Donatists possessed were not destroyd but they were taken from them as we took ours from the Roman-Priests and were given to the Catholick Bishops And therefore why should not we use those Churches that were Religiously dedicated and Holily Consecrated for Gods service and could not themselves commit any offence nor be so Prophaned as the accursed things of Jericho or the Bullock and groves of Baal or the Churches of the Arians and Donatists to be the Temples and Sanctified Houses wherein our people should meet to hear Gods Word to pray unto him and to receive his Holy Sacrament But I remember Plutarch and Titus Livius tell us how that the Romans Plutarch in viâ— Publicolae pag. 113. Tit. Livius l. 2. pag. 57. after they had expelled Tarquinius Superbus when his son Sextus Tarquinius had most shamefully ravished Lucretia they all took a Solemn oath they would never suffer any King to Reign over them and because this was not sufficient to free them from the fear of a Regal Government the Consul Brutus in the behalf of the people makes a solemn Oration to his fellow Consul Tarquinius Collatinus to give over his Consul-ship and to depart the City to free the people from that fear because that although â—â— was a very honest man and was a principal actor in expelling Tarquinius Superbus and they could lay nothing to his charge that ever he did or said against the liberty of the people or for the Government of Kings yet seeing his name was Tarquinius the freedom of the City could not be fully secured nor the men free from the fear of Tyranny so long as a person of that name how just and innocent so ever he were continued within the City So I believe it is not for any evil that these men can or could ever espy in our Churches they cry so much and yell like Wolves against them but only for the name that they are said to be built by Roman Catholicks and that Popish Priests have served in them but it is nothing to us who built them or who served in them so we serve God aright in them this is all that we are to look unto For so we find that our Saviour Christ and his Apostles in their time frequented the Temple not that which Solomon built nor that which Zorobabel erected but that which Herod that sought our Saviours life builded Joseph Antiq. l. 15. c. 14. and beautified and that which the Scribes and Pharisees had as much as in them lay defiled with their false-glosses and the other Jews had made it a den of Thieves and though Castor and Pollux were become Idols and Matth. 21. 13. worshipped as gods among the Heathens yet Saint Paul refused not to sail in a Ship whose badge was Castor and Pollux and Saint Luke is not affraid to set down those Titles of the Paganish Idols And therefore as Eunomius was most foolish for refusing to enter into Socrat. Eccles Hist l. 2. c. 33. the Temples of the Martyrs lest he should be thought to worship the dead and Eustathius was most fantastical for detesting all publick Churches and leading his Schollers to private Conventicles in ordinary houses for fear they should be defiled with the memorial of the Saints that were mentioned in the Churches so these our brethren of the Separation are most simple for disclaiming our Churches Prayers and Ministry and like the Elder brother in the Parable hearing afar off the melody of our prayers and understanding of our intertainment into our Fathers House are very angry and will not come into Gods House for fear of infection but will convene in private houses and run abroad into the fields like Esau to hunt there for the blessing which with Jacob they might get nearer home in their Fathers House and when we would according to our injunction seek to compel them to come out of the High-waies and Hedges to the marriage of the Kings son they will waste their wealth leave their mansions and like Heliodorus the fool of Athens sail beyond the Straights of Gibraltar and make Ship-rack before the Tempest rather then they will come into Gods House whereby they might sit still under their own Vines injoy the food of their Fathers House the safe-gard of their wealth and the safety of their soules which they do hazard by their own simplicity in being like the Jews zealous but not according to knowledge CHAP. XIII That it is a part of the Office and Duty of Pious Kings and Princes as they are God's Substitutes to have a care of his Church to see that when such Cathedralls and Churches are built and beautified as is fitting for his service there be Able Religious and Honest painful and faithful Bishops placed in those Cathedrals that should likewise see able and Religious Ministers placed in all Parochiall Churches and all negligent unworthy and dissolute men Bishops or Priests reproved corrected and amended or removed and excluded from their places and dignities if they amend not IT is well and truly observed as the holy Scripture sheweth That although the wise God hath most mercifully decreed and accordingly exhibited and gave a Saviour in himself altogether sufficient for the saving of all Man-kind and all the lost sons of Adam and he hath most wisely and graciously taken a course on his own part and in it self also fully sufficient and appointed a course and order on mans part that being duly observed might make the same sufficiently effectuall unto all yet it so fals out that Mens destruction very many men attain not to that end for which God did send his Son to save them but are seized on by Gods Justice and cast to eternal condemnation And that chiefly by mans own default and partly in some respects through the default of his Rulers and Teachers yet so that he dies and suffers only for his own sins 1. Through their own default when Kings and Princes whom God hath 1. By their own fault appointed and set to be their Governors and Rulers do by their under-Magistrates and their just laws prohibite them from all evil and wickedness and require them to imbrace all virtues and godliness of life and to this end do appoint their substitutes the Bishops and other Teachers to guide them and to instruct them to let them know what is good and what is evil and so what they ought to believe and what not and these do faithfully discharge these Offices as Moses and Aaron David and Nathan and many other godly Kings and Bishops did yet men will not obey their Governors but Rebel like Corah Dathan and Abiram and as of late we have done Jer. 11. 21. they will not hearken to the voyce of their Teachers but say to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us and say to God himself Depart from us for we Job 21. 14. desire not the knowledge of thy Laws or they relye upon their own wisdom and
and put down the Prerogatives of his King and spoil mankind of all safety which made the very Heathens themselves to have alwaies an exceeding great reverence of the things that were dedicated unto their gods and to violate the Religion of other Countries which they thought much more vain then their own they conceived to be so monstrous that it was alwaies accounted inauspicious and the wrongs done to a false deity carried an horror with it and was usually revenged by the true God Yet these men being many rich and powerfull both in wealth wit and What the men of the year 49 do say Friends would perswade our good King and all others but not aright that they are most zealous for the Church of Christ and the service of God and what lands and houses they seek to take from us belong not to us nor to the Church of God and therefore that it is no sacriledge nor any waies unjust in them to take from us what the King hath justly bestowed on them but it is a â—oul imputation most uncharitably cast upon them by me to blemish their sincerity in the service and for the honour of God And therefore seeing that in foro poli I am like Troylus impar congressus What the Author doth in this câ—nflict abouâ— the â—ights of the Church 1. Thing A hilli Infoelix puer too weak every way to contest with so many magnanimous men of Arms that are incompassed with so many heroick friends I must 1. Appeal to thee O my God and sweet Saviour Jesus Christ and desire thee with the words of the Psalmist Arise O God maintain thine own cause or as our last Translation hath it plead thine own cause for I am not Psal 74. 23. able to maintain it unless thou wilt arise to plead the cause of the helpless and pluck thy right hand out of thy bosom to consume the enemy and let not man have the upper hand but do thou to them as thou didst unto the Midianites unto Sisera and unto Jabin at the brook of Kison which perished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth which say Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possâ—ssion and especially to them that not only say but also do violently and sacrilegiouslâ— mis-inform good and pious Princes and take both the houses of God and the lands of the Church into their possessions O my God make them like a wheel that is alwaies tottering and turning and as the stubble before the wind that is ever shaking Psal 83. 12. and never at rest and like as the fire that burneth up the wood and as the flame that consumeth the mountains persecute them even so with thy tempest and make them affraid with thy storms that they may understand what a heynous sin it is to commit Sacriledge and to rob the living God by hindering and disinabling his servants to do him service and to ascribe the honour due unto his name 2. I must and will to the uttermost of mine ability demonstrate unto all 2. Thing Church-robbers the heynousness of this sin and the fearfull punishment there of and to that end 1. I will here set down what I have written above 45 years agone concerning sacriledge and what you may find in the True Church l. 3. c. 2. pag. 429. with some amplification and explication thereof 2. I will upon the resolution and religious intention of the good and 2d Thing godly King David to build God an House for his servants to meet in it to worship him shew unto you the necessity and use of Cathedrals and Churches for Gods Worship and the duty of all Christian Kings and Princes therein and the full description and detestation of this horrible and most odious sin of Sacriledge And I will do my best to enlarge this point unto the full that so my Reader may reap the full benefit of this my Discourse and the easier retain in his memory what he readeth in it and that the same good Doctrines and Instructions the oftner and the more usually they are published and in the more large Volums they are printed may the more likely have their fate to continue when as small Treatises especially not methodically dâ—gested are the sooner neglected and do suffer through the iniquity of time to be buried in oblivion CHAP. II. Of Sacriledge what it is How manifold it is and how it hath been alwayes punished and never escaped the Hand of the Divine Vengeance 1. SAcriledge which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sacrilegious person Sacriledge what it is Râ—i sacra violatio aut usurpatio Thom. primâ— secunda q 99. Prov. 20. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the usurpation or the violation of any sacred thing and this violation of it is to be understood for any kind of irreverence or dishonouring of it Sacrilegium dicitur quasi sacrilaedium saith Innocentius and as Aquinas saith All that is sacriledge which is done to the irreverence of any sacred thing And Solomon saith It is an abomination to the Lord to devour things that are sanctified Et non owne quod displicâ—t dicitur abominatio And not all things that displease God are said to be abominations sed quod valdâ— dâ—splicet but the things which do most highly and exceedingly displease the Lord is said to be an abomination saith Perâ—ldâ—s Sâ—mma Vitiorum Peraldus 2. You may observe that this high displeasing-sin of Sacriledge is manifold but especially it consisteth in these three things Sacriledge threefold and committed 3. wayeâ— 1. Way against sacred persons 1. The violation and abuse offered to Sacred persons such as are Kings and Queens that are called and appointed by God to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto the Church of Christ and the Bishops Priests and other Ministers that are consecrated to serve God at his Altar Whosoever doth irreverently abuâ—â— any of them either in word or deed committeth sacriledge because they are sacred persons And so Agesilaus was wont to say That he did greatly wonder why any man should think that they are not worthily accounted in the number of sacrilegious persons qui lâ—dereâ—t eos qui diis supplicarent vel Deos venerarentur which did any wayes hurt or wrong those which did supplicate or intercede for us and worshipped God whereby that most prudent Prince signified Eos non tantuâ— sacrilegos esse qui Deos ipsos aut Templorum ornatum spoliarent sed â—os maxime Aemilius Probus qui Deorum ministros praecones contumeliis affâ—â—erent saith Aeâ—ilius Probus because that as our Saviour saith He that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 2. The prophaning of the Church or the abuse of any places consecrated 2. Way against sacred places for to be the places of Gods service is no lesse than sacriledge 3. That is sacriledge and
service Sol. wholly unto our Prince and to our Countrey yet some convenient reward will make us the more willing to serve So in the Church of God though I must preach willingly and wo â—â— me being called to that office if I preach not so and discharge all other Priestly offices cheerfully rather for the gain of Souls then for any other the greatest gain in the World yet necessary maintenance will inable me or any other to do my duty the more cheerfully and with the more incouragement no man can deny the same and our Saviour tels us The workman is worthy of his hire and therefore Luk. 10. 17. Matth. 10. 10. as the Ministers of Christ do give unto you spirituall things so reason sheweth what the Apostle setteth down that you should give unto them and not sell unto them these temporall things that so not only we which are already entred into this calling may discharge our duties the more The reward of learning is the best means to increase and to continue learning joyfully but also others which as yet are not of this calling may by the reward of learning be induced to undertake the Ministry that otherwise is despicable enough in the world the more willingly because as Symmachus saith Virtus aemula alitur exemplo honoris alieni virtue is cherished and set forward with the example and sight of other mens honour as Alcibiades with the glory and honour given to Miltiades was spurred forward to the like atchievements that he might attain unto the like glory whereas otherwise as it is a Maxime in warlike Affairs that exprobrata militia Take away the reward and learning perisheth creditur quae irremunerata transitur that service is thought base and that warfare not worth the following which is unworthy of any reward so it is true in Academical sciences and all other Arts whatsoever that Inhonorata virtus languescit Virtue despised and left unrewarded will soon faint and languish and all good Arts even of themselves without pressure will speedily decay which was the only course and the most spitefull that Julian took to root out Christianity to take away the maintenance of the Ministers for he knew that as both Seneca and Tacitus saith Sublatis studiorum praemiis ipsa studia pereunt 3. I say that this buying and selling of spiritual promotions in the Church 3. The buying and selling of Church livings will be the decay of all hospitality of God will be as it is indeed and hath been of a long time ever since the birth of this bastard brat the extirpation of all hospitality among the Clergy The Apostle tells us that a Bishop should be given to hospitality and Saint Augustine to inforce this duty the sooner to be observed saith Foecundus Aug. de verbis Dominâ— sermone 25. est ager pauperum citò reddit dominantibus fructum Dei est pro parvis magna pensare the field of the poor is very profitable and yieldeth his fruit very quickly and that plentifully because it is the property of God How our good works do further Faith in others to render great things to us for the small things that we give to him And Saint Gregory saith Egentis mentem doctrinae sermo non penetrat si hunc vel illum sermonem apud ejus animum manus mâ—sericordiae non commendat the Word of God Preached doth not piâ—rce the heart of a needy man unless If they take away â—ur lands and sell our livings how can we relieve the poor the hand of mercy doth commend that Word and reach it home unto him which is a very excellent true and most worthy saying worthy to be remembred and to be practised of all Divines And yet now in these times and amongst us that I fear is true which the poor complain of That there is but small hospitality among the Clergy But they ought to consider what the Philosopher saith Nihil dat quod non habet he that hath but scarce enough to maintain himself can spare but very little to relieve others and therefore seeing a Minister must not get his living by any other means then by the means of his Ministry and that by his calling to be a Minister and all his pains and diligence in his calling he can get no means unless he buyes his living and when he buyes it he is commonly set so far in debt that in haste he shall not be able to recover The poor are not able to relieve the poor himself out of his creditors books How is it possible that a Minister Parson or Vicar should be able to be hospitable unto others when as the Popish Priests were wont to say dirge's for their dinners So these poor Preachers must read Lectures for their maintenance which is many times as I have seen it in some places made up out of the poor mens box and the Lecturer must preach placentia lest his voluntary benefactors if he be too bold in their reproofs should substract the pittance of their contribution A most lamentable thing that a Preacher of Gods Word that ought freely to speak the truth must be thus fortered for want of means and that they which should have plenty that they might be inabled to relieve Ministers in some places and at some times relieved out of the poor mens box lieve the poor should be brought to that scantling and penury as to be forced to be relieved themselves out of the portion of the poor O consider this all ye Sacrilegious patrons that sell your livings and forget God lest he remember you and tear you to pieces while there is none to help you 4. If the observation of precedent things may presage any future thing 4. The buying and selling of Church livings is the presage of some great evil unto the Church I say that this buying and selling of Church livings doth portend and foresignify some great and imminent evil both to the Church and state for Socrates in his Eccless Hist tels us that when some wicked Souldiers had prophaned the Church and had Sacrilegiously robbed her Priests as now our souldiers strive and study how to do the like one standing by said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This abuse of Gods house fore-sheweth no good thing to come and Socrates saith he was not deceived because that in a very short time after it happened according as he feared and Alphonsus de castro saith as he is cited by the Bishop of Oxford that the flourishing Churches of Greece and Armenia were forsaken of God and had their Candle-sticks that upheld the light of the Gospel removed when they began to maintain that it was lawfull to buy and sell the lands goods and revenues of the Church And therefore I advise and wish all that hunger and thirst after the Church lands houses and goods and all covetous Patrons to take heed of this sin of buying and selling what belongs unto
punished and removed if they amend not for their negligence and transgressions 3. To provide by their good Laws such maintenance revenues and means for the Reverend and godly Bishops and the rest of the worthy Clergy whereby they may be inabled with joy and comfort to discharge their duties in God's Service to his glory and the good of his people 4. To put a bar and to hinder by their Regal power and authority all the sacrilegious violaters of holy things to rob the Church of Christ and his servants and to commit the horrible sin of Sacriledge which is so transcendently abominable in the sight of God and so infinitely destructive to the souls of men These things ought to be done as I conceive by all good and godly 1. The necessity of Cathedral-Churches and other Parochial Chappels for the Service of God Kings and Princes and whoso doth these things shall never fail And. 1. In defence of Cathedral-Churches we have to alleadge that till the time of Euaristus and Dionysius Popes of Rome no other kind of ministerial Church was ever heard of from the beginning of the World for from Adam unto Moses men did call upon the Name of the Lord and offered Sacrifices but without any ministerial Church at all And in Moses time Platina de vitis Pontif. Carrion annal Monarch Exod. 25. 40 Acts 7. 44. 2 Sam. 7. 6. Acts 7. 47. God commanded him to erect a Tabernacle which stood instead of a Church for all the Land of Judea and that was Templum portatile as Josephus calls it to be carried up and down until the dayes of Solomon But Solomon erected a Temple as a standing Church at Hierusalem to be in the place of the Tabernacle And then until the time of the Gospel there was no other Church for God's people I speak not of the Gentiles idolatrous Temples throughout the whole World And that Metropolitan Church of Hierusalem was more than Diocesan or Provincial for it was National for the whole Kingdom of Jury And after the Gospel was preached unto the Gentiles and all Nations began to be converted then sundry ministerial Churches were erected according to the number of their Bishops so that every particular Bishop had his particular Church after the manner and in imitation of the Jews which having but one Bishoprick and one High Priest or Bishop had likewise but one Cathedral-Church for that whole Nation And afterwards when the Bishops saw the multitude of Christians exceedingly increasing Evaristus first Titulos seu Paraesias in urbe Roma presbyteris divisit post eum Dionysius idem fecit And after him Dionysius the Pope devised Parochial Congregations and divided every Bishoprick into particular constant Congregations which were but Members and their Churches but the Chappels of the Diocesan and Provincial Churches And the use for which both the Cathedral and Parochial Churches do serve was and is for the servants of God to meet in them for to worship God and this besides the practice of all times ab origine to this very day do sufficiently conclude the necessity of them 1. For as the body politick or the whole multitude of the Common-wealth is to be divided into his several Limits Provinces Counties Baronies 1. Publick prayers are more prevalent with God than the private prayers and the like so the collective and mystical body of God's Church is to be distributed into several Congregations as the body natural is to be distinguished by the several parts and parcells thereof and though as we are private and particular men the place and time and form of prayer and service of God are in the choice of every particular man according to the condition of his necessity and private occasion yet as every particular man is a member of the publick State either Temporal or Ecclesiastical Church or Common-wealth so the service that he oweth and ought to perform either to the King or to God must needs be publick and together with the rest of the members of the State and so the publick Service is so much worthier than the private and excelleth the same as much as a Society or Congregation of men is worthier and excelleth one particular man And S. Chrysostom to shew the excellency of the publick Service of God S. Chrysostomes example to shew the benefit of publick prayer and how it excelleth the private and Common-prayer before and above any private prayer or service saith That as the coals of fire being scattered do yield but little heat and will soon die but when they are close heaped together they 'l yield much heat and the fire continueth long So a multitude of devout and faithful men gathered together and with one heart and one soul pouring forth their prayers and petitions unto God their prayers are a great deal more prevalent and more likely to obtain their request from God then when they are severed and offered up by every single person as a twisted thred like a threefold cord is far stronger than any two single ones So though the prayers of one man be but weak yet the supplications of many men are very mighty and like unto the loud sound of thunder or the noise of many waters as S. Basil saith and the consent of desires the concord betwixt them and the united love of joynt Assemblies are so well-pleasing unto God that as a holy Father saith Impossible est multorum preces non exaudiri It is almost impossible but that the prayers of such associated Congregations should be heard because as S. Ambrose saith The publick meeting of Gods people hath a special promise of Gods presence to be with them as where Christ saith When two or three are gathered together in his Name he Matth. 18. 20. will be there in the midst of them And therefore the King of Ninivâ—h called his people together to jâ—yn with him in prayer to God that they might not be destroyed and so besetting God or besieging God as Tertullian saith like an Hoste of men their â—onas 4. 11. prayer was heard and they were received into grace And S. Paul though he might have confidence his prayer should speed with God assoon and obtain as much as any other yet doth he confess that the prayers of the Church of Corinth together with his own prayers did much help and 2 Cor. 1. 11. further his deliverance from those great troubles that he suffered in Asia 2. The publick prayers and service of God hath this prerogative above 2. Publick prayers more justifiable thâ—â— the private the private that they do assure us they are more lawfull and shall sooner be heard of God because the things prayed for and deprecated are judged to be good and needfull and are so approved of by the general judgment of the whole Congregation when we hear them deprecated or desired by the common consent of all the people 3. The convention or meeting of the people in such
and could do it thrown down many of our Churches and brake in pieces the Fonts wherein they were Baptized and threw down the Tombs and Monuments of their Fore-fathers and made such havock of Gods Houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stroyed all Holy places so as is lamentable to consider it And 〈◊〉 â—ell us most impudently that to hold up such places to serve God thâ—â—ein is nothing else but with King Saul to reserve the execrable and accursed things for Gods Worship which is abominable in the sight of God To this I Answer 1. That it is better to serve God in those places that Sol. 1 have been superstitiously abused as formerly all places were Idolatrously defiled by the Heathens than not to serve him in any place for as when certain Christians found a vacant and a voyd place in the City of Rome where they thought they might conveniently build a Church and certain loose companions that were Victuallers made claim and pretended a Title unto it and told Alexander Severus it was not so fit to make a House to serve God in as it was for them to sell and vent their commodities the Emperour led by the light of nature being no Christian answered most The discreet answer of Alexander Severus Christian-like that he thought it better God should be Worshipped any way and in any place rather then that they should have their way to make it a place for their shambles so say I that it is a great deal fitter to serve God in these Houses that were so Zealously erected and so Religiously Consecrated for Gods service howsoever they were afterwards soyled with some vanities and perhaps defiled with some Idolatries then that they should be thrown down or be made a Stable for their Horses or a Kitchin to dress meat for their tables as some of these Sectaries have made these Houses of God to be 2. I say that there is no more affinity or likeness between those times of the Israelites and our times and betwixt that people who were Jews and us that are Christians then is betwixt Simon Peter and Simon Magus or Philip the Apostle and Philip King of Macedon for we are not commanded to do against Idolaters as they were commanded to do against the Canaanites as they were forbidden to make Covenants of peace or to have any commerce with the inhabitants of that place and they were commanded to root out and to destroy all that people and we have no such injunction to prohibite us to trade and traffick either with Papists Jews or Gentiles neither may the Reformed Churches and Protestants put others their neighbours to the sword only because they are Idolaters or of a contrary Religion but they are rather to labour for their Conversion as St. Paul did the Idolaters of Athens and not to work their destruction 3. I say that the examples of Jehosaphat and Hezechias are no commanding precepts and have not the force of laws and you know that Vivitur praeceptis non exemplis men are to live by laws and not by examples whereof we have more bad then good but were they never so good and so godly yet are they no Commanders but Councellors and no laws to injoyn us but lessâ—ns to direct us and that in the like cases for where the proportion and the equality betwixt the example and the following of it faileth there we must likewise fail to follow it and we find a great deal of disproportion and inequality betwixt the groves and high places of the Jews and our Cathedrals and Churches that were the Papists because their groves and high places were very dangerous to be left for the just fear of a secret access and coming unto them by the superstitious Jews that were alwaies so apt and so ready to fall into Idolatry and our Cathedralls and Churches are freed from this fear when as they are throughly cleansed and purged from all the former superstitions by the pure Preaching of the Word of God and no Idolatrous Papist comes unto them nor any other but only those that professe themselves to be of the pure Religion And therefore learned Zanchius saith that Vbique locorum in omnibus ferè Hieron Zanch. de operibus redemptionis l. 1â— c. 12. Regnis Provinciis quae amplexae sunt evangelium Templa ipsa in quibus Idolatria admissa fuit tot annos retenta sunt In every place and in all Kingdoms and Provinces wel-nigh which have imbraced the Gospel the Churches themselves where Idolatry hath been committed have been retained so many years together And why should they not be still used For what evil have the Churches committed that they which were dedicated to such an Holy use as is the true service of God should be now so severely handled as to be either quite demolished or diverted and turned to any other purpose For the senseless creatures cannot be said to be sinful and so not to be censured and therefore the Leprous mans house was rather to be purged then to be pulled down and where the malady is uncurable there as the Poet saith immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum ne pars syncera trahatur The part only infected and putrified is to be cut off and not to cast away the whole and so the wiser Divines threw down the Altars of those Churches where Idolatry and superstition were most used but they thought good to keep the Churches still to their former uses And so when the two hundred and fifty men offered incense unto the Lord in the Rebellion of Kora God himself bade Eleazar the High Priest not to throw away those brasen Censers which those men offered but to imploy them for his service and to make of them Broad plates for a covering Numb 16. 38. of the Altar And when Jericho was taken by the Israelites Joshua caused the Gold Silver Brass and Iron that were execrable goods not to be thrown away but to be brought into the House of the Lord and put into the Treasury of Gods House And it is very well worth your observation to Josh 6. 26. consider what the Lord himself commandeth Gedeon to do namely to take his Fathers young Bullock even the second Bullock of seven years old that was fed to be offered unto Baal and throw down the Altar of Baal and cut down the grove that is by it and Build an Altar unto the Lord Judg. 6. 26. thy God upon the top of this rock and Take the second Bullock and offer a burnt Sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down And according to these Presidents the Law provided that the houses Cod. l. 1. tit 8. Valent. Mart. tit 12. leg 11. Honor. wherein the Hereticks did meet and broached their damnable Divinity should be adjudged to be united to the Orthodoxal Churches as were also the houses and habitations of the Caelicoles that were Hereticks so called and in Saint Augustines time the Churches that the
saluberrimi timoris infunderet cum ipse etiam qui labi non posset perfectae vitae gratiam non nisi perfecta aetate praedicaret And our Redeemer that is the Creator of the Heavens and Teacher of Angels would not be made the Teacher of men here on Earth before he was thirty years of age that so he might powre forth the force and fruit of wholesome fear to them that are fallen when as he also that could not fall did not preach the grace and waies of a perfect life but in a perfect age and to see likewise that they should be no waies unworthy of so high a calling but every way qualified both for life and doctrine so as the Word of God doth require have notwithstanding either by the solicitation of friends or for some other respects and perhaps worser Corruption many times made young novices illiterate men and which is far worse men of corrupt minds and of bad lives of loose dissolute carriage the Priests of the most High God to wait at his Altar that were not worthy to wait on our Table And therefore as those Bishops that did thus did herein falsify their Faith to God and betrayed his service to these unworthy men So the just God hath most justly suffered these perfidious men to betray their makers to spit in their Fathers faces and to combine themselves with the enemies of Christ to destroy the Bishops of Gods Church and so as the Poet saith in another kind Ignavum fucos pecus à praesepibus arcent This wicked brood that we our selves begat and made would drive their Sires from their hives and from our offices And I know not by what fatality unless it be by the just wrath of God to intail the wickedness of the Fathers like the Leprosy of Gehezi unto the Children for the sins and injustice of the Fathers that are so well known and ingraven in the consciences of the Children yet so it is most generally found that the Children of the precedent Bishops that have most wronged the Church and their Successors are in all things most contrariant Why the sons of Bishops are most spitefulâ— unto the Succeeding Bishops and opposites I will not say spiteful or envious to the succeeding Bishops because as I conceive their hearts tell them what injuries their Fathers did them for their sakes and themselves continue therein and therefore do conceive that the present Bishops cannot think well nor love them that have so much wronged both them and the Church of God and to requite them according to their own thoughts with hate for hate they are of all others most spiteful crossing and prejudiciall unto them or else because they do imagine that the present and succeeding Bishops will be as wicked and as unjust as their Fathers and their predecessors were and therefore deserve neither love nor favour from them And I heard many As Alexander the Copper-smith with stood S. Paul So the last Bishops son withstandeth me to recover the rights of the Church Parliament men say that in the Long Anti-Christian Parliament none were more violent against the Bishops then the sons and posterity of Precedent Bishops I found it so And I have espied another fault in some of our former Bishops not a little prejudiciall to the Honor of God and the good of the Church of Christ and that is not only to give Orders to unworthy men but also to bestow livings upon unworthy Priests for as the old saying was Rector eris praesto de sanguine praesulis esto Or as another saith Quatuor ecclesias portis intratur in omnes Prima patet magnis nummatis altera tertia charis Sed paucis solet quarta patere Dei So it was their practice to bestow Livings Rectories Prebends and other Preferments not on them that best deserved them but either upon their Children friends or servants or on them that could as the story goeth tell them who was Melchisedeckâ— Faâ—her that is to say St. Peters lesson And so to the lessoâ— and to the lessâ—â— of the Church-Lands to the prejâ—dice of the Church the â—ike curse and Anathema is duâ— Aâ—rum argentum non est mihi in the affirmative way which is a fault worthy to be punished by the Judges For as it is most truely said Quicunque sacra vel sacros ordines vendant aâ—t emunt sacerdotes esse non possunt whosoever do buy or sell holy orders or any holy things cannot be Priests Vnde scriptum est Anathema danti Anathema accipienti whence it is written Let Gods curse be to the buyer and the curse of God to the receiver because this buying and selling of Holy things and things dedicated for the service of God is the Simoniâ—cal Heresie or Heresie of Simon Magus Qâ—omodo ergo si Aâ—athematizati sunt sancti non sunt sanctificare alios possunt How then if they be accursed and no Saints can they make others Habetur 1. q. 1. Can. Qâ—â—cunque Saints or sanctify them Et cum in corpore Christi non sint quomodo Christi corpus tradeâ—e vel accipere possunt Et qui maledictus est benedicere quomodo potest And seeing such men are not in the body of Christ how can they deliver or receive the body of Christ and how can he that is accursed himself bless any other And therefore seeing the Word of God requireth the Bishops and Ministers of Christ should be so Holy in their lives and so qualified with knowledge and learning for the instruction of the people as I shewed to you before and is typified by those Golden Bâ—ls and the Pomegranats that were to be set in the skirts of Aarons robes round about the Bels signifying the teaching of the people and the Pomegranats the sweet smelling fruits of a good and godly life It behoves the Kings and Princes to whom God hath given the prime Soveraignty and commandeth them to have a care of his Honor and the service of his Church to see so far as they can that the Bishops and Prelates which they place over Gods people be so qualified as God requireth and to injoyn these their prime Substitutes to look that those Priests and Deacons which they make and place in the Church be likewise such as I have fore-shewed for this God requireth at their hands and this David Jehosaphat Ezeâ—hias Josias and all the good and godly Kings of Israel and Juda and all the pâ—ous Christian Kings and Emperors did and I do know how zealously and carefully our late most gracious King Charles the I was to place Able Religious and Godly Bishops over Godâ— Church which is a special duty of every King And because also the Prelates and Bishops are not all or may not all be no more then the Apostles were all such as they should be but some of them may be such as I have shewed to you before either like Simon Magus selling what they should freely give or
professed in Q. Elizabeth's times that was established by the Lawes justified by the paines and confirmed by the bloud of so many worthy men and faithful Martyrs but a new religion first hatched in Amsterdam then nourished in New-England and now to be transplanted into this Kingdom 3. Who are the persons that are imployed in this war he first of all that 3. Meet Members is the more disloyal because he was a person of honour that had so much honour conferred upon him by His Majesty and so much trust reposed in him and would notwithstanding prove so unthankful as to kick with his heeles against his Master and so follow whom you know passibus aequis whose example any other man that were not rob'd of his understanding would make a remora to retain him from rebellion and what are the other heads but a company either of poor needy and mean condition'd Lords and Gentlemen Who the Rebels are and what manner persons they be or discontented Peers that are misled or such factious Sectaries whose blind zeal and furious malice are able to hurry them headlong to perpetrate any mischief for their Captains and their Officers I believe they fight neither for the Anabaptists creed nor against the Romane faith nor to overthrow our Protestant Church but for their pay for which though they cannot be justified to take their hire for such ill service to rebel against their King and to murder their innocent brethren Yet are they not so bad as their grand Masters and for their common Souldiers I assure my self many of them fight against their wills many seduced by their false Prophets others inticed by their factious Masters and most of them compelled to kill their brethren against their wils and therefore in some places though their number trebled the Kings yet they had rather run away then fight and what a miserable and deplorable case is this when so many poor soules shall be driven unto the Devil by Preachers and Parliament against their wills 4. If you consider quâ authoritate by what authority they wage this war 4. The supreme authority they will answer by the Authority of Parliament and that is just none at all because the Parliament hath not the supreme authority without which the war is not publique nor can it be justified for a war is then justifiable when there is no legal way to end the controversie by prohibiting farther appeales which cannot be but onely betwixt independent States and several Princes that Albericus Gentilis de jure belli l. 1. c. 2. Subjects can never make a lawful war against their King have the supreme power in their own hands and are not liable to the censure of any Court which power the Parliament cannot challenge because they are or should be the King 's lawful Subjects and therefore cannot be his lawful enemies but they will say Master Goodwin Burroughs and all the rest of our good men zealous brethren and powerful Preachers do continually cry out in our eares it is bellum sanctum a most just and holy war a war for the Gospel and for our Lawes and Liberties wherein whosoever dies he shall be crowned a Martyr I answer that for their reward they shall be indeed as Saint Augustine saith of the like Martyres stultae Philosophiae when every one of them may Res dura ac plena pericli est regale occidisse genus be indicted at the bar of God's justice for a felo de se a Malefactour guilty of his own untimely death and for their good Oratours that perswade them to this wickednesse I pray you consider well what they are men of no worth rebellious against the Church Rebels against the King factious Schismaticks of In what condition their Preachers are and of what worth no faith of no learning that have already forfeited their estates if they have any and their lives unto the king and will any man that is wise hazard his estate his life and his soul to follow the perswasions of these men my life is as deare to me as the Earle of Essex his head is to him and my soul dearer and I dare ingage them both that if all the Doctors in both Vniversities and all the Divines within the kingdome of England were gathered together to give their judgement of this War there could not be found one of ten it may be as I beleive not one of twenty that durst upon his conscience say this war is lawful upon the Parliament side for though these Locusts that is the German Scottish It is contrary to the doctrine of all the Protestant Church for Subjects to resist their king and the English puritane agreeing with the Romane Jesuite ever since the reformation harped upon this string and retained this serpentine poison within their bosome still spitting it forth against all States as you may see by their bookes Yet I must tell you plainly this doctrine of Subjects taking up armes against their lawful King is point blanck and directly against the received doctrine of the Church of England and against the tenet of all true Protestants and therefore Andreas Rivetus Professor at Leyden writing against a Jesuite Paraeus in Rom. 13. Boucher l. 2. c. 2. Kecâ—erm Syst pol. c. 32. Jun. Bruâ— q. 2. p. 56. Bellar. de laic c. 6. Suar. de fid cathol c. 3. Lichfield l. 4. 19. sect 19. Field l. 5. c. 30. that cast this aspersion upon the Protestants that they jumpe with them in this doctrine of warring against and deposing kings saith that no Protestant doth maintain that damnable doctrine and that rashness of Knox and Buchanan is to be ascribed praefervido Scotorum ingenio ad audendum prompto Juel and Bilson and all the Doctors of the Church are of the same minde and Lichfield saith no Orthodox father did by word or writing teach any resistance for the space of a thousand yeares and Doctor Field saith that all the worthy fathers and Bishops of the Church perswaded themselves that they owed all duty unto their kings though they were Hereticks and Infidels and the Homilies of the Church of England allowed by authority do plainly and peremptorily condemne all Subjects warring against their King for Rebels and Traytors that do resist the ordinance of God and procure unto themselyes damnation and truely I beleive most of their own consciences tell them so and they that thinke otherwise I would have them to consider that if they were at a banquet where twenty should aver such a dish to be full of poyson for every one that would warrant it good would'st thou venture to eate it and hazard thy life in such a case O then consider what it is to hazard thy soule upon the like termes So you see the justness of the War on the Parliament side But. 1. On the Kings side it cannot be denied but his cause is most just for his own defence for the maintenance of the
Rents by you reserved and other particulars relating to the premises you are to give an exact and speedy Account unto Your very loving Friends Hen. Tichburn Joh. Stephens Hans Hamilton Ran. Clayton Alex. Piggot According to the purport of the above Letter We do hereby give notice unto all persons Concerned that Fryday next being the 30th of this Instant May We do intend to sett and dispose of all such Houses c. Which Letter we have thought fit to publish that so none might plead Ignorance Dated the 26th of May. 1662. Tho. Evans Rob. Lloyd Ol. Wheeler Will. Hamilton Hen. Brenn. Whereby all men may see how the Church and poor Bishop of Ossory do seem to stand in the hands of Scyron and Procrustes The Souldiers of the Vsurpers that fought against their King and do still detain the Church-land from the Bishop And now like that in the Canticles wounded in the house of our friends the Souldiers in 49. that were most faithful unto your Majesty do still seek to take away our Houses from the Church And if we lose both House and Land we may go to live in the Church and lie with the Levite in the Streets But as your Majesty hath been most Gracious to the Bishops and to all the Clergy so bountifull as to grant them almost as much as we could desire so our hope and humble Request is that you will not suffer these men to take from us so much as they desire For the preventing of which desire of theirs if it may be I have endeavoured to arm my self with a resolution neither to fear nor flatter any man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they that fear the smoak may fall into the fire Et qui timet pruinam opprimetur à nive that is as S. Gregory moralizeth it He that fears the frost of mans anger which he may tread under his feet may be overwhelmed with the hail and snow of God's wrath which shall fall upon his head so that he can not escape it And I have studied not to prepare sweet and savory meat unto my Readers but salubria medicamenta those medicines that shall be most wholesome for their Souls And because the ears of all Church-robbers are like the ears of the deaf Adder that will not be charmed and the walls of this sin of Sacriledge are like the walls of Jericho that cannot be tumbled down without the shrill sound of Trumpets and Rams horns I have sharpned my Pen and in the bitterness of my soul for the havock that I see made of the Patrimony of God's Church I have indeavoured to speak not in the mild voice of Eli to his sons but with the rough speeches of Joseph unto his brethren that had slept so many years in their sins as our people have done in their Sacriledge and yet think it to be no sin And I doubt not but that this my Discourse will prove as the waters of gall and as bitter as wormwood unto those mens stomacks that are so greedy as we see men are to get away the lands and possessions of the Church and my self to be maligned and envyed to the full But I assure them Non flocci facio I weigh it not a rush for I have hardened my face like an Adamant and as the Lord saith to Ezechiel Whether they will hear or whether they will forbear I will speak what I conceive to be truth and nothing but what my Conscience tells me is truth And if in any thing I shall mistake it is not amor erroris the love of error or the hatred of any of those Sacrilegious persons that rob the Church but it is error amoris the error of my love to the Church of Christ and unfaigned desire to promote the service of God and the good of the poor and honest Irish of this Kingdom and so if I have offended I shall humbly crave your Majesties pardon and most willingly submit my self to the censure of the Church and with my morning evening and noon-daies prayers for your Majestie 's long-life and much happiness I rest Your Majestie 's most humble devoted and most faithful Loyal Subject Gryffith Ossory To all the COMMISSIONED OFFICERS of the KINGS ARMY in the year 1649. Noble and Worthy Gentlemen WHose true faithfulness to your King and great Valour in the Wars undertaken to defend the beâ—t King on And to say the truth I blame not all the Souldiers and Commissionâ—d Officers when I found very many of them very honest very religious men and some of them have told me they would not medle and wished that the rest of the Souldiers would not meddle with the lands or housesof the Church Earth and to preserve his undubitable Right unsnatched from him by wicked Rebels doth undoubtedly merit in the judgement of all wise and honest men no small Reward far more than the reach of my understanding can express Yet ye must give me leave to tell you That I should be heartily sorry that any man could justly say That your great Deserts were any wayes stained with the tincture of Sacriledge which I assure my self you would never permit if you conceived any thing that you do to have the least affinity with that ugly Bastard-Brat Therefore I have undertaken in the sincerity of my Conscience and according to the best and uttermost of my knowledge without the least ill thought of any of you all or the least covetous desire to take any thing from you that is inoffensively your due but to discharge the duty that Iowe to God and his Church to compose this subsequent Treatise concerning Sacriledge and to shew how horrible how odious a sin it is in the sight of God how derogatory and prejudicial it is to the Honour and Service of Jesus Christ and how dangerous and how it damnifieth those that commit it the same being a Canker that will eat and consume all that they have before many Generations pass away a sword that will cut down their posterity from off the earth and a sin that obligeth them to eternal damnation without the great mercy of God to accept their great and unfeigned repentance for the same And what you imagin I do herein against you I do assure you if you will believe me it is not so much to get either lands or houses from you as to hinder you as I conceive so deeply to wound your own selves For Better is a little that is duly gotten without blame and brings a blessing with it than a great deal that is unjustly obtained with a curse at the heels of it But you will say That you do nothing but what you justly may do by the Laws of our Land and what others do and have done before you And truly I do think so too But I have fully answered this Allegation and as I suppose whatsoever else can be said in this Treatise And I ask of you Whether you conceive that Humane Laws and Acts
of Parliament made by powerful Commands and either through fear or errour can make that which is against the Will and contrary to the Law of God to be no sin or free the sinner from God's wrath Or do you think that I stand against so many well-deserving Gentlemen of such means and friends and power as you are only for covetousness to gain the Rent of a few houses and no longer than the remainder of a poor old man's life Surely not any one that had but the least inch of worldly wisdom would do so For besides my pains and labour I have spent already and shall spend yet before the Church shall lose them perhaps ten times more than my span-long life shall gain by them And what of that I have done my best when I have lost them Et liberavi animam meam and shall leave to God Causam suam Let him arise and defend his own Cause but let men take heed how they strive against God or seek to obstruct his Service and cause the diminution of his Worship which I hope your Piety will never suffer any one of you to do And I shall pray for you all and assuredly remain Your affectionate friend and servant Gryffith Ossory THE CONTENTS of the Chapters Chap. I. AN Introduction shewing the occasion of this Treatise and what the Author doth therein Page 1. Chap. II. Of Sacriledge what it is how manifold it is and how it hath been alwayes punished and never escaped the Hand of the Divine Vengeance p. 4. Chap. III. The divers sorts and kinds of Sacrilegious persons And first of those that do it under colour of Law and upon the pretence of Reformation whereby they suppose their Sacriledge to be no Sacriledge at all p. 15. Chap. IV. Of two sorts of Sacrilegious persons that rob the Church of Christ without any colour or pretence of Law but indeed contrary to all Law p. 21. Chap. V. The words of King David in the 2 Sam 7. 1 2. and their divisions When they were spoken And how or in what sense Sitting and Standing are commonly taken in the Scriptures And of the two Persons that are here conferring together p. 27. Chap. VI. What the Rest and peaceable times of King David wrought The Prince's authority in causes Ecclesiastical and how they should be zealous to see that God should be justly and religiously served p. 31. Chap. VII The Objections of the Divines of Lovain and other Jesuites against the former Doctrine of the Prince his Authority â—ver the Bishops and Priests in Causes Ecclesiastical answered And the foresaid truth sufficiently proved by the clear testimony of the Fathers and Councils and divers of the Popes and Papists themselves p. 37. Chap. VIII That it is the Office and Duty of Kings and Princes though not to execute the Function and to do the Office of the Bishops and Priests yet to have a special care of Religion and the true Worship of God and to cause-both the Priests and Bishops and all others to discharge the duties of God's Service And how the good and godly Emperours and Kings have formerly done the same from time to time p. 41. Chap. IX Of the chiefest Parts and Duties of Kings and Princes which they are to discharge for the maintenance of God s Service and the True Religion and the necessity of Uathedral-Churches and Chappels for the people of God to meet in for the Worship and Service of God p. 46. Chap. X. The Answer to the Two Objections that the Fanatick-Sectaries do make 1. Against the necessity And 2ly against the Sanctity or Holiness of our Material Churches which in derision and contemptuously they call Steeple-houses p. 53. Chap. XI The Answer to another Objection that our Fanatick-Sectaries do make against the Beauty and Glorious Adorning of our Churches which we say should be done with such decent Ornaments and Implements as are besitting the House and Service of God The Reasons why we should Honour God with our goods and how liberal and bountiful both the Fathers of â—â—â— Old Testament and the Christians of the New Testament were to the Church of God p. 58. Chap. XII The Answer to another Objection that our brain-sick Sectaries do make for the utter overthrow of our Cathedrals and Churches as being so sowly stained and profaned with Popish Superstitions and therefore being no better than the Temples of Baal they should rather be quite demolished than any wayeâ— adorned and beautified p. 63. Chap. XIII That it is a part of the Office and Duty of Pious Kings and Princes as they are God's Substitutes to have a care of his Church to see that when such Cathedrals and Churches are builâ— and beautified as is fitting for his Service there be Able Religious and Honest painful and faithful Bishops placed in those Cathedrals that should likewise see Able and Religious Ministers placed in all Parochial Churches and all negligent unworthy and dissolute men Bishops or Priests reproved corrected and amended or removed and excluded from their places and dignities if they amend not p. 67. Chap. XIV Of the maintenance due to the Bishops and Ministers of God's Church how large and liberal it ought to be p. 75. Chap. XV. That the payment of Tythes unto the Church is not a case of Custom but of Conscience Whenas the tenth by a Divine right is the Teacher's tribute and the very first part of the wages that God appointed to be paid unto his Workmen and therefore that it is as heynous a sin and as foul an offence to defraud the Ministers of this due as it is to detain the meat or money of the labouring-man which is one of the four Crying-sins p. 82. Chap. XVI The Answer to the Choisest and Chiefest Objections that the School of Anabaptists have made and do urge against the payment of Tythes now in the time of the Gospel p. 91. Chap. XVII What the ancient Fathers of the Church and the Councils collected of most Learned and Pious Bishops have left written concerning Tythes And of the three-fold cause that detains them from the Church p. 98. Chap. XVIII Of the second part of the Stipend Wages and Maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel which is the Oblation Donation or Free-wil-offering of the people for to uphold and continue the true service of God and to obtain the blessings of God upon themselves and upon their labours which Donations ought not to be impropriated and alienated from the Church by any means p. 105. Chap. XIX That it is the duty of all Christian Kings and Princes to do their best endevours to have all the Impropriatioâ—s restored to their former Institution to hinder the taking away and the alienation of the Lands Houses and other the Religious Donations of our Ancestors from the Church of Christ and to suppress and 〈◊〉 all the Vnjust and Covetous sâ—ttle customs and frauds that are so generally used and are so derogatory to the service of God from
the Church or to take away the lands or houses of the Church which â—s a sin so daâ—â—â—rous to themselves so prejudicâ—all to the Church and so â—minous to the Common-wealth And let them remember what I said before that if Pharaoh in the time of that great famine which was in Aegypt made such provision for the Priests Gen. 47. that although all the other his subjects were constrained to sell their lands for sustenance yet the lands of the Priests were not sold neither had any of them any need to sell them and if Popish Priests that either preached not at all or preached their own traditions or some fabulous narrations and fictions out of their legends were so riâ—hly kept and still are in France Spaine and Italy on Saint Peters patrimony Why should they deal so hardly and so niggardly with the Ministers of the Gospel that do sincerely Preach the truth of Jesus Christ unto their people as to sell unto them or take away from them that little which is left and is most due unto them Or if all this will not serve to withdraw them from this sin let them take heed of the Prophets woe that crieth out against all such dealers saying Vae accumulanti non sua Woe be to him that heapeth together those Hab. 2. 6. things that are none of his own and especially those things that are the Churches goods for he shall find that this gain doth ever bring a rod at its back When as Zophar saith God shall cause him to vomit up that which he hath devoured and shall cast them out of his belly and render vengeance to Job 20. 15. him for the detriment and injury that he hath done to his Church and servants And this vengeance Saint Augustine noteth to be more grievous than the The punishment of Sacrilodge greater then the punishment of Idolatry Exod. 20. 2 Reg. 5. 27. punishment of Idolatry for whereas God threateneth to punish Idolaters but to the third and fourth Generation we find that the Sacriledge of Jeroboam in selling the Priests Office provoked God to root out his house and all his posterity from off the earth and the simony of Gehezi was punished with such a Leprosy as stuck both upon himself and upon all his whole seed for ever And no marvell that this sin of Sacriledge should be so odious unto God Why Sacriledge is so odious to God and so prejudiciall and infestuous to man and so infestuous and pernitious unto man because that although other sins as Idolatry Murder Adultery Theft and the like may be said to be but as it were private and particular sins that infect none or but few besides the doers of them yet this sin of Sacriledge is a publick and a far-spreading sin not only against some particular persons but against a multitude of men and against the whole body of Religion when by defrauding and taking away the maintenance of the Ministers the whole Ministry of Gods service is impaired and suffered nay caused to be neglected and decayed whereby not only Idolatry and false worship hath an open gap and How Sacriledge bringeth forth Atheism Idolatry and all Wickedness a broad way of entrance into Gods Church but also Atheism and no worship of God but all corruption and lewdness must be the chiefest fruit that can grow upon this accursed tree of Sacriledge when either the Souldiers or any others of the Lords or Gentry take the lands and houses of God into their possessions or the covetous Patrons do sell and make Merchandize of any Ecclesiastical preferment 2. As the irreligious Patrons do offend in selling the Ministers living 2. The Sacriledge of the people that he should freely bestow upon him so the Parishioners are as ready and as greedy to detain and keep back that right which is due to the Priest by Gods law and the Minister hath also bought from his Patron as the Patron was to sell what he should give And it is strange to think how witty they are to go to Hell if God be not the more mercifull unto them to hold them from it What shifts and tricks they have to hold back their hands from paying their Tythes and how loath they are to set out their Tythes and think all that lost that is laid out for the Priest But alas they should know that herein they deceive not us alone that are the Priests but their own souls also that are more damnified by this their Sacriledge then the Priests can be by the loss of their Tythes because that hereby they rob not men but God himself for that the Priests are but the Lords Receivers and his Rent gatherers of that small acknowledgment The Ministers are Gods Rent gatherers which he requires from us his Tenants at will for all the great things he gives to us to be repaid to him again as the testimony of our duty and thankfulness and the stipend that he hath allotted to them that are to serve him at his Altar And therefore when the Israelites gave unto their Levites as our people in many places do give unto their Preachers the blind the lame and the maymed the leanest Lamb and the leightest Sheave the Lord complaineth that they robbed and spoiled him in Tythes and Offerings Mal. 3. 8 10. Lev. 27. 30. because the Lord saith directly that all the Tythe of the Land is the Lords and all that is Holy unto the Lord. But seeing that this Sacrilegious Age hath produced and brought forth tot manus auferendi so many hands to take away the rights of the Church and so many tongues to speak against and adversaries to oppose the truth of the Doctrine of Tythes and to take away the Lands Houses and Possessions of the Church I shall leave it to be more fully handled towards the latter end of this discourse and Declaration against Sacriledge CHAP. V. The words of King David in the 2 Sam. 7. 1 2. and their division when they were spoken And how or in what sense Sitting and Standing are commonly taken in the Scriptures And of the two persons that are here conferring together IF you look into the 2 of Sam. 7. 1 2. verses you shall find it thus written Alterward When the King sate in his House and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies The King said unto Nathan the Prophet Behold now I dwell in a house of Cedar trees and the Ark of God remaineth in the Curtains and so forth For the better understanding of which words you may observe that the sum of this whole Chapter is 3. fold and containeth these 3. parts 1. Davids deliberation The summ of the Chapter 3. fold 2. Nathans replication 3. Davids gratulation 1. The Deliberation is about an Oratory and Temple or House to 1. The Deliberation be Erected and Dedicated to God for his servants to meet in to worship him and this is delivered
ruled by it 4. And lastly I say that the Regal Government or Temporal State and civil Government of the Common-wealth is not meerly secular and worldly as if Kings and Princes and other civil Magistrates were to take no care of mens souls and future happiness which they are bound to do and not to say with Cain Nunquid ego custos fratris Am I obliged to look what shall become of their souls But they are called Secular States and civil Government because the greatest though not the chiefest part of their time and imployment is spent about Civil affairs and the outward happiness of the Kingdom even as the Ecclesiastical persons are bound to provide for the poor and to procure peace and compose differenâ—es among neighbours and the like civil offices though the most and chiefest part of their time and labour is to be spent in the Service of God and for the good of the souls of their people And so Johannes de Parisiis another man of Johannes de Parisiis Can. 18. the Roman Church doth very honestly say Falluntur qui supponunt quod potestas regalis sit Corporalis non Spiritualis quod habeat curam corporum non animarum quod est falsissimum They are deceived which suppose that the Regal power is only coâ—poral and not spiritual and that it hath but the care and charge over the bodies of his Subjects and not of their souls Wâ—ich is most false 2. They say as I have said even now that similitudes and examples Obj. nihil ponunt in esse and are no apodictical proofs for any weighty matters especially the examples of the old Testament to confirm the doing of the like things under the new Testament because that for us to be guided and directed by the examples of the old Law is the high-way to lead us to infinite inconveniences Therefore it followeth not that because the Kings of Israel and Juda did such things as are fore shewed unto the Priests and Levites and the setling of the Service in the Temple therefore our Moderne Princes should have the like Authority to do the like things unto the Bishops and Priests of the new Testament about the Worship of God and the Government of his Church and especially in the censuring of them that are appointed by Christ to be the Prime Governours of the same To this I answer 1. That this is as the Schooles say Petitio principii and Sol. a begging of the Question for we say that although for the pâ—rfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying or building up of Ephes 4. 12. the body of Christ that is the Church God hath set in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers and so Bishops and Priests 1 Cor. 12. 28. primarily and principally to discharge the aforesaid Offices and Duties yet this proveth not that they are simply and absolutely the Prime Governours and Chief Rulers of the Church but that the Kings and Princes in the In what sense the Bishops Priests and in what sense Kings Princes may be said to be the prime Governours of the Church Esay 49. 23. other respects aforenamed may be justly said to be the Prime and Supreme Goverâ—ours as well in all causes Ecclesiastical as Temporal for the Prophet Esay speaking of the Church of the Gospel saith That Kings should be her nursing fathers and Qâ—eens her nursing mothers And I hope you will yield that the fathers and mothers are the Prime and Supremest Governours of their children rather than their School-masters and Teachers But though the progeny of the Pope and our frantick Sectaries would fain thrust out the eyes of the politick Prince and make him just like Polyphemus that had a body of vast dimensions but of a single fight scarce able to see his wayes and to govern himself yet I shall by God's assistance make it most apparent unto you by the testimony of the Fathers Councils and some Popish Authors that the Soveraign Prince hath and ought to have alwayes a peremptory Supreme power as well over the Ecclesiastical persons and causes of the Church as over the Civil persons and causes of the Temporal State and Common-wealth For 1. S. Augustine writing against Parmenian the Donatist that would with 1. The testimony of the Fathers Aug. p. 1. Cont. Epistâ—lam Parmon our Disciplinarians that are the very brood of those Donatists unarme the King of his Spiritual Sword saith An forte de Religione fas non est ut dicat Imperator vel quos miserit Imperator Cur ergo ad Imperatorem vestri venerunt legati Cur eum fecerunt causae suâ— judicem Is it not lawful for the Emperour and so the Prince or whomsoever he shall send to treat and determine matters of Religion If you think it is not Why did your Messengers then come unto the Emperour And why did they make him the Judge of their cause Whereby you see S. Augustine judgeth the Emperour or any other Supreme Prince to have a lawful power to hear and to determine the points and matters controverted among the Bishops and so to have a Spiritual jurisdiction as well as a Temporal Nicephorus also in his Preface to the Emperour Immanuel saith Tues Nicephorus in praefatione ad Immanuel Imperat Dux professionis fidei nostrae tu restituisti Catholiâ—am Ecclesiam reformasti Ecclesiam Dei à mercatoribus coelestis Doctrinae ab hâ—reticis per verbum veritatis Thou art the Captain of our Profession and of the Christian Faith and thou hast Restored or Reformed the Catholick Church and cleansed it from those Merchants of the heavenly Doctrine and from all the Hereticks by the word of Truth And I think nothing can be said fuâ—â—er and clearer than this to justifie the Spiritual jurisdiction of the Prince and Supreme Magistrate in causes Ecclesiastical Yet Theodoret and Eusebius say as much Theodoretus l. 1 c. 7. of Constantine the Great 2. You may read in the Council of Chalcedon That all the Bishops and 2. The testimony of the Councils Clergy that were gathered together to that place as the Members of our Parliament use to do were wont to lay down the Canons they had agreed upon in the Council until the Emperour should come to confirm them with his Royal assent and when the Emperour came they said These Decrees seem good unto us if they seem so to your Sacred Mâ—jesty And the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople that was after the first Council of Ephesâ—s Concil Chalcedon Artic. 1. pag. 831. wrote thus submissively unto the Emperour Theodosius We humbly beseech your Clemency that as you have honoured the Church with your Letters by which you have called us together Ita finalem conclusionem decretorum nostrorum corrobores sententia tua sigillo So you would be pleased to strengthen and confirm the last conclusion of our Decrees by your Royal
Government of the Common-wealth CHAP. VIII That it is the Office and Duty of Kings and Princes though not to execute the function and to do the Offices of the Bishops and Priests yet to have a speciall care of Religion and the true Worship of God and to cause both the Priests and Bishops and all others to discharge their duties of Gods service And how the good and godly Emperours and Kings have formerly done the same from time to time BUt as God hath given unto the Kings and Princes of this world a Power and Authority as well over his Church and Church-men be they Prophets Apostles Bishops Priests or what you will as over the Common wealth and all the lay persons of their Dominions So they ought and are bound to have a special care of Religion and to discharge their duties for the glory of God the good of his Church the promoting of the Christian Faith and the rooting up of all Sects and Heresies that defile and corrupt the same for as Saint Augustine saith and I shewed you before In Aug. contra Crescon l. 3. c. 51. hoc Reges Deo serviunt herein Kings and Princes do serve God if as they are Kings they injoyn the things that are good and inhibit those things that are evil and that Non solum in iis quae pertinent ad humanam Societatem sed etiam ad divinam Religionem and again he saith that Kings do serve Idem Epist 48. Christ here on earth when they do make good laws for Christ and Athanasius said unto the Emperour Jovinian Conveniens est pro principe studium amor rerum divinarum It is meet and convenient for a good Prince to study and love Heavenly things because that in so doing his heart shall be alwaies as Solomon saith in manu Dei in the hand of God and Saint Theodoret l. 4. c. 3. Cyrill tells the Emperours Theodosius and Valentinian that Ab ea quae erga Deum est pietate reipublicae vestrae status pendet the state and condition of Prov. 21. 1. their Common-wealth doth wholly depend according to that piety and Religion which they bear towards God Because as Cardan truely saith Cardanus do sapientia lib. 3. Summum praesidium Regni est justitia ob apertos tumultus Religio ob occultos Justice is the best defence of a Kingdom and the suppressor of open tumults because righteousness exalteth a Nation and Religion is the only Protector and safety against all secret and privy Machinations because as Minutius Minut. Fâ—l in Octav. Foelix saith What the Civil Magistrate doth with the sword of justice to suppress the nefarious doers and actours of wickedness Religion rooteth The want of the fear of God the only thing that maketh Rebells out and suppresseth the very thought of evil which a Godly and a Religious man feareth as much and more then a wicked and prophane man doth dread the punishment of his offence and so Religion Piety and the fear of God keepeth the very hearts and souls of the subjects from swelling against their Soveraign and from the least evil thought of Rebellion and it is the want of the fear of God and true Religion whatsoever men pretend that makes Rebels and Traytors in every place because the true Religion Rom. 13. 1. tels us plainly that every soul that is every man unfainedly from his heart should be subject to the Higher Powers And the true Religion teacheth us as Tertull. saith Colere Imperatorem ut hominem à Deo secundum Tertul. ad Scapul solo Deo minorem To acknowledge and to serve the Emperour and so our King and our Prince as the next person to God and inferior to none but to God When as he is Omnibus major solo Deo minor above all men and below none but only God And therefore it is most requisite that all Kings and Princes should have How requisite it is for Kings to have a care to preserve Religion care of the true Religion and the service of God and with the Prophet David to build Temples and Churches for him that hath given their Crowns and Thrones unto them and to provide maintenance for those servants of God that serve at his Temple as they do for those that serve themselves and so both to be Religious themselves and to see that their subjects so far as it lieth in them should be so likewise and this their own piety and goodness in the service of God will make them famous amongst all posterities and their names to shine as the Sun when as Saint Ambrose saith Nihil honorificentius quà m ut Imperator filius Dei dicatur nothing Ambrosius Epist 32. can be more honorable then that the Emperour or King should be named and called the Son of God which is a more glorious Eâ—logie then Homer The fruits and benefits of maintaining true Religion in a kingdom could give to the best Heroes of all Greece or that Alexander Julius Caesar or the like could atchieve by all their military exploits or the best domestick actions that they have done and their making provision for the Teachers of the true Religion and the promoters of Gods service the Bishops and Ministers of Christ his Church which makes their subjects both Loyall and obedient unto them and also Religious towards God will preserve the peace and procure the happiness of their Kingdoms And according as God hath given this Authority and laid this charge How many former kings were very zealous to uphold Religion upon all Kings and Princes to have a care of his Religion and the Ministers of his Church so we find very very many both in former times and also of latter years and so both of Gentiles Jews and Christians that were exceeding zealous for the Honor of God and the upholding of them that served at his Altar as 1. Gentile kings 1. The Gentile Kings as Pharaoh King of Egypt that in the extremity of that dearth which swallowed the whole Land he made provision for Gods Priests so that they neither wanted means nor were driven to sell The great bounty of king Croesus to the god Apollo and to his Priests their Lands And so Croesus King of Lydia was so wounderfull zealous of the Honor and the worship of the god of Delphos and so bountifull to Apollo's Priests that Herodotus saith that he made oblation of three thousand choice Cattel such as might lawfully be offered and caused a great stack of wood to be made wherein he burnt Bedsteads of Silver and Gold and Golden Maysors with purple rayment and Coats of exceeding value and he laid the like charge upon the Lydians that every man should consecrate those Jewels which he possessed most costly and pretious from which their Sacrifice when as the streams of liquid and molten Gold distrained in great abundance he caused thereof to be framed half slates or sheards
keep and look to thy foot when thou goest to the House of God which is as God himself expoundeth the meaning thereof unto Moses saying Put off thy shooes from thy Exod. 3. feet that is to make clean thy waies and bring no filth nor any carnall affections nor worldly desires into the House of God because The place whereon thou standest is Holy ground that is by reason of Gods gracious and speciall presence in that place where Moses stood and where God is prayed unto and praised by the Minister and Worshipped by the rest of his faithfull servants And if any man desires fuller proofs of this truth I refer him to Cardinall Bellarmin and to that excellent and Learned Sermon of Master Mede upon the 1 Cor. 11. 22. Yet I deny not but the prime Primitive Christians and the Church The prime primitive Christians had no stately Churches and why which was at Jerusalem and received that Religion that is the Faith of Christ which the Scribes and Pharisees and their laws did not allow of were constrained many times to hide their heads in desolate places and were inforced by stealth to exercise and discharge the duties of their profession in vaults and private houses where they might be most safe though the places were not sutable to their service the swords of their enemies were so sore against them But at length between times by sufferance and connivency and sometimes through favour and protection they began to be imboldened and to reare up Oratories and Churches though but simple and of mean aspect because the estates of most of them were but mean and very low as S. Paul sheweth Not many Rich not many Noble are called which was indeed a 1 Cor. 1. 26. good way to suppress the danger of malignity that looks not so much after poor estates and a good way to increase their number and propagate their design with more safety And as by this means the Church began to take root and to grow stronger and the wealthier nobler and wiser men began to be in love with the Christian Religion So then they loved nothing more than to build Churches answerable for their beauty to the dâ—gnity of How zealously the fiâ—st Christians were affected how bountifully they contributed towards the building of their Churches their Religion and for their greatness to the number of their Professors And the devotion of these Christians was so large and did so liberally contribute towards the erecting of their Churches as the Israelites in the dayes of Bezaliel did chearfully present their Gifts and Free-will-offerings towards the setting up of the Tabernacle no man was backward and no man a niggard in this work which they conceived to be so profitable and so necessary for them to do and that in two special respects 1. The good that is effected 2. The evils that are prevented by the publick meeting of the people in these Churches 1. The meeting of the Congregation publickly in a lawful place and a The double benefit that we reap by our coming to the Publick meeting in the Church 1. Benefit consecrated Church assures them they offend not the Laws either of God or man and so secures them from all blame and prevents the occasion to traduce and to suspect the lawfulnesse of the holy Duties that we perform when as Veritas non quaerit angulos Truth and the performance of just things and holy actions need not run and hide themselves in private hidden and unlawful places but may shew themselves and appear so publickly as they might not be subject to any the least unjust imputation 2. The meeting in a publick consecrated Church and not in a private 2. Benefit Conventicle escapes those dangerous plots and machinations that are very often invented and contrived in those Conventicles that are vailed for that purpose under the mantle and pretence of Religion And it freeth the comers unto the Church from those seditious Doctrines and damnable Divinity which the Sectaries and Hereticks do scatter and broach in those unlawful Conventicles which are the fittest places for them to effect their wicked purpose and must needs be sinful and offend both God and man because they are contrary to the Laws both of God and man Whenas the coming unto the Church quits my conscience from all fear of offending because that herein I do obey and do agreeable to the Laws both of God and man And who then that hath any dram of wit would not avoid private and forbidden meetings and go to serve God unto the publick Church which is the House of God erected and dedicated for his Service CHAP. X. The Answer to the Two Objections that the Fanatick-Sectaries do make 1. Against the Necessity And 2ly against the Sanctity or Holiness of our Material Churches which in derision and contemptuously they call Steeple houses ANd yet for all this and all that we can say for the Church of God I find Four sorts of Objections that are made by our Fanaticks and 4 Sorts of Objections against our Material Churches Skenimastices against our Material Churches As 1. Against the Necessity 2. Against the Sanctity 3. Against the Beauty Glory 4. Against the impurity Impiety of them 1. They do object there is no Necessity of any Material House or Church 1. Objection against the necessity that we have no need of Churches of God for his servants to meet in to serve God because the woman of Samaria discoursing with Christ about the place where God would be worshipped Whether in that Mountain where the Fathers worshipped or in Hierusalem which as the Jews said was the place where men ought to worship Our Saviour tells her plainly They worshipped they knew not what for the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet in Hierusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth because God is a Spirit and they that worship John 4. 20 23. him must worship him in Spirit and in truth and such worshippers the Father seeks and such he loves And therefore so we have clean hearts and pure consciences and worship God with our souls and spirits faithfully to pray unto him and to praise his Name it is no matter for the place where we do it in a Church or in a Barn because God looks rather to the inward heart than to the outward place where we stand To this I answer Maledicta glossa quae corrumpit textum and our Saviours Sol. words gives them no colour to extort such consequences and to draw such conclusions from them for the words are plain enough that although formerly before Moses his time Jacob had a Well near Sichar and he with the other Fathers worshipped God in that Mountain and afterwards God required them to worship him in the place that he should chuse to put his Name there which after the time of David and
the building of his Temple by Solomon was to be Hierusalem and no where else to perform the commanded Publick Service of God under the punishment of cutting off that soul from his people that should do otherwise Yet the hour cometh and now is that is coming or beginning to come that the partition-Wall betwixt the Jews and the Gentiles shall be broken down and the bounds and borders of Gods Church and the true worshippers of God shall be inlarged and they may lawfully without offence worship God not only in Jury where God was only formerly known aright but also in all the Nations and in any Kingdom of the World so they worship him in spirit and in truth as they ought to do But here is not one syllable intimating that they should not or needed not to meet to serve God in the Publick Church but that whensoever and wheresoever in any Kingdom of the Earth they should gather themselves together in the Publick Church to worship God they should worship him in spirit and in truth otherwise their worship is to no purpose and will avail them nothing though they should do iâ— publickly in the Church This is the true meaning of our Saviours words 2. We have another sort of Sectaries that yield it requisite and convenient Obj. 2 for the Saints and servants of God to meet and gather themselves together for the Service of God and do acknowledg the great benefits that may accrew and be obtained in a Congregation rather than by any single person but they think there is no necessity of their meeting in a Material Church or a Steeple-house as they call it rather than in a house or a chamber or a barn or any other place where they shall appoint to meet because God hath made all places and there is no reall Sanctity in any one place more than in any other but the sanctity or holiness must be in the hearts of the men and not in the place which is not capable of any sanctity and therefore it is rather our superstition than Gods injunction to require and command men to come to such Material Churches as to the more sanctified places rather than to such private houses where these Saints do publickly meet to serve God To make a full Answer to this their Objection you must understand Sol. that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy is derived from the privative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Earth as if to be holy were nothing else but to be pure and clean and separated from all earthly touch And it is taken two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simply Holiness taken two wayes 1. Way 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In some respects And 1. Way God only is Holy and the Author of all Holiness and as the Blessed Virgin saith Holy is his Name And therefore those Seraphims which Esaias saw and those wonderous creatures which S. John saw did Esay 6. 3. Apoc. 4. 8. cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts three times together which we do not read of any other Attribute of God And the Lord himself in that golden Plaâ—e that was to be on Aarons forehead caused these words to be ingraven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holiness is of the Lord as Tremellius reads it or Sanctum Domino Holiness belongeth to the Lord as the Vulgar hath it 2. Way Many other things are stiled holy by communication of holiness 2. Way and receiving their holiness from this Fountain of Holiness And so 1. The Man Christ Jesus 2. The faithful Members of Christ 3. The Outward Professors of the Christian Religion 4. All things Dedicated and that have relation to God Service as Times Persons Places and Things are termed holy sanctitate relativa 1. The Man Christ is perfectly and singularly Holy as Beda saith And that 1. By reason of his Hypostatical union with the Godhead 2. By reason of the most perfect qualâ—ity of Holiness impressed by the Holy Ghost into his Humanity 2. The true Members of Christ are truly styled holy by reason of that holiness which the Holy Spirit of God worketh in them and they practise in their lives and conversations 3. All those that do outwardly profess the holy Religion of Jesus Christ are called Saints by the holy Apostles and so they are in respect of all Rom. 1. others that either do prophane abuse or neglect the same 4. All the things that are Consecrated by the prayers of the Bishop for the Service of God and those things that are Dedicated and given for the furtherance and maintenance of God's Worship as Lands Houses and the like are by a relative sanctity rightly termed holy things because they are separated and set apart as S. Paul saith of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for holy uses to bring men to holiness to honour serve and worship God that is Holiness it self And in this respect we say that the very ground walls windows and timber of the Material Church that are set forth Dedicated and Consecrated for God's Service are holy things not by any inherent reall sanctity infused into them but by a relative holiness ascribed and appropriated unto them by their Dedication and Consecration for God's Worship which makes them more holy and so to be deemed than all other earthly things whatsoever And though I will not lose my time and waste my paper to shew the folly and vanity of that ridiculous deduction of the Confuter of Will. Apollonius Grallae pag 29. in the 29. page of his Grallae against secondary or dependent holiness yet I will justifie the holiness and religious reverence that we owe and should render unto all the Material Churches that are Consecrated for Divine-Service against all prophaners of them Independents and Fanaticks whatsoever And for the satisfaction of every good and sober man that is not drunk with a prejudicate conceit against God's House I shall desire him to look into 2 Chron. 3. 1. and chap. 6. where he may find the Consecration of God's House and the prayer that Solomon made at the Consecration of it and the benefits the manifold benefits that they should reap which served God in that House And if he reads over that Chapter at his leisure and read it often and then seriously consider it and withal remember that of this House and the like Consecrated places that are Dedicated for God's Worship the Lord himself saith My House shall be Esay 56. 7. Matth. 21. 1â— Jerem. 7. 10. Psal 132. 15. called the House of prayer for all people and our Saviour Christ confirmeth the same that the Church which is the Publick place or place of Publick Prayers is rightly called the House of God and the House which is called by his Name and of which he saith This shall be my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have a delight therein Will he not confess that Gods House
in their case for all the lands and houses that they have For as when Antigonus asked the Philosopher Cleanthes that was Zeno's Scholler and had learnedly written of the Sun and Moon and Stars and other points of Astronomy Why he carried water in the night and did grinde at the Quern or Mill Cleanthes answered He was inforced to be thus occupied to get his living when he had no other means to maintain himself So when God shall demand of the Bishops and Ministers Why they do not study to teach his people and bestow alms on his poor creatures but look after their husbandry and follow after the affairs of the world and to do as many times my self have been inforced to do many base and servile works for want of means to hire other labourers and we shall answer as Cleanthes did This strange indignity is done unto us that we have no money to buy Books to study and to relieve the poor and to repair thy ruinous House nor scarce meanes to maintain our selves but by these unworthy wayes to get some small means of subsistance lest otherwise we should be forced with the Levite and his wife to lodge in the streets And when God shall reply again and demand How cometh this to passe when as the Kings Princes and other Noble men of the World the more excellent powerful and illustrious they are the more excellent and beneficial are the Places and Offices of their servants from whence it became a Proverb That no fishing to the Sea and no service to the Court. And I that am the Great and Almighty God of Heaven and the King of all Kings that do take pleasure in the prosperity of my servants and have promised riches and Psal 35. 27. Prov. 3. 16. c. 22. 4. honour to them that serve me and accordingly have allowed and commanded my Tythes and Oblations and the free gifts and will-offerings of my people to be inviolably set out and preserved for them that serve at mine Altar and yet notwithstanding all this that my Servants and Embassadors that are legati à latere should be in a poorer and a sadder condition than the servants of many mean Gentlemen and we shall answer It is true O Lord that thou art the Best Master in the World thy service is the most Honourable and the allowance that thou hast appointed for them is very ample and large and a most pentiful Royal Reward and we know that they which will faithfully serve thee shall want no manner of thing that Psal 34. 10. is good But the sons of Belial the off-spring of Baalam that loved the wages of unrighteousnesse have violated the covenant of Levi and rose up against him and being too strong for him have taken away the Tythes and Oblations the lands and the houses of thee our God into their possession and left the Church of Christ bare and naked to cry out Pellis ossa sum miser and that is the reason why we do not and cannot perform and do the service that thou requirest and we desire to do And then let the sacrilegious persons and the violaters of holy things The Souldiers that take away the goods and lands of the Church see what the Prophet saith of Levi and of his enemies for of Levi he saith Blesse O Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands And of his enemies he saith Smite thorough the loynes of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him smite them Deut. 33. 11. thorough and thorow that they rise not again And I do wonder that this prayer of Moses doth not make the hearts of all Church-robbers to shake and tremble when they do consider it But the enemies of God's Church that care not how much they pill and pluck from the Patrimony thereof and would have the Ministers and Bishops that are like fixed Stars in God's right hand to be like the Planets in the Zodiack that have no setled place but are carried about by an erratical and uncertain motion Yet cannot they endure to be termed sacrilegious but they cry out and say No and God forbid that they should take away any thing from the Church that belongs unto the Church So like the Jews that cried Templum Domini Templum Domini when they prophaned the same most of all their words are smoother than oil when in very deed they are very swords and will not be kept back from piercing us and Christ himself through our sides Therefore I will endeavour to shew unto them the truth and the equity The equity of the large and liberal maintenance of the Clergy of that large and liberal maintenance that God alloweth and is therefore due and not to be denied to the Bishops and the Ministers of the Gospel and this truth the Holy Scripture confirmeth many wayes As 1. That they should have maintenance it is manifest and few but mad men will deny it because the labourer is worthy of his hire and the Apostle Luke 10. 7. demandeth Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or Who feedeth a flock and doth not taste of the milk thereof And no man 1 Cor. 5. 7. can deny but the Bishops and Ministers of God's Word are the Husbandmen and the Dressers of God's Vineyard and the Shepherds of his Flock And the same Apostle saith That they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Aâ—tar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach 1 Cor. 9. 13. 14. the Gospel should live of the Gospel And the other reasons that this our Apostle produceth are 1. A minori the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn is not to be muzled 2. A majori the Preachers of God's Word do minister unto the people spiritual graces therefore the people should not muzzle the mouths of their Preachers and keep back their carnal things from them They are so plain and so pregnant to prove that Ministers should have maintenance that our very adversaries cannot contradict it Yet for all this some fanatick spirits void of all reason do object That Obj. as Nehemiah because he feared God spared the people from those exactions of money and corn and wine which other Governours had taken from them and prayed the Nobility that they should exact no such things from Nehem 5. 15 16. v. 10 12. their brethren and called the Priests also and took an oath of them that they should do accordingly So the Bishops and Ministers of Christ should much rather spare their people and not exact such parts and portions from them as they do To this I answer That Nehemiah was a potent and a powerful man that Sol was able to maintain at his Table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and Rulers besides those that came unto him from among the Heathen
benefit so he will be as graciously pleased we shall forgoe them and exchange them when we find it for our benefit and the benefit of his Church and Service which in all our bargains and commerce we ought chiefely to regard because we are but Gods Stewards for the service of his Church and so whatsoever our Religion and our Ancestors have honoured God withal we must imploy not so much for our own best advantage as for that which maketh most for Gods honor And therefore we that are instructed with the inheritance of the Church and portion of Jesus Christ must not make such bargains for our Master as Glaucus made for himself when he changed his golden Armour for brazen furniture neither must we deal with the Church of Christ as Rehoboam did with the Temple of Solomon when he took away all the shields of 1 Reg. 14. 26 27. gold and made in their steed shields of brass but what bargain or covenant soever we make without sin for the greater glory unto God and greater good unto the Church we hold it good with whomsoever the same is made CHAP. XIX That it is the duty of all Christian Kings and Princes to do their best endevours to have all the Impropriations restored to their former Institution to hinder the taking away and the alienation of the Lands Houses and other the Religious Donations of our Ancestors from the Church of Christ and to suppress and root out all the Vnjust and Covetous suttle customs and frauds that are so generally used and are so derogatory to the service of God from amongst the people and especially from this Kingdom of Ireland where most corruption is used and most need of Instruction unto the people THus you have heard how that Cathedrals and other Parochial Churches should be built and beautified for the Honor of God Godly Bishops and Preachers should be placed in them for the Service of God and then the allowance that God hath appointed should be given and yielded unto them for their maintenance And now because the Lands Houses Tythes and Hereditaments of the Church which the Lord God hath granted and the godly Emperours pious Kings and zealous Professors have given and dedicate for Gods service are in these dismal daies snatched away by the hands of Hacksters and haters of Religion and alâ—enated by the Souldiers that divide Christ his garments amongst them from the true servants and Ministers of Christ who should be very thankful unto these Souldiers as they often say that we have any thing left unto us For as the Orator â—elleth the grave Senators of Rome of an audacious fellow called Fimbria that stabbed Quintus Scaevola an honest man at the funerals of Caius Marius and then boasted of the great favour Cicerâ— in Orat pro Roscio â—merino that he shewed to him Quòd non totum telum in ejus corporâ— absconderat That he had not thrust his dagger wholly to the Hilt into his body but only gave him a slight stab that was sufficient to kill him So these brood of Fimbria having seized upon a great part of the Houses Lands and Patrimony of the Church and still detayning them Per fas nefas in their own hands do labour to get more and think the favour that they have done us deserveth no small thanks that they brought or left to us what we have and have not deprived us of all together Therefore Covetousness Injustice and the love of this World being so deeply grounded and setled in the hearts of our Demas's and this Epidemical disease of taking and detaining the Churches right being as one saith just like the Kings-evil which no Physitian but the King himself will serve to heal it Our address must be unto his Majesty to supplicate that he would be graciously pleased to interpose his Royal Command to stop the current of these intruders into Gods right and to cause the Restitution of the Church-goods to be made unto the Church And among the rest of the injuries done by these Mâ—litary * I speak of the Souldiers because either the Souldiers of that Parliament or of Crumwel oâ— his Majesty have almost all the Kingdom of Ireland and â—o fill the House of Lords and the House of Commons and are the chief men in every place So that nothing can be done either in Parliament City or Countrey but what they will have done because they are the Major Party and so can Out-vote all the rest and therefore Ireland being now Regnum Militum This my discourse cannot be Gratum opus agricolis but Ingratum miliâ—ibus which is all one to me if you consider what I say in the latter end of this book and that I fear not what they say of me Quia nec mâ—lior sum si laudaverâ—nt nec deterior si vituperaverint men to the Church of God there is one great Abuse which is generally used and practised here in Ireland by the rich proprietors and possessors of Lands and Town-ships to the abundant detriment and loss of the Ministers and to the hazard and danger if not the destruction of many I know not how many souls and that is when the Gentleman proprietor that holds all or most of the Parish in his own hands if he be offended with his Minister and cannot have the Tythes as he pleaseth himself he can make the Rectory or Vicaridge that might be well worth fifty or sixty pounds per annum to be scarce worth ten pound a year or nothing for he will leave all his ground unplowed and turne it to pasture and so bring a dearth through the scarcity of Corn in the Common-Wealth and then he will buy young Bullocks and fils his Lands with dry Cattle whereof their Religious Lawyers of whom Dr. Gardiner †Dr. Gardiner in his Scourge of Sacâ—â—ledge saith that he never heard yet at any hand of any good that they have Prophesied unto the Church tels them their custome will preserve them from the payment of any Tythes and so they bring a spiritual dearth and a famine of Gods Word unto the rest of the poor parishioners when for want of sufficient maintenance they shall want a sufficient Minister that is able to give them any Instruction because as the Poet saith Nulla illis captetur gloria quaequâ— Ovid. trist lib. 5. Ingenii stimulos subdere fama solet And the benefit that these worldlings reap by this lawless impious and wicked Custome to pay no Tythes for their dry Bullocks nor any thing to God for the fruits of their ground is one main reason why the Minister's part of six or seven Parishes doth scarce amount to twenty pounds per annum as I have formerly shewed in my Reâ—onstrance to his Majesty and I conceive it likewise to be a special Reason why the poor simple Iâ—ish Papists have so many Popish Priests amongst them for want of Protestant Priests for that want of sufficient maintenance
be a tumult And no marvel Because they received incouragement as we believed from their defence and no reproof that we found was made for this indignity offered unto the King But if I be constrained and in danger it is not enough for me that I am voted free and safe For if that which looks as like a tumult as that did or as the representation of my face in the truest Glasse is like my face doth come against me and incompasse me about though I may be perhaps in more safety yet I shall think my self in great fear and in no more security than His Majesty was at Edge-hill 3. Because as the viewer of the Observat hath very well exprest it No Act 3. Reason p. 7. of Parliament can prevail to deprive the King of His Right and Authority as an Attainder by Parliament could not bar the Title to the Crown from descending on King Hen. 7. Nor was an Act of Parliament disabling King Hen. 6. to re-assume the Government of his people of any force but without any repeal in it self frustrate and void 7. Rep. 14. Calvins case an Act of Parliament cannot take away the protection or the Subjects service which is due by the Law of Nature 11. rep Sur de la Wares case William de la Ware although disabled by Act of Parliament was neverthelesse called by Queen Elizabeth to sit as a Peer in Parliament for that it seems the Queen could not be barred of the service and counsel of any of Her Subjects 2. H. 7. 6. a Statute that the King by no non obstante shall dispence with it is void because it would take a necessary part of Government out of the Kings hand And therefore I see not how this Act can deprive the King of the service and counsel of all his Bishops and Clergy but that it is void of it self and needeth no repeal or if otherwise yet seeing that besides all this 13. of the Bishops were shut in prison when this Act passed and their protestation was made long before this time and it was so unduly framed so illegally prosecuted and with such compulsive threats and terrours procured to be passed I hope the wisdom of the next Parliament together with their love and respect to the Church and Church-men will nullifie the same CHAP. VI. Sheweth the Plots of the Faction to gain unto themselves the friendship and assistance of the Scots And to what end they framed their new Protestation How they provoked the Irish to rebell and what other things they gained thereby ANd thus the Sectaries of this Kingdom and the Faction in this Parliament have by their craft and subtilty prevailed to have all the chiefest impediments of their Design to be removed So now the hedge is broken down and all the Boars of the Forrest may now come into the vineyard to destroy the vine and to undermine the City of God But into their counsels let not my soul come 2. When they had taken away these stops and hinderances of their projects they were to recollect and make up the furtherances that might help 2. The furtherances of their Design were five to advance their Cause for the founding of their new Church and the establishing of their famous Democratical Government and popular Common-wealth And these I find to be principally five 1. The gaining of their Brethren of Scotland to become their fast and faithful friends 2. The framing of a Protestation to frighten the Papists and to insnare the simple to be led as they listed to prosecute their Design 3. The condemning of our late Canons as abominable in their judgement and inconsistent with their Religion 4. The appointing of a new Synod the like whereof was never heard in the Church since Adam to compose such Articles as they liked and to frame such Discipline as should be most agreeable to their own dispositions 5. The setling of a Militia a word that the vulgar knew not what it was for to secure the Kingdom as they pretended from those dangers that they feared that is from those Jacks of Lent and men of Clouts which themselves set up as deadly enemies unto the Church and State but indeed insensibly to get all the strength of the Realm into their own hands and their Confederates that so they might like the Ephori bridle the King and bring him as they pleased to abolish and establish what Laws and Government they should propose whereby perhaps he might continue King in Name but they in Deed. These were the things they aimed at and they effected the first three before they could be discryed and their Plots discovered but in the other two they were prevented when God said unto them as he doth unto the Sea Hitherto shalt thou go and no further here shalt thou stay thy proud waves And therefore I am confident and I wish all good Christians were so that their purposes shall never succeed nor themselves prosper therein while the World lasteth because God hath so mercifully revealed so much so graciously assisted our King and so miraculously not only delivered him from them but also strengthened him against them contrary to all appearing likely-hood to this very day which is a sufficient argument to secure our faith that we shall by the help of our God escape all the rest of their destructive Designs But to display their Banners to discover their Projects and to let the World see what they are and how closely and yet cunningly they went about to effect their work I will in a plain manner set down what I know and what I have collected from other Writings and from men that are fide digni for one mans eyes cannot see all things nor infallibly perceive the Mysteries of all particulars for to confirm the faithful Subjects in their due obedience both to God and their King and to undeceive the poor seduced people that they perish not in the contradiction of Corah 1. It is believed not without cause with far greater probabilities than a 1 The indeering of themselves unto the Scots Our Sectâ—â—ies the inviters of the Scots to England bare suspicion that our own Anabaptistical Sectaries and this Faction were the first inviters of those angry spirits that conceived some cause to be discontented and were glad of secret entertainers to enter into the bosom of this Kingdom Whatsoever those our Brethren of Scotland did I will bury it according to their Act in oblivion neither approving nor yet blameing them for any thing But for any Subject of England to enterchange Messages and to keep private intelligence with any that seem to be in Arms against their King and the invaders of his Dominions to animate them to come and advance forward to refuse their Soveraigns Service and the Oath of their fidelity which was tendered unto them and to hinder the Kings Souldiers to do their duties either by denying to go with him or refusing to fight for him when
Religion an introduction unto Popery and an intolerable unheard of the like invasion upon the liberty of the Subjects that revived again the Papal Tyranny which contrary to our Fundamental Laws have incroached to make Canons and Constitutions to bind our Consciences whereupon they canvas them and condemn them out of their house and the House of God out of the Church and Common-wealth and not only so but also the Contrivers of them and Consenters to them they terrifie and threaten to adjudge them sometimes with a praemunire to have forfeited all their goods and possessions and sometimes to be fin'd as we were at last with such a heavy Mulct as in all other mens judgement did far exceed the pretended offence especially of us that never consented to them And yet we find not only in Lindwood and others of our Canonists but also in the book of Martyrs and the rest of our English Histories that the Arch-Bishops within their Provinces have at several times made Canons and Constitutions for the Regulating of all the people committed to their charge without any suspicion of the least violation of our laws but the Faction say Sic volumus and the Houses of Parliament understand what is Law better then I do and therefore accordingly before the makers of them were called to make their answers by what Authority they made them or by what Law they could justify them they reject the Canons and censure their makers Yet notwithstanding their distast of them it is conceived by some that the Clergy having His Majesties writ to be convocated and leave to compose such Canons as they thought fit to be observed for the Honor of God the discharge of their duty and the good of the Church and having the Royal assent and approbation to all that they concluded which is all that I find the Statute provided in this case requireth though they should be defective or perhaps offensive in some circumstances yet if they be not legally abrogated after a full hearing of all parties and the Kings consent to reject them as it was to approve them they are still as binding and in as full force as ever they were though for mine own part I will not undertake the task to make that good when as both the Houses have condemned them but I say 4. This Scandal taken against these Canons made way for the faction 4. The appointing of a new framed Synod to call for a new Synod or Assembly of Divines for the rectifying of things amiss as well in Discipline as in Doctrine And in this new intended Synod the Divines are nominated not according to the rules and Canons of the Church and the Customs of all Nations since the first Synod or Council Lay-men choosers of the Clergy as if a shepheard did choose pretious stones of the Apostles by Divines that can best judg of their own abilities as when the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets but fearing the Clergy would have sent men that were too Orthodoxal for their faith they deprived them of their rights and forgetting their Protestation to defend the right of the Subject the choice is made by themselves that are Lay men and Young men and many of them perhaps Prophane men or at least not so religious nor so judicious as they ought to be for a business of this nature of so great concernment as the direction of our souls to their eternal bliss And now they being nominated we know most of them what they are men not only justly suspected to be ill disposed to the peace of our Church and too much addicted to innovation to alter the Government What manner of men they have chosen to reject and cast away the Book of Common-Prayer to oppose Episcopacy and to displcae the grave and godly Governours of Gods Church but also apparently fashioned to the humours of these their own Disciples who are to be the only judges of their determinations that although some few Canonical men and most Reverend Learned and Religious Bishops and others for fashion sake to blind the World are named amongst them yet when as in a Parliament so in a Synod the most desperate faction if they prove prevalent to be the major part will carry any thing in despite of the better part they shall stand but as Cyphers able to do nothing they might abolish our old established Government erect their own new invented Discipline and propagate their well affected Doctrine in all Churches for you may judge of them by their compeers Goodwin Burrows Arrow-Smith and the rest of their ignorant factious and schismatical Ministers that together with those intruding Mechanicks who without any calling either from God or man do step from the Botchers boord or their Horses stable into the Preachers Pulpit are the bellows which blow up this fire that threateneth the destruction of our Land like Shebah's trumpet to summon the people unto Rebellion and like the red Dragon in the Revelation which gave them all his poyson and made them eloquent to disgorge their malice and to cast forth â—â—oods of slanders after those that keep Loyalty to their Soveraign and to bâ—lâ—h forth their unsavory reproaches against those that discover their affectâ—â— ignorance and Seditious wickedness in defence of truth and are the Instruments of this faction to seduce the poor people to the desolation of the whole Kingdom if not timely prevented by their repentance and assistance to enable him whom God hath made our Protector to defend us against all such transcendent wickedness And these are the main ends for which they summoned such a new Synod of their furious and Fanatick teachers upon whose temper and fidelity I believe no wise man that knows them would lay the least weight of his souls felicity Whereas if they desired a Reformation Whaâ— Synod they should have chosen of things amiss and not rather an alteration of our Religion and the abolition of our now setled Government they would have called for such a Synod as was in Queen Elizabeths time when the 39 Articles of our Religion were composed and such as they needed not to be ashamed to own in future times nor the best refuse to associate the rest for the illegality of their election for if there be any scandalous Governours as we deny not but there may be a Cham in the Ark a Judas amongst the Apostles and perhaps an unjustifiable Prelate among the Bishops as there was a proud Lucifer among the Angels or if they think it necessary to correct qualify explain or alter some expressions or ceremonies in our Liturgy and Book of Common-Prayer we are so far from giving the least offence to weak Consciences that we heartily wish a lawful Synod which may have a full legal power as well to remove the offences as to punish the offenders and to establish such Laws and Canons as well against Separatists and Schismaticks Anabaptists and Brownists as against
the Papists in Ireland and to get that Act to purchase all the Lands of the Rebels had tasted too much of this bitter root of such destructive Doctrine whereby you see how the Religion of these men robbes us of our Estates keeps no faith with us and takes away our lives 7. Though among the works of God every flower cannot be a Lilly 7. They would have a party among all men both in Church and Common-wealth Gal. 5 6. Câ—l 3. 11. every beast cannot be a Lyon every bird cannot be an Eagle and every Planet cannot be a Phoebus yet in the School of these men this is the doctrine of their to be new erected Church that with God there is no respect of persons and neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but whether they be bond or free masters or servants Jew or Gentile Barbarian Scythian a country-Clown or a Court Gallant rich or poor it is all one with God because these Titles of Honour Kings Lords Knights and Gentlemen are no entities of Gods making but the creatures of mans invention to puffe him up with pride and not to bring him unto God and therefore though for the bringing of their great good work to passe they are yet contented to make the Earl of Essex their General and Warwick their Admiral and so Pym and Hampden great Officers of Stateâ— yet when the work is done their Plot perfected and their Government established then you shall find that As now they will eradicate Episcopacie and make all our Clergie equall as if all had equally but one talent and no no man worthier than another so then there should be neither King Lord Knight nor Gentleman but a parity of degrees among all these holy brethren And to give us a taste of what they mean as the Lords concurrence with them inabled them to devour the Kings poweâ— so they have since with great justice prevailed with the House of Commons to swallow up the Lords power and have most fairly invaded their priviledge when they questioned particular Members * As my Lord Duke and my Lord Digbie 8. They would have no man to pray for temporal things Matth. 33 34. Matth 6. 1â— 9. Not to say the Lords Prayer 10. Not to say God Speed you 2 John 10. 11 12 Not to pray for the Malignants 1 John 5. 16. for words spoken in that House and then the whole House when they brought up and countenanced a mutinous and seditious Petition which demanded the Names of those Lords that consented not with the House of Commons in those things which that House had twice denied 8. Because our Saviour saith Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things that is meat drink and cloathes and all other earthly things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be cast unto you and again Be not carefull for to morrow they teach their Proselytes that they ought not to pray by any means for any of these things whereas Christ biddeth us to say Give us this day our daily Bread 9. They cannot endure to say the Lords Prayer for that 's a Popish superstition but their Prayers must be all tautologies and a circular repetition of their own indigested inventions 10. You must not say God speed you to any neighbour or any traveller lest he intends some evill work and then you shall be partaker of his sin 11. They will not allow any of their Disciples to pray for any of the Reprobates and therefore they do exceedingly blame us and tear our Liturgie because we say That it may please thee to have mercy upon all men 12. Because Christ saith Call no man father on earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven the child must not call him that begat him and nurseth him his father nor kneel unto him to ask him blessing nor perform many other such duties which the Lord requireth and the Church instructeth her children to do to this very day and this foolish Doctrine of calling no man Father no man master or Lord and the like in their sense because they understand not the divine meaning of our Saviour's words hath been the cause of such undutifulnesse and untowardnesse such contempts of superiours and such rebellions to Authority as is beyond expression when as by their disloyalty being thus bred up in them from their cradle they first despise their father then their Teachers then their King and then God himself CHAP. IX Sheweth three other speciall points of Doctrine which the Brownists and Anabaptists of this Kingdom do teach 13. BEcause they can find no Text in Scripture when as the Alcoran is not so impudently hellish as to justifie the action for to warrant men to absolve our consciences from any Oaths that we have voluntarily taken for the performance of any businesse I cannot say that they do professedly teach but I do hear they do usually practise this most damnable sin as that Master Marshall and Master Case did absolve the Souldiers taken at Brainceford from their Oath which they took never to bear Arms against his Majesty which is a sin destructive both to body and soul when their Perjury added to their Treason makes them two-fold more the children of hell than they were before and if they be taken again they can expect nothing but their just deserved death and therefore I do admire that any man can challenge the name of a Divine which doth either preach or practise a point so devilish 14. Because Saint Paul saith These hands have ministred to my necessities 14. They think sacriledge to be no sin Acts 20. 34. 1 Thes 2. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 12. and to them that were with me and again Labouring night and day because we would not be chargeable to any of you we preached unto you the Gospel of God and because the rest of the Apostles and Disciples were Fishermen Tradesmen or professours of some Science either liberal or mechanick as Saint Luke was a Physician Joseph a Carpenter and the like who did live by their manual crafts and were chargeable to none of their people but sought them and not theirs to win their souls to God and not their monies unto themselves therefore they think it no robbery to take away all the revenues of the Church nor sacriledge to rob the Clergy of all the means they have because they should either labour for their livings as the Apostles did or live upon the peoples Almes as many poor Ministers do to the utter undoing of many souls in many distressed and most miserable Churches But because this revenue of the Church and the Lands of the Bishops is that golden Wedge and the brave Babylonish garment which the Anabaptistical Achans of our time do most of all thirst after in this their pretended holy Reformation I must here sistere gradum stay awhile and let you know 1. That the taking away of any Lands or goods given and
fearful judgements as his Progenitours have denounced and God hath executed upon many Kings and Princes for the like sinnes for as Moses prayeth against the sacrilegious enemies of Levi Smite through the loines of them that rise against him Deut. 33. 11. and of them that hate him that they rise not again so we find that many ancient families having by the Statute of Dissolution taken some of the Lands and Tithes of the Church into their possessions have found the same like the Gold of Tholous or the Eagles feathers pernitiosa potentia that Pierius in Hieroglyph will consume all the feathers where they shall be mingled Who so is wise will consider these things and will not to satisfie these Anabaptistical dregges of the people and the enimies of all Christian Religion Aelian lib. 5. cap 15. Var Hist sacrilegiously take away with Aelian's boy the golden plate from Diana's Crown the Lands and Revenues of the Church but having not so learned Christ they will do that which becommeth Saints and suffer the dead to enjoy their own will in that wherein they put them to to no charge and if they do intend to promote Gods service they will not rob Saint Peter to pay Saint Paul but will rather say with holy David God forbid that I should offer sacrifice to God of that which cost me nothing 15. As any wooden Preachers like Jeroboam's Priests de foece plebiâ— scarce worthy to be compared with the Grooms of their stable or such humi serpentes poor abjects as Job speaks of The sonnes of villains and Job 30 8. bond-men more vile than the earth they crawle upon are fit enough to be their teachers and beggarly pensioners so any place a thatched Barn a littered Stable or an ample Cow house is thought by these to be very What prayers and Sâ—â—mons please these men fair and fit to be the House of Him that was born in a Stable and laid in a Manger and any service prayers without sense such as our Savâ—our blames and preaching without learning without truth such as their Enthusiasts conceive in illa horâ quicquid in buccam venerit without any further study or meditation is justified to be most acceptable to God witnesse the Authour of One argument more against the Cavaliers where that great Schollar in his own opinion rails against our grave Bishops and most impudently reproacheth a very reverend man of known worth and great learning by the scandalous Epithete of The ceremonâ—ous Master of Balliol Colledge Doctor Laurence whom for a most learned and pious Sermon preached before the King upon these words of Exodus Put off thy shooes from thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground he doth just like the eldest son of his dear father the devill as Tertulâ—ian calâ—eth Hermogenâ—s primogenitum dâ—aboli most fasely and shamelesly charge him with the wearing of consecrated slippers which was never done but is one of those scurrilous invented imputations of this malicious Accuser of his brethren now thrown at him whose shooes either for learning or piety I am sure this rambling A guist and railing Rabshâ—ka is not worthy to bear and for the service of God in our Churches though the holy Prophet which was a man according to Gods own heart Musick ever used in the Church Psal 147. 1. 149. 3. Ps 150. 3 4 5. praised God in the beauty of holinesse upon all the best instruments of musick and commanded us as well in the grammatical sense as in the mystical sense to sing praises unto our God with Tabret and Harp to praise him in the sound of the Trumpet in the Cymbals and dances upon the well-tuned Cymbals and upon the loud Cymbals yet this zealous Organo-mastix gives us none other Title than Cathedral Roarers and Squeakers and good reason it is he should be very angry with roaring and squeaking in Pag. 14. Churches for that having been possest of a very competent Living with cure of soules these four or five years together if I am not mistaken in the Authour he never yet either read or preached in that or any other Church so necessary is Non-residenâ—e and so usefuâ— I are dumb dogges when they are willing to sâ—arle and bark against Government and Religion but it is strange to me that such a divine harmony which Musick hoâ— useful Theodoric Epist l. 2. Pluâ—aâ—ch de Musica hath made others sober should make this spawn of the red Dragon mad for we know some Law-givers commanded children to be taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the grave composed tones of the Dorick way ad corda fera demulcenda to soften the fiercenesse of their dispositions and ad mentis fervorem temperandum to cool and allay the heat and distempers of their minds as Achilles was appeased in Homer and Theodosius was drawn to Niceph. lib. 12 cap. 43. commiseration luctuoso carmine by a sad Poem sung to him at supper when he intended the utter destruction of Antioch and the Scripture testifieth the like effect of Davids harp in King Saul yet all this sweet and hallowed air which ravisheth devout souls hath onely filled this envious malignant with nasty winds and stinking expressions So contrary to the words of God himself Exod. 3. 5. and against the judgement of all Divines and the practice of all Saints à primordiis Ecclesiae from the first birth of Gods Church he most ignorantly denieth any place to Pag. 15. 18. be holier than another which makes me afraid that Heaven with this man and his faction is deemed no holier than Hell or the Lords day no holier than Monday no more than they hold the Church holier than their Bâ—rns or the holiest Priest though he were Aaron himself the Saint of the Lord holier than the prophanest worldling for I find no difference that they make either of persons times or places but such a commixtion of all things as if they intended to reduce and bring the whole world into that confused Chaos which God first created before he disposed the parts thereof into their several stations But I am loth to spend any more time about this ignorant Argument that is as all the rest of their Writings are as full of railing and unsavoury speeches as any mortall pen can diffuse therefore I leave him to do with his heart and mouth as that Morussian Cabares whereof he speaketh did with those Churches which the Goths and Vandals had defiled Thus you have some and I might adde here abundance more of their absurd and impious Doctrines which their ignorant simplicity produced and their furious zeal published out of mis-interpreted Scriptures not that all these points are taught by every one of their Teachers but that all these and many more are taught and maintained by some one or other of them as I could easily expresse it if it were not too tediâ—us for my Reader but the bulk of my Book swells too
Sheweth the unjust proceedings of this Faction against their fellow-Subjects set down in four particular things p. 2â—9 Chap. XIII Sheweth the proceedings of this Faction against the Laws of the Land The Priviledges of Parliament transgressed eleven special wayes p. 292. Chap. XIV Sheweth how they have transgressed the publike Laws of the Land three wayes and of four miserable Consequences of their wicked doings p. 295. Chap. XV. Sheweth a particular recapitulation of the Reasons whereby their Design to alter the Government both of Church and State is evinced And a pathetical disswasion from Rebellion p. 301. JVRA MAJESTATIS THE RIGHTS OF KINGS BOTH IN CHURCH and STATE 1. Granted by God 2. Violated by the Rebels 3. Vindicated by the Truth AND The Wickednesses of the Faction of this pretended PARLIAMENT at Westminster 1. Manifested by their Actions 1. Perjury 2. Rebellion 3. Oppression 4. Murder 5. Robbery 6. Sacriledge and the like 2. Proved by their Ordinances 1. Against Law 2. Against Equity 3. Against Conscience PUBLISHED 1. To the eternal honour of our just God 2. The indeleble shame of the wicked Rebels And 3. To procure the happy peace of this distressed Land Which many fear we shall never obtain until 1. The Rebels be destroyed or reduced to the obedience of our King And 2. The breaches of the Church be repaired 1. By the restauration of God's now much prophaned service And 2. The reparation of the many injuries done to Christ his now dis-esteemed servants By GRYFFITH WILLIAMS Lord Bishop of OSSORY Impii homines qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem quâ condemnantur mali Augustinus Printed at LONDON Ann. Dom. 1662. TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY Most gracious Soveraign WITH no smal paines and the more for want of my books and of any setled place being multum terris jactatus alto frighted out of mine house and tost betwixt two distracted Kingdoms I have collected out of the sacred Scripture explained by the ancient Fathers and the best Writers of God's Church these few Rights out of many that God and Nature and Nations and the Lawes of this Land have fully and undeniably granted unto our Soveraign Kings My witness is in Heaven that as my conscience directed me without any squint aspect so I have with all sincerity and freely traced and expressed the truth as I shall answer to the contrary at the dreadful judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore with all fervency I humbly supplicate the divine Majesty still to assist Your Highness that as in Your lowest ebb You have put on Righteousness as a breast plate and with an heroick Resolution withstood the proudest waves of the raging Seas and the violent Attempts of so many imaginary Kings so now in Your acquired strength You may still ride on with Your honour and for the glory of God the preservation of Christ his Church and the happiness of this Kingdom not for the greatest storm that can be threatned suffer these Rights to be snatched away nor Your Crown to be thrown to the dust nor the Sword that God hath given You to be wrested out of Your hand by these uncircumcised Philistines these ungracious Rebels and the Vessels of God's wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse they do most speedily repent for if the unrighteous will be unrighteous still and our wickednesse provoke God to bring our Land to Desolation Your Majesty standing in the truth and for the right for the honour of God and the Church of his Son is absolved from all blame and all the bloud that shall be spilt and the oppressions insolencies and abhominations that are perpetrated shall be required at the hands and revenged upon the heads of these detested Rebels You are and ought in the truth of cases of conscience to be informed by Your Divines and I am confident that herein they will all subscribe that God will undoubtedly assist You and arise in his good time to maintain his own cause and by this war that is so undutifully so unjustly made against Your Majesty so Giant-like fought against Heaven to overthrow the true Church You shall be glorious like King David that was a man of War whose dear son raised a dangerous rebellion against him and in whose reign so much bloud was spilt and yet notwithstanding these distempers in his Dominion he was a man according to God's own heart especially because that from α to ω * As in the beginning by reducing the Ark from the Philistins throughout the midst by setling the service of the Tabernacle in the ending by his resolution to build leaving such a treasure for the erecting of the Temple the beginning of his reign to the end of his life his chiefest endeavour was to promote the service and protect the servants of the Tabernacle the Ministers of God's Church God Almighty so continue Your Majesty bless You and protect You in all Your wayes Your vertuous pious Queen and all Your royal Progeny Which is the dayly prayer of The most faithful to Your Majesty GRYFFITH OSSORY THE RIGHTS OF KINGS Both in CHURCH STATE And The Wickednesses of this Pretended PARLIAMENT Manifested and Proved CHAP. I. Sheweth who are the fittest to set down the Rights which God granted unto Kings what causeth men to rebell the parts considerable in S. Peters words 1 Pet. ii 17. in fine How Kings honoured the Clergie the â—aâ— but most false pretences of the refractary Faction what they chiefly aâ—me at and their malice to Episcopacie and Royaltie IT was not unwisely said by Ocham that great Scholeman Guliel Ocham Ludov. 4. to a great Emperour which M. Luther said also to the Duke of Saxâ—nie Tu protege me gladio ego defendam tâ— calamo do you defend me with your Sword and I will maintain your Right with my Pen for God hath committed the Sword into the hand of the King Rom. 13. v. 4 and His hand which beareth not the Sword in vain knoweth how to use the Sword better than the Preacher and the King may better make good His Rights by the Sword then by the Pen which having once 〈◊〉 His papers with mistakes and concessions more then due though they should be never so small if granted further than the truth would 〈◊〉 as I fear some have done in some particulars yet they cannot so easily be scraped away by the sharpest sword and God ordered the divine tongue and learned Scribe to be the pens of a ready Writer and thereby to display the duties and to justifie the Rights of Kings and if they fail in either part the King needeth neither to performe what undue Offices they impose The Divine best to set down the Rights of Kings upon him nor to let pass those just honours they omit to yield unto him but he may justly claime his due Rights and either retain them or regain them by his Sword which the Scribe either wilfully omitted
Where the Puritans place the authority to maintain religion 1 In the Presbytery which have neither right to own it nor discretion to use it and that is either 1. A Consistory of Presbyters or 2. A Parliament of Lay men For 1. These new Adversaries of this Truth that would most impudently take away from Christian Princes the supreamo and immediate authority under Christ in all Ecclesiastical Callings and Causes will needs place the same in themselves and a Consistorian company of their own Faction a whole Volume would not contain their absurdities falsities and blasphemies that they have uttered about this point I will onely give you a taste of what some of the chief of them have belched forth against the Divine Truth of God's Word and the sacred Majesty of Kings Master Calvin a man otherwise of much worth and Calvin in Amos cap. 7. worthy to be honoured yet in this point transported with his own passion calleth those Blasphemers that did call King Henry the eight the supreme Head of this Church of England and Stapleton saith that he handled the King himself Stapl. cont Horn. l. 1. p. 22. with such villany and with so spiteful words as he never handled the Pope more spitefully and all for this Title of Supremacy in Church causes and in his fifty fourth Epistle to Myconius he termed them prophane spirits and mad men that perswaded the Magistrates of Geneva not to deâ—rive themselves of that authority which God hath given them Viretus is more virulent for he How Viretus would prove the temporal Pope as he calleth the King worse then the spiritual Pope resembleth them not to mad men as Calvin did but to white Devils because they stand in defence of the Kings authority and he saith they are false Christians though they cover themselves with the clâ—ke of the Gospel affirming that the putting of all authority and power into the Civil Magistrates hands and making them masters of the Church is nothing else but the changing of the Popedome from the Spiritual Pope into a Temporal Pope who as it is to be feared will prove worss and more tyrannous then the Spirituall Pope which he laboureth to confirme by these three reasons 1 Reason 1. Because the Spiritual Pope had not the Sword in his own hand to punish men with death but was fain to crave the aid of the Secular power which the Temporal Pope needs not do 2. Because the old spiritual Popes had some regard in their dealings of Councils 2 Reason Synods and ancient Canons but the new Secular Popes will do what they list without respect of any Eâ—clesiastical Order be it right or wrong 2 Reason 3. Because the Romish Popes were most commonly very learned but it happeneth oftentimes that the Regal Popes have neither learning nor knowledg in divine matters and yet these shall be they that shall command Ministers and and Preachers what they list and to make this assertion good he affirmeth that he saw in some places some Christian Princes under the title of Reformation to have in ten or twenty years usurped more tyranny over the Churches in their Dominions then ever the Pope and his adherents did in six hundred years All which reasons are but meere fopâ—eries blown up by the black Devil to blast the beauty of this truth for we speak not of the abuse of any Prince to Viretus his scandalous reasons answered justifie the same against any one but of his right that cannot be the cause of any wrong and it cannot be denyed but an illiterate Prince may prove a singular advancer of all learning as Bishop Wickham was no great Scholler yet was he a most excellent instrument to produce abundance of famous Clerks in this Church and the King ruleth his Church by those Laws which through his royal authority are made with the advice of his greatest Divines as hereafter I shall shew unto you yet these spurious and specious pretexts may serve like clouds to T. C. l. 2. p. 411. hide the light from the eyes of the simple So Cartwright also that was our English firebrand and his Disciples teach as Harding had done before that Kings and Princes do hold their Kingdoms and Dominions under Christ as he is the Son of God onely before all Worlds coequal with the Father and not as he is Mediator and Governour of the Church and therefore the Christian Kings have no more to do with the Church government then the Heathen Princes so Travers saith that the Heathen Princes being converted to the saith receive no more nor any further encrease of their power whereby they may deale in Church causes then they had before so the whole pack of the Disciplinarians are all of the same minde and do hold that all Kings as well Heathen as Christian receiving but one Commission and equal Authority immediately from God have no more to do with Church causes the one sort then the other And I am ashamed to set down the railing and the scurrilous speeches of Anthony Gilby Gilby in his admonition p. 69 Knox in his exhortation to the Nobility of Scotland fol. 77. against Hen. 8. and of Knox Whittingham and others against the truth of the King 's lawful right and authority in all Ecclesiastical causes For were it so as Cartwright Travers and the rest of that crew do avouch that Kings by being Christians receive no more authority over Christ his Church then they had before * Which is most false yet this will appear most evident to all understanding men that all Kings as well the Heathens as the Christians are in the first place to see that their people do religiously observe the worship of that God which they adore and therefore much more should Christian Princes have a care to preserve the religion of Jesus Christ For it cannot be denyed but that all Kings ought to preserve their Kingdoms The Gentilee Kings preâ—ervers of religion and all Kingdoms are preserved by the same means by which they were first established and tâ—â—y are established by obedience and good manners neither shall you finde any thing that can beget obedience and good manners but Lawes and Religion and Religion doth naturally beget obedience unto the Lawes therefore most of those Kings that gave Lawes were originally Priests and as Synes ep 126. Vide Arnis part 2. pag. 14. Ad magnas reipubl utilitates retinetur religio in civitatibus Cicero de divin l. 2. Synesius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priest and a Prince was all one with them when the Kings to preserve their Laws inviolable and to keep their people in obedience that they might be happy became Priests and exercised the duties of Religion offering sacrifices unto their Gods and discharging the other offices of the Priestly Function as our factious Priests could willingly take upon them the offices of the King or if some of them were not Priests
as all were not Law-makers yet all of them preserved Religion as the onely preservation of their Lawes and the happinesse of their Kingdomes which they saw could not continue without Religion But 2. The wisedom of our grave Prelates and the learning of our religioâ—s Clergie having stopped the course of this violent stream and hindred the translation 2. In the Parliament of this right of Kings unto their new-born Presbytery and late erected Synods There sprang up another generation out of the dregs of the former that because they would be sure to be bad enough out of their envy unto Kings and malice unto the Church that the one doth not advance then unworthyness and the other doth not bear with undutifullness will needs transfer this right of ruling God's Church unto a Parliament of Lay-men the King shall be denuded of what God hath given him and the people shall be endued with what God and all good men have ever denyed them I deny not but the Parliament men as they are most noble and worthy Gentlemen so many of them may be very learned and not a few of them most religious and I honour the Parliament rightly discharging their duties as much as their modesty can desire or their merit deserve neither do I gain say but as they are pious men and the greatest Council of our King so they may propose things and request such and such Lawes to be enacted such abuses to be redressed and such a reformation to be effected as they think befitting for Gods Church but for Aaron's seed and the Tribe of Levi to be directed and commanded out of the Parliament Hugo de Sancto Vict. lâ—b 2. de sacr â—id par 2. cap 3. Laicis Christianis fidelibus terrena â—ossidere conceditur clericis verò tantùm spiritualia commiâ—tuntur quae a tem illa spiritualia sunt subjiciâ— c 5. diâ—eâ—s omnis ecclesiastica â—dministratio in trâ—bus consislit in sacramentis in ordinibus iâ— praeceptis Ergo Laâ—ci nihâ—l juris habent in leâ—ibus prâ—ceptis condendit ecclesiastâ—cis chair how to perform the service of the Tabernacle and for Lay men to determine the Articles of faith to make Canons for Church men to condemn heresies and define verities and to have the chief power for the government of Gods Church as our Faction now challengeth and their Preachers ascribe unto them is such a violation of the right of Kings such a derogation to the Clergy and so prejudicial to the Church of Christ as I never â—ound the like usurpation of this right to the eradication of the true Religion in any age for seeing that as the Proverb goeth Quod medâ—corum est promittunt medici tractant fabrilia fabri what Papist or Atheist will be ever converted to profess that religion which shall be truly what now they alleadge falsly unto us a Parliamentary religion or a religion made by Lay-men with the advice of a few that they choose â— faece Cleri I must seriously profess what I have often bewayled to see Nadab and Abihu offering strange fires upon God's Altar to see the sacred offices of the Priests so presumptuously usurped by the Laity and to see the children of the Church nay the servants of the Church to prescribe Lawes unto their Masters and â— did ever fear it to be an argument not onely of a corrupted but also of a decaying State when Moses chaire should be set in the Parliament House and the Doctours of the Church should never sit thereon therefore I wish that the Ark may be brought back from the Philistines and restored to the Priests to be placed in Shilo where it should be and that the care of the Ark which king David undertook may not be taken out of his hands by his people but that he may have the honour of that service which God hath imposed upon him For 3. As nothing is dearer to understanding righteous and religious Kings 3. Opinion Of the Orthodox Quia religio est ex potioribus reipublicae parlibus ut ait Aristoâ— Polit. l. 7 c. 8. ipsa soâ—â— custodit hominum inter se socieâ—ates ut ait Lactant. de ira Dei cap. 12. Peritura Troja perdidit primâ—m Deos. Therefore the Tyrians chayned their gods lest iâ— they fled they should be destroyed then the encrease and maintenance of true religion and the inlargement of the Church of Christ throughout all their Dominions so they have at all times imployed their studies to this end because it is an infallible maxime even among the Politicians that the prâ—sperity of any Kingdome flourisheth for no longer time then the care of Religion and the prâ—sperity of the Church is maintained by them among their people as we see Troy was soon lost when they lost their Palladium so it is the truest sâ—gn of a declining and a decaying State to see the Clergy despised and religion disgraced and therefore the provisiâ—n for the safety of the Church the publick injoying of the word of God the form of Service the manner of Government and the honour and maintenance of the Clergy are all the duties of a most Christian King which the King of Heaven hath imposed upon him for the happiness and prâ—sperity of his Kingdom and whosoever derive the authority of this charge either in a blinde obedience to the See of Rome as the Jesâ—ites do or out of their too much zeal and affection to a new Consistory as the late Presbyterians did oâ— to a Lay Parliament as our upstart Anabaptists aad Brownists do are most unjust usurpers of the Kings Right which is not onely ascribed unto him and warranted by the Word of God but is also confirmed to the Princes of this Land by several Acts of Parliament to have the supremacy in all causes and over all persons as well in the Ecclesiastical as in the Civil government which being so they â—â—â—xempted thereby from all inforcement of any domestical or forraign power and freed from the penalties of all those Laws both Ecclesiastical and civil whereunto all their Subjects Clergy and Laity and all inferiour Q Curtius de rebus Alexand. Joh. Bedâ— p. 22 23. persons and the superiour Nobility within their Kingdomes are obliged by our Laws and Statutes as hereafter I shall more fully declare Therefore it behoveth all Kings and especially our King at this time seriously to consider what prejudice they shall create unto themselves and their just authority if they should yeild themselves inferiour to their Subjects aggregativè or reprasentativè or how you will or liable to the penal Laws for so they may be soon dethroned by the unstable affection and weak judgment of discontented people or subject to the jurisdiction of Lay Elders and the excommunication of a tyrannous Consistory who denouncing him tanquam Ethnicum Matth. 18. 17. may soon add a stranger shall not raign over thee and so depose him Deut. 17. 15. from all
Counsellours how our late Canons came to be annulled that it is the Kings right to admit his Bishops and Prelates to be of his Council and to delegate secular authority or civil jurisdiction unto them proved by the examples of the Heathens Jewes and Christians OUt of all this that hath been spoken it is more then manifest that the king ought to have the supreme power over Gods Church and the Government thereof and the greatest care to preserve true Religion throughout all his Dominions this is his duty and this is his honour that God hath committed not a people but his people and the members of his Son under his charge For the performance of which charge it is requisite for us to know that God hath granted unto him among other rights these two special prerogatives 1. That he may and ought to make Lawes Orders Canons and Decrees for the well governing of Gods Church Two special rights and prerogatives of the King for the government of the Church 1. To make Laws and Canons 2. That he may when he seeth cause lawfully and justly grant tolerations and dispensations of his own Laws and Decrees as he pleaseth 1. Not onely Solomon and Jehosaphat gave commandment and prescribed unto the chief Priests and Levites what form and order they should observe in their Ecclesiastical causes and methode of serving God but also Constantine Theodosius Justinian and all the Christian Emperours that were careful of Gods service did the like and therefore when the Donatists alleadged that secular Princes had nothing to do to meddle in matters of Religion and in causes Ecclesiastical Saint Augustine in his second Epistle against Gaudentius saith I Aug. l. 2. c. 26. have already proved that it appertaineth to the Kings charge that the Ninivites should pacifie Gods wrath and therefore the Kings that are of Christs Church do judge most truely that it belongeth to their charge to see that men Rebel not without punishment against the same because God doth inspire it into the Idem ep 48. ep 50. ad Bonifac mindes of Kings that they should procure the Commandments of the Lord to be performed in al their Kingdomes for they are commanded to serve the Lord in fear and how do they serve the Lord as Kings but in making Laws for Christ as man he serveth him by living faithfully but as King he serveth him in So they are called the kings Ecclesiastical Lawes making Laws that shal command just things and forbid the contrary which they could not do if they were not kings And by the example of the king of Ninive Darius Nebuchadnezzar and others which were but figures and prophesies that foreshewed the power duty and service that Christian kings should owe and performe in like sort to the furtherance of Christs Religion in the time of the New Testament when al kings shall fall down and Worship Christ and all Nations shall do him service he proveth that the Christian Psal 72. 11. Aug. cont lit Peul l. 2. c 92 Idem in l. de 12. abus grad grad 2. kings and Princes should make Laws and Decrees for the furtherance of Gods service even as Nebuchadnezzar had done in his time And upon the words of the Apostle that the king beareth not the sword in vain he proveth against Petilian that the power and authority of the Princes which the Apostle treateth of in that place is given unto them to make sharpe penall Lawes to further true religion and to suppress all Heresies and Schismes And so accordingly we finde the good Emperours and Kings have ever done The good Emperours have made Laws for the government of the Church Euseb in vita Constant l. 2. 3. for Constantine caused the idolatrous religions to be suppressed and the true knowledge of Christ to be preached and planted amongst his people and made many wholsome Lawes and godly Constitutions to restrain the sacrificing unto Idols and all other devillish and superstitious south sayings and to cause the true service of God to be rightly administred in every place saith Eusebius And in another place he saith that the same Constantine gave injunctions to the chiefe Ministers of the Churches that they should make speciall supplication to God for him and he enjoyned all his Subjects that they should keep holy certain dayes dedicated to Christ and the Sabboth or Saturday which was then wont to be kept holy and as yet not abrogated by any Law among the Christians he gave a Law to the Ruler of every Nation that they should celebrate Idem de vita Constant l. 1. 3. 4. c. 18. the Sunday or the Lords day in like sort and so for the dayes that were dedicated to the memory of the Martyrs and other festival times and all such things were done according to the ordinance of the Emperour Nicephorus writing of the excellent virtues of Andronicus son to Immanuel Niceph. in praefation Eccles bist Palaeologus and comparing him to Constantine the Great saith thou hast restored the Catholique Church being troubled with new opinions to the old State thou hast banished all unlawfull and impure doctrine thou hast established the truth and hast made Lawes and Constitutions for the same Sozomen speaking of Constantines sons saith the Princes also concurred to Sozomenus l 3. c. 17. the increase of these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing their good affections to the Churches no less then their father did and honouring the Clergy their servants with singular promotions and immunities both confirming their fathers Lawes and making also new Lawes of their own against such as went about to sacrifice and to worship Idols or by any other means fell to the Greekish or Heathenish superstitions Theodoret tells us that Valentinian at the Synod in Illirico did not onely confirme the true faith by his Royall assent but made also many godly and sharpe Lawes as well for the maintenance of the truth of Christ his doctrine as also touching many other causes Ecclesiastical and as ratifying those things that were done by the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sent abroad to them Theodor. l. c. 5 6 7. that doubted thereof Honorius at the request of Boniface the first made a Law whereby it might Distinct 7 9. siduo appear what was to be done when two Popes were chosen at once by the indiscretion of the Electors Martianus also made a Statute to cut off and put away all manner of contention about the true faith and Religion in the Councell of Calcedon The Emperour Justinus made a Law that the Churches of Heretiques should be consecrated to the Catholique Religion saith Martinus Poenitentiarius And who knowes not of the many Laws and Decrees that Justinian made in Ecclesiasticall causes for the furtherance of the true Religion for in the beginning of the Constitutions collected in the Code of Iustinian the first 13 titles are all filled with Laws for to rule
their leave or authority this was their Law though I beleive it was not always observed by their proud Consuls and unruly Magistrates Cicero de nat deorâ—m l. 2. In like manner Caesar writeth of the Gaules and Britons that they had two sorts of men in singular honour the one was their Druides or Divines the other was their Souldiers or men of war and he saith that their Druides determined of all controversies in a manner both private and publick and if there were any crime committed any murther attempted if any controversy about inheritance or the bounds of lands did arise they also did set down their Decree and appointed the penalty and whosoever rejected their order or refused theiâ— judgement they excommunicated him fâ—om all society and he was then deemed of all men as an ungodly and a most graceless person Thus did they that had but the twilight of corrupted Nature to direct them judge those that were most conversant with the minde and will of the gods to be the fittest Counsellorâ— and Judges of the actions of men and I fear these children of nature will rise in judgement to condemne many of them that profess themselves to be the sons of grace for comming so short of them in this point 2. The Jewes also which â—eceived the oracles of God were injoyned by 2. Among the Jewes God to yeild unto their Priests the dispensation both of dâ—vine and humane Lawes and the Lord enacted it by an irrevocable Law that the judgement of the High Pâ—iest should be observed as sacred and inviolable in all Deut. 17. controversies and if any man refused to submit himselfe unâ—o it his death must make recompence for his contumacy And Josephus saith Si judices nesciâ—nt de rebus ad se delatis pronunciare integram causam in urbem sanctam mittent convenientes Pontifex Propheta Senatus quod visum sit pronuntiâ—nt Joseph conâ—ra Appi. lib. 2. and in his second book against Appian he saith Sacerdotes inspectores omnium judiâ—â—s câ—ntrâ—versiarum punitores damnatorum câ—â—stituti sunt à Moyse The Priests were appointed by Moses to be the lookers into all things the Judges of controversies and the punishers of the condemned And they were of that high esteem amongst the Jâ—wes that the royall blood disdained not to match in marriages with the Priests as Jâ—hojada married the daughter of King 2 Chron. 22. 11. Jehoram and in the vacancie of Kings they had all the affaires of the Kingdome in their administration and when they became tributaries unto the Romans after Aristobulus the royall government was often annexed to the Priest hood and S. Paul argueth from hence that if the administration of death 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9. was glorious how shall nâ—t the administration of the spirit be rather glorious for if the ministration of condâ—mnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory or otherwise it were very strange that the Ministers of the Gospel should be deemed more base and contemptible because their calling is â—ar more glorious and excellent yea so excellent that to all good Christians the Prophet demandeth quà m speciosi pedes eorum Esay 52. 7. Priests imployed in secular affaires 1 Among the Jewes Psal 99 6 Priests and Prophets among the Jewes exercised secular jurisdiction And for the discharging of secular imployments we have not onely the example of the Priests and Prophets of the Old Testament but we have also the testimony and the practice of many godly Bishops and Fathers of the Church of Christ under the New Testament to justifie this truth For 1. Not onely Moses and Aarâ—n that were both the Priests of the most high God and the chiefe Judges in all secular causes but also Joseph had his jurisdiction over the Aegyptians Daniel had his Lieutenancie over the Babylonians and Nehemias was a great Courtier among the Persians and yet these secular imployments were no hinderance to them in the divine worship and service of God So Ely and Samuel both were both Judges and Priests together and the most religious Princes David Solomon Jâ—hosaphat and others used the Priests and Levites at their command in the civill government of their Dominions for when David caused all the Levites to be numbered from 30 years old and upward and that they were found to be 38 thousand he appointed 24 thousand of them to be over-seers of the works of the house of the Lord and he ordained the other six thousand to be Judges and Rulers in all Israel and so did 1 Chron. 23. 4. Jehosaphat likewise * 2 Chron. 19. 11. The place explained for though the last verse of the said chapter seems to put a difference betwixt the Civil matters and the Ecclesiastical affaires yet it is rightly answered by Saravia that this errour riseth from a misconceived opinion of their government as if it were the same with the government of some of our reformed Churches which was nothing less for if you compare this place with the 26. chap. of the 1. Chron vers the 29 30 and 32. you may Sigonius legit super opera quae ad regis officia pertinent l. 6. p. 315. 1 Sam. c. 8. easily finde that the Kings service or the affairs of the King doâ—h not â—ignifie the civil matters or the politique affairs of the Kingdom over which Amarias here and Hashabia and his brethren there 1 Chron. 26. 30. were appointed the chief Rulers but it signifieth those things which pertained to the King 's right betwixt him and his subjects as those things that were described by Samuel and were retained and perhaps augmented either by the consent of the people or the incroachment of the succeeding Kings as the special rights of the Kings over which Zebadias the son of Ismael was appointed by Jehosaphat to be the Ruler and the business of the Lord is fully set down vers 10. to be not onely the Church affairs but all the affairs of the Kingdom between bloud and bloud between Law and Commandment Statutes and Judgements over Versu 10. which the Priests and Levites were appointed the ordinary Judges and the Interpreters of the Law as well Civil as Ecclesiastical for the Lord saith plainly that every question and controversie shall be determined according to the censure Ezech 44 23. Vide locum Sigon aâ—â— circa judicium sanguinis ipsi insisteâ— 2. In the Primitive Church Salmerâ— tract 18. iâ— parabol hominis divitis lo. 16. num of the Priests which certainly he would never have so prescribed nor these holy men have thus executed them if these two â—unctions had been so averse and contrary the one to the other that they could never be exercised together by the same man â— In the Primitive times under the Gospel Salmeron saith that in the time of S. Augustine as himself teacheth Episcopi litibus Christianorum vacare solâ—bant the Bishops had so
without Religion and in brief a most dangerous and malicious hypocrite and were therefore banished from amongst us in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth but now deserve it far better being more dangerous because far more numerous * Huc usque Our factious Puritans bitterer against Kings then the Jesuâ—tes and therefore I cannot say with Saint Bernard Aut corrigendi nè pereant aut coercendi nè perimant for in my judgement they are incorrigible and in their own opinion they are invincible having by lyes and frauds gathered so much wealth and united such strength together that except the Lord himself had been on our side and made our very enemies the Papists to become our friends and to hazard their lives and fortunes according to their duty to preserve the Crown and Dignity of their king as God most wisely disposeth of things when he produceth light out of darkness and against their wills support our true Protestant Religion from being quite defaced by these mercilesse enemies we might well fear what destruction would have come upon us And therefore considering the bitter writings of their Prophets old and new being fuller of gall and venome against Christian Kings then can be found in the bookes of the Jesuites and considering the wicked practices and this unparallel'd rebellion of these new Proselytes and the loyalty of those that heretofore received least favour from the Church and not much from the State Tell me I pray you which of these deserve best to be suffered in a Protestant Church they that maliciously seeke her ruine or they that unwillingly support her from falling for my self I will ever be of the true Protestant faith yet for this loyalty of the Papists unto their King I will ever be in charity and rest in hope though not in â—â—e same faith with them and I doubt not but His Majesty will thinke well of their fidelity But as Saint Bernard saith Non est meae humilitatis dictitare vobis it is not for me to prescribe who are most capable of Grace or who best deserveth the Kings favour when his Princely Grace presupposeth a sufficient merit but in humility to set down mine own opinion in this point of toleration with submission to the judgement of this Church wherein also I humbly desire my reader not to mistake me as if I meant such a publick and legal toleration as might breed a greater distraction in a kingdome then the wisedome of the State could well master and raise more spirits then they could lay down but such as I have exprest in my Grand Rebellion p. 5 6. Grand Rebellion that is a favourable connivence to enjoy their own consciences so long as they live in peace and amity with their neighbours but without any publick exercise of their Religion which can produce nothing else but discord distraction and destruction to that Kingdome where two religions are profest in Aequilibrio with the same priviledges and authority These and many more are the rights of Kings granted them by God for the Government of his Church which they are to looke unto and to protect in all her rights service maintenance ordinances governours and the like if they looke that God should bless and protect them in their ways dignities and dues because it is their duties and the first charge that God layeth upon them to be nursing Fathers unto his Church for God knew the Church should have many enemies intus est equus Trojanus and they are the worst that are nearest unto kings and do with Judas kiss with fair words and Machiavilian counsels betray both Church and King and in the end destroy themselves foâ— who deceived Absolen though rightly but his own Counsellour who betrayed Ahab and that most wickedly but his lying Parasites and who overthrew Râ—heboam and that foolishly but his young favourites Which thing is purposely set down in the holy Scripture to be a caveat for all Kings not to rely too much upon young Counsellors not that wisedome and prudence are intailed to old age and inseperable from gray-haires or divorced from green heads but because commonly experience is the fruitfull mother of these faire issues and the multitude of yeares teacheth wisdom for otherwise there may be delirium senectutis the dotage of old age as well as vanitas juventutis the folly of youth and as Elihu saith Great men are not alwayes wise neither do the aged understand judgement but as Solomon saith wisdom even in youth is the gray haires and an undefiled life is the old age as we see young Ioseph was the wisest in all Egypt Solomon Daniel and Titus how wise how learned and how religious were they in their younger yeares So Alexander Hanniball Scipio in the feates of war Lucan Mirandula Keckerman and abundance more in all humane learning that were but Neophyti annis yet were egregii virtutibus young in years yet very admirable for their worth And Princes do most wisely when they make such election especially when they are inforced to call men to places of labour and industry they must have some regard to the bodies as well as to the mindes of their servants and chuse men of younger yeares though not to be their favourites but their confidenâ—s according to the French distinction as His Majesty hath lately made choice of one noble servant who is as Nazianzen speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gray in the minde though yellow in the head and supplying in all manner of excellent parts what may be conceived wanting in years whose name so much already catched at by envy I shall ever reverence though now I purposely passe it over in silence and whom may the Church fear most of all but her dissembling friends that are in most favour with Kings and therefore seduce them soonest insensibly to wound the Care and neglect the Charge that is laid upon them because as St. Bernard saith Longè plus nocet falsus Catholicus quà m si apertus appareret haereticus those eare-wigs are most pernicious whose counsels seeme to be most specious when they are but as the spirit of darkness appearing like an Angel of light when they say God indeed must be served and the Word must be preached but whether Bishop or no Bishop whether in a sumptuous Church or private house whether by an esteemed Clergy or a poore meane Ministrie in this manner or in another fashion it skilleth not much Kings may well enough give way to spare that cost to lessen that Revenue and to pull down these Cathedrals especially to give content unto the People and to defray the expensive charge of the Common-wealth But these counsels will not excuse Kings in the day of their account therefore let them take heed of such Counsellors and when they hear them begin to speak against the Church though they be-guild their beginnings never so slily let them either stop their eares with the Cockatrice that will not heare the Psal 58.