ALL THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE SESSIONS Of the Peace holden at Westminster, on the 20. day of Iune, 1651. against Thomas Tydford, Elizabeth Sorrell the Elder, Margaret Dunlape, Anne Burley, Frances Bedwell, Elizabeth Sorrell the Yonger, and Thomas Kearby.

Together, with their severall Examinations and Behaviours before the Justices, and the Petition of six of them, as also their Recantation; with the sentence and punishment of Thomas Kearby, for his blasphemous impiety, and wilfull ob­stinacy.

To which is added a Postscript, to deterre all men to avoyd such horrid blasphemies.

This is perused (and thought fit to be published) by divers of the Justi­ces of the Peace within the City and Liberty of Westminster, for satisfaction of the Publique.

July 22. 1651.
E. H.

LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, 1651.

The Examination of Thomas Tydford Eliza­beth Sorrell the elder, Margaret Dunlape, Anne Burley, Frances Bedwell, Elizabeth Sorrell the yonger, & Thomas Kearby, &c.

THomas Tydford being asked where John Robins, a­lias Roberts dwelleth, he saith he knoweth not, nor what trade he is of, but he doth believe that the sayd Robins, alias Roberts, is the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and saith that the wife of the sayd Ro­bins, alias Roberts, shall bring forth a man child that shall be the Saviour of all that shall be saved in this world; he affirmeth further, that Caine who slew his brother Abell is the third Per­son of the Trinity, and that those that deny it, deny their own salvation; he saith further, that the sayd John Robins, alias Ro­berts, hath power to raise the dead.

The marke of M Thomas Tydford.
Exam. by Lawrence Whitaker.

All the above named Examinants agree with Thomas Tydford, and affirme the same, and put thereto their hands at the same time.

  • The marke M of Margaret Dunlape.
  • Anne Burley.
  • Thomas Kearby.
  • Elizabeth Sorrell senior, ❀ her marke.
  • Elizabeth Sorrell junior, her ‖ marke.
[Page 4]

Frances Bedwell, she believes it by signes that she hath seene done by him the sayd Robins, alias Roberts, (viz.) by striking a woman dead, and raising her againe.

Frances + Bedwell her marke.

Upon their Examination and Confession of those damnable er­rours and blasphemies aforesayd, they were all committed to prison without baile or mainprize untill the next Generall Ses­sions of the Peace for the City and Liberty of Westminster to be holden the 20. day of June, then next following, and then to re­ceive their tryall for the sayd blasphemies: but in the meane time they sent this ensuing petition to Mr. Whitaker, onely Tho­mas Kearby remained still obstinate in his blasphemous way, and would not joyne with the Petitioners therein.

To the Right Worshipfull, Lawrence Whitaker, Esquier, one of the Justices of the Peace for the City, and Liberty of Westminster.
The humble Petition of Thomas Tydford, Anne Burley, Elizabeth Sorrell, and her daughter Elizabeth Sorrell, Margaret Dunlape, and Frances Bedwell.

Sheweth:

THat your poore Petitioners having through their owne folly and weakenesse been wickedly and shrewdly seduced, and led aside into most dangerous and damnable errours even to blaspheame against God himselfe thorow the wicked craft, policy, and delusions of the Devill, and that wicked Wretch John Robins, and the rest of his wicked Confede­rates; but the Lord our God who is rich in grace and mercy to those his [Page 5]poore creatures who are seduced by Sathan and his wicked instruments, hath shewed great grace and mercy to the soules of your Petitioners, con­vincing them by his owne spirit, by his blessed word of truth, 2. Thes. 2.3.4.9. and 10. verses, that the sayd John Robins, alias Roberts, and the rest of his wicked Confederates are such that are led aside by the spirit of the Devill, and made use of by him to lead aside poore silly wo­men and others into most damnable errours and blasphemy against God, after the maner and working of Sathan, with all deceiveablenesse of un­righteousnesse, whereby we your poore Petitioners have been also sedu­ced, for which they are much grieved and repent from their very hearts for all their folly and wickednesse, humbly begging mercy and grace from our God, and desire to be throughly humbled before him for our great wickednesse herein.

And doe humbly crave pardon for our offences done against your Worship, and the Lawes of this Common-wealth by our folly and wickednesse, and as the Lord hath now shewed mercy to our soules by opening our eyes to see our sinnes and errours heerein; we be­lieve and humbly beseech your Worship to shew grace and mercy to our poore bodies that lie in great misery and want, having given all that we had to those vild wretches, out of conscience to God, and they having now forsaken us, who were before all maintained from one common stock and treasury.

Therefore your Petitioners humble request to your Worship, is, that we may be set at liberty without bayle, because we have no friends or acquaintance here in the City, but are all in the Country, because our abode was formerly there, and that we may be freed from paying fees to the Keeper of the Prison, we being very poore, and want mony to buy us bread.

And we shall ever pray, &c.
  • Anne Burley.
  • Thomas Tydford.
  • Frances Bedwell.
  • Elizabeth Sor­rell the elder.
  • Elizabeth Sorrell the yonger.
  • Margaret Dunlape,

[Page 6] After the delivery of this Petition to the right Worshipfull Lawrence Whitaker, one of the Justices of the Peace for the Ci­ty and Liberty aforesayd (viz.) upon the 15. day of June, An­no Domini, 1651. the Petitioners being brought, and before him they owned this foregoing Petition to be made by their earnest desire, being convinced, declared their hearty sorrow for hold­ing the foresayd blasphemous and erroneous opinions, and their great offences committed against God, and the Lawes of this Commonwealth, and in token thereof gave in then this Recan­tation, as it followes verbatim.

The Recantation of Thomas Tydford, Frances Bedwell, Anne Burley, Elizabeth Sorrell the elder, Elizabeth Sorrell the yonger, and Margaret Dunlape, taken by Lawrence Whitaker Esquire, on the 13. day of Iune, 1651.

WHereas wee whose names are subscribed, did before the right Worshipfull Lawrence Whitaker Esquire, one of the Justices of Peace for the County of Middlesex, and Liberty of Westminster, averre and maintaine that one John Robins, alias Ro­berts, is the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and that the childe that is now in the wombe of the sayd Robins, alias Roberts wife, is the Saviour of all that shall be saved in this world, and likewise that Cain who slew his bro­ther Abell is the third Person of the Trinity, and those that de­ny it deny their owne salvation; and that the sayd John Robins, alias Roberts, hath power to raise the dead, all which abovesayd opinions we doe now through Gods infinite mercy to us, con­fesse [Page 7]and acknowledge to be erroneous, damnable, and blas­phemous, and heereby doe fully and absolutely renounce and disclaime them: In testimony whereof we have heereunto ser our hands this thirteenth day of June, 1651.

  • Thomas Tydford.
  • Frances Bedwell.
  • Anne Burley.
  • Elizabeth Sorrell the elder.
  • Elizabeth Sorrell the yonger.
  • Margaret Dunlape.

Upon this Petition, Submission, and Recantation, Mr. Whitaker did take bayle for their appearance at the Sessions following, viz. the 20. of June laft, where they appeared, and humbly pray­ed the mercy of the Court, acknowledged their former tenents specified in the Examinations aforesayd, and their Petition and Recantation to be made by their special direction, being convin­ced as in their Petition is specified: The Court then demanded the grounds & reasons for their former opinions, of which they sayd they could give no reason, but onely the perswasions and reports of Robins, which they believed, and God having justly for their former wickednesse left them to themselves, were brought in, and seduced by the policy of the Devill, who will let slip no opportunity to advance his Kingdome; upon this they were ordered to send for good bayle to appeare at the next Sessions, and to be of the good behaviour in the meane time, and so putting in bayle, and paying their fees were dis­missed.

Then was Kearby called, who came before the Court like a mad man, reviled the Court, and cursed them, but being after­ward more temperate, acknowledged himselfe to be a sober [Page 8]rationall man, he was examined upon every particular branch of his former Examination, which he refused to deny, where­upon the Court made this ensuing Order.

At the Generall Sessions of the Publick Peace holden for the City and Li­berty of Westminster upon Fryday the 20. day of June, 1651. before Thomas Latham and John Hooker Esquires, and others the Justices assigned to keepe the publick Peace in the sayd City and Liberty, and also, &c.

FOrasmuch as Thomas Kearby hath upon his Examination taken before Lawrence Whitaker Esquire, confessed that he doth believe that John Robins, alias Roberts, is the God and Fa­ther of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the sayd Kearby sayd that the wife of the sayd Robins, alias Roberts, shall bring forth a man child that shall be the Saviour of all that shall be saved in this World; hee affirmed further, that Caine who slew his brother Abell, is the third Person of the Trinity, and that those that deny it, deny their owne salvation; hee sayd further, that the sayd Robins, alias Roberts, hath power to raise the dead, all which is most blaspheamous, and against the honor of God, and against an Act of this present Parliament in this case lately made and provided. It is now therefore orde­red that the sayd Thomas Kearby (who was brought to the Bar and charged there with the offences aforesayd, who refused to deny the same, and carryed himselfe uncivilly in the face of the Court, and cursed and reviled the Justices in open Court) bee removed from hence to the Gatehouse prison, from whence hee was brought, and shall bee immediately removed from thence to the house of Corection for the sayd City and Liber­ty, there to remaine for the space of six moneths without bayl [Page 9]or mainprize, according to the direction of the sayd late Act: and the Keeper of the sayd house of Cor­rection is heereby strictly required to set the sayd Tho­mas Kearby to hard labour, and to give him corporall punishment as occasion requireth.

Examined by John Watson, Deputy to the Clarke of the Peace.

Postscript.

IT is a Maxim among Scholars, contra Principem non est dispu­tandum; ergo, there is no ar­guing with Robins by Scrip­ture, since in acknowledging himselfe to bee God, hee must needes deny the Authour of the Scriptures; hee is a God hee saies, but shewes no Mira­cles to confirme his Godhood, hath none of mankinde, (but blasphemers) nor any of the creatures at his extraordi­nary command, cannot open the Prison doores, procure his owne liberty, or followers from restraint, nor make so much as one poore silly Worme, or doe any thing at all extraordinary, more then blaspheme God in an unheard of manner.

Zeno the Phylosopher observed much that Blas­phemers and Athiests at their deaths would then aske God and the World forgivenesse, this hee sayd confir­med him more in the beliefe of a Deity, then the Dis­putes of all the Phylosophers in the World.

[Page 11]And I am confident, who ever sees Robins but at his death, will finde his minde altered, or whoever is in his company at any time, when the Lord of Host shall thunder from Heaven, will soone perceive his Mortalli­ty, which will not consist with Divinity, and under­stand his feare as well as know his blasphemy: Caius Caligula that wicked Emperour, who made acount no other to bee God but himselfe, yet when hee heard the Almighty thunder, and saw the lightning, hee would cover his head, and hide himselfe under his bed for feare; whence should this come, but out of a conscience and for feare of God, which hee had disho­noured? nor did God suffer him to live long on earth unpunished for his blasphemies, for shortly after hee was slaine by his owne servants. Alexanders usurping the name of a God was no pleasure to him at his death, hee was then forced to confesse his mortallity, and so you may bee sure will Roberts before hee depart this life, and his Disciples will finde another manner of God then hee. I have read of one Hanno who taught Birds to sing Hanno is a God, and then let them loose in the Ayre, and whereever they came they cry­ed Hanno is a God; as also Mahomet with his Pigeon which hee made so tractable as to picke Wheate out of his eare, and perswaded the people 'twas the Ho­ly Ghost; heere was some shew of a Miracle, but this fellow will out-face us without a Card of ten, a meere nothing.

What can bee more derogatory to the alsufficiency of Christs sufferings, then to mainetaine there must another Saviour come to fill up what hee could not per­forme? If any such had beene to come, doubtlesse our [Page 12]Saviour would have foretold it, hee would not among the other things hee told us of, have left out so ma­teriall a matter; hee tells us of false Prophets, but of no more Saviours: But if Robins Heire, I say if his sonne prove a daughter, sure his few Disciples will then leave him.

What can bee more blasphemous, and more deroga­tory to the Holy Trinity, then to affirme himselfe God the Father, his Brat (in posse) the Saviour of all that shall bee saved in this World, and (his Brother) Caine (without Gods great mercy) the third Person in the Holy Trinity? His conscience in all this must needs give his tongue the lye, and except God give him a re­penting heart, he may be assured his sin is no lesse then that against the Holy Ghost, which shall never bee for­given in this world, nor in the world to come: however it cannot come far short of it; and let men take heede how they run into such sinnes, for upon such offences God is not easily appeased.

What a patcht Trinity doth he produce? viz. Him­selfe, his sonne, and Cain, (brother Vagabonds) who in stead of reigning together as Gods in Heaven, without God give him (I meane Roberts) unfeigned repentance, may enjoy one anothers company in the blacke Abysse for evermore.

If hee have power to rayse the dead, there is worke enough not far off to try his skill; heere are good store of Churches and Churchyards about the City, and up­on which hee may make experiment; or of those that are going there to be interd. But I have heard one of his Disciples lately say, that Robins is Moses, and a Prophet sent from God to redeeme and bring home the Jewes, [Page 13]and all the people of God that belong unto him, to the true worship of God: Whereunto I shall say, we can­not beleeve matters of so great consequence, upon bare words; for we must prove the spirits if they are of God. And Matt. 11.13. All the Prophets prophecied untill John, and after him we read of no more that are to come, but false ones; except yee take the Orthodox Ministers of the Gospell for Prophets, which if so, it will not be denyed.

Besides, Christ nor his Apostles have in any place in sacred Writ foretold of any extraordinary Prophet; Christ, Moses, and Elias are already come, and wee must looke for them no more till they come in the Clouds to judge the Earth, and to execute vengeance upon those that know not God, or deny him: I say we cannot justifie the receiving of thy opinions, unlesse thou bring cleare Scripture Texts to confirme them, the Di­sciples would not receive a Paul before Barnabas had te­stified of him, Acts 9.26.27.

If thou art a Prophet, prove thy Authority as Moses to Israel and Pharoh, and as our Saviour did to John, when hee sent to him to know of him, if it were hee that were come, or was hee to looke for another; Christ bad them tell John what things they had heard and seene (viz.) the blinde see, the lame go, the leapers are cleansed, the deafe heare, and the poore receive the Gospel (are not taught to blaspheme it.) Christ used these tokens to answer John, because wee should not ha­zard eternall happynesse in believing every one that sayes hee is God, Christ, Elias, or a Prophet, for what ever was written before time was written for our learn­ing: And when Roberts can bring all these signes, wee [Page 14]shall say more to him. And wee have an expresse command, that if an Angell from Heaven teach us any thing dissonant to the word of God, believe him not: And let all that can heare or read the Scriptures, judge of the vast contrarieties betwixt Robins Tenents and them; 'tis as much difference as betwixt Heaven and Hell, light and darknesse, truth and falshood.

I have heard also the sayd Disciple give out, that Robins either hath, or shall have power to divide the Sea as Moses, and passe over on dry Land: the Thames is neare, he may do well to try experiments there first.

FINIS.

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