a Pike in the street upon which Cretensis makes jests as that Lilburn is able to see and read twenty untruths and ten in Mr. Edwards Book with the worst of them I answer this passage as also that of two Children taken away at a time from Cretensis are not made any thing of by me or insisted upon to upbraid them but touched only to shew their own folly in rash censuring of Presbyterians from acts of Gods Providence in afflicting by giving instances in themselves However for the truth of the thing Lilburns eye was so run into by a Pike immediately upon his Letter coming forth against Mr. Prynne and the Assembly as that he could not see with it for a great while and it was feared and commonly reported he would never see more with it but for my part I am glad to hear he can see again with it and the recovery of his sight doth no whit infringe the truth of what I have written I expressing not how long he could not see speaking only of presently after his Letter came forth but supposing his eye-sight to be as good as Cretensis expresses it yet I am sure he cannot read twenty and ten untruths in Gangraena and I suppose by this time the Reader by my Reply is well satisfied that this speech of Cretensis is an untruth and as for that jeer of Cretensis That if I had not a great beam in my own eye I might easily have seen that neither of Lilburns eyes are put out I Reply that lately in Westminster Hall I walked by Leiut Col Lilburn and eyed him well and could easily see a great blemish in one of his eyes which was not in the other and so visible that many a one in whose eye lesse is seen yet cannot see at all and I am of the minde if Cretensis do but put on his Spectacles he may see a great blemish in the eye upon occasion of the Pike running in but for my part the greatest hurt I wish to Lieut Col Lilburn is that he may not lose the eye of his soul in the wayes of Error Schism contempt of the Ministery dispising of Dominion and speaking evil of Dignities yes my earnest prayer to God for him Cretensis and other of their Brethren is That God would anoint their eyes with eye-salve that they might see and be ashamed and return Lastly for Thomas Moor a great Sectary and manifestarian that hath done much hurt in Lincolnshire which Cretensis denies by saying he doth not more believe there is any such man then he does that there is any woman-Preacher at Brasteed in Kent c. and he believes me to be the greatest Manifestarian under Heaven there being no man that hath manifested that weaknesse of judgement that strength of malice against the Saints that I have done I Reply first the Reader may do well to take special notice of the bold impudency of Cretensis who dares deny any thing if it may make for the Sectaries and 't is no wonder he denies many other things in Gangraena calling them lies forgeries when as he will dare to write thus and to deny that which is known to many hundreds and to persons of all ranks Ministers Gentlemen Citizens Souldiers This Thomas Moor does much hurt in Lincolnshire some parts of Norfolk Cambridgeshire he is famous at Boston Lynne Holland followed and accompanied somtimes from place to place with many attending him and I cannot think but Cretensis hath heard of him and that he hath some Equivocation in his words or evasions as it may be upon the word Sectary Cretensis not judging any of his Saints Sectaries or upon great Sectary as those words seem to imply A Sectary of that magnitude which he imports or else upon those words That hath done much mischief Cretensis not believing that any of his Saints can do much mischief and truly Cretensis may with as much truth deny there is any such man as Master Hugh Peters as deny what I have written of Thomas Moor and that there is such a one I have seen and have by me at this time writings of his to the quantity of almost twenty sheets for his Opinions written by Thomas Moor himself subscribed with his Name to a worthy and learned Member of the Assembly As also this Thomas Moor since these Wars was questioned and committed by the then Governor of Boston Colonel King for keeping an unlawful Conventicle at an unseasonable time in the night in the Garrison Town of Boston and for abusing and mis-calling the Governor when he was brought before him about it Secondly as for that jeer There is no more any such man then such a woman at Brasteed in Kent let Cretensis know for all Master Saltmashes bold affirmation in his late Book that the contrary is known to himself and all the Town there is such a woman who Preaches often both at Brasteed and other Towns thereabouts and besides what the Reader in justification of this may finde in this Book p. 24 25. I shall adde this as a farther proof related to me lately by two godly Ministers of Kent which is as follows Upon Mr. Saltmarshes Book call'd Groans for Liberty coming forth and denying there was any such woman who Preached at Brasteed many of the godly Ministers of Kent in that part of Kent about Town Mauling at a meeting of theirs took it in consideration to enquire and finde out the truth of that related in Gangraena but denied by Mr. Saltmarsh and entreated particularly a Minister on Mr. T. born in those parts neer Brasteed knowing the Town and the people thereabouts to make it his businesse so to search into it as that the certain knowledge of it might be reported to them at their next meeting that accordingly it might be communicated to me for the further clearing of the truth Mr. T. willingly accepted of the Motion of his Brethren and accordingly did act in the businesse and at the next meeting satisfied the rest of the Ministers that he had found out there was such a Preaching woman an Anabaptist who somtimes at Brasteed and other times at Westrum a Town neer Brasteed doth meet other women and after she hath Preached she takes the Bible and chuses a Text some Verses in a Chapter or somtimes a whole Chapter and expounds and applies to her Auditors and Mr. T. the Minister who returned this relation to the Minister knows this woman and knows this to be so One of those two Ministers who acquainted me with this being entreated to give it me under his hand hath under his hand given it me which I keep by me to produce upon any occasion so that the Reader may see both the one and the other Thomas Moor the Sectary and a woman Preacher at Brasteed and both true notwithstanding Cretensis will not believe them but makes a jeer and scoff at these as he doth at all other things Thirdly to that bitter uncharitable unchristian expression of Cretensis
argument they may be pressed upon them to draw them off their errours yet they may not be charged upon them and therefore though in the setting down of the errours and the things thereto annexed as Letters some phrases and words may not be so proper nor so good English yet the Reader must not be offended because I would relate things in their own words to take away all cavill Sixthly For the proof and manifestation of the truth and reality of the errours blasphemies and practices contained in this present Tractate that the Reader may not rest upon my bare assertion and relation of them but may have other grounds of satisfaction for their belief and so be more affected with them I propound these following particulars as grounds of proof 1. That for divers of the opinions errours and practices related there is such a notoriety of them being so notoriously known to thousands and maintained by thousands every day and every place witnessing the truth of them that to quote books written and sermons preached for them or persons holding them is to lose time and when all is alledged that can be 't is far beneath the evidences that the mentioning of the things themselves give 2. Many errours and blasphemies contained in this following Catalogue have been complained of and particulars given in by sufficient persons to the Parliament Committees of Parliament Assembly of Divines and others in authority of which errours I have had either perfect copies given me from Ministers both of the Assembly and City or relations from their mouths who have known particularly the story and truth of them which copies I keep by mee to produce if need be and out of which amongst many other papers and books I made up this Catalogue 3. Some of the errours blasphemies and practices are proved and made manifest in the narration of the Stories and Letters following the Catalogue wherein the naming of some persons places occasions of writing the persons writ unto their writing in a publick way and not in a private manner the willingnesse to have them published with many other concurrent circumstances do declare they are not feigned nor counterfeited but reall and certain 4. Of some of these errours and practices here related I my self and other persons of good note and quality have at the same time together been ear-witnesses and eye-witnesses upon the places 5. Other of these errours and opinions are in divers printed books either of the Sectaries themselves or of persons of note and worth for learning and piety who either after conferences with them or hearing them preach upon certain knowledge have printed and attested them to the world diverse of which printed books especially those made by the Sectaries I quote upon the margent by the errours 6. For any of the errours blasphemies put in this following Catalogue which have come to my knowledge by none of the former five wayes above specified which yet are not many I have had the relation of them from godly Ministers and understanding conscientious Christians with many circumstances of names places conditions time and confident asseverations of the certainty of them the relations coming to me by providence and occasionally spoken of in the hearing of others as well as my selfe and so delivered as there can be no reason in the world to think they should be false but much every way to beleeve them true And that the Reader may the more build upon the truth of all things delivered in this Book besides that account I have given him already in these six particulars I shall acquaint the Reader with the course and way I have taken to come to the truth of things and not to go upon hearsay When any things of this nature have been related to me though by persons of worth and conscience I have used to enquire of them whether they were ear-witnesses or no if not ear-witnesses who they had the reports from and how they came to know them and where and by whom and upon what occasion these points were delivered if they said they were ear and eye witnesses yet if there were but one single witnesse I have used to question who else was present and to enquire after circumstances and occasions and accordingly have gone to other persons named from one to another to find out the bottome and truth both of Opinions held and practises used where I could with wisdome and probability go to finde out and know the truth I have done it myself and where my appearing might hinder the discovery and cause persons to be shie and more reserved I have set others to enquire and directed them the way and entreated them to aske such and such questions and after particular enquiry according to concurrence of circumstances and witnesses I have entertained such things for truth or else received them as false or suspended them as doubtfull not to be asserted and that I might be the more faithfull Relator of the opinions and wayes of the Sectaries of this time and know when and where to put more or lesse weight or credit upon informations and relations I have a long time used to write down daily the same day yea the same hour when I could get opportunty of privacie the occurrences both of opinions and practises that concern our Sectaries and that in such manner and way that looking upon my papers a yeer after I can judge of what authority the relations are and accordingly I have forborn to put into this Catalogue of Errours some strange Opinions I have heard of from good hands though they may be true because I have not had the opportunity to meet with and further to enquire of some persons concerning their truth and because some whom I have enquired of could give me no further satisfaction I have taken this way to satisfie the Reader rather then all along in the severall Errours Blasphemies and Practises to lay down the particular proofs which I think the better way upon these following reasons 1. Because in many of the Errours even contained under one and the same head the proofs to be given of the truth of the thing doth arise many wayes from printed Books from Manuscripts from Sermons from preaching in private houses from Articles given in by witnesses and from others relations now to quote all these with all particular circumstances of time place c. whereby to make out a full proof would be an endlesse work and be so long and tedious that it would crosse one of my ends in this work which is to have this Discourse but short a Manuall that might be for every ones reading 2. Because some of these Errours and Opinions can be proved only from Manuscripts and relations of honest persons who were ear witnesses which Manuscripts are but in the hands of a few unknown to most of the Readers and to make references to them by quoting them in the margent the Reader were never the neerer and then every man
to censure so that it was ordered to be reported by the Chair-man to the House it self and Master White told me more then once he was by order of the Committee to report it though by many great businesses of the Kingdom he was hindred now I say that after all this Cretensis should in the sight of the sun justifie it for a manifest and clear truth and flye out upon me and my Abbettors for finding fault with him is a strange hight certainly Cretensis if what you had said had been such a manifest and clear truth t is wonder such words should be spoken in the Committee of it and the thing ordered to be reported to the House it self as to high for a Committee and that your words spoken against the Parliament were not a manifest truth I refer the Reader to such a Book of Mr. Pryns to your own confession in your Answer to him and to the Record kept by the CoÌ„mittee for Plundred Ministers As for the reason you intimate why that which was uttered by you was nothing els but manifest clear truth because it hath passâ—d the trial of Presbyterian fire it self is come forth in full waight without suffering the least dammage or detriment of it that is upon complaint and examination of it by a Committee of Parliament you are come off and not censured I Reply the Reader may observe that Presbyterian fire is a cooler softer gentler fire then the Independent fire and that the presbyterians are not so 〈◊〉 crying for fire from hell to destroy all those who receive the Lord Christ only because their faces are not instanly set to receive the Traditions of their Discipline and Doctrine for Cretensis hath passed the trial of Presbyterian fire it self and is come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment by it I beleive if either I or any known cordial Presbyterian in England in speaking against the Independent party had said so much to the vilifying and contempt of the Parliament as Cretensis did in speaking against Presbyterians and we had come to the trial of Independent fire it self we should never have come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment by it but we should have carried to our graves the scorching and skars of that fire if not wholy consumed by it 〈◊〉 Though you were one of the first yet you are not alone nor the last of those who by writing or speaking having uttered things against the Parliament and being questioned by Committees have passed the trial of Presbyterian fire and come off too witnesse your brother Lilburn and yet all they have said and written have not been manifest and clear truths You who are Independents and Sectaries have priviledges in many things which poor Presbyterians have not you have a priviledge to steal horses Cretensis pag. 34 whereas 't is a great fault in Presbyterians to look over the hedge you have a priviledge to set up Churches and a Government of your own without leave or waiting on the Parliament but 't is a great offence in the Presbyterians to Petition the Parliament in all humility to settle the Presbyterian Government witnesse those many reproches in some printed news Books those pensioners of the Independent party as also the bitter preaching against their Petitions by some Independent Ministers with the hard speeches cast out against them by the Independent party You belike have a priviledge to preach print speak any thing against Parliament their Ordinances Orders Covenant Members yea to act against their Votes Ordinances and to passe the trial of Presbyterian fire as you terme it and to come forth in full waight without suffering the least damage or detriment whereas I am perswaded a great deal lesse preached or printed by Presbyterians would have been censured to be burnt by the hand of the common Hangman and the men themselves in danger of hanging Thirdly Cretensis you have no such reason to boâ—st so of what you have preach'd that t is a manifest and clear truth and hath passed the Presbyterian fire it self and is come forth in full waight c. till you know what the sense of the House of Commons will be upon it when 't is reported to the House according to the order of the Committee and the House hath cleared you then you might better have used these words but Cretensis though you say the bitternesse of death is past all danger is over you may be deceived quod desertur non aufertur the House may be at more leasure and call upon such kinde of things and upon a review you may be made to know what 't is not only to slight and vilifie a Parliament open a gap to a total contempt of all their Authority and power but when you have done so then openly and publikely to justifie that what you have said is a manifest and clear truth Cretensis I tell you plainly I would not for all the Books in my study the Independens could prove such words spoken by me against the power and dignity of Parliament how light account soever you make of them Fourthly the Reader may by this clearly see what to judge of Cretensis charging me and my Book with lying forgery c. when as he is not ashamed to tax me in this place that I could not lightly have uttered any thing that struck more dangerously at the very root of all Parliamentary Authority and power then to say that Cretensis in speaking against the Parliament and their power opened a gap to slâ—ghting of their authority and power what a strange art and faculty hath Cretensis as of making all Authors for him though they writ against him so of making master Edwards and his Abettors in pleading for the Parliament against Cretensis to strike dangerously at the very root of all Parliamentary Authority and power and that notwithstanding for the words Cretensis spake against the Parliament he was complained of to the Committee of Plundered Ministers by understanding men and cordial to the Parliament and the matter so deeply resented by the Honourable Committee as I have already expressed but the truth of it is Cretensis in all his writings both in point of opinions and words that he utters in defence of them he will say any thing as manifestly contrary to truth as to affirm black is white and darknesse light neither will he be beaten out of it by any reason but hides himself and clouds things in a multitude of words where an ordinary Reader loses himself as in a wood Fifthly 't is strange Cretensis you dare say that you know none but Presbyterians have broken in at the gap you have made do you not know what Lilburn hath done besides have you not read Englands Birthright The Ordinance for Tythes Dismounted cum multis aliis you indeed lead the way and was the first of all the pretended friends to the Parliament out of discontent in missing a place
beasts at Ephesus and from the messenger of Satan that encouraged and enabled little David to fight with a Bear and a Lion and to pull a Lambe out the Lions mouth yea to kill both the Lion and the Bear hath doth and will preserve me till I have finished my testimony Only my earnest desire is to the Orthodox and Pious Reader that for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit they would strive in prayer to God for me that I might be delivered from unreasonable euen and from them that are disobedient and that my service and labours in this kinde may be aâ—cepted of the Saints and that I may be so strengthened with might by his Spirit that in zeal and faithfullnesse and yet in love humility and wisedom I may speak as I ought to speak in all my following Treatises There are two things amongst many that I have oft thought upon and observed both from the Scriptures and the works of holy men both ancient and modern which in this cause against the Sectaries makes me not to be troubled at reproaches evill reports c. First that those Ministers who out of zeal to the glory of God love of his truth compassion to poor soules have appeared and acted vigorously by preaching and writing against the errours of the times and places they lived in have still met with a great deal of malignity hatred reproaches and speaking all manner of evill against them falsely as also many misconstructions neglects and unkinde dealings from friends Secondly Notwithstanding all this they have gon on in their work and way with constancie and heroick resolution triumphing and rejoycing in their sufferings rather rising higher and growing more bold then being moved or discouraged of both these I will give some instances Christ the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls for speaking against the Sectaries of the time namely the Pharisees Sadduces and Herodians was maligned reproached laid in wait for as also his own Disciples and Iohns were sometimes offended at him as Ioh. 6.60.61 66. Matth. 9.14.15 16 17. and yet Christ endured contradiction of sinners and bare witnesse to the truth Paul for opposing false teachers and the errors which had crept into the Church of Corinth and Galatia met with great reproaches bad reports not only from the false Apostles but from many of the people insomuch as they counted Paul an enemy passed judgement on him and spake contemptibly of him Gal. 4.16.17 2 Cor. 10.10 11. 1 Cor. 4.3.8 9 10 13.14 And yet Paul counted it a small thing to be judged and could take pleasure in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2. Cor. 12.10 and none of these things moved him so he might finish his course with joy and the Ministry which he received to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God Acts 20.24 Athanasius for opposing the Arians and detecting their wayes was conspired against accused and pursued with an unsupportable hatred and yet he went on with great zeal and courage against the whole world which at one time was made Arian so that he was resembled by the Fathers to an Adamant for his enduring all things Augustine and Hierom both of them for preaching and writing against hereticks and schismaticks especially Donatifts suffered many reproaches and yet rejoyced counting their sufferings a signe of their greater glory as Hierome writing to Augustine congratulates Augustine for deserving the hatred of all hereticks which he rejoyced was common to himself with him and that which is an argument of the greater glory all hereticks do detest you and persecute me also with the like hatred that whom they cannot kill with swords they do with wishes Yea Augustine in opposing Pelagius errours Pelagius being a man of a strict life and of great authority among all having many famous men that adhered to him as Caelestius Iulianus Episcopus Sulpitius Severus and others was censured by some of his friends to be too sharpe and bitter and his writings had many misconstructions There were Epistles by Prosper and Hilarie sent to Austin wherein they expresse that many who were most eminent in the honour of Priesthood did repreâ—end Augustin as if without a cause he had been too vehement and had too sharply managed the controversie against Pelagius yea among the auditours of Augustine all did not truely and with aâ—â— right hand receive it Luther as his name was hatefull to the Papists so also to the Sectaries of that age Thomas Muncer one of the first preachers and ring-leaders of the Anabaptists Luther having had some conflicts with him and others of that Sect put forth some writings wherein hee did pour out his rage and fury against Luther reproaching Luther that hee wanted a spirit of Revelation and savoured onely carnall outward things and after Luther had reproved Muncer for his opinion of liberty and the wayes he went in he set himself against Luther thundring out railing speeches saying that Luther did equally offend as the Pope of Rome yea that Luther was worse then the Pope himself promulgating only a carnall Gospel but Luther all his dayes both against the Papists and Sectaries Swenckfeldians Antinomians Anabaptists notwithstanding all reproaches went on with courage and rejoycing Luther esteemed evill speakings as meat fatning him Luther was afraid of praises but rejoyced in reproaches and blasphemies T is enough to me saith Luther if I please Christ my Lord and his saints I doe from my heart rejoyce and give thanks to my God that I am hatefull to the Divell and all his scales I am certain saith Luther that the truth of God cannot be rightly handled and maintained without envie and danger and this is the onely signe that it hath been rightly handled if it offend I do daily more and more please my self and am proud that I see a bad name increases to mee Zuinglius that great leader of the Reformation in Helvetia for disputing and writing against the Anabaptists was by Balthasar Hubmerus Pacimontanus though Zuinglius had done him many offices of love loadded with so great reproaches that hee was necessitated to make an Apologie for himselfe to satisfie the brethren Calvin that faithfull Pastour of Geneva as his labours and zeal against Popish heresies are known to all so did hee write and act against all other kind of errors that sprung up against the Anabaptists Libertines Servetus Valentinus Gentilis Stancanus as his works witnesse and for his pains and zeal being as a Christian Hercules overcoming so many monsters he was called Heretick Ambitious affecting a new Papacie one that studied to heap up riches a Railer so that Beza writ an Apologie for him yea some neighbour Pastours reproached him as if he made God the authour of sin because he excluded nothing from Gods externall providence in a word being so contagious a defender of sound doctrine hee was at home and
is not willing to be named in Print neither may I lawfully do it without their knowledge and leave besides that were the way for the future to deprive my self of the knowledge of many opinions and practises if I should print the names of every one that hath imparted intelligence to me 3. In this Catalogue of Errours under one and the same Errour which for number I make but one that I might not seem needlesly to multiply Errours and that I might contract things yet under that one Errour teere are more branches it may be two or three now though one part or branch of such an Errour as the former part is expresly set down in Books that are in many hands yet other branches are not but only have been expressed by word of mouth Now in such a case to quote Books speaking but to one part and not to the whole might question my faithfulnesse in all other particulars unto these I could adde more but these may suffice 7. Yet further to satisfie the Reader of the truth of things contained in this present Treatise and to stop the mouths of Sectaries who will be ready to put off all by giving out that this Book is full of lies and fables I do here offer upon condition that some exemplary punishment may passe upon some of the prime Seducers and heads of these Sects and some effectuall course taken for the future to remedy and suppresse these Errours to make a legall proof by witnesses and other concurrent circumstances of the most notorious and grossest matters which may of all others seem most questionable whether Errours Blasphemies or Practices set down in this following Catalogue Seventhly I premise this for the Christian Reader to remember and for preventing mistakes in this work that though I set down and joyn together all the following opinions in one Catalogue because they all agree in uno tertio in that common notion of Errour yea all agree in Independency and in forsaking the communion of the Reformed Churches yet I am far from thinking them all alike A Scholar that makes a Catalogue of Books writes down Decimo sextos as well as Folios in it because they be all Books and yet puts a great deal of difference between the one and the other so do I notwithstanding I put them together All the Errours reckoned up are not of the first magnitude nor in the highest form some are fundamentall Errours overthrowing the foundation directly many by consequence and deduction others are superstructures building upon the foundation hay straw and stubble I put a wide difference between a simple pure Independent yea a simple Anabaptist who only holds that opinion of denying Poedobaptisme and between an Arian Antitrinitarian Antiscripturist Perfectist Again I put a difference between erroneous persons that erre out of ignorance weaknesse and are seduced following those opinions in simplicity of heart as some people did Absolom and are peaceable keeping their opinions also to themselves and such persons as are wilful seducers the heads and leaders of Faction who make it their work to disturb the peace of the Church and to subvert souls In all this discourse I desire to think of Iude 22.23 And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them c. Eighthly I desire to forewarn the Christian Reader and do earnestly beseech him for his own good that he be not offended nor hindred from beleeving the truth and laying to heart the particulars laid down in this ensuing Treatise no not by all the clamours reproaches that may be cast upon my Book and person It cannot be expected but that Satan and the Sectaries will make it their work by all wayes possible to blast this Book to keep from reading and beleeving it as they used all wayes to reproach my last Book and to keep Christians all they could from reading it Blind and erroneous zeal is violent and what it wants in arguments it will make up in clamours lyes and speaking all manner of evil falsly of them that discover lay it open as Luther speaks the world cannot bear that the things of it should be condemned therefore from every part hatreds treacheries calumnies evill speakings are heaped to oppresse that Doctrine and those Teachers who oppose it And therefore let them speak evill as long as they will and give out 't is a railing lying peece yet let me speak to the Reader as the Apostle doth 1 Thes. 3.3 4. That no man should be moved by these afflictions for we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it s come to passe and ye know so now I tell you before that when you hear of all kind of reproaches ye may not be offended Iohn 16.1 Now the second particular under this first generall head is to remove two stumbling blocks out of the way to give an answer to two objections that may be made against this present work 1. Object It may be some will object and say It is not seasonable nor convenient to discover our nakednesse and weaknesse so far to the common enemy it were better concealed the enemy will make an advantage of it Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph 2. Sam. 1.20 Ans. The prevailing of Heresies and Sects among us is not now to be discovered and published to the world It hath not been all this time kept within our own walls and known only to our selves but hath been a long time known abroad and at home and hath been declared by divers others both in writing and preaching before now so that I shall not divulge any secret to the common enemy all that I do is but to draw them into one that we may see them as it were at once our Errours and Schisms are spoken of far and near by enemies and friends How many Sermons have been preached before the Honourable Houses of Parliament and in other publike places speaking of the Errours of the time which have been also printed long since by command of Authority and exposed to the view of all Many Learned men have given a Catalogue of severall Errours as Mr. Gataker of many Antinomian Errours Mr Baily one of the Commissioners of Scotland of other Errours and Dr Featly Mr Paget with some others In Books upon all occasions 't is confessed by men of severall judgemens and denied by none that we have many great Errours amongst us many Errours have been complained of to the Houses of Parliament Committees Assembly and examined spoken of in the presence of many besides that some Errours are vented even of the grossest sort in Print as in Pilgrimage of Saints Bloudy Tenet Mortality of the soul Man of sinne discovered cum multis aliis Yea some of the Sectaries have in their writings published and acknowledged there are many sorts of Opinions
that yet playes not every week nor month not having opportunities nor his many occasions at some times permitting him but only once a yeer at the ordinary time of playing at Cards and when he is at leisure and meets with company for it Now if Lieutenant Col. Lilburn would play often at Cards when he was prisoner in Oxford in his affliction and among the Cavaliers the enemies of Reformation both which are great aggravations of the fact for if a man be afflicted saith Saint Iames let him pray not play at Cards and a man among enemies and those who hate Reformation and strictnesse had need walk more circumspectly and be more exact because of the reproach of the enemy and who no question from thence took occasâ—on both to strengthen themselves in their loose walking and to speak evill of the wayes of God I know no reason but a man may without breach of charity judge he will play at Cards now he is at liberty and among his brethren the Sectaries And so much for the present by way of Reply to M. Walwyn As for Cretensis the Cretian alià s Mr. Goodwin hee is a man who expresses so much pride arrogancie malice wrath jearing and scoffing not only at me and my Books and some few faâ—ithfull Ministers and servants of God but against all Presbyterians Assembled or not Assembled in England Scotland France and Ireland coming forth just like Goliath railing and defying the armies of the living God that I have much ado to keep my selfe from answering him according to his folly and beating him with his own weapon Difficile est Sâ—tyramâ—on scribere and my indignation to see the unworthinesse and insolencie of the man much provokes me But I consider what becomes me as a Minister of the Gospel to do in such a case rather then what he hath deserved and therefore shall passe by his railings and scoffâ— not rendring evill for evill or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that I am thereunto called And instead of railing and vilifying Master Goodwin I will a little expostulate with him M. Goodwin will you never leave your scoffing and scorning your reviling and reproaching of all men stuffing your pages with great swelling words and filling whole leaves with nothing but jeers and multitude of six footed words instead of Reasons and Arguments will you by all your writings and preachings make good that Title which by way of reproach was first given to you namely The great Red Dragon of Coleman-street will you still speak as a Dragon and Dragon like flie fiercely in the faces of all spitting your poyson and venome against all casting fire-brands every where will you alwayes use your mouth to speak great things and blasphemies and open your mouth in blasphemy against God his name and his Tabernacle as you have done in your Books of Controversie will you never learn to be meek and lowly to deny your passion speak as a Lamb and repent of your deeds let me tell you that if you belong to God this spirit of yours and the way of managing things in your Books of M.S. Theomachia Answers to Mr Prynne Cretensis will cost you dear and you will be saved as by fire For my part instead of reproaching and scoffing you though not for want of matter Cretensis being a very fruitfull subject for a man to exercise his wit upon all I will do either in this brief or in my full and large Reply shall be to draw to one head all the Errours and strange wayes Cretensis holds and hath walked in by which if God wil he may be ashamed and truly humbled and his spirit saved in the day of Christ or however that godly weak Christians may know him as a dangerous erroneous man and avoid him All I will say now reserving particulars and the proofs of them till my full Reply shall be this that Cretensis hath an hereticall wit and holds many wicked opinions being an Hermorphradite and a compound of an Arminian Soâ—inian Libertine Anabaptist c. and in regard of some strange opinions he hath held many years and others that in time he might fall unto which in the Presbyterian way he could never enjoy with quiet nor have liberty to propagate them therefore he took sanctuary in Independency falling from our Church and the Presbyteriall Government which a little before the first sittting of the Assembly he held to be most agreeable to the Word of God unto the Independent way as that wherein he might with more safty enjoy the opinions and left Cretensis should score up this foâ—aâ— lye as he hath done many truths which before I have done with him I shall make apparent to all I do here give the Reader a true Copie of a Narrative sent me from a godly humble learned Minister subscribed with his own hand which fully proves the matter I have now spoken of A Narrative of certaine words uttered by Mr. Iohn Goodwin Minister of Coleman-street not long before the Assembly sate THe said Mr Goodwins judgement being consulted as concerning the point of Church-government His Answer was to this effect that in his judgement he approved of the Presbyterian government as being most agreeable to the Word of God yet in fine added that he thought that the way of Inpendency would better suit and fit him in regard of some private and singular Tenents that he held This Minister subscribes his name at length under these foregoing lines and writes as followes Master Edwards let me request you not to bring my name upon the Stage in Print to attest this businesse for divers reasons best known to my self I say no more Verbum sat sapienti Yours in all offices of love And therefore though in this as in any other particulars I set not down the names in Print yet am I far from forgery or lying or those Ministers from being afraid to justifie their Letters as Cretensis would insinuate to the Reader pag. 6.7 But I conceive the Reasons why this Minister and many others though they are willing to witnesse truth and to communicate their Intelligence about the Sectaries yet for the present do desire to have their names concealed 1. Because they live among many Sectaries and Independents some whereof being in place both in Towns and Countries may do them no good offices but may much molest and trouble them and therefore unlesse some great good might come by witnessing publikely which might countervaile their hazard as suppressing ☞ the Conventicles of the Sectaries the spreading of erroneous opininons and punishing some of the Rabbies and Ring-leaders they are unwilling to venture themselves by being brought upon the Stage in Print 2. Because some live in places where part of our Armies lie or may come Now many souldiers being Sectaries and violent for their opinions if they should meet with any Ministers named in print giving me intelligence it were as much as the spoiling of them and their families and
Sectaries or others in this bloudy negotiation he shall suffer not as a Christian nor with Christ but as a Malefactor and an evil-doer implying that if the Sectaries mischief or kill me for my book 't is but an act against a Malefactor and an evill-doer Obs. 8. Cretensis takes upon him to set out a Book which he cals an Answer to a Treatise lately published by Mr. Edwards called Gangraena and yet in this Answer professes that he hath not read one quarter of the Book as yeâ— and that he hath neither leasure nor opportunity to search to the bottome or sift to the bran all that the man storieth per se and per alios in his Gangraena Now I think these are the only true passages in the Book for had Cretensis read the Book thorough and well laid to heart the Contents of it and compared one thing with another which I say in my Book I think he would never have written such an Answer nor belched out such unsavory passages against it I beleeve if Cretensis had read it thorough there are such sad and serious passages in many places of the Book as would have awed his conscience but in the mean time how well becoming such a learned deep Rabbi and wise man as Cretensis would be thought to be 't is to write an Answer to a Book and to professe he nâ—ver read one quarter of it I leave to all rationall men to judge and to Cretensis himself upon a review I had thought Master Woodwards folly spoken of by many for giving his censure and judgment upon my Antapoligie before he read it over only dipping here and there would have been a warning to other men Master Edwards as weak a poor thimblefull of dust as he is not knowing according to Cretensis Grammar how to put the Nominative Case and Verb together c. would have been ashamed to have had so little wit or reason as to make an Answer to a Book and in that to declare to all the world he never read a fourth part of it but I cannot but take notice of the good hand of God in befooling Mr. Goodwin in this as in many other passages of his Answer to cause him to proclaim thus his own shame and folly to the world Obs. 9. Great Cretens a deep Divine a Teacher of Teachers as some cry him up the great lying Oracle of the Sectaries yet further 〈◊〉 out his own shame and folly in saying the far greatest part of the particulars detected miâ—e obserued by others and presented to him Cretenâ— p. 50. Is not this a strange and new way of answering Books for men to take up things upon trust from others to go by an implicite faith and not to see with their own eyes nor examine things themselves especially for a man upon things observed by others to make such a mighty businesse and to carry matters in such a scornfull triumphing way positively charging a Book with lying forgery c. as Cretensis doth what if Cretensis Saints who observed and presented matters to him being parties should out of weaknesse in judiciousnesse or partiall affection if not malice and wilfulnesse mistake and pervert my sayings where is Cretensis then I must tell Cretensis the poor weak thimbleful of dust so scorned by him as not worthy to carry his Books after him doth not use to make Answers to Books without reading one quarter of them but before he sets forth Answers he reads them many times over laying and comparing one thing with another neither takes he any thing upon trust from other mens observations which he writes as his own or can come to see with his own eyes Should Mr. Edwards in writing any of his Books or in this last have taken Cretensis slight course there 's no question but before this time Mr. Edwards had heard after another manner and in another way of his Books then he hath especially of his Antapologie and Gangraena but the poor weak thimblefull of dust that knows not how to range his Parts of Speech in a sentence c. hath more brains in this then the bushel full of dirt who though Cretensis have more guts and garbage and be better bodied yet in the opinion of wise men will be thought to have lesse understanding and fewer brains in expressing himselfe so as he hath done Obs. 10. All the materials and ground-works Cretensis makes use of and goes upon in his Answer to Gangrae to disprove the truth of things related by me as the Reader may observe are either the Testimonies of the parties themselves as Overton Cosens Kiffin Lilburn Mr. Burroughs c. which in their own case are little to be credited and if according to Cretens p. 12 rule it be no regular processe in Law to ask my fellow whether I be a theif then sure 't is no good oâ—e to ask a mans self if he be a theif or doubtful dark Answers to matters of fact that may be taken in divers senses just like the Answers of the lying Oracles of wch there are many instances as in that of Lilbur playing at Cards with many others or else his witnesses wil be found to be Sectaries Anabaptists Apprentice boyes or parties interested or such like Cretens p. 44 as for instance in Mr. Ricrofts Letter whereas my proofs of things will be found to be of another nature most of the greatest things laid down in my Catalogue known to my self and many many the Books being extant to prove them and most of my witnesses will be found to be godly able Ministers and other eminent sound substantial Christians and the worst of them of more repute more likely to know things they reported then the best of yours excepting Mr. Burroughs whom yet I shall prove to have forgot himself in writing that Paper set down by you Page 42. beside the persons whom I had relations from had no reason to speak things out of partiality prejudice but only the naked truth many things being related to others as well as to me besides few of them who writ or related these matters did them out of any design against the Sectaries but only in a way of declaring and bewailing to what passe things were come and if to all these be added what Cretensis himself grants page 26. one affirmative testimony is more valid in Law then many negative all that Mr. Goodwin hath alleaged by way of Answer is to little purpose Observ. 11. That those very things Cretensis charges me with either in my Antapology or Gangraena though most unjustly as forgery lying jugling bitternesse malice bloody negotiation against the Saints taking up reports and printing them upon weak and slight grounds obscene scurrilous writing contradictions false English nonsense with such like the man himself as in other of his Books so also in this is most faulty as the judicious Reader may observe more or lesse in one of these kindes or other throughout the whole Book
and in my full Reply I shall more largely and particularly specifie In one word Cretensis is a most ungodly Antichristian insolent proud malicious wrathful lying obscent scurrilous nonsense absurd contradictory piece Observ. 12. Cretensis in all his Books of Controversie and Answers of all sorts that I have seen and met with is of all Writers in this later age the greatest falsifier of Authors wresting them upon all occasions and that with a Gyant-like confidence against their own sense and contrary to what they are known ex professo to hold and he will not be beaten off from it as is apparent in his Treatises of Justification and in his Answer to Master Prynne and in this Book bringing in Master Ball for him in the point of Free-will Now this must arise either from that heretical genius of his that he sinneth being condemned of himself speaking lyes in hypocrisie having his conscience seared with a hot iron or else from a high flown mad fancy making things to appear which are not at all like to that mad man of Athens who thought all the Ships that came into the Haven were his though he never were sharer much lesse owner in any Ship so Cretensis sancies all learned Writers to be for him ' wheares indeed there never was any sound and Orthodox Divine for him as I shall shew more fully hereafter and divide Learned Master Gataker from him Observ. 13. Cretensis iust Cretian like fastens that upon me in my Gangraena affirming I say that which I do not as in pag. 28. Sect. 23. and doth father opinions upon me meerly from the leaving out of a word or two by the Printers over-sight Cretens pag. 23. though corrected in the second Edition and abroad full fourteen dayes before Cretensis which was either done wilfully and on set purpose against his knowledge or from his not reading over my Book but taking up things upon trust Observ. 14. There are many things in Cretensis Pamphlet which he pretends to Answer making much ado of and laboring to fasten upon me lyes nonsense c. which yet in the close after a great many high flown words Cretensis is forced to confesse them true and that both of himself and others though by many words he hath labored to pusle and cast a mist before the eyes of the Reader Observ. 15. I desire the Reader to observe that this Answer made by this great Rabbi is but snatches here and there answering Gangraena by great leaps as Leopards use to take Cretensis answers one passage out of p. 70. and then leaps to 128. taking another there and from p. 128. leaps back to p. 8. and after this sort the whole Answer is And for those pages where Cretensis fastens upon something to give an Answer unto even there he snatches takes not the whole what goes before nor what follows after so that after that rate of Answering if such kinde of Discourses must have the names of Answers how may not men elude and make nothing of the excellentest Books that ever were written by men yea of the Scriptures themselves and wrest them if they will not take one place with another and observe what goes before and what follows after And as this great Rabbies Answer is by snatches so 't is full of miserable shifts and poor evasions as among others pag. 16. Cretensis gives that reason why my Antapology hath not been Answered in 18. Moneths because the way by which light and truth should go forth into the world was hedg'd up by Clergy Classique Councelâ— as with thorns against him Now I wonder with what face Cretens can write this when as all men know the Independents have a Licenser of their own at hand Mr. Bachilor who is such a friend to all the world of Believers that certainly he cannot deny Cretensis Do not we daily see the man Licenses without either fear or wit all kinde of Pamphlets The Error of Anabaptism against Mr. Marshal the Error of Seekers in The Smoke of the Temple A pretended Answer of Mr. Saltmarsh to the Assemblies Petition and now Cretensis against Gangraena and will Mr. Bachilor with Clergy Classique Councels hedge up the way as with thorns against Cretensis Reply to Mr. Edwards Antapologiae Can Cretens think though his own deluded Church and other Sectaries may have so much Independent faith as to believe him that any Presbyterian hath so little wit as not to laugh at such folly why could not Iohn Bachilor as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorne to License a Reply to Antapologia as an Answer to Gangraena and pray Mr. Goodwin in your next account you give unto the world by publike writing give me an account why honest Iohn Bachilor could not as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorns to License a full Reply to Antapologia as to License A brief Answer to Gangraena But no more of this now Observ. 16. The Christian Reader may observe Cretensis as in this and his former Books so in all his preachings and ways to have all the characters and marks of false Prophets and false Teachers not only in his hands but upon his forehead so that if I would here enlarge I might clearly shew all that Christ and the Apostles spake of false Prophets are to be found in Cretensis but I will only instance in a few laid down by Peter and Iude in their Epistles and upon the propounding of them I know the Reader will say as face answereth face in glasse so doth Cretensis answer these Scriptures Peter saith of the false Teachers in his time that they speak great swâ—lling words of vanity and that they promise their followers liberty and Iude They are clouds without water carried about of winds raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring stars their mouth speaking great swelling words having mens person in admiration because of advantage These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now I do appeal to any man who knows Cretensis either in his Writings or Preaching whether he be not a man that speaks great swelling words of vanity whether he doth not promise his followers liberty yea a universal liberty whether he be not a cloud without water â—â—ourishes and shews without substance whether he be not a raging-wave of the Sea foaming out his own shame witnesse his Answer a wandring star wandring from one opinion and Religion to another and lastly whether he be not a Separatist and sensual person without the spirit of love meeknesse humility zeal for Gods truth and of a sound minde In one word I do not think there 's any man in the Kingdom hath a more heretical head and heâ—â—e thâ—n Cretensis and unlesse God give him repentance and recover him out of those snares wherein he walks I fear if the man lives but one seven years he will prove as arch an Heretick and as dangerous a man as England ever bred and that
he will be another David George Francken Socinus and be canonized for a Saint amongst those of Munster Raeâ—conia c. Quest. But it may be demanded by some What 's the matter and what are the causes that such venomour ranâ—â—rous Books as Mr. Goodwins Cretensis c. are printed and so many hard speeches in City and Countrey daily uttered against Master Edwards and his late Book intituled Gangraena is it not a Book full of Lyes nothing but Lyes is it not a Book full of venom and malice against the Saints and faithful Servants of God calling for fire and sword against the Saints Ans. 'T is a Book full of truth as will appear in the Replyes I give to the particular exceptions made against it and have in part cleared already and a Book of so much truth that I believe no Book written this hundred years having so much variety and particularity in it will be found to have more and for the proof of the truth and reality of the Errors c. contained in it I have expressed my self at large as foreseeing the Sectaries would call it a Book of Lyes in my Gangraena pag. 5 6 7 8. and as 't is not a Book of Lyes so neither of bitternesse nor of speaking evil of the Saints but a Book free from railing evil speaking against the Saints and Servants of God which at large in twelve several particulars in my full Reply coming after this Book I shew But no judicious Christian need wonder at it that the Sectaries generally give out so for they have nothing else left to say for themselves and to help their desperate cause so much discovered and wounded as 't is by Gangraena and what do they do in this case but as the Jesuits and Papists did by Mr. Foxes Book of Martyrs give out it was a Book of Lyes and writ Books to disprove some matters of fact taking advantage from some mistakes in circumstances about names places and such like to cry it down and yet all the Protestants know it was full of truths and is of precious esteem in the Church of God Just so do the Sectaries now by my Book and many of them that they might possesse the people the more against it and make that imputation That 't is full of Lyes gain credit with the people have invented many Lyes and Stories which they formally tell up and down the City and Countrey for certain and I can produce several witnesses to prove this namely Ministers and others who have come to me and to others to know the truth of them as that some of the Independent Ministers have been with me Mr. G. Mr. B. and have convinced me of some Lyes in my Book as that same of the Souldiers out of the Army have been with me about the story of Mr. Andrews and proved it false to me as that one whom I name in my Book and speak of as having some relation from the mans own mouth coming to me about it I confessed I knew him not nor never saw him before with some other such all which are meer lyes and fictions of the Sectaries so wicked and cunning are they in their generation to uphold their tottering Babel to prejudice Christians from reading and considering my Book But good Reader however falshood and slandering of men is pretended the great cause of speaking so against me and my Book the true cause of all the hatred is because there is so much truth in it Many men who answer nothing to it and others who have appeared in writing to disprove the truth know themselves and others too guilty and that in other passages where they are not named and know that I know and can prove it and that vexes them to the heart but were it indeed as many of them against their consciences give out a Book of Lyes they would not be so mad at it but I should before this time a day by some of my good Friends the Sectaries have heard of them after another manner and iâ— another place then yet I have done But in a word I apprehend these three following Reasons as principal causes both in Cretensis and others of their appearing against me in so much wrath fury and rage 1. A Vial is poured out upon the Sun the glory of their prime men is darkned both by the Antapology and Gangraena they who made themselves as the Sun in the Firmament of the Church are found by these Books not only to be as the Moon full of spots subject to like weaknesse as other men but to be in the Ecclipse fuller of blots then others yea their Sun is turned into darknesse and their Moon inâ—o blood and they who would have been thought to have been the only Saints nay Angels dropt from Heaven with new Gospel new Light and new Revelations do evidently appear by what I have written to all men who have not sacrificed the principles of their ingenuity upon the gainful service of the Independent Faction to be strange kinde of Saints if Saints The best of them appear to be spots in the profession of Religion but for many among them who yet are cried up to the Heavens they have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children they are a perverse and crooked generation Now they being men proud high-minded impatient of any check and contradiction in their way who thought alone to have had the repute among the people for sanctity holinesse and to have been Idolized by them and the contrary being so clearly demonstrated by many particular instances and proofs given in my Books no wonder that they are so mad and rage against me and finding their Kingdom full of darknesse that they gnaw their tongues for pain 2. By my Books especially Gangraena many Sectaries being so discovered by name and places of abode laid open in several of their opinions and ways will not be able for the future to do so much hurt and mischief among the people their Sheeps skins are by this pull'd over the Wolves ears and many will now shun and be afraid of them who before knew them not and this disappointment of infecting and corrupting others vexes and mads them to the heart 3. Their way and design must needs suffer much by this last Book in the esteem of all the Churches and all the godly persons who are unprejudiced yea and of all fair ingenuous men who before many at least not knowing the depths of Satan might think well of them whereas now many of them upon reading my Book have lifted up their hands and blest themselves to think what kinde of Creatures these Sectaries are saying If Independents and Anabaptists be such kinde of men do such things as this Book shews God keep us from being such we had some good opinion of their way but if they be such Merchants and have such tricks and wayes as Mr. Edwards layes down we will be none of them
tenth part of the Discovery of the Errors Heresies Practises c. beside some things in the Letters are of another nature and to one of the Letters is annexed a Confutation of the matter contained in it consisting of two whole leaves of those few sheets within a few lines 2. As for that of jugling and forgery which Cretensis would put upon me the man measures me by himself and his party because that he and some of his party are used to juggle and possibly forge Letters and News invent and give our many things which never were have with the Jesuits their piae fraudes to advance their Catholike cause therefore he thinks so of me but I blesse God I am a plain man hating equivocations mental reservations plots underminings of men playing under-board carrying things in the clouds I count honesty the best policy and faithful plain dealing the greatest wisdom and the Independents will finde it so in the end however for a while they prosper by their shufling tricks devices policies as Strafford Canterbury and others did before them 3. To come to the main charge of concealing the names of those who writ me Letters and all the inferences drawn from thence I answer I have already given some Reasons for it and do adde these unto them most of the men who writ the Letters writ them not for that end to be printed knew not of nor imagined no such matter neither did I acquaint them with it and for me without their leave obtained to print their Names to the world I could not do it keeping unviolated the rules of friendship besides I well understood that were a way to cut off correspondency and Intelligence for the future if I should print mens Names publikely to the world writing in a private way to me Of all the Letters written to me there were two only which I expressed to the Authors I would print them and acquainted them with my purpose whose Names notwithstanding excepting the two first Letters subscribed I concealed with the rest for company But now that I may overthrow Cretensis Proposition and his Inferences his Foundation and his Superstructures I shall name most of them who writ the Letters to me and others as also from whose hands I received those Letters which were printed by me though not written to me The first Letter was written me from Mr. Strong a Member of the Assembly of Divines who after he had told me by word of mouth the contents of this Letter promised to send it me in a Letter and I acquainted him then what use it was for and he said he would justifie what he writ and named others in whose presence Master Denne maintained these Points The second Letter was written from Master Simon Ford to a Member of the Assembly Master Gowerâ—s from whose hands I received it and told Mr. Gowers I should print it to which he was willing and since Gangraena was printed the Author writes to me about his Letter That he will enlarge and confirm the particulars in that Letter and send it to me The third Letter was one Master Josiab Ricrasts who owns it and hath been with me since Cretensis came forth and to my knowledge is drawing up an Answer to Cretensis for so much as concerns that Letter The fourth Letter was written by a Weaver in Somersetshire one Crab if I mistake not the name and I received it from M. Rosewal a City Minister well known who will own it and make it good 't is such a mans And thus I have given an account of the Copies of all the whole Letters printed by me Now for the Extract of certain Letters written to me some other Ministers for seven of them which are the greatest part of those Extracted Letters namely all those which concern Colchester and Mr. Ellis or some others there of which Letters Mr. Ellis himself writes thus to a friend in London The aspersions cast on me and some others here by Mr. Edwards are as false as foul which because they are a great part of his Book and strength those who are here concerned in it will if God please shortly make Reply Cretensis p. 44. he who writ them is not afraid of his name neither was his name concealed for fear of an Examination of the truth of the Letters as Cretensis by reading this Letter lately sent to me from him may understand which I here print to a tittle To my Reverend and worthy Friend Mr. Thomas Edwards Minister of the Word of God Reverend Sir THere is a passage in Mr. Iohn Goodwins Book charging you with abusing Mr. Ellis of Colchester and the Saints in those parts and that he will shortly make Reply to your false and foul aspersions These are therefore to certifie you that concerning those Letters I writ unto you from Colchester I have them attested under the hands of many sufficient witnesses each particular that is material being ayerred by three witnesses at least and those of piety and judgement which attestations I shall keep by me to produce them upon fit occasions to iustifie those Letters to the world Yet it is possible he will Reply to those things as false and foul or come off with distinctions and mental reservations but these things are so evident in this Town and much more then I writ unto you as his Preaching for the pulling down of our Churches and other things that I can prove that his Pamphlet will do him no good in this place For it will not be the first time that he hath said unsaid the same things here denying and dissembling his opinions for advantage as will be testified by many witnesses by some of the Honorable Members of the House of Commons Ministers and others godly and judicious Christians This I thought good to signifie for the present recommending you to the grace of God I rest Your affectionate friend and fellow labour in the Gospel Rob. Harmar April 1646. Now by all this the Reader may see what to judge of Cretensis and his false glosses and commentaries upon the Letters Printed in Gangraena and had I Cretensis railing scoffing Rhetorick which he makes use of in this section and in many other places of his Book I might spin out whole leaves in aggravation and scoring up of lyes evil surmisings bitter words scoff and jeers expressed by Cretensis upon occasion of the Printed Letters but I forbear to contend with him in this kind truth needs not such colors though errors does to set it off The hare relation of these things is a sufficient confutation of Cretonsis and if the printed Letters of which Cretensis Master Ellis yea and Master Saltmarsâ— make such a cry of forgerie falsitie dare abide the light and their Authors are ready to justifie them the judicious Reader by this may both judge of the truth of other things contained in Gangraena and of the folly and vanity of the rest of Cretensis allegations against my Book
As for the extract of four or five Letters whose Authors names I have not yet mentioned ther 's no one particular matter of fact or relation of stories excepted against any of them the other Letters whose Authors I have named are the foul offensive Letters and therefore I shall spare their names till the truth of the facts related in them be questioned by Cretensis in a Rejoynder only for present I assert I have the original Letters by me under the hands of the Ministers to produce and further I make no question if the evils spoken against in those Letters might be remedied and the proof censured according the nature of their offences but the Ministers who writ them would be ready to come up and own them in the sight of the sun and prove a great deal more then they have written And for a conclusion of my Reply to this eight Sect. of Cretensis had Cretensis and his followers but a little Presbyterian faith which Sectaries so scoff at and ingenuity out of all the particulars which I have nakedly and clearly laid down they would believe that all the Letters from first to last were neither forged nor names conceal'd for fear of the examination of the truth nor because my name should be the greater and rise better by being only known but be ashamed of all that 's written in this Section especially considering Master Edwards hath brought all the names of the Writers challenged from out of the land of darknesse into the land of light and given such reason aâ— he hath for the former concealing of them Cretensis page II. makes two challenges casting the Glove to whosoever will take it up and his first challenge is that for thirty of those opinions impeached in my Catalogue of error aâ—d heresie and he will not say for how many more he will undertake to bring them off with the honor of truth Secondly for that error viz. That Faith in a proper sense is imputed to Justification and not Christs Righteousnesse he challenges all the Presbyterians one after another assembled or not assembled in England Scotland and Ireland to prove by Scriptures or by dint of Argument either That Faith is not imputed in a proper sense Reply The man from challenging me page third rises in his confidence to challenge all the world as if the man had learning and parts to deal with any man under heaven but Cretensis needed not to have gone so far I shall finde him near hand those who will deal with him without going into France Scotland and Ireland for the first of these I take up his Glove again and give him his liberty to name twenty and ten of those opinions and as many more of them as he will and do promise to enter into the Lift with him that he shall not prove them to be truths and I expect he should make good his challenge out of hand at least to set out in his Rejoynder to my Reply which of the 180. Errors he will take the Tutoridge and Patronage of And for the second Master Roborough whom Cretensis scoffs at pag. 26. by the name of Servant and Clerk takes up his Glove and desire me in my Reply to signifie thus much unto him For that jeer of Master Robor holding his peace when Master Gataker hath spoken his playing on servant and Master Justice of Peace and Clerk Master Robor passeth it by as he hath much bad language from him in his Vindication of Master Walker only he faith such gibing and jeering cost him nought It s said it runs in the blood that he had it by tradition from which is seems he is not yet redeemed for all his singular profession Master Roborough will not deal with him in that for shoe-buckles Cretensis shall have the preheminence yet doth he modestly desire an Answer to his Animadversions on M. Goodwins Book and is ready to make his writing good against Cretensis and his complices in further writing or by a dispute when and where Cretensis pleaseth This the man professeth who is meant in that jeer the Servant or Clerk that must hold his peace And as M. Roborough gave me the precedent words in writing under his hand so he added by word of mouth that he challenges Cretensis to dispute this point about Faith being imputed in a proper sense where when before whom and how he will leaving him to nominate his own time place company manner of dispute either by writing or by word of mouth by Scriptures or by dint of argument in all which Cretensis having this liberty and so the advantage of him yet M. Roborough will meet with him and dispute it as Cretensis hath stated the question and that before all the Independents Assembled or not Assembled and Master Roborough much wonders Cretensis should thus vapor and in this point challenge all the Presbyterians one after another Assembled or not Assembled in England Scotland France and Ireland when as Master Roborough who is but a Scribe of that Assembly of which Cretensis would fain have been a Member as 't is thought by wise men his great pride working upon discontent in mâ—ssing of that honor was one of the greatest cecasions of his falling to Independency professes that upon a conference dispute with him he found him weak not able to hold his ground and in a word a very sorry Disputant and Master Roborough offers in that Controversie about the Imputation of Faith to Justification wherein Cretensis boasts he is so versed as to challenge all men it Cretensis dare give him a meeting to manifest as much to all the world in the sight of the Sun and for a conclusion of my Reply to these two Bravadoes of Cretensis I desire the Reader to observe what an impudent Braggadocio this man is to mâ—ke new challenges when as yet he hath not yet accepted of old but lies miserably wounded both by his own pen and several others not having yet answered several Books written against him nor a Book he promised above 12 moneth ago to answer and therefore my advise to Cretensis is first to answer these following Books viz. that of a Quaere upon the Covenant and a Letter from I. G. to T. G. Master Roboroughs Book of Justification written against him Master Lanes a yong Merchant against that Error of Natural men may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation c. Dr. Stewart against M. S. this Reply to Cretensis and a larger Reply already in the Presse against Cretensis and my Antapologie and after he hath answered all these from point to point as becomes a Scholar with reason and words of sobernesse and not with railâ—gs Scoffs sixe footed words then to make his new challenges and defend 30. Errors and as many more as he will laid down in my Catalogue and among others for old acquaintance sake that of Imputation of Faith Cretensis page 15. promises an
my story numerous in particular forgeries beyond measure I shall inlarge upon it to make good the truth of it notwithstanding Mr. Burroughs testimony to the contrary and Cretensis comments and glosses upon Mr. Burroughs writing and my story and now what if my story of Nichols prove true and and that in all the particular branches in it where is Cretensis then in what predicament will Cretensis Mr. Burroughs and Mr. Greenhil be found and that t is certainly true and hath been testified again and again both to me and to many others both Ministers and Citizens since my Book came forth I desire the Reader to mark what follows For the first part of the Story related by me pag. 78. concerning one Nichols coming into Stepny Parish and to Mr. Greenhils face justifying those wicked Opinions there set down as that God was the Author of all sin c. yea maintaining more then I have particularly mentioned in pag. 78. namely That children owe no obedience to their Parents except they be godly 't is most certainly true and Mr. Greenhil dares not deny it and for proof of it Mr. Randal an eare and eye witnesse related it to me and to others yea since Cretensis Book came forth that denies the truth of this story I have asked Mr. Randal of it and he affirms it to be undeniably true and for to evince the truth of it Mr. Randal told me these circumstances viz. who were present when Nichols did maintain these opinions to Mr. Greenhil namely besides himself one Oates a Carpenter and divers women as also Mr. Greenhil could not stay long with this Nichols being to go forth to some place where he had appointed to come and should be staid for so that thus far the story is without all question true and I am confident Mr. Greenhil upon new consideration and rubbing up his memory will speak no more such words to Mr. Burroughs as to wonder to see such a thing as this in Mr. Edwards Book and that he knows of no such meeting Now for the second part of the story namely that at a meeting where Mr. Burroughs was present with divers others Mr. Greenhil did relate unto his Brother Burroughs this sad story of Nichols venting these opinions fore-mentioned and upon that how all the Discourse following related by me in this story of Nichols page 79. yea more passed between Mr. Greenhil and Mr. Burroughs is as certain as the first and for proof of it one Mr. Allen of Stepny Parish a godly understanding man who was upon the place and heard all related it to divers in Mr. Bellamies shop in my hearing of whom after he had made an end of speaking to the company I enquired more perfectly how he knew all this to be true and whether he was an ear witnesse and got him to name over the opinions again and to repeat other passages to me for the help of my memory and for fear lest I should mistake the relation so soon as Mr. Allen had done I went immediatly home and writ down in my Diary the whole businesse from first to last with the day of the moneth the place and persons when where and to whom also besides my self it was told And further then all this since my Book came forth and Cretensis Answer to it though this story is branded by Cretensis to have particular forgeries in it numerous beyond measure and all Nichols Opinions related by Mr. Greenhil to Mr. Burroughs with divers passages mentioned by me to come from Mr. Burroughs at that meeting all affirmed to be false yet Mr. Allen before ever I spoke one word with him coming into Mr. Bellamies shop accidentally where when he came in some company were speaking of Cretensis Answer to my Book and of this very passage of Mr. Burroughs under his hand brought by Cretensis to disprove that story of his own accord justified the story of Nichols coming to Mr. Greenhil and Mr. Greenhils relating it to Mr. Burroughs with all the discourse following upon it saying I am the man that told it Mr. Edwards and that in this shop and Mr. Greenhil and Mr. Burroughs dare not deny it for the story saith Mr. Allen is most certainly true and all the mistake is of those words a meeting concluded of where Mr. Greenhil should relate these Opinions whereas the making known of those Opinions and the Discourse upon occasion of them was not at a set meeting on purpose appointed for that occasion but at a usual meeting on the Lords day after Mr. Burroughs his preaching in the morning where at Colonel Zacharies house Mr. Burroughs Mr. Greenhil and divers godly persons use to meet and as Mr. Allen said this in the presence and hearing of three godly Ministers and divers Citizens so hath he as I am certainly informed drawn up with his own hand for the Presse a Narration of this story of Nichols maintaining those opinions to Mr. Greenhil and of Mr. Greenhils reporting the Opinions to Mr. Burroughs with all their discourses thereupon yea more fully and particularly then I have in Gangraena so that t is strange to me that Mr. Burroughs should dare to give such a writing under his hand to Cretensis as to say that story Mr. Edwards hath page 79. of one Nichols c. is all false when as the whole story and all the particulars of it are true and there is nothing false in the story from first to last only there is a mistake in the transition from the first part of the story to the second and in the passing from the first meeting to the second which in strict acception of words is no part of the story nor of the matters contained in it namely in those words of a meeting concluded of which implies a set meeting occasioned upon those opinions whereas the second meeting at which Mr. Greenhil declared these opinions of Nichols and all those speeches passed between them was not on purpose about Nichols and his opinions but a meeting where constantly on the Sabbath day mornings after Sermon Mr. Burroughs Mr. Greenhil and divers private Christians using to come Mr. Greenhil took occasion to speak of this Nichols opinions Now I desire the Reader to consider Mr. Allen relating to me the first meeting where Mr. Greenhil was without Mr. Burroughs with the opinions vented then and telling me there was a second meeting presently after that where upon occasion of a former meeting and opinions then maintained Mr. Greenhil related the opinions and all that discourse above mentioned passed but not acquainting me with the nature of the second meeting viz. that it was of course every week after Mr. Burroughs morning Sermon whether I might not well conclude and cannot easily conceive how I could understand it otherwise the second meeting to be occasioned by the first as well as the second Relation followed upon occasion of the first and though it were not just so viz. a set meeting
cause for me in cold blood if I had opportunity to have sought the taking away of his life March 24. 1645. FRAN. ROBERTS § 30. Cretensis thinking that by his Anabaptistical Letter he hath weakned my testimony of the Author and branded him for a Malignant he proceeds in this Section against the master of the Letter charging a great part of it to be notoriously false as some things about Kiffin and Palmer and of a woman to be Rebaptized at which story out of his love to Anabaptists and Dipping not knowing how soon he shall fall to that way he is so offended that he makes the Tale of Gargantua and Donquixot with his Wind-mills to look like Gospels in comparison of it and thereupon breaks out into a passion that he saith It is pity the Relator should either eat or drink till he either hath proved the truth or else confessed the untruth of it Reply The Reader may observe Cretensis cannot deny some part of it to be true and indeed the first part of it of one Web the most material and foul for the Opinions and Blasphemies Cretensis doth not so much as offer to disprove For those other about Kiffins bragging upon Disputation and those lighter passages I conceive Mr. Ricraft will clear in his Answer but for the main businesse of Kiffin and Patience anointing with Oyl a sick woman one of their members that is not denied neither only some words which being recovered she should speak which is not much material to the thing besides 't is probable words to that effect were spoken though not in terminis wherein may be the equivocation stands And lastly for that story of the woman to be Rebaptized and the Dipper which Cretensis makes such a quaint invention and bold fiction c. as if no Anabaptist could be guilty of such one I Reply to Cretensis There are fouler things done by Anabaptists and Sectaries Mistris Attaways story with many particular passages in it are fouler as I shall by Letters and other Relations make manifest but whereas Cretensis makes this Relation such a lye to the Wherstone making all the daring Relations as Cretensis phrases them in Gangraena besides to give place to it I will upon one condition and that a very reasonable one that Cretensis and his Church will promise upon proof of it to joyn in a Petition to the Parliament with the Presbyterians for the forbidding of all Dipping and Rebaptization and exemplary punishment of all Dippers as his Brother Kiffin c. set down in my large Reply to Cretensis the place where the name of the Dipper with other circumstances of this story and I do believe if my intelligence doth not extremely sail me whereas Cretensis makes such a wonder at one I shall be able in my next to give instances in the plural number and for this end I have taken order to have sent me up with hands subscribed the proof with particular circumstances And for conclusion of this I cannot but take notice of the extreme cruelty of Cretensis against the Relator of this story and by this we may see what liberty and favor Presbyterians must expect if once we fall into the hands of Independents That 't is pity he should either eat or drink till he hath proved the truth or confessed the untruth of it What Cretensis no other way for a poor man who tells a story of an Anabaptistical Dipper but to starve him to death or to make him sin against conscience by confessing the untruth of that which he thinks in his conscience to be true and that I may convince Cretensis of his rashnesse in speaking thus I desire him in his Rejoynder to resolve this case which is the true case of this story Suppose the person who can prove it lives sixty or seventy miles off how long and how many days will you allow the Relator to finde him out and to bring him with all other Witnesses before the Magistrate to prove the truth of it must not this of necessity require some days though no accidents should fall out sicknesse or of being from home c. which might retard it and would you have the Relator all this while go so many days without eating or drinking that were indeed the ready way for the Relator never to prove the truth of it I suppose upon second thoughts Cretensis will conâ—esse he writ this in a passion and flame as I believe he did all the rest of his Book Cretensis § 32 p. 38. denies and puts off several particulars laid down in Gangraena as about Lieut Colonel Lilburn as about one Thomas Moor of Lincolnshire as about a Woman-Preacher at Brasteed in Kent and he adorns his pretended Answers with jeers and scoffs as that Lilburn can see and read twenty and ten untruths in my Book with the worst of his eyes and that I am the greatest manifestarian under Heaven there being no man hath manifested that weaknesse of judgement that strength of malice against the Saints as I have done Reply Lieutenant Colonel Lilburns playing at Cards I have proved true in Answer to Walwyn pag. 30. where the Reader may by looking back be satisfied as for the rest I have said of him when Cretensis goes about to disprove it I shall as particularly make proof of it by instances and I am of an opinion with Cretensis though not in his sense the other things instanced in as well as playing at Cards are Grapes growing on the same Thorn only I cannot but wonder at one fetch of Cretensis indeed far fetcht to salve the credit of his Brother Lilburn That my reporting of Lilburns playing at Cards either is a false report it self or at least a report of a report which is false and so little better which is to make all reports false of which a man is not an Ear and Eye-witnesse and so nothing to be believed though related by never such credible Ear and Eye-witnesses Now after this rate to be sure the story of Cretensis Presbyterian Angel which another hath to tell some Independent Angel is false the story of the Presbyterians fishing on a day of Thanksgiving is false and little to be regarded for Cretensis sure was none of the Com or Sub-Presbyters though I am confident he would have fished with them a whole Afternoon upon a Thanksgiving day on condition to have been a Com or Sub-Presbyter with the Doctorate of the Assembly The Manuscript of my jugling between Godalming and Dunmow is either a false report it sell or at least a report of a report which is false and so all the stories which Cretensis threatens Presbyterians with to make their Names and Reputations so many dead corpses will be but either false reports or at least reports of reports which are false and so little better for I believe Cretensis comes little among Presbyterians and so cannot speak much of his own knowledge As for that particular of one of Lilburns eyes put out by
me But to come to the particulars for the first words that Cosens should say Iesus Christ was a Bastard 't is confessed by him who related it though he had it from a very good hand that those words are not found in the deposition againg him before two Justices but these Christ alas he was a child and you must not beleeve all the words hee said and for the fuller satisfaction of the Reader I do here set down the Information and Deposition to tittle as it was taken before the Major of Rochester and another Justice of Peace Civit. Roffens The Information of John Cosens of Chatham ' taken upon oath the 19 day of August 1644. before John Philpot Major and Philip Ward Esquire Iustices of Peace within the said City WHo saith that about July last was twelve months he being at work at the house of Master William Cobbams in the said City with Robert Cosens his brother they fell into discourse concerning the Book of Common Prayer when the said Robert offered to lay a wager that the same should be put down within a moneth and should be read no more whereupon the said Iohn Cosens replyed why Brother there are many things there commanded by God by what God saith the said Robert to whom he answered by our Saviour Christ Our Saviour Christ said Robert Cosens alas he was a child and you must not beleeve all the words he said his mark Iohn Cosens Iohn Philpot Major Philip Ward Vera Copia examinat per me Iohan Goldwell Now I appeale to the Reader whether these words related in this Deposition be not Blasphemy as well as the other and whether a mistake might not easily arise from these words deposed to report the other but to put Cretensis out of doubt that 't is no lye nor forgery to report such words yea and more of some Sectaries Cretensis Saints and therefore he needed not to have triumphed so much in it I will give him two instances of Sectaries who have blasphemed after this manner The first is one Coleburne of Watford in the liberty of Saint Albons a great Anabaptist and Sectarie who spake these words that our Saviour Christ was a bastard and the first time that he taught was in a tub upon the sea This was found by a Jury upon oath and was returned into the Kings Bench by Certiorarie in Michaelmas Terme last The second is one in Midlesex who is indited at the Kings Bench for saying that our Saviour Christ was a bastard and the Virgin Mary a with many other blasphemous words which being so horrid and filthy I think not fit to make publike This is found by the grand Inquest in Candlemas Terme last upon the knowledge of one of the said grand Inquest and to assure the Reader of what I write I have by me the whole Processe and particulars at large which I fetched out of the Crowne Office subscribed with the Clarks hand which because they are so large and I have much exceeded the number of sheets I alotted to this Reply I forbeare to Print them but if Cretensis doubt of the truth of what I here write he may if he will be at the charge have the whole proceedings out of the Crown Office attested under hand And for Cosens speaking these very words Cretensis a little after thoug here he denies them yet confesses these words were charged upon him though upon examination waved else what meanes that passage of Cretensis the witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him Now what those former words were I desire Cretensis to resolve in his Rejoynder For the second that if Jesus Christ were upon the Earth again hee would be ashamed of many things he then did This second part of the Relation of the Information Cretensis calls â—a lye and the second in order and thereupon enlarges himself after this manner For neither did the man namely Cosens speak any such words as these the witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him upon rexamination and that upon oath before the Committee of the County waved both the one and the other as appeares by the said examination under the hand of the Clark of the said Committee which I saw and read and is forth comming for any man to peruse for his further satisfaction Now that the Reader may see what Cretensis confidence and impudencie is and that Cosens spake such words as these I desire him to read what followes to a word taken out of the originalls kept in the Majors Court of Rochester Civit. Roffens The Information of Francis Tillet taken upon Oath the 19. of August 1644. before Master John Philpot Major Philip Ward and Barnabas Walsall Iustices of the Peace within the said City WHo saith that in Lent was twelve moneths last he being upon his duty at the guard of the Bridg at the Centry with Robert Cosens and some others he being talking with the said Robert Cosens about the troubles of the Church and some speech of our Saviour Christ he the said Cosens then said that if our Saviour Christ were now again upon the Earth he would be ashamed of what he had done and he further saith that he heard Iohn Patten of Saint Margarets and Iohn Cosens Brother of the said Robert declare that they have heard him say to the effect aforesaid the Marke of the said Francis Q Tillet Iohn Philpot Major Philip Ward Barnabas Walsall Vera Copia examinat per me Iohan Goldwell Now for that which Cretens alledges here to clear Cosens that he never spake any such words as these 't is all false as I shall demonstrate it to the Reader and I am confident that Cretensis with all his Rhetorick and great swelling six footed words can never clear himself but must blush for shame unlesse he be past it and confesse that either he was too credulous to beleeve such a Sectary and a man in his own cause as Cosens or else out of haste and eagernesse to confute me mistooke the businesse quite or which is worse did wilfully and on purpose write thus to brand me hoping that I should not be able to disprove him by ever getting the Records to testifie the contrary and before I do particularly disprove these six or seven lines of Cretensis I shall usher in what I have to say by retorting justly Cretensis words upon himself which he unjustly used against me That forgery of forgeries and all is forgery all over for in this confutation of Cretensis by which you may judge both of those many that go before it and those few that follow after There are not only well-nigh but altogether quot verba tot mendica and yet even this hath this banner of confidence displayed for the credit of it as appears by the said examination under hand of the Clerk of the said Committee which I saw and read and
is coming for any man to peruse for his satisfaction all which is false as I shall undeniably demonstrate under the Clerks hand of the Committee and therefore if I would deale in such a scoffing way with Cretensis as he hath done by me though falsely I could marshall his lies and ranck them in order first second â—hird c. and could at the end of every one cry keep tale score up tally on and say this is a fifth if not a fifth and sixth phib in the Relation of Cretensis for here is a big lye with a lesser in the belly of it in brief there is never a sentence nay not a clause nor one word brought by Cretensis to disprove this second part of the story of Cosens that is true and yet it hath Cretensis seale upon it and this foundation greater then Mr. Edwards I was informed for certain namely as it appears by the said examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee which I saw and read and is forth-coming for any man to peruse for his satisfaction and I am confident there are more untruths in these seven lines of Cretensis brought to disprove one clause of one story of mine then in all my Gangraena unlesse mistakes in the manner of a Relation as in the order or mistake of a name c. consisting of thirty sheets and upon condition that Cretensis will promise to submit to this fair condition to be willing his Church should be put down and to Petition with me that upon proof of things by me his Saints may be punished I am contented to referre the determination of it to Authority and if I make it not good to be willing to suffer what the Parliament shall think fit but by the way if Cretensis signall and choyce confutations founded upon examinations under the hand of the Clerk of a Committee which he saw and read and is forth-coming for any man to peruse for his satisfaction be of so dark and dismall a complexion that there is scarce so much as one beam or the least glimmering of the light of truth in the whole body of it what shall we think of those that have no such image or superscription of confidence upon them but be only loose informations from Anabaptists Apprentices persons in their own cause c If Cretensis Chariots and horse-men fail surely his Infantry will yeeld the field And that I may make good all this which I have said and not only feed the Reader with words and flourishes as Cretensis doth I desire the Reader to peruse what followes which cleerly proves what I say and confounds Cretensis Whereas ceatain Articles are exhibited against Robert Cosens of Blasphemy which he now alledgeth is confest by some of the witnesses to be rather a suborning then truth These are to require you to warn these under-written to appear before the Committee at Ailâ—ford to morrow being Wednesday fail not for which this shall be your warrant Ailâ—ford Novemb. 19. Anthony Weldon Iohn Bixe Iohn Cosens Francis Tillet Iames Hills Iohn Hills George Paine William Barnet To all Constables and other officers to whom this shall come c. Let Mr. Goldwell send a Copie of the Articles with these witnesses The Examination of Francis Tillet taken upon oath before Sir Anthony Weldon William Iames Richard Beale and Iohn Bixe Esquires upon an information of some subornation against Robert Cosens Novemb. 20. 1644. Who saith that Robert Cosens and this examinat being together upon the Centry they were talking of the Common Prayer and the Lords Prayer and in this discourse the examinate affirmed That the Lords Prayer was taught unto him by his Forefathers and that it was of Christs making and framing whereunto Robert Cosens replyed That if our Saviour were again upon earth he would be ashamed of what he had done and that afterward this examinate relating unto his Brother Iohn Cosens this discourse the said Iohn Cosens replyed that his Brother Robert had said unto him as much before Andrew Lydall Clerk Committee Now I desire the Reader but to compare this Examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee with what Cretensis hath written anent his businesse and he will finde Cretensis lines brought to clear Cosens from speaking these words to have forgeries in it numerous beyond measure the whole and every part of it being nothing but lies and for the further conviction of Cretensis I will go over his words 1. Cretensis saith neither did the man speak any such words as these Cretensis how dare you say so when as before three Justices of Peace upon oath these words were deposed against him is your negative testimony without oath sufficient to disprove it 2. Cretensis affirms for proof of his words that Cosens never spake such words as these that the witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him upon re-examination and that upon oath before the Committee of the County waved both the one and the other which is all stark staring false and Cretensis proof failing him what is Cretensis testimony worth Now if the Reader do but read this Examination under the Clerk of the Committees hand and compare with that the first Deposition of Francis Tillet before the Major of Rochester and two other Justices he must presently see it smels above ground and that here Cretensis words takes place in himself quot verba tot mendacia I desire the Reader to tell the untruths and that proved upon Record and not untruths made upon my saying they are lies as Cretensis are upon his bare words 1. Cretensis avoucheth confidently that it was one witnesse upon whose single testimony originally both these and the former words were charged upon him let this be the first lie in this Catalogue for 't is evident by the Depositions which I have set down that there were two witnesses Iohn Cosens and Francis Tillet Francis Tillet who swore Cosens spake these words and Iohn Cosens who deposed the other words so that there were two witnesses and each witnesse deposed not the same but different words 2. Cretensis here affirms the former words namely that Iesus Christ was a Bastard were charged upon him which if they were and that upon oath that was a good ground for the report but if they were not charged upon him but other blasphemous words then Cretensis tels another phib which is the second in order 3. Cretensis positively without saying I was so informed c. asserts that these words spoken viz. by Cosens If Christ were upon the earth again he would be ashamed c. the witnesse upon re-examination and that upon oath before the Committee of the County waved them Now how false this is let but the Reader compare the first and second Deposition of Francis Tillet who deposed these words against Cosens before three Justices and upon re-examination and that upon oath before the Committee of the
County swore the same again the second time and was far from waving it as appears by the examination under the Clerks hand of the Committee which I have set down and now I might say to the Reader keep tale this is the third down-right fall more then a stumble this is a big lye with others in the belly of it for first the former words were not charged upon Cosens by Francis Tillet but only these words and therefore how could he be re-examined upon that of which he never informed nor was formerly examined Secondly much lesse then could he upon oath wave them and for the other words which he was re-examined upon he stood to them before the Committee and is ready to testifie them still whensoever he shall be called thereunto 4. Cretensis affirms that he who deposed these words viz. That if Christ were upon the earth again c. did upon re-examination before the Committee wave them as appears by the said examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee Now I might here say score up this is the fourth word of folly in Cretensis confutation for there is no such examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee but the contrary to it as appears by that examination set down already taken upon oath before Sir Anthony Weldon c. and subscribed by Andrew Lydall Clerk Committee This untruth may well stand for two or at least be printed in a Capitall Letter because he affirms a grosse lye and a thing quite contrary to truth to be under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee 5. Cretensis proceeds upon this examination that he saw it which I saw I might here say Tally on this is a fifth phib in this relation for how could Cretensis see that which never was but if he saw any such thing that Francis Tillet should deny these words he must needs see something that was forged by some of his Sectaries to engage him to confute Mr. Edwards Book 6. Cretensis further asserts that he read this under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee I might here say Cretensis still advances in his Cretian way and this is the sixth flaw for how could he read that which never was and I conceive Cretensis will upon a review of what he hath written cry peccavi and say I was deluded and quite mistaken 7. And lastly the said Independent confutation and assertion for uniformity sake that it may end as it began or rather end worse by rising and ascending in untruths affirms in the close of it that this examination is forth-coming for any man to peruse for his satisfaction Now Reader remember the account for this is the seventh and eighth time at least yea the ninth and tenth that this confutation prevaricateth with the truth for in these words this examination is forth-coming there are many lyes First there is no such examination Seconly then it cannot be forth-coming Thirdly not for any one man to peruse much lesse for any man And fourthly it can be much lesse for satisfaction And I much wonder Cretensis if you had seen and read an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee proving what you here say and confuting this part of the story related by me of Cosens and that tending so much to the satisfaction of any man why did you not cause it to be forth-coming printing it here together with your Confutation Certainly Cretensis had you seen and read such an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee there can be no reason given why you should not have printed that as well as an Anabaptists Letter written to an Anabaptist and a writing given you from Mr. Burroughs surely an examination under the Clerks hand of a Committee would have been more authenticall with rationall men to have convicted my Book of untruths then a Letter of an Anabaptisticall boy c. and therefore for my part I am confident Cretensis saw that in the examination brought him by Cosens which being printed would have disadvantaged his foul-mouth'd Confutation of this story either contradicting or rendring the whole suspected and therefore he suppressed it being willing to blast my Book for the present while it was new come forth and much sought after making account if after I should be able to disprove him yet he could not play his after game either by pleading mistakes and that he was so informed or else by his Rhetorick and words at will wrusting either the examination brought him to these word in Cretensis or else these words and phrases of his to the examination however one way or other to shift for his credit and to wrangle it out in which Cretensis hath a wonderfull Art and faculty by his wit and largenesse of conscience to call black white and to make quidlibet ex quolibet and however Cretensis to work the Reader to a belief of him in the confutation of this part of the story of Cosens speaks of an examination under the hand of the Clerk of the said Committee which he saw and read yet I am confident he knew it would not prove what he here saith and my confidence is upon this ground because from his own words I gather he had this counter-information from the mouth of the said Cosens and the examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee what ever it was was brought him by Cosens Now I conceive that examination under the hand of the Clerk of the Committee which Cosens shewed Cretensis he also shewed me which I carefully read and that in the presence of three Citizens in which there was nothing in the judgement of us four to weaken this testimony of Francis Tillet but rather by that and the confession of Cosens himself to us much fell from him to confirm the truth of this and other passages in this story which I presently writ down as soon as Cosens was gone and for a need besides my own testimony those Citizens will be ready to witnesse also the truth of what then passed so that by all this the Reader may see more untruth in one peece of Cretensis confutation of the story of Cosens then there are pretended untruths made by all the art and malice of Cretensis against the whole story of Cosens so that to conclude this I aske of Cretensis who is the lyar now and I suppose I may more truly apply Cretensis own words a little changed spoken against me to himself doubtlesse the man hath sold himself to write all and all manner of untruths that hee can but scrapple together from what mouths or tongues or pens he cares not so they be but Independent in their constitution and carry any antipathy in them to the honour and good of Presbytery and in case they be but such 't is no matter if they be Anabaptists Seekers yea loose drunken persons and Blasphemers Cretensis by this Answer hath proved many
others and presented to him I Reply though I have animadverted upon it already page 29. in Observation 9. and also in this present Section yet I shall adde this that besides his great weaknesse in taking things upon trust and making an Answer to a Book out of other mens collections himself never reading one quarter of the Book he here proclaims himself guilty of the great crime and transgression which in many places of his Answer he loads me with and with all his railing Rhethorick aggravates against me namely of persons resorting to him to furnish him with intelligence his taking up and entertaining of reports his publishing them to the world wherein besides his contradicting other passages in his Answer as that in page 6. nor doe I hold intelligence with any man to inform my self of his haltings he shows himself faulty in laying snares of intelligence in many places and holding correspondence with severall parts of the Kingdom to receive intelligence of the miscarriages and undue deportments of all such as are Anti-Independently given and if it were not so whence comes it that so many particulars detected and observed by others were presented to him and that Cretensis hath ready by him a yeer ago a Manuscript in his hands concerning Master Edwards himself discoursing his jugling a story also of a Presbyterian Angel together with a story of the Doctorate it self of the Assembly yea that all sorts of Sectaries and that from severall places have resorted to Cretensis with presents in their hands towards the perfecting of this goodly work as Master Burroughs Liâ—utenant Colonel Lilburn Kiâ—â—in Cosens a friend of Master Ellis in London c. being like so many rivers 〈◊〉 and emptying themselves into the Cretian Sea where all these meeting make so many raging waves to beat upon and disturb the Ship of the Reformed Church all these Sectaries â— though distant from one another in places opinions yet as so many lines meet altogether in Master Goodwyn against the Presbyterians and as in this so in other particulars wherein Cretensis deeply charges me he himself is most faulty as in taxing me with immodest lascivious expressions for printing a letter where an immodest fact is related though for such a foul offence modestly expressed when as Cretensis as of himself and as his own words when free to have used any other speaks of monthly courses c. more then once expressions most immodest and uncivill For that expression of Cretensis by that time the boughs of the trees are a little more withered they will be broken off the women will come and set them on fire I answer I suppose by this time the boughs of the tree instead of being withered doe flourish more and are more fresh and green and do here bring forth new fruit and whereas Cretensis had for a 〈◊〉 cast dust and dirt upon this tree my Reply like a good shoute of raine hath washed all off making it look pleasantly smell sweet and Cretensis Answer by that time I have done with it it will not only be like boughs a little withered and broken off but like Saint Iudes Sectaries a tree whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead and plucked up by the roots As to those words of Cretensis The day will come and is even at the doore when there will be a scarce one stone left upon another of all this false building which will not be puld down by the hand of truth I reply for all Cretensis prophesying of such a day and that even at the doore there is no such day yet come not any hand since Cretensis having pull'd down one stone from this building though it be now about two months ago since Cretensis threatned this but the Reader may see the contrary is fulfilled this day and that instead of pulling down this building of Gangraena the building is enlarged a story higher and in breadth also by the addition of this second part of Gangraena and Cretensis will finde Gangraena will bee so farre from being puld down that other buildings of the same kinde will bee framed by it and this first stone laid by mee or first building will prosper into a rowe a whole street before I and others have done with the Sectaries whereas Cretensis Babels built without any foundation and daubed with untempered mortar will fall down to the ground and be as a refuge for lies that fails and is swept away as the Spiders Cobweb And lastly to those words of Cretensis When the servants of God shall have had the opportunity to wash off that dirt and filth which Master Edwards hath now cast upon them Gangraena will be found a strumpet c. I reply The most of those persons whom I have named in Gangraena I durst not for all the world call them the servants of God thus publikely as Cretensis doth lest I should be found guilty of strengthening them in their wicked errours and practices but of my grounds in this the Reader shall have a more full account in my second Reply and therefore meaning it of such the servants of God shall have no opportunity to wash off that dirt and filth which I have cast upon them for they that are such as Clarkson Webb Wright Hich Denne Nichols Lâ—m Oats Kiffin Walwyn Marshall Ienney Mistris Aâ—â—eway cum multis aliis I may say with the Apostle serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own bellies and their own lusts and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple But as for some few among many whom I have named in Gangraena as Master Burroughs Master Greenhill and some such it may be they are the servants of God and Saints though wherein I have blamed them they walk as men and as carnall and not as Saints and can never wash off that dirt I have cast upon them so is Cretensis phrase without repentance and that they will finde one day when they shall come to be awakened from their wine And therefore instead of Gangraena being found a strumpet Cretensis will be found a lyar and Gangraena a chaste Lady and true Virgin and it will appear I doubt not before it be long when the time of the reigne of the Sectaries shall be over and they no more heard of unlesse it bee by way of a proverb and reproach that then Master Edwards Gangraena shall be looked upon by all as a witnesse of the truth even against Sectaries in the ages to come and as a discovery of the wickednesse and vilenesse of the Sectaries of this time And whereas Cretensis would make my Book of the linage and race of the great Woore corrupting the earth c. Gangraena is of a quite different nature and contrary linage being a great means through the blessing of God of preserving the earth from being corrupted and tainted by the fornications and poysonous principles of the Sectaries the Book doing much good as I could prove by plentifull
who will settle here with them Hereupon they are presently so high flowne that they will have our publike meeting place commonly called the Church to preach a weekly Lecture though we have an Order from the Committee of Parliament that there shall bee none without the consent of both the Ministers in Dover and have acquainthem with it yet some have threatned if the Key be kept away they will break open the doores and since M. Davies journey to London the Members of his Church meeting everie Lords day twice and once in the weeke Mr. Mascall a man employed by the State to bee a perfector of the Customes undertakes to feed the flock expounds the Scriptures and with much vehemencie cries out to the people expressing himselfe thus against the present Ministerie Your Priests your damned Priests your cursed Priests with their fooles Coat Your Levites who if they get an Ordinance of Parliament will thunder it out but they let alone the Ordinances of Christ and perswades the people of the evill that Synods and Learned men have done to the Church and therefore presses them to the uselessenesse of humane learning and at other times in private meetings perswades people that they will fall into most miserable slaverie if they have a Presbytery and saith That hee shall stand and laugh at them when they are under their burthens For our parts if the State will suffer themselves to bee so vilified in what they have by the best advice proposed and will have us trodden under foot for following Christ and obeying them and will have us take Covenants and suffer as many as will to violate them wee shall then thinke that wee are fallen into worse times then ever wee yet saw Wee desire you to counsell us and to improve your power in the Assembly and with the Parliament what you may to stop these violent proceedings here that we may enjoy our priviledges especially the peace of our Consciences and Countrey we rest Your loving Friends Dover April 13. 1646. This Letter is given into the hands of a Peer of this Kingdom The Copie of a Letter written from a learned and godly Divine from beyond the Seas to a speciall Friend of his here in London and translated by him out of Dutch into English VVE do earnestly long for some Ordinances from England for the suppressing of the high growing Sects Heresies and Schismes which get the upperhand We are afflicted in our verie souls that there is such a depth of Distractions and Errors such liberty for Schisme Blasphemie and ungodly Tenents both at London and in the whole Kingdome O blessed holy Holland righteous Amsterdam heretofore accounted the sink of Errours and Heresies but now justified by London With us are punished with banishment or piercing through the tong with a hot Iron those that but slanderously speak of the Virgin Mary Here we burne the books of the Socinians Errours and they may not with knowledge be sold in these parts Here indeed every one is left to enjoy the freedome of his Conscience in his own Family but to keep Conventicles and meetings of divers Families together Amsterdam it selfe will not suffer except in Anabaptists Lutherans and Remonstrants At London is taught Blasphemy against Christ God his Word Worship and Sacraments by Enthusiasts Antinomians Libertines and Seekers There the Socinian tricks are new moulded there all Sects and Hereticks may keep their separated publike and secret Conventicles Whence is it that you are so suddenly led away unto another Gospell Is there no balme in Gilead that the wounds of the daughter of Sion are not healed are the Prayers of the Saints and the Labours of the upright all in vain Gods judgements hang over that Kingdom which feeds and fosters such sins A Passage extracted out of a Letter lately sent from a godly Minister in Colchester to a Minister in London THe last Sabbath day we had one Clarkson a Seeker that preached at Butolph Church the same man I believe that M. Edwards mentions in his Book His Sermon tended to the vilifying of the Scriptures all Ordinances Duties Ministers Church State Hee vilified the Scriptures and would not have the people live upon white and black and that they of themselves were not able to reveal God of which I shall give M. E. a full account the next week An Extract of a Letter written from a Minister in New-England to a Member of the Assembly of Divines DIscipline or Church Government is now the great businesse of the Christian World God grant we forget not the doctrine of Repentance from dead works and Faith in the Lord Jesus I long much to see or heare what is done in England about this matter I shall not fall into particulars as I might do could we speake mouth to mouth I am no Independent neither are manie others who say Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae ab initio regebantur nor am I of a democraticall spirit Much have I seene in my almost eleven yeares abode in this Wildernesse and I wish such as maintain an Independen Democracie had seene and found as much experimentally A house like to be well governed where all are Masters but no more of this For my self God hath been here with me and done me much good learning me somthing of himselfe of my selfe and of men N. E. is not Heaven and here we are men still Decem. 8. 1645. To his loving brother M. Thomas Edwards SIr that Book which discovereth our generall Gangraena containeth truth which will procure you many enemies it s the fate of Truth But to this end saith our Lord Iohn 18.37 was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the truth and so for this Cause are Christians begotten againe by the Word of Truth Everie one that is of the truth should do so espcially such as are his Ministers Revelasse will be superasse I le joyn with one of your adversaries in that alleadged Text. But they shall proced no farther for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3 9. I wait for its accomplishment You yea we all must look to suffer for plaine dealing especially now when as truth lieth in the streets and is trampled on by dirty feet when as there are so many adversaries unto it and such an Independent Combination against it The great objection against you is You are too too vehement in your opposition which when I heard I remembred I had read in Luther de servo Arbitrio the same objected to him by old Erasmus The Answer of Luther unto it mee thinkes may well bee ours yours and yeeld us much comfort and encouragement Quod antem vehementius egerim agnosco culpam si culpa est imo testimonium hoc mihi in mundo reddi in causa Des mirificè gaudeo Atque utinam ipse Deus id testimonii in novissimo die confirmaret
going against the lawes of Nations joyning with the worst of men against good men labouring to sow divisions among brethren raising evill reports fomenting jealousies and using all waies in their power to ingage the two Nations in a war one against the other not caring to hazzard the ruine of all for the upholding of their faction Many of the Sectaries have forfeited all principles of ingenuity and conscience and will not stand upon any thing that may probably doe their worke for them they will take counsell of Baalzebub the God of Ekron whether they shall recover use the Devills meanes as lying breach of promises joyning with wicked men c. for pretended libertie of Conscience and upholding their way In a word they are like that Judge spoken of in the 18. of Luke which feared not God neither regarded men all they regard is the effecting of their designes and other things in order to that And â—s many Sectaries are in these too faulty and guilty so the verie best of them that I know their Ministers and others who are leaders and have been anie long time of the way and unsterstand the state of things they are extreamly faulty in patronizing all kind of Sectaries and being against all the waies of suppressing them in using all subtill politike waies and devices to hinder and delay the Reformation in joyning with bad men against what they acknowledge good in going against their owne principles razing their owne foundation besides they are verie proud lofty touchy full of equivocations reservations pretences pretending one thing and doing quite otherwise so that I may say of them with the Prophet Micah The best of them is a brier the most upright is sharper then a thorne-hedge and therefore the day of their visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity And certainly these fearfull sinnes and strange wayes especially in men who have pretended to more sanctitie and holinesse then other men having also upon those pretences of greater puritie c. gâ—ounded their great Separation and Division from all the reformed Churches must needs provoke God to visit and to punish them severely and because of his great Name which they have taken upon them and so prophaned God will be sanctified unlesse gâ—eat and speedy repentance prevent it in punishing them sooner and more remarkaâ—ly then the Prelates and their partie And therefore in the close of this Symptome of the downefall of the Sects I shall in the name of the Presbyterian party and of all those who are for the solemne League and Covenant in both Kingdomes make use of those words to and against the Sectaries which both Kingdomes upon the coming in of our Brethren of Scotland used in their joynt Declaration to and against the Popish Prelaticall and malignant party It is his own Truth and Cause which we maintaine with all the Reformed Churches and which hath been witnessed and sealed by the testimonie sufferings and blood of so many Confessours and Martyrs against the heresie superstition and tyranny of Antichrist The glorie of his own Name the exaltation of the Kingdom of his Son and the preservation of his Church and of this Iland from utter ruine and devastaâ—ion is our aime and the end which we have before our â—ies His Covenant have we in both Nations solemnly sworn and subscribed which he would not have put in our hearts to do iâ— he had been minded to destroy us The many prayers and supplications which these many yeares last past but especially of late have been offered up with fasting and humiliation and with strong crying and tears unto him that is able to deliver and save us are a seed which promise unto us a plentifull harvest of comfort and happinesse and the Apostasie Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Prosanenesse Crueltie Excesse and open mocking of all godlinesse and honestie have filled up the cup of our adversaries to the brim and threaten their speedy and fearfull dâ—struction unlâ—sse it be prevented by such extraordinarie repentance as seemeth not yet to have entred into their hearts 8. Sympt is this When God hath at some times testified against them and spit in their faces as by laying open their nakednesse and fully discovering their ways by some books written by some Sermons preached by godly Ministers by casting some rubs in their way in stirring up the Citie of London to appeare against them or in disappointing some of their purposes by strange and unexpected passages of his providence from Heaven yet upon none of these occasions have they repented of their deeds to give God glorie or humbled themselves before his Ministers speaking to them from the mouth of the Lord or abated of their spirits but contrariwise have gnawed their tongues for pain blasphemed the more because of their pains and sores and stirred up themselves with so much the more industrie and subtiltie to plot and work by all kind of wayes and meanes to heale their wounds and I could give many instances how upon such books coming forth and upon such acts of providence which a man would have thought should have made them give over they have been more resolved active desperate betaking themselves to evill wayes and strange courses for the saving of themselves as aspersing and raising scandals and false reports upon the persons whom they think have wounded them as in the weekly Pamphleters venting some desperate passages and putting forth strange books upon the nick of things with many other wayes all which wise men cannot but observe in which courses they have been like Balaam Numb 22. going on their way resolvedly though the Angell of the Lord have stood in their way with a sword drawn and their feet have been crushed against the wall Now it is a great symptome of destruction and ruine to a partie or to particular persons when the hand of God is lifted up against them that they will not see and that when God wounds them instead of falling down before him they seek to cure their wounds by unlawfull means and that when he powrs our vials upon them and scorches them with great heat they blaspheme and do not repent that when hee stops them they will drive more furiously and that when hee makes mens pride testiâ—â—e to their faces they do not return nor seek him for all this This is the fore-runner of destruction in the Antichristian partie Revel 16.8 9 10 11. And this was a fore-runner of destruction in the Prelates and that partie that after their great and long prosperitie and successe when God did by writing preaching raising up of witnesses testifie against them and did by other acts of his providence crosse them in raising up the Kingdome of Scotland against them yet they would not give in nor abate and when a peace was concluded with Scotland upon the Kings first going into the North and they might have enjoyed their honours greatnesse for all that they wrought so upon the Kings returne as to procure
account in the world thou shalt have victories over these enemies and thou shalt enrich thy self with their spoiles so that no man but shall be compelled to acknowledg thee deerly beloved whom above all hope they shall see so wonderfully encreased O Church of Scotland and all yee that are for Reformation Presbyteriall against the Sectaries nourish your hopes by these things neither let your hearts be troubled whatsoever the wâ—â—ld speaks against you Secondly Because they have kept the word of Gods patience God will keep them from the houre of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth That is because they stood for my Doctrine and truth with a great deale of danger and yet with a great deale of patience have constantly continued in their duty I will therefore deliver them out of their dangers I will not suffer them to sinck and perish in their trialls but I will give them strength whereby they shall not only strongly beare their calamity but they shall also over-come and be conquerors not that the houre of temptation shall not at all touch these Philadelphians for it can hardly be in the common calamity of the whole world that they should be wholly free but to keep them from the houre of temptation is to deliver them as God saved them from the hands of their enemies that is deliver them 2. Iudg. 18. 3. Him that over-commeth God will make a Pillar in his Temple he shall go no more ouâ— c. that is God promises to make that Church over-comming being an Hebraisme nominativi absoluti and the reward is that that Church shall be like a Pillar in the Temple of God that is shall remain firm and lasting in the Church neither shall that Church feare any ruine or destruction however the raine falls the flouds beat the winds blow and all things with a joynt force break in upon them The spirit of God alludes to the two Brasen Pillars placed by Solomon in the Temple of God which set forth the stability of the sonnes of God And so by the grace of God is this Church not tainted nor corrupted with Schisme and base defection as the Church of Sardis was which having no care of a full Reformation by the just judgement of God lost the most of the people CORALL III. HEnce then from all these Errours Heresies Blasphemies and Practises of the Sectaries we may see what a great evill and sin separation is from the communion of the Reformed Churches and how highly displeasing to God for men to make a Schisme and Rent in the Church of God in a time of Reformation God punishing the Schisme and Separation of our times with so many Heresies Blasphemies wicked practises c. as I have laid down in this and my former Book wherein God witnesses from Heaven against the present separation in giving men up to great spirituall judgements and evills and indeed God testifies more against the Sectaries of our times then against the old Brownists and Separatists leaving the Sectaries of these dayes to fall into greater Errours Heresies Blasphemies and more pernicious Practises then the former few of them in comparison falling either to those Opinions or Practises which generally the Separatists do now but held to their first principles more a great reason whereof I conceive to be this the old Separatists having greater scandals and more just occasion of separating then the new the old Separatists being like men stealing upon need or some want the new like those who steale upon wantonnesse and for their pleasure the onelike wives and children going away and leaving harsh bitter hard unkind husbands and parents the other forsaking loving and kind husbands and Parents allowing them all things siting and that can reasonably be desired their sinne was not so great then as now and so the punishment not so great There are two wayes to judge of the greatnesse of sinnes and of Gods displeasure against them either by the nature and kind of them viewing them formaliter in their formality or in the effects and fruits of them effective Now this Corallary leads me to judge and speak of Schisme and Separation in the latter and among all punishments the effects and fruits which declare the greatnesse of any sinne spirituall judgements and punishments are the sorest and sadest The punishment upon the Heathen Rom. 1.21.24 c. when they knew God for not glorifying him as God and for their idolatry is giving them up to uncleanenesse and vile affections to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient suffering them to be fild with all unrighteousnesse wickednesse covetousnesse malitiousnesse deceit malignity debate to be proud inventers of evill things without naturall affection Covenant-breakers implacable c. 2. Thes. 2.11 The judgement of God upon the Antichristian world as a fruit of their sin in not receiving the truth in love is Gods sending them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye 2. Tim. 13. and the punishment of God upon Seducers is that they shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived that they who are filthy shall be filthy still Revel 22 11. Now the judgements of God upon the Heathen Idolaters upon the Antichristian Faction upon Seducers and filthy persons are upon the Schismaticks and Separatists of our times God hath given them up to feareful Opinions to damnable Heresies blasphemies God hath sent strong delusions to beleeve lyes strange conceits and God hath left them to all kind of filthynesse unrighteousnesse uncleannesse unnaturalnesse c. Whosoever doth but read and consider the First and Second Part of Gangraena must needs say that God hates Schisme and Separation in leaving those who are guilty of it to do those things they do daily I may truly say God hath set markes and brands upon this way of Separation not only burning them in their hands but branding them in their foreheads Schisme hath Coins mark and brand upon it of a Fugitive and Vagabond upon the earth How do we see in daily experience our Sectaries have no rest but wander and go from one Errour and way to another till they quite lose themselves being Saint Iudes raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring Stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever The punishment of Schisme and Separation from the Church is Separation from God Heresie Blasphemy Atheism uncleannesse unrighteousnesse Schisme doth most easily draw into Heresie and we hardly ever knew or read of any Schisme in the Curch which did not make a Heresie that it might deservedly seem to forsake the Church The ancient Fathers as Irenaeus Cyprian do excellently shew that those who forsake the Church do necessarily fall into most foule Errours against the truth of faith and some of them show that Schisme is a worse and more pernicious evill in the Church of God then Heresie and no Errour will be
Authors preparation and expectation of all kind of reproaches and oppositions from the Sectaries in this work 8 His firm resolution by the grace of God not to feare nor be discouraged in this work but having such a cloud of witnesses to follow their example and to goe on with the more earnestnesse activity and courage the more he is opposed In the Book itself in the first Division pag. 1. are premised some particulars from the better understanding of this Book The Catalogue of Errours c. is not of old Errors opinions of a former age but of Errours now in being in these present times pag. 1 2. Though 't is not a full catalogue and perfect enumeration of all erroneous opinions c. of these times yet 't is the fullest that hath yet been made p. 2. The intent of this work not a formal confutation of errours and opinions but a discovery of them p. 3. Errors and strange opinions scattered up and down and vented in many Bookes Manuscripts Sermons Conferences drawne into one Table and disposed under certain heads p. 3.4 The errours and opinions contained in this book are laid down in terminis in their own words and phrases as neare as possible can bee pag. 4. The way laid downe of the proofe of the truth and reality of the errours blasphemies c. contained in this Tractate and that by a sevenfold way p. 4 5 â— All the errours and opinions mentioned in one and the same Catalogue not all alike p. 7. The Reader is fore-warned not to be hindred from beleeving the truth of things contained in this Book by all the clamours and reproaches cast upon it p. 8. Three Answers given to the first objection thâ—t may be against this Book as that it is not seasonable nor convenient to discover our nakednesse and weaknesse so far to the common enemy pag. 8.9 10. Foure Answrs to a second objection made against this book that it may cause distractions and divisions among our selves and may offend many good persons that are not Sectaries p. 1â— 12 The errours heresies c. of the times refered to sixteen heads or sorts of Sectaries p. 13. Among all these sorts of Sects there is hardly to bee found any Sect that is simple and without mixture but all the Sects are compounded p. 13. All these sorts of sects how different soever yet all agree in separating from our Church and in Indepency being all Independents and Separatists p. 14. The first Independent Ministers that we read of in Antiquitie and how they were proceeded against in a Councel held at Carthage p. 14 15. Some of the errors and opiâ—ions laid down in this Catalogue are contrary and contradictorie to others of them p. 15. The Catalogue of the Errours Heresies contained in p. 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. The blasphemies of the Sectaries p. 32 33 34. Some passages in the Prayers of the Sectaries p. 34 35 A Parallel between our Sectaries and the Donatists agreeing in the particulars p. 37 38 39. The Sectaries and Jesuits agree in 7. things p. 4â— 41. The Sectaries and the Netherland Arminians agree in these eight particulars p. 41 42 43. A parallell between the Bishops and that Court-party heretofore and the present Sectaries in six things p. 43 44 45. The Sectaries and Malignants agree both in the generall and in three particulars p. 45 46 47 48. The Sectaries like Julian the Apostata and some other enemies of Christians in four things p. 48. 49. The difference in the carriage and behaviour these foure years last past all along of the Presbyterians both to the honourable Houses and to the Sectaries and of the Sectaries to the Parliament and to the Presbyterians 49 50 51 52 53. The Sectaries practices and wayes referred to ten heads p. 54. Some of their particular practices named to the number of 28. and laid down in pag. 54 55 56. c. unto 66. An Answer to an Objection what are practices of some men and matters of fact to a way it is arguments must convince men and not practices p. 66. A second Table showing the Contents of the second division of the first part of Gangraena Foure Letters written concerning the Sectaries from p. 1. to p. 9. Animadversions on the last Letter p. 9.10.11 An Extract of certaine Letters written by some Ministers concerning Sectaries from p. 12 to p. 18. A relation of some women preachers and of their doctrine 29 30 31 32. A relation of some stories and remarkable passages concerning the Sects from p. 17 to p. 42. An Extract of 2. Letters more 42 43. Some more remarkable passages concerning the Sectaries from p. 44 to p. 52. Sectaries annointing of the sick with oyl p. 6 44. A Love-Feast kept by some Sectaries with the laying on of hands upon their Members for receiving of the Holy Ghost p. 45. A petition drawne up by some Citizens preached against by Master Greenhill and M. Burroughs pag. 48 49 A discourse betweene Mr. Greenhill and M. Burroughs upon occasion of some wicked opinions maintained in the hearing of M. Greenhill p. 25. The great evill and mischief of a Church being long without a Government p 52 53. T is more then time to settle the Government and Discipline of the Church the many Errors Blasphemies cry aloud for a speedy setling of Church Government 53 54 55. The mischeif evill and danger of a Toleration and pretended liberty of Conscience to this Kingdome and how a Toleration is the grand designe of the Devil his master-peece chief engine 57 58 59 60. Independencie in England hath brought forth in a few years monsters of errours As Independency is the Mother and Originall of other Sects so it is the Nurse and Patronesse that nurses and safeguards them p. 61 62. M. Burton who was so zealous against Errours Arminianisme Innovations in the Bishops days can now let false Doctrines go unquestioned not writing against nor complaining to the Parliament of Sermons Books wherein all kind of false Doctrine is vented 62 63 64. The confusions and mischiefs we lye under charged upon the consciences of the Independenns as having been the great means of hindring and delaying the setling of Church-government pag 64.65 The Divell an active restlesse subtill Spirit when he can no longer doe things one way then he will try another pag. 65 66 67 68. New light and new truths a weake and deceitfull Argument to commend any way or opinion by all errours vented under this of new light p. 68. The true reason and cause of that great growth and increase of the Sectaries among us and so few falling to the Presbyterians is because the Sectaries opinions and practises are so pleasing to flesh and blood and sundry particulars are instanced in that feed the carnall hearts of men p. 69 70. An Apologie and Justification sufficient for those Ministers and people who are zealous for setling Religion and
The bitternesse bloudinesse which Cretensis charges upon Mr. Edwards will be found in Cretensis and the Sectaries p. 54 55 Cretensis Errour about Imputation of Faith and not Imputation of Christs righteousnesse with his quoting of Calvin Bucer and others for him who are known ex professo to be against him made good against him p. 56 57 58 Cretensis desperate passage in a Sermon against the Parliament which he labours to clear himself from made good against him with his and other Sectaries speaking slightly and scornfully of the Parliament p. 59 60 61 62 Cretensis bowling on a day of publike Thanksgiving made good p. 63 64 The Errours and Practises of the Independents and Sectaries justly brought against them to prove their way to be naught p. 65 66 and in Epist. to the Reader p. 2 3 A clear confutation of that accusation cast upon the Author of the Book entituled Gangraena concerning his indirect walking between Dunmowe and Godalming p. 67 68 69 70 A clear vindication of the truth of that story of Nichols Master Greenhill and Master Burroughs related in the first part of Gangraena with a discovery of the jugling and equivocations of Master Burroughs writing given under his hand to Cretensis p. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 Master Burroughs resembled by Cretensis to Achilles and Master Edwards to Troilus where see Master Edwards answer to that comparison p. 80 81 A Reply to that passage of Master Edwards being charged to abuse Mr. Ellis of Colchester and the servants of God in those parts p. 81 82 A full proof of such a Sectary as Thomas Moore though denied by Cretensis p. 86 The strength of malice and weaknesse of judgement which Cretensis hath manifested against the Saints p. 87 88 Cretensis his fearfull abusing of the Honourable Court of Common Councell p. 89.90 The clearing of that relation of one Cosens of Rochester and the confutation of Cretensis Answer in that businesse p. 92. to p. 105 Cretensis his folly and horrible pride discovered in professing he had not read one quarter of the Book as yet nor knowes whether he shall ever care to read it through or no. p. 108 Some brief Animad versions on Master Bacons Book and one Webb p. 109.113 114 115 Some Practices of the Sectaries p. 117 118 119 A relation of some more stories and remarkable passages concerning the Sectaries p. 119 to p. 125 The summe of a Sermon preached by a Sectary a Surgeon belonging to the Army p. 125 126 A Ballad made by the Sectaries of the Assembly of Divines p. 128 The Assemblies last Petition answered by Saltmarsh with the Anagram upon his name M. al 's trash p. 129 A Letter of advice to the Ministers Assembled at Westminster with the Sectaries threatning of them p. 129 A confutation of the Picture made of the Presbyterians by the Sectaries p. 130 131 132 Copies of Letters and some Extracts of Letters concerning the Sects from p. 133 to p. 142. more particularly a Letter from a learned Divine beyond the Seas shewing how London goes beyond Amsterdam in Errours and Heresies p. 138 A horrid and unheard of Blasphemy of one Io. Boggis a great Sectary p. 134 A story of a Sectary maintaining that he was Jesus Christ. p. 142 A cleere discovery how farre the Sectaries of this time have proceeded and how high they have risen p. 145 146 147 A cleere discovery of what is like to become of the Sectaries and of their way p. 148 Eight symptoms of the certain ruine and downfall of the Sectaries from p 148 to p. 159 God will honour our Brethren of Scotland to make them a great means of the falling of the Sectaries with the proof of that p. 159 160 161 A discovery of the great evill and sin of separation from the communion of the reformed Churches p. 161 162 163 164 Magistrates Ministers and all sorts of Christians have been asleep and too carelesse that so many Tares have been sowen and are grown to such an head p. 164 An exhortation to all those in Authoriâ—ty Kings Parliaments and all soâ—â— of Governours in high places to serve the Lord with feare to kisse the Son p. 165 166 An exhortation to some particular members of Parliament who are for pretended liberty of conscience and â—avourers of Sectaries p. 167 An exhortation to all those who have forsaken the publike Assemblies to returne p. 168 Some examples of Anabaptists and Independents who had forsaken the communion of this and other Reformed Churches repenting and returning p 1â—â— The great difference between the carriage of the Independents and our Brethren of Scotland p. 172 and the particulars instanced in p. 173 174 The faithfulnesse and reality of our Brethren of Scotland towards us all along from first to last p. 174 175.176 The happines of England in being joyned with them in Covenant as in other respects so that whensoever we shal come to have a Peace in al probability it will cause us to have a better a surer and a better grounded Peace p. 176 177 The names of some Ringleaders of Faction and of Errours not named in the Table of the first part of Gangraena Mr. Saltmarsh p. 20.87 124 Mr. Durance p. 124.131.144 One Tho. Colyer p. 122. One Gorton who came from New-England p. 144 FINIS Tantis tam eximijs virâ—utis ornamentis enituit tum Episcopus tum Imperator Uâ—rumque enim admitor alterum propter ingenuà Ioqueâ—di libertatem alterum propter facilem obedientiam And Theodosius speaking of Ambrose saith Aegre tandem reperi veritatis magisuâ—m Nam solum Ambiosium novi Episcopum diguum eo nomine Tantum comâ—odi reâ—pâ—ebensio a viro virtuâ—e praestanti ad hibira secum apportate solet Theo. Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. 16 17. * Book intit Toleration Justified page 7.8 printed in this last January * Calvini Instructio Adâ—ersus Libertinos cap. 4. pag. 104. * M Salimarsh Smoak In the Temple in which are some desperate errours Book about Baptisme and calling maintenance by Tithes Iewish and Popish undeniably * Ames Animad in Remonstr Synodal Script super Artic. 5 de Persev sanctorum cap. 7. de Solomone Certum est Solomonem non introduxisse â—ut admisisse idola in demum Dei neque adegisse populâ—m ut vel â—ei verum cultum desererent vel colerent idola neque probari potest â—um in sua propria persona coluisse idola Hoc tantum cercum est de ejus idololatria quod infatuatus á mulieribus idololatricis permiserit eas construere Aquinas in Ephes. 5.12 Istis ergo nolite communicaâ—e imitando coadjuvando conlentiendo Sed certe hoc non sufficit nisi etiam eos reprehendatis Videâ—etit â—etit of the Lord Maier Aldermen and Comâ—â—nâ— of the City of London presented to the House of Peers Jan. 16. * Ex quo etiam sonte manavit ut idem Valentinianus senior sineret in Occidente inter Christianos quam quis vellet fidem
quis tum beatior Luthero qui tanto sui saculi testimonio commendatur quod veritatis causam non segniter nec fraudulenter sed vehementer satis vel petiùs nimio egerit Tum illud Ieremae soeliciter evaserim Maledictus qui facit opus Dei negligenter So Luther and so may you in my judgment As for Cretensis so one of your adversaries stileth his Book I finde him still a confident man his Challenge of all the Presbyterians one after another assembled or not assembled in England Scotland France and Ireland in that question of the imputation of faith in a proper sense c. sheweth so much and also that that he may do it as well as you did Antapol p. 117. To whom you may say from me He cannot so well do it as you because that as yet we see none hath accepted your challenge whereas the strength of him is tried in what he did against M. Walker and his other two Treatises of that subject and is found weaknesse so that untill he vindicate himselfe we have but the words militis gloriosi the vent of spleen against Presbyterians and the Assembly say I could tell him Presbyterians and Independents assembled have weighed that controversie and found his opposition therein too too light Tell him that though the servant is not greater then his Master nor the authority of the Clark equall to that of the Iustice of Peace and that when M. Gataker speaketh M. Robrough may hold his peace as he speaketh pag. 26. Cret M. Robrough may say so much unto him in behalfe of some of those he thus challengeth and tell him that he do no more with challenges trouble those Masters being in serious employments It sufficeth a servant hath routed his forces and is in readinesse with Gods helpe if M. Iohn Goodwin can but recruit to meet him in that controversie in whatsoever field Blessed be God he is much more inabled and imboldened to that by his attendance so farre is he from being ashamed of that which he objecteth as a jeer he is strong at that as in his Recipe to M. Walker and that whole Book the blood that runneth in that vein as I have heard cost him nought he received it by tradition he is not as yet redeemed from it will him as a grave and learned Divine to answer M. Robroughs Animadversions and after that propose his vaine-glorious challenge unto Presbyterians they and Independents will surely answer him if between him and me there be indeed found on my part impar congressus That charge of yours Gang. p. 70. that Faith in a proper sense is imputed to justification and not Christs righteousnesse is owned I see still by him Onely he saith that you falsly and forgingly represent the opinion because you father on it that mungrell expression as he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere an expression ad invidiam comparata It my be said its usually so expressed by such as handle that controversie Mr. Wootton abhorred it not Fidem autem cùm dicimus ipsum credere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significamus De Reconcil par 2. l. 1. c. 15. p. 175. and againe p. 176. for what hee mentioneth else to that further he may do well to take notice that he is examined as in all that hee hath written The other Charge pag. 23. about quoting Bucer and Calvin against their judgement in my opinion it is very just Let Mr. Walkers Booke and mine be but consulted it is made evident in theirs and others testimonies quoted by him when as Bucer saith Faith is imputed to righteousnesse and so Calvin they take it not in a proper sense but figurative or relative to the object which Sibrandus against Bertius sheweth to bee the judgement of all Protestant Divines and challengeth him to shew one man or one place to the contrarie For Bucer Master Wotton sheweth his opinion in these words Quia hac fide apprehendimus justitiam perfectam Christi ideo Apostolus dixit credenti in cum qui justificat impium fidem ejus reputari in justitiam fidem scil apprehendentem justitiam Christi id est ipsam Christi justitiam Woâ—t de Reconcil part 2. lib. 1. cap. 14. pag. 170. and therefore saith of Bucer Quem ego de imputatione opinionis authorem fuisse mihi persuadeo He might have read it cited in mine Animadvers part 1. pag. 150. And as for M. Calvin the verie places whence he quoteh him expresse so much Let him peruse what is extracted from him in mine Animadversions pag. 134 135 136 p. 162 163. As for that opinion of Calvins That Iustification consisteth in remission of sins tell him hee needed not to call in witnesses it is confest The question is about the word onely neither is that word denyed to bee in Calvin but the qustion is whether onely excludeth in his sense imputation of Christs righteousnesse the tenet of Protestants or that of inherent righteousnesse the Doctrine of Papists I deny the former and assert onely the later against the Papists and I appeale to his witnesses let them give their verdict Yet tell him that in mine Animadversions in answer to this very head he may read it determined by many witnesses against him by Bellarmine his adversarie an accuser of Calvin as he is for this by his own witnesse Pareus by D. Downham D. Davenant and Polanus though he will not see it part 1. pag. 76 77 78 79. Yes when as in his book he mentioneth these two witnesses as he here doth he may finde them answered out of the same Authours where Mr. Gatakers judgement may bee also seene of that thing Whether Justification consists in remission of sinnes Surely had hee thought of these Answers given him against his opinions for mine that they are to bee seene in the world hee would never have made so loud a challenge neither yet have spent time in repetition of these testimonies for the determining of which between us I appeal to all the world and am ready when-ever he pleaseth to contend for this with him or any part of the Controversie in writing or vivâ voce Sir I thought good to write so much to you in defence of Truth and somwhat in reference to my despised selfe It is now yours do with it as your selfe shall please The Lord make us valiant for truth for this I know I have abettors enough such as himselfe doth otherwise highly honour But service calleth for mine hand elswhere which I must obey and therefore with prayer to God for his blessing on you and all your labours in his cause he taketh leave of you for this time who is Your loving friend and Brother in every cause of Christ HENRY ROBROUGH April 23. 1646. A copie of a Letter lately written to me from a godly Minister in the West of England WOrthy Sir whom though unknown to me by sight I love and honour for your love to truth and for your zeale
against the spreading infectious Errours of these times wherein we once hoped for better things I wrote to Master F. of some discoveries that were made to me by some reclaimed from Anabaptisme concerning the workings of Satan to and in that way being much affected with the relations they first gave me by word of mouth I desired them to commit their experiences to paper while the remembrance of them was fresh with them that they might be able hereafter as well as at present to tell what the Lord had done for their soules in breaking such a dangerous snare as Satan with so much art and subtilty had laid for them This upon perswasion they did and at last gave me in about two sheets of paper close written wherein they discover not only how the snare was laid for them and how they were first caught and intangled with a liking of the novelty of Anabaptisme but being caught how they were carried on to it with the strongest violence and impulse of spirit that is imaginable they also discover the sad effects and influence which that way had upon their spirits while they lay but under a liking and good opinion of it and how it pleased the Lord to rescue and bring them off before they were actually ingaged and duckt into that seduced society Sir all these things were so fully and largely expressed in the manuscripâ— I had from them that others as well as my selfe held them very fit to be published for the publike good and supposing they should be I was preparing some considerations upon the passages to come forth with them Since their coming of the Anabaptists they have found their spirits in a much better frame then before and out of pitie to others ingaged in that way have endeavoured to reclaime them And now Sir for my own part I must needs say it is much that I have suffered from Opinionists of all sorts in these times and meerly because I could not be false to my Covenant nor I trust never shall by a sinfull silence when heresie and schisme do lift up themselves against truth and unity I praise the Lord this happinesse I have though the unkind dealing of these men hath somtimes occasioned much griefe of heart and weaknesse of body to me yet they have not prevailed in the least wise to weaken my resolutions in contending for the truth yea the more the truth is opposed the more earnestly I hope I shall contend for it though it be to the utter exhausting of that small strength of body which I have I cannot sacrifice my selfe in a better way I know it is not necessary that I should live but necessary it is that truth should live and be maintained to the utmost of our power Me thought it was somwhat harsh to me at first till God accustomed me to the yoke to suffer frowns reproaches imprecations and all manner of hard speeches for the discharging of my conscience and that from those whose professed principle it is that all should have the liberty of their consciences It seems they would take liberty but will not give it If my conscience bids me to oppose some of their tenets and practices and I can have no peace without so doing how can they in reason deny me this liberty by their own principle ☜ Surely it would be a sad day to all Orthodox Christians if they should be brought to stand to the mercy the Sectaries liberty Some of them have partly well used their liberty against me in speaking writing printing against me in the most scurrilous rancorous injurious manner that could be and onely for preaching that which if I had not my conscience I feare would have preached against me while I had lived for holding the truth in unrighteousnesse Sir I will not hold you with particulars this place hath been a troublesome place to me for which I know whom I have to thank I wish it may be quieter to the next Minister that succeeds me for God is pleased by a cleare providence to open me a way to some other place Sir being lately at Dorchester the Town I heard was somewhat disturbed the week before by a wandring Sectary who had gathered a company about him and preached in the Shire Hall as I think they call it chusing that of the Apostle for his Text But we have the mind 〈◊〉 Christ. Afterwards through too much pride and too little wit the poor fellow was so ill advised as to challenge M. Ben to a publike dispute impâ—â—r congressus Achihi offering to make good the lawfulnesse of private mens preaching which challenge was accepted but how the Opinionist was foyled by that worthy Minister fitter to grapple with that Punies Instructors was easily perceived by all understanding hearers The godly people of those parts have been so well catechized and grounded heretofore that the Opinionists complain they can make no work with them Certainly the good old English Puritan which Mr. Geere doth so well characterize is the Novellists greatest enemy or rather the Novellist his ☞ Alas how sad is the destiny of Orthodox Christians that no times will favour them We have not yet lost the sense of what we suffered heretofore by those wicked Prelats whom God hath therefore cast out as an abominable Branch and surely if all the Orthodox in the Land should bring in their severall complaints of what they have suffered since by turbulent Opinionists it would fill the world with wonder and the Reformed Churches abroad who cannot but sympathize with us with much heavinesse of spirit in our behalfe Heretofore it was counted a crime to preach against profanenesse as sporting on the Lords day and the like and now as great a crime to preach against Heresies Only let me acquaint you with one thing I have observed This veine of persecution for the most parts runs along in the same persons they who most countenanced profanenesse and superstition heretofore against Orthodox Ministers are the same men who under a forme of godlinesse without the power do now countenance Heresie and Schisme against it but Sir let nothing discourage It it given to us not only to beleeve but to suffer but hee that shall come will come and will not tarrie and in the mean while it is enough for us that Christ reigns May 11. 1646. THere is a young man who lives in London and not far off the Exchange who went not long since to Lams meeting-place to see and hear what they did there and when he was come found many of them reasoning and conferring about strange opinions and among the rest there was one Sectarie who maintained and affirmed ☞ That he was Jesus Christ. At which this young man was so offended and troubled in his spirit that hee upon the place and to his face spake much against him for his blasphemy This fellow still maintained it stiffely and told this young man hee would powre out his judgements on him and damne him for