The True History of Councils, Part 1
THE Ready Way OF Confuting Mr. Baxter. A SPECIMEN OF THE PRESENT MODE OF Controverſie in England.
Joh. 8. 44. 1 King. 22. 22. Prov. 29. 12. & 19. 5, 9. Rev. 21. 8. & 22. 15.
IN 1662. Dr. Boreman of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge, Publiſhed a Book againſt me, as having written to Dr. Hill againſt Phyſical-Predetermination to Sin; and in it ſaith, That it is reported, That I kill'd a Man with my own Hand in cold Blood; and if it be not true, I am not the first that have been wronged. The Man, though promoted to the Charge of this Pariſh, St. Giles in the Fields, was accounted ſo weak, (forbearing his Miniſtry, and ſaying he was ſuſpended ſome Years before he died) that I thought it vain to take publick Notice of his Words▪ neither imagining whence he had them, nor ever hearing of them before.
But a few Weeks before the late Plot was reported, one Mr. P. came to me, and told me, That at the Coffee-Houſe in Fullers-Rents, where Papists and Protectants uſed familiarly to meet; he provoking the Papists to Anſwer my Books, or to Diſpute with me, was anſwered by a Gentleman of this Pariſh, ſaid to be of the Church of England, That [Mr. Baxter had kill'd a Man in cold Blood with his own Hand.] Mr. P. provoked him by a Wager to make it good. He refuſing the Wager, was told, He ſhould hear of it publickly, unleſs he would ask me Forgiveneſs. After ſome time, the Gentleman came to me with Mr. Taſborough, (ſince impriſoned, as is known) and with great Civility, ask't me Forgiveneſs. He was the Son of a Knight, and Judge, of my Acquaintance; and had an Aunt, that had been my very dear Friend. I told him, That Slandering is ſo common, and asking Forgiveneſs ſo rare, that I took it for a note of great Ingenuity in him; and, as I muſt forgive all Men as a Chriſtian, ſo I could eaſily forgive any wrong to one related to ſuch a Friend of mine. He told me, He was reſolved openly to confeſs his Fault, and to vindicate me on all Occaſions.
Accordingly, at the ſame Coffee Houſe, he openly declared his Repentance. Upon which, Mr. P. tells me, That Mr. G. an Aged Lawyer, Brother to the Lady Ab. was diſpleaſed, and ſaid, He would prove the thing true by many Witneſſes: (And, ſaith Mr. P. the Story among ſome of them was, That a Tinker did beat his Kettle at my Door, and being diſturbed by him, I piſtoll'd him, and was tryed for my Life at Worcester.) Mr. P. ſaid, He provoked Mr. G. to lay a Wager on it: And he refuſing, was told, [Then he ſhould hear of it in Westminster-Hall.] Upon this, ſaith Mr. P. his Fellow-Catholicks ingenuouſly reſolved to diſown him, unleſs he would ask Forgiveneſs; which he being unwilling to come to me to do, Mr. P. ſaith, He at laſt performed before Him, and Capt. Edmund Hampden.
All this being done without my Knowledge (till after,) I was relating it to Mr. John Humfrey: Why (ſaith he) I did twelve Years ago hear Dr. Alleſtry, now Regius-Profeſſor in Oxford, ſay the like, That he could not think well of that Man, that had kill'd a Man in cold Blood with his own Hand.
I little regarded all the reſt: But Dr. Allestry had many Years been my old School-Fellow; many a time I had taught …im; and he was the beſt at Learning, and of the honeſteſt Diſpoſition▪ of any Boy that ever I knew; and I thought, if Parties could draw ſuch as he into ſuch Guilt, there was little Account to be made of the Reports or Hiſtory of Men, if once they fell into different Factions, Wherefore I wrote to him what Mr. Humfrey told me, and received from him this honeſt ingenuous Letter, which I here annex.
And as to all this Story, I do here ſolemnly profeſs, That I never killed, wounded, or hurt any Man in my Life, (ſave one Man, whoſe Leg I hurt with playful Wreſtling, when I was a Boy, and once or twice boxing with School-Boys, and correcting …ads when I was one Year a School-Maſter.) Nor in all the Wars, or in my life did I ever ſee any other kill any Man, ſave one; and that was at the ſame Bickering, (about Forty of a Side) when Jennings was wounded: While they were Fighting with him in one great Field, I being in another near the Houſe, ſaw the Souldiers offering Quarter to a Foot-Souldier, and promiſing him Safety, if he would lay down his Musket; which he did not, but ſtruck at them; and Captain Holdich ſhot him dead▪ And it proved after to be a Wolſh man, that underſtood not Engliſh; which grieved them when they knew it.
I have gone the next day where Fights have been, and ſeen many dead, when I had nothing to do with the Armies of either Part. But I never ſaw any, to my Knowledge, kill or hurt any Man, but this one.
Dr. Alleſtry's Letter: (Which I ſhould not Publiſh, but that even in Oxford, and elſewhere among the Clergy, the Report yet goeth on.)
SIR,
I Muſt profeſs ſincerely, That I cannot recollect I ever ſaid ſuch Words of you to Mr. Humfrey, as it ſeems he does affirm I did: But yet I cannot but acknowledge; it is very poſſible, that I related, (and may be, to Him) That I had heard, you kill…d a Man in cold Blood: Since I very well remember, that above Thirty Years ſince, at the End of the War, I heard that publickly ſpoken before Company; and with this farther Circumſtance, that it was a Souldier, who had been a Priſoner ſome Hours. Now this Report relating to the Wars, in which (I fear) ſuch Things were no great Rarities, and from my very tender Youth, I having not had the leaſt Converſe with you, nor likelyof any for the future, did not therefore apprehend, at preſent, any Concern or Occaſion of inquiring, whether it were true; of which, upon that confident Aſſeveration, I did make no doubt. And I took ſo little thought of laying up the Relation, that I proteſt to you, as in the Preſence of Almighty God, it is impoſſible for me to recover, who made up that Company in which I heard it, or from whom I heard it: And I wonder, how it came into my Mind, to ſay that I had heard it, ſo long after. But however, though it be ſome Eaſe to me, to believe the late Diſcourſes of it, do not come from my relating ſo long ſince that I heard it, neither are likely to receive any Confirmation from it, unleſs it be made more Publick than I have made it; yet I do profeſs, it is a great Affliction to me, to have ſpoken that, though but as a Report, which (it ſeems) was a Slander, (for ſo I believe it, upon your Aſſeveration) and not having endeavoured to know whether it were true. And, as I have beg'd God's Forgiveneſs of it; ſo I heartily deſire, You will forgive me. And if I could direct my ſelf to any other way of Satisfaction, I would give it. This is the whole Account I can give of this Matter; to which I ſhall only add, That I am,
Eaton-Coll. Dec. 13. 1679. SIR, Your very Affectionate Servant, Richard Alleſtry.
II. In the Preface to the Life of Dr. Heylin are theſe Words.
Mr. Barter may be, pleaſed to call to mind, what was done to one Major …ennings, the laſt War in that Fight that was between, Lyndſel and Longford, in the County of Salop; where the Kings Party, having unfortunately the worſt of the Day, the poor Man was ſtript almoſt naked and left for dead in the Field: But Mr. Baxter, and ou… Lieutenant Hurdinat, taking their Walk among the wounded and dead Bodies, perceived ſome Lif… left in the Major, and Hurdman run him through the Body in cold Blood; Mr. Baxter all the while looking on, and taking off with his own Hand, the Kings Picture from about his Neck; telling him, as he was ſwiming in his Godr, That he was a Popiſh Rogue, and that was his Crucifix: Which Picture was kept by Mr. Baxter for many Years, till it was got from him (but not without much difficulty) by one Mr. Somerfield, who then lived with Sir Thomas Rous, and generouſly restored it to the poor man, now alive at Wick near Perſhore in Worceſterſhire, although at the Fight ſuppoſed to be dead: being, after the Wounds given him, drag'd up and down the Field by the mercileſs Souldiers; Mr. Baxter approving of the inhumanity, by feeding his Eyes with ſo bloody, and ſo barbarous a Spectacle.
I Thomas Jennings, Subſcribe to the truth of this Narrative abovementioned; and have hereunto put my Hand and Seal this ſecond Day of March 1682. Thomas Jennings. Signed and Sealed, March 2. 1682. in the Preſence of John Clark, Minister of Wick, Thomas Dacke. Publiſhed by George Vernon, Minister.
The like was before Publiſhed by Roger L'Strange.
Anſw. I do not think Major Jennings knowingly made this Lye, but was directed by ſome bodies Report, and my ſending him the Medal. I do ſolemnly proteſt, 1. That, to my Knowledge, I never ſaw Major Jennings: 2. That I never ſaw Man wound, hurt, ſtrip, or touch him: 3. That I never ſpake a word to him, much loſs any word here affirmed: 4. That I neither took the Picture from about his Neck, nor ſaw who did it: 5. That I was not in the Field, when it was done: 6. That I walked not among any wounded or dead; nor heard of any kild, but the one Man before mentioned. 7. That the Picture was never got from me with difficulty. But that this is the Truth: The Parliament had a few Men in Longford. Houſe, and the King a… Lyndſel, about a Mile and a half a-ſunder; who uſed oft to skirmiſh, and dare each other in the Fields between▪ My Innocent Father being Priſoner at Lyndſet, and I being at Longford, reſolved not to go thence till he was delivered. I ſaw the Souldiers go out, as they oft did, and in another Field diſcerned them to meet and Fight: I know not, that they had ſeen Jennings; But, being in the Houſe, a Souldier ſhewed a ſmall Medal of Guilt Silver, bigger than a Shilling; a…d told us, That he wounded▪ Jennings, and took his Coat, and took that Medal from about his Neck▪ I bought it of him for … no one offering him more. And ſome Years after (the firſt … that I heard where he was, freely deſired Mr. Somerfield to give it him from me, that had never ſeen him; ſuppoſing it was a mark of Honour, which might be uſeful to him. And now all theſe Lies, are all the Thanks that ever I had.
III. The Obſervator, N. 96. ſaith, [Tor. Who ſaith, they (the Presbyterians) brought in the King, beſides your ſelf? Wh. Mr. Hunt, the Author of the Conformists Plea, Mr. Baxter and who not?
Tor▪ Prethee ask Mr. Baxter, If he knows who it was, that went with five or ſix more of his own Cloth and Character, to General Monk, upon his coming up to London, in 1659; and finding a great deal of Company with him, told his Excellency, That he found his time was precious, and ſo would not trouble him with many Words: But as they were of great weight, ſo he hoped, they would make an anſwerable Impreſſion on him: I hear a Report, Sir, (ſaith he) that you have ſome thoughts of calling back the King; but it is my Senſe, and the Senſe of theſe Gentlemen here with me, that it is a thing you ought not to do on any termes: For Prophanneſs is ſo inſeparable from the Royal Party, that if ever you bring the King back the Power of Godlineſs will most certainly depart from this Land.
Anſw. Dr. Manton (and whether any other, I remember not) went once with me to General Monk, and it was to congratulate him; but with this requeſt, That he would take care, that Debauchery and Contempt of Religion might not be let looſe, upon any mens pretence of being for the King, as it already began with ſome to be. But there was not one word by me ſpoken, (or by any one, to my remembrance) againſt his calling back the King, nor any of the reſt here adjoyned; but as to me, it is a meer Fiction.
And the King was ſo ſenſible of the ſame that I ſaid, that he ſent over a Proclamation againſt ſuch Men, as while they called themſelves the Kings Party, did live in Debauchery and Prophanneſs; which Proclamation ſo rejoyced them that were after Nonconformists, that they read it publickly in the Churches. Such groſs Falſhoods as theſe, are part of the Evil deprecated.
As to his Queſtion, Whether the Presbyterians brought in the King? Who can affirm or deny any thing of equivocal Words? A Presbyterian is, who theſe Men will call ſuch. They that in the Face of the World deny the Publick Acts of Three Kingdoms, in the Age they were done in, no wonder if they multiply the groſſeſt Lies of ſuch as I. The Parties that reſtored the King, were theſe; 1. The Excluded Members of the Long Parliament, the Miniſters that were ſince ſilenced; and the fruſtrated endeavours of the Scotch Ar…nies, and Sir George Booth, Sir Thomas Middleton▪ joyning with ſome of the Kings Souldiers, prepared Mens minds to it. 2. General Monke, and his Army, who were Fighting againſt the King a little before, …pre…t Cromwels Army. 3. The Long-Parliament Members reſtored, agreed to diſſolve themſelves, and ſet up a Council to call home the King. 4. Sir Thomas Allen, Lord Mayor, and the Aldermen; invited General Monk into the City, who joyning with him, turned the Scales. 5. The City Miniſters (called Presbyterians) perſwaded the Lord Mayor to this, and wrote to Monks Colonels (called Presbyterians) to be for the King▪ (ſpecially Mr. Aſh, by Mr. Calamy's Counſel.) 6. The Lord Mazarine, Lord Broghil, and others of the ſame Party in Ireland, contributed their help; and Colonel Bridges, with others, ſurprized Dublin Caſtle. 7. Many of the Old Parliament Men openly provoked Gen' Monk, and ſecretly perſwaded and treated with him, to bring in the King (whom the Earl of Angleſey, the Earl of Shaftſbury, and others yet living, can Name to you.) 8. The Parliament called by General Monk, (by agreement with the Long-Parliament,) accounted moſtly of the ſame Party, Voted the Kings Return: Which no doubt alſo, the Old Royaliſts moſt earneſtly deſired, and endeavoured.
This is the Hiſtorical Truth; which if in this Age, Men will deny, I will bear any lies that they ſhall ſay or ſwear of me.
Now, either the foreſaid Armies, Parliament men, Miniſters, &c. were Presbyterians, or not. If they were not; then, 1. Say no more, that it was Presbyterians that raiſed War against the King; but that it was the Epiſcopal Men, if theſe were ſuch. 2. Why then have you called them Presbyterians ſo long, and do ſo ſtill? But if they were Preſbyterians, then it was ſuch that Reſtored the King. But alas, how contemptible, yea, how odious is Truth grown to this Generation!
IV. There is yet a more Famous Hiſtorian, than any of theſe, though unnamed; who pretending to militate after Dr. Stilling fleet, as in a 2d. Part againſt Separation, takes on him to give you the Hiſtory of my Life. Partly making it my Reproach, that when I grew to Underſtanding, I remembred how many Drunken or Ignorant Readers had been my Teachers: Partly raking up retracted and obliterated Paſſages of Old Writings; while at once they perſwade me to Reviews and Retractions: Partly heaping up abundance of down right Falſhoods▪ Partly clipping Sentences, and leaving out the part that ſhould make them underſtood, and turning true Words, by perverſion, into Falſhoods: And partly by mixing this known Truth, [That I was on the Parliaments ſide, and openly declared it.]
But when at the new Model, I ſaw that they changed their Cauſe, I changed my Practice, & was from the Day that I went into the Army, a reſolved Oppoſer of all that they did, to the Changing of the Government, & their Uſurpation; & was ſent among them to that end; which was immediately after Naſeby Fight: And continued openly diſowning the Uſurpation, and the Means that ſet it up. And though I was Preaching and Writing againſt the ſaid Uſurpers, when an Army was Fighting for them, againſt the King, and the King knew how to forgive and Honour them, that did ſo much to his Reſtoration; yet are the Accuſers ſo far from forgiving thoſe that never perſonally hurt a Man, that they forbear not multiplying falſe Accuſations; yea, and accuſing thoſe Miniſters, and private Men that never had to do with Wars: Yea, the ſame Men that then wrote againſt me for the Changers and Uſurpers, have ſince been the fierce Accuſers of us, that oppoſed them.
And if theſe Men be unſatisfyed of my preſent Judgment, I have no hope of giving them Satisfaction, if all will not do it, which I have largely written in my Second Plea for Peace, for Loyalty, and againſt Rebellion; and all my Confutation of Hooker's Politicks, in the Laſt Part of my Chriſtian Directory; with much more.
But this Book muſt have (if any) a Peculiar Anſwer.
V. Lately, when I taught my Hearers, That we muſt not make the World believe, that we are under greater Sufferings, than we are, nor be unthankful for our Peace, and that we muſt when any hurt us, love and forgive them, and ſee that we fail not of our Duty to them; but not forſake the owning, and just defending by Scripture-Evidence the Truth oppoſed. They Printed, that I Bid the People Reſist, and not ſtand ſtill, and dye like Dogs. And I was put the next Day to appeal to many Hundred Hearers, who all knew, that the Accuſation was moſt impudent Lies. This is our preſent Caſe.
VI. The Players, I hope, expect no Anſwer to their Part.
London, Printed for R. Janeway, in Queens-Head-Alley, in Pater-Noſter-Row, 1682.