justifiable yet such as he might have made a better use of being so pointed against ambition pride and coveteousnesse as he might have been the better for it whilst he lived as for me I count him a very weak man that takes harm by reading it or any such like things The truth is for many yeers my books and teachers were masters in a great measure of me I durst scarce undertake to judge of the things I either Read or heard but having digested that unum necessarium that pearle in the field free justification by Christ alone I became master of what I heard or read in divinâ—ty and this doctrine working by love I became also much more master of my affections and of what ever I read in humane authors which I speak nor as Glorying in my self but in the author of that blessed principle which I did long before and then and do still prize at so inestimable a value that I was far from any such thought of impious blasphemy as to say here is more wit in this meaning Lucian then in all the biâ—le all our discourse was before my wise and children and my friend and a maid servant that had dwelt with us then three yeers and since hath made them up nine yeers I dare appeale to them all if ever they heard me value any or all the Books or Sermons either in the world Comparable to the Bible so as but that I have since had some experience of the easinesse of Mr. Price his conscience I should even expire with wonder at his impudence and at his uncharitablenesse that he and his friends people of a Church that call themselves Saints and a people of God should harbour this wretched slander six yeares amongst them and be bringing it forth this time and that time but finde no time their season but when I was violently taken out of my bed and house and made a prisoner if this be their way of visiting of prisoners would not it make men think they had forgot the Scriptures nay might they not go to the heathens to learn some Charity Where is Charity Where is love that true Christian love which covereth a multitude of sins but that there should be malice inventive inveterate malice in place thereof certainly were your Church truly a Church of Christs making it would deserve a heavy Censure Our Saviour sends the sluggard to the Ant the over carefull and distrustfull to the lilies of the field and may not I send these to heathens to get some charity Mr. Price I blush not to say I have been long accustomed to read Montaigns Essaies an author perhaps you le startle at nor do I approve of him â—n all things but I le read you a peece or two that will be worth your study though he be an author scarce so modest as our Lucian Speaking in his 12 chap. pag. 244. of Christian religion he saith thus If this ray of Divinity did in any sort touch us it would every where appear not only our words but our actions would bear some shew lustâ—e of it Whatsoever should proceed from us might be seen inlightned with this noble and matchlesse brightnesse We should blush for shame that in humane sects here was never any so factious what difficulty or strangenesse soever his Doctrine maintained but would in some sort conform his behaviour and square his life unto it whereas so divine and heavenly an institution never marks Christians but by the tongue And will you see whether it be so Compare but our manners unto a Turk or a Pagan and we must needs yeild unto them whereas in respect of our religious superiority we ought by much yea by an incomparable distance out-shine them in excellency And well might a man say Are they so just so charitable and so good then must they be Christians All other outward shows and exteriour appearances are common to all Religions as hope affiance events ceremonies penitence and Martyrdom the peculiar badg of our truth should be virtue as it is the heavenlyest and most difficult mark and worthyest production of verity it self And in his twentieth Chapter pag 102. he saies speaking of the Cannibals the very words that import lying falshood treason dissimulation covetousnesse envy detraction and pardon were never heard of amongst them These and the like flowers I think it lawfull to gather out of his Wildernesse and to give them room in my Garden yet this worthy Montaign was but a Romish Catholique yet to observe with what contentment and full swoln joy he recites these cogitations is wonderfull to consideration And what now shall I say Go to this honest Papist or to these innocent Cannibals ye Independent Churches to learn civility humanity simplicity of heart yea charity and Christianity This hath been an old long rooted slander and hath therfore cost me thus much labour to stock it up As for my breach of the Fast one would think Mr John Goodwin's playing at Bowls upon a Fast day in the afternoon a while after this and which he did not seem to judge a fault but as it was an offence against the reputation of his faculty might have stopt these mens moâ—ths in that particular Nor would I ever have revived the memory of it but their triumphing thus in slanders against me deserves their abasement and humiliation Of whom this Mr Richard Price receives instruction I know not but this is he that with knowledge if not direction of their Church undertook to betray the KING into the hands of the Governour of Alisbury under pretence of giving up Alisbury unto him in lieu of Liberty of Conscience that was the gold upon the bait and did go and spake with him and how many untruths in such a case he forcâ—â— to utter with confidence may easily be judg'd and where he had a rule for this being a Christian for my part I am to seek the Apostle thought himself injured that it was reported he maintained that evil might be done that good might come thereof And since treachery seems so slight a matter with these Church-men I shall make bold to send them again to this Lord Mantaign in his third Book and first Chapter pag 443. he saith thus To whom should not treachery be detestable when Tiberius refused it on such great interest One sent him word out of Germany that if he thought good Arminius should be made away by poyson he was the mightyest enemy the Romans had who had so vilely used them under Varus and who only impeached the increase of his Dominion in that Country his answer was That the People of Rome were accustomed to be revenged on their enemies by open courses with weapons in hand not by subtilties nor in hugger-mugger thus left he the profitable for the honest in 447. As for my part saith Montaign both my word and my faith are as the rest pieces of this common body their best effect is the publique service that 's ever
I till now I see it in their book learn to what woman they charged me to have spoken it but yet because I ghessed they might mean the gentle-woman forementioned she being well known to them I have told her of the aspertion and desired seriously if she could to call to minde whither ever any such unadvised speech had past from me to her as I might meete her and in a friendly manner chide her for not visiting my wife and she hath very often solemnly protested she could not for her life remember that I did ever speake any thing towards it and truly if I had known any such thing by my self though it had been never so unserious I should have taken the shame of it to my self and have manifested my sorrow for it as not in the least justifying a carelesnes in things of so high a nature and do fear they come neer to scoffing that dare thus liberally publish in print expressions so unsutable to so divine a subject for they may remain upon a readers mind to prejuduce longer then he would have them And concerning the next slander I might blame her for her sadnesse and fear which sometimes she would expresse as being contrary to the principle of that love of God she would constantly professe to have assurance of urging frequently that place which saith we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear any more but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father and have boldnesse to the throne of Grace and the like but that I ever discouraged her in the hearing of Mr. Simpson or in the wayes of religion I utterly deny And being thus as thus in truth it is and no otherwise in all the perticulars forementioned let all impartiall and judicious people judge whether it had not been more for the honour of God the Scriptures and Religion that this authour his associats subscribers his abetters and confederates to have received in good part our clear manifestation wherein we justly vindicated our selves in generall from those aspersions that causlesly were cast upon us without naming any person or persons as authors thereof or reflecting with the least rancour upon any conditon of men as being willing if possible to have buried for ever all former unkindnesses and evill offices done to any of us in this kinde and as far as in us was to have renewed our former friendship with those in whom we had formerly delighted or at least to have expelled that enmity which we knew was exceedingly prejudiciall to the Common-wealth I say had it not been much more Christian-like then to have set their brains and credits thus upon the tenters stretching them past the staple that they will never in again and to put upon record so many unseemly expressions as if they gladly took accasion through my sides friends to give Religion the scriptures yea God himself were it possible a deadly wound for such I fear will be the effect whither throw their malice or indiscretion or both I leave to judgment and for what cause at best but only to render me and my friends odious to discredit us in the things we undertook for the publick And then to cry out of violence in some mens writings and yet to abound as here they do with such new invented invectives and provoking language as is hardly to be parallel'd Cheef secretaries of the Prince of slander this English man-hunter this wretch this wretched man Walwyn this worthy Champion the venison which his soul doth so sorely long for as the serpent that deceived our first Parents this factor for the Region of Darknesse these Jesuiticall-whifflers this artificall impostor in his Satan-like work Good God where is the cause what hath moved them to this high flown mallice these bumbaste poetick raptures fit rather for stagers then Preachers for swaggâ—rers then Saints oh but it must not be so taken it must be esteemed their zeal their Jehu-like affection to God and his truth yea come see our zeal say they in effect which we have for God why be it so 〈◊〉 Jehu yet what 's the cause The cause why heer 's Walwyn with his Wiles will overturn destroy and overthrow all Religion and the Scriptures themselves sure it s not possible no have you ever heard such things uttered by man as is recited in Walwyns Wiles no but he denies them to be true gives reasons here and refers to his Whisper and other writings and particularly to his still and soft voice and those are extant and to be seen and surely if he intend to destroy Religion to publish such things as these is not the way besides uttered by one that you your selves say is wary and sober and discreet But I pray friends what a religion is yours that fears the breath of one man should overthrow it what is it built upon the sand if so you may doubt indeed but if upon a rock let the winds blow and the waves too-beat what need you fear sure your faith is built but upon Reason look to it some say it is your tenent if so you had need indeed to be stir your selves for you finde he is a rationall man and that 's a shew'd thing against Diana of the Ephesians though all Asia the world worship her if your Churches have but an imaginary foundation then indeed you had need betake your selves to Demetrius his Arguments and to tell all men these Walwynites every where turn the world upside down breathing strange and unwelcome doctrines such as your Churches and people cannot bear And so it seems indeed they do as these authors Complain in the latter part of their 13 pag. where they say I am ever harping upon the hard-heartednes and uncharitablenes of professors and those that are religious men how grinding they are in bargines how pennurious base and back ward in works of charity and mercy how undermining and over-reaching they are in buying in selling how having and craving in the things of this life how hardly any work of mercy and charity comes from them how they let their brethren starve and dy and perish rather then help them and how bountifull free and liberall the very heathens have been and how beneficiall even Popists and many that do not so much as pretend to religion are to the poor and herein he confesseth I speake too true yet immediately calls me devil for my labour they pay their Pastors better I beleeve for worse doctrine But why devil Why say they for speaking truth to wound and destroy it but say I who art thou ô man that judgest another mans Conscience forbear the chair a while it may be the chair of the scornful for God and my own conscience knows I never yet in my life spake or uttered one of these truthes but to the end the Scriptures warrant But they go further and say by doing thus I cunningly insinuaâ—e into the discreet and beget a disparagement of that that
so joy'd was I really with this as I thought renewed affection that I would often say within my self and to some others I now see The falling out of Lovers is the renewing of Love Nay so great a testimony I then had from my continued Fr end Mr Brandriffe that greater could not be for it was his lot to discourse with one Major West a Gentleman I take it of Cambridge-shire who was to have gone for Ireland this Gentleman told him divers secret things that rightly ordered were very usefull at that time Mr Brandriffe thinks me the fittest man to be acquainted therewith tels me of it and brings him to my house to whom I was not altogether a Sâ—ranger so he opens his breast to me in such things that as the times were if I had been base or false-hearted might have cost him his life I say as the times were but I proved as Mr Brandriffe had reported me to him and kept his councel Well very good Friends we were all and I was by very eminent persons of the Army sent for to Reading to be advised withall touching the good of the people a study my Conscience had much addicted me to and after this no jarr appeared amongst us till the Army had past through the City nor untill the businesse of the Tower afore-mentioned besell But then instead of Arguments against mine and my Friends Reason aspersions were produced and then afresh we were Atheists Non-Scripturists Jesuites and any thing to render us odious This whil'st I remained there begot a great falling out amongst our Friends and theirs in London which upon my comming looking upon it as a thing of very ill consequence I prevailed for a reconcilement so far have I ever been from dividing that I believe all those with whom I have most converst judge no man more deserves the name of a Reconciler But about this time I met with that Gentleman Major West in the street and he looks upon me somewhat ghastly saying what are you here yes said I why not why saies he being at my Lord Mayors you were there said to be the most dangerous ill-conditioned man alive that you seek to have the City destroyed that you would have no Government and all things common and drive on dangerous designs saies I who is it that avouches this why saies he Henry Brandriffe who saies he knows it to be true and that he hath kept you company these seven years of purpose to discover you I professe I was so astonisht to hear this from Mr Brandriffe that I had no thought nor did not then call to mind how upon intimate intire friendship he had brought this Mr West to unbosome himself unto me in a matter of so great concernment so I past it over and parted with him But in a little ruminating of the strangenesse and horriblenesse of this dealing the businesse of Major Wests comming to me with Mr Brandriffe withall circumstances came fresh into my mind and about a week after I met with Major West in Bishops-gate-street and after a salute askt him if he had seen Mr Brandriffe he told me he had and that he was of the same mind and would justifie it for he had kept me company seven years to discover me upon this I askt him whether he did not remember that Mr Brandriffe upon pre-discourse did bring him to my house to discover such and such things to me as the fittest Friend he had he answered me yes and were they not such things said I that if I had been base and deceitfull might have been much to your prejudice as the times then were yes saies he said I did he then know me to be base and to carry on dangerous designs and had kept me company seven years to discover me and would he bring you to discover such things and to un bosome your self to me said I whether was he most false to you or to me he makes a stand a little while truly saies he he must be very false and unworthy to one of us So I wisht him to consider what strange kind of men these were and how a man might come to know when they meant good faith in their discourse and society amongst men This Discourse I have set down thus punctually because a person of so good credit as this Major West is is ready as he told me lately to avouch this that Mr Brandriffe said of me and because it is their usuall way to beget credit in the foulest aspersions they cast upon me by saying this is certain I kept him company so long of purpose to discover him and will rather injure their own conscience then want of belief for I am confident Mr Brandriffe in all his society with me had not an ill thought of me if he did keep me company so long for ill and unworthy ends to entrap and make the worst of every thing I said which I cannot believe he was the more unworthy and cannot but lament his condition or any mans else that useth it I blesse God I never was a minute in his company but upon tearms of true hearty love and friendship nor ever circumvented him or any man else nor have used to carry tales or to make the worst of menâ— discourses but have set my house and heart open at all times to honest men where they have had a most sincere and hearty welcome and if any have turned my freedom and kindnesse to my prejudice God forgive them Yea so far hath it been from being my principle or practice as the uncharitable Subscribers of the Epistle Dedicatory to this-vain Book infer to say or do any thing against him whom I thought engaged to destroy me that both to those of the Kings Party with whom I had some acquaintance and those my old and many Friends of the Presbyterian judgment in all times I ever spake and advised them what I thought in my conscience was for their good perswading with all men to place their happinesse so as it might be consistent with the freedom peace and prosperity of the Commonwealth and I believe many will acknowledge they have found my councel good and wish they had taken it some having since confest I have told them truth when they did not believe it nor can any of them â—ustly say and I believe will not say that ever I abated one sillable of my principle of Common Freedom nor ever discovered a thought to the prejudice of the Parliament or Common-wealth But would these men turn their sight inward and look into their own hearts there they would find such a latitude of dissimulation as is hardly to be found in any sort of men pretending to Religion as may not only appear by these mens fair carriages outwardly alwaies to me and Mr Brandriffe's strange discovery of himself but in others also of the same people as Mr Richard Price the Scrivener the Author of one of the most notorious false scandals contained in
another of that name of this congregation and is this Mr. Richard Price his vnckle and Mr. Hilleslyes son in lavv from this Mr. Price I heard the first aspersion that ever I heard of my self and it vvas thus Standing in Cornhill at a Book-sellers shop a man comes and looks me very earnestly in my face I took little regard to it and went away I was no sooner gone but sayes he to the Book seller you are acquainted withall the sparcks in the town sparcks saies he the man seemes to be a rational man I But replied the party I am told he is a notorious drunkard and a whore master and that he painted his face but I see that 's false whereupon the Book-seller having some knowledge of me became troubled on my behalf and fell to be very serious with him to know his author and he honestly tells him naming this Mr. Price a mercer and the Bookseller soon after tells me the whole story and the authors name saying he had been abused himself with base reports and a man might be undone by them and never know it till t' was too late and therefore had resolved to hear no evil of any man but if he could he would learn the auâ—hor and tell the party concerned of it this Book seller is Mr. Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing presse and I esteem my self obliedged to him ever since for his plain dealing So away went I to this Mr. Price for I was somewhat troubled having never heard evil of my self till then and I found him at Mr. Hilslies and 〈◊〉 a friendly manner made him acquainted with my businesse he did not deny but he had spoken as much and that walking in Westminister hall he was called from me and bid beware of me for I was supposed to be a Papist and a dangerous man but he had not spoken any evil of me as beleeving any of it to be true so I told him he and I had come acquainted upon a very honest businesse about the remonstrance presented to the Common-councel and therefore why he should suffer such words to passe from him concerning me I did wonder at it I told him how with very little enquiry he might soon have been satisfied that I was no such man askt him if he knew any at Garlick-hill where I had lived fifteen yeers together in good and honest repute and where he ought to have informed himself and not so unadvisedly to disparage me he seemed to be sorry for it so I only desired him to let me know his author he told me I must excuse him he might not do it nor could I ever get him to tell me so being familiar with my then friend Mr. Brandiff I askt whether they had not some rule or method in their Church to give a man some satisfaction that had received palpable injury by a meraber come said he I know where abouts you mean trouble not your self no body beleeves it and this was all I could get in this case wherein I yet stand injured and since they are so desirous more then truth should be beleeved of me I think it fit this which is certainly true should be known of their dealing with me Nor can any ingenious people now blame me for being thus open and particuler since this sort of independents have made thus bold with my good name so long a time and since it is evident that manifestation dated the 14 of April 1649. Published by my self and my other three fellow sufferers that I was willing to have vindicated my self from those common reproaches they had aspert me withall without naming or reflecting upon any person or any sort of men whatsoever so carefull have I ever been as much as in me is to have peace withall men bearing and forbearing to my own losse rather then I would return eviâ— for evil But their mallicâ— breaking thus fouly out upon me in this vile book I should be unjust to my self if I should not do my best endeavour to manifest so detestable falsenesse uttered to so bad an end in so unseemly a time the time of my affliction which I shall do with as much truth as I can remember profeâ—sing withall from my very heart and conscience that I take no more pleasure in doing of it then I should do in gathering up and throwing away Snakes and Vâ—rmin scattered in my Garden and do wish withall my soul they had not necessitated me nor my other fellow-prisoners to have exceeded our joynt Manifestation but that we might all have been good friends thereupon In which Manifestation is to be seen all our very hearts and wherein all our four heads and hands were nigh equally employed though this câ—pritious author Mr. John Price it s said be pleased to suppose me to be all 〈◊〉 all therein yet I must and truly professe the contrary and must be bold to â—ell them where my friend Lieutement Collonel John Lillburn appeares otherwise in any of his writings I do not impute it to passion as his adversaries politiquely are accustomed to take weak people off from the consideration of what he says but unto his zeal against that injustice cruelty hypocrisie arrogancy and flattery which he hath found amongst a sort of men from whom of any men in the world he expected the contrary virtues being otherwise to my knowledge and upon experience a very lamb in conversation and whom goodnesse and love and piety justice and compassion shall as soon melt and that into tears I hope he will pardon my blabbing as any man in the world but he hates all kinde of basenesse with a perfect hatred especially that of ingratitude which he hath found I have heard him say so exceeding all measure in some of the subscribers of this pamphlet that it loathes him to think of it And as for my friend Mr. Prince whom this self-conceited author would make so weak in judgment as to have no ability towards such a work it is his unhappinesse to be so exceedingly mistaken yet I must tell him he hath given him so true a character for honesty and sincerity of heart towards the publick which in my esteem doth more commend him then if he had attributed to him all those parts abilities he falsly and for an ill end doth unto me lifting me up to heaven that he might cast me down to hell making me an Angel that he might make me a Devil which parts are more abounding in himself as is to be seen in this his unhappy Book and for which he will one day sigh and groan except he make a better use of them But Mr. John Price Mr. Prince hath not a congregation to cry up his parts amongst whom there is such a humor of flattery as is not to be found the like again amongst any sort of men Oh such a Sermon such a discourse such arguments as never was heard of when often times 't is meer lamp-work and ink horn termes such