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
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
grants one step may be gone further that in such things as men by their weaknesse make themselves lesse serviceable to the common-wealth or Church they may be denyed some priviledges and benefits that are granted to others And of this Master Burroughs gives instances and enlarges it Now certainly if this doctrine were good and true in the yeare 1645. before the successe of the new Modell and the recruit of the House of Commons the doctrine in the City Remonstrance 1646. cannot be bad nor false that would have Anabaptists Heriticks and Schismaticks kept and removed from places of Publike trust If they may be denyed priviledges and benefits that are granted to others and some trouble laid in their way c. for their opinions then certainly they should not be preferred above others to all places of publike trust whilst men who conforme to the true Religion established by the State be kept out yea turned out of places And as Master Burroughs was of this mind so I and divers others have heard Mr Tho. Goodwin ingenuously professe since this Parliament though the Magistrate should forbeare tender consciences that could not come up to the Rule yet it was most equall that the countenance and preferments in the Magistrates hands should be bestowed only on those who conformed to what was established and therefore said hee we desire only to be suffered to live and enjoy the Ordinances but expect no places nor any of that maintenance which is in the States disposing and therefore the Remonstrants in that branch of their Petition were â—arre from Persecution Injustice if Master Burroughs and Master Goodwin may be beleeved and that which they desired most necessary to take off the wantonnesse of mens spirits and the neglect of meanes and in all this theâ—'s no more graines of trouble then might help aginst this wantonnesse c. and the truth of it is these preferments places of publike trust c. have made more Sectaries and Anti-Presbyterians then all the Sermons and Books ever preached and printed by the Sectaries and 't is one of the great springs of all our evills the prime cause of all Injustice Oppression Error Faction and things will never go well with the publike nor the union of both Kingdomes be soundly setled till Hereticks Blasphemers Schismaticks Seekers Anabaptists Antinomians Libertines Brownists and Independents be removed from all places of publike trust both Martiall and Civill and 't is a most righteous thing to Petition for it As the zealous Protestants of this Kingdome could not expect Justice protection from Popish Counsellours Judges Justices c. then in place and we cryed out of it before this Parliament as an intolerable griveance and mischeif to the good subjects of this Kingdome because men but suspected of Popery or whose Wives were Papists were in places of publike trust for by that meanes Papists were brought off and such as were cald Puritants felt their power upon all occasions no more can the Orthodox Presbyterians expect right justice from Sectarian Counsellors Justices of Peace c. especially in differences between them and Independents for all Sectaries looke upon cordiall Presbyterians with a greater eye of malignity jealousie particular interest then any other sort of men and therefore to strengthen their owne party will weaken and discourage them all they can possibly There were some Independents that dining in June last at the house of a Presbyterian who married an Independent were speaking of the Presbyterians that generally all of them desired that help might goe for Ireland and that on the Fast day in June they preached and prayed much for help to relieve Ireland and among other Ministers they named one that should pray thus or to this effect That now Oxford was taken all might goe Lord let them all goe These Independents said the Presbyterians had some design sure they were so earnest for the Army to goe to Ireland but some of the Independents said they had something else or other use for the Army then to goe to Ireland The Sectaries in the Moneth of May last raged extremely and spake desperately so that a Common-Councell man who had heard many of them speak told me he had said to some of them that they must provide Bedlam for them The newes of the Kings going to the Scots the Remonstrance of the City of London with some other things that fell out that Moneth vexed them terribly one Sectary a kind of Gentleman belonging to a Parliament man said in the hearing of some that the King the House of Lords the City the Scots and the Assembly were joyned together but they had the House of Commons and the Army and gave out some such words as if some three or foure thousand horse should billet in the City This man was had before my Lord Major for these words and I being told of it by one who went to my Lord Majors with him I also having an opportunity asked my Lord Major of the truth of it who remembred there was such a thing God grant the King House of Lords City Scots Assembly be well joyned together and agreeing and not only King Lords c. but the House of Commons also The Lord send a perfect Peace and Union between the King and both Houses and give a good understanding and agreement alwayes between Parliament Citie Assembly our Brethren of Scotland These kind of speeches of the Commons and the Army put by themselves as divided from the House of Lords City c. are words of sedition but to vindicate the honour of the House of Commons and the Army from such speeches as these too frequent in the mouths of many Sectaries I can assure the Kingdome from the mouths of many worthy Members of the House of Commons and of Commanders in the Army how much soever these Sectaries presume upon the House of Commons calling them in many Pamphlets of late Their owne House of Commons our House of Commons and upon the Army that they are Independents and for that party that the greatest number of Members of that House by farre are no Sectaries and though some are crept in among them Yet the body of the House are neither Independents Anabaptists Antinomians nor such like and so in the Army there are more Presbyterians then Independents yea if the Army were divided into four parts three parts of the four are no Independents Anabaptists Antinomians c. and therefore I hope to see the day of King Lords Commons Scots City of London Armies the body of the Kingdome all concurring for the setlement of the Reformed Protestant Religion and for the extirpating of Heresie Schisme Prophanesse and all Doctrine which is not according to godlinesse A Citizen an able understanding man related to me and two Citizens within these few dayes that he and a great Independent speaking together about the King this Citizen urged that branch of the Covenant That we have sworn to defend the Kings
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
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
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
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
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
Banbury Castle must not be slighted they say it may be a Garrison for the Saints it is conceived to be the strongest in England They use an Argument which takes with people much that if they will joyne with them they shall pay no Tythes and some are so foolish to give out there is a considerable party in all Countries where ere they have been that will stand for them so they may be excused for paying Tythes Ninthly Though that Argument do generally take with prophane men yet they see there are a company of godly men that are willing to pay Tythes to them therefore they urge all Arguments against mixed communion and they assure them that the Assembly will beare with all close dangerous Malignants that can speake Greek and Latine if they be not scandalous in their lives and will conforme to the Presbyteriall government and observe the Directorie Tenthly They would not have the old military Orders observed which was set forth by the Earle of Essex that Blasphemers should be bored through the tongue The Argument which they urged was that sinnes whiâ—h are directly against God should be punnished only by God yet they confesse that bold sinners should be admonished by the Church and beare a spirituall censure I pleaded that men did consist of a soule and body and that both joyned in this sinne the Devill in the soule making use of the tongue to vent Blasphemies against the God of Heaven and therefore it was fit that the tongue should be pnnished and that it was probable that those spirituall meanes should work the better which were used for his reformation and edification and with much adoe by some under-hand dealing with honest Commanders wee prevailed to have the Blasphemer punished I hope there will be a disbanding very shortly if not there are five Regiments that want Colonells and if there could be five Presbyterians put in the Independents would be well ballanced for there are a great many considerable men in this Army well affected to all godly Presbyterians June 3. A Copie of a Lettter to a Member of the House of Commons SIR IF Independents be made Governours of Castles Cities and strong holds as fast as they are taken if under a pretence of frugality for the state and reducing of Regiments Presbyter Commanders are frequently outed and the Independents prefer'd to their places if the souldierie under Presbyterian Commanders be unpaied and thereby inforced to abuse the Country to the dishonour of that party and the contrary party paid and by that meanes gaine affections every where if under a pretence of charity Independents plead in the behalf of the greatest Malignants and by that meanes scrue into their favours to make a party if their agents be working every where to chuse Parliament men of their own opinions if they be devising to send away the Scots into Scotland and the Presbyterian Commanders and souldiers into Ireland ought not these things to be seriously and speedily considered and forthwith indeavours used for the preventing the effects which the premises may produce Your humble servant Some passeges taken out of the Originall Letter sent from a godly Minister in Northamptonshire to a Friend of his a Common-Councell man here in London SOme of Colonell Whalies souldiers quartered with us full of Errours of a high nature The Lord reduce or rebuke them I feare they will scatter much poyson as they spread their quarters alas the poore soules in danger of their seducements They are full of high invectives and scornes against the Parliament Ministery and all kind of religious duties After a fortnights free quarter they had our free leave to march and are marched beyond Market Harborough and are about Lough-Borrow in Lester-shire Though they draw North-ward yet I hope not to the ends that some do hope viz. to encounter with our Brethren I have heard some of them say that had they the opportunity they would be more bitter against them then ever against the Cavaliers but I hope their expectation shall perish Septemb. 1. 1646. The extract of a Letter sent to a Citizen of London from a godly Minister in Darbyshire SEctaries abound strange yea damnable opinions are maintained with much zeal and pretence of conscience by those who I feare were never acquainted with a good conscience Monarchie is misliked and a new fashioned Government too much thirsted after There are so many new fashions in Religion that the true feare of God is almost grown out of fashion Sir I thank you for your remembrance of me and I heare that Master Edwards hath yet more work for a Masse-Priest when it comes out I pray you let me have it August 10. 1646. An extract of a Letter from a godly Minister neer Bristoll to a godly Friend of his in London DEare Friend we have peace for the present and hope of plenty for the future that only which damps our comfort is That whiles the Teachers were removed into corners the envious man hath taken his opportunity and sowen tares which spring up in our neighbour City abundantly and are spread much over the Country the whole Kingdome I think is sick of the same disease Help Lord. A true Copie of a Letter to a tittle of Mr Knollys the Anabaptist which comming to the hands of some of the Committee of Suffolk was shewn me and I extracted it out of the Originall BEloved Brother I salute you in the Lord your Letter I received the last day of the week and upon the first day I did salute the Brethren in your name who resalute you and pray for you The City Presbyterians have sent a Letter to the Synod dated from Sion Colledge against my Toleration and they are fasting and praying at Sion Colledge this day about further contrivings against Gods poor Innocent ones But God will doubtlesse answer them according to the Idoll of their own hearts To morrow there is a Fast kept by both Houses and the Synod at Westminster They say it is to seek God about the establishing of Worship according to their Covenant They have first vowed now they make enquiry God will certainly take the crafty in their own snare and make the wisdome of the wise foolishnesse for he chuseth the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and weak things to confound the mighty My wife and family remembers their love to you Salute the Brethren that are with you farwell Your Brother in the Faith and fellowship of the Gospel Hanserd Knollys London the 13. day of the 11. moneth call'd January 1645. To his beloved Brother Mr John Dutton in Norwich these deliver Leave this Letter at Mr Buttevant his house to be delivered as a bove A Letter from a Sectary with this suprescription To his much honoured Captaine Paul Hobson at Mr Carwithyes house in Exon. Endeared SIR MY best respects and service to you presented That relation which formerly I had unto you hath enboldened me to
give out that they will never lay down their swords whilst ther 's a Priest in England Who write and print libells full stuffed with invectives and seditious speeches against the Right Honourable House of Peers undoubtedly a Court of Record the highest Court of Iudicature in this Kingdome Who make wicked libells and spread them abroad of Noble men and persons of great place by name as that religious and Noble Earle of Manchestor the Lord Major of London a whole Kingdome as Scotland and a whole City as London Who have endeavored and do by all wayes to involve these Kingdomes into a new War more deadly and destructive then the former And yet Anabaptists of our times are guilty of all these and many more as the Reader may sind proved in this Book and divers others written in these times Thirdly speaking of himself he saith He remaines now where he was for substance fifteen years since which I cannot judge to bee true no nor that he is the same for substance which he was seven years agoe and because I will be brief I will put but one question to Master Peters and that is whether fifteen years or but seven years agoe â—e was for a Toleration of â—ll sorts of Sects Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers Papists c. and thought so lightly of Errors and Heresies as now he does or whether he ever did or durst in New-England in the time of Anabaptists and Antinomians growing there preach such Sermons for a Toleration of them and speake so favourably of them as he hath done and doth here I am of the mind if any man should have told him fifteen or seven years agoe Master Peters the time shall come that you shall live in a Kingdome where all damnable Heresies and wicked doctrines shall be vented by printing preaching and you shall be so farre from seeking to suppresse and hinder them as that you shall make nothing of them preach for a Toleration of them cry them up for Saints who hold them plot act ride work night and day for the upholding of them he would have been very angry boisterous and have said as Hazael to the Prophet Am I a dog that I should do these things nay I am so well perswaded of Mr Peters that he was so farre fifteen years agoe from being of these opinions and running these wayes that I am confident 't is but a few years agoe since he is fallen thus and that the two things that have poysoned him are his being in the Army and his converse with some wicked Politicians of these times who upon matter of worldly interest being men of small and broken estates that they may be great and the Heads of a great party countenance and patronize all kind of abominable Sectaries not caring what becomes of Religion and who prophesies falsly so they may beare rule by that meanes Fourthly Speaking of turning his cheek to the smiter hee saith with Jeremy though he neither borrowes nor lends c. yet this may be his portion Now I wonder he can say so when aâ— his hand hath been against every man medling with all sorts of men a Polupragmaticall medling in the Armies with many abusing the Common Councell and the City of London the Assembly the Reformed Churches our Brethren of Scotland Committees the King and his children and indeed who not I could name particular persons of both Houses of whom he hath spoken his pleasure who have deserved a great deale better of him Fifthly There is an unjust and scandalous passage pag. 11. reflecting upon the City and their Remonstrance as if they remonstrated about their wills and not about things needfull and just grievances and as if the increase of the plague upon the City were for any neglect towards the Parliament whereas I would have Master Peters know and all his party the City of London could not do lesse and have but done their duty the Reformed Churches Scotland the body of this Kingdome and all who are not Independents and Independentish doe bear witnesse of the faithfulnesse of this City to the cause of God and the Parliament and this Remonstrance was so farre from being a matter of meer will as Master Peters words import that I am of the mind and I beleeve not alone in it that it will never be well with England till the City of London the Ministry of the Kingdome and all the Counties as one man make a plainer Remonstrance in a more particular way and manner of all the growing mischiefs and abominations in Church and Common-wealth desiring a speedy and effectuall redresse of them And as for his hinting the cause of the increase of the plague to come from the City Remonstrance or want of the Cities full consent to a match with the Parliament I dare boldly say of him in â—o saying He is a false Prophet a dreamer of dreams speaking the visions of his own heart and declaring false burdens and do offer from the word of God to make it good against Master Peters that if the City of London would oftner Remonstrate and Petition in this kind and use the power they have by their Charter and the Lawes in force to punish Hereticks and Sectaries and disturb their meetings the plague would sooner be removed from them Sixthly That also is a false and untrue Assertion That the design of the Army is onely to obey their Masters the Parliament the slighting the Army is their money triumphant chariots would have broke our necks understood in Master Peters sense viz. of that part of the Army the Sectaries for if it were so as he speakâ— what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen that I and many others hear If their only design be to obey their Masters the Parliament what 's the reason they break conte 〈…〉 their Ordinances viz. that against mâ—ns preaching not ordained Ministers that for the better observing of the Monethly Fast those for the setling of Presbyteriall Government c. What means those speeches of some of them If they knew the Countries mind as well as the Countries might know theirs they would have another kind of Reformation then the Parliament is about that they have not so long fought for liberty and now to be enslaved with many such like And if the slighting of the Army is their money and triumphant chariots would have broke their necks certainly they have then had little pay and their necks would have been broken long before now for never was Army better provided for since these warres with moneys recruits all kind of things and many particular men speciall persons of that party which Master Peters counts the Army have been well rewarded over and above pay c. And for triumphant chariots there have been men on purpose employed to provide them triumphant chariots weekly to carry them throughout the Kingdom and forraign parts in the weekly newes books wherein they have been lifted up to heaven in praises
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
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
will not be perswaded though never such reason be showed them yea if an Angel from he even or one of the old Prophets arising from the dead should speak against their Opinions and wayes 't is to befeared many of them would yet go on The strong delusion that God hath sent upon many of them to beleeve lies the great interest of divers in regard of preferment and profit the Popes Crown and the Monks bellies the deep ingagements of others to that way by many relations and having mens 〈◊〉 in admiration make it is hard work to convince men though there be never such evidence of Reason I may complaine of the Sectaries of our times as Paraeus doth of some Lutherans and others in his time that things are altogether carried by opinions yea by affections no Arguments no Apologies can take place They that at the will and pleasure of some men do not approve of unprofitable scandalous yea monstrous opinions they are cast off the right hand of fellowship denyed them although they preach Christ sincerely But now in the interim till that Treatise can come forth which I intend shall preoede the Fourth Part of Gangraena I wish the Sectaries to consult Baldwins cases of Conscience who handling that case of Conscience whether the Authors and maintainers of false opinions are to be spoken against by name resolves it affirmatively giving Scriptures and Reasons for it yea showing that false teachers are rather by name to be branded then those who lead only wicked lives and Calvins Tractate against the Libertins giving reasons of his owne practice and answering objections in not only writing against the opinions of the Libertines but naming Coppinus and Quintinus cheife heads of that fastion Secondly a man would wonder at it that the Sectaries should so rage and cry out against me and my Gangraenaes for meddling with matters of fact and nominating men when as long before I put pen to paper in that kind divers of them had in Pamphlets spoken against many Presbyterians by name both godly Ministers and other worthy persons as Master Calamie Doctor Burges Master Prynne c. Master Burton telling in 〈◊〉 Pamphlet a story of me by name a◠Colchester but false and raking 〈◊〉 old matters at Bury against Master Calamie in another Pamphlet call'd Truth still Truth though shut out of doores and all before the First Part of Gangrana was printed and indeed the Sectaries have all along both before my Books came forth and 〈◊〉 since upon all occasions yea such of them as have spoken and written most against me for so doing as M. Saltmarsh M. Goodwin M. 〈…〉 on c. writ against the Pres 〈…〉 rians by name and related all 〈…〉 of fact stories of them and in a disgracefull manner and way comparing them with D. Pockling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a scoffing 〈…〉 ing abusive way dealing with them and 〈◊〉 hath not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only by Independents to Presbyterians but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written Books and given us stories and that long before I 〈◊〉 thought of this way of 〈◊〉 Sectaries a◠Anti 〈…〉 ians Anabaptists Familists and that by names with all particulars of their doings as well as opinions and of his judgement upon them as Master Wells his History of the Rise Raigne and Downfall of the Antinomians and some others in that kind so that in this I doe but follow them and write after their Copie and I appeale to the ingenuous Reader how they can with any colour blame that as a great evill and wickednesse in me which they account in themselves zeale of Gods glory and a doing God service especially considering that the Sectaries in their naming of Presbyterians and bringing in matters of fact and stories have proceeded in a sixfold manner and way all which in matters of this kind be the things most liable to blame and exception and which I have all along carefully shunned and declined First the Sectaries in writing Books against the Reformation and Presbyterians have not spared to write against and that in a most reproachfull and vild way whole bodies Assemblies Communities and those the highest and greatest as the House of Peers House of Commons the City of London and Common-Councell the Assembly the Kingdome and Generall Assembly of Scotland some scores of such Books written by Sectaries being in all mens hands whereas in my writing against Sectaries I have spoken only against particular persons but to whole Bodies and Societies I have tendred all due respect vindicating them and their power against the Pamphlets and aspersions of Sectaries Secondly the Sectaries in their writings of matters of fact have not only named ordinary persons but persons of the greatest quality and place abusing them by name as divers Members of both Houses the Speakers of both Houses some of the Lords and some of the Commons the Lord Major of London by name but I have all along declined the naming of persons in authority and Magistracie viz. in that way Thirdly the Sectaries in their personall matters and stories of the Presbyterians have still related things manifestly untrue of which there hath been no ground at all as Master Price ' s story of Master Bellamie 〈…〉 ding it unlawfull to sell Prayer Bookes as the Anabaptists in the Lord Majors farewell of the late Lord Major as some stories of Cretensis Master Burroughs and Master Burton of me the contrary unto them being the truth as a passage in Master Dels Epistle Dedicatory to the House of Commons concerning Master Ley of the Assembly most false as a passage in Master Burtons Epistle of his Conformities Deformity of the new Lord Major known to be untrue and so I could go on with instancing in passages in Master Saltmarsh Lilburne and other such Books manifestly untrue and indeed of all the stories and matters of fact the Sectaries have in their Pamphlets in disgrace of the Presbyterians I hardly know one true one whereas the stories related by me of them the most of them are knowne to many and are certain and I have beene all along carefull as by my Reply to Cretensis is evident Fourthly the Sectaries in their matters of fact have fallen upon Presbyterians with old matters many yeeres ago before Presbyterians yea gone back as farre almost as to their childhood as Master Price did to Master Bellamie and Master Burton goes back to Bury ten yeeres before to finde something against Master Calamie and so I might instance in others but I have confined my selfe within three or foure yeeres and to the times since they were Sectaries Fifthly the Sectaries have brought in against Presbyterians matters of bodily infirmities of their complexions and such like as Saltmarsh in his pretended Answer to my Second Part of Gangraena upbraids me saying Your face and complexion showes a most sadly parched burnt and withered spirit but I have forborne that least I should reproach my Maker for he that made me made them Sixthly many
of one Andrew Wike p. 169 170. A Relation of a story of Katherine Chidley and her sons being at Bury in Suffolke and of Gaffer Lanceter of Bury and his Pamphlet entituled Lanceters Launcâ— p. 170. 171. A relation of a Quarter-Masters preaching and of his telling the people he had a command from the spirit to preach and was under the command of the spirit p. 172. A Relation of words spoken by a Captain in the Army concerning the decolling of the King p. 172. A Relation of a Trooper in Northhamptonshiere standing up in the Church and speaking to a Minister questioning his Doctrine as also some souldiers wounding a Ministers son in that County p. 173. A Relation of a Captaine speaking how they would come against the City of London if the House of Commons should give order so to do p. 174. A Relation of a Sectary saying of the Ordinance of Tythes the Parliament made an Ordinance to rob men and calling those Theeves and Robbers who executed it and of his arresting the Justices of Peace and the Distrainers p. 175. A Relation of an Independent Commander declaring they were against Independent Government as well as Presbyteriall if it should be settled they were for liberty of conscience that no man should be tied to any thing p. 175. Animadversions on a Libellous Pamphlet entituled The Lord Mayors farewell from his Office of Majoral-ty p. 175 176 177 178. A Relation of the true Reason why breaches have been prevented in the Army there being so many Sectaries in it namely the great forbearance patience the passing by provocations and abuses p. 179 180. A Justification of that passage in the City Remonstrance that no Sectaries should be in places of publike trust and what some of the Independents opinions was of that heretofore as most equall p. 180 181. and a laying open the necessity of the Remonstrance taking place in that and what if no Justice nor good can be expected p. 181 182. A Relation of a Discourse between a Citizen and an Independent concerning the King and of the Independents interpretation of the Covenant concerning that part of it of defending the Kings Person p. 183 184. A Relation of the Libertinisme and Atheisme of the Sectaries p. 185 186 187. A Relation of the many kinds of uncleannesses of the Sectaries as Incest c. p. 187 188 189 190. A Relation of the drunkennesse of the Sectaries p. 190 191. A Relation of the loosenesse of the Sectaries p. 191. A Relation of the Sectaries couzening and deceiving p. 191 192. A Relation of the Sectaries grosse lying and slandering p. 192. A Relation of the pride of the Sectaries and boasting in armes of flesh p. 192 193. A Relation of the Sectaries unsufferable insolencies and horrible affronts to Authority particularly 1. Against the Lawes of the Land both Common and Statute p. 194 195. 2. Against the King 195 196. 3. Against the House of Peers 196 197 198 199 200 201 202. 4. Against the House of Commons 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213. 5. Against many particular Members of both Houses by name 213 214. Against Committees of both Houses 214 215. Against both Houses as conjunct in their Authority and Power p. 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223. Against our Brethren of Scotland p. 224 225 226 227. Against the City of London p. 228 229. Against the Assembly p. 230. Against the Ministers of the Kingdome p. 230 231. Against the Reformed Churches p. 231. Against inferiour Magistrates and Courts p. 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240. Among all the wickednesses of the Sectaries the Reader may observe these six following particulars 1. How they make it their worke to destroy and overthrow Religion p. 233 234 235 236. 2. How that when the King cast himselfe into the armes of our Brethren of Scotland they wished he had gone rather to France or Ireland p. 236. 237. 3. Their evill carriage towards our Brethren of Scotland p. 237 238 239. 4. Their prodigious carriage toward the Kingdome of Ireland p. 239 240. 5. Their damnable hypocrisie and dissimulation p. 240. and that in seven particulars 6. Their contemning and abusing Gods Ministers A Relation of a Sectaries grosse couzening one to whom he owed 50. pounds the latter end of the sheet A Relation concerning some passages spoken in a Sermon by M. Knollys an Anabaptist p. 241. A Relation of some passages delivered in divers Sermons by M. Symonds p. 241 242. Animadversions on M. Burtons Conformities Deformity p. 243 244 245. Certaine Quaeries propounded to M. Burton to shew him how he is mistaken p. 247 248. A Relation concerning Green a Felt-maker that preaches in an Alley in Colemans-street p. 248 249. A Relation concerning some Letters writ to worthy Members of the House of Commons Members of the Assembly and other Ministers by godly Ministers concerning the abuses done by the souldiers in the Army p. 249 250 251 252 253 254. A Relation concerning one in Authority and what trickes and devices he used to bring one in to be a Burgesse of Parliament p. 255 256. Certaine Corollaries drawne from the Errours and Heresies laid downe in this Booke Corol. 1. Shewes that by the insolent proceedings of the Sectaries those places of Scripture in Timothy and Peter are made good and fulfilled in our Sectaries p. 256 257 258. Corol. 2. Shewes that Errors and corrupt Doctrine produce a wicked life and loosenesse of manners p. 258 259 260 261. Corol. 3. Shewes that many of the Sectaries are not onely against Church-Government but against Civill Government p. 261 262 263. Corol. 4. Shewes that our evills are not taken away but only changed p. 263. Corol. 5. Shewes into what a condition we are fallen and from what fallen that we can doe and suffer such things as we do p. 573 294. Corol. 6. Shewes what a great plague and judgement to the Land so many Sectaries in the Army are p. 265 266 267. Corol. 7. Shewes that never in any Age or any Christian State there hath been such a sufferance and Toleration as hath been and is in our Kingdome p. 268. 269 270. Corol. 8. Shewes that the Sectaries though they will receive Liberty of Conscience yet they will not give it to others where they have power p. 271 272. Corol. 9. Shews as in a glasse the true cause of all our present evills to be a love of Sectarisme and Errours p. 27. Corol. 10. Shewes well-meaning men should learne to be undeceived p. 278. A Postscript in which the Reader hath an account given him of many Pamphlets put forth against Mr. Edwards since he writ the second part of Gangraena and some brief Animadversions upon them all as M. Burroughs Vindication Gangraena playes Rex M. Saltmarsh's Shadowes flying away c. A Relation of the Names and of the Speeches and doings of the principall Independents and Sectaries spoken of in this Booke Mr. Jesse page 19. 82. 85. Mr.
more no more night nor day summer nor winter 2 Pet. 3. 7 10 11 12. The heavens and the earth which are now are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement the heavens shall passe away the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up all these things shall be dissolved and whatever hath a being after the day of judgement is eternall and for ever so Revel 10. 6. there should be time no longer which some interpret there shall be no time because time shall be finished and this variety of dayes and nights moneths and years and an unchangeable eternity shall follow in the dayes of the seventh Angel but whether that be the meaning or no of the place this is certain that after the end of this world and the generall Judgement there will be an abolition of time and an eternity follow and therefore eternall fire and eternall chains both for devills and ungodly men cannot be meant of a long time but simply of eternall à parte post Thirdly there 's the same reason in every respect why eternall for judgement fire destruction should be taken in the same sense that eternall is when joyned to life kingdome c. but there 't is taken not for a long-lasting time but properly for everlasting and therefore must of necessity be so here and whatever colour glosse or evasion can be brought to evade that of hell torments damnation that they should not be eternall the same will lie as strong against the eternall life and kingdome given to the Saints but they overthrow the whole doctrine of faith break that golden chain of salvation in the eighth of the Romanes in all the links of it Election Vocation Justification Glorification nay further these Errors as they are laid down doe not onely crosse expresse Scriptures and Articles of our Faith but they deny salvation to all men who beleeve not those wicked doctrines making them the great Antichrist formall beleevers and putting the cause of all damnation to devills and men viz. for so long as they are damned upon the not-beleeving and receiving these wicked doctrines That all devills and men shall be saved and that Christ paid the price laying down his bloud for the pardon of all reprobated Men and Angels and that the beleeving of these doctrines is the only true Christian working faith commended so much by the Holy Ghost and of such an efficacy that this faith being but in two or three in the whole world shall yet save all the rest of the Creation then which Doctrines and Positions nothing can be more repugnant to the Christian faith and may properly be call'd doctrines of devills 33. The Trinity of Persons came downe in Christ to suffer Father Sonne and Holy Ghost suffered for their transgressing creature 34. There is a private Kingdom of Christs justice in which he sat Judge over the quick and dead to condemne and execute torments on the rebellious whom he held as prisoners for a time and there is Christs publick Kingdome to which the Private Kingdome must give place and as the Father hath given it to Christ to rule it for ever so Christ hath committed it to the Holy Ghost to enliven all things to bring up all to life and immortality and the Holy Ghost for the Father and the Son shall execute the judgement of love and mercies unto all for the destroying of death of hell 35. That t is unlawfull to pray unto God kneeling 36. That Organs are a sanctified adjunct in the service of God now under the Gospel and that if any man in the Church had a gift of making Hymner he might bring them in to be sung with Organs or other Instruments of musick In severall ages of the Church wanton men who could not be content with the simplicity of the Gospel have brought both into doctrines of Faith and Worship such opinions and practises still as have been most suitable to their genius and education to the principles of such Arts and Sciences in which they were versed as Origen and some others versed in Plato's Philosophy brought in opinions into the Church according to Plato's doctrine Some who have been much addicted to Painting and Imagery they have brought in Images into the Church and now some of our Independents having fancies in Musick singing taking great delight in that way they have pleaded for and brought into the Church Hymnes and Musick 37. That Adultery is no Sin and that Drunkenesse is none neither but a help to see Christ the better by it 38. Though consent of Parents unto Childrens marriage was commanded under the Law to them that lived then yet because that was but a ceremony t is now lawfull to marry without their consent because we live under the Gospel 39. Christs death and sufferings were endured for to be our example not to purchase heaven for us 40. That 't is not lawfull for Christians to take an oath no not when they are called before Authority and brought into Courts 41. That Christ would destroy not only unlawfull Government but lawfull Government not only the abuse of it but the use of it he was destroying both Monarchy and Aristocracy 42. That the Saints besides the spirituall Kingdome and Government of the Church of Christ must have an externall Kingdom to possesse that this is the time that the Kingdome viz. England Scotland and Ireland is to be taken from him who shall arise and subdue three Kingdoms thinking to change times and Lawes and shall be given to the Saints 43. Gracious Lords or Favourable Lords are titles that cannot be proper amongst Christians but are marks of Gentiles 44. 'T is an utter disfranchisement of the people and a meer vassalage for a man to Petition to Courts of Judicature as the House of Peers for his right and to have justice done him 't is no better then a branch of tyranny to force a man to turn Supplicant for his own and of self-robbery to submit thereto 'T is an inslaved and intolerable condition of this Nation that indeed they cannot have their own naturall Rights and Immunities but they must be actuall Petitioners as if their own were not their own of right but of favour 45. That for Crimes and Offences committed in a Common-wealth there should not be certain penalties appointed by Lawes to which the Governours and Magistrates should be tyed but it should be lest to the discretion and wisdome of the Magistrates to inflict what they thought fit in case of such and such Crimes and this liberty should be left that a Magistrate might exercise his gifts of Government which if he were kept strictly to the Law how should his wisdom and gifts be manifested 46. That Protestant States and Parliaments have no power nor liberty to confirm and enact by Law Worship and Church-Government
but many not only one page but divers pages prove these Errors the whole scope of many books and pamphlets being to maintain these eight or nine Positions last mentâ—oned and for the Readers satisfaction I referre him to these Pamphlets hereafter named An Alarum to the House of Lords against their insolent usurpation of the Commons Liberties A Remonstrance of many thousand Citizens and other free-borne People of England to their own House of Commons A Defiance against all Arbitrary usurpations and encroachments either of the House of Lords or any other The just mans justification A Pearle in a dunghill or Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne in Newgate An Arrow against all Tyrants and Tyranny The free mans Freedom vindicated The just man in Bonds or Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne in Newgate Arguments proving we ought not to part with the Militia to any other but to the Honourable House of Commons A Petition and Appeale of Overton to the High and Mighty States the Knights and Burgesses in Parliament assembled A Petition of Leiutenant Colonell Lilburns wife to the chosen and betrusted Knights The Copy of a Letter sent by Leituenant Col. Lilburne to Master Wollaston keeper of Newgate Queries to find out who t is that holds out against the state of England The last warning to all the inhabitants of London In which and divers others he shall read Principles so destructive to all Government whatsoever Democraticall as well as Monarchicall and Aristoâ—taticall that the like are not to be found in the writings of the old Anabaptists neither ever did the old Anabaptists when they were in the power of Princes and States and brought before their bars ever carry themselves with that scorn and height of contempt towards them as Lilburne Overton and other Sectaries have done to that High and Supreame Court of Judicature the House of Peers And certainly if these Assertions and Positions about Magistracy and Civill Government were true and necessary then all the Acts Lawes Proceedings Processes of former Parliaments and of this present Parliament with the proceedings of all kind of Magistrates and Inferiour Courts are uncertain questionable yea unlawfull void and Null all who have suffered by Sentences of Courts of Justice have suffered unjustly all who possesse any thing as Lands Houses Debts by judgements of Courts have no Title to them all men who exercise any power of Rule and Government over others are usurperâ— intruders and they may say I never chose the men that made these Lawes upon which I was proceeded against and such verdicts given I never gave my consent that such men should be Judges Justices of Peace Sheriffs Juries or that such Courts should be erected yea these principles do bring in to this Kingdom and all other Nations all kind of confusion and Anarchy overthrow all ancient bounds rancks orders differences of persons and things as rich and poor Magistrats and people servants and masters bound and free and reduce all things back to unsetlement uncertainties perplexities and that as often as mens humours please and indeed keep all things from a possibility of being otherwise and all rationall wise men who understand the nature of Government and Common-wealths must needs confesse as much and that I may even to weak men deceived with specious pretences discover the weaknesse and folly of divers of the later Positions I commend these following particulars to the Readers serious consideration 1. These men who deny to the Peers of this Kingdom the Title of Lords and say 'T is not proper to Christians but a mark of the Gentiles yet they give to the Commons greater Titles as High and Mighty the Titles of Emperours and Monarchies and to the common people Majesty Kingship Soveraigne Lord yea give Gods Title calling the people Creators and Kings Lords their meer creatures 2. Instead of Legall Rights and the Lawes and Customes of this Nation the Sectaries talk of and plead for naturall Rights and Liberties such as men have from Adam by birth and in many of their Pamphlets they still speak of being governed by Right reason so that look now as they do in matters of Religion and Conscience they fly from the Scriptures and from supernaturall truths revealed there that a man may not be questioned for going against them but only for Errors against the light of nature and right reason So they do also in Civill Government and things of this life they go from the Lawes and Constitutions of Kingdoms and will be governed by rules according to nature and right reason and though the Lawes and Customes of a Kingdom be never so plain and cleer against their wayes yet they will not submit but cry out for naturall Rights derived from Adam and right reason 3. According to all principles of Justice and Right reason who is fittest to judge in such and such cases what is according to right reason whether every Delinquent and ignorant Mechanick cald in question for if that may be allowed farewell all justice none shall be punished nor innocent righted or the Rulers Judges and setled Authority of a Land Is it not rationally to be supposed that those Ancestors who founded a Government for such a Nation and those who have followed in a Succession having yeelded to and setled such Lawes could better judge of right reason what was for the good of such a Nation and accordingly made Lawes then every mean man who knows no reason of Lawes and States nor is capable of Government and the true nature of it neither conceives the Government of Nations in reference to other Nations nor in reference to the body of the people but Ship passengers and all might be split upon many rocks if such unskilful Pilots had the steering 4. T is certain all Nations and people though all came from Adam have not the same Lawes Customes Constitutions of Government and so are not nor cannot be alike â—ree There is a liberty left in Commonwealths to frame and mould them as shall be judged most convenient and all are not tied to one Rule this the Independents grant when they deny it in the Government of the Church and seeing men are borne and live in different Climates Countries and are of severall Manners Dispositions Constitutions Educations the same Lawes Customes kind of Government would not be for the good of all but what would fit one and be usefull would not serve another some are of a more servile Disposition some of a harsher stubborner nature some of a gentler freer nature some people are situated in Islands some upon the Continent some have such neighbours of such a temper others have not some Countries wholly subsists on such commodities others subsist in another way and so many such differences might be given now whether Customes and Laws necessary for such a people founded on the proper reason and nature of such a place and people be proper for all I leave to wise men to judge M. Peters that great Sectarian
is the known mind of those Countries and Towns that chose them 12. If all power in Government be founded on immediate Election of the People and no sort of men have power further then the Universall people gave them and because they are Representors Trustees Deputies c. may do nothing against the will and mind of the Major part of the Universall people who chose them whether have all the Parliament-men in all their Votes gone according to the minds and desires of those Cities and places that chose them Represented in Petitions and whether in cases of doubt and yet of great importance have they still called their Countries together to know their minds and whether they were willing such things should be viz. Anabaptists Brownists and all kind of Sectaries to enjoy such freedom of meettings all sorts of ignorant Mechanicks to be suffered to turn preachers and to go up and down seducing people whether so great an Army to be still continued in this Kingdom and they Assessed to pay such Taxes for their maintenance and whether Committees shall be still continued in the Kingdom whether great sums of mony and hundreds of pounds in Land per annum in such necessitous times shall be given away on men who little need it and so in other particulars and if things appear to be against the mind of the generalitie of the people whether are the people bound to obey their Orders and Ordinances in such cases 13. If all power of government be upon Election and the chosen ought to go according to the will of the universality of the people suppose it should so happen in a Common-wealth that the greater part of the chosen should apparently go contrary to the trust reposed in them carry things quite against the mind of the people as of the chief City Country Ministry and none should be pleased with their actions but a pure faction a party of men ingaged by offices places of preferment liberty of licentiousnesse of living against the true Religion by Lawes established whether then with a good conscience may and ought this universall people with the consent and assistance of such Governors chosen by them who are known to be faithfull demand to chuse others in their places require justice upon them and so deliver themselves and their Country 14. Whether or no according to these Doctrines of the Sectaries there be any in this Kingdome have any power of government or whom the people ought to obey seeing there is none among us chosen by the universall people no not the Commons in Parliament but only by a part of the people the Freeholders and free-men of Towns which are not the twentieth part of the people of this Kingdom who yet sure are subject to Lawes and should live under obedience 15. Seeing in all kind of lawfull power and superiority every man that obeyes any should chuse him as the Sectaries speak in their Pamphlets and the power of Colonels Captains Commanders in cheif of such a party over Souldiers is lawfull whether may such whole Companies and particular souldiers in such Companies who have Commanders set over them whom they chose not but were unwilling of and desirous of others only 't is the will of the Generall to have it so answer them when they command them we chose you not we will not obey your commands and whether this would be a good answer of the Presbyterian Companies that have Independent Commanders set over them and well taken at a Councell of Warre And whether Colonel Lilburne in the Army would have taken such an Answer well from his Regiment notwithstanding his brothers doctrine And whether if gallant Colonel Whaley before Worcester should have stood upon this Doctrine that those should command in cheif who had the consent of the souldiery there and the people of those parts and thereupon opposed Colonel Rainborough it had been true Doctrine 16. Whether do not the Sectaries â—roâ—â—e themselves in their positions about Election that no men have any power over any to question and judge 〈◊〉 who chose them not and whom they represent not when 〈◊〉 they say the House of Commons may question and punish 〈◊〉 and judge the House of Peer being the Soveraignâ— S 〈…〉 〈◊〉 both of the Câ—â—â—onâ—rs and of the Lords Now certainly neither the King nor the House of Peers chose the House of Commons neither are they the Representors of the King and Peers they represent them not so much as in name having never the Titles of Kings or Lords given them by Lawes and therefore if according to the Sectaries Doctrines the House of Commons have power over King and Lords to judge them which for my part I do not beleeve though they are not their chosen ones then certainly the House of Lords may have power to sentence Lilburne Overton c. though not chosen by them 17. If all power of Government stand solely upon the Election of the present people and hath all its authority upon that whether the power of Governors can continue longer then the people chose them for and suppose the people never intending or once dreaming to chuse them for alwayes but for a time whether when that time they were chosen for expired their power did not also expire and whether may any with a good conscience who beleeves the time is long ago run out for which he chose Burgesses and Knights submit any more to the Summons Orders Censures of the Commons then the Sectaries wil to the H. of Peers and whether can the H. of Commons expect any submission and obedience from the Sectaries who have in the name of thousands declared professedly to the world their time was out for which they were chosen by such a day which day is past and therefore they will find when they come to question some of them roundly upon any of their Ordinances that they will serve them as they do the Lords telling them they have no power over them the time for which they chose them is out 18. Whether according to this Doctrine of all subjection and power founded only in Representation Deputation extending no further then from the Represented to the Representors may not the Ministery of the Kingdome plead exemption from the power of the Commons as the Sectaries do from the Lords saying they have no Ministers there to sit in that House to represent them or who have Deputation from them there may possibly be some Imitators of them in the House of Commons Lay Preachers and gifted Brethren imitating them in their work of Ministry as Apes use to imitate men in the works of their calling but no Representors of them 19. If nothing the representative do be valid or binding but what the greater number of the Universal have given power in whether may not will not the people question all Votes Orders Ordinances as not being tied to them because they know not that the Universall people consented and so every thing
when it should be obeyed may be questioned upon that ground and nothing in Government should be certain but a man may say this Law this Order is null void for how doth it appeare the Universall represented people gave consent or the Representative acted in it from the instructions of the Universall 20. If this Doctrine were true that Magistrates might do nothing but what the greater part of the generality of a Land would have whether many good things would ever have been done that now are and whether in many Kingdoms would ever a Reformation have been effected and whether if the Parliament had gone by the Pole of tagge and ragge would ever Common-Prayer-book Bishops with many other things have been put down which yet I hope the Sectaries dare not say but the House of Commons did well in so doing A Catalogue of some Blasphemies of the Sectaries not mentioned in the First nor Second Parts of Gangraena A Sectarie said That the Prophets in the Old Testament Prophecied two and fifty lyes That in the ninth chapter of the Romans Saint Paul lyed and said he did acknowledge him self to be so to gain some to Christ The same Sectarie being stowed a place of Scripture which were the words of Christ took the book and threw it away and said that was not ordered by the Holy Ghost to be penned but it was the Rogue Printer that did put it in Another Sectary said there is no God or if there be a God the Devill is a God Master Saltmarsh the Sectary preached at Bath that as John Baptist wore a Leathern Girdle so the Doctrin that he preached was Leathern Doctrine A Sectarian Souldier at Bristoll finding fault with something a godly Minister had preached of Christ wondering at their unbeleif this Minister told this Souldier they were Christs words unto whom this Sectarian Souldier replyed Christ spake thus in his darknesse And another time this Minister speaking with the same Sectary about being justified by Christs Righteousnesse this Sectary replyed Christs Righteousnesse was a beggerly Righteousnesse A She-Sectary an Anabaptist said it boastingly again and again That she was every whit as good as Christ no way inferiour to him but equall to him and if she were not so the Scripture was a liar A Relation of some Passages in the Prayers of some Sectaries IT was for certain related to me and to many persons of worth that in June last when the King was with our Brethren of Scotland an Independent prayed publickly to God that God would deliver the King out of the hands of those evill Counsellors in whose hands he now waâ— T is written to me in a Letter and testified under the hands of three witnesses that an Independent in a publick Church prayed thus Lord if thou art not pleased to blesse us in the seducing King and trayterous Queen then blesse us in the Prince his Son or the Duke And at another time the same man prayed thus Lord now that the Sword is drawn let it never be sheathed untill it be glutted in the bloud of the cursed Malignants A Great Sectary in London upon occasion of the City Remonstrance prayed as followes of which prayer many Citizens had Copies and I was told it from good hands it was brought in to the Court of Aldermen O Lord thou knowest there is a Remonstrance to go up to the Parliament which is much to thy dishonour and the hurt of thy Saints for Lord thou knowest the Kingdoms of the Earth by right belong unto us thy Saints Suffer not thy Saints any longer to be trampled upon but stand up for thy people and do not suffer the ungodly to go up with this wicked Remonstrance Confound their device and suffer it to take no effect And Lord we thanke thee that thou hast stirred up some of thy Saints with courage already to protest against it we beseech thee stir up more Lord stir up the women that lie in their husbands bo 〈…〉 es and the children to cry unto their parents every one to be helpfull to one another to stay this Remonstrance Lord we will fast and pray unto thee this day to morrow and the next day O Lord hear our prayers and let our cry come unto thee as thou haâ—t been mercifull unto us so we beseech thee to continue thy favour and love unto us I was told it also by an understanding godly Minister that this Summer about the time of Lilburns commitment by the House of Lord a great Sectary in one of their Conventicles prayed to this effect O Lord cast down or confound all Monarcks aâ—d Monarchies and lift up or advance thy servant Lilburne This Minister had it from some who said they were eare witnesses and I desired to speak with them about iâ— and he promised I should but having not yet spoken with them I do relate it but as a report and not with that confidence as I do things I hear or find written or that I have from godly persons I know who are eare witnesses Some of the Independents and Sectaries use to court God in prayer having as affected straines and strong lines as ever University Preachers used to have in their Sermons at Saint Maries One of them began his prayer Right Honourable Lord God another begins oft-times Immortall God and then makes a stop and pause and then comes on the Seâ—aphinâ—s tongues are tipâ— with thy praises and praying in an affected manner Another Independent spake to God in prayer by way of complaint against the Presbyterians Lord they hate us because we know more of thee then they do but we beseech thee Lord give 〈◊〉 still to know more of thee and let them hate us more if they will A Relation of stories and sundry remarkable Passages co 〈…〉 ng the Sects and Sectaries and amongst others of some Souldiers who are great Sectaries JVly the third 1646. two Citizens honest men related to me this story in the hearing of another Minister and that with a great deal of confidence one of them having laâ—en in the Town where the fact was committed and having spoken with many Inhabitants about it that summer was a two yeares Captaine Beamant and his company being quartered at Yakesly in Huntingtonshire there being a child in the Town to be baptized some of the souldiers would not suffer the child to be carried to Church to be baptized and the Lieutenant of the Troop drew out a paâ—â— of the Troop to hinder it guarâ—ing the Church that they should not bring the child to be baptized and instead of the child being baptized in contempt of Baptisme some of the souldiers got into the Church pissed in the Font and went to a Gentlemans stable in the Town and took out a horse and brought it into the Church and there baptized it and after they had done so such of the Townsmen as spake against them before they went away they did them mischeif and this was
is a Master Sectarie a man of great power among them and hath Emissaries under him whom he sends abroad and commands to go into severall parts as Syms Row c and supply his place in his absence and as you have heard of him formerly so since my second part of Gangraena came abroad a godly Minister out of the West writ thus to me of Collier He was driven out of the Island of Garnesy because of his opinions and turbulency as a godly Minister of that Island told me and he could not deny it himself when I asked him the question He hath done much hurt in Limington Hampton Waltham and all along this Country I had once a conference with him upon two questions for five houres space sufficient time for one to trouble himself with such a vain unruly taulker First concerning the Morality of the Sabbath Secondly concerning Baptisme in both which he denyed I affirmed It would require â—great deal of time to give you an account of all particulars and the truth is if I should some passages would have an ill reflex upon some men of note and power with whom perhaps it will not be safe for me to meddle And in a Letter from the same Minister printed in this third part of Gangraera page 40. 41 Collier being mentioned he is said to be the first that sowed the seeds of Anabaptisme Antisabbatarianisme and some Arminianisme among the rest in these parts A Copie of a Letter to a tittle sent from some of the Inhabitants of Devizes to a worthy Member of the House of Commons Right Worshipfull MAy it please you to be certified by us of certain passages this day at the Church in the time of Divine service That is our Minister Master Sheappard being in the Pulpit was commanded by one Captaine Pretty who is under the command of Colonell Ireton and who with his souldiers are to our great burthen quartered with us to be silent and to come forth of the Pulpit saying in threatning termes he was unfit to preach and that he was yesterday being Satturday druncken which evidently can be proved to the contrary the Gentleman being to our knowledge a very temperate and Religious Divine This Captaine was assisted with one Master Ives and Master Lambe who are as they say Preachers and divers souldiers armed in a most irreverent manner to the abominable disturbance of the whole Congregation and as we conceive to the great abuse and disgrace of the Honourable Parliament By meanes where of our Preacher fearing as was too too much cause what dangerous effects such indecent and impious demeanours might produce was enforced to depart and dares not to come in sight so that we were destitute of preaching this day Whereof we thought good being thereto as we beleeve bound in duty and good conscience to acquaint your Worship withall hoping by your industrious meanes these our most intolerable griveances may be taken into Religious consideration and we thereof eased which we earnestly begg of you our approved good friend and Countryman may be effected These aforesaid abuses can be if occasion witnessed by the whole Congregation From the Devizes this present Sunday the 6. of September 1646. I Have received lately certaine Information from some who are come out of Wales that a Trooper of Colonell Riches Regiment hath been for divers weeks last past in Wales in Radnorshire and Brecknockeshire a preaching and dipping where he hath vented many Doctrines of Antinomianisme and Anabaptisme and rebaptized hundreds in those Countries Among others one woman whom he dipped he held so long under water that what with the water getting into her and cold she died of it within a day or two This Trooper going from these Countries into Mongomeryshire another Countie of Wales to preach and dippe some in command and Armes for the Parliament seized on him and committed him to prison but within a while after this commitment by meanes used by some in the Army there comes an order from higher Authority to those who committed him to release him and so he was set free A Religious Commander who comes from thence tells me the preaching and dipping of this Trooper and other such makes the Countries being newly reduced have an ill opinion of the Parliament and many of the people say these are your Preachers at London and such Preachers as the Parliament sends for they being ignorant people think verily these men are sent forth by the Parliament to preach to them This Commander tells me also there is a strong report in those Countries of Wales where he hath been that there are some Sectaries preach for Circumcision and that some have been Circumcised but the truth of that he cannot assert as of the rest but must have more time to find it out There is a Minister now in London or here abouts who going to a meeting of the Sectaries heard one of them in his Exercising and preaching to the company assembled affirme that he was Jesus Christ whereupon this Minister spake to him and said how can you be Jesus Christ where are the prints of the nailes in your hands unto which this wicked Sectarie replyed showing him his hands here they are and in one of his hands there were some markes which he said were the prints of the nailes but said this Sectarie for all this you will not beleeve me to be Christ unlesse you saw Miracles and turning over his Bible to the Book of the Revelations this Sectary quoted a place that Miracles were wrought to confirme the Doctrine of Divells which saith he you would have me to shew to confirme the truth This is a most certain story related by an eare and eye witnesse to a Noble Earle of this Kingdom and to some others and the place where this Sectary dwells related also with many circumstances Some of the Sectarian souldiers quartering very dately at a Towne in Lester shire upon the Lords day some of them shooed their horses others who came into the Church disturbed and affronted a godly Minister one Master Bohâ—mus Minister of the place put in by the meanes of Sir Arthur Hazelrig to whom he had formerly relation who as he was reading in the Scriptures that passage The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him some of them stood up and said that was a lye and so insolent was their carriage that this good Minister was glad to get him out of the way And as their carriage was so in the Church so a Townsman who rented the Tythes being upon horse in the field looking after his Tyth corne some of these souldiers coming into the field asked who that was and being told he was a man that came to gather Tyths they came to him and one took one leg and another the other and others laid hands on him in other parts and threw him off his horse abusing him and hazarding the limbs of the man because he renting the Tythes came to look
to the like effect After stands up Captaine Leivtenant Vernum and openly saies that in despight of men they would have their exercise adding at last with submission to Authority Presently after Master Parsons who published the Ordinance was sent for and although he shewed the order of the Committee yet he was sent to prison by the Deputy Governour the whole Church was in an uproare and the City is in disorder what the consequence may be we know not we have been and still are affronted by the Garrison and the civill power is in a manner trampled under foot We conceive the publike presumption to interpret an Ordinance of Parliament and to commit to prison the publisher of it is such an act as cannot be paralled in the whole Kingdome We have written to Master Prideaux very earnestly about it and have desired him to impart it to the Committee of the West the like request is made to you that so some speedy course may be taken herein and an answer returned to Exon. 2. August 1646. Your affectioned friends and servants Samuel Clark Richard Saunders Richard Crossingâ— This is a Coppie of a former sent last night by a Post at nine of the clock under Mr Prideaux cover the packet was superscribed for the Parliaments service which packet going out of East-gate was stopt by the Officers of the Garrison and was broken open the Post-boy wasstopt about three houres between East-gate and the draw-Bridge and then a packet was returned and put into his hands againe and he willed to depart the boy being unwilling had twelve pence given him and so went away We are in great haste and have sent this bearer expresse unto whose relation we refer your for more particulars He that commanded the guard gives us certain information that the packet was stopt as above and broken open and he promises to bring three or foure more to testifie it Exon. 3. of August 1646. One of the clock Since upon examinations we â—inde the stoping and opening the Letters to be true UPon Sunday being the second of August 1646. about nine or ten of the clock in the night the aforesaid Committee had dispacht away a packet and Post directed to the Honourable Edward Prideaux a Member of the Honourable House of Commons and at the foot of it superscription for the Parliaments service which packet was cleared out of the Gates by two Constables of the said Citie who said to the Postillian goe hasten on thy way to which some of the guard said and the plague goe with them but Captaine Vernon and some others laid in waite between the Port and the out-work to intercept the Post and took from the Postillion the said packet which immediatly was opened by them and reading the same they laughed and jeered thereat afterwards they commanded some Musketeers to guard the Postilion that he may carrie the packet to the Deputy Governour which they did and after three houres time the said Captaine Vernon and some others returned with a Paâ—ket directed to Colonell Hamman or in his absence to Colonell or in his absence to When the packet was delivered the Postillion replyed this is not my packet I will not goe with this but returne to my Master to acquaint him thereof whereupon some of the Captaines said Sirah get you gone and withall gave him a shilling Copies of Letters and extracts of Letter s written from the Army Garison Townes and other parts of the Countries unto Friends in London and Westminster concerning some Officers Souldiers and Preachers who are Sectaries Gentlemen NOtwithstanding all orders they persist in incroatching on the civill Authority Yesterday in the Market they set Sir Francis Fulfetts sonne a Minister in the stocks under the gallowes before the Guild-hall for being drunk refusing to accept of five shillings tendered by him for the poore he deserved punishment but it was out of their cognizance and their jeers and scoffs did plainly manifest they aimed and envied more at the function then at the fault We have since the departing of the expresse had full testimony of the intercepting breaking open and reading of our Letters by Captain Leivtenant Vernum and some other of the Captaines and sending another directed packet to Governour Hamond instead thereof And this returne they set a guard on the Post-house and had we not been very vigilant and dilligent we should have missed out Letters They soare very high and if their wings be not clipt 't will be very dangerous but if the proverbe be verified pride must have a fall Exon. August 8. 1646. Your truly affectionate Friends Samuel Clark Richard Saunders Adam Bennet Richard Crossing James Gould Gentlemen The Martialists begin againe to shew themselves in their former colours and reassume their late usurpation They have of late rescued a prisoner from the Sergiants Arrest The last Fast day one of the Captaines affronted the Constables in their office in observance of the Ordinance for the Fast not permitting them to question such as ridde and travelled on that day Exon. August 18. 1646. Your friends and servants Samuel Clark Richard Saunders James Gould Richard Crossings A Copie of a Letter written from a godly Minister then in the Army Our Army is lazy they feare that they shal bee disbanded before our deare Brethren depart the Kingdome They raile against the City and Assembly because of the Remonstrance The House of Lords are much vilâ—â—ied by them and our Noble Scots constantly abused In their Sermons Master Del and Saltmarsh preach free grace and say Christ judges not by the eye or eare he regards not mens prayers or duties if they have Christ in their heart though they do not read and pray and trade in duties Christ judges them according to their heart Secondly We have no use of secular power and they that would borrowe the Magistrats power to make a Reformation in the Kingdome of Christ are Anti-christian it is an evident signe that they have not the word nor spirit to speak for them Alas what can the Magistrate convert soules with the civâ—ll sword the wicked are to be slaine only with the breath of Christs lips Isa 11. 4. That was Master Dels Text before the Generall I told them that if this doctrine were true they might disband the Army Thirdly They pressed hard to have the law of Love and Liberty observed that there may be an equality that is their phrase and the Anabaptists Fourthly They are most offended with that passage of the Remonstrance about places of publike trust Fifthly There is no need of Universities for if men be annointed with the spirit and accepted amongst the Saints they are sufficiently qualified for the Ministery Sixthly Paul Hobson the Taylor and Leivtenant Colonell Hewson the one-eyed Shoomaker as Master Peters calls him are the most renouned preachers but Hobson hath saluted the Army with a farwell Sermon and is sent as an Emissary to Exeter to raise a party there Seventhly
least twenty times and saw nothing in it that men should make such a stir about it Wâ— spake to him of his speaking in his Sermon against the City R 〈…〉 st he stood to justifie what he had said and calld it a wicked thing and being asked wherin he said there was a passage in it that no godly man must live amongst us or have any place of trust in the Kingdome being told there was no such passage in the Remonstrance and that he being a Minister might be ashamed to speak that which was so false a friend of his standing by said Master Peters meant it was so in effect and Master Peters said that we would let no Sectaries as wee term'd â—hem live or have any place of trust amongst us and for his part hee was an Independent and one of those we termed Sectaries and in that no Independent nor Sectary might have any places of trust that implyed the godly it being replyed the word Independent was not expressed in the Remonstrance he affirmed it was but other discourse put of the examination of it Master Peters said what would we have and asked if we did not live well and quietly enough and might not follow our Trades and businesse in peace and why should we trouble our selves with these things the Sects and Schismes did us no harme we told him there was other danger besides our Trades they destroyed soules and wee were bound by our Covenant to oppose Heresies and Schismes and asked him whether or no it was not lawfull and warrantable to Remonstrate or Petition against sinne and â—â—rour and whether our late Petitions against Popery and Prelacy were not Justifiable and whether or no he had not a hand in that against Bishops He answered he thought Errors did not so destroy soules and that he could worke upon a Papist as soon as one of your Protestants And for the Bishops had not they troubled him in his temporalls by taking from him his maintenance and subsistence he had never molested or troubled them for he knew not but that the Papists Prelats and we might live quietly together and serve God in love and peace And being asked then how the Parliament could justiful their quarrell and Warre yet on foot seeing they opposed both by open Armes terming it in all their Declarations the cause of God and Religion He answered that the true cause was not for Religion for he knew no word of God to warrant fighting or taking up of Armes in the cause of Religion but it was only to maintain our civill rights and liberties and there being discourse of the Magistrats power he asked what the Magistrate had to do in Religion answer was made the Magistrate had power to put Blasphemers and Idolaters to death Master Peters replyed yes in the old law but none in the Gospel He being asked by what power they in New-England did banish for opinions he made a kind of a slight answer saying they did but send them over a River out of the Patent and would you would give us Cornwell we would be content to live there He being spoken to about what he said of the King was asked whether wee ought not to use all lawfull wayes for bringing the King unto his people seeing he lately had made such faire offers Master Peters replyed we might trust him if we would but if we knew what Letters of his they had lately intercepted in the Army we would soon be of another mind Master Peters asked us whether as we came to him about what he preached had we ever been with Master Edwards about what he had written against the Saints we told him we conceived Master Edwards had written nothing against the Saints neither was what he had written any offence to us as what he had preached was and that we had cause to beleeve what Mr Edwards had written was true he being a godly Minister Master Peters asked what had he to do with the particular infirmities of particular men we told him as he was a Minister of the Gospel he had to do with them as Paul had to do with Hâ—meneus Rhileâ—as Master Peters said that was in matter of Faith but Master Edwards had medled with the Saints in matters of practise to which wee replyed that Saint John wrote against Diotrophes in point of practise and wherein men made their seeming holinesse a meanes for the receiving of their Erroneous opinions there was cause that their practises should be spoken against to undeceive people and so parting with him one of us advised him to forbear his practises for hee laboured to deceive the people June the third 1646. I walking in Westminister Hall Master Peters meeting me spake to me that I had abused him in Print and that I had broken a Gospel rule which was If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone I answered him I had not transgressed the rule for that was in case of private ofâ—â—nding but he had publikely preached and vented himself and private telling would not have been a remedy sufficient he said I had wronged him in those things I had written of him and that coming twice up from the Army each time he found himself in a Book of mine I told him I would prove them and name time and place when and where delivered and he was like to be in a third Book whereupon hee call'd me Knave and stincking â—ellow I answered him he had abused our Brethren of Scotland and I told him what I had written I would make good and so spake quick and freely to him whereupon he said speak not so loud and threatned to beate me or fall about my eares saying I spake against the Saints I replyed Paul Best Wrighter c. such Saints but he made nothing to speak against the Reformed Churches and Presbyterians in his Sermons and they were no Saints with him some other discourse there passed at the same time between us but no more of it now And lastly that the Reader may judge of Master Peters by his discourse I was told it within these few weeks from good hands upon occasion of pigeons being on a table that Master Peters at that table spake what a world of pigeoâ—s they had in New-England how hee had seen such a flight there such a â—â—mber at once even covering the heavens and being asked whence they should come he answered from an Island not far off which was twenty miles long and three miles broad which was so full of pigeons that the Island was all covered over with pigeons dunâ— two foot deep Now as I have given the Reader some passages of his Sermons and discourses so I will give a taste of the man by eâ—tracting a few things out of some of his Pamphlets and I will begin with his Book call'd Mr Peters last Report of the English Wars which a great Commander of the Army commonly call's Peters Politicks upon which
vindication of the just Legall power of the King the House of Lords yea and of the Commons undertaking to make it good that according to the Sectarian Principles now vented in so many Books daily and so much countenanced by too many the power and priviledge of the House of Commons would be overthrowne and cut short as well as the Kings and Lords For instance to say nothing of that that the Commons power is not only by being chosen by the severall Counties and Townes but by the vertue of Writs under the Great Seal and by vertue of Lawes and Rules according to which the severall Electors must goe or else their Elections give them no power at all If this Principle were true the House of Commons should have no power over me nor over many thousands more in the Kingdome and we might all say the same things to the House of Commons which Lilburne Overton and all the Sectaries say to the House of Lords for we never chose them had no voyces in their Elections they are not our chosen ones as the Sectaries say of the Lords I and many Ministers of the Kingdome with hundred thousands of people who have not so much free land per annum are excluded from election of Knights of the Shires and not being free-men of Towns have no voyces in choyce of Burgesses and so may refuse subjection to their Orders resist their Officers who come with their Warrants and refuse to live by the Lawes they make as not being chosen by us who no question are the greatest number of persons in the Kingdom I beleeve there are more men of years of understanding without so much free land per annum then there are those who have so much Besides if this Principle were true That all subjection and obedience to persons and their Lawes stood by vertue of electing them then besides all non-free-holders exempted from the Jurisdiction of the House of Commons all women at once were exempt from being under Government and all youths who were under age at the beginning of this Parliament six years ago though now men and had no voyces in the choyce of Parliament men yea if this Parliament sit many years longer all those who were boyes and children when they come to years of understanding must be exempt too as having had no voyces in election nay yet further so weak a Principle this is upon which the Sectaries would overthrow all the power of the King and Lords and give all power to the Commons that if it were true none were bound to any obedience of those Knights and Burgesses whom they chose not but opposed with all their might so that by this rule all Free-holders in each County who dissented from him that was chosen should not submit to that man but set him up whom they have chosen and though there be four hundred Members in the Com. House yet they who have voyces in chusing and they whose voyces carry it for such a man because they chuse but one or two viz. in that County where they live and have estates therefore they should be subject only to the determinations of those two men but for all the rest they chuse them no more then they do the House of Lords And yet further if this Principle were good that subjection and obedience is due from none and to none but those who are chosen and represent all strangers who come into or live for a time in a Kingdome when sent for upon suspitions or reall crimes may answer the House of Commons What have they to do with them they chose them not they gave them no power over them they are not their Representors And last of all upon this Principle all we who are born within this fifty sixty or seventy years may refuse obedience and subjection to all the Lawes made by Parliaments before we were born or by such Parliaments whereof we chose not the Members and when men clip money and counterfeit coyn or men steal horses and are sent for by Justices and brought to the Bars they may with as much reason and more appeal from those Courts of Justice because they never chose these men that made such Lawes nor ever consented to them as Lilburne Overton Larner c. did from the Lords to the present House of Commons their Representors their chosen ones c. and I dare undertake to shew that all those seeming Arguments and rambling Discourses in Overtons and Lilburnes Books have as much strength for justifying all Delinquents appeals from those Lawes made so many years agoe and Judges going according to them as for their declining the House of Lords Many other instances I could give of those who have by the Lawes of England and other Kingdomes power of Government and that most justly without any immediate election of the people and persons to be governed by them so that we must look for some other foundations and grounds of giving one man or more power in Government over all besides this immediate Election and Representation which will be found firm and strong and which indeed give the force to Election and which in severall cases without any immediate Election of the present persons to be governed binds them before God and men to obedience and subjection in all lawfull things and according to the Lawes but I must deâ—errre the giving of more Instances about Election with the Reasons thereof and of laying downe the just grounds of lawfull Authority and Power of one man or many and of one and many without any immediate Election either of a part or of the whole present people till the Fourth Part of Gangraena only I will adde two things First to shew the Witnesses do not agree but the great Leaders of the Sectaries diâ—fer among themselves in this point yea the same men as Lilburn and the Authors of those Pamphlets Englands Birth-right c. Secondly propound some Queres to Lilburne Overton Larner and the rest of that generation to consider of in the mean time For the first However that Lilburne Overton and the Sectaries use the House of Lords thus denying them power over Commoners and a Legislative power with an Interest in saving the Kingdome and put all the whole Supreme power upon the Commons making the House of Lords stand for a Cypher because not chosen by the common people as the Knights and Burgesses yet till witâ— in this year and an half they in writings and actions declared the contrary viz. before the recruit of the House of Commons with new Members and the successe of the new Modell as is evident by many Pamphlets written before wherein they abused the House of Commons and particular Members crying out of them for making the free subjects slaves and for ruling in an arbitrary way as much as they do now of the House of Lords yea the Lords are pleaded for and cryed up above the House of Commons for their justice and their
Parliament was questioned and upon proof before three Justices of Peace was adjudged to pay it but not paying for all this two godly men Master W. and he who told me this story came to demand it or else distraine whereupon he calld these honest men robbers and theifs and said the Parliament made an Ordinance to rob men which being complained of and proved this Marshall was committed Now when he was committed Lilburne assisted him in his businesse came to this honest man who related to me the story to see the Warrant by vertue of which they proceeded to distraine and in fine this Marshall arrested the Justices of Peace who went according to the Ordinance and the Distrainers but at last being brought before the Committee of Examinations he promised to withdraw his action and said he spake those words in his passion and yet since his promise hath renewed his suite and the Justices and Distrainers are now troubled by him A godly Minister of this City told me June 12. 1646. that he discoursing with a Major belonging to the Army about the Government of the Church he told him plainly that they were not so much against Presbyteriall Government though many thought them so as against the being tyed to any Government at all for if the Parliament would set up the Independent Government and injoyne that upon them they should be as much against that as against Presbyteriall Government They held liberty of Conscience that no man should be bound or tyed to any thing but every man left free to hold what they pleased that was the judgement and true genius of that sort of men in the Army calld Independents that in all matters of Religion no man should be bound but every one left to follow his own Conscience There is a libellous Pamphlet entituled The Lord Majors farwell from his Office of Majoraltie which was sent to him in a Letter by an Anabaptist one of the meek and quiet of the earth as he often calls himself and his fellowes in that Pamphlet and coming to my Lords hands over-night next day he heard that it was in print the substance of which Pamphlet is to charge my Lord Major with breach of promise in not endeavoring to procure of the Parliament a publike disputation between the Anabaptistâ— and the Presbyterians and for presenting an unjust Remonstrance to the Parliament for suppressing both Anabaptists and Separatists Now I shall speak something to both these and vindicate the truth against this lying Libeller Secondly I shall Animadvert on some passages and expressions in this Pamphlet For the first my Lord Majors breach of promise upon which hee runns out and descants builds this inference among others That if Master Edwards or Doctor Bastwick had any such blot against us doubtlesse there would be great Volumes of a hundred sheets a peece blazed throughout the Kingdome to disgrace us as your breach of promise I answer breifly the building must needs fall when as the foundation falls my Lord Major broke not his promise but was very carefull of it and mindfull of what you say hee promised namely to know the pleasure of the Parliament and to endeavour the liberty of a publike disputation and my Lord was so consciencious in it both in regard of God and in regard of men that he might not be upbraided with breach of promise knowing well what a generation he had to deale with that he was never at quiet after his promise was made till the House of Commons was moved in the businesse and therefore every time when he â—aw Master Recorder he minded him to move the House he put a note into his hands because he should not forget when he saw him not for some time he writ to him to mind him and was never contented till it was done and Master Recorder did take in his time within some weeks after my Lords promise watching when he might acquaint the House seasonably without interrupting other great publike occasions of the Kingdome and the House of Commons Answer was they approved of the wisdome of my Lord Major in forbidding the disputation at that time and that they would not give consent for a disputation and for the truth of this let Master Recorder be asked and other Members who were present and therefore Master Recorder in all places and to all who speaks to him about it clears my Lord Major that he punctually performed his promise and if it be any such hainous crime to hinder such a tumultuous disputation as that was like to have been let them lay the blame upon the House of Commons if they dare and not upon the Lord Major And what I write in this matter I speak knowingly as being assured of the truth of it from the mouth of him who should know But least the Anabaptists should think whilst I vindicate the truth against a scandalous reproach cast upon the Lord Major I do it out of respects as being glad the Disputation was put off and since denyed I here declare my self that I could wish withall my heart there were a publike Disputation even in the point of Paedobaptisme and of Dipping between some of the Anabaptists and some of our Ministers and had I an interest in the Houses to prevaile to obtaine it which I speak not as to presume of any such power being so meane and weak a man it should be one of the first Petitions I would put up to the Honorable Houses for a publike Disputation as was at Zurick namely that both Houses would give leave to the Anabaptists to chuse for themselves such a number of their ablest men and the Assembly leave to chuse an equall number for them and that by Authority of Parliament publike Notaries sworne might be appointed to write down all some Members of both Houses present to see to the Peace kept and to be Judges of the faire play and liberty given the Anabaptists and that there might be severall dayes of Disputation leave to the utmost given the Anabaptists to say what they could and if upon such faire and free debates it should be found the Anabaptists to be in the Truth then the Parliament not only to Tolerate them but to Establish and settle their way throughout the whole Kingdome but if upon Disputation and debate the Anabaptists should be found in an Error as I am confident they would that then the Parliament should forbid all Dipping and take some severe course with all Dippers as the Senate of Zurick did after the ten severall Disputations allowed the Anabaptists For the second particular my Lord Major is charged with presenting of an unjust Remonstrance to the Parliament for suppressing Anabaptists c I answer my Lord Major presented it not hee went not to Westminster with it but some Aldermen and Common counsell men chosen by the Court The Remonstrance was the Act of the Court of Common-counsell and not my Lords Majors alone nor my Lord
Majors any otherwise but as a Member of that Honourable Court concurring with the rest and then whereas this Libeller calls it an unjust Remonstrance 't is a most just and equall Remonstrance as hath been fully proved by Master Bellamie in his Justification and Vindication of the City Remonstrance and in that Book entituled the Sectaries Anatomized and if I would give liberty to my pen I could further justifie not only the justnesse of it but the necessity of it and show demonstratively that it will never be well with this Kingdome whilst Sectaries are in places of publike trust and that the subjects of this Kingdome can never expect justice nor right whilst men of other Religions then what is established by Law are in places of power and I wonder that the Anabaptists and Sectaries should be so offended at that part of the Remonstrance when as 't is their dayly practise not by faire and just wayes God knowes but by undermining watching for iniquity laying snares for men yea going against all principles Military and Civill of Honour and of Justice to put men from places of Trust and Command of which there are many remarkable unparalleld instances and the world in due time may have a true account of them And lastly whereas 't is said presenting a Remonstrance for procuring Licence and Authority to suppresse all such as have good principles and grounds for their practises that 's most false for in the same Remonstrance against Hereticks Blasphemers Anabaptists c. they petition for the setling of Religion and Church-government according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches which Religion Church-government so built hath certainly good ground for its practise For the second I desire the Reader to observe a few things upon some of the expressions in this Pamphlet that he calls the Anabaptists and Sectaries the meek and quiet of the Land as Master Peters doth the harmlesse Anabaptists then which that there are not a more turbulent unquiet people in the world made of Salt-Peter let this Book witnesse and the language in it given the cheif Magistrate of the City with the railing seditious Libells put out dayly against the King House of Lords Assembly yea and the House of Commons too The Anabaptists of old calld themselves the meek of the Earth and said that now the promise must be fulfilled the meek shall inherite the Earth when they by bloud Rapine cruel Warrs seased on the possessions of others Secondly that these Sectaries will take things for granted and therupon passe desperate censures upon Magistrates Ministers and all when as there is no such thing but quite contrary as going on to aggravate things against my Lord Major and resemble him to wicked Ahaz c. for breaking his promise when as he performed it most punctually and conscientiously considering himself both as a Christian and as a Magistrate in such an eminent place Thirdly that these new Anabaptists as well as the old are guilty of speaking evill of dignities and bringing railing accusation in print against Powers branding the Lord Major with that brand set by God himself on wicked Ahaz this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name c. A Citizen a freind of mine having been this last summer in Cheshire and divers other Countries upon his occasions heard many Malignants say they would turne Independents for then they should not take the Covenant nor be forced to any thing but be at their liberty June the 11. I was told by a godly Citizen and a cordiall friend to the Publike that some of the Independents have said they will have their way yet whatsoever it cost them In some of the weekly news-Books I have observed passages inserted of the great love and unity in the Army between the souldiers Presbytery and Independency making no breach and in the Perfect Occurrences of the Week calld the two and twentieth Week ending the 29. of May 1646. the Pamphleter tells us 't is very observable to consider the love and unity which is among the souldiers Now I asked about that time a Chaplaine of the Army a moderate Presbyterian whether it was so and how it came about he gave me this answer through the great forbearance of the Presbyterians who suffered them to have their wills and crossed them not took all patiently and said he if the Presbyterians should not have done so but stood upon things as the Independents it had been impossible but the Army had been broken in twenty peeces many a time before this for the Sectaries are of such a proud high spirit that if they had not had their wills there would have been no peace and indeed both in Armies Assembly City there hath been that forbearing yeelding on the Presbyterian party in reference to the publike that the Independents and Sectaries if they had been in their place would never have done though it had cost the totall losse of three Kingdomes I beleeve no age nor story can parallell all things considered the Love Patience long-suffering of the Presbyterians yea the passing by and putting up so many provocations and unsufferable abuses as they have done and that from a contemptible handfull of men in comparison but that 's our comfort That the patient expectation of the poore shall not be forgotten for ever and that God will save the afflicted people but will bring downe high looks I have been assured from divers good hands as Citizens and others that the greatest thing in the City Remonstrance that the Sectaries are offended at is that about places of publike trust they take that most hainously that Sectaries should not have places of honour profit and power which clearly shewes to all the world 't is not a bare Toleration of their consciences of enjoying their own personall Estates in the Land that they seek or which would content them but they look for Preferment Rewards power to have others under them so that 't is a Domination and to be in such a condition that others may seek to them to be Tolerated that they aime at a Toleration and liberty of conscience contents them not but a Liberty of Offices and a power of great places both in Military and civill affaires they stand for Master Burroughs in the yeare 1645. both preached and printed even in that Tractate where he pleades for a Toleration That the Magistrate may to men who differ from the State in greater Errors at least deprive them of the benefits and priviledges of the State notwithstanding their pleas of conscience and in evills of lesse moment put them to some trouble in those wayes of evill so farre as to take off the wantonesse of their spirits and the neglect of meanes some trouble may be layed in the way so that men shall see there is something to be suffered in that way and there is no reason why any should be offended at this yea Master Burroughs
plaine with you we are not nor shall not be so contented that you lie ready with open Armes to receive the King and to make him a great and a glorious King Have you shooke this Nation like an Earth-quake to produce no more then this for us We do expect according to reason that you should in the first place declare and set forth King Charles his wickednesse open before the world and withall to show the intolerable inconveniencies of having a Kingly Government from the constant evill practises of those of this Nation and so to declare King Charles an en 〈…〉 my and to publish your resolution never to have any more but to acquit us of so great a charge and trouble for ever and to convert the great rev 〈…〉 w of the Crowne to the publike treasure to make good the injuries and injustices done heretofore and of late by those that have possessed the same and that we expected long since at your hands and untill this be done we shall not thinke our selves well dealt withall in this originall of all oppressions to wit Kings The Just mans Justification page 10. I wish with all my soule the Parliament would seriously consider upon that Law Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed that so wilfull murtherers might not escape the hand of Justice but especially that they would thinke upon the grand murtherer of England for by this impartiall Law of God there is no exemption of Kings Princes Dukes Earles more then of fishermen c. The Arrow against all Tyrants page 11 12. Soveraignity challenged by the King is usurpation illegitimate and illegall c. The power of the King cannot be Legislative but only Executive So Overtons Defiance to the House of Lords Overtons Petition and Appeale to the High and mighty States the Knights and Burgesset in Parliament Assembled Englands Legall Soveraignâ— power The last warning to the Inhabitants of London with divers such like 3. The Sectaries have spoken written done much against the House of Peeres the supreme Judicature of this Kingdome that House which gives to the Parliaments of England the denomination of the High Court of Parliament as t is a Court of Record and having power of judiciall triall by oath c. of the greatest subjects of this Kingdome in the greatest matters as life estates liberty whose Tribunall and Power hath ever beene acknowledged and dreaded in this Kingdom in all times by the greatest Peeres and persons of the Land and when questioned by them have given all high respect and humble submission as we see that great Favorite the Earle of Strafford did yet this Supreme Court hath beene by word and deed so used by base unworthy sonnes of the earth as the 〈…〉 st Court in England or p 〈…〉 iest Constable never was till these times and certainly the ages to come who shall read the History of these times and the Books of the Sectaries written this last yeere against the House of Lords will wonder at our times and inquire what exemplary punishment was done upon them The facts of some Sectaries abetted and pleaded for also by other of their fellows have been these 1. Refusing upon the Summons Warrants of the House of Peeres to appeare before them and resisting to the utmost so that the Officers have been necessitated to drag them and bring them by force as Overton who in print is not ashamed to relate it 〈◊〉 When they have beene committed and under custody refusing to be brought by their Keepers to the House of Peeres upon command of the House to answer to their charge as Lilburne did keeping his chamber shut refusing to come forth and resisting to the utmost so that glad to carry him by power to the House of Lords which relation also Lilburne hath printed 3. In refusing to answer any questions put them by the House of Peeres 4. In refusing to kneele at the Barre in token of any submission to the House or to be uncovered 5. In appealing from and protesting against the House of Peeres and any power they have over them both by word of mouth and writing drawn up and thrown into the House 6. In stopping their eares in a contemptuous manner that they would not heare their charge read 7. In reproving sawcie taking up and reproaching the House of Peeres to their faces in the House 8. In Petitioning the House of Commons for justice against the House of Peeres and for reparations of dammages using many reproachfull words of that Right Honourable House even in their Petitions as is to be seene in Overtons John Lilburnes and Elizabeth Lilburnes Petitions 9. Threatning the House of Peeres what they will do against them if they maintaine their power and honour and what the house of Commons will do 10. Stirring up and inciting the common People also to fall upon them to pull them downe and overthrow that House The Speeches and writings of the Sectaries against the House of Peeres within this last sixe moneths or thereabouts ever since the commitment of Learner about The last warning to the inhabitants of London are fearfull and strange many Pamphlets having beene written in that time tending apparently to the totall overthrow of the House of Peeres and of having any Lords in this Kingdome denying them all Legislative and Judiciall Power and giving it all to the House of Commons or rather to that Beast of many heads the common People allowing the Commons only so much as they please and for so long making them their meer deputies and servants at will I shall give the Reader a few passages out of their Books and referre for further satisfaction to the Books themselves A Pamphlet entituled The Just man in Bonds writes thus pag. 1. The power of the House of Lords is like a shallow uneven water more in noyse then substance no naturall issues of Lawes but the extubâ—rances and mushromes of Prerogative the wens of Just Government putting the body of the people into pain as well as occasioning deformity Sons of conquest they are and usurpation not of choyce and election intruded upon us by power not constituted by consent not made by the people from whom all power place and office that is just in this Kingdome ought only to arise A Pamphlet call'd A Pearle in a Dung-hill pag. 3 4. speaks thus And why presume ye thus O ye Lords Set forth your merit before the people and say For this good it is that we will raigne over you Remember your selves or shall we remember ye Which of you before this Parliament minded any thing so much as your pleasures Playes Masques Feastings Gaming 's Dancings c. What good have you done since this Parliament and since the expulsion of the Popish Lords and Bishops where will you begin It was wont to be said when a thing was spoyl'd that the Bishops foot had been in it and if the Lords mend not it will be
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
the Inhabitants of London page 7. saith the Assembly are only to advise the House of Commons when they requiâ—r them and have not dealt fairely to side with the Scots or to sway with the City or to 〈…〉 ge the Parliament in the least Twelfthly the Sectaries have carried themselves wickedly and insolently toward the whole Ministry in this Kingdome and that both in City and Country reproaching them and 〈◊〉 against them in Pulpits Presses and in all places threatning them to send them packing to Rome that they will leave never a Preist in England distuâ—bing them in their owne Churches and Pulpits in giving them the lie calling them by disgracefull names as foole knave false Prophet Antichrist Frog in the Revelation pulling them out of the Pulpits keeping them by force from preaching invading their Pulpits against their wills drawing swords against them assaulting them in their houses with weapons of war and driving them from their habitations and laying their Churches wast A large book would not containe all the stories of the Sectaries misusing the godly Ministers in this kind I have many instances with the proofes by me of the Sectaries insolent carriages in these kinds in Oxfordshire Glostershire Summersetshire Wiltshire Bedfordshire Northamptonshire Warwickeshire Lestershire Devonshire it would be too much to particularize all the wicked facts done in this kind by Col. Heuson Major Axton Leiut Webb Capt. Paul Hobson and divers others as also to repeat all the wicked reproachfull names given the godly Ministers of the Kingdom in the printed pamphlets of the Sectaries as the Devils Agents The professed â—nemies of Christ The sworne enemies of Christ Persecuting Presbyters Croaking Frâ—gs and twenty such names and worse Thirteenthly the Sectaries have spoken wickedly against all the Reformed Churches scoffing at their Synods Classes Ordination c. Let their books be looked into and they will be found to have written more scoffingly and reproachfully aganst those Churches then ever the Papists or Prelates did yea they have blasphemed those Churches the eminent servants of God among them and the truth of Christ taught in them What should I speak of the Arraignment of Persecution and his fellowes belching out blasphemies against the reformed Churches many other pamphlets besides that sort are extremely faulty as The compassionate S 〈…〉 riâ—â—ne Divine Light c. The Reformed Churches are ranged by some of the Sectaries with Papists and Turks and Calvin that worthy Instrument of Reformation and one of the Stars of the first magnitude is evill spoken of and â—ancked with the Romanists Fourteenthly The Sectaries have inveighed against inferior Magistrates Courts as Judges Justices of peace Majors of Cities Committees and all sorts of Officers of Justice and have offered severall affronts unto these and t is no wonder that they who with so high a hand dare affront heaven and earth God his truth Ministers and Ordinances the higher powers and the supremest Court of Judicature as I have showed the Sectaries have done should not be afraid of speaking against and carrying themselves uncivilly towards Magistrates in lower places The Courts of Justice in Westminster Hall and all their proceedings have been reviled by Lilburne and other Sectarian pamphlets All the Lawyers have beene cryed downe and reproached in Englands Birth-right and other pamphlets some of the Judges have beene affronted in their Circuits at the last Assizes by some Sectaries as at Hartford and other places Some Justices of Peace for executing Ordinances of Parliament upon Sectaries as that of Tyths and Committing upon blasphemies have beene arrested and sued by Sectaries as on Southwark â—ide as also abused and reproached to their faces and books written against them for discharge of their office besides Constables and Officers who have distrained and served their Warrants have beene molested and sued Majors of Cities Sheriffs Aldermen have beene branded for arbitrary tyrannicall prerogative Aldermen Sheriffs and miscalled at pleasure as in Lilburnes late pamphlets The Lord Majors farewell to his Maioralty Committees in the Countries have beene affronted by Sectaries putting on their hats when brought before them as in Bedfordshire and in one word all sorts of officers of Justice have one way or other by word or deed beene abused by Sectaries either by disobeying the Warrants they have brought or by miscalling them or by branding them in print as Lilburn hath done in severall pamphlets severall officers the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Commons the Keepers of Newgate he being more insolent and clomineering in prison over all kind of officers then his Keepers over him but above all the Sectaries insolencies towards that faithfull Gentleman Colonel Francis West and other officers under him appears by Lilburnes late libellous pamphlets and by the threatning speeches of some Sectaries comming to see Lilburn in the Tower who being by the Warders spoken unto to give their names and where they dwelt told them they should answer the prohibiting of them from going to Leiutenant Colonel Lilburne and that the time was at hand when they would come in whether the Leiutenant of the Tower would or no. And thus I have given a touch upon severall heads of the Sectaries tumultuous insolent unsufferable carriages but among all their wickednesses and abomiuable courses which may make them justly abhorred of all good men and of these Kingdomes the Reader may observe these following 1. That they make it their work and businesse to corrupt destroy and overthrow all Religion and godlinesse to lay all wast and to set open a wide gate to all error and licentiousnesse of living for the effecting of which they doe not only use all means and wayes for a Universall Toleration of all Heresies Blasphemies Atheisme which may happen to arise that there being such they may be tolerated go unpunished which Toleration alone would cause growth of Heresies fast enough and the ruine of Religion and godlinesse but they plot all wayes and take all courses under heaven that all Heresies and Errors may grow and increase that there may be both abundance of Errors and persons holding them and therefore they use all their power and interest to hinder all things which might prevent the growth of Heresies aâ—d Errors as the settling of Church-government and peace in Church and Common-wealth as the bringing in of Orthodox godly zealous Ministers into places with the establishing of maintenance upon them as the publishing of such Books as might keep men from Errors having suppressed some Books so which have come from New-England as a Tractate against Toleration c. And on the contrary doe any thing though never so unreasonable though never so much against their owne principles though never so wicked and abominable so it will but advance Errors hence they suffer many Emissaries to go from Country to Country from place to place to broach and vent among people all kinds of Errors and that by force of Arms against the will of the Ministers and people
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
Articles put in against him and be so violently prosecuted And if the Sectaries dare do thus whilst they are a labouring for a Toleration as they say before they know whether they shall prevaile and have the upper hand when t is evident the House of Peeres the Kingdom of Scotland the City of London the Ministery of the Kingdome and the body of the people are against them yea and whatever they vapor the greater part of the House of Commons too what will they do if ever they should get their way established by a law and come to have all the strength of the Kingdome in their hands what will they doe when they are masters of the Presbyterians that thus persecute them whilst they are Probationers Qâ—id facient Domini aâ—dent cum taliâ— fures and therefore by these beginnings of Persecution these Kingdomes of England and Scotland may judge what to trust to and look to finde if ever these men come to have power in their hands they will be as bad as the Circumcelliones among the Donatists as those Anabaptists to the Citizens of Munster they will be desperate persecutors of the faithfull Ministers of Christ thinking they shall doe God good service in killing them The Lords may know what to trust to if ever the Sectaries prevaile The Scots had best look to it also they will finde them worse neighbours a hundred times then ever the Bishops were all the reformed Churches had need contribute their help against them for if they prevaile they will all suffer and be much disturbed in their place The Assembly of Divines shall feele their liberty of conscience The City of London and Citizens shall be reckoned with and paid for their Petitions and late Remonstrance The House of Commons also may assure themselves they shall feele their power when they are grown strong enough as is evident by many threatning passages in Pamphlets of the Sectaries especially those Members of the House who are not theirs but have vigorously appeared against them they will pull them out by the head and ears and kick them out of the House Certainly the House of Commons so great and understanding a body notwithstanding many flattering Petitions of late to them crying them up in late Pamphlets above the House of Peers and protesting deeply to be at their service and command against all the world cannot be so weak as to beleeve them and to think if the Sectaries get power into their hands and overthrow the House of Peers Ministers City that they shall escape and not follow after they have written spoken done as much against them as the House of Peers Ministers Citie and no question will again as they see their advantage or are discontented or upon some new light that they were not chosen by all the free-men of England but only by the Prerogative men the Freeholders No man knowes where these Sectaries will stop or stay or to what Principles they will keep and is there any safety then in adhering to such a party and caring to please them who are off and on T is evident even in those Books made against the House of Peers and in which the Commons and their Power are so cried up that many things are laid down destructive to that House and in the midst of flattering the House of Commons they brand them with in justice medling with what they have nothing to do with as matters of Religion As the fit takes them they now will cry crucifie them crucifie them but what may they expect from that party if once all the Militia and strength should be in their hands To conclude this Corallary I say God keep me and all true Presbyterians from that liberty of conscience the Sectaries would give us if we lay at their mercy and liberty of conscience were theirs to give 9. Corall Hence then from what I have laid downe of the Sectaries as in a Mirrour and Christall Glasse we may with open face behold the true bottome cause of all our evils and mischeifs both in Church and State the maine reason of the obstructions of all good things why Religion and Church Government not yet settled why Ireland not releived peace not attained and the great ground of all the miseries upon us why such jealosies and differences have beene betweene England and Scotland such discontents taken at London why the Assembly and godly Ministers of the Kingdome slighted many well-affected Counties offended Petitions not regarded the well-affected discouraged many great greivances not remedied many Delinquents protected and not call'd to an account strange Articles given to some in Armes at some places contrary to Ordinances of Parliament illegall elections of Members of the House of Commons taking place so many scandalous pamphlets against Monarchie the House of Peers and House of Commons sold openly such high insolencies committed against the House of Peers as never were in any age with many more namely that great love and favour of Sectarisme and Errors in too many persons of our times This is the spring that feeds all our evils the primum mobile or great wheele that turns all the rest about Hence t is no matter though Ireland be lost England and Scotland embroyled Parliament and London at a distance the godly Ministers hearts lost the Kingdome offended Armies and great Taxes continued c. rather then any thing be done against Sectaries Sectaries must not be dis-eased or displeased what ever come of it they must be nourished and increase Erastian principles must be maintained and cried up prophanesse let alone open wicked men joyned with and all to further Sectarisme and Liberty of Conscience so called Whosoever knowes and hath observed the present affairs and state of things cannot but see the truth of what I now say and I challenge any man to instance in any one thing at least for these last twelve months wherein so many evils have been and are upon us but I will rationally resolve into that and though other pretences have been held out as sometimes priviledges sometimes the liberty and safety of the subject sometimes godlinesse sometimes unseasonablesse an unfit time c. many things folded together and indeed the love of Sectarisme sometimes so wrapt up in them that not discerned by all as in all ages men have not wanted pretences yet â—is apparent to all wise men that this is the very cause Is it not evident whatever hath been pretended the true cause of all the jealosies differences and faults found with the Sâ—ots to bee a great love and care of Sectaries whom we know the Scots so hate and therefore have done it out of revenge Is it not evident the true and only reason of the Cities being so slighted reviled such a change of carriage towards them to arise from their appearing against the Sects and Errors of the times and striking in with the Ministers to joyne for a thorough Presbyteriall Government have not all the
skins over the Wolves yeeres come out from them and instead of siding any longer with them turne to the Ortho â—ox godly party to help the Lord against them as also such Presbyterians who know the Sectaries well should from all this be stirr'd up to shake off their dulnesse lazinesse and become active vigilant diligent naturally caring for the state of things contending and striving earnestly for the truth of God against the Sectaries of these times and now in the conclusion of this Third Part I will hint a few things both to those who have beene deceived by the Sectaries and to the Presbyterians who well know them To the first sort consider have you not beene too long cheated and carried along with faire pretences almost to the utter ruine of Religion and the Kingdome have you not and doe you not see in many affaires one thing pretended and another intended doe you not see evidently that their godlinesse is gaine and great places that their zeale for preaching and spreading the Gospell is to have all Errors and Heresies of a suddaine spread over the Kingdome and so in other things and will you still suffer your selves to be deceived by them there are some who were courted and complemented with and doe confesse they were deceived by them and have left them doe you so likewise and deliver your selves and the Kingdome thereby out of this Babell Secondly consider you had as good leave them at first as at last for either you must resolve to go thorough with them in all their designes and to the highest which I suppose midling well meaning men intend not but abhor to think of or else if not then when they have by your help effected and brought about their ends they will cast you off and you shall be served with the same sauce as the zealous Presbyterians thus the Prelats served divers whom they made use of and would not go on with them in every thing and so will the Sectaries serve many well-meaning men who know not the depths of Satan therefore 't is better for you to leave them then that they being made strong by your meanes should in the end ruine and destroy you and let such moderate well-meaning men know that if they will still adhere to that party after all these discoveries of them God will look upon them as partakers of all their sinnes will destroy them with the Sectaries and they are like to perish in the gain-saying of Core and therefore I bespeak them in the words of Moses Numb 16. 26. Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked men touch nothing of theirs least yee be consumed in all their sinnes feare suspect every motion that comes from that party though it seeme never so good though propounded by others not of their way and if it be not a thing exceeding cleare and certaine to thee take heed of closing in with it rather suspend and advise upon it for these Sectaries often act by other men get good men who see not their depths to promote their cause hiding alwayes the hook of their designes under the bait of priviledge liberty safety godlinesse all which are not regarded by them but the doing of their work the increase of Sectarisme and Error For the other sort the Presbyterians consider what a shame 't is that a handfull of men in comparison should by their activity diligence minding their work bring things to that passe they are in our Armies Councels City Country and the Presbyterians of both Kingdomes ten times as many â—it still as it were and suffer them Oh if so few have done so much and that in a bad cause what might not we doe in a good cause if courageous zealous and intent upon it certainly we might in a short time break the hearts and the neck of that faction and in speciall if the City of London and the Government of it would appeare as they might and when they have begun follow and prosecute it in beginning to put the Lawes in execution against those who come not to Church in punishing those Sectaries who live under their jurisdiction and government for abusing them in print in taking care that no Sectarie have any office or place of government in the City in petitioning the Parliament againe and againe they might by the blessing of God quickly remedy all If I should but mind the City of the solemne Covenant they have taken to endeavour in their places the extirpation of Heresie and Sâ—hisme of what the Kingdome all good and honest men expect from them in this kind of all the affronts and injuries they have suffered from that party and by meanes of that party and of all they shall surely suffer from that party if they prevaile be trampled upon and made slaveâ— used as the poore Citizens of Munster were by the Anabaptists these and many such other would make them take heart arise and be doing but I shall conclude all with turning my selfe to Christ and that in the words of Veâ—elius in alike case against the Arminians of Holland Arise O Lord Jesus have mercy upon these Kingdomes vindicate thy owne glory To thee who with the Father and the holy Spirit art that one and only true God be honor glory and praise for ever Amen Postscript GOod Reader I conceive before this time thou hast expected my larger and fuller Reply to Cretensis promised in the Second Part of Gangraena as also some Answers from me to severall Pamphlets put out against some Parts and peeces of my Gangraenaes as to Master Burrowes Vindication Gangraena playes Rex Lancesters-Laâ—ce Gangraena-chrestum A Discovery of a Beame in Master Edwards his eye A Prediction of Master Edwards conversion A Parable or Consultation of Physitians upon Master Edwards Some passages of Sâ—â—tmarsh against me printed in a Pamphlet against Master Gataker Master Ley and some others Now of all these or most of these I shall give so good an account and reason at this time as I question not will very well satisfie the Reader For my fuller Reply unto Cretensis some part whereof was printed before the Second Part of Gangraena came forth I proceeded no further upon these Reasons Many judicious and learned friends told me I had given such a satisfactory Answer already to Cretensis that they thought the Second needlesse and desired me rather to set forth some other Tractates as also upon the coming out of my Second Part of Gangraena I was assured from some who at the presse and from the presse had seen divers sheets and read some part that an Answer of Cretensis to my Antapologie was printing and would come abroad â—re long whereupon I thought best to deale with Master Goodwin once for all to take that in make it all one work and not to trouble my self any more with him till the man should come to write matter and Reason and not only words and meer flourishes Now before his