like Schollers these their lessons to learne against each Wednesday and great care was taken some for feare of reproofe and some popular applause and these caâ—â—chisings being ended they then for an houre or two discourse of neighbours that would not joyne with them traducing both names and persons this man is a drunkard a whooremaster and the like such a woman was light and wanton and loved such and such a man such a man loved such a woman this was the manner and order of their Feasts till at length themselves were most of them drunkards and whooremongers The next thing was a day in a week at noon for two houres space to catechise youth and children upon a simple small Catechism set out by one Mr Oxenbridge sonne to Doctor Oxenbridge of London who with his wife especially were the first ground-works of this Faction Who in time before it came to any perfection departed from us but left the cursed seed or fruit of their Faction behinde them they being gone this Mr White as chiefe takes in hand to accomplish this businesse which with another as forward but better seene in it then themselves one Mr Golding a young head but well learned in Schismaticall Science if not worse joynes together labours with and overcomes an ancient man Mr Copeland by name and then on all hands with an unanimous consent they joyne their forces for the erecting and establishing this their Church and then in stead of catechising youth they would catechise ancient people young and old of both Sexes This they could not well accomplish being by divers withstood but seeing they could not bring that to passe then would they not suffer any to communicate without examination before and that as well Beleevers as others yea them especially though never so learned and sufficient which bred a sore broile amongst us yet of many could they not have their wills though put from the Sacrament Then denied they to baptize children unlesse the Parents rehearsed the Creed and such as did had their children baptized and such as would not theirs were not Then having made themselves strong by encreasing their company they then began a weekly Lecture upon every Wednesday one one week another another week these exercises were wholly and only for the building up of this their Church Exclaiming against our Church both in Matter Manner Order Government Discipline and Governours applauding this their owne the holiest and purest Church upon the earth next unto New England here they deny all supream power of Magistracy yea of the King himselfe only to guide them in the channell and to defend them and maintaine them in this their Church Orders and Discipline to punish all such as shall oppose them themselves being chiefe thereof under Christ but especially their Pastor White so pronounced by their Prolocutor one of our present Governours in the house and presence of God and the whole congregation that he was Supreame head of this Church next under Christ and none above him this was one Mr Painter a Cooper Then the other two Ministers were chosen Elders whereof Mr Golding the younger man in yeares was the chiefe Mr Copeland the inferiour next a Deacon one Mr Robert Cesteven a Counceller and a great stickler thus have you as yet all the Officers But before this choyce the baptizing of Infants was quite rejected and given over holding a tenet that children ought not to be baptized but only such as were of yeares of discretion and able to render an account of their faith according to Mark 16. 16. with divers other places saying they were no Pastors and therefore durst not baptize one nor other and that they had baptized more children already then they knew how to answer this was Mr Whites owne speech unto my selfe upon a Lecture day I having two of my children to baptize at the same time Vpon this I confesse and seâ—ing the great inconveniency that did arise thereon and many children in the Countrey to be baptized and many more like to be I put pen to pâ—per and write unto our chiefe Governour Capt. VVilliam Sayle foure or five sheets of paper and presented as a new yeares gift hee being the only man as I supposed to redresse and reforme by vertue of his place and power all such erroneous and factious errours both in Church and Common weale but hard successe I found in my Epistle unto him In the front of the work I shewed him how I was perplexed both in minde and conscience for yeelding unto them through his instigations and perswasions at an Assizes before for another writing delivered by me unto Mr White himselfe upon his and the rest their silencing themselves leaving our Churches upon the Lords dayes and gathering swarmes of people into their owne houses as Conventicles and there have reading singing praying expounding and preaching yea if truth were knowne the Sacrament also administred in their private houses and all these Ordinances denied in the houses of God yea they were slighted contemned scorned and rejected even as Iakes these at the beginning of constitution of their Church nay in one small tribe or parish three or foure such severall places of meetings and the houses of God destitute Secondly I writ against Independent Churches according to my poore understanding I being a man of no learning but especially against their Church saying had I power and approbation I would shake the whole fabrick thereof this was taken very heynously But to let passe other things contained therein come we to the work where first I maintained our Church of England against all Independent Churches to be a true and a perfect Church yet so as not being free or cleare from all defects as no Church under heaven was is not never will be comparing our Church with all other reformed Churches and their defects and deformities Secondly by seven wayes I maintained the lawfulnesse and the necessity of baptizing Infants where I answered divers objections of the Anabaptists and theirs also unto me in number fourteen and laid downe their objections severally Thirdly and lastly I shewed who of necessity were bound and therefore ought to baptize infants namely those to whom God had given the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments that is such as God hath called to the Ministeriall function and endued them with gifts and graces answerable for their Callings such and none but such ought to meddle in the word or Sacraments here I shewed the duty of all who had children to baptize only to such and to none but such then next the duty of Ministers they being so sought to they ought they must baptize them next I confuted and condemned certain heretickâ— and schismaticks that denied and refused to baptize infants and namely themselves and lastly concluded with a friendly exhortation to all Ministers to be carefull to perform their duty in this and in all other points This in brief was the summe and effect of
of all persons here and of whom he will certainly require it if such an evill as is threatned should befall through your neglect For although the great Antichrist and his Clergy did prevaile to perswade Christian Princes and Magistrates that the Government of the Church and care of Religion pertained not to them but to the Clergy and the like is now here preached amongst us yet I verily trust you entertain no such false principle For to establish true Religion to maintain it and to see that the duties of Religion be duly performed to God and man is almost all that the Law requireth and so is almost if not all the duty of the Christian Magistrate And this being taken from him and put upon the Clergy he may serve as an officer to execute what the Clergy shall decree but ceaseth in a manner wholly to be a Magistrate Thus commending you to the tuition and direction of Almighty God I rest March 6. 1642. Your Worships in all due observance RICH. NORWOOD An Advertisement to such here as have care of the Conservation of true Religion IT is and ought to be the principall care of every good Christian to conserve the knowledge and exercise of true Religion in himselfe and others being the one thing necessary But from this these times have much declined everywhere and even in our deare native Countrey so farre as called for a speedy Reformation or threatned ruine And seeing little hope of the one the latter was justly feared by many and by my selfe I confesse amongst others being the principall cause of my comming hither But the Lord hath mercifully stayed those feares and given us fresh hopes by the Reformation in so great a measure begun by the present Parliament which also they endeavour through many difficulties to accomplish more fully And considering how worthily they have begun and what great things they have effected above all expectation we have no cause to mis-doubt them nor to anticipate their Honourable proceedings but rather to attend what shall be determined by them especially considering that wee of this place as wee have not beene much burthened except by some Ministers so now we are altogether unburthened of the Ceremonies and whatsoever else hath usually beene offensive to good Christians in England For if we should set up a new Government or Discipline and forme of Religion here wee must alter it againe when wee understand out of England what forme the Parliament have or shall establish Some say no our Ministers are as supreame heads under Christ of their severall Churches here and not subordinate in these things Ecclesiasticall to Parliament or any other power upon earth whatsoever but this opinion savors too much of Antichristian pride and presumption Others say the Parliament will establish the same forme that our Ministers will set up here but these conjectures doe much wrong that Honourable Assembly for if the matter were so easie and evident that our Ministers here can presently determine it then what need the Parliament so long to debate and consider of it What need such consultation with the ablest Divines in England and many other from all parts And why hath there beene such difference of opinions touching this matter even amongst the most godly and learned in Christendome for these 100 years together I remaines therefore that wee must change againe when we heare from thence and considering what changes have beene made by some already if we should now make another change in setting up a new Discipline and shortly after another when we heare out of England such mutability would neither be safe for this place not suteable to the stedfastnesse of the Church and people of God which is the Pillar and ground of truth and must not be wavering and carried about with every winde of Doctrine c. The Apostle makes it a signe of a double minded man to be unstable in all his wayes and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines c. And the Prophet saith Why runnest thou about so much to change thy wayes It will be answered we intend not to change but to the better but withall remember that such is alwayes the pretence and oft-times the intent in all Innovations whatsoever Therefore Solomon saith My sonne feare God and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Not but that even the best Christians may alâ—er sometimes in some circumstances of Religion some good and weighty causes requiring it but it must not be through levity nor of an high minde nor for selfe ends A restlesse levity and that with contempt of Authority under pretence of greater and new lights is a dangerous signe of an Anabaptisticall spirit Therefore I say what we change ought to be done with the feare of God and the King In the feare of God namely according to his Word and with the feare of the King that is consenting with the Lawes and Soveraigne Authority set over us or at least not with an high hand in contempt thereof For every soule must be subject to the higher powers yea saith Chrysostome though he be an Apostle though an Evangelist though a Prophet Therefore I could wish as I have often perswaded that wee might stay for the determination of the Parliament in these things and likewise the approbation of the Company in those that concernâ— them But because some here are very impetuous and a further change is daily preached and pressed amongst us I have little hope to stop the violence of this streame Therefore to the intent we may understand and consider what to doe and as the saying is look before we leap I should in the next place desire as many others doe and as it concerns us all to desire of them and of our Ministers especially that they would be pleased to set down in writing whatsoever new thing in Doctrine or Discipline they would have us entertaine different from the practice or tenents of the Church of England that so each thing being well considered examined and adjudged by the Word of God we may entertaine or reject it accordingly I know there are sundry Objections alleadged and pretended more then I need to repeat or answer here For howsoever it is true that we are to submit our selves to the Word of God I meane the holy Scriptures in all things yet not so to men especially when they seek themselves in stead of Christ No though they tell us they are the mouth of God and sit in Moses chaire and therefore must be heard and obeyed and that the government of the Church belongeth to them next under Christ and that even Caiaphas though a persecutor of Christ yet when he had the place of High-priest he prophesied the truth And though they tell us we must not strive with the Priest nor reprove our Râ—prover and though they accuse us to have rejected and opposed more
their absence Exod. 34. 23 24. which gracious providence of his no doubt continues still protecting all such as are imployed by his command but unlesse our Brethren of Scotland bethink themselves in time and consider that even as the persecuting Bishops of England attempting to impose their government in Scotland gave occasion to begin the warres in England so if the persecuting Presbyters of Scotland continue to advance and get set up the Scotch government in England it may likely bring all the three Kingdomes to make the seat of warre in Scotland I would be loath to prophesie upon this occasion but do much fear that in how bad condition soever both England and Ireland are at the present if the warres last but little longer Scotland will yet be farre worse God of his infinite mercy open the eyes of all three Kingdomes in this their heavie visitation reconciling himselfe unto them all and them to one another for his dear Sonne Christ Iesus sake The Araignment of Persecution by way of jear and scorne p. 3 8 9. 19 39 42. satyrically inveighes against and derides Scoth government ranking it with Satan Antichrist the Spanish Inquisition Councell of Trent High Commission c. beings in Liberty of conscience thus complaining My Lord Sir Simon Synod is like to pull out my throat with the ravinous clawes of an Assembly and Master Scotch Government was fit to stab me with his Scoth Dagger Iemmy put up thy Dagger Averres The Synod is guided by the Holy Ghost sent in a Cloke-bag from Scotland as of old from Rome to the Councell of Trent Oft mentions by way of scorn and jeere The advancing of the mickle Army into the South addes you may easily perceive how they would pinch your Lordships nose with a paire of SCOTCH SPECTACLES that your Lordship might see nothing but BLEW CAPS he hath plaistred up the wrinkles of his face with SCOTCH MORTER c. The Sacred Synodicall Decretall p. 4. tels us c. of a Blew-capreformation and then Blewcap for us p. 7. Of the ay-blessed Divines of Scotland p. 16. Of laying Rods in pisse for Crumwel let him take heed of a Scotch another course must be taken with Hereticks else our Brethren cannot further engage God speed them well home againe and let all the people in the kingdome say Amen p. 18. Of their running away at Maston-More p. 20. Of an Angel in the Mount upon whom oâ—â— reverend Assembly of grave and learned Divines do daily wait which Mount is Dunce-Hill which by translation out of the Originall by the Divines of Scotland whose countrey-man this Angel is is englished Mount Sion with other such like stuffe And Martins Eccho p. 8. Our Scottish Brethren advanced lately as far into the South as from Brampton-moore to Westmerland for your assistance are all yours by vertue of the Holy League and Covenant which they may in no wise falsifie untill they see it convenient for them to do as in the most sacred Exhortation to the taking of the said League and Covenant you have taught them Many other such seditious passages tending to sow division between both Nations contrary to the fourth clause of the Nationall Covenant these New-Libels have lately published which I forbear to Register Section VII Containing most scurrilus libellous scandelous railing invectives against Presbyterians and Presbyterian government in generall which many of them not long since so much applauded desired before the Bishops removall WE have met with much of this scurrilous stuffe in other Sections to which some few additions only shall be made in this Mr. Henry Robinson his FALSEHOOD c. shall leade up the Forelorne-hope where thus he writes to the Christian Reader Free thy conscience from the thraldome and bondage of those Egyptian Taskmasters who care not what trash and trumpery they vent so they may gaine Proselytes and contributions Which he thus prosecutes p. 9. But what availeth it to have the head of one Lordly Episcopall Prelate cut of when a Hidra a multitude above seventy seven times as many Presbyteriall Prelates succeed instead thereof Prelatia Prelacy Prelacy as we use it vulgarly is a preferring one before another and the Presbyteriall government is much more truly said to be Prelaticall then either Episcopall or Papall unlesse you will say that neither Episcopall nor Papall be Prelaticall at all For in either of those governments there are but few Prelates but in the other there are to wit so many Prelates as there are Presbyters each whereof is an absolute Prelate that is one preferred above his Brethren The Araignment of Persecution declaimes thus against Presbyterian government p. 21. Both Papall and Episcopall government is better then Presbyterian for they are and have been more uniforme and have continued many hundred years longer then Presbyterian and were long before Presbytery was thought on For alas it was but a shift at a pinch the Devill made when neither of the other would serve his turne and so came up Presbyterie but what good the Devill will have of it I know not for who knowes the luck of a lowsie Cur he may prove a good Dog The Sacred Synodicall Decretall inveighes thus against Presbyterian government p. 11. Martin will put the Parliament and people in minde of their Protestation and tell them that by the same rule they pull downe the Bishops they are bound to put downe the Presbyters c. For in Martins Astrologicall judgement all the Plagues of Egypt were but a Flea-biting to what one Presbyterian Church will be vinci si possunt regales cestibus enses we having mortified Episcopall Hercules and possest his Club. p. 19. Indeed the Pope is as truly Christian and his function as equally Jure Divino as our Presbyterie conveyed from his Holinessâ— by our Fathers the late Lord Bishops upon us The unlicensed Nativity of Presbytery said to be licensed by Rowland Rattle-Priest a terrible Imprimatur writes p. 5. That the Devill made the Vrchin Sir John Presbyter an abject a Fugitive newly come out of Scotland a Witch a Rogue and in apparell delighting in black as his Father the Devill fitter to be a Weather cock then a Divine only the Evill Spirit of Mercury presented him to be the Devils goat-Goat-head Section VIII Conteining sundry Libellous Schismaticall uncharitable and unchristian passages against the Church of England her Worship and Ministers in generall IOhn Lilburne in his Answer to nine Arguments Printed without License London 1645. with his picture cut before it Writes thus of the Church of England pag. 4. The Church of England is a true Whorish mother and you are one of her base-begotten and Bastardly children for you know a Whore is a woman as truly as a true wife and she may have children as proportionable as the children of a true wife yet this doth not prove her children which are base-begotten are true-begotten children because they have all the parts and limbes of children that are begotten in
a true married estate and condition even so say I the Church of England neither is nor never was truly married joyned or united to Jesus Christ in that espousall band which his true Churches are and ought to be but is one of Antichrists Nationall Whorish Churches or Cities spoken of Rev. 16. 19. Vnited joyned knit to the Pope of Lambeth as Head and Husband thereof being substitute to the Pope of Rome from whom he hath received his Arch-Episcopall power and Authority Pag. 18. Your Church is false and Antichristian Therefore if every Parish in England had power in themselves which in the least they have not to choose and make their own Officers yet for all this they would be false for a false and Antichristian Church as yours is can never make true Officers and Ministers of Iesus Christ and though that the Churches of the Separation want Apostles in personall presence to lay hands upon their Officers which lawfully they choose out from among themselves yet have they their Laws Rules and Directions in writing which is their Office and is of as great Authority as their personall presence Pag. 19. And thus have I sufficiently by the Authority of the Sacred Word of God proved all your Officers and Ministers false and Antichristian and none of Christs which if you can groundedly contradict shew your best skill chalenge I you and put you to prop to hold up your tottering and sandy Church and Ministry or else your great brags will prove no better then winde and Fables and you your self found to be a Liar Pag. 22. And as for these two things Of Conversion and confirmation or building up in the wayes of God which you speak of if you mean by conversion and opening of the eyes to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God or if you mean by conversion a deliverance from the power of darknesse and a translation into the Kingdom of the Son of God both of which the Apostles Ministry did accomplish in the hearts and lives of Gods people Act. 26. 18. Coll. 1. 13. I absolutely deny it that your Ministery in England doth this And therefore I desire you to declare what you mean by Conversion and prove your definition by the holy Scripture and also prove that you in England are so converted which when you have done I shall further answer you by Gods assistance and as for their building them up in the wayes of God as all true Shepherds ought to build up their sheep as Acts 26. 1 Pet. 5. Yet I deny it that your Ministers do it for how can they build them up in that which they themselves are ignorant of and enemies unto for as Jannes and Jambres which withstood Moses so do these men also resist the Truth being men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 8. And do feed you with husks and Chaffe being neither willing to imbrace it themselves nor to let those that would as their constant preaching and speaking against the truth of God and the Kingdom of his Son doth witnesse c. I have taken the pains by the Word of God and demonstrable Arguments grounded thereupon to prove the Church of England Antichristian I do promise you I will by the strength of the Lord of Hosts for ever seperate from Church Ministery and Worship in England all and every one of them as Antichristian and false Yet thus much I say and do acknowledge and the Scripture proves it that God hath a people or an elect number in spirituall Babylon yea in the Kingdom of Antichrist part of which the Church of England is and none of them shall perish but be eternally saved yet I say it is the duty of all Gods Elect and chosen ones that are yet in the Whorish bosome of the Church of England or in any part of Antichrists Regiment to separate away from it and come out of it least God plague them for their staying there Pag. 23. All the Ministers of the Church of England are not true Ministers of Christ but false and Antichristian Ministers of Antichrist Pag. 24. And as for your Minor and Assumption which is that you in the Church of England do enjoy and outwardly submit your selves to the true worship of God It is most false and a notorious lie and untruth and as well might wicked Faux and the rest of the Gunpowder-Plotters say that they submitted unto Noble King James Laws and Scepter when they went about to blow up the Parliament House that so they might destroy him and all his for you do not only oppose and justle ouâ— the true worship of God and throw down and trample upon the Scepter of Jesus Christ his son but also you set up false and Antichristian Worship the inventer of which is the Devil and the Man of sin his eldest and most obedient Son Pag. 26 27. Now from that which I have said I frame these Arguments 1. That Worship which is of the Devils and Antichrists invention institution and setting up is no true Divine worship But the Worship of the Church of England is of the Devils and Antichrists invention institution and setting up as Revel 13. doth fully prove Ergo the Worship of the Church of England is no true Worship 2. That Worship which is a main means and Cause of pulling down the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and establishing maintaining and upholding the Kingdom of the Devil and Antichrist and sends more souls to Hell then all the wickednesse impiety ungodlinesse in the Kingdom doth besides is no true worship of God but ought to be detested and abhorred of all his people But such is the worship of the Church of England Ergo c. Pag. 29. I absolutely deny your Argument and affirme that your Religion neither is the true Religion nor that it leads men the true way to salvation Pag. 37 38. I groundedly and absolutely deny that either the Church of England is or ever was a true Church and till you have proved it true all the pains that you have taken in proving that it is possible for corruptions evil livers to be in a true Church is spent in vain and to no purpose and I am confident that you nor none else will ever be able to prove the Church of England true nor any other Nationall Church for Christ Jesus by his death did abolish the Nationall Church of the Iews with all their Laws Rites and Ceremonies thereof and in the New Testament did never institute no Nationall Church nor left no Laws nor Officers for the governing thereof but the Church that he instituted are free and Independent bodies or Congregations depending upon none but only upon Christ their Head Therefore Nationall Churches under the Gospel are of Antichrists that man of sins institution and ordaining who only hath ordained Laws and Officers of his own for the governing of them Therefore for you
A Fresh DISCOVERY Of some Prodigious New Wandring-Blasing-Stars Firebrands Stiling themselves NEVV-LIGHTS Firing our Church and State into New Combustions Divided into Ten Sections comprising severall most Libellous Scandalous Seditious Insolent Uncharitable and some Blasphemous Passages published in late UnlicensedPrinted Pamphlets against the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Power of Parliaments Councels Synods Christian Kings and Magistrates in Generall The Ordinances and Proceedings of this present Parliament in speciall The Nationall Covenant Assembly Directory our Brethren of Scotland Presbyterian Government The Church of England with her Ministers Worship The Opposers of Independent Novelties and some Seditious Queres Incitations Practices to stir up the Commonalty rude Vulgar against the Parliament Assembly Ministery worthy both Houses and all Sober-minded Christians serious consideration detestation and crying for speedy exemplary Justice on the Libellersand Libels to prevent our Churches Religions Parliaments Kingdomes eminent ruine Whereunto some Letters and Papers lately sent from the Sommer-Islands are subjoyned relating the Schismaticall illegall Tyrannicall proceedings of some Independents there in gathering their New-Churches to the great Distraction and prejudice of that Plantation Published for the Common good By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Lincolns Inne Esquire Take heed therefore that the Light which is in thee be not Darknesse If thine Eye be evill thy whol body is full of Darknesse If therefore the Light that is in thee be Darkenesse how great is that Darknesse Luk. 11. 25. Mat. 6. 23. These filthy Dreamers despise Dominion and speak evill of Dignities These are raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame WANDRING STARS for whom is reserved the Blacknesse of Darknesse for ever Jude 8. 13. LONDON Printed by John Macock for Michael Spark senior at the sign of the blue Bible in Green Arbour 1645. TO The High and Honourable Court of PARLIAMENT MOst Religious and Judicious SENATORS I here present to your saddest thoughts and serious deliberations an abstract of sundry most scurrilous scandalous seditious railing Libels lately published to the world in Print by some Anabaptisticall Independent Sectaries and New-lighted FIRE-BRANDS wherein the undoubted Priviledges Ordinances just Proceedings of Parliament the Reverend Assembly of Divines our Brethren of Scotland the Church of England with her Government Ministers Worship the Nationall Covenant Directory Presbytery professed Defenders of the Parliaments Priviledges Ordinances against their Licentious Schismaticall Practises according to their Solemn Vow and Covenant are so audaciously affronted oppugned slandered railed against and the Common people so earnestly excited to mutiny against the Parliament Assembly Presbytery Government and Ministers of our Church of England that I am confident no former Age did ever produce such Monstrous Insolencies such detestable virulent Libels which neither the Honour Justice nor Wisdome of that Soveraigne Court of Justice wherein you are Assessors nor the Peace and Safety of our Religion Church State nor your own personall security nor the Nationall Vow and Covenant engaging both your Honours and all others who have taken it against these pernitious Mutiniers can any longer suffer you patiently to tollerate as hitherto you have done without exemplary proceedings against and punishments upon the Authors Printers Publishers Dispersers of these most scurrilous and mutinous Pamphlets Wherein they most injuriously and falsly revile traduce all such for Persecutors Fighters against Christ and his Kingdome Enemies to the wayes of Christ pulling his royall Crown from off his head his kingly Scepter out of his hand Oppugners of the most religious conscientious Godly best-affected Party as they Pharisaically and falsly terme themselves dividers betweene the Parliament and their best their faithfullest Freinds Prophane Apostates Popish Jesuiticall Incendiaries haters of Gods people and the like who out of conscience solid Judgment and cordiall affection to the safety tranquility of Religion Parliament Church Kingdome dare openly by word or writing maintain the undoubted Jurisdiction of Parliaments Synods Magistrates in Ecclesiasticall affaires or oppose their factions schismaticall Independent wayes and Innovations destructive both to Magistracy Ministery Vnity Parliaments and that blessed Reformation so much desired For my owne particular I have with much Patience and Contempt endured without any Reply at all their false unchristian Invectives against my self only for Writing in Vindication of the undoubted Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction directive and coercive power of Christian Emperours Kings Magistrates Parliaments in matters of Religion and Church-government in my Truth triumphing over Falsehood Antiquity over Novelty published with Your speciall approbation and my Independency Examined which have much incensed this waspish Generation unable to give any satisfactory answers to them and I should have continued silence still had my own private interest only been concerned But when I discerned them to be so audaciously licentious presumptuous as To set their mouth against the Heavens to revile the very Gods themselves and curse the Rulers of the people to despise Government and speak evill of Dignities to bring railing accusations against and resist the Higher Powers publishing Libell after Libell against the Proceedings Ordinances and Jurisdiction of the present Parliament and Assembly yea with Antichristian pride to oppose and exalt themselves above all that is called God or that is wershipped as they have lately done in the Pamphlets hereafter mentioned and in the Nativity of Sir Iohn Presbyter c. freshly published since the rest every of these latter Libels being more seditious and pernitious then the former and Barrabas like to stirre up sedition and insurrection among the people against the Ordinances Votes of Parliament and that Ecclesiasticall reformation and Pre-byteriall government You have resolved to establish My bowels my bowels were pained within me at my very heart so that I could not hold my peace nor keepe silence any longer because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of these seditious Trumpets and the alarme of this Schismaticall Anti-Parliamentary war Yea should I now refraine from writing the very stones themselves would immediately cry out against their most infamous Libels and mutinoâ—s presumptuous Practises opposite to all publike Order Government Authority And the rather am I necessitated to this ungratefull worke because their very Libels actions speeches proclaime a plotted avowed Confederacy among some furious Ringleaders of these Independent Sectaries though I presume the more moderate are not guilty of it against the Parliament Assembly and all their Resolves in matters of Religion or Church-Government yea against our very Church Ministers and Tithes the meanes of their support as their Libellous Passages against the Ecclesiasticall Power proceedings of the Parliament and Assembly their publike oppositions against the Nationall Covenant Directory the Ordinances prohibiting disorderly unlicensed Printing of Libellous Scismaticall Pamphlets against Lay-mens preaching in the Army or else-where for due Payment of Tythes c. recited in the ensuing Sections will at large declare And that which further confirmes me in this opinion is First the New
Seditious Covenants which the Members of some Independent Congregations enter into To adhere defend maintain to the utmost of their powers and contend for even unto blood the establishment of that Independent form of Church Government which themselves have set up and submitted to and oppose the Presbyterian in contempt of the Parliaments Authority in truth meere Anti-covenants of the Nationall League and Covenant which they utterly refuse to take and rayle against 2. Their menacing predictions to the Assembly and Presbytery in their two last Libels wherin they print That the time hastens the people will call them to an Account and repell and confound them by the sword That the life of Sir Iohn Presbyter is like to be neither long nor good That he wil be brought to a sudden untimely end Perhaps HANGING That Presbytry shall live but a short time to do mischeife and then THE COMMON PEOPLE will beg in to sing Her Tosse The Devil 's dead Presbytery will quickly dye the Synod be dissolved the divell chained up and therefore follow the advise of old Catâ— Spem retine Rejoyce O heavens sing aloud O earth clap thy hands for Joy O England-post nubula soles thou shalt have a time of Quietnesse of pence of content for Presbytery will have never a Child to vexe thee to Imprison thy free Denizens to sucke up thy fatte devoure thy good things and eat up thy bread out of thy Childrens mouthes and himselfe is not long lived as I shewed before and then farewell persecution for conscience farewell Ordinance for Tithes farewell Ecclesiasticall Supremacy farewell Pontifical Revenue farewel Assembly of Divines dissembled at Westminster you shall consult together no more farewell Sr. Simon Synod and his son Presbyter Iacke Gens antiquaruit multos dominata perannos c. Which passages presage and intimate nought else but a plain conspiracy confederacy against the Assembly Presbytery and presbyterian party 3. Some late seditious speeches of two preaching Captaines of this Schismaticall Confederacy who being apprehended and questioned by Sr. Samuell Lukes Officers for preaching in Newport-Pannell and other places neare adjoyning in contempt of an Ordinance of Parliament made the 26. of April 1645. which ordaines That no person be permitted to preach who is not ordained a Minister threatning condigne punishment to the offenders against it for their contempts enjoyning Sr. Thomas Fairfax the Lord Major the Committee of Militia for London the Governours Commanders and Magistrates of all Garrisons Castles Places of strength Citties Townes Forts Ports and the respective Committees of each County To see the same duly observed in the Army and places aforesaid and make speedy representation to both Houses of such as shall offend therein These Captaine preachers far wiser then that devout Centurian Cornelius who feared God with all his house and prayed to God alwaies yet never turned Preacher to his owne Band for ought we read but by Gods own direction from heaven sent for the Apostle Peter to instruct him and his family Acts 10. among other speeches averred That they were illegally used by Sr Samuel in being apprehended for their contempt against this Ordinance most fasly and seditiously affirming That the Generall all the Colonels in the Army were deeply engaged IN THEIR DESIGNE That they would acquaint their FRIENDS IN THE HOVSE OF COMMONS of their bad usage that they had done nothing but taught the Word of God among other things that wee had no true Church not Ministry and that the children of Beleevers had no more right to Baptisme then those of Infidels c. which they would justifie and those friends likewise That they had Commission from the Parliament for what they did c. Whereupon one Capt. Oxford answering them That he was confident there were few or none in the House would uphold them against an expresse Ordinance of both houses and that the Generall and Collonels would not side with them in this case The said Pedicant Captains replyed That should be tryed speedily For they were resolved to make this businesse THE LEADING CASE OF THE KINGDOME FOR ALL THE GODLY PARTY adding That if the godly and wel-affected party were thus persecuted they should be forced TO MAKE A WORSE BREACH THEN WHAT WAS YET WHEN THEY HAD DONE WITH THE KINGS PARTY and telling Ensign Ratford and his Souldiers that they were worse then Cavaliers and that when they had made an end of the war with the Cavaliers THEY SHOVLD BE FORCT TO RAISE A NEW ARMY TO FIGHT WITH THEM Certainly these seditious privy Covenants Libels Speeches compared with the ensuing Sections Letters discover and portend no lesse then a strong conspiracy among some Anabaptisticall Sectaries to oppose the Power Ordinances and Proceedings of Parliament to extirpate all other Governments but their own and to set it up by the sword or popular commotions in despight of your Authority And is it not then high time for your Honours with all other well-affected Persons to look about you to Vindicate your own Power Honour Justice against these most seditious audatious contemptuous libellers against your Soveraign Authority your most Religious Ordinances proceedings in the desired waies of Reformation and to make some of them Exemplary Monuments of your Impartiall severity to deter others from the like unparalleld Insolencies not read nor heard of in any preceding Age nor practised by any Generation of men but these New furious Sectaries who to engage all sorts of people in their Quarrell proclaim a free Toleration and Liberty of Conscience to all Sects all Religions whatsoever be it Judaisâ—e Paganisme Turcisme Arianisme Popery as all their Pamphlets manifest And to interest the female Sex and draw them to their party they contrary to the Apostles precept allow them not only decisive Votes but Liberty of Preaching Prophesying speaking in their Congregations yea power to meet in their Nocturnall Conventicles without their Husbands Parents Ministers Privitie the better to propagate Christs Kingdome and multiply the Godly party Which what confusion and Ataxy it will soon produce in Church and State if not prevented by your Honours extraordinary speedy Diligence Wisdome Power I humbly submit to your deepest Judgements I am certain your Honours have read the Histories of the Tragicall Wars and Commotions of the Anabaptists in Germany whose Opinions where-ever they predominate are fatall to the Government Magistracy Ministery of all States Churches and bring in popular Tyranny and licentiousnesse the worst of evils O then let not your Honours Patience or Indulgence to such Anabaptisticall Libellers involve both you us our Realm in like German popular Sedicions Devastations and bloody Massacres which they threaten but if these New seditious Lights and Fire-brands will needs set up New Churches Heresies Church-governments and vent their new errors or opinions against your Power and Authority let them doe it onely in NEW-ENGLAND or other NEW-FOVNDLANDS since OLD ENGLAND needes them not unlesse it be to set her all
in their own Fancies not yet fully discover'd nor set down in writing nor agreed on among themselves nor published to others for their better satisfaction The serious Consideration whereof may happily reclaime our Independents here from the error of their seperating destructive ways and ease the oppressed Planters of those Islands from that Independent yoake of Bondage under which they so much groane as to cry out to You for releife of their sore oppressions in their Letters which I shall beseech your Honors in their behalfe since they have made their addresses to your Tribunall by my mediation seriously to lay to heart and seasonably to redresse Thus humbly craving Pardon from your Honorable Assembly for my true-hearted Zeale to do you faithfull service by this unburthening of my conscience and presenting You with this Fresh discovery of those New Wandring-starres and Firebrands who revile oppugne your Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction Proceedings Ordinances disturb the much-desired peace of Church State which we should all earnestly endeavour in these distracted Times I humbly recommend all your faithfull undertakings for the security tranquility of both to Gods owne blessing with my devoutest Orisons to the throne of Grace and ever remaine Your Honours the Republikes Churches most devoted Servant WILLIAM PRYNNE A fresh Discovery of prodigious New-Wandring-Blasing-Stars and Fire-brands stiling themselves NEVV-LIGHTS Firing our CHURCH and STATE into New Combustions THe Apostle Paul led by a Propheticall Spirit hath left us such an exact Character of the last times and of the exorbitant tempers of many Christian Professor living in them as never suited with any age so fitly as this wherein we live nor with any generation of people so well as those New-Lights and Sectaries sprung up among us who being many of them Anabaptists have all new-christned themselves of late by the common name of Independents This character we finde recorded 2 Tim. 3. 1. to 10. This know also that in the last dayes perillous times shall come and what times were ever more perillous then the present For men shall be lovers of themselves coveteous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents Naturall Civill Ecclesiasticall unthankefull unholy without naturall affection trace-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce dispisers of those that are good Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures of their own bellies lusts wayes opinions fancies more then lovers of God having a form of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof FROM SVCHTVRNE AWAY But some might demand of him by what distinguishing marke may we know who these persons are The Apostle therefore subjoynes such a symptome as suits most exactly with our new Separating Lights Conventiclers who forsake the publike assemblies and creep into private houses working principally as the * Devill did at first upon the weakest Sex For of this sort are they WHICH CREEP INTO HOVSES thus interpreted by the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together or the publike Assemblies as the MANNER OF SOME IS and of our Sectaries now and lead Captive SILLY WOMEN laden with sinnes led away with diverse lusts EVER LEARNING AND NEVER ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRVTH as those Independent Seekers are who like * Wandring Stars gad every day after New-Lights New-fashions of Church Government wavering like empty Clouds without waâ—er or waves of the sea driven with the wind and tossed not knowing yet what Government they would have or where to fix Believing and practising all things with a reserve to alter their opinions and practise every day upon discovery of further light 〈◊〉 the Independent Apologists professe for themselves and advise all others to do Now because such House-creepers and New-lights have usually lofty conceits of their own opinions judgements wayes as if the truth of God were monopolized unto them and therefore all the World should speedily submit to their foolish dictates and erronious by-paths the Apostle immediately passeth this censure of their persons and proceedings Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate or of no judgement concerning the faith but they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was The very detection of their abominable seditious seducing practises shall put a stop to their proceedings and frustrate all their expectation Now if any man should doubt whether this prophesie of the Apostle were really intended of Separatists and Sectaries the Holy Ghost hath resolved it in direct termes in the generall Epistle of Jude v. 17 18 19. But beloved remember that the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ and among others of the Apostle Paul in the for ecited Text How that they told them there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts not after the Spirit and Word of God which they most pretend to and would you know who these are These be they who SEPARATE THEMSELVES sensuall having not the Spirit To which the Apostle Peter addes these further descriptions of them 2 Pet 2. 10 11 12 14 18 19. That they despise government are presumptuous felfe-willed speak evill of Dignities bring railing accusations against them speak evill of the things they understand not beguile unstable soules having hearts exercised with covetous practises being clouds carried with a tempest Wels without water who when they speak great swelling words of vanity allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnes of spirit as well as flesh those who are clean escaped from them who live in error While they promise them liberty the liberty of conscience to professe what Religion they list to use what Church government they please without controll of Parliament Synod or Magistrates they themselves are the servants of corruption and as Iude v. 13. prove Raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame wandring starres to whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever All which descriptions how properly they suit with our NewIndependent-lights and Incendiaries I shall clearly demonstrate out of severall clauses in their late seditious Anti-Parliamentary Impressions betraying the rottennesse of their hearts the pride sedition and rebellion of their spirits which I shall reduce to these ten Sections 1. Seditious scandalous libellous and uncharitable passages against the authority and jurisdiction of Parliaments Synods and temporall Magistrates in generall in Ecclesiasticall affaires 2. Against sundry Ordinances and proceedings of this present Parliament in particular 3. Against the Nationall Covenant prescribed by Parliament 4. Against the present Assembly of Divines sitting and acting by order of Parliament 5. Against the Directory ratified by Ordinance of Parliament 6. Against our Brethren of Scotland whom of late they much applanded 7. Against Presbyterians and Presbyterian government in generall 8. Against the Church of England her Worship Ministers and Government in generall 9. Against such who have out of conscience
the people next under Christ as that they cannot so well renounce and part from it in many respects by what they may of civill how can it be thought by any one that the King Parliament Synod though never so much importun'd by a thousand such Asses should goe about to settle a new Presbyterian Scotch government with an intention to force a conformity of the whole Kingdome three quarters whereof cannot as yet be thought to submit unto it willingly or for conscience sake Pag. 32 33 34 35 36. Qu. 5. Is it not an ungodly thing to suffer men to be of any Religion Ans No For both our Saviour his Apostles and the Primitive Christians did the same neither is it in the power of flesh and blood to hinder it Qu. 6. Is it not the most unseemely sight to see the people of one Citty run seambling from their Parishes to twenty Conventicles where so many severall doctrines are taught An. No but farre more monstrous and abominable in the eyes of God for people of twenty severall opinions for feare or favour to assemble and Joyn together hyprocritically in one way of worship or Church discipline Q. 8. Ought we not then at least to keepe our different opinions and Religion unto our selves in obedience to the Civill Magistrate that commands it An. No because it is better to obey God then man Qu. 9. If Jesuited Papists and other subtile Hereticks be suffered will they not likely seduce many unto their erronious by-pathe Ans Though a Tolleration of erronious opinions may gaine some to sathan yet truth being therewith to be published and improved will in all probabillity not onely gaine so many more to God but any one thus wonne to God unto his truth is worth thousands of those that fall from it Qu. 10. But may not the multiplying of Heresies stifle or expell the truth like as the abounding of tares and weedes often choake the wheate and for this cause not to be permitted An. Though it seeme to be many of the first yet our Saviour in the parable of Tares Math. 13. teaches us a quite contrary doctrine and forbids Heresies the Tares to be pulled up before the day of Judgment the harvest v. 30. 39. least the wheate the children of the Kingdome true professors v. 30. 39. be therewith rooted up Qu. 21. Is it not a pious Act to compell a Company of carelesse Idle people to heare a good sermon to do a good worke whether they will or no Ans No more pious an Act then for Papists to use the like compulsion towards Iewes and Protestants inforcing them to heare their sermons Masse or Vespers Q. 24. May not the Civill Goverment interpose to punish such Church members with whom the spirituall by reason of their refractorinesse cannot prevaile Answ Nothing lesse since the Civill State or government has no more power nor vertue to make a Papist turne Protestant in England then it can prevaile to make a Protestant become a Papist in Spaine Qu. 29. But can there be any hurt in forceing refractory people to be present at Religious orthodox assemblies where if they will they may be informed of the truth An. Yes first because there can come no good thereof through want of willingnesse which God onely reguards in him which is thus compelled and secondly because this forceing is a doing evill that good may come thereof which is prohibited Rom. 3. 8. The Falshood of M. W. Prynnes Truth triumphing c. printed in London 1645. without license written by H. Robinson who hath set up a private unlicensed printing Presse determines thus p. 19. 20. 26. But did the only wise God think we resolve to create man after his own Image to estate him in such a sad and execrable condition worse then that of beasts wolves Bears Tigres as that he must necessarily tyrannize or be Tyrannized over both in soul and body and yet it cannot possibly be otherwise if you will grant a power to Kings Parliaments or Synods to require conformity from others in any thing which is not agreeable to their consciences for if such a Latitude and height of Iurisdiction be granted but to the more orthodox Kings Parliaments and Synods both Papists Lutherans Calvinists and Independants pretending and really takeing themselves to be the most orthodox are bound in conscience to lay Clayme to and put in Execution this power of Compelling all the world unto their uniformity and so infallibly produce the most cursed enmity and hatred betwixt all the people but differing in opinion exceeding that of Cannibals or the profoundest of Antipathics betweene any rationall creatures whatsoever You say the oposites to Parliaments Ecclesiasticall Jurisdictions have formerly and more especially in this Present Parliament addressed severall Petitions to this High and honorable Court for Reformation of the Church c. wherein under favour I conceive you have mis-apprehended their proceedings Intentions which doubtlesse was for the most part or best affected that the Parliament in whom they acknowledge the Soveraigne power to reside would permit Couâ—tenance and encourage all godly men of gifts in preaching down Heresies Errors Idolatry Popery c. Many whereof had either beene formerly established by Law or not permitted to be preached downe through the Prelates corruption contrary to the Law This is the best even all the Reformation which the Civill Magistrate as Civill has a Capassity of compassing against all Heresies and Errors which must necessarily be vanquished by the sword of the Spirit and cannot possibly be suppressed by carnall weapons or the civill sword they may destroy the flesh but cannot properly be said to touch and worke upon the Spirit T is no small dis-service which you do both Parliament and Assembly in thus exposing their proceedings to be questioned by no little and that the most conscionable and best affected party of the kingdome such spirits of contention as this of yours were those which made the first great breach among the Parliaments friends Master John Goodwins Theomathia pag. 48 49 50. The generality and promiscuous multitude of the World who have a right of nominating persons to a Parliamentary trust and power are but a Secular Root out of which the Independent Brethren conceive an impossibility that a spirituall extraction should be made A man may as well bring a clean thing out of an unclean in Jobs expression as make a spirituall extraction out of this secular root who have no Authority nor power from Christ to nominate or appoint who shall be the men that shall order the affaires of Christs kingdome or institute the government of his Church Therefore there is an impossiblity that a legitimate Ecclesiasticall power should according to the minde of Christ or any precept or president of Scripture be by them conferred upon any man or that the persons so elected should have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws or Statutes in matters of religion
nor hell Onely I shall adde that some of these persons have acted as contemptuously against these Ordinances as they have written and printed For Master Henry Robinson the supposed Author of the Arraignment of persecution A sacrâ—d Decretal Mâ—â—tyns Eccho and other most scurrilous seditious Libels hath maintained a private Printing-presse and sent for Printers from Amsterdam wherewith he hath printed most of the late scandalous libellous Books against the Parliament and though he hath been formerly sent for before the Committee of Examinations for this offence which was passed by in silence yet he hath since presumed and proceeded herein in a farre higher straine then ever besides John Lâ—lburne being questioned before that Committee by speciall Order of the Commons House for printing his libellous Letter contrary to thâ—se Ordinances hath pending his very Examinations contemptuously printed and dispersed abroad his false and scandalous Reasons delivered in to that Committee for printing his former libellous Letter with some marginall â—nnoâ—ations and a scandalous libellous Petition Remonstrance as formerly Articles against Colonell King to omit other printed unlicensed Papers an insolent contempt not to be parallel'd at least not to be tolerated Secondly I shall proceed to their libellous scurrilous and seditious Invectives against the Ordinance for payment of Tythes which Iohn Lâ—lburne in his forementioned libellous Letter thus affronts charging the Parliament with no lesse then perjury and breach of their Covenant for making it Page 4. 27. If you put the parliament in mind of their Covenant tell them I think they have sworne to root out all Popery and therefore have lately abolished the Common-prayer that great Idol but yet have established Tythes c. the very root and support of popery which I humbly conceive is a contradiction of their Covenant and which will be â— greater snare then the Common-prayer to many of the precious consciences of Gods people whose duty is in my judgement to dye in prison before they act or stoop unto so dishonourable a thing as this is to their Lord and Master as to maintaine the black-coats with Tythes whom they look upon as the professed enemies of their anointed Christ he that payes Tythes is subject to the whole law of tythes in which there was a Lambe to be brought for a sinne Offering which is abolished also he that was to take Tythes was one that was to offer sacrifice daily for sinne which if any doe so now it is to deny Christ come in the flesh and to be the alone sacrifice for sinne by his death and so overthrow all our comfort joy and hope A most insolent scurrilous and seditious passage to stirre up the people to rebell against this Ordinance This Libell is thus seconded in the seditious pamphlet instiled the Arraignment of persecution in the Epistle Dedicatory To the Reverend learned Prolocutor Assessors the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland and the rest of the Venerable Assembly of Divines now sitting in holy Convocation at Westminster Reverend Sirs According to my duty at your divine entreaty I have reduced those pious instructions received from you unto such a pleasing forme as I hope shall not only affect but abundantly edifie the people of this Kingdome under your holy jurisdiction for considering your spirituall care over them and how your time hath been token up wholy in the procurement of that sacred Ordinance for Tythes wisely thought oâ— before the Directory for he is an Infidell and denieth the faith that doth not provide for his Family c. and pag. 26. lib. Consc My Lord the Defendant smels of a fat benefice see see his pockets are full of presbiterian steeples the spires stick under his Girdle ha ha ha instead of Weather-cocks every spire hath got a black-box upon it and in it the pure and imaculate Ordinance for Tythes Oblations c. sure shortly instead of Moses and Aaron and the two tables we shall have Sir Simon and Sir John holding the late solemne League and covenant and that demure spotlesse pretty lovely sacred divine and holy Ordinance for tythes the two Tables of our new Presbyterian Gospell painted upon all the Churches in England O brave Sir Simon the Bels in your pocket chime all-in ours chime all-out I pray give you a funerall Homily for your friends here before you depart here 's twenty shillings for your paines you know 't is sacriledge to bring downe the price as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Sop. 38. My Lord but our dissembly Doctors teach otherwise yet I think if your Lordship should settle Anabaptistry or the like even that which they now persecute and threaten preach and pray against and forwarne the people of as hereticall and damnable provided you should endow it with goodly fat Benefices and sanctifie it with the halowed Ordinance for Tythes offerings oblations c. questionlesse the generality of those persecutors of Anabaptists would have the wit to turne Anabaptists for their Religion is moved upon the wheele of the State Our Temporizing Doctors our state Protestant Ministers are not so simple to swim against the streame they are wiser in their generation for they know most wealth goes that way as long as our Ordinance is laden with Tythes offerings oblations they 'le be sure to give fire but should the State deprive their Religion of all Ecclesiasticall revenue of parsonages tythes c. yea should it be this very Presbytery they so aime at that they should so impoverish certainly we should have more parishes then Presbyters more steeples then Doctors then they would not be so hot for Presbytery or zealous to persecute its opposers I would your Lordship would make tryall call in but your Ordinance for tythes and turne them to the good will of people and then a tythe-Pig will be sold for a pennie Page 44. there is this scurrilous Quere put among others 5. Whether the late divine Ordinance for tythes offerings oblations and conventions be not better Gospel and in all Presbyterian wisdome to be preferred and provided before the Directory for the worship of God O cives cives quaerenda pecunia primum Virtus post nummos Many more clauses of like nature are in this prophane Libell which I pretermit But that which is the most audacious contemptuous seditious publike affront of all others against the Ordinance is the prophane scurrilous Libell intituled A Sacred DECRETALL nor Hue and cry from his superlative holinesse Sir Simon Synod for the apprehension of reverend young MARTIN MAR-PRIEST In the front whereof there is the picture of a Bull tossing Sir Simon Synod on his hornes and trampling the ordinance for Tythes under his feet with this inscription upon it ORD for TYTHES And page 2. this explanation of it nothing appeareth but a Bull tossing Sir John upon his hornes and stamping the blessed Ordinance for tythes under his cloven feet O PROFANE MARTIN O wicked
or any other to say and affirme that this monstrous ugly botched and scabbed body is Christs true Spouse is dishonourable to his blessed being and Mediatorship His Schismaticall seditious conclusion from all these Premises is this pag. 35. Therefore let all Gods people that yet are in the bosome of the Church of England as they love their own inward peace and spirituall joy and look that their souls should prosper and flourish with grace and godlinesse look to it and withdraw their spiritual obedience and subjection from all Antichrists Laws and worship and joyne themselves as fellow Citizens of the City of God to worship and serve him in Mount Sion the beauty of holinesse and there only to yield all spirituall obedience to Christs spirituall Laws and Scepter This language and opinion of his concerning our English Church and Ministry is seconded by most Independents in their late Pamphlets of which you have had a bitter taste in the preceding Sections and their practice proves as much For first though they proclaime Liberty of conscience to all Sects and Religions whatsoever yet they have so harsh an opinion of Presbyterians and all others who submit not to their Independent Modell that they esteem them no better then Heathens Infidels unbelievers and proclaim them in their Books to be * Men who deny disclaim and preach against Christs Kingly Government over his Churches men unconverted or at least converted but in part vvanting the main thing to wit Christs kingly Office men visible out of the Covenant of Grace who have not so much as an outward profession of Faith who deny Christ to be their King to whose persons and infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace with all Church Communion may and ought to be denied which is in effect to un-Christian un-Church un-Minister all Presbyterians and to make them cast-awayes If this be their charity to us already what may we expect from them hereafter if their Faction bear the sway Secondly when they gather any Independent Congregation their practise is for their Ministers solemnly to renounce and abjure their former Ordination in and the people their Pristine Communion with the Church of England and all Congregations else whereof they have been Members and then to new-mould themselves into an Independent Church which practise they have lately begun in the Plantations of the Summer Islands as a Friend of mine from thence informed me by a Letter dated May 14. 1645. in these insuing termes The Independent Church was set up here the last year wherein they have covenanted to stand unto the death but their Covenant is not fully exprest reserving power in themselves especially in their Pastor to alter it when they will and as they think good they have exprest nothing in writing though often urged to it but he that joyns with them must do it by a kinde of implicite faith to imbrace what their Church doth or shall imbrace not knowing what it is or will be When they began it their Minister called a Fast for all that would be present where in the publique Congregation our Ministers being then but three Did lay down and renounce their Ordination and Ministry received in the Church of England and so become as they said no Ministers but did joyâ— themselves together in Covenant by words only to become a Church first making a kinde of confession of their sins and signifying that others might also joyn themselves to them if they were such as after such confession they should approve of and there was one principall Officer did then joyn himself with them they then continued weekly Lecturers still yet as they said not as Ministers but only as private men to exercise their gifts wherein they laboured to draw others to joyn with them and every week received in some but that confession of sins grew daily more and more out of date the rather for that * some were threatned to be called in question at the Assises for some things which they confessed there so that at this time all is in a manner implicite and though little or nothing be expressed by the party to be received in yet he is not put back But when they had gotten about thirty to joyne with them they again called a Fast for all that would be present where it seems having appointed one of our assistant Governors for their Prolocutor he nominated Master White to be their Pastor which the rest confirmed by erection of hands then it seems Master White nominated our other two Ministers Master Copland and Master Golding for his ruling Elders yet they continue to preach constantly as before but Master White only doth Administer the Sacraments and that only to such as have joyned themselves in their implicite Covenant with them Their practise therefore and their writings demonstrate what ungratefull sons and unnaturall Vipers they are to our Mother Church and Ministers of England which hath little cause to harbour these Rebellious Apostate sons who thus abominate renounce both her and her Ministers as Antichristian Surely some of their own Independent Faction had other thoughts of her and her Ministry unlesse they dissembled before God and man as they commonly do without blush or check but very few years since and among other the five Independent Apologists and Master Hugh Peter Solicitâ—r generall of the Independent Cause and Party whose Subscription before the Bishop of London concerning our Church of England in the late Prelaticall times when far more unreformed then now I shall here present you with the Originall whereof I found in the Archbishops study under Master Peter his own hand câ—dorsed with the Archbishops thus Master Hugh Peters Subscription before the Bishop of London August 17. 1627. RIght Reverend Father in God and my very good Lord being required to make known to your Lordship my Judgement concerning some thing propounded at my last being before your Lordship from which Propositions though I never dissented nor know any cause why I should be suspected yet being ready and willing to obey your Lordship in all things especially in so just a demand as this I having consulted with Antiquity and with our modern Hooker and others humbly desire your Lordship to accept the satisfaction following 1. For the Church of England in generall I blesse God I am a member of it and was baptized in it and am not only assured it is a true Church but am perswaded it is the most glorious and flourishing Church this day under the sun which I desire to be truly thankfull for and for the Faith Doctrine and Articles of that Church and the maintenance of them I hope the Lord will inable me to contend Tanquam ut pro aris focis Yea I trust to lay down my life if I were called thereunto 2. For the Governour and Government thereof viz. The reverend Fathers the Archbishops and Bishops I acknowledge their Offices and jurisdictions and cannot see
Goodwin or they shall at last after long expectation set down in Writing If yea that contradicts their owne Profession and Protâ—station in their Apollogy takes away that liberty of conscience they contend for and Attributes a greater Authority to them alone to oblige their party then to the whole Parliament or Synod If no then certainly it is vaine to exspect a set 〈◊〉 of Church-government from those fluctuating Divines who till neither under-take to oblige themselves or others for the future by anything they resolve on or practise for the present and a meare sottishnesse for any people to depend upon such unstable weather-cocks and roling stones who know not where to rest or settle And that way certainly can be none of Christs on which the very prime sticklers for it dâ—re not absolutely and immutably to fasten for the future what ever they pretend for the present 5. Whether publike preaching prophefying and expounding the Scriptures by Independent Souldiers Taylors Weavers and other illiterate Mechanicks neither publikely called to not fitted for the Ministry especially when and where there are able painfull preaching Ministers to instruct the people be not a most exorbitant arrogant scandalous and disorderly practice no where warranted by Gods word but directly condemned by Numb 18. 21. 22 23. c. 16. 3. to 41. 2 Sam. 6. 6. 7 2 Chron. â—6 16. to 23. Ier. 14. 14. c. 27. 19. Hosea 4. 4. 9. Mal. 2. 7. 2 Chron. 17. 8. 9. Neb. 9. 4 5. c. 12. throughout Mat. 28. 18. 19. 20. Mar. 16. 14. 15. 20. Acts 20. 28. Gal. 6. 6. Hebr. 13. 17. c. 5. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 2. c. 4. 14. 16. 2 Tim. 4. 2. 5. Rom. 10. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 12. 28. 29. c. 14. 29 to the end Tit. 1. 7. 9. Contrary to the very light of Nature the Priests among all heathen Nations whatsoever being distinguished from tâ—e people and not all promiscuously Priests Gen. 42. 22. 26. 2 King 17. 32. 1 Kings 12. 31. 32. Zeph. 1. 4. Acts 14. 13. And quite opposite to the practice of all christian Churches in all ages â— 6. Whether Mr. Hanserd Knols the illitterate Anabaptist his Moderate Answer to Dr. Bastwicks booke p. 19. 20. where he averres That the condition upon which people are to be admitted into the Church are Faith Repentance and BAPTISME and NONE OTHER And whosoever poore as well as rich bond as well as free servants as well as masters did make a profession of their faith in Christ Iesus land would be baptized he meanes re-baptized into he should say in the name of the Father Son and holy Spirit were admitted Members of the Church but such as did not beleeve and would not be baptized though formerly baptized by others they would not admit into church communion And that this hath bin the practise of some churches in this city â—ithout urging or making any particular covenant with members upon admittance Doth not herein diametrally contradict his other Independent brethren who exact particular covenants from their new admitted Members and do not re-baptize them Whether he hath not plaid the Anabaptisticall jugler with Mr. Cranford in printing onely Imprimatur IA CRANFORD in the title of his Booke and leaving out the preceding formall words of his License to the great abuse both of the Reader and Licenser viz. I have perused this Treatise called A Moderate Answer to Dr. Bastwick which THOUGHâ— IUDGE ERRONIOUS yet to satisfie the desire of a Friend and prevent the cavils of some Adversaries I oppose Imprimatur Ia Cranford And whether these and such like practices proclaim not the Anabaptists such as Dr. Foaâ—ly proves them A False and lying sect if not blasphemous too as the premised Sections declare some of them to be A Transcript of a Letter lately written from the Sommer Islands to William Prynne of Lincolnes Inne Esquire relating the Schismaticall Tyrannicall and Seditious Proceedings of the Independents there and how they Lord it over the soules and bodies of those who dare oppose them how contemptuously they speak against the power of Parliaments the Church of England and scandalize all others whatsoever who are not of their Faction Which Gods Providence newly brought to my hands from thence when I was closing up the premised Discovery Worshipfull Sir ALI health happinesse and prosperity wished unto you as to mine owne soule The occasions moveing me at present to trouble you with these unprofitable papers are great and many and happily I being a stranger unto your Worship you may account it more then boldnesse yea even peremptory saucinesse in me to presume to write and crave favour to and from one who never had the least knowledge of me But the manifold reports I have heard of you by divers good Christians emboldeneth me but especially seeing your good works which I have perused with care and diligence which from Mr Sparks his brother I procured enforceth me so much the more in this my boldnesse not doubting but that you are a true hearted Christian truly fearing God embracing piety and hateing iniquity a faithfull well-willer to the Church of God and to all the Israel of God and to all true Israelites who with faithfull hearts love the Sion of God truly and sincerely without hypocrisie or halting between opinions dessenting from it in any by or false respects the which are the only causes moving me hereunto And for which I have suffered and aâ—â— and have beene these thirteen moÌ„nthes prisoner in bonds for standing in defence and an opposite unto or against a certaine Independent Church hatched and forged in the braines of our Divines and by them constituted erected and fully accomplished and with us held in great repute and adoration yea and the Actors of it not as men but even as demy gods attributing that unto them which is only proper unto God especially unto their Pastor Mr VVhite the chiefe Actor of their Faction a most seditious turbulent and hatefull malicious person and as politick as Achitophell and as crafty and subtle as the Devill having as he holds the world in hand that by his wisedome none can excell him in the lawes both Ecclesiasticall and Civill and therefore amongst us a company of poore simple ignorant and undiscerning people he is so accounted of as all his words are oracles and himselfe no lesse sent from God and therefore whatsoever he saith is and must be a law whether it concernes Body Soule or Conscience for he cannot crre so perfect is he in their conceits And if Christians in griefe and distractions of soule and conscience at their courses shall sue unto our Rulers for redresse of their factious aud seditious courses by way of humble petition for a cessation of those things till we shall heare from England what Discipline the high Court of Parliament and Synod hath concluded upon and that to embrace and follow then shall we presently be summoned to an Assizes and there undergoe such penalties as by
the Court shall be censured upon or else which they most ayme at to have us contrary to knowledge and conscience acknowledge we have wronged them and there in open Court before the Countrey confesse our selves sorry for what we have done this is our misery yea if I shall speak much more write in our owne defence against their Independent Church laying open their factious and schismaticall government and their envying against our Church and Church government and Discipline though they have proofes and grounds sufficient by the word of God to convince them the which I could never yet see disproved by them together with my name annexed thereunto yet if he threaten me for boldnesse herein to have a Counsell Table called against me I am sure of it and there to bee baited and banded to and againe by a whole Counsell together with our Schismaticall Divines even as a Beare at a stake not one to speak one word in my defence nor in the defence of Gods cause but with an unanimous consent and voyce my writings exclaimed against pronounced Libels and ignominious and slanderous writings though none of them approved so to be nor disproved for the Truth I stand for yet shall I be censured by them for them bound to my good behaviour put in sureties and if at any time afterwards I shall divulge any thing either by pen or tongue against this Independent Church their Governours or Government Doctrine or the like I must then presently be declared infamous and lie in prison till to the contrary we heare out of England yea however for want of Sureties in this case to lie in prison notwithstanding till I can or doe put in Sureties the which I did for the space of five weeks to my great damage and charge and also detriment being an aged poore man of 74 yeares of age and five nights in the cold winter time almost drowned in the prison with raine and sore tempestuous weather having no shelter to save my selfe dry These with other things have I undergon too large for to relate and that chiefely from this White of this Independent Church Pastor I meane by his meanes for if hee sayit it must and shall be by our Rulers who indeed ought to be chiefe instruments in removing and casting out such venomous vermine out of both Church and Common-wealâ—â— But how can it be expected when they themselves are inconfederacy with him and joyne hand in to work wickednesse therefore whoever speaks or writes against one doth it against all therefore with a cunning sleight they put it off as not being done in the behalfe of their Church but as that by it I labour the subversion of the peace of our Countrey as much as in me lay as though our Countreys peace rested wholly upon the planting of this their Independent Church whereby they have made more and greater breaches as can be manifestly proved then ever they will be able to make good both in Church and Common wealth yea in private families also the husband against the wife the wife against the husband the children against the parents the parents against the children and the like according as your selfe have worthily noted in your twelve Interrogatories Is not this a great misery in so little a spot even a handfull of people Oh miserable times Oh unhappy conditions Now if you demand a title or name of this their Church or from whence derived I cannot answer you for I suppose themselves know not only framed of their fancie and braines only to get themselves a name fame and popular applause and estimation of the world But thus much I am sure of it is derived partly from the Anabaptists partly from the Brownists but most especially from the Donatists having in it a smatch of each however they feign it to the Church of New England which as they say is the purest Church this day in the world yet come they farre wide of it so that it is but their saying not their doing But grant that they were in their way aright yet hold it we not requisite that their examples should be rules to us to walk by seeing that both the one and the other have beene constituted and erected by an indirect way without the advice and approbation of lawfull Authority of King Parliament and Synod the which our men say they are not to attend or waite upon Princes nor Parliaments leisures the cause being Christs owne and depending only and alone upon him and not upon any humane power and they his servants and Christ their Lord it refteth on them in his behalfe to doe it it being a spirituall and no carnall work And againe some of them have said it that Parliament and Synod can establish no other Church Discipline or Government then theirs unlesse they will goe contrary to the word of God this hath beene publikely delivered yea by the same party such stuffe hath beene delivered that hath made all modest and shamefull faces to blush eares to glow and hearts to grieve that hath heard it yea and that upon dayes of humiliation making divers people both objects and subjects openly to work upon thundering out punishments and judgements both spirituall and temporall against divers persons as though they had both swords in their owne power or as though they had absolutely knowne Gods secret decree and this hath beene held for sound and good Orthodox Doctrine when divers have repented of their hearing and these not once nor twice but often Infinite might I relate even from their owne mouthes which would make wise men admire but I must passe over them to avoyd tediousnesse to my selfe and trouble to you And that in your wisedome you may the better conceive of this their Church The first beginning was a certaine Feast held every week at severall houses which Feast they called a loblolly Feast which for the common fare of our Countrey is as our watergruell in England so they would have it but of a common food at which Feast each did strive to excell another in the difference of making it after they had once gotten a certaine number unto them and so of an ordinary food they made it extraordinary yea so extraordinary that some in few meetings were forced to sell the feathers out of their bedding for milk butter and creame to feed them withall and to make their Loblolly the more dainty and toothsome others againe to maintaine this Feast for one dayes entertainment themselves and whole family must pinch for it two or three months after by which Feast by the shew of neighbourhood or Feast of Love though never none was found in short time they encreased in every parish to a pretty number At which Feast also their bellies and stomacks being well gormondized the Minister propoundeth certaine questions unto them by way of catechising of his owne framing for halfe an howre which each had in writing one from another and
my new yeares gift of which I heard not a word for three weeks space in which time yea so soon as he had it he shewes it to the Ministers who all this time perused scanned and sifted it upon the which Mr White comes to my Schoole salutes me kindely with one with him to catch and beare witnesse what proceeded from me at length uttered his mind amongst many other passages that I perverted the Scripture to my own ends saying I had abused the words of our Saviour Luk 10. where he commandeth little children to come unto him and forbid them not you maintaine saith he he meanes such children as suck the breast here is your errour saith he and for this you shall smart but saith he his meaning was such as were newly converted to the faith these saith he are those that Christ calls little children or babes as in 1 Iohn 2. 1. Therefore for this your absusing and wresting the Word you shall answer it and I doubt not but to crave so much favour of the Governour as to call a Councell table where you shall answer your abuses and peremptory scandalous and libellous writings and so at length we parted The next week following I writ a Letter to the Governour giving him to understand I had taken him for an honest Christian friend telling him withall I sent it not to them but unto him supposing himselfe only would have made use of it for some better ends and withall laving open Schismaticks more plainer then before advising him upon them five marks or tokens to know them by to search and see if he knew none or could finde none Then I shewed that Faction and Sedition did spring from these sinnes Pride Hypocrisie and Ambition and from these three did arise presumption and rebellion both against God and man shewing how and wherein praying these sinnes were not found amongst us but neither named nor pointed at any that hold could be taken The next Sahbath a warrant was served on me for my appearance at a Councell table the thirteenth of February 1644 where being as before I was so baited and banded to and againe as wonder it was and shortly after clapt in prison however nothing traverst that day save only the Letter nor my new years gift never questioned when and where I made mine appeale for England where God blessing me would I have beene at present had it not fallen out that in October last in the dead of the night my house with all I had therein was burned to my great losse and prejudice so that being altogether unable I am forced with sorrow to stay behinde as not being able to put clothes on my back having also burnt all my writings which hath beene more griefe to me then the losse of all my meanes and goods which was more then of mine owne I shall ever see againe But having digressed from the proceeding of this Sect I returne againe where I left and having given over the baptizing of infants for a good season at length they gave over preaching as being no Ministers as being made so in an Antichristian manner and no true Ministers till such time as they were new called and ordained by their holy Church which at length was accomplished in which time they still continued their weekly Lectures whereat there was added and they received members unto and into their Church daily but after a most strange manner their exercise being ended those that were to enter in came upto the Chancell with great sobriety and shew of humility and sorrow with contrition and wounding of conscience for sinne and there stand but with much hypocrisie and dissimulation and there before the Pulpit with all the holy brethren and sisters about them they make a consession of their sinnes are in outward shew sorry for them with great contrition upon which enquiry is made among them what they think of their confession and contrition and whether they are not worthy as members of their holy Church to bee received in answer is made yea then they tell them they do accept of them and with great applause they all receive them all shaking and embracing and hugging them with great joy biding welcome brother welcome sister But such confessions and doings as you never saw the like insomuch that Law might justly take hold of many of them but these open confessions have a pretty while bin left off they being ashamed of it in regard the people mock them telling them that this open auricular confession is meere idolatry and superstition therefore now they have private confessions and whosoever entereth into their church must also enter into covenant to stand to and to maintain their church and church-discipline orders governours and government to the uttermost of their powers and abilities yea they must endeavour and strive therein even unto blood And concerning baptizing of infants at the taking up againe of their ministery they also have taken up againe the use of the Sacraments but only among themselves but for any that are not in or of their church their children shall not bee baptized unlesse they will enter into their church and covenant with them neither for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper shall any partake thereof but only their owne Flocks and Members by which cause many people who have an ardent desire thereunto have beene deprived of it some two yeares some three yeares some more some lesse to their great griefe and sorrow And for the manner forme and order of the Sacrament amongst themselves it is according to their Faction derogating from our mother Church as I heare and for all such as are not of them nor adheres unto them we are accounted as heathens yea even as dogs or swine and so reputed Thus in briefe have I laid you downe the order and manner of their Church from the beginning to this present which hath beene in agitation these foure or five yeares and whether it be yet fully perfected I think themselves are ignorant of but now is their maine hope that their great Pastor of their Church is now come for England and that from and by the Parliament he will accomplish a full and absolute setling and establishing this their Church amongst us by vertue and power from the Parliament and by friends that he will raise especially by the meanes of one Mr Holland one that beares some place of eminency in Parliament who is a great and extraordinary friend of his the which if he should accomplish this their wicked desires then will they tyrannize over us and bring a great confusion upon our whole Countrey and raise civill warres among us to our utter subversions being in comparison but a handfull of people to the great griefe and hearts sorrow of many honest Christian hearts who desire the peace of Gods true Church but for all false wayes we utterly abhorre And now Worshipfull Sir with favour give
good Ministers then any other like place professing Christianity of which there is no shew of truth I know and that they which rebell against the Ministers cannot be under the Government of Christ with many heavy threats against such And though they threaten to leave us destitute of the Word of God if we make any resistance and though it be often alleadged that we have rare and reverend Ministers endued with new light and that so great as the like hath scarce beene since the Apostles times Nay I have heard some and those of note preferre it before that of the Apostles at least in some things And further that all foure of our Ministers concluded of a new Discipline and new courses of edification whereof two being gone into England to agitate the businesse there with their friends and in Parliament God hath sent another from Providence almost miraculously who was not of their counsell and yet doth approve of all their proceedings and as earnestly presse them as the rest Besides say they all the chiefe professours in the Countrey are for the same yea the chiefe Authority in the Island next the Governour So that all things thus concurring shewes say they that there is an extraordinary hand of God in the effecting of it and therefore wee ought quietly to yeeld our selves to them least wee resist even God himselfe These I say and other the like arguments in this case however they may prevaile much with some that have other foundation for their Religion besides the Scriptures yet to an understanding man they will easily appeare to be of small value as would be more evident in answering them particularly which I shall readily doe if it bee needfull But having no purpose here to dispute but rather to invite to a cessation from these occasions of strife and controversie or at least wise to a due consideration of what we doe I shall only answer in generall It is a saying of Divines agreeable also to the experience of good Christians That Satan never tempts more dangerously whether by himselfe or others then when he doth most perswade us not to resist his temptations but to yeeld our selves to them And even the Lord himselfe doth sometimes prove his Church and people whether they will cleave unto him that is hold fast to his Word or unto other Lords other lights other spirits besides his as Deuter. 13. 3. And so the Apostle foretelleth there should be Schismes and Heresies in the Church as For there must be heresies even among you that they which are approved amongst you might be knowne And so But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you Therefore we must not take up our Religion upon the credit of men how great soever they may seeme to be but examine things by the word of God and see that it be firmly grounded there To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Therefore they must prove by the word of God not by outward signes and wonders the things they teach and would have practised And first let us know them fully and with those noble Bereans search the Scriptures and examine them throughly before we entertaine them They tell us daily of a greater light whereby they discerne these things and other great and glorious things that are working and already begun in the world within these three yeares and will shortly be accomplished even so great and so excellent a change in the world as may seeme to be a heaven upon earth the Lord grant it and hasten it but withall let us desire and expect these things with sobriety and watchfulnesse lest whilst our eyes be taken up and dazzled with a present expectation of these high and glorious things we see not the danger that is at our feet but be caught in the snare before we be aware remembring the words of our Saviour in this case when his Disciples asked him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel He answered It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power I have read in some History of the West-Indies that about 100 yeares since or more the Iland Vianis which some of our men are now gone to discover and all those Ilands thereabout were Inhabited by certain Indians which for ingenuity and feature surpassed many others these held the immortality of the soule and thought that when it departed the body it went to a kinde of Purgatory which they supposed to be the cold Northern Mountaines congealed with frost and snow where after it was sufficiently purged it went from thence into countreys more Southerly and there abode for ever enjoyning a thousand delights and pleasures The Spaniards having knowledge of this opinion of theirs and wanting men to work in their gold mines came thither with Ships from Hispaniola or Cuba which are to the Southward and making some goodly shew told these silly Indians that they were come from the Southern parts places of great felicity where the soules of all their Ancestors and friends departed were in all joy and happinesse and they were now come to transport them immediately thither that they might never come at all into that Purgatory in the Northren parts These simple people being dazelled with the conceit and imagination of these things could not forethink their danger at hand but came flocking to the Spaniards in great numbers who when they saw their opportunity set saile and carryed them thence to their gold mines where they were soone consumed with grievous service and slavery In like sort it concernes us not to be so much transported with any glorious pretences of some great temporall freedome and felicity at hand as to be drawne in any sort from the Church of England especially as it is now reformed and in reforming but to know fully of those that would draw us whither they would have us goe and upon what grounds that so we may search the Scriptures and throughly examine those grounds thereby God hath delivered our Nation as many others in Christendom from under the bondage of the great Antichrist we have not prized this deliverance nor made that use of this liberty nor those many mercies and blessings accompanying it that we ought And considering our great abuse of Gods favours and in particular the sinnes of this place in all sorts Magistrates Ministers and people and especially the evident unsoundnesse of those that are Professors here It were just with God whilst we look for light to send us darknesse and whilst we propose to our selves the speedy ruine of Antichrist great freedome and glorious times all which the Lord can effect in his due time wee fall our selves into another servitude and bondage perhaps as grievous as the former under petty Antichrists For
if that grand Antichrist come down as we have good hope and a company of Clergy-men should arise whether Ministers or who else that should as it were divide his kingdome among them by assuming every one to himselfe such a like power over his Church or the people committed to his charge as the grand Antichrist usurped over the Catholique Church and that as he did lure Divino which they pretend surely they would become so many petty Antichrists and the Church should be brought into servitude and thraldome as before And indeed as the errour to which the Iewes were most inclined in generall was to set up other gods that is false gods attributing something to them which was proper to the true God So the errour to which Christians in generall are most inclined is to set up false Christs that is Antichrists of the Clergy attributing something to them that is peculiar to Christ himselfe or to his Church which is Christ mysticall As was foretold by the Apostles and is evident by the experience of all Ages since Christ And of which our Saviour himself seems to give warning when he saith For there shal arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. And by such meanes even the Pope himselfe and all his Clergy had their first rising having the Suffrages and helpe of some that seemed otherwise to be good Christians It behoves us therefore to be earnest with God in prayer to walk more worthy of his grace and the light of the Gospel vouchsafed unto us least he send us strong delusions to be sober minded and watchfull remembring there will bee alwayes some Antichrists and that the Church and people of God is never like to be free from persecution affliction and temptation in this world And that we shall never have such Ministers whom we may absolutely trust to for our Religion as some here professe to doe Calvin in his Preface to Psychopannychia hath those words Is this to learn Christ when a man shall apply his eare to any doctrines yea though they bee true without the word of God If thou receive it as from man wilt thou not as easily entertaine lies for what hath a man that is his own but vanity Therefore we must alwayes have the loynes of our minds girded and our lamps burning and stand upon our guard our selves And so follow men even the Apostles themselves as they follow Christ The Apostle speaking of Ministers saith Let 〈◊〉 man at his pleasure beare 〈◊〉 over you by humblenesse of mindâ— advancing himselfe in those things which he never saw but are of his own devising rashly puft up with his fleshly minde And in another place Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God And for trying the spirits we must follow the rule of our Saviour who saith Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps câ—oathing but inwardly they are ravening Woolves yee shall know them by their fruits c. And their fruits are their conversation and doctrine But the conversation of themselves and their adherents being a thing more personall and so apt to stirre up offence which I would avoid so much as I may I forebeare to prosecute Their Doctrine then we must examine by the rule of Gods word which that we may the better doe being a matter that so much concerns us we should desire as I have before said we might have the particulars wherein they differ from the publike doctrine and practise of the Church of England set down in writing This if they be not able or shall disdaine to doe as not accounting us worthy for whom they should doe it they must not be offended nor complaine of us that we are opposers in this matter of the Kingdome of Christ and will not be ruled by them in the course of their Ministry for what discretion were it to follow strangers we know not whither It s like they will say they are no strangers they have lived long here But as we know one of them came by an accident very lately the other two though they have been long among us yet they are in a manner strangers to us for they are not the same men that formerly they were having changed their opinions and practises in many things that we know and it is like in many other things that we know not and how farre they will proceed and where they will make a stand wee know not nor it may be they themselves If they shall say as some pretend that the Government and Discipline which they would have us entertaine is of it selfe evident by the word of God to every one whose eyes are not blinded by the god of this world that they have declared it already in their Sermons especially in their weekly Lectures which it seemes they have instituted for that purpose As hee that preached the third Lecture seemed to intimate when speaking of this intended Church and Discipline he said His first reverend Brother had laid the foundation his second reverend Brother had shewed what must be the materials of this building namely such and onely such as could bring good testimony of their conversion and holy conversation And he was now to shew the forme and order to bee observed in every particular Church and how each one was to be Superiour or Subordinate to others though he did not this at that time so farre as I understood The same things or to the same purpose were againe repeated in the fourth Lecture But I say all this notwithstanding the things are of themselves obscure and doubtfull which doubts they have not taken away but rather encreased Some of which doubts amongst many I will here set down not raised from speculations of things afarre off and not like to trouble us but such as arise from that which is frequently preached and pressed or practised amongst us In which though I endeavour to understand things in the best sence yet because they expresse not themselves plainely I may mistake their meaning in some things and therefore also doe the rather desire they would fully and plainly expresse their intent in writing as one that am ready to joyn in whatsoever I understand to tend truly and indeed to the advancement of the Kingdome and Government Iesus of Christ but would not be missed by the devices of men under this or any other pretence whatsoever 1. WHether they meane to set ut Vestries againe for every Tribe as formerly they have done and so to govern the severall parts of their charge by severall Veâ—â—ries of a douzen men in each Vestry whereof the Minister to be the chiefe and so to enquire heare and present Offenders as heretofore 2. Whether they meane to continue those weekly meetings which they call Lâ—blolly Feasts whereof also the Minister is the chiefe
And what persons shall bee admitted to them and upon what termes 3. Whether they meane to continue that Lordly or Masterly practise of universall Catechising all men and women weekly begun here almost two yeares past and pressed upon all with great vehemency And that all shall still be tied to answer according to that Catechise of Mr Oxenbridges called Babes Milke or some other These three practises as they have been used here being as I conceived their own inventions and not grounded on the word of God nor the examples of the Primitive or other Reformed Churches nor on the Lawes of our Land but pressed upon us meerely by their own Authority I did in some sort oppose at their first comming up namely by testifying both privately and publikely my dislike of them and the reasons why But especially the last more at large whereunto I was moved by Mr Iohn Oxenbridge who took upon him to write a defence of this practise of universall Catechising all men and women and of true Beleevers in speciall and to answer the Objections which I had made against it But what he hath performed and how well beseeming his worth and reputation I leave to the jâ—dgemnt of such as have or shall peruse my Confutation of that his Defence and Answer where I have put them together Touching these three practises I should move sundry questions but that it seemes they are all laid down of late and as it is thought will not be taken up againe therefore we shall passe them over that we may come to those new things which they urge now 4. Whether this Discipline and forme of Religion which they would set up be the same in all points of moment with any other Reformed Church whatsoever except perhaps in Providence where it had no such successe as should induce us to embrace it If they say yes in new-New-England we are very doubtfull of that not knowing certainely what is practised there the rather for that some have endeavoured to establish universall Catechising here upon that ground saying it was generally used there which appears not to be true Besides if such a Discipline be there it is no leading example to us partly because they have had no long experience of it and partly because there may be much difference between the people there and here for if all Magistrates Ministers and People were eminent in piety we need not much care what Government were used no though it were wholy Arbitrary for none would injure another and to this condition the Churches in the Apostles times seeme nearest to â—pproach But here where it is farre otherwise and in other places in generall men must be wary what Discipline and Government they set up presupposing it must come into evill mens hands as well as good yea and that more often 5. Whether this Discipline be fully set down by any sound Divine and not rather framed by themselves borrowing from severall Churches and severall Divines what will best serve their turne And whether our three Ministers agree in all points touching the Discipline they would have us embrace 6. What severall Offices and how many Officers shall be in every Church and how subordinate one to another And whether the Minister shall not be the chiefe of those Officers or as it were the supreme Moderator or Governour of them all without whom nothing shall bee established and also to have the principall hand in putting in and putting out these Officers for so they seeme to intimate 7. Whether this Minister and his Officers will govern and censure the rest according to some lawes or in an Arbitrary way and if in an Arbitrary way to whom shall they appeale if they have wrong And who shall question and judge the Minister if he decline from the truth or be a wicked liver And whether this bee not like to prove a very tyrannicall government if it come into evill hands which must be presupposed 8. If they will govern and judge according to some lawes what be those lawes whether some already extant or some others which they will frame and who they be that shall frame these lawes and what shall be the severall penalties or censures for Delinquents 9. What tryall in things of importance the party accused shall be allowed The Common Law of England to avoyd tyranny and injustice to which the corrupted nature of man is much inclined and even of Clergy men as well as others allowes a tryall by 12 indifferent men which are honest and free men of good ranke having no dependance nor are in feare of the Iudge nor beare no ill will to the party accused but such as are like to deale impartially and that upon Oath Whether he shall have that or some other so faire a tryall 10. What things they be which they will undertake to judge of and whether any thing shall bee wholy reserved to the judgement of the Civill Magistrate or whether the party offending or the matter in controversie shall be punished or judged of both namely by the Civill Magistrate and also by thâ—se Ecclesiasticall Iudges 11. If they say they will judge only of Ecclesiasticall matters what are those matters Ecclesiasticall and how exempted from the jurisdiction and authority of the Christian Magistrate For the Pope and Bishop obtained of Kings that sundry things might bee called Ecclesiasticall and so belong to their spirituall Courts as they call them which are no more Ecclesiasticall then other matters which belong not to them 12 Whether these Ministers and other Officers shall be judged by the Christian Magistrate in all things as other men or how farre forth they shall bee under his jurisdiction and authority and how farre forth exempted 13 From what places of Scripture is such a form of Government deduced justified or allowed 14 Who shall be the other members constituting these intended Churches and who shall be excluded from them To this all or some of them at least seem to answer expresly that they shall consist only of such as are truly regenerate and can bring sufficient testimony of their conversion and holy conversation and all others shall be excluded as Heathens Cananites Publicans c. 15 And seeing they have said sometimes and will I suppose grant that not one fourth part nor it may be one tenth part of the people here or in England are able to bring such sufficient testimony of their true conversion and holy conversation and thereupon shall be excluded Christian society and reputed as aforesaid whether this will not breed a most dangerous division between Church and Common wealth threatning the ruine of both 16. I suppose they cannot but be sensible in part and foresee the desperate issues of such a Separation and therfore it would in the next place be known whether they intend not to salve it by some politick course contrary to these principles and what good policy can be used to this purpose For mine own part I can think of
none for either they must frame Religion to the people as the Popes and Romish Clergy did heretofore making it suteable to the dispositions of most men or else which is more usuall feign a people to Religion admitting and accounting whom they lift through partiality favour and sinister respects to be truly religious though they be not and so receiving them into the Church as true converts though they can bring no good testimony of their conversion and conversation This policy I confesse may have faire pretences and would advance them highly above all men As they which opening no man can shut and shutting no man can open this would set them aâ— Gods in the Temple of God the Church and bring them in infinite gaines But it would set up many Antichrists as busie violent and rigorous within the small spheare of their activity as the great Antichrist hath been in his It would turne Religion into policy making it serve for humane purposes The faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ should be had in respect of persons It would prove a tyrannicall usurpation over the true Church as the popish policy hath done for which as for sundry other reasons that might be alleadged if it were not palpably wicked it ought not to be suffered 17. Whether there be any place of Scripture to justifie such a Separation as is afore mentioned they say yes because John the Baptist said to the Scribes and Pharisees O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to fire from the wrath to come therefore a Minister may keep out of the Church such as cannot bring testimony of their true conversion and holy conversation This and other like reasons they alleadge which are so insufficient that they need no answer especially having no purpose as I have said to dispute here But a matter of so great consequence ought to be clearly and foundly proved which doubtlesse they can never doe 18. What times they were wherein the Church did thus separate from it selfe all that could not bring sufficient testimony of their conversion and holy conversation because they say in former times it was the usuall practice of the Church but shew not in what times nor where nor for what causes There is no doubt but those that live or fall into grosse or manifest sins may be separated or excluded Also in times of persecution they would no doubt be very wary what strangers they did admit into the Church but that 's not the thing in question 19. Many other doubts in this matter they leave untouched or uncleared As 1. Whether Infants shall be received into the Church by Baptism before they can bring this testimony 2. Whether those that have been baptized without such testimonâ— have been rightly entred into the Church or shall need to be baptized againe such a rumour there is spread upon what occasion I know not 3. What manner of testimony this must be 4. Who must give it and whether a man 's own testimony may not serve in this case and when c. these and many other like should be cleared which we passe over 20. Whether they meane that any man may of himselfe excommunicate another when they say frequently a man may or I would passe a private excommunication against such or such a man 21. What they meane to alter in the administration of the Sacraments I heare there is much variety of late The last child which I saw baptized the Minister required the Father to say his Creed which done the Minister made an exposition of it making some doubt also of some part of it and then asked the Father if he would have his child baptized into that faith who answering yea it was baptized and thus I heare he useth of late to baptize others Now it would be knowne why it may not serve the turne for the Father to testifie his assent to the Articles of the Creed c. as heretofore hath been used 2. Whether the child and parent also may not be very uncertaine of the Faith into which the child was baptized seeing the Ministers exposition is not recorded 3. Whether they have the same opinion of the Creed that they seeme to have of the Scriptures that it may not bee publikely read or repeated unlesse it be also expounded by a Minister and why 4. Whether this tying of the Baptism to the Ministers exposition may not serve as a fit opportunity for Hereticks not yet discovered to baptize children into their Heresie 22. Whether the Scriptures be not the word of God able to make a man wise unto salvation except only then when they are pronounced and expounded by a Minister And whether the places of Scripture that we which are no Ministers alledge in any case be not also the word of God as true and of as much sorce as if they were pronounced by a Minister 23. Whether the writings of Eminent and approved Divines may not be read in the Church when there is no Sermon Nay whether they may not prove more profitable then the Sermons of some schismaticall or other unworthy Ministers 24 Whether our English Common Prayer having never yet been called in may not be read in the Church such things being altered or left out as have bin doubtfull or offensive to good Christians Or whether it is so faulty that it may not bee used at all Because they will not suffer it to bee read at all where they preach and as I heare intend to abolish the reading of it quite 25 Whether they will permit any other book of Common Prayer used in any other Reformed Church or some other that may be framed or that no set form at all may be used but such prayers only as the Minister doth then conceive nor any thing read no not out of the Scriptures but what the Minister doth then expound 26 How long it is they mean when they say a few dayes that they would have men that would be converted or receive a further degree of grace to exercise themselves in humiliation before they shall partake of those enlightnings and comforts they speak of and after what manner this is to be done and from what ground of Scripture 27 What Covenant it is which they perswade so much all the members of this Church to enter into at their admittance and which as is thought is already begunne whereby they must bee bound one to another and how farre forth they must assist and defend one another what are the particular parts and circumstances of this Covenant and how it shall be confirmed whether by subscription or by some solemn vow 28 Whether he which hath entred this Covenant shall still remayn as hee was a true member of the Church and Common wealth of England or be of some other Reformed Church or of some Separate Independent Church 29 We grant there is often mention in Scriptures of a Covenant betwixt God and the people c. but whether there
may be any warrant in Scripture for such a Covenant between all the members of this Church as they would have They alleadge for it these words And when Paul was come to Jerusalem hâ— assayed to joyn himself with the Disciples where say some the word joyn that is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a joyning by covenant but I finde no such thing in my Lexicon I finde the like word used where it is said Then the Spirit said unto Phillip go near and joyn thy self to yonder Chariot where by joyning is meant no Covenant Other places they alleadge but we would see some to the purpose if they have any 30 Whether it bee not injurious to the Honourable Assembly of Parliament to pretend such Innovations or changes to be according to their minde which they have never authorized nor declared themselves to have any purpose to authorize or allow Many other doubts I have omitted but by these which I have noted is may sufficiently appeare that though they have long preached of these matters yet many things remaine very uncertaine And if they would take the paines to set downe in writing as aforesaid all parts of their intended Discipline and Government it would be very profitable to themselves for it would give them occasion more throughly to consider it and more wisely to order it Is there cause then that they should bee so incensed against those that make question of these things in a moderate and Christian way or whom they feare will oppose any of them as to threaten them with the judgments of this life and of the life to come yea to assigne them the lowest places in hell as if themselves were well acquainted and had such power in disposing places there as the Pope pretends to have in purgatory Surely we learne in our first entrance into learning Qui dubitat qui saepe rogat mea dicta tenebit Is qui nil dubitat nil capit inde boni Is it just or reasonable they should accuse censure and defame such an one publikely in the Pulpit where the party accused cannot without offending the Congregation and the Lawes answer for himselfe though he be innocent Surely in all equity the accusation especially of one that is innocent ought not to be more publike then his defence or answer is permitted to be Is it suteable to Christian charity to use heavy imprecations or cursings against such and when the hand of God is upon such a man in any affliction as sicknesse losses death or the like to set him out in the Congregation by evident and well known circumstances as an adversary to God and as one whom God was now smiting to destruction for his opposition and obstinacy against the Kingdom and Government of Christ as they call this their intended Discipline Doubtlesse it behoves Ministers to have some feare of God and respect of man and to lay aside these carnall weapons whereby they would affright and terrifie us that wee should not dare to quitch nor make the least resistance whilst in the meane time they set up themselves as Lords over us in their intended Discipline calling it the Kingdom and Govenment of Christ But if they would indeed set up the Kingdome of Christ let them take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and make good what they deliver by that And for us as many I meane as have care of the preservation of true Religion let us hold fast to the word of God and not be discouraged nor let that goe though they upbraid us in a scoffing manner saying Come you Scripturianâ— you Scripture-men that must have Scripture for what you will doe come I will give you Scripture enough to overthrow your Religion turne to Ezekiel c. These and many other such speeches what else doe they rellish but of a spirit of the old Antichrist which being now more discovered and expelled from his former habitation walks about through dry places seeking himselfe an habitation in some other persons and places where in a new disguise he may practise his wonted malice undiscovered Let us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ haâ—h made us free and not be drawne from the Church of England which we know to joyne our selves with any new separate and Independent Church which we know not although we heare many contumelious and reproachfull speeches uttered against the Church of England They ought to be better affected and to give that honour which is due as they which have sucked her breasts and received as their naturall so their spirituall birth there if ever they were new born We ought to acknowledge with thanksgiving the aboundant grace and mercy of God towards the Church of England who hath made it no lesse honourable then any other Reformed Church whatsoever whether we consider the first Reformers being men of fingular Piety and blessed Martyrs of Christ Or the purity of Doctrine there publikely professed even to this present Or the number of holy Martyrs who have advisedly sealed that Doctrine with their blood Or the eminent lights in the Ministry successively shining there in great number Or the many and sincere Professors and Practisers of Religon there ever since the Reformation Or lastly if we consider the many great Deliverances which the Lord hath vouchsafed us from the wicked plots and hostile attempts of the common adversary crowning all with much prosperity and causing the fame and glory of it to be spread throughout the world These and the like have not been seene in their separate and Independent Churches In the meane time we deny not but that besides our many other grievous sinnes there have beene also many grosse faults and intollerable in the Ecclesiasticall Policy and Discipline as it was abused by those that were intrusted with it and many foule effects have thence proceeded which have especially of late yeares corrupted Religion eclipsed our glory and laid it in the dust caused the Lord to hide his gracious and loving countenance from us And was like to have proved the remedilesse ruine of Church and Common-Wealth Of which sinnes though wee all stand guilty before God as having been Authors or Procurers of them yet it becomes not any that is or lately was a member of that Church to upbraid her with these things in a despightfull manner Such men according to that saying of the Apostle Are jealous over us amisse yea they would alienate our affections and exclude us from the Church of England that we should altogether love them But these corruptions as they have beene for the most part forced upon the Church by the usurped power of those which were intrusted and pretended the greatest care of the Church so they have been and wee trust will bee cast out and Reformed by the present Parliament Now I would not be mistaken as if I desired to derogate any thing from the dignity of that most eminent calling of
the Ministry I have no such meaning neither doe I think a worthy Minister to be unworthy or unfit for other the most eminent Offices or callings in Church or Common-wealth were it not that he hath a most eminent calling already sufficient to take up the whole man and unmeet to be yoaked with other callings as the Apostle saith who is sufficient for these things And the Apostles doe reject such employments with a kinde of contempt saying It is not meat that we should leave the word of God to serve Tables and a little after we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the Word intimating that these things would hinder them from prayer and the ministry of the Word whereby it appeares they would not be Deacons nor take upon them any other Office in or over the Church but spend themselves wholly in the word and prayer the like might be manifested by sundry other Scriptures And the evill of it hath beene so generally observed in England that as I heard Queene Elizabeth when she had conferred upon a Minister authority and power to rule was wont to say I have spoyled a good Preacher to day And surely if we observe it the desire of Superiority and Dominion in or over the Church in Ministers and Clergy men and the readinesse of Princes and people to conferre it upon them hath been a principall if not the principall cause in corrupting Religion from time to time and of setting up the great Antichrist and many others as might easily be shewed if it were not an argument too long for this place Thus farre through the gracious assistance of God I have expressed my minde in this matter to the intent I might stop so much as in me lies the setting up of a new Discipline and Government of our owne framing seeing we are already freed of all those things that have usually beene burthensome and offensive to good Christians in England and that we expect daily the further determination and decree of the Honourable Assembly of Parliament in these things Or if I cannot prevaile so farre as to stop it yet that wee might look before we leap and understand well what we doe before we doe it Or if neither that may be obtained yet hence it will appeare that my selfe and some others deserve no blame much lesse such evill speeches as are usually vented against us by some because we will not rashly runne with them we know not whether And lastly I desire that this may be a publike testimony of my judgement in these things For to be present and heare them daily pressed and to bee alwayes silent is taken for a signe of consent and approbation March 1. 1642. RICH. NORWOOD Postscript SInce this Advertisement of mine came abroad though but a month what horrible forespeakings threatnings imprecations and censures have beene publikely denounced against me in severall parts of the Countrey I shall not need to repeat being too well knowne Neither will I answer them accordingly lest I also be like them I will only in the feare of God and by the comfortable assistance of his holy Spirit apply that saying How should they curse where God hath not cursed Or how should they detest where the Lord hath not detested And those words of David It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day A desperate thing it is for men to blaspheme against some good light and what is it to acknowledge the good gifts and graces of God in those which they so bitterly preach against and to overwhelm them all with most foule and feigned susspicions and aspersions without cause As when they say Satan will not use profane and wicked men but he makes choise of those that are of good and able parts men of a religious life of a blamelesse conversation these close hypocrites he makes his instruments to oppose the Kingdom of Christ that is their intended Discipline c. with other like speeches I say it is very dangerous for men thus to give way to wrath and malice The Scribes and Pharisces did see and would no doubt have acknowledged the eminent gifts and graces that shined in our Saviour if he would have applied them to the establishing of their Faction But because he would not doe so they maliciously traduced him and said he had an uncleane spirit but he reproves their desperate wickednesse shewing how nearly they did approach or became guilty of the sinne against the Holy Ghost And let every man take heed how they doe cunningly fasten slanders or otherwise shew despight unto the spirit of Grace because it will not be subordinate unto their ends I could wish also they would consider the words of Marsilius Patavinus in his Book entituled Defender of the Peace Where speaking of those that presume to frame or presse Orders Decrees and other parts of Discipline without license of the true Law-giver or Prince and endeavour to draw people to the observation of them by surreptitious words as it were compelling them by threatning eternall damnation to such as transgresse them or denouncing execrations reproachfull speeches excommunications slanders revilings or other maledictions against them or any of them in word or writing such saith he are to suffer corporall punishment in a most high degree as conspirators and stirrers up of civill schisme or division in a Common-wealth For it is saith he a most grievous kinde of treason because it is committed directly against the Royall Majesty of the Prince and his Soveraigne Authority and tendeth to set up a plurality of supreame authorities or powers and so of necessity to the dissolution or overthrow of every civill Government They object also that I am but a Lay-man and therefore should not meddle with matters of Divinity applying that Proverb Ne sutor ultra crepidam and saying that even the Sunne Moone and Starres wherein he hath skill should teach him that lesson which alwayes move in their owne spheares except they be wandring starres for whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever with many other bitter expressions But this is an old plea of the Popish Clergy to hold the people in ignorance and thraldome and should not be taken up by those that would seeme to be more opposite to Popery then Protestants are That eminent and blessed Divine Doctor Sibbes was of another minde who speaking in commendation of Mr Sherland that was no Preacher disdaines not to say he had good skill in controverted points of Divinity and that he was a good Divine And surely the calling of a Christian is of that importance that he must if need so require omit whatsoever calling he have besides to make good that one most necessary neither can he justly be charged to move out of his spheare whensoever he meddles with matters of Christianity and Religion especially such points as he is pressed to embrace and submit