will be ready to draw their Swords for him like Peter for furor arma ministrat like him who when he could not by any Sentence in the Bible confute an Heretick could make use of the whole book to break his head we might hold forth instances more than enough The Wars in Germany for these hundred years arose from dissentions in Religion and though in the beginning of the contention they drew out onely the Sword of the Spirit yet it was soon changed into a Sword of Steel So was it among the Consederate Cantons of Helvetia which were so many Towns as nearly combined together as ours here so was it also in the Netherlands between the Orthodox and the Arminians so hath it been between the Calvinists and Lutherans In every place we find that the contentions began first by disputations and Sermons and when the minds of the people were once set on fire by reproachful Terms of incendiary Spirits they soon set to blows and had always a tragical and bloody issue And to clear this objection Mr. Wheel professed before-hand what he looked for viz. that his Doctrine would cause combustions even in the Common-wealth as well as in the Churches which he could not have feared if he had supposed as in Charity he well might that those who were set over the People here in both States were indeed true Christians yea he not only confesseth his expectation but his earnest desire also of such combustions and disturbances when he saith that it is the Saints desire to have the fire kindled as if he were come among Turks or Papists and not among the Churches of Christ amongst whom Paul laboured to quench all fire of contention but with the Corinthians Romans and Galatians and wished that those were cut off who troubled them setting a mark upon such as made division and a note of a carnal mind therefore this objection will not save him his offence is yet without excuse he did intend to trouble our peace and he hath effected it therefore it was a contempt of that authority which required every Man to study Peace and Truth and therefore it was a seditious contempt in that he stirred up others to joyn in the disturbance of that Peace which he was bound by Solemn Oath to preserve But here he puts in a plea that he did take the onely right way for Peace by holding out the Lord Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Free Grace for without Christ there is no peace but get Christ and we have all To this we reply first We would demand of him what he accounts a holding forth a Covenant of Grace for saving that he saith this is a Covenant of Grace that is a Covenant of Works no Man can discern any such thing by his proofs for there is not any one argument in his Sermon to convince the judgment that so it is and if we search the Scripture we find in the Old Testament Ier. 31. the Covenant of Grace to be this I will write my Law in their hearts or I will be their God c. and in the new Testament we find He that believes in the Lord Iesus Christ shall be saved and that it is of Faith that it might be of Grace but other Covenant of Grace than these or to the same effect are not in our Bibles Again Tho' it be true that get Christ and we have all in some respect yet we must remember him of what he said with the same breath that Truth and external Peace cannot possibly stand together how then would he have us believe that such a holding forth Christ should bring the desired Peace This is some what like the Jewish Corban I will give to God and he shall help my Parents or as when a poor man stands in need of such relief as I might give him instead there of I pray to God to bless him and tell him that the blessing of God maketh rich or as I give a Lawyer a Fee to plead my cause and to procure me Justice and when the day of hearing comes he makes a long Speech in commending the justice of the King and perswading me to get his favour because he is the fountain of Justice This is to reprove the wisdom of God by looking that the supreme and first cause should produce all effects without the use of subordinate and nearer causes and means so a Man should live out his full time by God's decree onely without meat or medicine this plea therefore will not hold let us hear another It is objected that the Magistrates may not appoint a Messenger of God what he should teach admit so much yet he may limit him what he may not teach If he forbid him to teach Heresie or Sedition c. he incurs as well a contempt in teaching that which he was forbidden as sins in teaching that which is evil Besides every truth is not seasonable at all times Christ tells his Disciples That he had many things to teach them but they could not bear them then Joh. 16. 12. and God giveth his Prophets the Tongue of the Learned that they may know how to speak a word in season Isa. 50. 40. and if for every thing there be a season then for every Doctrine Eccles. 3. 1. The abolishing of the Ceremonial Law was a Truth which the Apostles were to teach yet there was a season when Paul did refrain it Acts 21. 24. and the same Paul would not circumcise Titus though he did Timothy so the difference of persons and places made a difference in the season of the Doctrine and if Mr. Wheelwright had looked upon the words which followed in the Text Matth. 9. 16 17. he might have learned that such a Sermon would as ill suit the season as old Bottles do new Wine and by that in Esay before-mentioned he might have had known the Spirit of God doth teach his Servants to discern of seasons as well as of truths for if there be such a point in wisdom as Men call discretion sure Religion which maketh truly wise doth not deprive the Servants of God of the right use thereof When Paul was to deal with the Sorcerer who did oppose his Doctrine Acts 13. he calls him the Child of the Devil c. but when he answered Festus who told him he was mad and rejected his Doctrine also he useth him gently and with terms of honourable respect Tho' Stephen calls the Jews stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts c as knowing them to be malitious and obstinate Enemies to Christ yet Paul directs Timothy being to deal with such as were not past hope tho' they did oppose his Doctrine for the present not to strive but to use all gentleness instructing them with meekness c. 2. Tim. 2. The Prophet Elisha when he speaks to Iehoram very roughly as one not worthy to be looked at yet he shews a different respect of Iehosaphat tho' he were then out of his way and
in their acknowledgment Many after this came unto us who before flew from us with such desires as those in Act. 2. Men and Brethren what shall we do and did willingly take shame to themselves in the open Assemblies by confessing some of them with many tears how they had given offence to the Lord and his People by departing from the Truth and being led by a Spirit of Error their alienation from their brethren in their affections and their crooked and perverse walking in contempt of Authority slighting the Churches and despising the Counsel of their godly Teachers Now they would freely discover the slights the Adversaries had used to undermine them by and steal away their Eyes from the Truth and their Brethren which before whilst their Eyes were seal'd they could not see And the fruit of this was great Praise to the Lord who had thus wonderfully wrought matters about Gladness in all our Hearts and Faces and Expressions of our renewed Affections by receiving them again into our Bosoms and from that time untill now have walked according to their renewed Covenants humbly and lovingly amongst us holding forth Truth and Peace with Power But for the rest which notwithstanding all these means of Conviction from Heaven and Earth and the Example of their seduced Brethrens return yet stood obdurate yea more hardned us we had cause to fear than before we convented those of them that were Members before the Churches and yet laboured once and again to convince them not only of their Errors but also of sundry exorbitant Practices which they had fallen into as manifest Pride contempt of Authority neglecting to hear the Church and lying c. but after no means prevailed we were driven with sad hearts to give them up to Satan Yet not simply for their Opinions for which I find we have been slanderously traduced but the chiefest cause of their Censure was their Miscarriages as have been said persisted in with great obstinacy The persons cast out of the Churches were about nine or ten as far as I can remember who for a space continued very hard and impenitent but afterward some of them were received into fellowship again upon their Repentance These persons cast out and the rest of the Ring-leaders that had received sentence of Banishment with many others infected by them that were neither censured in Court nor in Churches went all together out of our Iurisdiction and Precinct into an Island called Read-Island sirnamed by some the Island of Errors and there they live to this day most of them but in great strife and contention in the civil Estate and otherwise hatching and multiplying new Opinions and cannot agree but are miserably divided into sundry Sects and Factions But Mistress Hutchison being weary of the Island or rather the Island weary of her departed from thence with all her Family her Daughter and her Children to live under the Dutch near a place called by Sea-men and in the Map Hell-Gate And now I am come to the last Act of her Tragedy a most heavy stroak upon her self and hers as I received it very lately from a godly Hand in New-England There the Indians set upon them and slew her and all her family her Daughter and her Daughters Husband and all their Children save one that escaped her own Husband being dead before a dreadful Blow Some write that the Indians did burn her to death with fire her House and all the rest named that belonged to her but I am not able to affirm by what kind of death they slew her but slain it seems she is according to all Reports I never heard that the Indians in those parts did ever before this commit the like Outrage upon any one family or families and therefore Gods hand is the more apparently seen herein to pick out this woful woman to make her and those belonging to her an unheard-of heavy Example of their Cruelty above others Thus the Lord heard our Groans to Heaven and freed us from this great and sore Affliction which first was small like Elias's Cloud but after spread the Heavens and hath through great Mercy given the Churches rest from this disturbance ever since that we know none that lifts up his head to disturb our sweet Peace in any of the Churches of Christ among us blessed for ever be his Name I bow my knees to the God of Truth and Peace to grant these Churches as full a riddance from the same or like Opinions which do destroy his Truth and disturb their Peace A POSTSCRIPT I think it fit to add a comfortable Passage of News from those parts written to me very lately by a faithful hand which as it affected mine own Heart so it may do many others viz. That two Sagamores or Indian Princes with all their Men Women and Children have voluntarily submitted themselves to the Will and Law of our God with expressed desires to be taught the same and have for that end put themselves under our Government and Protection even in the same manner as any of the English are which morning-peep of Mercy to them saith he is a great means to awaken the Spirit of Prayer and Faith for them in all the Churches T. Welde A Catalogue of such Erroneous Opinions as were found to have been brought into New-England and spread under hand there as they were condemned by an Assembly of the Churches at New-Town Aug. 30. 1637. The Errors 1. IN the Conversion of a sinner which is saving and gracious the Faculties of the Soul and Workings thereof in things pertaining to God are destroyed and made to cease The Confutation 1. This is contrary to the Scripture which speaketh of the Faculties of the Soul as the Understanding and the Will not as destroyed in Conversion but as changed Luke 24 45. Christ is said to have opened their Understandings Ioh. 21. 18. Peter is said to be led whither he would not therefore he had a Will Again to destroy the Faculties of the Soul is to destroy the Immortality of the Soul Error 2. Instead of them the Holy Ghost doth come and take place and doth all the works of those natures as the faculties of the human nature of Christ do Confutation 2. This is contrary to Scripture which speaketh of God as sanctifying our Souls and Spirits 1 Thess. 5. 23. purging our Consciences Heb. 9. 14. refreshing our Memories Ioh. 14. 26. Error 3. That the love which is said to remain when Faith and Hope cease is the Holy Ghost Confutation 3. This is contrary to the Scriptures which put an express difference between the Holy Ghost and Love 2 Cor. 6. 6. And if our love were the Holy Ghost we cannot be said to love God at all or if we did it was because we were personally united to the Holy Ghost Error 4 5. That those that be in Christ are not under the Law and commands of the word as the rule of Life Alias that the Will of God in
conceive we humbly beseech you in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ your Judge and ours and for the honour of this Court and the proceedings thereof that you will be pleased either to make it appear to us and to all the World to whom the knowledge of all these things will come wherein the Sedition lies or else acquit our Brother of such a Censure Farther we beseech you remember the old method of Satan the ancient Enemy of Free grace in all ages of the Churches who hath raised up such Calumnies against the faithful Prophets of God Eliah was called the troubler of Israel 1 King 18. 17 18 Amos was charged for conspiracy Amos 7. 10. Paul was counted a Pestilent Fellow or mover of Sedition and a Ring-leader of a Sect Acts 24. 5. and Christ himself as well as Paul was charged to be a Teacher of New Doctrine Mark 1. 27. Acts 17. 19. Now we beseech you consider whether that old Serpent work not after his old method even in our days Farther we beseech you consider the danger of medling against the Prophets of God Psal. 105. 14 15. for what ye do unto them the Lord Jesus takes as done unto himself if you hurt any of his Members the head is very sensible of it for so saith the Lord of Hosts He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2. 8. And better a Mill-stone were hanged about our necks and that we were cast into the Sea than that we should offend any of these little ones which believe on him Mat. 18. 6. And lastly we beseech you consider how you should stand in relation to us as nursing Fathers which give us incouragement to promote our humble requests to you or else we would say with the Prophet Isa. 22. 4. Look from me that I may weep bitterly Labour not to comfort me c. or as Ier. 9. 2. Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging-place of a way-faring man And thus have we made known our Griefs and Desires to your Worships and leave them upon Record with the Lord and with you knowing that if we should receive repulse from you with the Lord we shall find Grace Amongst others who had subscribed to this Writing William Aspinwall was one and being returned for one of the Deputies of Boston it was propounded in the Court whether he was fit to be received a Member of the Court having subscribed to the said Writing which was so much to the Dishonour and Contempt thereof c. Whereupon he was demanded if he would justifie the matter contained in the said Writing which when he had peremptorily affirmed by the vote of the Court he was presently dismissed Whereupon Mr. Cogshall another of the Deputies of Boston who had not subscribed to the said Writing being then a Deputy of the Court spake very boldly to the Court and told them that seeing they had put out Mr. Aspinwall for that matter they were best make one work of all for as for himself though his hand were not to the Petition yet he did approve of it and his hand was to a Protestation which was to the same effect Whereupon the Court dismissed him also and sent word to Boston to chuse two new Deputies then Mr. Coddington the third Deputy moved the Court by order from the Town of Boston that the former censure against Mr. VVheelwright might be reversed and that the Order made against receiving such as should not be allowed by the Magistrates might be repealed whereby the Court perceived their obstinate Resolution in maintaining this Faction and thereupon gave Order he should be sent for and for the Law the Answer was that whereas a Declaration had been made of the Equity of that Law and that specially for the satisfaction of those of Boston and an Answer had been published by some of them wherein much Reproach and Slander had been cast upon the Court to which a Reply had been made above six weeks since but was kept in upon expectation that the late Assembly would have had some good effâ—…ct in clearing the points in Controversie and reconciling the minds of the adverse party but they continuing obstinate and irreconcileable it was thought fit the whole Proceedings about the Law should be brought forth and accordingly the next day the Declaration the Answer and the Reply were all brought to the Court and there openly read which gave such satisfaction to those which were present as no man ought to object and some that were of the adverse party and had taken offence at the Law did openly acknowledge themselves fully satisfied When the Warrant came to the Town of Boston they assembled together and agreed the greater part of them to send the same Deputies which the Court have rejected pretending that it was their liberty and those were the ablest men c. but Mr. Cotton coming amongst them and perceiving their rash and contemptuous Behaviour by his Wisdom diverted them from that course so they chose two other but one of them they knew would be rejected because his Hand was also to the seditious Writing as it fell out for he refusing to acknowledge his fault in it was also dismissed and a new Warrant sent for another to be chosen which they never made any return of but that Contempt the Court let pass When Mr. Wheelwright appeared it was declared to him that whereas he was long since convicted of sedition and contempt of Authority and time had been given him from Court to Court to come to the knowledge of his offence the Court thought it now time to know how his mind stood whether he would acknowledge his Offence or abide the Sentence of the Court His Answer was to this effect That he had committed no Sedition nor Contempt he had delivered nothing but the truth of Christ and for the application of his Doctrine it was by others and not by him c. To which it was answered by the Court that they had not censured his Doctrine but left it as it was but his Application by which he laid the Magistrates and the Ministers and most of the People of God in these Churches under a Covenant of Works and thereupon declared them to be Enemies to Christ and Antichrists and such Enemies as Herod and Pilate and the Scribes and Pharisees c. perswading the people to look at them and deal with them as such and that he described them so as all men might know who he meant as well as if he had named the parties for he was present in the Court a little before when both Magistrates and Ministers did openly profess their Judgment in that point and that they did walk in such a way of evidencing Justification by Sanctification c. as he held forth to be a Covenant of Works Secondly The fruits of that Sermon of Mr. Wheelwrights together with the Declaration of his Judgment in that point both before and since have declared it to
Court answer'd that it was apparent he was the Instrument of our Troubles he must prove them to be by such accident and till then the Blame must rest upon himself for we know Christ would not own them being out of his way After these and many other speeches had passed the Court declaring him guilty for troubling the Civil Peace both for his seditious Sermon and for his corrupt and dangerous Opinions and for his contemptuous Behaviour in divers Courts formerly and now obstinately maintaining and justifying his said Errors and Offences and for that he refused to depart voluntarily from us which the Court had now offered him and in a manner perswaded him unto Seeing it was apparent unto him from that of our Saviour Matth. that we could not continue together without the ruine of the whole he was sentenced to be disfranchised and banished our Jurisdiction and to be put in safe custody except he should give sufficient Security to depart before the end of March upon this he appealed to the King's Majesty but the Court told him an Appeal did not lie in this case for the King having given us an Authority by his Grant under his Great Seal of England to hear and determine all causes without any Reservation we were not to admit of any such Appeals for any such subordinate State either in Ireland or Scotland or other places and if an Appeal should lie in one case it might be challenged in all and then there would be no use of Government among us neither did an Appeal lie from any Court in any County or Corporation in England but if a party will remove his cause to any of the King 's higher Courts he must bring the King 's Writ for it neither did he tender any Appeal nor call any Witnesses nor desired any Act to be entred of it then he was demanded if he would give Security for his quiet departure which he refusing to do he was committed to the custody of the Marshal The next morning he bethought himself better and offered to give security alledging that he did not conceive the day before that a Sentence of Banishment was pronounced against him he also suffered to relinquish his Appeal and said he would accept of a simple Banishment The Court answer'd him that for his Appeal he might do as he pleased and for his departure he should have the liberty the Court had offered him provided he should not preach in the mean time but that he would not yield unto so in the end the Court gave him leave to go home upon his promise that if he were not departed out of this Jurisdiction within fourteen days he would render himself at the house of Mr. Stanton one of the Magistrates there to abide as a Prisoner till the Court should dispose of him Mr. Cogshall THe next who was called was Mr. Iohn Cogshall one of the Deacons of Boston upon his appearance the Court declared that the cause why they had sent for him was partly by occasion of his Speeches and Behaviour in this Court the other day and partly for some light miscarriages at other times and that they did look at him as one that had a principal Hand in all our late Disturbances of our publick Peace The first things we do charge you with is your justifying a Writing called a Remonstrance or Petition but indeed a seditious Libel and that when Mr. Asp. was questioned by the Court about it you stood up uncalled and justified the same saying to this effect that if the Court meant to dismiss him for that it was best to make but one work of all for though your self had not your Hand to the Petition yet you did approve thereof and your Hand was to the Protestation which was to the same effect whereupon you being also dismissed used clamorous and unbeseeming Speeches to the Court at your departure whereby we take you to be of the same mind with those who made the Petition and therefore liable to the same punishment upon this the Petition was openly read and liberty was granted to him to answer for himself His first answer was that what he then spake he spake as a Member of the Court to which it was answer'd again that 1. He was no Member of the Court standing upon Tryal whether to be allowed or rejected at such a time as he uttered most of those speeches 2. Admit he were yet it is no priviledge of a Member to reproach or affront the whole Court it is Licentiousness and no Liberty when a man may speak what he list for he was reminded of some words he uttered at his going forth of the Court to this effect that we had censured the Truth of Christ and that it was the greatest stroak that ever was given to Free-Grace To which he answer'd That his words were mistaken for he said that he would pray that our Eyes might be opened to see what we did for he thought it the greatest stroak that ever was given to N. E. for he did believe that Mr. Wheelwright did hold forth the Truth He was further charged that at the Court after the day of Elections he complained of Injury that the Petition which was tendered was not presently read before they went to Election To which being answer'd That it was not then seasonable and against the Order of that day but the Court were then ready to hear it if it were tendered whereupon he turned his back upon the Court and used menacing speeches to this effect That since they could not be heard then they would take another course To which he answer'd confessing he spake over hastily at that time that his words were only these Then we must do what God shall direct us He was further charged that he should say that half the people that were in Church-Covenant in N. E. were under a Covenant of Works this he did not deny but said he proved it by the Parable of the ten Virgins Mat. 15. After these and many other Speeches had passed between the Court and himself by which it plainly appeared that he had been a very busie instrument in occasioning of our publick Disturbances and his justifying of Mr. Wheelwrights Sermon and the Petition or Remonstrance being seditious Writings a Motion was made for his Banishment but he pretended that there was nothing could be laid to his Charge but matter of different opinion and that he knew not one Example in Scripture that a man was banished for his Judgment It was answer'd that if he had kept his Judgment to himself so as the publick Peace had not been troubled or endangered by it we should have left him to himself for we do not challenge power over mens Consciences but when seditious Speeches and Practices discover such a corrupt Conscience it is our duty to use Authority to reform both But though a great part of the Court did encline to a motion for his Banishment yet because his Speech
and Behaviour at present were more modest and submiss than formerly they had been and for that he excused his former Intemperances by his much employment and publick businesses it was thought fit to deliver him from that Temptation so he was only sentenced to be disfranchised with admonition no more to occasion any disturbance of the publick Peace either by speech or otherwise upon pain of Banishment and further censure Mr. Aspin THE next who was called was Mr. William Aspin to whom the Court said that his case was in a manner the same with Master Cogshals his Hand was to the Petition he had justified Master Wheelwright's Sermon and had condemned the Court and therefore what could he say why the Court should not proceed to Sentence For he had been present and heard what was said to Master Cogshall to have convinced him of his fault and therefore it would be needless to repeat any thing To this he answer'd and confessed the Petition and that his Heart was to it as well as his Hand and that that for which Mr. Wheelwright was censured was for nothing but the Truth of Christ and desired to know what we could lay to his Charge therein The Court told him that he being a Member of this Civil Body and going contrary to his Relation and Oath to stop the course of Justice in countenancing seditious Persons and Practices against the Face of Authority this made him to be a seditious Person He answered he did but prefer an Humble Petition which he could not do but he must intimate some cause why and that Mephibosheth in his Petition did imply as much of Davids unjust Sentence against him as was in this Petition The Court replyed that he was ill advised to bring that Example for his Justification which makes clearly against him for Mephibosheth doth not charge David with any injustice not so much as by Implication but excuseth himself and layeth all the blame upon his Servant Then he alledged the Petition of Esther to Abasuerus but neither would that serve his turn for she petitioned for her life c. without charging the King with Injustice He still fled to this Plea that it is lawful for Subjects to petition the Court answered that this was no Petition but a seditious Libel the mis-naming of a thing doth not alter the nature of it besides they called it in the first place a Remonstrance which implies that they pretended Interest and is in the nature of it a Plea which challengeth a right of a party besides they give peremptory Judgment in the cause and that directly opposite to the Judgment of the Court the Court declared Mr. Wheelwright guilty they proclaim him innocent the Court judged his Speech to be false and seditious they affirmed it to be the Truth of Christ and the very words of the Holy Ghost which is apparently untrue if not blasphemous Further in pretending their moderation they put Arguments in the peoples minds to invite them to violence by bringing the Example of Peter drawing his Sword wherein they blame not his Fact but his Rashness And that of the People rescuing Ionathan which to make the more effectual they say that it was not seditious Lastly It was great arrogance of any private man thus openly to advance his own Judgment of the Court therefore it will appear to their Posterity as a Brand of Infamy upon these erroneous Opinions that those who maintained them were not censured for their Judgment but for seditious Practices He further pleaded that no Petition can be made in such a case but something may be mistaken through misprision as trenching upon Authority the Court answer'd that if they had only petitioned the Court to remit this Censure or had desired respite for further considerations or leave to propound their doubts there could have been no danger of being mistaken Besides there was no need of such haste in petitioning seeing the Sentence was not given but deferring to the next Court Master VVheelwright â—â—jâ—…yned only to appear there The Court then being about to give Sâ—…ntence Mastâ—… Aspin desired the Court to shew a Rule in Scripture for Banishment the court answered as before that Hagar and Ishmael were banished for disturbance he replied that if a Father give a Châ—… a Portion and sent him forth it was not Bâ—…nishment but it was answered the Scripture calls it a casting out not a sending forth and one said further that he was a Child worthy of such a Portion Then the Sentence of the Court was for his dis-franchisemnnt and banishment and time given him to the last of March upon Security for his departure then which he presently tendered and so was dismissed The Court intended only to have dis-franchised him as they had done Mr. Cogshall but his Behaviour was so contemptuous and his Speeches so peremptory that occasioned a further aggravation and it appeared afterward to be by an over-ruling Hand of God for the next day it was discovered that he was the man that did frame the Petition and drew many to subscribe to it and some had their names put to it without their knowledge and in his first draught there were other passages so foul as he was forced to put them out and yet many had not subscribed but upon his promise that it should not be delivered without advice of Mr. Cotton which was never done VVilliam Baulston and Ed. Hutchison AFter these two of the Serjeants of Boston were called VVilliam Baulston and Ed Hutchison these both had their Hands to the Petition and justâ—…fied the same VVill. Baulston told the Court that he knew that if such a Petition had been made in any other place in the world there would have been no fault found with it The other told the Court turning himself in a scornful manner that if they took away his Estate they must keep his Wiâ—…e and Children for which he was presently committed to the Offiâ—…r The Court reasoned a good while with them both but they were peremptory and would acknowledge no failing and because of their contemptuous Spâ—…eches and for that they wâ—…re known to be very busie persons and such as had offered Contempt to the Magistrates for that they were not of their Opinion they were dis-franchised and fined VVill Baulston Twenty Pounds Ed. Hâ—…tchison Fourty Pounds The next morning Ed. Hutchison acknowledged his fault in his misbehaviour in the face of the Court and so was released of his Imprisonment but both were disabled from bearing any publick Office Tho. Marshal Dynely and Dier Rich. Gridly ANother day were called four more of the Principal stirring Men who had subscribed to the Petition Thomas Marshal the Ferry-man who justified the Petition so far that he would not acknowledge any fault yet he answered more modestly thâ—…n the former therefore he was not sined but dis-franchised and put out of his place Dynely and Dyer had little to say for themselves but persisting in their justification
under a sin for which he had been formerly reproved 2 King 3. Christ himself tho' he sharply reproveth the Pharisees c. yet he instructeth Nicodemus gently when he objected against his Doctrine and that somewhat rudely Ioh. 3. The Apostles would not forbear to Preach Christ tho' Rulers forbad them Act. 3. yet another Prophet forbare at another season at the command of King Amasia 2 Chron. 25. so we see that this Plea of Mr. VVheelwright is as weak as the former and will not excuse him from Contempt If it be yet objected that his Sermon was not at all for Contention seeing he raised and pressed an use of brotherly love we grant he did so but it was ejusdem farinae a Loaf of the same leaven with the other for he applyeth it to those of his own party to perswade them to hold together and help one another against those of the other party whom he setteth forth as their opposites and encourageth them thereby by the Example of Moses who in love to his brother killed the Egyptian A further objection hath been made against the proceedings of the Court as if Mr. Wheelwright had not a lawful Tryal as not being put upon a Jury of freemen But the answer to this is easie it being well known to all such as have understanding of matters of this nature that such Courts as have power to make and abrogate Laws are tyed to no other Orders but their own and to no other Rule but Truth and Justice and why thrice twelve men sitting as Judges in a Court should be more subject to partiality than twelve such called as a Jury to the Bar let others judge Now if some shall gather from that which is here before mentioned viz. that every Truth is not seasonable at all times if we shall grant that what Master VVheelright delivered was Truth we must desire him to take only so much as we granted viz. by way of Supposition only for letting pass as we said such Points as were meerly doctrinal and not ripe for the Court depending as yet in Examination among the Elders we may safely deny that those Speeches were Truths which the Court censured for Contempt and Sedition for a Brother may fall so far into Disobedience to the Gospel as there may be cause to separate from him and to put him to Shame and yet he is not to be accounted an Enemy 2 Thess. 3. Therefore when Mr. VVheelwright pronounced such taking them at the worst he could make them to be Enemies c. it was not according to the Truth of the Gospel Again to incense and heat mens minds against their Brethren before he had convinced or admonished them as being in an estate of Enmity c. is not to be termed any Truth of the Gospel so likewise to bring extraordinary Examples for ordinary Rules as of Iohn 8. 44. to incite his party to the like practise against such whose hearts they cannot judge of as Christ could of theirs to whom he spake is as far from the Rule prescribed to ordinary Ministers 2 Tim. 2. 25. and to all Christians Gal. 6. 1. and Iam. 3. 17. as that Example of Elijah by which the Apostles would have called for fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans was different from the Spirit whereof they were so to resemble such among us as profess their Faith in Christ only c. and are in Church-fellowship and walk inoffensively submitting to all the Lords Ordinances in Church and Common-wealth to resemble such to branded Reprobates and Arch-Enemies of Christ such as Herod c. we suppose hath no warrant of Truth We might instance in other like passages as his ordinary inciting to spiritual Combats by examples of bodily Fight and bloody Victories being very unsuitable but these may suffice to prove that all he spake was not true and by this is the offence more aggravated for if it were Seditious only in the manner it must needs be much worse when the matter it self also was untrue But if any shall yet pretend want of Satisfaction by all that hath been produced for indeed it is beyond reason how far prejudice hath prevailed to captivate some Judgments otherwise godly and wise and shall object further that his Doctrine c. were general and so could not be intended of any particular persons we desire such first to remember what application Mr. VVhe made of the same in the open Court viz. That he did intend all such as walked in such a way Then again let the câ—…se be put in a reversed Frame some other had then taught that all such as deny that Sanctification as it is held by the other party is a good evidence of Justification and that say or have their Assurance by Faith as a work of God in them have it in the way of the Gospel that these were Enemies to Christ c. Persecutors of the way of Grace c. and should have stirred up others against them with like Arguments and Vehemency as Mr. VVheelwright did there is no doubt but Mr. VVheel and others of his opinion would soon have pointed out those who must necessarily have been intended by it for it is well known that some proper Adjunct or some noted Circumstance may design a particular person or company as well as names so Christ points out Iudas by the sop Paul the Jews by those of the Circumcision and the Antichrist by That man of sin c. But we meet yet with another objection viz. that disturbance of unity is not Sedition except it also lead to the hurt of Utility To this we answer first that if it tend immediately to such hurt we deny the Truth of the Proposition for if in the time of Famine a man should stir up the people to fetch Corn out of the houses of such as had it to spare this were to an immediate publick Good yet it were Sedition If Ieremy when he taught the Jews that they ought to set free their Hebrew Servants had also incited the servants to free themselves this had not been free from Sedition yet it had not been against publick utility But they alledge the examples of Iehojadah who caused a disturbance yet without Sedition we Answer that case was very unlike to ours for Iehojadah being High Priest was also Protector of the true King and so Chief Governour of the Civil State and Athaliah being a meet Usurper he did no other then if a lawful King should assemble his Subjects to apprehend a Rebel and though a Prince or Governour may raise a party to suppress or withstand publick enemies or other evils yet it doth not follow that a private Man or a Minister of the Gospel may do the like we read Nehem. 5. 7. that he raised a great Assembly against those who did oppress their brethren but we read not that Ezra did so upon the disorders which he complained of and yet that which he did in assembling of the People