Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	john_n	thomas_n	william_n	31,890	5	9.1985	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95897	The schismatick sifted. Or, The picture of Independents, freshly and fairly washt-over again. Wherein, the sectaries of these times (I mean, the principall seducers to that dangerous and subtile schisme of Independency) are with their own proper pensils, and self-mixed colours, most lively set forth to be a generation of notorious dissemblers and sly deceivers. Collected (for the most part) from undeniable testimonies under their own hands, in print; for the more fair and full satisfaction, and undeceiving of moderate and much misled Christians; especially by the outward appearance of their piety of life, and a pretence of their preaching sound-doctrine. / By John Vicars.	Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing V326; Thomason E341_8; ESTC R200902	40,154	51

Doctrine and Integrity of Life and Conversation as they themselves and their Schismaticall Scycophants do most frothily and falsly brag and boast them to be And although I doe as I must make account herein to passe through bad report as well as good report for this my Pains yet so I may bring any honour to God and his most precious Truth and adde though but a mite of Zeale toward the just vindication which I have in some measure in this Treatise endevoured of my reverend good Friend because Truths fast Friend I mean learned and religious Mr. Edwards in his Christian faithfulnesse and godly fervour especially in his learned and elaborate Antapologie That invincible weapon which hath given our Independent Sectaries such an incurable wound as they will never be able to claw off or heal up against these Truths most crafty and calumniating Adversaries yet notwithstanding I say I passe or care not having I praise my God that Murum aheneum the testimony of a good conscience within me for all the false and flashy slanders that Any or All of them can strugle to asperse and spatter mee with However beseeching the Lord that this my poore and honest labour may produce so much good as either to open the eyes of some pious and plain-hearted Seduced-ones as many such I am verily perswaded are among them who heartily desire to know and love the Truth if it be the Lords good pleasure or at last to stablish and confirme the hearts of those that already really and cordially love the Truth and Peace and heartily hate Schisme and disorderly Confusion I rest Thine to serve thee in the Lord Jesus JOHN VICARS The Names of the five pious Apologists principally mentioned in this Treatise Master Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sidrach Simpson The Names of the seven religious Remonstrants mainly also mentioned in this Work Master William Greenhill Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sydrach Simpson William Carter Together with divers other Heads of the Independent Faction THE SCHISMATICK SIFTED HAving not long since dilucidated and plainly painted forth to the sight of All in my Picture of Independency the Basis or Ground of that as unhappy as unholy-Schisme of Independency to be Spirituall-Pride Self-Seeking and most grosse Ingratitude to God and Man And having of late and long time indeed had many sad and serious thoughts What should be the reason of the so constant and great growth of all-Sorts of Sectaries among us which as the Superstructure on that triple-foundation have according to our old Proverb too true at this time Ill weeds grow apace mightily increased and grown marvellous rife and ranke in the Garden of God for want of serious and seasonable Weeding to the great endangering choking and stifling of the holy and wholsome Herbs and Flowers of Unity true Peace and Piety At last I found by sad and bad experience that beside the great want of care and sedulity in the Gardiners and Guardians under God of his Garden the Church faithfully and effectually to weed and dresse it I mean through the strange impunity and intolerable Toleration of Sectaries and Schismaticks so out-facingly to flourish and sprout out among us beside this I say Satan that old Serpentine-seducer had made use of an old sly Stratagem of his herein to wit That those pernicious weeds should grow-up and shoot-forth exceeding like unto most sweet and fragrant Flowers and wholsome Herbs whereas indeed upon proof and experience being used and smelt unto they were nothing so but contrariwise exceeding bitter bad poysonous and unwholsome But to speak Plain-English for since They so crave and cry-out for Liberty of Conscience to do what they list unjustly I hope it is much-more lawfull for mee to desire Liberty or Freedome of speech to speak nothing but truth plainly and honestly and to leave allegoricall expressions and if it be lawfull in these doubling days to call a Spade a Spade which I am resolved to do yet with all possible Christian moderation and godly temper that may be considering the subject I write of I find I say that the two mayn Stratagems which Sathan useth at this time to cheat deceive the world yea even many of the truly godly-Party indeed and to cause all sorts of Schismes and Errours thus to increase and multiply among us I mean especially that most sly and subtile and therefore the most dangerous Schisme of Independency The two mayn Stratagems I say for the more uncontroulable propagation hereof are first a popular appearance and outward habit of Holinesse if there be any more I beseech them to let us see it by integer practice of Life and conversation for come and talk with any of our moderate if not neutrall or tender-conscienced even Presbyterians who many of them stand as it were on tip-toe wavering which way to stand or fall and ask them how it comes to passe and possibly can be that seeing these Independents Anabaptists c. broach and preach and practise such dangerous opinions and unwarranted Church-ways as they call them to the great distraction and disturbance of the godly Peace and tranquility both of Church and State when we have given them cleer Demonstrations from the fountain of Truth it self that their ways and opinions are not according to Christ and Scripture-Grounds yet still there answer is O I dare not but think and speak well of them and hold them to be good Christians because they walk so holtly and religiously And also say they in the second place because they preach and teach as sound Doctrines as any of our Presbyterian-Ministers And thus I say upon these two hinges turns the door of Independents growing hopes of impunity and a continued good opinion even I say among our own Presbyterian Party whereby doubtlesse they are greatly mistaken in them and I feare grosly gulled by them and so wrong the Truth in countenancing and encouraging her Enemies and retarding the work of Reformation For a briefe answer to both which though I intend not to enter into a Polemicall Dispute of these things which I know would prove as endlesse as fruitlesse especially with them who are familiarly known to love to live Salamander-like in the fire of hot and heady Disputes yet I trust by Gods gracious assistance to give the godly judicious and impartiall Readers such pregnant proofs and Demonstrative and reall testimonies and that briefly too of the exceedingly to be feared falsity and great mistake of both these in our Independents and their Brother-Sectaries that they must in conscience certainly confesse the invalidity and weaknesse of their opinions and assertions of them and see and say that they are surely mistaken in them and palpably deceived by them To begin then with the last of these first Whereas it is pretended by some of our own that they dare not but speak and think well of Independents because

Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers Murtherers and Idolaters Now then I say if our Independents be found and that by testimonies under their own hands to be such as speak not the Truth from their hearts and when they have promised and covenanted break their promise and violate their Covenant witnessed I say by their owne hands against themselves yea and that when as it could be no prejudice to their livelihood or estates save only perhaps to their ungodly private ends And such as do That to others which they would not be content should be done to themselves Then can any truly-gracious or impartiall Good-man choose but at least greatly feare that they are not so holy-Saints godly men as they should be or as the World too vulgarly and easily takes them to be Truly me thinks they cannot Thus then now to come to the try all hereof And here I will by way of preamble tell the Reader one pretty passage not altogether impertinent to our present purpose touching Master Peters my-self which briefly was this I being occasionally about-half-ayeer since at Westminster-hall was there encountred by Master Peters that most Pragmaticall Quicquid in Buccam c. of whom I will only say this by the way That Whosoever loves to laugh at a Sermon which is Satans Musick let him go heare Master Peters preach This Gentleman seeing me singly walking in the Hall and being my old acquaintance came unto me together with his Independent Brother Master Bachiler who heard our conference all the while which was this O Master Vicars says Master Peters certainly a great deal of repentance must needs lye upon your soule Why Master Peters said I what 's the matter what have I done O sayes he in sadding and grieving the hearts of Gods Saints as you have done in your Book which you call the Picture of Independency Why Sir said I pray tell me what 's amiss in it Truly Master Vicars says hee 't is naught all over just like my self he might have added Naught all over Is it naught all over Master Peters said I then I hope you have read it all over and if so then I beseech you said I since you know Dolosus versatur in generalibus The Deceiver loves to deale in Generals shew so much candor and ingenuity toward me as to tell me one particular passage therein which you can make evident to be false or naught and I assure you said I I will yeeld you all the rest to be naught without any farther controversie whereunto here was all his reply Alas Master Vicars 't is naught all over naught all over which words he uttering in his old quick blustering manner instantly ran away swiftly from me All which his brother Bachiler can testifie if he will speake the truth to be most true who stood by and heard and saw all I have related from the first to the last And was not here thinke you a brave Independent Champion fit to finde fault with other mens Works and then run away when he should give account of his slanderous words But now to come to some more serious and sollid matter and fully to make good and confirme what I have promised and affirmed in the Frontispice of this Treatise namely That Independents I meane very many of the best and bravest of them are a Generation of notorious Dissemblers and sly Deceivers Most sorry I am the Lord knows that I can so truly indeed too truly say and assure these things against them but in regard of their so elated and selfe-flated conceit of themselves and others too-too high opinions of them and also the great injurie which Gods Cause receives thereby many ways Therefore for Sions sake I cannot hold my peace for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousnes thereof and the unquestionable innocency integrity of her Presbyterians go forth as Brightnesse And for this end to add my poor Mite of Zeal what in me is to help to vindicate Gods abused Churches honour against these her close and subtile enemies who have made their great and gross untruths as so many Satanicall stratagems and staulking horses to abuse and disgrace even the godliest partie of the most innocent Presbyterians by thus suggesting and protesting their palpable untruths to the more moderate indifferent and too credulous Presbyterians among us whereas themselves the Lord knows are the main if not onely offensive and destructiue-partie and all this onely to uphold for ought that can to this day be discerned to the contrary maintain and enlarge their too apparent spirituall-pride and selfe-aymes and ends which I conceive to be most vile and ungodly in them And because Master John Goodwin in his late supercilious and unsavorie Treatise Entituled Cretensis pag. 5. sayes That Master Edwards in his Sectarystinging Gangraena judges so and so onely of some few at least as hee would have it of those that are the Retrimentitious-Party or dregs of the Independents and other Sectaries to use his own words and expression as if sayes he a man should judge of Cheap-side by the dirtie-channel that runs in the midst of it I therefore here omitting purposely the most notorious jugling of M. J. G. himself most properly fitly termed Cretensis that is to say a lyer both by himself and by reverend M. Edwards in his second part of his excellent Gangraena and pretermitting also the most unworthy double-dealing of those two Grandees of the Independents Master Burroughs and Master Greenhill and these are none sure of Master Goodwins retrimentitious partie in their unfaithfull dealing with Master Edwards as hee hath most fully manifested to the world against all these three in his said second part of the Gangraena pag. 86 87 88 c. to omit these I say as being so fully set forth as aforesaid I will here in the first place shew to the godly and impartiall Reader diverse notable passages of some of the most eminent and highest prized Independents even of the five famous Apologists most cleerely setting forth and that under their own hands their most unfaithfull and deceitfull dealings with God and the world and with their Presbyterian-Brethren Which I have extracted and briefly culled-out from their so mightily magnified and broadly bosted of Apologeticall Narration attested and avouched under their own hands of purpose as they certainly conceived and wee have justly deemed to paint out their own Piety and unspotted Integrity to the World Whereas contrariwise they have thereby even with their own pensils blazoned abroad their own shame and most unfaithfull double-dealing First then I will begin with that poor delusive trick of theirs of their pretended falsely so called Exile or Banishment out of England which they themselves set forth In prima fronte libelli in the very front and face of their Apologie to make the world take notice of that first and fair piece of their Martyrdome and to believe what rare

touched before for daring to wrest the sense of the Covenants Orders or Edicts of our wise and honourable Parliamentarie Senators to their own private and most pernicious aymes and ends O tempora O mores If ever certainly now is that of the Prophet Jeremiah most truly and clearly fulfilled and too manifest in these our Independents Take ye heed everyone of his neighbour and trust yee not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbour will walk with slanders And for a most particular ratification of this Scripture I shall here give the Reader a cleere example in an eminent Independent Past●r now and long resident in this City and well known to almost all in the City viz. Doctor Homes who succeeded reverend and religious Master Faucet who being a sickly Gentleman and finding hee could not have his health well in the City contracted with Doctor Homes about exchange of their livings the one for the City the other for the Country in case of consent of the Inhabitants of each place Master Faucets Parishioners out of their good respect and love to him and for his desired accommodation consented thereunto and the rather also as knowing the Doctor to be a man of able parts and perswaded he would live lovingly and deale honestly and conscienciously with them as a godly and faithfull Pastor ought with his own people After which consent the Doctor procured a presentation from the then Lord Keeper to the Bishop and the next thing to be done was to have an induction from the Bishop but there the Doctor made a stand and desired conference with the parishioners about it to whom he declared the tendernes of his cōscience and that he could not digest such an Induction he holding it Antichristian and yet without which he could not have the living as the case then stood Whereupon the Parishioners having very good thoughts of the Doctor in those dayes and hoping for much good by his Ministry amongst them were all of them willing to accept of him for their Pastor though he was not as the manner then was legally possest of the living provided that the Doctor should enter into bond to save the parish harmelesse from the next Incumbent for delapidations or any thing else that might befall them in that respect of the living he not being proper Incumbent To this the Doctor consented seald the Parish a Bond for the purposes aforesaid and so the Parishioners thought all was well between them and thus it continued some few moneths the Doctor constantly preaching and officiating in his Ministry amongst them But now at last the Doctor began to flag and to be discontented and would neither preach nor doe ought else among his people as their Minister or but very seldom and discontentedly and told the parishioners hee was troubled in minde and bound in his Spirit and could not goe on comfortably with them and desired therefore a conference with them All together whereupon a meeting there was and he then declared to them that he was much troubled in minde by reason of his engagement and that it was a grèat hinderance to his studies and to his other contentments and that he could not goe on in preaching to them till his engagement was taken off from him making this a great Argument therein namely that he had a wife and that if God should take him away from her his wife would then beliable to make good what he was bound to but that she was utterly unfit to deal in businesses of such a nature and therefore I say he desired he might have in his bond again or else he could not goe on comfortably in his Ministry And that if they would thus far favour and respect him they should see how highly he should value their love therein and how he would studie and strive to deserve it of them bidding them trust him upon his word and promise which accordingly they most freely and lovingly did and gave him in the bond presently and ever since that they have paid soundly for it for very shortly after hee began boldly to play reexs to stand upon termes on tiptoe as it were with his Parishioners gathered an Independent congregation excluding all his foresaid loving Parishioners from Christian Communion in their own Parish Church except they would enter into a Covenant with him to walke according to his rule which they not willing to yeeld unto he having got the keyes of the Church from their clerke keeps all the Parishioners out and will not administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to any of them not baptize any of their children nor doe any act of a Minister or Pastor to his people save what he would doe to a very Turke or Pagan unlesse they will dance after his Independent pipe And thus now the Parishioners wander as sheepe without a sheepherd glad to run into others pastures and this they have gotten by trusting to a grave Independents bare promise And are not now the Prophets words before recited here too truly verified and confirmed The truth of all which though not extant in print under the Doctors own hands as for shame is not like to be yet I am able to justifie by the testimonie of divers of the honest able religious and understanding parishioners or Inhabitants of that place to full satisfaction Again who ever looks upon that peece of Changeable taffatie for I confesse t is finely spun as so are all his and yet interwoven with sablesilke that is much black-slander and jettie-jeers I mean Mr. John Goodwins twelve serious considerable Cautions about Reformation together with his soft and smooth Probationer thereof his Independent brother Master John Bachiler O what prettie tinkling and tampering shall he there finde to abuse and blind-fold the understanding of their most willingly deceived and abused Independent Proselytes between the Licenser and the Licentious Author both upon the serious perusall of the crafty Cautions themselves and the Licensers slie protestations there that he sees nothing therein contrary to sound Doctrine and good manners And thus in effect hee also deals by his full approbation of my late friend Mr. Saltmarsh his most foggie and suffocating or choking Smoake of the Temple Touching which I think learned grave and godly Mr. Ley a reverend Divine of the Assembly hath sufficiently shewn him his grosse failings and weaknesses to say no more And also his Grones for liberty out of Smectymnius in neither of which also can Mr. Bachiler see any thing contrary to sound Doctrine nor good manners though they bee full fraught especially the Grones for Libertie with very false falacious and grossely misapplyed parallels and unsavorie comparisons between the cases or conditions and times of the dommeering Prelates ouer the truly tender consciences of the then truly godly Nonconfommists and our now pious Presbyterians in their gracious and most moderate desire of unity and uniformity in sound Doctrine and Scripturall

Scripture Revelation of some rare Truth of God not formerly known but a meere conceit yea a plain deceit ô then presently I say our Independents call and count us as my selfe heard Master Burroughs deliver such an expression in one of his Lectures at Michaels in Corn-hill Carnall and prophane Presbyterians Grievers and despisers of the Saints and Godly party forsooth and contemners of the gifts of the Spirit whereas indeed there is no such thing in them but they most palpable and impudent impostors And thus the Lord knows they goe about deceiving and being deceived and truly Hinc illae lachrima Heer 's the source the rice and originall of all these unhappie and unholy jars and divisions between us They are so nimble and quick-sighted in apprehension of New-Lights and we are so dull and obtuse if they will have it so and hard of belief to be led or rather misled by them as not being able to discerne so much out of Gods Word Till when we shall ever question and quarrell at this novell and vain device of theirs But again our Independents have one trick more at least to put us Object 2 finely off from our just objurgations with them and accusations of them concerning their most dangerous and damnable errours now adayes broacht by them and brag'd of among them viz. That wee are too uncharitable in thus upbraiding the Saints with their infirmities forsooth yea and as I touch'd before in laying the failings and slips of onely the Retrimentitious Partie as Master Iohn Goodwin terms them as before that is in plain English the excrements or dregs of Sectaries Independents Anabaptists and such like Where first Answer 2 take notice good Reader by way of reply hereunto in generall that Master Iohn Goodwin confesses there is a Retrimentitious or Excrementall-Partie among his Saints Secondly That he calls and counts their dangerous damnable and blasphemous Errours with the rest of their foul impieties but sins of infirmity But more particularly to the first I briefly answer That as I have sufficiently made it clear all along in this Treatise they are not onely the Retrimentitious-Partie of their Independent Saints that deale thus dangerously and deceitfully with us but the very best and bravest yea seemingly gravest Grandees of them all Secondly Is not Master Iohn Goodwin or any of the rest of them ashamed to call such abusive and abominable Errours and such foul and frequent facts of impiety as they are too justly taxed with and found guilty of Sins onely of infirmity Can he or they make us beleeve that they know not how to distinguish between Sins of weaknesse or infirmity and Reigning-sins Church-disgracing and conscience-wounding abominations For my part I conceive under correction sins of infirmity are such as are committed either ignorantly or if knowingly yet fearfully and with much reluctation of spirit seldom and that with much vehement repentance and godly sorrow after conviction with purpose and bent of heart by Gods grace to be more watch full against them for the future and such like As for Reigning-sins I conceive them to be sins committed or acted knowingly affectedly promeditately resolutely constantly or frequently and familiarly against all evidences of conviction or exhortation against them yea and so far from repentance for them as to justifie them and rejoyce and boast in them together with such like other sad symptomes thereof Now whether very many of our profest Independents embrace or act their dangerous Errours lying double dealing and the like as aforesaid in the former or in the latter capacity or condition as sins of weaknesse or of wilfulnesse and affected obstinacy I leave themselves to judge and faithfully to examine their own hearts and consciences for to their own Master they stand or fall And to all others also who impartially observe and take notice of their carriage and conversation especially upon serious consideration of those Characters of a true Saint which I have faithfully fore-mentioned to them all that I will for my part say herein is to tell you my strong fears that in regard of the premises I cannot but greatly suspect and doubt in the latter capacity I say very many of them so proud so pragmaticall so insolent and obstinate are they in a most ungrounded defence of their evils and errours And on these grounds I must confesse I cannot judge more tenderly of them And again I say in yet more full answer to this Objection How dare any of them call or account any the seeming least of their Errours small-sins or no-sins being against the eternall truth of our most pure Object 3 and holy God And whereas in the last place they cry out against us and tax us not onely of want of charity but asperse us with plain impiety for urging against them and accusing them openly or inprint of their foul offences and openly taught and maintained dangerous Errours Schismes and Enormities and of their damnable Doctrines and Opinions I say and will avouch and maintain it That our work and way herein is both holy honest and warrantable from the word it self And particularly from that of the Apostle Paul Who Answ 3 himselfe tels us that When Peter who at that time seemed a Pillar of Gods house the Church did that which was worthy of blame and that openly to the prejudice and so and all of Gods people and Cause This blessed Apostle I say tels us That he withstood Peter and rebuked him even to his face for his dissimulation and for being a means thereby to ensnare Barnabas also into the same foule fault with him Even the very same whereof I now here complain in our Independents and their Schismaticall brethren namely Dissimulation or Double-dealing Yea and as the same blessed wise and holy Apostle said They are most worthy to be even most sharply rebuked and also openly in regard they have offended and dissembled so openly even in print therefore are I say to be reproved in paint whereas indeed had they offended but in private God forbid but we should tenderly have dealt in private with them And this indeed hath been a main ground of the quarrell between reverend Master Edwards and his Independent Antagonists who have most injuriously abused him with slanders onely or mainly for his zealous opposing and sharpe reproving the open Errours Schismes and scandalous miscarriages of these men who can be content to dishonour God and his Truth but cannot endure to be taxt and told of it though the Apostle tels them they are worthy to be blamed for it and therefore in this respect though according to that old Axiome Amicus Socrates amicus Plato magic tamen amica veritas though such an one is my friend and such an one is my old acquaintance and friend yet by Gods grace Truth is and shall be my best friend yea and I say as my blessed Lord and Master Christ Jesus said To this end was