my course preaching upon the whole Chapter It was objected to me that therein I did contrary to the Kings Declaration To which I answered that I never take the Kings Declaration to be intended by him for the suppressing of any part of Gods truth neither durst I ever conceive a thought so dishonourable to the King at to thinke him to be an instrument of suppressing Gods truth And have I not good ground for it For in his Majesties Declaration to All his loving Subjects of the cause which mooved him to dissolue the last Parliament Published by his Majesties speciall Command his Majesty mentioning Richard Mountagues Appeale which did open the way to those Schismes and divisions which have since insued in the Church expresseth himselfe in these words we did for remedy and redresse thereof and for satisfaction of the consciences of our good people not only by our publick Proclamation call in that Book which ministred matter of offence but to prevent the like danger for hereafter reprinted the Articles of Religion established in the time of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory and by a Declaration before those Articles we did tye restraine all opinions to the sense of those Articles that nothing might be left for private fancies and innovation For we call God to record before whom we stand that it is and alwayes hath been our hearts desire to be found worthy of that title which we account the most glorious in all our Crowne Defender of the faith neither shal we ever give way to the authorising of any thing where by any innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserve that vnity of Doctrine Discipline established in the time of Queene Elizabeth whereby the Church of England hath stood florished ever since These be his Majesties expresse words Well for all this I was suspended from my Mistery Thus when they would insnare or oppresse us they lay all the burden upon the King which how injurious and dishonorable it is to his Majesty I referre to them that are best able to judge of matters of such moment Take another instance Another time namely then when I was brought to the High Commission board at London-house about that Booke of mine formerly mentioned though they had nothing at all against mee but rayling and reviling and charging me with sedition which I retorted upon themselves whereby I put them to silence for the time yet they recovering breath one of them sayd I must to prison If I must sayd I I desire to put in baile in regard of my Ministeriall charge being within three dayes of Easter No quoth my Lord of London that then was the King hath given expresse charge for YOV that no â—ale shall bee taken for YOV No my Lord Then I desire to know by what Law or Statute of the Land you doe imprison 〈◊〉 if it bee according to Law I humbly submit my selfe Otherwise I doe here claime the right and priviledge of a Subject according to the Petition of Right Well for all this to prison I must and if I found my selfe agrieved I might bring a writ of false imprisonment To the Fleet I went where I was a prisonner twelve dayes And when they sent for me forth to make me amends they put me into the High Commission out of the frying pan into the fire But blessed be God and my King by the benefit of whose good Lawes I obtayned a Prohibition against their illegall proceedings which fetcht mee off those shelves where else with the threatned storme of their Censure I must have suffered shipwracke But now I referre it to the sad consideration of the sagest whither that which hee fathered upon the King was not a most dangerous and seditious speech tending to possesse both me and the many by-standers and consequently all the people in the Land with a sinister opinion of the Kings justice constancy in keeping his solemne Covenant with his people as in that Petition of Right Though I blesse God I could never intertaine such a thought of my King that he should utter such a word as to deny his old Servant the hanfell-benefit of his gratious hand wherewith but a little before he had signed the Petition of Right for the maintenance not onely of myne but of every good Subjects just and honest cause Take yet another instance and that also at the high Commission Court where I was attending as a poore Client or rather an Innocent at the barre waiting for my Censure There a Rule for a Prohibition for Master Prinne being cendered in Court according to the course of the Kings Lawes in that behalfe presently my Lord of London then President of the Court stands vp and flyes in the face of Master Prinne and his Prohibition with great heat of passion even almost unto fury and after many threatnings to him hee uttered these words that whosoever should dare to bring the next Prohibition hee would set him fast by the heeles This was spoken alowd in open Court Now as I conceive this did not a little reflect and trench upon the Kings honor the Lawes of the Land and the Liberty of the subject What for any man to dare with open mouth and that in open Court to out-dare the Kings just goverment of his Subjects according to his good Lawes Or upon what ground did hee thus boldly beare himselfe Vpon the King His Majesty had not long before signed â—he Petition of Right Also his Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects of the causes which mooved him to dissolve the last Parliament Published by his Majesties speciall commaund 1628. Speaking in his name that for the Parliaments full satisfaction and security Hee did by an answer framed in the forme by themselves desired to their Parliamentary Petition confirme their ancient and just Liberties and Rights which saith his Majesty Wee resolve with all constancy and justice to maintaine Whereupon then did this man dare to utter such an insolent speech Not from the King I am sure Wee have his Royall Word and Hand to the contrary And yet some perhaps might surmise that hee durst not speake thus in open Court had hee not some better ground for it than his owne desperate boldnesse Or the best Apology hee can make is that his tongue did runne before his wit and that in the flames of his passion he sacrificed his best reason and loyalty To these Instances wee will adde two or three more very remarkable and whereof wee all at this very time are eye-witnesses for they are still in acting The first is That most outragious practise of the Prelates in making havocke of the Church and of Religion by suspending excommunicating outing of Ministers from their freehold and the like because they cannot dare not read the booke for sports on the Lords day Now the Prelates and their officers herein most insolently and with a high hand proceeding neither according to Law nor
neere affinity or rather consanguinity they being sensible of the smart of his whip tooke it all upon themselves and so as Iudges in their owne cause passed their Episcopall censure upon him yea although he not only in his booke but openly before the whole Court professed and protested that hee medled not with those Prelates who received and acknowledged their Episcopall Iurisdiction from Kings and Princes and withall he alleadged and read in the audience of the Courts sundry Statutes as in King Henry the eight Edward thâ— sixt and Queene Elizabeth which doe annex all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction unto the Crowne of England So as no Prelate or other Person hath any power to visit Ecclesiasticall persons c. But he must have it immediately from the King and confirmed by Letters Patents under the great Seale of England This Iurisdiction annexed to the Crowne of England Doctor Bastwicke alledged in Court against that usurped Iurisdiction of the Hierarchy of Rome which they challenge from Christ. Notwithstanding they alledged for themselves that they had their Episcopall authority from Christ and if they could not proove it they would cast away their Rochets So they may cast their caps too for any such proofe they can bring for it But stopping the Doctors mouth that he might not plead his cause they proceeded to a most grievous censure of him in 1000. pound fine to the King for maintaining the Royalty of His Crowne against the Prelates usurpation who would plucke away that gemme from it Imprisonment Excommunication suspension from his practise in Prison and the many miseries depending thereupon and devolving upon his Wife and children So as it is plaine they usurpe professe and practise such a jurisdiction as is not annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of England but which with the Pope and Prelates of Italy they claime from Christ. And this is cleere by a threefold practise of theirs 1. Their censuring of Doctor Bastwick for this very cause that hee impugned all Episcopall Iurisdiction over Gods Ministers claimed from Christ or the Scripture So as they make it their owne cause with the Pope and his Prelates as all holding by that title and not from the authority of Kings and Princes And this is according to that in Dr. Pockâ—â—ngtons Sunday no Sabbath where hee saith pag. 48. Hereby wee may by Gods mercy make good the trueth of our Church For wee are able lineally to set downe the succession of our Bishops from St. Peter to St. Gregory and from him to our first Archbishops St. Austin our English Apostle downward to his Grace that now fits in his Chaire Primate of all England and Metropolitane So hee Thus wee see how our Prelates have no other claime for their Hierchie then the Popes of Rome have and doe make which all our Divines fince the Reformation till but yesterday have disclaimed and our Prelates cannot otherwise assume but by making themselues the very limbes of the Pope and so our Church a member of that Synagogue of Rome Secondly the constant practise of our Prelates proveth this for they neither have at any time nor have sought to have any the Kings Letters Parents under the great Seale of England for their keeping Courts and Visitations c. But doe all in their owne names and under their owne Seales contrary to the Law in that behalfe Thirdly in that they labour by all meanes possible to maintaine this their absolute and independed Iurisdiction as no way depending on the King and namely by stopping the ordinary course of Law that the Kings people may bee cut off from all benefit of the Kings good Lawes and of their native ancient Liberties so as it is become very geason and a rare matter to obtaine a Prohibition against their illegall practises invexing oppressing the Kings good Subjects nay they are growne so formidable of late as if they were some new generation of Giants that the very motion of a Prohibition against a Prelate or their Proceedings in the High Commission makes the Courts of Instice startle So as good causes are lost and Innocents condemned because none dare pleade and judge their cause according to the Kings Lawes whereby wee ought all to be governed For example the Ministers of Surry who are suspended from their Ministery and outed of their meanes and freeholds against all Law or Conscience yet are so disheartned and overawed that they dare not contend in Law against the Prelate for feare of further vexations and they are out of hope of any fayre hearing in an ordinary Legall way Nay when Doctor Bastwicke had procured a Habâ—as corpus to remove him out of the Bishope stincking prison in the Gate-house unto the Kings Bench. and thereupon was removed thither-yet notwithstanding they procured the reversing of this Legall Order and brought the Prisonner backe againe with avengeance and triumph to his old lodging Thus wee see they have gotten such a power into their hands as doth overtop and countermaund the Kings Lawes and the peoples Liberties Now this power they have not from the Imperiall Crowne according to the Lawes of the Land but it is a meere usurpation So as being a power not derived from the King as the immediate fountaine of it it proves to bee at least a branch of that forraigne power altogether excluded in the Statute of 1. Elis. cap. 1. And it is flatly against the Oath of Supremacy in the same Statute which all Prelates take wherein they professe and promise faith and true allegiance to the Queenes Highnesse her Heires and lawfull Successors and to their power to defend all Iurisdictions Priviledges c. granted or belonging to the Queenes Highnesse her Heires c. Now all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction which the Prelates have authority to exercise being annexed to the Crowne as is cleere by the foresayd statute either they must not claime it by another title or if they doe they are all in a Tramunire and under the guilt of perjury And whither they bee not also in a Praemunire for practising their Iurisdiction as keeping of Courts visitations c. in their owne names not having the Kings Letters Patents under the Great Seale of England I leave to the learned in the Law to judge But some will say that they defend and maintaine all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction to bee from the King For in the visitation Articles for Norwich by Mathew their Lord Bishop this is one Be there any in your Parish that have denyed or perswaded any other to deny withstand or impugne the Kings Majesties Authority and Supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall within this Realme First I answer this is a faire colour and pretence as if it were against Papists Secondly it is against their ordinary practise as in the former examples And thirdly admit they doe sincerely professe that they have or hold no Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction but from the King yet the question is whither they will say that all those outrageous courses they how hold and
by authority of Parliament which it seemes they make but light account of published as Authentick Acts not to bee altered by private spirits But who they bee it 's hard for me to divine it pertaines to those to find them out of whom Salomon saith It is the honour of Kings to search out a matter Now having fallen upon this so important a passage wherein the Innovators would not have the Romish Religion to be called Rebellion or their faith Faction the like but labour all they can to wash this Blackamore white while by their index expurgatorius they purge out of all our authentick records all monuments and memorialls of this Strumpets Staines painting her haggs face with the counterfeit colours of Christs Spowse I will crave leave in this place briefely to show how truly according to the judgement of our Church grounded upon manifest and undeniable proofes the Romish or Popish Religion is here in this Booke set foorth by the Parliament called Rebellion and their faith Faction First that the Popish religion is rebellion is prooved by the universall practise of Papists both Iesuites Priests and other Recusants For whereas in 3. Iacobi cap. 4. the Oath of Supremacy is injoyned to all Papists all Iesuites and Seminary Priests refuse it and all Iesuited Papists and if any Papist doe take it hee is excommunicated for it And their reason is Because they hold and adhere to the Pope as the onely Supreme head and Soveraigne over all powers on earth this being the prime and fundamentall Article of their Creed and so consequently they hold and teach those doctrines concerning the Popes usurped power over Kings Princes in deposing them and disposing of their Kingdomes in Excommunicating them and so exposing them to the rebellion of their people as being now freed from their allegiance Secondly that the Popish religion is rebellion is prooved by their writings positions and doctrines which they professe and teach concerning the Popes usurped power and Soveraignty over all Kings and Kingdomes of the earth Here of the Reader may take a briefe and full view both in Doctor Iohn White his Defence of the way chap. 6. and in Doctor Crakenthorpe his Treatise of the Popes temporall Monarchy Cap. 1. First Dr. Iohn White in answere to the Iesuites bold challenge hath in the said place collected no lesse then 40. instances of Popish Authors who exalt the Popes power over Kings in deposing them and exposing their Persons to the danger of Rebells Traytors and Murderers commending and highly magnifying as a meritorious act the killing of Kings as of Henry the Third and Henry the Fourth of France as there is to bee seene Therefore saith hee I say still and heere write it in capitall Letters that THE CHVRCH OF ROME TEACHETH DISLOYALTY AND REBELLION AGAINST KINGS AND LEADES HER PEOPLE INTO ALL CONSPIRACIES AND TREASONS AGAINST STATES AND KINGDOMES This I shew by the Doctrine and Assertions of the chiefest Divines therein So hee Let the Reader peruse the whole chapter at large where among other remarkable things is this Passage out of Capistranus that so soone as any one King for Apostacy from the faith by judgement is denounced Excommunicate IPSO FACTO HIS SVBIECTS ARE ABSOLVED FROM HIS GOVERNMENT AND FROM THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE So there The second Learned Author of ours is Dr. Crakenthorpe who in the fore-named place hath collected the Sentences of many Poopiâ—h Authors concerning the same point Some of them saying That Christian Kings are Dogges which must be ready at the Sheepheards hand to wit the Pope or else the Sheepheard must presently remooue them from their office This saith Becanus doth reason teach this doth the Councell of Lateran Decree And Scioppius that Reges Catholici sunt Asini cum tintinnabulis Catholik Kings are Asses with bells about their necks as being the fore-asses which leade the way to other inferiour Asses The whole Chapter is worth the reading being full fraught with such stuffe Yea the Popes owne Decretalls are full of the like arrogancies What should I speake of their Bookes of the Sacred Roman Ceremonies wherein are setdown the severall Offices which Emperors Kings Princes according to their severall rankes must performe to the Pope either at his Coronation or when he rideth in Soleme Procession in his Pontificalibus how the Emperor or some great King must lead the Popes horse and if the Pope bee carried on a Seat then foure great Princes whereof the Emperor if present must be one or some great Prince for the honor of the Saviour Iesus Christ shall cary the Seat with the Pope upon their shoulders Also which stirrop the Emperor must hold How the Elect King of Romans must implore the favour and grace of the Apostolicke Sea and offer himselfe to performe whatsoever Oathes of fidelity to the Roman Church How the Chore sings the Antiphona The Lord hath chosen him and hath exalted him above the Kings of the earth And the like By these and many more it plainly appeareth that the Popish Religion is Rebellion and that Papists are an Antichristian Sect as is expressed in the sayd Prayer Againe as their Religion is Rebellion so their faith is faction as there is added For proofe hereof I referre the Reader to Doctor Crakenthorpe Of the fifth generall Councell Chapter 13. where hee learnedly prooveth that the Church of Rome holdeth no doctrine by faith And this from the Councell of Lateran under Leo 10. wherein they layd another foundation then Christ the Popes words in steed of Gods and Antichrists insteed of Christs For before that Councell of Lateran though they believed the same heresies and errours yet it was because they thought the Scripture to bee the maine ground thereof but in this Councell they must believe all these things because the Pope hath so resolved and defined So as though the Materialls of Popery were the same yet the formality and foundation of their faith and Church was quite altered So as from hence Papists are so truly called from the Pope as the prime Head Rocke and foundation of their faith For as wee make Christ and his Word so they on the contrary make the Pope that is to say Antichrist and his word the ground and foundation of faith In regard whereof as the faith and religion is from Christ truely called Christian and they truely Christians So the faith and religion of the other is from the Pope or Antichrist truely and properly called Papisme or Antichristianisme and the Professors of it Papists or Antichristians And the ground of all this is because they hold the Popes judgement to bee Supreme and infallible and so build their faith on him as on the foundation thereof which their owne Church never did till the time of Leo the tenth It is not then the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda but the Lyon of the Lateran Synod who is the foundation of the faith of Papists and from whom therefore they justly
little examine what force there is in this Argument Cathedralls are so and so therefore all other Churches must conforme to them I deny the Argument Legibus vivendum est non exemplis We must live by lawes not by examples The rites and ceremonies of all our Churches are prescribed and precisely limited by the Lawes of the Land by Act of Parliament and are not left at large to the Example of Cathedralls Nay how comes it about that Cathedralls have usurped that Lawlesse and boundlesse Liberty of conforming themselves to Rome in all those their ceremonies What law can they show for this Will they plead prescription For how long time What prescription can Durhams Cathedrall-Church plead for her new service new Copâ—s new Images of Saints and Angels new rites on Candlemas day with their hundreds of tapers and candles and instead thereof bringing a Spirituall darkenesse upon mens soules by shutting out the ancient morning Prayers and other meanes of true knowledge and devotion Are not the authors of this innovation yet alive What Prescription of long custome can the Cathedrall Church of Bristow plead which now of late also hath set up new Images of the Apostles and other Saints What Prescription can Pauls Cathedrall bring for those mitred Images and Statues newly erected and for those winged Angels round about the Quire What Prescription can that Cathedrall Church at Woâ—verhampton in Staffordshire plead for her goodly costly new Altar with the Dedication thereof within these 2. or 3. yeares last past in which Dedication all the Romane rites were observed as Censings washings bowings Copes though but borrowed from Lichfeild chantings abusing of Scripture as Iohn 10. 22. to prove dedication of Altars and the like or what custome can the Same Church plead for erecting their new Altar and throwing out of their ancient and painfull Preacher What warrant have they for setting up such Altars for Baal such dumbe gods and casting downe the throne and stopping the mouth of the living God The like may be said of many other Cathedrals if not all which within these few yeares yea but Yesterday have beene strangely metamorphosed into a Curtizan-like garbe and now must be Like Mother Like Daughter Must therefore all Churches conforme to their new Romish Pashions Must therefore the Cathredrals in Oxford I meane these Câ—lledge-Churches as Magdaleâ—s Christs Church Queenes S. Iohns and others as also those Chappels in Cambridge as Peter-house Chappell S. Iohns Kings Queenes become the â—â—rceries and Springs of Superstition and Idolatry to the whole Land because of late dayes they have crested goodly new Altars Images Crucifires and such like ornâ—ments of the Romish where And because they both practise and presse the bowing to those Idols must therefore all Scholars bow unto them To what end then shall men send their Sons to the Universities if there they must be trained up to the Superstition and Idolatrie of Popery Thus we see how unlike our Cathedrals be to that they were formerly being newly set out with a Romish dresse according to those Spirits which rule in the ayre so as their examples ought to be no Lawes to bring in an universall conformity to these yesterday innovations in Mother-Cathedrals Againe by what title doe Cathedrals came to be Mothers to other Churches what Mothers Except Step-Mothers For they never bore nor brought forth those Churches whom they call daughters And right Step-Mothers they be that cheat the children of their Fathers inheritance as these would doe who rob the Spowse of her Iewels and put upon her the cast attyre of the whore But they alledge the Order for St. Gregories by Paules wherein there is an imitation of this conformity of other Churches to their Mother-Cathedrals I answere our gratious King at that as at other times as still likâ— himselfe plainly said that he would have no innovations Nor can we imagine that it was any part of his meanning that all Churches should in all things conforme to Cathedralls much lesse that all Cathedralls should bring in new rites that so other Churches might conforme to them What Must other Churches have Organs Singing Quires Altars Images Crucifixes Tapers Copes and the like because such is the guise of Cathedralls Must long chanting Service goe up and preaching goe downe because it is So in Wolverhampton Durham and other Cathedralls But by what Law By the Popes Canon Doth not our Law exclude out of all Churches all other rites besides those in the Communion Booke Doth not the Homily fore-cited prayse God for the purging of our Parish Churches from piping chanting and the like as wherewith God is so sore displeased and the house of Prayer defiled And doth not another Homily coÌ„demne the setting up of Images Crucifixes and such Reliques in Churches and all for the perill of Idolatry which doth necessarily attend the same And doth not the Queenes Injunctions forbid all skrines and reliques of Idolatry and Superstition And doth not another Homily condemne many Altars Images and Idols as heathenish and Iewish abuses How then will our new Masters our Innovators make good the bringing in of these things afresh into Cathedrals forcing all petty churches to coÌ„forme thereunto would the Prelates thus make the Mother Cathedrals thus by theÌ„selves made adopted Romes daughters their Concubines whereon to beget a new bastard generation of sacrificing Idolatrous Masse-Priests throughout the Land which our good Lawes and all our learned and pious Divines proclaimed illegitimate and abominable So as I cannot but wonder though I hope better that these desperate and all daring Popish Innovators turning off the State of the Kingdome and Church upside downe beating themselves either upon the Popes Canon-Law overtopping the Regall power or upon the evill example of their lately metamorphosed Cathedrals conformed to Rome that so they may finely or furiously inforce all the Churches in England to the like conformity and so reduce England under the Papall yoake againe they being now dead that felt the intollerable pressure of it and a new generation sprung up that affect novelty and to trade with Rome againe and nothing can now stay them but they will either breake all in pieces or their owne neckes that they are not cited before the Royall Tribunalls of Iustice and the Iudges and Iustices in their Circuits and assises doe not take Cogniscance of such perturbers who undermine and overthrow the State of Church and Common weale and mingle heaven and earth together and so condignely punish them for their intolerable usurpations So should my text be here made up My Son feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddainly and who knoweth the ruine of them both But alas have they not got the Lawes under their girdles and doe they not trample them as durt under their feet And therefore with what chaines shall wee bind these men How shall wee
that in the chiefe place Your Majestie may take a full account of the whole matter whereof nothing is concealed and so also as all Your loving and loyall Subjects may make good use of it Herein besides manie other things the reading whereof will not I hope be losse of time to Your Majestie I haue observed sundrie perillous innovations set on foot in this Your Kingdome worthie Your Majesties saddest consideration And to whom next unto God should I addresse my complaint herein but to Your Majestie whose honour I cannot but be most tenderlie sensible of so deeplie suffering in those Innovations herein mentioned For how frequentlie and Solemlie hath your Majestie made most Sacred Protestations to all Your loving Subjects that you would never suffer the least innovation to creep into Your Kingdome And here both for the comfort to us Your faithfull people and for the conviction and condemnation of our Innovators and for the refreshing of the memorie of Your Majesties Golden Sayings never to be forgotten as most honourable to Your Majestie let me set downe a few of them Your Majestie in Your Declaration to all Your loving Subjects of the causes that mooved You to dissolve the last Parliament published by Your Majesties Speciall command 1628. pag. 21. hath these words We call God to record before whom wee stand that it is and alwaies hath been our hearts desire to be found worthie of that title which we account the most glorious in al our Crowne DEFENDER OF THE FAITH neither shall wee ever give way to the authorising of anie thing whereby ante innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserve that unitie of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queene Elizabeth whereby the Church of England hath stood and florished ever since And in your Declaration prefixed to the Articles of Religion speaking of Ordinances and Constitutions in Convocation by Your Majesties leave and under Your Seale is added this Proviso Providing that none be made contrarie to the Lawes and Customes of the Land More might be added All which well considered how audacious yea how impious are our Innovatours how fearelesse of Your Majestie how regardlesse of Your Royall Honor that in their Innovations made such havocke commit such outrages and that upon the open theater New Rites and Ceremonies doe now not steale and creep into the Church but nudo capite are violently and furiously obtruded upon Ministers and people and that with suspension excommunication ejection out of house and home threatnings and thundrings to the refusers who dare not yeeld conformity unto them as being against both Law and Conscience and these your solemne declarations So as it seemeth these Innovators will put it to the triall whether their practises will more prevayle against your Majesties Solemne and Sacred Protestations to the contrarie which stand upon Record in aeternam rei memoriam that so they may as much as in them lyeth blast the beautie and glorie of Your Royall Name delivered in Annales to posteritie as if it should be said This King had no regard to sacred Vowes and solemne Protestations which God forbid it should ever enter into the thought of any of Your loving Subjects to suspect or whether your Majestie will looke moore narrowly into their desperate practises not suffering your self to be abused through credulitie of their blandishing flatteries and bainfull suggestions and Your people most intollerably oppressed under their lawlesse power will bee pleased upon others true reports true reports I say for who dare report falsely of them whom so few dare speake the truth against them they be so potent and vindicative to make a full Scrutiny and inquiry into their exorbitant and extravagant courses and thereupon to acquit Your honour in executing of Iustice upon the Delinquents I doe not charge any one particular person That honor is reserved to Your Majestie For as Salomon saith it is the honor of Kings to search out a matter And for me Your Majesties old and faithfull Servant while as Christ Minister a watchman of Israel yea a Sentinell perdu I discover both present and thereupon in my apprehension consequent dangers to my Soveraigne and his State and while as the poore sheep I appeale and complaine to my Shepherd oh never let my Shepherd either leave me in or deliver me into the power of the wolfe And while all along I plead for God and the King for Feare and Obedience and against Innovators the enemies of both oh let my God and my King protect their poore Servant against his adversaries the Innovators in my text Who if they quarrell these my charges I beseech Your Majestie lay Your charge upon them to make a full and cleare answer unto them What shall or can I say more Your Majesties wisedome can pierce deeper into this cause then my shallownesse is able to give intimation wherein you will easily discerne how deeply You are ingaged to close with God and Your good Subjects against all those Innovators the disturbers of the peace and distractors of the unitie of Your Kingdome so as thereby You shall become the most glorious Prince in Christendome formidable to Your enemies and amiable to all Your good Subjects whose hearts and affections being indecred hereby will become a richer Mine to Your Majestie then all the Westerne Indies to the King of Spaine And if my stile seeme sharper then usuall be pleased to impute it to my Zeale and Fidelitie for God and for Your Majestie when I am to encounter with those that he adversaries to both And if any word have dropped from my pen which malice may pervert and wrest to my prejudice I beseech Your Majestie to be my Iudge Your selfe and to consider as on the one side a weake man so on the other a Minister of Christ whose message hee durst not but faithfully discharge to his uttermost power and at his uttermost perill Nor must I looke to fare better then the Prophets of old who complained of those who made a man an offender for a word and laid a snare for him that reprooued in the gate Yea then Christ himselfe whom the Pharisees thought to intangle in his words Yet my comfort is that a Prince so gracious so righteous so religious shall be my Iudge And if my simplicitie shall be by my captious Adversaries found worthy of censure for a word misplaced or so I shall the more willinglie undergoe their censure so as they may haue their condigne punishment according to the Law for their most perrillous Innovations In fine my last comfort is and will be that in case they shall for the present beare me downe together with so Noble a cause as this is which yet I know will in time beate all us Adversaries downe sith it is Christs owne Cause I haue been a true witnesse of Christ and a faithfull subject of Your Majestie in thus freeing mine owne soule by discharging of my duety What ever become
you whom yee shall feare feare him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you him feare Where Christ exhorts us to this feare of God by a threefold motive 1. that hee calls us friends And surely such as truely feare God are the friends of Christ from whom no feare of men can divide them as we sayd before 2. hee forewarnes us that we may not bee unarmed with this feare of God least otherwise wee bee on a suddaine surprised and overthrown before wee be aware when the great red Dragon with all his terror presents himselfe before the woman ready to bring forth a masculine birth which with the mother he threatens to devoure And so much the more when the Dragon is 〈◊〉 powerfull as with his tayle to draw the third part of the Starres of heaven and to cast them to the earth that is when the greatest part of those who in their heavenly Orbes and Motions are as Starry lights shining in their doctrine and life are either by the Dragons threats or the traines and wiles of his dog-like flattering tayle cast from their heavenly station to the earth when the love or feare of earthly things swayes more with them to draw them downewards then of heavenly to fixe them on Christ. Thirdly Christ in the forenamed place redoubles his premonition Yea I say unto you feare HIM by which hee would intimate unto us of what force the feare of man is to draw us away from our station with God if wee bee not well rooted in the feare of God Thirdly here is an use of caution to those that are apt to be censorious of those to whom God hath given a greater and more extraordinary measure of Christian zeale and courage for Christ. For such a vertue as it is more eminent so it drawes upon it a great deale of envy especially from those which as they idolize their counterfeit discretion and Christian prudence as they tearme it and all because they love to sleep in a whole skin and are loth to hazard a haire of their head for Christ so on the other side they clevate and slight the noble zeale and courage of those whom they see so farre to out strip them in this heroick grace and invincible love to Christ yea they are ready to tearme it rashnesse and indiscretion especially if the successe proove an imprisonment or other vexation from those who with their might bearedowne the right and then they applawde and hugge their owne prudence and discretion when in the meane time they injoy their peace and cease at home For as an evill attempt if it hit well is called a vertue so the best actions being attended with an issue not answerable are deemed by unjust judges vicious and erronious Fourthly and lastly is the true feare of God such a rare and excellent vertue and so invincible overcōming all other feares Then this makes for exceeding consolation to the Church of God especially in declining times of Apostacy and when the truth is openly persecuted and oppressed and Idolatry and Superstition obtruded insteed thereof when notwithstanding wee see many Ministers of Iesus Christ though but few comparatively in respect of the whole multitude to stand stoutly to their tacklings and rather then they will betray any part of Gods truth and of a good conscience they will part with their Ministry liberty livelyhood and life too if need were This is that which keepes Christs cause in life This gives Gods people cause of rejoycing that they see their Captaines to keepe their ground and not to fly the field or forsake their colours or basely yeeld themselves to the enemy Here is hope that the cause will prevaile at length But if all should yeeld or fly then the field were lost without recovery Yet how many doe like Demosthenes who seeing his party beginne to bee put to the worst takes his heeles and being asked why hee fled so fast Oh saith he that I may preserve my selfe to fight another time Then sure hee would doe great feats But in the meane time the enemy is master of the field and now there is no more place of fighting So prudent Souldiers and captaines among us seeing Christs side in mans judgement to be distressed by the enemies prevailing power thinke it good discretion rather to yeeld to the present extremity and so to reserve themselves for better times when in the meane time the cause is by them betrayed and themselves soled captive that their captaine Christ will never trust to such captaines againe as to commit the leading of his people under the false colours of their empty pretences Yea and the people too are willing and perswade their Ministers to yeeld in those smaller matters as they conceive rather then to forgoe their Ministry not waighing either the dangerous consequēces of such beginnings or the worthlessenesse of such Ministers as shall doe such certaine evill that a supposed and but supposed onely good may come thereof Whose damnation is just as the Apostle speaketh For Rome was not build in one day And Rome being about to bee rebuilt in this land cannot bee done all at once but it must bee by degrees although the builders doe every day get ground and their building goes on a maine with an incredible celerity But I trust they make more hast then good speed And me thinkes I see the issue of their building in that of the Tower of Babell of which the Lord said Behold the people is one and they have all one language and this they begin to doe and now nothing will bee restrained from them which they have imagined to doe Even so our new Babel-builders upon a strong combination and faction against Christ and his Kingdome have begun to build a Tower reaching to heaven in their high imagination as if they would as the Giants of old pull Christ out of his Throne and all outward likelyhoods conspire unto their more than hoped for successe which no externall meanes can prevent but as then so now the Lord is able by an uncouth way which they never dreamed of to confound them and their worke to their eternall infamy Even so ò Lord. Yet as wee said before Gods children must take heed for their parts that they bring not so much as a sticke or a stone to this building but that they hinder and stop the beginning and creeping in of Idolatry and Superstition which else is as a breaking in of the Sea that so overflowes the land and so gaines more ground every tide till it grow incurable This we have seene in these Innovations First Pewes at Chancel-ends must be remooved that so none may sit above God Almighty Though this at first dash brings the Reall Presence Well what 's next It 's fit to remoove the Table Altarwise This was with much hard tugge effected in Saint Gregories by Pauls at least for the neere neighbourhood it
Canon upon what authority doe they goe Surely they lay all the load upon the King Why upon the King Doth the King commaund that Ministers shall read it in their Congregations No such thing The Booke Orders that it bee published in Churches but expresseth not that it bee read by the Ministers Indeed it saith Wee further wiâ—l that publication of this our Commaund bee made by order from the Bishops c. Now the publication of the Commaund differs from the reading of the Booke The commaundement may be published and yet not the Booke read Well but it pleaseth their Lordships so to extend their order Ministers must read it But they dare not doe it as being against their Consciences If not what then They must bee suspended and are By what Law or Canon That matters not their will is so But if they alledge the Kings authority as they doe where show they the King hath given them this authority to proceed so illegally and incanonically The Booke orders no such severe and wicked Censures to be inflicted upon any in that behalfe No nor yet gives the Bishops any expresse order or power at all to punish any Minister in this case And will no lesse Censure then serve the turne then suspension excommunication deprivation and the like but they are rebells against the King If so then there is a Law to punish them But how are they rebells They resist not they doe no violence to authority All disobedience is not rebellion For then Daniel and the three children had beene rebells for not obeying the Kings Commandement But the Ministers I say that refuse to read the Booke doe not therein directly disobey the King For first the Booke expresseth no such Commaundement that Ministers shall read the Booke as before Secondly no wife and honest man can ever imagine that the King should ever intend to commaund that which mainly tends to the publicke dishonour of God and his Word to the violation and annihilation of the holy commandement touching the Sabbath to the alteration of the Doctrine of the Church of England which in the Homily clearly fully grounds the sanctification of the Lords day which it calls our Christian Sabbath-day upon the fourth commaundement and conseqnently to the destruction of the peoples soules For this were against all those solemne royall Protestations of the King as where he sayth Neither shall we give way for the authorising of any thing whereby any innovation may steale or creepe into the Church but preserve that unity of Doctrine c. But the reading of this Booke by the Ministers is to bring in and that not creepingly and by stealth but by the head and shoulders as it were by a flood gate set open a mighty innovation of the unity or Doctrine concerning the Sabbath which hath beene ever since the Reformation and so from the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory constantly universally and unanimously maintayned in the Church of England untill this late faction of Anti-Sabbatarians started up to cry downe all Sanctification all power and purity of Religion And indeed the innovation of the Doctrine of the Sabbath bring in with it an universall innovation of all Religion as experience is an eye-witnesse Therefore for certaine the King never gave authority to the republishing of this Booke in case it should any way tend to any innovation or violation of the unity of Doctrine professed and maintained in our Church Againe the profanation of the Sabbath or Lords-day which the Booke seemes to give allowance unto as in sundry sports there specified is directly against the very first Act of Parliament in the first of King Charles an auspicious beginning promising a religious and gracious Raigne where it is expressely sayd For as much as there is nothing more acceptable to God then the true and sincere service and worship of Him according to his holy will and that the holy keeping of the Lords day is a principal part of the true service of God and therefore all unlawfull exercises and pastimes are prohibited upon that day Now what are unlawfull exercises and pastimes prohibited on that day Namely not only those there specified but all other unlawfull pastimes as there it is sayd What are those By name all dancing leaping rebelling and such like in termes condemned by Imperiall Edicts Decrees of Councells writings of ancient Fathers of all learned Divines both Protestants and Papists in all ages And King Iames of famous memory in his Basilicon Doron to his Sonne hath these words Certaine dayes in the yeare would be appointed for delighting the people with publicke Spectacles of all honest games and exercises of armes as also for conveening of neighbours for intertaining friendship and heartlinesse by honest feasting and merrinesse as in making playes and lawfull games in May c. So that alwayes the Sabbaths be kept holy no unlawful pastimes be used By which words it is evident that all Sports on the Sabbaths or Lords dayes are condemned as unlawfull which yet are by King Iames allowed on other dayes Now will any say that our gracious Soveraigne the Peerelesse Sonne of so Peerelesse a Father doth herein disobey his Royall Fathers instruction as to allow May-games and the like as lawfull on the Sabbath which Hee expressely and by name forbids to bee used on that day Object But the Booke for Sports was first published in Print in K. Iames his name and therein May-games and other Sports are alowed on the Sabbath dayes Answ. It s too true But if wee consider the maner of putting forth of that booke at first we shall finde how light it is to hold waight or to preponderate that learned and judicious Booke honorably Stiled Basilicon Doron First it was procured compiled and published in time of his Majesties Progresse into Scotland when he was more then ordinarily merily disposed They that were the compilers of it for we must not thinke the Kings leasure served him to doe it for their officiousnesse Populo ut placerent God rewarded them the one not long after injoying his life the other surviving out-living both his favour place in Court Againe it was never read nor yet pressed upon any Minister to be read during King Iames his raigne which lasted six yeares after the publishing of the said Booke in Print Thirdly it was not ratified under the Kings broad Seale as publick royall Acts use to be to make them authenticall Fourthly this booke was not inserted in his royall works sent to Oxford as not sutable to be ranked among so many learned and pious workes Lastly it was never in his raigne used as a snare and engine to outt good Ministers out of their Ministry and living as it is now used by the Prelates Quest. But how came it to be revived republished K. Iames being dead and this book also having no place in his royall Workes to preserve the memory of it Answer By whose
shew your selues like those faithfull servants of David sticke close to your King and if any danger come neere his sacred Person step betweene and let the losse of your owne precious life rescue and secure his who is worth ten thousand of us And so much for this point The next point ariseth from the order of these words Feare thou the Lord and the King That is First Feare the Lord and then the King It imports thus much That all our obedience to Kings and Princes and other Superiors must be regulated by our obedience to God Wee must so obey men as wee doe not there in trench or dash upon Gods Commandement God must first be served Therefore in all Commandements of man wee must consult with Gods Commandements or Law that it be not repugnant unto it This is also intimated in the order of the two Tables the First concerning our duty to God and the Second to our Neighbour And Christ tell that Questionist in the Gospel This is the first and great Commandement to wit to Loue God with all our heart and the second is like unto it Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe And the like orders it set downe 1. Pet. 2. Feare God Honour the King First feare God And this stands with good reason For First the King is Gods Minister and Vicegerent and commands as for God so from God and in God So as it is his office to command nothing against God Secondly If Princes shall commaund any thing against God and his Law then we must remember that we are Gods servants too and therefore must obey man in nothing that stands not with our obedience first to God For this cause the same word of God is a rule both for the King how to cary himselfe in governing and for every Subject how to cary himselfe to the King and first unto God Thirdly otherwise to obey or feare man before God and so above or against God is to make an Idol of man in placing him in a throne above God This is that feare of man which bringeth a snare Pro. 29 25. but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shal be safe So as the feare of man which brings a snare argues a failing of faith in God And this is a plaine defection and falling from God when man is obeyed against and above God The vse hereof is manifold 1. For reprehension 2. For Instruction 3. For Consolation 1. For reprehension of refutation of these that so advance mans ordinances and commandements as though they be contrary to Gods Law and the funda mentall Lawes of the State yet so presse men to the obedience of them as they hold them for no better then Rebells and to deserue to be hang'd drawne quartered that refuse to obey them And the chiefe Masters of his Mystery are the Iesuites in their blind obedience and they have gotten too many Doctors to bee their Disciples and broachers of this new Doctrine New I call it because it is flat contrary both to the expresse Scriptures and to the judgement of all Divines in all ages of the Church And because this their doctrine is So briefe now adayes I will set downe some Examples of the ancient Doctors judgement in this point And I will relate them out of Gratian himselfe As out of Augustine It is not alwayes evill not to obey the Commaundement when a Lord commaundeth those things which are contrary to God Then he must not be obeyed And Hierome If a Lord command those things which are not contrary to the holy Scriptures let the Servant bee subject to his Lord but if hee commaund contrary things let him obey rather the Lord of his Spirit then of his body And a little after If it bee good which the Emperour commaundeth execute the will of the Commander If evill Answer It behooveth to obey God rather then men And this also concernes Servant to their Masters and Wives to their husbands and children to their Parents that they ought in those things onely to obey their masters and husbands and parents which are not contrary to Gods Commandements And Ambrose Iulian the Emperour although he were an Apostate yet he had Christian Souldiers under him to whom when hee said bring forth your army for the defence of the Commonweale they did obey him but when he sayd unto them Draw out your weapons against the Christians then they acknowledge the Emperour of heaven Againe Aug. Hee which resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God But what if that be commanded which thou oughtest not to obey Here surely regard not the Power Observe the degrees of humane Lawes If the Substitute shall commaund that which ought not to bee done Yet if the Proconsul command the contrary thou doest not contemne the power if thou choosest to obey the greater Nor ought the lesser bee angry if the greater bee preferred Againe if the Consul himselfe commaund one thing and the Emperour another If the Emperour commaund one thing and God another what thinkest thou the greater power is God Pardon O Emperour Thou threatenest a prison He hell Here then thou must take thy faith as a Shield wherein thou mayst quench all the fiery darts of the enemy And another Father If any consent to anothers error let him know he is to be judged as equally culpable with him And Isidor If any forbid you that which is commaunded of the Lord or againe commaund that to be done which the Lord forbiddeth let him be execrable to all that love God Also hee that ruleth if hee either prescribe or commaund any thing besides the will of God or besides that which hee evidently commandeth in the holy Scriptures Let him bee accounted as a false witnesse of God or a sacrilegious Person When therfore the people are excommunicated even because they cannot bee compelled to evill then they are not to obey the sentence because according to that of Gelasius neither with God nor with his Church doth a wicked sentence bind any man So in Gratian. I will adde one more out of Bernard O spouse of Christ so obey man as thou offend not the will of God In evill workes never be obedient Do not obey in evill any Power although penalty compell if punishments be threatned if torments bee set before thee It is better to suffer death then to fulfill wicked commands It is better for a man to bee killed then to be adjudged to eternall damnation So Bernard I shall need to say no more to convince the novell impiety of those who doe with all rigor impose and the sinfull infirmity at least if not base cowardise of them that obey such commaunds as not only Gods word but even their owne Consciences tell them they ought not to doe Blush then and be ashamed O all ye Iesuiticall novell Doctors that suspend excommunicate persecute with all fury Gods faithfull Ministers and all because they will not they
Ministers for the Suppressing of those very truthes or doctrines of our Church clearly though briefly expressed in the 39 Articles and especially that of Election Predestination as before wee noted Now will any man Say that the Declaration is prefixed to the Articles that they should bee void and of none effect or that they should bee as a nose of wax or a Dâ—lphicke Oracle to bee taken in two contrary senses It s impossible And therefore it is too great impiety to fasten such a diabolicall practise upon the Sacred person of so noble a King as the author of it But in the meane time a fearefull innovation of doctrine is by this very meanes broken in upon us Now the doctrines of Gods free grace and mans salvation are husht and banished out of Citty and Countrey For where is there a Minister almost among a thousand that dare cleerly and plainly according to the Word of God and the Articles of our Church preach of these most comfortable Doctrines to Gods people and so soundly and roundly confute the Arminian heresies repugnant thereunto Although both by Gods Word and by our Ordination we are bound thereto So as the matter of our preaching must bee but morality at the best The mistery of God touching his Grace may not be opened as it ought And to this purpose Mountagues Appeale the first part allowing altogether of Arminianisme the second of Popery was published and that by the speciall approbation and allowance of the Prelates But it pleased our Gratious Soveraigne to call it in Also the Historicall Narration being a notorious packe and plot of knavery for the conclùding of the Arminian Tenents to be the doctrins of the Church of England was by them published being allowed in London house Although the Archbishop that then was called it in Also D. Iacksons bookes were to maintaine Arminianisme So that booke of a namelesse author called Gods love to mankinde although it hath no expresse priviledge yet it goes abroad by connivence being printed as they say in London Also Cosens Private Devotions which did maintaine prayer for the dead till after the out-cry being questioned in Parliament that point was purged out but yet the whole booke is popish weares the Iesuites badge in the front of it Also a Sermon of one Browne preached in Oxford in the prayer whereof printed before the Sermon is an expresse prayer for the dead And it passeth for currant uncensured Also the booke of Franciscus à S. Clara which hath beene now thrice printed and that in London as they say much applawded of our Innovators and most boldly dedicated to the Kings Majesty and they say presented to the King by a Prelate the scope whereof is to reconcile our Religion and so to cast of the old man that is the Calvinisticall to reduce our Church to Mother Rome againe In so much as he indeavors by shuffling and packing and false dealing with his paraphrases upon all our 39. Articles to make his owne game so faire as he hopes to win us backe againe to Rome Yea he saith we agree in justification inherent by workes which is to reconcile light with darknesse And Article 37. hee labours to reduce our King unto Subjection to the Apostolicke Sea the Pope That 's their ayme indeed as being the principall Fundamentall wherein consists the unity of all Churches under one Head the Pope And all this according to the sence of Trent Now let any man but of common sence judge The Pope being cast out of this Kingdome with all his false doctrines can any man imagine that the Articles of our Religion could beare any such sence as to bring us backe againe to Rome to bring our King under the Popes girdle againe to conspire with all those blasphemous doctrines and decrees of that most Antichristian Councell of Trent What man in the world were he not a Iesuited Divell incarnate but would have blushed and beene ashamed to have undertaken such a monstrous Task as this to reconcile the Articles of our Religion with the Councell of Trent How comes it then to passe that till now of late all our grave and learned Divines yea Prelates and others have maintained an immortall warre and which can never admit of a Truce against the Pope and all his Antichristian heresies packed up in that Diabolicall Councell of Trent And their learned workes doe still live and that with triumphant Lawrells upon their heads standing to this day unanswered and unanswerable And yet one Franciscus a St. Clare with the very breath of Ipse dixit will on a sudden overthrow all the writings of those Worthies and by a Romish racke serue up our very Articles to speake whatsoever language Mother Trent will have them For this take another instance or two One is our Eleventh Article which shewes our Iustification to bee by faith without the concurrence of workes in justification and whereas our Homily by him alledged Probl. 22. versus finem Saith That the habit or act of Faith in us doth not justifie us for this were to attribute justification to some vertue or act in us c. Videtur saith hee negare jusâ—itiam inhaerentem sed vere nihil minus intenditur quia â—â—aâ—im subditur Deus est qui justificat This seemes saith hee to denie inherent righteousnesse but in trueth nothing lesse is intended because it is by and by added It is God that justifieth Now see this mans impudent non-sence The whole scope of the Homily is to set forth most clearely the formall cause of our justification to bee by imputation of Christs Righteousnesse which Gods free mercy accounteth ours not in any worke of grace in us in whole or in part no not in faith it selfe as it is an habit or act inherent in us but as an instrument apprehending and applying Christ. And it utterly and expresly excludeth al inherent righteousnesse in us and all merit of workes as the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God So as the Homily setting downe these two as opposite one to the other namely Faith as a vertue in us doth not justifie us and It is God that justifieth with what mouth of impudency can any man Say that the Homily intended nothing lesse then to exclude justification by workes But hee hath gotten a Dispensation from the Father of lies and from the Pope to coyne brutish lies at his pleasure Adde wee a second instance which is that of the 24. Article concerning Prayer in an unknowne tongue in the congregation in these words It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God and the Custome of that Primitive Church to have publike prayer in the Church or to Minister the Sacraments in a tongue not understood of the people Now what doth Franciscus paraphrase upon this Namely that this Article determineth it is repugnant to the Scriptures that is not to the doctrine of
the Scriptures as if it ordained any thing to the contrary but to the writing or tradition of the Scripture which among the Corinthians was in the vulgar tongue Here al that heare may hisse But what saith he to the 28. Article which condemneth Transubstantiation Surely his Reconciliation heere is at a stand For hee is forced to Say that Negare Transubstantiationem divinâ— c. To deny divine Transubstantiation in this fearefull Mystery is against the verity of Faith as it is defined in the Councels of Lateran Trent It is well then Herein in the point of Transubstantiation no Reconciliation betweene us and Trent Then what hope hath he to reduce us to Rome or to re-erect his Masse in England yes he hath one hope What is that By calling here a nationall Synod Of whom Not of those whom he calls Calvinists and Puritans who are of the Orthodox party For he sayth Deponentes secundum pristinam conversationeÌ„ verterem homineÌ„ nempe Calvinisticum qui corrumpitur c. Putting off as touching the former conversation the old man to wit the Calvinisticall which is corrupted And in his Paraphrase on the 37. Article utinam denuo c. Now I would to God that by publick authority the matter for the dignity of it Puritanis non â—ntermixtis the Puritans not intermedling or intermixt might out of an affection of revnion be throughly scanned For I know the Puritans abhorre this For they fly all communion with us and abominate us as the body of Satan and Antichrist as Cassander said of some Christians This doth Franciscus apply to the Puritans whom he would have vtterly excluded from a Synod assembled to revnite Rome and England And can ye blame him Did not the Trent-Conventicle in truth though they pretended the contrarie exclude Protestants from them And did not the Protestants being invited as warily refuse to come and that by the example of Iohn Hâ—ss when they might answere the Popes counterfet invitatioÌ„ as the Fox did the sick-Lyon refusing to visit him in his deÌ„ne Quia me vestigia terrent c. No no quoth Renâ—ld for full well I see All foot-sleps towards you none towards me Now who are those Puritans he excepts against as not to be admitted to the Synod Perhaps he may find some few Puritan tantum non in Episcopatu Bishops that are for doctrine Orthodox So also many Doctors and Divines that are Orthodox these must have noe place in his Synod And why Good reason For how els will he reconcile Romes night and our English twilight together in one League if the meridian light come betwene Or how shall Romes cold and livelesse religion have fellowship with ouâ— Lukewarme Neuters and moderate men if true Christian zeale come betwene and make an interruption Away therefore with Puritans and Calvinists out of their Synod Who then Onely peaceable and indifferent men as Ely Chichester and all other well affected to Rome and above all the Arch-Prelates as to whose definitive sentence all other Divines must vaile Bonnet captivate their judgements and therein rest themselues For these or one of them with his mighty traine is able to sweepe downe the third part of the starres of heauen But this by the way for Franciscus And to this agreeth the common cry among the Factionists and Factors for Rome that wee and they differ not in Fundamentalls Yea a great Prelate in the High Commission Court said openly at the Censure of Dr. Bastwick That wee and the Church of Rome differ not in FundameÌ„talibus but onely circa Fundamentalia Though the distinction bee absurd it being all one according to the Apostle to erre in fide circa fidem For circa fidem concerning or about faith men may make ship-wracke Yet this hee spake in defence of a little Pamphlet of one Chowne which he dedicated to his Lordship wherein hee affirmeth That the Church of Rome and wee differ not in Fundamentalibus and that the Church is one over the World whereby he would conclude our Church to be one the same with that of Rome And to this purpose is that of Dr. White in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Lords Grace of Canterbury before his discourse of the Sabbath in these words But from this which is delivered I shall intreaâ—e your Grace and all other impartiall and intelligent Readers to consider the vncharitable construction of Romish adversaries who from the rising up of some Schismaticall Spirits amongst us conclude that the maine body of our Church is Schismaticall And pag. 5. ibid. Now Schismaticall heere must needs be in relation to the Church of Rome as from which Romish adversaries object wee are Schismaticall which Dr. White cleareth and calls it an vncharitable construction of Romish adversaries So as heere is a change of our very Church and a bringing of us back to a reconciliation union with the Church of Rome as from which wee have made no such Schisme as they uncharitably charge us withall And thus will come in an universall change in all our Doctrines As in the Commencement at Cambridge not long agoe was openly maintained justification by Workes And Shelfords booke will proove justification by Charity And that the Pope is not Antichrist contrary to the resolved Doctrines of our Church in our Homilies and elsewhere As Homily against wilfull rebellion part 6. The Pope is the Babilonicall Beast of Rome c. Also the Second part of the Sermon for Whit-sunday The Pope the Devill and all the Kingdome of Antichrist And in a Prayer for private Families in the Communion-Booke by publike authority Confound Satan and Antichrist c. And Shelfords Second Treatise is to beate downe true Preaching and Pulpits for hee saith hee cannot finde a Pulpit in all the Scripture How Did the old Priest never read the 8. of Nehemiah appointed to bee read for the 27. of May wherein hee might find both a Pulpit vers 4. and Preaching vers 8 I omit many more passages in that Authour of the like nature all contrary to the expresse Doctrines of our Church according to the Scriptures And yet this Booke was licenced by the Vicechancellor of Cambridge that then was Dr. Beale and published at the very Commencement whereat my selfe then was that so it might poysonall England Adde wee hereunto another Booke intitled the Female glory By Anthony Stafford printed by authority 1635. Wherein hee mightily deifies the Virgin Mary calling her The grand white immaculate Abbesse of the Snowie Nunneries of those votaries to whom hee speakes before whom hee would have them to kneele presenting the All-saving babe in her armes with due veneration Loe heere a change of our God into a Goddesse And there hee commends the Sacred Arethmitick in praying on their beades And pag. 153. hee commends Candlem as day for the Lights burning and Masse-singing taken from the Heathen guise and converted into Christian. And That which was performed
tooke their name of Papists to distinguish them from true Christians which from that time they have held to this day And thus all the members of the present Roman Church doe both erre and are hereticks and which is the worst degree of heresy are Papists that is Antichristian hereticks not only holding and that in the highest degree of pertinacy those heresies which are contrary to the faith but holding them upon that foundation which quite overthroweth the faith thus and much more this learned Dr. of our Church So as here is a cleare demonstration that the faith of all Papists at this day is a Popish faction And our Homilies doe affirme So much For in the Second part of the Homily for Whit-Sunday we read thus THe true Church is an universall congregation or fellowship of Gods faithfull and Elect people built upon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe Corner-Stone And it hath alwayes three notes or markes whereby it is knowne Pure and Sound Doctrine the Sacraments ministred according to Christs holy institution and the right use of Ecclesiasticall Discipline Now if ye well compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is presently and hath been for the space of nine hundred yeares and odd you shall well preceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church that nothing can bee more For neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure doctrine of Christ Iesus neither yet doe they order the Sacraments or else the Ecclesiasticall Keyes in such sort as he did first institute ordaine them To be short look what our Saviour Christ pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell the same may bee boldly and with safe conscience pronounced of the Bishops of Rome namely that they have forsaken and daily doe forsake the Commandements of God to erect and set up their owne constitutions Which thing being most true as all they which have any light of Gods Word must needs confesse wee may well conclude according to the rule of Augustine That the Bishops of Rome and their adherents are not the true Church of Christ much lesse then to be taken as chiefe heads and rulers of the same Whosoever saith hee doe dissent from the Scriptures concerning the Head although they be found in all places where the Church is appointed yet are they not in the Church a plaine place concluding against the Church of Rome Where is now the Holy Ghost which they so stoutly doe claime to themselves Where is now the Spirit of truth that will not suffer them in any wise to erre If it bee possible to bee there where the true Church is not then is it at Rome otherwise it is but a vaine bragge and nothing else Saint Paul saith if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his And by turning the words it may bee truly said if any man bee not of Christ the same hath not the Spirit Now to discerne who are truely his and who not wee haue this rule given us that his sheepe doe alwayes heare his voice And Saint Iohn saith Hee that is of God heareth Gods voice Whereof it followeth that the Popes in not hearing Christs voice as they ought to doe but preferring their owne Decrees before the expresse Word of God doe plainly argue to the world that they are not of Christ not yet possessed with his Spirit Also their intollerable pride sheweth the same c. So and much more the Homily Wherein as it is plainely prooved that the Church of Rome is no true Church of Christ as being built upon another foundation then the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone And preferring their owne Decrees before the Word of God and so consequently the Popish Faith is a meere Fiction So let our Innovators well consider whether they bee any members of the true Church of Christ that thus pleade for and take part with the church of Antichrist labouring by all meanes to bring her into favour againe with us while they audaciously presume to alter the authentick Booke set forth and commanded by Parliament for publike and solemne Thankesgiving of our great deliverance on the Fifth of November from the Popish Powder-plot as if neither their Religion were Rebellion nor their faith Faction And the Homily concludes thus TO conclude Yee shall briefely take this short lesson wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogancy pride the spirit of envie hatred contention cruelty murder extortion witchcraft necromancy c. assure your selues that there is the spirit of the Devill and not of God albeit they pretēd outwardly to the world never so much holinesse For as the Gospel teacheth us the Spirit of Iesus is a good Spirit an holy spirit a sweet Spirit a lowly Spirit a mercifull Spirit full of charity and love full of forgivenesse and pity c. The Rule that wee must follow is this to judge them by their fruits which if they be wicked and naught then is it vnpossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appeare in the Story of their lives and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs which deceived the world a long while The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride that they never enter into his Vinyard againe to the disturbance of his seely poore flock but that they may bē vtterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world and he of his great mercy so worke in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the holy Ghost that the comfortable Gospell of his Sonne Christ may be truely preached and truely followed in all places to the beating downe of sinne death the Pope the Devill and all the Kingdome of Antichrist that like scattered dispersed sheep being at length gathered into one fold we may in the end rest together in the bosome of Abraham Isaak and Iacob there to be partakers of eternall and everlasting life through the merits and death of Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen And of the like effect is that Prayer which some of Romes factors have so altered Be thou still our mighty protector and scatter our cruell enemies which delight in blood infatuate their Counsell and root out that Babilonish and Antichristian Sect which say of Ierusalē Downe with it Downe with it even to the ground And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and justice to cutt off these workers of iniquity whose religion is rebellion whose faith is faction whose practise is murthering of soules bodies and to root them out of the confines limits of
thrust upon them which they cannot with a safe warrant and good conscience use or whether it bee that in the Fast-day all preaching is prohibited in all places whatsoever infected Sure wee are that God hath given us sad signes of the little pleasure hee takes by such a Fast. For the very first weeke of the Fast whereas before the Sicknesse had a weekely decrease and was likely through Gods mercy more and more to decline what a suddē terrible increase was there of no lesse than 377. which was double to any weekes increase since this Sicknesse began Was there nothing in it trow yee was there not something in this Fast wherewith God was so much displeased Surely wee should be very brutish and worse than heathenish not to lay it to heart But here the Prelates will perhaps quarrell mee for imputing any thing to the Fast as being appointed by the King I answer God forbid that I should intertaine the least Sinister opinion of my gratious Soveraigne that hee had the least meaning by his Proclamation to debarre and forbid Preaching of Gods Word in any place And my reasons are these First because the Proclamation saith that his Majesty propounds the example of pious Kings in former ages for his precedent in this Fast who ever in all former ages not onely not restrained but likewise allowed prescribed and commended Preaching as a principall and necessary part of a publicke Fast yea as the very life and soule of it Secondly because his Majesties Proclamation commaunds this so religious an exercise to be performed with all decency and uniformity which I humbly conceive cannot bee when preaching is restrained in some and those the most eminent and necessary places as this great City in speciall in respect whereof as I conceive this Fast was specially commaunded and yet in other places allowed and prescribed Thirdly because the Proclamation relates that his Majesty resolved upon a grave and Religious forme of Solemnizing thereof straitly charging and commanding that this Fast bee religiously and solemnely observed and celebrated weekly upon every Wednesday throughout the whole Kingdome and therefore never intended as I humbly conceive to restraine Preaching in any place without which a publicke Fast cannot be gravely religiously and solemnely observed and celebrated Fourthly Because the Proclamation both directs and commaunds that the booke of prayers for the Fast formerly set forth by Authority should be reprinted and published and likewise used in all Churches and places at the publicke meetings of this Fast now the booke formerly published by his Majesties authority in the first yeare of his Raigne upon the like occasion alloweth prescribeth two Sermons every Fast-day as well in the City and suburbs of London as in other places whither infected or not yea notwithstanding the infection was then far greater and the Sommer season far more dangerous Fiftly because in all publicke and generall Fasts both in his Majesties owne Raigne his late Royall Fathers Q. Elizabeths and other his Royall Progenitors upon this or any other the like occasion Preaching in all places without restraint both fore-nooue and afternoone hath beene approved and never prohibited but injoyned and commaunded now his Majesty hath often solnēly protested in his publicke Declarations as before is mentioned to all his Loving Subjects that he will never give way to the licensing or authorizing of any thing whereby ANY INNOVATION in the least degree might creepe into our Church and therefore I humbly conceive that his Majesty never intended to authorise to give way to such an innovation as this to inhibit Preaching and that in the time of a publicke Fast contrary to all former Precedents Therefore I verily believe that this was a meere devise of the Prelates by whose advise the Proclamation saith his Maiesty resolved upon a grave and religious forme of Solemnizing a Fast. So as this of prohibiting Preaching was rather added by them than admitted by his Majesty seeing it is as I humbly conceive neither a grave nor religious forme of Solemnizing a Fast and I had rather dye than conceive such an opinion of my King that he should be the author of such an inhibitiō And therefore if the Season served to have accesse unto his Majesty I should in all humility addresse my selfe humbly to petition his Majesty to take off this restraint And that for these reasons First because not only it is contrary to all Precedents in former ages and such an innovation as I believe the like was never heard nor read of in the world but also because it much dampes and deadens the hearts and spirits of the Kings loving and faithfull subjects within the City who much lament and grieve that in the Fast-day they are restrained of the spirituall Food of their soules when they desire and need it most when as Preaching is likely to worke most good upon their soules which stand in more need of spirituall Phisicke Phisicians to cure the plague of their soules which hath brought the pestilence upon their bodies than their bodies doe of corporall Secondly because this restraint of Preaching the chiefe meanes to humble men for and turne them from their sins without which God will not turne from his wrath will in all likelyhood procure the continuance of the plague as the beginning of it brought in with it a lamentable increase that very week as is before noted Yea forbidding of the Word to be preached brings the wrath of God upon a people to the uttermost as 1. thes 2. 16. Thirdly because Preaching is no more dangerous on the Fast-day thē on the Lords day to increase infection Fourthly because upon prayer preaching the last great Fast a greater plague than this was suddainly and miraculously remooved yea though the preaching was continued in the heat of Summer Fiftly because this restraint together with the sayd alterations of the Fast-booke other innovatiōs in the land foremētioned doe fill the peoples minds with jealousies feares of an universall alteration of Religion Sixtly because as the Prelates doe extend the letter of the Proclamation if but one Parish in London or suburbs thereof or but one house in that parish be infected the pestilence thus continuing but in the least degree and the Fast not ceasing all Wednesday sermons in the whole City must be suppressed Seventhly because the restraint of preaching on the Fast day is as we find by experience a great prejudice and impediment to the free and liberall Collection for the poore which is recommended in the Fast in this calamitous necessitous time wherein the Plague brings with it a Sore famine upon many thousand families which before this Sicknesse lived in good fashion and were able to give reliefe to the poore For no where and at no time are mens hearts more inlarged and hands extended in bounty to the poore than where Gods word hath bene is most powerfully plentifully preached as this our City may serve for a
precedent and proofe And for this very cause were there no more Preaching was never more necessary in this City than at this time which doth so swarme with multitudes of poore who without some present competent reliefe must needs perish so would heape upon this City yet greater Sins which is ready to sinck under the heavie burthens both of Sins and Plagues I might note againe as an 8. reason that great extraordinary increase the very first weeke of the Fast together with most hideous stormes fearfull and foule weather immoderate raine ever since it began God testifying by his reviving and renewing of the Plague by the sad and black countenance of the skies and those many great losses both by Sea Land that he abhorres such a Fast as of which his very judgemēts Speak Call you this a Fast Yea also a 9. reason because according to the Prelates practise this Fast is made a meere mock Fast wherein God is mocked to the face For doe the Prelates propose this as the principall end of their Fast to breake off their violent and tyrannicall proceedings against Gods Ministers and so against the State of Religion I feare it And so long let us never look for any good issue of this Fast but rather further judgements to be powred upon the Land For these reasons I say I could wish with all my heart to be an humble Petitioner to the King who I am perswaded would speedily hearken to such a request and would certainly answere that it was never his mynd that Preaching should be in this Fast prohibited The king prohibit Preaching Noe noe we all see who they be that prohibit Preaching even those that labour tooth and nayle to Suppresse Preaching and lay snares to intrap all painfull Preachers as the pressing of the booke for Sports for instance they being not content that the booke be read by the Curate but the Incumbent himselfe must read it or els abide extremity as Suspension from his Ministry Excommunicatiō out of the Church Sequestration from his living and Ecclesiasticall meanes the great crying Sinne of this Land at this day But I will add no more So as the Ninivites shall rise in judgement against this generation for they upon occasion of Ionas preaching proclaimed a Fast and reformed their lives and their violent dealing but these men under pretence of a Fast as Iezebel did to devoure Naboths vinyard would devoure Christs Vinyard while they Suppresse the Preaching of the Word whereby men should be convinced of their Sinnes and converted from them and bring forth good fruits of the Vine and thereby harden their necks against the Lord and strengthen their hands in violence to fill up their sinnes allway The sixt Innovation is about the meanes of the knowledge of God and of the Mistery of our Salvation That may be verified of many Prelates in these dayes which Christ charged the Pharisees with all Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee shut vp the Kingdome of heaven against men for yee neither goe in your selues neither suffer yee them that were entring to goe in Matth. 23. 13. Which in Luke 11. 52. is expressed thus Ye take away the Key of Knowledge And doe not our Prelates thus when they hush and silence all Lectures in whole Diocesse When they suppresse and cut short Preaching all they can When they lay snares to muzzle Gods Ministers that they may not Preach When they disgrace and traduce Preaching calling it in scorne Sermonizing When they forbid Ministers to use any prayer before their Sermons but that bare and barren forme of words in the Canon wrapping all up in the Lords Prayer When they must use no Prayer at all after the Sermon but come downe and read a second or third Service at the Altar where in great Churches halfe the people cannot heare a word When they must not preach at all in the Afternoone upon the Lords dayes When they must onely Catechise for halfe an hower and that not by expounding the Principles of Religion which may well be called the Key of Knowledge which they take away but onely by the bare questions answeres in the booke teach the children like Parats so as they can never come to give a reason of their fayth with understanding When in a great City or in the Vniversities they limit all Sermons to one hower so as the heares cannot injoy the benefit of more then one Sermon a day Yea what devises have they not put in practise to put the light of Gods word vnder a bushell if not rather altogether to quench it if it were in their power What invectives are in Shelfords ad Treatise against Preaching and the peoples knowledge How doth he find fault with the Peoples desire of Sermons And pag. 47. he Sayth Our Soli Sermonists and Solifidians so they may have a Sermon or two on the Lords dayes c. And pag. 91. he allowes of Preaching with a restriction and limitation as being not fit for every Minister but for extraordinary excellent men called by God and the Church to reforme Errours abuses or to promulge to the world new Lawes Canons And againe least this should be too great a burthen to these his extraordinary men he qualifies the matter by restraining their preaching to certaine extraordinary times in the yeare pag. 94. as Easter Whit-Suntide Christmas day and to extraordinary places too as Cathedralls and for this cause pag. 93. he would have many Ministers vnfurnished of their licences especially those that preach twice every Lords day and those that are permitted to preach to be restrained to certaine times and seasons as once a Moneth at most And he gives the reason of all because the Church is now settled and therefore doth not need preaching as once it did in its infancy So he Thus they labour tooth and nayle to cry downe Preaching For saith he p. 94. Reading is the ordinary preaching ordained by God himselfe And this is that maine marke which they al shoot at to mould up all in the Lumpe of the Communion Booke and make that the Summe and Scope the very Circle of al Religion Knowledge The Seventh innovation is in the rule of faith for whereas the sole and complete rule of faith is the Holy Scripture as 2. Tim. 3. Our new Doctors cry up the dictates of the Church to wit of the Prelates to be our only guides in Divinity as in Reeves Cōmunion booke Catechisme expounded pag. 20. and 206. where all Ministers must submit to the judgement of the Prelates in all matters pertaining to religion and all Prelates must submit to the Arch-Prelate as having a Papal infalibility of spirit whereby as by a Divine Oracle all questions in Religion are finally determined And here I cannot forget a speech of the chiefest Prelate of England in the High Commission who at the censure of Doctor Bastwicke for oppugning the
their owne lives and the dictates of their writings the Summe whereof is to make a mixed Religion conversation of Christians which is partly holy in an external forme of godlinesse without the power thereof partly in admitting allowing approving applauding countenancing and dispensing by Episcopall authority of a heathenish kinde of life and that especially in most Sacred times as the Lords day which though dedicated wholly to the worship and service of God yet the rule of the Sanctification hereof which is the 4th Commaundement and the example of Christs and his Apostles these novellers do altogether reject as abolished instead thereof advance their new Traditions which is to allow one part of the Day for God and the rest to mans carnall Lusts Sin the world the Devil as our Homily Saith So as the due observation and Sanctification of the Lords day being a platforme and patterne of a Christian Conversation a Christian being that in his whole life in a proportion which he is on the Lords day and this platforme being defaced and broken by our Anti-Sabbatarians it followeth that together with their impions crying downe of the 4th CoÌ„maundement and so accordingly the due Sanctification of the Lords day intire without mixture of heathenish Sports and Pastimes they deface and destroy the very face beauty power of all religion so do set up a new Forme of it never allowed of as by a Law in the world before And herein doe our Apostates out strip the very Pontificians themselves who did never yet mak a Law nor take upon them to allow any other rule of Christian life than the Scriptures although they have with our innovators denyed the Scripture to be the onely and absolute rule of faith independent upon any humain power For even Bellarmine exclameth against and disclameth that dissolute profanation of Sacred dayes in practise among the Papists in their vaine Sports and Pastimes for which cause the very Turkes do scorne saith he the Christian Religion Saying O what a God have the Christians what a famous Law giver who â—ither commandeth or permitteth these things Now if the Turkes should upbrayd us in England and cast vs in the teeth with our Lord Lawgiver Iesus Christ as if he eyther commaunded or allowed Sports Pastimes upon the Lords day our answere must be that our great Lawgiver Christ doth not any way tolerate much lesse commaund any Sports or Pastimes on his Sacred day as wherewith both God is dishonoured his day profaned but out Lord-Prelates are they who doe usurpe unto themselves a Lawlesse power to dispense with that part of the Lords-day as they please wherein men may runne riot and keep their Bacchanals and their Floralia without controwle such as Christ and his word forbids to be done on any day Much more might be spoken of the Late Changes but this suffice for the present But what speakewe of Changes Our Changes doe plead that they bring in no changes but revive those things which ancient Canons have allowed and prescribed as standing up at Gloria Patri and at the reading of the Gospell bowing at the nameing of Iesus and to the High Altar remooving the Communion Table to stand Altarwise at the East-end of the Chancell praying with the face towards the East where the Altar standeth placing of Images in Churches erecting of Crucifixes over the Altars commanding of long Martins instead of Preaching and the like To this we answere that we in this Land are not to be ruled by the Popes Canons or the Canon Law but by the Law of God of the King Although I once heard a Papall Canon was alledged in opposition to a Parliamentary Statute in K. Edw. 6. his raigne alledged by the adverse Advocates it passed for Currant none gain-saying it But as for those Rites Ceremonies to be used in our Church they are by an Act of Parliament prefixed to the CommunioÌ„ booke restrained to those only which are expressed in the same booke and if any by private authority shall presume to introduce into practise any other besides these he is to suffer imprisonment for a time and if he persist perpetuall imprisonment and losse of all his spirituall promotions during his life But besides all this these men have one speciall Sancturary to fly unto that is their Cathedrall Churches where they may lay hold upon the hornes of their Altars These be their old high places not remooved These as they are commonly used bee the ancient dennes of these old Foxes to which they flie being this pursued of whom the Scripture saith Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoile the Vines These bee those nests and nurceries of Superstition and Idolatry wherein the old Beldame of Rome hath nuzzled up her brood of Popelings and so preserved her usum Sarum in life to this very day And now these are be come impregnable bulworkers to patronize our Re-builders of Babell in all their innovations Innovations Say they Wee bring in no innovations no new rites but what hath beene in use ever since the Reformation and that in the most eminent Places even the Mother Churches of the Land Now all that wee goe about is to reduce inferiot churches to an unity and conformity to their Mother Churches So as thus bringing all to unity wee shall take off that reproach which the adversaries cast upon us in this kinde and which wee shall then retort upon themselues for their diffentions betweene their Regulars and Seculars Thus doe our Master-builders plead and so by their cunning insinnuations under a pretence of Piety and peace of unity and uniformity preaching peace peace when nothing but warre is in their heart hand as Psal. 55. 21. and 59. 7. doe so farre prevaile that before wee bee aware they will by this meanes pretrily reduce us to a perfect peace and unity with old Mother Rome againe For these Mother Churches to which all Danghter Churches must conforme are they not the naturall daughters of Rome Doe they not from top to toe exactly resemble her Her pompous Service her Altars Palls Copes Crucifixes Images superstitious gestures and Postures all instruments of musicke as at the dedication of the King of Babylons Image Long Babylonish Service so bellowed and warbled out as the heareers are but little the wiser Are not these high Places also the receptacles and nurceries of a number of idle bellies to say no worse Doe not the fat Prebends So cramme their Residenciaries that the while their starveling Flocks in the countrey doe famish for want of spirituall Food But as Erasnius said of Luther how his fault was that he meddled with the Popes Miter and the Monkes bellies But this I note by the way to show how all those that are maintained by Cathedralls are ingaged to helpe forward those Innovations that are now on foot because they make much for the supporting of their Papall Pompe But let us a
bind these all-shapeturning Monsters to good behaviour May not this whole State say as that good King Iehâ—shaphat in the straites of Ierusalem Wee know not what to doe but our eyes are towards 〈◊〉 O Lord And besides all this in the last place being pulled away from the hornes of their Cathedrall Altars as not able to shelter them from their pursuers they fly as to their last refuge and most impregnable Fort as they conceive to the Kings Chappell Wherein they doe as the Fish Polypus or many-foot which gets her selfe closse to the rocke and putting on the colour of the rocke so as she seemes to be a part of it when other fishes swimme toward the rock for shelter she catches them unawares in her net-like haires or hornes So our Innovators getting closse to the King as unto the rock assimiling themselves to the manners of the Court when the fishes think to fynd shelter and protection under the Rocke they are ready with their fangs to intangle and devour them Well what say they of the Kings Chappell They plead the whole equipage furniture and fashion thereof as a patterne for all Churches There say they is an Altar there bowing towards it there Crucifixes there Images other guises And why should Subject be wiser then the King Totus componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum To this I answere 1. Why should subjects think to compare with the King in the State of his royall Family or Chappell 2ly there be many things in the Kings Chappell which were presumption to have in ordinary Churches and some things cannot be had or maintained in them as a quire of Gentlemen Singing men other Choristers which dayly sing Service in the Chappell and sundry other 3ly The worship and service of God and of Christ is not to be regulated by humaine examples but by the Divine rule of the Scriptures In vaine they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of men The three children would not bow to the Kings goodly golden Image The old Christians would not so much as offer incense in the presence of Iulian the Emperors Altar and at his commaund though he propounded golden rewards to the doers and menaced fiery punishments to the denyers 4ly The externall rites and ceremonies in the Church are limited by Act of Parliament prefixed to the Communion booke and no more to be added or used in Churches Lastly Suppose which we trust never to see which our hearts abhorre once to imagine Masse were set up in the Kings Cappell is this a good argument why it should be admitted in all the Churches throughout the Realme of England But enough of this And here an end for this time and thus farre of this text which as I began so I will conclude with all My Son feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both FINIS * Golden sentence Invicem cedunt dolor voluptas brevior voluptas Senec. Psal. 42. 11 Psal. 2. 11. * Id est cum variantibus ac perfringentibus Dei suorumque Principum mandata denique deficientibus vita sua immorigera à reverentia Dei Regis Point 〈◊〉 Question Answer Psal. 85. 8. 1. Thess. 2. 13. * 1. King 22 Iohn 8. 39. 41. v. 42. 39. Nec quenquam senem audivi oblâ—tum quo lovo thesâ—urum abruisset Omnia quae curant menunerunt Cre. de Senectute Mal. 1. 6. Poiâ—… 2. Math. 15. 9 Phil. 3. 18. 19. Article 17. * What mâ—râ— jeared by a generation of upstarts in these dayes Galath 6. 1. Rom. 15. 1. Point 3. * Aug. De correptili gratia Cap. 9. quia non habuerunt perseuer antiam sicut non vere discipuli Christi ita nec vere filij De fuerimt etiam quando esse videbantur at itâ— vocabantur * V. 10. Reasons Rom. 8. 38. â—9 Rom. 11. * Examen * Ioh. 6. 39. 2. Ioh. 10. 11. * Dr. Corbet Chancellor to the Bp. of Norwiâ—h Mr. Greenhill an eminent Minister coming to him with another Minister in humble manner to desire absolution from excommunication for the refusall of conformity to their new rites said unto him in a great head of passion that if hee had the power as hee desired he would Pistoll him ‡ As Master Buck in his Sermon at Norwich inveighing against the Puritans said If a cup of cold water had a reward much more a cup of blood As Dr. Corbet said to Mr. Powell a Minister who refused to read the booke for sports That were it not for a point in the common law he deserved to bee hang'd drawne and quartered †Iustum tenacem Propositi virum non civium ardor Pravâ— Iubentium non vultus instantis Tyranni mente quaâ—it solida Horat. * 1. King 18. 18. 2. King 3. 14. ‡ Zozoâ— Hist. l. 5. Cap. 4. * It was in old time when some Bishops were content to bee poorevita S. Wilfredi See Caml Remaines Wisespeeches p. 183. Act. 7. †Bono probari malo quam multis malis Ausonius Lu. 12. 4. 5. Revel 12. 4 * Prosperâ—… ac fâ—…lix scelus virtus vocatur Senec si malâ— res cessit licet optima male tamen audit Rom. Gen. 11. 6. Turpiu◠〈◊〉 grâ—…â—â—icitur quam non admittâ—tur â—espes Virgil. Eglog Sic cantbâ—â— carulos similes sio matribus hoedos Noram sic parvu componere magna solebam * See Shelforts Sermons and Dr. Pockl. Sunday no Sabbath And others * Matt. 13. 25. * See the Homily of the place time of Prayer part 2. Where these words are Finally Gods vengeance hath beene and is dayly provoked because much wicked people passe nothing to resort to the Church either for that they are so sore blinded that they understand nothing of God and godlinesse and care not with divellish example to offend their neighbours or â—ls for that they see the church altogether scoured of such gay gazing sights as their grosse fantasy was greatly delighted with because they see the false religion abandoned the true restored which seemeth an unsavory thing to their unsavorly tast as may appeare by this that a woman sayd to her neighbour Alas Gossip what shall we doe at Church since all the Saints are taken away since all the goodly sights we were wons to have are gone since we cannot heare the like piping singing chanting and playing upon the Organs that wee could before But dearely beloved wee ought greatly to rejoyce and give God thanks that our Churches are delivered out of ALL those things which displeased God so sore and filthily defiled his holy house and his place of prayer for the which hee hath justly destroyed many nations according to the saying of Saint Paul If any man defile the Temple of God God will him destroy And this ought wee greatly to prayse God for that such Superstitious and Idolatrous manners as were utterly
1. Tim. 1. 19. Poritopistin enavagysan circa fidem naufragâ—verunt Latin Chonaei Collectiones Theologicae Cap. 16. Discourse of the Sabbath Epistle Dedicatory pag. 4. See the Answere to it * As Fâ—… à Sancta Clara in Artic. 23. makâ—… mention much glorieth of pag. 1â—… 191. 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 10â—5 * Against all our worthy Divines as Dr. Iohn White in his way to the true Church Sect. 61. n. 4. For as much as the State of the Papacy the Pope and his Religion is Antichrist wee say all that obeyed the same are eternally damned So he See also Dr. Whitakers de Antichristo Also Dr. Downham D. Abbor D. Sharpe D. Suteliffe and others And our Homilies justar omnium call the Pope The Babylonical Beast of Rome and the Church The Kingdome of Antichrist For White l. 2. a serm 6. against Rebellion * Pag. 148. * pag. 157. Our sweetest Lady * Pag. 154. 155. This day made holy by the purification of the Mother And pag. 21. hee calls her white spotlesse soule And pag. 37 Purity it selfe And pag. 45. Her all-holy heart As pag. 130 All holy Lord. So pag. 60. Pag. 236. Lo here the new great Goddesse Diana whom the whole Pontifician world worshippeth * Here he contradicts his owne practise as pag. 247. O pardon gratious Princesse c. Dat veniam Corvis vexat censura Columbaâ— * Negotiátorem clericum ex inopi divitem ex ignobili gloriosum quasi quandam pestem fuge Hierom. ad Nepot * Reve. Schelford Morton Dr. White Dr. Pocklington * See before the â—p of London in the High-Commission threatning those that should bring Prohibitions to that Court Cum duplicantur Lateres tunc venit Moses In the Editions since 1619. Altered since 1619. * Lab. 1. Conscâ—ratio Câ—ronatio Pontificis Sect. 13. Aug. contra Peâ—â—liani Donat. epist. cap. 4. * This is one of those things objected to me in their Articles O boldnes to defend it Ionah These passages also objected to me in their Articles Without all peradventure they have dâ—… in their Articles * This also objected to me in the Article of High-Commission * As in the case of Mr. Valentine * Treatise of the Sabbath See Bispop Wrens Articles All these particulars objected against mee in their Articles * As in Oxford and elsewhere Sheâ—ford Sermon of Charity 〈◊〉 36. â—…inted by the allow ance of the Vice Chanâ—â—llorer of Cambridge even at the commencement time 〈◊〉 * This heâ— speakes of the Prelates For who but they can make new Lawes Canons * Pag. 14. Ibid p. 21. * As I was lately charged in the Articles of High Commission 〈◊〉 that my sermoni offended the more moderate bearers a As with dumbe Pictures and Images Laymens bookes in steed of Scripture Sentences b By speaing smooth things and not roughly against Popery sin c See before Franciscus a Sancta 〈◊〉 note of Cambridge Commencement d As Dr. Coosens Private Devotions with the Iesuits badge Here â—e quotes these in the margent For â—…mple The Pope not Antichrist Prayer for the Dead 〈◊〉 bus Patrum Pictures That the Church hath authority to determine Controversies in faith and to interpret the Scripture about Free will and Predestinatâ—on Vniuersall grace that all our works are not sinnes merit of good works inherent justice Faith alone doth not justify Charity 〈◊〉 to bee preferred before knowledge Traditions Commaundements possible to bee kept †A little Treatise so intituled printed 1636. * Sunday no Sabboth A Sermon printed 1636. pag. 38. ‡ Lib Can. An. 1571. Can. 19. Bellar. Concio 20 Pars Altera de Dominica Quinqnagess O qualem inquiunt Christiam Deum habent quam egregiam Legislatorem qui haec vel pracipit vel 〈◊〉 c. * All these things they doe most boldly maintaine while they Article against mee for laying these to their charge * In the High Commission not long since in a cause about a Peâ—â— in the Church * M. Leâ— Est mihi namque domi Pater est injusta Noverca Homily of the place time of prayer part 2. pag. 131. Homily of Idolatry part 1. 2. 3. Homily of the place time of prayer part 2. pag. 131. * Quae bellua ruptis cum semel effugit redded se prava Catenis * Gen. 11. 6 Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo * Aeliani variâ— historiae lib. c. 1.