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A38702
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The defence of Iohn Etherington against Steven Denison and his witnesses their accusatons and depositions vvherein their whole proceedings and ground whereupon he was censured and committed to prison by the high commission court is in brief declared : which he having now opportunitie and speciall occasion also urging, thought needfull to publish.
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Etherington, John, fl. 1641-1645.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing E3384; ESTC R7935
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45,195
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66
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grace of God the Father being the prime and chiefe cause therof the body and blood of Christ the second principal or mediate cause faith the instrumentall and inferiour cause and the justified are said also to live and to be saved by the grace of God by the flesh and blood and life of Christ and by faith And in this consideration because Christ is the onely mediator and reconciler between God and man doth he so often speake of himselfe and say My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven the bread of God is he which commeth downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world I am the bread of life this is the bread of life which commeth down from heaven that a man may eate thereof and not dye I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eate of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world except yee eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him as the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me c. And in this manner spake he afterwards of the Sacrament of the Supper which hee left and commanded unto his Church to bee done to shew forth his death untill his second comming saying of the Bread Take â— eate this is my Body and of the Cup Drinke yee all of this for this is the Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Matth. 26. 26. 27. 28. And Saint Paul likewise saith of the same Sacrament The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which wee breake is it not the communion of the Body of Christ for wee being many are one Bread for wee are all pertakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. as if he should say is not this the spirituall intent and true meaning or signification thereof doth it not shew forth and give us to understand the Communion that is betweene Christ and his Church and every member of it how hee hath purchased it and life and eternall salvation for it with his owne Body and Blood and that although the members thereof bee many yet they being by faith made partakers of him the true and living Bread are all in a spirituall manner one body with him and one bread and doe live by him The like whereof hee had said before to the same Corrinthians of the forefathers Moreover brethren I would not that yee should bee ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. So that all the holy fathers not onely they that had passed through the Sea with Moses whom Saint Paul doth here instance for proofe but all that were before them and after them to his dayes were baptized with the same spirituall Baptisme wherewith hee himselfe and all the faithfull to this day have beene and are Baptized and did all eate the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke as wee now doe having all the same benefit of Christ and of the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood as wee now have and are all of him and one body with us and wee with them as Saint Paul also further manifesteth saying For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of this one body being many are one body so also is Christ For by one spirit are we all Baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have beene all made drinke into one spirit 1. Cor. 12 12. 13. For although Christ dyed but once in the latter time and in one place of the world yet his death was as avayleable with God with whom all things to come and past are present before his comming in the flesh and death as since and as effectuall to his elect of all nations in all times and in all places then as now for there is but one way of salvation in him and by him unto all in all times and in all places though it be not declared in a like manner and measure to all in all times and in all places These things I doe beleeve to be true for which if I shall still be judged vile and continued a prisoner I must still have patience If otherwise and that I shall find reliefe I hope I shall be thankfull unto God and not forget my duty to my relievers From the new Prison in Maiden-lane in London 1627. I doe now confesse againe that after all these things I having indured three yeares imprisonment and having often petitioned to the Court within the same time shewing my wrongs and grievances and requesting my liberty those two fore-mentioned Bishops of Winchester and Rochester Doctor Neâ— and Doctor Buckridg furthering my request to the Arch-Bishop I was discharged and released without any kind of justification either of the Courts proceedings or the witnesses depositions or any part of Denisons doings or acknowledging my selfe guilty of the things wherewith I was charged further then I have declared The last Court day of Michaelmas terme in the yeare 1629. for if I would but have acknowledged to the Court that I had been judicially convicted which I could not doe I might have beene discharged long before But notwithstanding this that I am now at libertie from prison yet the scandalls and reproaches of my adversaries remain still all over this Land and other parts likewise by reason not onely of that unrighteous sentence of the Court passed on me upon those insufficient and false depositions but especially of those wicked infamous Sermons and bookes which my accuser and prosecutor Denison hath published against me and are disperst through the Kingdome So that not onely my person but my name is odious and hatefull to many my friends my children and all that beare my name suffer by this meanes But why should it so much grieve me or trouble them seeing that the more any one suffereth for the truth sake the more he hath cause to rejoyce because so much the greater is his reward in heaven as the Lord himselfe Who is the way the truth and life hath said Mat. 5. So commending the judicious true Christian Reader To the grace of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ I rest his true Christian friend JOHN ETHERINGTON And if any shall thinke I have not yet answered that Booke of the Sermon preacht against me at the Crosse tituled The white wâ—olfe by Doctor Denison for he hath now by reason of that worke as it seemeth obtained the name of Doctor which before he had not let such a one but consider well without partiallity what is declared in this my defence and I hope he shall see every thing in the Doctors White wâ—olfe that conserneth me in substance fully answered and whether he or I have played the ravening Woolves part I refer to the judicious Christian Reader that hath read both to consider And so I rest his christian friend wishing him all true wisdome from above whereby to discerne betweene truth and falsehood and betweene true Prophets and false that so he be not deceived I. E. Errata IN pag. 1. l. the last after invent read spoken against him In pag. 2. l. 19. read mind iâ— In pag. 12. l. 23. for dareth read dareth not In pag. 31. l. the 1. for his read this In pag. 36. l. 18. for Sabbath read Sabbaths In pag. 38. l. 19. read could not In pag. 38 1. 25. for oposition read exposition In pag. 38. l. 28. for used read useth In pag. 39. l. the last recit read receive In pag. 41. l. the 7. for answers read adversaries In pag. 41. l. the 16. for suscribe read subscribe In pag. 42. l. 6. for or may read are may In pag. 44. l. 14. for walks read walt Matth. 25. Acts 20. John 5. 39. Matth. 24. 5. Revel. 1. 3. Heb. 3. 12 13. Heb. 10. 24. 25. Mat. 24. 22. Heb. 6. Mark 1. 1 2 3 4. Mat. 16. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 17. 12. 12 13. 1 Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 3. 6. Esay 58. Col. 2. Gal. 4. Page 70 71. Mat. 4. 8. Mat. 11. 17. Mat. 3. 11. 12. Esay 61. 1. 2. â— Act. 10. 37. Act. 13. 23. 24. Mat. 11. 5. Luke 7. 22. Heb. 6. Luke 24. 47. 48. Mar. 1. 15. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. Act. 20. Deut. 30. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Esay 57. 14. 15. Esay 66. 1. 2. Iere. 4. 4. Hose 10. 12. Ioel 2. 12. 13. Psal. 51. 16. 17. Psal. 95. 7. 8. 11. c. Rom. 16. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 24. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Gal. â— 18. Philip 4. 23. 1 Thes. 5. 28. Rev. 22. 21. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Col. 2. 12. Iohn 6. 54. Ver. 35. 40 and 47. Ioh. 6. 32. 33. 35. 48. 51. 53. 55. 56. 57. 58. c.
Mr. D. and appoint that the matter might be heard ended without suite of Law if it might be To which he answered that Mr. D. had been with him the day before and shewed him a scrowle of strange things against me and so contradictory one to another as never was knowne to be in any Heretique whatsoever and that he thought it not possible therefore they could be all true yet told me that he had Letters missive granted him but willed me to be at the Court the next thursday and he would order that I should cleere my selfe according to my owne conscience upon my oath which accordingly was done whereat Mr. D. murmured and said My Lord I have witnesses that will sweare against him to which the Bishop answered Peradventure you may have two or three evill persons that will sweare and cause a man that is innocent to be condemned he shall cleere himselfe upon his oath And so I did according to the order give into the Register Office full answers upon oath to all Steven Denisons Articles which are to be seen This being done and Mr Denison perceiving that I was to be cleered thereupon and seeing that matters would then fall foule with him and having no way to heale himselfe but by wounding and suppressing me moved to the Court vehemently affirming that I was a Familist and would forsweare and deny all things in publique which I held and did in private saying I have twenty witnesses that will sweare against him Whereupon Dr. M. stood up and spake so to the furthering of his motion as that the Archbishop was turned against me way was given him the order of my clearing upon my oath was crossed my answers to his articles rejected and never might come to the view or hearing of the Court And so his Witnesses being all of them either those his associates and devotaries which first set him on as aforesaid or such as he had in his Pulpit three or foure dayes before he was to goe before the Bishop of London charged to assist him saying Whosoever hath any thing against Iohn Etherington let him come to my Chamber to morrow by eight a clock As yee love the Ministers of God now stand for them for they goe about to silence all the good Ministers in the Citie such as by this meanes and by his diligent search and inquiry through the Citie partly by faire perswasions partly by threatnings had gathered together to conspire against me laying also plots to get me into their company that so they might finde occasion and get matter whereof to accuse me these came readily together with him to the Court to take their oathes against me Then upon Motion and Petition of complaint which I againe made of Mr. Denisons unlawfull proceedings in his Pulpits the Court did order that I should bring in my Articles against him and I should be heard Which to the end things should be the more cleared I did but the day that he was to make his appearance unto them Doctor Martin with another speech which he then made caused my Articles to be rejected and this order also as the former to be crossed so that I might not proceed in Court against him till his suite against me were ended Then after his Witnesses had beene examined I had upon motion a Defence granted me but King Iames then dying the great plague of pestilence immediately ensuing the Court for a yeare or thereabout ceasing and I supposing that he my adversary as being by this time in conscience rebuked had let fall his suite and I not willing of my selfe to stirre the matter up againe partly because of the great charge and for that I saw he was by reason of his great friends in Court too strong for me though I knew my cause to be better then his I neglected it he prevented me the matter was ordered to sentence before I knew or thought it was once againe called upon after which though in all humblenesse I moved and requested severall times for a defence I could not have it granted Doctor Martin his voice which so greatly swayeth the Court as at other times so now likewise withstood me and so upon the last Court day of Michaelmas tearme 1626. the Depositions of Mr. Denisons Witnesses were by his Councell read and as their manner is aggravated against me to the Court and I was censured without any defence or permission to be heard speake for my selfe This hath been the beginning proceeding and prosecution of this businesse and cause hitherto which being first knowne and considered will make all things more plaine and cleare to be understood The rest of the matters conteined in the sentence and the testimonies of the Witnesses which stand for proofe with my defence unto them follow The second accusation as it is in the sentence That the said Etherington since the 20 of December aforesaid hath been and is a man disaffected to the government and discipline of the Church of England now by Law established and agreeth with the sect of the Familists and other Sectaries having said and writ touching their Conventicles and unlawfull meetings that Caesar may command a place in publique so he forbid none in private and further that he maintaineth and agreeth with the Familists in the perfect puritie of the soule Touching the government and discipline Rowland Thomson Thomas Rogers and George Dunne doe depose and testifie The testimony of Thomson To the second Article this deponent saith that by reason of some opinions that he the said Etherington holdeth this deponent conceiveth him to be a man disaffected to the government and discipline of the Church of England The testimony of Rogers That this deponent knoweth that the articulate Etherington for all or most part of the time articulate hath beene and is a man disaffected to the present discipline of the Church of England in regard this deponent hath in the time articulate heard him the said Etherington maintaine some opinions contrary to the received judgement of the said Church The testimony of George Dunne That this deponent well knoweth that the articulate Etherington for these twentie yeares together hath beene and is a man disaffected to the government and discipline of the Church of England in regard this deponent hath often conversed with him the said Etherington These are their words as they stand recorded by the Register My Answer and defence is this These three Witnesses in these their testimonies howsoever it may stand with a good conscience they laying that aside have shewed themselves very willing men as before to the first Article so here to the second to witnesse any thing against me though never so falsly Thomson saith he conceiveth and holdeth it to be so by reason of some opinions which I hold but nameth none Rogers saith he knoweth it to be so by reason of some opinions he hath heard me maintaine but nameth none George Dunne saith he knoweth it to be so by reason