effected and established our peace and that is A legall provision of encouraging maintenance for an able Ministry For as long as men of worth for quality as all Ministers ought to bee are forced to grapple with povertie which begets contempt of their persons and disesteeme of their Ministery So long the nature of poverty wherewith they are sensibly pinched is ever active in devising shifts to succour and to relieve it selfe Now what shifts can the wit of any man living excogitate whereby to releeve himselfe which may carry countenance of Piety and sincere dealing But by insinuation to creepe into the favour and esteeme of great men and the richer sort who are able to succour and support them And by obsequious flattery to instill into their hearts an ill opinion of the present Government under which wee live and to which conceit because it tends to Innovation and singularitie most mens hearts are prone and inclined according to that of the Comaedian Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Now this obsequiousnesse wherby friendship is prepared must of necessity deflect from the wayes and rules of Truth or it will never take hold and politikely succeed For to apply it to the purpose wee have now in hand If all the Nobility Gentry and Rich-men of England were fully perswaded both in judgement and conscience that the Discipline of our English Church is exactly consonant with the Word of GOD and needes neither subversion correction or alteration as both justly and judiciously they ought to be so perswaded Then any Minister of able giftes in the knowledge of GOD's Word adorned with vertue and sanctitie of life would serve their turne either for their Parish Minister or Family Chaplaine without that solicitous distinction of person and person for opinions sake in matter of Ceremony which rules too much in this divided Church For where no variety or differences of opinion have liberty to worke upon mens understandings consciences and affections by reason of that generall unity which ought to bee among us Church-men both in judgement of our peaceable discipline and uniformity of practice in our submission thereunto There every wise and charitable hearted Gentleman must needs be free from faction and part-taking and thereby the peace of our Church gratiously composed So that this Non-conformity in the first brochers thereof was but a tricke of politike wit by casting differences of opinion among Gods people to make way for themselves to raise a party of private friendship and thereby to draw unto them such competency of maintenance to their estates and credit to their persons as might both releeve their poverty and inhance their spirits to a selfe-good opinion of their owne inventions by ingrossing many mens good opinions of their Pietie their vertue their aversnesse from Popery And if all the policy of this wise learned and religious Kingdome shall wracke and teynter it selfe totally to suppresse and supplant these courses it will never be able in my poore opinion to effect their just righteous designes till a proportionable maintenance setting Ministers free from a servile dependance and ingagement to their people do sweetly invite and induce them to obedience For as long as any sap or moysture of discontent by poverty remaines in the root of Non-conformity it will regerminate bud-forth againe and creepe into corners although the strong arme of Regall power and sound Iustice guided by sanctified policy suppresse the raging flames and restraine the open walking therof 48 I have many times in my private meditations of these matters admired how it hath come to passe that those prudent and well-intended Lawes which were in the Reigne of King Henry the eight first projected And afterwards in the reigne of his religious and wise Sonne King Edward the sixt more largely extracted out of the Copies of the Canon Law by 32. persons consisting of the Honourable Nobility Reverend Bishops Learned Divines Wise Civilians and Prudent Gentlemen and were also confirmed Regio Diplomate by Regall grant of power from both those Kings and wanting nothing but Promulgation prevented by the immature death of that holy wise and learned young Prince King Edward the 6. How these Laws could never since that time obtaine their intended strength For had those Lawes beene established either by Parlamentary authoritie then or since by the Royall Prerogative of any of our Kings and Queenes from whom all authority Iurisdiction and power is derived into Church Common-wealth I will make bold to deliver my opinion and that is this There had not beene I suppose at this day Printed 157◠one Puritane Non-conformed Minister in this Illustrious Church and Kingdome For in those Lawes there is provision made for convenient maintenance of Ministers in all the Cities great Townes and Corporations of England which are the Seminaries and principall places where schisme is bred and nourished conformable to the custome of the Citie of London by a rate and taxa upon their house and shops In Titulo de Decimis capite 14. the Lawe runnes thus Magnam indignitatem habet à tenuibus Laboriosis Agricolis decimas annuas Ecclesiarum ministris suppeditari Mercatores autem opibus affluentes viros Scientiarum artificiorum copiis abundantes nihil ferme ad ministrorum necessitates conferre praesertim cùm illis ministrorum officio non minus opus sit quà m colonis Quapropter ut ex pari labore par consequatur merees constituimus ut Mercatores pannorum confectores artifices reliqui cujuscunque generis ac omnes qui scientia vel peritia qualecunque lucrum percipiunt hoc modo decimas persolvant Pro Domibus nimirum atque terris quibus utuntur illarum ratione decimas praediales non solvunt quolibet anno dabunt annuae pensionis decimam partem It is a great indignitie that poore and laborious countrey Farmers doe pay their Tythes to the Ministers of their Churches But that Merchants flowing in riches and men of Sciences and Trades abounding with wealth should impart in a manner nothing to the necessities of their Ministers especially since these rich men stand in no lesse need of the Ministers labours then the Countrey men doe VVherefore that from equall labour a like reward may accrew wee ordaine that Merchants Clothiers and all other Artificers of what kinde soever and all others who by any science or skill doe gaine profit to themselves shall pay Tithes after this manner To wit they shall pay the tenth part of yeerely pension for their houses and grounds which they hold and use and by reason thereof pay no praediall Tythes Thus farre the Law Now for prevention of cavill vvhich vvranglers are apt to foyst into all necessary offices and in this particular to say that this Law was intended only for the City of London and is there in force and practice The very front and Title of the Law it selfe wipes away and dissolves this plea and objection saying unto us Solvendas esse
unlearned as himselfe who busily and frequently proposed questions unto him and were not able rightly to conceive his answers nor the nature of their owne questions proposed unto him For both he and they wanting the true apprehension of so high and sacred a Mystery as is the Nature and Quality of our LORD IESUS CHRIST His glorified Body tooke libertie unto themselves to talke at randon of high and mysterious secrets and thereby lost themselves in their vaine janglings His faith and judgement was very right in this point according to the small measure of his understanding But he wanted apt termes to explicate his conceit in so deepe a matter When therfore I acquainted him with some termes frequent in the Fathers and Schoole-men in the enodation of an Article of our Faith so abstruse and difficult and transcending the sphere of vulgar apprehensions telling him that the Body of our Lord was passive mortall liable to violence in the state of His Humiliation Impassive immortall glorious and exempt from infirmities and injuries in the condition of his exaltation he freely assented submitted himselfe and confirmed that to be his meaning that our LORD His blessed and glorious Body was changed onely in qualitie not in substance But that for want of Theologicall termes he was not able to unfold himselfe And then the Conclusion touching his opinions is this he was neither Anabaptist Enthusiast or of any other odde sect whatsoever but only a silly Ignorant and downe-right English Puritane 35 On Tuesday the twentieth of August this Malefactour the staine of Nature and reproch of mankind was carried on horseback from Shrewsbury thirteene miles to the place of his execution When hee was come to Bishops-castle Towne hee desired in his Inne to receive the holy Communion of the most sacred Body and Bloud of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which I had refused to administer unto him because he would not take it in the decent and Reverent gesture of kneeling The Minister of that Towne a learned Gentleman refused likewise to give it unto him unlesse hee would receive it in obedience to his Superiours and kneele downe Reverently in that holy Action A while hee continued obstinate but overcome at last by perswasions hee yeelded as hee said to gratifie the desires of a Gentleman there present Thus the man who in the furious zeale of an inraged heart drew that bloud that bred and nourished him comming to the point of his death shrunke in his courage or rather his contumacie and either to please men or to procure favour in the mitigation of execution of Iudgement upon him fell from the ground of his unhallowed profession Which convincingly proveth that obstinate Hypocrisie producing disloyalty in contempt of Authority is built upon a weake a slippery an unstable foundation 36 This Malefactor being now come to the place where the Gibbet was erected for his exemplary punishment Hee kneeled downe and made a short prayer to GOD. And having finished his devotions and being commanded to ascend the steps of the ladder as soone as the Executioner had put the rope over his head into his necke hee was instantly so surprized with the feare of approaching death that in all the parts of his body hee trembled with great perturbation and anguish of Spirit And when hee was ready to bee turned off hee cryed twice with a loud voice God bee mercifull to mee a great Sinner And then being cast off and strangled to death to the great Agony and regreet of his friends and kindred the beholders thereof testified by three shrill â—kreekes and cryes he was trussed up into a frame of Iron brought thither for that purpose And his body though deprived of sense to feele it the truth of that Iudgement denounced in the Scriptures p Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Vally shall picke it out and the young Eagles shall eat it For as well the Father was mocked as the Mother despised when his bloudy heart and hand robbed the Husband of his Wife and deprived the Father of both his Sonnes When hee had hanged forth waving in the ayre more then a fortnight and lesse then three weekes some Brethren of his owne disposition and faction who are restlesse in wilfulnesse that I may not say wickednes contrived a device by rearing up a ladder in the night a worke of darknesse to saw off that part of the Gibbet where his body hanged and tooke it away even then when the smell and stench thereof was so unsavory and noysome as hardly able to bee indured unlesse they were provided with stronge Antidotes to correct the loathsome savour of his putrified carkasse but it was a messe good enough for such contemners of royall Majestie and the wholsome lawes of the best governed Republicke upon the face of the earth 37 And now in few words to touch the fact of those Persons who by gracelesse disloyalty have opposed the practice of Law and Iustice did they not know that the body of every Malefactor after legall conviction and judiciall condemnation is wholly at the dispose of the King as a part of His Royall Prerogative by vertue of the violation of His Lawes Rom. 13 1 2 3 4. The right of the King Himselfe therein which Hee hath received from Gods sacred Ordinance is by delegation of subordinate power transmitted to the Persons of the Iudges and they by pronunciation of Iust and legall sentence are to command the execution of what the letter of the Law hath given in charge Out of which just and formall gradation descending I draw this consequence and regular deduction ascending He that resists or nullifies the sentence of the law pronounced by the Iudge opposeth therein the Naturall law of humane equity familiarly knowne to all men and dishonoreth the Person of the Iudge from whom that sentence proceeded The dishonour of the Iudge being the Deputy substitute of the King falls directly on the royalty of His most sacred Person The dishonour of the Kings Person being the vicegerent of the LORD of Hosts rests not there but ascends to the contempt of the Divine Majestie of God Himselfe whose constitution it is Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud bee shed for in the Image of God made he man Did not then the stealers away of the putrified corps of this Malefactor know these things before hand To charge them with Ignorance of such things which the Dictates of naturall reason hath imprinted upon the table of every Mans heart is to make them brutish and to range them with beasts To say they knew these things and yet against their owne knowledge and conscience they contemned all peaceable obedience therunto is to make them peremptory and Rebellious against both Divine Majestie in the nature of God and Humane Majestie in the person of the King Thus I have put them upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a
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
booâ— received taint and infectâ—â— herein Enoch By none of all the meanes but by reading GOD's Word Min. I never knew any â—â—â— of your vulgar educatioâ— meane capacitie and small 〈◊〉 lent of knowledge so acuteâ— to extract an opinion of tâ—â— nature from GOD's woâ—â— which GOD by His Spirit â—â—ver put into His Word you passe all the Alcumists that I have ever heard or read of But this is the effect of spirituall pride of heart in such men as you are For when you have beene secretly deluded and seduced e Eph â— 14 By the cunning craftinesse of such as lye in wait to deceive and thereby your judgements depraved with errour heresie or schisine you glory therein and adde contumacie of heart to your opinions desirous to arrogate unto your selves the praise of your inventions and to be thought that by the sharpnesse of your owne wits and penetration of your understandings you have found out some hidden truths revealed only by GOD to the children of His grace and election by sharpening the understandings with His enâ— lightning Spirit to conceivâ—â— and perceive more holy truthâ—â— than all the godly learned 〈◊〉 the Land besides But take heed of these things and leâ—â— my counsell take place with you change your opinionâ— which have alreadie Inveigleâ— and thereby wounded youâ— soule with desperate sinnes exposed you to the infamie oâ— the world given infinite scandall to the Church of GOD and her children cast you ouâ— of the love and favour of aâ—â— good men and will undoubtedly abridge your dayes by the stroke of Iustice in the just and exemplary execution oâ—â— Law For f Gen. 9.6 Hee that sheddeâ— mans bloud by man shall hâ—â— bloud be shed for in the Image of GOD he created him Enoch I doe yeeld my body to the Law which I have offended Min. What Law doe you think you have violated whether the Morall Law of GOD and Nature or the Humane and Temporall Lawes of this Land Enoch I thinke I have offended against GOD's Law Min. Doe you but thinke you have offended GOD Doe you not feele the gripes and convulsions of a wounded Spirit sensibly impressed into your soule from the wrath of GOD Enoch I am much troubled in my minde but I will still hold fast Christ my Lord and Saviour Min. A wounded and oppressed conscience never heâ—â— fast our LORD IESUS CHRIST before the burdeâ— thereof was removed and thâ— pangs dulced and asswaged iâ— His bloud applied by faith uâ—to the soule This must beâ— gained by a deepe and seriouâ— repentance the qualities and properties of which repentance are fully and exactly set forth 2 Cor. 7.11 Without this repentance and the consequent vertues thereof never was the expiating and purging vertue of our LORD His bloud truly apprehended and effectually applyed to the soule of any Man But let mee understand from you that since you are not willing to be thought that Satan stirred you up to these facts by what other cause doe you think you fell into them Enoch Surely Sir by sin Min. By what sinne thinke you Enoch That doe not I know Minist But I know that by you that you doe not or will not know by your selfe and can readily assigne that particular sinne by which you fell into these desperate and raging Murders Your sinne was as I appeale to your owne conscience for confirmation hereof your hypocrisie in making a fairer shew of holinesse to the eye of the world than the course of your life in secret did fully reach unto for had you beene of Nathanaels temper g Iohn â— 47 A true Israelite in whom there is no guile Then had your soule received the blessing of that promise from GOD h Pâ—a 25.12.14 What man is hee that feareth the LORD him will He teach is the way that he shall chuse The secrets of the LORD are among them that feare Him and He will shew them His Covenant Youâ— were and are but a Novice in practicall Christianity and do not understand this hidden Mystery That unlesse the practice of a mans life in sound Pietie upright integritie and gracious puritie doe not onely equall but farre surmount and preponderate the profession hee makes the root of his imaginary Zeale will prove to be but rottennesse For know you for your learning that although it is thâ— hardest thing in all the world to be a true and sound Christian by denying and Renouncing our selves our Desires and appetites for CHRIST His glory Yet it is the easiest thing in all the world to be a formall Sectary such as men commonly call Puritans for therein is neither marrow spirit or power of true godlinesse which is placed in piety charitie unity For I can name if I were disposed even in this towne of ours where I live men of your formalitie in profession who eagerly followed Sermons without missing one on a weeke-day used family Prayers kept company and conventicles with persons of whose true feare of GOD I am well perswaded yet many of these unsound and rotten hearted fellowes have beene discovered and knowne for secret whore-mongers drunkards cheaters and such as have revolted from the faith of Protestants wherein they were baptised and this truth beene knowne right well to the better sort of Non-conformists for practice of Religion They answer for themselves as one of them this very morning answered me touching your very person who had never seene your face i Iohn 2.19 They went out from us they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might bee made manifest that they were not at all of us This answer I willingly admit on their parts namely that men who are endued with true grace and the holy feare of the LORD do so co-operate and apply their owne desires actions and vigilant care over all their wayes unto GOD's Spirit and grace within them that thereby they are established and preserved from desperate impiety or finall backsliding But this answer of theirs toucheth not that purpose for which it is brought nor impugneth at all the Argument which I made For I intend onely to shew the truth and no more But wicked and ungodly men doe frequently delude the eye of the world with the lustre of a faire profession till GOD in justice unmask and discover them With this answer unto him I so cast him downe with an inward sense of his owne guile and guilt that from this time I was very deeply in his favour and he professed openly in the Prison-house that Mr. Studley brought a sound heart to comfort him and to do him good Hereupon having spent an houre and halfe in conference with him I bade him fare-well for that time Enoch Good Sir before you goe I pray you answer meeâ— one question more and that is this Doe you thinke that I have no faith in my heart Minist I am in that matter past
piety of former ages in charging Idolatry and superstition upon them I would be a testimonie of more wisedome and moderation in them to suspend all censure of their intentions and reall expressions of devotion and let them stand or fall to their own Lord their Creator their Father since these men themselves in pleading the justification of their knowne and convinced errours desire the same libertie to be granted to themselves But let 's returne to Enoch from this short digression 33 Vpon Sunday morning following immediately the day of Enoch his condemnation the Hang-man being in the Prison-house was seene of five prisoners condemned to dye at that Assises And one of these persons condemned for the murder of a maid whom he had devirginated and defloured said to the rest of his fellowes in Enoch's presence I could finde in my heart to breake yonder knaves pate but that it is a sin and I have enough of that upon me already To whom Enoch replied It is no finne to kill death and had I knowne that knave to bee the Hang-man I would have beaten out his braines if I could have come at him These words of his begate over all the Prison-house consisting of many persons great exclamations against Enoch his wickednesse being himselfe a condemned person and should have imployed his thoughts upon better matters The next day in the morning as soone as I was come to the prison-house to see this condemned malefactour and to know how hee stood prepared for death Three persons severally one from another gave me notice of Enoch his words uttered the day before in the hearing of manyâ—â— appointed his overseer to bring him unto me in a private roome who being come and nothing dejected in minde or countenance but rather inwardly jocund in his owne soule I said unto him Did you Enoch utter such words concerning the Hang-man as divers persons do both testifie against you and are also greatly displeased with your desperate and furious outrage Hee replied unto mee I spake indeed those words in jest In jest quoth I unto him are you being a condemned person by judiciall sentence a fit person to utter jests do you not know that no Kingdome of the world can possibly subsist in Iustice and Honour without the service of such persons as shal be assigned to execute those lawes upon the persons of malefactours if Law condemne by just and upright sentence the wicked facts and persons of such men as by violating equitie disturbe the peace and welfare of Kingdomes and Governments are those Lawes of any force without the ministry and service of such men as shall put them in execution Surely Enoch the eye of your heart and judgement is not yet open to see your abominable villanies which doe yet rage and swell within you nor is your minde with the illumination whereof you have so much in secret pleased your selfe guided by GOD's Spirit For had these gifts of GOD taken place in your soule as you have still pretended the person of the Hang-man would have beene rather pleasing than offensive unto you as being the instrument of GOD's mercy to let out your soule surcharged by gripes of your conscience with fearefull tremblings into the glorious presence and welcome imbracements of CHRIST your SAVIOUR But looke to your selfe I admonish you for your time of life is short flatter not your selfe in thinking to escape the stroke and infliction of Temporall Vengeance due unto you If you die in these desperate and unchristian moods it is more than greatly to bee feared for it is evident and apparent that your owne personall election whereof you have so much talked was but a presumptuous errour and a gracelesse opinion by Satanicall delusion 34 Now touching this fellow and his opinions hee was charged to hold some points of Anabaptists and Enthusiastes matters I dare be bold to say because I know it right well farre beyond the reach of his apprehension for excepting only his distlike of our Church-ceremonies and his proud opinion of his owne spirituall estate in the favour of GOD he was a most ignorant mâ—â— in all parts of knowledge belonging to religion The matters of Opinion wherewith hee was suspected were principally these First that the soule of a regenerate man is perfectly pure and cleane within him by vertue of his New-birth and consents not either in the understanding by approbation or in the will by election and inclination to any act of sin But that it is only the body and flesh which remaining unsanctified and naturally defiled sollicites urges provokes unto all evill and executeth all acts thereof in the elect of GOD after their conversion and regeneration This opinion is a monster in nature not onely divorcing the soule and body each from other it the time of this life but also attributing unto the body without all motion influence or concomitancie of the soule the producing of actions and operations reall and sinfull This Enoch though of meane apprehension in philosophicall matters understood right well and his opinion herein was onely this and no more That for as much as sanctification which is very rightly and aptly tearmed Inherent Righteousnesse by repairing the decayes of originall grace in our soules and re-inducing the Image of GOD into us is not perfect in this life therefore in all reall acts of sindone by a childe of GOD in state of grace there is a consent to that act both in the understanding and the will the most â—oble and principal faculties of our soules for without assent of these no act is ever produced but it is such a consent as carries not with full sway and violence either of these powers within us pleasingly with strong delight and approbation to prosecute those actions but rather by infirmity under the strength of temptation they themselves are seduced to assent and execute things evill and are thereby for the present supplanted And of this his opinion he was desirous to make illustration in his owne person affirming that his regenerate soule in the very time and act of these murders stirred up some reluctancie within him and suspended his fulnesse of consent in the perpetration thereof His opinion I allow as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orthodox and sound and confirmed by the experience of all good men in the world But for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or illustration thereof in his owne person it is Heterodox unsound and of all good men to bee abhorred For an act of wrath resolving it selfe into malice contrived in the minde for the execution and terminated in bloud and murder cannot possibly be admitted to participate of infirmity His Second opinion charged upon him was this That CHRIST our LORD is not now in heaven in that body which by sanctified conception and incarnation Hee tooke of the substance of the holy and blessed Virgin and in which Hee conversed among the Iewes His answer to this was that he was mistaken by certain persons as
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