the head Name but Bayes he cryes out like that Hypocondriack that fancied he had Noah's flood in his belly and if he piss'd should drown the world falls into a fit rages and frets foams and stamps stares and rants like mad all are dead dead as a Herring drown'd every mothers son p. 42 43. in Hungary Transylvania Bohemia Poland Savoy France the Netherlands Denmark Sweden and all Scotland and a great part of the Church of England Then as is meet rails at him calls him a Prodigy p. 47. a Marvail a Prodigious Person a creature most obnoxious Hebrew Jew Cock Divine Cock-wit Daw-Divine Spy Buffoon a dangerous Fellow Cutâ—…hroat Mad-man fit for nothing but Bedlam and Hogsdon c. Then can any charity believe otherwise but this poor Greg. is craz'd and cryes Holla Bayes Whoop Bayes Holla Bayes Whoop Whoop name but Bayes and his fit comes Or name but Schism and it works immediately as much as the name Cromwel does upon the mad Porter who forthwith falls a praysing his old master and talks of nothing but Crowns and Councils Scepters and Bishops and Preshyters then rambling into a discourse of Divinity talks of Superstition Ceremonies Prophanation of the Sabbath Schism the Cause and the Covenant So my Gentleman when the word Schism is but nam'd he extolls it to the skies or at least says it is no such frightful thing as the World takes it to be take it into your hand touch it do touch it it will not hurt you it is but a Theological Scar-crow and rather frights than hurts then like the mad Porter commends his old Master to the skies ever since he had the honour of his acquaintance when he was a School-boy at Eaton O Mr. Hales of Eaton how does Beauty and Majesty like two twins sit in thy large forehead with admiration I should be as mad as he if I should go about to answer seriously in Divinity with such a mad-cap and do no more good of him than upon the aforesaid Porter if I thought he was not past hopes I would give him a hundred Divines for his one the worst of them all of far more learning and less partiality and prejudice than Mr. Hales without any disparagement or just offence to his Master that differ from him upon good reason in every thing that Greg. brings him to prove in reference to Modern Orthodoxy all which Mr. Hales recanted after his conversion If I thought any wise man would concern himself in good earnest with what so trivial a pen as his scribles in Divinity I would lengthen this letter upon that subject though I am quite tyred already with his Impertinencies Contradictions and Leasings A word he taught me but if he grutches me any thing of his own I pretend no propriety in it he shall have it again for one thing he says p. 219. For without the sign of the Cross our Church will not receive any one to Baptisme Mr. Greg. This is your Leaseing if by our Church you mean the Church of England I know you were better skill'd in your Modern Orthodoxy than the Liturgie which gives rules for Private Baptism without the sign of the Cross and declares that a Child so baptized In the Name c. is lawfully and sufficiently baptized and ought not to be baptized again c. afterwards follows Then shall not He the Minister christen the Child again c. Are not you an Honest true man Father Gray-beard True of hand and tongue and have kept your hand from picking at and stealing away the credit and good name of your betters Have you kept your tongue from evil-speaking lying and slandering I wish you would confess to the Church of England if indeed it be your Church who it was whether tempted by the instigation of the Devil your own evil heart or devilish men that hired you to these Leasings Hold up thy head man there thou dost not use to have too much modesty come answer to this in your next Mr. Greg. I had rather hear of your honest Confession and Contrition than any more Leasings by which such as you are strive to fill the peoples heads with Proclamations of Ceremonies Superstition put them in fear they cannot come at the Sacraments the Church does so rayl it in making them jealous and fearful with your Arminiansme Montagueisme Manwaringisme Sibthorpianisme and such frightful words that though they know not the meaning of them more than your Nepotisme Putanisme c. yet they believe these are some ghastly things and you do very ill to scare them This is the way to perpetuate and keep up a strangeness and misunderstanding betwixt the King and his People for the people are good people and will hear reason if it be spoken but when such as you hold forth and represent the Church of England in such a frightful Dress the people cannot find in their hearts to make love to her but run from her like mad frighted out of their Wits Religion too by such Boutefeaus Incendiaries And all these mischiefs and all these dirty doings do lie at your doors cleanse your self of them as well as you can As School-boys have a Book of Phrases collected out of the most fluent Latine Authours which they bring in to every Theam and upon all occasions so Greg. has here and there amongst his mad Harangues a smart expression now and then which he and the Virtuoso's at a Club have chew'd to a Crambe and now having gathered up the scraps bunch'd them and bound them together he dishes them up in this Book for a Publick feast But alas Greg. does not consider that one man's meat is another man's poyson and that which sutes one man's temper may kill another especially in this age when so many people like Mithridates or the Maid in Pliny live upon that laugh and grow fat with that that would ruine others Perhaps amongst your Crew and Gang such venemous expressions as you disgorge in your Book against the Innocence and good fame of the late King Arch-Bishop Laud by the deformity of the Reign with absolute Government Ceremonies c. and perhaps amongst your selves you do securely jeer and scoff at the Parliament the Church Sacraments Fathers of the Church and Privy-Councellors and great Ministers of State thinking you speak under the Rose and so all goes merrily down But I 'le assure you these works of darkness and words that are fit only for the place of darkness malicious leasings and consequently devillish and venemous words and discourses may not safely come abroad and be vended though you pretend never so much mirth and innocency in your design Apothecaries will not sell poyson to any but those they have great confidence in not willing for a little gain to be so much as the remote occasion of mischief not having Antidotes in all their Shop prevalent enough to check the malignity and energie of a little poyson And truly all your Peccavi's come too late
honest words like the Divel in Samuels Cassock 1 Sam. 28. 14. And the weeds that may now annoy the Churches Garden may yet prove medicinable virtute officii though not virtutis officio Galba Otho and Vitellius as our Richard the Third were good Emperours though bad men and 't is possible bad men may yet sometimes be good Preachers Yet we may say as of weeds they do more harm than good in the Garden of God they make the way of Truth to be evil spoken of and stain the Surplice they wear Being the Churches Opprobrium Rom. 2. 23 24. the scandal of their Profession and high Calling putting Religion to the Blush For when we compare their prophane lives with those of the good Apostles whom they succeed we may say as that Painter replyed to a Cardinal who was angry with him for painting the faces of St. Peter and St. Paul so red I do it saith he for the very nonce that they may be thought to blush at the lives of their Successors He was in the right on 't that of old complain'd that formerly the Church had wooden Chalices and golden Ministers but now saith he we have golden Chalices and wooden Ministers Such Drones so they get the Honey care not who labour or under what discouragements they labour that 's work for the poor Bee Thus Damasus the Scholar to St. Hierom stept up into the Infallible Chair whilst poor St. Hierom ended his days in a Cell at Bethlehem Yet it is more true Honour to deserve Honour and want it than by Simony or smock Simony to bluster in swelling Titles without merit Cato had rather men should question why he had no statues erected in honour of his great worth than why he had any True Piety and Vertue is vera nobilitas it s own ornament and needs not the varnish of dear-bought Heraldry to set it off And if true Piety be required in any man much more in a Clergy-man whose escapes like a City upon a Hill and the oyntment of the right hand cannot be hid especially in these times when men watch for advantage against them and like the Divels rejoyce in iniquity A little spot is seen in white in a Swan not so in Swine fine Lawn is sooner stain'd than course Canvas every little flaw spoils a Diamond The people are affected opere more than ore exemplis plus quam verbis more with Examples than Precepts more with deeds than words except they be very flattering words and pronounc'd by such glozing Parasites as will lick up the peoples spittle in hopes of gain or fame humoring them to the life but to their own and the peoples everlasting death like Demas that forsook St. Paul to be further preferr'd to the favour of the rabble and in the Idol Temple at Thessalonica They therefore that tread in high places had need look to their steps that they walk uprightly especially when they have many followers and dependents lest they be accessary to other mens fall as well as principally to their own As the due place of the Clergy sets them above many others Heb. 13. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 12. so should they be more eminent than others in Learning and Piety Gods high Priest of old had Pomegranates for smell as well as Bells for sound King Solomon the Preacher call himself Koheloth the Preacheress of the feminine gender and Preachers are called wisdoms Maids Prov 9. 3. And the Apostles are called Joh. 3. 29. Christs Nymphs to teach the Clergy purity as Virgins The longer their Gowns and Robes are the more apt to contract dirt and therefore the more carefully to be holden up lewdness in a Virgin is insufferable Epicurism and Libertinism prevail'd in the World not for the goodness of the Doctrine but because of the sober and austere life of the Doctor that brought it Epicurus And I am confident that rebellion and schism which is factions libertinism had never prevail'd so far in the hearts of the people of England against so righteous a King and Laws but for the austerity of many of the most vile incendiaries and the loosness and remissness of others who went not so steddily though walking upon better ground Thus you see my friend I am not possest with a spirit of contradiction right or wrong to oppose all that Greg. does say I can be content to accept truth even when it comes from the father of lyes and all I have now writ toyou upon this occasion given me by Greg. is only out of my hearty well wishes to the Clergy that the enemy by standing on their ground may have no advantage over them for we are not ignorant of his devices endeavouring to foyl and always twitting a good cause where he finds the least resistance and defence Though in the greatest latitude of Charity no man can imagine that Father-Gray-beard exposes the loosness of any of the Clergy for any love he has to a more strict conversation either in himself or them That which is most admirable in the man is the pregnancy of his fancy in only one Art to wit the superfetation of wit in all the kinds of railing the worst Butter-whore is to seek and may well go to school to Trinkles he and she both being so sertile sure the brood they ingender will all be Marvelous railers With what exuberancy of stile and variety of invectives does he prosecute the Ecclesiastical Politician Bishop Bramhall Arch-bishop Usher Bishop Sparrow Bishop Andrews deceased Arch bishop Laud deceased King Charles deceased with many sinister reflexions upon his gracious Majesty and this happy Parliament How falsly does he charge the Church of England when he says it admits none to Baptism without the sign of the Cross whereas the sign of the Cross is not the Cross in Baptism by her Constitutions But the Cross after Baptism when the God-fathers and God-mothers vouch for the visibility of the Childs profession and education in Christ's Religion and is a practice as ancient as innocent amongst Christians who being scofft by the Heathens for believing in Christ crucified on a Cross they did ever since the Apostles time thereby testifie and openly and couragiously justifie to the World that they were no Gnosticks but like St. Paul not ashamed of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And whereas he makes it such a horrid thing to keep men from the other Sacrament of Christ viz. the Lords Supper because they will not kneel and stoop to a Ceremony let him know they do justly and warrantably in so doing granting there is such an Humane Law and Ordinance for the same which ought to be lest men left to their liberty some would out of novelty singularity or capriciousness loll or lye upon the ground in unseemly if not in immodest postures and consequently tempt some to abhorr the offering of the Lord. And whether we stand or keep walking all the time as many Calvinists do or sit as do some other Calvinists
Enough to deter men from those so little plausible Truths which I have own'd in this Letter with such candor and freedom according to that Primitive Orthodoxy of our Saviour the Apostles the Primitive Church and the present Church of England if they durst speak out for fear of being houted at with such as Greg. and scurrilous companions of Oliverian Orthodoxy who hang together on one string stand by defend and encourage one another by gifts and preferments too strong temptations for narrow and degenerous souls to resist thereby betraying discountenanc'd Truths Whilst on the other hand and party men are so unconcern'd in any thing but private interest and little picques that a despised truth may go a begging for all them let the Church and Truth sink or swim they 'l save one little considering that neither their private Cargo's nor themselves can possibly be safe in a wrack Which this Kingdom and Church has suffered lately already by a rebellion countenanc'd and vouch'd by Gospel-discoveries in their Lectures Preachments rash Prayers called blasphemously gifts of the holy Ghost all which I have proved to be no gifts otherwise than as Physicians call their Medicines doses gifts yet men pay dear enough for these doses and so have these doses if they be gifts cost these Kingdoms dear even their best heart blood God keep us from their doses and the Jewish thraldom of sabbathizing by which Hypocritically and Pharisaically they impropriated a day from works of mercy that they might have more leisure to sell their doses or gifts as they falsly call them helping themselves at once with a market day on which they may sell at leasure all their Apostate wares and Impostures and perhaps sell the same wares two or three or four times on the same market-day first in a Morning Lecture at one Chureh in a fore-noon Sermon at another Congregation in an after-noon Sermon at another place and then fourthly and lastly a Crambe Repetition of the same Sermon though pitiful ware God knows as ever cost so dear having been paid for dear enough in conscience at the first part of the day when it was expos'd to sale in the morning Lecture And also this Superstitious Sabbathizing though contrary to all the reformed Churches in the world and all Christendom whether they follow the Greek Muscovian Roman Lutheran or Calvinian Churches yet here in England alone admired by these Modern Orthodox partly for their gain-sake partly for pride-sake glorying and braving their betters with that silly superstitious vizor of Religion but making more damnable use of it by arming the people bejuggled with their pretences of serving the Lord in their care of the Lords day against the King and Church that hating to lay greater yokes burdens upon the necks of the disciples than Christ the Apostles Primitive Church and all Christendom does impose proclaim'd that due liberty to which Christ had set us free by abolishing that Type Sabbathical both weekly and yearly Sabbaths amongst other hand-writings of Ordinances Ceremonial that were against us Yet these Modern Orthodox men fairly pretending for God and preaching up his day though superstitiously and Ceremoniously Jewishly Pharisaically and Hypocritically made the silly people believe all was gold that they made to glister and nothing could be superstitious which they cry'd up who used to cry down superstition with a filthy wide mouth and as wide from Truth Scripture Right Reason as Heaven is from Hell or Truth from falshood This Jewish superstitious Sabbathizing then furnisht them with one whole day in a week to vend their wares and get gain though afterward their insatiable greediness got them week-day Lectures too also furnisht them with a new cloak of Holiness to cover their knavery rebellion jugglings pride covetousness and schism and also furnisht them with an Artillery of men and arms with adjutant supplies of money to boot to fight against the King and Church and fill the whole Land with blood and ruine fighting for superstition under the colours of holiness and the Lords day and all that oppose them herein must needs be fighters against God and prophane Which opinion of the people is still so settled in them and so little hopes there is that they will be capable of better information and so little thanks however for the pains unpleasant truths being never so welcome as pleasing errours and superstitions that I once resolv'd with the old Politick Monk sinere res vadere vt vadunt to let people think and do what they would for all me But when I consider'd the mischief that this Jewish superstition alone has occasion'd in the Kingdom and that either King Church and Kingdom must deny their own light and knowledge and thus Judaize or else there is a weapon always at hand ready for the Modern Orthodox plausibly to assault again our Peace upon all occasions and till mutiny be ripe there is in the interim a sufficient calumny always ready by way of preparation thereunto wherewith to reproach the King and Church as debauch'd in principles and practices prophane when if the truth was but known and the question determined the prophaneness must lye where the superstition lyes yet if Greg. had not hinted it in reproach to Bishop Bramhall I had not medled with it now though I bless God for the occasion and that he has put so much courage and honesty in my mind as to study more to get my Country-men good by avowing the Truth than to get their good wills by betraying Truth through slavish and base designs of applause and profit against both which as to mine own particular affairs I now speak in this particular concern for Truth as you knowing my Profession so well do very well know And I am afraid some of the Clergy of the Church of England will give me little thanks for some passages and a hundred to one if some little pert Gentleman do not briskly stand up and say You with your Sermon of six verses which you commend so highly to the skies as that which alone will carry a man to heaven if he do but practise that Sermon then he follows me on with Latine sentences Laus proprio sordet in ore c. And must we burn all our Sermon notes Four or five hundred Sermons I have now by me of mine own making at least transcrib'd all with mine own hand and some I intend for the Press some to dedicate to the Right Worshipful my Patron that gave me this Living some of the better sort to the Right Honourable my Patron I hope that shall be in giving me a better Living And do you think I will lose the opportunities of publishing my thankfulness to one Patron for the Living I have and of procuring my self a better Living by the Simony of Praises a whole page full in an Epistle Dedicatory to my Patron that shall be I hope you with your six verses what do you say to these things besides I owe
baptizing them c. but said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in English Disciple all nations or make Disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father c. then follows teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you So that now baptizing goes before teaching how do you answer this Mr. Black-coat Chimney-sweeper your Idol cannot save you now for it is the workmanship of mans hands and subject to corruption But perhaps you 'l say were not the Translators of the Bible as good Scholars as I am and as honest First I answer I am glad you see there is an absolute necessity of Schollarship more than a bare understanding and reading of English an absolute necessity to keep up and give encouragements to a Learned Clergy and that you lose your own eyes at least your own spectacles your own lights when you contemn them despise them it is as the blind man despises his guide but if he were gone he would be glad to call him again if not for love of him yet for the need he has of him he cannot get home without him nor keep out of the pit without him Or if he should call his guide again and instead of him one as blind as himself should happen to be near him they might talk a little together but this other blind man could not help his fellow home nor keep out of the ditch nor avoid the stumbling-blocks although this same or both of the blind men were bedaub'd with gold and silver lace or if their heads were adorn'd with a huffing Peruke but wanting eyes and a guide they must necessarily both fall into the ditch And if any think that this reflects upon Gentleman himself indeed I say it does and is intended against those upstarts which are Jacks rather than Gentlemen for true bred English Gentlemen use to love and practise Learning themselves did study to adorn their heads with brains rather than a strumpets hair and lov'd and honour'd Learning and Learned men But our frothy Upstarts want wit and manners too know no Gallantry but what I can adorn mine Ass withal when I list only here 's the difference mine Ass is good for something gives good milk for a Consumption and is a repairer and restorer of the wasted body and the Pockey Bones whereas your Ass-Gentleman is good for nothing but is a waster instead of a repairer does no good in his generation so much as the beasts seeming to be born for no other end but to run squeaking up and down like the Rats and the Mice and to gnaw cheese and Parmasin and eat up the victuals Yet he shall catch at a phrase chew to a Crumb some chymical term of Art or a new-coin'd word pick'd up at a club and away he struts repeats to himself admires his own Improvements laughs at the Clergy dictates policy talks of a new woâ—…ld in the Moon and about goes the earth with a whip in a trice Aristotle a Block-head to Copernicus his Politicks dull to Machiavel-Greg Galen a fool rather than a Physician then nothing less contents him than to sublimate his silver into vapour and smoak to be a Virtuoso and with new experiments confound all Order Government and Policy and thereby commence new Politicoso and wast body and bones with a Pockey Ingenioso And there 's your Gentleman a la mode And if I might perswade the Clergy if it were not to do good in their Generation and serve it and keep it from the ruine such as these like Father-Grey-beard do threaten it with these fellows should have Elbow-room and have rope enough to scope as they list in Church and State and Court and Councils why should you be their Cooks since they rule the roast when there is scarcely the worst of you but is more useful than a hundred of them For as when there was no King in Israel in England every man did that which was right in his own eyes their liberty they long'd for reduc'd them to such confusions and streights that they were forc'd for their sakes and benefits to call in the King whose own right it was So let but these new Politicians play their pranks with their new Experiments of Licentiousness and in Church and State and Court and Councils do all as far as his Majesty will suffer them as well as do ill and we shall soon see them bring such confusions upon the Kingdom and such streights upon themselves they will be glad to call Clergy into favour again for their own sakes as well as for the sake of their Posterities Which certainly will suffer if these mens folly be suffer'd and indulg'd for who will bring up his son to be a Clergy-man when Gregory Grey-beard shall be more countenan'cd than the best of them it is a shame to tell but it is too true and a greater shame it should be so than to say so Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse pium For though no Clergy-man gets either love or thanks more than any other Minister of State by concerning himself in the great affairs of State those that inhabit the temperate Zones having more ease and less sweat and danger though not so near the Sun and his directer Beams yet certainly it is good for the King and Kingdom that they should have as by Law their due a considerable influence upon and inspection into the great affairs of State And I am of Gregories opinion in that p. 301. That they make the best Ministers of State in the world if they keep them to their Bibles 't is true all men have errours but they are in probability more like to keep to their Bibles than any other sort of men God therefore at first gave the Government to Priests and Prophets and Preachers such as Moses was and Samuel David and Solomon and made the Kingdom happy under their oversight as England has been made as happy by their influence in Government as by any other sort of men whatsoever till the Kingdom 's happiness fell with them by the advance of modern Orthodoxy And it is worth the remembring that when the House of Lords voted the Bishops out of the House and from the seats to which they had as good right as themselves they did but thereby become their own Cryers and made Proclamation to dissolve their own Court the Spiritual Lords only first going out at the door and showing the rest of the Lords the way down stairs and the most of the House of Commons followed soon after But my pen runs like Mr. Prin's I have almost forgot where I was Oh! at the objection why did not our Translators of the Bible render the Original more exactly into English To which I answer the Translators in King James his time did well and learnedly mended many things that were amiss and deserve great Honour and thanks but they did but cobble some things Bernardus non videt omnia and some inconveniences
seared with a hot iron that though the poyson of Asps is perpetually under their lips and they spit their venom against their Superiors yet recant not repent not nor do their tender Consciences feel any remorse or regret Thus Ver. 6. when the Post went out with the Letters from the King and his Princes throughout all Israel and Judah and according to the Commandment of the King requiring the people to Conform and not to be stiff-necked v. 8. as their fathers were but yield themselves unto the Lord so is the Law of the King and Council there called But what entertainment did the people give it This is the question at this day Truly the people were then as now some of them Conformists and some of them Non-conformists The Nonconformists were Ephraim wholly and part of the Tribe of Manasseh and part of Zebulon v. 10. The Conformists were all Judah part of the Tribe of Ashur part of Manasseh and part of Zebulon v. 11 12. Here stand the two Pparties the Non-conformists jearing and laughing and scorning and mocking at the Messengers or Ministers of the King declaring the Kings pleasure and the Law v. 10. And the Ministers were right serv'd I am sure Father Gray beard will say he would have chastised them for their worthy eares nay I fear he would have cried out ruine and desolation all Scotland and part of the Church of England c. is quite undone Here is man's Post against God's Post man's Threshold against God's Threshold Antichrist against Christ and the King's Law against the Positive words of God's Law But perhaps some will say Hezekiah though a good King yet had his faults and so might his Council too tell us not what they did but tell us how God did approve and like of what they did in making a Law against his Law who did God own the Conformists or Non-conformists can you tell us that Yes that I can 2 Chron. 30. 12. This commandment of the King and the Princes against the positive rule of God's Law being made for a good reason moving the King and his Council thereunto is not withstanding called the Word of the Lord and the band of the Lord was with the Conformists God is on our side may they say For the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the Commandment of the King and of the Princes by the word of the Lord. Thus tempting of Moses is called tempting of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 9. This I had not now urged but that Greg. and such fellows as he will take upon them to read Politick and Divinity Lectures to the World in Print when they know nothing but Modern Orthodoxy read Books and hearken to Preachers of their opinion wherein thus confirm'd they admire their Gigantick Improvements and then bid defiance like furious Orlando's to all mankind when indeed they are big with nothing but a soft pate huft and blown up with their own dear humours of self-conceit Nor do I think Governours have warrant from that instance to disannul Gods Sacraments but as to Circumstances and Ceremonies of time place habits gestures and the like according to their Judgement and necessity or conveniency moving them have an unanswerable Right Let Greg. and his Modern Orthodox men mitigate this too I fear them not nor all their snivellings and whinings which no body admires but blew and white aprons and the more ingenious Tankerd-bearers And let them consider without prejudice and in the fear of Almighty God that when the Sons of Jonadab the Sons of Rechab in obedience to him their Superiour submitted to his Humane-law in drinking no Wine nor building Houses nor planting Vineyards which certainly are all very good things and God likewise tells man that all the good creatures he made on purpose for him and his use every herb bearing seed and every tree bearing fruit commanding it should be to mankind for meat c. yet in obedience to the first commandment with promise they would not take the liberty and priviledge warranted to them by God and his Word but would obey the commandment of Jonadab their father and keep all his precepts And God did so love them for it that he blesses them for it saying Jer. 35. 18 19. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you Therefore thus saith saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever Happy would it be for the people of England in soul and body and estate here and hereafter on earth and in heaven if they would observe these thing rather than the wily wrestings of Holy Writ by crafty Seducers that have no way to cheat the people and be admired by them but by such Artifices as cheat them of their souls too and make the Kingdom so disturbed and their followers too and the bottom of all these juglings is but to get a paltry sneaking livelyhood and a little popular applause And then must our Governours and the King in especial be therein happy too and verifie every way the Anagram of his name in Latine Carolus Stuarte Anagr. Clarus sorte tua When Nero set Rome on fire he played upon the Ho-boy all the time and laid the blame on the Christians and thus Greg. J. O. and the rest of his friends the Modern Orthodox set these three Kingdoms on a flame with a brand fetch'd from Geneva and the Covenant and yet they make themselves merry with our misery lay all the blame upon King Charles Arch-Bishop Laud Ceremonies and Imposition of the Liturgy assassinating again those two glorious Martyrs in their Honour and Innocence and endeavouring to justifie the bloody Villains that murthered them Nor must his Majesty so much as think of their bloody and unparallel'd Cruelty because Augustus Caesar's Father too was murthered and his Kinsman Henry IV. of France likewise and Henry III. and such Gentlemens Memories had their Successors and the Cabinet-Council that they let the murderers escape scot-free and if piety and good nature would move for a stricter vindication of his Fathers death yet in Policy have a care displease not the Villains as you love your Kingdoms for a sturdy Swiss and a malepert Fisher-boy in Naples overturn'd all by a basket of Apples With such stuffe as this does Father Grey-beard and his Modern Christians wipe their mouths with the whore in the Proverbs and say they have done no wickedness but all the fault is in thine own people in King Charles I. Arch-Bishop Laud Fathers of the Church Superfetations Parliaments and evil Counsellors And if I have beat all these Butt-ends of his upon his own Pate and vindicated King Charles I. his Reign from that deformity wherewith both it his Majesty and Arch-Bishop Laud are by this bold Author as falsly and maliciously as well as most unseasonably in this Juncture maligned I have my end But who this Malignant is for my part I am not solicitous nor did I ever see any man that was taken for him upon suspicion I have dealt with him all along as is prescribed in the method for cure of unruly and vain talkers and deceivers Tit. 1. 13. namely rebuk'd him as sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly to the quick as near as I could with honest design by such harmless incisions to let out the impostumated Quitter and prepare for his cure odi vitium non virum And now I have done and to write after him p. 325. but withall to set him a better Copy I shall think my self largely recompen sed for this trouble if Greg. and others shall learn by this Example that it is not impossible thus long to be merry and angry as he was but to be merry and angry and yet not sin by traducing the most innocent and honourable Persons dead and alive by such superfetation of Rayling as he has done I am Your servant Edm. Hickeringill FINIS Dr. Bruges
Play-house Bills as unconcern'd and hopeless as if it were Copti or Syriack Or if he should be so daring as to venture to spell it and put it together it would stick in his throat like Welsh or Irish. This 't is to be mortal not free of the Company of Wits who as Gregory Father-Grey-beard for so I 'le style this whisler for his merits-sake sometimes for brevity sake plain Greg. intimates p. 51 52 53. 2d Imp. feast at a Club on nothing but conceits reeking hot and with a pretty smile or so till it be grown almost as good as a Play at last laugh right out and saving your Reverence Sir turn their breech 't is his own smutty Language at all the world besides that live poor souls on their leavings viz. cold conceits and not enough matured Oh Hudibras Droll Laureat Wits-Common-wealth or which is more friend to Trans Poor wit might have slept quietly as she has done time out of mind but that Hud took her napping gave her a twitch by the nose and made her wait on him in the shape of a Droll draws a Circle and conjured her henceforward never so much as to look at a Cassock a Quoif a Gown or a Bulls-cap but by no means on a Black-Cap white-fac'd nor so much as to come within sight of the Cradle upon Kings-Colledge-Chappel but be confin'd henceforth for ever to the Coffee-house Clubs Drolls Virtuoso's and Ingenioso's who now with the help of the Press Coffee and the Wine-Press want nothing but Ink and Elbow-grease as Trans threatens the trembling world to do more harm than an hundred Systematical Divines with their sweaty Preaching What a dull Thing was he that writ The Advancement of Learning If he could but have hit on 't It had been but converting the Colledges and Halls into Laboratories the Inns of Court into Coffee-houses the Doctors into Ingeniosos then changing their Books for Limbecks Crucibles Furnaces Coffee-pots and China-dishes the Canonical Black for a light Drugget Aristotle for Hobs Ecclesiastical Policy for Contempt of the Clergy the Friendly Debate for our Friend Greg. Chopping Logick and all antiquated Terms of Art into Tuants Flambos Ragousts Risques Intrigues Harangues Comfortable Importance Remarks Repartees c. above all keeping the head warm the while with a Perriwig instead of a Square Cap and the business had been done the Circle squar'd the Longitude Pepetual motion and the true Philosophers Stone of wit had been found out He that presum'd the Pope was a Niggard if not very hard-hearted because he could as easily have fetch'd all the poor Prisoners out of Purgatory at once as one or two now and then if he had listed would certainly have had as little charity for Greg. and his Corporation of Drolls for engrossing all the Wit and Learning in the world except that little they retayl out to the frail world that half starv'd gape for it when they may so easily if they had the hearts by the help of a new Dictionary for their new-coyn'd words enrich the world with light wit by whole-sale and free it from darkness Yet I 'le assure you Dear Sir I shall ne're endeavour to bring these Witâ—…alls within the statute against Monopolies I do not envy them nothing of this moves my spleen but that they are grown so spleenatick and cannot be content to have all the wit in the world but must needs become petulant and with scorn trample upon all mankind This insolence of Greg. Father-Grey-beard against Bayes moves me â—…or not contenting himself with exposing our learned friend as impudent and Counterfeit p. 2. a Preface-monger a malepert Chaplain p. 4. a dangerous fellow p. 11. Arrogance p. 19. Cut-throat p. 41. Ecclesiastical Draw-can-sir p. 42. Penitenâ—…iary universal to the reformed Churches and ridiculous Buffoon-General to the Church of England p. 44. Daw-Divine p. 45. Opprobrium Academiae et pestis Ecclesiae p. 46. Interloper Prodigie and prodigious person p. 47. yet by way of Irony Pink of Couâ—…tesie p. 9. and Overseer of Gods high-way p. 76. a Creature most obnoxious yet mâ—… despicable p. 48. a mad-Priest fit for nothing but Bedlam and Hogsdon p. 61. Cock-divine Câ—…ck wit p. 64. mad man in Print p. 66. Hebrew Jew p. 73. one that has strewed Arsehick in every leaf p. 79. Spy and Intelligencer p. 92. a Writer of a paltry Book p. 105. a Buffoon p. 106. a Hypocrite to God and a Knave amongst men p. 115. with the like Drivill in twice as many pages more but by degrees to render him an enemy of mankind like a raging Indian running a Muck and stabbing every man he meets p. 59. and killing whole nations friend and foe Hungary Transilvania Bohemia Poland Savoy France the Netherlands Denmark Sweden and a great part of the Church of England and all Scotland p. 42 43. Bless me startled I the drawing-on world is just now at the last gasp but I was so much the more astonish'd and surpriz'd because I found not one word of all this in Englands fate happily and piously discovered in two Prophetical Books one call'd Annus mirabilis It has a Greek name too but in English it heights Mervail's year 1661. and the other Annus mirabilis secundus 1662. who was the Author you may ghess But having some skill in Astrologie I had more than a months mind to see the face of the Heavens to know whether by their lowring looks they boded all this terrour With a trembling hand therefore â—…king down the Ephemerides and the table of the dignity of the Planets together with Will Lillyes Introduction I drew my Scheme and I found the Heavens look'd just thus My fears brought me near enough to an extasie which is next door to rapture and Poesie my fancy meeting by chance with a Drolling Muse represented the Scheme thus Sol's near his Exaltation Where Mars will welcome him anon Mars his own house doth dignifie Englands brave Prince is blest thereby And Saturn in his own House lyes All these are happy Auguries Mercury Virtuoso close Is in Conjunction nose to nose With Venus poor Girl fair but frail Their Meeting-House the Dragons Tayl The sting did make me quake for fear I saw i' th' Dragons Tayl stick there But forthwith all my fears were over Because this Omen doth discover Mars being Lord of the eighth house Which by Astrologers is châ—…se As fittest for the House of death In language of the stars it saith Some Lord by Hector Virtuoso May in a Duel die or so so Mars being plac'd too in the Ram He dies a Cuckold too I came From thence to the tenth House to spye In what posture Venus did lie Snugging so close to Mercury Which speaks the loss of Mayden-head No Hold alas 't is not so good 'T is the loss of all modest sence And speaks unparallel'd impudence But Jove being uncombust and free With the Lords o' th' Triplicitie In no Azimenes they thence United in their
in wittily enough for those times for then keeping to the Letter and Latine scrapt were not cry'd down by the wits Primi Pravi Episcopi Aposcopi Cardinales Carnales Canonici Cenonici Praepositi praeposteri Oh Monachi vestri Stomachi I know not what a kind heart to the Nuns Greg. might have prov'd but I am confident he would have made no bones on their Lands and all this picque at the Clergy is not without design Is not the band of with thee in all this Is there never a fat Mannor of the Bishops-Lands next Hedge to his little field I mean it would help the Prospect a little better in his own ground if he could perswade to another dissolution Beshrew me he has done fair to put in for a share and to be remembred in the dole Besides his necessities may possibly plead for him for great Gamesters such as he makes himself p. 283. playing no less than Pieces at Picquet and haunting the Ordinaries are usually great losers which unhappy chances if they fall out to be Gregories Lot and blank him and bilk him then sui profusus must be alieni appetens And of whose goods then can this Free-booter make a prize on more lawfully and with more justice than upon the Churches Dignities a Dignitory of Lincoln he tells us p. 282. having cheated him already of his Pieces and fingred his money Is 't not pity his Majesty does not give him a Letter of Mart to reimburse himself upon that people by some of whom he was rob'd Is not his Book a Prologue to his Revenge foaming and raging against the people of God as proud Homan did and vowing their destruction and total extirpation of all the dignities in the Church only for the affront of one Mordecai alledging as wicked Haman did that it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them For render but the Bishop's office useless especially as to Episcopal Grandeur useless as indeed it is if there be no discipline all indulgence Then praestò comes me in Judas with his old speech made just 1640 years agoe To what purpose is this wast Had not these fair Manors and Bishops Lands better have been sold and given to the Poor Poor Soldiers or poor Courtiers rather than fail If a Gentleman has consumed his body or wasted his estate with gaming riot and wenching would not it wonderfully comfort his bowels refresh and chear up the man's drooping spirits and despair To have all heal'd again with the Lands of the old Bishops or Prebends that ne'r knew how to lead a Dance hand a Mistress tread in a Masque or pick the teeth with bonne Grace nor so much as knew how to set the Periwig and Galloshoes much less the true timing and accenting of a Rapper and double swinger And though these accomplishments not to be despised are worthy consideration and may plead some merit yet an Hospital one would think should be the height of such mens ambition and if it were not for charity-sake more than their due But if their merits were never so impulsive and supererogating yet good men like God should hate robbery for an offering When the Levellers in the late times set up their Standard at Burford-heath and also erected a Court of Chancery so called for the Equity of its design inviting all Christian people to the Confederacy for is there any equity or good Conscience said they that a Lord or Gentleman should have 5000 10000 or 20000 pound per annum when 20000 men have not so many pence Oliver thereat took so hot an Alarm that he never did either more or better bestir himself saying If these men be suffered there will be no living by them either for Gentlemen yeomen or tradesmen But it is written thou shalt not steal When the dumb beast opened his mouth saying Am not I thine Ass He did thereby in right and good reason stop the mouths of all those that should gape after the goods belonging to the Prophet though a wicked one And this Ass shall serve to reprove the madness of this Father-grey-beard who p. 309. by trampling on the fathers of the Church and rendring them useless as wantonizing away their time and opportunities to do good and as Tyrants chastising them for their worthy cares and afterwards striking at those of them that are privy Councellors with unparallel'd pertness and daring would thereby render them uncapable of and unfit for their great places and revenues And all this in so palpable and signal a manner that every vulgar eye may readily see through his design and guess at the success if his Book had come out in 1642 as it does in 1672. Yet the Government being so well setled it is evident he labours in vain and Balaam's Ass may silence him these Places and Revenues belonging to those Prophets are their own And by as good Right Reason and Law as any other men can shew for their estates Indeed it is as needless as difficult for one of my quality to pass a judgment upon the merit and worth of the present fathers of the Church and much more insignificant is any Testimonial of mine to vouch them Yet in despight of Father Grey-beard or Envy it self and as far from flattery we must say that there are none that are honess sons of the Church and legitimate that have any cause to be asham'd of the present Fathers of the church of England which Clâ—…ros inter habet nomina clara viros Still as of old makes good the Proverb currant all the Christian-world over Clerus Britaunious stupor mundi The English Clergy are the worlds wonder Worthies we have many of whom this ungrateful and frothy age of the world is not worthy But granting what Greg. endeavours should be taken for granted that some of the Fathers of the Church were good for nothing but to fill and keep the Bag must all the Apostles be decry'd for one Judas Nay granting that all the Lords spiritual minded nothing but wickedness yet they have as good right to their Estates as any wicked temporal Lord of the laity or prophane Gentleman can have to his And they must be very bad indeed if they deserve not their places as well as the most others do or even as well as this Father Grey-beard himself does merit his places or Lands if he ever had any or has any yet left since he begun to frequent the Ordinaries and play pieces And if he do not look well to his hits it is more than an even lay that I shall beat him out of his play before I have done Yet I would have had more wit in mine anger and favour'd him the more if he had not so unmanly and disingenuously play'd upon the dead Not to mention again here those already mentioned our late Soveraign Arch-Bishop Laud Arch-Bishop Usher and Bishop Bramhall to his own eternal reproach already by him violated but most to his own shame I cannot but here take notice
my Cassock and Girdle but let him and all the Virtuosos in England laugh how they will whether with open mouth or in their sleeves they can never be able to laugh me out of my Coat Indeed I am none of these merry Greeks I can neither pergraecari nor laugh now I 'm not in the humour they only can best laugh that win But I must be serious and mind the great business in hand to see when it will come to my turn to wait upon Father-grey beard as one of the Clergy to make him laugh Let 's count Every day How many days is there in a year Ask poor Robin According to the Julian account 365 days Fanatick Calender 366 days for there is a mystery in 66. Well then 366 days in a year and above 1â—…000 Parishes in England of which I have but just four Parishes neither more nor less How long then will it be before my turn comes for one or other of these four Parishes to make sport for Greg. and make him laugh who is not one day without the company of one or other Chaplain new as the day to say grace for him and make him laugh At a venture I 'l say it will not come to my turn to tickle and trinkle him till he laugh again above once a year and to the most of the Clergy who have but one Parish once in four years Now what great Marvail is all this in reproach to the Clergy that every one or other of them some once a year and some of them of the most wary and poorer sort that have but one Living and that scarcely a Living neither once in four pears does or saith or at least some accident befals him or them that a merry man and full of spleen sure he means a Phanatick cannot hold from laughing Nay if there were a whole thousand of Clergy-men so ridiculous that once in a year or at least once in four years did do such a ridiculous action or else spoke such a ridiculous word or at least some gave him a twitch by the Girdle or some other sad accident befel him that might make a Gentleman laugh Why are all the rest of the eleven thousand Clergy-men thereby any more blemish'd and made contemptible than were the eleven Apostles for one Judas Or than all All the Lords Parliament-men Gentlemen and Tradesmen because a certain Lord he shall be nameless and a certain Parliament-man I name none or a certain Gentleman and also fourthly and lastly a certain Citizen that either did or said or else some accident befel him or them or at least befel the wife of him or one of them so ludicrously and ridiculously that a man merrily dispos'd could not but laugh as if he had seen a pair of Horns upon the head of him or them or one of them a sad accident or that a certain Lord Parliament-man Gentleman I forgot to say the Knight or Citizen with his Perywig off either pluck'd off or struck off or box'd off or fourthly and lastly by some other sad accident fallen off Now what a blot in the Scutcheon would this be to all the Lords Parliament men Gentlemen and Citizens in England if Greg. was their Adversary or should come to be Garter King at Arms Oh! yes a very great blot and blurr to Honour and Reputation of which the Gentlemen of England are so tender that 't is two to one if Greg. had not ten thousand Gloves sent him all left-handed if he had dared thus to confront persons of Quality and men of Honour But to put the affront upon the Clergy great and small poor and rich long short Gowns Lawn Sleeves or no Sleeves Cassocks silk or Cassocks thread-bare from the Ordinary to the Rector Vicar or poor Curate from the silk Girdle with four Livings to the worsted Girdle with poor one Living 't is all one to Greg. He dares all slights all jears all nay huffs and struts stands a tip-toe and looks big shakes his Perywig and stamps scolds rails swells frets and rages like a profess'd Hec. at all of them as a pack of puny Gown-men a Pen and Ink-horn-crew a sort of spiritless and cowhearted milk-sops dastards and white-livers and dare not send a Gentleman the length of their sword Excepting this there 's nothing tends to the contempt of the Clergy in his whole relation and invectives any more than what changing the name may with as much ease and unavoidably make a thrust at Reputation of Lord Parliament man Gentleman or Citizen Some one or other of the Clergy nay a thousand of them may be black and yet both the Church-men and the Church continue comely I wish indeed with all my heart that all the whole company of Divines in England were a Divine company I wish that the Clergy and all other men of what quality soever were without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that might tempt either a light heart to laugh or a good heart to weep But though I so pray I have no cause to believe it will be so or any great ground for hope that it ever shall be so whilst we are mortal although Modern Orthodoxy and Hugh Peter should be rediviv'd The Modern Orthodox Oh! there 's your man Iste regit dictis animos Nec longè scilicet Hostes Quaerendi nobis circumstant undique muros These are the men that can make Candida de nigris de candentibus atra I 'l fit you for ends of verse and I 'l use them as I list and when I list for all you Father-gray-beard Greg. tells us not of one Daw-Divine amongst the Modern Orthodox no he says that if he can do them no good he is resolv'd he will do them no harm nor tells us of one Buffoon or mad Priest amongst them not one Cock-wit Hugh Peters J. O. Smec or Cock-Divine c. Thus Asinus scalpat asinum The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously But though there be not one of the Modern Orthodox that pretend to fear God who does truly honour the King Yet I wish if wishes would do that there were not one of the old Orthodox Divines who truly honour the King but would also truly fear God Turpe est Doctori cùm culpa redarguit ipsum Which I english thus Great Doctors sins when Doctors fall Just like their Robes are scarlet All. Not but that I think that evil Ministers if men of Parts may possibly minister some good a crackt Bell may serve to ring others to Church though it self must be cast into the fire or like Noahs Carpenters who made a shift to build an Ark of Salvation for Noah and his Family though themselves were drown'd A dull whet-stone may serve to set an edge upon a knife and the life-less Sun does yet enliven other Creatures and in this sence denies the old Axiome Nil dat quod non habet speaking like the Magick-head of Brass with
variety was not then in fashion he preach'd and so did the Apostles the best that they could and the best that could be and if they had not preach'd the same things over and over over and over again they must have preach'd one time better than another which is not safe to say of our Saviour therefore when his Disciples desire him to teach them to pray he tells them no other but what he had told them in his first Sermon when ye pray sâ—…y Our Father c. And when he was in his Agony and prayed most earnestly the third time it was short not like the Pharisees nor our modern Pharisees but to the purpose and saying the same words the same words Our Saviour never took a Text but once and then the Sermon he made of it was not so long as the Text. S. Peter converts three thousand with a Sermon Acts 2. And all the whole Sermon was but half a Chapter and yet the longest that ever he made that in the tenth Chapter of the Acts was scarcely half so long I might give many more instances to shew that this way of Sermons that now obtains and is the fashion is not the way of Christ if this was intended for a set-discourse for that purpose but I mention it now only to shew that these Sermons Sermons Lectures Preachings as they that mâ—…st haunted them and cryed them up have been and still are the greatest villains cheats treacherous deceivers ' under the Cope of Heaven so it does but still evidence the more that it is not the way of Christ brought into the Churuch by two or three talking men some hundred of years after Christ but they shall be nameless it is sufficient to say they could talk well and they lov'd as all good Orators do to hear themselves talk but that this should be any argument that now therefore we must let the weather be never so cold sit it out forsooth till an impertinent idle prating fellow has brought down Moon Stars and Glories to shew us how hard he studied the week before for this Hour-glass-Harangue seems to me very strange that the world should be so still bejugled especially these tedious speeches being at best but smil'd at if not quite laugh'd out of countenance where men speak best viz. in the Parliament House Councils Universities Inns of Court but the Pulpit must be the last that will learn more wit and grace though we pretend these are such Gospel times too and will take our Saviour and the Apostles for a pattern When they can infer any thing with more sence than yet I have heard from Acts 20. 7. S. Paul's continuing his discourse until Midnight the only objection in the Bible against all that I alleadge I will give them an answer if they will tell me how many hours of that night St. Paul and the Disciples did spend in eating and breaking bread v. 11 and raising up Eutychus and also if they will promise me in one thing more to imitate that Holy Apostle namely when they preach an hour two three or till midnight or all night I care not upon condition these Modern Orthodox will also depart from us on the morrow for ever to try how much we shall wet our Handkerchiefs when they tell us we shall see their face no more They would be happy indeed for themselves perhaps I am sure happy for the Kingdom that has been so unhappy already occasion'd chiefly by their sweaty preaching If they have wit enough let them answer this and to purpose too or else down goes Bell and the Dragon but if they answer as insignificantly as they us'd to preach when they cast so many long looks upon the slowly-sliding sands in the hour-glass if not angry shaking it for its sloath then will their answers tyre me as much as ever did their Sermons and that 's enough in all reason and conscience and I shall scorn to honour them by taking notice of such impertinents If St. Peter was alive again and had not gone to school to some of these new Holder-forths how would little Pulpit-man despise him for preaching the same the same and the same Sermon perpetually when he could show him for a need three or four hundred or a thousand Harangues in his Budget A wicked foolish perverse and hypocritical generation we live in when men nay Ministers rather endeavour to seem good Preachers than be good Preachers in imitating Christ and his Apostles and not by idle inventions preferr what is plausible before what is profitable rather pleasing men than God therefore they have their reward and have plung'd themselves into perplexities or into Parson slip-stockins extravagancies chusing rather impertinencies commended for their variety only by an idle loose people given to change than to speak often to the same purpose over and over again though never so necessary profitable and to good purpose Nor will the Clergy ever free themselves and their Sermons from contempt till they follow the Copy and Pattern for preaching set them by Christ and his holy Apostles and if Priest and people find really and truly that these Hour-glass discourses are as uneasie and troublesome as unprofitable to both let them learn of their Masters Christ and the Apostles and the Primitive Fathers who in their preachings went to question 's and answers that is catechizing or ecchoing answers to questions our blessed Saviours usual way of preaching to which Catechizer as the right Gospel Preacher St. Paul charge the Galathians 6. 6. to allow him all good maintenance or a good Living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him that is catechized in the word communicate to him that catechizeth in all good things and not let him that is taught in the Word For the words of St. Paul ought to be and are now properly translated Let him that is catechized communicate to him that catechizeth For though all catechizing is teaching yet all teaching Modern Orthodox Pulpit-harangue teaching for Example is not catechizing which was the usual way of teaching practised by our Saviour the Apostles and Primitive Christians and in England too till this superstitious hypocritical Modern Orthodoxy intruded and impudently thrust its betters out of Church and put it out of countenance with a brazen forehead Didymus Optatus was called the Catechist or Catechizer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Doctor audientium Cyp. ep 24. in the Church of Carthage Cyril the great was not ashamed of that name at Jerusalem nor Hierocles at Alexandria and many more of the most famous men of the World as well as England thought it no disparagement to Catechize though I can give good reasons that usually as in many places of Christendom at this day any man may propound a question to the Minister and desire to be resolv'd and therefore should the man of God be able and throughly furnished unto every good work and word to give a pertinent and ready answer to such as hearing him ask'd him
ever if you do but read and consider what he says there are charms to make you believe all he says to be true in spight of your teeth he has spoil'd us many a good Sermon wherein we use to inveigh against the Cross in Baptism and against Baptism of any until they be taught and against kneeling at the Sacrament having given us a spiteful Go-by which I never heard of before calling it the Cross after Baptism as if the Church of England held Baptism sufficient without it and before it be used and also denying which we know not how to help that Teaching goes before Baptizing in the words of the Commission asserting that Christ commands his Disciples to make Disciples by baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. and then says in the following verse comes in Teaching time enough And then for kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Suppper he says it is as easie to prove it the posture of Christ and his Apostles as is sitting lolling lying standing or walking making no matter which so there be decency and and order friends saying there is no more Ceremony in kneeling then than at any other Devotion nor more a Ceremony than when the Quakers in token of Respect Love and Reverence when they meet wring one another by the hands but we know friends the Quakers are the silliest and most foolish Sect that ever was in the world for denying all Ceremonies because it is impossible whilest we have bodies and are in the flesh but we must use some posture or other of body when we are at our Devotions and one posture is as much a Ceremony as another and also we must needs be covered with some vests or vestments when we are at our Devotions except we meet naked at which the women laughing he concludes Thus have I constrain'd my self thus long into a snivelling Cant to shew those that never came at a Conventicle what Comments I am sure will be made of my Letter though I protest I have not writ a syllable in it whether jest or earnest but in a sober true-hearted design for the good of those poor souls bejugled and cheated of their Estates and more precious souls by modern Orthodoxy carried on to the ruine of Kingdoms by Spiritual Gypsies Fidlers Juglers that wander all the Kingdom over seeking whom they may devour and make a prize and booty of and if I were a Lawyer I think I could find Law enough against them and bring them for all their shifts Legerdemains within the compass of the Statutes against Vagrants Fidlers Juglers and cheaters if not Wolves though in Sheeps cloathing And I have manifested more true love in this Letter to beguiled and unstable souls than he does that picks their pocket Such I mean as Hugh Peters of whom they have had as good an opinion as they now have of any of their precious godly men who can scarce hold from laughing as Hugh Peters did to see how soon the poor fools and their moneys were parted Of which precious snivelling whining chapmen if any be so fool-hardy as to plead for their Baal's and Diana's here defyed let him but put his name to what he writes and I 'll promise him I 'll tell him if he desire it what E. H. at the end of this Letter subscrib'd does signifie and who claims that name which those Letters here stand for because I 'll justifie every word I write and I would also beg of such an one if at least such an one there be so daring as to defend Modern Orthodoxy whose admirers did use to expose themselves in Print as readily as ridiculously and as pertly as malepertly that he would place his words as right as that disorderly scribling Tribe of Adoniram use to do and let me not have one such tempting word as Trinkles Tuants Un hoopable jurisdiction or ferreting upon the stage and the like to sport with as he loves me my ease my quiet and repose Left complaint be made by those of the Kings and Dukes Play-house that for less money to their great hinderance and want of custom we entertain men in Afternoons with our Repartees till it be grown almost as good as a Play as Father Gregory phrases it p. 35. very jocundly Gregory himself allows a man once in his life to change his Party p. 91. for which I could almost approve one thing he says and indeed otherwise he would have condemn'd S. Paul and all mankind who are born with their backs heaven-ward but when he says they may change sides either for safety or preferment he discovers the sow beggarly and ignoble principles that act him 't is Greg. like Gregories own self for so he came to be an executioner either for safety to save his own neck from the Gallows or for Preferment to so high an Office Come take my advice Greg. learn at last to be more wise and leave this scribling to which your stars are averse and because I am in the counselling humour I also advise you better late thrive than never abjure this villanous game Picquet which you say you but lately learned haunt not the company of Lincoln Dignitaries nor those rooking Ordinaries where you say you were chouc'd when you play'd pieces for fear that though you never have grace to repent and return from Oliverian Orthodoxy yet it is more than an even lay that such lewd courses will in spight of your purse make you a turn-Coat a Profession that I was never so needy thread-bare to be of for my Buff-coat though turn'd two or three times will scarcely make so neat a Cassock as I now wear though the Kings Taylor himself take it in hand Modern Orthodoxy under which I was born and bred and to which I was childishly led being now abhorred by me through more ingenuous generous principles than either safety or preferment Neither of which was either design'd obtain'd or like to be obtain'd in the change by me who could if I had listed to have been so base have pickt the peoples pockets with canting long snivelling sermons as cleaverly as the best of them with many thanks for my great pains therein besides applause and renown too into the bargain alive and dead whereas the party I own is of another Cue and Preferments design'd by our noble Ancestors with a liberal hand to men of most merit being byass'd many times with little Picques and self-interest run right upon the Jack that if he paid not for it before he had it delivered yet paid dearer for it by marrying cousin Abigail or blear-ey'd Leah our daughter whereas more safety and preferment as the Non conformists know well flowes plentiful upon the Oliverian Orthodox whilst the truly Orthodox Clergy fall into contempt universal and by reason of envy to some of the Great Ones and scorn to such as are too deservedly despicable amongst the Clergy very few men do cordially concern themselves therein
you an old grudge for the market-day you speak of a little too slightly by your favour Sir as if we of the Church of England too made an advantage of that superstition by Morning Lectures and fore and after noon Sermons and Repetitions besides week-day Lectures and all these perhaps but one and the same Harangue sold often after it was paid for fairly and delivered in the presence of many witnesses I must tell you Sir you are another Bayes you kill friend and foe Hungary Transylvania c. all Scotland and a great part of the Church of England besides Sir whilst I have a Hebrew tongue in my head I must speak in the behalf of Hebrew a tongue it seems you say you understand not nor any body else taking measures of others by your own shorter scantlings that would be a pretty jest indeed what is Hebrew tongue nothing with you Sir I have spent my money and my pains finely indeed and Mr the old Hebrew Professor that has had many a fair piece besides collations at my chamber for reading Hebrew to me the Mazoreth notes and all you make nothing of nor of the Jewish University at Tyberias in Fa this is fine very fine very fine indeed and all this because one Vessius prefers the Septuagint as he says Christ and his Apostles did before the Hebrew Text or Tongue which you say of all Tongues at the gift of Tongues was neglected as a Language lost and needless as not being the Mother Tongue of any people in the World since the irrecoverable Captivity of Israel and Judah into Babylon What do you say to these things E. H I will say noble Sir nothing with a good will to offend your Mesship your Priscianship your Pedantship Come on I 'le try your scholarship presently I 'le pose you in the first place can you form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or amo No. Ha ha he I knew what a Scholar you were Can you cap Verses No. I am no Po It seems then you want a Hebrew Tongue No. I say no still Then you have a Hebrew Tongue in your head No neither Then you would surely take my Hebrew Tongue away would you No. I long for no such Tongue much good may it do you but for my part I say hang it 't is dry meat when all 's done But I mean you say to my Hebrew Tongue Tongue thou liest thou liest in the Throat Yes that I do say where else should it lie but in the Throat I mean you deny all Hebrew Tongues Hebrew Texts and Hebrew Jews No. I do not deny but there may be one Hebrew Jew for Father Gregory tells us of one at Malmsbury but excepting that one not yet six moneths old I say again there is not one more Hebrew Jew that I know of in the world if by Hebrew Jews you mean Jews that Vernacly speak Hebrew or that do certainly understand it Did you ever converse among the Jews Yes as far from this place as is Hierusalem and the Land of Jury and much further off And are not those Jews Hebrews I mean do they not understand Hebrew No no otherwise than as you and I understand it some of their Levites have a little insight into the Masoreth notes and rules of canting that Lauguage Their University at Tyberias to make some little shew that there is or at least was such a Nation undispersed invented those Masoreth notes to give some light to that dark language but thereby they have only of that Tongue made any thing rather than any thing certain and to this day the Jews own the Chaldee Paraphrase especially invented about our Saviour's Time By Onkelâ—…s for the Pentateuch and for the Prophets great and small by Jonathan on whose paper whilst he was writing it if a fly chanc'd to light casually fire from Heaven came immediately to consume her the Rabbins say Had the Jews no Chaldee Paraphrase before that time Yes Esdras who first reduc'd the Old Testament into the Canon as we have it now immediatly after the Return from Babylonish Captivity turn'd the Old Testament into Syriack but for your Hebrew Text that as a great secret was only known to the Priests who expounded all to the People from the Syriack or Chaldee Nehem. 8. 7 8. Why is Syriack and Chaldee all one Yes I think so differing only in Dialect as did also the Antiochian or Maronites pronunciation the Galilean and Hierusalem Dialects which yet were all one Babylonish Tongue honoured by being the Mother-Tongue to our blessed Saviour when in the flesh as also to the Apostles all these Dialects differing only as Scotch Yorkshire Devonshire and Kentish pronunciations amongst us or as the Dorick Ionick Aeolick c. among the Greeks But I say still did not Adam speak Hebrew I do not remember it is a great while ago but I think he did not the Learned Grotius says that that Language which Adam and all the world spake 3400 years together before the confusion of Tongues at Bâ—…bel was indeed one Language but it is now lost and dispers'd amongst all Languages dividing that Primitive Tongue to every Nation a piece till it had never a bit left for it self and no matter it lasted long enough in all conscience for one Tongue without a miracle no one Tongue can be epidemical and universal 100 years together different climates will make different pronunciations English and Dutch was the same Tongue in our Forefathers the Saxons we scarce understand Chaucer's English nor do the Dutch born in England readily understand the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands and yet can speak a Language which they themselves call Dutch here in England amongst themselves Do not the Jews at this day make most use of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament No. Our Saviour the Apostles and all the Jews in that time admired most and made most use of the Septuagint which was given say some by divine Inspiration however though the autographical Copy laid up carefully in that famous Library of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus who set the 70 to work when in Julius Caesar's time half a hundred years before our Saviours time was burnt at Alexandria with all the rest of that glorious Library yet the Apographical Copies were taken for the most certain and authentick Text of the Old Testament and therefore quoted upon all occasions by Christ and his Apostles sometimes in places differing from the Hebrew Text as we have it there being thirteen signal variations betwixt them the Chaldee Paraphrase not then having obtain'd that due credit it now has got and the Hierusalem Targum invented about 1500 years ago and the Megilloth Targum not above 1200 years ago all in Syriack and now generally owned by the Jews all of them at this day But were not the Talmuds both of them writ in Hebrew the Pharisees saying they were delivered unto Moses upon mount Sinai with the Law No They were the Invention of R. Jehuda sirnamed for his
the Language of the Hebrews then spoken at Hierusalem which was Syriack which Theodoret and many other Learned Antiquaries say is an ancienter Language as well as more certain than your Hebrew Tongue and being as was said the Mother Tongue to the Apostles many Autographical Copies of some Books in the New Testament writ in Syriack were acknowledged for Holy Scripture before some of those sacred Books were indited at least before they were generally received into the Canon of Holy Writ namely the Second Epistle of St. Peter the Second and Third Epistles of St. John the Epistle of St. Jude and the Revelations of St. John The Sun's face when long wrap'd up in a cloud More beauteous shows having cast off that hood The English Genius mourning many a year In sniveling black now grows more debonair Rome as she thrive in Arms so thrive in Arts So England too since she got Loyal Hearts More brisk all Learning 's grown lately deform'd And must the Pulpit be the last reform'd In Parliament and Inns of Court Long Speeches Are reckon'd little worth but to wipe br He best does speak that speaks plain short sweet Is not right Eloquence for the Pulpit meet Great is Diana great long Sermons snivelling By which Craft Holder forth sneaks for a Living Be gone base canting Tribe with your New Lights That only teach men to be Hypocrites Long winded Preachments being now forlorn A Dress now out of fashion being worn Thread-bare by whining Pharisees alone Or 't is the Jews-trump of Religion And is it not deservedly in disgrace It ne'r yet had so much as a good face Or form of Godliness far from the Power The Primitive Sermons not one jot like your Christ and his Servants holy Writ records Converted thousands with a few plain words But still I fear little Priscian pursues me and perhaps will say I wonder what work you will cut out for the Ministers of the Church of England now you have clip'd away all but your own Sermon of six verses as well as Modern Orthodoxy Truly truly Generous Sir I have cut out more and better work for you and all Gospel Ministers than you are well aware of or can readily accomplish though all the shreds and parings as rubbish be thrown into Hell except what is included in these six verses and you shall do your work more profitably and honourably to your selves and the people if you keep your selves within the limits of those six verses do as much good as ever you did and have as much work too and yet neither do nor say any thing mischievously and impertinently For first your conversations at which the enemy is so scandalized as well as your selves will be unblameable by doing as you would be done unto you cannot then chouce poor Gentlemen of their moneys when they play pieces at an Ordinary this Principle will keep you from cheating tricks or being cheated will keep your hands from picking and stealing and defrauding and your tongues from evil speaking lying and slandering why because you would not willingly be so served by others but you must by this principle behave your selves soberly in reference to your own bodies in temperance righteously in reference to all other men by justice and godlily in reference to devotion towards God in duties of Religion and holy worship which is made up of five particulars namely Faith the Seals of Faith Prayers Praises and Ceremonies Unto which some adde Swearing but not well advised therein For though God Almighty says to his people Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God Deut. 6. 13. and serve him and shalt swear by his name yet the last clause is not exegetical of the former nor do men serve God by swearing nor is it any part of Heavenly Liturgy other than as when we serve truth and our generation being called at Courts of Judicature to attest truth calling God to witness and to judge us according to the truth of what we averr and if this be done cordially it assoils such a man of Atheism but not of irreligion if by Religion we mean religious worship which I say has but five parts as abovesaid and all included in my Sermon of six verses Now saith little Modern Orthodox are you there again with your Clypticks having neither accepted Sermon nor Lecture into your holy worship I hope Sermons that have had all the room in the Church when your Liturgy and your Sacraments and your Ceremonies were turn'd out of doors shall yet be taken in for one share part and portion of religious and holy worship of God No not a bit I admit no Sermons Lectures Preachments nor Harangues no not mine own dear Sermon of six verses to have any part or lot in this matter of religious worship I know they have turn'd all religious worship out of the house of God so that now Sermon is taken to be the All of Gods worship and so understood in common phrase Is there a Sermon this After-noon or to day is sermon done were you at sermon to day c. meaning were you at Church or serving God to day sermon sermon for all and if no sermon then there 's nothing at all that amongst silly men and women can sound like religious worship Whereas I come and say quite contrary namely that Ceremonies Sacraments c. are religious necessary and holy worship of God but Sermons Lectures and Harangues are not at all the religious and holy worship of God when they are never so good sermons but the usual sermons of Modern Orthodox that justled true and holy worship out of the Church did not so much as tend to holy worship consisting in Ceremonies the Liturgy Sacraments c. those men being so far from preaching up those parts of holy worship that they preach'd them down and consequently the more sermons and the more eloquent sermons of that nature were the most devillish works of darkness and Hell and the more men heard and believed those sermons the more they were children of wrath and darkness if so be that those five particulars aforesaid contain all the parts and portions of holy worship and that sermons the most admired Preachments be not allowed therein any not so much as the least share sermons at best being only in order to Gods worship as they plainly and honestly comment upon and exhort unto Ceremonies Faith Seals of Faith Prayers and Praises this ought to be the height of the Ambition that sermons can lay claim unto only to be subservient and serviceable to these high and mighty Devotions Faith the seals of Faith Prayers Praises and Ceremonies which three last you have most Evangelically in our Holy Liturgy And all sermons that tend not to the preaching up of these how worthy cares soever Father Grey-beards do esteem them are whimsical and extravagant at best in relation to instructing people in Holy and Gospel worship but if those sermons cry down these or any of these five
worship why what would you have I make them no more But bodily worship yet that But is such a But that it will prove a But-end against Modern Orthodoxy for ever to all that honestly and with a good heart free from partiality prejudice and passion do consider and believe Gods Holy Word and their own eyes How does the Apostle beg of the Romans with many imprecations for the Ceremonies of bodily worship in Gods holy Worship as a most reasonable service to him A holy acceptable and living sacrifice unto God Rom. 12. 1. And bids them all to open their mouths together in Prayer Praises and Worship of God as if they had but one mouth among them all as well as one mind in glorifying God Rom. 15. 6. And also calls upon the Corinthians not only to do the great duty but the lesser duty not only to glorifie God with their spirits but with their bodies 1 Cor. 6. 20. And that for a very good reason because the body is Gods purchase as well as the soul Christ hath bought both paid a price for both both therefore body as well soul must glorifie God by reverent postures and gestures as kneelings bowing sometimes even to the very ground after the Pattern and example of our Saviour Mat. 26. 39. These blasphemous wretches of Oliverian and Modern Orthodox would have called our Saviour superstitious and as well too St. Paul kneeling Eph. 3. 14. and St. Peter bowing down to the ground Luk. 5. 8. and kneeling Acts 9. 40. St. Stephen at last gasp kneeling Acts 7. 60. with many other devout men in the Old and New Testament Dan. 6. 10. Psal. 95. 6. Acts 20. 36. Acts 21. 5. 'T is true the worship of the mind is more profitable than of the body which profits but a little yet that little since it much helps the reverence of my mind and spirit ought I not to follow the Example Precept and Pattern of the Holy Ghost in Scripture who sure best knows what is spiritual worship after the Holy Example of our Saviour the Apostles and all Saints in the Ceremonies of kneeling bowing c. in bodily worship rather than to follow the Precept and Pattern of new Oliverian Orthodox men Dissemblers Murderers Hypocrites Cheats and Antick Foppish Jugglers and wresters of Holy Writ as ever did gull silly souls Ceremonies then are one part of Spiritual worship and Sermons are none much less are their Sermons any that have been full of trumpery and railing against Ceremonies thereby also railing against our Lord and Saviour and all holy men Let Baal look to his hits he 's gone else for ever from the Communion of Saints and ingenuous men for this Generation that yet feels the smart of their delusions and jugglings and knows to their cost all I say to be true by lamentable experience As for Faith you find all its Articles in the Apostles Creed believe but that and be sav'd so far as faith can save you but faith without good works can never save you but is a dead faith if you will believe your own eyes Jam. 2. more than those Juglers that cast a mist before you to keep you blind and lead you by the nose by calling good works without which no man shall go to heaven or be happy either in this world or the world to come most blasphemously popery superstition and I know not what but be but so good as to give them your Monies your Plaâ—…e your Bodkins your Thimbles c. Oh! then it is no Popery nor Superstition but stroaking the tools on the head gives them a coaks and a flap with a Foxes tail and makes them believe they do a very good work and help the Lord also and if they can perswade some old fop man or woman to part with a good Estate to maintain a weekly Lecture or else mouth will not open except that same annuity be in the case and then the old Fox dies a charitable good man not guilty of popery by that good work no not he He that gives to Monks and Fryars and English Clergy he is popish and and superstitious but to give to Modern Orthodox for a weekly Lecture and Sermon Oh heavenly thank you lovingly As for the seals of Faith you have the Sacraments Initiating Baptism strengthening The Supper of the Lord. Prayers and Praises which both for private Family and publick Devotions are incomparable and without fear of nonsence rashness or blasphemy contained in the Liturgy which should be the daily sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving either in your houses or better if you can get company in your Churches every morning and evening as well as once a week and always was frequented by Holy Church till Modern Orthordoxy that abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet was set up in the room thereof c. the Holy Liturgy taken away contemned and despised by wicked men thereby to set up themselves their own superstitions and inventions If in the Explication of the Liturgy Sacraments or Creed or that Text Matt. 7. 12. Thereby to order mens conversations aright you speak as pathetically fully and plainly as you can whether in the Church or from house to house catechizing the ignorant on Sundays or other Holy-days or working-days whether on a single Text or as our Saviour usually did on twenty several subjects in delivering Truths most seasonable and most useful to your Hearers whether an hour half an hour or half a quarter of an hour according to your discretions what and how long may be most profitable and convenient Fear not but in so doing you do the work of an Evangelist with true honour and approbation of God and all good men And leave canting stories whimsees and and cheats to the Modern Oliverian Orthodox they are unworthy the high calling whereunto you are called and the benefit of the Clergy of the Church of England and only fit for Taylors Weavers Coblers Chimney-sweepers and such spiritual Juglers Canters and Gypsies I have comprized in those six Verses the best things and all that are needful things which accompany salvation of which now I will not further speak It had been happy for the King Kingdom the People and the Prayers too if they had kept themselves to that Divinity alone contained in those six Verses infinite treasure and blood had been saved which has been spent and spilt through the whimsees and superstitions of these Oliverian Orthodox men Can any wise or good man imagine that the Almighty and merciful God would leave the way to Heaven so hard to find that no body can find it out but he that has heard twenty or a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand Sermons Foppish and bejuggled mankind Our Saviour and his Apostles converted millions with a few short plain words Religion is the work of the whole man all the days of his life consisting in the constant practice of piety and not in prating of piety in idle and