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
hold of CHRIST for all this sinne of mine Min. Our LORD IESUS CHRIST is indeed the true the only the immoveable foundation of the Church and children of GOD But he is to be apprehended and applied to the soules of Christian men by pietie vertue and the constant feare of GOD and not by every idle imagination and fleeting fancie which springs up in the minds of carnall men But tell mee is our LORD CHRIST in your power to bee held or let goâ— at your pleasure His owne words are these c Ioh. 6.44 No man comâ—â—â—â— unto 〈◊〉 except the Father who hath sent me draw him But undoubtedly GOD the Father doth draw His children to His SONNE CHRIST IESUS by faith and that faith workes in their hearts by love d Gal. 5.6 But Love and Murder are qualities of contrary nature each unto other they cannot actually subsist and have being in one and the same heart at one and the same time For the repugnancie and contrariety of their natures doth mainely labour to destroy and extinguish each other If the true faith cannot have being without pure Love its gracious and inseparable companion by what gift or grace within you doe you thinke to lay hold on and retaine our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto your selfe Enoch I hope by my repentance to recover my faith againe Min. Your sect is frequenâ— and much in talking of Faith which makes the Papists inâ—â— proud scorne to call Protestants Soli-fidians Tell me 〈◊〉 you can What is faith whereof you so much presume Enoch I thinke faith is to trust in GOD for salvation Min. To trust in GOD for salvation is one principall act and practice of the Nature of Faith as it stands in relation to GOD's mercy and his promises But as Faith is a supernaturall Qualitie wrought into mans soule by GOD's Spirit it hath many more actions and operations than only affiance in the Love and Mercy of GOD. For true Faith purifies the hearts of all those who are endued therewith It begets Humilitie of heart unity peace 1 Ioh. 3.3 and love with all true beleevers Acts 4.32 But none of all these vertues have any affinity or agreement with your facts of cruell murder 1 Pet. 1.22 For if wee search all the volume of the sacred Bible and examine the ancient records of Infidels and Heathens No fact of man in any age may stand parallel with this of yours And therefore flatter not your selfe with a vaine opinion of the truth or the strength of your faith for had true faith been of any vertue and force in any faculty of your soule either in your understanding to guide your cogitations or in your will to rectifie your resolutions and actions you had never so fearfully and desperately fallen into these barbarous murders Enoch Doe you thinke then that there is no meanes or way left for me to recover GOD's favour and the pardon of these great and crying sinnes Min. Yes upon your deepe Humiliation and repentance undoubtedly GOD will pardon your facts stoppe the crie of bloud and receive you to grace and mercy Now the ground-worke of repentance for a man in your case is first to cast off all flattering and deluding conceit of your imaginary faith 2. To labour to bee convinced in your soule that your facts were wrought and acted by the Immediate presence of Satan within you 3 To Abhorre from the very heart and soule the things you have done 4. To powre out your soule continually to God in fervent and secret Prayer craving of His mercy to pardon your sinnes and to checke and restraine the malice power and prevailing of Satan against you 5. To cast away all presumptuous thoughts which you shall finde to spring up in your owne carnall heart and to be secretly conveighed into your minde by that infernall spirit These things if you shall carefully set your selfe to performe in singlenesse of heart GOD's promise is made and shall never be annulled At what time the wicked shall turne from his sinnes Ezek. 18.21 22. which hee hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live hee shall not die But tell mee wherein differed you in opinion from your mother and brother Enoch Touching the Gesture at the Communion they would kneele and I would sit and bow my body Min. And did you for this very cause shed their bloud Enoch My wrath kindled for that cause only against my brother and in that wrath I slew him Min. Many persons in this Towne who have conferred with you are not of that opinion and do report other cause thereof Enoch Sir I told you I would confesse to you as unto CHRIST Himselfe as I hope to be pardoned of GOD I and my brother never differed nor disagreed in all our life but in that matter onely and in our difference therein I slew him Min. The Gesture of kneeling at the Communion is commanded by the Authority of our Soveraigne Lord the King with the assent of all the learned Bishops in our Land venerable for piety learning and vertue confirmed with the approbation and publike Testimony of both the Vniversities and the godly learned therein ratified by Act of Parliament And lastly obeyed by many thousands in this Land who neither want thâ— light of divine truth to direcâ—â— them nor the true feare oâ— GOD to warrant their practice And thinke you of youâ— selfe that you are wiser oâ— more righteous than all these Enoch I should not doe so and with this answer hee caâ— downe his countenance anâ— lifted up his hands Min. This spirituall prideâ— the fault of all your sect fâ—â— no sooner doe any of you begin to looke toward Sion anâ— in your owne conceits to reliâ—â— the things of GOD. but iâ—â— stantly you so over-value youâ— owne small worthes that 〈◊〉 the learning and pietie in thâ— Kingdom is not able to equâ—â— your petty devotions eitheâ— for soundnesse of judgement truth of faith or uprightnesse of walking No doubt but we should have a jolly Church if you and your conceited companions had the new-moulding and rectifying of it Enoch I should not thinke so of my selfe And with this short reply he cast downe his countenance againe and lifted up his hands a very little Min. How came you at first to entertaine these opinions and to dislike the gestures of your betters for wisedome knowledge vertue and the true feare of GOD and constant integrity in all their wayes Have you got these itching toyish and vaine conceits by conference with any Ministers disaffected to peace and unitie Or were you privately perswaded thereto by some of your aâ— quaintance or have you heaâ— any Minister publikely to 〈◊〉 clare his dislike of the prese forme of government and â— this gesture in special or weâ—â— you moved thereunto by 〈◊〉 example of any whose perseâ— you reverence for wisedoâ— and piety or have you by râ—â—ding any schismaticall
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
other cause But for other cause or causes he never pleaded any for himselfe but totally excluded all other causes Therefore he included this Cause and this Onely that because Iohn kneeled at the receiving of the sacred Communion Enoch his desperately enraged brother slew him This Argument is syllogisticall the true processe â—â—rationall Induction and the force thereof is so cleare conclusive and binding that whether his Non-conformed Brethren will accept or reject the word Onely the strength 〈◊〉 the thing affirmed remaines pregnant dilucidate and 〈◊〉 vincible 28 Thus leaving the true and onely cause of these flagitious murders fully assoiled from all pretense of colourable opposition I proceed to lay open unto you what I observed in the inward disposition of the minde of this man He was an high-minded fellow in spirituall matters and 〈◊〉 strongly opinioned of his owne particular Election Adoption and radication in grace The whatsoever advice I gave him from time to time for I was eighteene times with him pressing him to Humiliation Repentance Faith Teares Prayer Confession and the like spirituall Actions Hee seemed very thankfully to accept from mee and in token of his gratitude hee ordinarily used to kisse my hand and told mee upon all visitations of him that he spent his whole time in the exercise of these gratious vertues But they who lived in the house with him and diligently noted the whole tenour of his life and actions after his imprisonment could not discover any Symptomes or consequents of the practice of these pretended vertues for neither was his countenance dejected his complexion impaired or his meales in quantity abated He fed as plentifully dranke as liberally discoursed as freely as any person did who dieted at the same table with him payed the same rates of weekely charge though there detained not as malefactors but prisoners for debt He was frequent and much in poring on the Bible and still he told me that he used the helpe of reading to quicken his spirituall meditations and to sharpen his practice of repentance of faith and prayer But I rejoyneÌ„d unto him that folitarinesse and retired privacie voided of all other imployments were the best meanes of quickning devotion by putting his soule into Soliloquie with GOD. Reading I told him for a man in his case was not so proper and fit for his soule as spirituall ejaculations of his heart unto GOD in fervent devotion of sighes of prayers of confession For his reading not only stirred up in him many By-thoughts begetting questions impertinent to his present condition and state but also made him incline unto and arrogate too much to his owne private opinions the desperate supplanters of his miserable soule The best course I affirmed for a man in his case to take was to renounce his owne judgement will and affections which had alreadie enthralled him to Satan and to apply himselfe to the duties enjoyned him by GOD's Ministers and for questions emergent which might concerne him to take directions therein from them whose knowledge was more ripe judgements more exact as confirmed by experience of GOD's love and favour and their hearts better composed to piety charity and unity than his owne wilde and perturbed affections were Yet notwithstanding all my love and care and paines taken to do him good he would stil run his owne courses and follow the wayes of his owne heart By which he lay stil exposed to the cunning stratagems of Satan bâ—â— politike supplanter For in the arrogant pride of his over warning spirit he judged his owne ignorant and ungoverned heart as well able by learned and judicious counsell to prescribe unto himselfe as all the grave pious and learned Ministers in this Land could have done such was the force of spirituall delusions wherewith Satan had blinded and detained him captive 29 He was never observed in more than six weekes imprisonment to shed one teare in testimonie of sorrow for his crying sinnes or to note the presence of GOD's Spirit within him No not although two of his sisters joyning in prayer with mee upon their knees plentifully powred them forth in his behalfe Indeed I doe freely and ingenuously make knowne to the World that his complexion was not apt for teares but the present distresse of his soule under the fearefull expectation of GOD's confounding wrath justly provoked might either have terrified or mollified him to some signes of humiliation and sorrow 30 When hee was brought before the Reverend and Honourable Iudges no consternation of soule appeared in him either from the sense of his owne wickednesse or from the Gravitie of their Persons justly made terrible to malefactours by the weight of their authoritie But where grace sanctifies not to the Intenerating of the heart there pride will puffe up and be displayed in the countenance For as the Scriptures report l 1 Sam. 15.32 of Agag King of the Amalekites that being a captive prisoner and called to appeare before King Saul his Lord by conquest that he came Delicately before him and said in his heart Surely the bitternesse of death is past So this Prisoner the day before the comming in of the Iudges called for a Barbour to trimme him as if this malefactour had a desire in his heart that some elegancie of aspect darting from his countenance might appeare unto them when hee came before them This I observed disliked and to his face in the presence of many persons reproved in him and told him that a face more horrid and over-growne with haire better beseemed the horrour of his facts The evidence of his murders so often published to the world by his free and voluntary confession might have prevented the formal processe of Law by Iury conviction and casting and have put him into the power of the Iudge for Sentence of death from his own acknowledgement and expression of his guilt But for more strength of justice and regularitie of proceeding the Iury as I heard found him guilty and made him liable to Sentence of death which Sentence after it was pronounced against him the place where and the manner of his execution for the consequents thereof by hanging in a frame of iron being not expressed unto him he was no more altered in his countenance or changed in his behaviour than if no terrible voice of death had beene uttered unto him On Saturday the seventeenth of August 1633 after he was adjudged to death I came to him in the afternone partly to observe his behaviour and deportment after the horror of Iudgement passed on him but principally by counsel accommodate to his present condition to prepare him for a peniteÌ„tial dissolution And having shut up my self and him into a private roome and by directions and prayer to GOD for him prepared him for death in the best manner I was able I desired him with pressing perswasions to reveale unto me the person or persons by whose politike seducements hee was drawne to those opinions so desperate and raging in
their furious cruelty For at the discovery of this I had long aimed but could never with arguments or entreaties obtaine at his hands And I am of opinion from his resolution of contumacie in the concealement hereof that for the security of that party by whom he was inveigled and deceived therein he had either by secret compact or by an act of his owne desperate will imposed on himselfe an oath of secresie for he answered me that day as hee had often done before and continued in that obstinacie to his death that not from man but from GOD he had received those conceits which I knew to be as false as I know it to be true that mine owne soule is living within me For how could it possibly happen that an unlearned Rusticke shall fall so directly upon the Controversies of our Church in Discipline and Ceremonies without a schismatical guide to informe and perswade him and thereby to ruine and undo him And to the soule of that Minister or Lay person I speak who is yet living and conscious to himselfe that by his perswasions or directions this man became seduced in opinion and thereby insnared by Satan thus to scandalize the Church of GOD and hazard the state of his own soule for ever let him repent of his wickednesse and reforme his owne judgement therein lest the justice of GOD for his close hypocrifie leave him under the raigne of his own carnall will utterly devoid of His gracious Spirit For it is no new or unknowne thing in this Kingdome for Ministers of that stampe to lay violent hands upon their owne persons and in the agony of their soules by torment of wounded consciences to fore-doe themselves For not above two yeares ago both in the Imperial City of London and in other parts of this Kingdome divers of that sect have shortned their owne dayes oppressed with the vexation of confounded spirits which justifies that old prover be Omne quod rutilat non est aurum Every thing that glitters is not gold 31 For it is well knowne in this County of ours that a Minister of that sect neglecting the duties of so sacred a calling and for his opinions sake applying himselfe to a secular vocation in teaching a Grammar schoole did in the day time as he walkt in the schoole in a passion of secret distemper in his heart Deprive himselfe of his Virility violating thereby the workes of GOD and Nature and Origen-like castrated himselfe though not for the kingdom of heaven Which shewes that Gods Spirit is not alwayes present in those mens hearts to guide them who violate their loyalty to their Prince by renting the unity of the Churches peace This man being two years before this fact of his convented before a grave and learned Official in the Diocesse of Hereford for his Non-conformity the reverend Gentleman as he told me himselfe offred him all the courtesie and kindnesse that might be hoping by moderation of proceeding and wise perswasions to correct his errours reforme his judgement rectifie his irregularities and winne him to obedience But the frowardnesse of this man fast bound to his owne fancies neglected and sleighted the Gentlemans kindnesse So that after much parley and many passages and crosse bouts of opposition betweene them the learned and prudent Gentleman finding him rather obstinate in his will by being strongly conceited of his owne opinions than judiciously grounded with weight of arguments to support his vaine cause asked him this plaine and familiar question What if your Governours should require you to sit or stand in the act of receiving the Communion would you then doe He replyed peremptorily Then would I kneele Which answer plainly imports that not tendernesse of conscience as many pretend but pride and stubbornesse of will in refusing subjection to their Superiours is the true and the onely cause of their disobedience to the Majesty of our King the annointed of the LORD and to the equitie of his lawes and is also that pernicious foment and oyle of selfe-will which nourisheth the flame of Schisme and faction and maintaineth the breach of our peace and unity of heart 32 There was also a Lay-man in Tewxbury in the County of Glocester who was a strict austere and rigid Puritane of a Mechanical vocation and this man being chosen fourteene years before his death Church-warden of his Parish did then in his first time of office take downe a crosse of stone built in the Church-yard of that Parish and which had continued there time out of minde And this he did of a proud contempt of all ancient Monuments of that nature The stones of the said crosse hee placed loose under the Church-wall where they continued by the space of fourteene yeares free from injury or rapine for it seemes the people of the Neighbourhood made conscience of sacriledge It pleased GOD that the two next children which his wife brought into the world proved dease lame and deformed by monstrosity of body as by good report I have beene told and so continue to this very day The father of these children never once suspecting that the hand of Divine correction was laid upon his family for his own disobedience to his Prince and Governours or for his violation and defacing of the ancient Monuments of other mens devotion persists stil in his former opinions of schismaticall disobedience without any correction or reformation of himselfe For it may be he had either by himselfe observed or by relation from others had heard it confirmed that the children of other men had miscarried in their understandings their senses and bodily shapes and were exposed to the world for Ludibria Naturae as well as his And attributing these things to secondary canses and errours in naturall operations frequent in the world he never look't up to the hard of Heaven but still pleased himselfe in his irregular courses And being fourteene yeares after his first election chosen againe Church-warden of the same Parish he tooke the stones of the former defaced and demolished crosse which lay look under the Church-wall and by cementing them together and hewing a hollow gutter in them converts them to a swine trough for his owne use But the first meat which his swine diâ—eate out of that stone trough drove them instantly into raging madnesse whereof they dyed This man now seeing what had befallen unto him in his swine which in his children he slightly passed over he began to reflect upon his former and later facts and discovering by the terrible testimonies of Gods wrath the naughtinesse of his owne wicked heart in so contemptuously abusing things once dedicated to conserve the memoriall of our LORD His Passion for our redemption overcome with the gripes pangs and tormenting terrours of a wounded soule he leap't into a draw-well in the court of his neighbour and was taken up bruiâ—ed and drowned By reason of this exemplary vengeance 〈…〉 That whereas this sect of men is uncharitably 〈…〉 of the
piety of former ages in charging Idolatry and superstition upon them I would be a testimonie of more wisedome and moderation in them to suspend all censure of their intentions and reall expressions of devotion and let them stand or fall to their own Lord their Creator their Father since these men themselves in pleading the justification of their knowne and convinced errours desire the same libertie to be granted to themselves But let 's returne to Enoch from this short digression 33 Vpon Sunday morning following immediately the day of Enoch his condemnation the Hang-man being in the Prison-house was seene of five prisoners condemned to dye at that Assises And one of these persons condemned for the murder of a maid whom he had devirginated and defloured said to the rest of his fellowes in Enoch's presence I could finde in my heart to breake yonder knaves pate but that it is a sin and I have enough of that upon me already To whom Enoch replied It is no finne to kill death and had I knowne that knave to bee the Hang-man I would have beaten out his braines if I could have come at him These words of his begate over all the Prison-house consisting of many persons great exclamations against Enoch his wickednesse being himselfe a condemned person and should have imployed his thoughts upon better matters The next day in the morning as soone as I was come to the prison-house to see this condemned malefactour and to know how hee stood prepared for death Three persons severally one from another gave me notice of Enoch his words uttered the day before in the hearing of manyâ—â— appointed his overseer to bring him unto me in a private roome who being come and nothing dejected in minde or countenance but rather inwardly jocund in his owne soule I said unto him Did you Enoch utter such words concerning the Hang-man as divers persons do both testifie against you and are also greatly displeased with your desperate and furious outrage Hee replied unto mee I spake indeed those words in jest In jest quoth I unto him are you being a condemned person by judiciall sentence a fit person to utter jests do you not know that no Kingdome of the world can possibly subsist in Iustice and Honour without the service of such persons as shal be assigned to execute those lawes upon the persons of malefactours if Law condemne by just and upright sentence the wicked facts and persons of such men as by violating equitie disturbe the peace and welfare of Kingdomes and Governments are those Lawes of any force without the ministry and service of such men as shall put them in execution Surely Enoch the eye of your heart and judgement is not yet open to see your abominable villanies which doe yet rage and swell within you nor is your minde with the illumination whereof you have so much in secret pleased your selfe guided by GOD's Spirit For had these gifts of GOD taken place in your soule as you have still pretended the person of the Hang-man would have beene rather pleasing than offensive unto you as being the instrument of GOD's mercy to let out your soule surcharged by gripes of your conscience with fearefull tremblings into the glorious presence and welcome imbracements of CHRIST your SAVIOUR But looke to your selfe I admonish you for your time of life is short flatter not your selfe in thinking to escape the stroke and infliction of Temporall Vengeance due unto you If you die in these desperate and unchristian moods it is more than greatly to bee feared for it is evident and apparent that your owne personall election whereof you have so much talked was but a presumptuous errour and a gracelesse opinion by Satanicall delusion 34 Now touching this fellow and his opinions hee was charged to hold some points of Anabaptists and Enthusiastes matters I dare be bold to say because I know it right well farre beyond the reach of his apprehension for excepting only his distlike of our Church-ceremonies and his proud opinion of his owne spirituall estate in the favour of GOD he was a most ignorant mâ—â— in all parts of knowledge belonging to religion The matters of Opinion wherewith hee was suspected were principally these First that the soule of a regenerate man is perfectly pure and cleane within him by vertue of his New-birth and consents not either in the understanding by approbation or in the will by election and inclination to any act of sin But that it is only the body and flesh which remaining unsanctified and naturally defiled sollicites urges provokes unto all evill and executeth all acts thereof in the elect of GOD after their conversion and regeneration This opinion is a monster in nature not onely divorcing the soule and body each from other it the time of this life but also attributing unto the body without all motion influence or concomitancie of the soule the producing of actions and operations reall and sinfull This Enoch though of meane apprehension in philosophicall matters understood right well and his opinion herein was onely this and no more That for as much as sanctification which is very rightly and aptly tearmed Inherent Righteousnesse by repairing the decayes of originall grace in our soules and re-inducing the Image of GOD into us is not perfect in this life therefore in all reall acts of sindone by a childe of GOD in state of grace there is a consent to that act both in the understanding and the will the most â—oble and principal faculties of our soules for without assent of these no act is ever produced but it is such a consent as carries not with full sway and violence either of these powers within us pleasingly with strong delight and approbation to prosecute those actions but rather by infirmity under the strength of temptation they themselves are seduced to assent and execute things evill and are thereby for the present supplanted And of this his opinion he was desirous to make illustration in his owne person affirming that his regenerate soule in the very time and act of these murders stirred up some reluctancie within him and suspended his fulnesse of consent in the perpetration thereof His opinion I allow as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orthodox and sound and confirmed by the experience of all good men in the world But for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or illustration thereof in his owne person it is Heterodox unsound and of all good men to bee abhorred For an act of wrath resolving it selfe into malice contrived in the minde for the execution and terminated in bloud and murder cannot possibly be admitted to participate of infirmity His Second opinion charged upon him was this That CHRIST our LORD is not now in heaven in that body which by sanctified conception and incarnation Hee tooke of the substance of the holy and blessed Virgin and in which Hee conversed among the Iewes His answer to this was that he was mistaken by certain persons as
bosomes the Iustice and Equity of the Kings cause now taken in hand by impressions of sensible feare making them to tremble at the mention of Humane Authority as it is the execution of divine power for Temporall government For were their persons as cleare and innocent as they pretend by ostentation of the uprightnesse of their consciences in the cause of GOD or their judgements right and sound in that they hold with dissent from their wise superiours or their cause it selfe a matter of importance wherein the Honour or Dishonour of GOD stands Interessed and Ingaged surely then the LORD would fortifie and adde spiritual vigour to their masculine and high spirits and not suffer them to shrinke under the practice of Humane power urged for their correction and amendment And let me further certifie this irregular generation that if their fancies had been of GOD and decreed for His fetled ordinance It had not received such a wound as of late it hath done by the hand of Princely power which already hath made their building to nod and totter and incline to subversion For the Argument of Gamaliel uttered by the present inspiration of GOD'S Spirit is invincible Act. 5.39 Mans power cannot overthrow that which is of GOD which impregnable and sacred Truth I will demonstrate in this syllogisticall processe Whatsoever is of GOD decreed for continuance and propagation Major can neither bee dissolved by Humane power nor weakened and abated This Novell Toy of resisting authority Minor is by Humane power weakened and abated and drawes on to dissolution Therefore it is not of GOD by ordinance for Propagation Conclusio The whole force of this Argument so clear and conclusive is drawne from the practice of GOD Himselfe in the Primitive infancie of the Christian Church when the Roman Tyrants mighty in power and extention of authority over most parts of the habitable earth raged against the glory of our LORD IESUS CHRIST in the lustre of His Gospell and vowed the extinction of His Name and memory but the more their fury increased and insulted over the poore sheepe of CHRIST daily dragged unto slaughter by Martyrdome the more they found to the check of their infidell pride and immanity that Sanguis Martyrum erat semen Ecclesiae The bloud of Martyrs was the springing seed of the Church both for the increase of the number of professors and dilatation of the glory and power of our SAVIOUR If any shal reply unto mee that Humane power may for a time suppresse the outward growth and spreading of this disobedience to our King and his Lawes yet for as much as they are godly forsooth and doe it for conscience sake their practice will still retaine spirituall heat and vigorous warmth in the root and secret heart thereof and thereby sprout out againe and declare it selfe to bee of the LORD'S plantation To these men I reply no more but thus That I wish all such persons to suspend their owne rash and sinister perswasions for a time and to expect the event of the LORD'S will therein which in doubtfull cases is never knowne but by the sensible and apparent manifestation thereof 51 Now for this firy fancie and exquisite fascination of our Non-conformity I will freely and openly deliver my opinion thereof and that is this That when she was in her greatest ruffe and glory deckt with all the plumes of her pride and best acceptation which ever she had in this Kingdome I conceive of her that then even then she was no more but meretrix cerussata a whited painted and artificially coloured strumpet exposing her selfe to her most profitable wooers and entertainers But now that by time and age shee is become Rugosa cadaverosa wrinckled and decayed shee goes on I hope to her grave with infamie and dishonour The reason of my opinion is this I suppose that if her stoutest champions who have long with the secret increase of their private estates supported her glory could now come off fairely from her without detriment to their livelihood and eclipse of the brightnesse of their former reputation for Piety and Sincerity That then not one of them would either depart this Land or endure to bee silenced and restrained from preaching but being shut up in a strait by reflecting on their owne hearts and calling to minde what high and transcendent prayses they have in corners given to this their fancie the engine and instrument of all their delusions and the artificial and fine-wrought key whereby they have opened the Closets and Cabinets of their deare and privat friends if now they should shrinke from it they overthrow for ever the reputation of their integrity And therefore having within their owne bosomes a troublesome conflict betweene their hearts puffed up with the remembrance of their late glory and deare esteeme among their friends and their consciences now secretly prompting them that the grounds of their Schisme were things light triviall and of no moment The pride of their hearts beares downe with strong power the plea of their consciences and makes them resolve rather to endure a silencing with hope to retaine the under-hand benevolences of their tender hearted friends than to supplant the pleasing contentments they have received to themselves in appropriating to themselves the words of GOD's Spirit Prov. 12.26 The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour But let such men call to minde the judgements of GOD's wrath against that slothfull person Matt. 25.30 Who wrapped up his Talent in a Napkin and hid it in the earth For if Saint Paul could say in the case of planting of Churches 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessitie is laid upon mee yea woe is mee if I preach not the Gospell I cannot yet understand nor themselves neither of any dispensation or relaxation that Ministers have in these dayes to sit idle at home in vayne speculations and to neglect the Watering of those Churches and feeding of those flockes which by other mens labours have beene prepared and made ready to their Ministry Yet this liberty to please themselves by voluntary or imposed silence and the Iustice and Aequitie thereof on their parts in submitting to so sharpe a censure is still by them constantly assevered And thereby they strive to uphold the good conceits which their friends have of the puritie of their consciences and of the Iniquity Idolatry and Prophanenesse of those Antichristian Ceremonies which are urged against them for better termes or Titles they know right well they never afford them And this is the true cause why I was so bold and plaine with them as to tearme their practice of Non-conformity by the odious name of a Painted Strumpet because a learned Philosopher describing the Arts and subtilties of such wanton and uncleane persons sayes of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Strumpets wish all sorts of happinesse may befail their lovers except understanding and wisdome to discover their own wickednes so doe flatterers
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
words would have them to be new moulded corrected and framed thus The Body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which was given for thee build thee up in thy body and in thy soule unto everlasting life These formes of words though they seeme to differ in the letter and sound yet they fully accord in sense and signification yet these verball differences in the pronunciation not signification of the words wrought such effects in the heart of this seduced man that he strongly conceited in his vaine thoughts and could never bee reformed and rectified by advice that the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiving was a Posture of body not onely idolatrous but absolutely rendred us incapable of that spirituall Nourishment which from the sacred Body and Bloud of our LORD did diffuse and stream it selfe into all the faculties oâ—â— our soules and all the parts oâ—â— our bodies For in the site oâ—â— gesture of kneeling said thâ—â— ENOCH the legs are cast behind the rest of the body and receive not that influence oâ—â— Nourishment spirituall at leasâ— in proportion and measure oâ—â— attraction as the rest of the body doth This is a conceit 〈◊〉 sublimate fine and subtile that it rightly fals under those elegant expressions which God Spirit hath made touching that Grand Impostour the Divell for his wiles and sleights attermed p 2 Cor. 211. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subtile devise to entangle mens thoughts And q Revel 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depthes or profundities For these conceits are so subtill deepe and profound that Hales Aquinas or Scotus could never in their curious and deepe speculations rise to the height or fathome the bottome of them The gestures which this vaine light and seduced man conceited to himselfe as most convenient in that sacred act of GOD'S worship were either standing and bowing or sitting and bowing of the body For the gesture of standing hee alleaged full wisely I warrant you the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST r Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in unto him and sup with him and he with me For the gesture of sitting he had no Scripture at all to alleage nor any other warrant or argument but the apprehension of his owne dull and depraved imagination In these strange opinions of his Å¿ 2 Thes 2.10 we may behold the powerfull Working of Satan with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse For the postures of standing of sitting oâ— kneeling being all naturall and bodily actions without the addition of bowing which isâ— mentall and spirituall action and hath relation to some other nature either in the Creator or in the creatures to whom it is directed are iâ— themselves as they are action bodily and naturall neither good nor evill at all And doâ— onely partake of goodnesse or illnesse as the motion of bowing with intention of Adoration is added unto them And yet this Dolt not versed in the Principles of Catechisme touching worship given to creatures by bowing of the body would presume to talke to censure and peremptorily to judge of things he understood not and therein resist his wise learned and religious Superiours But Pride and Ignorance are these mens cognisance 5 Now touching this ENOCH that I may give you the true and just measure of him for person and qualitie Know Good Reader that he was the son of one EDWARD ap EVAN a countrey Farmer of the Parish of Clunne in the Countie of Salop and Diocesse of Hereford a man who by a long course of industrious painfulnesse in the execution of his vocation and frugality of disposition in the governement of his family and management of his affaires had acquired unto himselfe a competent estate of livelihood for his owne support and the preferment of his children so that he passed in the reputation of all his neighbourhood among the number of rich men living in peaceable manner in the course of his life and good estimation among men of his ranke This EDWARD as he told me himselfe had two sons and five daughters His two sons Enoch aged 34. and Iohn aged 31. he detained in his owne family with himselfe and educated them in the practice of Husbandry to execute his affaires and to be a comfort and support unto him in his elder yeares Iohn the younger brother was of persontall strong and proper of quality affable and sweet natur'd of countenance comely most dutifully obedient to his Parents carefull of their welfare and thriving and never known in one and thirty years to have given any froward stubborne or undutifull reply in words to his father or mother though his father was of condition austere and held a severe hand of government and command over him Enoch was a fellow of a middle stature of complexion swarthy under the predominance of the humour of melancholy of Countenance nothing alluring and lovely but sowre and dejected 6 In this family of Edward ap Evan some sense of religion joyned with the domesticke worship of GOD had for some yeares made entrance and received entertainement For they had as Enoch told mee prayers twice every day not such as were conceived in their owne hearts by the private motions of the Spirit the raigning practice of this age but more commendable and regular being orderly read out of the Service-book of our English Church by Enoch one day by Iohn another in a constant course of well-ordered discipline at which all persons in the family were required to be present This taste of religion stirred up in Enoch a desire of further proficiencie in the knowledge of GOD'S will so that he bought him a Bible which he seldome omitted to carry about with him in his pocket in so much that at the plough in the field and in the barne when he threshed his fathers corne hee borrowed some time from his present imployments to cast his eye on this Sacred Booke so sharpe and insatiable was his thirstie desire of holy reading This practice of his grew in short time to a great forwardnesse in the profession of Piety to the eye of the world and an itching desire to bee accounted more zealous than his neighbours so cunningly wrought it selfe into his affections that his practice therein contained not it selfe within the sober limits of prudent moderation For hee was not contented to stint and confine his solemne and publike worship of GOD to the LORD'S day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 1.10 commonly called Sunday which together with those few other Holy-daies appointed by the wisdome of our Church might have satisfied a wise man andâ— sound Christian but hee busily harkened after weeke-day Lectures and would oftentimes ride three or foure miles to heare sermons the ordinary practice of this formall age Having continued this course by the space of two yeares 〈◊〉 began to distaste some ordinances of our Churches constitution for the peaceable and
Cosin went instantly to his chamber and fetcht it and thereupon they two walked forth into the fields towards Enoch's fathers house As they passed together his Cosin altogether ignorant of his bloudy facts Enoch sayd to his Kinsman I must turne aside a little to see a thing I left in the field These words were no sooner uttered by him but two Mayds of his Fathers family accompanied with some of the nearest neighbours having raised the crie and prosecuting the pursuit of the Murderer seized there upon him apprehended him and brought him before the next Iustice of the Peace Sir Robert Howard a Knight of the Bath of noble birth sonne to the late Right Honourable the Earle of Suffolke 15 Enoch beeing by this prudent knight examined touching the unnaturall and barbarous facts objected against him stoutly resolutely undauntedly denyed for a while and impudently vvithout blush or change of countenance pleaded his innocencie But being pressed by that Noble and wise Knight with such reasons and arguments as to his wisedome seemed most strong and pregnant to convince him at length overcome with the horror of his owne conscience and shame of his impudence he began to relent and by impressions of deserved wrath from the divine Majesty of God into his Soule he became sensible of what he had done And thus overcome with the agitations of tormenting panges in his owne bosome he desired that worthie Knight that hee would send for one Mr. Erasmus Powell a learned reverend and aged Divine who by the Sacrament of Baptisme brought this Enoch into the visible Church of GOD. M. Powell being come tooke Enoch apart into another roome from the presence of the Knight and to him he opened the fact with such circumstances a were by Questions propose unto him 16 The facts thus reveale and confessed by the Malefictour Sir Robert commandeâ— his Clarke to write the Mâ—â—timus and sent him well guarded with the Constable of thâ— hundred and others into 〈◊〉 County Gaole held in 〈◊〉 Towne of Shrewsbury As 〈◊〉 Keepers of the prisoner caâ—â— onward their way they weâ—â— to passe by Enoch's Father house and he being desiroâ—â— to see his aged Father requested of his Keepers to perâ—â— him to turne into the house but being come in his father refused to speake to him or 〈◊〉 see him being overcome with griefe of heart for so great a calamitie upon his Familie His eldest Sister the Wife of an honest Free-holder of the Neighbour-hood being come to comfort her Father in this his great consternation and dejection of Spirit seeing her Brother enter into the house she came unto him with teares in her eyes and face and sorrow in her heart and said Ah Brother Enoch what moved you to take away the life of our deare Mother and Brother Hee replied unto her Peace foole hold thy Tongue We live in a false Church and thou shalt see a change shortly This passionate discovery of himselfe being the maine secret of his wicked heart and the incentive to all his villanies I received from his brother iâ— Law the husband of his eldeâ— sister who charged him with these words in my presence and thereby left him destitute of all reply by telling him hâ— heard them from his own mouth and that he would affirme them upon his oath 〈◊〉 any Court of this Kingdome And here let all those Personâ— who out of a turbulent affectâ— on to Non-conformity have stoutly argued and pleaded that distemper in this maâ—â— braine and not any Erronioâ—â— opinions relating to Church matters brought forth theâ—â— diabolicall Acts of Matricâ—â— and fratricide Let them weight in their retired thoughts thâ—â— Nature and tenour of theâ—â— words and to what they relate And let them be also ashamed and learne to blush that they have so unjustly not to say irreligiously darkned and opposed Truth to countenance falsehood and their owne faction 17 This Enoch being brought forward towards the Prison the day declining his Keepers were constrained to take up their lodging in a small village Towne five miles from Shrewsbury called Powlderbach and there lodged at the house of one Thomas Turner After they were entred there and their Supper prepared and set on the Table all the company sate downe lovingly together And Enoch as most versed in matters of Devotion did very orderly both before and after Supper give thankes to GOD for their foode The company being risen from the Table turned towards the fire not so much for the comfort and warmth thereof for the time was but newly past MidsuÌ„mer as for conference sake As they sate thus friendly talking together Enoch was espied by a servant of the house to six his eye upon a Spit or Broach which the Maide by negligence had left in one end oâ— the Chimny The Servant kept his owne eye carefullâ— upon Enoch expecting Thâ—â— event of his Anger for he perceived some wrath in his heaâ—â— discovered in his countenance by his contracting of his forâ— head and staring with indignation upon the Constable 〈◊〉 the hundred to whom he was by the Iustice committed And on the sudden up starts Enoch in a desperate rage and catched at the Spit therewith as was conjectured to have goared the Constable The Servant whose vigilant eye attended the hands of Enoch stept suddenly betweene him and the Spit and thereby prevented his bloudy purpose After this they brought Enoch to bed where after two hours either sleepe or silence at least they of the house who watched and garded the Prisoner heard a most fearefull noise in the street neere to the doore of the house where Enoch lay as if it had beene the ratling of the wheels of two or three Carts furiously driven In this Towne three watchmen for the hundred sate up in the street that night on the County watch who were not of Enochs company but walked to and fro to take notice if any travellers passed that way These meâ— also heard the noise and were greatly terrified therewith With this ratling and rumbling noyse Enoch then in his bed being suddenly awaked became terribly affrighted and greatly distempered with enraged feares and outcryes so that he leaped out of his Bed cast off his Shirt and came downe naked out of the Chamber unto the company hiâ— Watchmen below in the Hallâ— and there cryed out with great vehemency and contention oâ— voice many times without Intermission ô they murder me they murder me they murder me Which terrible expressions of tormenting feares confirme that sentence of sacred Scripture (x) Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a man shall susteyne his Infirmityes but a Wounded Spirit who can beare it For hee whose heart and hands were yet moistned with his Mothers and Brothers blood apprehended the least noyse sounding in his eares to be the assaults of Hellish furies seizing upon him His Keepers being thus disquieted with him made haste to be eased of their trouble attired him in his cloathes pinnioned his Armes and towards foure of
caâ—â—le and the Neighbour-â—ood there one of them Brother in law to Enoch by marriage with his eldest sister The other a man of very honest reputation in the place of his dwelling Mr. William Tanner were desired by Enochs father to come unto me and to crave the continuance of my charitable paines with his son and promised me that the old man should be thankfull unto me I answered them that as my owne charity was my first Inducement and motive to visit him so my dutie to GOD and the satisfaction of mine owne conscience was all my expected reward The brother in law of Enoch desired of me that the next morning he might attend me to the Gaole to conferre with him to counsell and to direct him The houre eight of the clocke being appointed we repaired thither and in the presence of nine persons of which one was strongly affected to Non-conformitie I entred conference or rather counsell with him and they all are able to testifie how free I was from any poâ—tike device of scruing my selâ— into his bosome to doe the Paritans any disgrace which was the thing so greatly feared â— called for the Bible of the house and by many and urgent perswasions illustrates with pregnant examples I laboured to bring him to a sight and sense of his great wickednesse thereby to humble him and by repentance to prepare his soule for comforts 22 Having finished my exhortation to him which he seriously promised in the hearing of that company to imprint deepely in his remembrance for the careful practice therof I acquainted him with a common terme which passed for current and credible in all the Neighbour-hood about Bishops-castle where his murders were committed By cleare and forcible arguments as the Countrey affirmed convincing him of Lunacie and Distraction thereby to divert the facts from all thoughts of Church Ceremonies or any dislike thereof And the relation and clearing of these objections by evident refutation of them sure I am will give our Non-conformists a deepe disgust who labour to this day in all assemblies and occasions of conference to fasten madnesse on their brother Enoch But necessary truth conducing to GOD's glory and His Churches good must not be supprest to sooth and please selfe-willed Schismatikes The Arguments which were related unto mee by Mr. William Tanner were foure and here follow in their order 1 Enoch came into an Inne or Alehouse in Bishops-Castle and found there the Oast of the house and a Scrivenour drinking together Hee being desired to sit down with them carried a while in their company In this time of his sining and conference with them the Scrivenour is reported to draw â—ut of his pocket certaine coppy-books ruled with red Inke and written with his owne hand These Bookes he laid upon the table and Enoch taking one of them into his hand and looking intentively upon the red lines became as the report goeth much troubled in minde The Scrivenour not perceiving his perturbation drew also out of his pocket a Prospective-glasse thorow which our sight being directed it makes the object on which our eye is fixed much more large and extended than the naturall and proper magnitude thereof Vpon the sight of these red-ruled books and glasse Enoch is said to burst out into words of great terror and trouble in himselfe and to say This man is a Conjurer and hath sent to Bristow for a man to murder me This speech say our Puritans about Bishops-castle plainely convinceth Enoch to be crackt in the braine and apt for violent distempers by Lunacie This is the Argument Enoch which your neighbours make against you let me have your answer without any untruths shifts or evasions Enoch Sir these men whom you name can fully cleare me herein and to their report I referre my selfe yet for your satisfaction to whom I owe all dutie and respect I will assure you the cleare truth herein I viewed indeed one of the Scriveners bookes and I supposed and spake according to my thoughts that those lines were ruled with bloud for I had never seene nor heard of any red inke in all my life-time I think a wiser man than my selfe may commit a greater mistake and errour without any distemper or cracke in his understanding As for the Glasse or Bristoll or murdering of me GOD is my witnesse I never made any mention of them Neither did I terme the man a Conjurer nor had any imagination therof But it is the practice of the world when a man is in misery to load him with false accusations wherof since I came into this Prison I have had much experience by manifold slanders of whoredome and other vices invented against me 2 The second Argument is this Enoch a yeare before the death of his mother is reported to aske her this question upon a Sunday after they were returned from Clunne Church Mother did not you heare â— shrill and loud voice speakâ— unto mee this morning in the Church His mother is reported to reply unto him yes â— heard the Ministers voice speaking to thee and to me and to all the Congregation other voice I heard not nor thy selfe neither He is reported to aske her againe Did you not heare a voice call unto me by name and say Enoch prepare Sheâ— is said to answer him Hold thy peace thou foole I heard no such voice nor thou neither This is alleaged against you now answer for your selfe in truth and uprightnesse For weaknesse of braine is no cause of shame or reproch to your person Enoch They talke much of the Divell and my selfe but if they invent and devise such lyes against mee in matters whereof I am no way guiltie let the authours and contrivers thereof take heed lest that lying spirit hold not as much interest and take as strong possession of their soules as hee hath done in mine according to their opinion and conceit For certainly this report newly raised touching my questions with my mother is such a cunning lye thaâ— I cannot understand the ayme or search the depth of it For by these words Enoch prepare I conceive their meaning to be as though Satan had cast some thoughts into my heart touching the killing of my mother and brother a whole yeare before I committed those execrable facts But I have told you Sir and doe further assure you of the truth therein that my resolution to slay my brother was not fully ten dayes old before I brought it into execution And if my mother were now living who is temporally perished by my enraged heart and accursed hand she could and would cleare my reports and denial of any such questions moved unto her I assure you therefore on my faith and truth I never used any such words unto her nor never received any such idle thought into my owne heart as to imagine a voice to call to mee by name in the open Church in the time of Divine Service as people call it 3 The third Argument
Ceremonies but to aime at such substantials alterations in Church and State as would willingly subjugate the Royall Diadem and Scepter of Princely Power to the subordinate rule and direction of their Presbyterian consistory 41 Vnto this Towne of ours divers Gentlemen from many parts of this Kingdome and Widdowes also have within these twelve last yeares resorted Resolving here to plant themselves for fixed habitation and expecting to enjoy with impunity the vaine toyes and schismaticall conceits they brought hither with them But my trust is under GOD and the sacred and Royall Majestie of our King that our Reverend Bishop will either in short time reforme their irregularities or cause them to returne to the places of their former aboad Hither also have flocked Mechanicall fellowes of many Artifices and Professions Masons Carpenters Brick-layers Corsers Weavers Stone-gravers and what not And being in their persons of worthlesse quality and receiving countenance from men of better ranke they have pestered our Towne with disobedience and schisme and for their low condition and obscurity of living have escaped presentment and passed unregarded Pardon my zeale good Reader a surcharged heart speaking nothing but knowne and justifiable truth may justly obtaine libertie to unburden it selfe Now these persons of the better and inferiour ranke grow presently into strict and inviolable leagues of mutuall amitie as if long continuance of time experience and proofe of their Christian vertues had incorporated and united them together in reciprocall societie For it is the nature of Schisme and all unwarranted courses ever to shew it selfe active in malignitie and by examples and encouragements from one to another in short time to disdaine to submit themselves to the commands of their Superiours lest thereby they dishonour their fantasticall profession by shrinking from the hold of their Christian libertie and abridging themselves of their selfe-pleasing fantasies They assemble and feast and pray and discourse and perhaps take libertie also to complaine and lament each unto other that the Reliques of Rome continue still among us to adulterate the sacred puritie of our Gospell of Peace But blessed bee the Name of the LORD our GOD and thankes be given to the excellent Majestie and Piety of our King who resolving in his royall heart Quoad brachii humaeni virtutem to conserve the puritie of the glory of CHRIST in supporting the free passage of His blessed Gospell doth also designe in His Princely thoughts and intentions to reduce His wandring subjects to uniformity of obedience 42 A Letter was written by a Non-conformed Minister to that late reverend worthy and learned Prelate Bishop Iewel who if the judgement of Master Hooker ratified with the approbation of that most Illustrious Memorable and Learned King Iames t Hooker Eccl. politâ—e pag. 68. Preface before Iewels workes may be received was one of the most accomplished Divines that Christendome hath yeelded for some hundreds of yeares In this Letter the judgement of that gracious man was desired touching our Ceremonies and specially the government of our Church by Bishops Who weighing in his prudent and peaceful thoughts the sleight Arguments sent unto him wherewith the impregnable fort of our discipline was attempted for battery and subversion replied thus as hee is cited by Doctor Whitgift in his Reply u Answer to a libell intituled An adnotion c. As for these reasons in my judgement they are not made to build up and they are too weake to pull downe Stultitia nata est in corde pueri Virga disciplinae fugabit illam x Pro. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction will drive it from him It is but wantonnesse correction will helpe it Thus far Bishop Iewel Now the weight of this mans authority furnished as hee was with infinite variety of reading in the writings of the Church Ancient and Moderne is more to be esteemed than the up-start conceits of many hundreds of those light and vaine Novellers the wanton perturbers of our Christian peace And till this correcting rod of Humane power qualified and ratified by divine authority and given by GOD into the Princely hand of His Vicegerents be either inflicted or at least lifted up and shaked though shaking without striking will doe little good these men are so setled upon the Lees and dregges of their pleasing errours that like Moab y Ier. 48.11 for want of emptying from vessell to vessell they will still retaine their old sent within them 43 I publikely told them five Moneths agoe namely in Iuly last past 1633 in a Preface to my Catechisme Lecture in a very great assembly that it was to bee feared that they who obeyed not the Lawes of the King did curse his sacred Person in their hearts contrary to that rule Eccle. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter These words of mine stirred up such a Tempest in the unruly tumultuous and stormy affections that many of them rashly rowed but have fayled therein that they would never heare mee againe because I imployed good Talents and partes to the disgrace of Gods children But now let them give mee leave since time hath allaied their passions and rendred them more capable of wholsome advice to tell them without feare or flattery that I conceive the Spirituall meaning of these words in this sense Hee that obeyes not the Law which is by commande of Princely power and Iustice impsed on him Curses that law which he refuseth to obey for betweene obedience and cursing there is no medium or meane in the sense of Gods Spirit For every act of murmuring and repining against the supposed iniquity of any law coupled with contempt of the same law by disobedience thereunto is an act of the heart and Spirit of that man cursing the 〈◊〉 to which hee refuseth to yeeld true and faithfull subjection Now this inward curse lighting on the law which is disobeyed reflects or rather falls directly on the Majestie of the King from whose sacred Authority as hee is the immediate Vicegerent of God that law receives either Constitution or Ratification and Command for obedience This sense I obtrude not on these Persons as arrogating to my selfe infallibility of judgement in the meaning of Gods Spirit But I refer it to the grave and deliberat judgement of those prudent and learned Persons who fit at the Helme of government in our Church and are more profound in knowledge and fully able to resolve and cleere this doubt for as then so now I deliver onely my opinion and no more But yet let me further tell them that since they like not to bee told that their thoughts and hearts do Curse Christian Kings whose lawes check and countermaund their novell fancies what will they say to that place of sacred Scriptures
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
hearts of credulous persons by praysing them for pious vertuous holy and good men when once they perceive in them any inclination to adhere to their faction But for others whom they discover to be averse from their conceits and to oppose their exorbitant fooleries they traduce them with obloquie and load them with defamation secretly whispering against them that they are dissolute prophane boone-companions utterly destitute of the power of godlinesse If any Gentleman in the Countrey affect this fine toy of irregularity all his Tenants must runne with him in the same Maze and Labyrinth of conceited nicities or when their Leases expire be pinched with an oppressing Fine which shall exact the bloud and marrow of his former acquired estate or by the strong faith and abundant charitie of his good Landlord bee cast out of his ancient tenement not without reproachfull tearmes of dishonesty and prophanenesse If rich Tradesmen in Cities and Corporations incline that way then all mechanicall and inferior Persons who have any relation to them and dependance on them must comply with them in their vayne opinions or the streame of their favours will runne another way So that poore men are often forced to increase the number of disloyall people against their Prince and his peaceable regiment or else indanger their lively-hood in displeasing those great ones by whom they are set on worke for the earning of their maintenance and support of their Families And though in Cities and Corporations the richer sort of men are contentedly pleased for their own advancement in dignities precedencie of place and credit to their posteritie to make benefit to themselves of the Liberties Priviledges Graunts Charters Compositions which ancient Kings of this Land in their Royall bounty have conferred on those places yet when they have obtained what they ambitiously aspire after they care nothing at all to make their soules sensible of those duties of gratious obedience to their Sovereigne Leige Lord which those their dignities doe both Naturally and by the Iustice of Humane equity require at their hands Which to speake in the fairest tearmes that I am able is an high degree of unmannerlinesse and disloyall ingratitude For I appeale to the judgement of every man in this Land who is Master of his owne wits whether it bee fit for Subjects to enjoy such preferments and personall dignities as they eagerly thirst after and the places of their aboad by Offices doe conferre upon them and yet shall make no conscience of hearty subjection to the Princely Majesty or their King from whose Royall power and benigne liberality those things are derived Is it fit or reasonable that dignitâ— and loyalty in the persons oâ— Subjects should bee divorceeâ— each from other and not unite themselves in gratious peaceable Harmonie Or is it a thing possible for such men to plead their loyalty and pretend themselves to be good subjects to their King and yet countenance faction and disorder against the Tranquilitie of his State and Royalty Let other men thinke as they please and in the pride and insolency of their stubborne spirits dispense with their owne Consciences by wilfully affected ignorance and selfe-adulation I know right-well what GOD's Word requires at the hands of all men for the setled peace and unitie of Christian Nations And as I know it so I will roundly tell them That hee is neither good Christian to GOD-ward nor good Subject to his Prince that to please the peremptory surlinesse of his owne selfe-will shall rent theunitie of a setled government and thereby divide a Kingdome into confusion and disorders 50 And though these men who both secretly with al their might and openly as farre as they dare oppose the worthie persons of Governours and the integrity of their proceedings doe inwardly fret and vexe at their gracious designes because they controle their ambitious aymes and towring aspires yet all men of wisedome know that never shall the Royalty of the Prince bee secured nor the state of the Kingdome once be established in peace and honor till that Paxitie of Ministers which is so vehemently desired be rejected with scorne and the Obtruders therof taught more wisedome and Better Manners then to disturbe the Peace of a glorious Church for the erecting of an Idoll of their owne Imagination For if this matter should be ript up from the originall foundation and first stone of this building attempted to bee layd in this Kingdome by the policie of Master Cartwright and his adherents suborned and instigated thereunto by some persons of power in their times but now extinct by death What issue would our prudent meditations produce herein but that the LORD our GOD highly displeased with so disordered a Plat-form of Church-politie as was by him projected and tendred to Princely hands and view Blasted it with his wrath in the first motions springing and infancy thereof by directing the heart of that late gratious Queene ELIZABETH a Princesse of holy memory to discountenance and reject it And since that time it never could attaine the favour of that late Sacred Wise and Learned Prince KING IAMES whose high Prudence and profound Learning better knew the nature and operation of all Ingredients which perfit Church-government then all the Puritanes of this Kingdome of Amsterdam and New-England could teach him And what was master Cartwright himselfe that his words worth or authoritie should dissolve subvert and annihilate a prudent an honourable and long-setled Government And in place thereof substitute a Novell plot of his owne Invention or drawne forth unto him by forreine Divines living under the practice of Aristocraticall or Democraticall regiment in their Civill state and no way accommodate to the lustre and eminency of Monarchical power and polity Was he for Wisedome Learning Piety so transcendent and incomparable that all the Piety Wisdome and Learning in this Land could not parallel match or surmount him Surely they that shall discreetly with impartiality indifferency and uncorrupted judgements reade over the polemicall writings of Doctour White-gift and him shall perceive a plaine and sensible difference both in the spirits of the men themselves and also in the quality of their Writings For in Doctor Whitegift there shines forth a sweet moderation of Spirit with weight of Arguments and copy of Authorities couched in a cleere facile and gentle stile no way tainted or touched with bitternesse of spirit but with gracious mildnesse digesting all Reproaches and Indignities cast forth against him In Mr. Cartwright a high furious and reproachfull humour venting his owne authorities depraving Scriptures for his owne purpose stuffing his Margine with Quotations nothing pertinent to the matter in hand and using a Stile so forc't with Scommes Taunts and salt scurrilities against his Superiours in Authority as a gratious heart vvould loath to reade them And yet the Disciples of this cholericke proud and over-weening spirit desire to appropriate all sanctity ingrosse all wisedome and piety and impale it within the verge and
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