THE Recantation OF DANIEL SCARGILL, Publicly made before the UNIVERSITY OF Cambridge, IN GREAT St MARIES, July 25. 1669.  
LONDON, Printed by A. Maxwel. 1669.   

The Recantation of DANIEL SCARGILL, publicly made before the University of Cambridg, etc.  
WHereas I Daniel Scargill, late Bachelor of Arts, and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, in the University of Cambridg, being through the instigation of the Devil possessed with a foolish proud conceit of my own wit, and not having the fear of God before my eyes: Have lately vented and publicly asserted in the said University, divers wicked, blasphemous, and Atheistical positions, (particularly, That all right of Dominion is founded only in Power: That if the Devil were Omnipotent, he ought to be obeyed: That all moral Righteousness is founded only in the positive Law of the Civil Magistrate: That the Scriptures of God are not Law further than they are enjoined by the Civil Magistrate: That the Civil Magistrate is to be obeyed, though he should forbid the Worship of God, or command Theft, Murder, and Adultery) professing that I gloried to be an Hobbist and an Atheist; and vaunting, that Hobbs should be maintained by Daniel that is by me. Agreeably unto which principles and positions, I have lived in great licentiousness, swearing rashly, drinking intemperately, boasting myself insolently, corrupting others by my pernicious principles and example, to the high Dishonour of God, the Reproach of the University, the Scandal of Christianity, and the just offence of mankind. And whereas the Vicechancellor and Heads of the said University, upon notice of these my foul enormities, upon a full examination and clear conviction of these premised offences, after suspension from my Degree, did expel me out of the said University: Now I the said Daniel Scargill, after frequent consideration, strict examination, and serious review of the said Positions, do find by the grace of that God whom I had denied, that they are not only of dangerous and mischievous consequence, inconsistent with the Being of God, and destructive to human society; but that they are utterly false, the suggestions of a lying spirit, wholly against my own judgement resolved upon better consideration, as well as against the common sense of mankind. And I do freely acknowledge the proceed and sentence of my Governors, the Vicechancellor and Heads of the University, to be just and equal, agreeable to the duty of their place, and the Trust reposed in them: That they could not have done less to vindicate the Divine Honour and suppress that Mischief growing up in this Age, which no former hath known.  
And now I adore and bless the highest Majesty of God in his infinite mercy to me, that he hath not suffered me to go on unreclaimed in my enormous principles and practices, but hath made my face to be ashamed, that I may seek his Name. Righteousness belongeth unto thee, O Lord; but unto me, and to those who have seduced me, and to those who have been seduced by me, shame and confusion of face. Oh what height of wickedness had I arrived unto! For I must confess myself guilty of impleading the Divine Majesty at the Tribunal of human Wit, making man judge whether God should be God or no. Nay, whereas the Devil, my tempter, to whom I had harkened, doth believe and tremble, I vile wretch have been void of the Faith and fear of God, in the manifold manifestations of him. Wherefore I humbly ask pardon of God above all, whom I have blasphemed of my Governors in the University, whom I have disturbed; of all Christians, and all men, for the great offence I have given unto all: more especially of so many as have been misled into any error or vice by me. And I do also humbly and earnestly beseech all men, especially so many of the younger Scholars as have been seduced by me (who now abhor what I formerly boasted to assert) that they beware, by my example, of the most subtle insinuations of the Devil, in the vain ostentation of their own wit. That they lean not to their own understanding, but consult the holy Scriptures, the lively Oracles of God, That from thence they may learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be wise unto sobriety: as the holy Apostle with great wisdom requires. And now I humbly hope, and trust in the infinite mercy of that God against whom I had audaciously opened my unhallowed mouth, that He who hath promised that all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men (excepting only that resolved malicious blasphemy against the Holy Ghost) will be graciously pleased to glorify his mercy in the forgiveness of my most detestable errors, and abominable sins. And I thank God that he hath awakened me in good measure to a just detestation of the accursed Positions asserted by me, and of all other like wicked principles.  
Wherefore, I do here in the presence of God, Angels and men, cast myself down in a deep dread of the just judgements and vengeance of God upon the accursed Atheism of this age, acknowledging myself to be highly guilty of the growth and spreading thereof; having contributed what my profane wit could devise, or my foul mouth express, to instill it into others, to confirm them therein. And I do profess, I believe (and judge it most reasonable so to believe) that the openly professed Atheism of some, and the secret Atheism of others, is the accursed root of all that abounding wickedness, perjury, sacrilege, debauchery, and uncleanness, in this present age: That in a deep sense of that wretched part I have acted in the propagating thereof, I do now abhor myself in dust and ashes, and that from the bottom of my heart, I do disclaim, renounce, detest, and abhor those execrable Positions asserted by me or any other: particularly, 

1. That all right of Dominion is founded only in Power.  
2. That all moral Righteousness is founded only in the Law of the Civil Magistrate.  
3. That the Holy Scriptures are made Law only by Civil Authority.  
4. That whatsoever the Civil Magistrate commands, is to be obeyed, notwithstanding contrary to Divine Moral Laws.  
5. That there is a desirable glory in being, and being reputed an Atheist: which I implied when I expressly affirmed that I gloried to be an Hobbist and an Atheist.    
For these unhallowed assertions and expressions, I now find such inward contrition and remorse, that I pray God his mercy may withhold me from relapse, or his Judgements prevent it. But do I think that a bare Recantation can satisfy for my prodigious offences? No, Let me do penance all my days, submitting myself to Gods will, and the charity of pious minds; and whatsoever my portion may be in this world, Let me live and die in the fear of God, and the faith of Christ, Amen.  
Now lest any one should mistake or suspect this confession and unfeigned renunciation of my sinful and accursed errors, for an act of civil obedience or submission in me, performed according to my former principles, at the command of my Superiors, in outward expression of words, though contrary to my judgement and inward thoughts of my heart; or that I have not now expressed the most sincere and secret sense of my soul: I call the Searcher of all hearts to witness, that I loathe and abhor such practices as the basest and most damnable hypocrisy: That from my heart and soul I detest such principles in all persons, as worse than the basest villainies and reservations, which the Jesuits are said to practise or allow. And I openly avow, that I do acknowledge, that all persons so principled, aught to be held by all mankind as the most dangerous and declared Enemies of the common Faith amongst men. That they are not to be trusted upon any obligation of their Faith, or pretensions to Piety, Loyalty, or common Honesty, in any Corporation, College, University, City, Commonwealth, or Kingdom: but, that by those Principles, destructive to all Society and Commerce amongst men, they may and do delude and defeat all Oaths and Protestations, all Faith given to God or man: They may and will comply, if their own Interest or Advantage prompt them to it, with any Invader or Usurper: with any Faction or growing Sect, however destructive to all Order, and the very being of human Society in the world. I believe also, and openly avouch, That no Power upon earth, no persuasion or imagination about natural Right; no opinion in pretended Philosophy, concerning self-preservation, can free me from the obligation that is now upon me, in this my open profession of Repentance for my accursed errors and grievous sins, to speak the truth in sincerity before God and man.  
This Recantation, and sincere Profession, I make willingly and freely of my own mind and choice: not in compliance with the command or will of any other, not upon design to gain a better opinion amongst men in the world; not for any worldly advantage, profit, or self-end of my own: but out of a hearty detestation of my foul errors and sins: and I am glad of this opportunity to disburden my soul, oppressed with the weight of the same.  
So help me God. DANIEL SCARGILL.