so must be a precedent example for judges and Magistrates in all time coming and by this example any member of the Council might lawfully rise up and execute judgment on this wicked wreatch and his cursed fraternity who have brought by their apostasy and defection from the Covenant and cause of God the wrath and curse of God upon the land 2. That Phineas was the High Priest's sone we know and that he was afterward High priest himself is truth but that he was at this time a publick Magistrate or a member of the great Sanhedrin we see not It is true there were some Princes of the tribes men of renowne Numb 1. ver 16. but he is not mentioned among those neither were these the great Sanhedrin So these princes of the assembly Numb 16 2. were not the Sanhedrin which did consist but of 70 Members Numb 11. Nor was Phineas one of them And that congregation of the children of Israel mentioned Numb 25 6. amongst whom Phineas was ver 7. was not the Sanhedrin which we never finde as I remember so called but the whole body of the People who were then mourning partly for the sin commited and partly for the execution when the heads of the People vvere hanged up and a thousand moe killed by the judges at Moses his command for Paul 1 Cor. 10 ver 8. sayes there died of the plague tvventy three thousand and here vve finde there fell in all tvventy foure thousand Againe it is remarkable that this single act of Phineas in killing two persons is so much rewarded and taken notice of by the Lord yea more then the many who were killed by the judges ver 5. So that it seemes he was no publick Magistrate and that he did it with the approbation of Moses is probable but that Moses did command him we see not only we finde that the Zeal of God moved him and therefore is he highly rewarded though he was but the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Yea that which the Surveryer citeth out of Deodat rather confirmeth this for Deodat calleth it an act of extraordinary zeal motion of God's Spirit and he addeth that Moses the Supreme Magisstrate did approve it but what needed this if he had been a Magistrate seing there was a command given to the Magistrates ver 5. and a command is more then an approbation Aquinas and Gerhard call him it is true a judge but we see no proof unlesse they could evince that he was a member of the Sanhedrin of which Gillespy speaks in his Aarons rod. lib. I. c. I. The Dutch Annotat. on Psal 106 31. Suppose him to have been no Magistrate but say that this fact was beside his ordinary calling His 2. answere is Pag. III. That suppose he had been a meer private person yet it could prove nothing because he did it with the approbation and good liking of Moses and so he is but the executor of that unanimous sentence Answ But not only is this not written but the scripture giveth another ground of his fact then any warrand or command of Moses And so his answere in rebus facti a non scripto ad non factum non valet consequentia is not to the purpose Now I say the scripture giveth another ground viz. his zeal for his God which is not spoken of the other judges who ver 5. were commanded of Moses to execute judgment yea that word Psal 106 30. then stood up Phineas and executed judgment clearely hinteth at more then his being a meer satelles Magistratus and the ample reward which was given him and the Lord 's counting it to him for righteousnesse speak some other thing then that he had a call of the Magistrate and was his executioner In the 3 place he sayes The cases are different for then was horrible idolatry and villanous whordome committed avowedly and with a high hand in the sight of the Sun and in way of open doing despite to God but it is not so now Answ Prudence might have taught him to have concealed this for it were easy to draw such a parallel as would make him afrayed if any did intend to follow that example For I am sure what ever he account of the present apostasy and how ever he mince it as no doubt zimri would have minced his uncleannesse when he justified the fact before the Council as he told us Iosephus said yet the apostasy and perjury is open avowed abhominable and villanous committed in the sight of the Sun in despite of God and maintained as right and lawful howbeit it be such as the very heavens may be astonished at For such open avovved malapert vvickednesse defection and perjury all things considered vvas never heard of in any generation Hovv our reformation aud confession of faith is maintained vve have heard and albeit he make all the change to be only a change of the exterior forme of Church government yet when he is before his judge he shall finde in the cup of this iniquity manifest avowed perjury overturning of the work of God destroying of the interest of Christ blasphemy near unto that unpardonable sin if not the very same in fathering the works of the right hand of the Most high on Satan open and avowed persecution of godlinesse opening of a gap to all licentiousnesse horrid iniquity increase of idolatry villanous and avowed whordome Sodomy atheisme and devilry and more wickednesse then tongue can tell or pen can paint out but is on clear record before the Lord. 4. Sayes he Let it be so that he was a meer private man and had no warrand from the Supreame Magistrate to do what he did his fact cannot warrand Men to attempt the doing of such acts unlesse they can shew as good warr and and approbation from God as he could Answ That he had God's warrand and approbation vve do not doubt but that it was such an approbation as was peculiar to extraordinary un-imitable acts is the thing in question we grant with him That God is the Lord of all Magistrates and of all men's lives can when it pleaseth him crosse ordinary rules and apppoynt some to execute his judgments extraordinariely but the question is whether every thing which the Surv. accounteth extraordinary is so indeed He may sayes he send Moses to kill the Egyptian Eglon to kill Ehud he should say Ehud to kill Eglon Elias to destroy companyes of men with fire from heaven or to kill Baal's Priests He may command Abraham to kill his sone Isaac he may excite David to a bloody duëel Sampson to murther himself Ans Will the Surveyer account these instances alike extraordinary and unimitable Sure Royalists will think that Ehud's killing of Eglon may warrand any private person now to kill a tyrant without title But I lay more weight upon Iohn Knox his distinction in this matter in his debate with Lithingtoun hist. of reformation Pag. 390. edit in fol. And as touching sayes Mr.
13 v. 10. Unto which he answered That as these places do enjoyn either patience when the clear call and dispensation of God do inevitably call unto suffering without which patience were no patience but rather stupidity of c. So thence to inferre that Men should give way to all violence and sacrilege to the subverting of Religion and righteousnesse is after the manner of Satan to cheat and abuse men by the holy Scriptures The Surveyer replyeth thus I meddle not with his impertinent reflections and scurrile jibes nor vvith his groundlesse inferences vvhich vve have so oft met vvith in the former part The scope is to shew the unlawfulnesse of private revenge for injuries done to us and the place will condemne plainely enough violent retaliating the Magistrate when we think he doth us wrong Answ The scope of the place is obvious and doth no more condemne private persons retaliating the Magistrate then Magistrats retaliating privat Subjects unlesse Magistrates be exempted from this precept and consequently be not to be reckoned among Christ's followers And as from this place it will not follow that one independent King may not make war against another and thereby defend his rights nor that one private person may not defend his rights and just possessions against an invader no more will if follow that Subjects may not defend themselves and their Rights Libertyes and Religion against the violent oppression and Tyranny of Magistrats Next sayes the Surveyer Pag. 269. That every Man in his calling ought to withstand violence and Sacrilege to the subverting of Religion and Righteousnesse is granted Yea privat Men may resist the unjust violence of private Persons and being under the conduct of the Magistrate may resist any that offereth violence in lesser concernments then these are But we still maintaine that this text forbids all revenge or violent retaliation upon the Magistrate though he abuse his power Answ The question is not what he will still maintaine that this text doth forbid but what he can evince that this text will prove against us How will he prove that this text doth more forbid private persons to resist the unjust violence of Magistrats then to resist the unjust violence of privat persons or to resist the unjust violence of any having Magistrats to conduct them Is there any exception in the text Doth not the text speak to all in reference to all To wit that they should resist none out of a Spirit of private revenge Againe though the text forbid all revenge or violent retaliation upon the Magistrate though he abuse his power will it therefore forbid privat Subjects to defend themselves by force in case of necessity from manifest and unjust violence and Tyranny No no more then because the text doth forbid even Magistrats to revenge or retaliate from a Spirit of revenge wicked Malefactors It doth therefore forbid them to execute justice upon them Naphtaly did add that this was grosly to exceed that signal rule mainly in these places intended to wit that we should be perfect even as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect Who though he filleth the Earth with his goodnesse yet doth he love righteousnesse and helpeth and delivereth the oppressed and commandeth the Zeal of his owne glory wherein he himself doth often eminently appeare by the hand of his people to take vengeance on his adversaries To this the Surveyer replyeth What strange argueing is this that because God Almighty executeth vengeance upon his adversaries therefore private persons should follow his perfection in doing the like albeit they have not his warrand or command Answ Naphtaly's Argument ran mainely upon helping and delivering the oppressed Neither doth he conclude what private persons may do without God's warrand or command This he supposed because he had evinced it Then Naphtaly closeth saying Let us therefore in the consideration of what is said Rev 13 v. 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall goe Into captivity He that killeth with the sword c. Both possesse our souls in patience under all the former sufferings and hope and rejoyce in the faith of the succeeding delivery there subjoyned Upon this sayeth the Surveyer he would found the consolation and patience of his party in all former sufferings and his hope and joy in the succeeding delivery Answ And why might he not That word sayes he Rev. 13. toucheth not nor threatens the Magistrate in the executeion of justice but rebels who use the sword without God's warrand against the Magistrate may read their reward in this text Answ We say not that it threatens the Magistrate executing justice But let such see to it who instead of executing justice pervert justice and execute the innocent people of God And after the manner of the Beast there spoken of maketh war with the Saints And so may all rebels against God who use the sword without his warrand But as for privat subjects defending themselves by the sword of innocent self defence against unjust violence and intolerable tyranny and oppression we have proved that they want not God's warrand and therefore they may look for another reward And as for his hope and confidence after expressed we let it passe as not worth the mentioning for when the hope of the Hypocrit perisheth his is like to give up the Ghost Having thus answered all which this surveyer hath said whether in his first part or now in his second against the truth which we have maintained we may saifly say that these valient worthies were basely and unworthyly murthered that there was no just cause to take their lives This man pag. 260. c. Will not have them justified and adduceth for the most part such reasons as make me doubt whether he can be the same man that drew up the first part of this Survey because they are the very same things we heard before in the first part and is it possible the man could have forgotten himself or think that we could so soon have forgotten what we heard in the first part and had answered And if he be a distinct person I wonder what the man meaned to give us the same thing over againe did he ever read these in the first part or had he forgotten that ever he saw them Or thought he that they would have the weight of gold coming from his Mouth while they had not the weight of stuble being uttered by his collegue He beginneth that discourse with palpable untruthes saying That they suffered not upon the account of owneing the covenant Whereas the maine Argument of their indictment was That all convocations and riseing in armes or subjects entering in leagues without or against the King's authority are treasonable Then he tels us That all which they can say for their riseing was that the Magistrate by moderat penaliyes according to law was pressing them to attendance upon the ordinance of God which is an indispensible duty This we heard before and is answered Chap. XVI
as they should rather honour and highly reward would not any body smile at such a consequence And yet such is his here Let him make it to appear that the matter of the actions of these persons was lawful and the necessity extreme and the case was the same as to the deficiency of others to do the work and that they were in a probable capacity to do it then he shall speak more home to the case He needs not tell his readers Pag. 107. That such abhominable courses carryed on under pretext of heroick motions and rare exitations of the spirit should make the fearers of God very cautelous against the principles of this Man which lead this way For that man neither approveth these courses nor any such like nor doth his principles lead that way whatever he imagine nor doth he assert as he alledgeth that there needs no standing upon an externall call if men think they have his internal call to use the sword for vengeance against Apostate Magistrates and Reforme an Apostate Church their zeal is a sufficient call to rise up in a Phineas like fortitude without further as any vvill see vvho reads over that discourse Nor needeth he to say that if people be so principled it were better living under the great Turk where no man is to losse his life but by Law then in Scotland For he doth not expose any to the fury of private persons who can pretend rare and heroick excitations of the Spirit to execute justice on men when they think there is cause as he supposeth in the following words nor could he rationally be supposed to do so though he had clearly and positively asserted that that fact of Phineas was in all poynts alwayes imitable far lesse when he is loath to assert so much as this Surveyer himself acknowledgeth in the following words Pag. 108. confessing that he said we hold no such instances as regular precedents for all times and persons universally What displeaseth him then But where is sayes he the caution that is put in against any that will pretend heroïcal excitations by the spirit as a sufficient cal he hath opened a door but how will he close it againe Answ What could himself say more to bar a heady People from such pretensions of Phineas-like motions then that it was not a regular precedent for all times and Persons Is it not possible as hath been said yea and often seen that the most cleare and approved examples have been abused And what can be said to this but that such must run their owne hazard and beare their owne guilt God only can prevent all confusion in all cases It is false which he addeth that This man hath proclamed this libertinisme to private persons upon pretence of heroïck excitations of Zeal c. to rise up against all powers above them for they are made judges in their owne private discretion when it is fit to fall in hand with such irregular practices and when it is that such heröick excitations are upon their spirits and when it is that matters are so far out of order that they cannot be amended without their violent interposeing and pulling downe of powers All this is referred to private persons discretion Ans No such thing is there said and Phineas instance will give ground for no such thing though it were pressed as a most regular precedent As we grant with him that Quakers and Ranters c. may start up aud plead their impulses and that People when they minde changes will not want pretexts But what sayes that against the thing seing the best things may be abused Ay but Naphtaly sayes he holds That Magistrates when patronisers of abhominations ought without doubt be suppressed by all meanes so that if there be not probable capacity for armes a dag or a dagger a pistol or a poisoned poinard a spanish fig or some secret applications may do the businesse with some great ones Answ Naphtaly in the place cited Pag. 18. is speaking of open idolatry blasphemy perjury venting and spreading of heresy and such like abhominations which being most dishonourable to God pernicious to all Commonwealths ought sayes he by all meanes to be suppressed that is by all faire and possible meanes for illud tantum possumus quod jure possumus and so had he not been too captious be reason of it is like his green wound he might have spared the rest and to his liturgical prayer following That the life our dread Soveraigne may be bound up with the Lord his God in the bâ—undle of life and also that the same great and good God may be a shield and buckler to his servants who desire in honouring of the King to feare him the King of Kings above all against the generation of Men of blood and violence We shall desire him to add this Letany from perjury pride profanesse blasphemy impenitency atheisme and all manner of uncleannesse good Lord deliver us and our King And to prevent all these feares let is Majesty and other Magistrates reforme their wayes and turne to the Lord and execute judgement on him and his complices and all the rest who now pretend to honour the King and to feare God but in effect to deifie a creature and renunce their homage to the King of Kings and so provoke him to destroy both them and their King by their apostasy and wicked defection and that openly before men and Angels as David hanged up the Sons of Saul before the sun and then they need not fear either dag or dagger pistol or poysoned poinard a spanish fig nor any such secret applications Thereafter Pag. 109. he comes more particularly to consider that discourse and gives us there and in the following Pages 7. or 8. Answers The first is That it is much doubted if Phineas was a meer private person being the high Priests son and a chief priest and a Prince in his tribe Numb 31 6. Jos 22 31 32. one of the great Council Num. 1 16. and 16 2. who did in that dismaltime Numb 25 6 meet with Moses the chief Magistrate to lament the ab hominable idolatry and bodyly filthinesse committed at that time and to consult and advise about the authoritative restraining of this wickednesse In the mean time when the great council are humbled before the Lord Zimri with his Midianitish woman are in their very sight going in to the tent and Josephus sayes that before Moses and the Council he justified the fact and pleaded frowardly to have and retaine her In this case of so effronted wickednesse Phineas then one of the congregation or great Council v. 6. rose from among the congregation or great Council which shewes he was sitting amongst them under the eye knowledge and approbation of Moses the supreame Magistrate pursued them both to the tent and thrust them thorow Answ 1. Then it seemes this fact of Phineas was a laudable act of judice in a Magistrate and
Knox that ye alledge that the fact was extraordinary is not to be imitated I say That it had the ground of God's ordinary judgement which commandeth the Idolater to die the death and therefore I yet againe affirme that it is to be imitate of all these that preferre the true honour of the true worshipe and glory of God to the affection of flesh and wicked Princes and when Lithingtoun replyed That we are not bound to follow extraordinary examples unlesse we have the like commandment and assurance the same which this Surveyer sayeth He answered I grant if the example repugne to the law as if an avaricious and deceitful man would borrow Silver Rayment or other Necessaryes from his Neighbour and withhold the same alledging that so he might do and not offend God because the Israelites at their departure out of Egypt did so to the Egyptians The example served to no purpose unlesse that they could produce the like cause and the like commandement that the Israelites had And that because their fact repugned to this commandement of God Thou shall not steal But where the example agrees with the law and is as it were the execution of God's judgment expressed within the same I say that the example approved of God stands to us in place of a commandement for as God in his Nature is constant and immutable so can he not condemne in the ages subsequent that which he hath approved in his servants before us but in his servants before us he in his owne word confounds all such as crave further approbation of Gods will then it already expressed within his scriptures for Abraham said They have Moses and the Prophets c. Even so I say that such as will not be taught what they ought to do by the commandement of God once given and once put in practice will not beleeve nor obey albeit that God should send Angles from heaven to instruct that doctrine Now sure I am this fact of Phineas was according to the law and to the expresse minde of God and why then might it not be imitated in the like case what warrand command nor commisssion had Phineas which none now can expect 1. sayes he He had the Motion and direction of God's Spirit which was loco specialis mandati Answ. We know men must need the Motions and directions of God's spirit to ordinary and allovved dutyes Hovv shall these make this fact altogether un-imitable It is true Calvin sayeth it was singular and extraordinare motion which may not be drawne to a common rule but notwithstanding thereof I see not how it should be altogether un-imitable or uselesse But grant it were so as Calvin sayeth unlesse he say that it is never to be imitated in no case and that no such thing is ever to be expected which I suppose he will not say how will he prevent confusions thorow the abuse of corrupt men who can pretend as wel these singulare and extraordinare Motions as the examples of Phineas As for what he tells us Augustin and Bernard say of Samson's case is not to the poynt Because according to that solid distinction of Mr. Knox that was contrare to an expresse law Thou shall not kill and such also is the example of Abraham 2. He tells us That Phineas had not only a large reward of his fact Numb 25 ver 12 13. but an ample approbation of it Psal 106 sver 31 it was accounted to him for righteousnesse i. e. as a righteous action both as to the intention of it God's honour and as to the ground and warrand of it God's direction God doth not approve or remuner at any action which one way or other he doth not command Ausw This is all granted and as it sayeth that Phineas was no publick person or Magistrate otherwise there had been no doubt anent its being accounted to him for righteousnesse though it had not been expresly mentioned by the Spirit of God for it sayeth that sometimes private persones are allowed of God to do what he requireth in ordinary to be done by Magistrates There are none of these extraordinary actions sayes he mentioned in Scripture but either God's stirring up men to the same or his approbation of the same one way or other is noted See Judg. 3 ver 10. and 5 ver 7. and 10 ver 23. and 3 ver 9 15. and 2 16 18. Answ Will he say that all these instances were extraordinary and not imitable Whence will Royalists then prove that privaate persons may kill a Tyrant without title And if they be not altogether unimitable then the cause is here yeelded for God may be said to raise up and to stir up Mens Spritis even to imitable actions so he hath given us no reason as yet to prove Phineas fact altogether unimitable nor will the real rebukes which he saith God gave the late risers proclame that they had not his approbation unlesse he say that God's approbation of actions must alwayes be interpreted by the event which is not consonant to true Divinity In the 5. place he tells us That if once men come to presse the imitation of this instance they must say first that even when the Magistrate is godly and zealous and willing to execute judgement as Moses was private perssons may do it and without any legal processe 2. goe to mens tents and chambers and stob them and 3. that though such things be done inconsulto pio Magistratu yet the doer must not be challenged Answ. It will be sufficient if it be granted when the case is every way the like or whose It is true Moses was not unwilling but it is like at present in capacitated through the want of assistence of inferiour Magistrates many of whom were guilty and many had been executed and through grief while lying mourning before the Lord. 2. There needed no legall processe for both the law and the sentence was written with characters of blood upon the carcases of thousands this Mans fact was notour and avowed to all the Congregation 3. He had the interpretative consent of that pious Magistrate why then may not the like be done in the like case where the Ius and the factum is as clear and undenyable as here and the Magistrate who should execute the sentence is out of a present capacity and the matter admitteth of no delay as here for till this was done the plague was never stayed much more if he will not and wrath is still poured out from the Lord and the Magistrate by his place is bound to assent approve of the thing If such a fact were done in the like case would any think that the person should be challenged and not rather approved by the Magistrate In the 6. Place he giveth us the distinction betwixt extraordinary and heröical acts telling us that a heroick act doth not deviat from the rule of a common vertue but only proceeds from a more intense disposition to a
sealing and perfecting the Canon of Scripture hath so bound him up as that he will not or cannot now give such a Spirit unto any 2. The question rather is Whether now when the Canon is sealed and perfected examples of Zeal and valiant acting for God and his glory in times of corruption and wicknesse in actions not contrary to the Law of God registrated in Scripture be not for our use and instruction and imitable When Naphtaly wished that all God's People were as Phineas He concurreth with him In wishing that they may be filled with zeal to his glory as Phineas was but not that they should have the same exercise of zeal unlesse they could be certified of their warrand and calling to do so as he was Ans That he was certified of his calling warrand we doubt not but that he had such a call as no man now is capable of is the question he hath not yet cleared it The Apostles of Christ sayes he are to us examples of zeal for God in their Ministery but who will say that the acts which they Zealously did by virtue of their extraordinary calling as Peter's killing Ananias are for our imitation Answ Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira by a power of miracles which none now have Phineas did not kill the Prince and his whore by a power of miracles Their examples are imitable according to our power and the exigence of the like necessity and therefore Ministers should novv out of zeal use Church censures against such dissemblers when discovered And so we grant that to follow at the facts of them who have been truely Zealous for God were indeed an evil Zeal like the zeal of the Disciples Luk. 9 ver 54. and we shall willingly hearken to Peter Martyr's his words Loc. Com. Class 2. Cap. 9. and grant-that We must beware to confirme any thing which we vehemently and extraordinarily desire by the exemple of predecessours And that when we attempt the doing of any thing contrary to ordinary commands of God it is not enough to produce the example of others but we must search by what Spirit we are led lest under a specious pretext we follow carnal affection and prudence And yet say that in some cases private persons may execute â—udgement on Malefactors after the example of the Prophet Elias killing Baals Priests 1 King 18. Which fact Peter Martyr in the same place n. 4. defendeth thus I say it was done by the Law of God for Deut. 18. God decerned that the false Prophet should die and Cap. 17. the same is said of private Men and Women who would worshipe idols But Cap. 13. not only is death threatened against a seduceing Prophet but a command is added that no man should spare his brethren the Son of his Mother nor his son or daughter nor his dearest or most intimate friends Thirdly it is commanded that the whole city when it becometh idolatrous should be cut off by fire sword And Lev. 24. it is statuted that the blasphemer should not live to which we may adde the Law or equity of Taliation for these Prophets of Baal caused Iezebel and Ahab kill the servants of the Lord. He sayes it is true that King Ahab being present did consent and did not withstand but we see nothing in the text shewing that the Prophet founded his fact upon that consent It is true the King might have been so astonished by that prodigious sight that he durst not spurne against the Prophet and all the People But that for all this he gave any expresse command either through fear or desire to have raine or that the Prophet either sought or had his warrand and command for what he did we see no ground for it in the text More then Samuel had warrand of Saul when he killed Agag before his eyes whom he should have killed himself according to the command of God Thus have I answered all which this pamphleter hath said concerning Phineas his fact for what followeth to the end of his pamplet is not much to this matter hath been spoken to formerly and though I have done so I would not have the Reader to think that I do look upon that example of Phineas as a binding precedent in all times to all persons unlesse it be every way so circumstantiated as it was then And furder I suppose it will fully satisfy this Surveyer and stope his Mouth abundantly if I shall secure him from any such dag or dagger To which End because I can do no more I do heartily wish That none of God's People do in that manner defile their fingers on him or on any of his cursed fraternity to whom God is reserving if they repent not the vengeance of hell fire and possibly a visible stroke of justice on Earth in a way which will be more to the glory of God and to the satisfaction of all such as love his cause and his comeing CAP. XXI Some Animadversions upon the Surveyer's Virulent preface and Title-page WHen thus we have fully examined and confuted vvhat this Enemy hath said in this part of his Survey It will not be amisse till we see what he sayes further in the following part or parts of this infamous work of his to touch a little upon his Title-page and his most bitter and satirick preface which is a perfect proof of the man's Spirit for he cometh forth in his owne colours with his tongue speaketh no flattering words nor words of butter but both heart and tongue are full of gall and worm word So that his Name should not be Honeyman but Wormwood-Man or Man of gall 1. He calleth his work a Survey Or rather a Superficial view For No man who ever put pen to paper took such an overly look of the books which he pretended to answere as this Man doth of these books which he mentioneth in the title page of his scurril pamphlet as hath been abundantly already shewed And if he do no more in the following part or parts then he hath done in this first part he may deservedly bear the name of a Superficial prelate superficially viewing his adversaryes forces superficially managing the tottering cause for which he should have been superficially rewarded 2. A Survey of what Of the insolent and infamous libel Entituled Naphtali c. But whether his railing pamphlet or Naphtali do best deserve the title of an insolent and Infamous lybel let the Reader judge when he hath considered first that as Naphtali came forth without the author's or printer's name prefixed for which every one may be convinced there was sufficient reason seing such hath been and is the wickednesse and cruelty of corrupted tyrannical Courts and of none more then our Court novv in being that none durst without manifest hazard openly rebuke in the gate or in printe shevv the iniquity of their vvayes Yea Or vindicate such as oppose their tyranny and cruelty So doth this Survey vvhose author could be