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