with my self if these be the people of God who the Devil will have for his people I cannot tell for in all my travails upon earth I never met with such villains and wretches amongst Turks or Indians praying as the Indian did when the Friar told him to what place after this life the bloody Spaniard went that my soul may never go to that place whither those bloody villains go except they repent of their deeds For thought I how can these people be the godly party whose deeds are blacker than hell more bloody than those of that roaring Lion as great Lyars and Slanderers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Father of Lies can be or make them to be one may know by their Looks what breed they are of they are so Father-like as like him as ever they can look ' And tell them of these things instead of giving you thanks or repenting and amending they rage and rail slander like mad or the Devil himself Therefore finding them characterized and prophesied of in the latter days by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4. Oh! thought I now I have found you Traitors heady high-minded c. Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the Power thereof c. Indeed and indeed will they say have you found us Traitors heady high-minded c. but I pray who is characterized by the next words lovers of pleasures mark that more than lovers of God having a form of Godliness who is sor forms I pray come tell us that are we for forms c. Now the poor souls think they have hit it Alas poor souls the characters of Traytors and the rest of them do not seem to fit these modern Orthodox altogether so well as these two last for they seem to be made for them for the very nonce on set purpose nothing can be more apposite or proper for them Lovers of pleasures the Apostle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluptuosi Lat. voluptueux French voluptuous voluptas comes from voluntas and sounds thus much Lovers of their own wills and pleasures a people that will have their wills and pleasures to be done as if they were Kings or more than Kings a wilful generation that what they list to have they will have or they will mingle Heaven and earth ruffle Kingdoms turn all to blood and ruine Kings shall stand upon the stool of Repentance Kingdoms shall be laid waste millions of men and moneys lost and the best of Kings if they stand in the way of their wills and pleasures down they must let God and Laws say what they will for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more in love with their own good pleasure than Gods good pleasure God says Fear God Honour the King Submit to every ordinance of man for Gods sake be subject you must needs be subject for conscience sake or you shall be damn'd no matter for that let God and man say what they will they will have their wills yet these wilful people never want woe nor those Kingdoms that are troubled with them they misersably disquiet themselves as well as others But these Modern Orthodox are not more signally describ'd by that character than the next Having a form of godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated here the form is of the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the Latines by way of Anagram have their word forma and the English do nearer anagrammatize the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our word here form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the face of any thing exterior rei facies the Vizor the Mask the Image the resemblance of a thing So that the form of godliness here is the face of godliness the Vizor or Mask of godliness the resemblance or Image of godliness but denying the power thereof Such a Mask as Jezabel put on when she proclaimed a fast but denyed the power of godliness when she murthered Naboth to get his Vineyard And thus these Modern Orthodox put on the Vizor and Mask of godliness in their Old Parliament fast-days their noise of Reformation multiplicity of Sermons yet these zealous Sermon-mongers these gifted-praying men these Jewish Sabbath-men if they had had the power of godliness they had not durst not have run into Rebellion Blood Schism Robberies called Plunderings and Sequestrations Murder Oppression Lyes Slanders Blasphemies Pride Malice Envy Hatred and all uncharitableness and murder which makes them odious to all mankind but themselves namely King-killing But not a word of this as you love me this must not be remembred learn herein to get Gentlemens memories but if you will remember remember Schism in the Letany extinguish it Letany and Liturgy the cause of all the wars together with the King and Council that imposed it remember that but as for the poor harmless Lambs if it were a failing to murther the King and his friends come it was but a failing an infirmity in the Saints be Gentlemen and forget it Yet for my part in the most impartial scrutiny that I can make I do not perceive that these Modern Faux's had their Vizors truly on when they went about those deeds of darkness I do not find that their way of Sermons Prayers Jewish Sabbathizings deserves so much Honour as to be called the true face form mask vizor or resemblance of Religion it is so far from true that it is not so much as like the true way of godliness and Gospel discoveries by Christ and his Apostles First for their way of Sermons Preachments two three four or ten times a week the running of an hourg-lass or two at a time in Lectures on Sundays and week days Lectures in the morning Lectures at noon and afternoon Lectures Lectures Sermons Sermons Oh Sermons I am sure it is not a Gospel way nor so much as the true face form or semblance of the preaching of our Saviour and the Apostles Our Saviour in his first Sermon upon the Mount in the 5 6 and 7 Chapters of S. Matthew all not half an hour long yet speaketh of twenty or fourty several subjects not confining himself to one subject one Text Doctrines Inferences and Uses but thought he should not need to beg pardon though he went from one subject in discourse to another of a Random nature which our modern Divinity men would have call'd Râ—…mbling at least and 't is well if it scap'd so our Blessed Saviour speaking what was most useful and seasonable for his auditory at that time and more than ever he spake at any other time in one continued discourse To say that all his Sermons are not set down is bold impudent precarious and daring the Apostle John saith the signs or miracles he did are not all set down but for his words as they were all saving so we have cause to think he did not grutch them to posterity for certainly novelty in religious worship and
Ceremonies of true Religion the true Religion it self and Gods holy Sion but yet the Governours in the City will watch over thee punish thee and keep thee off because thou art an enemy to the holy City to the true Religion or else thou wouldst not have overturned and trampled upon the Suburbs If you understand this you have the true notion and understanding of a Ceremony if you do not I will not further explain my self Wilt thou not suffer thy child to loll and jear with his hat on whilest thou art praying and kneeling with thy hat off though he pretend conscience for his disobedience and wilt thou not kneel then when they bid thee kneel that are thy Superiours in Church and State and be uncoverd when they bid thee be uncovered Hast thou power to enjoin Ceremonies in thy family and have not thy Superiours as much power to ordain Ceremonies in the Church Dost thou that pleadest the fifth Commandement against thy wicked disobedient son servant never plead it against thy self Dost thou say to thy son and servant you must needs be subject and that for conscience sake and dost thou never send that Scripture home to thine own heart thou that sayst a man should not steal or be disobedient dost thou steal art thou disobedient What need of Jayls or Acts of Indemnity or Uniformity Licences or Liberty Indulgence or no Indulgence It is all one to him that is of this Religion which will not suffer a man to pray and lye slander and preach fast and murder talk of incomes and getting Christ whilest he goes the way to hell There can be no Rebel-Saints of this Religion I 'll tell you in one word how truly to get Christ whilest Canters belabour you with a sound and an empty noise To get Christ is to get to Christ and there is no getting to Christ but in his own way his own way is what he taught himself for the sum of all Religion Law and Prophets Mat. 7. 12. which we have been treating of which is ready at hand always to direct thee in thought word and deed believe the Creed say the Lords prayer and the Liturgy frequent Sacraments and this is religion enough to carry thee to Heaven But you 'll say perhaps and object against me that if this be my religion why do I not practise it and again ask me whether in this Letter I have done to others as I would they should do to me that is would I be willing to be so sharply reprov'd and check'd as I sometimes check Father Grey-beard and the Canters To which I answer I not only would be content to be so us'd but if I were such a wretch to trouble and confound the Kingdom where I live with arts and methods that do tend and as by sad experience we have found have tended to blood ruine wars and desolation I would esteem him the best friend that I had in the world that could either convince me and the people seduced by me of our villanies or laugh me and them out of such fopperies by representing me and them upon the stage in as ridiculous a posture if it were possible as ever they were acted by me or them or Hugh Peters himself when multitudes of poor fools strove who should first part with their silver-bodkins and Plate body and soul for the Good Oâ—…d Cause And if it were not to do both the seducers and seduced good by this plain dealing I had not writ a word in this Letter for I know my reward from most of them is that hatred for my good will railing lying and slandering me as the worst of men and yet cannot evidence in one particluar where I have transgress'd this great rule of doing as I would be done by this ten years Which I speak not as a fool or a Pharisee to boast of for fame nor honour nor dishonour riches nor poverty good report nor evil report safety or hazard can seem to me or any that are well grounded in this religion of Christ of doing as we would be done by any thing to move me towards the least desire of applause for I know this justification of my self is the way to create great envy and great reproach against me in those that know no duty so great as the four first Commandements namely the worship of God his days Sermons mysteries discourses and disputes of their ways of worship they are full of that but yet can envy lye slander and rail and then I tell them but they believe not that all their praying hearing keeping Sabbaths are not worth a Louse nor their faith neither though it is the very words at least the sence of what they read with their eyes 1 Cor. 13. 2. only here 's the difference I speak more worthily of their prophesying and their faith than the Apostle does allow to such idle mysteries where charity is wanting for he says such a man as has the gift of prophesying understands all mysteries all knowledge has all faith without charity is nothing whereas I only say such a man's gifts knowledge mysteries and faith are not without charity worth a Louse So that I have therein out-bid the worth of them a Louse is good for something I will not tell all its vertues it is good for the Jaundice c. but all knowledge mysteries prophesying and faith without charity the Apostle makes good for nothing at all Away with mens prate of Religion and admiring this and that precious man this and that precious piece of worship when it only puffs men up makes them more proud more scornful more headstrong more cruel more bloody more rapacious greater lyers greater slanderers more malicious than they were before and more a Devil than any man in the world is Turk Jew or Cannibal Shew me not the meat but shew me the man if these people that prate of their precious heavenly food they have had in these late times have in the mean time such starv'd souls empty of all goodness but a little outside holiness and vizard of worship but are full of such horrid sins as envy malice injustice lying cheating defaming and sometimes murdering and plundering and sequestring that on this side Hell there 's no such treacherous false and unsociable villaines then by this it is evident that like Ephraim they sed upon the wind liv'd like Camelions upon air sound whineing canting feigned words and if perhaps they have cast out some one Devil of swearing or Sabbath-breaking they have entertain'd in the room seven other Devils more wicked than the former and the last state of that man is worse than the first I know with this plain dealing I stir in a nest of wasps and because I have cryed down these feigned words with which craft these silver-smiths and juglers get their wealth these dearly beloved tones and whinings that did so affect the silly women thus undervalued spoils the trade Gâ—…e me pen and ink and paper
common Hangman or too good for the Rebel Saints I 'l assure you they did not think so nor yet would if it would please God and the King to entrust them with it once more no no that 's not this Authors meaning he says it is the Cause too good to be fought for Sure he thinks as his friends H. P. J. O. c. blasphemed in that horrid Rebellion begun by the Scots but occasion'd and caus'd by Bishop Laud and consequently the King That the battle was the Lords and that men should standstill I wish they had and see the salvation of God and that the stars in their Courses would fight against Sisera which they construed the King and Cavaliers Sure this Greg. thought the King and Arch-Bishop for sending the English Liturgy into Scotland did thereby involve themselves and the Kingdom in so much guilt that the Cry thereof would go to Heaven for less he cannot mean and that God ought in justice to have taken the cause into his own hand and destroyed us as he did Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone and thereby have sav'd the Rebels a labour and the Scots a long march into England Greg. would have been an happy instrument to have perswaded the Scots to put up their pipes for the cause was too good to be fought for Yet it seems it is not too good to be writ for nor to good to be commended again to the world this mans a great friend to the King to the Bishops to the Government to the English Liturgy which he represents to have been so mischievous in former times and now he quarrels with the Letany because the word Schism is added he does not like that men should pray against Schism I am afraid one great quarrel and irreconcileable he has against the Liturgy is the same as of old because it makes men pray so oft for the King and his Family to which some mens hearts cannot say Amen He might as well have quarrelled the Letany for another word there added namely Rebellion But that had been to rob without a Vizard the Picque now is only against Schism And why and why he tells us It spoils the Musick and cadence of the Period Men that never intend to repent of their Crimes love not to hear of them sure I am Schism in the Letany there added spoils not the Musick so much as it does the Kingdom which by it alone has been quite out of tune I wish with all my heart though that the King and his two Houses of Parliament would take Gregory's advice p. 304. After all the fatal Consequences of that Rebellion which can only serve as Sea-marks unto wise Princes to avoid the Causes And what were the causes if you will believe his hint they were Arch-Bishop Laud and consequently and much more King Charles I. p. 302. the English Liturgy p. 303. and the zealous assertors of the Rights of Princes who are but at best well-meaning Zealots p. 303. Is 't not pity but this Gregory should be call'd to the Helm of Government 't is Pilots own self he shows wise Princes all the Sea-marks here 's Scylla there Charybdis here lies the flats there the Beacon here the Buoy there the Fire-house here lies Dogger-bank there the Galloper and that sand with the two horns is the spits that beyond Goodwin Sands but here here whoop holla holla whoop p. 150 151 152 153. the Kings Channel Good Skipper so much skill and so much pains such a Politician and a Virtuoso to boot thou shalt have a new Perry-wig and once more another Gratuity sent thee from J. O. and a new Thanks-giving-day appointed by the Churches with another gathering at the end on 't to that purpose beshrew me it came seasonably for an use of great comfort after you had been chouc'd at the ordinary and plaid pieces Is it not meritorious enough he super-erogates gratifies the Churches by shriving them and laying all the blame upon that odious and hated thing the Liturgy that was the cause of all the blood-shed all the wars and ruine that the rock on which we split mind the Sea-marks wise Princes avoid the causes if you will avoid the sad and fatal consequences 'T is but lost money now to fee any Courtiers to put in a seasonable word for Indulgence and modern Orthodoxy Father Grey-beard for all Is there never a Corporation that sends Burgesses to Parliament that upon a vacation the late member being dead may cry up Greg. and get him into the House The Cabala cannot but approve the plot Greg. is greater than a second Moses he 's a second Samson can carry the whole house afore him Methinks I see him at it and addressing himself to the Speaker makes this following speech in the Parliament House composed out of his own book for I scorn foul play nor will I adde one material word of mine own to make him look more ridiculously or seditiously than he has already with his own hand pourtrayed himself in his book only to make it to look more handsomely I have dress'd it in the fashion in this following Droll a la mode in forty pages of his incomparable book like that self-conceited bookish Philosopher that undertook to read Lectures to Hannibal puff'd up with the beloved esteem he has for himself takes upon him the Pilot's place directing wise Princes how to govern the Helm stear their Course and observe the Sea-marks And I have stinted my Muse to his very words in all particulars that come most home to him chusing rather to injure my fancy than him or lay to his charge more than what is prov'd to his face under his hand Mr. Speaker I that spoke here but once before Must now speak though I ne'er spoke more When the Seas swell high as the Poop Shall not your Pilot holla whoop And rowze Tarpollians that lye sleeping Ne'er dreaming what cause there 's for weeping Fasting and Prayers of the Churches Now Orthodoxy left i' th' lurch is And swallow'd up for ought I know Prick up your ears I 'll tell you how There is one Bayes and shall I tell ye He has a thousand Seas in 's Belly Another Hobbs Leviathan Swells and will drown us if he can The Netherlands and Hungary Are under water already p. 43. And so is France Bohemia Sweden and Transilvania Denmark and Savoy that by 'th' Alps is All Scotland England ' xcept a small piece Geneva by Lake-lemane Poland I think at last he 'll leave us no land Look to your Ship then hard at Helm Starboard or else we overwhelm Ease the Shrowds there Breda Breda There ne'er was such a flood since Noah Take th' Topsail in do what you may The Mizen on the Prow gives way Down with the Kings flag you nere mind And let her spoon before the wind All stands aloft swack swack no near For we have sprung a Leak I fear There'r Goodwin Sands Tom and John too W'have
the head Name but Bayes he cryes out like that Hypocondriack that fancied he had Noah's flood in his belly and if he piss'd should drown the world falls into a fit rages and frets foams and stamps stares and rants like mad all are dead dead as a Herring drown'd every mothers son p. 42 43. in Hungary Transylvania Bohemia Poland Savoy France the Netherlands Denmark Sweden and all Scotland and a great part of the Church of England Then as is meet rails at him calls him a Prodigy p. 47. a Marvail a Prodigious Person a creature most obnoxious Hebrew Jew Cock Divine Cock-wit Daw-Divine Spy Buffoon a dangerous Fellow Cutâ—…hroat Mad-man fit for nothing but Bedlam and Hogsdon c. Then can any charity believe otherwise but this poor Greg. is craz'd and cryes Holla Bayes Whoop Bayes Holla Bayes Whoop Whoop name but Bayes and his fit comes Or name but Schism and it works immediately as much as the name Cromwel does upon the mad Porter who forthwith falls a praysing his old master and talks of nothing but Crowns and Councils Scepters and Bishops and Preshyters then rambling into a discourse of Divinity talks of Superstition Ceremonies Prophanation of the Sabbath Schism the Cause and the Covenant So my Gentleman when the word Schism is but nam'd he extolls it to the skies or at least says it is no such frightful thing as the World takes it to be take it into your hand touch it do touch it it will not hurt you it is but a Theological Scar-crow and rather frights than hurts then like the mad Porter commends his old Master to the skies ever since he had the honour of his acquaintance when he was a School-boy at Eaton O Mr. Hales of Eaton how does Beauty and Majesty like two twins sit in thy large forehead with admiration I should be as mad as he if I should go about to answer seriously in Divinity with such a mad-cap and do no more good of him than upon the aforesaid Porter if I thought he was not past hopes I would give him a hundred Divines for his one the worst of them all of far more learning and less partiality and prejudice than Mr. Hales without any disparagement or just offence to his Master that differ from him upon good reason in every thing that Greg. brings him to prove in reference to Modern Orthodoxy all which Mr. Hales recanted after his conversion If I thought any wise man would concern himself in good earnest with what so trivial a pen as his scribles in Divinity I would lengthen this letter upon that subject though I am quite tyred already with his Impertinencies Contradictions and Leasings A word he taught me but if he grutches me any thing of his own I pretend no propriety in it he shall have it again for one thing he says p. 219. For without the sign of the Cross our Church will not receive any one to Baptisme Mr. Greg. This is your Leaseing if by our Church you mean the Church of England I know you were better skill'd in your Modern Orthodoxy than the Liturgie which gives rules for Private Baptism without the sign of the Cross and declares that a Child so baptized In the Name c. is lawfully and sufficiently baptized and ought not to be baptized again c. afterwards follows Then shall not He the Minister christen the Child again c. Are not you an Honest true man Father Gray-beard True of hand and tongue and have kept your hand from picking at and stealing away the credit and good name of your betters Have you kept your tongue from evil-speaking lying and slandering I wish you would confess to the Church of England if indeed it be your Church who it was whether tempted by the instigation of the Devil your own evil heart or devilish men that hired you to these Leasings Hold up thy head man there thou dost not use to have too much modesty come answer to this in your next Mr. Greg. I had rather hear of your honest Confession and Contrition than any more Leasings by which such as you are strive to fill the peoples heads with Proclamations of Ceremonies Superstition put them in fear they cannot come at the Sacraments the Church does so rayl it in making them jealous and fearful with your Arminiansme Montagueisme Manwaringisme Sibthorpianisme and such frightful words that though they know not the meaning of them more than your Nepotisme Putanisme c. yet they believe these are some ghastly things and you do very ill to scare them This is the way to perpetuate and keep up a strangeness and misunderstanding betwixt the King and his People for the people are good people and will hear reason if it be spoken but when such as you hold forth and represent the Church of England in such a frightful Dress the people cannot find in their hearts to make love to her but run from her like mad frighted out of their Wits Religion too by such Boutefeaus Incendiaries And all these mischiefs and all these dirty doings do lie at your doors cleanse your self of them as well as you can As School-boys have a Book of Phrases collected out of the most fluent Latine Authours which they bring in to every Theam and upon all occasions so Greg. has here and there amongst his mad Harangues a smart expression now and then which he and the Virtuoso's at a Club have chew'd to a Crambe and now having gathered up the scraps bunch'd them and bound them together he dishes them up in this Book for a Publick feast But alas Greg. does not consider that one man's meat is another man's poyson and that which sutes one man's temper may kill another especially in this age when so many people like Mithridates or the Maid in Pliny live upon that laugh and grow fat with that that would ruine others Perhaps amongst your Crew and Gang such venemous expressions as you disgorge in your Book against the Innocence and good fame of the late King Arch-Bishop Laud by the deformity of the Reign with absolute Government Ceremonies c. and perhaps amongst your selves you do securely jeer and scoff at the Parliament the Church Sacraments Fathers of the Church and Privy-Councellors and great Ministers of State thinking you speak under the Rose and so all goes merrily down But I 'le assure you these works of darkness and words that are fit only for the place of darkness malicious leasings and consequently devillish and venemous words and discourses may not safely come abroad and be vended though you pretend never so much mirth and innocency in your design Apothecaries will not sell poyson to any but those they have great confidence in not willing for a little gain to be so much as the remote occasion of mischief not having Antidotes in all their Shop prevalent enough to check the malignity and energie of a little poyson And truly all your Peccavi's come too late
so was Hen. IV. of France the former by Clement a Monk either in revenge of the death of the Duke of Guise and other the confederates in the League whom that King having once catch'd them in his net put them to the pot or whatsoever other bloody motion animated this cursed Monk to that horrid Deed. Hen. IV. his Successor and next Kinsman with much ado and by the help of his Protestant Subjects and our Queen Elizabeth conquered all opposition and was happily crowned but leaving the Protestant Religion wherein he was educated but not altogether his affection and kindness to the Protestants Ravilliack stabs him to the heart at one blow as he sat in his Coach and the Villain being put upon the Rack to the very last denled that he had any Consederates in that bloody assassination but of his own accord and design alone was moved thereunto by reading of a Book writ by a Spanâ—…sh Jesuit called Mariana Both these murderers were tortured their flesh by piece-meal nip'd off with red hot pincers and lastly drawn in pieces with four Horses Ravilliack had a Father and a Mother alive but not the least suspicion of confederacy with their Son in that fatal stroke could be laid to their charge but in detestation of such a monster brought forth into the World his parents were for ever banish'd and the house wherein the villain was born and brought forth into the World was pull'd down and made a Dunghill unto this day This is the truth of the story if it be not let Greg. if he can or has impudence enough deny it and if so then Mr Greg. must either conclude that his Majesty and Cabinet Counsel are very shallow and meanly conversant in the History of his Progenitors and Neighbour Nation and so believe the groundless insinuations of this impertinent man or else he falls upon the party he has espoused with another terrible but-end and counterbuff by perswading his Majesty to follow the example of his Kinsman Hen. IV. of France and his Cabinet and not leave one of our King-killers alive or if there be any on whom the innocent blood of his Father still calls for vengeance that he would first put them upon the Rack and make them confess who it was besides the Devil and their own wicked hearts that did instigate them to so horrid a villany and then pinch off their flesh from their bones with burning pincers and pull their four quarters asunder with wild horses and make their names as hateful as themselves banish their parents and make their houses a perpetual dunghil in example of Henry IV. of France and for an everlasting pattern to all King-killers unto the end of the world And this is all that our Nibler at History gets hitherto by his sly insinuations and indigested impertinencies in the behalf of his minions Now let us proceed and follow him to his next instance for I am resolv'd I 'll take a brush with all the Butt-ends in his book if 't be but for curiosity to try the metal of this vapouring Huff as well as to prove what metal his weapon is made of And now stand clear the next is a none-such a Goliah's Sword They Kings observe how the Parliament of Poland will be their Kings Taylor c. For which unsufferable affront to his Majesty our Gracious Soveraign his Crown and Dignity Hereditary and not Elective and at the good will either of people or Parliament as is the Polish-Crown I leave him to be chastised by those whom it does so highly concern Leaving the consideration to their Comments upon this bold intrenchment and invasion of our Kings Prerogative and Title to his Crown by a comparison so odious as well as false And so much the rather do I wave any enlargment upon this and the rest of his ridiculous instances which would tempt any man alive if he has any laughter in him to laugh and droll upon this foppish Greg. the most impertinent thing that ever offered to tell a story but that I know he must shortly be disciplin'd for them by another hand which by turning up all for want of the Prospect of a more pleasing nudity will make us as good sport with Greg's following Stories that were Nuts to Mother-midnight Go say thy Prayers Greg. and tremble at the rod that is coming upon thee except thou thinkest the wisest way in brief is some way or other to save the Hang-man a labour and so be as insensible of the blows that are coming upon thee as is thine old Masters head Bradshaw's or Father Grey-beard's your name-sake as well as Fellow-sinner's heads when the Jack-daws sh upon them and be thankful likewise that thou hast escap'd my fingers too whose Dexterity in flashing more than any of the former Pedants to your smart you may yet further feel when you give me far less provocation than in these idle instances of your Politick Abilities I tell you true I do not think it was worth your while to go so far as France nay as Italy for a sample of a King that had a Gentlemans memory and could not so much as remember that ever his father was murthered our King-killers for whom you plead so heartily might have made better escape if you had never gone beyond Sea to find out Kings to be for the murtherers of a King Royal Advocates viz. Henry IV. of France and Augustus Caesar whose Father too was murthered And now am I so weary with following this Wild-goose-chace thus long that if I would be knock'd on the head I cannot write one Page more till I throw my pen away and laugh a little at one pretty word he has many on them but this pretty word does so jear the Parliament and flear in their face for the Act of Uniformity and the superfetation of that Act p. 310. I cannot but admire the sagacity of his Raillery It hath been observed that whensoever his Majesty hath had the most urgent occasions for supply others of them Fathers of the Church have made it their business to trinkle with the members of the Parliament for obstructing it unless the King would buy it with a new Law against the Fanaticks And this is that which of late years hath caused such a Superfetation of Acts about the same business Modern Orthodoxy still tooth and nail fly at King and Parliament all dead and alive that have a hand or has had an hand in the Act of Uniformity that bane of the Good Old Cause but quite desperate by the Superfetation-Acts about the same business But this is no laughing matter that which does tickle me spite of my teeth is the word the new coin'd word by Greg. his own self minted is Trinkle trinkle with the members of the Parliament some of the Fathers of the Church when his Majesty hath had the most urgent occasions for supply did make it their busisiness to Trinkle to trinkle with the Members I wish for all
comfortably But let J. O. and R. B. that writ Oliver's Maxims of Policy and damnable Treason and the poyson to the Antidote of his Saints Everlasting Rest together with all the Modern Orthodox and your self in the first place I should have said Mr. Greg. alleviate and take off the weight of this interpretation of Curse ye Meroz which I impose upon you and all of you put together have not Art enough to shake it off Though thus you are bereav'd of your Darling-Text that sent so many poor souls to the Devil so many thousands to an untimely and desperate end and so many millions of blood and treasure cast away and lost by your leasings and lies told so speciously upon this Text. I know I had better have stirr'd in a Hornets nest than thus to fret and anger the Modern Orthodox the Leven of whose Religion makes them waspish peevish touchy clamorous and malicious slanderers and backbiters But I am as much above the reach of their malice as above their low and base Principles and unmanlike as well as ignoble and effeminate Practices Answering a man's Arguments with a Libel upon his Person and clapping upon him such a beastly character as did the Heathens when they arrayed the Christians in Bear-skins on purpose to set their dogs at them according to their keeness either to bite or barke Let them oppose the strength of my Arguments and reasonings with answerable skill and force and then the danger is over as soon as it appears though the Cabala club for the shot as the whole Assembly of Divines did six years together with joynt and united forces to make only at last a Catechism for little children when Ball 's Catechism new printed had done the feat much better These are brave fellows for whose sakes the Government and Laws must give place and bow which way they please I know wise men know them well enough but because some look upon these Demagogues and Incendiaries as the great Lights and Luminaries against Ignorance and Atheism as Greg. suggests p. 313. I 'le but draw the picture of one of them in the pulpit and barely represent the words that a thousand witnesses yet alive are ready to depose unto as the very language of the Pulpit of Hugh Peters particularly when they gull'd the people of their souls bodies money arms and plate by their damnable doctrine from that blessed Text Judg. 5. 23. Curse ye Meroz It had been happy for England the King Parliament people and themselves too if they never had preach'd nor ever should be suffer'd to preach on any other Text than Matt. 7. 12. And because their Pulpit Buffonery on so sacred a Text as Curse ye Meroz was all drolling stuffe I have suffered my Muse to make use of her Rhime but not her Fancy in this Pourtraicture in which I can plead no propriety other than the Chronologer does in the villanies of Wat Tyler or Jack Straw the bare Historical relation I neither have nor can claim any right or share to this representation and interpretation of that sacred Text nor this following Seâ—…mon of Hugh Peters thereupon more than he that writ Sermon-notes after him to which I have added only the Rhime and abridg'd Hugh Peters idle Tautologies and some slovenly as well as prophaner expressions unworthy my pen. The Historical relation and dress is mine own but the Buffoonery is well known to be the Pulpit stuffe of Hugh Peters in many Congregations thwack'd full all the Kingdome over to listen to that prophane Hocus and paid him well for his pains They shall have it therefore as freely as ever it was mine they have bought it and paid dear for it therefore do I give it them put it in print for them that keeping it by them they may yet have something for all the Plate Thimbles and Bodkins the poor fools gave him with such a liberal hand I am sure I deserve more for representing it in Droll but they 'l be far enough before they 'l give me so much as one silver spoon for my pains or perhaps so much as thanks which is all I look for or need I thank God though my design is purely for their good and to show them their folly and madness in so desperate a cause to throw away their estates body and soul for such foppery as Hugh Peters's Sermon upon Judg. 5. 23. Curse ye Meroz Represented like it self in this Drolling Pulpit-stuff HId in these words it plain appears Lie men and arms 'gainst Cavaliers I see them clear as any thing Both Foot and Horse against the King Couchant I grant Perdue they lie Nor seen indeed by Carnal eye Because they lie in Ambuscade But ready are for a Parade Arm'd Cap-a-pee and One and All To come when we do beat a Call Drum-Major I on Pulpit Drum Am therefore now beloved come With Bible in Geneva Print To turn up All this Text has in 't In which two Parts at least I câ—…unt Here 's Gerazim there 's Ebal Mount Here lies the Blessing there the Curse Take you the better parâ—… the worse Is good enough for Cavaliers And such as dare not shew their eares As Round-heads do in good Old Cause For Liberty Religion Laws For which who dies is cursed never From which who flies is cursed ever For which who dyes is blessed ever From which who flyes is blessed never Since I was with you last I 've been To tell you Truth in Hell and Heaven You 'l say perhaps it is a great way Yet to the first it is a neat way And to be found out very easie And down-hill all way to 't an 't please ye Nor is 't far off ye may come to 't In one day though you go on foot And Bare-foot withâ—…ut shooes or hose Of all days in the week I chose The Sabbath taught by Master Gurney To speed the better in my Journey For one may preach and cant and pray Yet never be out of the way When I came there who do you think I spi'd as I stood at Pit's brink Except the Cavaliers not one And only one Committee-man With Sequestrators three at th' door Only condemn'd for being poor And baâ—…king of a Bishop's land Sentenc'd for ever there to stand My foot stood just at brink of pit A little more I 'd been in it Truly I durst not come too near As I good reason had to fear Long Prayers there are no assistance I therefore still did keep my distance And loth to stay the fiends to shun Like Hâ—…re before the Hounds I run And I though fat away did hie To see what I in Heaven could spie And to that purpose I did gather In Arabs a great Phoenix feather To fly withall a pretty thing Daedalus ne're imp'd such a wing Resolving with my self to flie Above the Clouds and starry skie Hoping the better to get in Because my name-sake is in Heaven St. Peter at the door yet I Thinking
so he was faithful to himself and the true measures of Government and knew if he had rendred himself to their mercy and yielded to their rage it had been but offering his throat to be cut a sad instance whereof I could give you in these late times But what does Moses in this case Exod. 33. 26 27. who is on the Lords side whose for me let him come to me There came none to him but Gown-men neither only in those days the sons of Levi wore swords and it seems knew how to handle them as well as bluffer Gallants for Moses had no sooner given them the word of Command but they fell upon the rabbble cut and slew till they had left three thousand dead upon the spot and this the Holy Ghost calls the consecrating or sanctifying of a mans self by slaying the Mutineers and there is a Blessing from Heaven promised to be bestowed upon them for their valour and good service in the â—…9 v. Such a white-liver'd Politician as Mr. Greg. durst not receive such measures of Government as these into his breast for fear they should fright him out of his wiâ—…s and if Englands Martyr Charles I. had hearkened to his own courage so much as he did to softer Councils if some Pantaloon Muâ—…se Courtiers that had better courage to lead a dance or a young Lady than head a Troop had been away if in their stead he had had a Company of Swiss for his Courtiers or gallant English Gentlemen with English Courages and with them sallyed out upon the Tumults which flock'd about his Gate he had in all probability crush'd the Cockatrice in the Egg and sent the Prentices home as O. C. did to their shop-boards with a vengeance to them However it could not possibly have fared worse with him than it did those softer Politick Lectures bringing the good King in conclusion to die afterwards at the same place the more 's the pity and pity it is that mercy and kindness are not always good nor fit as that good King found to his cost and therefore tells his son If ever you trust to them meaning the factious Rebâ—…ls or must stand to their Courtesie you are undone To manage the Reins of Government thus with a steddy hand and to ride with a Hank is the best of all both for King and people as we have found head-strong Jades would kill themselves if you lay the Reins upon their necks it is their happiness and ease to be rid with a Curb a licentious Government is no Government it is contradictio inâ—…adjecto or as Greg. phrases it p. 83. it is another J. O. an He Cow that is to say a Bull. And it is worth the while here to remember the clean fancy of that incomparable English Poet A King by yielding does like him and worse That sadled his own back to shame his Horse And because Mr. Greg. has put me upon 't to answer his Politick Lectures out of the Bible I 'll but give two Instances out of it not to instruct my Governours and tutour Kings I thank God I was never such a conceited thing nor so lost to all modesty and sense of humility But it is in my Sphere to instruct people what a blessing attends their Obedience to their Supreme Governours if when they command some things in Religion which in Circumstantials of Religion are poynt-blank against God's own Law and yet God likes it well blesses the people for such obedience though the Command of their Governours perswaded thereunto out of good Reason some great convenience or Necessity was directly different from the Command of God When the King and his Council made an Order to keep the Sacrament of the Passeover 2 Chron. 30. 2. together with the advice and concurrence of the Parliament therein called there all the Congregation it must be meant in their Representatives for all the People nor the thousandth part could not come to hear or know what was done at the great Council much less give their votes I say this King Hezekiah with his Council and great Council of the Congregation made a Decree to keep the Passover in the second Month. This is worse than the Cross after Baptism and Kneeling at the Sacrament for we can find no beginning when they entred into the Church and therefore have as much cause to think it was the posture of Christ and his Apostles and their constant practice if not more cause than to think the contrary But here in 2 Chron. 30. 2. is an Act of Parliament I 'll call it so for the better understanding of it in English phrase for it is of the same nature quite contrary to the Law of God concerning the Sacrament as to one Circumstantial of Time God commands to keep it in the first Month and positively reiterates the Command and bids them keep it in that appointed season Num. 9 2 3 5. The King and Parliament say to the People we command you for certain good reasons and motives to observe the Sacrament in the second Month. Now saith Modern Orthodox hang me draw me quarter me imprison me fine me do your worst I defie the Dâ—…vil and all the Laws of men contrary to God's Law here I 'll live here I 'll die So you may say I and be damn'd too in all probability lose your Soul as well as your Life Liberty and Estate as wise as you are and as wilful as you are And you may go on railing your Governours and the Fathers of the Church and tell them they sit in the seat and temple of God and as if they were God nay above him make Laws different from God's Law and therefore call them Antichrist the Be ist and the false Prophet and whether it be right to obey God or man judgeye Thus accepted was that Law of the Kiâ—…g and Parliament in Hezekiah his time by the Zealots that had more heat than light and more passion than knowledge and true spiritual wisdom For if our Governours be never so bad they cannot be so bad as the Devil himself and Michael the Arch-angel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was not so impudent or audacious as to rail at the Devil when contending about an honest Cause with him nor was the Devil his superior but because a Dignity a Principality an Angel though a black one St. Michael was not so audacious as to blaspheme the Devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What desperate wretches then are those devillish people that pretend to the greatest sight of Religion and Knowledge of God and yet censure rail blaspheme lie slander revile and speak evil of Dignities and their Superiours without any remorse or check of Conscience and these people will talk of Consciences Consciences and liberty to tender Consciences then the nether Milstone the Adamant the Rock is tender if these men have tender Consciences that make their faces harder than a Rock impudent foreheads hard hearts hearts of stone consciences