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A97110 A vvhisper in the eare of Mr. Thomas Edwards minister. By VVilliam VValwyn marchant. Occasioned by his mentioning of him reproachfully, in his late pernitious booke, justly entituled the Gangræna. Walwyn, William, 1600-1681. 1646 (1646) Wing W694; Thomason E328_2; ESTC R200666 12,778 17

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what would you have understood by this Would you have your disciples stand aloof and not dare to hold discourse with me lest I should open your designes and make it appeare how much it concerns your corrupt interrest to keep their heads in ignorance and a superstitious weaknesse is it because I know whose maxim this is Rustica gens optima Flens pessima ridens Is it because my hearing is so good as not to bee perverted by Glosing doctrines or because my smelling serves my turne to smell a Fox or Wolfe though in Sheeps clothing or is my seeing so strong that it dispels the magick mists of sophisticated art or is it because my taste discerneth the brackishnesse of flattery from the pure sweetnesse of plain dealing or do you mean head strong because I am not likely nor could ever be drawn to dance after your Pipe Doubtlesse these are the causes that any strong head troubles you neverthelesse as strong as it is you see a small knock from your hard hand hath so opened it that I can hardly shut it again but I le shut it presently onely thus much I cannot see how authority can passe over this unparaleld use of the presse which you have taken to name in publike so many of their faithfull adherents in so reproachfull a manner to tax their proceedings in the proceedings of their Committees to affirme and declare to all the world that the victorious successes of the Parliaments forces is but the increase of errors and herisies that sectaries of all sorts get places of profit and power and be the men all in request for offices and employments in the which you make your self the iudge of what is error and hersie and who is a sectary in all which you are as likely to be mistaken as any man for none are such in your calender but such as at first I told you who stand twixt you and your profit glory and domination so as a man may be a reall good Christian and a most cordiall friend to the Parliament and neverthelesse be exploded by you for a sectary or an heretick one thing more you and such as you are if you be not changed since you wrote your Gangraena as I heartily wish you were doe extreamly abuse this Nation in laying the main weight of the reformation intended upon the reduceing of mens judgements and practice in Religion to union and uniformity whereas the main weight of all resteth in extirpating the popish prelaticall spirit of persecution and molestation for conscience as the main thing that oppressed all sorts of conscientious people before the Parliament and since and that which cannot fail to disturbe and vex any nation where it remaineth but the truth is without it you cannot keep your self alost without it you cannot compell a maintenance distinguish a Clergy nor have power over mens persons by their consciences but grant you the power you desire and you are master of all and then see who dares open his mouth or move his pen in this argument your present confidence proceeds from the mist you have raised but it is not yet thick enough nor will our english braynes prove so muddy as to afford matter for thickning I beleeve and hope it is now at thickest and when your hopes are greatest you will find your self in a fogge to hold men in ignorance or bondage is not a work either for honest men or good-Christians but abhorred by both and beleeve it truth is become too strong to admit of either in this age and we trust the honourable Parliament that are chosen to preserve us from both will not fail to preserve us though you should do the worst you can and whereas you commend them to the love of God and his truth and the hating of all sects and schismes I in all humility and true love to all that honour God and desire the welfare of England do most heartily pray that they may hate all persecuting sects with a perfect hatred all enforcing and compulsive schismaticks as the onely cause of all trouble and distraction To conclude If you be so ill as your word and bring forth such evill fruit once every month and that we whose names you have blasted can find a licencer as we hope we shall that will do but so much for Christ as yours hath done for B. We shall I doubt not find a new way of innocculation and produce grapes out of your thorns and figges out of your thistles and fetch abundance of good out of your evil but more happy will it be for you if you repent once a month shall I say once every houre and in token thereof use your uttermost indeavour to promote this or the like petition to the honourable Parliament whereby you will make some amends for the evill you have done by this your book Humbly sheweth THat as with all thankfulnes we acknowledge your unwearied labours to remove the grievances and dangers of the Common wealth so are we exceedingly grieved to observe the manifold unexpected difficulties which at severall times have obstructed your proceedings amongst which we conceive the differences in Religion to be the greatest and of most importance In your considerations whereof being an affair of so tender a nature so apt to be mis-understood and such as hath miscarried in all former Parliaments to the great disturbance of this Nation and to the great affliction of conscientious people we humbly conceive you have not in any thing shewed greater regard to the glory of God or greater care of the welfare of the people then in proceeding therein with so cautious and advised a deliberation giving time and opportunity to your wisedoms rightly to understand the word of God in that point which most concerneth tender consciences to hear try and examine all that can or may be said or writ thereof and we trust you will in the end produce that which shall be agreeable to the will and mind of God and to the quiet of all wel-affected people And although your progresse therein hath not been with so much speed or such sev●rity towards tender Consciences as some importunely have desired yet have we good cause to beleeve that you have been guided thoreinby the good hand of God who in due time will we doubt not bring you to such an issue as neither your selves nor any others well minded shall have cause to repent or ever to alter And therefore we most earnestly intreat that you will not through any importunity be induced to hasten your proceedings in this weighty cause wherein the least error may prove very prejudiciall beyond what upon your mature deliberation shall appeare to be just and necessary there being as we humbly conceive no greater breach of the priviledge or abatement of the power of Parliament then for any to do more then humbly to informe or advise you in this or any other negotiation Blessed be God though the differences are many in point of judgement throughout your quarters as they have been alwaies throughout the world and will be so long as knowledge is imperfect yet being amongst conscionable quiet well affected people they are not properly to be called divisions And though we cannot but fear there are some wicked Polititians that endeavour by all means to make them such and thereby to distemper and distract all your undertakings and to make the same advantagious to their unjust ends yet are we confident through Gods protection their endeavours shall be fruitlesse except to draw confusion on themselves God having blessed the people in generall with a cooler spirit and greater wisdom then by dividing among themselves or not adhering unto you to become a prey to any enemy and hath produced universally in them as in us your humble Petitioners a resolution to defend the just power and priviledge of this honourable House against all delusion or opposition whatsoever to the last penny of our estates or last drop of our bloods beseeching you to go on with the same caution and godly resolution to perfect those just works you have undertaken according as God shall direct you both for the manner and the season for his way is best and his time most seasonable And as in duty bound we shall ever pray c. To conclude if you shall do this conscionably and effectually I am confident henceforward you will not be able to do any thing against the truth but for the truth which is the unfeigned desire of him who cannot but earnestly desire your reformation and eternall happinesse William Walwyn FINJS