The Gentle Lash, Title page – Printer to the reader
The Gentle Lash, Or the VINDICATION Of Dr FEATLEY, a knowne Champion Of The PROTESTANT RELIGION.
Also Seven ARTICLES Exhibited against him.
With his ANSWER thereunto.
Together with the said Doctor his MANIFESTO and CHALLENGE.
PLAUT.
Istic thesaurus stultis in lingua positus est, ut maledicant melioribus.
IMPRINTED, 1644.
The Gentle Lash.
O That wee had Faith but strong enough to exorcise these quotidian devi…s, so weekely appearing in our Diurnals, Mercuries, and Continuations: who pretending to maintaine the cause of Religion, scandalize both it and all goodnesse, with malitious Lyes: whose anonomous Reporters have even sold themselves to the Presse, to abuse the Peace of this poore distracted Church and Kingdome: whose audacious Pens bedabbled in the Gall of bitternesse, set forth presumptuous things, maligning Princes, and speaking evill of Dignities, who ayming at the confusion of the Church, strike at her very Pillars, casting their venomous Froth upon their Names, whose able and Religious Quils have vindicated the true Protestant Religion, from the dirty calumnies of learned Hereticks. Generation of Vipers! who hath bewitched you? who hath infa…uated you to betray Religion for five shillings a sheet, and to vent so many weekely pennyworths of impiety to poore deluded People, whom your teachers have brought to this degree of blindnesse, that they will not see? How many of the most learned and religious Divi…s of this Island, passively submitting to the Ordinances of men, and committed to the Mercy of a Prison) have your printed (and shamefully permitted) scandals, defamed and slandered, rendering them as odious to the ignorant, as you are to the wise; maintaining, nay, even deifying those whom you call, your Holy Pastors, whose helpe (God be praised) we never wanted against the Argumen…s of Bellarmine, Stapleton or Fisher whose Net we …eare had bin too cunningly said for them to have escaped?
Nor can I here forget that debt the Church of England owes to the sound and learned labours of that Reverend Champion of our Protestant Religion, D. Featley, which shall remaine in our Church as lasting Monuments of his able Piety, whilst Learning, and Orthodox devotion find a Friend; whom, at this time (suffering Imprisonment, for his loyalty to his Conscience and his Prince) your impious, saucy, and sacrilegious quills (as full of venome as the pen out of which Demosthenes suckt his death) have vilified and traduced with such calumnious falsehoods and malicious injuries, my hasty and impartiall Pen, shall take the boldnesse here to vindicate. To which end, you shall first understand what the person is; secondly, what his charge.
He is a man, whose life and doctrine need no Advocate; whom detraction it selfe could not mention, without addition of some Epithets of respect; nay, concerning whom the very Diurnalls (whose nature and property is to Lye) could not for their owne credits but acknowledge an honourable truth: some styling him a grave, some a good, and others a famous Doctor: And indeed, to conclude him in a word, no object for any evill passion but Envy, and a Subject for no discourse but what ends with Admiration. He is a man, whose profoundnesse in learning encouraged the Houses of Parliament to commit the translation of S. Pauls Epistles to his Review, Marginall Annotation, and Exposition: whose soundnesse of Doctrine invited the same Authority to make choice of him, for the answering of a Popish and scandalous Pamphlet, intituled, A safeguard from Ship-wrack; both performed with solid judgement and singular fidelity; that extant, this ready for the Presse. By which Authority, he was likewise chosen a Member of the Synod, or Assembly of Divines, for the composing of some differences, and settl… the peace of the distempered Church, in these His Majesties Dominions.
As touching his charge, it was unhappily occasioned by a Message sent him from His Majesty, (whose Chaplaine in ordinary he is) which commanded him, no more to joyne in that Assembly, being convented without His Majesties consent, and therefore without full Authority; whereto returning his answer in a Letter unseal'd, to the most reverend Father in God, the Arch-Bishop of Armagh, a chosen Member likewise of the same Assembly, now at the University of Oxford; the Letter was intercepted, opened, and falsly transcrib'd, whereunto the malicions penman, adding what would most, by wronging him, advantage the Cause, delivered the Originall to the Messenger (with hopes to intercept the Answer) and dispatcht the false Transcript, to the Committee for Examinations: whereupon a Serjeant at Armes was sent for the Doctor, who having, in his examinations, refused to consent to every Clause in the Scottish Covenant, was forthwith committed prisoner to the Lord Peters house in Aldersgate street, where now he remaines as chearefull as a good Conscience, and as poore as the severest censure of Authority, can make him.
But when the Lyon is downe, how every Curre will barke! Him, whom of late these Sycophanticall Diurnall-mongers had in so good esteeme, whilst he concurr'd in some things with them whom they have in Admiration, him now they worry with their temporizing pens: who render him to the world no better then (to use their owne words) a Prevaricator, a Court-spye, and a Traytor to the Assembly, tryumphing in the Sentence of his downefall, and mingling the bitter Cup of Justice, with the Exuberance of their own Gall and Vineger.
The Doctor (say they) hath his Livings sequestred, his Estate secur'd, his bookes seiz'd upon, and himselfe Imprisoned: Spolia ampla refertis. The onelyonly Truth, that Pamphlet is guilty of: sed quo cecidit sub crimine? What was his charge? What was the heynous crime that moved to such a Ruine? A Letter sent to the Arch-bishop of Armagh, an elected Member of the Assembly; whom all the world admires and honours, unlesse some within the Line of Communication, who are more worthy to unty his shooe, then to judge of his Abilities. But what evill hath he done? He acquainted this worthy Member, by that Letter, with some passages in the Assembly, requiring his judgement in some things there controverted, concerning matters of Faith. Proh nefandum! Indeed, his very presence in the Assembly (as farre as I see yet) was his greatest fault. Yea, but he sued covertly for a Deanry: Yea, that was a fault indeed, to sue for something, which they are now endeavouring to make nothing, to purchase a house that's pulling downe. Put case, he did so. Is it a Crime to provide a plaister for a Sore that is now a breeding? Clypeum post vulnera, is folly: but ante vulnus, is Providence: They that aime at the Ruine of the whole body, will be impatient at the Preservation of a Member. Is it a great fault for a Servant to begge of his Master, and none at all for Subjects to begger their Prince?
Perfect Diurnall, page 83.
You have bin often told of …ome rotten Members in both houses of Parliament, and yee may see further, there are the like rotten Members in the Ass…mbly of Divines &c.
Another Truth. Alas, we know, that too well, or else the Head had never bin so carefull to preserve it selfe.
But tel me, what is the cause of rottennesse, in a Member? Is it not the restraint of the influence from the noble part? Some Members there are amongst us, from whom the free operations of the Animall spirits are by accident a while obstructed, through the Malignity of the spleene; others whose obstinacy is not capable of their naturall operation, but resist all influence from the Head: Tell me, if thou hast Philosophy, which of these are most in lining to rottennesse?
But you that so malig…e these Members; say; which of your faction have lifted up a hand against the common Enemy? which of them have struck a blow but against a Cushion or an Houre glasse? Whilst these menbars whom you so revile, have with their well ar…'d Arguments laid the Enemy on his back, whilst these Memb…rs you so Rabsekize have borne the burthen of the day, and alwaies have bin active in the true Religions Cause, and maintained the Tru…h that Schisme hath so struck at: Had your Members bin sound and able, they would have shewen more action, and not like cowards have run away to New England, when old England was on fire, n…r crept into widows houses whom they devoured under the pretence of long Prayer: Had those Members …in rotten, you so term, I fe…re the Truth …ad found but poore Champions; This …ragious Member (whom you so revile) lookt the Lyon in the very face, nay when he ror'd, he trembled not; whose holy Table; when all turn'd Altars, was no m…veable: stood he not up for the true reformed R… ligion in the Kingdomes both of England and France? Did not he oppose Arminianisme when it was in its fullest Ruffe? And when the Crime was capitall to speake against it, were his lipps sealed? yet this man hath your black mouth…d malice (which blasphemeth the servants of the most high God) reviled and st…led by the Name of Rotten. But take heed, and remem…er Nestorius the Hereticke, how he died. Yea but he …sed whose tongue rotted in his mouth.with the Assembly to undermine their proceedings, and gave intelligence to the adverse party, &c,
Indeed, he joyn'd with the Assembly, so long as they joyn'd with the Truth; And when they undermined it, he countermined them. Had he swallowd the Covenant whole, and bin for sworne in some particulars, he had bin as sound a Member as the best. They had past as Birds all of a browne Feather, and had founded a new Truth, not upon the pious confession of Peter, but upon the perjurions denyall of his Master.
But he gave intelligence of the proceedings of the Assembly: I never heard before, that Synodicall decisions were arcana imperii, or opera tenebrarum, the secrets of a Kingdome, or the workes of darknesse. Truth seekes no corners, nor is impatient of discovery. Veritas nihil e…ubescit, nisi abscondi. But intelligence was given to the adverse party: Whom meane yee, the King? or his evill Councell? A well justified Consultation fears neither: if the King be not the defender of the Faith, why doe you stile him so? if he be, to whom should injured Truth appeal, but to her chiefe defence and protector? But the Doctors guiltinesse of th…se crimes appear'd in a letter to Oxford intercepted, which was brought to the Committee for examinations. And had that Letter a name subscribed? no: The true Letter had, viz. … which the Counterfeitor being a meere English-man, took for a Sheep-marke, and omitted it. But for the substraction of two letters, he added m…ny words and owes the Doctor nothing; The Originall (which carried his errand to Oxford) spake nothing of the five times voting him out of his Living at Lambeth; not a word, that He was a constant visiter of the Kings prisoners in London, or Lambeth; recommended no suit of his for a Bishopwrick, as the false Diurnall reports. But as the Divell, so his Children sometimes repeat a truth, to the end they may abuse it; This Hackney Pamphleter relates a businesse (though not to the purpose, yet to his owne purpose, which is to wrong the Doctor) and sayes, that his Barne at Acton, was burn, by the Parliaments Souldiers, but in the 84 page he poysons it with a Lye avouching that there was no Corne in it, and that he suffer'd no considerable losse by it, whereas it appeares under the hands of severall able and honest house-holders and vestry men of Acton, that his losse amounted to the summo of 211. li. subscribed the 1 of October, Vide ce… infra.1643. Varlets! when your shuffling and interfering Truths are so faulty, how damnable are your through paced Lyes? This onelyonly by the way: but to returne to the purpose,
page 84.
The Doctor at the Assembly past his vote with the rest upon debate of the Scottish Covenant, for the quite extirpation of Popery and Prelacy. To see, how two aiming at one end, may proceed in two contrary courses; The Divell uses to take from the Truth, this tri-obular newes-Merchant adds to it: Two travelling contrary wayes, may meet at the Antipodes. He that takes from the Truth, and adds to the Truth, may meet in Hell as well as in their hellish intentions.
The Extirpation of Popery and Prelacy.
For the first, His resolution is a perpetuall vote and his action a continuall execution.
For the second, I call the whole Assembly of Divines, some of the Peeres, and divers of the House of Commons to witnesse your stupendious Lye. But the Divell hath taught you this curious point of Sophistry to argue, a male conjunctis ad bene divisa. As for the extirpation of Popery, he hath acted what others have but voted; But for the clause of prelacy, your Idols shall be judges upon what reasons he dissented. First, at his Ordination he tooke an Oath to obey his ordinary. Secondly, at his Institution and Induction he swore Canonical obedience to the Bishop of the dioces. Thirdly, his Benefice being of my Lords grace of Canterburies peculiar, he tooke an Oath to maintaine the priviledges of the See of Canterbury.
Now how this Covenant in that particular can be consistent with the three former oathes, or how any in the Assembly that takes it, can be guiltlesse of perjury, let every good conscience judge. Besides, how is God mockt in our very prayers, when that mouth which (as it is required and by an unrepeald Act of Parliament commanded) every day beseeches him to send downe the dew of his blessing upon all Bishops and Curates, shall ipso facto swea…e and vote the utter Extirpation of Bishops, whom it prayes for.
Mercurius Brittan. p. 47.
It was mentioned before, who was intelligencer to speake of passages in the Assembly, now a word more of it. That grave D I meane D. Featley, that hath correspondency with the Bishop of Armagh, confesseth in his letter to him, that he all this while dissembled with the Assembly.
How uninterrupted boldnesse wil turne to brasse-browd im…udence.
That Letter this Mercury speaks of was surely … on the back of that Bull which was lately sent from the Pope, Credat judaeus Appella. And why did not this Mercury, to raise his Pamphlet a penny higher, Print that Letter and Bull both together? Come, come, your owne Assembly knowes, you lye; and if the Cause were not kept burning with such Oyle, it would goe out and stink, and your historicall credit would soone run into a Premuniri. Did not our D. long before the being of this abused Letter openly and plainly declare himselfe to divers of this Assembly against some of their unwarrantable proceedings? Did not he really confesse his nonconcurrence, and feare his noncontinuance with them? Is this dissembling?
Continuation Numb. 55.
D. Featley (you heard of) received a just reward for his Perfidiousnesse, and seeming compliance with the Parliament and Assembly, that he migh… the better betray all their counsells and consultatinus to them at Oxford: his livings were bestow'd upon M. White and M. Nye. These gentlemen you may see can content themselves, each man with a part of these livings, though the D. was not satisfied with the whole, but solicited very importunately by his letter to the Bishop of Armagh at Oxford to have a deanry bestowed upon him. Ab asino majore discit minor rudere. This Intelligencer hath conn'd his Lesson well, and hath got that perfectly by heart, which the other formerly had imperfectly written; only he plays the Shimei and adds a little rayling, and unlesse i… be for that, deserves but a Gentle Lash. This letter hath very strange luck: mentioned by so many and none doe it the honour to print it? If it be the Originall, I feare it goes against your consciences to print a truth: why doe ye not corrupt it in the presse then, and make it speake as the Oracles did, by instruction and subornation? If to relate some foreignpassages, and to call so great, so sanctified a judgement in to aid, be treason or prevarication, why does not your Hangman execute that history which made him erre by the example of S. Ierome, who at a Synod at Ierusalem acquainted Damasus (then Bishop of Rome too) with some Synodicall proceedings, requiring his judgement thereof? Had our Doctor ever taken an Oath of All…igance or secrecy to the Assembly, his discovery might have been blameable: But having taken that Oath to his Majesty, he had a Warrant both as a Subject, and a Servant to discover any thing, which by consequence might be derogatory to his Government.
But the Doctors two Livings troubled you, and I feare, more then the want of them does him; And why not two Livings, as lawfuly as two Lectureships of as great a value, besides a cure of Soules? Aske the Assembly, whether it be expedient to hold two Sequestrations, for a fuller supply? some of them though never so white, will turne red and blush. But how religiously our Doctor behaved himselfe in his Livings, both Acton and Lambeth will tell you, not I. And what Hospitality the Revenues thereof produced, Newington will informe you. And time may tell you, whether the new Incumbents bring not the yeare about with fuller purses.
But he sues for a Deanry too: How appeares that? By his Letter: Heare then the precise words of the Letter.
I understand that the Deanry of Westminster, and a Prebendary of Canterbury are now voyd, and in the Kings gift: If you thinke meet, you may put in, in the first place for your selfe, and in the second for your friend: Now the covetous Mystery lyes in the last word, friend. And you, by the spirit of Revelation must unfold that Mystery: well, be it so: Then grant him to have the spirit of Prophefie too, to sue so; who fore-seeing a Ship-wrack here, catched at a planck to keepe him from sinking.
Now having viewed his offence with one eye, cast your other upon his punishment, and being impartiall, tell me, …, whether the proportion they carry be Mathematicall. And, to conclude, call to mind but Plato's Apologie for Socrates; or Chrystostome and Athanasius for themselves, in which there are instances given of the best men in all ages, who notwithstanding have received hard measure, and beene condemned as D…linquents in Synods & popular Assemblies, or IEROME of PRAGVE, that noble Confessor, and Martyr his oration in the Synod of Constance: and laying all things together, this …nsulter upon the downefall of him (who hath stood up so many yeares for the Truth) if his Conscience be no… feared with a hot Iron, will turne his present Gall into future hony, and his unchristian Censure, into a Christian Commiseration.
VVEE whose Names are here under written, inhabitants of the Parish of Acton, in the County of Middlesex, being requested by Doctor Daniel Featley, Parson of the parish of Acton as aforesaid, to certifie the time of burning the Barne, wherein the Tyth-Corne lay belonging to the said Parsonage, and of the value of it: We doe upon certaine Knowledge and true information certifie al those whomit may concern, that the said Barn, being full of Corne, besides three Bay of Stabling, built by the said Doctor himselfe, all valued at two hundred and eleven pounds, or thereabouts, as it was then prized by some of the parishioners appointed to that purpose, were all burned downe to the ground, the tenth day of November last, by the Parliaments Forces then quartered in the said Town. And wee further certifie that this losse fell above five weekes after the death of M. Henry Leerewood (to whom the said parsonage had bin farmed, and when the said parsonage was in the Doctors hands, before he had farmed it to any other. In witnesse whereof we have hereunto subscribed our Names the first day of October, 1643.
Iohn Needler.
Thomas Needler.
Edmond Biddle.
George Colle.
Henry Colle.
The Marke … of VVilliam VVels.
THE PRINTER To The READER.
AFter I met with these gratefull lines written with the silver Pen of Theiomusus Laureatus, in defence of him, who hath written and Printed so much in defence of the Doctrine and discipline of the Church: A friend of his, since his confinement to Petri vincula, visiting his desolate house at Lambeth, found there those, who in Sylla the Dictators dayes werè tearmed Sectores bonorum, but now sequestrators, rifling the Roome, and plundring the study and garden, and robbing him of choycer Flowers out of the one, than Emmenes or Tulips out of the other. Among which he culled these which I offer to thy view; and if, as stolne waters are sweet, so stolne flowers are the sweeter, these cannot but please thee: for they are snatched out of the Harpies talons and now steale to the presse. Accept this posie for the present, and I hope e… long to present thee with a Garland of the like.