Father never taught them thus to fight and quarrel upon the Road to Heaven Why suppose a Man will not go our way or think his Business rather lies another way a shorter cut a nearer way and a better Road. Must we because we think the Man is in an Error and Mistake draw our Weapons whether carnal or spiritual upon him where 's the Reason the Conscience the Christianity of it Does not every Man best understand his own Concern or if he doth not 't is not our loss but the harm is his own We may advise him friendlily and tell him of the dangerous way he is in of which yet none of us the wisest of us are certainly infallible and assured But if he will not take our Advice fare him well curse him not but pray for him and say God bless him and teach him and us the right way Indeed if our Actions and Manners be against the indisputable and unquestionable Laws of God and Nature as Blasphemy Adultery Drunkenness and Rebellion Treason c. Then take him Goaler and let the Magistrate correct him But to curse whip lash flash and Bridewel a Man for not thinking as we do Opinion and Thought being free and impossible to be compell'd is a Spanish Inquisition High-Commission and Romish Tyranny and a Lunacy to boot beyond that of Bedlam God grant us to be all of one Heart and Mind in God's Worship and Service and to keep the Unity of the Spirit at least in the Bond of Peace and Comprehension But if thus Praying will not do cursing and excommunicating and damning should not do I am sure Which makes me think of a Gain and I 'll not think it Battology to recite it again namely That admirable and Christian-like Direction and only safe Prescription of the said Incomparable Sir Matthew Hale amongst his said 18 Caveats given to himself in these Words That I be not too rigid in Matters purely consoientious where all the harm is Diversity of Judgment and if in Criminals it be a Measuring-cast to encline to Mercy and Acquittal This is true Plety indeed and the only true Christianity but the contrary is true Impiety and the only true Antichristianism Besides 'T is true Policy too no Man quarrels with another that is not just of his Size Complexion and Pitch and why not Because there 's no Law to sine every Man that is not of such a common Standard Size and Pitch if there were Covetousness and Tyranny would set the Uniform and common Sandard-men at work if it were but for the Fine sake to hale in the Nonconformists and dissenting Scanltings and then what old tugging and quarrelling goaling and baleing would there be to the perpetual Disturbance of the Neighbourhood and the Kingdom as well as to the shameful Scandal of Christianity that makes Doves and Lambs indeed but neither Wolves nor Bloody Bonners or Tygers Whereas now that we have a general Comprehension as to all Sizes of the Body and no Man is bound to grow to just such a Soantling and no higher we have no quarrelling about the Matter no more than there is in Holland about Religion where tho they have different Religions yet every Man being left to God and his Liberty to go to Heaven which way he please they never curse damn excommunicate or quarrel about the matter but leave every Man to stand and fall to his own Master and Creator further than Christian Admonitions and State-Encouragements and Preserments do invite or allure For they admit and courteously entertain like Men and Christians all Mankind except the said Inhospitable and Anrichristian Bloodhounds the Jesuits and those if they catch hunting or resting in any of their Dominions they immediately upon proof boil them to death in scalding Oil. And to this Severity they are forc'd and constrain'd through that Jesuitical Maxime that Dominion is founded in Grace and consequently All the Kingdoms of the World Territories People and Dominions ought to be subject to Christ's only Vicar or Vice-Gerent upon Earth the Pope For Severity and Cruelty may make many Hypocrites but cannot make one Saint it can do much Mischief when in Power the only thing that wicked Men mind but not any Good it can surrogate to Destruction but not to Edification it can like Erostratus get a Name and Fame for destroying the Temple and Church but wants the Heart of Holy David and the wise Head of Solomon and the Apostles to build the Temple and Church of God Our Blessed Saviour came neither to destroy the material or spiritual Temple but if Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites destroy it he said he could build it again in three days But some Mens Arts are like the late Bishop of London Bonner his Arts they can destroy and fire the Spiritual Temples of God in few days more than they will erect and build up all their Life-time Sic facilis descensus Averni The way to Hell is very easie And down-hill all way to 't an 't please ye And therefore away with Mens Prate and Talk vouching their private Malice and Revenge with the Constitutions of the Church The Church if they be not according to the Constitutions of Christ in the Gospel for as Cyprian says Serm. 5. de Lapsis non est Pax fed Bellum nec Ecclesiae jungitur qui ab Evangelio separatur Then trust ye not in lying Words Jer. 7.4 saying The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord are these Behold ye trust in lying Words that cannot profit Will ye steal murder commit Adultery c. and come and stand before me in this Houses which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these Abominations If this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord. But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at first and see what I did unto it for the Wickedness of my People c. Whence I note that no People or Church how dear soever it has been unto God has a Charter of Priviledges to offend rob or murder their Brethren under the Title Umbrage and Name of the Church the Church which Church is not exempt from God's Visitation and Punishment if not Extinguishment Which brings to my Mind what Heylin in his Geography says of Poland l. 2.150 The King at his Goronation takes an Oath to confirm all the Rights and Priviledges of the Subject granted by any of his Predecessors and also adds this Clause Quod si Sacramentum meum violavero incolae Regni nullâ nobis Obedientiâ tenebuntur That if I break my Oath the Subjects are not obliged to us in Allegiance or Obedience A Clause that seems to me proper only if proper at all for an Elective King as is the King of Poland and not for a King whose Kingdom is Hereditary as Sweden Denmark England France and Spain nor can it or
innocent person Deut. 27.25 that is in plain English Cursed is the Suborner that promises or threatens a Reward or Advancement for there are two sorts of Advancements or Rewards belike the Learned say and Cursed is the Suborned namely Cursed is the Man-catcher and his Mate or Comrogue those two Judasses that give or take a Reward to slay an innocent person and all the people shall say Amen Nay if men be for Cursing they may have their belly full in Curses that are not money-matters nor causeless and therefore shall come to pass For though the Curse causeless shall not come Prov. 26.2 Yet the Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Prov. 3.33 Indeed the Rubrick does bewail that we have not the godly Discipline of the Primitive-Church where Sinners were punish't in this World by delivering to Satan for never any man in the New Testament escap't death when the Apostles had deliver'd them over for the destruction of the flesh that must be death that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus No alas alas we cannot kill men with a word as did St. Peter and St. Paul upon great and terrible occasions to make an example of notorious Sinners The Pope therefore made the silly Bigot-Magistrate do what the Devil us'd to do in the Apostles times in killing and burning Hereticks and entituling the Magistrate to the blood and odium as well as to the honour of being the surrogate of the Priests Revenge the Magistrate had a happy employment on 't but he durst do no other lest upon his contempt of Canons of Holy-Church Holy-Church had serv'd him with the same sawce In my Travels in Popish Countries as Portugal Spain c. whose Lawsmanicipal are the Canon-Laws and Civil-Law I have observ'd that in the grand business of the Inquisition and Excommunication the Lay-Doctors the Civilians do the business but always under the Name and Authority of some Bishop or Bishops Who well knowing the way to the Wood and that to be led gently by the nose by those Lay-Doctors is the shortest cut to Preferment and to be an easie Soul or a tame Property is a meritorious qualification in a Candidate for the Holy See it would make a man smile if it were lawful to smile on so sad an occasion to see an old Nidget put on his Spectacles to write his Name under the Sentence for burning a Heretick which the Lay-Chancellors and Officials bring to him ready for his Wisdom's Subscription though poor old heart he knew nothing of the matter nor heard one Witness viva voce in the Cause Nay they would be very angry if he makes the least scruple or hesitation or enquiry What not trust his Delegates his Lay-Vicars not trust publick Notaries and Proctors Advocates and Surrogates that would not be guilty of an Extortion or Wrong I 'le warrant for any thing in the World except money And truly my Lord you could not have troubled me worse than you did the last Term by the answer you gave me to my Letter sent by a Gentleman my Sollicitor saying You knew nothing of the matter nothing of my cause or the merit of it for that you left all to your Vnder-Officers Your under Officers Why they are the sort of men of Doctors-Commons that hitherto have seem'd to Cite me upon pretended Articles of Barretry of which neither you nor they are competent Judges but you run the hazard all of you of a Praemunire if you take upon you to hale matters into your Courts that belong only to the Jurisdiction of the Courts of our Lord the King as if they design'd only under colour of a Process to get me in amongst them to affront abuse me squeeze and crush me they have done their utmost And do what you will I will never again appear at Doctors-Commons in your Court except you will secure me from affronts and keep the Peace that you will be personally present there and hear my defence and be an ear-witness as well as a Judg how I 'le baffle them all Leave me to your Vnder-Officers Are you in Earnest have a care your under Officers in meditating their Revenge on me hit not you home by bringing you within the Statutes of Provisors and Praemunire if you with implicite faith trust to them they are in a fair way to 't But no Subject how high so ever is too great for the Law and Truth they must they must read all Chronicles they always did buckle and submit their sturdy necks to the Law or the Block Leave me to your Vnder-Officers Do you say so still God defend No Sir no leave me not in the hands of mine Enemies and give me not over to the will of mine Enemies that hate me without a cause without good cause and only for telling truth of their vile Extortions and viler Merchandize of precious Souls Leave me to your Vnder-Officers nay then I am well help't up I am like to have a hopeful time on 't Why these men of Doctors-Commons as you 'l see hereafter in this little Book they are flesh't upon me already upon my Soul and upon my Purse too Leave me to them and they 'l bring you a Sentence for you to suspend me stop my mouth silence me or perhaps Excommunicate me but throw away your Pen when you come to subscribe it let me advise you for once trust them not with a power Legantine what care they what inconvenience they bring upon you or the Church they shoot securely under the covert of your great Name and Authority whilst your Delegates do indeed by such Proxy Sentence but make you a Surrogate of their private spleen malice and revenge you cannot have a worse employment I know my Lord that you and many others that do not know me will wonder both at what I have written and that I durst write what follows but 't is because they do not know me for those that do will wonder at neither Common-talk or fame is seldom a good Limner or Pourtrays any man true besides it is so various too now as of old some said he was a good man others said nay but he deceiveth the people My own Cause in your Court you 'll see needs not ten Lines to answer all no but I take willingly the occasion here given to search into your mysteries for how can I or any honest English-man or Christian sit unconcern'd when we view such havock made of Christian Souls bought and sold sent to Satan and thence redeem'd but not without Money Money Fye upon 't Fye upon 't 't is a burning shame it should be suffered 't is against Conscience Reason Law Equity and Religion And shall these fellows bold and old in sin be cherish't and I accounted too bold to tell them of their wickedness And shall they have more of your countenance than I do your pleasure But you ought not to judg re inaudita and hearing but of one
ear reserve but one for me unstufft with prejudice and if you had never so lawful a Court I neither need nor require a greater or other favour from you whilst I live But to leave me to them you shall not leave me to them I 'le wash my hands of them God bless me from them I tell you here I 'le not come at them And I would have told you so at Lambeth but I dare not come there neither without your Order and Permission and when I writ to you and the Gentleman I sent ask't you If you would have me to attend you you said No you left all to your under Officers so that I have no other way but this publick way to approach your hand or ear which is I hope a sufficient Apology for this Humble Address of which I trust you will not be an Abhorrer 'T is true these Vncivil-Civilians that make Markets of Souls do but I know truckle under the Clergy for a Livelihood yet they are as petulant to the Clergy as if they were only their Sport or May-game or poor tame Asses fit for nothing so much as to be the Objects of their Wrath and the Subjects of their Affronts and Scorn Thus have I known wanton Jades kick the Hand that fed them and made them fat nay and throw their Masters too when Provant prick't them I Prophesie tho' that I have taken off the keen edge of their onely Toole these Ecclesiastical Fellows work for money with viz. Excommunication with a poor Formality-Priest standing Surrogating in black like at their right hand to see Livery and Seizin given of the Excommunicate Person that is delivered to Satan they shall fight hereafter but with rebated Weapons they are so cruel in their Fulminations and for such Trifles too That ever a Kingdom of Christians should be so long bewitch'd to believe that any can damn them or forgive sins save God onely or that any man has power on earth given him from God to keep others from the Ordinances the means of Grace the Sacraments the Food of Souls and the Bread of Life because they are Sinners Sinners Why there should need no Ordinances nor Sacraments if it were not for Sinners nor did ever any man receive the blessed Sacrament but Sinners all except our Saviour onely The Soul is sick 't is granted more need of Physick and Food The whole have no need of a Physician Nay the first that ever partook of the Blessed Supper if they were Penitents they were soon relaps't For in Luke 22. in the 20th Verse they took it and in the 24th Verse they were no sooner come out from the Holy Feast but they fell a quarrelling and justling for the place and striving it runs in the kind perhaps which of them should be the greatest But the crafty Popish Priests finding that Sinners found the goodness and sweetness of the Blessed Sacrament and long'd for it and they were the onely Stewards of those Mysteries they resolved to make the best benefit of the Stewards place And indeed I have observ'd in some Countries where I have been that when once the Clergy have perceiv'd that their Office was found so mighty necessary they resolve to take the occasion and make their best advantage of it Did the People find comfort in the Bread of Life and also were made to believe that none could Consecrate it but a Priest or Popish Priest Ay quoth the Popish Priest Sinner Do you see Do you see here what I have got in my hands Would you not be glad to have some Nay Hold Stand off Here is the Bread of Life but not a Bit upon a march not a Bit upon the great march and High-way to Heaven though it would save your Soul except you be obedient to your Diocesan nay and swear Obedience to Canons and Laws of Holy Church though you starve and dye for a Bit. He therefore that can make a Sacrament and debarr ad libitum sinners from it may well take the wall of all other Men in Christendom But there is no Scripture in the Old or New Testament that ever I found that ever gave power to any Man Men or Church to debar any Man from the Sacraments that is pleased to come to them for such as were deliver'd to Satan in the Apostles days were therewith kill'd their Flesh was destroyed 'T is true an impenitent Sinner he comes at his own peril if he venture to eat unworthily but 't is not a greater sin to eat unworthily than not to eat at all rejecting of the Ordinance is certain damnation whereas he that eats unworthily makes a hopeful Assay of Obedience to Christ and as he said Lord I believe help my Vnbelief so it is acceptable worthiness to say Lord I endeavor to eat and drink worthily help my unworthiness And as he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks his own damnation so he that prays preaches or hears unworthily preaches hears and prays damnation to himself Nor need I tell you my Lord that the world is generally mistaken in the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unworthily better Translated unbecomingly or unsuitably namely to the Institution as when Men make the Sacrament of Christ or take the Sacrament of Christ for no other Cause than a Test or State-Sacrament only making it the Sacrament of a Corporation or of Preferment only to get into a Ship or a Fort or on the Bench. And this Construction of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have in Ephes 4.1 Col. 1.10 Phil. 1.27 1 Thess 2.12 Rom. 16.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as becometh Saints for there is none but Papists that plead the merit of Condignity or that any man is worthy of God or worthy the Gospel otherwise than as endeavouring to walk becomingly and suitably thereto And to back this Interpretation I have the great Le Groot or Grotius on my side a Name that with me out-weighs all the Popish Priests put together We are all Sinners and the Sacrament's made on purpose for us and none but those that have the gift of God of discerning of spirits infallibly by the Holy Ghost as the Primitive Christians had can judge of the truth of any mans Repentance or consequently setch power from the Scriptures to debar men from the holy Ordinances or shut the Church-doors against them I know Priests have made a gainful Trade on 't but abating that By what Authority Divine do they these things and who gave them that Authority I always except the Rubrick in the Common-Prayer Book Sacramenta non sunt Vaenalia Sacraments are too holy to be made Vendible Commodities And if my Child shall not be baptiz'd 'till I have compounded with the Priest whose Religion is No Penny No Pater-noster Nor if I must not come into the Church but be barr'd out 'till I have pleas'd that is paid the Sumner the Register the Proctor and the Court-Fees Good Lord deliver us I know
to Sacraments Prayers and to Church the ready road to have his Spirit saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I wish they were cut off that trouble you that is I wish the Devil had them in his power to inflict Death or Diseases upon them for it is impossible that the Apostles should be so uncharitable to their Spirits or Souls as to wish them cut off from the Church Militant or Triumphant except by some extraordinary and particular Revelation For cutting off and delivering to Satan are the same thing and it is clear the Apostles lookt upon the Incestuous Person that was delivered over to Satan as a dying or dead man because he adds That his spirit might be sav'd in the day of the Lord Jesus And so both in the Old Testament by the Septuagint and in the New the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking out of the middle of you cutting off is never used that I remember but for the death of the Body or Soul and therefore can never signifie Excommunication Besides we never find in Holy Writ that Interdicting the Sacraments or debarring from the Communion was ever used for a Punishment The Leper or he that had touched a Dead Body or a Menstrous Woman c. were Excommunicated properly or put from Holy Communion but these Impediments did as likely befall to the good as well as to the bad and was not put for a Punishment Oh! but this was a Type of Excommunication under the Cospel That 's good and well said a Type of that that never was and never will be first prove Excommunication a Gospel-Ordinance and then 't is time enough to show where it was Typified And as if Real and not only Typical holiness were not as requisite under the Law as under the Gospel it was a sin then as well as now to make many Prayers when the hands were full of Blood And strange it is that the Apostle that warns Timothy Titus and the Presbyters or Bishops for the Presbyters Vers 17. are called Bishops Ver. 28. Acts 20.17 28. of Ephesus to do their Duty should not besides feeding the Flock charge them also to fleece the Flock and starve the Flock by depriving them of Communion or Spiritual-food upon occasion if Excommunication be the Appurtenance of a Bishop or Presbyter And that our Blessed Jesus that took such care to mind Peter if he lov'd him to feed his Lambs and seed his Sheep should not if it be a sacred Ordinance speak a word to fleece them and scourge them and interdict them spiritual food upon occasion or if they stray No no if they stray thou that art a good Shepherd reduce them thou art well kept and paid for the very nonce Which brings to my mind this Parable or Story I will not say 't is true and real more than the Parable of Dives and Lazarus And it begins too just as that Parable begins There was two certain rich men which were Cloathed in Purple and Fine-Linnen and fared sumptuously every day but all these good things were frankly bestowed on them at the mercy and by the favour of the King upon condition though that they would be Shepherds and feed his Sheep and anoint them for the Scab and underlook them but not worry them nor destroy them nor Fleece them nor Shear them to their own private use nor plague them nor vex them though perhaps the Sheep might sometimes stray and straggle and go a wrong Road and tire perhaps and fret the Shepherds with following and running after them yet they were not to revenge themselves upon the stray Sheep and set their Wit against theirs but gently reduce them and do nothing rashly maliciously revengefully or peevishly except perhaps some of the Sheep should be incurably scab'd and then the King promised he would give the Shepherds good Wages and Hire and they should want for nothing Who would have refus'd a Shepherds office upon these easie terms or who would desire better terms than to do good not to kill not to do mischief not to destroy But so it hapned that the two Shepherds though they had several Flocks and several fat Pastures yet the Sheep graz'd all on one Common in distinct Flocks whilst the Shepherds could meet together and view them and over-see them and yet enjoy one another feast together and laugh and talk together And as I said before they wanted for nothing but their Pouches was full of Money their Bottles full of good Wine and their Scrips full of good Victuals and variety enough Yet so it was one morning one of the Shepherds came to the other puffing and blowing fretting and fuming and so out of breath that he could scarce tell his Tale. At length and after some pause recovering himself Brother Shepherd quoth he was ever man so plagu'd as I have been this morning with running after a stray Sheep Wanton and Fat I think he has led me a fair dance I am so tyred I have scarce breath enough left to tell you and to make this complaint Indeed and indeed quoth the other to his Brother and is this true yea very true replied he see but how I fret and sweat his Brother being tender-hearted could not but pity and take compassion on his fellow Labourer and so much the more because for ought he knew his own Flock might take example thereat and lead him a dance he knew not how soon and put him also in the same pickle sweat and balnio They parted though for that time to consider alone and afterwards joyn Heads together and study how to be reveng'd of the said wanton fat Weather if it were but for example-sake to all the other fat Sheep in the Flock for the lean Hags poor Souls were tame enough they had more mind to graze and eat than to be gamesome and they kept them to sharper Commons on purpose to make them be gentle and easie to be guided Well something must be done that was resolv'd but what or how to proceed they could not well tell Let 's eat him says one Ay quoth the other that would not be amiss but the craft's in the catching him you saw I sweat with but running after him and could scarce give him a turn Besides we have Victuals enough of our own and need it not and also the King has commanded Feed my Sheep but Fleece them not much more do not kill Do not steal let them live and 'mend they would have turn'd him out of the Flock too but they had no Commission for that At length one of them found out a Quirk an Evasion an Exception in their Commission viz. Except perhaps some of the Sheep should be incurably scab'd and I say He is a scabbed Sheep How shall we prove that quoth the other for I understand by you that he is so wanton he would never suffer you to come so near him as to feel him and handle him and for
and do all perhaps in fee with the Chandlers by Candle-light or thinking as some idle Trades-men do that burn the day that bought Light is best I say the Observation of the said idle Ceremonies of private Interpretation Making and Constitution make us all Schismaticks Seditious Seitious from and in defiance of the Act of Vniformity And we must all cry peccavi hold up our Hands and cry guilty guilty and culprit if we hap to be tried by God and the Country Nay where shall we get a Country or Jury that are not equally guilty of Nonconformity as our selves or that can find us guilty without bringing in a Verdict also at the same time against themselves and their own Nonconformity Which shows how unpractiacable that late Doctrine is like to prove that none but Conformists to the Act of Uniformity shall be Jury-Men A very fine Rod it would make everlastingly against all Protestants if such a new Doctrine should be establish'd as the Law of the Land For if Q. Mary's Days should Pythagorically Circulate and face about as we then were which for our Sins and base servile truckling is not impossible then we have made a fine Lash for our own Backs and with our own Mouths sentenc'd and for ever condemn'd the two great Assistants of our English Liberties Properties and ancient fundamental Constitutions Safeguard and Lise-guard namely Parliaments and Juries if ever the Popish Religion come to be the State-Religion and make an Act of Uniformity Search and you 'll find that the great Mystery of Iniquity runs in a Blood among all those that set up a standing measure for all Men to mete by and knock out all Men's Brains as that Giant Procrustes did who were Longer or Shorter than his Iron Stand-bed or cutting off so much of Men's Legs as out stretch'd it or else extended and rack'd out all the little Dwarfs in whom natural Endowments were desicient Obj. What then Shall not all be of one mind and keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Answ What upon Compulsion No if all the Inquisitions and High Commissions Racks Goals and Gibbets were in the Confederacy no Man can be made to do any thing in Faith upon Compulsion and whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and it is not lawful it is the Devil's Work to tempt Men to sin You may imprison them you may knock out their Brains but if you would hang them you cannot make Faith or make any Man believe that is God's Prerogative alone It is the Gift of God Only use the Receipt that he prescribes against Infidelity Teach Exhort give good Examples in Meekness not in Goals instructing those that oppose themselves If this will not do do not stamp fret and curse and rail nor deliver them to Satan by Excommunication but pray to God for them and their Conversion Thus the Apostles conquer'd the World to Christianity untill the Pope came and in Imitation of Mahomet and Presbyterian Cruelty made Converts with Fire and Sword and Desolation confining like the fam'd Conjurer their Spirit or Familiar Demon to the Pummel of their Sword thence came Fire and Fagot the Inquisition-Purgatory for an excommunicated Infidel and Horning Goals and Outlawry in Scotland amongst the rigid Scotch Presbyterians for the like Offence and no Deliverance but the base Close-Stool of Repentance And whilst these Popish and Presbyterian Bigots are thus cursing damning killing destroying a Man and his House a Man and his Heritage they think or at least would perswade you to think that whosoever of them destroyeth or killeth you therein doth God good Service CHAP. XV. ANd who knows but God and Nature which seems in the wole Creation to delight in Variety and therefore not one Individual Man or Beast which are numberless are yet exactly in all Symetries and Proportions Sizes Features Figures and Complexions alike is also so offended with diversity of Thoughts Opinions Fancies or Judgments differing For tho we are all of different Airs and Feature and shapes yet we all continue to be Men and tho we may differ in many Punctilio's and some come short and some overstretch the known common publick and uniform Standard God forbid but still we all of us may continue to be Christians But we may as rationally quarrel with every Man we meet whose Nose of his Face is longer or shorter lesser or bigger than our own as to quarrel thus endlesly and to Daggers-drawing about different Judgments and Opinions in Men whose Heads and Eyes are not all of a size and accuracy to the shameful Disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom and the Peace of Christendom And for all this We may thank the Avarice and Ambition of Rome and Infallibility that pretend to be the only Ring-leaders to Heaven and if you will not come along with them they 'll curse and damn you and bid the Devil take you for a Heretick and an Infidel Whist the Turk laughs in his Sleeve to see how the Protestant Christians are forc'd to fly to him for Shelter as now the Hungarians do called therefore Rebel Hungarians that so Gog and Magog would please to defend them and save them from Jesus Christ's Vicar and his Blood-Hounds the Jesuits A very goodly Account and ready way to convert the Great Turk So that for my part I wish we may now put into our Letany again that which is and was put in by the first Reformers and Martyrs and Composers of the Common-Prayer-Book and Letany in 2 Edw. 6th I know not by what or whose Artifice now omitted Namely From all Sedition and privy Conspiracy From the Tyrany of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable Enormities from all fulse Doctrine and Heresy from Hardness of Heart and Contempt of thy Word and Commandment Good Lord deliver us There 's not one word of alteration in the Letany from what it was at first except in this Suffrage and sure 't is now as needful and seasonable a Prayer as ever it was For is it not great Tyranny in the Bishop of Rome and of all such as are of like Popish Principles to quarrel with all Men we meet upon the Road to Heaven because they will not go our Way and if Words will not do then Blows shall and then hale them along and curse them and damn them excommunicate and Goal them And all forsooth because the Pope and every little bigotted Popeling and rigid Spit-fire pretends that he is in the right Road and in the very infallible way to Heaven and they that will not just come along with them for which also they 'll make them pay Toll too then hale them along by Head and Shoulders out them in Prison and take away their Purses A most incomparable Christian Method but I 'll say of such as Pope Alexander 6th said of his wicked Son Caesar Borgias me commonstratore non didicit he ne'r learn'd this of his Father I mean the Father of Spirits our Heavenly
was at first a good Invention of the Church and politickly and wisely ordain'd not in supplement to Infant-Baptism for that is sufficient without it but to the end that when Children come to the years of discretion and have learned in the Church-Catechism what their Godfathers and Godmothers vowed and promised for them as their Sureties and Pledges 'till they came to Age that they should in their own persons vow the same with their own mouth and consent openly before the Congregation But it is not a Sacrament or necessary to Salvation as the Papists insinuate for it is certain by God's Word as said in the Rubrick of the said first English Common-Prayer Book since the Reformation made in the Reign of Edward VI. That children beeying Baptised yf they depart out of this lyfe in their infancye are undoubtedly saved And this Common-Prayer Book as is said before is declared to be composed by the Aid of the Holy Ghost in the Statute 2 Ed. 6.1 And there is the Church-Catechism set down beginning as ours What is your Name And ending with these words And therefore I say Amen so be it But our Catechism is much larger and all of it ought to be learnt by all before they be brought to the Bishop to be confirm'd And 'till they can say this Catechism and give account of it not like a Parrot hudling it over but sensible and understanding what they say shall they be confirm'd by the Bishop who ought by himself or such as he shall appoint Pose them or Appose them in it nor then neither except they also bring with them one Godfather or Godmother that every Child may have a Witness of their Confirmation Nor then neither ought they to be confirm'd except the Curate of the Parish where they dwell come along with them or at least send a Certificate in writing with his hand subscribed thereunto the Names of all such Persons within his Parish as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed And then if the Bishop upon Posing them find them fit they shall be confirmed in manner as prescrib'd in the Common-Prayer Book But are these things observed or who regards them I have been 19 or 20 years Rector of the Rectory of All-Saints in Colchester and during that time have had three several Bishops or Diocesans Gilbert Bishop of London never made any Visitation into the Countrey and over his Diocess to confirm any and yet the same Rubrick says None shall be admitted to the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 'till they be confirmed or desire to be confirmed which last words are not in the first Common-Prayer Book of Edw. VI. Humphrey Bishop of London made but two Visitations and in the latter never came near Harwich and that Countrey by twenty Miles nor near Colchester by above eight Miles Henry Bishop of London has also made two Visitations and consequently Confirmations and several of my Parish have been confirmed by them But how I never gave a Certificate of the Names of such as I thought fit and capable of Confirmation the Question was never ask'd me nor of any Minister that I know of nor Godfathers and Godmothers requir'd as the Rubrick enjoins to every one that is confirm'd nor many if any of the children Men or Women appos'd or pos'd by any Bishop or other by him appointed to examine the fitness of them for the same Nor did I ever see any Bishop ever examine any if they did I that was present saw it not done and I am sure many if not all were confirm'd without questioning the matter or any such said Certificate from the Curate Surely Confirmation was godlily design'd but a perfunctory performance thereof at all adventures is quite contrary to the Institution and Act of Vniformity Nor did I ever hear this essential Question put by the Bishop namely Do ye here in the presence of God and of this Congregation renew the Solemn Promise and Vow that was made in your Name at your Baptism nay some have been confirm'd to my knowledge that were never baptized ratifying and confirming the same in your own persons and acknowledging your selves bound to believe and to do all those things which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook and most of them I am sure of my Parish never had any Godfathers or Godmothers nor their Parents could be persuaded to procure them or if they were willing they were not able by any means or persuasion to procure Sureties to be bound promise and vow for their Children or undertake by Vow that they should forsake the Devil and all his works and obediently keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments for you Answer I do But I say there required no Answer where the Question was not put nor the Answer particularly requir'd of each of them For all that was required or I am sure of a great many was but to kneel down whil'st the Bishop with a Common-Prayer Book in one hand and the other hand upon the head of the person to be confirmed said over each of them these words Defend O Lord this thy Child or this thy Servant if past Infancy or Childhood with thy heavenly grace that he may continue thine for ever and daily increase in thy holy Spirit more and more until he come unto thy everlasting Kingdom But in King Edward VI's Common-Prayer Book Confirmation was quite another thing and the words these First The Minister signed them with the Sign of the Cross saying Signe them O Lord and mark them to be thine for ever by the vertue of thy holy Crosse and Passion confirme and strengthen them with the inward Unction of thy Holy Ghoste mercifully unto everlasting life Then the Bishop shall cross them in the forehead and lay his hand upon their head saying N. or M. or any other Name N. I Signe thee with the Signe of the Crosse and lay my hand upon thee In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen But the Prayer preceding is the very same with ours observe it Almightie and everliving God who hast vouchesafed to regenerate these thy Servants of water and the Holy Ghost And hast geven unto them forgevenesse of all their sinnes Sende down from Heaven we beseeche thee O Lord upon them thy Holy Goste the Coumforter with the manifolde giftes of Grace the Spirite of wysedom and understanding The Spirite of councell and gostly strength The Spirite of knowledge and true godlinesse and fulfyll them O Lorde with the Spirite of thy holy feare but ours adde onely now and for ever And then this Collect following is almost the same with that of King Edw. 6. I 'll set down only part of it namely Almightie everliving God whiche makest us bothe to will and to doe those thinges that be good and acceptable unto thy Majestie we make our humble supplications unto thee for these Children upon whome after the xample of thy holy Apostles
every large Skin of Parchment 00 00 08 00 00  Item In defiance of the Statute For Ingrossing every Inventory and Accompts according to the length thereof not exceeding Two shillings for every Press of Parchment 00 00 02 00 00  Item In defiance of the Statute For Exhibiting of every Inventory and for subscribing of the same 00 06 00 06 00  Item For the Copy of every Act extracted out of the Registry under the Register's hand 00 00 01 00 00  Item For the Copy of every Inventory Testament Libel Matter Allegations or Articles whatsoever extracted out of the Register under the Register's hand 00 00 According to the length 00  Item For Letters of Request made to another Ordinary to Cite one dwelling out of the Judges Jurisdiction 01 08 01 08 00  Item For every Renunciation of an Administration of the Goods of a Deccased or an Executor of a Will Admitted and Enacted 00 06 00 06 00  Item For every Decree made upon the distribution of Goods amongst the next of Kin and for Registring the same 06 08 06 08 00  Item The Fee of a Proctor every Court-day in which he is Retained upon any Cause whatsoever is 01 00 00 00 00  And no more Therefore they Abuse you when they take Ten Groats ☞ And indeed there is scarce one of all these Particulars but the Officers belonging to these Courts do now Demand Take and Extort most Vnjustly Greater Fees than are here set down which yet are all that themselves had the Confidence to ask or pretend due in the Time of King Charles I. since which Time they have not any Colour of Law Reason or Authority to have them increased Therefore if any of them shall for the future Demand or Take any Fees Duties or Sums of Money more or greater than are here set down let the Party grieved forthwith Indict them for Extortion the onely way to Curb the Avarice and Oppression of greedy devouring Locusts who like the Sons of the Horse-Leech always Cry Give Give till with tedious Vexations they undo those they can get into their Birdlime-Clutches POSTSCRIPT I 'LL add but one Argument more and 't is the stenderest in all the Artillery of Logick but for Home-thrusts like a Vipers tongue 't is slender indeed but most Mortal and Irresistible 't is called Argumentum ad Huminem like Rom. 2.22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery Doest thou commit adultery so say I Thou Adulterer Art not thou a transgressor of the Law and Acts for Uniformity Is not Adultery against the Common-Prayer-Book Is not an Illegal Ceremony-monger a Non-Conformist Is not an Adulterer a Non-Conformist Is not a Noddy I should say Nodder to the Altar to the East a Non-Conformist Is he so Why then thou old formality thou whip and spur Will no pace serve thee but a Gallop and Tantivy Foot and Horse Companies and Troops Trot and Gallop On what Service What Expedition To root a Conventicle Have a care man and fly fly get out of harms way for fear they face about and root thee for a Non-Conformist and take from thee thy pride and joy of thy heart thy 2 3 4 5. Spiritual Promotions Ha Non-Conformists Is that the Word one would think thou shouldst for thine own sake hereafter be good to Non-Conformists thou dull Coyner and Forger of Ceremonies thy chief Religion in desiance of the Holy Acts for Uniformity You that would have all Non-Conformists undone Body Soul and Estate you that are all for Cursing and Imprisoning all for filling Hell and the Gaol come on How do you like this deprivation for Non-Conformity How does this Stone-doublet fit you you that breathe nothing but Gaols Fines Consiscations Suspensions Hell and Excommunications and Writs in the Rear of it Thou wicked and unjust Judg dost thou Sentence or Excommunicate some Non-Conformists and not all Non-Conformists and dost thou partially spare thine own Nodding Superstitious silly self James 2.1 My Brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ nor the Laws of God and the King the Lord of glory with respect of persons Either all being guilty let all suffer but where shall we get Executioners or else being guilty As in general Matiny none suffer Otherwise James 2.3 Are ye not then partial in your selves and are become judges of evil thoughts Then do not bespeak Grand-Jury-men to make fish of one and flesh of another but either spare all Non-Conformists or spare no Non-Conformists small nor great Lay-man nor Clergy-man Bishop nor Arch-Bishop Dean nor Chapter Singing-men nor Singing-boys Register nor Sumner no nor Justices nor your selves Grand-Jury-men spare all or spare none from the greatest to the least from the Bench to the Bar. Dost thou say no Non-Conformists ought to be sworn of a Jury Ha let me hear this again Is this Law That no transgressors of the Law shall be either Judg or Jury-man turn thine eyes inward look into thine own Breast and then tell me Is this Law What Shall no transgressor of a Statute be a Judg or a Jury-man not one Whoremaster Drunkard Extortioner nor Blasphemer Curser nor Swearer Or is the transgression of the Statutes for Uniformity the greatest transgression There 's no reason for that but we 'l admit it rather than spoil good discourse and then tell me thou silly Superstitious deviser and observer of Illegal Ceremonies thou Cloud that would overcast all Religion Dost thou think to escape the Inquisition by the works of Darkness Mists and Clouds of thine own making Art not thou also a Non-Conformist The Millenaries have long expected Christs Personal Reign upon Earth when the Saints shall judg the World but all in vain for now one Non-Conformist condemns another a Non-Con on the Bench a Non-Con at the Bar pretty I protest Vice corrects Sin Fait and Trot and by St. Patrick 't is well a fine Joy If ever Popery come to be the State-Religion as it was for hundreds of years in England then those that assert it for good Law That no Non-Conformist shall he a Jury-man has cut all our Throats defeated all our Estates Liberties and Properties with that one Breath Pestilential Breath For where are our Lives our Liberties our Properties our All by the Law if it be Law to have none but Conformists Jury-men if ever we live to see none but Papists Conformists which is not impossible This it is to wyre-draw the Law only to serve a trick or a turn or a present occasion this furnishes the Papists with a fine lash to slash us and by Law too our own Law Judges and officers saith God Deut. 16.18 19. shalt thou make thee in all thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee throughout thy Tribes And they shall judg the people with just judgment Thou shalt not wrest judgment thou shalt not respect persons neither take a gift for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wife and pervert
the words of the righteous that is such as would be wise and righteous if it were not for the Gift or Reward But wo wo Wo be to them saith the Prophet that decree unrigteous decrees Isa 10.1 2 3. and that write grievousness which they have prescribed To turn aside the needy from judgment and to take away the right from the poor of my people that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless And what will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where will ye leave your glory Loth very loth will such men be that such measure as they meet it shall be measured unto them again then will they curse the keeping of false weights and false measures one to buy by and another to sell by except they indeed intend to be Weathercocks that is true Conformists yet never true nor stable but only true to every Wind that blows strongest But this is the wisdom the honesty and the policy mean while men might blush if they had any blush or grace in them this is a kind of blind Devotion or Implicite Faith Thus have I known a willing Court yare and ready at an Execution right or wrong upon a Bishop's significavit send a man to Gaol when the Bishop to my knowledg granted that significavit of one Excommunicate and knew no more of the matter or whether just or the merit of the cause more than the Man in the Moon but by Implicite Faith in the Register or his Eccho I mean Mr. Formality called a Surrogate or Official Sinner you ought to be Excommunicate Suspended saith Register or Vice-Register Excommunicetur Suspendatur quoth Eccho-Surrogate Wonderful Ecclesiastical-Policy and Kirk-Discipline Is there any Wit or Grace Law Reason Conscience or Equity in these Proceedings What Curse men Damn them Gaol them and all by Implicite Faith in a Silly Covetous Wretched Extorting Lack-Latin Register Sir How came you by the Keys of the Church These Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth These Keys that let in and out to Hell and the Gaol Did you come honestly by them speak man How came you Sir to say First Take him Devil Secondly and consequently Take him Magistrate Thirdly and lastly Take him Gaoler And in Gaol he must there lie and die without Bayl or Mainprize by 3 Edw. 1.15 How long Until he first please that is pay this same extorting Register 'till 1. He be pleas'd and as much he pleases at the will of this Lord or rather Tyrant of Souls and Purses 2. He must swear to obey the Ordinary and staremandatis Ecclesiae commandments of Holy-Church 3. He shall then be Absolv'd and have a Certificavit thereof to the Bishop who then in course grants a Signisicavit and then by Writ to the Sheriff the poor Excommunicate gets out of Hell and the other Hell the Gaol So that the Register the Vice-Register with Formality-Eccho have all the Keys at their Devotion for what the Bishop does by Significavit of Excommunication or Absolution delivering to and fro the Devil and the Gaol and all that the King's-Courts consequently do thereupon are all by blind Implicite-Faith in the Register and Eccho all in course only For these little Sell-souls do the feat vulnus opemque tulit the same hand again they Wounded you and they cure you the Bishop's Significavit and the Writ de Excommunicato capiendo are but necessary Consequents and things in Course So that I say again it is safer 1000 times safer to anger the Great Turk or Great Mogull than a sneaking rascally covetous extorting Register or Vice-Register that buys or hires the Sell-soul-place to my knowledg and if he buys the Devil he must fell him Thus I think we English men are at a fine pass when our Souls our Bodies our Properties and Liberties lye at this loose lock whilst a Register or Sumner keeps really and truly the Keys of all To see an old Formality-Priest sit in the Court of Arches behind Noon as if forsooth they could do nothing without the Keys for fashion-sake which Mr. Necessity-Priest has at his Girdle hanging and represents the Archbishop who is absent about greater matters than Markets of Souls and looks just like the Divinity-man amongst the Civil Lawyers in Trinity-Hall in Cambridg called Mr. Necessity because he has no Law but they are troubled with him poor man because they cannot pray without him Quite contrary in Doctors-Commons they must they must upon necessity be troubled with this Hackney-Journey-man-Divinity-driver because the mischief is the Doctors good Souls are willing enough but alas they cannot Curse and Deliver to the Devil without him nor Absolve without him although the Money for Absolution be not only agreed upon but they have the Livery and Seizin thereof in their Pocket Why What must be done then give the Word for Mr. Necessity the Arch-Bishops Representative or in inferiour Coutts the Bishops Representative or the Arch-Deacons Representative Come hither Mr. Necessity nay hold up your head and look like a Man sit down put on your Hat Mr. Necessity you must Subscribe this Curse or Anathema yea quoth Necessity give me my Spectacles and Pen and Ink. This fellow makes no more Bones of a Soul than if it had not a Bone in it nor knows wherefore it is delivered to Satan or more of the matter or merit of the Cause than the most Reverend Arch-Bishop Lord-Bishop or Mr. Arch-Deacon that are miles off and absent I 'le depose for Mr. Necessity he knows no Law Civil-Law nor Uncivil-Law all he minds or knows or enquires is only Wher 's my Gray-Groat for subscribing the Anathema or Curse Is it a good Groat I take no Brumiughams no Brumingham I. Then if ever the Soul be Absolv'd then Mr. Necessity has a Groat more for the Absolution-Oath he cares not how many are delivered to Satan so many Souls so many Groats in his Pocket ready Money but his vertue is he Prays as hard for their Absolution for every Soul Absolv'd is as good as a Groat in his Pocket Mr. Necessity to Curse takes pains But Registers and Doctors get the gains Copy-hold at the will of the Lord is the basest Tenure but that is regulated and bounded by custom and kept within the limits of reason But in this case upon the good will pleasure or desplensure of these Ecclesiastical-fellows depends all we have all our Liberties and Properties of Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all all are held at the will of these Spiritual Lords or rather Holy-Tyrants I mean Summers and Registers and such bran such Sell-souls we none of us can be assured of any thing we have if they be not curb'd in their career we cannot say our Souls are our own Are we not at a fine pass The thoughts hereof did so perplex the King and Parliament saith the Lord Cook Inst 1. Sect. 201. that though in antient time