lyeth upon me to mind you of what is past what is present and what is to come to passe concerning you or many of you who have had sundry tender visitations of Gods eternal Love and many precious opportunities hath he put into your hands wherein you might have answered his Love and have perfected hisâ— praise in the earth had you not sought your selves more then the glory of God and the welfare of others And therefore is it just with the Lord now to pour out contempt upon you in the sight of those whom you have contemned and to make you as contemptible in the eyes of others as his despised people have been in yours You have had a glorious day of prosperitie as to the outward wherein the Sun of Righteousnesse hath caused his Light to shine forth gloriously to the illuminating of many of your understandings beyond your fellow Creatures but you have not liked to walk in his Light nor to retain his Counsel therefore is a thick dark mist come upon you so that you cannot see afar off and fear that surprizeth many of you and you are in a strait not yet well knowing what will be the end of these things that have befallen you one blaming another for his treachery and deceitful dealing when he that blames his fellow is as inexcusable as he that is guilty of the thing for which he is blamed had you been free from the things that heretofore have been laid to your charge by those whose Testimony you could not then receive then had not these things come upon you which the children of Light saw in the light of the Lord would befall you seeing you hated reproof and would not chuse the fear of the Lord notwithstanding all that which he had done for you But oh that you would now call to mind the dayes of old and the years that are past wherein you groaned under a heavy yoak of bondage which many of you for some years travelled under when you were restrained from having the liberty of your Consciences to serve God in that way which appeared to your understanding to be more agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth then that publick way of worship which then was established in the Nation which you then saw the emptinesse of by the light of the Lord in your own selves Do you not yet remember what a tendernesse there was in those daies in your hearts towards the Lord and good people And were not the meetings that you had in those dayes in your own houses or in other private places very comfortable and refreshing and was there not more of the presence and power of God felt and seen amongst you in your meetings in those daies when any man among you that feared God might have had liberty to speak what was upon his Spirit then there hath been for sundry years or is at this day And was it not better with you then when you were branded with the name of Puritan and Round-head and derided if not stoned in the streets as you have past and repâ—st to and from those * contemptible meetings in which you found so much of the presence and goodnesse of God And could you not in those daies have borne the revilings of the people much better then you could do now Could you not also have suffered better for that which your soules then thirsted after then now you could for that which you professe And was not your love very large to such as in those daies were persecuted for conscience sake did not you then take part with them when you durst appear against such as persecuted them And was not that the light of the Lord in you which let you see in those daies the evil of oppression and the evil of persecution wherewith you were persecuted for conscience sake was not that also the light of the Lord that gave you to see the emptinesse of that worship which you then liked not to be conformable unto And was not that of God in you that made you willing to suffer for conscience sake rather then you would do that which was contrary to your conscience And had you not peace joy comfort and refreshment in measure in your sufferings when you suffered not as evil doers but simply for conscience sake was not your prayers in those daies offered up unto the Lord with much tendernesse and many tears and did you not then feel something in your hearts making intercession unto the Lord with sighes and groans which were hard to be uttered And did you not in those daies make many vowes promises and engagements unto the Lord even upon your bended knees that if he would be pleased to appear for you and by the arme of his power bring deliverance unto you and set you free from that yoak of bondage which you then groaned under oh what you would then do in order to the propagating of his Gospel advancing of his glorious Truth removing the oppressions from off the oppressed making of his people a free people to the setting up of righteousnesse in the earth and to the shewing forth of his praise among the inhabitants of the earth c. Do you not yet remember that several years ye were wont to breaâ—h forth such things in your prayers to the Lord who was determined to try you as he hath done as afterwards may more fully appear Is it not well known unto many of you how that when you were little in your own eyes and few in number in comparison of the multitude that was contrary minded that even then and at that time when your hearts were very tender and you very low and humble before the Lord then did he appear for you for then he had respect unto you and his anger that was kindled against those that then would not let you have the liberty of your Consciences for they sought to quench and extinguish that which he had kindled in your hearts and their sins and abominations were grown to a very great height and many things the Lord had against them so that in processe of time the fire of his jealousie did wax so hot against them that they were not able to dwell in it but did begin to fly to the mountains and to the hills and unto them they cried for help but these could not save them from the terrible storm which swept them away Then did your day begin to dawn and the visitation of Gods eternal Love was then unto you whose cries had in the daies of your distresse entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth and then was he determined to try you whom he raised even as from the dunghill and put a very excellent opportunity into your hands For then many in Authoritie and Power begun to advise with you and take counsel at you and put you into places of preferment which you receiving begun to alter from the Lord and
Though its true there were some amongst you that had it in their hearts I believe to do good but such were kept in a slavish fear of the major party and so durst not do that which was in their hearts while they might have done it and so the oppertunity was taken out of their hands and instead of getting Honour and Renown by their well doing in their day they have brought infamy and contempt upon themselves and this is already come upon many of you who have joyned hand in hand to augment the sufferings of the afflâ—cted As witnesse the many Independants and Presbiterian Justices Warrants and Mitâ—imus which they have made whereby they have caused the innocent to suffer in the sundry Counties of the Nation Insomuch that I confidently believe there is never a County in the Nation but You Professors to wit Presbyterians Independants so called with others have had Your hands in Persecution You have been principally the men for several Years that have hailed the innocent before your Iudgement Seats * that have committed them to Prison that have caused them to be whipt that have caused them to be set in the Stocks that have fined them that have given out Warrants for the spoiling of their goods You and your Teachers have been the men that have been chiefly accâ—ssary to these things Therefore doth it lye much upon me at this time to lay these things upon You in the light of the Lord and before men and know assuredly that if You come to be dealt withal as You have dealt with others then shall those things which You have done unto the innocent become Your heavy burthen and as it was hard for them to escape Your hands so will it be hard for You to escape the hands of others For Your Professing Magistrates have most frequently set to their hands and Seals when they were in Commission unto the Warrants that have been granted out against the innocent whereby such Priests have been authorized to make a prey upon the People of God as they themselves little regarded nor peradventure would very scarcely hear them Yet often have they given up the innocent into the hands of such mercilesse men as gloried in making a prey upon them Moreover it hath been observed how that in sundry parts of the Nation professing Magistrates or such as made a great profession were the very first men that began with a pretence of a Law to persâ—cute them that feared the Lord to the great dishonour of their profession though they were at that time in such a zeal against the appearance of Truth that they thought they did God good service by their imprisoning and shamefully intreating such as the Truth appeared in And certainly the people that God by his eternal power hath raised up in this Nation * have had more opposition from them that have been in profession in many parts of the Nation then they have had from the vulgar sort of people True it is when they were first raised up by the Power of God both professor and prophane did with much bitternesse of Spirit oppose them and often branded them with many ridiculous names and scurrelous titles thinking thereby to make them odious to all if it had been possible and when they saw they could not prevail against them but wearied themselves with their own folly then they begun to withdraw not with renown in triumph but rather with shame in contempt which is justly come upon them so that some are ready to enâ—uire after them as the Apostle did after the wise and after the Disputer of this world saying where are they c. even so where are the chief Disputing Priests and the high contentious professors seeing they do so little appear to what they have done formerly What do they want their Goals Their Houses of Correction their Stocks and Commssiions now And doth their hearts therefore fail them What is the power taken from them and given into their hands that they have had power over and are they therefore cast down What are the places of honour taken from them and they turned out of their fat benefices and is that the case wherefore they are cast down What must they become as poor miserable and contemptable as they have been And is this the cause of their heavinesse Must their wisdome be confounded and their understanding brought to nothing Must the Weapons that they have been forming against others be turned into their own bowels And must the like prejudice as they have sought to beget in others against the innocent be begotten in others against them And as they have done and would have had others to have done unto the innocent even so must they be done unto must not now the same measure be met unto them that they have measured unto others Even by such as will have no more pitty in their hearts towards them then they have had towards the innocent And what must not jealousie be stirred up in the powers of the earth against them as they have stirred up jealousie in the powers of the earth against others that were much more harmlesse and innocent then themselves And as they have sought to make others rediculous even so shall they become contemptable in the eyes of those which they by their flatteries fawned upon who may for a season suffer them for their own ends as they suffered others for their own advantage And as they have sought to remove others out of their way so shall they be removed out of the way of others And their honour which they have sought one of another shall be laid in the dust and their glory shall fade like the flower of the field And when the Lord brings 〈◊〉 things upon you O ye persecuting yet professing Priests and Professors which of you shall dare in that day to say unto the Lord Why dost thou thus Shall you not rather be made to confesse that it will be the just hand of God upon you when you come to be dealt withal as you have dealt with others whom you have cast out saying deceitfully let the Lord be glorified but behold hath he not appeared for them and is it not You now that cast them out that hated them and persecuted them that begins to be ashamed and astonished And oh that You would but observe the hand of the Lord in all these things surely then You would humble Your selves under it that so You might come to obtain mercy from him with whom there is mercy that he might be feared Here followeth the Truths Caracter of the Professors Teachers MOreover as concerning the chief Priests and Teachers of this Nation which You Professors have run after much I have to say concerning them Oh that You had an ear open to hear and a heart to receive and understand the things that I could declare of them who with fained words and fair
Truths Caracter OF PROFESSORS And their TEACHERS Which by looking through may bring to their remembrance the dayes of old and how it was then with them which may evidently shew unto them what hath befallen them since they degenerated from the measure of God which some of them had in them And it may also put them in mind of Gods Justice and severity towards them Here is also something in Answer to some remarkable particulars which were extracted out of above thirty Addresses which were presented to Richard Cromwell when he was Protector and were published to the Nation in the 〈◊〉 as one by Tho Goodwin by the appointment of the Officers and Messengers of above a hundred Congregational Churches And others from some of the Churches of the Baptized people bâ—t the most of them were from the parochial priests and others that joyned with them from most of the Counties in the Nation whereby their hypocrisie and deceit their folly and flatteries are made palpably manifest to their shame and confusion of face By one that is appointed of the Lord to make war in Righteousness under the banner of the Lamb in the Truths behalf both against the Beast and false Prophet known unto men by the name of William Caton The dayes of visitation are come the dayes of recompence are come Israel shall know it the Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad Hos. 9. 7. For they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind it hath no stalk the bud shall yiel'd no meal Hosea 8. 7. Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would have none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh Proverbs 1. 24 25 26. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the sign of the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1660. An Epistle to the Reader Friend THat which I have here published may give thee to understand if with a meek spirit thou wilt peruse it how the Lord several years ago caused his Light in some measure to shine out of the darknesse in the hearts of many of these professing Professors whereby they came in measure to see the grosse darknesse wherewith people was then covered and many of the superstitions that were then upheld by such as professed godlinesse And then a zeal for God did stir in many of them against them and while they retained their tendernesse and simplicity and kept in the fear of the Lord then was the Lord near them but when they begun to seek and set up themselves more then the Lords glory and his truth then did the Lord by degrees withdraw from them when they exalted themselves and begun to persecute the harmlesse and innocent people that were brought through mercy to the enjoyment of what they saw at a distance And when they got the power into their hands then their Priests with the help of their power begun to silence others and keep under them even as they had been silenced and kept under And they crept into their parsonage-houses and benefices in processe of time became highly guilty of their abominations Moreover by that which here followeth thou may see how many of them will change their merchandiâ—e to continue their trade dishonest gain are like unto subtil cunning merchant-men who observe what merchandize is the most commodious and will vend the best among those they deal withall even they will they provide for them partly for their own advantage and partly for pleasing of the people c. This following Treatise also sheweth how they have cryed for help and how they have been countenanced and holpen by the sundry powers that have been in being for these many years And particularly how generally from almost every County in the Nation they with others made their deceitfull Adresses unto R. Cromwell by which thou may see their blasphemies and flatteries their promises and engagements unto him And do thou judge how decâ—â—tful and hypocritical they have proved And it also appears by what followeth what hath happened unto and befallen those that helped them who are fallen split and broken yet they whom they combined together against stand in as much power authority and dominion in Gods eternal Truth as ever and the Lord hath appeared to their joy and honour whom they cast out but to their shame and confusion who have dealt deceitfully both with God and man And if the Lord shall cause the same measure to be mete to them which they have measured unto others it would but be just with him who will in no wise acquit the guilty nor suffer the wicked to go unpunished These things are put forth to publick view not to add grief unto their affliction that are already humbled and cast down but rather to put them in mind of their former proceedings which have caused this day of distress and calamity to be hastned upon them of which they have been often warned foretold by us the Lords Servants who now rejoyceth not because it is come upon them for we have rather desired to have seen them have forsaken the evil of their doings have returned unto the Lord with all their hearts that so they might have obtained Mercy from him neither is this intended to strengthen the hands of their persecutors for we are as absolutely against the spirit of persecution in their adversaries as we were against it in them and our testimony by suffering under it we expect and intend to bear against it now and henceforth as heretofore if the Lord permit And we are now as far from siding with these Priests who cast them out as we were from siding with them in their covetous practises and their abominations which hath long grieved the hearts and spirits of the faithful Now if thou be one that art concerned in the things herein contained be not offended with my plain and upright dealing for a necessity laid upon me to write and publish these things which I saw in the light of the Lord to be come and coming to passe And if I be accounted their enemy for telling them the Truth I shall notwithstanding rest in peace in the Lord in whose sight I have cleared my conscience concerning them in much love and tendernesse towards the witnesse of God in them which is now nearer to answer unto the Truth in many of them then it was when they were high and lifted up And oh that they would yet lay these things to heart and return unto him that smiteth them then should they find favour in his sight with whom we know there is mercy that he might be feared W. C. Truths Caracter of PROFESSORS and of their TEACHERS c. HEar Oh ye wise and prudent men of this world and seriously weigh and consider the things that I have to lay before you For a necessity
to his Son * after his disease saying though their Sun was set yet no night ensued c. So unto him to wit O. C. did they lift up their voices and sent their Petitions and he heard their cries and did in a large measure answer their requests as appears by his reviving of an Ordinance in the years 1654. Yea he was so careful and tender over them that he and his Parliament enacted * That if any molested hindred or disturbed them when they were officiating and doing their duty or in their going to or returning from their places of worship the party so offending was to be commited to Prison and there to remain without Bail or Mainprize until the next General Sessions of the Peace to be holden for the County c. And if upon information presentment or Inditement such person or persons shall at the General Sessions of the peace be found guilty for maliciously wilfâ—lly or of purpose molesting letting disturbing or otherwise troubling such Minister or publique Preacher or making any disturbance as aforesaid every person so convicted shall forfeit the sum of five pounds or at the discretion of the Iustices shall be sent to the house of Correction to be set to hard labour with such moderate correction as in the discretion of the said Iustices shall be thought sit c. Come ye Priests who say he was the light of these three Nations and the light of your eyes and life of your fainting spirits And a Moses that had led you out of the Land of Aegypt come tellâ— us where did ever Moses who wished that all the Lords people had been Prophets make such an Act or Ordinance as this to protect the Priest by in the time of the Law Had the Prophets and Apostles any such Acts or Ordinances thus to deal with such as molested them in their going or coming to or from their meetings Surely no what was this one of the clusters of the grapes he put into your cup which are indeed more like the Garlick of Aegypt then the fruits of Canaan And sundry clusters of sower Grapes did he and his Paâ—liaments put into your cups yet would not your mouths be stopt neither would you ever be satisfied nor cease clamouring and crying at their judgement seats being as unsatiable as those men the Prophets spoke of that never have enough Though they made Ordinance after Ordinance for you yet could they scarce keep you quiet nor be quiet for you when they had turned others out to put you in their great care was to procure you Parsonage-houses Tythes and other profits as Salleries and Augmentations as appears from an Ordinance of Parliament Entituled Ministers placed in livings by Authority of Parliament made in the year 1647. And it likewise appears from another Act of Parliament made in the year 1649. For the maintenance of Preaching Ministers And it is manifest that you had their help and assistance in getting of your Tithes as the Ordinance it self will shew which was made by the Parliament An. 1647. and revived by O. C. Anno. 1654. for the true payment of Tithes and oâ—her duties Thus it appears how he and the Parliaments that were in his dayes helped you with their power And then did you pray for them while they put into your mouths after they had put you into the Parsonage-houses and given you Tithes Salleries and Augmentations and placed you in others Livings by their Authority and afterwards protected you in them ordering such to be apprehended by their Authority as obstructed the payment of Tithes and other profits due by the Parishoners as they pretended to you whom they placed by their Authority and such were to be sent to Prison there to remain until they made you satisfaction who were placed by Authority of Parliament note where were any of the Prophets Apostles or Ministers of Christ so placed That had tryal of-cruel mockings and scourging of bonds and imprisonment who wandred about in Desarts in Mountains in Dens and Caves of the earth And had no certain dwelling place in any Parsonage-house whatsoever neither were they placed in other mens livings by authority of Parl. neither do we read that they had Sallaries and Augmentations allowed them by the powers of the earth for preaching neither doth it appear from the Scriptures of Truth that ever the Magistrates had any trouble with them for providing them Livings Sallaries and Augmentations nor yet with making of Acts and Ordinances for the punishing of such as molested troubled or disturbed them and injoyning people to pay them their Tythe c. nay but on the contrary the Magistrates in their dayes were troubled with such a clamorous generation of men as you are who cryed out unto them to help And their eares being open to them as the powers of the earth hath been unto you they came to have trouble upon trouble with executing of their wills upon the innocent even as the Magistrates of this Nation have had first with you till they made you Lawes And secondly with executing these Lawes upon the innocent and some like your selves have imputed the case of their trouble to the innocent and harmlesse people whom you troubled the Magistrates withall when they could not for Conscience sake pay you Tythe or if they spoke to you in the time of your worship or in your going to it or coming from it then you have cryed out they disturbed you and then the Mayors Iustices of Peace and other inferiour Officers must be troubled with you till they execute that Law upon them which the Parliament was troubled with making for you And in this very thing you hâ—ve been the men that have been chiefly accessary to abundance of the trouble which the Magistrates of the Nation have had for this fouâ—teen or sixteen years as many can testifie who have had their share in the trouble with you upon whom trouble now is come and they can neither deliver themselves nor you Thus it appears that O. C. your nursing Father as you have called him and the Parliaments that sate when he ruled did much for you and therefore did you in your Addresses to his Son for whose Succession in the Government you blessed God stiling him your most excellent Prince Soveraign most serene Highnesse your Ioshua and Solomon c. seemingly much bewail the sad stroke of Providence that took away the breath of your nostrils and smote your head from off your shoulders c. As in your Addresse to R. C. from Coventry City so when the Lord in his wrath had removed him whom you had so flattered and applauded then did you begin to crave the help of his Son whom you looked upon to be the Lords Ioshua which he ushered in as you say when he took away Moses and many were your Addresses which you sent from sundry parts of the Nation unto him an abstract out of which I think
respect or another yet are they not destroyed but are more in number then they were sundry years ago And many now begin to â—ear that they shall scaree escape the rod wherewith they have been lashing others but that they must have the same measure met unto them which they have measured unto others so that now they begin to adhere much more unto us then heretofore and are much more open to hear and receive the Truth now when they are dejected and excluded out of their places of preferment then they were when they had the power in their hands and their swords upon their thighes when they little expected to have seen this dark and gloomy day which is come upon them wherein they can scarce see to work for the great foggy mist which is arisen * It was much observed how that when they had enriched themselves with their adversaries riches and were become guilty of their abominations and were set down at ease in the flâ—sh then the pride of their hearts would not endure nor suffer such men among them as were not for their design nor could not suffer their iniquities to go unreproved then did they thrust out such from among them until a just and faithful man that feared God and hated covetousnesse could scarce be found among them and when they begun to see how their strength manhood and courage failed then would they again have had those to have joyned with them that before they had cast out from among them but thereunto they would not be perswaded for they foresaw in the eternal Light of the Lord what the Lord was determined to bring upon them and therefore did they warn them often but they seemed to them as Lot did unto his sons in Law when he told them of the destruction of the City he seemed unto them as one that mocked Again it is to be observed how that shame contempt with fear and astonishment came upon them when the generality of Professors in the nation were buâ—â—â—ng exceeding active yet they all could not be able to stop the flood-gates which forceably were broke open by a mightystream which drove many before it even as chaâ—â—e before the wind and then the Anchors of many Professors would not hold but their faith failed and their hope perished and their honour fell into the dust and their glory faded like a flower their feasting soon turned into fasting their rejoycing was turned into mourning and their joy into heavinesse even in one day surely this was the Lords doing which was indeed marvellous in our eyes and when these things happened unto them these that had been their friends became their enemies and those whom they had looked upon to be their adversaries proved their harmlessest friends yet so doleful and terrible was the day that came upon them that they knew not whom to trust nor whom to believe nor in whom to confide many proved so treacherous and dâ—ceitful so unstable and inconstant that they were ready to betray one another to save themselves and then they begun to perceive where the Iudas spirit was that was entred into their profest Friends and with which they were leavened then did the Lord recompence that into their own bosoms which they had given as a portion unto others Thus hath the Lord already dealt with many of our Perseâ—utors by whom we have suffered for conscience sake yet many of them were eminent in profession when it was held in reputation but when they became persecutors of the innocent the Lord began to be angry with them and the fire of his jealousie begun to burn against them and shame and confusion of face came upon them for their unfaithful dealing with the Lord and with his people Now oh that others by their fall would take warning and not for the future form weapons against the Lord and against his annointed least they be turned into their own bowels And as for us that fear the Lord who for many years have been a suffering people by the many powers that have been in being in this Nation If our sufferings must be prolonged and continued under such now as have little profession of Religion in them in comparison of what others have had by whom we have already suffered that they may fill up the measure of their iniquity as others have done by their persecuting of us without a just case We do resolve and determine in the Name of the Lord to bear them with patience and not to resist them no more then we have resisted others but shall commit our cause unto the Lord who leaveth us not comfortless in our sufferings which we have learned to bear with patience having found them to the furtberance of the Gospel of peace Yet this we can say in truth to the shame of many professors that we have found more moderation and simplity in many who make very little profession of Religion then we have observed in many of them and in that particular we counted them more noble then the rigid professors who have been trying us but now they must be tryed yea some of them have tasted already of that cup which they put into our hands and without doubt many of them must drink of it except they renounce their Principles and become conformable again to that which many of them several years ago have renounced and rejected which if they do their folly will thereby the more appear and so much the more shame and contempt will be rendrâ—d unto them and this we have seen already fulfilled upon them who have added affliction unto the bonds of the afflicted and they have increased the sufferings of the oppressed instead of easing them when an opportunity was put into their hands wherein they might have done good but their hearts not being right before the Lord their day was shortned And many of them shall be oppressed with a sore oppression by them that are cruel and their oppressions shall be a vexation to them even as they have been to others And this they shall find to be the word of Truth unto them by one of those people that have suffered by them in whose behalf I can say we do as freely forgive them as we did desire to be forgiven And it is not their overthrow and downfall that we can so much rejoyce in as we did desire to be forgiven And it is not their overthrow and downfal that we can so much rejoyce in as we could in their salvation and restauration unto their first love that he might come to reign in them and over them whose right it is who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords to whom be infinite Praises Glory and Dominion over all henceforth and for ever Amen THE END What a day professors have had Isa 33. 14. Pro 1. 24. 25. How it was with Professors in the dayes of old 1 Cor 14.
your prayers and the prayers of your brethren r Ready you were not to assist him in the uâ—most capacity wherein you were able when others opposed and withstood him and prevailed against him where was thâ—re one of you to be found in readinesse to perform what you have proâ—ised If R. C. put confidence in such as you it is then not so much to be admired that those things befel him which unavoidably are come upon him as it is to be wondred that yoâ— yet have escaped as you do but look to your selves and consider how sundry of the Powers unto which you have addressed are fallen and overturned And your standing is on slippery places s Had he not protected you in your Parsonage-houses which had been other mens livings and Tythes and Benefices and allowed you Salleries and Augmentations you would not have renowned him so much as you pretended to do t Your Promises and Engagements were to little purpose for which of you all can come forth and say he doth both keep and observe them u these fained words that you spoke in hypocrisie you may now be ashamed of and your spirit of deceit is now manifest that you have spoke and wrote from w When or where did you defend it either with your lives or estates Oh ye deceitful men x If you mourned at all it was so little as that Iudge few or none perceived it for many of you had little affection to him in your hearts notwithstanding all your flatterieâ— and deceitful expressions wherewith your Addresses are filled which savours meerly of hypocrisie and deceit and not of sincerity truth y There were many in the Nation that are looked upon to be good people that had not good satisfaction in the thing but lies in hypocrisie you could tell him like the rest of your Brethren z If it had stood strong it would have stood longer but it was not according to your professed hope who begun to cry to it and look for help from it because it was a Mountain a You had better have kept your Testimony to your selves then to have produced it and not to stand true and constant to it b But where â—id any of you appear to assist him in your capacities in a needful time when many forâ—ook him then did you also leave him instead of serving and assisting him like the rest of your deceitful brethen c Are you not of â—nother 〈◊〉 now when his memory begins already to be deâ—ested by many d Do you mean in his placing you in other mens livings and in making Acts and Ordinances on your behalf by which you might recover your Tythe Sallaries and Aâ—gmentations or do you mean his suffering the â—â—nocent to be committed to prison in his Name and suffering their goods to be spoiled their Cattel to be driven away and they to be made a prey upon in his name this his Father did and if he had followed his example according to your hopes then he might have done the like e While he was in power and that you expected help from him then were you seemingly affectionate to him but when he begun to be opposed then instead of obeying and assisting him you desented from him f Had he been as you say then would he not have suffered so many of them to have lain so long in prison as he did neither would he have suffâ—red such flattering deceitful men as you to have made a prey upon them as you did g When their suffering was laid before him he would very seldom put forth his helping hand to assist them but rather strengthened your hands against them so their suffering was continued unto his dying day And at his death he left many of them in prison which brought Infamy two-fold upon him rather then thrice Renown h Yea his care was over you as appears by the Acts and Ordinances before mentioned which were made on your behalf by him and his Parliaments which being now repealed and nihilated you are forced to creep under the shadow of these whom he and you in those dayes called the common enemy against whom you with him took part And when you had overcome them you got into their Livings and their Parsonage houses in which you sate under Oâ—ivers shadow with great safety and sweet repose i Be not then offendâ—d at us hereafter if we call you blind guides and say you are Physitians of no value seeing you have confest that the Light of your eyes and the breath of your nostâ—iâ—â— is taken from you k What was he more glorious then the Lord of Glory who is called the Prince of peace if so how then came his Glory to fade to almost nothing so that it is now become but as a dead and withered flower of the field l So being found speaking lies in hypocrisie I confesse with you you are treading in the steps of your Brethren who have dealt deceitfully like your selves m Many that feared the Lord did as much despise the dignities wherewith O C. was dignified as Elisha despised the gift of Naaman 2 Kings 5 16 n Your tongues appear to be unhallowed by the many lies that are spoken by them in hypocrisie o And are not you now become of the number of them that flâ—sh out insolent reproaches against his Government and Sepulchre and so become guilty of that which you would have had others punished for and therefore are inexcusable your selves p You have proved both unfaithful and unsound in the sight of God and men q But which of you now will adhere unto them in their distresse like as you did in their prosperitie when they were in power and able to help you then for your own ends you could follow them and adhere to them r But when he injoyned the people of God to pay such deceitful workers as you Tythe they could not obey him and therefore did they in his Name suffer by you as they had done in his Fathers dayes s But what have not you in particular ceased praying for him even in the time of his distress when he hath need of the help of the prayers of the faithful t Many fair speeches you have used to him in your sundry Addresses but where or at what time did you hazard either life or estate on his behalf oh you men-pleasers and time-servers the Lord will judge you u Are you not here sound with a lye in your mouth like the rest of your Brethren w If he was the light of your eyes and the breath of your nostrils as some of your brethren said then your losse in loosing of him was great x Surely you speak this as your formallity in hypocrisie and not in sinceritie as hath appeared by your not performing your promises nor much regarding your ingagements which you have so generally made in your Addresses a What could he have done more for you then he did did he not give you other mens livings did he not with
what say you then is now their Light and in what must they now walk if not in the Light of the Lord e If you mean O. C. I say he was liker Pharaoh then Moses for Pharaoh oppressed Gods people and afflicted them sore with the many burthens that he in his cruelty laid upon them who set such task-masters over them as your selves that were cruel and hard-hearted And when Pharaoh saw that they were many he consulted how they should keep them under least that it had come to passe that when there had been war in his Land the people of God should have joyned with their enemies against him and his Subjects And thus did O. by his Laws and Impositions oppresse Gods people and would not suffer them to go free from under the oppression of Tythes which you cruel task-masters did much afflict them with as you do at this day Yet the more Pharaoh and the Task-masters afflicted them the mâ—re they grew and Moses chused rather to suffer affliction with the afflicted then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a seasonâ— but so did not O. after he was made Protector f If you mean R. C. I say he was more like unto Ahaziah Ahabs Son in that he walked in the way of his Father who provoked the Lord God of Israel by his strengâ—hening your hands against the innocent by his not loosing the bands of wickednesse by his not undoing the heavy bâ—rthens when it was in his power and by his not suffâ—ring the oppressed to go free and therefore did he provoke the Lord â—o wrath whereupon his dayes were shortned for the Elects sake g But now you cannot say the same for the Lord doth not onely change Governours but he hath also changed and is changing Governments and you as well as other men must be tryed h But in whom are your hopes now Oh ye vain men how long will it be before you cease from hoping for salvation from the Mountains and from the Hills i If at that day the Lord had with-holden life and breath from you then your transgressions would have been fewer in number then they are at this day for I perceive that it is as easie for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle as it is for you and your Generation to cease from speaking of lyes iâ— hypocrisie you are so exceedingly given up to the thing k To these two names I have spoken in my answer to the last Addresses l But he was too much leavened with your priestly spirit to press after a Reformation m Large were the Promises and fair were the Pretences that you generally made and as you have appeared to make them unanimously so have you manifestly broke them aâ— generally to the shame and dishonour of your profession n If he had done so then he should have done some thing in order to the removing of that grand opprâ—ssion of Tithe and not have strengthened your hands by enjoyning people to have payed them to you o he was a Pillar to your forced maintenance Salleries and Augmentations p He did not so truly and faithfully protect the peace of the peaceable as he did you in your parsonage houses and Mass-houses which you crept into by degrees and then did you begin to exercise Lordship over Gods heritage and to feed upon the fat and to cloath with the wool and then your hearts came to be exalted q Nay though he helped you in many things he never helped you out of that really and truly for both he and you loved the treasures of it too well and were not onely unwilling to come out of it your selves but have also striven to continue the oppressâ—d in it in the affâ—ictions under your rigor and cruelty r Are not you blind guides indeed and unfit to lead others who said you will beg at the Throâ—e of grace that R. C. as another Ioshua may lead 〈◊〉 into a more full pâ—ssession of Truth Righteousnesse and peace Oh Hypocrites well might you cause people to erre by your â—s and hypocrisie for which God will â—â—ge you s In many things he did promote his own Interest and yours more then Zions or her converts who wept in her and he did not comfort them but suffered them to be committed to prison in his Name and there he did not visit them And that which he suffered to be done unto them the Lord took it as done unto himself and he was wroth with him and removed him in his displeasureâ— t Rather fainedly and deceitfully did you promise and engage unto him whose help â—herewith he helped you was to little purpose even so were your flattering and hypoâ—itical promises vain and of no value v Surely you are blind and cannot see afar off and out of the fear of God who have not yet seen the day of the Son of man who ariseth with healing in his wings And therefore dare you the rather presume to put mortal men in the place of him who is immortall And giveth light to these three Nations and not R. C. and likewise to all the Nations upon the face of the earth And who are you that dare presume to set a mortal maâ— in his place w It is the spirit that quickneth and giveth both light and life unto the Nations that are saved x The lying lips are your own who speak blasphemously against the Lord and his Spirit and many lyes have you and your Brethren uttered with your lying lips y And you are like the wandring stars the Apostle Iude speaketh of who runs from mountain to hill and from one power to another to get help of them but the Lord will plead with you in one day a Oâ—ds the worâ— honour wealth glory and riches he got abundantly but when the Lord put an end unto his dayes what did these things then availe him b When he begun to seek himself and his own Interest then did he begin to loose both the hearts and affections of good people c Wherein do you mean in upholding and protecting you in your Benâ—fices in suffering the innocent to be made a prey upon by you in making fair pretences and large promises like your selves to little purpose if these things were not the foot-steps in which you would have had him to have vestigated and followed his Father then declare more plainly what they were d Though you pretended to do it with cheerfulnesse for a season were you not soon weary of it especially when you saw you could have no advantage by it e Though he was renowned with you so was he not with all because he did not shew mercy as mercy was shown him but suffered the poor and needy to be persecuted therefore are his children become as vagabonds and strangers have spoiled his Labour Psal. 109. 10. 11. f For your own ends it was and that you might be seen to be conformable to your Brethren in their â—latteries and deceit g Are your prayers yet engaged
good to publish tò the Nation that both high and low rich and poor may take notice of your flatteries and see you to be incontinent and truce-breakers hypocrites and dissemblers And that your folly may appear unto all men that henceforth the Rulers of the Kingdome may not be deceived by your flatteries as many have been before them And seeing you made so many Addresses in so little a time unto R. C. how many then might you make unto his Father But first of all I am determined to speak something to the Addresses of some Independants and Anabaptists As first Doctor Tho. Goodwin so called in the name and by the appointment of the Officers and Messengers of above an hundred Congregational a Churches from several parts of the Nation addressed to R. C. representing their humble acknowledgement and most affectionate dâ—ty to him in a speech wherein they say they have not eaten the bread of adversiâ—y nor drunk the water of b afflâ—ction but have served God in abundance of all things in their Land All which mercies have been continued to them through the protection of that great c Mordecai that sought the weal of the people c. Moreover they gave R. C. to understand that they had shewed their harmony with the most Orthodox at home and abroad they expressed their assent to that confession of faith to which all the Reformed Churches with the Churches of Scotland and New-England d had given their Assent unto namely the Articles of Religion approved and passed by both Houses of Parliament to which they unanimously without the least contradiction e as he said assented and agreed They also committed their faith unto his f trust as their chief Magistrate to countenance and propagate it and engaged themselves to pray for his Highnesse both in private and publick Assemblies c. The Independants so called did not onely make their Addresse as before mentioned to R. C but sundry Churches of the Baptized g people they also made their Addresses to R. C. wherein they acknowledged the much benefit they had reaped under the Government of his Princely Father of precious h memory and that he had been unto them as a nursing Father And therefore did they lament for his death with the words of the Prophet My Father i My Father the Chariots of Israel and the Hâ—rsemen thereo Further they declared they would immediately lift up their hearts and hands to God that he might k long continue prosperous in the Government and they promised to contribute their cordial assistance to their ability c. Now shall I come to the Addresses of the Pâ—iests to R. C. which they sent or Communicated to him after he was Proclaimed which may somewhat tend to the manifesting of their foâ—ly and treachery deceit and hypocrisie to such as fear the Lord and hate double dealing which is not comely nor convenient among Christians And first the Priests of the City of London and Southwark even the eminentest of them as Dr. Reynolds Dr. Spurstow Dr. Seaman Ash Calamy Manton Ienkins William Cooper c. did for themselves and in the names of many others of their Brethren make a very hearty l Addresse so called to R. C. and did confesse they owned him as Prince of these Nations and Captain-General and said they would alwaies m pray for him and own him in those n Capacities c. The Address of the Priests and others in Hartford County and in the Burrough of St. Albans WHerein they speak deceitfully of his Father and affirms that the Lord had made him as a Ioshua to redeem a his people from their wildernesse estate and lead them in a good measure unto a Canaans b rest yea it makes them smite upon their thighes saying what have we done c They also prayed that the Lord would both cause the mantle and Spirit of their departed d Elijah to rest upon his head and heart And with all cordialnesse they did declare their solemn resolutions with their lives and all that was dear unto them in their hand to e continue true and faithful to him as their supream Governour according to the Humble Petition and Advice c. The Addresses of the Priests of Surrey and others unto R. C. VVHerein they say They cannot but mourn under that inexpressible lose that these Nations sustained in the death of so choice and eminent a Servant as his late Father the most f renowned that ever ruled in these Nations They presumed to present themselves the Real Friends g of his late Father who spent his dayes in the cause of God and his people till the world was no longer h worthy of him c. The Addresses of the Priests and others of the County of Sâ—ssâ—x to R. C. WHerein they desire him to own and encourage the faithful i and industerous Preachers of Christs Gospel and to preserve them from k reproach And they do likewise declare they will own him with their lives and estates against all parties and interests l whatsoever who shall presume to disturb his Government upon what colour or pretence whatsoever c. The Addresse of the Priests and others of Colchester unto R. C. WHerein they pretend grief and m sorrow for the great losse of these three Nations in the death of his Father of blessed n memory They declare he hath been lawfully nominated and appointed to succeed in the Government of these three Nations So that they do with unanimous consent acknowledge him to be undoubted Protector and rightful chief Magistrate of this Common-wealth and are resolved o by the blessing of God to adher unto and assist him therein The Priests and others of Suffolk Addressed to R. C. SAying the sad thoughts of his Fathers most lamented death filled p all their hearts with sorrow and tears yet say they although our Sun is set no night hath ensued And their prayers were that his Government might still be as a morning without q clouds and they assured him they should continue their chearful submission to his Government and stand r ready in the utmost capacitie wherein they are enabled to serve him The Priests of Norfolk and of the City of Norwich they Addressed to R. C. ANd professed their deep sense of the loss of their late renowned Protector s the Common-wealths most tender Father and they did solemnly promise t and engage themselves faithfully to serve and obey his most Serene u Highness as his Liege people in the defence of his person and w Government with their lives and estates c. The Priests and others of the County of Bedford Addressed to R. C. ANd in their Addresse they professed their mourning x for his and his countries renowned father was turned into joy by his happy and peaceable enterance into the Government of
these Nations to the astonishment of the enemies and satisfaction of the good people y thereof and they hoped God would make his mountain to stand strong z And they thought it their duty to give a publick testimony a of their hearty affections and readinesse in their several places and capacities to the utmost of their powers faithfully and cheerfully to assist b and serve him c. The Priests and others of Buckingham County Addressed as others did unto R. C. ANd in their addresse they expressed their deep sence of their great losse by the death of his Father of ever blessed memory c And they hope he will make the example d of his Father to be his patern And they also did declare they would be ready to testifie their affections e to him and obedience to his Government The Priests and others of the County of Northampton Addressed to R. C. ANd in their Addresse they speak of the precious memory of his thrice Renowned Father who was so in love and tendernesse to the people of God f in zeal for Reformation in Church and State in bounty and compassion to the suffering Saints g under whose shadow we sate for a time with great safety h and sweet repose And that they were amazed at the divine stroke that took from them in a time so unlooked for mark the light of our eyes i and the breath of our nostrils whom they declared to be the wisest and most glorious k of Princes And so treading l in the steps of their Brethren that had gone before them they humbly prayed That his Highnesse would exercise just severity against despisers of dignities m and revilers of Aâ—thoritie whose unhallowed n tongues spare not to flash out their insolent o reproaches and impious execrations against your Fathers Sepulchre and your Highnesse Throne That his Highnesse would countenance a faithful p sound able and godly Ministry And that his Highnesse would still own and adhere q unto the faithful Friends and Counsel of his Renowned Father Then shall the people of God be with you to obey r you to assist you to love you to rejoyce in you to blesse God with incessant s prayers for you And as for themselves they unfainedly acknowledge as falsly they said themselves obliged to pay unto his Highnesse all the duties of faithful Subjects to a good and worthy Prince even to the utmost hazard t of life and estate c. The Priests and others of Berks County Addresse to R. C. VVHerein they say that with much sadnesse u of heart they bewail their great losse w in the death of his Princely Father And withall they also declared that they would stand by him with their estates x and hazard of their lives c. The Priests of Hampshire they also Addressed unto R. C. ANd some things they made mention of that was done by his Father which they said was but the first fruits of far greater blessings desired a and expected and as it were clusters of Canaan to refresh them in their wildernesse condition And flattering of him said they observed in him zeal for Gods glory affectionate actings for the Truth b faithfull execution of Justice c countenancing of godly Ministers tendernesse towards such as feared the Lord a humble frame of Spirit and a most amiable behaviour towards all c. saying they should never d cease to pray that the God of all their Mercies would be present with him in his person c. The Priests and others of Dorchester and of the County of Dorset they Addressed unto R. C. WHerein they speak of the losse of his Renowned Father of whom say they themselves and the three Nations may say they have lost their Father e of their Countrey yet being he is established his Rightfull Successor in the Government their sorrow was turned into joy f so to him and his Government they declared they would adhere c. The Priests and others of Wilts County made their Address to R. C. VVHerein they pretend to bewaile g the death of his Father but with all thankfulnesse acknowledgeth and admireth as they say the wonderful workings of God in preventing their fears h by bringing him legally to succeed him in Government and do declare their free and cordiall owning of him whom the Lord had set over them i And they also declared their firm resolutions k to stand by him assist him in the Administration of his just power c. The Priests of Taunton and others of the Inhabitants of that Town Addressed to R. C. VVHerein they expressed their deep sence of the heavy l stroke of God in taking from them his renowned Father But since say they it was the Will of God this Glorious Sun m Mark should set yet no night hath followed And they promised to be wholly at his command and humbly to submit was their unalterable resolution n as they falsly said and readily with all chearfulnesse assist by their Persons and Estates c. The Priests of Chard in the County of Somerset with others of the Town addressed to R. C. WHerein they expressed their deep sence of the terrible providence in taking off from their heads the joy of their hearts o his most Illusterous Father but they blesse God that providence gave them such a Ioshua p to conduct them into the Land of promise And as they subscribe their hands so shall be ready to hang their lives and estates as Labels to that sincere fealty and most cheerful obedience which God and his Highnesse called for from them The Priests of Tiverton with others of the Inhabitants of the Town Addressed to R. C. ANd confessed they had had a share in the Priests Astonishments and Fears q at the sad news of his renowned Fathers death And they did unfainedly congratulate his Highnesse serene pious and prudent beginnings and they did bless the Lord as they said who had laid up un-thought-of provisions for the good of the People in these Nations c. The Priests of Hereford County and many others Addressed to R. C. SAying That the great loss in this Common wealth wâ—h happened by the death of his dear Father had oppressed their spirits with fear had not divine providence given r his princely person to succeed in the protection of Religion s Laws and Liberties of the Nations over which the Lord had placed him t as chief Magistrate and they did declare their firm Resolutions u to yield all Loyalty fidelity and obedience and to assist him to the utmost w extent of their abilities The Priests and others of Warwick County Addressed to R. C. SHewing their sorrow for their late unspeakable loss by the death of his Highnesse incomparable Father so worthy a nursing Father a