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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	truth_n	witness_n	3,073	5	8.6773	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67141	A trve relation of the chiefe passages betweene Mr. Anthony Wotton, and Mr. George Walker, in the yeare of our lord 1611, and in the yeares next following untill 1615 written by George Walker ... ; for the vindicating of himselfe from some imputations laid on him by Mr. Thomas Gataker, in his defence of Mr. Wotton.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.	1642 (1642)	Wing W367; ESTC R22429	24,717	39

as my parallell of him with Socinus published by Mr. Gataker now in print proveth most fully If he be offended because I call this errour an heresie though he and his fellow Subscribers to Mr. Wottons exposition out of their great love to Mr. Wottons person and upon his promise of reformation did thinke it not fit to call any thing in his exposition of his speeches by the name of heresie or blasphemie I answer first that his speeches which I cited in my parallell are manifestly blasphemous and hereticall by his owne confession and of them and his opinion in them published doe I speake and call it heresie Secondly though I rather assent to Beza Paraeus Lubertus and other most learned and orthodox Divines who condemne some things in Mr. Wottons expositions for heresie blasphemie rather then to Mr. Gataker and his fellowes who were pleased to thinke otherwise I hope I give therein no offence especially seeing I have Gods Word for my warrant and have such cleare knowledge and full perswasion of the blasphemie of some of his speeches That I did as Master Downham Dr. Gouge and others present at our meeting did heare and see and if their memories faile them not will confesse challenge Mr. Wotton and Mr. Gataker also if he would take his part to defend some passages in those expositions and promised that I would aske Mr. Wotton forgivenesse on my knees if I did not by convincing arguments in strict syllogismes prove them to be hereticall which they cowardly then refused with shew of scornfull disdaine But if Mr. Gataker be so highly offended because I call Mr. Wotton by the bare name of Anthony Wotton I must answer that therein I did him a favour For under that obscure title his person might have beene hid and not made knowne to any but those who were acquainted with all the passages betweene him and me But Mr. Gataker by discovering him more plainly and blazoning his armes hath exposed his person to much shame and stained the name and memorie of him long agoe dead and buried in the dust with the brand of Heresie hath made all the world see that he was the man who first sowed these Socinian tares in the faire field of the Church of England As for my selfe I am assured that the goodnesse of my cause which is the cause of God his truth will beare me out justifie me against all his misreports And if any man be forestalled with prejudice and a sinister opinion of my proceedings against Mr. Wotton let him read this my relation which I can justifie both by living witnesses and by my papers which I have in my custody untill this day When Mr. Wottons opinions were first made knowne to me upon the occasion mentioned in my letter to Mr. Wotton which hereafter followeth I by meanes of my late reading of the controversies betweene Junius Arminius Lubertus Bertius Gomarus and others of the Remonstrants did easily discerne them to be of the same stampe with the heresies of Servetus and Socinus newly revived and set on foote in Holland by Vorstius Arminius and those of that faction I shewed Mr. Wottons papers to Mr. Alexander Richardson a most learned and judicious Divine to whom for his singular learning in Divinity and all other learned Arts and excellent knowledge in the originall tongues of holy Scripture divers studious young men did resort from Cambridge to his dwelling in the parish of Barking in Essex to be directed in their study of Divinity and other arts among which these proved men of good note in our Church Mr. Hooker Mr. Chauncey Mr. Yates Mr. John Barlow Mr. Perry with others Mr. Richardson approved my censure of them and so detested them that he could not read one passage without sighing He also sent to Mr. Wotton to meete him in a conference before some judicious hearers which Mr. Wotton promised but did not performe I also sent and desired that he would admit me to come to him and conferre with him but as he was afraid to meete Mr. Richardson so he disdained my youth and yeares and referred me to one Spencer a tradesman a factious Disciple of his as I have objected to him in my letter upon this I preached two sermons in the Church of which I am now Pastor in the one I laid open breifly the true received doctrine of justification in the other I discovered Mr. Wottons opinions to be Socinian heresie and shewed the danger of them The next day some of Mr. Wottons friends being startled came to me and intreated me to goe with them to him and promised that he should purge himselfe from those errors and give me good satisfaction I yeelded to their desire and went along with two of them to Mr. Wottons house who welcomed me coldly in words though his heart seemed by his countenance to be hot with indignation and disdaine At my first entrance into his Studie he told me very abruptly that I had untruly affirmed that the whole streame of learned Orthodox Divines did hold the same doctrine which I had taught concerning justification by Christs righteousnesse imputed to beleevers And withall he shewed a place out of Luther upon the Galatians in which Luther denyed justification by our owne workes and righteousnesse of the law but in the words which next followed upon the top of of the next page which Mr. Wotton covered with his fingers as he held the booke in his hand Luther in plain words affirmed that Christs fulfilling of the law for us is our righteousnes in the same page also saith that faith is not sufficient for righteousnes without Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse I snatched the booke out of his fingers read the words which were directly against himselfe blamed him before the two witnesses for his dealing d●lo malo and going about purposely to delude us and with great compassion and teares in mine eyes professed my griefe to see him a man of great esteeme whom I had never seene before but had much reverenced for the reports which I had heard of his great learning to play the prancke of a deceiver and jugling Sophister After many words which passed betweene us but in no strict forme of disputation which I desired and M. Wotton refused he confessed that my doctrine which I taught concerning imputation of Christs righteousnesse was sound and saving truth able to save beleevers though they went no further but he had dived more deepely into the poynts of justification and did goe further but not a contrarie way But I protested against his opinion and told him it was as contrarie to my doctrine and faith as darknesse is to light Mr. Standish one of the witnesses who went along with me desired me to rest satisfied and to breake off to which I yeelded and tooke my leave And no sooner were we entred into the streete but the said Mr. Standish brake out into speeches of dislike against Mr. Wottons

as being full of Socinian errours and as I have beene informed did also send to Amsterdam to stop the Printing of it which was there attempted also So that Mr. Wottons disciples were forced to Print it at their owne charge by stealth in some further place beyond the Seas and to disperse the copies here in England Upon one of which Mr. Goodwin a lover of novelties and strange doctrines unhappily stumbled and thence stole his opinions which his foolish followers receive and admire as new revelations from heaven never heard of before Thus have I briefly related the chiefe passages betweene Mr. Wotton and my selfe I have heard of others also who did privately oppose Mr. Wotton especially Master Woodcocke a grave Preacher Parson or Vicar of Chessam who did in writing confute Mr. Wotton and admonished him to forsake his errours One thing I cannot omit which was a strong motive to move divers godly people in London to abhorre Mr. Wottons opinions that was the sharpe censure which that holy man of God Master Alexander Richardson gave against them on his death bed and which Mr. John Barlow an eare-witnesse thereof did report to divers from his mouth Mr. Richardson being ready to leave this world Mr. Barlow who had often before resorted to him for direction in his study and resolution of doubts in many points of Divinity was at that time present with him and told him that hee had heard me the Sabbath before propounding the Doctrine of Justification to be laid open out of the fifth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and to be maintained against Papists Socinians and other Heretiques some of which were of late revived in the City and withall desired to know his judgement concerning Mr. Wottons opinion who denyed Christs fulfilling of the Law for justification of beleevers and the imputation of his Righteousnesse and held faith to be imputed in a proper sense without a trope Mr. Richardson answered and said Take these words of me a dying man I have read and well weighed Mr. Wottons papers and opinions and I know them to be so pestilent and dangerous that whosoever liveth and dyeth in the beleefe of them shall never enter into the Kingdome of heaven Commend me to Mr. Walker and desire him from me as being my last request to him to be couragious in the cause of God and for that saving truth which he hath undertaken to maintaine against those dangerous and deadly errours lately set on foote by Mr. Wotton This message being delivered unto me before diverse witnesses some of which are alive to testifie it did much encourage me and made me more bold to lay open the abomination of Mr. Wottons opinions publickely in my Sermons without feare or regard of the slanders and revilings of his factious and furious disciples This was in the yeare 1613. And I praise God I am constant in the same minde and doe pray and hope that God will give me grace to persevere in this beleefe to the end As for Mr. Gatakers invective against me in Mr. Wottons defence I doe as little regard it as Mr. Goodwins rayling Libell which some say Mr. Gataker counselled him to write against me If it were not vaine expence of precious time I could produce Socinianisme out of Mr. Gatakers Printed workes and prove him a party I could prove him to be Thomas of all sides Sometimes holding that the elect and faithfull are cloathed with the garment of Christs Righteousnesse and againe disputing against their communion and imputation of Christs Righteousnesse But I pray God to give him a more setled judgement in the truth and a more charitable heart to his laborious neighbours who spend their time in better studies then writing of Treatises for unlawfull gaming and card-playing and bedawbing Margents with many quotations to small purpose but onely for ostentation of much reading Yet give me leave to aske Mr. Gataker a few questions which if he cannot answer with any credit let him for shame hold his peace and blush to thinke of his defence of Master Wotton to the accusing and defaming of himselfe 1. Question Whether is it truth and honesty to say that all the eight Ministers with unanimous consent generally resolved and pronounced that there appeared not to them either heresie or blasphemy in ought that Mr. Wotton was by me convinced to have delivered or maintained When their subscription shewes that they medled onely with his Expositions and not with his hereticall and blasphemous speeches in which I paralleled him with Socinus the Hereticke 2 Quest Whether Mr. Gataker doth thinke that Mr. Wotton renouncing the Law of God and the righteousnesse thereof performed by Christ in our stead for our justification doth not in so doing deny Christ his ransome paid and satisfaction made to Gods just Law for our redemption and for remission of our sins 3 Quest Whether mans perfect fulfilling of the Law in his owne person under the covenant of workes was not formall inherent righteousnesse and would have made man worthy of life And if so how he can excuse Mr. Wotton from making faith the formall inherent righteousnesse of beleevers in the covenant of the Gospel by which they are worthy of justification and eternall life seeing he saith that faith under the Gospell serves to all purposes for obtaining eternall life as mans perfect fullfilling of the Law did in the covenant of workes 4 Quest Whether Mr. Wotton professing his dissent from Socinus in those things which are Orthodox and true to wit That faith is obedience to Christs Commandements who commands us to beleeve and repent That repentance which commeth not but by faith is the meanes to obtaine forgivenesse of sins which Christ hath brought that is to get the sense and assurance of forgivenesse And that faith is a beleeving of that which Christ taught and an assurance of obtaining that he promised upon our repentance and obedience can therefore be justified from the heresies of Socinus in the point of justification when he holds other things which are condemned in Socinus for heresie as that faith used in a proper sense not tropically is said to be imputed for righteousnesse to justification and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applied by faith And that Christ hath not redeemed us and satisfied for our sinnes and procured our pardon and justification by fulfilling the Law in our stead And that faith though not for the merit worth and vertue of it yet by the place and office which the Lord of his mercy hath assigned is the condition upon which God doth justifie and adopt us and is accepted of God and counted for righteousnesse 5 Quest Whether Mr. Wotton doth not deny the free covenant of Grace when he holds that God doth not covenant to justifie and give life but upon a condition performed on our part equivalent for all purposes to a mans perfect fulfilling of the Law in his owne person under the covenant of workes 6 Quest Whether

Wotton had made a larger Exposition and fully purged himselfe from Socinianisme By which it appeared that they durst not openly justifie their subscription nor suffer it to come into my hands And that it was a thing with much importunity wrung from them which the better part of them would never have yeelded unto but upon promise of a better and larger exposition and in hope to draw Mr. Wotton wholly from his errors some of which he had allready contradicted and acknowledged to be hereticall and blasphemous to wit his denying of Christs Righteousnesse imputed for any use or end whatsoever Dr. Bayly the first of the Subscribers had upon the first reading of those speeches of Mr. Wotton which I shewed out of his owne writings and did parallell them with Socinus condemned Mr. Wotton for an heretike and his errors for blasphemie Mr. Downham heard his censure uttered at Mr. Wetwoods table and by silence assented to it Mr. Randall did argue verie hotly against Mr. Wottons opinions that same day that they subscribed and told him before as all that he had protested against them often in private and had disswaded him from them and that he for his part abhorred them Dr. Gouge hath publikely confuted them and in the pulpit condemned them under the name of Socianisme Mr. Stocke did ever abhorre them as he often told me in private And one time I by a prettie Stratageme brought him before other witnesse to condemne them for heresie and blasphemie Mr. Wetwood mine host in whose house I then lodged having by much importunity obtained of Dr. Bayly the sight of Mr. Wottons expositions subscribed as you heard before and committed to his custodie did lend them to me for the space of two houres till I had copied out both them and the subscription word for word with the mens names which copie I have yet to shew And one Sunday at night being invited to supper by Mr. Thomas Goodyeare my parishoner I brought it with me to shew it to Mr. Goodyeare who was verie desirous to see and read it Mr. Stocke and his wife being at the same time invited came in while we were reading it together And seeing me 〈…〉 in my hand asked what it was I answered that it was a paper of new and strange opinions which when he desired to heare I did read to him that passage in Mr. Wottons Expositions where he saith This I say that in this proposition Faith is counted for Righteousnes the word Faith is to be taken properly not tropically and I asked him what he thought of it He not knowing that it was Mr. Wottons Exposition out of which I read it did answer that it was Popery or worse I asked him whether he did not thinke it to be the heresie and blasphemy of Socinus he answered yes verily I asked him then what hee thought of certaine learned Divines who had subscribed to this and other such speeches that they were neither heresie nor blasphemy He said he thought none but mad men would doe it and asked who they were I presently read the subscription and among the rest his owne name and withall shewed him the copy Mr. Goodyeare laughed heartily and said to Mr. Stocke O Master our Parson is too cunning for you I never saw any man so finely taken in a snare as hee hath taken you in your owne snare I have ever told you that in this controversie you were too partiall for your old friend and familiar Mr. Wotton Mr. Stocke could plead nothing but this That Mr. Wotton had promised them to silence himselfe and his disciples in these points and to write a large declaration whereby he would purge himselfe fully from Socinianisme In hope whereof they did gratifie him with this subscription for the suppressing of clamours till he had further cleared himselfe But Mr. Wotton had broken his promise and boasted of that which made nothing for him in the maine cause but onely upon the by and had requited their favour towards him with disgrace to them and danger to himselfe and that it had beene better he had never beene borne then to trouble the Church of God with his false opinions By this you see how dangerous a thing it is even for godly men to be judges in a cause of controversie betweene a familiar friend as Mr. Wotton was to these men and a stranger as I at that time was to the most of them As for the other three to wit Mr. Balmeford Mr. Gataker and Mr. Hickes they were Mr. Wottons advocates rather then equall Judges Mr. Balmeford was Mr. Wottons silenced brother Mr. Hickes was Mr. Wottons disciple one who would jurare in verba Magistri Mr. Gataker did more angrily and peevishly speake against me and snarle at me then my adversary Mr. Wotton himselfe so that I was forced to challenge him as well as Mr. Wotton and to offer to dispute against them both What Mr. Wottons intent was in begging such a beggerly subscription and Mr. Gatakers in procuring it from the rest the event hath shewed For Mr. Wotton and his disciples did presently report through London that I could prove nothing against him nor bring any thing out of his bookes or writings to convince him of Socinianisme and that the eight learned Ministers had justified him and condemned me for a false accuser And upon this he grew more bold and wrote certaine Essaies concerning Justification a copy whereof I have to shew wherein he denies the true reall and spirituall union of the faithfull with Christ and Chrits meriting of justification and salvation for them he affirmes that when they are said to be one with Christ the speech is Metaphoricall and that there is no mention of Christs merits in all the Scripture By which his violent breaking out and going on from evill to worse I was forced to write my Antithesis Wottonismi Christianismi wherein I discovered more of his errors and his factious and Schismaticall behaviour This I presented to the then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who committed it to Doctor Nidd● his Chaplaine who being himselfe a favourer of Arminians neglected to make report of it to his Lord And indeed I never called upon him because Mr. Wotton having intelligence of it silenced himselfe and all his disciples being admonished by his friends of the danger in which he was unlesse hee and they did forbeare to justifie and maintaine his errors and further to provoke me by their false reports and calumnies Thus was the fire quenched and no man opened his mouth to defend Mr. Wottons opinions though I with many others did often as occasion was offered by the Scriptures which we expounded confute and condemne them In the meane time Mr. Wotton wrote his booke De Reconciliatione in Latine wherein he seemed to recant and to contradict divers of his former writings but yet he vented so much poyson in it that when it was sent over to Leiden to be Printed the Professors there rejected it