CHAP. I. The Reasons and Occasion of the following Discourse. The imminent danger of the Church and State, by reason of the restless Endeavours, industrious Malice, and secret Contrivances of dissenting Separatists.

THERE never was any Age in which the Holy Church of God was more truly Militant, than in the present. The envious Dragon,Rev. 12.12, 13. knowing that he hath but a short time, has summoned up all his [Page 2]Infernal Militia, to make one great and vigorous attempt upon the persecuted Woman: having forcibly driven her in­to the Wilderness, he throws out of his mouth water as a flood, that if it be pos­sible, he may cause her to be carried away by those Deluges and Inundations of Er­rours.

IN a danger so eminent, every good Soldier of Christ Jesus is bound by the Sacramentum Militare of his Baptism, to do the utmost of his endeavours, and earnestly to contend for the Faith,Jude v. 3. which was once delivered to the Saints: and not only be contented to stand fast in that Faith,1 Cor. 16.13. but to quit himself like a man and be strong.

THAT Son must needs have little Courage, and less Duty, who can see a most beautiful, tender, and indulgent Mother, prostituted to the barbarous rage of her most implacable Enemies, and the murdering Steel ready to be plunged into her innocent Bosom; and all that while stand gazing on; or spen­ding that time in childish and fruitless Laments, which he ought to employ to­wards her present rescue and speedy assi­stance.

[Page 3]I am not ignorant, that whoever con­cerns himself with the present Enemies of the Church, puts his hand into a Nest of Hornets; and had need to be well guarded both with Law and Innocence, if he hopes to scape their stings; and possibly that Consideration, together with the natural inclination of my Genius above all other things to quiet and repose, might have been powerful enough to di­vert me from this design, if some strong­er Reasons had not put me upon it.

BUT lest by some in this scribling Age I might be thought infected with the common Malady, Scribendi Cacoe­thes: I do here enter my solemn Protest against it; and that I had no other in­tentions in making my thoughts publick, but to satisfie the importunities of my own mind, by discharging that Duty I owe to God and the Holy Church: And if I cannot prevent the common, and by consequence my particular danger, I shall yet have the satisfaction that I have not by my silence consented to it; nay fur­ther, that, it may be, even beyond my Province, I have attempted to do it.

THE goodness of actions is not to [Page 4]be measured by their prosperous succes­ses; and if that fails to answer the ex­pectation of my wishes and desires, I shall yet have avoided the imputation of their folly, of whom the Historian tells us, who were known silendo periisse, to have perisht by either their imprudent or wilful silence.

THE knowledg I have of the dis­proportion there is betwixt the Design and the Undertaker, might also it may be discourage me from the Enterprize, if I did not remember, that once a con­temptlble Sling and ordinary Pebble, pro­strated the prodigious man of Gath, 1 Sam. 17.49, 50, 51. and overthrew an Army, not less numerous or insolent than this with which I am to encounter.

I cannot tell, whether some mens prevailing Fears, and the desire of that security which they vainly hope to esta­blish, by what they call tem­per and moderation; or the over tender Charity of others towards theirWho yet scorn that Epithete farther than it serves their interest, and are Giants in their own opinion, though in other mens, and in truth, more wilful than weak. weak Bre­thren, have hindred them from speaking plain: But I have ob­served, that most of those Prints which [Page 5]have of late days past the Press concern­ing them, have been handled with as much niceness and caution, as men with naked hands would treat the peevish Net­tles, or armed Brambles.

MUCH has been said, written, and printed in Vindication of the Church of England, her Rites and Ceremonies. But I find that these Apologies have always been rendred suspected of partiality, and so made useless by the Heads of the Sepa­ration amongst their credulous Follow­ers: and being usually Books of a great­er Price than every mans Pocket could easily reach; and of a larger content than either that or their capacity could with­out trouble contain; the ordinary sort of people being willing to spare both the expence of their Money and Time, ne­ver come to a clear understanding of the Controversies, but determine their Judg­ments according to the opinions and cen­sures of their Heads, to whom they have wholly resigned themselves and their Faith. Now it is most undoubted, that the Character which they will give of all such Writings, is never free from par­tiality, or ever favourable to any thing [Page 6]that is against their own Practice or In­terest.

AND if at any time some of the more curious or inquisitive, startled with the common Vogue, demand of their in­fallible Rabbi, what is his sense of the Learned and Judicious Mr. Hooker, the pious Mr. Comber, or the late incompa­rable both learned and mostest Mr. Falk­ner; or of any other Pieces of that kind, so highly cryed up by the Church of Eng­land-men? he will not fail to do all he can to perswade them not to lose so much time in reading such frothy stuff, which is nothing but untemper'd Mortar, to dawb over the Temple of Antichrist, which notwithstanding all that can be done to support it, must down, must fall very suddenly; and that they may much better spend their precious time, in read­ing the godly Works of such or such a man, of his own Opinion, with which Seditious Sermons the world is abomi­nably pestered. But that he may say something in answer to their Question; Hooker (of whom one may by his actions probably conjecture he never read more than the Title Page) he will tell them [Page 7]writ against some factious spirits in Queen Elizabeth's days; but that concerns not them. And for the rest they will not want something to say against them; which though it cannot enervate their masculine Arguments, yet shall infallibly prejudice and sully either their reputati­on, or intention in writing. The Friend­ly Debate is an extravagant Droll, Liber­tas Ecclesiastica was penn'd in hopes of Preferment, the Companion to the Altar is no Companion fit for them, the Ratio­nale upon the Common-Prayer, has no more Reason than what it wears upon the Frontispiece. And though I do pur­posely conceal both my Name and Ca­pacity, and will not tell them whether I am a Lay-man or an Ecclesiastick, nor shall all their industry find it out, if I can prevent it; yet I do expect the same or worse treatment and measure from them, and to hear their Random-shot whistle about my Ears.

LET them say or think who I am, or what they please of me; and were that all the Liberty of Conscience they would desire or demand, they should not fail of a willing and speedy gratification: [Page 8]and I cannot therefore be thought unjust, if I expect the same liberty which I would grant to others. My intentions are to deal plainly with them, and to proceed without favour or affection, so far as I have the Warranty of Truth, and no further, to the best of my know­ledg: Neither will I be tedious, but di­spatch what I have to say in as few words as is possible; and as near as I can I will calculate it for the Meridian of all Capa­cities, so as neither to endanger the weak­est Brains, nor if possible to displease the strongest: And herein I shall act like a Physician, of which Profession (or an Apothecary) they may guess me if they please; and since the Dose I am prepa­ring is like to be very strong, I will give it in the lesser quantity. I know it will work briskly, and be apt movere Bilem; make some persons vomit abundance of Choler: and it may be that which is blackest upon their Stomachs: in others it will strongly stir the Splene, not so much to Laughter as Revenge. If it does but in any measure contribute to the purging out that Epidemick Scurvy in the Body Politick, which betrays it [Page 9]self by those dangerous symptomes, of foul Mouths, stinking Breaths, and the loosness of the Tongue more than the Teeth, in many persons; I shall be abun­dantly satisfied: And if I may but see any good Effects, I am so little sollicitous for any private or particular advantage, more than my share in the Publick Good, that I care not whether the Cause be ever known.

THERE is no Science so true as the Mathematicks, one of its infallible Demonstrations is, Maximum posse mo­veri a minimo: and upon that Basis I will lay the foundation of my hopes; and how contemptible soever the first Mover may appear, I will not despair, but that this little Wheel may give a Motion to those which are far greater, and more powerful. A single hair if rightly ap­plied, may set that Engine at work, which will want nothing besides Archi­medes his convenient place to fix it upon, to remove the Terrestrial Globe from off its Centre.

CHAP. II. Of the Policy of the Enemies of the Church and State, to amuse us with the old Stratagem of Fears and Jealousies of the danger of Popery. Hereby they in­gratiate themselves with the Common People. The improbability that the Romish Perswasion and Government should ever be established again in these Nations: if it has of late increased amongst us, we are obliged for it to Dis­senters, who have made those breaches by which those Enemies enter. By these Fears and Jealousies, which they sow in the minds of the People, they endea­vour to make them hate the present Go­vernment and Governours, both in Church and State, perswading them they are Popishly inclined and Anti­christian, and thus secretly undermine the foundation of Monarchy and Epis­copacy.

IT is no uncommon Stratagem in War, to make false Assaults against a be­sieged Place, thereby to call away the [Page 11]perplexed Defendants from that place where the Storm is intended in good ear­nest. It were well if this were not our case: and truly the present face and po­sture of our Affairs does not look much unlike it; for though there seems to be the greatest distance betwixt Rome and Geneva, yet herein they both agree, that they are our common Enemies: and whilst the bolder Roman openly threa­tens us with an Assault, the crafty Pres­byterian, with his Confederate Separa­tists, are busie at the Mine; and I be­lieve it is not my single Opinion, That more places, otherways impregnable, have submitted to the Will of the Con­querour by that Artifice, than by the open fury of the Cannon. And so dan­gerous is the practice of that invention in a Politick sense, that how contemptible soever an Enemy may appear, if in that Design they make an undiscovered pro­gress, there will never want some despe­rate Faux's to spring their Mines; which if they succeed, will blow up all from the very Foundations, and bury the best built Government in the World in its own Ashes and Ruines.

[Page 12]I have read of a City whose Walls were overthrown, without any other Enemies or Engines, than the under­mining Moles. Whether true or fabu­lous, it matters not: sure I am if it be meerly a Fable, the Moral may not be unuseful to us; and though the Com­parison may be odious, yet it is but too agreeable to a sort of men, whose rest­less and mischievous Tempers and Opi­nions hurry them blindly on, to the ac­complishment of their ill Designs, by secret and underhand Practices, so long as they are out of hopes to effect them by open Force and Violence.

BUT they must know they are not so secret or secure as they imagine; and there are a great many amongst them­selves, who contribute not a little to our assistance in Countermining of them: And if I might advise them, they should not only be extreamly cautelous how they intrust one another with the GRAND DESIGN and SECRET, but even how they trust themselves: for Treachery and Baseness are so natural to them, that they cannot forbear be­traying themselves; and let them Swear [Page 13]or Forswear, Protest and Verily as often as they please, yet at one time or another their speeches will discover them to be Galileans: and I fear, just such as he was before he obeyed the summons of the Cock, to go out and weep bitterly,S. Peter. Mat. 26.75. which they have likewise need to do.

ONE of the greatest Arts, by which they secure themselves, whilst they a­muse us, is to perswade the world of a strange growth and encrease of Popery amongst us; and that they are the only persons who stand in the Breach; and by their Long Prayers, by their sound and Evangelical Doctrine, give a check to that threatning Deluge and Inundation. This does extremely ingratiate them with the Common People, to whom the Name of Popery is far more terrible than that of Mahumetanism: and to make these Fears and Jealousies appear something more probable, and not only conjectural, they do not scruple the lowdest Calumnies, and plainly enough to intimate, that all things are in the greatest forwardness to entertain this dreadful Revolution. All the eminent Prelates and Doctors of the Church, being as they affirm, favou­rably [Page 14]inclined to that Faith; and some of them already suspected to be secretly of that Perswasion. All our Prayers, Cere­monies, Altars, Bowings, Vestments, and the other Decencies of Religious Wor­ship, are already Popish and Antichristi­an: and hereby they do not only establish these Fears and Jealousies,Hinc spar­gere voces In vulgum ambiguas; & quaerere conscius arma. the Prologues to greater Mischiefs; but render all the Publick Service of God suspected, if not odious amongst the Populace.

AND I doubt not, but if a late Act of Parliament against Treasonable Lan­guage, and some little Love they have for their Lives and Estates, did not re­press their Insolence, they would fix their Calumnies and Slanders upon the Per­sons of the highest Character in the Na­tion: And it is neither Duty nor Allegi­ance nor Modesty, but fear and self-love which does prohibit them from proceed­ing so high.

NOW to my apprehension there is nothing does more plainly manifest the Vanity of these Fears and Jealousies (and that they have another Design in disper­sing them abroad) than the use which they constantly employ them in. And that is this:

[Page 15]THEY find by certain Experience, that to accuse any Persons, or any parts of our Worship of Superstition or Pope­ry, is an Expedient that never yet fail'd to render them contemptible and hated to the Multitude: which is a clear De­monstration that the Universal Genius of these Nations is an Enemy to that Per­swasion. Nor will the Romish Religion ever recover any tolerable credit, so long as the Cruelties of Queen Mary's Reign, the Spanish Invasion in Eighty Eight, and those threatned Inhumanities, the Powder-Treason, the Inquisition, or the late horrid Rebellion and Massacre in Ire­land, which influenced that in England, are either remembred or feared. All which makes it strongly improbable, That any Prince or Government, either in Church or State, (who must of neces­sity consult their own interest in the quiet and welfare of their People) should at­tempt to introduce that Religion, to which the People their Subjects, of all Degrees and Conditions, discover such a general aversion, and universal detesta­tion; and which therefore must create infinite troubles and most desperate In­conveniences.

[Page 16]AND if it be well considered, we shall find that the Jesuites, and all the Ro­mish Factors have not been able for this last Century,Some persons are strange­ly mistaken, if the Con­cilium de propaganda fide at Rome has not been very helpful in set­ting those Divisions a­mongst us; for they know well enough what that means, Divide & Impe­ra, which employment these Dissenters take out of their hands, as being the greater Artists in this Mystery of Iniquity. so effectually to serve the interest of their own Affairs, as these Persons have done; and if the Papists have made many or considerable Proselytes, possibly they owe them to those Divisions which these men have made in our Church, and not to any strength of Arguments they are able to produce, to con­vince them of any Errouts either in our Doctrine or Discipline. And though he must be a great Stranger in the Romish Transactions, who is ignorant how great Dissentions, Heats, and Animosities are amongst the Religious of their several Orders; and how great differences even about their main Question of Transub­stantiation, there are amongst their Do­ctors; nay how great Dissentions have been amongst the Popes themselves, not­withstanding their pretended Infallibili­ty: yet the great Motive they make use of to induce any person to return to the [Page 17]Faith and Obedience of the Church of Rome, is the strange Discords and Divi­sions which are amongst us, and the great Unity which is (as they falsly boast) only to be found amongst them; which Unity they urge as an infallible Mark of the true Church.

BUT as I believe the Presbyterian, or any other Dissenter, has no real Design or Intention to oblige the Church of Rome, though there is no doubt to be made, but that by their Divisions they do extremely advance the Roman Interest and Affairs; so I am satisfied that their aim is only to amuse us, and please the People, till such time as they have made their Party strong enough against the Church of England, of which they are in reality more afraid, than they are ei­ther of the Pope or Turk, and could they but once come to be uppermost, and have the power of the Sword, they would be so far from being afraid of St. Peter's double Dagger, that if the Pope did not civilly leave them to the management of their own Affairs, they would hazard to make the triple Diadem shake; and I know they have strong hopes to destroy [Page 18]the Kingdom of Antichrist, which when they had finished at home, they might have a temptation, having an easier pas­sage through the Streights, than Hanni­bal had over the Alps, to invade Peter's Patrimony, and burn the great Whore of Babylon with fire, and fulfil all the Prophecies in the Revelations, without the assistance of Kings, though there 'tis said that they shall do it.

NOW if any persons will be so ad­venturous to follow me, I will endea­vour to lead them through their subterra­nean▪ Passages, and shew their Contri­vances, and their secret Mines and Ma­gazines of that white Powder, which though it makes no noise, yet is not a whit less dangerous than that for which we celebrate the fifth day of November; and which will at one blow overturn all▪ Root and Branch of Liturgy, Episcopacy, Monarchy, and Liberty.

CHAP. III. An Account of the Heads of these Facti­ons amongst us, from whence we may [Page 19]conjecture what their Intentions are: Of their way of Education in the Times of the late Rebellion, in the Ʋniversities, or in the Army. Of their Lay-Teach­ers, and Shop-Doctors; how they came by their Gifts and Talent in Preaching; the Advantages they made of Religion in their Trades; the Employments they had under the Ʋsurping Governments; the Incouragement they had to invade the Pulpit: The desire they have of an alteration in the present Government, to recover their former Power and Pro­fit. The great unfitness of these men to officiate in the Church, who are guilty of Sacriledg, Murder, and Perjury.

LET us come therefore to take a sur­vey of their Persons: from thence we will proceed to their Principles; which will quickly lead us to the conside­ration of their Practices.

AS to their Persons, we must consi­der them as that pleasant fellow divided the World, into two parts, one of which was born to cheat the other; or accord­ing to the more customary and familiar method; we must divide them into the [Page 20]Heads and Body: for by the Way I must tell you, that these Factions have one remarkable Qualification of a Monster, that to one Body there are many Heads; all challenging Equality, though at the same time every one of them aimes at Priority. The Body being for the most composed of those who are deceived, I shall not concern my self with them, as the Principal Subjects of this Discourse: for if at any time, one of this Body ad­vances so far as to be able to deceive o­thers, that Member presently starts up to be a Head. 'Tis these Heads and their Hands that we have just reason to suspect and to be afraid of, and with these therefore I chiefly intend to deal.

THESE Heads must likewise be subdivided (which is natural to them) into two Classes; which Word will please some of them, though it may be the distinction will not: They are either Scholasticks, or Laicks, Literate, or Ig­norant Heads. The Scholasticks are such as either had their Education in one of the Universities, or in the Army-Col­ledge, during the late precious times, when the Saints bore the sway, and rul'd [Page 21]these Nations with a Rod of Iron, viz. the Sword: and with that Iron-Scepter broke their Enemies in pieces like a Pot­ters Vessel.

IF they are such as suckt the Breasts of either of the Universities, 'tis odds but they are some of those who were nurst up immediately after their poor Mothers had most outragiously been abu­sed; when little nourishment was to be drawn from them, that was not mixt with Blood; or however with some of that Physick which the Mountebanks of the Age gave them, to recover that Health which they had first taken from them: and it is well enough known that the Vertue of the Medicine will pass through the Mother to the Child. This ‘Physick was their Pan-pharmacon, called the Solemn League and Covenant. Which was afterwards corrected with a Pill, cal­led the Engagement to be true to the Government, without a King or House of Peers:’ and the Dregs or these poy­sonous and ill-prepared Medicines, stick as close to these men as their very Natures: so that without the danger of being thought a Conjurer, it is easie to guess [Page 22]what they are, and what they would be at? I'le lay my life on't they love the Cove­nant and the dear Good old Cause, a great deal better than a Prince or a Prelate; without which they have sworn to live; and whose utter Extirpation (withThe Cere­mony of their ta­king the Covenant, by which it appears they are not against all Ceremo­nies. hands lift up to Heaven) they have so solemnly sworn and vowed: and their Consciences are so infinitely tender, that they would not break their Oaths, to gain the whole World (no more than Herod would do his) though never so impious and unlawful. And yet these very Men some them, both Clergie and Laicks, made no difficulty in taking those detestable Oaths, to cancel all their for­mer Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy, and Canonical Obedience, which they had so often, as they made their Superi­ors believe, ex animo taken and sworn.

THEIR Brethren of the Armies E­ducation, are indeed their sworn Bre­thren, Simeon and Levi: it may be not altogether so well verst in Practical, but Knockers in Polemical Divinity; they can pray two hours upon the Drum's head, make as loud a noise as that when 'tis highest brac't; and it may be are as [Page 23]empty too. These men can fire a Pistol in the Face of a Prince: can exercise a Troop, both in Martial Discipline and Rebellion: These are spiritual Drag­goons, and can serve either as Horse or Foot. These were such, who for their Eminent Gifts and Services, were divers of them possessed of the fair Demesnes of the Orthodox Clergie, and at his Majesties late happy Restauration were forced to quit both their Military Dioceses and good Livings: and no wonder then if some of them out of necessity, and for a Lively-hood; others out of Revenge, do now persecute those Persons and that Way with their utmost Hatred, against which they once fought, or at least incou­raged others to fight, so heartily and suc­cessfully. And these are their Antesignani of the first Rate, or rather [...], The Sons of Thunder.

AND lest this precious Generation of men should perish, (for they are not Immortal) the breeding of the Universi­ties being corrupted with Surplices and Subscriptions; some persons are so in­discreet as to commit a Son or Nephew to their Tuition; or they pick up some [Page 24]hopeful young man (as they call him) whom they educate in their Doctrines and Discipline: and thus take care that the succession may be secured and propa­gated.

AFTER these come the Laicks, Illi­terate or Ignorant Heads; such as are meerly Mechanicks: Of these some are such as were in actual Armes against their late lawful Soveraign; and having run away from the more painful and honest Trades in which their Parents or Masters gave them Education, in the Rebel Armie learnt the better Trades of War and Saintship, which at that time were inse­parably linkt together. Others of them are such whose courage it may be was not so great, as to endure the sight of a naked Sword, the clashing of Armour, the noise of the Cannon, or the other Terrors of Warr: but having the gain­ful Employs of Sequestrators, Decima­tors, or Country Committee-men, or some dependance on them, staid zea­lously at home to pray for those who were couragiously fighting the Lords Battels against the Mighty abroad: and by their Rapine and Oppression, making [Page 25]long Prayers and devouring those Wid­dows Houses, whom their Companions murdering Swords had made such, in the first place to make Provision for them­selves, and in the next for their Confede­rates, who were to bear the Heat and Bur­then of the Day.

These Fellows were great frequenters of Sermons, those things then call'd Ex­ercises; which indeed were very violent, and made such as used them sweat, whilst they set their Lungs to sale, from the Pul­pit to encourage Sedition and justifie Re­bellion: To these Meetings, if they could write and read, to make their Zeal the more observable, they never went with­out the necessary Utensils of Pen, Ink, and a large Pocket writing-Book, which was then the high Mode of the Religious and Godly. With such scraps of holy Non-sense as they there pickt up, they charitably feasted the Neighbourhood; and after many vain Repetitions of such fragments of their Collections to their own Families, and whoever else would come to hear them, perswaded of their strange Gifts and Abilities, and encou­raged by the frequent flatteries and admi­ration [Page 26]of others, whose judgment was of the same Standard with their own, they came at last to set up for themselves, and in a little time to despise their Ma­sters.

NOW and then you should have a Cobler venture beyond his Last, a Chand­ler finding out new Lights, a Grocer re­tailing Religion, a Black-Smith with a hot spark of Zeal in his throat hammer­ing out Hobnails and Heresie, or a prag­matical Apothecary prating according to the Proverb. This Crew of Shop-Di­vines, animated by the prevailing licen­tiousness of the Times, their Ignorance and Impudence, with the help of some seditious Books, and an English Bible, (which for want of understanding the Original they wrest, as all unlearned and unstable men do the Scriptures, to their own sensne, fansie, and damnation) launch forth boldly into the depths of Divinity, to become Fishers for Men and Money: and with as much confidence as if they had the same Commission from our great Lord and Master,Luk. 5.6. Act. 2.41. which his Disciples had to take the miraculous draught of Fishes or of Men.

[Page 27]NOR were the Advantages and Re­turns which they made in this Spiritual Traffick, so mean or inconsiderable, but that still they did encourage new Adven­turers in the Trade; and also paid the first bold Undertakers sufficiently for their pains. Such a man was then accounted a Confiding Man; that is, he was fit for the use of the State, in the necessary and pious Employments of Rapine, Sacri­ledg, and premeditated Murder; and hereby (which one would think very strange) they got the Reputation of so­ber and conscientious men, just and ho­nest in their Dealings, which was no small step to many Customers, and by light Gains and quick Returns to make a heavy Purse for themselves; though I doubt not but they made many heavy Hearts and light Purses for other men; viz. the truly Loyal Subjects, who for no other Crime were called Delinquents and Malignants, and were accordingly treated in their Persons and Estates, as the most notorious Malefactors, by these honest godly men: who for these ser­viceable Cruelties and ill-gotten riches, came to be feared by all, respected by [Page 28]many, though lov'd by few. And it was no uncustomary thing, to see one of these pragmatical Peasants with his high shoes and Hobnails, in greater Authority than the Right Worshipful, or it may be the Right Honourable of his Parish. So great gain was the Godliness of those times, that it is no Miracle if they long and breath so much to see those Gospel-Days again.

BUT lest I should be thought a little unkind in giving them the distinguishing Character of ignorant Heads; though I could produce many Instances, one or two shall suffice to make it appear that I am not injurious, but civil to them, in con­cealing so many of their follies as I am a­ble to publish.

ONE of these proud and insolent Ig­noramus's being urged to pay some re­spect to his Superiors, from the Exam­ple of St. Paul, who complemented the Roman Governour with that respectful Address of most Noble Festus; found out this cunning Evasion for his unman­nerly Religion, that for ought he knew Most Noble was the Deputies Christian Name.

ANOTHER of the same form, was [Page 29]so childishly ignorant, even in the Com­mon Sentiments of Nature, as to put the Question whether it was the same Moon, at the place where he dwelt, as was in other places? and to admire her kindness for travelling with him all one Evening; going if he went, and standing still if he did so, to wait upon this younger Bro­ther of Endymion. Nay so strangely silly was this Animal, as by a pleasant con­ceited Gentleman, (who did it with a­bundance of personated gravity and plau­sible Artifice) to be perswaded out of his Christian Name: and yet this Fopp would swagger about Predestination and Election as boldly as the tallest Doctor of the Tribe. And though I make no questi­on, but a great many of them may have far more natural cunning; not many of them have much more Learning: Since I know it is not now to be hoped for by a Miracle, and I am sure they are far enough out of the Road, and advantages of obtaining it any other Way.

I will not say it is impossible, but I dare say it is very difficult to find a Head of any faction or separation, who either was not bred up for some time, a few days [Page 30]at least for the Credit on't, in one of the Universities, or one of those mens Pu­pils who were educated in the times of Rebellion; when a Month made any man of Gifts (for it was no matter for Parts) a Master of the Arts of praying Extempore, and Preaching Pindariques; a Year was sufficient to proceed to the Grace of Doctor; or by what was then called Grace to make him fit to do the Work of one of their Evangelists or A­postles, and qualifie him to preach that Gospel which was able to convert Chri­stians to Paganism, or something worse. Or else generally you shall find them such who have been Reverend Spiritual Curiassiers, or Chaplains to some of the Rebel Cohorts, or a Disciple to some of them. A Sequestrator, Committee-man, or related to, and dependant on them. A Favourite to some of the great and lead­ing Men of those times, or however ac­quainted with them, or some of those other sorts of ignorant, conceited imper­tinent Mechanicks; and take the Herring out of which Barrel you please, for they are all of a price.

NOW, do not these look like men fit [Page 31]to be intrusted with the Management of the Publique Affairs of the Church, and the conduct of Souls to Heaven? of whom some were Actors, most of them A­bettors in all those abominable Sacri­ledges, those horrible Depredations, and that Infamous Murther of the best of Princes, the Lords Anointed, and their Lawful Soveraign; to whom they all ow'd and had many of them sworn Faith and Allegiance, and have thereby added Perjury to the rest of their Abomina­ble Crimes.

WERE not these things matters of Fact and so notoriously known, that they must have Faces of Brass to deny them, the Charge would be most uncharitably scandalous: but I desire no other Testi­mony than that of their own tender Con­sciences, and of all the World that knows them, to evidence the Truth as well as Greatness of their Crimes.

CHAP. IV. Of the Ways whereby they decoy others to be of their Perswasion. Of the great [Page 32]pretensions they make to Zeal and Holi­ness. Of the great Veneration they seem to have for the Scriptures, when yet they are directly against them. In­stanced in two Positive Commands, to obey Magistrates in the State, and those that have the Rule over them in the Church. The unreasonableness of the Pleas they make for their disobedi­ence, which if allowed must take away all the Power of Superiours, and can­cel all the Duty of Inferiours. The Im­potency of that Plea of expecting express Scripture as the only Warrant for all our Actions. The unpracticableness of it shewn in a familiar and very possible Instance.

IT is some kind of Miracle, that there should be such ill Men, and yet such good and glorious Pretences; but it is a far greater, that after all this, they should be able to gain Proselytes, be followed, admired, countenanced and esteemed al­most to Adoration, by so many Persons. Our next Discovery must therefore be, By what Arts and Methods they pur­chase that Reputation in the World; and [Page 33]how they come to make so many Di­sciples.

HAD some Ages past over since the late Dismal Revolutions, one might ima­gine such specious pretences might pre­vail again, and the concealed mischief pass undiscovered: But the Blood being yet scarce drie upon the Sand where they acted the Real Tragedie, the Scars of those intestine Wounds which they gave both Church and State being still visible and apparent, and the Ashes of our former Fires so lately quencht, that they do not only still smoak, but are full of hot and glowing Embers: one can scarcely tell how to judg otherways, but that those Persons who do so industri­ously blow them up, and supply them with the same combustible Materials, must be very desirous to re-kindle those devouring Flames; and that a great part of those who are the Countenancers and followers of these Men and their Perswa­sions, must have a Design to repeat o­ver again those Horrid Villanies, which were contrived either by the same Per­sons, or at least such as were of the same Leaven; and carried on by the same Me­thods [Page 34]and gradual Progressions, the ve­ry same pretences of Conscience, Religi­on and Reformation, with which now these present Dissenters act.

YET I dare not believe of so many as seem to love or like them, that the great­est part would rejoice to see the Con­fusion and Desolation of their Na­tive Country: and I would be unwilling to fix that Design upon several, who I am confident are Innocent of it. Nor do I think, that all the whole Party are managed by Interest, or guilty of Hypo­crisie: I am clearly of another Judgment; and do believe it is a want of ability or means to discover those Dangers which are closely concealed from them by the cunning Ring-leaders of Faction, which is the true Reason why they do so much admire and adore the fair outside and specious appearances of these Men; who are like those [...],St. Luke s. 11. v. 44. those dan­gerous vaults under the Painted Se­pulchres: at whose outward Beautie and Garniture whilest Men do with wonder gaze, they are not aware of the Dangers of their inward hollowness, till they are irrecoverably fallen into it.

[Page 35]THERE is no question, but Good­ness and Piety do command an Universal Love and Veneration: insomuch that e­ven those persons whose constant De­baucheries declare them open Enemies to all Virtue, cannot yet forbear to pay a secret Homage to those Men with whom they see her dwell. And this is the Lure which these cunning Falconers know so well how to manage; and by it to reclaim the greatest Haggards. But it is but a Lure, and would they well consider, when they have with so much eagerness stoopt upon it, that it is only a few Gay Feathers, and not a real Quar­ry, they would not so tamely take the Hood, and give themselves up to that blind Faith and Obedience which is ex­pected from them.

I would willingly believe, that it is not the Wills, but the Understandings of these Men that are to blame: and as I desire it were, so I should extreamly re­joyce to be convinced that their Piety were real: But I shall never be capable of entertaining the Perswasion, That any Person can truly Fear God, who does not Honour the King: or that he can be [Page 36]a good Christian, so long as he conti­nues to be an ill Man. Nor can I be brought to believe, that he is a Child of God, and loves God as he ought to do, who hates his Brother; unless they can convince me that it is not Canonical Scripture which tells me, In this the Children of God are manifest, and the Children of the Devil: whoso doth not Righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother. And I am very well satisfied, that it is no Work of Righ­teousness to refuse to obey God in those lawful Magistrates and Ministers who arc of his especial appointment, and his Vicegerents and Representatives: and to whom therefore he commands all Obe­dience and Subjection should be given.

DID they lie under the hard Circum­stances of invincible Ignorance of their Duty, they would deserve Pity and Par­don both from God and Men: but be­ing prest on all sides with such clear and irresistible Arguments from undeniable Scripture, Law, and Reason, that they owe all Duty to their Soveraign, and all Obedience to their Superiours in the Church; there is no colour or pretext [Page 37]left them, under which they can shelter themselves from the unavoidable guilt of wilful Disloyalty, and Obstinate Schism.

I have often wondred to hear with what Veneration they will speak of the Holy Scriptures; and to see how con­stantly they retreat to them as the most impregnable Fortress for the Defence of their Opinions and Perswasions: how peremptorily and frequently they appeal to them as the only indifferent Judges and Arbiters of all Controversies and Dif­ferences in Religion: how zealously and earnestly they plye the People with the great Duty of searching the Scriptures, for in them they have Eternal Life:St. Joh. c. 5. v. 3 [...]. and yet all the World cannot perswade them either to believe or hear those Scriptures, though speaking never so plainly against their Erroneous Practices.

I know no Commands more Positive than what our blessed Lord himself and the Apostles of our Lord have given for their Obedience to Kings, even Heathen Kings;St. Mar [...] c. 12. v. 1. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, as well as unto God the things that are Gods. And let [Page 38]every Soul be subject to the higher Powers, Rom. 13. v. 1. saith St. Paul. And he enforces the Com­mand upon them with the most dread­ful of all Penalties; Not imprisonment of their Bodies, confiscation of their Goods, or Death (in all which they pretend to glory, and be more than Con­querors): but with Damnation, of which (if they suffer it) they will have no cause to Boast. And as if he had foreseen what shield they would oppose against such a mighty Blow as comes from the all­powerful Arm of Divine Vengeance; he takes away even that Defence, and tells them, it is a folly to pretend the Obstacle of Conscience, since they must needs be subject not only forThe word [...] signi­fies Poena, vindicta, as well ac Ira. So. Rom. c 3. v. 11. Is God unjust ( [...]) who taketh vengeance? Wrath, or fear of Punishment, but also for Con­science sake.

NOR is the other Command less plain and positive. Obey them that have the Rule ever you; and submit your selves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account. That there are such Persons who have a just Authority over them, by the Fundamen­tal Laws of the Land, is matter of un­deniable [Page 39]Fact, and these very Men hav­ing given their co [...]t to those Laws, by their free Representatives in Parlia­ment, stand bound to the observance of them by their own Act and Deed. Which manifestly shews the unreasonableness of their disobedience. But further, that these Governours of the Church have that Au­thority vested in them and derived upon them, by a continued succession from Christ and his Apostles, is a Truth, which though they may stoutly deny; yet they will never be able with all their skill to disprove, with­out a new Index Expurgatorius: and such a one as must purge not only all the wri­tings of the Ancient Fathers, all the Re­cords of time, all the Acts of the allowed General Councils, but even the Bible, or at least some part of it out of the World.

ALL that they say for themselves to palliate such Notorious Disobedience, is, That they ought to obey God rather than Men, which is undoubtedly true and ne­cessary in all such cases, as that for which it was first urged; where the Commands of Men are contrary to the Express Laws and Positive Will of God: But a most impertinent and frivolous Evasion, where [Page 40]the Impositions of Men are either a­greeable to the Will of God; or by be­ing by him left altogether undetermi­ned, are therefore absolutely in the Power of his Deputies, the lawful Ma­gistrates to determine, this way or that way, as to them shall seem most expedi­ent. And therefore the Apostle com­mands,1 Pet. 2. cap. ver. 13, to 18. Submit your selves to every Ordi­nance of Man, for the Lords sake.

SOMETIMES they will tell us (especially those whole Reason convin­ces them of the impotency of the former Plea) that they are obedient so far as the Impositions are lawful: that is, warran­ted from the Express Word of God, which is amongst all Dissenters the most Uni­versal Sanctuary, where their Disobedi­ence seeks, and, as they think, finds a most certain Refuge and sure Protection.

LET them now shew us, for the proof of this new Tenent, any one place of Scripture, where all Obedience is limi­ted only to what is expresly comman­ded in the holy Canon. If they can, they have better Eyes than all the rest of the World; and if they cannot, why do they destroy their Maxime by their own Pra­ctice, [Page 41]by yielding Obedience to a Doctrine no-where warranted by express Words or Commands of Scripture? and this im­pregnable Fortification, in which they think their Disobedience so securely re­trench'd, will, like the Walls of Jeri­cho, fall flat in an Instant, if we consi­der,

FIRST, That the Members of the Church ow'd all Obedience to their law­ful Superiours, both in Church and State, before some parts of the Scripture were committed to writing; and long before they were collected into one Volume, and so communicated to the dispersed Church. Now, before they were either written or published, they could be no Rule for their Obedience; which, never­theless, was a Duty which they were ob­liged to perform, both as Men and Chri­stians.

SECONDLY, If we consider, That, though the Scriptures are suffici­ently able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation, in point of Faith and Doctrine; yet they are altogether silent, as to the particulars of Discipline and Government. Some general Rules are [Page 42]laid down; as, That every thing must be done with Decency and in Order:1 Cor. c. 14. v. 26, 40. Now the Question is, what is Decent? what Orderly? and what Edifying? The Scriptures cannot be the Arbiters of what they leave undetermined, nay, not so much as mentioned: Who must then be Judges? Surely those Powers, and that Authority, which are ordained of God; and established by the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of our Nation: and not these Men, nor indeed any pri­vate Persons; who can shew us neither Mission nor Commission, Succession nor any other Authority, more than they may have obtained by Usurpation, to be Judges over the Church of God. And their own Practice, when they were in Power, shews the unreasonableness of this Plea; since what they deny to others, they did then arrogantly challenge to themselves; viz. To determine the Times, and Modes of Worship: and in their worthy Directory they did impose many things not expresly commanded in Scripture, nor so much as incouraged by any ancient Usage or Custome in the Church of Christ. Nay, the very ma­king, [Page 43]and imposing such a Directory, was by this Rule absolutely unlawful, as being no-where commanded in the Word of God. And what were all their Exer­cises, publick and private Fasts, and days of Thanksgiving for their prosperous Wickedness, but Times of Worship,Prosperum scelus vir­tus voca­tur. (I dare not say of God) of their own, not the Scriptures appointment? So that it makes it very suspicious, that they are of the same spirit with Diotrephes; and that their prating with such malicious words, against their Lawful Superiours,3 S. John v. 9. proceeds from that Ambitious Love which they have to Preheminence them­selves, which gives them such an aver­sion to those Humilities and due Sub­missions which they owe to others.

THIRDLY, the impotency of this Evasion will most fully appear, if we consider the Nature of Obedience, which is hereby utterly destroyed: for the very Essence of Obedience does consist (not in disputing the lawfulness of the Com­mands, but) in a willing and ready put­ting those Commands in Executions; provided they are such as are not directly contrary to the plainly understood and [Page 44]Positive revealed Will of God; or to the Universal and Common Laws and Di­ctates of Nature and Nations; which none of those, to which Dissenters are dis­obedient, can be proved to be. And the Subject of all Obedience, either to the Laws of God or Man, usually consists in such things as are expedient to be done in order to the publick good, rather than agreeable to our inclinations, which (though under the specious Name of Conscience) if they may be permitted to be Judges, will emancipate all Mankind, and set them free from that Duty which they owe to their Superiors: and it would be no more but pleading this Corban a­gainst whatsoever is expected from them, and all the Obligation to Duty is▪ imme­diately cancel'd. And I would gladly be satisfied, if this Doctrine were Universally received and put in Practice,Deus fecit omnia pondere & mensu­râ, Sap. c. 11. v. 20, and there­fore saw that every thing was veery good, Gen. 1.31. whether it would not quickly turn the whole World upside down, and in a few Moments de­stroy that Beautiful Order, of which Almighty God was the Primitive Author in Nature; and as St. Paul tells us, is no less in the Church? for God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace, as [Page 45]in all the Churches of the Saints; and that Peace is never to be hoped for, had or enjoyed, without Order, and Obedi­ence to those Decencies which by a Law­ful Authority are commanded, and which therefore the same Apostle absolutely and universally enjoins: Let all things be done decently and in order.

BUT to shew the impracticableness of this Opinion in the common concerns of Life, and much more therefore in the Religious, we will suppose that one of these precious Men has Children and Servants, whom he has educated in the fear of the Lord and instructed in the Way of Righteousness according to his own Principles. He calls for his Son, and tells him, Son, such a Man owes me a considerable summe of Money, this is the day for payment, pray go and re­ceive it for me, to supply my present urgent occasions. But replies the Son, Sir, how do I know whether this be a just Debt? and unless I be satisfied in Conscience that 'tis so, I dare neither de­mand nor receive it of him. Oh Son, says the Father, Remember your Duty, and the Commandement, Honour thy Fa­ther, [Page 46]&c. and from that Text he preach­es him a long Lecture of the Necessity of Obedience, and the many advantages both Temporal and Eternal which do attend it. Sir, answers the Son, All this is true, and I am Obedient to you, and Honour you, so far as the Scripture warrants me; but I can find no express Command in the Word of God, for this you would have me to do; and unless I can, my Conscience will not give me leave; for I must obey that and God rather than Man. Having such ill success with his Son, whom he has made so good a fencer as to beat him at his own Weapon; he betakes him to his servant, who has been sufficiently taught that he must not be an Eye-ser­vant, but serve with singleness of Heart as unto the Lord: Pray, says he to him, go to my Grounds, and take up such a Horse, carry him to the Fair or Market and sell him, but not under such a Price. Oh Sir, answers the scrupulous and con­scientious Servant, there is to be a Godly Meeting at such a place, and I must go to hear such a Precious Man, who teaches the most feeling, soul-saving, heart-break­ing, sin-destroying Truths. But besides, [Page 47]I know not whether the Horse be worth so much, or whether he is sound Wind and Limb? and I am afraid lest I should cheat or over-reach my Neighbour; and indeed I dare not do it, for I would not wrong my Conscience to gain the whole world, and lose my own precious Soul. So that, as far as I see, if what he calls his Conscience does but suggest it, the Man will be the Master. And this Li­berty of Conscience is a most excellent thing to cancel all such Contracts as In­dentures, and if it were but as generally received and put in practice, as it is preacht in London, the Chamberlain of the City would be eased of a great trou­ble: and Conscience would make more Free-men in an Hour, than he can do in seven Years. It were endlese to recount all the Instances of this Nature which might be brought, to shew the unreaso­nableness, ridiculousness, and dangerous folly of maintaining this Doctrine.

AS for that subtle piece of Non-sense of satisfying that Duty which they owe to Authority, by Suffering, which they call Passive Obedience, I think it is out of countenance already; or if it be not, [Page 48]I think it may very well blush, when they rank themselves amongst Thieves, Murderers, the damned in Hell, and the Devils themselves, all which are passive­ly obedient to the Laws of God and Men: that is, they suffer the just Punishments of their Disobedience to both.

THIS may appear a large Digression, and not much to the purpose of the In­tention of these Papers: But I thought I could not do these men justice, if after the Character of their Persons, I did not endeavour to take away, from them this Feather, with which they play so fre­quently, and tickle both their own Mouths, and the Ears of others.

CHAP. V. Of the several Arts they use to gain Love, Credit, Esteem, and Veneration. Of their pretences to Exemplary Piety in their Actions, Words, Looks, Gestures, Habits. Of the way of their mainte­nance by Free-will Offerings, the Ad­vantages they have thereby over the Clergie of the Church; it eases them of [Page 49]a great trouble, and preserves the love of their Auditors, who liket his Gospel-way, where they may at their pleasure withdraw their Bounty, it secures them from the Penal Laws. Of the Advan­tage they make of Punishment, by cal­ling it Persecution; of their seeming Constancy in suffering for what they call Conscience; hereby they gain love, pity, and money: They make this Persecution an infallible Mark of the trite Church; the use they make of it, to render the Government odious to the People, and to dispose them by degrees to endeavour the alteration of the present, which they call Reformation. The same Arts made use of to promote the late Re­bellion.

LET us now examine by what Arts and Arguments they proceed with so much success in the Returns they make of their Traffick for Reputa­tion, Money, and Disciples, and to pass for such precious godly men, and the on­ly Soul-savers, both in their Opinion, and the Thoughts of others, who follow them in Multitudes.

[Page 50]WE must therefore understand, that what by the In-comes of the late Times, when the Spoils of the Wicked, and the Riches of the Nation ran through their Chanels; and what by the present libe­ral Contributions of the Brotherhood; they have as little Necessity as Opportu­nity to enrich themselves by impoverish­ing others. What they did before, is both by Time and the surpassing Genera­sity of their most gracious Prince, buri­ed in Oblivion: So that now they have nothing to do, but to promote the Good Cause and God's Glory; for I dare en­gage, that Restitution of any thing for­merly obtained by unlawful Means, is no part of their Religion, nor ever raised the least scruple in the tenderest of their Consciences.

THEY know well enough, that Ex­ample is more prevalent and convincing than all the Precepts and Arguments in the world; and that he that would draw another to be of his Perswasion, must first perswade him to believe that he is good, and has a great love and tender­ness for his concerns and eternal Welfare: And herein lies their Excellency. It is [Page 51]their greatest care and constant endea­vour, to manage their Lives and Actions with so much cunning and artifice, that Detraction and Envy shall have much to do with all their curiosity, to find out any thing in the outside and visible part of their Lives whereof to accuse them, ex­cepting for their disobedience to Govern­ment; which though it be unfledg'd Re­bellion in the shell, yet they are so far from esteeming it criminal or sinful, that therein consists the only differencing part of their Religion from other Men. And for my part, I will in displaying this their Master-piece, and what-ever else concerns them, do them all the justice and reason they can deserve.

THAT they may therefore appear to be the most upright Men in their genera­tion, they are not only violent in decry­ing Sin in others, especially great and scandalous, common and customary sins, Intemperance, and that Debauchery un­der which the Nation groans; but they are all extreamly vigilant over them­selves: most prudent and dexterous not only in avoiding the sins, but even the occasions which may lead them into any [Page 52]disorders: And therefore, though they ap­pear wonderful courteous, and full of obli­ging smiles, yet they will rarely converse much or long with any Company: and always chuse to leave behind them the great desire of their further conversation, rather than to importune and nauseate with a tedious visit; coming to see you as a Physician for your Soul; and staying, as if they had more Patients in their Round, and it may be only for the Fee. Nor will they so much as come in any place where there may be occasion or suspicion of Scandal or expence, unless in case of ne­cessity, or in their travels upon the road: they are as scrupulous of a Tavern or publick House as a Mahometan, who by his great Prophet is forbidden the use of Wine. If at any time they fall in acci­dentally with idle or extravagant Persons; they will either by their silence or morose severity escape their persecutions; and by a discreet Incomplaisance avoid those dan­gers and inconveniences, which hot Dis­courses and hard Drinking precipitate so many Men into.

I do not charge them with these things as matters of guilt, and if these were [Page 53]their only crimes, they were the most ex­cellent Persons of the World: And pos­sibly the want of this necessary Circum­spection and cautelous Prudence in some of those who call themselves Sons of the Church, have done her the greatest un­kindnesses; and have given such advan­tages to her enemies, as they could not have hoped for from all their own indu­strious malice and subtilest contrivance: I wish they would seriously consider of it, and in time reform such of their Actions, as make their Persons infamous, render their Profession contemptible, their way of Worship suspected, and their good en­deavours in other things fruitless and in­effectual.

BUT to proceed, their very looks are modell'd and composed to a setled gra­vity, and almost affected austerity: Their eyes and hands are in company often lift­ed up to Heaven, as if they were taken up with holy meditations, or devout Eja­culations. They are usually sparing of their Language, and when they speak, it is with such a particular way of a treat­able and sententious deliberation, as af­fords them liberty to weigh every word, [Page 54]and strictly examine it, before it passes the sally-port of their lips; which like­wise adds to the belief that it is the Spi­rit that gives them utterance in their Ex­tempore Prayer, when (contrary to that custom which most think is nature in them) they pour out their words, which like Jacob and Esau struggle for the right of being the first-born, as we shall take notice hereafter. The greatest part of their Discourse is about Religious affairs, the great concern of Souls, for which they express an infinite care and tenderness. Sometimes they will with passionate sighs and expressions bewail the wickedness and abominations of the present Age; and that not without some poysonous hints against the miscarriages which they will intimate are to be found amongst Per­sons of the greatest Rank and Eminency, as influencing the rest of their Inferiors by Example: and whilst it may be, they on­ly pretend to pity them, they really en­deavour to make them odious. Their very Habits, lest they should seem incli­ned to Pride or Vanity, are usually mean enough; and for certain so remote from the present à la mode, especially the Cano­nical, [Page 55]as to appear rather approaching to Antick, if it will but keep them warm, as they tell such as happen to take any no­tice of it, that was the original intention of Apparel, and therefore all that they expect from it.

THEY rarely concern themselves with secular affaires, their Revenues be­ing the Free-will Offerings of the People; which they quicken now and then with a gracious Exhortation: To do good and communicate, to distribute to the neces­sity of the Saints, with which Sacrifices they tell them God is well pleased, and no doubt then, but they are: and hereby they receive a treble advantage.

FIRST, They have a great conve­niency for privacy and retirement: which they are not sparing to publish they do wholly spend, or the greatest part of it, in Prayer, Meditation, and taking pains to provide Spiritual food for the Souls of Men.

SECONDLY, Hereby they gain and preserve the kindness of their Audi­tors, who are so far from grumbling at their way of Maintenance, that they look upon it as the only Gospel-way: and seem [Page 56]never better pleased with themselves, than when they have done an Action so meritorious, as they pretend to believe the supplying of their wants and necessi­ties is. Though possibly (which these Men are not aware of) it is because they are not obliged by Law to the payment of those voluntary stipends, but are at li­berty to stop their hands when they please; and lessen or enlarge their Bounty and Liberality accordingly as the Teacher edifies them; that is, as either he flatters their Humors and Fancies in publick or private: Or if there happens any dislike or disagreement betwixt them, they may wholly withdraw their Purses and Persons from him and his Congregation, and be­take themselves to another, as I have seen it my self, and do not doubt but it very fr [...]quently happens. And there is no way so effectual as this, to make the Clergy most mercenary, base, servile and mean-spirited, so as not to dare to say or do any thing which may displease a good Bene­factor, for fear of losing both himself, his money, and their own Reputation; which of necessity follows their being forsaken of any of their Hearers, who will [Page 57]be sure to lay the blame of their Change upon the want of ability and unedifying­ness of the Teacher, whom they have for those Reasons left, and made choice of a better.

THIRDLY, Hereby they many times avoid and escape the severities of the Penal Laws in their Pecuniary Punish­ments; having no visible Estate to levy an Estreat upon: and as they will not by any Authority be suspended ab Officio, so they are sure they cannot a Beneficio. One of these Teachers meeting the Constable, who came with a Warrant to levy twen­ty pounds, for his holding a Conventi­cle, of which he was in due form of Law convicted; pleasantly told him, he might take his Distress if he could find any thing; but yet, says he, I would have you understand I do not complain of Po­verty.

WERE they to receive their Main­tenance, as the Clergy of England do, by the ancient and establisht way of Tythes, as their Revenues would be nothing so large, so they would have less time to spend in their Studies, and more hatred and ill-will amongst their Parishionees; [Page 58]for it has been observed, that some men of great eminency for Piety, Parts, and Learning, have not yet been able by all those Accomplishments, to purchase the love of their Parishes; For which there could be no other Reason given, besides their honest Care to take their own just Right and Maintenance, according to the direction and appointment of the Laws.

AND possibly we need not seek any further for the Reason of the common disrespect, or contempt of the Clergy: for they lie almost under an unavoida­ble necessity of being either poor or ha­ted: If they will permit either over­powerful Greatness, or the universal Co­vetousness of the ordinary rank of Peo­ple, to defraud them of the greatest part of their little Revenues, they may pass for good, quiet and peaceable men; but must certainly be poor and necessitous: which will infallibly render them con­temptible in the esteem of the greatest part of the world, which will never leave the humour of paying their Respects pro­portionably to the Quantum quis (que) num­morum habet in Arca, to the greatness of Riches, and not of Vertue. And if the [Page 59]Clergy endeavours to redress this, by ha­ving recourse to the Laws, for the reco­very of their just Rights, they shall as­suredly gain the Character of trouble­some, litigious, and covetous persons, and shall not fail to be for these false im­putations really hated: For all which troubles and inconveniences they are ob­liged to the Doctrine and Practice of these Dissenters, in unsetling the minds of the Multitude in the late Times of Liberti­nism: All which they avoid likewise themselves, and are considerable gainers by the bargain.

AND now, what Person that looks no further than these fair Appearances, but must judg most advantageously of these men? And there are not many of their Followers that will give themselves the trouble of a further Enquiry, or more nar­now Search and Examination. Nay I am perswaded, that hereby a great many of them do commonly deceive them­selves into a strong belief of their own sanctity: And though they do openly avow (if not by their Doctrine, yet by their Practice) and justifie the blackest of all Crimes, Rebellion, which is as the sin [Page 60]of Witchcraft; and that stubbornness, which is as Iniquity and Idolatry, of which they so vehemently accuse others, yet all this is done for Conscience sake; and that pretence can by a strange Chy­mistry, turn the greatest Sinners into golden Saints, and the most horrid Im­pieties, Sacriledg and Murder, as they would make us believe, into acceptable services to God Almighty.

THOUGH in reality after all this, they have made no greater advance, and it may be are not yet better than the Pha­risees of old,Acts 26.5. whose Sect was the strictest among the Jews; they were as strongly perswaded of their own sanctity; they would make as long Prayers,Mat. 23.14, 15. and devour Widows Houses too: They were as in­dustrious to save Souls, nay would do more than most of these will adventure at, compass Sea as well as Land to make a Proselite; and I fear with the same success as these men do. I say they are not yet gotten altogether so far, nor are quite so innocent: For amongst all the Crimes our blessed Saviour accuses them of, and condemns them for, and for which he denounces so many fearful Woes against them, I do not find that [Page 61]ever he charges them with the Guilt, or so much as suspicion of Rebellion against Caesar, or any of his Prefects; or yet with Disobedience to the High-Priest, who was then their Ecclesiastical Superior. Nay further, we may well suppose, that as in their Tithing Mint, Annise, and Cummin; so they were exact in their Du­ty to all these by the design they had to entrap the Holy Jesus with that Question, whether it was lawful to give Tribute to Caesar or not? they being beforehand sa­tisfied in themselves that it was, and re­solved if he should deny it, to accuse him of a Crime which they were well assured would condemn him.

NOR in truth are they arrived to any higher Pitch, than it is very possible for a Heathen, by the meer strength of Na­ture to perform; and some of them went as far in Morality, if we may believe the Histories of their Lives, as it is possi­ble for Humane Nature to go.

BUT further, to discover how great Masters they are in the Art of Convert­ing every thing to their advantage, and by all ways to gain love both to their Persons and Perswasions: Even Punish­ment, [Page 62]the original design of which is to make all Crimes odious, as they handle the matter it adds a Lustre unto theirs. They never fear or feel the deserved Pe­nalties of the Laws, but both in publick and private, they cry out as men upon the Rack: and if for their commiting a spoil in Gods Harvest, Justice does but take them by the Ears, with their hide­ous out-cryes they call all the compassio­nate Herd to condole with their suffer­ings; and this must be call'd a Time of Persecution, and the suffering-days of the Saints. Now the very Word Perse­cution sounds so heathenish and unlaw­ful, that it is impossible but they should meet with abundance of Pity; and that we know is both the Parent and the Child of Love. And it is no wonder if they glory in these Tribulations, and pa­tiently take the spoiling of their Goods, if they can be found, which they are sure will be restored by the Bountiful Pity of their Congregations sevenfold in this Life, and in the World to come God knows what.

THAT great constancy of Mind with which they appear to suffer, they [Page 63]may well shew, when one hair of their Heads is not toucht. Their frequent talking of resisting unto Blood, which I much question, whether they would in Suffering; as for Doing we may from former Experience take their Word; and their many and vehement Exhortations to Constancy, begets in their followers an opinion, that they are not at all infe­rior to the Martyrs of the Primitive Times, or those of later Days: and that therefore they are in the right Way, because they are persecuted by the Wick­ed; for such are all those, who are not new-cast in their Mould. And this makes the People redouble their Love and their Bounty: knowing that if he that gives but a Cup of cold Water shall not lose his Reward, theirs shall be ex­ceeding great and full of Glory. Hereby they are sure they are not of the World, because the World hates them; for they make what they call Persecution, an in­fallible sign of the true Church; which is so great an Error and Mistake, that if it be admitted there can be none False; for undoubtedly Philosophy has not been without its Martyrs, and there is no Re­ligion [Page 64]of Pagan, Jew, Turk, as well as Christian, but has in their sense suffered Persecution; that is, have been opposed, condemned, and punished, by the Laws of some Times and Places.

BUT they have another Design, and the Project does but too commonly suc­ceed according to their Wishes and In­tentions: for they do not only hereby purchase to themselves Love, Riches, Pity, and Reputation; but they likewise inspire a secret Hatred into the People a­gainst all Magistrates, from the Commis­sary and Official, to his most Reverend Grace; from the Countrey-Justice of the Peace to Sacred Majesty it self.

AND I am the apter to believe this, because in common Discourse, from the Highest to the Lowest of them, I could never yet hear any one of them speak kindly either of the late Blessed King CHARLES the Martyr, or of His pre­sent Majesty, excepting for the Act of In­demnity, or the last Indulgence and To­leration: Whatever Reason they had for the one, I am sure they had sufficient cause for the other; and had they any Remainders of good Nature, Ingenuity, or [Page 65]Generosity, they would think all their Duty and Service too little to express their sensibleness and gratitude for that one Gracious Act; whereby they enjoy their Lives, Liberties and Estates, all which they had so absolutely forfeited. And though they dare not call the Master of the House Beelzebub, yet for certain his Domestiques shall meet with far coarser treatment: if they are not such as are visibly inclined to be favourable unto them, but discharge their Duty by put­ting the Law in execution against them; presently they are Persecutors, Blood-Suckers, Neros, Enemies to God and all Good Men; which all must be restrain­ed to those of their Party, who only are Good and Godly.

FROM hence the People come to a dis­like of their Governors and Government: from thence they proceed to wish it were otherways; and by degrees grow at last familiarly to entertain those dreadful and desperate Resolutions, if they have Op­portunity and Ability, to make what Al­terations they think good, not only in Re­ligious but Civil Affairs; not only to de­pose but murther Kings, and extirpate [Page 66]Episcopacy Root and Branch; and indeed to commit all Villanies and Disorders. Nor will they stick at any thing, which they are pleased to varnish over with the pretence, and only the name of Refor­mation.

THAT this is no false Accusation, or Fiction of my own Fears or Fancy, any Person may be easily convinced; and it is no more but looking backward to the Times preceding the Fatal Year 1641, and those that followed, till the Happy 1660, and it cannot be denied but that these are Real Truths: and that these are the certain Trains and Trenches, in which the Undermining Spirit of Phanaticism then did, and now does most dangerously work.

CHAP. VI. Of their Endeavours to insinuate them­selves into the Favour of Persons of Quality: And that notwithstanding their Flatteries, they are the greatest Enemies to Gentry, Nobility, and Royal Dignity. Of the manner how they creep [Page 67]into Populous Places, and the Arts they use to endear themselves to the People, by putting them out of a good Opinion of their Lawful Minister. The Reason of their settling in Market-Towns or Po­pulous Villages, where there is not al­ready some prevailing Sect. Trades­men lovers of Reading, and have time to peruse their poysonous Writings. Here­by, they propagate their way, the Shop­keeper mingling and retailing their Do­ctrines amongst his other Wares: With their design upon Corporations in future Elections of Parliaments.

HAVING by the fore-mentioned Artifices, and the fair Appear­ance of Holiness they carry in their Lives, insinuated themselves into the good Opi­nion of the Many; who it may be have never considered, what is the end to which these ways of Dissension and Separation must at last lead them; and for all their searching the Scriptures, have either not found or not understood that place of the wisest of Mortals, My Son, Prov. 2 [...].21, 22. fear thou the Lord, and the King; and meddle not with them that are given to change; for their [Page 68]Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who know­eth the ruin of them both? Notwithstand­ing which and many like commands, not­withstanding all former experience, ha­ving assured themselves of the People, who believe them equally with (if not above) the Scriptures; their next en­deavours are to obtain the Bon-Graces of some of more Eminent degree: and this they do by the most servile of all Vices, and most dangerous of all flatteries; tel­ling them, That this will render them truely honourable in the sight of God; and that the Kindness and Countenance they shew to his People, his poor, de­spised, persecuted Saints, and suffering-ser­vants, will hereafter purchase for them an exceeding and eternal weight and Crown of Glory. Were there no Temptation in that Word; yet the Ambition of being Popular has had great and dangerous In­fluences upon some Mens Spirits: And if once these Men find that Inclination pre­dominant, they will be sure to touch that String which makes the Musick. And this they do not out of any real kindness which they have for Nobility or Gentry; but to gain Credit, Reputation and [Page 69]Strength to their Persons and Party. For you must know it adds not a little as they think to their Esteem, to have the Co­roneted-Coach stand waiting at the door of the Meeting-House, though it may be all that State is only to attend upon my Ladyes Zealous Woman.

BUT however they know these good­ly Elms are a safe shelter against a Storm, and strong Supporters for these Ivy's to creep upon: Which may be no unfit Em­blem for these men; who for all their pretended Humility, will at the last over­top the tallest Tree, and having liv'd up­on its juice and moisture by their over­kind Embraces, will infallibly impove­rish and insensibly decay it. And were the Government of Presbytery, or any other Model of Faction established in the room of the present Episcopacy; not only the Dwarf-Elders, but even the ve­ry Jews-Ear Mushrooms which spring from them, would have a greater Power in the Government than the noblest Trees of the Forest, or it may be than the Royal Oak: And the High and Mighty Ministers every one be more absolute and infallible in his own Parish, than his Ho­liness [Page 70]of Rome in his Oraculous Chair. And to shew you that they have as little kindness for Coronets as for Crowns; it is but stepping into a Countrey-Conven­ticle, and there you shall hear them loud enough cajolling those Common People with,1 Cor. c. 1. v. 26. Not many wise Men after the Elesh, not many Mighty, not many No­ble are called; But God hath chosen the Poor:St. Jam. c. 2. v. 5, 6, 7. I say God hath chosen; Mark that! Whom hath he chosen, Beloved? Why? God hath chosen the Poor. Ah Friends! do not Creat MenBy Taxes, Subsidies, Royal Aides, Polls, Hearth-money, Fines, 12. d. 5s. 20. l. 100.l. &c. Oppress you? do they not draw you before the Judgment-seats? do they not blas­pheme that Worthy Name by which you are called? in derision naming you the Saints and the Godly; do they not call you Fanaticks and Rebels? Nay do they not say you are Hypocrites and Deceivers?—And after this Rate the Speaker goes on till he is almost out of all breath and sense, in this cunning Way of Railing against all Nobility and Gentry; and putting the Common Peo­ple into a good Opinion of themselves; thereby teaching them to despise their Betters: an Humour to which the Eng­lish [Page 71]Nation are but too generally and na­turally addicted and inclined, without a­ny such Encouragements or perswasive Arguments.

AND now there is but one thing to be done, before we bring them to the Pulpit, where we shall fee them fit their Doctrines to their Designs, and accom­modate their Principles to their Pra­ctice.

YOU shall usually have them first Iti­nerant, to gain the greater acquain­tance, and discover their Booty, and the most advantageous Place for a Station: having therefore in some Corporation, Market-Town, or Populous Village, made an Acquaintance, or got a Recom­mendation to some Olivarian Trades­man, or forty-one Common-wealths­man, thither they make their Visits. The first thing they enquire after, is concern­ing the Minister of the Place, what he is? and how the People stand affected to him? Amongst other Discourse they will wonderfully pity the great want of faith­ful and painful Labourers in the Lord's Vineyard; at Night some of the Neigh­bourhood, who are judged worthy and [Page 72]to make Disciples of, are called in; the good man is desired to go to Duty with them, which he does, after having first put out the Candle, either for good husban­dry, or for fear it should go out with a snuff before he has done; or it may be, lest it should quench the Light of the Spirit, and in Charity I would think (did I not know them better, and that they have little acquaintance with Modesty) to co­ver those blushes which justly may disco­ver themselves, when he is at a loss or run aground upon a little Non-sense. He keeps them it may be an hour or two in attention to his zealous Tautologies: and these Bastards of his own Brain he fathers upon the Spirit of God. The hearty thanks of the House is returned him, which is one return of his Prayers he always aims at; and the Gifts are ad­mired for his own, and he for them, which but just before were the extraordi­nary Emanations and Gifts of the Spirit. Some gracious discourse passes, which with much kindness, and promises of mutual endearings, begins the acquain­tance, and concludes the interview for this time.

[Page 73]IF the Parson of the place be a mild well-temper'd man, and favourable in his judgment to their Way and Opini­ons; or one who has been brought to a partial Conformity, rather out of fear to lose his Living, than to keep his Con­science; he is drawn into the Conspiracy against himself; and by entertaining them kindly, shall certainly advance his own Ruine, in the loss of the love, good opinion, or interest he before had a­mongst his Parishioners. But if he be a good brisk or learned man, one who both preaches and practises Conformity, sober and pious in his Life and Conver­sation; then all their Cunning is set on work, to find out something that may alienate the hearts of his People from him: For without this due preparation there is nothing to be done, no coming there: And many times this proves no difficult Task; for there being so much of Meum and Tuum between the Parson and his Parishioners, they there find a Breach ready made by which they may boldly enter. But if that Correspon­dence be good; yet something must be done, something must be found out a­gainst [Page 74]him. If he Preach but once a day, and Catechize in the Afternoons, he is Lazy, Idle, a meer Drone, and has not that care for precious and Immortal Souls as he ought to have: if he Pray as the Canon directs, or in any set-form near unto it; he is a Formalist, and has not the Spirit of God. A meer Moral Man. But if he be a great opposer of them, and their pernicious, dangerous, seditious ways and Doctrines, he is a Man of a Persecuting Spirit, which is utterly contrary to the Gospel; and that they are sure will do.

BUT if it hrppens either that the Mi­nister be not a Man of Parts, or that he be vicious in his Life, then they have little to do; and their Conquest is like Caesar''s, with a Veni, vidi, vici, They come, they see, and overcome in an instant: and no sooner can they display their Victorious Ensigns, but the People fall unto them,Psal. 73. v. 10. Tran­sla. Eccles. and there­out suck they no small Advantage; and their own Minister having before been justly despised for his Ignorance and scan­dalousness, there will need little trouble or pains to render him truly contemptible, and hated amongst them.

AND here our Boanerges is, it may be, [Page 75]courted to fix; which, after having made some difficulty to do, only to secure to himself the Contributions, and some other conveniences, he will not fail to do, unless he have a call to some more advan­tageous Place. Provided always it be a place Rich and Populous, and not al­ready taken up with fame other prevail­ing Sect and Faction; which plainly shews their Design is to supplant the present Church, more than to propagate that which they call Truth: otherwise they might as well endeavour to convert them from their Errors, as the Church­men from their Loyalty and Obedience, which is all they do, or aim to do: And observe it where you will, you shall ne­ver see them settle in a small or poor Vil­lage: It may be those People have no Souls to save, or they are not worth the saying, or they must travail and take pains for it? and since they cannot pay, must not have Salvation brought home to their Houses. I have known one who for several Years has liv'd in a Place well-stockt with a prevailing Sect, and where the Parson gave him advantage enough, who yet never had any Con­gregation [Page 76]gathered there, but ply'd every Lord's Day, and sometimes in the Week­days, at a Market-Town some Miles di­stant; and by his pious endeavours, and painful preaching brought the People of that Place, who before he came amongst them possest great Unity and Loyalty, to lose both; and to be of four or five sub­divided and dissenting Churches; and some of the Mechanicks became such E­minent Teachers, as to contemn, despise, forsake and vilifie him, who first taught them the Trade.

I cannot forbear shooting my Bolt, let them shoot the Proverb at me if they please: Is it possible to judg otherways of these Men, but that they are his Seedsmen, who sowed the Tares amongst the Wheat? who therefore will not suffer them to trifle, or spend their time to no purpose, (no more than he does, who walks to and fro the Earth, like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devour), or to sow that Ground over again, where he has already so promising a Crop sprung up, and so plentiful a Harvest towards.

BUT they have further Policies in set­ting up in Market-Towns, Populous [Page 77]Places, or Corporations; of which,17 Car. 2. c. 1. apud Oxon. with very good Reason, they are disabled to be free, unless they will first swear to re­nounce that Traiterous Position of ta­king up Arms against the King, &c. which is against their Conscience, because against their design.

FOR, first, this sort of People, I mean Tradesmen, have more spare-hours than they desire; they can write and read, and therefore like the Divertisement of Books, because it does not call them from the Compter. Industry, and the Re­pute of Honesty are many times their best Stock; and therefore they cannot chuse but love, and like such a Professi­on of Religion, as is like to intitle them to Credit and Customers; and so, by bringing Grist to the Mill, in all proba­bility will inrich them; which is the ge­neral Temptation that induces this sort of People to affect the Sanctimony of some Sect or Faction, which is most pre­valent near about them. And to make it clear that this is true: If ever you find any one of these Mercenary Saints Sail­ing against the Wind and Tide of a probable gain; I will be content to be [Page 78]thought a Fool for my conjecture. Whereas the Countrey-Swain, whilst he runs the Yearly-Circle of his hard La­bour, has rarely either Time, Learning, or Money to spare, to gratifie his own Curiosity, or their expectancies, and un­less he be a Free-holder can do them no Service; and little then, if the Lord of the Mannor where he lives be an honest Loyal Gentleman: and therefore, they are too wise to Angle where the Fish is not worth the Bait.

BUT secondly, Hereby likewise they come infinitely to propagate their Way; for the Zealous Plum-Smith will not weigh you an Ounce of Pepper, but (unless his Shop be full, and then Reli­gion must give the Wall to Interest,) in­to your Bargain you shall have a Pound of Edification, which is the Pack-thread and Paper he binds us his Commodities with: and if he have time, he will give you the Repetition, it may be, out of his Pocket-Book, of what the precious godly Man taught at the last Lecture, or Sab­bath-day: or if you be so well-bred, as the Phrase is, he will Treat you with a Pipe of Tobacco, only to perswade you [Page 79]to come amongst them, and hear that powerful Man, who is as much beyond their Parson, (though if he be a Custo­mer, it may be he is a very good man too) as sweet-scented Virginia is beyond St. Kitts. The simple Country-man thanks him for his Love, and innocently accepts his kindness, sits down, blows out one Smoak, but sucks in another far more dangerous and intoxicating: he is perswaded, comes to the next meet­ing, hears and likes what he does not understand; goes home, tells the fine story to his Neighbours, and decoys them likewise into the Tunnel.

BUT lastly the great and Principal Design of all, and the most dangerous if it be not in time prevented, is in such places as have the Choice of Burgesses for Parliament, or where there are many Free-holders who have a Voice in the Election of Knights, to make such a par­ty as may over-poll the rest, and in suc­ceeding Parliaments may bring in such a number of Members into the house of Commons, as may bring to pass their Wicked and Treasonous Designes: and I am confident, so great has been their [Page 80]Industrie in this particular, that they are fully perswaded they are able to accom­plish their Drift, if they could once come to a new Election; and this is the Rea­son that all the Parties, especially the Pres­byterian, are so eager for a new Parlia­ment. And that they have bid so fair for the Dissolution of the Present, from which, being composed of so many, wise, prudent, able, and truly Loyal Gentlemen, the have not the least hopes; but are in the greatest dread imaginable, that by a Compliance with the necessities of the Ring and Kingdom, they should still continue, and not only enact something more severe against their restless Machinations, but by supplying his Majesty with Money, cut off all their hopes, if they should come to an Ho­nourable Dissolution, for a future Par­liament, to cramp the Crown, or work upon the Necessities of the Son, to ruine him and the Church, as they did with the same Engine his most Glorious Fa­ther: and that they were in great hopes that this would be a short and the last Session of this most Loyal Parliament, I think few will doubt who had any ac­count [Page 81]count (so is to observe it) what a nu­merous Concourse of all the Factious Heads, especially of the Presbytery, there was to London, against the opening of the Sessions; which appeared like an Army of Hungry Vulturs, hovering a­bout, and ready to seize upon it so soon as it should fall, and become a Dead Car­case ready for their desired Prey. But as their hopes have met with a happy disap­pointment, so I doubt not but it is the hearty wish of every Loyal Subject that long they may; and that this Parliament, for the Honour, Safety, Peace, and Sup­port of the Imperial Crown of this Realm, and of the Best Church and Church-Government in the Christian World, may long sit and continue, by the honourable name of the long Loyal Parliament.

CHAP. VII. After they are settled in such Places, of the Manner of their behaviour in the Meeting-House. Of their Extempore Prayer. Examined and exposed to open View. Of the Pretence they make to [Page 82]gain Veneration, that they Pray by the Spirit. The ill use they employ it in, to make the set and appointed Formes of Publick Prayers Nauseous and Odious to the People. Proved from Scripture and the Express Command of our Savi­our, that it is not of Gods appointment, nor a fruit of the Spirit. By Example of the most infamous and abominable Sin­ners guilty of Rebellion and Witchcraft, who had this faculty even to admiration. Extempore Prayer shewn to be a meer Art, the way how they or any Person in­dued with a tolerable measure of Confi­dence may attain to it. A probable Philoso­phical Reason, why they fancy themselves inspired in these Enthusiastick Effusions.

IT is now high time to hear what our Man of God will say for himself: who being accoutred with all these perfections, fixed amongst a Company of Wealthy Tradesmen, whose Ears itch as much after Novelties, as their Fingers do after Mo­ney; in despight of Laws, Reason or true Religion, he advances in the new Meeting-house, or a good large Private Room up into the Pulpit.

[Page 83]HAVING fitted the Cushion to the most commodious posture for the ease of his Elbows, pull'd out his Handkerchief, with which he intends to wipe off the sweat; given the Uncanonical Cloak a twitch or two, or if the Weather be hot, laid it aside, that he may not appear Lazy by thrashing in his Cloak: and which is a sure sign that he is beginning to begin, having roll'd his Eyes about, as if he were falling into a Trance, he gently recovers himself into his Prayer, which he faintly begins with a low voice, and languish­ing Tone, a soft and deliberate utter­ance, which as the Holy Fire of his Zeal, comes gradually, by Motion, to ga­ther Heat; advances still higher and higher, till at length being throughly warm, like a Pot with too much Fire under it, the Scum of his Brains boils over, and he tumbles out his Expressi­ons with that Ardor and Precipitation, that every Word treads upon the Heels of another, and pushes it forward: Nor does it import whether the Expressions be Congruous, or it may be Decent, so long as they are but passionate and vehe­ment; and at every third or fourth Sen­tence, [Page 84](to help the Pump) as loud as he is able, an importunate, Lord! Lord! at which the People are strangely melted, some into Tears, some into Sighs and Groans; which are the spiritual Hums and Plaudite's of a Conventicle; and signifie that the Man comes off very well, in Acting his Part upon that Reli­gious Theater.

NOW, though he pretends to hate all Forms, yet he is not without a Me­thod; and therefore he begins, with Confession: and tells God Almighty a parcel of Notorious untruths in the Name of the People, and would per­swade him that he knows it too: Lord, thou knowest that we have been guilty of all manner of Sins of Omission and Commission, which, it may be, to spin out the Hour-glass, he gives them a, Ca­talogue of. Some of which (for we will suppose them Christians, and better Men than he does) the Hearers may be so far from being guilty of, that possibly this may be the first time that ever they were acquainted with their Names; and after this rate he goes on, through the seve­ral Parts of a little Book, which he does [Page 85]not care to own, though he is not a lit­tle obliged to it; and makes great and constant use of it, by Name, The Gist of Prayer; which till I got a sight of, I thought they had got without Book, by the help of the Spirit; who, I am sure, needs no such helps, to help his true Ser­vants.

THERE is one general Rule which St. Paul gives for publick Prayers,1 Tim. 2.1, 2. I ex­hort that first of all supplications, pray­ers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for Kings, and all that are put in Authority: But for all his Exhortation, in a two hours Prayer, first or last, you shall hear but little of that; or if the King be named, his Titles of Supremacy are not recited, or at most but half-way: and if he be faintly ac­knowledged the Defender of the Faith, it must not be said that he is Supreme in all Causes, and over all Persons, as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal: for you must know, a Presbyter is as great an Enemy to the Supremacy, as a Papist; and chal­lenges an underivative-power, in Spiritu­alibus, from Christ himself, to whom the King is but a Subject; and by conse­quence, [Page 86]even in all Temporals in ordine ad spiritualia, to every petty Presbyter. Oh rare and absolute, and more than Pa­pal Church-Tyranny! O most excellent Arbitrary Spiritual Government! How consistent art thou with Monarchy! and with that old and true Aphorism of State, Imperium non patitur Duos. Em­pire is incompatible with Rivals, and it must be aut Caesar aut nullus. Some­times they will in general terms pray for Him whom God hath set over us; an Expression not without Malice, accor­ding to that place in the Psalms, Set thou an ungodly Man to Rule over them. They might as well say, Whom God has appointed or ordained to be over us, which is a Scripture-Expression. But I fear they do not think or believe the King and his Power to he of God's ap­pointment; for if they did, they would endeavour to lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all Godliness and Honesty; and not think it lawful to draw a Sword against him, or think such an Oath un­lawful as would tye their Hands from do­ing it; though with the nice distinction betwixt the King and the Person. And [Page 87]let them but make it their own Case, I dare say, they will not be willing to hang up the Presbyter, for fear you should also choak the Man. This they have done, and that they would not be accounted Changelings, is plain by their unwilling­ness to renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Covenant and Ingagement to live without King and House of Lords.

AS for our most Gracious Queen Ka­therine, James Duke of York, and the rest of the Royal Family; the Bishops and Clergy; they never come in their Mouths, or Memories; so that, either the Apostles general Rule, to pray for all Men, especially for all that are in Autho­rity, must be Iyable to an Exception, if they think fit: or else Queens, Dukes, and Bishops are No-body with them, or not in Authority, that is, a lawful Autho­rity; and indeed, that is it which they would be at.

THERE is nothing which has gain'd these Men that Veneration, amongst the Vulgar, which this Imposture has done; which they endeavour to impose upon easie beliefs, whilst they pretend in these Extempore Effusions to be immediately in­spired [Page 88]by the Spirit of God; which all dissenters cannot be, and I am afraid none of them are.1 Cor. 14.14. The Apostle St. Paul speaks of praying with the Spirit, but it is ma­nifest that he means there, that Miracu­lous Effusion of the Holy Ghost, who for the better propagation of the Gospel gave them utterance in several Languages: and let me but hear any one of these men pray in Latine, with that fluency as they do in English, and I will believe they pray with the Spirit; though many of them, it may be, if they could, do that neither in Latine nor English with Un­derstanding. But the truth is, the Book by which they were taught is not yet made free of the City; and it would puzle Cicero himself, with all his long­winded Sentences, to bestow the Idiom of his Language, in which he was so great a Master, upon some of their Pray­ers, which are hardly tolerable true En­glish. Latine is a Language familiar enough all over Europe, and some of them have been educated in it; (though with others it is the Mark of the Beast,) and if they had truly the assistance of the Spi­rit, it were as easie for that to teach them [Page 89]to pray in that Tongue as well as in any other: and when they can, I shall wil­lingly spare them the trial of Hebrew, Greek, Syriack, Arabick, &c. mentioned Acts, chap. 2. But it suffices they say it is by the Spirit, and the People who be­lieve they speak as the Oracles of God, they believe it: and from hence draw a Conclusion, that those Persons are the best men in the World, having the Spi­rit in such an extraordinary measure a­bove their Brethren.

AND this is not the smallest Engine which they make use of, to undermine the Church of England, and to render the solemn Service of God contempti­ble: All set Forms being, as they say, dull, dead, flat, and spiritless: though they are in a great measure the express words of Scripture; and warranted by ancient usage in the Church, if not from the Apostolical Times, at least from the very next and immediate Age unto them. Yet one of their Disciples did not long ago, in the presence of several witnesses, openly declare, That what we call Di­vine Service, and the Worship of God, was Blasphemy; and the using those [Page 90]Prayers blaspheming, not honouring or serving God; and since they are all learnt Jurare in verba, we may well believe he spoke as he had heard, the true sentiments and opinion of his Master.

NOW that we may discover the greatness of this dangerous and popular Cheat; we will first make our Appeal to their own Judg the Scripture. Go we then to him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and to whom should we go but to him who has the words of Eternal Life? And if we will hear him, he gives us an express Charge against Battologies,S. Mat. 6.7, 8, 9. and much speaking in our Prayers; and commands a short Prayer and a Form too: Whatever long Prayers may be, he tells us they look like Hypo­crisie and Superstition, But when ye Pray say, Our Father, &c. And use not vain Repetitions as the Heathens do; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like them: but after this manner pray. How well they observed this Rule, we need trou­ble our selves no further to find out, if we can but remember that it is not yet twenty years ago since the Lords-Prayer [Page 91]was accounted unlawful, and by some scandalous, and indeed was generally out of Fashion in the Pulpit; and so it is still amongst many Dissenters: and yet then they would have us believe they pray'd by the Spirit, as well as they do now; and I believe they did, but it must be the same Spirit which made Saul throw his Javelin at the Musician: For it taught them the same Practice, not only to be angry with the Musick, but to kill the Musicians, and put all out of Tune. I am sure it could not be the Spirit of Christ which taught them to break and despise a Command of Christ; for he tells us that promised Spirit shall speak what he hath heard;S. John 16.13. and I hope they dare not say but this Command of our Saviours was one of those things he had head: and was one of those Truths into which he was to lead them.

FURTHER, if we examine what are the Fruits of the Spirit; they are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good­ness, Gal. 5.22, 23, 24. Eph 5.5. faith, meekness, temperance, righ­teousness, and truth: but not the least mention of Extempore Prayer. If we search what are the Gifts of the Spirit; [Page 92]or the Gifts of God? we shall find the Gift of Continency, 1 Cor. 7.7. 1 Cor. 3.5. Rom. 12.6. 1 Cor. 12.1. the Gifts of Prophecie, of working Miracles, &c. but no Gift of Prayer. And where the particular Gifts are enumerated, there is not one syllable of the Gift of Prayer. Certain­ly if it had been a spiritual Gift, or a fruit of the Spirit, it would not have been omitted.

BUT, secondly, let us appeal to Ex­ample: For if this be a fruit of the Spi­rit, then all they who can or could thus pray Extempore, have the Spirit of God, and are the Sons of God. This is as much a Demonstration as any in Euclid. Now will I bring you such an Army of Saints, with Old Noll in the head of them, as shall fight and pray with all Na­tions; Either these Saints. S. Oliver, S. Ire­ton, S. Bradshaw, &c. pray'd by the Spirit, and so were real Saints; or what they pray'd was not by the Spirit, and so they were no Saints, nor Extempore Prayer any Evidence of the Spirit of God: Now let them take which of these they will; I dare say they had rather Canonize Oli­ver, and his praying Legions, than not; only as Affairs now stand it is not altoge­ther [Page 93]safe: And if they shall refuse both the Hornes of the Dilemma; (as being sure to be in their sides, and too sharp to be handled) they must teach us to distin­guish, and know that they are not just such Saints as the others, who had the knack exactly; prayed the same Lan­guage almost Verbatim; made the same boasts of, and pretensions to the Spirit, and I am afraid had the same Spirit, the same Uses to make of it, and the self-same Ends and Designs.

I might bring many instances, but I will only add one, which is so remarka­ble, that it will be sufficient to convince all those who are not resolved against Conviction: and whereby it will appear, that this way of Extempore Prayer, is so far from being a Gift of God, or proceed­ing from the Spirit of God, that it may be a Gift of the Devil; and that such who are almost under an irreversible Ne­cessity of Damnation may have it even in Perfection. The story is thus: At St. Ives in the County of Huntington, within the Memory of many Persons yet alive, there was a Woman, whose name I do not very well remember, though [Page 94]many in that place very well do: She was one of those, who for distinction were then by themselves called Professors, by other Puritans; she was a great fol­lower of the upholders of the Presbyterian-Tenents, a constant frequenter of Godly Meetings, and Religious Exercises: This Woman came to be so eminent, especi­ally in this Gift of Prayer, that she was generally admired, and look't upon as a Saint of the first Magnitude: the noise of her Fame, and the boasts of her Party, brought many Neighbouring-Ministers in the adjacent Counties of Cambridge and Huntington, to hear her pray; which she did in that ravishing manner, that they never parted from her without an Excess of Admiration and astonishment. After some time, for what reason I am not able to determine, this Holy Sister went over into New-England, as about the same time many others did for Liberty of Conscience; for a while she was there in the greatest Esteem, and height of Repu­tation; but the Devil ow'd her a shame, and she him a Soul; she was at last sus­pected and accused to be a Witch; was brought to a tryal, confe [...] her guilt, and [Page 95]that her contract with the Devil was, That in lieu of her Soul which she did consign unto him, he should assist her with the Gift of Extempore Prayer: after which confession, sentence past upon her, and she was accordingly executed, as a most abominable Witch. Either now we must believe that this Extempore Way is not an infallible sign of the Spirit of God; or that the Devil has the Power of disposing of the Gifts of the Spirit.

BUT thirdly, I will appeal to these very men; let them speak the Truth and shame the Devil. Is not this Way of Praying an acquisition? did not the fore-mentioned Book, or some Collections of their own of that nature, out of Scrip­ture, often hearing of others, and many secret Trials and Exercises therein bring them by degrees to these perfections? or could they from the first Moment of their Conversion pray thus? and they do as punctually remember that time, as what they did Yesterday: and then if ever they had the Spirit of God; and it was then as well able to help their infirmities as now, and they stood more in need of it, and it would have been more visible and [Page 96]apparent that it was not they but the Spirit that taught them how and what to pray: Did they not with much pains and industry attain this which they call a Gift? let them deny it if they dare: for if they will say they never used any of the aforesaid means to help their Weak­nesses, I will undertake to prove them the most impudent affirmers of a No­torious Untruth: for many of their ex­pressions are sentence pickt out of the Bible, which they read often over, with as much respect to the getting praying Phrases out of it, and a great deal more than to be informed of their Duty to­wards God and Men; and it were well if it were no worse; but there is such a blend of phantastical, particular, and uncommon words of their own Mintage, and such a medley of singularity of In­comes and Outgoings, and In-dwellings, and I know not what, which like the Wild Gourds spoil all the Pottage, and I doubt they will find there is Death too in the Pot.

I AM the most deceived, if for this purpose they do not stuff their Heads and Memories, with Notions how to ex­press [Page 97]themselves upon any sudden Occasion or Emergency; and as I am informed by those who have tried both, and therefore have reason to know, it is a far greater Ease, if a Man has the general Notions of what he in­tends to speak, not to be tied to Nume­rical or Identical Words; but to have a Liberty, to express those thoughts and Notions, according to his present Plea­sure and Fancy: Which if his Tongue be naturally smooth and voluble, will make it less difficult for him to do it, even to admiration; the charge of Generals being less burdensome to the Memory; than that of Particulars: and besides it leaves the conceptions an unlimited free­dome for choice and variation; and af­fords many sudden hints, which by be­ing followed and improved with advan­tage, do many times infinitely surprize, both the Speakers and Hearers, with a plea­sing Novelty and agreeableness that Plea­sure begets a secret Joy, and that Joy dilates and expands the Animal Spirits, which are the true Spirit of Extempore Prayer; and these having a strange Me­chanism and unexpressible Influence up­on [Page 98]the Soul, do sometimes put it into such strange and vigorous heats and raptures, as even makes a Man out-do himself and his own expectations. I am perswaded that the want of understand­ing this piece of Philosophy, which is none of that which the Apostle calls vain, and bids beware of, lest it spoil us (though it might, and I hope will, spoil some of their ill Designes) is the true Reason why they believe themselves to be acted in these Heats and Transports, by the immediate Influence and Inspirati­on of the Spirit of God.

AND this is the very Art of Prayer; and a meer Art it is, and no Gift, nor Fruit of the Spirit: an Art which with a common Industry, provided a Man have a competent stock of Confidence, any Person may arrive at, and grow pro­digious in: and the sooner, the more ig­norant he is, because he will be proporti­onably more impudent, and conceited of himself, his abilities and performances; which is the true Reason, why so many silly Mechanicks, who can hardly speak sense in common Discourse, by hearing others pray at this rate, will steal their [Page 99]Expressions; and with some small In­structions and Directions, with Time and many private Tryals, grow such strange proficients in the Trade. Nay, and I will engage he shall have the Pride (or it may be it is the Arcanum of the Craft which they are bound not to divulge) not to confess how he came by it; or to un­deceive those who shall wonder to hear so unlearned a Fellow pray so fluently and fervently. And this adds not a lit­tle (amongst those who understand not the Intrigue) to the common received Opinion, that it is a Fruit of the actings of the Spirit of God. And the pulling of this Spiritual Inkle out of their Throats, which they would perswade us came thither by a Miracle, is one of the great­est and neatest, as well as dangerous pie­ces of Legerdemain, with which these Juglers Hocus the vulgar and incautelous of the present Age.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Doctrines they chiefly insist upon, and in which they first instruct their [Page 100]Hearers. And first of the Doctrine of absolute and irrespective Decrees of E­lection and Reprobation; Of their Way of trial of their Followers, whether they he the Elect, by knowing the pun­ctual time of their Call, Repentance, sorrow for sin, &c. The agreeableness of this Doctrine to their Followers, whom for being such, they perswade that they are certainly the Elect; and that they cannot fall totally and finally from Grace. Their signs of Election proved false from Judas the Son of Perdition, who had all they make the infallible Marks of Election, and something more, viz. Restitution, which they will not be be perswaded to.

HAVING now done with the Prayer, let us proceed to the Ser­mon, and see what their Doctrines are; for I do not intend to dwell upon their Texts, or trouble them more than they usually do. As for the Reasons, though they pretend to raise many, yet we shall see they have very little. The Use is what they most generally insist upon, and it is the ill Use and Application of [Page 101]these Doctrines that we come now to examine. This is their Form; so that I find they are for a Form of Preaching, though against a Form of Prayer.

THE first Doctrine upon which they build their Foundation, and by which they establish a perpetual Empire over all those who come to be of their Perswa­sion, and which is of the most universal use unto them, is the Doctrine of abso­lute and irrespective Decrees of Prede­stination, about Election and Reproba­tion: A piece of Divinity so hard and knotty, that the sharpest Wits and sound­est Judgments have not hitherto been able in any tolerable measure to hew, smooth or polish: And to me it appears, that Almighty God did design no great encouragement to our curiosity, having afforded us so little light, either from Na­ture, Reason, or Scripture, to make a full and perfect discovery of it.

COULD they be contented with it as the Scriptures leave it, and as the Church of England in her 17 Article has most prudently and modestly left it in general terms:S. Mark 1.15. Acts 2. [...]5 Acts 3. [...] ‘That all those Persons who by Faith, true Repentance, and an [Page 102]Universal Obedience (at least in Inten­tion, Will, and Endeavour) to Christ and the Commands of the Gospel, do perform their part of the Condition of the New Covenant of Grace, shall through the Merits and Mediation of the Son of God the Saviour of the world, receive Eternal Salvation. But that all those who wilfully,2 Thess. 1. [...]. [...]. obstinately, and to the last, refuse to know God, and to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be punished with everlast­ing destruction from the presence of the Lord,S. Mark [...]. 44, 46, [...] ▪ Mat. [...].41. [...] and from the glory of his Power; and shall suffer those endless and into­lerable Torments, where the Worm dy­eth not, and the Fire is not quenched, which were originally prepared for the Devil and his Angels.’ Then we should agree with them in the Common Faith of the Holy Catholick (or Universal) Church in all Ages.

BUT this would not serve their turn, nor at all answer those Necessary Ends which they have to employ this Doctrine about.2 Tim. 2.4, 5, 6, 7. [...] God himself says he would have all men to be saved, by coming to the knowledg of these Truths; That there [Page 103]is one God, and one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a Ransome for All: the Apostle tells us he was ordained a Preach­er of this Doctrine, and that he spake the truth in Christ, and did not lye: but was a Teacher of the Gentiles in this Faith and Verity. But say these new Doctors, no such matter! By his reveal­ed Will, it may be, God says so; but for all that, by his secret Will he intended otherwise, and that it should never be so. I cannot but wonder how they came to be so well acquainted with it! Besides this is a plain contradiction in Adjecto: for how is it secret, if it be revealed to them? and if it be a secret which he has reserved as his own purpose from Eterni­ty, how dare they so openly proclaim it? Were it never so great an Arcanum Im­perii, I am sure it ceases to be so after they once come to make a discovery of it or but to surmise that they have, and they are but too prodigal in divulging of it far and wide. Known to God are all his Works, from the foundation of the World. Acts 15.18 But as the Apostle says,Rom. 11.34. Who hath known the Mind of the Lord, or who hath been of his [Page 104]Privy Counsel? that is, in those secret af­fairs, the knowledg of which is his un­communicable Prerogative, and which he hath reserved within his own peculiar Jurisdiction; from the knowledg of which he has excluded not only Mortal Men,S. Mat. 24.26. S. Mark 13.32. but even his own Son as a Man: for of that Day knows no Man, not the Son, but the Father. Which made an A­postle who had been in the third Heavens, break out into that Ecstasie of Wonder and Admiration; O the depth of the Riches, both of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! Rom. 11.33. How unsearchable are his Judicial Proceedings, and his Ways past finding out! Now whether we should believe God or Men, let them be Judges?

BUT it is no matter, Let God say what he pleases, they are resolved to say what they will, and what may please their Party, and serve their Interest: and though the modest Apostle could say, Let God be true and every Man a Lyar; Rom. 3.4. they say, what we affirm is true. I dare not think, much less speak the consequence, though it follows most unavoidably from their confident and positive Assertion: for there is but one Truth no more than [Page 105]one God: and of a flat downright Con­tradiction (as this is) one part must of Necessity be false.

HAVING by their excellent Talent at Extempore Prayer, left no scruple, but that they have the Spirit of God, and that being the Spirit which must lead all those that have it into all Truth: the People are before hand prepared to swal­low down this Doctrine without any chewing or Examination: and in Truth as they have cookt it, it is the most de­licate and agreeable Repast, to the Pa­lates of those Souls who are so happy as to be treated at their Spiritual Entertain­ments. For having first laid down as a Positive, Infallible and Fundamental Truth, That God from all Eternity did Elect a Determinate Number to Salva­tion, and that this number is but small, for it is but a little Flock; Many are call­ed, but few are Chosen or Elected: the next thing they have to do, is to assure them who are their Disciples, that they are of this Happy Number, who have the Seal in their foreheads, and whose names are written in the Book of Life. Now the first step to this assurance is to use the [Page 106]means, for Faith comes by hearing the Word of God; though if this Doctrine of unconditional Decrees, be pursued to the uttermost, those means must be either unnecessary or nonsence, by being the De­creed Conditions of an unconditional Decree. Now these means, that is, this Soul-saving preaching is only to be found amongst them: Theirs is the Land of Goshen, where the Sun of Righteousness only shines, whilst all others are in Spiri­tual Egypt, and grope for the Truth, a­midst such Darkness as may be felt; and is next to the very Region of the Sha­dow of Death, and utter Darkness.

BUT they are too wary to rest here, or to build so weighty a Fabrick upon such a slender Foundation: they know that the impious Herod heard S. John the Baptist gladly, and did many things: And therefore before any one can be assu­red that he is of the Elect, though ne­ver so diligent a Hearer, that will not do, unless he be able to give an account of the exact, time of his Conversion, and when it was that he was called of God and to God.S. Mark 6.20. The Signs of this Calling are Contrition, Compunction, or a Trou­ble [Page 107]of Mind, arising from a sight of their lost condition, as they phrase it: And they who are able to inform them of the time of this Call, at such a Sermon, or such a Night after my first sleep (though they did but dream so, it is enough) the Lord was pleased to call me: All those who can do this, are pronounced from the Infallible Chair, to be in a certain estate of Election, the Children and People of God; and after a time of probation (which were needless, since they cannot fall away) they are solemnly initiated in­to their Church, and enter into a promise never to return back again to the Tents of the Ungodly, which might as well be spared, if the rest of their Doctrine be true.

THIS alone were enough to ravish the hearts of those who do as firmly be­lieve it as the Gospel, and to fill them with joy unspeakable and full of glory: But they have a Disert behind, which closes the Banquet far better than the Egyptian Deaths-Head; and that is this: That they who are once thus elected, can never finally and totally fall away from Grace, so as to be in danger of Hell and [Page 108]Damnation;Rom. 11.29. for the Calling and Gifts of God are without Repentance: Could they prove this, and that their Comment up­on it were the true and genuine meaning of the Text, this would be a happiness not inferior to the joys of Heaven; and which for my part I think is only reserv­ed to compleat the Felicities of that blest place, where, and not before, we arrive there, all fears, tears, and dangers, shall be wip't away.

THIS is their great Diana, not the Image which fell down from Heaven, but the Image of Heaven it self which they all worship; and which brings them in such fair Revenues, both Temporal and Spiritual (as they think) as outdoes not only the poor hopes of Demetrius, and all his Fellow-Craftsmen, but the Riches of both the India's, which are Dung and Dross in comparison of being thus cer­tainly found in Christ: And no wonder then if it raises such Tumults, when it is opposed, or in danger of being lost.

THERE can be no Doctrine more pleasing to credulous and fanciful people, as most of their Disciples are; and in­deed so luscious is the high relish of it, [Page 109]that those who have once gotten a say of it; are difficultly, if ever, perswaded to abandon it, or in comparison of it not to contemn and despise all others. But as it is thus infinitely pleasing above all the Fruits in the Garden, so like that treache­rous Apple, it is for that very Reason of all others the most pernicious, both to the Souls of men, the quiet of any Socie­ty, and the safety of any Government that dare oppose it.

I DO not intend to attempt a long and solemn Confutation of every parti­cular; in regard it has already been suffi­ciently done, by the Pens of many great and learned Names: I will only therefore use a little of their own method, under­mine the Foundation, and leave the rest of their prodigious Babel to ruine it self by the weight and stress they have laid upon it.

AND if we can but break these counterfeit Seals, and erase these Marks, we shall cancel this false Pass-port to Heaven, and all those feigned Eviden­ces to the blessed Inheritance of the Saints in Light; and all those ill-grounded Joys which are built upon the Hopes of that [Page 110]glorious Reversion will in an instant va­nish, if once we can prove there is a flaw and crack in the supposed Title: And it may be the task will be so far from im­possible, as not to prove difficult.

SHOULD we grant them their first Position, that there is but a small and de­terminate Number who are Elected, yet if we shew that their Touch-stone is false, and will not distinguish Gold from Brass, all the Virtue and Consolation, and that vain Joy in believing, will immediately vanish, in all those who are not resolved with the strength of fancy, and prepos­sessed Imagination, to supply the want of Reason: and for such, we must commit them to Time and Hellebore, the Physick of mad-men, for a Cure.

NOW their great and infallible sign of Election, being a knowledg of the time of their Conversion, accompanied with Compunction and Contrition, a sense of Sin, and sorrow for it; It is almost im­possible for any Person at one time or a­nother, not to have experienc'd all this; especially if they have ever met or been acquainted with Sickness, Danger, or any remarkable afflictive Accidents: Or if [Page 111]they have formerly been gross and noto­rious sinners, as 'tis observed many a­mongst their Converts (especially of the frail Sex) have been: for sin will at one time or other throw off his gay Habit, and masquerading Jollity, and appear not only with its proper ugliness and defor­mity, but with the frightful attendants of Death, Judgment and Eternity, Tor­tures and Punishments of the most dread­ful shapes that Imagination grounded up­on Reason and a just Fear, or a present ex­pectation, is able to invent. And there are few Spirits so flinty, but such black and fearful Apparitions will make a very strong impression upon: such as may easily produce all the fore-mentioned ef­fects, and many more and greater.

BUT we will go further with them, and suppose all this conviction has been occa­sion'd by the Means, by hearing a sin-de­stroying, a heart-convincing Sermon, which has imprest guilt upon their Con­sciences, with the highest Aggravations, and greatest terrors. After all these sorrows and Agonies of Spirit, which they make the certain Indications of the new Birth, or Regeneration; nay, after open Con­fession, [Page 112]publick Repentance, and some­thing beyond all that, the Person may still be in a state of Reprobation. Judas he repented,S. Mat. 27.3, 4. nay, his contrition and conviction, his sense, sight, and sorrow for his sin, was so great and strong, that he publickly confest he had sinned in betraying the Innocent Blood: Nay, he went yet further than any of these Men ever did, that I have heard of, for he made restitution of what he had un­lawfully gotten; he cast down the dear­bought thirty pieces of Silver in the Tem­ple before them all, and by his clearing the Innocent, did endeavour to make what reparation, for his Crime, he was capable of; and yet thought not that e­nough, for he went away and hanged himself. I would not have any of them follow him so far; though it is affirmed some, driven by these desperate Doctrines, have, and 'tis a Miracle that many more do not follow his Example. But for all their Marks, I believe they have not ma­ny of them read Origen (because he is one of the Fathers, who amongst them pass for a Company of scandalous Popish­ly affected old Gentlemen) nor will they [Page 113]easily be perswaded with him to allow Judas the benefit of his Clergy; or take him to be one of their number who shall be saved: and yet his Title to it, by all their symptoms, is as fair as any they can make; and for all his being a Felo de se, being able to give so punctual an account of the time of his Call and Conversion, and there being an impossibility of final falling away from Grace [...] I cannot tell what way, by their own Doctrine, they will be able to exclude, even this Son of Perdition, from a certain share and Inte­rest in Heaven.

BUT besides him, I doubt not but there are thousands who if they would in­genuously confess, have had great sorrows, strong Convictions, and horrible Agonies of Mind, from the frightful apprehensi­ons of Hell and Damnation, which are always terrible to the thoughts of Men. Nay, I do not question but they may have seriously repented, and made great resolutions, and some vigorous attempts towards amendment and reformation in their Lives: who nevertheless, as S. Peter says,2 Pet. 2.20, 21, 22. after they have escaped the Pol­lutions of the World through the know­ledg [Page 114]of our Lord Jesus Christ, after they have known the Way of Righteous­ness, and tasted of the Powers of the World to come, have returned with the Dog to his Vomit again, and with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire: which place, (if it be true, as I make no question but it is, and I hope they dare not deny) will in a moment blow up this curious train of Imaginati­ons; That Repentance, Contrition, or a far greater progress towards Heaven, are infallible Marks of Election; or that there is an impossibility of final falling away from the Happy State of Grace.

CHAP. IX. Of the great danger of this Doctrine as they apply it. First, to themselves; It fills them with a groundless and false confi­dence of the goodness of their Spiritual Condition; makes it almost impossible to convince them by Reason or Scripture, though they live after the Flesh, in Ha­tred, Envy, Malice, Disobedience, &c. but that they have the Spirit, and live [Page 115]after the Spirit, and are new Crea­tures. It fills them with Pride, and Pharisaical contempt of others; puts them into Security, the most dangerous Condition a man can be in.

NOW could I make a Sermon like one of theirs, and run on to nine­teenthly, Beloved, in shewing the Dangers of this Doctrine; but I have no Design to wire-draw my Application, as they u­sually have in theirs: I will therefore content my self to recount the Chief, from which the rest do almost natural­ly flow, and may be most easily con­jectur'd.

FIRST, We will consider the De­sperate Influences this Doctrine has upon themselves.

SECONDLY, The Ill Consequen­ces it has upon them, as they are Mem­bers of any Private Community, Ham­let, Village, Town or Corporation.

THIRDLY, The Dangerous Ef­fects it has upon the Church.

LASTLY, The fatal and portentous aspect it has upon the State and Civil Government.

[Page 116]WE will begin with the desperate. Influences this Doctrine has upon them­selves: Hereby, poor Souls! (to use their own word) they are in the greatest Dan­ger of destroying themselves, and mis­sing Eternal Salvation: to which certain­ly nothing can contribute more than an unwarranted Confidence, and groundless security. When they cry Peace, Peace, to themselves, then are men in the great­est danger of sudden Destruction. They make not the least question, but that they are of the Number of the precious Ones, the Elect of God; and are sure that these Elect can never fall away from Grace, or be totally and finally divested of an undoubted Title to Heaven and Happiness: which Doctrine, however some of them in words may deny, and all of them in their Application do gene­rally confute; yet does most unavoi­dably follow the other of absolute and unconditional Decrees; which all Dis­senters in reality hold, whilst they affirm themselves the only People of God, and all others Reprobates. And therefore in this assurance of their being the Chosen and Elect of God, they possess the great­est [Page 117]inward Peace and Tranquillity imagi­nable: The Consideration of that Infinite Love of God, and his free and distinguish­ing Grace to call them, and pass by the rest of Mankind; this particular and un­deserved favour, which they wholly mo­nopolize and appropriate to themselves, begets in them a Reciprocal Love to God: for if God so loved them when they were Enemies, as to send his only begotten Son out of his bosom, purposely to save and redeem only a few out of the whole Mass of Mankind in the World, of which few they are a part, when, in the mean time, he passes by Millions more Wise, Mighty, and Learned, without taking notice of them, or doing any thing for them, more than to harden their hearts, that so he may take occasion to condemn them for refusing that Grace and Mercy, which by reason of his Previous Decree they could not possibly accept, How much then are these obliged to God for making such a difference? How ought they to love God? This Love still increa­ses their confidence and security: they are therefore sure that this is the Hope which maketh not ashamed, which is [Page 118]the Anchor of the Soul; because the Love of God is shed abroad in their Hearts: and at last they arrive at such a certainty as will not permit them to have the least doubt, but that they are the Vessels who are chosen to Honour, who by this Grace are fitted for future Glory. This fills their Earthen Vessels brim-full of Satisfaction, and a Joy which upon all occasions runs over at their Mouths; and to which they will tell you, could you but once come to experience it, all other Comforts are far inferiour: Now they have sweet Communion and Fellowship with God; their Conversion is in Hea­ven; nay, Heaven and all that is good and great, stoops down to dwell with them. And thus these things, which are nothing but the pure Effects of this strong Imagination, that they are the E­lect, are to them infallible Signs of their Election; and they think the Spirit bears witness with their Spirits, that they are the Sons of God, by giving them this Joy in the Holy Ghost, and in believing: and so the Mother begets the Daughter, and the Daughter begets the Mother, like the Riddle of Ice and Water, in infi­nitum; [Page 119]a Simile not at all unfit for such a slippery and unstable Principle, as is the Foundation of this their Perswasion. But the mischief is, that all that ever you can say or do, to represent unto them the dan­ger they are in, signifies little or nothing, for they look upon you to be carnal, and not able to discern such spiritual affairs as this is.

BUT if you chance to tax them with Hypocrisie, which is but too common, you cannot do them a greater kindness; for that convinces them beyond all other Arguments, and confirms them in the opinion of their own truth and sincerity, and that you are mistaken, since they know and do sensibly feel those real Effects of Joy and Pleasure, which you would per­swade your self and them they do but counterfeit.

NAY further, they are so far from believing any body but themselves, that they will not believe the Scripture, if that would perswade them that they do not walk in the Spirit, or are not led by the Spirit; or that they have not yet put off the Old Man, and the former vain Conversion, and crucified the Flesh, [Page 120]and the lusts or desires and affections thereof.

CARRY them to that place of Saint Paul, where he tells us, what are the lusts of the Flesh, and what are the fruits of the Spirit:Gal. 5.19. Now, saith he, the works of the flesh are manifest, Adultery, Fornica­tion, Ʋncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witcheraft, Murders, Drunkenness, Revel­lings, and such like; all these they will tell you they have put off, and are be­come new men; and all this we must be­lieve, because in the outside of their lives, they have quitted some scandalous and notorious sins, which before they were guilty of; and have got an affected way of hard words, and talking about Religion, some austerities of life in which they think all sanctity consists, all which may be nothing but a Form or Fashion of Godliness; and in which they have not yet out-done many Heathens, who were strangers to Grace; and I am sure in their opinion shall be so to Heaven. But though they still live, and it may be more than ever, in the most notorious al­lowance, and daily practice of Hatreds, or Enmities, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, [Page 121]Strife, Seditions, or Factions and Divisi­ons, Heresies, Envyings, Murthers, if not of mens Persons, yet of their Fame and Reputation, which is as dear and tender as life; all this is nothing: Tell them as oft as you please, as the Apostle there says,1 Cor. 3.3. Of which things I have told you before, as also in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, they will neither believe him nor you. Tell them as he does the Corinthians, that whilst they are full of strife, envyings, and divisions, one of Paul, another of Apollos, one of this mans Congregation, another of that mans Church, they are yet carnal; they will laugh at you, but neither credit him nor you. Tell them, that they who resist the Supreme Magistrate, his Power and Authority, his Laws and subordinate Mi­nisters of Justice, shall receive to them­selves damnation; they will answer, they shall not, if they do it for Conscience sake: He says,Rom. 13.2, 5. they must be subject for Conscience sake; they say they must not be subject, but ought to do as they do, and be disobedient: He tells them there is a necessity for it, wherefore ye must [Page 122]needs be subject; from a necessity foun­ded upon Nature, Law, Reason, Policy, self-Interest, and Religion: they will re­ply there is no necessity; nay, that it is a burthen and oppression to Good Men, Christian Liberty, and tender Consciences. How true they are, may be a question: but it is none, whether they are not a sort of unmannerly Believers, thus to contra­dict an Apostle, nay all the twelve, and Christ too, if they say not what plea­ses them.

TELL them they despise Govern­ments,2 S. Pet. 2.5. and therefore are presumptuous, self-will'd, such who are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities, of the things they understand not, sporting or pleasing themselves with their own deceivings, or with deceiving themselves, and that for these things they shall utterly perish, they will not believe it concerns them; but though they are manifestly guilty of the Crimes, they will be ready to throw the punishment there or elsewhere mention­ed upon your back.

IF St. Jude tells them there is a Woe against them,S. Jude 11. Num. 16. and that they shall perish in the gain-saying of Corah, which was [Page 123]disobedience to, and raising a Mutiny against Moses and Aaron, the Prince and the Priest, and by the same Arts and Ways which they use, telling them they took too much upon them, since all the Peo­ple were holy, the Lords People, and had all, who were gifted, as good a right to Govern as Moses, and to be Priests and offer Incense as Aaron; pretending Abu­ses and Reformation, which has we see been the old Stratagem to lead on Rebel­lion; 'tis all one, they will no more be­lieve you, than if you quoted the Aleho­ran to confute them. And thus in a confi­dent assurance of Heaven and Everlast­ing Joys (which they think themselves assured of by virtue of their Election) they ride Post (and there is hardly a pos­sibility of stopping them) in the way that leads to everlasting misery and Dam­nation.

NOR is the Doctrine of the impos­sibility of their final falling away from Grace, less dangerous than the former, of which it is indeed a necessary Branch; for hereby they receive encouragement to commit many lesser sins; and under the pretence of Failings, the imperfections [Page 124]and frailties of Flesh and Blood, to pass over with a slight Repentance many wil­ful Offences; and take any slight remorse for a reconciliation with God: Who be­cause they believe he will not suffer them to lye in sin, because they cannot dye in it, brings them to Repentance; and how slender soever it is, he will accept of it from these his particular Friends and Favou­rites. And thus they slightly heal their Wound, and with an imperfect Cure skin over that Hurt, which festers and gangrenes underneath, and is so much more dangerous, by how much the deep­er it lyes, and they are less sensible of it. If this be not an Effect of this Doctrine very frequent and common, sure I am it may be, being the proper and natural Result of it; and which, as in the former, does likewise compleat the Danger they are in, all Arguments are in vain that are employed to convince them of their Errour.

I have read of a certain Page to a great Nobleman in France, who in the high Phrensie of a Fever fancied himself the King of France; and during his plea­sant Delirium, was by his Lords Com­mand [Page 125]accordingly treated and humour'd: And I have heard of many Lunaticks and Melancholy persons who have really fan­cied themselves to be Mighty Monarchs: It were an easier task to induce those to believe the contrary, (for Time and Me­dicines have done that) than to perswade these men, that they are not certain Kings and Priests in Reversion; though that latter is a title they love so little, that it is a question whether they will accept of any place in Heaven, if they cannot have it without that Name, which they profess to hate, and never use but in derision of such who are so on Earth, and in the highest probability of being such hereafter in Heaven. But amongst all those who are upon Record in the Ca­logue of distempered Brains, I know no Story that parallels that humour so exactly as his, who used to stand upon the Pyraeum or famous Port of Athens, and seeing the Wealthy Merchants Ships arrive there from several places of the World, he wonderfully pleased himself with the belief that they were all his own; all their rich Cargo's brought thi­ther only for his use or pleasure, when in [Page 126]truth he had not the least share or propor­ty in any of them. So these men fond­ly think that God Almighty has stor'd up all the Treasures of his Wisdom, Riches, and Mercy, only for them; that he dis­plays all his Goodness and Bounties upon the World for their sakes; and so arro­gantly do they ingross all, that they per­swade themselves that Heaven, and all those inconceivable Pleasures, and un­speakable Glories, were from all Eternity purely and solely intended and created for them.

THERE is so much pleasure in the enjoyment, and so little satisfaction in renouncing this Opinion, that though it be but a meer Cloud, they will hug and embrace it with that Ardor, and those Passionate Transports, as if it were a real Juno, a Celestial Beauty; and would some of them scarce be divorced from it, but with their Lives; which I am perswaded they would make no difficulty to quit, rather than the pleasing Dream; and so much the more willingly, because they believe Death to be the Under-She­riff of Heaven, who is to put them into immediate Possession of those dear De­lights, [Page 127]those unexpressible Joys, which they do with so strong an Imagination phansie are there laid up for them in store.

AFTER all this I would not be thought to be of their Faith, who believe there are no such things as assurance of Heaven, Joy in believing, or Comfort of the Holy Ghost. I am very well satisfied that these are not Fictions, but the great­est and most certain Truths; and that there is a great possibility of enjoying a great Measure of them: But this Blessed Hope which is the Anchor of the Soul, must be fixed upon firm and solid Cround; otherwise it will in our great­est stress and necessity slip and come home to us, and indanger our Wrack upon the Rock of Desperation; and therefore, this Joy and Comfort must be built upon our Willing and Universal Obedience to all the Laws of God, and Commands of the Gospel, in desire, will, intention, and endeavour, which through Faith in the Merits of Christ, is only able to fill the Devout and Pious Soul with those true Joys, and that Peace of God, which pass­eth all understanding: and this Universal [Page 128]Obedience I am sure these Persons cannot justly pretend to, so long as they conti­nue in that manifest, wilful disobedience to their Lawful Superiors both in Church and State, which is so plainly contrary to the Will and Positive Command of God.

BUT further, this Doctrine fills them with a spiritual Pride and Opinion of themselves, which makes them despise all others: and certainly is one true rea­son of their Separation, whilest though it may be their Words do not, yet their Actions speak it out plain enough in the Language of those in Isaiah, which said, Stand by thy self, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou; Isa. 6: 5. these are a Smoak in my Nostrils, and a Fire that burneth all day, says God of these Pretenders to Holiness, and Breakers of Union in his Church: Good encouragements to Sepa­ration! and to perswade this sort of men that they are in God's Favour, and his E­lect and Chosen ones, he gives so good a Character of them, and that their Acti­ons are so grateful to him. Sure they over­look this Text, or never soberly consider of it, or measure themselves by it; for [Page 129]if they did, God Almighty would not have so many unrequired Pharisaical thanks from them, as I question not but he has, That they are not as other Men, so, or so; or even as this superstitious, Idolatrous Church of England Man; who for all that, with his devout Litany, and humble Lord have mercy upon me misera­ble Sinner, is in the judgment of him who shall be Judg of the quick and the dead, like to go up to his House justified sooner than the boasting Pharisaical Pres­byterian Separatist, notwithstanding the large self-justifying Inventory, of his own Perfections and Performances. There are few but would be of my judgment in this particular, that these men are strange­ly puft up with this wind-Tympany of Pride, if they had but convers'd with them; and seen how big and swell'd they look with self-conceit; or if they had but heard them vilifie, lessen, and de­spise all others, upon whom the best their Charily can bestow, is a little scornful Pity; Alas! poor Souls! they are in blindness, Errour, and Ignorance, and do not see those saving Truths which [Page 130]concern their precious and immortal Souls, or their everlasting Peace and Welfare.

CHAP. X. Of the ill Consequences this Doctrine has upon the private Communities where it comes. From hence proceeds a certain breach of Ʋnity. No People so addicted to Debates, Envyings, Strife, Back­bitings, Whisperings, Slanders, condemn­ing, censuring all who are not of their Way to be Reprobate, as are the Separa­tists. Ʋncharitableness and Atheism hereby extremely propagated; they sepa­rate the dearest Eriends, and by creep­ing into Houses, and beguiling silly Wo­men, divide those whom God had join­ed together; they are curious busie-bo­dies in espying out the faults of all o­thers; which they publish to make them­selves appear the Elect, and all others Reprobates. All this is done to fit them to act upon the publick Theatre of the World which they practise in private Vil­lages, or where ever they dwell.

[Page 131]FROM Themselves, let us pass to their Neighbours; and there we shall see the ill consequences this Doctrine has upon them as they are Members of any Community or private Society of Men. Hereby the Unity of the Spirit,Eph. 4.3. which is the Bond of Peace and Perfecti­on, is utterly destroyed; and wheresoe­ver this Doctrine once enters, there does immediately follow, as St. Paul says to his Corinthians, Debates, Envyings, Wrath, 2 Cor. 12 20. Strifes, Back-bitings, Whisperings, Swel­lings, Tumults; innumerable Disputes, great heats in discourse, and coolings in Charity; strong arguings, though weak Arguments, from these men of perverse minds, condemning, censuring, judging, reproving and reproaching all their Neighbours, who will not join with them, and by running into the same Ex­cess of Spiritual Riots, unlawful Meet­ings, Conventicles, or Assemblies, under pretence of serving God, become new Men, as they believe and speak them­selves to be: all those who look not through their Opticks, are blind, the Wicked, and Reprobates. If for this [Page 132]talkative and troublesome humours, any of their Neighbours reprove or rebuke them, presently it is because they know nothing of God or of goodness: If here­by they purchase the aversion of the So­ber or more Judicious, the Prudent and Ancient, who will tell them it was not so in their time; but there was more true love, faith, and honesty, when there was less disputing about Religion; when men went all one way to the Church and Heaven; and that it was never a good world since they came into it: Oh! these are your formal Moral men, who are setled upon the Lees: and hereby they fortifie themselves in their Errors, because they know the world must hate them; which Hatred they make another infallible Sign of the true Church; and which is just such another as the former Mark of Persecution; and if one or both of these are true, all manner of Thieves, Robbers, Murderers, and combined Vil­lains, must undoubtedly be of their true Church; because they are hated of all men, except their Confederates; and justly persecuted for their contempt and breaking of the Laws, as these men are, [Page 133]who for all their fine pretences, are no less Malefactors, nor less dangerous to the publick welfare of the State, than the other; and I am sure far more in one sense, because they are more numerous and of worse design: And whatever they may say, it is for that danger which the natural Principle of Self-preservation teaches all men, it is for their doing so many ill Offices, setting Families and whole Towns together by the ears, di­sturbing the peace and quiet of all their Neighbours; it is for these and such like uncharitable practices, that they deserv­edly pull those aversions upon them­selves; and not as they vainly please themselves, for their being Religious, which those that see through them, and their Form of Godliness, to their wicked Intentions, say they cannot see any true Religion in them at all; and cannot hate them for what they are not guilty of.

NOR does this a little advance the encrease of Atheism amongst us; and it may be, we need not seek much further, for the true Reason of the great and sen­sible Decay of Christian Piety in the pre­sent Age. I have known in some places [Page 134]those who were of no particular Faction, nor had listed themselves under the Stan­dards of any Party, who yet forsook the assembling of themselves together at the Church, the Prayers, and Sacraments; for which I could never hear them give any other account, but that it was im­possible to know which was the right Way to Heaven, or the true Religion, whilst so many different Opinions pretend with an equal Confidence that they are in the Right, and all others wrong: and this sort of People wanting both Will and Abilities to judg, are easily perswaded to dispence with all Religious Perform­ances, their natural inclinations having ne­ver very strongly bent them that Way; and should the succeeding Age make but as considerable a step towards Heathen­ism, as the present has done, we should stand in need of a Second Joseph of Ari­mathea, to convert our Posterity to the Christian Faith, as 'tis said the first did our Ancestors.

NEITHER has this Infection seiz­ed only upon the vulgar, but even those persons who have been able to fly from other Plagues, have been surprized by this [Page 135]Contagion; and possibly Leviathan, who is so much accused for debauching green heads, has not made so many Proselytes to Atheistical Principles amongst the ten­der and unsettled Minds of young Gen­tlemen, as the many Disputes and Un­certainties which of late have by our Dissenters been occasioned about which is the true Religion; where whilest every one boldly challenges the sole ac­quaintance with Truth, they come all at last to be suspected of Falshood; and amongst so many glistering and well-set Counterfeits and Pebles, the true and in­estimable Diamond, by the difficulty of discovery, is in danger to be mistaken, if not absolutely lost. And the young Gal­lant, whilest he makes it his Pastime as much as Cock-fighting to set the Doctor of his Parish, as he calls him, and a Qua­ker, Anabaptist, or Presbyterian into a dis­pute about Religion; though he fancies the Rencounter very pleasant, and there­by gets a fine Scene of Divertisement, yet he certainly loses all that little good Opinion which before he had of Religion; and this together with his own loose in­clinations, and the fashionable humour [Page 136]of being irreligious, easily perswade him, that it is nothing but a fine Device of Politicians, to keep the lower part of the World in awe. Or if he has read the Poet, he believes him more than the Gospel, when he tells him—Primus in Orbe Deos Timor fecit. The Foundati­on of all Religion, was either Fear or Fancy. And are not these glorious dis­coveries, occasion'd and found, out by this New Gospel-Light?

BUT to proceed; these persons are always curious and inquisitive to find out the most secret Crimes of others amongst whom they live; and will never fail to publish that in the open street, and upon the house top,S. Mat. 1 [...].15. which was done in a corner; and they are so far from the true Christian Way of private admoniti­on directed by our Saviour, that with­out waiting for Reformation by those Degrees, they proceed immediately to a Dic Ecclesiae, and tell it to their Church upon the first discovery.

LIKE the wily Serpent, they do commonly begin the Temptation with the Woman, as being the weaker Vessel, yet having a strong Ascendant and influ­ence [Page 137]upon the Husband: and hereby do not rarely Verifie the Apostles prediction, when they creep into houses and lead Captive silly Women, laden with Sins, led away with divers Lusts: and it is the common opinion, that it is not impossi­ble to find amongst their Converts, more Women who either are or have been of ill, or at least suspected Fame, than in many other places which go under a harder Censure. But the good Woman becoming a New Creature, religiously cheats her husband to help to maintain the Speaker; the Man first suspects, and after a little Time discovers the Intrigue of his Wifes paying for this new invented Lea­chery of her Ears; and as well he may, is not a little angry or displeased at it. She tires him with perpetual Lectures, Repe­titions, Admonitions and Importunities; which makes his House or Shop uneasie to him, and either does, or very probably may induce him to seek more agreeable Conversation abroad; and whilst he in­deavours to avoid her continual drop­ping in a rainy day, as the wise man calls the Persections of a Contentious Wo­man, by chusing such places and persons [Page 138]for his Divertisement, he may endanger the Ruine of his Soul, Body, and Estate. And surely next to the debauching a Wo­man into forbidden Embraces, I think this alienating of those two, whom God hath made one, and no person has power to put asunder either in Body or Mind, is a displeasure that must needs be the most sensible Affliction to both Parties, and so much the more, if formerly there has been an entire Love and kindness; when they shall come to be so far estranged as to live in perpetual jars and discords; and whilest they both strive to save the others Soul, run a manifest hazzard of losing both; and do most certainly lose one of the greatest designs and satisfactions of Mar­riage, which is, that they may be mutual helps and comforts one to another. The Heathen Poet could have taught them better Doctrine, where he tells them:

And St. Peter tells the good Women the way to convert their Heathen Hus­bands [Page 139]is by their chaste Conversation coupled with fear to offend them, and not by perpetual ingrateful Curtain-Le­ctures.

THE wise King tells us, ATale-bear­er maketh strife; Prov. 26.20.16. c. 28. and a Whisperer separa­teth chiefest Friends. And with these Talents they do so abound, that the Cof­fee-Houses are not better stor'd with News, especially what may advance the Defamation of all those, from the highest to the lowest, that are not of their Way, or do oppose them. But above all, their aspersions are thrown upon their Lawful Minister, if possible to make him odious to the People, which they know if they can effect, it will be no hard matter to bring them into their Confederacy. And having left him, because he will not leave the Church and his Duty, nor for­swear himself to please them, that they may appear to have some Reason too for their deserting of him, they will not stick to vilifie, contemn, despise, defame, and scandalize, by all the ways they can invent, true or false, it matters not: and herein their cunning is not less than their [Page 140]malice; one blow at the Root, being worth a hundred at the Leaves or Bran­ches: and rather than fail, where no­thing else is to be had, they will content themselves with ridiculous Improbabili­ties. A Clergy-man of my acquaint­ance being call'd up to London upon the dispatch of some emergent and impor­tant affairs of his; having, it seems, no­thing to fix upon him besides, they re­ported that during his stay there, he had his Pocket pickt at the Play-house, of a considerable Sum of Money; which was, as they would have people believe, a most remarkable Judgment upon him for his Vanity; but a far greater Untruth, he ha­ving (as he solemnly protested to me) never had that common piece of ill For­tune at London, or any where else, in all his Life; nor for seven years before ha­ving seen a Play; though he thinks it far better, and more lawful, than one of their Conventicles, where the Teacher picks the Money out of their Pockets, all their Duty, Loyalty, and Allegiance, out of their Hearts; and if they do not in time repent, they are in the greatest [Page 141]danger of having the Devil pick their Souls out of their Bodies.

IT were endless to recount all the di­sturbances they make where-ever they come: and this being but the Prologue to greater Mischiefs and Inconveniences, we will proceed to them; though to keep their hands in ure, they are like the Gentlemans Servant, who being ob­served by his Master to be so light-fin­ger'd, that he never went any whither, but he stole something before he came a­way; he gave him a strict charge not to meddle with any thing at a House whi­ther he was going to make a Visit; at his coming away, the Fellow took up a handful of the Rushes with which the Hall was strow'd, and put into his Poc­ket; and his Master demanding why he did so, he made answer, it was to keep his hand in ure. So these men will play at small Games, Heads and Points, in their own Parish, rather than stand out: and first grow well acquainted with ma­king Parties, Divisions, and little Muti­nies, in the Town where they live, that so they may be perfect at the Trade; [Page 142]and fit to set up; and Act their parts of the Tragedy their Masters are compo­sing, as soon as it is ready to appear up­on the Publick Theater of the World. In a word, they are intimately acquain­ted with the Jesuites Maxim, which they use against the Protestants, Forti­ter calumniare, aliquid haerebit: thus Eng­lisht by a certain Lady, who was wont to use and give this devillish Counsel to such as complain'd to her of any affront or injury they knew not well how to revenge; Defame 'em, Defame 'em, some Body will believe it: and whose Disciples and Followers they are, and what designs they have, we may soon know, if we call to mind, that it was the advice of their great Masters, when they were to draw up a Charge against the most innocent King Charles the First, Let us blacken him, by all means, let us blacken him; which they did to purpose, till their Cruelty gave him the Coronati­on Robes for Heaven, dy'd in the pure Scarlet of his own Blood. Nor do these of the Nursery ever fail to put the Do­ctrine in practice; and all this they [Page 143]think they may do, and that it is good and justifiable, being only against the Wicked, who are God's (because their) Enemies: And that hereby they may make them appear such; and manifest that they only are the Godly and Elect, and all other Reprobates.

BUT these are but slender attempts, and only in order to their Grand Design of Religiously subverting both the Church and State: which let them pro­test never so much against, and pretend themselves never so innocent of any such Intentions, I shall never be able to be­lieve but they do design. Others may do as they think fit. But if I meet a Man at Ware going towards London, I shall conclude that to be the Place whither he designs his Journey, though he tells me he is travelling towards York: which if I were not well acquainted with the Roads, I might otherwise be apt enough to credit; especially if I tell him he is mistaken, and must turn back again; and I find he intends to deceive me, tel­ling me, I am mistaken, and that he is in the Right way, and his Wits too; [Page 144]and knows better than I can direct him, whither he is going; which is the exact humour of all these Barge-Saints, who tugg so hard at the Oars of Reformation, and constantly Row one Way, and look another.

CHAP. XI. Of the Wicked Design they have, by the strength of this Doctrine to overthrow the present Church and its Govern­ment. Which, by their pretending to be the Elect who Worship God in Spirit and Truth, they endeavour to make unlawful and Antichristian. This Do­ctrine contrary to Gods promise to be with his Church to the End of the World; and derogatorie to his Honour. Of the false aspersions they secretly cast upon the Church, and the publique Service of God. Of the inconvenience of arguing with them; and the advan­tages they make thereof. Their impu­dence in boasting themselves and argu­ments invincible. Of their dislike of Places of publique Worship; of the treat­ment they met with in the times of their Power, the house of Prayer made a Den of Theeves. Of their inveterate Hatred against Bishops and the Liturgie. Of the dangerous Tenent they maintain, that all People, Princes and Magi­strats are bound to pull down Anti­christ [Page 146]which with them is Episcopacy; and that if Princes will not, the People may if they can get the Power into their hands. Which makes them grasp conti­nually at Dominion.

LET us now come to examine the dangerous effects this Doctrine has upon the Church: and how industriously, secretly, and with an unwearied and rest­less constancy they undermine its Foun­dations; and with all their Power migh­tily endeavour to overturn it. And wise­ly they do like their Predecessors make their attaque upon that quarter of the Government which is most defenceless, and unarmed, and by Ruining which they formerly gain'd the Town. Now that they do really design this, is apparent from the New Model of Church-Govern­ment which they should introduce, and impose upon the Christian World, as the only true and Evangelical way warrant­ed by the Word of God: and for the Establishment of which, they have so of­ten drawn the Sword in Scotland, and England. For the very design of build­ing a new house in the same Place, ne­cessarily [Page 147]implyes the pulling down of the Old one, as being decayed, useless and inconvenient.

Does not this new invention of theirs extreamly conduce to the Glory of the only Wise God? and confirm the Truth of his Promises, that he would be with his Church to the End of the World; and that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it? When from the very time of his Ascension (if we will believe them) for fifteen hundred years and upwards he never thought more of it. For sure if he had, he would never have suffered Antichrist to rule in it so long: and in all that time never reveal what was his Positive Will and Pleasure in the way of his publique Worship and Service, till this new Apostle-Fisherman found it out in the Lake of Geneva, or in that other Lake which has no Bottom, which by the fire and Brimstone with which it has set the World in Flames, one would be apt to Guess; and that it came from the Angel of the bottomless Pit whose name is in the Hebrew Abaddon, Rev. 9.11. but in the Greek Tongue hath his name Apollyon, and in the English the Destroyer, and some will [Page 148]be ready to interpret it the Presbyterian. They may talk what they will of the Mystery of Iniquity (which with them is Episcopal Government and the Church-Hierarchy) which begun they say to work so Early: I am sure, the woful Ex­perience of the greatest part of Europe, e­specially England, can sadly testifie that their way is the Abomination of Desolation; or that which makes Desolate wherever it comes, which they would set up in the Holy Place, or in the Place of the Holy Church.

But the thing is certain: for they are the Elect People of God, who were pre­destinated from all Eternity to be so, and therefore the true Church: and if so; all others must be False. And to make this manifest and apparent; having nei­therunless, a stat pro­r [...]tione Voluntas. Reason, Antiquity nor Scripture to assist them, they are resolved to be their own Friends; and since Fathers, Councels, and Scriptures are all Prrtial, because the writings of Bishops in their own Cause; they can do the Work without them. And though St. Peter tells them no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation,St. Pet. 2. Ep. 1 Cap. 20 v. and they are yet but Private men, and [Page 149]I hope will never be other: Yet will they put them upon the Rack of their private Interpretations (and the prophecy of the Revelations, for all the Curse at the End of it, more than any other) till they wrest and Extort a confession from them that Episcopacy is Babylon, &c. that is, such a sence as may advance their own De­signs, and it is to be feared Damnation; since the same Apostle tells all those do, who are unlearned, unstable,2 Ep. St. Pet. 1. v. 12. or unfixed in the truth, as he uses the Word; which does exactly correspond with the humor of these people, who after they have once left the Church, roul from one Opinion to another, and are driven about with eve­ry new Wind of Doctrine, and truly let them but alone, and they want neither Skill nor Will to accomplish these and far more difficult Enterprises.

In General therefore they perswade all Men every where, that the present visible Church is Antichristian, and Popish: a thing strangely made up of outward Pomp and Splendor; Formality, Ceremo­nies and Will-worship, the Inventions, Tra­ditions and Commandments of Men, not at all agreeable to the Word of God, or [Page 150]the naked and Primitive Purity and sim­plicity of the Gospel, and the Truth as it is in Jesus.

These Controversies have been so learnedly debated; and they have been so often baffled in all they could say for themselves, that I know no Plea that has been left them, except Conscience, (which they will not part with) though most peo­ple from their Actions Judge if they have any it is an Evil conscience, and of the largest size in the World. Though the plain truth is, the thing which they call Conscience, is commonly known and cal­led by the name of Wilfulness in Opinion; And is just like the Mother Viper, which when her young Brood are hunted and in Danger, opens her mouth, and there se­cures them, and it may be mortally stings the pursuers. I will not therefore repeat the Combate; since they can never be so often thrown to the ground, but like the Gyant Antaens, they rise again and gather strength by their frequent foils. And (though I would not have any one think I have an intention by what I say to put my self into the number of those Worthies) I am perswaded, by the repeated victories [Page 151]which the Champions of Truth have so of­ten gained over them these vanquished become victors; and the great Condescen­sions of so many Famous and Learned Cheiftians as have undertaken to confute them, and have really done it, has ren­dred them more considerable amongst the Vulgar than all their own Abilities put together could have done: For Ig­norant and credulous People must of ne­cessity believe that they are some body, and that there is something more than Ordinary of truth in their Opinions; which emboldens them to affront Authority, and to have the Courage to measure their Weapons with the most Famous and Learned Persons of the Age. And by these Comabtes, these Triflers purchase a real Victory Honour and Reputation, and triumph in their being defeated by such glorious Armes.

And here it will not be amiss to in­form all people of one of their Strata­gems, which never fails them,Vide their Reports of the Confe­rences at Hampton Court before King James nor they to make use of it: amongst the credulous Company of their fiends, Followers and Disciples, they alwayes boast them­selves Invincible; and tell them that such [Page 152]and such with whom they disputed were not able to resist the Wisdome and Spi­rit by which they spake: and though they will own their Weaknesses, yet will they glory in the pretended Victory of the Truth. And by disclaiming their own Interest in these great Atchievements, and ascribing it all to God, who hath chosen the Weak and contemptible things to confound the Great and Wise; they still advance their Reputation as being the particular Favourites of Heaven, and the only Instruments which God is pleased to make use of to carry on his Work, his great Work; which appears so much the more his own wonderful doing, by how much the Means he imployes in it are despica­ble and unlikely to Effect it. And here­by they insinuate and wind themselves into the esteem and admiration of their Party: though others who observe them thus cunningly crawling upon their bel­lies with a seeming humility, think it dis­covers in them more of the subtile Serpent than of the innocent Dove.

But to go on, they will not be con­tented with Generals, but their attempts descend to particulars; and therefore, as [Page 153]if they meant to fulfill the prediction of our Saviour against the Jewish Temple, up­on the present Church; there is not one stone from the Foundation to the highest Pinacle, which they would leave upon another, or do not endeavour to throw down: Not the Porch that is called Beau­tiful, nor the Altar (sacred in all places, Ages, and amongst all Nations and Religi­ons except the Turks) can escape their Zealous Rage and Holy fury. Their se­cret practices and aims are levell'd at All; Root and Branch is the Word of Ecclesiasti­cal Places, Persons and Performances.

As to their dislike of Places, that is not so General: and I question not, but if they and their Appennages were con­verted to their use, and sanctified by the Word and Prayer, (for they must not be Consecrated, because that is a Popish word, and Ceremony) they could dispense with any of them, except the Cathedrals: which so long as they stand will put the World in mind of Bishops, their true and Ancient Possessors. But yet some Dissen­ters who are no Steeple-house Quakers, will speak most contemptuously of the Church of God which is the House of God. 1 Tim. 3.15. [Page 154]Nor indeed do any of them believe there is any such thing in them as a Relative Holiness, though God tells them there is, when he commanded Moses to put off his Shoes from off his Feet,Ex. 3 5. for the Place whereon he stood was Holy Ground. And many Ornaments and Vestments dedi­cated to his service are called Holy: Ex. 29.6. As the Holy Crown or Mitre for the High-Priest, Lev 16.4. Ezech. 4.14. the holy Linnen Coat, and holy Chambers where they laid these Holy things. But these Men are not under Law, but under Grace. As if the great Obligations of the Gospel, were intended to set us free from that respect we owe unto Almighty God. Whereas common reason will tell us they ought rather to increase and augment it. And I know not what is, if this be not (as St. Peter sayes) an abusing of Christian freedom,1 St. Pet. 2. Chap. 13.14, 15, 16. and using it for a Cloak of Maliciousness; As all those persons do who will not sub­mit themselves to Government, and by Obedience Honour the King, which is the way to shew that they fear God. How little fear or respect they have for either is but too plain. What will they say to you of the houses of God; are they any [Page 155]more than other Places, Heaps of Wood and Stones? they are sorry that they are not heaps of Rubbish too. Were they not all built by Papists, in the times of Su­perstition, Blindness, and Ignorance? But some of them will yet go further; and can afford them no better Title, they are the High Places, theA pretty witty new name for a Church, it is to be thought from the Publicans and Sin­ners that resort to it. Oh the happy Inven­tions of some Men! Publick, and the Places of Idolatry. One of these Venerable Men, riding not long ago near a Cathe­dral of this Nation, took oc­casion at the next Meeting (whither he was going to hold forth) to speak to this Effect, if not these Words: Beloved, as I came hither, I saw that place of Idolatry, (naming the Cathedral) Ah! poor Souls!A pitiful man I war­rant him. thought I with my self, that live in that place of Su­perstition, what will become of you? but you, my friends, are not in darkness, but under the precious Sunshine of the Gospel-Light. And so he went on.

And in truth the treatment which these Sacred and Venerable Places met with in the time of their Empire, is sufficient to convince us of that respect and kindness they have for them. Our Lord upbraids [Page 156]the Wicked Jews, for making the House of God (which was to be a House of Pray­er for all Nations) a Den of Theeves, and a house of Merchandize; what may we then think of those Men who once made St. Pauls, (whose very Ruins are one of the Wonders of the World) not only a publique Exchange, and a Den of Theeves, but of Murderers? a stable for Horses, far more innocent Beasts and less Brutish than their Riders, and if ever there were Hippocentaurs in the World it was they, for the Horse and Man were both of a piece.

It were a pretty Subject for a Romance (and so great was the impiety, that fu­ture Ages will scarcely believe it any o­ther) to relate the Pious Adventures of the Knights Errant of those dayes; what fierce Battels they had with the painted Glass Windows, with Christ and his twelve Apostles, the Saints and Martyrs. Where­ever they met with them they were sure to suffer in Effigie. How many right Doughty Knights they overthrew, and kill'd over and over, after they had been dead some Ages! only because their Su­perstitious Marbles, were in the idolatrous [Page 157]posture of Kneeling, and more certainly Praying to some Popish Saint in the neighbouring window: In vain was it that they had taken Sanctuary in those Holy Places; they could not protect themselves; nor be at rest till by their looking like Skeletons, they gave an am­ple testimony to all that saw them, that they were Dead, and as they thought beyond the hopes of a Resurrection; though God be praised, in that particu­lar they were no true Prophets, and we have seen those dry Bones live and flou­rish again. Long may they do so! Long live and flourish! And here I cannot omit a pleasant passage which happened at a place where Ireton had his Quarters in the late times, and which I have since seen; In his zeal against Images, at the Church whose windows were very Beau­tiful, he made all the twelve Apostles and many other Saints suffer a second Mar­tyrdom, only the Picture of the old Dra­gon vomiting the Flames of Hell out of his Mouth, was spared, and for old ac­quaintance left intire, and undefaced; which was then by the Inhabitants taken notice of, and who was his Saint; not [Page 158]without applying the proverb, Like to Like, quoth the Devil to the Collier.

But had these Men power, I am satis­fied they could make good use of the Places, even the same that Judas would have had made of the precious Oyntment, Jo. 12.5. sell them and give them to the Poor: and 'tis easie to guess who those are; for though they abhor Idols, Rom. 2.22. as they account these places, yet they think it no Sin to commit Sacriledge: and we may remem­ber, that some of the Cathedrals were once exposed to Sale; though as it was observ­ed, the gains the purchasers made of their Bargains was like Aurum Tholosanum, which made all those who had it die Beg­gars and miserable.

But the Persons are their greatest Eye­sore, being (as they complain) Goads in their Sides and Thorns in their Eyes; the Houses and Inheritance might do them good, if the present owners were but dis­possessed of them: and at this they strike fair, whilest they perswade the People all they can, that the present Office of a Bishop, as it is in use in the Church of Eng­land, is a meer humane invention: That by the Bible, Bishops and Presbyters are all [Page 159]one: That they Lord it over the Flock of Christ; and that their Authority which with so much Rigor they Exercise over the Church of God, and especially over tender Consciences, and good Men, is a meer Tyrannical Ʋsurpation upon the Liberties of their fellow-Labourers in the Gospel. They are not altogether so busie upon this Theme in Publique, as for­merly they were, when their Tongues were their own, and there was no Lord over them; not so much as Soveraign Lord, or Lord Bishop to restrain them, which were brave Dayes of Liberty in­deed: But I make no Question, but they ply it in Private; and I am the apter to believe it, because the unwary now and then blab it out. And it was but the other day that one of this Tribe, a little heated with discourse, could say before a great many Persons of a contrary Judgment to his, What? do you think the Bishops fit to govern the Church? un­doubtedly He did not, nor do any of them: and had not his fear pull'd him by the sleeve, and given a check to his overforward Tongue, no doubt but he would have produced all the strong [Page 160] Reasons of the Cabal for the proving of the Negative. And this I dare confi­dently affirm, that there is not one in a hundred of them who have drunk of this Poison, but hate the present Office, if not the Person of a Bishop, who may have done them much Good, but never any injury, and possibly one whom they ne­ver saw in all their Lives.

Did the Commons of England under­stand what great Immunities and Privi­ledges they possess, by the perswasions, and powerful influences of some former Bishops upon our Kings and the Laws, they would find that they have a great deal of Reason to Love and Honour the present Bishops for the sake of their Pre­decessors.

My Design being not so much to pre­tend to the full Determination of Contro­versies, as to discover the secret practices of these dangerous People: I will not undertake the Quarrel, nor undervalue those Reverend Fathers of the Church, by taking up the Gantlet for them; lest un­der the pretence of doing them Justice, by my ill Managery of so great and good a Cause, I might affront and injure both [Page 161]them and it. I was always of the Opini­on, that every man is not a fit Combatant for all Truths: and I have not yet shaken hands with that Modesty which hitherto has made me esteem my self of their Number, who may want Ability, rather than Will or Courage to do them service. And indeed as they are sufficiently able, without calling Auxiliaries to their as­sistance, they have already several of them vindicated their own Cause, Office, Institution, Succession, and whatever does concern them, so learnedly fully and Effectually, that it were but to light a Candle to the Sun, for me to go about it.

Leaving them therefore to the Manage­ment of their own Affairs, let us return to our Propose: and having heard what are the Opinions of these Dissenters, con­cernign the Places and Persons; we now come to take their Sence of our Ecclesia­stical Performances: for which we shall find they have as little kindness or Chari­ty as for the former.

All the Ceremonies of the Church which they tell tell the People are with us the greatest part, if not the All of our Wor­ship, [Page 162]are far from that Spirit and Truth, which God seeks for in all those Worship­pers that he approves. That they are no where Warranted in the Word of God, and therefore unlawful. The Surplice and other Vestments, (badges of Innocence, and distinctions of Degrees, or Office,) are Rags of Rome. Bowing at the Name of Jesus flat Idolatry: kneeling at the Sa­crament the same: The Cross after Bap­tism, a vain and foolish piece of Supersti­tion, and a Relique of the Popish Crossing. In short, the whole Book of Common Prayer, &c. a dull dead Letter, formal, having not the Power or Spirit of Devo­tion: nothing but a translation of the Mass-book into English. Full ofThank Calvin for his Tolera­biles ine­ptiae. frivo­lous stuff, mere Porredge, and I know not what, for there is nothing that may render the Service of the Church contem­ptible or Odious which they will stick to say of it; and in so doing perswade us they do their Duty, and God good Ser­vice.

How far they have successfully advan­ced in this Wicked Design is but too Evi­dent, by the General neglect of People in repairing to the Church, on the Holy [Page 163]Fasts and Festival Dayes. Though they are enjoyned by the Statute Laws of the Land to be kept Holy; Ann. quar­to & quin­to Ed. Sex­ti st. 3. as well as by the Command of the Church. And by which all people are enjoyned to resort to their Parish-Churches, to hear Divine Service, Anno. 1. Eliz. st. 2. and to joyn in an unanimous and Ʋniform Worship of God. Anno 23. Eliz. st. 1. Nor will they come to Church on the Lords Day in the afternoons, when they have no pretence of the hindrance of their Secu­lar Affairs; if there be only Prayers and Catechizing, but not a Sermon, which as hereafter shall be shewn, is made the Es­sential part of all Religion.

Now all these Waters of Marah spring from the same Fountain. The Doctrine of their being the Elect, and only people of God. For if they be, theirs is the right way of worship, and all others false and vain. But that they are the Elect you have already heard; and what in­fallible Marks their Teachers have given them; and more than all that, have told them that undoubtedly they are: which likewise has been confirmed unto them, by the Testimony of the Spirit help­ing them to pray, and filling them with [Page 164] Love, and Joy in believing. And if ours be false wayes, and Will-worship, such as keep men in Error and Ignorance, Blindness, Formality and Superstition, such as will certainly bring them to Hell; ought they not think you, to promote Gods Glory (and their own) by pulling down the Kingdom of Antichrist, and destroying the Brazen Serpent, when it is abused to Idolatry. Undoubtedly they think it is their Duty; and not only theirs, but the Duty of all Magi­strates, Kings and Princes of the Earth, who are bound to endeavour it; to hate the great Whore of Babylon and to burn her with fire: and if they will not be so wise to receive this Instruction from them; and so learned as to put this in Execution, the people may (if they can get power) nay must endeavour it, with or against their Wills; for the Work is the Lords, and Cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently,Jer. 48.10 and Cur­sed be he that keepeth back his sword from Blood; which is the true Chain of their desperate Opinions and Practices: A most admirable Sorites, to prove Re­bellions not only Lawful but Necessary; [Page 165]and which you see is forcibly back't with abused Scripture.

Thus one Error in the Foundation, multiplies into a thousand; and contrary to the Rules of Architecture, is like an in­verted Pyramid, the higher it rises the wider it spreads; and one mistake in a Principle, is the Parent of innumerable in the Practice. I will conclude this par­ticular, with the following Apologue, and leave the Application of it to every mans pleasure.

A certain Husbandman having in his Plantation a Vine, it grew wonderfully, and did produce great plenty of incom­parable Clusters, and of a most delicate tast: some of his wise neighbours coming to see his Plantation; and perceiving the Shoots and Branches so Luxuriant, they gave him advice to crop and prune it, and to take off most of the largest and fairest leaves; telling him that the Plant spent it self too much that way, and that all the good they did, was but to make a little unnecessary Flourish, which might well be spared; that they Beauty or Shade, could not make a recompence for the injury they did in drawing away [Page 166]such abundance of the sapp and moisture from the Root, whereby they hindred its Fruit, robbing it in great measure of they juicy nourishment. Upon tryal the Experiment does not succede; the Fruit proves neither so fair, plentiful, nor of that greateful flavour as formerly it used to do. But to give him assistance in his design, the following Yea [...] he spies upon one of the Branches a fine wrought webb, charged only with a few little tender Eggs: his Curiosity and Igno­rance of what it was tempted him to let them alone; and to see what they would come to. The heat of the Sun in a short time discloses a brood of most curiously variegated Catterpillers, the honest man finds them still lodged in their cunning inclosure, admires their Beauty and ma­ny-colour'd nature Ammel; and thus argues with himselfe: Sure these Worms can do my Vine no hurt, they look so finely and feel so soft: which arguments prevail with him not to disturb, much Iess destroy them; Before he thought any more of them, or look't again, they had overspread his Vine and devoured all the Leaves; and had left the tender [Page 167]fruit naked and bare; which being there­by exposed to the scorching Sun, the unkindness of the Winds and Weather, in a little time parch'd and dwindled quite away: and if he had not used much industry he had utterly lost his delicate Plant. Which for all his care and pains, did not yet in several Years recover the damage it had sustained by these pretty silken Guests. You need make no Que­stion, but for ever after he knew them a­gain at first sight; and assoon as ever he spied a Webb but beginning to be spun upon his Vine, he gave it a speedy Dis­patch.

CHAP. XII. Of the Desperate influences this Doctrine has upon the State and Civil Govern­ment. This Amazon Fury bred in Re­bellion, and ever since nurst up with blood, proved from our own and all Eu­rope's sad Experience. This Doctrine inclines men to Aristocracy, or the Go­vernment of a Common-wealth. Of the little kindness they have for Monar­chy. [Page 168]Salus populi Suprema Lex, their fundamental Principle of Government; abused to perswade Men. that the Peoples Election and approbation are necessary Ti­tles to a Crown. That a King is Major Singulis, Minor Universis, and may be deposed and punished by the People, proved from their practice. The great Encouragement it gives to Rebellion, and Courage to Rebels. The same Do­ctrine of Fatality taught by Mahomet to inspire the Turks with Courage against the Christians.

LET us now see whether these Prin­ciples render them better Subjects to the State than Sons to the Church? And I am afraid; we shall find them as preju­dicial to the safety of the one, as to the Peace and Tranquillity of the other.

If it be rational to argue from Effects to Causes, we shall need no other Demon­stration, to assure us of the Dangerous na­tures of these Men and Opinions, than the known and undeniable matters of Fact, so largely treated of in the Histo­ty of Presbytery. Wherein is fully shewn the Original, Rise and growth of this per­nicious [Page 169] Doctrine, the Mother of all those Younger Sects, Factions and Divisions a­mongst us in matters of Religion.

It was begotten, born, and nur'st up at Geneva in Rebellion: and from thence this Amazon Lady, this Penthesilea fu­rens, Ducit A­mazoni­dum Luna­tis agmina Peltis, Penthesi­lea furins, mediisque in milli­bus ardet. march'd attended with Fire and Sword, Ruine call'd Reformation in the Van, and Desolation in the Rear; through the greatest part of Europe over a Red Sea of Blood as well as Salt Water into Scotland, and from thence with the Directory in one hand, and the Sword in the other, a Solemn League and Cove­nant, as smooth as Oyl in her mouth, when drawn Swords, War and Rebellion were in her Heart, she came along with the Northern Army into England; and there spent her force and fury, (and I hope her last and dying Efforts) upon these Miserable Nations. So that one may truly say of this Doctrine as the Poet does of Comets.

This new Light of the Gospel, how bright and shining soever, was a por­tentous [Page 170] Blazing-star, which did not only presage, but wherever its dreadful Beams displaid their Malignant Influences, it did produce Sedition and Rebellion, Murther and Sacriledge, Desolation and Destructi­on, Ruine and Confusion: The considera­tion of which dismal Revolutions, me­thinks were enough to make the greatest Phanatique fall heartily to his Litany, and pray Good Lord deliver us. If this be Re­ligion; Sit anima mea cum Philosophis: For I doubt not but a good sober Indians Hell, will be far more tolerable than such Mens Heaven as were guilty of all these Mischiefs can be without Repentance and Amendment.

I intimated before how little kindness they have for Monarchy, or indeed for any Nobility, Gentry, or Magistracy, unless it be to countenance, patronize and Sup­port their Designs; and how inclinable they are to dislike and hate that Govern­ment which opposes their Interests, or crosses their Intentions of a Reformation, and possibly there are not many who would not be of my Persuasion, had they but heard them speak with that feeling kindness as they will do of the late times [Page 171]of Rebellion. Oh, how much Sin was suppressed, Godly Men incouraged, and the Sabbath Sanctified, to what they are now in these Dayes of Licentiousness! and undoubtedly that Aristocratick Go­vernment, or rather Democracy, Anarchy or Confusion (for I know not what to term it, it was so Mercurial) is still the Darling of their Memories. Oh! the happy dayes when there was no King in Israel! but every man had liberty of Conscience, and did that which was right and good in his own Eyes! Oh that sweet and precious Time! that dear Liberty of Conscience, when there was no King, no Bishop, no Fines, no Imprisonments for Religion, but the Gospel ran on Couragiously conquering and to Conquer! that is to say, when Club-Law and the Law of the Sword put them out of the Danger of the Sword of the Law and Justice.

It is a most convincing Argument, that they think the present Government and Governers, Tyrannical and Heathenish, when they do so often tax them with being guilty of persecuting the People of God: and unless we are not only blind but stupid, we cannot but perceive, that [Page 172]they do most Passionately wish and pray, that the Kingdome may be the Lords, and that the Saints may Rule the World: that is, once again have the Honour which Hugh Peters applied to the then Saints; To bind their Kings with Chains, Psal. 149. C. 7.8. and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron. And had they but Power, that the high praises of God might be in their Mouths, whilst a two-edged Sword was in their hands; no doubt is to be made, but they would be forward enough to fulfill their part of the prediction, in Executing Vengeance upon the Heathen-Governours, and punish­ment upon all the People who would not say or act like them.

Let them now with their usual dissi­mulation, deny all such Intentions: and in truth there is an unlucky Proverb that will hinder their Confession, for if they confess this, they are sure to be hang'd for Treason, as they well deserve. Let them pretend never so much Inno­cence; all the World shall never perswade me, till I am divested of my Reason, that there is any person who would not wil­lingly shake off that Yoak which is so uneasie to him; and which as he verily [Page 173]believes, is unjustly and unlawfully im­posed upon his neck.

And however the ordinary sort of People whose prospect looks little further than to morrow, may have no intenti­ons that are so black and dangerous; yet undoubtedly the Heads of the Facti­on, who have ever been observed to be subtile and Designing men, are for an Al­teration of the Government Ecclesiastical and Civil; and they well know how ea­sie it is to lead a Populace by the Nose, with the plausible pretences of Piety, Reformation, Gods Glory, and Liberty of Conscience, to do what they please; by telling him it is necessary to be done, for the attainment of those Ends. Thus have I seen Clouds gather in the Skie, cloath­ed with fleeces of the brightest Wool, and shining with a counterfeit borrow­ed light, to which nothing was com­parable but the Sun that lent it: Who could but admire their glory, or suspect so much light and whiteness to be Dangerous? and yet nothing is more [Page 174]common than for such Glouds to be charged with the most dangerous and terrible Principles of Thunder, Lightning, Storms and Tempests, which when ever they break out (which is soon perceived by the Changing into black and growing numerous) then let whatsoever is Emi­nent beware a Clap; the high Towers of Government, and Steeples of Religion are sure to suffer for it. For,

I will make no scruple to apply the Comparison to these sort of Men; who as St. Peter tells us in his plain description of them, are Clouds carried with a Tempest.

And to make this evident, I desire all such whose Age will give them leave, to call to mind whether they have never seen or heard that Salus Populi est supre­ma Lex publiquely asserted in Print, and abused to countenance the most Villa­nous Actions: that the welfare of the People (of which these Men are the on­ly [Page 175]competent Judges) is above all Laws, Persons and Considerations whatsoever: and that Kings (whose only true Title to their Crown, Contrary to Scrip­ture, By me Kings Reign; Proverb. The Pow­ers that be, are ordain­ed of God, Rom. 13. is the Peoples Election and Approbation, and neither Succession, nor ordination and appointment from God) and Kingly Government, if prejudicial to that Fundamental Law may by the People be abolished, deposed, nay and punished for such Delinquencies, even to the loss of Crown and Life. Have we not seen all this done as well as said? Have you ne­ver heard, that a King is Major Singulis, but Minor Ʋniversis? a little better man than Dick, or Tom, or Will, if you take them barely by themselves in a Frock with a Cart-whip: but by your Ma­jesties leave, good Sir King, you are not so good a man as Mr. Multitude. Have you never known the Time, when the Commons of England were white Boyes, and stroak'd over the Heads with the tickling Imagination, That all the good People of the Nation were a free born People, and I know not how many good morrows, with which they were wont in those Dayes to cologue the World with a Bait of a pretended Liberty [Page 176]into the Trap of a real Slavery? What they then thought they boldly writ and spoke; and what they dare not now Speak, yet they dare as boldly think, that being a freedom which they cannot be deprived of: and undoubtedly they do so, and it is still their Judgment, their Actions speak it most distinctly and plain.

It is not this or that King, but Monar­chy in general that they are against; as not being a Government for their Turn; nor any kind of Government by a Single Per­son; and I am confident they did as much hate Oliver after he took upon him to be a Single Protector, as before they lov'd him, whilst he was only his Excellency, and their Renowned and Victorious Ge­neral. It is a Common-wealth that is their Darling, where every one is not without hopes of his being uppermost, and that it may come to his Turn to have a Share in the Government. And where amongst so many Elective Heads, they are sure to make a Party, and it shall go hard, if not the Major: whereas one sin­gle Person can be but of one Perswasion at one Time, and it is a thousand to one [Page 177]never of theirs, if he consults his own Security, Settlement, Safety, Interest, or Glory, which because it is Natural for all men to do, they cannot believe but he will. And this is the reason of their Ha­tred of Monarchy, because they fear it; and knowing how inconsistent their Principles are one with another; and that they cannot both have the Govern­ment; they are afraid lest Soveraign Prin­ces awakened by their Danger, should by the most Rigorous Methods, ease them­selves of the Jealousie they justly enter­tain of such desperate Rivals and Compe­titors; and this makes them likewise so industrious and restless in their Endea­vours, by making a Party, to overbal­ance the power of the Prince, and if pos­sible by force to wrest his from him, by which means they think it is only possible to secure themselves from Ruine.

Nor will they ever quit these Persua­sions so long as they hold to their Princi­ples, which for ought I see is like to be as long as they live. For if they be the Elect People of God, and in the Right Way of true Worship and Religion, they are bound in Conscience to promote and [Page 178]propagate it with or without the consent of their King 'tis all one. As we daily see they do by all their Actions and In­deavours. And they who in his Royal City, and before his face are not affraid to Violate his Laws and Proclamations; will never fear the sword of Justice, if once they are assured that their own is longer. And though the Apostles teach no such Doctrine, nor the Holy Martyrs ever pro­pagated the Christian Faith or Church-Government with any other Blood but their own, or with any other Weapons but Prayers and Tears; these men are of an­other Opinion, and can fight the Lords Bat­tels, and Curse Meroz as bitterly as the An­gel did if they come not to help the Lord against the Mighty.

And for encouragement to fight, I know no Doctrine like this and that of Ma­homet, which whatever they may do in others, agree in this point; that the Ter­minus vitae est immobilis: Every mans Fate is in unalterable Characters written in his forehead. Those feeble and effe­minate Asiaticks had never carried their conquering Armes so far amongst the Hardy Europeans, if they had not been [Page 179]inspired with this Doctrine of Fatality; and that if it be decree'd that they must Dye in this Battel, or in that Assault, it is impossible for them to prevent it; and if they must escape and overlive it, they shall; though they run upon the Mouth of the Roaring Cannon. And in which likewise they agree, and have a further Harmony; if they fall by the Fatal Steel, or undistinguishing Bullet; they do not only die in the Bed of Honour, but step immediately into Paradise: which is but the just Recompence of those who sacri­fice their Lives, to propagate the Alcho­ran, or the Good Old Cause.

I do not now wonder to have heard those of the Royal Party say so often, that the Rebels fought like Turks: since in this Opinion they were such. Besides being the Elect, and fighting Gods Cause they acquire a new Courage from the hopes they entertain, that he is obliged to pro­tect them, and to fight from them, that the Stars in their Courses shall fight against Sisera. And how far such thoughts did Encourage our English Rebels, a people naturally bold enough to attempt the most hazardous Enterprises, Let those [Page 180] Loyal Gentlemen testifie, who yet wear the Honourable Scars, which they pur­chas'd in the defence of their King, Coun­try, Laws, Liberties and Religion against those desperate Villains. Let the many Cruel Battels, and desperate storms, hard marches, and hot Engagements they un­derwent, let these be Witnesses: it was not all for Pay and Plunder, though these were good Encouragements, But the Main of the Quarrel was pro Aris, in their English, against Altars; for Religion and Reformation, the Liberty of the Subject, which (if any thing can) will inspire a Coward with Courage, and make him Va­liant: And that the Cause was Gods, they never then made any doubt: nor yet make any more scruple of it, than they do of their Election.

And what kind thoughts they have of the present Magistracy you shall ghess if you have any skill, Ex pede Herculem, to take the proportion of Hercules by the print of his foot. One of these (and a Teacher I promise you) in some Compa­ny where he thought he might be bold, lamenting the looseness and vitiousness of the Times; and the blame being laid [Page 181]at the Door of the Inferiour Magistrates, who were so remiss in putting the Laws in Execution: Pray, says he, how can it be otherwise, when there are none in Authority but the God-damm'ees? and though no former Prince has so highly obliged them as his present Majesty by the Act of Oblivion, and a General Pardon since; though possibly a better Temper and milder Inclinations are not to be found amongst all Mankind; yet for all that, I believe the Guards about White-hall (at which they grumble so oft, calling them a standing Army) are a grea­ter Security for him than their Love or Allegiance. And I make no dispute, but if they had Power proportionable to their Desires; if he would not consent to their unreasonable Demands, and in Effect de­pose himself, they would make bold in plain English to un-King him; (and it may be something more) as well as his Glorious Father; whose Caution I think therefore ought never to be forgotten, [...]. The Lady Eliza­beth's Re­lation of what the King said to her im­mediately before his Death. To Forgive them, but never Trust them. For what is a King to them if he be not one of the Elect? and that he can never be unless he be of their Church; and resolve [Page 182]to Establish their true and Evangelical Ways; from which he must therefore be very far, so long as he suffers the Laws and his subordinate Ministers of Justice to persecute these People, who are the E­lect, the undoubted Children of God.

[...] Sect. 16. upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book.And as his late Majesty of blessed me­mory does in the forementioned Book, not improbably Conjecture; Possibly that aversion they all have for the Publique Litturgy of the Church, is because it does so frequently pray for the King and the Royal Family, to which in their Hearts they cannot say Amen. and that the Conjecture is not wide of the Mark, this following Instance will in some measure make apparent. One of this Gang be­ing amongst other Company entertain'd as a neighbour at a friends house, imme­diately as soon as Dinner was done he steps out of the Room into a by-Entry, and a Clergy-man who was present re­turning thanks, and as is customary and commendable, closing his Grace with a short Prayer for the Kings Majesty, the Queen, and Royal Family; this impudent Fellow was by those who stood next the Door heard scornfully and maliciously [Page 183]to say, when he came to that Passage; Oh! by all Means! if it were not for that all were worth nothing: and indeed it makes me apt to think, that this is one, if not the only Reason, why they account all the Prayers of the Church worth no­thing: for they are not yet arrived to that Perfection in Christian Religion, to love or pray for their Enemies; in which number they never fail to put all Crowned and Mitred Heads.

How directly contrary this Doctrine is to the Divine Philanthropy, the infinite Love of God to all Mankind; and indeed to the whole Current and Consent of the Sacred Scriptures; how dishonourable to God, and disadvantageous to Christi­an Religion: are Subjects already large­ly and learnedly treated of by other Pens. And if as they fell in my Way, I have lightly touched upon any of them, it is only so far, as they were necessary to shew how pernicious this Doctrine of theirs is to themselves, and the salvation of their Souls; how troublesome, unqui­et, uncharitable, and unchristian it is amongst their Neighbours. How destru­ctive it is to the Church and Ecclesiastical [Page 184]Government, Places, Persons, and Perfor­mances: and how irreconcileable and de­sperately dangerous it is to the State of the present Royal Dignity and Govern­ment.

CHAP. XIII. Of their Doctrine of the necessity of Se­paration from the Wicked, which they teach in Private; and by their Example in Publick. These uses they make of it; to know their strength and numbers, which they always boast of, if possible to bring Authority to comply with their Desires: hereby they engross a Trade amongst them­selves. Of their undermining Authority by making it contemptible, by their daily affronting it. Of the unlawfulness of Sepa­ration, from the example of our Savi­our, and from Scripture. Separation by St. Jude made a mark of Reproba­tion. Jeroboams Policy the End of their Separation.

LET us now proceed to a second Doctrine, which is he Spawn of the [Page 185]first, and the Daughter of such a beau­tiful Mother cannot chuse, but must be most admirable fair.

Being the Elect People of God, those whom from all Eternity he has out of his infinite Love predestinated to Holi­ness and Happiness; though they are in the World, yet they are not of the World: and therefore they must Separate from Sinners, and be a peculiar. People, with­out which they think they are not suffi­ciently zealous of Good Works: which in plain English is, That whosoever will be of the Number of the Elect People of God, must have no religious commerce with the rest of the World; (for all o­ther he may:) and that a true Title to Heaven is only to be hoped for, and had in their Church and Communion: and by this means they advance the so necessary Point of Separation, or Distinction of a Party; without which Instruments (their Spiritual Carnes and Engines, to draw up the Stones, after they have hew'd and fitted them by the former Doctrine) they cannot go on with, or ever hope to fi­nish the New Model of their Church, so as to set up the Corner-Stone, and with joy [Page 186]and shouting cry Grace, Grace unto it; for they would only change his Grace of Canterbury into his Grace of Presbytery. And this they manage with as little noise as possible, and with the same Secrecy and Subtilty as the rest; though some people say they can plainly hear the Axes and Hammers go perpetually,Psal. 77.6. which they lift up to break down the Carved Work of all the Houses of God in the Land, in order to their setting up the Synagogues of Satan in the room of them.

If you discourse with them, and put the Question, Whether the Church of Eng­land is a true Church? and whether Salva­tion may not be obtained in Communion with it? They will do all they can to decline the Question; and will certainly dissemble their Opinion, by telling you, They dare not judge; every man must stand or fall to his own Master: That they forbid, or hinder none from coming to our Church, whose Consciences will give them leave. All which, is only to avoid the Pinch of the Controversie, and is nei­ther better nor worse, but what the Apo­stle S. Paul calls Speaking Lyes in Hypocri­sie. 1 Tim. 4.2.

[Page 187]For it is evident that they think it unlawful; because they abstain from our Church, and refuse Communion with us themselves: and should they speak ne­ver a Word to their Disciples, Example is a Tutor sufficiently able to instruct them in this part of their Duty. And that Man or Woman either, must have so little natural Logick as to be meer Na­turals, who cannot thus argue from In­duction: Such a man, or Mr.—is a pious, good, and conscientious man, for he prayes by the Spirit, is painful and powerful in preaching Soul-saving Gospel-Truths; Now surely if it were not un­lawful to go to the Church and hear those Prayers, or receive the Sacrament, he would not refuse to do it, and abstain from them himself: But he does abstain; Nay, might have kept or had a good Living, if he would have conform'd, which (Good Man!) he relinquish'd, or refus'd for Conscience-sake. Therefore it is unlawful: and I cannot fear to erre, or be mistaken if I follow so good a pat­tern, such a godly mans Example.

But though in publique they are always tender mouth'd of what may either dis­cover [Page 188]their Wicked Designs, or bring them under the unavoidable penalty of the Laws: and are not a little cautious and circumspect, where they are not as­sured that all the Ears and Tongues of the Assembly are at their Devotion, and therefore will not speak plainly or po­sitively: yet they will deliver their Sence so as to be well enough under­stood, That there ought to be no Com­munion with the Wicked (and we know who they mean by that,) for what fel­lowship hath Light with Darkness, Rev. 18.4. or God with Belial? and therefore come out of her my People, come out of Spiritual Babylon and Egypt, and be not partakers of their Sins, lest ye be likewise of their Plagues; which latter part of the verse explains the former, and informs us how far our Separation is lawful, viz. from the Sins of the wicked World; not from an outward Communion with the Visible Church. And though there is no place suf­fers more frequently by their abuse of it, I know none that favours them less, if they would put the right Construction up­on it.

And though they may be thus squeam­ish [Page 189]in Public: yet in private discourse, and where they are under the Rose, or dare be confident that they shall not be betray'd, they will explain their mean­ing, and declare, that the Church of Eng­land is Babylon, her Worship Antichristi­an, nay impious and blasphemous. And this the Disciples propagate from one to another; and are not so wary as their Teachers; but having more zeal than pru­dence, stick not to tell every body so, with whom they fall into common converse and discourse: and this Doctrine is usu­ally left to the care of the Old Disciples, to whose charge the new Proselyte is al­ways committed; and they never fail in the ample discharge of this Duty.

Should they propose it bare-fac't, the uncharitableness of it would at first sight affright many, and discourage more; but this is Meat for strong Men, not Milk fit for Babes: and therefore it is worth our observation, to see how artificially and by degrees, they take their Novices from the Breast; and with the common stratagem of Nurses they rub the beauti­ful Breasts of Consolation of the Mother-Church, with the bitter Wormwood of [Page 190]their false aspersions, or smear them o­ver with the sooty black of their own Calumnies, and so fright these Younglings from that sincere Milk of the Word which is able to save their Souls. It is always some considerable time before any Young Disciple does absolutely forsake our Church and Communion; nor do they usu­ally feed them with this solid food of Se­paration, till by their unnatural biting of their Mother, they manifest that they have Teeth: first he comes at the latter end of Prayers, which by their temper­ing with him, he now begins to dislike: after a while, having linger'd about the Church-yard for the Watch-word, he drops in just as he hears the Psalm beginning to be sung, before the Minister goes in­to the Pulpit: then it may be he will miss a day or two; and in time, as he grows to a clearer Ʋnderstanding of this Doctrine, that he is to have no fellow­ship with the Wicked, and who those are: he totally leaves the Church; to which he rarely returns, till he comes upon mens shoulders with his Heels for­ward, to his own Funeral; except to hear a Funeral Sermon for a deceased Friend [Page 191]or Relation. Sometimes the temptation of saying Twenty pounds, may persuade him to come once in a Month, but then only to the Sermon: which being ended, he tumbles out of the Doors, for fear he should be thought one of the Catholick Church, by praying for it; or have any share in the Peace of God; which hating in his Life and Actions, he will not suf­fer to enter into his Ears. Though, for all his haste, this will not excuse the for­feiture, which by the express words of the Statute is to be imposed upon all such as do not resort to their Parish-Church to hear Divine Service.

Now the advantages they receive by this Separation are principally these.

First, hereby they come to know their Strength and Numbers; and this adds not a little to their confidence; and, as they believe, to their present Security from Punishment, and future hopes of Tollera­tion, if not Establishment. And whoso­ever does but take notice of the fre­quent boasts they make, how Consider­able a part of the Nation they are, must conclude, that the knowledge of their Number, is one great and main end of [Page 192]their Separation: and that hereby they seem secretly to threaten their Superiours, into a suspension of the execution of the Penal Laws against so great a Party; whilst they sliely intimate how unsafe it is to meddle with a Multitude, and di­sturb a Populace.

Secondly, hereby they come to know, and be known one to another; which begets as much Love amongst them as they are capable of, who are all Slaves to Ʋngenerous Interest. Nor does this knowledge of one another, a little ad­vance the affairs of the Trading part of them; of which sort of people their greatest numbers consist: and who, it may be, became Proselytes only in hope of the Custome of the Brotherhood, of which they assure themselves, if they be ready Money-Customers, presently; and if not such, as soon as they can get clear of the Debt-Book of the Wicked, with whom at present they are forced to deal: and though some from experience are of another Opinion, yet they question not but they shall have honest dealing and good pennyworths: and possibly this ingrossing and forcing a Trade amongst [Page 193]themselves, together with their avoiding all troublesome Offices in the lower Sphere of the State, are not the least en­couragements to their Separation, nor the smallest steps to those Riches, which they so much boast are amongst their Party; for I remember it was their common dis­course, that the great want of Money, and the sensible decay of Trade for these last Years before the Toleration, was oc­casioned by their keeping up their Mo­ney, or not giving down their Milk, be­ing, it seems, in a sullen Humour, because they were kept within the Pasture, and not permitted to make all Common, or range into the Corn-Fields. Though after all these brags, I have not met with any person, whose observation has found Money more plentiful, or Trading a Farthing better, even in the time of the Toleration.

But lastly, By this Separation they are sure to undermine the foundation of all Government, which is the principal thing they always aim at, both in Church and State; for by their departing from one, and Disobedience to both, they bring their Power into question and contempt: [Page 194]and whilest they endeavour to render them odious▪ tyrannical, heathenish and persecuting, superstitious and unlawful, and yet escape unpunished, by the hopes of the like impunity they encourage others to follow their example, and insult over the Laws; and to esteem of all Power as the Frogs in the Fable did of their Wood­en King. And this is all in order to the accomplishment of their ultimate Design; which is the subversion of the present Government, both Civil and Ecclesiasti­cal, in order to the setting up a new one according to their own Phancies and Humours.

Now to demonstrate the unlawfulness of this Doctrine, it were enough to shew, that in Publick they will rarely own it themselves; and will never charge the reason of their Separation upon any of these ends, but upon the Ceremonies of the Church: to which they pretend their Con­sciences will not give them leave to sub­mit. I think we shall cut the Sinews of this pretence, and shew how feeble and lame an Excuse it is; If we consider, That these Ceremonies, by their own con­fession are acknowledged to be indif­ferent [Page 195]in their own Natures: and the reason they give why they are unlawful, is because they are Imposed; the Liberty of Conscience being thereby taken away. Now this is a most certain truth, that an indifferent thing, when commanded by a Lawful Authority, ceases to be indiffe­rent, and becomes necessary: for all the Authority of the Church to command or impose is only exercised upon indiffe­rent things: What is absolutely necessa­ry is commanded by God; whatever is unlawful is forbidden by him; so that they must of necessity either take away all Liberty from the Church to impose in­different things, that so they may have their Liberty, (which is unreasonable to desire, and if granted them, would de­stroy that Liberty which they would have) or they must deny the lawfulness of the Authority that commands and de­termines indifferent things; otherwise let them confess, that they seek for a knot in a Rush to maintain the Quarrel. But the plain Truth is, the Ʋse they have for this Engine of Separation, is to shew by their Example, that they believe the Authority which commands these things, [Page 196]is no Lawful Authority; that therefore the impositions are not necessary, or O­bedience to them a Duty: for rtherwise I cannot think them so sottish but they know it is; and I am satisfied, if they were in Power, they would use the same Ar­guments to persuade to Obedience which now we do; though they have stronger in their Budget upon occasion, than have been yet employed to make them obey.

But for a further manifestation of this Error, we will bring it to the Doctrine of our Blessed Lord, S. Mat 13.29 in the Parable of the Tares. The zealous Servants were for a present Separation and Extirpation of the Tares from among the Wheat: But the Wise Master was of another judgment. Not so, lest they should root up the Wheat also; and certainly as before was shewn, this Separation of theirs, has not fail'd of that effect; but has already rooted up much of the good fruits of Charity, Peace and Ʋnity out of the Church, and has left us the Tares of Dissention in their room; of which we may well say, an Ene­my hath done this. And whether this Do­ctrine, is pursued to the uttermost, would not lead them to Extripation of the Tares, [Page 197]let their Holy League witness. For they all hold, that Dominium fundatur in gratiâ, and the Wicked have only a borrowed Right to whatever they have of Life and Fortune. And how easie it is for religi­ous Covetousness to perswade them when in Power, to invade the Rights of Sinners, and spoil the Egyptians, will ap­pear, if we call to mind former things, which though the Gracious Act of Obli­vion has pardon'd them for; they will never pardon the forced Restitution of the Kings, Bishops, Dean and Chapter-Lands.

But this being only a Parable may not be sufficiently convictive. Let us look therefore for Example. St. Joh 13.15. Now the Blessed Jesus, who tells us he was to be our Ex­ample, was so far from Separation, or ma­king Communion with Sinners a Crime, that it was one of the greatest Objections against him,S. Matt. 2.10, 11, 12, 13. that he familiarly converst eat and drank with them, and was a Friend to Publicans and Sinners; S. Matt. 11 19 which accusation he did not excuse himself of, but justifie, from the good designs of thereby calling Sinners to repentance. Nor do we find, that ever he separated [Page 198]Himself or his Disciples from the Commu­nion of the Jewish Church, though full of such Types and Ceremonies, as he came by fulfilling to abrogate: but, as his custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-Days; went up to Jerusalem, to celebrate all the commanded Festivals, even to the last Passeover, at which he was betray'd. And further to shew us, that we ought not to break Ʋnity or Communion with those who continue in the Visible Church; he was as conversant with Judas as with the rest of the Apo­stles; and yet he knew from the begin­ning, who it was that should betray him, knew Judas to be a covetous Hypocrite, and worse than that, a Devil; and it is more than probable, that he himself at the first Institution, gave the Holy Com­munion to Judas, as will appear to any that reads that place of St. Luke, Chap. 22. from the thirteenth Verse to the two and twentieth.

And for the lawfulness of Separation, let us hear St. Jude, who having given us such a Character, as I shall hereafter shew exactly fits these men, lest their fair pretences should still endanger our [Page 199]mistake, he concludes it with this di­stinctive Note of Separation: These are they; if you know them by nothing else you shall be sure to discover them by this; These are they that Separate them­selves; S. Jude 19 Sensual or Animal, having not the Spirit, for all their great pretences to it, unless Sedition, Faction, and Rebellion be Fruits and Effects of it, as before has ful­ly been made appear.

Could they prove us guilty of Idola­try, or that we erre in any Substantial Fundamental point of Religion, then their Separation would not only be law­ful but necessary: but, till they can do this, and convince us that we are not a true Church, their Separation from us is unchristian, and unlawful; condemned by Christ and his holy Apostles.

But all this is nothing: Their Religi­on must be such as well serve their Inte­rest, and cannot be Godliness, unless it brings in Gain; and should this Doctrine once appear unlawful, down goes their Dagon, and loses both his Head and Hands, and will be an useless Trunk, a mere Stump, and no longer a God.

The setting up the two Golden Calves [Page 200]was not the least Policy of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat, 1 Kings 12, 26. to vers. 31. who is rarely mentioned without that infamous Remarque, that he made Israel sin; and that Sin was Separa­tion from the Church, and Rebellion a­gainst his lawful Soveraign. To go up to Jerufalem to Worship, will in time bring the Kingdom back again to the House of David: and therefore the Calves must be erected at Dan and Beth­el. Not that Jeroboam was so sottish, that he did not know that Idolatry and Schism, Revolting and Rebellion were un­lawful; but something was necessary to be done to preserve his ill-gotten Crown; and the People had formerly been strangely fond of a Calf, and two, he thought, would please them better. I fear Jeroboams Policy is one end, and the chief one of their Separation, even to nurse the People up in Disloyalty against their lawful Prince, and disobedience a­gainst the Holy Church: For should the People go to the Church to Worship, to hear Divine Service, and receive the Holy Sacrament; should they hear their lawful Ministers preach their Duty, & press them to Fear God, and Honour the King, they [Page 201]might in time be convinc'd of their Er­rors and Mistakes, and then all's lost.

CHAP. XIV. Of their Exaltation of Preaching, and the Reason why they do so. Of the great Ve­neration people have for the Pulpit. The advantages they make of it, to gain the love of People for being so painful La­bourers; dispersing their Doctrines, and procuring Benevolences. Hereby they bring the Prayers of the Church to be nauseous, accustom People to variety and novelty, and have opportunities of displaying their Gifts and Abilities, as well as in Extempore-Prayer. The Abuse they put upon the Church, that it is against Preaching. A vindication of the Church from this aspersion. Of the Primitive and Modern Preaching: It is against preaching themselves, and their own Interests and wicked Designs that the Church declares it self.

NOW to the end that they may have the better opportunity to disperse [Page 202]and divulge their Doctrines, there is no place that can be so subservient as the Pulpit: a Discourse from thence having gained the mighty Reputation of being Authentique; and the generally received Opinion being, that from that place men speak as the Oracles of God: and that every Word that comes from their mouths, is as true as the Gospel; as in truth it ought to be.

There is therefore a Necessity, that they should exalt Preaching, as the chief­ly necessary, most excellent Christian Duty; and give it the preheminence above all other Ordinances. And this is the third Doctrine which for the same Design with the other, with so much vehemence and earnestness they press upon the People.

And to satisfie you how strangely the present Age is enamoured of the Pulpit, and how great an Opinion People have of what is spoken there. I will relate a passage which happened to a Reverend Divine in the County of Essex. Every Lords Day, as he thought it was his Du­ty, in the Afternoon he Expounded upon some part of the Nine and thirty Articles [Page 203]to instruct his Parishioners what was the Doctrine of the Church of England: judg­ing it a good expedient to remove the Scandal that lies upon our Religion; and to prevent their falling into Sects and Factions, with which that County does abound: and this he did in the Reading Desk, without the formality of a Prayer to usher it in, or make it look like a Sermon; but never met with any thing but the discouragement of a thin Audi­ence; whereby ghessing at the true Rea­son, he gave them notice, that for the future he would. Preach in the After­noons; being determined to try if the same Matter would take better from the Pulpit, than it had done from the Read­ing Desk, he chose such Texts as were suitable to the Doctrines he intended to Expound upon; and from them deliver­ed the very same Words he was resolved to use in his Exposition. Nor did the suc­cess at all deceive his expectation: The Church is now throng'd and crowded, whereas before it used to look as if the Stones and Pillars must have said Amen, as 'tis said, they once did to the Prayers of our Venerable Bede: The Discourses [Page 204]are extreamly approved of; and the Peo­ple wonderfully pleased.

The plain truth on't is, the Commons of England, by the Disorders of the late Times, and the many tickling Promises which were made them, That the Bur­then of Tithes should be taken away, and a more Evangelical Way for the main­tenance of the Clergy should be found out, have lost the true sense of payment of Tithes; and do not do it out of a Principle of Conscience, nor consider that they are a just Right, which in all Alienations passes as a reserved Rent to the use of Almighty God; and it may be are one of the best Tenures in Capite of their Estates from the Great Landlord of the Ʋniverse: and from hence it is, that if they had no such esteem for Preaching, yet they look upon it as a Debt their Minister ows them for what they pay him; and though several of them care not how little he has, yet they would be sure to have enough for their Money; which makes them many times come to Church, to see that the Parson does his Duty, rather than from him to learn their own, or perform what they know [Page 205]by joyning with him in humble and de­vout Prayers and Praises: But they think they have not their Penniworths for their Penny, and that a man takes no pains for what he does not speak in the Pulpit, or if he does not Preach twice in a day.

Besides, Curiosity and the desire and love of novelties, and mighty Natural: and the Athenian humour does but too universally prevail; a certain pleasure in hearing or telling some New thing. So that a Sermon, though never so good and useful, which was preached in the Morning, would be Crambe bis costa, nau­seous, if repeated in the Afternoon; and with this humour of the World these men are so well acquainted, that it is va­riety that makes the Feast, that usually they have one Text for the Morning, and another for the Evening Sermon; and neither the same Prayer exactly, before or after either: though it is but putting Almighty before Eternal, or Eternal be­fore Almighty, and it will please. And I am perswaded, if any man would give himself the trouble in Short-hand to write down one of their Prayers, for [Page 206]three or four Days together; he would find the great Secret of Extempore-Pray­ing, to consist in this neat and cunning transposition, turning the inside outward, and the foreside backward; more than in any thing of New Invention; at which, for all their pretended Gifts and Parts, few of these Men have been observed to be very ready or excellent.

And this is one great Reason (and the Reason why they use it) why the People do so much nauseate the Publique Pray­ers of the Church, and prefer these Enthu­siastick Raptures before them. Just thus did the People of Israel despise that An­gelical Food, the Heavenly Manna; of which 'tis said, that it had Omnimodum Saporem, a particular taste to please eve­ry palate: and yet those murmuring Tribes were not contented with it; but their Souls were dried up,Num. 11.6 because there was nothing for them besides this Man­na, and they would linger after the Elesh­pots, and the Quails, though they came with a Tempest, and went away with a Plague.

Many Persons, I doubt not, resort to the Church, to satisfie the itching of their [Page 207] Ears, and to hear what the Minister can say; and if he be an Apollos, and Eloquent Man, it happens to him as it did to the Prophet Ezekiel, and he is unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant Voice, and can play well on an Instrument, for they love to Hear his Words, but they Do them not.

With this gilded Fly it is, that these cunning Anglers bait the Hook with which they first tickle, and afterwards take so many Trouts. Having first set abroad this Doctrine, they do with all vehement earnestness promote it amongst the Peo­ple, and in so doing, kill a great many Birds with one Stone; for they do there­by extreamly please the Vulgar (to whom nothing of Religious Duties is so pleasing as Preaching) and at the same time migh­tily advance their own Designs. Hereby also they add not a little to their own Veneration and Fame; and something to that which has some Savour, The dear Benevolences. And they are always care­ful to tell them, how willing they are to spend and be spent for the good of their Souls; for their sakes and the Gospels: and thereby ingratiate themselves into [Page 208]the Love, and insinuate their Opinions into the liking of many, who are won upon by these Considerations, first to hear them, after a while to approve of them, and become their followers and Disci­ples; which when once they are, they cry up and Trumpet out the Praises of their Teacher, for an able, painful, godly man, in all Companies and Places where they come, and thus roul the Snow-ball as big as they can.

Now the advantages which they ex­pect and receive by this, are not a few; for first, as before was said, they infinite­ly oblige the People, and gain upon their Love, pretending to do all this freely, and out of pure Love and tenderness to their Souls: knowing well enough that Magnes amoris amor, the great Load­stone of Love is Love; and therefore they demand nothing, but are contented with what they will freely bestow upon them for their pains: which by this Wheedle, comes many times to be more than o­therwise they could ever have expect­ed, or than some of their Followers can honestly or conveniently spare: of whom some, what with this Liberality to their [Page 209] Teachers, and what by their frequent gadding abroad to hear Sermons, and in the mean time neglecting the affairs and concerns of their Families at home, or which is as bad, trusting them wholly to Servants, come to be in a condition fit to be relieved themselves: and to my particular knowledge, some of them are not in a little Danger of burthening the Parishes where they live, by wasting what should be for a future Provision for their Families, in this Godly way of Gos­siping. and though by this great Zeal and travailing about, they may think themselves, or be flatter'd by their Treach­ers into an Opinion, that they are excel­lent Christians, yet St. Paul thinks and pronounces them worse than Heathens: for if any man provide not for his own, especially those of his own Family, he hath denied the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel, And if the Disciples be such, what are the Doctors? Sure I am, if this be not the Effect, it very well may; and if more People be not possessed with this rambling and vagrant Religion, it is not for want of Exhortation, or encou­ragement to forsake all and follow Christ [Page 210]and to go from City to City to hear the Word of the Lord, in this great Famine and scarcity that there is of it, as with those abused places of Scripture they per­swade People there is, and spur them for­ward in this Wild and travailing Religi­on. Should now a whole Family be all at once possessed with this humour, and in the heat of Summer, in Hay-time and Harvest for Conscience sake lock up the doors, or if the Servants were more care­ful of Heavenly than of Earthly things, leave them open, and jaunt ten or twelve Miles to an Exercise, and it may betwice or thrice in a Week besides Sunday; what must become of them? they might like the Grashopper sing in Summer, but like her, they must either die and starve, or steal in the Winter, unless the Neigh­bourhood were more Charitable to them than they are to themselves: and none of all this is either impossible or impro­bable. But what a brave time should we have, if a whole Town or many Towns together should be bitten with this Gad-Fly? The old People and Children who could not march over the Threshold, would be bravely nurs't at home: I have [Page 211]known something like this, and where a poor Child has been left at home by the tender Parents, for all whole natural affection, if some of the Neighbours had not been more charitable and compassi­onate Nurses, it might have perish't; and that it is not generally thus, it is not the fault of these Godly Teachers, as they call them. And if it does not by this way in­crease the Poor of the Nation, of which there is so general a complaint in all Pla­ces, I am sure their absenting themselves from their Parish Churches, and giving incouragement to those who have no Re­ligion to do the same, gives opportunity to many loose and idle People to creep into Parishes, where they lurk till the time for removing them is expired, whereas did all people resort to Church, a new Face would soon be taken notice of, and care would be taken to remedy the inconvenience.

A second advantage is, that hereby they do gradually accustome the People by following their pleasing Novelties, to dislike, neglect, and contemn the Church and her Ministers, Prayers and Sacra­ments, which last, especially the Holy [Page 212]Eucharist, I have known them willing to receive at the hands of a meer Lay-man (though to say Truth, few of their Teachers are any other) rather than they would repair to their Parish-Church, to receive it of their lawful Priest: because, there they must be obliged to hear the Antichristian. Prayers, superstitiously or idolatrously kneel, and have Communion with the Wicked; all which are an abomi­nation unto them, and absolutely un­lawful. And are not these blessed fruits of these mens being Instant in season, and (most certainly) out of season; with which place they do so frequently scratch this Itch of the Ears. An Itch the more it is scratched the more it may, and the more it pleases; especially the courser the Stuff is, the more delightfully it rubs, and is still desired: until at last the blood and smart follows the busie Fingers and poyson'd Nails, and from their scratching us till we bleed again, Libera nos Domine.

A third advantage they make of Prea­ching is, that hereby as well as in their Prayer, they have many opportunities of displaying their own Excellencies, and ma­nifesting [Page 213]their great Abilities, Gifts, and Parts: of which, whatever men of sober Judgements may have, They have no small Opinion: as is most evident, by their ob­stinate persisting in their own Ways and Wills, not only against lawful Authority, and the wise, safe and prudent Determina­tions of their Superiors, but against Scri­pture and Reason, which must certainly speak them Wise in their own Conceit, though thereby they render themselves more hopeless than Fools, if we may take King Solomons word. And they are so far from condescending to men of Low degree, that they will not do it to those Persons who are of the Highest; and whilest they thus preach Christ of strife and envy, if they would impartially ex­amine their Hearts, they would find a great measure of Pride, Conceit and Self­love at the bottom of them; for as the abovementioned Royal Writer tells us, Only by pride comes contention: and it is very evident, that in all their Preaching they have a great respect to advance their own Fame, Interest and Design, by the Authentick recommendation of their Doctrine and Discipline from the adored [Page 214] Pulpit, which by successful Experience, they find, do all thereby receive the most considerable Advantage. And how great an Estimate they set upon them­selves, is apparent, by their Intrusion in­to other mens Parishes; by which pro­cedure, they necessarily suppose them­selves more fit and qualified, than those who are by Law stated in those Places, to do the work of an Evangelist. One of these Men being about to set up for himself in another mans Parish, was pres­sed with several Arguments to desist; but more particularly, with that golden Rule of Christs, Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri nê feceris; to do as he would be done by: but either it was to him a leaden Argument, or he had a leaden Head; for he would make no other Re­ply to it, But that it was fit the People should be instructed. I will not trouble my self to explain that that spoke his Sense of himself, and of the Minister of the place, because it is easie to be read without the help of Spectacles.

It will now appear no Wonder that they do so highly magnifie Preaching, and look upon it as the only Means of [Page 215] Grace, so that in all their Discourses of it, it passes amongst them, with the Pre­rogative Emphasis of The Means; and e­ven their own Extempore-Prayer, which they pretend to be the immediate pro­duct of the Spirit (to which I never heard preaching did pretend yet) is but a hand­maid to wait upon it, and must lower the Top-sail to this All-powerful, this on­ly Soul-saving-Ordinance: Good! very Good! and if the Spirit must truckle to the Flesh, and Humane Invention be prefer­red before Divine Inspiration, guess of the rest of them by this. And in truth, to hear them exalt it, as they never fail to do, upon the least hint that offers it self in their way; a man would believe, that they think it more essentially neces­sary to Salvation, than Faith, Hope, or Charity: of which last, and greatest of the three, you shall rarely hear them Discourse; the true reason being, because all their Preaching and Actings are di­rectly contrary to it, and by St. Paul's rule, their golden Language is no better than sounding Brass and tinkling Cym­bals, worth nothing without Charity: but the pretended Reason is, to take men [Page 216]off from their Settlement upon the Lees and Dregs of Popery, and the Opinion of the Meritoriousness of Good Works; to which they say all men are but too na­turally prone and inclined: and I am ve­ry apt to believe it; and that by the high value they set upon Preaching, a great many of their Followers think, that to go to hear a Sermon is a thing wonderfully Meritorious; so that it is but changing the Work and not the Opi­nion of Merit, which they bring men to by all their Pains.

Now do I know, as well as if I were of the Secret Cabal, (and so I may be un­der a disguise for any thing they know, purposely to discover their dangerous Intrigues) that this one place will, if pos­sible, keep this Book from ever being read by any of their Disciples, and will heed no other Sentence for its Condemna­tion: Oh 'tis a most abominable Book, it is against Preaching! Oh what sad times should we have, if every body were of this Persuasion! It is against The Means! Oh sad! and in regard they sow this aspersion amongst the other Tares of Dissention, and endeavour by it to make [Page 217]the Bishops and Church of England as odi­ous as it is possible, by telling their Di­sciples the most abominable falshood, That the present Governors of the Church are all against Preaching: I will endea­vour to ward off the desperate blow with the Shield of Truth: and wash off the Dirt which these Calumniators throw upon the face of the most beautiful Church in the Christian World. I must therefore let them know, that the Church of England has as great a Veneration and Esteem for that Duty, as it can challenge. It is not the truely ancient and Apostoli­cal Way of Preaching, nor the new Way neither that the Church is against. It is the gross abuse of Preaching, which these Men have put upon it, and the Ill Ʋses they dayly make of it to countenance, disperse and insinuate their wicked De­signs to disturb and ruine all Government; against which, with very good Reason the Church declares it self.

St. Peters Sermon with which he con­verted three thousand Souls, was not one quarter of an hours Discourse; nor attended with the Prologue of a long­winded Extempore-Prayer: nor indeed, [Page 218]is that preaching which is so strongly prest and commanded, any thing of affi­nity or kindred with this which they call Preaching, as will appear to any who considers; That the great Commission of our Saviour to his Disciples, to go and teach all Nations; St. Matth. 28. ult. was, as the Word plain­ly imports, to go and make Disciples of them; That is, to Baptize them into the Faith of Christ, by turning them from their former Vanities of Idolatry, worship­ping Stocks and Stones,Act. 14.15. Gold, Silver, four-footed Beasts, & Creeping Things, to know and serve the only true and Living God, and Jesus Christ whom he had sent. To certifie unto the Gentiles as well as the Jews, Heb. 1.3. that Christ the only begotten Son of God, the express Image of his Person, and brightness of his Glory, was sent in­to the World, out of the pure Love of God to all Mankind, St. Joh. 3.16. For God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life: and that therefore he sent him to be a propitia­tion for our sins; 1. St. Jo. 2.2. and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole World. That is, in his good Intention, he is unwilling [Page 219]that any should perish; but that all should come to Repentance; and by this preach­ing of the Gospel to come to the know­ledge of these Truths, that so they might be saved. Let those men therefore preach as Christ commanded, and as the Apostles Evangelized; and then if the Church for­bids them, they may say it is against Prèaching. Let them obtain a Lawful Deputation, and not run before they are sent, saying, The Lord sayes, when the Lord hath not sent them. Let them Teach and warn all men, every where to Repent, because he that is baptized, Re­pents, Believes, and continues stedfast in that Faith shall be saved; but he who does not, though he has formerly esca­ped the Pollutions that are in the World, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, yet shall be damned, if he fall away from Grace, and return with the Dog to his Vomit; which it is not impossible for him to do, even after he has been enlightened, and tasted of the Powers of the Life to come, so long as he has Within him a treacherous evil Heart of unbelief; Without him, the pow­erful Temptations of the World and the [Page 220] Devil; and therefore let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall; lest he perish from the Right Way. Let them exhort, that first of all Supplications, Prayers, &c. be made for Kings, and all that are in Au­thority, that so People may lead a peace­able and quiet Life, in, all Godliness and Honesty; in Subjection and Obedience to the Powers that are appointed and or­dained of God to be over them; because they that will not live so, (shall receive Damnation. Let them press the People to Peace and Ʋnity, and tell them, that they who live in Envyings, Strife, Sedi­tion and Divisions, live after the Flesh, and not after the Spirit; and therefore shall not inherit the Kingdom of God: That they who speak Evil of Digni­ties and despise Dominion, the things they understand not, shall bring upon themselves swift Destruction; and then let them Preach in Gods Name, (and certainly all Preaching that is not to this Effect and for these Designs, is far from it;) till the Church or any Bishop in it finds fault with them, and that will be never, as long as they live, nor after their death. All these are Evangelical Com­mands, [Page 221]Doctrines and Truths. But if Sa­tan be divided against himself, how shall his Kingdom stand? and if ever you find them harping upon any of these strings, I am much mistaken.

I know they have a Thunder-clap rea­dy; but God be thanked it is but a Bru­tum fulmen, it may make a great Crack, but it will do no hurt: What say you to that place of St. Paul, Necessity is laid upon me, and woe is me if I preach not the Gospel? I say that place is nothing to their Purpose. Let us first see the same Commissiom from them which St. Paul had;1 Cor 1.1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God: and then let them un­dertake the same Work to Evangelize, as the Word is, to preach the Gospel to those who never heard of it before. Let us see them so Zealous as to go and convert the Savage Indians; and then we shall begin to believe, they are a­fraid of the Woe, and preach the Gospel out of pure Conscience of the Necessity that is laid upon them. But to go a­bout to make all the World believe; that We are Idolators and Heathens, such as know not Christ, that so they may [Page 222]have the glory of our Conversion, and be thought Apostles, is just as if they should first pick, our Pockets, and by giving us Brass again instead of our Gold, perswade us to believe they are our best Friends and Benefactors, won­derful kind and bountiful to us; which indeed would make Us look like Fools and Children, but would certainly prove those who did it to be Cheats and Knaves. If in one thing they will act like Saint Paul, let them in another; and not boast as they do of their Great Labours in the Gospel, in other mens Lines, 2 Cor. 10.16. of things made ready to their hand; of which Saint Paul would by no means be guilty: But they are not so scrupulous in that particular as he was; and for all the Necessity and the Woe, will rather act the Bishop in an­other mans Diocess, than go to Mexico to preach the Gospel, and get one of their own.

And for that preaching which does not preach these things, but a Gospel of their own, that is it which the Church by Authority of Scripture protests against; and if they or an Angel from Heaven [Page 223]preach any other Gospel in whole or in part, than what the Holy Apostles preach­ed, let him not only be silenced but ac­cursed. And so long as the Pulpit is made the Shop of Schisme (not to say Heresie) in the Church, and the Forge of Sedition and Rebellion in the State: so long as Preaching is exalted above de­vout Prayers and Praises, which are the only Tribute we can pay our Almighty Soveraign, and shall be one part of the happy Employment in Heaven: so long as it shall stand in Competition with the Sacraments those holy Seals, whereby we are sealed to the Day of Redempti­on: Not only our Church sayes it, but all the true Saints and Servants of God have said the same, and will say so to the end of the World, that not onely twice in one Day, but once in a Mans Life is too much for any man to preach, or any Christian people to hear. And of all these miscarriages in Religious as well as Civil concerns, this their Preach­ing is, and has been most notoriously guilty.

I would not have them take their Measures of us by their own Standard: [Page 224]for though they know not how to di­stinguish betwixt the Ʋse and the Abu­ses of things, let them not say therefore that We do not neither. The time was when they pretended there were great abuses crept into the Ecclesiastical Govern­ment; therefore away with it, Root and Branch of Episcopacy, the Office it self as well as the Offence (if any were be­sides their Loyalty, Honours and Estates, Crimes great enough for Pride, Envy and Ambition) our Church is for no such unreasonable Methods; nor because they have, and do greatly abuse Preaching, therefore nothing less will serve than an utter Abolition of the thing. I hope were there nothing else, yet common Pru­dence will allow any Government that Liberty which is for its own Preservation, and to endeavour to correct those abu­ses, which by experience are found so dangerous to the Souls, Bodies, and Estates of Men, both in their Private and Publique Capacities. It is their ido­lizing of Preaching, making it the Golden Calf of Beth-el the House of God, and ex­alting it above all other means of Grace; It is their justling with it for preceden­cy [Page 225]and not that only, but the All of Godliness, or at least the sine qua non, with­out which, according to their Measure and Manner there can be no true Reli­gion, which the Church condemns in them, and with very good Cause, for it is a most manifest falshood; and the Bishops are so far from being against Preaching, that many of them are very eminent and constant Preachers themselves, to the Confusion of this notorious Slander, not­withstanding that which, as Saint Paul sayes of himself, comes upon them day­ly, the Care of all the Churches in the heavy as well as honourable Charge of Government.

But the plain truth is, This is so ne­cessary a Tool, that if it be taken away they cannot go forward with their Ba­bel; without this they could not be able to Caress the People, or conveni­ently to disperse their Opinions, nor in­deed make any tolerable advance in their Grand Design; and therefore Si­lencing Godly Ministers (of which Num­ber, they only account themselves) is one of the most horrid Cruelties that Perfe­ction can invent: though unless their [Page 226]Tongues were out, it is as easie to Si­lence a Thunder-clap: and they are all like the Aspen-leaves, of which the Story sayes, a Wicked Womans Tongue was made; the more the wind of Persecuti­on blows upon them, the faster do they wagg.

To conclude, it is not for their prea­ching of Christ or the Gossel, but for their prating with such malicious Words against Kings, Prelates, Magistrates, Pray­ers, and all Government Ecclesiastical and Civil, for which the Laws as well as out Church condemns them, and is against their Preaching.

CHAP. XV. A short View of some other of their Do­ctrines. Of their Judaizing the Lords Day. Of their censuring all their Ance­stors, and even their own Children to Damnation. Their subtilty in denying all these Accusations, and disowning the Actions of the late Rebels, when yet [Page 227]they tread in the very same steps. That they have the same Design, manifested from their great Industry in all late New Elections of Members of the present Parliament, to get Voices for such as will be favourable to their interest. A proba­ble Conjecture that they have had a prin­cipal hand in the late unhappy Differen­ces betwixt the Two Houses; and of the great Desire they have of a New Parlia­ment; and their hopes when that shall happen.

THere are several other Doctrines of theirs which I shall only briefly touch upon, in order to a Discovery of what is their Design in maintaining them, though they may deserve a just repre­hension from some other Pen. One of them is their teaching the People to Ju­daize, by making a Sabbath of the Lords Day: not that I believe, with all their turning over, they can find any thing in the New Testament for countenancing their New Opinion, or for the Institution of it. And though possibly the Disci­ples might have some intimation from our Lord about it; Yet having not left [Page 228]any thing upon Holy Record that they had, the more probable Opinion is, that in Commemoration of the Glorious Resurrection, they keep it as a Festival; and that it is to the Ancient Ʋsage and Command of the Church that it ows its Institution, and that they never inten­ded it for the Sabbath in a strict and Jewish sense, we have the same Ancient Ʋsage to testifie: and it was and still is the Ancient and present Quarrel of the Jews against the Christians, that they break the Sabbath, not only as to the Day, but as to the strict Observation of it even on the Lords Day, which they take for the Christian Sabbath. And methinks that is strange, that these men should cry out so against us for ob­serving Dayes, and but using the name of ALTAR, Heb. 13.10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat who serve the Ta­bernacle. (for both which we have Scripture and Authority to justifie us) should yet think it is no Crime in them to seek for a refuge for their Error, by being obliged to the Sanction of the Law for a Sabbath. And how they will make one part of the Commandment [Page 229]mutable by changing the Day from Sa­turday to Sunday, and the other part eternal and unalterable, without an ex­press Warrant from him who is Lord of the Sabbath, I confess it poses my Ʋn­derstanding; for, as I take it, they can shew no Deputation to be his Vice-Ge­rents; But if there were nothing worse, though I think this an Error, I should not deny them my Vote to be Jewes, and enjoy their Sabbath, and think it as great a Sin to dress a good Dinner on that Day, as to commit Murder or A­dultery. Provided they would keep it a Day of Rest from those ill Employ­ments they have so often, and still do abuse it to; as well as their Fasts, which were always observed to be the Prologues to Mischief, or raising of Mo­ney. They who are for Liberty, let them not condemn the Lawful Liberty of o­thers, nor impose what they have nei­ther Warrant nor Command for, upon mens Consciences, as absolutely necessa­ry to Salvation. But the truth of the Business is, as they have no Doctrine with­out an Ʋse, so they have severall ve­ry ill ones for this; for besides that it [Page 230]adds not a little to that opinion of Sanctimony, which is so necessary for them to cover their Black Designs; by the rigid Austerity they this Day im­pose upon themselves and others: The great Ʋse they make of it is to lessen the Esteeem of the Holy Fasts and Fe­stivals of the Church, which they say are mere Superstitious inventions of Men, forbidden by Saint Paul, where he tells the Galathians he had bestow­ed upon them Labour in vain, if they observed days and years; but the Sab­bath is of Gods own appointment, and to be Sanctified, according to their Do­ctrine, So long therefore as they put it to these Employments, as they do in their frequent Preaching upon it, to make a Distinction of a PARTY; and to bring not onely our Christian, but Politique Liberty into Bondage, I think it is not without Danger, as well (though not so much) as the rest.

As for that strange Doctrine which I have heard several of them main­tain, That all their Ancestors, and e­ven their own Children, who dye in [Page 231]their Infancy are damned, because they have not actual Faith, or had not the true Faith as they have; it is a great Uncharitableness, but no injury to the Dead; who are never the further off from Heaven for their saying so. But this is a necessary Corollary to their for­mer Doctrine or Predestination, and of their being the only Elect; for not on­ly all Heathens, but all others who are not of their Faith and Perswasion are damned (and that till within this hun­dred Years none could be) or other­wise their Doctrine is false, and Sal­vation may be had without it; and in the Communion of another Church: which if they confess, all goes to Ruine, and the Opus multorum annorum will be bro­ken in pieces; and would not that be a great Pity, that so curious a Frame should be ruin'd in a Moment? as for their own Children, if they will damn them, who can help it? it is a sign they are a kind, good natur'd, cha­ritable Generation of Men. But if the poor Infants must suffer for it, and go to Hell, I am sure they may thank their Parents; whose want of Faith, [Page 232]or not procuring their Baptism, must if any thing be the occasion of it: or else Saint Paul is much mistaken, when he tells us, that the Faith of one of the Pa­rents shall over ballance the Infidelity of the other in favour of the Child: for the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband, 1 Cor. 7.14. and the unbelieving Husband by the believing Wife, else were your Children unclean, but now they are holy. And if so, and they die so, I dare say they shall be happy: and whoso­ever dare say the contrary, my Chari­ty would oblige me not to believe him; and I am sure my Religion obliges me to believe him who best knows, and who bought and paid for them the price of his own dear Blood; and he tells me,S. Mat. 10.14. that of such consisteth the King­dom of God.

But (which is at the bottom of all) hereby they still more and more ingrati­ate themselves with the People, whom it is absolutely necessary to please; and without a strong interest in whose love and esteem, they cannot hope to make a Party strong enough to carry on the rest of their Designs; and how is it possible, [Page 233]but that the very feet of these Messen­gers of glad Tidings must be beautiful? their News and Person in the highest esteem? How is it possible enough to ad­mire and love these Men, who disco­ver unto them this distinguishing Grace of God so particularly by their preaching manifested to their Souls, above all the rest of Man-kind; undoubtedly, if they will not go so far as Saint Paul witnes­ses of some of his Converts, as to be wil­ling to pluck out their Eyes for his sake, yet they will be ready to pluck out their Purses for a present Maintenance, and if occasion be, both with those, and some of them with their Persons assist the Cause, the Good Cause of Reformation; which is the thing they by this Doctrine would bring them to, and assure them­selves of.

As for their dislike of Christian Burial, and several other things, I have not much to say to them about it; or can think they have any other Design, than what they have in all the little occurren­ces of Life, Words, Looks, Gestures, to keep up a distinction, &c. make a Party; and like the wicked King of Israel, they [Page 234]will be buried with the burial of an Ass, much good may it do them.

And thus having taken a Survey of these Dissenters, their Original and Edu­cation, their Positions and Doctrines, which are so useful and necessary to them, in order to the promoting the Main Design of Reformation, by making ours the Kingdom of Antichrist, that so they may have a colour and pretence to pull it down, we should now come to a particular, declaration of their Practices; but having already upon the several Points of their Doctrine spoken fully of them, I shall not use their Method, and endeavour to swell these pages into a larger Book by vain Repetitions; for I design the Publick and not the Stati­oners advantage; and can assure them I am no Hackney Scribler; and therefore for their Practice I refer the Reader back­wards for about Fourty Years; and shall only Recapitulate; That all these great and fair pretences, with which the Heads of Faction indear themselves to the Peo­ple, and the People to them; all that Dili­gence they use both Night and Day (for they are not without their to be suspected [Page 235]Night-Meetings; of which the Politique Historian so well Remarques, That they are Longè periculosiores, because they seem to favour Deeds of Darkness) I say all this industry, is principally intended to alienate the Affections of the Subjects of these Nations, from the present Govern­ment and Governours, both Civil and Ec­clesiastical; and by creating Fears and Jealousies, (the old Engines of Sedition) to unsettle the Minds of Men; by pre­tending great abuses, and unlawfulness in Persons and Things; to bring the People first to a dislike of them; and by degrees to wish an Alteration; and in plain Terms, to fit and dispose them by these secret and subtile Artifices, (which the unwary cannot, and the Designing Party will not discover) with the first Opportunity for downright Re­bellion.

It is a matter of the greatest Wonder, that there should be found any Men, who pretend either to Honesty, Prudence or Policy, who should dislike a Govern­ment which for Excellency has not its e­qual in the whole World: There is no Place or People under the Sun, where [Page 236]the Laws do so exactly hold the Bal­lance betwixt the Prince and the People, as in the Realm of England: where eve­ry mans Right is to be bounded, and Property secured, that the poorest Cot­tager enjoys such Priviledges and Pro­tection, as the Gentry of other Nations would think themselves happy in; and the better sort of People, the Free-hold­ers, possess many such Liberties and Franchises, as the Counts and Grandees amongst our Neighbours can hardly boast of; and it is a, great pity that those Peo­ple, who pretend to be weary under so mild, and fresh a Constitution of Govern­ment, have not seen or felt the hardship of the Lives of the Bores and Peasants on the other side of the Sea; not only now, when they are Slaves to all Par­ties, in the present War; but in the Times of the most profound Peace, and flou­rishing Trade amongst them.

It has been esteemed a State Maxim, by the wisest Heads; Malum bene positum, non est temere Removendum. What must we then think of those Persons who are for Innovations in that Government, which with the Wisdom, Caution, and Pru­dence [Page 237]of several Hundreds of Years has been established? and by the constant succession of all that experience, has been found so useful and advantageous to all the ends of Society. Should a man go now about to perswade the Worthy Citizens of London, to carry the ancient River of Thames out of its Channel o­ver Black-Heath, (which would be dif­ficult enough,) only because it did not please him, or in hopes of finding Trea­sure at the Bottom of the Old River; would they not provide a lodging think you for him, in the most stately Louvre that ere was built for mad Inhabitants? but if he should not only frame such a Project, but secretly endeavour to per­swade the Populace to compel the more Rich and Wealthy to undertake so un­reasonable a Design, and which must cer­tainly mine the Glorious City beyond hopes of a second Resurrection; I am afraid he would find a Lodging more inconvenient than Bedlam, and need not fear to be drowned in his new Ri­ver. The madness and malice of those persons who would alter the Old Chan­nel and Stream of Government is far [Page 238]greater, being of universal ill Conse­quence, not only to that stately Metro­polis, but to all Places, Persons, Ranks and Degrees of men.

But the Miracle of Wonders is, that these men who dislike and despise the present Government, who tread in the same steps, preach the same Doctrines, use the same Arts and Methods, make the very same pretences of Religion and Reformation with those desperate Rebels who so lately did overturn the Govern­ment, should yet be able so successful­ly to employ their Talent to put the same cheat upon us a second Time; and so easily again deceive People into the direct Road of those Miseries, Distra­ctions, Confusions, Ruines, Desolations, and almost Destruction, which are still so fresh in Remembrance.

After all this do I know they will look as demurly as if Butter would not melt in their Mouthes, and yet speak as if they had nothing else there:Ps. 55.21. their Words will be softer than Butter, smoother than Oyl in pretending all imaginable Innocence; and to say truth, even the best of them, who it may be do not penetrate into [Page 239]the Bottom of the Mischief, are yet like Solomons Madman, who cast about those Firebrands, Arrows and Death, with which the Engineers of the Faction furnish them; who deceives his Neighbour, and sayes, Am I not in sport? I mean no harm to any Body. I know not what others may do, But for my part, I like no such Jesting: especially with such dangerous Edge-Tools as will cut the Nerves of Government, and dislimb the Body Politick.

They are not yet come so high as to the removing Evil Counsellors, and in­deed that Stratagem is too stale, and has been too often made use of. It were well if they were not now busie upon the o­ther Extream, and endeavouring to put such upon us. It is but too easie to ob­serve, even by those who are not over Curious, that something they do design, which it is not yet time for them to make Publick: And there is nothing more confirms the Suspicion, than the great and indefatigable Industry, which of late they have employed, to promote their Interest in the Present Parliament; in which there has rarely happened a Va­cancy [Page 240]and by consequence a new Ele­ction, but all their Forces are united, and all their Friends are made, if possi­ble to set up such a person as is a Mo­derate Man (as they call them) if they can go no further; that is, such a one as will be so favourably inclined to them and their affairs, as to let them a­lone: and to confirm the probability of this, I heard it confidently affirmed, that one of the great Leaders of the Presby­terians at an Election not long since, in­duced all his Party to give their Voyces for a Gentleman (who it may be would have deceived their Hopes, if he had carried it) with this all-powerful Ar­gument, All you that hope for the Sal­vation of your Souls, give your Voices for such a one. So that now it is clear that Elections of Knights and Burgesses in Parliament is a necessary ingredient, and sign of their Election as Saints. For I am satified that they do not promise them­selves much from this Parliament, which is composed of so many Worthy Gentle­men eminent for their sufferings for Loy­alty, as well as Prudence and Wisdom. All that ever they hoped for, or it may [Page 241]be at present would desire; would be only a Comprehension or Connivence; that so the Gospel might have free Course, that it might run and be glorified; and that is, in the true Sense and meaning of it, That thereby they might gain the advantage of Time and Opportunity, with­out Controllment of Laws, to make their Party so strong as to have the greatest Voice and Poll, in the Elections of future Parliaments, which dangerous design of theirs, it is the general hopes of all those who wish well to the Government, the Prudence of the Present will in their Wis­dom in time endeavour to obviate, by that much to be desired Bill of Regulating Elections. And there appears no Reason that they who will not observe Laws, It is a say­ing of our Law, Utla­gatus habet Caput lupi­num; Inti­mating that they who will not be obedient to Laws, which is the rea­son of utlawry, are like Wolves and such noxious Animals; and why the Wolves, though in Sheeps cloathing, should either chuse, or be chosen a Guard for the Sheep, I know no reason, unless we have a mind to be worried. And possibly in something of this Na­ture were provided to disable all Recusants, it might prove a safe Expedient to secure the Government at it is now established, and free us from the Fears both of Popery and Persbytery. and be obedient to Government, should have the Priviledges of Laws, which [Page 242]they endeavour to destroy. To have a Parliament of their Persuasion would be the most glorious thing imaginable; and they know by experience, that the Pro­tection of that great Name of Parlia­ment and colour of Law, are the surest Wayes to overthrow all, even the Fun­damental Constitutions of the Nation: and as the late Ʋsurper was wont to say, make even Magna Charta, Magna F— if contrary to the Establishment of their Dominion: and it is well for them if they be innocent of the guilt of which they have not without reason been su­spected; That those great Heats and Animosities which have of late obstruct­ed all the publick Affairs, and so much eclipsed the former Glories of this Re­nowned Parliament, have in a great mea­sure proceeded from this mutinous and fermenting Spirit; which wherever it comes, like a strong Poyson in the Blood and Humours of the Natural Body, causes most violent Ebullitions, Spasmes, and Convulsions in the Body Politique.

And I think it will appear but too plainly, if likewise it be considered, [Page 243]that they have been the Party who have used all endeavours for the Dissolution of the Present Parliament, and a New one to be called; which being sufficient­ly taken notice of already has spared me the pains. One thing however de­serves our Observation, which confirms what has before been spoken; That the Confinement of some who both by Print and Words did endeavour to prove this no Parliament, as it has given a great dash to the Hopes and Confidence of the Party, so it is re­sented by them with the greatest trou­ble, and the most sensible affliction that could have befallen them; and that they may still do something, when they cannot do what they would, (as a Noble Lord takes notice) the reason of their misfortune is attributed to the pre­valency of the Court-Party: by which distinction they endeavour to make a Fraction in the House, and set the Country against the Couit, so that they are for any Tooth Good Barber, if they may but draw one out of the Head of the State, at which they have such an aking Tooth in their own. But [Page 244]it is to be hoped that these Designs of their Enemies will be an occasion of their closer Ʋnity and firmer Ʋnion; no per­son breathing being willing to believe the Counsels of his avowed Enemies, much less to take or follow them: And whatever some men would perswade the World, the Interest of the King is inse­parable from that of the Country, and vice versâ: and it is the Kings Person and Presence that makes the Court; and whoever owns himself against the Inte­rest of the Court, does at the same time abandon the Interest both of the Crown and Country.

CHAP. XVI. Of the Artifices which these men use to ren­der all applications ineffectual; by their tiring out the Inferiour Magistracy with their Obstinacy. The advantage they make of the suspension of Laws to forti­fie their followers, and perswading them it is a particular effect of the care which God takes of them and the Cause. That place in the Acts, of Gamaliel''s Counsel, If [Page 245]this Work be of God it will stand, by which they frighten some, and endeavour to discourage all people from meddling with them considered, and proved to be the Word of Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law, but not the Word of God, because not universally true.

HAving thus far traced them under ground, and brought to light their most Secret Designs, by shewing the ill and dangerous use they make of the Sword of the Spirit, with which they pretend to be armed, though in truth it is the Spirit of the Sword; Let us now come to see what Defensive Armour furnishes their Panoply and Magazine; and there like­wise we shall find them most admirably stored; and that they are as they think, as invulnerable as the Poets feign the Son of Thetis; and have not only Bom­bes and Fire-balls to annoy their Enemies, the great Ordinance of Preaching to bat­ter down the strongest Fortifications of Government, but a Shield to keep off e­very blow from doing them harm.

There never was any Age that wanted mem of factious and turbulent Spirits, or [Page 246]ambitious Heads; but sure never any produced more, or more dangerous than the Present; such who will make no dif­ficulty to sacrifice all the Publick Inte­rest, to their Private Satisfaction, Opini­ons; and Designs. It has therefore been the cautelous Prudence of all Govern­ments to keep a watchful eye, and a strict rein upon all such disorderly Tempers and dangerous Persons. But above all others, as our late martyr'd Soveraign of most blessed memory, from too dear Experi­ence, does observe, the Devil of Rebelli­on, who comes transformed in the shape of the Angel of Reformation is always most dangerous; and where Piety and Consci­ence are drawn into the Conspiracy, though they are but both personated, yet there will never want an unwary Multitude, to follow, support, encourage and assist such be­witching pretences.

How ineffectual all the endeavours have been which hitherto have been ap­plied to such growing Distempers, is but too apparent by the slender successes, and slow advances they have made to­wards our pristine Health and perfect Recovery; and that we are not yet out [Page 247]of a visible danger of relapsing into the same desperate Maladies, which does not at all argue want of Skill in the State-Physicians, but the incorrigible obstina­cy, and radicated Malignity of the Di­stemper, which will not submit to com­mon, gentle, and familiar Methods; and though they may expect the more rug­ged and forceable Process for a Cure, we will endeavour to shew how by their subtile Arts they render all Opera­tions upon them ineffectual.

They make it their great business to discourage and tire out the Subordinate Magistrates, in the Administration of Ju­stice; by rendring all their endeavours of this Nature vain, fruitless and unsuc­ceseful; encouraging their Followers to hold out but a little longer, and persist in their obstinacy, and the Day will be their own: and if, as it may probably happen, any one who formerly did use vigorously to prosecute them, does but a little desist from his proceedings, or a­bate of what they call his Heat; present­ly they tell their People, such a man is now convinced of his Error, in persecu­ting the People of God; and in Time [Page 248]so will all the rest: and they will give them Scripture for it; (for they are rare­ly without a Scriptum est, though by their abusing it as he did to our Saviour, we may know of whom they learnt that Trade) The Rod of the wicked, they tell them, shall not alwayes lye upon the Lot of the Righteous. But if this were all, they would many times prove themselves false Prophets: and these their foolish Con­jectures coming to the Ears of such wor­thy Gentlemen as are thereby abused, prove an occasion to let them know their mistake.

But if any such Person, whom they call a Persecutor for doing his Duty, hap­pen to die (though in the common Me­thod, and by the unavoidable Laws of Mortality) presently they undertake to be Interpretes fulminis; and pronounce it a Judgemeat from God, who layes such Persecutors in the Dust; and they will not stick to threaten others with the fame Fate, to frighten them into a com­pliance with, or connivence at them; and to manifest I do not abuse them in this or whatever I write concerning them, this following Letter will make [Page 249]appear, and give us a taste of their Tem­per, and pretences of Innocence, which have been mentioned. It was sent to me by a Clergy-man, who (by the account he gave me with it) did endeavour by all fair means, and several remonstrating Letters and Discourses, to perswade one of these Dissenters, to quit his dangerous Wayes and Doctrines: but finding those ineffectual, he gave him to understand the danger into which he had run him­self by administring the Sacrament con­trary to the Act of Ʋniformity; besides several other offences against many Sta­tutes, provided for suppressing and pre­venting Ʋnlawful Conventicles; telling him, that if he did not cease to make such Disturbances in his Parish, since the such and gentle means would not, he was resolved to effect it by the Power and Severity of the Laws: to which his Answer was as followes.

[Page 251]But farther, The suspension of the Ex­ecution of the Laws, and the infliction of those Penalties which men of good Tem­pers never make use of without a Relu­ctancy, they constantly abuse to fortifie their followers in their persuasions: for they alwayes attribute that Impunity to an over-ruling hand of Providence, or to the remorse of Considence; which is indeed the pure Effect of Clemency, and proceeds from the tendemess of the subordinate Ministers of Justice. But they cry it is the Lords doing, and a return of their Prayers; and comes from that particu­lar Care which God takes of them; who will not suffer the Malice of the Wicked, (theirs and therefore his Enemies) to prevail against them. I will not say but that it is an effect of the Excellency of the Divine Nature, who by his goodness and long-suffering would lead them to Re­pentance; but if they despise the Riches of his Grace, as much as they do all other Clemency, they will find that those fa­vours will not last alwayes; and what Mercy cannot, there will be an unavoida­ble necessity that Severity must punish if it cannot reclaim.

[Page 252]There is one place in the Acts of the Holy Apostles, Acts 5.34. to 41. which they make constant use of, to encourage their Party, and to discourage Weak, and Timorous Minds from medling with them, lest they should be found to fight against God: as they perswade People all those do who do any wayes oppose them, who with so much confidence call themselves the Children and People of God.

Now that this is upon the Holy Re­cords as the word of Gamaliel, and not as the Word of God, and an un-erring Rule for our Direction or Practice, is plain; be­cause it is neither universally true nor obliging, which, whatever is the Word of God most undoubtedly is; for every Work and every Counsel which does stand is not of God. 'Tis thought by some, there was a Time when all or the Great­est part of the Church was Arrian; and Athanasius the only or principal Person that did oppose it. I hope they will not agree, That that Heresie was of God, or ought not to have been opposed, because it stood so long and flourish'd: But they will say; You see it came to nought, because it was not of God; and I say [Page 253]we are obliged, to Athanasius, whom it pleased God to inspire with so much courage, (and a better understanding of this place than they would have us have) as boldly to stemm the Flood and op­pose his Buckler, in defence of the truth against so many Legions, with which 'tis said the World was at that time possess'd.

But what a prodigious conquest, pro­gress, growth and increase has the su­perstitious Doctrine and most damna­ble Heresie of Mahomet made in the World? all or the greatest part of A­sia, a considerable part of Europe, and the most of Affrica, being become Pro­selytes to that Detestable Impostor: and I hope no good Christian will allow this for a sound argument; That Ma­hometanism is therefore a Work or Coun­sel of God, because it does stand, and has stood for above this thousand Years: and that it ought not to be opposed, lest whilst Christians fight a­gainst the Turks, they should be found to fight against God: and could the Turks bring this to be an Article of our Creed, they would soon fulfill their [Page 254]so much Believed Prophesie, That their Empire and Religion shall be universally extended over the whole World.

Nay, should this be admitted as uni­versally true, there is no Error in the Church, of disorder in the State, which we may indeavour to suppress: and the Country Constable seeing a company of armed Peasants about to commit a Riot; instead of Charging them in the Kings Name to desist, and repair to their several habitations and employ­ments, or to keep the Peace, may for the neglect of his Duty plead; if this Counsel or Work be of God (as it may happen to be pretended, and that it is for Conscience-sake) it will stand, and all that I can do will be to no purpose to overthrow it; and it may be whilst I go about to suppress it, I shall be found to fight against God; but if it be of Men, it will come to nought; and this will bring us perfectly to the Mahometan Principle, by which they always pass their Judgment of Persons or Actions ac­cording to the Events.

And that all the whole Councel, as it is there said, should agree to one Doctors [Page 255]Opinion, and that built upon so slender a Reason, as two single Instances, is so wholly Miraculous, that it cannot be look'd upon as any thing less than an Effect of that Power and Goodness of God, which did so wonderfully mani­fest it selfe for the support and Pro­pagation of that Truth which was his own, that Counsel, and that Work which really was of God.

CHAP. XVII. A more particular Survey of their Policy in rendring all Expedients useless which have been applied to reclaim them, from that place in Ezra 7.16. Of Capital Pu­nishments. Of Imprisonment, how they make of advantage to them, to confirm their Cause and Followers, and to bring a general Odium upon the Laws and Government: their evasions to escape Forfeitures. Of their complaints of the injustice and oppression of the Penal Laws. Of Banishment: A Coffee-house Dialogue about it, betwixt Mr. Kinglove of — and a Grand-child of Martin Mar-Pre­lates.

[Page 256]LET us pass on from Generals to Par­ticulars, and there we shall find what great Artists they are in eluding all the most prudent endeavours which have been made use of to suppress their growth. We will therefore consider of the several Remedies which have been applyed to reclaim them to Obedience, as they are propounded by the Prophet Ezra. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and of the King, let Judgement be speedily executed upon him, whether it be to Death, or to Banishment, or to Confiscation of Goods, or to Impri­sonment. And though they may say this is only the Command of a Heathen Em­peror; let them consider that Ezra is so far, from thinking it unscriptural or unlawful, that he blesses the Lord God of Israel who had put such a thing into the Kings Heart, as was the only expedient to enable him to rebuild the House of the Lord, and bring it to its former Beauty and Glory.

As for that fort of Punishment which is Capital and Sanguinary, as it does not at all suit the temper of the Gospel, [Page 257]so they are satisfied that it is not the Custome of our Law-givers to write theirs, as 'tis said, the Athenian Draco did his Statutes in Characters of Blood. Nor shall these Men need to fear resist­ing unto Blood, unless they mean in un­lawful Insurrections of their own rai­ling; Or for intentional or actual Vi­olence, Treason, or Rebellion, to which they seem to be in the ready and near­est way; and therefore since, if they will but take care to avoid the Crimes, they are out of the reach of their pu­nishments: we will pursue this conside­ration no further.

A second sort of punishment, which has been made use of is Imprisonment; and in this they pretend to Glory, and to make most considerable advantages; for though you may confine their Bo­dies, yet their Tongues and Pens have alwayes been at Liberty; and this has been so far from hindering, that (con­trary to other Infections) they make this shutting them up contribute to the spread­ing of the Contagion; and it has been no unusual thing for the Jaylors advantage to have a Conventicle in the very Pri­son; [Page 256] [...] [Page 257] [...] [...] [Page 260]fer Persecution, Bonds and Imprisonments for the Gospel: and also because God ap­pears so particularly for them in deliver­ing them out of all these afflictions and tribulations.

Let us now see how they will deal with a third way of Punishment, which is Confiscation of Goods, which has been the penalty that our Laws have most ge­nerally inflicted upon Dissenters: and here it has been the general observation, that the smaller Fines, as twelve pence a Sunday, have been most effectual, the proceedings upon the greater and hea­vier Fines being more rarely put in ex­ecution; that being generally a tender­ness in all men, which makes them un­willing to ruine others in their Estates, as they believe these heavy Impositions would do. But they may spare themselves that Pity, for these People know well enough not only how to avoid the punishment, but to make it become serviceable to their Interest.

If the Penalty proceeds upon Informa­tion, as most generally it does, they en­deavour to render the name and Office of Informer odious, so that few people of [Page 261] credit, will intermeddle in it; and then either it will not be done at all, or it will be undertook by the meaner sort of peo­ple, who inform out of the Hopes of their share of the Forfeiture; and if it happens (as too many of them are) that the In­formation is given in by loose, idle, or scandalous poor people, then they are safe enough, and proclaim to every body, You see what kind of people these are, Drunk­ards, Swearers, poor pityful Fellows, that will say or swear any thing for Money, that are hired against us, and are our Accusers. And this adds not a little to the confidence with which their Leaders inspire them, of having a good Opinion of themselves; or of that which hereby others may come to have of them and their wayes, seeing them prosecuted (which they call Perse­cuted) by such a fort of people, as having no Religion themselves, may therefore be thought to hate and persecute such as have: and this also affords them an op­portunity, which they are not backward to improve, by insinuating, that the Au­thority which sets such Men at Work, en­courages them in it and rewards them for it, is like them persecuting and wicked [Page 262]too. Or if the Information be given in by sober, honest, and credible Persons, they can make a Bill of Sale of all their Vi­sible Estate to a true and trusty Friend, and then they will bid the Levy a De­fiance, and never think this a fraudu­lent Deed; nor shall the Officers be able, if they were so minded, by all their Art or Industry, to discover and to prove that it is: Or however they will stand upon their guard, and keep the Doors fast lock't and bolted, in despight of that Aphorism of the Law, which sayes, That no mans House shall he his Castle against the King.

They will rarely pay the Forfeiture, which by virtue of the Warrant to Levy is demanded of them, though it be but a Shilling; so that the Officers are ob­liged to Distrain, and for their own se­curity they will take enough: and when that is done, there is such a general squeamishness upon People, that they do not care to buy such Goods, unless they be overcome by the Temptation of an ex­cessive great Bargain; so that they are for­ced to sell Robin Hoods merry Penny­worths: and when all the Charges are [Page 263]deducted, which necessarily attends this . Procedure, there will be but a slender Surplusage to be returned to the Owners, some of which, to mend an ill Market, are so stubborn, that they will not re­ceive it. Now though the fault was whol­ly in themselves, yet will they cry out, That their Goods were sold for a quarter of their worth; and exclaim against the in­justice and oppression of such proceed­ings. And after all is done, they will tell you, that you cannot take away their Spiritual Comforts; you cannot take a­way their God from them. And they have so often, and so lowdly in the Meeting-House been fore-warn'd of this, that they are fore-arm'd against it. What? can you endure to suffer Persecution with the People of God? Can you be contented joyfully to take the spoiling of your Goods for the Gospels sake? Can you be ready to suffer Bonds, and Im­prisonments, and Death, rather than for­sake Christ? Can you endure to suffer af­fliction for a season with the People of God like Moses? Ah my Friends! it is but for a Season, a short Season, for those Days shall be shortned for the Elect sake. [Page 264]Can you bear the Cross and despise the shame? Can you be contented to be the Song of the Drunkards; such as are drunk with the Cup of the Fornications of the great Whore of Babylon? Can you en­dure to be called Hypocrites and Decei­vers? Oh! then you Elect and pre­vious; and a thousand such things. I say they have so frequently been told of this, that they verily believe these affli­ctions are sent of God, purposely for the tryal of their Truth and Constancy; and by their sufferings of this Nature their Teachers persuade and convince them beyond all other Arguments, that they are the People of God, and no Hypocrites: for all that will live Godly must suffer Persecution. Though that all is appa­rently to be restrained to that Age or some following, for it is known, that many who have lived Godly, have not suffered Persecution. Nor do they after all this noise; for it is the Cause that makes Persecution and Martyrdom.

But having lost their outward Enjoy­ments, they fly to their inward Refresh­ments, to the thoughts of their being the Elect, and to the contemplation of [Page 265]those great and durable Riches and Trea­sures which they think are laid up for them in Heaven; and these pleasant Phansies fill them with Joy, and that Joy fills them with a contempt of earthly Things, that Contempt brings them to some degrees of Contentment; and now they know how to suffer the want and loss of all things: and at the last they come to the real belief, that they are what they think themselves most tryed and excellent Christians. Though all this is but a meer Effect of Nature, and which a Heathen might have had above the idle Dream of his Elizium: and they are no more the fruits of Grace in the one than in the other: and the foundation of their joy being laid upon a false bottom, as before was manifested, they have lit­tle Reason to rejoyce in these Sufferings which befall them as evil Doers, as dis­obedient to Authority, and busie-bodies in other mens Matters, in medling with the Affaires of State, endeavouring Alte­rations and Innovations.

But for certain the Politique Ring-Leaders of Faction know, whoever lo­ses by these Punishments, they have [Page 266]gained their Design upon the People: whom by these sufferings they assure to themselves and their Principles; finding it verified which they have so often told them about suffering these afflictions; and that God would recompence these their sufferings for Conscience sake, with spiritual Joy and Comfort. And not on­ly so, but they bring them to the bent of their Bow, and easily induce them to hate all Government, which does by vi­olence deprive them of their Estates; and especially the guilt of this Perse­cution is sure to be thrown upon the Ecclesiastical Government, to render that as odious and Antichristian as they pos­sibly can.

It is well that punishment is now a sign of Grace, and the suffering the de­served Penalties of the Laws is come to be Persecution. It is not yet Thirty Years since they, or so many of them as are alive, were then of another Judgement; and made the most illegal and unjust sufferings of others, a certain sign of Re­probation, and being forsaken of God. But these People have very ill Memories, though it is the Opinion of some, that in [Page 267]regard of one excellent Faculty they are Masters of, they had need to have good ones. However this gives us some en­couragement to hope, that before that time be run about again, all People may be convinced, that this which they call Persecution may be believed to be Just Punishment, since the Scene of words may be so easily shifted in half an Age. And if once the Vizzard chance to fall off, the Aethiopian come to be discover­ed, and what now looks like a Lamb, appears to be a Leopard: when the World comes to understand them aright, they will pass a true Judgement of them and their ruinous Principles and Practices, and say,

And this is so far from impossible that it is not improbable; and if no person will do it for them, they will certainly do it for themselves.

Having shewn what great Artists they are in eluding all other Penalties, we should now come to a Consideration of [Page 268]the last Particular, which is Banishment; but in regard that Method has never yet been tryed upon them, nor so far as I know, so much as been designed a­gainst them, I can say little to it, nor can I conjecture what Startagems or Po­licies they would find out to evade and avoid it.

But if I may be permitted the freedom, ‘Ita vertere seria.’

I will shift the Scene with a pleasant Dia­logue, which it was once my Fortune to hear at a Coffee-house, betwixt two Gentlemen, Strangers to me as I was to them.

It was one Evening, before the House was full of Smoak and Company, though never empty of what was then the talk of the Town about the Test; their Dis­course was occasioned (as I afterwards understood by reading the paper when they had left it) by a small Letter to a Friend which lay before them upon the Table; in which it was in short treated of the Means to bring in Dissenters to the Church: and particularly it was addres­sed [Page 269]to this point of Banishment, as a most impolitick and unpracticable way of Pu­nishment. The Gentlemens names I know not, nor if I did, would it be necessary to divulge them; but one of them seemed to be the Grand-Child to Martin Mar-Prelate, advanced by the gain of Godli­ness to Master, for both his age and dis­course were agreeable to the conjecture. The other look't like one of the ancient Family of the Kingloves of—and there­fore for distinction, so we will call them. They had warm'd their mouths with Cof­fee and Discourse before I came in, and what was the beginning of the Discourse I cannot tell; but having seated my self in civility at a convenient distance, call'd for a Dish of the Liquor of the House, got the Gazette and Votes about me. The first that I heard Mr. Kinglove say, was, Sir it is an Axiom both in Naturals and Politicks, which will never fail while the World stands, Sublatâ Causâ tollitur effectus, do but take away these Causes of Dissention and Disturbance and the Effects and Dan­gers will certainly cease.

Verily, now I find that the Ten­der [Page 270]Mercies of the wicked are cruelty: What? would you have so many good People sent away, only because their Conscience will not give them leave to bow to Baal? O! Sir, consider your own safety is bound up in the Bundle of theirs; it is for the Elects sake that God spares the World; it is for the five Righteous, that the Lord does not destroy this Spiritual Sodom. Take heed how you offend these little Ones.

Pray Sir, do not mistake me, though you are all subject to wilful mi­stakes; I am not for dis-peopling a Nation, as the Gentleman in his Paper here tells you Ferdinand the Catholick and Philip Kings of Spain did, in banishing 234000 Families of Jews and Moors: nay, more, I must tell you; I am of the Opinion, that it is no Politique Consideration, to per­mit whole Families to go into Voluntary Exile amongst our Neighbours: and I have heard some people (who have the reputa­tation of Prudence and Honesty) attribute a great part of the sensible Decay of the Trade of the Nation to the want of such a Precaution: for several of your discon­tented Mutinous Party have transported those Crafts and Mysteries, which whilest [Page 271]they were such to our Neighbours, brought no small advantage to the Nation, where­as now by these Mens baseness Foraign­ers are become Masters of them, and by reason of their Industry, frugal way of Living and Trading, they beat down our Markets and undersel us in our own Com­modities.

O, now I perceive your sad meaning; you would have our Candle­stick taken away, our Teachers removed out of our sight.

I. have nothing to do with your Candlestick; but I would be glad to see the Fire-brand taken out of it, and a New and better Light set up in the room of it: and I hope now I have pleas'd you.

What? would you have the Godly Ministers sent away from us?

By no means, not I: for I know none such among you, or that I may not be uncharitable, but a very few; some mistaken well-meanining Men it is pos­sible there may be, whom the Politiques lead about by the Noses: but it is the Ʋngodly, Seditious, Factious Teachers, who are no Ministers but of their own or Hugh Peters's making, that not only I, [Page 272]but you if you understood your self, or your own Interest ought to be against; who are like the notable Pick-pocket with three hands, one of which was a Wooden one who used to do his feat at the Church, and had two hands to hold up Devoutly at his Prayers, and a third at the same time Diving into your Pocket.

Well, well, Sir, you may say what you will, but they are Godly Men; and if God for our Sins should suffer them to betaken away from us, he would raise us up more.

Good Sir be not so bold with God Almighty, and however you make bold with him at every turn; I doubt you would not be so bold, (though you are a Man of Gifts your self) to set up for a Teacher, if you were assured, or but thought, that you should be Exported a­mongst the rest of the Commodities with which the Nation is clogged and over­charged, and for which we want a good Market: and I believe it would cool the Courage of the hottest Zealot, and keep him from setting up a Trade to which he never was bound Prentice, a Retayler of Disobedience and Faction.

O Sad! what say you? would you have us sold for bond-men amongst the Commodities of the Nation? I thought what a Conscience men of your Principle have.

Still more mistakes! I have you sold! why you are such inestimable Jew­els as are no bodies mony unless it be the Grand Seigniors; It may be you might become the Turbant, but I dare say, no Christian Prince will venture at you for all your Lustre, nor think you orna­mental to his Diadem, which I fear few of you have a kindness for, because it carries a Cross at top on't, and for other Merchants, I know none that Trade in Noise and Bustle.

Good Sir, We love the King, and are as good Subjects as any he has.

I am glad to hear it, but I should be far more glad to see it, that so I might believe it, and it were well if your Words and Actions were at Peace with them­selves; but you are so great lovers of Dissention, that it is impossible to find Unity in the same Person amongst you, but we will wave that Discourse.

And I pray Sir, What would [Page 274]you do with those Multitudes, who will never be brought to hear your Service Book? it may be you would have them Excommunicated, to help the Commis­saries and Officials to a little money for their Absolution.

I will not concern my self with what I would have done; but you had no need to tell me what a slight Esteem you all have of that Dreadful Sentence. It is because you do not understand it. However, We will leave it to the Wis­dom of those in whose Power it is, both when and where to make use of it. But what Mulitudes are these you talk of? Sure you are great Arithmeticians, for you are always at Multiplication, Divi­sion and Numbers, Fractions and Mul­titudes, I would you knew the Golden Rule to.

You cannot but know that we are a considerable part of the Nation; and if you would come to one of our meetings you would be convinced of it.

I thank you for your invitation, but I will not trouble you, or add to your supposed Numbers by my Company: and for all your skill in Figures, I believe you [Page 275]have a great many Cyphers amongst you; and if all those who follow you out of Affectation to be accounted some-body, or out of little Design and interest, were taken off, which they would soon be, if they met with a disappointment in those things which induced them to joyn with you, your Numbers would dwindle into an inconsiderable Company.

And what must become of those? what must those poor Souls do? poor Sheep without a Shepherd!

It is not impossible but they may by the care of the Magistrates in sup­pressing sin; by the exemplary Lives of the Clergy, and their care as the Letter there tells you by Evangelical Instructions con­tained in the 39 Articles, be divorced from those Errors, which they have ado­pted into the Family of their Faith. Or suppose if they continued refractory, they should be Out-law'd while they Live, and incapacitated to make a Will at their Death; or as the Country-man said, be their own Executioners, and dye detesta­ble; What think you of that?

I think the like was never heard of before in all the Persecutions that ever were.

Pray when you come at home, consult the Statute Book; for I know you have it by you, if it be for nothing else but to find out creeping holes in Acts of Parli­ament: You will find; 3 Jac. 5. something like this against Papists.

And is there not a great deal of Reason for it? I hope you do not favour Popery and the Jesuits.

Not so much as you & your party do; for you are Recusants as well as they; and till you can make it appear that you are less dangerous to the Peace and Secu­rity of the Nation, by your own Judgment you should expect the same Treatment from the Government. And since we are got into the Statutes, pray look over 27 Eliz. 2. & you will in the Proem find your Character, and in the Act the Punishment which by your confession (if your designs are the same with the Jesuits) you deserve.

Well, I am sure we have nothing to do with Antichrist of Rome, and it is you that come so near them which will never suffer us to joyn with you.

Never's a long day; but should some of you persist to the last Gasp, that tells us you are not immortal, & certainly we owe some care to our Posterity: I my [Page 277]self have sown that wood which is like seris factura Nepotibus umbram: and un­doubtedly this would be a means to plant that Peace and Unity, which though it may not advance so far as to give us the entire pleasure of securely reposing our aged heads under their agreeable shades, yet may afford us the satisfaction to see them grow; and give us hopes that suc­ceeding Generations may be free'd from those Dangers which we labour under.

We are all at Peace and Quiet, and you would force us into Disorders and Mutinies.

Do you begin Mr.—to shew your self in your colours, I thought just now you had lov'd the King so dearly, and been as good Subjects as any. Sure you would not make Mutinies if it should be so. You are Men of Peace and Re­ligion: certainly you have no other Sword, but that of the Spirit.

A Worm if it be troden upon it will turn again.

Very good! but so will not a Sheep, when it is led to the Slaughter; I understand you. But God be praised the Curst Cow has short Hornes. You yet want a Parliament for your purpose, and [Page 278]I hope long will. The Militia is out of your reach, and there are Guards enough (and no more than enough) about White-hall, to hinder insolent Petitioners from affronting Majesty, and crying your old stinking Fish, No Bishop. So that whatever your intentions may be, I per­swade my self you are too wary to betray your Good Cause by shewing both your Weakness and Wickedness at the same time.

Well! for all this I hope the Lord will not forsake his People, or suf­fer us to lose so many good men.

It is strange this should be a loss, when the outright loss of 10000 bet­ter men in a Battel to secure or obtain our Peace would not be thought a loss, but an advantage to the Publick: and here­by not only their Lives, but many thou­sands may be saved hereafter, for any thing we know.

Sir, You create fears to your self which we are far from the thoughts of.

You do well to lull us asleep with singing Peace, Peace, Hush, Lullaby Baby. But if there be such fears of Mu­tinies now, what may there be some years [Page 279]hence? when you are grown so strong and numerous as by compulsion to endea­vour to obtain those Demands which now you dare not petition for.

We for Compulsion! we are utterly against it, and for Liberty of Con­science for all Men.

You tell us so now, but what would you say, if hereafter your Conta­gion should spread it self amongst those Persons, who ought to be the defence of the Royal Person, our Laws, Property and Religion? amongst those who may come to be Elected Members—And here a great deal of Company coming in and the House beginning to fill, they broke off their Discourse, and presently after, went both one way out of the Door; though they seemed to be of far different Wayes in other things; and so I lost the diversion of their further con­verse, but not the remembrance of what then passed, or at least the principal part and substance of it. Clandite jam rivos pueri—

CHAP. XVIII. The Heads of Separation brought to tryal by the Scripture, proved to be false Prophets by their Fruits, by the Descrip­tion of them, by the Time of their ap­pearance; the Signs given to know them by. Wolves in Sheeps Clothing. Their pretence to be the Ministers of Righte­ousness. The way they would evade these Signs; their Plea of not guilty, because not guilty of all, manifested to be vain; and such as, if admitted, will clear all, even Mahomet, from the guilt of being false Prophet.

THAT these Heads of Faction may see that I for my own particular Part have a mind to be serious with them, and that I am in sober earnest, and so far past the Lusoria arma, that I will close in with them, and come ad Triarios; and to satisfie all those whose strength of Prejudice, or Interest, does not render them utterly incapable of Sa­tisfaction; I do cite them before their own Judges, the Scriptures: let us there­fore [Page 281]fore impartially examine the Character; and then, in God's Name, Detur dignis­simo, let it be awarded to those who deserve it most.

THAT there shall arise false Apo­stles, false Prophets, and false Teachers in the Church of God, we can make no doubt; having so much, and so plain, Scripture for it; so many Caveats given us against them.S. Mat. 7.15. Beware of false Pro­phets, saith our great Lord and Saviour, which come to you in Sheeps Clothing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves. Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. S. Mat. 24.4, 5. S. Mark 13.5, 22, 23. False Prophets, and false Christs shall arise, ands shew Signs and Wonders to seduce, if it were possible the very Elect; but take ye heed, behold I have foretold you all things. For I know, saith S. Paul, that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in amongst you: Acts 20.29, 30. Also of your own selves shall Men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw Disciples after them? Therefore watch. And S. Peter is in the same mind: But there were false Prophets amongst the People, 2. S. Pet. 2.1, 2. even as there shall be false Teachers [Page 282]amongst you, who primly shall bring in (or as the Word [...] signifies) shall insinuate by the By, Damnable Heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, Denying, or scarcely owning, that he is the Propitiation for the Sins of all the World. And many shall follow their perni­cious ways, [...] Their wayes which come from Apollyon, and are de­structive to themselves, to the Peace, U­nity, and Safety of the Church and State; by reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be evil spoken of the Ancient Ca­tholick, or Universal Doctrine and Pra­ctice of the Church, ( [...]) shall be blasphemed, or accounted Blasphe­my.

NOW as it is most certain that there shall be such Men, so it is no less certain, that it shall be a very great Difficulty to discover and know them.

FOR, first they shall come in the Name of Christ; pretend a Commission from Christ: and as confidently call themselves the Servants, and Ministers of Christ, and of the Gospel, as they that really are so.

IN the second place, they shall be a­ble [Page 283]to draw Disciples after them; and not a few, but they shall deceive many. Nay, so far able, as if it were possible, to de­ceive the very Elect. And to effect this, it is absolutely necessary, that to deceive the Sheep they should come in Sheeps Clothing, look most innocently, and ap­pear most harmless, good and profitable. Nay, further, they must have the appear­ance, and resemblance of the Ministers of Righteousness. And this St. Paul tells us is no difficult thing; for such, saith he, are false Apostles, deceitful Work­ers, transforming themselves into the Apo­stles of Christ; and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light: therefore it is no great thing, if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness.

IN the last place, they shall arise from among our selves; and their design shall be to draw Disciples after them.

THAT we may not be mistaken, we must therefore make a Discovery of them, by those Ways, Marks, Signs, and Directions which Christ and his A­postles have in the Scripture given us to distinguish them and know them by. [Page 284]And therefore, for the fulfilling of any prediction, we must first enquire for the time of its Appearance; and that is all along said to be in the last times or Days. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly, 1. Tim. 4.1. that in the latter Times some▪ shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils. 2. Tim 3.1. This know that in the last days perillous Times shall come. In the last days shall come Scoffers, 2. S. Pet. 3.3. walk­ing after their own Lusts or Desires. And St. Jude tells us who they are,S. Jude. 18.19. They who separate themselves. So far the discove­ry is clear it shall be in the last Days. The difficulty will be to know when these last Days are, these dangerous Days. St. Paul intimates plainly when we are to look upon the Time as the last Days. And having told us that in the latter time some should depart from the Faith, he subjoynes, For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine, 1 Tim. 4.3. but after their own Lusts, shall heap up to them­selves Teachers, having itching Ears. And thus far the discovery is plain, that these are those last and perillous Times, which he prophesied should come, and with the most remarkable Asterisk points [Page 285]them out to us. Sure there was never any Age or Time like this for the itching of Peoples Ears, nor for their heaping up to themselves Teachers after their own Desires. And to satisfie himself of this, a man need not take a far Journey or ride a Horse to Death; for if he cannot find it true in his own Town or Parish or even at his own Door, he may walk on foot to the next, where he will certainly find it. And so strangly do Peoples Ears itch after Novelties, That let every Day in the Week a Teacher of a new Doctrine come amongst them, a great Company shall run to hear him. Nay, should a man come cloathed with outward Pro­fession of Sanctimony and Innocence, and with confidence tell them a fine story out of the Jewish Talmud or Turkish Al­coran, and pretend it is a new Revelation, I question not but he would have a great many Hearers, and some Disciples. And for their heaping them up to themselves, is it not as evident as the former? When People are not contented with their Law­ful Minister, (though never so Painful, Orthodox and Pious,) who is set over them and appointed to watch for their [Page 286]Souls as he that must give an account: but they must heap them up to them­selves; have them of their own chusing, according to their own Fancies and De­sires, and not one, but many, two, three, four, or more Itinerant and Resident, in some little Towns, and far more in Pla­ces of good Capacity; for you must know, that as this sort of People make advances in knowledge and Confidence which they call growing in Grace, they are as they think all taught of God, and are to be Teachers of God. Though that Prophecy, as he himself explains it, was meant of Christ, the eternal Son of God, and fulfilled in him, and by him who was God, and therefore thought it no Rob­bery to be equal with God; though it is a manifest and the highest piece of Sacri­ledge in any Mortal Man to arrogate it to himself.S. Joh. 6.45. S. Joh. 14.6. And says he, They shall be all taught of God. Every Man therefore that hath heard, and hath learn't of the Father, cometh unto me, for no man can come unto the Father, except I draw him. But this will not satisfie them; for to gain the greater Authority and reputation they will apply it to themselves; so that in some places [Page 287]where the infection has spread it self strongly, every third or fourth House can afford you one or more if occasion be, ei­ther Man or Woman Teacher, though S. Paul gives an express Command against these Female Doctresses,8. Tim. 2.12. and tells us po­sitively a Woman is not to be permitted to speak in the Church, that is, to teach. For which Command I met with one of the most subtile allegorical fine-spun E­vasions, as far exceeding the Brains of O­rigen: The Woman (saith a Dissenter) must learn in silence, that is the Flesh; for all Flesh must be silent before the Lord, Very well, repl'd I! and nicely distinguish't, to make us all Hermaphro­dites; but how will the Woman part of you by this sobriety come to be saved in Child-bearing? which the Apostle adds as a good encouragement to them to keep them in silence,v. 15 which you know is a hard matter, and that they may not usurp Authority over the Man: and here the Man and Woman were both silent, want­ing some of the old Fig leaves to make an Apron of or Apron-strings for an Eva­sion, by which he might have been con­vinc't, that his Flesh was no Woman.

[Page 288]HAVING proceeded thus far; and found out the Time of their Appear­ance, it follows that we examine these Teachers: and as St. John saith, Let them pretend never so much to the Spirit, Try the Spirits whether they are of God: because many false Prophets are gone out in­to the World.

OUR most blessed Lord has given us a Criterion, an infallible Touch-stone, to distinguish Gold from Brass though double gilt; a certain way to know the Wolf though in Sheeps Clothing, from the good Shepherd:Mat. 7.19. By their Fruits ye shall know them. Not by their seeming good Fruits, their appearance of Holiness, and profession of Godliness: for in these things they transform them­selves into the likeness of the Ministers of Righteousness, or otherwise they could never be able to deceive. It is not by their zealous and passionatev. 21. Lord! Lord! for not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Hea­ven. It is not by theirThe word Prophecy is used for Preaching, and by them so understood in many places; particu­larly that which they a­buse so often to coun­tenance their way, De­spise not Prophecying. Pro­phecying in his Name, their of­ten and painful Preaching of [Page 289]Christ, of Strife and Envy. No, nor by their wonderful and miraculous Works done (as they say) in his Name. Their converting so many poor Souls from Su­perstition, Heathenism, and Idolatry, who were better Christians before. For, Christ tells us, for all this, be will not know them for his. Many will say unto me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not Prophesied (or Preached) in thy name, and tit thy name cast out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful Works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; Depart from me yon that work Iniquity. By their ill Fruits therefore it is, by their working Iniquity that we must distinguish them; and without a careful observation of this, it is impossi­ble to know them from the true Pro­phets, the Preachers and Ministers of Righteousness.

NOW whether the Church of Eng­land and her Prophets, or these Pro­phets, are the false, let their Fruits deter­mine? Certainly they who both in Do­ctrine and Discipline, not only Teach but practice, in their Lives, Actions and Intentions, a true departing from all Ini­quity; [Page 290]quity; from whatsoever is contrary to the Commands of the Gospel: These are the true Prophets, the Servants and Dis­ciples of Christ, who by these good Fruits may be known by us to be such as shall by him be known and owned for his at that Day. And they who under pretences of Piety and the Cloak of Mali­ciousness Preach themselves and the In­terest of their Party, who by their .Do­ctrine and Example teach others, to live in Envyings, Hatred, Strife, Sedition, Disobedience, and (in the most modest Expression of it) Principles of Rebellion; all which are directly contrary to the Commands of Christ, and the Gospel, which are works of Iniquity; I they who do such things are workers of Ini­quity, and false Prophets; who though they may come in Sheeps Clothing, yet inwardly they are Ravening Wolves. And that the Doctrines and Designs, the Principles and the Practice of these Dissenting Factious Heads of Parties, do all terminate in these as in their Center and ultimate End, (however they may be wide enough distant in the Circum­ference of several of their Doctrines one [Page 291]from the other) has already in the fore­going Pages been shewn; and by their former actions, it has more at large, and beyond the Effrontery of Impudence it self most demonstratively been manifest­ed: and with the Pen of Iron, and Point of their poysonous, though glittering, Diamond, been ingraven in such deep and bloody Characters, as whole Vo­lumes would not contain: and I heartily wish they would give us leave with the general and most gracious Amnesty to forgive and forget; and not by their rest­less and repeated Machinations, give our Fear, those alarming Passions of Mens Souls, a just occasion to call them to re­membrance, and by comparing past Events with present Circumstances, to sus­pect that they are brewing a second draught in Circes Golden Cup, to intox­icate the People, and transform them again into Wild and Savage Beasts of Prey, to worry the Government; and by the most real Lycanthropy to feed up­on humane Flesh.

If they shall, (as I do not question but for an Evasion they will) indeavour to hide the Teeth and Paws of the Wolf, [Page 292]by the soft and woolly Words and Prote­stations; that they are far from the thoughts and intentions, of those Men of the late times: How can we be assu­red of it? Those very Men said the same, and it may be at first had not those inten­tions themselves, which following suc­cesses inspired them with, and as they thought, warranted them in, as may ap­pear by the Confident Motto of their Coin, (of which, for all that) abun­dance was, like themselves, Counterfeit; only Brass plated over, which was, God with us, The Commonwealth of Eng­land; and if a Man may, in so serious an affair be permitted to be pleasant, it might be taken notice that God and they were not both of a Side; however they made this ill Consequence upon their false Supposition, If God be with us, who can be against us? Why do these Men write so exactly after so foul a Copy? Why do they in all things come to so near a Resemblance of those Men, (whose words though at first most spe­cious, yet ended in Actions odious, as well as unexampled to the World) so that an Egg is not liker an Egg than the [Page 293]one is to the other? The same Way, if pursued, must lead to the same End: and till by their Juggling they are able to cast such a Mist hot only before my Eyes, but my Understanding and Memory, as to perswade me that this is not Black and White which all the World calls so; I shall never be brought to believe any o­ther, but that they are the Children of those (or the Men themselves) that kil­led the Prophets, by the great Zeal they have to build them Monuments; that is, to bury the present Church and Govern­ment in the Grave of oblivion. And by their so often telling us that the Litur­gy is a dead Letter, they plainly give us to understand that it is very offensive to their Noses and Eyes, and more than time it were (in its own Linen, the Surplice) buried out of their sight: and I dare say, they are as generous as that French King, who being perswaded to▪ deface the Se­pulchre of a great English Captain, who lay interred most magnificently at Roan; he reply'd, I wish all my Enemies were as honourably buried. And I hope all sober and considerative Persons will be of the same Judgment with me: I an sure they [Page 294]must, if they love themselves, their King, Church, of Country, against which these men are (some of them actually, by so­lemn League and Covenant, and Ingage­ment) sworn Enemies, though they de­ny it never so often, and pretend never so much Innocence, Sincerity, and godly Simplicity of the Gospel.

BUT since there is a necessity of a full and clear Conviction, we will bring in more evidence against them; and no worse Men than the Holy Apostles: and if such a Jury as Christ and his twelve Apostles find it Billa vera, and that they are guilty of what they stand indicted for, let them acquit and absolve them that can; I am sure they have no hope but by confession and amendment to crave the Psalm of Mercy.

BUT before we come to these At­tainders it will be requisite that we stop up one avenue, at which otherwise they will undoubtedly all creep out, and escape the Judgment of Men, though never the Righteous Judgment of God, who knows all things, and does not judge according to outward appearance, but as things or person are in themselves. If you bring [Page 295]them to any of the Places I shall hereafter mention; because every thing in them does not exactly hit them, they will per­swade all the World and themselves too I am afraid, that they are not at all con­cerned in those Descriptions of False Pro­phets, and false Teachers. Thus though in their Principles they may be Traitors, and in their Practice Heady, High-mind­ed, &c. Yet if they do not forbid to Marry, or to abstain from Meats; that Place is meant of the Papists who do so; or it may be they will say of they Church of England, which commands abstinence in the time of Lent, and upon other Fasts: though that is a Civil as well as a Religious Sanction, as will appear by the Statutes which do injoyn it, 2^o & 3^o Ed. Sexti 19. where the most satisfactory reasons are given for the Observation of Lent. Religious, to increase Godliness and Piety, Vertue and Temperance, by fasting and abstinence: Civil, to increase the breed of Cattel and to encourage Fishery, which if improved might prove a more inexhaustible treasure to us than the Indian Mines, as well as it is to our Neighbours, who from, Poor and di­stressed [Page 296]stressed are by a particular industry herein become High and Mighty, Vide; 5 & 6 Ed. 6. & 5 Eliz. 5. Politick for the increase of Navigation, and maintenance of the Navy, which no man that is a true Friend to the interest of his Coun­try can be against, 35 Eliz. 7. As for the Command of our Church, it is wholly Religious; Nor does the Church think those Meats unlawful at other Times; and only enjoyns abstinence, that our Flesh being subdued tot the Spirit, we may the better be enabled to obey the Godly Motions of Righteousness and true Holiness; as the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent teaches us to Pray: which therefore all they who quarrel at, or will not pray for, must declare themselves Enemies to; and that they are against those Means, which the Church of God has ever in and since the Primitive Times thought so conducive to those great ends of Religion.

NOW to shew the invalidity of this Plea, we must consider. That the inten­tion of the Apostles was to mark out all false Prophets of what Perswasion, Name or Distinction soever. And If none are [Page 297]false Teachers or Prophets, but such to whom every thing they mention does a­gree; then would the Character of Dis­covery, and those Marks of Distinction which they give us to know them by, be altogether in significant, impracticable and useless: for it is impossible to find all those Devilish Qualifications, combined in one Person or Sect; no not in Maho­met himself, who certainly was the great­est Impostor (and it may be The False Prophet) that ever was, or will be in the World. And therefore these signs are promiscuously laid down, hut are par­ticularly to be applied, some of them to one sort or Sect, and some to another, as they will suit and agree to their Do­ctrines and Actions: and he is as certain­ly a False Teacher, (though not so great a one) who is wilfully guilty of one or more of these signs by which we must discover the false Prophets from the True, as he would be who could really be charged with them all. And if these Men do not grant the Truth of this Preliminary Assertion, it must be be­cause they dare not joyn Issue with us in the Tryal: but being satisfied before­hand [Page 298]of their Guilt, are as the Apostle says of Hereticks, Tit. 3.11. [...], convict­ed and condemned of theselves.

CHAP. XIX. A further pursuance of the discovery, and that these Men are False Prophets from the Description of St. Paul and St. Pe­ter St. Peter's [...], and St. Judes [...], considered as particularly de­signed to shew their Infectious Contagious Doctrines. Of their despising Domini­ons, querulous, unsatisfied and com­plaining Humour. A short vindication of the Church from their malicious As­persion of being Guilty of Idolatry.

LET us now come to a further and particular Examination of them by the Description which St. Paul gives of them who are false Prophets,2 Tim. 3.1. and who were to come in the last and perillous Times. God forbid we should lay all that is there said to their Charge; But I fear they will not escape unconcerned in a great Measure of it: and if nothing [Page 299]else would take hold of them, yet the Sin of Pride there mentioned, will I doubt pull them by the Cloak, of which they are so fond. The wisest of Mortal Men tells us, Only by Pride cometh Conten­tion; Pro. 13.10. so that it seems there can be no Contention without it, nor would be any but for it. There is a strange Tem­ptation in being a Head, though but of a Faction: Ambition is a Vice as natural as Self-love, and Men take a secret plea­sure to be taken notice of, which they think adds much to that esteem which all men desire, and would perswade them­selves they deserve from others. That a Man cannot walk the Streets but he shall over-hear an [...], that is the famous Mr.—is the sweetest and soft­est Musick to all Ambitious Ears,— di­gito monstrari, & dicier hic est: to have the Porter or Tankard-bearer, or honest Trades-man as you pass by his Shop, point you out with his finger; There goes the precious godly conscientious Mr.—

HAD they been truly good and obe­dient Sons of the Church, for any thing I know of Parts of Excellencies ab [...] other Men, they must have gone [...] [Page 300]the Common Crowd; and it may be never have been taken notice of: or at best have been contented with some small Vicaridge or Parsonage; as many Ortho­dox men eminent for Parts, Piety, and Learning are; who many time, (the more is the pity) are buried alive in some obscure Country Village; where partly by the narrowness of their For­tune, partly by their religious, volun­tary and unambitious contentment and humility, they are confined to the know­ledge of a few Rusticks, and the next Market Town. For,

Whilest in the mean time, some of these empty Boasts fill a whole City and Coun­try with their noise, and by that and the liberality of their Disciples (who barter ready money with them, for infected breath, swelling pompous Words of Vani­ty, promises of Liberty, &c. with which feigned words they make a real Mer­chandize of their Hearers) they arrive at [Page 301]such revenues as otherwise they could never have hoped for. And how far e­ven one of these Considerations may transport Ambitious Spirits, let that eter­nal young Ephesian Villain testifie,Herostra­tus. who merely for Fame burnt that stupendious Temple of Diana, justly accounted one of the Worlds seven Won­ders: and in a few hours laid those lofty Turrets in Ashes, which all Asia had beenThey who write most mo­destly say it was 220 Years. Pliny affirms it to have been 400 Years in building by all Asia, and several Kings of other Countreys. so long in rearing. It were well if the same madness, and a far greater Impiety did not possess these Men, who throw the Flames of Dissention into the Church and Temple of the Living God; of which his only Son laid the Foundation with his most precious Blood, and of which he himself is the glorious Top and Corner-stone.

BUT to go on: Are they not false Accusers? as 'tis in the Margin of the Bible, Make-bates; in the Greek [...], Common Barretors in Religious affairs? do they not falsly accuse us and our wor­ship of Idolatry, Superstition, Blasphemy, a thousand other forgeries and ca­lumnies as feigned as they are frequent? [Page 302]Are they not Traytors to their Prince? whilst like Absalom with fine words and fair Speeches they steal away the Hearts of his Subjects from him;2 Sam. 15.1. to 7. and render him only a King of their Bodies, but not of their affections, which is his most glo­rious Prerogative, the fairest Jewel, and the surest Guard of his Imperial Diadem: and without which, he is but a King of Brutes, and those not over tame and ma­nageable. It is the common Character of the King of Great Britain amongst Fo­reign Nations, that he is Rex Diabolo­rum; a piece of Wit which we may thank the Papists for first inventing, and this sort of People by the horrid transactions of the late times for continuing, and in a great measure justifying.

BUT further; Are they not heady as well as high-minded, wilfully wedded to their own wayes, and in effect lovers of Pleasures, of their own Pleasure more than lovers of God, or of his Pleasure? He would have all Christians lovers of Peace, Unity and Concord: to live in Peace, and as much as in them lies to follow Peace; without which as well as Holiness,Heb. 12.14. he positively tells us we shall never see his [Page 303]face: and which therefore he so often recommends as a Duty most agreeable to the Gospel or Peace; the God of Peace, and the everlasting Prince of Peace. Notwithstanding all which they care not how they violate and banish it from the Church, destroy and break the Peace of the State, rather than they will miss of their ends, and want their own Will, and Pleasure.

IS not all this manifest from their Daily Practice? and which they justifie, telling us there is a necessity laid upon them from their Consciences so to do. And which rather than they will not effect, and left it should not be as clear as the Sun who they are that the Apostle points out unto us in this Description: Are they not of this sort who creep into Houses, and lead Captive silly Women laden with Sins, led away with divers Lusts, va­riety of desires, or desire of varieties and Novelties? I am fore this part of the Character hits them like the left-handed Benjamites, to a hairs breadth; and needs no Comment, or Marginal Notes to ex­plain the meaning.

LET them now with their usual [Page 304]Confidence deny these things if they have a mind to prove themselves the most shameless Cretians, [...], that ever liv'd: and if they cannot deny what is so notoriously known to all People; let us see how they will avoid the just Charge of being of the Number of those false Teachers who were to come and are now come, in these last and pe­rillous Days.

NOR will they find much more favour at the Hands of St. Peter than of St. Paul, in his 2 Ep. 2. cap. Where, after he had been speaking of the false Prophets which had been, and should come, all which I will not accuse them of, there being e­nough of what is obvious to all Men, Especially, or chiefly, says he, Such are they who walk after the Flesh; that is, in opposition to the Spirit; after the Works of the Flesh, and not after the Fruits of the Spirit, as before has been often shewn: Such as walk [...], in the unlawful desire, or vehement de­fire of infecting others, with their own pernicious Ways and Opinions. And that this is no putting the Place to torture, or wresting of it; but the true and genuine [Page 305]construction, will appear to any Person, who has but a competent acquaintance with the Greek Language, or any ordi­nary Lexicon; for [...], properly signifies all, or any, desires of the inferi­our or animal part of us; as is plain by the frequent use, both Aristotle and other Greek Authors make of that Word to ex­press the several Passions and Affections of the sensitive Soul: and [...], signi­fies inquinamentum, contaminatio, consce­leratio, a defiling by Infection, or Con­tagion: and therefore amongst Physici­ans it is the Word by which they most ge­nerally express that sly and insinuating poysonous Disposition in the Air which spreads abroad a Contagion, and carries about the Infection wherever it comes; and if the vulgar opinion be true, that those who have the Plague themselves are infected also with a desire of infect­ing others, it is not at all unsuitable ei­ther to the sence of the Words, or the humours of the Men who labour of this Distemper of their Minds. As for the Word Uncleanness in the English Transla­tion, it seems neither Natural nor Pro­per; and the rather, because I think in [Page 306]all the New Testament the word Un­cleanness in the Greek, [...], ex­cepting only in this Place, and that of S. Jude, which is almost verbatim the same with this, and given us for the same Em­ployment: Which makes the Conjecture not improbable, that S. Peter's [...], and S. Jude's [...], must have a more particular signification, than is expressed in the English word, Uncleanness; espe­cially as it is commonly taken for that secret Sin, which therefore is very un­likely openly to discover a false Pro­phet or Teacher, for which design it is here given us. And another signification than this more proper or Natural, I nei­ther know, nor can anywhere find. Whe­ther it will bear it or not, let the Criticks determine; sure I am the Interpretation suits but too exactly with the Temper, Actions, and Endeavours of these Men, who are but too truly the [...], Pe­stes Ecclesiae, the Plagues of the Church, and it will be well if they be not found to be so in the State.

BUT we will not wrangle with them about one Word, or stand upon what is not evident and apparent; and there­fore [Page 307]let them deny if they can, that they are not presumptuous, self-will'd, de­spisers of Government; or that they do not speak evil of the things they under­stand not; of the Management of the Affairs of State, at which they are per­petually discontented and quarrelling. I do not believe they are of the Privy Council, and I hope they never will be; and therefore one may presume they do not understand much of the Affairs of the State. Do they not first unfix the Minds of Men, and loose them from the Founda­tions of Peace, Unity and Obedience, and then beg [...] those Souls, which they have made unstable? Do they not speak great swelling Words of Vanity, pro­mising their followers if they will hold out, hopes of Liberty of Conscience here, and Heaven hereafter, and allure Men through the fleshly Lusts or Desires, and the much Wantonness (that pruri­tus audiendi Leachery and Itch of hear­ing) those who before they came a­mongst them were clean, escaped from them who live in error, who were bap­tized in the Name of Christ, instructed in the true Christian Faith, and Evange­lical [Page 308]Doctrine? I think what has before been spoken upon this Subject is so full and clear, that though they plead not Guilty, it will be no easie matter for them to free themselves.

NEITHER will St. Jude differ from his Brother Apostle.S. Jude. v. 8. v. 15. Likewise these filthy Dreamers [...], defile the Flesh or animal part with strange Imagina­tions, and strong Phansies and delusions, and despise Dominions, speak evil of Dig­nities, the things they understand or know not. These are they which speak such hard Words of God, that by his secret Will he never intended that his Son should be a propitiation for the Sins of the whole world, or that he would have all men to repent and be saved; which hard Speeches, these Ungodly Sinners have spoken and taught others to speak a­gainst him. Are they not Murmurers, Complainers, [...], never con­tended with their present condition; but ever grumbling, desirous of innovation, given to change, indeavouring an alte­ration in the Establilsh't Government? for such an humour the word signifies; such Persons as are Sorte suâ minimè con­tenti: [Page 309]a description so exactly suiting with the querulous humour of these Peo­ple, that all the Art in the World cannot coyn a fitter. And to conclude all Em­phatically, These are they, which sepa­rate themselves, Animal, having not the Spirit, how highly soever they may pre­tend to it; nor having made a further pro­gress in Religion, than what is meer Sen­sitive or Animal, as the Word [...], signifies, such natural attainments, as without Grace men may, and many Heathens have attained to, unless they may be said to exceed them in the Con­fidence of proclaiming their own Worth and Merits.

Thus do they stand guilty by the Ver­dict of Christ and his Apostles, and if we must Judge of them by their fruits, and by the fore-mentioned signs whether they are False Prophets, and Wolves in Sheeps clothing; then here is Separation, Sedi­tion, Contention, Disobedience, Despi­sing of Dignities, speaking evil of Do­minions, Wrath, Strife, slanderous and false accusations of their Sober, Pious and Lawful Superiours; and much more of the same Nature, of which they stand [Page 310]daily convicted by their Preaching and Practice.

LET them now (if they can) shew that the Church of England does either teach or allow any of these things forbid­den by Christ or the Gospel; or that any one of these signs of False Prophets do agree to them: And let all the World judge if the true Sons of the Church, are not the true Ministers of Righteousness.

AS for their Impeachment against us as guilty of Idolatry and Superstition, all the Art they have used for near this hun­dred Years has not been able to go fur­ther in the proof of it, than a bare saying so; and that (though pronounced never so Magisterially,) will amount to no more than a seeble Womans Argument: They are so, because they are so. Ergo, they are guilty of Idolatry and Supersti­tion: Which may be good Logick amongst their silly Apron Disciples, but will never pass muster any where else.

AND for their slander, That our Clergy, especially the Prelates, are so much inclined to Popery; I know not whether it has more Malice or falshhood in it. For they cannot be ignorant, how learnedly [Page 311]some former Bishops and some of the pre­sent Clergy have defended the Protestant Cause against all the Champions of Rome: and have shewn the forgeries and feign'd Miracles, upon which that Church has built her Usurpations; how amply have they satisfied the World, that we have not left Rome as anciently Christian, till Rome had first left the Ancient Catholick-Apostolick Faith and Truth?

AND however the Men of this Party made the great and learned Arch-bishop Laud so much a Papist, as for that suspi­cion or imputation to lose his Head; they are obliged to that Head which we lost more than He: And the best Arms they can employ against the Papists, they must be forc'd to borrow out of his Magazine: and so long as that Incomparable Piece of his against Fisher continues in the World; it will be an Eternal Monument of his Learning, Piety and firmness in the Protestant Doctrine; and of their false­hood and Cruelty in depriving our Church and the whole Protestant cause, of such an able Chief and expert Com­mander; and for no other Crimes but his Loyalty to his Prince, his Constancy to [Page 312]the Church, and his wearing the Sacred and Venerable Miter. Crimes great e­nough if They were Judges, to take off the Heads of all the Bishops in the World.

THEY cannot but know how many several times before a Man comes from a Colledge to a Cathedral he must take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegia [...]e; and renounce the Church of Rome: and therefore they must suppose, That all these Pious and Reverend Fathers will make no scruple of Perjury, of which if ever they return to the obedience of the Pope, they must be most horribly guilty: but the truth is they care not how much they suppose them guilty, and never think they can render them odious enough, though by the most improbable slanders which their Malice can invent. God for­give them for it, for sure they know not what they do.

CHAP. XX. THE CONCLƲSION.

AND now having found them thus guilty, I know they will say, I am a Man of a persecuting Spirit, a Repro­bate, a Machiavellian; a hard word they use to brand their Enemies withall, and which most of their Party know not what it means, whether a man or a Devil, or something worse if it could be. But it has been the hard measure of those whose names I do so reverence, that it will be the greatest honour they can do me to put me in the Rear of them. The Cap­tain of our Salvation was said to be a Sa­maritan, and to have a Devil; and the great Apostle tells us he was by some ac­counted their Enemy because he told them the Truth; and so long as the World indures it will be so: For,

Flattery will for a while procure many Friends, but great is the Truth, and will [Page 314]prevail though it raises a Man never so many Enemies. And if it shall be said, All Truths are not fit for all times, I must make that Necessity plead for me which can do violence to Nature; and which made the Son of Crassus, who before was Dumb, break his Silence with Regem no­lite occidere. And it would make the dumb Ass speak the second time, if she were alive, to reprove the madness of these Prophets who run on in the Wayes of Balaam, to curse a Church and Peo­ple whom the Lord hath Blessed; and they shall be blessed, when these their Ene­mies shall inherit the Woe, and perish in the Gainsaying of Corah. The very Geese will awaken the Gauls when they hear the Barbarous Gauls secretly creeping up the Hill, to surprize the Capitol. And the silly Curs will bark, when they hear the Evening Wolf coming towards the Fold, to worry the Sheep. Danger opens e­very Eye, and Fear will open any Mouth.

I do not question but to run through various Censures: and am ever since I was at School, acquainted with the Fate of Books.

And though it is uncommon, yet give me leave to close this Discourse, with what is usually the begining of others, something to the Reader; which I do not because I love innovations, but be­cause I hate long Prefaces, and will not be a Pimp to my own Pen, or Court the coy to cast their Eyes upon the following Sheets, with Epistolary Rhetorick: I had rather have People read, if they think good, and then judge, than judge by the Elaborate Front, and after read what it may be they will not like; and meet with Eger Wine after all the Promises of the Carved and Gilded Bush. All I have to say for my self is, That if I have not done so well as I should, I have done as well as I could: and am sure I shall deceive no expectation, because nothing was ever expected from me.

IF the judicious shall tax me of two much Levity, there is to entertain the greatest Sobriety, even under those lit­tle lightnesses serious truths; and it was the humour of the Age, which has vio­lenc'd [Page 316]my Inclinations; with which even Truth is hardly palatable, without the Ragoust of Droll and Burlesque.

AS for the Aiery and pleasant, they will think it too serious; and so it is to play withall: and if it may not, by di­verting, advantage them; I shall not be offended if they chuse what they like better.

AS for my Friends, in which Num­ber I reckon all those that love their Country, Prince, Laws, Liberty, and Religion; they will certainly pardon the Defective Effects of that Zeal and Passion I have for them, and their Interests; though in some things to the severity of Criticks, especially the prejudiced, I may appear to have been so far trans­ported as to seem blind.

AND for my Enemies; to shew them I am a Church of England Man, I will forgive them, and pray for them; though for speaking out too plain, they hate me, persecute my Fame, or de­spightfully use my Reputation; and it may be I am too intent upon Affairs of greater concern, than to turn again and pelt Stones at the Dogs that bark at me; [Page 317]or to be angry, because I am dasht and bespatter'd in dirty Ways; which who­ever travels in the same Road of Truth, that I have, must of necessity expect: and though a great Man tells us, Of Writing Books there is no End; I will hope there will be such an End, as proceeds from there being no necessity of such Books; because, no occasion for them.