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truth_n	according_a	heart_n	word_n	1,814	5	3.8480	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13111	The looking-glasse of schisme wherein by a briefe and true narration of the execrable murders, done by Enoch ap Evan, a downe-right separatist, on the bodies of his mother and brother, with the cause mooving him thereunto, the disobedience of that sect, against royall majesty, and the lawes of our Church is plainly set forth. By Peter Studley, Master of Arts, and minister of Gods Word, in Shrevvsbury.	Studley, Peter, 1587 or 8-1648.	1634 (1634)	STC 23403; ESTC S117932	73,005	313

effected and established our peace and that is A legall provision of encouraging maintenance for an able Ministry For as long as men of worth for quality as all Ministers ought to bee are forced to grapple with povertie which begets contempt of their persons and disesteeme of their Ministery So long the nature of poverty wherewith they are sensibly pinched is ever active in devising shifts to succour and to relieve it selfe Now what shifts can the wit of any man living excogitate whereby to releeve himselfe which may carry countenance of Piety and sincere dealing But by insinuation to creepe into the favour and esteeme of great men and the richer sort who are able to succour and support them And by obsequious flattery to instill into their hearts an ill opinion of the present Government under which wee live and to which conceit because it tends to Innovation and singularitie most mens hearts are prone and inclined according to that of the Comaedian Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Now this obsequiousnesse wherby friendship is prepared must of necessity deflect from the wayes and rules of Truth or it will never take hold and politikely succeed For to apply it to the purpose wee have now in hand If all the Nobility Gentry and Rich-men of England were fully perswaded both in judgement and conscience that the Discipline of our English Church is exactly consonant with the Word of GOD and needes neither subversion correction or alteration as both justly and judiciously they ought to be so perswaded Then any Minister of able giftes in the knowledge of GOD's Word adorned with vertue and sanctitie of life would serve their turne either for their Parish Minister or Family Chaplaine without that solicitous distinction of person and person for opinions sake in matter of Ceremony which rules too much in this divided Church For where no variety or differences of opinion have liberty to worke upon mens understandings consciences and affections by reason of that generall unity which ought to bee among us Church-men both in judgement of our peaceable discipline and uniformity of practice in our submission thereunto There every wise and charitable hearted Gentleman must needs be free from faction and part-taking and thereby the peace of our Church gratiously composed So that this Non-conformity in the first brochers thereof was but a tricke of politike wit by casting differences of opinion among Gods people to make way for themselves to raise a party of private friendship and thereby to draw unto them such competency of maintenance to their estates and credit to their persons as might both releeve their poverty and inhance their spirits to a selfe-good opinion of their owne inventions by ingrossing many mens good opinions of their Pietie their vertue their aversnesse from Popery And if all the policy of this wise learned and religious Kingdome shall wracke and teynter it selfe totally to suppresse and supplant these courses it will never be able in my poore opinion to effect their just righteous designes till a proportionable maintenance setting Ministers free from a servile dependance and ingagement to their people do sweetly invite and induce them to obedience For as long as any sap or moysture of discontent by poverty remaines in the root of Non-conformity it will regerminate bud-forth againe and creepe into corners although the strong arme of Regall power and sound Iustice guided by sanctified policy suppresse the raging flames and restraine the open walking therof 48 I have many times in my private meditations of these matters admired how it hath come to passe that those prudent and well-intended Lawes which were in the Reigne of King Henry the eight first projected And afterwards in the reigne of his religious and wise Sonne King Edward the sixt more largely extracted out of the Copies of the Canon Law by 32. persons consisting of the Honourable Nobility Reverend Bishops Learned Divines Wise Civilians and Prudent Gentlemen and were also confirmed Regio Diplomate by Regall grant of power from both those Kings and wanting nothing but Promulgation prevented by the immature death of that holy wise and learned young Prince King Edward the 6. How these Laws could never since that time obtaine their intended strength For had those Lawes beene established either by Parlamentary authoritie then or since by the Royall Prerogative of any of our Kings and Queenes from whom all authority Iurisdiction and power is derived into Church Common-wealth I will make bold to deliver my opinion and that is this There had not beene I suppose at this day Printed 157● one Puritane Non-conformed Minister in this Illustrious Church and Kingdome For in those Lawes there is provision made for convenient maintenance of Ministers in all the Cities great Townes and Corporations of England which are the Seminaries and principall places where schisme is bred and nourished conformable to the custome of the Citie of London by a rate and taxa upon their house and shops In Titulo de Decimis capite 14. the Lawe runnes thus Magnam indignitatem habet à tenuibus Laboriosis Agricolis decimas annuas Ecclesiarum ministris suppeditari Mercatores autem opibus affluentes viros Scientiarum artificiorum copiis abundantes nihil ferme ad ministrorum necessitates conferre praesertim cùm illis ministrorum officio non minus opus sit quàm colonis Quapropter ut ex pari labore par consequatur merees constituimus ut Mercatores pannorum confectores artifices reliqui cujuscunque generis ac omnes qui scientia vel peritia qualecunque lucrum percipiunt hoc modo decimas persolvant Pro Domibus nimirum atque terris quibus utuntur illarum ratione decimas praediales non solvunt quolibet anno dabunt annuae pensionis decimam partem It is a great indignitie that poore and laborious countrey Farmers doe pay their Tythes to the Ministers of their Churches But that Merchants flowing in riches and men of Sciences and Trades abounding with wealth should impart in a manner nothing to the necessities of their Ministers especially since these rich men stand in no lesse need of the Ministers labours then the Countrey men doe VVherefore that from equall labour a like reward may accrew wee ordaine that Merchants Clothiers and all other Artificers of what kinde soever and all others who by any science or skill doe gaine profit to themselves shall pay Tithes after this manner To wit they shall pay the tenth part of yeerely pension for their houses and grounds which they hold and use and by reason thereof pay no praediall Tythes Thus farre the Law Now for prevention of cavill vvhich vvranglers are apt to foyst into all necessary offices and in this particular to say that this Law was intended only for the City of London and is there in force and practice The very front and Title of the Law it selfe wipes away and dissolves this plea and objection saying unto us Solvendas esse

ca●●le and the Neighbour-●ood there one of them Brother in law to Enoch by marriage with his eldest sister The other a man of very honest reputation in the place of his dwelling Mr. William Tanner were desired by Enochs father to come unto me and to crave the continuance of my charitable paines with his son and promised me that the old man should be thankfull unto me I answered them that as my owne charity was my first Inducement and motive to visit him so my dutie to GOD and the satisfaction of mine owne conscience was all my expected reward The brother in law of Enoch desired of me that the next morning he might attend me to the Gaole to conferre with him to counsell and to direct him The houre eight of the clocke being appointed we repaired thither and in the presence of nine persons of which one was strongly affected to Non-conformitie I entred conference or rather counsell with him and they all are able to testifie how free I was from any po●tike device of scruing my sel● into his bosome to doe the Paritans any disgrace which was the thing so greatly feared ● called for the Bible of the house and by many and urgent perswasions illustrates with pregnant examples I laboured to bring him to a sight and sense of his great wickednesse thereby to humble him and by repentance to prepare his soule for comforts 22 Having finished my exhortation to him which he seriously promised in the hearing of that company to imprint deepely in his remembrance for the careful practice therof I acquainted him with a common terme which passed for current and credible in all the Neighbour-hood about Bishops-castle where his murders were committed By cleare and forcible arguments as the Countrey affirmed convincing him of Lunacie and Distraction thereby to divert the facts from all thoughts of Church Ceremonies or any dislike thereof And the relation and clearing of these objections by evident refutation of them sure I am will give our Non-conformists a deepe disgust who labour to this day in all assemblies and occasions of conference to fasten madnesse on their brother Enoch But necessary truth conducing to GOD's glory and His Churches good must not be supprest to sooth and please selfe-willed Schismatikes The Arguments which were related unto mee by Mr. William Tanner were foure and here follow in their order 1 Enoch came into an Inne or Alehouse in Bishops-Castle and found there the Oast of the house and a Scrivenour drinking together Hee being desired to sit down with them carried a while in their company In this time of his sining and conference with them the Scrivenour is reported to draw ●ut of his pocket certaine coppy-books ruled with red Inke and written with his owne hand These Bookes he laid upon the table and Enoch taking one of them into his hand and looking intentively upon the red lines became as the report goeth much troubled in minde The Scrivenour not perceiving his perturbation drew also out of his pocket a Prospective-glasse thorow which our sight being directed it makes the object on which our eye is fixed much more large and extended than the naturall and proper magnitude thereof Vpon the sight of these red-ruled books and glasse Enoch is said to burst out into words of great terror and trouble in himselfe and to say This man is a Conjurer and hath sent to Bristow for a man to murder me This speech say our Puritans about Bishops-castle plainely convinceth Enoch to be crackt in the braine and apt for violent distempers by Lunacie This is the Argument Enoch which your neighbours make against you let me have your answer without any untruths shifts or evasions Enoch Sir these men whom you name can fully cleare me herein and to their report I referre my selfe yet for your satisfaction to whom I owe all dutie and respect I will assure you the cleare truth herein I viewed indeed one of the Scriveners bookes and I supposed and spake according to my thoughts that those lines were ruled with bloud for I had never seene nor heard of any red inke in all my life-time I think a wiser man than my selfe may commit a greater mistake and errour without any distemper or cracke in his understanding As for the Glasse or Bristoll or murdering of me GOD is my witnesse I never made any mention of them Neither did I terme the man a Conjurer nor had any imagination therof But it is the practice of the world when a man is in misery to load him with false accusations wherof since I came into this Prison I have had much experience by manifold slanders of whoredome and other vices invented against me 2 The second Argument is this Enoch a yeare before the death of his mother is reported to aske her this question upon a Sunday after they were returned from Clunne Church Mother did not you heare ● shrill and loud voice speak● unto mee this morning in the Church His mother is reported to reply unto him yes ● heard the Ministers voice speaking to thee and to me and to all the Congregation other voice I heard not nor thy selfe neither He is reported to aske her againe Did you not heare a voice call unto me by name and say Enoch prepare She● is said to answer him Hold thy peace thou foole I heard no such voice nor thou neither This is alleaged against you now answer for your selfe in truth and uprightnesse For weaknesse of braine is no cause of shame or reproch to your person Enoch They talke much of the Divell and my selfe but if they invent and devise such lyes against mee in matters whereof I am no way guiltie let the authours and contrivers thereof take heed lest that lying spirit hold not as much interest and take as strong possession of their soules as hee hath done in mine according to their opinion and conceit For certainly this report newly raised touching my questions with my mother is such a cunning lye tha● I cannot understand the ayme or search the depth of it For by these words Enoch prepare I conceive their meaning to be as though Satan had cast some thoughts into my heart touching the killing of my mother and brother a whole yeare before I committed those execrable facts But I have told you Sir and doe further assure you of the truth therein that my resolution to slay my brother was not fully ten dayes old before I brought it into execution And if my mother were now living who is temporally perished by my enraged heart and accursed hand she could and would cleare my reports and denial of any such questions moved unto her I assure you therefore on my faith and truth I never used any such words unto her nor never received any such idle thought into my owne heart as to imagine a voice to call to mee by name in the open Church in the time of Divine Service as people call it 3 The third Argument

THE LOOKING-GLASSE of SCHISME Wherein by a briefe and true Narration of the execrable Murders done by Enoch ap Evan a downe-right Separatist on the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the cause mooving him thereunto The disobedience of that Sect against Royall Majesty and the Lawes of our CHURCH is plainly set forth By PETER STUDLEY Master of Arts and Minister of GODS WORD in SHREVVSBVRY PRO. 30.12 There is a Generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse Habent Artificium quo prius persuadent quam doceant veritas autem docendo suadet non suadendo docet Tertul. adversus Valentinian Lib. 1. LONDON Printed by R. B. for THOMAS ALCHORNE and are to be sold at the signe of the greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1634. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE occasion of this Relation touching the Barbarous and inhumane crueltie of Enoch ap Evan ariseth not from any inclination in my owne disposition to be pragmatical and busie in matters of writing but from the serious apprehension of disloyalty which some eminent persons in our State have made touching the contempt of our Lawes testified by the stealing away of his putrified corpes who by sentence of righteous and prudent Iudgement was deemed to hang forth in the aire to the open view of all men for exemplary punishment of his bloudy facts Till the consumption of his flesh his nerves and ligaments had dissolved the composition and structure of his bones parted them asunder made them fall to the earth and by Vltimate Resolution returne ad materiam primam their first matter whereof they were framed And moreover the false and dishonest reports touching this Malefactour scattered abroad by many whose profession of Religious purity should have yeelded better fruits have pressed mee on to this suddennesse of writing And for the matter it selfe here delivered I doe assure thee in the word of a Minister thou hast a relation of such substantiall Truth as I will maintaine against any person living upon the face of the earth I have not delivered one word in this ensuing Treatise which may justly offend any good Christian or honest minded man and therfore if any shall be displeased towards mee it is from an offence taken by himselfe not given by mee for GOD the searcher of my heart is my witnesse together with the integritie of mine owne conscience that I have proposed to my selfe herein as the object and levell of all my aymes The glory of his most sacred Name the Honour of our King in the vindication of his innocent Lawes and the desire of our Churches tranquillitie and peace now torne into pieces by wilfull Schisme Proud Faction and Peremptorie Disobedience to Prudent and Peaceable government I deliver onely in this Tract my owne observations in matters of fact and the dangers I conceive which may accrew to our Church and State unlesse some wholesome and speedie course of wise and religious policie shall be maturely applied for the cure or correction of such insolent persons as trouble the peace of our Sion And for the event hereof I referre it as becomes me in dutie to the Royall wisdome of sacred Majestie in our King and the vigilant care of those prudent Governours to whose godly oversight these matters are committed Ne quid Ecclesia Detrimenti capiat That our Church sustaine no eclipse of her glory but gratiously display the beames of peace and splendour For obloquie and traducement wherein I know before-hand I shall have a large share from the maligne disposition of Schismaticall persons let mee anticipate and prevent them by telling them that as Angry Curres will barke and snarle at peaceable passengers so men of factious disposition will speake evill when they are not thereto provoked And for my owne part I am resolved that the ●ongue of a Puritane is no Slan●er since it spares no rankes or degrees of men who runne not with them in their exorbitant and delinquent courses of pride and vanitie I wish to all those men on whom this small Treatise may seeme to reflect as much good in all the parts of goodness● as they themselves with more perverted judgements and worse composed affections doe wish unto themselves And so GOD blesse them by bending them 〈◊〉 peace and unitie And multip●● on this Church and Kingdom 〈◊〉 his favours and Graces Shrewsbury this fourth 〈◊〉 November 1633. Thine in the LORD PETER STUDLEY Recensui tractatum hunc cui titulus Schismatis speculum in quo nihil reperio quò minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur THOMAS WEEKES Episcopo Lond. Cap. domest Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum THE Looking-GLASSE OF SCHISME IT is a Prophecie of GOD'S Spirit a 2 Tim. 3.1 2. that in the last dayes Perillous times shall come for men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents Vnthankfull Vnholy without naturall affection Truce-breakers c. And our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST that Oracle of wisdome and divine wisdome it selfe hath foretold us b Matth. 34.12 That because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold To wit cold in Piety toward GOD gracious obedience towards our Superiours and it office of Humanity Charity and mercy towards all other persons For this Inundation and overflowing streame o● Iniquity being slily insinuated into mens understandings t● poyson their Iudgements with Soule-confounding errors and of his strong suggestions darted into their wills to irritate the Native malice and to excite them to furious attempts we cannot expect any better event in the lives and actions of wicked men left by the wrath o● GOD under the power of their owne corruption and Satans rage then that by Infidelitie Impiety Atheisme Apostasy and all other wickednesse they should revolt finally from GOD and give heed as the Apostle sayes c 1 Tim. ● 1 To seducing spirits and doctrines of Divels For as Satan himselfe by pride and infidelity fell from that Angelicall perfection of his created nature and is become of an Angell of light a spirit of darknesse So by stirring up in the hearts of unmortified persons a spirituall pride in an high conceipt of their gifts the assurance of their election their illumination conversion and the imaginary sense of their adoption he so transports them beyond the bounds of Christian humilitie that they utterly reject that rule of the Apostle d Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be wise unto sobrietie And it a strong conceit of their owne spirituall understanding by the immediate presence of GOD's Spirit which they conceit to bee in them they take upon them to glosse and expound the sacred Scriptures agreeable to their owne deluded fancies Which attempt of theirs transcending their understandings and no way sorting with their vocation of life being lay and secular persons must need produce both heresies in judgement and schismaticall divisions in practice in the visible Churches of the

uniforme regiment of GOD'S people hee disliked the superiority and government by Bishops the gesture of kneeling in the sacred Communion the signe of the crosse in Baptisme and such like 7 Hee would never upon any remonstrance perswasion or pregnant conviction of his errours and folly be drawne to confesse For though I pressed him often and seriously therein and left him destitute of all reply or colour thereof yet in the impadencie of his spirit and bold resolution of a stubborne minde I could never draw other answer from him but that b●● his reading the holy Scriptures he had apprehended these opinions his reading being enlightned and sanctified unto him by the Spirit of GOD. When I told him that all true illuminations of GOD'S Spirit in the hearts of his children did ever hold an exact consonancie with the letter of the Scriptures and never varied from them according to the words of our Lord ſ Ioh. 14.26 When the Comforter the HOLY GHOST whom the Father will send in my Name i● come He shal teach you al things and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto your And againe Ioh. 6.39 Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke yet have eternall life and they art they which testifie of me And further Esa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them When I pressed those Scriptures unto him which plainly demonstrate that the teaching of GOD'S Word and of his Spirit are one and the same in substance and nature And whē I requir'd him to produce some place of sacred Writ whereon he grounded his extravagant conceits He answered me that his judgement and mine might haply differ because the true Spirit and the measure thereof were not given by GOD to all alike but in speciall manner measure and degree both for the grace of Illumination and sanctification to GOD'S peculiar ones And for proofe hereof hee aimed at certaine words of o●● Lord which he could not remember till I perceiving 〈◊〉 scope furnished him with th● place and that was t Matth. 13.11 It is g●ven to you to know the myster●● of the kingdome of heaven b●● to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him shal be given and he shall have more abundantly c. And from these word of our SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST he had raised 〈◊〉 himselfe a very strong a●● pleasing imagination that h●● himselfe in speciall was a person elected of GOD inspire with His Spirit and continually guided and directed by 〈◊〉 same Spirit And this con●● hee so hugged and cherish in himselfe that many time when any preacher utted a●● point of doctrine which arrided unto him and relished his pallat hee would seeme to those who were neere unto him in the Church to be even wrapt up into admiration and transported with spirituall delight And on the contrary if any thing was delivered which hit not point-blanke with his toyish fancie of inconformitie he would visibly discover by his stamping on the ground by his inward fretting and the contracting of his forehead the impatience and rage of his fantasticke spirit 8 These things being perceived in him by his mother who according to those reports I have heard of her was a discreet woman of very good understanding and of a stout spirit she tooke occasion gently to reprove these thing● in him and told him man● times in very loving manne●● That the end of these thing● would bee nought Vnto th●● dislike of his mother Iohn 〈◊〉 younger brother adjoyned h●● endevour to reclaime Eno●● from his wilde and irregul●● opinions and peaceably to●● him That hee saw no men●● good honest and faire condi●●ned as they who were peaceable Religion and free from selfe 〈◊〉 ceited opinions Which wo●● of Iohn as the event declare●● shortly after cost him the lo●● of his head for though th●● perswasion was no more but sweet remonstrance of br●● therly affection and ought charitie and conscience so 〈◊〉 have beene taken yet it so irritated the secret rage of the spirit of Enoch that he inwardly boiled with rancorous malice both against his mother and his brother and for no other cause contrived the death of his brother Iohn but because he would not entertaine his opinions and comply with him in his schismatical courses From this time of conference and parley as Enoch himself ●old me he so distasted his brothers resolution in religion that hee resolved in his desperate and wicked heart to doe him a mischiefe only his purpose being yet but new had not attained to full growth and maturity 9 Now know here friendly Reader that this Enoch and Iohn had continued bed-fellowes together in their fother house from their infant years and weaning from the brests o●● their mother to the one an●● thirtieth yeare of age of th●● younger of them And during all this time as Enoch assured me and engaged his truth and salvation upon it there had never fallen out any verball quarrell or dissention between●● them no not so much as the terme Thou had ever passed in anger from the one to the other And being both of them arrived to years of judgement and experience able to manage affaires of life for their own●● profitable thriving they wer●● so well perswaded mutually betweene themselves of the integrity and soundnesse of lov●● in both their hearts each unto other and also of an upright and faithfull disposition of minde free from guile in their temporall affaires that they became Co-partners in occupying of ground in their neighbourhood and also in stocks of cattell and sheep yea their very money which oftentimes breeds jars betweene brothers themselves they kept in one chest together each having a key to himselfe and they never differed in one penny of account 10 Yet observe I pray in the middest of this sweet harmony of brotherly accord the truth of the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR u Matt. 10.34.3 Thinke not that I am come to send Peace on earth I came not to send Peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold For Enoch now puffed up with an high conceit of his spirituall estate his inspirations from GOD and his unchangeable assurance of his owne stablishment in the favour of GOD imagined himselfe warranted by these words of our LORD not onely to hate but to persecute to bloud and death whosoever should oppose contradict or refuse to concurre with him in not admitting his inspirations These illusions of Satan anciently entertained by the Manichees Messalians and of later times by the Anabaptists so blinded the eyes of his understanding and perverted the quality of his will that he judged himselfe called of GOD to vindicate the cause of GOD

to goe to their beds after light suppers And although they have often read yet they have not learned the contentation of the holy Apostle k ●hil 4.12 I can be full and I can be hungrie For of all things in this world hunger and fasting least consorts with these mens dispositions who are present at and partakers of more good feasts and plentifull feedings than any kinde of men in this Land besides And how many of them I wonder can say with blessed Paul l Act. 20.33 I have coveted no mans gold nor silver nor apparell And further to the never dying memory of his hearts integrity m 2 Cor. 4.4 We have renounced the hidden things of dishonestie not Walking in craftinesse not handling the Word of GOD deceitfully but by manifestation of Truth commending our selves to everie mans conscience in the sight of GOD. And hee leaves not there but unto all people with whom hee had familiarly conversed and by plantation of Churches among them had begot their soules to GOD hee gives testimonie of the soundnesse of his owne heart free from the close vice of fraudulent adulation saying n 1 Thes 2.5 Neither at any time used wee flattering words as a cloake of covetousnesse GOD is witnesse And to set forth the true object of all his aimes and travels hee tels his spirituall sons o 2 Cor. 12.14 I seeke not yours but you In the practice of these rules I suppose and that without errour of judgement or breach of charity the conscience of the sincerest Non-conformed Minister in this Kingdome is not able to justifie himselfe nor to say from an upright and sound heart p 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe And if the rich Gentry and other wealthy persons in this Kingdome will please to make proofe hereof let them restraine for a yeare their familiarities and bounties from this craving or having generation and thereby this matter will grow out to an experienced issue and then this new suspition will demonstrate it selfe either for an invented accusation or a true and reall affirmation 46 Yet touching the hearts and consciences of these men in their pleasing and profitabse courses I will not take upon me to judge or censure or so much as to deliver my opinion what I thinke but because it is the Royall Prerogative of God as to bee the Lord and Creator so also to bee the searcher and the censurer of their hearts I will leave them in his Divine hand of Soveraigne power to know them exactly and to judge them justly Onely this I will say on the behalfe of this Church and Kingdome so lightly esteemed of these men and their friends for piety or sincerity that this land blessed bee God therefore is plentifully stored with many Christian men no Nation of the Earth comparable for number or worth richly furnished with the knowledge of Gods will with Piety Vertue and the true feare of God and abundantly accomplished with all good and profitable literature not puft up with the wind of ambition not addicted to concurre with the streame and sway of the times as these men scornefully phrase it but ballased with pure conscience for the sound and true worship of God and with desire to consecrate themselves to his holy service and these doe not stumble at those Niceties which these Irregularians cast into the heads of lay people nor under any pretense of Idolatry or superstition in Ceremonies divide themselves from the unity of that gratious Church their Mother in whose wombe they were conceived borne and Baptized Whose persons worths and abilities being cast in equall ballance of comparison man for man with the adverse party I easily conjecture and I know the adversaries themselves will readily yeeld it will preponderate the levity of these singular and selfe pleasing separatists And though they will pleade for themselves that not learning and worth but Integrity of life is that rule wherby wee ought to judge of the gifts of saving grace in any kind of men according to those words of our Lord q Matth. 11.25 I thanke thee ô Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Yet if these words of our Lord shall bee applyed to the matter we have now in hand and made a generall and sacred Canon whereby to guide our iudgements in this point they will inferre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a paradox most unseasonable absurd and more then Bruitish it selfe to wit That the Lord in his Wisdome or Iustice hath made a perpetuall Divorce betweene learned knowledge and true Pietie and that unlearned ignorance is the ready way to the attainment of his saving graces both of the true knowledge of his will and of sanctification by his Spirit Which position so wild and desperate how farre it differs from that Popish Tenent that ignorance is the mother of devotion let the Learned judge But where there is an equall portion to say no more of Piety towards God of integrity towards all men in the hearts of Learned men as well as of the unlearned To exclude the Learned from the found Iugment of divine truth and to appropriate the same to men of meaner qualities and abilities is to invert the order of divine wisedome and providence then should the prophane and secular Learning of Moses who was Learned in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians Act. 7.22 and was mighty in words and deeds have beene a Barre and impeachment unto him from attaining the favour of GOD. Then should the learning of Paul Act. 22.3 who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a learned Doctor of the Law have prevented both his eternall election with GOD his designation to the Gospell Act. 9.15 and his Temporall vocation for plantation thereof Then should the learned knowledge and secular Arts of the holy Saints Fathers in the Primitive Church Iust in Martyr Basil the great Chrysostome Hierom Ambrose Augustine with the rest of their venerable contemporaries and successors have beene a hinderance and let to their true pietie wherewith the Church of GOD knowes right well their holy hearts were graciously and richly endowed But every vaine toy and flattering delusion wherewith this Sect of men are apt to please themselves and delight their friends must not passe for currant Truth in the approbation of GOD's true Saints and servants the Orthodoxe Church of CHRIST here on earth 47 Now for the reforming of these mens judgements and practice though many learned Treatises and laborious Volumes have been judiciously written from time to time which might convince their understandings of error and iustly check their consciences for their under-hand practises and Schismaticall courses yet that Godly Reformation vvhich was and is desired hath not so prosperously succeeded Because as farre as my poore understanding is able to conceive the chiefe thing was and is yet wanting which might have