Gangrena Part 3, Theological tract · Part 14

Gangrena Part 3 · Theological tract · Part 14

p. 185A Relation and Diſcovery of the Libertiniſme and Atheiſme, horrible fearfull uncleanneſſes of ſeverall kinds, Drunkunneſſe, generall Looſeneſſe and licentiouſneſſe of living, Coſening and Deceiving both of particular perſons and of the State and Kingdome, fearfull Lying, Jugling and falſifying of promiſes, abominable Pride and boaſting in the Arms of fleſh, unſufferable Inſolencies and horrible miſdemeanors of many Sectaries of theſe times; particularly their Inſolencies against the Lawes of the Land, the King, the Houſe of Lords, Houſe of Commons, ſome particular worthy Members by name of both Houſes, Committees of both Houſes, both Houſes of Parliament as conjunct in their Authority and Ordinances, againſt our Brethren of Scotland, the Kingdom of Ireland, the City of London, the Aſſembly, the whole Miniſtery of this Kingdom, and all the Reformed Churches, againſt inferior Magiſtrates and Courts, as the Judges, Juſtices of Peace, Majors of Cities, Committes, and all ſorts of Officers of Juſtice.

THe Particulars in all theſe kinds are ſo many and ſo infinite, that particularly to reckon them up and give their ſtory, would fill a great volume, and I have already in the foregoing part of the Book given ſome inſtances in moſt of them, and therefore I ſhall but breifly point at, and give hints only upon theſe ſeverall heads, referring the Reader for further ſatisfaction to many Pamphlets and Books daily printed and openly ſold, and to his own obſervation of things.

1. The great Libertiniſme and Atheiſme of many Sectaries appears by their violent and feirce pleading for by word and writing a free Liberty and Toleration of all kind of Religions and Conſciences whatſoever, and that not only in leſſer points of Doctrine, p. 186but in the moſt fundamentall Articles of Faith, yea and of denying the Scriptures, and that there is a God, and by the pleading for Liberty in ſuch away, and by ſuch mediums, viz. that no man is infallible and certaine in any thing he holds, that tis poſſible he may be miſtaken, &c. as do neceſſarily overthrow all Religion whatſoever. There have been within theſe few yeers ſome ſcores of Books written wholly for Toleration and pretended Liberty, and ſome hundred of Books wherein that's pleaded for, together with other things, and ſo farre are the Sectaries gone in Libertiniſme * that all true love, piety, Religion, conſcience, is placed in a generall allowance of what mens corrupted and defiled conſciences a Vide A Pamphlet ontit. A Parable, p. 4. 12. 16 as alſo A Prediction of Maſter Edwards Converſion.like, and the greateſt ſinne, wickedneſſe, evill that men can commit or be capable of, is placed in the uſing of good means and the power God hath given to hinder and reſtraine this Liberty. There is a Book called Toleration juſtified, printed 1646. aſſerteth tis not ſafe to put any bounds to Toleration, or to reſtraine in any thing whatſoever, no not in denying the Scriptures and a Deity. There is a Pamphlet A Demurre to the Bill for preventing the growth and ſpreading of Hereſie, that came out lately ſince that Ordinance againſt Hereſies was brought in to the H. of Commons, that pleads page 3. with many Libertine Arguments againſt all puniſhing of thoſe that maintaine there is no God, as among others with this. We beſeech you let not God and the truth of his being be ſo exceſſively diſp…raged as not to be judged ſufficient to maintaine it againſt all gainſayers, without the helpe of any earthly power to maintaine it. Let Turks and thoſe that beleeve in ſtrange gods, which are … gods, make uſe of ſuch power and infirme ſupporters of their ſuppoſed d…s; but let the truth of our God, the only God, the omnipotent God, be judged abundantly able to ſupport it ſelf: tis a tacit imputation of in…s to imagine it hath need of our weake and impotent aſſiſtance. There are Queres concerning a printed Paper, entituted, An Ordinane for the preventing and growing of Hereſies, &c. where among many Libertine queſtions, the ſecond proclaims it ſelf to be Scepticall and Ath…iſticall, ſuppoſing except men make themſelves infallible, that the preaching, printing, and maintaining contrary to theſe Doctrines That God is, that God is preſent in all places, that God is Almighty, that God is eternall, perfectly holy, &c. may be the ſacred truths of God for ought any man knowes. There have beene and p. 187are daily many ſtrange ſpeeches uttered, wholly tending to Libertiniſme and Atheiſme: A Reverend godly Miniſter told me July the fourth 1646. he heard and Independent ſay, what if I ſhould worſhip the Sunne or the Moone, as the Perſians did, or that Pewter ☜Pot ſtanding by, what hath any man to do with my conſcience? A great Sectary pleaded in the hearing of perſons of worth (from whom I immediately had it) for a Toleration of Stage-playes, and that the Players might be ſet up againe. I heard a Sectary plead for a Toleration of Witches, and I urging that argument, that Witches might ſay, they in their conſcience hold the Devill for their God, and thereupon worſhip him; it was anſwered, that precept againſt not ſuffering Wirches was ſpoken to the Iſraelites, not to us; and will you becauſe Witches deale with a familiar ſpirit, therefore ſend them to the Devill by taking away their lives? Many Sectaries often ſay, that all the judgements of God upon us, are, becauſe we will not receive the Government of of Chriſt, ſuffer it to be ſet up among us, viz. to let every one beleeve what he will, and ſerve God according to his conſcience; as alſo they ſay, if ever the Magiſtrates ſhall come to uſe a co… cive power in matters of Religion, then this Kingdome will bee utterly deſtroyed. I might alſo relate ſome ſtrange paſſages out of ſpeeches ſpoken not long ſince by ſome Independents as Maſter Sympſon in the Aſſembly, and elſewhere too, for a Toleration, but I for be are, and wiſh the Reader to remember ſome paſſages related in foregoing pages of this Book, eſpecially that in page 175.

2. Many of the Independents and Sectaries of theſe times are guilty of many kinds of uncleanneſſes; Firſt, of Inceſt, of which out of one Country I have the names of three ſent me up, and atteſted by the hand of a godly Miniſter, one who ma…ed the mother, and afterwards the daughter, … this liberty of conſciences; mother marrying his owne brothers wife, and the third marrying his brothers wife: I have beene informed alſo for … taine by a Gentleman of quality in Kent, that a great Sectary in Kent hath married his N…. It hath been related to me alſo of one in London … of the like…d; but I may not enlarge, having exceeded already the number of ſheets I intended, and having yet many things to … of. Secondly, of wicked and ungodly p. 188matriages, leaving their owne husbands and wives, and taking others to live with them, as Maſter Jenney and Miſtriſſe Attaway; and ſo that New-England Captaine who was about another wife, his wife being living, of which the Reader may read page 94. and ſo others of them living wholly from their wives, not coming at them, denying they have been married to them, or elſe ſaying they are unbeleevers, and of the world, of which I could give ſtories, as of one M. and in a precedent page of this Book the Reader may finde more; And for ungodly marriages ſome Sectaries are guilty of entiſing children to marry unequally in regard of yeers, and without Parents conſents, taking advantage of ſickneſſe, &c. of which there is a remarkable ſtory in this book of Mary Abraham a notorious Sectary, page 82, 83, 84, 85. And lately a Widow, an Anabaptiſt about forty yeers of age, intangled and inveagled a youth of about nineteene yeeres of age, and married him without his father ever knowing or imagining any ſuch thing; This youths father lives in Swithins pariſh, and Mr. Knowls the Anabaptiſt (as tis ſaid) married them. Thirdly, of… rapes and forcing young maidens too young for the company of men, of which I could tell ſome ſad ſtories of Independents in New-England in this kind, and upon whoſe daughters; but I forbeare out of my reſpect to the Parents. Fourthly, of adulteries and fornications, and if I ſhould here ſet downe all the inſtances in this kind that I have had from good hands, and relate the ſtories at large, I ſhould fill ſome ſheets. There are divers of the Dippers and mecanick Preachers of the Sectaries, not onelyonly ſhroudly ſuſpected for filthineſſe and uncleanneſſes, but ſome of them accuſed by women, and have beene ſo taken as they could not well deny it. There is a famous Sectarian Preacher in the Iſle of Ely betweene a Cobler and a Shoemaker, who is now accuſed by many women for tempting them, and ſolliciting their chaſtity, and one woman cries out of him for being naught with her, and … diſtracted upon it. There is a Fidler here in London a great preacher, to whom many women reſore, that hath beene taken in the act, and hath in a manner confeſſed it. There is one of the firſt Dippers in England, one of the firſt that brought up the trade, of whom I heard a modeſt and good woman ſay that had obſerved his filthy behaviour (he reſorting often to p. 189her houſe upon ſome acquaintance formerly betweene her huſband and him, though indeed for the wives ſake as ſhe plainly diſcovered, and ſo could not endure him) that it was no wonder he and many ſuch turned Dippers to dip young maids and young ☜women naked, for it was the fitteſt trade to ſerve their turns that could be, and no queſtion but it was found out and propagated with ſo much induſtry as being fed by luſt, that a company of uncleane men under the pretence of Religion, might have thereby faire opportunities to feed their eyes full of adultery in beholding young women naked, and in handling young women naked, being about them in dreſſing and undreſſing them; and indeed Saint Peter ſpeaking and prophecying of the Anabaptiſts, 2 Epiſt. chap. 2. verſe 10, 11, 12. (viz. thoſe who deſpiſe Dominion, and ſpeak evill of Dignities, as we ſee our Anabaptiſts do of all Kingly government, and Lordly government, deſpiſing both King and Lords, and being preſumptuous and ſelf-willed in it, as is evident by their ſayings and doings) tells us theſe men are uncleane perſons, walk in luſts of uncleanneſſe, have eyes full of adultery that cannot ceaſe from ſinne, and that he makes the ground of their beguiling unſtable ſoules, verſe. 14. Tis obſerved there have been and are a company of luſty young men betweene twenty and and thirty yeeres of age ☜that are Dippers, and their cheif commodity they trade in, is in young maidens and youdg women, and that in the night oft-times, and theſe fellowes living in idleneſſe, going from Country to Country, being feaſted and well fed, and having converſe ſo much with women in preaching to them alone, and waſhing them, what can be expected elſe but a great deale of filthineſſe? and thereupon I have beene told it from a godly Miniſter who came out of thoſe parte in Eſſex, where Oats hath beene dipping, that it was ſpoken of by many, that ſome young women who having beene married divers yeeres, and never were with child, now ſi…ce their dipping are proved with child. There was a Sectaries wife with me who ſhowed me ſeverall Letters written from Sectaries to other mens wives, Sectaries, to tempt them from their husbands; ſhee had intercepted the Letters that ſhee might the better diſcover her husbands naughtineſſe, ſhee told me the names of the women and of the men, and intreated me to move ſome Parlia. men that there might be a Committee appointed, and ſhee would produce p. 190the Letters, bring witneſſes that ſhould upon …ath diſcover ſuch uncleanneſſes and wickedneſſes among ſome Anabaptiſts and Seekers as could hardly be beleeved: I moved a worthy Member of the Houſe of Commons about it, who told me the Houſe was full of publike buſineſſes and would hardly intend to appoint any ſuch Committee, and if the Houſe ſhould, there would come little of it, for theſe Sectaries would finde ſuch freinds at a Committee, as it ſhould go hard but they would obſtruct it one way or other. There is a famous ſhee Sectary, an Antinomian, and an Anabaptiſt that living in ones houſe here in London, was a meanes to turn the woman of the houſe, and ſhee being converted, did highly extall this Sectary for her rare gifts and new light to all ſhee converſed with, but this womans husband coming out of the Army, this famous Sectary was naught with him, and they were taken in the act; this is knowne to many in London, and ſome to whom ſhee had …o commended her, askt her what ſhee thought now. In Bermondſey Pariſh there is a Sectary hath committed adultery with another mans wife, and for it he hath beene before a Juſtice of Peace, and could not deny it. There is an Independent Preacher who hath lectured in and about London one of M. Greenhils Church (as tis commonly ſaid) who hath carried himſelfe unchaſtly towards a young woman having a husband an old man, and towards a young maiden who was to warm his bed after Preaching, he did things unſeemly, and would have gone further, but the married wife acquainted her husband, abominating this young Independent, ſaying, does he thinke I am ſuch a one as to be his whore? and the young maiden to reſiſt him burnt his hands with the warming-Pan to keep him off from her. There are divers other inſtances of their uncleanneſſe and filthines; but I muſt reſerve them for a fourth part, and wiſh the Reader for the preſent with the…e here related to joyne other ſuch relations of the ſectaries uncleanneſſes as are mentioned in the former parts of Gangraena, and in precedent pages of this third part.

3. Many of the Sectaries in theſe times are given to drink and wil fit tippling all the day; there are divers Sectarian Troopers faulty in this kind: I have been told a ſtory of the drunkennes of an Independent Captain in the Army, and of the complaint againſt him, and how he was brought off and continued in his command for al that, p. 191but tis too large to relate particulars. A godly Miniſter tels me of a ſpeciall freind of his, that is fallen to be a drunkard and a ſot ſince turned an Independent. I have beene told a ſtory of an Independent, a member of a famous Independ. Church here in London, that was taken drunk in the night by the Watch, and carried to the Counter, and next morning carried before an Alderman. Many other inſtances there are, with inſtances of many drunkards turning Independents and Anabaptiſts, but I muſt paſſe them by for preſent.

4. Many Sectaries and Independents are very looſe in the generall courſe of their lives, and take a great deale of liberty, which the Presbyterians dare not take, neither did they before they turned Independents: many of them make little of the Lords day, nothing at all of Faſt dayes, nor of Thankſgiving dayes, not of the fifth of November; many of them will play at Cards and Tables, and uſe liberally other kind of ſports and recreations; they will plead for going to Playes, and thouſands of them are careleſſe in all holy duties, caſting of Prayer, ſinging of Pſalmes, reading the Scriptures, repeating of Sermons, inſtructing their families; yea, many are not aſhamed to ſpeak againſt them: I have beene told for certaine there are Sectaries will ſweare by their tender ☜conſciences, and all the Sectaries generally take more liberty in brave and faſhionable apparell, in long haire, in jeſting and laughing, in looſe and idle diſcourſes, then godly ſtrict Chriſtians uſe to take, many of them preach ſeldomer then before turned Independents, and will have a care they take not too much paines.

5. Many Sectaries are very guilty in coſening and deceiving both the publike and particular perſons: I am perſwaded if all that the Sectaries have cozened the State in, of monyes that they have received and never brought in, of moneys paid them for ſuch ſervices which they never performed, of monyes paid them for bad commodities, and not valuable, were known, it would amount to a great maſſe of money: I have been told divers ſtories from good hand…, of moneys received in Kent by Sectaries and never brought in to the publike but pocketed up, of ſome Sectarian Chaplaines that have received for pay good ſumms of money, and never gave the Regiments to which they belonged a Sermon, or ever looked after them, of two Sectaries that would have hired a poor man to have ſworne falſly againſt a woman one Miſtris p. 192B. by which they hoped to have gotten fiftie pounds, of a great Independent, who mingled with Silver baſe mettle, of lead, braſſe, iron, and ſo carried it into the Tower in great Ingots to be melted, and to have money according to the weight of it, and is now in queſtion for it he being at laſt found out; but I cannot ſtand to enlarge any further, and the Reader may find more inſtances in this kind in the Appendix of the firſt part of Gangraena, and in this third part, page 25. and 26.

6. The Sectaries are guilty of groſſe lying, ſlandring, jugling, falſifying their word and promiſes, ſo that a great Book would not contain the particulars, and I have thoughts to ſet them forth in a Tractate by themſelves: I could relate at large notorious lyes raiſed by ſome of them of godly Miniſters of the Aſſembly and City, of which not the leaſt colour or ground for, as alſo promiſes and engagements made by ſome of them to perſons of worth, Miniſters and others, upon their coming in and being choſen for places, which they have not only not performed, but afterwards boldly denyed any ſuch promiſes, with many things of this kind. I could tell alſo of propagating and ſupporting the credit of the Independent party by many lies told in Pulpits, written in Letters, and printed on purpoſe of the great valour and gallantry of ſuch and ſuch Sectaries in the Army, when as Presbyterian Commanders performed theſe very ſervices; and of many Relations Printed of ſuch and ſuch unworthy things done by Presbyterian forces and Commanders, when no ſuch matter; but I muſt for beare particulars, and for preſent do referre the Reader to Maſter Pryns Lyar Confounded, to Maſter Calamics Anſwer, and Apologie againſt Maſter Burton, to Doctor Baſtwicks Books written againſt the Independents, and particularly his Book written againſt Lilburne, and his laſt Book entituled The utter-routing of the whole Army of the Independents and Sectaries; page 357, 358.

7. The Sectaries are guilty of exceſſive pride, boaſting and truſting in Armes of fleſh, as in that Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax; I do not think that in this latter age of the world, the great Tuck, the Spaniard, or any other Nation, have gloried and truſted more in any one Army of theirs, or attributed greater things to it then the Independents have done to that which they call theirs: O how ſtrangely have they boaſted and truſted in it, as if humane p. 193things were not changeable, as if that Army could conquer all the world, recover the Palatinate, Ireland, and give Laws to France, Lorraine, Conſtantinople, &c. and do whatſoever they pleaſed: I have beene told from an honeſt and faithfull Commander in the Army, that Maſter Peters ſpeaking of the Army, ſaid, they wanted nothing but more Nations to conquer, and his folly in this kind is extant in print, of which the Reader may find ſome Animadverſions upon it by me in the 133, 134. 142. pages of this Book. I might fill a Book in relating the paſſages in Diſcourſes, Sermons, and printed Books, ſpoken in way of boaſting of this Army and of particular perſons belonging to it of the Independent way, calling one Infallible, the Saviour of three Kingcomes; a ſecond, the Terrible, a third, whom God hath eſpecially fitted for Sea or Land, one whom foraigne States would be proud of having ſuch a ſervant, and ſo of others; but I will only point at ſome expreſſions in a late Book of Maſter Burtons, called Conformities Deformity, wherein the Army is in a ſort deified, page 17, 18. ſpeaking of preſſing the Parliament for an Ordinance againſt Hereſies and Schiſmes, he ſpeaks what this Ordinance would do againſt thoſe men who have prodigally poured their deareſt bloud, viz. trample upon them, and not ſuffer them to breath in their native aire, and thereupon runs out in the extolling of that ſort of men in the Army, that by them we yet breath, that they have beene the preſervers of the Land, that many glorious victories have made them admirable to the neighbour Nations, yea to the whole world, and terrible to their profeſſed enemies and ours; yea, and to pretended freinds too, who would maſter us at home, were not theſe maſters of the feild: God hath made them the great inſtruments of the preſervation and deliverance of our Country and City from the moſt deſperate bloudy and beaſtiall enemies that ever the earth bred, or hell hatched. God hath vouchſafed to caſt great favour and honour upon them, and as he hath crowned them with ſo much glory, and they have …aſt their crownes at the feet of the Lamb that ſits upon the Throne: So ſhould we come and firſt giving all the glory to God, gather up thoſe crownes, and ſet them upon the heads of thoſe our Preſervers and Deliverers, and put chains about their necks; ſo far off ſhould we be from trampling ſuch Pearles under foot, or caſting them out of our Gates and Ports.

8. The Sectaries are guilty of unſufferable Inſolencies, horrible p. 194affronts to Authority, and of ſtrange outrages, having done thoſe things, that all things conſidered▪ no ſtory of former ages can paralell; and here I have ſo large a feild that I might write a Book in Folio upon this head, but I will only give a touch upon the particulars, and referre the Reader for further ſatisfaction to their owne Books. 1. Some of the Sectaries have ſpoken and written that againſt the Lawes of the Land, both Common and Statute, as I beleeve neither Papiſts, nor any Engliſh men ever did before them: I have read divers paſſages of this kind, in divers Pamphlets within theſe two laſt yeers, as in ſome books written againſt Maſter **A help to the right underſtanding of a Diſcourſe concerning Independencie, page 2, 3.Pryn, but above all, Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne in his Just mans Juſtification, page 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. and A Remonſtrance to their owne Houſe of Commons, page 13. 15. 19. damns the Common Law as coming from the Devill, and being the great bondage of England, the Norman Yoake, as the Reader may eaſily ſee by theſe words. That which is the greateſt miſcheife of all, and the oppreſſing bondage of England ever ſince the Norman Yoak, is this, I muſt be tried before you by a Law call'd the Common Law that I know not, nor I thinke no man elſe, neither do I know where to finde it or read it; and how I can in ſuch a …aſ… be puniſhed by it, I know not: ſuch an unfathomable gul…e have I by a little ſearch found the Law practiſes in Weſtminſter Hall to be, that ſeriouſly I thinke there is neither end nor bottome of them, ſo many uncertainties, formalilities, punc…ilios, and that which is worſe, all the en…ries and proceedings in Latine, a Language I underſtand not, nor one of a thouſand of my native Country-men, ſo that when I read the Scripture, it makes me thinke that the practiſes in the Courts at Weſtminſter flow not from God nor from his Law, nor the Law of Nature and Reaſon, no nor yet from the underſtanding of any righteous, juſt or honeſt men, but from the Devill, and the will of Tyrants. The Kings Writs that ſummons a Parliament, implying the eſtabliſhment of Religion, ſhowes that we remaine under the Norman yoake of an unlawfull power from which we ought to free our ſelves. Ye know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy a free people, and deſerve from firſt to laſt to be conſidered, and ſeriouſly debated, and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reaſon, which ought to be the forme and life of every Government. Magna Charta it ſelfe being but a beggerly thing, containing many marks of intolerable bondage, and the Lawes that have beene p. 195made ſince by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppreſſive and intolerable. The Conquerer erected a trade of Judges and Lawyers to ſell juſtice and injuſtice at his owne unconſcionable rate, and in what time he pleaſed; the corruption whereof is yet upon us, from which we thought you ſhould have delivered us, we cannot but expect to be delivered from the Norman bondage, and from all unreaſonable Lawes made ever ſince that unhappy conqueſt; By which paſſages tis evident the Sectaries aime at a totall change of the Laws and Cuſtoms of this Kingdom. 2. They have ſpoken and written much againſt the King, ſpeaking of him as a Delinquent, terming him the great Delinquent: and that he ſhould not come in but as a Delinquent; when news hath beene of meſſages and gracious offers from the King, and when his late Letter to the City was ſpoken of, they have ſlighted all, ſaying we can have them without him, and what can he do for us? he is a Delinquent. They have taken one of his titles from him and given it to that unworthy mean man Lilburne, ſtiling him Defendor of the Faith; they have taken other of his Titles, as Soveraign, Leige Lord, Majeſty, Kingſhip, Regality, and given them to the H. of Commons, and to the common people, making the Univerſall people to be the King & Creator, and the King their meer creature, ſervant and vaſſal; and as they have taken from him his Titles, ſo his power, denying him all Legiſlative power, and to be one of the Eſtates of Parliament, yea they have pleaded for the King to be depoſed, and juſtice to be done upon him as the grand murtherer of England, and not only that he ſhould bee beheaded, but the Kingdome alſo, viz. this Kingdome deprived of a King for ever, and Monarchie turned into Democracie. And as they have endeavoured to ſtrip him of all his Titles and power as a King, ſo to take from him all priviledges as a man and a Chriſtian, ſpeaking againſt Miniſters praying for him, and that he ſhould be excommunicated from all Chriſtian ſociety. For proofe of which particulars let the Reader read over the late **A Pamphlet ſo ſtiled by the Sectaries.Remonſtrance of many thouſand Citiznes to their owne Houſe of Commons, and among other paſſages, that in page 6. It is high time we be plaine with you: we are not, nor ſhall not be ſo contented that you lie ready ☜with open Armes to receive the King, and to make him a great and a glorious King. Have you ſhooke this Nation like an Earth-quake to p. 196produce no more then this for us? We do expect according to reaſon that you ſhould in the firſt place declare and ſet forth King Charles his wickedneſſe open before the world, and withall to ſhow the intolerable inconveniencies of having a Kingly Government, from the conſtant evill practiſes of thoſe of this Nation, and ſo to declare King Charles an en… my, ☞and to publiſh your reſolution never to have any more, but to acquit us of ſo great a charge and trouble for ever; and to convert the great rev…w of the Crowne to the publike treaſure, to make good the injuries and injuſtices done heretofore, and of late by thoſe that have poſſeſſed the ſame; and that we expected long ſince at your hands, and untill this be done, we ſhall not thinke our ſelves well dealt withall in this originall of all oppreſſions, to wit, Kings. The Juſt mans Juſtification, page 10. I wiſh with all my ſoule the Parliament would ſeriouſly conſider upon that Law, Who ſo ſheddeth mans bloud, by man ſhall his bloud be ſhed, that ſo wilfull murtherers might not eſcape the hand of Juſtice, but eſpecially that they would thinke upon the grand murtherer of England; for by this impartiall Law of God there is no exemption of Kings, Princes, Dukes, Earles, more then of fiſhermen, &c. The Arrow againſt all Tyrants, page 11, 12. Soveraignity challenged by the King is uſurpation, illegitimate and illegall, &c. The power of the King cannot be Legiſlative, but only Executive. So Overtons Defiance to the Houſe of Lords: Overtons Petition and Appeale to the High and mighty States, the Knights and Burgeſſet in Parliament Aſſembled Englands Legall Soveraign… power: The laſt warning to the Inhabitants of London, with divers ſuch like. 3. The Sectaries have ſpoken, written, done much againſt the Houſe of Peeres, the ſupreme Judicature of this Kingdome, that Houſe which gives to the Parliaments of England▪ the denomination of the **Not but that the Commonsa…e a pa…t of the High Court of Parli. as well as the Lords, and aſſembled in the High Court of of Parlia. too, both making one high court of Parliament, only I mention this priviledge of a Court of Record and power of judiciall triall by oath againſt the Sectaries who ſo underv…l…e the power of the Lords in their Pamphlets, and ordinary diſcourſes.High Court of Parliament, as tis a Court of Record, and having power of judiciall triall by oath, &c. of the greateſt ſubjects of this Kingdome in the greateſt matters, as life, eſtates, liberty, whoſe Tribunall and Power hath ever beene acknowledged and dreaded in this Kingdom in all times by the greateſt Peeres and perſons of the Land, and when queſtioned by them, have given all high reſpect and humble ſubmiſſion, as we ſee that great Favorite the Earle of Strafford did; yet this Supreme Court hath beene by word and deed ſo uſed by baſe unworthy ſonnes of the earth, as the …ſt Court in England, or p…ieſt Conſtable p. 197never was till theſe times; and certainly the ages to come who ſhall read the Hiſtory of theſe times, and the Books of the Sectaries written this laſt yeere againſt the Houſe of Lords, will wonder at our times, and inquire what exemplary puniſhment was done upon them: The facts of ſome Sectaries (abetted and pleaded for alſo by other of their fellows) have been theſe. 1. Refuſing upon the Summons, Warrants of the Houſe of Peeres to appeare before them, and reſiſting to the utmoſt, ſo that the Officers have been neceſſitated to drag them and bring them by force, as Overton, who in print is not aſhamed to relate it: …. When they have beene committed and under cuſtody, refuſing to be brought by their Keepers to the Houſe of Peeres upon command of the Houſe, to anſwer to their charge, as Lilburne did, keeping his chamber ſhut, refuſing to come forth, and reſiſting to the utmoſt, ſo that glad to carry him by power to the Houſe of Lords, which relation alſo Lilburne hath printed. 3. In refuſing to anſwer any queſtions put them by the Houſe of Peeres. 4. In refuſing to kneele at the Barre in token of any ſubmiſſion to the Houſe, or to be uncovered. 5. In appealing from, and proteſting againſt the Houſe of Peeres, and any power they have over them both by word of mouth and writing drawn up, and thrown into the Houſe. 6. In ſtopping their eares in a contemptuous manner, that they would not heare their charge read. 7. In reproving, ſawcie taking up, and reproaching the Houſe of Peeres to their faces in the Houſe. 8. In Petitioning the Houſe of Commons for juſtice againſt the Houſe of Peeres, and for reparations of dammages, uſing many reproachfull words of that Right Honourable Houſe even in their Petitions, as is to be ſeene in Overtons, John Lilburnes and Elizabeth Lilburnes Petitions. 9. Threatning the Houſe of Peeres what they will do againſt them if they maintaine their power and honour, and what the houſe of Commons will do. 10. Stirring up and inciting the common People alſo to fall upon them, to pull them downe, and overthrow that Houſe. The Speeches and writings of the Sectaries againſt the Houſe of Peeres within this laſt ſixe moneths or thereabouts, ever ſince the commitment of Learner about The laſt warning to the inhabitants of London, are fearfull and ſtrange (many Pamphlets having beene written in that time) tending apparently to the totall overthrow of the Houſe of Peeres, p. 198and of having any Lords in this Kingdome, denying them all Legiſlative and Judiciall Power, and giving it all to the Houſe of Commons, or rather to that Beaſt of many heads, the common People, allowing the Commons only ſo much as they pleaſe, and for ſo long, making them their meer deputies and ſervants at will, I ſhall give the Reader a few paſſages out of their Books, and referre for further ſatisfaction to the Books themſelves. A Pamphlet entituled The Juſt man in Bonds, writes thus, pag. 1. The power of the Houſe of Lords is like a ſhallow uneven water, more in noyſe then ſubſtance, no naturall iſſues of Lawes, but the extub…rances and muſhromes of Prerogative, the wens of Juſt Government, putting the body of the people into pain, as well as occaſioning deformity, Sons of conqueſt they are and uſurpation, not of choyce and election, intruded upon us by power, not conſtituted by conſent, not made by the people from whom all power, place, and office that is juſt in this Kingdome ought only to ariſe. A Pamphlet call'd A Pearle in a Dung-hill, pag. 3, 4. ſpeaks thus: And why preſume ye thus, O ye Lords? Set forth your merit before the people, and ſay, For this good it is that we will raigne over you. Remember your ſelves, or ſhall we remember ye? Which of you before this Parliament minded any thing ſo much as your pleaſures? Playes, Maſques, Feaſtings, Gamings, Dancings? &c. What good have you done ſince this Parliament, and ſince the expulſion of the Popiſh Lords and Biſhops? where will you begin? It was wont to be ſaid when a thing was ſpoyl'd, that the Biſhops foot had been in it; and if the Lords mend not, it will be ſaid of them, and juſtly too. For what other have they been but a meer clog to the Houſe of Commons in all their proceedings? How many neceſſary things have they obſtructed? How many evill things promoted? What devices have they had of Prudentialls and Expedients, to delay and pervert what is good, and ſubtle policies to introduce things evill? The Pamphlet call'd An Alarum to the Houſe of Lords, pag. 4. ſpeaking of the Lords impriſoning Lilburne, and removing him from Newgate to the Tower of London, ſaith, Whether to murther him privately from the peoples knowledge, we cannot tell; but we judge little leſſe: And in pag. 5. ſpeaking of the Lords giving order that none muſt ſee Lilburne in the Tower, but they muſt p. 199firſt given in their names, & the places of their habitation, uſes theſe words, An act ſo unreaſonable and deſtructive to us, that we cannot but take notice of it, and let you know, That we cannot, neither will we ſuffer ſuch intolerable affronts at your hands. If timely cautions will not availe with you, you muſt expect to be bridled; for wee are reſolved upon our naturall ☜Rights and Freedomes, and to be enſlaved to none, how Magnificent ſoever with rotten Titles of Honor. For doe you imagine there is none abroad of his mind, who though he were dead, and deſtroyed by you, would proſecute thoſe works and diſcoveries of the Peoples Rights, which hee hath begun? Yes, more then you are aware of, that can, nay, and are reſolved to paint forth your Intereſt to the life, if you will not content your ſelves the ſooner with what's your owne, and leave the Commoners to the Commons. The Remonſtrance of many thouſands to their own Houſe of Commons, pag. 6, 7. ſpeaks thus to them: Yee muſt alſo deale better with us concerning the Lords, then you have done: Ye onelyonly are choſen by us the People, and therefore in you onelyonly is the power of binding the whole Nation, by making, altering, or aboliſhing of Lawes: Ye have therefore prejudiced us, ☜in acting ſo, as if ye could not make a Law without both the Royall aſſent of the King (ſo ye are pleaſed to expreſſe your ſelves) and aſſent of the Lords; What is this but to blind our eyes that we ſhould not know where our power is lodged, nor to whom we apply our ſelves for the uſe thereof; but if we want a Law, wee muſt await till the King and Lords aſſent? yet ye knowing their aſſent to be meerly formall, as having no root in the choyce of the people, from whom the power that is juſt muſt be derived, do frequently importune their aſſent, which implies a moſt groſſe abſurdity. For where their aſſent is neceſſary and eſſentiall, they muſt be as free as you to aſſent, or diſſent, as their underſtanding and conſciences ſhall guide them, and might as juſtly importune you as you them. Ye ought in conſcience to reduce this caſe alſo to a certainty, and not to waſte time, and open your counſels, and be liable to ſo many obſtructions as ye have beene, But to prevail with them (enjoying their Honors and poſſeſſions) to be liable, and ſtand to be choſen for Knights and Burgeſſes of the people, as other the Gentry and Free-men of this Nation doe, p. 200which will be an obligation upon them, as having one and the lame intereſt, then alſo they would be diſtinguiſhed by their vertue and love to the Common-wealth, whereas now they Act and Vote in our Affairs but as Intruders, or as thruſt upon us by Kings to make good their Intereſts, which to this day have beene to bring us into a …laviſh condition to their wills. Lilburne in his F…s freedome Vindicated, p. 7, 8, 9. ſpeaks thus, I muſt be forced to d…nce at…endance contrary to Law, to anſwer a Charge without for… or faſhion in Law at the Barre of the Houſe of Peeres, who know very well, or at leaſt might know, that I knew as well as any of themſelves their power, juriſdiction, and Prerogative Fountaine from whence they ſpring; and calls the Lords the meere Creature of the peoples Creature, the King; and the common people the earthly Lord and Creator of the Lords Creator; and ſaith that in the Honorable Houſe of Commons alone by right reſides the formall and legall ſupreme power of England. Overton in his Arrow ſhot into the Prerogative Bowels of the Arbitrary Houſe of Lords (as he calls it) ſhowes page 10. how he denied ſubjection to the Lords, affirming, that if their Officers had ſh…wn a thouſand ſuch Warrants to him as they did, he would have accounted them all illegall, Antimagiſteriall and void in Law, as having no power over Commoners which are not their Peeres, and thereupon ſtirs up the people to Arme themſelves, fortifie their houſes, to …eat, wound, and kill their officers that come to fetch them before the Lords, and then turnes his ſpeech to the Houſe of Commons, Why therefore ſhould you of the Repreſentative body ſit ſtill and ſuffer theſe Lords thus to devoure both us and our Lawes? Be awakned, ariſe and conſider their oppreſſions and encroachments, and ſtop their Lordſhips in their ambitious careere, for they doe not ceaſe only here, but they ſoare higher and higher, and now they are become Arrogators to themſelves of the naturall ſoveraignity the Repreſented have conveyed and iſſued to their proper Repreſentors, even challenge to themſelves the title of the ſupremeſt Court of judicature in this Land, and in page 11, 12. Overton ſaith further, Therefore the Soveraigne power extending no further then from the Repreſented to the Repreſentors, al this kind of ſoveraignity challenged by any, whether of King, Lords, or others, is uſurpation, illegitimate and illegall, and none of the Kingdomes or peoples, neither are the people thereto obliged: p. 201Thus ſeeing the Legiſlative power is only from the Repreſented to the Repreſentors, and cannot poſſibly further extend, the power of the King cannot be Legiſlative, but only Executive, and hee can communicate no more then hee hath himſelf, ſo that his meere Prerogative creatures cannot have that which their Lord and Creator never had, hath, or can have, namely the Legiſlative power: Indeed all other Courts might as well challenge that Prerogative of Soveraignity, yea better then this Court of Lords. But and if any Court or Courts in this Kingdome ſhould arrogate to themſelves that dignity to be the Supreme Court of Judicatory of the Land, it would be judged no leſſe then high treaſon, to wit, for an inferior ſubordinate power to advance and exalt it ſelfe above the power of the Parliament. The ſame Overton in a Pamphlet entituled A Defiance againſt all Arbitrary uſurpations either of the Houſe of Lords or any other, page 5. ſaith, And though I be in their Prerogative clutches, and by them unjuſtly caſt into the priſon of Newgate for ſtanding for my owne and my Countries rights and freedomes, I care not who lets them know that I acknowledge non… other to be the Supreme Court of Judicature of this Land but the Houſe of Commons, the Knights and Burgeſſes aſſembled in Parliament by the voluntary choyce and free election of the people thereof, with whom and in whoſe juſt defence Ile live and die, maugre the malice of the Houſe of Lords; and in page 18. he in way of de…iſion calls the Lords Houſe the Superlative Houſe, and ſpeaking of the Lords laughing at his anſwers, he ſaith of that Houſe ſuch carriage ſuch a Court; For indeed Comedies, Tragedies, Masks and Playes are more fit for ſuch idle kind of men. And above all other Demonſtrations of the outragious inſolencies of the Sectaries againſt the Houſe of Peeres, let the Reader peruſe that Pamphlet entituled An Anatomy of the Lords tyranny and injuſtice exerciſed upon Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne, which is throughout inſolent both for matter and manner, particularly page 12, 13. Lilburne writes that he being in the painted Chamber, deſired Maſter Briſco, one of his Keepers, to go and tell the Lords from him, that ſeeing they had the impudencie and boldneſſe to tread the Lawes and Liberties of England under their feet, and did ſo contemne and undervalue the authority of the Honorable Houſe of Commons to whom he had appealed, as yet to go on in their illegall courſes p. 202with him, with whom by Law they had nothing to doe, that he muſt be forced in the higheſt nature he could to contemne and deſpiſe their proceedings; and therefore was reſolved not to come to their Bar without a forcible compulſion and to come in with his hat on his head, and to ſtop his eares when they read his ☞charge in deteſtation, and bearing witneſſe againſt their uſurpations and injuſtice, page 14, 15. Lilburne writes he thus ſpake to the Lords. And my Lords I tell you to your faces, that by right the Houſe of Commons are your Judges as well as mine in this caſe, and I doe not doubt but to live to ſee the day that they will make you to know whether you will or no, that they are ſo, and ☞of their juſtice and protection I doe not in the leaſt doubt: And therefore my Lords ſeeing you have dealt ſo illegally and tyrannically with me as you have done; I now bid defiance to your power and malice to doe the worſt you can. And therefore my Lords I proteſt here before the God of Heaven and earth, if you ſhall be ſo unworthy as to perſevere in endeavouring the deſtruction of the fundamentall Lawes and Liberties of England, as at preſent you doe, I will venture my life and bloud againſt you to ☞oppoſe you with as much zeale and courage as ever I did any of the Kings party, that you ſet us together by the eares with: page 21. Lilburne ſaith all his catriage and expreſſions before the Houſe of Lords in the caſe now betwixt them to be as juſtifiable by the Law of this Kingdome, and in the eyes of all underſtanding men as for a true and juſt man to draw his ſword, and cut the theif or rogue that ſets upon him upon the high-way on purpoſe to rob ☞him of his life and goods, and in page 23. hee earneſtly beſeeches the Honorable Committee to remember the Commoners, and improve all their intereſt to puniſh, or at leaſt effectually to curb the Lords Houſe.

Thus the Sectaries in their Petitions and all their Pamphlets printed, ſpeaking of the Lords Houſe and of their proceedings, they give ſuch kind of termes as theſe, Barbarous, Tyrannicall, Arbitrary, Illegall, unjuſt dealings, worſe then the unjuſt Statchamber it ſelfe, Inſolent unheard of uſurpations, intruſions, and many ſuch like. And in divers Pamphlets now of late the Parliament being ſpoken of, is underſtood only the Commons of England, & they call'd the Parliament by way of excluſion of and p. 203oppoſition to the H. of Peers, and Books written on purpoſe and diſperſed, given freely to ſtir up the people to adhere to the Comons as conſidered apart and diſtinct in intereſt, power from the Lords, with unworthy reflections upon the Lords, as The laſt warning to all the Inhabitants of London, p. 7. Mind your own good, and cleave faſt to the Houſe of Commons, let no ſorcery or ſophiſtry divide you from them, the Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concerns the Nations; their large anſwer to your laſt City Petition for Church-government, and ſuppreſſion of Conventicles inſinuates they would allure you from the Commons; therefore obſerve them watchfully, and truſt them accordingly. So A word in ſeaſon to all ſorts of wellminded people in this diſtracted Nation, with Anſwers to the City Remonſtrance, and divers other Pamphlets, 4. The Sectaries have been guilty of and daily are of abuſing, contemning, and taking away the power of the Houſe of Commons given it by the Lawes, Conſtitutions and Cuſtomes of this Kingdome, and though in many Pamphlets (eſpecially this laſt yeere) they cry up the Houſe of Commons, and ſeeme to give them not only their owne power, but the power of the King and Houſe of Lords, making both them meere ciphers; yet it will be found by many of their principles laid downe, they have deſtroyed the Houſe of Commons, and doe break their Priviledges, ſpeak their pleaſure of them both by words and writing as often as they pleaſe. Many Pamphlets and whole Books have beene written by Sectaries againſt the Houſe of Commons it ſelfe, (and not only againſt Committees or particular Members) charging the Houſe with tyranny, injuſtice, oppreſſion, horrible pride, ſeeking of particular intereſts, Arbitrary Governm…, breaking of Magna Charta, and going againſt the Liberties of the ſubject, reſembling them to the Star-chamber, High Commiſſion Court, to Strafford and Canterbury, refuſing to anſwer any queſtions upon the command of the Houſe, ſcorning to Petition the Commons either to ſue for their favour, or to acknowledge their juſtice; and after ſuch favour ſhown as to releaſe without petitioning, yet taxing them with diſhoneſty, and demanding reparations for impriſonment; for the abundant proofe of which I referre the Reader to many Pamphlets written by Sectaries, as Englands Birthright, The Copie of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne to a friend, Lilburnes p. 204Innocency and truth juſtified; Englands lamentable ſlavery, with other Letters printed about that time: Another word to the wiſe, written by M. John Muſgrave: A Pamphlet entituled An exact collection of the Parliaments Remonſtrances, Declarations, &c. A Remonſtrance of many thouſand Citizens and other free, borne people of England to their owne Houſe of Commons; out of which I ſhall faithfully tranſcribe ſome paſſages, that the inſolencies of the Sectaries againſt the Houſe of Commons may be obſerved. Lilburn in his Letter to his freind writes thus, page 1, 2. That Maſter Corbit being in the chaire, and telling him he was commanded by the Houſe to demand a queſtion of him, Lilburn inſtead of anſwering him, deſired to know the cauſe of his commitment, and M. Corbit replying, the Houſe was not bound to declare unto him the cauſe of his commitment, thereupon Lilburne anſwered, Then I have beene a long time miſtaken, for had I thought that the Parliament had had no rule but their owne will to have walked by, I ſhould never have drawne my ſword for them; and for my part I knw no difference betwixt tyranny and ſuch proceedings; therfore I pray read the Petition of Right, and the Act made this preſent Parliament that condemned the Star-chamber and High Commiſſion. Page 5. hee writes as followes, Time was when the Parliament had to doe with the King, and had the Biſhops, Star-chamber and High Commiſſion to pull downe, they would owne me and doe me juſtice, &c. but having ſerved their owne turnes of me, I never could have juſtice from them ſince, though I think I have beene as faithfull a ſervant to the Common-wealth as any they ever imployed; and whereas Magna Charta ſaith, juſtice and right we will deny to …or we will defer to none, yet have I waited theſe foure yeeres upon them at great expences, and cannot get them to put their owne Votes in execution; and if this be according to Magna Charta, let the world judge. And p. 10. ſpeaking of the H. of Commons committing him, ſaith, O brave times, and brave juſtice? and yet for all this, I ſay, my ☞reſolution is to ſtand faſt in the liberty and freedome wherewith Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and ſeverall Acts made this preſent Parliament, as alſo divers late Declarations have made me free, and not to be intangled againe with any yoake of bondage that ſhall be hung about my neck by any kind of Tyrant p. 205by what name or title ſoever he be dignified or diſtinguiſhed.

Maſter Muſgrave a great Separatiſt (as he ſhows himſelf in many paſſages of his Book entituled Another word to the wiſe) writes thus of the Houſe of Commons. Courteous Reader, thou maiſt very much wonder at the delatory and ſlow proceedings of the Houſe of Commons in doing juſtice and right, from whom the Commons of England may juſtly expect more then from any Judicatory, being they are immediatly choſen by them; and to ſpeak properly are no more but their Stewards and ſervants, for whoſe good and benefit all their actions ought to be extended: Yet by their poceedings daily we ſee tis in vaine to expect juſtice from them, ſo long as they are linked and glued in factions each to ☜other by their private intereſts in their great places, which ties all ſuch amongſt them to maintaine one another in all their unjuſt wayes, and to oppreſſe and cruſh us as much as they are able, all the proſecutors of juſt and righteous things, and ſo to barre and ſtop juſtice that it ſhall have little or no progreſſe, divers of them and their creatures, Sonnes, Brothers, Uncles, and Kinſmen, and Allies in the ſub-Committees, having already committed ſo much unjuſtice that they are undone in their blazed honour and ill-gotten eſtates, if juſtice ſhould runne in its native luſter and full current, and of neceſſity they and their great places would quickly be deſtroyed. O therefore that the Free-men of England had but their eyes open to ſee the miſcheife of Members of the Houſe of Commons (men of their owne election and chuſing to ſit in the ſupreme Court of England) to be entangled themſelves, or intermeddle with any other place whatſoever, then that whereunto their Countrey have choſen them; what a ſhame is it to ſee the mercinary long gown-men of the Houſe of Commons to runne up and down like ſo many …ackney Petty-…oggers, from Bar to Bar in Weſtminſter Hall to plead before inferiour Judges? and beſides how can ſuch great practiſers chuſe but mercinarily be engaged to help their clients over a ſtile, in caſe that ever they have to doe with any of their owne Committees? and beſides what is this elſe but to ſell juſtice for money? Beſides, what a ſnare is it to the new Judges (who are placed in the roome of thoſe that have bought, ſold, and betraied the lives, liberties, eſtates of all the free Deni…ons of England) to ſee three or foure eminent p. 206Lawyers, Members of the Houſe of Commons come before them …n an unjuſt cauſe, when they conſider, that if they ſhould diſpleaſe them, it partly lies in their power to turne them out of their places, being they are (as it were) wholly made Judges by the Houſe of Commons, and nominated by the Lawyers therein: we profeſ…e ſeriouſly that to pull the gownes over theſe mercinary mens eares, and for ever to throw them out of the Houſe of Commons as men unfit to …it there, or to plead at any Bar in England is too little a puniſhment for them, and the ſame (we conceive) doe they deſerve that are Members of the Houſe, and take upon them to ſit as Judges in inferior Courts, by means of which they rob the free-men of England of the benefit of any appeale in caſe of injuſtice, becauſe they have no where to appeale to but the Parliament, where they ſit as Judges in their owne cauſe, which is a moſt wicked intolerable and unjuſt thing in any Judge whatſoever: we hope ſhortly that if theſe men be not aſhamed of their evill herein, ſome honeſt and reſolute hearted Engliſh man will be ſo bold as publickly to poſt up their names as deſtroyers of ☞the Kingdome. And as great an evill 'tis to the Kingdome for Members of the Houſe of Commons to take upon them to bee fingerers and Treaſurers of the publick money of the Kingdome, becauſe they are thereby in a condition to fill their owne coffers, and do what wrong they pleaſe, or elſe how comes it to paſſe that ſo many of their children are ſo richly married of late that were but meane before? (and no man knowes how to call them ☞to account, unleſſe they deale with them as the Romans ſometimes dealt with their Senators, or, as the Switzers dealt with their Tyrants) for the money is the Kingdomes, and not the Members of the Houſe of Commons; and the Kingdome ought in juſtice, reaſon, and right, to have a publick, punctuall, and particular account of it; and therefore it ought not to be in the hands or fingers of thoſe that are able to make ſo great a faction, as are able to protect them from juſtice, and an exact account. O that that gallant man Lieut. Generall Cromwell (to whom the Kingdome for their preſervation under God oweth ſo much) would a little more deny himſelfe, and ceaſe to be a ſtalking horſe, and a dangerous preſident of moſt dangerous conſequence to theſe wicked mercinary Pluraliſts, Non, reſidentary great place p. 207men, for whom an Hoſpitall of any great conſequence cannot fall but they muſt be Governors of it; nor a petty place in the petty bag office, but they muſt get into it: which men, if the Kingdome would rightly conſider it, have juſt cauſe to diſclaime as none of their Patrons, but proclaime as their enemies and deſtroyers, being pecuniary ſelf-ſeekers. For ſo long as Parliament men can get into their hands the riches and treaſures of the Kingdome, and live like Kings and Emperors, and like lawleſſe men, ☜none ſuch being of Gods creation, there will never be an end of this Parliament, which by its everlaſting continuance, by the abuſes of lawleſſe and rotten-hearted men, will become the moſt abſolute burthen and greateſt oppreſſion that ever was upon the ☜people; when as in times by paſt, it uſed to be their only remedy from their oppreſſion and oppreſſors. In a Pamphlet entituled, Yet another word to the wiſe, there's a Letter directed To Maſter John Muſgrave, choſen to preſent the Countries greivances to the Houſe of Commons, which Letter ſpeaks thus. But the Houſe of Commons inſtead of hearing and redreſſing your greivances, have added new greivances unto thoſe which formerly you have ſuffered in their owne quarrell againſt the common enemy, they have unjuſtly impriſoned you theſe laſt twelve moneths, protected Traytors among themſelves from the Law, &c. Yet we ſhall rather with tears ſeek their repentance then their perſiſting in ſuch courſes, ſeeing they are placed in lawfull authority, and have a good Cauſe, though they ſeeke too much their owne, &c. And as for their lamentable ſubmiſſion to the Biſhops ſervants the Presbyterian Synodians in eſtabliſhing that wil-worſhip and Popiſh maintenance, which now themſelves doe well know to be jure diabolico, through theſe blind guides their Diviners and Southſayers inability to anſwer their Queres whereby to prove themſelves jure divino, ſurely if they will notwithſtanding obſtinatly perſiſt in ſuch wilfull, dangerous, and unwarrantable courſes, they will doubtleſſe ſhow themſelves to be fighters againſt God, his truth and people to their owne deſtruction without ſpeedy converſion. In a Pamphlet entituled Liberty againſt Slavery, there's a Letter written by a Sectary call'd An e…cellent Letter, written by a priſoner to a worthy Member of the Houſe of Commons, where are theſe paſſages: O, where is juſtice? may not theſe royall p. 208plunderers as well juſtifie all their Robberies and Depraedations, as either our Houſe of Commons or the Houſe of Peeres theſe ☞kinds of impriſonments and commitments? Nay, is it not the greateſt injuſtice when done under the colour of juſtice. Sir, I aſſure you, it were leſſe greivous unto us to die at once then to be thus inſlaved and fami…hed in your cruell priſon houſes, where we are expoſed to all miſery, contempt, obloquie and ſcorne of the worſt men, and thereby the hearts of our wives and aged Parents broken with greif. Sir, be pleaſed to conſider how by theſe and the like doings the affections of many thouſands of people is eſtranged from you, who have formerly adventured all to uphold you in your authorities; and if this courſe be continued, we ſhall not, we cannot thinke and ſay leſſe then that the Parliament (and not the Prerogative) makes us a bondage and miſerable people. And ſome already do not ſpare to ſay that the Parliament is now become the burthen of the Kingdome. You were ☞intruſted by the people for their good, and not for the continuation of their thraldome; let us then have juſtice, which without ſhowing your ſelves to be moſt unjuſt men, you cannot any longer deny us. The Pamphlet entituled Englands Birth-right, page 33. ſpeaking of the Commons in Parliament, ſaith, By which manifeſt abuſing, negligent, and not true uſing the Lawes, oppreſſions, miſcheifes, greivances, are no leſſe (if not far more) increaſed then they were before the Parliament began; and many times by the powerfull intereſt of a faction in the Parliament to ſave ſome ☞one, two or three of their Members undeſerving credits, they ſo violate the knowne, unrepealed and declared Law of the Land, yea and their owne Votes, Ordinances, Declarations and Proteſtations, as if they had never made them: I ſay, all theſe things conſidered, ought not the free men of England, who have laboured in theſe deſtroying times both to preſerve the Parliament and their owne native freedomes and birth-rights, not only to chuſe new Members where they are wanting once every yeer, but alſo to renew and inquire once a yeere after the behaviour and carriage of thoſe they have choſen. Lilburne in that Pamphlet of his call'd Innocency and Truth juſtified, page 75. ſpeak… thus of the Houſe of Commons▪ But it may be you will ſay the Houſe of Commons is not at leaſure by reaſon of publick; I anſwer, leſſe then an hours p. 209time will ſerve my turne in this particular, and tis very ſtrange in 5. yeers ſpace ſo much time cannot be found from the publick to tranſmit my buſines; ſure I am they can find time enough to ſettle great & rich plac… upon ſome of themſelves, and to enjoy them for al their owne Ordinances to the contrary; yea, and I know ſome of them hath plurality of places, and I ſay the thing I deſire of them is more juſtly my due then any of their great places are theirs, and therefore I hope they have no true cauſe to be angry with me for craving juſtice at their hands; And page 37. I am abſolutely of this mind, that neither a Committee of the Houſe of Commons, nor the whole Houſe of Commons together can juſtly impriſon me, or any other contrary to a Law which at preſent there is not ſome Ordinance made both by them and the Peers publick at preſent to overthrow it. But I have ſeverall times been impriſoned by the Committees, and by Vote of the Houſe of Commons it ſelfe contrary to a knowne Law made this preſent ☜Parliament by themſelves, againſt which there is at preſent no Ordinance publiſhed and declared by them and the Peeres for the Cognizance of: Ergo, I ſay they are tied in juſtice according to tenor of this Law, to give me reparations againſt thoſe perſons that were cheife inſtruments either in Committees, or in the Houſe of Commons it ſelfe, to Vote and take away my Liberty from me, contrary to this Law, and for my part I doe accordingly expect my reparations for my late cauſeleſſe moleſtations and ☜impriſonments. A pamphlet entituled A Remonſtance to their owne Houſe of Commons, page 11. ſpeakes thus to the Honorable Commons. For we muſt deale plainly with you, ye have long time acted more like the Houſe of Peers then the Houſe of Commons: we can ſcarcely approach your doore with a requeſt or motion, though by way of Petition, but ye hold long debates, whether we break not your Priviledges: The King or the Lords pretended Prerogatives never made a greater noiſe, nor was made more dreadfull then the name of Priviledge of the Houſe of Commons. Your Members in all Impoſitions muſt not be taxed in the places where they live like other men: Your ſervants have their priviledges too: To accuſe or proſecute any of you is become dangerous to the proſecutors. …e have impriſonments as frequently, p. 210for either witneſſes or proſecutors, as ever the Star-chamber had; and ye are furniſhed with new deviſed arguments to prove, that ye only may juſtly doe thoſe groſſe injuſtices ☞which the Star chamber, High Commiſſion, and Councel board might not doe, Yee now frequently commit mens perſons to priſon without ſhowing cauſe: Ye examine men upon interrogatories and queſtions againſt themſelves, and impriſon them for refuſing to anſwer: Yee have entertained to be your Committees ſervants, thoſe very prowling Va…le…s that were employed by thoſe un juſt Courts, who took pleaſure to torment honeſt conſcionable people, yea, vexe and moleſt honeſt men for matters of Religion and differences with you and your Synod in judgement, and take upon you to determine of Doctrine and Diſcipline, approving this, and rep…thing that, juſt like unto former ☞ignorant politick and ſuperſtitious Parliaments and … cations. So page 17. Truly tis a ſad thing, but too true, a plaine quiet minded man in any place in England is juſt like a harmleſſe ſheep in a thicke…, can hardly move or ſti… but he ſhall be ſtretched and loſe his wooll: ſuch Committees have ye made in all Cities and Countries, and none are ſo ill uſed as honeſt godly men. Ye… have now …are full 5. yeers, which is 4. yeers longer then we intended, for we could chuſe you but for (at moſt) one yeer; and now we wiſh ye would publiſh to all the world the good that you have done for us, the liberty you have brought us unto, &c. And if y… beleeve there is a God, ye muſt beleeve it, and if ye do beleeve it, conſider the way …ye have …d, and truly repent, ſhow it by w… ing contrary to what ye have done, or purpoſed to do, and let us quickly and ſpeedily … thereof; for God is a God that taketh v…nge…, and will not ſuffer you to go on to your rui….

And … in theſe and … other printed paſſages, the Sectories … their in ſol… againſt the Houſe of Commons, ſo they declare their inſol… in ſeverall other particulars, as

Firſt, in going with a high hand againſt Votes paſſed in that Houſe; for inſtance, when a paſſage in a Letter ſent … the Houſe of Commons after Naz…by fight about liberty of conſcience, was upon debate Voted and Ordered by the Houſe to be left out, and was not in the Copies printed by co…d of the Houſe; p. 211the Sectaries preſently printed that paſſage, and beſides bare printing it, did it with a blaming of them who leſt it out in the Letters printed, and being printed it was ſet up upon Church doores to make it more publick, viz. the Churches of greateſt reſort of people, as at Stepny at the time of Maſter Burroughs preaching, and printed in a ſheet with ſome motives to the Presbyterians for liberty of conſcience at the end of it, as a paſſage in ſuch a Letter written by ſuch a man (whoſe name I forbeare printing,)

Secondly, in ſcoffing at and writing againſt the priviledges of Members of the Houſe of Commons, and declaring themſelves againſt thoſe proviſoes of exemptions made of Members in the Houſe of Commons upon any Ordinances, as that of Accounts, &c. declaring, they are as free as any Members of that Houſe, and that they ought not to be in bondage to any Law o… Ordinance that they will not ſtand to, declaring againſt theirs and their ſervants freedome from areſts, ſuits, &c. divers ſcoffing paſſages to which purpoſe the Reader may …inde in Lilbur…s innocency and truth juſtified, and other Pamphlets above named.

Thirdly in taking notice of publickly, and publiſhing in pri…t matters in the Houſe under debate and deliberation there, before agreed on and reſolved, yea and ſpeaking their pleaſure of ſuch things, and branding the Members who have brought in, or ſpoken to ſuch things, of which there are many inſtances, as in the Ordinance for the preventing of the growing and ſpreading of Hereſies, Blaſphemies, brought into the Houſe of Commons, they printed it, they made Obſervations▪ Animadverſions, Queres, Invectives againſt it, ſpoke againſt thoſe worthy Members by name who preſented it, and all when it was but newly under debate; for proofe of all which particulars let the Reader look upon theſe, following Pamphlets: S…e mo…ſ… and …umble Queres concerning a printed paper entituled An Ordinance preſented to the Honorable Houſe of Commons, for the preventing of the growing of Hereſies: A D… to the Bill for preventing the growth and ſpreading of Hereſies. Some breif Obſervations upon the foregoing Ordinance.

Maſter Burtons Conformities Deformity, Pag. 17. Overtons. Arrow againſt all Tyrants, pag. 12. 13, 14. of which Ordinance yet but under debate in that Houſe this Overton writes, That by the p. 212powerfull agitation of Maſter Taet and Maſter Bacon, two Members of the Houſe, a moſt Romiſh Inquiſition Ordinance had obtained admiſſion into the Houſe, there to be twice read, and to be referr'd to a Committee, which is of ſuch a nature, if it ſhould be but confirmed, enacted and eſtabliſhed, as would draw all the innocent bloud of the Saints, from righteous Abel unto this preſent upon this Nation, and fill the Land with more Martyrdoms, Tyrannies, Cruelties and Oppreſſio…, then ever was in the bloudy dayes of Queen Mary, yea or ever before or ſince: For I may boldly ſay, that the people of this Nation never heard of ſuch a diabolicall, murthering, devouring Ordinance, Order, Edict o… Law in their Land, as is that. So when the Aſſemblies laſt Petition about Church-Government was in the Houſe under debate, Maſter Salt…ariſh takes notice of it, prints is, writes againſt it.

Fourthly, In a contemptuous carriage to the commands of the Houſe of Commons, in refuſing to anſwer any queſtions propounded, and inſtead of anſwering, charging the Houſe of Commons with injuſtice, &c. as is to be ſeen in a Letter of Lilburnes to his friend (and divers other Pamphlets. Yea Lilburne in a Book lately printed, even ſince his Appeale from the Lords Houſe was accepted by the Commons (as himſelfe ſaith) and he ſo favourably and patiently heard by the Committee of the Houſe of Commons to conſider of the priviledges of the Commoners of England, as appeares by a wicked Pamphlet intituled An Anatomy of the Lord… Tyran…y and unjuſtice exerciſ…d upon Lieutenans Colonel Lilburne) brands the Houſe of Commons with injuſtice, ingratitude, ſaying page 20. of Londons liberty in chains diſcovered, that he could never in his life enjoy juſtice from the Houſe of Commons, although (ſaith he) I have wa…ted upon them therefore this ſixe yeers, and followed them as cloſe as any man (I think) in England: and I have beene as ſerviceable to the Common-wealth of England in my place and condition, as any one man whatſoever that ſite in that Houſe; though I have beene ungratefully dealt with by them as ever man in England was.

Fifthly, In oppoſing the power of the Houſe of Commons in medling with matters of Religion, making any Lawes, Ordinances or Orders in reference to matters of Church-Government. p. 213Maſter John Goodwin firſt preached againſt their power in this kind, becauſe they were choſen by the common people of the Land, worldlings, prophane perſons, ignorant, &c. who having no knowledge in Religion, and ſo likely to chuſe ſuch as themſelves, were unfit for ſuch a work: and afterwards in print being charged with it by Maſter Prynne, as proved againſt him before the Committee of plundered Miniſters, he juſtifies his Preaching; of which the Reader may ſee more in thoſe Anſwers and Replyes that paſſed betwixt Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Pryn, and particularly in Mr. Pryns Truth triumphing over falſhood, Epiſt. Dedicat. and in the Book pag▪ 106, 107, 108. The Author of the laſt warning to all the inhabitants of London, pag. 5. ſaith, That the betruſted Commons have not permitted this liberty in policie of every one worſhipping God as they will, but in Juſtice and upon mature knowledge, that they neither are, nor can be betruſted to make Lawes to rule men in the practice of Religion. The Sectaries Remonſtrance to their own Houſe of Commons (as they call the Honorable Houſe) pag. 12, 13. ſpeaking of matters that concern the worſhip of God, denys the Commons any power at a… to conclude the people in ſuch things, It is not for you to aſſume a power to controule and force Religion, or to force a way of Church-Government upon the people, becauſe former Parliaments have ſo done; and affirms the Commons could not have ſuch a power juſtly entruſted upon them by the people that truſted them. And what need any further witneſſe? The Houſe of Commons to their faces in the laſt …aſt Sermon before them, heard ☜enough by Maſter Dell a famous Sectary, and the Generalls Chaplaine, againſt their power and authority to meddle in things of this kind.

Fifthly, the Sectaries have written publikely and ſpoken openly againſt many particular Members of both Houſes by name, yea againſt the Honourable Speakers of both Houſes by name, and divers other prime eminent Members, of note as well for their eſtates and ranks out of the Houſes, as power in the Houſes, calling by name ſome of them Traitors, Achan…, accuſing them of treaſon and wilfull betraying of their Countries and Truſts, as the Religious Earl of Mancheſter, Sir Henry Vane Senior, Maſter Barwis; charging others by their ſeverall names with other crimes, as injuſtice, oppreſſion, p. 214protecting of Delinquents, ſending many thouſand pounds to the King at Oxford, procuring by their publike places in the Houſe, contrary to the Self-denying Ordinances, private and profitable places to themſelves, pride and loftineſſe of carriage, breach of promiſes, giving out of the Scots that they have a wicked deſign, tending to the prejudice of the State. It would fill up many pages to relate all the paſſages in Lilburns, Overtons, Maſter Muſgra…es Books, Englands Birth-right, and ſuch like Pamphlets of Sectaries againſt ſome of the Peers by name, as th… thrice Noble and Worthy Earl of Eſſex …tely deceaſed, the Earl of Stamford, Lord H…ſden, and divers of the Commons, as Sir Arthur Hazelrig, Maſter Lilſle, Maſter Glyn, Maſter Blackſtone, Maſter Gorbet, Maſter Whitaker, Maſter Allen, Maſter T…et, Maſter B…on, yea they fall foule upon Sir Henry Van… the younger, Maſter Sollicitor, Liev…enant Generall Cromwell, Sir Henry Mildmay, Maſter Holland, &c. and would have them turned out of their places, as being Nonrefidentiaries, Pluraliſts, ſtrengthening others in thoſe wayes by their examples, telling them theſe other places diſtinct from their Memberſhips of Parliament prejudices greatly the Common-wealth, ſowes up their lips, makes them they dare neither ſpeak nor doe what they ſhould, and without which 'tis hoped they would; but I muſt not enlarge more on this head, and therefore referre the Reader to the Books themſelves to peruſe the particulars at large.

Sixthly, The Sectaries have ſpoken, written publikely againſt conteſted with the Committees of Parliament, the Committees of each Houſe, both of the Houſe of Commons and Lords: How Lilburne carried himſelf to the Committee of Examinations his pamphlet entituled The copy of a Letter from Li…t. Col. Lilburne … a Friend ſhewes at large; what Maſter Muſgraves carriage was to a Committee of the Houſe of Commons (of which Maſter Li…ts was the Chair-man) himſelfe relates in his pamphlet entituled Another word to the wi…e; and in that Book he ſpeaks againſt the proceedings of that Committee, and in that of all the Committees of the Houſe of Commons, ſhewing his reaſons why he declined that Committee, and the anſwering of their Interrogatories: Now his words are as followes, I am blamed becauſe I decline the Committee, p. 215how ſhould I expect any good from them, when they dare not, or will not ſuffer our cauſe to be publikely heard and debated, but doe ſhut their doores ☜againſt both our friends, and alſo againſt ſtrangers, contrary to Law, yet ſuffer they our adverſaries whom we accuſe to ſit with their hats on, as Judges in the cauſe, both permitting them, and they taking upon them to examine us. And how can I aſſent unto the Committes demands to bring witneſſes to be examined before ſuch a Committee as cannot, or is not authoriſed to adminiſter an oath, and ſo conſequently cannot determine or give any judgement for or againſt the party accuſed, for that all matters of fact and cauſes criminall are to be tried and determined by the verdict of twelue men upon ſolemne oaths and depoſition of witneſſes▪ And how can I without incurring the hainous ſinne of perjury, ſubmit unto the Arbitrary proceedings and determinations of any Committee, ☜being bound by ſolemne oath and proteſtation to maintaine the Lawes and juſt liberties of the people; and that the Proceeding, Orders and Reſults of the Committees be Arbitrary, and not regulated by the Law, I need no further proofe then that exorbitant and unlimi…ted power they take upon them, and daily exerciſe in ſeazing on free mens goods, and impriſoning their bodies contrary to Law; for which, if they ſhould, as they ought, pay 500. li. a peice, and trebble dommages to every party greived; according to the Statute of 17. Carol. made for the aboliſhing of the Star-chamber, I beleeve they would not adventure ſo boldly to tranſgreſſe. Overton in his Pamphlet call'd A De…ance againſt all Arbitrary uſurpations either of the Houſe of Lords or any other, p 14. 13. declares his contempt…os inſolent carriag towards a Committee of the Lords Houſe, how when he was asked by the Earle of Eſſex two ſeverall times whether he were a printer or no? he anſwered that he would not anſwer any queſtions or Interrogatories whatſoever, but would ſtand to the rights and properties of the people of this Nation, as alſo that he asked the Committee ſome queſtions, talked ſawcily to them, as to know where or before whom he was, What is a Committee of Lords the moſt ſupreme Court of Judicature in the Land? Gentlemen, if you be a Committee of Lords, then I appeale▪ from you.

Seventhly, the Sectaries have carried themſelves in word and deed inſolently againſt the Parliament of England, not only (as I have fully proved) abuſing apart, the Houſe of Lords, the Houſe of p. 216the Commons, Commit. of each Houſe, and divers particular Members of both Houſes by name, but as conjunct in their Authority Power, and that in both the ſenſes in which the Parliament is taken, whether as we meane the three Eſtates in Parliament in their Legiſlative power, the King, the Lords, the Commons, or whether the Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament making the higheſt Court to puniſh other Courts and offendors according to Lawes already made, and having a power to make Ordinances and to ſet out rules and directions in emergent occaſions of the Kingdome till a Law can be made. Now in the firſt acception of Parliament the Sectaries have by word, writing, and all their proceedings (eſpecially of late,) overthrowne Parliaments, and the fundamentall conſtitution of the three eſtates, King, Lords and Commons, and that in denying all Legiſlative power to the King and Lords, and of three Eſtates, leaving and making but one, cutting off both King and Lords from their unqueſtionable legall power according to the Lawes and fundamentall conſtitution of the Government of this Kingdome; yea indeed deſtroying all the three eſtates, taking away all the power and authority from the King, Lords, and Commons, and placing it in the univerſall people, giving them power to doe what they will, and as often as they will, as being the Creator of all, and making the King, Lords, and Commons their meere creatures, to be diſpoſed of as they pleaſe; and as the Sectaries are againſt the power of the three Eſtates in Parlia. to make new Lawes, giving this Legiſlative power only to the Commons, and that to at the diſcretion of the people, ſo are they againſt the Lawes and Acts already made by King, Lords, and Commons aſſembled in Parliament, having inveighed againſt all Lawes from firſt to laſt both Common and Statute, yea againſt Magna Charta it ſelfe, calling it a poore and beggarly thing, below a Freeman, &c. of the proofes of which particulars, though the Sectaries Books are full, I ſhall only name one place in the Remonſtrance of the Sectaries to their owne Houſe of Commons, page 15. where they ſpeak thus to the Commons: Yee know the Lawes of this Nation are unworthy of a free people, and deſerve from first to laſt to be conſidered, and ſeriouſly debated and reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reaſon, Magna Charta it ſelfe p. 217is but a beggarly thing, containing many marks of intolerable bondage, and the Lawes that have beene made ſince by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our Government much more oppreſſive and intolerable; and in all their Books they ſpeak againſt the knowne poſitive Lawes of the Land, and cry out for Lawes according to right reaſon, and for naturall primitive rights, the juſt rights and prerogative of mankind, which as they are the ſonnes of Adam, from him they have legitimatly derived; of which they make themſelves the ſole Judges, for otherwiſe our Anceſtors who firſt founded this government and Lawes, and the Parliaments ever ſince in all ages being rationall men, have judged the preſent forme of Government and the Lawes to be moſt agreeable to Right Reaſon and Equity for this Nation, and accordingly have confirmed and rati…ied them ſo many times. Now if this inſolent outragious carriage of many Sectaries be well conſidered, it will be found Treaſon in the higheſt forme, not only againſt the King but the Kingdome too, as my Lord Cook ſpake in the caſe of the Gunpouder Traytors, they having plotted, endeavoured, written many Books, done many actions to overthrow the fundamentall conſtitution and lawes of this Kingdome, and that not by blowing up one Parliament, ☜but by their gun-powder ſpirits labouring to deſtroy all Parliaments in their conſtitution of three Eſtates for ever; and if Strafford and Canterbury for endeavouring to ſubvert the▪ fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome (though they profeſſed ignorance in many things, and for what they did pleaded the command of the King, and carried themſelves with all du…ifull ſubmiſſion to the Parliament, not to their faces, and in the time of a Parliament endeavouring to overthrow Parliaments and Lawes, and confronting them) were yet charged and ſuffered death; how many deaths hath Lilburne, Overton, and the reſt of their fellowes deſerved, ☜who have with ſo much violence ſought the overthrow of the three Eſtates and the Lawes of the Kingdome, and in the ſtead of the Fundamentall Government Lawes and Conſtitution of this Kingdome to ſet up an Utopian Anarchie of the promiſcuous multitude, and the …uſts and uncertaine fancies of weake people for Lawes and Rules; and if theſe audacious men and their daring books ſhall eſcape without exemplary puniſhment; p. 218and inſtead thereof, be countenanced and ſet free, I do as a Miniſter pronounce that the plague of God will fall upon the heads of thoſe who are the cauſe of it.

A…d in the ſecond acception of the Parlia. for what hath been done by the joynt power of both Houſes in their Ordinances and commands, yea the power which they claime, and is expreſſed in the Writs by which they make ſuch Ordinances and command obedience to them, both the Authority and the Ordinances following from that Authority are denied and reproached all kind of wayes by the Sectaries; and here I have ſo large a feild to walke in that I might make a fourth part of Gangraena in laying open the particulars of this kind, but I will only ſpeak a few things: In the generall, the Authority of both Houſes of Parliament in matters of Religion and all Ordinances whatſoever tending that way, have beene all viol…ed with a high hand and trampled unde… foot with ſcorne and deteſtation openly declared againſt in the ſtrangeſt manner that ever was in any age.

Now for the Sectaries oppoſing the Parliaments Authority to eſtabliſh Church-government, and to ſet up the true Religion, I will among many quote only three: Firſt, Collyer a Maſter Sectary, in his Queres p. 24. anſwering that queſtion, what power, &c. ſaith, they have none at all; and that tis one of the firſt and greateſt degrees of Antichriſtian tyranny, for man to aſſume to himſelf power in ſpirituall things, vide p. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Secondly, Mr. Burton in his Pamphlet entituled Conformities Deformity (it being the maine ſcope of his Book) ſpeaks againſt the power and practiſe of this State and preſent Parliament to enact a Law to binde all to conformity in Religion, and makes it to be the feare of God raught by the precept of men, to be hypocriſie, idolatry, to be that which turnes men away from the truth, and ſo from Chriſt, page 7. 15. and in page 12, 1…. he writes thus. A…d therefore in this time of pretended Reformation (belike the Parliament doth but pretend Reformation, becauſe it ſets not up by a Law Independencie and Sectariſme, Presbyteriall Government, the Di…ctory, Confeſſion of Faith, Catechiſme, being all but pretended Reformation with Maſter Burton) to erect this great Idoll, to wi…, a power in man to preſcribe Lawes, and to l…gi… commandements for worſhip and p. 219Church government, and to preſſe them upon every mans conſcience: w… is it but with Nebuchadnezzar to erect this golden Image, and with an immortall Law of the Medes and Perſians to bind all men to fall downe and worſhip it? Or what is it, but with Jeroboam and his Councell to ſet up the golden Calves with a ſtrict comandement of univerſa…l conformity? none daring among all thoſe ten Tribes openly to pro…eſſe the pure worſhip of God, ſaving the Prophet Elijah, to whom theſe ſeven thouſand were not knowne: The Parliament may do well to take notice that he reſembles their ſettling Church-government and Religion among us to Nebuchadnezzars erecting his golden Image, and Jeroboams ſetting up the golden Calves. Thirdly, the Pamphlet entituled The tender Conſcience religiouſly affected deſcanting upon a part of the Preamble of an Ordinance made by the Lords and Commons concerning ſuſpenſion of ignorant and ſcand alous perſons from the Lords Supper, where the Parliament ſaith never any of Gods ſervants ſince the… foundation of the world had … high and ſtrong engagements beartily and ſincerely to endeavour the compleat eſtabliſhment of purity and unity in the Church of God then we have, charges the Parliament with ſpeaking of blaſphemy, and aske where had the Lords and Commons this large Commiſſion to middle▪ in the affairs of King Jeſus ſo farre, &c. 2. For the Sectaries oppoſing all the Ordinances of Parliament in matters of Religion and tending to Religion (to ſay nothing now of Ordinances in civill m…tters, as the additionall Ordinance of Accounts, Lillurnes Innocency, and Truth juſtified, page 69. the Ordinance of Exciſe, the Ordinances for Takes ſpoken againſt in Englands birth-right, page 44, 4….) tis ſo apparent that I can give not only paſſages out of Books written againſt all the Ordinances in that kind, but relate inſolent tumultuous practiſes contrary unto, and in ſcorne and contempt of the Ordinances of Parliament. There are many books and paſſages in books written againſt the Ordinance ☜of Tyths, as that Pamphlet call'd Ordinance for Tyths Diſ…ted, Englands Birthright, A Copie of a Letter written to Maſter William Pr…, with divers others, wherein they ſpeak both againſt the thing and the Parliament, calling Tyths Antichriſtian, Jewiſh, Diaboli…, the root and ſupport of Popery, &c. charging the Parliament with breach of …ovenant for making that p. 220Ordinance. There are Sermons preached all the Kingdome over againſt this Ordinance of Tyths, that being one of their ſubjects commonly in all their preachings, and the Sectaries in places have abuſed and beaten thoſe who have beene gathering of Tyths, and themſelves deny payment, and provoke others not to pay by all the meanes they can. A great Sectary in Bermonſey pariſh being call'd in queſtion for non-payment of his Tyths, by vertue of the Ordinance of Parliament, ſaid of that Ordinance, the Parliament had made an Ordinance to rob men, and they who executed it ☞were theeves and robbers. The Ordinance againſt mens preaching not being Ordained, how hath it beene ſcoffed at in ſeverall Pamphlets of the Sectaries, and how doe ſouldlers and every mechanick, not only diſobey it, but put by many godly Miniſters from their Pulpits preaching whether they will or no, cauſing many tumults and riots in Churches, yea threatning and laying Miniſters by the heeles for publiſhing it. The Ordinance for the better obſervation of the monthly Faſt, how hath it beene and is ſlighted by the Sectaries, ſpoken againſt as legall, popiſh, not obſerved, but things done in contempt of the Faſt? and when civill Officers have queſtioned people for travelling, and worldly works on thoſe dayes, ſome Sectaries have oppoſed them in the execution of their offices, the proofe of which particular, and that of committing a Miniſter to priſon for reading the Ordinance againſt Lay mens preaching, the Reader may finde it in the Letters ſent from the Committee of Exeter to ſome in London. The Nationall Covenant taken by both Houſes, and appointed by Ordinance with ſolemne inſtructions for all to take it, how fearfully is it ſcoffed at and jeared in many Books of the Sectaries, Arraignment of Perſecution, &c. and forced Jeſuiticall equivocations and interpretations put upon it by many, as by Walwyn in A word more to Maſter Edwards, as by Cretenſis in his large Preface to the Reader before his Anapologeſiates Antapologias? The Nationall Covenant is called a double faced Covenant, the greateſt make-bate and ſnare that ever the Devill, and the Clergy his Agents caſt ☞in among honeſt men in England in our age: which I dare pawne my head and life ſo to prove it to be in a fair and publick diſcourſe againſt the greateſt maintainer thereof in England, Lilburns Londons p. 221liberty in chains diſcovered, page 42. The Directory eſtabliſhed by Ordinance, is in ſeverall Books of the Sectaries ſpoken much againſt, reſembled to Jeroboams calves, ſaid to have contradictions to the Canonicall Scriptures: Turners Heavenly confidence for Syons Saints, page 64, 65. ſcoffed at in a Ballad, call'd A Prophecie of the Swin…herds deſtruction. The Ordinances for the Presbyteriall Government, and the Government it ſelfe in the going to ſet it up have beene preached, written againſt, and all manner of wayes oppoſed by the Sectaries. What hath beene more familiar and common with the Sectaries in their Pulpits and Books, then to call the Presbyterian Government Antichriſtian, a …lim of Anti-chriſt, Tyrannicall, Lordly, cruell, a worſe bondage then under the Prelates, a bondage under Taskmaſters as the Iſraelites in Egypt, beſides many bitter jeares and ſcoffs have beene made both of the Government and Ordinances, as … The Arraignment of Perſecution, Martins Eccho, Ordinance for …y…s diſmounted, The laſt warning to all the Inhabitants of London; as alſo they have made diſgracefull pictures of the Presbytery, one printed and joyned to a paper call'd Severall Votes of tender conſciences, another to a Pamphlet call'd The tender Conſcience religiouſly affected. But among all the Sectaries Books abuſing the Parliaments Ordinances about Presbyteriall Government, let the Reader take notice of the Pamphlet call'd Tender conſcience religiouſly affected, propounding queſtions of weighty conſequence, in which the Author deſcants upon the Ordinances of Parliament, and charges them with ſpeaking blaſphemy, and many other crimes, and the Ordinance for Tyths diſmounted, where that Sectary ſpeaking occaſionally of the Ordinance of Parliament for the Lords Supper, ſaith, For indeed at the firſt onſet it was not policie to ruſh ſuch a diabolicall and vill…nous invention point blanck upon us, with an It is decreed and ordained by the Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament: But after a more myſterious manner of Ordination, ſlily intrude it upon us unawares in the godly and ſpecious vizor of Rules and Directions, as if our Parliament men …ad ſuch a ſpirituall and holy care …ver …s, to give us ſuch wholſome and … directions, … indeed under this innocent apparition in the ſhape of Lam…, they are no other then ravening Woolves rending and tearing us in p…ces; againe, this Sectary p. 222ſpeaking of Parliament men about their Ordinance, ſaith, But what they are let all the people judge, let them conſider whether there can be the leaſt dram of honeſty or Religion in them, or reſpect to the liberty of this freeborne Nation therein, ſeeing they lay upon us a heavier …eake then ever was laid upon us in the dayes of the Biſhops? It will be the greateſt thraldom and bondage that …ver the Kingdome was involved into, and by this Ordinance of the Supper, I am afraid we ſhall all go ſupperleſſe to bed, and ſpeaking of the Claſſes, Synods, he addes, if we can finde no Juſtice there we may appeale (for ſooth) to our Gods themſelves, the Parliament ☞(life everlaſting world without end) of who…, how may we expect… or juſtice th… that thus before hand w… with the ſtings of Scorpions, and gri…d us betweene the devouring jawes of ſuch diviliſh tyr…icall Courts which will even cruſh our …s in peices, and ſqueeſe out our very marrow and juyce, and …ck out our very hearts bloud like ſo many greedy …? And as I have ſhown how the Preſbyteriall Government and Ordinances for it, have beene by word and writing oppoſed, ſo I ſhall give ſome inſtances of the Sectaries inſolent actings and workings againſt it. In London when according to command of Authority, the Miniſters and people met to ſet up the Government, to chuſe Elders in Congregations, ſome Sectaries came into Churches when they were …uſing, and made a diſturbance by objecting openly againſt the office, a… at A…derſga…, and ſome other Churches; other Sectaries joyned together, hindered the election, objecting they would not chuſe Elders till they had choſen Miniſters firſt, becauſe their Miniſters were put in by the Biſhops in former times, or by the Parliament of late without their formall choyce; an inſtance of the firſt was at Michael crooked …ane, where by the meanes of ſome Sectaries the Election was hindered, and is to this day, and things were carried with a great deale of confuſion and tumult; an inſtance of the ſecond was at Th… Apoſtles: As ſome other Churches, of London, where upon the Church doores a paper was ſet up to give notice of Elders choſen in ſuch places, and that they were to be tried at ſuch a time in ſuch a Church and that if any had any thing to except againſt them they ſhould bring in their exceptions, theſe papers were pu… downe, and in their place a ſcandalous paper call'd ſeverall Vo… of … conſciences, having a diſgracefull picture p. 223of a Presbyter, having Antichriſtian written by him, in the midſt of the Pope and Prelate, was ſet up; as for inſtance 27. of July laſt on the Church doore in Clements Eaſtcheap, the paper about Elders was taken downe, and this paper ſet up. At Dover in Kent, when one of the pariſhes was to chuſe Elders, the Independents and Sectaries carriage was extreme inſolent, as the Reader may obſerve by theſe following paſſages written to me in a Letter from a Reverend Miniſter of that Towne.