what they can either by sophisticated wares false weights and measures or by any other close deuice sealed by yea and nay because it is a prayse worth part of their trade a mystery of their profession without which they cannot be thought to be good husbands or thought fit to deale in the world and for warrant forsooth they will tell you Mat. 10.16 with a whyning voyce Christ commandeth vs to be simple as Doues but wise like Serpents They are strict obseruers of euery dutie in the first Table which touch not the corruption of their profession but for workes of mercy commanded of the second Table they know not what they meane or perhaps thinke them superstitous though they heare God himselfe say Hos 6.6 I will haue mercy and not sacrifice They wil not sweare perhaps that is to open a sin for their purpose but if lyes wil 〈◊〉 their ill conditioned coÌ„modities they wil let none â—ye by theÌ„ nor none lye beyond them In a word they make no conscience to gaine by whatsomeuer course cloaked with a faigned show of deuotion The residue of the life allotted to this short taske should faile me if I should insist vpon the Antipathie betwixt their profession manners and life or if I should bring some of those best-masked hypocrites vpon the Stage I should neede no other colours to paint them nor pensill to delineate them but their owne but in distaste of the lauish scandalous Tongues and corrupted Pens of most of their profession I will forbeare and hold it Religion not to insult ouer any mans personall infirmities I loue better to point at publike diseases then to launce priuate vlcerous sores I haue no further ayme at any mans person then may conduce to the truth of this Subiect and vindicate wronged Innocencie from the inuenomed Shafts of forged Calumnie and Malice I balke secret Conuenticles Loue-Feasts Chamber-Exercises gauding Pilgrimages and seditious Exhortatories more vehement then if Turcisme or Iudaisme were set vp and Religion layed at the stake I could point at euery Mirmidon as well in their Presbiteriall as Consistorian Achilles at the Authors of the Instructions sent to Amsterdam for aduancement of the Catilinarian Workes of Didoclauius Anonimus and Philadelphus by what Conuoyes the brethrens Contribution was sent and who returned huge Volumes of seditious Libels printed at a dearer rate then the abaters would willingly haue bestowed eyther vpon Subsidie Hospitall or other more pious vses But I will not insist vpon those cauterized sores whose insensible estates I ought rather to condole and sollcite remorse then by vnfolding my knowledge animate authoritie so much prouoked and contemned Neither am I so vaine glorious apprehensiue as to thinke my selfe able to raise the least dust with other feet then my owne to worke vpon more excellent iudgements or with my weake Oratory perswade them to any course beyond their naturall inclination but if I should aime at what may bee obiected I should do no more then perhaps some would do if I were arraigned at the barre of their iudgement Therefore as it is no part of my secret meaning to draw any good subiect into contempt so neither will I set any fairer maske vpon the face of this cause then naked trueth will afford What I write is as far short of that which I might write as a shadow of substance scismaticall opinions from trueth bitter railing from Christian charity or a stopper of the shot which followeth Military errors are euer dangerous and oft-times irrecouerable but discourse curtailed or shrunk through want of instruction or meditation may bee regained by further search or lengthened vpon the tenter hookes of better opportunitie without preiudice of present inabilities What encrease scismaticall talents haue yeelded what confusion of order breach of the sacred bond of loue hath sprung from these contentions euery mans experience hath found the authors haue beene blinded with the beames of singularitie malice or ignorance and the world with pretext of zeale conscience and deuotion by them the sheepe haue beene taught to despise their Pastors the hearts of their Pastors alienated from the loue of their flockes Such wrangling hath so eclipsed the face of humilitie charity and common honestie that most men are now ignorant that the storehouse of the Church is full when she is rich in good works and when Christ her spouse is fed clothed and visited in his hungry naked and diseased members Our vnnaturall diuisions haue killed the vety heart of deuotion with-holden many zealous Pastors and dutifull subiects from the building of the Sanctuarie and the publike seruice Nehe. 4.17 or forced them with Nehemiah to build with one hand and oppose the violence of these times with the other The common people are so tossed betwixt error and trueth that their hearts are layed open and themselues made naked to receiue euery impression of corruption and vanity By reaping those bitter fruites of contention Separatists like blind guides straine out a Gnat and swallow a Camell they haue left the weightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercie and Fidelitie Math. 23.24 these things they ought to doe and these things whilst they contend about lesse they leaue vndone But happyer shall they bee whom the Lord when hee commeth findeth doing those things then those whom vnawares he shall surprise contentiously disputing either about those curiosities that are aboue heauen or vnder earth Res quam nec scire datum nec scrutari religiosum Flor. Scon. Embl. or about the outward frame of discipline and other friuolous questions so much agitate after publike determination In matters of the first kinde we are rather religiously to admire and reuerence those mysteries and secrets of Gods councel which he hath not reuealed theÌ„ fondly to looke vpon that Sun whose brightnes is able to dazle our eies perhaps depriue vs of sight if we approch too neere to those sacred fires whose scorching heate will rather consume then cherish our cold capacitie Vna quidem maxime laudabilis audacia hic nihil audere vnum acumen nihil cernere vna scientia nihil scire In matters of policie and externall gouernment questionable of the second sort it hath beene the wisdome of former ages to follow the wayes of peace to honour reuerence and obey next vnto the voyce of God the ordinances of the Church wherein they liued Si Ecclesiae non audiuerit sit tibi tanquam ethnicus publicanus But now Didoclauius and his brethren thinke themselues too glorious to stoope to so low an ebbe and are swolne so high that the walls of ordinary riuers are not able to keepe them within their bankes But glory be to God there is no iust cause why any man should hearken vnto the scismaticall voyce of exite or separate from the Church of Great Britaine euery article of whose faith is grounded vpon the sure rocke Christ Iesus and subiect to no battery she acknowledgeth no other
of Gods presence and the snafle that curbeth the pride selfe-conceit and presumption of vnstayed spirits who oft times in repining against Magistracy are authours in their owne destruction Thus haue you heard how Didoclauius and Philadelphus doe tilt at King and Clergy now you shall heare another bird of that same feather runne the wild-Goose chase at Councell and Court taking aime through a false looking glasse lately framed by a Scotish Separatist and steeled or put in a rauing stile at Leiden by an English Brownist Specul bell Sacr. pag. 97. A forme-changing Proteus saith this new Doctor a trecherous Seianus a time seruing Abiathar a Statizing Achitophel a calumniating Doeg are the only Councellours but Constantine tryed his Courtiers fidelitie to him by their piety towards God but now a man truly religious is thought vnfittest for state affairs a The Doctors reason because they cannot say he is an honest man but with this conditionall if he were not a ranke Puritan The first part of this bold vntrue calumny deserueth rather the examination of a whip then of a pen or of a pillory then of a reply yet I wish that the fond foole the Authour should know that his Maiesty hath moe truly religious wise learned loyall Councellours and Courteours then there be honest men Puritans of his opinion in the whole world in which large circumference I doe verily thinke there is not one On the contrary I may truly affirme that there be few Courts or Statesmen in Europe or elsewhere can paralell none exceed either the fidelity or integrity of those in great Britaine if all be not a like affected or any otherwise enclined then human eyes can see or the wisdome of a wise King preuent God must be their iudge and their conscience their witnesse A runnagate that hath put his hand from Gods plough This Lybeller was once a Minister but did lately cōmence Doctor of physicke at Leiden and turned Quackesaluer is not to censure those whom he ought not to name but with honourable humble respect The brethren of his owne profession whom he calleth truly religious and whom in all his applications hee thinketh the only able men to rule both Church Court and Campe are thought vnfit as he saith for State affaires To that part I answer that euery good subiect hath great cause to thanke God that our King is more wise then to admit any into his Councell or affaires of State whom all men besides themselues know to be fairded with false colours of religion and more fit to be fagots for combustion of State then to be helpers in supporting the heauy frame of Empire because diseases of this kinde are hereditary to most of this family infusing from one to another a taint or staggers in their vitall spirits as if they were bitten with a mad Dog which frenzie maketh them vnseruiceable either in Church or Commonwealth but specially to bee vncapable to bee vpon Councell of Kings who are the onely barres that impeach their proceedings for this cause they cunningly labour to induce the people to condole their yoke of obedience cast off such fetters and purchase their libertie The reason which the Doctor giueth is like his physicall receipts which trouble his patients more then the disease for certainly if we may call these Puritans whom this lybeller esteemeth to be so King Councell and Court haue iust cause to take exception at the very name which is but a staine of Puritanisme for my part if it bee lawfull to iudge men by their actions I may safely say that he can neuer be an honest man to God and to his countrey that conceiueth such damnable thoughts farre lesse he that publisheth such hellish positions and that besides all other poysonable trash euery where intermixt in this Doctors bitter pilles this one Colaquintida so corrupts all his other drugs that it proclaimeth him to to be an impudent rayler a Pseudo-puritan or rotten hearted hypocrite and not a Puritan of which number I wish my selfe and all others to be if human infirmitie might aime at such perfection so long as it is clothed with mortalitie But thus it falleth out that as well the best men as their best actions set and performed on the conspicuous Theater of the world are alwayes attended and entertained with blacke detraction and calumnie the deformed Brats of malecontents ignorance or enuy who loath the Nectar-like drops that fall from heauen vpon sweet flowers and delight onely to sucke the poysonable iuyce of gall and wormwood Hence it is that factious spirits violently agitated with outragious passion of singularitie enuy anger desire of rule and popular applause are onely quiet in commotions Stob. apud Plut. peaceable in tumults happy in calamities disaffecting no lesse amicable concord then regal power and authoritie thereby offring vnto Gods deputies and their iust commands the pests and poysons of their infected and ill affected minds imitating those barbarous nations who in their sacrifices did offer the gall and vilest parts of their beasts What can we call the malitious censuring of sacred persons or designes but a kind of sacriledge and blasphemy both against God and Kings of whom all discourse ought to be full of Religion reuerence and respect O mercifull God! what wit is able to sound the depth of those dangerous euils whereinto the malitious nature of scismaticall sedition vailed with religion is able to sinke it selfe rather then to acknowledge error in those things which it hath taken vpon it to defend Course of conformitie pag. 88. against the streame of publike resolution ranked in the eyes of singularitie with the most tyrannous gouernement that euer did see the Sun Miserum est peccare miserius delectari miserrimum excusare tum demum consumata amentia est cum ad studium malum opinio quedam pietatis accesserit The motto of Iacke Straw Wyat Kett was viuat Euangeliū now the pretext of conscience is a cullour of disobedience to euery casheerd Leuite or ignorant consistorian whose studies are by wresting Scripture to destroy vnitie beget a scisme in the hearts or subiects and make it their common place in writings discourse or in the Pulpit to leape from the liues of their flockes to enueigh against gouernment and presumptuously incroach without all reuerence vpon the affaires of Princes as they were able to demolish the walles of the Church shake the foundations of the State and liue Libertines without controlement When authoritie commaundeth any thing that is to be presumed not against but for aduancement of Religion I would gladly know who is to be confer whether the things commanded be lawfull or not or whether some singular contentious or malecontented spirits transported with wrong ends may oppose the Church in his Maiesties lawes giuing life vnto them If Authoritie at any time swerue from the strict obseruance of religion in its owne integritie in matters of discipline that remissenes ought to
of thousands vomited by those firebrands whom I haue slightly shadowed and delineate my stile will proue more smooth then such hellish practises deserue or common patience allow and so I come to my three-fold aduertisement FIrst then to come to you my Lords that are Bishops and Rulers by place in the Church of Scotland I neede not to call to your memorie that you are the Sickles vnder your Soueraigne to cut downe euery Weed in the Garden of the Church the Snaffles to bridle Schismes and the Centinels to foresee ne quid detrimenti Ecclesia patiatur You know well that your Authoritie is to cut off the head of this Hidra of Diuision which springeth vp with such violence that your care and vigilancie is so farre as may be to ease his Maiestie of those Tumults wherewith he is dayly so much infested that you are as well to defend euery Breach in the Walls as Rupture in the bodie of the Church and that euery escape of Omission in your places is no lesse lyable to scandall then faults of Commission in your persons Your Innocencie is much wronged by Didoclauius and his brethren Separatists who labour as well by all such secret practises as by publicke Satyrs at home or abroad may draw your Authoritie or Persons into contempt But my hope is that your long patience will call to your consideration that the wisedome of good Gouernment looketh euer exactly at first into the transgression of those Lawes that are to be obserued by future Ages and that Clergie and Learning Magistracie and Lawes are so chayned together that as without Learning the one cannot be instructed so without respect to Lawes Magistracy walketh without attendance and is rather a title of honour then a frame of obedience As we doe not more reuerence and adore God in the stupendious architect of the world then in the wise conduct of it So doe wee not more admire Magistracie in the compassing and composing the extent of their gouernment then in the prudent administration and preseruation thereof from iniustice violence sedition faction and dissention the earthquakes that remoue it from the Center There is no possible way vnto peace and quietnesse vnlesse the probable voyce of euery entire societie or body politike ouer-rule all priuare opinion of that same body Councels are to no purpose if once their determination set downe men may afterwards defend publikely their opinions As these things which the law of God leaueth arbitrary are all subiect to the positiue Lawes of the Church and to be vsed till like authority see iust reasonable cause to alter thē so these Lawes of the Church abridge priuate mens libertie in such things that are not dissonant from the Lawes of God if it were not so we should ouerturne the world and make euery man his own commander and Iudge These considerations I leaue to your fatherly care if I haue said too much or to little purpose it is because I can doe nothing but tattle but if I were able to do more I would doe it that our diuisions might not be tould in Gath nor our nakednesse published in the streets of Askelon IN the second place I come to you of the Ministerie of Scotland or elsewhere within his Maiesties Dominions that are Lanternes of direction vnto your followers To you that thus frame the peoples hearts and on whose shoulders lyeth the burthen of this cause which so troubleth the common Peace I beseech you lend me patient hearing to that which in few wordes I shall deliuer vnto you from my soule and in the sinceritie of my heart and whereof I hope you will iudge more charitable then to thinke that you reade the wordes of an aduersarie against that Truth which you say you professe but of one that desireth to embrace the same Truth with you if it bee Truth Although I be not of the Tribe of Leui yet am I of the Tents of Sem Regard not then who it is that speaketh but weigh the truth of what I shall speake First if without fore-stalled or preiudicate affection you will truely examine that same externall Gouernment established which you oppose you shall finde it such as neither the Law of God or man hitherto alleadged are of sufficient force to disprooue your obedience thereunto but on the contrarie that the Frame of that Gouernment which you maintaine is insufficient to establish any well affected Conscience so long as it opposeth the current of lawfull Authoritie Neither in all your impartiall enquirie shall you finde one cleare proofe whereby it may bee demonstrate that your Opposition is not by mis-conception and error named the Ordinance of IESVS CHRIST Though you much vrge Apostolicall imitation yet my hope is that there is none so obstinate amongst you but will confesse that many things of the same nature were harmelesse in the Apostles times which now would prooue impossible or scandalous as the administration of the Eucharist after supper washing of feet oscula sancta the communitie of goods the feasts of charitie manuall exercise and the like wherof some many yeares after were retained in the Church and now vpon good considerations are remoued and other things established which the former times could not haue and are more fit for the Church of Christ then if for conformities sake to those times they should be taken away Or if a necessitous imitation of Apostolicall times should be yeelded in the externall gouernment of the Church all the passionate exhalations of Didoclauius and the like disturbers of State combined with your best reasons will neuer be able to proue that your compleat form of discipline was wholly practised in any age but in this which for insolencie and contempt may bee called the worst or that it is otherwise warranted but by maruellous poore coniectures and wresting of Scriptures to singular opinions Therefore giue me leaue to intreate you by that humilitie which is the crowne of well affected Christian minds by the obligation which you owe vnto the peace of the Church by the care of your owne soules and saluation of Gods people committed to your charge that beside many other important considerations you will lay before you the necessitie of vnitie and intestine tranquillitie at this time when now or neuer your allegeance challengeth your loyalty and vnited forces Animos vestros commune iungat periculum simultas post sit ne tum denique vestra intelligatis bona cum quae in potestate habetis ea amiseritis Meditate deepely with your best recollected sences that if his Maiestie should now cherish in his owne bosome the least Coale of home-bred Sedition that might obviate the successefull issue of his iust and holy designes the World might iustly take notice that his Royall prouidence is farre short of that care which so long hath vpholden the most peaceable Gouernment that any Age can paralell Call to minde that as God hath giuen him a wise and vnderstanding heart to iudge betwixt good