Sacred Ordinance who hath given a power and charge to Kings to suppresse all such Ecclesiasticall Tyranny over the soules of his people And whereas they say the Royall Office is the Sacred Ordinance of God we all acknowledge it and that this Ordinance of God comprehends in it not onely the institution of the Superiority of Kings over their people but their Speciall office of Government as it is limited and establishâ—d upon those Laws and Covenants and Conditions agreed upon between the Prince and People These are a Speciall part of thy Divine Ordinance that Kings should governe by a Law as Deut 17. 18 19 20. Pro. 31. 5. and that they should inviolably keep those Oathes and Covenants that they have solemnly made with their people And therefore they which perswade Kings that they are no way bounâ— but have liberty to rule as they list by an independent Prerogative these are they that are traytors both to God and to the King and to the Realme and to the peace and prosperity thereof For the Fourth For Subjects not to beare Armes against their King offensive or defensive upon any pretence whatsoever as being a resiâ—â—ing of the Powers Ordained of God First we hold that no private person ought to take up armes against his Prince but Secondly if a King maintaine a Faction about him which goe about to oppresse â—s whole Kingdome and People in their Lawâ— and Libertiâ—s and most of all in the true Religion so as he will not rule them by the good Laws of the Kindome but seeks to make all his Subjects Slavâ—s by bringing their soules Bodies estates 〈◊〉 a miserable bondage is it not now high time for the whole State either to labour to heale the breach or if necessity when there is no other remedy to stand up is one man to defend themselves and their Countrey untill the Faction shal be 〈◊〉 casheâ—ed and so the King reforme himselfe and renew 〈◊〉 Covenant and 〈◊〉 of the Kingdome to the good and just 〈◊〉 of the People And wheras â—i is point trencheth upon the Scots at this time what doe they stand upon but in the first place to free their Religion from Antichristan usurpaâ—on 〈…〉 * 〈…〉 which otherwise by 〈◊〉 and Tyranny would be brought to 〈◊〉 And for the Fâ—st and last that all Ministers doe declare this Consatution of the power of Kings to the people yearely Ought not Ministers to consider that they are also members of the Common-wealth and live under the Law thereof And being Subjects ought they not to teach the people that they love and hâ—nour the King and chearefully pay all such taxes as by Law are due unto him forasmuch as we all live under a Law And 〈◊〉 the other side ought not all Court-preachers to tell the 〈…〉 christian and Lawlesse Government And this ô Lord we conceive of this first Constitution so farre as we are able to apprehend committing the whole judgement thereof to thy unerâ—ing wisdome The Second is For the better keeping holy the day of his Majesties most happy Inauguration Ah Lord can this be to the honour of our King when the annuall memory of his Inauguration is saine to be forced What Canon or Constitution is for the continuation of the joyfull memory of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory which yet to this day ceaseth not But o that our King would consider that word of thine * Those that honour me I will honour and they 〈…〉 and then they might have spared this Canon for the Kingâ—s day No no if these things be not reformed a ‡ blacke day is hastening on a pace as thou ô Lord hast threatned in thy word for such Sinnes And with thee there is no respect of persons ‡ King Iehâ—jachim lived without being desired and had the 〈◊〉 of an Asse and it was written upon him write this man childlesse A man that â—hâ—ll not presper in the Earth nor should be lamented being dead nor should any of iâ— Seed prosper after him O how terrible art thou ô Lord to proud and obstinate Sinners when not Kings Crowns and Scepters can secure of defend them from thy just hand And how fearefull a judgement is that when thou § powrest contempt upon Princes and weakenesâ— the power of the mighty The Third Canon is For suppressing of the growth of Popery O Lord dost thou not see in this whole long Canon the naked hypocrisie of this Synod clothing it selfe with many same figleaves of pious pretences forsooth for the suppressing of Popery Yea Lord their â—ypocrisie is so palpâ—ble herein that all the world sees that this Constitution was purposely made to blind the eyes of the simple in these stirring times wherin they see their Popish practises to grow into such hatred and detestation with all the Kings good Subjects What other but these practises have been the coâ—les that have kindled the fire in our neighbour to make the greater report but without shot in so hotly assaulting the Tower of Babel because in so doing it may make the world beleeve that contrary to the Doctrine of Canterbury there is no Salvâ—tion for Papists out of the Church of England and then let all Court Papists looke to it and withall the President must 〈◊〉 a great part of his Relation which he hath written in favour of Papists especially 〈◊〉 silly and ignorant to whom he grants Salvation in their Râ—â—igion he must also retract his Saying that the Church of England and of Rome are one and the same Church and hold one Faith and Religion undifferent he must also 〈◊〉 that wherein he assemeth with his Iesuite * that none â—â—ght to come to the English Church then and there in that manner to worship God that is resolved of the truth of the Roman Church or to the like effect and the Relator himself holds the truth of the Roman Church for he affirmeth it to be a true Church With many other new leaves which he must turne over upon this suddaine motion of suppressing the growth of Popery which if cordiall they should first have rid all Churches from Images Crucifixes 〈◊〉 Altars and the like least in bringing Papists to Church they should but change their Latine Popery into English Popery And now ô Lord we beseech thee to judge of the hypocrisie of this selfe-styled Sacred Synod which under a pretence of suppressing the growth of Popery doe indeed supplant the true Faith and Religion amongst us that so instead thereof they may at length as fast as they can set Idolatry up in her throne and full 〈◊〉 For besides all this that is said have they not set out many notorious Popish Books as that called the Femall Glory which makes the blessed Virgin to be a Goddesse to be adored and called upon or prayed unto the whole Booke being a very packe of Idolatry throughout and set out in English and allowed by one of the Prime Prelates Chapleins So
the Doctrines of thy Grace and Gospel with the preaching thereof all preaching on thy Dayes in the afternoons and all true Catechising mainly cryed down and that all thy painfull and godly Ministers are persecuted suspended deprived cast out of all and can have no remedy either by course of Law which is stopped or by the King himselfe to wâ—om they complaine and that the Prelates of late more especially usurped a false Title to their false Government Ecclesiasticall by claiming their Prelaticall Jurisdiction from thine own divine Authority So as we cannot be any longer ignoranâ— except we will be wilfully blind that the Doctrine of the Church of England established in Queene Elizabeths dayes hath now suffered not onely an Innovation but an utter eversion and extirpation of the very foundations thereof And this Innovation this eversion being now finally concluded on in a Synod confirmed by the King and injoyned to be Sworne unto by all those aforesaid and besides all this the King himselfe professing that he hath diligently with great contentment and comfort read and considered of all the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions of the late Synod aforesaid and that he finds the same such as he is perswaded wil be very profitable to the whole Church and Kingdome And thereupon doth propound publish and straightly injoyne by his Authority and Letters Patents the same to be diligently observed executed and equally kept of all his Subjects within this Realme Now ô Lord all these things weighed and layd together Solemne and Sacred Protestations against Innovations on the one side and a mighty flood of Innovations on the other side which by Royall Authority have made a terrible universall invasion and irruption both into thy Spirituall Kingdome and this Temporal threatning speedily to sweep all away at once what shall we thinke Or what shall we say Wouldst thou have us still to dreame or imagine that here are no Innovations at all brought in either of Doctrine or Ecclesiasticall Government and all because the King hath so frequently so solemnly before Gâ—d and Angels and Men protested to the contrary Or that the Innovations concluded in this Synod are therfore no Innovations because ratified and confirmed by the Kings Letters Patents and by all the strength of Royall Authority and because commended by the King to be such as he is perswaded wil be very profitable to the whole Church and Kingdome Or may we not rather thinke or rather most certainly beleeve that for the iniquities of the Land oppression in the State persecutions of thy Ministers effusion of innocent blood of thy Servants open Profanation of thy Sabbaths and that by publicke dispensation yea in a word a contemptuous trampling of all Laws divine and humane underfeet nay yet moreâ— more especially as the orginall source and cause of all the rest a damnable Apostacie from the Gospel joyned with a desperate League with Rome too palpable to be seen so as Antichrists Religion is imbraced instead of thy True word and Gospell for this for these crying sins is it not lawfull for us to thinke at least yea to beleeve that thou in thy just judgement restrained and withheld from us the benigne influence of the Kings heart and hast so farre for a time at least for our humiliation given him up to be Seduced by the Prelates and their Romish faction and to be guided and led by their Councels as refusing to hearken to any true Information of his most loving and loyall Subjects whereof we have had of late lamentable experience he will rather hazard all his Kingdomes then either displease them or disobey their Councels But yet ô Lord seeing thy judgements are unsearchable and thy wayes past finding out we will not take upon us to judge in so deep a matter onely thou hast sayd you shall know them by their fruits But Lord the King saith He doth these things by his Prerogative Royall and Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall Holy and Righteous Lord hast thou given to any mortall Creature to any Kings on Earth any such Prerogative Royall any such Supreme Authority over thy Church as to alter Religion at his pleasure or to confirme the alteration of the true Religion for others pleasure to make voyd by Edicts or Declarations the Saving Doctrines of thy word thy holy Commandements thine eternall Law or to sit in thy Throne over the Soules and Consciences of thy People captivating and oppressing them under the burthens of humane inventions and Superstitious Ceremonies Nay hast thou not expresly * forbidden thy People to subject their necks under any such yoake as being a denyall of thee our King and of our Redemption by thy precious blood Such usurpations therfore of man we doe ô onely Soveraigne of our soules even before Angels and men utterly renounce ‡ O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy Name And Lord be thou our Judge between us and our oppressors in this thing and give thy People holy courage and zeale to use all lawfull meanes for the upholding of this thy Sole Royall Soveraignty over our poor Soules and Consciences against all Antichristian usurpations to the contrary And last of all whereas our King saith that he hath called and given free leave to this Synod to treat and agree upon certaine other Canons necessary for the advancement of Gods Glory the edifying of his holy Church and the due reverence of his blessed Mysteries and Sacraments which words are taken out of the Act for Conformity in Queen Elizabeths Raigne If it shall clearly appeare by this our Complaint following that the things concluded in the said Synod be neither for the advancement of Gods glory nor the edifying of his Church nor the due reverence of Christs holy Mysteries and Sâ—â—raments but quite contrary then how the Kings Authority extends to the confirmation of those things therein so concluded do thou ô Lord Judge In the next place we present our Complaint before thee ô Lord touching the most materiall Canons concluded by the â—â—id Synod and confirmed by the King The first is Concerning the Regall power 〈…〉 〈…〉 or absolute as all Tyrannicall States as that of the Turke seeing the Kingdome of England is â—empered seasoned and conditioned with good Laws which are the ordinary rules of good and just Government of the Subject the due execution whereof in the administration of the Kingdome is an essentiall part of the Kingly â—ffice which cannot be seperated one from the other To this purpose King Iames in 〈…〉 * Speecâ—es in Parliament expresly distinguisheth between an absolute Monarchie not bounded with Laws but depending onely on the will of the Prince and the King of England who saith he doth by 〈…〉 that by Oath â—nter upon the Kingdome to of their Estates let him but call a Parliament and yeeld to the redressing of their heavy grievances and he shall find us
sound preachers in them usually as other Parochiall Churches in the Kingdome that would have ript up the rotten bowels of Popish Supersition so fairely painted over in goodly Images Crucifixes and the like unremoved in those places there had not by this time remained one Romish ragge whereof this Synod might make a coat for the Church of England now to be fashioned by But now the Coat is made up all the Skill will be how to perswade this whole Church to put it on Yea it is so little and strait as being measured and patternd by two or three Chappels and a few Cathedralls it wil be very hard to force it upon Englands broad backe without extreme pinching of it or tearing the Coat Now for this in the last place this Courteous and kind Synod wheras it might command is pleased to stoop so low as to intreat yea heartily to intreat againe and againe We say they heartily commend this to all good and well affected people members of this Church c. And a little lower againe The reviving of this ancient and Laudable Custome we heartily commend to the serious câ—nsideration of all good people And for this reason perswades us to beleeve that the Synod is cordiall in redubbling such hearty Commendations of such Romish reliques and so Laudable Customes to all good people First because good people will not easily be drawn to such things without some strong motive nor with that neither And secondly could their hearty Commendations prevaile in this it would greatly conduce to a speedy making up of that Reconciliation between the Church of England and of Rome so greatly desired and laboured in the Primates Late Relation the President of this Synod Who tells us there more plainly what we may understand here by Commending for saith he pag. 7. there is a Laudendo praecipere by Lauding or Commending 〈◊〉 Command And therefore they stick not to be so Liberall in their hearty Commendations of this brave piece of Service But why should now this Spirit be conjured up againe or this dead Coale of Romish zeale revived having for so long a time lyen consopited yea dead under a heap of ashes never to have kindled flames or troubled the world againe Why should this Satan of our peace which had been so long bound now be let loose againe to set Kingdomes in a combustion â— Surely they told us before uniformâ—ty is to be desired How â— In a conformity to the Royall Chappels and Cathedrals But were it not every way better that those few should give place and rather conforme to the Generality of all the Churches in England where these Superstitions had been cast out and all quiet then that the Generality should conform to a few to indanger the whole State and hazzard the losse of allâ— But in the last place they come with a pretty handsome Close saying In the practise or omission of this Rite we desire that the rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be observed which is that they which use this Rite despise not them who use it not and that they who use it not condemne not those that use it O Lord God * how long shall the wicked blaspheme thy Name For ever Can they not be content to abuse thy People in leading and drawing them into all manner of Superstition but they must usurpe the Apostles rule and pervert it to the maintenance of such blind and damned Rites The Rule of the Apostle is for the use of things in their own nature indifferent as eating or not eating wherein Charity is to preserve peace but it gives no countenance at all to things altogether unlawfull in themselves and no way indifferent as before And had these men true Charity they would be so farre from pressing these things to a generall use as they would rather altogether suppresse them where they are used as being a Stumbling blocke to the whole Land upon the which if not removed the whole Land must stumble and fall And therefore had this Synod had any one sparke of an Apostolicall Spirit in it as they show it to be altogether Apostaticall it would in the first place have rather observed the Apostles Rule for a man not to put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way then breaking this Rule of Charity have abused the Apostles words to prescribe to a whole Land a Rule of false Charity But to thee O Lord doe we commit the judgement of this whole Cause which we can doe no more nor lesse but complain of to thy Majasty the righteous judge of all the world Canon 8. Of Preaching for Conformity This Synod here for the more strenthening of their Canons and the more facilitating of the way to Conformity thereunto must injoâ—ne their Priests whom they have in their chaine fast bound by Subscription by Oath of Canonicall obedience and by Oath of this Synod to the observation of the Decrees thereof and other their Lordships commands to preach for Conformity and inspeciall for conformity to the Canon immediately forefoing which this Canon immediately succeeds as pointing them to that before as followeth in the Canon the tenour whereof is Whereas the Preaching of Order and Decencie according to S. Pauls rule doth conduce to Edification it is required that all Preachers as well beneficed men as others shall positively and plainly preach and instruct the people in their publicke Sermons twice in the yeare at Soules from the yoake of such vile Slavery unlesse you have so much courage in you as to deny to doe these base 〈◊〉 dâ—udgerres for these your Tâ—â—kemasters though you be Suspended for it and loose all you have Strengthen 〈◊〉 Lord all thâ—â—e to stand fast in thy truth and not to betray it with themâ—â—â—â— their People and the whole State of the Land Now passing by the 9th 10th 11th 12th Canons as of 〈◊〉 moment in the 13th Of Excommunication and Absolution not to be pronounced but by a Priest Herein first we may observe what kind of Excommunications and Absolutions have been usuall in our Prelates 〈…〉 extreme abusie and prefanation of Christs Ordinance 〈…〉 of his Church Which Ordinance as it doth 〈…〉 belong to the Prelate whose whole Order 〈…〉 â—eere usurpation so it is most basely abused 〈…〉 and their Officers So as here is a Reformat 〈…〉 at the best is stark nought as being an 〈◊〉 usurpation For in this Canon they take away all power from every 〈◊〉 of his Congregation to whom with others appointed by the Parish according to Gods word belongs the power of Ecclesiasâ—call Censures And in this Canon also he that is absolved must become more bound then ever he was before because first he must take an Oath de parendo Juri stando Mandatis beclesiae of obeying the Canons and standing to the Commands of the Church So as his Absolution becomes his bondage when now in stead of Gods Commandements he must be subject to the