Heresies and Sects that they which are approved may be made manifest among us The good Lord in due time purge his Church and now his Fanne is in his hand let us pray that he may thoroughly purge his floore nothing but pure Wheat shall be in the Lords Barne Lord thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven so commending your holy labours both in Pulpit and Presse to the blessing of God I rest Your lover in the Truth and for his sake who is ipsa veritas Nichol. North. From Dover July 13. 1646. Sir Last day repeating to my people here in Saint James Parish the summe of these Errors that they might avoid the like Captaine Temple a great stickler in this Town for the maintenance of all Sects as I hear sent me this letter after Sermon being as it seems displeased that I should forewarn my people of Heresies and Errors I pray consider of it and make the best use of it you can The man is a stranger to me and I an to him I never saw him to my knowledge and he did not hear me preach that day he wrote to me though in his Letter he sayes he is my observer Mr. North DOubtlesse you may get into your peoples affections with enveighing against any pretenders to Religion as if all such did hold such points as your story wherewith you filled up your hour But I pray Sir be so honest as to tell them this afternoon that it was very likely that Tiltboat â—ent your companion to London was an Atheist one of your Church of England For such swearers drunkards blasphemers do use to go in your Tilt-boat and there talk of Religion according to your story But all wise men know your objects of spleen called Independents Anabaptists c. hold fundamentalls in Religion and can maintain it by Scripture better then your self Your observer Miles Temple Dover the 12. July 1646. This is a true Copie to a tittle of Master Temples Letter sent to Master North on the Lords day July the 12. 1646. Attested by Nicholas North John Dyâ—us Ministers A Copie of a Letter from a worthy Minister in the West of England Worthy Sir I Had not the happinesse either to see or heare of the second part of Gangraena till within these very few dayes The first part did so much good in weakning the reputation of the Sectaries and marring their market wheresoever it came that it is not unlikely there may be meanes used by some agents in London to hinder the spreading of this How it comes to passe I know not but if any corrupting Books come forth making for Independency or any of the Sects we are sure to here of them soon enough and finde them in too many hands I am glad you have made good your ground so well against Cretensis whose bitter arrogant unministeriall stile and passages will be enough to lay open to the world the temper of the mans spirit though you should be silent In that which concernes Master Burroughs I thought verely you had been mis-informed He utterly denyed the truth of that relation to a good Presbyteriall friend of his and mine who alwaies hath had him in good esteem for piety sure it will amaze his friend and many others when they shall see this largenesse of conscience in Master Burroughs You cannot immagine how I was struck at the reading of it If Saints of the first magnitude in the Independent way the greatest pretenders to conscience can do this what credit can we give to the rest such Presbyterians as they will scarce owne to be Saints have not that latitude of conscience to tell 〈…〉 willingly much lesse write it print it and give it under their hâ—â—ds to all the world This is too too bad As concerning that Collier whom you spake of in your Book I could give you a large relation as how he was banished out of Garnesey he and many more of his followers whom hee had seduced for their heresies and turbulent behaviour afterwards imprisoned at Po 〈…〉 th 〈◊〉 was the â—irst that sowed the seeds of Anabaptism Anti-sabbatariâ—â—ism and some Arminianisme among the rest in these parts hee hath had the boldnesse to publish two or three pamphlets full stuffed with erroneous principles and â—avouring of an illitterate Carter or an Husbandman for so he is by his calling I heare though now by usurpation a Preacher The first time he preached amongst us which was in time of publike exercise some that heard him said afterwards if that were true which Master Collier had taught them they would never heare any of our Minâ—â—ters more You may guesse his doctrine by the use was made of it doubtlesse 〈◊〉 was stronge poison he gave them that wrought so strongly at first Sir if I were not in great haste I should writ more at large I should be glad to heare from you in a word oâ— two how things are likely to goe for which I shall rest June 1646. Your thankfull friend A Copie of a Letter sent from some of the Committee of the City of Exeter to some of that City here in London GEntlemen we referre you to our former Letter sent you by post wherein we gave you information of the imprisoning of our honest Citizeâ—s by the Deputy Governour and Officers of that Garrison they yet continue in custody The Committee was refused to have the knowledg of the cause of their imprisonment Our Constables are opposed in doing their duties in a word they do openly contemne and violently incroach upon the civill power contrary to former ordem sent them Yesterday they demanded more monies of us for the Garrison We do what in us lyeth to oppose them in their undue courses But the insolencie of this day is such that we thought it our duty to make this present dispatch to you doubting what a day may bring forth The cause is thus we taking notice of the frequent preaching of Captaines at the Castle Guild-Hall and in private housés and of their drawing away of the people thought it necessary with the advice of Ministers to have the Ordinance of Parliament of the twentie sixth of Aprill 1645. to be published which prohibits all such to preach as were not ordained Ministers c. which accordingly was read at the Cathedrall before the morning Sermon this day The Deputy Governour hearing it commands it to be read the second and third time the Officers jeering and scoffing all the time of the publishing of it in contempt both of the Ordinance and of the Committee After the Sermon was ended the Deputy Governour most presumptuously stands up in the Bishops seat and takes upon him publikely to give the meaning of the Ordinance and saith aloud that it did not forbid their meetings and that in the after-noones they would have their exercise in the Custle which accordingly they had and that he had the command of the City and of all that were in it with many words
Parish for his company to meet in Many of these Manifestarians being at a time together there was some occasion fell out to send for the Constable of the Town who being come charged some of the company in the Kings name to aid him to which some of the Sectaries replied that the King was out of office and therefore to require any thing in the Kings name was nothing A Fellow of a Colledge in Cambridge whom I well know meeting me in London told me he had been lately at the Leaguer before Oxford and in the company of some of the Sectaries belonging to the Army where he met with one M. Wainwright so he related his name formerly a Minister who said he came out of such a Country Suffolk as I remember and had a Living there of two hundred pounds per annum this man boasted he had pull'd down the Bishops and hoped to do as much for some others meaning the Presbyters he vapoured he had left his Living as being Antichristian and saith he I have every day since asked God forgivenesse for holding it he told me also that in the Army he was told from good hands of an Officer a civill gallant man because he would answer the Sectaries when they spake for their opinions and against the Presbyterians was upon other pretended suggestions either formally casheered or glad to be gone There are foure famous Preachers in Hartfordshire as I have it from sure hands one Heath the Collar-maker of Watton one Rice the Tinker of Aston one Feild the Bodies-maker of Hartford one Crew the Taylor of Stevenage and besides these there are some other Preachers who sometimes were Ministers in the Church of England but now great Sectaries as Master Feake at All-Saints Church in Hartford one Master Harrison about Saint Albons side and some others of whose strange preachings practises of the complaint to the Judges at the Assise of Master Feake c. I shall hereafter in a fourth part of Gangraena or some other Tractate about the Sects give the Reader an account There is a Shoemaker in Coventry or thereabouts a famous Preacher who goes from Coventry and those parts up and down Glostershire Warwickeshire Wostershire preaching and venting erroneous points of Antinomianisme Anabaptisme preaching against Tyths Baptisme of children A Minister of the City of London being in Glostershire heard him preach and heard of his large Diocesse and perambulations from place to place August 16. 1646. Preached at Hackney one Master Downing a Preacher of the Army and a young Peters as he was called some who were eare-witnesses told me of his Sermon and it was to this effect That the Country people say that is he meant the Sectaries in the Army say that the Parliament would do them good but he Lord Major the Common-Councell and the Citizens of London would not permit them he feared God would bring the Plague upon them and Risings among them and the cause of all was the uncharitablenesse of London against the Saints and that the opposition now was not between worldly men but between Saints and Saints This Downing alias Peter junior spake in Hackney pulpit of the Common Councell of London at that time in way of 〈…〉 persion of them as if they were for the Cavaliers that when they entred Oxford the Cavaliers told them T is your turn now it may be ours hereafter for we have the City of London and the Common-Councell for us THere is one Master Clark in London whose wife being dead and wanting a staid Maid-servent to look to his house and Children having some acquaintance with one Master Josse sometimes a minister of the Separation but now an Anabaptist a Seeker and no man knowes what he commended to him for that use one Mary Abram aged between 40. and 50. a Separatist an acquaintance of his highly enrolling her whereupon Master Clark entertained her and he having a Sonne between fifteen and sixteen years old falling very lick his calling and occasions necessitating him to be much from home this Mary Abram being to looke to him takes her opportunitie in this weaknesse and want of understanding his disease being an Apoplexie to labour to make this Boy marry her and for the effecting of that works in a fl 〈…〉 ring fa 〈…〉 ing way with one who often came to Master Clarks house to proâ—â—re a License for two friends of hers to marry concealing the persons who brought her word they at the Office could grant no License to any which had not their friends consent and one to be bound in a Bond to save them harmlesse Now when she saw this way would not do then she further moved the same man that if he knew if any man would marry them of any fashion she cared not Whereupon this man â—old her he knew one Master Stampe a School-master in Shoelane whom he heard one say had done such a businesse Upon that the man could not be quiet till he brought her to this Stampe and after a time she told him she was the woman party but concealed the man At the last when her master Clark was gone from home she enticed the Boy to go with her and they went to Stamps Chamber who lay bed-rid and he spake some words to them which she pleads was a marrying of them and she gave this Stampe eleven shillings six pence for his paines For the proofe of these things besides master Clarks particular relation to me of these things more then once in private as also his relating it to me in other companies I have seen a Certificate under the hand of Doct. Meverell subscribed Sep. 29. 1643. Ottuell Meverell testifying of master Clarks Sons disease in his brain for the space of sixe moneths wherein he was divers times deprived of sense and motion and sometimes vexed with Convulsions ignorant of things done and said to him as also I have perused Certificates under other hands as Mr. Stamps one Samuell Perkins and others too large to set down besides the Petition of Master Clark drawn to be delivered to the House of Commons for relief of his Sonne in this case and for justice against this Separatist who claims this youth for her husband a Copy whereof is as followeth To the Right Honourable the Knights and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament Assembled The Humble Petition of Thomas Clark Most Humbly Shewing THat the Petitioner entertained one Mary Abram to be his house-keeper and to be especially carefull of his Sonne being grievously visited with the sicknesse called the Apoplexie and by the vehemency of the disease not sensible many times what he did She the said Mary being between 40. and 50. years of age and your Petitioners sonne being 16. years of age at most The said Mary being gone from the Petitioners house comes and claimeth the Petitioners sonne for her husband and threatneth the Petitioner for keeping her husband from her pretending she was married to him by a sick man who
skins over the Wolves yeeres come out from them and instead of siding any longer with them turne to the Ortho â—ox godly party to help the Lord against them as also such Presbyterians who know the Sectaries well should from all this be stirr'd up to shake off their dulnesse lazinesse and become active vigilant diligent naturally caring for the state of things contending and striving earnestly for the truth of God against the Sectaries of these times and now in the conclusion of this Third Part I will hint a few things both to those who have beene deceived by the Sectaries and to the Presbyterians who well know them To the first sort consider have you not beene too long cheated and carried along with faire pretences almost to the utter ruine of Religion and the Kingdome have you not and doe you not see in many affaires one thing pretended and another intended doe you not see evidently that their godlinesse is gaine and great places that their zeale for preaching and spreading the Gospell is to have all Errors and Heresies of a suddaine spread over the Kingdome and so in other things and will you still suffer your selves to be deceived by them there are some who were courted and complemented with and doe confesse they were deceived by them and have left them doe you so likewise and deliver your selves and the Kingdome thereby out of this Babell Secondly consider you had as good leave them at first as at last for either you must resolve to go thorough with them in all their designes and to the highest which I suppose midling well meaning men intend not but abhor to think of or else if not then when they have by your help effected and brought about their ends they will cast you off and you shall be served with the same sauce as the zealous Presbyterians thus the Prelats served divers whom they made use of and would not go on with them in every thing and so will the Sectaries serve many well-meaning men who know not the depths of Satan therefore 't is better for you to leave them then that they being made strong by your meanes should in the end ruine and destroy you and let such moderate well-meaning men know that if they will still adhere to that party after all these discoveries of them God will look upon them as partakers of all their sinnes will destroy them with the Sectaries and they are like to perish in the gain-saying of Core and therefore I bespeak them in the words of Moses Numb 16. 26. Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked men touch nothing of theirs least yee be consumed in all their sinnes feare suspect every motion that comes from that party though it seeme never so good though propounded by others not of their way and if it be not a thing exceeding cleare and certaine to thee take heed of closing in with it rather suspend and advise upon it for these Sectaries often act by other men get good men who see not their depths to promote their cause hiding alwayes the hook of their designes under the bait of priviledge liberty safety godlinesse all which are not regarded by them but the doing of their work the increase of Sectarisme and Error For the other sort the Presbyterians consider what a shame 't is that a handfull of men in comparison should by their activity diligence minding their work bring things to that passe they are in our Armies Councels City Country and the Presbyterians of both Kingdomes ten times as many â—it still as it were and suffer them Oh if so few have done so much and that in a bad cause what might not we doe in a good cause if courageous zealous and intent upon it certainly we might in a short time break the hearts and the neck of that faction and in speciall if the City of London and the Government of it would appeare as they might and when they have begun follow and prosecute it in beginning to put the Lawes in execution against those who come not to Church in punishing those Sectaries who live under their jurisdiction and government for abusing them in print in taking care that no Sectarie have any office or place of government in the City in petitioning the Parliament againe and againe they might by the blessing of God quickly remedy all If I should but mind the City of the solemne Covenant they have taken to endeavour in their places the extirpation of Heresie and Sâ—hisme of what the Kingdome all good and honest men expect from them in this kind of all the affronts and injuries they have suffered from that party and by meanes of that party and of all they shall surely suffer from that party if they prevaile be trampled upon and made slaveâ— used as the poore Citizens of Munster were by the Anabaptists these and many such other would make them take heart arise and be doing but I shall conclude all with turning my selfe to Christ and that in the words of Veâ—elius in alike case against the Arminians of Holland Arise O Lord Jesus have mercy upon these Kingdomes vindicate thy owne glory To thee who with the Father and the holy Spirit art that one and only true God be honor glory and praise for ever Amen Postscript GOod Reader I conceive before this time thou hast expected my larger and fuller Reply to Cretensis promised in the Second Part of Gangraena as also some Answers from me to severall Pamphlets put out against some Parts and peeces of my Gangraenaes as to Master Burrowes Vindication Gangraena playes Rex Lancesters-Laâ—ce Gangraena-chrestum A Discovery of a Beame in Master Edwards his eye A Prediction of Master Edwards conversion A Parable or Consultation of Physitians upon Master Edwards Some passages of Sâ—â—tmarsh against me printed in a Pamphlet against Master Gataker Master Ley and some others Now of all these or most of these I shall give so good an account and reason at this time as I question not will very well satisfie the Reader For my fuller Reply unto Cretensis some part whereof was printed before the Second Part of Gangraena came forth I proceeded no further upon these Reasons Many judicious and learned friends told me I had given such a satisfactory Answer already to Cretensis that they thought the Second needlesse and desired me rather to set forth some other Tractates as also upon the coming out of my Second Part of Gangraena I was assured from some who at the presse and from the presse had seen divers sheets and read some part that an Answer of Cretensis to my Antapologie was printing and would come abroad â—re long whereupon I thought best to deale with Master Goodwin once for all to take that in make it all one work and not to trouble my self any more with him till the man should come to write matter and Reason and not only words and meer flourishes Now before his
of a comfortable place for people and maintenance in England without Ceremonies and Subscription he would have taken a Parish Church in England before he would have gone to Master Peters at Roterdam but if upon his coming to Roterdam there was any such change as Master Peters speaks of that he was really turned to be an Independent and of the Church-way and would have carried on that way with Master Peters it was the mercy of God to him to take him away just upon his removing and new coming to Roterdam before he had appeared actually engaged in that way or written for it because his name and authority being a learned man might have swayed the more with many and we see Master Peters makes use of his name to credit that cause thirteen years after notwithstanding that he died upon the borders and entrance into it before any notice was ever taken by the Reformed Churches of any such thing though I much question whether or no in his latter time there was any such change as Master Peters speaks of Eighthly Master Peters writes many things hypocritically which he and his party neither practices nor intends but a snake lies under the green grasse as that of a door open for the Gospel and of Itinerary Ministers in a County three or foure which is for no other end but to leaven the whole Kingdome with Independency and to fore-stall Presbytery from being setled as that of almost lost liberty the English being ruled by love as cautions about a new slavery and wishes of all marks of slavery to be taken off when as 't is evident he and his party mean by liberty a freedome to hold what they will and to be under no Church-Government and that he and his party are the greatest means in all places for keeping up all those things which the people have used to account marks of slavery and against English liberty as that of walking plainly in your Councells God preserveth the simple as speaking against Arcana Imperii deep-set counsells of men c. whereas he and his party have and doe practise quite contrary having deep-set counsells using all Machivillian tricks to undermine men looking one way and rowing another which is so evident that all men speak of it and whereof I have given in my former Books many instances under that head of the practices of the Sectaries Epiphanius resembles Hereticks to Moulâ— who doe all their mischief by working under ground but if once they be above ground they are weak and contemptible creatures just such are our Independents and Sectaries they have done all and still doe by their under-hand working but if they would play above board speak plainly what they would have and not hide themselves we should quickly take them all Many other particulars I might observe in the manner and way of carrying on his designs secretly laid down in these Answers as also I had thought to have made some Animadversions and Observations upon his Sermon preached at Christ-Church and another printed pamphlet of his but because I have enlarged already and perceive I shall exceed the number of sheets I at first intended when I fell upon writing this Third Part of Gangraenâ— therefore I shall forbeare any more of this kind for present I have given the Reader some account of Master Peters in his Writing Preaching and Discourses it remains I should speak of him in his Actings what hand he hath had in promoting severall Petitions in City and Country in favour of the Sectaries as that Anti-Petition commonly so called framed presently after the City Remonstrance which was carried up and down the City by his man to get hands to it what meetings he hath been at severall times at severall places as at the Nags-head as in Coleman-street c. what Countries and places he hath ridden to to get Burgesses for Parliament what persons of worth hee hath complained of to some in Authority whereby they have been sent for and taken off their imployment in such places the thing aimed at in it and yet the things never proved but the quite contrary proved what great summes of money with other gifts besides two hundred pounds per annum for him and his heires lawfully begotten which hee by his stirring and acting hath obtained but I shall speake no more of him now but reserve what I have further to say unto a Fourth Part of Gangrâ—na There is one Master Feake an Independent named in page 81. of this Book of whom because when I writ that sheet I had not my full profe of particulars as I desired I passed him over lightly till another time but having since received full and particular information of him I think at good to pay my debt of promise sooner then I made account of This Master Feake within this twelve months was Preacher in London and hath preached many strange and odd things at Peters in Cornhill besides Wool-Church and other places as for separation from our Assemblies expressing many heterodox things about mixed Communion at the Lords Supper against maintenance of Ministers by Tythes and in Sermons and Prayers hath had many sâ—ings at the Assembly but now is Preacher in the Town of Hartford the shire Town and in the greatest Parish and Church of that Town viz. All-Saints being put into a Sequestrated Living by the power of some of the Independent partie in that Town without the approbation of the Assembly having never been with the Assembly according to the Order of the Honour House of Commons nor with the Committee of Plundred Ministers neither as I beleeve who use to send those that come to them for Sequestrated Livings to the Assembly before they grant them power and interest in such places As for his carriage at Hartford where he hath preached since last January it hath been as followes His preaching and praying shewes him no friend to the Assembly nor to the Directory he hath never used the Lords Prayer since he came thither but hath preached against the use of it as a prayer 'T is observed of him by understanding men his Auditors that they never heard him appoint or sing a Psalme he reades but one Chapter or a peece of a Chapter he hath not baptized any since his coming One of the Committee a Justice of Peace put up some Articles against him at the Assizes at Hartford to both Judges then on the Bench The first was this That Christ would destroy not only unlawfull Government but lawfull Government not only the abuse but the use of it and as he had begun to destroy it in England so would he by raising combustions in the bowells of France and Spaine and that he would destroy Aristocracy in Holland for Tolerating Arminianisme When he denyed the words one being present and asked affirmed him to have preached thus and there are foure others understanding men and of good worth will testifie the same Then Master Feake explained himself before
prophane persons ignorant c. who having no knowledge in Religion and so likely to chuse such as themselves were unfit for such a work and afterwards in print being charged with it by Master Prynne as proved against him before the Committee of plundered Ministers he justifies his Preaching of which the Reader may see more in those Answers and Replyes that passed betwixt Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Pryn and particularly in Mr. Pryns Truth triumphing over falshood Epist Dedicat. and in the Book pag 106 107 108. The Author of the last warning to all the inhabitants of London pag. 5. saith That the betrusted Commons have not permitted this liberty in policie of every one worshipping God as they will but in Justice and upon mature knowledge that they neither are nor can be betrusted to make Lawes to rule men in the practice of Religion The Sectaries Remonstrance to their own House of Commons as they call the Honorable House pag. 12 13. speaking of matters that concern the worship of God denys the Commons any power at aâ— to conclude the people in such things It is not for you to assume a power to controule and force Religion or to force a way of Church-Government upon the people because former Parliaments have so done and affirms the Commons could not have such a power justly entrusted upon them by the people that trusted them And what need any further witnesse The House of Commons to their faces in the last 〈…〉 a st Sermon before them heard enough by Master Dell a famous Sectary and the Generalls Chaplaine against their power and authority to meddle in things of this kind Fifthly the Sectaries have written publikely and spoken openly against many particular Members of both Houses by name yea against the Honourable Speakers of both Houses by name and divers other prime eminent Members of note as well for their estates and ranks out of the Houses as power in the Houses calling by name some of them Traitors Achanâ— accusing them of treason and wilfull betraying of their Countries and Trusts as the Religious Earl of Manchester Sir Henry Vane Senior Master Barwis charging others by their severall names with other crimes as injustice oppression protecting of Delinquents sending many thousand pounds to the King at Oxford procuring by their publike places in the House contrary to the Self-denying Ordinances private and profitable places to themselves pride and loftinesse of carriage breach of promises giving out of the Scots that they have a wicked design tending to the prejudice of the State It would fill up many pages to relate all the passages in Lilburns Overtons Master Musgraâ—es Books Englands Birth-right and such like Pamphlets of Sectaries against some of the Peers by name as thâ—â— thrice Noble and Worthy Earl of Essexâ—â—tely â—â—tely deceased the Earl of Stamford Lord Hâ—â—sden and divers of the Commons as Sir Arthur Hazelrig Master Lilsle Master Glyn Master Blackstone Master Gorbet Master Whitaker Master Allen Master Tâ—et Master Bâ—â—on yea they fall foule upon Sir Henry Vanâ— the younger Master Sollicitor Lievâ—enant Generall Cromwell Sir Henry Mildmay Master Holland c. and would have them turned out of their places as being Nonrefidentiaries Pluralists strengthening others in those wayes by their examples telling them these other places distinct from their Memberships of Parliament prejudices greatly the Common-wealth sowes up their lips makes them they dare neither speak nor doe what they should and without which 't is hoped they would but I must not enlarge more on this head and therefore referre the Reader to the Books themselves to peruse the particulars at large Sixthly The Sectaries have spoken written publikely against contested with the Committees of Parliament the Committees of each House both of the House of Commons and Lords How Lilburne carried himself to the Committee of Examinations his pamphlet entituled The copy of a Letter from Liâ—â—t Col. Lilburne 〈◊〉 a Friend shewes at large what Master Musgraves carriage was to a Committee of the House of Commons of which Master Liâ—ts was the Chair-man himselfe relates in his pamphlet entituled Another word to the wiâ—e and in that Book he speaks against the proceedings of that Committee and in that of all the Committees of the House of Commons shewing his reasons why he declined that Committee and the answering of their Interrogatories Now his words are as followes I am blamed because I decline the Committee how should I expect any good from them when they dare not or will not suffer our cause to be publikely heard and debated but doe shut their doores against both our friends and also against strangers contrary to Law yet suffer they our adversaries whom we accuse to sit with their hats on as Judges in the cause both permitting them and they taking upon them to examine us And how can I assent unto the Committes demands to bring witnesses to be examined before such a Committee as cannot or is not authorised to administer an oath and so consequently cannot determine or give any judgement for or against the party accused for that all matters of fact and causes criminall are to be tried and determined by the verdict of twelue men upon solemne oaths and deposition of witnesses And how can I without incurring the hainous sinne of perjury submit unto the Arbitrary proceedings and determinations of any Committee being bound by solemne oath and protestation to maintaine the Lawes and just liberties of the people and that the Proceeding Orders and Results of the Committees be Arbitrary and not regulated by the Law I need no further proofe then that exorbitant and unlimiâ—ted power they take upon them and daily exercise in seazing on free mens goods and imprisoning their bodies contrary to Law for which if they should as they ought pay 500. li. a peice and trebble dommages to every party greived according to the Statute of 17. Carol. made for the abolishing of the Star-chamber I beleeve they would not adventure so boldly to transgresse Overton in his Pamphlet call'd A Deâ—â—ance against all Arbitrary usurpations either of the House of Lords or any other p 14. 13. declares his contemptâ—os insolent carriag towards a Committee of the Lords House how when he was asked by the Earle of Essex two severall times whether he were a printer or no he answered that he would not answer any questions or Interrogatories whatsoever but would stand to the rights and properties of the people of this Nation as also that he asked the Committee some questions talked sawcily to them as to know where or before whom he was What is a Committee of Lords the most supreme Court of Judicature in the Land Gentlemen if you be a Committee of Lords then I appeale from you Seventhly the Sectaries have carried themselves in word and deed insolently against the Parliament of England not only as I have fully proved abusing apart the House of Lords the House of the Commons Commit of each House and
held it not lawfull to go fight against them others of the Sectaries have reasoned against sending releif thither as saying whom should we releive to â—e Protestants there were an unworthy people that Kingdome had cosâ— us more to keep it then ever we goâ— by it that it was 〈◊〉 to hazard that Army upon it which was so faithful and 〈◊〉 for much for us with other words to this purpose other Sectaries have laughed at the Presbyterians being so forward in preaching and praying for releif to be sent over in all hast into Ireland A Gentleman in publick place told me not long since he had heard an Independent say upon discoursing of the hazard of the losse of Ireland that it was not a three penny matter to England if Ireland and Scotland both were lost England had no need of them severall strange speeches have fallen from the Sectaries in reference to Ireland Tenthly the Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and dealt most unworthily with the City of London a whole book might be written of all the calumnies reproaches abuses that have beene offered the City of London within this last twelve months especially about that late excellent Remonstrance how hath the late Lord Major the whole Court of Common-councell and City Remonstrance been written preached spoken against by the Sectaries of the Army City and Country giving reproachfull names raising wicked lies upon them and for nothing but for petitioning the Parliament for setling the Government and declaring themselves for the Covenant against Hereticks Scismaticks and Blasphemers Cretensis that great Sectary cals the late Lord Major of London and the Common-councell Brethren in iniquity with me the Author of the Pamphlet call'd the Lord Majors farewell from his Office of Majoralty resembles the late Lord Major to wicked Ahaz saying the Saints will say of him in succeeding ages this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name Lilburne in his Pamphlet entituled Londons Liberty calls by way of scoffing the Prerogative Lord Major Adams A Sectary in the Army call'd him rascall The Common-councell and Citizens have beene commonly call'd the Sect of the Adamites and in print to in the Pamphlet The just mans justification pag. 16. The Sectaries frequently cal the Citizens Preist-riden slaves They have in Pulpits beene call'd the great mountaine that hinders the liberty of the people refined Malignants and that if ever this Kingdome was brought into slavery the City would be the cause of it some of the Sectaries have said that the King the Scots and the Common-councell did drive on one designe it were too long to reckon up al the abuses offered the City of London and the Honorable Court of Common-councell by some of the weekly Pamphleters as the Moderate Intelligencer Perfect Occurrences and by some Sectarian souldiers threatning that they would as willingly come against the City as ever against the Cavaliers The City Remonstrance hath beene branded by them one Captaine in the Army said the Remonstrance was as devilish a thing as ever was penned by man Lilburne in his Londons liberty in chains discovered page 36. speaking of the City Remonstrance calls it that most devilish wicked bloudy unchristian Papisticall Remonstrance of the Prerogative men of London c. Other Sectaries have call'd it that monster with many heads the â—ifteene headed monster a base railing Remonstrance M. Peters hath spoken his pleasure of it in the Pulpit and the Moderate Reply to the City Remonst with the City Remonstrance remonstrated have many naughty passages against the Common-councell and City Remonstrance as that it was the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. but I shall passe them by and transcribe only one passage out of M. Burtons Conform Deform where in the Epist Dedicatory to the present Lord Major he writes thus Give me leave tobeseech you that you would improve the whole power of your office among other evils for the not only suppressing but utter obliterating out of all Records of memory or mention that late Remonstrance of London which like the Trojan horse is stuffed with such matter as if the importunity of some might have had its desire would unavoidably hale in ruine both to City and Country Nor doth any thing more clearly demonstrate that spirituall judgement of blindnesse and hardnesse of heart to be upon all those who have their heads and hands in that Remonstrance and wilfully persist in the prosecution of it now in cold bloud then the unnaturall hating and hunting after the destruction of those very men as our mortall enemies who have with the extrem hazard of their lives been honoured of God to be the preserâ—ers of them our City and Country c. For the spirit of that ten-horned beast is now making warre with the Lamb and this spirit warreth under new colours not red but white whose word is Reformation and this under afair colour of a Covenant by vertue wherof pretending a just title to the War he hopes by the help of the Remonsstrance and the prime Authors thereof and their adherents to erect a new bestiall Tyranny over soules bodies and estates under new names and notions Elevently the Sectaries have carried themselves towards the Assembly with the greatest scorne and reproach that ever any sort of men carried themselves towards such a company of Ministers learned and godly and called by a Parliament to advise with in matters of Religion O how many books have beene written against them within these two last yeers or thereabouts as The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho and their fellowes O the railing bitter disgracefull passages in Li 〈…〉 ns Letter to Mr. Pryn Tender Conscience religiously affected and divers other Pamphlets against the Assembly calling them the black-coats in the Synod Dâ—ivines good for nothing but to be burnt having two hornes like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teaching the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven O how commonly by word of mouth and in writing is the Assembly call'd Antichristian Romish bloudy the plagues and pests of the Kingdome Baals Preists Diviners Southsayerâ— all manner of evill being spoken of them A Ballad hath beene made of them having a first and second part wherein they are scoffed with the title of Black-bird Divines the name of the Ballad is A Prophecy of the Sâ—ynâ—eards Destruction to the â—uâ—â— of the merry Souldier or the jovâ—â—ll Tiâ—ker this Ballad calls the Assembly Swinheards saith these Swineheards are sitting to build old Babels Tower The Assemby â—â—th beene abused all kind of wayes threatned if they give advise to the Parliament against a Toleration of Independents they shall be chastised as evill Councellors disturbers of Church and State no lesse then great Strafford or little Canterbury all kind of imputations charged on them and they made by the Sectaries the cause and ground of all evilâ— that are upon the Kingdome The lâ—st warning to
and in grace could not be distinguished A Woman being occasionally spoken of in the company of some of these Sectaries that she was said to be a whore they said God had so ordered it and if she were a whore it was as well with her as if she were honest 2. Coroll Hence then from all that Libertinisme and loosenesse of life in our Sectaries we may see what unsound and corrupt Doctrine will produce and bring forth sooner or later viz. wicked life and loosenesse of manners and though many of the first Broachers of Heresies and Schismes at first have beene outwardly holy and strict in their lives as Pelagius Schwenckfeldius Thomas Muntzerus and their first Disciples too some Pelagians Ana baptists c. because else their opinion would not so well take and indeed upon pretences of holinesse and greater strictnesse many well meaning and weake people especially women fall to them yet after a time Errours in life and corrupt manners generally attends errours in Doctrine and that both as a punishment and just Judgement of God upon men for not receiving the truth in love and in the nature of the thing for as a foule moist head causes distillations of corrupt matter upon the lungs and stomack so loose corrupt principles dispose men to a loose and corrupt conversation 'T is impossible saith Luther but that a bad life will follow false Doctrine for if men make Shipwrack of faith they will of a good conscience and therefore the Scripture History of times and our own experience shewes us the truth of this Peter and Jude speaking of false Teachers and false Doctrines set down at large their wicked and abominable lives their uncleannesse filthinesse covetuousnesse walking after their own ungodly lusts having eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from sin alluring through the lusts of the flesh promising liberty ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse trees whose fruit withers without fruit twice dead plucked up by the rootes so Paul speaking of the seducers and the Teachers of false Doctrine 2. Tim. 3. that shall resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres did Moses describes them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophane and wicked men lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God men of corrupt minds evill mon c. Donatus and his followers who would not acknowledge Caecilianus and his company for a true Church of God because they were not pure and holy enough but thereupon fell into schisme and divers errours yet he and his followers fell to all wicked manners as Augustine shewes in many of his writings against the Donatists yea in time they grew so insolent as to commit many rapes robberies and murthers and to proceed so far in offering violence to the Orthodox that Honorius the Emperour was forced to send Dulcitius with an Army of souldiers to restraine their injury and violence Augustine in his third Book against Cresconius Grammat cap. 42. c. showes that the facts and courses of the greatest robbers and Theeves were far lesse and lighter then of the Circumcelliones among the Donatists Priscillianus a Bishop who held many opinions of seeming holinesse condemning all sort of flesh and their eating as polluted and unlawfull condemning Marriages and perswading his followers to divorce from their wives this man confessed before his death that in his conventicles he had often committed filthinesse and violated the chastity of women of his Sect among whom one was Euchrotia the wife of Delphidius the Rhetoritian The Anabaptists of Germany at their first springing up were full of seeming holinesse mortification full of devotions fasting prayer so that they were offended with the Evangelicall Churches because many wicked livers were in their Assemblies and because their preaching had no more power to make those good who heard it which made Luther and some other worthy men of those times at first to favour them write in their behalfe when questioned pity their mistakes but within a few yeares they fell into all kind of uncleannesses murthers and wickednesses as Sleidan Bullinger and divers other learned Authors have laid down Danaeus in his Commentaries upon Augustine de Haeresibus showes what sinnes accompany heresies and how a loose life followes alwaies upon errours The disorder of manners and contempt of all Discipline being the perpetuall companion of heresies For he who despises the Doctrine of God will also easily contemn the Discipline Danaeus enlarges upon this subject quoting places out of Tertullian Theodoret Bernard that prove the wickednesses of the lives of Hereticks and Sectaries as their familiarity with conjurers starregazers their uncleannesses hypocrisie which from their common Master Simon Magus whose Disciples they are they have all learned And as Scripture and History showes us this so our own expetience plentifully proves it many men who before they were Sectaries or upon their first entrance that were famous for the power of godlinesse being now Libertines and licentious making no conscience of the Sabboth Family duties c. T is evident that with the errours of the times a flood of ungodlinesse is come in upon us iniquity abounding and the love of many waxing cold and I have in divers places of this Booke given many pregnant examples of the Atheisme Uncleannesse Drunkennesse prophanenesse of the Sectaries There 's no question but many of those Sectaries who heretofore were outwardly holy and strict having some secret lusts and sinnes which they were no longer willing to forbeare however new light free grace Christian-liberty Spirituality were pretended fell to those opinions and entertained those Doctrines of Antinomianisme Anabaptisme Independency as a way wherein they might freelier enjoy those lusts and cast off that yoake of strictnesse they had so long taken upon them The Apostle Paul showes the reason how those who creep into houses prevaile to lead captive silly women because they are laden with sinnes the opinions and errours vented are suitable to the lusts of their heart and so carried captive by them many in our times who professed Religion were lustfull silthy persons though this was covered under a profession of Religion and therefore so soon as they heard of an opinion of baptizing grown persons and that by dipping of naked women they presently fell to it as the best way to enjoy their lusts by as the fairest opportunity and that held out now as a matter of greater perfection in Religion to feed their wanton eyes by looking upon young women naked to satisfie their unchast touching by handling young women naked It were easie to demonstrate how the love of some lust or other in mens hearts though at first not perceived hath been a great cause of so many in our times falling into the errours of Antinomianisme Anabaptisme Libertinisme Independency and so indeed in all times some wickednesse or other hath been the spring and mother of Errour and heresie as pride and vain glory covetuousnesse and filthy lucre a desire of
alterations towards the City beene since that time and began at that time Is it not evident whatever is pretended as want of time the feare of the Tyranny of Ministers c. the cause why Religion and the Church Government is no better settled to be the love of Error and Heresie which they know the Government would destroy And so I might go thorough the rest and therefore we may see to whom and to what to attribute all the mischeifs and evils that are upon us and further hang over us Canterbury Strafford or whom else you will name out of designes of Popery or absolute greatnesse or what else you will imagine were never greater causes of all the evills and mischeifs in their times of differences with the Scots of invading the liberties of the subject c. then some men among us are of our present evils and all to uphold the faction of Sectaries and Opinionists and to make way for a Toleration which to advance and bring about and themselves by that to greatnesse of place and estate and to licentiousnesse of living they are so madly set upon it that they care not to run the hazard of ruining three Kingdomes and reducing all into a Chaos of confusion in Church and State that so they man have the creating of all new and erect their Babell But it may be some will say t is wonder there should be so great a party loving and favouring Sectarisme and Error as to be able to hinder things thus and to disturbe the Kingdomes and if there should be so what may be the true reason of the exceeding great favouring of all kind of Sectaries and Libertines 1. I answer there are some men who have beene and are but meane in outward estate birth and place and others though richer in the world yet below in the vallies in comparison and being exceeding ambitious proud covetous and withall subtile apprehending also by reason of these deep distractions and troubles in the State an opportunity of becoming great and raising themselves by being the heads of a great party and getting an interest and great power in many people and knowing the corruption of mens hearts how pleasing liberty and to have a mans swinge is and observing which way the pulse of the present times beat thereupon have set themselves to stand for countenance all kind of Errors and all kind of men whatever they be that doe walke in irregular wayes These men being Politicians know that the appearing for any one Sect two or three and restraining the rest will not doe their work make them the heads of such a considerable party as be able to deale with the opposition they may likely meet with in their ambitious designes but if they would doe good upon it they must let loose the rains to all Errors whatsoever Errors against the Scriptures against denying a God the Trinity c. they must preferre all sorts of men of those principles one as well as another constantly stand by and appeare for all that are questioned in that way let their opinions be what they will their carriages never so insolent in the spreading of them and their persons never so unworthy and contemptible on the contrary opposing undermining and breaking all those who are active against their party and by thus doing proclaiming as it were open liberty to all men according to their severall wayes and lusts Papists Atheists Libertines c. they are in a faire way in some convenient time keeping off any thing too from being settled to have so many freinds as to be able to help them into the saddle especially at a time when others are justled out Jeroboam to keep the people to him and to strengthen the Kingdome fearing least they should returne from him to Rehoboam took counsell and made two golden Calves and said to the people t is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem and instead of the sonnes of Levi made Preists of the people for the Calves which he had made and whosoever would might become one of the Preists So there are too many in our dayes that they may get the people to them and strengthen their power have made golden Calves set up the Doctrine of Toleration of all Religions a worshipping of Calves and give liberty to whosoever will the lowest of the people to be Preists Coblers Shoe-makers Tinkers Taylors to preach administer Sacraments c. and that because t is too much for the people as Jeroboam said too much slavery subjection to depend upon Ministers too much for the people to pay Tyths and part with so much of their meanes they shall enjoy all freely and thus by prophecying â—alse Doctrine and allowing whoever will to prophesie they may come to beare rule by that means as Jeremie speaks 2. Though there seeme not Sectaries viz. formall Sectaries so many as to be able to carry things thus to the disturbance of the Kingdome yet if we consider whom they make use of and strike in with and by their policies and activities pretences have drawne in to their party no wonder Sectarisme hath such a power and influence upon affairs for with the Sectaries are joyned the loosest and wickedest men whom they tell they will let enjoy their lusts not force them to go to Church or any Government the men who have got good offices and places of profit who before they had such were known divers of them to go contrary but now stick close to them to keep their places needy meane men that so they may get something by fishing in troubled waters guilty obnoxious men that they be kept from being called to account men unduly and illegally chosen into places that so they may not be turned out some simple weak men who are by the Sectaries cunning putting fair glosses upon soule things and jumbling other things of interest of the Kingdome publick saâ—ety liberty c. meerly cheated Now all these joyning with them and they to gaine and keep them applying themselves in suitable wayes to every one of these sorts every wise man may easily conceive how Sectaries may prevail as they do here 's a chain consisting of so many links as may draw a great weight after it though all this while the first link is the love of Sectarisme and errors unto which all the other are fastned and that which drawes all the rest this is the Head Faction the others only subservient this first raised and now upholds all the rest to uphold it selfe and these others without that could not stop all the good and be the cause of so many mischiefs and evils that are upon this Kingdom 10. Corall Hence then from all this Discovery of the Sectaries laid downe in this Book their Errors strange wayes insolent proceedings many middle men well-meaning people drawne in by them meerly coâ—oned by their faire pretences and specious showes should upon this making them so naked and pulling the Sheeps
Anapologesiâ—tâ—s Antapologias came forth I was resolved upon writing this Third Part and had entred upon it and so till I had finished that and another that is to follow upon it viz. A Treatise against Toleration I purposed to let Cretensis alone only I have among other great Sectaries spoken something of him in this Book and that upon occasion of his 38. Queries upon the Ordinance against Heresies and other things that have come to my knowledge concerning him As for his pretended Reply to my Antapologie besides the censure given of it in page 120. of this Book I affirme t is an Answer unworthy a Scholar or an ingenuous man and such a one as I am confident never any man who had the name of a Divine and in Controversies of Divinity ever gave the like instead of answering Arguments Reasons matters of fact to fill up many sheets with finding and making faults in words and phrases playing the part of a Grammaticastor a Paedantical usher and a sub-corrector of the presse rather then of a learned Answerer for suppose all those Grammatical literal exceptions raked together were faults indeed and let passed by me all he saith in that kind true which I deny and shall prove the contrary some of them being the faults of the Printer and by me put in among Errata others of them good Grammar yea Elegancies and Proverbiall sayings yet what 's all that to my Antapologie though there be many Grammatical and litterall faults improper phrases harsh and hard expressions how do these Answer Reasons disprove matters of fact vindicate and set right the Apologetical Narration which must be done to satisfie any judicious and impartiall Reader I appeale to any man who hath common sense or reason whether matters of fact charged be proved false or reasons made weak or they be answered by saying there was a verbe left out the nominative case and verbe were noâ— well put together the antecedent and the relative not rightly placed such a phrase was harsh or improper and whether such a kind of Answer be not ridiculous to Scholars and learned men It hath been the course of many men who have had a bad cause and knew not how to maintain it with Arguments to slight the men who have wounded their cause as no scholarâ— and to brand their books as wanting learning thus some Papists have done in Answer to Protestants Prelates to Non-conformists and Arminians to the Orthodox but Master Goodwin is gone a note beyond all further then ever any Author did to spend his time and abuse the reader with giving him Grammaticall faults what Book is there writ by any man especially one who hath much other work of forty sheets that if a Reader will set himself to find faults and to wyer-draw every word and phrase may not find such faults enough between the Author whose mind is intent upon the matter and scope of his work and the Printer at the presse I could give many instances of greater Errata in this kind in Books of the most learned men then any Cretensis hath observed in mine and that both in Latine and English but I shall instance only in two Voeâ—ius his Book intituled Desperata causa Papatus and Rivets Catholicus Orthodoxus nay I will undertake Master Goodwins Answer to the Antapologie though it consists of fewer sheets hath the largest Errata of any such English book I have seen this last five years the design of the book being also to disparage me by observing false English improper Phrases c. and therefore cannot be but in reason expected he would be more specially carefull and exact in that kind then in other of his Books to find and prove more faults in all those kinds yea grosser then any are in mine and indeed the man trips in all tongues he makes use of in his Book both Greek Latine and English as I shall hereafter show nay the man stumbles in Limine the first word of his Title page and Book being false Greek using a word viz. Anapologesiates there being none such in the Greek tongue and if he say he meant it not one word but two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having relation to Antapologias I Reply t is strange that in the Title page he who is such a severe Critick upon other mens words should have no greater care of his own then to let them so passe as to let two words be put in one but 2ly granting Master Goodwin this Salvo yet t is false Greek for it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Eta not with an Epsilon as he makes it And I suppose were there no other proofs of the strength and weight of my Antapologie Master Goodwins Reply to it would be a sufficient and demonstrative testimony that he after two yeeres and upwards for want of substantiall objections and materiall exceptions against it should fall upon words and phrasâ—s Grammaticall mistakes and not Theologicall show himself such a Tâ—ifler and Scribler as he hath done for which learned work I assure him he will never be reckoned among the Schoolmen however he may and hath been among the Schoolboyes That man who hath a Lordship a Manor propounded to him after a ful view of and enquiry into it can find no fault with the Tenure Title dweling house water wooding situation of it c. but cavils that some strawes are upon the ground some sticks are broken in a hedge a pane or two of glasse is cracked the Evidences for the Land are not so fairly written nor in so good language as they might possibly have bin t is a good sign clear Argument t is an excellent Manor and Lordship that nothing else is objected against it So when a Book hath passed the test and triall of a cruell adversary who dares say any thing so it will serve his turne and yet can find nothing to except against it but what is common to all mens Books some mistakes in words and phrases Errata of the Presse there being no Book without such such a man instead of weakning the Authority of that Book hath among all wise men with a high hand confirmed it and accquitted it from all the aspersions and imputations of weaknesse falsenesse all men concluding had there been any great matters of exceptions they would have been produced and not the time spent in picking of strawes and catching of flyes catching at words and phrases and letting the matter alone And for conclusion of this I would have this Trifler and great Rabbi of the English tongue know that though in his conceit I cannot put the Nominative case and Verbe together c. yet by the help of God I can put such sense and reason together such matters of fact and truth together that in the controversies of the times of the Church Government Toleration mixt Communion Lay-mens preaching c. I can put Cretensis and the Apologists together answer them and offer to deal with
Commons the Knights and Burgesses assembled in Parliament by the voluntary choyce and free election of the people thereof with whom and in whose just defence I le live and die maugre the malice of the House of Lords and in page 18. he in way of deâ—ision calls the Lords House the Superlative House and speaking of the Lords laughing at his answers he saith of that House such carriage such a Court For indeed Comedies Tragedies Masks and Playes are more fit for such idle kind of men And above all other Demonstrations of the outragious insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Peeres let the Reader peruse that Pamphlet entituled An Anatomy of the Lords tyranny and injustice exercised upon Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne which is throughout insolent both for matter and manner particularly page 12 13. Lilburne writes that he being in the painted Chamber desired Master Brisco one of his Keepers to go and tell the Lords from him that seeing they had the impudencie and boldnesse to tread the Lawes and Liberties of England under their feet and did so contemne and undervalue the authority of the Honorable House of Commons to whom he had appealed as yet to go on in their illegall courses with him with whom by Law they had nothing to doe that he must be forced in the highest nature he could to contemne and despise their proceedings and therefore was resolved not to come to their Bar without a forcible compulsion and to come in with his hat on his head and to stop his eares when they read his charge in detestation and bearing witnesse against their usurpations and injustice page 14 15. Lilburne writes he thus spake to the Lords And my Lords I tell you to your faces that by right the House of Commons are your Judges as well as mine in this case and I doe not doubt but to live to see the day that they will make you to know whether you will or no that they are so and of their justice and protection I doe not in the least doubt And therefore my Lords seeing you have dealt so illegally and tyrannically with me as you have done I now bid defiance to your power and malice to doe the worst you can And therefore my Lords I protest here before the God of Heaven and earth if you shall be so unworthy as to persevere in endeavouring the destruction of the fundamentall Lawes and Liberties of England as at present you doe I will venture my life and bloud against you to oppose you with as much zeale and courage as ever I did any of the Kings party that you set us together by the eares with page 21. Lilburne saith all his catriage and expressions before the House of Lords in the case now betwixt them to be as justifiable by the Law of this Kingdome and in the eyes of all understanding men as for a true and just man to draw his sword and cut the theif or rogue that sets upon him upon the high-way on purpose to rob him of his life and goods and in page 23. hee earnestly beseeches the Honorable Committee to remember the Commoners and improve all their interest to punish or at least effectually to curb the Lords House Thus the Sectaries in their Petitions and all their Pamphlets printed speaking of the Lords House and of their proceedings they give such kind of termes as these Barbarous Tyrannicall Arbitrary Illegall unjust dealings worse then the unjust Stat-chamber it selfe Insolent unheard of usurpations intrusions and many such like And in divers Pamphlets now of late the Parliament being spoken of is understood only the Commons of England they call'd the Parliament by way of exclusion of and opposition to the H. of Peers and Books written on purpose and dispersed given freely to stir up the people to adhere to the Comons as considered apart and distinct in interest power from the Lords with unworthy reflections upon the Lords as The last warning to all the Inhabitants of London p. 7. Mind your own good and cleave fast to the House of Commons let no sorcery or sophistry divide you from them the Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concerns the Nations their large answer to your last City Petition for Church-government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly So A word in season to all sorts of well-minded people in this distracted Nation with Answers to the City Remonstrance and divers other Pamphlets 4. The Sectaries have been guilty of and daily are of abusing contemning and taking away the power of the House of Commons given it by the Lawes Constitutions and Customes of this Kingdome and though in many Pamphlets especially this last yeere they cry up the House of Commons and seeme to give them not only their owne power but the power of the King and House of Lords making both them meere ciphers yet it will be found by many of their principles laid downe they have destroyed the House of Commons and doe break their Priviledges speak their pleasure of them both by words and writing as often as they please Many Pamphlets and whole Books have beene written by Sectaries against the House of Commons it selfe and not only against Committees or particular Members charging the House with tyranny injustice oppression horrible pride seeking of particular interests Arbitrary Governm 〈…〉 breaking of Magna Charta and going against the Liberties of the subject resembling them to the Star-chamber High Commission Court to Strafford and Canterbury refusing to answer any questions upon the command of the House scorning to Petition the Commons either to sue for their favour or to acknowledge their justice and after such favour shown as to release without petitioning yet taxing them with dishonesty and demanding reparations for imprisonment for the abundant proofe of which I referre the Reader to many Pamphlets written by Sectaries as Englands Birthright The Copie of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne to a friend Lilburnes Innocency and truth justified Englands lamentable slavery with other Letters printed about that time Another word to the wise written by M. John Musgrave A Pamphlet entituled An exact collection of the Parliaments Remonstrances Declarations c. A Remonstrance of many thousand Citizens and other free borne people of England to their owne House of Commons out of which I shall faithfully transcribe some passages that the insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Commons may be observed Lilburn in his Letter to his freind writes thus page 1 2. That Master Corbit being in the chaire and telling him he was commanded by the House to demand a question of him Lilburn instead of answering him desired to know the cause of his commitment and M. Corbit replying the House was not bound to declare unto him the cause of his commitment thereupon Lilburne answered Then I have beene a long
time mistaken for had I thought that the Parliament had had no rule but their owne will to have walked by I should never have drawne my sword for them and for my part I knw no difference betwixt tyranny and such proceedings therfore I pray read the Petition of Right and the Act made this present Parliament that condemned the Star-chamber and High Commission Page 5. hee writes as followes Time was when the Parliament had to doe with the King and had the Bishops Star-chamber and High Commission to pull downe they would owne me and doe me justice c. but having served their owne turnes of me I never could have justice from them since though I think I have beene as faithfull a servant to the Common-wealth as any they ever imployed and whereas Magna Charta saith justice and right we will deny to 〈…〉 or we will defer to none yet have I waited these foure yeeres upon them at great expences and cannot get them to put their owne Votes in execution and if this be according to Magna Charta let the world judge And p. 10. speaking of the H. of Commons committing him saith O brave times and brave justice and yet for all this I say my resolution is to stand fast in the liberty and freedome wherewith Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and severall Acts made this present Parliament as also divers late Declarations have made me free and not to be intangled againe with any yoake of bondage that shall be hung about my neck by any kind of Tyrant by what name or title soever he be dignified or distinguished Master Musgrave a great Separatist as he shows himself in many passages of his Book entituled Another word to the wise writes thus of the House of Commons Courteous Reader thou maist very much wonder at the delatory and slow proceedings of the House of Commons in doing justice and right from whom the Commons of England may justly expect more then from any Judicatory being they are immediatly chosen by them and to speak properly are no more but their Stewards and servants for whose good and benefit all their actions ought to be extended Yet by their poceedings daily we see t is in vaine to expect justice from them so long as they are linked and glued in factions each to other by their private interests in their great places which ties all such amongst them to maintaine one another in all their unjust wayes and to oppresse and crush us as much as they are able all the prosecutors of just and righteous things and so to barre and stop justice that it shall have little or no progresse divers of them and their creatures Sonnes Brothers Uncles and Kinsmen and Allies in the sub-Committees having already committed so much unjustice that they are undone in their blazed honour and ill-gotten estates if justice should runne in its native luster and full current and of necessity they and their great places would quickly be destroyed O therefore that the Free-men of England had but their eyes open to see the mischeife of Members of the House of Commons men of their owne election and chusing to sit in the supreme Court of England to be entangled themselves or intermeddle with any other place whatsoever then that whereunto their Countrey have chosen them what a shame is it to see the mercinary long gown-men of the House of Commons to runne up and down like so many â—ackney Petty-â—oggers from Bar to Bar in Westminster Hall to plead before inferiour Judges and besides how can such great practisers chuse but mercinarily be engaged to help their clients over a stile in case that ever they have to doe with any of their owne Committees and besides what is this else but to sell justice for money Besides what a snare is it to the new Judges who are placed in the roome of those that have bought sold and betraied the lives liberties estates of all the free Deniâ—ons of England to see three or foure eminent Lawyers Members of the House of Commons come before them â—n an unjust cause when they consider that if they should displease them it partly lies in their power to turne them out of their places being they are as it were wholly made Judges by the House of Commons and nominated by the Lawyers therein we profesâ—e seriously that to pull the gownes over these mercinary mens eares and for ever to throw them out of the House of Commons as men unfit to â—it there or to plead at any Bar in England is too little a punishment for them and the same we conceive doe they deserve that are Members of the House and take upon them to sit as Judges in inferior Courts by means of which they rob the free-men of England of the benefit of any appeale in case of injustice because they have no where to appeale to but the Parliament where they sit as Judges in their owne cause which is a most wicked intolerable and unjust thing in any Judge whatsoever we hope shortly that if these men be not ashamed of their evill herein some honest and resolute hearted English man will be so bold as publickly to post up their names as destroyers of the Kingdome And as great an evill 't is to the Kingdome for Members of the House of Commons to take upon them to bee fingerers and Treasurers of the publick money of the Kingdome because they are thereby in a condition to fill their owne coffers and do what wrong they please or else how comes it to passe that so many of their children are so richly married of late that were but meane before and no man knowes how to call them to account unlesse they deale with them as the Romans sometimes dealt with their Senators or as the Switzers dealt with their Tyrants for the money is the Kingdomes and not the Members of the House of Commons and the Kingdome ought in justice reason and right to have a publick punctuall and particular account of it and therefore it ought not to be in the hands or fingers of those that are able to make so great a faction as are able to protect them from justice and an exact account O that that gallant man Lieut. Generall Cromwell to whom the Kingdome for their preservation under God oweth so much would a little more deny himselfe and cease to be a stalking horse and a dangerous president of most dangerous consequence to these wicked mercinary Pluralists Non residentary great place men for whom an Hospitall of any great consequence cannot fall but they must be Governors of it nor a petty place in the petty bag office but they must get into it which men if the Kingdome would rightly consider it have just cause to disclaime as none of their Patrons but proclaime as their enemies and destroyers being pecuniary self-seekers For so long as Parliament men can get into their hands the riches and treasures of