Gangrena Part 3, Theological tract · Letter 4 – Letter 5
A Copie of a Letter to a tittle written to me from a godly Miniſter at Dover.
Sir,
THough the Stories of Errors and Hereſies be ſo ſad as that pious ſouls cannot but mourn and ſigh, and grieve much at the reading of them; yet ſince your publiſhing of them is many wayes uſefull, as that falſe Doctrines and falſe Teachers might bee diſcovered and made odious, and that truth might bee the more manifeſt to, and lovely in the profeſſors of it, oppoſita juxta ſe poſita magis eluceſcunt; Wherefore I have ſent you a Copie of thoſe Errors which were ſtifly defended by one William Bowling of Crambrock in Kent, on Wedneſday laſt, the eighth of July 1646 in my paſſage with him in a pair of Oares from Graveſend to London, there bee five other paſſengers in the Boat that did witneſſe theſe Errors and Hereſies to be ſtoutly aſſerted by the party aforeſaid, ſo that you may be confident you ſhall publiſh nothing but the Truth, in publiſhing that theſe Errors following were vented and juſtified by him in leſſe then foure houres paſſage upon the waters.
1. He affirmed that Adams ſinne in eating the forbidden fruit did not deſerve Hell.
2. That Heavens bleſſedneſſe was not propoſed to Adam in caſe of his obedience, therefore Hells torments were not threatned to Adam, nor due to him in caſe of his diſobedience.
3. That all the children of Adam that dye in their infancie, whether they be children of Turks or Infidels, are undobtedly ſaved, as well as the children of Chriſtians, and would prove it out of John 1. 29. where, by ſinne he meant only Originall, where he ſeems to croſſe his firſt point.
4. That Chriſts bloud did not purchaſe Heaven for any man. And being asked how came the Saints to be in Heaven: He anſwered, Heaven is a gift given to the Saints as a reward of Chriſts righteouſneſſe without relation to his Death and Suffrings which were endured for to be our example, not to purchaſe Heaven for us.
5. That Chriſt ſhed his bloud for kine and horſes and all other creatures, as well as for men, miſerably perverting that Scripture in the eigth to the Romans 19, 20, 21, 22. verſes.
6. That the Heavens and the Earth mentioned, 2 Pet. 3. 7. ſhall not be ſet on fire, nor are they reſerved for the judgement and perdition of ungodly men; And that there is no other fire in Hell, then the Hell that is and ſhall be in mens conſciences.
7. That the ſouls of Divels and all other men are mortall as well as their bodies, and that there was none immortall but God.
8. That if the ſoul which was the breath of God were not mortal, then the breath of God, which is part of God, ſhould be eternally tormented in Hell.
9. That (thoſe words) to day, or, this day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe, is ſo to be underſtood (1) at the day of Reſurrection when I come perſonally to reign upon earth a 1000 yeers, at that day ſhalt thou be with me in my Kingdom, for there is Gods Kingdom which Chriſt has now, and there is Chriſts Kingdom, which the Theifſhall ſhare in then.
10. He a…firmed that place Revel. 20. 6. to be meant of a perſonall reign of Chriſt in his body upon earth a 1000 yeers.
11. He affirmed that place in Eccleſ. 12. 7. is not to be underſtood as if the ſoul after death was really ſeparated from the body, for ſayes he, the ſouls of men reſt in the grave with their bodies till the Reſurrection, and then Chriſt raiſes up both together; the ſoul may return to God that gave it, though it lay with the body in the grave, for God is preſent every where, and the ſoul went no more to God then the body did.
12. It is injuſtice in God to puniſh the ſouls of the wicked in Hell while their bodies lay at reſt in their graves, for ſeeing both were ſinners together, both muſt be ſufferers together, if God ſhould puniſh the ſoul of Cain in Hell ſive or ſix thouſand yeers before he puniſh the body of Cain, he then would ſhew himſelf partiall in his diſtribution of juſtice.
13. He ſaid, ſinne was not conveyed …o Adams poſterity by Adams loynes, He was askt, how then came we to be ſinners? He anſwered, only by Satan, for Satan was the father, and our hearts was the mother to receive Satans ſeed, for the Devill is the father of all actuall ſinnes in men, and begets ſinne in them as the Adulterer begets an Adulterous …ood upon the Adultereſſe, there can be but one father of one child, ſo there can be but one father of ſinne, and that is the Devill, for he is called the father of lyes.
14. And he being told that the Devill was but a partiall not a totall cauſe in the production of ſinne, for the Devill he works ſinne inſtigando, by temptation, and corrupt nature works ſinne efficaciter agendo & operando, by begetting actuall ſinnes, James 1. 15. Luſt it bringeth forth ſinne. And the law in Pauls members did bring me (ſaies Paul) into captivity to the law of ſinne. But he replyed ſaying, The Devill was not only a partiall, but a totall father in begetting ſinne upon Adams pure ſoul, for Adam had no corrupt nature to help him ſinne the firſt ſinne, therefore it was wholly from Satan.
I told him the Devill could not by his temptation defile a pure ſoul, that is, not conſenting to his temptation, for then he would have defiled Jeſus Chriſt when he was tempted by the Devill, therefore I conceive the chief cauſe of Adams fall was the conſent of Adams own will, which could not be forced by Satan, becauſe he had power to ſtand againſt Satans temptations, as well as power to fall.
But ſeeing there would be no end of diſpute, I deſired the people preſent in the Boat to beware of his Errors. But he ſaid, they were ſuch as I that did deceive the people, and we would not open our eyes to ſee the light; our receiving of Tyths did blind us, but he hoped ſhortly there would be no Tythes paid in England.
How then will you have the Miniſters of the Goſpel live of the Goſpel?
15. He anſwered they muſt take ſuch as the people will give them, and if their people will not maintain them, they muſt work with their hands as Paul did.
16. He further ſaid our Miniſters of the Church of England were Antichriſtian Miniſters, and our Parochiall Congregations were no Churches, nor was there any Nationall Church now under the Goſpel, though I told him where ever there is a Nation profeſſing the Goſpel according to the Word, there muſt needs be a Nationall Church under the Goſpel, But in England there is ſuch a Nation profeſſing the Goſpel, and to be ruled according to the Word of God, witneſſe our Nationall Covenant; ſome corrupt members in the Nation do not hinder the being of a Nationall Church,
I askt him what he thought of the repreſentative body of the Nation now aſſembled in Parliament, and of the Clergy now aſſembled in the Synod, He anſwered, as for the Aſſembly of Divines, they are as bad as other Miniſters, and that he hoped ſhortly they would be as contemptible as the Biſhops are; and that unleſſe they could prove themſelves to be guided by an infallible ſpirit, ☞the Parliament need not accept their adviſe, though they have called them to give their adviſe in the things of Chriſts Kingdom; but the Parliament I hope ſhortly will diſmiſſe them, ſayes he, and call others in a new Aſſembly, that may adviſe them better then they do.
Sir, I have hitherto told you a few things of thoſe many that were in diſcourſe between this William Bowling and my ſelf, hee wearied me and perplexed me ſo with his erroneous, hereticall, and wild diſputation, that when we came aſhore at Billinſgate, I was ſorry that I forgate to have him apprehended here, before the Committee of Examinations, who would have ſifted him to purpoſe. I do hear that Maſter Williamſon of Cranbrook hath heretofore had him before the Committee at Ailesford in Kent for ſome miſdemeanors, And I hear by others that the man doth Patrizare in ſome of his opinions, but no wonder the world is full of ſuch, and the Church too, and there muſt be Hereſies, and Sects, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt among us. The good Lord in due time purge his Church, and now his Fanne is in his hand, let us pray that he may thoroughly purge his floore; nothing but pure Wheat ſhall be in the Lords Barne: Lord thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, ſo commending your holy labours both in Pulpit and Preſſe to the bleſſing of God I reſt
Your lover in the Truth, and for his ſake who is ipſa veritas. Nichol. North. From Dover, July 13. 1646.
Sir, Laſt day repeating to my people here in Saint James Pariſh, the ſumme of theſe Errors, that they might avoid the like, Captaine Temple (a great ſtickler in this Town for the maintenance of all Sects as I hear) ſent me this letter after Sermon, being (as it ſeems) diſpleaſed that I ſhould forewarn my people of Hereſies and Errors, I pray conſider of it, and make the beſt uſe of it you can. The man is a ſtranger to me and I an to him, I never ſaw him to my knowledge, and he did not hear me preach that day he wrote to me, though in his Letter he ſayes he is my obſerver.
Mr. North,
DOubtleſſe you may get into your peoples affections with enveighing againſt any pretenders to Religion, as if all ſuch did hold ſuch points as your ſtory wherewith you filled up your hour. But I pray Sir, be ſo honeſt as to tell them this afternoon that it was very likely that Tiltboat …ent▪ your companion to London was an Atheiſt one of your Church of England: For ſuch ſwearers, drunkards, blaſphemers, do uſe to go in your Tilt-boat, and there talk of Religion according to your ſtory; But all wiſe men know your objects of ſpleen called Independents, Anabaptiſts, &c. hold fundamentalls in Religion and can maintain it by Scripture better then your ſelf.
Your obſerver Miles Temple. Dover the 12. July 1646.
This is a true Copie to a tittle, of Maſter Temples Letter ſent to Maſter North on the Lords day, July the 12. 1646. Atteſted by Nicholas North, John Dy…us, Miniſters.
A Copie of a Letter from a worthy Miniſter in the Weſt of England.
Worthy Sir,
I Had not the happineſſe either to ſee or heare of the ſecond part of Gangraena, till within theſe very few dayes; The firſt part did ſo much good in weakning the reputation of the Sectaries, and marring their market whereſoever it came, that it is not unlikely there may be meanes uſed by ſome agents in London to hinder the ſpreading of this; How it comes to paſſe I know not, but if any corrupting Books come forth, making for Independency or any of the Sects, we are ſure to here of them ſoon enough, and finde them in too many hands: I am glad you have made good your ground ſo well againſt Cretenſis, whoſe bitter, arrogant, unminiſteriall ſtile and paſſages, will be enough to lay open to the world the temper of the mans ſpirit, though you ſhould be ſilent. In that which concernes Maſter Burroughs, I thought verely you had been miſ-informed; He utterly denyed the truth of that relation to a good Presbyteriall friend of his and mine, who alwaies hath had him in good eſteem for piety; ſure it will amaze his friend and many others, when they ſhall ſee this largeneſſe of conſcience in Maſter Burroughs: You cannot immagine how I was ſtruck at the reading of it; If Saints of the firſt magnitude in the Independent way, the greateſt pretenders to conſcience can do this, what credit can we give to the reſt? ſuch Presbyterians, as they will ſcarce owne to be Saints, have not that latitude of conſcience to tell … willingly, much leſſe write it, print it and give it under their h…ds to all the world; This is too too bad. As concerning that Collier whom you ſpake of in your Book, I could give you a large relation, as how he was baniſhed out of Garneſey (he and many more of his followers whom hee had ſeduced) for their hereſies and turbulent behaviour; afterwards impriſoned at Po…th; … was the …irſt that ſowed the ſeeds of Anabaptiſm, Anti-ſabbatari…iſm; and ſome Arminianiſme among the reſt in theſe parts; hee hath had the boldneſſe to publiſh two or three pamphlets full ſtuffed with erroneous principles, and …avouring of an illitterate Carter, or an Husbandman, (for ſo he is by his calling, I heare) though now by uſurpation a Preacher: The firſt time he preached amongſt us (which was in time of publike exerciſe) ſome that heard him, ſaid afterwards if that were true which Maſter Collier had taught them, they would never heare any of our Min…ters more: You may gueſſe his doctrine by the uſe was made of it; doubtleſſe … was ſtronge poiſon he gave them that wrought ſo ſtrongly at firſt▪ Sir, if I were not in great haſte, I ſhould writ more at large; I ſhould be glad to heare from you in a word o… two, how things are likely to goe, for which I ſhall reſt
June 1646. Your thankfull friend.