Modesty and Faithfulness In Opposition to Envy and RASHNESS Proverb 22.15 Foolishness is bound up in the Heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction shall drive it out Mr. John Child THis is to let you know that I met with a Childish wandering Pamphlet full of Pernitious matter the Person who is the Author hath not put his Name unto it but I am Informed he had more mind to have J. J. then J. C. put unto it I am perswaded you have been formerly much acquainted with him therefore call to mind things and Persons and do not forget your SELF and there is great Reason to conclude that if the Author of it had been 25 years ago told that he should put forth such a Pamphlet he would have been ready to say as Hazael did 2 Kings 8.13 Is thy Servant a dog that he should do this thing The title in short is a second Argument for Non-Conformists to take the Sacrament of the Church of England but indeed I cannot find any thing of Argument in that Pamphlet for the matter proposed and believe that the most wise sober and substantial men of the Church of England will hardly think such to be right members of the said Church who shall be brought to conform by no better Arguments or Considerations then is contained in the aforesaid Pamphlet and though the Author hath not put his name unto it he may be easily known by his Communication in it and truly I think I may say without wronging the Author that the matter contained in the said Pamphlet doth discover him to be such a man as Christ speaks of in Mat. 12.43,44,45 viz. A man out of whom went an unclean Spirit who wandred about and found no rest and in Process of time Returned to his house and found it empty swept and Garnished and took with him seven other Spirits more wicked then himself and they dwelt there and so the last state of that man is worse then the first and truly Sir upon a further consideration of the aforesaid Pamphlet I find cause to conclude the Author to be such a man as Wise Solomon speaketh of Proverbs 26.25,26 When he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven Abominations in his heart Whose hatred is covered by deceit his Wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation Sir I know you have been concerned in the Consideration of Numbers as Expressed in the Holy Scriptures I pray Sir set your thoughts at Work about these before mentioned Numbers viz. Seven Abominations in a mans heart spoken by wise Solomon and seven Wicked Spirits spoken by Christ who is greater then Solomon and let this matter be so Considered and Improved by you as may be for your Edification but it may be you will inquire what should be the Reason of applying the forementioned Scriptures to the Author of the aforesaid Pamphlet unto which I answer First it doth arise from that Account I have of the Person who though he hath not put his Name to his Pamphlet yet there be some In the World who know me and do also very well know him and the Account of him is as followeth First That he hath been a Professor of Christianity in the way of Separation from the Church of England about thirty years 2dly That he was baptized upon Profession of Faith and Repentance and so joined in Fellowship with a People called Baptiss himself judging Infant sprinkling to be mans invention and not Christs Institution 3dly He did so grow in understanding of the Holy Scriptures that in a little time he was a man of Name and Fame considered as a Preacher in Bedfordshire Buckinhamshire and Harfordshire 4thly He hath appeared in Print highly Vindicating the aforesaid Profession and practice and has been ready to undertake publick Disputations against any that Opposed what he Professed 5thly In Process of time from being very poor he began to grow wealthy and then he decayed in his Christianity and made some change of his former Principles though still in the way of Separation 6thly He removed from the Country to the City and joined himself with a very worthy Congregation of faithful Christians where the pure Word of God was preached and the Ordinances of God were duely Administred who also were a numerous Wealthy and Bountiful People but it seems that they did not find any Extraordinary need of this new Members Assistance so as to employ him and settle him in the Work of the Ministry though their Pastor was newly dead however there was another smaller Church of good Christians that had more need of help and as they did partake of his Spirituals he did partake of their Temporals sufficient for that pains that he took amongst them but they did not see cause to continue him as their constant publick Preacher and so they parted but this was not done by that Congregation to save their Mony as being a covetous People for they do now allow a Maintenance to a deserving man who is well known to be an able preacher and a great Schollar 7 thly Thus things not suting with the mans temper or rather his Distemper he soon became a Wandering Star sometimes two Meetings and sometimes to Church and now a time of suffering is come upon the poor Protestant Dissenters this poor man is all for Conformity knowing very well that the Profession of Religion is much cheaper in the Church of England over what it is like to be among the Persecuted Dissenters O Excellent and Stupendious Policy Secondly I now come to shew that the words of Christ concerning the seven Wicked Spirits and the Words of Sâ—lomon concerning the seven Abominations in a mans heart may be fitly applyed to the Author of the aforesaid Pamphlet by considering the bad matter contained therein from the title page to the Finis of the said Pamphlet which is stuffed full of abominable things viz. First of Nonsence 2dly Of Falcity 3dly Of Absurdity 4thly Of Envy Fifthly Of Railery Sixthly Of Forgery Seventhly Of Hypocrisie demonstrated as followeth First Non-senfe sheweth it self to the World with a brazen Face in the very title of the said Pamphlet calling or stiling it a second Argument when as the first is not Extant being not yet in Print truly Sir if the Author hath thus counted his Children viz. hath called and Recorded his first born the second child I think I may say to him O Excelling and Stupendious folly what has the man a mind to turn child indeed or is he studying how to change the common account of England by making a new book of Arethmetick surely if he can reckon no better the Bishop of Ely will not be his Imprimatur Secondly Great Falcity is in the said Pamphlet for in the Title Page are these Words The Root and Foundation of the Popish Plot further discovered I must confess this was a cuning way to make the book sell especially considering that the Popish Plot is almost lost and
people in general are very desirous to have some new and further demonstration of it but behold a base cheat put upon those that buy the book for there is no mention of the Popish Plot it is not so much as named in all the pages neither the Root nor the Branches upon first sight of the Title there is cause given to conclude that a new Evidence was risen up for the good of the King and Kingdom who could out-do all the former Evidences about the Popish Plot in discovering the very root of it O Excellent and Stupendious sham and now I will enter upon the Consideration of the Pamphlet it self in the begining I find the Author declaring himself like a Prince or some great Prelate Page 1. It hath been our endeavour to correct some of the extravagant strains found in many well meaning Dissenters viz. by good Arguments and Examples together with a sight of their folly in being debarâ—d of the Civil Rights and the close Concurrency of Penal Prosecution they have been at last prevailed upon to come to Church now what these good Arguments were and whether the second was before the first and what those Examples were they are not visible to me but the injoyment of Civil Rights with the close Concurrency of Penal Prosecutions I do now well understand and do believe that the Church of England will rather count such a person a Bastard then a true Child who shall conform upon such base considerations as to comply with the matters of Christianity upon the account of outward safety and in page the second the Author goeth on and saith that it hath been the work of our Adversaries for a long time to put the Protestant Clergy upon Persecuting thereby to justify their old accustomed Cruelty and in this page saith these Adversaries do influence and perswade the poor simple Dissenters that Persecution is an infallible mark of an Antichristian Church now who these Adversaries be that is not plainly said however this Author doth venture to give them a mistical name viz. the Sons of Leviathan and truly I cannot at all think he meaneth the people of Morocco but there is good ground to conclude he meaneth the Papists and if so I believe the Church especially the Protestant Clergy of England will not think that he hath done them any kindness to declare them to be influenced by the Papists to Persecute their Fellow Protestants and so are but the Popes Drudges and it is basely insinuated as if there were a Confederacy between the Papists and the Protestant Clergy which I do not at all believe and it is also as basely insinuated that the Protestant Dissenters are influenced by the Papists to maintain their Nonconformity whereas it is well known that the Protestant Dissenters in general are wholly strangers to that Party and Detesters of their Principles and Practices and in page the fourth the aforesaid Author presumeth to declare all things necessary to Salvation of which he could never yet learn more than these four viz page the third First the learning of a good Catechism to aid and conduct their faith 2dly a good and well composed Form of Prayer to discharge their devotion 3dly To hear learned and good men Preach to revive and quicken them to duty 4thly To square and Regulate their Lives by Moral Precepts or the Law of nature the which whosoever shall humbly and carefully observe constantly and Conscientiously perform then this bold undertaker doth declare as followeth we will assure them Salvation and undertake to answer to God for them and be content to stand chargeable with their Blood if they miscarry Unto which particulars I reply as followeth First A man may learn a good Catechism so as to understand all the Questions and Answers therein and may have the right notion of all those truths in his head and yet be without the real possession of them in his heart 2dly A man may have a well composed Form of Prayer to discharge his devotion and yet be without the Spirit of Prayer 3dly A man may hear Learned and good men Preach to revive and quicken them to Duty and yet be without the Word of God in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost 4thly A man may square and regulate his life by Moral Precepts or the Law of Nature humbly Carefully Constantly and Conscientiously and yet be without Spiritual Regeneration and Christ saith without Regeneration there is no Salvation John 3.3,5 And now for the said Author so boldly to assure men of their Salvation and undertake to answer to God for them be content to stand chargeable with their Blood if they miscarry upon those four things before proposed I am at a loss what to conclude concerning the man only this I will venture to say he bids fair for the Care and Cure of Souls Thirdly Absurdity is Contained in the said Pamphlet for he pretendeth to srame Arguments and draw Conclusions from them to ingage persons who are Dissenters to come to the Sacrament in the Church of England but instead of making sound and weighty Arguments that may convince mens judgments they are but very pittiful Images of Arguments not of Gold or Silver or Wood as made by an Artis but more like Images of Clay made by a Child that bedaubs and fouls his Fingers in so doing Which briefly take as followeth First To Communicate in the Supper is either a Civil or a Spiritual thing if Civil as such it may be done 2dly It is Commanded by the Laws of our Country 3dly 'T is no natural Injury to our Neighbours therefore can be no real hurt or prejudice to his own Soul This is a cunning and base insinuation of a Corrupt Notion to Represent the Holy Communion as a Civil action if this once take upon mens minds being willing to save themselves from Sufferings by Penal Laws farewel to the right performance of Holy Ordinances From these Carnal Resonings First if I go to the Sacraments I shall not be so obnoxious among my Neighbours 2dly There is very good Neighbourly Sociiety in Eating and Drinking 3dly The Laws of my Country doth require it 4thly If I do it but seldom I shall escape Sufferings 5thly I shall hereby be qualified to maintain my Civil Rights and Priviledges and thus the Ordinance of God the Word of God and the Law of the Land is most abominably abused for the Law of the Realm doth Require them that come to the Sacrament to come to it not as to a Civil Action but as to Gods Holy Ordinance humbly and devoutly and the Minister is to lay before the people the danger and indignation which God hath threatned to them which shall presume to receive the same unworthily see the Statute Anno primo Edward the sixth Chap. the first Then the Author goeth on thus page the fourth If it be spiritual goodness it cannot be dangerous and unsafe because we have the Word of God that
Unto which I Reply humbly and modestly thus 1. What had this Envious Wretch a mind to expose the Dissenters to the rage and fury of those that neither fear the Laws of God nor the good Laws of the Realm that are for the restraining and punishing of men for gross wickedness now this horrible abusing of the most high God as he calleth it is charged upon all those Dissenters that hold the Doctrine of Gods particular Election of some of mankind to eternal salvation 2dly What kindness hath this Pamphleteer shewed to or what service hath he done for the Church of England by his former desperate discourse for as much as it is well known that the Doctrine of particular Election is the Principle and Doctrine of the Church of England and has been highly maintained by the most famous Ministers against those of a contrary mind viz. such as are called Arminians and though some of the Ministers of the Church of England and some of the Dissenters do oppose the aforesaid Doctrine yet as they are men of good humanity they have more manners and as they are men of Christianity they have more grace then to use such blasphemous expressions and to draw such diabolical Conclusions concerning the Professors of such Election and the Electing Gracious God But no marvel that he whose Principle is that men may fall from true and saving grace should himself fall from seeming grace 3dly And now I will humbly offer my opinion and faith concerning Election First I do believe that God from all Eternity or before the World begun hath Elected some of the Children of men unto Eternal Salvation and in due time hath and doth and will bless them with saving Conversion in order thereunto Eph. 1.4 According as he hath Chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you Brethren because God hath from the beginning Chosen you to Salvation through Sanstification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2dly I believe that God in his gracious Decree of this Election hath fixed upon every one of the particular persons that should afterward be eternaly saved Psalm 139. vers 16. Thine eyes did see my Substance yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my Members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them which Scripture must be understood of the Members of Davids natural Body or of Christ's Mystical Body if of Davids natural Body then we may surely say God hath not a less regard to and care of Christs mystical Body but doth certainly know all the Members thereof and hath them down in his Book whilst as yet they are not visible in the world 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Now God doth not only know them that are his when Converted but before Conversion Consider those words John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine Verse 16. Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Sheepherd Verse 26. But ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you Verse 27. My Sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Conversion and Salvation of perticular persons were both in God together as the act of his infinite mercy and rich grace before the world began Consider that Word well 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the World began And consider also that Word in Rom. 11.5 Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and vers 7. The Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Fourthly I believe that as saving Grace here and Eternal Glory hereafter unto all them that are saved is Gods undeserved mercy Even so also those that are suffered to go on in their Sins here and shall be damned for their Sins hereafter is unto them but Gods deserved Justice Fifthly I believe that God hath not laid any Necessity upon men to be Wicked for God doth not force any man to sin but man being created upright abode not in that State but sought out many Inventions as in Eccl. 7.29 The whole Lump of Mankind is involved in a sinful state and so is become unable of himself to do any thing that may save himself for the very Saints of God are not saved by works of Righteousness which they have wrought see Tit. 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness which we have wrought but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost Sixthly I do however believe that though not any man can make himself so good as to be saved by it yet most men may be abundantly better then they are by improving the Light of Nature and those Natural parts they have wherein some excel others together with an improvement of the common Mercies and Blessings of God and more especially by attending upon the meanes of grace and may hereby escape those black and bloody Crimes that the Pamphleteer doth most basely innumerate and may also be in a hopeful way of Conversation and so of Salvation like the poor man that lay at the pool of Bethesda John 5.3.5 Who though he was not able of himself to go in the Pool he lay in the way of a cure but if men will follow Wickedness with greediness they are in the ready way of Damnation without any ground of hope for Salvation Seventhly I believe that Salvation of Sinners is founded altogether upon Christ and laid up only and alone in Christ viz. In his person as God and Man in his perfect Righteousness in his painful Sufferings in the garden and upon the cross in his Resurrection from the dead in his Ascension into Heaven and in his Intercession in Heaven and shall be most fully compleated at the Resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ when the vile bodies of Saints shall be like the glorious body of Jesus Christ and so shall ever be with the Lord. Eighthly I believe that if God of his own free grace and rich mercy had not made the Eternal salvation of some particular persons infallibly certain by decreeing their saving conversion before time and blessing of them with it in time it would have been hazardous whether any sinners should have been saved for as much as a very great multitude of mankind yea and many that have seemed to be in a â—air way for Salvation and have mist of it by the same Reasons every particular
hatred and rage in them against the poor Dissenters who are already under Sufferings in this City and many parts of England and hereby he hath plainly discovered that he is for the same thing that he saith the Adversaries have been long labouring about see Page 2. viz. to divide the Protestants and to put the Protestant Clergy upon Persecuting the Dissenters and it is hereby evident rather then there shall be any empty space in Persecution what is wanting by the Old Adversaries he will set his helping hand to supply by doing farther mischief in stirring up the Clergy against the poor Dissenters and so much more divide those that should be in greater Unity because they are agreed in the highest things of Christianity and all in the same danger of the Old Enemy of Protestants viz. Rome and thus the Pamphleteer is guilty of those Evils mentioned in Prov. 6.16 These six things the Lord hateth yea seven are an Abomination to him Vers 17. A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood Vers 18. An Heart that deviseth Wicked immaginations feet that he swift running to Mischief a false Witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among Brethren Fourthly Consider whether the Pamphleteer hath any just cause to Write and Print thus of the Dissenters in general and therefore I will take a brief Notice of his particulars First Concerning Arch-bishops and Bishops though the Dissenters cannot account them to be such Bishops as were in the primitive Church because they cannot find any mention of Arch-bishops or Lord bishops in the new Testament yet for as much as it pleaseth the King and is agreeable to the Constitution of the Government the Dissenters are very well contented to live under such Government in all peaceable manner and give that Reverence and Respect to them as becometh Christianity and Humanity and then I think the Bishops have no cause to complain of the Dissenters as being any abusers of them and for my own part I am apt to think that if the Kingdom had not them there might be worse in their Room Secondly Concerning the English Clergy and their Maintenance it is well known that the Dissenters in City and Countrey have a venerable esteem of such as are known to be men of good Learning good Natural Parts good Preachers and especially men of Spiritual Goodness viz. Men of Godly Conversations as for their Maintenance both in City and Country it is Chearfully paid not as an Act of force but as their Right by Law as other things are the Right of other men by the same Law and it is but a few Dissenters that must be excepted in this matter compared with the whole body of Dissenters throughout the Kingdom and they are deemed by their friends to be more scrupulous then they need or ought to be and besides it is well known that those Parish Ministers who are obliging to their Parishoners do not onely Receive their Due by Law from the Dissenters but do also partake of their love Fourthly As concerning the Schooles of Learning in both Universities it is well known that Learning was highly incouraged and Sobriety was well maintained in those times wherein such as are now Dissenters were concerned both as Heads and Schollars in those Noble Schools and the Dissenters do now rejoice in the maintaining of Learning in both Universities and in other good Schools of the Kingdom and yet Dissenters have good cause to believe that though humane Learning is a very good thing and although men may arrive to high degrees in it yet they may be very ignorant of Divine Misteries which is indeed the Teachings of the Spirit of God it was not for want of Humane Learning that Nicodemus a Ruler and Master in Israel did not understand the new and Spiritual birth when he said How can a man be born when he is Old Can he enter the second time into his Mothers Womb and be born again John 3.4 Neither was it for want of humane Learning that the Greeks did count the Preaching of Salvation by a Crucified Christ Foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 Nor is it not for want of Humane Learning that the Jesuites and other great Schollars brought up in the Popish Schools do not turn Protestants and it is basely done of the Pamphleteer to reflect upon Mr. Samuel How who hath been in his Grave a great number of years who though he was but a mean man in the world he deserved great honour as a man of good natural parts and an able Preacher of Gods Word a gracious Soul and a man of holy life and Conversation 5thly Concerning the Laws for maintainance of the poor in the several Parishes of England of which the Pamphleteer saith the Dissenters would faln have them down also this seems as if he would stir up a Spirit of Rage in the Poor against the Dissenters to fall about their Ears as being the worst of the Poor's enemies but blessed be God it is well known throughout this Kingdom that the Dissenters do most Cheerfully pay the Parish Taxes for the supply of the Poor and rejoice that there is such a provision made for them besides being Charitable to them other ways Thus have I briefly replyed unto this part of the mans forgery in Charging the poor Dissenters in general with things of which they are not guilty But hearken Brethren here iâ— a very large empty space and seeing Nature abhors a vacuity consider what provision the Pamphleteer has made to fill up again in the room of those things before Rehearsed First you shall in the room of the two Arch-bishops viz. Canterbury and York have a Tinker and a Taylor men of great confidence and long standing 2dly For the four great Bishopricks of London Winchester Eli and Durham you shall have a Water man a Shoomaker a Coffee-man and a Hat-dresser and for the other Bishops and the Glergy about the City and Suburbs of London you shall have men of an inferiour rank And then the poor desperate Wretch contrives how this may be made known to France Germany and the Low Countries and all these things he chargeth upon the Dissenters page 13. as their contrivance to make such an alteration in the Government And now I will most humbly and modestly reply and therein solemnly appeal to all the Church-men of England of what degree soever who have any considerable knowledge of and acquaintance with the Dissentrs and their Principles that the aforesaid Charge is most notoriously and abominably false for as much as it is well known throughout the Kingdom that such persons as are before mentioned are not at all desirous of such things it being quite contrary to their known and professed Principles to have such Ecclesiastical Dignities conferred upon them and yet they are such friends to the present Government as it is Established by Law that they can freely when ever His Majesty shall have occasion venture their lives to defend his