and Convocations by their being à secretis with profest Non-conformists by their Self-designing compliances with them under pretence of Moderation similibus whereby they contribute as much to the encouragement of Dissenters as the professed Encouragers themselves like King Charles's Presbyterian Murderers who had the Villany to manage the contrivance but the Cunning to disappear in the Execution These Half-Conformists are the veriest Church-Moles that by their blind Principles and undermining Practices contribute little less to the increase and interest of Non-conformity to the danger and dishonour of the Church than the open Enemy whether Popish or Peevish And of this we have frequent instances particularly in Archbishop Grindal whose indulgence to that Party gave them the first revival in England by his conniving at the Half-Conformists of Yorkshire by his complying first with Beza in procuring a French Church setled in London on the Geneva Principle And afterwards with those who upon their return from Geneva Franckford and other places where they lived during the Marian Persecution were preferred in the Church where they lived for some time Half-Conformists as Cartwright Minister in Warwick Whittingham Dean of Durham Sampson Dean of Christ Church afterwards turned out for Non-conformity with great numbers preferred to Cures in City and Country where they were not wanting to prepare the People for such Innovations as were in after-time to be brought into the Church and by the profest Non-conformists As soon as safety and impunity permitted they broke out into open Schism and still when the Laws just severity frighted them they crept within the Pale of the Church seeming to conform that they might have the Laws protection to shelter their contempt of Authority and under the wing of Episcopacy to breed up their Presbytery When Archbishop Whitgift's zeal and industry had reduced them to that that in all probability their ruptures were crumbling to nothing their then refuge was as Beza advised in his Letter to Cartwright to unite themselves again to the main body of the Church there to be nurtured into contempt of the Churches Government under the indulgence of its Governours And of this kind of Half-Conformists are those who at this very day by outward Conformity have opportunity and by masked Non-conformity want not will through sneaking compliance to betray the Church into her Enemies hands and themselves though they know it not into the veriest contempt and slavery so that in this contemplation we might as the Church of old did by the Waters of Babylon sit down and weep when we remember Zion Zion saith the Prophet tearing her self with her own hands Or as the Tree in the Apologue that was rent and splint and torn asunder by Wedges that came out of its own sides Therefore as we would not hypocritize and dissemble with God and Man as we would not be found Church-Traytors that have espoused a Cause which we are afraid to defend and ashamed to own as we would not be found in conspiracy against our selves and in breach of those solemn Oaths took at our entrance into the Ministry by a dastardly compliance with our own and the Churches Enemies Let us every man to his Tents O Israel with resolution and courage in gain-saying Seducers in daring to look Faction in the Face and opposing it though never so insolent and domineering according to the advice of Mr. Calvin to Bucer that he should take care to avoid moderate counsels in matters of Religion intimating the intense zeal that is required in Ministers in order to the interest and honour of the Church remembring that of the Wise man Eccl. 2. 13. Wo unto them that have a fearful heart and to the faint hands and to the sinner that goeth two manner of ways 3. Their Zeal against Popery a third Expedient So odious is Popery now in England blessed be God for it that even Children will spit at the very naming of it so that a better pretence could never be for the setting up of Presbytery than a shew of the greatest Zeal against Popery and therefore hath it been always accounted the most necessary Tool in the framing of Innovations When the Earl of Bothwel having a mind to the Crown of Scotland could not bring to pass the murder of the King by his dealing with the Witch of Keith nor by his assaulting him first at Haly-rood and afterward at Falkland his last expedient was to join himself with the Presbyterians and act hand in hand with them zealously against Popery and under that holy guise attempted openly to assassinate the King 'T is well known how the very force of this Word Popishly affected blew up three Kingdoms but t'other day hurrying People from the fear of Popery to the prostitution of Christianity it self when to palliate their hellish out-rages against the King they feared not to tax even him of Popery who had said and done as much to satisfie the World of his detestation of Popery and true zeal for the Reformed Religion as the wit of man could devise or the malice of man demand as doth abundantly appear by his Royal Declaration or Manifesto sent from Oxford in 1644. And at this day a fiery zeal against Popery is the best expedient they have 't is that single pretext that supports their Cause to accuse Governours or Government of Popery is an expedient that in England never yet failed to render them odious to the multitude Now that the design of these groundless out-cries against Popery is not so much to keep down Popery as to promote Presbytery will appear very probable to any that shall but examine the way and manner of their exercising this Zeal which is threefold 1. Branding with the Name of Papist or Popishly affected every one that is not of or at least that sets himself against their Principle and Practice Archbishop Whitgift a Prelate of the greatest Piety and Learning eminent for his zeal against Popery yet because against Presbytery also they stiled him Beelzebub of Canterbury Pope of Lambeth a monstruous Antichristianism Pope c. and but the other day in Smith's Protestant Intelligence the King's Council is called Popish of the 26 Bishops four are called Protestant and all the rest Popish To that pass are things now brought that whoever will not side vote and petition as they would have them whoever speaks reverently of the Orthodox Clergy of the Order and Discipline of the Churches of England in vindication of loyal Episcopacy against a confused and factious Presbytery is presently a Tory and Popishly affected and why all this but for a Blind or Stratagem to blend and confound Popery and Prelacy that People may not distinguish but destroy one under the name and pretence of the other I shall not insist upon the Malice and Diabolism of these slanderous imputations it will somewhat discover their design if we do but take notice what little reason they have thus to traduce our Church and Church Rulers
thing comparable to what the Episcopal Divines have against Popery 'T is true Mr. Baxter Pool and two or three more of them have done their parts but what to those many of the Church of England Usher Hall Morton Reignolds Chillingworth Laud Abbot Jewel Bramhall Barlow all Bishops beside Hammond White Buckeridge Sutcliff Stillingfleet Tillotson and many others of our Churches education of as great Learning and Judgment in Religion as holy Lives and as comfortable Consciences as any the World affords which one would think enough to make Malice it self ashamed to charge the Church or Church-men of England with any thing like Popery or Popishly affected Add to this III. If the Church or Church-men be any thing Popishly affected how comes it to pass that the twisted strength and subtlety of Papists with all their hellish malice is engaged chiefly against them as their mortal enemies as though nothing stood in their way but the Church of England that hath the countenance of Laws and Reason Antiquity and Decency to support it never regarding Quakers or Non-conformists as though it were below the wit of a Jesuit to encounter a Non-conformist as one that 's doing the Popes business yet will not be made believe it Now these three things considered judge who will what reason dissenting Protestants have to brand with the name of Popish or Popishly affected the Church or Church-men of England And if so whether it be not probable that by their factious and extravagant zeal against Popery they design not onely the overthrow of Popery but the increase of their Party and the promotion of their Interest also But once more IV. If there be any Church of England men Popishly affected I heartily wish in the Apostles words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were utterly cut off from among us and here will every true Church of England man say heartily Amen A Second way that they have of exerting their zeal against Popery whereby they increase their Party and promote their Interest is to amuse the People with the Fears and Jealousies of a Popish Revolution I confess this being purely politicae considerationis is beyond my Province but with humble deference to Superiours suppose we the worst even that of a Popish Successor yet have we many good allays to the extravagance of that Jealousie viz. all Offices and Power being in the hands of Anti-Papists there being so many strict Laws in force against Popery and the King's offer and readiness to concur in making more or any other thing that is lawful just and honest to secure us against it To instance in the revolution of Queen Maries reign is vain for there being now in the two Kingdoms so universal a detestation and loathing of Popery which was not then what Prince in the World would offer to set up that Religion so much against his own interest so utter inconsistent with his quiet and safety and which will so certainly involve him into continual fears and troubles most desperate dangers and inconveniences as that which next to Hell is most formidable and abominable to almost all his Subjects and that which they will scarce ever be brought to submit to Upon these and many the like considerations wise men think it not adviseable to forward a Popish revolution by exasperating the Heir to the Crown with the factious and unnecessary fears of a Popish succession and to abandon our quiet and security for meer future possibilities to make our selves certainly miserable before-hand for fear of being miserable hereafter Like Gundamore the Spanish Ambassadour who procured a valiant English Knight to be put to death as he said not for any hurt he had done but for fear of doing hurt 3. A third way they have of exerting their zeal against Popery whereby they increase their Interest and Party is by appropriating to themselves the reputation of the zealous Protestants and greatest opposers of Popery which will appear as impudent a cheat as it is a falshood if by zeal and opposing we mean not factious but onely such as is of regular and religious tendency to the overthrow of it when 't is considered 1. How abundantly the Episcopal Divines have out-done them in opposing and keeping out Popery as hath been noted before to which I add that of Dr. Saunderson That all along frâ—m the beginning of the Reformation our Biâ—â—ops with others of the Prelatick Party were the Principal if not the only Champions to maintain the cause of Religion against Popery and in these latter times none have slept in the Gap more readily nor championed the cause of Religion agaâ—nst Popery with more dexterity zeal and gallantry than the Episcopal Divines by whose endeavours some that have been bred Papists have been gained to our Church others that began to waver were confirmed and setled in the Protestant Religion but I profess says he as in the presence of Almighty God and before the World that I have not known or at least caâ—not call to remembrance so much as one single example of any of this done by any of our Anti-ceremonian Brethren whether Presbyterian or Independent But 2. These Non-conformists are so far from being the truly zealous opposers of Popery that as the same Dr. Saunderson observes they are really and eventually though not intentionally the great Promoters of the Roman Interest among us and that several ways 1. By putting to their helping hand to the pulling down of Episcopacy the main Bulwark against Popery as having the support of Laws Reason Scripture and Antiquity against it 'T is well known says he what rejoicing that Vote against Episcopacy brought to the Romish Party how in Rome they sang their Io Paeans upon the tidings thereof saying triumphantly now the day is ours now the fatal blow is given to the protestant Religion in England they could not but foresee that if the old Government of England a main pillar in the Building were once dissolved the whole Fabrick would be sore shaken if not presently shattered and ruined that things would presently run into confusion distractions and divisions as the event soon shewed 2. They promote the Interest of Rome says that learned Author by opposing it with more violence than reason in opposing Popery he observes the Episcopal Divines have done it by dint of Argument the Non-conformists by opprobrious clamours revilings c. so that it hath been obsâ—rved says he that in Lancashire and other places where there are most and most rigid Presbyterians there are the most and most zealous Papists Thus that judicious and learned Prelate 3. Non-conformists promote Popery by causing those divisions in the Church which Jesuits have endeavoured among us as more conducible to Popery than all their strength of Argument as is said to be determined at Rome in their concilium de propaganda fide And as Mr. Baxter observes in his Collections out of Contzen the Jesuite and in his Defence of the Principles of
him a glorious King by cutting him off with the Sword of Justice for the sake of God and the Gospel I say before they proceeded in these gentle religious methods they first design'd his murder with Poison and Pistol by the aforenamed Captain Rolph set on by the ParlJam nt Army Sir Rich. Bakers Chron. p. 585. Thus hath Presbytery all along like any Penthesilea furens been bred of bloud and fed of bloud and as common History shews was begot in Rebellion born in Sedition and nurs'd up in Faction 7. Aspersing Governours and Government To this Head of Faction and Sedition may be reduced their frequent custom of aspersing and reproaching Governours and Government 'T is a Rule in Politie Corruptio optimi est generatio pessimi so that when the Monarchical and Episcopal Government are rendered odious the Republican and Presbyterian must of course be hugg'd and endeavoured to be trump'd up therefore hath it always been their restless endeavours to cast what odium they can upon the Government and Governours as Arbitrary Tyrannical and Popishly affected and on the Worship and Discipline of the Church as Formal Superstitious and savouring of Popery because when once People are seduced to opinion thus of it they have plausible pretence to oppose it and to endeavour all they can an alteration in it and therefore I say it hath always been their practice as the Apostle observes of the old Gnostick Schismaticks to despise dominions and speak evil of things they know not and that loudest of all in their infamous Libellings Though the holy Scriptures teach that he that provokes the King to anger sinneth against his own soul Prov. 20. 2. and that none may say unto Kings ye are wicked or to Princes ye are ungodly Though the Scriptures call it Blasphemy to speak reproachfully of the King and by Moses ' s Law it was death to disobey but an inferiour authority yet in despight of these Laws of God Nature and Nations it is and ever was their constant practice by insolent and treasonable discourses by impudent and seditious libellings to cast what odium they can upon the Government as that which is very conducible to the pulling of it down Queen Elizabeth they compared to an idle dirty Slut who swept the middle of the room but left the dirt behind the door because she would not for their Innovations sake sweep all Decency out of the Church For the same reason they called K. James the greatest and most deadly Enemy of the Gospel And it was his frequent observation that in their Sermons they used to teach that all Kings and Princes were naturally Enemies to the Churches Liberty and could never patiently bear the Yoak of Christ. And in King Charles the First 's time to say nothing of their Sermons before the ParlJam nt they kept in constant pay Mercurius Britannicus and other scandalous Writers by their horrid Libels to defame the King or as their word of advice was to blacken him and to enrage the People against him And t'other day Fitzharris in his Depositions before Sir George Trebee as I remember and others says that Father Patrick the Jesuite desired him to send him over into Ireland all the Libels that came out in London telling him that libelling the King and the Government was a thing necessary to be done in order to distaste the King and to make him and the People jealous of each other And accordingly hath been their practice as appears by their late Letter of Advice for Election of ParlJam nt their Appeal from the Country to the City the Nations Aggrievance and many the like venomous Libels which send forth such poisonous evulsions and belchings of Fanaticism as are enough to turn the very heart and stomach of any that hath but the least sense or savour of Loyalty in him And yet how much these contribute to the encouragement and increase of their Interest and Party may be partly seen by that pleasant eagerness and jocond titillation wherewith they entertain and read them 7. Their boast of their number and strength It hath always been their practice to endeavour the increase of their Party by boasting of their increase When they had a mind to proceed in their Innovations in the Year 1585. Penry advised it as an expedient to terrifie the State into a compliance with them that they present themselves to the ParlJam nt with a Petition subscribed by a hundred thousand hands 'T is said nothing more alarmed the Queen no not the Spanish Armado than the report of their strength and number published in a Book called The Humble Motion in which it was affirmed that thousands did sigh for the Holy Discipline and ten thousands had sought it and that the most worthy men of every Shire had consented to it that the Eldership was at hand that all People were inflamed with a zeal for it and that it was hard dangerous nay impossible to stand against it The very first thing they offered at in King James's time soon after his coming to the Crown was to present a Petition to him in the name of the Ministers of England desiring reformation of sundry Ceremonies and abuses in the Church it was given out to be subscribed by a thousand Ministers and therefore called the Millenary Petition which when 't was examined wanted several hundreds of the number Of the same kind was that of B. H's True Prot. Intelligence who lately printed an Address from the City of Colchester subscribed by a great number of hands which Address was never seen nor presented by any of the Inhabitants of Colchester as was made appear by an Instrument under the Town-Clerks hand The Appeal from the Country to the City says that the City of London is too powerful for any Prince that governs not by the love of his People A man can scarce come into any of their company but he shall hear them with this kind of boast flattering themselves deluding others and belying the whole Kingdom Now whether the design of this be to encourage the People in a Rebellion if opportunity should serve or whether it be meerly to intimidate the Rulers into a compliance with them and a suspension of the poenal Laws Certain it is that this kind of boast of their number and strength and what a considerable Party they are is one frequent way they have and of very proper tendency to encourage their Followers in Schism and Faction and to increase their Party But as the design of it speaks Rebellion so doth its falsity shew the Cheat. CONCLUSION Now upon review of the whole it will appear to any not blinded with prejudice or hardened in Faction That Toleration of Church-Dissenters was never hitherto the way to Church-Union but that Toleration and Separation are as inseparable in themselves as intollerable in their effects which are constantly such as these Schism in the Church Sedition in the State Disorder Distraction
considering these two things I. That their correspondency of Principles and Practices with the Church of Rome so far as they are erroneous and dangerous is so very apparent to any that understand Popery Ex. gr 1. Both equally deny the King's Supremacy The Papist saith not the King but the Pope is Supream the Presbyter saith not the King but the ParlJam nt Prove saith Mr. Baxter that the King is the higher Power and I 'le offer my head to Justice as a Rebel And Calvin in his Comment upon Amos cap. 7. v. 13. calls them inconsiderate men that had conferred the Supremacy on King Henry VIII 2. The Pope saith an Heretical i. e. a Protestant King is to be deposed The Presbyterian says 't is lawful and commendable to fight against the King for Religion to depose him says Baxter And Martin Mar-Prelate in his second Book advises the ParlJam nt to put down the Bishops whether the Queen would or no. 3. Papists say Heretical i. e. Protestant Kings may be not onely deposed but killed by their Subjects Presbyterians say the same Ministers may excommunicate Princes and after a King is by Excommunication cast into Hell he is unworthy to live upon Earth says Buchanan Guignard the Jesuit hath it France is sick and they must cut the basilick vein to heal her The Presbyter hath the same words concerning King Charles the First Wound that Hazael under the fifth rib you must strike the basilick vein none but it can heal the Plurisie of State And Mr. Love O that our State Physicians would imitate God in cutting off from the Land those that have distempered it meaning the King as his next words shew praestat unus pereat quam unitas And accordingly they have practised as will be shewn in its proper place 4. They both proceed in the same method The Pope first Excommunicates then Deposes then Murders The Presbyter first Deposes the King then Murders Charles Stuart 5. They agree in so much as time The Jesuit i. e. the bloudy Papist and the Presbyter are both of an age the year 1535. is remarkable for the Geneva Discipline and the spawning of the Jesuits Order 6. Papists teach That Truce is not to be kept with Hereticks i. e. Protestants Presbyterians teach That Promise is not to be kept when the preaching of the truth i. e. Presbytery is hindered See their Marg. Not. on Matth. 2. 12. 7. Both will reproach and slander plunder and sequester kill and slay for the Churches good though the Apostle says We must not do evil that good may come thereby 8. Both agree in that Principle that Dominion is founded in Grace 9. 'T is the business of them both in Protestant Kingdoms by ill interpreting their Princes actions by slandering libelling and the like means to draw Subjects from their Allegiance 10. The Jesuits call themselves the Saintly Brotherhood the Church of Rome the onely true Church and all Hereticks beside themselves The Presbyterians call'd themselves formerly the Godly Party and all others Malignants Now the People of God the Zealous Protestants and all others Carnal Superstitious Formalists Popishly affected c. 11. The Papists formerly Plot Rebell and Massacre by entering into a Covenant called the Holy League as in the Massacre at Paris and Rebellion against King Henry the Third The Presbyterian did the same by entering into a Covenant called the Solemn League as in England and Scotland against King Charles the First 12. Papists warring against King Henry the Third of France in performance of their Holy League have frequent Fastings doubled devotions to persuade weak Consciences that they aimed at nothing but the setting up of Christ's Kingdom and to instruct them to cut their Kings throat as for the love of God and the gaining of Paradise Presbyters in warring against King Charles in performance of their Solemn League had frequent days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving for success in fighting against the King The Papists Holy League and the Presbyters Solemn League were both entered upon a groundless jealousie of the King's Religion In both there is a League with Strangers and Armies raised in the Kingdom against their natural Sovereign who gave them no occasion of the War but the too much gentleness and condescensions of them both In both the Fire of Civil War was blown about by seditious Preachers 13. Papists and Presbyterians both in their distinct Parties do still combine against the Government 14. Both for many years have been the great disturbers of the Peace of all Christendom Tell me says a late Gentile Writer of any Massacre or bloudy Wars or Stratagems against the Magistrate of any Treason or Rebellion whatever within the memory of man but what was carried on by one of these two Parties Papists or Presbyterians and I 'le be content to undergo the bloudy Inquisition of the one and the fate of the two Archbishops Canterbury and St. Andrews murdered by the other Now if they will go no further from the Church of Rome than she hath gone from the Truth let them shew if they can half so many parallels between the Church of England and of Rome 'T is true indeed the Churches of England retain some things that are in use in the Church of Rome but must we disbelieve and difuse every thing as Popish that the Papists believe and use then must we not believe that Christ is the Messias then must we renounce the Word Sacraments and Prayer because the Papists believe and use them But if we will depart no further from the Church in Reformation than she departs from the Truth in Corruption let the Non-conformists shew if they can wherein the Church of England agrees with that of Rome in half so many erroneous Principles and dangerous Practices as the Non-conformist doth What reason then have they so to curse a Church which the Lord hath blessed Her Sisters the Reformed Churches all calling her blessed and joying to behold her order and stedfastness in Christ so to stigmatize with the brand of Popish all that are not peevish and turbulent like themselves II. What Reason have they for it considering what great things the Episcopal Divines have done and suffered above them all along from the beginning of the Reformation to this day in detestation of Popery and attestation of the Reformed Religion as now professed in the Church of England some laying down their lives to testifie against Popery as Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. others standing in the Gap upon all occasions to oppose the return of it with most eminent abilities and greatest zeal above what Non-conformists can pretend to In the beginning of the Reformation when Calvin sent to Cranmer and after that to the Protector Seymour to offer his assistance they rejected him utterly so that neither he nor any of the Consistorian Principle had any hand in the first Reformation in England or have any of them ever since done any