hold of CHRIST for all this sinne of mine Min. Our LORD IESUS CHRIST is indeed the true the only the immoveable foundation of the Church and children of GOD But he is to be apprehended and applied to the soules of Christian men by pietie vertue and the constant feare of GOD and not by every idle imagination and fleeting fancie which springs up in the minds of carnall men But tell mee is our LORD CHRIST in your power to bee held or let goâ— at your pleasure His owne words are these c Ioh. 6.44 No man comâ—â—â—â— unto 〈◊〉 except the Father who hath sent me draw him But undoubtedly GOD the Father doth draw His children to His SONNE CHRIST IESUS by faith and that faith workes in their hearts by love d Gal. 5.6 But Love and Murder are qualities of contrary nature each unto other they cannot actually subsist and have being in one and the same heart at one and the same time For the repugnancie and contrariety of their natures doth mainely labour to destroy and extinguish each other If the true faith cannot have being without pure Love its gracious and inseparable companion by what gift or grace within you doe you thinke to lay hold on and retaine our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto your selfe Enoch I hope by my repentance to recover my faith againe Min. Your sect is frequenâ— and much in talking of Faith which makes the Papists inâ—â— proud scorne to call Protestants Soli-fidians Tell me 〈◊〉 you can What is faith whereof you so much presume Enoch I thinke faith is to trust in GOD for salvation Min. To trust in GOD for salvation is one principall act and practice of the Nature of Faith as it stands in relation to GOD's mercy and his promises But as Faith is a supernaturall Qualitie wrought into mans soule by GOD's Spirit it hath many more actions and operations than only affiance in the Love and Mercy of GOD. For true Faith purifies the hearts of all those who are endued therewith It begets Humilitie of heart unity peace 1 Ioh. 3.3 and love with all true beleevers Acts 4.32 But none of all these vertues have any affinity or agreement with your facts of cruell murder 1 Pet. 1.22 For if wee search all the volume of the sacred Bible and examine the ancient records of Infidels and Heathens No fact of man in any age may stand parallel with this of yours And therefore flatter not your selfe with a vaine opinion of the truth or the strength of your faith for had true faith been of any vertue and force in any faculty of your soule either in your understanding to guide your cogitations or in your will to rectifie your resolutions and actions you had never so fearfully and desperately fallen into these barbarous murders Enoch Doe you thinke then that there is no meanes or way left for me to recover GOD's favour and the pardon of these great and crying sinnes Min. Yes upon your deepe Humiliation and repentance undoubtedly GOD will pardon your facts stoppe the crie of bloud and receive you to grace and mercy Now the ground-worke of repentance for a man in your case is first to cast off all flattering and deluding conceit of your imaginary faith 2. To labour to bee convinced in your soule that your facts were wrought and acted by the Immediate presence of Satan within you 3 To Abhorre from the very heart and soule the things you have done 4. To powre out your soule continually to God in fervent and secret Prayer craving of His mercy to pardon your sinnes and to checke and restraine the malice power and prevailing of Satan against you 5. To cast away all presumptuous thoughts which you shall finde to spring up in your owne carnall heart and to be secretly conveighed into your minde by that infernall spirit These things if you shall carefully set your selfe to performe in singlenesse of heart GOD's promise is made and shall never be annulled At what time the wicked shall turne from his sinnes Ezek. 18.21 22. which hee hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live hee shall not die But tell mee wherein differed you in opinion from your mother and brother Enoch Touching the Gesture at the Communion they would kneele and I would sit and bow my body Min. And did you for this very cause shed their bloud Enoch My wrath kindled for that cause only against my brother and in that wrath I slew him Min. Many persons in this Towne who have conferred with you are not of that opinion and do report other cause thereof Enoch Sir I told you I would confesse to you as unto CHRIST Himselfe as I hope to be pardoned of GOD I and my brother never differed nor disagreed in all our life but in that matter onely and in our difference therein I slew him Min. The Gesture of kneeling at the Communion is commanded by the Authority of our Soveraigne Lord the King with the assent of all the learned Bishops in our Land venerable for piety learning and vertue confirmed with the approbation and publike Testimony of both the Vniversities and the godly learned therein ratified by Act of Parliament And lastly obeyed by many thousands in this Land who neither want thâ— light of divine truth to direcâ—â— them nor the true feare oâ— GOD to warrant their practice And thinke you of youâ— selfe that you are wiser oâ— more righteous than all these Enoch I should not doe so and with this answer hee caâ— downe his countenance anâ— lifted up his hands Min. This spirituall prideâ— the fault of all your sect fâ—â— no sooner doe any of you begin to looke toward Sion anâ— in your owne conceits to reliâ—â— the things of GOD. but iâ—â— stantly you so over-value youâ— owne small worthes that 〈◊〉 the learning and pietie in thâ— Kingdom is not able to equâ—â— your petty devotions eitheâ— for soundnesse of judgement truth of faith or uprightnesse of walking No doubt but we should have a jolly Church if you and your conceited companions had the new-moulding and rectifying of it Enoch I should not thinke so of my selfe And with this short reply he cast downe his countenance againe and lifted up his hands a very little Min. How came you at first to entertaine these opinions and to dislike the gestures of your betters for wisedome knowledge vertue and the true feare of GOD and constant integrity in all their wayes Have you got these itching toyish and vaine conceits by conference with any Ministers disaffected to peace and unitie Or were you privately perswaded thereto by some of your aâ— quaintance or have you heaâ— any Minister publikely to 〈◊〉 clare his dislike of the prese forme of government and â— this gesture in special or weâ—â— you moved thereunto by 〈◊〉 example of any whose perseâ— you reverence for wisedoâ— and piety or have you by râ—â—ding any schismaticall
other cause But for other cause or causes he never pleaded any for himselfe but totally excluded all other causes Therefore he included this Cause and this Onely that because Iohn kneeled at the receiving of the sacred Communion Enoch his desperately enraged brother slew him This Argument is syllogisticall the true processe â—â—rationall Induction and the force thereof is so cleare conclusive and binding that whether his Non-conformed Brethren will accept or reject the word Onely the strength 〈◊〉 the thing affirmed remaines pregnant dilucidate and 〈◊〉 vincible 28 Thus leaving the true and onely cause of these flagitious murders fully assoiled from all pretense of colourable opposition I proceed to lay open unto you what I observed in the inward disposition of the minde of this man He was an high-minded fellow in spirituall matters and 〈◊〉 strongly opinioned of his owne particular Election Adoption and radication in grace The whatsoever advice I gave him from time to time for I was eighteene times with him pressing him to Humiliation Repentance Faith Teares Prayer Confession and the like spirituall Actions Hee seemed very thankfully to accept from mee and in token of his gratitude hee ordinarily used to kisse my hand and told mee upon all visitations of him that he spent his whole time in the exercise of these gratious vertues But they who lived in the house with him and diligently noted the whole tenour of his life and actions after his imprisonment could not discover any Symptomes or consequents of the practice of these pretended vertues for neither was his countenance dejected his complexion impaired or his meales in quantity abated He fed as plentifully dranke as liberally discoursed as freely as any person did who dieted at the same table with him payed the same rates of weekely charge though there detained not as malefactors but prisoners for debt He was frequent and much in poring on the Bible and still he told me that he used the helpe of reading to quicken his spirituall meditations and to sharpen his practice of repentance of faith and prayer But I rejoyneÌ„d unto him that folitarinesse and retired privacie voided of all other imployments were the best meanes of quickning devotion by putting his soule into Soliloquie with GOD. Reading I told him for a man in his case was not so proper and fit for his soule as spirituall ejaculations of his heart unto GOD in fervent devotion of sighes of prayers of confession For his reading not only stirred up in him many By-thoughts begetting questions impertinent to his present condition and state but also made him incline unto and arrogate too much to his owne private opinions the desperate supplanters of his miserable soule The best course I affirmed for a man in his case to take was to renounce his owne judgement will and affections which had alreadie enthralled him to Satan and to apply himselfe to the duties enjoyned him by GOD's Ministers and for questions emergent which might concerne him to take directions therein from them whose knowledge was more ripe judgements more exact as confirmed by experience of GOD's love and favour and their hearts better composed to piety charity and unity than his owne wilde and perturbed affections were Yet notwithstanding all my love and care and paines taken to do him good he would stil run his owne courses and follow the wayes of his owne heart By which he lay stil exposed to the cunning stratagems of Satan bâ—â— politike supplanter For in the arrogant pride of his over warning spirit he judged his owne ignorant and ungoverned heart as well able by learned and judicious counsell to prescribe unto himselfe as all the grave pious and learned Ministers in this Land could have done such was the force of spirituall delusions wherewith Satan had blinded and detained him captive 29 He was never observed in more than six weekes imprisonment to shed one teare in testimonie of sorrow for his crying sinnes or to note the presence of GOD's Spirit within him No not although two of his sisters joyning in prayer with mee upon their knees plentifully powred them forth in his behalfe Indeed I doe freely and ingenuously make knowne to the World that his complexion was not apt for teares but the present distresse of his soule under the fearefull expectation of GOD's confounding wrath justly provoked might either have terrified or mollified him to some signes of humiliation and sorrow 30 When hee was brought before the Reverend and Honourable Iudges no consternation of soule appeared in him either from the sense of his owne wickednesse or from the Gravitie of their Persons justly made terrible to malefactours by the weight of their authoritie But where grace sanctifies not to the Intenerating of the heart there pride will puffe up and be displayed in the countenance For as the Scriptures report l 1 Sam. 15.32 of Agag King of the Amalekites that being a captive prisoner and called to appeare before King Saul his Lord by conquest that he came Delicately before him and said in his heart Surely the bitternesse of death is past So this Prisoner the day before the comming in of the Iudges called for a Barbour to trimme him as if this malefactour had a desire in his heart that some elegancie of aspect darting from his countenance might appeare unto them when hee came before them This I observed disliked and to his face in the presence of many persons reproved in him and told him that a face more horrid and over-growne with haire better beseemed the horrour of his facts The evidence of his murders so often published to the world by his free and voluntary confession might have prevented the formal processe of Law by Iury conviction and casting and have put him into the power of the Iudge for Sentence of death from his own acknowledgement and expression of his guilt But for more strength of justice and regularitie of proceeding the Iury as I heard found him guilty and made him liable to Sentence of death which Sentence after it was pronounced against him the place where and the manner of his execution for the consequents thereof by hanging in a frame of iron being not expressed unto him he was no more altered in his countenance or changed in his behaviour than if no terrible voice of death had beene uttered unto him On Saturday the seventeenth of August 1633 after he was adjudged to death I came to him in the afternone partly to observe his behaviour and deportment after the horror of Iudgement passed on him but principally by counsel accommodate to his present condition to prepare him for a peniteÌ„tial dissolution And having shut up my self and him into a private roome and by directions and prayer to GOD for him prepared him for death in the best manner I was able I desired him with pressing perswasions to reveale unto me the person or persons by whose politike seducements hee was drawne to those opinions so desperate and raging in
Ceremonies but to aime at such substantials alterations in Church and State as would willingly subjugate the Royall Diadem and Scepter of Princely Power to the subordinate rule and direction of their Presbyterian consistory 41 Vnto this Towne of ours divers Gentlemen from many parts of this Kingdome and Widdowes also have within these twelve last yeares resorted Resolving here to plant themselves for fixed habitation and expecting to enjoy with impunity the vaine toyes and schismaticall conceits they brought hither with them But my trust is under GOD and the sacred and Royall Majestie of our King that our Reverend Bishop will either in short time reforme their irregularities or cause them to returne to the places of their former aboad Hither also have flocked Mechanicall fellowes of many Artifices and Professions Masons Carpenters Brick-layers Corsers Weavers Stone-gravers and what not And being in their persons of worthlesse quality and receiving countenance from men of better ranke they have pestered our Towne with disobedience and schisme and for their low condition and obscurity of living have escaped presentment and passed unregarded Pardon my zeale good Reader a surcharged heart speaking nothing but knowne and justifiable truth may justly obtaine libertie to unburden it selfe Now these persons of the better and inferiour ranke grow presently into strict and inviolable leagues of mutuall amitie as if long continuance of time experience and proofe of their Christian vertues had incorporated and united them together in reciprocall societie For it is the nature of Schisme and all unwarranted courses ever to shew it selfe active in malignitie and by examples and encouragements from one to another in short time to disdaine to submit themselves to the commands of their Superiours lest thereby they dishonour their fantasticall profession by shrinking from the hold of their Christian libertie and abridging themselves of their selfe-pleasing fantasies They assemble and feast and pray and discourse and perhaps take libertie also to complaine and lament each unto other that the Reliques of Rome continue still among us to adulterate the sacred puritie of our Gospell of Peace But blessed bee the Name of the LORD our GOD and thankes be given to the excellent Majestie and Piety of our King who resolving in his royall heart Quoad brachii humaeni virtutem to conserve the puritie of the glory of CHRIST in supporting the free passage of His blessed Gospell doth also designe in His Princely thoughts and intentions to reduce His wandring subjects to uniformity of obedience 42 A Letter was written by a Non-conformed Minister to that late reverend worthy and learned Prelate Bishop Iewel who if the judgement of Master Hooker ratified with the approbation of that most Illustrious Memorable and Learned King Iames t Hooker Eccl. politâ—e pag. 68. Preface before Iewels workes may be received was one of the most accomplished Divines that Christendome hath yeelded for some hundreds of yeares In this Letter the judgement of that gracious man was desired touching our Ceremonies and specially the government of our Church by Bishops Who weighing in his prudent and peaceful thoughts the sleight Arguments sent unto him wherewith the impregnable fort of our discipline was attempted for battery and subversion replied thus as hee is cited by Doctor Whitgift in his Reply u Answer to a libell intituled An adnotion c. As for these reasons in my judgement they are not made to build up and they are too weake to pull downe Stultitia nata est in corde pueri Virga disciplinae fugabit illam x Pro. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction will drive it from him It is but wantonnesse correction will helpe it Thus far Bishop Iewel Now the weight of this mans authority furnished as hee was with infinite variety of reading in the writings of the Church Ancient and Moderne is more to be esteemed than the up-start conceits of many hundreds of those light and vaine Novellers the wanton perturbers of our Christian peace And till this correcting rod of Humane power qualified and ratified by divine authority and given by GOD into the Princely hand of His Vicegerents be either inflicted or at least lifted up and shaked though shaking without striking will doe little good these men are so setled upon the Lees and dregges of their pleasing errours that like Moab y Ier. 48.11 for want of emptying from vessell to vessell they will still retaine their old sent within them 43 I publikely told them five Moneths agoe namely in Iuly last past 1633 in a Preface to my Catechisme Lecture in a very great assembly that it was to bee feared that they who obeyed not the Lawes of the King did curse his sacred Person in their hearts contrary to that rule Eccle. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter These words of mine stirred up such a Tempest in the unruly tumultuous and stormy affections that many of them rashly rowed but have fayled therein that they would never heare mee againe because I imployed good Talents and partes to the disgrace of Gods children But now let them give mee leave since time hath allaied their passions and rendred them more capable of wholsome advice to tell them without feare or flattery that I conceive the Spirituall meaning of these words in this sense Hee that obeyes not the Law which is by commande of Princely power and Iustice impsed on him Curses that law which he refuseth to obey for betweene obedience and cursing there is no medium or meane in the sense of Gods Spirit For every act of murmuring and repining against the supposed iniquity of any law coupled with contempt of the same law by disobedience thereunto is an act of the heart and Spirit of that man cursing the 〈◊〉 to which hee refuseth to yeeld true and faithfull subjection Now this inward curse lighting on the law which is disobeyed reflects or rather falls directly on the Majestie of the King from whose sacred Authority as hee is the immediate Vicegerent of God that law receives either Constitution or Ratification and Command for obedience This sense I obtrude not on these Persons as arrogating to my selfe infallibility of judgement in the meaning of Gods Spirit But I refer it to the grave and deliberat judgement of those prudent and learned Persons who fit at the Helme of government in our Church and are more profound in knowledge and fully able to resolve and cleere this doubt for as then so now I deliver onely my opinion and no more But yet let me further tell them that since they like not to bee told that their thoughts and hearts do Curse Christian Kings whose lawes check and countermaund their novell fancies what will they say to that place of sacred Scriptures
Gospel implanted among us Hence grow ' your important pressings and perswasions to constancie in the Faith even to death by Apologie and Martyrdome wherein some of your owne friends have wished that the salt of discretion and prudent moderation had allayed your violence and seasoned your thoughts to a better conceit of that gratious Prince and Government under which we live in peace and spirituall liberty The name of Puritane you told them was a royall badge and and thereby you intended to confirme depraved judgements in error and contumacie against Authority and that wholsome reformation that is now aymed at Surely these intemperat flashes issuing from your unbridled spirit and uttered in such a time when reformation of Schisme not change of our Orthodox faith is intended doe plainely convince you in the judgement of wise men to be a man of a disloyall heart and unquiet head Your bold intrusion into other mens charge being neither warranted by the Lawes of GOD or man can receive no blessing from GOD. For what inducement have you to vent your wares among us who neither desire your aid nor need your help Keep at home I advise you and labour in that place of charge where the LORD hath disposed of you that shall bring more comfort to your conscience more peace to your calling more credit to your person Your Sect is very forward in running uncalled and thrusting your selves upon people unknowne unto you and should for ever rest unknown were it not that as the Apostle tells us Iude 16. You have mens persons in admiration because of advantage Certainly GOD's Spirit hath given a most cleare and exact description of all such wily and seducing spirits Rom. 16.17 18. It is the worke of GOD's mercy and love unto his Church in laying open the spirituall sleights I dare not say impostures wherewith your Sect hath so long deluded the people and by the wisdome and authority of our King and State to correct and reforme them Your opposition to the Authority of our Lord Bishop was so peremptory and insolent by your pride and contempt of your Superiours as is not to be endured in a peaceable Government For you were in place both in the Church when his Lordship gave his charge and also in the Chamber at the signe of the red Lion in our Towne and heard his Lordship make knowne to us of the Clergie his Majesties Royal care and his gratious intentions he had entertained in his heart both to countenance and to advance the welfare of his Ministers But first he would be assured of their ready subjection to his just and royall commands Yet within three dayes after this charge sounded in your eares you most contemptuously violated his Majesties Injunctions and being not admitted into Saint Alkmunds Church to vent your schismaticall conceits you put your selfe into an exempt and peculiar Iurisdiction and there you were as safe in your opinion as policie could make you Assuredly Mr. F. these factious courses are unsanctified by GOD and the issue and event of them being done in publike affront to the sacred authority and command of your Prince the LORD 's annointed will prove dangerous if not desperate unto you for the strong arme of Iustice wil crush thousands of such poore wormes as wee are I my selfe have knowne within these twenty yeares last past Plus minùs many men of excellent wits great and piercing understandings prompt and eloquent in their deliveries of illustrious note and ranke in the Common-wealth yet by opposing the designes and commands of Royal Majesty have ruined their estates and fatally ended their dayes in ignominy and misery For the eminencie of Princes being by Substitution and Vicegerencie from GOD the lively Image of Divine Majesty for temporall regiment is by GOD's ordinance made so sacred and inviolable both from the intemperate rage of our tongues and the rancour of our naturally seditious and rebellious hearts That never any man obliged to loyalty made head against them either openly or secretly but the Angell of the LORD's wrath pursued him to shame and destruction For it is decreed by the wisdome of GOD and shall never be reversed Ezra 7.26 Whosoever will not obey the Law of GOD and the King let judgement speedily bee executed upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or unto confiscation of goods or to imprisonment For your person Mr. F. I protest before GOD the searcher of all hearts I wish no otherwise than to my owne soule But I onely ayme at the peace of our Towne which will never be effected till you and such as you be restrained from preaching and enkindling faction among us Thus I have imparted my minde unto you and for the censure of both our persons I refer it to the wisdome and justice of his Lordship our most Reverend Diocesan who I doubt not will correct your insolencies and keepe you in order A copy of this Letter I have sent to my L. Bishop to demonstrate how ingenuously I have dealt with you GOD blesse you and sent you much happinesse 54 This is that Letter Verbatìm without addition detraction or mutation of one syllable against which such tragicall out-cries have beene raised by â—icentious detractors of the good names of their neighbours But my comfort is that I feare no mans tongue or malice in the world as long as mine owne conscience checkes me not for any wilfull violation of my duty to GOD and to my Prince nor act of unrighteousnesse done to the person of my neighbour And when this generation of men who take too much ungodly libertie unto themselves to suspect evill of their neighbours and upon that susspition to raise lying defamations against persons truely religious and vertuous shall governe their tongues and hearts with more holy feare of GOD and gratious charity towards their peaceable co-habitants I doubt not but that the LORD in mercy and love to our Church and Kingdome will unite our hearts in the firme bond of pure religion and not suffer us to bee torne into factions by dislike of innocent and harmelesse Ceremonies And for the wrongs which they very foolishly Imagine to have beene done to this their Minister by my Persecuting him as they most wickedly phrase it I referre my selfe to my hottest and sharpest adversaries whose tongues fly at randon without grace wit or honestie to restraine them to examine censure and determine from this relation whether I have beene Active in doing or passive in suffering wrongs And from the sight of their owne errour or rather malicious railing and traducing of my innocence herein let them learne to use more Christian moderation in reporting of things unknowne unto them And to practise those gratious vertues of integritie of heart and truth of speech which wil more adorne their conversation and render them more pleasing unto GOD and man than all their forward profession of firy zeale in erroneous devotion Many good things in the exercise of family discipline As Prayers Instruction of their children and servants Singing of Psalmes and such like I doe freely acknowledge to be in some of these men But as Salomon speaks of a wise man Eccle. 10.1 That a little folly brings disgrace to him that is in reputation for wisedome so I say unto these men That a little dishonestie or injustice towards their neighbours which piety and the true feare of GOD should extinguish in them doth obscure the lustre of a glorious profession and makes them most justly to be suspected to be but meere Formalists Thus having cast my Mite into the Treasury of GOD's Church by desiring the holy and blessed peace of our Sion I will adde my continuall prayers thereunto that our hearts may be firmely knit together in unitie and love FINIS
Gospell For as the wisdome of GOD in the old Testament prescribed the rule of his will unto his people for their direction saying e Malack 3.7 The Priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for He is the Messenger of the LORD of Hoasts So hath the divine and constant wisdome of the same our GOD declared the Canon of His will in the New Testament to continue in the Church to the dissolution of this World f Ephes 4.11.12 CHRIST gave some to be Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of CHRIST till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the SONNE of GOD unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Now these holy Arts and Ordinations of GOD's wisdome and love unto His people are the Constant rules of direction and order to be observed and obeyed by all His faithfull children whiles here they remaine in their militant condition 2 And though secular persons are both warranted and directed by our LORD and SAVIOUR for their preservation in faith and obedience g Mat. 7.15 To beware of false prophets which come unto them in sheepe◠cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And are also commanded in the practice of holy and gracious vigilancie over their own soules h 1 Ioh. 4.1 To trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no yet this warrant direction command are not so vast and universall but that they are limitted and confined within their owne proper bounds Not giving libertie unto i 2 Pet. 3.16 Vnlearned and unstable persons to wrest the sacred Scriptures to their owne destruction Nor to judge and censure their Teacher either in his doctrine or spirit if his upright and sound judgement accord not with their light and seduced fancies or his Method of preaching arride not their vaine and selfe-pleasing Humour And further if any branch of doctrine shall bee publikely delivered by any Minister of the Gospell not exactly consonant with the Canon of the Scriptures the analogie of the Christian faith and the orthodox doctrine and judgement of the Ancient and Moderne Church Lay persons are not presently to presume of themselves that they are so qualified with judgement or armed with power as to reprove their pastours because as the Apostle hath told us k 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirits of the Prophets are subject unto the Prophets All that any Lay-person can or ought to doe in matter of his owne private judgement is no more but to submit himselfe to that rule of the HOLY GHOST l 1. Thes 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trie all things and hold that which is good And to this triall and retaining of sound doctrines they are for action and practice of life to adde that of another Apostle m Iude 20. By building up themselves in their most holy faith and praying in the HOLY GHOST keepe themselves in the love of GOD looking for the mercies of our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto eternall life They may indeed if erroneous doctrines be taught in publike congregations dangerous to the soules of GOD's people give notice thereof by way of information to their and our Superiours the Bishops who for the maturitie of their judgement the gravitie of their persons and the weight of their authoritie are able to rebuke reprove exhort convince of errour any unsound doctrine repugnant to the sacred Scriptures And when by weight of Argument and pregnant conviction of errour any doctrine taught shall deservedly be reproved if the teacher thereof shall obstinately persist in his errour and refuse to be reformed by the wisdome and authoritie of his Governour the sentence of suspension excommunication or deprivation is justly to proceed against him 3 This course of Ecclesiasticall discipline being for substance Sacred for antiquitie Venerable and for forme and processe therein so exact that mans wit cannot reprove it they that preferre their owne private spirits and opinions before this prudent judgement and practice of the Church as fantastick separatists do plainly discover themselves to have their part in that description which by the spirit of prophecie is given of all such n 2 Pet. 2.18 Presumptuous they are selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of Dignities With this kinde of high and overweening spirits our English Church hath of late years beene much pestered and disquieted so that many godly Ministers of rich talents worthy endowments and able gifts have not received that sweet comfort to their soules which from the profitable and painfull execution of so sacred a calling is by command of GOD'S Spirit due unto them For the Apostle hath strictly charged all Christians o Hebr. 23.18 To obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves unto them for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Yet notwithstanding the weight of this charge such is the insolent pride and contumacie of spirit in this kinde of men strongly conceited of the spirituall favour of GOD unchangeably setled on their particular persons that unlesse both the observance and which is more the obsequiousnesse of the Minister both in doctrine and practice be accommodated to give them content and flatter their fancies they will maligne his person traduce his name and scorne and vilifie him with all basenesse of contempt yea although his life bee most conscionably led in the feare of GOD and his outward conversements with men adorned and made gracefull with all Humanity Humility and Integritie 4 In the ranke and number of these bold and busie Scripturists wee are to range one ENOCH ap EVAN a fellow of very meane quality and small understanding as able only to reade English and no more yet of high thoughts touching his owne personall worth in spirituall abilities For so cunningly and yet powerfully had Satan insinuated himselfe by spirituall illusions into his understanding for opinion and into his heart for affection and inclination to his owne dull and extravagant conceits that he became presumptuously bold to dislike not only the Gestures and rites prescribed by the Governours of our Church for conservation of uniformitie peace and unitie among GOD'S people and ratified by Regall and Legall Authority But hee proceeded so farre as to reprove the forme of words used by the Minister in the delivery of the sacred Communion into the hands of God's people For whereas the wisdome of our Church prescribes the forme of words thus The Body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which was given for thee preserve thy bodie and soule unto everlasting life The pride and ignorance of this fellow no◠able to conceive the strength and significancie of these
the clock in the morning on Sunday the seventh of Iuly they brought him forward to the Goale in Shrewsbury When the Keeper of the Prison read his Mittimus and understood his facts he loaded him with irons anâ— committed him to the common lodging among malefactors of his owne qualitie 18 When the rumour oâ— Enoch's murders and imprisonment was divulged abroad 〈◊〉 was wonderfull to see how people of all qualities resorted unto him questioned with him and although altogether unable to administer either counsell or comfort to a maâ—â— of his disconsolate conditionâ— yet many of them were forward and busie to cloud and darken the truth of that very cause and onely cause which he himself constantly alleaged of his provocation to these facts For divers who affected not the Ceremonies of our Church with whom this County and this Towne have of late abounded could not endure to heare that a Brother of their society and opinion should so staine and dishonour the sanctity of their holy Profession as to imbrue his accursed hands in her bloud who had conceived and nourished him in her wombe Hence great care was taken and all policies imployed to perswade the Malefactor to assigne some other cause and probable reason of these murders and not any touch of his dislike of Church Ceremonies Many Ministers of our Countie and some of our Towne repayred unto him and every man talked and reasoned with him as to his owne understanding seemed best pleasing And hee freely confessed to al men that upon difference in opinions betweene him and his brother touching the Gesture in the Communion his wrath conceived against him turned into rage and incensed his heart to the murder of him 19 It came into my heart to go visit this fellow and being come to the Prison-house I requested the Gaolour to leâ— me have a sight of the Prisoneâ— in a private roome He instantly commanded one of his servants to bring him unto meet Enoch being come I told him in the presence of the Keeper and his servant that I was come to see him not to satisfie curiosity nor to urge and presse questions unto him but with a cleare and pure intention by laying the judgements of God's wrath before his eyes to strike his conscience with the sight and sense of his great wickednesse and afterwards to minister those directions whereby to bring him to repentance and the reconciled favour of GOD. My first question with him was this Min. Thinkest thou Enoch that thy mother who conceived and bred thee in her wombe with many pangs and throwes did ever harbour in her heart a thought or suspition that when thou wast arrived to mans estate and shee to her aged yeares thy unnaturall rage should draw her bloud and separate her head from heâ— shoulders Enoch To this question of of mine he made no answer at all but lifted up his hands a little and cast downe his head with great confusion and perturbation of soule Min. I said unto him again Enoch I am come with purpose of my heart to doe thee good and if thou wilt deale truly with me and with thine owne soule thou shalt find me both able and desirous to doe thee good He gave me thanks for my kindnesse and was very willing and desirous to entertaine my advise Hereupon 〈◊〉 making benefit to my selfe oâ— that readinesse I found in him to hearken unto mee said further Min. Enoch I charge your conscience by that Authoritie which CHRIST our LORD hath given to me as a Minister of His sacred Gospel that you doe impart unto mee the true moving cause or causes which stirred you up to these unnaturall facts for unlesse I search your wounds to the bottome Enoch assure your selfe I shall never bee able to apply any solid comforts unto you but they will rankle in your soule and prove incurable Enoch Sir since you charge and presse my conscience herewith I will as truly confesse to you as I will doe to CHRIST Himselfe The True and the only cause which instigated mee to these facts was my Zeale to the Word of GOD. Min. I replied that zeale for GOD's glory or for His Word must be qualified with command from GOD Himselfe either by expresse declaration of His will by Oracle and lively voice or else which is equivalent thereunto By the full and undoubted assurance of a divine instinct and motion of GOD's Spirit But this latter I told him under The setled estate of the Church of the New Testament was peculiar onely in matters of this nature unto the persons of the Apostles of our LORD and descended not unto our times The Apostle Peter y Act. 5.5.10 strucke with present death Ananias and Saphira his wife but the power of that stroke came directly and immediately from GOD Himselfe as a miraculous act of His wrath against their hypocrisie and a divine declaration of the truth of his Apostolicall Doctrine and calling But Enoch your fact agreeth not with this but hath some correspondence with the passionate furious and irregular zeale of Iames and Iohn z Luke 9.54 Who desired our LORD to give them leave to call for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans and were for their unsanctified rage sharply checkt by our LORD and SAVIOUR who intimated unto them that GOD's Spirit in men is milde and gentle according to that perpetuall Canon and rule a Iames 3.17 The Wisdome that is from above is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partialitie without Hypocrisie But Satans spirit and motions are raging and furious exciting to bloud and murder What say you now Enoch to your owne facts doe you like or dislike them Enoch Sir I know not whether I have done well or ill Min. All facts of this nature are undoubtedly the desperate effects of Satanical suggestions covered and coloured over with the faire pretence of zeale flowing from divine inspirations onely to mitigate and allay the troubles of conscience incident thereunto What say you to this Enoch I know that Satan hath no power to prevaile with the true children oâ— GOD. Min. Doe you perswade your selfe to be the true childe of GOD and actually in the state of grace having committed these execrable facts your fact is the very same with that of Cain and in one most fearefull degree of unnaturall crueltie farre surmounts his and hee is branded with the hellish marke b 1 Iohn 3.12 of Satans prevailing with him And how you should bee free from the prevailing power of Satan in your heart and over you for my part I yet understand not For wee are ever to judge of the nature strength and prevailing of Temptations by the reall acts which are effected and produced by them Our owne imaginations which are liable to errour flattery and seducement are no rule by which either our owne or other mens judgements are to be guided and directed Enoch I will not let go my
circumference of their own In-conformity But let them delude and flatter themselves in their Toyish Imaginations as long as they will and persist to affront Authoritie in the person of their Prince and the commaund of his Lawes It is my hope and confidence and I trust all good men concurre with me therein That as the Lord in mercy and holy love unto his Church among us hath given Pure Wisedome to his Anointed Vice-gerent to discover these obliquities and Impostures and also Royall courage to attempt the reformation and suppression thereof So he will also strengthen and uphold his Princely Arme in his proceedings therein till he have brought the same to a gratious and to a glorious perfection And then will this Church and Kingdome know both in the generall body therof and also more specially in these Non-conformists theselves both Ecclesiasticall and Secular when their eyes are opened to behold their owne errours That they have beene long deteyned and deluded in adoring vaine fantasies not worth the regarding And then they will also blesse and magnifie the LORD'S great mercies and returne the Tribute of thankfull and of loyal hearts to their gratious Sovereigne by whose pious care so laudable and glorious a work hath beene prospered and atchieved For though now errors in their soules do dimme darken and even blinde the eye of their Iudgements and not suffer them with the cleere light of sanctified Reason to behold this wholesome and profitable truth shine forth unto them Namely That Vnitie and Peace betweene the Prince and his People and with all the People mutually among themselves are the true and proper glory of Earthly Kingdomes typically figuring the celestial Vnity in blessednes and glory in the Triumphant Church of GOD And that Schisme Division of any people into variety of opinions and affections is the bane and subversion of the Tranquillity of a Church Nation resembling the confusions and perturbations of satans infernal regiment Then will they cleerely see to the infinite joy and comfort of their own soules that this disobedience to Royall Majesty and prudent lawes for things of indifferent nature is no more but a selfe-pleasing fantafie which every good man may verie well spare and yet remaine a faithfull sonne to GOD his Father a sound member of that particular Church wherein he was baptised and a loyall and obedient subject to the Majesty of that gratious Prince in whose Dition and Principality he first drew his native breath and being And if these men will but entertaine that one rule of our LORD and SAVIOUR IESUS CHRIST Matth. 11.28 Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest for your soule And by this rule wil strive to take downe the height of their owne elate and haughty spirits and humble themselves to submit to the wisedome of their King and State and to suspect their owne wisdomes as every wise man ought to doe surely then the things proposed unto them for obedience and the setling of uniformitie over the body of this Church and Kingdome will shortly be universally admitted and pleasingly entertained And when they have cast away that prejudicate and troublesome opinion which they have of the persons of the Bishops who for their wisdome piety gravity sincerity deserve all due respect of veneration to bee given unto them Then the blessed experience of the manifold commodities which accompany peace and unity will not onely prove an inward comfort to their soules but will also make them to bee greatly offended with themselves for their obstinate contumacie against their lawful Superiours when they shall cal to minde how long they have deprived themselves of so great a blessing as is Vnitie of Heart Minde and Iudgement by dividing themselves from the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Orthodox and pure Church of GOD in this Kingdome For in all humane matters and these of ceremonies are no other all sound knowledge and judgement is attained by experience which though it be said to be the Mistresse of fooles by shewing unto them and imprinting on their hearts their manifold errours yet she is no foolish mistresse but the best informer and reformer of our understandings and wills by which it pleaseth GOD to reduce from wandering His straying sheepe and gratiously confine them within His owne fold witnesse the wanton Prodigall who running riot from his father and from the true principles of knowledge in his owne soule never returned againe to GOD or to himselfe till sensible experience of his owne vanity had pinched him and made him as the Scriptures report 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 15.17 to come home to himselfe by the gratious view of his errors directed thereunto by the Spirit of God And these Non-conformists whether Church-men or Lay-men they are no other but Wanton and Prodigall fugitives and Run-awayes from their spirituall Father the LORD who requires of us and them 1 Pet. 2.14 To submit our selves to every ordinance of men for the LORD'S sake And fugitives also they are from their Politike Father the King by rejecting his Authority given him by GOD. And till some few gentle stripes with the Rod of Princely power prove unto them as the famine did to the Prodigall open their eyes and give them sensible impression and experience of their sullen Pride and Vanity they wil never returne soundly to their GOD to their Prince to themselves but they will riotize in selfe-opinions and deluded imaginations to the hazard and endangering of their owne soules by incurring the wrath of God And for mine owne part I am perswaded that if all the Non-conformed Ministers in this Church were divided into foure equal parts three of them have never read any controversies of our Church-discipline but perhaps some of the railing Libels of Master Cartwright and his companions a part by themselves which passe underhand from man to man amongst them without the learned Antidots of contrary writings to expell the maligne poison and infection therof But these men looke only upon the practise of the times and seeing that to incline to this faction is a faire way of thriving both in reputation of credit with this sort of people and also in meanes of livelihood by private and underhand Benevolences Gratuities Contributions they are thereby inticed on to these disloyall and factious courses which in multitudes of Lay-persons of severall rankes and degrees is growne to a great height of strength and power And yet neither their multitudes nor their power so great but that wise men may discover in them that they are not persons of any courage to hold out opposition against Authority to the incurring of danger either to their persons or to their estates which cowardize of Spirit in persons otherwise of so high insolent and daring spirits as they are plainly convinceth the truth of the over-ruling hand of GOD'S power in all mens hearts and also pleadeth and acteth in their owne
bosomes the Iustice and Equity of the Kings cause now taken in hand by impressions of sensible feare making them to tremble at the mention of Humane Authority as it is the execution of divine power for Temporall government For were their persons as cleare and innocent as they pretend by ostentation of the uprightnesse of their consciences in the cause of GOD or their judgements right and sound in that they hold with dissent from their wise superiours or their cause it selfe a matter of importance wherein the Honour or Dishonour of GOD stands Interessed and Ingaged surely then the LORD would fortifie and adde spiritual vigour to their masculine and high spirits and not suffer them to shrinke under the practice of Humane power urged for their correction and amendment And let me further certifie this irregular generation that if their fancies had been of GOD and decreed for His fetled ordinance It had not received such a wound as of late it hath done by the hand of Princely power which already hath made their building to nod and totter and incline to subversion For the Argument of Gamaliel uttered by the present inspiration of GOD'S Spirit is invincible Act. 5.39 Mans power cannot overthrow that which is of GOD which impregnable and sacred Truth I will demonstrate in this syllogisticall processe Whatsoever is of GOD decreed for continuance and propagation Major can neither bee dissolved by Humane power nor weakened and abated This Novell Toy of resisting authority Minor is by Humane power weakened and abated and drawes on to dissolution Therefore it is not of GOD by ordinance for Propagation Conclusio The whole force of this Argument so clear and conclusive is drawne from the practice of GOD Himselfe in the Primitive infancie of the Christian Church when the Roman Tyrants mighty in power and extention of authority over most parts of the habitable earth raged against the glory of our LORD IESUS CHRIST in the lustre of His Gospell and vowed the extinction of His Name and memory but the more their fury increased and insulted over the poore sheepe of CHRIST daily dragged unto slaughter by Martyrdome the more they found to the check of their infidell pride and immanity that Sanguis Martyrum erat semen Ecclesiae The bloud of Martyrs was the springing seed of the Church both for the increase of the number of professors and dilatation of the glory and power of our SAVIOUR If any shal reply unto mee that Humane power may for a time suppresse the outward growth and spreading of this disobedience to our King and his Lawes yet for as much as they are godly forsooth and doe it for conscience sake their practice will still retaine spirituall heat and vigorous warmth in the root and secret heart thereof and thereby sprout out againe and declare it selfe to bee of the LORD'S plantation To these men I reply no more but thus That I wish all such persons to suspend their owne rash and sinister perswasions for a time and to expect the event of the LORD'S will therein which in doubtfull cases is never knowne but by the sensible and apparent manifestation thereof 51 Now for this firy fancie and exquisite fascination of our Non-conformity I will freely and openly deliver my opinion thereof and that is this That when she was in her greatest ruffe and glory deckt with all the plumes of her pride and best acceptation which ever she had in this Kingdome I conceive of her that then even then she was no more but meretrix cerussata a whited painted and artificially coloured strumpet exposing her selfe to her most profitable wooers and entertainers But now that by time and age shee is become Rugosa cadaverosa wrinckled and decayed shee goes on I hope to her grave with infamie and dishonour The reason of my opinion is this I suppose that if her stoutest champions who have long with the secret increase of their private estates supported her glory could now come off fairely from her without detriment to their livelihood and eclipse of the brightnesse of their former reputation for Piety and Sincerity That then not one of them would either depart this Land or endure to bee silenced and restrained from preaching but being shut up in a strait by reflecting on their owne hearts and calling to minde what high and transcendent prayses they have in corners given to this their fancie the engine and instrument of all their delusions and the artificial and fine-wrought key whereby they have opened the Closets and Cabinets of their deare and privat friends if now they should shrinke from it they overthrow for ever the reputation of their integrity And therefore having within their owne bosomes a troublesome conflict betweene their hearts puffed up with the remembrance of their late glory and deare esteeme among their friends and their consciences now secretly prompting them that the grounds of their Schisme were things light triviall and of no moment The pride of their hearts beares downe with strong power the plea of their consciences and makes them resolve rather to endure a silencing with hope to retaine the under-hand benevolences of their tender hearted friends than to supplant the pleasing contentments they have received to themselves in appropriating to themselves the words of GOD's Spirit Prov. 12.26 The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour But let such men call to minde the judgements of GOD's wrath against that slothfull person Matt. 25.30 Who wrapped up his Talent in a Napkin and hid it in the earth For if Saint Paul could say in the case of planting of Churches 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessitie is laid upon mee yea woe is mee if I preach not the Gospell I cannot yet understand nor themselves neither of any dispensation or relaxation that Ministers have in these dayes to sit idle at home in vayne speculations and to neglect the Watering of those Churches and feeding of those flockes which by other mens labours have beene prepared and made ready to their Ministry Yet this liberty to please themselves by voluntary or imposed silence and the Iustice and Aequitie thereof on their parts in submitting to so sharpe a censure is still by them constantly assevered And thereby they strive to uphold the good conceits which their friends have of the puritie of their consciences and of the Iniquity Idolatry and Prophanenesse of those Antichristian Ceremonies which are urged against them for better termes or Titles they know right well they never afford them And this is the true cause why I was so bold and plaine with them as to tearme their practice of Non-conformity by the odious name of a Painted Strumpet because a learned Philosopher describing the Arts and subtilties of such wanton and uncleane persons sayes of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Strumpets wish all sorts of happinesse may befail their lovers except understanding and wisdome to discover their own wickednes so doe flatterers