those Articles to be burnt by the hand of the common Hang-man and the war to go on which proved their ruine and fatall destruction And for a conclusion of this Symptome I will end it with those words of the Prophet Isaiah Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shâ—â— see and be ashamed for their envie towards thy people yea the fire of thine enemies shall devoure them Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works for us And though it be a sad thing that men holding forth a profession of Religion should fall to those wayes and grow to such an height as I have laid open yet I am perswaded it is a good hand of God and his speciall providence and mercie to his Church in these Kingdomes to leave the Sectaries to fall into so many evils to take such strange wayes thus to discover themselves and to proceed so far that so the Kingdomes knowing them well they might in the issue be more effectually cured and perfectly delivered from them for had these men kept themselves within the compasse of a few of their opinions and carried things faire and not broke out as they have done we should have thought them good holy men been much taken with them and many would have been deceived by them yea in time they might have got such an interest and had such an influence as to have corrupted all but now having thus early discovered themselves both in matters of Church and State in opinions and practices this hath so opened the eyes of this Kingdome yea of both that it will cause them to abhor and abominate them as a wicked Faction whose principles would bring in an universall Anarchy both upon Church and State overthrowing all Ministerie setled Government and order in the Church being against Kingly Government the House of Peeres House of Commons unlesse ad placitum and so long as the common people like them and all power of Magistrates in capitall matters over Church members in the Commonwealth and who cared not to have sacrificed the Religion peace happinesse of these Kingdomes upon the ambition furie pride lust opinions of Anabaptists Libertines Seekers Brownists Independents And therefore however the Sectaries may flatter themselves in the encrease of their partie in the power they have in some places in the favour they find among some great men yet let them know notwithstanding their policies all their arms of flesh all their friends in the Armies in the House of Commons and in Committees which they so boast of yet God will overthrow them and these eight particulars are certaine symptomes of their ruine and let who will do what they can to uphold them yet God will bring them downe for when they spring as the grasse and as the Workers of iniquitie flourish then is it that they shall be destroyed for ever And therefore let us be couragious and faithfull to the cause of God contending earnestly for the faith which was once at livered to the Saints and let us be in nothing terrified by the Sectaries And to all the Symptomes I have given already being so many fore-runners of their fall let the Reader consider this That they have their deaths wound already the fatall arrow sticks in their sides and having begun to fall they shall surely fall and that besides the Citie of London and other instruments God will honour our Brethren of Scotland to make them a great means of their falling and they shall fall before the Scots whom they have so vilified and unworthily dealt with as the Prelaticall and Popish partie did and me thinks the way of Gods proceedings all along this way of Reformation and many passages of his providence hint point it out to us for the Sectaries are a Faction alike opposite to our Brethren of Scotland viz. the other extreme and all along from first to last God hath made the Scots instrumentall for the good of this Kingdome and bringing things thus far And that God will honour the Kingdome of Scotland and the Church-reformation according to their way to bring down the Sectaries let the Reader consult with M. Brightman a man of a propheticall spirit in his Exposition on the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8 9 10. where he shews that Church to whom so many promises are made to be the reformed Churches of Geneva France Scotland and those who are according to that way of Reformation in Doctrine and Church Government and among many things observed by M. Brightman on that place I shall only point at two 1. That Philadelphia the type of Geneva Scotland and the Churches of that Reformation is most famous for truth of Doctrine As for truth of Doctrine where is there any place in the whole world chaster and sounder Here the whole Papacie is destroyed Anabaptists Antitrinitarians Arrians and such monsters raised again from Hell partly in Germany partly in Transylvania never found a sharper enemy 2. By those who say they are Jewes and are not vers 9. in the Antitype are all those who holding errours do arrogate alone to themselves truth faith salvation the promises of God boasting nothing else but the Temple such were the Arrians under Constantine Constantius Valens and such are at this day the Papists glorying in Peters Chaire these will be accounted the only Catholikes and their Church the only Church of Christ c. Now if wee consider well of these two things 1. We shall find no Church sounder for Doctrine than the Church of Scotland nor greater enemies not only against Papacie and Prelacie but against Anabaptists Seekers and all kind of Sectaries than they are 2. Wee shall not among all Heretikes and Sectaries that have been since the writing of this Epistle find any that have more resembled the Jewes in boasting themselves to be the only people of God than the Sectaries of our times the Anabaptists Independents who extoll themselves for the only Saints calling themselves the Saints the people of God the Church and their way is called by them the Church-way Church-fellowship Christs way and that all who are not of their way are without c. so that these words do most fully agree to them who say they are Iewes and are not but do lye and therefore to conclude this Corallarie all the promises made to Philadelphia do belong in a speciall manner to our Brethren of Scotland as First That God will make them come viz. those who are the Antitype to those Jews the Sectaries Anabaptists Independents that whole Faction and worship before their feet and to know that God hath loved them that is they shall overcome and triumph over these Sectaries and however they have been hitherto abused and scorned by them neither have these unthankfull men acknowledged my love from that singular gift of zeale pietie which I bestowed upon thee yet I will adorn thee with those things which are in great
argument they may be pressed upon them to draw them off their errours yet they may not be charged upon them and therefore though in the setting down of the errours and the things thereto annexed as Letters some phrases and words may not be so proper nor so good English yet the Reader must not be offended because I would relate things in their own words to take away all cavill Sixthly For the proof and manifestation of the truth and reality of the errours blasphemies and practices contained in this present Tractate that the Reader may not rest upon my bare assertion and relation of them but may have other grounds of satisfaction for their belief and so be more affected with them I propound these following particulars as grounds of proof 1. That for divers of the opinions errours and practices related there is such a notoriety of them being so notoriously known to thousands and maintained by thousands every day and every place witnessing the truth of them that to quote books written and sermons preached for them or persons holding them is to lose time and when all is alledged that can be 't is far beneath the evidences that the mentioning of the things themselves give 2. Many errours and blasphemies contained in this following Catalogue have been complained of and particulars given in by sufficient persons to the Parliament Committees of Parliament Assembly of Divines and others in authority of which errours I have had either perfect copies given me from Ministers both of the Assembly and City or relations from their mouths who have known particularly the story and truth of them which copies I keep by mee to produce if need be and out of which amongst many other papers and books I made up this Catalogue 3. Some of the errours blasphemies and practices are proved and made manifest in the narration of the Stories and Letters following the Catalogue wherein the naming of some persons places occasions of writing the persons writ unto their writing in a publick way and not in a private manner the willingnesse to have them published with many other concurrent circumstances do declare they are not feigned nor counterfeited but reall and certain 4. Of some of these errours and practices here related I my self and other persons of good note and quality have at the same time together been ear-witnesses and eye-witnesses upon the places 5. Other of these errours and opinions are in divers printed books either of the Sectaries themselves or of persons of note and worth for learning and piety who either after conferences with them or hearing them preach upon certain knowledge have printed and attested them to the world diverse of which printed books especially those made by the Sectaries I quote upon the margent by the errours 6. For any of the errours blasphemies put in this following Catalogue which have come to my knowledge by none of the former five wayes above specified which yet are not many I have had the relation of them from godly Ministers and understanding conscientious Christians with many circumstances of names places conditions time and confident asseverations of the certainty of them the relations coming to me by providence and occasionally spoken of in the hearing of others as well as my selfe and so delivered as there can be no reason in the world to think they should be false but much every way to beleeve them true And that the Reader may the more build upon the truth of all things delivered in this Book besides that account I have given him already in these six particulars I shall acquaint the Reader with the course and way I have taken to come to the truth of things and not to go upon hearsay When any things of this nature have been related to me though by persons of worth and conscience I have used to enquire of them whether they were ear-witnesses or no if not ear-witnesses who they had the reports from and how they came to know them and where and by whom and upon what occasion these points were delivered if they said they were ear and eye witnesses yet if there were but one single witnesse I have used to question who else was present and to enquire after circumstances and occasions and accordingly have gone to other persons named from one to another to find out the bottome and truth both of Opinions held and practises used where I could with wisdome and probability go to finde out and know the truth I have done it myself and where my appearing might hinder the discovery and cause persons to be shie and more reserved I have set others to enquire and directed them the way and entreated them to aske such and such questions and after particular enquiry according to concurrence of circumstances and witnesses I have entertained such things for truth or else received them as false or suspended them as doubtfull not to be asserted and that I might be the more faithfull Relator of the opinions and wayes of the Sectaries of this time and know when and where to put more or lesse weight or credit upon informations and relations I have a long time used to write down daily the same day yea the same hour when I could get opportunty of privacie the occurrences both of opinions and practises that concern our Sectaries and that in such manner and way that looking upon my papers a yeer after I can judge of what authority the relations are and accordingly I have forborn to put into this Catalogue of Errours some strange Opinions I have heard of from good hands though they may be true because I have not had the opportunity to meet with and further to enquire of some persons concerning their truth and because some whom I have enquired of could give me no further satisfaction I have taken this way to satisfie the Reader rather then all along in the severall Errours Blasphemies and Practises to lay down the particular proofs which I think the better way upon these following reasons 1. Because in many of the Errours even contained under one and the same head the proofs to be given of the truth of the thing doth arise many wayes from printed Books from Manuscripts from Sermons from preaching in private houses from Articles given in by witnesses and from others relations now to quote all these with all particular circumstances of time place c. whereby to make out a full proof would be an endlesse work and be so long and tedious that it would crosse one of my ends in this work which is to have this Discourse but short a Manuall that might be for every ones reading 2. Because some of these Errours and Opinions can be proved only from Manuscripts and relations of honest persons who were ear witnesses which Manuscripts are but in the hands of a few unknown to most of the Readers and to make references to them by quoting them in the margent the Reader were never the neerer and then every man
his coming is not a word mentioned of any thing done by him in way of satisfying God Christs coming was more like a conquerour to destroy the enemy in our nature and so to convince us of the love of God to us by destroying in our nature that which we thought stood between God and us 41. That the unction which the Saints are said to receive from the holy one 1 Iohn 2.20 is one with the Christ hood of Christ. 42. That Christ was a legall Preacher for till after his Ascension the Gospel was not preached Christ lived in a dark time and so he preached the Law but afterwards then the Gospel came to be preached 43. That Christ shall come and live again upon the earth and for a thousand years reign visibly as an earthly Monarch over all the world in outward glory and pomp putting down all Monarchy and Empires 44. That when Christ in his own person hath subdued the disobedient Nations then the Church of the Jews and Gentiles shall live without any disturbance from within or without it all Christians shall live without sin without the Word Sacraments or any Ordinance they shall passe those thousand yeers in worldly delights begetting many children eating and drinking and enjoying all lawfull pleasures which all the creatures then redeemed from their ancient slavery can afford 45. That men may be saved without Christ and the very Heathens are saved if they serve God according to the knowledge God hath given them though they never heard of Christ. 46. That the least Truth is of more worth then Jesus Christ himself 47. Christ by his death freed all men from a temporall death which Adams sin only deserved by purchasing them a resurrection and hath opened them a way to come to the Father if they will thus far he died for all no farther for any 48. The Spirit of God dwels not nor works in any it is but our conceits and mistakes to think so 't is no spirit that works but our own 49. That the same spirit which works in the children of disobedience is that spirit which sanctifies the hearts of the elect 50. That there is a perfect way in this life not by Word Sacraments Prayer and other Ordinances but by the experience of the spirit in a mans self 51. That a man baptized with the holy Ghost knows all things even as God knows all things which point is a deep mystery and great ocean where there is no casting anchor noâ— sounding the bottome 52. That if a man by the spirit knew himself to be in the state of grace though he did commit murther or drunkennesse God did see no sin in him 53. That sanctification is not an evidence of Justification and all notes and signes of a Christians estate are legall and unlawfull 54. Beleevers have no inherent sanctification nor spirituall habits of grace infused into their hearts but all their sanctification is that which is inherent in Christ and they for this and no other cause are said in Scripture phrase to be sanctified but because of Christs sanctification and inherent holinesse 55. Though Adam had continued in his estate of innocencie and not fallen yet he had died a naturall death for death now is not a fruit of sin to beleevers 56. Gods Image on man is only our face and countenance and every wicked man hath therefore Gods Image as well as good men 57. That Adam and so man-kind in him lost not the Image of God by his fall only incurred a temporall or corporall death which was suspended for a time upon the promise of a Saviour 58. There is no originall sin in us only Adams first sin was originall sin 59. That the guilt of Adams sin is imputed to no man no man is punished for Adams sin 60. That one man is no more spirituall then another nor is there any such inward difference between man and man but all the spiritualnesse and difference lyes without us in the Word which guides some men and not others 61. That all men who have the Gospel preached to them and so manifested to their understandings are immediatly without any more ado able of themselves to beleeve and receive Christ 62. There is no free-will in man either to good or evill either in his naturall estate or glorified estate 63. That there is a power in man to resist grace and that the grace which would convert one man would not convert another 64. Naturall men may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation and that if men improve their naturall abilities to the utmost in seeking grace they shall finde it 65. That regenerate men who have true grace may fall totally and finally away from the state of grace 66. That the morall law is of no use at all to beleevers that 't is no rule for beleevers to walk by nor to examine their lives by and that Christians are freed from the mandatory power of the law 67. Persons justified are not justified by faith but are justified from all eternity 68. Neither faith nor repentance nor humiliation nor self-deniall nor use of Ordinances nor doing as one would be done to are duties required of Christians or such things as they must exercise themselves in or they can have no part in Christ. 69. True faith is without all doubts of salvation and if any man have doubts of his salvation his faith is to be noted with a black mark 70. That To credere faith in a proper sense is imputed to justification and not Christs righteousnesse imputed to justification 71. That the doctrine of repentance is a soul-destroying doctrine 72. In the old Covenant that is before Christ came in the flesh in the Prophets dayes repentance is declared as a means to obtain remission and neither remission nor the knowledge of remission to go before but to follow contrition but this is not the Gospel which is established upon better promises 73. That 't is as impossible for Christ himself to sinne as for a child of God to sin 74. Thâ—â— there ought to be no fasting dayes under the Gospel and thâ—t men ought not to afflict their souls no not in a day of humiliation 75. That God doth not chastise any of his children for sin and let beleevers sin as fast as they can there is a fountaine open for them to wash in and that not for the sins of Gods people but for swearers and drunkards the land is punished 76. That beleevers have nothing to do to take care or to look to themselves to keep from sin God must look to them if he will 77. God loves his children as well sinning as praying hearing and doing the holiest duties he accounts of them never the better for their good works nor never the worse for their ill works 78. That Gods children are not at all to be humbled troubled or grieved for sin after
doth the more good Thus beseeching the great God to continue your courage and resolution for his name to the utmost I rest Your affectionate Brother in the Lord. Memorandum that upon the 18. day of Febr. 1645. one Goodwife Cosens of Peter Parish in Colchester brought forth two children both dead the one a perfect child the other was born without a head having upon the breast some characters of a face nose and eyes wanting one arme and the other arme being rather the stump of an arme ended in a crotch of two fingers with something like a thumb coming out of one side of it Downward one of the feet was perfect the other foot wanted a heel and had only two toes which grew forward and another toe growing out of one side of it The Father of this Monster is a Separatist frequenting their congregations an enemy to the baptising of his own chiâ—dren the Mother a hearer in the separated congregations likewise who resolved heretofore that if ever she had any more children they should never be baptized ☞ This Relation is affirmed by those of trust and understanding that saw this Monster and know the parties An Extract of a Letter sent me from a Commander now in the Parliament service dated Decemb. 29. 1645. SIR THe constant practise of many Officers and souldiers with them was to exclaime against their Ministers wheresoever we marched pressing them and their adherents more then any other they did dscourage the people generally affirming that the best of our Preachers were Popish and that it was unlawfull to heare them but did hope to see them all pact to Rome and their superstitious Steeple-houses puld down to the ground great variety of opinion was amongst our Officers and Souldiers some affirming that they had had Revelations and seen Visions al of them at liberty to argue and hold what phantasticall opinion they pleased those were the men most countenanced and soonest raised to preferment some of them would take upon them to prophesie ☞ saying they should live to see all lording power laid aside in this Kingdom In my distresse when the enemy was upon me I sent to most parts adjacent for assistance but could have none only from one place came to me forty Volunteers with some two or three Officers professing thenselves all Independents and they told me they hoped to finde me so and if I should continue still in my opinion for Presbytery they thought their labour ill spent they staid with me all night and the next day there came to them a Leiutenant a most dangerous fellow maintaining most horrid opinions as you may see by the information which is truth this Lieutenant was to preach to them in a private house which I had notice of and did prevent him which they took very ill of me and immediatly they left me and marched away with Lieutenant Since one of the chiefest of them sent me word by our Quarter-master that I should have little or no pay so long as I staid in if I did not agree and side with I finde the mâ—â—sage too true for I finde little pay or none Sir I could say much more of their practises against me and others but I should be too tedious but this more I shall adde I never marched where I heard more talk of godlynesse and lesse practise of it in my observation for they are cruell without mercy covetous without ☞ measure professing self-deniall yet leave no stone un-turned to advance there estates and honours The Lord prevent their wicked designes and keep this Kingdom from being ruined by such a wicked people Sir I rest Your servant A Relation of some passages of a great Sectarie a Lieutenant about the beginning of June last 1645. HAving had much arguing with him and his adherents in opposition to the Antinomian way in the morning wherein they seemed to glory much in the victorie though I know no cause for it at all The Lieutenant came courteously towards even in to my house as he said to take his leave of me which some of his party perceiving followed him and others taking notice of their resort followed also The subject of our discourse was about the meanes of God revealing himself and his minde and will to his servants in reference to their salvation He affirmed and maintained violently that God did it immediatly by himself without Scripture without Ordinances Ministers or any other meanes He being asked about the third Person in the Trinity denyed there was any such thing as a Trinity of persons but affirmed them to be three Offices and being demanded what he thought of Christ whether the Godhead and manhood were united in one Person in Heaven He answered only to the last word and denyed that it could be proved by the Scriptures Christs presence in Heaven and when some Scriptures were produced which had reference to his Resurrection and Ascention he replyed that it was a great question whether there was a Resurrection or not he said he did not deny it absolutly but that he made a great question of it At the parting before him I replyed to the by-standers Gentlemen if I should have come and a told you that this Gentleman had denied the Trinity of persons and Christs presence in Heaven and that he called in question the Resurrection you would not have beleeved me had not your own eares heard the same This is attested and subscribed by the hand of a godly Minister in whose persence all this was â—pken together with a Relation of the names of the other â—â—â—nesses persons of quality and worth who were all present at this Discourse and I have the Originall in my power to porduce upon any occasion A Relation of some Stories and remarkable Passages concerning the Sectaries THere is one Lawrence Clarkson a Seeker spoken of in my Gangraena pag. 104 and 105. who put forth a Pamphlet called The Pilgrimage of Saints wherein are many passages highly derogatory to the Scriptures denying them to be the rule of a Christian or that in Doctrine or Practise half of Gods glory was revealed as yet this man a Taylor and a Blasphemer preached on the Lords day March eight at Bow-Church in Cheapside in the afternoone He began his prayer to God with Right Honourable Lord God and in his Prayer he prayed that God would blesse the Kings Army and blesse the Saints both in the Parliaments Army and the Kings his Sermon was a Rapsody of nonsence This was not done in a corner but in a great and full Audience there was present at this Sermon one Member of the House of Commons if not more besides divers other persons of quality and though this Clarkson was in London some time after this and may be still for ought that I know yet was he never questioned nor called to any account for this or for his Pilgrimage of Saints as ever I could learn Saturday Marchâ—he â—he seventh a Minister who preached
their consciences and for his part he durst undertake to make it good to Master Major calling my Lord Major in a most base and scornfull manner Master Major One Overton that was to be the Moderatour on Battees side stood up and said Brother Lam had Paul done well if he had desisted from preaching in the name of Jesus if he had been commanded by the High-Priests to forbear had he done well or not Lam answered no whereupon Overton replied in a most scornfull proud manner nor ought we to obey Master Major and thus did these men argue the power of my Lord Major for an houres space but at the last they came to state the question and fall to their dispute the question was That God made man and every part of man of the dust of the earth and therefore man and every part of man must returne to the dust again which Battee could not prove nor could Lam well tell how to answer but both of them ran off from Scripture to Scripture never clearing any one thing to the people and when they had rambled a long time that they could neither of them tell what to say then one or other stood up and said Brother Lam or Brother Battee leave this point to the consideration of the Brethren and take up some other after these two had spent foure or five houres in this confusion they sat down and rested and then stands up one Mellish a Cobler and Lawson a Schoolmaster both Anabaptists and to work they went as their Brethren before Lawson calls to Mellish and saith to him Brother Mellish speak either Categorically or Hypothetically Mellish answered Lawson that he spake now to him in an unknown tongue and prayed him to explain himself Lawson told Mellish that he was nor fit to dispute if he knew not the meaning of these words Mellish replied that if hee should stand up and tell the people that the Moon was made of green Cheese he did not question but some would be of his mind This Relation was given me under the hand of a godly honest Citizen who was an eare and eye witnesse of all the said passages who also named to me other persons that were present and he delivered me this Relation in writing before two sufficient witnesses and declared himself ready to make proof of this before Authority when ever he should be called This following Relation was sent to a godly and able Minister of this City one who hath a Pastorall charge in London and this Minister delivered me the Originall writing which to a tittle There set down Reverend and much respected I Desire you pardon my boldnesse in imparting to you that which hath lately befaln me I was in the company of some Antinomians that were very importunate with me to forsake your teaching and come among them and harken to their Preachers and they prevailed with me so farre that I gave them my promise to hear their Preachers but the night following I had such a terrible dream which made me break my promise with them for I dreamed that the Divell would have pulled me out of the bed and carried me away with him then I cried out in my sleep so loud that I waked them that were in the Chamber Lord Jesus help me Lord Jesus help me then me thought the power of God came on my right hand and rescued me from Satan This I take for a warning from God to avoid their society and for which I desire that thanks be rendred to God in this Congregation which I use to frequent There is one Mâ—ster Mills a Common Councell man the City Brickler who hath related it to many as a thing most certain that an old acquaintance and friend of his an old Papist knowing well all Papists said to Master Mills that now there were but two Sects or sides in England the Presbyterians and the Independents unto which Master Mills objected how can that be seeing there are many Papists this Papist replied that to his knowledge all the Papists in ☞ England were Independents and this Papist further added that this Liberty of Conscience and Toleration for all men to enjoy their Religion was a blessed thing and the happiest thing that ever was found out or words to that purpose There is a Sectary living neer the Spitle a great follower of Master Randall who did offer to sell his Bible and being asked why he would sell it and what he would do for a Bible answered he could make as good a Book himself Some Sectaries do commonly affirme they are not to beleeve the Scriptures further then their own Reason doth perswade them of the truth of them and that the Scriptures are no more the Word of God then the words any man speaks are because he could not speak those words but by a power from God It hath been told me from good hands that there are a company of persons about London who meet weekly to reason and object against the Scriptures their meetings were about the Spitle and since in Hounsditch and now they shift places for feare they should be discovered and surprised it were good that Authority would look into it to finde them out I shall be ready to name the men from whom I have had such information I have been informed lately by divers honest men that in Northampton-shire some of the Souldiers who are Sectaries and are of that part of the Army which came out of the West and belong to that Army in the West have come into the Parish Churches and put by the godly Ministers who should preach and by force against the will of the Ministers and people have set up Captaines and others of the Souldiers to preach in their Pulpits and to vent their Fancles and Errours The true Copie of a Letter written to me from a worthy and godly Minister in Suffolk in the name and by the consent and agreement of other Ministers of the County at a meeting of theirs and sent up by the hands of a godly Minister in those parts who delivered it to me Worthy Sir YOur Brethren in these parts desire to praise God for you and for that courage he hath given you to encounter and publikely to oppose the Sectaries of these dayes God make you as Augustine Malleum Haereticorum Sir this Bearer a Minister an honest neighbour of mine will make a true Relation to you of some of the late pranks of some Sectaries on both sides of uâ— One is of Oates the Anabaptist whom your Gangraena takes notice of that after one of his private Exercises amongst the weaker vessels one Wades wise of Stisted in Essex seemed to be so affected with him that she said she would never hear Minister again and it may be God intends to make her as good as her word for upon ☞ this she was taken mad and remaines in a sad distracted condition and her husband sent to Master Blackaby and Master Faircloth our godly neighbours to
pray for her This one Redgwell an honest man making report of was asked if he were not at Oates his Exercise he answered no then it was demanded was not your wife there He answered if he should deny that he should sin against God and tell a lie for she he said was there but was never well since This Bearer can likewise tell you somewhat of Master Archer of Halsted Also of one Lancester of Bury a Pedler and of his opening the whole Book of Ezra at a private meeting insteed of opening his pack and of the prayer that followed his Exercise c. Of Master Erbury also c. It would be lost labour for me to make a further Relation by writing of these things seeing you shall receive the truth more fully by word of mouth and by a faithfull Relator I have no more to say at this time but that I heartily pray for you that God preserve direct and guid you and make you more and more serviceable to him and his Church in your generation and to let you know that I am Your faithfull freind and Brother From Clare in Suffolk March 30 1646. Upon conference with the Minister who brought up this Letter he related these following passages to me and I writ them presently as he spake them Master Erbury one of those Sectaries spoken of at large in Gangraena pag. 109. and 110. coming lately to Bury in Suffolk and there exercising in private he delivered divers erroneous things and at last went so high as to deny that Jesus Christ ☞ was God and that he was as much God as ever Jesus Christ was or should be One Lancester in a private meeting at Bury condemned all the Ministers of England for the Sanbaâ—â—ats and Tobiahs of this time that hindered the building of the Temple resembling himself and the Sectaries to those who would build the Temple but it was withstood by the Ministers who hindred it At that meeting there was a plain godly man a solid old Christian of Master Faircloths congregation who opposed him and God was so mightily with him that it turned to the shame and reproach of this Lancester and those who adhered to him Master Archer of Hâ—lsteed an Independent a man who hath preached much against our Ministers and Tyths at the same time or thereabouts when hee preached so against Tyths used meanes to procure to himself a great Living in Essex of two hundred pounds per annum and came to some Gentlemen of the Country for their hands to further the getting of that Living An Extract of a Letter sent me from a worthy and godly Minister out of the Country Friend YOur last together with the Book I received I must confesse when I first saw your Title I said it was none of those Aulus Gellius calls Illecebraâ— ad ligendum c. For what is a Gangraene but an abundance of corrupted bloud inflamed c. and yet for your sake I not run but read over the text and found it every way answerable And that you were indeed the Master of that Art which appointing the cure according to the cause wisely prescribes cutting and flashing scarifications washings not only with mulsum or water but Vineger and Salt unguentum Eâ—yptiacum burning Trochiskes Arsâ—nicon sublimatum and much more then you have yet applied considering not only the creeping of this Canker but that danger the whole body is in of no lesse then that Sphacelus of Atheisme which not only good and godly Master Greenham but old Bishop ☞ Lake himselfe long since prophesied would most probably over-runne this Realm rather then Papisme And why then should any speak of a Toleration except à tollendo potius quam tolerando Obsta principiis c. is one of the best Aphorisms of all the sons both of Hippocrates and Galen that I know 'T is sad very sad to see our Anglia as Spalatensis complains of his Rome turned into Africa new monsters every day such horrid blasphemies intolerable wickednesses c. Shall Vipers still be suffered to eate up the very bowels of their mother I could tell you many a sad story of some that preach pray and prate what not Independents all yea and Scholars nay Ministers yet not by Ordination The people they say make Ministers quoting Ezek. 33. v. 2. The Scriptures say they are obscure no Assemblies Synods nor generall Councells more likely to teach the truth then the Sanctuary a particular Congregation c. These words were used praying for England O blessed God we have often already prayed in thy Sons name now let us pray unto thee for thy Son clothe thus all his enemies with shame but c. An usuall strain in their prayers is as followes That God would pardon the Reformed Churches their great prophanation of the Lords day and why is this used but to make them odious Another strain Who hath gained Who hath given you so many victories but the Independents Liberty of Conscience Lord c. and all in our own Kingdom The Millenary conceit is the common subject of Sermons and a Church on earth without so much ☞ as an Hypocrite Publike thanks was given to God for that the London Petition for settling c. took no better A thousand such and other passages of no small note you may hear if you please but to visit your friends in these parts whose very souls are so vexed that I for my part am resolved if it may be to burie my self at my study and stirre as little as I can to hear or see such or the like abominations And where now is Sodom as some of their Brethren call'd old England when they went off our shore to sea using that expression farewell farwell Sodom c. And what are they but Babell-Builders whose tongues are so divided that I doubt not of the downfall of their Babylon which by interpretation saith Origen signifies that confusion Christians should out of Courage friend let Divels that must be disposest cry out we torment them before their time If ever the Jesuite will be at the hight I suppose he is very neer now who say no more but security if any thing will slay us which God forbid Thus with best salutes I rest though in haste yet heartily Yours March 30 1646 A Justification and Vindication of the truth of the most materiall Passages related in the Book entituled Gangraena from those exceptions made against them in three late Pamphlets entituled Groanes for liberty A Whisper in the Eare Cretensis alias Master Goodwin I Shall take them in order and begin with Mr Saltmarsh who first apeared in Print As for Master Saltmarsh he doth not so much as offer to disprove any one peece of matter of fact throughout my whole Book excepting that only of a woman Preacher at Brasteed in Kent of which he affirmes that 't is known to all in that place to be a meer untruth Vid. M. Sâ—lt p. 26. Now for the present I
Reply as followes reserving the greatest part I have to say till my full and particular Reply to Mr Saltmarsh and his fellowes shall come forth that as t is a strange bold assertion to affirm not only for himself but for all the Parish that they know 't is a meer untruth which implies thus much that Mr Saltmarsh does not only assuredly know all things that all the women in the Parish do but all what ever the whole Town of Brasteed knowes for else how can he say so of all the women and all the inhabitants of that place so t is an untrue assertion for some who live at Brasteed do not know it to be an untruth but beleeve it to be a truth for one Mr. Wheatly a godly able Minister who lives at Brasteed in a Gentlemans house and hath lived there this two years told me very confidently this Relation of a woman in the presence of two Ministers besides two other Inhabitants of the Town who have lived longer in Brasteed then Master Saltmarsh affirme the same and three godly Ministers living neer to Brasteed have told me also there is such a woman of whom this is commonly spoken and a Citizen in London an honest man having some relation to Brasteed and knowing the place tels me there is such a woman as is reported by many of Brasteed to be a preaching woman and he coming lately out of Kent told me that upon the way meeting with a Gentleman of the Committee who discoursing of Mr Saltmarshes denying there was any such woman in Brasteed and was speaking against my Book this Citizen replyed he beleeved it to be true and offered to lay a twenty shilling peece that there was such a woman but the Gentleman durst not and besides all this the Minister who first told me having lately been written unto about it in a Letter by way of answer stands to that Relation which is laid down in Gangraena But of this in my full and particular Reply the Reader shall receive more large satisfaction only for present from what I have now said though there be much more behinde I leave to the consideration of any judicious and unprejudiced Reader whether I had not ground enough to writ as I did and whether there be not more reason to beleeve so many affirmative witnesses then one negative who may not know all that 's done in Brasteed for such a thing may be and he never the wiser besides Master Saltmarsh being a Sectary is a party and his testimony is by me proved to be false in affirming all in that place know it to be a meer untruth whereas the contrary is the truth divers living in that Town relating the story of a woman Preacher there All that Master Walwyn the Marchant either in his Pamphlets entituled A whisper in the Eare of Master Thomas Edwards or a word more to Master Thomas Edwards labours to disprove in matter of fact contained in my Book entituled Gangraena is that I have wronged him and falsified in saying Mr Walwyn a Seeker and a dangerous man a strong head as also in my Relation of Mr Lilburn the informations given unto me of both of them being such as if they had been made a purpose to shame me to all the world Now by way of Reply first concerning Mr Walwyn himself I am confident that every judicious Reader who hath but read Mr Walwyns Pamphlets out of them will acquit me that I have said nothing of him but truth he being out of his owne mouth and writings condemned for a dangerous man a Seeker and a strong head as many who knew him not before from reading his Pamphlets have told me that he hath justified to the world what I have said of him but I shall at large make good this against the man in my full Reply to him and his fellowes following him from place to place from person to person with whom he hath conversed and from one thing to another that he hath had his hand in wherein I shall lay him open to the world and prove him to be a dangerous man yea a desperate dangerous man a Seeker and Libertine a man of al Religions pleading for all and yet what Religion he is of no man can tel A man of an equivocating Jesuitical spirit being full of mental reservations equivications as appears by the sense he hath put upon the Nationall Covenant there being hardly any Jesuit could have put a more equivâ—call interpretation upon the Covenant then himself And I desire the Reader to observe what I now say of M. Walwyn Since his first Book came forth against me I have enquired and spoken with many honest godly men about M. Walwyn who know him well and all of them with one consent and voyce though I have enquired of them apart concerning him and the men know not one another yet all agree that Mr Walwyn is a dangerous man and a desperate man For present I will only alledge two Testimonies reserving others till my full Reply which I beleeve will be full and speak home and the parties who witnesse will be ready before any Committee or Court of England if called to restifie as much The first was given me in writing March 30. 1646. subscribed by the hand of him who brought it to me and delivered to me in the presence of two godly Citizens as his hand and that which he would maintain to be truth and produce other witnesses for the proof of it when he should be call'd by Authority and t is as followes Inprimis That Mr Walwyn did say it was a sin to pray for the King and that it would lie as a sin upon the Preists so to delude the people and that he did admire at our Preists that they should stand bauling and praying for the King that God would turn his heart and say of him that he was the anoynted of God And he said they were glad to doe it namely the Ministers because if the King maintain them in their way they would cry him up to the people And M. Walwyn being asked how we should performe the Covenant we had taken to maintain the Kings honour he said he remembred no such clause in the Covenant And further he said that he did much admire at the simplicity that was in the hearts of the people that they should suffer themselves to be Governed by a King and that under such a government the Kingdome could not be safe He being asked what he thought of Mr Marshall M. Calamy M. Sedgwick and other godly Ministers he answered and said they were a company of Mountebancks and that they kept the people in ignorance and blindnesse and that they preached nothing but what we know already and that he knew no Scriptures for them to be Preachers more then other men as he named Shoemakers Coblers Weavers or Sopeboylers and the like absolutely speaking against all Congregations and Ministers and that if
where are they that do or will secure them from such violence there are too many examples of Ministers being in danger as M. Andrews was and therfore I deal plainly I have been spoken to by word of mouth and sent unto from some Ministers in the Country not to name them in my Books because if the Army or some parts of it come that way they shall be undone which is a satisfying answer to all rationall men for my concealing their names especially to all those who understand the state of things and observe how powerfull the faction of the Sectaries is Now before I come to give a particular Answer to the most materiall Objections made against my Book I shall premise these sixteen Observations upon Cretensis Or a briefe Answer c. which to every judicious and unprejudiced Reader will I make no question give a great deale of satisfaction and serve for a precious Antidote against the venom and rancor of the Cretian Obs. 1. I desire the Reader to observe the hand of God in leaving M. Goodwin so to himself in writing this Pamphlet as to suffer his own pride passion rage and malice so far to blind him as to name his own Book and therein himself Cretensis giving himself the name of Lyar as is manifested by the Title of the Book Cretensis Or a brief Aâ—swer to an ulcerous Treatise c. so that The brief Answer to an ulcerous Treatise is Cretensis not the Treatise published by Master Edwards which is made by Master Goodwin contradistinct to Cretensis so that if M Goodwin understands plain English common sense and knows how to range his Parts of Speech in a Sentence c. let him in his Rejoynder to my Reply deny it if he can and truly t is admirable and I cannot but admire the wisdome and goodnesse of God wherein men deale proudly to be above them that this great Rabbi and Seraphicall Doctor who comes forth like Goliah challenging all the Presbyterians Assembled or not Assembled carrying himself with that disdain and scorne towards me just as Goliah to little David filling up some of his pages with scornings of me as that I cannot writ true English put the Nominative Case and Verb together speak common sense nor give the English sense of a Latin sentence should himself in the very first words he writes prove himself such an Ignoramus both in the Latin and English as to give himself the title of Notorious Lyar namely Cretensis Or a brief Answer c. And as the man doth it in the Frontispice of his Book so in the Book it self as in pag. 39. where he would make me a lyar in that Relation of Cosens of Rochester in the very entrance into it he stumbles giving his own Relation the lye as the Reader may perceive by these words Cretensis speaking of what was reported to me that Cosens should say of Christ saith let this be the first lye in this Catalogue the man neuer said it so that he makes it a lye that Cosen 's never said it Now if this be a lye that Cretensis never said so then by the rule of contraries 't is a truth that he spoke it and however Cretensis may meane otherwise if the man knew how to bring it out yet the best that can be made of it is that this great Criâ—ick who for want of matter falls upon my words making me to speak false English nonsense and to be ignorant in putting the Nominative Case and Verb together regularly in English is himself ever and anon tardy in false English nonsense not putting the Nominative Case and Verb regularly together of which I could give if I had no materiall things against Cretensis nor nothing else to do but to pick strawâ— many instances both in this and other of his Books but I will name only one and that in this businesse of Cosens apealing to Cretensis himself where in this following sentence His Relation here reports that one Cosens of Rochester in Kent that Iesus Christ was a Bastard is the Verb for the Nominative Case and whether M. Goodwin hath well ranged his parts of Speech in this sentence and put the Nominative Case and Verb together regularly in English besides adde unto this what followes Hoc primum Let this be the first lye in this Catalogue the man never said it whether he hath framed the structure of a period according to the common rules of Reason Grammar and common sense but to put a period to this first Observation let the Reader take notice that in the thing wherein the man hath sinned his principall designe being this by all his Art flourishes and fallacies to render me a Falsifier and a Lyar to the world in that God hath punished him suffering him to give himself the name of Cretensis alwaies Lyar by which name he will be known and called as long as he lives and after he is dead also Obs. 2. M. Cretensis Answer in the whole frame drift and in all the strains of it is so carried if not formally yet virtually and equivalently to justifie and defend all the Heresies Blasphemies Practises I have spoken against for what one of all the 180. Errours or Blasphemies is spoken against disavowed or condemned in Cretensis Answer but rather all along throughout the Pamphlet the Errours Heresies c. are slighted made nothing of put off with jears scoffs and great swelling words of vanity yea in a sort denied as if there were none such and in fine both Cretensis Conscience and wanton wit are prostituted and stretched upon tenter-hooks to finde evasions and tricks to bring off without losse all sorts of Sectaries and opinions as for instance Cretensis palliats and daubes with untempered morter the Errours Heresies Blasphemies c. with such kind of devices as these following That he could make a Discovery of as many Errours and Heresies together in me alone and that the most Orthodox Presbyterian under Heaven no nor Independent neither errours not much beneath the like rate or number of errours and mistakes of Religion that he marvails how M. Edwards could stay his pen at so small a number as 180. and did not advance to ten thousand times ten thousand c. that if I will own the verdict of as learned and ingeneous a pen as ever wrot on my side Cretens pag. 9. I must release the better half of the prisoners and instead of 180. Errours and Heresies write down four score and that for twenty Cretens pag. 11. and ten of those opinions which I have impeached of Errours and Heresie and he will not say for how many more he casts the glove to whosoever will take it up to bring them off with the honour of truth besides Cretensis makes a sixfold deduction from the Catalogue of Errours and Heresies Cretens pag. 9. and pleades formerly and in terminis for some of the Errours lastly also he so minces and extenuats the whole contents of
and in my full Reply I shall more largely and particularly specifie In one word Cretensis is a most ungodly Antichristian insolent proud malicious wrathful lying obscent scurrilous nonsense absurd contradictory piece Observ. 12. Cretensis in all his Books of Controversie and Answers of all sorts that I have seen and met with is of all Writers in this later age the greatest falsifier of Authors wresting them upon all occasions and that with a Gyant-like confidence against their own sense and contrary to what they are known ex professo to hold and he will not be beaten off from it as is apparent in his Treatises of Justification and in his Answer to Master Prynne and in this Book bringing in Master Ball for him in the point of Free-will Now this must arise either from that heretical genius of his that he sinneth being condemned of himself speaking lyes in hypocrisie having his conscience seared with a hot iron or else from a high flown mad fancy making things to appear which are not at all like to that mad man of Athens who thought all the Ships that came into the Haven were his though he never were sharer much lesse owner in any Ship so Cretensis sancies all learned Writers to be for him ' wheares indeed there never was any sound and Orthodox Divine for him as I shall shew more fully hereafter and divide Learned Master Gataker from him Observ. 13. Cretensis iust Cretian like fastens that upon me in my Gangraena affirming I say that which I do not as in pag. 28. Sect. 23. and doth father opinions upon me meerly from the leaving out of a word or two by the Printers over-sight Cretens pag. 23. though corrected in the second Edition and abroad full fourteen dayes before Cretensis which was either done wilfully and on set purpose against his knowledge or from his not reading over my Book but taking up things upon trust Observ. 14. There are many things in Cretensis Pamphlet which he pretends to Answer making much ado of and laboring to fasten upon me lyes nonsense c. which yet in the close after a great many high flown words Cretensis is forced to confesse them true and that both of himself and others though by many words he hath labored to pusle and cast a mist before the eyes of the Reader Observ. 15. I desire the Reader to observe that this Answer made by this great Rabbi is but snatches here and there answering Gangraena by great leaps as Leopards use to take Cretensis answers one passage out of p. 70. and then leaps to 128. taking another there and from p. 128. leaps back to p. 8. and after this sort the whole Answer is And for those pages where Cretensis fastens upon something to give an Answer unto even there he snatches takes not the whole what goes before nor what follows after so that after that rate of Answering if such kinde of Discourses must have the names of Answers how may not men elude and make nothing of the excellentest Books that ever were written by men yea of the Scriptures themselves and wrest them if they will not take one place with another and observe what goes before and what follows after And as this great Rabbies Answer is by snatches so 't is full of miserable shifts and poor evasions as among others pag. 16. Cretensis gives that reason why my Antapology hath not been Answered in 18. Moneths because the way by which light and truth should go forth into the world was hedg'd up by Clergy Classique Councelâ— as with thorns against him Now I wonder with what face Cretens can write this when as all men know the Independents have a Licenser of their own at hand Mr. Bachilor who is such a friend to all the world of Believers that certainly he cannot deny Cretensis Do not we daily see the man Licenses without either fear or wit all kinde of Pamphlets The Error of Anabaptism against Mr. Marshal the Error of Seekers in The Smoke of the Temple A pretended Answer of Mr. Saltmarsh to the Assemblies Petition and now Cretensis against Gangraena and will Mr. Bachilor with Clergy Classique Councels hedge up the way as with thorns against Cretensis Reply to Mr. Edwards Antapologiae Can Cretens think though his own deluded Church and other Sectaries may have so much Independent faith as to believe him that any Presbyterian hath so little wit as not to laugh at such folly why could not Iohn Bachilor as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorne to License a Reply to Antapologia as an Answer to Gangraena and pray Mr. Goodwin in your next account you give unto the world by publike writing give me an account why honest Iohn Bachilor could not as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorns to License a full Reply to Antapologia as to License A brief Answer to Gangraena But no more of this now Observ. 16. The Christian Reader may observe Cretensis as in this and his former Books so in all his preachings and ways to have all the characters and marks of false Prophets and false Teachers not only in his hands but upon his forehead so that if I would here enlarge I might clearly shew all that Christ and the Apostles spake of false Prophets are to be found in Cretensis but I will only instance in a few laid down by Peter and Iude in their Epistles and upon the propounding of them I know the Reader will say as face answereth face in glasse so doth Cretensis answer these Scriptures Peter saith of the false Teachers in his time that they speak great swâ—lling words of vanity and that they promise their followers liberty and Iude They are clouds without water carried about of winds raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring stars their mouth speaking great swelling words having mens person in admiration because of advantage These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now I do appeal to any man who knows Cretensis either in his Writings or Preaching whether he be not a man that speaks great swelling words of vanity whether he doth not promise his followers liberty yea a universal liberty whether he be not a cloud without water â—â—ourishes and shews without substance whether he be not a raging-wave of the Sea foaming out his own shame witnesse his Answer a wandring star wandring from one opinion and Religion to another and lastly whether he be not a Separatist and sensual person without the spirit of love meeknesse humility zeal for Gods truth and of a sound minde In one word I do not think there 's any man in the Kingdom hath a more heretical head and heâ—â—e thâ—n Cretensis and unlesse God give him repentance and recover him out of those snares wherein he walks I fear if the man lives but one seven years he will prove as arch an Heretick and as dangerous a man as England ever bred and that
Cretensis design next unto that of rendring my Book and all I relate in it to be false and untrue is this The aspersing me and my Antapology and Gangraena with such weaknesse and want of all learning as if I understood neither Latin nor English nor knew not how to speak or write Reason common sense or to frame the structure of a period according the common Rules of Grammar but were a profound Ignoramus and so altogether unfit to take upon me the confutation of Errors and this he insists upon in several Pages of his Pamphlet or Answer Cretens p. 10 23 24 36. Reply Now in this what doth Cretensis else but play the Jesuit and Arminian in stead of solid Answers thus to flight vilifie me and my Books that being just the way they took against such Books as were too hard for them and knew not how to Answer as Dr. Twiss's Books against Arminians c. but whatsoever Cretensis in his rage casts upon me and my Writings my Books will speak for me and themselves in the gates having the testimony of many learned and godly men both of this and other Churches at home and beyond the Seas and could I without blushing and all suspition of praising my self relate the passages in Letters messages sent me speeches by word of mouth from great Divines both at home and from abroad concerning my Antapology and Gangraena and that not only of particular men apart but of many in a body both in City and Countrey as a common joynt act besides expressions that have faln from some Independents and Independentisâ—â— concerning me my studies in the Controversies of the Church way and some of my Books as a speech of Mr. Thomas Goodwin spoken to a Minister one Mr. T. and others then present upon occasion of some Independents slighting me and my first Book as Cretensis doth here yea passages out of some of Mr. Iohn Goodwins Answers to Mr. Prynne concerning me and my Antapology it would be a full confutation of all Cretensis hath said against me in this matter yea a clear conviction that all words of this kinde are nothing else but the venting of his spleen and passion against me and my Books But all I will say by way of Answer to Cretensis reproaches of this nature is 1. The quick sale these Books had being bought up by learned and judicious men of all ranks the last Book Gangraena being now in the Presse the third time within lesse then two Moneths unto which adding the greatnesse of the Book consisting of so many sheets with the not being exposed to sale by setting up Titles in all places of the City at Church doors Exchange c. like Wine that needs no Bush though all ways under Heaven were used by the Sectaries to blast it is an evident Argument 't is not such a weak nonsense piece as Cretensis speaks of for in these times when the Presse is so thronged with such variety of Books and many excellent pieces come forth more then men can read judicious understanding men have somthing else to do with their money and time then to buy and read Books full of nonsense contradictions and whose Authors know not how to range their Parts of speech in a sentence nor how to put the Nominative Case and Verb together regularly in English 2. I will here give the Reader a true Copy of a Letter to a tittle sent me from Eight and twenty Ministers out of one County in this Kingdom whose joynt judgement upon my Antapology and Grangraena may serve with every indifferent Reader to ballance yea to weigh down Cretensis To our Reverend Friend Mr. Thomas Edwards Minister of the Gospel SIR WEE cannot but acknowledge the great service you have done for the Church of God by interposing your self against the growing Schisms and Heresies of these times And upon conference had thereof at our weekly meetings here we have thought it our part to contribute somewhat to your incouragement by testifying how great acceptance your labors find among us who give thanks to God for you and your zeal to his truth expressed not only in your usual Sermons but especially in your Antapology and Gangraena by which you are well known to us all and we earnestly desire that you will continue the same endeavors for the maintenance of the truth and opposing of Errors And as we are very sensible of the great discouragements you are like to meet withal so we shall the more heartily commend you and the successe of your labors to Gods protection and blessing resting Your loving Brethren and fellow-labourers in the Ministery March 19. 1645. Unto this Letter the hands of twenty eight Ministers are Subscribed but I forbear the Printing of them as I do the County where they live to avoid all danger which might come to any of them from printing their Names if some Sectaries in the Army come that way as they are likely to do Now in my Reply to particulars laid down in Cretensis I shall apply my self chiefly to justifie and make good those Relations in Gangraena excepted against by Cretensis reserving other things in his Answer to my fuller Reply which Cretensis God willing shall be sure of and that to the full Cretens pag. 2. labours by all his Rhetorick and many words to insinuate to the Reader how in writing of my Book Gangraena I have said all and the worst I can of the Independents and Sectaries that whilst I charge them only with such and such crimes I do not so much charge them with these as acquit and discharge them from all others and that there 's no reasonable man but will abate and deduct and that to a good proportion from such reckonings and accounts c. much lesse will he judge such accounts short or defective in particulars and that Mr. Edwards hath but faintly informed the world how vile and bad the Sectaries are but hath justified and acquitted them from all other crimes and imputations of any worse resentment or import then those wherewith he afflicted them and consequently hath represented them to the world as better and far more deserving then far the greatest part of his own Presbyterian Generation Reply However Mr. Edwards or the Printer for him may possibly in some places of his Book print none of the truest English yet I am sure Cretensis in this Page speaks none of the best sense nor Reason that ever I read in my life but every line and sentence is so slight and weak that a man may look through and through it and the truth of it is Cretensis all along hath a multitude of bom-basted starched words priding himself therein but seldom or never in all his answers hath he any thing else witnesse his Answers to Mr. Walker Mr. Prynne and this present Passage And first for that which Cretensis speaks here the man makes good what he saith pag. 50. that he never read one quarter of my Book and
tenth part of the Discovery of the Errors Heresies Practises c. beside some things in the Letters are of another nature and to one of the Letters is annexed a Confutation of the matter contained in it consisting of two whole leaves of those few sheets within a few lines 2. As for that of jugling and forgery which Cretensis would put upon me the man measures me by himself and his party because that he and some of his party are used to juggle and possibly forge Letters and News invent and give our many things which never were have with the Jesuits their piae fraudes to advance their Catholike cause therefore he thinks so of me but I blesse God I am a plain man hating equivocations mental reservations plots underminings of men playing under-board carrying things in the clouds I count honesty the best policy and faithful plain dealing the greatest wisdom and the Independents will finde it so in the end however for a while they prosper by their shufling tricks devices policies as Strafford Canterbury and others did before them 3. To come to the main charge of concealing the names of those who writ me Letters and all the inferences drawn from thence I answer I have already given some Reasons for it and do adde these unto them most of the men who writ the Letters writ them not for that end to be printed knew not of nor imagined no such matter neither did I acquaint them with it and for me without their leave obtained to print their Names to the world I could not do it keeping unviolated the rules of friendship besides I well understood that were a way to cut off correspondency and Intelligence for the future if I should print mens Names publikely to the world writing in a private way to me Of all the Letters written to me there were two only which I expressed to the Authors I would print them and acquainted them with my purpose whose Names notwithstanding excepting the two first Letters subscribed I concealed with the rest for company But now that I may overthrow Cretensis Proposition and his Inferences his Foundation and his Superstructures I shall name most of them who writ the Letters to me and others as also from whose hands I received those Letters which were printed by me though not written to me The first Letter was written me from Mr. Strong a Member of the Assembly of Divines who after he had told me by word of mouth the contents of this Letter promised to send it me in a Letter and I acquainted him then what use it was for and he said he would justifie what he writ and named others in whose presence Master Denne maintained these Points The second Letter was written from Master Simon Ford to a Member of the Assembly Master Gowerâ—s from whose hands I received it and told Mr. Gowers I should print it to which he was willing and since Gangraena was printed the Author writes to me about his Letter That he will enlarge and confirm the particulars in that Letter and send it to me The third Letter was one Master Josiab Ricrasts who owns it and hath been with me since Cretensis came forth and to my knowledge is drawing up an Answer to Cretensis for so much as concerns that Letter The fourth Letter was written by a Weaver in Somersetshire one Crab if I mistake not the name and I received it from M. Rosewal a City Minister well known who will own it and make it good 't is such a mans And thus I have given an account of the Copies of all the whole Letters printed by me Now for the Extract of certain Letters written to me some other Ministers for seven of them which are the greatest part of those Extracted Letters namely all those which concern Colchester and Mr. Ellis or some others there of which Letters Mr. Ellis himself writes thus to a friend in London The aspersions cast on me and some others here by Mr. Edwards are as false as foul which because they are a great part of his Book and strength those who are here concerned in it will if God please shortly make Reply Cretensis p. 44. he who writ them is not afraid of his name neither was his name concealed for fear of an Examination of the truth of the Letters as Cretensis by reading this Letter lately sent to me from him may understand which I here print to a tittle To my Reverend and worthy Friend Mr. Thomas Edwards Minister of the Word of God Reverend Sir THere is a passage in Mr. Iohn Goodwins Book charging you with abusing Mr. Ellis of Colchester and the Saints in those parts and that he will shortly make Reply to your false and foul aspersions These are therefore to certifie you that concerning those Letters I writ unto you from Colchester I have them attested under the hands of many sufficient witnesses each particular that is material being ayerred by three witnesses at least and those of piety and judgement which attestations I shall keep by me to produce them upon fit occasions to iustifie those Letters to the world Yet it is possible he will Reply to those things as false and foul or come off with distinctions and mental reservations but these things are so evident in this Town and much more then I writ unto you as his Preaching for the pulling down of our Churches and other things that I can prove that his Pamphlet will do him no good in this place For it will not be the first time that he hath said unsaid the same things here denying and dissembling his opinions for advantage as will be testified by many witnesses by some of the Honorable Members of the House of Commons Ministers and others godly and judicious Christians This I thought good to signifie for the present recommending you to the grace of God I rest Your affectionate friend and fellow labour in the Gospel Rob. Harmar April 1646. Now by all this the Reader may see what to judge of Cretensis and his false glosses and commentaries upon the Letters Printed in Gangraena and had I Cretensis railing scoffing Rhetorick which he makes use of in this section and in many other places of his Book I might spin out whole leaves in aggravation and scoring up of lyes evil surmisings bitter words scoff and jeers expressed by Cretensis upon occasion of the Printed Letters but I forbear to contend with him in this kind truth needs not such colors though errors does to set it off The hare relation of these things is a sufficient confutation of Cretonsis and if the printed Letters of which Cretensis Master Ellis yea and Master Saltmarsâ— make such a cry of forgerie falsitie dare abide the light and their Authors are ready to justifie them the judicious Reader by this may both judge of the truth of other things contained in Gangraena and of the folly and vanity of the rest of Cretensis allegations against my Book
Answer to the Antapologie shall be with me ere long and that he may abuse me he abuses the Scripture playing upon that of Amos 5.18 resembling his Answer to my Antapologie to the day of the Lord the judgement of the 70. yeers captivity me to the sons of Belial his foretelling long ago of an Answer as to the Prophets predictions of judgement that the Answer to M. Edwards Antapol will not be for his honor c. Reply Belike I shall have a terrible thundring Answer from Cretensis when as it shall be to me as the day of the sore judgement of the 70. years captivity to the sons of Belial who derided the predictions of the Prophets a day of darknesse and not of light I know not well what the man means by this whether he intend not concluding by that time his Answer comes abroad to my Antapologie the Cavaliers will be quite subdued to try by his interest if he cannot procure some part of the Army call'd by Cretensis and his Disciples the Saints the honest men c. to carry me into captivity and to imprison me all my time in a Dungeon where I shall not see the Son nor be able to make no Replies nor never write against the Sectaries any more this I confesse were like to prove as bad to me as the 70. yeers captivity to the Jews to be a day of darknesse indeed but as for any paper writing an Answer by Reasons and words to be so to me like the 70. yeers captivity and a day of darknesse I cannot imagine I had thought Cretensis Answers would have been rather a day of new light to the world and to me then a day of darknesse especially considering what Cretensis faith pag. 16. of light and truth I am somewhat doubtful and suspitious of Cretensis threatnings because of the ill usage of some Ministers by some Souldiers and of many words given out daily by too many of Cretensis Saints in our Armies against the Presbyterian Orthodox Ministers I cannot well tell what other construction to make of Cretensis words they are very doubtful and dangereous words What an Answer to be as the sore judgement of the 70. yeers captivity against the sons of Belial and to be darknesse and not light I have read heard of such Answers in matters of difference between great men who instead of an Answer in writing or with an Answer in writing have sent an Army of ten or twenty thousand men and I must tell the Reader what increases my fears I cannot well tell how it first came into my head but I have had a strong opinion this 18. moneths and expressed it to divers that my Antapologie would never be answered till the Independents had got that power one way or other as to cast me into prison to seiz on all my papers and writings by which I should make good my proof and then they would bring forth an Answer to my Antapologie Now considering how far and how high in many things the Independents have proceeded and Cretensis threating me with such a kind of Answer I am apt to interpret him thus and truly were it not that there is a Noble General and the greatest part of the Army by farre as I have expressed often free from Cretens way and that I live in a good strong City neer the High Court of Parliament and by the Honourable Court of Common-Counsel I should expect and be afraid that his threating might be fulfilled before ever his Reply to Antapologia would be ready to come abroad But whereas Cretensis saith that he verily beleeves his Answer to my Antapologie will not be for my honour in which respect I have no great ground to be so restlesse and importunate in calling for it I Reply the Antapology I am sure was for the honour of the cause I undertook and turned to my honor both at home and abroad and made not for the honor of the Apologists and Independent party neither do I believe Cretensis Reply to my Antapology will make more for his honor then this brief Answer of his to Gangraena And however for the present Cretensis Reply when it comes first forth by his railings revilings scoffs and lyes put upon me may not make for my honor yet by that time my Rejoynder can be made and printed it shall appear to all the world that the whole businesse both Apologetical Narration Antapology Cretensis Reply and my Rejoynder will make for the honor of the Presbyterian cause and of my self as a poor Instrument pleading for it against the Zanzumins of the time and to the dishonour both of the Apologists and their great Champion Cretensis Cretensis in this 15 page makes an Apology and gives his Reasons why Mr. Edwards Antapology is not answered in so long a time as 18. Moneths namely That the Independents are not men who have little or nothing to do like Presbyterians having the priviledge of ease to Preach to bare walls and pews in their meeting places nor that shamelesnesse of forehead to make the subject matter of their Sermons little else but loose lying and frivolous reports and stories or virulent invectives against the Saints as the Presbyterians neither was the way free and open to bring light into the world but hedged up with Clergy Classique Councels as with thorns against them And besides Mr. Edwards took not much lesse then 18. Moneths time for his Antapology and therefore no Wonder if the Independents be not men of more expedition Reply Cretensis plays the Sophister here making use of that fallacy non causa pro causa giving the false cause of not Replying and concealing the true and that all these are false is evident 1. Because Cretensis hath had leasure to have attended the motions of my pen and hath since the 18 moneths given an account to the world more then once twice thrice and had leasure now the priviledge of ease to make an Answer to Gangraena and could he not with the labour of all these have Replyed to Antapology It should seem for all the weaknesse contradictions and such like which Cretensis speaks of Antapology 't is a hard piece that Cretensis can write and print five several Books have time enough from his constant and standing labors with those who have committed themselves to him in the Lord before he finde time to Reply to Antapology Besides Cretensis had five great Champions the Apologists to assist him in it some of which will be found to have or to take more priviledge of ease and seldom Preaching then the Presbyterians use to take and some of them have had leasure to Print other things since wherein not so much concerned as also Cretensis hath a priviledge of ease and idlenesse when he pleases to help himself which none of the Presbyterians have viz. to appoint some of his Prophets in his Church to Preach for him which he frequently practises upon all occasions as I can prove and hath
Calvin Ergo justificari fide dicimur non quia fides habitum aut qualitatem in nos transfundat sed quia deo accepti sumus Cur autem fidei tribuitur tantus honor ut 〈◊〉 causa justitiae nostrae primo sciendum est esse causam instrumentaloâ— duntaâ—at nam proprâ—e loquendo justitia nostra nihil a liud est quam gratâ—itâ— Dei acceptio in qua sundata est nostra salus sed quia Dominus testimonium amoris nobis amoris sui gratiae per Evangelium reddendo illam quam dixi justitiam nobis communicat ideo fide illam percipimus Ergo quam fidei tribuimus hominis justificationem non de causa principali disputamus sed tantum notamus modum quo perveniunt homines ad veram justitiam Justitia enim haec merum est Dei donum non qualitas quae in hominibus haereat sed fide tantum possidetur neque id merito fidei ut sit quasi debita merces sed quia fide recipimus quod Deus ultro donat I forbear to English this passâ—ge leaving it to Cretensis to have a proof of him whether he will not be as false in his translations as in his quotations So those words of Calvin on Rom. 4 3. v. 6 make nothing at all to prove the Imputation of Faith and the non-Imputation of Christs righteousnesse but even upon those verses Calvin expresses several passages to the contrary as they who turn to the places may see And for Bucer Mr. Wotton himself acknowledges he was of another judgement speaking thus of him whom I perswade my self to have been the Author of this opinion of Imputation besides Reformed Divines generally not only two or three but all are against this opinion of the Imputation of faith and non-Imputation of Christs righteousnesse and for proof of this the Reader may peruse Mr. Roboroughs examination of Cretensis Treatise of Justification first part page 9 10. where he showes that all our Divines are against Faith in a proper sense Luther Calvin Bucer Pareus Ursinus Musculus c. however Arminius and Bertius were for it unto which Cretensis never to this day made any Reply though he vapors and bragâ— thus of his opinion of Imputation of Faith So also the Preface to the Churches set before the Acts of the Synod of Dorâ— showes the same by Gomarus particularly instancing in and convincing Arminius of his Hetorodoxnes from holding of this opinion that in justification the righteousnesse of Christ was not imputed but beleeving And now considering all this and much more that hath been said and written to Cretensis I cannot but wonder he should be such an impudent Cretensis as to bring these places out of Calvin Bucer Pareus and can give no other reason of it but that of Paul to Titus concerning Hereticks that the man sins in this being condemned of himself and for this Error and many more which Cretensis holds notwithstanding all his palliating and daubing I hold them so great and the differences in opinions between him and I to be of such moment that as Gomarus told Arminius he durst not appear before the judgement seat of Christ with his opinions so neither would I with Cretensis opinions nor his wayes of managing them for a thousand worlds As for Cretensis charging me with venting Errors in the point of justification whilst I was reckoning up the Errors of others I Reply Cretensis takes advantage from a word or two left out by the Printer in the margin of my Book which was not the fault of my Copy as I am ready to satisfie any man and to make it appear undeniable besides in the second impression of my Book which came forth full fourteen dayes before Cretensis Answer the mistake was amended however the sense of the word before it was amended easily shewed where the fault was though Cretensis aggravate it so high as to make it amount to Atheological and putid assertions But in one word to stop the mouth of Cretensis what I say of Justification in the margin of page 22. t is verbatim to a tittle in the new Annotations on the Bible made by the joynt labours of certain learned Divines appointed thereunto by Authority and whatever in the first impressioÌ„ was mistaken in that particular by the fault of the Printer was in the second long before Cretensis Animadversions amended by me so that the Reader may observe that Cretensis for want of matter findes fault where the fault is confessed to his hand and had I any hope Cretensis could understand Latin when it makes against his opinion of the imputation of faith and would be convinced I would turn him over to divers learned men to English their Latine sentences as Peter Martyr Lubbertus Sibrandus c. where the man should read other manner of evidence against non-imputation of faith and for imputation of Christs righteousnesse then ever he yet offered in all his sermons and discourses about justification but for a conclusion Cretensis answer me one question why did you not as well except against some other opinions named in my Catalogue viz. 84.85 as this 70. of faith in a proper sense imputed to justification you were as much named and particularized in them as in this and they call you Father as well as this but I suppose the reason you were not yet willing in publique to own those Children and so would take no notice of them though I doubt not those and other things laid down in my Book though without your name written upon them enraged you and have made you as a Bear robbed of her whelps to think that I should know so much by you Cretensis p. 27. Sect. 22. labours to clear himself from a passage I charged him with that he should utter in a Sermon against the Parliament and their power c. saying It was nothing else but a manifest and clear truth and that which had passed the trial of Presbyterian fire it self was come forth in ful weight without suffering the leâ—st damage or detriment by it and if any such gap was opened by it to slight their Authority and power he knowes no wilde Beasts have broke in at it but some Presbyterians and then goeth on according to his Dialect to inveigh against me for â—â—â—lling at the root of Parliamentary Authority and power because that I finde fault with his truth as he cals it viz. his speaking so disgracefully and contemptibly of the Parliament Reply O the impudence and incorrigiblenesse of Cretensis after so high an offence committed by him against Parliamentary Authority complained of to a Committee of Parliament upon the debate of it judged by some of the Committee to be an offence of that high nature that these words were expressed of him of his offence that he as much or rather more deserved to be hang'd then the Arch-Bishop yea the whole Committee judged it of such a nature and crime as too great for them
to censure so that it was ordered to be reported by the Chair-man to the House it self and Master White told me more then once he was by order of the Committee to report it though by many great businesses of the Kingdom he was hindred now I say that after all this Cretensis should in the sight of the sun justifie it for a manifest and clear truth and flye out upon me and my Abbettors for finding fault with him is a strange hight certainly Cretensis if what you had said had been such a manifest and clear truth t is wonder such words should be spoken in the Committee of it and the thing ordered to be reported to the House it self as to high for a Committee and that your words spoken against the Parliament were not a manifest truth I refer the Reader to such a Book of Mr. Pryns to your own confession in your Answer to him and to the Record kept by the CoÌ„mittee for Plundred Ministers As for the reason you intimate why that which was uttered by you was nothing els but manifest clear truth because it hath passâ—d the trial of Presbyterian fire it self is come forth in full waight without suffering the least dammage or detriment of it that is upon complaint and examination of it by a Committee of Parliament you are come off and not censured I Reply the Reader may observe that Presbyterian fire is a cooler softer gentler fire then the Independent fire and that the presbyterians are not so 〈◊〉 crying for fire from hell to destroy all those who receive the Lord Christ only because their faces are not instanly set to receive the Traditions of their Discipline and Doctrine for Cretensis hath passed the trial of Presbyterian fire it self and is come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment by it I beleive if either I or any known cordial Presbyterian in England in speaking against the Independent party had said so much to the vilifying and contempt of the Parliament as Cretensis did in speaking against Presbyterians and we had come to the trial of Independent fire it self we should never have come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment by it but we should have carried to our graves the scorching and skars of that fire if not wholy consumed by it 〈◊〉 Though you were one of the first yet you are not alone nor the last of those who by writing or speaking having uttered things against the Parliament and being questioned by Committees have passed the trial of Presbyterian fire and come off too witnesse your brother Lilburn and yet all they have said and written have not been manifest and clear truths You who are Independents and Sectaries have priviledges in many things which poor Presbyterians have not you have a priviledge to steal horses Cretensis pag. 34 whereas 't is a great fault in Presbyterians to look over the hedge you have a priviledge to set up Churches and a Government of your own without leave or waiting on the Parliament but 't is a great offence in the Presbyterians to Petition the Parliament in all humility to settle the Presbyterian Government witnesse those many reproches in some printed news Books those pensioners of the Independent party as also the bitter preaching against their Petitions by some Independent Ministers with the hard speeches cast out against them by the Independent party You belike have a priviledge to preach print speak any thing against Parliament their Ordinances Orders Covenant Members yea to act against their Votes Ordinances and to passe the trial of Presbyterian fire as you terme it and to come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment whereas I am perswaded a great deal lesse preached or printed by Presbyterians would have been censured to be burnt by the hand of the common Hangman and the men themselves in danger of hanging Thirdly Cretensis you have no such reason to boâ—st so of what you have preach'd that t is a manifest and clear truth and hath passed the Presbyterian fire it self and is come forth in full waight c. till you know what the sense of the House of Commons will be upon it when 't is reported to the House according to the order of the Committee and the House hath cleared you then you might better have used these words but Cretensis though you say the bitternesse of death is past all danger is over you may be deceived quod desertur non aufertur the House may be at more leasure and call upon such kinde of things and upon a review you may be made to know what 't is not only to slight and vilifie a Parliament open a gap to a total contempt of all their Authority and power but when you have done so then openly and publikely to justifie that what you have said is a manifest and clear truth Cretensis I tell you plainly I would not for all the Books in my study the Independens could prove such words spoken by me against the power and dignity of Parliament how light account soever you make of them Fourthly the Reader may by this clearly see what to judge of Cretensis charging me and my Book with lying forgery c. when as he is not ashamed to tax me in this place that I could not lightly have uttered any thing that struck more dangerously at the very root of all Parliamentary Authority and power then to say that Cretensis in speaking against the Parliament and their power opened a gap to slâ—ghting of their authority and power what a strange art and faculty hath Cretensis as of making all Authors for him though they writ against him so of making master Edwards and his Abettors in pleading for the Parliament against Cretensis to strike dangerously at the very root of all Parliamentary Authority and power and that notwithstanding for the words Cretensis spake against the Parliament he was complained of to the Committee of Plundered Ministers by understanding men and cordial to the Parliament and the matter so deeply resented by the Honourable Committee as I have already expressed but the truth of it is Cretensis in all his writings both in point of opinions and words that he utters in defence of them he will say any thing as manifestly contrary to truth as to affirm black is white and darknesse light neither will he be beaten out of it by any reason but hides himself and clouds things in a multitude of words where an ordinary Reader loses himself as in a wood Fifthly 't is strange Cretensis you dare say that you know none but Presbyterians have broken in at the gap you have made do you not know what Lilburn hath done besides have you not read Englands Birthright The Ordinance for Tythes Dismounted cum multis aliis you indeed lead the way and was the first of all the pretended friends to the Parliament out of discontent in missing a place
me But to come to the particulars for the first words that Cosens should say Iesus Christ was a Bastard 't is confessed by him who related it though he had it from a very good hand that those words are not found in the deposition againg him before two Justices but these Christ alas he was a child and you must not beleeve all the words hee said and for the fuller satisfaction of the Reader I do here set down the Information and Deposition to tittle as it was taken before the Major of Rochester and another Justice of Peace Civit. Roffens The Information of John Cosens of Chatham ' taken upon oath the 19 day of August 1644. before John Philpot Major and Philip Ward Esquire Iustices of Peace within the said City WHo saith that about July last was twelve months he being at work at the house of Master William Cobbams in the said City with Robert Cosens his brother they fell into discourse concerning the Book of Common Prayer when the said Robert offered to lay a wager that the same should be put down within a moneth and should be read no more whereupon the said Iohn Cosens replyed why Brother there are many things there commanded by God by what God saith the said Robert to whom he answered by our Saviour Christ Our Saviour Christ said Robert Cosens alas he was a child and you must not beleeve all the words he said his mark Iohn Cosens Iohn Philpot Major Philip Ward Vera Copia examinat per me Iohan Goldwell Now I appeale to the Reader whether these words related in this Deposition be not Blasphemy as well as the other and whether a mistake might not easily arise from these words deposed to report the other but to put Cretensis out of doubt that 't is no lye nor forgery to report such words yea and more of some Sectaries Cretensis Saints and therefore he needed not to have triumphed so much in it I will give him two instances of Sectaries who have blasphemed after this manner The first is one Coleburne of Watford in the liberty of Saint Albons a great Anabaptist and Sectarie who spake these words that our Saviour Christ was a bastard and the first time that he taught was in a tub upon the sea This was found by a Jury upon oath and was returned into the Kings Bench by Certiorarie in Michaelmas Terme last The second is one in Midlesex who is indited at the Kings Bench for saying that our Saviour Christ was a bastard and the Virgin Mary a with many other blasphemous words which being so horrid and filthy I think not fit to make publike This is found by the grand Inquest in Candlemas Terme last upon the knowledge of one of the said grand Inquest and to assure the Reader of what I write I have by me the whole Processe and particulars at large which I fetched out of the Crowne Office subscribed with the Clarks hand which because they are so large and I have much exceeded the number of sheets I alotted to this Reply I forbeare to Print them but if Cretensis doubt of the truth of what I here write he may if he will be at the charge have the whole proceedings out of the Crown Office attested under hand And for Cosens speaking these very words Cretensis a little after thoug here he denies them yet confesses these words were charged upon him though upon examination waved else what meanes that passage of Cretensis the witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him Now what those former words were I desire Cretensis to resolve in his Rejoynder For the second that if Jesus Christ were upon the Earth again hee would be ashamed of many things he then did This second part of the Relation of the Information Cretensis calls â—a lye and the second in order and thereupon enlarges himself after this manner For neither did the man namely Cosens speak any such words as these the witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him upon rexamination and that upon oath before the Committee of the County waved both the one and the other as appeares by the said examination under the hand of the Clark of the said Committee which I saw and read and is forth comming for any man to peruse for his further satisfaction Now that the Reader may see what Cretensis confidence and impudencie is and that Cosens spake such words as these I desire him to read what followes to a word taken out of the originalls kept in the Majors Court of Rochester Civit. Roffens The Information of Francis Tillet taken upon Oath the 19. of August 1644. before Master John Philpot Major Philip Ward and Barnabas Walsall Iustices of the Peace within the said City WHo saith that in Lent was twelve moneths last he being upon his duty at the guard of the Bridg at the Centry with Robert Cosens and some others he being talking with the said Robert Cosens about the troubles of the Church and some speech of our Saviour Christ he the said Cosens then said that if our Saviour Christ were now again upon the Earth he would be ashamed of what he had done and he further saith that he heard Iohn Patten of Saint Margarets and Iohn Cosens Brother of the said Robert declare that they have heard him say to the effect aforesaid the Marke of the said Francis Q Tillet Iohn Philpot Major Philip Ward Barnabas Walsall Vera Copia examinat per me Iohan Goldwell Now for that which Cretens alledges here to clear Cosens that he never spake any such words as these 't is all false as I shall demonstrate it to the Reader and I am confident that Cretensis with all his Rhetorick and great swelling six footed words can never clear himself but must blush for shame unlesse he be past it and confesse that either he was too credulous to beleeve such a Sectary and a man in his own cause as Cosens or else out of haste and eagernesse to confute me mistooke the businesse quite or which is worse did wilfully and on purpose write thus to brand me hoping that I should not be able to disprove him by ever getting the Records to testifie the contrary and before I do particularly disprove these six or seven lines of Cretensis I shall usher in what I have to say by retorting justly Cretensis words upon himself which he unjustly used against me That forgery of forgeries and all is forgery all over for in this confutation of Cretensis by which you may judge both of those many that go before it and those few that follow after There are not only well-nigh but altogether quot verba tot mendica and yet even this hath this banner of confidence displayed for the credit of it as appears by the said examination under hand of the Clerk of the said Committee which I saw and read and
County swore the same again the second time and was far from waving it as appears by the examination under the Clerks hand of the Committee which I have set down and now I might say to the Reader keep tale this is the third down-right fall more then a stumble this is a big lye with others in the belly of it for first the former words were not charged upon Cosens by Francis Tillet but only these words and therefore how could he be re-examined upon that of which he never informed nor was formerly examined Secondly much lesse then could he upon oath wave them and for the other words which he was re-examined upon he stood to them before the Committee and is ready to testifie them still whensoever he shall be called thereunto 4. Cretensis affirms that he who deposed these words viz. That if Christ were upon the earth again c. did upon re-examination before the Committee wave them as appears by the said examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee Now I might here say score up this is the fourth word of folly in Cretensis confutation for there is no such examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee but the contrary to it as appears by that examination set down already taken upon oath before Sir Anthony Weldon c. and subscribed by Andrew Lydall Clerk Committee This untruth may well stand for two or at least be printed in a Capitall Letter because he affirms a grosse lye and a thing quite contrary to truth to be under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee 5. Cretensis proceeds upon this examination that he saw it which I saw I might here say Tally on this is a fifth phib in this relation for how could Cretensis see that which never was but if he saw any such thing that Francis Tillet should deny these words he must needs see something that was forged by some of his Sectaries to engage him to confute Mr. Edwards Book 6. Cretensis further asserts that he read this under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee I might here say Cretensis still advances in his Cretian way and this is the sixth flaw for how could he read that which never was and I conceive Cretensis will upon a review of what he hath written cry peccavi and say I was deluded and quite mistaken 7. And lastly the said Independent confutation and assertion for uniformity sake that it may end as it began or rather end worse by rising and ascending in untruths affirms in the close of it that this examination is forth-coming for any man to peruse for his satisfaction Now Reader remember the account for this is the seventh and eighth time at least yea the ninth and tenth that this confutation prevaricateth with the truth for in these words this examination is forth-coming there are many lyes First there is no such examination Seconly then it cannot be forth-coming Thirdly not for any one man to peruse much lesse for any man And fourthly it can be much lesse for satisfaction And I much wonder Cretensis if you had seen and read an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee proving what you here say and confuting this part of the story related by me of Cosens and that tending so much to the satisfaction of any man why did you not cause it to be forth-coming printing it here together with your Confutation Certainly Cretensis had you seen and read such an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee there can be no reason given why you should not have printed that as well as an Anabaptists Letter written to an Anabaptist and a writing given you from Mr. Burroughs surely an examination under the Clerks hand of a Committee would have been more authenticall with rationall men to have convicted my Book of untruths then a Letter of an Anabaptisticall boy c. and therefore for my part I am confident Cretensis saw that in the examination brought him by Cosens which being printed would have disadvantaged his foul-mouth'd Confutation of this story either contradicting or rendring the whole suspected and therefore he suppressed it being willing to blast my Book for the present while it was new come forth and much sought after making account if after I should be able to disprove him yet he could not play his after game either by pleading mistakes and that he was so informed or else by his Rhetorick and words at will wrusting either the examination brought him to these word in Cretensis or else these words and phrases of his to the examination however one way or other to shift for his credit and to wrangle it out in which Cretensis hath a wonderfull Art and faculty by his wit and largenesse of conscience to call black white and to make quidlibet ex quolibet and however Cretensis to work the Reader to a belief of him in the confutation of this part of the story of Cosens speaks of an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee which he saw and read yet I am confident he knew it would not prove what he here saith and my confidence is upon this ground because from his own words I gather he had this counter-information from the mouth of the said Cosens and the examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee what ever it was was brought him by Cosens Now I conceive that examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee which Cosens shewed Cretensis he also shewed me which I carefully read and that in the presence of three Citizens in which there was nothing in the judgement of us four to weaken this testimony of Francis Tillet but rather by that and the confession of Cosens himself to us much fell from him to confirm the truth of this and other passages in this story which I presently writ down as soon as Cosens was gone and for a need besides my own testimony those Citizens will be ready to witnesse also the truth of what then passed so that by all this the Reader may see more untruth in one peece of Cretensis confutation of the story of Cosens then there are pretended untruths made by all the art and malice of Cretensis against the whole story of Cosens so that to conclude this I aske of Cretensis who is the lyar now and I suppose I may more truly apply Cretensis own words a little changed spoken against me to himself doubtlesse the man hath sold himself to write all and all manner of untruths that hee can but scrapple together from what mouths or tongues or pens he cares not so they be but Independent in their constitution and carry any antipathy in them to the honour and good of Presbytery and in case they be but such 't is no matter if they be Anabaptists Seekers yea loose drunken persons and Blasphemers Cretensis by this Answer hath proved many
who will settle here with them Hereupon they are presently so high flowne that they will have our publike meeting place commonly called the Church to preach a weekly Lecture though we have an Order from the Committee of Parliament that there shall bee none without the consent of both the Ministers in Dover and have acquainthem with it yet some have threatned if the Key be kept away they will break open the doores and since M. Davies journey to London the Members of his Church meeting everie Lords day twice and once in the weeke Mr. Mascall a man employed by the State to bee a perfector of the Customes undertakes to feed the flock expounds the Scriptures and with much vehemencie cries out to the people expressing himselfe thus against the present Ministerie Your Priests your damned Priests your cursed Priests with their fooles Coat Your Levites who if they get an Ordinance of Parliament will thunder it out but they let alone the Ordinances of Christ and perswades the people of the evill that Synods and Learned men have done to the Church and therefore presses them to the uselessenesse of humane learning and at other times in private meetings perswades people that they will fall into most miserable slaverie if they have a Presbytery and saith That hee shall stand and laugh at them when they are under their burthens For our parts if the State will suffer themselves to bee so vilified in what they have by the best advice proposed and will have us trodden under foot for following Christ and obeying them and will have us take Covenants and suffer as many as will to violate them wee shall then thinke that wee are fallen into worse times then ever wee yet saw Wee desire you to counsell us and to improve your power in the Assembly and with the Parliament what you may to stop these violent proceedings here that we may enjoy our priviledges especially the peace of our Consciences and Countrey we rest Your loving Friends Dover April 13. 1646. This Letter is given into the hands of a Peer of this Kingdom The Copie of a Letter written from a learned and godly Divine from beyond the Seas to a speciall Friend of his here in London and translated by him out of Dutch into English VVE do earnestly long for some Ordinances from England for the suppressing of the high growing Sects Heresies and Schismes which get the upperhand We are afflicted in our verie souls that there is such a depth of Distractions and Errors such liberty for Schisme Blasphemie and ungodly Tenents both at London and in the whole Kingdome O blessed holy Holland righteous Amsterdam heretofore accounted the sink of Errours and Heresies but now justified by London With us are punished with banishment or piercing through the tong with a hot Iron those that but slanderously speak of the Virgin Mary Here we burne the books of the Socinians Errours and they may not with knowledge be sold in these parts Here indeed every one is left to enjoy the freedome of his Conscience in his own Family but to keep Conventicles and meetings of divers Families together Amsterdam it selfe will not suffer except in Anabaptists Lutherans and Remonstrants At London is taught Blasphemy against Christ God his Word Worship and Sacraments by Enthusiasts Antinomians Libertines and Seekers There the Socinian tricks are new moulded there all Sects and Hereticks may keep their separated publike and secret Conventicles Whence is it that you are so suddenly led away unto another Gospell Is there no balme in Gilead that the wounds of the daughter of Sion are not healed are the Prayers of the Saints and the Labours of the upright all in vain Gods judgements hang over that Kingdom which feeds and fosters such sins A Passage extracted out of a Letter lately sent from a godly Minister in Colchester to a Minister in London THe last Sabbath day we had one Clarkson a Seeker that preached at Butolph Church the same man I believe that M. Edwards mentions in his Book His Sermon tended to the vilifying of the Scriptures all Ordinances Duties Ministers Church State Hee vilified the Scriptures and would not have the people live upon white and black and that they of themselves were not able to reveal God of which I shall give M. E. a full account the next week An Extract of a Letter written from a Minister in New-England to a Member of the Assembly of Divines DIscipline or Church Government is now the great businesse of the Christian World God grant we forget not the doctrine of Repentance from dead works and Faith in the Lord Jesus I long much to see or heare what is done in England about this matter I shall not fall into particulars as I might do could we speake mouth to mouth I am no Independent neither are manie others who say Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae ab initio regebantur nor am I of a democraticall spirit Much have I seene in my almost eleven yeares abode in this Wildernesse and I wish such as maintain an Independen Democracie had seene and found as much experimentally A house like to be well governed where all are Masters but no more of this For my self God hath been here with me and done me much good learning me somthing of himselfe of my selfe and of men N. E. is not Heaven and here we are men still Decem. 8. 1645. To his loving brother M. Thomas Edwards SIr that Book which discovereth our generall Gangraena containeth truth which will procure you many enemies it s the fate of Truth But to this end saith our Lord Iohn 18.37 was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the truth and so for this Cause are Christians begotten againe by the Word of Truth Everie one that is of the truth should do so espcially such as are his Ministers Revelasse will be superasse I le joyn with one of your adversaries in that alleadged Text. But they shall proced no farther for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3 9. I wait for its accomplishment You yea we all must look to suffer for plaine dealing especially now when as truth lieth in the streets and is trampled on by dirty feet when as there are so many adversaries unto it and such an Independent Combination against it The great objection against you is You are too too vehement in your opposition which when I heard I remembred I had read in Luther de servo Arbitrio the same objected to him by old Erasmus The Answer of Luther unto it mee thinkes may well bee ours yours and yeeld us much comfort and encouragement Quod antem vehementius egerim agnosco culpam si culpa est imo testimonium hoc mihi in mundo reddi in causa Des mirificè gaudeo Atque utinam ipse Deus id testimonii in novissimo die confirmaret
De Eccles. quaest 5. c. 11 p. 342 343. Papistici Doctores turpes scelerati sunt in deliâ—iis vivâ—â—t omnes à Papa summo illorum Pontifice ad infimum usque Pâ—râ—chum multi non â—aevi modo sed flagitia etium gravissima inter illos reperiuntur vide ibi plura Willets Synops. Second General Controversie of the Church Quest. 3. of the notes marks of the Church pag. 98 Amesi Bellarm. Enervat De Notis Ecclesiae Legantur igitur vitae Pontificum Romanorum de Sanctitatem Pontificum * Vid. Minors no Sentors pag. 26. These laws would save that Vbiquitary perturber of sollicitor and stickler at most of our late elections Mr. Hugh Peters a great deâ—l of unnecessary unfiting pains sollicitation and abuse of the Pulpit to the peoples great disgust for his own private lucre and advancing the designs of his party * Vid. Independ rasing their foundation p 2 3 4 5 * This Mr. Randal is known well to many godly persons and is a godly man a Schoole-master about Stepny and a Minister also not that Randal the Antinomian and Familiâ—â— * This Letter which Cretensis here prints was written by an Apprentise boy an Anabaptist of Kiâ—â—ius Church unto Kiâ—â—â—â—s himself who belike by himself or some other communicated it to Cretensis * Calumny araigned and cast Pag. 22 17. I could prove I say by the Commission aforesaid that Mr. Prynne hath done all these things on purpose to despite the Spirit of God to defame the Gospel to make the ways of godlinesse and religion hateful to the world to encrease divisions to multiply distractions to bring a snare and evil day upon the Parliament to expose the whole Kingdom to ruine and destruction * Master Walker Master Roborough by wriâ—ing Master Câ—alamie in preaching * March 30. Three honest godly Citizens after supper comming to speak with me as they were with me Cosens came to speak with me and was brought into the room where these three Citizens were and I spake nothing to him nor he any thing to me but in their hearing who will testifie this and more Oretens pag. 40. This Counter-Information I had from the mouth of the said Cosens himself and have the particulars under his hand Cosens going to heare Mr Clare preach I received a Letter last week out of the Country subscribed with â—o hands of Godly Ministers testifying to my work and earnestly intreating my constant persuance with a promise that I shall not want what their prayers and endeavours can contribâ—â—e to that work A Letter from a godly Minister cut of Warwickshire written thus M. Edwards Book does much good here I have received severall Letters from particular Ministers in Essex bearing witnesse and so Letters out of Kent to the same purpose and from other places * The 11. errour specified in the former part of this book is in the Catalogue of Errours contained in the first part of Gangraena which slâ—pt me before I was aware and therefore upon comparing of both together I put it out and reckon not that but make these Errours to begin here at number 23. which otherwise should have been number 24. * Osiander publicè in Schola proponâ—t nos sola essentiali Dei justitia justos esse essentiali ejus vita vivere vel victuros esse essentiali ipsius gloria glorificari essentiali illius charitate ad diligendum Deum proximum propter ipsuminflammari gravissimè errare omnes qui putent aliâ re quam solo uno vivo Deo Patre Filio Spiritu sancto nos posse justificari vivificari glorificari glacie frigidiora docere qui doceant nos tantum propter remssioneÌ„ peccatorum reputari justos non etiam justitiam Christi essentialem divinam perfidem in nobis habitantis vit Osiand pag. 228. * The Sectaries who call themselves the Saints and beleevers if they have husbands and wives that will not turn Sectaries they may leave their owne because they are unbeleevers and joyne themselves to other womens husbands and other mens wives I read in a Letter subscribed by W I. and E.I. Wiâ—liam Ienny and Elizabeth Ienny written out of Holland to one in London Deare friends as you have cast off many Antichristian yoaks so proceed to cast off all a chiefe vvhereof are unequall marriages * Vide Saltmarsh Divine Right of Presbyterie * Pamph. entit Tender Con. relig affect p. 14 15. Do not the Synod having two â—oâ—ns like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teach the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven And speaking of the Preamble to one of their Ordinances wherein the Parliament acknowledged their strong engagements heartily and sincerely to endeavour the compleat establishment of puriâ—y and uâ—itie in the Church of God for these are the Parliaments words not the Assemblies this book cals this blasphemy and saith of the Lords and Commons For shame leave speaking blasphemy Remember the judgements upon the VVhore for her blasphemie VVhere had the Lords and Commons this large Commission to meddle in the affaires of King Iesus so far as to determine to have a compleat establâ—shment of puritie and unitie Vide p. 22. of this present book ' and pag. 7. * Mr. Durance an Independent Preacher at Sandwich * This was spoken in the hearing of three Citisens and given mee under the hand of one that heard it who also told this Smart he would make it publike The Presbyterians may do well to take notice that the Sequestration of their estates and hanging at Tyburn was designed and counted good enough for them if some Independents and Sectaries might have had their will This is the libertie of conscience they must expect when the Sectaries grow so strong as to have power to effect it * A Minister out of Essex writing up to a Minister in London of a horrid blasphemy I sent to a Minister of that Towne to enforme me of the truth of it which accordingly be hath The vvord is so horrid and obscene that I forbeare to expresse it This Clarkson is spoken of also in this book p. 7 8. Cretens frontis picio Luther de servo Arb. c. 207. p. 319. Vid. mine Animadvers part I. pag. 9. A godly Minister who heard it will depose it if called and so will many more who heard it a Pamph eâ—â—it Toloraâ— justified Vide pag. 27 of this book Mr. VValvvyns speech * Vide Pamph entit Letter of advice to the Assembly In case Paul Best continue in his opinion his heresie through ignorance whether is it not possible that God may yet have mercie on him as hee had on Paul the Apostle and in his due time bring him to the knowledge of his truth as hee did the Apostle Paul VVhether it can be demonstrated before-hand but that Paul Best what ever his heresie be may possibly in Gods secret will be ordained to conversion hereafter as well