The Lord Cravens Case, Author to the reader
To the Chriſtian and underſtanding Reader.
Reader,
I Think it requiſite (by way of Preface) to give an account, why I ſit not down in a retired and deſirable ſilence; I met with one who tells mee, that, As hee that impaireth the good name and fame of another, is cruel to that other; ſo hee who neglects his own, is cruel to himſelf: And that it concernes Miniſters of the Goſpel in a ſpecial manner, to preſerve their reputation, becauſe the contempt of their perſons redounds to the prejudice of their work and calling. How I have been reproached and charged by my quaking Adverſary, in his railing and reviling Pamphlet, is obvious to all who read it; and how falſly, appears in the diſcourſe enſuing; as for his foul language, I leave it to the men and women of their generation; but as for the imputation of forgery, and under-hand practiſes, my ſoul ſo much abhors them, that I ſhould think it my ſin to ſit ſtill in ſilence under them, but rather conceive it my duty, to return them whence they came, there being ſo juſt and real a lodging for them, of which (Reader) I conſtitute thee a Judge between us As for thoſe vulgar bubbles, that take winde, and riſe with every light and fooliſh ſtory, which they receive from the men and women only of their own perſwaſion, and judge of things and perſons by the rule of their affections, I diſmiſs them to Anticyra, for a purge of Hellebor, taking up the reſolution of the Apoſtle (in caſes where I appeal not to them) with mee it is a very ſmall thing to bee judged by them, 1 Cor. 4.3.or by mans judgement; for what more falſe, uncertain, and inconſtant, than the popular ayr, who cry Hoſanna to day, and Crucifie to morrow? No (Reader) I'le dwell at home; and ſo long as I maintain peace between God, and my own conſcience, I'le reſt there. But ſome may ſay (for wee live in a querulous age, wherein every one (even women) will bee quarrelling) why did you at all appear in publick? I anſwer, to maintain the peace of my own conſcience; for I ſay with David, 1 Sam. 17.29. was there not a cauſe? Shall the uncircumciſed Philiſtines, defie the Hoſts and Armies of the living God? And ſhall David (though a ſtripling) ſtand ſtill and bear it? No,Judg. 5.23. Curſe yee Meroz, ſaith the Angel of the Lord, curſe yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof, becauſe they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord, againſt the mighty.
I writ not this, as blaming all who have not appeared with mee in the like manner: But this I judge, that if (in ſuch a caſe as this is) the Lord ſuggeſt it to any man, (eſpecially a Watchman) and make his ſpirit willing, and hee withdraw upon ſelfiſh conſiderations, hee cannot maintain that peace true Chriſtians look for: For my part, in plain Engliſh, I am not (I cannot bee) an Univerſaliſt.
There is an opinion (or at least a practiſe) taken up by ſome of univerſal reſpect, and compliance with all perſons, of whatever opinion or perſwaſion, which is not leſs prejudicial to truth, than the Doctrine of the univerſal and equal love of God to all, is prejudicial to grace. I know they are both plauſible things, winning and taking, as much ſuiting to, and complying with every mans intereſt and affections; but how agreeing with Gods minde, with ſome men, ſub judice lis eſt, but is with mee determined. And for the former, I have taken ſome notice of the inſinuations and ſubtilties of it, in our laſt generation; for what more uſual Plea (with thoſe who lay in wait to deceive.) than love, and ſweetneſs, and meekneſs, and gentleneſs, and mutual forbearance, indeed in difference in matters of Religion; as if it were a vertue to Scepticks, ever doubting, querying, and queſtioning, never reſolving, that either this or that, were the undoubted minde of God, and the true Religion: And how skilfully did the Prince of Darkneſs play his Game in his black Regiments, by branding all thoſe with the ſcandal and reproach of paſſion, and bitterneſs of ſpirit, who would not anſwer his ends in a luke-warm neutrality? Or at leaſt, in ſuch a ſweetneſs of ſpirit, (as they call it) as ſhould give equal incouragement. But whether the Word of Chriſt warrant ſuch a deportment, would eaſily bee concluded, if men would not conſult their eaſe and worldly advantages; and I propoſe it to bee conſidered, whether one, or both of theſe, bee not the temper of this kinde of people? Let which ſide will be uppermoſt, they will looſe nothing. I could not but ſmile (but yet with a kinde of indignation) when I took notice of a Letter, heretofore written from London, to one in this City, in the behalf of blaſpheming Nayler, when the puniſhment, adjudged by the Parliament, to bee inflicted upon him in this City, was to bee executed, the Author of that Letter takes an occaſion, from information of ſome of his fellow Saints, (of the new modell) that there were ſome here of bitter ſpirits, forſooth, and fearing rigorous execution, writes for a mitigation, giving high expreſsions of what ſuper-excellencies hee found in that adorable creature, when as this Epiſtoler himſelf, is a Saint of ſo milde and ſweet a temper in Religion, that hee will never bee branded for a Puritane; for Sabbath dayes were his fitteſt ſeaſons to look over his accounts, or to go to his houſe in the Country. Truly Reader, I muſt tell you, wee are fallen into thoſe times, wherein moſt peoples Religion (I mean the wiſe ones) lies in making faces, and courting the riſing intereſt, at leaſt waiting an opportunity ſo to do: In the mean while, the queſtion growes high, and Romes intereſt (by the ſubtilties of the Jeſuites working amongst us) is very much promoted, and that by our own hands, men pretending (which is ſtrange) to the Proteſtant perſwaſion; for now the queſtion is not (as among the Separatiſts) whether our Pariſhes are true Churches, but whether wee have had any true Churches at all in England, till theſe late years, that they were brought in by the Sword in the late Army, or thoſe who accompanied them; and it's very like (if the Lord prevent not) Magiſterially, and Dictator-like (almoſt in Cathedra) to bee reſolved, That wee neither have, nor had true Churches, or Miniſters among us, and that wee muſt renounce our Ordination, take it up from the people, and ſo make all new, after a mode, which yet our eyes, nor the eyes of our Fore-fathers have ever ſeen, or their eares ever heard of. To effect this, have thoſe Emiſſaries of the Roman Faction, no doubt, ſtirred up, and ſet on foot theſe obſtreporous Quakers, (though the generality of them ſuſpect no ſuch matter) to cry down our Churches, Miniſters, and Ordinances, to whom they have now drawn in, heads and pens more ſubtil and able, who, aliud agentes (as it were) do that for them, which they themſelves (in their own perſons openly) were not able to effect or accompliſh, who doth not with fear and ſadneſs (that doth conſider) foreſee that lamentable reſult, that's like to follow upon the conteſts raiſed, and encreaſing between our brethren of the Presbyterian and Independent perſwaſion, and which by the heat and oppoſition of perſons of ability, (on both ſides) are like to grow more high than ever: But if my poor low voice might bee heard between them, and Oh, that the Lord would perſwade them to hear, I ſhould ſay as Abraham to Lot, Let there bee no ſtrife between you, for you are Brethren; and I ſhould beſeech them in Joſephs language to his Brethren, Fall not out by the way: But if I cannot bee heard, I make this proteſtation, diſclaimer, and prayer, Lord, let not my foul come into the ſecrets, and let mee never partake of the delicacies of thoſe men, who make Schiſmatical ſeparation, deſtroying thoſe Churches and Miniſtery, wherein, and by whom (bleſſed be God) thouſands have been converted and ſaved; and who are willing to reform, and conform, according to what is revealed in the Scripture; ſure I am, and experience (the Miſtreſs even of fools) hath made it good unto the world, that Diſcipline and Government in the Church, hath (ever ſince the reformation from Popery) kept the Reformed Churches free from Hereſie and Blaſphemy getting head among them; and if there were danger of an inrode, and an incurſion, by the abuſe of Government, hee ſhall come little ſhort of an Ideot, (and wiſe men will eaſily acknowledge it) that doth not perceive, that no Government at all, every one being left to his own fancy) will much more do it. It's a ſtrange piece of madneſs, not to put a difference between inforcing men to Religion, and tolerating all Religions, to the hazzarding of the true: Or if (putting a difference) Matchivilianiſme ſhall ſo far prevail with any, as that, ſo they can ſecure their own intereſts, they care not for the concernments of Jeſus Chriſt, and his Goſpel. As for my own former undertakings (by the help of the Preſs) I have but endeavoured to diſcover theſe upſtart enemies, and adverſaries to the truth, who privily brought in damnable Hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them. By occaſion whereof, I have raiſed up this home-bred Adverſary, my own Countryman, by hinting only at whoſe impoſtures in this kinde, the impoſtume is broken, and much filth and quitture hath been vomited forth from it, in most unchriſtian railings, lyings, and reproachings, who yet withal, pretends to higher meaſures of Saintſhip, and perfection, than ordinary, which conſidering (and well knowing the man, and his practiſes) I concluded this with my ſelf, that if wee might judge of the conſcience, honeſty, and perfection of the Quakers in general, by this man in particular, wee may well aſſert this, viz. A man may bee as vile a perſon as any under heaven, and yet a perfect Quaker, which (after a brief diſcourſe of the converſion and perfection of Quakers in general) I have endeavoured to demonſtrate, from the practiſes and doings of him in ſpecial; and this in his dealings in the matters of the Lord Craven, and Mr. Love; the ones Eſtate, and the others Life.
The materials I have built my diſcourſe with, (in the matter of the Lord Craven) are two printed pieces, the one entituled, A true and perfect Narrative, of the ſeveral proceedings, in the caſe concerning the Lord Craven, wherein are ſet forth the whole proceedings, together with the Indictment, Tryal, and Conviction of Faulconer, of Perjury, in that information, upon which the Lord Cravens Eſtate was ſequeſtred, which piece was printed and publiſhed by the friends of the Lord Craven; the other is a piece, entituled, The Lord Cravens Caſe, &c. with a ſhort examination of that former Narrative; and this latter, was written by Biſhop himſelf, in excuſe, and defence of himſelf and Faulconer, of which book, hee printed ſo few, and ſo diſpoſed of them, as that I could not get one, either here, or at London, until (by providence) I was directed to ſend to himſelf to borrow it. And this I did, becauſe in his Pamphlet againſt mee, hee quotes it, and refers to it, for clearing (as hee thought) of his innocency; which if hee had refuſed to lend mee, I intended to acquaint the world, that hee had quoted his book to clear himſelf, which could not bee come by, which (it may bee) hee feared, and therefore ſent it mee; or otherwiſe, by the diſpoſing of Divine Providence (the time being come for the diſcovery of his deep hypocriſie) hee was over-ruled ſo to ſend it. For his own Confeſſions (therein contained) and Faulconers Confeſſion upon his death-bed, of that perjury, (which Biſhop would in his book free him from) being conferred, and compared, the whole practiſe, and whence it aroſe, and how it was carried on, is manifeſtly diſcovered; as in the diſcourſe following, to which I have added a little of his dealings againſt Mr. Love, to let him, and the world ſee, whether hee bee not alſo a blood-ſucker. Could I have gotten his other book, called, A Short Plea, &c. which hee alſo publiſhed againſt Mr. Love, I doubt not but thence I ſhould have made a further diſcovery of him; but hee dealt as ſubtilly in this, as in the former, printed ſo few, as that they cannot bee gotten. But I ſuppoſe what I have done is ſufficient; the improvement I make of the whole, is this, to let the world ſee, how deeply and cloſely wickedneſs may lye lurking in our natures, and what a deſperate evil Hypocriſie is, that a man may continue in ſuch wickedneſs unrepented of, and yet think himſelf a Saint, and to have attained to perfection: If by what I have herein done, I may bee inſtrumental to bring him to repentance, or his caſe may bee as a Pillar of Salt, to ſeaſon and caution others, I ſhall bee abundantly ſatisfied in my labour, and ſhall (when I know it) give God the glory: In the mean time, I reſt,
Reader, Thine, and the Churches Servant; RA. FARMER.