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kingdom_n	king_n	religion_n	see_v	2,235	5	3.6602	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91187	A fresh discovery of some prodigious new wandring-blasing-stars, & firebrands, stiling themselves nevv-lights, firing our church and state into new combustions. Divided into ten sections, comprising severall most libellous, scandalous, seditious, insolent, uncharitable, (and some blasphemous) passages; published in late unlicensed printed pamphlets, against the ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and power of parliaments, councels, synods, Christian kings and magistrates, in generall; the ordinances and proceedings of this present Parliament, in speciall: the national covenant, assembly, directory, our brethren of Scotland, Presbyterian government; the Church of England, with her ministers, worship; the opposers of independent novelties; ... Whereunto some letters and papers lately sent from the Sommer-Islands, are subjoyned, relating the schismaticall, illegal, tyrannical proceedings of some Independents there, in gathering their new-churches, to the great distraction and prejudice of that plantation. / Published for the common good by William Prynne of Lincolnes Inne, Esquire.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1645 (1645)	Wing P3963; Thomason E261_5; ESTC R212456	96,461	90

written or preached against their seditious wayes and Libels 10. Seditious Queres Passages and Practises to excite mutinies and popular commotions against the Parliament and disobedience to its commands Section I. Containing divers seditious scandalous libellous passages against the authority and jurisdiction of Parliaments Synods and temporall Magistrates in generall in Ecclesiasticall affaires in the late writings of several Independent New-lights and Firebrands I Shall begin with a Copy of a Letter written by John Lilburne Lieu Colonell the Ringleader of this Regiment of New-Firebrands to William Prynne Esq upon the comming out of his last book intituled Truth triumphing over Falsehood Antiquity over●Novelty Of which Letter there have bin three Impressions made by him without license contrary to the Ordinance of both Houses restraining the printing or dispersing of unlicensed libellous seditious Pamphlets whre he p. 4. writes thus Sir in your last book that you put out you spend a great deale of paines in citing old rusty Authors to prove that Kings Councels Synods and States have for so many hundred yeares medled with matters of Religion I grant you they have but I demand of you by what right or by what authority out of the Word of God they have so done Hath God the Father or Jesus Christ his Sonne given them any allowance in this Or have they not hereby rather fulfilled the prophesies of the Scripture which saith Rev. 17. 17. That the Kings of the Earth shall give their power unto the Beast till the Word of God be fulfilled which they have done in assisting the Popes to joyne the Ecclesiasticall and Civill State together making the Golden Lawes of Christ to depend upon the Leaden Lawes of Man yea upon such Lawes as was just suitable to their tyrannicall lusts and which might the most advance their wicked ends and designes and in the doing of this they have set up a perfect Antichrist against GOD'S CHRIST yea England is not free from this And to hold that Kings Parliaments Synods States have any thing to do in matters of Religion and Church-Government he concludes pag. 5. to be a setting of the Potentates of the earth together by the eares with Christ who is to rule all Nations Rev. 12. 5. to pluck his Crown from his head his Scepter out of his hand and his person out of his throne and State that his Father hath given him to raign gloriously in Which is thus backed by Henry Robinson the supposed Author of the Answer to Mr. William Prynnes 12. Questions concerning Church-Government pag. 6. Particular Churches members of a Kingdome and Nation are not obliged in point of Conscience and Christianity to submit unto whatsoever publike Church Government Rites and Discipline a Nationall Councell Synod and Parliament shall conceive most consonant to Gods Word unlesse it prove so in the whole Kingdomes Nations and those very particular Churches Judgement pag. 8. The grounds of Independent Government attribute nothing to the Magistrate in Church affaires further then the Magistrate is a member of their Churches and Assemblies pag. 12. You can no more Justifie a Nationall Church of Christians shall likewise go up to the Temple of Jerusalem from whence by the same Prophesie they are also to receive the Word of God and not from Parliament Pope Synod or Presbytery Mr. Henry Burton in his Vindication of Churches commonly called Independent c. p. 49 50 51 c The Church is a spirituall kingdome whose only King is Christ and not Man It is a spirituall Re-publick whose only Law-giver is Christ and not Man No man nor power on earth hath a Kingly power over this kingdome No earthly Lawgiver may give lawes for the government of this Republick No man can or ought to undertake the government of this communion of Saints No humane power or law may intermeddle to prescribe rules for the government or form of this spirituall house NOT COUNCELS NOT SENATES This is Christs Royall Prerogative which is uncommunicable to ANY TO ALL THE POWERS ON EARTH c. he adds p. 60 61. We challenge you to shew us any Parliament Councell Synod ever since the Apostles that could or can say thus It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us to determine controversies of Religion to make and impose Canons to binde all men c. Shew this to us at this time and we will obey But if you cannot as you never can never let any man presse upon us that Scripture that Synod which hath no parallell in the whole world and so is no precedent or patterne for any Councell Synod Parliaments A short Answer to Adam Stewarts second part of his over-grown Duply to the Two Brethren with certaine difficults questions easily answered printed without license 1644. supposed to be written by Mr. Iohn Goodwin p. 13 17. But perhaps you 'l say there is an Act of Parliament a Civill law declaring heresie or any different from the State opinions such as for the present are in fashion to be censurable by the civill power I answer not without all due respect unto the lawes and such as made them that if there be any distinction between a Church-state and a civill-state which all Christians hitherto acknowledge the enacting civill lawes to punish spirituall offences is not only a solecisme or impropriety in state but an incroaching on the Churches power a profaning of the Keyes and injurious to the offender who by this meanes is punished both beyond the degree and nature of his offence If the blessed Spirit should at any time bear witnesse unto your spirit or unto the spirit of a whole Parliament and Synod what were this to the spirits of other men must not they wait with patience untill the blessed Spirit be pleased to visit their spirits likewise before they can joyne with yours or the Assemblies spirit But if the Synods determination of this or that controversie should seem good unto the holy Ghost as the Churches decrees of Jerusalem did must they therefore be imposed upon the Countrey the whole world Is not this to equallize your Synodall Canons with those decrees of the Apostolicall Church of Jerusalem and to make Scripture of yours as well as theirs is not this to adde to Scripture nay to alter it p. 28. But if King and Parliament may not force a new Religion or Sect suppose Presbyterian upon the kingdome much lesse can the Synod which neither has not yet pretends as is alleaged to use the materiall sword And if for matters of religion all power originally is in Christ as you sometimes acknowledge How can King Parliament or Synod wrest it from him Nay what think you is it not secondarily in the people as well as civill power which you affirme in the same page and so doubtlesse is spirituall power unlesse you will make God to have provided mankinde better of a safegard or liberty to defend their bodies than their soules If then the spirituall power be so inherently in

the people next under Christ as that they cannot so well renounce and part from it in many respects by what they may of civill how can it be thought by any one that the King Parliament Synod though never so much importun'd by a thousand such Asses should goe about to settle a new Presbyterian Scotch government with an intention to force a conformity of the whole Kingdome three quarters whereof cannot as yet be thought to submit unto it willingly or for conscience sake Pag. 32 33 34 35 36. Qu. 5. Is it not an ungodly thing to suffer men to be of any Religion Ans No For both our Saviour his Apostles and the Primitive Christians did the same neither is it in the power of flesh and blood to hinder it Qu. 6. Is it not the most unseemely sight to see the people of one Citty run seambling from their Parishes to twenty Conventicles where so many severall doctrines are taught An. No but farre more monstrous and abominable in the eyes of God for people of twenty severall opinions for feare or favour to assemble and Joyn together hyprocritically in one way of worship or Church discipline Q. 8. Ought we not then at least to keepe our different opinions and Religion unto our selves in obedience to the Civill Magistrate that commands it An. No because it is better to obey God then man Qu. 9. If Jesuited Papists and other subtile Hereticks be suffered will they not likely seduce many unto their erronious by-pathe Ans Though a Tolleration of erronious opinions may gaine some to sathan yet truth being therewith to be published and improved will in all probabillity not onely gaine so many more to God but any one thus wonne to God unto his truth is worth thousands of those that fall from it Qu. 10. But may not the multiplying of Heresies stifle or expell the truth like as the abounding of tares and weedes often choake the wheate and for this cause not to be permitted An. Though it seeme to be many of the first yet our Saviour in the parable of Tares Math. 13. teaches us a quite contrary doctrine and forbids Heresies the Tares to be pulled up before the day of Judgment the harvest v. 30. 39. least the wheate the children of the Kingdome true professors v. 30. 39. be therewith rooted up Qu. 21. Is it not a pious Act to compell a Company of carelesse Idle people to heare a good sermon to do a good worke whether they will or no Ans No more pious an Act then for Papists to use the like compulsion towards Iewes and Protestants inforcing them to heare their sermons Masse or Vespers Q. 24. May not the Civill Goverment interpose to punish such Church members with whom the spirituall by reason of their refractorinesse cannot prevaile Answ Nothing lesse since the Civill State or government has no more power nor vertue to make a Papist turne Protestant in England then it can prevaile to make a Protestant become a Papist in Spaine Qu. 29. But can there be any hurt in forceing refractory people to be present at Religious orthodox assemblies where if they will they may be informed of the truth An. Yes first because there can come no good thereof through want of willingnesse which God onely reguards in him which is thus compelled and secondly because this forceing is a doing evill that good may come thereof which is prohibited Rom. 3. 8. The Falshood of M. W. Prynnes Truth triumphing c. printed in London 1645. without license written by H. Robinson who hath set up a private unlicensed printing Presse determines thus p. 19. 20. 26. But did the only wise God think we resolve to create man after his own Image to estate him in such a sad and execrable condition worse then that of beasts wolves Bears Tigres as that he must necessarily tyrannize or be Tyrannized over both in soul and body and yet it cannot possibly be otherwise if you will grant a power to Kings Parliaments or Synods to require conformity from others in any thing which is not agreeable to their consciences for if such a Latitude and height of Iurisdiction be granted but to the more orthodox Kings Parliaments and Synods both Papists Lutherans Calvinists and Independants pretending and really takeing themselves to be the most orthodox are bound in conscience to lay Clayme to and put in Execution this power of Compelling all the world unto their uniformity and so infallibly produce the most cursed enmity and hatred betwixt all the people but differing in opinion exceeding that of Cannibals or the profoundest of Antipathics betweene any rationall creatures whatsoever You say the oposites to Parliaments Ecclesiasticall Jurisdictions have formerly and more especially in this Present Parliament addressed severall Petitions to this High and honorable Court for Reformation of the Church c. wherein under favour I conceive you have mis-apprehended their proceedings Intentions which doubtlesse was for the most part or best affected that the Parliament in whom they acknowledge the Soveraigne power to reside would permit Cou●tenance and encourage all godly men of gifts in preaching down Heresies Errors Idolatry Popery c. Many whereof had either beene formerly established by Law or not permitted to be preached downe through the Prelates corruption contrary to the Law This is the best even all the Reformation which the Civill Magistrate as Civill has a Capassity of compassing against all Heresies and Errors which must necessarily be vanquished by the sword of the Spirit and cannot possibly be suppressed by carnall weapons or the civill sword they may destroy the flesh but cannot properly be said to touch and worke upon the Spirit T is no small dis-service which you do both Parliament and Assembly in thus exposing their proceedings to be questioned by no little and that the most conscionable and best affected party of the kingdome such spirits of contention as this of yours were those which made the first great breach among the Parliaments friends Master John Goodwins Theomathia pag. 48 49 50. The generality and promiscuous multitude of the World who have a right of nominating persons to a Parliamentary trust and power are but a Secular Root out of which the Independent Brethren conceive an impossibility that a spirituall extraction should be made A man may as well bring a clean thing out of an unclean in Jobs expression as make a spirituall extraction out of this secular root who have no Authority nor power from Christ to nominate or appoint who shall be the men that shall order the affaires of Christs kingdome or institute the government of his Church Therefore there is an impossiblity that a legitimate Ecclesiasticall power should according to the minde of Christ or any precept or president of Scripture be by them conferred upon any man or that the persons so elected should have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws or Statutes in matters of religion

Bocardo Sir Simon Synod New upstart frisking Presbiters Synodian Cormorants the Synodian Whore of Babylon the traiterous Synod called the Assembly of Divines presbiterian horse-leeches blood thirsty Cattle this great gore-bellied idoll called the Assembly of Divines Arch-Jesuiticall traytors the Jesuiticall and traiterous designes of the Synod our dissembly Doctors a Consistory of devils and the like These be the charitable modest Independent Epithites which this libeller bestowes upon them See next his libellous and blasphemous speeches against and censure of them and the good end his charity wisheth to them Page 1● The Synod is guided by the holy Ghost sent in a cloke-bagge from Scotland as of old from Rome in the Councell of Trent Because the Assembly have sadled the Parliament it is unlawfull for the Presbiters to goe on foot page 29. The traiterous Synod called the Assembly of Divines labours with might and main to establish and settle this traiterous spirit of persecution in the land page 35. 36. It is most certaine that this fellow whose name Sir Simon faineth to be Reformation is absolute Persecution so that had these Reformers but as much power as Queen Marie's Clergy their reformation would conclude in fire and faggot Judg. Oh insufferable Assembly I see 't is dangerous for a state to pin their faith upon the sleeve of the Clergy J. Reason Further my Lord whereas others are impoverished spend their estates engage and loose their lives in this Quarrell they are enriched and advanced by it save their purses and persons cram and fill their greedy guts too filthy to be carried to a Beare heap up wealth to themselves and give not a penny while others against whom they exclaime venture and expend all yea my Lord this great gorebelly Idol called the Assembly of divines is not ashamed in this time of state-necessity to gull up and devour more at one meale then would make a feast for Bel and the Dragon for besides all their fat Benefices forsooth they must have their foure shillings apeece by the day for sitting in constollidation and poore men when they had filled all benefices with good Trencher-men of their owne presbiterian Tribe they move your Lorpship that all Ministers may be wholy freed from all taxations that now the trade of presbiter is the best trade in England all are taxed and it goes free poore men that have no bread to still the cry of their children must either pay and goe in person to the warres while these devouring Church lubbers live at ease feed on dainties neither pay nor goe themselves but preach out our very hearts they make it a case of conscience to give all but wise men they 'le give none Let the sick the lame and maimed souldiers and those that have lost their limbs and begge in streets let women that have lost their Husbands let parents that have lost their children let children that have lost their parents and let all that have or suffer oppression and misery in and for the publike Cause consider this and be no longer ridden and jaded by Clergy masters but to give the devill his due one thing to their commendations I have observed that they are so zealously affected with the honour of their Cloth that 't were pitty to disrobe them of their cassock Garbe to be led in a string from Westminster to Algate in Leatherne Jackets and Mattockes on their shoulders and my Lord though some thinke they would doe the State more good in leatherne jackets and Mattockes then in long cloakes and cassockes yet my think they would doe the state better service with their canonical girdles were the knot tyed in the right place page 36. 37. Primacy Metropolitanisme prelacy c. are shrunk into the presbytery and our High-commission turned into an Assembly of Divines My Lord they have sate even till they have runne mad you might doe well to adjourne them to Bedlam for my Lord they are raging mad to have the innocent blood of the Anabaptists Brownists Independents c. My Lord they have over-studied themselves even wracked their wits to find out a Religion for us poore men they have beene mightily puzled about it it hath cost them the consumption of many fat pig chicken capon c. the infusion of many a cup of sacke to bring it to birth and after such dolorous pangs and bitter troubles for almost these two yeers who would have thought they would be delivered of such a ridiculous vermine called a Presbyter parturiunt montes nascitur ridiculus mus And now my Lord after this montanous delivery they are at their wits end what dressing to put it out in all the Taylors in the Kingdome are not able to content them what to doe they know not and now the matter 's worse then ever it was they had thought to have shewne the world it in the godly shape of Reformation but upon examination 't is found to be Persecution a sad event there is no way now but Bedlam for our Doctors it may chance to chastise them into their wits againe and then upon their second thoughts it may be they 're bethink themselves to put a blew bonnet upon'● and then it will passe from England to Scotland and Scotland to England againe without question or controle Page 93. Good my Lord have mercy upon me I beseech your honour even for the Clergy sake have mercy upon me consider my Lord that in my death is their ruine it will be the greatest inroad upon the Divines of Christendome that ever was made Oh! I beseech you my Lord. by the Mystery of their holy Convocation by their agony and bloody sweat by their crosse and passion at my shamefull approaching death and burial Good Lord deliver me By their glorious resurrection and assention from the Pulpit above the State by the comming of the holy Ghost to them in a cloak-bag from Scotland Good Lord deliver me By the late solemne League and Covenant by the 400. and 50. l. for the Copy of their Directory because they could get no more by all the fat Benefices and goodly revenues of the Clergy Good Lord deliver me Page 43. 44. It is the sentence of this Court concerning Sir Simon and Sir Iohn Presbyter who have thus Jesuitically endeavoured to pervert the Justce of this Court That Sir Simon be committed close prisoner to King Henry the eights chappell there to be kept in Parliamentary safe custody till the Great Assiges held in the first yeere of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Christ when the Kingdom and the greatnesse of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most high there and then to be arraigned with the rest of his holy Tribe whether universal national provincial or consistorial counsels or Synods whatsoever before his Highnesse the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and my Lord in the meane time to keep his Holinesse in action I beseech your Honour

the Parliament and their faithfull friends and servants and that my actions and practises tend to no better end but to make him and his partie VS to be sleighted and contemned and that they a faithfull conscientious AND CONSIDERABLE PARTY IN THE ARMY and KINGDOM MIGHT BE DISINGAGED and CAVSED TO LAY DOWN THEIR ARMES c. After which he concludes thus pag. 7. Now I appeal to everie true hearted Englishman that desires a speedie end of these Wars of what evil consequence it would be to the Parliament and Kingdoms to have such a faithfull and considerable partie as Mr. Prynne calumni●teth and reproacheth as bad if not worse then ever the Bishop of Canterbury did should be causleslie cut off with the sword or be disingaged by his means especiallie seeing the Kingdoms necessities is such that they stand in need of the help of Forrainers In which Passage he intimates First that those Anti-Parliamentary seditious Sectaries who confederate with this Libeller know their own particular pretended strength in the Army and Kingdom Secondly that they fight only for their own private interests and to erect their own Church Government not for Religion not the publick Cause since my very writing against their Schismaticall seditious wayes but in meer generall terms as this Libeller one of their privy Cabinet Councell intimates and that by Authority of a Committee of Parliament in just defence of the Parliaments undoubted Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and Authority which they most affront of any men whatsoever Is a means to disingage and cause them to lay down their Armes Thirdly I answer that if he his party be such faithfull friends and servants to the Parliament and such a conscientious considerable party both in the Army and Kingdom as he pretends my writing in defence of the Parliaments jurisdiction which they pretend to fight for can be no dis-ingagement or dis-couragement to them And therefore himself alone must be the Incendiary twixt them and the Parliament and the dis-ingager of them to lay down their Armes by these his slanderous Libells against the Parliaments jurisdiction Priviledges Proceedings not I who have only Cordially maintained them according to my solemn Vow and Covenant by publike encouragement and speciall approbation I shal therefore challenge so much Iustice from this Epistoler as publikely to retract all these his malicious Libellous slanders of me without the least provocation given him on my part or else he must expect from God all good men yea from his own best friends and party the brand of a most malicious Libeller slanderer Incendiary and undergoe the punishment due to such To this I might adde a whole bundle of Calumnies and injuries against me in Master Iohn Goodwins Calumny Arraigned and cast wherein he chargeth me pag. 2. for aspersing the Honourable Committee for Plundered Ministers and himself in averting that he was suspended and sequestred by that Committee which all the Committee then and himself with his Confederates since experimentally know to be a reall truth however they outfaced it for a time His other Calumnies are so grosse and triviall that I will not waste Paper to refute them These Libellers are not single but thus seconded by a Brother of their Sect one Henry Robinson in his Pamphlet intituled The Pretences of Master William Prynne c. A meer empty Libell fraught with nothing but railings and slanders against me and in his latter Libell intituled The Falshood of Master William Prynnes Truth Triumphing in the Antiquity of Popish Princes and Parliaments To which he attributes a sole Soveraign Legislative Coercive power in all matters of Religion Discovered to be full of absurdities contradictions Sacriledge and to make more in favour of Rome and Antichrist then all the Books and Pamphlets which were ever published whether by Papall or Epi●copall Prelats or Parasites since the Reformation with twelve Queries eight whereof visit Master Prynne the second time because they could not be satisfied at the first Printed in London 1645. Here is a large Libellous Title but not one syllable of it so much as proved or made good in the Book wherein he convinceth me neither of Falshood nor absurdities nor Contradictions nor Sacriledge And whereas he chargeth That my Truths Triumphing c. Makes more in favour of Rome and Antichrist then all the Books and Pamphlets which were ever published by Papall or Episcopall Prelats or Parasites since the Reformation of which he makes not the least offer of proof in his Book I shall aver to all the world I hope without ostentation being thus enforced to it and appeal to all men of Iudgement who have read it that it makes more against Rome Antichrist and the usurped power of Popish Lordly Prelates and Clergymen in points of calling Councels the Authority of Prelates Clergy men and Synods in making binding Canons c. and other points therein debated then any Book or Pamphlet whatsoever of this Subject written by any Prelate Clergy man Laicke or by all the whole Mungrell Regiment of Anabaptists Sectaries or Independents put together Therefore this Title of his is a most false malicious impudent slander of a Libeller past shame void both of truth and conscience His passage against me pag. 9. 10. Is much of kin to his Title Page where thus he writes The truth is I cannot deny but Master Prynne was once by more then many and they godly too held to be a man of Piety and was highly honoured in whose Books and Pamphlets notwithstanding which have been published of late may be observed more corrupted Principles and a far worse spirit of persecution then ever was discovered in the late Delinquent Decapitated Archbishop from his first ascending unto his highest growth of Authority and greatnesse and in the Diary of his life which I suppose Master Prynne Printed not to do him honour though after Ages will not be tyed to be no wiser then Master Prynne I finde such eminent signes of a Morall Noble pious minde according to such weak principles as he had been bred up in his own persecuting disposition disabling him from being instructed better and particularly so ingenious a passage in his Funeral Sermon whereby he justifies the Parliament in putting him to death as I may safely professe to all the world I never yet could discerne any thing near of like piety or ingenuity to be in Master Pryune by all that ever I yet heard of him from first to last or by all the books of his which ever came to my hands wherein yet I have hitherto done him the honour in being at charges to buy as many I mean one of every sort as I could ever meet withall Surely I am much beholding to this Gentleman for proclaiming me a man of more corrupt principles and a person possessed with a worse spirit of persecution then the late Decapitated Archbishop but the Archbishop far more obliged to him in Canonizing him for such a Saint As for his Diary

the Ministry I have no such meaning neither doe I think a worthy Minister to be unworthy or unfit for other the most eminent Offices or callings in Church or Common-wealth were it not that he hath a most eminent calling already sufficient to take up the whole man and unmeet to be yoaked with other callings as the Apostle saith who is sufficient for these things And the Apostles doe reject such employments with a kinde of contempt saying It is not meat that we should leave the word of God to serve Tables and a little after we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the Word intimating that these things would hinder them from prayer and the ministry of the Word whereby it appeares they would not be Deacons nor take upon them any other Office in or over the Church but spend themselves wholly in the word and prayer the like might be manifested by sundry other Scriptures And the evill of it hath beene so generally observed in England that as I heard Queene Elizabeth when she had conferred upon a Minister authority and power to rule was wont to say I have spoyled a good Preacher to day And surely if we observe it the desire of Superiority and Dominion in or over the Church in Ministers and Clergy men and the readinesse of Princes and people to conferre it upon them hath been a principall if not the principall cause in corrupting Religion from time to time and of setting up the great Antichrist and many others as might easily be shewed if it were not an argument too long for this place Thus farre through the gracious assistance of God I have expressed my minde in this matter to the intent I might stop so much as in me lies the setting up of a new Discipline and Government of our owne framing seeing we are already freed of all those things that have usually beene burthensome and offensive to good Christians in England and that we expect daily the further determination and decree of the Honourable Assembly of Parliament in these things Or if I cannot prevaile so farre as to stop it yet that wee might look before we leap and understand well what we doe before we doe it Or if neither that may be obtained yet hence it will appeare that my selfe and some others deserve no blame much lesse such evill speeches as are usually vented against us by some because we will not rashly runne with them we know not whether And lastly I desire that this may be a publike testimony of my judgement in these things For to be present and heare them daily pressed and to bee alwayes silent is taken for a signe of consent and approbation March 1. 1642. RICH. NORWOOD Postscript SInce this Advertisement of mine came abroad though but a month what horrible forespeakings threatnings imprecations and censures have beene publikely denounced against me in severall parts of the Countrey I shall not need to repeat being too well knowne Neither will I answer them accordingly lest I also be like them I will only in the feare of God and by the comfortable assistance of his holy Spirit apply that saying How should they curse where God hath not cursed Or how should they detest where the Lord hath not detested And those words of David It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day A desperate thing it is for men to blaspheme against some good light and what is it to acknowledge the good gifts and graces of God in those which they so bitterly preach against and to overwhelm them all with most foule and feigned susspicions and aspersions without cause As when they say Satan will not use profane and wicked men but he makes choise of those that are of good and able parts men of a religious life of a blamelesse conversation these close hypocrites he makes his instruments to oppose the Kingdom of Christ that is their intended Discipline c. with other like speeches I say it is very dangerous for men thus to give way to wrath and malice The Scribes and Pharisces did see and would no doubt have acknowledged the eminent gifts and graces that shined in our Saviour if he would have applied them to the establishing of their Faction But because he would not doe so they maliciously traduced him and said he had an uncleane spirit but he reproves their desperate wickednesse shewing how nearly they did approach or became guilty of the sinne against the Holy Ghost And let every man take heed how they doe cunningly fasten slanders or otherwise shew despight unto the spirit of Grace because it will not be subordinate unto their ends I could wish also they would consider the words of Marsilius Patavinus in his Book entituled Defender of the Peace Where speaking of those that presume to frame or presse Orders Decrees and other parts of Discipline without license of the true Law-giver or Prince and endeavour to draw people to the observation of them by surreptitious words as it were compelling them by threatning eternall damnation to such as transgresse them or denouncing execrations reproachfull speeches excommunications slanders revilings or other maledictions against them or any of them in word or writing such saith he are to suffer corporall punishment in a most high degree as conspirators and stirrers up of civill schisme or division in a Common-wealth For it is saith he a most grievous kinde of treason because it is committed directly against the Royall Majesty of the Prince and his Soveraigne Authority and tendeth to set up a plurality of supreame authorities or powers and so of necessity to the dissolution or overthrow of every civill Government They object also that I am but a Lay-man and therefore should not meddle with matters of Divinity applying that Proverb Ne sutor ultra crepidam and saying that even the Sunne Moone and Starres wherein he hath skill should teach him that lesson which alwayes move in their owne spheares except they be wandring starres for whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever with many other bitter expressions But this is an old plea of the Popish Clergy to hold the people in ignorance and thraldome and should not be taken up by those that would seeme to be more opposite to Popery then Protestants are That eminent and blessed Divine Doctor Sibbes was of another minde who speaking in commendation of Mr Sherland that was no Preacher disdaines not to say he had good skill in controverted points of Divinity and that he was a good Divine And surely the calling of a Christian is of that importance that he must if need so require omit whatsoever calling he have besides to make good that one most necessary neither can he justly be charged to move out of his spheare whensoever he meddles with matters of Christianity and Religion especially such points as he is pressed to embrace and submit