Wisdom Pag. 11. an Irony Here 's his Vomit and in the name of Peace what stirr'd this Humour De Iracundiâ Magister Iracundissimus disputat The Bishop of Wor'ster wipes off an Aspersion cast upon him by Mr. Baxter The Animadverter masques himself like a Son of the Church gives it against Baxter and without any Interest in the Dispute or Provocation to it falls upon the Bishop in what Termes we have shew'd already and after a word or two more wee 'll look into his Reasons Thrice Three are his Exceptions so that we have something Sacred and Mysterious in the Number how loose and weak-soever we find the Matter of them Truly I could wish them either Shorter Fewer or Better for the Readers sake but since that Reverend Prelate is concern'd I would not wish them Other for the Bishops In Truth so foul they are that to say What they are might pass for Railing We shall however expose the Libel every Syllable of it take it in Order and in Pieces confronting every Point Material in it with such Answer as the Quality of it requires And now to his Exceptions which begin with This Charge upon the Bishop EXCEPTION I. A FIrst That he supposeth there is so strict an Union and so inseparable a Dependence between Kings and Bishops that they must stand and fall together and all who are enemies to the one must needs be enemies to the other I know very well this Axiom is much talked of and some advantage may be taken to confirm it from the event of our Late Wars A THe Maxime which he Hints at and Abuses came from King James deliver'd upon Experience and since Confirm'd by the Murther of a King and the Dissolution of Monarchy Both which were Effect'd upon the same Grounds and by Those very Persons that Abolish'd Episcopacy But the saying is No BISHOP no KING and not in the Conversion as if it were Impossible in Nature for the One to subsist without the Other 'T is a Rule however that deserves to be Register'd in regard that never any Faction destroy'd Bishops and Sav'd the Monarch I wish it were in Capital Letters in every Chamber of his Majesties Palace No BISHOP no KING But One way or Other what does This concern the Bishop of Wor'ster who neither sayes nor supposes any thing to This Purpose for he does not so much as meddle with the Question but finding himself Traduc'd by some that had frequently and openly defam'd the King And is it any Wonder sayes he that those that are such Enemies to Kings should not be Friends to Bishops This Libeller would have the Face to tell the Sun 't were Midnight His next Fetch is a deep one B You know likewise Sir how much my Judgment is for the Order of Bishops and how Passionate a Lover I am both of the Kings Person and Government but yet being thus called by You to declaâ—e the Truth though coâ—trary to my own Humour and Interest I must needs say c. B This Cuts a Hair the Man we see is Willing but Weak Alass You know SIR how much my Judgment c. and how Passionate a Lover c. What is there in This Fawning Clause that the Kings Headsman might not set his Hand to He does not say you know that I Am Thus or So but you know how much I am that is Whether I am or not The most Pestilent Enemy the King has might have said aâ—â—ch Marque â—w what 't is his Judgment is so much for For the Order of Bishops He will not say Degree or Praelation of them That he renounces but the Order of them a Goodly Shift Because every Bishop is a Presbyter therefore every Presbyter is a Bishop The King is a Gentleman is therefore every Gentleman a King An Eâ—rl is a Baron but the Baron is not Therefore an Earl These Differ in Order upon the same proportion of Reason as does a Bishop from a Presbyter But to clear This point we are first to agree what 's meant by Order There is first Ordo Dignitatis An Order or Dignity or Praelation and in This Respect A Bishop differs from a Presbyter as does a Presbyter from a Deacon It is Otherwise taken for Potestas ad Actum Specialem a Power or Enablement for some Special Act and in This sense a Bishop differs Ordine from a Presbyter in the Power of Ordination and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as a Presbyter does from a Deacon in the Power of Consâ—crating the Sacrament of the Eucharist Now say on C It is clear from Story that Kings were in all parts of the world in their most flourishing Estate before ever Bishops were heard of and no reason can be given why what hath once been may not with the same terms of convenience be again C 'T is right Kings flourish'd before either Bishops or Christians were ever heard of and therefore by his Argument we may be as well without Christianity as without Episcopacy But Here 's the Case Kings have been well without Bishops and never well with Presbyterians which shall they Quit First To conclude There is not at this day extant any Christian Monarchy without Bishops or the Equivalence of them D Bishops as they are by Law established in England are purely the Kings subordinate Ministers in the Management of Ecclesiastical Affairs which his Majesty may conferr upon what Order of men he pleases though they be as much Lay Persons as You and I are It is therefore very injurious to the Kings Authority to averr that He could not otherwise uphold and maintain it than by preserving the Undue and as some think Antichristian Dignity and Prelation of his inâ—iour Officers D. Infallibly This man is some Lay-Chaplain and is now beating the Bush to start a Benefice without Ordination What does he mean by Purely the Kings subordinate Ministers Does he understand by Purely as if to all purposes Ecclesiastical they Acted only by Regal Deputation The King himself does not pretend to all the Powers they Exercise The Authority of their External Jurisdiction flows from Him but their Internal and Ministerial Power derives from God As Subjects they proceed by the Kings Laws as Ministers they Act by a Divine Commission His Majesty may conferr he sayes c. What may his Majesty Conferr Leave to Elect not Power to Ordein That by a Right of Apostolical Succession descends and Rests upon the Church From This wild and weak Assertion he proceeds to give you a Tast of his Morals as well as of his Intellectuals and to uphold his Argument by Scandal and Sedition By Scandal first in charging the Fictions and Fantastiques of his own brain upon the Bishp of Wor'ster and Then by Sedition in casting his Audacious and Reproachful Epithetes of Undue and Antichristian upon an Order Instituted by Christ himself and Incorporate with the Government of this Nation by the Supreme Authority But still he persues his shadow
E. Bishops are so little usesul to support the Regal Dignity which is founded upon a distinct Basis of its own that upon enquiry it will be found how none have been greater enemies to the True and Undoubted Soveraingty of Princes than some Bishops themselves for by their Officious and fcarce warrantable intermedling in Civil Affairs by their Absurd and Insignificant distinguishing between Civil and Ecclesiastical Causes of which last they have alwayes made themselves sole Judges they mangle the Kings Authority and as to Church-matters which may be extended as far as they please they leave the King nothing of Supremacy but the Name The Pope of Rome therefore who is the great Father of all such Bishops hath improved this Notion and Distinction so far that in ordine ad spiritualia he hath laboured to subject all Civil Empires unto his sole Jurisdiction E That Regall and Episcopal Power have different Foundations who Questions or that some Bishops have opposed some Kings But did they ever do 't as Bishops What fellowship hath Christ with Belial It were no less then Blasphemy to entitle Rebellion to the Function whereof God himself was the Author It concludes little for the Consistorians that some Bishops have been Enemies to Kings if they consider that we are yet to seek for the First Presbyterian Party that ever were Friends to them Concerning his Cavil at the Distinction between Civil and Ecclesiastical Causes 'T is the Law distinguishes and so the good mans Absurdity lashes upon the King not upon the Bishops He blames likewise their Officious and scarce warr antable intermedling in Civil Affaires Do they Challenge or Act by their own Power or by the Kings If only by Derivation either the King himself wants Power or They have it If they extravagate let him shew Where But do the Bishops Mangle the Kings Authority I hope not so much as the Schismatiques did both That and his Revenue nay and his Person too Were they Bishops or Presbyterians that Preach'd and Libell'd against the Late King that Seiz'd his Towns Seduc'd his People Levy'd a Warr against him Plunder'd Sequestred and Murther'd his Friends and never left the Chase till his Royall Bloud was spilt upon a Scaffold Were they Bishops or Presbyterians that in Ordine adspiritualia Contrived Acted and Warranted the Usurpations of the late Warr In fine the Memory is Fresh and bleeding still of a Presbyterian let him produce One Instance of an Episcopal Rebellion since the Reformation He tells us that the Pope of Rome is the great Father of such Bishops If the great Father of Slanderers and False-speakers had not stood at his Elbow he would never have said it But for Brevity sake let him bring me the most Pragmatical Jesuite that ever put Pen to Paper I 'll match him with a Presbyterian I do not mean for Wit and Learning but for the worst of Practices he 'll dare to Charge him with Nay let him strein the Papal Tyranny he so much declaims against to what pitch of Arrogance and Imposition he pleases I 'll bring him Presbyterian Claims and Presidents shall equall it and when That 's done let him shew any One Episcopal Position destructive to Regality and take the Cause for 't Now have a Care of him for sayes He F So that if the Bishop of Worcester's Râ—le bold good of Crimine ab uno Disce omnes i. e. That all men who are of a party may be judged of by the miscarriages of one then I must leave it to You to judge what all those Bishops â—at are of the Bishop of Worcester's complexion do reaâ—y drive at by the fatal example of that one Bishops Usurpation For F Soft and Fair I beseech you Sir The Rule holds very Good but not the Scandal The whole Party are to be Judg'd of by a Particular and nothing makes more Against the Animadverter or for the Bishop then the force of that Conclusion and his Retort unless he can prove the Usurpations of the One and clear the Innocence of the Other by which the Rest are to be measured Hear the Bishop in his own words for This Animal makes the Bishop say what he list and yet makes nothing on 't when h 'as done speaking of Mr. Baxter You have before seen the ingenuity and veracity you now see the humility and the modesty of the Man and indeed in proportion of the whole Party for Crimine ab uno Disce omnes But doth Mr. Baxter and the rest of his perswasion think indeed c. First take the Words in their proper Import and Common Acceptation Does the Whole Party necessarily Imply every Individual or rather the Influence of a Ruling Vote which denominates the Result to be the Act of such or such a Party extending virtually to every Particular but not Distinctly If Party had been Number he had said something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes the Text Then answered All the People his Bloud be upon us and upon our Children which General expression evidently intended only the Prevailing Part. Now to his Crimine ab Uno disce Omnes Accipenunc Danaum Insidias says Aeneas et Crimine ab uro Disce Omnes It was not the Poets intention to brand every man that was a Greek for Simon 's sake but to shew the suitable Treachery of the People that made use of so treacherous an Instrument To say that the French are a Vain the Spaniard a Proud Nation does it give to understand that there 's not a Modest or an Humble man in the Country But This is time lost for the Bishop restreins his Application in the very next line to those of Mr. Baxters perswasion so that if Mr. Baxter be blame-worthy his Complicates are scarce Innocent and he that pretends to justifie either becomes an Advocate for no lesse then Schisme and Treason His Seditious Hint of the Bishops Usurpation and warping to the Church of Rome deserves rather a Lash then an Answer Yet if he makes out either I 'll bear it for him EXCâ—PTION II. A THat Assertion that the Bishop of Worcester and consequently every other Bishop is the sole Pastor of all the Congregations in his Diocess if it be at all defensible I am sure can be defended only by those Arguments which are commonly alledged to maintain the Popes Supremacy over all Churches whatever For since a Bishop can no otherwise discharge his duty berein than by providing Substitutes what hinders but the Bishop of Rome may as well oversee a million of Churches as the Bishop of Worcester five hundred Since if Deputation be lawfull more or lesse compasse and circuit of ground doth not at all alter the case A NEver in my Life did I meet an Easier Book to confute with Reason and a harder to handle with Civility a man must underderstand every thing he sayes the wrong way to make Truth on 't Indeed the Reverend Prelate sayes that it is the Bishop of
Unwinding the Clew and unperplexing the People If Those that taught them wrong would but now tell them that they did so and take the payns to set them right again all were well but till that 's done the Common sort continue under the same misperswasion and for Their Errours the Bishops must answer whose Office 't is to see them Instructed better Well well but such as Hee that make the Law instead of being a Buckler to Protect Converts a Sword only to cut off such as were once â—fenders c. The Hypocrite is pleasant Such as He As if only the Bishop of Wor'ster stuck in his Stomack when 't is the Hierarchy it self he boggles at The Bishop he sayes makes the Law a Sword in stead of a Buckler but I say the Schismatique would make both of it A Buckler to Traytours and a Sword to Loyal Subjects This is the way he sayes to Enrage the People and render the welfare of his Majesty very Insecure and Hazzardous Indeed to suffer these Mutinous Affronts is the ready way to another Rebellion but if This Scandalous and Seditious wâ—etch were now made Exemplary for this Audacious Menace upon the King who would either help or Pitty him EXCEPTION V. A IT is bold and impious I know not how to express it more mild'y what he affirms That Iâ— to command an Act which by accident may prove an occasion of sin be sinful then God himself cannot command any thing For though as I said before I will by no means own that Assertion yet a thing which by accident may become sinful may be unlawful in another to command for want of sufficient Authoriâ—y whereas God's Sovereign Power doth without dispute or controversie make all his Commands to be just and therefore his Name ought not to be mentioned in our trivial Disputes because every such vain use of it is nothing but a diminution and lessening of his Greatness A DId you Learn This Language of your Patron the President Or did the Good Old Gentleman bequeath you his Conscience that you so little regard either Authority or Truth Let the Reader judg of the Libeller Bold and Impious and This from a Pedant to a Prelate from an Aërian Heretique to a Grave Learned and Orthodox Divine Where 's the Reverence of Government the Honour of England the Protection of the Law nay Where 's the Power of Religion the Safety of the King and the Welfare of the People if such Indignities passe unpunish'd The Example is Emboldening and Contagious for what can the Rabble think but either that the Insolence is Lawful the Reproch just or the Party Terrible Where are They whose Duty 't is to watch the Presse Is the Bloud of the Last King so soon Forgotten or the Security of our present Sovereign so little Regarded that we should now try the Operation of the same Poyson upon the People again which formerly intoxicated them and the Effect of the same Popular Madnesse upon This King which so lately destroy'd his Royal Father Let not us perswade our selves neither that these Luxuriances of Bitternesse against the Bishops are only the over-flowings of some Private Humours meerly as dissatisfy'd to Church-Government No no there 's more in the Case then so The Libellers find they get by it Credit Countenance and as by the By commodious fortunes Their Mecaenasses are too wise to tell the Virtuoso's look ye there 's This or That for such a Gird at the King or such a Lash at the Bishops But a word to the Wise they understand for what and to distinguish from such hands betwixt a Reward and a Bounty What is This other then tacitly to keep a Faction in Pay and to allow a Salary to Sedition I have digress'd too long but the Animadverter is not forgotten all this while Now to our Teazer again He challenges the Bishop with affirming That if to command an Act which by accident may prove an occasion of sin be sinful then God himself cannot command any thing and imputes to him as if either he derogated from Gods Almightynesse or Trifled with his Holy Name and Majesty Observe now his Prevarication The Bishop of Worcester Relates a Dispute that pass'd betwixt Himself and Mr. Baxter at the Savoy concerning Obedience to the Command of a thing in it self Lawful by Lawful Authority under no unjust Punishment and with no evil Circumstance which the Commander can fore-see or ought to provide against Mr. Baxter contends that the first Act Commanded may be per Accidens Unlawful and be Commanded by an unjust Penalty though no other Act or Circumstance be such Thus under his own Hand in writing The Bishop desirous to bring him off from an Assertion so Weak and wicked at once layes before him the Impious tendency of it Tells him that it is Destructive of all Authority Humane and Divine taking away all Legislative Power not only from the King but from God Himself for no Act can be so Good of it self but may prove by Accident a Sin which being admitted every Command is a Sin If every Command then God that cannot Sin cannot Command In This manner does the Bishop Reason with Mr. Baxter and to divert him from so foul a Mistake shews him the Horrid and Blasphemous Consequences of it and This in fine does our Spider-catcher deliver to the world for Impious and Irreverent in the Bishop which was no other then a Logical Result from Mr. Baxter's Argument Neither is God's Omnipotence the Question Cujus Velle Potentia Cui Opus Voluntas but the Corruption of Deprav'd Nature By this Rule whatsoever we may Abuse must not be Commanded Bid me Pray I may Wander Go to Church I may sleep Keep the Sabbath I may fall into Judaisme Relieve the Poor Cavaliers I may do it to be seen of Men and at This Rate in Inâ—nitum Our Writer's Pen is in Course and rather then say Nothing he is Resolv'd to say lesse Supposing a want of sufficient Authority to Command which is the Thing Granted in the Proposition EXCEPTION VI. A THat an offence to which a disproportionable penalty is annexed is not to be measured by the quality of the Act considered in it self but by the mischievous consequences it may produce whether this ought to hold good in Civill Lawes becomes neither the Bishop nor me to dispute but in Divinity nothing can be more false and dangerous For to impose in the â—orship of God as necessary circumstances of it things confessedly trivial and needless and upon the forbearance of them to debar any from the benefits first of Christian and then of Civil Communion is a thing which hath not the least pretence of Scripture or Primitive practice to justifie it For our Saviour teâ—s us That whosoever were not against him were for him and the Apostle bids us to receive our weak Brother and not to judge much less to burden his Conscience A QUestionless This Man is In
To These the Covenant was One thing and to the Contrivers another At last the Covenanters having suppress'd the King and his Forces put the poor Cavaliers to This Choice either to Swallow That or nothing else to Swear or Starve A more Diabolical Cruelty I defie Story to shew me Those that did take it have the Plea of Frailty and as I hope the Comfort of Repentance Now see the difference of Their Case from Ours which the Animadverter would gladly should be understood to have been a joynt Conspiracy It was in Them a Trap set for the People bayted with Forms of Godliness and Loyalty under which Masque they engag'd a heedless well-meaning Party against the King Here 's in the Institution Treason in the Matter of it Prophaneness in the Enforcement of it Usurpation and in the Scope of it Rebellion and Perjury Never was there a Pack of such Demure Dam'mees In Rank and plain English what does it seem to say but This Confound us if we do not Agree and Resolve to Serve God and Honour the King A thing that might have been done without either Cursing or Swearing Thus far We 're Innocent of the Covenant Further They destroy'd the King by the Covenant We if we took it never persued the Malitious Ends of it That is we did not add Rebellion to Frailty I do not argue for my self for I never took either That or any other Engagement whatsoever from Them By this time Mr. Animadverter I think you had as good have let the Covenant alone too D Lastly I can never enough commend the Bishops wisdom in resolving so angrily never to write again for he is Old and hath Travelled far and knowes that it is much easier to speak rash and unjustifiable things than to deseâ—d them And therefore he deals with those that he haâ— provoked as witty School boyes dâ— with their Compaâ—ions first he â—its them a box on the Ear and then very discreetly retreats and fairly runâ—s away But if Goliah who â—ook upon him to defie the Host of Israel should as soon as ever he had done have sneaked out of the Field and thought he â—ad done manfully enough in maâ—ing a Bold Challenge and in shewing his Teeth at them I believe the Philistins would hardly have thanked him for that empty shew of Valour whereby he could not conquer but onâ—ly enrage the Enemy And whether the Bishops will not have the same opinion of this over-forward and unwary Champion of theirs I hope Sir you will neither enquire your self nor desire that I should For I have already done enough to shew how much I am SIR Your most humble Servant D. E. D If the Bishop had the Libellers Experience of speaking more then he could Justifie the Bishop might be of the Libellers Opinion Do you say that Age and Travail have made the Bishop Wise The Animadverter for ought I see yet has a great way to go and a long while to Live before 't will do as much for him The Bishop Resolves to write no more Is that it Once is enough for His own Honour and Twice would be too much for Yours My Head for 't the Witty School-boy was of his Ushering The Wit on 't It is so like the Tutour A box o' th Earth and away Just so did D. E. serve the Bishop of Worcester Where is this same D. E. Who is he What is he He forgets that Mr. Baxter strooke the first Blow and that the Bishop was only upon the Defensive But here we 'll give him over The man I perceive has shew'd all his Tricks he winds up his Bottom fastens his End does his Reverence and Vanishes REFLECTIONS upon the Whole BEhold the Libeller dissected and now we 'll Read upon him Marque first the Vizor he puts on A Passionate Lover of the Kings Person and Government and for the Order of Bishops See his Opinions next The late Warr he sayes arose from Unconscionable Impositions which neither the Law of God commanded nor could the Law of Man justifie Again He Calls the Praelation of Bishops an Undue and as some think Antichristian Dignity he had as good have said plain Antichristian without the Parenthesis for the Hint is but to round the People in the Ear that so it is A Bishop he sayes is but one Minister and ought not to silence his Fellow-Minister If by Arguments â—e can 't is well but not by Authority In his Twelfth Page speaking of the Covenant he professes a great Tenderness for the Lawful Part of an Oath after it is once solemnly taken which does but insinuate the Obligation of That Diabolical Sacrament Herein first he does manifestly condemn the Late King and more then Covertly justifie the Late Rebellion Over and above the denyall of his Majesties Power in matters Indifferent Secondly He Disclaims and Reproaches the Authority of Bishops and finally in asserting the Covenant he gives a Box on the Ear to this Present Parliament So that Briefly the Power of the King the Power o◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Power of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Libeller's Reasoning subjectâ—d to the Conclusions at Fairest of a Conventicle of Schismatiques From his Disguise and judgement nâ—w to the Drift of his Design which must be gather'd from the Methode he takes to promote it That he 's a likâ—ly person to Intend 〈◊〉 Mischief appears first from bis Principles which we have shew'd already to be Destructive of all Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil 'T is some Presumption too that he is guilty of Ill meaning because he does not set his Name to the Pampâ—let but from the Stuff and Matter of it 't is most Evideâ—t that his Design is to Embroyl the Nation First his Compleints are Levell'd at the Faults and Power of Prelates and This is a Vein runs through the whole discourse to draw an Odium and Envy upon thâ— Government tooâ—nk â—nk without a smack of Conscience and therefore Popery comes in Oh 't is a dreadful word That Popery to season the Design and Encourage a Rebellion for fear of Idolatry When he has shew'd them the Tyranny of Bishops and the Danger of their Papal Domination the People are to be Instructed first in the Lawfulness of Casting them oft Then in the Manner of it and Lastly They are to be hearten'd on by the Easiness of doing it The Lawfulness is hinted in his Ninth Page They have the Law of God and Man on their side and more expresly in the Page foregoing If we ought not yet we Lawfully may refuse to submit unto such Impositions as God hath no where commanded They never consider that it is as Lawful for the One to Impose us for the Other to do what God no where commanded The Manner of ejecting them is suggested in the minding of them how they did it before Does he not effectually threaten his Majesty with the same Feuds and Animosities if These Positions and Practises be maintein'd Pag. 10
believe that after His Majesty and the Parliament have forgiven men their Civil Crimes there is still another Power which he calls the Church unto which they are still accountable eveâ— so far as to make a Puâ—lick 〈◊〉 Here I wâ—sh the Bishop would have sâ—oken out of the Clouds and plainly told us what he meant by the Church For if it be a Congregaâ—ion of the Faithful met together for the worship of God as the Dâ—finition of Scripture and of the Church of England in the 39 Articles this will not at all advantage him since such a Chuâ—ch hath 〈◊〉 Coâ—cive or Imposing Power But if he means the Hierarchy or Ecclesiastical State â—y Arch-Bishops Bishops c. there can be nothing morâ— false or more dishonourablâ— unto oâ— Civil Government than to affirm that it lies in their power not only â—o puâ—sh but likâ—wise to exact a Recantation fâ—r those faults which the King and Parliament have not only pardoâ—ed but undâ— severâ— penalties commandâ— shâ—uld never more be remembred And therefore I doubt not but that they will resent this Malicious and â—ll-grounded Phancy A YOu are Merry Sir be wise too and do not mind the King too much of the Act of Oblivion for when he comes to look upon his abus'd Mercy 't will turn his Patience into Fury To see the same Knots now in Confederacy against himself that Ruin'd his Father The Common Prostitutes of Bradshaw and Cromwell are still the Instruments of the Old Cause Reviv'd The same Sâ—blers Printers and Stationers for the Presse the same Engines for the Pâ—lpit and the same Snares for the People Yes and The same Capps Smiles and Gracious Looks to Encourage Countenance and Protect them In your own Words Sir This I hope his Majesty and the Parliament will in due time consider Mind here the Hardinesse of the Bishop whose Position is This that the King may pardon the Corporal Punishment but it is God that must pardon the Guilt and the Church the Scandal That is upon Repentance and Confession Where 's now the Wonder Can the King Act beyond the Sphear of his Regal Jurisdiction But of all People living Methinks the Presbyterians should the least scruple this Limitation upon Majesty shall They that bring their Sovereign to the Stool of Repentance pretend that he can save others from it that cannot help himself The Animadverter takes it ill that the Church should require a Publique Recantation Let them but stand to their own Rule I 'm satisfi'd Those are to be judg'd Impenitents that have Declar'd their sin and never declar'd their Repentance And again Scandalous offenders are not to be admitted to the Holy Communion till they have openly Declar'd Themselves to have truly Repented and amended their former Naughty Lives And This they Presse the King to see observ'd according to his Royal Declaration of Octob. 25. 1660. But it is a â—od they never meant for themselves The Question now is only whether a Person that teaches and practices Rebellion for a matter of Twenty year together and lives by Oppression be a Scandalous Offender or no. His next Quere is concerning the Church to which the Retractours are to be Accomptable By the Church I suppose the Bishop means the Representative and Jurisdictive Body of it But That he takes for an affront to the Civil Government and gives the Bishop the Ly before-hand if he think otherwise To This point The Kings of England never claym'd the Power of the Keyes and Church-Censures fall under that Consideration without offence to the Prerogative Royal. So Gentle Sir There 's no harm done unlesse the self-same thing done by a Presbyterian must passe for Discipline and Conscience which in a Bishop argues Malice B And since the Bishop is so over-zealous for the very Letter of the Law when it imposes Ceremonies give me leave a little to wonder that one of his Profession and Place in the Church should so 〈◊〉 go against it when it enjoyns Moderation and Forgiveness as to Civil Injuries Such as he who make the Law instead of being a Buckler to protect Converts a Sword only to cut off all such as were once Offenders â—abour what they can to make men desperate and thereby render the peace of the Nation and in that the prosperity and welfare of His Majesty very insecure and hazardous For what can moâ— inrage Men to take wild and forbidden courses than to see even Preachers of the Gospel strive to widen their wounds and contrary to their own former Professions to pull off that Plaister which the wisdom of our Stâ—-Physitians had provided to â—eal our distempers B To give the Devil his due the man is struck upon a sodain into a handsomer veyn of Rayling To see a Divine sayes he and a Bishop so strict for the Law in one case and against it in another But how so Does the Act of Oblivion absolve you from the need of Repentance or will any true Convert refuse to own his Offence as publiquely as he Committed it The Recantation I perceive sticks in your Squeamish Conscience which shews that the Guilt does not I beseech ye look a little nearer The Act of Pardon implyes there was a Fault but does not say where save only in the Actual Murtherers of the late King At the beginning of the warr the Presbyterian Party pretended to be as much for the King as who was most and the Schismatical Teachers carryed on the work When by Libelling Pulpiting for Preaching I cannot call it and Dissembling they had made an Interest they Plunder'd Sequestred and Shot at him for his Good Prosecuting Those as his Enemies that fought under his Commission for him and fell Defending him The Fate of the late King we know and the Clemency of This which was intended as a mercy for One Rebellion not a Foundation for another 'T is True the Faction are not to be Punish'd but where the Publique Peace depends upon it are they not to be distinguish'd To think Them Innocent is to suppose the King Guilty and under the Masque of the Act of Oblivion to hide the Difference is to endeavour it should be thought so Are not the Bishops Entrusted with the Care of Souls and accomptable for all under their Charge Charge that they miscarry not through Their Default Returning to the Exercise of their Ecclesiastical Authority after a long and forcible deprivation they find their Flocks misled and in the hands still of the Seducers If the people go on they are damn'd if their misleaders are turn'd off or put to recant 't is against the Act of Oblivion If Either the multitude take Treason for Religion and finding Matters so well with them Now beleeve they were in the Right before Are not the Bishops bound by the Incumbency of their Pastoral Duty to teach them to distinguish Loyalty from Faction Sound Doctrine from Heresie Christian Charity and Obedience from Schism Which way can This be done but by
same Church therefore the less Laudable or what Proportion is there betwixt the Apostles Case and Our's Their business was to Preach the Gospel to all Nations and lay the Foundation of Christianity but our Dispute is only Whether or no we shall Obey their Delegates in Matters Indifferent Again the Bishop speaks of the English Church and State whose Interests are Commixt and Enterwoven to a degree of Inseverable complication His slight esteem of Uniformity swayes not at all with me when I consider That Notable and Divine saying of Sir Francis Bacon The outward Peace of the Church distilleth into Peace of Conscience And it turneth the Labours of Writing and Reading of Controversies into Treatises of Mortification and Devotion Concerning Circumstantials I think it much more suitable for the People to Obey than for the Church to Forbear and let them say what they please of Agreeing in Essentials when I see a perverse Posture I think it no breach of Charity to suspect a Froward Mind C And whereas the Bishop thinks he hath got some advantage by reviving the memory of our late Civil â—ars which were he either Christian or Man enough he would wish were eternally buried in silence I must to use his own Phrase tell him in his ear that our Wars did not arise from the separation of Conscieâ—tious dissenters but from the violence and fury of unconscioâ—able Imposers who would not allow their Brethren who desired nothing more than to live peaceaâ—ly by them that sob◠〈◊〉 which the Law of God commanded and no Law of Man could justly deprive them of C See now he Raves again were he either Christian or man enough c. still at the Memory of our late Warrs he Starts and Methinks looks as if that quarter of the House were Haunted But here he tells the Bishop a tale in his Ear and as arrant a Tale as ever he told in his Life The Violence and Fury of Unconscionable Imposers was the Cause of the Warr. He sayes In a Strict sense 't is Truth A Pack of Contriving Knaves drew in a Rabble of Believing Fools and against Conscience Law Honour and Gratitude Levy'd a War against the King because he would not give away his Crown and Betray his People This is the Short of All. See the Exact Collections and you shall find who Rais'd the Warr and upon what Pretense Alas the Brethren only desired to live Peaceably he tells us and to enjoy that Sober Liberty which the Law of God Commanded and no Law of Man could justly deprive them of The Scotch Rebellion was a Sober Liberty was it not So was the Plunder of Sir John now Lord Lucas and the Lady Rivers The Tumults Flocking to Whitehal and Westminster The Posting up of Those that would not Murther the Earl of Strafford The Cries of Crucifie him against That Learned and Reverend Prelate the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury The Defacing of Church-Windows and Monuments The Defaming Sequestring and Murthring of the King All Thâ—se were in our Animadverters opinion Sober Liberties Where â—oes the Law of God Command These Liberties so that no Law of Man as he pretends can justly hinder them His Sacred Majesty whom these Libertines Murther'd was of another Judgement Those with Me had I think cleerly and â—ndoubtedly for their Justification the Word of God and the Lawes of the Land together with their own Oathes Those on the other side are forc'd to flie to the shifts of some Pretended Fears and wild Fundamentals of State as they call them which Actually overthew the Present Fabrick both of Church and State c. These are the Words of that Blessed Martyr and in the same Meditation again I am Guilty in This Warr of nothing but This that I gave such Advantages to some Men by confirming their Power which they knew not how to use with That Modesty and Gratitude which became their Loyalty and my Confidence Here we see the Authority of a Nameless Libeller against Records Living Witnesses and the averment of a Dying Prince Put stay whether his accompt be True or False is but one part of the Question The Danger Scope and malice of it deserves another Look Hâ—re's first the Bloud of the Last Warr cast upon the Late King and Consequently the Regal Rights of the King Regnant expos'd to a Dispute for 't is express'd that the 〈◊〉 Diâ—enters were deny'd That Liberty which no Law of man could deprive them of which manifestly implies both the Oppression of the Late King and the Insufficiency of Monarchy it self as to the Ends of Government If That Warr was fair on the Peoples side Then so would another upon the same score be Now in which regard the very Hint is Seditious Further it casts a Dangerous reflexion upon the present Government These execrable Papers 't is odds his Majesty neither sees nor hears of and what a Scandal is it then under the Reign of the Son to see such Libelling Against the Ashes of the Father Hee 'll say perhaps he only tells what Caus'd the Warr without pretending to Defend it That shift may serve him to some purpose provided he was never formerly engag'd with the Faction if he was never Ambitious of testifying to the World his Real Esteem of the singular Worth and Eminence of the greatest Villein in Nature he 's the more capable of Mercy But does not what he is appear from the whole drift of his Discourse What does he but Defame the King under the Visor of his Animadversions upon the Bishop For what has the Bishop done without the Kings Authority Again under the Cloke of an Exception to One Bishop what does he but inveigh against the Church the Episcopâ— Dignity and Function and in fine why against the Bishops but only as the likelyest way to enflame the People by Degrees against the King Does not his Majesty enjoyn the Practice of Those Ceremonies which he condemns the Bishops for But what he drives at will more fully appear from that which follows D And whether the publick maintaining of the very same Positions and Practises may not in time beget the same Feuds and Animosities although this Bishop cares not yet I doubt not but His Majesty as he now doth so will alwayes graciously consider D These Four Lines well apply'd would settle the Nation in perfect happiness but in another sense then he intends them 'T is very true the Publique Mainteining of the very same Positions and Practices that rais'd the last War will most infallibly produce Another unless the Sticklers be a little better look'd to They Preach'd and Libell'd up an Army against our Late Sovereign are they not at it now again for Another Ceremonies and Lord Bishops were mighty Grievances They are so still And then the Kings Prerogative came in Play They are fairly offring at it Now to And what was the Event of All The Holy men Divided the Spoyle Overthrew the Government Murther'd the King Begger'd and