Gangrena Part 3, Theological tract · Letter 8 – Letter 15
A Copie of a Letter written from a godly Miniſter then in the Army.
Our Army is lazy, they feare that they ſhal bee disbanded before our deare Brethren depart the Kingdome; They raile againſt the City, and Aſſembly, becauſe of the Remonſtrance. The Houſe of Lords are much vil…ied by them, and our Noble ☜Scots conſtantly abuſed: In their Sermons Maſter Del, and Saltmarſh preach free grace, and ſay, Chriſt judges not by the eye, or eare, he regards not mens prayers or duties; if they have Chriſt in their heart, though they do not read and pray, and trade in duties, Chriſt judges them according to their heart. Secondly, We have no uſe of ſecular power, and they that would borrowe the Magiſtrats power to make a Reformation in the Kingdome of Chriſt are Anti-chriſtian; it is an evident ſigne that they have not the word nor ſpirit to ſpeak for them: Alas what can the Magiſtrate convert ſoules with the civ…ll ſword? the wicked are to be ſlaine only with the breath of Chriſts lips, Iſa. 11. 4. That was Maſter Dels Text before the Generall. I told them that if this doctrine were true, they might disband the Army. Thirdly, They preſſed hard to have the law of Love and Liberty obſerved, that there may be an equality; that is their phraſe and the Anabaptiſts. ☜Fourthly, They are moſt offended with that paſſage of the Remonſtrance about places of publike truſt. Fifthly, There is ☜no need of Univerſities; for if men be annointed with the ſpirit, and accepted amongſt the Saints, they are ſufficiently qualified for the Miniſtery. Sixthly, Paul Hobſon the Taylor, and Leivtenant Colonell Hewſon the one-eyed Shoomaker (as Maſter Peters calls him) are the moſt renouned preachers, but Hobſon hath ſaluted the Army with a farwell Sermon, and is ſent as an Emiſſary to Exeter, to raiſe a party there. Seventhly, Banbury Caſtle muſt not be ſlighted, they ſay it may be a Garriſon for the Saints, it is conceived to be the ſtrongeſt in England. They uſe an Argument which takes with people much, that if they will joyne with them, they ſhall pay no Tythes; and ſome are ſo fooliſh to give out, there is a conſiderable party in all Countries where ere they have been, ☞that will ſtand for them, ſo they may be excuſed for paying Tythes. Ninthly, Though that Argument do generally take with prophane men, yet they ſee there are a company of godly men that are willing to pay Tythes; to them therefore they urge all Arguments againſt mixed communion, and they aſſure them that the Aſſembly will beare with all cloſe dangerous Malignants that can ſpeake Greek and Latine, if they be not ſcandalous in their lives, and will conforme to the Presbyteriall government and obſerve the Directorie. Tenthly, They would not have the old military Orders obſerved, which was ſet forth by the Earle of Eſſex, that Blaſphemers ſhould be bored through the tongue: The Argument which they urged was, that ſinnes whi…h are directly againſt God, ſhould be punniſhed only by God, yet they confeſſe that bold ſinners ſhould be admoniſhed by the Church, and beare a ſpirituall cenſure: I pleaded that men did conſiſt of a ſoule and body, and that both joyned in this ſinne, the Devill in the ſoule making uſe of the tongue to vent Blaſphemies againſt the God of Heaven, and therefore it was fit that the tongue ſhould be pnniſhed; and that it was probable that thoſe ſpirituall meanes ſhould work the better, which were uſed for his reformation and edification; and with much adoe by ſome under-hand dealing with honeſt Commanders, wee prevailed to have the Blaſphemer puniſhed. I hope there will be a disbanding very ſhortly; if not, there are five Regiments that want Colonells, and if there could be five Presbyterians put in, the Independents would be well ballanced, for there are a great many conſiderable men in this Army well affected to all godly Presbyterians.
June. 3.
A Copie of a Lettter to a Member of the Houſe of Commons.
SIR,
IF Independents be made Governours of Caſtles, Cities, and ſtrong holds as faſt as they are taken; if under a pretence of frugality for the ſtate, and reducing of Regiments, Presbyter Commanders are frequently outed, and the Independents prefer'd to their places; if the ſouldierie under Presbyterian Commanders be unpaied, and thereby inforced to abuſe the Country to the diſhonour of that party, and the contrary party paid, and by that meanes gaine affections every where; if (under a pretence of charity) Independents plead in the behalf of the greateſt Malignants, and by that meanes ſcrue into their favours to make a party; if their agents be working every where to chuſe Parliament men of ☜their own opinions; if they be deviſing to ſend away the Scots into Scotland, and the Presbyterian Commanders and ſouldiers into Ireland; ought not theſe things to be ſeriouſly and ſpeedily conſidered, and forthwith indeavours uſed for the preventing the effects which the premiſes may produce.
Your humble ſervant.
Some paſſeges taken out of the Originall Letter, ſent from a godly Miniſter in Northamptonſhire to a Friend of his a Common-Councell man here in London.
SOme of Colonell Whalies ſouldiers quartered with us; full of Errours of a high nature; The Lord reduce or rebuke them; I feare they will ſcatter much poyſon as they ſpread their quarters, alas the poore ſoules in danger of their ſeducements: They are full of high invectives and ſcornes againſt the Parliament, Miniſtery, and all kind of religious duties. After a fortnights free quarter, they had our free leave to march, and are marched beyond Market Harborough, and are about Lough-Borrow in Leſterſhire; Though they draw North-ward, yet I hope not to the ends that ſome do hope, viz. to encounter with our Brethren: I have heard ſome of them ſay, that had they the opportunity, they would be more bitter againſt them, then ever againſt the Cavaliers; but I hope their expectation ſhall periſh,
Septemb. 1. 1646.
The extract of a Letter ſent to a Citizen of London, from a godly Miniſter in Darbyſhire.
SEctaries abound, ſtrange yea damnable opinions are maintained with much zeal and pretence of conſcience, by thoſe who (I feare) were never acquainted with a good conſcience: Monarchie is miſliked, and a new faſhioned Government too much thirſted after: There are ſo many new faſhions in Religion, that the true feare of God is almoſt grown out of faſhion. Sir, I thank you for your remembrance of me, and I heare that Maſter Edwards hath yet more work for a Maſſe-Prieſt; when it comes out I pray you let me have it.
Auguſt, 10. 1646.
An extract of a Letter from a godly Minister neer Briſtoll, to a godly Friend of his in London.
DEare Friend, we have peace for the preſent, and hope of plenty for the future; that only which damps our comfort is, That whiles the Teachers were removed into corners, the envious man hath taken his opportunity and ſowen tares, which ſpring up in our neighbour *Briſtoll.City, abundantly, and are ſpread much over the Country; the whole Kingdome I think is ſick of the ſame diſeaſe; Help Lord.
A true Copie of a Letter to a tittle, of Mr Knollys the Anabaptiſt, which comming to the hands of ſome of the Committee of Suffolk, was ſhewn me and I extracted it out of the Originall.
BEloved Brother, I ſalute you in the Lord; your Letter I received the laſt day of the week, and upon the firſt day I did ſalute the Brethren in your name, who reſalute you, and pray for you: The City Presbyterians have ſent a Letter to the Synod, dated from Sion Colledge againſt my Toleration, and they are faſting and praying at Sion Colledge this day about further contrivings againſt Gods poor Innocent ones; But God will doubtleſſe anſwer them according to the Idoll of their own hearts. To morrow there is a Faſt kept by both Houſes and the Synod at Weſtminſter; They ſay it is to ſeek God about the eſtabliſhing of Worſhip according to their Covenant. They have firſt vowed, now they make enquiry; God will certainly take the crafty in ☜their own ſnare, and make the wiſdome of the wiſe fooliſhneſſe; for he chuſeth the fooliſh things of this world to confound the wiſe, and weak things to confound the mighty. My wife and family remembers their love to you. Salute the Brethren that are with you, farwell.
Your Brother in the Faith and fellowſhip of the Goſpel Hanſerd Knollys. London the 13. day of the 11. monethmonth call'd January, 1645.
To his beloved Brother Mr John Dutton in Norwich, theſe deliver.
Leave this Letter at Mr Buttevant his houſe to be delivered as a bove.
A Letter from a Sectary with this ſupreſcription, To his much honoured Captaine, Paul Hobſon, at Mr Carwithyes houſe in Exon.
Endeared SIR,
MY beſt reſpects and ſervice to you preſented. That relation which formerly I had unto you, hath enboldened me to preſent you with theſe rude lines: It doth not a little rejoyce me that providence hath ſo diſpoſed of it, as to bring you down into this dark corner of the Kingdome: It is my deſire for you to the Throne of Grace, that God would cure that weakneſſe of body, under which your ſpirit hath ſo long travelled, and that he would give you ſuch ſtrength and utterance of ſpirit, whereby you may be able to declare unto the world, the glory and the …i…hes of the good newes of Jeſus Chriſt, which he hath manifeſted to your ſoule: John ſaith, That which wee have ſeen with our eyes, and our eares have …eard, and our hands have handled, even the word of life, that declare we unto you; Such kinde of preaching and declarations of Chriſt, from experience of it in the heart, the Frieſts of England (but eſpecially of theſe Weſterne parts) are unacquanted withall. I ſhould account it a happineſſe, if God would ſo diſpoſe of it as to open ſuch a way, that I might have relation to you as formerly, That ſmall remnant of the Saints in this Town will be very joyfull to ſee you here, and ſo ſhall he that deſires to be
Your ſervant in any office of love, Robert Carye. Dartmouth, June 12. 1646.
THere is one Sims of Hampton a Shoomaker, as appeares by the following Examination, and a Letter preſently following, who goes about as an Emiſ…ary all the Weſt over, from place to pl…e to infect the people, who at Bridgwater in Summerſetſhire being apprehended by ſome in authority, was examined and divers Letters found about him, written by ſeverall Sectaries to the Saints (as they call them) in Taunton, and elſewhere; this examination and Letters were ſent up to a perſon of worth then in London, and that Gentleman g…ve the… me, ſo that I have the Originall Letters by me.
The Examination of John Sims Shoomaker.
SOnday the laſt of May, preached in the Pariſh Church of Middl…ſ…y, took his Text out of the 3. Col. 1. One Maſter Mercer, and Maſter Eſquier Miniſters, with a hundred more perſons, and being deſired to know how he durſt preſ…e to …ach ſo publikely being not called, and an Ordinance of Parliament to the contrary, Anſwered, if Peter was called, ſo was he.
2. Being deſi…ed to know what he teached contrary to the law of God and the lawes of the Land, anſw…, why are they ſuffered to teach in London ſo neer the Parliament Houſe; and that he would allow of the Parliament, is for forth as they go… with his Doctrine.
3. Being deſired to know whether he allowed of our Baptiſme, anſwered no, that for his part he was baptized a year ſince, by one Maſter Sickmoore and his manner of Baptiſings was, that the aforeſaid Sickmoore went firſt into the water and he after him, ſo that he for his part would not allow of our Baptiſme.
The Letters taken about him. To the Saints in the Order and fellowſhip of the Goſpel in Taunton.
Your deare Brother Thomas Collier, deſireth the increaſe of grace and peace from God the Father, and from out Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Deare Brethren and Siſters, I have not had an opportunity of writing unto you untill now, although my ſpirit hath been up to the Lord for your continually: The Lord hath manifeſted his preſence with me exceedingly in my journy; I deſire the Lord to raiſe up your heart in thankfullneſſe, he hath gathered Saints in Poole by me, 14. took up the Ordinance at once, there is like to be a great work, and confirmed the Churches in other places; I am not yet got ſo far as London, but I ſhall I expect to morrow: Dearely beloved my deſire and prayer to our Father on your behalf is, that your ſoules may be ſatisfied with his fullneſſe, that you may live above, and then your ſoules ſhall not want comfort: And my exhortation to you is to wait upon the Lord in his own way, and not to look forth into the world; there is bread enough in your Fathers h…uſe; There he hath promiſed his preſence; though you ſeem to want gifts, yet you ſhall not want the preſence of your Father, your Jeſus, if you wait upon him: There are two Brethren I ſuppoſe will viſit you from Hampton, Brother Sims, and Brother Row▪ whom deſire you to receive as from the Lord. The …ted power of the Plesbyterians is denyed them, of which you ſhall heare more ſhortly. I deſire to be remembred to all my kind friends with you and at preſent reſt
Gilford, April 20. 1646. Your deare Brother in the faith and fellowſhip of the Goſpel, Thomas Collier. I ſhall ſee you as ſpeedily as poſſible I may.