Holy things for holy men: or, The lawyers plea non-suited, his evidence proved insufficient, his foul mouth civilly wiped, and his arrogant railings admonished, and bridled;: in some Christian reproofe and pitie expressed towards Mr Prynn's book; intituled, The Lord's supper briefly vindicated, (or rather indeed by him therein exposed, vilified, and profaned: and the conscientious ministry therein abused, injured, and affronted. By S.S. minister of the gospel.

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, And more especially to M^r Will. Prynne Esquire.

A While since I met an absurd igno∣rant Pamphlet, under the name of one D^r Swadlin, pleading for a Promiscuous receiving the Lords Supper, by promiscuous sinners: (a Term as new, as unsound and silly.) I meant to have said somewhat to his madness; But perceiv∣ing by a later Pamphlet of his own, that he is Fame, & infamia periturus: and that 'tis likely he wri∣teth such trifles to get a miserable living, I wa∣ved him; not thinking it strange to read what I found there, because they were his. Neither hath it cost me any great expence of patience, to hear such a Spittler as Joh. Spittlehouse (in name and deed) call us Judasses, and all the ill-names that

his worse heart hath invented, and his loathsome throat spit forth against us. Neither have I re∣garded the ignorant blarings of so base and silly an Almanack-maker as Will. Lilly (not worth his worthless profession.) I can as easily slight the ravings of Papists, Anabaptists, and pitiful Je∣suited Quakers, as the Lion the bawlings and yap∣pings of a little Cur,

But to see a petty-martyr, an old Professor, and a learned one, even a Mr. Prynne to fall from his own stedfastness, to behold him watching over us like a Leopard, and helping the Sons of Lot; and hear him, even him, using (as Mr. John Goodwin called it) the very language of Dragons against us, this grievs once for all! and sick as I am, I cannot but say to him, as dying Caesar to his Brutus, Etiam & tu Prynne! What is our Saul amongst such Prophets? even such Prophets as the old Prophet was, 1 Kings 13. will he bring us into a praemunire against God, and our high trust and calling; whilst he tells us a fair tale of what is our duty to do and indure, when we find not one word for it in our Commis∣sion

When I first saw Mr. Prynns book of the Lords Supper vindicated (in the Title), (which

came to my hand some few daies since) I beheld it with such a spirit as Paul the Athenians Altar to the Unknown God; for I perceive Mr. Prynne doth adore a conceit of he knows not what, whilst under the Inscription of Vindication, hee defameth, profaneth, and prostituteth the blessed Sacrament. Therefore whilst he gives the empty name of a Vindication to his book: let him give me leave to do the thing, to vindicate the Lords Supper indeed, from all wicked, unholy, bold intruders and usurpers: and wherein he ignorant∣ly mistakes himself I will declare unto him: (if he Please to trust me as willingly in mine, as I would him in his Profession.)

In his Book I am very sensible of his change of Spirit, since he wrote his useful Book of the Per∣petuity of the regenerate: had some man then shewed him such a Book as this of his, and fo••etold him; You shall one day write thus, he would have cried out, What, am I a Dogg, that I should do such a thing! Then he would have plucked out his eies, for the godly Ministers zealous of Refor∣mation: but now they are become his enemies, because we tell him the Truth.

And hereunto I cannot but note his fury, railing, impertinencies, and false principles in his book;

and have laid down better: not from my own judgment, but from former and later judicious sound Divines, at home, and abroad.

I have also observ'd his pomp and confidence the matter and form of his whole book: and to sa∣tisfie my self, I have dared gently to prick his rat∣ling full blown bladder, to consider the paint of this Butterfly, the feather of this Ostrich, or ra∣ther the squallid wings of this flitter-mouse: whereby I can easily judge (according to the old rule) Qui se habet pro sapiente, hunc Deus & homines habent pro ignaro.

For the profest refutation of the Book, I do not look upon it as my work. I know the Lawyer hath learned and pious Antagonists, with whom I number not my self in point of ability, (yet a smal measure might be sufficient to answer 100 such Pamphlets; or any other that I have had the trou∣ble to see upon their subject.)

My present writing (and further I never intend) is onely to enter my dissent and protest, (and not without good evidence to the truth) against Mr. Pryns erroneous conceit: for which I am grieved, and for the reproaches he casts upon conscientious Ministers, (for the reproaches of those that re∣proached them are fallen upon me) whilst our

enemies rejoice that they have found our friend and Brother to be an Executioner, (rather to grieve then torment us,) that they have gotten our De∣mosthenes to write angry Philippicks against us; even our own Prynne to implead us, and open his mouth against us, with a tongue of falshood, and compasse us about with words of hatred, and fight against us without a cause: for our love he is our adversary, but we give our selves un∣to praier! (vide Psal. 109.) and our praiers return into our own bosome; our hearts are for∣tified, his spittings upon us are wiped off: and soul-establishing consolations and promises are ap∣plied, to the condition, calling, and person of every godly Minister. They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against the; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee, Jer. 1. 19. In nothing terrified by your adversa∣ries, which to them is an evident token of per∣dition, but to you of salvation, and that of God, Phil 1. 28 (vide Genev. & Bezae not as) I know thy works, behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and not denied my name. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan; which

say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie: Be∣hold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy Crown, Rev. 3. 8, 9, 10, 11.

I have no more to add, but Beza's short E∣pistle to his Diallacton, which I shall apply to my self in this work.

Pacem aliorum quaerere pulchrum est, & habet certam promissionem; Beati Pacifici. Sed vereor, hoc dum cupide sector, ne quod eis qui pugnas di∣ruunt evenire solet, idem mihi quoque accidat, Illi dum aliorum saluti consulunt, ipsi reportant vul∣nera: & ego dum id operam ut dissidentes rede∣aent in gratiam, ab i••sdem fortasse nullam inibo gratiam. Id si fit, illius exemplo me levabo, qui dixit: si hominibus placuissem, Christi servus non essem. Vale, ac stude Christo placere.

S. S.