of Gods presence and the snafle that curbeth the pride selfe-conceit and presumption of vnstayed spirits who oft times in repining against Magistracy are authours in their owne destruction Thus haue you heard how Didoclauius and Philadelphus doe tilt at King and Clergy now you shall heare another bird of that same feather runne the wild-Goose chase at Councell and Court taking aime through a false looking glasse lately framed by a Scotish Separatist and steeled or put in a rauing stile at Leiden by an English Brownist Specul bell Sacr. pag. 97. A forme-changing Proteus saith this new Doctor a trecherous Seianus a time seruing Abiathar a Statizing Achitophel a calumniating Doeg are the only Councellours but Constantine tryed his Courtiers fidelitie to him by their piety towards God but now a man truly religious is thought vnfittest for state affairs a The Doctors reason because they cannot say he is an honest man but with this conditionall if he were not a ranke Puritan The first part of this bold vntrue calumny deserueth rather the examination of a whip then of a pen or of a pillory then of a reply yet I wish that the fond foole the Authour should know that his Maiesty hath moe truly religious wise learned loyall Councellours and Courteours then there be honest men Puritans of his opinion in the whole world in which large circumference I doe verily thinke there is not one On the contrary I may truly affirme that there be few Courts or Statesmen in Europe or elsewhere can paralell none exceed either the fidelity or integrity of those in great Britaine if all be not a like affected or any otherwise enclined then human eyes can see or the wisdome of a wise King preuent God must be their iudge and their conscience their witnesse A runnagate that hath put his hand from Gods plough This Lybeller was once a Minister but did lately cōmence Doctor of physicke at Leiden and turned Quackesaluer is not to censure those whom he ought not to name but with honourable humble respect The brethren of his owne profession whom he calleth truly religious and whom in all his applications hee thinketh the only able men to rule both Church Court and Campe are thought vnfit as he saith for State affaires To that part I answer that euery good subiect hath great cause to thanke God that our King is more wise then to admit any into his Councell or affaires of State whom all men besides themselues know to be fairded with false colours of religion and more fit to be fagots for combustion of State then to be helpers in supporting the heauy frame of Empire because diseases of this kinde are hereditary to most of this family infusing from one to another a taint or staggers in their vitall spirits as if they were bitten with a mad Dog which frenzie maketh them vnseruiceable either in Church or Commonwealth but specially to bee vncapable to bee vpon Councell of Kings who are the onely barres that impeach their proceedings for this cause they cunningly labour to induce the people to condole their yoke of obedience cast off such fetters and purchase their libertie The reason which the Doctor giueth is like his physicall receipts which trouble his patients more then the disease for certainly if we may call these Puritans whom this lybeller esteemeth to be so King Councell and Court haue iust cause to take exception at the very name which is but a staine of Puritanisme for my part if it bee lawfull to iudge men by their actions I may safely say that he can neuer be an honest man to God and to his countrey that conceiueth such damnable thoughts farre lesse he that publisheth such hellish positions and that besides all other poysonable trash euery where intermixt in this Doctors bitter pilles this one Colaquintida so corrupts all his other drugs that it proclaimeth him to to be an impudent rayler a Pseudo-puritan or rotten hearted hypocrite and not a Puritan of which number I wish my selfe and all others to be if human infirmitie might aime at such perfection so long as it is clothed with mortalitie But thus it falleth out that as well the best men as their best actions set and performed on the conspicuous Theater of the world are alwayes attended and entertained with blacke detraction and calumnie the deformed Brats of malecontents ignorance or enuy who loath the Nectar-like drops that fall from heauen vpon sweet flowers and delight onely to sucke the poysonable iuyce of gall and wormwood Hence it is that factious spirits violently agitated with outragious passion of singularitie enuy anger desire of rule and popular applause are onely quiet in commotions Stob. apud Plut. peaceable in tumults happy in calamities disaffecting no lesse amicable concord then regal power and authoritie thereby offring vnto Gods deputies and their iust commands the pests and poysons of their infected and ill affected minds imitating those barbarous nations who in their sacrifices did offer the gall and vilest parts of their beasts What can we call the malitious censuring of sacred persons or designes but a kind of sacriledge and blasphemy both against God and Kings of whom all discourse ought to be full of Religion reuerence and respect O mercifull God! what wit is able to sound the depth of those dangerous euils whereinto the malitious nature of scismaticall sedition vailed with religion is able to sinke it selfe rather then to acknowledge error in those things which it hath taken vpon it to defend Course of conformitie pag. 88. against the streame of publike resolution ranked in the eyes of singularitie with the most tyrannous gouernement that euer did see the Sun Miserum est peccare miserius delectari miserrimum excusare tum demum consumata amentia est cum ad studium malum opinio quedam pietatis accesserit The motto of Iacke Straw Wyat Kett was viuat Euangeliū now the pretext of conscience is a cullour of disobedience to euery casheerd Leuite or ignorant consistorian whose studies are by wresting Scripture to destroy vnitie beget a scisme in the hearts or subiects and make it their common place in writings discourse or in the Pulpit to leape from the liues of their flockes to enueigh against gouernment and presumptuously incroach without all reuerence vpon the affaires of Princes as they were able to demolish the walles of the Church shake the foundations of the State and liue Libertines without controlement When authoritie commaundeth any thing that is to be presumed not against but for aduancement of Religion I would gladly know who is to be confer whether the things commanded be lawfull or not or whether some singular contentious or malecontented spirits transported with wrong ends may oppose the Church in his Maiesties lawes giuing life vnto them If Authoritie at any time swerue from the strict obseruance of religion in its owne integritie in matters of discipline that remissenes ought to
incite Church-men to deuotion and pietie to explaine the sense of Scripture with all humilitie to acquaint as well Princes as people with the will of God by preaching to turne the wrath of God from them by prayer that so obtaining a blessing vpon their labours they may by practise confirme such in the faith by their workes as they haue wonne by their words to embrace and beleeue it Ex pede Herculem the tree is knowne by the fruite and not by the florishing shadowes of substance Exclamation and railing howsoeuer personated in religious habit is not so much to the preseruation of religion as the Romans did superstitiously imagine the keckling of Geese was to the safety of the Capitolium Ambros serm de obed Contentious bitternesse is as opposite to the peace of the Church as oyle to the quenching of fire God is not in the bitter diuision or alienation of affections nor in the raging fire of seditions nor in turbulent tempests and whirlewinds of contradictions and discentions But his blessed Spirit is in the sweet gentle breach and still calme winde of peace and concord If any man say they are warranted by their conscience contentiously to impugne authoritie anull the lawes of a free Monarchy and make a Metamorhposis of religion at their pleasure when euery misconception tickleth their fancy I answer that they balke the high way wherein they ought to walke neglect the maine end at which they should driue and aime obliquely at priuate gaine vaine glory satisfaction of some base humour or passion If our conscience tels vs this or that and cannot proue what it tells but by shifts coniectures shadows then it is not cōscience at least no true but a lying conscience that so misleads vs no it is rather our fancy our peeuish preiudicate and forward conceit which we are bound to resist and subiect our owne peruerse crooked will to the will of God Melanch Epirom Philos who hath subiected vs to lawfull Magistrates whose hearts are so deepe and vnsearchable by reason of the multiplicitie of affaires and variable waies they are forced to walke for the weale of their people that oft times when they seem to erre to these who ought to bee holden in suspence or that vnderstand not the language of State their actions tels their wisdome to the world as well in protecting their subiects within as curbing their enemies abroad In consideration whereof the booke of publike determination once opened euery liege man is to acquiesse therein because Kings are Gods deputies to execute iustice and iudgement and to leuell singular oppositions by lawes established if they doe it not the fault is theirs to whom the preuention of contempt or animaduersion into such lawes doth belong When Micha will set vp an Idoll and assume a chamber worship to satisfie his erring conscience Iudg. 17.5.6 the reason is subioyned because there was no King in Israel but euery man did what seemed good in his owne eies Conscientia non est contra scientia sed cum scientia our conscience must bee ioyned with knowledge otherwise we Idolatrze vnto our owne hearts whilst we obay an ignorant or etring conscience howsoeuer it may seeme right in the eyes of scismaticks Prouer. 14.12 yet such a conscience is but a melancholy imagination or maleuolent inuention the end whereof are the wayes of death As the Lawes of God must guide our consciences in matters of Faith so the positiue Lawes of the kingdome must be the high way wherin euery good Subiect must walke in actiue obedience in matters not repugnant to that faith Againe Kings are dispensators and dilposers of the law but they are not holden to satisfie euery priuate contentious or curious head which pretend conscience for disobedience or answer euery delinquent with arguments if they did so their worke were infinite It is strange then in the eyes of sound iudgement that some rebellious factious spirits should thus roare range rage as if we had neither Prince Priest nor Iudge The Apostles and Fathers obayed Nero a Monster and Tyrant Dioclesian a cruell persecutor and Iulian an accursed Apostate When there was not a Christian King vpon earth Saint Paul commanded Titus to put the people in remembrance of their obedience to Princes and Rulers Neque aliud remedium proponitur priuatis hominibus tirannis subiectis preter preces lachrymas vitae mendationem There can bee no iust cause enabling subiects to arme against authoritie because a publike action must be warranted with a iust cause a good intention and lawfull authoritie the last whereof can neuer fall into priuate hands which are not to vendicate that cognizance which belongeth to the tribunall of heauen That transcendent Maiestie by whom Kings raigne hath reserued their audit to himselfe that they may be more carefull to keepe their accompts streight and rule with iustice The Iura Regalia of Kings are holden of heauen and cannot escheat to any earthly power farre lesse to a subiect The Law hath two properties the one to shew men what they should doe the other to punish the transgressors the king hath interest in the first but is not further subiect to the secōd then to his Soueraign in heauen whose deputie he is in this inferior Orbe of the earth All popular commotions vnreasonable railing vomiting of vnchristian scandall factious conspiracies and treasonable practices are the badges of disloyall and treacherous subiects who ought to testifie the patience of true Israelites and the obedience of true Christians Arma mea preces meae nec possum nec debeo aliter resistere saith Saint Ambrose Phil. 3.3 The Apostle tels vs That we are to doe nothing in the Church through contention or vaine glory but that in meeknesse of minde euery man thinke another better then himselfe Supporting one another through loue Ephes 4.23 endeauouring to keepe the vnitie of faith in the bonds of peace doing all things without reasoning and murmuring For the end of the Commandements is Loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience Phil. 2.14 Tim. 1.56 and of faith vnfaigned from which things some haue erred and turned vnto vaine ianglings Now in contempt of these Oracles of direction the discourse of religion doth so busie the world Epist histor the word that it hath well neere driuen the practice of it out of the world where charitie and trueth haue onely their being in termes as the Philosophers materia prima Religious discourse is now so canuased in the mouth of most men yea at the tipling table of euery Scoulding Drab vayled with the name of a Sister that any man might resolue that tooke notice of their zealous discourse patheticall griefes and not of their liues that there were nothing in their desires but the purchase of heauen and that they vsed the world as a reposing place towards their celestiall habitation when on the contrary their actions tell the world that
her beloued Children and the course of Conformitie ioyned with all these seuerally printed before reprinted in one volume and to be sold at no lesse rate then if they had beene Oracles of Apollo Secondly did come to my hand the petition of the Kirke of Scotland to the heigh Parliament of England a methodicall well digested peece beseeming the pretended Church that did preferre it next was offered to me Speculum belli sacri or the mirrour of holy warre a squint eyed worke looking at military instructions but aiming at idle impetinent impudent and fond applications as if Giges ring had beene vpon the Authours finger or his whole body sheltered when his head was not couered next to my greater admiration did I behold Altare Damascenum seu politia Ecclesiae Anglicanae obtrusa Ecclesiae Scoticanae à formalista quodam delineata opera Edwardi Didoclauii cui locis suis inserta confutatio Paraneseos Tileni ad Scotos cui adiuncta Epistola Philadelphi de regimine Eclesiae Scoticanae per Anonimum These were closed vp a malicious Satirisme against a learned graue Treatise written by the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes whose integritie of life and sinceritie of Religion none but barking curres can taxe In all these trumpets of Sedition whether in English to ensnare domestike natiues or in Latine to perswade forraigne alients to their faction sacred scripture was neuer more sensibly corrupted more wickedly wrested more impertinently applyed neither was euer the sacred person of Soueraigntie the dignitie of the learned Clergie the communion of Christians and the loyaltie of good subiects more trampled vpon by the most prophane Atheist or heretike or by Sathan himselfe then by these poysonable Satirismes ouer-flowing with gall and masked with preposterous zeale in which mirrors of conspiracy euery good subiect may obserue that if it were as easie to some of those violent spirits to bring their purposes to their ends as it is to finde shadowes for their pretences it is to be feared the fruites of their vnsanctified doctrine should haue beene dyed in blood long ago and warranted with sic dicit Dominus A bloody disposition is as well concomitant to scismatikes as profest Atheists Erasm in apo and where euer the quicksiluer of separation is ingredient there the fire of contention is vnquenchable howsoeuer it may bee smothered for a time into ashes of seeming holinesse Pirates haue their prayers as well as honest Merchants Fulgosex Sweton Dion Nic. Geta in killing his brother Caracalla had his bloody Maske when Sathan appeared to Saul Sa. 1.1.18.14 hee was lapped in Samuels Mantle Mahomet did abuse the world with the name of the Angell Gabriel Mai. 4.6 the Tempter could alledge Scripture against Christ himselfe and it is credibly reported that an Amsterdam sister did enencourage her owne daughter to periury by telling her It is better to fall in the hands of God then of man Aske whatsoeuer scismaticke the reason of their profession and they will answer that the sacred Scripture is the leuell whereby they square the frame and infallibilitie of their seuerall Churches Knox ad Nobilit Scot. and in his hir of Scot. Good man vpon the 17. of Exod. why may not then Didoclauius Philadelphus Anonimus or the other late Lybellers imitate such presidents and peruert scriptures as wel as others yet me thinkes it should seem strange in the eie of sober iudgmēt that men professing to haue the onely truth of religion should equally prosecute their seditious designes without conscience in contempt of authoritie as they make Idols of their owne braine-sicke conceptions against the rules of true wisdom When any of contrary opinion following the ordinance of the Church strengthened by ciuill power would louingly perswade them to forbeare to walke in forbidden pathes they close their eares or without weighing of reason answer by the words of Iohn We are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs as for the rest they are of the world the world whose pompe vanitie they follow heareth them when the dignity of authoritie and honour of Gods Magistrates is vpholden against them or their inabilitie to iudge in the misteries of State shewne them they answer with the Anabaptist God hath chosen the simple Will you so sensibly conuince them of folly that very children may vpbraid them of it they will tell you that Christs owne Apostles were accounted mad Selfe conceit and flatterie hath so tickled and scratched their tender eares 2. Tim. 4.3 that they are impatient of the least touch of rough truth When admonition nor no faire means can preuaile let them but feele the lightest dramme of iustice they streight lay vpon Gods vicegerents whatsoeuer they any where finde against the crueltie of most blood thirstie tyrants drawing to themselues all such sentences as Scripture hath for innocency persecuted for righteousnesse as if euery seditious disturber of State that suffers for disobedience and breach of Christian vnitie might chalenge the name of a Martir These be the paths wherein separation walketh the steps it doth tread the doctrine wherein it is trained vp in the schoole of faction and the toyles and tossings of vnquiet spirits that are so distastfull to men of more peaceable temper that if violence done to religion vncharitable railing against Maiestie and Magistracy might be buried in silence they would rather suffer millions of personall aspersions then interrupt the peace of the Church or quiet of the state by opposing the sismaticall practices of restlesse braines who like fishers in troubled waters delight in commotions and tumults Quam dignitatis sedem quieta republica disperant eam perturbata se consequi posse arbitrantur But when the King which is the head or the State which is the body or Religion which is the soule of the commonwealth are in question to receiue preiudice necessitie which is a law aboue all lawes supplies the place of an ordinary calling then it is a harmefull modestie to keepe silence or too late to discouer such sulphurious mines when the match kisseth the powder As when the shadow of mount Athos reacheth the Ile Lemnos it is a sure forerunner of the going downe of the Sun and time for shepheards to impale their flockes So when seditious confusion striues to ouer-reach both Church and State it is time as wel to subiect as magistrate according to their seuerall places to remoue such fuell least the fire become vnquenchable and bring ruine on the one and desolation on the other O miserable times vbi tacere non licet quid cuiquam licet Is it not a most arrogant presumption that humorists vnder zealous pretexts should preferre singular paradoxes of pride and contention for euery circumstance of least moment to the feeding of their flockes vpon the sweet pastors of humility charity and other Christian duties it is aboue admiration that others should glory more in their adherents to such lying Oracles then in their Christian obedience inioyned or pietie