was a Jew Are they Hebrews so am I Are they Israelites so am I Are they of the Seed of Abraham so am I 2 Cor. 11.22 accounting these Privileges the greatest carnal blessings that were given unto men To these add that you were Holy Brethren Partakers of the heavenly Calling Phil. 3.1 Of you it was that Saint Paul spoke and thought such things as accompany salvation because of your work and labour of love which you have shewed in ministring to the Saints Hebr. 6.9 10. These are those comfortable honourable and excellent Titles Prerogatives and Privileges that are ascribed unto you above all other Nations and People and are high Incentives and deep Ingagements to make you walk worthy such excellent Endowments and benefits and to raise up your drooping spirits even in the midst of all your long and deep Visitation for as the Prophet Though you have layn among the Pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver c. Psalm 68.13 and God will bring again his own people even as he did sometimes from the depth of the Sea Psalm 68.22 i. e. beyond all mens help and expectation with a mighty hand and out-stretched Arm and then shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel shall be glad that for your comfort The second thing premised 2. Is for your direction and that shall be brief First Hate and leave off that sin which procured this your suffering by repentance that your sins may be blotted out when the time of your refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 2. Be incessant with God in Prayer that he would be pleased to remember the time the set time to have mercy upon Sion for it pitieth her Servants to see her in the dust and that he would open your eys and give you understanding hearts to believe in and know him whom God hath sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 3. To search the Scriptures and in reading them to pray God to take away the vail that is upon your hearts for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life And consider the Ministration of the Spirit is much more glorious than that of the Letter and old things are passed away and all things are become new and that though the Law was given by Moses yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. and that now there is no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but we are all one in Christ Jesus 4 Wheresoever you shall come to be carefull of your carriage to give no offence but to walk worthy of the excellency of that high Calling in Jesus Christ To conclude all I have discharged my conscience in your behalf God is able to bring great things to pass by small Instruments though I be the least yet I am one that wish well to Sion and do heartily pray that God would give you favour in the sight of the Nations and that all those that keep you captives may pity you and that the Nations seeing your conversion may glorifie God on your behalf and say What hath God done This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eys So be it Yours c. FINIS Certain Cautions concerning the Jews Admission into England IT is not fit to direct much less to prescrthe to Superiours in laying down these few Cautions neither is intended onely to render some satisfaction to such who are the great and violent Opposers of the Jews Admission amongst us who though they have no solid or substâ—ntial grounds for their Opposition at all yet by these Cautions that may seem tolerable if not allowable to their judgments which before was held altogether unjust and unreasonable And certain it is that had Mr. Prynn in his multitude of Scripture-quotations seriously considered that most if not all these places which mention either the sins or the punishments of this people related to the Babylonish Captivity or to what of judgments before that God was pleased to inflict upon them he would not have so injuriously branded one Generation for another and make those Curses Plagues which are terminated in the third or fourth Generation of them that hate him to be due to the thirteenth or fourteenth Generation downwards and of them too who he knows not whether they hate God or not And so also for his almost innumerable but unnecessary Rabble of Popish antiquated Writers Edicts Statutes Decrees and Records for these I say if he had considered that what was then if yet it was then for we may not give credit to all he says and quotes is not Now for Now is not Then nor Then Now he would I believe in modesty have spared that needless search nor have so bin confident to pin his faith upon those Popish Papers and worm-eaten Scriblers who yet as it is by wise men judged writ out of malice and the the Spirit of Lying too against the Jews for how much credit is to be given to such persons who have not blushed to corrupt the sacred Text it self and to adulterate all both Greek and Latine Fathers for certain such audacious Spirits would not spare when their gains and credit lay at stake and when it was in their power too to lay load enough and the heaviest always on the weakest shoulders and such was the people of the Jews in these times to cause them to be odious to the Nation This mans great opinion of Learning and Judgment hath tainted and poisoned many mens affections and hardened them â—bsolutely against the Admission of any Jews amongst us when yet any one sees how weak his Arguments are if well scann'd and how little of truth is in them To perswade therefore the ingenious that what at first did seem altogether unfitting upon second and serious reflections shall be found not onely fitting but beneficial also and what at first apprehension seem'd so full of danger may upon review be found nothing so I say it is not our intendment that the Jews should come in so as Mr. Prynn seems to fear to dishonour God and Chrst Jesus subvert Religion disturb the Laws raise up Waâ—s and Combustions sterve our own Countreymen and Natives undo merchandizing seduce the People disgrace the Gospel rob us of our Wealth bring Gods Plagues Curses and Judgments amongst us with many other such terrible conceited Chymaeraes No nor yet to come Rushing in as an overflowing floud to drown all Religion Laws and all our Privileges nor yet to be such Hors-leaches and Spunges of out Treasure and transport it away nor to usurp upon any mans Birthright nor yet to Cozen oppress poll pill defraud fleece and squeeze the English Nation nor yet to grinde them or cheat them by usury fraud or the like Nor lastly to circumcise or crucifie any children in derision of Christ nor to sacrifices any Bulls or Oxen or Sheep or Lambs for that part of their Religion is too costly and the other is too painfull both unsufferable but for certain they may be admitted in upon divers considerations some of them are these 1. By the leave of the supreme Legis-lators of our Nation they formerly have been and may if when they please be again introduced and who can or dare charge their Actions for unjust they haveing power to save or destroy and therefore power to determine matters of less consequence and then 2. Their admission being from them and but Premissive not absolute but quod diu se bene gesserint restrained to such solid orders as by the Governours of our Nation shall be adjudged most convenient justest and most conducing to Gods glory and ths Honor of our Religion and benefit of our people 3. That there chief heads and Rulers do at their entrance or immediately after give in good security for all that come in to live quietly and subordinately to our Laws in all civil respects so that justice as well communitative as distributive may have it's full vigour as well to releive succour and defend them when oppressed or molested as also to be executed against them when as they molest other 4. All covenants and agreements made with them by our Governours to be confirmed publickly under hands and Seals as mutually bnding and obliging our Magistrates to afford them just and honorable protection and security for Lives and Estates and they to render all Obedience and Tribute and Custome to them for the same that so we with them and they with us may lead a quiet sober and godly life as being all children of the same Father and Heirs of the same promise and all hoping for the same Crown of Righteousness Immortality and Glory many others might have been added but 't is presumption and unmanners to give prescription to our betters and therefore we quietly and conscienciously submit to their judgments and conclusions praying heartily to God to give them the Spirit of wisedom and counsel and valour and the fear of the Lord that they may know how to go in and out before this great people of the Lord their God and the blessings of God be upon all their counsels and actions for the good of the cause of God in these and other Nations Amen FINIS
yet we may and perhaps not be scandalized neither he that will run into the fire if he burn the fault 's his own if for life surely the men are generally addicted to Morality and Civility observing strictly the ten Commandments of God they are not given to excess nor riot nor pride Content with spare diet mean apparel and lodging they are rather indeed to be blamed for too much austerity and strickness in life I rather think they will convince our loose living than any wise give occasion of scandal to us they are no gadders abroad nor Tavern-hunters nor addicted to swearing or cursing stealing or the like but live civilly minding their occasions carrying themselves strictly towards the outward man and where 's this great Bug-Bear run danger of Scandal I wish we may not give them any which is most to be feared The people are witty wise ingenious well-bred addicted to curious and neat Arts and Inventions pleasing themselves in a solitary retiredness and what Scandal is herein I have done with the two main things I proposed to assert and I leave my self to the judgment of wise moderate just and real Christians and God grant we may all all I say as well Christians as Jews forget the things that are behinde and to press forwards towards the mark for the price of the high calling in Jesus Christ that all of us would study to live quiet and to prevoke one another to good works knowing that our labours shall not be in vain in the Lord. Amen Amen Psalm 132.13 For the Lord hath chosen Sion and hath desired it for his habitation Verse 17. There will I make the horn of David to bud 16. So that her Saints shall sing for joy A just Vindication of Mr. Peters from the virulent and unjust Accusation of Mr. William Prynn Bencher of Lincolns Inn. OUr Saviour speaks it that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Surely this stickling Scribe doth shew that he is stuff'd full of passion and malice because he vents so much He is not onely bitter but superlative invective against the Jews but he drives as furiously against his brethren and Countreymen and as he is unwiling the Jews should come In so he would be as much pleased if some of his Country men were turn'd Out and though he is never fit to be a Judg yet what he dispairs to enjoy he doth assume and presume to Judg and censure others from his study and Chamber and truly most without cause how little he intends our blessed Lords words appears sufficiently Judg not that ye be not judged Or the Apostles what art thou that judgest another mans servant and sure he approves not the Prophet David's speech Psal 50. Thou satest and spakest against thy brother If this Esquire did but seriously think and consider that we must give an account for every idle word surely he would not multiply vain words so as he does to no purpose and if in a multitude of words there is sin certain it is that he cannot be free it 's to be wished he would remember that by his words he shall be justified and by his words he shall be condemned and if an ELDER be not to be rebuked much less is he to be reviled the Prophet David says concerning false tongues that GOD will pull them out of their dwelling then it 's high time for this party to have a better care of his tongue than he formerly had of his Ears the one procured the Ruin of the other though he thinks that LOOSERS may speak yet not what they list or against whom they lust except he intends to do as they did in Psal 12. We will speak our tongues are our own and who is Lord over us but I could advise the man to remember well what the Prophet David's practise was Psal 39. I said I will take heed unto my ways that I offend not with my tongue I will keep my mouth as it were with a Bit and a Bridle and Solomon adviseth us to ponder our words and it 's greatly to be suspected that Mr. Prynn doth not much regard his words because he lavisheth them so away Well because opprobrious language is like a Gangreen that spreads and infects others and because those that are written peiree the deeper and endure the longer as being to use the phrase of this Scribe upon Record and as he urges Records are not to be meddled withall I think it fitting to apply a se asonable but a short Reply to this man in his highest carreir and to tell him how unjustly unreasonably and unconscionably against the Rules of modesty prudence equity and Christianity too he hath in the vilifying not onely the Jews but also his own brethren and fathers trangressed and that first 1. He hath lived in and practised this sin of Rayling and Reviling and evil speaking and writing for many years the longer any lives in and practiseth his sin the worse state and condition he must be in and who knows not if he know any thing but that W. P. Esq hath vented his spleen and gaul and bitterness of spirit for many indeed for too many years though not without publick and severe punishment 2. From the very detestable nature of the crime being proh ibited by God and man Thou shalt not bring a railing Accusation And it 's no good thing to accuse but to accuse and rail O 't is injurious in a high degree David in Shimei's his railing would not punish him himself but refers him to Gods justice yet though he did not at present lay and inflict vengeance upon him yet he puts it into the hands of Solomon to execute and advises him not to let his gray hairs go in peace to the grave but bids him remember By all means to remember that notorious fact of the Miscreant and Solomon forgot it not but acted wisely and solidly in the matter and when time serv'd tels him home of it thou knowest says he the wickedness of thy heart c. and lays the guilt of his own bloud upon his own head O! it 's a dangerous infesting and infecting evil Consider well of it 3. He acting it against persons no ways meriting it at his hands O! says James the tongue is set on fire and it burns to Hell it 's an unruly evil who can tame it but it 's then worse when it opens against an innocent surely it 's no ways lawfull or justifiable to wound and gash our neighbours freind or brethren much less our Fathers 4. How slandring railing and reviling stirs up Contention disgraces the profession of Christianity makes our good to be evil spoken of gives offence and scandall to them that are weak argues corruption of heart makes men the sons of the Devil leaves a deep tincture of strife and debate if not blacker and uglier mischiefs is clean contrary to Christ's practise who when he was reviled reviled not again But he says and urges
and then let him tell the excellent necessity and profit of it 1. Let them consider how most men go and get into the Law into it I say with what vast charge I of Moneys and time with malice to boot the charge sometimes exceeding the main suit it self and reducing a mans estate to Atomes and the malice extending to two or three generations if not more to the disgrace of Christianity besides the journeys in Winter and Summer with charg of witnesses and the like 2. How it is managed when a man is in with all subtilty policy contrivances searching plotting undermining tampering with Witnesses stretching the sense of the Law on the tenter-hooks searching old rotten Records to cull out any thing that may serve to advantage the Lawyers Purses continuation of the Suit and then on the Defendants side what Subterfuges what Pretences what Suggestions what Demurs On the other side what haste for Process for Writs Warrants Arrests Judgments Executions Extents and Exigents Restringas Fieri facias and Capias utlegatum and thousands of such vexatious courses and all grounded upon a false information or some little Trespass at first 3. How to get out when once in hopes and friends and moneys and able Lawyers counsel and advice and encouragement too are as so many Engines to attract and draw in Game with desire of Revenge and to have the credit of the Day and that they cry all 's their own not to leave his Adversary worth a Groat and the like and add to these the subtilty of the Lawyers who promise fair pretend care and dispatch secrecy and the procuration of helps at last by some old quirk and quillet though for nothing else but to keep his Client in till he is forced out because he is outlawed or law'd out of all his Estate I end this with a short but a true Demonstration of the Charges of going to Law It was shewed to a Committee at Westminster of 60. of the Parliament in Holland that past for 2. s. for the whole Conveyance of House and Lands worth 3000. l. and at the same time 55. sheets of of Paper shewn for the Conveyance but of 1500. l. and cost 50. l. a vast difference betwixt 2. s. for 300. l. and 50. l. for but 1500. l. and yet the Law nor Lawyers would be thought to be chargeable or unjust But this by digression to proceed Mr. Prynn condemns him generally but let him but revise the whole and then sure all will be allowable For first he would have those just and necessary Premises carried on Secondly he would have the Law not annihilated but truly regulated Thirdly he would have Registers in every Parish first settled not done ex tempore hand over head Fourthly he would have every man know his Estate enjoy it and be assured of the performance of his will Fifthly he does not say all Records simply but all such Records as do hinder that such a settlement Sixthly nor all in general but such as are Monuments of Tyranny and oppression and of slavery and what matters it whether they ly in the Tower or elsewhere Now why is this Gentleman so far transported that nothing will satisfie him but as much as in him lies to disgrace to vilifie to rail at and revile this painfull Patriot for his wise and judicious modeling and endeavouring to reform that which stands in high need of it But how would he have had matter to have so inveigh'd against the noble Nation of the Jews had not he been furnish'd with the old Records as he calls them of Friers and Popish Legends to make his Book to swell besides the large Privileges and gains he hath perhaps made by poring into them to help to lengthen and prolong a Suit in Law tedious enough of it self and therefore would not have his Supporters suppressed or removed Add hereunto the fond humour the Gentleman hath to grace his Books and to credit himself to shew how studious he is and how voluminous his Library beside to perswade men that 's all true which he writes attested with such unlegible Marginals of antiquated Popish Authours not to be approved of in other cases but the onely Champions he uses in this But why may not we entertain some Jews in England when as Venice alone entertains eighty thousand of them and Rome no less than one hundred and fifty thousand without any offence or trouble or charge but contrariwise with a great deal of advantage and certain gain and profit But to conclude all we and so any one that 's but easily read in Politicks may finde out the cause of Mr. Prynn's distempered Accusation against his own Brother a godly painfull solid and sincere orthodox Preacher of Gods Word seldom does any man love those that seem to stop or hinder a mans Reputation or Gains wee 'll put both in Now Mr. Prynn was a Member of the Parliament and to be debarr'd sitting any longer though they sate too long amongst others was a seeming blemish to his credit and a sure stop to his profit and gains to lose both these together unexpectedly cuts deep and the Common-wealth having no need of him for further imploiment having nothing else to do he shews you what he would do if his power was proportionable to his will and because he cannot bite â—he doth injuriously and unjustly bark at those whom otherways he cannot reach or hurt and we say 'T was no matter if all the Popish Authours out of which he hath fetch'd his far-fetch'd and unprofitable quotations against the Jews and whose authority he so much relies upon whether they be those in his study or elsewhere if they were burn'd we say burn'd who have been the causers and procurers of such troubles and have had a hand in the burning of so many of Gods people in this Land for if their Calling be Popish superstitious and Antichristian what hopes are there that their works should be other Either make the Tree good and his Fruit good or the Tree bad and the Fruit bad A bad Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit Do men gather says our Saviour Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles To shut up all I found a great deal of hard measure used towards the Jews but by none so much as by Mr. Prynn's Pen I have done the best I could to clear the foul Imputations and Aspertions laid upon them I desire all who shall reade the Book to lay aside all prejudicacy of opinion and to consider the business not as it is made to be but as indeed it is and so leave the issue to Gods time and good pleasure to whose protection I commend all upright and sincere Israelites in whom is no guile And lastly I could desire that the said Gentleman would seriously bethink himself what a sin it is to blot and blemish a Man an Elder in his good name and to force and lay things to his charge that he never did speak or write but