THE LOOKING-GLASS of SCHISM: Wherein by a brief and true Narration of the execrable Murders, done by Enoch ap Evan, a downright Separatist, on the bodies of his Mother and Brother, with the cause moving him thereunto, The disobedience of that Sect, against Royal Majesty, and the Laws of our CHURCH is plainly set forth.  
By PETER STUDLEY, Master of Arts, and Minister of GOD'S WORD, in SHREWSBURY.  PRO. 30.12. 
There is a Generation, that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.  
Habent Artificium, quo prius persuadent quam doceant, veritas autem docendo suadet, non suadendo docet.  Tertul. adversus Valentinian. Lib. 1. 
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for THOMAS ALCHORNE, and are to be sold at the sign of the green Dragon in Paul's Churchyard. 1634.   

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.  
THE occasion of this Relation touching the Barbarous and inhuman cruelty of Enoch ap Evan, ariseth not from any inclination in my own disposition, to be pragmatical and busy in matters of writing; but from the serious apprehension of disloyalty, which some eminent persons in our State have made, touching the contempt of our Laws, testified by the stealing away of his putrified corpses; who by sentence of righteous and prudent judgement, was deemed to hang forth in the air to the open view of all men for exemplary punishment of his bloody facts: Till the consumption of his flesh, his nerves, and ligaments, had dissolved the composition and structure of his bones, parted them asunder, made them fall to the earth, and by ultimate Resolution return ad materiam primam, their first matter whereof they were framed. And moreover, the false and dishonest reports touching this Malefactor, scattered abroad by many, whose profession of Religious purity, should have yielded better fruits, have pressed me on to this suddenness of writing.  
And for the matter itself here delivered, I do assure thee in the word of a Minister, thou hast a relation of such substantial Truth, as I will maintain against any person living upon the face of the earth. I have not delivered one word in this ensuing Treatise, which may justly offend any good Christian or honest minded man: and therefore if any shall be displeased towards me, it is from an offence taken by himself, not given by me, for GOD the searcher of my heart is my witness, together with the integrity of mine own conscience, that I have proposed to myself herein, as the object and level of all my aims, The glory of his most sacred Name, the Honour of our King in the vindication of his innocent Laws, and the desire of our Church's tranquillity and peace, now torn into pieces by wilful Schism, Proud Faction, and Peremptory Disobedience to Prudent and Peaceable government. I deliver only in this Tract, my own observations in matters of fact, and the dangers I conceive which may accrue to our Church and State, unless some wholesome and speedy course of wise and religious policy shall be maturely applied for the cure, or correction of such insolent persons as trouble the peace of our Zion And for the event hereof, I refer it, as becomes me in duty, to the Royal wisdom of sacred Majesty in our King, and the vigilant care of those prudent, Governors, to whose godly oversight these matters are committed; Ne quid Ecclesia Detrimenti capiat, That our Church sustain no eclipse of her glory, but graciously display the beams of peace and splendour. For obloquy and traducement, wherein I know beforehand I shall have a large share from the malign disposition of Schismatical persons: let me anticipate and prevent them, by telling them, that as Angry Curs will bark and snarl at peaceable passengers, so men of factious disposition, will speak evil, when they are not thereto provoked. And for my own part I am resolved, that the ●ongue of a Puritan is no Slan●er, since it spares no ranks or degrees of men, who run not with them in their exorbitant and delinquent courses of pride and vanity. I wish to all those men, on whom this small Treatise may seem to reflect, as much good in all the parts of goodness as they themselves, with more perverted judgements, and worse composed affections, do wish unto themselves. And so GOD bless them, by bending them 〈◊〉 peace and unity: And multip●● on this Church and Kingdom 〈◊〉 his favours and Graces.  
Shrewsbury, this fourth 〈◊〉 November, 1633. Thine in the LORD, PETER STUDLEY   

Recensui tractatum hunc, cui titulus Schismatis speculum, in quo nihil reperio quò minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur.  
THOMAS WEEKES, Episcopo Lond. Cap. domest.   Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum. 

THE Lookingglass OF SCHISM.  
IT is a Prophecy of GOD'S Spirit 
a 2 Tim. 3.1, 2.  that in the last days Perilous times shall come: for men shall be lovers of themselves, Covetous, Boasters, Proud, Blasphemers, disobedient to Parents, Unthankful, Unholy, without natural affection; Truce-breakers, etc. And our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, that Oracle of wisdom, and divine wisdom itself hath foretold us: 
b Matth. 34.12.  That because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold To wit, cold in Piety toward GOD, gracious obedience towards our Superiors, and it office of Humanity, Charity and mercy towards all other persons. For this Inundation and overflowing stream o● Iniquity, being slily insinuated into men's understandings t● poison their judgements with Soule-confounding errors: and of his strong suggestions darted into their wills to irritate the Native malice, and to excite them to furious attempts: we cannot expect any better event in the lives and actions of wicked men, left by the wrath o● GOD under the power of their own corruption and Satan's rage; then, that by Infidelity, Impiety, Atheism, Apostasy, and all other wickedness, they should revolt finally from GOD, and give heed as the Apostle says, 
c 1 Tim. ●. 1.  To seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils. For as Satan himself by pride and infidelity, fell from that Angelical perfection of his created nature, and is become of an Angel of light, a spirit of darkness: So, by stirring up in the hearts of unmortified persons, a spiritual pride in an high conceit of their gifts; the assurance of their election, their illumination, conversion, and the imaginary sense of their adoption; he so transports them beyond the bounds of Christian humility, that they utterly reject that rule of the Apostle, 
d Rom. 12.3.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to be wise unto sobriety: And it a strong conceit of their own spiritual understanding, by the immediate presence of GOD's Spirit which they conceit to be in them, they take upon them to gloss and expound the sacred Scriptures agreeable to their own deluded fancies Which attempt of theirs transcending their understandings and no way sorting with their vocation of life being lay and secular persons, must need produce both heresies in judgement, and schismatical divisions in practice in the visible Churches of the Gospel. For as the wisdom of GOD in the old Testament prescribed the rule of his will unto his people for their direction, saying, 
e Malack. 3.7.  The Priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth, for He is the Messenger of the LORD of Hosts: So hath the divine and constant wisdom of the same our GOD, declared the Canon of His will in the New Testament to continue in the Church to the dissolution of this World. 
f Ephes. 4.11.12.  CHRIST gave some to be Prophets, some Apostles, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of CHRIST; till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the SON of GOD, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now these holy Arts and Ordinations of GOD's wisdom and love unto His people, are the Constant rules of direction and order to be observed and obeyed by all His faithful children, whiles here they remain in their militant condition.  
2 And though secular persons are both warranted and directed by our LORD and SAVIOUR for their preservation in faith and obedience 
g Mat. 7.15.  To beware of false prophets which come unto them in sheeps' clothing, but inwardly, they are Ravening Wolves: And are also commanded in the practice of holy and gracious vigilancy over their own souls, 
h 1 joh. 4.1.  To try the spirits of men whether they be of God or no: yet this warrant, direction, command, are not so vast and universal, but that they are limited and confined within their own proper bounds: Not giving liberty unto 
i 2 Pet. 3.16.  Unlearned and unstable persons to wrest the sacred Scriptures to their own destruction: Nor to judge and censure their Teacher either in his doctrine or spirit; if his upright and sound judgement accord not with their light and seduced fancies, or his Method of preaching arride not their vain and self-pleasing Humour. And further, if any branch of doctrine shall be publicly delivered by any Minister of the Gospel, not exactly consonant with the Canon of the Scriptures, the analogy of the Christian faith, and the orthodox doctrine and judgement of the Ancient and Modern Church: Lay persons are not presently to presume of themselves, that they are so qualified with judgement, or armed with power as to reprove their pastors; because as the Apostle hath told us, 
k 1 Cor. 14.32.  The spirits of the Prophets are subject unto the Prophets. All that any Lay-person can or aught to do in matter of his own private judgement, is no more but to submit himself to that rule of the HOLY GHOST, 
l 1. Thes. 5.22.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Try all things, and hold that which is good. And to this trial and retaining of sound doctrines, they are for action and practice of life to add that of another Apostle, 
m jude 20.  By building up themselves in their most holy faith and praying in the HOLY GHOST, keep themselves in the love of GOD, looking for the mercies of our LORD JESUS CHRIST unto eternal life. They may indeed, if erroneous doctrines be taught in public congregations, dangerous to the souls of GOD's people; give notice thereof by way of information to their and our Superiors the Bishops: who for the maturity of their judgement, the gravity of their persons, and the weight of their authority; are able to rebuke, reprove, exhort, convince of error any unsound doctrine repugnant to the sacred Scriptures. And when by weight of Argument, and pregnant conviction of error, any doctrine taught shall deservedly be reproved; if the teacher thereof shall obstinately persist in his error, and refuse to be reform by the wisdom and authority of his Governor; the sentence of suspension, excommunication, or deprivation is justly to proceed against him.  
3 This course of Ecclesiastical discipline, being for substance Sacred, for antiquity Venerable, and for form and process therein so exact, that man's wit cannot reprove it; they that prefer their own private spirits and opinions before this prudent judgement and practice of the Church, as fantastic separatists do, plainly discover themselves to have their part in that description, which by the spirit of prophecy is given of all such; 
n 2 Pet. 2.18.  Presumptuous they are, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities.  
With this kind of high and overweening spirits; our English Church hath of late years been much pestered and disquieted: so that many godly Ministers of rich talents, worthy endowments, and able gifts, have not received that sweet comfort to their souls, which from the profitable and painful execution of so sacred a calling, is by command of GOD'S Spirit due unto them. For the Apostle hath strictly charged all Christians, 
o Hebr. 23.18.  To obey them that have the rule over them, and to submit themselves unto them, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you: Yet notwithstanding the weight of this charge, such is the insolent pride and contumacy of spirit in this kind of men, strongly conceited of the spiritual favour of GOD unchangeably settled on their particular persons: that unless both the observance, and which is more, the obsequiousness of the Minister both in doctrine and practice, be accommodated to give them content, and flatter their fancies; they will malign his person, traduce his name, and scorn and vilify him with all baseness of contempt: yea, although his life be most conscionably led in the fear of GOD, and his outward conversements with men adorned and made graceful, with all Humanity, Humility, and Integrity.  
4 In the rank and number of these bold and busy Scripturists, we are to range one ENOCH ap EVAN, a fellow of very mean quality and small understanding, as able only to read English and no more; yet of high thoughts touching his own personal worth in spiritual abilities. For so cunningly and yet powerfully had Satan insinuated himself by spiritual illusions into his understanding, for opinion, and into his heart, for affection and inclination to his own dull and extravagant conceits: that he became presumptuously bold to dislike not only the Gestures and rites prescribed by the Governors of our Church, for conservation of uniformity, peace, and unity among GOD'S people, and ratified by Regal and Legal Authority: But he proceeded so fare, as to reprove the form of words used by the Minister in the delivery of the sacred Communion into the hands of God's people: For whereas the wisdom of our Church prescribes the form of words thus, The Body of our LORD JESUS CHRIST which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life: The pride and ignorance of this fellow no● able to conceive the strength and significancy of these words; would have them to be new moulded, corrected, and framed thus. The Body of our LORD JESUS CHRIST which was given for thee, build thee up in thy body and in thy soul unto everlasting life. These forms of words though they seem to differ in the letter and sound; yet they fully accord in sense and signification; yet these verbal differences in the pronunciation, not signification of the words, wrought such effects in the heart of this seduced man, that he strongly conceited in his vain thoughts, and could never be reform and rectified by advice; that the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiving, was a Posture of body not only idolatrous, but absolutely rendered us incapable of that spiritual Nourishment, which from the sacred Body and Blood of our LORD, did diffuse and stream itself into all the faculties o●● our souls, and all the parts o●● our bodies. For in the site o●● gesture of kneeling, said th●● ENOCH, the legs are cast behind the rest of the body, and receive not that influence o●● Nourishment spiritual, at leas● in proportion and measure o●● attraction, as the rest of the body doth. This is a conceit 〈◊〉 sublimate, fine, and subtle, that it rightly falls under those elegant expressions which God Spirit hath made touching that Grand Impostor the Devil for his wiles and sleights attermed 
p 2 Cor. 211.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, subtle devise to entangle men's thoughts And 
q Revel. 3.24.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, depths or profundities. For these conceits are so subtle, deep, and profound, that Hales, Aquinas, or Scotus, could never in their curious and deep speculations, rise to the height, or fathom the bottom of them. The gestures which this vain, light, and seduced man, conceited to himself as most convenient in that sacred act of GOD'S worship; were either standing and bowing, or sitting and bowing of the body. For the gesture of standing he alleged (full wisely I warrant you) the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, 
r Rev. 3.20.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him, and he with me. For the gesture of sitting, he had no Scripture at all to allege, nor any other warrant or argument, but the apprehension of his own dull and depraved imagination. In these strange opinions of his, 
s 2 Thes. 2.10.  we may behold the powerful Working of Satan with all deceivableness of unrighteousness. For the postures of standing, of sitting, o● kneeling, being all natural and bodily actions; without the addition of bowing, which is● mental and spiritual action and hath relation to some other nature, either in the Creator, or in the creatures to whom it is directed; are i● themselves, as they are action bodily and natural, neither good, nor evil at all: And do● only partake of goodness, or illness, as the motion of bowing with intention of Adoration is added unto them. And yet this Dolt not versed in the Principles of Catechism touching worship given to creatures by bowing of the body: would presume to talk, to censure, and peremptorily to judge of things he understood not, and therein resist his wise, learned, and religious Superiors. But Pride and Ignorance are these men's cognisance.  
5 Now touching this ENOCH, that I may give you the true and just measure of him, for person and quality. Know, Good Reader, that he was the son of one EDWARD ap EVAN, a country Farmer of the Parish of Clunne, in the County of Salop, and Diocese of Hereford; a man, who by a long course of industrious painfulness in the execution of his vocation, and frugality of disposition in the government of his family, and management of his affairs; had acquired unto himself a competent estate of livelihood, for his own support, and the preferment of his children: so that he passed in the reputation of all his neighbourhood among the number of rich men; living in peaceable manner in the course of his life, and good estimation among men of his rank. This EDWARD, as he told me himself, had two sons, and five daughters. His two sons, Enoch aged 34. and john aged 31. he detained in his own family with himself, and educated them in the practice of Husbandry, to execute his affairs, and to be a comfort and support unto him in his elder years. john the younger brother, was of persontall, strong, and proper; of quality affable and sweet natured, of countenance, comely; most dutifully obedient to his Parents, careful of their welfare and thriving, and never known in one and thirty years, to have given any froward, stubborn, or undutiful reply in words to his father or mother: though his father was of condition austere, and held a severe hand of government and command over him. Enoch was a fellow of a middle stature, of complexion swarthy, under the predominance of the humour of melancholy; of Countenance nothing alluring and lovely, but sour and dejected.  
6 In this family of Edward ap Evan, some sense of religion joined with the domestic worship of GOD, had for some years made entrance, and received entertainment. For they had (as Enoch told me) prayers twice every day; not such as were conceived in their own hearts, by the private motions of the Spirit, (the reigning practice of this age,) but more commendable and regular; being orderly read out of the Service-book of our English Church by Enoch one day, by john another, in a constant course of well-ordered discipline; at which all persons in the family were required to be present. This taste of religion stirred up in Enoch a desire of further proficiency in the knowledge of GOD'S will; so that he bought him a Bible, which he seldom omitted to carry about with him in his pocket: in so much that at the plough in the field, and in the barn when he threshed his father's corn, he borrowed some time from his present employments, to cast his eye on this Sacred Book; so sharp and insatiable was his thirsty desire of holy reading. This practice of his grew in short time to a great forwardness in the profession of Piety to the eye of the world: and an itching desire to be accounted more zealous than his neighbours, so cunningly wrought itself into his affections, that his practice therein contained not itself within the sober limits of prudent moderation. For he was not contented to stint and confine his solemn and public worship of GOD to the LORD'S day, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rev. 1.10  commonly called Sunday: which together with those few other Holidays appointed by the wisdom of our Church, might have satisfied a wise man and● sound Christian: but he busily hearkened after weeke-day Lectures, and would oftentimes ride three or four miles to hear sermons, the ordinary practice of this formal age Having continued this course by the space of two years; 〈◊〉 began to distaste some ordinances of our Church's constitution for the peaceable and uniform regiment of GOD'S people; he disliked the superiority and government by Bishops, the gesture of kneeling in the sacred Communion, the sign of the cross in Baptism, and such like.  
7 He would never upon any remonstrance, persuasion, or pregnant conviction of his errors and folly, be drawn to confess. For though I pressed him often and seriously therein, and left him destitute of all reply or colour thereof: yet in the impadencie of his spirit, and bold resolution of a stubborn mind, I could never draw other answer from him, but that b●● his reading the holy Scriptures he had apprehended these opinions, his reading being enlightened, and sanctified unto him by the Spirit of GOD. When I told him that all true illuminations of GOD'S Spirit in the hearts of his children, did ever hold an exact consonancy with the letter of the Scriptures, and never varied from them, according to the words of our Lord, 
s joh. 14.26.  When the Comforter, the HOLY GHOST, whom the Father will send in my Name, i● come, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto your And again, 
joh. 6.39  Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think yet have eternal life, and they art they which testify of me. And further, 
Esa. 8.20  To the Law and to the Testimonies, if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them. When I pressed those Scriptures unto him, which plainly demonstrate, that the teaching of GOD'S Word, and of his Spirit, are one and the same in substance and nature: And when I required him to produce some place of sacred Writ, whereon he grounded his extravagant conceits: He answered me, that his judgement and mine might haply differ, because the true Spirit, and the measure thereof, were not given by GOD to all alike, but in special manner, measure, and degree, both for the grace of Illumination and sanctification to GOD'S peculiar ones. And for proof hereof, he aimed at certain words of o●● Lord, which he could not remember, till I perceiving 〈◊〉 scope, furnished him with th● place, and that was, 
t Matth. 13.11.  It is given to you to know the myster●● of the kingdom of heaven, b●● to them it is not given: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given and he shall have more abundantly, etc. And from these word of our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, he had raised 〈◊〉 himself, a very strong a●● pleasing imagination, that h●● himself in special was a person elected of GOD, inspire with His Spirit, and continually guided and directed by 〈◊〉 same Spirit. And this con●● he so hugged and cherish in himself, that many time when any preacher utted a●● point of doctrine, which arrided unto him and relished his ; he would seem to those who were near unto him in the Church, to be even wrapped up into admiration, and transported with spiritual delight: And on the contrary, if any thing was delivered, which hit not pointblank with his toyish fancy of inconformity, he would visibly discover by his stamping on the ground, by his inward fretting, and the contracting of his forehead, the impatience and rage of his fantastic spirit.  
8 These things being perceived in him by his mother, who (according to those reports I have heard of her) was a discreet woman, of very good understanding, and of a stout spirit; she took occasion gently to reprove these things in him, and told him man● times in very loving manne●● That the end of these things would be nought! Unto th●● dislike of his mother, john 〈◊〉 younger brother adjoined h●● endeavour to reclaim Eno●● from his wild and irregular opinions, and peaceably to●● him, That he saw no men●● good, honest, and fair condi●●ned, as they who were peaceable. Religion, and free from self- 〈◊〉 ceited opinions. Which wo●● of john, as the event declare●● shortly after cost him the lo●● of his head; for though th●● persuasion was no more but sweet remonstrance of br●● therly affection, and aught charity and conscience so 〈◊〉 have been taken: yet it so irritated the secret rage of the spirit of Enoch, that he inwardly boiled with rancorous malice both against his mother and his brother: and for no other cause contrived the death of his brother john, but because he would not entertain his opinions, and comply with him in his schismatical courses. From this time of conference and parley, as Enoch himself ●old me, he so distasted his brother's resolution in religion, that he resolved in his desperate and wicked heart to do him a mischief; only his purpose being yet but new, had not attained to full growth and maturity.  
9 Now know here, friendly Reader, that this Enoch and john had continued bedfellows together in their father house, from their infant years and weaning from the breasts o●● their mother, to the one an●● thirtieth year of age of th●● younger of them. And during all this time, as Enoch assured me, and engaged his truth and salvation upon it, there had never fallen out any verbal quarrel or dissension between●● them: no, not so much as the term (Thou) had ever passed in anger from the one to the other. And being both of them arrived to years of judgement and experience, able to manage affairs of life for their own●● profitable thriving; they wer●● so well persuaded mutually between themselves of the integrity and soundness of lov●● in both their hearts each unto other; and also of an upright and faithful disposition of mind, free from guile in their temporal affairs: that they became Copartners in occupying of ground in their neighbourhood: and also in stocks, of cattles and sheep: yea, their very money which oftentimes breeds jars between brothers themselves, they kept in one chest together, each having a key to himself, and they never differed in one penny of account.  
10 Yet observe, I pray, in the midst of this sweet harmony of brotherly accord, the truth of the words of our LORD and SAVIOUR, 
u Matt. 10.34.3.  Think not that I am come to send Peace on earth; I came not to send Peace, but a sword: for I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law, and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. For Enoch now puffed up with an high conceit of his spiritual estate, his inspirations from GOD, and his unchangeable assurance of his own establishment in the favour of GOD: imagined himself warranted by these words of our LORD, not only to hate, but to persecute to blood and death, whosoever should oppose, contradict, or refuse to concur with him in not admitting his inspirations. These illusions of Satan anciently entertained by the Manichees, Messalians, and of later times by the Anabaptists, so blinded the eyes of his understanding, and perverted the quality of his will, that he judged himself called of GOD to vindicate the cause of GOD, and by effusion of his own brother's blood, as he reported to me, To draw the children of light out of darkness, and to declare his own Zeal to the Word of GOD.  
11 A controversy therefore happening (undoubtedly the work of Satan) in the house of Edward ap Evan, upon Sunday the thirtieth day of june last passed, 1633. between joan the mother, and Enoch her son, whereat john was present, touching the most convenient gesture in the act of receiving the sacred Communion, stirred up by Enoch, (as that sect is always prating of such matters.) joan the mother, and john her son, according to their unlearned and plain manner, pleaded for our Church gesture of kneeling in that holy act: Enoch a fellow of hasty furious, and proud spirit, defended stoutly, according to his blunt and rude fashion, that to sit and bow the body was the most Convenient posture. The opposition in opinions grew so sharp between them that joan told her son Enoch that he was a very sorry fellow, and desired of the LORD to Instruct and amend him. john also very mildly, as his manner was, signified his dislike of Enoch's opinion, and made known his own resolution to remain constant in his obedience to the King and his Laws. This purpose of john concurring with his former dislike of Enoch's courses, added new flames unto his wrath and malice formerly conceived, and now grown inveterate; that from that very instant of time he waited an opportunity to execute his secret and malign rage against him, Yet he grew not to a full resolution to murder john, till the Friday morning after this unfortunate conference between them. john called up his father's servant; and they together yoked up their cattles, and betook themselves to their work in the fields. Enoch later up, waited the coming of john from the fields; whose custom was, after 〈◊〉 weariness with labour, 〈◊〉 take a small repast of me●● and drink, and to repose himself in slumber for an hou● on the end of the table-books upon a cushion. This customs of john being very well know to Enoch, he sets in a readiness a great hatchet, with an edg●● very broad and sharp, way● his time, and finding a calm●● opportunity free from all like●● lihood of resistance, john being in a deep and peaceful slumber; Enoch struck hi●● with the head of the hatch●● upon his bare head: and t●● wound thereof being not dee●● by impression, because th●● fear of a wounded conscience, for so inhuman a purpose, abated the strength o●● his arms, and made him with a trembling hand to perpetrate that villainy. john fell instantly from the board to the floor, astonished with the blow, yet not so wounded or disabled from rising, but that he scrambled for help to raise up himself; which Enoch fearing, desperately struck him with a second blow in the neck with the same hatchet; and the edge thereof being very broad and sharp, he therewith at one blow more, as he himself told me, separated his head from his body.  
12 Upon this stir and rumbling noise in the house, joan their mother being in the next room came presently in, and seeing, to the infinite grief of her soul, the head and body of her younger son separated one from the other; she lift up her voice with a shri●● and sharp sound, and said 〈◊〉 Enoch in a passion of terror a●● grief; O thou Villain, 〈◊〉 some such like words of pr●● voked indignation, (for Enoch) could not remember them What hast thou done? hast the killed thy brother? Vp●● these words, Enoch still en●●ged with diabolical fury, a●● having the hatchet in his han●● struck at her very face with a●● his force: And she being a w●● man of threescore and twel●● years of age, put by two 〈◊〉 three of his blows by clasping and closing with him, and th●● by turning away the strengthe of his violence, and mak●● way for the asswaging of 〈◊〉 fury, had not the Devil himself been outrageous within him. But she wanting strength, by reason of her great age, to hold conflict and wrestling with him, and crying for help, and calling to him to remit his rage: he nothing mollified with her fearful cries, struck her between the left shoulder and the neck four inches deep into her breast; with which mortal wound she fell down on the floor ready to expire her soul into the hands of her Creator. And he not satisfied herewith, ragingly dragged her wounded and bleeding body to the threshold of the door, and thereon at five strokes more he divided her head from that breast, and those paps which gave suck unto him.  
13 These furious out-rag●● and crying murders thus pe●● petrated, he instantly barre●● the door where the dead be●● dies lay; he takes the head●● wraps them in a course linne●● cloth, which he drenched●● water, that their blood still●● suing thorough the veins of the●● heads freshly bleeding, mig●● not so sensibly appear as th●● row a dry cloth it would ha●● done. The wet cloth with t●● heads he enwrapped in an o●● russet jerkin, bound and k●● fast. And laying this bund●● on the table-boord, he goes●● to his chamber, shifts his bre●● ches and stockings, which we●● stained with the aspersion 〈◊〉 the blood, comes down aga●● beats out a large clay-wall 〈◊〉 the room, and thereat he 〈◊〉 sues forth, and makes his escape into the fields. Thinking by this his practice of breaking the wall, to colour and cover his fact, and to transpose all suspicion thereof from himself, to an opinion that some passengers that way, or thiefs had committed these furious and desperate murders. In the time of his escape in this manner, a young black horse of the old man's, by the negligence of a servant boy of the house, got into the room at the gap or broken wall where the dead bodies lay: And being found there, a rumour was scattered over all the country, and entertained of light and credulous persons, that the Devil in the shape of a black horse, was found in the room where the headless bodies lay.  
14 Enoch having thus escaped into the fields, conveys the heads secretly away, and hid them under a heap of lose Fern, ready cut to be burned. After this, he walked forward almost a mile, and came to a Kinsman's house of his, one, Goodman howel's, and enquired for a young man of this house, the son of this howel's: answer was made him, that if he could stay half an hour, he might speak with him, for he was gone forth, and would be returned by that time. Upon this answer, Enoch goes into the house, and waits the coming of his Cousin: and in the interim, h●● took a Bible which he saw upon a shelf, and sat him down, and read the first chapter of the Prophecy of Isaiah; and by that time he had read through the whole chapter, the young man whom he had expected came in: After salutations between them, Enoch desired him to lend him the book called the Practice of Piety: his Cousin went instantly to his chamber, and fetched it; and thereupon they two walked forth into the fields towards Enoch's father's house. As they passed together (his Cousin altogether ignorant of his bloody facts:) Enoch, said to his Kinsman, I must turn aside a little, to see a thing I left in the field. These words were no sooner uttered by him, but two Maids of his Father's family, accompanied with some of the nearest neighbours having raised the cry, and prosecuting the pursuit of the Murderer, seized there upon him, apprehended him, and brought him before the next justice of the Peace, Sir Robert Howard a Knight of the Bath, of noble birth, son to the late Right Honourable, the Earl of Suffolk.  
15 Enoch, being by this prudent knight examined, touching the unnatural and barbarous facts objected against him, stoutly, resolutely, undauntedly denied for a while and impudently, without blush, or change of countenance pleaded his innocence. But being pressed by that Noble and wise Knight, with such reasons and arguments, as to his wisdom seemed most strong and pregnant to convince him: at length, overcome with the horror of his own conscience, and shame of his impudence, he began to relent, and by impressions of deserved wrath, from the divine Majesty of God, into his Soul, he became sensible of what he had done. And thus overcome with the agitations of tormenting pangs in his own bosom, he desired that worthy Knight that he would send for one Mr. Erasmus powel, a learned, reverend, and aged Divine, who by the Sacrament of Baptism brought this Enoch into the visible Church of GOD. M. powel, being come, took Enoch apart into another room, from the presence of the Knight and to him he opened the fact with such circumstances, a were by Questions propose unto him.  
16 The facts thus reveal and confessed by the Malefictour; Sir Robert commande● his Clerk to write the M●●timus, and sent him well guarded with the Constable of th● hundred and others into 〈◊〉 County Gaol, held in 〈◊〉 Town of Shrewsbury. As 〈◊〉 Keepers of the prisoner ca●● onward their way, they we●● to pass by Enoch's Father house; and he being desirous to see his aged Father, requested of his Keepers, to per●● him to turn into the house but being come in, his father refused to speak to him, or 〈◊〉 see him, being overcome with grief of heart for so great a calamity upon his Family. His eldest Sister, the Wife of an honest Freeholder, of the Neighbourhood, being come to comfort her Father in this his great consternation and dejection of Spirit; seeing her Brother enter into the house, she came unto him with tears in her eyes and face, and sorrow in her heart, and said, Ah Brother Enoch, what moved you to take away the life of our dear Mother and Brother? He replied unto her; Peace fool, hold thy Tongue, We live in a false Church, and thou shalt see a change shortly. This passionate discovery of himself being the main secret of his wicked heart, and the incentive to all his villainies, I received from his brother i● Law the husband of his elde● sister, who charged him with these words in my presence and thereby left him destitute of all reply, by telling him h● heard them from his own mouth, and that he would affirm them upon his oath 〈◊〉 any Court of this Kingdom And here let all those Person● who out of a turbulent affects on to Nonconformity, have stoutly argued and pleaded that distemper in this ma●● brain, and not any Erroneous opinions relating to Church matters, brought forth the●● diabolical Acts of Matrices and fratricide; Let them weight in their retired thoughts th●● Nature and tenor of the●● words, and to what they relate: And let them be also ashamed and learn to blush, that they have so unjustly, not to say irreligiously darkened and opposed Truth, to countenance falsehood and their own faction.  
17 This Enoch being brought forward towards the Prison, the day declining, his Keepers were constrained to take up their lodging in a small village Town five miles from Shrewsbury called Powlderbach, and there lodged at the house of one Thomas Turner. After they were entered there, and their Supper prepared and set on the Table, all the company sat down lovingly together: And Enoch, as most versed in matters of Devotion, did very orderly both before, and after Supper, give thankes to GOD for their food. The company being risen from the Table turned towards the fire, not so much for the comfort and warmth thereof, for the time was but newly past Midsummer as for conference sake. As they sat thus friendly talking together, Enoch was espied by a servant of the house to six his eye upon a Spit or Broach which the Maid by negligence had left in one end o● the Chimney. The Servant kept his own eye carefully upon Enoch, expecting Th●● event of his Anger, for he perceived some wrath in his hea●● discovered in his countenance by his contracting of his for● head, and staring with indignation upon the Constable 〈◊〉 the hundred, to whom he was by the justice committed. And on the sudden up starts Enoch in a desperate rage, and catched at the Spit, therewith as was conjectured, to have gored the Constable. The Servant, whose vigilant eye attended the hands of Enoch, stepped suddenly between him and the Spit, and thereby prevented his bloody purpose. After this, they brought Enoch to bed, where, after two hours, either sleep, or silence at least, they of the house who watched and guarded the Prisoner, heard a most fearful noise in the street, near to the door of the house where Enoch lay, as if it had been the rattling of the wheels of two or three Carts furiously driven. In this Town, three watchmen for the hundred sat up in the street that night on the County watch who were not of enoch's company, but walked to and fro to take notice if any travellers passed that way. These me● also heard the noise, and were greatly terrified therewith. With this rattling and rumbling noise, Enoch then in his bed, being suddenly awaked became terribly affrighted and greatly distempered with enraged fears and outcries; so that he leapt out of his Bed cast off his Shirt, and came down naked out of the Chamber unto the company, hi● Watchmen below in the Hall● and there cried out with great vehemency and contention o● voice, many times without Intermission: o they murder me, they murder me, they murder me. Which terrible expressions of tormenting fears, confirm that sentence of sacred Scripture 
(x) Prov. 18.14.  The Spirit of a man shall sustain his Infirmities, but a Wounded Spirit who can bear it. For he whose heart and hands were yet moistened with his Mothers and Brother's blood, apprehended the least noise sounding in his ears to be the assaults of Hellish furies seizing upon him. His Keepers being thus disquieted with him, made haste to be eased of their trouble, attired him in his , pinioned his Arms, and towards four of the clock in the morning on Sunday the seventh of july, they brought him forward to the Goal in Shrewsbury. When the Keeper of the Prison read his Mittimus, and understood his facts he loaded him with irons, an● committed him to the common lodging among malefactors of his own quality.  
18 When the rumour o● Enoch's murders and imprisonment was divulged abroad; 〈◊〉 was wonderful to see how people of all qualities resorted unto him, questioned with him, and although altogether unable to administer either counsel or comfort to a ma●● of his disconsolate condition● yet many of them were forward and busy to cloud and darken the truth of that very cause, and only cause, which he himself constantly alleged of his provocation to these facts. For diverse who affected not the Ceremonies of our Church, with whom this County and this Town have of late abounded; could not endure to hear that a Brother of their society and opinion, should so stain and dishonour the sanctity of their holy Profession, as to imbrue his accursed hands in her blood, who had conceived and nourished him in her womb. Hence great care was taken, and all policies employed, to persuade the Malefactor to assign some other cause and probable reason of these murders, and not any touch of his dislike of Church Ceremonies. Many Ministers of our County, and some of our Town repaired unto him, and every man talked and reasoned with him, as to his own understanding seemed best pleasing. And he freely confessed to all men, that upon difference in opinions between him and his brother touching the Gesture in the Communion, his wrath conceived against him, turned into rage; and incensed his heart to the murder of him.  
19 It came into my heart to go visit this fellow; and being come to the Prisonhouse. I requested the Gaolour to le● me have a sight of the Prisone● in a private room. He instantly commanded one of his servants to bring him unto meet Enoch being come, I told him in the presence of the Keeper and his servant, that I was come to see him, not to satisfy curiosity, nor to urge and press questions unto him: but with a clear and pure intention, by laying the judgements of God's wrath before his eyes, to strike his conscience with the sight and sense of his great wickedness; and afterwards to minister those directions, whereby to bring him to repentance, and the reconciled favour of GOD. My first question with him was this:  Min. 
Thinkest thou Enoch, that thy mother who conceived and bred thee in her womb, with many pangs and throws, did ever harbour in her heart, a thought or suspicion, that when thou wast arrived to man's estate, and she to her aged years, thy unnatural rage should draw her blood, and separate her head from he● shoulders?  Enoch. 
To this question of of mine, he made no answer at all, but lifted up his hands a little, and cast down his head with great confusion and perturbation of soul.  Min. 
I said unto him again, Enoch, I am come with purpose of my heart to do thee good; and if thou wilt deal truly with me, and with thine own soul, thou shalt find me both able, and desirous to do thee good. He gave me thanks for my kindness, and was very willing and desirous to entertain my advice. Hereupon 〈◊〉 making benefit to myself o● that readiness I found in him to hearken unto me, said further:  Min. 
Enoch, I charge your conscience by that Authority which CHRIST our LORD hath given to me as a Minister of His sacred Gospel, that you do impart unto me, the true moving cause or causes, which stirred you up to these unnatural facts: for unless I search your wounds to the bottom, Enoch assure yourself, I shall never be able to apply any solid comforts unto you, but they will rankle in your soul, and prove incurable.  Enoch. 
Sir, since you charge and press my conscience herewith, I will as truly confess to you, as I will do to CHRIST Himself; The True and the only cause which instigated me to these facts, was my Zeal to the Word of GOD.  Min. 
I replied, that zeal for GOD's glory, or for His Word, must be qualified with command from GOD Himself, either by express declaration of His will by Oracle and lively voice; or else, which is equivalent thereunto, By the full and undoubted assurance of a divine instinct and motion of GOD's Spirit. But this latter I told him, under The settled estate of the Church of the New Testament, was peculiar only in matters of this nature unto the persons of the Apostles of our LORD, and descended not unto our times. The Apostle Peter 
y Act. 5.5.10.  struck with present death Ananias and Saphira his wife but the power of that stroke, came directly and immediately from GOD Himself, as a miraculous act of His wrath against their hypocrisy, and a divine declaration of the truth of his Apostolical Doctrine and calling. But Enoch, your fact agreeth not with this, but hath some correspondence with the passionate, furious, and irregular zeal of james and john, 
z Luke 9.54.  Who desired our LORD to give them leave to call for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans: and were for their unsanctified rage sharply checked by our LORD and SAVIOUR; who intimated unto them, that GOD's Spirit in men is mild and gentle, according to that perpetual Canon and rule, 
a james 3.17.  The Wisdom that is from above, is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without Hypocrisy: But Satan's spirit and motions are raging and furious, exciting to blood and murder. What say you now Enoch to your own facts, do you like or dislike them?  Enoch. 
Sir, I know not whether I have done well or ill.  Min. 
All facts of this nature are undoubtedly the desperate effects of Satanical suggestions, covered and coloured over with the fair pretence of zeal flowing from divine inspirations, only to mitigate and allay the troubles of conscience incident thereunto: What say you to this?  Enoch. 
I know that Satan hath no power to prevail with the true children o● GOD.  Min. 
Do you persuade yourself to be the true child of GOD, and actually in the state of grace, having committed these execrable facts? your fact is the very same with that of Cain, and in one most fearful degree of unnatural cruelty fare surmounts his: and he is branded with the hellish mark 
b 1 john 3.12.  of Satan's prevailing with him. And how you should be free from the prevailing power of Satan in your heart, and over you, for my part I yet understand not. For we are ever to judge of the nature, strength, and prevailing of Temptations, by the real acts which are effected and produced by them. Our own imaginations, which are liable to error, flattery, and seducement, are no rule, by which either our own, or other men's judgements are to be guided and directed.  Enoch. 
I will not let go my hold of CHRIST, for all this sin of mine.  Min. 
Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, is indeed the true, the only, the  foundation of the Church and children of GOD: But he is to be apprehended and applied to the souls of Christian men, by piety, virtue, and the constant fear of GOD; and not by every idle imagination and fleeting fancy, which springs up in the minds of carnal men. But tell me, is our LORD CHRIST in your power to be held or let go● at your pleasure? His own words are these, 
c joh. 6.44.  No man com●●●● unto 〈◊〉 except the Father who hath sent me, draw him. But undoubtedly GOD the Father doth draw His children to His SON CHRIST JESUS by faith: and that faith works in their hearts by love 
d Gal. 5.6. . But Love and Murder, are qualities of contrary nature each unto other; they cannot actually subsist and have being in one and the same heart, at one and the same time. For the repugnancy and contrariety of their natures, doth mainly labour to destroy and extinguish each other. If the true faith cannot have being without pure Love, its gracious and inseparable companion, by what gift or grace within you, do you think to lay hold on, and retain our LORD JESUS CHRIST unto yourself.  Enoch. 
I hope by my repentance to recover my faith again.  Min. 
Your sect is frequent and much in talking of Faith which makes the Papists in●● proud scorn to call Protestants Solifidians: Tell me, 〈◊〉 you can, What is faith, whereof you so much presume?  Enoch. 
I think faith, is to trust in GOD for salvation.  Min. 
To trust in GOD for salvation, is one principal act and practice of the Nature of Faith, as it stands in relation to GOD's mercy, and his promises. But as Faith is a supernatural Quality wrought into man's soul by GOD's Spirit, it hath many more actions and operations, than only affiance in the Love and Mercy of GOD. For true Faith purifies the hearts of all those who are endued therewith. It begets Humility of heart, unity, peace, 
1 joh. 3.3.  and love with all true believers. 
Acts 4.32.  But none of all these virtues have any affinity or agreement with your facts of cruel murder. 
1 Pet. 1.22.  For if we search all the volume of the sacred Bible, and examine the ancient records of Infidels and Heathens; No fact of man in any age may stand parallel with this of yours. And therefore flatter not yourself with a vain opinion of the truth, or the strength of your faith: for had true faith been of any virtue and force in any faculty of your soul, either in your understanding to guide your cogitations, or in your will to rectify your resolutions and actions; you had never so fearfully and desperately fallen into these barbarous murders.  Enoch. 
Do you think then, that there is no means or way left for me to recover GOD's favour, and the pardon of these great and crying sins?  Min. 
Yes, upon your deep Humiliation and repentance, undoubtedly GOD will pardon your facts, stop the cry of blood, and receive you to grace and mercy. Now the groundwork of repentance for a man in your case, is first to cast off all flattering and deluding conceit of your imaginary faith. 2. To labour to be convinced in your soul, that your facts were wrought and acted by the Immediate presence of Satan within you. 3 To Abhor from the very heart and soul the things you have done. 4. To pour out your soul continually to God in fervent and secret Prayer, craving of His mercy to pardon your sins, and to check and restrain the malice, power and prevailing of Satan against you. 5. To cast away all presumptuous thoughts, which you shall find to spring up in your own carnal heart, and to be secretly conveyed into your mind by that infernal spirit. These things if you shall carefully set yourself to perform in singleness of heart: GOD's promise is made and shall never be annulled: At what time the wicked shall turn from his sins, 
Ezek. 18.21, 22.  which he hath committed, and keep all my Statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. But tell me, wherein differed you in opinion from your mother and brother?  Enoch. 
Touching the Gesture at the Communion, they would kneel, and I would sit and bow my body.  Min. 
And did you for this very cause shed their blood?  Enoch. 
My wrath kindled for that cause only, against my brother, and in that wrath I slew him.  Min. 
Many persons in this Town, who have conferred with you, are not of that opinion, and do report other cause thereof.  Enoch. 
Sir, I told you I would confess to you, as unto CHRIST Himself: as I hope to be pardoned of GOD, I and my brother never differed nor disagreed in all our life, but in that matter only, and in our difference therein I slew him.  Min. 
The Gesture of kneeling at the Communion, is commanded by the Authority of our Sovereign Lord the King, with the assent of all the learned Bishops in our Land venerable for piety, learning, and virtue; confirmed with the approbation and public Testimony of both the Universities, and the godly learned therein: ratified by Act of Parliament: And lastly, obeyed by many thousands in this Land, who neither want th● light of divine truth to direc●● them, nor the true fear o● GOD to warrant their practice. And think you of you● self, that you are wiser, o● more righteous than all these.  Enoch. 
I should not do so and with this answer he ca● down his countenance, an● lifted up his hands.  Min. 
This spiritual pride● the fault of all your sect: f●● no sooner do any of you begin to look toward Zion, an● in your own conceits to reli●● the things of GOD. but i●● stantly you so over-value you● own small worths; that 〈◊〉 the learning and piety in th● Kingdom, is not able to equ●● your petty devotions, either for soundness of judgement truth of faith, or uprightness of walking. No doubt but we should have a jolly Church if you and your conceited companions had the new-moulding and rectifying of it.  Enoch. 
I should not think so of myself: And with this short reply he cast down his countenance again, and lifted up his hands a very little.  Min. 
How came you at first to entertain these opinions, and to dislike the gestures of your betters for wisdom, knowledge, virtue, and the true fear of GOD, and constant integrity in all their ways? Have you got these itching, toyish, and vain conceits by conference with any Ministers disaffected to peace and unity? Or were you privately persuaded thereto by some of your a● acquaintance? or have you hea● any Minister publicly to 〈◊〉clare his dislike of the press form of government, and ● this gesture in special? or we●● you moved thereunto by 〈◊〉 example of any whose perse● you reverence for wisdom and piety? or have you by r●●ding any schismatical boo● received taint and infect●● herein?  Enoch. 
By none of all the means, but by reading GOD's Word.  Min. 
I never knew any ●●● of your vulgar education mean capacity, and small 〈◊〉 lent of knowledge, so acuted to extract an opinion of t●● nature from GOD's wo●● which GOD by His Spirit ●●ver put into His Word: you pass all the Alchemists that I have ever heard or read of. But this is the effect of spiritual pride of heart in such men as you are. For when you have been secretly deluded and seduced 
e Eph ●. 14.  By the cunning craftiness of such as lie in wait to deceive: and thereby your judgements depraved with error, heresy, or schisine; you glory therein, and add contumacy of heart to your opinions; desirous to arrogate unto yourselves the praise of your inventions, and to be thought that by the sharpness of your own wits, and penetration of your understandings, you have found out some hidden truths revealed only by GOD to the children of His grace and election, by sharpening the understandings with His en● lightning Spirit, to conceiv●● and perceive more holy truth●● than all the godly learned 〈◊〉 the Land beside. But take heed of these things, and le●● my counsel take place with you; change your opinions which have already Inveigle● and thereby wounded you● soul with desperate sins, exposed you to the infamy o● the world, given infinite scandal to the Church of GOD and her children, cast you ou● of the love and favour of a●● good men, and will undoubtedly abridge your days by the stroke of justice, in the just and exemplary execution o●● Law. For 
f Gen. 9.6.  He that shedde● man's blood, by man shall h●● blood be shed, for in the Image of GOD he created him.  Enoch. 
I do yield my body to the Law which I have offended.  Min. 
What Law do you think you have violated? whether the Moral Law of GOD and Nature? or the Humane and Temporal Laws of this Land?  Enoch. 
I think I have offended against GOD's Law.  Min. 
Do you but think you have offended GOD? Do you not feel the gripes and convulsions of a wounded Spirit sensibly impressed into your soul from the wrath of GOD?  Enoch. 
I am much troubled in my mind, but I will still hold fast Christ my Lord and Saviour.  Min. 
A wounded and oppressed conscience never he●● fast our LORD JESUS CHRIST, before the burde● thereof was removed, and th● pangs dulced and assuaged i● His blood, applied by faith u●to the soul. This must be● gained by a deep and serious repentance, the qualities and properties of which repentance are fully and exactly set forth, 2 Cor. 7.11. Without this repentance and the consequent virtues thereof, never was the expiating, and purging virtue of our LORD His blood truly apprehended, and effectually applied to the soul of any Man. But let me understand from you, that since you are not willing to be thought that Satan stirred you up to these facts, by what other cause do you think you fell into them?  Enoch. 
Surely Sir by sin.  Min. 
By what sin think you?  Enoch. 
That do not I know.  Minist. 
But I know that by you, that you do not, or will not know by yourself: and can readily assign that particular sin by which you fell into these desperate and raging Murders. Your sin was, as I appeal to your own conscience for confirmation hereof, your hypocrisy in making a fairer show of holiness to the eye of the world, than the course of your life in secret did fully reach unto; for had you been of nathanael's temper, 
g john ●. 47.  A true Israelite in whom there is no guile: Then had your soul received the blessing of that promise from GOD, 
h P●a. 25.12.14.  What man is he that feareth the LORD, him will He teach is the way that he shall choose: The secrets of the LORD are among them that fear Him, and He will show them His Covenant. You● were and are but a Novice in practical Christianity, and do not understand this hidden Mystery: That unless the practice of a man's life in sound Piety, upright integrity, and gracious purity, do not only equal, but fare surmount and preponderate the profession he makes; the root of his imaginary Zeal will prove to be but rottenness. For know you for your learning, that although it is th● hardest thing in all the world to be a true and sound Christian, by denying and Renouncing ourselves, our Desires, and appetites for CHRIST His glory: Yet it is the easiest thing in all the world to be a formal Sectary, such as men commonly call Puritan: for therein is neither marrow, spirit, or power of true godliness, which is placed in piety, charity, unity. For I can name, if I were disposed, even in this town of ours, where I live, men of your formality in profession, who eagerly followed Sermons without missing one on a weeke-day, used family Prayers, kept company and conventicles, with persons of whose true fear of GOD I am well persuaded: yet many of these unsound and rotten hearted fellows, have been discovered and known for secret whore-mongers, drunkards, cheaters, and such as have revolted from the faith of Protestants, wherein they were baptised; and this truth been known right well to the better sort of Non-conformists for practice of Religion. They answer for themselves as one of them this very morning answered me touching your very person, who had never seen your face; 
i john 2.19.  They went out from us, they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; But they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not at all of us. This answer I willingly admit on their parts, namely, that men who are endued with true grace and the holy fear of the LORD, do so cooperate and apply their own desires, actions, and vigilant care over all their ways, unto GOD's Spirit and grace within them; that thereby they are established and preserved from desperate impiety, or final backsliding. But this answer of theirs toucheth not that purpose for which it is brought, nor impugneth at all the Argument which I made. For I intent only to show the truth and no more. But wicked and ungodly men do frequently delude the eye of the world, with the lustre of a fair profession, till GOD in justice unmask and discover them. With this answer unto him I so cast him down with an inward sense of his own guile and guilt; that from this time I was very deeply in his favour, and he professed openly in the Prisonhouse, that Mr. Studley brought a sound heart to comfort him, and to do him good. Hereupon, having spent an hour and half in conference with him, I bade him farewell for that time.  Enoch. 
Good Sir before you go, I pray you answer mee● one question more, and that is this. Do you think that I have no faith in my heart?  Minist. 
I am in that matter past thinking. For I know right well, true faith, (such as you flatter yourself to be endued with) and effectual conversion to GOD, are the whole substance of a Christian man's Newbirth, by the Spirit of GOD: and this Regeneration, where it is sound and effectual, sets the soul of that man free from Satan's prevailing, in such measure and degree, as he hath done in your heart, and in all the powers of your soul. For it is the testimony of God's Spirit in His Apostle: 
● john ●. 18.  They that are borne of GOD sin not; but he that is begotten of GOD keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not.  Enoch. 
Sir, I have heard some Preachers teach that faith once had, can never be lost.  Min. 
And by hearing such doctrine preached, your imagination deluded, and Satanically bewitched, became presumptuous, bold, and desperate, to commit those unnatural, flagitious, and crying Sins, which by continual clamour call for vengeance at the hand of GOD's justice. But better it were that such doctrines were never preached; unless those just limitations prescribed in GOD's Word, were both carefully, judiciously, and continually added thereunto. The method and manner of the delivery of this doctrine by Ministers of your acquaintance and familiarity, is neither sound, nor true. For such Ministers suspend and hang the whole matter of a Christian man's preservation in grace, in faith, in obedience after his Conversion, upon the Mercy, the Will and the Act of GOD's power: grounding themselves upon these Scriptures, 
Rom. 11.29.  The gifts and calling of GOD are without repentance. And again, 
1 Pet. 1.5.  Ye are kept by the power of GOD through faith unto salvation. And by these places of holy Scripture and such like, the whole act of a Christians support in faith and holiness, is transposed and put off from the will and care of man himself, unto the will, the mercy, the power of GOD. And thus the best of men, who are naturally prone to self-flattery, self-pleasing, and spiritual security; have the edge of gracious care, vigilancy, and circumspection, blunted and abated. But our LORD Himself, in whose love, mercy, and holy degrees, our preservation and salvation ●● firmly established; commands all His children, 
Matth. 26.  To watch and pray that they enter not in●● temptation: the spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak. And the Apostle of our LORD, gives a caveat to all the true and faithful people of the LORD, 
1 Cor. 10.12.  saying, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take bee● lest he fall. And further by the same Apostle; 
Philip. 2.12, 13.  Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is GOD that worketh in you both to will and ●● do, of his good pleasure. And the Apostle jude hath pressed this godly care very home upon the hearts of all true Christians, saying, 
jude 20, 21  verse 20, 21. But ye beloved building up yourselves on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life. Unless then, our understandings, wills, affections, and all that is in us, do willingly submit themselves to the gracious motions and operations of GOD's holy Spirit within us; we shall not only grieve the holy Spirit of GOD, 
Ephes. 4.30. 1 Thess. ●. 19.  but also we shall quench the lively flame thereof in our hearts and souls. By all which places of sacred Scriptures so pregnant and convincing, we may inform our understandings, that in man's preservation in faith and obedience after effectual conversion, there is a mutual concurrence of two special agents. The one supreme and principal, and that is GOD our Father, 
Psal. 37.23, 24.  our LORD and SAVIOUR by His Spirit enlightening, guiding, and supporting: The other inferior, subordinate, and concurrent with the principal, and that is man's understanding, will, and all other his faculties and powers, readily apprehending, sweetly embracing, joyfully concurring with the divine motions issuing from God's blessed Spirit, according to that voice of the Church, Draw me, 
Cant. 1.4.  we will run after thee. And if this latter, at any time be intermitted, neglected, or suspended; The actions of GOD's Spirit in men's souls, cannot possibly yield any spiritual joy, delight and comfort; no nor so much as be sensibly felt in the soul of any man. But it grows late, I must bid you for this time farewell.  Enoch. 
Good Sir, let me see you again as soon as you can: I like well your speeches, and I hope you are sent of GOD to do me good.  Min. 
I will GOD-willing see you again the next week; in the mean time know, there is no coming for you to heaven, but thorough the suburbs of hell, I mean a great measure of Humiliation and Repentance.  
This being our conference at that time, I left him to his prison, cold irons, and spiritual meditations: And after this, the first news that I heard concerning him, was a common report spread in five day's space, throughout our whole Town and Country, that ● was the man, with whom he had greatest desire to confer, and to impart himself by revealing and discovering what he intended to make known. And his reason was, that although many Ministers had questioned freely with him to search out his opinions and the secrets of his heart yet none had at that time administered any counsel or directions unto him but myself: and therefore he conjectured at my intentions by my actions.  
20 This purpose of Enoch concerning me, being publicly known by the generality of report; The Puritans, of whose generation he was, were greatly displeased herewith: And one of them, no honest man I warrant you, said of me, He is of a great and ungodly Wit, and comes to this man of purpose to discredit our party, and will work him to his own will: And godly persons shall thereby sustain disgrace, by the unnatural cruelty and wickedness of this bloody man. This report I heard, and digested it with silence and patience, being by many year's residence here enured to their bitterness of spirit, and frequent railings. But I do hereby challenge all the Puritans of this Kingdom of England, to charge if they can my Wit, or my Will with any piece of ungodliness in the execution of my calling, or the course of my conversation. For I never thought, nor they shall never prove it, That to defend the Orthodox doctrine of the Church of England against the Papists, 
k jude 3.  B● contending earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints: Or the ancient discipline of the sam● Church against the Puritans, ●● be any branch of an ungodly W●●. But on the contrary part, the resolved and constant practice thereof, in my public Ministry as occasion was incident to be a gracious inclination to solid piety, and a public declarat on of an honest heart disposed to peace and unity.  
21 On the Monday following being the fifteenth day of july 1633. Two messengers from Bishop's ca●●le, and the Neighbourhood there, one of them Brother in law to Enoch by marriage with his eldest sister; The other a man of very honest reputation in the place of his dwelling, Mr. William Tanner, were desired by enoch's father to come unto me, and to crave the continuance of my charitable pains with his son, and promised me that the old man should be thankful unto me. I answered them, that as my own charity was my first Inducement and motive to visit him; so my duty to GOD, and the satisfaction of mine own conscience was all my expected reward. The brother in law of Enoch, desired of me, that the next morning he might attend me to the Gaol to confer with him, to counsel and to direct him. The hour eight of the clock being appointed, we repaired thither, and in the presence of nine persons, of which one was strongly affected to non-conformity, I entered conference or rather counsel with him and they all, are able to testify how free I was from any pontic device of serving my sel● into his bosom, to do the Paritans any disgrace, which was the thing so greatly feared. ● called for the Bible of the house, and by many and urgent persuasions, illustrates with pregnant examples, I laboured to bring him to a sight and sense of his great wickedness; thereby to humble him and by repentance to prepare his soul for comforts.  
22 Having finished my exhortation to him, which he seriously promised in the hearing of that company, to imprint deeply in his remembrance, for the careful practice thereof, I acquainted him, with a common term which passed for current, and credible in all the Neighbourhood about Bishops-castle, where his murders were committed; By clear and forcible arguments as the Country affirmed, convincing him of Lunacy and Distraction, thereby to divert the facts from all thoughts of Church Ceremonies, or any dislike thereof. And the relation and clearing of these objections by evident refutation of them, sure I am, will give our Non-conformists a deep disgust: who labour to this day in all assemblies and occasions of conference, to fasten madness on their brother Enoch. But necessary truth conducing to GOD's glory, and His Churches good, must not be suppressed, to sooth and please self-willed Schismatics. The Arguments which were related unto me by Mr. William Tanner were four, and here follow in their order.  
1 Enoch came into an Inn, or Alehouse in Bishops-Castle, and found there, the Oast of the house and a Scrivenour drinking together. He being desired to sit down with them, carried a while in their company. In this time of his sinning and conference with them; the Scrivenour is reported to draw ●ut of his pocket certain coppy-books ruled with red Ink, and written with his own hand. These Books he laid upon the table, and Enoch taking one of them into his hand, and looking intentively upon the red lines, became, as the report goeth, much troubled in mind. The Scrivenour not perceiving his perturbation, drew also out of his pocket a Prospective-glass, thorough which our sight being directed, it makes the object on which our eye is fixed much more large and extended, than the natural and proper magnitude thereof. Upon the sight of these red-ruled books and glass, Enoch is said to burst out into words of great terror and trouble in himself, and to say, This man is a Conjurer, and hath sent to Bristol for a man to murder me. This speech say our Puritans about Bishops-castle, plainly convinceth Enoch to be cracked in the brain, and apt for violent distempers by Lunacy. This is the Argument (Enoch) which your neighbours make against you: let me have your answer without any untruths, shifts, or evasions.  
Enoch. Sir, these men whom you name, can fully clear me herein, and to their report I refer myself: yet for your satisfaction, to whom I own all duty and respect, I will assure you the clear truth herein. I viewed indeed one of the Scrivener's books, and I supposed, and spoke according to my thoughts, that those lines were ruled with blood, for I had never seen nor heard of any red ink in all my life-time. I think a wiser man than myself may commit a greater mistake and error, without any distemper or crack in his understanding. As for the Glass, or Bristol, or murdering of me, GOD is my witness I never made any mention of them: Neither did I term the man a Conjurer, nor had any imagination thereof. But it is the practice of the world, when a man is in misery, to load him with false accusations, whereof since I came into this Prison, I have had much experience by manifold slanders of whoredom and other vices invented against me.  
2 The second Argument is this. Enoch a year before the death of his mother, is reported to ask her this question upon a Sunday, after they were returned from Clunne Church Mother, did not you hear ● shrill and loud voice speak● unto me this morning in the Church? His mother is reported to reply unto him, yes, ● heard the Minister's voice speaking to thee, and to me, and to all the Congregation: other voice I heard not, nor thyself neither. He is reported to ask her again, Did you not hear a voice call unto me by name, and say, Enoch prepare? She● is said to answer him, Hold thy peace thou fool, I heard no such voice, nor thou neither. This is alleged against you, now answer for yourself in truth and uprightness. For weakness of brain, is no cause of shame or reproach to your person.  
Enoch. They talk much of the Devil and myself; but if they invent and devise such lies against me in matters whereof I am no way guilty, let the authors and contrivers thereof, take heed lest that lying spirit hold not as much interest, and take as strong possession of their souls, as he hath done in mine, according to their opinion and conceit. For certainly this report, newly raised, touching my questions with my mother, is such a cunning lie, tha● I cannot understand the aim, or search the depth of it. For by these words, Enoch prepare, I conceive their meaning to be, as though Satan had cast some thoughts into my heart touching the kill of my mother and brother, a whole year before I committed those execrable facts: But I have told you Sir, and do further assure you of the truth therein, that my resolution to slay my brother, was not fully ten days old before I brought it into execution. And if my mother were now living, who is temporally perished by my enraged heart and accursed hand, she could and would clear my reports, and denial of any such questions moved unto her. I assure you therefore on my faith and truth, I never used any such words unto her, nor never received any such idle thought into my own heart, as to imagine a voice to call to me by name in the open Church, in the time of Divine Service, as people call it.  
3 The third Argument. Enoch is certainly tainted in his brain with some weakness, caused by the reigning power of melancholy, apt to dispose and incline any man to frenzy and distemper: or else by some other noxious and malignant humour producing the like effects: And this is most certain and beyond exception: for he hath oftentimes assayed by purging and phleboromie, to mitigate and correct the strength of these humours, causing malady and distemper in his mind. This objection I received from a very learned Doctor in Divinity, and a professor of the faculty and practice of Physic, of great reputation for his Science therein. And this he told me was the common received opinion among Gentlemen of worth who neither wanted understanding to judge of these matters, nor were rashly credulous in believing flying rumours. Now know you Enoch this objection presseth hard upon you, let me therefore have your just and true answer hereunto: For distempers arising from the ill constitution of our bodies, are no reproach to our persons, but matters of pity and commiseration.  
Enoch. Sir, I will fully satisfy your desire, and give you the truth herein: I was in May two years past, let blood and purged for a swelling in one of my feet, the remotest part from my head; and was at that time, neither affected with lightness in my brain, nor any other sickness in my heart: That swelling in my foot hindered me at that time from going to Newport, I being then a Traine-souldier of the Band of Captain Scriven an Esquire of worth and learning well known over all our County, and commanded there to appear to show my Armour, and to train with my fellows of the same band. And at that time my brother john supplied my room by substitution and request from me unto him. At this answer of his, two of his sisters were in place in the Prison house, together with their husbands, and they all with unanimous consent affirmed, and confirmed, that Enoch had never been accustomed to physic, but that he was all his life-time of sound constitution, strong, active, nothing crazy, or subject to distemper in his brain, by any fits of rage and frenzy. And in confirmation hereof, the forenamed Master Scriven, a prudent, judicious, and learned Gentleman, came to the place of my dwelling, and desired me, that for as much as Enoch his soldier, late of his Train band, had acknowledged unto him in the Prisonhouse, that he had received both comfort and directions from me. I would continue my ●●ve and pains with him: I promised the worldly Gentleman to gratify his desires, and to take all opportunities to see him. And I asked of him, Sir, did you ever hear of any distemper by lunacy or frantic moods in Enoch your soldier? He answered me, I have never heard of any thing in him, but very religious and well, before this vast trial for his sins befell him.  
4 The fourth Argument, is this. Enoch was seen to stand naked in a river up to his breast, lading water up in his hands, and casting it on his head and face, and continued a good while in this river. At that time a Gentleman of that neighbour hood, one Master Powel, is said to ride by the river, and seeing Enoch naked therein, casting water on his face, called to him, Enoch, what dost thou there? Enoch is reported to answer this Gentleman to his question, I am washing away my sins. Mr. Powel is said to reply, That's not water to wash away sins, counselled him to go forth of the river, to put on his , and repair home. This report goes so currant over all this County and country, that he who shall on enoch's behalf deny credence thereunto, is taken for an impudent person, past honesty, or conscience: for so generally had this lying rumour spread itself, and prevailed for truth, that persons of eminent rank, and very wise withal, were wonderfully taken therewith. And the conclusion was, Enoch is a fellow of frequent distempers, and surely the instigation to those murders was the rage of his affections caused by the weakness & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his brain, and not any reference to matters of religion. Now Enoch let me have your answer to this in sincerity, without any dissimulation, or mincing of the matter: for as I told you before, infirmities in soul or in body, do serve to move compassion in good men towards persons affected therewith, but are no disgrace at all to their persons.  
Enoch. This argument is vast in show, but thin & light in the substance thereof, and therefore is soon answered. I am desirous, Sir, to give you the truth herein clear, free, and full, abstracted from all guile or dissimulation. I refer myself to Mr. Powel his ingenuous confirmation of what I shall say, whose wisdom and integriti●● I know very well, will readily give testimony with me in this matter. I had occasion to go to the river bank, to gather a burden of rods: And having gathered those rods, and bound them up, I stood on the bank of the river, and held my hat before my face, while I made a short prayer unto GOD. As I stood thus praying with my face covered, Master Powel and his wife, and manservant road by on the other side of the river. And he seeing and knowing me very well, called unto me and said, Enoch, what art thou doing? art thou praying? I hearing his voice, plucked my hat from before my face, and said unto him, I hope Mr. Powel it is no offence to make a little prayer to GOD. He answered me again, No, no Enoch, no offence at all, and there with he road away laughing to himself. This is all I do assure you Sir, that Mr. Powel saw in me both for the place, and for the matter. And with this answer of Enoch, I satisfied a grave and prudent knight, Sir Andrew Corbet, and diverse worthy Gentlemen, who by the generality of the fame, though most false, had given credence thereunto. And this, and the rest of his answers to the former inventions, serve to clear Enoch from suspicion of madness: and do settle the bloody facts of outrageous murders upon the true cause formerly assigned.  
23. These particulars, God is my witness, I received from his own mouth; in relation and expression whereof, varies nothing from the truth of the Prisoners confession, I have taken liberty to myself to ●●mine own form of speech. And I further received the ratified truth of all these particulars, by the attestation of those near friends of his, who could not possibly have been ignorant of these matters, if in whole ●● part they had been true. And far better it had been both for the malefactor, and more also to the comfort of his friends, ●● these unnatural, and more tha● barbarous and inhuman facts had issued from distemper in his brain, imposed on him by the hand of GOD, than to proceed from the instigation of desperate rage, cast into his soul by satanical illusion, & bearing relation to the highest strain of self pleasing purity in matters of religion; for there is no man so devoid of reason, but he will freely grant and confess, that it had been a fairer answer, for Enoch to have made to my Brethren of the Ministry, and to myself, if truth might have justified it, that under the violent invasion of some reigning and unresistable passion, to which he had been formerly accustomed, he committed these facts, then to cast them upon prepensed cogitation, deliberate malice, resolved purpose, watching opportunity for the execution thereof. And all these to spring and arise from the inward boiling ●● wrath in his rancorous heart conceived only in matters ●● Church-ceremonies. And he● though I name facts in the Dual number, I desire all Re●ders to know and to take ●●tice thereof, that the death of brother only was by recognition contrived in his hear● without any intention harm at all to the person his mother: though filial lo●● and reverence naturally ●●● from him unto her, was wheatly dried up, and extinct in ●●● soul. For I asked him th● question, whether he intend the same death to his mother by contrivance & plot, wh●● he resolvedly purposed to the person of his brother? He answered me, and I conceive he gave me the truth therein, that all his wrath, as fare as malice and rage were adjoined thereto, was levelly and solely directed to the person of his brother, without any reference at that time to his mother; for had she not come into the room when the rage was upon him, he had not gone forth to seek for her: But the unhappily rushing hastily upon him, before his fury was rebated, his distemper allayed, and his affections better composed with the eye of reason, to look into what he had done; he struck at her, and slew her, as is formerly related.  
24 Upon the fifteenth day of july I had occasion to rid● from Shrewsbury to Eccleshall, to see the most Reverend Father in GOD, the Lord Bishop of our Diocese, newly place● in government over us, and to make myself known un●● his Lordship. And at that time the infamous rumours of these accursed and loud-crying murders, were quick and fresh in all men's mouths. His Lordship asked me thereof in the presence of an eminent Knight of our County, Sir Richard Newport, whether such a murdere● were now in our Gaol, and whether I had seen him and conferred with him? To whom I related what passages in these matters were the known unto me. And being further required by his Lordship to lay down in writing under mine own hand, and subscription of my name, the truth of such particulars as I had received from the Prisoner his own mouth; I truly and faithfully performed the same, and left in writing with his Lordship according to his appointment.  
25 After my return from this most Reverend Father, the next time that I vifited Enoch, I found that some persons affected to Nonconformity, had been tampering with him, and had very politicly brought him from his former confessions to me, of the only cause moving him to these murders: persuading him, that it would be infinitely to his own discredit, and to the reproach of the professors of the Gospel, wh●● truly affected religion, if such a bloody crime could truly be charged upon him in reference to his dislike of Church ceremonies. The inconstant heart o● this light fellow, more sensible of personal infamy, than of the fear of GOD by confirmation● of truth, began to shift & shrink away from his former reports. And yet for all their persuasions and workings therein, such was the overruling hand of GOD's power and providence over him, that still he persisted in affirming that never any cause of variance fell between him and his brother in all their life-time, but only difference in opinion touching the Gesture at the Communion: yet he began to wave the matter, and to qualify the rigour and acrimony of his former terms, not yielding that he slew his brother only because of his kneeling. And with this answer, being a senseless mitigation of his former true report, and containing in it Contradictionem in adjecto, as Logicians speak, a contradiction in the report itself, he greatly pleased both his blinded self, and deluded persuaders. And herein they who are commonly called Puritans, much insulted and gloried in this subtle piece of their own dishonest policy, that they had foiled Mr. Studley, the known Antipuritane of the County. But now to check this masterpiece of their subtle art, by making sensible and palpable the error and absurdity contained therein; I will propose to their second thoughts, and more p●●dent considerations, these ●●●● friendly and familiar Arguments: By the light and conviction whereof, undoubtedly they will become sensible o● their own foolish error, a●● let go their hold.  
26 First, the Apostle ha● told us of Enoch's elder brother called Cain, in these word● 
l 1 john 3.12.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Cain was 〈◊〉 that wicked one, and slew 〈◊〉 brother: And wherefore sle●● he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brothers good. Here the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is causal, as the learned know, and refers us to the sole, and total cause, and not in part assigns the cause why Cain slew his brother. Because Abel was a righteous man, and the LORD approved his sacrifice; and Cain a wicked man, and the LORD rejected his sacrifice; therefore, and only therefore, the wicked man slew the righteous. And if they please to examine deliberately, every small circumstance of this matter recorded in the fourth of Genesis, they shall find that cain's d jection of countenance, and his inward wrath towards his brother, arose from this cause, and Only this cause, that the LORD approved of the faithful sacrifice of Abel, and contemned his own hypocritical offering. So that if any man shall pretend another cause over and beside this, which moved and inflamed cain's wrath to the murder of his brother Abel; he shall thereby wilfully deceive his own soul, although the word Only, be not found in the whole contexture of that historical Narration. A better conclusion therefore naturally flowing from the words of the Apostle, because expressly contained in the words, is this: As Cain murdering of his brother was from the instinct of the Devil in his wicked heart, only because the LORD approved his sacrifice: So the murdering of john ap Evan by Enoch his elder brother proceeded from the same satanical instinct, and impression of rage into his wicked heart, only because he kneeled at the sacred Communion. And this is all that politic se●● hath got by denying this word, Only, in the cause of this late murder. And then by true consequence it may be justly concluded, that Satan hath instigated a Nonconformist, to as unnatural and bloody a fact as ever was committed.  
27 My second Argument is this: Enoch ap Evan slays his brother, either for this cause only, that john would kneel at the Communion, or for some other cause. But for other cause or causes, he never pleaded any for himself, but totally excluded all other causes: Therefore he included this Cause, and this Only, that because john kneeled at the receiving of the sacred Communion, Enoch his desperately enraged brother slew him. This Argument is syllogistical, the true process irrational Induction; and the force thereof, is so clear, conclusive, and binding, that whether his Non-conformed Brethren will accept or reject the word Only, the strength 〈◊〉 the thing affirmed remains pregnant, dilucidate, and 〈◊〉 vincible.  
28 Thus leaving the true and only cause of these flagitious murders fully assoiled from all pretence of colourable opposition: I proceed to lay open unto you, what I observed in the inward disposition of the mind of this man. He was an highminded fellow in spiritual matters, and 〈◊〉 strongly opinioned of his own particular Election, Adoption and radication in grace: The whatsoever advice I gave him from time to time (for I was eighteen times with him) pressing him to Humiliation, Repentance, Faith, Tears, Prayer, Confession, and the like spiritual Actions: He seemed very thankfully to accept from me, and in token of his gratitude, he ordinarily used to kiss my hand, and told me, upon all visitations of him, that he spent his whole time in the exercise of these gracious virtues. But they who lived in the house with him, and diligently noted the whole tenor of his life and actions after his imprisonment, could not discover any Symptoms or consequents of the practice of these pretended virtues: for neither was his countenance dejected, his complexion impaired, or his meals in quantity abated: He fed as plentifully, drank as liberally, discoursed as freely, as any person did, who dieted at the same table with him, paid the same rates of weekly charge, though there detained, not as malefactors, but prisoners for debt. He was frequent and much in poring on the Bible, and still he told me, that he used the help of reading, to quicken his spiritual meditations, and to sharpen his practice of repentance, of faith, and prayer. But I rejoynend unto him, that folitarinesse and retired privacy, voided of all other employments, were the best means of quickening devotion, by putting his soul into soliloquy with GOD. Reading, I told him, for a man in his case, was not so proper, and fit for his soul, as spiritual ejaculations of his heart unto GOD in fervent devotion, of sighs, of prayers, of confession. For his reading not only stirred up in him many By-thoughts, begetting questions impertinent to his present condition and state; but also made him incline unto, and arrogate too much to his own private opinions, the desperate supplanters of his miserable soul. The best course I affirmed for a man in his case to take, was to renounce his own judgement, will, and affections, which had already enthralled him to Satan, and to apply himself to the duties enjoined him by GOD's Ministers: and for questions emergent which might concern him, to take directions therein from them, whose knowledge was more ripe, judgements more exact, as confirmed by experience of GOD's love and favour, and their hearts better composed to piety, charity, and unity, than his own wild and perturbed affections were. Yet notwithstanding all my love, and care, and pains taken to do him good, he would still run his own courses, and follow the ways of his own heart: By which he lay still exposed to the cunning stratagems of Satan, b●● politic supplanter. For in the arrogant pride of his over warning spirit, he judged his own ignorant and ungoverned heart as well able by learned and judicious counsel to prescribe unto himself, as all the grave, pious, and learned Ministers in this Land could have done: such was the force of spiritual delusions, wherewith Satan had blinded, and detained him captive.  
29 He was never observed in more than six week's imprisonment, to shed one tear in testimony of sorrow for his crying sins, or to note the presence of GOD's Spirit within him: No, not although two of his sisters joining in prayer with me upon their knees, plentifully poured them forth in his behalf. Indeed, I do freely and ingenuously make known to the World, that his complexion was not apt for tears: but the present distress of his soul under the fearful expectation of GOD's confounding wrath justly provoked, might either have terrified, or mollified him to some signs of humiliation and sorrow.  
30 When he was brought before the Reverend and Honourable judges, no consternation of soul appeared in him, either from the sense of his own wickedness, or from the Gravity of their Persons, justly made terrible to malefactors by the weight of their authority: But where grace sanctifies not to the Intenerating of the heart, there pride will puff up and be displayed in the countenance. For as the Scriptures report 
l 1 Sam. 15.32.  of Agag, King of the Amalekites, that being a captive prisoner, and called to appear before King Saul, his Lord by conquest, that he came Delicately before him, and said in his heart, Surely, the bitterness of death is past: So this Prisoner, the day before the coming in of the judges, called for a Barbour to trim him, as if this malefactor had a desire in his heart, that some elegancy of aspect darting from his countenance might appear unto them when he came before them. This I observed, disliked, and to his face in the presence of many persons, reproved in him, and told him that a face more horrid and overgrown with hair, better beseemed the horror of his facts. The evidence of his murders, so often published to the world, by his free and voluntary confession, might have prevented the formal process of Law, by jury, conviction and casting, and have put him into the power of the judge for Sentence of death from his own acknowledgement, and expression of his guilt: But for more strength of justice and regularity of proceeding, the jury, as I heard, found him guilty, and made him liable to Sentence of death: which Sentence, after it was pronounced against him, the place where, and the manner of his execution for the consequents thereof, by hanging in a frame of iron, being not expressed unto him: he was no more altered in his countenance, or changed in his behaviour, than if no terrible voice of death had been uttered unto him. On Saturday the seventeenth of August, 1633, after he was adjudged to death, I came to him in the afternone, partly to observe his behaviour and deportment after the horror of judgement passed on him; but principally by counsel accommodate to his present condition, to prepare him for a penitential dissolution. And having shut up myself and him into a private room, and by directions and prayer to GOD for him, prepared him for death in the best manner I was able; I desired him with pressing persuasions to reveal unto me the person, or persons by whose politic seducements he was drawn to those opinions, so desperate and raging in their furious cruelty. For at the discovery of this I had long aimed, but could never with arguments or entreaties obtain at his hands. And I am of opinion from his resolution of contumacy in the concealment hereof, that for the security of that party by whom he was inveigled and deceived therein, he had either by secret compact, or by an act of his own desperate will, imposed on himself an oath of secrecy: for he answered me that day, as he had often done before, and continued in that obstinacy to his death, that not from man, but from GOD he had received those conceits; which I knew to be as false, as I know it to be true that mine own soul is living within me. For how could it possibly happen, that an unlearned Rustic shall fall so directly upon the Controversies of our Church in Discipline and Ceremonies, without a schismatical guide to inform and persuade him, and thereby to ruin and undo him. And to the soul of that Minister or Lay person I speak, who is yet living, and conscious to himself, that by his persuasions or directions, this man became seduced in opinion, and thereby ensnared by Satan thus to scandalise the Church of GOD, and hazard the state of his own soul for ever: let him repent of his wickedness, and reform his own judgement therein: lest the justice of GOD for his close hypocrisy, leave him under the reign of his own carnal will utterly devoid of His gracious Spirit. For it is no new or unknown thing in this Kingdom, for Ministers of that stamp to lay violent hands upon their own persons, and in the agony of their souls, by torment of wounded consciences to foredoe themselves. For not above two years ago, both in the Imperial City of London, and in other parts of this Kingdom, diverse of that sect have shortened their own days, oppressed with the vexation of confounded spirits: which justifies that old prover be, Omne quod rutilat non est aurum: Every thing that glitters is not gold.  
31 For it is well known in this County of ours, that a Minister of that sect, neglecting the duties of so sacred a calling, and for his opinions sake, applying himself to a secular vocation in teaching a Grammar school; did in the day time, as he walked in the school in a passion of secret distemper in his heart, Deprive himself of his Virility: violating thereby the works of GOD and Nature: and Origen-like castrated himself, though not for the kingdom of heaven. Which shows that God's Spirit is not always present in those men's hearts to guide them, who violate their loyalty to their Prince, by renting the unity of the Church's peace. This man being two years before this fact of his, convented before a grave and learned Official in the Diocese of Hereford for his Nonconformity: the reverend Gentleman, as he told me himself, offered him all the courtesy and kindness that might be; hoping by moderation of proceeding, and wise persuasions, to correct his errors, reform his judgement, rectify his irregularities, and win him to obedience. But the frowardness of this man, fast bound to his own fancies, neglected and slighted the Gentleman's kindness. So that after much parley, and many passages, and cross bouts of opposition between them; the learned and prudent Gentleman finding him rather obstinate in his will, by being strongly conceited of his own opinions, than judiciously grounded with weight of arguments to support his vain cause, asked him this plain and familiar question; What if your Governors should require you to sit or stand in the act of receiving the Communion, would you then do? He replied peremptorily, Then would I kneel. Which answer plainly imports that not tenderness of conscience, as many pretend; but pride and stubborness of will in refusing subjection to their Superiors, is the true and the only cause of their disobedience to the Majesty of our King, the anointed of the LORD, and to the equity of his laws; and is also that pernicious foment and oil of self-will, which nourisheth the flame of Schism and faction, and maintaineth the breach of our peace and unity of heart.  
32 There was also a Layman in Tewxbury, in the County of Gloucester, who was a strict, austere, and rigid Puritan, of a Mechanical vocation: and this man being chosen fourteen years before his death Churchwarden of his Parish, did then in his first time of office, take down a cross of stone, built in the Churchyard of that Parish; and which had continued there, time out of mind. And this he did of a proud contempt of all ancient Monuments of that nature. The stones of the said cross he placed lose under the Church-wall, where they continued by the space of fourteen years free from injury or rapine: for it seems the people of the Neighbourhood made conscience of sacrilege. It pleased GOD, that the two next children which his wife brought into the world, proved dease, lame, and deformed by monstrosity of body: as by good report I have been told, and so continue to this very day. The father of these children never once suspecting that the hand of Divine correction was laid upon his family, for his own disobedience to his Prince and Governors, or for his violation and defacing of the ancient Monuments of other men's devotion, persists still in his former opinions of schismatical disobedience, without any correction, or reformation of himself. For it may be he had either by himself observed, or by relation from others had heard it confirmed, that the children of other men had miscarried in their understandings, their senses and bodily shapes, and were exposed to the world for Ludibria Naturae, as well as his. And attributing these things to secondary canses, and errors in natural operations frequent in the world, he never looked up to the hard of Heaven; but still pleased himself in his irregular courses. And being fourteen years after his first election, chosen again Churchwarden of the same Parish, he took the stones of the former defaced and demolished cross, which lay look under the Church-wall, and by cementing them together, and hewing a hollow gutter in them, converts them to a swine trough for his own use. But the first meat which his swine di●eate out of that stone trough, drove them instantly into raging madness, whereof they died. This man now seeing what had befallen unto him in his swine, which in his children he slightly passed over; he began to reflect upon his former and later facts, and discovering by the terrible testimonies of God's wrath, the naughtiness of his own wicked heart, in so contemptuously abusing things once dedicated to conserve the memorial of our LORD His Passion for our redemption: overcome with the gripes, pangs and tormenting terrors of a wounded soul, he leapt into a draw-well in the court of his neighbour, and was taken up brui●ed and drowned. By reason of this exemplary vengeance 〈…〉: That whereas this sect of men, is uncharitably 〈…〉 of the piety of former ages, in charging Idolatry and superstition upon them: I would be a testimony of more wisdom and moderation in them, to suspend all censure of their intentions and real expressions of devotion, and let them stand or fall to their own Lord, their Creator, their Father. since these men themselves in pleading the justification of their known and convinced errors, desire the same liberty to be granted to themselves. But let's return to Enoch, from this short digression.  
33 Upon Sunday morning following immediately the day of Enoch his condemnation, the Hangman being in the Prisonhouse, was seen of five prisoners condemned to dye at that Assizes. And one of these persons condemned for the murder of a maid, whom he had devirginated and deflowered; said to the rest of his fellows in Enoch's presence, I could find in my heart to break yonder knaves pate, but that it is a sin, and I have enough of that upon me already: To whom Enoch replied, It is no fin to kill death, and had I known that knave to be the Hangman, I would have beaten out his brains, if I could have come at him. These words of his, begat over all the Prisonhouse (consisting of many persons) great exclamations against Enoch his wickedness, being himself a condemned person, and should have employed his thoughts upon better matters. The next day in the morning, as soon as I was come to the prisonhouse to see this condemned malefactor, and to know how he stood prepared for death: Three persons severally one from another, gave me notice of Enoch his words uttered the day before in the hearing of many's appointed his overseer to bring him unto me in a private room; who being come, and nothing dejected in mind, or countenance, but rather inwardly jocund in his own soul; I said unto him, Did you Enoch utter such words concerning the Hangman, as diverse persons do both testify against you, and are also greatly displeased with your desperate and furious outrage? He replied unto me, I spoke indeed those words in jest. In jest, quoth I unto him? are you, being a condemned person by judicial sentence, a fit person to utter jests? do you not know that no Kingdom of the world can possibly subsist in justice and Honour, without the service of such persons as shall be assigned to execute those laws upon the persons of malefactors; if Law condemn by just and upright sentence, the wicked facts and persons of such men, as by violating equity, disturb the peace and welfare of Kingdoms and Governments; are those Laws of any force without the ministry and service of such men, as shall put them in execution? Surely, Enoch, the eye of your heart and judgement, is not yet open to see your abominable villainies which do yet rage's and swell within you: nor is your mind, with the illumination whereof you have so much in secret pleased yourself, guided by GOD's Spirit. For had these gifts of GOD taken place in your soul, as you have still pretended, the person of the Hangman would have been rather pleasing than offensive unto you, as being the instrument of GOD's mercy, to let out your soul surcharged by gripes of your conscience with fearful tremble, into the glorious presence and welcome embracements of CHRIST your SAVIOUR. But look to yourself, I admonish you, for your time of life is short: flatter not yourself in thinking to escape the stroke and infliction of Temporal Vengeance due unto you. If you die in these desperate and unchristian moods, it is more than greatly to be feared, for it is evident and apparent, that your own personal election, whereof you have so much talked, was but a presumptuous error, and a graceless opinion, by Satanical delusion.  
34 Now touching this fellow and his opinions, he was charged to hold some points of Anabaptists and Enthusiastes: matters I dare be bold to say, because I know it right well, fare beyond the reach of his apprehension, for excepting only his distlike of our Church-ceremonies, and his proud opinion of his own spiritual estate in the favour of GOD, he was a most ignorant m●● in all parts of knowledge belonging to religion. The matters of Opinion, wherewith he was suspected, were principally these: First, that the soul of a regenerate man, is perfectly pure and clean within him, by virtue of his Newbirth, and consents not, either in the understanding by approbation, or in the will by election and inclination to any act of sin: But that it is only the body and flesh, which remaining unsanctified and naturally defiled, solicits, urges, provokes unto all evil, and executeth all acts thereof in the elect of GOD, after their conversion and regeneration. This opinion is a monster in nature, not only divorcing the soul and body each from other it the time of this life: but also attributing unto the body without all motion, influence, or concomitancy of the soul, the producing of actions and operations real and sinful. This Enoch, though of mean apprehension in philosophical matters, understood right well; and his opinion herein, was only this and no more: That for as much as sanctification, which is very rightly and aptly termed Inherent Righteousness, by repairing the decays of original grace in our souls, and reinducing the Image of GOD into us, is not perfect in this life: therefore in all real acts of sindone by a child of GOD in state of grace, there is a consent to that act, both in the understanding and the will, the most ●oble and principal faculties of our souls; for without assent of these, no act is ever produced; but it is such a consent, as carries not with full sway and violence, either of these powers within us, pleasingly with strong delight and approbation to prosecute those actions: but rather by infirmity under the strength of temptation, they themselves are seduced to assent and execute things evil, and are thereby for the present supplanted. And of this his opinion he was desirous to make illustration in his own person: affirming, that his regenerate soul, in the very time and act of these murders, stirred up some reluctancy within him, and suspended his fullness of consent in the perpetration thereof. His opinion I allow as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orthodox and sound, and confirmed by the experience of all good men in the world: But for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or illustration thereof in his own person, it is Heterodox, unsound, and of all good men to be abhorred. For an act of wrath, resolving itself into malice, contrived in the mind for the execution, and terminated in blood and murder, cannot possibly be admitted to participate of infirmity. His Second opinion charged upon him, was this. That CHRIST our LORD, is not now in heaven in that body, which by sanctified conception and incarnation He took of the substance of the holy and blessed Virgin; and in which He conversed among the jews. His answer to this was, that he was mistaken by certain persons, as unlearned as himself, who busily and frequently proposed questions unto him, and were not able rightly to conceive his answers, nor the nature of their own questions proposed unto him: For both he, and they wanting the true apprehension of so high and sacred a Mystery, as is the Nature and Quality of our LORD JESUS CHRIST His glorified Body, took liberty unto themselves to talk at random of high and mysterious secrets, and thereby lost themselves in their vain janglings. His faith and judgement was very right in this point, according to the small measure of his understanding: But he wanted apt terms to explicate his conceit in so deep a matter. When therefore I acquainted him with some terms frequent in the Fathers and Schoolmen, in the enodation of an Article of our Faith so abstruse and difficult, and transcending the sphere of vulgar apprehensions: telling him, that the Body of our Lord was passive, mortal, liable to violence in the state of His Humiliation: Impassive, immortal, glorious, and exempt from infirmities and injuries in the condition of his exaltation; he freely assented, submitted himself, and confirmed that to be his meaning, that our LORD His blessed and glorious Body, was changed only in quality, not in substance: But that for want of Theological terms, he was not able to unfold himself. And then the Conclusion touching his opinions, is this, he was neither Anabaptist, Enthusiast, or of any other odd sect whatsoever, but only a silly, Ignorant, and downright English Puritan.  
35 On Tuesday the twentieth of August, this Malefactor, the stain of Nature, and reproach of mankind, was carried on horseback from Shrewsbury thirteen miles to the place of his execution. When he was come to Bishops-castle Town, he desired in his Inn to receive the holy Communion of the most sacred Body and Blood of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; which I had refused to administer unto him, because he would not take it in the decent and Reverend gesture of kneeling. The Minister of that Town, a learned Gentleman, refused likewise to give it unto him, unless he would receive it in obedience to his Superiors, and kneel down Reverently in that holy Action. A while he continued obstinate, but overcome at last by persuasions, he yielded as he said, to gratify the desires of a Gentleman there present. Thus the man, who in the furious zeal of an enraged heart, drew that blood, that bred and nourished him, coming to the point of his death, shrunk in his courage, or rather his contumacy; and either to please men, or to procure favour in the mitigation of execution of judgement upon him, fell from the ground of his unhallowed profession. Which convincingly proveth that obstinate Hypocrisy producing disloyalty in contempt of Authority, is built upon a weak, a slippery, an unstable foundation.  
36 This Malefactor, being now come to the place, where the Gibbet was erected for his exemplary punishment: He kneeled down and made a short prayer to GOD. And having finished his devotions, and being commanded to ascend the steps of the ladder; as soon as the Executioner had put the rope over his head into his neck, he was instantly so surprised with the fear of approaching death, that in all the parts of his body he trembled with great perturbation and anguish of Spirit. And when he was ready to be turned off, he cried twice with a loud voice, God be merciful to me a great Sinner. And then being cast off and strangled to death, to the great Agony and regreet of his friends and kindred the beholders thereof, testified by three shrill ●kreekes and cries, he was trussed up into a frame of Iron brought thither for that purpose: And his body though deprived of sense to feel it, the truth of that judgement denounced in the Scriptures, 
p Prov. 30.17.  The eye that mocketh at his Father, and despiseth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it. For as well the Father was mocked as the Mother despised, when his bloody heart and hand rob the Husband of his Wife, and deprived the Father of both his Sons. When he had hanged forth waving in the air, more than a fortnight, and less than three weeks, some Brethren of his own disposition and faction, who are restless in wilfulness (that I may not say wickedness) contrived a device by rearing up a ladder in the night, a work of darkness, to saw off that part of the Gibbet where his body hanged, and took it away even then, when the smell and stench thereof was so unsavoury and noisome, as hardly able to be endured; unless they were provided with strong Antidotes to correct the loathsome savour of his putrified carcase: but it was a mess good enough for such contemners of royal Majesty and the wholesome laws of the best governed Republic upon the face of the earth.  
37 And now in few words to touch the fact of those Persons, who by graceless disloyalty have opposed the practice of Law and justice: did they not know that the body of every Malefactor, after legal conviction and judicial condemnation, is wholly at the dispose of the King as a part of His Royal Prerogative, by virtue of the violation of His Laws; 
Rom. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4.  The right of the King Himself therein, which He hath received from God's sacred Ordinance, is by delegation of subordinate power transmitted to the Persons of the judges: and they by pronunciation of Just and legal sentence, are to command the execution of what the letter of the Law hath given in charge. Out of which just and formal gradation descending, I draw this consequence and regular deduction ascending. He that resists or nullifies the sentence of the law pronounced by the judge, opposeth therein the Natural law of humane equity familiarly known to all men, and dishonoureth the Person of the judge from whom that sentence proceeded. The dishonour of the judge, being the Deputy substitute of the King, falls directly on the royalty of His most sacred Person. The dishonour of the King's Person being the vicegerent of the LORD of Hosts, rests not there, but ascends to the contempt of the Divine Majesty of God Himself, whose constitution it is, Gen. 9.6. Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the Image of God made he man. Did not then the stealers away of the putrified corpse of this Malefactor, know these things before hand? To charge them with Ignorance of such things, which the Dictates of natural reason hath imprinted upon the table of every Man's heart, is to make them brutish and to range them with beasts: To say they knew these things, and yet against their own knowledge and conscience, they contemned all peaceable obedience thereunto, is to make them peremptory and Rebellious against both Divine Majesty in the nature of God, and Humane Majesty in the person of the King. Thus I have put them upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a logical form of reasoning, so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of catching the delinquent on both sides. Let them now take whether part they will, either to be concluded bruit beasts in the shapes of men, by their stupid ignorance; or saucy Rebels under the visor of Puritanisme. And full time it is to subdue their insolent contempt of all Laws Ecclesiastical and temporal, and to keep them in order. For when the constitutions of the Church are proudly violated, and the Laws of the Commonwealth contemptuously vilified, yea even, the ever blessed and pure Ordinances of God Himself rejected to satisfy Arrogant self will: what obligations or bonds are existent in nature, able to repress the disorders of unruly persons? And thus I have done with the county Prisoner.  
38 And now to vent my own hearts grief for many years suppressed and stifled in my troubled bosom, and a little to enlarge myself, and to make known the quality of that people with whom I live: Know good Reader, that this Town of Shrewsbury the place of my birth and residence is greatly troubled with a sect of Men and Women, with whom I have had much intercourse of conversement, not by way of intimate familiarity approving their ways, but of vexation and trouble of mind, that I could not in thirteen years painful Ministry among them, reclaim them from their wand'ring fancies, and reduce them to obedience of supreme Majesty, in the persons of two most illustrious and Royal Kings the Father and the Son. But the more I laboured therein, as their consciences can and do witness unto them, the more I incurred thereby their secret hate and detraction of my person, with detriment and loss to my temporal estate.  
39 They had about fourteen years ago a learned and Reverend Preacher, 
Mr. Bright  who by the practice of two and twenty year's Ministry among them, with diverse conferences and persuasions to loyalty and obedience, could never work any thing upon their perverse and peevish dispositions. When he grew aged and decayed in his strength, these persons laid their counsels, purses, and powers together, and provided them of a Lecturer, who concurred in opinion, practice, and faction with them. The man being come among them, settled in his place, and supported with countenance, favour, feasts and liberal contributions, by underhand collections in all the Parishes of our Town; entered upon his Ministry, and mightily laboured with his best abilities to encourage them to constancy in their supposed zealous, but in truth in their erroneous, schismatical, and disloyal courses. These things being wisely observed, and the portion of his gifts and Talon noted by that Reverend Gentleman not long before his death: He being invited to the house of a Gentleman of our Town, and entering conference of these things at the table, broke a witty jest upon their Lecturer, and as it were Prophetically signified the truth of this event of his factious courses, saying, 
p Genes. 21.4.  The lean Kine will eat up the fat. For indeed, in the issue it so fell out in our Town; A lean, factious, and schismatical Ministry obscured the light of better parts in men of the same calling: and to strengthen a party, and to countenance disorder, with Thewda● boasting himself 
q Act. 5.36, 37.  to be some body, and with judas of Galilee, he drew away much people after him. But as they perished in their Tumultuous uproars, so this practice little inferior in action and working, in a few years dissolved of itself, and only the ruins thereof remains yet among us. The Reverend man lying on his deathbed; The Magistrates of our Town repaired to visit him in his sickness: To whom he gave in strict charge, that, as they Tendered the glory of God, their own loyalty to their Liege and Sovereign, whose Ministers they whereby deputation of dignity and authority, peace and welfare of their Corporation: they would carefully resist the purpose of many, who laboured to obtrude upon the Town to succeed in his place a Non-conformed Minister. And he told them further, what he himself had noted in his wife observations: to wit, that where any of this sect of disloyal and factious Ministers entered, and were entertained by any people, there in very short time, they proved Incendiaries: and by means of their own personal disobedience to the prudent and pious Laws of our Church, that Corporation, Town, Parish, or Village, became rend into faction, and cleaving unto parts by violation of unity and Christian peace.  
40 This Reverend man being laid in his sepulchre in peace and honour, one Mr. Browne, a learned and godly Minister, of exemplary virtue, and pious conversation, was elected to succeed him; and this man exercising his labours among them by the space of thirteen years, was so rudely and unchristianly handled in their insolent contempt of his talon and pains; that by an invective and bitter Libel, consisting of fourteen leaves in quarto cast into his garden; they disquieted his painful and peaceable soul, and shortened the date of his troublesome Pilgrimage. They are a generation of men strongly addicted, to hear no other Ministers, but those of their own character and print; and such men, though of lightest talents and meanest parts, they extol and advance up to the clouds in raptures of admiration; run after them from place to place to be partakers of their sanctified gifts and holy exhortations: In the mean time neglecting the Ministry of those learned and godly men, whom their own judgements, though depraved with error and sinister surmises; and their consciences, though misguided by self will, cannot choose, but prefer by many degrees before their own bosom Darlings. But humility and patience must be the guides of godly Christian men, submitting themselves to the holy pleasure of GOD's Divine will; who in these crosses of disgrace and contempt from others, exercises thereby, their piety, wisdom, constancy in bearing with the rods of his fatherly correction, whereby he conforms them in holy sufferings to the person of our Lord and Saviour CHRIST JESUS that Son of His love. 
r Rom. 8.29.  And His holy decrees being made known to His Church, must poise and hold in even temper of prudent moderation and godly subjection unto them, the souls of all His children to whom He hath made known, 
s 2 Tim. 4.3, 4.  That the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap unto themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned unto fables. For among the great fables of the world which attempt to defile the sacred purity of the Gospel, this of non-conformity holdeth a choice and principal place. For though the object of its proud, ambitious and peremptory discontent, use the varnish and pretence of harmless Ceremonies to raise up their cavils, and perpetuate their secret railings: yet the train of consequences depending on these lighter matters, will be found not to terminate in Ceremonies; but to aim at such substantials, alterations in Church and State, as would willingly subjugate the Royal Diadem and Sceptre of Princely Power, to the subordinate rule and direction of their Presbyterian consistory.  
41 Unto this Town of ours, diverse Gentlemen from many parts of this Kingdom, and Widows also, have within these twelve last years resorted: Resolving here to plant themselves for fixed habitation, and expecting to enjoy with impunity the vain toys and schismatical conceits they brought hither with them. But my trust is, under GOD, and the sacred and Royal Majesty of our King, that our Reverend Bishop will either in short time reform their irregularities, or cause them to return to the places of their former abode. Hither also have flocked Mechanical fellows of many Artifices and Professions, Masons, Carpenters, Brick-layers, Corsers, Weavers, Stonegravers, and what not? And being in their persons of worthless quality, and receiving countenance from men of better rank; they have pestered our Town with disobedience and schism, and for their low condition and obscurity of living, have escaped presentment, and passed unregarded. Pardon my zeal, good Reader: a surcharged heart speaking nothing but known and justifiable truth, may justly obtain liberty to unburden itself. Now these persons of the better and inferior rank, grow presently into strict and inviolable leagues of mutual amity, as if long continuance of time, experience and proof of their Christian virtues, had incorporated and united them together in reciprocal society. For it is the nature of Schism and all unwarranted courses, ever to show itself active in malignity, and by examples and encouragements from one to another in short time to disdain to submit themselves to the commands of their Superiors; lest thereby they dishonour their fantastical profession, by shrinking from the hold of their Christian liberty, and abridging themselves of their self-pleasing fantasies. They assemble, and feast, and pray, and discourse, and perhaps take liberty also to complain and lament each unto other, that the Relics of Rome continue still among us to adulterate the sacred purity of our Gospel of Peace. But blessed be the Name of the LORD our GOD, and thankes be given to the excellent Majesty and Piety of our King, who resolving in his royal heart, Quoad brachii humaeni virtutem, to conserve the purity of the glory of CHRIST in supporting the free passage of His blessed Gospel, doth also design in His Princely thoughts and intentions to reduce His wand'ring subjects to uniformity of obedience.  
42 A Letter was written by a Non-conformed Minister, to that late reverend, worthy, and learned Prelate Bishop jewel, who, if the judgement of Master Hooker, ratified with the approbation of that most Illustrious, Memorable, and Learned King james 
t Hooker Eccl. politte pag. 68 Preface before jewels works.  may be received, was one of the most accomplished Divines that Christendom hath yielded for some hundreds of years. In this Letter the judgement of that gracious man was desired touching our Ceremonies, and specially the government of our Church by Bishops. Who weighing in his prudent and peaceful thoughts, the slight Arguments sent unto him, wherewith the impregnable fort of our discipline was attempted for battery and subversion: replied thus, as he is cited by Doctor Whitgift in his Reply, 
u Answer to a libel entitled, An adnotion, etc.  As for these reasons, in my judgement they are not made to build up, and they are too weak to pull down. Stultitia nata est in cord pueri, & Virga disciplinae fugabit illam, 
x Pro. 22.15.  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it from him. It is but wantonness, correction will help it. Thus far Bishop jewel. Now the weight of this man's authority, furnished as he was with infinite variety of reading in the writings of the Church, Ancient and Modern, is more to be esteemed, than the upstart conceits of many hundreds of those light and vain Novellers, the wanton perturbers of our Christian peace. And till this correcting rod of Humane power qualified and ratified by divine authority, and given by GOD into the Princely hand of His Vicegerents, be either inflicted, or at least lifted up and shaked (though shaking without striking will do little good:) these men are so settled upon the Lees and dregges of their pleasing errors, that like Moab, 
y jer. 48.11.  for want of emptying from vessel to vessel, they will still retain their old sent within them.  
43 I publicly told them five Months ago, namely in july last past 1633 in a Preface to my Catechism Lecture in a very great assembly; that it was to be feared that they who obeyed not the Laws of the King, did curse his sacred Person in their hearts, contrary to that rule. 
Eccle. 10.20.  Curse not the King, no not in thy thoughts, and curse not the Rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. These words of mine stirred up such a Tempest in the unruly, tumultuous and stormy affections, that many of them rashly rowed, but have failed therein, that they would never hear me again, because I employed good Talents and parts to the disgrace of God's children. But now let them give me leave, since time hath allayed their passions, and rendered them more capable of wholesome advice, to tell them without fear or flattery, that I conceive the Spiritual meaning of these words in this sense. He that obeys not the Law, which is by command of Princely power and justice impsed on him; Curses that law which he refuseth to obey, for between obedience and cursing there is no medium or mean in the sense of God's Spirit. For every act of murmuring and repining against the supposed iniquity of any law, coupled with contempt of the same law by disobedience thereunto, is an act of the heart and Spirit of that man cursing the 〈◊〉, to which he refuseth to yield true and faithful subjection. Now this inward curse lighting on the law which is disobeyed, reflects or rather falls directly on the Majesty of the King, from whose sacred Authority as he is the immediate Vicegerent of God, that law receives either Constitution or Ratification and Command for obedience. This sense I obtrude not on these Persons, as arrogating to myself infallibility of judgement in the meaning of God's Spirit; But I refer it to the grave and deliberate judgement of those prudent and learned Persons, who fit at the Helm of government in our Church, and are more profound in knowledge, and fully able to resolve and clear this doubt; for as then, so now I deliver only my opinion and no more. But yet let me further tell them, that since they like not to be told that their thoughts and hearts do Curse Christian Kings whose laws check and countermand their novel fancies: what will they say to that place of sacred Scriptures 
z job 34.18.  Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked, etc. If the laws, whose rigour, life, and authority, flow immediately from Kings and Princes in their Dominions, be in their Nature wicked as they are Laws, certainly the Princes themselves who enact or authorise those laws, in the censure and judgement of those men who vilify the same laws by refusing to obey them, cannot be good. So that let them turn themselves which way they will, they are taken in a snare woven from the clear sense of the sacred Scripture. For either they curse the King in his laws, or they judge not his Person to be righteous from whom unjust and unrighteous laws do proceed, and are imposed by command. For they cannot possibly affirm the King to be righteous, nor his laws to be righteous, when they refuse to give obedience both to the one and to the other. I know they will reply, that they love and honour the King, but that they like not his laws. And I answer them again, it is impossible to love and honour the King, and to dislike his laws: for the laws are the Spirit and life of the King as he is Supreme head over his people, securing the royalty of his Princely State, and sweetly attracting his subjects to cheerful obedience. For therefore do the subjects honour, reverence, and love the person of the King, because of the righteousness and equity of his laws, whereby they are governed in tranquillity and peace. And on the contrary, no man living in the world, doth naturally, freely, sweetly love the person of a Tyrant, because he rules by the rage of his affections, and the strong hand of power; and not by the peaceable rule of justice, and approved laws. So that the true and cordial love of subjects to their King, ariseth in them, not only from relation of superiority in his person, and inferiority in theirs; but much more fervently and firmly from his pious care in constituting good laws for the regiment of his people in honour, wealth, peace and liberty, free from the vassalage of oppressing subjection.  
44 Under the light and law of nature, the very Heathens illuminated and endued with some acts of inspiration from GOD, to quicken the principles of native light in their own souls; have with more veneration and reverence honoured their Kings, than Christians have done the known Vicegerents of GOD under the Law of Grace, after the clear declaration of GOD's will pressing and commanding obedience unto them. For Elihu a young man, could say to job and his friends, 
a job 36.7.  He withdraws not his eyes from the righteous, but with Kings are they on the Throne, yea he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. And herewith accords the wise, and as I may truly, say the holy sentences uttered by those men, who being destitute of the Divine and supernatural light of Christian faith, have showed to the world the light and the extent of Nature's love in their understandings. 
Homerus I liad.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The minds of Kings are great in understanding, their honour is from God, and they are beloved of Him, and directed. What other sense can these words import, recorded both in sacred Scriptures, and by Heathen Writers, than that GOD hath stamped the character of His Divine Majesty both on their persons for Authority, and on their hearts for Government and direction? For undoubtedly this sense is confirmed by other places in the sacred Scriptures. As, 
b Pro. 23. ●●.  The heart of the King is in the hand of GOD as the Rivers of waters, he turneth it whither soever he will. And again, 
c Pro. 16.10.  A divine sentence is in the lips of the King, his mouth transgresseth not in judgement. And this sacred Truth is approved by the consenting judgement of the ancient and godly learned. 
justin. Martyr.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I have given unto you Princes mine own Honour, mine ordinance, and my calling, requiring you to judge my people, as if I myself did judge them. And for the preventing of disobedience against the sacred Persons of Kings, and their Laws, all sorts, ranks, and degrees of men in the visible Church of GOD, and out of the pale thereof, are commanded, 
d Rom. 13.1.  Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers, for there is no power but of GOD. And those words are expounded by an ancient, very learned, and godly Father of the Greek Church, after this manner. 
Chr. soft. in loc.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. The Apostle demonstrating that these things are commanded to all men, unto Priests and Monks, and not unto Secular Laymen only, he makes it manifest from the preface, saying, Let every soul be subject to the supereminent powers, yea, though he be an Apostle, an Evangelist, a Prophet, or whosoever he be; for this subjection doth not subvert piety. And again, the rule of GOD's Spirit in Scriptures commands us, 
e Pro. 2●. 21.  My son sear thou the LORD, and the King, and meddle not with them who are given to changes.  
45 How comes it then to pass, seeing these things are so manifest in the sacred Scriptures; that so many Ministers in our Church, by faction and schism, do rend in pieces that blessed peace and unity, which they are  in the holy Scriptures 
f Ephes. 4. 3●. Phil. 2.2, 30  commanded to preserve and support? The true cause hereof I take to be this; The poverty of the inseriour sort of our English Clergy. And this answer I gave to the Lord Bishop of our Diocese proposing this very question unto me at the table of a worthy Knight of our County, 
Sir William Owen.  my Noble and very Honoured friend. For in this age of ours the practice of many Ministers, exactly correspondeth with that of certain Priests and Prophets in the Church of Israel. 
g Micha. 3.11.  The Priests teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof Divine for money; yet they will lean upon the LORD and say, Is not the LORD among us? no evil shall come upon us. For these Non-conformists, as they are the movers of this faction, and violation of our peace, raise to themselves (as fare as I am able to conceive, and I think all wise men of this Land concur with me herein,) an underhand maintenance by private Benevolences of seduced friends, after this manner by certain gradations of Art and policy.  
1 First, they insinuate into the people's hearts, a sly opinion which must not be contradicted, to wit, that many things are amiss in our Church government; which only Gods faithful servants enlightened with His Spirit, have found out, discovered, and made known to the world; and because they cannot obtain a reformation, as the pious zeal of their hearts desireth, they are forced to groan under the heavy burden of Antichristian servitude. Now the Mobile Vulgus hearing these deplorable complaints uttered with the gravity of well composed countenances, and expressed in an accent of sensible lamentation, by such men who are spiritually gifted and qualified for prayer and other holy offices: presently they are so soft and flexible to receive any impression; that they even of their own accord, without any further motives, hasten to this conclusion of their own wise making, Surely these are good men, and by their prayers and Ministry doubtless salvation is brought unto them, and all other blessings upon their families. And if these good Christians, the entertainers of these holy men, shall take some liberty to themselves to love the world and worldly things under the names of frugality, good husbandry, and provident circumspection in all their affairs; and also shall now and then stretch their consciences for the enlargement of their temporal estate, whereby they are made capable of dignities and precedencies in the Commonwealth: yet for all this, they know their zeal is pleasing unto the LORD their good GOD, Because their houses and their bowels are open, and not straitened against His Saints. For our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST hath assured them, 
h Matth. 10.41.  He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And thus the common people to countenance an artificial vantie masked with sincerity, are willing and forward to delude their own souls.  
2 Having thus laid their groundwork, by traducing the Church-government, with intimation of their own piety, in that they cannot apply themselves to submit to the practice of it: then they raise the goodly structure of their Babylonian Tower, and effectuate thereby their designed projects; for than they are presently admitted into Christian families among the richer sort of people; who out of a spiritual ambition, which their wealth hath begotten in them, are strongly addicted to please themselves, and to be voiced abroad for religious persons in giving entertainment to godly Ministers. Hence grows a familiarity in the LORD between these Ministers and their kind friends: so that after supper, wherein the blessings of GOD have been plentifully received by eating of the fat, and drinking of the sweet; they go to a solemn prayer and thanksgiving for the blessings they have presently received. But in this Prayer, the King, the Queen, and the regal offspring are very rarely, or to speak more home to their practice, are never mentioned: though thereby, through their omission of so gracious a duty, they contemn and violate an express precept of the new Testament: 
1 Tim. 2.1.2.  I exhort that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men; for Kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. And under a tyrannical State by conquest and severity of usage, GOD's people are commanded: 
jer. 29.7.  Seek the peace of the City, whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it, for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace. If this be the revealed will of the LORD, that neither tyranny, captivity, vassalage, or oppression, aught to interrupt the gracious and charitable current of our devotions to GOD; but that we are expressly commanded by our LORD and SAVIOUR: Love your enemies, 
Matth. 5.44.  bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which desitefully use you, and persecute you: What can these Ministers think of themselves, who living under the peaceful Regiment of a pious Prince, graciously affected to advance the glory of our LORD, in propagating the lustre and power of his sacred Gospel: but that they themselves are lively described by the ancient Pagans? For Diogenes could say of the flatterer, 
Diogenes.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Speeches uttered to the pleasing of men, are an hunnied halter, where with by adulation the flatterer strangleth his flattered friend. And another Philosopher says of such, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It is better to fall among Ravens, than among flatterers, for those devour only carcases, these eat up living men. For in the prayers which these Non-conformed Ministers do make, they never fail to mention their own friends and good benefactors: But zealous raptures are cast up to heaven, craving of the LORD in His love and mercy 
i job 29.4.  That He would shine upon their Tabernacles: and pour out Rivers of Oil and Butter upon them. And though this kind of Ministers have no better abilities, than other men have in prayer and spiritual devotions, who dare not for fear of dishonouring GOD, and defiling their own consciences with hypocrisy and adulation, intrude and creep into their neighbour's houses, to eat up their family provision, and to lighten their purses: yet by this their fawning upon good Christian people, they knit up the knot of firm binding and religious familiarity. And these Ministers grow hereby in the houses of strangers to exercise masterly authority over the children and servants: And happy is the master, but especially the mistress when she sees it so. And unless these men fare remote in place of Habitation from them, will deign many times in the year to ride twenty, thirty, forty miles to come and visit their friends newly found, and preach unto them, and pray with them. These vain, ignorant, and self-pleasing Laickes, think themselves scarce blessed of GOD, by the neglect of their Pious, and their new friends spiritually qualified with fervour of devotion.  
3 These Ministers make their friends to know, that they could be content for their sakes and to do them spiritual good, to enter upon a Lecture, and preach unto them; but for Pastoral charge clogged with incumbency and residence, which may hinder their vagaries, and restrain them from travelling to visit their profitable friends, whereby they are in danger to lose their acquaintance, and abridge the liberal benevolences of their good Benefactors: and which may also tie their strict and reserved consciences to perform all ministerial acts, furnished out with Romish Ceremonies, as they term them: o this their tender hearts and queasy stomaches cannot endure: even as the Fox in the Fable cares not for grapes, because they hang out of his reach. For if many excellent men of worth and parts, living in the Universities, the Fountains of Divine and Human literature, are rarely called forth for their merit, to enjoy and execute Spiritual Live abroad in the country, but are suffered to their grief Consenescere in studiis, to wax old, and spend the strength of their days in their private studies; unless they will travel abroad, make a noise in the world, and comply with the Gentry by servile adulation: What may we think of these seeming Saints, who are of the meanest gifts for the most part in our kingdom? Surely unless these men work by policy, fawn, flatter, apply to their good friends and spiritual Zelots': they are like many times to go to their beds after light suppers. And although they have often read; yet they have not learned the contentation of the holy Apostle, 
k ●hil. 4.12.  I can be full, and I can be hungry. For of all things in this world, hunger and fasting lest consorts with these men's dispositions; who are present at, and partakers of more good feasts and plentiful feedings, than any kind of men in this Land beside. And how many of them, I wonder can say with blessed Paul, 
l Act. 20.33.  I have coveted no man's gold, nor silver, nor apparel. And further to the never dying memory of his heart's integrity, 
m 2 Cor. 4.4.  We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not Walking in craftiness, not handling the Word of GOD deceitfully, but by manifestation of Truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of GOD. And he leaves not there, but unto all people, with whom he had familiarly conversed, and by plantation of Churches among them, had begot their souls to GOD, he gives testimony of the soundness of his own heart free from the close vice of fraudulent adulation, saying, 
n 1 Thes. 2.5.  Neither at any time used we flattering words as a cloak of covetousness. GOD is witness. And to set forth the true object of all his aims, and travels, he tells his spiritual sons, 
o 2 Cor. 12.14.  I seek not yours, but you. In the practice of these rules I suppose, and that without error of judgement, or breach of charity, the conscience of the sincerest Non-conformed Minister in this Kingdom, is not able to justify himself, nor to say from an upright and sound heart, 
p 1 Cor. 4.4.  I know nothing by myself. And if the rich Gentry, and other wealthy persons in this Kingdom, will please to make proof hereof, let them restrain for a year their familiarities and bounties from this craving, or having generation; and thereby this matter will grow out to an experienced issue; and then this new suspicion, will demonstrate itself, either for an invented accusation, or a true and real affirmation.  
46 Yet touching the hearts and consciences of these men in their pleasing and profitabse courses; I will not take upon me to judge, or censure, or so much as to deliver my opinion what I think: but because it is the Royal Prerogative of God, as to be the Lord and Creator, so also to be the searcher, and the censurer of their hearts; I will leave them in his Divine hand of Sovereign power to know them exactly and to judge them justly. Only this I will say on the behalf of this Church and Kingdom, so lightly esteemed of these men and their friends, for piety or sincerity, that this land, blessed be God therefore, is plentifully stored with many Christian men (no Nation of the Earth comparable for number or worth) richly furnished with the knowledge of God's will, with Piety, Virtue, and the true fear of God, and abundantly accomplished with all good and profitable literature: not puffed up with the wind of ambition, not addicted to concur with the stream and sway of the times, as these men scornfully phrase it: but ballased with pure conscience for the sound and true worship of God, and with desire to consecrate themselves to his holy service: and these do not stumble at those Niceties, which these Irregularians cast into the heads of lay people, nor under any pretence of Idolatry or superstition in Ceremonies, divide themselves from the unity of that gracious Church their Mother, in whose womb they were conceived, borne, and Baptised. Whose persons, worths and abilities, being cast in equal balance of comparison man for man with the adverse party: I easily conjecture, and I know the adversaries themselves will readily yield it, will preponderate the levity of these singular and self pleasing separatists. And though they will plead for themselves, that not learning and worth, but Integrity of life is that rule whereby we ought to judge of the gifts of saving grace in any kind of men, according to those words of our Lord, 
q Matth. 11.25.  I thank thee o Father Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Yet if these words of our Lord shall be applied to the matter we have now in hand, and made a general and sacred Canon whereby to guide our judgements, in this point, they will infer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a paradox most unseasonable, absurd, and more than Brutish itself, to wit. That the Lord in his Wisdom or justice, hath made a perpetual Divorce between learned knowledge and true Piety, and that unlearned ignorance is the ready way to the attainment of his saving graces, both of the true knowledge of his will and of sanctification by his Spirit. Which position so wild and desperate, how fare it differs from that Popish Tenent that ignorance is the mother of devotion, let the Learned judge. But where there is an equal portion (to say no more) of Piety towards God, of integrity towards all men, in the hearts of Learned men, as well as of the unlearned: To exclude the Learned from the found jugment of divine truth, and to appropriate the same to men of meaner qualities and abilities, is to invert the order of divine wisdom and providence: then should the profane and secular Learning of Moses, who was Learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, 
Act. 7.22.  and was mighty in words and deeds, have been a Bar and impeachment unto him, from attaining the favour of GOD. Then should the learning of Paul, 
Act. 22.3.  who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a learned Doctor of the Law, have prevented both his eternal election with GOD, his designation to the Gospel, 
Act. 9.15.  and his Temporal vocation for plantation thereof. Then should the learned knowledge and secular Arts of the holy Saints, Fathers in the Primitive Church, Just in Martyr, Basil the great, Chrysostome, Hierom, Ambrose, Augustine, with the rest of their venerable contemporaries and successors, have been a hindrance and let to their true piety, wherewith the Church of GOD knows right well their holy hearts were graciously and richly endowed. But every vain toy and flattering delusion, wherewith this Sect of men are apt to please themselves, and delight their friends, must not pass for currant Truth in the approbation of GOD's true Saints and servants, the Orthodox Church of CHRIST here on earth.  
47 Now for the reforming of these men's judgements and practice, though many learned Treatises, and laborious Volumes have been judiciously written from time to time: which might convince their understandings of error, and justly check their consciences for their underhand practices, and Schismatical courses: yet that Godly Reformation, which was and is desired, hath not so prosperously succeeded: Because, as fare as my poor understanding is able to conceive, the chief thing was, and is yet wanting, which might have effected and established our peace; and that is, A legal provision of encouraging maintenance for an able Ministry. For, as long as men of worth for quality, as all Ministers ought to be, are forced to grapple with poverty, which begets contempt of their persons, and disesteem of their Ministry: So long the nature of poverty, wherewith they are sensibly pinched, is ever active in devising shifts to secure and to relieve itself. Now, what shifts can the wit of any man living excogitate, whereby to relieve himself, which may carry countenance of Piety and sincere dealing? But by insinuation to creep into the favour and esteem of great men, and the richer sort who are able to secure and support them: And by obsequious flattery to instill into their hearts an ill opinion of the present Government under which we live; and to which conceit, because it tends to Innovation, and singularity, most men's hearts are prone and inclined; according to that of the Comedian: Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.  
Now this obsequiousness, whereby friendship is prepared, must of necessity deflect from the ways and rules of Truth, or it will never take hold and politicly succeed. For, to apply it to the purpose we have now in hand: If all the Nobility, Gentry, and Rich-men of England, were fully persuaded, both in judgement and conscience; that the Discipline of our English Church is exactly consonant with the Word of GOD, and needs neither subversion, correction, or alteration, as both justly and judiciously they ought to be so persuaded: Then any Minister of able gifts, in the knowledge of GOD's Word, adorned with virtue and sanctity of life, would serve their turn, either for their Parish Minister, or Family Chaplain without that solicitous distinction of person, and person, for opinions sake in matter of Ceremony, which rules too much in this divided Church. For where no variety or differences of opinion have liberty to work upon men's understandings, consciences, and affections, by reason of that general unity, which ought to be among us Churchmen, both in judgement of our peaceable discipline, and uniformity of practice in our submission thereunto: There every wise and charitable hearted Gentleman, must needs be free from faction and partaking; and thereby the peace of our Church graciously composed. So that this Nonconformity in the first brochers thereof, was but a trick of politic wit, by casting differences of opinion among God's people, to make way for themselves, to raise a party of private friendship, and thereby to draw unto them, such competency of maintenance to their estates, and credit to their persons, as might both relieve their poverty, and enhance their spirits to a selfe-good opinion of their own inventions; by engrossing many men's good opinions of their Piety, their virtue, their averseness from Popery. And if all the policy of this wise, learned and religious Kingdom, shall wrack and teynter itself, totally to suppress and supplant these courses; it will never be able, in my poor opinion, to effect their just & righteous designs, till a proportionable maintenance, setting Ministers free from a servile dependence and engagement to their people, do sweetly invite and induce them to obedience. For, as long as any sap or moisture of discontent, by poverty remains in the root of Nonconformity, it will regerminate, bud-forth again, and creep into corners; although the strong arm of Regal power and sound justice, guided by sanctified policy, suppress the raging flames, and restrain the open walking thereof.  
48 I have many times in my private meditations of these matters, admired how it hath come to pass, that those prudent and well-intended Laws, which were in the Reign of King Henry the eight, first projected: And afterwards, in the reign of his religious and wise Son King Edward the sixth, more largely extracted out of the Copies of the Canon Law, by 32. persons consisting of the Honourable Nobility, Reverend Bishops, Learned Divines, Wise Civilians, and Prudent Gentlemen; and were also confirmed Regio Diplomate, by Regal grant of power from both those Kings; and wanting nothing but Promulgation, prevented by the immature death of that holy, wise, and learned young Prince, King Edward the 6. How these Laws, could never since that time obtain their intended strength. For, had those Laws been established, either by Parliamentary authority then; or since by the Royal Prerogative of any of our Kings and Queens, from whom all authority, jurisdiction and power, is derived into Church & Commonwealth, I will make bold to deliver my opinion, and that is this: There had not been, I suppose, at this day, 
Printed, 157●.  one Puritan, Non-conformed Minister in this Illustrious Church and Kingdom. For, in those Laws there is provision made for convenient maintenance of Ministers in all the Cities, great Towns and Corporations of England, which are the Seminaries and principal places, where schism is bred and nourished, conformable to the custom of the City of London, by a rate and taxa upon their house and shops. In Titulo de Decimis, capite 14. the Law runs thus: Magnam indignitatem habet à tenuibus & Laboriosis Agricolis, decimas annuas Ecclesiarum ministris suppeditari; Mercatores autem opibus affluentes, & viros Scientiarum, & artificiorum copiis abundantes, nihil ferme ad ministrorum necessitates confer, praesertim cùm illis ministrorum officio non minus opus sit quàm colonis. Quapropter, ut ex pari labour, par consequatur merees, constituimus, ut Mercatores, pannorum confectores, & artifices reliqui cujuscunque generis, ac omnes qui scientia, vel peritia, qualecunque lucrum percipiunt, hoc modo decimas persolvant: Pro Domibus nimirum atque terris quibus utuntur, & illarum ratione decimas praediales non solvunt, quolibet anno dabunt annuae pensionis decimam partem.  
It is a great indignity that poor and laborious country Farmers, do pay their Tithes to the Ministers of their Churches: But that Merchants flowing in riches, and men of Sciences and Trades, abounding with wealth, should impart in a manner nothing to the necessities of their Ministers; especially since these rich men stand in no less need of the Ministers labours, than the Country men do. Wherhfore, that from equal labour a like reward may accrue, we ordain, that Merchants, Clothiers, and all other Artificers, of what kind soever, and all others, who by any science or skill do gain profit to themselves, shall pay Tithes after this manner: To wit, they shall pay the tenth part of yearly pension, for their houses and grounds which they hold and use, and by reason thereof pay no praedial Tithes. Thus fare the Law Now for prevention of cavil, which wranglers are apt to foist into all necessary offices, and in this particular to say, that this Law was intended only for the City of London, and is there in force and practice: The very front and Title of the Law itself wipes away and dissolves this plea and objection, saying unto us: Solvendas esse decimas personales juxta consuetudinem Vrbis London. Tithes personal are to be paid, according to the custom of the City of London. So that the practice of that Imperial City is made the Line and Rule to all other Cities, and great Towns of this Kingdom for payment of personal Tithes. If this Law had been in force from the times of K. Edward the sixth (which is now marked with a mark prefixed in the margin of all such statutes as are either expired by time, reversed, or were never ratified, in the last impression of our Common statutes at large) although the maintenance of Ministers, by the profits of their Cures, had not amounted to any great value, nor made their persons living in Cities and Corporations to abound with Riches: yet it had preserved them from that Relation, Dependence and Subjection, under the richer sort of Men, which (every where) in this Land they are constrained to give: and by means thereof, Schism and breach of Unity, is fostered and dilated. It had also preserved the purity of the Gospel from being corrupted with that base flattery, and more than servile accommodation; which neither beseems the Majesty of GOD's Word, nor the integrity of so sacred a calling. For riches, as all men see, and know, do raise up the hearts of men to high thoughts, of some worth and excellency in themselves, and to swell, and look big on their Inferiors, and to expect all reverence and observance from them: So that if Ministers shall attempt by the power of GOD's Word to prick this bladder; to take down the extuberancy, and to let out the swelling air of pride and vainglory: They will be sure to cast frowns upon him, and by curteling his means of livelihood, which are only arbitrary contributions, no known or set rates, depending on the pleasure, by pleasing or displeasing of their great Masters, they will make him feel whom he hath offended. How is it likely then, or indeed possible, that the dispensers of GOD's Word, should either purely utter the mysteries of his Kingdom, or with undaunted courage, maintain the honour of their Prince, and the equity of those just and righteous Laws under which we live: If every high spirit inflate with his riches, from whom their maintenance is raised, shall have power to crush them, and trample them under foot. The want of set maintenance then for the Clergy, by established legal rates in all Cities and Corporations in this Kingdom, may justly be termed that Struma a disease called the King's evil, and that Morbus Regius that spreading and infecting jaundice, occasioning, or rather causing disobedience to Sovereign Majesty, and is no way curable but by the hand of royalty.  
49. And here my zeal for GOD'S glory, the loyalty of my heart to my Prince, and my desire of the Church's peace, calls upon me to tell these Non conformed great ones, both of this town and county, and of this whole Kingdom in general, who to please themselves do countenance this modern invention of Non-subjection to lawful Authority, and thereby encourage poor Ministers to disobey their Prince by resisting his laws: That it is a very great presumption, and intolerable in a state of peaceable reg●●ent, for the subjects to 〈◊〉 a course of contra●ety 〈◊〉 opposition to the Law's 〈◊〉 ●●●sonall practice of the Prince himself, in matters conversant about the exercise of Religion, and not of the essence and substance thereof. And though confcience for obeying Gods' Commands is pretended herein, yet that pretence having been judiciously and religiously examined, and for the levity, and indeed nullity thereof, refuted and rejected, not by strong hand of Authority as is secretly whispered, but by invincible reasons of sacred Theology not liable to contradiction: Then, for Lay-Gentlemen, who are neither versed in these matters, nor interessed therein by any calling from GOD, to persist in obstinacy of depraved opinions, and secretly to countenance, back, and support others therein: How this can be free from a touch of secret Disloyalty to the sacred Majesty of Regal power, let the wise and learned in our Ecclesiastical and Temporal Laws, judge and determine. And though the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, hold their Lands and Revenues for support of their greatness, either by inheritance and succession from their Ancestors, or by purchase of their own: yet since I am sure, they enjoy no personal dignities, honours or powers, whereby they are ennobled in themselves; but such as they received, either by the munificent bounty of the King conferred upon them, or by the gift of former Princes to their progenitors is derived unto them; and because it is the splendour of honour, more than the possession of riches, which attracteth reverence and love unto their persons, and makes them potent in command: This should put them in mind, to look back to the Fountain, from whence the eminency thereof hath originally flowed unto them: and also to move them to direct the stream and current of their Inferior power in a loyal and dutiful subordination, to run through the same Channel, with the royal and superior power of their Prince, into all the parts of our Church and Kingdom, for peaceable subjection to the equity of his laws. For, since our Saviour hath told us, 
Mat. 12.25.  Every Kingdom divided against itself, shall be brought to desolation. How ought the hearts of all God's people of all Ranks and conditions, to be affected with gracious fear, what may be the issue and event of this division and schism, which like a Gangraine lately crept into the heart of the Church in some of her ambitious and discontented Members, diffuseth daily the poison and contagion thereof through all the sound parts of this Kingdom, and thereby corrupts them & brings them to unsoundness. The Nature of schism is active, and working, as all men see, and secretly seduceth the good and harmless people of this land, by corrupt opinions, garnished over with the outside of sanctity, to incline to its side, and to strengthen a party. And if the infectious spreading thereof, be not maturely prevented by the vigilant care of Princely power, governed by sanctified providence; or cured by wholesome Anti-dotes of wise proceeding by legal courses in recovering them from danger, and restoring them to their former soundness of regular obedience & subjection. It is to be feared, the subverting Anarchy & confusion, mentioned by Sophocles a Pagan, will break in upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In English thus:  
There is no greater evil, than disobedience against Princely power; for this subverts Cities, and lays waste the Families of men. And all men may see, that can or will judiciously observe the course of things, that this sort of men affecting disloyalty, by favouring Nonconformity, are a people who greatly flatter and delude themselves in their erroneous ways, and mainly labour by underhand practices of secret persuasions, to dilate and enlarge the approbation of their own vanities. For, they extol, advance, and thereby ensnare the hearts of credulous persons, by praising them for pious, virtuous, holy, and good men, when once they perceive in them any inclination to adhere to their faction: But for others, whom they discover to be averse from their conceits, and to oppose their exorbitant fooleries, they traduce them with obloquy, and load them with defamation; secretly whispering against them, that they are dissolute, profane, boone-companions, utterly destitute of the power of godliness. If any Gentleman in the Country, affect this fine toy of irregularity, all his Tenants must run with him in the same Maze, and Labyrinth of conceited niceties; or when their Leases expire, be pinched with an oppressing Fine, which shall exact the blood and marrow of his former acquired estate; or by the strong faith, and abundant charity of his good Landlord, be cast out of his ancient tenement, not without reproachful terms of dishonesty and profaneness. If rich Tradesmen in Cities and Corporations, incline that way, than all mechanical and inferior Persons, who have any relation to them, and dependence on them, must comply with them in their vain opinions, or the stream of their favours will run another way. So that poor men are often forced to increase the number of disloyal people against their Prince and his peaceable regiment, or else endanger their livelihood in displeasing those great ones, by whom they are set on work for the earning of their maintenance and support of their Families. And though in Cities and Corporations, the richer sort of men, are contentedly pleased for their own advancement in dignities, precedency of place, and credit to their posterity: to make benefit to themselves of the Liberties, Privileges, Grants, Charters, Compositions, which ancient Kings of this Land, in their Royal bounty have conferred on those places: yet, when they have obtained what they ambitiously aspire after, they care nothing at all to make their souls sensible of those duties of gracious obedience to their Sovereign Liege Lord, which those their dignities, do both Naturally and by the justice of Humane equity, require at their hands. Which, to speak in the fairest terms that I am able, is an high degree of unmannerliness, and disloyal ingratitude. For, I appeal to the judgement of every man in this Land, who is Master of his own wits, whether it be fit for Subjects to enjoy such preferments, and personal dignities as they eagerly thirst after; and the places of their abode, by Offices, do confer upon them; and yet shall make no conscience of hearty subjection to the Princely Majesty or their King, from whose Royal power, and benign liberality those things are derived. Is it fit or reasonable, that dignity and loyalty in the persons o● Subjects should be divorcee● each from other, and not unite themselves in gracious & peaceable Harmony? Or, is it a thing possible for such men to plead their loyalty, and pretend themselves to be good subjects to their King, and yet countenance faction and disorder, against the Tranquillity of his State and Royalty? Let other men think as they please, and in the pride and insolency of their stubborn spirits, dispense with their own Consciences, by wilfully affected ignorance and selfe-adulation: I know, rightwell, what GOD's Word requires at the hands of all men, for the settled peace and unity of Christian Nations. And as I know it, so I will roundly tell them: That he is neither good Christian to GOD-ward, nor good Subject to his Prince, that to please the peremptory surliness of his own self-will, shall rend theunitie of a settled government, and thereby divide a Kingdom into confusion and disorders.  
50 And though these men, who both secretly with all their might, and openly as fare as they dare, oppose the worthy persons of Governors, and the integrity of their proceed; do inwardly fret and vex at their gracious designs, because they control their ambitious aims, and towering aspires: yet all men of wisdom know, that never shall the Royalty of the Prince be secured, nor the state of the Kingdom once be established in peace and honour; till that Paxitie of Ministers, which is so vehemently desired, be rejected with scorn, and the Obtruders thereof taught more wisdom, and Better Manners, then to disturb the Peace of a glorious Church, for the erecting of an Idol of their own Imagination. For, if this matter should be ripped up from the original foundation, and first stone of this building, attempted to be laid in this Kingdom, by the policy of Master Cartwright and his adherents, suborned and instigated thereunto, by some persons of power in their times, but now extinct by death: What issue would our prudent meditations produce herein; but that the LORD our GOD, highly displeased with so disordered a Platform of church-polity, as was by him projected and tendered, to Princely hands and view; Blasted it with his wrath, in the first motions, springing, and infancy thereof, by directing the heart of that late gracious Queen, ELIZABETH, a Princess of holy memory, to discountenance and reject it. And since that time, it never could attain the favour of that late Sacred, Wise, and Learned Prince, KING JAMES, whose high Prudence, and profound Learning, better knew the nature and operation of all Ingredients, which perfect Church-government, than all the Puritans of this Kingdom, of Amsterdam and New-England could teach him. And what was master Cartwright himself, that his words, worth, or authority, should dissolve, subvert, and annihilate, a prudent, an honourable, and long-setled Government? And in place thereof, substitute a Novel plot of his own Invention, or drawn forth unto him by foreign Divines, living under the practice of Aristocratical, or democratical regiment, in their Civil state; and no way accommodate to the lustre and eminency of Monarchical power and polity? Was he for Wisdom, Learning, Piety, so transcendent and incomparable; that all the Piety, Wisdom and Learning in this Land, could not parallel, match, or surmount him? Surely, they that shall discreetly, with impartiality, indifferency, and uncorrupted judgements, read over the polemical writings of Doctor Whitegift and him; shall perceive a plain, and sensible difference, both in the spirits of the men themselves, and also in the quality of their Writings. For, in Doctor Whitegift, there shines forth a sweet moderation of Spirit, with weight of Arguments, and copy of Authorities, couched in a clear, facile, and gentle style, no way tainted, or touched with bitterness of spirit; but with gracious mildness, digesting all Reproaches and Indignities cast forth against him: In Mr. Cartwright, a high, furious and reproachful humour, venting his own authorities, depraving Scriptures for his own purpose, stuffing his Margin with Quotations nothing pertinent to the matter in hand; and using a Style so forced, with Scommes, Taunts, and salt scurrilities against his Superiors in Authority, as a gracious heart would loathe to read them. And yet the Disciples of this choleric, proud, and overweening spirit, desire to appropriate all sanctity, engross all wisdom and piety, and impale it within the verge and circumference of their own In-conformity. But let them delude and flatter themselves in their Toyish Imaginations as long as they will, and persist to affront Authority, in the person of their Prince, and the command of his Laws: It is my hope and confidence, (and I trust all good men concur with me therein:) That as the Lord in mercy and holy love unto his Church among us, hath given Pure Wisdom to his Anointed Vicegerent, to discover these obliquities and Impostures; and also Royal courage to attempt the reformation and suppression thereof: So, he will also strengthen and uphold his Princely Arm in his proceed therein, till he have brought the same to a gracious and to a glorious perfection. And then will this Church and Kingdom know, both in the general body thereof, and also more specially in these Non-conformists theselves, both Ecclesiastical and Secular, when their eyes are opened to behold their own errors; That they have been long detained, and deluded in adoring vain fantasies, not worth the regarding. And then they will also bless and magnify the LORD'S great mercies, and return the Tribute of thankful and of loyal hearts to their gracious Sovereign, by whose pious care so laudable and glorious a work hath been prospered and achieved. For, though now, errors in their souls, do dim, darken, and even blind the eye of their judgements, and not suffer them with the clear light of sanctified Reason to behold this wholesome and profitable truth shine forth unto them: Namely, That Unity and Peace, between the Prince and his People, and with all the People mutually among themselves, are the true and proper glory of Earthly Kingdoms, typically figuring the celestial Unity in blessedness and glory in the Triumphant Church of GOD: And that Schism & Division of any people into variety of opinions and affections, is the bane and subversion of the Tranquillity of a Church & Nation, resembling the confusions and perturbations of satins infernal regiment: Then will they clearly see, to the infinite joy and comfort of their own souls, that this disobedience to Royal Majesty, and prudent laws, for things of indifferent nature, is no more but a self-pleasing fantafie, which every good man, may very well spare, and yet remain a faithful son to GOD his Father, a sound member of that particular Church wherein he was baptised, and a loyal and obedient subject to the Majesty of that gracious Prince, in whose Dition and Principality he first drew his native breath and being. And if these men will but entertain that one rule of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST: 
Matth. 11.28.  Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your soul: And by this rule will strive to take down the height of their own elate and haughty spirits, and humble themselves to submit to the wisdom of their King and State; and to suspect their own wisdoms, as every wise man ought to do; surely then, the things proposed unto them for obedience, and the settling of uniformity over the body of this Church and Kingdom; will shortly be universally admitted, and pleasingly entertained. And when they have cast away that prejudicated and troublesome opinion which they have of the persons of the Bishops, who for their wisdom, piety, gravity, sincerity, deserve all due respect of veneration to be given unto them: Then the blessed experience of the manifold commodities which accompany peace and unity, will not only prove an inward comfort to their souls; but will also make them to be greatly offended with themselves for their obstinate contumacy against their lawful Superiors: when they shall call to mind how long they have deprived themselves of so great a blessing, as is Unity of Heart, Mind, and judgement, by dividing themselves from the obedience of their spiritual Mother, the Orthodox and pure Church of GOD in this Kingdom. For in all humane matters (and these of ceremonies are no other) all sound knowledge and judgement is attained by experience; which though it be said to be the Mistress of fools, by showing unto them, and imprinting on their hearts their manifold errors; yet she is no foolish mistress, but the best informer and reformer of our understandings and wills, by which it pleaseth GOD to reduce from wandering, His straying sheep, and graciously confine them within His own fold: witness the wanton Prodigal, who running riot from his father, and from the true principles of knowledge in his own soul, never returned again to GOD, or to himself, till sensible experience of his own vanity had pinched him, and made him (as the Scriptures report) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Luke. 15.17.  to come home to himself by the gracious view of his errors, directed thereunto by the Spirit of God. And these Non-conformists, whether Churchmen or Laymen, they are no other but Wanton and Prodigal fugitives, and Runaways, from their spiritual Father the LORD, who requires of us and them, 
1 Pet. 2.14.  To submit ourselves to every ordinance of men, for the LORD'S sake: And fugitives also they are from their Politic Father the King, by rejecting his Authority given him by GOD. And till some few gentle stripes with the Rod of Princely power, prove unto them as the famine did to the Prodigal, open their eyes, and give them sensible impression and experience of their sullen Pride and Vanity; they will never return sound to their GOD, to their Prince, to themselves; but they will riotize in selfe-opinions and deluded imaginations, to the hazard and endangering of their own souls, by incurring the wrath of God. And for mine own part, I am persuaded, that if all the Non-conformed Ministers in this Church, were divided into four equal parts, three of them have never read any controversies of our Church-discipline; but perhaps some of the railing Libels of Master Cartwright and his companions, a part by themselves, which pass underhand from man to man amongst them; without the learned Antidotes of contrary writings to expel the malign poison and infection thereof: But these men look only upon the practice of the times, and seeing, that to incline to this faction, is a fair way of thriving, both in reputation of credit with this sort of people, and also in means of livelihood by private and underhand Benevolences, Gratuities, Contributions; they are thereby enticed on to these disloyal and factious courses; which in multitudes of Lay-people of several ranks and degrees is grown to a great height of strength and power. And yet neither their multitudes, nor their power so great, but that wise men may discover in them, that they are not persons of any courage, to hold out opposition against Authority, to the incurring of danger, either to their persons, or to their estates: which cowardice of Spirit in persons, otherwise of so high, insolent, and daring spirits as they are; plainly convinceth the truth of the overruling hand of GOD'S power in all men's hearts; and also pleadeth and acteth in their own bosoms the justice and Equity of the King's cause now taken in hand; by impressions of sensible fear, making them to tremble at the mention of Humane Authority, as it is the execution of divine power for Temporal government. For were their persons as clear and innocent as they pretend, by ostentation of the uprightness of their consciences in the cause of GOD; or their judgements right and sound, in that they hold with dissent from their wise superiors; or their cause itself, a matter of importance, wherein the Honour or Dishonour of GOD stands Interessed and Engaged: surely then the LORD would fortify and add spiritual vigour to their masculine and high spirits; and not suffer them to shrink under the practice of Humane power, urged for their correction and amendment. And let me further certify this irregular generation, that if their fancies had been of GOD, and decreed for His fettled ordinance: It had not received such a wound, as of late it hath done by the hand of Princely power, which already hath made their building to nod and totter, and incline to subversion. For the Argument of Gamaliel uttered by the present inspiration of GOD'S Spirit, is invincible: 
Act. 5.39  Man's power cannot overthrow that which is of GOD: which impregnable and sacred Truth I will demonstrate in this syllogistical process.  
Whatsoever is of GOD decreed for continuance and propagation, 
Major.  can neither be dissolved by Humane power, nor weakened and abated.  
This Novel Toy of resisting authority, 
Minor.  is by Humane power weakened and abated, and draws on to dissolution.  
Therefore it is not of GOD by ordinance for Propagation. 
Conclusio.   
The whole force of this Argument so clear and conclusive, is drawn from the practice of GOD Himself in the Primitive infancy of the Christian Church: when the Roman Tyrants mighty in power and extension of authority over most parts of the habitable earth, raged against the glory of our LORD JESUS CHRIST in the lustre of His Gospel, and vowed the extinction of His Name and memory: but the more their fury increased and insulted over the poor sheep of CHRIST, daily dragged unto slaughter by Martyrdom; the more they found to the check of their infidel pride and immanity, that Sanguis Martyrum erat semen Ecclesiae, The blood of Martyrs was the springing seed of the Church, both for the increase of the number of professors, and dilatation of the glory and power of our SAVIOUR. If any shall reply unto me, that Humane power may for a time suppress the outward growth and spreading of this disobedience to our King and his Laws: yet for as much as they are godly forsooth, and do it for conscience sake, their practice will still retain spiritual heat and vigorous warmth in the root and secret heart thereof; and thereby sprout out again, and declare itself to be of the LORD'S plantation. To these men I reply no more but thus; That I wish all such persons to suspend their own rash and sinister persuasions for a time, and to expect the event of the LORD'S will therein, which in doubtful cases, is never known but by the sensible and apparent manifestation thereof.  
51 Now for this fiery fancy, and exquisite fascination of our Nonconformity, I will freely and openly deliver my opinion thereof, and that is this: That when she was in her greatest ruff and glory, decked with all the plumes of her pride and best acceptation which ever she had in this Kingdom: I conceive of her, that then, even than she was no more but meretrix cerussata, a whited, painted, and artificially coloured strumpet, exposing herself to her most profitable wooers, and entertainers: But now that by time and age, she is become Rugosa & cadaverosa, wrinkled and decayed, she goes on, I hope, to her grave with infamy and dishonour. The reason of my opinion is this; I suppose that if her stoutest champions, who have long with the secret increase of their private estates supported her glory, could now come off fairly from her, without detriment to their livelihood and eclipse of the brightness of their former reputation for Piety and Sincerity: That then not one of them, would either departed this Land, or endure to be silenced and restrained from preaching: but being shut up in a straight, by reflecting on their own hearts, and calling to mind, what high and transcendent praises they have in corners given to this their fancy, the engine and instrument of all their delusions, and the artificial and fine-wrought key, whereby they have opened the Closets and Cabinets of their dear and private friends: if now they should shrink from it, they overthrew for ever the reputation of their integrity. And therefore having within their own bosoms, a troublesome conflict between their hearts, puffed up with the remembrance of their late glory and dear esteem among their friends; and their consciences now secretly prompting them, that the grounds of their Schism, were things light, trivial, and of no moment: The pride of their hearts, bears down with strong power, the plea of their consciences, and makes them resolve rather to endure a silencing, with hope to retain the underhand benevolences of their tender hearted friends, than to supplant the pleasing contentments they have received to themselves, in appropriating to themselves the words of GOD's Spirit, 
Prov. 12.26.  The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour. But let such men call to mind the judgements of GOD's wrath against that slothful person, 
Matt. 25.30.  Who wrapped up his Talon in a Napkin and hide it in the earth. For if Saint Paul could say in the case of planting of Churches, 
1 Cor. 9.16.  Necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is me if I preach not the Gospel. I cannot yet understand, nor themselves neither, of any dispensation, or relaxation that Ministers have in these days, to sit idle at home in vain speculations, and to neglect the Watering of those Churches, and feeding of those flocks, which by other men's labours have been prepared and made ready to their Ministry. Yet this liberty to please themselves by voluntary or imposed silence, and the justice and equity thereof on their parts in submitting to so sharp a censure, is still by them constantly assevered. And thereby they strive to uphold the good conceits which their friends have of the purity of their consciences, and of the Iniquity, Idolatry, and Profaneness of those Antichristian Ceremonies which are urged against them, for better terms or Titles, they know right well, they never afford them. And this is the true cause why I was so bold and plain with them, as to term their practice of Nonconformity, by the odious name of a Painted Strumpet: because a learned Philosopher describing the Arts and subtleties of such wanton and unclean persons, says of them; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. As Strumpets wish all sorts of happiness may befail their lovers, except understanding and wisdom (to discover their own wickedness) so do flatterers wish unto all those persons with whom they converse and are entertained. And even so this sect of men, wish to their profitable friends, all other kinds of happiness, riches, honours, dignities, affluence of all worldly contents answerable to the desires of their own hearts: But that their understandings should be enlightened to discover their own former errors, and to find out the frauds and alluring enticements wherewith they use to ensnare them, and tie them fast to themselves: This part of divine wisdom they never wish unto them, but mainly labour to hold them back from attaining thereunto; for if once this bright ray and beam of divine truth glance into their souls, and be received by them with pause, deliberation, and more prudent inspection into their former courses, than formerly they have used; then these men know right well Actum est de illis, their Acts are discovered, and their Play is exploded. For now silencing from the execution of so sacred a vocation, is become in this age for temporal emoluments, fare more profitable to this kind of men, than the godly labours of religious Ministers in the constant employment of their talents proves unto them: So miserably are God's people led blindfolded into spiritual captivity. But if the bosoms of these men were transparent, and the close-wrought veil wherein all their policies are enwrapped, were Translucent, and thereby their sleights exposed to the view of all men, I make no question but that the leprosy of corruption would be sensibly discovered to have maculated their hearts and consciences. For it is not possible that God's Spirit should err in describing the Acts and Qualities of seducers: I beseech you Brethren, mark them which cause divisions among you, and offences, contrary to the Doctrine that ye have learned, and avoid them: for they that are such serve not the LORD JESUS, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. And these men in Saint Paul's time in the Church of Rome, were reputed as sincere, up right, holy, and spiritually qualified with gifts of divine grace, as are our Non-conformists in the Church of England. And certainly unless this work of the Kings most excellent Majesty, and his pious and prudent Bishops were directed by GOD Himself in their hearts, it could never have received so great approbation in the hearts of most men, and they wise, religious, and virtuous, as of late it hath done in this Land: for not only many thousands, who had a kind of charitable opinion of these men, though they did not familiarly converse with them, entertain them in their houses, or comply with them in their conceits; begin now much to distaste them, and greatly desire the suppression of them: But which is more, even their own friends also, who were wholly theirs, begin to faint in their courage, and in some degrees to distaste those courses, if they could handsomely shake them off, and yet preserve the reputation of their former zeal. For this is the main block, which most of them stumble at; namely, Not fear of dishonouring GOD, nor hurting the purity of their own consciences, if they should shake hands, and bid farewell to their niceties and follies: But how to keep up their credits in the hearts of those men, who being honest, virtuous, and worthy of good respect, they have much vilified & dis-esteemed in matters of religion, in comparison with themselves. But this is a needless and superfluous care; for I am of opinion that all honest hearted Christians, both Ministers and Lay-people, who zealously desire the peace and flourish of our Church and Kingdom, will readily give them the right-hand of unfeigned fellowship, receive them into their bosoms with alacrity and joy for their return to the obedience of their spiritual Mother the Church, and never twit, nor upbraid them with their former toyish errors. And here let me put you my Brethren of Shrewsbury in mind, which you ought to take in good part, and thankfully at my hands, from the sense and experience thereof in your own bosoms: That I have observed in diverse of your persons, that your zeal and fervour in your once approved cause, doth begin to slake and remit of those intensive degree; which it formerly had in you: So that there is nothing wanting unto you, but the application and pressing of authority unto your wavering minds, which are easily taken off from your former course. And I am persuaded upon very pregnant grounds, that there are of you who begin to smell out, either the fraud, or Art, or what other term is apt for that fine piece of policy, wherein you have been long enwrapped by error of your judgements, to your cost and expenses: And which hath made many Gentlemen of this Kingdom to say in the words of our LORD, though in a contrary sense: Zelus Domus tuae exedit me, 
joh. 2.17.  The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. And many of your well-willers, as yourselves know very well, being but half brothers and parcel gilded, are content to sooth and flatter you in your opinions, but they will look well enough to their purses, and have care of the main; as though they had learned that axiom in Philosophy, Noli perdere substantiam propter accidens, Destroy not thy substance for an accident: to wit, a Toy. My hope is therefore, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with GOD, that our Prudent Governor lately placed over us, 
Bishop Wright.  in whose Person, wisdom and courage conjoined with gracious Affability and mildness of spirit do strive for precedency; will execute that Authority wherewith the sacred Majesty of our King hath entrusted him; and by correcting your insolences, which are nothing else but self-pleasing vanities, and the proper effects of pride and weakness of judgement, will reduce you to obedience of righteous Laws, and keep you in order: for until the rod of power and discipline be imposed gently for your correction; your affections will stray from that regularity of obedience, which Gods sacred Word, and the obligation of your own consciences, borne under the Law of natural allegiance to the Majesty of your Prince, require at your hands. For it is an ancient and profitable saying, and which holy David found true in spiritual matters: 
Psal. 119.67.  Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept thy Commandments: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections whether Divine or Humane, do instruct the children of GOD, which I hope you are, to wiser and more obedient intentions and actions.  
52 And here I am forced much against my will, to Apologise for mine own integrity and innocence in a particular matter, which lately fell out among us, in which I have been by many of this factious Brotherhood most impudently abused. The matter would be very long to relate it with all circumstances incident thereunto: take it therefore thus, with all the brevity I am able. The most Reverend Father in God, the L. Bishop of our Diocese, preached a Sermon in our Town upon Sunday the 8. day of Sept. last past, two days before his Visitation. He took for his Theme or Text the words of the Apostle, Fear GOD, and honour the King. 
1 Pet. 2.17.  This portion of Scripture he made choice of, as being most fit and apt for the place where it was delivered: because of the proneness of many of our people to disloyalty, by factious schism, and disobedience to our Church's Laws. Upon this Text he discoursed with soundness of learning, gravity of speech, and gracious charity, endeavouring rather to win our people, by mildness of Christian love, than by force of his own Authority, and execution of coercive power to constrain them to obedience, by casting off their singularity of opinions, and irregular follies. Upon the next Friday following, a country Minister sixteen miles from Shrewsbury, who had appeared on Tuesday at the Visitation, and was detained among his friends, as he calls them, was requested to bestow a Sermon among them. This man being wholly ignorant of the L. Bishop's Text, whereon he had discoursed the Sunday before; chose for his subject, the words of our Lord, Mat. 10.28. fear not them which kill the body, etc. These words bearing no contrariety with the Bishop's Theme, because GOD's sacred Word hath no repugnancy, or contradiction in it; He handled with such boldness of courage, freedom of speech, and pressing persuasions to constancy in the faith; as if the suppressing of Nonconformity now graciously intended by the Royal wisdom of our King, and the zealous endeavours of our Superior Clergy, could not take effect in this Illustrious Church, without derogation to the glory of our LORD and SAVIOUR, and the impeachment of the free passage of our blessed Gospel. This Sermon was generally disliked, rather for the manner of uttering it, than for any erroneous doctrine therein delivered: for excepting only the light brotherhood of Nonconformity, and their fautours and abettors, who applaud every thing concurrent with their fancies and humours: All the wiser sort of the Congregation, who heard their Lord Bishop's Sermon on Sunday before, judged him a very bold spirited man, in labouring to possess the hearts of the people secretly, with a fear of popery returning upon this Kingdom. The rumour of this Sermon being quick in all men's mouths, and the subject of most men's discourse, came to me by report of persons wise, learned, and credible. Among many who disliked it, a learned Gentleman, a Minister of GOD's Word, and Fellow of Queen's College in Cambridge, told me it was A most factious Sermon, mainly opposing the Government of our Church, and such as deserved to be severely censured: Which censure, our most Reverend Diocesan according to his wisdom and authority hath already inflicted. Upon the Sunday following, being the fifteenth day of the same month, after the reading of the second Lesson, I read forth of a paper certain Injunctions given me in charge to be published, concerning the Adorning of our Church in sundry particulars, and the observation of the King's Majesties express command touching Preachers: When I came to that Article concerning the duties of Ministers, I told that great Congregation that I had been credibly informed that a very factious Sermon had been preached on Friday before in the hearing of them: And I told them also; that these courses which many of them fostered in their bosoms with pleasing contentment, would shortly come to be better looked into, and the connivance which they had formerly long enjoyed, would by more care of prudent vigilancy, be forthwith corrected. Upon these words of mine, some falsehearted fellow of that proud and lying generation sends word by writing, or message to this Preacher, into the country, that Mr. Studley had charged him with preaching false doctrine. The Minister being nettled with this report, with all haste repairs to our Town: where he and many of his schismatical friends & good Benefactors, draw forth a certificate in writing, subscribed with many hands, in confirmation of a most lewd and false report: and he being strengthened, Brachio carnali, omits the duty of a man trucly fearing GOD: for in all haste he posts to the Lord Bishop, and preferred his clamorous writing, but never vouchsafed to confer with me, who could have resolved him the truth, pacified his rage, and prevented an inconvenience which afterwards fell upon him. And here I must for the clearing of mine own name, traduced for a persecutor in opposing the cause of Nonconformity, infert a letter of a sharp contents written by me to the said Preacher, expostulating with him the injustice and wrongs I have received from him.  
53 Mr. F. my love remembered unto you, as unknown unto me: I understand that you have preferred a Petition or Certificate to the most Reverend Father in GOD the Lord Bishop of our Diocese, against me: wherein assuredly the fury of your will  the gravity of your wit. In that your inconsiderate Petition, you accuse me most falsely, to have traduced you for preaching false doctrine to our people. But by such intemperate boldness of writing, you have showed neither wisdom, nor honesty, nor charity. Not wisdom, in taking on trust, without examination, a report so weighty: Not honesty, in your contempt of my person, whom you ought of duty to have privately consulted, not charity, which is never suspicious of evil, before it be convinced by evidence of fact. But he that expects from Sectaries and Schismatics, any of these virtues, will fall short of his expectation. For your opposing of me, and my actions, know you Sir, I regard not such lightheaded and furious companions. I have made your betters desist from contending with me, and may hap so to do with you, if you persist in your folly. My integrity in my place, I praise GOD for it, was well known many years, before your heady and rash youth by Nonconformity and flatteries crept in among us. But you, and such as you are, have by your Pharisaical and sly infinuations into the hearts of ignorant and unstablished people, rend in pieces the unity of a famous Town, and exposed our people to faction and dissension. The words I uttered against your Sermon, not your person (for I named you not) were these, and only these, I was informed that you had preached a very factious Sermon; And he, who gave other report of my words, was an egregious Knave; so tell him from me, you have it under my hand: For both your Text, and the clamorous vehemency of your iterations and repetitions confirm this report. Your behaviour therein was very sly and cunning, and full of reservedness; yet not so covered with Art and subtlety, but that your more judicious Auditors discovered, that the aim and level of your intentions, was to insinuate into the hearts of our people, a perplexing fear that the wild Boar of Rome was ready to make a violent Incursion into our Church and State; and by her Idolatries and superstitions eradicate the sacred purity of our Gospel implanted among us. Hence grow ' your important press and persuasions to constancy in the Faith, even to death by Apology and Martyrdom: wherein some of your own friends have wished, that the salt of discretion and prudent moderation, had allayed your violence, and seasoned your thoughts to a better conceit of that gracious Prince and Government, under which we live in peace and spiritual liberty. The name of Puritan, you told them, was a royal badge, and and thereby you intended to confirm depraved judgements in error and contumacy against Authority, and that wholesome reformation, that is now aimed at. Surely these intemperate flashes issuing from your unbridled spirit, and uttered in such a time when reformation of Schism, not change of our Orthodox faith is intended; do plainly convince you in the judgement of wise men, to be a man of a disloyal heart, and unquiet head. Your bold intrusion into other men's charge, being neither warranted by the Laws of GOD or man, can receive no blessing from GOD. For what inducement have you to vent your wares among us, who neither desire your aid, nor need your help. Keep at home, I advise you, and labour in that place of charge where the LORD hath disposed of you; that shall bring more comfort to your conscience, more peace to your calling, more credit to your person. Your Sect is very forward in running uncalled, and thrusting yourselves upon people unknown unto you, and should for ever rest unknown, were it not, that as the Apostle tells us, jude 16. You have men's persons in admiration, because of advantage. Certainly GOD's Spirit hath given a most clear and exact description of all such wily and seducing spirits, Rom. 16.17, 18. It is the work of GOD's mercy and love unto his Church, in laying open the spiritual sleights (I dare not say impostures) wherewith your Sect hath so long deluded the people, and by the wisdom and authority of our King and State to correct and reform them. Your opposition to the Authority of our Lord Bishop was so peremptory and insolent by your pride and contempt of your Superiors, as is not to be endured in a peaceable Government. For you were in place, both in the Church, when his Lordship gave his charge, and also in the Chamber at the sign of the red Lion in our Town, and heard his Lordship make known to us of the Clergy his Majesty's Royal care, and his gracious intentions he had entertained in his heart, both to countenance and to advance the welfare of his Ministers: But first he would be assured of their ready subjection to his just and royal commands. Yet within three days after this charge sounded in your ears, you most contemptuously violated his Majesty's Injunctions, and being not admitted into Saint Alkmunds' Church to vent your schismatical conceits, you put yourself into an exempt and peculiar jurisdiction, and there you were as safe, in your opinion, as policy could make you. Assuredly Mr. F. these factious courses are unsanctified by GOD, and the issue and event of them, being done in public affront to the sacred authority and command of your Prince, the LORD's anointed; will prove dangerous, if not desperate unto you; for the strong arm of justice, will crush thousands of such poor worms as we are. I myself have known within these twenty years last passed. Plus minùs, many men of excellent wits, great and piercing understandings, prompt and eloquent in their deliveries, of illustrious note and rank in the Commonwealth: yet by opposing the designs and commands of Royal Majesty have ruined their estates and fatally ended their days in ignominy and misery. For the eminency of Princes being by Substitution and vicegerency from GOD, the lively Image of Divine Majesty for temporal regiment; is by GOD's ordinance, made so sacred and inviolable, both from the intemperate rage of our tongues, and the rancour of our naturally seditious, and rebellious hearts: That never any man, obliged to loyalty, made head against them either openly or secretly, but the Angel of the LORD's wrath pursued him to shame and destruction. For it is decreed by the wisdom of GOD, and shall never be reversed, Ezra 7.26. Whosoever will not obey the Law of GOD and the King, let judgement speedily be executed upon him, whether it be unto death, or unto banishment, or unto confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. For your person Mr. F. I protest before GOD the searcher of all hearts, I wish no otherwise, than to my own soul: But I only aim at the peace of our Town, which will never be effected, till you, and such as you be restrained from preaching, and enkindling faction among us. Thus I have imparted my mind unto you, and for the censure of both our persons, I refer it to the wisdom and justice of his Lordship, our most Reverend Diocesan: who I doubt not will correct your insolences, and keep you in order. A copy of this Letter, I have sent to my L. Bishop to demonstrate how ingenuously I have dealt with you. GOD bless you and sent you much happiness.  
54 This is that Letter Verbatìm, without addition, detraction, or mutation of one syllable, against which such tragical out-cries have been raised, by licentious detractors of the good names of their neighbours. But my comfort is, that I fear no man's tongue, or malice in the world, as long as mine own conscience checks me not for any wilful violation of my duty to GOD, and to my Prince; nor act of unrighteousness done to the person of my neighbour. And when this generation of men, who take too much ungodly liberty unto themselves, to suspect evil of their neighbours, and upon that susspition, to raise lying defamations against persons truly religious and virtuous, shall govern their tongues and hearts with more holy fear of GOD, and gracious charity towards their peaceable cohabitants: I doubt not, but that the LORD in mercy and love to our Church and Kingdom, will unite our hearts in the firm bond of pure religion, and not suffer us to be torn into factions, by dislike of innocent and harmless Ceremonies. And for the wrongs which they very foolishly Imagine to have been done to this their Minister, by my Persecuting him, as they most wickedly phrase it: I refer myself to my hottest and sharpest adversaries (whose tongues fly at random without grace, wit, or honesty to restrain them) to examine, censure, and determine from this relation, whether I have been Active in doing, or passive in suffering wrongs. And from the sight of their own error, or rather malicious railing and traducing of my innocence herein; let them learn to use more Christian moderation, in reporting of things unknown unto them: And to practise those gracious virtues of integrity of heart, and truth of speech, which will more adorn their conversation, and render them more pleasing unto GOD and man, than all their forward profession of fiery zeal in erroneous devotion. Many good things in the exercise of family discipline, As Prayers, Instruction of their children and servants, Singing of Psalms, and such like, I do freely acknowledge to be in some of these men: But as Solomon speaks of a wise man, Eccle. 10.1. That a little folly brings disgrace to him that is in reputation for wisdom: so I say unto these men, That a little dishonesty or injustice towards their neighbours, which piety and the true fear of GOD should extinguish in them, doth obscure the lustre of a glorious profession, and makes them most justly to be suspected to be but mere Formalists.  
Thus having cast my Mite into the Treasury of GOD's Church, by desiring the holy and blessed peace of our Zion: I will add my continual prayers thereunto, that our hearts may be firmly knit together in unity and love.  
FINIS.