An Answer Without a Question, Text
An ANSWER without a QUESTION: Or, THE LATE SCHISMATICAL PETITION For a Diabolicall TOLERATION OF Seuerall Religions EXPOVNDED. Being Preſented to the Juncto at Weſtminſter, Auguſt 16. 1646. BY Colonel Pride, and Lievtenant Colonel Goffe, and Others; by the Appointment of the Lord Fairfax their General. With ſome OBSERVATIONS UPON The Miſtery of their Iniquity; and the Juncto's Anſwer thereto.
Written by that Reverend Divine, Doctor Holdiſworth, a little before his Death; and by him deſired to be brought to Publick view.
London, Printed in the bleſſed yeer of the Admiſſion of the Turkiſh Alcaron into this Kingdom, 1649.
AN ANSVVER WITHOUT A QUESTION: OR, The Late Schiſmatical Petition Expounded.
WHen I firſt lookt upon the ſimply prophane Title of that impious Petition which the two-horn'd Beaſt preſented to the ſeven-headed Monſter at Weſtminſter, I could do no leſs then deride their ſimplicity, and condemn their inſufferable Demand for a Diabolical TOLERATION: Certainly it was penned by that Pragmatical fellow, Colonel PRIDE the Devils Secretary, who being diſerted by the other ſix deadly ſins (who are gone with Cromwel) in a Melancholy, proceeding from a Cholerick rather then a ſuſpicious Humour, wrote this preſumptious and damnable Command, diſguiſing it with the Hackney Roabes of a PETITION, and leading TOM indifferent by the Noſe, let him ſee it through his fingers, who, poor fool (being uſed to it) according to his breeding, Signed it: But to ſpeak truth, FAIRFAX that neceſſary evil was a fool, and PRIDE that nominal and natural Devil, proved himſelf a Knave: the one for not looking on it but with another mans Spectacles; the other for Cheating him and the world by his Hypocritically humble PETITION, and pretended Spirit of Faith and Supplication: But he doth not only ſeek to Cheat men, but to mock God, he would put a trick upon his Divine Majeſty, by fathering that upon him, which he never intended, as that the Victory (if they had one) was given by God to them in Ireland, as The fruit of that Faith & Supplication which God hath powred forth on the hearts of the people, to the bringing down the common Enemy, &c. when it is evident, that whatever they have done ſince theſe Wars, hath proceeded from our ſins as the cauſa ſine qua non, and not from their Righteouſneſs: I confeſs they be Gods Servants, but no otherwiſe then Nebuchadnezzar was, to puniſh the Iſraelites, and then God will puniſh him: but how impudently they perſevere in their prophane expreſſions! taking the Lords Name in vain, by diſſembling That they fight under his Banner, and that by the ſame power and preſence that hath made bare his Arm in the late Victory, wickedly intimating that God fought for them and their Ioſhuah at Dublin, they tender to this Conventicle their annexed Propoſals as full of Hereſie and Blaſphemy as this exordium is of Hypocriſie.
Firſt they condemne thoſe which ſometimes they hold infallible, of a Crime, in making Ordinances of Parliament (which indeed were the beſt that ever they made) whereby many conſcientious people are much moleſted, &c. meaning that by thoſe Ordinances Sectaries & Hereticks, whom they term conſcientious people, were hindered from diſperſing their damnable Tenents: but ſee how they ſport with God, engaging him in every buſineſs, That the Spirit of Chriſt flowing forth in his Servants for the declaring his Name in the Nation, may not be ſuppreſſed, but receive all due encouragement: What fair pretences theſe Impoſtures have? ſuch as would deceive the very Elect if it were poſſible: but their Actions are ſo contrary to their expreſſions, that any one may perceive they make heaven their Pander, earth their Bawdy-houſe, and the Devil their Servant, who hath endeavoured ſuch a Toleration in many Kingdoms, but could never prevail till now he found how devoted the Whore of England was to him, he hath gotten what he lookt for, which makes him not doubt of good ſucceſs: for having once ſowed this ſeed, he ſhall ever after have a great Crop, beſides he is in hope that theſe his Servants by his help, may bring other Countries to it in a yeer or two, which he in almoſt two thouſand yeers could not do: But now to their ſecond Propoſal.
Secondly, And becauſe we are ſenſible, that through the ſubtilty of Sathan, &c. Surely the Devil gave them leave to abuſe him, or elſe they durſt not be ſo diſ-obediently wicked as to ſpeak againſt their own Father: but if they diſpleaſe him in theſe, they pleaſe him in the following Lines: and make the worſt of it, they do but break his head, and preſently give him a Plaiſter far better then a Mountebancks Balſom, which comes in juſt as the Devil would have it, We therefore from our hearts do humbly declare, That it is not our meaning, that the Liberty before Deſired by us ſhould extend to the Toleration of Popery, Prelacy, the Book of Common-Prayer, &c. This Reconciles the Devil unto them, for now he finds that all their intentions, words, and actions, tend to the exaltation of his Kingdom: for although Popery be excluded, yet he is fully Recompenced in the aboliſhing of Prelacy and Uniformity: Beſides, one Hereſie is more profitable to him then a thouſand Papiſtical Fopperies: For he will ſuddenly bring in as many Hereſies as houſes, and as many Opinions as there be people: to adde to the number, he hath got leave, that a ſervant of his, a Saint of the laſt edition, ſhould tranſlate that Academy of Hereſies, the Turkiſh Alcoran, which in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth, King James, and King Charls of bleſſed Memory, was treaſon in any one to tranſport hither, much leſs Tranſlate: and that it might be more vendible and acceptable, all the groſs abſurdities are left out, as a learned and holy man of this Kingdom hath obſerved.
The Turkiſh Alcaron ſaith he is abroad, but that the Reader may not be abuſed, let him know, That all the moſt groſs, abſurd, ridiculous Blaſphemies, and impoſſible Fictions which were wont to make that wicked volumn juſtly odious to the world, are left out in the Engliſh Tranſlation; for my part I know not how to Conſtrue it, but as done in too much favour to the Mahumetan miſ-religion: the pretence of the Error muſt be this, The Engliſh Tranſlator follows the Verſion of a Frenchman, too much it ſeems Intereſted in the Turkiſh Court, for being employed from the French King as his Agent at Conſtantinople, was likewiſe re-employed by the Turk into France, and taking upon him to Tranſlate this Worthy Work as he calls it, out of the Arabick, thought fit (for what ends he knew beſt) to take the beſt, and leave the worſt: Know this Reader, and reſolve that thou canſt not enough hate that pack of Mahumetan Fopperies, which chiefly aime at the diſparagement of thy Saviour, and the de-crying of the bleſſed Trinity.
Thus far the Obſervator gives his Cenſure of the Alcaron: Now I will leave this to the impartial Reader to judge what a Medly of Religions we ſhall have; Amſterdam muſt be beholding to us, as we have been formerly to them, for new Opinions: we ſhall be as much cryed up for Rarieties of Religion, as the French-men for Faſhions; as for the Socinians, Niſtorians, Arrians, &c. they will look like old faſhion Dublets: we muſt have the German Anabaptiſt, the Scottiſh Presbyter, and the Engliſh Independent, the Epitomy of Hereſie.
But now they ſtop up this gappe of Iniquity with ſome pretended ſpriggs of Righteouſneſs: Viz. We further deſire, That through your Care and Zeal, all open Acts of Prophaneſs, as Drunkenneſs, Swearing, Ʋncleanneſs, &c. be vigorouſly proceeded againſt and puniſht in all Perſons whatſoever. But this they do for their Profit and Recreation, and not out of any godly Principle, for by this, the encreaſe of the rich mens ſins will be the augmentation of the Saints wealth; and the miſdemeanours of the Poor, will be the Recreation of the rich; ſo that as heretofore they have proſpered by the Devils help, by their own wickedneſs, they ſhall hereafter grow rich by the ſins of the People.
Now that they may ſeem to be as merciful as ſevere, they Deſire that which the other dare not Deny, and with their accuſtomed prophaneſs thus go on, That upon the ſence of this great Mercy lately received from God, your hearts will be moved to extend your favour ſo far as may ſtand with the ſafety of this preſent Government, to thoſe who have formerly ſerved you, &c. Still they reiterate Monkes Lie, the great Victory that the Annals of the Saints boaſts of in IRELAND, and therefore as a Manifeſtation of their joy, they ſhould ſet free the Spirit of Contradiction, Lilburn and his baſtards the Levellers, which I wiſh they may do, that thoſe Firebrands may burn up all the Blocks and Loggerheads of the Three Kingdoms: But I believe fooliſh Jack Preſbyter may wait long enough for this day of Deliverance; for they mean (by thoſe that have formerly ſerved them) none but the generation of Vipers the Levellers: but theſe drops of Mercy end in a ſhowre of Cruelty, for after they have pleaded for their Brethren in Iniquity, they furiouſly Demand, That for the future, all Diſturbers of the Publick Peace be vigorouſly proceeded againſt: This thundering ſentence is like a Pedagogues menaces, you ſhall be whipt if you do ſo any more: But I dare ſwear, if Jack Lilburn and his Confederates once get looſe, they will not fear to play Truant, and perhaps before Chriſtmas wil ſhut their Maſters out of the School, and vigorouſly proceed againſt them, as the Diſturbers of the Publick peace: but now (that they may be the better thought of by the Communalty) they like Publick Perſons Deſire, That ſpeedy Conſiderations may be had of thoſe great Oppreſſions which the people of this Nation groan under by reaſon of the Multiplicity of unneceſſary Laws, &c. This were a good Requeſt if Cordial, eſpecially if they would ſtand to the performance of it: For firſt, All thoſe unneceſſary waſte Papers, Acts and Ordinances made by this Heretical Parliament, ſhould be Re-called, and then theſe Catterpillers of the Kingdom (which be the greateſt Oppreſſors that ever people groaned under) ſhould be taken away.
But now I come to the Junctoes Anſwer.
The Officers after the reading of the ſame, were called in, and Maſter Speaker in the Name of the Houſe gave them Thanks, and in particular for the Petition.
They durſt not do otherwiſe: Ile undertake if they had demanded five of the moſt innocent in the Houſe to be delivered to them to ſuffer Condign puniſhment, they ſhould have them with all their hearts; and therefore in ſuch a thing as this is, they muſt needs conſent; for they would if they durſt, long before this, have Voted not only diverſity of Religions, but variety of Gods, and Plurality of Wives.
Thus they combine with Hell to diſ-enthrone
The King of Heaven, as they have done their own:
Nor ever will they quiet be, untill
With Lucifer, they be flung down to Hell.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Holdsworth, An Answer Without a Question (1649)