daily As for my absence from your private meetings to me it seems unreasonable any one should aske a reason thereof you know what debates and discourses you have had about my wife and how disagreeing to a husbands affection would it have been if I should have been there especially being of another apprehension as to that thing then you were for I perceive after long and serious consideration that the first ground of my wifes distaste with you was her earnest love to me fearing some evil might happen as to my life or estate by joyning with you in a Petition you sent up to my Lord Protector which was occasioned thus There was a man of good understanding came to visite me Amongst the rest of our discourse he asked me whether I had signed the Petition the Church sent up I answered no He replyed I am glad with all my heart you did not for there is that in it for which some eminent States-men have lost their lives And that was for seeking to dissolve the Parliament which my wife hearing desired me I would have a care After wards other things followed which increased this dissatisfaction and truly made me to stagger Such things as these indeed are the onely way to break and Ruine the Church Besides this how am I perplext to hear daily the Scoffs and Taunts wherewith some of our brethren have every where at their doores and shops and tables vilified her for whom I am to leave father and mother For my Forbearance of the Lords Table I have I confesse desired to be humbled for it abstained too long too long But you know who is unsatisfied with me Thomas Savery and as I suppose can hardly sit with me And as to the other Churches of Christ here I have forborn in part to partake with them because I would not offend you But having well consulted with those more wise and godly then my self I have taken up this resolution to seek the Lord to prepare me to partake with both as occasion offers and I shall endeavour to wipe off what I can that ill name which I fear is too justly laid on us separatists Now I shall desire you to send me word whether I shall meet you at the Lords Table the next time that I may dispose of my self according as I shall hear from you If you have any thing to offer me in writing I shall kindly receive it and return you answer with all humility praying daily for you all I recommend you to God remain Yours to command in any service for Christ Toby Allein Exon. 4. Feb. 1657. To my honoured friend Mr. Lewis Stucley to be communicated to the Church who they say are unsatisfied This Letter was sent and delivered into Mr. Stucleys hands at the meeting of the Church who did not communicate the same according to the direction thereof and therein I think was neither faithfull to me nor his Church But the reason thereof as one of the members told me was for that he apprehended there wes somewhat in it that might dissatisfie the Church But what that should be I know not unlesse he feared it might hinder their proceedings against my Wife neither could I ever get their answer thereunto whether I might partake with them and other Churches of Christ also as occasion should present whereof I speaking to some of their members their answer was That they were loath to admit me to partake with them in my sins and I demanding of them what were the sins they charged me withall they told me it was disorderly walking and being asked in what particulars They did instance in my carrying my child and baptizing it at Master Downes Church and my not coming to their private meetings The next news we heard was a Summons in writing sent by Mr. Stucley unto my Wife giving her notice of his Churches resolutions to proceed to Excommunication of her on Monday the eighth of March then following which was in these words The Summons Mrs Allein This paper is to give you notice that all our endeavours for the reducing you having proved ineffectual The Church is resolved to proceed upon you on Monday next and then to Excommunicate you unlesse the Lord give you grace to endeavour the satisfying of the Church before that day And this I thought fit to enform you of that you may attend the said meeting my prayer is daily for you for surely whatever you think I am Your soul-friend Lewis Stucley March 4. Exon 1657. To Mrs Mary Allein at her house These in Exon. My Wife having received this Summons did for the present return answer to Mr. Stucley by the messenger that brought it onely by word of mouth That before he proceeded to the work he should read the 58. of Isaiah But afterwards she understanding that he had sent the like Summons to Mrs Parr who was also a late member of his Church long since deserted them The said Mrs Parr and my Wife being willing to do what they conceived becomed them in such a case and if it might be prevent their violent proceedings sent unto them this ensuing Letter in answer to their said Summons as followeth Mrs Parr and Mrs Allein their answer to Mr. Stucleys Summons SIr having received a summons under your hand we have sent you our answer as followeth That we know our selves guilty of no crime that may justly deserve Excommunication from any Church of Christ However as we desire not to be Iudges in our own cause so we think it not equal to be put upon triall by you and your Church who are also parties as well as we we desire to have our cause heard by understanding and impartial men whosoever they be and when we shall see reason from Scripture to convince us you may rest assured that we shall submit to the Law and will of Christ If this will not satisfie but that you and your Church will proceed against us we hope to suffer with more comfort then you can lay on your censure because we remember what Solomon saith Prov. 26.2 And know what our Saviour foretold Ioh. 16.2 And that even Gods servants have suffered as much as this from Gods enemies we tremble to think you are not afraid to draw that sword against us who through grace we hope are no way faulty as those were whom we read to have been delivered to Satan 1 Cor. 5. and 1 Tim. 1.20 We hope we haue and desire still to lament and repent those evils we know our selves guilty of before the Lord But we think it no evil in us to communicate in the Ordinances of Christ with any of Gods people that will admit us into communion with them and therefore we desire you seriously to consider what you do And this we desire as those that wish very heartily well to your soul and all the souls that are of your Church Susanna Parr Mary Allein Exon March 7. 1657 These for Mr.
be God we have done it and blessed be God we go according to our light and blessed be God we do not endure a Rebel among us a Rebel among us make us fathful to thee upright before thee and to live as becometh thy people and so pray and engage together and Covenant with thee and one with another that this might be the last hour that we take the rod into our hand O we pray thee let this be the last Excommunication let this be the last rod we take into our hand and let it be the last hour we are put upon cursing work we pray thee let 's be put upon blessing work the Lord be with us in the remaning part of this day And all we beg for the Lord Jesus sake The prayer being ended Mr. Mall stood up and said to the Congregation Now we have separated the precious from the vile let 's renew our solemne league and covenant And taking his text out of Nehemiah 9. last ver preached thereupon and vented most uncharitable and invective passages and reflections on my wife Some of which are insinuated in his pretended reasons set down in the Booke after Mr. Stucleys Sermon the particulars whereof I shall here omit as too tedious to relate and in regard he was so modest as to print but a piece of his Sermon being it seems ashamed of the rest as he might well be I shall here passe it over without troubling the reader therewith it sounding much to the same tune with Mr. Stucleys Sermon of some part whereof I shall give you a brief account by and by And now having given you a true account of the whole story and state of the businesse as to the matter of fact that hath been so transacted and falsely represented by Mr. Stucley I leave it to all unbyassed judicious Christians to consider and judge upon the whole matter whether there were any just cause or ground c. warrantable by the Lawes of God or man for this their practice and proceeding or whether it was not meerly and onely for her deserting them and returning to her former Pastor And so having finished my Narrative I now come to take notice of and make brief answers or solutions to some of the most notorious passages and pieces of defamation set down in Mr. Stucleys printed Sermon and herein it is not my purpose to take any notice of such passages therein as seem to Reflect upon the Presbyterian Ministers in general or those of this City in particular Onely as I am bound in duty I shall endeavour to clear the innocency of her who is in so near relation to me And this if I should forbear to do well might the world think me an unworthy man in suffering my wifes reputation and honour to be buried under the reproach and calumny he hath cast upon her In Mr. Stucleys printed Sermon in Mr. Malls Book pag. 7. The ground of our union with them was their visible closing with Christ now when that visibility ceaseth the union is to be dissolved c. Solution What visibility or outward appearance of Religion ceased in my wife except that she for just reasons refused any longer to hold communion with Mr. Stucleys Church and betook her self again to her former Pastor It seems by this that visible holiness ceaseth in all that have no longer a mind to continue in their separation what a reproach is here cast on all the Churches of Christ that are not independent that there is no visible holinesse in the members of them nay more that they oppose God and Christ in his Laws as it followeth in the same 7. page for my part I know no opposition my wife hath made to the Laws of Christ more then formerly whil'st she was a member of Mr. Stucleys Church but that she hath of late left them I am sure her behaviour towards me and my family is with the same circumspection as formerly cannot a person outwardly close with Christ except in Mr. Stucleys Church must they needs be held to cast away Christs cords to have broken the covenant with God and neglected his house that like not the wayes of Mr. Stucleys congregation Reader this might serve to satisfy the members of that Church who were engaged as far as himself But I hope will not satifie any understanding and indifferent men But she contemned admonition private publick Sol. The Truth is this whatever Mr. Stucley was pleased to say that she did not refuse admonition even by them Onely Knowing that they waited for her haltings she refused to appear before Mr. Stucley or to talk with any of his Church unless she might have leave to bring some Ministers or friends with her and there was good cause for she knew that Mrs Parr going to and treating with them alone had been overreacht by them whilest they had witnesses of what passed and she had none Besides what if she had refused admonition from Mr. Stucley and his Church so long as she was no more a member of it but was in actual communion with her former Pastor she had left Mr. Stucleys Church and all communion with it and therefore was under no special obligation to receive admonition from him or any of his Church and to speak the Truth that was her onely fault that she left them And her refusing admonition was her not submitting to be treated withall alone for fear she might be again entangled by them Neither my wife nor Mrs Parr were look't on as Refractory and Rebels to God and man till they had no more any mind to stay with them this was their fault which I hope God hath forgiven them though for this they are excommunicated by Mr. Stucley and his Church These reject him as their Law-giver and head c. Sol. What because they refuse to be of Mr. Stucleys Church that 's the matter that hath kindled all this fire ther 's no Church but Mr. Stucleys and such like all other are look't upon as Babylonish and Synagogues of Satan wonder not I so charge them Besides many expressions sounding this way Consider how Mr. Stucley applies 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. And to put it out of all doubt when I my self was reasoning with Mr. Stucley to this purpose That I thought I might communicate in the Lords Supper with his Church and others also meaning the rest of the Churches in Exon He told me that I could not partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of Divels And whereas Mr. Stucley makes it so intollerable an evil for good men to be forced to live amongst wicked men I grant it But say withall that these excommunicate persons as they communicate in ordinances with godly Christians so they have frequent civil society with no other then if comparisons be not odious give as good Testimony of the grace of God as Mr. Stucley himself or the best of his Church He stiles them Dogs c. Sol.
Lewis Stucley Preacher of the Gospel and his Church in Exon. This Letter was carried and delivered unto Mr. Stucleys hands when he was assembled with his Church at the house of Mr. Andrew Raddon Post-master in Exon the Eighth of March 1657 to excommunicate Mris Parr and my Wife in the morning before he began his own exercise in order to that work And the messenger according to directions at the delivery thereof spake aloud so as all the people might hear him saying to Mr. Stucley Sir here is a Letter from Mrs. Parr and Mrs. Allein which they desire may be communicated to the Church who thereupon opened it and he with two others of his Church having lookt it over pocketted it up and did not communicate the same to the Church but afterward told the people that he had received a paper that had more of design in it then any shew of humility or repentance and that he thought it not fit to be communicated to the Church And so proceeded on in his Sermon since in print wherein having desamed them with the highest defamations almost imaginable he stood up and pronounced the sentence following The Sentence FOrasmuch Brethren as Mrs Susanna Parr and Mrs Mary Allein have been convicted of great sins and forasmuch as they have neglected to hear the Church we therefore in the name of Christ deliver them over to Satan for the distruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of Christ Upon pronouncing of which Sentence the Church made a hideous howling cry that did even astonish divers then present which occasioned the party that noted Mr. Stucleys Sermon to write his prayer which he made after he had pronounced the Sentence which was as followeth The Prayer BLessed Lord we have left them where thou bidst us leave them and we pray thee let them have such awakenings by Church-censures that they may not stay long there Lord O that God would be pleased for them fetch them away thence Lord there-hence Lord if they belong unto thee fetch them back again Lord back again O let them not rest there O let them have no quiet in their spirits there Lord O let Satan torment them home O let them be driven by Satan among us we pray thee Lord if they had not fallen out with thy Law they had not fallen out from thy house they begun with thee yea long time before before we gave this sentence And now it is given the Lord second it upon them that they may know that we have not done it in a revengeful way give them to understand that we have wished well to their souls to day and that we had not set upon this work but that we know not how to answer the contrary we know not how to answer the neglect thereof one day longer and therefore we delivered them up that their souls may be saved in the day of Christ we beseech thee that thou wouldest make them know that they are under the curse of God Let them know that they are gone out of this place accursed O let them know that all their prayers are accursed prayers and all the bread they presume to eat is accursed bread to them And let them know that their estates and priviledges are accursed to them and that if they live and die in their sin they are accursed for ever Awaken them throughly O Lord would to God they had beene here to day but they are gone with the curse of God at their heels all their company will be accursed company to them and we can see them no more we may not go unto their houses any day more we may not come near them as in the daies of old O Lord That they might be ashamed let them be ashamed They have foreheads of brasse but O that they might be ashamed O Lord how glad would we be to see these poore worms crawling to this house another day surely there is that upon their backs that they will not get off till they repent there is that upon them will damn them unlesse they return there is that upon them will cost them eternal flames unlesse they return Now the Lord pitty them we would fain have these wretches their flesh destroyed some of us have seene a great deal of pride and a great deal of self conceitednesse and a great deal of hatred and a great deal of self confidence and a great deal of deceite and a great deal of hipocrisie O how hath Satan befool'd these creatures they thought to have gotten themselves a name in thy house and thou hast turned them out of thy house thou wilt not allow them a name in thy house they shall not be so much as within our gates O for ought we know they shall be no more dwellers where God dwells what a sad thing is this but Lord pare off that flesh and then they may return and stand at thy gate beg a blessing O that this day may come O this ordinance hath been strangely wronged in our days neglected by some and dispised by some and wronged by others But it is thine own appointment Lord And good Lord If it be thy will let this be the fruit the return of their Spirits to thee by giving them repentance and endeavors to be brought in and reconciled to the house of God that they might know what it is to break covenant with thee good Lord let them never be quiet O we know there be many Agents here will be endeavouring to bear to them this very sentence O let them remember to write down in their books this dayes curses let it lye upon their hearts when they ly adying O let not thy name be taken in vain this day It will not there is a righteous God in the heavens in the heavens their is a holy God above a God that will find out this sin and make them know that they have offended one of thy little ones O it were better a mill-stone had been hung about their necks to day O surely this is worse then a mill stone a heavie mill-stone and therefore likelie they have offended many little ones in so doing we shall pray for ought we know no more for them let us not pray for them avoid their company but remember in ours prayers that such and such persons are this day accursed and the influences of heaven shall be taken from them their reading hours shall not prosper to them and their hearing hours shall not prosper to them before they hear his Rod all the influences shall be stopt till they return to thee God is banished out of their presence O we pray thee let us beware to look to our feet to walk in thy waies and be with us in the remaining part of this day we blesse thee Lord we have done the work we were long a doing of it and blessed be God we have some peace in our consciences since we have done it yea blessed
kingdome of God nor fornicatours Idolaters adulterers abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor coveteous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners and such were some of you c. And pag. 213. He tels us it must be an open and manifest sin else it is not Scandalous And known it must be either by evidence of fact confession or conviction Now let Mr. Stucley shew wherein my wife was guilty of any such Atrocious or grievious sin and if not why fall's he upon this highest work of excommunication Little flies sayes Mr. Vines must not be knockt down with so great a hammer Object True sayes my Adversary But there was contumacy that your wife was guilty of Ans I answer first if no crime no contumacie But secondly suppose a fault I deny any contumacy what contumacy when she had made so many overtures to be tried by indifferent judges godly indifferent Ministers or people what contumacy when the poor women wrote to Mr. Stucley their desires to be communicated to his Church to have their cause heard by understanding and impartiall men whosoever they be and gave assurance that they would submit to the Law and will of Christ which letter this faithfull Pastor pocketted and concealed from his Church you see what a good will he had to the work he would curse them right or wrong where is the contumacy in her was it not Tyranny in him doth he not deserve a Bishoprick By this time I suppose the Reader sees how pertinent and applicable Mr. Malls quotations are to the case of my wifes unjust excommunication And whether she were guilty of crimes or contumacy deserving such a cruel censure unjustly inflicted by Mr. Stucley and his Church I leave it to the judicious to consider Before I passe I take notice that in his 5. pag. he tells you that I am willing to wave the question about the impertinency of Mr. Malls quotations and to referre it to the learned and sayes that I should have studied the question and not contented my self with an implicit faith in the learned c. To this I answer I think the question is now put out of question and by what hath been cited out of those learned men before named it plainly appeares that his quotations are frivolous and impertinent to the case in hand let the Reader judge And as for an implicit faith in the learned I say an implicit faith in Church affairs is no way satisfactory unto me And therefore I desire Mr. Stucley to satisfy me whether he did not tye up his Church-members to an implicit faith in him when he did upon that black day of his curse make his members subscribe a Church-covenant or oath That they would submit to his guidance and teaching as their Pastor absolutely without any restriction or limitation why had it not been added he guiding and teaching according to the rule of Gods word what is this but to pin their faith on his sleeve what is it but an implicit faith on Mr. Stucley St. Paul durst not be so bold he bids the Churches be followers of him and the other Apostles as they are followers of Christ are we not bid to the Law and to the Testimony bid search the Scriptures bid try the spirits Must we take up all you say upon Trust are there no deceivers gone forth into the world and into the Church too Wolves in sheeps clothing such as like the Devil transform themselves into Angels of light creep into houses captivate silly women c. Pray Sir tell me why was this omitted in your Church-covenant or oath which Mr. Mall hath inserted in his Book should not oathes and covenants be plain and expresse or will you supply it with an caetera Have you not herein outwitted the Pope and made him a younger Brother Surely there is somewhat lies in this pad pray explain your self next Reader I am sensible that I have been too tedious hitherto and should I trace this fox in his wiles and cunning fetches in every page I should tire both you and my self to unkennell him I professe I am heartily sorry to see his impudence he would make the world believe the Crow is white and that 't is night at noon by his Logick all are lies but what he himself sayes he sees he is ingaged head and eares and must make lies his refuge to maintain his and his Churches unjust act like the boy that bid his mother call whore first For a man to Cloyster himself up and like the Owle to decline the light of a hearing and to be ashamed to give account to Ministers and others that are dissatisfied doth not this in the eie of every judicious Reader speake him guilty and unworthy What hath been already said answers many of his foul Aspersions I shall now contract my self and cursorily run over the rest And first for his affirmation that I and my wife consented to Mrs Parrs suspension in pag. 8. I professe we never knew of any suspension of her much lesse joyned in any her answer was as to me faire and satisfactory Viz that she remembred not the things for they accused her and if she were convinced of it she would be sorry for it I never voted it satisfactory and neither knew nor joyned in any such suspension therfore that 's an untruth on Mr. Stucleys part And next as for Mr. Stucleys insisting on my wifes neglect of admonition c. I answer that she did declare unto some or one of the officers her dislike dissatisfaction at their carriage in severall particulars assoon as she had a convenient opportunity which proved fatall to her in the end Take notice reader it was not a Brother or a Sister singly or a few members but 't was the whole Church ' they were all as it were hung together in a string Their tying up the members by compact their intermedling in State affaires their carrying on self designs their practicall forbidding communion with other Churches their traducing those that are not of their way was a disease epidemicall that run through the whole body and was discove'rd by degrees to be the very product of their private meetings as if it had been a part of their Religion And would it not have been look't upon as a peice of pride presumption for my wife to reprehend a whole Church should she not thinke you have been accounted against as Mrs Parr for a contentious woman that raised discord and disturbance in the Church I shall for brevity's sake leap over many of his pages the summe of what he there alledges being answered occasionally in my former sheets I also passe by his silly probabillities in the 14. page which he brings to induce a belief in the reader that my wife ran away and intended not for Taunton 't is fully answered His Queries whether dame must ride upon the Mugle of the Mare and whether Honiton be in the way to Taunton and the