Satan at Noon, Animadversion 5
Animadver. 5.
We ſhall take the Drs anſwer as it lies in order.
Firſt, As to Mr Lewin, he was the man who related the foreſaid articles himſelf to two of the Commiſſioners,*Mr Whetwhyck and Col. Arthur Evelyn, to whom telling them of the lewdneſſe of theſe principles, they both, viz. Mr Lewin and his wife, replied, we are ready to depoſe it, and did farther affirm to Gol. Evelyn, that they did hear the Dr aſſert the ſame things at another time. and that in terminis, of his own accord, and this with ſo much ſeeming willingneſſe, that the gentlemen ſtand amazed at his fordid ſhrinking from, and denying of his own teſtimony, which he wrote with his own hand, and altered as he pleaſed. Beſides, Mrs Lewin related the very ſame to Mr Woodbridge, who did offer to atteſt it upon oath.
We do not wonder at this carriage of his at all, our wonder was, that Mr Lewin of all men ſhould accuſe the Dr; the proverb is, tis an unlucky bird, that defiles his own neſt: the truth is, he thought if he ſhould diſcover the Drs lewdneſſe, ſome of the Drs party might diſcover his own vileneſſe: he was loath to ſpeak the truth, for fear he ſhould be diſcovered, and now through a righteous providence he is like to be diſcovered, becauſe he would not ſpeak the truth.
He was afraid his crew would tell of him, and now ſome honeſt and underſtanding officers hearing of his baſeneſſe, have detected him, take his character thus;
This Mr Lewin (we are unwilling to ſay Miniſter) of Hamſted Norris, was formerly a member of the army, where he lived in wickedneſſe to no ſmall height, and that, Firſt, againſt God, by curſing and ſwearing, and this (as was judged by ſome) he reckoned as a piece of his perfection, in a ranting way: Secondly, againſt others, by pilfering (to ſay no more) in a moſt fordid, unworthy manner: Thirdly, againſt himſelf, by ſinning againſt his own body, (if he himſelf is to be believed) boaſting of his wickedneſſe, he could not bluſh, nay he gloried in his lewdneſſe, and proclaimed his ſin as Sodom under the pretence of a ſhaking or convulſion fit, he was taken in an unſeemly wanton da…ance with a woman.
Being asked whence he came, in a profane way perſonating the Devil, he anſwered, I came from compaſſing the earth to, and fro, ſeeking whom I may devoure.
From credible perſons, of pious repute, we have this, ſc. that he ſhould ſpeak to this purpoſe, I preach of faith, and am Orthodox in the countrey, but I do not mean ſo.
All this and much move, we have from perſons of place and integrity in the Army, who are ready to teſtifie what they have ſaid, out of their own willingneſſe to the ſervice of the goſpel, and a deſire to promote the good of ſouls; and in this buſineſſe of ſhrinking in his evidence, Mr Whitwick and Col. Evelyn do intend to proſecute him, either as a ſlanderer, or a falſe-ſwearer.
Obj. But is not this cruelty, even to fetch the bloud of mens names?
Anſ. Our conſciences bear us witneſſe that we take no pleaſure in it, we are compelled thereto, and partly by his own carriage: our apology ſhall only be that of Mr Calvin, for himſelf, in the ſame caſe, againſt the like perſons, viz. Better it is that the names of men ſhould rot above ground, then that the glory of our Lord Jeſus ſhould be trampled upon, nay, in the leaſt impaired.
Obj. Were it not better to be ſilent, are there not of Familiſts many, and bloudy too?
Anſ. We remember what Luther ſaid, he ſhould be contented to be accounted any thing, ſo he might not be found *Modo non arguar reus maledicti ſilentii.guilty of a curſed ſilence, in the cauſe of Jeſus Chriſt: as for danger with a little poor faith, through mercy we have learned to ſay, our times are in Gods hand; and to apply what the Lord Chriſt ſaith, a ſparrow doth not fall to the earth, without my Father.
Secondly, Th…s Everard mentioned in the fifth article, was firſt a ſeparatiſt, then a ſcoffer at ordinances, then a curſer, then a blaſphemer, then by report a conjurer as the Dr ſaith, but indeed rather an apparitioner, as the Dr is, then, mad and frantick, and committed by authority to Bridewell.
The Dr in his anſwer labours induſtriouſly to cheat his reader, by ſaying that this Everard came to him with a pair of harveſt gloves upon his hands for work, as though he had not ſeen him before, when as for many weeks and for moſt daies in the week this Everard came to the Drs houſe before harveſt began, and after he was gone, the Dr reported that he was an honeſt godly man.
Thirdly, As for John Tawney the Dr exhibites a long anſwer of his feeding the hungry, and his pure ends in entertaining ſtrangers, &c.
Anſ. May it pleaſe the reader to conſider that this Tawney at firſt denyed the Scriptures, then curſed them, and lately within theſe five moneths burnt the Bible openly in Lambeth, wickedly calling the bleſſed Goſpell of the Lord Chriſt, the grand Idol of England, that he pretended he had a revelation to deſtroy the Parliament, who hath ſince written a book as full of open blaſphemy, and ſly ſedition, as a toad is full of poiſon, this man findes entertainment (as at other times) ſo about Auguſt laſt, for a fortnight together at the Drs houſe, and the Dr quotes for his defence in ſo doing, the thirty ſeventh article of the government viz. All ſuch as profeſſe faith in God by Jeſus Chriſt. &c.
Conſider, whether theſe men will ſtretch that article, it ſeems by this kind of men John Tawney himſelf, doth profeſſe faith in God by Jeſus Chriſt.
Ob. But what is this to the Dr? he is not of Tawneys way?
Anſ. it was lately confeſſed to a perſon that will depoſe it, by one of the Drs own viſioners one of his own way, and his own family. That, Dr Pordage, and John Tawney were both of one judgement.
Fourthly, the Dr anſwers, he entertains thoſe that come to him under ſome ſhew of godlineſſe or other.
Anſ. We would not ſeem to carp, therefore we will not propoſe this queſtion to him, how many ſhews of godlineſſe there are, the ſequele will reſolve it.
We profeſſe we do not know, neither can we learn of any that he hath entertained, but Abiezer Copp, notorious for blaſphemy, and rantiſme, in whoſe behalf this Dr appeared before the Committee at Reding; and being oppoſed by one of us, replied, (but with much meekneſſe) that we ſhould follow ſhortly after our dear brother Love. Or Coppin, to whoſe book that crawls with blaſphemy, the Dr gave his approbation. Or John Tawney, or Everard, who ſet their mouths wide open againſt God and man: or Elizabeth Pool, or Goodwife Geffreys, who even ſtink above ground: we that live round about him, do not know any godly perſon but ſhuns him as a very monſter: it is a frequent blind he puts upon his reader, by citing in his own behalf, and againſt the Commiſſioners, the godly party.
For our parts, we dare not ſay, that any Socinian or Familiſt is, or (continuing ſuch) ever can be a godly man, our reaſon is, becauſe ſuch deny the Deity, and ſatisfaction of our Lord Jeſus, from the ſound and feeling knowledge whereof, proceeds and ſtreams out all reall and ſound godlineſſe, a godly Familiſt, or Socinian, ſounding in our ears even as great a contradiction, as a godly Turk.
God forbid that we ſhould ſpeak one pick againſt holineſſe, better that our tongues ſhould be dumb, then our mouthes utter, and our hands wither, then our pens ſhould write one tittle to blemiſh it. We deſire to look upon it as the moſt glorious thing in the world, and we would rather (if our own hearts do not deceive us) ſeek our bread, and the bread of our little ones, with holineſſe in our hearts and lives, in a howling wilderneſſe, then to enjoy all the ſcepters of the world without it: yet give us leave to ſay (if it be but to eaſe our hearts) that it is a trouble to us, that Blaſphemers, Antichristians, Anti-ſcripturiſts, ſhould go up and down, under the precious name of men fearing God, by which artifice they harden themſelves in their impieties, and infect ſouls with their blaſphemies.
We do forethink that that expreſſion of a godly Turk, will ſound harſh, but we know not why it ſhould,1See Dr Calovius Sociniſ. proflig. p. 33. 34. Ignatius calls the predeceſſours of the Familiſts and Socinians, the ſeducing ſerpent, or the Devil preaching to deſtruction.
The Fathers denied the Ebionites to be Chriſtians.
The Samoſatenians were accounted and called God-killers, God-deniers, foreign.(quantum in ipſis) quia divinam Chriſti naturam negabant, becauſe they denied2Efficitur (prob dolor) ut Jeſu Chriſti religio Turcis ſit ludibrio. cap. 1. Johan. p. 7. explic. Chriſt to be God by nature.
Socinus himſelf ſaith, that the Proteſtants held opinions that made their religion ridiculous to the Turks, what were thoſe opinions? why, in ſpeciall this, that Chriſt is God: ſo then if we would deny the Deity of our Lord Chriſt, (as do the Familiſts and Socinians,) we were in a fair way not to be ridiculous to, but to agree with the Turks: again, this3Hac ratione Turcas ad Ch. religionem allici poſſe, ibid. p. 2. Wretch tells us, that one reaſon of his writing againſt the figment (as he calls it) of Chriſts divine nature was, to make the Turks turn Chriſtians; therefore by a parity of reaſon, they that do deny the Divine nature of Chriſt, in this point may quickly turn Turks.
Valent. Gentil. a blaſphemer of Chriſts divinity, was not4Non puduit eum ſubſidium petere ex Alchorano Aretius. Hiſt. Val. Gent. cap. 1. aſhamed to ſeek arguments to help himſelf, out of the Turkiſh Alcoran.
And5Alciatus Mahometiſta ſactus eſt. idem. cap. 2. Alciate one of his complices, (as he confeſſed himſelf) was turned down-right Mahometan.
Calvin in his instruct. ad Lib. calls them rake-hells, dogs, ſwine, we fear that, in giving ſmooth language to villanous ſeducers of his kind, we uſe more manners then will do the goſpel good.
Dr Twiſſe, a late learned, pious man, did call them Atheiſts, and he often ſaid to one of us, that all goſpel Atheiſme was againſt the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: in a little meaſure we find it, amongſt the Gnoſticks and Arrians, and for ſome Centuries, their main ſpight and quarrel was againſt the Lord Jeſus; after, for more Centuries, in the kingdome of the Papacy, where their damning errour, is in dividing, and ſo by conſequence deſtroying both the efficacy of Chriſts grace, and the fulneſſe and compleatneſſe of his righteouſneſſe as to juſtification: upon the account of which laſt, ſome learned men (when zeal was in requeſt) have ſaid, That a Papiſt living and dying in the doctrine of the Councel of Trent, can never be ſaved; in this laſt Century the Libertines and Fanaticks in Germany, and the Netherlands, the Socinians in Poland, and the Familiſts in England, what do they mainly do? but pour forth their venome againſt the Divinity, perſonality, and righteouſneſſe of the Lord Jeſus.
To ſhut up all, the Court Drs in the late Kings time, began much to vary their expreſſions, uſing ſuch, in which they might have the company of the Socinians, as affecting to call Chriſt their Great master, ſometimes, their Lord and maſter, that a man could hardly diſcern by their prayers, whether they reſpected moſt the Lord Jeſus, or their very good Lord and Patron. God hath found many of them out, & caſt them out; the deſire of our hearts to God is, that Familiſticall. Allegorizing, Antichriſtian doctrines, may be ſhut out from thence, and all Pulpits of the land, that the name of our Dear Lord Jeſus Chriſt may be magnified in us, and we in him.
And ſo we come to the remaining articles of the third and laſt charge.
The ſixth article of the laſt charge.
That it was a weakneſſe to be troubled for ſin.
The Drs anſwer.
I do not remember that any ſuch expreſſion as this ever dropped from my mouth, and I am perſwaded that no one dare aſſert it with an oath, which if they could not make much to their purpoſe, for with a charitable conſtruction it might thus be made forth, That it is a3wretched, want of any reall experience, for no man is ſo much troubled for his ſin, and laments over it, and abhorres himſelf, as he that hath the ſenſe of Gods love, the more aſſurance, the more repentance. weakneſſe for one to be troubled for ſin, who hath the aſſurance of Gods love, his ſin pardoned, his perſon juſtified, ſanctified, and his will converted from, and crucified to ſin, for ſuch a one ſhould be triumphing in the power of faith, love, enjoying ſweet heavenly communion with God, and ſaying, oh Death, where is thy ſting? and there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit. Whereas trouble for ſin thus pardoned, and mortified, may be an engine for Satan to make a ſoul queſtion Gods love, and to bring it out of a ſpirituall enjoyment of God, into a ſlaviſh fear, and diſturbance.
The proof upon this article.
Note that Mrs Grip was the witneſſe intended for the proof of this article who did, and doth atteſt it, and will depoſe it.Mr Benjamin Woodbridge Miniſter of Newbery, and one of the Aſſiſtants to the Commiſſioners ſworn, and examined, depoſeth.
That Mr William Twyſſe of Dorceſter told this Deponent either that Dr Pordage did maintain it to him, or ſpeak in company in his hearing, that he is no true Chriſtian that could not commit the greateſt ſin and not be troubled for the ſame, or words to that effect to this Deponents beſt remembrance.