unite nor fils whole Kingdomes with bloud but out of love to Order Such was sure Diogenes his humility trampling upon Plato's Couches such was Nero's uniformity setting on fire the streets of Rome such was Procrustes his symmetry cutting his guests according to his beds And therefore it s thought Puritans are not so much hated for their opposition to Ceremonies as Ceremonies are multiplied and inforced for suppression of all zealous Christians under the umbrage of Puritans and that for the same purpose the enemies of Piety have blown those coales which they might have quenched Hooker that sweet and noble Antagonist of Ecclesiasticall Puritans says much in defence of the Churches authority in imposing of Ceremonies but he says nothing in defence of the Churches Charity in imposing many and displeasing Ceremonies So S. Paul might have justified himselfe as fitter to be subscribed unto and complyed withall then his scrupulous brother and he might have justified his case concerning eating of such and such meates but S. Paul in wisdome and Charity would doe neither S. Paul made not his strength an Argument to make his brother yeeld who was weake but he made his brothers weaknesse an Argument whereby to prevaile and win upon him being strong And why then does our Mother the Church maintaine her authority against her own scrupulous and tender-minded infants If in Iustice and rigor they ought to obey her and conforme to her wise commands does it therefore follow that in Wisdome and Charity she ought not to pity and preferre their foolish groundlesse doubts and jealousies Is it honorable for the Nurce to contest about authority with a forward Childe when by indulgence she may better still it If Ceremonies bee but things indifferent they are not so valuable as peace for that is necessary Admit fit and decent Ceremonies to bee the outworkes of Religion the better to secure it from contempt and prophanation Yet let not the outworks be too vast least they take up more admiration than they repulse disregard Neither let us suppose that all times are alike liable to prophanenesse Before Moses Religion was very naked and simple in her Ceremonies and yet we must not thinke that God did then make ill provision or was carelesse of the government of his Church but under the Law Ceremonies were strangely multiplyed to the Iews and that by Gods owne appoyntment and yet in those times I cannot thinke that any Discipline could bee invented more honorable for Religion I shall desire therefore to walke between two extremes neither wholy condemning all Ceremonies as superstitious nor embracing many as necessary besides the Ceremonious use of water in Baptisme and of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist the Gospell recommends no externall rites but such as the generall rules of decency inclose to our observation but it seemes utterly to discountenance all Iewish carnall ordinances yet certainly if multiplicity of pompous ceremonies had been very usefull where knowledge abounds and to be look't upon as the outworks of Religion the Gospell would not have been so silent as it is concerning them Were we now to plant a Church in the West-Indies amongst rude Salvages perhaps the externall splendour of our worship might bee as convenient as it was amongst the Iews to attract Proselytes Or had we now such a dreadfull presence of God residing amongst us as the Iews had in their Oracle perhaps Musick Vocall and Instrumentall and Statelinesse of attire and fearefulnesse in our Gestures and Postures would beseeme us in our solemn addresses and Festivall celebrations but the difference betwixt these times and those and these Christian Countreys and those that are Barbarous is very great What manner of Divine Service the French Protestants and the Scots use and some other Nations I cannot tell but I hope it is not so nasty and slovenly as some of our Formalists would make us believe for it seemes not impossible to me but that in times of so much Light as these are God may be very honourably and zealously served without many Stately Ceremonies The Bishop of Downe makes a very sharpe speech to the Puritans in Ireland as being very disobedient and animated therein by the Scotish Covenanters but his chiefest eloquence is uttered against his own Countreymen the Scots whom bee paints forth as the chiefest Traytors Perjured Rebels Heretiques and Hypocrites in the World nay he denounceth them worse than Anabatists and such as have more than justified the Powder-Traytors and all the rebellious practises of the Iesuites Afterwards hee addes also That Puritanisme is not the Nationall sin of Scotland only but that they of the same faction in England had been as deep in the same condemnation had they had so much power See here the lively portraiture of an Antipuritane see a true Bâ—ner revived againe but in Protestant habit and for ought I see here are none exempted from this black venomous censure in all the Kings Dominions but those of the Popish and Episcopall Faction It 's not to bee wondred at that the King thinkes ill of his subjects or that Burton or Prin suffered worse than Traytors merits It s rather to be wondred at that our streets do not runne with bloud dayly since this is the Gospell our Reverend Fathers of the Church preach This Speech was thought worthy to bee dispersed in Print over all our Kingdomes in English but since because it redounds so much to the honour of the three Nations and the repute of Protestant Religion it s Translated into Latine and Coppies are Printed for all Christendome to take notice of In this Speech it s urged that Puritans who began about 80 yeares since have proceeded from bad to worse by sixe degrees first they did dislike then contemne Bishops then they did disobey their Jurisdiction then separate themselves then they fell into the Heresie of holding no difference between Bishop and Presbyter lastly they rebelled and grew more immoderate than Anabaptists And here S. Cyprian is alledged who says that the contempt of Bishops is the beginning and ground of all Heresies and Schismes Here we see what Puritans are the most cursed Miscreants on earth next we see who Puritans are all such as hold not with Episcopacy that is in probability halfe Ireland more than halfe England all Scotland and many other Protestant Countryes King James did put a difference betwixt such as disâ—relisht Bishops and Ceremonies meerly and such as under that pretext fraudulently sought to perturbe the State and make a factious separation But here the difference of all Puritans is graduall only not substantiall for dislike of Bishops is the beginning of all Heresie and must needs end in Anabaptisme and rebellion How plainly dâ—es it here appeare that Episcopacy is the true Helena of all this war and yet S. Cyprian is to bee understood of the Pastorall function not of the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction of a Bishop or else in his sense the Genevans and the greatest part of Protestants are
setled about those indifferent things the more few Puritans remayned and the more moderately those few became inclined the more furiously their enemies raged against them Bastwick Prin and Burton the onely men which Law can take hold of are Names now as horrid in the world as Garnet Faux Ravilliack Precisians have now wonne the Scene from Iesuites Poysoning of Emperours massacring of Provinces blowing up of Parliaments are all now grown into oblivion and drown'd in the stories of Ceremony-haters Howsoever as amongst Antipuritans so amongst Puritans it must be confessed there are some differences to be observed Some Puritans think all Puritans alike to be loved and all Antipuritans alike to be hated but sure there is truer affinity in minde between some which are Puritans and some which are not then between some Puritans and others or some of the contrary opinion and others Paul unconverted equally opposes Peter as Simon Magus does and in regard of this joynt opposition both are unanimous but even in this opposition both have their opposite ends Magus opposes maliciously for ambition and lucres sake but Paul ignorantly seeking thereby the same Gods Honour whom Peter serves in a truer way Therefore in regard of the mayne end there is more unity and consent betwixt Paul the persecuter and Peter the persecuted then betwixt Paul and Magus though both persecuters of the same cause The like is now visible in England for every man which is an Antipuritan is not so for the same Reasons some have more of malice others are more ignorant some are pestilent Engineers and through the sides of Puritans knowingly stab at purity it self others are but Engines misimployed or by their owne blind zeal misled and these perhaps whilst they persecute Gods children imagine they doe God a gratefull service therein In Samaria from an unkindly mixture of Israelites and Syrians a strange heterogeneous of-spring different in Religion from both did arise and the like is now in England nay it may be said here as it was in Constantines dayes There are almost as many Religions as Opinions and as many Opinions as Men Papists have their differences Protestants theirs therefore needs must there be many more differences where Papists and Protestants live so confusedly blended together For examples sake how many differences have we even about indifferent Ceremonies and that meerly amongst Protestants Some men loath Ceremonies out of Antipathy to Popery which too superstitiously extols them others againe admire them for Antiquities sake which before Popery innocently yea and perhaps profitably for those infant times of the Gospel used them These two sorts of men though different are not dangerous Again some men are thought to disrelish Ceremonies out of stomack to that authority which commands them but if there be any such I thinke they are very few and scarce visible to the eye of man Others on the contrary give reverence to them for Poperies sake which depends so much upon them and I feare there are many such amongst us Again some men stand devoted to Ceremonies as they are the lightest things of the Law like the Tythers of Mint and Annis in the Gospel embracing them instead of weightier matters and none are more unmercifull then these to scrupulous minded men Others in the mean while account all things of the same moment both great and small pretending to spie some faults and some truths on either side and therefore they hold it indifferent to assent to either or dissent from either in any point whatever But the wisest sort conceive there may be errours on both sides but not alike grosse and pernicious and therefore such eschew the wrong and apply themselves to the right in either side yet neither honour nor despise either side alike And these instances shew that all men doe not professe or condemne Puritanisme alike or from the same ends and yet in the Chaos of this Countrey as things now stand Frigida cum calidis pugnant humentia siccis Mollia cum duris sine pondere habentia â—ondus I could wish therefore that all well meaning men would take notice of these things and affect by reason not passion for since some good men are Puritans and not all and since some ill men are Puritans and not all this ought not to be a rule of love and hatred in all cases alike That which is most objected to Puritans is fury faction and hypocrisie if I see these in a man reputed no Puritan yet to me He is a Puritan and if I see not these in a man reputed a Puritan as to me He is no Puritan If Gracchus be invective against Sedition I censure him by his actions not by his words and if Cato be accused of mutiny I censure him by himselfe not by his accusers I condemne none meerely because condemned by others for it is usuall for the Wolfe to sit on the Bench and condemne the Lambe at Bar for that which is most proper to the Wolfe most unnaturall to the Lambe and yet this proves the Wolfe the more a Wolfe and the Lambe the more a Lambe I cannot but professe it there is nothing more scandalizes me at this time then to see Puritans being so few in number so despicable in condition so harmelesse in example so blamelesse in opinion yet sentenced and condemned in judgement as if they were the greatest Incendaries and the only Innovators in the Christian World Doctor Heylin a violent pamphleter against Puritans calls Burton the great Dictator of Puritans and the Law hath past upon him with great severity yet Burtons crime was that He wrote against Altar-worship and it was adjudged that his style was seditious It is not manifest that his intention was seditious therein and if it was so it is manifest that He was most vaine and absurd therein as our State is now establisht and as our King is generally revered They which pretend great danger to the King likely to ensue out of such paper machinations as these may have three mischievous ends therein First that they may be thought the only solicitous men of the Kings safetie Secondly that they may disparage the common peoples loyaltie Thirdly that they may crush their adverse Puritanicall party but it is thought they which pretend most danger hereby to the King doe least believe themselves and therefore they doe spin that affection and division out of the sufferings of Burton c. which his attempts could never have effected My Lord of Canterbury in all his invectives against Puritanisme ever made fury and turbulence the ground of all his hatred and enmity against it and yet let the whole world judge if the earth ever brought forth any thing more furious and turbulent then himself At the same time whilst he adjudges torture to that incendiary Burton c. for writing a Pamphlet against Altars c. He himself is busie in sowing the Dragons teeth I may say the great red Dragons teeth all over England Scotland and Ireland and putting all
at Court be strong and active enough for matter of Counsell yet for matter of force the Puritans in City and Countrey be too predominant The Bishop of Downe in his visitation speech layes all the calamities of Church and Common-wealth upon Non-conformists and for proofe thereof instances in the Covenanters whom he charges of rebellion charging withall that rebellion upon Puritanisme The first thing says he that made me out of love with that Religion was their injurious dealing with Kings which I observed both in their Practice and Doctrine Hee taxes first their Doctrine because they deny the Kings supremacy in causes Ecclesiasticall and allow Subjects to resist nay and depose their King if he be a Tyrant Surely Ahab could say little for himselfe if he could not lay his owne crimes upon Elijah but see here by what art of confusion all Scots are called Puritans and all Puritans rebels King James spoke not so confusedly as if Puritanisme were a Religion and all that disliked Bishops and Ceremonies were of that Religion and all of that Religion were enemies to Kings If a Bishop needed any proofe it his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} were not unquestionable I would desire him to prove all Covenanters Puritans denyers of the Kings supremacy or to instance in any Kings which have been deposed or murthred by Presbyteriall authority How far Bishops have incroached upon Kings is knowne to all the world our Protestant Bishops lately have by Oath and Canon combined together to bind the Kings hands though hee bee Supreme that hee shall not governe our Church but by Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons c. And yet these troublers of Israel have the face to taxe Elijah of their own sinne Presbytery indeed has heretofore passed her bounds yet not of late but Episcopacy has ever from Constantine claimed an independance of Divine right till this instant I conceive there are not in all the Kings Dominions three men except Papists and Anabaptists which hold it lawfull to depose or by any force to violate the persons of Kings how ill soever The Scotch Divines indeed maintaine that a great body of men may defend themselvs against the unjust sword of misled Kings because they cannot fly or otherwise save themselves and this they take now to be their own case whereas our Court Divines in England hold that in such case we ought all to yeeld our throats without defence This seemes unnaturall and truth was never unnaturall but I forbeare to dispute a point so horrid to mans imagination The Bishop next instances in the rebellious practices of Puritans reckons up some Fasts in Scotland appointed by the Presbytery without King Iames his privity and some other seditious Sermons and actions whereby he was much annoyed But what Did not King James know his owne enemies or how to blame them Did hee condemne all Scots alike or all Bishop haters alike or joyne the English in like condemnation We know well enough that King James called rebellious precisians Puâ—itans but he never called all Puritans rebellious precisians He never used those termes as conveâ—tible but declared his contrary meaning by a manifest difference taken between them But the Bishops maine â—nstance is in the present Scotch insurrection this he cals a rebellion of Puritans and far greater than the Powder-treason For says he that plot was but the act of a few discontented Gentlemen but in this rebellion of the Puritans they have ingaged a great part of the Kingdome so that this may be said to be the common sin of that Sect. What could have beene raked out of Hell more slanderous to our Religion more Apologeticall for Popery The Powder-Traytors are here preferred before the whole sect of Puritans The sin of the Powder-Traytors was that they being but an inconsiderable party sought the destruction of their King and his issue and the flower of the Nobility Gentry Commonalty and the extirpation of the true Religion by a most diabolical bloudy practice and conspiracy And it ought not to be charged upon the meere actors as a symptome of discontent onely wee know how far the Romish Religion it selfe favours and gives ground to such damned feats and how far it has owned some having proved prosperous and justified the doing thereof in nature as impious though perhaps in degree not so hainous as this For take this as it was conspired and questionlesse since the crucifying of Iesus Christ the Light never discovered any treason more ugly and horrible Now to out-match this deed of darknesse the Scotch Nation by a strange general unanimity have armed themselves to oppose the ill government of Bishops and other alterations in the service of God and the administration of Iustice and being invaded therefore by another Nation have used force to defend their lives and seeing that defence not safe in their owne Countrey they have since pursued it further by way of prevention in the Country of their Invaders That is the greatest act of Rebellion whereby the common Peace and safety of a Kingdome is most disturbed and impeached but by the common act of a whole Kingdome that mischiefe cannot be effected therefore the Bishop failes in his politiques when he thinkes that the Major part disturbing the Minor is more trayterous than the contrary The unanimous act of a whole Kingdome ought to bee presumed to bee lesse injurious and more wise than the act of any small inconsiderable party for it hath scarce ever been seen that a whole Kingdome or the majority thereof hath ever been treasonable to its selfe in procuring its own ruine Many States have perisht by the machinations of a few ill-affected ill-advised Counsellors scarce ever any perisht otherwise but the totall body and collection has never been guilty of its owne ruine and if it were such Treason could not be so great as that which is plotted by a few Whilst the Scots contained themselves within their owne territories and were considered as a kingdome within themselves as they were when the Bishop past his censure they were not rightly so censured neither was he then privy to their intrusions that they would infest our kingdome with the same combustion and so prove a disturbance to the greater part of our British Monarchy whereof they themselves are but a member of lesse bulke and value Cursed therefore are those uncharitable exasperating censurers whereby the King is too far incensed and by whose rash instigations the commotions themselves become the harder to be appeased Great insurrections are like great fires wherein delay is mischievous and small remedies rather turne to fuell then extinguish and violent counsell against an inraged multitude is like oyle or pitch cast into the flame The wise politician proportions his remedy according to the mischiefe if water will not prevaile he useth milke if a little quantity will not suffice he powres as the combustion it selfe requires Vnfortunate Rehoboam stands as a Seamarke to warne all Princes how to
the three Kingdomes into a posture of warre that like earthen vessels they may be dashed to peeces by conflicting one against the other To whom can it be credible that Burtons quill should blow the flame of warre amongst Nations so combined in spirituall carnall and politicall consanguinity under the protection of so peacefull a Prince in such Halcyonean dayes of tranquillitie when even my Lord of Canterbury himself with all his ill accomplices at home and Spanish Italian French confederates abroad ought for ever to be admired for his prevalence in that vast stupendious dis-service Howsoever as the times lately were we beheld sedition grievously upbraided and punished in Burton by my Lord of Canterbury and that old verse applyed as a proverbe Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione loquentes But it s no wonder that Burton should be an incendiary in that mouth wherein Calvin was a knave Good God could he think the Reformed Religion any thing else but knavery when he calls Gods most sanctified and best inspired instrument of Reformation Knave Because God doth not now work by miracles as he did in the first plantation of the Gospel are not therefore his works as sacred and his instruments as venerable And since the Redemption what work hath God ever performed more noble and for ever to be exalted then the Reformation for what was that worke but a reviving of lost salvation and a new restauration of the buried Gospel amongst us and in that glorious worke who was anoynted by God for a more egregious charge then Calvin Is it not therefore the same sin in kinde if not in degree so to conspurcate and defile this blessed messenger of this blessed tidings with impure termes of obloquie as it was to ascribe the worke of our Saviour to Beelzebub O the execrable gall of that breast and venome of that tongue which through the sides of Calvin did strive to defame the most gracious services of Calvin nay that most pure and fiery Spirit of God himselfe which enabled Calvin for those services Needs must he hate and prosecute all Puritans whatsoever and reject and disrelish all things whatsoever in Puritans which is so maliciously bent against Calvin himselfe meerly because Puritans have him in so high esteeme for that holy Spirits sake which rested so aboundantly upon him But let us a little further search into the mysterious abuse and misapplication of this word Puritan Those whom we ordinarily call Puritans are men of strict life and precise opinions which cannot be hated for any thing but their singularity in zeale and pietie and certainly the number of such men is too small and their condition too low and dejected but they which are the Devils chief Artificers in abusing this word when they please can so stretch and extend the same that scarce any civill honest Protestant which is hearty and true to his Religion can avoid the aspersion of it and when they list againe they can so shrink it into a narrow sense that it shaâ—l seem to be aimed at none but monstrous abominable Heretickes and miscreants Thus by its latitude it strikes generally by its contraction it pierces deeply by its confused application it deceives invisibly Small scruples intitle mee to the name of Puritan and then the name of Puritan intitles me further to all mischiefe whatsoever The Scots rise up against Episcopacie it is questioned by some whether they so rise up for the good of Religion or for the overthrow of wholsome Discipline Answer is soone made that Episcopacie cannot be unpleasing to any but Puritans there is no opinion can smell stronger of Puritanisme then that of a Church parity and of Puritans what good can be expected but the Scots also desire redresse in other grievances and here their intention is againe questioned Answer is as soone made again That the Scots being declared open Puritans they must needs be enemies to Monarchicall government and that no redresse can ever satisfie them but such as shall debase royall dignity and establish a popular rule among them But some of the Scots in some actions doe very much misdemeane themselves and here it 's thought by some that this ought not to redound to the prejudice or blame of the whole Nation but strait the Antipuritan steps in againe with answer to the former purpose that the same faction which makes them all Puritans makes them all mutiners and that there is no trust to be given nor favour shewed to any whose very religion is disobedience Other the like examples may be instanced in Parliaments of late in England have beene jealous of religion this laudable Zeale made them at first come into contempt as Puritanicall and then the imputation of puritanisme made this laudable Zeale contemptible and so by degrees as any thing else might be charged upon Puritans as disobedience and disaffection to Monarchy so nothing could be charged but proceeding from Puritanisme Some scrupulous opinions make Say Brooke c. Puritans Puritanisme inferres them mutiners mutinie makes all that they can doe or say all that they forbear to doe or say it makes their very thoughts wicked and perverse Thus wee see what a confused imposture there is in this infamous terme of Puritan but wee will yet further evidence by plaine instance how broad the devils net is in the vast application of this word and how deep his pit is by its abominable sence and the nature of its importance that we may the better discover that net which intangles so many and shun that pit which ingulphs so sure Puritans as I said before were at first Ecclesiasticall only so called because they did not like a pompous or ceremonious kinde of discipline in the Church like unto the Romish but now it is come about that by a new enlargement of the name the world is full of nothing else but Puritans for besides the Puritan in Church policie there are now added Puritans in Religion Puritans in State and Puritans in morality By this means whole Kingdomes are familiarly upbraided with this sinne of Puritanisme As for example All in Scotland which wish well to the Covenant though some Papists some Courtiers and almost all the whole body without exception have now declared themselves for it yet all these are manifest Puritans So also in England all the Commons in Parliament and almost all the ancient impartiall temporall Nobility and all such as favour and rellish the late proceedings of both the houses which is the maine body of the Realme Papists Prelates and Courtiers excepted nay and its likely all Scotland and more then halfe Ireland all these are Puritans They which deprave this great Councell of the Kingdome suggest to the King that the major part is gull'd and dorde by the Puritan Party but this is only because they are ashamed to speake it out openly in grosse termes that all the major and better part in the Court of Parliament is Puritanicall But
this suggestion is utterly false and impossible for such as the major part in Parliament is such are those that chose them and sent them thither and such are those that now approve their actions there and both in the elections of Parliament men and in the consultations of Parliament affaires the Kings party is as wise cautious and vigilant if not more as the other party and no subtilty could circumvent or cheat them out of their votes if the Puritans were so small and inconsiderable a side as now they make them No man of what capacity soever can admit this it is to all undeniable that the blame of a Parliament is the blame of a whole Kingdome But I returne to my Ecclesiasticall Puritan Though it be true that Ecclesiasticall Puritans are fewer now then heretofore they have been yet it is as true that Ecclesiasticall puritanisme is made a larger thing by farre then it was being now spread abroad like a net to ensnare the more as our many late additions and innovations testifie which have crept into the Church as may be feared for the vexation and molestation of such men as were not disquieted with former ceremonies It is generally suspected that our Prelates have aimed at two things in the novelties which they have lately induced into the Church first the suppression of those which are enemies to their pride avarice and ambition by them tearmed Puritans secondly their owne further ease promotion and advantage Both these ends seeme to be leveld at in sanctifying the Altar and unsanctifying the Lords day in advancing auricular confession and corporall penances by externall mortifications and crying downe lecturing and preaching for if we marke it these new Doctrines doe not onely serve to terrifie and scandalize tender consciences and thereby to deprive and silence many painfull good Ministers and to scare away into forreign Plantations whole troups of Laymen and to inwrap the rest in opposition but each of these doctrines besides hath a further reach in it of benefit to the Clergie The Communion Table hath lately gained a new Name a new Nature a new Posture a new Worship that Emperours and Kings may be brought againe to take notice how far the persons and offices of Priests excell in sanctity the persons and offices of Princes Theodosius within one hundred yeares after Prelacie began to arrogate to it selfe was presently taught this lesson for taking his seat in the Chancell according to the Easterne and ancient fashion a Deacon was sent to him in great state to let him understand that none but men in holy Orders might presume to set their feet on that sacred ground This was then the Bishops Law not the Emperours nor knowne in any other of his Dominions but Italy onely but sure it was fit discretion that much should be ascribed by Bishops to that place from which they were to derive much and which would be sure to repay their homage with so great an advantage of homage back againe Preaching is now also grown too burthensome and the Lords Day to Priests according to that sanctity which Puritans allow it it requires too much praying preaching singing which are not onely to them tedious but also apt means to encrease and foment Puritanisme amongst the people Auricular Confession also is a godly devise to bring the Laity into subjection and to make the people bow before the power of the Keyes and it may aptly force the consciences of Kings themselves to feare the scourges of gowned men Adde lastly Mr. Wats his bodily mortification to Mr. Sparrows confession and then Laymen will be soone inured againe to finde out the fittest penances especially Praesbyteris aeris advolvi and so in time their purses their bodies their consciences shall all bee made sensible of the spirituall Scepter of Priests It s no great wonder then if our Court Divines and their dependents doe what they can to draw us neerer dayly towards Popery under shew of Antiquity Uniformity and Charity for without all doubt of all Religions Popery is the most beneficiall to Priests most tyrannous to Laymen Neither is it strange that they pretend so much zeale and devotion to the Kings Crowne and Prerogative as things now stand in England as if none truly affected the same but themselves for its cleare that they cannot subject the people but by the King nor the King without the people and so long as they stand possessed of the Kings good opinion no man shall have power to confute them King Iames is a great instance for Antipuritans and a great prop to the Episcopall Cause it s alleadged of him that Hee hated Puritans for their hatred to Episcopacie and loved Episcopacie for its amity to Monarchie His Aphorisme was No Bishop no King Let us therefore appeale from King Iames in their words to King Iames in his owne In his Preface before his Basilicon Doron his words are The style of Puritans properly belongs to that vile Sect of the Anabaptists onely called the Family of love Such were Browne Penry Howbeit there are others which participate too much with Anabaptists contemning civill Magistrates c. It is onely this sort of men which I wish my sonne to punish in case they refuse to obey Law and cease not to stirre up Rebellion But I protest upon mine Honour I meane it not generally of all Preachers or others which like better of the single forme of Policie in our Church of Scotland then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England which are perswaded that Bishops smell of a Papall supremacie that Surplices Caps c. are outward badges of popish errour No I am so farre from being contentious in these indifferent things that I doe equally love and honour the learned and grave of either opinion It can no wayes become mee to pronounce sentence so lightly in so old a controversie Since wee all agree in grounds the bitternesse of men in such questions doth but trouble the peace of the Church and give advantage to Papists by our division These were the golden words of that peacefull just Prince upon his second thoughts ô that they were now duly pondred and taken to peeces word for word ô that they were esteemed and understood in their owne weight amongst us that they might reconcile our present differences and that the same peace which followed him to his glorious Urne might still blesse these our times ò how contrary are these mild words to the unnaturall suggestions of Antipuritans Such as daily accuse all good men for Precisians and all precise men for Puritans and all Puritans for the onely Firebrands of the World thus aiming the King against his Subjects and by consequence raising Subjects against the King Puritans here are described both what they are and what they are not the King had been misinterpreted before writing generally of Puritans now to avoid all mistake he expresses himselfe plainely and definitely A Puritan positively in King Iames his
sense is He which imitates Anabaptists in rebellion turbulence and opposition to Law and such are liable to Law but negatively a Puritan in the acception of King Iames is not He which dislikes Episcopacie or the Ceremonious Discipline of England This King Iames protests upon his honour though to his great dishonour He be now often cited to the contrary As for those which rellish not Bishops and Ceremonies or the English Policie Wishes them to be at peace only with those of the opposite opinion Hee himselfe vowing equall love and honour to the grave and learned of either side and not taking upon him to be a Judge in so old and difficult a controversie He onely like a sweet arbitrator perswades both parties to peace and amity I wish our Bishops would now stand to this arbitration I wish they would neither condemne the Scots discipline nor urge the English I wish they would put difference betweene seditious and scrupulous Puritans and not inferre the one out of the other I wish they would either disclaime King Iames as a manifest favourer of Puritans or else imitate him in the same definition and opinion of them King Iames further takes notice that the reformation in Scotland was far more disorderly then in England Denmark c. whilst the mayne affaires there were unduly carried by popular tumults and by some fiery-spirited Ministers which having gotten the guiding of the multitude and finding the relish of government sweet did fancie to themselves a democratick forme of policy wherein they were likely to be Tribuni plebis That the Crown might be disincombred of these usurping ring-leaders the King advises the Prince to entertaine and advance godly learned and modest Ministers promoting them to Bishopricks but restrayning them heedfully from pride ambition and avarice These things then are hence observable First Scotland differs from England in turbulent Ministers Secondly this is imputed to the iniquity of the times not to Puritanisme as if by nature the Scots were more inclining to Puritanisme then other Nations Thirdly notwithstanding that iniquity of those times there was a number sufficient of worthy Ministers fit for preferrement Fourthly King Iames erects Bishops Sees in Scotland for peculiar reasons and therefore He speaks not of Denmarke c. Lastly notwithstanding that peculiar reason He advises the Prince to be indifferently at warre with both extreams alike as well to represse Papall Bishops as to curbe proud Puritans For sayes the King the naturall sicknesses which have ever troubled and beene the decay of all Churches since the beginning changing the Candlesticke from one to another have beene pride ambition and avarice and these wrought the overthrow of the Romish Church in divers Countreys King Iames knew well how apt Churchmen had ever beene to abuse their power and pompe what enemies the High-Priests had beene to our Saviour and what a tyranny Bishops had erected over all Christendome ever since Constantine almost and therefore though he dislikes a Democracie in the Church as Hee had reason yet Hee so limits and circumscribes his Bishops both in power and honour that they might be as sensible of their chaines and fetters as of their Miters and Crosiers I wish King Iames had particularly signified what bonds and bounds Hee thought fit to prefixe to Episcopacie to preserve it from corruption and what his opinion was of a Prelacie so active in secular affaires as ours is now in England and how it would have pleased him to see a Metropolitan amongst Protestants almost a rivall to the French Cardinall The world in my opinion hath little reason to doate upon a gowned Empire wee have all smarted long enough under it men of meane birth commonly beare preferment with little moderation and their breeding having beene soft and effeminate in their malice and cruelty they neerest of all approach to the nature of Women and by the advantage of learning they extend their power and win upon others more then they ought When the Church was at first under Heathen or Jewish Governours which sought as enemies to ruine it not as Fathers to protect it they which were within could not live in peace and unity without some Politicall bonds so at that time there was a necessity of some coercive power within besides that which was without The world is now unsatisfied what kinde of power that was whether Episcopall or Presbyteriall or what Episcopacy or Presbytery was in those dayes Yet me thinks what government so ever then was it is not necessarily precedentary to us now The Episcopall faction at this day takes advantage by the abuses of the Presbyteriall and the Presbyteriall by the Episcopall and most men thinke either the one power or the other necessary and some more favour the Episcopall as K. Iames some the Presbyteriall as M. Calvin but sure the Presbyteriall is lesse offensive then the Episcopall and yet neither the one nor other of necessity Kings may grant usuram quandam jurisdictionis either to Bishops or Elders but the jurisdiction it selfe is their owne property from which they ought not to depart nor can without wrong to their charge committed to them For the power which God gives the Prince is not given for his use alone but for the peoples benefit so that since He cannot let it fall to decay without making it insufficient for good and entire government which is mischievous to the people he cannot justly lessen it at all And it is manifest that except one supreme head be alone in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill humane nature must needs be destitute of those remedies which are necessary for its conservation since power cannot be divided but it must be diminished to him which suffers that division and being diminished it proves insufficient All confesse some government necessary for men in holy Orders to whom the power of the Keyes belongs but some account Princes but as meere Temporall or Lay persons and therefore conclude against their authority over sacred Ecclesiasticall persons as incompetent especially in cases meerely Ecclesiasticall For this cause spirituall Governours have ever beene in the Church to whom some have attributed a divine right depending from none but God and subordinate to none but God but this hath beene controverted by others and no little debate and strife hath followed hereupon But it seemes to me that Princes do receive from God a spirituall Unction whereby not onely their persons are dignified and their hearts prepared and enlarged with divine graces fit for rule but their functions also innobled and sanctified above any other whatsoever and higher advanced then the sense of Laick or Secular will beare To Princes an assistance of counsell is requisite in spirituall as in civill affaires but that that Counsaile ought to bee composed onely of persons Ecclesiasticall or that those persons ought to bee invested with all those Ensignes of Honour and Authority which our Bishops now claime as of divine right seemes not necessary Clergy-men are