Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers Murtherers and Idolaters Now then I say if our Independents be found and that by testimonies under their own hands to be such as speak not the Truth from their hearts and when they have promised and covenanted break their promise and violate their Covenant witnessed I say by their owne hands against themselves yea and that when as it could be no prejudice to their livelihood or estates save only perhaps to their ungodly private ends And such as do That to others which they would not be content should be done to themselves Then can any truly-gracious or impartiall Good-man choose but at least greatly feare that they are not so holy-Saints godly men as they should be or as the World too vulgarly and easily takes them to be Truly me thinks they cannot Thus then now to come to the try all hereof And here I will by way of preamble tell the Reader one pretty passage not altogether impertinent to our present purpose touching Master Peters my-self which briefly was this I being occasionally about-half-ayeer since at Westminster-hall was there encountred by Master Peters that most Pragmaticall Quicquid in Buccam c. of whom I will only say this by the way That Whosoever loves to laugh at a Sermon which is Satans Musick let him go heare Master Peters preach This Gentleman seeing me singly walking in the Hall and being my old acquaintance came unto me together with his Independent Brother Master Bachiler who heard our conference all the while which was this O Master Vicars says Master Peters certainly a great deal of repentance must needs lye upon your soule Why Master Peters said I what 's the matter what have I done O sayes he in sadding and grieving the hearts of Gods Saints as you have done in your Book which you call the Picture of Independency Why Sir said I pray tell me what 's amiss in it Truly Master Vicars says hee 't is naught all over just like my self he might have added Naught all over Is it naught all over Master Peters said I then I hope you have read it all over and if so then I beseech you said I since you know Dolosus versatur in generalibus The Deceiver loves to deale in Generals shew so much candor and ingenuity toward me as to tell me one particular passage therein which you can make evident to be false or naught and I assure you said I I will yeeld you all the rest to be naught without any farther controversie whereunto here was all his reply Alas Master Vicars 't is naught all over naught all over which words he uttering in his old quick blustering manner instantly ran away swiftly from me All which his brother Bachiler can testifie if he will speake the truth to be most true who stood by and heard and saw all I have related from the first to the last And was not here thinke you a brave Independent Champion fit to finde fault with other mens Works and then run away when he should give account of his slanderous words But now to come to some more serious and sollid matter and fully to make good and confirme what I have promised and affirmed in the Frontispice of this Treatise namely That Independents I meane very many of the best and bravest of them are a Generation of notorious Dissemblers and sly Deceivers Most sorry I am the Lord knows that I can so truly indeed too truly say and assure these things against them but in regard of their so elated and selfe-flated conceit of themselves and others too-too high opinions of them and also the great injurie which Gods Cause receives thereby many ways Therefore for Sions sake I cannot hold my peace for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousnes thereof and the unquestionable innocency integrity of her Presbyterians go forth as Brightnesse And for this end to add my poor Mite of Zeal what in me is to help to vindicate Gods abused Churches honour against these her close and subtile enemies who have made their great and gross untruths as so many Satanicall stratagems and staulking horses to abuse and disgrace even the godliest partie of the most innocent Presbyterians by thus suggesting and protesting their palpable untruths to the more moderate indifferent and too credulous Presbyterians among us whereas themselves the Lord knows are the main if not onely offensive and destructiue-partie and all this onely to uphold for ought that can to this day be discerned to the contrary maintain and enlarge their too apparent spirituall-pride and selfe-aymes and ends which I conceive to be most vile and ungodly in them And because Master John Goodwin in his late supercilious and unsavorie Treatise Entituled Cretensis pag. 5. sayes That Master Edwards in his Sectarystinging Gangraena judges so and so onely of some few at least as hee would have it of those that are the Retrimentitious-Party or dregs of the Independents and other Sectaries to use his own words and expression as if sayes he a man should judge of Cheap-side by the dirtie-channel that runs in the midst of it I therefore here omitting purposely the most notorious jugling of M. J. G. himself most properly fitly termed Cretensis that is to say a lyer both by himself and by reverend M. Edwards in his second part of his excellent Gangraena and pretermitting also the most unworthy double-dealing of those two Grandees of the Independents Master Burroughs and Master Greenhill and these are none sure of Master Goodwins retrimentitious partie in their unfaithfull dealing with Master Edwards as hee hath most fully manifested to the world against all these three in his said second part of the Gangraena pag. 86 87 88 c. to omit these I say as being so fully set forth as aforesaid I will here in the first place shew to the godly and impartiall Reader diverse notable passages of some of the most eminent and highest prized Independents even of the five famous Apologists most cleerely setting forth and that under their own hands their most unfaithfull and deceitfull dealings with God and the world and with their Presbyterian-Brethren Which I have extracted and briefly culled-out from their so mightily magnified and broadly bosted of Apologeticall Narration attested and avouched under their own hands of purpose as they certainly conceived and wee have justly deemed to paint out their own Piety and unspotted Integrity to the World Whereas contrariwise they have thereby even with their own pensils blazoned abroad their own shame and most unfaithfull double-dealing First then I will begin with that poor delusive trick of theirs of their pretended falsely so called Exile or Banishment out of England which they themselves set forth In prima fronte libelli in the very front and face of their Apologie to make the world take notice of that first and fair piece of their Martyrdome and to believe what rare
suffering-Saints and Martyrs they were insuffering so sorely for their tender-conscience sake This you shall see Apol. Nar. pag. 2 3 Where they tell you of their pitteous banishment forsooth But withall fairely confesse it was a spontaneous or voluntary banishment a banishment of their own choice and election both for Time Place and Company and I may add as easily undergone as undertaken for they went into the choicest and fattest parts of all beautifull Holland no way pincht in body or purse for as reverend Master Edwards notes in his learned Antapologie and at large most notably sets forth they were able some of them to spend two or three hundred pounds a year and to doe other expensive acts besides They went I say in their own time were fitted with all conveniences for themselves and their families had brave company with them Gentlefolke of none of the meanest rank and quality and yet These call themselves Gods poor Exiles or poor despicable banished creatures Which how fairly and fitly let any godly judicious Christian or even meer rationall creature which knows what Banishment is speake and judge by those forementioned premises And now tell mee good Reader whither these our Independents be such fair dealers and truth speakers as the world deems them and as the Spirit of God would have them to be according to the forementioned Characters of the true Saints and Citizens of the New Jeruselem Again In their foresaid Apologeticall Narration pag. 5 6 they have these very words For the Congregations in England where we were by the grace of Christ converted mark this and long exercised our Ministry both in our own and multitudes of the Assemblies and Parochiall-Congregations thereof mark again those words good Reader we make this sincere profession before God and all the world mark here again I beseech thee that notwithstanding all the defilements which we conceived to cleave to the true worship of God in them or of the unwarranted power in Church Government exercised therein yet we ever esteemed and held this opinion of them That they were the true Churches and Bodie of Christ and that the Ministers thereof were true Ministers much lesse did it ever enter into our hearts to judge them Antichristian yea wee always have protested that in these times pray marke these words well when the Churches of England were most actually over-spread with defilements and in the greatest danger thereof We both did and would hold a communion with them as the Churches of Christ and baptized our Children and administred the Lords Supper in their Parochiall Congregations and all this both before and since our returne from our foresaid exile Now then from all these premises see and consider seriously good Reader The Independents most unjust and injurious Separation from us even under their own hands testified and by such a deep and seeming-serious Protestation to God and the whole World protested against themselves wonderfull strange it is me thinks that truly holy and godly men should dare to deale thus in so sacred and serious things nay those premises touching our Churches or Congregations and Ministers being so granted by themselves how most ungodlily and ungroundedly doe they now and long time have forsaken our Assemblies as Antichristian and creep into corners shops and chambers and now adayes also some of their Schismaticall brethren are not ashamed most impiously and most unjustly to preach print and prate against us and our Assemblies directly under such notions even as if we were abominable Babylonians and Antichristians Now truly my Brethren if this be to deale ingenuously and to speake the truth from the heart as becomes the truly godly Saints and Citizens of the New-Jerusalem specified before to be Davids Character of a godly man let any impartiall Christian judge and determine Again In the same Apologeticall Narration pag. 24 25 Those five Apologists and Grandees of the Independent faction Yea those high-grown Sauls that are taller then any of their Presbyterian-Brethren by head and shoulders in parts and piety if we would believe the loud boasts of their Sycophanticall Proselites have these very words in that foresaid place evident to all that have eyes and understanding and wills to see and read the same viz. Wee call God and men to witnesse see how they here begin again with a deep asseveration that through the grace of Christ our spirits are and have been so remote from a spirit of faction division pride and singularity which are the usuall grounds of all Schismes that we have expressed our constant forbearance either to publish our opinions by preaching although wee had the pulpit free or to print any thing of our own or others for the vindication of our selves although the Presses also were more free than the pulpits Marke good Reader I beseech thee these their own words and yet consider how that most insolent and proud-spirited man Mr. Lilburn in his most flashy and foul-mouthed Letter to ever to be honored Mr. Prinne complains of the restraint of Printers-presses as a peece of their persecution forsooth pag. 2 of his said Letter or to act for our selves or for our way All these foresaid particular branches of their protested forbearance were indeed by them and the Presbyterian City Ministers mutually covenanted to be done on both sides but how faithfully religiously and conscienciously they have kept and observed the same yea notwithstanding their protesting before GOD and men neither to write preach dispute or any way to act for themselves or their Church-way and all this thus promised since their last returne into England from their fore-mentioned pretty piece of Banishment now we will see and discover I say how faithfully and fairly they have kept their word and engagement herein Although 't is most true that learned and religious Master Edwards hath in his elaborate Antapologie given his impartiall and unprejudiced Reader aboundant satisfaction touching these things and I might here multiply many testimonies from thence of our Independents self-condemnation touching the premises yet because I maynly endevour brevity in this little Treatise I will content my self with these few following most true and undeniable self-confutations extant there in Print under their owne hands namely that even not all these Apologists who have thus protested as yee have heard have not according to their so deep Protestation before God and Men forborn to Preach or Print any thing of their own in the behalf of their Church-way First then take Master Burroughs his self-conviction herein Who in his Sermons and Expositions on the three first Chapters of Hosea hath Preached and Printed severall things about and for their Church-way As for example In his first Lecture on Hosea the second at 1 2 p. 224 225. And the seventh Lecture Hos. 1 at 11 p. 173. And thirteenth Lecture on Hos. 2 15. Together with many other places in those his Lectures now extant in Print Secondly
THE SCHISMATICK SIFTED OR The Picture of INDEPENDENTS Freshly and Fairly Washt-over again Wherein the Sectaries of these Times I mean the principall Seducers to that dangerous and subtile Schisme of Independency are with their own proper Pensils and Self-mixed Colours most lively set forth to be a Generation of notorious Dissemblers and fly Deceivers Collected for the most part from undeniable Testimonies under their own Hands in Print for the more fair and full satisfaction and undeceiving of moderate and much misled Christians especially by the outward appearance of their Piety of Life and a pretence of their Preaching sound-Doctrine By JOHN VICARS For Sions sake I cannot hold my peace ISAIAH 62. 1. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them For These that are Such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly And by good words and fair speeches Deceive the Simple ROM. 16. 17 18. London Printed for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard 1646. To the Right Honourable and most worthily to be highly honoured THOMAS ADAMS Esquire Lord Major of the most famous and renowned City of LONDON I. V. prayeth all encrease of Gracious Honour here and of Glorious Happinesse hereafter Right Honourable IT was the sad and unhappy complaint of the Prophet Jeremy in his dayes and in that ungracious and ungratefull City Jerusalem That no man among them was valiant for the Truth Jer. 9. 3. Nay the Lord himselfe by the same Prophet seeming to be as it were transported with holy indignation and just jealousie of neglect of his honour and worship bids them Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem to see and seek if they could find any one man that loved the Truth Jer. 5. 1. Yea this penury of pious men was not only among the poor and mean men Ver. 4. But even among the Great Men and Rulers of Jerusalem ver. 5 But ô the honour and happinesse of this most famous faithfull and ever renowned City of London This City of our God of which most justly so many glorious Things are and may and must be spoken to the Glory of God and honour thereof Over which such a renowned and religious such a valiant and vertuous Governour is set verifying that of the Prophet Nah. 2. 3. though there Iconfess spoken in another sense That our valiant men are in Scarlet even your good Lordship who have bin as it were purposely placed and appointed by God himselfe for these times and who are so valiant and couragious for the Truth of your God and the glorious work of Gospell Reformation as cannot be dampt or daunted with any vaporous and seeming Eclipsing Clouds of unworthy Disgusts raised by the selfish and elfish Envy of Schismaticall spirits which of late have only passed over the faire face and cleer Sun-shine of your Honours Piety and Integrity For with unvanquishable Valour and Vigour of Zeal for God and his Truth like a pious Patriot indeed your Honour hath most gravely and graciously dispell'd them all standing still like an immoveable invincible and impregnable Rock or rather running on like the active Sun in the Firmament with so much the more resplendent Beauty and radiant Lustre in a sweet and swift course of Constant Piety and Magnanimity for the advancement of the immaculate Cause of your God and the Common-wealth to the high honour of God and singular joy and comfort of all the true Presbyterian Saints and Sons of our English Sion both in City and Country Ride on prosperously then my most honourable good Lord in the Cause of Truth and Righteousnesse backt with the sacred Suffrages and faithfull Affections of very many thousands of most peaceable honest-hearted and God-honouring Covenanters both in City and Country yea even of a whole Nation of loyall and loving Scottish-Brethren who with us most justly look for and long for the happy and holy consummating of a glorious Reformation of the Kingdoms Grievances and establishment of a blessed Church-Discipline according to the Minde of our great Master Christ Jesus and the plain literal meaning of our sacred solemne Covenant And hence my honourable good Lord I have bin humbly bold emboldened by your Honours much experienced candor and courtesie toward me the meanest and most unworthy of all your Lordships Votaries to dedicate this little but I hope very necessary and usefull Treatise considering these seducing staggering and unstable-times as a small Symbol and though poore and plain yet true Tessera of my bounden Gratitude to your Honours pious Patronage Thus I say both to take fit occasion to manifest my obliged hearts Thankfulnesse for your Lordships many most free and friendly favours As also by this though succinct yet sincere discovery of the sly and subtile Dissemblers and Deceivers of our dayes and consequently the mayn molesters and disturbers of the happy settlement of a godly Church-Government among us As also thus to adde at least one small stick to encrease the flame though I am confident I need not of your good Lordships godly zeale in this glorious work so much and so maliciously opposed by the impious and impudent Sectaries of these most sadly distracted Times Which humbly hoping your Honour will with accustomed Christian candor and exuberant friendly favour candidly accept The continued yea perpetuated Encrease of all Honour and Happinesse to your good Lordship in this your renowned Majoralty and to the period of your pious Pilgrimage shall be the daily devoted prayers of Your Honours most humble and eve◠to be commanded observant Servant in the Lord John Vicars To the godly and impartiall READER THe great dishonour good Reader which I have frequently observed to be done to my God in the abuse of his Truth and the strange cockering of Errours and Schismes by Truths too violent and virulent Adversaries and Antagonists Together with the familiar vilifying and extream undervaluing of Truths loyall Presbyterian Propugnators and the most unreasonable high esteeme and loud and lofty Elogies which the foolish World falsly and fondly blatters forth in prayse of Schismaticall Independents and the rest of these Times most seditious and dangerous Sectaries whose great and yet most just unhappinesse it is that they cannot mayntain any thing for the most part of what they schismatically professe but by grosse untruths brainsick Enthusiasmes fictitious New-Lights aliàs old-blasphemous Errours and too often by down-right-lyes All these respects I say have made mee the meanest and most unworthy of ten thousand of my godly Presbyterian-Brethren in fervent Zeal to God and his Truth and in pure love and loyalty to her faithfull Presbyterian Friends thus according to my Talent to set Pen to paper and with as much faithfulnesse as resolved freedome with their own hands to stop the mouths and with their own Pens to give a check to the untrue Tongues of these so high Pretenders to such soundnesse in
Doctrine and Integrity of Life and Conversation as they themselves and their Schismaticall Scycophants do most frothily and falsly brag and boast them to be And although I doe as I must make account herein to passe through bad report as well as good report for this my Pains yet so I may bring any honour to God and his most precious Truth and adde though but a mite of Zeale toward the just vindication which I have in some measure in this Treatise endevoured of my reverend good Friend because Truths fast Friend I mean learned and religious Mr. Edwards in his Christian faithfulnesse and godly fervour especially in his learned and elaborate Antapologie That invincible weapon which hath given our Independent Sectaries such an incurable wound as they will never be able to claw off or heal up against these Truths most crafty and calumniating Adversaries yet notwithstanding I say I passe or care not having I praise my God that Murum aheneum the testimony of a good conscience within me for all the false and flashy slanders that Any or All of them can strugle to asperse and spatter mee with However beseeching the Lord that this my poore and honest labour may produce so much good as either to open the eyes of some pious and plain-hearted Seduced-ones as many such I am verily perswaded are among them who heartily desire to know and love the Truth if it be the Lords good pleasure or at last to stablish and confirme the hearts of those that already really and cordially love the Truth and Peace and heartily hate Schisme and disorderly Confusion I rest Thine to serve thee in the Lord Jesus JOHN VICARS The Names of the five pious Apologists principally mentioned in this Treatise Master Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sidrach Simpson The Names of the seven religious Remonstrants mainly also mentioned in this Work Master William Greenhill Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sydrach Simpson William Carter Together with divers other Heads of the Independent Faction THE SCHISMATICK SIFTED HAving not long since dilucidated and plainly painted forth to the sight of All in my Picture of Independency the Basis or Ground of that as unhappy as unholy-Schisme of Independency to be Spirituall-Pride Self-Seeking and most grosse Ingratitude to God and Man And having of late and long time indeed had many sad and serious thoughts What should be the reason of the so constant and great growth of all-Sorts of Sectaries among us which as the Superstructure on that triple-foundation have according to our old Proverb too true at this time Ill weeds grow apace mightily increased and grown marvellous rife and ranke in the Garden of God for want of serious and seasonable Weeding to the great endangering choking and stifling of the holy and wholsome Herbs and Flowers of Unity true Peace and Piety At last I found by sad and bad experience that beside the great want of care and sedulity in the Gardiners and Guardians under God of his Garden the Church faithfully and effectually to weed and dresse it I mean through the strange impunity and intolerable Toleration of Sectaries and Schismaticks so out-facingly to flourish and sprout out among us beside this I say Satan that old Serpentine-seducer had made use of an old sly Stratagem of his herein to wit That those pernicious weeds should grow-up and shoot-forth exceeding like unto most sweet and fragrant Flowers and wholsome Herbs whereas indeed upon proof and experience being used and smelt unto they were nothing so but contrariwise exceeding bitter bad poysonous and unwholsome But to speak Plain-English for since They so crave and cry-out for Liberty of Conscience to do what they list unjustly I hope it is much-more lawfull for mee to desire Liberty or Freedome of speech to speak nothing but truth plainly and honestly and to leave allegoricall expressions and if it be lawfull in these doubling days to call a Spade a Spade which I am resolved to do yet with all possible Christian moderation and godly temper that may be considering the subject I write of I find I say that the two mayn Stratagems which Sathan useth at this time to cheat deceive the world yea even many of the truly godly-Party indeed and to cause all sorts of Schismes and Errours thus to increase and multiply among us I mean especially that most sly and subtile and therefore the most dangerous Schisme of Independency The two mayn Stratagems I say for the more uncontroulable propagation hereof are first a popular appearance and outward habit of Holinesse if there be any more I beseech them to let us see it by integer practice of Life and conversation for come and talk with any of our moderate if not neutrall or tender-conscienced even Presbyterians who many of them stand as it were on tip-toe wavering which way to stand or fall and ask them how it comes to passe and possibly can be that seeing these Independents Anabaptists c. broach and preach and practise such dangerous opinions and unwarranted Church-ways as they call them to the great distraction and disturbance of the godly Peace and tranquility both of Church and State when we have given them cleer Demonstrations from the fountain of Truth it self that their ways and opinions are not according to Christ and Scripture-Grounds yet still there answer is O I dare not but think and speak well of them and hold them to be good Christians because they walk so holtly and religiously And also say they in the second place because they preach and teach as sound Doctrines as any of our Presbyterian-Ministers And thus I say upon these two hinges turns the door of Independents growing hopes of impunity and a continued good opinion even I say among our own Presbyterian Party whereby doubtlesse they are greatly mistaken in them and I feare grosly gulled by them and so wrong the Truth in countenancing and encouraging her Enemies and retarding the work of Reformation For a briefe answer to both which though I intend not to enter into a Polemicall Dispute of these things which I know would prove as endlesse as fruitlesse especially with them who are familiarly known to love to live Salamander-like in the fire of hot and heady Disputes yet I trust by Gods gracious assistance to give the godly judicious and impartiall Readers such pregnant proofs and Demonstrative and reall testimonies and that briefly too of the exceedingly to be feared falsity and great mistake of both these in our Independents and their Brother-Sectaries that they must in conscience certainly confesse the invalidity and weaknesse of their opinions and assertions of them and see and say that they are surely mistaken in them and palpably deceived by them To begin then with the last of these first Whereas it is pretended by some of our own that they dare not but speak and think well of Independents because
as they say they preach as sound-doctrines as any of the best-Presbyterians doe Hereunto I answer first in generall That although I deny not but that oftentimes they preach sound-Doctrine yet they frequently intermix much of their own unsavoury and unfound leven of false-Opinions together with the sound-Doctrines which they deliver Witnesse That vehement pernicious yea even most damnable plea for a Toleration of all Opinions and Liberty of Conscience the high-way to ruinate and destroy all Religion and Conscience Together with their most ungodly inveighing against both in Pulpits and Presses that godly Church-Discipline which is regulated as neere as may be by Gods sacred Word and the pattern of the best and most purely Reformed Churches in Europe and only crying-up a most licentious unlimited and Independent-destructive Government of their own ungrounded invention Whereby by a cleere and undeniable necessary-Consequence they most undiscreetly yea irreligiously-endevour to overthrow and utterly I say to ruinate all sound-Doctrine and pure Truth it self For as it cannot be denied by any that the Word of God soundly preached and the Sacraments purely administred are Gods Field of Corn his precious Vineyard his Garden of fragrant Flowers and wholsome Herbs And as a wise Gardiner or provident Husbandman or Vine-dresser when he hath planted a Garden or Vineyard or sown a Corn-field presently takes care to build a wall or make a strong Fence or Hedge about the same to preserve them from hurtfull Beasts which otherwise would break-in destroy the Flowers or Grapes and root up and utterly spoyle the good Corn So although in the first place it must be most justly granted as I said before that sound-doctrines and the Sacraments rightly administred are the Garden of God and do contein the Body and substance of Soul-saving-Truth as being the Fountain and Foundation thereof yet it is as true that godly-order and Scripture-Discipline or Church-Government is the Hedge Wall or strong-Fence which God the most prudent and provident Gardiner or Husbandman of this his pretious Garden Vineyard or Field of Corn hath planted and built round about the same both to keep in safety and security the specious and pretious Flowers Herbs Corn and Grapes for the pious Professours of his Word and Truth to be nourisht cherisht and fed by them to eternall-life and thus to keep out the noysome and hurtfull wild-beasts and Boars of the Forrest I mean all sorts of tyrannizing Misbelievers Hereticks Papists and prophane Atheists and all crafty Foxes yea even the little-Foxes I mean Anabaptists Antinomians Independents Seekers and such like Libertines who otherwise all of them this Wall Hedge or Fence being pluckt up or taken away would soon run in ruinate and root up and destroy the pretious Corn fragrant Flowers and tender Grapes thereof even utterly overthrow the Fountain and Foundation of sound-Doctrine and put in poyson of Errours and blasphemous and most dangerous yea damnable Opinions and Heresies among them I say to the utter undoing and overthrow of the Foundation or Fountain even of sound-doctrine and Truth it selfe This I conceive is a most faithfull and undeniable Truth and though I know all sorts of Sectaries will carp snap and snarl at it shall therefore satisfie me and may also I think satisfie all other godly and moderate Christians who desire to be wise with sobriety But if it will not then to come to particulars and so more closely to the point in hand Is not to broach and preach that most wicked and accursed doctrine of Toleration of all Religions as I toucht before yea of all Heresies Errours Sects and Schismes under that slie subtile ungrounded and most ungodly pretext of Liberty of Conscience forsooth is not this I say a preaching of false-Doctrine Is not the broaching and preaching of the Scripture not to be the Word of God Of the performance of holy Duties and expression of godly sorrow for sin and penitent praying for forgivenesse of sin yea and the performance of all these with an honest humble self-denying and Christ-seeking broken-soul to be called or counted no better than casting dirt as it were into Gods face Are not all these my Brethren together with exceeding many more such like yea some far worse if it may be blasphemous and damnable Doctrines and enormous Opinions set forth at large by reverend Master Edwards in his Gangraena are not all these I say palpable Preaching and broaching of false-doctrines and if not all of them yet many of them preached by our so admired Independents and either few or none of all the rest are at any time preached against nay are they not countenanced and encouraged by them Wherefore if any shall still object and say That those forementioned dangerous Opinions and the rest related by Master Edwards are not the Opinions of the more solid and temperate Independents but are the Anabaptists Antinomians and such like I answer They are moderate and most seeming solid Independents which plead and Preach mightily for Toleration and Liberty of Conscience which most directly are the Inlets open sluces and wide-gaps for all the rest to rush and gush in amongst us And therefore distinguish them as you please and call them what you will hereof I am most confident That though our most moderate and supposed most discreet Independents may seem only in some things to differ and vary and in their Heads or Brains as I may say to be somwhat distant from some of the rest of the dangerous Sectaries yet are they all like Sampsons Foxes fast tyed by their Tayls with destructive Firebrands of Dissention Division and Confusion between them to destroy as much as in them is the good-corn of Gods-field by their most ungodly struglings studies plots and calumnies to ruinate the Wall and pluck-up the Hedge or safe Fence I mean as we all too sensibly feel at this day to hinder and oppose with all might and malice power and policy the Settlement of the godly Government and Scripturall-Discipline of our pious and peacefull Presbyterians And are these now the sound and orthodox men that are so highly commended and blazoned abroad for their sincerity and soundnesse in Doctrine Who thus dare so boldly yet craftily I confesse broach abroad such false Doctrines and thus preach and prate against Gods most pure and soul-saving Truths Certainly then am I mightily mistaken But now to come to the second or other main part of our own Presbyterian friends Common-plea for Independents the other cause of their great growth amongst us viz. their Holines of life which we have great ground and cause to feare and more than to feare is but pretended and in appearance which indeed is I say the main thing I here intend to insist on and principally to prove against them as I have promised and that under their own Hands by most undeniable testimonies And herein I shall first desire briefly to premise thus much by
way of introduction to what is to follow namely that this hath ever been even in all ages and times Satans old-Cloke too well known to be almost worne quite thread-bare by frequent and familiar use among Deceivers For if we look back to by-past times and read Ecclesiasticall Histories we shall most truly know and unquestionably understand that those grand and grosse Hereticks and Ring-leaders to dangerous and damnable Heresies Errors and Schismes in the Church of God especially in the Primitive Churches and former times as Arrius Pelagius Arminius c. were all of them men of extraordinary outward holy lives and to see to of most integer conversation even to generall admiration and approbation for their parts and piety and to the singular love and liking of all the people among whom they then lived And yet they were all of them most notorious dangerous yea damnable Hereticks And look up also even to our most blessed Saviours time and there we shall finde the Scribes and Pharisees to be outwardly such demurely seeming Saints such pure and holy persons to see to that it was an universally received opinion among all the common-people the Jews of those times That if any two men in the world should goe to heaven and be saved it was a Scribe and a Pharisee And yet by our Saviours own Testimony These were most notorious dissemblers deceivers and horrible hypocrites And indeed one main foul fault among them also was a most vile perverting of the Law to their own ayms and ends and teaching false-doctrines and their own false glosses and intentions in stead of sound-doctrine which very thing made our blessed Saviour himselfe to inveigh most bitterly against them as notorious hypocrites as is most evident in all the foure Evangelists The experience whereof also made the blessed Apostle Paul say having found false Apostles in his times also deceitfull-workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ That it was no marvail for Satan himselfe sayes he is transformed into an Angel of light And indeed there is very great politick reason hereof for should not Hereticks and Schismaticks first put-on that brave embrodred-cloke of seeming holinesse to dazle the eyes and understanding of their honest innocent Proselites as I believe many of these to be Who I pray that had any light and sight of reason and Religion would so easily have received their so dangerous Opinions or damnable Doctrines If Satan should at first shew his cloven-foot and the hornes on his head as fools formerly were made to believe the Devill had such to be frighted by them who I say would not then fly from him as easily discerning him to be a Devill So I say if Heretical Erronious Schismatical Deceivers should at the very first shew the inside-danger poyson of their aymes plots self-interests and designes intended by their Heresies errours and Schismes who would so easily and instantly entertain them and be so misled and abused by them Therefore dear Christians take heed for Gods sake of being taken with painted pretences of holinesse of life in any man whatsoever he be swallow not down so easily such gilded-pils or catching fish-hooks which are onely covered-over with deceitfull baits to catch and undoe your poor plain-meaning soules Believe it my Christian friends you try your mettalls by a very false and deceitfull touch-stone if you look so on mens holy-lives and conversations alone nay rather read sound and try men mainly and most especially by their soundnesse of Doctrine for if this fails all is naught I 'le warrant you And that you may see 't is not mine but the blessed Apostle Paul's judgement and right rule of tryall which cannot deceive marke what he sayes in two most pertinent places to this purpose Be yee followers of me even as I also am of Christ No farther or no otherwise than I folow the Lord Jesus Christ in sound Doctrine and holinesse first and principally sound Doctrine and then holinesse and to strengthen and back this to be his true meaning indeed observe what this same blessed Apostle and faithfull servant of the Lord sayes farther There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But if either We even any of us Apostles though ever so holy or an ANGEL from heaven for seeming sanctity or holinesse preach any other Gospel or pretended truths than that which we have preached to you let him be accursed to you See here a time Touch-stone indeed my friends see first to soundnesse of Doctrine without which believe not nay abominate the seeming holiest men or Angels even Angelicall-men that may pretend the greatest parts and piety that may be But having first seen by the right-rule Gods Word their Doctrine to be sound then on Gods name search and see into their Sanctimonie and integrity in life and conversation and then you take the right way indeed cordially to love and like to follow affect and imitate them Nay I will bee bold to say and assure and dare undertake to prove and justifie by Gods assistance that There is far more safety and sweetnesse for the soule to love and like to follow and imitate a Christian or Pastor that is most Sound and Orthodox in Doctrine and Judgement though subject to weaknesse and humane infirmities Than him that seems to be most exact and strict in his outward walking and conversation if he premeditately and invincibly against all perswasions and Scripturall convictions goe on in the publike profession of Errors and Schismes destructive to the peace and edification of Gods Church and Sound Doctrine But now without any farther digression having Thus laid down these most necessary and pertinent premises I will by Gods assistance come up close to the promised point even our present main matter touching the much boasted Holines of Life of our Independent Sectaries shew how neer they come-up to down-right Deceivers in their reall practice testified I say by their own undeniable hand-writings And here give me leave good Reader in the first place for the better making fair way and that most briefly for what follows to give unto Thee and from Scripture it selfe The perfect Character Cognizance and Description of a truly Godly-man a sure pure Saint indeed and sacred Citizen of the New-Jerusalem especially in these two or three remarkable marks of him among divers others viz. Hee is such an One as speaks the Truth from his heart And having thus spoken promised or sworn keeps his promise though to his own prejudice Both These being fully and fairly connected and bound up together in our blessed Saviours most Royall-Law and Golden-Rule Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you doe yee even so unto them And then also doe but consider herewith what the Spirit of the Lord sayes concerning the contrary practisers He that loves or makes a lye shall be shut out of the New Jerusalem among
Master Simpson another of these so deep Protesters as aforesaid In his Sermon called Reformations Preservation on Isaiah 4 5. And on Proverbs 8. 15 16. hath there many things for their Church-way and for a Toleration p. 25 26. 27. of those Sermons Thirdly also Master Bridge another of them in his Sermons Printed and published and entituled Babylons Downfall And that on Zech. 1 at 18 19 20 21. Together with many other to be seen in Master Edwards his most excellent Antapol afore-said But this Truth being thus confirmed under the hands of three such eminent proofs and testimonies I think it may give sufficient satisfaction herein Besides the very many other Books and Pamphlets Printed and reprinted for their Church-way since this Parl. began and since there Covenant made to the Contrary all which for brevities sake I say and to avoid tediousnes I willingly pretermit and will not so much as mention as indeed I need not they being so notoriously known or may be known abroad to all that know ought herein And as for their other kinds of acting by themselves and others in and for their Church-ways advantage and advancement I shall I say to avoid prolixity referre the Reader to the learned Antapologie p. 220 221 c. very worthy the reading for abundant cleer satisfaction in these premises Only I cannot forbeare to give thee one particular instance more hereof which may mee thinks be Instar omnium to shew to the World their faithlesse craft and subtilty yea and most palpable Double-Dealing with their single-hearted Presbyterian Brethren and thus according to my promise to let all men see that will not obstinately shut their eyes against such cleer and known truths what a godly-party and what holy-Saints these Independents are The thing in brief is this About the beginning of the second yeer of the sitting of the Parliament The Presbyterian Pastors in London and the Independents met together at reverend and religious Master Calamies House in Aldermanbury where with mutuall consent they all entred into an engagement one party to the other That for advancing of the publike Cause of a happy Reformation neyther side should Preach Print or Dispute or otherwise act against others way And this to continue til both sides in a full meeting did declare the contrary and by mutuall consent set each other at liberty touching these things And for the confirmation of this agreement a Writing or Instrument was drawn with full and cleer desire and assent of all and also by all there and then present it was subscribed with every mans name And this so done was with a generall consent to be left and so to abide with Master Calamy at his House there to be seen at any time by any of them that would have recourse unto it to shew and see their agreement all which was accordingly done and this Writing or Instrument was left in Master Calamies custody Heere now let me hint this to the Reader by the way That notwithstanding this Writing or Instrument of this their so solemne agreement no nor their own fore-mentioned Protestation of their own voluntary forbearance so deeply but deceitfully professed and protested in their Apologie to be so sacred unto them to be kept so strictly by them with such deep silence for these are their very words All these I say notwithstanding they in the interim immediatly after went on in a too evident cōtrary practice as hath bin before sufficiently declared and all these their Protestations proved the most advantageous Piece of Policy on their side of any one that was or could be done by them for the increasing of a Party for them Just like the Declarations set forth by King CHARLES by means of the crafty Bishops in their late flourishing and domineering times that their should be no Disputes no Preaching or Printing on either side for or against the Arminian-points which then were in great controversie Which Declarations and Inhibitions being observed by many Ministers but not so by the Arminian-faction was a mighty means to increase them and to suppresse Orthodox-Doctrines Even so I say it fell out heer for by this means of the Agreement nothing was Preached or Printed or any way acted against their way according to the foresaid agreement to hinder the growth of Independents on our side Ours making conscience most honestly and tenderly of their engagement But in the mean time I say many things were both Preached and Printed for it as I have touched before which if it were not apparent unfaithfulnesse and plain Double-dealing I know not what is But now to come to this notable trick of theirs acted by Master Philip Nye that notable Independent-Politician and nimble-Agent for their Schismaticall Church-way which was this The fore-mentioned Writing or Instrument of the mutuall Agreement between the Presbyterian and Independent parties being as aforesaid left in the hands of reverend Master Calamy by him to be kept and shewn and seen as occasion was offered It so fell out that Master Nye came one day to Master Calamy and pretended some reasons for his desire to see and borrow this Writing of him for a little while whereupon good Master Calamie in his courtesie and singlenesse of heart suspecting nothing amisse but thinking he meant fairly and would bring it again presently as he had promised let him have it But he after he had it carried it away with him into Yorkeshire that so upon any complaints of the breach of the agreement when ours should have consulted with that writing or shewn it against them and brought their own hands subscribed thereunto the Writing was gone and nothing now to shew against them As for conscience they as it seem'd car'd not a rush for it no marvell then that they so cry out and plead for Liberty of conscience for this Master Nye hath ever since kept away this Writing and having been often intreated to restore it his answer still hath been that hee left it at Hull among his other papers This Truth is also fully related by reverend and faithfull Master Edwards in his learned and most excellent Independent frighting Antapologie and is backt also by the unquestionable testimony of our most grave and godly Assembly of Divines in their most excellent Answer to the seven Independents most false and scandalous Remonstrance lately printed and published by the Independents for the honour forsooth of those seven Authours thereof but which in the issue turned to their most just eternall indelible dishonour And are not these then my deare Presbyterian friends most soule blots and blemishes in so godly apartie so gracious and holy Saints so cryed-up rare Christians as Independents are now a dayes hugely boasted to be Doe these their practises in word and deed answer to the Characters of Davids holy Citizens of the New-Jerusalem To speake the truth from their hearts and to keepe their promise though to their prejudice Or are they like
I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse with the rest of Gods faithfull ones to the truth and fully and faithfully to speake and declare the Truth with all holinesse godly zeal courage and impartiality against whomsoever in this case neither regarding the favours or frowns of any but onely ayming at the glory of my God which I say was the main end of my creation But to conclude and shut up all I have now to say it is most probable that our Independents and the rest of their Schismaticall fraternity for as I have formerly toucht I make account all the rest of the Sectaries are for certain Independents Object 3 will again now at last Object and say unto me That all this while I have but pleased my selfe in beating the ayre and shooting at rovers being wide of the marke and much mistaken in all that I have taxed and accused them with all for none of them are at all perswaded or convinced in their consciences that any of those which Master Edwards or I call Errours or Schismes are Schismes or sins but as Answer 3 was touched before New-Lights and New-revealed Truths Whereunto I Answer with sorrow of soule for their sakes I easily indeed believe they will say so and I cannot much marvell at it Since as those Demetrians said By this craft they have got much gain And since I see this is their obstinate and inflexible resolution thus still to say and hold and that they are before hand resolved for private interests and self-aymes sake that no clearest demonstrative reasons or argumentations no though from apparent Scripture or Scripture-consequences shall beat them off or disswade them from these Satans strong stratagems of New-Light New-Revelations Keeping Reserves and Liberty of Conscience I therefore will say no more unto them but with the Spirit of the Lord said to obstinate and incorrigible Ones Hee that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him bee filthy still and he that is righteous ô let him be righteous still and hee that is holy let him be holy still Onely I herein may comfortably say to mine own heart Liberavi animam meam Yet as the Religious bonds of piety and charity binde me from my soule I shall unfainedly pray as the Lord knows I daily doe that God would in the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus open their eyes and speake to their hearts shew them the evill of their ways and the great danger of their destructive errours to the ruine of the whole Kingdom yea of the three whole Kingdoms if they doe not timely retract and repent of those great and gangrene evils and blasphemous errours which have enflamed almost the whole Kingdom by their New-lights as so many firebrands to set on fire three whole Kingdoms I say if the Lord in mercie by the wisdome piety and impartiallity of our Parliament quench not the flame in time and graciously reconcile us not together by godly peace unity and unanimity of spirit which the Lord in much mercie grant unto us for his sake who is the Prince of Peace Truth and Love and of all godly order even the Lord Christ the Righteous to whom be all honour praise dominion with holy and hearty universall obedience for ever AMEN The opinion and advice as it is deemed of Monsieur de MOULIN Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of SEDAN in FRANCE Concerning the opinion of those who are named Independents in ENGLAND Wherein the Inconcinnity and unreasonablenesse if not apparent impiety of Independents in the mayn point of Classicall-Discipline is most evidently discovered by this eminently Reverend and Learned Divine to the shame and silence of our obstinate Independents SIR A Certain friend of mine an honest religious man hath given me notice that certain persons doe finde fault with the Order and Discipline established in our Church In which the Consistory are subject to the Colloquies and the Colloquies to the Provinciall Synod and the Provinciall to the Nationall Synod And their desire is to have every particular Consistory or Congregation of one and the same absolute authority independent from any Superiour authority or Assembly whatsoever Upon which my said friend earnestly desired to have my opinion or judgement on the matter which being of such a nature and importance I could not any way decline or deny his request which I have here set down and is as followeth I say that those which propound this opinion ought in no manner or wise to be hearkened unto For if in case this their opinion were followed there could nothing else ensue but the certain ruine of the Church and an extreme confusion for the severall reasons heer following First It happeneth often times that two Ministers of one Parish or Congregation fall our and are at variance and thereupon they separate and divide the Congregation into two factions in such an occasion of necessity there must needs be the helpe of a Superiour Authority Secondly The Church or Congregation hath but one Minister and he leads an ungodly life to the scandall of the Church and the Consistory of that Congregation censureth him all being of one accord or if it happen that the said Consistory be divided and of two opinions there can be surely in such a case no remedy but by a superiour Power and Authority of Colloquies or Synods who have power to depose and appoint such Ministers or such a Minister if there be but one as they shall think fit and they or he desiring to be deposeth Who shall depose him the Elders onely of the Consistory or the whole Congregation or Assembly Shall they give sentence against them or him Thirdly If any one of the Congregation bee unjustly suspended from the holy Communion or absolutely excommunicated unto whom shall he direct himselfe to be re-admitted to the Congregation or to whom shall be direct his complaint if so be the Consistory who have unjustly suspended or excommunicated him have an absolute authority to themselves without dependencie upon any other If any new Heresies happen to be raised in any Church and that some Ministers and Congregations become infected therewith what remedy is there to avoid this great evill but by a Synod who may examine and depose the obstinate Minister or partie who infecteth the Church Had not the Synod of Dort remedied this evill the Arminianisme was spreading it selfe over that whole Countrey and had unavoidably prevailed For in case that every Consistory or Parish had been absolute of themselves and Independent they might have refused the resolution of the said Synod alleadging that they were not subject to Synods but had an absolute authority within themselves It is the chiefe and peculiar work of Synods which they always first take in hand to heare the complaint of particular Churches and to judge of appeals If these be taken away from the Synods they need no more to meet