If so how many Bushels would the rest that he was not privy to have amounted to Sure Mr. Borradel had a very moist Brain or Mr. Marshall a slippery Tongue for certainly without an Hyperbole of the largest size this must be a loud one A Lye not inferiour to this was that which he had at the Funeral of Daniel Rogers where after he had made a Lying Face or two Manúque simul veluti Lachrymantia tersit Lumina For not one Tear came he very gravely told the People who were no Strangers to Mr. Rogers's Infirmities He had Grace enough for ten Men but not for himself He was as I told you at the Fight at Edge-hill when he had better have been in his Pulpit at Finching field very sore distress'd for perceiving his side to run and hearing the Cavaliers cry Have at the Black-Coats meaning himself and Mr. Ash when Mr. Ash complainingly misappli'd that Scripture to the Rebels which was spoken of the People of God What shall we say when Israel turns his back upon his Enemies He knew not what to do at last if he did not by himself to save himself he made use of his Cousin Bass's Man's Device who threw up his Cap and cry'd Hey for King Charles Hey for King Charles and under the Covert of that Lye and the Dark he got by Mid-night to Warwick Castle But the Fright had such an effect upon him and made so deep an Impression upon his Spirits that some stuck not to say that for the time he was beside his Wits which he no sooner recover'd but he comes into Essex to Lye as a Jack-an-apes does Tricks for his Master's Advantage And here he tells the People strange Stories of the Fight but not a word how valiantly like Peter the Hermit he ran away and that to his knowledge tho' he was in too much haste to tell the Slain the King's Party lost five to one of the Parliament which in one sense was true because one of the King's Party was worth five of them else 't is an untruth For the even Scales of days Fight was too sad a presage of that lingring which follow'd I am now enquiring after his Humility if I could find it I see him among his Leathern Doublets and the makers of Leather and Doublets these he loves by instinct surely I have found it now But while I judge him by this Company whom he makes believe are precious to him one whispers me in the Ear and tells me that I take a wrong measure For these poor Christian's Backs are but Blocks to mount him high in the esteem of the round World He would have made an excellent Judge for he was no Respecter of Persons If Knights or Ladies or Persons of ever so good Condition had come where he was sitting he would neither stir his Breech nor his Cap it was condescention enough to give them a gracious Nod with his Head for his stiff Neck did not often bend which Carriage of his made some of his own Party say in my hearing That they thought there was not a prouder Parson upon Earth than Mr. Marshall Mr Symonds will tell you enough of this and how his Pride would not suffer any man to cross his irrational Dictates and how he treated that Holy and Reverend man the World knows Tho' I have sometimes heard that his not answering Mr. Symonds was because he could not answer and in such cases he was so wise as to hold his peace For I remember when he boasted before Mr. Fuller of Stebbing That he had brought Burial of the Dead out of Fashion in his Town Mr. Fuller told him That their Directory gave leave to exhort at the Grave His answer was then may they have a Funeral Sermon who desire it but when the other reply'd the Poor would complain that the Rich should have Christian Burial and they because Poor be bury'd like Dogs Mr. Marshall's answer was Mum. And tho' he was a severe Censurer of Bishops and others of the Episcopal Clergy for medling in Civil Affairs as excentrick to their Calling yet himself could make it his business as well as Nye Peters c. for seven years together And tho' he had been an earnest promoter of the Kingdoms Good as he was a disturber of the publick peace yet could he never be able to avoid the recoil of his own supercilious judging of others Not that I think the Ecclesiastical Function necessarily deprives his Majesty of the benefit he may have from the prudential abilities of Clergy-men but I think it wretched impudence in him to charge that as a Crime upon them who was doubly guilty himself First in medling in the State Secondly In medling to do mischief and which is no small aggravation of his fault in that he acted the Statist in the Pulpit where instead of promoting the Gospel he promoted Insurrections I know some asking him what Peace and Satisfaction he had in acting in Secular Affairs His answer was tho' not without Stomach to be asked such a question that he had always in his Eye the Glory of God of which God and the World too now judge but if you had ask'd the Pope the same question he would have given you the like answer viz. In ordine ad Spiritualia Well tho' this and to be bold two Livings be unpardonable Crimes in an Episcopal Divine yet Mr. Marshall's Godliness can qualifie him for both His not being scrupulous himself about State affairs made him perhaps less solicitous about the Scruples of others in reference to the State For when some of his Parish and those none of the meanest desired his Judgment concerning the taking the Engagement he Prevaricator-like reason'd pro and con but would not resolve what was safe for them in point of Conscience nor what himself had practis'd for he was loth the World should know that he had swallowed the Engagement after he had taken the Covenant which the Hangman hath now burnt He was esteem'd a painful Preacher Himself was wont to compute from the time that he entred into the Ministry to almost the end of his days he had preach'd three times a week setting those weeks wherein he preach'd four times against those wherein he had preach'd but twice He preach'd indeed often but not much he had an art of spreading his Butter very thin some men in one Sermon having more Pious and profitable Divinity besides-Learning than he usually had in four Besides as another allay to his painfulness he often preach'd the same Sermon over and over again himself has boasted that he preach'd one Sermon I believe that was Curse ye Meroz threescore times Yea many of his Sermons cost him no more pains than the transcribing verbatim And this I can assure you is no Slander As to his Learning tho' he had little Greek and no Hebrew yet he was competently furnish'd with Abilities for a Pastoral Charge in the Country but no higher of which himself
domineering Faction of Presbytery which Mushroom-like suddenly sprang up and as suddenly disappeared or at best does truckle under its younger Brother Independency Which our Stephen observing and as he could not be the Protomartyr so he was resolved not to be the Deuteromartyr of that Name quickly disowns his own sweet Babe and with a little of honest Ny's Assistance puts himself into the thriving Sect of the Independents bidding New England welcome into the Old And because the Church could not be destroyed without the King who was more firmly wedded to it than Mr. Marshall either to his Wife or his first Living the King and all who adhere to him and the Church must be destroyed with it to whose Ruine Mr. Marshall contributes not a little Witness Thundrings in all Pulpits his Cursing all people who were backward in their engaging against him his encouraging all those whose Villany made them forward in the Undertaking that great Work warranting them no small Preferment in Heaven if they would lay down their Lives for the Cause Witness his Menaces and private Incitations becoming Drum-major or Chaplain-General to the Army praying from Regiment to Regiment at Edge-hill Witness his riding Post into Scotland to treat with the Scots in order to their coming into England in which business he so demean'd himself with the Kirk Party pawning his Soul and his Brethrens here in England for a less Pledge would not be taken in a wicked League for Conformities Sake that the two Nations might be one in a Religious Conspiracy that they espouse their Cause and in it defend their own Guilt by an Additional Conspiracy with the English Rebels This Journey men say was worth 500 l. to him I believe more Witness his perswading the City to lend the Parliament 50000 l. to pay their Souldiers who were ready to mutiny in a seasonable time then perswading the City to let the Army march through them and possess the Tower This he did to assure the Independents that he is really theirs So he is sent down a Second time into Scotlend to lye again for his Master's Profit and thither goes Balaam again for love of the Wages of Unrighteousness But this Voyage was not so acceptable to the dear Brethren as the former if all be true that I have heard viz. that in a Storm it hail'd rotten Eggs upon his Head at Edenburgh They being cunning Juglers themselves soon smelt a Cheat. Besides it is supposed that tho' he rode Post some body had out-stript him with Letters and acquainted the Kirk that he was become a Changeling and Apostate from Presbytery then which a greater Crime could not there be charged upon him So he returns to the Rump to tell them he lost his Journey Having lost his Credit too in London and his Parish at St. Margarets growing cold in their Affections to him and his 300 l. per annum for preaching at the Abby failing he returns to his old forsaken Love I do not mean his Wife but Finchingfield and there he finds neither the Welcome nor Respect that he was wont His Slightof them had taught them as little to esteem him They construe his Retreat thither but a forc'd Putt and say openly that if he could have better'd his Maintenance any where else he would have sold them for two pence profit and instead of sending Tithes when demanded they send him Jeers and Frumps rate him above what he could make of his Living over-rule him who was wont to over-rule all men His high Stomach not brooking this Carriage he grows weary there and waits the next opportunity to be gone which offers it self thus The Lecturer of the great Church in Ipswich dies He is thither invited by the Town with this Proviso if his Conscience could relinquish his present Cure A Scruple that troubled him not at all for he had often sear'd his Conscience before with the same Iron However being a Man of an affected Gravity and loth to do any thing lightly or passionately he therefore pretends Reasons to depart from Finchingfield among which this was the chiefest He found his Ministry ineffectual Those who were good of Old time were good still but in his late years teaching he could not find any new Convert Truly the People had little reason I confess to credit him in any thing who had so perfidiously betray'd their Souls by leading them into Rebellion But how knew he that none were converted The Signs of Grace do not always presently appear to the Convert himself much less are they visible to the view of others Besides since God had forsaken his Ministry at Finchingfield what assured hopes had he of doing good at Ipswich Yet Balaam Saddles his Ass and will go with the Men but a few Idolizers of him first petition him with a Scroll of hands to stay thinking that horrible darkness must needs overspread that Horizon if so great a Luminary should bid a final farewell to it This will not do Baal will not hear next they petition God Almighty A private Fast is appointed to be kept at Mr. Mede's in Finchingfield Three Ministers carry on the Work of the day Mr. Daniel Rogers being the Oldest begins the Devotions but instead of supplicating for his Stay he tells God Almighty a very foul Story of his Rambling I cannot give you the very words 't is so long since they were spoken and I heard them but as I remember they were to this purpose That Mr. Marshall lov'd the Company of great Personages that he had a gadding Humour before he had left his Parish to go live at London and follow the Camp and would now be gone to Ipswich c. You shall not need to wonder at this For it is verily believed by many that there was never any Cordial Affection between these two Grand Schismaticks one envying another's Popularity For they seldom met but they hunch't at one another Once a Dish of Apples being brought before them and the Company as every one liked preferring one Apple before another Mr. Rogers said he lov'd a Living I think so quoth Mr. Marshall for you are always whining for more And you says Mr Rogers love a Runnet for you can never keep at Home But to return from this Digression neither Petitions to Man nor Prayers to God will stay him For he packs up his Tools and is gone for Ipswich where he joys not long for he is followed with Affliction upon Affliction Indeed he had lost his Eldest Son before who was drown'd at Hamburgh which was a great vexation to him that his Name should perish In a short time he buries three Daughters and several Grand-Children and last of all his Wife whom he could best have spar'd some of his Ipswich Neighbours were bold to interpret these Losses to be the punishment of his deserting Finchingfield soon after himself was visited with a Consumption which ended his Days at London Of which afterwards His Religion stood most in Externals a Jewish
Observation of Sabbaths Praying Preaching especially according to the new mode in Fasts and Thanksgivings under these specious shews the Mistery of Iniquity lay hid For to what end were their Fasts but for Strife and to smite with the Fist of Wickedness and to break the Strength and Heart of the King And wherefore were their Thanksgivings but for Success in Rebellion Whereas they had more reason to thank God for his Forbearance that the Earth did not open and swallow them up quick as it once did their Fellow-Rebels But this made a great Noise among the silly People who saw no farther than a Man may look into a Mill-stone His Jureverence about Holy things was abominable and hardly credible when he baptized a Child in Private to sit in a Chair upon his Breech while he administred that Sacrament What Superstition could equalize that Rudeness Perhaps he thought the same posture would as well become that Sacrament as the other such doings have brought both into Contempt Indeed to him and his Brethren we owe not only the loss of our Government and Liturgy but of the Sacraments themselves Baptism having been restrain'd and the Lord's Supper in many places disus'd Mr. Marshall himself having not had a Communion in Finchingfield for seven Years together which is far worse than Promiscuous Communions That he was of all Clergy-men the most mischievous to his Sovereign is without Controversie every where robbing him of the Hearts of his Subjects creating Jealousies in them stirring them up to Arms and Contributions of Moneys engaging all Persons of Quality whom he had any hopes to work upon and when he found the man backward he plays the Devil tempts the Woman to betray her Husband He had always a strong influence upon that Sex and wrought that by their Importunity which he could not effect by his own reason or perswasions By this means he became a Murderer a Murderer of those Souls that he had seduc'd into Rebellion a Murderer of those Bodies which were slain by such as he stirr'd up to the War a Murderer of all such as died by the Hands of the Royalists a Murderer of his Prince by taking away his good Name by that means rendring him in the esteem of his Subjects unworthy to govern or live and this he did not only by his Preaching and private Calumnies but in those absurd dins-ingenuous and malicious Animadversions of his upon the Kings Letters taken at Naseby Letters so full of Modesty Ingenuity Wisdom and Piety yet if he had not had the Heart of a very bad man he would never have so maliciously Commented upon them and made them speak contrary to their own Grammatical Sense Letters that when Malice had done its worst and its religious Votaries had pick'd out of the Cabinet such as they thought would best serve their turn suppressing such Papers as might have given all the World satisfaction of his Majesties Love to his Subjects and the Protestant Religion and had discanted upon those select Papers yet were so far from prejudicing his Majesty that they convinc'd thousands of his Integrity who were before doubtful The worst that could be laid to his Charge was that contrary to former Resolutions he sought help from Forreigners forc'd thereunto by their implacable Violence Besides this he is thought to have instigated them who were forward enough to the hastening the King's Death He has been heard to say That the King was too wise to be suffer'd to Rule That he had as live see his own Death as the King in his Throne His revengful Spirit could not forget that Affront as he accounted it which the King put upon him at Holmby when being to say Grace for his Majesty while he was long in forming his Chaps as his manner was his Majesty said Grace for himself and was fallen to his Meat and had eaten up some part of his Dinner before his Chaplain had ended his Blessing the Creature The King then checking him and saying that he intended not to stay till his Meat was cold whilst he stood whistling for the Spirit Which Check never went out of his Stomach till it rotted out That well might one of his own Gang say He died in time or else he might have taken a Turn with Hugh Peters at Charing Cross of which his Arrest at Cambridge was an unlucky Omen which was a mistake and no mistake I know some affirm that when the King was dead he was much perplext and repented of what he had done For my part I rather think them transient Pangs and Gripes of Conscience than true remorse for his publick Sins First because he never publickly recanted Secondly he never labour'd to undeceive those whom he had seduced Thirdly He still joyned himself to his old wicked Company even the King's Murderers Lastly He acted under the Grand Usurper was as harsh and severe as ever to the King's Party for he was no less malicious to his Friends all along than to him always opposing them if they came to the Assembly for Examination or after the Tryers at White-hall for he was one of those Spanish Inquisitors pretending forsooth only Care to advance Godly and able men and yet could prefer his Son-in-law Nye to a Living of 400 l. a year who never deserv'd one of 40 l. I come now to describe his Virtues His Charity in giving was as little as his Charity in forgiving never so much as bestowing a penny or piece of Bread at his Door the year throughout tho' he had many poor Kindred and some who lived not far from him yet out of his abundance never gave them the worth of Twelve pence as themselves have said Nay when he had the World flowing in upon him he suffer'd his poor Father to beg about the Country which shew'd he had neither Shame nor pity nor yet any Natural Affection And tho' men say the Puritan will not swear but will lye damnably This Impostor both swore and ly'd having several times taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Canonical Obedience the Protestation and his own Solemn League and Covenant all which for the Glory of God and undoing this Nation he as solemnly broke and perswaded others to break that if his Soul had not load enough of his own personal Perjuries he might sink it with the addition of other mens Having said this you shall not need to question his Truth For verily he was a man that would not deceive him who never trusted him He is a Lyar in Print of which there needs no other Proof than his own Preaching up of Rebellion for God's Cause which is a Lye in Text and what were all his Fasts and Thanksgivings but Lyes in Hypocrisie lying not only to men but to the Holy Ghost At the Funeral of Mr. Borradel Minister of Bumsted in Essex he had this reach in his praise That upon his knowledge he had wept a Bushel that 's a dry measure of Tears for the Sins of his People