Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	doctrine_n	england_n	6,989	5	6.3346	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92155	Angliæ ruina: or, Englands ruine represented in the barbarous, and sacrilegious outrages of the sectaries of this kingdome, committed upon the lives, consciences and estates of all His Maj: loyal subjects in generall; but more particularly upon the churches, colledges, clergie, and scholars of the same. Containing two briefe catalogues of such heads and fellowes of colledges in the University of Cambridge, and other learned and pious divines, within the city of London, as have been ejected, plundered, imprisoned, or banished, for their constancie in the Protestant religion, and loyalty to their soveraigne. Whereunto is added, a chronologie of the time and place of all the battails, sieges, conflicts, and other remarkable passages which have happened betwixt His Majesty and the Parliament; with a catalogue of such persons of quality, as have been slain on either party, from Novemb. 3. 1640 till the 25. of March, 1647.; Mercurius rusticus	Ryves, Bruno, 1596-1677.; Barwick, John, 1612-1664. Querela Cantabrigiensis.; Griffin, Matthew, 1599?-1665. London. A generall bill of mortality, of the clergie of London, which have beene defunct by reason of the contagious breath of the sectaries of that city, from the yeere 1641. to this present yeere 1647. with the several casualties of the same.	1648 (1648)	Wing R2447; ESTC R204638	175,259	292

and Peace setled in the Body of the Kingdome doe they think the wisedome of the State will ever change our holy Churches into their prophane Barnes and Stables our Pulpits into Tubs our Linnen Ephods into their Aprons our Lyturgy into their extemporary Enthusiasmes our Learned Pastors into their ignorant Hirelings and our Apostolicall Hierarchy into their Apostaticall Anarchie But I will restraine my selfe and confine my discourse Soone after this Sermon seven Articles were preferred against the Doctor to the Committee for Plundered Ministers by three Mechanicks who had formerly been indicted for Brownists at the Sessions for the Countie of Surr●y but after long attendance the Doct. was acquirred of the●● yet at length these Sectaries wrought so powerfully that the Doctor must be committed to Prison how unjustly soever 't was enough that he was a Doctor and maintained the Religion established in the Church of England And accordingly on the 30 of Septemb. 1643. he is committed to Peter-house his own house Library and goods being frist seized on and his estate Sequestred The Sunday after his commitment and for divers other Lords days he preach●● to his fellow-prisoners but after a while he was prohibited by Isaac Pennington the pretended Major of London And though Sir George Sands Sir John Butter Master Nevile and other Prisoners of qualitie Petitioned that he might continue his so doing yet it would not be granted See how this unjust imprisonment is relished by a Forraine Divine in these words I Am sorry to hear of the close Imprisonment of that worthy Doctor Featley What He who is and ever hath bin so stout a Champion for Religion to be soused by the Reformers thereof But let not the Disciple thinke it strange when his Master suffered so much crueltie from the great Rabbins of Israel Yours from my heart J.S. After the Doctor had beene many moneths stifled up in Prison and having a Certificate from his Physitian that he could not live long if he had not some fresh aire he Petitioned these soule-enthralling tyrants and at last obtained leave to go to Chelsey Colledge for six weeks upon good bayle to recover his health but it pleased God to take him out of this world upon the 17 day or April 1645. being the very last day of the six weekes limited for his returne During his sicknesse he gave himselfe wholly to Divine Meditations often bewayling with teares the present state of the Church of England he made a Confession of his Faith to Doctor Leo and the Dutch Ambassadours Chap-laines saying That the doctrine which he had alwayes Preached and the Bookes which he had ●riated against Anabaptists and other Sectaris were agreeable to Gods Word And that he would scale the Protestant Religion as it was established and confirmed by the Acts of three Pious Princes with his blood And being asked by some that came to visit him what he thought of the Covenant he said it was a damnable and execrable Oath made purposely to insnare poore soules and full of malice and Treason against our gracious Soveraigne And said he For church-Government a thing now much controverted I dare boldly affirme that the Hierarchie of Bishops is most agreeable to the World of God as being of Apostolicall institution the taking away where of is damnable and that by consequence both the presbyterian independent Governments are absurd and erroneous neither of them being ever heard of in the church of God till of late at Geneva ● nor is there so much as any colour for them in holy writ It is evident said he that as the ● riects in the Old Testament were above the Levites so in the Now the Apostles were above the Disciples and that the seven Angels of the seven Churches in the Apocalypse were seven Bishops and that Polycarpus was Bishop of Smyrna and Timotheus of Ephesus And for the Laitie no pregnant proofe can be produced that they ever medled with the Priests Function or had any power to or daine Ministers And these things said he I intended to have published to the world if God had spared me longer life which I might through his goodnesse have enjoyed had I not been unjustly imprisoned which he severall times reiterated to his friends Anon after he prayed thus Lord strike throuth the reynes of them that rise against the church and king and let them be as chasse before the wind and as stubble before the fire let them be scattered at Partridges upon the mountaines and let the breath of the Lord consume them but upon our gracious Soveraigne and his posterit●e let the Crowne flourish This said he is the heartie and earnest Prayer of a poore sick creature With which and other such spirituall ejaculations he expired Mercurius Rusticus c. XIX The Murther of Master Robert Yeomans and M. George Bowcher Citizens of Bristol by Nathaniel Fiennes second s●nne to the Lord Say and the rest of his Accomplices c. THe care that God tooke to preserve the Land of his people undefiled by Innocent blood was very great and therefore did provide not onely when the Murtherer was knowne that he that thed mans blood by man his blood should be shed againe according to that command Te shall not pollute the Land where yeare for blood it desileth the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed the ein but by the blood of him that shed it Namb. 35.33 But likewise where the Murtherer was not knowne that the Innocent blood shed in the Land might not be charged upon them and therefore in the 21 of Deut. God prescribes an Expiation for Murther when the Murtherer was not knowne for if a man were found slaine in the field The Elders of the Citie next to the slaine man were to take an Heiser and strike off his ●ec ke in a rough valley and shall wash their hands over the Heiser and say Our hands have not shed this blood Neither have our eyes seene t Be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou bast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge and the blood shall be forgiven them so shall thou put away the guilt of Innocent blood from among you vers 6 7 8 c In which law it is plaine that the guilt of Innocent blood may cleave to our hands though our hands have not shed it and the way to wash our hands cleane from that guilt is to protest against the shedding it to deny our consent to it being done and as much as in us lyes to bring the punishment of Innocent blood upon the heads of those that shed it without this we contract anothers guilt and communicate in his sinnes The Innocent blood shall not be forgiven us When therefore God to whom appertaine the issues of Life shall come and make Inquisition for blood and the murthered shall cry out with Job O earth cover not thou my blood Job 16-18 That then we

are knowne most to imitate Exod. 21. To steale a Man was death by the Law of Moses nay the Romans that saw by no other Light but that dimme Sparke of Nature discerned the equitie of this Law as is apparent in their Lex Fabia de Plagiarii● and though these men blanch the Inhumanitie pretending that they rob the Mother to inrich the Church to bring them up in the true Religion it were worth the while to aske if they would vouchsafe an answer what they mean by the true Religion if they mean the Protestant or to speake more properly the Religion of the Church of England 't is apparent they persecute that but suppose which wee doe not grant that they did bereave Parents of their Children to that purpose to bring them up in the true Religion yet cannot a good Intention warrant an unlawfull act not ought they to doe evill that good may come of it nor doe wee find either that the Church was ever pleased with such accessions or that God did give a blessing to such unwarrantable zeal When Sesibutus King of Aragon in the yeare 600 prevailed against the Sarazins and in a better zeal then this but not according to knowledge compelled his Captives to be baptized he quickly found his errour by the want of Gods blessing upon his indeavours nay Gods dislike was so visible in the successe that the Church of God observing it determined That the children of Infidells not having the use and exercise of right Reason should not be baptized Invitis Parentibus contrary to the consent of the Parents And the fourth Councell of T●ledo Cap. 56 dis-allowing the inconsiderate zeale of Sesibutus forbad to compell any man to the faith under the sensure of Anathema determined withal that to baptize children without the consent of the parents is all one as to compel men of full age to be baptized The same determination is cited and approved by the Canonist Dist 45. Cap. De Judaeis and were it but consistent with the nature of this worke it were easy to decry this Jesuiticall Turkish practice by most impregnable arguments both in the Schoolemen and Casuists but I must leave this to men of the sacred Function and onely beg leave to inferre that if it be not lawfull to baptize the Children of Jewes Infidels or Hereticks without consent of their Parents though without Baptisine when it may be had there is no entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven certainly it must be farre more unlawfull being baptized to take them from their parents to season their tender yeares with dangerous principles leading to Profanesse Brownisme Anabaptisme and Rebellion A just indignation against so barbarous practice hath transported me in this argument farther then I intended though not so farre as the haynousnesse of the Fact deserves therefore if any man desires to be more fully satisfyed of the power and interest which Parents have over and in their Children being an Inheritance given them of the Lord as the Prophet David and the possession of their Parents as Aristotle in his Politicks and the great violation of Justice in relation of the Lawes of God nature and men in dispoyling their Parents of them let him have recourse to that learned and Elegant discourse of Petrus AErod●us Chiefe Justice or President of Aniou in his Booke de Patris Potestate who being robbed of his Sonne stolne from him by the Jesuits to plant him as a hopefull Impe in their Societie and not able to rescue him out their power though he implored and had the King of Spain's assistance for thither he was carried pursues his Sonne with Arguments and Labours to recall him to his Obedience by laying before him his dutie Artificially Collected and strongly applyed from the Lawes Divine Naturall and Morall and therefore to him I remit him and turne my discourse into its proper chanell On Friday the 12 of May 1643. M. John Bykar sonne to the Vicar of Dun-Church was with his Father in Law one of the High Constables of Warwick shire at the market at Coventry Being in a house in the City he rece●ved some rude affronts from a Souldier of th●t Garri●o● He being a very civill man of good moder●tion and it seems well instructed not to answer a fool●●n his ●olly or being reviled to answer againe withdrew himselfe from the place to decline the insolent madnesse of the Souldiers and free himself from his provocations being come into the streets secure as he thought from all violence he was suddenly run through the body and falling downe dyed instantly His offence was for as yet wee can heare of no others that he was a Parsons sonne so inveterate malice to that function and all depending on it doe these Rebels beare And therefore if in this Relation you meet with frequent mention of Affronts Oppressions Plundering and ●urthers of the Ministers of the Gospel doe not attribute it to any partiality as if the Relator were more querulous for them then others but to a serious desire to proportion his labors in a just measure to the merit of each mans case Master Abraham Haynes of London in September last travelling into Shrop-shire to visit his daughter and some other friends being benighted was forced to take up his lodging in a little Village some eight miles short of his daughters house After supper his Host in a seeming way of curtesie comes to visit his guest and brings with him two or three of his Neighbours whereof the Constable was one to beare him company After a little discourse they will needs perswade him that he is a Malignant a hard word in those parts before this Parliament began but however it served the Constables turne well enough to lay hold on him having seized on him they search him under pretence that he carryed Letters of dangerous consequence but searching they find what they sought for his Mony 14 l. he had about him this as good b●otie they take from him and for ●eare he should run away from his Mony that night they set a strong watch upon him Next morning very early they carry him before a Parliament man residing about two miles distant from that place who most Committee-man like out of the abundance of his Justice though no crime were objected nor any thing found about him to render him lyable to restraint but only the sin of ●aving 14 l. or because he was guilty of the Constables affirming him to be a Malignant he commits him to his former guardians by them to be conveyed to London M. Haynes unwilling to come so near his journeys end yet not arrive there tenders bayle Gentlemen of the best rank and quality in the Country but it will not be accepted he desires to have leave but to send a Messenger to his daughter where he was that day expected but it will not be granted Away they carry him they mount him and his man upon two poor Jades while my Host and M.

were acting this crueltie him he rayseth from sleep tels him what the Troopers were doing without who somthing moved at the relation went out unto them and took them off from farther prosecuting their Barbarous intentions But whether or no the man on whom all this crueltie was acted survived this Barbarous usage is uncertaine As amongst the many blessings wherewith it pleased God to advance the Citie of Lon●on farre above all other Cities either of this or other Nations of the Christian World one was their Clergy for a more Pious Learned laborious Ministery no people ever enjoyed even their enemies themselv●s being ●udges So amongst the many crying sinnes whereby that Proud Rebellious Citie hath provo●ed God to give them up to a Reprobate sense and hardnesse of heart to their owne destruction certainly the contempt oppression of their Clergy are none of the least as before the last Parliament began a main part of their Religion was to strive with their Priests and to robbe them of their maintenance by all possible arts of deceit and fraud so as soon as the Parliament was sate and the basest of the people were set loose to worrey their Ministers though never so blamelesse never so Orthodox if they did not conspire with them to innovate both Church and State the Citizens of London shewed themselves most forward in Petitioning against their Ministers yet at first pretended to molest such onely who had expressed greatest zeale to the order and decency of Gods worship professing that for the rest there was no thought to trouble them but at last having put to slight or imprisoned those they go on and discover plainly that whosoever is a friend to the Protestant Religion as it is established in the Church of England is their Enemy how many have they silenced imprisoned or banished from their Cures whom heretofore they did magnifie for the undaunted Champions of the Protestant Religion and stou● opposers of those supposed pretended innovations which they vainly imagined were the eager endeavours of some men to impose upon the Church he that knowes London and hath frequented the most throng'd Congregations there cannot be ignorant that Master Ephraim Vdal Parson of Saint Austines in the O●d-Change neare Saint Austines Gate is a man of eminent Pictie exemplary conversation profound learning indefatigable industry preaching constantly every Lords Day twice and for the Winter halfe yeare if not the whole yeare preaching a Lecture at his owne Parish every Tuesday in the afternoon and if I am not mistaken every Saturday before the first Sunday in the month a Preparatory Sermon to the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper and besides all this he is a man of an affable courteous peaceable Conversation amongst his neighbours in a word he was a man of their owne Vote and is without prophanation be it spoken a shining and burning light and his people for a while much pleased themselves in their choyce and were content to walk by his light but when he found himselfe mistaken in the ends intentions of the heads of this Rebellion when he saw that the zeal of some did degenerate into madnesse and frenzie and that the endeavours of others under the pretence of Reformation was to bring in Anarchy and Sacriledge to devoure Gods portion the poor remainder of the patrimony of the Church he did strongly and powerfully bend both his tongue and pen against them against Sacriledge be published that learned Tract called A Coale from the Altar against Anarchy he declared himselfe for ●piscopacie and the established Lyturgie and published another Booke called Commun●on Comelinesse in which by many impregnable arguments he proves a high Conveniency if not a necessitie for that most laudable custome of having Railes about the Lords Table These were in the Schismatiques opinion Crimes enough to un-saint a man nay had Saint Paul himself been now in the 〈◊〉 and preached against Sacriledge and Anarchy there is no doubt but there would have bin some found to Petition against him and John White sitting in the Chair a● undoubtedly he had been voted a scandalous Minister at a Committee but because when these Books were published Injustice and Oppression did not march so ●uriously nor were growne so frontlesse and impudent to seize on Innocency it selfe not slur'd with slanders and calumnies Master Vdal sate something quiet some murmurings there were but his former Reputation in the Citie bore him up against the Obloquy of private discontent the Faction found it no eas●e matter to brand M. Vdal with Po●●ry or Popishly affected or these slanders to make any impression in that estimation which the people had of him but at last when they came openly to defie their Soveraign the Lords Annointed and it was almost Treason but to name the 13. Chapter of the Romans it was a fit time to Silence and remove M. Vdal for neither Doctor Gouge his Church in Black Fryers or M. Goodwins in Coleman-street were halfe so full before this Parliament began as M Vdals hath been since First therefore they Plunder his house they take away his Library and houshold-stuffe Then they remove him from the execution of his Ministery and Sequester the profit for a Levite of their owne Thirdly they sought for him to commit him close Prisoner being aged of very weake and infirme body his strength exhausted with continuall labours in Preaching the Word of God visiting the sick and in execution of other Ministeriall Functions in performance of which in his owne person few of his Brethren were more Conscientious And Lastly they cast him out of his dwelling house But when they came to seize on his house they found one impediment which unlesse they could find some art to remove they could not take full possession of it Mistresse Vdal besides the infirmities of age was lame and it had been monstrous inhumanity to take her by violence and carry her our of her house not knowing where to dispose of her but in the open street Therefore to gain her consent and prevent clamor untill the ●eat was done they tell the good old Gentlewoman that the Parliament had a tender respect unto her yeares and to her present Infirmities and therefore though they had ordered to dispossesse her of that house yet they did not meane to leave her harbourlesse but had out of the abundance of their goodnesse provided another house to recieve her She good old woman neither awed by feare nor wonne by their perswasions and promises was taken up by two men brought in by him that had broken open three locks and entred the house by force and carryed 〈◊〉 of her house into the street there they set her downe in 〈◊〉 Chaire and so leave this weak infirme Matron of a long time not accustomed to the open aire nor being able to goe out of doores in three or foure yeares before unlesse unto the Church exposed her a sad spectable of the Rebells crueltie to the mercy of

MERCURIVS RUSTICUS THE COVNTRYS COMPLAINT Recovnting the Sad Events of this Unparraleld WARR Angliae Ruina OR ENGLANDS RUINE Represented in the Barbarous and Sacrilegious Outrages of the Sectaries of this Kingdome committed upon the Lives Consciences and Estates of all His Maj Loyal Subjects in generall but more particularly upon the Churches Colledges Clergie and Scholars of the same Containing two briefe Catalogues of such Heads and Fellowes of Colledges in the University of Cambridge and other Learned and Pious Divines within the City of London as have been ejected Plundered Imprisoned or Banished for their Constancie in the Protestant Religion and Loyalty to their Soveraigne Whereunto is added A Chronologie of the time and place of all the Battails Sieges Conflicts and other remarkable passages which have happened betwixt His Majesty and the Parliament with a Catalogue of such Persons of Quality as have been slain on either party from Novemb. 3. 1640 till the 25. of March 1647. AMOS 9. 11. I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is falne and alose up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the dayes of old ANNO 1647. The Preface WHen the sinnes of this Kingdome were ripe for punishment the Divine Justice permitted a great part of it to be besotted with Discontents either wholly causelesse or such as His Maj. was pleased to remeay with Grants so unmeasurably gracious as could not otherwise be justified then by thier importunity that demanded them and His Majesties Royall tendernesse of his Subjects peace and safety These grants were so far from satisfying those whose broken fortunes and boundlesse desires would not permit them to live without a Civill War that they made of them no other use then thereby to strenthen themselves to demand more till at last they broke out into most unnaturall Rebellion The people alwayes apt to cherish murmures and invectives against thier Princes and now grown wanton with the fruits of a long peace incline to Abners mind and thinke the Warre which yet they knew not but a sport Therefore with a great facility they embrace the designe and the baits to cover the Hooks with are the preservation of Religion and the vindication of liberty And howsoever they cannot reconcile their practise with Gods command which under paine of damnation forbids all Subjects to resist their King yet they are so wedded to that interest which they Challenge in Religion and Liberty that for Gods command if they cannot untie the knot they resolve to cut it Doe but assure them that the forbidden fruit will make them as Gods and they will eate it though it be forbidden doe but perswade them that to take up armes against their Soveraigne is the way to secure their Religion and Liberty and they make bold with God for once to choose their owne way for so good an end From so desperate Resolution had they had but Morall justice they might have beene kept back by the improbability of those calumnies whereby His Majestie was traduced as intending to alter Religion and infringe their Liberties Or had Religion to which they doe so Zealously pretend had that potent influence upon them it might have taught them that Religion cannot be defended by transgressing Gods commands which are the Rule of it But if nothing else yet even regard to their owne pretensions the defence of Religion and Liberty should have wrought in them a detestation of Rebellion which is so contrary to both For as an eye had to Gods dominion over us should exact obedience to his commands though never so much to our prejudice So the meditation of his infinite goodnesse ought to win it from us because his commands enjoyne us onely what is for our good if we could see it He would not have forbidden Subjects to defend Religion against their King by force of Armes but that he knew as Rebells can be no friends to Religion so it gaines love admiration by the innocent patience of those that professe it where as Blood-shed Force and Rapine the fruits of Rebellion procure Hatred or Hypocrisie And for Liberty it is for he good of Mankind to forbid the assertion of it by Subjects Armes taken up against their Prince both because that pretence would otherwise be used by those that have a designe to make the abused people their owne slaves and because Rebellion doth more violate the Subjects liberty then is morally possible for the worst Prince in times of peace to doe This truth was knowne before by speculation to a few whose endeavours to infuse it into the distempered peoples minds had the fate of Caffandraes predictions to hit the truth and want belief till these sad times have at last verified it by acostly experience That this may be more universally beneficiall you have too plentifull a harvest of Instances collected in the ensuing Relations wherein may evidently be seene that this War which the multitude was so fond of as the onely meanes to preserve Religion and Liberty hath beene the utter ruine of them both Here you shall find these great pretenders to Religion Suppressing that which themselves confesse to be Divine Truth Debarring poore prisoners the comfort of joyning their prayers together enforcing men to take Oaths of blind obedience to whatsoever they should afterwards command them turning out Clergiemen above all exception and placing most scandalous and insufficient wretches in their roomes darting from their invenomed mouthes most horrid Blasphemies against our Lord and Saviour abusing the service of God and profaning not only the Forme of it the Booke of Common Prayer which now they have utterly extirpated but even Gods owne Word the holy Bible which they pretend to reverence Here shall you behold them not onely like those Canes Sepulchrales violating the bones ashes of the dead to make the world know that they beleeve what some of their fellowes openly professe that of those sometime living Temples of the holy Chost there shall be no Resurrection but exercising their sury on the Churches of God which they have defaced with barbarous rudenesse defiled with more then beastly nastinesse as if contrary to their wont they had studyed the Booke of Maccabes to find out and out-doe the most Heathenish wickednesses therein related they have polluted the very Altar with their whoredomes Nor can these Reformers at whose doore the profanations of the Houses of God must lye make the world beleeve they are in earnest when they plead for Religion whilst they deface and demolish the places where it should be taught and practiced and put out the Eyes of the most flourishing Universities of Christendome Then for the other point the Subjects Liberty the following Narrations will plainly shew that it hath not been spared by those that would be accounted the Champions of it when the violation of it might satisfie either their Lust their Covetousnesse or their Cruelty Their Lust hath prompted them not only to

Crew that plundered Sir John Lucas his house should suddenly surprize M. Simmons in his house Plunder his goods and cut off his person as one not fit to live because he was as they said against the Parliament But by the good providence of God this conspiracy was discovered and prevented Fourthly they oppressed him in his State for after his Returne home seeing the necessity of opposing that inundation of wickednesse which was overflowing his Charge and pressed earnestly in conscience according to his duty and place to labour to undermine tha● throne of Satan which by the Luxation of the nerves and sinews of Government was like to be set up both there and in all parts of the Kingdome he bent himselfe in his Sermon chiefly against the prevailing sinnes of the time as Lying and Slandering Rebellion and Treason Pride and Opprestion Malice and Cruelty yet these Sermons by his malicious enemies were interpreted little better then Libells against the Parliament and upon Information given he was sent for up three or foure times to the Lower House to his very great charge and trouble though when he came to London he was never called to answer to the Accusation And because he refused to contribute voluntarily to the maintenance of the Rebellion his malicious Neighbours resolved to extort it from him in a seeming legall way for in the rates made for the Royall Subsidy they raised him farre beyond his just proportion and therefore in the first rate they seized him twice as much and in the second almost thrice as much as themselves and contrived their businesse so cunningly that they caused him to be font for up to the Parliment while these things were in doing and returned rates in to the Exchequer in his absence that so he might not have the opportunity by complaint of a just greivance to releive himselfe Lastly having by most unjust v●xations exhausted his Estate and drayned his purse without hearing his defence indeed without further summoning him to appeare they sequester his Parsonage and Glebe and Tyt●e and put one Robert Atkins a stranger into Cure and as they put his Livelyhood into a strangers hands so they put his life into the power of his enemies who are authorized to apprehend him and carry him Prisoner to Cambridge but upon Intimation given he withdrew himselfe and leaving all to the mercy of his Enemies was forced by flight to socur● his Person And here by the way give me leave to observe one thing to the Courteous Reader and it is the Reason which was alleadged in the sequestration of M. Simmons his Parsonage and indeed is generally used in all these sequestrations and it is For the better supply of an able and godly man in the said Church I would they go●ll tell us where we should find these two Epithites Able and Godly to meete in any one of those which they have Substituted in the Revenues and Imployments of those Orthodox Divines which they have banished from their Cures and families doe but survey the new Plantations which they have made and you will think that Ieroboams Priests were risen againe from the dead the lowest and basest of the people for while honest learned and conscientious men could not suffer themselves to be made the base instruments to corrupt and seduce the Ignorant multitudes to comply with the treasonable practices of the heads of this Rebellion it was necessary to seeke out and invite such of the Clergy into their Party whom either want of merite or want of honesty had left destitute of meanes and wh●n Orthodox men are displaced or driven away and such Trencher Chaplaines put in their places we may easily guesse what worke is in hand even the alteration of the Government for while they are so earnest both to Preach and Print that other formes of Government are Gods ordinance as well as Monarchy they will in time goe on to undervalue Monarchy in comparison of the rest but to leave my diversion and to returne to M. Simmons His living sequestrated and his person exposed to the licence of his veryest enemies but he withdrawing himselfe from this storme and being out of their reach they wreck their malice on his poor Wife and Children and his aged Father They threaten to beat downe the house about their cares unlesse they would yeeld possession to M. Atkins his father for cutting downe three trees on the Glebe for necessary uses and an honest Parishioner for loving M. Simmons and plowing his Land were most maliciously handled and sent for up before the Committee in the Exchequer Chamber and when after all these threats and oppressions they still keep possession of the Parsonage house having no place else wherein to put their heads at last May the 15. Watt Tyler I mean Watt Long whom some call Colonell Long came with some Troopes of Horse and cast his whole family out of doores his aged Father his Wife and three Children the eldest but seven years old and his servants and so gave possession of the house to M. Atkins He that desires to be better satisfied concerning this faithfull Minister of God and what raised this persecution against him let him have recourse to that Learned and Orthodox Book of his lately published called A Loyall Subjects Beliefe worthy every mans reading wherein he shall see a solid and satisfactory Answer to all those Arguments divulged by way of a Letter by Stephen Ma●shall the great Patri●rch of Rebellion whereby he indeavours to maintaine the Lawfulnesse of this present Warre against the King In which Letter you may see the true character of a Cauterized Schismatique for as if he were afraid the World should not think him sealed up to a reprobate sense and past all grace of Repentance he tells us that as soon as he hath recovered his health much impaired by a hot eager prosequution of this Rebellion he intends to returne with the Dogge to his vomit to sacrifice his strength to the service of the Cause and his Excellency in all which while he labours to free himself from the imputation of Madnesse and apologizeth against a prevailing report that the horrour of his guilt had distracted him he proves himselfe to be madder then ever the World took him Mercurius Rusticus c. III. The great increase of Brownists and Anabaptists at Chelmsford of late yeeres Their abuse of the Church and Doctor Michelson Parson there Their Te●ets in matters of Religion Master Cornelius a Minister plundered c. ESSEX is a deep Country and though we have travelled almost two weeks in it yet wee cannot get out we are now at Chelmesford which is the Shire-towne and hath in it two thousand Communicans all these are Parishioners of one and the same Church for there is but one Church in this great Towne whereof at this time Doctor Michelson is Parson an able and godly man Before this P●rliament was called of this numerous Congregation there was not one to be

a time to make his report to the House so that he remained a Prisoner for a long time On the 28 of January 1642 the Castle of Sudley upon composition was delivered up to the Rebels there were Articles agreed on and sworne to but as he spake truely Children were deceived with Apples and Men with Oaths the Rebells as they sweare to Articles for their advantage so they break them as easily for their advantage and make Perjury an easie uninterrupted passage to Theft robbery for these Rebells brake as many Articles as they swore unto they Plunder not only the Castel the Seat and house of the Lord Chandoi● and Winchcombe a neighbouring Village to the utter undoing the poore Inhabitants but in defence of the Protestant Religion and vindication of the honour of God they prophane his House There is in the Castle a goodly faire Church here they dig up the graves and disturbe the ashes of the dead they breake down the ancient Monuments of the Chandoses and instead thereof leave a prodigious monument of their sacrilegious prophanenesse for each part of the Church they find a peculiar way to prophane it the lower part of it they make their Stable the Chancell their Slaughter-house Unto the Pulpit which of all other places in probability might have escaped their impiety they fasten pegs to hang the Carcasles of the slaughtered Sheep the Communion-Table according to their owne language they make their Dresser or Chopping-board to cut out their meat into the Vault wherein lay the bodies of the Chandose● an Ancient and honourable Family they cast the guts and garbage mingling the loathsome Intralls of beasts with those bones and ashes which did there rest in hope of a joyfull Resurrection The Nave or body of the Church was all covered with the dung blood of beasts which was if it be possible a degree beyond these prophanations in contempt of God and his holy Temple they defile each part and corner both of Church and Chancell with their owne excrements and going away left nothing behind them in the Church besides walls and Seats but a stinking memory that part of the Parliament Army raysed for the defence of Religion had been there Let that rayling R●bsh●kah or jeering Sanballat I meane the Author of the ridiculous Pamphlet intituled One Argument more against the Cavaliers read this Story and then tell me which are most guiltie of prophanation of Churches the Cavaliers or the Roundheads which were most prophaned either Saint Mary Maudlins in Oxford or the Church at Sudley Castle and yet this dog sticks not with Shimei to ba●ke at his Soveraigne and blaspheme his Pietie as if the Rebels brought from Cy●encester had beene Quartered in this Church by his approbation who to expiate that guilt gave an hundred and fiftie pounds to adorn and beautifie that Church The truth is there was a fault in the Commanders for lodging them in Churches who if they had had their due had been hanged for Rebellion their Carcasses exposed to the F●wles of the aire and the Beasts of the Field that the Ravens of the valleys might have had their due portion and never suffered them to come so neere the Church as to have the priviledge of Christian buriall in the Church-yard So even so let all the Kings Enemies perish O Lord and let all the people say Amen In Saint Maries Church in Warwick and the Chappel commonly called the Earles Chappel● adjoyning to the Quire of that Church are divers faire Monuments of the Beuchamps anciently Earles of that place which Family long flourishing there had bin great Benefactors beautifiers of that Church whereof Thomas Beuchamp Earle of Warwick and Earl Marshall of England and one of the Founders of the most noble Order of the Garter in the Raigne of King Edward the third built the Quire now standing in the midst whereof is his Monument ado●ned the windowes with the Pictures of himselfe his wife and children which were many upon the Sur-coats of the men were their Armes skilfully depicted the women having the like and Man●les over which were the Armes of their Matches their Husbands being the prime Nobility of those times the like portraitures in glasse but much more rich and costly were in that stately Chappell before mentioned In this stood the Monument of Earle Richard being Brasse gilt and in the opinion of judicious observant Travellers esteemed the rarest Piece erected for any Subject in the Christian World but such is the barbarousnesse of the pretenders to Reformation that upon Wednesday the 14. of this instant June the Souldiers by the appointment and encouragement of one whom in these degenerous times wherin the dregs of the people are made Commanders for the advancement of Rebellion men call Colonel Puresey a man of a meane desperate fortune but by the meanes of the late Lord Brooke chosen Burgesse of Parliament for Warwick who had the greatest influence in seducing that unhappy Lord to this desperate Rebellion in which he miserably perished did beat down and deface those Monuments of Antiquitie and not content with this by the same Command they breake downe the Crosse in the market place not leaving one Stone upon another Purefey all the while standing by animating and incouraging them untill they had finished their so barbarous work In which the World may observe that these men are the sworne Enemies not onely of pretended Superstition but of the Ensignes of Nobilitie and Gentry that if their Diana I mean their Parity may take effect posterity may forget and not read the distinction of Noble from ignoble in these venerable monuments of ancient Nobility there being in these windowes something ●●deed to instruct a Herald nothing to oftend the weakest Christian Mercurius Rusticus c. VII Doctor Cox barbarously used by the Earle of Stamford at Exeter contrary to the Law of Armes The unheard of cruelties committed by the Lord Grey of Groby and his Souldiers on the person house goods and servants of Master Nowel in Rutland-shire Doctor Bargrave ill intreated by Col. Sands in Kent c. AFter the great and happy defeat given by the victorious Sir Ralph Hopton to the Devon-shire forces at Starton it pleased the Commanders of His Majesties Forces to entertaine thoughts of Clemency towards the remainder of the Rebels To testify to the world therefore that there was nothing more in their desires then a Thrift of Christian blood and withall to heap Coales of fire upon their heads to conquer them by kindnesse whom they had often conquered by the Sword by their Letters they signifie their readinesse to close up those wide ●ents betweene them by a Treaty And that a Message of Peace might be well suited with a Messenger they sent the Letters by Doctor Cox Doctor of Divinitie who attended by a Trumpeter came to Exeter that Sunday in the afternoone The Trumpeter as the manner is gave the Towne warning as soon as he came within sight

remained Prisoner three weeks and could not be released without the earnest sollicitation of his friends and his Wives humble and often petitioning the Earle of Bedford In November last suffering under continuall molestations and out of all hope to live peaceably at home he resolved to put himself under the protection of Sir Ralph Hoptons Army then in Cornewall To this purpose he furnished three Horses and Arms proportionable and set forward to deliver them up for His Majesties service but unhappily in the way thither he was intercepted by the Earle of Stamfords Forces under the command of Captaine Gould taken Prisoner robb'd so the value of 80.l the Plunderers leaving him not so much as a Boot to ●ide in By these he is led Captive to Liskard in Cornewall where they kept him three dayes in which time he and another Minister with him with his servant had but one pint of Beere for their sustenance being kept without either fire or light and for one night had their hands bound behind them and had st●ll been kept in the like bondage had not God in mercy rescued them by Sir Ralph Hopton after the famous battle of Liskard During the time of their imprisonment they offer them Conditions on which they may purchase their libertie viz to pay three hundred pound to take an Oath never any more to assist the King with Horse Armes or Money But being delivered on far better termes he was not long after imprisoned for giving God publique thankes for his deliverance Afterwards seeing that Religion if selfe was but abused being made the Cloake of these mens Hypocrisie and Treasons and that they did ●ast but is strife debate he did not observe the Fast every ●ast wednesday in the moneth with that strict observation as was expected from him by that Faction hereupon some of them put him in mind of it Good-Friday comming on presently upon the last Wednesday in Apr●ll ●e ces●ed his Neigh●ours and Parishioners to keepe that ancient Fast injoyned by the Church in Commemoration of the bitter Death and Passion of Christ and the better to invite them to that dayes ●●●●mne Humiliation he Preached to them twice that day Though Se●mons be all their Religion yet two Sermons on Good Friday are with these men no better then Superstition ●or for this contempt as they interpreted it of the Parliament Fast not setting so high an estim●t on on it as on this Ca●b●like Fast of Good Fryd●y received and practised by all Churches in all Ages ti●l o● late a Jewish observation of one day hath sh●uldred out the religious observation of all other dayes he was convented before the Sessions where Edmund Prideaux a Parliament man and a pretender to this Law prest this his obedience to the Church most violently against him maliciously affirming that he did it to affront the Parliament to advance Pop●sh Superstition and I●novation and that therefore He see what it is to be a Parliament man would make him an Example to the world and as the times then were God as he threatned Israel pro●oking us by foolish people was like enough to have done it had not M. Io●e● prevented him by withdrawing himselfe and so declined the evill intended against him Yet we may not omit one thing though it were so heinous a C●ime in M Iones not to observe one of their Wednesdayes Fasts yet M Darke Minister of Musbury in the same County and a man of that Faction could command his men to follow the Plough that day and yet was never thought fit of a Reprehension nor so much as a Brotherly Admonition and no wonder for though heretofore Actions did Qualifie persons and denominate them by the Sectaries new Divinitie they make persons to Qualifie Actions those things which are sinnes in others lose their Nature and their Name in a Child of God and they will take it very ill from you not to be so reputed though living in the most notorious scandalous sinnes that de●le the soule and lay waste the Conscience of Man But to returne to our Story From the beginning of this Parliament till God by the glorious and no lesse then miraculous Victories of Sir Ralph Hopton restored some Peace to that miserably distracted Country Master Iones was not permitted to live quietly at his owne dwelling they threaten to hang him and burne his house which they Plundered no lesse then seven times and not content with this they threaten to carry away his aged Father Prisoner being no lesse then 86 yeares of age and had beene as good as their word for in mischiefe they seldome faile of their promises had not the Women of the Parish in detestation of so great barbarisme rescued him out of their hands After that memorable defeat of the Rebels at Sira●ton in the edge of Cornwall by the brave Sir Ralph Hopton M. Iones returned to his own house fearing no danger from the fitters of that broken Army but four Troopers of the Rebels horse came to his house searched it very narrowly for him insomuch that he heard them sweare how cruelly they would use that Cavaliering Priest if they could meet with him when they were nearer him then they were aware of had they known it there being but an Inch board between him them at which time missing of the intended Prey they wreck their malice on his houshould stuffe what they could not carry away they spoyle Beds Bed-steeds Hangings all are torn and spoyled They Plunder the Maid servants and that of their Smocks and exchange in their very presence their lowzie shirts for their cleane Linnen Hereupon M. Iones finding by experience that there was no safetie out of one of the Kings Armies the only Protection which the King is able for the present to afford His good Subjects he put himselfe under the Protection of Sir Ralph Hoptons Army where he now ●emaines While the Rebells Army lay at Tame sending out parties by chance they lighted on some of the Kings Souldiers and amongst them there was one who touched in conscience for so grievous a sin as listing up his hand against his lawfull Soveraign the Lords Annoynted forsook the Rebells Army and was entertained in his Majesties pay and being in their power they resolve instantly to hang him but with such Circumstances as in the murther of the Subject they evidently manifest their malicious rebellious hearts towards their Soveraign Nothing will serue to hang him on but the signe post of the Kings Head in Tame the poore man being ready to be throwne from the Ladder Prayed very servently and cryed out Lord I●sus receive my Soule The Rebells standing about him instead of joyning with him in his devotions made a confused noyse and laughed at him They that had so little mercy for his Soule were not likely to draw out any bowells of Compassion towards his body No they will not only Murther him but Murther him by a lingring Torment they will not afford him the

perii It was gathered by many circumstances especially by depositions taken before thc Coroner and by some speeches that fell from their owne mouths that their principall aime at that time was to have murthered the Doctor which 't is probable they had effected had not some honest Inhabitants premonished the Doctor who was at the same time on his way towards the Church intending to have Preached About the same time many of these Murtherers were heard expressing their rancour against the Doctor thus Some said they would chop the Rogue as small as Hearbs to the Pot for suffering Pottage for by that name they usually style the Book of Common Prayer to be read in his Church Others said they would squeeze the Pope out of his belly with such like scurrilous and malicious Language The Sunday sennight after this out-rage being the fifth of March the Doctor perceiving some Separatists at Sermon at Lambeth took occasion to speak as followeth IF ever Schismatiques and foul-mouth'd Separatists were set forth in their native colours the Schismatiques of this age are P●al 50.16 17 18 19 20. What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction whatsoever thou pratest of Reformation and castest my words behind thee namely Prov. 14.21 Eccles. 10.20 Rom. 12. 1 2 3 4. Heb. 13 8 9 17. 1 Pet. 2.13 when thou sawest a thmese then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers Thou givest thy mouth to lying and thy tongue frameth deceit Thou fittest and speakest against thy brother and standerest thins owne mothers sonne For is not this their chanting Language The Prelates of England are all Antichristian The Ministers Baals Priests The Publique Service Idolatrous The Ceremonies Superstitious And the Sacraments corrupted with mans invention I take them at their word If this be true then is the Church of England no true Church of Christ then they which have received all the Religion they have from her are no better then Miscreants Pagans and Infidels in apparent perill of drowning in everlasting perdition because out of the Arke without God in this world because without his Church For as the blessed Martyr St. Cy●●ian soundly argueth against their forefathers the Catharists Deum non potest habere Patrem qui ●t clesiam non habet Matrem And Church they have none for their Mother for they disclaime the true Protestant Church of England and the Popish disclaimes them so they are meere A per se A's Independents like the horli pensiles in Lactantius and Mausolus his Sepulchre in Martial hanging and hovering in the ayre The Scripture sets forth the true visible Church of Christ upon earth under the embleme of a great field a great fl●ore a great house a great sheet a great draw net a great and large foundation c. The Church shadowed out under these similitudes cannot be their Congregation or rather Conventicles For as they brag and commend themselves wanting good neighbours In their Field there are no tares in their floore there is no chasse in their house no vessells of dishonour in their sheet no uncleane beasts in their net no trash on their foundation nothing built but gold silver and precious stones They have not sate with vaine persons nor kept company with dissemblers they have hated the assembly of Malignants and have not acompanied with the ungodly they have not nor will not Christen in the same Font nor sit at the holy Table for to kneele at the Sacrament is Idolarry nor drink spiritually the blood of our Redeemer in the same Chalice with the wicked Get ye packing then out of our Churches with your bags and baggages hoyse up sayle for New England or the Isle of Providence or rather Sir Thomas Mores Eutopia where Pluto's Commoner and Os●rius his Nobleman and Castillio his Courtier and Vegetius his Souldier and Tully his Orator and Aristocles Eelix and the Jewes Ben●ohab and the Manichees Paraslet and the Gnosticks illuminate ones and the Montanists spirituall ones and the Pellagians Perfect ones and the Cathacists pure ones and their precise and holy ones are all met at Prince Arthurs Round Table where every guest like the Table is totus teres alqque totundus There are three heads of Catechisme and grounds of Christianitie The Apostles Creed the Lords Prayer and and Tea Commandements these may be more truely then Gorran his Postills tearmed aurea fundamenta which they goe about to overthrow and cast down and when they have done it no place remaineth for the to build their Synagogues or Maria Rotunda's but the sand in the Saw pit where there Apostle Browne first taught most profoundly The Lords Prayer they have excluded out of their Lyturgie the Apostles Creed out of their Confession and the Ten Commandements by the Antinomians their Disciples out of their rule of life They are too good to say the Lords Prayer better taught then to rehearse the Apostles Creed better liv'd then to hear the Decalogue read at their Service for God can see no sinne in them nor man honestie Tell me ye bastard-brood of Martins is it not sufficient for the conviction of your cauterized consciences that ye wreck your spleene upon the materiall Temples of God by breaking downe Organs burning Rayles and defacing the Monuments ot the dead but will ye go about to destroy the spirituall Temple of the holy Ghost not fearing that dreadfull sentence of the Apostle He that destroyeth the Temple of God kim shall God dstroy Could they not be content to teare the Booke of Common Prayer in pieces and scatter the leaves all about the Church but will they also rend and dilacerate the living members of Christs mysticall body Will they charge the Cannon with murthering shot to destroy and dislipate whole assemblies of Gods Servants met together upon his own day to worship him in his own house Do they that their bare opposition to Popery will save them If that alone would give a man a good title to heaven not onely the Socinians Liberrines Fami●●sts Antinomians and other damnable H●retiques but even the Jewes Turkes would snatch heaven from them and take it by force for these are as vehe●●ent opposers of Popery as they are And howsoever the ●●●nt opposition to Popish Superstition is all the Religi●●●●e of them have yet are they not at so deadly feud with Papists as they would beare the world in hand for they shake hands with them in many of their Tenets and practices both of them condemne our English Lyturgie and professe Recusanci● both of them Idolize their teachers c. Who hath bewitched them that they should beleeve Bedlam shall be so farre enlarged and the spirit of Frenzie possesse Old England that they should have the like successe here as their cozen germans the Anabapticts had at Munster though we envy them not their high preferment in the end After these fits of Convulsion are over

houses amongst which two were most famous far exceeding all the rest viz. Christ-Church Et hujus pertinacissimus amulus as Learned cambden speakes the eager rivall of Christ-Church Saint Augustines This Church by the injury of Sacrilege and time two greedy devourers lyes almost buried in its own Ruines presenting nothing else to the eye of the beholders but a sad spectacle how spacious ample a structure it once was when now a piece of it hath the honour to be stiled though seldome imploy'd as the Kings House But Christ-Church placed as it were in the Navel of the City rayseth it self to so great a Majestie and Statelinesse that Krasmus a man not too much taken with magnificence in this kind I am sure not doting on it sayes that this doth present it self with so Majestick State VI procul etians intuentibus religionem incutiat that it occasions that devotion which should be used there and strikes a sensible impression of Religion in their hearts that behold it though a far off and at a distance This Church built in old time as Beda sayes by the faithfull and beleeving Romans and by King Ethelbert given to Augustine in processe of time needed the like pietie to susport it as at first built it works of that nature in those dayes did not long lye neglected for want of Benefactors Lanfranke therefore the thirtie third Arch-Bishop of this Sea whether more famous for repairing of decayed Churches as this of Canterbury Rochester and S. Albans or his indefatigable pains in correcting the corrupt translations of the Holy Bible scattered every where through the Kingdom in his dayes is uncertain William Corbet or as others will have it Gorbois the thirtie sixth Arch-Bishop of the same Sea reedified the Quire and the upper part of this Church and the pietie of succeeding Bishops built joyned the Nave or body to the Quire and brought it to this magnificence and splendor in which wee now see it But what out forefathers thought Religion to build up we their degenerous posterity think Pietie to pull downe so that while some leading Atheists enemies to God and his Religion and reprobate to every good work are busie to Vote cry down Episcopacy with the Sacred Hierarchy Root Branch their Emissaries incouraged and set on by them first deface these Churches and in the next place will utterly ruine them ' that so the places where God is worshipped being demolished the revenue that maintaines the worship may become a prey to these Sacrilegious Cormorants But my God shall make them like a wheele Now how the Rebells behaved themselves in their first attempt in this kind on the Cathedrall Church of Canterbury under the conduct of Colonel Sandys I cannot better expresse then in the passionate elegancy of Reverend Doctor Pas●e one of the Prebends and at the time Sub-deane of that Church to the Earle of Holland the most ingratefull and most unthankfull of men My ever honoured Lord Did it not conduce unto the Publique I should not preume to interrupt your Lordships weightie affaires but the long experience of your Lordships 〈◊〉 for Religion and vigilancy for your universitie of Cambridge hath assured me of your Lordships Patronage of our whole Church in generall and as the case new stands of this Mother Church in particular 〈◊〉 spected P●… but have found much trouble from the Troopers sent among 〈◊〉 with what barbarousnesse they have 〈◊〉 themselves at Rochester and in other parts of this Countie I leave to the Relation of others and beg your Lordships patience onely to be informed what hath happened here with us and wherein I am more neerly concerned by mine Office in the absence of the Deane Colonel Sandys arriving here with his Troopers on Friday night presently casued a 〈◊〉 Watch and Sentinells to be set both upon the Church and upon our severall honses to the great affright of all the Inhabitants 〈◊〉 this done Serjeant Major Cockaine came to me and in the name of the Parliament demanded to see the Armes of the Church and the store Powder of the countie which I presently shewed him when her possessed himselfe of the Keyes and kept them in his owne custody the next morning wee were excluded the Church might not be permitted to enter for the performance of our Divine Exercises but about eight of the clock Sir Michael Livesey attended with many Souldiers came unto our Officers and commanded them to deliver up t●e keyes of the Church to one of their Company which they did and thereupon bee departed when the Souldiers entring the Church and Quire Giant-like began a fight with God himselfe overthrew the Communion-Table toare the Velvet-Cloth from before it defaced the goodly Screene or Tabernack-worke violated the Monuments of the dead spoyled the Organs brake downe the ancient Rayles and Seats with the brazen Eagle which did support the Bible forced open the Cupboards of the Singing-men rent some of their Surplices Gommes and Bibles and carryed away others mangled all our Service-Books and Books of Common-Prayer bestrowing tbe whole Pavement with the leaves thereof a misereble spectacle to all good eyes but as if all this had b●ene too little to satisfie the sury of some indiscreet Zealots among them for many did abhorre what was done already they further exercised their malice upon the Arras hanging in the Quire representing the whole Story of our Saviour wherein observing divers figures of Cbrist I tremble to expresse their blasphemies One said That here is Christ and swore that he would stab him Another said here is Christ and swore that he would rip up his bowells which they did accordingly so farre as the figures were capable thereof besides many other villanies And not content therewith finding another statue of christ in the Frontis●iece of the South-Gate they discharged against it fortie shot at the least trium●hing much when they did hit it in the head or face as if they were resolved to crucisie him againe in his Figure whom they could not hurt in truth nor had their fury beeme thus stopped threatning the ruins of the whole Fabrick had not the Colonel with some others come to the reliese and rescue the Tumults appeased they presently d●parted for Dover from whence we expect them this day and are much afraid that as they have already vilisied our persons and offered extreame indignitie to one of our Brethren so they will Plunder our houses at their returne unlesse the care of the Major the Colonel and some Members of the House of Commons Sir Edward Masters and captaine Nut now with us who have promised to present their knowledge to that Honourable House doe prevent the same Your Lordship will be pleased to pardon my hastie expressions which proceed from a grieved heart and I am confident the honourable Houses of Parliament being rightly informed herein will proceed against the like abuses and impieties in other places in the meane time we submit with patience

Religion and Loyaltie shall lift up their hands against their God in Sacrilege and against their Soveraigne in Rebellion Mercurius Rusticus c. II. The Cathedrall Church of Rochester violated the Sacrilege and prophanenesse of the Rebells under command of Sir William Waller and Sir Arthur Hasterig acted on the Cathedrall Church of Chichester c. As when the Spirit brought the Prophet Ezekiel into the Holy Temple he led him from place to place and each place entertained him with greater Abominations than the former so that the farewell to the last Vision and the invitation to the next is Turne thee yet againe and thou shalt see greater Abominations than these So having brought you in the cathedralls of this Kingdome Temples in despite of Atheists Rebells and Anabaptists of God too and having shewed you the Abomination of Desolation in one of them viz. in Canterbury the first instance of their accursed rage and having viewed that I must now lead you on as the Spirit did the Prophet from place to place and the inticement may be the same for though you have seene great prophanations in the former relation Yet you shall see greater abominations than these The next instance of the Rebells prophanenesse which I shall offer unto you is in the Cathedrall of Rochester recompenced for the finalnesse of its Revenue with the honour of its Antiquitie as boasting of Ethelbert King of Kent a common Founder to this Church with those of Canterbury and London The unhappy losse of Earnulphus History the thirtie second Bishop of this See deprives us of that Light which discovered the various condition of this Church how long in the beginning it struggled with its owne povertie and in after-ages with the injuries of Time and Warre remaining some yeares in a kind of Widow hood without the Government and Super-intendency of a Bishop till at last Gundulfus the thirtieth Bishop of this See re-edified this Church from the ground and brought it into that magnificence in which we now see it To which pious worke hee brought so good so vigorous affections that as Malmesbury records of him Praevene●at vivacitas Gundulsi omnium successorum diligeatiam Gundulphus ●lacrity in that work did so prevent the pietie of his successors that he hardly left them any place in this kind wherein to exercise their bountie Little did the over-flowing zeal of our Ancestors to the house of God like that of the old lsraelites pouring out their wealth and precious things to adorne the Tabernacle in so great measure that M●sas was sain to publish a Proclamation to restraine their liberalitie For the stuffe they had was sufficient for the work to make it and too much Exod. 36.6.7 Little I say did they thinke when they did this that what they thus bountifully gave unto God should ever while this Kingdome remained Christian become a prey to those which as Tcr●●llian speakes Gentes agunt Christs nomine have not so much as a forme but the bare usurped name of Christianitie which they fulley and pollute with those worse than heathenish crimes of Sacrilege and Prophanenesse had the ●acrilege lately committed at Canterbury been applauded by the people to gain whom no arts though never so repugnant ' pugnant either to Religion or common honesty were left unattempted certainly this Church which next stood in their way and immediatly after Canterbury tasted of their fury had beene utterly demolished and offered up a sacrifice to Popularitie But Plundering being then but a stranger in England newly arrived here from desolate Germany especially Plundering of Churches which heretofore were held inviolable Sanctuaries for offenders but much more for their owne innocent ornaments this made a generall out-cry every manderested so soule impietie nay their own partie some of them not yet so deeply leavened with their Anabaptisticall Doctrines nor given up to so reprebate a sense to believe monstrous lyes for truth did not only not approve but sparingly condemne the Fact and the generall vote of the people awakened by Doctor Pask his Letter declared it barbarous and wicked nay the dislike of such proceedings grew to so great a height that some wise men were deceived into an opinion that the Houses would punish the offenders for the present and publish an Order to restrain the like out-rages for the future indeed though some good men Members of both Houses did earnestly desire it yet by experience they quickly found how unequall they were to effect any thing in which they had not the concurrence of the heads of the Faction which ruled in both Houses but much lesse when they rowed against the stream had them for their adversaries The Rebels therefore comming to Rochester brought the same affections along with them which they expressed at Canterbury but in wisedome thought it not safe to give them the same scope here as there for the multitude though mad enough yet were not so mad nor stood yet so prepar'd to approve such heathenish practices by this means the Monuments of the dead which elsewhere they brake up and violated stood untouched Escoucheons and Armes of the Nobilitie and Gentry upbraiding eye-sorcs to broken mean Citizens and vulga● Rebells remained undefaced the Seats Seals of the Quire escaped breaking downe onely those things which were wont to stuffe up Parliament Petitions and were branded by the Leaders of the Faction for Pepery and Innovation in these they took libertie to let loose their wild zeale they brake down the Rayl about the Lords Table or Altar call it which you please and not only so but most basly reviled a now Reverend Prelate who being lately Deane of that Church had for the more uniforme and reverend receiving of the blessed Sacrament set it up with the odious name of Rogue often repeated they seized upon the Velvet covering of the holy Table and in contempt of those holy Mysteries which were Celebrated on the Table removed the Table it selfe into a lower place of the Church in this perfect disciples of that prophane Author of the book called Altare Damascenum Who in the 718P devoutly resolves thus De loco ubi consistat cur solliciti sùm quovis loco utl Angulo extra Tempus Administrationis c●ll●cari ●ossit Concerning the place where the Lords Table shall stand what need we to be sollicitous when out of the time of administration of the Sacrament it may be see aside in any place or obscure corner And to shew what Members they are of the Church of England they strowed the Pavemenet with the torn mangled leaves of the Book of Common-Prayer which with the Book of Homilies and the 39 Articles makes up the third Book wherein the Doctrine of the Church of England is fully contained under standing that the Deane that then was was to Preach on Sunday morning Colonel Sandys and Sir John Seatont that false Trayterous Scoe sent unto him to command him to forbeare the wearing of the Surplice and Hood to which

this answer That if they would expect any Sermon from him they must permit him to appeare in such Ornaments as the Church and his degree required and accordingly did so afterwards Sandys and Seaton Comming ming towards the Church and hearing the Organs Seaton started back and in the usuall blessing of some of his Country cryed A Devill these Bag-pipes perhaps he never read so ●arre as Davids Psalmes where-it is written Praise God upon the Strings and Pipe Psal 150.4 or if he had it is more then probable that it had beene all one to him however this served them both as a pre●ence to cloake their Irreligion and refusall to joyne with that true Protestant Congregation While the Rebells were pulling downe the Rayles about the Communion-Table one of the Prebends of the Church Master Larken interposed and attempted to stay their madnesse by reason and perswasion but he quickly found that he did not onely prophane Reason by urging it to Saint pauls absurd unreasonable wicked men men made up of incongruities but that he did it to the hazard of his life for one of the Rebells instead of returning a reasonable answer discharged a Pistoll or Carbine at him to have murdered him at the very Altar but by the good providence of God he mist his marke Thus having done some spoyle that they might render themselves not altogether unprofitable to their partie and not daring for the present to doe any more for feare of losing that party which they hoped to gaine for that season they left the Church but into what further outragious Impicties their Schismaticall fury hath since transported them or what else they have practised on this Church to compleat their Monstrous Reformation is not yet made knowne unto us The third Instance which I shall give of the Rebells Sacrilege and Prophanenesse is in the Cathedrall church of Chichester Successor in the honour of being the feat of the Bishops Residence to Sealsey● for wilfrd Arch-Bishop of Yorke being driven into Exile by ●gfrid King of Northumberland retiring himselfe into Suffex and finding the South Saxons wholely given up to Idolatry his spirit like Saint Pauls at Atbens was stirred with in him and knowing the unprofitable servants doome that buried his Talent he Preached unto them the Gospel of Christ and Edelwalch King of those parts not long before converted to the Faith by the perswasions of wolfbere King of the Mer●ians● willing that the same saving-knowledge which he himself had imbraced should be imparted to his people seconaed the pious endeavours of wilfrid and therefore amongst other acts of bountie he gave the Arch bishop Sea●ey for the place of his ●sfidence Not long after Cedwilla Conquering Edilwatch built here a Monastery to the honour as Mamesbury sayes of S. Peter and erected the Episcopall Chaire where it stood fixt the succession of 22 Bishop or as others say reckoning wilfrid Arch-bishop of Yorke for the first the succession of 23 Bishops from the yeare 711. to the raigne of William the Conquerour 1070. at which time Stiganeus translated his Chaire from Sealesey to Chichester and so became the last Bishop of Scalesey and the first of chichester where the Eepiscopall power did flourish ever since untill now in these last and worst dayes wherein while the heads of a Rebellious Schismaticall Faction Vote down the Sacred Function and Order of Bishops their Emissaries are mad to deface if not utterly to demolish their Churches To this purpose the Rebels under the Conduct of Sir william waller entring the Citie of chichester on innocents day 1642 the next day their first businesse was to Plunder the Cathedrall Church the Marshall therfore and some other Officers having entred the Church went into the Vestry there they seize upon the Vestments and Ornaments of the Church together with the Conseerated Place serving for the Altar Administration of the Lords Supper they left not so much as a Cushion for tht Pulpit nor a Chalice for the Blessed Sacrament the Commanders having in person executed the covetoms part of Sacriledge they leave the destructive spoyling part to be finished by the Common mon Souldiers brake downe the Organs and dashing the Pipes with their Pole-axes scoffingly said Harke how the Organs goe They breake the Rayle about the Communion Table which was done with that fury that the Table it selfe escaped not their madnesse but tasted of the same fare with the Rayl and was broken in pieces by them At the East end of the Quite did hang a very fair Table wherein were written the ●en Commandements with the Pictures of Moles and Aaron on each side of the Table possessed with a zeale but not like that of Moses they pull downe the Table and breake it into small shivers 'T was no wonder that they should break the Commandements in their representation that had before broken them all over in their Substance and Sanction they force open all the locks either of doores or desks wherein the Singing-men layd up their Common-Prayer Books their Singing-Books their Gowns and Surplices they sent the Books in pieces and scatter the torne leaves all over the Church even to the covering of the Pavement but against the Gownes and Surplices their anger was not so hot these were not amongst the Anathemata but might be reserved to seculiar uses in the South crosse I le on the one side the History of the Churches Foundation was very artificially pourtrayed with the Pictures of the Kings of England on the other side over against them are the Pictures of the Bishops as well of Scalsey as Chichester began by Robert Sherborn the 37 Bishop of that See and the Series brought down by him to his own times at his own Charges who as he made that of the Psalmist Dil●xi decorum domus tui domins Lord I have loved the beautie of thy house his Imprease and Motto so he made it his worke and endeavour These Monuments they deface and mangle with their hands and swords as high as they could reach and to shew their love and Zeale to the Protestant Religion established in the Church of England one of those Misereants picked out the eyes of King Edward the sixt's Picture saying That all this mischiefe came from him when he established the Books of Common-Prayer On the Tuesday following they had a solemne Thanks giving for their successe in gaining that Citie Men of cauterized Consciences and given upto a Reproba●tesense thus not onely to take the Name of God in vaine but damnably to Blaspheme it as if he were the Patron of Rapine Blood and Sacrilege After the Sermon was ended as men not inspired by the holy Spirit of which they so much boast but possessed and transported by a Batchanalian fury they ran up and downe the Church with their swords drawne defacing the Monuments of the dead hacking and hewing the Seats and Stalls scratching and scraping the painted walls Sir William Waller and the rest of the Commanders standing

by as spectators and approvers of these Barbarous Impieties yet for feare left in this Schismaticall frenzy the sword in mad mens hands might mistake Sir William Waller a wary man as he is and well knowne not to be too apt to expose himselfe to danger stood all the while with his sword drawn and being asked by one of his Troopers what he meant to stand in that Posture He answered That it was to secure himselfe you know 't is written The wicked are afraid where no fear is for though the People made him an Idoll in London yet being no Popish but a Puritanicall Idoll for they have their Idolls and their Idolatry as much as the Church of Rome there was no danger to his person to be mistaken for an object of their Reformation at Chichester The same Trooper added also That if his Colonel in the Low-Countries were there and commanded in thiese he would hang up halfe a dozen of the souldiers for examples sake it no being the custome of the Low-Countries though long time hath made their enmitie inveterate and added much to the animositie of the parties to Plunder Churches it being amutuall stipulation between the Spaniard and the Hollander that what Town soever should by conguest passe from the possession of one Nation to the other though the Conquerour hid the free Plunder of the Towne yet churches with their Ornaments and whatever was conveyed into them should be invialable the church being sanctuary to what sover was under ●is Roo se and if they would have any thing thence it was to be purchased at a valuable price These good intimations of moderations from a man of lesse command but more Religion then Sir William prevailed nothing with him to restrain the outraigous madnesse of his fellow Rebells Having therefore made what spoyle they could in the Cathedrall they rush out thence and breake open a Parish Church standing on the North side of the Cathedrall called the Subdeanery there they teare the Common Prayer Bookes both those belonging to the Church and likewise those which were left there by devote persons which did usually frequent Divine Service and because many things in the Holy Bible make strongly against them one did contradict and condemne their impious practices they marked it in divers places with a black coale 't is more then probable that the 13 Chapter to the Romans did not escape their Index Expurgatorius for certainly if that be the word of God as undoubtedly it is they cannot so farre with-hold the truth in unrightenusnesse as not to read their doome in that word they shall judge them at the last day here they stole the Ministers Surplice and Hood and all the Linnen serving for the Communion and finding no more Plate but the chalice they steale that too which they brake in pieces to make a just and equall divident amongst themselves for an Engeneer of theirs Robert Prince a French-man with a wooden leg afterwards shewed the foot thereof broken off and when complaint was made of these barbarous out-rages Captain Keely replyed That he Know not whether all this were not done by Order or no. About five or six days after Sir Arther Haslerig demanded the Keyes of the chapter-house being entred the place and having intelligence by a treacherous Officer of the Church where the remainder of the Church Plate was he commanded his servants to breake downe the Wainscot round about the roome which was quickly done they having brought Crowes of Iron for that purpose along with them while they were knocking downe the Wainscot Sir Arthurs tongue was not enough to expresse his joy it was operative at his very heeles for dancing and skipping pray marke what Musick that is to which it is lawfull for a Puritan to dance he cryed out There Boyes there Boyes Hearke Hearke it Rattles it Rattles and being much importuned by some members of that Church to leave the Church but a Cup for administration of the Blessed Sacrament answer was returned by a Scotch-man standing by That they should take a wooden dish and now tell me which was farthest from a Christian either this impure Scot or that blasphemous Atheist who seeing the masty Plate and rich Ornaments wherewith the Christian Altars were adorned in the Primitive Church in indignation scorn of Christ beltched out Enquà preciosis vasis filim Maria ministratur Behold with what costly vessells the Son of Mary is served what further spoyle and indignitic they have since done to that house of God And the habitation where his honour dwelt is yet uncertaine Mercurius Rustius c. III. The Rebells defying God in his owne house their Sacrilege in stealing Church Plate and goods their irreverence towards the King by abusing his Statue their heathenish barbaritie in violating the bones and ashes of dead Monarchs Bishops Saints and Confessors in the Cathedral Church of Winchester c. THe next instance which I shall give of the Rebells Sacrilege and Prophanenesse is in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester which Citie as it was the Royall Seat of the Kings of the West Saxons in the time of the Heptarchy so was it the Seat of the Bishops of that people after Kenwalshus King of the West Saxons not brooking the Barbarous broken expressions of Agilbertus his Bishop divided this large Diocesse betweene Agilbertus and Wina and leaving Agilbertus to reside at Dorchester caused Wina to be Consecrated Bishop of Winchester Before we tell you by whom and in what manner this Church was robbed and spoyled of its Ornaments and beautie it will not be impertinent while it may serve as an aggravation of their impietie briefly to set downe by whom this Church was built and so richly adorned as lately we saw it This magnificent Structure which now stands was begun by Walkelinus the thirtie fifth Bishop of this See which worke left imperfect and but begun by him was but coldly prosecuted by the succeeding Bishops untill William of Wickham the magnificent Sole founder of two Saint Mary Colledges the one in Oxford commonly called New Colledge the other a Nurcery to this neare Winchester came to possesse this See He amonst many other works of Pletie built the whole Nave or body of this Church from the Quire to the West end the Chappels on the East end beyond the Quire had their severall Founders The hallowed Ornaments and Utencills of this Church being many rich and costly were the gifts of severall Benefactors who though their names perhaps are not recorded in earth have found their reward in Heaven This Church was first differenced by the name of Saint Amphibalus who received a Crowne of Martyrdome under the persecution of Dioclesian Next it exchanged this name for that of S. Peter and againe this for that of Saint Swithine the eighteenth Bishop of this See last of all it was dedicated to the Holy Trinity whose blessed name is now called upon it which Holy name though it could not but put the

Sacrilege and prophanenefse those Windowes which they could not reach with their Swords Muskets or Rests they brake to pieces by throwing at them the bones of Kings Queens Bishops Confessors and Saints So that the spoyle done on the Windowes will not be repaired for a thousand pounds nor did the Living find better measure from them then the dead for whereas our Dread Severaigne that now is the best of Kings was graciously pleased as a pledge of his Princely favour to this Church to honour it with the gift of his owne Statua together with the Statua of his deare Father King James of ever blessed memory both of massy Brasse both which statua's were erected at the front of the entrance into the Quire These Atheisticall Rebells as if they would not have so much of the Militia to remaine with the King as the bare Image and representation of a Sword by his side They break off the Swords from the sides of both the statua's they breake the Crosse from off the Globe in the hand of the Statua of our gracious Soveraign now living and with their Swords hacked and hewed the Crown on the head of it Swearing They would bring Him back to His Parliement A most flagitious crime and such as that for the like S. Cbrysustome Hom● Adpopulum Antioch with many teares complaines he much feared the Citie of Antioch the Metropolis and head as he calls it of the East would have been destroyed from the face of the earth for when in a Tumult the Seditious Citizens of Antioch had done the like affront to Theodetius the Empetour in overturning his Statua's how doth that holy Bishop bemoane 〈◊〉 how doth he bewaile that Citie 〈◊〉 which fearing the severe effects of the abused Emperours just indignation of a Populous Citie a Mother boasting of a Numerous Iss●e was on the sudden become a widdow left desolate and for saken of her Inhabitants some out of the sense and horror of the guilt abandoning the Citie and flying into the deslote Wildernesse others lurking in holes and confining themselves to the darke corners of their own houses thereby hoping to escape the vengeance due to so Disloyall so Trayterous a Fact because of this foul injury offered the EmpeTours Statua He as that Father speakes was wronged that was the Supreme head of all men and had no equall on Earth But what wonder is it that these miscreants should offer such scornfull indignities to the Representation of his Reyall Person and the Emblems of his Sacred power when the heads of this damnable Rebellion who set these their Agents on work offer worse affronts to his Sacred Person himself and by their Rebellious Votes and illegall Ordinances daily strike at Substones of that power of which the Crowne the Sword and Scepter are but Emblemes and shadowes which yet not withstanding ought to have been venerable and awefull to these men in respect of their Relation After all this as it what they had already done were all too little they go on in their horrible wickednesle they seize upon all the Communion Plate the Bibles and Service-Books Rich hangings large Cushions of Velvet all the Pulpit-Clothes some where of were of Cloth of Silver some of Cloth of Gold They brake up the Muniment house and take away the Common Seale of the Church supposing it to be Silver and a faire piece of guilt Plate given by Bishop Cotton They teare the Evidences of their Lands and cancell their Charter in ● word what ever they found in the Church of any value and portable they take it with them what was neither they either deface or destroy it And now having Ransacked the Church having desied God in his own house and the King in his own Statua having violated the Urns of the dead having abused the bones scattered the ashes of deseased Monarchs Bishops Saints and Confessors they returne in Triumph bearing their spoyles with them The Troopers because they were most conspicuous ride through the streets in surplices With such Hoods and Tippers as they found and that they might boast to the world how glorious a Victory they had archieved they hold out their Trepbies to all spectators for the Troopers thus clad in the Priests Vestments rode carrying Common Prayer Books in one hand and some broken Organ Pipes together with the mangled pieces of Carved worke but now mentioned containing some Histories of both Testaments in the other In all this giving too just occasion to all good Christians to complaine with the Psalmist O God the Heathen are come into thine Inheritance ● by holy Temples have they defiled The dead bodies of thy Servants have they abused and scattered their bones as one beweth wood upon the earth● Help us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy Name Psal 79. Mercurius Rusticus c. IV. The Rebells Prophanation and horrible abuse of the Abby Church of Westminster Together with their severall Out rages and Abominations committed on the Cathedrall church of Exeter c. IF in the Catalogue of Plundered Cathedralls we in●owle the now Collegiat Church of Westminster I hope I shall not be thought to make my discou●se no more of kin to my Title then Mountaine doth some of his ●ssayes For if we looke backe on the various condition of this Church no place set apart for Religions Persons having so often shifted its owners we shall find that among it many changes it had the honour of a Bishops See On the dissolution of the Abbies amongst the rest Henry the Eighth suppressed this Monastery and in the place thereof founded a Deancry An●●,1536 And two yeares after added a Bishoprick to the De●ne●y The Bishop sate here but nine yeares and againe resigned his dilapidated Revenue into the hands of a Deanes Middlesex which was the Diocesse of the Bishoprick being devolved to London yet though this Bishoprick of westminster as it relates to the Saxons was but of moderne Erection yet in the time of the Ancient B●itons it was no lesse then the See of the Arch-Bishop of London and therefore it is more then probable that that record which tells us that the Arch-bishop of London See was planted in Saint Peters in cornhill was either corrupted or mistaken for S. Peters in ●horney for Sic olim●spinis as Learned Cambden and other Antiquaries affirm from the great crop of thorns which heretofore grew there that which we now call westminster was then called Thorney This Church so famous for it's Antiquitie so admired for it's Elegancy of Structure especially by the addition of Henry the seventh's Chappel a Pile of that polished magnificence Vt omn●m Elegantiam in illo acerva●am dicas as if Art and Bountie had conspired to rayse it to a wonder of the world Lastly a Church so venerable as being once the seat of an Arch-Bishop and a Bishop and now a long time the place where the Kings of England receive their sacred Vnction and Crowns at their C ronation