thinking For I know right well true faith such as you flatter your selfe to be endued with and effectuall conversion to GOD are the whole substance of a Christian mans New-birth by the Spirit of GOD and this Regeneration where it is sound and effectuall sets the soule of that man free from Satans prevailing in such measure and degree as he hath done in your heart and in all the powers of your soule For it is the testimony of Gods Spirit in His Apostle â— Iohn â— 18 They that are borne of GOD sinne not but hee that is begotten of GOD keepeth himselfe that the wicked one toucheth him not Enoch Sir I have heard some Preachers teach that faith once had can never be lost Min. And by hearing such doctrine preached your imagination deluded and Satanically bewitched became presumptuous bold and desperate to commit those vnnaturall flagitious and crying Sinnes which by continuall clamour call for vengeance at the hand of GOD's Iustice But better it were that such doctrines were never preached unlesse those just limitations prescribed in GOD's Word were both carefully judiciously and continually added thereunto The method and manner of the delivery of this doctrine by Ministers of your acquaintance and familiaritie is neither sound nor true For such Ministers suspend and hang the whole matter of a Christian mans preservation in grace in faith in obedience after his Conversion upon the Mercy the Will and the Act of GOD's power grounding themselves upon these Scriptures Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of GOD are without repentance And againe 1 Pet. 1.5 Yee are kept by the power of GOD through faith unto salvation And by these places of holy Scripture and such like the whole act of a Christians support in faith and holinesse is transposed and put off from the will and care of man himselfe unto the will the mercie the power of GOD. And thus the best of men who are naturally prone to selfe-flattery selfe-pleasing and spirituall securitie have the edge of gracious care vigilancie and circumspection blunted and abated But our LORD Himselfe in whose love mercie and holy degrees our preservation and salvation â—â— firmely established commands all His children Matth. 26. To watch and pray that they enter not inâ—â— temptation the spirit is readie but the flesh is weake And the Apostle of our LORD gives a caveat to all the true and faithfull people of the LORD 1 Cor. 10.12 saying Let him that thinketh hee standeth take beeâ— lest he fall And further by the same Apostle Philip. 2.12 13. Worke out your owne salvation with feare and trembling for it is GOD that worketh in you both to will and â—â— doe of his good pleasure And the Apostle Iude hath pressed this godly care very home upon the hearts of all true Christians saying Iude 20 21 verse 20 21. But yee beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Ghost keepe your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life Vnlesse then our understandings wills affections and all that is in us doe willingly submit themselves to the gracious motions and operations of GOD's holy Spirit within us we shall not onely grieve the holy Spirit of GOD Ephes 4.30 1 Thess â— 19 but also wee shall quench the lively flame therof in our hearts and soules By all which places of sacred Scriptures so pregnant and convincing we may informe our understandings that in mans preservation in faith and obedience after effectuall conversion there is a mutuall concurrence of two speciall agents The one supreme and principall and that is GOD our Father Psal 37.23 24. our LORD and SAVIOUR by His Spirit enlightning guiding and supporting The other inferiour subordinate and concurrent with the principall and that is mans understanding will and all other his faculties and powers readily apprehending sweetly embracing joyfully concurring with the divine motions issuing from Gods blessed Spirit according to that voice of the Church Draw me Cant. 1.4 we will run after thee And if this latter at any time be intermitted neglected or suspended The actions of GOD's Spirit in mens soules cannot possibly yeeld any spirituall joy delight and comfort no nor so much as be sensibly felt in the soule of any man But it growes late I must bid you for this time fare-well Enoch Good Sir let me see you again as soone as you can I like well your speeches and I hope you are sent of GOD to doe me good Min. I will GOD-willing see you again the next weeke in the meane time know there is no comming for you to heaven but thorow the suburbs of hell I meane a great measure of Humiliation and Repentance This being our conference at that time I left him to his prison cold irons and spirituall meditations And after this the first newes that I heard concerning him was a common report spread in five daies space throughout our whole Towne and Countrey that â— was the man with whom hee had greatest desire to conferre and to impart himselfe by revealing and discovering what hee intended to make knowne And his reason was that although many Ministers had questioned freely with him to search out his opinions and the secrets of his heart yet none had at that time administred any counsell or directions unto him but my selfe and therefore he conjectured at my intentions by my actions 20 This purpose of Enoch concerning me being publikely knowne by the generality of report The Puritans of whose generation he was were greatly displeased herewith And one of them no honest man I warrant you said of mee Hee is of a great and ungodly Wit and comes to this man of purpose to discredit our party and will worke him to his owne will And godly persons shall thereby sustaine disgrace by the unnaturall cruelty and wickednesse of this bloudie man This report I heard and digested it with silence and patience being by many yeares residence here inured to their bitternesse of spirit and frequent railings But I doe hereby challenge all the Puritanes of this Kingdome of England to charge if they can my Wit or my Will with any peece of ungodlinesse in the execution of my calling or the course of my conversation For I never thought nor they shall never prove it That to defend the Orthodox doctrine of the Church of England against the Papists k Iude 3. Bâ— contending earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints Or the ancient discipline of the samâ— Church against the Puritanes â—â— be any branch of an ungodly Wâ—â— But on the contrary part the resolved and constant practice thereof in my publike Ministrie as occasion was incident to be a gracious inclination to solid pietie and a publike declarat on of an honest heart disposed to peace and unity 21 On the Munday following being the fifteenth day of Iuly 1633. Two messengers from Bishops
z Iob 34.18 Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked c. If the lawes whose rigour life and authority flow immediately from Kings and Princes in their Dominions bee in their Nature wicked as they are Lawes certainely the Princes themselves who enact or authorize those lawes in the censure and judgement of those men who vilifie the same lawes by refusing to obey them cannot be good So that let them turne themselves which way they will they are taken in a snare woven from the cleare sense of the sacred Scripture For either they curse the King in his lawes or they judge not his Person to be righteous from whom unjust and unrighteous lawes doe proceede and are imposed by command For they cannot possibly affirme the King to bee righteous nor his lawes to bee righteous when they refuse to give obedience both to the one and to the other I know they will reply that they love and honour the King but that they like not his lawes And I answere them againe it is impossible to love and honour the King and to dislike his lawes for the lawes are the Spirit and life of the King as he is Supreame head over his people securing the royalty of his Princely State and sweetly attracting his subjects to cheerfull obedience For therefore doe the subjects honour reverence and love the person of the King because of the righteousnesse and equity of his laws whereby they are governed in tranquillity and peace And on the contrary no man living in the world doth naturally freely sweetly love the person of a Tyrant because he rules by the rage of his affections and the strong hand of power and not by the peaceable rule of Iustice and approved lawes So that the true and cordiall love of subjects to their King ariseth in them not onely from relation of superiority in his person and inferiority in theirs but much more fervently and firmely from his pious care in constituting good lawes for the regiment of his people in honour wealth peace and libertie free from the vassallage of oppressing subjection 44 Vnder the light and law of nature the very Heathens illuminated and endued with some acts of inspiration from GOD to quicken the principles of native light in their own soules have with more veneration and reverence honoured their Kings than Christians have done the knowne Vicegerents of GOD under the Law of Grace after the cleare declaration of GOD's will pressing and commanding obedience unto them For Elihu a young man could say to Iob and his friends a Iob 36.7 He withdrawes not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the Throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted And herewith accords the wise and as I may truly say the holy sentences uttered by those men who being destitute of the Divine and supernatural light of Christian faith have shewed to the world the light and the extent of Natures love in their understandings Homerus I liad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mindes of Kings are great in understanding their honour is from God and they are beloved of Him and directed What other sense can these words import recorded both in sacred Scriptures and by Heathen Writers than that GOD hath stamped the character of His Divine Majestie both on their persons for Authority and on their hearts for Government and direction For undoubtedly this sense is confirmed by other places in the sacred Scriptures As b Pro. 23. â—â— The heart of the King is in the hand of GOD as the Rivers of waters he turneth it whither soever he will And againe c Pro. 16.10 A divine sentence is in the lippes of the King his mouth transgresseth not in Iudgment And this sacred Truth is approved by the consenting judgement of the ancient and godly learned Iustin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have given unto you Princes mine owne Honour mine ordinance and my calling requiring you to Iudge my people as if I myselfe did judge them And for the preventing of disobedience against the sacred Persons of Kings and their Lawes all sorts rankes and degrees of men in the visible Church of GOD and out of the pale thereof are commanded d Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no power but of GOD. And those words are expounded by an ancient very learned and godly Father of the Greeke Church after this manner Chr. soft in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Apostle demonstrating that these things are commanded to all men unto Priests and Monkes and not unto Secular Lay-men only he makes it manifest from the preface saying Let every soule bee subject to the supereminent powers yea though hee be an Apostle an Evangelist a Prophet or whosoever he be for this subjection doth not subvert pietie And againe the rule of GOD's Spirit in Scriptures commands us e Pro. 2â— 21 My sonne seare thou the LORD and the King and meddle not with them who are given to changes 45 How comes it then to passe seeing these things are so manifest in the sacred Scriptures that so many Ministers in our Church by faction and schisme doe rend in pieces that blessed peace and unity which they are every-where in the holy Scriptures f Ephes 4 3â— Phil. 2.2 30 commanded to preserve and support The true cause hereof I take to be this The povertie of the inseriour sort of our English Clergie And this answer I gave to the Lord Bishop of our Diocesse proposing this very question unto mee at the table of a worthy Knight of our County Sir William Owen my Noble and very Honoured friend For in this age of ours the practice of many Ministers exactly correspondeth with that of certaine Priests and Prophets in the Church of Israel g Micha 3.11 The Priests teach for hire and the Prophets thereof Divine for money yet they will leane upon the LORD and say Is not the LORD among us no evill shall come upon us For these Non-conformists as they are the movers of this faction and violation of our peace raise to themselves as farre as I am able to conceive and I thinke all wise men of this Land concurre with mee herein an underhand maintenance by private Benevolences of seduced friends after this manner by certaine gradations of Art and policie 1 First they insinuate into the peoples hearts a sly opinion which must not bee contradicted to wit that many things are amisse in our Church government which only Gods faithfull servants enlightned with His Spirit have found out discovered and made knowne to the world and because they cannot obtaine a reformation as the pious zeale of their hearts desireth they are forced to groane under the heavie burden of Antichristian servitude Now the Mobile Vulgus hearing these deplorable complaints uttered with the gravity of well composed countenances and expressed in an accent
THE LOOKING-GLASSE of SCHISME Wherein by a briefe and true Narration of the execrable Murders done by Enoch ap Evan a downe-right Separatist on the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the cause mooving him thereunto The disobedience of that Sect against Royall Majesty and the Lawes of our CHURCH is plainly set forth By PETER STUDLEY Master of Arts and Minister of GODS WORD in SHREVVSBVRY PRO. 30.12 There is a Generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse Habent Artificium quo prius persuadent quam doceant veritas autem docendo suadet non suadendo docet Tertul. adversus Valentinian Lib. 1. LONDON Printed by R. B. for THOMAS ALCHORNE and are to be sold at the signe of the greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1634. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE occasion of this Relation touching the Barbarous and inhumane crueltie of Enoch ap Evan ariseth not from any inclination in my owne disposition to be pragmatical and busie in matters of writing but from the serious apprehension of disloyalty which some eminent persons in our State have made touching the contempt of our Lawes testified by the stealing away of his putrified corpes who by sentence of righteous and prudent Iudgement was deemed to hang forth in the aire to the open view of all men for exemplary punishment of his bloudy facts Till the consumption of his flesh his nerves and ligaments had dissolved the composition and structure of his bones parted them asunder made them fall to the earth and by Vltimate Resolution returne ad materiam primam their first matter whereof they were framed And moreover the false and dishonest reports touching this Malefactour scattered abroad by many whose profession of Religious purity should have yeelded better fruits have pressed mee on to this suddennesse of writing And for the matter it selfe here delivered I doe assure thee in the word of a Minister thou hast a relation of such substantiall Truth as I will maintaine against any person living upon the face of the earth I have not delivered one word in this ensuing Treatise which may justly offend any good Christian or honest minded man and therfore if any shall be displeased towards mee it is from an offence taken by himselfe not given by mee for GOD the searcher of my heart is my witnesse together with the integritie of mine owne conscience that I have proposed to my selfe herein as the object and levell of all my aymes The glory of his most sacred Name the Honour of our King in the vindication of his innocent Lawes and the desire of our Churches tranquillitie and peace now torne into pieces by wilfull Schisme Proud Faction and Peremptorie Disobedience to Prudent and Peaceable government I deliver onely in this Tract my owne observations in matters of fact and the dangers I conceive which may accrew to our Church and State unlesse some wholesome and speedie course of wise and religious policie shall be maturely applied for the cure or correction of such insolent persons as trouble the peace of our Sion And for the event hereof I referre it as becomes me in dutie to the Royall wisdome of sacred Majestie in our King and the vigilant care of those prudent Governours to whose godly oversight these matters are committed Ne quid Ecclesia Detrimenti capiat That our Church sustaine no eclipse of her glory but gratiously display the beames of peace and splendour For obloquie and traducement wherein I know before-hand I shall have a large share from the maligne disposition of Schismaticall persons let mee anticipate and prevent them by telling them that as Angry Curres will barke and snarle at peaceable passengers so men of factious disposition will speake evill when they are not thereto provoked And for my owne part I am resolved that the â—ongue of a Puritane is no Slanâ—er since it spares no rankes or degrees of men who runne not with them in their exorbitant and delinquent courses of pride and vanitie I wish to all those men on whom this small Treatise may seeme to reflect as much good in all the parts of goodnessâ— as they themselves with more perverted judgements and worse composed affections doe wish unto themselves And so GOD blesse them by bending them 〈◊〉 peace and unitie And multipâ—â— on this Church and Kingdom 〈◊〉 his favours and Graces Shrewsbury this fourth 〈◊〉 November 1633. Thine in the LORD PETER STUDLEY Recensui tractatum hunc cui titulus Schismatis speculum in quo nihil reperio quò minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur THOMAS WEEKES Episcopo Lond. Cap. domest Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum THE Looking-GLASSE OF SCHISME IT is a Prophecie of GOD'S Spirit a 2 Tim. 3.1 2. that in the last dayes Perillous times shall come for men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents Vnthankfull Vnholy without naturall affection Truce-breakers c. And our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST that Oracle of wisdome and divine wisdome it selfe hath foretold us b Matth. 34.12 That because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold To wit cold in Piety toward GOD gracious obedience towards our Superiours and it office of Humanity Charity and mercy towards all other persons For this Inundation and overflowing streame oâ— Iniquity being slily insinuated into mens understandings tâ— poyson their Iudgements with Soule-confounding errors and of his strong suggestions darted into their wills to irritate the Native malice and to excite them to furious attempts we cannot expect any better event in the lives and actions of wicked men left by the wrath oâ— GOD under the power of their owne corruption and Satans rage then that by Infidelitie Impiety Atheisme Apostasy and all other wickednesse they should revolt finally from GOD and give heed as the Apostle sayes c 1 Tim. â— 1 To seducing spirits and doctrines of Divels For as Satan himselfe by pride and infidelity fell from that Angelicall perfection of his created nature and is become of an Angell of light a spirit of darknesse So by stirring up in the hearts of unmortified persons a spirituall pride in an high conceipt of their gifts the assurance of their election their illumination conversion and the imaginary sense of their adoption he so transports them beyond the bounds of Christian humilitie that they utterly reject that rule of the Apostle d Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be wise unto sobrietie And it a strong conceit of their owne spirituall understanding by the immediate presence of GOD's Spirit which they conceit to bee in them they take upon them to glosse and expound the sacred Scriptures agreeable to their owne deluded fancies Which attempt of theirs transcending their understandings and no way sorting with their vocation of life being lay and secular persons must need produce both heresies in judgement and schismaticall divisions in practice in the visible Churches of the
uniforme regiment of GOD'S people hee disliked the superiority and government by Bishops the gesture of kneeling in the sacred Communion the signe of the crosse in Baptisme and such like 7 Hee would never upon any remonstrance perswasion or pregnant conviction of his errours and folly be drawne to confesse For though I pressed him often and seriously therein and left him destitute of all reply or colour thereof yet in the impadencie of his spirit and bold resolution of a stubborne minde I could never draw other answer from him but that bâ—â— his reading the holy Scriptures he had apprehended these opinions his reading being enlightned and sanctified unto him by the Spirit of GOD. When I told him that all true illuminations of GOD'S Spirit in the hearts of his children did ever hold an exact consonancie with the letter of the Scriptures and never varied from them according to the words of our Lord Å¿ Ioh. 14.26 When the Comforter the HOLY GHOST whom the Father will send in my Name iâ— come He shal teach you al things and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto your And againe Ioh. 6.39 Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke yet have eternall life and they art they which testifie of me And further Esa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them When I pressed those Scriptures unto him which plainly demonstrate that the teaching of GOD'S Word and of his Spirit are one and the same in substance and nature And wheÌ„ I requir'd him to produce some place of sacred Writ whereon he grounded his extravagant conceits He answered me that his judgement and mine might haply differ because the true Spirit and the measure thereof were not given by GOD to all alike but in speciall manner measure and degree both for the grace of Illumination and sanctification to GOD'S peculiar ones And for proofe hereof hee aimed at certaine words of oâ—â— Lord which he could not remember till I perceiving 〈◊〉 scope furnished him with thâ— place and that was t Matth. 13.11 It is gâ—ven to you to know the mysterâ—â— of the kingdome of heaven bâ—â— to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him shal be given and he shall have more abundantly c. And from these word of our SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST he had raised 〈◊〉 himselfe a very strong aâ—â— pleasing imagination that hâ—â— himselfe in speciall was a person elected of GOD inspire with His Spirit and continually guided and directed by 〈◊〉 same Spirit And this conâ—â— hee so hugged and cherish in himselfe that many time when any preacher utted aâ—â— point of doctrine which arrided unto him and relished his pallat hee would seeme to those who were neere unto him in the Church to be even wrapt up into admiration and transported with spirituall delight And on the contrary if any thing was delivered which hit not point-blanke with his toyish fancie of inconformitie he would visibly discover by his stamping on the ground by his inward fretting and the contracting of his forehead the impatience and rage of his fantasticke spirit 8 These things being perceived in him by his mother who according to those reports I have heard of her was a discreet woman of very good understanding and of a stout spirit she tooke occasion gently to reprove these thingâ— in him and told him manâ— times in very loving manneâ—â— That the end of these thingâ— would bee nought Vnto thâ—â— dislike of his mother Iohn 〈◊〉 younger brother adjoyned hâ—â— endevour to reclaime Enoâ—â— from his wilde and irregulâ—â— opinions and peaceably toâ—â— him That hee saw no menâ—â— good honest and faire condiâ—â—ned as they who were peaceable Religion and free from selfe 〈◊〉 ceited opinions Which woâ—â— of Iohn as the event declareâ—â— shortly after cost him the loâ—â— of his head for though thâ—â— perswasion was no more but sweet remonstrance of brâ—â— therly affection and ought charitie and conscience so 〈◊〉 have beene taken yet it so irritated the secret rage of the spirit of Enoch that he inwardly boiled with rancorous malice both against his mother and his brother and for no other cause contrived the death of his brother Iohn but because he would not entertaine his opinions and comply with him in his schismatical courses From this time of conference and parley as Enoch himself â—old me he so distasted his brothers resolution in religion that hee resolved in his desperate and wicked heart to doe him a mischiefe only his purpose being yet but new had not attained to full growth and maturity 9 Now know here friendly Reader that this Enoch and Iohn had continued bed-fellowes together in their fother house from their infant years and weaning from the brests oâ—â— their mother to the one anâ—â— thirtieth yeare of age of thâ—â— younger of them And during all this time as Enoch assured me and engaged his truth and salvation upon it there had never fallen out any verball quarrell or dissention betweenâ—â— them no not so much as the terme Thou had ever passed in anger from the one to the other And being both of them arrived to years of judgement and experience able to manage affaires of life for their ownâ—â— profitable thriving they werâ—â— so well perswaded mutually betweene themselves of the integrity and soundnesse of lovâ—â— in both their hearts each unto other and also of an upright and faithfull disposition of minde free from guile in their temporall affaires that they became Co-partners in occupying of ground in their neighbourhood and also in stocks of cattell and sheep yea their very money which oftentimes breeds jars betweene brothers themselves they kept in one chest together each having a key to himselfe and they never differed in one penny of account 10 Yet observe I pray in the middest of this sweet harmony of brotherly accord the truth of the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR u Matt. 10.34.3 Thinke not that I am come to send Peace on earth I came not to send Peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold For Enoch now puffed up with an high conceit of his spirituall estate his inspirations from GOD and his unchangeable assurance of his owne stablishment in the favour of GOD imagined himselfe warranted by these words of our LORD not onely to hate but to persecute to bloud and death whosoever should oppose contradict or refuse to concurre with him in not admitting his inspirations These illusions of Satan anciently entertained by the Manichees Messalians and of later times by the Anabaptists so blinded the eyes of his understanding and perverted the quality of his will that he judged himselfe called of GOD to vindicate the cause of GOD
Gospell For as the wisdome of GOD in the old Testament prescribed the rule of his will unto his people for their direction saying e Malack 3.7 The Priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for He is the Messenger of the LORD of Hoasts So hath the divine and constant wisdome of the same our GOD declared the Canon of His will in the New Testament to continue in the Church to the dissolution of this World f Ephes 4.11.12 CHRIST gave some to be Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of CHRIST till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the SONNE of GOD unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Now these holy Arts and Ordinations of GOD's wisdome and love unto His people are the Constant rules of direction and order to be observed and obeyed by all His faithfull children whiles here they remaine in their militant condition 2 And though secular persons are both warranted and directed by our LORD and SAVIOUR for their preservation in faith and obedience g Mat. 7.15 To beware of false prophets which come unto them in sheepe◠cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And are also commanded in the practice of holy and gracious vigilancie over their own soules h 1 Ioh. 4.1 To trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no yet this warrant direction command are not so vast and universall but that they are limitted and confined within their owne proper bounds Not giving libertie unto i 2 Pet. 3.16 Vnlearned and unstable persons to wrest the sacred Scriptures to their owne destruction Nor to judge and censure their Teacher either in his doctrine or spirit if his upright and sound judgement accord not with their light and seduced fancies or his Method of preaching arride not their vaine and selfe-pleasing Humour And further if any branch of doctrine shall bee publikely delivered by any Minister of the Gospell not exactly consonant with the Canon of the Scriptures the analogie of the Christian faith and the orthodox doctrine and judgement of the Ancient and Moderne Church Lay persons are not presently to presume of themselves that they are so qualified with judgement or armed with power as to reprove their pastours because as the Apostle hath told us k 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirits of the Prophets are subject unto the Prophets All that any Lay-person can or ought to doe in matter of his owne private judgement is no more but to submit himselfe to that rule of the HOLY GHOST l 1. Thes 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trie all things and hold that which is good And to this triall and retaining of sound doctrines they are for action and practice of life to adde that of another Apostle m Iude 20. By building up themselves in their most holy faith and praying in the HOLY GHOST keepe themselves in the love of GOD looking for the mercies of our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto eternall life They may indeed if erroneous doctrines be taught in publike congregations dangerous to the soules of GOD's people give notice thereof by way of information to their and our Superiours the Bishops who for the maturitie of their judgement the gravitie of their persons and the weight of their authoritie are able to rebuke reprove exhort convince of errour any unsound doctrine repugnant to the sacred Scriptures And when by weight of Argument and pregnant conviction of errour any doctrine taught shall deservedly be reproved if the teacher thereof shall obstinately persist in his errour and refuse to be reformed by the wisdome and authoritie of his Governour the sentence of suspension excommunication or deprivation is justly to proceed against him 3 This course of Ecclesiasticall discipline being for substance Sacred for antiquitie Venerable and for forme and processe therein so exact that mans wit cannot reprove it they that preferre their owne private spirits and opinions before this prudent judgement and practice of the Church as fantastick separatists do plainly discover themselves to have their part in that description which by the spirit of prophecie is given of all such n 2 Pet. 2.18 Presumptuous they are selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of Dignities With this kinde of high and overweening spirits our English Church hath of late years beene much pestered and disquieted so that many godly Ministers of rich talents worthy endowments and able gifts have not received that sweet comfort to their soules which from the profitable and painfull execution of so sacred a calling is by command of GOD'S Spirit due unto them For the Apostle hath strictly charged all Christians o Hebr. 23.18 To obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves unto them for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Yet notwithstanding the weight of this charge such is the insolent pride and contumacie of spirit in this kinde of men strongly conceited of the spirituall favour of GOD unchangeably setled on their particular persons that unlesse both the observance and which is more the obsequiousnesse of the Minister both in doctrine and practice be accommodated to give them content and flatter their fancies they will maligne his person traduce his name and scorne and vilifie him with all basenesse of contempt yea although his life bee most conscionably led in the feare of GOD and his outward conversements with men adorned and made gracefull with all Humanity Humility and Integritie 4 In the ranke and number of these bold and busie Scripturists wee are to range one ENOCH ap EVAN a fellow of very meane quality and small understanding as able only to reade English and no more yet of high thoughts touching his owne personall worth in spirituall abilities For so cunningly and yet powerfully had Satan insinuated himselfe by spirituall illusions into his understanding for opinion and into his heart for affection and inclination to his owne dull and extravagant conceits that he became presumptuously bold to dislike not only the Gestures and rites prescribed by the Governours of our Church for conservation of uniformitie peace and unitie among GOD'S people and ratified by Regall and Legall Authority But hee proceeded so farre as to reprove the forme of words used by the Minister in the delivery of the sacred Communion into the hands of God's people For whereas the wisdome of our Church prescribes the forme of words thus The Body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which was given for thee preserve thy bodie and soule unto everlasting life The pride and ignorance of this fellow no◠able to conceive the strength and significancie of these
and by effusion of his owne brothers bloud as he reported to me To draw the children of light out of darknesse and to declare his owne Zeale to the Word of GOD. 11 A controversie therefore happening undoubtedly the worke of Satan in the house of Edward ap Evan upon Sunday the thirtieth day of Iune last past 1633. betweene Ioan the mother and Enoch her sonne whereat Iohn was present touching the most convenient gesture in the act of receiving the sacred Communion stirred up by Enoch as that sect is alwayes prating of such matters Ioan the mother and Iohn her sonne according to their unlearned and plain manner pleaded for our Church gesture of kneeling in that holy act Enoch a fellow of hasty furious and proud spirit defended stoutly according to his blunt and rude fashion that to sit and bow the body was the most Convenient posture The opposition in opinions grew so sharpe between them that Ioan told her sonne Enoch that hee was a very sorry fellow and desired of the LORD to Instruct and amend him Iohn also very mildly as his manner was signified his dislike of Enoch's opinion and made knowne his owne resolution to remaine constant in his obedience to the King and his Lawes This purpose of Iohn concurring with his former dislike of Enoch's courses added new flames unto his wrath and malice formerly conceived and now growne inveterate that from that very instant of time he waited an opportunitie to execute his secret and maligne rage against him Yet he grew not to a full resolution to murder Iohn till the Friday morning after this unfortunate conference betweene them Iohn called up his fathers servant and they together yoked up their cattell and betooke themselves to their worke in the fields Enoch later up wayted the comming of Iohn from the fields whose custome was after 〈◊〉 wearinesse with labour 〈◊〉 take a small repast of meâ—â— and drinke and to repose himselfe in slumber for an houâ— on the end of the table-booâ—â— upon a cushion This customâ— of Iohn being very wel know to Enoch he sets in a readineâ—â— a great hatchet with an edgâ—â— very broad and sharpe wayâ— his time and finding a calmâ—â— opportunity free from all likeâ—â— lihood of resistance Iohn being in a deepe and peaceful slumber Enoch strucke hiâ—â— with the head of the hatchâ—â— upon his bare head and tâ—â— wound thereof being not deeâ—â— by impression because thâ—â— feare of a wounded conscience for so inhumane a purpose abated the strength oâ—â— his armes and made him with a trembling hand to perpetrate that villany Iohn fell instantly from the boord to the floore astonied with the blow yet not so wounded or disabled from rising but that hee scrambled for help to raise up himselfe which Enoch fearing desperately strucke him with a second blow in the necke with the same hatchet and the edge thereof being very broad and sharp he therwith at one blow more as he himselfe told me separated his head from his bodie 12 Vpon this stirre and rumbling noise in the house Ioan their mother being in the next roome came presently in and seeing to the infinite griefe of her soule the head and bodie of her younger son separated one from the other she lift up her voice with a shriâ—â— and sharpe sound and said 〈◊〉 Enoch in a passion of terror aâ—â— griefe O thou Villaine 〈◊〉 some such like words of prâ—â— voked indignation for Enoch could not remember them What hast thou done hast the killed thy brother Vpâ—â— these words Enoch still enâ—â—ged with diabolicall furie aâ—â— having the hatchet in his hanâ—â— struck at her very face with aâ—â— his force And she being a wâ—â— man of threescore and twelâ—â— yeares of age put by two 〈◊〉 three of his blows by claspiâ—â— and closing with him and thâ—â— by turning away the streng 〈◊〉 of his violence and makâ—â— way for the asswaging of 〈◊〉 fury had not the Divell himselfe beene outragious within him But she wanting strength by reason of her great age to hold conflict and wrestling with him and crying for help and calling to him to remit his rage hee nothing mollified with her fearefull cries strucke her betweene the left shoulder and the neck foure inches deep into her brest with which mortall wound shee fell downe on the floore ready to expire her soule into the hands of her Creator And he not satisfied herewith ragingly dragged her wounded and bleeding body to the threshold of the doore and thereon at five strokes more hee divided her head from that brest and those paps which gave sucke unto him 13 These furious out-ragâ—â— and crying murders thus peâ—â— petrated hee instantly barreâ—â— the doore where the dead beâ—â— dies lay hee takes the headâ—â— wraps them in a course linneâ—â— cloth which hee drenchedâ—â— water that their bloud stillâ—â— suing thorow the veins of theâ—â— heads freshly bleeding migâ—â— not so sensibly appeare as thâ—â— row a dry cloth it would haâ—â— done The wet cloth with tâ—â— heads he enwrapped in an oâ—â— russet jerkin bound and kâ—â— fast And laying this bundâ—â— on the table-boord he goesâ—â— to his chamber shifts his breâ—â— ches and stockings which weâ—â— stained with the aspersion 〈◊〉 the bloud comes down agaâ—â— beats out a large clay-wall 〈◊〉 the roome and thereat he 〈◊〉 sues forth and makes his escape into the fields Thinking by this his practice of breaking the wall to colour and cover his fact and to transpose all suspition thereof from himselfe to an opinion that some passengers that way or theeves had committed these furious and desperate murders In the time of his escape in this manner a young black horse of the old mans by the negligence of a servant boy of the house got into the roome at the gappe or broken wall where the dead bodies lay And being found there a rumour was scattered over all the countrey and entertained of light and credulous persons that the Divell in the shape of a blacke horse was found in the roome where the headlesse bodies lay 14 Enoch having thus escaped into the fields conveyes the heads secretly away and hidde them under a heape of loose Fearne ready cut to bee burned After this he walked forward almost a mile and came to a Kins-mans house of his one Goodman Howells and enquired for a young man of this house the sonne of this Howells answere was made him that if he could stay halfe an houre he might speak with him for hee was gone forth and would be returned by that time Vpon this answere Enoch goes into the house and waites the comming of his Cosin and in the interim hâ—â— tooke a Bible which hee saw upon a shelfe and sate him downe and read the first chapter of the Prophecie of Isaiah and by that time he had read through the whole chapter the young man whom he had expected came in After salutations betweene them Enoch desired him to lend him the booke called the Practice of Piety his
the clock in the morning on Sunday the seventh of Iuly they brought him forward to the Goale in Shrewsbury When the Keeper of the Prison read his Mittimus and understood his facts he loaded him with irons anâ— committed him to the common lodging among malefactors of his owne qualitie 18 When the rumour oâ— Enoch's murders and imprisonment was divulged abroad 〈◊〉 was wonderfull to see how people of all qualities resorted unto him questioned with him and although altogether unable to administer either counsell or comfort to a maâ—â— of his disconsolate conditionâ— yet many of them were forward and busie to cloud and darken the truth of that very cause and onely cause which he himself constantly alleaged of his provocation to these facts For divers who affected not the Ceremonies of our Church with whom this County and this Towne have of late abounded could not endure to heare that a Brother of their society and opinion should so staine and dishonour the sanctity of their holy Profession as to imbrue his accursed hands in her bloud who had conceived and nourished him in her wombe Hence great care was taken and all policies imployed to perswade the Malefactor to assigne some other cause and probable reason of these murders and not any touch of his dislike of Church Ceremonies Many Ministers of our Countie and some of our Towne repayred unto him and every man talked and reasoned with him as to his owne understanding seemed best pleasing And hee freely confessed to al men that upon difference in opinions betweene him and his brother touching the Gesture in the Communion his wrath conceived against him turned into rage and incensed his heart to the murder of him 19 It came into my heart to go visit this fellow and being come to the Prison-house I requested the Gaolour to leâ— me have a sight of the Prisoneâ— in a private roome He instantly commanded one of his servants to bring him unto meet Enoch being come I told him in the presence of the Keeper and his servant that I was come to see him not to satisfie curiosity nor to urge and presse questions unto him but with a cleare and pure intention by laying the judgements of God's wrath before his eyes to strike his conscience with the sight and sense of his great wickednesse and afterwards to minister those directions whereby to bring him to repentance and the reconciled favour of GOD. My first question with him was this Min. Thinkest thou Enoch that thy mother who conceived and bred thee in her wombe with many pangs and throwes did ever harbour in her heart a thought or suspition that when thou wast arrived to mans estate and shee to her aged yeares thy unnaturall rage should draw her bloud and separate her head from heâ— shoulders Enoch To this question of of mine he made no answer at all but lifted up his hands a little and cast downe his head with great confusion and perturbation of soule Min. I said unto him again Enoch I am come with purpose of my heart to doe thee good and if thou wilt deale truly with me and with thine owne soule thou shalt find me both able and desirous to doe thee good He gave me thanks for my kindnesse and was very willing and desirous to entertaine my advise Hereupon 〈◊〉 making benefit to my selfe oâ— that readinesse I found in him to hearken unto mee said further Min. Enoch I charge your conscience by that Authoritie which CHRIST our LORD hath given to me as a Minister of His sacred Gospel that you doe impart unto mee the true moving cause or causes which stirred you up to these unnaturall facts for unlesse I search your wounds to the bottome Enoch assure your selfe I shall never bee able to apply any solid comforts unto you but they will rankle in your soule and prove incurable Enoch Sir since you charge and presse my conscience herewith I will as truly confesse to you as I will doe to CHRIST Himselfe The True and the only cause which instigated mee to these facts was my Zeale to the Word of GOD. Min. I replied that zeale for GOD's glory or for His Word must be qualified with command from GOD Himselfe either by expresse declaration of His will by Oracle and lively voice or else which is equivalent thereunto By the full and undoubted assurance of a divine instinct and motion of GOD's Spirit But this latter I told him under The setled estate of the Church of the New Testament was peculiar onely in matters of this nature unto the persons of the Apostles of our LORD and descended not unto our times The Apostle Peter y Act. 5.5.10 strucke with present death Ananias and Saphira his wife but the power of that stroke came directly and immediately from GOD Himselfe as a miraculous act of His wrath against their hypocrisie and a divine declaration of the truth of his Apostolicall Doctrine and calling But Enoch your fact agreeth not with this but hath some correspondence with the passionate furious and irregular zeale of Iames and Iohn z Luke 9.54 Who desired our LORD to give them leave to call for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans and were for their unsanctified rage sharply checkt by our LORD and SAVIOUR who intimated unto them that GOD's Spirit in men is milde and gentle according to that perpetuall Canon and rule a Iames 3.17 The Wisdome that is from above is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partialitie without Hypocrisie But Satans spirit and motions are raging and furious exciting to bloud and murder What say you now Enoch to your owne facts doe you like or dislike them Enoch Sir I know not whether I have done well or ill Min. All facts of this nature are undoubtedly the desperate effects of Satanical suggestions covered and coloured over with the faire pretence of zeale flowing from divine inspirations onely to mitigate and allay the troubles of conscience incident thereunto What say you to this Enoch I know that Satan hath no power to prevaile with the true children oâ— GOD. Min. Doe you perswade your selfe to be the true childe of GOD and actually in the state of grace having committed these execrable facts your fact is the very same with that of Cain and in one most fearefull degree of unnaturall crueltie farre surmounts his and hee is branded with the hellish marke b 1 Iohn 3.12 of Satans prevailing with him And how you should bee free from the prevailing power of Satan in your heart and over you for my part I yet understand not For wee are ever to judge of the nature strength and prevailing of Temptations by the reall acts which are effected and produced by them Our owne imaginations which are liable to errour flattery and seducement are no rule by which either our owne or other mens judgements are to be guided and directed Enoch I will not let go my
booâ— received taint and infectâ—â— herein Enoch By none of all the meanes but by reading GOD's Word Min. I never knew any â—â—â— of your vulgar educatioâ— meane capacitie and small 〈◊〉 lent of knowledge so acuteâ— to extract an opinion of tâ—â— nature from GOD's woâ—â— which GOD by His Spirit â—â—ver put into His Word you passe all the Alcumists that I have ever heard or read of But this is the effect of spirituall pride of heart in such men as you are For when you have beene secretly deluded and seduced e Eph â— 14 By the cunning craftinesse of such as lye in wait to deceive and thereby your judgements depraved with errour heresie or schisine you glory therein and adde contumacie of heart to your opinions desirous to arrogate unto your selves the praise of your inventions and to be thought that by the sharpnesse of your owne wits and penetration of your understandings you have found out some hidden truths revealed only by GOD to the children of His grace and election by sharpening the understandings with His enâ— lightning Spirit to conceivâ—â— and perceive more holy truthâ—â— than all the godly learned 〈◊〉 the Land besides But take heed of these things and leâ—â— my counsell take place with you change your opinionâ— which have alreadie Inveigleâ— and thereby wounded youâ— soule with desperate sinnes exposed you to the infamie oâ— the world given infinite scandall to the Church of GOD and her children cast you ouâ— of the love and favour of aâ—â— good men and will undoubtedly abridge your dayes by the stroke of Iustice in the just and exemplary execution oâ—â— Law For f Gen. 9.6 Hee that sheddeâ— mans bloud by man shall hâ—â— bloud be shed for in the Image of GOD he created him Enoch I doe yeeld my body to the Law which I have offended Min. What Law doe you think you have violated whether the Morall Law of GOD and Nature or the Humane and Temporall Lawes of this Land Enoch I thinke I have offended against GOD's Law Min. Doe you but thinke you have offended GOD Doe you not feele the gripes and convulsions of a wounded Spirit sensibly impressed into your soule from the wrath of GOD Enoch I am much troubled in my minde but I will still hold fast Christ my Lord and Saviour Min. A wounded and oppressed conscience never heâ—â— fast our LORD IESUS CHRIST before the burdeâ— thereof was removed and thâ— pangs dulced and asswaged iâ— His bloud applied by faith uâ—to the soule This must beâ— gained by a deepe and seriouâ— repentance the qualities and properties of which repentance are fully and exactly set forth 2 Cor. 7.11 Without this repentance and the consequent vertues thereof never was the expiating and purging vertue of our LORD His bloud truly apprehended and effectually applyed to the soule of any Man But let mee understand from you that since you are not willing to be thought that Satan stirred you up to these facts by what other cause doe you think you fell into them Enoch Surely Sir by sin Min. By what sinne thinke you Enoch That doe not I know Minist But I know that by you that you doe not or will not know by your selfe and can readily assigne that particular sinne by which you fell into these desperate and raging Murders Your sinne was as I appeale to your owne conscience for confirmation hereof your hypocrisie in making a fairer shew of holinesse to the eye of the world than the course of your life in secret did fully reach unto for had you beene of Nathanaels temper g Iohn â— 47 A true Israelite in whom there is no guile Then had your soule received the blessing of that promise from GOD h Pâ—a 25.12.14 What man is hee that feareth the LORD him will He teach is the way that he shall chuse The secrets of the LORD are among them that feare Him and He will shew them His Covenant Youâ— were and are but a Novice in practicall Christianity and do not understand this hidden Mystery That unlesse the practice of a mans life in sound Pietie upright integritie and gracious puritie doe not onely equall but farre surmount and preponderate the profession hee makes the root of his imaginary Zeale will prove to be but rottennesse For know you for your learning that although it is thâ— hardest thing in all the world to be a true and sound Christian by denying and Renouncing our selves our Desires and appetites for CHRIST His glory Yet it is the easiest thing in all the world to be a formall Sectary such as men commonly call Puritans for therein is neither marrow spirit or power of true godlinesse which is placed in piety charitie unity For I can name if I were disposed even in this towne of ours where I live men of your formalitie in profession who eagerly followed Sermons without missing one on a weeke-day used family Prayers kept company and conventicles with persons of whose true feare of GOD I am well perswaded yet many of these unsound and rotten hearted fellowes have beene discovered and knowne for secret whore-mongers drunkards cheaters and such as have revolted from the faith of Protestants wherein they were baptised and this truth beene knowne right well to the better sort of Non-conformists for practice of Religion They answer for themselves as one of them this very morning answered me touching your very person who had never seene your face i Iohn 2.19 They went out from us they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might bee made manifest that they were not at all of us This answer I willingly admit on their parts namely that men who are endued with true grace and the holy feare of the LORD do so co-operate and apply their owne desires actions and vigilant care over all their wayes unto GOD's Spirit and grace within them that thereby they are established and preserved from desperate impiety or finall backsliding But this answer of theirs toucheth not that purpose for which it is brought nor impugneth at all the Argument which I made For I intend onely to shew the truth and no more But wicked and ungodly men doe frequently delude the eye of the world with the lustre of a faire profession till GOD in justice unmask and discover them With this answer unto him I so cast him downe with an inward sense of his owne guile and guilt that from this time I was very deeply in his favour and he professed openly in the Prison-house that Mr. Studley brought a sound heart to comfort him and to do him good Hereupon having spent an houre and halfe in conference with him I bade him fare-well for that time Enoch Good Sir before you goe I pray you answer meeâ— one question more and that is this Doe you thinke that I have no faith in my heart Minist I am in that matter past
circumference of their own In-conformity But let them delude and flatter themselves in their Toyish Imaginations as long as they will and persist to affront Authoritie in the person of their Prince and the commaund of his Lawes It is my hope and confidence and I trust all good men concurre with me therein That as the Lord in mercy and holy love unto his Church among us hath given Pure Wisedome to his Anointed Vice-gerent to discover these obliquities and Impostures and also Royall courage to attempt the reformation and suppression thereof So he will also strengthen and uphold his Princely Arme in his proceedings therein till he have brought the same to a gratious and to a glorious perfection And then will this Church and Kingdome know both in the generall body therof and also more specially in these Non-conformists theselves both Ecclesiasticall and Secular when their eyes are opened to behold their owne errours That they have beene long deteyned and deluded in adoring vaine fantasies not worth the regarding And then they will also blesse and magnifie the LORD'S great mercies and returne the Tribute of thankfull and of loyal hearts to their gratious Sovereigne by whose pious care so laudable and glorious a work hath beene prospered and atchieved For though now errors in their soules do dimme darken and even blinde the eye of their Iudgements and not suffer them with the cleere light of sanctified Reason to behold this wholesome and profitable truth shine forth unto them Namely That Vnitie and Peace betweene the Prince and his People and with all the People mutually among themselves are the true and proper glory of Earthly Kingdomes typically figuring the celestial Vnity in blessednes and glory in the Triumphant Church of GOD And that Schisme Division of any people into variety of opinions and affections is the bane and subversion of the Tranquillity of a Church Nation resembling the confusions and perturbations of satans infernal regiment Then will they cleerely see to the infinite joy and comfort of their own soules that this disobedience to Royall Majesty and prudent lawes for things of indifferent nature is no more but a selfe-pleasing fantafie which every good man may verie well spare and yet remaine a faithfull sonne to GOD his Father a sound member of that particular Church wherein he was baptised and a loyall and obedient subject to the Majesty of that gratious Prince in whose Dition and Principality he first drew his native breath and being And if these men will but entertaine that one rule of our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST Matth. 11.28 Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest for your soule And by this rule wil strive to take downe the height of their owne elate and haughty spirits and humble themselves to submit to the wisedome of their King and State and to suspect their owne wisdomes as every wise man ought to doe surely then the things proposed unto them for obedience and the setling of uniformitie over the body of this Church and Kingdome will shortly be universally admitted and pleasingly entertained And when they have cast away that prejudicate and troublesome opinion which they have of the persons of the Bishops who for their wisdome piety gravity sincerity deserve all due respect of veneration to bee given unto them Then the blessed experience of the manifold commodities which accompany peace and unity will not onely prove an inward comfort to their soules but will also make them to bee greatly offended with themselves for their obstinate contumacie against their lawful Superiours when they shall cal to minde how long they have deprived themselves of so great a blessing as is Vnitie of Heart Minde and Iudgement by dividing themselves from the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Orthodox and pure Church of GOD in this Kingdome For in all humane matters and these of ceremonies are no other all sound knowledge and judgement is attained by experience which though it be said to be the Mistresse of fooles by shewing unto them and imprinting on their hearts their manifold errours yet she is no foolish mistresse but the best informer and reformer of our understandings and wills by which it pleaseth GOD to reduce from wandering His straying sheepe and gratiously confine them within His owne fold witnesse the wanton Prodigall who running riot from his father and from the true principles of knowledge in his owne soule never returned againe to GOD or to himselfe till sensible experience of his owne vanity had pinched him and made him as the Scriptures report 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 15.17 to come home to himselfe by the gratious view of his errors directed thereunto by the Spirit of God And these Non-conformists whether Church-men or Lay-men they are no other but Wanton and Prodigall fugitives and Run-awayes from their spirituall Father the LORD who requires of us and them 1 Pet. 2.14 To submit our selves to every ordinance of men for the LORD'S sake And fugitives also they are from their Politike Father the King by rejecting his Authority given him by GOD. And till some few gentle stripes with the Rod of Princely power prove unto them as the famine did to the Prodigall open their eyes and give them sensible impression and experience of their sullen Pride and Vanity they wil never returne soundly to their GOD to their Prince to themselves but they will riotize in selfe-opinions and deluded imaginations to the hazard and endangering of their owne soules by incurring the wrath of God And for mine owne part I am perswaded that if all the Non-conformed Ministers in this Church were divided into foure equal parts three of them have never read any controversies of our Church-discipline but perhaps some of the railing Libels of Master Cartwright and his companions a part by themselves which passe underhand from man to man amongst them without the learned Antidots of contrary writings to expell the maligne poison and infection therof But these men looke only upon the practise of the times and seeing that to incline to this faction is a faire way of thriving both in reputation of credit with this sort of people and also in meanes of livelihood by private and underhand Benevolences Gratuities Contributions they are thereby inticed on to these disloyall and factious courses which in multitudes of Lay-persons of severall rankes and degrees is growne to a great height of strength and power And yet neither their multitudes nor their power so great but that wise men may discover in them that they are not persons of any courage to hold out opposition against Authority to the incurring of danger either to their persons or to their estates which cowardize of Spirit in persons otherwise of so high insolent and daring spirits as they are plainly convinceth the truth of the over-ruling hand of GOD'S power in all mens hearts and also pleadeth and acteth in their owne
wish unto all those persons with whom they converse and are entertained And even so this sect of men wish to their profitable friends all other kindes of happinesse riches honours dignities affluence of all worldly contents answerable to the desires of their owne hearts But that their understandings should be inlightned to discover their owne former errours and to find out the frauds and alluring enticements wherewith they use to insnare them and tye them fast to themselves This part of divine wisdome they never wish unto them but mainely labour to hold them backe from attaining therunto for if once this bright ray and beame of divine truth glance into their soules and be received by them with pause deliberation and more prudent inspection into their former courses than formerly they have used then these men know right wel Actum est de illis their Acts are discovered and their Play is exploded For now silencing from the execution of so sacred a vocation is become in this age for temporall emoluments farre more profitable to this kinde of men than the godly labours of religious Ministers in the constant imployment of their talents proves unto them So miserably are Gods people led blindfolded into spirituall captivity But if the bosomes of these men were transparent and the close-wrought veyle wherein all their policies are enwrapped were Translucent and thereby their sleights exposed to the view of all men I make no question but that the leprosie of corruption would bee sensibly discovered to have maculated their hearts and consciences For it is not possible that Gods Spirit should erre in describing the Acts and Qualities of seducers I beseech you Brethren marke them which cause divisions among you and offences contrary to the Doctrine that yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the LORD IESUS but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And these men in Saint Paul's time in the Church of Rome were reputed as sincere up right holy and spiritually qualified with gifts of divine grace as are our Non-conformists in the Church of England And certainely unlesse this worke of the Kings most excellent Majesty and his pious and prudent Bishops were directed by GOD Himselfe in their hearts it could never have received so great approbation in the hearts of most men and they wise religious and vertuous as of late it hath done in this Land for not only many thousands who had a kinde of charitable opinion of these men though they did not familiarly converse with them entertaine them in their houses or comply with them in their cōceits begin now much to distaste them and greatly desire the suppression of them But which is more even their owne friends also who were wholly theirs begin to faint in their courage and in some degrees to distaste those courses if they could handsomely shake them off and yet preserve the reputation of their former zeale For this is the maine blocke which most of them stumble at namely Not feare of dishonouring GOD nor hurting the purity of their owne consciences if they should shake hands and bid farewell to their niceties and follies But how to keepe up their credits in the hearts of those men who being honest vertuous and worthy of good respect they have much vilified dis-esteemed in matters of religion in comparison with themselves But this is a needlesse and superfluous care for I am of opinion that all honest hearted Christians both Ministers and Lay-people who zealously desire the peace and flourish of our Church and Kingdome will readily give them the right-hand of unfained fellowship receive them into their bosomes with alacrity and joy for their return to the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Church and never twit nor upbraid them with their former toyish errours And here let me put you my Brethren of Shrewsbury in minde which you ought to take in good part and thankfully at my hands from the sense and experience thereof in your owne bosomes That I have observed in divers of your persons that your zeale and fervour in your once approved cause doth begin to slake and remit of those intensive degree which it formerly had in you So that there is nothing wanting unto you but the application and pressing of authoritie unto your wavering mindes which are easily taken off from your former course And I am perswaded upon very pregnant grounds that there are of you who beginne to smell out either the fraud or Art or what other terme is apt for that fine peece of policie wherein you have beene long enwrapped by errour of your judgements to your cost and expences And which hath made many Gentlemen of this Kingdom to say in the words of our LORD though in a contrary sense Zelus Domus tuae exedit me Ioh. 2.17 The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up And many of your well-willers as your selves know very well being but halfe brothers and percell gilt are content to sooth and flatter you in your opinions but they will looke well enough to their purses and have care of the maine as though they had learned that axiome in Philosophie Noli perdere substantiam propter accidens Destroy not thy substance for an accident to wit a Toy My hope is therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with GOD that our Prudent Governour lately placed over us Bishop Wright in whose Person wisdome and courage conjoyned with gracious Affability and mildnesse of spirit doe strive for precedencie will execute that Authority wherewith the sacred Majesty of our King hath entrusted him and by correcting your insolencies which are nothing else but selfe-pleasing vanities and the proper effects of pride and weaknesse of judgement will reduce you to obedience of righteous Lawes and keepe you in order for untill the rod of power and discipline bee imposed gently for your correction your affections wil stray from that regularity of obedience which Gods sacred Word and the obligation of your owne consciences borne under the Law of natural alleagiance to the Majesty of your Prince require at your hands For it is an ancient and profitable saying and which holy David found true in spirituall matters Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections whether Divine or Humane do instruct the children of GOD which I hope you are to wiser and more obedient intentions and actions 52 And here I am forced much against my will to Apologize for mine owne integrity and innocencie in a particular matter which lately fell out among us in which I have beene by many of this factious Brother-hood most impudently abused The matter would be very long to relate it with all circumstances incident thereunto take it therefore thus with al the brevity I am able The most Reverend Father in God the L. Bishop of our Diocesse preached a
Gospel implanted among us Hence grow ' your important pressings and perswasions to constancie in the Faith even to death by Apologie and Martyrdome wherein some of your owne friends have wished that the salt of discretion and prudent moderation had allayed your violence and seasoned your thoughts to a better conceit of that gratious Prince and Government under which we live in peace and spirituall liberty The name of Puritane you told them was a royall badge and and thereby you intended to confirme depraved judgements in error and contumacie against Authority and that wholsome reformation that is now aymed at Surely these intemperat flashes issuing from your unbridled spirit and uttered in such a time when reformation of Schisme not change of our Orthodox faith is intended doe plainely convince you in the judgement of wise men to be a man of a disloyall heart and unquiet head Your bold intrusion into other mens charge being neither warranted by the Lawes of GOD or man can receive no blessing from GOD. For what inducement have you to vent your wares among us who neither desire your aid nor need your help Keep at home I advise you and labour in that place of charge where the LORD hath disposed of you that shall bring more comfort to your conscience more peace to your calling more credit to your person Your Sect is very forward in running uncalled and thrusting your selves upon people unknowne unto you and should for ever rest unknown were it not that as the Apostle tells us Iude 16. You have mens persons in admiration because of advantage Certainly GOD's Spirit hath given a most cleare and exact description of all such wily and seducing spirits Rom. 16.17 18. It is the worke of GOD's mercy and love unto his Church in laying open the spirituall sleights I dare not say impostures wherewith your Sect hath so long deluded the people and by the wisdome and authority of our King and State to correct and reforme them Your opposition to the Authority of our Lord Bishop was so peremptory and insolent by your pride and contempt of your Superiours as is not to be endured in a peaceable Government For you were in place both in the Church when his Lordship gave his charge and also in the Chamber at the signe of the red Lion in our Towne and heard his Lordship make knowne to us of the Clergie his Majesties Royal care and his gratious intentions he had entertained in his heart both to countenance and to advance the welfare of his Ministers But first he would be assured of their ready subjection to his just and royall commands Yet within three dayes after this charge sounded in your eares you most contemptuously violated his Majesties Injunctions and being not admitted into Saint Alkmunds Church to vent your schismaticall conceits you put your selfe into an exempt and peculiar Iurisdiction and there you were as safe in your opinion as policie could make you Assuredly Mr. F. these factious courses are unsanctified by GOD and the issue and event of them being done in publike affront to the sacred authority and command of your Prince the LORD 's annointed will prove dangerous if not desperate unto you for the strong arme of Iustice wil crush thousands of such poore wormes as wee are I my selfe have knowne within these twenty yeares last past Plus minùs many men of excellent wits great and piercing understandings prompt and eloquent in their deliveries of illustrious note and ranke in the Common-wealth yet by opposing the designes and commands of Royal Majesty have ruined their estates and fatally ended their dayes in ignominy and misery For the eminencie of Princes being by Substitution and Vicegerencie from GOD the lively Image of Divine Majesty for temporall regiment is by GOD's ordinance made so sacred and inviolable both from the intemperate rage of our tongues and the rancour of our naturally seditious and rebellious hearts That never any man obliged to loyalty made head against them either openly or secretly but the Angell of the LORD's wrath pursued him to shame and destruction For it is decreed by the wisdome of GOD and shall never be reversed Ezra 7.26 Whosoever will not obey the Law of GOD and the King let judgement speedily bee executed upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or unto confiscation of goods or to imprisonment For your person Mr. F. I protest before GOD the searcher of all hearts I wish no otherwise than to my owne soule But I onely ayme at the peace of our Towne which will never be effected till you and such as you be restrained from preaching and enkindling faction among us Thus I have imparted my minde unto you and for the censure of both our persons I refer it to the wisdome and justice of his Lordship our most Reverend Diocesan who I doubt not will correct your insolencies and keepe you in order A copy of this Letter I have sent to my L. Bishop to demonstrate how ingenuously I have dealt with you GOD blesse you and sent you much happinesse 54 This is that Letter Verbatìm without addition detraction or mutation of one syllable against which such tragicall out-cries have beene raised by â—icentious detractors of the good names of their neighbours But my comfort is that I feare no mans tongue or malice in the world as long as mine owne conscience checkes me not for any wilfull violation of my duty to GOD and to my Prince nor act of unrighteousnesse done to the person of my neighbour And when this generation of men who take too much ungodly libertie unto themselves to suspect evill of their neighbours and upon that susspition to raise lying defamations against persons truely religious and vertuous shall governe their tongues and hearts with more holy feare of GOD and gratious charity towards their peaceable co-habitants I doubt not but that the LORD in mercy and love to our Church and Kingdome will unite our hearts in the firme bond of pure religion and not suffer us to bee torne into factions by dislike of innocent and harmelesse Ceremonies And for the wrongs which they very foolishly Imagine to have beene done to this their Minister by my Persecuting him as they most wickedly phrase it I referre my selfe to my hottest and sharpest adversaries whose tongues fly at randon without grace wit or honestie to restraine them to examine censure and determine from this relation whether I have beene Active in doing or passive in suffering wrongs And from the sight of their owne errour or rather malicious railing and traducing of my innocence herein let them learne to use more Christian moderation in reporting of things unknowne unto them And to practise those gratious vertues of integritie of heart and truth of speech which wil more adorne their conversation and render them more pleasing unto GOD and man than all their forward profession of firy zeale in erroneous devotion Many good things in the exercise of family discipline As Prayers Instruction of their children and servants Singing of Psalmes and such like I doe freely acknowledge to be in some of these men But as Salomon speaks of a wise man Eccle. 10.1 That a little folly brings disgrace to him that is in reputation for wisedome so I say unto these men That a little dishonestie or injustice towards their neighbours which piety and the true feare of GOD should extinguish in them doth obscure the lustre of a glorious profession and makes them most justly to be suspected to be but meere Formalists Thus having cast my Mite into the Treasury of GOD's Church by desiring the holy and blessed peace of our Sion I will adde my continuall prayers thereunto that our hearts may be firmely knit together in unitie and love FINIS