will the juglers say this must not be suffered we must use some course speedily to blacken I say blacken the author and impair the value of his Letter or our trade is gone Join your forces up and be doing truth is strongest ye fight against your Saviour S. Peter and S. Paul to the Corinthians if you quarrel me for this come meddle then if you dare And if you do provoke me I will not only spoil the sale and market of your new-coin'd feigned words but I 'll cry down your market-day too on which you sell your empty sounds to fill your pockets Not that I am against preaching up charity and goodness and faith and hope too in order unto charity and upon the Lords day too if so be that preaching praying or worship hearing or faith doth not hinder better duties viz. works of mercy mercy to my own body to my beast to my family to my neighbour But if keeping any day of worship or performing any duties of worship hinder any of those greater duties then I sin in doing those duties of worship which hinder those greater duties of mercy Yet I say if I can do both both worship God and keep a holy day to him and also perform the greater duties of mercy then both is better God has join'd them together let not man put them asunder faith is a good grace and hope is good and charity good and preaching and prophesying knowledge and mysteries are all good it is a pity they should be parted but if we want charity we want the great accomplishment the greatest of these is charity And if any body think that I herein speak too slightly of keeping the Lords day let them know that if they think so they do but censure amiss and like the Hypocrites and Pharisees condemn me for that that was the very cause why our Saviour himself was accounted a sinner as you may see Jo. 9. 14. 16. 24. The Sabbath day and all other days were made as all things else and as all Commandments were made viz. only for the good of man not for his hurt and dammage if you will believe our Saviour The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath If my neighbours house be on fire as I am going to Church I ought to get my bucket and throw water and help to quench it for all going to a Sermon and God likes me better with my pail in my hand at that time than the Bible in my hand or a prayer in my mouth when charity to my neighbour supersedes my worship of God as being superiour to it as our Saviour tells the Pharisees upon the like occasion Mat. 12. 9. I will have mercy and not sacrifice that is not sacrifice when it hinders the greater duty of mercy And if a flood be coming down ready to flow my meadows when my Hay had need be carried away with my cart or else it will be carried away with the flood I should sin at that time if going to Church or any worship of God should prevent me from harnessing my horse and going to cart on the Lords day and my servants should sin grievously with going to Church when a work of mercy to my poor family and cattle called them another way And though our modern Pharisees and Hypocrites will condemn me herein yet they cannot tell how to confute it by Scripture nor reason and if they had known the true Religion or what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice they would not have condemned the guiltless I might give many other instances in making ready food in mercy to my body I mean not only necessary food to keep life and soul togethet as we vulgarly say but such food as is most convenient good hot victuals and good drink on the Lords day for watering a man's Horse and Ass on the Sabbath day is not necessary for life they will live as hunting horses often do a longer time without water but it is not convenient so to make them fast and being a work of mercy though but to your beast therefore does not every one of you think it lawful to do this convenient good on the Sabbath day That is supposing the fourth Commandment had the same force and efficacy that other Ceremonies and Types had in our Saviours time But alas the case is alter'd now those types and shadows are now of no more force than Circumcision and new Moons which in respect of Gospel discoveries are but weak and beggarly elements whereunto our modern Pharisees desire again to be in bondage and lest the hope of their gain should be gone they are wonderful zealous for the morality of the Sabbath and the morality of the fourth Commandment that yet are the most unmannerly sawcy peremptory people under the Heavens endeavouring to shew morality no where but in their market-day where they get much gain with as light frothy ware as ever was sold poor people are cheated and have a hard penny-worth of it as ever men had if they give a penny for these fictitious words such as this the ten moral Commandments and the morality of the fourth Commandment which all the art they have can never prove nor that there is since Christs death any more intrinsecal holiness in one day than another nor any more holiness in the Lords day than any other Holy-day mentioned in the Act of Parliament for that purpose wherein are these words These days shall be kept holy namely every Sunday in the year then follow all the Saints days and holy days to which the King and Parliament may adde more holy-days if they please and as they have done and as they are of humane institution can also take away some if they judge convenient Nor ought any man to keep the Lord's day in conscience or duty more than any other Holy-day And the ground of a man's keeping the Lords-day and all other Holy-days is in obedience to the fifth Commandment not the fourth Commandment Which if it were moral i. e. perpetual in their sence it is not in the power of the Church nor King nor Parliament to alter the day from the seventh to the first but all Sabbath days were like the new-moons and other Jewish festivals mere shadows of things to come but the body is Christ which being come the shadows vanish And those that zealously affect men with this Jewish conceit of keeping days c. do zèalously indeed affect men but not well nor honestly I know men are apt enough to take liberty to themselves in this licentious age to any prophaness but I deny that it is prophaness for me to dress convenient food for my self and family hot and good if I can get it on the Lords-day and Greg. does acknowledge himself and all that he knows of his party to be of this opinion herein in this one thing then we do agree and this is the first particular we have concurr'd in since we
when Gods Commandments seem to justle for precedence and strive for the place As they often do and no man can truly fear God and obey him as he ought that understands not these Laws of Honour and rules of Precedency We cannot err when our Saviour is the guide and leads us the way I 'le instance in a few cases for example The Pharisees of old just like our modern Pharisees in their modern Orthodoxy were marvellous men for the worship of God and Gods day of worship the Sabbath-day Oh the Sabbath-day and then for prayers long long prayers sacrifice and indeed for all the worship of God prescribed in the four first commandments who but they Good very good thus far who can otherwise think but that these who are so much for God and his glorious worship should be Gods own People the Godly Party and Almighty God as much for them Who dare check them lest he seem thereby to fight against God Who dare speak against their ways lest he seem to bid heaven battail and speak against Gods ways The Lawyers amongst them who were the chief Preachers took it wonderful hainously that even our blessed Saviour himself should dare to reprove them and when he made so bold as to do it they took it as a very high affront Thus saying thou reproachest us also us also and reproachest not reprovest but reproachest us also taking for granted that to reprove was to reproach them Yet for all this in the first Sermon our Saviour makes he assures his Auditory That except their righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they should in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God What Would not the worship of God in his own way bring them to God No. Would not a zealous and holy keeping Gods holy day bring them to God No. Would not the being cry'd up for the most pure and godly party bring them to God No. Would not prayers many and long and good too and preaching many Sermons and full good and Orthodox and saving Truths bring them â—…o God No Yet our Saviour gives them his Testimonial that they did not only preach well but also nothing that was ill whatsoever they bid you observe do And to give those Pharisees their due they did not only go Heaven-wards but they did far over-go many of our Pharisees and Preachers Heaven-ward For the Pharisees sat in Moses's chair preached Truth and nothing but the Truth whereas Bind your Kings with chains and your Nobles with fetters of Iron This honour have all the Saints Curse ye Meroz c. and many other good Truths were miserably wrested you know by many nay most of our godly Party that pretended above all others to fear God on purpose to dishonour the King But I lay not the stress upon that but granting that any man preaches and prays keeps Gods holy day and worships him how divinely truly and sincerely soever yet all this exceeds not a Pharisee nor shall ever bring him to the Kingdom of God Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils Depart from me saith our blessed Lord I know you not What not know thine own Preachers prophesying in thy name and such as have prayed too Lord Lord No. I know you not saith he why Ye are workers of iniquity Workers of iniquity Who are they or rather who are not so In respect of the first Table the four first commandments the Pharisees of all men living were not so workers of iniquity And in respect of the four first commandments such as prayed and preach'd in Christs name stood for the Lords worship and consequently Gods times of worship and the Lords-day were of all men living the least workers of iniquity Therefore since Christ knows not these there is a greater thing than Gods worship awanting and which is the one thing necessary and what 's That Our Saviour tells us in the same Sermon even to do to others as we would they should do unto us for this is the Law and the Prophets Mat. 7. 12. That is to say The summe and great design of the Law and the preaching of the Prophets have all but this one scope and end to prevail with mankind to keep the second Table or six last commandments which do more particularly direct us how to observe this great general rule Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them So that as food and â—…ayment is for the preservation of the body Preaching Gods holy word Prayers keeping days holy and all the worship of God whatsoever has but one main scope and end even to make men good good to our own bodies and souls by temperance and sobriety good to others by demeaning our selves peaceably justly and mercifully one towards another as we are particularly directed in the six last commandments Which six last Commandments God himself our blessed Saviour and the Prophets and Apostles do therefore prefer much above the first table and four first Commandments in so much as the end is more noble than the meanes to that end as the life is more than meat and the body than rayment meat and rayment being but the meanes designed for that great end namely the preservation of the body and life Therefore as he that clothes himself with rayment how good warm soever it be and presently throws it all off again and he that eats and eats and eats and either presently vomits it up again or that the meat Lienterically pass through him without alteration and digestion must needs be starved so he that takes in never so much of spiritual food and digests it not according to the great design and end for which God sent it namely to observe the six last Commandments that is to be good to himself and others he must needs have a ruin'd and starv'd soul. The Doctrine how wholesome soever being worthless for want of the use and these great Sermon-mongers are at best but the great-eaters the spiritual Maynards and Wood of Kent Mr. C. of Norwich W. B. of Yarmouth For can all our worship of God prayers praises and preachings observing Lords-days and Sacraments profit God Is he the better for them Job 35. 7. 8. If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thy hand Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man but cannot profit God Therefore when Almighty God first promulgated his sacred Laws he tells his people wherefore he ordered them to keep his Commandments Deut 10. 13. even for their good not his own And excellently does his Prophet Micah tells us to this purpose the great duty of man Micah 6. 6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt-â—…fferings c. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord
require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And when the Pharisees that prided themselves so much in looking so carefully after Gods worship and Gods day were offended so highly with the liberty which our Saviour and his disciples took to themselves upon the Sabbath-day in not keeping it so strictly as these Hypocritical Puritans deemed they ought to have done our Saviour tells them of a superiour Law and of far greater concernment than the four first Commandments put together Mat. 12. 7. and that was the Law of charity and mercy which if the Pharisees had understood they would not have condemned the guiltless Even God himself dispenses with his own Law for worship in the old Law when mercy and charity plead against it for sacrifices and offerings were then part of Gods worship which were very chargeable therefore for mercys sake and charitys sake at the Purification whereas the woman by Law ought to offer a Lamb for her cleansing yet if she was a poor woman and not of ability Almighty God abates of his due and is content with what without any great charge or trouble she might easily get in that Country namely two Turtles or two young Pigeons So that the Question is not so much which are Gods Commandments as which are the greatest Commandments and best deserve preferment not the first Table but the second for to do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Prov. 21. 3. and to obey is better than sacrifice 1 Sam. 15. 22. Therefore we must conclude That though the worship of God be good yet to do good and communicate good to others is better though to observe the four first Commandments be good yet to observe the six latter is better Though faith in God be good yet charity to our selves and others is better 1 Cor. 13. 13. and all faith and worship without this charity is not worth a pin nay is just nothing at all though a man preach like an Angel 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. This being granted for a great Truth and which all the whining Tribe though they lay all their heads together are not able to disprove or gainsay may silence the Non-conformists Prayers and stop their mouths more than St. Bartholomew yet has done For though to meet together to pray and preach and worship God according to the four first Commandments be good yet to obey the Commands of a Christian Magistrate and submit to his Laws according to the first Commandment in the second Table is better and ought to be preferr'd by every truly Conscienc'd Christian and in so doing he is safe in that submission and obedience But Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye saith St. Peter Acts 4. 19. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard This Text has been damnably abused and as the same Apostle says of other Texts of Scripture in St. Pauls Epistles wrested put upon the rack as the word signifies and made to speak what it never thought and will never justifie our Non-Conformists either before God or man in the least To whom does the blessed Apostle speak Act. 4. 5 6. to the Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the High-Priest and Caiaphas c. who condemn'd our Lord Jesus to be crucified and if they might have had their wills would have been the death of all Christianity with him And is his Sacred Majesty and his two Houses of Parliament no better in your esteem than Annas and Caiaphas they are mightily beholden to you for your good opinion of them And if that be not your opinion that Text is nothing to your case nor to the purpose but point-blank against you For whether it be right to hearken unto God judge ye God had never given Laws for his own worship to mankind but for the good peace and welfare of mankind God had never made the first Table of the Law but in order to and for the better observance of the duties of the second Table If Subjects would never have been disobedient to their Prince and Governours nor children disobedient to their Parents nor servants to their Masters if men would never have coveted their neighbours goods nor their neighbours wife nor servant nor have rob'd and murdered one another but would have liv'd soberly righteously and therefore godlily in this present world the Allelujahs of Angels had been the great worship of men But since it is otherwise and that the wickedness of man is great in the earth and the imagination of the thoughts of his heart so bent to evil and that continually therefore God establish'd his Laws in the first Table by worship sacrifices c. Typically in the Old Testament for expiation of the guilt of sin and justification and sent his Son who was made a sacrifice for us antitypically in the New Testament for expiation of the guilt of sin and justification as our Priest and to show us how to live well as our Prophet and to exact our obedience as our King But none are benefited by his Priestly Office but such as obey his princely Laws according to his Prophetical Injunctions none are justified but such as are sanctified for this is the great will of God our sanctification Our Sanctification therefore is the grand design of the Law and Gospel Prophets and Apostles and that sanctification being summarily concluded by our Saviour in doing as we would be done by and all lesser holy duties of prayer praising hearing Sacraments being in order to the great holy duty of doing as we would be done by and particularized in and reducible to the second Table prove in all cases of conscience the truly godly must do the greater duty rather than the less and the duties of the second Table rather than the first so that he do but continue his faith in Christ the while and in so doing Now cannot the Non-conformist Preachers continue to be Christians though they do obey the fifth Commandment and submit to their Governors Injunctions nay can they obey God who is the author of the fifth Commandment if they do not obey their Christian Governors does not God prefer the peace and tranquillity and welfare of mankind before his own worship and will not you prefer it In obeying and submitting in quietness to the supream and Christian powers you obey God and that obedience is better than sacrifice and proves evidently that that which Greg. sets down p. 100. for Apochrypha in the Ecclesiastical Politician is an undoubted truth namely that moral vertue being the most material and useful part of all Religion is also the utmost end of all its other duties And all Religion must be resolv'd into Enthusiasme or Morality The former is mâ—…er Imposture and therefore all that is true must be reduced to the latter In an unlawful and forbidden Conventicle you may
Ceremonies of true Religion the true Religion it self and Gods holy Sion but yet the Governours in the City will watch over thee punish thee and keep thee off because thou art an enemy to the holy City to the true Religion or else thou wouldst not have overturned and trampled upon the Suburbs If you understand this you have the true notion and understanding of a Ceremony if you do not I will not further explain my self Wilt thou not suffer thy child to loll and jear with his hat on whilest thou art praying and kneeling with thy hat off though he pretend conscience for his disobedience and wilt thou not kneel then when they bid thee kneel that are thy Superiours in Church and State and be uncoverd when they bid thee be uncovered Hast thou power to enjoin Ceremonies in thy family and have not thy Superiours as much power to ordain Ceremonies in the Church Dost thou that pleadest the fifth Commandement against thy wicked disobedient son servant never plead it against thy self Dost thou say to thy son and servant you must needs be subject and that for conscience sake and dost thou never send that Scripture home to thine own heart thou that sayst a man should not steal or be disobedient dost thou steal art thou disobedient What need of Jayls or Acts of Indemnity or Uniformity Licences or Liberty Indulgence or no Indulgence It is all one to him that is of this Religion which will not suffer a man to pray and lye slander and preach fast and murder talk of incomes and getting Christ whilest he goes the way to hell There can be no Rebel-Saints of this Religion I 'll tell you in one word how truly to get Christ whilest Canters belabour you with a sound and an empty noise To get Christ is to get to Christ and there is no getting to Christ but in his own way his own way is what he taught himself for the sum of all Religion Law and Prophets Mat. 7. 12. which we have been treating of which is ready at hand always to direct thee in thought word and deed believe the Creed say the Lords prayer and the Liturgy frequent Sacraments and this is religion enough to carry thee to Heaven But you 'll say perhaps and object against me that if this be my religion why do I not practise it and again ask me whether in this Letter I have done to others as I would they should do to me that is would I be willing to be so sharply reprov'd and check'd as I sometimes check Father Grey-beard and the Canters To which I answer I not only would be content to be so us'd but if I were such a wretch to trouble and confound the Kingdom where I live with arts and methods that do tend and as by sad experience we have found have tended to blood ruine wars and desolation I would esteem him the best friend that I had in the world that could either convince me and the people seduced by me of our villanies or laugh me and them out of such fopperies by representing me and them upon the stage in as ridiculous a posture if it were possible as ever they were acted by me or them or Hugh Peters himself when multitudes of poor fools strove who should first part with their silver-bodkins and Plate body and soul for the Good Oâ—…d Cause And if it were not to do both the seducers and seduced good by this plain dealing I had not writ a word in this Letter for I know my reward from most of them is that hatred for my good will railing lying and slandering me as the worst of men and yet cannot evidence in one particluar where I have transgress'd this great rule of doing as I would be done by this ten years Which I speak not as a fool or a Pharisee to boast of for fame nor honour nor dishonour riches nor poverty good report nor evil report safety or hazard can seem to me or any that are well grounded in this religion of Christ of doing as we would be done by any thing to move me towards the least desire of applause for I know this justification of my self is the way to create great envy and great reproach against me in those that know no duty so great as the four first Commandements namely the worship of God his days Sermons mysteries discourses and disputes of their ways of worship they are full of that but yet can envy lye slander and rail and then I tell them but they believe not that all their praying hearing keeping Sabbaths are not worth a Louse nor their faith neither though it is the very words at least the sence of what they read with their eyes 1 Cor. 13. 2. only here 's the difference I speak more worthily of their prophesying and their faith than the Apostle does allow to such idle mysteries where charity is wanting for he says such a man as has the gift of prophesying understands all mysteries all knowledge has all faith without charity is nothing whereas I only say such a man's gifts knowledge mysteries and faith are not without charity worth a Louse So that I have therein out-bid the worth of them a Louse is good for something I will not tell all its vertues it is good for the Jaundice c. but all knowledge mysteries prophesying and faith without charity the Apostle makes good for nothing at all Away with mens prate of Religion and admiring this and that precious man this and that precious piece of worship when it only puffs men up makes them more proud more scornful more headstrong more cruel more bloody more rapacious greater lyers greater slanderers more malicious than they were before and more a Devil than any man in the world is Turk Jew or Cannibal Shew me not the meat but shew me the man if these people that prate of their precious heavenly food they have had in these late times have in the mean time such starv'd souls empty of all goodness but a little outside holiness and vizard of worship but are full of such horrid sins as envy malice injustice lying cheating defaming and sometimes murdering and plundering and sequestring that on this side Hell there 's no such treacherous false and unsociable villaines then by this it is evident that like Ephraim they sed upon the wind liv'd like Camelions upon air sound whineing canting feigned words and if perhaps they have cast out some one Devil of swearing or Sabbath-breaking they have entertain'd in the room seven other Devils more wicked than the former and the last state of that man is worse than the first I know with this plain dealing I stir in a nest of wasps and because I have cryed down these feigned words with which craft these silver-smiths and juglers get their wealth these dearly beloved tones and whinings that did so affect the silly women thus undervalued spoils the trade Gâ—…e me pen and ink and paper
on 't better â—…th to fly So high a Pitch had cause to fear I never should find entrance there On that acount but was to blame Peter was not my Christian name Besides I fear'd St. Peter should Owe me a Grudge because I would Often for which I now am vext Make a holdsally from my Text Against the Pope who is alli'd To Peter by the surer side Fearing success and loth to climb I put off 'till some other time The Journey I desisting then Can tell you no great News from Heaven Therefore I 'l keep me to my Text That with some dâ—…ubts is much perplext But I 'l resolve All out of hand And first in order as they stand Curse ye Meroz What is Meroz Some Infidel will not come near us Nor to us will Horse and Arms bring But rather send them to the King And go himself and men to boot But for the Cause not stir one foot This is that Cursed Meroz that To th' Parliament will send no Plate But from us if he can will lock it And keep his money in his Pocket So much for that Another word There is to clear Help of the Lord. Help of the Lord What 's that Lord Bishop Or House of Lords Not so I hope Nor Lórd Newcastle nor Lord Goring With whom the wicked go a whoring Help of the Lord is One and All Help the Lord Essex General But that 's not All for moneys are The Nerves and Sinews too of War For Powder must be had for Gun We had as good else ne'r begun If the Red-coats have not their Pay They 'l from their Colours run away Nor will they willing be to die Nay and perhaps may mutinie For want of Pay where are we then We may go hang our selves for men Except we money have The Gold Must here be found as I 'l unfold Help of the Lord then is Dear honeys Help the poor Red-coats with your moneys Down with your Dust then come be nimble Plate Bodkins Tankards Spoon â—…r Thimble All these then as if at a stand And into pocket putting his hand All these like Barber's Teeth being strung On Red cloth ready as they hung Holding forth said all these good People From Colchester St. Peter's steeple Are all clear gains and I assure ye As many more I got at Bury Then lest the people should discover His sleight of hand and so give over Finding the Juggle out and mock it He put his hand in th' other pocket As feeling for some other strings But in the interim flyly flings His right hand into th' left behind And then the better them to blind His hands met under 's cloak in brief As the receiver with the Thief He held it out then to be seen As if some other string 't had been And said This other string of Plate I from the Wives of Ipswich got The Butcher's Wife did freely give All the poor soul had I believe I got all to her very Plackit And can have more still when I lack it Help of the Lord then is Dear Coneys Help us dear Petticoats with moneys List for I hear this Text plain lie Fine Ends of Gold and Silver crie Beggars must be nâ—… chusers whether Silver broken or whole bring 't hiâ—…her Good Wife or Wâ—…nch the Widows mite Oliver C. shall you requite If you 'l not credit what he saith I 'l give you then the Publick Faith Methinks I hear the Proverb started A fool and 's money is soon pâ—…rted That Proverb does belong to those That part with money to ouâ—… foes Help who the King No. Nosuch thing Help Parliament not Help the King When we say King and Parliament The Parliament alone is meant So much for this time then I say Desiderantur Caetera By this you have heard how the juggle has been done the story is good because 't is true and thousands to this day witness it to their cost to the loss of their goods plate and estates and which is more to the loss of the bodies and souls too it is too probable of their dear relations Was the holy word of God ever before in any age or Kingdom so vilely abus'd by such abominable wrestings and interpretations and to such base and bloody ends and designs as by these Peters Owens Marshals Baxters c. are not these worthy cares for the Fathers of the new Church of modern Orthodoxy are not these within an inch and a half at least as bad as a Rationale upon the sacred Common-Prayer could the Devil of hell ever abuse and wrest the Holy Scriptures as these modern Orthodox juglers and Sermon-mongers have done nay the Devil to give him his due was not so impudent Mat. 4. For though he was Devil for taking the sacred word into his mouth since he hated to be reformed yet those Sermon mongers in these times were much more Devils in that particular and outvyed Beelzebub himself For He Mat. 4. quoted the Scripture truly but not fully omitting in the sixth verse of that Chapter as his children used to do in the seventeenth verse of 1 Pet. 2. the latter clause as that which made not for their turn But these children have out-done their Father in hellish craft upon those Scriptures Curse ye Meroz give them blood to drink Bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles in fetters of Iron and a hundred the like not in concealing the full sence of them as the Devil did but being more devillish and out witting Hell it self in wresting them to a quite contrary sence the Devil went not so far these modern Orthodox herein making the Devil an Ass. Are not these worthy cares Mr. Grey beard for your Learned Fathers Considering therefore these things with my self as one whose fate it was to be born and bred up in schismatical times and a factious University sucking in Schism with my mothers milk in two sâ—…nses and consequently when I was a child did as a child and was gull'd and cheated into their Fopperies as much as I must needs have been into Mabometanism if I had been born and bred up amongst the Turks whom yet I have found the honester of the two though both bad I say considering with my self when I came to years of consideration what devillish bloody and rapacious villains these Modern Orthodox Preachers and Sermon-mongers were so that Hell it self could not match them and withal considering that those people that most haunted those Preachments Sermons Lectures and Stories were above all mankind whether Turks Cannibals Indians or Jews the most false malicious revengeful slanderous envious liars cheaters treacherous bloody perfidious rapacious plunderers Sequestrators Oliverians Committee-men Gifted-men cruel Dissemblers Lovers of their own selves alone together with them of their gang covetous Boasters proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy Traitors heady high-minded Lovers of pleasures more than Lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof c. Presently I think
ever if you do but read and consider what he says there are charms to make you believe all he says to be true in spight of your teeth he has spoil'd us many a good Sermon wherein we use to inveigh against the Cross in Baptism and against Baptism of any until they be taught and against kneeling at the Sacrament having given us a spiteful Go-by which I never heard of before calling it the Cross after Baptism as if the Church of England held Baptism sufficient without it and before it be used and also denying which we know not how to help that Teaching goes before Baptizing in the words of the Commission asserting that Christ commands his Disciples to make Disciples by baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. and then says in the following verse comes in Teaching time enough And then for kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Suppper he says it is as easie to prove it the posture of Christ and his Apostles as is sitting lolling lying standing or walking making no matter which so there be decency and and order friends saying there is no more Ceremony in kneeling then than at any other Devotion nor more a Ceremony than when the Quakers in token of Respect Love and Reverence when they meet wring one another by the hands but we know friends the Quakers are the silliest and most foolish Sect that ever was in the world for denying all Ceremonies because it is impossible whilest we have bodies and are in the flesh but we must use some posture or other of body when we are at our Devotions and one posture is as much a Ceremony as another and also we must needs be covered with some vests or vestments when we are at our Devotions except we meet naked at which the women laughing he concludes Thus have I constrain'd my self thus long into a snivelling Cant to shew those that never came at a Conventicle what Comments I am sure will be made of my Letter though I protest I have not writ a syllable in it whether jest or earnest but in a sober true-hearted design for the good of those poor souls bejugled and cheated of their Estates and more precious souls by modern Orthodoxy carried on to the ruine of Kingdoms by Spiritual Gypsies Fidlers Juglers that wander all the Kingdom over seeking whom they may devour and make a prize and booty of and if I were a Lawyer I think I could find Law enough against them and bring them for all their shifts Legerdemains within the compass of the Statutes against Vagrants Fidlers Juglers and cheaters if not Wolves though in Sheeps cloathing And I have manifested more true love in this Letter to beguiled and unstable souls than he does that picks their pocket Such I mean as Hugh Peters of whom they have had as good an opinion as they now have of any of their precious godly men who can scarce hold from laughing as Hugh Peters did to see how soon the poor fools and their moneys were parted Of which precious snivelling whining chapmen if any be so fool-hardy as to plead for their Baal's and Diana's here defyed let him but put his name to what he writes and I 'll promise him I 'll tell him if he desire it what E. H. at the end of this Letter subscrib'd does signifie and who claims that name which those Letters here stand for because I 'll justifie every word I write and I would also beg of such an one if at least such an one there be so daring as to defend Modern Orthodoxy whose admirers did use to expose themselves in Print as readily as ridiculously and as pertly as malepertly that he would place his words as right as that disorderly scribling Tribe of Adoniram use to do and let me not have one such tempting word as Trinkles Tuants Un hoopable jurisdiction or ferreting upon the stage and the like to sport with as he loves me my ease my quiet and repose Left complaint be made by those of the Kings and Dukes Play-house that for less money to their great hinderance and want of custom we entertain men in Afternoons with our Repartees till it be grown almost as good as a Play as Father Gregory phrases it p. 35. very jocundly Gregory himself allows a man once in his life to change his Party p. 91. for which I could almost approve one thing he says and indeed otherwise he would have condemn'd S. Paul and all mankind who are born with their backs heaven-ward but when he says they may change sides either for safety or preferment he discovers the sow beggarly and ignoble principles that act him 't is Greg. like Gregories own self for so he came to be an executioner either for safety to save his own neck from the Gallows or for Preferment to so high an Office Come take my advice Greg. learn at last to be more wise and leave this scribling to which your stars are averse and because I am in the counselling humour I also advise you better late thrive than never abjure this villanous game Picquet which you say you but lately learned haunt not the company of Lincoln Dignitaries nor those rooking Ordinaries where you say you were chouc'd when you play'd pieces for fear that though you never have grace to repent and return from Oliverian Orthodoxy yet it is more than an even lay that such lewd courses will in spight of your purse make you a turn-Coat a Profession that I was never so needy thread-bare to be of for my Buff-coat though turn'd two or three times will scarcely make so neat a Cassock as I now wear though the Kings Taylor himself take it in hand Modern Orthodoxy under which I was born and bred and to which I was childishly led being now abhorred by me through more ingenuous generous principles than either safety or preferment Neither of which was either design'd obtain'd or like to be obtain'd in the change by me who could if I had listed to have been so base have pickt the peoples pockets with canting long snivelling sermons as cleaverly as the best of them with many thanks for my great pains therein besides applause and renown too into the bargain alive and dead whereas the party I own is of another Cue and Preferments design'd by our noble Ancestors with a liberal hand to men of most merit being byass'd many times with little Picques and self-interest run right upon the Jack that if he paid not for it before he had it delivered yet paid dearer for it by marrying cousin Abigail or blear-ey'd Leah our daughter whereas more safety and preferment as the Non conformists know well flowes plentiful upon the Oliverian Orthodox whilst the truly Orthodox Clergy fall into contempt universal and by reason of envy to some of the Great Ones and scorn to such as are too deservedly despicable amongst the Clergy very few men do cordially concern themselves therein
seared with a hot iron that though the poyson of Asps is perpetually under their lips and they spit their venom against their Superiors yet recant not repent not nor do their tender Consciences feel any remorse or regret Thus Ver. 6. when the Post went out with the Letters from the King and his Princes throughout all Israel and Judah and according to the Commandment of the King requiring the people to Conform and not to be stiff-necked v. 8. as their fathers were but yield themselves unto the Lord so is the Law of the King and Council there called But what entertainment did the people give it This is the question at this day Truly the people were then as now some of them Conformists and some of them Non-conformists The Nonconformists were Ephraim wholly and part of the Tribe of Manasseh and part of Zebulon v. 10. The Conformists were all Judah part of the Tribe of Ashur part of Manasseh and part of Zebulon v. 11 12. Here stand the two Pparties the Non-conformists jearing and laughing and scorning and mocking at the Messengers or Ministers of the King declaring the Kings pleasure and the Law v. 10. And the Ministers were right serv'd I am sure Father Gray beard will say he would have chastised them for their worthy eares nay I fear he would have cried out ruine and desolation all Scotland and part of the Church of England c. is quite undone Here is man's Post against God's Post man's Threshold against God's Threshold Antichrist against Christ and the King's Law against the Positive words of God's Law But perhaps some will say Hezekiah though a good King yet had his faults and so might his Council too tell us not what they did but tell us how God did approve and like of what they did in making a Law against his Law who did God own the Conformists or Non-conformists can you tell us that Yes that I can 2 Chron. 30. 12. This commandment of the King and the Princes against the positive rule of God's Law being made for a good reason moving the King and his Council thereunto is not withstanding called the Word of the Lord and the band of the Lord was with the Conformists God is on our side may they say For the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the Commandment of the King and of the Princes by the word of the Lord. Thus tempting of Moses is called tempting of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 9. This I had not now urged but that Greg. and such fellows as he will take upon them to read Politick and Divinity Lectures to the World in Print when they know nothing but Modern Orthodoxy read Books and hearken to Preachers of their opinion wherein thus confirm'd they admire their Gigantick Improvements and then bid defiance like furious Orlando's to all mankind when indeed they are big with nothing but a soft pate huft and blown up with their own dear humours of self-conceit Nor do I think Governours have warrant from that instance to disannul Gods Sacraments but as to Circumstances and Ceremonies of time place habits gestures and the like according to their Judgement and necessity or conveniency moving them have an unanswerable Right Let Greg. and his Modern Orthodox men mitigate this too I fear them not nor all their snivellings and whinings which no body admires but blew and white aprons and the more ingenious Tankerd-bearers And let them consider without prejudice and in the fear of Almighty God that when the Sons of Jonadab the Sons of Rechab in obedience to him their Superiour submitted to his Humane-law in drinking no Wine nor building Houses nor planting Vineyards which certainly are all very good things and God likewise tells man that all the good creatures he made on purpose for him and his use every herb bearing seed and every tree bearing fruit commanding it should be to mankind for meat c. yet in obedience to the first commandment with promise they would not take the liberty and priviledge warranted to them by God and his Word but would obey the commandment of Jonadab their father and keep all his precepts And God did so love them for it that he blesses them for it saying Jer. 35. 18 19. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you Therefore thus saith saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever Happy would it be for the people of England in soul and body and estate here and hereafter on earth and in heaven if they would observe these thing rather than the wily wrestings of Holy Writ by crafty Seducers that have no way to cheat the people and be admired by them but by such Artifices as cheat them of their souls too and make the Kingdom so disturbed and their followers too and the bottom of all these juglings is but to get a paltry sneaking livelyhood and a little popular applause And then must our Governours and the King in especial be therein happy too and verifie every way the Anagram of his name in Latine Carolus Stuarte Anagr. Clarus sorte tua When Nero set Rome on fire he played upon the Ho-boy all the time and laid the blame on the Christians and thus Greg. J. O. and the rest of his friends the Modern Orthodox set these three Kingdoms on a flame with a brand fetch'd from Geneva and the Covenant and yet they make themselves merry with our misery lay all the blame upon King Charles Arch-Bishop Laud Ceremonies and Imposition of the Liturgy assassinating again those two glorious Martyrs in their Honour and Innocence and endeavouring to justifie the bloody Villains that murthered them Nor must his Majesty so much as think of their bloody and unparallel'd Cruelty because Augustus Caesar's Father too was murthered and his Kinsman Henry IV. of France likewise and Henry III. and such Gentlemens Memories had their Successors and the Cabinet-Council that they let the murderers escape scot-free and if piety and good nature would move for a stricter vindication of his Fathers death yet in Policy have a care displease not the Villains as you love your Kingdoms for a sturdy Swiss and a malepert Fisher-boy in Naples overturn'd all by a basket of Apples With such stuffe as this does Father Grey-beard and his Modern Christians wipe their mouths with the whore in the Proverbs and say they have done no wickedness but all the fault is in thine own people in King Charles I. Arch-Bishop Laud Fathers of the Church Superfetations Parliaments and evil Counsellors And if I have beat all these Butt-ends of his upon his own Pate and vindicated King Charles I. his Reign from that deformity wherewith both it his Majesty and Arch-Bishop Laud are by this bold Author as falsly and maliciously as well as most unseasonably in this Juncture maligned I have my end But who this Malignant is for my part I am not solicitous nor did I ever see any man that was taken for him upon suspicion I have dealt with him all along as is prescribed in the method for cure of unruly and vain talkers and deceivers Tit. 1. 13. namely rebuk'd him as sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly to the quick as near as I could with honest design by such harmless incisions to let out the impostumated Quitter and prepare for his cure odi vitium non virum And now I have done and to write after him p. 325. but withall to set him a better Copy I shall think my self largely recompen sed for this trouble if Greg. and others shall learn by this Example that it is not impossible thus long to be merry and angry as he was but to be merry and angry and yet not sin by traducing the most innocent and honourable Persons dead and alive by such superfetation of Rayling as he has done I am Your servant Edm. Hickeringill FINIS Dr. Bruges