questions too if they pleased as the Doctors with our Saviour Luk. 2. 46. So that those worthy cares of the Fathers of Modern Orthodoxy in their Preachments has not so much as the face true form and resemblance of Christ's Sermons but is a whimsey cryed up so long by themselves till it has justled Sacraments Prayers Catechizing quite out of the Church having not the power of godliness in that there are no such villains as I said before as these Sermon-mongers upon the face of the earth as every body must acknowledge and confess except themselves who are always apt to find fault with other men for superstitious when they themselves are the most superstitious people I know in the world as I 'l show more fully on some other occasion superstitious at the best their sermonizing is and has been but that 's not all it has been blasphemous atheistical damnable and prophane as I have shown in their debauch'd interpretations and comments on Holy Writ and I fear it is so yet they do not use to amend And God looks upon these Devotions of theirs that they keep such a puther for but as the cutting off of a dogs neck and will say to them one day who required these things at your hands it is iniquity even your solemn meetings And they may thank the King and Parliament with all their hearts if like careful Parents they will not suffer these wilfull foolish head-strong people have their wills no longer be gull'd by a pack of cheats not permitting the blind Cobler Tinker Weaver Taylor Chimney-sweeper c. nor the wilfully blind but crafty canting Presbyter to lead the blind lest they both fall into the ditch remedilesly If I were to commend a Father it should be him that has a care of his Children and keeps them from hurting themselves spite of their teeth and that chuses rather to do them good than get their good will when they come to discretion which is not likely till they have wiser and honester guides then they 'l thank this good Father for his care Alas if they were in their right mind durst they blaspheme the Holy Ghost when they father their impertinent nonsensical blasphemous ravings in Prayer upon the Holy Ghost calling it the spiritual gift of Prayer and the Spirit of Prayer and I know not what good titles on so ill a deserving faculty obtain'd at best but by custom use confidence and volubility of words which I can speak as experimentally of it and knowingly as any Modern Orthodoxman yet do I not account my self for it a jot the better man being an Art of which every Porter Cobler Chimney-sweeper or Hector may easily be a Master and attainable by every common Billings-gate-scold I say again they lye to the Holy Ghost and blaspheme the Spirit of God that call such pitiful low easie and beggerly gifts the gifts of the Spirit other than of a confident foolish rash impudent blasphemous spirit that is rash with his mouth in uttering any thing before God before whom our words â—…ught to be few Eccles. 5. 2. Which brings to my mind that bold and seditious Petition which a Scotch Minister put up in his Prayer before Sermon in St. Peters Church at Colchester two or three years ago when he was about to pray for his sacred Majesty and our gracious Queen Katherine in these very words Gud Laird bless the King and Queens Majesties and keep them from aw Lownery but confund aw their Images and Idols gud Laird whether having none of the Kings Images in gud white Syller in his awn Pouch he was in hopes to get some amongst the factious crew so much the more by this libelling prayer or having the Kingscoyn in his pocket he never fear'd that God would hear his prayer in confounding those Images of the King sure I am he made a shift to chouce many of the Fops of the King's Images in good coyn and away he run with his Scotch Frow that followed him But yet I cannot think that the extravagancies of bold men in prayer even for the King are to be allowed or trusted to excellently provided against in our Liturgy to which I think all publick Preachers ought strictly to be limited And though many Ministers usually pray for the King in their invented Prayers before Sermons harmlesly one would think at the first blush yet upon stricter examination their Petitions for the King are but a kind of rayling and blasphemy as when they beg of God that he would be pleased to over-rule the Kings heart and make him a chaste pious wise holy just and temperate Prince and a thousand such like expressions and of worse nature not fit here to rehearse but infinuating and hinting as if he was a Prince that needed their Prayers in those particulars and sounds little better than Treason in rendring him to their utmost odious to his people For to pray in the spirit is to pray in the mind or spirit that is to mind what we pray and heartily beg the same of God in my mind or spirit whether I use words or no words in private prayer the matter is not great so that whether with words or without words my mind or spirit intercedes for mercies at the throne of Grace where the spirit of God helps our infirmites other prayer by the spirit there is none but all other than this is pharisaical babling out of ostentation covetousness or some base design unworthy of and inconsistent with so holy a duty whether in words plac'd in wonted order as most certain and profitable or in words of order diverted subject to rash uncouth if not nonsensical sometimes and blasphemous expressions And they that understand not this know not what it is to pray in spirit not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm whilst these gifted brethren lie to the Holy Ghost as Ananias did how can they escape the judgements of God Father forgive them they know not what they say But when men Pray in Publick as the Church did Acts 4. 24. then they should render him the calves of their lips with one mind and one mouth too Rom. 15. 6. Glorifying God all speaking as in our divine Letany and Liturgy at least all saying Amen lifting up their voyces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord as the Church did Acts 4. 24. And that you may be assured it was by a Common-prayer-book at that time in set words known to all it is said there they did lift up their voyces with one accord which is impâ—…ssible to be done but by a Liturgy otherwise one of the Church might be praying for faith hope or patience whilst others were praying for charity temperance or chastity c. and one would have done his prayers whilst another was scarcely heated at it or had not half done but to end the Controversie their set form of prayer is there registred upon Record in the 25 26 27 28 29 and 30. verses of that
this bait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but a few canting new-coyn'd words and with these they have made shift to get the good old Coyn out of their Pockets and sometimes Plate Bodkins Thimbles Horses Armes and Silver-spoons or whatsoever comes is welcome All is fish that comes to net whilst these Hugh Peters Baxters Marshals and Owens laugh in their sleeves to see how soon the fools and their moneys are parted and how parted do they not know of the going on 't and how it is laid out what they get for it Yes they tell the poor souls they get Christ for it Oh get Christ whenas indeed they get nothing but a little canting new-coyn'd Fanatick phrase or so there 's all Be not offended that I call this expression get Christ get Christ meer canting jugling and delusion beguiling unstable soules for I will give you a reason for it unanswerable by all the Canters and Cabala of Juglers in England with whom and the best of them or all their great heads put together I am not afraid to encounter in vindication of all and every thing in this Letter occasion'd by the bold undertaking of their friend Gregory Graybeard who puts for Apochrypha and so sets it down in a different Character the great Truth that Christ our Lord ever deliver'd to the world viz. To do as we would be done by which is the great end of the Law and the Gospel namely the best regulation of our manners or as p. 100. Moral vertue being the most material and useful part of all religion which has but two parts Phanaticism and Morality Which last is comprehended in that great way of Truth so much evil spoken of by some Christians as being the practice even of some heathens and therefore not the summ of Law and Prophets But let me live and die like such Heathens rather than live and die like such Christians as dare preferre any thing above this or any part of Religion above this which my Saviour has told me is the summe of all And he that believes Christ in this word as a true Prophet and conforms his life and conversation to this Law as given by his King Jesus shall assuredly find him a Priest to pardon and forgive him and bring him to glory where he now sits And this is that which in the beginning I call'd my Religion not but that many others are of it yet but few where I live For I dwell in New-Amsterdam where Satans seat is the Head-quarters of the Legions and the Randevouz of Hell the very Sink of all heresies and sects and the Kennel where all the neighbouring filâ—…h of Religion disgorges its self and disembogues And as we never read of any Pharisee converted by our Saviour except one or two yet very many Publicans and Harlots so here we find true that of our Saviour that Publicans and Harlots shall get into the Kingdom of Heaven before these our modern Pharisees in English Separates or Schismaticks as the word signifies And the great Reason why this great Rule and summe of Christs Message or Gospel was no more believ'd by the Pharisees than now by our modern Pharisees or Schismaticks called now modern Orthodox is because the heart of this people is waxed fat and their cars are dull of hearing and sâ—…eng they see and not perceive and hearing they hear and not understand They say they believe Gospel show them Mat. 7. 12. and ask them if they believe that that Rule before their eyes is the summe of all and they 'l rail presently at you and cry out good works good works the man presses us to good works and merit Popery Arminianism and Manwaring They say they believe St. Paul's Epistles to be God's word shew them 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. and the rest of the Chapter and ask them do you believe that your Preacher you so cry up for a precious man when he tells you of incomes and experiences and getting of Christ is a meer empty Kettle a meer canting jugling noise a meer feign'd new-coyn'd sound if he does not preach up good works and charity to you all contain'd and included in doing as you would be done by They will presently fly out in rage and wrath against you saying you rail at Gods Ministers God ways and Gods people and look upon all you say as prophane and coming from a prophane and loose spirit Though with never so much meekness you entreat them to take heed how in so saying they blaspheme God and his holy spirit who says altogether so much as I have said in that first vers Though I speak with the Tongue of men and Angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal that is a meer empty Kettle sound and noise yet they see this with their eyes and yet will blaspheme and will not believe Tell them further that this precious Preacher does not yet speak with the tongue of an angel let his whinings and snivellings and gruntings and groanings be never so tuneable they will not believe you but when for the good of their immortal souls you bid them beware of the juggle and take heed they be not cheated with new-coyn'd and feigned words meer Canting as Gypsies that have a peculiar dialect and phrase of their own Yet then they will revile you rendring you hatred for your good will slandering you in blaspheming Christ and the truth you declare to them and think all this while they are lying standering and railing you which is far from Charity that they do God good service and vindicate precious men Ask them further whether those be not â—…eigned fictitious new-coyn'd words as the Apostle St. Peter says false prophets make merchandize or make good markets with through covetousness which the Holy-ghost in Holy Scripture uses not and which Gods Holy word is not acquainted with and they will confess that they must be new-coyned and feigned by false prophets and juglers if not coyn'd there by the Holy-ghost But then say these expressions viz. incomes get experiences look over your experiences get Christ and the indwellings of the spirit such like many hundreds of them produc'd with a wonderful long whine and twang are neither the words of the Holy Ghost Prophets Christ or his Apostles and therefore are feigned words which these spiritual merchants get money with as Gypsies do by Cantting and Singing And they will blaspheme and rail at you though you say no more than St. Peter has done and though they cannot find one such new-coyn'd word in all the Bible Is not the heart of this people hardned and seeing they do not see they will not see nor perceive but like the Pharisees look upon all your reproof to be a reproach to them and the ways of God They cannot be converted because not convinced they are not convinced partly by reason their Preachers are not faithful to their souls but instead of shewing them the
worship why what would you have I make them no more But bodily worship yet that But is such a But that it will prove a But-end against Modern Orthodoxy for ever to all that honestly and with a good heart free from partiality prejudice and passion do consider and believe Gods Holy Word and their own eyes How does the Apostle beg of the Romans with many imprecations for the Ceremonies of bodily worship in Gods holy Worship as a most reasonable service to him A holy acceptable and living sacrifice unto God Rom. 12. 1. And bids them all to open their mouths together in Prayer Praises and Worship of God as if they had but one mouth among them all as well as one mind in glorifying God Rom. 15. 6. And also calls upon the Corinthians not only to do the great duty but the lesser duty not only to glorifie God with their spirits but with their bodies 1 Cor. 6. 20. And that for a very good reason because the body is Gods purchase as well as the soul Christ hath bought both paid a price for both both therefore body as well soul must glorifie God by reverent postures and gestures as kneelings bowing sometimes even to the very ground after the Pattern and example of our Saviour Mat. 26. 39. These blasphemous wretches of Oliverian and Modern Orthodox would have called our Saviour superstitious and as well too St. Paul kneeling Eph. 3. 14. and St. Peter bowing down to the ground Luk. 5. 8. and kneeling Acts 9. 40. St. Stephen at last gasp kneeling Acts 7. 60. with many other devout men in the Old and New Testament Dan. 6. 10. Psal. 95. 6. Acts 20. 36. Acts 21. 5. 'T is true the worship of the mind is more profitable than of the body which profits but a little yet that little since it much helps the reverence of my mind and spirit ought I not to follow the Example Precept and Pattern of the Holy Ghost in Scripture who sure best knows what is spiritual worship after the Holy Example of our Saviour the Apostles and all Saints in the Ceremonies of kneeling bowing c. in bodily worship rather than to follow the Precept and Pattern of new Oliverian Orthodox men Dissemblers Murderers Hypocrites Cheats and Antick Foppish Jugglers and wresters of Holy Writ as ever did gull silly souls Ceremonies then are one part of Spiritual worship and Sermons are none much less are their Sermons any that have been full of trumpery and railing against Ceremonies thereby also railing against our Lord and Saviour and all holy men Let Baal look to his hits he 's gone else for ever from the Communion of Saints and ingenuous men for this Generation that yet feels the smart of their delusions and jugglings and knows to their cost all I say to be true by lamentable experience As for Faith you find all its Articles in the Apostles Creed believe but that and be sav'd so far as faith can save you but faith without good works can never save you but is a dead faith if you will believe your own eyes Jam. 2. more than those Juglers that cast a mist before you to keep you blind and lead you by the nose by calling good works without which no man shall go to heaven or be happy either in this world or the world to come most blasphemously popery superstition and I know not what but be but so good as to give them your Monies your Plaâ—…e your Bodkins your Thimbles c. Oh! then it is no Popery nor Superstition but stroaking the tools on the head gives them a coaks and a flap with a Foxes tail and makes them believe they do a very good work and help the Lord also and if they can perswade some old fop man or woman to part with a good Estate to maintain a weekly Lecture or else mouth will not open except that same annuity be in the case and then the old Fox dies a charitable good man not guilty of popery by that good work no not he He that gives to Monks and Fryars and English Clergy he is popish and and superstitious but to give to Modern Orthodox for a weekly Lecture and Sermon Oh heavenly thank you lovingly As for the seals of Faith you have the Sacraments Initiating Baptism strengthening The Supper of the Lord. Prayers and Praises which both for private Family and publick Devotions are incomparable and without fear of nonsence rashness or blasphemy contained in the Liturgy which should be the daily sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving either in your houses or better if you can get company in your Churches every morning and evening as well as once a week and always was frequented by Holy Church till Modern Orthordoxy that abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet was set up in the room thereof c. the Holy Liturgy taken away contemned and despised by wicked men thereby to set up themselves their own superstitions and inventions If in the Explication of the Liturgy Sacraments or Creed or that Text Matt. 7. 12. Thereby to order mens conversations aright you speak as pathetically fully and plainly as you can whether in the Church or from house to house catechizing the ignorant on Sundays or other Holy-days or working-days whether on a single Text or as our Saviour usually did on twenty several subjects in delivering Truths most seasonable and most useful to your Hearers whether an hour half an hour or half a quarter of an hour according to your discretions what and how long may be most profitable and convenient Fear not but in so doing you do the work of an Evangelist with true honour and approbation of God and all good men And leave canting stories whimsees and and cheats to the Modern Oliverian Orthodox they are unworthy the high calling whereunto you are called and the benefit of the Clergy of the Church of England and only fit for Taylors Weavers Coblers Chimney-sweepers and such spiritual Juglers Canters and Gypsies I have comprized in those six Verses the best things and all that are needful things which accompany salvation of which now I will not further speak It had been happy for the King Kingdom the People and the Prayers too if they had kept themselves to that Divinity alone contained in those six Verses infinite treasure and blood had been saved which has been spent and spilt through the whimsees and superstitions of these Oliverian Orthodox men Can any wise or good man imagine that the Almighty and merciful God would leave the way to Heaven so hard to find that no body can find it out but he that has heard twenty or a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand Sermons Foppish and bejuggled mankind Our Saviour and his Apostles converted millions with a few short plain words Religion is the work of the whole man all the days of his life consisting in the constant practice of piety and not in prating of piety in idle and
endless questions disputes glosses controversies Lectures whimsees stories and Harangues set off with antick twangs of the nose wry faces mops mows split jaws sparrow-mouths grunting lyons faces hems haws yawnings gapings snivellings whinings and mock-gypsee cantings and juglings by spiritual Hocus Pocus and Oliverian Orthodox being Traytors heady high-minded lovers of their own wills and pleasures more than Gods will and pleasure having a form or face of godliness and that no good one neither but denying the power thereof For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sint led away with divers lusts c. Now will they have the impudence to say I rayl and reproach them in this reproof no matter so said their Predecessours to my Saviour when he denounc'd a wo to these Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites Besides they are not my words so much as the words of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3. What can be said too smartly and home to such malignancies as these Foppish stories Lectures whimsees wrestings of sacred Scripture by Hugh Peters and the rest of the Tribe which has undone us once already he that cheats once 't is his fault but if I am cheated twice with the same Juggle Interpretation and Legerdemayn though from another Hocus or pick-pocket I may thank my self no matter Look better to the pocket another time Aftertimes for envy like hollow friends accompanies every man that is worth any thing till he comes in his Grave and then it leaves him when prejudice and passion does not bribe the judgment will best determine which of these three Greg. Trinkles or Hugh Peters thus in their colours pencill'd have the best Physnomy Indeed they all three face one way go one way and follow one and the same Modern Orthodoxy but with a different style and under a different name Hugh Peters held forth manag'd Modern Orthodoxy under the name of the good Old Cause but Father Gray beard follows it under the name of the Cause too good Hugh Peters rendred the good Old Cause good enough to be fought for but Greg. has a higher value for it at least seems to be so chary and tender over it that he says it is too good to be fought for But both of them agree in fundamentals and with joynt forces inveigh against the King our late Sovereign and his whole Reign rendring it and him despicable and deform'd all over with Ceremonies Arminianism and Manwaring Both of them agree against the Common Enemy Bishops and Evil Councellors both of them quarrel with the Cross after Baptism and kneeling at the Sacrament Only Hugh Peters does more tolerably pretend to Controversies in Divinity as not being out of the Road of his Profession But certainly this same Greg. whatever he be is no Divine It would almost tempt Charity to very hard thoughts of him whilst he like Julian the Apostate prosecutes so vehemently and maliciously Religion and all religious men If Plato's transmigration of souls were true I should conclude that Cham was again in him Metampsuchos'd he does so turn up the Fathers of the Church and exposing their nakedness to his Power slashes them for their worthy Cares But his Rod does most wound his own face and his own malice and betraying its self becomes his own Executioner For certainly if his conscience were awake it would fly in his face and make him recant with St. Paul for a less defamation unawares I wiâ—…t not Brethren that it was God's High Priest God's High Priest and yet a wicked man and then too going about a wicked action and yet St. Paul does ask forgiveness But Certainly Greg. can have no call to pass a censure upon either Ministers of State Councils Fathers of the Church their Actions Councils or Books sure if the way were good and the good Old Cause never so good yet certainly Greg. it is not your Road and therefore if for no other cause you are out of the way as much you are when you talk Politickly of Augustus Caesar Hen. IV. c. Your Policies are like your Divinity but neither of them taken out of the Bible which you say will teach a man the best Politicks You might learn other measures of Government out of the Bible then displeasing or pleasing the People Herod to please the People killed James and because he saw it pleased the People he put Peter in Prison also Acts 12. 3. Pilat to do the Jews a pleasure delivered our Saviour to be crucified and Foelix willing to do the Jews a pleasure left Paul bound Argumentum turpissimum est Turba faith Seneca These soft and unmanly Rules of Government and Policy may perhaps agree with your own effeminate temper but they are not grounded upon Reason nor Religion Indeed when the light of these are obscured and Hood-wink'd with fear and cowardise the man is no more a man much less a Governour nor with these circumstances capable of direction for fear frights ' hâ—… out of his wits and how can he govern others that cannot govern himself But Almighty God does usually give large and noble souls to them that are design'd for Government and not capable of such puny impressions of fear that mollifie and unman vulgar and narrow spirits The threatning â—…llows daunted and amaz'd Julius Caesar's waterman till the great courage of Caesar reviv'd the poor spirited man with Caesarem fortunes and fetch'd him to life again and made him tug it out This noble spirit of Government is called in Holy writ the spirit of God which came upon Soul when anointed to be a King and upon the seventy Elders Numb 11. 17. when they were appointed to be Councellors of State Indeed those Independents Numb 16. 3. Korah Dathan Abiram and their Crew thought themselves as good as the best and as holy as the best and as good as their Governours but Moses presently shew'd them the difference on 't There are many incomparable instances in the Bible which will teach Governours better policy than puny and narrow hearted Greg. dares think on for all the commendations he gives the Bible for the most absolute accomplishment of a Politician The people mutiny'd were displeased with Moses their Governour and rebelled Exod. 32. now if Greg. had been at his elbow how would he with fearful S. Peter have advis'd Moses as S. Peter did our Saviour Master spare thy self how would Greg. have read politick Lectures to him and have entreated him to look to himself and shift for himself and not hazard himself among the Rebels and tumults Hell was broke loose the people swarming in uproars and terrible in threatnings or if he could not have perswaded Moses to run away he would as he does to our Governours insinuate the Wisdom and necessity of pleasing the people coming with cap in hand rather than sword in hand and beg of them for Gods sake to be quiet and they should have any thing But Moses Gods servant was not