Satan at Noon, Animadversion 2
Animad. 2.
Acerrini morſus morientium ferarum, wild beaſts near their end, bite ſo fiercely, they will even make their teeth meet, the unclean ſpirit rends, and foams when he is a departing, and to be ejected, what ailes this Dr to imagine on his bed, and when he cometh forth to tell ſuch a forged, lying tale; 'tis true, his words ſeem ſmooth as oyle, but they be very ſwords he doth not bark much, but he bites, and bites the deeper, becauſe he doth not bark. We conceive the Dr fitting in counſell with his thus, what ſhall we do to blaſt this teſtimony the accuſer hath brought in before theſe men of the world? ſo it ſaith that I ſhould blaſpheme the bloud of their Chriſt, their ordinance will reach me, or they will ſtretch it, and the Prieſts are rigid, adviſe what is best to be done I know Miſtris Grip is the witneſſe againſt me though ſhe doth not appear, nor it named, my conſcience tells me ſo. Re olved upon the queſtion, that it is lawfull for the Dr to ſay what he pleaſe to the commiſſioners to …ave himſelf▪ and to ſay what he pleaſe of the witneſſes to blaſt them, and their teſtimony,
The Dr labours might and main to overthrow this teſtimony, knowing that this (concurring ſo directly, with M…ſter Tickhills, and Maſter Stevens) would help to overthrow him, for his overthrowing the very foundation of faith, and godlineſſe.
We deſire the diſcreet Reader to obſerve his5We cannot find more ſmooth epithi…es, w… hope it is not b…tterneſſe, but ſome better thing, tis in the 'cauſe of Chriſt conſultingly forged anſwer, & ex ungue leonem to ſee him by this paper, as he in his viſions did the Devill by his cloven foot, pag. 74. of his book.
Thus he tells you how he came to Miſtris G…ips houſe, and how he found her in a very exceeding great paſſion, with tears, and cries, and wringing her hands, uſing bitter invectives againſt Maſter Fowler; and he tells you the reaſon why (viz.) becauſe he reported to the gentry thereabout, that ſhe lived in adultery with a *For this was in h s anſwer before the Commiſſioners, but as he can ſay, and unſay, ſo he can put in, and put out even in print. What an …ngratefull man is this, thus to beſpatter, and diſgrace, (ſo far as in him lyes) one of his beſt friends, in the face of a multitude: he reſolves to hazzard all his friends, to attempt any thing, ſo he may enfeeble this ſub…tantiall evidence.gentleman, not far off, and how he was afraid th… ſhe was drenched with Antinomianiſme, and therefore diſcourſed to her of the nature and ſpirit of Chriſt.
To diſprove this, we offer theſe conſiderations.
Firſt, that Miſtriſſe Grip being then upon her oath, did ſolemnly appeal to the Lord of heaven, the ſearcher of all hearts, that ſhe did not ſpeak a ſword of Maſter Fowler, neither had ſo much as a thought of him, and that ſhe was ſo far from tears and wringed hands, (as this man feignes) That ſhe was in ſome meaſure of joy, in the apprehenſion of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſhe did affirm, before God, the Commiſſioners, and above two hundred perſons, that it was all falſe, and a mere forgery, not a word of it true.
Secondly, Conſider this, that about a fortnight before his tryall was at the Bear in Reding, Maſter Daniel Blagrave told her the ſaid Miſtris Grip that the Dr would declare to the Commiſſioners, how ſhe had railed againſt Maſter Fowler, upon which, ſhe came to Maſter Fowler's houſe immediately, where Maſter Nutkins, one of the Commiſſioners, with ſome friends, then was, and ſhe was exceedingly moved at the Drs impudence, & wickedneſſe, admiring how he could raiſe ſuch a report, ſaying, ſhe did not think he could have bin ſuch a Divell, and there ſolemnly did averre, before ſome Chriſtians, that ſhe did not ſpeak to the Dr ſo much, as one word of Maſter Fowler, and did conceive it to be a plot to affright her. So that as the D…s lying anſwer was premeditated, through wickedneſſe, her anſwer upon her oath, was premeditated alſo, through providence.
Thirdly, As to that paſſage of the Drs contriving, or ſome of his Angels, what Maſter Fowler ſhould report &c. Maſter Fowler remembers not any ſuch thing reported by him to any of the gentry, as his own judgement; the truth is, many of the gentry have rather wondered at his ſparingneſſe, and ſilence, when occaſion of ſuch diſcourſe hath bin offered, the ground of which ſilence was ſincerely this, when he looked upon the reports of many, ſix or ſeuen years ſince, and the ſuſpicions of ſome godly perſons, he durſt not juſtifie her, and on the other ſide, when he looked upon her profeſſion, gifts, expreſſions, temptations, he durſt not condemn her eſpecially when he looked upon her temptations, which he believed to be reall, and his judgement is, that a tempted perſon may without any great difficulty diſcern the temptations of another, whether they are from pretence. and hypocriſie, or whether they are from reality, and feeling, eſpecially if they have frequent conference.
What paſſages of lewdneſſe there have bin, or whether any he knovves not, he hath ſpoken unto them both of this very ſin, ſix years ſince in private, and both did deny it, he leaves them, and the iſſue to God, but the riſe of the Drs forgery and lying. he believes upon good ground to be ſo falſe, that he thinks the firſt deſerves the Pillery, the ſecond may claim the whetſtone, and the D…s deſign to blast her teſtimony, vvill ſtand heavy upon his account, unleſſe he come to be vvaſhed, vvith that moſt invaluable bloud of Chriſt, vvhichwhich he hath eſteemed as a poor thing.
Fourthly; Again conſider that this Deponent Miſtris Grip did relate this of the Drs blaſphemy to Maſter Fowler, and the other, of apparitions with indignation & grief, before ever the ordinance for ejecting came forth, ſaying to him and others, ſhall this blaſphemer continue to bewitch ſouls? and will the higher powers do nothing? ſhall ſuch be tolerated alſo? now, whether this woman, who profeſſeth tenderneſſe of ſpirit, even againſt the leaſt untruthes having ſpoken much againſt this mans blaſphemies, and viſions, before any Commiſſioners were in being, and there being betwixt them no perſonall grudge, (as to the world, ſhe is a looſer, and did expect to be ſo before hand,) ſhould ſo ſolemnly depoſe before God and Angells an untruth, we leave it to the judgement of indifferent men.
Fifthly, Beſides if the Drs diſcourſe were (as he pleads clearly againſt his own conſcience) ſuch, as it is in his anſwer, let the Reader conſider, what colour even in the leaſt can there be, for Miſtris Grips queſtion, (viz) what then Dr? and his anſwer to that queſtion, (viz.) I do not uſe to reveal my ſelf, but I do not know, what the matter is, I muſt ſpeak to you; for conſider, what is there in the Drs anſwer, but that any man may ſpeak to any perſon.
But this is juſt like Maſter Erbury, who, when he had ſpoken moſt bitter things againſt the Lord Jeſus, to an underſtanding chriſtian (of which you ſhall hear by and by) clapt him on the arm, telling him, I do not uſe to reveal my ſelf ſo to others.
The truth is, the Dr ſeeing Miſtris Grip to be fixed, and knowing her teſtimony would be looked on as conſciencious, and in ſome hopes of his own fooliſh heart, thinking to make her a Proſelyte, and on that account having revealed to her that, which he knew would very much diſcover him, he thought to try this laſt attempt, whether he might affright her out of her teſtimony, but this would not do, ſhe being throughly reſolved to go through all reports to bear witneſſe againſt ſuch horrid blaſphemies, for the glory of Jeſus Chriſt.
But the Dr goes on, and ſaith ſhe is perjured, and why? becauſe ſhe ſaith, ſhe never railed againſt Mr Fowler in her life, ſee p. 62.
1. Conſider her anſwer, regiſtred by the Clark, and read by him, at the command of the Commiſſioners, to all the people.
2. Mrs Grips anſwer was this, The Lord knows it is all falſe, falſe, never, never: any indifferent perſon may ſee the queſtion is not, whether, ſhe did ever rail in her life, but, whether at that time, as the Dr pretends, and which railing at that time, upon ſuch a report, was the riſe, and ground of the Drs diſcourſe with her.
And here the Commiſſioners did ſeverall times offer the Dr, and all his friends, that if any one could ſay any thing, to evidence the Drs anſwer to be true, wh…ch Mrs Grip did depoſe to be falſe, he ſhould be heard, with all freedome and willingneſſe; but no man appearing to the point in hand, the Commiſſioners proceeded to ſome other articles, for which this bold fellow doth aſperſe them for unconſcionableneſſe, injuſtice.
But who are his printed witneſſes, p. 62. with which he makes a noiſe, and clamours upon the proceedings, by this way deceiving many, and hardening more.
1. Mr Richard Stockwell is quoted, and ſet forth (by the Dr) as a pious, ſober Chriſtian. pag. 63.
Anſ. We wiſh him ſo, with all our hearts, this man was profered his oath, if he could teſtifie any thing of Mrs Grip, railing at Mr Fowler, as the Dr pretends in his anſwer, ſhe did, which he could not do, and ſo was not admitted as a witneſſe.
Obj. But the accuſer ſaith, this man, Richard Stockwell, is an Erburiſt.
Anſ. And he muſt ſay ſo ſtill, upon the reaſons which he gave to the Commiſſioners, till Richard Stockwell ſaith no.
Having ſo fit a ſeaſon, we deſire leave to ſpeak a little of Mr Erbury, we have no thoughts in our hearts to rake up the aſhes of the dead, he is gone to his account, and ſtands, or falls to his own maſter: we do it, in a little ſubſerviency to the glory of Chriſt, by undeceiving, (if he pleaſe to make us inſtrumentall) if it be, but one ſoul in the nation, eſpecially about London, and in this county. Upon perſonall knowledge, and upon the oath of Chriſtians, (if called to it) we declare, that theſe were his poſitions.
Firſt, That the Father in fleſh, is the Son.
Secondly, That the Father in Adam, and ſo downward, is Chriſt.
Thirdly, That the fulneſſe of the Godhead is in Chriſt, and the ſaints, as the ſoul is in the head, and foot.
Fourthly, That Jeſus Chriſt was man as he, and no more God.
Fifthly, That it is blaſphemy to ſay that Jeſus Chriſt made an atonement, for the ſins of Gods elect.
Sixthly, That coming to a murderer ſentenced to die, he ſaid, thou hast killed a man, what if thou hadst killed a hundred? I tell thee for thy comfort, God is in thee, but thou doſt not ſee it, but thou ſhalt ſee it.
Theſe upon credible teſtimony.
1. That there is neither good, nor evil, but as men apprehend it.
And that he might do any thing if his mind did lead him to it.
Poſitions enough to aſtoniſh the heavens, and ſhake the earth, and tend our very bowels; from another gueſſe man then this Dr. both for life and learning. But he is gone to Eternity, and to us that knew him, out of his grave he preacheth a ſermon upon that text, Rom. 11.20. Thou ſtandeſt by faith, be not high minded, but fear. let us pray, pray, pray, that God would keep us in the knowledge, love, and practiſe of all divine truth. But to return.
The next witneſſe for the Dr, to prove that Mrs Grip did rail, &c. is John Tench. p. 63.
We wonder that this witneſſe alſo is not encomiaſted with the titles of a ſober, & pious Chriſtian, we cannot tell what this man would ſwear, but we know with ſadneſſe of heart what he ſaith, he hath twice in publick denied the bloud of Chriſt, to be the bloud of God, and this (as we fear) not through miſtake, or ignorance, for he was often told, and ſeverall ſcriptures were alledged to that purpoſe, (viz.) that it was the bloud of a divine perſon, not of the divine nature, but he ſtill perſiſted in his fooliſh (to ſay no more) cavillations, and afterwards ſaid to one of us, that Chriſt died, and roſe again, and then became God.
This is one of John Tawneys followers, a blaſphemer of the Lord Chriſt, a ſlanderer of Chriſtians for his ſake, a late abettor of the Anti-ſcripturall Quakers at Reding, and one, whoſe inconſiderableneſſe makes him audacious.
The reſt are Eleanor Burly, Mrs Kent, ibidem, and in another place John Hambleton is quoted.
What ſavour theſe three have among underſtanding Chriſtians that know them, we will leave to others, the very naming of the laſt, will make thoſe that know him, even to hold their noſes.
Ob. See how bitter theſe Prieſts are, and how rigid.
Anſ. Our reply is this, we have concealed many paſſages that we might have rehearſed, to avoid this very objection, but we do conceive it inevitable, and unreaſonable too, for, this objection will be made by thoſe, who have gall, and bitterneſſe, and are the moſt bitter people in the world; if our relation be falſe, we yield to ſuffer, if it be true, why are we bitter? is it becauſe we will not ſee the everlaſting Deity, the precious bloud, the bleſſed word and ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt, trampled, denied, blaſphemed, and ſit ſtill with our hands in our pockets, but according to our meaſure, ſpeak a word for him, and his? is this bitterneſſe? then the Lord make us more bitter; in theſe fundamentalls Jeſus Chriſt will give us but little thanks in the day of our account, for our Gallioniſme, or moderation.
Obj. But grant for once, that theſe witneſſes are againſt ordinances, ſabboths, ſcriptures, grace, Chriſt, (for ſo they are, ſome of them againſt moſt, and every one of them againſt ſome) yet their teſtimony is legall.
Anſ. It is confeſſed, and their teſtimony was received as ſuch, and we deſire it may be weighed, with all our hearts.
Obj. The Commiſſioners would not receive their witneſſe.
Anſ. We reply, This is a ſordid, and falſe imputation of the Drs upon them, they were examined, the Dr had his liberty to propoſe any queſtions, and to produce any witneſſes, it is confeſſed, the Commiſſioners did refuſe ſome of the witneſſes, becauſe they could not ſpeak to the matter in hand, as, when it was depoſed, the Dr had ſpoken blaſphemy at one time, in one place, they offered to depoſe that they heard him ſpeak otherwiſe, at another time, and in another place, and this is the naked truth, yet the Commiſſioners are clamoured upon, by him and his friends, in Court, in city, in town, in countrey, even for crucifiers. &c.
To conclude, that a man of ſuch pretended glories, viſions, ſanctity, likened even to Chriſt almoſt, as to have no ſin for the Devil hardly to work upon him by, ſhould have no more, no other, to appear in his behalf, but as thou haſt ſeen, Reader, ſeems to us wonderfull, obſervable.