our Saviours soule and putting no other sense than that horrid blasphemy on the Article of his Descent the ineffectuality of the blessed Sacraments as to the power and vertue which the Antients did ascribe unto them and many others of that nature which are not to be found in all S. Augustines Works Therefore the Doctrine of S. Augustine cannot be called by the name of Calvianisme In the year 1618 King James published a Command or Declaration tolerating sports on the Lords day called Sunday Our Author is now come to His Majestiâ—…s Declaration about lawfull sports being a reviver onely of a former Declaration published by King James bearing date at Greenwich May the 24th in the sixteenth year of that Kings reigne in his discourse whereof there are many things to be considered For first he telleth us that many impetuous clamours were raised against it but he conceals the motives to it and restrictions of it And secondly he telleth us that to satisfie and still those â—…lamours the Book was soon after called in in which I am sure our Author is extremely out that Book being never called in though the execution of it by the 〈◊〉 of that Kings Government was soon discontinued Now for the motives which induced that King to this Declaration they were chiefly four 1. The generall complaints of all sorts of people as he pasâ—…ed through Lancashire of the restraint of those innocent and lawfull Pastimes on that day which by the rigour of some Preachers and Ministers of publick justice had been layd upon them 2. The hinderance of the conversion of many Papists who by this means were made to think that the Protestant Religion was inconsistent with all harmlesse and modest recreations 3. That by 〈◊〉 men from all manly Exercises on those dayes on which onely they were freed from their dayly labours they were made unactivâ—… and unable and unfit for warres if either Himself or any of His Successours should have such occasion to employ them And 4 That men being hindred from these open Pastimes betook themselves to Tipling Houses and there abused themselves with Drunkennesse and censured in their cups His Majesties proceedings both in Church and State Next the Restrictions were as many First that these Pastimes should be no impediment or let to the publick Duties of the Day Secondly that no Recusants should be capable of the benefit of them Noâ—… thirdly such as were not diligently present at all Dâ—…vine offices which the day required And fourthly that the benefit thereof should redound to none but such as kept themselves in their own Parishes Now to the Motives which induced King James to this Declaration our Author adds two others which might move King Charles to the reviving of the same That is to say 1. The neglect of the Dedication Feasts of Churches in most places upon that occasion And secondly an inclination in many unto Judaisme occasioned by a Book written by one Brabourne maintaining the indispensible morality of the 4th Commandement and consequently the necessary observation of the Jewish Sabbath Though our Author tells us that this Royall Edict was resented with no small regret yet I conceive the Subjects had great cause to thank Him for his Princely care in studying thus to free their consciences from those servile yokes greater than which were never layd upon the Jewes by the Scribes and Pharisâ—…es which by the preaching of some Zealots had been layd upon them But our Author is not of my mind for he telleth us afterwards that The Divinity of the Lords day was new Divinity at Court And so it was by his leave in the Countrey too not known in England till the year 1595 when Doctor Bound first published it in his Book of Sabbath Doctrines nor in Ireland till just twenty years after when it was thrust into the Articles of Religion then and there established nor in Scotland till above twenty years after that when the Presbyterians of both Nations layd their heads together for the subversion of this Church So new it is that as yet it cannot plead a prescription of threescore years much lesse pretend to the beginning of our Reformation for if it could we should have found some mention of it in our Articles or our Book of Homilies or in the Book of Common Prayer or in the Statute 5 6 Edward VI. about keeping Holy dayes in the two first of which we finde nothing at all touching the keeping of this day and in the two last no more care taken for the Sundayes than the other Festivals But our Author still goeth on and saith Which seemed the greater Prodigie that men who so eagerly cryed up their own Order and Revenues for Divine should so much 〈◊〉 the Lords day from being such when they had no other existence than in relation to this Here is a Prodigie indeed and a Paradox too that neither the Order not Revenues of the Evangelical Priesthood have any existence but in Relation to the Dâ—…vinity of the Lords day If our Author be not out in this I am much mistaken S. Paul hath told us of himself that he was an Apostle not of men neither by men but by 〈◊〉 Christ and God the Father And what he telleth us of himself may be said also of the twelve Apostles and the seventy Disciples ordained by Christ to preach the Gospel and to commit the like power to others from one generation to another till the end of all things S. Paul pleads also very strongly for the Divine right of Evangelicall maintenance to them that laboured in the publick Ministerie of the Church concluding from that saying in the Law of Moses viz Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe which treads out the corn and from the maintenance of the Priest which served at the Altar that such as preached the Gospel should live by the Gospel And he pleads no lesse â—…outly for the right of Tithes where he proves our Saviour Christ to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck from Melchisedecks receiving Tithes of Abraham or rather from this Tithing of Abraham as the Greek importeth And yet I trow the Lords day Sabbath had no such existence and much lesse such Divinity of existence as our Author speaks of when both the Order and Revenue of the sacred Ministery had a sure establishment as much Divine right as our Saviour and the holy Apostles could confer upon them Our Author now draws towards an end for our further satisfaction referreth us to somthing elsc and that something to be found elswhere concluding thus But of this elsewhere And indeed of this there hath enough been said elsewhere to satisfie all learned and ingenious men both in the meaning of the Law and in point of practise so that to speak more of it in this place and time were but to light a Candle before the Sun All I shall further adde is this that if the Rules and Principles of the Sabbatarians
Lord Privie Seal Sir Edward Littleton chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir John Bankes Attorney Generall Sir Robert Heath and Sir Ralph Whitfield the Kings Serjeants at Law who on the 10. of May subscribed a paper with their hands to this effect That the Convocation being called by the Kings Writ was to continue till it were dissolved by the Kings Writ notwithstanding the dissolution of the Parliament Upon the readiâ—…g of this paper in the lower House of Convocation and the satisfaction there by given to all contrary scruples they went on to their businesse not as a new Synod made of an old Convocation quoth the witâ—…y Gentleman but as an old Synod armed with a new Commission What they did there we shall see anon but with what danger they sate there I shall tell you now The dissolving of the Parliament having bred such discontentments some papers posted up by Lilborne so inflamed the Apprentices and the Riot upon Lambeth House created such a terrour in the Members of the Convocation that the King was faine to set a guard about Westminster Abbey for the whole time of their sitting Poor men to what a distresse were they brought in danger of the Kings displeasure if they rosâ—… of the Peoples fury if they sate in danger of being beaten up by Tumults while they were at the worke of being beaten down by the following Parliament when thâ—… worke was done and after all obnoxious to the lash of censorious tongues for their good intendments For notwithstanding their great care that all things might be done with decency and to edification every one even our Author himself must have his blow at them And first he strikes at the Oâ—…th enjoyned in the sixt Canon for preâ—…ervation of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church here by Lâ—…w established But to make sure worke of it that the blow may come home indeed he prepares his way with a discourse against Episcopacy it selfe for maintenance whereof amongst other things that Oath was framed telling us positively that Bishops and Presbyters in Scripture phrase are of eqâ—…ivalent import and denote the selfesame persons without the least distinction They whom Holy Text calls Bishops having an Identity a sâ—…enesse of Name of Ordination of Office of all qualifications necessary to that Office with Presbyters I have heard that when Cornelius Burges was to goe out Doctor he would needs take upon him to answer the Divinity Act but did it so unluckily and with such a plentifull want of understanding in the tearmes of Logick that Doctor Prideaux said openly to him Tu possis bene pradicare sed non potes bene disputare that he might possibly be a good Preacher though he were but a very sorry Disputant The like may be said of our Author 〈◊〉 so when he plaiâ—… the Historian in relating of such things as are builâ—… upon good intelligence he doth it very well few better but when he comes to shew his opinion in a matter controverted and to give his reasons for the same he doth it very ill none worse For first I doe not believe that our Author can easily prove Presbyters and Bishops to be of equivalent import or comprehended under the same name in the Holy Scripture But secondly granting that they be who that pretends to Logick can dispute so lamely as from a Community of names to inferre an Identity or samenâ—…sse in the thing so named which is the ground our Author builds on Kings are called Gods in holy Scripture I have said ye are Gods Psal. 82. 6. and God doth frâ—…quently call himselfe by the name of King yet if a man should thence inferre that from this Community of names there aâ—…iseth an Identity or samenesse between God and the King he might be worthily condemned for so great a Blasphemer S. Peter calls our Saviour Christ by the name of Bishop and himselfe a Presbyter or Priest an Elder as most unhandsomly our English reads it the Bishop of your Souleâ—… 1 Pet. 2. 25. I who am also an Elder 1 Pet. ver 1. yâ—…t were it a sorry piece of Logick to conclude from hence that there is no distinction between an Apostle and an Elder the Prince of the Apostles and a Simple Presbyter or between Christ the supream Pastor of his Church and every ordinary B shop And thirdly taking iâ—… for granted that Bishops have an Identity or samenesse in Name Office Ordination and Qualification with Presbyters as our Author telleth us they have it will not follow convertibly that Presbyters have the like Identity or samenesse of Qualification Ordination Name and Office which the Bishop hath My reason is because a Bishop being first Regularly and Canonically to be made a Priest before he take the order and degree of a Bishâ—…p hath in him all the Qualifications the Ordination Name and Office which a Presbyter hath and something farther superadded as well in point of Order as of Juvisdiction which every Presbyter hath not so that though every Bishop be a Pâ—…iest or Presbyter yet every Presbyter not a Bishop To make this clear by an exampâ—…e in the Civill Government when Sir Robert Câ—…cill Knight and principall Secretary of State was made first Earl of Salisbury and then Lord Treasurer continuing Knight and Secretary as he was before it might be said that he had an Identity or samenesse in Name Office Order and Qualification with Sir John Herbert the other Secretary yet could this be said reciprocally of Sir John Herbert because there was something super added to Sir Robert Cecill namely the dignity of an Earle and the Office of Lord Treasurer which the other had not So true is that of Lactantius an old Christian writer Adeo argumenta ex absurdo petita ineptos habent excitus So ordinary a thing it is for Arguments built upon weak grounds to have worse conclusions Episcopacy being thus knocked down with a painted club our Author goes on to tell us what great but unprofitable paines were taken in defence thereof telling us that though the Presse swarmed with Books setting forth the right upon which it was founded yet all advantaged them little How so because saith he Such a prejudice there was against them and the truth contended for lay then so deep as few had perspicuity enough to 〈◊〉 it That the Presse swarmed with Books purposely writ about this time in defence of the Dâ—…vine Right of Episcopacy I remember not but sure I am it swarmed with many pestilent and seditious Libels in which the B shops were defamed and the calliâ—…g questioned In answer whereunto if any of them were thought worthy to receive an answer it is possible that someâ—… what may be said upon the by for Declaration of that Divine Right on which it was founded Nor was this any new claime never made before but frequently insisted on by the Bishop and those that writ in defence of Bishops in Queen Elizabeths time by Doctor Bancroft then Bishop
questioned for preaching Popery 81 Placing the Communion Table Altar-wise had both law and practise for it and therefore was no Popery 82 133 Taking away part-boyled Poperies or English popish Ceremonies an impairing the substance of Religion 90 The reason of so great an increase of Papists in England was the neglect of Holy-dayes and Common-prayer 92 Prince his Marriage a branch of the royall Prerogative 12 Puritans rejoyced not at the Prince his birth 97 Protestation taken by the Parliament and injoyn'd the Kingdome 239 Puritan party how they were to be sweetned with the great Offices of the kingdome 226 Religion House of Commons set up a CoÌ„â—…ittee as a Consistory of Lay-elders to take cognizance of Causes ecclesiastical 31 They sate in the Divinityschooles at Oxford Parliament 34 Isle of Rhee errors in that Enterprise 52 S SAbbath Sports allowed on that day the motives thereto and restrictions therein 112 Divinity of the Lords day Sabbath a new Doctrine 114 The Pâ—…iesthoods O der and Revenue under the Gospel not grounded thereon 116 Scots A certaine maintenance setled on the Scots Clergy 107 Scotch Service-book Tumults at reading thereof 145 The true occasion of raising up the seditious Scots 112 Card. Richelieu animated the Scots to rebellion 162 Scots lost by favours and gain'd by punishments 169 They promis'd payment for their quarters at their first coming but afterwards plunder'd all 204 Their cowardly carriag 205 Why freely help'd by the English to drive out the French 223 Sea The Kings dominion in the narrow seas asserted by Selden against Grotius 128 The King regain'd his dominion at sea and secured our coast from piracies through the benefit of ship-mony 120 Ship-mony How and why Kings have levied it as a Navall aid 121 How the Writs issued our 123 The whole charge thereof amounted to 236000 l. which was buâ—… 20000 li. per mensem 123 Clergy not exempted therefrom 124 Socinianisme charg'd upon the Members of the Convocation who made a Canon against it 195 Spaniards old friends to the English 9 They intended really to restore the Palatinate to the Prince Elector 11 Earle of Strafford v. Wentworth Synod or Convocation rightly continued by the same Writ that call'd them 179 Their danger in sitting after the Parliament was up 181 The Oath c. how occasioned 189 Taken for upholding the Church-government then established 191 And that willingly 193 The Clergy's power therein to make Canons binding without a parliament 220 T COmmunion-table v. Popery Bowing towards it a primitive custom no Popery revived by B. Andrews 85 Its setting up within the Railes Altar-wise to prevent profanation enjoyned by the Kings authority 133 Bishop of Lincoln's Book against it 136 V SIr George Villers Duke of Buâ—…kingham made the Ball of fortune 36 His Impeachment by the Birle of Bristol 43,50 By whom render'd odious to the people 63 Feltons motive to murder him 64 His eâ—…tate at his death not comparable to Cardinall Richelieu's 67 W SIr Th VVentw 〈◊〉 of Straff not wise in coming to the Parliament 211 His Triall why defer'd so long 226 Why â—…ecretary Vane was incensed againâ—…t him 228 For want of legall Evidence a Bill of Attainder brought in against him by Legislative power 230 The Kings censure of him in the H. of Lords 233 The names of those Commons that were for his acquitting 236 The Bishop of Armagh and Lincoln with two Bishops more sent to resolve the Kings Conscience 241 The Kings Letter to the Lords in his behalf 246 Sent out of the world per viam expedientiae His Epitaph 240 Dr. VVilliams B. of Lincolne an instrument to set the Parliament against the Duke of Buckingham 36 When and by whose means the great Seale was taken from him 39 Whether he was Eunuchuâ—… ab utero or no 41 Bishop Andrew's opinion of him 56 His Book call'd Holy Table c. wrote against his Science and Conscience 136 He was Head first of the Popish then of the Puritan party 138 He was set free from the Tower much about the time of the Archbishops impeachment 217 VVords New coyning of them an Affectation 4 Y YOrk The Kings second Son not born but created Duke thereof 117 FINIS Fol. 1. Fol. â—… â—…ol 3. â—…bid Fol. 4. Ibid. Fol. 5. Fol. 6. Ibid. Fol. 7. Fol. 9. Fol. 11. Ibid. Fâ—…l 12. Ibid. Fol. 15. Fol. 17. Fol. 20. Ibid. Fol. 21. Fol. 29. Fol. 45. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 64. Fol. 69. Fol. 71. Fol. 73. Fol. 75. Ibid. Fol. 78. Fol. 88. Fol. 89 Fol. 91. Fol. 94. Ibid. Fol. 96. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 101. Fol. 102. Fol. 108. Fol. 110. Fol. 112. Ibid. Fol. 124. Fol. 125. Fol. 126. Fol. 126 Fol. 127. Ibid. Fol. 128. Fol. 129. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 130. Fol. 131. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 132. Ibid. Fol. 136. Fol. 137. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 138. Ibid. Fol. 147. Ibid. Fol. 150. Ibid. Fol. 158. Fol. 159. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 161. Fol. 163. Fol. 165 Fol. 167. Fol. 168. Ibid. Fol. 182. Ibid. Fol. 184. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 1â—… Ibid. Ibid. Fol. 189. Fol. 194. Fol. 195 Fol. 196. Ibid. Fol. 199. Fol. 202. Fol. 200. Fol. 205. Ibid. Fol. 210. Fol. 219. Ibid. Fol 246. Fol. 152. â—…ol 253. Fol. 256. Ibid. Fol. 257. Fol. 158. Fol. 160. Fol. 165.
the Bishops and other Ordinaries had sufficient ground both from law and practise And first for Law there passed an Act and it was the first Act of Queen Elizabeths Reigâ—… for restoring to the Crown the antient jurisdiction and rights thereof by virtue of which Act and the Authority which natuâ—…ally was inherent in Her Royall person she pubâ—…ished certain Injunctions Anno 1559. in one of whâ—…ch it was thus ordered and enjoyned that is to say That the holy Table in every Church be decently made and set in the place where the Altar stood and there commonly covered as thereto belongeth and as shall be appointed by our Visitors In the same Parliament there passed also another Statute for confirmation of the Book of Common Prayer wherein it was enacted That if it shall happen that any contempt or irreverence be used in the Ceremonies or rites of the Church by the misusing of the Orders appointed in this Book the Queens Majesty may by the like advice of the said Commissioners or Metropolitan or dain and publish such further Ceremonies or Rites as may be most for the advancement of Gods glory the edifying of his Church and the due 〈◊〉 of Christs mysteries and Sacraments And in pursuance of this Act there came out first a Book of Orders Anno 1561. and afterwards a Booke of Advertisments Anno 1565. so made and authorized as the Law required In the first of which it was appointed That in such Churches where the steps were not taken down the Communion Table should be placed on the steps where the Altar stood and that there be fixed on the wall over the Communion boord the Tables of Gods precepts imprinted â—…or the said purpose And in the second it was ordered That the Parish should provide a decent Table standing on a frame for the Communion Table which they shall decently cover c. and shall set the ten Commandements upon the East wall over the said Table Lay these together and the Product will be briefly this that the Communion Table was to stand where the Altar stood above the steps and under the Commandements and therefore to bee placed Altar-wise all along the wall And that this was the meaning of them appeareth by the constant practise of the Royall Chappels many Cathedrals of this Land the Chappels of great men and some Parochial Churches also in which the Communion Table never stood otherwise than in the posture of an Altar since the Reformation without the least suspition of Popery or any inclinations to it But of this more hereafter in another place Secondly the next thing here objected is bowing or crâ—…ging as my Author calls it toward the said Table so transposed and placed Altar-wise which many of the Bishops used but none of them ever did obtrude upon any other who in this point were left unto the liberty of their owne discretion That adoration towards the Altar or Eastern part of the Church be it which it will was generally used by the best and most religious Christians in the Primitive times our Authour if he be the man he is said to be being well versed in the Monuments and Writings of most pure Antiquity cannot chuse but know and therefore must needs grant also that it is not Popery or any way inclining to it or if it be we shall entitle Popery unto such Antiquity as no learned Protestant can grant it T is true indeed that this bowing toward the East or Altar had been long discontinued in the Church of England And I have been informed by persons of great worth and honour that it was first revived again by Bishop Andrews of whom our Author telleth us Fol. 64 that he was studiously devoted to the Doctrine of the Antient Fathers and Primitive not onely in his aspect and gesture but in all his actions This in a man so Primitive in all respects so studious of Antiquity as our Authour makâ—…s him so great an enemy to the Errours and Corruptions of Rome as his Apologie against Cardinal Bellarmine his Answer to Cardinal Peron and his Tortura Torti have declared him to be would blast his Fame by the reviving of a Popish ceremony and if it were no reproach nor dishonour to him to be the first that did revive it I see no reason why it should be counted an audaciousnesse in the rest of the Prelates to follow the Primitive and uncorrupt usage of the Church countenanced by the Example of so rare a man though I confesse audaciousnesse had been a term too modest had they obtruded it on the Clergie by their sole authority as is charged upon them in this place Thirdly the next audaciousnesse here spoke of is the obtruding of another Ceremony on the Church of England that is to say the standing up at Gloria Patri Never obtruded I am sure nor scarce so much as recommended there was no cause for it the people in so many plâ—…ces of this Realm being accustomed thereunto as well as unto standing up at the Creed and Gospels without any interruption or discontinuance I grant â—…deed that the Rubâ—…cke of the Common-Prayer-Booke neither requireth standing at the Gospels or the Gloria Patri and yet was standing at the Gospels of such Generall usage in all the parts of this Land that he that should have used any other gesture would have been made a laughing-stock a contempt and scorn to all the residue of the Parish Bâ—…sides the Rubrick of the Church requiring us to stand up at the Creed obligeth us by the same reason to stand up at the Gospels and the Gloria Patri the Gospels being the foundation of the Creed as the Gloria Patri is the abstract and Epitomie of it or were it otherwise and that the Rubrick which requireth us to stand at the Creed gave no authority to the like posture of the body in the Gloria Patri yet many things may be retained in a Reformed Church without speciall Rubricks to direct them ex vi Catholicae consuâ—…tudinis by vertue of the generall and constant usage of the Church of Christ especially where there is no Law unto the contrary nor any offence committed against Faith and Piety If it be asked why standing at the Gloria Patri should be discontinued in some places when standing at the Gospels was retained in all there being no more authority for the one than the other I will give the Reader one Answer and my Authour shall help him to another The answer which I shall give is this that though the Rubricks did require that the Gloria Patri should be said at the end of every Psalme throughout the yeare and at the end of Benedictus the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis yet was this order so neglected in most parts of the Realm as Puritanism and Innovation did gain ground upon it that it was very seldome used And when the Form it self of giving glory to God was once layd aside no marvel if the gesture which
mâ—…st needs paâ—…se for currant I cannot see by the best light of my poor understanding but that Brabournes Book may be embraced with our best affections and that obscure and ignorant School-Master as our Author calls him must be cryed up for the most Orthodox Divine which this Age hath bred And was after styled Duke of Yorke Our Author here accommodates his style to the present times when the Weekly Pamphlets give that Prince no other Title than the Titulary Duke of Yorke the pretended Duke of Yorke the Duke of Yorke so styled as our Author here It is true indeed the second Son of England is not born to the Dukedome of Yorkâ—… as the first is unto the Titles and Revenues of the Dukedome of Cornewall but receives that Title by Creation and though the King did cause this second Son to be styled onely Duke of Yorke when he was in his cradle yet afterwards He created and made him such by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England in due form of Lâ—… The four Innes of Court presenting both their Majesties at Whitehall with a gallant Masque as a symbole of their joynt affections The Innes of Court used formerly to divide themselves in the like solemnities Lincolns Inne joyning with one of the Temples and Graies Inne with the other bâ—…t now they all united upon this occasion One William Prynne an Utter Barrester of Lincolns Inne had writ a Book somewhat above a year before called Histrio Mastix intended purposely against Stage Playes but intermixed with many bâ—…tter and sharp Invectives against the solemn Musick used in the Cathedrals and Royal Chappels against the magnificence of the Court in Masques and Dancings against the Hospitality of the English Gâ—…ntry in the Weeks of Christmas and indeed what not In which were also many passages scandalous and dishonourable to the King and Queen and such as seemed dangerous also to their sacred Persons For which an Information being brought against him in the Starre-Chamber by Master Noye then Atturney-Generall and the Cause ready to be sentenced it seemed good unto the Gentlemen of the four Innes of Court to present their Majesties with a Masque thereby to let their 〈◊〉 and the People see how little Prynne his infection had took hold upon them A pompous and magnificent shew it seemed as it passed the Streets but made more glorious by a long traine of Christian Captives who having been many yeares inslâ—…ved in the chains of bondage were sent for a present to the King by the Hâ—…riffe or Emperour of Morocko in testimony of the assistance received from him in the taking of Salla and destroying that known nest of Pyrates effected specially by the benefit and advantage of his Majesties Ships An action of so great honour to the English Nation of such security to trade and of such consequence for setlâ—…ng of a free commerce in those parts of Christendom that I wonder why our Author takes no notice of it The Kings Dominion in the Narrow Seas was actually usurped by the Holland Fishers and the right it selfe in good earnest disputed by a late tract of Learned Grotius called Mare Liberum Our Author might have added here that this discourse of Grotius was encountred not long after by a learned Tract of Mr. Seldens which hâ—… entituled Mare Clausum In which he did not onely assert the Soveraignty or Dominion of the British Seas to the Crown of England but cleerly proved by constant and continuall practise that the Kings of England used to levie money from the Subjects without help of Parliament for the providing of ships and other necessaries to maintain that Soveraignty which did of right belong unto them This he brings down unto the time of K. Hen. 2d and might have brought it neerer to his own times had he been so pleased and thereby paved a plain way to the payment of Ship-money but then he must have thwarted the proceedings of the House of Commons in the last Parliament wherein he was so great a stickler voting down under a kinde of Anathema the Kings pretensions of right to all help from the subject either in Tonage or Poundage or any other wayes whatsoever the Parliament not co-operating and contributing toward it For that he might have done thus we shall easily see by that which followeth in our Author viz. Away goes the subtile Engineer and at length frem old Records progs and bolts out an antient Precedent of raising a Tax upon the whole Kingdom for setting forth a Navy in case of danger Our Author speaks this of Mr. Noye the Atturney Generall whom he calls aftâ—…rwards a most indefatigable Plodder and Searcher of old Records and therefore was not now to be put to progging a very poor expression for so brave a man to finde out any thing which mâ—…ght serve to advance this businesse For the truth is that a year or more before the coming out of the Writs for ship-money he shewed the Author of these Observations at his house neer Brentford a great wooden Box wherein were nothing else but Prâ—…ts out of all Records for levying a Navall aide upon the Subjects by the sole authority of the Kiâ—…g whensoever the preservation and safety of the Kingdome did require it of them And I remember well that he shewed me in many of those Papers that in the same years in which the Kings had received subsidies in the way of Parliament they levyed this Naval aide by their own sole power and he gave me this Reason for them both For saith he when the King wanted any money either to support his own expences or for the enlarging of his Dominions in Forreign Conquests or otherwise to advance his honour in the eye of the world good reason he should be beholding for it to the love of his people but when the Kingdome was in danger and that the safety of the Subject was concerned in the businesse he might and then did raise such summes of Money as he thought expedient for the preventing of the danger and providing for the publick safety of himselfe and his And I remember too that â—…se Precedents were written in little bits â—…nd shreads of paper few of them bigger then ones hand many not so big which when he had transcribed in the course of his studies he put into the coffin of a Pye as he pleased to tell me which had been sent him from his Mother and kept them there untill the mouldinesse and corruptiblenesse of that wheaten Coffer had perished many of his papers No need of progging or bolting to a man so furnished But more of this Attorney we shall heare anon In the meane time our Author telleth us that The King presently issued out Writs to all the Counties within the Realm c. enjoyning every County for defence of the Kingdome to provide Ships of so many Tunne c. Our Author is deceived in this as in many things else For in the
by some few ordinary Parishioners and an Appeale made from the Ordinary to the Deane of the Arches the Cause was brought before the King then sitting in his Privie Council Anno 1633. who on the hearing of all parties and the Reasons alledged on both sides having first testified His dislike of all Innovations He concludes at last That hâ—… did well approve and confirmed the Act of the said Ordinary and also gave commandemâ—…nt that if those few Parishioners before 〈◊〉 did proceed in their said Appeal then the Dâ—…an of the Arches should confirm the said Order of the aforesaid Deane and Chapter Here was authority enough as good authority for the Archbishop to proceed upon in his Visitation as the Prevogative Royall the new Statute of the Queen and the old Lawes of the Land could give him This then was no Anomalous Innovation as our Author calls it The King it seems thought otherwise of it and so did all men studied in the Rules of this Church and the practice of approved Antiquity who looked upon it as a Renovation of a Rite disused not as an Innovation or Introduction of a new Ceremonie never used before But sure our Author had forgotten when these words fell from him what he said before of the Remisse Government of Archbishop Abbot the titular Archbishop as he calls him there but Titular in nothing so much as not doing the duties of his Office of whom hâ—… tells us Fol. 127. that by his extraordinary remisnesse in not exacting strict conformity to the prescribed Orders of the Church in point of Ceremonie he led in such an habit of Inconformity as the future reduction of those tender-conscienced men to long discontinued obedience was interpreted an Innovation But the Controversie is not onely managed betwixt our Author and himself but as he telleth us afterward between Bishops and Bishops for as he saith The Bishop of Lincolne published a Tract under a concealed name positively asserting therein that the holy Table antiently did in the Primitive times and ought so in ours according to the Dictates of our Church stand in Gremio and Nave of the Quire The Tract here meant was called The Holy Table name and thing in which the Bishop hath said much but asserted little Affirmations are no Proofs in Law and multitudes of allegations falsified in themselves and wrested to a contrary seâ—…ce make not one good Evidence yet this is all we are to look for in the Bishops Book It being not untruly said in the Answerers Preface that he came armed into the field with no other weapons than impudence ignorance and falshoods And to say truth it can be no otherwise when a man writes both against his science and his conscience as we have very good cause to think this Bishop did Look on him in the point of practise and we shall finde the Communion Table placed Altar-wise in the Cathedral Church of Lincolne whereof he was Bishop and in the Collegiate Church of Westminster of which he was Dean and in the private Chappel of his House at Bugdon in which last it was not only placed Altar-wise but garnisht with rich Plate and other costly Utensils one of his own words in more than ordinary manner Look on him in his letter to the Vicar of Grantham and he tells him thus that your Communion Table is to stand Altar-wise if you meane in that place of the Chancell where the Altar stood I thinke somewhat may be said for that because the injunctions 1559. diâ—… so place it and I conceive it to be the most decent scituation when it is not used and for use too where the quire is mounted up by steps and open so that he that officiates may be seene and heard of all the Congregation Nor writes he thus onely to that Vâ—…ar but he allowes it in that Tract which my Author speakes of both in Cathedrall Churches and in the Kings Chappels and in the Chappels of great men which certainly have no more Law for it then what the Archbishop had for placing it in the Parish Churches which as the Bishop telleth the Vicar are to be presidented by the formes in his Majesties Chappels and in the Quires of their Cathedralls If it be asked what moved the Bishop to stickle so stoutly in this businesse it may be answered that he loved to fiâ—…sh in a troubled water that being a man which considered only his own ends he went such wayes as most conduced to the â—…ccomplishing of the ends he aimed at Being in Power and place at Court in the time of K. James he made himself the head of the Popish Faction because he thought the match with Spaine which was then in treaty would bring not only a connivance to that Religion but also a Toleration of it And who more like to be in favour if that match went on then such as were most zealous in doing good offices to the Catholick cause But being by King Charles deprived first of the Great Seale and afterwards commanded to retire from Westminster he gave himselfe to be the head of the Puritane party opposing all the Kings proceedings both in Church and State and amongst others this of placing the Communion Table to make himselfe gracious with that Sect who by their shy practises and insinuations and by the Remisse Government and connivance of Archbishop Aâ—…ot had gained much ground upon the people If it be asked what authority I have for this I answer that I have as good as can be wished for even our Author himselfe who telleth us of this Bishop Fol. 145. That being malevolently inclined by the Kings disfavours he thought he could not gratifie beloved revenge better then to endeavour the supplanting of his Soveraigne To which end finding him declining in the affections of his people he made his Apostraphe and applications to them fomenting popular discourses tending to the Kings dishonour c. And being set upon this pinne no mervaile if he entertained the present occasion of making the Archbishop odiouâ—… and the King himselfe lesse pleasing in the eyes of the Subjects But of this Bishop we may perhaps have some occasion to speak more hereafter In the meane time we must follow our Author who having done with the Archbishop goes on to his Instruments for so he calls them in which he saith he was most unhappy Why so because saith he They were not blamelesse in their lives some being vitious even to scandall Our Author needed not have told us in his Preface by the way of prevention that he should be thought no friend to the Clergy we should have found that here in such Capitall Letters as any man that runs might read them Vitious even to scandall that goes high indeed and it had well become our Author to have named the men that so the rest of the Clergy might have been discharged of that â—…oule reproach For my part I have took some paines to inquire after such instruments and subordinate
of London in the Conference at Hampton Court and that too in the presence of Doctor Reinolds incomparably the most Learned man of the opposite party who never contradicted him for it nor confuted him in it and finally by Bishop Laud in the High Commission which gave occasion of matter to some publick Libellors but never any serious and solid debate till after the making of these Canons but be the title never so good the asserting of it never so frequent the Books by which it was maintained never so learned and the reasons in those Books never so convincing yet if once prejudice come in to perswade the contrary it is no marvell if all men had not perspicacity enough to discern the truth It is an old Maxime in Philosophy that intus existens prohibet aliâ—…num never more truly verified than when men come with prejudice and prepossession to a point in Controversie But howsoever though some men blinde with prejudice had not the perspicacity of discerning truth yet some others had unlesse the argument be good that because God layeth such a spirit of insalvation upon some men that seeing they should see but should not perceive therefore all other men must be like the Idols in the Psalmist which have eyes and see not Yet for the opening of the eyes as well of men willing to be informed as wilfully blinded no 〈◊〉 had the Smectymnians revived the Controversie but presently the Divine Right of Episcopacy was maintained and published by Dr. Hall then Bishop of Exeter in his Answer and Reply to their severall Tractates by Church-man in the History of Episcopacy by Dr. Taylor in a Book intituled Episcopacy by Divine Right by severall Tracts of Dr. Hammond both in English and Latine But lest these should be as much suspected of partiality as others of prejudice we shall finde the like declared in a Book writ purposely on that subject by Sir Thomas Aston Knight and Baronet and in the Aerea Mastiques of John They re Gent. men no may interessed but onely by their good affections in the Churches quarrels And some there are not altogether of so good affections who have done the like And first the Lincolne-shire Minister so much cried up for writing against Altars or rather against placing the Communion Table Altar-wise doth affirme expresly pag. 64. that the calling of Bishops is founded upon Apostolicall and for all the essentiall parts thereof on Divine Right And secondly the Lord Faulkland no great friend to Bishops as was shewed before in a Tract of his against Mr. Henderson before he squinted toward the Court doth affirm as positively that there is more to be found for Bishops and Episcopacy in the holy Scripture than either for the Lords day or for Infant-Baptism And thirdly we shall finde the learned Mr. John Selden is not totally against us in this particular as appeareth by his retortion of the Argument of Mr. Grimston in the House of Commons Mr. Grimstons Argument was this 1. That Bishops are Jure Divino is of question 2. That Archbishops are not Jure Divino is out of question 3. That Ministers are Jure Divino there is no question Now if Bishops which are questioned whether Jure Divino and Archbishops which out of question are not Jure Divino shall suspend Ministers that are Jure Divino I leave it to you Mr. Speaker Which Mr. Sâ—…lden whether with greater wit or scorn it is hard to say thus retorted on him 1. That the Convocation is Jure Divino is a question 2. That Parliaments are not Jure Divino is out of question 3. That Religion is Jure Divino there is no question Now Mr. Speaker that the Convocation which is questioned whether Jure Divino and Parliaments which out of question are not Jure Divino should meddle with Religion which questionlesse is Jure Divino I leave to you Mr. Speaker And so much for that our Author now draws towards the Oath which by reason of an c. carelesly left in by him who transcribed it for the Presse he falls on with as much severity as our witty Gentleman did with scorns saying of that c. That It was of so mysterious import aâ—… the very imposers much lesse the Jurors were not able to decipher what it meant And of a mysterious import iâ—… had been indeed if not restrained and limited by the following words The whole clause in the Oath stands thus Nor will I ever give my consent to alter the Government of this Church by Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons c. as it stands now established and as by right it ought to stand In the construction of which Text the c. as it now stands is a meere impertinency for being left in it signifieth nothing in regard of the restriction following and being left out the sense is currant and compleat without it And this our Author and the witty Gentleman and he that pulled down the Crosse in S. Pauls Church-yard and others which writ against this Oath could not choose but see but that they were not willing to see any thing which might make against them But whereas our Author telleth us that neither the imposers nor the Jurors that is to say neither the men that voted to the Oath nor they that were required to take it were able to decipher what it meant I finde by that that our Author hath talked with very few of that Convocation The truth is that in many Canons which were made before this as all of them in a manner were there was a particular enumeration of all persons vested with any Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction that is to say Archbishops Bâ—…shops Deans Archdeacons Deans and Chapters and other persons having peculiar or exempt Jurisdiction which having been repeated distinctly and particularly in such of the Canons as were first made was in the first asserting of this Canon for avoiding of a tautologie so often iterated cut off with this c. with an intention neverthelesse to make the enumeration perfâ—…ct and consequently to expunge this c. before it came to be ingrossed But the King being weary of the charge and clamour which the keeping of a Guard on the Convocation did expose Him to did hasten them to a conclusion by so many Messages brought by Sir HenVane and others that in that haste this unlucky c. was forgotten and so committed to the Presse accordingly But this c. is not all which our Author quarrels in the Oâ—…th telling us next That To exact an Oath of dissent from Civill Establishments in such things of indifferency was an affront to the very fundamentalls of Government Our Author taking it for granted that the government of the Church by Bishops is a thing of indifferency which is a clearer evidence of his own opinion in this point than we had before is much aggrieved that the â—…lergie should binde themselves by Oath not to consent to any alteration of it and this he calleth