to joyne in Testimony that what was recorded was true And is this Printed Epistle and Testimony no Publication Sect. 84. Mr. Bowne The second untruth is that I am uncontrolledly affirmed so to be when I believe he had never a second in the world that either will or can affirm it R. B. Here are two more falshoods 1. That it is an Vntruth that I said of him 2. That I said it was uncontrolledly affirmed that he was the Author But that he was a Publisher you have now his own Confession of his Epistle which I had read and Mr. Joseph Baker gave me the Book and told me it was published by Mr. Jordain and Mr. Browne and this report I oft after heard and it never was controlled to me which is all that I can reasonably mean my uncontrolled For how is it possible for me to know what is said of him to all others in every distant place and corner Sect. 85. Mr. Browne As for the Book it self and the matter of fact contained in it I never yet met with any judicious sober Christian that had seriously perused it who durst adventure to pronounce either of the whole or any considerable part of it that it was an effect of Melancholy R. B. Who talkt of the whole But what part you will call considerable who knows Is not this a concession that some part is so judged of And must your Ignorance of such matters as Melancholly have so great influence into your Divinity But you may say true For most now adayes converse with few but those of their own mind And the Book is not to be got in any shop that I can hear of Sect. 86. Mr. Browne Whether this decrying of experiences this slighting the work of Gods spirit in the soul the crying out that these things are but the effects of Melancholy be not the ready way to make all supernatural Conversion derided and the whole mysterie of Godliness contemned consider R. B. 1. Here is implyed a fourth Untruth that I decry experiences and the rest here mentioned 2. Alas must the poor Church of Christ have such miserable Guides that build hay and stubble and think if it be burnt the Church must fall I tell you sir such rash and Ignorant Teachers as your Writings shew you to be are the men that do so much towards the very same effects which you seem to fear even to tempt men to deride all supernatural conversion as that I scarce know a more powerful way If you heard one man say Satan as an Angel of Light stirred up the Quakers to pretend Miracles Prophesies and spiritual raptures purposely to tempt the World to Infidelity by perswading them that the Spirit in the Prophets and Apostles was but the like And if you heard James Naylor say Your calling the Spirit in us a vain Imagination or deceit is the way to perswade men that the spirit in the Prophets and Apostles was but imagination and deceit Which of these two sayings would you believe I take the case which I spake of to be the like I tell you still that all the Truth and Goodness that your Book mentioneth truly was wrought by the spirit of God But if men will make the world believe that any false doctrine or any sin or any false exposition of Scripture is of the spirit or that their unproved Impulses which are not agreeable to the word but are against it or besides it must be believed to be of God and will describe these as Experiences and Gods way of Converting souls their Ignorance will as effectually serve the Devil to bring true Conversion and the spirit into scorn as the derisions of a Drunkard will do if not more It is no new thing for Satan to deceive as an Angel of light and his Ministers as Ministers of Righteousness And if you know not his wiles expect not that we should all concur with you in exposing spirituality and holiness to the scorn of such as now abhorr it or as of late have taken such advantages against those that are better than themselves Sect. 87. R. B. Whether you instructed her in those principles you know best If you deny it I retract it That you were very zealous in them is past doubt but just the day when you began whether before that Book was begun or before it was finished or when I leave to your own report Sect. 88. Mr. Browne Indeed it is now my Opinion that there is a glorious state of the Church yet to come before the last end of all things when all Oppression and Oppressours shall cease and every thing of man shall be laid down in subserviency to the Interest of Christ and the Kingdom of the World shall become his R. B. Amen! It is my earnest Desire as well as yours But Desire and Belief are not all one The Prophesies that you suppose foretell all this I thought I almost understood thirty two years agoe but since I perceive I did not But I contradict not that which I do not understand nor never did Who will plead for Oppression And what Christian desireth not the greatest Holiness and Righteousness in the World I freely confess my Ignorance in the point whether on this side the general Resurrection there shall be so perfect and universal Righteousness as you describe as that All Oppression shall cease My greatest Hope is in the three Petitions of the Lords Prayer Thy Name be Hallowed Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And I am sure this will warrant my desires And I the better like those Opinions of a perfect age because Hope will set men upon praying for it But as I detest all Rebellions against just Authority on pretence that they are not truly Godly and all setting up mens selves on pretence of setting up Christ and using unlawful means on pretence of good ends so I am afraid of being tempted down from the Heavenly Hopes and Comforts by looking for more on earth than is indeed to be expected Sect. 89. Mr. Browne p. 29. He tells us first that she was suddenly moved to come to hear him Preach R. B. A meer untruth as I have before shewed I said not so Sect. 90. Mr. Browne That she had such convictions from his Sermon for so he seems to intimate c. R. B. Untrue again as is before shewed Nor will your seeming salve it Sect. 91. Mr. Browne That she desired to speak with him is another untruth R. B. Of that I shall speak anon Sect. 92. Mr. Browne That she did impose on her self abstinence from meat R. R. Here he contradicts himself as she did and saith she durst not eat and yet falsly chargeth me with untruth for saying the same sence Sect. 93. Mr. Browne Lastly She never fell in so among the Quakers as to be one of them though it is true that through the power of Temptations she was somewhat
endeavour to expose all that I think favour that opinion when as some of my most intimate and honoured friends favour the Millenary Opinion and I know how commonly it was owned by many of the Ancients and who doth not honour the name of Mr. Jos Mead Dr. Twisse Mr. Baily Mr. Porter c. that did more than favour it And when did I ever endeavour to expose such men its like you mean unto scorn or some evil 4. The fourth and notorious falshood is that I dare not look any truth in the face that brings present danger with it when himself saith that I am in the same condemnation with them which hath more truth in it in a full sense than I will here open lest I seem to dishnour my Governours And though I confess that my Imprisonment was not so long and sharp as his yet he can scarce be so ignorant as to imagine that he loseth by his judgement so much as I do by mine quoad lucrum cessans damnum emergens But his own Pen doth publish him temerariously false while he publisheth me to have been formerly as earnest and open an asserter as any of this Opinion and doth not cite one syllable whereby I ever did revoke it And I here as openly declare to him and all the world that I am still of the same mind that I was in that point and I am still ready to express my mind in the same words of mine which he reciteth And while I openly own the same words which he accounteth so dangerous and pretendeth that they assert as much as any judge whether he be a man to be believed that saith I dare not look that truth in the face which I openly own or any other that brings present danger 5. The next notorious falshood is that formerly I was as earnest an asserter of it as any that is of the Fifth Monarchy way As any Have I written for the Millenary Opinion as earnestly and openly as Mr. Mead hath done Have I I will pass over late practices Nay did I ever write or speak one word for it But you shall presently see how he confuteth himself But before I leave this I must name two or three implyed falshoods in these words besides the five expressed 6. The one is that the Doctrine of the Temporal Reign of Christ brings present danger when as all Christians that I know of do believe or hold his Temporal Reign And as for his Personai Corporal Visible Reign I never heard of any Law against any that held it nor any danger that any man incurred much less any suffering for holding it I am perswaded if Christ came personally and visibly to demand it the King himself would yield up his Crown to him But I must confess to you that if any man will call himself a believer of the Fifth Mâ—narchy and thereupon will either deny the Authority of Rulers that are bad even if they were Infidels or Persecutors or that they judge bad or will deny to swear Allegiance to the King or will maintain that good men may seize upon the Government because they are good or think themselves so and that because the Saints shall judge the world therefore they may depose bad Governours and take their places and set up themselves under pretence of setting up Christ I deny not but such as these may be in danger And I am none of them that will own such opinions as knowing them to be no truths but pernicious errors 7. The other implyed falshood is that I have changed my opinion or the profession of it in this point in question Sect. 22. E. B. 〈◊〉 not many years ago you told us that you were perfectly neutral as to the point of Christs visible and personal Reign upon earth and you did not know which way your judgement did most incline But the Theocratical Policy or Divine Common-wealth which is the unquestionable Reign of Christ upon Earth this all Christians are agreed may justly be sought and the temporal dignity of the Saints which would undoubtedly much bless the world R. B. 1. You misprint the temporal for that temporal and so turn the predicate into the subject 2. For as meerly neutral as in almost any point of so great moment c. you put perfectly neutral 3. For I scarce can perceive which way c. you put you did not know Yet I number not these with your falshoods but shew you that you are so habituated to Rashness that you seldom seem to heed what you report 2. And can you wink so hard as not to see how here you openly declare your falsehood Do you prove me as earnest and open an â—ssâ—rter as any by citing words in which I profess to be ignorant neutral and uncertain Will your followers still believe such an open self-contradicting false accuser Is Neutrality and Vncertainty the most earnest and open asserting of a doctrine If you say that you meant it of Theocracy I answer review your words you speak of Christs Temporal Reign and of the Fifth Monarchy way and say as earnest and open as any Was Mr. Mead and Dr. Twisse but Neutral Was Mr. Archer but Neutral 3. I still approve of all the words of mine which you recite What mean you then to tell me of a change 4. And is it like that I take that to be dangerous which I say that all Christians are agreed of 5. And do you not grosly wrong those Rulers from whom you think any danger or hurt will come to us for such doctrine as this Who is there that will deny that A holy and Righteous Government in the hands of holy and righteous men would be a blessing to the world and is to be vehemently desired and sought by just and lawful means Will any Christian charge this doctrine to be erroneous When it is much of the sense of the three first and greatest Petitions in the Lords prayer and when all Christians know that Tyranny Ignorance and Vngodliness are the three constituting materials of the Devils Kingdom in the world and that Tyranny is the grand maintainer of Ignorance and Vngodliness while the Heathen and Infidel and Popish Princes of the Earth do keep away the clear and powerful preaching and publication of the truth and Turks Persians Indians and other Mahometans and all the Heathens do maintain Deceivers and cast out the Gospel of Jesus Christ Sect. 23. E. B. p. 7. Sir I have been very curious to enquire into the doctrine of the Fifth Monarchy and most of my Converse is with those that do in Faith expect and in Patience wait for such a time and I never knew any of them however they are mis-represented carry the notion further than you have already done R. B. 1. And are you a man then that is fit to make such a stir to divide the Churches and to account your self wiser than all the Old Non-conformists in those
Mr. Hildershams acknowledgement of Gods authority above mans against Mr. Hildershams arguments against separation and his perswasions to come to the beginning of the Churches prayers and to imply that you know more than those worthy men when you give the world so little evidence of it doth prove the goodness of your cause as much as it proveth your humility or self-acquaintance Sect. 55. E. B. p. 17 18. The former non-conformists held Arminianisme so fundamental and dangerous an errour c. But you do not only speak favourably of it but also Proudly tell us that you are confident not one of many hundreds who speak against Communion with Arminians do understand what Arminianisme is As if plain Christians could not easily come to know it R. B. 1. As under Church-tyrants all is Schisme which contradicts their Schisme so with some men all is Proudly spoken which contradicteth their Pride and supposeth them to be but half as ignorant as they are 2. Were all the Non-conformists of one mind about Arminianisme Was not Arminius himself against Prelacy and Ceremonies and many of his followers Who were the great Antiadiaphorists in Germany but Iliricus Amsdorsius Gallus and other Lutherans Is not Mr. Dury a Non-conformist who hath forty years laboured to bring the Lutherans who are as far from us as Arminius and the Calvinists to Communion 3. Who would be at the labour to read over the many Volumes that are written about Pre-determination Free-will Concurse and Grace by which such Ignorant souls as I cannot to this day tell what they mean nor in many or most points wherein they differ when this man and his plain followers Women and Boyes so easily know it But like the Pope that can Infallibly expound the Scriptures but is so wise that he will not do it Le Blank and many more might have spared their pains of right stating the Controversies if they had this mans Key I never yet met with the man that could but make me well understand what it is that is meant by Free-will nor what by the Power which they dispute of to do good much less open all their meanings de scientia media de Concursu prae-determinations c. But here 's one can easily tell us all But I warrant him he will not Some men alas and some Treachers will be wise and humble in despight of Wisdom and Humility and Christians in despight of Love Unity and Peace Sect. 56. E. B. p. 18. His own Free-will hath not the least power to receive the things of God R. B. 1. What not sanctified Free-will 2. What! not a Receiving obediential power A receiving power is a passive power as it is strictly taken Hath a free-agent less Power to receive Grace than a marble to receive the engraving of the work-man Doth no man ever receive Grace Or do they receive what they cannot receive Hath a man no more Receptive Power than a block or stone I know its said The natural man Receiveth not c. that is Vnderstandeth not believeth not and loveth not in sensu Composito But it s never said that Our free-will hath not the least power to receive But I have said so much of this and the next point the badness of nature to which he giveth not any answer at all that I wonder that the man thinks that one that is all tongue and no eares or eyes is fit for credit or humane converse Sect. 57. E. B. You Jesuite like are not afraid to say The Scipture tells us not sufficiently and particularly which Books in it self are Canonical nor that the various Readings are the right nor whether every Text be brought to us uncorrupted R. B. 1. And by implying your assertion of the contrary you become a false Teacher of pernicious doctrine As if you designed to make men Jesuits or Infidels by renouncing the Scriptures as soon as they find that these things are not sufficiently there done and thence to be proved without subordinate testimonies 2. Why do not you save such as Dr. J. Reignolds Chamier and others their great labour and prove out of Scripture it self which of all the various readings mentioned by Beza Capelus and others and found in various Copies is the right and so of the rest Sect. 58. E. B. So that in effect you do resolve the Credit of the Holy Scriptures into the truth of Church-history which words are so contrary to the true Protestant doctrine so fully agreeing with the doctrine of the Jesuits c. R. B. 1. As to agreeing with the Jesuits fully c. all that know their Writings know it is an untruth 2. True Protestants usually say the same things that I do Though you may meet with some few like your self that do not 3. I have fully opened in the Preface to the 2d Edit c. of my Saints Rest how ambiguous that word Resolving into is and how far your saying is true or false He that enquireth what Laws are in force in England must distinguish of these two Questions 1. Which are the Laws which are the Statutes in force what words are false Printed and what right what Copies most perfect And 2. What Authority are these statutes of The Authority of them is all resolved into the Authority of the King and Parliament But we that are not so wise as you must be beholden to various Copies Records Printers Lawyers to know which are the Statutes in force and whether any words be falsly Printed And if we find so many hundred various Readings as be in the Bible we cannot know in every one which is right and which is wrong by the bare inspection of the Book it self And if you have any considering faculty left and your free-will hath the least power to receive any truth or stop you in your errour me-thinks these questions should force you into your witts Qu. 1. Shall he that by the Book alone can resolve all these doubts see it in the Original or only in Translations If in the Original 2. Shall he see the Autographs or only the Transcripts or Impressions 3. If the Autographs be not to be seen but only Transcripts hath God promised unerring infallibility to all the Scribes and Printers in the world or to some only or to none 4. If to all where is the promise If to some how shall we know them If to none may they not all erre 5. When many Copies so much differ as they do is it not certain that some of them erred 6. Can all Women and Unlearned persons or Ministers judge by the Original Transcripts who understand not the Original tongues 7. Must he that shall be certain see all the various Copies or will it serve turn to see some one only 8. If he must see all who is he or she in the world that can be certain If they must see many who knows how many and which 9. If they must see but one Copy how shall
enclined to them R. B. Here he untruly intimated that I said more who never said so much but only that she thought they lived strictlyer than we and fell in among them And now Reader I shall again tell thee my reasons for all that I said of her Mr. Joseph Baker then Preacher in Worcester a man of unquestionable Prudence and Credit now with Christ told me all that I have said of this Woman and that she had not been at Church of a long time before and was passing along the Streets and was suddenly moved to go in to the Church at Lecture time and that she was struck as aforesaid at the hearing of the Text and before Sermon was done could hardly forbear crying out in Church and that she had on the conceit of their strictness faln in among the Quakers and been often at their meetings but hearing them speak against Scriptures and Ministers was troubled and thought that they spake that which her experience would not suffer her to consent to and that she was like in these perplexities to fall into great Melancholy and her body also to be weakened by the troubles of her mind and that through his motion or perswasion she was desirous to speak with me I had no reason to deny belief to him When I came next to his house the Gentle-woman came to me and he and she together repeated the substance of all this again and she spake not a syllable against it And speaking a few words to disswade her from the Quakers in haste I never saw her more The said Mr. Baker told me after of all her sad and Melancholy abstinence and weakness and of Mr. Browne and Mr. Jordanes frequency with her And shortly after shewed me the Book with Mr. Brownes Epistle to it and told me that which they now thus quarrel with that Mr. Browne was one of the publishers of it and was for the doctrine in it Though I discerned by the Book that she her self was taken with that point These things I long heard affirmed and confirmed and never contradicted till this day and now you hear that the Timeing of Mr. Brownes Opinion and endeavours is all that they can say any thing against themselves And thus much I thought meet to say against their rash occasions on this by-occasion Sect. 94. R. B. p. 30. I have not yet done with Mr. Bagshaw He comes on again in a Postscript with more Untruths And first he tells you how little commendation it is to my honesty to have yet such easie access now to the Licensers and Press that he can Print two Books before another man can Publish a few sheets Answ 1. I never spake with the Licensor nor saw him And if neither of those two Books were Licensed when he wrote this at least is not this still a fearless heedless man 2. Is not Honesty among these men become a word of a new signification And is it any wonder if our dishonesty make us unworthy of their Communion when our honesty is questionable for the Licensing of our Books If it be a sign of dishonesty to do any thing which our Rulers will but allow of it may next be dishonesty to speak any thing that they think worthy to be believed and to Preach the Gospel if they do but allow it And may not your honesty be as reasonably questioned because you are suffered to Preach Sure the Licensers are not so bad men as to prove all dishonest whose Books they License Sect. 95. E. B. His last Book about the Sabbath might have been wholly spared Dr. Owen having judiciously and accurately handled that Question before him R. B. 1. The Wisdom from above is without partiality and without hypocrisie Was it a blot on Dr. Owens honesty that his Books are Licensed O forgetful man 2. Who made the Law that no man must write on a subject after Dr. Owen was Dr. Owen to be blamed for needless work because he wrote on the Sabbath after Dr. Bound Dr. Young Dr. Twisse Mr. Eaton Mr. Bifield Mr. Shephard and many more 3. Mine was Written and in the Press before Dr. Owens was abroad Though I had before seen Mr. Hughes his accurate Treatise that then came out Sect. 96. E. B. His last Book about the Sabbath doth make so full a discovery of Mr. Baxters spirit in pleading for Saints dayes that is for will-worship R. B. 1. Remember Reader that it is my own Book and not his that discovereth my spirit Fetch thy judgement of it thence and spare not 2. And if thou find cause to put down the Commemoration of the Powder-plot or such other dayes for fear of will-worship do not therefore renounce all see houres for secret and family-prayer and Lectures it being equally will-worship to appoint a set hour as a set day which God in Scripture hath not appointed Sect. 97. E. B. And in Atheistically arguing against the Divine and self-evidencing authority of the holy Scriptures which he doth for many pages together that henceforth I hope he will no longer be a Snare but justly he Rejected of all as one of the worst sort of Hereticks since under the notion of being a Christian and a Protestant be doth with his utmost industry and cunning labour to overthrow our foundation in that he puts the credit of Scripture on the Truth of History and denies any certainty but what may be gathered from that which dangerous doctrine I could not but warn thee Christian Reader as thou lovest thy peace and comfort as well as the truth of Christ that thou wilt diligently beware of And I must leave it to thee to judge whether that Conformity which such a person pleads for is not justly to be suspected R. B. Here are three more visible untruths in point of fact 1. That I argue against the Divine Authority of the Scripture yea or the self-evidencing either which I have written for at large in three several Treatises 1. In the 2d Part of my Saints Rest 2. In a Book called the Unreasonableness of Infidelity 3. In my Reasons of the Christian Religion most fully but never wrote a word against it 2. That I do with my industry and cunning labour to overthrow our foundation Hath this man written more for the foundation than those three Books 3. That I deny any certainty but what may be gathered from the truth of History For which he citeth not one word in which I ever said so nor can But the contrary is legible in the forecited Volumes at large As to the matter of his Accusation I will not here write another Book to tell men what I have written in the former Read my own words even those he accuseth and my Treatise for the Christian Religion and judge as you see Cause But for them that will believe him to save them the labour of reading it in my own Books as if another man were liker to tell