Satan at Noon, Article 4
4 Article.
That the liberty, and freedome, ſpoken of, purchaſed by the bloud of Chriſt, and applied by the clinging, and cleaving of the ſoul tooWho is that another? how baſely, and with contumely, doth this man ſpeak of Chriſt? another, is not a liberty, or freedome, from the curſe of the law, the wrath of God, but the fiery deity of Chriſt, in the center of our ſouls.
The third and fourth articles of the laſt charge, being of the ſame effect, ſhall be here added. viz.
The third article of the laſt charge.
That the bloud of Chriſt is not meritorious of any mans ſalvation.
The fourth article of the last charge.
That it was a poor thing, to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, and fetching it over again, in a contemptuous kind of ſpeaking; Piff, ſaid he, thou art a babe, thou knoweſt nothing, to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, that is a poor thing.
Anſwer.
To the former of theſe articles being the fourth of the firſt charge, the Dr gives no particularpAnd gives this reaſon in print, viz. not being within the act againſt blasphemy. Obſerve, what uſe this man makes of that act, in his printed anſwer, he puts in the word (only) a notorious untruth, pag. 43. ſtudied on purpoſe to deceive. He ſaith, that Mr Tickhill did miſtake, which is, not a miſtake in the Dr, b…t an impudent untruth. anſwer.
His anſwers to the third and fourth articles of the laſt charge, are as followeth, viz.
To the third.
I call heaven and earth to witneſſe, that ſuch thoughts never entred into my ſoul, nor did ſuch words, come out of my mouth; for my judgement ever hath been, and ſtill is, that the bloud of Chriſt, is ſatisfying, reconciling, and cleanſing bloud, that it is interceding, redeeming, meriting bloud, in relation to all thoſe, who, through faith, and patience, come to inherit eternall life.
To the fourth.
I acknowledge, that about four years ſince, ſome ſuch expreſſions were uttered by me, to Mr Grip, but without any ſuch intent, as may be ſuppoſed, by my accuſers, and not with that circumſtantiall aggravation, of repeating it in a contemptuous manner, which is butqRead the proof, is not this an interjection of ſcorning? a ſuppoſition of my adverſary, and cannot be atteſted upon Oath, without his witneſſe, pretends infallibly torHow ſhould we know your thoughts, but by your words? know my thoughts, and purpoſes: Again, this being ſpoken to a particular perſon, upon a particular occaſion, might be true, if the circumſtances of the diſcourſe were accordingly added, though, as here preſented, it ſeems very monſtrous.
Therefore to make things clear, I ſhall here inſert ſome particular circumſtances, which may preſent this article, though, in a new, yet, with a true face. I coming to Mrs Grips houſe, ſhesUntruth. took me into a private room, to have ſome conference with me alone, where ſhetFalſe. read the animadverſion. breaking forth into a violent paſſion of tears, weeping, and wringing her hands, and pouring forth …itter complaints, and invectives againſt Mr Fowler, as that he was a graceleſſe man, a lier, and a ſlanderer, not worthy to come up into a Pulpit, or to have the name of a Miniſter of Chriſt, with other, ſuch bitter expreſſions: the cauſe of which was, as ſhe then told me, Mr Fowler's reporting about, that ſhe then lived in adultery, with a gentleman not far off; and after her paſſion was ſomewhat allayed, ſhe brake out into theſe, or ſuch like expreſſions, of high aſſurance: Chriſt hath loved me, and died for me, and juſtified me, by his blood, from all guilt of ſin, I am an elect perſon, a juſtified perſon, and what is this Mr Fowler, touOh, the invention of man, not ſuch a word ſpoken. charge ſin upon me? theſe, and other expreſſions, fell from her, to this purpoſe, from ſome of which, I feared, ſhe was drenched with†A mere figment, and baſe contrivance of his own heart. Antinomianiſme, and told her more then once, it was a poor thing, to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, and to look ſo much upon that, except ſhe had the nature of Chriſt, and the ſpirit of Chriſt; asking her, where was the meekneſſe of Chriſt, the patience of Chriſt, to ſuffer as an innocent lamb, quietly.wOh, amazeing, that any man could deviſe ſuch untruths, ſo many, and all forethought, and deliberate; not a true word. But ſtill ſhe cried out, ſhe lived on the bloud of Chriſt. I told her, it was a poor thing, to be thus exalted, with notions of the bloud of Chriſt, without mentioning ſanctification, and thoſe holy graces, which flow from Chriſts nature, dwelling in the ſoul. Now by theſe expreſſions of mine, my ſcope was to make Mrs Grip ſee the neceſſity of ſanctification, and of a pure and holy life, and not to make void the bleſſed effect of the bloud of Chriſt, applyed accord…ng to the mind of God, and true meaning of the ſcriptures: and now having related thexSee what Mrs G…ip depoſeth to theſe circumſtances, at the end of her depoſition, circumſtances, as near as I can rememember, I believe a ſober and knowing Chriſtian will not judge me eitheryThis fardell of ſtudied untruths is very ſcandalous. ſcandalous, or ignorant for theſe expreſſions.
The proofs of the fore-mentioned articles. The aforeſaid Mr John Tickhill.
This Deponent further ſaith, that the Dr delivered that the liberty, and freedome ſpoken of and purchaſed by the bloud of Chriſt, is not a liberty, or freedome from the guilt of ſin, the curſe of the law, the wrath of God. But the fiery deity of Chriſt, in the center of our ſouls.
And this Deponent being croſſe, examined by the Dr, further ſaith, that the very ſumme, and ſubſtance of this article, was delivered fully, and roundly by the Dr, in the expreſſe words, for the ſubſtance of them, and that, without any limitation, to the beſt of his remembrance.
Maſter Chriſtopher Fowler Miniſter of S. Maries in Reding, and one of the Aſſiſtants to the Commiſſioners, ſworn and examined, depoſeth,
That about three weeks, or a monethmonth ſince, this Deponent acquainted Maſter Daniel Blagrave the younger, that theſe Commiſſioners did intend to2This gentleman with others was ſummoned to appear by a warrant from the Commiſſioners, to teſtify his knowledge as to this article, and ſome others, but did not appear. The Quae. What that clauſe intends in the Ordinance, viz, the Commiſſioners ſhall iſſue forth ſummons, when the perſons ſummoned will appear, if they pleaſe, and if they will not, they may chuſe, (for ſo ſome have anſwered) had the appearance bin according to the ſummons, the doctrines, and deeds of darkneſſe had bin more dejected, by theſe renowned. ſummon him, to teſtifie what he knew of Dr Pordage's doctrine, in relation to Jeſus Chriſt, and thereupon (among other things) the Deponent asked him, whether he did not hear the ſaid Dr deliver, that, the bloud of Chriſt was not meritorious of any mans ſalvation, to which be anſwered, he had heard him ſpeak to that purpoſe.
Suſanna Grip, wife of John Grip, of Reding, Joyner, ſworn, and examined.
This Deponent ſaith, that ſhe told Dr Pordage, it was a high thing to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, to which he replyed, piff, to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, that is a poor thing, and repeated the ſame again, and ſaid, thou art a babe, thou knoweſt nothing, to live upon the bloud of Chriſt, that is a poor thing, whereupon the Deponents heart fell almoſt dead with fear at his words.
And the ſaid Suſanna Grip being croſſe-examined by the Dr, and asked, whether this was delivered in the ſame very words, ſhe1Obſerve this paſſage, and judge of the Drs anſwer. anſwereth, in the ſame words, and they were ſpoken in the Kitchin about four years ſince, to her beſt remembrance, but who was there preſent, ſhe doth not remember.
And this Deponent being further asked by the Dr upon what occaſion this was ſpoken, ſhe ſaith the Dr was ſpeaking ſomething in a rambling manner, which ſhe did not underſtand, but ſhe thought ſhe would ſpeak ſomething to him which he ſhould underſtand, and rejoyce with her for it, and that was the occaſion of the diſcourſe, and ſhe ſaith further, that the Drs words were delivered without any explanation of them, only this, ſhe asking him (being ready to faint) what then Dr. He anſwered, I do not know what the matter is, that I muſt ſpeak to you, I do not uſe to 2That i… true, no more did the G…oſticqu s of old, and the libertines of late, and the familiſts now,diſcover my ſelf, but he told her ſomething of a man that dyed at Jeruſalem ſixteen hundred years ago, and that ſhe muſt have it in her, which ſhe cannot remember, being then ſo amazed at his words, and the D…s anſwer to this article being read unto her, ſhe depoſeth that all the circumstances mentioned in his ſaid anſwer, are all of them falſe, and untrue, there was nothing of ſuch a diſcourſe, as the Dr pretends, nor any thing tending to it, his anſwer was all falſe, and untrue.
George Aſlet of Bradfield, Weaver, ſworn, and examined, depoſeth.
That he hath heard Dr Pordage in the Church of Bradfield, about two years ſince deliver, that, it was a vain thing to truſt in the3the Dr prints that he hath had wonderfull viſions of the three worlds. 76 p. in which of theſe worlds think you did he ſee this very accurſed doctrine, was it in the world of Divells or, the world of Angels, or, of glory, our very hand trembles at the writing of this, and every godly heart abhorres it, at the very reading this ſingle paſſ…ge diſcovers of what order his angels are, and of what kind his viſio…s. bloud of him, that dyed at Jeruſalem ſixteen hundred years ſince or more, unleſſe it were acted in me, or in thee, for that was but in the type, the ſubſtance muſt be fulfilled in us, and that Chriſt muſt be crucified in us, that Pontius Pilate muſt condemn him in us, and the Jewes put him to death in us, crucified in us, that he muſt lye buried three dayes in us, and muſt riſe in us, and muſt aſcend in us▪ otherwiſe it was a vain thing to believe in him that dyed at Jeruſalem ſixteen hundred years ſince, or more, without us.
This Deponent croſſe examined.
Being asked in the Drs behalfe whether he did write down the fore-mentioned particulars, or not, he anſwereth, negatively.
And being further asked, whether he did complain of the premiſes within ſix months, to any juſtice of peace, after the ſpeaking thereof, he anſwereth he did not, nor did4But now he ſees cauſe to complain, for he came in of his own free accord, unexpectedly, and bleſſed God for the government, authorizing perſons to whom he might complain. find any cauſe ſo to do.