of selfe pleasing purity in matters of religion for there is no man so devoid of reason but he will freely grant and confesse that it had beene a fairer answer for Enoch to have made to my Brethren of the Ministrie and to my selfe if truth might have justified it that under the violent invasion of some raigning and unresistable passion to which hee had beene formerly accustomed he committed these facts then to cast them upon prepensed cogitation deliberate malice resolved purpose watching opportunity for the execution thereof And all these to spring and arise from the inward boiling â—â— wrath in his rancorous heart conceived onely in matters â—â— Church-ceremonies And heâ— though I name facts in the Dual number I desire all Reâ—ders to know and to take â—â—tice therof that the death of brother only was by recognition contrived in his hearâ— without any intention harme at all to the person his mother though filial loâ—â— and reverence naturally â—â—â— from him unto her was wheâ—â—ly dried up and extinct in â—â—â— soule For I asked him thâ— question whether he intende the same death to his mother by contrivance plot whâ—â— he resolvedly purposed to the person of his brother He answered mee and I conceive he gave me the truth therein that all his wrath as farre as malice and rage were adjoyned thereto was levelly and solely directed to the person of his brother without any reference at that time to his mother for had shee not come into the roome when the rage was upon him he had not gone forth to seeke for her But the unhappily rushing hastily upon him before his fury was rebated his distemper allayed and his affections better composed with the eye of reason to look into what hee had done hee strucke at her and slew her as is formerly related 24 Vpon the fifteenth day of Iuly I had occasion to ridâ— from Shrewsbury to Eccleshall to see the most Reverend Father in GOD the Lord Bishoâ— of our Diocesse newly placeâ— in government over us and to make my selfe knowne unâ—â— his Lordship And at that time the infamous rumours of these accursed and loud-crying murders were quicke and fresh in all mens mouths His Lordship askt me thereof in the presence of an eminent Knight of our County Sir Richard Newport whether such a murdereâ— were now in our Gaole and whether I had seene him and conferred with him To whom I related what passages in these matters were the knowne unto me And being further required by his Lordship to lay down in writing under mine owne hand and subscription of my name the truth of such particulars as I had received from the Prisoner his owne mouth I truly and faithfully performed the same and left in writing with his Lordship according to his appointment 25 After my returne from this most Reverend Father the next time that I vifited Enoch I found that some persons affected to Non-conformity had beene tampering with him and had very politikely brought him from his former confessions to mee of the onely cause moving him to these murders perswading him that it would be infinitely to his own discredit and to the reproch of the professours of the Gospel whâ—â— truly affected religion if such a bloudy crime could truely be charged upon him in reference to his dislike of Church ceremonies The inconstant heart oâ— this light fellow more sensible of personall infamie than of the feare of GOD by confirmationâ— of truth began to shift shrink away from his former reports And yet for all their perswasions and workings therein such was the over-ruling hand of GOD's power and providence over him that still he persisted in affirming that never any cause of variance fell betweene him and his brother in all their life-time but only difference in opinion touching the Gesture at the Communion yet he began to wave the matter and to qualifie the rigour and acrimony of his former termes not yeelding that hee slew his brother onely because of his kneeling And with this answer being a senselesse mitigation of his former true report and containing in it Contradictionem in adjecto as Logitians speake a contradiction in the report it selfe hee greatly pleased both his blinded selfe and deluded perswaders And herein they who are commonly called Puritanes much insulted and gloried in this subtile peece of their owne dishonest policie that they had foiled Mr. Studley the knowne Antipuritane of the County But now to check this master-peece of their subtill art by making sensible and palpable the errour and absurdity contained therein I will propose to their second thoughts and more pâ—â—dent considerations these â—â—â—â— friendly and familiar Argâ—ments By the light and conviction whereof undoubtedly they will become sensible oâ— their owne foolish errour aâ—â— let goe their hold 26 First the Apostle haâ— told us of Enoch's elder brother called Cain in these wordâ— l 1 Iohn 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cain was 〈◊〉 that wicked one and slew 〈◊〉 brother And wherefore sleâ—â— hee him Because his own workes were evill and his brothers good Here the conjâ—ction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is causall as the leaâ—ned know and referres us to the sole and totall cause and not in part assignes the cause why Cain slew his brother Because Abel was a righteous man and the LORD approved his sacrifice and Cain a wicked man and the LORD rejected his sacrifice therefore and onely therefore the wicked man slew the righteous And if they please to examine deliberately every small circumstance of this matter recorded in the fourth of Genesis they shal find that Cains d jection of countenance and his inward wrath towards his brother arose from this cause and Only this cause that the LORD approved of the faithfull sacrifice of Abel and contemned his owne hypocriticall offring So that if any man shall pretend another cause over and besides this which moved and inflamed Cains wrath to the murder of his brother Abel he shall thereby wilfully deceive his owne soule although the word Only be not found in the whole contexture of that historical Narration A better conclusion therefore naturally flowing from the words of the Apostle because expresly contained in the words is this As Cain murdring of his brother was from the instinct of the Divell in his wicked heart onely because the LORD approved his sacrifice So the murthering of Iohn ap Evan by Enoch his elder brother proceeded from the same satanical instinct and impression of rage into his wicked heart only because he kneeled at the sacred Communion And this is all that politike seâ—â— hath got by denying this word Onely in the cause of this late murder And then by true consequence it may be justly concluded that Satan hath instigated a Non-conformist to as unnaturall and bloudy a fact as ever was committed 27 My second Argument is this Enoch ap Evan slayes his brother either for this cause onely that Iohn would kneele at the Communion or for some
wish unto all those persons with whom they converse and are entertained And even so this sect of men wish to their profitable friends all other kindes of happinesse riches honours dignities affluence of all worldly contents answerable to the desires of their owne hearts But that their understandings should be inlightned to discover their owne former errours and to find out the frauds and alluring enticements wherewith they use to insnare them and tye them fast to themselves This part of divine wisdome they never wish unto them but mainely labour to hold them backe from attaining therunto for if once this bright ray and beame of divine truth glance into their soules and be received by them with pause deliberation and more prudent inspection into their former courses than formerly they have used then these men know right wel Actum est de illis their Acts are discovered and their Play is exploded For now silencing from the execution of so sacred a vocation is become in this age for temporall emoluments farre more profitable to this kinde of men than the godly labours of religious Ministers in the constant imployment of their talents proves unto them So miserably are Gods people led blindfolded into spirituall captivity But if the bosomes of these men were transparent and the close-wrought veyle wherein all their policies are enwrapped were Translucent and thereby their sleights exposed to the view of all men I make no question but that the leprosie of corruption would bee sensibly discovered to have maculated their hearts and consciences For it is not possible that Gods Spirit should erre in describing the Acts and Qualities of seducers I beseech you Brethren marke them which cause divisions among you and offences contrary to the Doctrine that yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the LORD IESUS but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And these men in Saint Paul's time in the Church of Rome were reputed as sincere up right holy and spiritually qualified with gifts of divine grace as are our Non-conformists in the Church of England And certainely unlesse this worke of the Kings most excellent Majesty and his pious and prudent Bishops were directed by GOD Himselfe in their hearts it could never have received so great approbation in the hearts of most men and they wise religious and vertuous as of late it hath done in this Land for not only many thousands who had a kinde of charitable opinion of these men though they did not familiarly converse with them entertaine them in their houses or comply with them in their cōceits begin now much to distaste them and greatly desire the suppression of them But which is more even their owne friends also who were wholly theirs begin to faint in their courage and in some degrees to distaste those courses if they could handsomely shake them off and yet preserve the reputation of their former zeale For this is the maine blocke which most of them stumble at namely Not feare of dishonouring GOD nor hurting the purity of their owne consciences if they should shake hands and bid farewell to their niceties and follies But how to keepe up their credits in the hearts of those men who being honest vertuous and worthy of good respect they have much vilified dis-esteemed in matters of religion in comparison with themselves But this is a needlesse and superfluous care for I am of opinion that all honest hearted Christians both Ministers and Lay-people who zealously desire the peace and flourish of our Church and Kingdome will readily give them the right-hand of unfained fellowship receive them into their bosomes with alacrity and joy for their return to the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Church and never twit nor upbraid them with their former toyish errours And here let me put you my Brethren of Shrewsbury in minde which you ought to take in good part and thankfully at my hands from the sense and experience thereof in your owne bosomes That I have observed in divers of your persons that your zeale and fervour in your once approved cause doth begin to slake and remit of those intensive degree which it formerly had in you So that there is nothing wanting unto you but the application and pressing of authoritie unto your wavering mindes which are easily taken off from your former course And I am perswaded upon very pregnant grounds that there are of you who beginne to smell out either the fraud or Art or what other terme is apt for that fine peece of policie wherein you have beene long enwrapped by errour of your judgements to your cost and expences And which hath made many Gentlemen of this Kingdom to say in the words of our LORD though in a contrary sense Zelus Domus tuae exedit me Ioh. 2.17 The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up And many of your well-willers as your selves know very well being but halfe brothers and percell gilt are content to sooth and flatter you in your opinions but they will looke well enough to their purses and have care of the maine as though they had learned that axiome in Philosophie Noli perdere substantiam propter accidens Destroy not thy substance for an accident to wit a Toy My hope is therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with GOD that our Prudent Governour lately placed over us Bishop Wright in whose Person wisdome and courage conjoyned with gracious Affability and mildnesse of spirit doe strive for precedencie will execute that Authority wherewith the sacred Majesty of our King hath entrusted him and by correcting your insolencies which are nothing else but selfe-pleasing vanities and the proper effects of pride and weaknesse of judgement will reduce you to obedience of righteous Lawes and keepe you in order for untill the rod of power and discipline bee imposed gently for your correction your affections wil stray from that regularity of obedience which Gods sacred Word and the obligation of your owne consciences borne under the Law of natural alleagiance to the Majesty of your Prince require at your hands For it is an ancient and profitable saying and which holy David found true in spirituall matters Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections whether Divine or Humane do instruct the children of GOD which I hope you are to wiser and more obedient intentions and actions 52 And here I am forced much against my will to Apologize for mine owne integrity and innocencie in a particular matter which lately fell out among us in which I have beene by many of this factious Brother-hood most impudently abused The matter would be very long to relate it with all circumstances incident thereunto take it therefore thus with al the brevity I am able The most Reverend Father in God the L. Bishop of our Diocesse preached a
THE LOOKING-GLASSE of SCHISME Wherein by a briefe and true Narration of the execrable Murders done by Enoch ap Evan a downe-right Separatist on the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the cause mooving him thereunto The disobedience of that Sect against Royall Majesty and the Lawes of our CHURCH is plainly set forth By PETER STUDLEY Master of Arts and Minister of GODS WORD in SHREVVSBVRY PRO. 30.12 There is a Generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse Habent Artificium quo prius persuadent quam doceant veritas autem docendo suadet non suadendo docet Tertul. adversus Valentinian Lib. 1. LONDON Printed by R. B. for THOMAS ALCHORNE and are to be sold at the signe of the greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1634. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE occasion of this Relation touching the Barbarous and inhumane crueltie of Enoch ap Evan ariseth not from any inclination in my owne disposition to be pragmatical and busie in matters of writing but from the serious apprehension of disloyalty which some eminent persons in our State have made touching the contempt of our Lawes testified by the stealing away of his putrified corpes who by sentence of righteous and prudent Iudgement was deemed to hang forth in the aire to the open view of all men for exemplary punishment of his bloudy facts Till the consumption of his flesh his nerves and ligaments had dissolved the composition and structure of his bones parted them asunder made them fall to the earth and by Vltimate Resolution returne ad materiam primam their first matter whereof they were framed And moreover the false and dishonest reports touching this Malefactour scattered abroad by many whose profession of Religious purity should have yeelded better fruits have pressed mee on to this suddennesse of writing And for the matter it selfe here delivered I doe assure thee in the word of a Minister thou hast a relation of such substantiall Truth as I will maintaine against any person living upon the face of the earth I have not delivered one word in this ensuing Treatise which may justly offend any good Christian or honest minded man and therfore if any shall be displeased towards mee it is from an offence taken by himselfe not given by mee for GOD the searcher of my heart is my witnesse together with the integritie of mine owne conscience that I have proposed to my selfe herein as the object and levell of all my aymes The glory of his most sacred Name the Honour of our King in the vindication of his innocent Lawes and the desire of our Churches tranquillitie and peace now torne into pieces by wilfull Schisme Proud Faction and Peremptorie Disobedience to Prudent and Peaceable government I deliver onely in this Tract my owne observations in matters of fact and the dangers I conceive which may accrew to our Church and State unlesse some wholesome and speedie course of wise and religious policie shall be maturely applied for the cure or correction of such insolent persons as trouble the peace of our Sion And for the event hereof I referre it as becomes me in dutie to the Royall wisdome of sacred Majestie in our King and the vigilant care of those prudent Governours to whose godly oversight these matters are committed Ne quid Ecclesia Detrimenti capiat That our Church sustaine no eclipse of her glory but gratiously display the beames of peace and splendour For obloquie and traducement wherein I know before-hand I shall have a large share from the maligne disposition of Schismaticall persons let mee anticipate and prevent them by telling them that as Angry Curres will barke and snarle at peaceable passengers so men of factious disposition will speake evill when they are not thereto provoked And for my owne part I am resolved that the â—ongue of a Puritane is no Slanâ—er since it spares no rankes or degrees of men who runne not with them in their exorbitant and delinquent courses of pride and vanitie I wish to all those men on whom this small Treatise may seeme to reflect as much good in all the parts of goodnessâ— as they themselves with more perverted judgements and worse composed affections doe wish unto themselves And so GOD blesse them by bending them 〈◊〉 peace and unitie And multipâ—â— on this Church and Kingdom 〈◊〉 his favours and Graces Shrewsbury this fourth 〈◊〉 November 1633. Thine in the LORD PETER STUDLEY Recensui tractatum hunc cui titulus Schismatis speculum in quo nihil reperio quò minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur THOMAS WEEKES Episcopo Lond. Cap. domest Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum THE Looking-GLASSE OF SCHISME IT is a Prophecie of GOD'S Spirit a 2 Tim. 3.1 2. that in the last dayes Perillous times shall come for men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents Vnthankfull Vnholy without naturall affection Truce-breakers c. And our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST that Oracle of wisdome and divine wisdome it selfe hath foretold us b Matth. 34.12 That because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold To wit cold in Piety toward GOD gracious obedience towards our Superiours and it office of Humanity Charity and mercy towards all other persons For this Inundation and overflowing streame oâ— Iniquity being slily insinuated into mens understandings tâ— poyson their Iudgements with Soule-confounding errors and of his strong suggestions darted into their wills to irritate the Native malice and to excite them to furious attempts we cannot expect any better event in the lives and actions of wicked men left by the wrath oâ— GOD under the power of their owne corruption and Satans rage then that by Infidelitie Impiety Atheisme Apostasy and all other wickednesse they should revolt finally from GOD and give heed as the Apostle sayes c 1 Tim. â— 1 To seducing spirits and doctrines of Divels For as Satan himselfe by pride and infidelity fell from that Angelicall perfection of his created nature and is become of an Angell of light a spirit of darknesse So by stirring up in the hearts of unmortified persons a spirituall pride in an high conceipt of their gifts the assurance of their election their illumination conversion and the imaginary sense of their adoption he so transports them beyond the bounds of Christian humilitie that they utterly reject that rule of the Apostle d Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be wise unto sobrietie And it a strong conceit of their owne spirituall understanding by the immediate presence of GOD's Spirit which they conceit to bee in them they take upon them to glosse and expound the sacred Scriptures agreeable to their owne deluded fancies Which attempt of theirs transcending their understandings and no way sorting with their vocation of life being lay and secular persons must need produce both heresies in judgement and schismaticall divisions in practice in the visible Churches of the
the clock in the morning on Sunday the seventh of Iuly they brought him forward to the Goale in Shrewsbury When the Keeper of the Prison read his Mittimus and understood his facts he loaded him with irons anâ— committed him to the common lodging among malefactors of his owne qualitie 18 When the rumour oâ— Enoch's murders and imprisonment was divulged abroad 〈◊〉 was wonderfull to see how people of all qualities resorted unto him questioned with him and although altogether unable to administer either counsell or comfort to a maâ—â— of his disconsolate conditionâ— yet many of them were forward and busie to cloud and darken the truth of that very cause and onely cause which he himself constantly alleaged of his provocation to these facts For divers who affected not the Ceremonies of our Church with whom this County and this Towne have of late abounded could not endure to heare that a Brother of their society and opinion should so staine and dishonour the sanctity of their holy Profession as to imbrue his accursed hands in her bloud who had conceived and nourished him in her wombe Hence great care was taken and all policies imployed to perswade the Malefactor to assigne some other cause and probable reason of these murders and not any touch of his dislike of Church Ceremonies Many Ministers of our Countie and some of our Towne repayred unto him and every man talked and reasoned with him as to his owne understanding seemed best pleasing And hee freely confessed to al men that upon difference in opinions betweene him and his brother touching the Gesture in the Communion his wrath conceived against him turned into rage and incensed his heart to the murder of him 19 It came into my heart to go visit this fellow and being come to the Prison-house I requested the Gaolour to leâ— me have a sight of the Prisoneâ— in a private roome He instantly commanded one of his servants to bring him unto meet Enoch being come I told him in the presence of the Keeper and his servant that I was come to see him not to satisfie curiosity nor to urge and presse questions unto him but with a cleare and pure intention by laying the judgements of God's wrath before his eyes to strike his conscience with the sight and sense of his great wickednesse and afterwards to minister those directions whereby to bring him to repentance and the reconciled favour of GOD. My first question with him was this Min. Thinkest thou Enoch that thy mother who conceived and bred thee in her wombe with many pangs and throwes did ever harbour in her heart a thought or suspition that when thou wast arrived to mans estate and shee to her aged yeares thy unnaturall rage should draw her bloud and separate her head from heâ— shoulders Enoch To this question of of mine he made no answer at all but lifted up his hands a little and cast downe his head with great confusion and perturbation of soule Min. I said unto him again Enoch I am come with purpose of my heart to doe thee good and if thou wilt deale truly with me and with thine owne soule thou shalt find me both able and desirous to doe thee good He gave me thanks for my kindnesse and was very willing and desirous to entertaine my advise Hereupon 〈◊〉 making benefit to my selfe oâ— that readinesse I found in him to hearken unto mee said further Min. Enoch I charge your conscience by that Authoritie which CHRIST our LORD hath given to me as a Minister of His sacred Gospel that you doe impart unto mee the true moving cause or causes which stirred you up to these unnaturall facts for unlesse I search your wounds to the bottome Enoch assure your selfe I shall never bee able to apply any solid comforts unto you but they will rankle in your soule and prove incurable Enoch Sir since you charge and presse my conscience herewith I will as truly confesse to you as I will doe to CHRIST Himselfe The True and the only cause which instigated mee to these facts was my Zeale to the Word of GOD. Min. I replied that zeale for GOD's glory or for His Word must be qualified with command from GOD Himselfe either by expresse declaration of His will by Oracle and lively voice or else which is equivalent thereunto By the full and undoubted assurance of a divine instinct and motion of GOD's Spirit But this latter I told him under The setled estate of the Church of the New Testament was peculiar onely in matters of this nature unto the persons of the Apostles of our LORD and descended not unto our times The Apostle Peter y Act. 5.5.10 strucke with present death Ananias and Saphira his wife but the power of that stroke came directly and immediately from GOD Himselfe as a miraculous act of His wrath against their hypocrisie and a divine declaration of the truth of his Apostolicall Doctrine and calling But Enoch your fact agreeth not with this but hath some correspondence with the passionate furious and irregular zeale of Iames and Iohn z Luke 9.54 Who desired our LORD to give them leave to call for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans and were for their unsanctified rage sharply checkt by our LORD and SAVIOUR who intimated unto them that GOD's Spirit in men is milde and gentle according to that perpetuall Canon and rule a Iames 3.17 The Wisdome that is from above is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partialitie without Hypocrisie But Satans spirit and motions are raging and furious exciting to bloud and murder What say you now Enoch to your owne facts doe you like or dislike them Enoch Sir I know not whether I have done well or ill Min. All facts of this nature are undoubtedly the desperate effects of Satanical suggestions covered and coloured over with the faire pretence of zeale flowing from divine inspirations onely to mitigate and allay the troubles of conscience incident thereunto What say you to this Enoch I know that Satan hath no power to prevaile with the true children oâ— GOD. Min. Doe you perswade your selfe to be the true childe of GOD and actually in the state of grace having committed these execrable facts your fact is the very same with that of Cain and in one most fearefull degree of unnaturall crueltie farre surmounts his and hee is branded with the hellish marke b 1 Iohn 3.12 of Satans prevailing with him And how you should bee free from the prevailing power of Satan in your heart and over you for my part I yet understand not For wee are ever to judge of the nature strength and prevailing of Temptations by the reall acts which are effected and produced by them Our owne imaginations which are liable to errour flattery and seducement are no rule by which either our owne or other mens judgements are to be guided and directed Enoch I will not let go my
other cause But for other cause or causes he never pleaded any for himselfe but totally excluded all other causes Therefore he included this Cause and this Onely that because Iohn kneeled at the receiving of the sacred Communion Enoch his desperately enraged brother slew him This Argument is syllogisticall the true processe â—â—rationall Induction and the force thereof is so cleare conclusive and binding that whether his Non-conformed Brethren will accept or reject the word Onely the strength 〈◊〉 the thing affirmed remaines pregnant dilucidate and 〈◊〉 vincible 28 Thus leaving the true and onely cause of these flagitious murders fully assoiled from all pretense of colourable opposition I proceed to lay open unto you what I observed in the inward disposition of the minde of this man He was an high-minded fellow in spirituall matters and 〈◊〉 strongly opinioned of his owne particular Election Adoption and radication in grace The whatsoever advice I gave him from time to time for I was eighteene times with him pressing him to Humiliation Repentance Faith Teares Prayer Confession and the like spirituall Actions Hee seemed very thankfully to accept from mee and in token of his gratitude hee ordinarily used to kisse my hand and told mee upon all visitations of him that he spent his whole time in the exercise of these gratious vertues But they who lived in the house with him and diligently noted the whole tenour of his life and actions after his imprisonment could not discover any Symptomes or consequents of the practice of these pretended vertues for neither was his countenance dejected his complexion impaired or his meales in quantity abated He fed as plentifully dranke as liberally discoursed as freely as any person did who dieted at the same table with him payed the same rates of weekely charge though there detained not as malefactors but prisoners for debt He was frequent and much in poring on the Bible and still he told me that he used the helpe of reading to quicken his spirituall meditations and to sharpen his practice of repentance of faith and prayer But I rejoyneÌ„d unto him that folitarinesse and retired privacie voided of all other imployments were the best meanes of quickning devotion by putting his soule into Soliloquie with GOD. Reading I told him for a man in his case was not so proper and fit for his soule as spirituall ejaculations of his heart unto GOD in fervent devotion of sighes of prayers of confession For his reading not only stirred up in him many By-thoughts begetting questions impertinent to his present condition and state but also made him incline unto and arrogate too much to his owne private opinions the desperate supplanters of his miserable soule The best course I affirmed for a man in his case to take was to renounce his owne judgement will and affections which had alreadie enthralled him to Satan and to apply himselfe to the duties enjoyned him by GOD's Ministers and for questions emergent which might concerne him to take directions therein from them whose knowledge was more ripe judgements more exact as confirmed by experience of GOD's love and favour and their hearts better composed to piety charity and unity than his owne wilde and perturbed affections were Yet notwithstanding all my love and care and paines taken to do him good he would stil run his owne courses and follow the wayes of his owne heart By which he lay stil exposed to the cunning stratagems of Satan bâ—â— politike supplanter For in the arrogant pride of his over warning spirit he judged his owne ignorant and ungoverned heart as well able by learned and judicious counsell to prescribe unto himselfe as all the grave pious and learned Ministers in this Land could have done such was the force of spirituall delusions wherewith Satan had blinded and detained him captive 29 He was never observed in more than six weekes imprisonment to shed one teare in testimonie of sorrow for his crying sinnes or to note the presence of GOD's Spirit within him No not although two of his sisters joyning in prayer with mee upon their knees plentifully powred them forth in his behalfe Indeed I doe freely and ingenuously make knowne to the World that his complexion was not apt for teares but the present distresse of his soule under the fearefull expectation of GOD's confounding wrath justly provoked might either have terrified or mollified him to some signes of humiliation and sorrow 30 When hee was brought before the Reverend and Honourable Iudges no consternation of soule appeared in him either from the sense of his owne wickednesse or from the Gravitie of their Persons justly made terrible to malefactours by the weight of their authoritie But where grace sanctifies not to the Intenerating of the heart there pride will puffe up and be displayed in the countenance For as the Scriptures report l 1 Sam. 15.32 of Agag King of the Amalekites that being a captive prisoner and called to appeare before King Saul his Lord by conquest that he came Delicately before him and said in his heart Surely the bitternesse of death is past So this Prisoner the day before the comming in of the Iudges called for a Barbour to trimme him as if this malefactour had a desire in his heart that some elegancie of aspect darting from his countenance might appeare unto them when hee came before them This I observed disliked and to his face in the presence of many persons reproved in him and told him that a face more horrid and over-growne with haire better beseemed the horrour of his facts The evidence of his murders so often published to the world by his free and voluntary confession might have prevented the formal processe of Law by Iury conviction and casting and have put him into the power of the Iudge for Sentence of death from his own acknowledgement and expression of his guilt But for more strength of justice and regularitie of proceeding the Iury as I heard found him guilty and made him liable to Sentence of death which Sentence after it was pronounced against him the place where and the manner of his execution for the consequents thereof by hanging in a frame of iron being not expressed unto him he was no more altered in his countenance or changed in his behaviour than if no terrible voice of death had beene uttered unto him On Saturday the seventeenth of August 1633 after he was adjudged to death I came to him in the afternone partly to observe his behaviour and deportment after the horror of Iudgement passed on him but principally by counsel accommodate to his present condition to prepare him for a peniteÌ„tial dissolution And having shut up my self and him into a private roome and by directions and prayer to GOD for him prepared him for death in the best manner I was able I desired him with pressing perswasions to reveale unto me the person or persons by whose politike seducements hee was drawne to those opinions so desperate and raging in
bosomes the Iustice and Equity of the Kings cause now taken in hand by impressions of sensible feare making them to tremble at the mention of Humane Authority as it is the execution of divine power for Temporall government For were their persons as cleare and innocent as they pretend by ostentation of the uprightnesse of their consciences in the cause of GOD or their judgements right and sound in that they hold with dissent from their wise superiours or their cause it selfe a matter of importance wherein the Honour or Dishonour of GOD stands Interessed and Ingaged surely then the LORD would fortifie and adde spiritual vigour to their masculine and high spirits and not suffer them to shrinke under the practice of Humane power urged for their correction and amendment And let me further certifie this irregular generation that if their fancies had been of GOD and decreed for His fetled ordinance It had not received such a wound as of late it hath done by the hand of Princely power which already hath made their building to nod and totter and incline to subversion For the Argument of Gamaliel uttered by the present inspiration of GOD'S Spirit is invincible Act. 5.39 Mans power cannot overthrow that which is of GOD which impregnable and sacred Truth I will demonstrate in this syllogisticall processe Whatsoever is of GOD decreed for continuance and propagation Major can neither bee dissolved by Humane power nor weakened and abated This Novell Toy of resisting authority Minor is by Humane power weakened and abated and drawes on to dissolution Therefore it is not of GOD by ordinance for Propagation Conclusio The whole force of this Argument so clear and conclusive is drawne from the practice of GOD Himselfe in the Primitive infancie of the Christian Church when the Roman Tyrants mighty in power and extention of authority over most parts of the habitable earth raged against the glory of our LORD IESUS CHRIST in the lustre of His Gospell and vowed the extinction of His Name and memory but the more their fury increased and insulted over the poore sheepe of CHRIST daily dragged unto slaughter by Martyrdome the more they found to the check of their infidell pride and immanity that Sanguis Martyrum erat semen Ecclesiae The bloud of Martyrs was the springing seed of the Church both for the increase of the number of professors and dilatation of the glory and power of our SAVIOUR If any shal reply unto mee that Humane power may for a time suppresse the outward growth and spreading of this disobedience to our King and his Lawes yet for as much as they are godly forsooth and doe it for conscience sake their practice will still retaine spirituall heat and vigorous warmth in the root and secret heart thereof and thereby sprout out againe and declare it selfe to bee of the LORD'S plantation To these men I reply no more but thus That I wish all such persons to suspend their owne rash and sinister perswasions for a time and to expect the event of the LORD'S will therein which in doubtfull cases is never knowne but by the sensible and apparent manifestation thereof 51 Now for this firy fancie and exquisite fascination of our Non-conformity I will freely and openly deliver my opinion thereof and that is this That when she was in her greatest ruffe and glory deckt with all the plumes of her pride and best acceptation which ever she had in this Kingdome I conceive of her that then even then she was no more but meretrix cerussata a whited painted and artificially coloured strumpet exposing her selfe to her most profitable wooers and entertainers But now that by time and age shee is become Rugosa cadaverosa wrinckled and decayed shee goes on I hope to her grave with infamie and dishonour The reason of my opinion is this I suppose that if her stoutest champions who have long with the secret increase of their private estates supported her glory could now come off fairely from her without detriment to their livelihood and eclipse of the brightnesse of their former reputation for Piety and Sincerity That then not one of them would either depart this Land or endure to bee silenced and restrained from preaching but being shut up in a strait by reflecting on their owne hearts and calling to minde what high and transcendent prayses they have in corners given to this their fancie the engine and instrument of all their delusions and the artificial and fine-wrought key whereby they have opened the Closets and Cabinets of their deare and privat friends if now they should shrinke from it they overthrow for ever the reputation of their integrity And therefore having within their owne bosomes a troublesome conflict betweene their hearts puffed up with the remembrance of their late glory and deare esteeme among their friends and their consciences now secretly prompting them that the grounds of their Schisme were things light triviall and of no moment The pride of their hearts beares downe with strong power the plea of their consciences and makes them resolve rather to endure a silencing with hope to retaine the under-hand benevolences of their tender hearted friends than to supplant the pleasing contentments they have received to themselves in appropriating to themselves the words of GOD's Spirit Prov. 12.26 The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour But let such men call to minde the judgements of GOD's wrath against that slothfull person Matt. 25.30 Who wrapped up his Talent in a Napkin and hid it in the earth For if Saint Paul could say in the case of planting of Churches 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessitie is laid upon mee yea woe is mee if I preach not the Gospell I cannot yet understand nor themselves neither of any dispensation or relaxation that Ministers have in these dayes to sit idle at home in vayne speculations and to neglect the Watering of those Churches and feeding of those flockes which by other mens labours have beene prepared and made ready to their Ministry Yet this liberty to please themselves by voluntary or imposed silence and the Iustice and Aequitie thereof on their parts in submitting to so sharpe a censure is still by them constantly assevered And thereby they strive to uphold the good conceits which their friends have of the puritie of their consciences and of the Iniquity Idolatry and Prophanenesse of those Antichristian Ceremonies which are urged against them for better termes or Titles they know right well they never afford them And this is the true cause why I was so bold and plaine with them as to tearme their practice of Non-conformity by the odious name of a Painted Strumpet because a learned Philosopher describing the Arts and subtilties of such wanton and uncleane persons sayes of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Strumpets wish all sorts of happinesse may befail their lovers except understanding and wisdome to discover their own wickednes so doe flatterers
uniforme regiment of GOD'S people hee disliked the superiority and government by Bishops the gesture of kneeling in the sacred Communion the signe of the crosse in Baptisme and such like 7 Hee would never upon any remonstrance perswasion or pregnant conviction of his errours and folly be drawne to confesse For though I pressed him often and seriously therein and left him destitute of all reply or colour thereof yet in the impadencie of his spirit and bold resolution of a stubborne minde I could never draw other answer from him but that bâ—â— his reading the holy Scriptures he had apprehended these opinions his reading being enlightned and sanctified unto him by the Spirit of GOD. When I told him that all true illuminations of GOD'S Spirit in the hearts of his children did ever hold an exact consonancie with the letter of the Scriptures and never varied from them according to the words of our Lord Å¿ Ioh. 14.26 When the Comforter the HOLY GHOST whom the Father will send in my Name iâ— come He shal teach you al things and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto your And againe Ioh. 6.39 Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke yet have eternall life and they art they which testifie of me And further Esa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them When I pressed those Scriptures unto him which plainly demonstrate that the teaching of GOD'S Word and of his Spirit are one and the same in substance and nature And wheÌ„ I requir'd him to produce some place of sacred Writ whereon he grounded his extravagant conceits He answered me that his judgement and mine might haply differ because the true Spirit and the measure thereof were not given by GOD to all alike but in speciall manner measure and degree both for the grace of Illumination and sanctification to GOD'S peculiar ones And for proofe hereof hee aimed at certaine words of oâ—â— Lord which he could not remember till I perceiving 〈◊〉 scope furnished him with thâ— place and that was t Matth. 13.11 It is gâ—ven to you to know the mysterâ—â— of the kingdome of heaven bâ—â— to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him shal be given and he shall have more abundantly c. And from these word of our SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST he had raised 〈◊〉 himselfe a very strong aâ—â— pleasing imagination that hâ—â— himselfe in speciall was a person elected of GOD inspire with His Spirit and continually guided and directed by 〈◊〉 same Spirit And this conâ—â— hee so hugged and cherish in himselfe that many time when any preacher utted aâ—â— point of doctrine which arrided unto him and relished his pallat hee would seeme to those who were neere unto him in the Church to be even wrapt up into admiration and transported with spirituall delight And on the contrary if any thing was delivered which hit not point-blanke with his toyish fancie of inconformitie he would visibly discover by his stamping on the ground by his inward fretting and the contracting of his forehead the impatience and rage of his fantasticke spirit 8 These things being perceived in him by his mother who according to those reports I have heard of her was a discreet woman of very good understanding and of a stout spirit she tooke occasion gently to reprove these thingâ— in him and told him manâ— times in very loving manneâ—â— That the end of these thingâ— would bee nought Vnto thâ—â— dislike of his mother Iohn 〈◊〉 younger brother adjoyned hâ—â— endevour to reclaime Enoâ—â— from his wilde and irregulâ—â— opinions and peaceably toâ—â— him That hee saw no menâ—â— good honest and faire condiâ—â—ned as they who were peaceable Religion and free from selfe 〈◊〉 ceited opinions Which woâ—â— of Iohn as the event declareâ—â— shortly after cost him the loâ—â— of his head for though thâ—â— perswasion was no more but sweet remonstrance of brâ—â— therly affection and ought charitie and conscience so 〈◊〉 have beene taken yet it so irritated the secret rage of the spirit of Enoch that he inwardly boiled with rancorous malice both against his mother and his brother and for no other cause contrived the death of his brother Iohn but because he would not entertaine his opinions and comply with him in his schismatical courses From this time of conference and parley as Enoch himself â—old me he so distasted his brothers resolution in religion that hee resolved in his desperate and wicked heart to doe him a mischiefe only his purpose being yet but new had not attained to full growth and maturity 9 Now know here friendly Reader that this Enoch and Iohn had continued bed-fellowes together in their fother house from their infant years and weaning from the brests oâ—â— their mother to the one anâ—â— thirtieth yeare of age of thâ—â— younger of them And during all this time as Enoch assured me and engaged his truth and salvation upon it there had never fallen out any verball quarrell or dissention betweenâ—â— them no not so much as the terme Thou had ever passed in anger from the one to the other And being both of them arrived to years of judgement and experience able to manage affaires of life for their ownâ—â— profitable thriving they werâ—â— so well perswaded mutually betweene themselves of the integrity and soundnesse of lovâ—â— in both their hearts each unto other and also of an upright and faithfull disposition of minde free from guile in their temporall affaires that they became Co-partners in occupying of ground in their neighbourhood and also in stocks of cattell and sheep yea their very money which oftentimes breeds jars betweene brothers themselves they kept in one chest together each having a key to himselfe and they never differed in one penny of account 10 Yet observe I pray in the middest of this sweet harmony of brotherly accord the truth of the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR u Matt. 10.34.3 Thinke not that I am come to send Peace on earth I came not to send Peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold For Enoch now puffed up with an high conceit of his spirituall estate his inspirations from GOD and his unchangeable assurance of his owne stablishment in the favour of GOD imagined himselfe warranted by these words of our LORD not onely to hate but to persecute to bloud and death whosoever should oppose contradict or refuse to concurre with him in not admitting his inspirations These illusions of Satan anciently entertained by the Manichees Messalians and of later times by the Anabaptists so blinded the eyes of his understanding and perverted the quality of his will that he judged himselfe called of GOD to vindicate the cause of GOD
and by effusion of his owne brothers bloud as he reported to me To draw the children of light out of darknesse and to declare his owne Zeale to the Word of GOD. 11 A controversie therefore happening undoubtedly the worke of Satan in the house of Edward ap Evan upon Sunday the thirtieth day of Iune last past 1633. betweene Ioan the mother and Enoch her sonne whereat Iohn was present touching the most convenient gesture in the act of receiving the sacred Communion stirred up by Enoch as that sect is alwayes prating of such matters Ioan the mother and Iohn her sonne according to their unlearned and plain manner pleaded for our Church gesture of kneeling in that holy act Enoch a fellow of hasty furious and proud spirit defended stoutly according to his blunt and rude fashion that to sit and bow the body was the most Convenient posture The opposition in opinions grew so sharpe between them that Ioan told her sonne Enoch that hee was a very sorry fellow and desired of the LORD to Instruct and amend him Iohn also very mildly as his manner was signified his dislike of Enoch's opinion and made knowne his owne resolution to remaine constant in his obedience to the King and his Lawes This purpose of Iohn concurring with his former dislike of Enoch's courses added new flames unto his wrath and malice formerly conceived and now growne inveterate that from that very instant of time he waited an opportunitie to execute his secret and maligne rage against him Yet he grew not to a full resolution to murder Iohn till the Friday morning after this unfortunate conference betweene them Iohn called up his fathers servant and they together yoked up their cattell and betooke themselves to their worke in the fields Enoch later up wayted the comming of Iohn from the fields whose custome was after 〈◊〉 wearinesse with labour 〈◊〉 take a small repast of meâ—â— and drinke and to repose himselfe in slumber for an houâ— on the end of the table-booâ—â— upon a cushion This customâ— of Iohn being very wel know to Enoch he sets in a readineâ—â— a great hatchet with an edgâ—â— very broad and sharpe wayâ— his time and finding a calmâ—â— opportunity free from all likeâ—â— lihood of resistance Iohn being in a deepe and peaceful slumber Enoch strucke hiâ—â— with the head of the hatchâ—â— upon his bare head and tâ—â— wound thereof being not deeâ—â— by impression because thâ—â— feare of a wounded conscience for so inhumane a purpose abated the strength oâ—â— his armes and made him with a trembling hand to perpetrate that villany Iohn fell instantly from the boord to the floore astonied with the blow yet not so wounded or disabled from rising but that hee scrambled for help to raise up himselfe which Enoch fearing desperately strucke him with a second blow in the necke with the same hatchet and the edge thereof being very broad and sharp he therwith at one blow more as he himselfe told me separated his head from his bodie 12 Vpon this stirre and rumbling noise in the house Ioan their mother being in the next roome came presently in and seeing to the infinite griefe of her soule the head and bodie of her younger son separated one from the other she lift up her voice with a shriâ—â— and sharpe sound and said 〈◊〉 Enoch in a passion of terror aâ—â— griefe O thou Villaine 〈◊〉 some such like words of prâ—â— voked indignation for Enoch could not remember them What hast thou done hast the killed thy brother Vpâ—â— these words Enoch still enâ—â—ged with diabolicall furie aâ—â— having the hatchet in his hanâ—â— struck at her very face with aâ—â— his force And she being a wâ—â— man of threescore and twelâ—â— yeares of age put by two 〈◊〉 three of his blows by claspiâ—â— and closing with him and thâ—â— by turning away the streng 〈◊〉 of his violence and makâ—â— way for the asswaging of 〈◊〉 fury had not the Divell himselfe beene outragious within him But she wanting strength by reason of her great age to hold conflict and wrestling with him and crying for help and calling to him to remit his rage hee nothing mollified with her fearefull cries strucke her betweene the left shoulder and the neck foure inches deep into her brest with which mortall wound shee fell downe on the floore ready to expire her soule into the hands of her Creator And he not satisfied herewith ragingly dragged her wounded and bleeding body to the threshold of the doore and thereon at five strokes more hee divided her head from that brest and those paps which gave sucke unto him 13 These furious out-ragâ—â— and crying murders thus peâ—â— petrated hee instantly barreâ—â— the doore where the dead beâ—â— dies lay hee takes the headâ—â— wraps them in a course linneâ—â— cloth which hee drenchedâ—â— water that their bloud stillâ—â— suing thorow the veins of theâ—â— heads freshly bleeding migâ—â— not so sensibly appeare as thâ—â— row a dry cloth it would haâ—â— done The wet cloth with tâ—â— heads he enwrapped in an oâ—â— russet jerkin bound and kâ—â— fast And laying this bundâ—â— on the table-boord he goesâ—â— to his chamber shifts his breâ—â— ches and stockings which weâ—â— stained with the aspersion 〈◊〉 the bloud comes down agaâ—â— beats out a large clay-wall 〈◊〉 the roome and thereat he 〈◊〉 sues forth and makes his escape into the fields Thinking by this his practice of breaking the wall to colour and cover his fact and to transpose all suspition thereof from himselfe to an opinion that some passengers that way or theeves had committed these furious and desperate murders In the time of his escape in this manner a young black horse of the old mans by the negligence of a servant boy of the house got into the roome at the gappe or broken wall where the dead bodies lay And being found there a rumour was scattered over all the countrey and entertained of light and credulous persons that the Divell in the shape of a blacke horse was found in the roome where the headlesse bodies lay 14 Enoch having thus escaped into the fields conveyes the heads secretly away and hidde them under a heape of loose Fearne ready cut to bee burned After this he walked forward almost a mile and came to a Kins-mans house of his one Goodman Howells and enquired for a young man of this house the sonne of this Howells answere was made him that if he could stay halfe an houre he might speak with him for hee was gone forth and would be returned by that time Vpon this answere Enoch goes into the house and waites the comming of his Cosin and in the interim hâ—â— tooke a Bible which hee saw upon a shelfe and sate him downe and read the first chapter of the Prophecie of Isaiah and by that time he had read through the whole chapter the young man whom he had expected came in After salutations betweene them Enoch desired him to lend him the booke called the Practice of Piety his