Articles exhibited against Benjamin Spencer, minister of S. Thomas Parish in Southwarke, in the right honourable and high Court of Parliament for which his living was sequestred together with a charge grounded thereupon, and his answer thereunto, with his reasons of printing the same.

The Articles were as followeth.

Inprim. THat Master Spencer wilfully refuseth to give the Communion to those that will not kneele at the Sacrament.

2 The said Mr. Spencer did publikely averre in his Sermon, that water in Baptisme did absolutely cleanse away originall sin.

3 He did averre that the Church of Rome is the true Church and lacks nothing out qualification, and did not erre in any fun∣damentall point, but in matter of circumstance.

4 Certaine honest then informing the said Mr. Spencer, that his superstitious gestures were, burthensome to some good Christian consciences in his Congrogation, he thus replyed. Am I vile (a∣busing the words of the Prophet David) I will be more vile yet? And whether the railes be taken away or not, I will bow to the Table, yea I will dance about the Table; he also abuseth all those that stand neer, or lean upon the Communion Table, or lay their hats upon the Table in the time of prayer or sermon.

5 He hath uttered these words in the Pulpit, the times are evill and dangerous, for we may fear great judgements upon the land, because we do not know whither to go for justice. And these words were spoken in the time of Parliament.

6 In S. Mary Overies Church, he most basely abused honest Ministers in his Sermon: saying these Iack-dawes that former∣ly durst not shew their faces, now did appear every where. And where did they now shelter themselves but under the eaves of the Parliament-house Consider whether these two Articles do include a Scandalum Parlamenti, Or not.

7 He not only presumptuously neglects to pray for good Magi∣states such as my Lord Major of London, as also not praying for the army that is gone forth for Religion, King and Parliament, which is too great an evidence of malignity, but also a presump∣tuous abuser and scoffer of the Orders of Parliament.

8 Instance; namely, one Sabbath day there came an order from the Parliament to be read in his Church for the restraining the su∣perstitious bowing at the name of Iesus, in the reading where∣of, the said M. Spencer used these disdainefull words. For any thing I know, this that I do read might have come from a Ballad-mon∣ger, I know not which Iesus is signified here, whether Ioshuah, or Iesus the son of Sirach, or lesus Christ.

9 This was M. Spencers divinity in the Pulpit, that women now adayes were not so holy as the Virgin Mary was. For she conceived the holy Ghost before she conceived Christ, but women now took in men before they took in the holy Ghost and were coupled together by the tayles, as Sampsons Foxes were.

10 That the said M. Spencer, after he had published the Ordi∣nance of Parliament for the reliefe of poor maimed souldiers, said, that it may be the said souldiers went out with a zealous intent, but it was a blinde zeale; or it may be out of malice and envie to be revenged of some of their enemies; or it may be to rob and steale, and so to inrich themselves; but I hope the misery they feele, and your charity, will make them desire peace.