red that he could see nothing but Blood Death and Hell fire though there was not the least spark I assure you of envy anger or ill-will in him whom he yells against But let us pass by this and next behold a Monster of Pride taller by the head and shoulders than most others which started out of his fancy and set it self before him It was the more frightful because it was thus large and yet but a young Cub not yet grown up unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Pride as he is pleased to describe it z P. 196. He resolved therefore to slice him and make minc'd meat of him before he grew too boisterous and stretcht himself as high as Lucifer or the Morning Star Iâ— which Planet if you will believe an History a Lucian Verae Hist L. 1. as true as his Book there are people by this time so big that from the waste upward they are as tall as the great Colosfus of Rhodes But of all the Apparitions he encountred in this Frenzy there were none put him into so great a Passion as an huge Giant just like that wicked Alifamfaron a furious Pagan mentioned in the famous History of Don Quixote L. 1. Part. 3. c. 4. For he conceived he saw him taking a course that Divinity might be exchanged for Philosophy Christianity for Heathenism our Bibles and the Precepts thereof for Seneca and Epictetus b Preface p. 18. All the Country was in danger to be wasted by him for he threatned as he imagined to pull down the whole Fabrick of Religion c Ib p. 22. and to extirpate praectical Holiness from Dan even to Beersheba from one end of the Land to the other d Ib. p. 12. For the compassing of which behold a great rout with a numerous train of Artillery following him at the heels I know not how many Maximes Stratagems Directions Aphorisms and other clattering words as you may find in his terrible Preface Where he tells you they are very unsound and unsavoury yea prophane and impious yea and bent against Religion e Ib p. 39. Thus he multiplyed Monsters in his wild Imagination which made those things appear prophane and impious yea and bent against Religion for these things are different in his conceit which are as in nocent as that Flock of Sheep which Don Quixotâ— took for so many Giants in Alifamfarons
own accord wave them all and desire them to stand by or go into whose service they please intending to shift as well as I can without them Now what have you to say I am not only a single person as you see but quite naked and disarm'd of all those weapons wherewith he is so well appointed so that you may hope to prevail if Truth cannot defend me And that I protest Is the thing I will contend for not for Victory N. C. Come on then Say well and do well How can you defend so much as the Title of your Book Are you a friend to those whom you cannot endure within five mile of you c Pag. 4 of his Book but urge the Law against them C. You have answered your self and and would have called him carnal I am sure should One of us have askt you such a Question Do you that are so Spiritual understand no other kindness but what is done to your Bellies I love you so well that I would have you Innocent and am such a Friend to you that I desire to see you at the widest distance from any sin N. C. Pray stay Sir your kindness is much suspected If I should propose some such question to you as Christ diâ— to Peter Simon lovest thou me you durâ— not say thou knowest I love thee d Ib. C. No indeed N. C. Did not I tell you so C. I think I may conclude withouâ— any offence that you are not yet sâ—â— knowing as to search the heart Youâ— Philag indeed supposes our very souls liâ— open to you else why doth he endeâ—vour to satisfie me e Preface pag. 1. that he doth nâ—â— know himself to have ever received the least injury from me in deed or word 〈◊〉 thought But you must pardon us if we be of another mind and cannot appeaâ— to you as St. Peter did to Christ If yoâ— will judg of us by our words then 〈◊〉 can more than say I can protest that even those Debates were writ in kindness to you and he ought to have thanked him that told you of your faults had you any mind to amend them I protest also that I had no respect to any particular person in that passage which he thinks so full of deadly poyson f P. 4. of the Book and therefore it was the aking of his own Tooth that made him snap at me But why do I spend the time in such trivial things as these The Prefaces to both my Books might have satisfied any unpassionate Reader what my intention was But he very fairly takes no notice of them least they should have made him throw away a great deal of the civil languge he had to bestow upon me And for as good a reason I make no doubt he over-lookt the Continuance of our Debate because it would have undone a good part of his Book which is there already answered g As about the non-execution of Laws sharpness scandal and many more too long to number N. C. I must not let you pass thus with the Reputation of good Nature It was not kindly done of you to bring in the N. C. uttering such words as make the King to be a Tyrant h P. 8. of his Book C. As imply you should have said But I pray tell me What shall be done to this false tongue'd Philagathus who tells us in another place very boldly that I bring in the N. C. speaking Treason even saying that the King is a Tyrant Will you never leave this Trade of Lying N. C. You must pass by that C. If he had not told the world an hundred Lies more I should not have taken notice of â—t As to the thing he charges me withal I did but set down those words which more besides me have often heard and supposing they were rashly spoken without consideration of what they implyed let them go with that Confession What greater Candor could he desire and what reason was there for his pains to excuse the N. C. from judging the King a Tyrant save only that he was glad to snatch an opportunity to praise as well as be could the mercy and clemency of his Majesty towards them But I believe I shall make him wish he had held his tongue and spared his ill-savour'd and ill-contrived Rhetorick For first 〈◊〉 only tells us that the Sober Non-Confâ—rmists â—refar from thinking the King a Tyrant i Ib. p. 8. It seems there are some so madâ— and desperate as to be of the contrary opinion And how many who can tell or what may be the issue oâ—â—t N. C. For the love of God be not severe against that slip Or let the Sober men make an amends for their defects 〈◊〉 it is possible they love his Majesty more than you C. And it is possible they may not love him at all Was there ever such a wretched Orator to plead any mans cause in so great a matter as this Would any man of wit have apologiz'd for his Friends with his it may be 's it is possible for any thing I can tell and such like words with which his Book abounds N. C. Whatever his words are he doubts not as you may see but that N. C. have a greater Sense of his Majesties mercy than C. C. Why so N. C. Because they have been so great offenders C. Did ever any man hear such Reasons Do we find that they to whom much is forgiven commonly love very much Are there no ungrateful wretches in the world Or Hath it not been the constant complaint that the most are insensible or forgetful of benefits And doth not one refusal of mens deâ—â—â—es often blot out the memory of all former grants of grace and favour N. C. You forget our Saviours words which he quotes C. As he doth a number of other Scriptures nothing to the pâ—â—pose Thâ—y to whom much is forgiven will â—â—â—e much if they be truly penitent as that woman in the Gospel was but Who shall answer for all these mens Repentance and that it is never to be repented of N. C. Come let this alone C. But pray let us see whether this very man do not say those things which plainly strike him out of the number of the Sober N. C. N. C. Will you make him say or imply the King is a Tyrant C. You shall hear How can they be Martyrs and killed all the day long and the King be free from that imputationâ— Do they suffer any thing but according to the Laws And whose are the Lawâ— I beseech you but the Kings Can the Parliament make Laws or any body else but only the Sovereign See noâ—â— how this rash and desperate man hath intangled himself To say the Laws are tyrannical he confesses is Treason or next to it because it implies the King to be 〈◊〉 Tyrant page 8. And yet before he hath done he says in effect they are tyraâ—nical When he tells us the N. C. dâ— think that
faith in those that met with them who were first to be perswaded by other means to belive them to be Divine Revelations And therefore it is most reasonable to comprehend under that word the New Revelations or the Infallible Spirit of Prophesying in the Apostles interpreting the holy Prophets in any Language whatsoever which accompanied with Miracles and all the other gifts was a Demonstration beyond all other of the truth of their Doctrine If we look further into him we shall better understand him for in the third Book against Celsus b Pag. 152. Edit Cantabr he repeats the same again and more plainly than before The Preaching saith he at the first founding of Christian Religion was with a c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power of perswading and bowing mens hearts but not such an one as was among those that professed the wisdom of Plato or any other men who had no more than Humâ—ne Nature But d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the demonstration by the Apostles of Jesus being given from God was credible by the Spirit and Power by which means their word or rather Gods ran speedily and swiftly And again in the beginning of the Sixth Book e Alledging the same words It is not sufficient that the thing is true and worthy of credit which is spoken unless there be a certain power given from God to him that speaks c. which consisted not in meer words sure but in deeds the Spirit of God working in the hearers hearts by the means of those miraculous gifts You may find this place cited twice more in his Philocalia f Cap. 1. Cap. 4. where he expounds it to be a Caelestial or rather Supercaelestial power whereby their Preaching was demonstrated to be true All this makes it plain that he understood the word Demonstration in a proper sense for an evident proof of Christian Religion and that it was nothing else but the Supercaelestial gifts wherewith they were endowed And by this you may see I had some ground for my confidence having observed these things long before I wrote my Book But if you proceed further to Sâ— Chrysostom he contracts the sense and determines the words wholly to Miracles Tell me saith he who is there that seeing the dead rise the Devils driven out would not receive the faith but because there are cheating Wonders as those of Juglers St. Paul removes this suspicion for he doth not simply say Power but first the Spirit then Power signifying that the things which were done were spiritual * Beza follows this Exposition making Spirit and Power one thing expressed by two words so Estius also among the Papists Oecumenius writes to the same purpose and Theodoret plainly makes them both one The Wonder-working of the Spirit g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witnessed to the Preaching and the Apostle most appositely joyned with the weakness of their suffering condition the Power of the Spirit And so St. Hierom He would not dispute with them least they should think he came to teach them some new Philosophy but he shewed them Wonderful Works and Miracles To whom you may add St. Ambrose Since foolish things saith he dressed up with words though weak in virtue appear as if they were wise God would not have his Preaching commended by the Testimony of words but of Power that the foolishness of the Word as it was judged might demonstrate it self by the deeds of wise Men being founded after a Spiritual Manaer N. C. It will tire us to follow the stream any further and I see already which way it runs C. I may save my self the labour if this bold Undertaker will believe Master Calvin whom he much commends but cares not to imitate who as became a knowing and an honest man expressly acknowledges that Most restrain these words to Miracles h Demonstrationem spiritus pot quam plerique ad miracula restringunt Why do you shrug N. C. I see what is like to become of my good Friend Philagathus C. Never trouble your self He can prove if need be that Most signifies few or none Musculus indeed tells us that this word Power in the Evangelical History is in a manner Alway used for Miracles and under these two words he comprehends all that the Spirit wrought in and by the Apostles and their Preaching Which methinks is excellently expressed by Arias Montanus He proved what he saâ—â— by the manifest power of the Holy Ghost given by Christ to those that believed and by the efficacy of healings and other Divine Signs Nay his great Friend Peter Martyr whom he makes us believe he consulted is pleased to say little less than Mr. Calvin that there are very Many who restrain these words to Miracles and Prodigies which Paul wrought i Permulti sunt qui haec ad miracula contrahant prodigia quae Paulus edâ—bat c. What he thinks of their opinion you shall hear presently Let us first hear what Face hath to say to me The stream of Interpreters run anâ—ther way k Sober Answ p. 10. It is the sense wherein most Divines do construe it l Ib. You have the confidence to oppose the body of Interpreters m Pag. 11. and give us an uncouth and less acknowledged Interpretation n Pag. 122. an Interpretation that deserved not to be once mentioned in opposition to others o P. 197. and pag. 279. the General current of Interpreters Bravely said bold Bayard and like a blind B. that fears no colours Stand toâ—â— stoutly and rub thy fore-head hard for wâ—thin that skull of thine is more contain'd than in all the world beside A whole Body of Interpreters is lodged there which Mr. Calvin himself never saw There is a depth of Learning that no body knows running in the wide Chanel of thy Brain N.C. You had better have said the wide Crack in his brain C. We have done with that merriment And you may rather suspect 〈◊〉 crack in his Conscience For how durst an honest man presume to abuse the world on this fashion Who but a man of a debauched Conscience would repeat a thing so often and with such assurance of which he had no competent knowledg How will you excuse his Hypocrisie who commends his own Moderation and modesty in this and another Book and yet takes upon him publâ—ckly to contradict and controle another without any ground nay to disparage him all he could and charge him with vain confidence p Sir this vain confidence of yours doth justly provoke me c. p. 11. p. 279. bewail your peremptoriness c. and peremptoriness when he himself had no other support but wrote gross untruths out of his own imagination Methinks he should hide his head for shame and not appear in the open streets unless he be of the Sect of that Philosopher in Lucian * In his Sale of Philosophers who professed to teach men above all
Book who confutes this Exposition of the word z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not apposite to the place it properly signifying saith he a proof which renders a thing evident or demonstrates it from certain and necessary reasons Such were the Supernatural gifts of the Holy-ghost But the making men of our belief and perswading them to receive what we say is no certain and necessary proof that we speak nothing but the Truth No man can affirm that who considers any thing and therefore the Apostle speaks of such a sensible demonstration or proof as I mentioned without which they could not know certainly that there was a Divine Spirit in the Apostles So the word is plainly expounded Act. 2.22 Jesus of Nazareth a man approved * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denuâ—â—â—â—ated to you to be of among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him c. From whence I gother that the thing whereby he approved himself to them or demonstrated he was of God was the very same whereby the Apostles demonstrated his Religion viz. Miracles Wonders and Signs all the gifts of the Holy Ghost N. C. But do not the Dutch Annotators expound it otherwise C. They seem to understand by Spirit the secret operation of the Spirit in mens hearts though by Power the same that I do In which they follow Erasmus in his Paraphrase and Theophylact hath something to the same effect though he presently betake himself to the Interpretation of St. Chrysostom before named But how an inclination to believe a thing or a perswasion wrought in me of it should be a Demonstration i. e. a proof that the thing is true which I am perswaded of or inclined unto is as I told you past my understanding And therefore having such good company I shall believe notwithstanding all his barking that they were the extraordinary visible effects of the Spirit either in our Saviour or his Apostles or others who believed which were the Demonstration by the means of which the Holy Ghost convinced the understandings and bowed the wills of unbelievers to become Christians N. C. I thought Grotius only had beâ—â— on your side and Philagathus tells us he perceives if Grotius be for you as 〈◊〉 it were God himself you are ready to say who shall be against you a Pag. 10. As if yâ—â— were bound to swear whatsoever Grotius b Ib. saith C. I remember his words and they are another notable Demonstration of the Hypocritical modesty that is the shameless boldness of this man who will venture to say any thing merely out of his own head which he thinks may disgrace me and indeavour without any proof to make the world believe that I pin my Faith on Grotius his sleeve and make him in stead of a God This he repeats I cannot tell how often as he shall hear anon with a witness and I will repeat it too only out of that great forge where the rest of his Book was wrought his own imagination For I protest sincerely it is more than I know if that be his Interpretation which I gave you nor did I in all my life to my best remembrance consult with him about it Though I must tell you if I had I should in Mr. Baxter's judgment have consulted one of the five most judicious Commentators that ever wrote on the Scriptures c Beza Grotius Pilcator Musculus Deodat Five of the most judicious Commentators I think that ever wrote on the sacred Scriptures Second Postscript afâ—er his Disput about Right to the Sacraments p. 539. But as judicious as he is in his opinion I would have you know that I would never have followed him without more reason than his bare affirmation The naked truth is that the very propriety of the words and the drift of the Apostles discourse carried me without any help to this Exposition Spirit every body knows who hath studied signifies commonly extraordinary gifts If he will not be at the pains to examine it I will quore him an Autority for it which he often vaunts of and that is Master Baxter who tells you that he who will observe carefully the language of the Holy Ghost shall find this word Spirit or Holy Ghost is most usually in the New Testament taken for the extraordinary gifts of that Age d Vnreasonableness of Infidelity p. 12. As for the word Power you heard what Musculus said But beside I have noted in my small Observation that when our Saviour was sent into the World he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10.38 and that he told his Apostles as the Father sent him so he would send them Joh. 20.21 From whence I concluded that they were to be anointed also with the Holy Ghost or the Spirit and with Power as he had been And so they were for as at his Baptism the Spirit of God descended on him like a Dove Mat. 3.16 so on the day of Pentecost which was the day of their Baptism Acts 1.5 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost prophesying and speaking with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and presently working a great Miracle upon the Creeple and with great power giving witness of his Resurrection e See Act. 2. v. 4.17.25 Act 3. v 2 c. Act. 4. v. 33. This I thought was the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power whereby our Lord was approved and demonstrated in his life time to be the Son of God and by which afterward they proved his Resurrection from the dead and so the Truth of his Religion Spirit I take to comprehend the gift of Tongues Prophesie Interpretation of Tongues and all the rest except doing Miracles which in Scripture is called by the name of Power Thus I observe they are distinguished Gal. 3.5 He that ministreth the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it by the works of the Law c. where all gifts besides Miracles are called the Spirit And the Author to the Hebrews saith that God did bear witness to the Apostles Preaching both with Signs Wonders and divers Miracles and also with Gifts or Distributions of the Holy-Ghost according to his own will These and such like considerations were sufficient to perswade me to incline to that sense of the words which I gave you But when I attended to the scope of the Apostles discourse I had no doubt left in me nothing so well agreeing with it whatsoever this man prates as that Interpretation For the Spirit and Power is that which proved the Truth of the Apostles Preaching better than any Syllogisms or artificial Orations could do which he therefore calls a Demonstration in opposition to those ways of perswasion which deserved not that name Now what should that be which was the Reason and Cause of Belief Since it is certain the Spirit did not inwardly perswade men to believe without any reason Could some meâ—â— belief of the Doctrine prove that
of it N. C. I know not what it means Lucian in â—u Sale of Philos C. I 'le tell you then if you will Answer me Do you know your own Father or Mother N. C. Yes sure C. Suppose then I should bring one veil'd into your company and should ask you whether you know him what would you say N. C. That I know him not C. But it is your Father and therefore if you know not who it is you know not your own Father N. C. It is a notable fetch C. Just thus your Champion assaults me Do you know Sir What Faith is Yes say I He finds the Question answered in my Book But he disguises muffles and puts it into a great many strange shapes as well as his wit will serve him and asks me again Is this it you call Faith To which he answers for me No and then concludes most smartly thus you see you know not what Faith is For this is it you called Faith A most profound Disputer I protest At the next Sale of Philosophers b He pretends to be one p. 246. when you hear them cryed about the Street I pray enquire after the price of him It is possible some may venture to give three farthings for him especially when they hear with what excellent qualities he is endued For be it known to all he hath the best skill of any man I know in 〈◊〉 king Galamaufry's and Hotchpotches 〈◊〉 larding of English with bits of Latiâ—â— and in making of slaps and sauces 〈◊〉 discourses He is furnisht with a whâ—â—â— shopful of shreds a Magazine of Taâ—â— and may set up an Office for Apologieâ— which he hath at his fingers end 〈◊〉 your fault what it will He can shuffle 〈◊〉 wrangle and scold all these in persection And besides he hath a boâ—â— face and can lye at no aim and 〈◊〉 you should chance to loose him yoâ— may know him from all the men in thâ— world by certain Marks he hath aboâ—â— him For where you find a man at aâ—â— turns putting you off with it may beâ—â— it is said for any thing I know all 〈◊〉 some and such like words which I before noted lay hold of him that 's the man Besides he hath either robbeâ— another or else you may know him by the Ordeal and Plowshares Pelion and Ossa the Pomps and the indelible Châ—â—racter N C. I cannot imagine what you mean C. They that have read a Book about the Rebuilding of London know well enough For there c P. 178. 217 332 335. they meet with all these just as we do here in this by which you may know that he hath such a set of words and phrases as will be sure to discover him And now I speak of Pomps you shall give me leave to shew you what a vain pretense this Ignorant man mâ—kes to Learning The ancient Christians he tells you d P. 179. of Sober Answer having found the great inconvenience of Stage Plays and increase of wickedness by them pâ—r a word on purpose into the Baptismal vow to deter people from going to them and that is the Pomps of this World For some Glossaries say that Stage-plays were formerly called Pomps if you will believe Bishop Usher whom saith he I have some where found quoted for this And so have I in the Book about the Rebuilding of London e P. 217. where the Author saith Positively Bishop Vsher hath observed that the Ancients inserted a passage against Ssage-plays in the Baptismal vow viz. That we should renounce the Pomps of the world now Pomps said he did of old signifie Stage-plays But where the Bishop hath observed it or said it he tells us not so that in effect he quotes his own Authority when he tells us here I have found him somewhere quoted and draws this conclusion out of his own imagination that though we allow Playâ— in a due measure yet the old Christrâ—ans did not but obliged those that were baptized to renounce them N. C. And what say you to it C. I have told you he speaks out a of his own idle head and there is not a word of Truth in what he says For Pomps never signified any such Plays as ours N. C. Will you not take Bishop Usker's word C. I will see it first and have it under his hand for I cannot trust this vain talker who doth not understand I plainly see what he reads To pretend to know all that Bishop Usher ever writ or said would be vanity in me but I will not believe it till I have better authority than his that he ever gave this sense of the word Pomp. Some Plays or rather Games and Publick Sights f We render Ludi by the word Plays but we should rather say Shows or Common Sights made for the peoples entertainment and consecrated to some Deity called Spectacula he or any body else might say were by a figure called Pomps but the Ancients distinguished them and to speak exactly we must say that the Pomps of the World were not those things which the Romans called Ludi and Spectacula which we should render Sports Sights or Games but that stately Procession which was made before one of them For Pomp you mustknow is in its first signification nothing else but the sending of something and the carrying it also from one place to another g Thence Mercury was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he carried down and transmitted souls to Hades more particularly the carrying something to be shown and exposed to publick view through the Streets But the word most properly belonged to that splendid and magnificent Procession as I may call it which went before the Races and Combates in the Roman Circus which were the most famous sports among them So Tertullian assures us h Circensium paulo pompatior suggestus quibus peopriè hoc nomen pompa praecedit c. who likewise informs us more particularly of what that Pomp consisted In the first place there was a long row of the Images of their Gods publikely exposed and carried in the Sâ—reet then of the Images of men of Noble Families at whose charges those Sports were made then followed a great number of Chariots and Waggons of divers sorts which have much troubled the brains of Criticks then the Seats or Thrones of their Gods then their Crowns and their Robes and Ornaments together with all the Sacrifices which were to be offered and all the Sacred implements belonging to them After which came their Colledges of Augurs their Priests and their Civil Officers This in short was the Pomp as every body knows who hath read his Book De Spectaculis chap. 7. Where he tells us that this was the principal part of the old Idolatry there being such a great number of their Gods too many for me now to mention carried in this great and solemn Procession at Rome Which was the reason I conceive that it was imitated in
teach them in that manner But I remember withal that in their Confession of Faith chap. 14. they tell us something else viz. that the Principal Acts of saving Faith are receiving and resting on Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace C. True But you know that this is not so much read as the other and is more fitted for Divines than you not are any of you wont to read it till you have the former perswasion rooted in your hearts Besides they do not speak here of Faith as justifying but of the principal acts of saving Faith and you know they use to make a difference between these two They put also relying on him for Justification in the first place and more than that in the eleventh Chapter which is concerning Justification they tell you that Faith receiving and resting on Christ and his Righteousness is the alone Instrument of Justification And therefore the common opinion is that it Justifies as it hath a respect to the blood of Christ and his Righteousness But I have a more mighty Argument to prove that this is the Orthodox sense of that Assembly which is from the Parliament it self Who in their Ordinance of Octob. 20. 1645. giving Rules and Directions concerning Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in case of Ignorance or Scandal deliver this Definition of Faith which a Communicant is to be instructed in It is a grace whereby we believe and trust in Christ for remission of sin and life everlasting according to the promise of the Gospel b And that you know is to those who believe And by this Faith alone he is to know Christ and his benefits are applied This is the more to be observed because they made this Ordinance considering the Wonderful Providence of God in calling them to the great and difficult work of reforming and purging his Church and People as you read in the Preface and because this definition is again repeated in the Form of Church Government to be used in the Church of England and Ireland after advice had with the Assembly of Divines c Aug. 29. 1648. p. 29. N. C. You pack a great many things together which I had forgotten C. You may see by that I have studied your Catechism as well as ours though I have not told you my name By which he may know that I am old enough to shew if I pleased how deeply Antinomianism is rooted in your peoples hearts notwithstanding all that Mr. Baxter and others have done to pluck it up For such men as he who talk rawly and negligently of Divine things help to maintain and support it Nor do I see any reason to alter my opinion that many of you are Antinomians and do not know it just as I told you the last time d Continuation of the Fr. Deb. p. 87. that you are wont to rail very often like this Hotspur of yours even when you say you aborr it N. C. I abhorr those reflections you made upon what was done and said by some men in the late times and I think he hath School'd you to purpose for it Are you not sensible how oft you broke his Majesties gracious Act of Pardon And will you think your self a fit reprover of others for the breach of his Laws when you do not observe the chiefest and most beloved of them your self C. I must confess that this man hath more of a Pedant in him than any one I know and very magisterially stands over me with Rod in hand And when he hath laid on as many lashes as he could then he takes breath and says Now Sir go on with your Lesson and please you e P. 123. And so I will a great deal further than he ever expected to hear And I have such a Lessoâ— now for him as will make him give over the Trade of Schooling if he have any wit in his head till he be better learned N. C. Speak out then C. You need not fear it for I stand in no awe of his correction I rather pity him when I think what a taking he will be in after he finds that Indemnity will do him no more service than to say In Speech beware your Br This you must know is the Cuckoe Song which we hear over and over till we are tired with it Indemnity Indemnity Indemnity It is ten times at least repeated in his Preface and I have not leisure to tell how many times in the Book And yet for all this we mâ—st be so civil as to believe that he is not in love with Tautologies f P. 230. being not in love with tautologies I shall c. No by no means Though his whole Preface be little else but his Letter turn'd into an Epistle g Although my whole Book be nothing but a Letter to you yet I shall add an Epistle c. if you know the difference a vain repetition of the same things and oft-times in the very same words yet we must rather suspect our own blockishness than his love of Tauâ—ology to be the reason of it He is no Parrot he would have you know h Though he tells us very often of the Parrot N. C. pag. 168 266 286. that hath but a few things to prattle and says them often over He hath the act of Indemnity to talk of and then the Act of Oblivion then the Act of Oblivion and after that the Act of Indemnity and then Indemnity again and so forward c. which calls to mind I cannot help it the story of Scarpaccia which we find in a certain Italian Hospital not now to be named who had a conceit that he was King of Cuckoes and so to every one that spoke to him good or bad he would always answer with great readiness Cuckoe Cuckoe Cuckoe And being demanded why he answered not to the purpose he replied again I am King Cuckoe Cuckoe Cuckoe N. C. Methinks you are beside your Book C. Not at all Look into his Preface p. 7. and there he tells you I have laid the axe to the root of the Act of Indemnity Turn over a new leaf and you take him at it again p. 8. those Pioneers the two Debates have been undermining that great wall of defence viz. the Act of Indemnity And he hath not done with it yet I knock he saith sâ— hard upon the Act of Indemnity p. 10. Once more p. 11. I make nothing he tells you of the Act of Indemnity having razed the foundation as it is in his Book 249 of the Act of Indemnity He thinks sure we have little to do but are as idle as the boys in the Street who gather about a Parrot to hear it talk Otherwise he would not have troubled us with such a Pen-and-Inkhorn Preface consisting of two and forty pages when he had so little new to add N. C. He tells you i Preface pag. 1.
that he thought letter upon letter might be as necessary as precept upon precept line upon line twice over which are the Prophets words Isa 28.10 C. He prophanes the Holy Scripture throughout his whole Book by using its words on every common and trivial occasion But let him repeat it a thousand times till he hath made his own head ake as well as his Readers I shall remain as innocent and you as guilty as before only he himsef will appear more boldly Ignorant For he is like those men who write of Countries they never saw who commonly tell a great many tales I have great cause to be confident that he never read this Act seriously about which he talks so much but only poured a flood of words with a great noise out of his own unfurnisht brains With these he hoped to make his credulous Readers like those who live near the falls of Nilus deaf to any other Information though never so certain N. C. You cannot think him so bold as to charge you with breaking an Act the matter of which he did not understand C. Then he is a dishonest man if having read it and understood it he would not confess the truth which is this Within two or three days after his Majesties return he desired the Parliament which then sate speedily to dispatch an Act of Indemnity which he had promised After it had passed the Commons he went to the Peers k Speech in House of Peers July 27. 1660. and expressed his impatient desire to have this Act presented to him for his Royal assent Accordingly upon Aug. 29. 1660. this Act was passed as an Act of free and General Pardon Indemnity and Oblivion And in the Preface to it these two intents and purposes of it are expressed First that no crime committed against his Majesty or his Royal Father shall hereafter rise in Judgment or be brought in Question against any one to the least indamagement of them c. Secondly To bury all Seeds of future discords and remembrances of the former Accordingly the Former part of the Act is for Indemnity and provides for mens safety by acquitting releasing and discharging all persons from all crimes save those excepted afterward committed from Jan. 1. 1637. till June 24. 1660. And then the other part which concerns our present-business is for Oblivion in these words To the intent and purpose that all Names and terms of distinction may be likewise put in utter Oblivion be it enacted that if any person or persons within the space of three years next ensuing shall presume maliciously to call or alledg * The particle Of is to be left out as appears by the Chancellours Speech made afward where he recites these words of or object against any other person or persons any name or names or other words of reproach any way tending to revive the memory of the late differences or occasions thereof that every such person so as aforesaid offending shall forfeit and pay unto the party grieved if he be a Gentleman ten pound c. This clause the Lord Chancellor at their adjournment Sept. 13. 1660. commended in his Majesties Name to their and all mens remembrance Now mark the Ignorance and the Malice of this Philagathus as he falssly stiles himself His bold Ignorance in that he would have the world believe I have violated nay horribly violated l Pag. 7. of the Preface this Law as it is an Act of Indemnity for in that stile he speaks when I have not so much aâ— a power to punish any man though he were not acquitted and discharged His malice in perswading you that it is the drift of my Book to provoke the Magistrates to break it in pieces in their anger as Moses did the Tables of Stone m Ib. p. 6. when it hath no design in those passages which have so netled him but either to shew that they act not according to their declared Principles in times past or that they have not so behaved themselves as to deserve the name of the only or most knowing and godly people which they commonly assume to themselves In which I will shew you by and by how they break this as well as other of his Majesties Laws But first let us mark again how rashly and impudently he charges me with the breach of this Law as it is an Act of Oblivion which must be distinguished from the other though they He confused as all things else in his head and how he manifestly discovers he never read it or with no care to understand it The Act saith we shall not object against any person any name or names or other words of reproach under such a penalty But this man saith with a bold face it is expressly provided in the Act of Indemnity that the crimes therein mentioned as forgiven should no more be objected to any man under a certain penalty p. 249. The same he saith in another place n Pag. 88. without any stick and that those old things must never more according to that Act be so much as rehearsed o P. 142. which is less then objected And more then this he affirms that we may not so much as speak of any Ordinance of Parliament which was formerly made p P. 254. and therefore like a man of an exceeding nice and tender Conscience he dares not so much as seem to know or remember that ever there were any such Ordinances q These are his very words as I mention A special way to Answer me by saying nay by knowing just Nothing But judg now of the modesty and sincerity of this man who makes bold as he speaks to take me to task for the breach of a Law whose words he never recites nay always puts other words of his own making in the room of them And judg of his discretion and understanding Who can let it enter into his thoughts that the Law prohibits us so much as to remember what was done in the late Times Suppose we hear them call us shortly the old and the implacable Enemy must we not so much as seem to call to mind that this was the stile of those days If they begin to talk of the Holy cause and the Good old cause must we according to this new Doctor seal up our lips and make as if we never heard of such a thing before What may we not so much as write a true History of what is past This is the thing no doubt they would be at We must forget as I told you at our last meeting r Contin of the Debate p. 66. all that is past and now believe you cannot err nay were always innocent This will be a fine way to keep posterity in Ignorance that you may do the like again and never be suspected till it be too late to prevent it A most admirable contrivance for which he will be well rewarded if he can make it good to turn us
an hundred particulars what come uppermost or to make supposals as you think good taking no care whether they be true or no and then there will be an hundred such discoveries made N. C. He did not make supposals sure without reason C. Yes And will shew you anon there is reason against them But for the present we will let that pass and see if he can give us better Information in greater matters These are all trifles you may think which he doth not mind But the Covenant that 's a thing he hath studied without all doubt and knows the bottom of the business N C. Or else he is skilled in nothing C. And yet how unfit he is to be your Advocate in that cause appears by the lame account which he gives us of many things belonging to it Look into his Book p. 259. and there you will find as if he meant to debate the business thoroughly and had some weighty matter to impart He begins with an O ye saying Good Sir hear how fair the Concessions of the N. C. are and then judg whether there be not a just ground and foundation for peace and amity betwixt you and them Well I lissen Sir What have you to say Why First of all he tells us the N. C. do hold that the Covenant binds them to nothing that is sinful A marvelous great condescension like that p. 153 where he tells us the N. C. are in charity with all the Saints They are much obliged to you for your great humility and courtesie It is a singular favour that you will be pleased to be in charity with them and his Majesty is much beholden to you that you will not think your selves bound to sin But his Friends would have taught him to have granted more only he knows little as I told you of what hath been said or done and bid him add that it doth not bind them to go beyond their place and calling to do good x Propos to his Majesty p. 12. And so much for that Let 's prick up our ears now and hear what he tells us in the second place for he gapes as if he would hold forth some notable point Nay Sir saith he the N. C. or many of them for he dare not be confident of all do think that if an Oath contain never so many good and necessary things and but one that is bad and sinful that one sinful thing is not to be done for the sake of all the good y P. 260. Mark how timorously the Gentleman walks up on the Ice which he hath done before now z They are his words p. 257. and what great care he takes that he catch not a fall He will not pass his word for all the N. C. There are you may be sure many of them he cannot tell how many who have arrived to such a degree of honesty that they will no do a sinful thing together with many good things But some it seems be fears are of another opinion and think they may do a sinful thing for the sake of a great many good These are brave lads And I doubt not whosoever they are but they will find a great many good things to bring to pass when they have a mind to make another Rebellion But this is not all he desires we should understand in the third place that the N. C. or some of them do yield this that they are not bound by an Oath or Covenant to that which is impossible to be done a Ib. Doth he not advance very much in his Concessions and come nearer and nearer to us When some of them for any thing he knows I must in charity put in for his relief think they are bound to do even impossible things Nay many of them may be of that mind for he dares not venture so far as he did before It is not the N. C. or many of them but only the N. C. or some of them think they are not bound if the matter of the Oath be something that is impossible Then as I said some nay many he gives us leave to think may be of the contrary perswasion And what desperate people are those What will not they attempt who are not deterr'd by the apprehension of impossibilities in their way Wo be to us when these men are angry But Lastly the good Gentleman was in such a terrible taking when he was writing of this matter or else so loath to come near us that he dare not so much as say roundly that the N. C. hold a Father Husband Master or Prince may make void either the Oaths or Vows made by their Children Wives Servants or Subjects without their consent in things that are subject to their Authority No pardon him there he dare not go so farr he only says in a confused manner that the N. C. or some of them are of this b P. 261. opinion He seems here to be a little sensible of his Ignorance and so durst not speak with so much confidence as he doth when he hath less reason For if he had but read a Book * Ames Cases of Consc Book 4. Q. 11. Resp 2. that used very early to be put into the bands of young Scholars he would have found this Case determined very resolutely in those very words which I now used and then I perswade my self he would have concluded all the N. C. to be of that mind But he resolved to be very wise and cautious though he spoil'd all by that means He dare go no further in the beginning of his Discourse about this matter c P. 258. than to tell us that some who cannot renounce the Covenant are heartily sorry that ever the taking of that Covenant was pressed upon any body because the multiplying of Oaths of that nature doth usually end in the multiplying of Perjuries through mens breach thereof He gives us leave to think then according to his opinion that most are not sorry or not heartily sorry but would make no great matter of doing the same again What though Perjuries follow It is but keeping a Day of Humiliation and bewailing all the rash Oaths and Perjuries and then they for their part are very innocent and washt as white as the Snow in Salmon as he saith they are by the Act of Oblivion d Pref. p. 32. But wo be to the poor Cavaliers who could not compound for their Estates unless they took the Vow and Covenant as some made bold to tell his Majesty in their Proposals which were since the Act of Indemnity and therefore I may speak of them Not presuming say they to meddle with the Consciences of those many of the Nobility and Gentry and others that adhered to his late Majesty in the late unhappy Warrs who at their Compositions took the Vow and Covenant we only crave your Majesties clemency to our selves and others who believe themselves to be under its Obligation A greater
not talk of Kings now and yet the People must be perswaded that we have still some Idol to worship and who should it be but Grotius a suggestion as false as the Father of Lies can invent together with another Image like that of Nobuchadnezzar's Dan. 4.32 which saith he you too much adore and would have others do the like r Pag. 14. But it can no more stand before the more select parcels of another Statue which you decry than Dagon could before the Ark. No it trembles and quakes already witness your own fears saith he the very sound of Idol and Image and Dagon is able to do the business It is as strong as a mighty wind to stir up the Peoples Passions and put them into a hurry against us Especially when they are perswaded the Ark is among these men or if the Ark of God be taken and the Ordinances a while removed by the Philistines you know the meaning of this Gibberish it will return again with a vengeance N. C. Take heed Good Sir you are too bold with the Scripture The last time you walkt on the Battlements of Blasphemy s Pag. 16. when you approved of that saying A man may talk nothing but Scripture and yet speak never a wise word C. That 's another of these mens popular Arts to cry Blasphemy Blasphemy For then the People think they smell the Apocalyptick Beast They can understand also what the Battlements of Blasphemy are though I cannot Some frightful thing I warrant you which makes their hair stand an end or their heads turn round if they did not so before Thus they dealt with Bishop Hall who having said in his Humble Remonstrance that Episcopacy had continued in this Island ever since the first Plantation of the Gospel thought good to add these words t P. 21. Of the Humb. Remonstr Certainly except all Histories all Authors fail us nothing can be more certain than this Truth Here Sâ—â—ect cries out very rudely Os Durum Nothing more certain What Is it not more certain that there is a God Is it not more certain that Christ is God-Man Is it not more certain that Christ is the only Saviour of the World Nothing more certain Must this be an Article of our Creed c. And so they run on accusing these words as bordering upon Blasphemy which are no more as he told them in his Answer than what every body say in their hourly discourse when they would confidently affirm any Truth Nay so carelessly do they throw out this word against those who oppose their conceits that we are told by one u Anatome of Dr. Gauden 1660. to charge the Covenant as contradictory to former Oaths and as tending to apparent Perjury is such a manifest Blasphemy against so sacred as Oath as cannot but be abhorr'd by all sober Christians These Patterns your Phil. exactly follows aggravating every thing though never so harmless with the like heap of Questions and the charge of Blasphemy He is as like them as if he had been spit out of their mouths as we commonly speak using the same witless and malicious intimations as the Bishops words are only he seems to have a more viperous inclination and every where goes about seeking out hairs upon Egg-shells N.C. You must not think to pass this over so smoothly C. Why St. Hierom speaks bolder words and I never yet heard that he was a blasphemer By a perverse Interpretation saith he the Scripture becomes of the Gospel of Christ the Gospel of Man or which is worse the Gospel of the Devil x Upon the first to the Galatians For which he gives this reason the Gospel consists not in the words of the Scriptures but in the sense not in the surface but in the marrow not in the leaves of words and phrases but in the root of reason N.C. But he that talks nothing but Scripture gives no sense but meerly recites the bare Text. C. I remember his words and they are wondrous wise What doth he recite the Text for Is it not to some purpose or other N. C. Yes sure C. Then he gives the words of Scripture a sense by applying them to his purpose Which yet may be so wide not only from the meaning of the Scripture but from all reason that it may be very idle stuffe N. C. But still there is good sense in Scripture words C. He hath made them his words having separated them from their sense And it is an easie matter to shew you a Discourse all in Scripture words and phrases which you your self shall call nonsense Such there were in the Primitive Times as we may gather from Irenaeus who tells us of some that rather than their own Dreams shall want authority would cite the Holy Scripture to give them countenance though they were no better imployed all the time than those that wreath a Rope of Sand y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they dissolved the parts and members of Truth by transposing the words from their proper places and putting them out of their natural order and connexion They cheated the people with scraps of Scripture set together after their own fansie and called their Imaginations the Word of God because they spoke the syllables and phrases of it Which was just saith he as if an excellent workman should make a Picture of a Prince consisting of many precious Stones so artificially put together that they exactly represented his person And when he had done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. L. 1. p. 32. another should come and transpose these Stones and set them in another order till he had made the Figure of a Dog or a Fox and then should confidently affirm that this is the very Picture of the King which the excellent Artist made How would you confute such a man He shews you all the materials the very same Stones which the workman used There is not one of his own putting in he hath not made the least addition out of his own brains and therefore it must needs be the Kings Picture For any thing I can see according to this Gentlemans Discourse the simple people must believe him and as Irenaeus speaks in the same place reverence this Filthy Fox which he hath made by misplacing the very same Stones as if it were the true Image of their Prince This is a lively resemblance of the practice of those men who as he goes on tear the Word of God in pieces and plucking some from this Book z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some from that accommodate it to their Tales and old Wives Fables saying This is the Word of God There cannot be a more exact description of the Age wherein we live in which as Bishop Hall told Robinson you joyn Scriptures just as you separated your selves And when you have packed together a great number of them according to your fansie and humor then you think you have spoken the Word
up a new name for our Ministers the men in black Are not these excellent Servants of Jesus Christ holy men of God that teach the people nick-names for us What will please those who can neither indure the men in white nor the men in black Or what will reform those who after they have been admonisht of the foulness of this crime in others and think they were too sharply rebuked for it commit it impudently themselves N. C. He confesses with shame and sorrow that the common people have too much reproached your Ministers as they went along the Streets l P. 239. C. So much the more reason for a a deeper blush and greater confusion in his face that he should still continue the reproaches But mark I pray his base hypocrisie for I can make nothing else of it who will not forbear even when he is confessing a sin with shame and sorrow to make himself merry and so to take away all sense of it They should not have reproached them saith he if they met them sober and their present gesture was not bowing and reeling What was this but to abate the edg of his reproof and to make the guilty smile when he should have made them cry Reproof did I call it No. He hath none for so petty a crime as this It is but a trifle to call a good Minister Baal's Priest Black Devil as one lately called an excellent person For this is all he hath to say to it It was and is very uncomely to reproach them when they meet them sober c. Very uncomly O! How mild and gentle the man is grown on a suddain How cool and lost is his breath after all his blostering as if he would not molest a feather He is as tender as that Gentleman who told us the main thing in which all Gods people generally from the hâ—ghest to the lowest have been too unskilful is denying self and contemning those allurements of gain which puff up the mind of men with boasting and vain glory m Short Discourse concerning the work of God in this Nation 1659. pag. 5. or as those that said the Brownists who had faln into a damnable Schism as I told you the last time n Out of Mr. Gifford pag. 329. of the Continuation were a little over-shâ—t in some matters Alas for them that they should be such shrewd men at getting mony and so unskilful in self-denial Verily it is a defect It is not well that they have gone so farr from the Church of God Nor is it a comely thing that his Ministers should be reviled No it is very uncomely They ought to have passed them by civilly o P. 240. of his Answ indeed they ought But how if they do not Why they may be Saints for all that as far as I can perceive only not so mannerly as he wishes they were Or if they be not they may think themselves to be so notwithstanding any thing this Gentleman hath to say who dares not displease them And here if you observe it he hath given us a notable proof of his disingenuity and spightful folly in thrusting into his Book so many idle stories whose Authors we know not where to find and of which he himself hath no assurance I could tell you saith he of a Link-boy c. Could tell us What more than he hath told us No. Who he was saith he I cannot tell p Ib p. 48. A pretty piece of hypocrisie to make a show as if he would not tell a story and in that very breath to tell as much of it as he knows And a fine way of writing falsly to blot Paper with stories taken up in the Streets of he cannot tell whom One of M. Bucer's Pharisees I see is revived that easily believes tales and having rashly believed them loves to spread and scatter them abroad q Continuation pag. 260. And he is so much the worse because when he distrusts them yet he will not stick to report them I shall not meddle with the private stories notoriously false which he hath helpt to blow about though if he go on at the rate he hath begun he may be brought in danger of the Statute against the Spreaders of false News you may find another absurd passage in his Book p. 266. which he dares not affirm upon â—â—s word For it was used he saith if I mistake not by one of your Preachers and it was this or to this effect c. I have discovered so many of his mistakes that I can see no reason to believe it It might be a a Preacher of your own who spoke those words or he might not speak to that purpose but some other But they say p. 292 they are reported p. 240. If fame may be trusted p. 244. and such like Authorities are brought as the strongest warrant he hath for his tale wherewith he abuses the people and slanders his neighbours You may wonder indeed as I find a great stickler r W. Walwyn Fountain of Slander discovered 1649. p. 8. in the late times notably discoursing That Religious people are so ready to catch and carry aspersions from man to man and not have so much honesty and charity as first to be fully satisfied of the truth of that which they report and that the taking away of mens good name should be thought no sin among them But truly saith he I do not wonder at it for where notional or verbal Religion which at best is but Superstitiâ—n is Author of that little shadow of goodness which possesses men it is no marvel they have so little hold of themselves for they want that innate imbred virtue which makes men good men that pure and undefiled Religion which truly denominates them good Christians and which only gives strength against temptations of this nature This is the great defect of your Philagathus who hath so little even of that innate honesty which is in many men short of Christianity that he doth far worse things than those which displease him in others He finds fault with me for looking so far back as 1642 and that when there was a good cause for it and when I quoted good and undoubted Authorities but he most basely drags in a vagrant story s P. 140. which his Ignorant Readers may think to be piping hot as he speaks in another place out of the Pulpit when in truth it is so old that he knows not the Original of it For the Crocodile of Time and the Dog of the Discourse were laught at long before he saw the University With such stories I doubt not he is able to furnish us without any number though we had not his word for it Every boy can do as much And rather than fail he for his part is so unworthy that he will stoop to believe Libels and thence increase the long list of his tales which he hath mustered up N. C. You wrong him surely
He cannot be so base C. It is as I tell you Witness what he writes p. 121. It hath been said you have been teaching two year the reason why we are Christians as if all the Congregation had been Infidels This was said the truth is of a Minister in the Town whom he good man all along takes for me in a Liâ—el lately laid under the Church Bible as I have heard from those to whom this very Gentleman hath reported it And if you saw it all it would be singular testimony how much some at least of your people improve in those great Virtues of arrogance self-conceit wrath bitterness and reviling And how welcome such a Reprover as this will be to them who shall only whine and say Verily It is very uncomely you may easily imagine For I am inform'd withal that there are other lyes there and several expressions as modest and humble as those and of the same nature which one used in his Prayer in the beginning of the late Wars before the Minister of the Parish Good Lord Good Lord deliver this Congregation from this man who is unlearned unpowerful unprofitable or as these O Lord thou knowest good Lord that we never had the truth preached among us until now N. C. Now you are going to tell us the faults of our Prayers But Sir if you would not be thought to be a perfect Atheist If you would not contract a hundred fold so much odium as did he that wrote the Gangrene If you would not have your name rot and stink among all good men throughout all generations if you would not C. Pray spare your Conjurations a lurry of which I remember in his Book t Pag. 100 101. for they are of no efficacy at all I am far from thinking you the only good men that must embalm our names or else they rot and stink That 's a proud imagination of your own which will never enter in my thoughts Are you the great Chamberlains of the House of God as the Bishop of Galloway u Defence of his Apology p. 44. speaks Are all the vessels of Honour in it committed to your custody Are you Keepers of the Book of Life wherein the names of the Heirs of Grace are all registred Have you the Balance of the Sanctuary or is the Fan put into your hands to separate chaff and corn speak no more so presumptuously and let not such arrogance come out of your mouth lest it prove true upon you which St. Austin hath to Parmenian Because you have lost patience and make hast before the time to separate Chaff and Corn accounting at your pleasure some men abominable and some approved you have declared your selves to be but chaff and most light chaff carried out of the compass of Charity by the wind of your own Pride But be what you please know that I despise your proud vaunts and am not afraid of your big and scornful looks I matter not your hatred nor regard your rash and supercilious censures As for the odious names wherewith you brand us they are but a trifle in my account I have other reasons to keep me from such imployment about which I never had so much as one thought N. C. Not a thought He saith there is Book coming out supposed to be yours consisting of a Collection of Non-sense and Blasphemy said to have faln from some mens Prayers C. I know nothing of it no more than himself But whatsoever he hears supposes or imagines must down presenâ—â—y in Print And that 's the way to mâ—ke great Books in an instant and likewâ—se to raise great wrath in the peoples hearts against me out of mere surmises N. C. You have shewn your inclination this way by what you have told me just now C. You shew your ignorance Those are passages in Print already which you may find in a Book x Haeresiogrâ—pâ—y p. 66. of Mr. Ephraius Paget's who tells you the first of them was uttered in his own Pulpit and in his presence concerning himself And I could send you to other Books where from gooâ— Authority you may find many more But I hate the way of this Scribler who relates stories that have no body to be their vouchers for it is a course neither Wise nor Honest Who is there that cannot invent a thousand out of his own head if he be so minded And how shall the people know that the truest are not mere devices when they know not so much as the person who reports them If I had been guilty of such a fault who have referr'd you to Authors in Print for all the matters of fact that I have related he would have told me of it on both ears and cryed out as he doth upon the occasion of something which he saith I did but insinuate Shew me such a thing in Print or quote me such a passage out of their Sermons y Pag. 81. But he hath one rule for himself and another for other folk We must write out of Books in Print but he from News Merchants or his own Imagination never considering that we are not so dull or unacquainted with the world but if we list we can give him as they say a Rowland for his Oliver Nay repay him with such stories I assure him and those so well attested as shall make every vein in his heart to ake Let him put it to the trial if he please to go on at this rate For the present I 'le let him alone and only follow him to hear what he hath further to say out of his Apocrypha for certain and authorised Histories he hath none It is thought saith he to me z Pag. 82. that you your self in those days for some reason that is suggested had not so great a zeal against all that which some men call Sacriledg as now you pretend to have and were so far from reproving others for it that What 's the matter now that he makes a stop Is he choakt with his tale and doth it give him the lye in his throat Or Is this a wicked Art he hath of telling half a spightful story and reserving the rest that the people may make it up with what they please N. C. He speaks not confidently but only tells you it is thought from something that is suggested c. C. So it was thought and more than suggested that a right Reverend Person kept a great deal of the Poors mony in his hand when he never so much as finger'd it If the Father of Lyes suggest things will you presently divulg them and send them abroad Nay must your evil surmisings be made so publick as to be put in Print N. C. That I confess was ill done C. It had not been so bad if he had told you all that was thought and the reasons upon which it was suggested but now he leaves every body to think all the evil of me that their ill nature can invent As they
take him to be either so conscientious or so wise as he would perswade the world be is who boldly changes the words of a Book which he tells you is known in Court City Country and Vniversities y P. 292. Oâ—e would think he is past feeling 〈◊〉 these matters and cares not what he doth if he can but promote the Cause and make the Ignorant believe my Book is Answered N. C. He was willing he tells you to decline the word Persecution C. Was he so He should have declined also the falsifying of Books and the altering other mens words especially in such a case as that which we debated which he should first of all have sincerely represented and then said what he pleased But in stead of this he impudently chops and changes my words more than once all after as he thinks good You say these are his words p. 246. the N.C. do but fansie themselves to be great sufferers which he had said before also p. 231. And if you look further he will tell you that I manifestly affirm they have no cause to complain of any hard things which they suffer at this day p. 250. And in one or two places my words are dwindled into these You can tell them they do but fansie themselves to be under sufferings pag. 248 z And in the Preface pag 31. And yet my words were Since you fansie you are persecuted when you are not c p. 190. 237. So he is contented to report them in one place a P. 237. and no more that I can observe For though he declines the word as much as he can he plainly signifies that he believes the thing telling us upon this occasion of their being Martyrs and of a Martyrology he could write as I before noted But to pass by this fraudulent way of writing which he is often guilty of let you and I debate this business together if you please N. C. With all my heart for it akes when I think of what he saith of their sufferings C. But you must give me leave to note before we enter upon it that the nature of man is very apt to complain and none more than your selves Who I have always observed are a very delicate and nice sort of people that make a lamentable noise if all things go not after your mind nay put the finger in eye and cry Persecution upon very small causes And therefore we must not be too forward to believe all that this man tells us N. C. You make them like little Children that cry before they be hurt C. They partake very much of the quality of little ones in that particular who are so tender that they cannot indure so much as the scratch of a pin They must have all their desires granted and not be restrained in the least of their Liberty otherwise all the Nation shall ring with the doleful noise of Persecution Antichristian Persecution Immediately your people fansie they prophesie in Sackcloth and are in a Sackcloth condition and carried into the Wilderness even those who live in as good houses and wear as good Chamlets fine Cloth and Silks as any body else For which I can find no cause but the high esteem they have of themselves which makes them look upon all the favours which are done them as small and any the least cross as exceeding great What the precious Sons and Daughters of Sion to be thus used Is it not a sad thing that they should be persecuted to the very gates of Sion yea into the very gates of their Trade N. C. I shall not indure this language C. It is your own b W. B. Seas Truths p. 113. and others But if you will not hear it I will let it alone N. C. And all your Stories which you are going to tell C. There was a Book c Army Harmless pag. 2. indeed which told us of many persons who suffered in extremity and others like to do more for their Non-comportment with the Presbyterian way though they judged the same to be manifestly sinful and altogether repugnant to the Word Do you believe this complainer N. C. No no. They called any little thing suffering in extremity C. And why should we not think that Philag is of the same humour now since others N. C. I pray come to the business and tell me no more of these stories C. I 'le omit the most displeasing to you and only tell you as a proof of this complaining humour that there was a Party in the late Usurpers days who talkâ— as lowdly as Phil. can do of the Persecution of the Saints the crucified Cause of Jesus and said that the Rulers Priests and Souldiers had gotten Christ upon the Cross once more through the High Treason of the Judas's of the Times And what was the matter think you Nothing but this a few persons were secured and some were cut short as they tell you in their Liberties d Image of our Reforming Times Praef. p. 45. an 1654. Nay so grievous it was to some to be crossed and contradicted and brought a little lower in the world than they were that they would not only tumble the whole Nation upside down but go cross even to their own publick professions rather than not have their wills For this I remember was the plea of those who turn'd their Masters out of doors after they had called themselves a few days before and seemed to take a pleasure in styling themselves the Faithful Servants the Faithful Army of this Parliament that if it were not done it would be the undoing of some Families And how many think you were they for whom all that noise and bustle and confusion was made Some Officen of the Army tell you that in these words e Humble Representation to the Lieft. Gen. Nov. 1. 1659. pag. 7. We are not ignorant of the grea argument why this Parliament was interrupted What Must nine Families be undone at once No by no means Have a care of such precious Creatures and deal tenderly with them Those mine may be more worth than all the Nation beside at least have a better opinion of themselves and therefore What is there to be considered so much as their concerns N. C. I have heard enough of this enless it were better Now to the purpose C. This is much to the purpose For you see what a stir some men are apt to make if they be in danger to be less than they were before and how much they prefer the satisfaction of a few before the publique tranquillity Such men you may be sure will murmur and repine when they are brought down indeed as thinking they receive a great injury when they are not in place of power and dignity and are used hardly when they do not rule and govern us N. C. But this is nothing to those who have lost all C. But it shews that we must not presently believe mens condition so
Primitive Christians have set us an example and it is glorious in it self comfortable to those in whom this virtue is and the best way to thrive and prosper and attain their end The old N. C. being deprived took this course and neither thought it a just cause for a separation from us nor complained after this Scriblers manner but quietly submitted to the sentence Have you not seen the Protestation made by those who were suspended or deprived in the third of King James N. C. No. C. I 'le tell you then two or three Branches of it We hold say they l protestation of the Kings supremacy c. 160â— â—â—anch 8th that Kings by virtue of their Supremacy have power yea also that they stand bound by the Law of God to make Laws Ecclesiastical such as shall tend to the good ordering of the Churches in their Dominions and that the Churches ought not to be disobedient to any of their Laws c. But in case the King should command things contrary to the Word they declare m Branch 9th that they ought not to resist him therein but only peaceably to forbear obedience and sue unto him for grace and mercy and where that cannot be obtained meekly to submit themselves to the punishment And further n Branch 11th that he may by his Authority inflict as great punishments upon them for the neglect of his Ecclesiastical Laws as upon any other subjects c. N. C. I wish however that the punishments had been less C. Or they more patient Christians N. C. For then we should not have had these sad complaints of sufferings hardships and miseries C. And Persecution N. C. No he will not call it so though he confesses the N. C. in Scotland live in a hotter climate than we do here C. We understand his phrase very well They are intolerably persecuted though you be not N. C. He only says such severity being used against them as would make a mans heart to bleed o P. 244. of his Book C. Yes if Fame may be trusted as he adds which we know hath brought many a lye to him and is as little to be trusted as himself For you may be sure of this that they are better used a great deal than they used others heretofore N. C. Whence shall I have that assurance C. From a little Book newly come forth there and said to be published by Order where in answer to these complaints of Severity I find these words p modest and free Conference between a C. and a N. C. â—â—ant the present distemperâ— in Scotland 1669. p. 11. and more you may read p. 60. I must so far justifie the rigour you have met withal as to shew it is far short of yours The people are required to do nothing but live peaceably and joyn in worship whereas you made them swear to you And the Ministers are not made swear to maintain the present establishment mark this and to root out the contrary as you did they are only required to concurr in Discipline and to promise submission to Episcopacy A great peice of business most grievous and severe Impositions What will they conform unto who cannot away with such small things as these Must such reasonable Laws as these be changed only to humour them If they be not then there is no help for it they must be deprived And if they are so far from submitting to Episcopacy that they set themselves against the Government they may with the greater reason be sharply dealt withal who are so fiery as to oppose that which is so innocent But yet I can hear of no such terrible proceedings against them as this man talks of For the fore-named Book tells us q P. 32. whatsoever noise they make about Persecution it is more on the side of the C. than of the Nonconformists For to an ingenuous spirit it is a far greater trial if he be not above such things to be aspersed and railed at every where and made the hatred of the people than to suffer a little in the world Which suffering also I must tell you though it may conduce in the end much to their good yet it puts their Governours to a new trouble to inflict it after they have been long troubled nay persecuted by their perversness and fierce oppositions For tell me I pray you they are the words of St. Austin r Against Cresconius quoted in this case long ago 〈◊〉 plain Declar. 1590. pag. 68. when a man that is in a Phrensie doth vex the Physician and the Physician binds him whether do both persecute each other or no If that be not a Persecution which is done to his disease then certainly the Physician doth not persecute the phrantick or mad-man but he persecutes the Physician His Application is that the Penal Laws of the Princes were as the Bands of the Physician to bind the phrensie and furious out-rage of the Donatists Who made such a clatter there about their Persecution and grievous sufferings as this Philag and others do among us O said they when any Law came forth against them now your Bishops have inflamed the Rulers to persecute us They have made them our Enemies to deprive us of that liberty which Christ hath left us We ought not to be compelled our wills were made free and you may not offer a force to them And so they run on in long Declamations against the Catholick Church for using them so cruelly for all the world like this bawling Writer of yours who I think in my Conscience would have been more modest if he had not been so gently used N. C. Phy for shame C. I know what I say there is always less murmuring and men are more thankful for the liberty which is allowed them when Laws are strictly and constantly executed But now the Nation is filled as he confesses with clamours and noises of their great sufferings and miseries which he repeats in a most doleful manner I cannot tell how often This he begins withal p. 5 6 7. And again we meet with it p. 79 80. And thrice s P. 149 220 229. more before he comes to a tedious set discourse about it p. 231 c. In which he makes their contempt a part of their suffering a thing which they pour on us far more than we on them and Excommunication also which is commonly for their obstinate contempt of the Court nay the want of those degrees in the University which they may have a mind unto and of Dignities and Offices are thrown in to make up the tale though he pretends that he cares not to mention them whereby we may see how sorely they are hurt who have list and leisure to think of such things And yet he hath not done with it neither but we find him bemoaning their condition again t P. 283. as if like the poor Samaritan they were stript of their rayment wounded and half dead
And once more in his Preface and in how many other places I cannot tell For to read the whole Book is no less toil than to travail through long Desarts a foot without any company which makes me loth to go thorough it again It is to seek fruit in the Garden of Tantalus to look for one leaf that will give a man either profit or pleasure N. C. This Pride doth not become you C. I can see nothing of that in this censure But if there were you of all other people should wink at it who by his own confession are the proudest men in the Nation N. C. O abominable He never was so mad yet as to grant you that C. What think you of those words If the Non conformist at this day be thought too high and too proud he only groweth like Camomile because he is trod and trampled upon for of Camomile it is said the more it is trodden on the more it grows N. C. I remember them p. 281. But know not what you will make of them C. No It is a plain demonstration according to his reasoning that they are grown intolerably high and proud because they are as he would have you believe intolerably afflicted and distressed p. 249. A most excellent improvement of Affliction and arguing much of the Power of godliness N. C. Come Sir jeer no more at godliness for you have done it too much already Your Book is an exact method and platform to extirpate practical holiness u Preface pag. 12. What makes you giggle in so serious a business C. I cannot but laugh a little at the laborious folly of this mans spight This is a mere device to draw the peoples minds from attending to what I say and to stir up their passion against me as an Enemy and hater of godliness N C. No He doth not think you to be such an Enemy to Religion as your Book would seem to import x Ib. pag. 15. but rather hopes you are a good man y Ib. p. 41. and Book pag. 3. C. That 's the thing I was going to say He overthrows all his accusation in two words by granting me to be Religious and jâ—dicious too p. 105. For how is it possible that a Godly man should contrive a way most effectual to root up godliness and N. C. Stay C You will revoke this favourable opinion of me now that you see whither it will carry you N. C. He saith he hath a great desire to constrain himself to think that you may possibly be wise in Solomon's sense that is fear the Lord p. 41. C. He was I observed at the last very fearful lest he should have judged too well of me and therefore as you say doth but constrain himself nay hath only a great desire to constrain himself but it seems would not do it and that but to think that it is possible I may be a good man With which I am very well contented and if you please I will give him all his good hopes of me back again having no need at all of them It is sufficient for me that he acknowledges he is far from thinking it was my design to overthrow piety though he is sure it is the end of my Book z Preface pag. 12. For mark I beseech you the absurdity of this How is it possible for a man by mere chance having no such design in his head to form so many Aphorisms Maxims and Stratagems all tending to one and the same end viz. the subverting of godliness and introducing impiety and that so exactly methodically and pertinently a Ib. pag. 15. as nothing can be more fitted for this purpose Make out this to me if you can for I protest to you I am utterly to seek how this should come to pass There must be a design of the Author in it or else he could never have done it with as much skill as Campanella shewed when he went to work for the extirpating Protestantism and setling Popery throughout England b Ib. Nay no Engineer he tells you could have given more proper counsel how to slight any fort or strong hold and how to level it with the ground than I have given how true Religion may be plucked up root and branch N. C. These things I confess do not hang well together C. Malice we see wants wit And after all his labour he hath but brought forth the Apothecaries Beast which Julian the Pelagian upbraided St. Austin withal A creature of wonderful strange properties as he made his Patient believe and promised he should see the next day which before morning came had eaten up her self For if I went so judiciously and accurately to work to overthrow all godliness it must be my design to overthrow it but he is far from thinking that and therefore there are no such exact Aphorisms and Stratagems but his better thoughts have destroyed those vain imaginations unless you can believe that Books may be made by shuffling so many Letters together or Batteries and Engines raised with throwing so many skuttles full of dirt and so many bundles of sticks together on a heap N. C. But the God of this world I remember he says so for the present blinded your eyes p. 15. C. What That I should contrive all this and never know it The good man hath plung'd himself so deep in a contradiction that he is fain to fly to the Devil to help him out But I pray who gave him Authority to stretch the Devils power so far that it may be thought to do the same upon a Believer which the Apostle saith he did upon Infidels And what is there that can blind any mans eyes but Covetousness Lust Ambition Anger Hatred or some such evil affection or passion Which if the Faith of Christ have not purged out of my heart I have no desire to constrain my self to think that it is possible I am a good Christian The very bottom of the business is this It is not godliness but themselves for which he is so much concerned and keeps all this stir For the Question is not whether we shall all heartily and earnestly study to be Godly that is to love and obey our Creator above all things according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ but whether you be the only godly or so much beyond all others as you imagine and whether that be the Power of godliness which is vulgarly called by that name This I denied and this made him so angry Notwithstanding which I still believe that many among us whom some of you make little account of are more thoroughly and substantially good than many among you upon whom you liberally bestow that name who value themselves more upon the score of keeping Days repeating Sermons talking of Religion and Experiences than for Justice Charity speaking Truth Peaceableness Meekness Obedience and such like virtues to which I find them very great strangers Now in stead of acknowledging
1648. pag. 6. But you can wink when you list at those things among your selves which you call by all the odious names you can invent when you do but fansie them in another man Being very much like the Lamiae whom you have heard of I make no doubt the story is so common who carried their eyes in their head when they were abroad and at home closed them up in a box We may not so much as smile at your affected language no not reprove your canting and gross abuse of Scripture phrases if we do you say we are profane scurrilous blasphemous and what not but you may abuse the most innocent things and sport with them as much as you are able and this passes for pleasant discourse and sanctified wit There was a very sober and discreet Petition for instance from the County of Kent to the House of Commons k Printed with many other by order from his Majesty 20. May. 1642. in which after their thanks for those excellent Laws which they had obtained from his Majesties goodness they prayed among other things that they might enjoy the solemn use of the Liturgy quiet and free from interruption scorns prophaness threats and force and that Episcopal Government might be preserved Papists suppressed differences concerning Religion and Ceremonies determined in a Lawful free and National Synod c. In short there is not one offensive word in it but only Liturgy and Bishops which brought all those scoffs on it which were wont to be thrown on them A grave person as he would seem to be by his Book l Late Covenant asserted 1643. pag. 24. entertained you with a mock Petition after this dull fashion Humbly sheweth That since it was well with your Petitioners when like People like Priest they would go to the Alehouse with us and we could offer cakes to the Queen of Heaven N. C. Now you mock him in Scripture phrase C. They are his own words I assure you and you cannot but know how much your people love to abuse us in the Holy language and to pick out such expressions as may signifie us to be Idolaters Philagathus himself is so used to it that he doth it even when he doth not know it as I charitably believe W. B. saith he would not have said a word of the Bowl and the Pottage Had he been to prâ—phesie at Bethel or at the King's Chappel as Amos speaketh m Sober Answer p. 264. that is at Whitehall where one would imagine the Golden Calves are set up and worshipped N. C. He had no such meaning I am confident C. It 's well if others do not so expound it who know your usual meaning in such like words But let us go on with the other Gentleman Our hearty petition saith he is that you would be pleased to give us our Bishops again who thought no more of preaching than a Cobler of plowing and had no more care of Souls than of their old shooes and our Service Book so full of good Prayers which we can say as our Parson doth though half asleep or quite drunk and that we may have leave to be drunk and dance on Sundayes a time designed by our good Bishop for that purpose N. C. O abominable No more I pray you C. There is enough to show the wickâ—d Spirit that was then among you Onâ—â— for a more full demonstration of it I â—â—all add that after he had mockt as â—â—dg as he thought good then he thinks 〈◊〉 sanctifie all at the last with a little â—â—nking breath which he spends in a few â—â—ghs saying twice or thrice Poor Souls â—â—â—r Souls If my head were a Fountain I could weep over these and if my heart were as it should be i. e. not full of laughter at them I would sigh â—â—t my words Poor Souls Poor Souls Nay thus he jeers at His Majesties most solâ—â—â— Protestation which he made at the tâ—king of the Holy Sacrament before the Primate of Ireland and all the Company then present N. C. For Gods sake forbear you cannot grieve our hearts more then 〈◊〉 remember any scorn cast upon so sacreâ— a person C. The great pride and insoleâ—â— which this man discovers still to remâ—â— among you makes me think it necessâ—â— to call these things to your mind Bâ—t will let that instance alone unless 〈◊〉 continued Folly call for it N. C. You should not impute tâ—â— faults of some to all as you have 〈◊〉 through your whole Book C. That 's another instance of his disâ—â—genuity who will take no notice of thâ— distinction I often made between soâ—â— men and the rest But will needs sayâ— accuse all even there where I expreâ—â— say some as you shall hear before 〈◊〉 end The truth is this Phil. is so 〈◊〉 that he writes in many places as 〈◊〉 had said nothing unless I had writ a Book on purpose against him It is enough he thinks to silence me to say I never preached to my remembrance one Sermon of that strain n Page 284. 280. 282. and many other places I was never one of those flatterers I have urged that advice several years past Just as if he had a Saints Bell in his pocket as your old friend Martin said to another o Martin Marprelat Protestation when one of his Books was taken in the Press I hope you will not be offended at his words crying ting ting ting And what doth it ting my modesty my moderation my peaceableness my Charity p Sobeâ— Answ p. 143. 144. 225. Nothing but my my my As if he was some Universal Nature of whom all the particular N. C. did pertake He might at least have considered that there are several degrees of those who differ from us and that they are so many that no man can in one breath mention them â—ll They were above threescore years ago most ingeniously painted and likeâ—ed to Anacreons q A Sermon at St. Pauls Cross 1 Nov. 1607. by S. Collins fond loves Some of which were perfect some Pipient some â—â—acht some half hatcht some peering â—â—t of the Egg some riper in the Chick â—hilst others had the strength to flye nimâ—â—y away All of them have this quality â—o despise us and think we know little 〈◊〉 nothing of the Mystery of Godliness or want the power of it but some in their opinions are further others a lesser way from us Now there is nothing in my Book which the N. C. speaks whatsoever this man boldly talks but some or other of them alledge against us or reply to us though every one doth not object or answer every thing therein mentioned As for those who are sorry for our breaches and dislike the furious and factious Crew who scorn and revile us all that I had to say to them was as you may remember to desire them to separate themselves from that Herd by frequenting the publick worship of God disclaiming their unlawful practices opposing their bold
observe it N. C. You should not study revenge by taking notice of the motes that are in the eye of his discourse because he did so by yours r Sober Answ p. 11. C. If I sought for motes I could find a great one in that very phrase These are logs which I am going to speak of that a man may see with half an eye First he confesses that they are self conceited impatient of contradiction wedded to their own opinion such as will rule even their Ministers if not despise and abandon them unless they please their humor Else why should they so easily run away from them nay spew them out of their mouth ſ They are his own words p. 228. and see p. 223. if they perswade them earnestly to that which they think in their conscience is their Duty They are so currish also and hard hearted that they will give such a Minister a Bill of Divorce and he may starve if he will for any thing that they will do for him t His own words p. 229. But the reason is that they are in a rage in a violent fermentation and boiling against our Church and therefore must not be medled withall but let alone for fear as he tells you of making them stark mad which it is thought would be the effect of an attempt to reduce them to that which I call sobriety u pag. 227. So uncapable they are of good instruction that they speak evil of our Bishops and others with open mouth being the Authors or abetters of false and scandalous stories concerning them and yet cannot be perswaded that they have done it sufficiently or that they can open their mouths too wide in this case N. C. A horrid slander C. Say you so I will read his very words then to you that you may be convinced though others will not Neither must they x pag. 228. i. e. your Ministers presume to keep a Day of Humiliation for the sin you there mention p. 235. viz speaking evil of Bishops c. though either to raise or take up a false report against any man especially if in Authority is a great sin yet to keep a day of Humiliation among the people upon such an account as that who will not be convinced that they can open their mouths too wide in that case were immediately to divorce themselves from them ☞ or to cause the people to give them a Bill of Divorcement and to be married to some worse Husband N.C. I am astonisht at his negligent writing I shall not be angry hereafter if you call him a shatter'd-brain Scribler C. Who not only confesses that you cannot be convinced that you can bawl too loudly though falsely and scandalously against our Governours but that the hearts of your people are alienated from us and have an antipathy against us as he tells you in the next page And that some of them hate our Worship worse than a Toad as he assures us upon his own knowledg y pag. 224. Canepejus angue and are so ungrateful withal to our Sovereign that they will not so much as wish for the peace and prosperity of their Native Country unless they can enjoy such quiet as they desire N. C. There is no such thing sure in his Book C. No! read then what he saith in another place p. 221 222. Where he tells us we must not expect that you should be perswaded to seek our peace by such easy means as I directed you to for men cannot easily so much deny themselves as to promote the interest of those by whom they have been ruined and are ruining all the day long If you urge that text saith he seek the peace of that City whether I have caused you to be carried captive and pray to the Lord for it some are ready to reply how many who knows Yea and so we will seek your peace and presperity when you make good what is there added for in the peace thereof yee shall have peace They will condition you see with his Majesty or else he must not have the benefit of their prayers for the tranquillity and happiness of his Realmes N. C. Would He had held his peace and never undertaken our cause C. There is a plain reason he tells you for this surliness They are grons high and proud they swell with grief anger and vexation z pag. 281. because they cannot have their will or as he calls it are trod and trampled upon And though they are it seemes so low yet their spirits are so high and so far from humble and silent patience that they have clamoured both upon King and Parliament 〈◊〉 and down the Nation for the undoing of many families a So he tells us p. 236. which tells you what excellent Christians they are for that word clamour as one b Mr. Fullers Vindic of his Sermon 1643. told Mr. Saltmarsh sounds in a bad sense in the Holy Scriptures as arguing an ill tempered spirit with amixture of Pride and impatience for which he cites 9. Prov. 13.4 Ephes 31. But some of them are gone higher and have a rebellious principle in them as he confesses if what I said be true c Sober Answer p. 105. as I am sure it is And yet for all that there are no such people as they the power of Godliness is their peculiar portion thus far this man himself is possessed with those proud fancies that he thinks from what I have said against them it will be inforc'd that all that which is called Religion is meer Hypocrisie and imposture d Preface p. 22. 23. Lastly as for lying and speaking falsly you shall not easily meet with a greater example of it than in himself And if one of your guides be so addicted ro this vice that he blushes not to put them in Print when he may be so soon confuted what a number of lyes in all probability are there whispered in corners by your common people N. C. You should say they are mistakes and no more C. I would willingly have called them all by no worse name than falshoods but upon serious consideration of all things I cannot but conclude that too often there was something of his will in it and that he had a mind to calumniate And for our more orderly proceeding this being you know part of my Charge against him I will first set before you some of the lyes and falshoods in his preface and then some of those that are in his Book For the former there is no truth in those words you meet withal p. 3. that I call some men all to naught nor did I say so much as this which he confidently affirms that W. B. is the greatest Impostor that ever I knew in the Christian Religion c My words are He is one of the principal Impostors that perverted the truth and a lulterated c. Contin p. 108. These are forgeries of
his own like that which follows p. 8. You bring in the N. C. saying the King is a Tyrant But what will not he be bold to invent who dare tell you p. 10. that I knockt so hard not only upon the Act of Indemnity which I have show'd you is notoriously false but upon all overtures for peace and accommodation that he was not able to lye still when part of my business was to show the way to it and when it was fit for you to expect the favour you desire If we say not what pleases him it seems we had better hold our peace If he like not our propositions he will make no bones to say we offer nothing nay are against all peace and accomodation with them They must have their own way and be set at Liberty as he tells us before they will try to make us and you friends and then it is but upon condition neither if we will refer it to them and be bound to stand to their award g They are his own words p. 220. 221. Such another ugly lye is that which immediately comes after this that I reflect obliquely upon most eminent persons and insinuate that they never deserve to be loved or trusted more notwithstanding his Majesties confidence in them This he found in the same place where he met with all those Stratagems and Maximes he tells you of in the following pages as that I would put down Religious conference and bring men out of conceit with experiences and have spiritual preaching laught out of Countenance h P. 16 17. of the Preface and that I have used my wit to abuse earnestness in Prayer preaching of the love of Jesus Christ and using of Scripture language i Page 31. Ib. with a number of other such like things which are such gross lyes that they cannot be forced from my words by doing violence to them and putting them upon the Rack For I told you in plain termes what experiences the Apostle commands and when Religious conference is profitable to our selves and others and what it is to preach spiritually c. which I do not mean to repeat over again for his conviction In stead of that I will recommend to his consideration one Stratagem which he doth not think of though he is very expert in it and though it be a Stratagem of Satan who as Acontius might have inform'd him in a Book bearing that Title k Sâ—â—â—ns Straâ—agâ—â—es Book 2. p. 50.52 translated 1648. prompts men to cavil at one anothers words in their disputes whereby opposition is made not so much against what is affirmed as against what the opposer hath by a false Interpretation feigned to himself which kind of practice tends to nothing saith he but to provoke the Adversary and to make a mans self ridiculous by opening a Window to himself whereout to cast a thousand follies not a jot to the matter in hand Yet some men as he adds are exceedingly conceited of themselves if misinterpreting their Adversaries words they can infer some great absurdity there from Howbeit this custom ought to be left to vain Sophisters who as another excellent writer observes l Mouns Balzac can make use of true propositions to infer an erroneous conclusion and like petti-foggers still cite the Law to Authorise their injustice Such a Caviller is this Philagathus between whose Maximes Aphorisms c. and my propositions there is as wide a difference as we find oft-times between the Text and the Commentaries the meaning of the Author and the Criticismes of Grammarians So he will confess himself if he will but take the counsel of Acontius and forsaking the Devil with all his Works report what I say without addition diminution or alteration I can warrant only my own words which are sound and innocent as the other writer speaks in the like case not those of my Adversary which are full of malice and rancor For what I have written I am responsible and am ready to maintain it but all the Visions and fancies that come into other mens heads are not in my power nor am I accountable for them If Philag will say that I affirm one of W. B. Sermons is not so good as a Play m Preface p. 20. c. what remedy is there who can defend themselves from being abused by such squint-ey'd Readers I cannot make my words plainer than they are which were only these that the Sermon about the Cupboard of Plate and Gods departing from us c. hath more of fiction in it than many of the Playes n Friendâ—â— Debate 190. What ever other words I should go about to place in the room of them he may as well deprave as he hath done these and many other throughout his whole Book making them depose such things as were never in my thoughts But now we have to do with the Preface in which there are so many falsities of this Nature that if I could find the like in my Book I should think as Dr. Corn. Burges saith in another case o Antidote against AntiSobrius p. 31.1660 that it deserved the reward of the Hangman and I would either burn it my self or hire him to dâ— it for me It would tire you to hear them all and therefore I will only add that notorious one which you find in the first of those Stratagems of Satan which he hath invented to cast that blame on us which justly lyes upon themselves It is this that we have brought all the practical Divines such as Scudder Culverwell Rogers c. quite out of Request that now adays there is no enquiring after those kind of Books p Presace p. 12. N. C. He only tells you that a grave Book-seller told him not long since that the Rational Divines as some would have them called had brought all our practical Divines c. C. Take heed you do not falsify too He hath made this lye his own in these words which follow q Ib. page 13. Sure I am the writings which you have taught the World to set at naught have been as great Seminaries and nurseries of Religion as most in the World N. C. Is it not too true C. There cannot well be a more impudent falshood For it was the canting of some among your selves which first struck those Books out of your peoples hands and destroyed those great Nuâ—series which he speaks of They made them believe there was a greater Gospel-Light now broken forth than had been since the Apostles times that they brought them more glorious Discoveries of the love of God and held forth free grace more clearly and fully and that there was both a freer streaming of Christ's Blood to poor sinners laid open and a more plentiful powring out of the Spirit in these latter dayes than our Fore-Fathers had seen In short that there was more of Law and of Mount Sinai in those old Preachers and now more of Gospel and
Mount Sion in themselves This was one of those things which turned their eyes from Authors now named to look for some greater thing which these new Teachers had to reveal to them N. C. I must confess I have heard some of our own Divines complain of this But I doubt you have helpt to make the people reject those Authors as weak and frivolous and to listen to what new Rational Doctrine your selves are about to bring as he tells you p. 13. C. He talks idly and spitefully opposes his own imaginations to the plain and manifest truth They were laid aside and other Books come in their stead before those whom he strikes at begun either to preach or write And some of those very Ministers of yours who complained of the New lights and Discoveries have contributed to it not a little by affecting of new words and fine phrases and devising Sauces for that food which those old Divines delivered in a plainet and more simple manner These many people began even then to long for when Mr. Rogers his Book was writ as we may learn from one that prefaces to it Mr. Fr. Merbury there tells us that some professors in those dayes liked none but such conceited Cooks as this Philagdthus who commends so heartily T. VV. Sances and tells us an Anchove or two gives the gravy a fine relish and rather then fail can be content with Carriers Sance an Onion to get a man a better stomack to his meat r All these are his words p. 50. But he himself did not like them as he tells us in these words the rest of the professors which â—e like wanton children and begin to play with their meat and brook nothing but conceited writing and speaking are to be bewailed And therefore he desires the good Readers in the conclusion of that Epistle to receive Mr. Roger's provision made for them of wholesome meat not caring for conceited Cookery but rememtring that hunger is the best sauce for beavenly food This is a plain demonstration to me that this buisy Informer and Reproover hath not been conversant himself in those Writers which he so much commends but is one of those who hath laid them aside though he be no Rational Divine I dare say for him At least he is never the better for them being one of those that writes not elegantly but conceitedly if ever any man did and that labours hard in this phantastick trade of Cookery which those grave Writers did so solemnly condemn Witness the bread and butter I told you of before the hot broth of reproof which he talks of p. 123. The Beef and Bacon the Rabbets and Chickens which he fetches in to make a savory Mess of W. Bs. bowl of Pottage f pag. 264. and 265. and the conceited jest which he makes a shift to strain at last out of a Galimaufry of Latine and English compounded together for which he would be soundly firkt if he were I know where and at every lash be told in his own language that he had both jus in re and jus ad rem too far more then any boy in the School N. C. Did not you bring in your Cheese too in the Epistle to your Reader C. And I take it neither for an out-stretched Allegory u Like his discourse of this matter which takes up 3. pages l. p. 264. c. as he would have it nor an unhandsome resemblance Others I am sure who are no bad judges think it as far from conceited as they think him from being witty N. C. You must consider the matters about which he write are not very grave and so it may be pardonable if he be a little phantastical C. No I thought all this while he had been defending the use of these Sauces in T. W's Book of Repentance and such like that have taken the place of those better writers Which are the less acceptable to many of you for another reason that he thinks not of being I have cause to think but little acquainted with them N. C. What should that be C. They resolutely maintain the lawfulness and usefulness of a Form of prayer which now is so much despised if not abhorred and withal approve of the publique service of our Church and commend some other things which are now neglected N. C. Can you prove what you say C. I tell you nothing but what my eyes have read Mr. Rich. Rogers for instance whom p. 13. he sets in the first place in his seven Treatises x Commended by Mr. Culverwel one of the Authors Philag praises dedicated to King James in the beginning of his raign tells you * Treat 3. chap. 4. that the Publique Prayers solemnly offered to God in the congregation and praysing God with Psalmes is one of the publique helps to Godliness to be used by every Christian In the which saith he if that mind be in us with the which we have been taught to come to all holy exercises and so be prepared for them who doubts but that we may receive much help by them Yea ☜ and the better a man is the more he shall profit by them And when a man doth not profit it is partly of Ignorance partly from a prejudicate opinion and rash zeal which makes men give themselves to slight and negligent hearing of and attending to them And then having answered the objection of those who said the Ministers in some places were ignorant and unreformed Sots and idle drones in philag language p. 284. and resolved that notwithstanding we ought to joyn with them in prayers He proceeds to satisfy those that said a Minister should use no set form of Prayer but as he is moved by Gods spirit To such he saith It is a fond error so to think N. C. I know many would not like those words C. I told you so but hear his reason For as there be necessary things to be prayed for of all men and alway and those are the most things which we are to pray for So there may be prescript forms of prayer made conceming all such things Which being so what letteth that in the Reading of such prayers either of confession of sin request or thanksgiving what letteth I say that the hearers heart may not profitably go with the same both to humble to quicken and to comfort For is the reading it self unpure when the Minister in his own behalf and the peoples uttereth them to God I speak not you see of the matter of prayer but of reading it for if the matter be naught the pronouncing of it makes it not good any more then reading doth if it be good and pure being uttered and pronounced the reading cannot hurt it or make it evil And further to satisfy them they may know that in all Churches and the best Reformed there is a prescript form of prayer used and therefore they who are of a mind that it ought not to be must separate themselves from
Norfolk wherein a Woman was presented who doting upon a young Gentleman had the more securely to enjoy his affection secretly murdered her Husband whose Ghost haunted her and at divers times in her most solitary retirements stood before her there was a Towns-woman till then of good repute who finding her Conscience at this sight extreamly troubled suddenly shreeked and cryed out O my Husband my Husband I see the Ghost of my Husband fiercely threatning and menacing me At which shrill unexpected out-cry the people about her being amazed they enquired the reason of it When presently without any further urging she told them that not seven years ago to be possessed of such a Gentleman whom she named she had poysoned her Husband whose fearful Image personated it self they are the words of my Author m Mr. Tho. Heywood the Actors Vindic. Book third in the shape of that Ghost This she also voluntarily confessed before the Justices and was condemned for it of all which there were many eye-witnesses besides the Actors living a little before this was written n In King James his reign as appears by the Book N. C. So Conscience it seems hath been awakened at a Play No wonder then you say one of W. B 's Sermons is no better than a Play o Pag. 187. C. I have left off now to wonder that he makes no Conscience of what he saith This I have shown you is a forgery of his own which he hath further improved in his Preface into these lying words which you heard before One of his Sermons is not so good as a Play p Pag. 20. He hath a dispensation it should seem to write as he list by which means he is able to confute any Book even the Bible it self It is but changing the words and leaving out some or putting in others according to his liking and then they are for his purpose to declaim against Of this Legerdemain there are so many instances in his Book that they alone are sufficient to make a Volumn if I should go about to discover them all If I say it would not be amiss that their folly were a little chastised who fancy they are persecuted when they are not q Friendly Debate p. 190. He shall tell you that I say They who fancy themselves persecuted ought to be chastised r P. 256. of his Answ If I say you account him a painful Preacher f Friendly Debate p. 194. who preaches often he shall say that I make you confess you call him a plain Preacher who preaches often As if we were so silly saith he as to think that to preach plainly and to preach often were the same thing t P. 267. of his Answ Would not one think either that this man could not read or read with other mens eyes or else come to ill-disposed and with such naughty affections that they disturbed his light It is painful Preachers as clear as can be in my Book and plain Pâ—eachers as manifestly in his He is like those people in Lucian u In his true Hist Book first that had eyes to take in and out as they pleased themselves or when they had lost their own eyes borrowed of other men He sees nothing I mean but what he pleases and like the most of you can be satisfied to believe others and not see for himself N. C. You have made hast to get to the end of his Book I perceive notwithstanding your high charge he is not much to blame in such like matters C. These offered themselves most readily to my thoughts but if you have a mind to go further back with all my heart N. C. You shall not lead me through the whole Book if the labour be so tedious as you tell me C. I protest as Bishop Hall doth x Postscript to the desence of the humble Remonstrance in another case that I never saw any writer that would dare to profess Christian sincerity so fouly to overlash and so shamefully to corrupt and pervert anothers words as he doth as if he made no Conscience by what means he upholds a side or wins a Proselyte He would have you think for instance that I maintain that the Gospel cherishes fear more than the Law p. 41. when I only said that a Christian is moved by fear as well as hope and that the things which the Gospel threatens us withal are more terrible than the threatnings of the Law This is the manifest scope of my discourse and I still maintain it to be true that a man may be of an Evangelical Spirit who is moved to do his duty out of a fear of what Christ threatens as much as out of a hope of what he promises Nay I do not see but one may have an Evang. Spirit who is moved more by such fear than he is by hope though that was not the thing I undertook to make good It was only this that it is not a just Character of a Gospel-Spirit that it is put on rather by promises than threatnings This I said and still say is false which is not to affirm as he would have it that the Gospel cherishes fear more than hope but that it cherishes them equally or rather that one may be a good Christian who is moved as much by the one as by the other By this you see either how dull and stupid he is or how maliciously disposed who cannot understand so plain a discourse And yet he would have you think he is so sagacious and hath so good a Nose that he can smell y Pag. 42 I smell what you would be at c. my thoughts even then when he mis-reports my words you make saith he as if the Mosaical spirit did fear only temporal calamities upon Body and Goods c. That word only is his own not mine as you may see if you will compare our Books together though I must tell you all that he hath said to overthrow that position is of no more force than a small puff of wind for they might and I doubt not did know under the Old Testament that there was a life to come of misery and happiness though it was not declared by Moses his Law And so the meer Mosaical Legal Spirit which we spoke of may truly be said to fear only those calamities which were threatned by that carnal commandment But he hath not done yet He makes you believe that I deny the Legal dispensation to be terrible and the Gospel comfortable p. 44. which is a gross abuse for my position was that this is not the difference between the dispensations that the one is terrible and the other comfortable because both are terrible and knowing the terror of the Lord the Apostles perswaded men This he could not but see and therefore to make work for himself pulled my words asunder And as he could not find in his heart to speak a word of the Impertinances I noted
c. for it is not possible to separate these two the one from the other N. C. I do not understand you C. Can a man give greater glory and honour to God than by quitting his present pleasures and other enjoyments meerly in hope of good things to come which he doth not see but only takes Gods word for Doth he not magnifie the Goodness the Truth the Faithfulness the Power of God and declare the high thoughts he hath of all these glorious Attributes who relyes purely on them for all his happiness There is nothing plainer at first sight upon which account I cannot retract what I have said but he ought rather according to his promise to write no more on this fashion Let him reform his Sermons a leaf or two of which he seems here to have transcribed and talk more understandingly and discreetly of glorifying God And above all things let him take care to expound the Scripture better which he hath perverted most grossly twice or thrice in this very Argument Who before him expounded those words Hosea 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit to himself of their having respect only to their own good in their Actions and not to Gods glory It is a place as many wayes rendred and expounded as any I can now call to mind H. Zanchy hath been at the pains to enumerate two interpretations of Rabbi Salomon another of Dr. Kimchi a fourth of Aben-Ezra's which is St. Hieromes also in short there are no less then 7. or 8. wayes of explicating these words and yet none of them so much as lean towards the sense which this great Censurer obtrudes upon us Occolampadius and others observe that they may be read with an interrogation doth he bring forth fruit to himself that is doth he think the Enemy will leave him any thing who hath already stript him so bare No he will take all away Others render the words He shall lay up the fruit that is of his sins A third exposition is he shall find no fruit the reason is because of his ingratitude The simplest sense of all Mercer thinks is this as he is an empty vine so he shall bring forth fruit like himself i. e. none at all As much as to say he is spoiled by the Enemy and deprived by God of the power of increasing This Zanchy also approves of as the best But what needs so many words He commends Mr. Calvin sometimes as one of the best interpreters in the world h pag. 121. 269. To Mr. Calvin therefore he shall go who speaks not a syllable to this purpose But after he â—ath mention'd several other senses approves of this above all Israel is like a Vine which having been spoiled one year brings forth fruit again the next The Lord vouchsafed his blessing to him after he had let his vintage be destroyed But what was the issue The next words tell you though God had let him bring forth fruit to himself not his Enemies he grew worse rather than better thereby and according to the multitude of his fruit he multiplyed his Altars He that hath not these Books may look into the Dutch Annotations who recite several expositions but none of his As for the Assemblies Annot those printed 1645. speake not a word of it But those of the 3rd Edit 1657. expound it first as Mr. Calvin doth he brings forth fruit to himself not to others but consumes it on his own lusts and Idolatries and then mentions some of those named before There is but one that I have met withal who expounds the words of serving himself and he means thereby pleasing himself in his sins N. C. What need you make all this stirre about this place C. It is not a desight in multiplying words that makes me use so many in such an argument but only a desire to convince you beyond contradiction that he is a vain talker about the Scripture one that muses and dreames over them as I told you before rather than meditates in them And yet like one that having a noisom breath censures the ill lungs of his neighbours he hath the impudence to charge me most unjustly with this that my Book is full of Scripture misinterpreted p. 142. Nay to wish I do not spoil all the holy Scripture I meddle withal p. 122. When he cannot name one I have spoiled or misinterpreted and he himself I clearly discern is no competent judg whether a man alledg the Scripture a right or not N. C. I am sure I am not being unacquainted with Expositors C. And so are many of those who undertake to teach others of whom the Quakers learnt to apply the Scripture according to the sound of the words not the sense For they cite these words of another prophet i 5. Jerem. last as learnedly the Preists beare rule by their meanes to prove that our Ministers good livings keep up their Authority as this man doth the words now named to prove that a good man must eye the glory of God and not only himself in what he doth or the words of St. Paul he hath chosen the weak things of this world to confound the mighty c. to prove that God recovers men out of defections and despair by mistakes or misapplications of holy Scripture p. 75. N. C. I think he hath shown how much you were mistaken to say no worse in that business C. He pulls one half of my words from the other and then makes a long babble upon them consisting very much of impertinent comparisons instead of clear proofs and reasons I said that by fanciful applications of some Scripture or other not belonging to their condition well meaning people are cast down and again raised up c. This he cannot deny and yet takes notice only of the latter their recovery by mistaking Gods word and lets the former pass their falling into malancholy by the same meâ—â—s The reason is because he had no Questions to ask about that nor any stories out of which to draw this conclusion that God brings men into despaire as he saith he brings them out by mistaking his meaning in his word But abate him that and yet he shall not hit the mark for the business is not as he states it whether a mans melancholy never had any considerable ground because he was cured by mistake or misapplication of Scripture k pag. 73. but whether men do not both fall into melancholy and again are recovered out of it merely by such mistakes or misapplicatins I say they do and why he doth not honestly consess it too I cannot tell unless it be that he may still keep such miserable Patients under his cure which he is better able to perform by misapplying the holy Scripture then other ways And that he may maintain this trade of comforting poor Souls with mere words without their sense mark what a rabble of stories and examples he hath mustered up which hang together with
his conclusion like Harp and Harrow These are some of his arguments A man was cured of a dangerous imposthume by a stab which was intended to take away his life therefore God cures men of their despair by misapplications of holy Scripture St. Austin's life was saved by missing his way when one lay in wait to kill him therefore God delivers men from their trouble of mind by missing the sense of his word The Prophet Elijah was fed by Ravens and Jericho's Walls fell down by Rams-horns therefore God conveys peace into mens hearts by their fanciful interpretations and mistakings of what he saith These are some of his reasonings which never a Rational Divine of them all can equal N. C. He saith God can do all this and is able to cause the light of comfort to shine through the chinks of mens mistakes p. 75. C. He means that he doth do it or else it is nothing to the business And if there were not some chink or flaw in his brain he would have seen that he ought to say he comforts them not only through the chinks of their mistakes but by their mistakes And he would have discerned also that these goodly Arguments which prove he can do this prove that he can comfort them by a leafe or Sentence of any other Book let it be what it will And the more unlikely and improportionable m They are his words pag. 75. the means are whereby the cure is effected suppose a bit of Tom Thumb or the like the more it will redound to his glory and get him greater honour then if it l p. 73.74 were by a piece of Scripture and that well understood N. C. Phy for shame C. This is the force of his reasoning as appeares further by the illustration which follows A physitian is more to be admired he tells you who deceives his melancholy into a cure than he that sets him right by a long course of physick The consequence of which is clearly this that the more absurd the conceit is by which he cures him the more he is to be admired and so the further a thing is from the mind of God the more glory it will be to him if a man receive comfort by it This according to one of his resemblances is like Elijahs being fed by a Raven which n Ib. pag. 74. was more like to beguile him than feed him c. to bring him carrion rather than wholesome food N. C. I do not believe that God doth all that he can do C. Now you have overthrown all he hath said in a word And happy would it be for him and better much for you if you could but teach him this one little peice of Logick For this mad way of talking and preaching hath debauched Religion and taught any man to set up for an instructor of others who understood not common consequence It is but putting on a bold face and quoting a great many Scriptures and scraping up some stories and making a show with similitudes and examples and then pittying all others and sighing over them as strangers to the Mind and Methods of God and without any more ado they shall be taken for great men by the Ignorant They can commence Master of the highest knowledg in an instant And without any study understand the mind of the Spirit Or if they do not understand it the difference is not so great but it may do as well For Scripture misinterpreted can bring comfort from God and therefore why not other things Say what you will this confident folly shall be maintained Such men as this are resolved it is plain not only to countenance and defend the never to be too much lamented misinterpretation of Gods holy word but to incourage and promote it by interessing God in it nay making it for his greater glory to convey peace into mens souls by this means N. C. God forbid any man should be so resolved C. Rather than acknowledge their errors I mean or be thought to have less of the Spirit of God than indeed they have they will justifie all their fancies and abuses of Gods Word and by new faults maintain the old And whatsoever this man pretends I doubt not but the ground of that wrath which he and others like to him have conceived against me is only this that they find their follies laid open and exposed to the view of the World They are not so much concerned for the credit of Religion as appears by his being contented the Scripture should be still misinterpreted as for their own credit which they think is impaired Rather than suffer this what is there they will not endure To oppose the Army were it on foot again would be without any controle for any thing I can see to resist the Holy Ghost for that mighty things have been done by them cannot be denied o Continuation of Friendâ— Debate â— 156. N. C. Meddle not with these things C. No we must let it pass for the Word of God if a Reformer tell us that be staggers not at the promise through unbelief p Ib. p. 162. though it will puzzle you I believe to find a promise to encourage you to reform the Church after your patterns against the will of your Prince N. C. I know none C. I 'le try to help you out from the writings of those Ministers who urged the taking of the Covenant by this Argument We have seen the day of the Lords power in this Land wherein his people have most willingly offered themselves in multitudes like the dew of the Morning q Answer to the reply of the Ministers of Aberde p. 15. If the people be but willing to assist you presently you will find promises to encourage you in your designs N. C. I shall leave you if you proceed at this rate C. Stay a little You cannot be content I am sure that this man should curtail the Scripture as he doth my words to make it seem on his side N. C. He is not guilty of that I hope C. Read the 3. Coloss 23 24. to which he refers you r P. 33. for a proof of what he saith about looking to our reward though little to his purpose VVhatsoever you do do it heartily as unto the Lord knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance For ye serve the Lord Christ. So he quotes the place but leaves out these material words for the finding the sense and not unto men and then expounds it thus That we must have an eye to the glory of God and Christ in what we do or else we shall not receive the reward whereas the Apostle doth not oppose serving the Lord to serving themselves but to serving men as appears by the words which he laid aside as lying cross in his way and would have them please their Masters though Heathens thinking all the while they were doing a part of Christs work
who would certainly pay them their wages because they were his Servants By this you see what men will do to serve their own cause and how easie a matter it is presently to stuff up a Book and to croud into it a number of good words and yet not write good sense Rather than fail there is a way to strain the holy Scriptures and set them upon the rack that they may reach their purpose as he doth those words of the Apostle supposing gain is Godliness Å¿ 1 Tim. 6.5 pag. 36. to reprove those who Act only out of a light of the recompence of reward As if the Apostle spoke there of gaining Heaven and these were the men from whom we must withdraw our selves N. C. No more good Sir these are the perverse disputings I doubt of men of corrupt minds which the Apostle there speaks of C. Very near of kin to them But if I should proceed to show you how he hath perverted the sense of a great number of other Scriptures which he hath meddled withal that alone would hold us half as long as we have been already They are not words I cast out at random but I speak deliberately and as I think Nor have I time to reckon up all the rest of the places in my Book where he hath left out words or abused the sense I will name only a few more when I mention Prayer communion with God and Meditation as instances of such duties as may be performed between God and our selves and not such as are expressed in life and manners p. 40. He tells you that I take these to be the things which are so airy and refined that no body can feel them no not with his most serious thoughts t P. 56. of his Book And because I affirmed that commonly well meaning people fancy themselves deserted by God when they are not which is sober and good sense and the sum of what I said he is in a rage and fancies the Devil to be entred into me nay no less than seven Devils and cryes out the Lord rebuke you u Ib. p. 72 For was our Saviour saith he a melancholy and fanciful person c. what led him to that wild discourse I know not unless it were his love to contradict and his great wrath and passion against me Which evil Spirits to speak in his own language I hope have but a short time they rage and tear and foam and as his words are sputter so much For he tells you I carp at God and cast smiles of scorn and derision upon the words of the Holy Ghost and intimates I am approaching towards the Blasphemy against it and had almost said I am in the same condition with Simon Magus x All this stuff you may find p. 76 77. And what is all this Holy bluster about Nothing but this what I spoke of many persons now he would have you think was meant of all that ever were even of our Saviour himself and my exposing their fond talk of shinings in and Sealings to that shame which it deserves he makes account is an abuse of the language of the Holy Ghost And yet they themselves cannot but smile at the Pope when he pretends to the Holy Ghost and at his Priests who tell us of Miracles and apparitions of Christ and the Anabaptists in the beginning of the Reformation who talk of Illuminations and extasies and the wild people of the late times when they brag'd of their anointings and teachings and that they were the people of the Lord All which are Scripture phrases but by them most ridiculously used and applyed to themselves as you cannot but acknowledge what is the matter then that you are so angry with me for a smile or two would you only have the Monopoly of these phrases will you have no body to trade in them as VV. B. speaks but only your selves And must we think you are full of the Spirit when you are only full of Scripture words Shinings and Sealings and such like Is it not possible to charge you with folly but we must be thought to wound the blessed Creator too and to be offended at the Holy Ghost y Pag. 76. Away with these proud conceits Do not imagine God and your selves to be so united nor call all your own fancies by the name of Divine Mysteries N. C. Take heed how you speak against Gospel-Mysteries C. They are your Mysteries not the Gospel's which you make such a stir about and call him profane who hath not the same reverence for them which you have your selves And thus the Egyptians I remember when they worshipt Apes Storks and Dogs said those are very great Mysteries be not too bold in talking against them As if said Lucian there were any need of a Mystery or it were such a secret piece of wisdom by which we know Gods to be Gods and Dogs to be Dogs z Dialogue callâ—â— Council of the Godâ— N. C. I confess the Gospel-Mysteries are plain now being revealed by the Spirit in the Apostles as we have already discoursed C. It is very true Hold to those and we shall have no difference about such matters But let this man rave as long as he pleases and lift up his Nose to the Skies if he can he shall never perswade me that you are more extraordinarily inlightned and understand more of them than other men unless I hear you talk more wisely Nor shall I think that I offend when I say many of you take their sudden fancies for gleames of glory and irradiations of the Holy Ghost Let him babble also till his tongue be weary about experiences I shall only believe that he was in love with wrangling and hearing himself talk perpetually For I stated that Doctrine plainly enough but he takes no notice of it and would have those who will read his Book and never look into mine believe upon his word that I am an Enemy to Christian experience a Pag. 158. and perswade them to disbelieve it b Pag. 160. and in short am an Anti-experimentist N. C. You have made me out of love with hard words C. It 's his own p. 158. a compound of Greek and Latin and therefore worse than Heterodoximony N. C. What a word is that C. O it makes a dreadful noise and is very effectual to perswade the People that they hear a Pope not squeak but roar in our Belly So he would have you think that some Preachers make the Pâ—lpits Eccho to Rome ever and anon and by their Heterodoximony have inflamed the Peoples fears c Râ—bailding of London encouraged p. 184. But to let that pass he might as well have said I jeered at keeping the Lords-day commonly called the Sabbath as at laying up and communicating experiences for they are both put together in my Book p. 167. This one would think he was sensible of for mentioning this passage out of my Book afterward
not enjoyned p Vindic. of Indep Churches You may as well bring a clean thing out of an unclean as make a Spiritual Extraction out of a secular root saith one q Reply of two of the Brethren to A. S. Christ hath committed the power of the Keyes to every particular member of the Church and will of every one demand an account saith another r Mr. Eatons Sermon at Knuttesford The power of the Representatives shall not extend to things Spiritual or Evangelical said the Agreement of the people Å¿ Pag. 24.20 Jan. 1649. All which was so well known not long ago that one told them in plain terms they made the civil Magistrate a Kind of Bat i. e. confined him to the twilight of Nature And that the Child may not adventure to take his lesson out of any Book but Natures Primmer t Apology for Mr. J. Goodwin 1653. p. 5. In short this is an opinion as old as the Second Admonition in Qu. Elizabeth's time where you find these words though there were never an ill word or sentence in all the Form of our Prayers yet to appoint that Form to be used though the words be good the use is naught What doth Phil. think now of his presumptuous undertaking in the behalf of the N. C. And what will he do for all those who are of this opinion whom he hath with full mouth proclaimed Rebels u A rebellious Principle it is c. your mouth waters to be calling N. C. Rebels Ib. N. C. Let them agree it among themselves for I am none of them and if you will let them take the rest which concerns that matter among them and do what they will with it C. I could make fine sport if I should enter further into that wild discourse For like a distracted man he runs from the point in hand and cryes out God forbid that any of them should say that things commanded by God ought not to be done if seconded by the command of the Magistrate N. C. If you love me do not follow that wild goose chase as we call it I know very well we were speaking of indifferent things and so lawful in themselves not of things necessary C. I have done and shall only note two or three more of his presumptions To lye a soak in the blood of Christ he presumes is an allusion to what is said of the Adamant Stone steeping in the blood of a Goat p. 46. which conceit as ill luck would have it is quite contrary to another presumption which he relyes much upon that these men speak to Trades-men to Farmers or Plough-men x See pag. 36. and p. 264. and therefore may be allowed rude expressions who know as much what belongs to Adamants as you know what belongs to Algebra N. C. Divines do ordinarily make use of this as he tells you C. Do they so Among the country hearers too the honest Farmers and Plough-men y They are his expressions p. 264. who are better pleased to hear of a mess or Boul of Pottage than with a resemblance from the Sun Moon and Stars And yet they have seen them oftner a great deal than the Adamant stone Surely they will not thus forsake their plain preaching and notwithstanding this mans presumption I do not believe that one Reader of a thousand thought of this Adamant Let 's see therefore if he can do any better in other things He makes bold to presume that because the Spirit suggested words to the Apostles therefore it doth so to us and because to them in preaching therefore to us in Prayer That is the force of his reasoning p. 96. The Apostle saith he acknowledges himself beholding to the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2.13 for words as well as affections and that in his ordinary preaching Now if the Spirit do suggest words in preaching why not in Prayer N. C. Now that you speak of Prayer it will keep you here a little longer Pray tell me why did you forget to mention that all this while Have you no care of your credit and reputation which is lost by what you have said of it unless you can redeem it Nay you have made your name to stink as he tells you in the Nostrils of many who before had better thoughts of you z Pag. 95. C. That 's the smallest matter of a thousand nor is it any prejudice to me if they hardly expect as it there follows to meet me in Heaven It is certain they shall not unless they get thither themselves and how to secure that is a thing should more imploy their thoughts than to be dreaming what will become of other men But as to the business you speak of I did not forget it but fully intended to have shown all the folly of his discourse about it as I have done in the rest Particularly in denying that to be a Rule to us which is infallibly dictated by the Holy Ghost a Pag. 92. And in making publique Prayer which was the thing we debated about to be for private use But now I am sensible it is too late and we shall part better friends if I let it alone for your prejudices I doubt are so great that they will either make you angry at my plainness or mis-understand that which you are not used to think of N. C. I hope otherwayes and would gladly stay so long if you can tell me your mind in short C. Part of it I can Praying by the Spirit signifies in the holy language as I take it the uttering such petitions as were immediately suggested both matter and words by the Holy Ghost according as the necessities of the Church required Such a gift I acknowledged there was in the Apostles dayes but finding no promise that it should continue to ours nor any such qualification required by Sr. Paul in a Christian Bishop I made bold to say that no man now can pray by the Spirit meaning as the Apostle did Nor dare this man say the contrary but pours out a great many words as they are wont to do when fewer would better become them concerning the Spirits bringing some things to our minds he cannot tell how much nor how little b Pag. 93. but for any thing he knows it may be nothing at all But if it do it makes nothing against me who told you in plain words if he could have raed or would not have cavilled that I spoke of a Prayer immediately dictated by the Holy-Ghost as some were in the Apostles dayes c See more in the Friendly Debiae p. 88. This he should have opposed and shown us that there is such a Divine gift which I deny And affirm that the gift of Prayer which is now so much talkt of is partly Natural and partly acquired by study observation and orderly digesting of things in our minds So that to the performance of what belongs to it in a compleat manner there is
will suppose from his words who never guesses aright that I was a Reprover of others in those days when the truth is I was then but a boy newly come from School so they will be apt to imagine I was at least an applauder of that which I now condemn But the most quick-sighted of that lying faction I hope I may have leave to use those words of a very great person a His Highness Prince Rupert in his Declaration 1642. p. 3. will never be able to find the time the place the man or woman when where and before whom I signified the least approbation of so great a crime as I always accounted it Let Philag himself when he hath more knowledg of me be sent to all the places where I have lived to trace my steps and when he returns let him put the worst he can hear of me in Print I shall not blush to read it N. C. You are very confident C. Not that I shall escape all slanders for I have already met with good store and have been admonisht also to expect them if ever I went about to promote any publick good or to remove any old or newly settled evil This every body can teach us it is so common Let such a man saith one of the late times b Fountain of Slander discovered resolve that according to the good he would do so shall his aspersions be Nor let him think when time and his constant actions have worn out one or two or ten aspersions that he shall be therefore free but if he continue to mind their good he shall be sure to find new ones such as he never dreamt of nor could imagine Such an one is this now cast upon me by Philag who snarls at my heels very often and would fain fasten if he could but now barks perfectly in the dark as a worthy person somewhere speaks without the help of Moon-shine to direct him in his snarling He may as well accuse me of Witchcraft as of any thing of that nature or say that I worship the Man in the Moon for it is as true as that I so much as favour'd any thing that any men call Sacriledg N. C. He cryes you mercy if he be misinform'd Ib. p. 82. C. Let him ask mercy of God and repent of such gross hypocrisie as makes him wantonly play with a mans good Name and when he hath abused it think he hath made amends with a word saying I cry you mercy Sir N. C. Have you not spoken concerning others C. Not without good ground and great cause to vindicate our selves from their proud contempt and the odious name of Time-servers and to take from them that unjust reputation which they affect of being more knowing and more godly than all orâ—ers N. C. You might have put amore candid construction upon their silence c Ib. p. 82. about Sacriledg C. He can tell me nothing to alter my opinion but only that it is possible their silence might spring from no other cause but this that they had not the same notions and apprehensions concerning Sacriledg as some have or that they did think that Church-lands would not have been so disposed of as they were c. A very doughty Champion To have such an extraordinary motion to undertake your defence and to be able to perform so little when he comes to the business is a very great shame N. C. Why Is this nothing C. What doth it amount to It is possible there were other causes and it is possible I have hit on the right and more than that it is possible he may think so when I have told him the unlikelihood of his Did they not know how many people had of a long time gaped for the remnant of the Church-Revenues Were they not inform'd by one of their own Authors in Queen Elizabeth's time that too many of their Scholars coveted and craved them with great hunger While they hear us speak saith the Author of the Ecclesiastical Discipline against Bishops and Cathedral Churches it tickles their ears looking for the like prey they had before of the Monasteries Yea they have in their hearts already devoured the Churches Inheritance They care not for Religion so they may get the spoil They could be content to crucifie Christ so they might have his Garments Our Age is full of spoiling Souldiers and most wicked Dionysius's who will rob Christ of his golden Coat as neither fit for him in Winter nor Summer They are cormorants and seek to fill the bottomless Sack of their greedy Appetite They do yawn after a prey and would thereby to their perpetual shame purchase to themselves a Field of Blood d It is quoted in Bishop then only Doctor Bancrofs Sermon at Pauls-Cross 1588. p. 9. who admonished them elsewhere that by their out-cries they might farther impoverish the Church but they should be sure to be little better for it Thus T.C. more sharply inveighed against the wickedness of some who then followed them than I have done against any now He made bold to say the Age was sull of such irreligious men as I think abound now and yet I must be thought wicked ungodly and malicious for such a supposal and he no doubt a zealous reprover of sin But let that pass This so early and open declaration of the evil Spirit that then ruled in the Enemies of Bishops should have taught and admonished all your Ministers one would think in such a tumultuous and audacious Age as ours to take all occasions to warn men against such wickedness For that the chief of them esteemed it so I make no doubt whatsoever this Ignorant Apologist surmises Mr. Rich. Vines I remember very honestly gave the Parliament a touch of it by citing in a Sermon not Printed a place concerning Sacriledg out of Mr. Hildersham on the 51. Psalm But he tells Mr. Baxter in a Letter to him e Which he Printed upon another occasion in his third Disput about Ch. Government and Worship p. 350. that it did not please and adds withal that most are of opinion that while the Church lies so unprovided for the donations are not alienable without Sacriledg And therefore it is most probable the Annotators were of that mind and so should have indeavoured at least to prevent the farther growth of this profaneness by some cautions against it if not told that High Court with the freedom and plainness which they seem to affect what the Lord Bacon hath said viz. That the Parliament of England oweâ— some satisfaction for the many injuries and unjust oppressions formerly done by them to the Church and therefore should be far from going about to increase that debt There was a pious man one Mr. Vdal f Minister at St. Austinsgate that ventured an undoing in this cause being sequestred and more than that put into the First Century of Scandalous Ministers for writing a Book called Noli me tangere In which saith
Mr. White g Cent. 1. Example 22. he charges the Parliament with Sacriledg This was all they had to say against him together with these words That he affirm'd the great Reformers of the Church now were Hypocrites for as for the last clause that he otherways expressed great malignity against the Parliament it was but a form you know then in use when they had nothing against a man that deserved such cruel usage whether he said the latter words or no I know not but I am sure he is falsely charged with the former for he did not say the Parliament was guilty of Sacriledg as appears by the Book it self which I have read h Printed 1642. He only shews the danger of this sin and what judgments have faln upon those who were guilty of it even upon Sacrilegious Princes And his instances are such as might have given his Majesty more just reason of anger than the Parliament of whom he only says this That no man should think the nature of the sin altered if the alienation of Church-Lands be done by a National-Assembly of the Estates in Parliament and desires them rather to think it a worthy work and befitting a Parliamentary Reformation to restore the Tithes to the proper owners than taking away the residue of their Lands Gravely Praying withal to God that he would grant them wisdom to see the injustice and impiety of the peoples desires this way who for the most part are led by wicked passions and distempers rather than by Reason and Religion But it seems it was so dangerous a thing then only to name the word Sacriledg with abhorrence that the poor man lost his Living and his good Name too and suffered otherways most lamentably for desiring them to have no hand in it and praying God the ungodly desires of the people might not hurry them to that to which perhaps they had no inclination of themselves This was enough to terrifie all that had not great integrity and courage from meddling in this matter N. C. In which I wish Philag had not meddled but let it pass for it doth but make you bring out old stories which I love not to hear of C Then you think belike that it was very discreetly done of him to pass over so great a part of my Book as he hath left untoucht and only snapt at it here and there though I must confess I look upon this as a part of his disingenuity and partiality For why did he not plainly confess the truth of what I said in many places and pray you to reform Why did he not bewail the folly wherewith this poor Nation is over-run by your new invented phrases i Pag. 34 35. of Friendly Debate The kicking of your people against reproof k Pag. 17 18. the rest you 'l easily siad their reviling of Common Prayer their bold pretence to familiarity with God when they only let their tongue loose without any restraint their unreasonable antipathies to a Form of Prayer their headiness and ungovern'd passion their conceit of themselves and their own gifts their rash censures and gross superstition their contempt of Governours and malepertness toward their Superiours the licentiousness of their tongues and rejoyceing in iniquity their appropriating to themselves the name of Godly their murmuring impatience wicked and scandalous reports of Bishops without any foundation with a great heap of other things which this brisk Gentleman very nimbly and confidently skips over It seems your people have no list or leisure to think of these matters There are higher and more glorious Discoveries to take up their thoughts and they leave this dull low Morality to us The slaying of the Witnesses the downfal of Babylon the calling of the Jews c. are fit subjects for their meditation not these poor things which concern their Duty Thus Mt. Greenham observed long ago l Fifth part of his works Chap 74. p. 797. It is often the policy of the Devil to make men travail in some good things to come when more fitly they might be occupied in good things present And experience saith he teacheth that many meddle with the matters of the Church who are sâ—nseless and barren in the Doctrine of the Nowâ—â—irth In one thing indeed I must commend his ingenuity in that he fairly acknowledges they break his Majesties Law to get a living m Read p. 5. This is an honest confession and thus far he did well in not excusing the business with a company of Religious Phrases If he had also told us that a great reason of his writing against me was to get a little mony I believe he had come neareâ— the truth than when he tells us of his zeal for God But he could not hold long in a good mood For he is so kind and good natur'd to his own party that he thinks not only fear of wanting a maintenance but want of good company fit for a Scholar is sufficient to warrant their breach of the Law n Pag. 7. and at last he talks also of opportunities of doing good as if there were no opportunities but only in prohibited places Nay he asserts this most pernicious principle that they are not bound to obey the Laws unless they be forced o P. 6 Of the Book and Pref. p. 14. that is not for Conscience no nor for fear of wrath but when Justice lays hold of them and is too strong for them N. C. Why Do you read that Christ left Nazareth till they rose up and thrust him out of the City Luke 4.29 c. p Ib p 6. C. Nor do we find there was any Law against Christ's being at Nazareth Why do you not blush at this vile and beggerly way of arguing Do the Novices he talks of that come frisking into the Pulpit with the shells on their heads q P. 284. ever discourse thus weakly Is it easie to find a Boy of any parts that would reason after this childish fashion If he reason no better in his Sermons than he doth in his Writings God help the people that are instructed by him They are like to be abused even by the holy Scripture and to have many an untruth confidently imposed on them with the Word of God to avouch it And therefore had better a great deal be taught by one of those striplings if humble and modest than by this bold frisking Senior N.C. I am convinced of the impertinency of this Quotation C. And what doth the rest of his Discourse in that place amount unto but this that when men have no temptation to break a Law he hath nothing to plead in their behalf but when they have though it be but small as the want of good company or the like he desires they may be excused An excellent Casuist By this device all the world may be saved for What man is there that sins without a temptation And if men may break Laws for fear