Satan at Noon, Animadversion 14
Animad. 14.
Toward the Vindication of the Commiſſioners, from the unmortified tongue of this pretendingly mortified Doctor.
1. He excepts againſt Mr. Dunch, and why, becauſe Mr. Dunch looked upon him as worſe than a Felon, and asked him how he durſt to deny the God-head of Ieſus Chriſt? this was before the Ordinance came forth for ejection.
Anſw. A ſavory Speech from a Religious, Zealous Gentleman, our Soules deſire that of his owne Order he had more company in his Goſpell-Zeale which is according to knowledge; pray how did Saint Paul looke on the falſe Apoſtles, who did not arrive to that height of expreſſe Blaſphemy as you have done in any proportion? did not he look upon them as witches? How did Peter look upon the Gnoſticks, when he called them curſed children, going in the way of curſing Balaam? How did Polycarpus look upon Marcion, when he called him the firſt begotten of Sathan? or Conſtantne upon Arrius, when he named him the Image of the Devill?
How doe you thinke the Senat of Bazil looked on David George, when they did execution upon his bones, and burned them to aſhes? How did the Senat of Geneva, look upon Servetus a Spaniard, a Blaſphemer of the Son of God, when they burnt him? pouring out his Soul in the midſt of his Blaſphemies in the very fire, and this was done by the adviſe of Calvin, Oecolampadius, Melancthon, and the Churches of Helvetia.
How did the Senate of Berne look on Valentine Gent. they arraigned him, and ſentenced him to Death for his Blaſphemies againſt the Lord Jeſus, and the Sentence was executed upon him? Aretius tells us he diſſembled at the very place, nay, at the very point of Execution; and when they were ejecting him out of the world (as you did when you were ejected out of your living) he boaſted, ſe pro gloriâ altiſſimi pati, that he ſuffered for the glory of the moſt high God: did not the Senate look upon him as bad as a Felon? to come neerer. How did Queen Elizabeth look upon Hacket think you, a Blaſphemer of the Lord Chriſt, when he was hanged and quartered, and whereas commonly people at ſuch a ſpectacle are compaſſionate, now by the hearing of the Blaſphemies of this Seducer upon the Ladder, as ſoon as the Ladder was turned (as*Multitudine poſtulante demittitur, exenteratuſque membratim diſſecatur. Annal. par. 4. Cambden tells us) they cut him down, and pulled out his very heart.
When Gortyn and his crew had vented theſe three things eſpecially, in New-England;
See the Hiſtory of New-England, pag. 186. Anno 1643.1. That Chriſt was no otherwiſe borne, than in the heart of Believers, and that he and his were perſonally Chriſt.
2. That Ordinances were but Silver ſhrines, made for Diana.
3. His diſowning of, and contempt againſt the civill Magiſtrate.
How did many of theſe godly Magiſtrates look upon them there? how did Mr. Cotton publickly and privately preſſe the Magiſtrate, not to ſuppreſſe their Doctrines only, but to puniſh them as Malefactors; Nay, Mr. Wilſon an humble, tender, meek-hearted man, did profeſſe, that if the Magiſtrate ſhould condemne them, he would be the firſt man ſhould throw the firſt ſtone at them.
How did the Magiſtrates in England look on*Prefat. Barth. Legat. Ob nefandos errores Hareſes, & deteſtandas Blasphemias, & execranda Dogmata: the Kings writ to the Sheriffe of London: the Narrative of King James by M… Sparke, Printed, 1651. at the latter end. Barth: Legat of London for theſe Blaſphemies amongſt many others?
1. That Chriſt was not God.
2. That there were no Perſons in the Trinity.
3. That Chriſt was not God from everlaſting, but began to be God at his Incarnation.
4. That the Apoſtles did teach Chriſt to be Man onelyonly.
5. That Chriſt was not to be prayed unto.
Who for theſe Hereſies was convented, condemned, and burnt in Smithfield, Anno 1611.
How did they look upon*Super refandis haereſ. C… inthi, Vale tiniani. Arrii, M…cedonii Sim: Magi, Man. King James hi… W…it to the Sheriffe of the County, ubi ſupra. Edward Wightman of Burton upon Trent, who was likewiſe arraigned, ſentenced, and burnt at Litchfield for theſe blaſphemous opinions:
1. That Jeſus Chriſt was not the true naturall Son of God.
2. That Jeſus Chriſt was a meere Creature.
3. That the holy Ghoſt is not God.
4. That he the ſaid Edward Wightman is that perſon ſpoken of in Deut. 18.18. (I will raiſe them up a Prophet.)
How did the Parliament in 1643. look upon the denyers of the Divinity of our Lord Chriſt, Anti-Scripturiſts, &c. but as felons, and worſe than felons?
How did the laſt Parliament in 1654. three months ſince, look upon Biddle and Tawney, reprochers of the Lord Jeſus and the bleſſed Spirit, and Scriptures, but as Felons? Some doe think that they had looked upon them ſo, that in caſe of their pertinacy, no man ſhould have looked upon them in theſe Nations for ſome yeares; had not the Seſſion been concluded by the expiration of their time. They declared their judgment by the commitment of their bodies to the common Gaole, and by burning Biddles book by the hand of the Executioner, in London and Weſtminſter.
Nay above all theſe, and which is the ground of theſe, How doth God look on Blasp…emers and Idolaters, read Deut. 13.7, 8, 9, 10. Here are two things obſervable.
1. It is evident, the Civill Sword was appointed as a remedy againſt Blasphemy: And
2. That it was the appointment of Jeſus Chriſt, the Angel of Gods preſence, whom the Jews tempted in the Wilderneſſe, 1 Cor. 10.9. and therefore it is not true that the Lord Chriſt never appointed the Civill Sword as a remedy in the caſe of Blaſphemy, for he did expreſly appoint it in the Old Teſtament, and he never did abrogate it in the New. The reaſon of the Law (which is the life of Law) is of eternall equity, viz. Becauſe he hath ſought to thruſt thee away from the Lord thy God, ver. 9, 10. If Magiſtrates be the Miniſters of God in the New Teſtament, (as they are called Rom. 13.4.) and Miniſters to puniſh evill doers, then ſurely either this is no evill, viz. to ſeek to thruſt away Gods people from him, or elſe the Magiſtrate is to execute vengeance on ſuch, as evill doers, non datur tertium. Godly Magiſtrates of old did take care for the ſoules of the people, and they did it, not as types of Chriſt, but as ſervants of Chriſt; for if they did it as types of Chriſt, then that care is utterly aboliſhed, and this very Ordinance by which the Dr is ejected, would be as unlawfull as to offer Sacrifice, &c. which how irreligiouſly abſurd is it?
That ſaying of the King of Perſia may deſerve the thoughts of Chriſtian Magiſtrates, Whatſoever is commanded by the God of heaven for the houſe of God, let it be done diligently, for why ſhould there be wrath againſt the King and his ſons? Ezra 7.13.
We deſire the Reader to obſerve,
1. That God from Heaven, and Magiſtrates of all forms, as Emperors, Kings, Queens, free States, Parliaments, have looked upon Blaſphemers, Seducers, as bad, nay, worſe than Felons, and theſe aſſiſted by the advice of godly able Miniſters of the Goſpell, and theſe too of all formes. Epiſcopacy, Presbytery, Independency.
Object. Then was then, and now is now.
Anſw. We doe foreſee this objection, becauſe we doe converſe with it, are well acquainted with it, the cryers up of a Toleration, The whore of Babylons back-doore, (as Maſter Cotton calls it) uſe to ſpeak much to this purpoſe. But we ſay,
1. If the power of the Civill Magiſtrate in the things of God and Jeſus Chriſt were a truth then, it is a truth now, (the righteouſneſſe of Gods Teſtimonies is everlaſting) unleſſe they can produce a repeale from God, and they may read till their eyes drop out of their head, before they will find that, as we beleeve.
2. For our parts we would not ſtand at the Barre of Chriſt with this guilt upon our hearts, ſc. of exempting of the Civill Magiſtrate in the caſe aforeſaid, That Religion may look to it ſelfe if it will, if ſhe will have a nurſing Father and Defender, ſhe may ſeek them: we would not thus be guilty for the gaine of the whole world.
3. Our thoughts are, that this objection will not be able to lift up its face, but would think it a friendly office to be buryed under ſome rock or mountaine at the day of Chriſts appearing with all his Saints.
But to proceed.
The next Commiſsioner taxed by the Doctor is Maſter Trapham, and that firſt, for the meanneſſe of his intellectuals. What a bold man is this to cenſure men, and his Superiours, knowing men, and conſcientious? But of this before.
2. For his Paſſion, & why? becauſe he ſaid, he could as willingly run his ſword into the bowels of ſuch a Blasphemer, as into the bowells of a common enemy, a ſhrewd crime indeed: why Doctor, is not Blaſphemy againſt God a greater evill than Enmity amongſt men? the words to any ſober underſtanding can amount to no more than this, that Mr. Trapham is more heartily and zealouſly bent againſt the Enemies of Ieſus Chriſt, than againſt his owne Enemies, and the exerciſes of Civill liberty, that he is more a Chriſtian than an Engliſh Man: Mr. Trapham ſaith to you, as Mr. Dunch did, How durſt you be ſo wicked as to deny the God-head o… Jeſus Chriſt? The Devill durſt not do it, nay did the clean contrary, Mark 5.7. Ieſus the Son of the m…ſt high God torment me not. The Socinians, Familiſts, Quakers, doe out dare and out doe the Devill.
The next is Mr. Cook of Wallingford, indeed his charge is high, but as falſe as falſity, the Doctor charges him, 1 for a ſupplanter of Mr. Wyer, 2. that this Mr. Wyer ſuplanted is a godly man.
1. For his ſupplanting, the naked truth is, that the buſineſſe concerning a Miniſter for Wallingford, was made known to his Highneſſe the Lord Protector, who was pleaſed to refer it to Mr. Caryl, Mr. Peters, Mr. Lockier, who according to his Highneſſes order met, and upon hearing on both ſides, after two houres debate did apprehend, and accordingly did order Maſter Pickney to be the fitter man to be Miniſter of Wallingford, and Mr. Wyer after ſome convenient time to remove; A Copy of this Order we have ſeen, and this the Dr calls ſubtile ſupplanting, and that the Godly party look upon it ſo.
2. As for Mr Wyers godlineſſe, we wiſh it ſo, we are ſorry that we are forced to write what he hath delivered, viz. that the Death of Ieſus Chriſt is not the procuring cauſe of Mans Salvation, a Doctrine toto coelo, inconſiſtent with reall godlineſſe, or any one duty of it.
Object. The Man is known to be a blameleſſe man.
Anſw. Tell us not of that, a man may be without Crime, and without Chriſt, nay, Antichriſtianiſme, it is common caſe now adayes, if his life, or any mans life whatever, in the guilt of ſuch a Blaſphemy, ſhould out-dazle the holineſſe of an Angell, yet we will not ſtick to ſay, that there can be no Salvation, he that will goe to Heaven out of Gods way, muſt enter in without Gods leave.
The next is, Mr. Nutkins, who is reproached by the Doctor for blinde Zeale and rigidneſſe of Spirit; A moſt unjuſt and falſe accuſation: the man is a man of eminency for knowledge, piercing into the Scripture, Soundneſſe and Piety; a man fearing God above many, a long ſtander, and a great proficient in the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, and one of thoſe (happy man he) that loves the truth for the truths ſake, and our Lord Jeſus in ſincerity.
The laſt that were preſent, but not named, are Maſter Stroud, and Major Fincher, whom this Doctor calls more moderate than the reſt, yet their hands were to the Sentence: we reply yea, and their hearts too, and we believe that they would go from one end of the County to the other upon their bare feet, (rather than it ſhould not be done) to rid the Souls of people from ſuch a Blaſphemer, to whom they give no thanks at all for his ſeeming commendation.
The laſt Commiſſioner named by him, but not preſent, is Colonel Arth: Evelyn, a perſon of Conſcience and Honour, whom the Doctor calls, A chief contriver of the deſigne againſt him, and that he ſet the wheel of others Zeal and falſe Paſſion in motion, and that he prejudiced him in London and the Country, telling all he met, that he was abominable and monſtrous, &c.
Anſ. As for deſignes we are not in the leaſt conſcious of any, unleſſe it were a deſign to advance the good of Soules, and to vindicate the fundamentalls of the eeverlaſting Goſpell, from the tongues of Blaſphemy and Lewdneſſe: as for this Gentlemans driving on a deſigne, and ſetting others on worke, and telling all he met, that the Doctor was abominable, here are three untruths in a breath, not one ſentence true, no not one. 'Tis confeſſed, that he hath ſaid to ſome, that this Doctor was an unworthy, falſe, ignorant man, before he was ſentenced, in which he ſpake his knowledge, and he looks upon his ejection, as an act of juſtice in God, and an act of conſcience for God, in the Commiſſioners, and a good mercy from God to the Countrey.
We cannot conceive what deſign this Gentleman is in a capacity to entertaine againſt this Doctor upon any ſelfe account (as this man inſinuates) as though his ejection were not juſtice, but ſome Plot, we doe really aſſure our ſelves, that the Commiſſioners can truly rejoyce that their proceedings were not in fleſhly wiſdome, but in ſingleneſſe and ſincerity in this buſineſſe, and ſo long as they have rejoycing in themſelves, they doe not regard the cenſure of others, they know the praiſes of men cannot cure or cool the Conſcience in point of guilt, neither can the ſtrife and reviling of tongues, in the leaſt diſturb the Conſcience in point of uprightneſſe, it matters not what all the world ſaith, ſo God ſpeak peace: onelyonly they take notice, that
It was very unrighteous, and unconſcionable & daring in this blown-up Dr, to ſpeak evil, and that ſo publickly of his ſuperiors: we doe not believe that any of thoſe great Friends of his (with the frequent report of whom we poore Countrey people are amuſed) would ever incourage him to, or will ſupport him in theſe unjuſt practiſes; we believe it is, and deſire it may be farre from them; we believe he made more bold to vent his ſpleen upon the account of his friends, out of his owne preſumption, than ever he will have thanks for his labour.
As for the Miniſters uſed at pleaſure, made and repreſented as it pleaſed the Doctor, amongst his owne of all ſizes and conditions, their anſwer is this.
They deſire to be found in the bleſſed righteouſneſſe of the Lord Chriſt, (whom they deſire to love above their lives) that in him they may appeare blameleſſe before the Father, and they do ſincerely, though weakly labour, to buckle upon their boſome, the breaſt-plate of righteouſneſſe, which will keep the faces and reproaches of men farre enough off from their hearts.
They crave leave to ſay (as their betters have ſaid, when they reſiſted to blood) non patimur, ſed videmur pati, We ſeem to ſuffer in the eyes of men, we doe not ſuffer in our owne Conſciences.
They hope they are not guilty in the tranſaction of this buſineſſe, to ſuffer as Malefactors in the account of Chriſt, and they know they are moſt unworthy to ſuffer as witneſſes upon the account of Chriſt.
They remember what Luther ſaid (when the Popes paper Bull roared againſt him) ſure (ſaid he) I am afraid becauſe I am unworthy of ſuch an honour, as to ſuffer for Chriſt, this roariag Pope meanes not me. What are they, that they ſhould then be reviled, maligned for the ſake of Jeſus? Whether they have caſt the Doctor with Daniell (as he meekly ſaith) into the Den, or with the three Children into the fire, or whether he hath not caſt the glories of the Goſpell, and the joyes of reall Saints, into Sathans Den, (quantum in ſe) and into the fire of the Pit, the day will reveale, that great day of Revelation.
Theſe Miniſters humbly tell their Fathers in Chriſt, and all their fellow-labourers, that they have been ſo inured to the noiſe of Nilus, that they ſcarce heare it now; they have been ſo accuſtomed to the reproaches of Anabaptiſticall Arminians, Anti-ſabbatarians, Anti-Chriſtians, Anti-ordinanced men, &c. that (they hope they are not vain) they are become deafe to them: they are even almoſt Scandall-Proof.
To conclude, this Doctor calls the Commiſſioners Crucifiers, Plunderers of his holineſſe, at the entrance of his book, and now groſly ſlanders ſome of them. Oh what would theſe men doe, if they had but the liberty of their hands, as they have of their tongues! he clamours as though he were Perſecuted, when he is indeed the Perſecutor; he doth not ſuffer but act Perſecution. Let the Reader judge whether the Commiſſioners Perſecute him, or he Perſecutes the Commiſſioners; what would theſe men doe, if they had power? they ſparkle rage and fury through their eyes and tongues, the Lord grant the Goſpell may never feele the weight of their hands, the little finger of the Familiſt, and Quaking Antiſcripturiſt, would be heavier than the arme of Queen Mary, former perſecutors would paſſe for mercifull men in compariſon of theſe, Haeretici ſanguinarii, and the more ſpirituall the Hereſie, the more bloody: 'tis true, they have either been ſmiling, and fawning, and meek (as they call it) in the cradle, but it is as true they have ever prov'd foule and bloody in the ſaddle. Blaſphemy in hardneſs would be matchleſſe in cruelty: It is good for us to draw nigh to God in this glorious, compleat, (though now vilified) righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt, who hath, and doth, and will deliver us.