Ceremonies but to aime at such substantials alterations in Church and State as would willingly subjugate the Royall Diadem and Scepter of Princely Power to the subordinate rule and direction of their Presbyterian consistory 41 Vnto this Towne of ours divers Gentlemen from many parts of this Kingdome and Widdowes also have within these twelve last yeares resorted Resolving here to plant themselves for fixed habitation and expecting to enjoy with impunity the vaine toyes and schismaticall conceits they brought hither with them But my trust is under GOD and the sacred and Royall Majestie of our King that our Reverend Bishop will either in short time reforme their irregularities or cause them to returne to the places of their former aboad Hither also have flocked Mechanicall fellowes of many Artifices and Professions Masons Carpenters Brick-layers Corsers Weavers Stone-gravers and what not And being in their persons of worthlesse quality and receiving countenance from men of better ranke they have pestered our Towne with disobedience and schisme and for their low condition and obscurity of living have escaped presentment and passed unregarded Pardon my zeale good Reader a surcharged heart speaking nothing but knowne and justifiable truth may justly obtaine libertie to unburden it selfe Now these persons of the better and inferiour ranke grow presently into strict and inviolable leagues of mutuall amitie as if long continuance of time experience and proofe of their Christian vertues had incorporated and united them together in reciprocall societie For it is the nature of Schisme and all unwarranted courses ever to shew it selfe active in malignitie and by examples and encouragements from one to another in short time to disdaine to submit themselves to the commands of their Superiours lest thereby they dishonour their fantasticall profession by shrinking from the hold of their Christian libertie and abridging themselves of their selfe-pleasing fantasies They assemble and feast and pray and discourse and perhaps take libertie also to complaine and lament each unto other that the Reliques of Rome continue still among us to adulterate the sacred puritie of our Gospell of Peace But blessed bee the Name of the LORD our GOD and thankes be given to the excellent Majestie and Piety of our King who resolving in his royall heart Quoad brachii humaeni virtutem to conserve the puritie of the glory of CHRIST in supporting the free passage of His blessed Gospell doth also designe in His Princely thoughts and intentions to reduce His wandring subjects to uniformity of obedience 42 A Letter was written by a Non-conformed Minister to that late reverend worthy and learned Prelate Bishop Iewel who if the judgement of Master Hooker ratified with the approbation of that most Illustrious Memorable and Learned King Iames t Hooker Eccl. politâ—e pag. 68. Preface before Iewels workes may be received was one of the most accomplished Divines that Christendome hath yeelded for some hundreds of yeares In this Letter the judgement of that gracious man was desired touching our Ceremonies and specially the government of our Church by Bishops Who weighing in his prudent and peaceful thoughts the sleight Arguments sent unto him wherewith the impregnable fort of our discipline was attempted for battery and subversion replied thus as hee is cited by Doctor Whitgift in his Reply u Answer to a libell intituled An adnotion c. As for these reasons in my judgement they are not made to build up and they are too weake to pull downe Stultitia nata est in corde pueri Virga disciplinae fugabit illam x Pro. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction will drive it from him It is but wantonnesse correction will helpe it Thus far Bishop Iewel Now the weight of this mans authority furnished as hee was with infinite variety of reading in the writings of the Church Ancient and Moderne is more to be esteemed than the up-start conceits of many hundreds of those light and vaine Novellers the wanton perturbers of our Christian peace And till this correcting rod of Humane power qualified and ratified by divine authority and given by GOD into the Princely hand of His Vicegerents be either inflicted or at least lifted up and shaked though shaking without striking will doe little good these men are so setled upon the Lees and dregges of their pleasing errours that like Moab y Ier. 48.11 for want of emptying from vessell to vessell they will still retaine their old sent within them 43 I publikely told them five Moneths agoe namely in Iuly last past 1633 in a Preface to my Catechisme Lecture in a very great assembly that it was to bee feared that they who obeyed not the Lawes of the King did curse his sacred Person in their hearts contrary to that rule Eccle. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter These words of mine stirred up such a Tempest in the unruly tumultuous and stormy affections that many of them rashly rowed but have fayled therein that they would never heare mee againe because I imployed good Talents and partes to the disgrace of Gods children But now let them give mee leave since time hath allaied their passions and rendred them more capable of wholsome advice to tell them without feare or flattery that I conceive the Spirituall meaning of these words in this sense Hee that obeyes not the Law which is by commande of Princely power and Iustice impsed on him Curses that law which he refuseth to obey for betweene obedience and cursing there is no medium or meane in the sense of Gods Spirit For every act of murmuring and repining against the supposed iniquity of any law coupled with contempt of the same law by disobedience thereunto is an act of the heart and Spirit of that man cursing the 〈◊〉 to which hee refuseth to yeeld true and faithfull subjection Now this inward curse lighting on the law which is disobeyed reflects or rather falls directly on the Majestie of the King from whose sacred Authority as hee is the immediate Vicegerent of God that law receives either Constitution or Ratification and Command for obedience This sense I obtrude not on these Persons as arrogating to my selfe infallibility of judgement in the meaning of Gods Spirit But I refer it to the grave and deliberat judgement of those prudent and learned Persons who fit at the Helme of government in our Church and are more profound in knowledge and fully able to resolve and cleere this doubt for as then so now I deliver onely my opinion and no more But yet let me further tell them that since they like not to bee told that their thoughts and hearts do Curse Christian Kings whose lawes check and countermaund their novell fancies what will they say to that place of sacred Scriptures
bosomes the Iustice and Equity of the Kings cause now taken in hand by impressions of sensible feare making them to tremble at the mention of Humane Authority as it is the execution of divine power for Temporall government For were their persons as cleare and innocent as they pretend by ostentation of the uprightnesse of their consciences in the cause of GOD or their judgements right and sound in that they hold with dissent from their wise superiours or their cause it selfe a matter of importance wherein the Honour or Dishonour of GOD stands Interessed and Ingaged surely then the LORD would fortifie and adde spiritual vigour to their masculine and high spirits and not suffer them to shrinke under the practice of Humane power urged for their correction and amendment And let me further certifie this irregular generation that if their fancies had been of GOD and decreed for His fetled ordinance It had not received such a wound as of late it hath done by the hand of Princely power which already hath made their building to nod and totter and incline to subversion For the Argument of Gamaliel uttered by the present inspiration of GOD'S Spirit is invincible Act. 5.39 Mans power cannot overthrow that which is of GOD which impregnable and sacred Truth I will demonstrate in this syllogisticall processe Whatsoever is of GOD decreed for continuance and propagation Major can neither bee dissolved by Humane power nor weakened and abated This Novell Toy of resisting authority Minor is by Humane power weakened and abated and drawes on to dissolution Therefore it is not of GOD by ordinance for Propagation Conclusio The whole force of this Argument so clear and conclusive is drawne from the practice of GOD Himselfe in the Primitive infancie of the Christian Church when the Roman Tyrants mighty in power and extention of authority over most parts of the habitable earth raged against the glory of our LORD IESUS CHRIST in the lustre of His Gospell and vowed the extinction of His Name and memory but the more their fury increased and insulted over the poore sheepe of CHRIST daily dragged unto slaughter by Martyrdome the more they found to the check of their infidell pride and immanity that Sanguis Martyrum erat semen Ecclesiae The bloud of Martyrs was the springing seed of the Church both for the increase of the number of professors and dilatation of the glory and power of our SAVIOUR If any shal reply unto mee that Humane power may for a time suppresse the outward growth and spreading of this disobedience to our King and his Lawes yet for as much as they are godly forsooth and doe it for conscience sake their practice will still retaine spirituall heat and vigorous warmth in the root and secret heart thereof and thereby sprout out againe and declare it selfe to bee of the LORD'S plantation To these men I reply no more but thus That I wish all such persons to suspend their owne rash and sinister perswasions for a time and to expect the event of the LORD'S will therein which in doubtfull cases is never knowne but by the sensible and apparent manifestation thereof 51 Now for this firy fancie and exquisite fascination of our Non-conformity I will freely and openly deliver my opinion thereof and that is this That when she was in her greatest ruffe and glory deckt with all the plumes of her pride and best acceptation which ever she had in this Kingdome I conceive of her that then even then she was no more but meretrix cerussata a whited painted and artificially coloured strumpet exposing her selfe to her most profitable wooers and entertainers But now that by time and age shee is become Rugosa cadaverosa wrinckled and decayed shee goes on I hope to her grave with infamie and dishonour The reason of my opinion is this I suppose that if her stoutest champions who have long with the secret increase of their private estates supported her glory could now come off fairely from her without detriment to their livelihood and eclipse of the brightnesse of their former reputation for Piety and Sincerity That then not one of them would either depart this Land or endure to bee silenced and restrained from preaching but being shut up in a strait by reflecting on their owne hearts and calling to minde what high and transcendent prayses they have in corners given to this their fancie the engine and instrument of all their delusions and the artificial and fine-wrought key whereby they have opened the Closets and Cabinets of their deare and privat friends if now they should shrinke from it they overthrow for ever the reputation of their integrity And therefore having within their owne bosomes a troublesome conflict betweene their hearts puffed up with the remembrance of their late glory and deare esteeme among their friends and their consciences now secretly prompting them that the grounds of their Schisme were things light triviall and of no moment The pride of their hearts beares downe with strong power the plea of their consciences and makes them resolve rather to endure a silencing with hope to retaine the under-hand benevolences of their tender hearted friends than to supplant the pleasing contentments they have received to themselves in appropriating to themselves the words of GOD's Spirit Prov. 12.26 The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour But let such men call to minde the judgements of GOD's wrath against that slothfull person Matt. 25.30 Who wrapped up his Talent in a Napkin and hid it in the earth For if Saint Paul could say in the case of planting of Churches 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessitie is laid upon mee yea woe is mee if I preach not the Gospell I cannot yet understand nor themselves neither of any dispensation or relaxation that Ministers have in these dayes to sit idle at home in vayne speculations and to neglect the Watering of those Churches and feeding of those flockes which by other mens labours have beene prepared and made ready to their Ministry Yet this liberty to please themselves by voluntary or imposed silence and the Iustice and Aequitie thereof on their parts in submitting to so sharpe a censure is still by them constantly assevered And thereby they strive to uphold the good conceits which their friends have of the puritie of their consciences and of the Iniquity Idolatry and Prophanenesse of those Antichristian Ceremonies which are urged against them for better termes or Titles they know right well they never afford them And this is the true cause why I was so bold and plaine with them as to tearme their practice of Non-conformity by the odious name of a Painted Strumpet because a learned Philosopher describing the Arts and subtilties of such wanton and uncleane persons sayes of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Strumpets wish all sorts of happinesse may befail their lovers except understanding and wisdome to discover their own wickednes so doe flatterers
Gospell For as the wisdome of GOD in the old Testament prescribed the rule of his will unto his people for their direction saying e Malack 3.7 The Priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for He is the Messenger of the LORD of Hoasts So hath the divine and constant wisdome of the same our GOD declared the Canon of His will in the New Testament to continue in the Church to the dissolution of this World f Ephes 4.11.12 CHRIST gave some to be Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of CHRIST till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the SONNE of GOD unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Now these holy Arts and Ordinations of GOD's wisdome and love unto His people are the Constant rules of direction and order to be observed and obeyed by all His faithfull children whiles here they remaine in their militant condition 2 And though secular persons are both warranted and directed by our LORD and SAVIOUR for their preservation in faith and obedience g Mat. 7.15 To beware of false prophets which come unto them in sheepe◠cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And are also commanded in the practice of holy and gracious vigilancie over their own soules h 1 Ioh. 4.1 To trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no yet this warrant direction command are not so vast and universall but that they are limitted and confined within their owne proper bounds Not giving libertie unto i 2 Pet. 3.16 Vnlearned and unstable persons to wrest the sacred Scriptures to their owne destruction Nor to judge and censure their Teacher either in his doctrine or spirit if his upright and sound judgement accord not with their light and seduced fancies or his Method of preaching arride not their vaine and selfe-pleasing Humour And further if any branch of doctrine shall bee publikely delivered by any Minister of the Gospell not exactly consonant with the Canon of the Scriptures the analogie of the Christian faith and the orthodox doctrine and judgement of the Ancient and Moderne Church Lay persons are not presently to presume of themselves that they are so qualified with judgement or armed with power as to reprove their pastours because as the Apostle hath told us k 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirits of the Prophets are subject unto the Prophets All that any lay-Lay-person can or ought to doe in matter of his owne private judgement is no more but to submit himselfe to that rule of the HOLY GHOST l 1. Thes 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trie all things and hold that which is good And to this triall and retaining of sound doctrines they are for action and practice of life to adde that of another Apostle m Iude 20. By building up themselves in their most holy faith and praying in the HOLY GHOST keepe themselves in the love of GOD looking for the mercies of our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto eternall life They may indeed if erroneous doctrines be taught in publike congregations dangerous to the soules of GOD's people give notice thereof by way of information to their and our Superiours the Bishops who for the maturitie of their judgement the gravitie of their persons and the weight of their authoritie are able to rebuke reprove exhort convince of errour any unsound doctrine repugnant to the sacred Scriptures And when by weight of Argument and pregnant conviction of errour any doctrine taught shall deservedly be reproved if the teacher thereof shall obstinately persist in his errour and refuse to be reformed by the wisdome and authoritie of his Governour the sentence of suspension excommunication or deprivation is justly to proceed against him 3 This course of Ecclesiasticall discipline being for substance Sacred for antiquitie Venerable and for forme and processe therein so exact that mans wit cannot reprove it they that preferre their owne private spirits and opinions before this prudent judgement and practice of the Church as fantastick separatists do plainly discover themselves to have their part in that description which by the spirit of prophecie is given of all such n 2 Pet. 2.18 Presumptuous they are selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of Dignities With this kinde of high and overweening spirits our English Church hath of late years beene much pestered and disquieted so that many godly Ministers of rich talents worthy endowments and able gifts have not received that sweet comfort to their soules which from the profitable and painfull execution of so sacred a calling is by command of GOD'S Spirit due unto them For the Apostle hath strictly charged all Christians o Hebr. 23.18 To obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves unto them for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Yet notwithstanding the weight of this charge such is the insolent pride and contumacie of spirit in this kinde of men strongly conceited of the spirituall favour of GOD unchangeably setled on their particular persons that unlesse both the observance and which is more the obsequiousnesse of the Minister both in doctrine and practice be accommodated to give them content and flatter their fancies they will maligne his person traduce his name and scorne and vilifie him with all basenesse of contempt yea although his life bee most conscionably led in the feare of GOD and his outward conversements with men adorned and made gracefull with all Humanity Humility and Integritie 4 In the ranke and number of these bold and busie Scripturists wee are to range one ENOCH ap EVAN a fellow of very meane quality and small understanding as able only to reade English and no more yet of high thoughts touching his owne personall worth in spirituall abilities For so cunningly and yet powerfully had Satan insinuated himselfe by spirituall illusions into his understanding for opinion and into his heart for affection and inclination to his owne dull and extravagant conceits that he became presumptuously bold to dislike not only the Gestures and rites prescribed by the Governours of our Church for conservation of uniformitie peace and unitie among GOD'S people and ratified by Regall and Legall Authority But hee proceeded so farre as to reprove the forme of words used by the Minister in the delivery of the sacred Communion into the hands of God's people For whereas the wisdome of our Church prescribes the forme of words thus The Body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which was given for thee preserve thy bodie and soule unto everlasting life The pride and ignorance of this fellow no◠able to conceive the strength and significancie of these
z Iob 34.18 Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked c. If the lawes whose rigour life and authority flow immediately from Kings and Princes in their Dominions bee in their Nature wicked as they are Lawes certainely the Princes themselves who enact or authorize those lawes in the censure and judgement of those men who vilifie the same lawes by refusing to obey them cannot be good So that let them turne themselves which way they will they are taken in a snare woven from the cleare sense of the sacred Scripture For either they curse the King in his lawes or they judge not his Person to be righteous from whom unjust and unrighteous lawes doe proceede and are imposed by command For they cannot possibly affirme the King to bee righteous nor his lawes to bee righteous when they refuse to give obedience both to the one and to the other I know they will reply that they love and honour the King but that they like not his lawes And I answere them againe it is impossible to love and honour the King and to dislike his lawes for the lawes are the Spirit and life of the King as he is Supreame head over his people securing the royalty of his Princely State and sweetly attracting his subjects to cheerfull obedience For therefore doe the subjects honour reverence and love the person of the King because of the righteousnesse and equity of his laws whereby they are governed in tranquillity and peace And on the contrary no man living in the world doth naturally freely sweetly love the person of a Tyrant because he rules by the rage of his affections and the strong hand of power and not by the peaceable rule of Iustice and approved lawes So that the true and cordiall love of subjects to their King ariseth in them not onely from relation of superiority in his person and inferiority in theirs but much more fervently and firmely from his pious care in constituting good lawes for the regiment of his people in honour wealth peace and libertie free from the vassallage of oppressing subjection 44 Vnder the light and law of nature the very Heathens illuminated and endued with some acts of inspiration from GOD to quicken the principles of native light in their own soules have with more veneration and reverence honoured their Kings than Christians have done the knowne Vicegerents of GOD under the Law of Grace after the cleare declaration of GOD's will pressing and commanding obedience unto them For Elihu a young man could say to Iob and his friends a Iob 36.7 He withdrawes not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the Throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted And herewith accords the wise and as I may truly say the holy sentences uttered by those men who being destitute of the Divine and supernatural light of Christian faith have shewed to the world the light and the extent of Natures love in their understandings Homerus I liad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mindes of Kings are great in understanding their honour is from God and they are beloved of Him and directed What other sense can these words import recorded both in sacred Scriptures and by Heathen Writers than that GOD hath stamped the character of His Divine Majestie both on their persons for Authority and on their hearts for Government and direction For undoubtedly this sense is confirmed by other places in the sacred Scriptures As b Pro. 23. â—â— The heart of the King is in the hand of GOD as the Rivers of waters he turneth it whither soever he will And againe c Pro. 16.10 A divine sentence is in the lippes of the King his mouth transgresseth not in Iudgment And this sacred Truth is approved by the consenting judgement of the ancient and godly learned Iustin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have given unto you Princes mine owne Honour mine ordinance and my calling requiring you to Iudge my people as if I myselfe did judge them And for the preventing of disobedience against the sacred Persons of Kings and their Lawes all sorts rankes and degrees of men in the visible Church of GOD and out of the pale thereof are commanded d Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no power but of GOD. And those words are expounded by an ancient very learned and godly Father of the Greeke Church after this manner Chr. soft in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Apostle demonstrating that these things are commanded to all men unto Priests and Monkes and not unto Secular Lay-men only he makes it manifest from the preface saying Let every soule bee subject to the supereminent powers yea though hee be an Apostle an Evangelist a Prophet or whosoever he be for this subjection doth not subvert pietie And againe the rule of GOD's Spirit in Scriptures commands us e Pro. 2â— 21 My sonne seare thou the LORD and the King and meddle not with them who are given to changes 45 How comes it then to passe seeing these things are so manifest in the sacred Scriptures that so many Ministers in our Church by faction and schisme doe rend in pieces that blessed peace and unity which they are every-where in the holy Scriptures f Ephes 4 3â— Phil. 2.2 30 commanded to preserve and support The true cause hereof I take to be this The povertie of the inseriour sort of our English Clergie And this answer I gave to the Lord Bishop of our Diocesse proposing this very question unto mee at the table of a worthy Knight of our County Sir William Owen my Noble and very Honoured friend For in this age of ours the practice of many Ministers exactly correspondeth with that of certaine Priests and Prophets in the Church of Israel g Micha 3.11 The Priests teach for hire and the Prophets thereof Divine for money yet they will leane upon the LORD and say Is not the LORD among us no evill shall come upon us For these Non-conformists as they are the movers of this faction and violation of our peace raise to themselves as farre as I am able to conceive and I thinke all wise men of this Land concurre with mee herein an underhand maintenance by private Benevolences of seduced friends after this manner by certaine gradations of Art and policie 1 First they insinuate into the peoples hearts a sly opinion which must not bee contradicted to wit that many things are amisse in our Church government which only Gods faithfull servants enlightned with His Spirit have found out discovered and made knowne to the world and because they cannot obtaine a reformation as the pious zeale of their hearts desireth they are forced to groane under the heavie burden of Antichristian servitude Now the Mobile Vulgus hearing these deplorable complaints uttered with the gravity of well composed countenances and expressed in an accent
Gospel implanted among us Hence grow ' your important pressings and perswasions to constancie in the Faith even to death by Apologie and Martyrdome wherein some of your owne friends have wished that the salt of discretion and prudent moderation had allayed your violence and seasoned your thoughts to a better conceit of that gratious Prince and Government under which we live in peace and spirituall liberty The name of Puritane you told them was a royall badge and and thereby you intended to confirme depraved judgements in error and contumacie against Authority and that wholsome reformation that is now aymed at Surely these intemperat flashes issuing from your unbridled spirit and uttered in such a time when reformation of Schisme not change of our Orthodox faith is intended doe plainely convince you in the judgement of wise men to be a man of a disloyall heart and unquiet head Your bold intrusion into other mens charge being neither warranted by the Lawes of GOD or man can receive no blessing from GOD. For what inducement have you to vent your wares among us who neither desire your aid nor need your help Keep at home I advise you and labour in that place of charge where the LORD hath disposed of you that shall bring more comfort to your conscience more peace to your calling more credit to your person Your Sect is very forward in running uncalled and thrusting your selves upon people unknowne unto you and should for ever rest unknown were it not that as the Apostle tells us Iude 16. You have mens persons in admiration because of advantage Certainly GOD's Spirit hath given a most cleare and exact description of all such wily and seducing spirits Rom. 16.17 18. It is the worke of GOD's mercy and love unto his Church in laying open the spirituall sleights I dare not say impostures wherewith your Sect hath so long deluded the people and by the wisdome and authority of our King and State to correct and reforme them Your opposition to the Authority of our Lord Bishop was so peremptory and insolent by your pride and contempt of your Superiours as is not to be endured in a peaceable Government For you were in place both in the Church when his Lordship gave his charge and also in the Chamber at the signe of the red Lion in our Towne and heard his Lordship make knowne to us of the Clergie his Majesties Royal care and his gratious intentions he had entertained in his heart both to countenance and to advance the welfare of his Ministers But first he would be assured of their ready subjection to his just and royall commands Yet within three dayes after this charge sounded in your eares you most contemptuously violated his Majesties Injunctions and being not admitted into Saint Alkmunds Church to vent your schismaticall conceits you put your selfe into an exempt and peculiar Iurisdiction and there you were as safe in your opinion as policie could make you Assuredly Mr. F. these factious courses are unsanctified by GOD and the issue and event of them being done in publike affront to the sacred authority and command of your Prince the LORD 's annointed will prove dangerous if not desperate unto you for the strong arme of Iustice wil crush thousands of such poore wormes as wee are I my selfe have knowne within these twenty yeares last past Plus minùs many men of excellent wits great and piercing understandings prompt and eloquent in their deliveries of illustrious note and ranke in the Common-wealth yet by opposing the designes and commands of Royal Majesty have ruined their estates and fatally ended their dayes in ignominy and misery For the eminencie of Princes being by Substitution and Vicegerencie from GOD the lively Image of Divine Majesty for temporall regiment is by GOD's ordinance made so sacred and inviolable both from the intemperate rage of our tongues and the rancour of our naturally seditious and rebellious hearts That never any man obliged to loyalty made head against them either openly or secretly but the Angell of the LORD's wrath pursued him to shame and destruction For it is decreed by the wisdome of GOD and shall never be reversed Ezra 7.26 Whosoever will not obey the Law of GOD and the King let judgement speedily bee executed upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or unto confiscation of goods or to imprisonment For your person Mr. F. I protest before GOD the searcher of all hearts I wish no otherwise than to my owne soule But I onely ayme at the peace of our Towne which will never be effected till you and such as you be restrained from preaching and enkindling faction among us Thus I have imparted my minde unto you and for the censure of both our persons I refer it to the wisdome and justice of his Lordship our most Reverend Diocesan who I doubt not will correct your insolencies and keepe you in order A copy of this Letter I have sent to my L. Bishop to demonstrate how ingenuously I have dealt with you GOD blesse you and sent you much happinesse 54 This is that Letter Verbatìm without addition detraction or mutation of one syllable against which such tragicall out-cries have beene raised by â—icentious detractors of the good names of their neighbours But my comfort is that I feare no mans tongue or malice in the world as long as mine owne conscience checkes me not for any wilfull violation of my duty to GOD and to my Prince nor act of unrighteousnesse done to the person of my neighbour And when this generation of men who take too much ungodly libertie unto themselves to suspect evill of their neighbours and upon that susspition to raise lying defamations against persons truely religious and vertuous shall governe their tongues and hearts with more holy feare of GOD and gratious charity towards their peaceable co-habitants I doubt not but that the LORD in mercy and love to our Church and Kingdome will unite our hearts in the firme bond of pure religion and not suffer us to bee torne into factions by dislike of innocent and harmelesse Ceremonies And for the wrongs which they very foolishly Imagine to have beene done to this their Minister by my Persecuting him as they most wickedly phrase it I referre my selfe to my hottest and sharpest adversaries whose tongues fly at randon without grace wit or honestie to restraine them to examine censure and determine from this relation whether I have beene Active in doing or passive in suffering wrongs And from the sight of their owne errour or rather malicious railing and traducing of my innocence herein let them learne to use more Christian moderation in reporting of things unknowne unto them And to practise those gratious vertues of integritie of heart and truth of speech which wil more adorne their conversation and render them more pleasing unto GOD and man than all their forward profession of firy zeale in erroneous devotion Many good things in the exercise of family discipline As Prayers Instruction of their children and servants Singing of Psalmes and such like I doe freely acknowledge to be in some of these men But as Salomon speaks of a wise man Eccle. 10.1 That a little folly brings disgrace to him that is in reputation for wisedome so I say unto these men That a little dishonestie or injustice towards their neighbours which piety and the true feare of GOD should extinguish in them doth obscure the lustre of a glorious profession and makes them most justly to be suspected to be but meere Formalists Thus having cast my Mite into the Treasury of GOD's Church by desiring the holy and blessed peace of our Sion I will adde my continuall prayers thereunto that our hearts may be firmely knit together in unitie and love FINIS
their furious cruelty For at the discovery of this I had long aimed but could never with arguments or entreaties obtaine at his hands And I am of opinion from his resolution of contumacie in the concealement hereof that for the security of that party by whom he was inveigled and deceived therein he had either by secret compact or by an act of his owne desperate will imposed on himselfe an oath of secresie for he answered me that day as hee had often done before and continued in that obstinacie to his death that not from man but from GOD he had received those conceits which I knew to be as false as I know it to be true that mine owne soule is living within me For how could it possibly happen that an unlearned Rusticke shall fall so directly upon the Controversies of our Church in Discipline and Ceremonies without a schismatical guide to informe and perswade him and thereby to ruine and undo him And to the soule of that Minister or Lay person I speak who is yet living and conscious to himselfe that by his perswasions or directions this man became seduced in opinion and thereby insnared by Satan thus to scandalize the Church of GOD and hazard the state of his own soule for ever let him repent of his wickednesse and reforme his owne judgement therein lest the justice of GOD for his close hypocrifie leave him under the raigne of his own carnall will utterly devoid of His gracious Spirit For it is no new or unknowne thing in this Kingdome for Ministers of that stampe to lay violent hands upon their owne persons and in the agony of their soules by torment of wounded consciences to fore-doe themselves For not above two yeares ago both in the Imperial City of London and in other parts of this Kingdome divers of that sect have shortned their owne dayes oppressed with the vexation of confounded spirits which justifies that old prover be Omne quod rutilat non est aurum Every thing that glitters is not gold 31 For it is well knowne in this County of ours that a Minister of that sect neglecting the duties of so sacred a calling and for his opinions sake applying himselfe to a secular vocation in teaching a Grammar schoole did in the day time as he walkt in the schoole in a passion of secret distemper in his heart Deprive himselfe of his Virility violating thereby the workes of GOD and Nature and Origen-like castrated himselfe though not for the kingdom of heaven Which shewes that Gods Spirit is not alwayes present in those mens hearts to guide them who violate their loyalty to their Prince by renting the unity of the Churches peace This man being two years before this fact of his convented before a grave and learned Official in the Diocesse of Hereford for his Non-conformity the reverend Gentleman as he told me himselfe offred him all the courtesie and kindnesse that might be hoping by moderation of proceeding and wise perswasions to correct his errours reforme his judgement rectifie his irregularities and winne him to obedience But the frowardnesse of this man fast bound to his owne fancies neglected and sleighted the Gentlemans kindnesse So that after much parley and many passages and crosse bouts of opposition betweene them the learned and prudent Gentleman finding him rather obstinate in his will by being strongly conceited of his owne opinions than judiciously grounded with weight of arguments to support his vaine cause asked him this plaine and familiar question What if your Governours should require you to sit or stand in the act of receiving the Communion would you then doe He replyed peremptorily Then would I kneele Which answer plainly imports that not tendernesse of conscience as many pretend but pride and stubbornesse of will in refusing subjection to their Superiours is the true and the onely cause of their disobedience to the Majesty of our King the annointed of the LORD and to the equitie of his lawes and is also that pernicious foment and oyle of selfe-will which nourisheth the flame of Schisme and faction and maintaineth the breach of our peace and unity of heart 32 There was also a Lay-man in Tewxbury in the County of Glocester who was a strict austere and rigid Puritane of a Mechanical vocation and this man being chosen fourteene years before his death Church-warden of his Parish did then in his first time of office take downe a crosse of stone built in the Church-yard of that Parish and which had continued there time out of minde And this he did of a proud contempt of all ancient Monuments of that nature The stones of the said crosse hee placed loose under the Church-wall where they continued by the space of fourteene yeares free from injury or rapine for it seemes the people of the Neighbourhood made conscience of sacriledge It pleased GOD that the two next children which his wife brought into the world proved dease lame and deformed by monstrosity of body as by good report I have beene told and so continue to this very day The father of these children never once suspecting that the hand of Divine correction was laid upon his family for his own disobedience to his Prince and Governours or for his violation and defacing of the ancient Monuments of other mens devotion persists stil in his former opinions of schismaticall disobedience without any correction or reformation of himselfe For it may be he had either by himselfe observed or by relation from others had heard it confirmed that the children of other men had miscarried in their understandings their senses and bodily shapes and were exposed to the world for Ludibria Naturae as well as his And attributing these things to secondary canses and errours in naturall operations frequent in the world he never look't up to the hard of Heaven but still pleased himselfe in his irregular courses And being fourteene yeares after his first election chosen againe Church-warden of the same Parish he tooke the stones of the former defaced and demolished crosse which lay look under the Church-wall and by cementing them together and hewing a hollow gutter in them converts them to a swine trough for his owne use But the first meat which his swine diâ—eate out of that stone trough drove them instantly into raging madnesse whereof they dyed This man now seeing what had befallen unto him in his swine which in his children he slightly passed over he began to reflect upon his former and later facts and discovering by the terrible testimonies of Gods wrath the naughtinesse of his owne wicked heart in so contemptuously abusing things once dedicated to conserve the memoriall of our LORD His Passion for our redemption overcome with the gripes pangs and tormenting terrours of a wounded soule he leap't into a draw-well in the court of his neighbour and was taken up bruiâ—ed and drowned By reason of this exemplary vengeance 〈…〉 That whereas this sect of men is uncharitably 〈…〉 of the
to goe to their beds after light suppers And although they have often read yet they have not learned the contentation of the holy Apostle k â—hil 4.12 I can be full and I can be hungrie For of all things in this world hunger and fasting least consorts with these mens dispositions who are present at and partakers of more good feasts and plentifull feedings than any kinde of men in this Land besides And how many of them I wonder can say with blessed Paul l Act. 20.33 I have coveted no mans gold nor silver nor apparell And further to the never dying memory of his hearts integrity m 2 Cor. 4.4 We have renounced the hidden things of dishonestie not Walking in craftinesse not handling the Word of GOD deceitfully but by manifestation of Truth commending our selves to everie mans conscience in the sight of GOD. And hee leaves not there but unto all people with whom hee had familiarly conversed and by plantation of Churches among them had begot their soules to GOD hee gives testimonie of the soundnesse of his owne heart free from the close vice of fraudulent adulation saying n 1 Thes 2.5 Neither at any time used wee flattering words as a cloake of covetousnesse GOD is witnesse And to set forth the true object of all his aimes and travels hee tels his spirituall sons o 2 Cor. 12.14 I seeke not yours but you In the practice of these rules I suppose and that without errour of judgement or breach of charity the conscience of the sincerest Non-conformed Minister in this Kingdome is not able to justifie himselfe nor to say from an upright and sound heart p 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe And if the rich Gentry and other wealthy persons in this Kingdome will please to make proofe hereof let them restraine for a yeare their familiarities and bounties from this craving or having generation and thereby this matter will grow out to an experienced issue and then this new suspition will demonstrate it selfe either for an invented accusation or a true and reall affirmation 46 Yet touching the hearts and consciences of these men in their pleasing and profitabse courses I will not take upon me to judge or censure or so much as to deliver my opinion what I thinke but because it is the Royall Prerogative of God as to bee the Lord and Creator so also to bee the searcher and the censurer of their hearts I will leave them in his Divine hand of Soveraigne power to know them exactly and to judge them justly Onely this I will say on the behalfe of this Church and Kingdome so lightly esteemed of these men and their friends for piety or sincerity that this land blessed bee God therefore is plentifully stored with many Christian men no Nation of the Earth comparable for number or worth richly furnished with the knowledge of Gods will with Piety Vertue and the true feare of God and abundantly accomplished with all good and profitable literature not puft up with the wind of ambition not addicted to concurre with the streame and sway of the times as these men scornefully phrase it but ballased with pure conscience for the sound and true worship of God and with desire to consecrate themselves to his holy service and these doe not stumble at those Niceties which these Irregularians cast into the heads of lay people nor under any pretense of Idolatry or superstition in Ceremonies divide themselves from the unity of that gratious Church their Mother in whose wombe they were conceived borne and Baptized Whose persons worths and abilities being cast in equall ballance of comparison man for man with the adverse party I easily conjecture and I know the adversaries themselves will readily yeeld it will preponderate the levity of these singular and selfe pleasing separatists And though they will pleade for themselves that not learning and worth but Integrity of life is that rule wherby wee ought to judge of the gifts of saving grace in any kind of men according to those words of our Lord q Matth. 11.25 I thanke thee ô Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Yet if these words of our Lord shall bee applyed to the matter we have now in hand and made a generall and sacred Canon whereby to guide our iudgements in this point they will inferre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a paradox most unseasonable absurd and more then Bruitish it selfe to wit That the Lord in his Wisdome or Iustice hath made a perpetuall Divorce betweene learned knowledge and true Pietie and that unlearned ignorance is the ready way to the attainment of his saving graces both of the true knowledge of his will and of sanctification by his Spirit Which position so wild and desperate how farre it differs from that Popish Tenent that ignorance is the mother of devotion let the Learned judge But where there is an equall portion to say no more of Piety towards God of integrity towards all men in the hearts of Learned men as well as of the unlearned To exclude the Learned from the found Iugment of divine truth and to appropriate the same to men of meaner qualities and abilities is to invert the order of divine wisedome and providence then should the prophane and secular Learning of Moses who was Learned in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians Act. 7.22 and was mighty in words and deeds have beene a Barre and impeachment unto him from attaining the favour of GOD. Then should the learning of Paul Act. 22.3 who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a learned Doctor of the Law have prevented both his eternall election with GOD his designation to the Gospell Act. 9.15 and his Temporall vocation for plantation thereof Then should the learned knowledge and secular Arts of the holy Saints Fathers in the Primitive Church Iust in Martyr Basil the great Chrysostome Hierom Ambrose Augustine with the rest of their venerable contemporaries and successors have beene a hinderance and let to their true pietie wherewith the Church of GOD knowes right well their holy hearts were graciously and richly endowed But every vaine toy and flattering delusion wherewith this Sect of men are apt to please themselves and delight their friends must not passe for currant Truth in the approbation of GOD's true Saints and servants the Orthodoxe Church of CHRIST here on earth 47 Now for the reforming of these mens judgements and practice though many learned Treatises and laborious Volumes have been judiciously written from time to time which might convince their understandings of error and iustly check their consciences for their under-hand practises and Schismaticall courses yet that Godly Reformation vvhich was and is desired hath not so prosperously succeeded Because as farre as my poore understanding is able to conceive the chiefe thing was and is yet wanting which might have
wish unto all those persons with whom they converse and are entertained And even so this sect of men wish to their profitable friends all other kindes of happinesse riches honours dignities affluence of all worldly contents answerable to the desires of their owne hearts But that their understandings should be inlightned to discover their owne former errours and to find out the frauds and alluring enticements wherewith they use to insnare them and tye them fast to themselves This part of divine wisdome they never wish unto them but mainely labour to hold them backe from attaining therunto for if once this bright ray and beame of divine truth glance into their soules and be received by them with pause deliberation and more prudent inspection into their former courses than formerly they have used then these men know right wel Actum est de illis their Acts are discovered and their Play is exploded For now silencing from the execution of so sacred a vocation is become in this age for temporall emoluments farre more profitable to this kinde of men than the godly labours of religious Ministers in the constant imployment of their talents proves unto them So miserably are Gods people led blindfolded into spirituall captivity But if the bosomes of these men were transparent and the close-wrought veyle wherein all their policies are enwrapped were Translucent and thereby their sleights exposed to the view of all men I make no question but that the leprosie of corruption would bee sensibly discovered to have maculated their hearts and consciences For it is not possible that Gods Spirit should erre in describing the Acts and Qualities of seducers I beseech you Brethren marke them which cause divisions among you and offences contrary to the Doctrine that yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the LORD IESUS but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And these men in Saint Paul's time in the Church of Rome were reputed as sincere up right holy and spiritually qualified with gifts of divine grace as are our Non-conformists in the Church of England And certainely unlesse this worke of the Kings most excellent Majesty and his pious and prudent Bishops were directed by GOD Himselfe in their hearts it could never have received so great approbation in the hearts of most men and they wise religious and vertuous as of late it hath done in this Land for not only many thousands who had a kinde of charitable opinion of these men though they did not familiarly converse with them entertaine them in their houses or comply with them in their cōceits begin now much to distaste them and greatly desire the suppression of them But which is more even their owne friends also who were wholly theirs begin to faint in their courage and in some degrees to distaste those courses if they could handsomely shake them off and yet preserve the reputation of their former zeale For this is the maine blocke which most of them stumble at namely Not feare of dishonouring GOD nor hurting the purity of their owne consciences if they should shake hands and bid farewell to their niceties and follies But how to keepe up their credits in the hearts of those men who being honest vertuous and worthy of good respect they have much vilified dis-esteemed in matters of religion in comparison with themselves But this is a needlesse and superfluous care for I am of opinion that all honest hearted Christians both Ministers and Lay-people who zealously desire the peace and flourish of our Church and Kingdome will readily give them the right-hand of unfained fellowship receive them into their bosomes with alacrity and joy for their return to the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Church and never twit nor upbraid them with their former toyish errours And here let me put you my Brethren of Shrewsbury in minde which you ought to take in good part and thankfully at my hands from the sense and experience thereof in your owne bosomes That I have observed in divers of your persons that your zeale and fervour in your once approved cause doth begin to slake and remit of those intensive degree which it formerly had in you So that there is nothing wanting unto you but the application and pressing of authoritie unto your wavering mindes which are easily taken off from your former course And I am perswaded upon very pregnant grounds that there are of you who beginne to smell out either the fraud or Art or what other terme is apt for that fine peece of policie wherein you have beene long enwrapped by errour of your judgements to your cost and expences And which hath made many Gentlemen of this Kingdom to say in the words of our LORD though in a contrary sense Zelus Domus tuae exedit me Ioh. 2.17 The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up And many of your well-willers as your selves know very well being but halfe brothers and percell gilt are content to sooth and flatter you in your opinions but they will looke well enough to their purses and have care of the maine as though they had learned that axiome in Philosophie Noli perdere substantiam propter accidens Destroy not thy substance for an accident to wit a Toy My hope is therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with GOD that our Prudent Governour lately placed over us Bishop Wright in whose Person wisdome and courage conjoyned with gracious Affability and mildnesse of spirit doe strive for precedencie will execute that Authority wherewith the sacred Majesty of our King hath entrusted him and by correcting your insolencies which are nothing else but selfe-pleasing vanities and the proper effects of pride and weaknesse of judgement will reduce you to obedience of righteous Lawes and keepe you in order for untill the rod of power and discipline bee imposed gently for your correction your affections wil stray from that regularity of obedience which Gods sacred Word and the obligation of your owne consciences borne under the Law of natural alleagiance to the Majesty of your Prince require at your hands For it is an ancient and profitable saying and which holy David found true in spirituall matters Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections whether Divine or Humane do instruct the children of GOD which I hope you are to wiser and more obedient intentions and actions 52 And here I am forced much against my will to Apologize for mine owne integrity and innocencie in a particular matter which lately fell out among us in which I have beene by many of this factious Brother-hood most impudently abused The matter would be very long to relate it with all circumstances incident thereunto take it therefore thus with al the brevity I am able The most Reverend Father in God the L. Bishop of our Diocesse preached a