Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A91714
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A review of a certain pamphlet under the name of one John Lilburne. By a well-willer to the peace of Sion. Imprimatur. John Downame.
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Well-Willer to the Peace of Sion.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing R1196; Thomason E278_4; ESTC R200010
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12,165
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15
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A REVIEW Of a certain PAMPHLET Under the name of one JOHN LILBVRNE By a well-willer to the Peace of Sion 2 Corinth 10.12 18. verses For we dare not make our selves of the number or to compare our selves to them which praise themselves But they understand not that they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with themselves 18. For he that praiseth himselfe is not allowed but he whom the Lord praiseth Galath 6.3 2 Tim. 4.3 4. Proverbs 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a foole or a man may expect better than of him Imprimatur JOHN DOWNAME LONDON Printed for Thomas Vnderhill dwelling at the Bible in Wood-street 1645. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND HIS VERY GOOD FRIEND WILLIAM PRYN Esquire SIR HAving cast my eye into the world to observe the occurrences and take notice of the Controversies of the time there fell into my hands some of your writings disputing the case of Presbyterie and Independency which having perused with consideration I received much satisfaction though I met with many cavils fallen from the pens of severall Writers of differing spirits seeking to destroy the fruit of your endevours But I found none that were of sufficient strength to overthrow those positive truths by you asserted In particular there came to my hand a Pamphlet of somewhat a later edition than the former full of bitter invectives against the Truth and all government but what private phancy shall exalt And this under the hand of one John Lilburne in an Epistolary way directed to your selfe At which being fil'd with indignation to see the strangenesse of that spirit that wrought in its endictment and is now working in the world excellently set forth by Jude in his Epistle 19. verse Makers of Sects 〈◊〉 having not the Spirit clearly demonstrating what they would do might they prevaile for that liberty so much contended for I was compelled after much striving within my self to review what he had done and to give in my judgement for the benefit of the Church of God which I have finished by way of Epistle I recommend to your Patronage which if I obtain I having the happinesse I sought after who am not my own but the Truths and yours in all Observance From my Study this 27. of January 1644. SIR That I have not declared my self unto you I hope you will dispense with many reasons have induced me to silence herein hereafter if God will I shall take occasion to tender my service and acknowledge my engagement and not mine alone but the engagement of the whole Church of God for your faithfull endevours Fare you well The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader HAving taken a short view of a certain Pamphlet that is cast abroad under the name of one John Lilburne Directed to Master Pryn which is stuft with so much gall and bitternesse and so little of that sweet ingredient of love of which I find not one dram in 189. lines against the State Parliament and all Synods c. I judge it to be of very evill consequence and might produce dangerous effects amongst weak soules that are apt to take all for Gospell such men speak how wide soever it be from it I conceived my selfe upon this consideration bound in conscience to speak a word if I were able to satisfie weak and unstable soules And for unmasking the subtilty of men deciphered in the tenth verse of Judes Epistle But these speak evill of those things which they know not and inverse the eighth likewise notwithstanding these dreamers also defile the flesh And despise Government and speak evill of them which are in Authority If any thing be added for thy establishment in the Truth let God have the glory and let him have thy prayers who is Thine in the Lord Jesus TO IOHN LILBURNE Lieutenant Colonell These SIR HAving perused a paper in forme of an Epistle subscribed a Letter written by John Lilburn c. to William Pryn Esquire wherein you take occasion in your Exordium to intimate that honour God vouchsafed you to be a witnesse to the Truth with Master Pryn under the reign of Episcopall tyranny Yet there is a vast difference between the grounds of suffering on the one side and on the other Paul tels us of suffering as busie bodies God grant this charge fall not upon you And indeed it is not so much the suffering as the suffering like a Christian that is acceptable with God or esteemed worthy of honour before men from whence you draw an Argument to prove an affection in people towards you to the misleading of their judgements causing them to build with too much confidence on what shall be spoken or written by you without due examination never eying or considering what is said so much as the persons speaking who they be you give me not to understand except in Generall your constant practice in cases subject to doubts as if your charge did reach to all and not unto particulars the latter of which I conceive comes nearest Truth It being the weaknesse of some not able to judge and determine of these things or the wilfulnesse of others that have judgement yet willingly permit the mists and fogs of darknesse to over-cloud it when as the more learned and instructed receive things not upon bare affirmation a mighty pillar for upholding your foundation but with judgement what they find is most agreeable to Truth in their understandings setting by what upon search not upon phansie they find not consonant to the Word and this is done without any prejudice to or pre-judging of the abilities of those that excell them How ever you are pleased to conceive of others in this particular I heartily wish you were not or would not be ignorant of one thing To consider how much of this spirit rules in those that are contrary minded to Master Pryn or any adhering to him in judgement and if I mistake not presumption laid aside your self is not a little guilty in this charge 2. The second particular I find in order to be spoken of is Master Pryns bitter and unsavoury language as you say against the Saints of God and the unspotted wayes of Jesus Christ To this I reply That what bitternesse c. you may meet with exceeding your own was not I dare affirme against the Saints of God truly so walking in the unspotted wayes of Jesus Christ neither can be collected from any thing by him written But against those phansies and strange Enthusiasmes which those that call themselves Saints by way of priviledge and prerogative which yet I see them not to be and under that notion take a liberty to vent and broach Doctrines and conclusions contrary to faith and good manners tending directly to Anarchy and confusion against these his zeale was powred forth as it were without measure that he might oppose these tenents and doctrines of novelties which creep in upon us daily by succession And that
belonging to Church government that is a condition fit for heaven but not to be found on earth For so long as man hath the transaction of divine things and they must of necessity be conveighed thorow earthen conduit pipes they will lose much of their splendour honour and glory which a state of perfection is only capable of 12. The twelfth particular proceeds to sentence of Mr. Pryn's writings for which you should have taken him for a Papist or Jesuit had not the title borne his name I am now to seek and have lost my self in fathoming this great deep Mr. Pryn turned Papist or Jesuit or both and all the world ignorant of it till John Lilburnes learning raked out of the ashes of ignorance discovered tenents positions of Papists Jesuits covertly conducted in M. Pryns writings that never infected any man I beseech you befriend my understanding a little in this particular and if love have induced you to make known the worlds ignorance in not taking notice of so weighty a matter and this mans errours that you would be pleased to propound these tenents and positions which have begotten such a suspition to the infecting the strength of your imagination that I may be partaker with you in this knowledge and be able to justifie you and condemn him Moreover I will assure you upon the faith of a Christian that all the abilities the faculties of my soule and body shall all engage themselves in war against him But on the other side if you be found an accuser of the Brethren you must remember to whom that property is ascribed If you deny me this I shall hence-forth reject your judgement as invalid as your Arguments are unfeasable And let me adde that if the mouth of Wisdome had delivered what you conclude on there would have been a great deale of ground to have searched with a criticall eye what he had done but not to reject it much lesse upon so slight and groundlesse confutation I may and with more truth reply by way of retortion that had your name been wanting your Pamphlet might have undergone the charge of Libell for ought I find contained in it and if my sentence may stand I judge it worthy no better commendations it being the matter and not Anonymus that makes a Libel Now for that peece of honour you are pleased to bestow on Mr. Pryn as to account him worthy to be canonized for a Saint in the Popes Remembrancer I must tell you I am ignorant of the crafty conveyance of this honour your proper right upon the head of Mr. Pryn so ill be comming his Profession verily I should have judged you and men of your spirit to have been sooner accepted of the Pope for your madnesse as instruments to advance his kingdome of confusion whose spirits hath taken possession of many of you before Mr. Pryn to stand for Saint in his Calendar for fighting against that great Babel who hath done more to help forwards the ruine thereof for which posterities will call him blessed than you or all of yee pacht together so that I do admire and am confounded in my own spirit at the consideration of this spirit that hath breathed forth so much unsavourinesse hard speeches and groundlesse jealousies which I find in so few leaves against an innocent person as if hell had open'd its mouth to be delivered of its impuritie 13. The thirteenth Charge lyes in this in that he hath made Moses more faithfull than Christ My Answer is that I find not any such assertion in all his Works if you can shew it me I will beleeve you till that time I assure you you are ignorant and unacquainted with the faithfulnesse of Christ and Moses wherein it did consist which was not in making Lawes for the Children of Israel but in delivering those Lawes God gave him so Christ in what he did had not respect to the Leviticall Law of Moses as a patterne for him to follow which was carnall and ready to vanish away Hebr. 8.13 But this was spirituall and to endure for ever In which Christ did not any thing as of himself but by the Commandment of God So that herein consists the compleatnesse of Christ and Moses faithfulnesse in delivering what they had received in charge from God the Father which these Scriptures evidence John 7.16 17 18 19. John 8.26.28 Hebr. 3.1 2 5 6. Hebr. 8.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Exodus 25.40 14. The fourteenth and last Charge reflecting on Mr. Pryn is his eyeing particular interests more than truth that hath engaged him in this way he is now in I am not ignorant but there is and will be something of man in every action as long as man remaines in the state of imperfection but that self-ends and private interests carry a greater stroke in his engagement and prevailes most upon his judgement rests on your part to be proved when you can who have unjustly and unworthily charged him have you had any experience of him in any thing from whence you can in any way of equity draw this conclusion or is not your own guilt charged upon his score The day of reckoning will resolve this doubt What though some of yee and that no mean ones not being able to disanull his Arguments have fallen to question him about the truth of his religion whether there be such a thing in reality to be found in him save only the bare principles of morality shall I judge him the worse for this No because I have found it the troden path of Heretiques to traduce their unconquered adversary with slanders when those arguments they brought could not convince them and I can judge no otherwise of this though they be godly persons that do it them that it is that evill spirit risen from the dead the rather have I toucht at this by reason of them from whom it hath proceeded men that professe perfection of Religion above others I beseech them to be wary of what they do lest apostasie speak them worse than men of no religion Let him that stands take heed lest he fall Thus have I run over your Letter with what speed I could omitting many things through other imployments that stand in my way viz. Your Impudency in charging Parliaments Synods and Councels to be of no value your dishonourable and undervaluing thoughts of them your expressions of scorne and contempt your charge of the Parliament for breach of oath in enacting Tythes the proofe of which by you is too ridiculous to be answered And this done with that audaciousnesse as if your folly could reply upon their wisdome and your knowledge search the bottom of the greatest mysteries in Church and State that cannot pierce a shallow rivolet I leave them all to be answered by a more able pen if they be thought worthy an answer or to the decision of the lawfull and undoubted power of civill Magistracy Sir I am yours if you know how to be Truths