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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90227	The araignement of Mr. Persecution: presented to the consideration of the House of Commons, and to all the common people of England wherein he is indicted, araigned, convicted, and condemned of enmity against God, and all goodnesse, of treasons, rebellion, bloodshed, &c. and sent to the place of execution. In the prosecution whereof, the Jesuiticall designes, and secret encroachments of his defendants, Sir Symon Synod, and the John of all Sir Johns, Sir Jonh Presbiter, upon the liberty of the subject id detected, and laid open, / by yongue Martin Mar-Preist, son to old Martin the Metrapolitane. This is licensed, and printed according to holy order, but not entered into the Stationers monopole.	Overton, Richard, fl. 1646.; Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?,	1645 (1645)	Wing O620; Thomason E276_23; ESTC R209849	47,185	54

found to be PERSECUTION a sad event there is no way now but Bedlam for our Doctours it may chance to chastize them into their wits againe and then upon their second thoughts it may be they 'l bethinke themselves to put a Blew Bonnet upon 't and then 't will passe from England to Scotland and from Scotland to England againe without Question or controule Indge Sir Symon Weblesse God that hath put it into the hearts of those honest godly people though publikely despised and hated those faithfull friends and lovers of the Parliament and Kingdome whome you nicke-name Anabaptists Brownists Independants c. to discover and detect unto us the Iesuiticall and Trayterous Designes of the Synod with the hazard of their Liberties and for ought they know of their lives and fortunes for should they not ventured themselves in the discovery of such a subtile generation We should have been kept ignorant through their zealous pretences and had there been a mountaine more of their villany it seemes they would have covered it with a vaile of teares Fastings affected prayers and the like from Our discerning J. 〈◊〉 It is an approved truth that such as are called Anabaptists Brownists c. have in all Ages ventured yea given up their lives to enforme Kings Kingdomes Parliaments and States in things that concerne their peace and the glory of God which ubough condemned at first afterwards have proved no other yea such as your Lordships Predecessours have condemned by peuall Lawes Statutes c. which now your Lordship through the mercy of God find otherwise and it is we that reape the benefit of their blood in the suppression of Episcopall Inrisdiction High Commission c. not they for their sufferings and their testimony have detected and informed us of their unlawfulnesse it being their custome my Lord to weare out the Mysteric of Iniquity with their blood And now my Lord we that have received vantage by their bitter sufferings shall we boast our selves against them it were ungrtitude to God and inhumanity to them Iudge True We find by dayly experience that the Seperates are not such as ground their Religion on selfe ends for like Salamanders in the fire they live in the heate of Persecution they spare not their lives to witnesse the innocende of their Cause the fire of Persecution cannot consume but endames them towards their God and the Truth the menacing of Kings and Governours and cruelties of their greatest Adversaries hinders not their testimony this we find when euer they are convented before Vs even to our astoneshment and we further find it is not their owne good alone that they aime at but the generall good of all men that all one as well as an other may lead an honest and a quiet life under Our Protection and We have to our benefit found the blessing of God upon their endeavours as the hopefull and glorious successe in the Conquest of Yorke which envie and malice it selfe cannot deny was instrumentally atcheived by their valour and sidelity Wherefore in justice to their uprightnesse and faithfulnes to that trust reposed in Vs for the publike Good the Liberty and property of the Subject We may not deny them the benefit of Subjects but as they are faithfull parties in the generall venture so to be heriditatory to the generall purchase having as just a Right thereto by the price of their blood as Our Selves for that which is purchased by blood all the purchasers have an equall right to the thing purchased J. Reas My Lord but our Dessembly Doctours teach otherwise yet I think if your Lordship should settle Anabaptistrie or the like even that which they now persecuts and threaten preach and pray against and forewarne the people off as hereticall and damnable provided you should endow it with goodly fat Benefices and sanctifie it with the hallowed Ordinance for Tythes Offerings Oblations c. questionlesse the generallity of those Persecutiones of Anabaptists would have the wit to turne Anabaptists for their Religion is moved upon the Wheele of the State when the State was for Bishops then they were for Bishops and were very Canonicall Surplisse men Altar bowers and the like and the precisest sort those that are now our most zealous Presbyters did then so comply conforme to Episcopall superstition as they kept their Benefices except here and there one of the honoster sort while the honest Seperate counting nothing too deare for his God did openly resist and witnesse against it even to imprisonments deprivation of goods c. But our temporizing Doctours our State Protestant Ministers are not so simple to swime against the streame they are wiser in their generation for they know most wealth goes that way as long as your Ordnance is laden with Tythes Offerings and Oblations they 'l be sure to give fire but should the State deprive their Religion of all Ecclesiasticall Revenue of Parsonages Tythes c. yea should it be this very Presbyterid they so aime at that they should so impoverish certainly we should have more Parishes then Presbyters more Steeples then Doctours then they would no be so hot for Presbytry so zealous to persecute its opposers I would your Lordship would make tryall call in but your Ordinance for Tythes and turne them to the good will of people and then a tyth Pigge wil be sold for a penny Judge Well notwithstanding the Doctrine and subtilty our Divines we cannot deale so unworthely with those honest men but must by the grace of God being by them better informed proceed to Sentence against this Malefacture according to the just Verdict of the Jurie PERSECUTION fals upon his knees Pers Good my Lord have mercy upon me I beseech your Houour even for the Clergies sake have mercy upon me consider my Lord that in my death is their ruine it will be the greatest in road upon the Divines of Christendome that ever was made Oh! I beseech you my Lord by the Mysterie of their holy Convocation by their agony and bloody sweate by their Crosse and Passion at my shamefull approaching death and buriall Good Lord deliver me By their glorious Resurrection and Ascention from the Pulpit above the State By the coming of the Holy Ghost to them in Cloake Bagge from Scotland Good Lord deliver me By the late solemne League and Covenant By the 400. and 50. l. for the Copy of their Directory By all the fat Benefices and goodly Revenues of the Clergie Good Lord deliver me By the Apocripha writings and non-sense Arguments of Mr. Edwards By the distracted thoughts and subitaine apprehensions of Mr. Prinne By the Designes of the Clergie By their fained teares By their hypocrisie By their false Glosses Interpretations and Sophistications Good Lord deliver me By the Advance of the mickle Armie into the South By the late innocent and undefiled Ordinance for Tythes By all that is neare and deare unto the Clergie the pompe and glorie of this world Good Lord

deliver me Judge PERSECUTION what would'st thou have here 's no place of mercy for thee the Vengance of God cannot be dispens'd with thou art not in the High Commission nor before the Assembly this is a Court where justice must take place Pers Oh my Lord I beseech your Lordship for the mercy of this honourable Bench My Lord I am a Clergie man and beseech your Honour for the benefit of my Clergie I have been of all the Vniversities of Christendom have taken all their Degrees proceeded through all Ecclesiasticall Orders and Functions and my Lord at present am under the Holy Order of Presbytrie and I hope a Presbyter shall find favovr in your eyes Wherefore I beseeth you my Lord that I may have the benefit of Degration Judge PERSECUTION be contented you shall be sent to the place of Degradation Pers Oh Good my Lord let not a Presbyter come to so shamefull an end I beseech this Honourable Bench that I may be repreeved but as long as the Synod and Presbytrie endure Judge No PERSECUTION such is thy Treason Rebllion c. as cannot be dispensd with Pers Oh my Lord a psalme of mercy I besoech your Honour a psalme of mercy Judge No PERSECUTION no prepare to heare thy Sentence Hereupon this ensuinge Letter was privately conveyed to Justice Conformity To the right worshipfull Iustice Conformity all blessing and benedictition from his Holynesse Sir SYMON and his Son Sir IOHN Right worshipfull Tese are to adjure you as you will Answer it before VS at the great and dreadfull DAY of OUR Classicall exaltation above all persons in the Kingdome that you forthwith sollicite my Lord to suspend his Sentence but till the advance of the mickle Armie into the South for then we feare not the procurement of his plenary pardon and for your encouragement herein last night my Son Jacke and I went into our Presbyterian ware-house and have taken a list of all the Instruments of torture and torment already prepared for our Designe to wit triple knotty corded whips Gagges Pillories Stockes Sharpe Knifes Pincers hot burning Irons Halters Gallowes Gybbets Rackes Spits Fine-forkes Gridirons Axes Sawes Fleshhookes firery Furnaces hot Ovens boyling Caldrons Fire and Faggot close Prisons darke and noysome Dungeons Fetters Manaeles all in abundance most bloody and cruell Executioners terrible and Divilish Tormentours as Presbyterian Hangmen Goalers c. besides multitudes of Synodean Tyranies newly invented not yet discovered to the people such as never either by Pope Bishop on their adherents were devised and though we have prepared those Divelish Instruments yet we shall not be so indiscreet to rush them in all on a suddaine no we shall observe the temper of the people the course of times make a graduall progression now a little and then a little and alwayes a most godly and holy pretence to usher in a damnable and wicked designes if in the paysing a businesse wee find it so he avy that neither Synod Divell nor Presbyter can lift we 'll suspend the matter and insensibly prepare the people for the entertainment thereof which by our vaine-glorious fasting hypocriticall teares prayres and suphisticall Serimans we shall easily doe And for your further encouragement understand there are of certaine from a late Consistorie of Divels dispatched seaven foule Spirits a pecce for every Presbyter throughout England to attend them in their Parochiall Jurisdiction so that a Presbyter shall be seaven times worse then a Bishop for it is intended he shall be more fearce and cruell then his followes therefore Woe Woe unto those Anabaptists Brownists c. those cursed Heretickes for those presbyterian Feinds expect but the word of commaund to dovoure them up But Mr William all this will come to nothing if this Prisoner be put to death you see those Sectaries have had such freedome of speech that my Son Jacke and I can doe no good now there being not such a considerable person in this County as your self to prevaile WEE therefore charge you as your hope to be a Judge faile not at this dead lift for your Eares indeed he 's in your debt but he vowes by your fiat justitia that if you prevaile he 'll provide you a paire of better and longer then ever you had Hereof faile not and we shall not be backward to answer your deserts when WE and the parliament shall be Commenced by Your intire Freinds Sir SYMON SYNOD and Sir JOHN PRESBYTER J. Conformity My Lord were your Lordship but rightly informed concerning this Prisoner under the name of Mr. PERSECUTION what he is and from whence he came your Honour would lesse wonder at his severall ●●ations and dilatory pleaes to award the Sentence of death for were he guilty what would not a man doe for his life skin for skin and all that a i● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be give for his life but such is his innocency that the proceedings against him have been altogether upon false grounds for whereas by the Evidence he is asserted to be born soon after the time of Innocency and by them ●●andeth charged with all the Innocent blood spilt upon the whole earth I shall by your Lordships favour upon good grounds make it appeare to be otherwise for my Lord this prisoner is not yet above an 100. yeares of age being borne in Geneva of very good Lutheran and Calvenish parentage about the yeare 1544. where he was very well educated and instructed both in the Tongues and Liberall Sciences and upon a certaine time going to Sea he was by a great wind raised by Belg●bub the Prince of Divels blowne into Scotland And being so neare us forth of his zeale and pious affection to reforme the Church of the Eiscopall Prelacy to Presbyterian he occasioned the rising of the Scots as one man to oppose that power against which ever since he hath contested and he lately advanced with their mickle Armie to the Leagure before Yorke and for all this he received many an affront by Gronewels scismaticall Brigade and from thence taking his joyrney through Derby Stafford Coventry and Cambridge where performing much good service he came to London since whose coming old Grand Mr. PERSECUTION charged in the Indict●●ent and convicted by the Jurie was happily and timely executed uppon Tower Hill by all which it appeareah that the Witnesses that have given in Testimony against this prisoner the Gentleman at the Bu● have greatly abused him your Lordship and the Jurie he not being the person charged and consequently innocent of the crimes laid to his charge he being Indeed as reall an adversary to Old Mr. PERSECUTION as any Gentleman of this whole County hereof if your Lordship make any doubt I beseech you that a Farrier may be called into the Court who may make a perfect discovery to your Lordship of his age by opening his mouth and vewing his Teeth whose yongue small Presbyterean Pegges have no proportion betwixt the Great Twangs and Boarish Tuskes of Old Mr. PERSECUTION

Luk. 9. 56. Joh. 3. 17. But this fellow PERSECVTION destroyeth both Life Temporall and Spirituall he wasteth mens Estates the more Godly and upright they are the more cruell raging and hatefull he is against them he bringeth Misery Poverty and Beggery on their Wives and Children yea my Lord this Savage Blood-thirsty Wretch Hangeth Burneth Stoneth Tortureth Saweth a sunder Casteth into the siery Fornace into the Lions Denne Teareth in peeces with Wild Horses Plucketh out the eyes Roastet quicke Bureth alive Plucketh out the Tongues Imprisoneth Scourgeth Revileth Curseth yea with Bell Booke and Candle Belyeth Cutteth the Eares Slitteth the Nose Manacles the Hands G●●g●th the Mouthes Whippeth Pil●oreth Ban sheth into remote Islands makes them fly by wh●le ●h●● falls into W●ld Desarts Stigmatizeth some and sometimes maketh such so Stigmatized when the wind turnes to Stigmatize their freinds with Reproaches Calumnies Oppression of Conscience c. Deprives them of the Communication of their Freinds of all Releife of Pen Inke and Paper Sep●ra●e● Man and Wife Deprives Parents of their Children and Children of their Parents Impriseneth men only for the discharge of a good Conscience Stoppeth Presses whereby men cannot make their just defence Suffers nothing to be Licensed Printed Preached or otherwise published but what himselfe alloweth and having thus bound the hands and stopt the mouthes of all good men then he comes forth in Print against them like an Armed man and furiously assalts them Exults and Exalts himselfe over them Feigneth Arguments for them and then like a Valiant Champion gives them a conquering Answere and thus puts them to f●ight and p●●snes them with Revilings Scanda●l● Forgeries and Opprob●ions Nick-names as Antinomians Anabaptists Brownists Independants Scismatiques Heretiques c. Thus he dealeth with the Godly party Yea he forceth Millions to make Shipwracke of a good Conscience who for feare of such inhumanity deny the Lord that bought them to their finall condemnation Oh! therefore my Lord if there be any Bowells of Mercy any tender Compassion in you● pitty the destitute the Afflicted the tormted who wander about in Sheepskinnes and in Goateskinnes in desarts and in mountaines in Dens and in Caves of the Earth of whom the World is not worthy Secondly my Lord he maketh a Nation guilty of all the righteous blood spilt upon the Earth from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias and of all that are slayon upon the Earth for it is all innocent blood that is shed in that case purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ who came not to destroy but to save mens lives and therefore would have all taught in all Nations that all might be perswaded to the obedience of the truth that all might be saved Therefore to kill the unbeleivor as Turke Pagan Jew c. is to slay such as Christ would have to live to repent which must needs be Murder in the highest Nature And cursed is he that shall stay an Innocent P●erson and all the people shall say Amen Deut. 29. 25. The Land that sheddeth Innocent Blood Innocent blood shall be upon it Deut. 19 10 and Innocent Blood the Lord will not pardon 2 King 24. 4. Thirdly my Lord he occasioneth Treasons Conspicasies Reballions Warres Forreigne and Domesticke in all Nations and Kingdomes in the Earth He divideth Prince against Prince Kingdome against Kingdome Kingdomes in themselves Breedeth and b●get●eth a Nationall hatred betwixt Prince and People and amongst themselves he setteth Neighbour against Neighbour Yea Father against Sonne and Sonne against Father he breaketh the bonds of Peace and Freindship Nationall and Domesticke In●●geth and Filleth the wholl Earth with blood and Violence for what at this day is the Reason the Protestants 〈◊〉 the Blood of the Papists but because the Papists seeke theirs they hate persecute the Papists because the Papists hate and persecute them they would extirpate and roote out the Papists because the Papists would doe the like to them And on the other side the Papists plot and conspire against the Protestants because the Protestants will not suffer them to live amongst them but Banish Imprison Hang Draw Quarter and set up the L●mbs of some of them in open defiance to the God of heaven earth upon the Gates of the City who though unhappily they be found Traitors to the Publique Pease and Politiqus Government yet Nature might teach them to bury their Limbe An Eye for an Eye a Tooth for a Tooth Blood for Blood saith God but now Blood cannot satisfie Inhumane cruelty If this be Canonicall Let me have old Tobits Apochripha who hazarded his life to bury the dead Where two stand at Enmity there must needs be Mastery or else no safety When one knoweth tho other is his mortall Enemy he will use all the Means Strenght and Pollicy that he can to subdue him This enrageth to all manner of Tyranny and bloodshed setteth one Kingdome against another because each knoweth and taketh each other for his deadly Enemy Their faith being built upon this rotten devouring principle of forcing the consciences one of another But if the Papist knew the Protestant the Protestant the papist to love another would no● molest or in the least injure o● another for their Conscience but live peaceably quietly one by another bearing one with another and so of all Religions What man would lift up his hand against his Neighbour This could not but cond●● to a generall true setled Peace to the wholl World And in a short time the Enmity of Heart betweene the Papist Protestant c. would be quite worne ou● Why should we hate and destroy one another are we no● all the Creatures of one God redeemed by one Lord Jesus Christ this should provoke us to Love and peace one towards another If God have revealed more Light of the Gospell to one then to another shall the more knowing trample the ignorant under his feet we should carry our selves loving and meeke one towards another with Patience perswading and exhorting the contrary minded proving if at any time God will turne their hearts by this meanes the great Incendiary of the World an inforced enraged Conscience would be at rest What is more neere and deere then our Consciences if that be enraged who can appease it if that be satisfied what Content Joy or Peace like unto it or what more mild more Gentle or Loving Therefore how tender ought we to be in Cafes of Conscience it is a Lion if enraged a Lamb if appeased it is all Honey or all Gall enraged it is like the Wild Bore of the Forrest pleased it is like the Dove from the Arke no greater Freind no greater Foe It is better therefore for Kingdomes to set the Conscience free as in Holland Polonta Transylvania c. and be at Peace in themselves then to bind and enforce it and be Rent in themselves with Emulations Heart-burnings Conspiracies Rabellions c. If this Fiery Spirit were allaied This ignorant

PERSECUTION persecuted me even to the death so that my voyce is no other then the cry of blood even of the Prophets and Martyrs of Jesus that you heare for my Lord such hath been his cruelty to me to suppresse my Testimony against him while I was living that all the tortures and tormen● wit and malice could invent he with his blood-thirsty Clergy devised against and executed upon me whereby I was most baberously murthered so that my Lord I have no other voyce left me then that of blood split for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus crying with a loud voyce how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood I could enlarge my selfe into a Sea of blood against him discover him drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyres of Jesus yea my Lord Articles of all manner of impiety against God and all goodnesse Treasons Rebellions c. I could exhibite against him but my faithfull brother that pore despised CHRISTIAN hath most justly witnessed abundantly against him And there is yet an other faithfull Witnesse to give in his Evidence Gaffar LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE who I know is thoroughly furnished with matters of highest concernement against him to whose just Evidence I shall give place Clar. Gaffar LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE what can you say for the King against the Prisoner at the Barre Prisoner My Lord before he proceed be pleased to heare the just exceptions Sir Symon Synod and Sir John Presbyter after their so long and serious consultation have devised and contrived why his Testimony should not be heard as an unsit Witnesse in such a case as this Justice Reas My Lord if Baal be God let him plead for himselfe Judge And reason good For the judgment of this Court is not to be swayed by favour affection humour of multitudes or the like but by Reason and equity it selfe Wherefore for the more free and just proceding herein this Court Ordaineth and Proclameth freedome for both sides one as well as the other whether Presbyterian Tormentoi●●s or Independant Sufferers to give in their grounds and reasons to the Sentence of this Court whether LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE be tollerable and his Evidence to be received Wherefore Sir Symon if you have any thing why this mans witnesse may be di●●nabled you have liberty to speake Sir SYMON SYNOD My Lord this fellow LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE 〈◊〉 a Free-willer a loose Libectine one that opens a gate to all manner of prophanes in what Countrey or State soever he gets intertainement a man of all Religions and of no Religion a compound of all heres●es scisme and faction a prestelent enemie to Nationall Conformity our late Solemne League and Covenant a Tratour to your late sacred and blessed Ordinance for Tythes a worke of Superarrogation a Confuter of our mighty Champions Mr. Priune Edwards c. He is for no Reformation but strives to frustrate all my endeavours and the pious ends of the rest of my holy brethren of the Tribe of Lev● for the advancement of the Church God the Clergie of the Land with ecclesiasticall Revennue and power coercive to curbe opposition and force Reformation to Presbyterian Governement yea my Lord this is he that would reduce the Nationall Reformation of this Kingdome so much endeavoured by your Lordship even to open loosensse every man to be of what Religion he li●● every mecannioke illiterate fellow to turne Preacher and be as good as their Minister no distinction made betwixt the Clergie and the Laity our Canonicall Coates Girdles long Cloakes and Blacke Gowno● made a dirision a taunt and a curse as ominous as Lawne sleeves and as hatefull as a Miter our holy Tythes as of Lambe Pigge Goose c. be turned into voluntary Contribution oh insufferable sacraledge from the good will of the people good Lord preserve us yea my Lord the upper hand in publike places the Clergies delight as in streets 〈◊〉 feasts c. be deny'd us the reverent estimation of our Coate be past either Cap Congue or Curtsey no difference betwixt the Black Cassocke and the L●●thr●n Jacket and all our goodlyfat Benefices turnd to the labour of our hands alas my Lord we were never brought up to labour we cannot digge and to begge we are asham'd our delusions false Glosses Sophistications and godly pretonces be detected and divulged and so all things that are dainty and goodly to depart from us alas alas my Lord this will undoe the Clergie quite we may leave our Callings ●nd learne new Trades if we turne Coblers Tinkers and Weavers we may ●hance get constant worke if not now and then a job of preaching amongst the people Consider my Lord it will put out the two eyes of the Kingdome Much more I could say but I shall give way to my Son Sir John who by your Lordships favour shall further informe this Court in the defence of this Prisoner Judge Well Sir Symon this being a busines of high concernment either what you or your Sir John or what any man else can say in the behalfe of his Majesty concerning the Prisoner this Court freely permitteth yea commandeth Information thereof Clar. Call Sir John Prosbyter sonne to Sir Symon J. Rea● Magus Crier Sir John Presbyter sonne to Sir Symon come into the Court. Judge Sir John your Father hath informed us that you have matter of exception against LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE if you have the mercy of the Court permiteeth the Prisoner the benefit thereof Sir JOHN PRESBYTER My Lord My Reasons against LIBERTY-OF-CONSCIENCE why both himselfe and his Evidence is to be rejected are these 1. Because I suppose 〈◊〉 must needs be granted that the Majestrate is Edwards Antipol p●g 280. ●ustos a● vindex vtriusque Tabulae as is confessed by all Orthodox Divines that the care of Religion belongs to him And because Austin and other Divines on Psal 2. 10. 11. and on D●●t 17. 19. give unto Magestrates that power Ergo J. Reas States-men must weare Bells about their neckes because antient Divines say Kings are but Packe-horses to the Clergie 2. Because in this Kingdome the Reformation in Worship Government c. which shal be setled and established by your Lordship is judged and taken pag. 281. for granted by you to be according to the mind of Christ else why hath your Lordship called so many able godly and learned Divines of us to consult with for that purpose and why else will you establish it if there be any other more agreable to the Word Ergo. J. Reas The Synod is guided by the Holy Ghost sent in a Cloake-bag from Scotland as of old from Rome to the Councell of Trent Goncil Trent l. 6 p. 497. 3. Because it is against the solemne League and Covenant for Reformation taken by the Parliament and Kingdome of England and Scotland and pag. 282. 283. so cannot be condescended to in England without the breach of that Oath and Covenant So that all Apollogie and motion for Toleration comes too

be they of any Religion or of no Religion for matter of violence it is all one to the Spirit of meekenesse for its nature is only to perswade not to compell if by faire meanes it cannot prevai'e it hath done committing the issue to God Fourthly my Lord He is an utter enemy to all spirituall knowledge a hinderer of its encrease and groweth for no man knoweth but in part and what wee know we receive it by degrees now a litle and them a litle he that knowes the most was once as ignorant as he that knowes the least nay is it not frequent amongst us that the thing that we judged heresie we now beleive is orthodox now can such thinke themselves were worthy to beene persecuted in and for that their ignorance they cannot sure be of that mind such therefore cannot condemne imprison or hang the ignorant or such as discover or oppose their ignorance but in that they condemne themselves sinne against nature and their own knowledge The twelve at Ephesus that had not so much as heard whether there were a Holy Ghost or no if they had been so evilly used by Paul when he heard it how should they spake with tongues and prophosied yet we see how common a thing it is if we know not nor beleive so much as the multitude knoweth or beleiveth or the Doctrine of the Presbycrean Church requireth we must be persecuted and if our knowledge goe beyond them that we protest against their errours and labour to informe them better wee must tast of the same sauee too so that wee must know nor beleive neither more nor lesse then they but must beleive just as they beleive or else be persecuted as if a Statute should be enacted that an Image should be made and all that were higher or lower then the Image should be hanged By this we may see what an unreasonable thing it is evilly to entroat such as we judge ignorant and erroneous or all to be erronious and hereticall that we understand not our selves What shall we say then of such Ministers that of rationall creatures would teach us to be thus nnreasonable their end is destinction their belly them God they serve the Parliament but for their owne bellyes and by good words and faire speeches deceive the simple These uphold the accursed Doctrine of Persecution least liberty of printing writing teaching should discover their deceipts and they be disinherited of their Fathers Inheritance their intents are plaine to him that hath but halfe an eye to see they 'l not doe much only change the title before it was Episcopal Prelacy it shall be now but Preistly or Presbyterian Prelay so that he that lives but a small time shall surely see a Presbyter as fat as ever was a Bishop those are enemies to all knowledge that is either too short or beyond their bellyes therefore is it that all heads must be made even with the Presbyters none higher nor none lower just as tall and no taller he that is too short must be stretched out and he that is too long must be pared even least they should misse of their Prayers give us this day our dayly tythes that the Gormaine proverbe might be fulfilled phophen geizegkeite Gattes barmchartzegkite were his in ebekeite the coveteousnesse of the Preints and the mercy of God endure for ever I would exhort them to be otherwise minded but that I know venter non habet aures the belly hath no eares Pris My Lord I beseech you heare me after this tedious Accusation it is false and malitious as by sound reason and Personages of Honour I shall clearly evidence First my Lord as for GODS VENGANCE my Prosecutour both the Juries with divers others together with the witnesses enforced him to prosecute me and I know not by what pretence they procured GODS VENGANCE against me for my Lord I am innocent and ever have been from my Cradle from such and so hainous accusation as is laid to my charge And for that fellow that pretends he hath knowne me since the comeing of Christ he is a man of no reputation without habitation a beggerly fellow arunagate a loose fellow he stayes in no place keeps no hospitallity blaspheameth that most divine Leviticall ever to adored Ordinance for Tythes and counteth it as an unholy thing paies none where he lives but sharkes here and there where he can skufle in his head runnes from house to house to delude simple women who are ever learning and never learned and whereas he saith his name is CHRISTIAN his name is not CHRISTIAN neither is he of the generation of Christianity but a most factious dissembling Anabaptist a Tub-preacher and no christian as Sir Symon Sir John and divers other reverend and honourable persons here present can witnesse As for Gaffar Martyrs he is as a sounding brasse and tinckling Cymball who though he giveth up his body to be burnt himselfe is but a castaway and this I am able to make good unto your Honour by the most grave and solid judgment of all the reverend Divines the Clergie of Christendome Therefore my Lord it much mattereth not what his Evidence is it being but the malice of an Hereticke And as for LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE Sir Symon and that blessed babe his Sonne Sir John Sanctified from his mothers wombe the Synodian Whore of Bibylon hath informed your Honour of the unworthynesse of his witnesse My Lord I desire Sir Symon may speake in my defence Sir Symon My Lord this Gentleman here arraigned is altogether innocent from this accusation I have had antient familiarity with him a dayly society hath past betwixt us and I never could find any such thing in him and my Lord here is Mr. Pontificall Revennue Mr. Ecclesiasticall Supremacy Mr. Na tionall Conformity Mr. Rude Multitude Mr. Scotch Government and mine only Sonne Sir John Presbyter all to witnes his innocency from this Accusation And if your Lordship make any scruple hereof that learned Gentleman Justas Conformity of Lincolns Inne Esq can thorughly resolve you both by Scripture Texts Presidents of all sorts and the consiant interrupted practises examples of the most eminent Emperours Princes Councels Parliaments c. Lib. Cons My Lord the Defendant smels of a fat Benefice see see his pockets are full of Presbyterian Steeples the Spires sticke under his Girdle ha ha hah instead of Weather-cocks every Spire hath got a Blacke Boxe upon it and in it the pure and immaculate Ordinance for Tythes Oblations c. Sure shortly instead of Moses and A●ron and the Two Tables we shall have Sir Symon and Sir John holding the late solemne League and Covenant and that demure spotlesse pritty lovely sacred divine devout and holy Ordinance for Tythes the Two Tables of our new Presbyterian Gospell painted upon all the Churches in England Oh brave Sir Symon the Bels in your pocket chime all-in while ours chime all-out I pray you give us a Funerall Homile for your friend here before