A DISCOVRSE Presented to those who seeke the Reformation of the CHURCH of ENGLAND WHEREIN IS SHEWED THAT THE new CHVRCH Discipline is Daungerous both to Religion and also to the whole state TOGETHER with the OPINIONS of Certaine Reuerend and Learned Divines Concerning the Fundamentall Poynts of the true Protestant Religion WITH A short exposition vpon some of DAVIDS Psalmes pertinent to these times of SEDITION Printed for W W. and I B. 1642. A DISCOVRSE to them who seeke the Reformation as they terme it of the CHVRCH of ENGLAND BRETHREN THe wisdome of governours you must not blame in that they forecasting the manifold strange and dangerous Innovations which are more then likely to follow if your Discipline should take place have for that cause thought it hitherto a part of their duty to withstand your endeavours that way The rather for that they have seene already some small beginnings of the fruits thereof in them who concurring with you in Iudgment about the necessity of that Discipline have adventured without more adoe to separate themselves from the rest of the Church and to put your speculations in execution These mens hastynesse the waryer sort of you doe not Commend you wish they had held themselves longer in and not so dangerously flowne abroad before the feathers of the cause had bene growne Their errour with mercifull termes yee reprove nameing them in great commiseration of mind 1. Pet. 22. your poore Brethren 2. They on the contrary side more bitterly accuse you as their false Brethren and against you they plead saying From your brests it is that wee have sucked those things which when yee delivered vnto us ye termed that heavenly sincere and wholsome milke of Gods word howsoever yee now abhorre as poyson that which the vertue thereof hath wrought and brought forth in us Yee sometimes our Companions Psâ—l 55.13 Guides and familiars with whom we have had most sweet consultations are now become our professed Adversaries because wee thinke the statute-Congregations in England to be no true Christian-Churches because wee haue severed our selves from them and because without their leave or licence that are in civill Authority wee have secretly framed our owne Churches according to the platforme of the word of God For of that point betweene you and us there is no controversie Alas what would you have us to doe At such time as yee were content to accept us in the number of your owne your teachings wee heard wee read your writings and though wee would yet able wee are not to forget with what zeale yee ever have profest that in the English Congegations for so many of them as bee ordered according unto their owne Lawes the very publique service of God is fraught as touching matter with heaps of intolerable pollutions and as concerning forme borrowed from the shop of Antichrist hatefull both waies in the eyes of the most holy the kind of their Government by Bishops and Arch-Bishops Antichristian that Discipline which Christ hath essentially tyed that is to say so united unto his Church that wee cannot account it really to be his Church which hath not in it the same Discipline that very Discipline no lesse there despised Pref. against Docter Baner then in the highest Throne of Antichrist all such parts of the word of God as doe any way concerne that Discipline no lesse vnsoundly taught and interpreted by all authorized English Pastors theÌ„ by Antichrists factors themselves at Baptisme Crossing at the lords supper kneeling at both a number of other the most notorious badges of Antichristian recognisance vsuall Being moved with these and the like your effectuall discourses whereunto wee gave most attentive eare till they entred even into our soules and were as fire within our bosomes wee thought wee might hereof bee bold to conclude that sith no such Antichristian Synagogue may bee accompted a true Church of Christ yee by accusing all Congregations ordered according to the Lawes of England as Antichristian did meane to condemne those congregations as not being any of them worthy the true name of a Christian Church Yee tell us now it is not your meaning But what meant your often threatnings of them who professing themselves the inhabitants of Mount Sion were too loath to depart wholy as they should out of Babilon Whereat our hearts being fearfully troubled wee durst not wee durst not continue longer so neere her confines least her plagues might suddenly overtake us before wee did cease to bee partakers with her sinnes for so wee could not chuse but acknowledge with greife that wee were when they doing evill wee by our presence in their Assemblies seemed to like thereof or at leastwise not so earnestly to dislike as became men heartily Zealous of Gods glory For adventuring to erect the Discipline of Christ without the leave of the Christian Magistrate happily Yee may condemne us as fooles in that wee hazard thereby our estates and persons further then you which are that way more wise thinke necessary but of any offence or sinne therein CoÌ„mitted against God with what Conscience can you accuse us when your owne positions are that the things wee observe should every of them bee dearer unto us then 10000 lives that they are the peremptory Commandements of God that no mortall man can dispence with them that the Magistrate greivously sinneth in constraining thereunto Will Yee blame any man for doing that of his owne accord which all men should be compelled vnto which are not willing of theÌ„ selves when God Commandeth shall wee answer that wee will obey if so be Caesar will grant us leave Is Discipline an Ecclesiasticall matter or a Civill If an Ecclesiasticall it must of necessity belong to the duty of the Minister And the Minister Yee say holdeth all his Authority of doing whatsoever belongeth unto the spirituall Charge of the house of God even immediatly from God himselfe without dependency upon any Magistrate Whereupon it followeth as we suppose that the hearts of the people being willing to bee under the scepter of Christ the Minister of God into whose hands the Lord himselfe hath put that scepter is without all excuse if thereby he guide them not Nor doe we find that hitherto greatly yee have disliked those Churches abroad where the people with direction of their Godly Ministers have even against the will of their Magistrate brought in either the doctrine or discipline of IESVS CHRIST For which cause wee must now thinke the very same thing of you which our SAVIOUR did sometimes vtter concerning falsehearted Scribes and Pharisies THEY SAY AND DOE NOT. Thus the foolish Barrowist deriveth his schisme Mat. 3.23 by way of conclusion as to him it seemeth directly and plainly out of your principles Him therfore wee leave to bee satisfied by you from whom he hath sprung And if such by your owne acknowledgment be persons dangerous although as yet the alterations which they have made are of small and tender
have been proclamations Canons that no man should be called the chiefe or the head of all Churches or usurp such authority over others but whē the Pope built up his supremacy against the meaning of such Canons he pretended religion for his doing he said it was de jure divine that no man should presume or attempt against it and that so his power might continue for ever If they have been thus carefull to maintaine falshood how much more carefull should we be to maintaine the truth If they to advance their own kingdome how much more we to set forth the kingdome of God and to build up the Church of Christ And if they sought to doe that by lyes and by false meanes why should we be slack to use the right and true and good meanes whereby that good thing which God hath wrought for us may be established And albeit there be many waies by which the kingdome of God may be maintained as the favour and countenance of the Prince which so comforteth and cherisheth the Church as the sun beames comfort and cherish the earth and knowledge and learning and discipline which are as the life the sinewes without which the Church must needs fall asunder at this time I will leave to speak of the rest only stay upon Learning which may truly be called the life or the soule of the Church and of Christian Religion How necessary a thing they have counted Learning to the setting forth of Religion the stories of our old Fathers of Heathens Christians in all ages doe witnesse They thought that neither Religion might stand without knowledge nor knowledge were to be esteemed without Religion Charles the great that he might the better plant Religion in Saxonie and Helvetia did erect many places for increase of Learning he knew well that there was no other way better to establish Religion The Cathedrall Churches before such times as ignorance and blindnes grew over all the world and brought in an universall corruption maintained Schooles of learning that the doctrine which was taught in those places might be defended against the gainesayers by such learned men as were there bred up The Princes of Germanie and the free cities after they had received the Gospell they dissolved their Monasteries which had been harbourers for such as lived in idlenesse and set up Schooles and Colledges which should be nurceries to breed up learned men that might be able to teach the people to maintaine Religion whereby it came to passe that in short time they had great store of worthy and learned men This did they well see that have been the enimies of Religion and therefore used all meanes to hinder the increase of Learning that they might have the better way to overthrow Religion For if Learning decay it is likely that Religiō cannot abide Beare with me if I speak that which may seem more fit for some other place then for this audience the best here understandeth me well In other Countries the receiving of the Gospell hath alwaies been cause that Learning was more set by and learning hath ever been the furtherance of the Gospell In England I know not how it cometh otherwise to passe for since the Gospell hath been received the maintenance for learning hath been decayed the lack of Learning will be the decay of the Gospell Would God it were not so or that yet before the fault be incurable there may be some redresse Loath I am to speak yet the case so requireth that it is needfull to be spoken J trust J shall speak in the hearing of them that will consider it Maintenance of Learning whereby an able and sufficient ministerie may grow and bee established in all the Churches of this Realm is to be wished for The good estate of this noble Kingdome the comfort of posterity the stay of Religion the continuing of the Gospell the removing of darknesse hangeth upon it One asked sometimes how it was that in Athens so goodly and great a Citie there were no Physitions To whom this answer was made because there are no rewards appointed for them that practise Physick The same answer may be made for our times the cause why the Church of God is so forsaken is the want of zeal in them that should either for their curtesie or for their abilitie be fosterers of learning and increase the livings where occasion is and give hope and comfort to learned men What said J increase nay the Livings and provision which heretofore were given to this use are taken away Have patience if any such be here as I well know there are whom these things touch suffer me to speak the truth it is Gods cause The livings of such as are in the Ministery are not in their hands to whom they are due all other labourers artificers have their hire increased double as much as it was wont to be only the poore man that laboureth and sweateth in the Vineyard of the Lord of hostes hath his hire abridged and abated J speak not of the Curates but of Parsonages and Vicarages that is of the places which are the Castles and Towers of fence for the Lords Temple They seldome passe now adaies from the Patron if he be no better then a Gentleman but either for the Lease or for present mony Such Merchants are broken into the Church of God a great deale more intolerable then were they whō Christ chased and whipped out of the Temple Thus they that should bee carefull for Gods Church that should be Patrons to provide for the consciences of the people and to place among them a learned Minister who might be able to preach the word unto them out of season and in season and to fulfill his Ministery seek their own and not that which is Jesus Christs they serve not Jesus Christ but their belly And this is done not in one place or in one country but throughout England A Gentleman cannot keep his house unlesse he have a Parsonage or two in farme for his provision O mercifull God whereto will this grow at last If the misery which this plague worketh would reach but to one age it were tolerable but it will be a plague to posterity it will be the decay and desolation of Gods Church Young men which are toward and learned see this they see that he which feedeth the flocke hath least part of the milke he which goeth to warfare hath not halfe his wages Therefore they are weary discouraged they change their studies some become prentices some turne to Physick some to Law all shun and fly the Ministery And besides the hinderance that thus groweth by wicked dealing of Patrons by reason of the Impropriations the Vicarages in many places and in the properest market-townes are so simple that no man can live upon them and therefore no man will take them They were wont to say Beneficia sine cura Benefices without charge but now may be said
reges eorum propterea cecidisse quia Ecclesias spoliavâ—runt resque eorum vastaverunt alienaverunt vel diripuerunt Episcopisque sacerdotibus atque quod majus est Ecclesiis eorum abstulerunt pugnantibus dederunt Quapropter nec fortes in bello nec in fide stabiles fuerunt nec victores extiterunt sed terga multi vulnerati plures interfecti verterunt regnáque regiones quod pejus est regna coelestia perdiderunt atque propriis haereditatibus caruerunt hactenus carent verba Caroli Mag. in Capital Caral l. 7. c. 104. bitter and peremptory To make such actions therefore lesse odious and to mitigate the envy of them many colourable shifts and inventions have beene used as if the world did hate only wolves and thinke the fox a godly creature The time b Turno tempus erit magno cùm optaverit emptum Intactum Pallanta cùm spolia ista diemque Oderit virgil Aeen lib. 10. it may bee will come when they that either violently have spoiled or thus smoothly defrauded God shall finde they did but deceive themselves In the meane while there will bee alwayes some skilfull persons which can teach a way how to grind treatably the Church with jawes that shall scarce move and yet devoure in the end more then they that come ravening with open mouth as if they would worrie the whole in an instant Others also who have wastfully eaten out their owne patrimony would be glad to repaire if they might their decayed estates with the ruine they care not of what nor of whom so the spoiles were theirs whereof in some part if they happen to speede yet commonly they are men borne under that constellation which maketh them I know not how as vnapt to enrich themselves as they are ready to impoverish others it is rheir lot to sustaine during life both the misery of beggars and infamy of robbers But though no other plague and revenge should follow sacrilegious violations of holy things the naturall disgrace and ignominy the very turpitude of such actions in the eyes of a wise vnderstanding heart is it selfe c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demost Poenam non dico legum quas saepe peâ—rumpunt sed ipsius turpitudinis quae acerbissima est non vident Cic. Off. lib. 3. Impunitu credis esse quae invisa sunt aut ullum supplicium gravius existimas publico odio Senec. de Benef. l. 3. c. 17. a heavy punishment Men of vertuous quality are by this sufficiently moved to beware how they answer and requite the mercyes of God with injuries whether openly or indirectly offered By meanes whereof the church most commonly for gold hath flanell and whereas the usuall saw of old was Glaucus his changeing the proverbe is now A Church bargaine And for feare lest covetousnesse alone should linger out the time too much and not bee able to make havocke of the house of God with that expedition which the mortall enemy thereof did vehemently wish he hath by certaine strong inchauntments so deeply bewitcht religion it selfe as to make it in the end an earnest sollicitor and an eloquent perswader of sacrilege urging confidently that the very best service which men of power can doe to Christ is without any more ceremony d Huc ventum videtur quod non sine gemitu dixerim ut magna hominum pars credat sese tùm demum verè regnum Antichristi evasisse si cum bonis Ecclesiae ludant pro libitu Calvin Ep. 33. vide etiam ep 13. 65. 68. 108. vbi de hac sacrilegâ dissipatione queritur In the time of Popery the Church of Geneva was very richly endowed with great revenewes At the reformation Calvin and Farell called upon the magistrates as they would answer it to God to imploy all that holy stock only to pious and holy uses assureing them they could not any other wayes bestow any part of it without the guilt of horrible Sacrilege So it is a degree of Sacrilege any way to alter the wills and intentions of founders so far as they are tolerable They promised fairely but haveing possessed themselves of the goods and patrimony of the Clergy they set apart some small portions for the University and the ministers bestowing the rest in fortifieing their walls and furnishing their magazine against the Bishop the lord and owner of the towne and other more base uses Calvin seeing this Sacrilege and detesting it was wont to say with great griefe I see wee have taken the purse from Judas and given it to the Divell Severall men of credit have heard this related by a grave learned French minister yet liveing or very lately in England to sweepe all and to leave the Church as bare as in the day it was first borne that fulnesse of bread having made the children of the househould wanton it is without any scruple to be taken away from them and throwne to doggs that they which layd the prices of their lands as offerings at the Apostles feet did but sow the seeds of superstition that they which did endow Churches with lands poysoned religion that Tithes and oblations are now in the sight of God as the sacrificed bloud of goates that if wee give him our hearts and affections our goods are better bestowed otherwise that Irenaeus Policarps disciple should not have said wee offer unto God our goods as tokens of thankfullnesse for what wee doe receive neither Origen hee that worshippeth God must by guifts and oblations acknowledge him the Lord of all in a word that to give unto God is error reformation of error to take from the Church that which the blindnesse of former ages did unwisely give By these or the like suggestions received with all joy and with like sedulity practised in certaine parts of the Christian world they have brought to passe that as David doth say of man so it is in hazard to bee verified concerning the whole religion and service of God The time thereof may peradventure fall out to be threescore ten years or if strength doe serve unto fourscore what followeth is like to be small joy for them whatsoever they be that behold it Thus have the best things beene overthrowne not so much by puissance and might of adversaries as through defect of counsell in them that should have upheld and defended the same FINIS THE DANGERS OF NEW DISCIPLINE TO The STATE and CHURCH Discovered FIT TO BE CONSIDERED By them who seeke as they tearme it the Reformation of the CHURCH of ENGLAND COMPOSED BY A TRVE PROTEstant a Loyall Subject a Loving Fellow Member of the Common-Wealth of England Scotland and Ireland who dayly prayes for KING and PEOPLE and a Setled peace in all three KINGDOMES Printed for W. R. ANN. DOM. 1642. PSAL. 69. V. 9. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me CErtaine learned and wise men of old time that had no understanding or savour of God when they considered with themselves to
Man only haue not Women also these Prerogatiues Yes doubtlesse Women also and they aswel as Men. And therfore consider they with themselues what cause they haue to be ashamed of their Sex as many of them of late shew thēselues to be Insomuch that it seems displeased with their Maker for not making them Men maugre God and Nature they endeauour to transforme themselues into the Habits of Men. Videlicet into their Belt Scarfe Hat Points †Ferrum est quod amant luvenal Sat. 6. Steele-lettoes Cut-Haire Doublet Horsemans-Coat and as it is said Boots to Resolued they are it seemes to bestow themselues on Sathan and to yeeld him somewhat to boote The Prophet l Esay 3.18 Esay hath said ynough so hath the Apostle m 1. Pet. 3.3 S. Peter if neither prevaile with them Law nor Gospel let them beware God himselfe takes not the Matter into his owne Hands n Heb. 10.31 It is a fearefull thing to fall into the Hands of the Liuing God But to returne vnto my purpose First as touching Mindfulnes to speake properly in very deed no Mindfulnes nor Forgetfulnes can be said to be with God forasmuch as with him all things are present both which haue bene from all Eternity which now are at this instant and which shall be euer hereafter vnto the Ends of the World So that as his Substance is Immutable right so is his Knowledge to seeing with him as o Iam. 1.17 speakes S. Iames is no Variablenes neither Shadow of Turning Whensoeuer then in Holy Scripture God is said to Forget as also to be Mindefull it is spoken Figuratiuely according to the manner of Men who Forget or Remember thereafter as they helpe or denye their helpe vnto the Needy Thus Pharaoes Butler p Gen. 40.23 forgat his old Frend Ioseph and Many no sooner vp the Ladder of Preferment but they begin to want in this kind that which Pharaoes Butler had not I mean a good Memory Thus is it said to be with the Lord. q Aug. in Evang Ioan. Tract 7. Almae Nutricis blanda atque infracta Loquela Lucr. l. 5. v. 222 For thus the Scriptures like Nurses speak vnto vs in our own Language When the Lord helps vs not he is said to Forget vs when he helpes vs he is said to Remember like as he remembred r Gen. 8.1 Noah in the Arke Why but will some say if this be all God remembreth euen Beasts to as he did euery Beast and all the Cattell that was with Noah And againe ſ Ps 145.15 Ps 147.9 The Eyes of all waite vpon him he giues them their Meat in due Season hee openeth his Hand and filleth all things liuing with Plenteousnes True he is Mindfull of Beasts indeed but it is for our sakes that he is so Mindfull of them For in respect of themselues Doth God take care for Oxen t 1. Cor. 9.9 saith the Apostle Or saith he it altogether for our sakes and the Answer there is that for our sakes he saith it indeed Secondly concerning Visiting To Visite in holy Scripture is taken two manner of wayes either in Iudgment or in Mercy In Iudgment as elswhere u Ps 89.32 If his Children forsake my Law and walke not in my Iudgments If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements I will visite their Offences with the Rod and their Sin with Scourges And againe x Ps 59.5 Stand vp O Lord God of Hoasts thou God of Israel to visite all the Heathen and be not mercifull vnto them that offend of malitious Wickednes but in this place as also in some others it is taken in the way of Mercy according to that of Zacharias the Father of S. Iohn Baptist y Luc. 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People So the Lord is said to visite Sarah in the z Gen. 21.1 Booke of Genesis in that he did to Sarah as hee had spoken concerning Isaac her Sonne borne and bred in her old Age. Vers 5. Thou madest him lower then the Angels to crown him with Glory Worship Two Dignities of Man wee haue heard already this is the Third namely that he is crowned with Glory and Worship which two words Glory and Worship though briefly thus spoken yet conteine no doubt much matter and substance in them I doubt not a Calv. in hunc Ps saith Calvin but in these words he commends those excellent Graces which shew that Men are made to the Image of God and created to the hope of the blessed and euerlasting Life to come For in that they are indued with Reason whereby they may discerne betweene Good and Euill in that the Seed of Religion is sowed in them in that there is mutuall Society betweene them tyed together with certaine Sacred Bonds in that the Respect of Honesty and Shamefastnes and Gouernment of Lawes is of esteeme amongst them all these are of a very excellent and heauenly Wisdome And therefore Dauid in this place worthily cryeth out that Mankinde is crowned with Glory and Worship But what is that he here saith †Ita est Charissimos nos habuerunt Dij Immortales habentque Et qui maximus tribui honos potuit ab ipsis proximos collocaverunt Senec. de Benef l. 2. c. 29. Thou madest him lower then the Angels Man in the former Respects comming so neere to the Deity it selfe b Conimb in 2. de Coel. c. 1. qu. 2 art 2. p. 184. they endeauoured to signifie his Excellency who cal'd him the Tye of all things Visible and Invisible or the Horizon of things Materiall and Immateriall forasmuch as he obtained a middle kinde of Nature that is a Nature aboue all things that were Materiall though inferiour to such as were Immateriall Now of this sort are the Angels Angels c Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 1. §. 4 saith Reverend Hooker are Spirits Immateriall and Intellectuall the glorious Inhabitants of those sacred places where nothing but Light and blessed Immortality no shadow of matter for Teares Discontentments Griefes and vncomfortable Passions to worke vpon but all Ioy Tranquility and Peace euen for euer and euer doth dwell Such Obseruants of that Law which the HIGHEST whom they adore loue and imitate hath imposed vpon them that our Saviour himselfe being to set downe the perfect Idea of that which we are to pray and wish for on Earth did not teach to pray or wish for more then d Mat. 6.10 only that here it might be with vs as with them it is in Heauen And againe a little after Of Angels we are not to consider only what they are and doe in regard of their owne being but that also which concerneth them as they are linked into a kinde of Corporation amongst themselues and of Society and Fellowship with Men. Consider Angels each of them severally in himselfe and their Law is that which the Prophet David mentioneth