Malice Against Ministry, Title page – Dedication
MALICE Againſt MINISTRY MANIFESTED By the Plain and Modeſt PLEA and DEFENCE OF ZACH. CROFTON Miniſter of the Goſpel at Buttolphs Aldgate London Unto the Falſe and Frivolous Charge of Tho. Harriſon, and John Levet againſt him exhibited unto the Commiſſioners for the Ejection of Ignorant, Scandalous and Inſufficient Miniſters, &c. within the City of London. In which you have His Paſt Credit Atteſted. Preſent Plea demurred. Particular Articles duly and diſtinctly anſwered.
Acts 26.2. I think my ſelf happy King Aggrippa, becauſe I ſhall this day anſwer before thee of all things whereof I am accuſed by the Iewes.
Neque tu bonus Poeta eſſes, ſi preter legem carminis caneres; Neque ego Civilis Praetor eſſem, ſi preterquam quod leges permittunt tibi gratificarer. Themi. ad Sim.
London, Printed for James Nathal, and are to be ſold at his houſe in the Minories next door to the Dolphin, and at Book-ſellers Shops, 1657.
To the Right Worſhipful and Reverend, The Commiſsioners for the Ejection of Ignorant, Scandalous and Inſufficient Miniſters, &c. within the City of London.
Right Worſhipful and Reverend Sirs,
THIS enſuing plea is to you preſented, not as a Book which begs your Patronage, nor yet to prejudge the cauſe before you depending, or in the leaſt to ſuperſede your proceedings, but to acquaint you with the real truth to facilitate your debates, and anſwer the deſire of ſome among you, whom (if I did not miſtake) I heard (in my laſt appearance before you) ſay, They expected my anſwer in writing, which now you have; and this Epiſtle is to apologiſe this publick approach unto you: unto which I have been conſtrained By your multitude to whom one Copie could be little advantage, and tranſcription is a burden I cannot bear, and I believe your Clerks would find very heavy: By the clamors of mine enemies who have loudly ſaid, They had laid in before you a Charge, by which they ſhould diſcover me to be the vileſt Miniſter in England, even more vile then thoſe Centuries ſilenced by the late Committee for plundered Miniſters: and therefore did provoke my friends to perſwade me to run away, and (have ſince my appearance) clamored that I cover my guilt by denying your cogniſance; and demur to your jurisdiction, becauſe I dare not plead to the charge; hereby the world may ſee the charge though detecting ſome infirmities is not ſo criminal; and although I would not repreſent you arbitrary who are bound up to a law; and therefore by advice of Counſel learned in law, I have demurred; yet I had a full anſwer ready on which I dare join iſſue. By the pragmatick readineſs of ſome over-buſie ſpirits to be printing the paſſages of laſt dayes proceedings (which was by a Printer of my acquaintance providentially prevented:) laſtly, I have made thus bold to entreat a ſpeedy reſult of your preſent debate, that if within your cogniſance we may proceed to triall: if not you will pleaſe judicially to declare it ſo, and not keep it in deck and me and my people under ſuſpitious delayes: mine accuſers have ſaid it ſhal be Lady-day before it be by you decided: but I hope you will conſider the great work of God upon my hands, and one way or other ſet me at libertie: and if (as mine accuſers blaze abroad) the charge be to be returned to his Highneſs and Councel (whoſe cogniſance I cannot but believe it is much below) I crave that you will pleaſe with the charge to return this plea, that if poſſible by it their prejudice againſt me may be removed, and I and my people (by their favor) be reſtored to our Sabbaths liberty in our own Church; and erroneous John Simpſon be removed from among us: the which if you, or any of you, could obtain in our behalf, our reſtored peace and order, the advancement of Gods truth and ordinances ſhould be your bleſſing; and I ſhould be no more ſuſpected of disaffection to the preſent Government then I was before his intruſion. Worthy Sirs, I will hold you no longer, ſave to tell you, I doubt not but you ſee how ready Satan is to make uſe of you (who are piouſly intended to reform the Miniſtrie) unto the ruine of this holy function: and how ever it may fare with me, I hope it will make you cautious what charge and by what kind of perſons is laid againſt a Miniſter: and if I have offended in coming a little out of my way to meet you with this anſwer, I pray remember you ſtept ſomething out of your way to call him hither, who is
From my Study in Covent-Garden in the Pariſh of Butolphs-Aldgate this 8. of December, 1657. Your humble Orator expecting your piety and juſtice, ZACH. CROFTON.