them and so came away letting them do as they would At another time there being Poultrie provided by the good woman of the house for their diet which she killed with wringing their neeks about as the custome of the Country is these souldiers would not have them dressed but threw them away and fecht others cuting of their heads for they would not eate things strangled and such was the carriage of these Sectaries that though John Mathewes be a man well affected to the Parliament and well disposed yet he professed he had rather have Prince Rupert and his Company to quarter there then that Troop of Captaine P. A Copie of a Letter written lately from a Reverend godly Minister in Northamptonshire to a person of quality and worth in London Worthy SIR THough I am perswaded that you know that many Errors abound in the Army yet I cannot think but such destructive tenets as some of them have broacht amongst us when they lately quartered here are not particularly come unto your eares Therefore out of zeal to Gods glory the safty of our Church and Commonwealth Parliament and Ministry I could not but impart what I have heard from their own mouthes and by honest neighbours of them The sacred Covenant bindes me with all faithfulnesse to indeavour to discover Incendiaries hinderers of Reformation of Religion dividers of the Kingdomes c. And truly I cannot think these any other though as yeâ— God hath hindred their sparks which they cast into all the straw which they passe by from flaming into open and violent liscord I can produce both the names and I think sufficient witnesse people are affraid almost to speak against the souldiers that they have seriously spoken as being their judgements and purposes that if the souldiers knew the Countries minds as the Country might know the souldiers they would have another kind of Reformation then this Parliament is about That they have not so long sought for liberty and now to be inslaved That they could goe all England through by force of Arms if they listed That the Country might call the Parliament to account for what they had done for they were set up by them They commonly in derision call our Brethren Jack Sect and say they plot with the King against the Parliament but if there were any occasion of drawing the sword against them they would be more fierce against them then ever against the Cavaleirs They upon long dispure with me cominued in this that there is no such office as the Ministry and it 's blasphemy for any one to say that he is a Minister of Jesus Christ more then any other man such an office was but it ceased A Captaine Reformadoe said their swords shall never out of their hands as long as one Priest continued in England They scorned all our religious dayes and duties call them fools that pay Tythes and them theeves that receive them will beleeve no more Scripture then what they prove by experience to be true I might have heard more but that my heart abhors such seditious and blaspemous speeches They speake most contemptibly of Christs person and as I heare deny either the Trinity or at least the holy Ghost If it be for any publick benefit I will search after more particulars and sufficient proof Sir I am bold to impart my troubled thoughts unto you whom I have cause to judge faithfull to God your Country and your Friend Truly we fear some hurt by these in Arms if a speedy course be not taken with some of them for I find that they stick not to their principle of Liberty but only in receiving it they will not give it if they had the power of giving it unto others For ought I can observe with all their Errours they labour to poyson others where they come My mind will be much satisfied when I shall know you have read these lines concluding my duty of discovering Incendiaries c. discharged till further occasions be offered The good Lord look upon us and save us from these instruments of safety I desire your spirituall health and comfort with all temporall happinesse and successe Sept. 24. 1646. Yours to be commanded A godly young man of Summersetshire or Dorsâ—tshire at whose house a Lieutenant of a Company of Sir Thomas Fairfax Army quartered told me that this Lieutenant maintained these Opinions 1 That women might preach and would have had a gentlewomâ—n in the house this young mans sister to have exercised her gifts telling her he knew she had gifts and had been alone a meditating 2. That if a womans husband was aâ—leep or absent from her she might lye with another man and it was lawfull for sleep was a death and pressed it upon a young Gentlewoman in the house whose husband was then at London 3. That it was unlawâ—ull to kneell in prayer which was maintained by him or some others of his company and when they prayed they prayed leaning There is a godly Minister of some place more then ordinary that was in the Army about Oxford who heard a Colonell of that Army speak it in his hearing and the hearing of many that as for fighting against the Irish he was against it for they did nothing but what they might do lawfully and gave his reasons and grounds for it 1. Because they did but fight for their Religion and Liberty of conscience and for their Lands and Estates 2. That if the whole Commons and body of the people would agree and put down King and Parliament overthrow the Constitution of this Kingdom in King Lords and Commons they might do it as this was told two godly Ministers from whom I had this relation so was it communicated to some members of both Houses June 24. A godly Citizen told me he heard a great Sectary that belonged to the Army say speaking of Ireland he doubted and so did many more in the Army whether it were lawfull to go fight against the Irish and that that Country was theirs as well as England was ours Though the boldnesse and presumption of many of the Souldiers Officers and common Souldiers hath been very great both against the command of God and the Parliament to preach in the open Churches in all Countries and places where they have come putting by many godly and able Ministers from their Office and invading their Pulpits yet their open and frequent preaching in the University of Oxford doth most of all declare their impudencie that they should dare to do it in the midst of so many learned men and in a place so famous for learning and that in the publike schools in Oxford to preach daily and that against humane learning as they did for some time and after complaint of it to the Generall as a thing so scandalous and odious to all ingenuous men and his forbidding their preaching in the Schools yet the Souldiers continue still to preach in Oxford daily in a great house
Christ saving only he should not dye for the sinnes of men This Mistris Attaway had a great parchment role wherein many things were written and this was to be given to Jenney and this Jenney beleeved all Mistris Attaway told him as fully as might be that he should never dye c. This Mistris Attaway also gave out that there should come ships from Tarshish to fetch away all the Saints to Jerusalem and all that would not turne Jewes should be destroyed and this whole Land should be destroyed and therefore she would goe away before hand to escape This Jenney Mistris Attaway and some of their Tribe held no hell but what was in the conscience the soules mortall they held the Book of Esdrâ—s had great things in it to them who had the spirit to understand it and that there was Esaus world and Jacobs world this was Esaus world but Jacobs world was comming shortly wherein all creatures shall be saved And this Prophet who was shut up was to come forth to preach this new Doctrine of generall Restauration and Salvation of all and though all should be saved yet there should be degrees of glory between those that have been Saints they should be more glorious and those who were the wicked though now restored This Jenney held from that Scripture in Genes where God saith I will make him an help meet for him that when a mans wife was not a meet help he might put her away and take another and when the woman was an unbeleever that is not a Sectarie of their Church she was not a meet help and therefore Jenney left his wife and went away with Mistris Attaway A Commander belonging to the Army told me last July he had seen some of the Sectarian Preachers preach lately with their hats on and sitting he told me he had heard Master Cradock Master Peters and other such Preachers insinuate into the souldiers flatter them all kind of wayes telling them what they had done what fame they had atchieved how they had conquered â—he Kingdome and particularly a little before he heard Master Peters preaching thus you who have conquered the Kingdome done all this service and now when you have done all this might expect your Arrears look to enjoy your Liberties yea and expect preferments good places as you have well deserved it may be you shall be cast into a stincking prison but if it should be so t is the will of God and yee must provide to beare it There is one Thomas Collier a great Sectary in the West of England whom I have spoken of in the second part of Gangraena and have printed some Letters of his in this third part I have seen a Book of his printed in the year 1645. called certain Queres or Points now in controversie examined wherein among other Errours laid down by him he makes Baptizing the Children of the faithfull not only to be vaine bâ—t evill and sinfull yeâ— the commission of Baptizing Children to come from the Divell or Anti-Christ or both And secondly that Magistrats have no power at all to establish Church-Government or to compell any to the Government of Christ by any humane power and upon occasion of discoursing of the power of the Civill Magistrate what hee should do now religion is corrupted and the Magistrates endeavour is to Reforme it and to this end have called an Assembly of Learned men to assist them in this work This Learned Master Collier if he might be thought meet makes bold to present these three words in this case to the Parliament First To dismisse that Assembly of Learned men who are now call'd together for to consult about matters of Religion and the reason this Learned Clark gives is because he cannot conclude that God hath any thing to do there for them he knowes no rule in the Book of God for such an Assembly and therefore cannot expect a blessing The second Word To go on in subduing of Antichristian enemies so farre as by Civill Law they have power for there must by this or some other meanes be a desolation upon the tenth part of the City The third Word is That the Parliament would give the Kingdome to the Saints and for who gives the Kingdom to the Saints so it be done Master Collier will not much dispute whether it be the Lord Jesus immediatly or Jesus by a Parliament only thus much he would have men take notice that by the Kingdome is meant an externall Kingdome for the Saints shall possesse that as well as the spirituall Kingdome and Government of the Church of Christ Hence we may see by Master Colliers words that his Saints viz. those whom he hath described before in the former part of his Book Separatists Anabaptists do look for from the Parliament that they should give the Kingdome to them and all temporall power and rule and take it out of the hands of all others So that the King the Parliament unlesse there be some of Master Colliers Saints among them the Judges and all men who by the Lawes under the King and Parliament have any Civill power of rule in the Kingdome must have it taken from them and given to the Sectaries Saints Yea I conceive by Colliers words not only England but Scotland and Ireland are to be taken from the King and to be given by the Lord Jesus immediatly or by Jesus by a Parliament to the Saints which whether it be not so or no I leave the Reader to judge upon transcribing Colliers own words where giving his second word of advice to the Parliament of going on to subdue Antichristian enemies so far as they have power because there must by this or some other meanes be a desolation upon the tenth part of the City he interprets his meaning in these following words Which I think to be England and those Dominions belonging to it Scotland and Ireland I conceive this to be the time that the Kingdome is to to taken from him who shall arise and subdue three Kings that is Kingdoms speaking great words thinking to change times and Laws but the Judgement shall fit and take away this Dominion to consume it and destroy it to the end Dan. 7. 26. Therefore let not your hearts faint neither your hands draw back God will finish his work The third Word is that they would give the Kingdome to the Saints Dan. 7. 27. Who gives the Kingdome to the Saints The judgement that pulls down the power and Kingdome of the one gives to the other Whether iâ— be the Lord Jesus immediatly or Jesus by a Parliament I shall not much dispute but leave it to your considerations Only thus much take notice that by the Kingdome is not only meant an externall Kingdome for the Saints shall possesse that but the spirituall Kingdome and Government of the Church of Christ c. This Collier as it appears by his Letter before mentioned
may have printed in any of these or any other of this kind I conceive t is highly for their service that they may know what hurt the Sectaries doe them and how the Kingdome takes things and truly next to the glory of God the great thing that moves me to write as I doe of the Sectaries is the great dammage and prejudice that comes to the Parliament by them that as Hester said of Haman to Ahazuerus the enemy could not countervaile the Kings dammage So the Sectaries doings all the Kingdome over in all kind of Mechanicks preaching in making tumults and riots in Churches in driving away godly Ministers and venting all kind of abominable opinions does so much wrong to the Parliament in the Countries severall wayes that they can never countervaile the Parliaments dammage and losse and I have related such things for no other end but to let them know so much and I could wish both Houses had read all passages in Letters sent from severall parts of the Kingdome and from beyond Seas to London which I have sâ—â—ne of this nature aâ— what ill bloud these things breed and how because of the Sectaries they lose a peice in the hearts of their best freinds with many other passages which I forbeare now to relate The Parliament upon many of the wicked doings of the Sectaries as baptizing a Horse making uproares in Churches c. may take up a like speech which Jacob said to Simeon and Levi Ye have troubled me to make me to stinck among the Inhabitants of the Land You have troubled us to make us to lose the hearts of many well-affected people in City and Country and thereby encouraged the common enemy to be ready to gather themselves against us again and we being few in number in danger to be deserted of the people by reason of you we shall be destroyed and our House 7. Whereas some of the Sectaries in their Pamphlets as Master Walwyn and others have often insinuated that I have preached and written so much against the Sectaries out of Policy Superstition worldly and selfe Interest to maintain my owne Covetousnesse Ambition desire of Domination distinction betweene Clergy and Laytie out of a spirit of opposition and Persecution against conscientions and peaceable men all which they have done out of a designe to blast my books among many who know me not not knowing otherwise how to answer them I do therefore that I may countermine the Sectaries in this and take of these prejudices declare as in the presence of God I never have nor do appeare against the Sectaries and Errors of the times from any of these principles but from a zeale of the glory of God and his Truth and that founded upon knowledge and search a compassion to the Souls of poore people deceived and the discharge of my duty and Conscience as a Minister of the Gospel and as for those other of Policy Self-interest c. they have never fallen so much as under my consultation unlesse that I have considered and forecast that what I was doing in writting such a Book and such a Book was against all Policy Self-Interest and the ready way as the times were and are to run the hazard of the ruine of my selfe and my family and that what I write is truth and the Sectaries speeches aspersions I desire the Reader to observe these following particulars and do challenge all the Sectaries to disprove any one particular if they can 1. Many years ago when I was persecuted by some Prelates and their Creatures in no possibility nor capacity by my principles and practices of preforment as the best of the Independents well know I preached against and upon all occasions declared my self against the Brownists Separatists Antinomians and all Errors in that way as well as against Popish Innovations and Arminian Tenets There are many who were my Auditors in those times can and will witnesse what I have preached at London and at Hartford aginst those Errors when I have in the same places preached such Sermons against the prevailing Opinions Innovations and Corruptions of the Prelates that many thought I should never have preached again and indeed was not without manifold sufferings and troubles being put out of places stopped from coming into others and at last Letters missive with an Attachment sent out to bring me into the High Commission Court About thirteene years ago at Magnus Church I preaching against forsaking the Publick Assemblies had on a Lecture night at the same Church a Bill given me up among the Bills to pray for the sick speaking bitterly for so doing At Hartford about 10. years ago when Independency and the Church way began to be fallen too by some men of Note and some people to look after it I preached against it earely and by all wayes laboured to preserve the people About 8. yeares agoe when Errors on the right hand tooke with many I did at a Lecture in the City at Aldermanbury and Coleman-street preach against Apostasie and falling to Errors on the right hand and more particularly at Coleman-street many in that parish being then leaning that way gave some considerations against Errors on the right hand and warned the people of the white Devill quoting a saying of Master Cartwright out of the Proverbs and Master Brightman out of the Revelations against leaving the Church of England and Master John Goodwin was then well pleased with my Sermon that he gave mo great thanks 2. I never yet sought any great things for my self great livings or coming into publicke places of honor and respect to be of the Assembly or to preach in any publicke places before the Magistrates either at Westminster or London but have contented my selfe with small meanes and to preach in private places in comparison having refused many great livings and places preaching here in London for a little and that but badly paid aâ— many well know minding the worke and service little the maintenance I can speak it truly that in these open times when many young men raw preachers men who never bore the heat of the day have got great Livings of two or three hundred a yeere well situated with houses and all accommodations I have for the publick good declined all such offers spent my owne temporall estate to minister to my necessities not having had for almost these two last yeers 40. li. per Annum not withstanding any constant preaching on Lords dayes week-dayes and all extraordinary occasions of Fastings and thankesgiving I have beene willing to forsake my fatnesse and sweetnesse to neglect my profit health benefit of my Familie all advantages and in a sort to sequester my selfe from freinds and all worldly enjoyments to spend my time strengh spirits estate and all in reeding writing studying of the Controversie of these times having prepared many Tractates against the Errors of the times And as for Domination and affecting of Rule and Government I have little meddled in
142. pages of this Book I might fill a Book in relating the passages in Discourses Sermons and printed Books spoken in way of boasting of this Army and of particular persons belonging to it of the Independent way calling one Infallible the Saviour of three Kingcomes a second the Terrible a third whom God hath especially fitted for Sea or Land one whom foraigne States would be proud of having such a servant and so of others but I will only point at some expressions in a late Book of Master Burtons called Conformities Deformity wherein the Army is in a sort deified page 17 18. speaking of pressing the Parliament for an Ordinance against Heresies and Schismes he speaks what this Ordinance would do against those men who have prodigally poured their dearest bloud viz. trample upon them and not suffer them to breath in their native aire and thereupon runs out in the extolling of that sort of men in the Army that by them we yet breath that they have beene the preservers of the Land that many glorious victories have made them admirable to the neighbour Nations yea to the whole world and terrible to their professed enemies and ours yea and to pretended freinds too who would master us at home were not these masters of the feild God hath made them the great instruments of the preservation and deliverance of our Country and City from the most desperate bloudy and beastiall enemies that ever the earth bred or hell hatched God hath vouchsafed to cast great favour and honour upon them and as he hath crowned them with so much glory and they have â—ast their crownes at the feet of the Lamb that sits upon the Throne So should we come and first giving all the glory to God gather up those crownes and set them upon the heads of those our Preservers and Deliverers and put chains about their necks so far off should we be from trampling such Pearles under foot or casting them out of our Gates and Ports 8. The Sectaries are guilty of unsufferable Insolencies horrible affronts to Authority and of strange outrages having done those things that all things considered no story of former ages can paralell and here I have so large a feild that I might write a Book in Folio upon this head but I will only give a touch upon the particulars and referre the Reader for further satisfaction to their owne Books 1. Some of the Sectaries have spoken and written that against the Lawes of the Land both Common and Statute as I beleeve neither Papists nor any English men ever did before them I have read divers passages of this kind in divers Pamphlets within these two last yeers as in some books written against Master Pryn but above all Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne in his Just mans Justification page 11 12 13 14 15. and A Remonstrance to their owne House of Commons page 13. 15. 19. damns the Common Law as coming from the Devill and being the great bondage of England the Norman Yoake as the Reader may easily see by these words That which is the greatest mischeife of all and the oppressing bondage of England ever since the Norman Yoak is this I must be tried before you by a Law call'd the Common Law that I know not nor I thinke no man else neither do I know where to finde it or read it and how I can in such a â—asâ— be punished by it I know not such an unfathomable gulâ—e have I by a little search found the Law practises in Westminster Hall to be that seriously I thinke there is neither end nor bottome of them so many uncertainties formalilities puncâ—ilios and that which is worse all the enâ—ries and proceedings in Latine a Language I understand not nor one of a thousand of my native Country-men so that when I read the Scripture it makes me thinke that the practises in the Courts at Westminster flow not from God nor from his Law nor the Law of Nature and Reason no nor yet from the understanding of any righteous just or honest men but from the Devill and the will of Tyrants The Kings Writs that summons a Parliament implying the establishment of Religion showes that we remaine under the Norman yoake of an unlawfull power from which we ought to free our selves Ye know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy a free people and deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason which ought to be the forme and life of every Government Magna Charta it selfe being but a beggerly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage and the Lawes that have beene made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppressive and intolerable The Conquerer erected a trade of Judges and Lawyers to sell justice and injustice at his owne unconscionable rate and in what time he pleased the corruption whereof is yet upon us from which we thought you should have delivered us we cannot but expect to be delivered from the Norman bondage and from all unreasonable Lawes made ever since that unhappy conquest By which passages t is evident the Sectaries aime at a totall change of the Laws and Customs of this Kingdom 2. They have spoken and written much against the King speaking of him as a Delinquent terming him the great Delinquent and that he should not come in but as a Delinquent when news hath beene of messages and gracious offers from the King and when his late Letter to the City was spoken of they have slighted all saying we can have them without him and what can he do for us he is a Delinquent They have taken one of his titles from him and given it to that unworthy mean man Lilburne stiling him Defendor of the Faith they have taken other of his Titles as Soveraign Leige Lord Majesty Kingship Regality and given them to the H. of Commons and to the common people making the Universall people to be the King Creator and the King their meer creature servant and vassal and as they have taken from him his Titles so his power denying him all Legislative power and to be one of the Estates of Parliament yea they have pleaded for the King to be deposed and justice to be done upon him as the grand murtherer of England and not only that he should bee beheaded but the Kingdome also viz. this Kingdome deprived of a King for ever and Monarchie turned into Democracie And as they have endeavoured to strip him of all his Titles and power as a King so to take from him all priviledges as a man and a Christian speaking against Ministers praying for him and that he should be excommunicated from all Christian society For proofe of which particulars let the Reader read over the late Remonstrance of many thousand Citiznes to their owne House of Commons and among other passages that in page 6. It is high time we be
the Kingdome and live like Kings and Emperors and like lawlesse men none such being of Gods creation there will never be an end of this Parliament which by its everlasting continuance by the abuses of lawlesse and rotten-hearted men will become the most absolute burthen and greatest oppression that ever was upon the people when as in times by past it used to be their only remedy from their oppression and oppressors In a Pamphlet entituled Yet another word to the wise there 's a Letter directed To Master John Musgrave chosen to present the Countries greivances to the House of Commons which Letter speaks thus But the House of Commons instead of hearing and redressing your greivances have added new greivances unto those which formerly you have suffered in their owne quarrell against the common enemy they have unjustly imprisoned you these last twelve moneths protected Traytors among themselves from the Law c. Yet we shall rather with tears seek their repentance then their persisting in such courses seeing they are placed in lawfull authority and have a good Cause though they seeke too much their owne c. And as for their lamentable submission to the Bishops servants the Presbyterian Synodians in establishing that wil-worship and Popish maintenance which now themselves doe well know to be jure diabolico through these blind guides their Diviners and Southsayers inability to answer their Queres whereby to prove themselves jure divino surely if they will notwithstanding obstinatly persist in such wilfull dangerous and unwarrantable courses they will doubtlesse show themselves to be fighters against God his truth and people to their owne destruction without speedy conversion In a Pamphlet entituled Liberty against Slavery there 's a Letter written by a Sectary call'd An eâ—cellent Letter written by a prisoner to a worthy Member of the House of Commons where are these passages O where is justice may not these royall plunderers as well justifie all their Robberies and Depraedations as either our House of Commons or the House of Peeres these kinds of imprisonments and commitments Nay is it not the greatest injustice when done under the colour of justice Sir I assure you it were lesse greivous unto us to die at once then to be thus inslaved and famiâ—hed in your cruell prison houses where we are exposed to all misery contempt obloquie and scorne of the worst men and thereby the hearts of our wives and aged Parents broken with greif Sir be pleased to consider how by these and the like doings the affections of many thousands of people is estranged from you who have formerly adventured all to uphold you in your authorities and if this course be continued we shall not we cannot thinke and say lesse then that the Parliament and not the Prerogative makes us a bondage and miserable people And some already do not spare to say that the Parliament is now become the burthen of the Kingdome You were intrusted by the people for their good and not for the continuation of their thraldome let us then have justice which without showing your selves to be most unjust men you cannot any longer deny us The Pamphlet entituled Englands Birth-right page 33. speaking of the Commons in Parliament saith By which manifest abusing negligent and not true using the Lawes oppressions mischeifes greivances are no lesse if not far more increased then they were before the Parliament began and many times by the powerfull interest of a faction in the Parliament to save some one two or three of their Members undeserving credits they so violate the knowne unrepealed and declared Law of the Land yea and their owne Votes Ordinances Declarations and Protestations as if they had never made them I say all these things considered ought not the free men of England who have laboured in these destroying times both to preserve the Parliament and their owne native freedomes and birth-rights not only to chuse new Members where they are wanting once every yeer but also to renew and inquire once a yeere after the behaviour and carriage of those they have chosen Lilburne in that Pamphlet of his call'd Innocency and Truth justified page 75. speakâ— thus of the House of Commons But it may be you will say the House of Commons is not at leasure by reason of publick I answer lesse then an hours time will serve my turne in this particular and t is very strange in 5. yeers space so much time cannot be found from the publick to transmit my busines sure I am they can find time enough to settle great rich placâ— upon some of themselves and to enjoy them for al their owne Ordinances to the contrary yea and I know some of them hath plurality of places and I say the thing I desire of them is more justly my due then any of their great places are theirs and therefore I hope they have no true cause to be angry with me for craving justice at their hands And page 37. I am absolutely of this mind that neither a Committee of the House of Commons nor the whole House of Commons together can justly imprison me or any other contrary to a Law which at present there is not some Ordinance made both by them and the Peers publick at present to overthrow it But I have severall times been imprisoned by the Committees and by Vote of the House of Commons it selfe contrary to a knowne Law made this present Parliament by themselves against which there is at present no Ordinance published and declared by them and the Peeres for the Cognizance of Ergo I say they are tied in justice according to tenor of this Law to give me reparations against those persons that were cheife instruments either in Committees or in the House of Commons it selfe to Vote and take away my Liberty from me contrary to this Law and for my part I doe accordingly expect my reparations for my late causelesse molestations and imprisonments A pamphlet entituled A Remonstance to their owne House of Commons page 11. speakes thus to the Honorable Commons For we must deale plainly with you ye have long time acted more like the House of Peers then the House of Commons we can scarcely approach your doore with a request or motion though by way of Petition but ye hold long debates whether we break not your Priviledges The King or the Lords pretended Prerogatives never made a greater noise nor was made more dreadfull then the name of Priviledge of the House of Commons Your Members in all Impositions must not be taxed in the places where they live like other men Your servants have their priviledges too To accuse or prosecute any of you is become dangerous to the prosecutors â—e have imprisonments as frequently for either witnesses or prosecutors as ever the Star-chamber had and ye are furnished with new devised arguments to prove that ye only may justly doe those grosse injustices which the Star chamber High
that have had more money and now demand more hundred thousand pounds â—hen all Scotland is worth if it were to be sold that they stood for the King to come to London and to be disposed of by their advice for nothing else but to get great offices about him and places at Court that they seek nothing but to encroach upon the rights and liberties of this Nation in severall of their demands and therefore what true English man can beare it They have given out of their Armies that they exercise strange cruelties robberies plunderings in the Countries notwithstanding all their great pay and yet they have done nothing for it what have they done almost this two last yeeres say the Sectaries nay some Sectaries have given out we owe them nothing they have had more then their pay comes to Presently after the newes came of the Kings going to the Scottish Army there were many jealousies raised and reports given out by the Independent party that all the forces of the Kings out of Newark were joyned to the Scots and gone along with them that Letters were intercepted going from the King to Oxford to wish them to holdout so many dayes and they should have releife that two thousand Irish were come to joyne with the Scots for the King against the Parliament that the Scots had broken the Covenant in detaining the King and in not delivering up Ashburnham with divers such fables and since all along we have by that party some fine stories or other told of the Scots as of so many thousands out of France to joyne with them and so many thousand fresh men come out of Scotland into England and Informations and Examinations printed of strange things the Scats will do and the King hath spoken of since he went to them reports of stories of Robin Hood and little John of Cocks and Bulls plots that would be discovered of the Scots and some great Noble men Now for proof of the Sectaries being guilty in these particulars I referre the Reader to divers of the Sectaries libellous Pamphlets against the Scots as Master Burtons Conformities Deformity A black cloud in the North a late Declaration by way of Letters c. to divers of the Weekly newes Books of late and particularly to the Imperfect Diurnall Immoderate Intelligencer Vnperfect Occurrences three sworne servants of the Independents and to his owne remembrance and observation of things For conclusion of this there are none so hated in this Kingdom by the Sectaries as our Brethren of Scotland not the Papists not the Prelates not the Malignants they exceed the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Doctor Wren c. who never spake with that bitternesse against the Generall Assembly and Church-government as some Sectaries have done for instaâ—ce let Master Burtons Conformities Deformity be perused in what he writes against the Generall Assembly and Church-government of Scotland and it would be thought rather to be Canterbury redivivus then Master Burton for whom the Ministers of Scotland and other godly Christians there put up so many prayers but their hatred and malice against the Church and Kingdom of Scotland God will in due time remember and visit And their extreme malignity against our Brethren of Scotland appeares principally in four things 1. Though some of that party have given great testimony to them of their faithfulnesse and worth yet without any cause of theirs or change in them the Scots coâ—tinuing constant and firme to their first principles and I challenge all the Sectaries to give but one instance to the contrary they have turned Jewes against them and spoken evill of them all they could 2. If any one Sectary take the Scots part as seeing their faithfulnesse to the publick and so declare it though yet at the same time be speaks against the Scots Church-government Covenant c. and come to be in question and trouble upon some things though we see Sectaries strangely brought off of all troubles notwithstanding all misdemeanors he is deserted by his party may lie and perish in prison and the reason is given in print to all the world if we may beleeve it for his complying with the Scots to drive on some wicked designe of theirs and combining with them whereas the same party declares in print the honesty and justice of the Scots for the redresse of the great greivances of his Countrey and though strangers to him yet upon the goodnesse of the Cause furthering it with all their power to bring it to the hearing of the House of Commons and he professes he neither knows nor can suppose the Scots to intend any other wicked desigâ— but the setling of the Presbyterian Government among us 3. In the many bloudy speeches divers of the Sectarian party have spoken against the Scots viz. that they would as willingly fight against the Scots draw their swords against them as ever against 〈◊〉 Cavaliers that if they had an Order from the Commons to go against the Scots they would go as willingly as ever against the Cavaliers that it would never be well with us till we had beaten the Scots out of the Kingdom that if they would not go out now we had conquered the Kings party we would go lead them out with divers such speeches 4. In making it their great busines to corrupt and poyson mens minds with false notions and apprehensions about the Scots as if they were the most perâ—idious people that ever were many stories in this kind might be told but I will content my self with relating one which is most certaine as having it from the mouth of a godly minister upon whom the experiment was made There was a great Gentleman of the Independent party I will not say he was a Member of the House of Commons who laboured to possesse a godly Minister of some note in his Countrey against the Scots and walked alone with him two houres to represent to him the state of things oâ—â—â—ring him confidently and that he should finde that the Kingâ—ad â—ad poysoned the Scots and made them all for him he had corrupted the Army the Scots Commissi 〈…〉 the Convention of Estates yea the generall Assembly it selfe and they would be all 〈…〉 s much for him as ever the Cavaliers were with severall other things he laboured to pos 〈…〉 e him with of the City of London the Army c. but the best was the Minister wanted faith to beleeve him and laughed secretly that this Gentleman should think to catch old birds with chaffe Ni 〈…〉 ly the Sectaries and Independents have spoken and carried themselves unworthily to the bleeding condition of the Kingdome of Ireland and the Protestâ—â—ts there some of them have justified the Irish Rebellion that they did it for the liberty of their consciences and for their Country and what had the English to doe in their Kingdome the Irish did no more then what we would have done ourselves if it had been 〈◊〉 case and that they
doe to be tolerated and suffered nay in many places they cannot serve God quietly nor live in peace but are affronted molested thereatned yea their lives hazarded The Dommation and Insolencies of the Sectaries in England both in City and Country are unsufferable and beyond all example and let but all things be considered the nature of the Lawes and civill Government of England that all the people are subject to the same Lawes and all the Countries of this Kingdome under the obedience of King and Parliament none exempt not some parts under one and some under another as in the Cantons and some other Countries as also that great and solemne Covenant taken for the nearest uniformity in Doctrine Government c. and the extirpation of all heresie schisme c. with some other such like considerations I am ready upon my life to make it good at the Barr of both Houses that there is in England the greatest sufferance and countenance of a Dissenting party from what is held out and established by Authority that ever was in any age where there was a Christian Magistrate or that is in any part of the world whatsoever at this day the Toleration in Holland France Transylvania c. in many things falling short of that liberty the Sectaries here enjoy I had thought upon and drawn up twelve pregnant particulars with the proofes wherein the Toleration here is greater then in those Countries but I must defer them till the fourth part of Gangraena having enlarged this part already so much beyond the former parts and my intentions and shall conclude this seventh Corollarie that if the Sectaries shall be still suffered to go on and all kind of errors and opinions vented for the future as they have been for these three or foure last years this will be such a thing as never was read or heard of in any age or among any people that the end and issue of a solemne Nationall Covenant made with God another Kingdome and one another for Reformation should end in a universall Toleration and Confusion both in Church and State 8. Corollar Hence then we may plainly see by many speeches passages in Letters facts insolencies of the Sectaries related in this Book that the Sectaries hold not to their principles of Toleration and Liberty of Conscience but only in receiving it they will not give it when and where they have the power of giving it unto others The Sectaries in all their Bookes Sermons Speeches Discourses contend for liberty of Conscience and that no man should suffer any thing from another for his differing in opinions from him or be hindered in printing and speaking his conscience and yet if the Reader do but remember the severall passages I have laid down of the Sectaries dealings with godly Presbyterians in City and Country Army and Ministry and in all places he must necessarily conclude when they are grown strong enough and where they can they will suffer none but themselves In all ages Hereticks and Sectaries at their first rising when but a few and weake have cryed for Toleration liberty of Conscience but when by being let alone they have grown to great numbers and by their industry subtilty and activity have got power in their hands then they have been the greatest persecutors of all others denying all liberty to the Orthodox and this the Ecclesiasticall Histories of all times both ancient and moderne show Thus the Donatists Arrians Anabaptists of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Holland with other such like maintained and pleaded for a Toleration â—anquam prâ— aris focis and yet after a time that either they got Princes and Magistrates 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 or being increased in number got the sword into their 〈◊〉 they killed banished spoiled of their goods threw out of offices and places all those who were not of their opinions And thus our present Independents and Anabaptists notwithstanding all their pretences of liberty and conscience have and do where they are in power and can by any way or means suppresse prosecute Presbyterians to the utmost and indeed for this very end plead for liberty and worke night and day too get into all places of power and command both military and 〈…〉 It wâ—re too long to relate all the instances of godly Ministers and other worthy men troubled and complainâ—d of by them to Committees of honest Christians troubled by theâ— means for discharging their consciences in petitioning the Parliament and Common Councell of all the godly Ministers put by from preaching in their owne Churches by Sectaries and of their retusing to let godly Ministers of the Presbyterian judgement preach in any Chappels and Churches where they have power of the many threatning speeches spoken by them against the godly Ministers that they would leave never a Preist in England that the Presbyterians should be dealt with as Malignants sequestred ere long and such like of their not licensing any books or matters of Intelligence but stopping the Presse all they can to men not of their judgement of their incensing and strring up the Parliament in printed books to punish godly Ministers for laying open the Errors of the times of their labouring to keep out of all places in Parliament Armies Livings c. Orthodox godly men of their putting affronts upon hindring of pay turning out of places by one trick or other the faithfullest and worthiest men if Presbyterians yea going against all principles of Justice Honor Rules of Warre Gallantry What should I speak of all the affronts neglects complaints of troubles vexations which have happened to many gallant valiant faithfull Commanders and all because Anti-Independents by meanes of the Sectaries as Sir Willam Waller Major Generall Massey Major Generall Skippon Colonel Harvey Colonel King Colonel Whaley Major Fincher Adjutant Generall Gray Lieutenant Colonel Kempson Lieutenant Colonel Jackson c. besides the putting by of some from their places what gallant man almost is there but hath beene heaved at complained of some way or other affronted by some Sectaries and neglected by having men put over their heads into commands and they unpreferd though places void There are strange but true stories in the Army in this â—ind and some keepe a Register of them and when time shall serve may make them knowne though for the present because they see how strong the streame runs and for the quietnesse of the Army they are silent though they cannot but speak to their friends of these things I have been told from a good hand upon the occasion of Adjutant Generall Grayes being questioned at a Councell of Warre for reading the City Remonstrance that a great Commander of that Army writ a letter to another great Commander to this effect that he wondred that they who were so much for liberty of conscience and a Toleration for themselves would not afford the same to other men but that Adjutant Generall Gray because he was a Presbyterian and that according to his conscience should have
statesman in his Polit. tels us The same Last will not fit an English and a Scottish foot The English must be ruled more by love Now if two nations so neer in one Iland are not alike free but must be differently governed then certainly Nations remote from one another are not alike free Besides to particular persons yea bodies of people many providences accidents may fal out to make one and the same people and particular persons not so free as sometimes they have been there are some Parents who were free but having incurred the Law are tainted in bloud so their children also some are taken captivs or have sold themselves for a necessity and so their children are servants to A nation having bin saved by some Prince from ruine though before a free state may now make him and his Heirs according to such Lawes King over them nay Amesius in his Cases of Conscience saith It cannot be denied but that a people forced by necessity may sell themselves to a King to be all his servants Gen. 47. 23. 5. T is apparent that in one and the same Nation as England all the subjects have not the same priviledges and freedoms but some have more then others some are not liable to be pressed to war to bare such Offices serve in Juries c. as others are some have voices viz. Freeholders to chuse Knights of Shires others have not some Cities Towns have Charters and large priviledges in severall particulars to send Burgesses to Parliament which other Towns have not and certainly the Peerage of England have priviledges and liberties which every Jack-straw hath not 6. I demand of the Sectaries whether in their Pamphlets speaking of election and consent they meane an immediate present choyce and consent of the present men now to be governed or else an election consent in the first constitution of this Kingdom and Government by our Ancestors many hundred yeers ago Now if they mean this last how do they know but that this Government wherein the King and Lords have such a power was by consent and agreement it being consented such a man should be King and such persons Nobles who by birth should have such power and then such people according to such agreements should have power to chuse some men who together with King and Nobles should make Laws by which the Nation governed the King should have such power Nobles such priviledges and people such liberties but now if they meane the first an immediate election of the present peopl that they are to obey none but so chosen 't is most false and a principle destructive to the sundamentall government of this Kingdom and destroying the House of Commons as well as the King and Lords and for the clearing of that I would propound two things 1. That in this Common-wealth of England none have any power of Government at all either in a lower or higher Sphere either by election of the whole body of the people for all chuse not but some onely or founded upon election as the sole cause and ground for none of the people can chuse neither are men capable to be chosen till according to Lawes Writs are granted forth or Charters given by Princes and Lawes to such Corporations and yet then the peopl must go in chusing not according to their wills but to such rules agreed on by Laws and after men are chosen some conditions also and rules must be observed before the persons so chosen have power of government these chosen Commons must be returned and sworne take such oaths before they can â—it or if they do their election is ipso factâ— nul and they made uncapable ever to fit again so that t is evident that election of some part of the people not the whole is only a partiall cause not the totall and plenary cause or rather the true cause is because such a man according to Lawes and Customes of this Kingdome is now in such a place whereof one of the conditions for such a place is election so and so determined by former Lawes but now in many Officers of this Kingdome who have power of government to heare judge and do many Acts no sort of the common people have any power at all to chuse as in Justices of Peace they have been alwayes and still are made without any such election so the Judges of the Land Sheriffs with divers other Officers and therefore much more may the King and Peers who by the fundamentall Lawes of the Land have an heredâ—tary power in Parliament to which the Kingdom hath agreed and yeelded obedience so many hundred yeers exercise their power without any electon of the people 2. That certainly people are bound and tied to Lawes Rules as well as Kings and Nobles and that Covenants Compacts Oaths of Allegiance c. made on their part bind them as well as Princes oaths I ever took it for granted that Princes had not been bound and their people left at liberty and freedome to do what they pleased I alwayes thought fundamentall constitutions of Government made many hundred yeers before and ancient bounds set by Lawes with birth-right inheritance having gone through an uninterrupted succession of many Pâ—ogenitors had been a right and interest to Princes which the meer will and pleasure of common people could not have taken from them and I conceive that according to the conssitution and Lawes of this Kingdome which gives all sorts their rights though some more some lesse 't is agreed on that the Peers of this Land should have a Legislative and judiciall power and they and their heirs be in such ranck born with such and such priviledges over others 7. This Position of the Sectaries the Universal people having such a power without whose election all Government is void their Dagon and great Image which they fall down before and worship is a meer Chimâ—ra a monstrum horrendum a Babell which I could shatter and break so to peeces as not one stone should be left of it nor so much as the stump but I may not now give all my thoughts for feare of being too voluminous only I will hint a few things in this place by way of Question and referre the Reader to what I further say in page 154 155. c. 1. I Desire to know of these Sectaries what or who is this state Universall whether all the men women and children born in England men-servants maid-servants poore people and beggars together with those of the better sort and whether if all these or the greater part of these taken one equally as well as th' other be the state universall have they the like Soveraigne power over the King and Parliament 2. Whether in what this state Uuniversall will do with the King Lords and their owne House of Commons it must be carried by the most voices of this state universall so that if all the beggars poor people servants children be a
the Judges that there was in Monarchie and Aristocracy an enmity against Christ which he would destroy and as he was speaking some turbulent fellowes and Sectaries clambred up by the Bench and cryed out my Lord my Lord Mr Pr. doth it in malice we will maintaine our Minister with our bloud whereupon the Judge threw away the paper and said he would heare no more of it though he had before commanded Master Eldred to read openly all those Heterodoxies The Lords day following Master Feake in the Pulpit endeavored to answer all the Articles put up against him to the Judges in a great Auditory Many other things I have heard of him since his coming to Hartford but what I here set down of him besides the relation I have had by word of mouth of persons of worth 't is given me under hand in writing and that with this seale set to it what I have here written I will justifie and much more when I am called to it There is one Richard Overton a desperate Sectary one of Lilburnes Breed and followers who hath printed many scandalous things against the House of Peers and notice being given of him there was an Order granted for the taking of him and seasing of his Presse a Presse that had printed many wicked Pamphlets that have come out of late against the King the Lords the Presbyteriall Government the City and for a Toleration and Liberty destructive to all Religion Lawes and Government yea overthrowing by the principles laid down in them the power of the House of Commons whilst they seeme to cry up and invest that House with the Monopoly of all the power of the Kingdome who being apprehended by the Messengers sent out for him was brought before a Committee of the House of Lords where he refused to answer any questions and carried himself with a great deale of contempt and scorne both in words and gesture and after this being brought before the House of Lords he refused to answer any questions propounded by the Speaker as in the name of the House and to that question whether he were a Printer or no hee would not answer but told them he was resolved not to make answer to any interrogatories that should infringe his propertie right or freedome in particular or the rights freedomes and properties of the Nation in generall Besides he gave saucie and peremtory words to the House of Lords and appealed from the House of Lords to the House of Commons whereupon the Lords committed him to Newgate as he most justly deserved Now since his commitment to Newgate there are some wicked railing Pamphlets come out in his name and sold openly Pamphlets venting a company of cursed principles both against Religion and civill Government tending to nothing else but the overthrow of the fundamentall constitution of this Kingdome in King Lords and Commons and setting up the body of the common people as the Soveraigne Lord and King denying King and Lords any power and the House of Commons any further then the peoples Deputies and at the pleasure of and will of the people and to the ruine of Religion by pleading against the Ordinance for punishing Blasphemies and Heresies The first Book of this Overtons is call'd A defence against all Arbitrary Vsurpations of the House of Lords and a Relation of their unjust and barbarous proceedings against that worthy Commoner stiling himself so The second is An Arrow against all Tyrants and Tyranny shot from the prison of Newgate into the Prerogative Boweâ—s of the Arbytrary House of Lords by Richard Overton Prerogative Archer to the Arbitrary House of Lords The third is A Petition and Appeale to the House of Commons calling them the High and mighty States the most Soveraigne House and himself their leigo Petitioner In all which he most audaciously and unsuâ—â—erably abuses the House of Lords charging them with Tyranny â—surpation invading the Liberties of the people denying them all legislative power desiring due reparations against them scoffing and scorning them and their power descanting upon by way of conâ—utation the Order of the House of Lords for his commitment and stirring up the House of Commons and all the people against the House of Lords to free the people from their oppressions tyrannies c. I will give the Reader a taste of this Anabaptisticall spirit by transcribing a few passages out oâ— these wicked and cursed Pamphlets In page 5. of his deâ—iance against the Lords he speaks to English-men thus Ye in speciall be encouraged against all opposition and incroachment of Kings Lords or others upon the House of Commons their rights and properties derived from the people And acknowledg none other to be the supreame Court of Judicature of this Land but the House of Commons and in this gallâ—â—t resolution live and dye and acquit your selves like men For my part I 'le treaâ— upon the hottest coales of fire and vengâ—ance that that parcell of men intituled the House of Lords can blow upon me for it Page 15. 17. He makes the Lords to be sâ—bordinate and subject to the Commons the great Representors of the Land and calls the Knights and Burgesses Assembled the upper House and the Judges of the House of Peers as well as his Page 19. 20. speaking of the power of the Commons hath these words Therefore these Lords being none of the peoples Vicegerents Deputies or Representors cannot legally passe upon any of the Represented to 〈…〉 y sentence fine or imprison but such their actions exceeding the soveraigne compasse must needs be illegall and Antimagistraticall and therefore as by that soveraigne power confer'd from the people upon the House of Commons I made my appeales to the said House refusing altogether to submit unto that usurpation of the Lords over the peoples properties c. In the same page speaking of the House of Lords in a scoffing manner faith Their Lordships might do well to send me to Doctor Bastwicks School of complements that I might have a little more venerable Courtship against the next time I appeale in their presence In page 17. 18. relating how the whole House of Lords derided him upon his refusing to answer the questions of the speaker of the Right Honourable House of Peeâ—s he sets down that he replyed to them Gentlemen it doth not become you thus to deride me that am a prisoner at youâ— Barre And thereupon speakes of the House of Lords such caâ—riage such Court for indeed Comedies Tragedies Masks and Playes are farre more fit for such idle kind of men In page 6. Overton speaking of the House of Lords writes thus And these are further to let them know that I bid defiance to their injustice usurpation and tyranny and sâ—â—rne even the lest connivance glimpse jot or tittle of their favour Let them do as much against 〈…〉 e by the rule of Equity Reason and Justice for my testimony and protestation against them in this thing as possibly they can and I
shall be content and rest In this Arrow against all Tyrants written as it seems to some Member of the House of Commons page 6. he writes thus Sir We desire your help for your own sakes as well as ours cheifly for the removall of two most insufferable evills daily encroaching and increasing upon us portending and threatning inevitable destruction and confusion of your selves of us and of all our posterity namely the encroachments and usurpâ—tions of the House of Lords over the Commons liberties and freedomes together with the barbarous inhumane blood-thirstie desires and endeavours of the Presbyterian Clergy O the desperate wickednesse of this man and some other Sectaries who have writ such like passages against the Lords and the Ministers and that for no other cause as appeares by this Pamphlet and divers others themselves being witnesses but because the Lords questioning some men for printing the most abominable sedicious cursed libells against all Royall Authority and the fundamentall â—awes and Government of this Kingdome that ever in any age were published and they in the most unparralleld manner of which I beleeve no presidents can bee shewn in any Chronicles or histories of this Kingdome carrying themselves contempruously and scornfully they committed them to prison and because an Ordinance to punish damnable Blasphemies and Heresies hath been brought into the House of Commons by two worthy Members and that by the prâ—curement of the Clergie as the Pamphlet saith Now for what the Lords have done against Lilburne Oâ—erton Larner and such fâ—llowes in labouring to suppresse â—uch â—editious Presses in punishing them as also in their speedy admitting into their House and thankfull acceptance of the Remonstrances and Petitions of the City of London County of Lancashi 〈…〉 c. And for what Master Tâ—â—t and Master Bacon have done in presenting such an Ordinance against Blasphemies and Heresies they are highly accouâ—â—ed of by all the godly and Orthodox Ministers and people in City and Country and their names will be famous in all generations when the names of Lilburne Overton c. yea and of all their great Patrons whether in the Army or out of the Army will be a by-word and a curse and canonized in the Kalenâ—â—r of such Saints as John of Leyden Thomas Muncer Kâ—ipperdollâ—â—g c. In page 10. of this poysoned Arrow Overton writes thâ—s Why therefore should you of the Representative body sit still and suffer these Lords to devoure both us and our Lawes Be awakened arise and consider their oppressions and encroachments and stop their Lordships in their ambitious career for they doe not cease only here but they soare higher and higher and now they are become Arrogators to themselves of the naturall Soveraignty the Represented have convayed and issued to their proper Representors even challenge to themselves the title of the supremest Court of Judicature in the Land as was claimed by the Lord Hounsden when I was before them which challenge of his was a most illegall Anti-Parliamentary audacious presumption c. Behold Reader this wicked Sectary labours to set the House of Commons against the House of Lords to make division between them All the hopes of these sonnes of division lie in breaches which they fâ—ment all kind of wayes and in all kind of things wherein there is union as between the Houses the Scots and â—he Parliament the Parliament and the City the Parliament and the Ministry of the Kingdom They have no hopes but in wars fishing in troubled waâ—ers keeping all things in confusion from being setled In pag. 11 12 hee speaks thus Therefore the soveraign power extending no further then from the Represented to the Representors all this kind of soveraignty challenged by any whether of King Lords or others is usurpation illegitimate and illegall and none of the kingdomes or peoples neither are the people thereto oblieged Thus Sir seeing the Soveraign or Legislative power is only from the Represented to the Representors and cannot possibly further extend the power of the King cannot be Legislative but only Executive and he can communicate no more then he hath himselfe and the Soveraign power not being inherent in him it cannot be convayed by or derived from him to any so that his meer Prerogative creatures cannot have that which their lord and creator never hath had or can have namely the Legislative power Many other strange passages there are both in his Pamphlets and Petition and Appeale made up of intolerable Arrogancy Impudency and Anarchy point blanck against the Fundamentall constitution of the Government of this Kingdom but by these the Reader may judge of the whole ex ungâ—e leonem and so I leave him to the justice of the House of Lords There is one John Lilburn an Arch Sectary the great darling of the Sectaries highly extolled and magnified by them in many Pamphlets called The Defender of the Faith A Pearle in a Dung-hill That Worthy Sufferer for his Countries Liberty this Worthy man a precious Jewell indeed of whom I had thought to have given a full Relation in this Book and to have laid him open in all his colours by following him from place to place and shewing how time after time he hath behaved himself since he came out of his Apprenticeship as by declaring what set him first on work to print Books against the Bishops how hee carried himselfe in the Fleet whilst he was Prisoner there how since this Parliament both before the warres begun and since the warres how whilst hee was Prisoner at Oxford how in the Earle of Manchestors Army how in the City at many meetings about Petitions since he left the warres how before the Committee of Examinations how the first 〈◊〉 he was in Newgate by order of the House of Commons how hee behaved himselfe before the House of Lords and how the second time of his imprisonment in Newgate and how since his last commitment to the Tower but because this Narration alone will take up some sheets there being many remarkable things to be written of him of his insolent loose ungodly practices and of his Anarchicall Principles destructive to all Civill Government whatsoever and I have already filled up that number of sheets I aâ— first intended when I resolved to write this Third Part though I have many things yet to put in this Third Part therefore I must deâ—erre it till a Fourth Part and shall then by the help of God doe it so largely and fully that I shall make his folly and wickednesse known to all men and vindicate the honour and power of the House of Peers from his and all the Sectaries wicked Libells shewinâ— the weaknesse of those Principles That all power in Government is founded upon the immediate free election of all those that are to be Governed And of a necessity that all who are to be subject and obey must be represented And that all who have power in Government must be Representers which I shall doe for the
uncleane c. Now by this the Reader may see the Sectaries agree not some excluding the Lords from all power because not chosen by the universality of the people others excluding the Commons from their power because chosen by the universall people so that according to Master Goodwins doctrine the Lords being of Noble Parentage and well bred not chosen by the rifâ—e raffe of the people Atheists Drunkards the prophane world may be fitter and have more Authority to nominate and appoint who shall be the men that shall order the affaires of Christs Kingdome then the Commons And thus have I set the Pharises and Sadduces one against the other Secondly I propound some Queres to Lilburne Overton c. to Answer against I set forth a fourth part of Gangraena 1. Quere If all subjection and obedience to Governors be founded only upon the parties immediate present election of them and not other wise whether then may any obedience so much as to appeare before answer any questions or submit be given to Justices of Peace Judges Keepers of the great Seale Sheriffs Committees c. who are not chosen by the people 2. Whether any obedience respect coming without resistance upon Warrants sent for may be performed to Majors of Townes or Deputy Majors not chosen by the Town where they serve but appointed by Ordinance of Parliament 3. Whe her if men remove from one Town to another where they had no hand in chusing Majors and Magistrates must they demand a liberty and power to chuse them before they will obey any of their commands and whether must all the young youths of a Town when they come to twenty one years â—or years of subjecting demand in the places where they live a power of chusing Aldermen or Burgesses of Townes before they can submit to them 4. Whether does not a constitution of a Government for such a people and Nation made by the wisdome of Ancestors some hun-hundred years before though not by election of the people one in every year or seven or more but founded upon such and such good Lawes and in succession of persons by birth and inheritance bind a people to obey and subject as well as if chosen by them 5. Suppose in formes of civill Government and constitution of Kingdomes every particular were not so good and exact as might be desired by some and possibly might be yet whether is not a peoples submitting and accepting that forme of Government many years togethera consenting to it and equivalent to a formall Election There is one John Price an Exchange man Cretensis beloved Disciple and one of his Prophets who among others preach for him when he hath any Book to Answer or some Libertine Tractate to set forth This man hath put forth three Pamphlets one about Independencies the other two Replyes or Answers one to the City Remonstrane the other to a Vindication of the Remonstrance in all which he shewes himself to be Schollar to Cretensis and somewhat allyed to Lilburne Overton and the rest of those Sectaries who give all the supreame power of this Kingdome to the House of Commons For in his City Remonstrance Remonstrated and in his moderate Reply he is against the City Remonstrance for giving only a share of the supreame power to the House of Commons and instead of three Estates the King Lords and Commons of which the fundamentall Constitution of the Government of this Kingdome is made up he holds there is but one and that the Commons for which hee gives his Reasons such as they be and puts Queres to the Author of the Justification of the City Remonstrance their scope being all along to give the whole supreame power and not only a part to the Commons Certainly these Books of Master Price were not written in the yeare 1645. but in the yeare 1646. that they agree so with Lilburne Overton c. And if I should use his Master Goodwins Argument against him here I wonder how hee would answer it Those who are chosen by the generality of the Land Worldlings drunkards uncleane persons are not fit to have the whole supreame power of the Kingdome and neither King nor Lords to have any part with them But so are the Commons of England chosen Ergo. Now both the major and the minor are his Tutor Goodwins only the major is stronger as I put it for if according to Master Goodwin because they are chosen by the Common people and not only by Saints they are uncapable of a part of the supreame power because there is an impossibility of a spirituall extraction out of a secular root then much more should they not have the whole supreame power And as this man is bold with the power of the King and Lords to exchange it and give it to the Commons so he is with the City the Court of Common-Councell calling the City Remonstrance made by the Common-Councell the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. And so in page 13. 22. there are passages aspersing the Remonstrance and the Common-Councell This Master Price contents not himself to preach only in London but I heare of him by a godly Minister who was lately at Edmunds-Bury that he hath preached there in a house and a godly judicious Citizen told me and some others that he maintained to him some dangerous and hereticall opinions as that men might be saved who were not elected and that if men did improve nature well God would surely give them grace So that it seems this Exchange man sells other wares besides Independency and Separation and does as the Apostle Peter speaks with fained words make marchandize of mens soules Master Price also I suppose this Price was at a meeting here in London where some of severall Sects Seekers Antinomians Anabaptists Brownists Independents met with some Presbyterians to consider how all these might live together notwithstanding their severall opinions and he was as all the Sectaries were for a generall Toleration and they agreed together like buckle and thong only the Presbyterians were not satisfied There is one Master Cradock who came out of Wales and is going thither again to be an Itinerary Preacher whom I have spoken of in page 131. that hee declined coming to the Assembly but now lately October 14. seeing the pay could not be had without the concurrence of the Lords and in all this time having made some leading men his friends hee came to be examined and is passed but besides that he hath gathered a Church administring the Lords Supper in a house at evening he hath preached many odd things in the City straines tending to Antinomianisme Libertinisme as speaking against men of an old Testament spirit and how poore Drunkards and Adulterers could not look into one of our Churches but hell fire must be flashed in their faces That if a Saint should commit a grosse sinne and upon the committing of it should be startled at it
which they would have and occasion shall prove their ruine the means to overthrow all their Conventicles separated Meetings they are greedy of a warre to establish them but as now the beating of â—his Drum drove them out of the Chappell broke up their Meeting so shall the warre which they have sought overthrow all their Opinions Meetings and cast them out of England for ever as the Bishops and their faction were greedy for a warre against the Scots to support their greatnesse and Ceremonies and have been active to promote this second warre which hath proved their ruine so the Independents plotting and driving on for warre shall break their necks and break up their Conventicles and cause the Kingdoms to cast them out as an abominable branch and the issue of all the warres and bloud they thirst after shall be that some of their Heads shall be served by the Presbyterians viz. put into that bloud which themselves have caused perish by it and that most justly as King Cyrus was by Tomyris that Scythian Queen putting his head into a tub of bloud and saying Satia te sanguine quem sitisti nam insatiabilis fuisti and therefore let the Independents and Sectaries take heed of a new warre and make use of this warning given them at one of their Meetings Some Passages taken out of a Letter sent from a godly Minister in Northamptonshire to a Friend of his in London Good Cousin I Pray read seal and at your best leasure deliver the inclosed wherein I have related some particulars very soul though there be many more and more blasphemous It s a wonder amongst us that other Souldiers cannot be found but such as fight against the soul doing more hurt that way then they can do good any other way If the Parliament take not a course with them they shall certainly become our future rods or God himself will overthrow them in our sight take a note of the particulars and keep them for I have not time Septemb. 24. 1646. Some Passages extracted out of two Letters sent from a godly Christian in Lancashire to Friends in London LOving Friend God hath safely returned our Friends in health whatever our Petition produceth yet we have this comfort that we have done our duty The Sectaries here have got a Petition on foot for a Toleration and hope they shall not wait so long at the Commons door for an Answer as ours hath done Sir SInce our Petition was received into the House of Commons where it produced an Ordinance for the setling of the Presbyterian Government in this County the Sectaries have promoted an Anti-Petition here and in Câ—eshire they stile it The Petition of the peaceable and wel-affected that desire liberty of conscience as was promised by the House of Commons in their Declaration they ordered formerly to be read in Churches They have inserted some other plausible things into it the better to draw on hands promote it with great secrecy shew it to none but to such as before-hand they have some assurance will sign it It was framed and set on foot by the Members of the Church of Duckingfeild but I am confident they admit to sign it Seekers Soul-sleepers Anabaptists Rigid Brownists c. We hear of one Minister in our County who hath signed it that is a common Drunkard and two or three young Scholars who have begun to preach without Ordination one of which affirmed to me and some others that hee would defend Independency with his bloud Master Taylor and Master Eaton are wonderfull active both in Cheshire and Lancashire they much improve who is become agreat zealot for them hath threatned some of the godly Ministers that live near him to make their places too hot for them for denying their Pulpits to Master Eaton We have through the mercy of God a learned and active Clergy in our County sound and Orthodox who I hope will be assisted with many able and active men in their work of Government but Cheshire is miserably become a prey to the Sectaries they have set up already there two or three Independent Churches and are setting up two or three more hath so farre incouraged them discouraged and born down the Orthodox wel affected Gentlemen and Ministers that they could never to this day get any thing done against them We are as sensible I beleeve as any County in England and fear the carriage of things is such as will make the Kingdom weary Men speak here freely and say that now men may safelier blaspheme all the Persons in the Trinity then speak many things that are true of some Members of Parliament The suffering the Church of God to be rent and torn in peeces by Heresies Seismes and Divisions the retarding the releif for poor bleeding Ireland the greiving and sadding the hearts of our Brethren of Scotland with many other things makes us fear that the Lord hath a further controversie with us Octob. 10. 1646. A Minister told me lately hee having a Living given him or faire for it some Sectaries Independents and Antinomians desiring to bring in a Sectary and an Antinomian thereupon procured to petition the Patron for the Sectary and against this honest Minister and to effect their businesse the more probably they set down to the Petition the names of some Inhabitants who were for the Orthodox Minister in the behalfe of this Sectary when as they were against his coming in and never knew or once imagined their names were subscribed A Copie of a Letter written from a godly Minister in Holland to some Reverend and godly Ministers here in London Reverend Brethren I Have been sparing in writing unto you albeit I here have great need of correspondence in respect I am as it were alone among so many of different dispositions and nations I acknowledge the blame in my selfe who have not sought it of you of whose willingnesse I am confident Now a particular occasion hath forced to break off wherein I desire your resolution The Currents that are brought over hither these last two weeks make mention that the Assembly of Divines are about the penning of the Articles of Faith and that when the Article concerning the Trinity was presented unto the Parliament they would not admit of the word Person because it is a word not used in the first three hundred yeers and was the cause of great division and troubles in the Christian Churches This seemeth very strange unto many here seeing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1. 3. was never nor is otherwise translated in the Latin French Dutch nor our language neither have any excepted against it but Antitrinitarians Arrians and Socinians and others of that sort I have spoken with the Dutch Ministers concerning this and they admire that the Parliament seemeth to have such respect unto those damned Hereticks and the more that the Orthodox in Poland in their late Declaration would not grant the name of Brethren in Christianity to
24. A godly and understanding young man told me that a Quarter-Master belonging to a Regiment of horse coming up into a Pulpit to preach prepared the Country people for his Sermon by saying they should not wonder to see a man in such a habit to preach for he had a command from the Spirit to preach and he was under the command of the Spirit and must do accordingly and told them though they might say he was no Scholar yet that was no matter for the Spirit without learning could enable a man to the work A Gentleman of good understanding told me lately before other company that he meeting with a Captaine of horse belonging to Cromwells Regiment as 't is commonly calld with whom he rid some miles and dined also at the Sheafe in Daintry the last of August this Captain told him that the Parliament and Scots were agreed that was the newes of delivering up the King to Colonell Poyns who was with his forces to convay him as farre as Trent or thereabouts and then Cromwells Regiment was to bring him up to London to see him safe convayed to the Parliament and if he would not signe the Propositions then he said the Parliament would decoll him and thus they will decoll him acting with his hand in putting it to his own neck in away of cutting off and this Captain added further that he thought it would never be well with this Kingdome till the King was served so This man in his discourse speaking of Presbyteriall Government said it was a hundred times worse then Episcopall This Captaine when he came to Daintry enquiring for his Company where it quartred and not hearing suddenly where they were quartered was much troubled miting his hand on his breast that at such a time as this of going to fetch up the King hee should be away and hee took care for fresh horses for his journey Northward to fetch up the King This last August I was informed from a good hand viz. one who came out of Northamptonshire that some of that Regiment calld Cromwells Regiment quartering in Northamptonshire would not suffer the Ministers to preach quietly but affronted them among others one Master H. a godly Minister going to his Cure one S. a Trooper who quartered in that Town pleaded that Jesuites should have their liberty of Conscience as well as other men and in the afternoon when this Minister had done preaching stood up in the open Church speaking to the people pretending as to question some things delivered but indeed fell upon venting to the people the doctrine of Universall Grace that no man was condemned for any thing but unbeleef whereupon Master H. spake to him why do you not speak to somewhat which I preached as you pretended upon that this Trooper said I accept against that you preached for saying we might not question God but where he hath given us a word for such a thing we must beleeve it without questioning him to whom Master H. replyed if you will question God you may well question me I was told at the same time by one who came out of Northamtonshire that one of the Sectarian souldiers laid his hand on his sword and said this sword should never be laid down nor many thousands more whilst there was a Priest left in England I have been told it by severall that in Northamptonshire some of the Sectarian souldiers being in company with a young Scholar a godly Ministers sonne in Northamptonshire one Master Smith and venting some of their opinions he reasoning against them and belike putting them to non-plus they wounded him terribly so that it was thought he could not live yea it was feared hee was dead already A worthy Member of the House of Commons told me at the latter end of August last that Letters were written out of Hampshire from some persons in place there to Members of the House of Commons complaining that the souldiers who billited there carried themselves so ill as that if they continued there they could not serve them but must leave the Country for they infuse such poysonous opinions against all Government and persons of Authority as that none of us shall be regarded August the 12. I was certainly informed from eare witnesses that a few dayes before two very godly and understanding men well known had discourse with a Captaine belonging to Colonell Hammonds Regiment who positively maintained and affirmed these things to them speaking them often as his opinion and the rest of the Army of his way That the House of Commons was the Parliament of England and not only a part of it That if this House of Commons should give any Order for them to go fight with the Scots they would go That if the House of Commons should give order to come against the City of London they would do it and he spake of the City of London with much detestation saying hee was perswaded the City of London hated that Army with other words to that effect This Captaine asked them if they heard not of the plot to destroy the Army to send part of them into Ireland to be there cut off so the sending of forces into Ireland was interpreted This Captaine to another honest man either the same day or within a few dayes maintained the same things in substance so that one of them telling a Colonell belonging to the Army what this Captaine had said that upon an order of the House of Commons they would as willingly fight against the City of London and Scots as ever they did against the Cavaleers the Colonell answered readily it was no such wonder for he beleeved it was the sense of a great many in the Army A person of worth who was at the Bath this Summer told me that he had heard Master Saltmarsh and Master Del preach there before the Generall but never heard them pray for forgivnesse of sinnes and said he was glad he had heard them that he might know what manner of men they were It hath been told me by two or three of the Town of Wantwich in Barkshire that at a Town neer Wantwich and in Wantwich a great Market Town a Sectary belonging to the Army preached in the Parish Churches one of the Texts upon which he preached was out of the Revelation where he spake much of Antichrist and that all those were Antichristian who were for childrens Baptisme and that none could be saved unlesse they were rebaptized The man when he had done preaching at Wantwich spoke to the people and desired them to object what they could against his Sermon and he would answer them he did not bid them come to his chamber to be satisfied as many would but he was publikly ready to answer any objections made against what he had preached There is a very honest man of Master Whitakers Parish in Bermondseystreet told me that one Marshall of that Parish a great Sectary refusing to pay his Tyths according to the Ordinance of
Person and Authority and to maintain His just power and greatnesse the Independent replyed presently what was his just power suppose saith this Independent there were a theife and you should make a Covenant with him to maintaine his just priviledges what of that might you not for all that bring him to punishment labouring to bring him to the Gallows were his just priviledges and no breach of Covenant whereupon said this Citizen Is this your interpretation of the Covenant I would never have taken it whilst the world stood in that sense and further said this Citizen when this Covenant was made and sworne what ever you can say against the King as raising Wars against the Parliament and what ever else you imagine It was before this Covenant was taken you knew as much of him before as now so that t is strange you should speak so And then this Citizen reasoned with this Independent against punishing the King David was guilty of Murther and Adultery and there were then Elders of the people Princes and Judges in Israel as well as now and yet none of them offered to question David upon his life or inflict punishment neither do we find that God by the prophets gave any such direction to punish David though by the Law death was due for Murther to other men we know God sent the prophet Nathan to reprove him and to bring him to repentance for his great sinne but not to stirre up the Princes Judges and Elders of the people to proceed against him as they did against Malefactors A Relation and Discovery of the Libertinisme and Atheisme horrible fearfull uncleannesses of severall kinds Drunkunnesse generall Loosenesse and licentiousnesse of living Cosening and Deceiving both of particular persons and of the State and Kingdome fearfull Lying Jugling and falsifying of promises abominable Pride and boasting in the Arms of flesh unsufferable Insolencies and horrible misdemeanors of many Sectaries of these times particularly their Insolencies against the Lawes of the Land the King the House of Lords House of Commons some particular worthy Members by name of both Houses Committees of both Houses both Houses of Parliament as conjunct in their Authority and Ordinances against our Brethren of Scotland the Kingdom of Ireland the City of London the Assembly the whole Ministery of this Kingdom and all the Reformed Churches against inferior Magistrates and Courts as the Judges Justices of Peace Majors of Cities Committes and all sorts of Officers of Justice THe Particulars in all these kinds are so many and so infinite that particularly to reckon them up and give their story would fill a great volume and I have already in the foregoing part of the Book given some instances in most of them and therefore I shall but breifly point at and give hints only upon these severall heads referring the Reader for further satisfaction to many Pamphlets and Books daily printed and openly sold and to his own observation of things 1. The great Libertinisme and Atheisme of many Sectaries appears by their violent and feirce pleading for by word and writing a free Liberty and Toleration of all kind of Religions and Consciences whatsoever and that not only in lesser points of Doctrine but in the most fundamentall Articles of Faith yea and of denying the Scriptures and that there is a God and by the pleading for Liberty in such away and by such mediums viz. that no man is infallible and certaine in any thing he holds that t is possible he may be mistaken c. as do necessarily overthrow all Religion whatsoever There have been within these few yeers some scores of Books written wholly for Toleration and pretended Liberty and some hundred of Books wherein that 's pleaded for together with other things and so farre are the Sectaries gone in Libertinisme * that all true love piety Religion conscience is placed in a generall allowance of what mens corrupted and defiled consciences like and the greatest sinne wickednesse evill that men can commit or be capable of is placed in the using of good means and the power God hath given to hinder and restraine this Liberty There is a Book called Toleration justified printed 1646. asserteth t is not safe to put any bounds to Toleration or to restraine in any thing whatsoever no not in denying the Scriptures and a Deity There is a Pamphlet A Demurre to the Bill for preventing the growth and spreading of Heresie that came out lately since that Ordinance against Heresies was brought in to the H. of Commons that pleads page 3. with many Libertine Arguments against all punishing of those that maintaine there is no God as among others with this We beseech you let not God and the truth of his being be so excessively dispâ—raged as not to be judged sufficient to maintaine it against all gainsayers without the helpe of any earthly power to maintaine it Let Turks and those that beleeve in strange gods which are 〈…〉 gods make use of such power and infirme supporters of their supposed d 〈…〉 s but let the truth of our God the only God the omnipotent God be judged abundantly able to support it self t is a tacit imputation of in 〈…〉 s to imagine it hath need of our weake and impotent assistance There are Queres concerning a printed Paper entituted An Ordinane for the preventing and growing of Heresies c. where among many Libertine questions the second proclaims it self to be Scepticall and Athâ—isticall supposing except men make themselves infallible that the preaching printing and maintaining contrary to these Doctrines That God is that God is present in all places that God is Almighty that God is eternall perfectly holy c. may be the sacred truths of God for ought any man knowes There have beene and are daily many strange speeches uttered wholly tending to Libertinisme and Atheisme A Reverend godly Minister told me July the fourth 1646. he heard and Independent say what if I should worship the Sunne or the Moone as the Persians did or that Pewter Pot standing by what hath any man to do with my conscience A great Sectary pleaded in the hearing of persons of worth from whom I immediately had it for a Toleration of Stage-playes and that the Players might be set up againe I heard a Sectary plead for a Toleration of Witches and I urging that argument that Witches might say they in their conscience hold the Devill for their God and thereupon worship him it was answered that precept against not suffering Wirches was spoken to the Israelites not to us and will you because Witches deale with a familiar spirit therefore send them to the Devill by taking away their lives Many Sectaries often say that all the judgements of God upon us are because we will not receive the Government of of Christ suffer it to be set up among us viz. to let every one beleeve what he will and serve God according to his conscience as also they say if ever
said of them and justly too For what other have they been but a meer clog to the House of Commons in all their proceedings How many necessary things have they obstructed How many evill things promoted What devices have they had of Prudentialls and Expedients to delay and pervert what is good and subtle policies to introduce things evill The Pamphlet call'd An Alarum to the House of Lords pag. 4. speaking of the Lords imprisoning Lilburne and removing him from Newgate to the Tower of London saith Whether to murther him privately from the peoples knowledge we cannot tell but we judge little lesse And in pag. 5. speaking of the Lords giving order that none must see Lilburne in the Tower but they must first given in their names the places of their habitation uses these words An act so unreasonable and destructive to us that we cannot but take notice of it and let you know That we cannot neither will we suffer such intolerable affronts at your hands If timely cautions will not availe with you you must expect to be bridled for wee are resolved upon our naturall Rights and Freedomes and to be enslaved to none how Magnificent soever with rotten Titles of Honor. For doe you imagine there is none abroad of his mind who though he were dead and destroyed by you would prosecute those works and discoveries of the Peoples Rights which hee hath begun Yes more then you are aware of that can nay and are resolved to paint forth your Interest to the life if you will not content your selves the sooner with what 's your owne and leave the Commoners to the Commons The Remonstrance of many thousands to their own House of Commons pag. 6 7. speaks thus to them Yee must also deale better with us concerning the Lords then you have done Ye onely are chosen by us the People and therefore in you onely is the power of binding the whole Nation by making altering or abolishing of Lawes Ye have therefore prejudiced us in acting so as if ye could not make a Law without both the Royall assent of the King so ye are pleased to expresse your selves and assent of the Lords What is this but to blind our eyes that we should not know where our power is lodged nor to whom we apply our selves for the use thereof but if we want a Law wee must await till the King and Lords assent yet ye knowing their assent to be meerly formall as having no root in the choyce of the people from whom the power that is just must be derived do frequently importune their assent which implies a most grosse absurdity For where their assent is necessary and essentiall they must be as free as you to assent or dissent as their understanding and consciences shall guide them and might as justly importune you as you them Ye ought in conscience to reduce this case also to a certainty and not to waste time and open your counsels and be liable to so many obstructions as ye have beene But to prevail with them enjoying their Honors and possessions to be liable and stand to be chosen for Knights and Burgesses of the people as other the Gentry and Free-men of this Nation doe which will be an obligation upon them as having one and the lame interest then also they would be distinguished by their vertue and love to the Common-wealth whereas now they Act and Vote in our Affairs but as Intruders or as thrust upon us by Kings to make good their Interests which to this day have beene to bring us into a â—lavish condition to their wills Lilburne in his F 〈…〉 s freedome Vindicated p. 7 8 9. speaks thus I must be forced to dâ—nce atâ—endance contrary to Law to answer a Charge without for 〈…〉 or fashion in Law at the Barre of the House of Peeres who know very well or at least might know that I knew as well as any of themselves their power jurisdiction and Prerogative Fountaine from whence they spring and calls the Lords the meere Creature of the peoples Creature the King and the common people the earthly Lord and Creator of the Lords Creator and saith that in the Honorable House of Commons alone by right resides the formall and legall supreme power of England Overton in his Arrow shot into the Prerogative Bowels of the Arbitrary House of Lords as he calls it showes page 10. how he denied subjection to the Lords affirming that if their Officers had shâ—wn a thousand such Warrants to him as they did he would have accounted them all illegall Antimagisteriall and void in Law as having no power over Commoners which are not their Peeres and thereupon stirs up the people to Arme themselves fortifie their houses to â—eat wound and kill their officers that come to fetch them before the Lords and then turnes his speech to the House of Commons Why therefore should you of the Representative body sit still and suffer these Lords thus to devoure both us and our Lawes Be awakned arise and consider their oppressions and encroachments and stop their Lordships in their ambitious careere for they doe not cease only here but they soare higher and higher and now they are become Arrogators to themselves of the naturall soveraignity the Represented have conveyed and issued to their proper Representors even challenge to themselves the title of the supremest Court of judicature in this Land and in page 11 12. Overton saith further Therefore the Soveraigne power extending no further then from the Represented to the Representors al this kind of soveraignity challenged by any whether of King Lords or others is usurpation illegitimate and illegall and none of the Kingdomes or peoples neither are the people thereto obliged Thus seeing the Legislative power is only from the Represented to the Representors and cannot possibly further extend the power of the King cannot be Legislative but only Executive and hee can communicate no more then hee hath himself so that his meere Prerogative creatures cannot have that which their Lord and Creator never had hath or can have namely the Legislative power Indeed all other Courts might as well challenge that Prerogative of Soveraignity yea better then this Court of Lords But and if any Court or Courts in this Kingdome should arrogate to themselves that dignity to be the Supreme Court of Judicatory of the Land it would be judged no lesse then high treason to wit for an inferior subordinate power to advance and exalt it selfe above the power of the Parliament The same Overton in a Pamphlet entituled A Defiance against all Arbitrary usurpations either of the House of Lords or any other page 5. saith And though I be in their Prerogative clutches and by them unjustly cast into the prison of Newgate for standing for my owne and my Countries rights and freedomes I care not who lets them know that I acknowledge nonâ— other to be the Supreme Court of Judicature of this Land but the House of
Commons the Knights and Burgesses assembled in Parliament by the voluntary choyce and free election of the people thereof with whom and in whose just defence I le live and die maugre the malice of the House of Lords and in page 18. he in way of deâ—ision calls the Lords House the Superlative House and speaking of the Lords laughing at his answers he saith of that House such carriage such a Court For indeed Comedies Tragedies Masks and Playes are more fit for such idle kind of men And above all other Demonstrations of the outragious insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Peeres let the Reader peruse that Pamphlet entituled An Anatomy of the Lords tyranny and injustice exercised upon Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne which is throughout insolent both for matter and manner particularly page 12 13. Lilburne writes that he being in the painted Chamber desired Master Brisco one of his Keepers to go and tell the Lords from him that seeing they had the impudencie and boldnesse to tread the Lawes and Liberties of England under their feet and did so contemne and undervalue the authority of the Honorable House of Commons to whom he had appealed as yet to go on in their illegall courses with him with whom by Law they had nothing to doe that he must be forced in the highest nature he could to contemne and despise their proceedings and therefore was resolved not to come to their Bar without a forcible compulsion and to come in with his hat on his head and to stop his eares when they read his charge in detestation and bearing witnesse against their usurpations and injustice page 14 15. Lilburne writes he thus spake to the Lords And my Lords I tell you to your faces that by right the House of Commons are your Judges as well as mine in this case and I doe not doubt but to live to see the day that they will make you to know whether you will or no that they are so and of their justice and protection I doe not in the least doubt And therefore my Lords seeing you have dealt so illegally and tyrannically with me as you have done I now bid defiance to your power and malice to doe the worst you can And therefore my Lords I protest here before the God of Heaven and earth if you shall be so unworthy as to persevere in endeavouring the destruction of the fundamentall Lawes and Liberties of England as at present you doe I will venture my life and bloud against you to oppose you with as much zeale and courage as ever I did any of the Kings party that you set us together by the eares with page 21. Lilburne saith all his catriage and expressions before the House of Lords in the case now betwixt them to be as justifiable by the Law of this Kingdome and in the eyes of all understanding men as for a true and just man to draw his sword and cut the theif or rogue that sets upon him upon the high-way on purpose to rob him of his life and goods and in page 23. hee earnestly beseeches the Honorable Committee to remember the Commoners and improve all their interest to punish or at least effectually to curb the Lords House Thus the Sectaries in their Petitions and all their Pamphlets printed speaking of the Lords House and of their proceedings they give such kind of termes as these Barbarous Tyrannicall Arbitrary Illegall unjust dealings worse then the unjust Stat-chamber it selfe Insolent unheard of usurpations intrusions and many such like And in divers Pamphlets now of late the Parliament being spoken of is understood only the Commons of England they call'd the Parliament by way of exclusion of and opposition to the H. of Peers and Books written on purpose and dispersed given freely to stir up the people to adhere to the Comons as considered apart and distinct in interest power from the Lords with unworthy reflections upon the Lords as The last warning to all the Inhabitants of London p. 7. Mind your own good and cleave fast to the House of Commons let no sorcery or sophistry divide you from them the Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concerns the Nations their large answer to your last City Petition for Church-government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly So A word in season to all sorts of well-minded people in this distracted Nation with Answers to the City Remonstrance and divers other Pamphlets 4. The Sectaries have been guilty of and daily are of abusing contemning and taking away the power of the House of Commons given it by the Lawes Constitutions and Customes of this Kingdome and though in many Pamphlets especially this last yeere they cry up the House of Commons and seeme to give them not only their owne power but the power of the King and House of Lords making both them meere ciphers yet it will be found by many of their principles laid downe they have destroyed the House of Commons and doe break their Priviledges speak their pleasure of them both by words and writing as often as they please Many Pamphlets and whole Books have beene written by Sectaries against the House of Commons it selfe and not only against Committees or particular Members charging the House with tyranny injustice oppression horrible pride seeking of particular interests Arbitrary Governm 〈…〉 breaking of Magna Charta and going against the Liberties of the subject resembling them to the Star-chamber High Commission Court to Strafford and Canterbury refusing to answer any questions upon the command of the House scorning to Petition the Commons either to sue for their favour or to acknowledge their justice and after such favour shown as to release without petitioning yet taxing them with dishonesty and demanding reparations for imprisonment for the abundant proofe of which I referre the Reader to many Pamphlets written by Sectaries as Englands Birthright The Copie of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne to a friend Lilburnes Innocency and truth justified Englands lamentable slavery with other Letters printed about that time Another word to the wise written by M. John Musgrave A Pamphlet entituled An exact collection of the Parliaments Remonstrances Declarations c. A Remonstrance of many thousand Citizens and other free borne people of England to their owne House of Commons out of which I shall faithfully transcribe some passages that the insolencies of the Sectaries against the House of Commons may be observed Lilburn in his Letter to his freind writes thus page 1 2. That Master Corbit being in the chaire and telling him he was commanded by the House to demand a question of him Lilburn instead of answering him desired to know the cause of his commitment and M. Corbit replying the House was not bound to declare unto him the cause of his commitment thereupon Lilburne answered Then I have beene a long
divers particular Members of both Houses by name but as conjunct in their Authority Power and that in both the senses in which the Parliament is taken whether as we meane the three Estates in Parliament in their Legislative power the King the Lords the Commons or whether the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament making the highest Court to punish other Courts and offendors according to Lawes already made and having a power to make Ordinances and to set out rules and directions in emergent occasions of the Kingdome till a Law can be made Now in the first acception of Parliament the Sectaries have by word writing and all their proceedings especially of late overthrowne Parliaments and the fundamentall constitution of the three estates King Lords and Commons and that in denying all Legislative power to the King and Lords and of three Estates leaving and making but one cutting off both King and Lords from their unquestionable legall power according to the Lawes and fundamentall constitution of the Government of this Kingdome yea indeed destroying all the three estates taking away all the power and authority from the King Lords and Commons and placing it in the universall people giving them power to doe what they will and as often as they will as being the Creator of all and making the King Lords and Commons their meere creatures to be disposed of as they please and as the Sectaries are against the power of the three Estates in Parlia to make new Lawes giving this Legislative power only to the Commons and that to at the discretion of the people so are they against the Lawes and Acts already made by King Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament having inveighed against all Lawes from first to last both Common and Statute yea against Magna Charta it selfe calling it a poore and beggarly thing below a Freeman c. of the proofes of which particulars though the Sectaries Books are full I shall only name one place in the Remonstrance of the Sectaries to their owne House of Commons page 15. where they speak thus to the Commons Yee know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy of a free people and deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason Magna Charta it selfe is but a beggarly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage and the Lawes that have beene made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppressive and intolerable and in all their Books they speak against the knowne positive Lawes of the Land and cry out for Lawes according to right reason and for naturall primitive rights the just rights and prerogative of mankind which as they are the sonnes of Adam from him they have legitimatly derived of which they make themselves the sole Judges for otherwise our Ancestors who first founded this government and Lawes and the Parliaments ever since in all ages being rationall men have judged the present forme of Government and the Lawes to be most agreeable to Right Reason and Equity for this Nation and accordingly have confirmed and ratiâ—ied them so many times Now if this insolent outragious carriage of many Sectaries be well considered it will be found Treason in the highest forme not only against the King but the Kingdome too as my Lord Cook spake in the case of the Gunpouder Traytors they having plotted endeavoured written many Books done many actions to overthrow the fundamentall constitution and lawes of this Kingdome and that not by blowing up one Parliament but by their gun-powder spirits labouring to destroy all Parliaments in their constitution of three Estates for ever and if Strafford and Canterbury for endeavouring to subvert the fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome though they professed ignorance in many things and for what they did pleaded the command of the King and carried themselves with all duâ—ifull submission to the Parliament not to their faces and in the time of a Parliament endeavouring to overthrow Parliaments and Lawes and confronting them were yet charged and suffered death how many deaths hath Lilburne Overton and the rest of their fellowes deserved who have with so much violence sought the overthrow of the three Estates and the Lawes of the Kingdome and in the stead of the Fundamentall Government Lawes and Constitution of this Kingdome to set up an Utopian Anarchie of the promiscuous multitude and the â—usts and uncertaine fancies of weake people for Lawes and Rules and if these audacious men and their daring books shall escape without exemplary punishment and instead thereof be countenanced and set free I do as a Minister pronounce that the plague of God will fall upon the heads of those who are the cause of it Aâ—d in the second acception of the Parlia for what hath been done by the joynt power of both Houses in their Ordinances and commands yea the power which they claime and is expressed in the Writs by which they make such Ordinances and command obedience to them both the Authority and the Ordinances following from that Authority are denied and reproached all kind of wayes by the Sectaries and here I have so large a feild to walke in that I might make a fourth part of Gangraena in laying open the particulars of this kind but I will only speak a few things In the generall the Authority of both Houses of Parliament in matters of Religion and all Ordinances whatsoever tending that way have beene all violâ—â—ed with a high hand and trampled undeâ— foot with scorne and detestation openly declared against in the strangest manner that ever was in any age Now for the Sectaries opposing the Parliaments Authority to establish Church-government and to set up the true Religion I will among many quote only three First Collyer a Master Sectary in his Queres p. 24. answering that question what power c. saith they have none at all and that t is one of the first and greatest degrees of Antichristian tyranny for man to assume to himself power in spirituall things vide p. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Secondly Mr. Burton in his Pamphlet entituled Conformities Deformity it being the maine scope of his Book speaks against the power and practise of this State and present Parliament to enact a Law to binde all to conformity in Religion and makes it to be the feare of God raught by the precept of men to be hypocrisie idolatry to be that which turnes men away from the truth and so from Christ page 7. 15. and in page 12 1â— he writes thus Aâ—d therefore in this time of pretended Reformation belike the Parliament doth but pretend Reformation because it sets not up by a Law Independencie and Sectarisme Presbyteriall Government the Diâ—â—ctory Confession of Faith Catechisme being all but pretended Reformation with Master Burton to erect this great Idoll to wiâ— a power in man to prescribe Lawes and to lâ—gi 〈…〉 commandements for worship
againe this Sectary speaking of Parliament men about their Ordinance saith But what they are let all the people judge let them consider whether there can be the least dram of honesty or Religion in them or respect to the liberty of this freeborne Nation therein seeing they lay upon us a heavier â—eake then ever was laid upon us in the dayes of the Bishops It will be the greatest thraldom and bondage that â—ver the Kingdome was involved into and by this Ordinance of the Supper I am afraid we shall all go supperlesse to bed and speaking of the Classes Synods he addes if we can finde no Justice there we may appeale for sooth to our Gods themselves the Parliament life everlasting world without end of who 〈…〉 how may we expect 〈…〉 or justice th 〈…〉 that thus before hand w 〈…〉 with the stings of Scorpions and griâ—d us betweene the devouring jawes of such divilish tyr 〈…〉 icall Courts which will even crush our 〈…〉 s in peices and squeese out our very marrow and juyce and 〈…〉 ck out our very hearts bloud like so many greedy 〈◊〉 And as I have shown how the Presbyteriall Government and Ordinances for it have beene by word and writing opposed so I shall give some instances of the Sectaries insolent actings and workings against it In London when according to command of Authority the Ministers and people met to set up the Government to chuse Elders in Congregations some Sectaries came into Churches when they were â—â—using and made a disturbance by objecting openly against the office aâ— at Aâ—dersgaâ—â— and some other Churches other Sectaries joyned together hindered the election objecting they would not chuse Elders till they had chosen Ministers first because their Ministers were put in by the Bishops in former times or by the Parliament of late without their formall choyce an instance of the first was at Michael crooked â—ane where by the meanes of some Sectaries the Election was hindered and is to this day and things were carried with a great deale of confusion and tumult an instance of the second was at Th 〈…〉 Apostles As some other Churches of London where upon the Church doores a paper was set up to give notice of Elders chosen in such places and that they were to be tried at such a time in such a Church and that if any had any thing to except against them they should bring in their exceptions these papers were pu 〈…〉 downe and in their place a scandalous paper call'd severall Vo 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 consciences having a disgracefull picture of a Presbyter having Antichristian written by him in the midst of the Pope and Prelate was set up as for instance 27. of July last on the Church doore in Clements Eastcheap the paper about Elders was taken downe and this paper set up At Dover in Kent when one of the parishes was to chuse Elders the Independents and Sectaries carriage was extreme insolent as the Reader may observe by these following passages written to me in a Letter from a Reverend Minister of that Towne Now for the day of Electing our Elders if a State and the Truth were ever trodden downe at once by men it was in the preparation for that day and the practise of it Before the day some of them went about to perswade the people to hold their liberties and not to bring themselves in bondage They chose our Elders for us and perswaded people to accept of them and being asked by some whether they thought them fit to be Elders in their Independent Church they answered no nor members neither they spâ—ke evill of our best men and accused them of wavering and malice and when some told that if they should chuse such Elders as they named people would not be joyned with them they replied no matter they might then come to their Church and when the day was come and time to chuse our Elders albeit their owne Pastor was preaching in the towne at the same instant yet some of them came to our choyce and there affirmed though not by an open ouâ—cry yet by private perswasions to some that we were not building the walls of Babal and went to divers persous and got them to forbeare giving their voices to Master P. telling them that they knew he would not take it by which meanes we feare he will lose it to be brief we know that they are opposite to order and if there be not restraint will bring all to a lawlesse condition so thinks June 29. 1646. Your loving freind and Brother Eighthly â—he Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and carried themselves very unworthily towards our Brethren of Scotland the Sectaries in the Army City Country and in all places of this Kingdome have at all tables and in all Pamphlets and all kind of wayes abused and railed against the Scots inventing many wicked lies raising groundlesse jealousies and feares of them and that of their Kingdome and State their Army their Commissioners resident here their Generall Assembly of particular worthy persons by name and as they have done thus about this two last yeers with all industry and subtilty imploying Emissaries so more especially since the Kings going to the Scottish Army they have bestirred themselves by their weekly Pamphleters by many libellous Pamphlets written on purpose by many strange and false reports raised on purpose to incense the Kingdom against them and to make them odious I could fill a great book in setting downe all the hard speeches the ungodly Sectaries have spoken against them in Sermons and other discourses in transcribing out of the Sectaries Books all the bitter scoffing lying railing passages written against them in relating all strange facts and cruell unkind dealings of that party against them but they are so well knowne and all wise men so well acquainted with them that I need not much enlarge only for the sake of weake ones who live remote I shall touch upon a few things and truly t is the honour of our Brethren of Scotland that the Sectaries hate them so infinitely for would they have beene false or remisse in the Covenant and to their principles they should have beene the great favorites with them and might have had what they would but because they were too honest and not to be corrupted by any worldly thing and they looking upon them as the great thing that letteth and will let untill it be taken out of the way therefore they have sought to blast them and destroy them all kind of wayes they could desire They have therefore laboured to possesse the people by word and writing that the Scots are a false dishonest selfe-seeking People all for their owne ends and alwayes were that they coâ—ply with the Kings designes are firmly his as ever the Cavaliers were that they will joyne with the King against the Parliament a mercinary people that have got a world of money and sent it out of the Kingdome in whole barrels full
held it not lawfull to go fight against them others of the Sectaries have reasoned against sending releif thither as saying whom should we releive to â—e Protestants there were an unworthy people that Kingdome had cosâ— us more to keep it then ever we goâ— by it that it was 〈◊〉 to hazard that Army upon it which was so faithful and 〈◊〉 for much for us with other words to this purpose other Sectaries have laughed at the Presbyterians being so forward in preaching and praying for releif to be sent over in all hast into Ireland A Gentleman in publick place told me not long since he had heard an Independent say upon discoursing of the hazard of the losse of Ireland that it was not a three penny matter to England if Ireland and Scotland both were lost England had no need of them severall strange speeches have fallen from the Sectaries in reference to Ireland Tenthly the Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and dealt most unworthily with the City of London a whole book might be written of all the calumnies reproaches abuses that have beene offered the City of London within this last twelve months especially about that late excellent Remonstrance how hath the late Lord Major the whole Court of Common-councell and City Remonstrance been written preached spoken against by the Sectaries of the Army City and Country giving reproachfull names raising wicked lies upon them and for nothing but for petitioning the Parliament for setling the Government and declaring themselves for the Covenant against Hereticks Scismaticks and Blasphemers Cretensis that great Sectary cals the late Lord Major of London and the Common-councell Brethren in iniquity with me the Author of the Pamphlet call'd the Lord Majors farewell from his Office of Majoralty resembles the late Lord Major to wicked Ahaz saying the Saints will say of him in succeeding ages this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name Lilburne in his Pamphlet entituled Londons Liberty calls by way of scoffing the Prerogative Lord Major Adams A Sectary in the Army call'd him rascall The Common-councell and Citizens have beene commonly call'd the Sect of the Adamites and in print to in the Pamphlet The just mans justification pag. 16. The Sectaries frequently cal the Citizens Preist-riden slaves They have in Pulpits beene call'd the great mountaine that hinders the liberty of the people refined Malignants and that if ever this Kingdome was brought into slavery the City would be the cause of it some of the Sectaries have said that the King the Scots and the Common-councell did drive on one designe it were too long to reckon up al the abuses offered the City of London and the Honorable Court of Common-councell by some of the weekly Pamphleters as the Moderate Intelligencer Perfect Occurrences and by some Sectarian souldiers threatning that they would as willingly come against the City as ever against the Cavaliers The City Remonstrance hath beene branded by them one Captaine in the Army said the Remonstrance was as devilish a thing as ever was penned by man Lilburne in his Londons liberty in chains discovered page 36. speaking of the City Remonstrance calls it that most devilish wicked bloudy unchristian Papisticall Remonstrance of the Prerogative men of London c. Other Sectaries have call'd it that monster with many heads the â—ifteene headed monster a base railing Remonstrance M. Peters hath spoken his pleasure of it in the Pulpit and the Moderate Reply to the City Remonst with the City Remonstrance remonstrated have many naughty passages against the Common-councell and City Remonstrance as that it was the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. but I shall passe them by and transcribe only one passage out of M. Burtons Conform Deform where in the Epist Dedicatory to the present Lord Major he writes thus Give me leave tobeseech you that you would improve the whole power of your office among other evils for the not only suppressing but utter obliterating out of all Records of memory or mention that late Remonstrance of London which like the Trojan horse is stuffed with such matter as if the importunity of some might have had its desire would unavoidably hale in ruine both to City and Country Nor doth any thing more clearly demonstrate that spirituall judgement of blindnesse and hardnesse of heart to be upon all those who have their heads and hands in that Remonstrance and wilfully persist in the prosecution of it now in cold bloud then the unnaturall hating and hunting after the destruction of those very men as our mortall enemies who have with the extrem hazard of their lives been honoured of God to be the preserâ—ers of them our City and Country c. For the spirit of that ten-horned beast is now making warre with the Lamb and this spirit warreth under new colours not red but white whose word is Reformation and this under afair colour of a Covenant by vertue wherof pretending a just title to the War he hopes by the help of the Remonsstrance and the prime Authors thereof and their adherents to erect a new bestiall Tyranny over soules bodies and estates under new names and notions Elevently the Sectaries have carried themselves towards the Assembly with the greatest scorne and reproach that ever any sort of men carried themselves towards such a company of Ministers learned and godly and called by a Parliament to advise with in matters of Religion O how many books have beene written against them within these two last yeers or thereabouts as The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho and their fellowes O the railing bitter disgracefull passages in Li 〈…〉 ns Letter to Mr. Pryn Tender Conscience religiously affected and divers other Pamphlets against the Assembly calling them the black-coats in the Synod Dâ—ivines good for nothing but to be burnt having two hornes like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teaching the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven O how commonly by word of mouth and in writing is the Assembly call'd Antichristian Romish bloudy the plagues and pests of the Kingdome Baals Preists Diviners Southsayerâ— all manner of evill being spoken of them A Ballad hath beene made of them having a first and second part wherein they are scoffed with the title of Black-bird Divines the name of the Ballad is A Prophecy of the Sâ—ynâ—eards Destruction to the â—uâ—â— of the merry Souldier or the jovâ—â—ll Tiâ—ker this Ballad calls the Assembly Swinheards saith these Swineheards are sitting to build old Babels Tower The Assemby â—â—th beene abused all kind of wayes threatned if they give advise to the Parliament against a Toleration of Independents they shall be chastised as evill Councellors disturbers of Church and State no lesse then great Strafford or little Canterbury all kind of imputations charged on them and they made by the Sectaries the cause and ground of all evilâ— that are upon the Kingdome The lâ—st warning to
Reader to look Mr. Cartwright on the Proverbs 2. That when the King freely cast himselfe into the Armes of our Brethren of Scotland in Covenant with us and did nor go for Ireland France or into Scotland to Montrosse and the Rebels there as he might have done which courses as they might have proved most sad and dangerous to himselfe and his posterity so very pernicious to these Kingdomes in the continuance of a most destructive civill Warre and sad effects thereof the Independents and Sectaries were so farre from blessing God for keeping the King from running those ways and inclining his heart rather to go to our Brethren in Arms and Covenant with us that they were much troubled at it and some of them have expressed as much wishing the King had gone rather to France or Ireland then to the Scots An Independent speaking with a Presbyterian of the Kings going to the Scots the Presbyterian answered him what would you have had the King done Would you have had him gone to Ireland the Independent replied it had been better for us if he had gone for Ireland then now though may be not better for himselfe And since the Kings being with the Scots the Sectaries have expressed themselves as being afraid of nothing more then the Kings yeelding to the Propositions and a peace thereupon A great Independent speaking of the Propositions said God forbid the King should signe them and some speaking of the Kings refusing the Covenant an Independent said Gods blessing of his heart for refusing of it and I have been told from good hands that so 〈…〉 e of the Independent party underhand make use of some instruments to keep the King off from taking the Covenant and hint some encouragements to him if he refuse it all which showes the abominable wickednesse of our Sectaries that they would rather have had the King runne upon the destruction of himselfe and his Kingdomes then their Independent opinions to be hazarded by the Kings agreeing with his Kingdomes and settling of Church and State 3. The transcendent wickednesse of the Sectaries and Independent party appears by their evill carriage towards our Brethren of Scotland by whom as by a speciall meanes under God both the Kingdome and they came in a capacity to be freed from Tyranny and Popery and it hath been acknowledged since this Parliament even by some of themselves that they were the first meanes and instruments of casting off oppressions and Popery and how usefull and instrumentall from first to last the Scots have beene to this Kingdome and Parliament all the world cannot but know who knowes any thing and without whose helpe according to all humane reason and second causes the Sectaries had not been in a way of doing the Scots any wrong notwithstanding all which such hath beene the horrid ingratitude of the Sectaries that they have and doe hate them infinitely worse then the Papists and Malignants have with all possible Art and industry reproached viliâ—ied them by printing and reporting by word of mouth all kind of evill of them studied to put upon them them all affronts and disgraces sought all occasions to fall out with them and to engage in warre against them not caring to involve these Kingdomes in a most deadly and destructive warre that they might be revenged on the Scots for the Covenant and the Presbyteriall Government and the Sectaries have a long while made account of a warre with Scotland and ordered many things in reference to that that they might be ready for it Many of the Sectaries made such reckoning of falling ouâ— with Scotland that the last yeere some of them bought many score chaldron of New-castle coles thinking thereby to get a great deale of moâ—ey and being disappointed have lost much by the bargaine otheâ—s of them perswaded their freinds to lay in good store of Coles for their provision the lâ—st winter because of wars with Scotland and when Lilburne was in prison in Newgate upon Order of the House of Commons one coming to visit him in prison and giving him twenty shillings to releive him there Lilburne told him for his love he would doe him this good turne wish him to buy in his store of Coles because of a breach that was likely to be with the Scots It would be too long to relate all the stories have beene told me of severall passages and discourses used by Sectaries tending to a warre with Scotland both by Sectarian Chaplains Commanders and others of that way as preaching to souldiers of another party Formalists rising up against you but they shall fall under you as the pressing upon some imployed to Treat with the Cavaâ—ierâ— to give them conditions contrary to Ordinances of Parliament and all reason that our Armies might be at liberty to deale with the Scots aâ— of endeavouring to remove some Commanders out of the way because looked upon as great friends of the Scots as of some imployed to sound and try men in City and Army how they stood affected to a warre with Scotland as saying that they had been upon the Scots before now but for this City and that they would upon Order from the House of Commons go as willingly against the Scots as ever against the Cavaliers as intercepting and opening of Letters of the Scots staying their Messengers at Courts of Guard by Independent Officers as as I shall therefore draw to a conclusion upon this head and conclude that in the Histories and Chronicles that shall be written of these times the Sectaries wickednesses in reference to the Scots will be recorded and fully spoken of and they will be infamous for it to all generations and some particular men among them who now hold up their heads full high will be by name branded for their â—alsities and unworthy dealings with the Scots and not caring to have involved the Kingdomes in a new warre for their fancies and New-light of which themselves hold they have no such assurance or certainâ—y but before next weeke they may see a contrary light 4. Among all other wickednesses of the Sectaries their carriage towards the Kingdome of Ireland and the Protestants there is prodigious some of them having justified that Rebellion others having reasoned against sending helpe many of them having retarded and hindred help from going none of them as I know having beene forward and earnest for sending helpe but have cast in many objections raised and nourished needlesse fears and jealosies of the Scots and of plots at home not caring to have Ireland lost over and over againe rather then their particular opinions or designes should in the least be hazarded In the beginning of the Rebellion in Ireland when wee had no Armies on foot nor knew not the way of warre and wanted many advantagâ—s we have now yet how was the House of Peeres cried out on great multitudes coming up to Westminster in a tumultuous way ready to pull the Lords out of their House and all
said again and again of his Protestation Protested I will if he will not be angry with him it was this that in that Book there was grosse Brownisme which he nor his Brethren no way agreed with him in and that for his part he would as soon subscribe to the Book of Common-Prayer as to divers things there Shall I tell him what Mr. Symonds of Roterdam one of the moderatest and modestest of that way said upon the comming forth of his last Book Conformities Deformitie to a friend of his that shewed it him and asked him of it no I will forbear least it should trouble the old man too much I could tell some stories of Mr. Burton and his Church I have a relation given me in writing by 〈◊〉 whâ— was present and heard all about a difference that fell out in the time of the Church-meeting between M. Burton and a Butcher and some others of his Church about prophecying but 't is too long to insert here and I promise it the Reader in the 4 part of Gangraena I have been told a late famous story by divers godly Ministers of the City of a great falling out betweene Mr. Burton and some of his Church about singing of Psalmes Baptising of Children prophecying and somewhat else and upon some Brethren cal'd in to hear the businesse how far M. Burton yeelded in those particulars both against his judgment and his practise but I must reserve that too I could make large Animadversions on his Pamphlets and show many strange positions in them beside contradictions falshood weaknesse hard speeches against the faithfull servants of God much pride and arrogancie but I will for present animadvert a few things only on his last Book Conformities Deformitie in a Dialogue between Conformity and Conscience and I shall refer all I have to say at this time to three heads 1. To show the scope of Mr. Burtons Book and what the man would have in it 2. To represent to M. Burton and the Reader the great evill of it and how unlike Mr. Burton is to what himselfe was formerly 3. Propound some queries to Mr. Burton to show him how he is mistaken all along in the ground he goes upon For the first his main scope is under the name of Conscience to represent the Sectaries as the only conscientious men and under that colour to plead for a Toleration of them all and an indempnity from all restraint by the civill Magistrate and under the name of Conformity to brand all Presbyterians and to speak against all establishment of Religion and Church-Government by Magistrates and Synods as great Hypocrisie Idolatry rejecting Christ from being King c. destroying the foundation of faith and in his prosecuting this besides Sion Colledge the Assembly the City of London the Ordinance for preventing the growth of Heresies which he fals fouly upon he railes fearfully and speaks most wickedly against the Generall Assembly and the Scottish Church-Government saying that in the Generall Assembly there is the like Supremacie set up which the Pope 〈…〉 selfe claimeth â—ver Kings States Kingdomes Common-wealths that 't is a spirit of Antichristian pride and tyranny of rebellion and treason in lifting up a Papall Throne above Kings and Kesars above Kingdomes and Common-wealths to the ensâ—aving of the whole Nation in their soules bodies aâ—d estates that it sets up in the Church an Oracle of Infallibility and such a Supremacie as no true-bred English Christian can interpret for other then Antichristian Tyranny and all under the name of a Christian Presbyterian Church-Government that if that Presbyterian Government be set up thereby our Fundamentall Lawes Priviledges and power of Parliaments Liberties and freedome of all true-bred English Subjects would be brought under perpetuall bondage worse then that eitherof Egypt or Babilon all which and much more the Reader may find in page 19 20 21. of-that Booke For the second Mr. Burtons great evill and how unlike Mr. Burton now is to Mr. Burton formerly it may apppeare thus in that M. Burton in all this booke builds up againe the things he formerly destroyed undoing all his owne acts agreeing with Canterbury Pocklington c. in their Principles and Practises against the Reformed Churches particularly the Scots and their Church-Government M. Burton being Cantuariensis redivivus nay let me not wrong the dead though they were great Enemies to the Scots and Presbyteriall-Government yet in all their writings I doe not find such rancorous malicious passages against the generall Assembly as in this Booke of M. Burtons he makes use indeed of the Bishops and their creatures Arguments and weapons against the Presbyteriall Government and the Reformation but withall goes higher and in patronizing and pleading for all Errours and Heresies under specious pretences as they did Arminian Popish and Socinian Doctrines not writing one word against all the Heresies and Blasphemies of these times but speaking against my books and Dr. Bastwicks for the discovering of them O how is M. Burton fallen I heard a godly and â—â—arned Divine say lately of him upon reading his Conformities Deformity that he had alwaies thought M. Burton to be a godly man but he now thought him the greatest Apostate in England He should not have wondered much to have seen such a book written by John Goodwin but that M. Burton should he could not have believed it had he not read it and certainely in his writing this Booke and many others God left him the man is departed from all his former principles of zeale and love to truth he can finde no Deformitie now in Heresie nor Blasphemy but onely in Conformity to Presbyteriall-Government and the Magistrates non-Toleration of Errours The Lord hath made him a fearfull example and all men may take warning by M. Burton for turning Independents who before he turned Independent was so zealous against the least Errours and the least Innovation in Worship as that he would straine things and make a great matter of a little but now he hath no heart against the greatest Errours he can doe nothing in all his Pamphlets for the honour of Christ he can see no deformitie in all the Blasphemies Heresies of these times but onely in the Orthodox Reformed Churches and Presbyteriall-Government and that which aggravates his sin is he hath done this after sad and serious admonition given him in the fourth Corollarie of the first Part of Gangrâ—na and after a great sicknesse this Book being stiled by himself in his Title page The first fruits of his late recovery from death to life If any man 9 or 10 years ago when M. Burton was upon the Pillory for writing against some great men who favoured Popish and Arminian Tenets should have said to the people this man whom you now see thus suffer and whom you so love and adore the time is coming when he shall plead for a Toleration of all Religions and speak against the Magistrate for defending Religion by Lawes and Edicts this man
Ghost hating the light once known blaspheming the work of the Spirit and so I might instance in the rest though I beleeve I could give better grounds why Master Saltmarsh should a great deale more probably bee guilty in that kind then he can upon any pretence of me though I professe I do not charge him with that sinne but the charging godly Presbyterians for writing against Errors and Heresies with committing the sinne against the holy Ghost and despighting the Spirit and sinning wilfully is the great charity and brotherly love of Sectaries divers of them having done thus Master Price charging M. Bâ—ll 〈…〉 ie Master Goodwin Master Brinne and M. Saltmarsh me But I would have Master Saltmarsh know ti 〈…〉 not his bugbar of charging me with the sin against the holy Ghost and threatning me with flashings lightnings and praying against me for contending earnestly for the Faith once delivered unto the Saintâ— against certaine men crept in turning the Grace of God into lasâ—iviousnesse can scare me to make me go out of my way and I find this branding with the sinne against the holy Ghost of Orthodox men by Sectaries to be no new thing but very old used by the Donatists in Saint Austins time who as Augustine showes in his writings accused the Orthodox of being guilty of the sinne against the holy Ghost Fifthly for his two stories he relates of discourse with me upon two severall times speaking together they are deceitfully and falsely related the greatest part concealed and what is related not justly set downe I writ them both downe in my Diary espâ—cially the last immediatly after I left Master Saltmarsh and so can give a just and good account of them but they are too long to be inserted in a Postscript and of the first that being at Master Vicars his house and in his hearing he hath given the Reader already a good part of it in his Schiâ—â—â—atick sifted little I think to M. Saltmarshes credit And now good Reader the next Tractate thou shalt expect from me shall be a Tractate against a Toleration which I hope by the end of the next moneth or the beginning of February may be in thy hands and nothing by Gods help shall divert me or re 〈…〉 d that I am resolved if twenty Pamphlets should be written against this Third Part to let them all lie till I have put forth a Treatise against Toleration and pretended liberty of Conscience And now finally Brethren pray for me that God would be in a speciall manner with me in the setting forth of that Tractate at this time and that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified and â—hat I may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men and that my service which I have for this Kingdome may be accepted of the King Parliament and all that are in authority of the City of London the Ministers of the Kingdome and of all Saints Amen FINIS a Paraeus in 2. Galath v. 9. Hodiâ— quid fit Opinionibus res geritur imo affectibus Nulla Argumenta nullae Apologiae locum inveniunt b Baldwin Cas Consciâ—n lib. 4. cap. 7. pag. 10. 53. 1055. Falsorum dogmatum Propugnatores nominatim perstringendi sunt quomodo enim alias ab auditoribus caveri possunt c Calvin Instructio adversus libertines cap. 4. * The Vision of God by Cardinall cusanus The third part of the Rule of perfection by a Cappuchian Friar Another booke written by a Preist A mesius lib. 5. de Coâ—sc c. 14. ☞ ☜ * Cal. Instr advers libert c. 4 Quod autem Quintinus ejusque socius ex Sartoribus Doctores facti atque ita immutati sunt id in causa â—uit quod delicate molliter vivere vellent nec sibi putarent labores convenire Propterea coÌ„modius omni no existimarunt ut quemadmodum sacerdotes monachi cantillando sic ipsigarriendo vitam quaererent ☞ Erasmus saepe dixit Deus dedit huic postâ—emae aeâ—ati propter morborum magnitudinem acrem medicum Mel. Adam vit luth p. 162. For proofe of this vide Pamphlet entituled Little-Nonsuch printed at London very lately pag. 2. Animadvers Little Nonsuch pag 4. Animadvers * Danaeus in his Tract de Haeresibus cap. 4. 3. Among other Errors of the Origenists shows this to he one that in the interpretation of Scripture they would perpetually Allegorize so that they left nothing certain in the word of God neither that Paradâ—se nor Adam nor Eve nor the waters nor any thing which Moses laies down in the whole Book of Genesis Whereupon Augustine writ 12 Books de Genesi ad literam against such Allegorists and Corrupters of the Scripture Little Nonsuch pag. 5 6 7 8 9 10 c. Animadvers * Vide Ainsworth in Lev. 18. v. 19. ☞ For proof of this see page 25. of this third Part of Gangr This Doctrine was Preached at a Funerall sermon in London brought to comfort men against that trouble of death They shall 〈◊〉 and he removed from their friends and â—e strangers to the affairs bâ—low This point was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bâ— way of Answer i 〈…〉 upon and amplified I and divers other Ministerâ— were â—are witnesses and spake together of the Sermon when it was done I have been told it also from good hands â—hat an Independent Minister of great note when he was dying 〈◊〉 to his wife and friends to have a care how they used his body when it was dead for 〈◊〉 should know what they did to him Animadvers Animadvers Animad vers * This Error the other three last mentioned were preached last Sept. 17 at a Funeral Sermon by an Independent of great note I many other Ministers were â—are witnesses of these doctrines * Proof Webs Pamph. writteÌ„ against my first Part of Gangr page 6. * Respondâ—o Baptismum Johannis discrepasse à Baptismo Christs qua tenus Christus Baptizat interius baptismâ— spiritus Et hac in parte diffâ—rt Baptismus Christi ab omnibus Ministâ—orum Sacrorum baptismis nihil autem discrepasse à baptisme ceremoniali à Christo instituto nisirationâ— temâ—oris significationis clâ—ritate quâ— ante Chriti manifestationem taâ—ta non suit quanta post cam Non sâ—â—us ac Apostolorum baptismus ante mortem Christi diversâ—â— suit à baptismo ab ipsis post mortem ejus administrato pag. 25. 26 27. * Proof of the 10. and 11. Errors pag. 36 37. of this Third Part. * Proof p. 80. of this Third part Proof of the 13 14 pag. 80. of this Third part Proof of the 15. pag. 21. Proof of 16. pag. 80. 45. Vide Proofe of these pag. 20. of this Third part * Vid. Proof of this pag. 107. * For proof see a Book entituled Divine Light manifesting the love of God unto the whole world with the true Church printed in the year 1646. * Divine Light maniâ—esting the love of God pag. 25. The maine scope of that Pamphlet
time mistaken for had I thought that the Parliament had had no rule but their owne will to have walked by I should never have drawne my sword for them and for my part I knw no difference betwixt tyranny and such proceedings therfore I pray read the Petition of Right and the Act made this present Parliament that condemned the Star-chamber and High Commission Page 5. hee writes as followes Time was when the Parliament had to doe with the King and had the Bishops Star-chamber and High Commission to pull downe they would owne me and doe me justice c. but having served their owne turnes of me I never could have justice from them since though I think I have beene as faithfull a servant to the Common-wealth as any they ever imployed and whereas Magna Charta saith justice and right we will deny to 〈…〉 or we will defer to none yet have I waited these foure yeeres upon them at great expences and cannot get them to put their owne Votes in execution and if this be according to Magna Charta let the world judge And p. 10. speaking of the H. of Commons committing him saith O brave times and brave justice and yet for all this I say my resolution is to stand fast in the liberty and freedome wherewith Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and severall Acts made this present Parliament as also divers late Declarations have made me free and not to be intangled againe with any yoake of bondage that shall be hung about my neck by any kind of Tyrant by what name or title soever he be dignified or distinguished Master Musgrave a great Separatist as he shows himself in many passages of his Book entituled Another word to the wise writes thus of the House of Commons Courteous Reader thou maist very much wonder at the delatory and slow proceedings of the House of Commons in doing justice and right from whom the Commons of England may justly expect more then from any Judicatory being they are immediatly chosen by them and to speak properly are no more but their Stewards and servants for whose good and benefit all their actions ought to be extended Yet by their poceedings daily we see t is in vaine to expect justice from them so long as they are linked and glued in factions each to other by their private interests in their great places which ties all such amongst them to maintaine one another in all their unjust wayes and to oppresse and crush us as much as they are able all the prosecutors of just and righteous things and so to barre and stop justice that it shall have little or no progresse divers of them and their creatures Sonnes Brothers Uncles and Kinsmen and Allies in the sub-Committees having already committed so much unjustice that they are undone in their blazed honour and ill-gotten estates if justice should runne in its native luster and full current and of necessity they and their great places would quickly be destroyed O therefore that the Free-men of England had but their eyes open to see the mischeife of Members of the House of Commons men of their owne election and chusing to sit in the supreme Court of England to be entangled themselves or intermeddle with any other place whatsoever then that whereunto their Countrey have chosen them what a shame is it to see the mercinary long gown-men of the House of Commons to runne up and down like so many â—ackney Petty-â—oggers from Bar to Bar in Westminster Hall to plead before inferiour Judges and besides how can such great practisers chuse but mercinarily be engaged to help their clients over a stile in case that ever they have to doe with any of their owne Committees and besides what is this else but to sell justice for money Besides what a snare is it to the new Judges who are placed in the roome of those that have bought sold and betraied the lives liberties estates of all the free Deniâ—ons of England to see three or foure eminent Lawyers Members of the House of Commons come before them â—n an unjust cause when they consider that if they should displease them it partly lies in their power to turne them out of their places being they are as it were wholly made Judges by the House of Commons and nominated by the Lawyers therein we profesâ—e seriously that to pull the gownes over these mercinary mens eares and for ever to throw them out of the House of Commons as men unfit to â—it there or to plead at any Bar in England is too little a punishment for them and the same we conceive doe they deserve that are Members of the House and take upon them to sit as Judges in inferior Courts by means of which they rob the free-men of England of the benefit of any appeale in case of injustice because they have no where to appeale to but the Parliament where they sit as Judges in their owne cause which is a most wicked intolerable and unjust thing in any Judge whatsoever we hope shortly that if these men be not ashamed of their evill herein some honest and resolute hearted English man will be so bold as publickly to post up their names as destroyers of the Kingdome And as great an evill 't is to the Kingdome for Members of the House of Commons to take upon them to bee fingerers and Treasurers of the publick money of the Kingdome because they are thereby in a condition to fill their owne coffers and do what wrong they please or else how comes it to passe that so many of their children are so richly married of late that were but meane before and no man knowes how to call them to account unlesse they deale with them as the Romans sometimes dealt with their Senators or as the Switzers dealt with their Tyrants for the money is the Kingdomes and not the Members of the House of Commons and the Kingdome ought in justice reason and right to have a publick punctuall and particular account of it and therefore it ought not to be in the hands or fingers of those that are able to make so great a faction as are able to protect them from justice and an exact account O that that gallant man Lieut. Generall Cromwell to whom the Kingdome for their preservation under God oweth so much would a little more deny himselfe and cease to be a stalking horse and a dangerous president of most dangerous consequence to these wicked mercinary Pluralists Non residentary great place men for whom an Hospitall of any great consequence cannot fall but they must be Governors of it nor a petty place in the petty bag office but they must get into it which men if the Kingdome would rightly consider it have just cause to disclaime as none of their Patrons but proclaime as their enemies and destroyers being pecuniary self-seekers For so long as Parliament men can get into their hands the riches and treasures of
to invade Churches Pulpits to commit tumults râ—ots break the Kings peace affront Ministers Magistrates in their places and if any of them be questioned troubled they bring them off by one means and trick or other hence the more active any are in spreading Errors the greater Preachers they prove the greater Errors and stranger Opinions they hold the more they are countenanced the sooner preferred to places of profit trust honor hence the Sectaries on all occasions and in all places joyne and side with the arrantest Malignants Papists loosest and ungodliest men in a Country or Kingdome to further Errors and to hinder any means which might probably suppresse them hence they will go against their own professed avowed principles and rase their own foundations be mainly instrumentall to bind heavy burdens upon others which they account intolerable wish joy and be active in the imposition of that upon their brethren which themselves who are for the imposition of it yet count unlawfull to be submitted to as in the point of Commissioners the imperfect enumeration of scandalous sinnes in the labouring to bring in scandalous and ignorant men to be Elders and opposing able godly men in their choyce on purpose to make the Presbyteriall Government odious and that people might fall to them of which I could tell large stories as at Dover hence the Sectaries will raise and invent all kind of lies go against all kind of jâ—stice and right use all kind of dishonest wayes and meanes indeed nothing comes 〈…〉 isse to increase Errors and Heresies and to stop all meanes against them they will with Aâ—â—ziâ—h go and enquire of Bâ—â—lzebâ—â— the God of Ekron for help and lastly hence our Sectaries doe not only plead for a Toleration but plead for the things themselves have found out many wayes to extenuate lessen justifie yea to saint the grossest Errors worst practises and the vildest Hereticks It would fill a great book to reckon up all the distinctions excuses pleas pretences arguments evasions apologies found ouâ— and made use of by the Sectaries within this two or three last yeers in defence of Heresies and Errors in generall and of the greatest Errors in particular as denying the Trinity the Scriptures c. And in defence of Hereticks as being Saints holy men men of tender consciences harmelesse peaceable quiet men Whoever shall but read Cretensis Answer to my First Part of Gangraena his 38. Queres upon the Ordinance for preventing the growth of Heresies Walwyâ—â— Salt 〈…〉 arshâ—â— Master Burtons Master Bâ—tchelers Commâ—ndatory Imprimaturs with divers other 〈…〉 te Pamphlets must needs say Errors are small things and that many men go for Saints and Brethren among Independents that there are many better in Hell then they and we may as well call Dives Saint Dives as such Sectaries Saints All error now is christned and call'd Conscience tender Conscience Piety the feare of God as in these books Conformities Deformity The Parable or Consultation about Master Edwards Tender Conscience religiously affected the Reader may finde and the vildest Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers loose ungodly persons are cried up for Saints the godly party honest men and it is observable that among all the Independents and Sectaries who have written against my Books as Sâ—ltmarsh Gretensis Walwin Mr. Burroughs Mr. Burton with many others not one of them condemned any one Error or man that I writ against but justified all crying out upon me with great bitternesse without any distinctions at all of opinions or persons for speaking against the Saints the Saints Some say they know no Errors nor Sects at all or if there be any none so dangerous as the new sprung up Sect of Presbytery and the opinion of compulsion in matters of Religion Errors in matters of Faith as in the Doctrine of the Trinity the Divinity of Christ c. are pleaded for that they be Errors not against the light of nature but against Revelation and Faith and so more pardonable that among the Arrians there were many good men and that when Errors are according to a mans conscience and not against conscience they are not so dangerous Paul Best that â—earfull Blasphemer and his damnable Heresie against the Trinity hath been in my hearing excused extenuated and publikely also thus pleaded for by many Sectaries that he was not guilty of blasphemy that he denied only the tripersonality not the Trinity Athanasiuâ— Trinity noâ— the Scripture Trinity that he denies not the operation of the Persons but only the name of the Persons that he lent his writing about the Trinity to a freind in private and he betrayed him not that he had published his opinion The questioning of the Doctrine of the thre Persons hath been excused that the Persons were Schoole notions the word Person was not to be found in Scripture that it came not into the Church till some hundreds of yeers after Christ that so long as men granted the thing that there were three though they held them operations or vertues it was not so materiall And as Errors are thus pleaded for excused by Sectaries so all kind of sinnes and wicked practises are pleaded for to be no sinnes or else made light account of or the persons protected and the offences smothered thus some Sectaries plead for Incest to be no sinne the putting away and forsaking of husbands and wives to be lawfull and a casting off Antichristian yokes the making no conscience of the Christian Sabbath to be a part of Christian liberty the casting away of prayer and holy duties to be a comming unto perfection that nothing is sinne to the regenerate that they cannot sinne that such persons committing vild ungodly practises must not be brought to punishment nor prosecuted because they are the Saints and Christ will not take it well to have his Saints molested t is most strange to speak of the fearfull bating with hiding concealing justifying excusing the shuffling off uncleannesses drunkennesses and all kind of wickednesses among the Sectaries as by Master Jesse and his company in the case of Mary Abraham as by Lams Church in the case of one M. leaving and living from his wife as in the case of some Sectaries that have been drunk in the Army with many such so that the Sectaries of our times are in a speciall manner guilty of the patronising protecting yea and taking pleasure in all kind of Errors and wickednesse which is an aggravation of sinne and a greater evill then the holding of such Errors or committing such facts as is evident by these Scriptures Rom. 1. 32. not only do the same but have pleasure in them that doe them Matthew 5. 19. Whosoever shall breake one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of beaâ—en and Prov. 28. 4. They that forsake the Law praise the wicked but such as keep the Law contend with them upon which text I wish the