A PREDICTION OF Mr. EDWARD'S HIS CONVERSION, and Recantation.  
By WILLIAM WALWIN.  
LONDON, Printed by T. P. for G. Whittington and N. Brookes, at the sign of the Angel in Cornhill, bel●w the Exchange. 1646.   

A PREDICTION OF MASTER EDWARD'S HIS CONVERSION and Recantation.  
THere hath of late so much labour, and so many good discourses been bestowed upon Mr. Edward's, and with so pious and good intentions, that it is not to be supposed, so many precious endeavours can be vain or fruiclesse, in reference to his conversion.  
In cases so desperate as h●●, the worst signs are the best; as we use to say, when things are at the worst, they are nearest to an amendment.  
To an impartial judgement, that seriously considers the violence of his spirit, manifested against harmless, well-meaning people, that differ with him in judgement: He cannot but seem, at best, in that wretched condition, that Paul was in, when he breathed out threaten and slaughter, against the disciples of the Lord; and went unto the High Priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the Synagogues, that if hefound any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.  
For certainly, had not Authority, in these our times, being endowed with much more true Christian wisdom then such teachers, and through the power thereof, had not restrained the bitterness of his (and the like) spirits; we had had (before this time) multitudes of both men and women, brought from all parts of this Nation, bound, unto London, if not burned in Smithfield.  
But many there are, that fear, his condition is much more sad, and desperate, than this of Paul's, (which yet the blessed Apostle was much troubled to think on, long after his conversion, accounting himself as one borne out of due time, and not worthy the name of an Apostle, because he persecuted the Church of God.) It being exceedingly feared that in all his unchristian writings, preach, and endeavours, to provoke Authority against consciontious people, that therein he goeth against the light of his own conscience, that he is properly an Heretic, one that is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.  
And indeed, who ever shall consider, the exceeding Light that hath been darted from so many Seraphic Quills, shining round about him; amidst his persecuting intentions, (all which he hath hitherto resisted) will find and confess; there is cause to fear: So great a shining and a burning light, that it cannot be doubted, but that he discerneth, how unreasonable a thing it is, that one erring man should compel or comptroule another man's practice, in things supernatur all: or that any laws should be made for punishing of mis-apprehentions therein, wherein thousands are as liable to be mistaken; as one single person.  
He must needs know, that, only things natural and rational are properly subject unto government: And that things supernatural, such as in Religion are distinguished by the title of things divine; such, as the benefit and use thereof, could never have been perceived by the light of nature and reason: that such things are not liable to any compulsive governmen, but that therein every one ought to be fully persuaded in their own minds; because whatsoever is not i● faith is sin.  
He cannot be ignorant, how disputable all the parts of Divinity are amongst the most learned, how then can he judge it so horrible a thing as he seems to do, for men to differ, though upon the highest points: he knows every one is bound to try all things, the unlearned as well as the learned: now if there be different understandings, some weaker and some stronger, (as there are) how is it possible but then will (upon every trial) be difference in degrees of apprehensions: and surely he will not say that weakness of understanding is sinful where there is due endeavour after knowledge: and though it should be sinful in the sight of a pure God, yet will he not say it is punishable, by impure and erroneous man: But,  
To rail revile, reproach, backbite, slander, or to despise men and women, for their weaknesses: their means of trades and callings, or poverty, is so evidently against the rule of Christ and his Apostles, that he cannot but condemn himself herein: his understanding is so great, and he is so well read in Scripture, that he must needs acknowledge, these cannot stand with Love: that known and undisputable Rule.  
Insomuch, as if bad signs in so desperate a case as his is, are the best, surely he is not fare from his recovery and conversion.  
With God there is mercy; his mercies are above all his works, his delight is in showing mercy: and the Apostle tells us where sin hath abounded grace (or love) hath superabounded: O that he would stand still a while, and consider the love of Christ, that he would throw by his embittered pen, lock himself close in his study, draw his curtains, and sit down but two hours, and seriously, sadly, and searchingly lay to heart, the things he hath said and done, against a people whom he knoweth, desire to honour God: and withal to bear in mind the infinite mercy of God, that where sin hath abounded, grace hath over abounded: certainly it could not but work him into the greatest and most burning extremity that ever poor perplexed man was in, such an extremity as generally proves God's opportunity, to cast his abundant grace so plentifully into the distressed soul, as in an instant burns and consumes all earthly passions, and corrupt affections, and in stead thereof fills the soul with love, which instantly refineth and Changeth the worst of men, into the best of men.  
May this be the happy end of his unhappy labours: it is the hearty desire of those whom he hath hitherto hated, and most despitefully used; (nothing is to hard for God) it will occasion joy in Heaven, and both joy and peace in earth, you shall then see him a man composed of all those opinions he hath so much reviled: an Independent: so far as to. allow every man to be fully persuaded in his own mind, and to molest no man for worshipping God according to his conscience.  
A Brownist: so far, as to separate from all those that preach for filthy lucre: An Anabaptist: so far, at least, as to be rebaptised in a flood of his own true repentant tears: A seeker: in seeking occasion, how to do good unto all men, without respect of persons or opinions: he ●ill be wholly incorporate into the Family of love, of true Christian love, that covereth a multitude of evils: that suffereth long, and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked etc. And then: you may expect him to break forth and publish to the world, this or the like recantation.  
Where have I been! Into what strange and uncouth paths have I run myself! I have long time walked in the counsel of the ungodly, stood in the way of finners, and too too long sat in the feat of the scornful.  
O vile man, what have I done? Abominable it is!  
O wietched man, how have I finned against God It shameth me: It repenteth me: My spirit is confounded within me.  
I have committed evils, of a new and unparalelled nature, such as the Protestant Religion in all after-ages will be shamed of. For I have published in print to the view of all men the names of divers godly well affected persons, and reproached them as grand Impostors, Blasphemers, Heretics and Schismatics, with out ever speaking with them myself.  
And though I am conscious to myself, of many weaknesses, and much error, and cannot deny, but I may be mistaken in those things, wherein, at present I am very confident, yet have I most presumptuously and arrogantly, assumed to myself, a power of ●udging, and censuring all judgements, opinions. and ways of worship (except my own) to be either damnable, heretical, chismaticall, or dangerous: And though I have seen and condemned the evil of it in the Bishops and Prelates, yet (as they) have I reviled & reproached them, under the common nicknames of Brownists, Independents, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Seekert, and the like:) of purpose to make them odious to Authority, and all sort of men: whereby I have wrought very much trouble to many of them, in all parts throughout this Nation; and have caused great disasse. ction in Families, Cities and Countries, for difference in judgement, (which I ought not to have done) Irritating and provoking on against an other, to the dissolving of all civil and natural relations, and as much as in me lay, inciting and animating to the extirpation and utter ruin one of another, in so much as the whole Land (by my unhappy means, more than any others) is become a Nation of quarrels, distractions, and divifions, our Cities, Cities of strife, slander, and backbiting; by occasion whereof, both our counsel and strength faileth, and all the godly party in the Land, are now more liable to abuse and danger, whether they are Presbyterians, Independents, or others, than they have been since the beginning of this Parliament; though many of them are so blinded by my writings and discourses and so perverted in their understandings, that they cannot discern it: And wherefore I have done all this, O Lord God thou knowest, and I tremble to remember, for I have done it out of the pride and vanity of my own mind, out of disdain, that plain unlearned men should seek for knowledge any other way then as they are directed by us that are learned; out of base fear, if they should fall to teach one another, that we should lose our honour, and be no longer esteemed as God's Clergy, or Ministers Jure divino; or that we should lose our domination in being sole judges of doctrine and discipline, whereby our predecessors have over ruled State and Kingdoms.  
Or lastly, that we should lose our profits and plenteous maintenance by Tithes, offerings, etc. which our predecessors (the Clergle) for many ages have enjoyed as their proper right, and not at the goodwill of the owners, or the donation of humane authority: All this I saw coming in with that liberty, which plain men took, to try and examine all things; and therefore being overcome with selfe-respect, and not being able to withstand so strong temptations, being also then filled with a kind of knowledge that puffeth up: I be taken myself to that unhappy work, to make all men odious, that, either directly, or by consequence did any thing towards the subversion of our glory, power, or profit.  
In doing whereof, what ways and means I have taken for intelligence: What treachery, inhumanity, and breach of hospitality, I have countenanced and encouraged; my conscience too sadly tells me, and my unhappy books (if duly weighed) will to my shame discover.  
The most knowing, judicious, understanding men that opposed me, or my interest, I knew were those, that did and could most prejudice our cause; and therefore I set myself against them in a more special manner, labouring by any means to make them odious to all societies, that so they might not be credited in any thing they spoke.  
The truth is: In this my perverse and sad condition, whilst I stood for maintenance of my corrupt interest, it was impossible for me, truly to love a judicious or an enquiring man: I loved none, but superstitious or ignorant people, for with such I could persuade, and over such I could bear rule: such would pay whatsoever I demanded, and do whatever I required: they spoke as I spoke, commended what I approved, & reproached, as I reproached: I could make them run pointblank against Authority, or fly in the face of any man, for these took me really for one of God's Clergy, admired my parts and learning, as gifts of the Holy Ghost, and believed my erring Sermons to be the very word of God; willingly submitted their consciences and religion to my guidance.  
Whilst (as indeed it is) an understanding ●nquiring man, studious in the Scriptures, instantly discerneth me to be but as other lay-men, and findeth our learning to be but like other things that are the effects of study and industry, and that our preach are like any other men's discourses, liable to errors and mistake, and are not the very Word of God, but our apprehensions drawn from the Word.  
I confess now most willingly to my own shame, that there was nothing which I conceived effectual, to work upon the superstitious or ignorant, but I made use thereof ●s the Prelates had done before me, yea I strictly observed order in such things as few men consider, & yet are very powerful in the minds of many; as the wearing of my Cloak of at least a Clergyman's length, my Hat of a due breadth and bigness, both for brim and crown, somewhat different from lay men, my band also of a peculiar strain, and and my clothes all black, I would not have worn a coloured suit at any rate, that I thought enough to betray all, nor any triming on my black, as being unsuitable to a Divines habit.  
I had a care to be sadder in countenance and more solemn in discourse because it was the custom of a Clergyman, ●his I did though I knew very well the Apostles of Christ, used no such vain distinctons, but being not indeed unlike other men, through any endowments from on high, or power of miracles, and yet resolving to maintain a distinction, (being unable to do it by any thing substantial, I) concluded it must be done (as it long time had been, both in the Romish and Prelatique Church) even by vain and Fantastic distinctions, such as clothes and other formalities; and though I knew full well, that God was no respecter of persons, and that he made not choice of the great, or learned men of the world, to be his Prophets and publishers of the Gospel: but Herdsmen, Fishermen Tent-makers Toll-gatherers, etc. and that our Blessed Saviour thought it no disparagement to be reputed the Son of a Carpenter: yet have I most unworthily reviled and reproached, divers sorts of honest Tradesmen, and other useful laborious people, for endeavouring to preach and to instruct those that willingly would be instructed by them, terming them illiterate Mechanics, Heriticks, and schismatics, merely because I would not have my superstitious friends, to give any ear or regard unto them.  
And for these respects, have I magnified our public Churches or meeting places, and reproached and cried out upon all preach in private houses, calling them conventicles and using all endeavours, to make all such private meetings liable to that Statute that was enacted, and provided to restrain and avoid all secret plot●●ngs against the civil government, when in the mean time I knew the scriptures plainly showed, both by the precepts and practices of our Saviour and his Apostles, that all places are indifferent, whether in the mountain or in the fields, on the water, in the ship, or on the shore, in the Synagogues or private houses, in an upper or low-roome; all is one, they went preaching the Gospel from house to house. Not in jerusalem▪ nor in this mountain, but in every place he that lifteth up pure hands is accepted. Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name, there (saith our Saviour) I will be in the midst of them, all this I knew: yet, because the superstitious were (through long custom) zealous of the public places, I applied myself therein, to their humours and my own ends, and did what I could to make all other places odious and ridiculous: though now I seriously acknowledge, that a plain discreet man in a private house, or field, in his ordinary apparel, speaking to plain people (like himself) such things as he conceiveth requisite for their knowledge▪ out of the word of God, doth as much (if not more) resemble the way of Christ and the manner of the Apostles, as a learned man in a carved pulpit, in his neat and black formalities, in a stately, high, and stone-built Church, speaking to an audience, much more glorious and richly clad, than mos● Christians mentioned in the Scriptures: and may be as acceptable▪ I have most miserably deluded the world therein, and those most with whom I have been most familiar, and have thereby drawn off their thoughts from a consideration of such things as tended to love, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost▪ to such things as tended neither to their own good nor the good, of others. I have been wise in my own eyes, and despised others, but I must abandon all, I must become a fool that I may be wise, hitherto I have promoted a mere Clergy Religion, but true Christian religion; pure religion and undefiled I have-utterly neglected: I have wrested the covenant from its natural and proper meaning, to make use thereof for the establishment of such a Church government, as would maintain the power of the Clergy distinct from and above the power of Parliaments, and such as would have given full power to suppress and crush all our opposers, but I now bless God, the wisdom of Parliament discerned and prevented it.  
I have been too too cruel and hard hearted against men for erors in religion, or knowledge supernatural, though I myself have no infallible spirit to discern between truth and erors, yea though I have seen them so zealous & conscientious in their judgements (as to be ready to give up their lives for the truth thereof, yet have I (as the Bishops were wont) argued them of obstinacy, and in steed of taking a christianlike way to convert them, have without mercy censured, some of them worthy of imprisonment, and some of death, but I would not be so used, nor have I done therein as I would be done unto myself.  
I have been a great respecter of persons, for outward respects, the man in Fine raiment, and with the gold ring, I have ever preferred whilst the poor and needy have been low in my esteem.  
I have too much loved greetings in the market place, and the uppermost places a● feasts, and to be called Rabbi.  
And to fill up the measure of my iniquity: I have had no compassion on tender consciences, but have wrought them all the trouble cruelty and misery I could, and had done much more but that through the goodness of God, the present authority was too just and pious to second my unchristian endeavours: My merciful Saviour would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smokeing flax, but my hard heart hath done it, O that I had not quenched, that I had not resisted the Spirit, what fruit have I of those things whereof I am now ashamed; O how fowl I am, and filthy, yea how naked and all uncovered, my hidden sin lies open, I see it, and the shame of it, and how fowl it is; and the sight of it grieveth and exceedingly troubleth me. I would feign hid myself from mine own sin, but cannot; it pursueth me, it cleaveth unto me, it stands ever before me and I am made to possess my sin, though it be grievous and loathsome and abominable and filthy above all that I can speak, what shall I do? whither shall I fly? who can deliver me from this body of death? my spirit is so wounded I am not able to bear: Can there be mercy for me? can there be balm for my wounded spirit, that never had compassion on a tender conscience? my case is sad and misserable, but there is balm in Gilead: with God there is mercy: with him is plenteous redemption, I will therefore go to my Father and say unto him. Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee, I am not worthy to be called thy child, make me as one of thine hired servants, I will faithfully apply myself to thy will, and to the study of thy Commandments, yea I will both study and put in practice thy new commandment, which is love, I will redeem the time I have misspent: love will help me, for God is love, the love of Christ will constrain me, through love I shall be enabled to do all things, should I not love him that hath loved me, and showed mercy unto me, for so many thousand sins, shall not his kindness beget kindness in me, yes love hath filled me with love, so let me eate, and so let me drink, for ever, love is good and seeketh the good of all men, it helpeth and hurteth not, it blesseth, it teacheth, it feedeth, it clotheth, it delivereth the captive, & setteth the oppressed free; it breaks not the bruised reed, nor quencheth the smokeing flax, farewell for ever all old things, as pride envy covetousness reviling, and the like, and welcome love, that maketh all things new, even so let love possess me, let love dwell in me, and me In love, and when I have finished my days in peace, and my years in rest, I shall rest in peace, and I shall dwell with love, that have dwelled in love. May his meditations henceforward, and his latter end, be like unto this, or more excellent and Heavenly, which is all the harm I wish unto him, as having through God's mercy, in some measure, learned that worthy and Heavenly lesson of my Saviour, But I say unto you, love your enemies etc. and may all that love the Lord jesus, increase therein.   
FINIS.  

July 22. 1646.  
Imprimatur,  
JOHN BACHILER