plank ready to invite the Bishops to pass over to their Reformation But if the Churches of France should come to maintain this Doctrine of the Covenanters that the Order of Episcopacy is an appurtenance of Antichrist and that there is no Kingdome of Jesus Christ but there where the Ministers are equal and poor This would put the conversion of the French Churches out of all hope But for as much as we desire the advancement of the Gospel we keep our selves from re-inforcing the considerations of flesh and blood or from augmenting the reproach of the Gospel we are not offended at the degrees nor revenues of the Clergy we render not the entrance into the Church more thorny then it is For to preach Reformation to a Clergy of a divers Religion and bind them to degrade and strip themselves for to reform them what other thing is this but at once to call them and to shut the door against them It 's true that notwithstanding all earthly considerations God may do miracles for to convert them but that hinders not but that we should carry our selves prudently to invite them and we ought not of deliberate purpose to make new Barracadoes between them and us because God can if he please break them But to the end that the difference of disciplines move no quarrel amongst the Reformed Churches this truth ought wisely to be considered that there is no entire rule of discipline laid down in Scripture and that not to have an outward order in the Church all the parts whereof not being expresly set down in the Word of God is to involve themselves in great difficulties and shut themselves up into straight bounds it 's to search that in the Word of God which is not there to be found Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 15. It s a Scripture that may be stretched very far and which remits to the Christian prudence of the Ministers of the Word of God to advise of such an order which is most expedient for the times and places wherein they live provided that nothing be done against Divine Institution It 's then necessary that to the Divine Institution the humane should be joyned and it was never otherwise in Church Now that which is humane in the discipline can never be so well united and fitted with the Divine that there may be made of these two a form entirely regular and a perfect composition It 's like the iron and clay in the feet of the Statue of Nebuchadnezzar which could never well joyn themselves one with another for the Ecclesiastical Ordinances are the feet of Religion bearing on them a head of gold and a brest of silver that is striving to uphold a Doctrine of great price but they themselves touch the earth and are mingled and there is not such a prudence and sanctity of Reformation which can form a discipline purely celestial nor joyn that which it hath of humane and Divine in it with such a justness as to compose a perfect order with materials of so different a nature This here is the cause of so many faults which may be found in all Ecclesiastical Order For notwithstanding the confusion of Schismes and Heresies the sharpness of persecutions the infinite revolutions of States during sixteen ages a pure and divine Doctrine remains in the World as gold which is found alwayes at the bottom of the Furnace The same cannot be said of the discipline for that is defective in all Churches and varieth yea ought to vary according to the times and places and it hath so much of man in it that what it hath of Divine is alwayes more or less Sophisticated by humane inventions and will be alwayes so until Jesus Christ hath withdrawn his Church from the earth and raised it to that great Ecclesiastical Government which is the Rule of Heaven Surely though there be certain rules of discipline Divine and certain there yet remains ever something for Prudence to form which ought to accommodate it self to necessity So bending according as occasions serve the rules that God hath left to the wisdome of men as the Divine be not damnified and that the Government of the Church thwarts not that of the State which is our misery at this day Whosoever shall consider the Kingdomes and Commonwealths of Christendome shall find that every where the Religion of the State hath a discipline suitable to the civil Government the Church taking hold of the State as the Ivy that groweth about a tree But the Covenanters pretend the quite contrary labouring to form the State to their new pattern of Ecclesiastical Discipline Hither tended the Petition of the rabble of London to the House of Commons which was after by the same House in a Body presented to the House of Lords wherein they required an equality in the State that thereby there might be one in the Church An action which will leave for ever to posterity an infamous and true character of the intentions of the Covenanters But in this they have but followed the Doctrine of their Sect. Cartwright had taught them before as the Tapestries or Hangings are fitted to the House so the Commonwealth ought to be fitted and accommodated to the Church and the Government of the State to the Ecclesiastical Government This design is wholly void of all prudence and possibility and being ruinous to the State must of necessity be the ruine of it self It 's certain that the Doctrine of Religion must not be accommodated to the State but that which is humane in the discipline ought to be subject to humane Laws and the authority of the Magistrate since God demands it of us Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake But these men make no difference between the Doctrine and the Discipline and would perswade us that they have a whole Body of Discipline altogether Divine and which is even the substance of the Gospel without which there is no true Religion but it is that we cannot find in the Gospel but in stead of that they prove it by the Sword CHAP. XVIII How the Discipline of the Covenanters is far from the practice of other Churches THere is another point which the Covenanters ought to prove before they associate themselves with the Churches of France in matter of Discipline They must prove that they have an Ecclesiastical discipline like unto theirs For all Churches which had no Bishops have not for all that the same discipline As for the discipline of the Covenanters they need make none by theirs nor receive any from them for they have none at all and they take the way never to have any If the menaces of the Scotch Army cause them to make an Ordinance in favour of the Presbytery they make presently an honourable reparation to the Independents And much of their prudence lies in this to accord all to the different Parties but give them nothing in making use
to fear God the next following is to honour the King I make no doubt but the Kingdome of Christ may be established without pulling down mine and in a time free from partialities its impossible any should pass for a good Christian who shews not himself a good Subject The Government of Christ serves to confirm mine and not to overthrow it for as I acknowledge I hold my power of him so I desire to exercise it for his glory and the good of his Church If any one had sincerely proposed the Government of Christ or understood in their heart what it required they would never have been so ill governed in their words and actions as well towards me as one towards another As the good ends cannot justifie the evil wayes so also the evil beginnings cannot produce good conclusions unless God by a miracle of mercy make Light to spring out of Darkness Order out of our Confusion and Peace from our unruly Passions This is spoken as a King as a Phylosopher and as a good Christian Our enemies to blind the eyes of their Neighbours made them believe a long time that they desired such a reformation as theirs but the hypocrisie of this profession appeared then when the King offered to assemble a National Synod and to invite the Neighbour Churches to it whom these people would seem to imitate And this the good King would never have named had he not an intention to defer much to their Judgement But of this his Majesty could never obtain an answer for it was that which the Independents feared above all and we see not that the Presbyterians did any way favour this proposition the actions both of the one and the other were such that it was the surest course for them to palliate them with Declarations sent a far off rather then to have them brought to light here at home in a Synod and they were very well content to receive their Neighbours to their Society but not to admit them to their Counsel They have hereby made it appear that it was not reformation but the revenues of the Church they pursued otherwise they would have imbraced the proposition of his Majesty and the request of the Clergy who desired nothing more then to be heard in a lawful Synod and to reform willingly that which was displeasing to some But this had untwisted the designs of their enemies who then should have had no pretext to ruine the Clergy and enrich themselves with their spoils and take from Monarchy the support of the Church if the Ecclesiasticks had been reformed Then let the rage and invective malice of our enemies greaten our faults in quality and number as much as they can let them make small spots imposthumes Let them paint us out in false colours and disfigure us like devils to the eyes of all the world All that the severest Justice can require of us is to amend and freely to submit our selves to the censure of a lawful Assembly and then when a great King who is subject to none but God shall come to them and offer to change that which hath been practised or tolerated and to lend his ear to receive better information O this was a grace capable to molifie hearts of stone and to turn the complaints of his subjects into acclamations of joy and praises But they will neither the grace of the King nor our amendment To these offers of the King so sincere and frequent they answered not but by complaints and blowes and they consulted not of means to correct us but to destroy us they will not take the pains to cleanse the Church they will cut it up by the root root and branch 'T is the Watch-word of the seditious whereby they pretend to know those that are of the godly party and they have also put an unnatural maxime in the mouth of the furious and blind people that the reformation must be made in blood This they call to renew or revive the Church but it 's as the Daughters of Pelias undertook to make their Father young again who to that end cut his throat to let his old blood pass out of his body but after it was not in their power to put in new God keep us from them who come to reform the Church their Mother with a Sword and that would cut our throats to make us young again Certainly beholding Chyrurgeons coming to let us blood with a Sword in both hands we have reason to withdraw into some safe quarter and to fear a healing which will not take away the evil but in taking away our life We dare say for our Clergy that if it should cost them their lives to redeem the peace of their King and State they would account them well imployed and willingly consent to be cast over-board with Jonas that their loss might appease the tempest This is of greatest anguish and affliction to see Murther pass for Piety then to suffer in their persons and they cheerfully wish that a potion of their blood could quench the heat of their bloody zeal This zeal appeared in the title of Sions Plea and in the book called Christ on his Throne The first pleads for the Presbyterian the other for the Independent Both of these books have this Text in the Frontispice Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should raign over them and slay them before me By enemies they understand those who will not imbrace their Discipline And their actions now have and do make a bloudy commentary upon the Text. That if our Lord Jesus Christ who poured forth his most precious bloud to spare ours put not a stop to this flux of bloud these Zealots will reform England as the Anabaptists reformed Munster and as the Spaniards converted the West-Indies Let all Christian Churches of the World then know that the English Church confesseth humbly before God her infirmities and acknowledgeth her self the defaults which peace and the length of time is wont to bring to the best established order and hath done her duty to reform submitting her self to a general Synod and the States of the Kingdome under the Authority and conduct of her good King and that a sacrilegious and murthering faction drunken with the bloud of their Soveraign and the goods of the Church Having oppressed the liberty of the Assembly of States snatched this holy work out of her hands and would hear of no other reformation but her total destruction introducing in the place of ancient and lawful order a Chaos of prophane and licentious Heresies destructive to Religion and State CHAP. XXI An Answer to the Objection That the King made War against the Parliament IT 'S the ordinary complaint of the Covenanters that the King made War against his Parliament a phrase which seems tacitly to imply that the King rebelled against his Superiours and indeed there are many that understood it so in good earnest conceiving the Parliament to be above the King And hereupon
THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH SCOTCH Presbytery Wherein is discovered their Designs and Practises for the Subversion of Government in CHURCH and STATE Written in French by an Eminent Divine of the REFORMED CHURCH and now Englished The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged EPIPHANIUS Lib. 1. Haeres â—7 Quod hominum Genus ad Ecclesiae Dei probrum Scandalum adornasse submisisse Satanas videtur quippe qui Christianorum sibi nomen indiderint ut propâ—er eos offensae Gentes à sanctae Ecclesiae utilitate abhorreant nuntiatamque veritatem ob immania illorum facinora incredibilem nequitiam repudient ut inquam frequentibus illorum sceleribus animadversis eos quoque quia Sancta Dei Ecclesia sunt tales esse sibi persuadeant atque ita a verissima Dei Doctrina aures avertant ut certe paucorum improbitaâ—e conspecta in universos eadem Maledicta Conjiciunt Printed in Villa Franca Anno Dom. 1660. THE PREFACE WE will take our first rise from that Royal Declaration or Manifesto which his Majesty of great Britain Cha. the I. commanded to be exposed to the world for the satisfaction not only of his own people but of the Reformed Churches abroad at that time when the differences were at the highest 'twixt him and his Parliament-Subjects who practised all the artifices that could be by making use of Press and Pulpit for that purpose to make him not onely odious at home but sent clandestine Agenis and intelligence abroad to traduce him among the Reformed Princes and States that He was branling in his belief and had a design to re-introduce the Roman Religion into his Dominions which was the motive of publishing this Manifesto hereunto annext CAROLUS singulari Omnipotentis Dei providentia Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Rex Fidei Defensor c. Universis singulis qui praesens hoc scriptum ceu protestationem inspexerint potissimam Reformatae Religionis cultoribus cujuscunque sint gentis gradus aut conditionis salutem c. CUM ad aures nostras non ita pridem fama pervenerit sinistros quosdam rumores literasque politica vel perniciosa potiùs quorundam industriâ sparsas esse nonnullis protestantium ecclesiis in exteris partibus emissas nobis esse animum consilium ab illa Orthodoxa Religione quam ab incunabilis imbibimus ad hoc usque momentum per integrum vitae nostrae curriculum amplexi sumus recedendi Papismum in haec Regna iterum introducendi Quae conjectura ceu nefanda potius calumnia nullo prorsus nixa vel imaginabili fundamento horrendos hosce tumultus rabiem plusquà m belluinam in Anglia suscitavit sub praetextu cujusdam chimericae Reformationis regimini legibusque hujus Dominii non solum incongâ—uae sed incompatibilis VOLUMUS ut toti Christiano Orbi innotescat ne minimam quidem animum nostâ—um incidisse cogitatiunculam hoc aggrediendi aut transversum unguem ab illa Religione discedendi quam cum corona sceptroque hujus regni solemni sacramentali juramento tenemur prositeri protegere propugnare Nec tantum constantissima nostra praxis quotidiana in exercitiis praefatae Religionis praesentia cum crebris in facie nostrorum agminum asseverationibus publicisque procerum hujus Regni testimoniis sedula in regiam nostram sobolem educando circumspectione omissis plurimis aliis argumentis luculentissimè hoc demonstrat sed etiam faelicissimum illud matrimonium quod inter nostram primogenitam illustrissimuÌ„ principem Auriacum sponte contraximus idem fortissimè attestatur Quo nuptiali faedere insuper constat nobis non esse proposituÌ„ illaÌ„ pâ—ofiteri solummodo sed expandere corroborare quantum in nobis situm est Hanc sacrosanctam Anglicanae Christi Ecclesiae Religionem tot Theologorum convocationibus sancitam tot comitiorum edictis confirmatam tot Regiis Diplomatibus stabilitam una cum regimine Ecclesiastico Liturgia ei annexa quam liturgiam regimenque celebriores protestantium Authores tam Germani quam Galli tam Dani quam Helvetici tam Batavi quam Bohemi multis elogiis nec sine quadam invidia in suis publicis scriptis comprobant applaudunt ut in transactionibus Dordrechtanae Synodus cui nonnulli nostrorum praesulum quorum Dignitati debita prestita fuit reverentia interfuerunt apparet Istam inquimus Religionem quam Regius noster pater beatissimae memoriae in illa celeberâ—ima fidei suae Confessione omnibus Christianis principibus ut haec praesens nostra protestatio exhibita publicè asserit Istam istam Religionem solenniter protestamur Nos integram sartam tectam inviolabilem conservaturos pro virili nostro divino adjuvante Numine usque ad extremaÌ„ virae nostrae perioduÌ„ protecturos omnibus nostris Ecclesiasticis pro muneris nostri supradicti sacro-sancti juramenti ratione doceri praedicari curaturos Quapropter injungimus in mandatis damus Omnibus ministris nostris in exteris partibus tam Legatis quam Residentibus Agentibusque nunciis reliquisque nostris subditis ubicunque Orbis Christiani terrarum aut curiositatis aut comercii gratia degentibus hanc solennem sinceram nostram protestationem quandocunque sese obtulerit loci temporis opportunitas communicare asserere asseverare Dat. in Academia Civitate nostra Oxoniensi pridei Idus Maii 1644. CHARLES by the Providence of Almighty God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all who profess the true Reformed Protestant Religion of what Nation degree and condition soever they be to whom this present Declaration shall come Greeting WHereas We are given to understand That many false Rumors and scandalous Letters are spread up and down amongst the Reformed Churches in forreign Parts by the Pollitick or rather the pernitious industry of some ill affected persons that we have an inclination to recede from that Orthodox Religion which we were born baptized and bred in and which We have firmly professed and practised throughout the whole course of our life to this moment and that We intend to give way to the Introduction and publick exercise of Popery again in Our Dominions Which conjecture or rather most detestable calumny being grounded upon no imaginable foundation hath raised these horrid Tumults and more then barbarous Wars throughout this flourishing Island under pretext of a kind of Reformation which would not only prove incongruous but incompatible with the fundamental Laws and government of this Kingdom We desire that the whole Christian World should take notice and rest assured that We never entertained in Our imagination the least thought to attempt such a thing or to depart a jot from that holy Religion which when we received the Crown and Scepter of this Kingdom We took a most solemn Sacramental Oath to profess and protect Nor doth Our most constant practice and quotidian visible presence in the exercise of
did very ill to address themselves to you since they hold a method quite contrary for they dishonour and massacre their King under a colour of devotion to God and undertake to set up the Kingdome of Jesus Christ by the ruine of the Kingdome of their Soveraign which is as if they would build the Temple of God with Cannon shot and defend Religion in violating it The truth of the Gospel was never advanced by these wayes but the patience and even the sufferings of the Christians was it which propagated the Christian Religion and rendered the Church mighty and glorious Those who suffered under the Pagan and Arian Emperours conquered both the Empire and Emperours and the Champions of truth purchased a Kingdome to Jesus Christ not in shedding the blood of their Soveraigns but in pouring forth their own for righteousness by a voluntary submission to their judgement He who cannot frame himself to this Doctrine doth not so much as God requires of him if he makes profession of Christianity for Christ tells us in calling us that whosoever taketh not up his Cross and cometh not after me cannot be my Disciple and commands him who would imbrace the Gospel to set down before and calculate the expence as if he were about to build Certainly he that cannot resolve to subject himself to his Soveraign for the love of God and never draw his sword against him to whom God hath committed it made an ill calculation before he dedicated himself to Jesus Christ for he ought not to take upon him Christianity if he were not able to go through with it and was not resolved rather to suffer then resist and to spend his goods and life to preserve himself in that subjection commanded by the Word of God For maintaining this holy Doctrine we have been banished and pursued with Armes and after we had defended our Soveraign with more fidelity then success we have been constrained to forsake our dear Country driven from our houses and spoiled of our revenues but yet we praise God for giving them since he hath done us the honour that we should lose them for his service and we ought this to our King of whom our lands held to abandon them for love of him For to enter into a Covenant against him peaceably to enjoy his and the Kings his Predecessors bounty and to betray the truth and our consciences to save our moneys we could never resolve Now since those who have done the evil began first to cry out and have spread their unjust clamours through all the Reformed Churches we 'll make the same journey with our just complaints and after the example of the abased Levite by the Sonnes of Jemini we send this recital of our grievances through all the quarters of Israel Judg. 19.30 Consider of it take advice and speak your minds The injury which doth touch us nearest is not our Exile nor the loss of our goods nor theirs of our nearest Relations but the extreme wrong done to the Gospel and the Reformed Churches to whom these new Reformers falsly impute their Maximes of Rebellion and hereby render our most holy profession suspected and hateful to Princes of a contrary Religion This Gentlemen toucheth you very near considering your condition and the Summons the Assembly at Westminster made to you to covenant with them or to make a covenant like theirs The Epistle was addressed to the Church of Paris in the name of all the Reformed Churches of France and with the Epistle they sent the Oath of their Covenant which concludes with an Exhortation in form of a prayer to God That it would please him to stir up by their example other Churches who live under the Tyranny of Antichrist to swear this Covenant or one like it This same Epistle together with the Oath being sent to the Ministers of the Church of Genevah stirred up in them a holy jealousie and drew from that excellent person Monsieur Diodati who is now in glory an answer worthy of him in the name of all the Church Repell this horrible scandal which so extremely wrongs Christianity in general wash and cleanse this filthy attempt of the blackest oppression which above all is imputed to the most pure profession of the Gospel as if the Gospel opposed and affronted by a kind of antipathy and secret hatred all Royal Power of Soveraign Authority Pacifie the exasperated spirit and too much provoked of your King and drive him not upon Pinacles and Precipices Blessed be God who touched the heart of this great person whose memory shall be for ever precious for rendring so open a testimony to the truth And because he have not suffered himself to be flâ—ered and perswaded by the complements of these enemies to his a Mjesty to applaud them in their evil actions such are these Refiners of Reformation as not content by their factious zeal to set their own country on fire but they labour also to cast the fire into their neighbours and to blow Rebellion through all Europe And of late the most enormous actions of the English drew from Master Salmasius Prince of Letters and the Honour of France a defence of the Right of Kings God was so pleased to raise up the Learnedst pen of these times to defend the best cause of the world in which this great person hath highly honoured his country But to speak right he more honoured himself and the Church wherein he was educated For if hereafter these malefactors dare be so bold as to say the Reformed Churches approved their actions they shall produce this book which condemns them and defends the Royal cause with such wisdome and efficacy of spirit suitable to the dignity of the subject and shall require them to produce if they can any one of the Reformed Churches who have in the least manner written in favour of their proceedings It should have been a strange and shameful thing if there were none found amongst the Reformed Churches who should not disown their wicked Doctrines and cause all Princes and people of the world to know that the Reformed Churches are very far from following their counsels and abhor their seductions to disloyalty from what part soever they come Heretofore indeed it was accounted the duty of charity and prudence to cover the faults of this faction and if corruption enter into Israel not to publish it in Gath but when the Doctrine of Rebellion disputed in corners ascends the Pulpit hold assizes in open Court sends forth Ambassadors invites the Reformed Churches to their party and imploy the Gospel Piety zeal of Gods Glory to raise subjects against their Soveraigns now 't is time or never to pluck off their mask of hypocrisie and shew where the evil lies and discover the wickedness of a party 〈◊〉 preserve from shame and disgrace the general and the rather since the Aphorismes of Rebellion and seducing people to sedition are reproached to the Protestants and imployed by the enemies of our
who have particularly courted and invite◠〈◊〉 to Covenant with them and that your Churches are â—lemished in reputation onely because these men have dared to addresse their infamous complements to you a thing neverthelesse which ye could not prevent how great soever your aversion were from their wicked actions wherefore we beseech you as you love your subsistance and the honour of the Gospel which ought to be dearer to you then your lives that you exhort the general of your Churches to declare readily and vigorously by a publick Act against these false brethren and their pernicious Maximes for fear least the crime of men be imputed to Religion and that the innocent suffer not for the guilty Let it appear to the State under which ye live that the Reformed Religion for conscience sake upheld Kingly Authority and that it is the true Doctrine that maintains subjects in their duty and a Kingdome in peace You may also boldly advise the Gentlemen at Court to beware of them and that they give order to prevent that inundation that is threatned from our Ilands and let them be most assured that the Independent Armies have not lesse ambition to cause all people to rise and overthrow all the Monarchs of Christendom that to this effect Cr have often declared his intentions all the popular tumults in France are the productions of this Artist ever in motion infatigable swoln with successe who hâ—â—h his eyes and hands every where and gains in all places either by the sword or gold now in all changes of the State whosoever gains the Church loseth and the filth in all inundations resteth upon the vallies We are so near neighbours that the contagion of our evils cannot but passe to you therefore ye shall do prudently and Christianly to keep your selves from the contagion of our evils and since those of the Reformed Religion are better instructed then the other it is therefore for them first to begin to do their duty And 〈◊〉 â—his the considerations in this ensuing Treatise will encâ—â—rage you and our adversities will furnish you with better Councels then the prosperity of our persecutors Agrâ—e Fortunae sana Concilia we hope that this true and lively pourtraiture of their Rebellious Covenant that we present unto you will so strike the spectators with horror that they will become good Christians and good subjects by Antiperistisis THE ARTICLES OF RELIGION of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND I. THere is but one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passions of infinite power wisdom and goodnesse the Maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Son and holy Ghost II. THe Sonne which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and eternall God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the blessed Virgine of her substance so that two whole and perfect natures that is to say the Godhead and manhood were joyned together in one person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a sacrifice not onely for Originall guilt but also for actuall sinnes of men III. AS Christ died for us and was buried so also is it to be beléeved that he went down into hell IV. CHrist did truly rise again from death and took again his body with flesh bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature wherewith he ascended into heaven and thâ—re sitteth untill he return to judge all men at the last day V. THe holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne is of one Substance majesty and glory with the Father and the Son very and eternall God VI. HOly Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be prooved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beléeved as an Article of the faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those Canonicall Books of the Old New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books GEnesis Exodus Leviticus Numeri Deuteronomium Josue Judges Ruth The 1. Book of Samuel The 2. Book of Samuel The 1. Book of Kings The 2. Book of Kings The 1. Book of Chronicles The 2. Book of Chronicles The 1. Book of Esdras The 2. Book of Esdras The Book of Hester The Book of Job The Psalmes The Proverbs Ecclesiastes or Preacher Cantica or Songs of Solomon 4. Prophets the greater 12. Prophets the lesse And the other Books as Hierome saith the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine Such are these following The 3. Book of Esdras The 4. Book of Esdras The Book of Tobias The Book of Judeth The rest of the Book of Hester The Book of Wisdom Jesus the son of Sirach Baruch the Prophet The song of the three Children The Story of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The Prayeâ— of Manasses The 1. Book of Maccabees The 2. Book of Maccabees All the Bookes of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account them Canonicall VII THe Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ who is the onely Mediator betwéen God and man being both God and man Wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises Although the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian men nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to bée received in any Common-wealth yet notwihstanding no Christian man whatsoever is frée from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Morall VIII THe thrée Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Créed ought throughly to be received and beléeved for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture IX ORiginall sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam wheâ— by man is very far gone from originall righteousnesse and is of his own nature inclined to euil so that the flesh lusteth alwaies contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation And this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the flesh called in Gréek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the wisdome some sensuallity
them from the outward communion of the visible Church and in this as in other things Buchanan hath shewed himself to be less skilled in Divinity then in Poetry The best excuse which can be alledged in his Defence is that which Mr. Du Moulin lends him which may also serve for Mr. Knox That if he hath written any thing which passeth moderation we must 〈◊〉 attribute it to his Religion but nature for its most certain both these were hot headed men and had a great Antipathy against Monarchy As for the doctrine of King killing which is a familiar doctrine amongst the Jesuits and is oft their shame and reproach they to render us as odious as themselves and by way of exchange alledge and quote in their writings the passages of Buchanan Knox and Goodman who together with them teach the same Doctrine That cunning Jesuite Petra Sancta is very curious in searching into their writings whom that excellent person Mr River answers and tels him that none amongst us approve or allow those wicked Maximes and imputes the cause to their supposed persecution which had exasperated their spirits and to the hot heads of the Nations of this Iland After this so wise and charitable a reprehension coming from a person of such eminency men of learning amongst them ought at least to have learned modesty since they refused to learn obedience of their Parliaments which condemned these Doctrines of Knox and Buchanan by their publike Acts or by the determinations of their principal Divines who have learnedly refuted them and also by considering what great pains Mr. Bloudil Mr. Valade and other judicious and learned men of Forraign Churches have taken to wash off the filth of their doctrines and behaviours which have exceedingly scandalized the Evangelical profession after so many Iterated saving advertisements one would have thought they should have preserved themselves from falling into the same offences and from giving new occasions of rejoycing to their enemies and of shame to their brethren but behold of late worse then ever their hot heads have produced such new effects of violence as gives a challenge of defiance to the very Jesuits themselves The Author of Sions Plea animates the people to war and to pull down the Bishops speaking thus Smite neither small nor great but the troublers of Israel wound that Hazael in the fifth Rib Yea if your father and mother stand in your way to prevent you dispatch them suddenly pull down the ensign of the Dragon set up the standard of Jesus Christ What If the father of the State stand in your way now when ye are busie in this holy cause must he be dispatched no doubt but they would tread upon him to make way and would serve the Son as they had done the Father 't is a point resolved on by the same Author They must strike the Basilike vein none but that can heal the Pluresie of State which is as much as to say in good English that they must cut the throat of the King for the publike good This Author were a good Scholler of the two Jesuites Guignard and Scribanius had he not too grossly borrowed their Terms for say they France was sick and they must cut the Basilike vein to heal her and Scribanius that they committed a great error on S. Bartholomews even that they cut not that vein That is that those of the Guisian Faction spared the lives of the King of Navar and the Prince of Condie Oh rare Flowers of Diabolical Rhetorick Oh the shame of Christian Religion Is this the simplicity and meekness of the Gospel Is this the way to guide Conscience into the way of peace and to set up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ or Christ on his Throne If S. Paul were alive doubtless these men would even maintain to his face that he understood not the nature of the spiritual Kingdome when he said Rom. 14.7 That the Kingdome of God is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost And when he read this lesson to the Christians Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which peace ye are called in one body They would have taught him that the Kingdome of Jesus Christ ought to be set up by the murthering of Kings the destruction of the people and the oâ—erthrow of States and would have sent him to their Catechise to be instructed That the Parliament Souldiers at the present ought not to consider us as their Fellow-Citizens or their Parents or their companions in Religion but as Enemies of God upholders of Anti-Christ and therefore their eye should not pity us nor their sword spare us These are the words of that abominable Catechism published by Authority for the use of the Covenanters Army Oh behold the principles of Faith wherewith these dull souls are instructed Behold the Bread of Life wherewith their Divines feed the consciences of the poor people Jer. 23.4 I have seen in the Prophets of Hierusalem an horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lies they strengthen also the hands of evil doers Israel the daies of thy visitation are come thy Prophets are fools and thy men of Revelations are mad To these prodigious Doctrines we will joyn that Aphorism in the book entituled Altare Damascenum That all Kings have a natural hatred against Christ If ye would believe this man every one that loves Christ must bear an irreconcileable hatred to all Kings was there ever a more seditious and execrable Maxime after such a Doctrine pronounced by an Author of such account should we ask who hath put weapons into the hands of this superstitious people against their Soveraign for these poor miserable people hate the King for the love of God yea many account him an Enemy of Jesus Christ even because he is a King That we may the better discover by what spirit this man is led observe how he deals with his natural Prince he calls King James of most happy and glorious memory Infestissimus Ecclesia Hostes the most mortal enemy of the Church without doubt these who read this will question what Religion this man is of who so qualifies the incomparable Defender of the Faith who hath so vigorously and sincerely maintained the truth that if there were a Christian in the world who knew not thar great Prince neither by his admirable writings nor by the Renown of his Piety and Wisdome and should hear him call'd the most spiteful and mortal Enemy of the Church he might well imagine that King James had turned Turk and changed the Churches of his Kingdome into Mosques and sold his Christian Subjects for slaves to the Moors It were to do wrong to the testimony that himself hath given by the Immortal Monuments of his Religious Wisdome and by his truly Christian and Fatherly Government to undertake here to defend him against so unequal an Adversary wherein the injuries spoken of this excellent King turns to the ruine and perdition of
content them without considering the salvation of their souls the safety of their persons make publick prayers in their Assemblies for the Covenanters Preach to the people that their War is lawful and holy and that after being questioned by the Magistrates of a contrary Religion constantly maintain that it is the cause of God whatsoever may happen to their Goods Lives and the profession of the Gospel But behold here that which is worse in the conclusion of the Oath of the Covenant which they sent with their Epistle to all the Neighbour Churches they invite them earnestly to take this Oath or the like And above all they invite those Churches who live under the power of a contrary Religion The Invitation is in form of a Prayer That it would please God to encline by their examples the other Churches that groan under the yoke of Antichrist's Tyranny to associate themselves with this Covenant or the like For to take then their Summons in their own sense that is to say That the Churches of France to please them would make a Covenant against their Soveraign expecting as a thing which they need not doubt that the English Covenanters would overcome their enemies in an instant and would be ready at the day appointed to succour their Confederates beyond the Seas with their victorious Armies before their King justly provoked should ruine them The Covenanters Declarations especially in the year 1642. flatter these poor Churches with this hope and through all their discourse clearly resolv'd to go forth and pull down Antichrist in all Countries and make a general conquest for Jesus Christ These are very like the Messages that John of Leyden sent to Munster to make all the Commons in Germany to rise and all the world if it were possible Not that the Leaders of the Covenant considering their strength and interest thought themselves capable of so vast a design but according to my opinion they had two ends in making this so open a profession The one to draw to their party the weak and passionate who in enterprises have regard to the lustre and promise of the design and not to the possibility of the execution Of such spirits the great Herd of the world is composed who in the great and publick Motions suffer their fancies to be bewitched with Poetical hopes incompatible with the nature of the affairs Such was the promise of another Declaration which lul'd the imaginations of the adherents That this War would bring them deliverance from all their sufferings and fears and be the beginning of a new world of joy and peace which God would create for their consolation For this new world of peace and joy which was but three skips and a stride off as they thought they found such besotted spirits who cast themselves headlong into a Gulph of evils without bottom or bounds The other apparent end was to gain credit to their party by the applause of Forreign Churches to fortifie themselves by the powerful association of the Low-Countries and to try whether the French of the Reformed Religion were so ill affectionate as to take up Arms against their King without ever caring what should come after when they were once engaged in a war wherein formerly they had ill success And these people were so void of charity and humanity that they were content to buy an unprofitable reputation to their party by the certain ruine of those they invite to alliance with them As he that cared not to cut down his Neighbours Oak were it but to make himself a pick-tooth For suppose that the French Churches should have suffered themselves to be gained by their perswasions In what condition were they in to succour them Could they have furnished Money Armes Men and Shipping Had they the means to put out the Fire when they had once kindled it All the Succours that these Gentlemen could give them would be to declare the Votes of the two Houses That the Armes of the Churches of France were Defensive and Just and those of their King Offensive and Unlawful Or have Declared his Majesty fallen from his Dignity and Crown of France as they declared those two Illustrious Princes Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice Sons of the late King of Bohemia excluded from Succession in the Palatinate which Vote shall take place when the Masters of the Covenant shall have Conquered the Palatinate by their Armes in spight of the Forces of France the Emperour and Spains and they become sole Arbiters of the Empire Before the Covenanters come to the end of this design a little too far off these brave Princes will have leasure to make their peace and many things may intervene which will induce their Judges to abate of their so great severity For to perswade these poor Churches to cast themselves headlong into ruine the Assembly at London in their Epistle labour to exasperate them by the remembrance of all that they had suffered and perswaded them that all Churches on this side as well as on the other side of the Seas were concluded to be ruined by the same Agents that after the Churches of England and Scotland should be devoured they would then fall upon their Neighbours and that it was not against the men but against the profession of the true Religion and against Godliness that their Enemies made War Whereby they would make the Neighbour Churches believe that King Charles confederated with the Pope to ruine the Reformed Religion and that after he had dispatched his own subjects he would do the like to his Neighbours of the same Religion There needs no great measure of the Gift of discerning Spirits to judge by what spirit these Grave Divines were led who take such pains to send their Brethren to the slaughter within and out of their Kingdome and to make the Doctrine of the Gospel a Trumpet of Sedition to arm subjects against their Princes and put all Christendome into a flame of bloody and unnatural wars And therefore they had reason to confess themselves thus to Forraign Churches they beseech them to excuse them that they had not writ sooner alledging according to the second Interpretation of their Friend That since they were assembled they found themselves so amazed with the Wine of Astonishment that God had given them to drink that they had wholly forgot their duty But in the Addition which they disperse amongst all the Churches they do not acknowledge themselves only Attonitos amazed but Ebrios drunken and both in the one and the other they had great reason Oh the force of Truth Oh the wonderful Providence and Justice of God to draw from these subtil and crafty souls their own condemnation How is it possible that so many choice and picked Divines whereof this Assembly was composed should be so blinded as to let pass from them so shameful a Confession in the name of all their Body and of all their Party to be divulged through all the Churches of
Europe And yet we are herein to praise God that in this their astonishment he hath given them a little interval that they came to their senses to make this acknowledgement They needed not to specifie to us in what they were forgetful of their Duty their comportments justifie their words that they had wholly forgotten it It appears also that they had forgot their duty to God their King their Countrey and to the Church from which they received their Ministry and to which they had sworn Obedience and towards them also to whom they write For if they had born any Brotherly affection they would not have been so forgetful as to write to them and in such a stile and by a publick Declaration They would have taken heed to render them odious and suspected without cause and to draw upon them persecution from which there could proceed no other fruit unlesse to make them Companions in their miseries for to render us Companions in their crimes we hope they shall never obtain But these Divines and their Masters who employ them shall find themselves deceived in their design to induce the Reformed Churches of France to shake off the yoke of their King under colour of shaking off the yoke of Antichrist The fidelity and peaceable conversation of these Churches doth take away even the shadow of such things from their Superiours whose justice is such that they will not condemn the Subjects of their King for the offences of strangers but will be more careful to protect the innocent then their ill neighbours are active to render them blame-worthy and unhappy The King and his Councel need not fear the French of the Reformed Religion will take the Oath of the Covenant to which they are invited with so much earnestness and craft For to speak of them in the terms of one of their beloved Pastors They take no Oaths to others but to their Soveraign Princes they cast not their eyes on a stranger they hold that it is not for a Subject to find occasion of disobedience in the Religion of his Prince making Religion a Match to give fire to Rebellion they are ready to expose their lives for the preservation of their King against whomsoever it be were it one of their own Religion whosoever should do otherwise should not defend Religion but serve his ambition and should draw a great scandal upon the truth of the Gospel This is the Doctrine wherein they are instructed this is the Profession in which all good Frenchmen of the Reformed Religion will live and die But if strangers whose heads run round with the wine of astonishment will force the Churches of France to drink of their Cup they will use the French freedome refuse to pledge them and behold their zeal to press them to do as they do with despite and compassion Let them not think it strange that they run not with them into the same excess of riot they do not offend them for whilst they have this strong wine in their heads they keep their sobriety and are filled beseeching God to shew mercy upon those who would seduce them Now as it is the custome of drunken persons who would draw others into the same excess with themselves and to drink according to their pleasure to make them believe that they have seen them themselves in that condition so the English Covenanters to defend their actions and augment their Party alledge very often to the French Churches their wars for Religion the remembrance whereof is very sad and to use this Argument to seduce them is no other thing then to counsel them to be miserable because they have been so and to go with their eyes shut and run the remains of their broken vessel against the rock where they were shipwrackt Moreover it s very unjust in them to impute to the whole body the actions of a party for in the late wars all the Churches on this side the River Loyre continued in their obedience and very neer the half of the other Churches The people were carefully preserved in their duties by their faithful Pastors This holy Doctrine which condemns the resisting of higher powers and commands to wait patiently deliverance from God and to suffer for righteousness sake was most pressed and urged in their Churches and whilst some of the Religion were in Arms during the minority of the King they preached at Paris Their strength was to sit still Isai 30.7 There fell lately into my hands an Epistle well penn'd which was sent to the State-Assembly of Rochel in the beginning of their sitting to encline them to peace and the obedience of his Majesty Behold here a passage of it I think it very profitable for you to be informed the truth what the opinions and dispositions of our Churches are by persons that have a particular knowledge of them You are now debating Gentlemen of the separation of your Assembly for to obey his Majesty or of its subsistence and to give order to your affairs I am bound to tell you that the general desire of our Churches is that it would please God to continue peace unto us under the obedience of his Majesty and that seeing the King is resolved to employ his Armies to make you obey they promise themselves so much of you that you will do what possibly you can to avoid this tempest and yield rather to necessity then enter into a war wherein the ruine of a great part of our Churches are certain and into a trouble wherein we may behold the entrance but cannot see the issue and that ye will take away the pretext from them who drive on the King to fall upon us Those that fear God desire that if we must be persecuted it should be in bearing the Cross of Christ and for the profession of the Gospel In brief I assure you that the greatest and best part of our people desire you to decline this unjust enterprise Here is not the Authority of a Single Person 't is the testimony of the greatest and best part of the Churches of France 't is a general Declaration of the Churches and of those amongst them who feared God that the duty of Christians persecuted is to bear the Crosse not Arms. It 's then very falsly and injuriously done that the example of the French Churches should be so often and importunately alledged by the Covenanters to justifie the Subjects resisting their Sovereign since that ever in the time of war the greatest and best part were against it A French Divine who loved both his Religion and King found himself so prick'd by this reproach made to the generality of his Party that he prayed us to insert here this expression of his judgement and of the soundest part of the Churches of France The war for Religion in this Kingdome is a wound yet fresh and ye can hardly touch it but ye will hurt it and make it smart and it s very sore against my will that I
expectation of those Churches that they reject the ordinary Liturgy Oh our good God! these persons do they meddle to preach the Truth Because that France and England are separated by Sea and Language do they think their people shall never be informed the truth of the opinion of their neighbours touching the English Liturgy nor the manner of their practise in matter of their publick Service I hope they will leave to others the practise of this Maxime Lie boldly although you be refuted after there will remain some impression upon the spirits of the hearers And therefore we will believe charitably that the most part of these Divines knew not what they said but referred themselves to the Faith of others and hoping that after they are better informed they will change their opinion we will say to them as St. Paul to the Galatians I have confidence in you through the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be Gal. 5.10 Since then they speak of their long experience let us take it from the beginning soon after the Liturgy was compiled it was sent to good Calâ—in who thus writ to the Protector of England as for the form of prayers and Ecclesiastical ceremonies I much approve that they should be established as a certain form from which it may not be lawful for the Pastors to go in the execution of their charge Behold two points very contrary to the Covenanters the one that he very well approves of the Book of Common prayer and the Ecclesiastical Ceremonies the other that there ought to be a certain form of Divine Service from which it should not be lawful for the Pastors to digress Will they not say in reading these words of Calvin Durus sermo this is a hard saying who can hear it What cruelty is this to undertake to bind the Spirit of Zeal and to dare to speak of a Rule to them who will stand fast in the liberty Christ hath made them free and will not again be entangled in the yoke of bondage for they make use of this Text for that subject we will leave them this Text of Calvin to ruminate and pray them not to begin the date of their long experience till after his Decease Martin Bucer will yet shorten it some years he speaks thus to the Churches of England of the form of their Divine Service I give thanks to God who hath given you grace to reform these Ceremonies in such a purity for I have found nothing in it which is not taken out of the Word of God or at least is not contrary to it being rightly interpreted That which the Directors and their party find most to be reprehended in this Book is of so small consideration with Beza that he wrote thus to those who were so enraged against it The Surplice saith he is not a thing of such importance that Ministers should be so scrupulous as to leave their Function rather than wear it or that the people should forbear to â—eed of the bread of life rather than hear their Pastors preach who wear them And as for receiving the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper kneeling Musick in Churches and things of the like nature he saith to them That these are such small and indifferent things which should not much trouble them Behold here their long experience much shortned for its little above fourty years since Beza died Gualter and Bullinger likewise commending the English Liturgy condemned the affected tenderness of some who made use of it for a cloak of their Sedition and Rebellion speaking thus in an Epistle which they both joyntly wrote to their discontented Brethren in England upon this Subject That if any of the people perswade themselves that these things smell of Popery let them learn to know the contrary and let them be perfectly instructed and that if the clamours of any of them raise up troubles amongst the multitude let them beware lest in doing so they draw upon your necks a more heavy yoke and provoke noâ— his Majesty and bring not many Ministers into such dangers out of which they shall find no means to escape This advertisement might well be turned into a Prophesie and these persons who falsly alledge the Reformed Churches are offended with the Liturgy of England repent too soon that they had not followed their exhortations and submitted themselves Now the King hath offered to exempt tender Consciences from the observation of certain things which offend them yea to submit the whole Reformation to a lawful Synod But in stead of receiving this Gracious offer of his Majesty they persecute him and his Clergy with all violence manifesting thereby that it is not our Reformation but our destruction which is capable to content them and these tender Consciences which tremble at the sight of a Surplice or the sound of an Organ are strong and lusty enough to commit murder and Sacriledge like the Pharisees who strained at a Gnat and swallowed a Camel His Majesty made a Declaration to all the reformed Churches of the sincerity of his Profession and intention to live and die in the holy Religion which he had maintained and because the Factious of his Kingdom had used all their endeavours to alienate Forreign Churches from the Church of England upon the outward of Religion his Majesty remembers them there how at the Synod of Dort both the Discipline and Liturgy of England was approved by word and writing by the most eminent Divines of Germany France Denmark Sweden and Switzerland as appears in the Acts of that Synod and yet nevertheless the Covenanters at this day are so impudently bold as to publish that by long and sad experience they have found that the English Lyturgy was offensive to the Forreign Reformed Churches Where is their honesty Where is their sincerity Do they hope by these wicked waies to draw down a blessing of God upon their cause The Truth which they pretend to advance must it be established and set up by lying By all this then it appears that their long experience comes to nothing but if they are wanting in the old experience let them produce the new Where are the Forreign Churches that require of them the abolition of the publike Service Would they could cause them to speak for themselves By Forreign Churches they cannot understand the Scotch Church for since the beginning of this war the Covenanters would not acknowledge them for strangers for fear of being reproached for inviting and bringing in Forreign Forces and keeping them under pay in the Kingdom And as for other Churches we account the experience of the Authors of the Directory do not much exceed ours Now we have not known any Protestant stranger ever made it any difficulty to joyn in the publick prayers of the Church of England except some walking Anabaptists as in London they have lately made to appear and neither in
true and lawful Bishops and such as S. Paul writes of in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus and we deny not saith he but there hath been formerly such Bishops and that there are some now and that they elect such now in the Kingdom of England Beza writes thus to Archbishop Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury In my writings touching the Ecclesiastical Government I have ever opposed the Roman Hierarchy but it was never in my intention to oppose the Ecclesiastical policy of your English Church nor to require of you to form your Church according to the pattern of our Presbyterian Discipline for whilst the substance of your Doctrine is uniform with the Church of Christ it is lawful for us to differ in other matters according as the circumstances of times places and persons require and is avowed by the prescription of antiquity and for this effect I desire and hope that the sacred and holy society of your Bishops will continue and maintain for ever their right and title in the government of the Church with all Christian equity and moderation Moreover the Churches yea the English Bishops render to their Brethren beyond the Seas the like charity Thus speaks Famous and Reverend Bishop Hall I most cordially respect and with me our Church their dear sister those excellent forreign Churches who have chosen and followed an outward form of government which in every respect is most expedient and sutable for their condition With the like charity an excellent Bishop whose Title of his Book being without name binds us not to name him Having proved that according to the antient Institution of the Christian Church the Bishops always gave the imposition or laying on of hands I write not here saith he to prejudice our neighbour Churches I dare not limit the extraordinary working and operation of the Holy Ghost there where the ordinary means is wanting without the fault of the persons God gave his people Manna so long as they were in the Wilderness necessity is a strong pleader many Reformed Churches live under Kings and Bishops of another Communion Others have particular Reasons why they could not continue nor introduce Bishops but it is not so amongst us speaking of the Church of his own Country A few lines after he adds As for my self I am very much inclined to believe that the Lord looks upon his people with pity in all their prejudices and that there is a great Latitude left to particular Churches in the constitution of their Ecclesiastical government according to the exigence of place and persons provided that the Divine Order and Institution be observed Now after these charitable judgements the Reformed Churches do not believe that which the Epistle of the Assembly of Divines would perswade them that the Bishops hate forraign Churches and reach that without Bishops they could have no Church nor lawful call of Ministers so that if any of ours have offended of late the Reformed Church in the point of Discipline they are disavowed in it by their Bishops Here is thanks be to God a Christian Harmony the Churches which have no Bishops say Let them that would and can injoy the Order of Episcopacy let them injoy it far be it from us that we should either proudly or rashly reprove them for it The Bishops respect cordially the Forraign Churches which have not the same Order and account the Government established amongst them in all respects the most expedient for them Let both the one and the other hold themselves there and let them grant one another the Liberty to govern in the outward according to prudence and exigencies and let them joyn brotherly together to maintain the substance of Religion constant and uncorrupted It is the councel of the Reverend Bishop before alledged There are some Plants saith he which thrive best in the shadow if then this form of government without Bishops agree best to the constitution of some Common-wealths we pray to God to give them joy in it and pray them to say as much for us Petimus damusque vicissim This is spoken Christianly and wisely if our enemies had the charity to have said so much there would have been no Covenant neither would they have pulled down Monarchy for to pull down Bishops under colour of pulling down the Kingdom of Antichrist But if they would that in this quarrel the Reformed Churches should joyn with them they should first have drawn from them a Declaration that they held the Episcopal degree unlawful and a mark of Antichrist and incompatible with the Gospel and that rather then suffer it they should overthrow the State and dispossess your Kings for lesse then this perswasion could not induce the Reformed Churches to espouse the quarrel of the Covenant We will proceed no further in this controversie only because the Covenanters build their rules of Reformation upon the example of the French Churches which the French Reformers never thought of we beseech all equal persons to consider the Christian prudence of those that put their hand to this great work in France having the Court and Clergy contrary to them The best that they were able to do in the matter of Discipline was to provide Pastors who should teach purely and leave them in a simple equality there being no question of governing in times of persecution but to instruct and suffer and it being a thing subject to danger and envy to erect new degrees which could not be done without quarrelling at them which were established Necessity contributes to prudence for the Reformation in France having begun by the common people and some few of the inferiour Clergy who were opposed by the Civil and Ecclesiastical Power we cannot wonder if the Government which they established according to the time was popular if the Reformation had begun by Bishops the Government had been Episcopal the Priests that were converted had not poweâ— to convert their Bishops as the English who began the Reformation helped by their Authority the conversion of their Clergy and people For the inferiour Orbs having a contrary motion to the superiour have not the power to make them follow their course But the superiour Orbs carry along with them the inferiour It was a great matter that the Reformed people could gain any retrogation against the rapidity and swiftness of the greater Sphears The discipline of the French Churches is most commodious to their present estate and hardly could there be found a more proper for a Church that lives under Magistrates of a contrary Religion in expectation of the reformation of them who possess the Ecclesiastical degrees The French Ministers in this humble and equal order keep themselves in a state of obedience proper to submit themselves to their Diocesans when it shall please God to convert them and we believe that their Fathers did chose this equality not as an opposition to the degrees of the Clergy but as a way to dispose them and as a
of their evil opinions amongst men blame and praise take their force from him that gives them Those who accuse us of corruption in Religion should do well to tell us first amongst the scores of Religions that are what their Religion is for there are many Religions which are together with the Covenanters and live together as so many wilde beasts in the Ark who when they are gone out thence will devour one another or flee one from another but at present they all agree to tear us a pieces Now to these accusers of Corruption we present the thirty nine Articles of our Confession which they and we have sworn and subscribed and let their Consciences judge between them and us which of the two Parties have violated and falsified their Oath How have they observed the thirty sixt Article in which they acknowledged that the consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops used in England and confirmed by Act of Parliament contains nothing in it that is either Superstitious or Impious and yet now thunder out against this Order as a mark and branch of Antichrist Is this to want memory or conscience Can they upbraid us with any thing like unto this to have opposed in a Body and condemned an Article of our Confession The corruptions which they alledge against us are falsely so named or at the worst they are but faults of particulars But the Body of the Church hath kept and doth keep the Confession of their Faith inviolable If they produce any we would have brought in any new Doctrines or Customes who can produce others that have opposed them and that the Religion subsisted entire whilst they subsisted Let them not rob those Divines of their due praise who in the beginning of the Parliament laboured sincerely to confirm the Doctrine and to stifle the difference about Discipline We have before represented with what Wisdom Piety and Vigor many Bishops and Divines chosen by his Majesty had lead the two Parties to accord upon a certain number of Propositions which contained the Body of Religion and what great hope there was that the point of Discipline would be amiably composed and how a Faction enemies to the peace of the Church and jealous least any good should come by the means of the Bishops broke off that excellent accord which could never since be renewed persecuting the Prelates with all rigor never giving them rest until they had imprisoned them as Criminals although they were not guilty of any other crime then because they would have terminated the differences of Religion But this was to stifle the Covenant in the cradle and take away all pretext from this holy Rebellion It 's not then a wonder if this sin be not pardoned them it appears by the testimony of the Reverend Pastors of the Church of Geneva in what esteem our Religion was amongst our Neighbours for in their Epistle to the Assembly at London They beseech God that he would restore our Church and Kingdome to such a high degree of holiness and glory as it had shined in until that present By this they acquit us of the corruption which they impute to us and do obliquely accuse this Assembly and those that imploy them that by their means the Kingdom hath lost his glory and the Church her holiness Now put the case that the Corruption were as great amongst us as they make it yea put the case also that even in our Liturgie composed with so much piety and wisdome that there were something to mend as a Freckle in a fair Face and that the Discipline ought to be over-looked what could there be more expected of the King and the Clergy then to submit the Persons and things to be Reformed How often had the King offered to joyn his Authority to the Advice of Parliament and a National Synod to examine and punish the faulty and correct disorders yea and even the Laws themselves if there were need To these so reasonable commands behold here what obedience they yielded A part of the House of Commons having driven away the other by violence and popular tumults and put to flight nine parts of ten of the House of Lords besides the Bishops who represented the Body of the Clergy this small rest in lieu of a National Synod by lawful deputation of the Church chose some Ministers of their Faction for to make use of their Advice so far as it should please them These Ministers who had no Deputation nor Representation nor Authority from the Body of the English Church and having divers Lay persons joyned with them who wholly govern them mould a Religion all new defame the reputation of the Church and Confession to which they had sworn Obedience invite to their aid Forreign Churches as their brethren and ordain that which serves the intention of their Masters We know that amongst these Divines there were some men of Merit Persons which we know had it been in their power would have overcome evill with good but amongst pieces of gold there is many times a great deal of small money like unto our clipped half Testors they are the little heads without learning If the two Houses had assembled the body of the Clergy as was proposed to them by his Majesty they had found themselves filled with Orthodox Persons and they cannot complain if those persons whom they had most desire to received not the publike censure of the Clergy since they would not permit the Clergy to assemble themselves neither can they complain that any guilty hath gone unpunished for they have taken a sure course for by the universal ruine of the Deans and Chapiters they have involved the innocent with the guilty Hearken what the King said hereupon I was content to accord and render to the Presbyter that is to say to the Body of Pastors all the right which with reason and discretion they could pretend in their conjunction with the Episcopal degree but to suffer them wholly to invade the Ecclesiastical Power and to cut off altogether with the sword the Authority of this ancient Order for to invest themselves in it it was that which I accounted neither just in regard of the Bishops nor sure nor profitable in regard of the Presbyter himself neither any way convenient for the Church or State A right and good Reformation might have been easily produced by moderate Councils and I am perswaded such Councils would have given more contentment even to those very Divines who have been perswaded with much gravity and formality to serve the designs of others which without doubt many of them now acknowledge although they dare not make their discontent appear for finding themselves frustrated of their intentions I am very well assured that the true method to reform the Church cannot subsist with the perturbation of the Civil State and that Religion cannot justly be advanced in depressing Loyalty which is one of the principal ingredients and ornaments of true Religion for after the Precept
disobedient Ministers and to put those in their places who condemned their vocation these are the terms of the instruction given the Committee this horrible menace should give to all faithful Pastors cause rather of hope then fear for he that said to his Disciples He that refuseth you refuseth me finds himself refused and rejected in the persons of his servants and yet more in their Ministry without doubt he is provoked to jealousie and will take upon him the cause of the Ministry of his Word Whosoever shall seriously consider all that hideous spectacle of devastation of the Church the abolition of Government the ruine of the Pastors the corruption of Religion the profanation of the service of God and shall compare this persecution with that the Greek Churches suffer at this day shall find that all the ravages of the Turks since the taking of Constantinople have not so disfigured the Church in two hundred years as these Reformers did in six or seven years in their own country and amongst their brethren in the faith But pass we from the Ecclesiastical to the Civil the new Courts erected to hear complaints and to receive the compositions of Delinquents were as so many Butchers Shambles and Flaying-houses where they tore off the skin and pulled out the bowels and where they dismembred and cut in pieces many antient and good houses our miserable party had to do with worser Judges then he spoken of in the eighteenth of S. Luke which feared not God neither regarded man and yet he suffered himself to be overcome by the importunity of the afflicted Widdow and said I will avenge her or I will do her Justice We propose him for an example to these cruel souls and say after our Saviour Hear what the unjust Judge saith And shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night unto him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily There could be expected no juster sequel of iniquity from their beginnings then when it was commanded for every person through the Kingdom to bring in their Plate and Jewels which the seditious Zealots contributed as freely as the idolatrous Israelites to make a Golden Calf but those who did not bring their Plate they plundred their houses and took it away by force at the same time they commanded the people to take up arms under the penalty of being hanged and this sentence was executed in the Counties of Essex Suffolk and Cambridge the principal actor of this tyranny was the Earl of Manchester who caused some to be hanged who not being well learned in the Catechisme of sedition refused openly to take up arms against the King others for the same reason were tyed neck and heels unreasonably misused and cast into prisons until they had learned Rebellion and the rest of the people affrighted hereby went peaceably to commit treason against his Majesty Therefore the greatest cruelty of the Covenanters was not in rendring their country miserable but in having rendred it wicked and forced so many simple people to be instruments of their ambition and partakers of their crimes How will they answer for the blood and the consciences of their Souldiers killed in the act of paracide then when they discharged their Muskets against the Squadron where the person of the King was How will they answer for them who were actually imployed in the massacre of the King and who have since felt a hell in their consciences we must confess that they have been more cruel towards their own party then towards ours since they have only made us to suffer evil but they have forced their adherents both to suffer and do evil which are the two principal things wherein all the work of the devil consists After this execrable murther of their excellent Soveraign how many murthers did they heap upon this Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland the truly Noble and loyal Lord Capel many others killed in their armies in divers places many in every County condemned to death by partial Judges who received all accusations against those who had served their King and many thousands good subjects murthered in Ireland by these Sanguinary Zealots It would be infinite to reckon up all their crimes against God their Religion their Church their King and their Country and all that can be spoken is nothing in comparison to that prodigious mass of iniquity which stricks heaven with its height and makes even the earth to sink with the weight which draws from the bottom of our wounded souls these ardent sighs Oh our good God art thou so wrathfully displeased against these Nations as to give them over to a rebrobate sense and abandoned to do the will of the devil and establish his Kingdome Oh Religion Conscience King Church State Order Peace Justice Laws all are violated defaced disfigured and melted into a horrible Chaos of obscurity and confusion Alas how can it be that this people enlightened with the knowledge of God abounding with the riches of heaven and earth should fall into such a diabolical frenzy as to trample under their feet their Religion cut off the head of their King pluck out the throat of their Mother the Church and deal with their Fellow-countrymen and Brethren in Jesus Christ more cruelly then the Mahumetans deal with the Christians who drives them not from their houses and patrimonies in Turky nor reduce them to the fift part of their Revenues How is the faithful City become an Harlot it was full of Judgement righteousness lodged in it but now murtherers Isa 1.21 Certainly although the evil they do unto us should not force us to go out of our Country and leave it yet the evil that we behold in it is capable to make us forsake it and to imbrace the Prophet Jeremies choice Jer. 9.2 3. Oâ— that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for way-faring men that I might leave my people and go from them for they be adulterers an assembly of treacherous men and they bend their tongues like their bow for lies but are not valiant for the truth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. Ha people frantick whose eyes the God of this world have darkned and exasperated your passions with a seditious rage cruelly and bloodily to persecute your Church and Soveraign Miserable people who do the work of their enemies and execute upon themselves the malediction pronounced to Hierusalem in Rebellion Sion shall tear her self with her own hands ridding and casting their crown and glory upon the ground cutting their own sinews and breaking their bones and by their weakness and disunion invite the enemy to come and make an end of them Blind Zealots who stirred you up so disorderly to pull down Antichrist you will find in doing thus you have contributed to raise him up and having drawn an horrible scandal upon our most Holy Religion by your impious actions and infamous
holy Religion to stir up Princes against the Church and the pure profession of the Gospel T is the duty of the Reformed Churches to speak aloud that 't is not we that teach the people are above their King and that endeavour by Letters and Intelligences a general rising but that it 's the Covenanters of England who attempting to cut off their King and Monarchy by the sword labour in vain to seduce their neighbours to encrease their party thereby to hide themselves in the multitude of their complices they came forth of us long since but were not of us and for their Doctrines and actions which are the only things evil in their Reformation they never received any countenance or incouragement from us We assure our selves Gentlemen in that Divine assistance which hath to this present upheld you that ye will never be seduced to defend evil neither by complacency nor contradiction but will follow the precept of the Apostle Saint James Jam. 2.1 My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of persons Ye will consider that those who chase us seek not your alliance but to strengthen their separation from us and not to imbrace good Doctrine or follow your councel which if they had asked and followed the one had never sold their King nor the other over massacred him Believe it Sirs they are your best friends at distance rather then neer and if ye never converse with them ye will never be weary of their company Your free meek and solid piety which feeds it self simply upon the substance of Religion without picking quarrels at the shell is very far from sordid superstition and the Hypocondriak and bloody zeal of these Covenanters who pretend to advance the Kingdome of Jesus Christ by cutting the throats of his Disciples and cementing his Temple with blood instead of the cement of charity and in the mean while make some petty circumstances the principals of Religion and cut out their holy Doctrine according to the Discipline which they are forging as he that cuts his flesh to make his doublet fit for his body By how much more these are wicked by so much the more are they worthy of compassion whom we must behold as people drunken with the Wine of Astonishment which they themselves confess in their Epistle they sent unto you they shall find the rest of their description in that place where they borrowed those words and shall there behold themselves set forth as a wild Bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord Isa 51.20 For as the wild Bull rageth when he feels himself intangled and intangleth and insnares himself more by raging so these miserable people who by an impetuosity without reason rid themselves out of all Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil are insnared in stronger bonds then before and by their bruitish fury are more and more intangled These these are the sad effects of the just wrâ—th of God who hath smote those with blindness who have abused the light of the Gospel and have given them the hearâ— of a beast Dan. 4.16 as he did to Nebuchadnezzar whâ— have cast off all humanity God by his mercy reduce to their senses and guide them and us in his paths and grant his peace to them that are far off and to them that are near Isa 57.19 For in civil wars that party that is neerest to God and right is yet very far from his duty Your wisdome will instruct you to profit by the folly of your neighbours and their evil actions teach you to do well they will let you see that to destroy the Ecclesiastical and Political Order by a bloody war to reform Religion is to commit the fault in the vulgar Latine Translation Evertit domum instead of Eveâ—rit Luke 15.8 That is to overthrow the house in stead of sweeping it the folly is the greater when its only to find a trifle and that they overthrow both Church and State for some particularity which were it good cannot recompence the general destruction You will also learn by the proceedings of these Covenanters that its impossible to alter the foundation of Church and State without pulling down the house which is the work of the blind as Sampson to over-turn the Pillars of the publick building that those that thrust them down might be crushed to pieces under the fall that those that take the Church and State apieces to cleanse it have not the power to put it together and in order again when they please and that all violent changes in a State as in an old body are alwayes for the worst We hope also that our good God beholding us with pity in this our weak condition will give you somewhat to observe and learn from us as that a Rebellion which pulls down Monarchy without thinking so lifts it up and fortifie't as a violent Crysis which if it takes not away the Patient contributes to his recovery For the insolence of the new masters doth mind the people of their duty to their lawful Prince and the unlocked for success of a new Obligarchy sowes dissention amongst the Usurpers The conduct of the Providence of God in the movings of States teacheth us that in chastising Kings by the rebellion of their subjects hereby he punisheth the people more then their Kings and those very Kings that God gives people in his wrath Hosea 13.11 are not taken away without his fury and the publick ruine which is then greatest when he takes from an ungrateful people a King whom he have given in his mercy the wise and fearing God should consider their sufferings under their Soveraigns as sinister influences of celestial bodies against which no man in his wits will draw his sword for both the one and the other comes from heaven and cannot be remedied but by humility prayers and veneration all other remedies are worse then the evil Also amidst your grief to behold the ruine of our not long since flourishing Churches you may comfort your selves in the weakness of our condition which now renders us less subject to the like dangers for as full and sanguine bodies are most subject to violent feavers and sharp diseases which those of weaker complexions are ordinarily free from so those persons who have power in their hands and are puffed up with a long prosperity ordinarily fall into most violent evils which seiseth not upon them but with too much strength Then when the Church hath the least lustre she oft times is neerest to God as the Moon is never neerer the Sun then when she is in the lowest degree of her declension and without light to our regard The Power of God is made perfect in our weakness and we hope to behold you subsist yea encrease and grow in bowing down under the storm whilst those that have so striven and contended against their Soveraigns shall be rooted out by their arrogancy By humility and submission under
the mighty hand of God which leads his Church through waies he knows safest for them and stopping the ear to all factious Councils cloathed with the zeal of Religion ye will at last obtain that testimony of God which he gives to the Church of Ephesus I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them liars and hast borne and hast patience and hast not fainted Rev. 2.2 and thus ye shall surely obtain the promised reward following To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God v. 7. This hope is our support in the depth of our afflictions for under that terrible weight of publick and particular miseries capable to bear down the strongest and firmest spirits we are raised and kept up by this consolation that we serve a good Master who will never forsake them who forsake all which is most dear to them to follow him What though our sufferings be the effects of our sinnes yet are they also honourable markes of our loyalty both to God and our King and though we have left our estates a little before death would have taken them away yet God hath by his grace preserved in us a good conscience riches which is not subject to sequestration but dying we shall carry away with us In these great tryalls of our faith and patience whilst we seek ease in pouring forth our griefs into the bosome of our brethren behold yet another encrease of affliction upon affliction for we find to our great regret that the subtilty of our enemies have begotten an evil understanding between you and some of ours to which some have much contributed if the complaints we hear be true that they have manifested and declared themselves contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches and that they have despised your assemblies as not being Churches and maintained that there could be no Church where there was no Bishop As for their Doctrine if it be divers from our publick Confession they are no more of our Church then of yours and to satisfie you upon this point we have joyned the Confession of the Church of England which all thâ—se who have been received into holy Orders sware to defend at their reception and all who were to be admitted into Churches were injoyned at their entrance publickly to read and to professe thereupon their consent to them under pain of losing their Benefices If any have departed from that profession which they did so solemnly make the body of the Church which maintains that holy Doctrine is no way responsible for their erring If the Rebels had not prevented the King from assembling a nationall Synod to which his Majesty purposed to invite other Reformed Churches your Judgments would have been heard for the purging our Churches of all new Doctrines which without all comparison are worse and in a farre greater number amongst our enemies then amongst the Royall party As for this position that there cannot be a Church without a Bishop we account it full of rashnesse and void of Charity It 's indeed a cruel sentence to deprive of the benefit of the Gospel and of their union with Christ all those Churches which live under the Crosse and cannot enjoy the Episcopal Order That Famous Dr. Andrews Bishop of Winchester was not of this opinion for in one of his Epistles touching Episcopacy He saith he should be harder than Iron who would not acknowledge that there are holy Churâ—â—es that subsist and flourish without Bishops and with what respect our Bishops speak of your Church you shall read in this ensuing Treatise It 's easie to see that the Episcopal Order is wholly incompatible with the present condition of the Reformed Churches of France for if there were twenty or thirty Bishops amongst you that should Govern all the other Churches it would be easie for those of the contrary Religion under whom you live to fil up those places with some persons who should be at their devotion whence would follow either a seduction or an oppression of the other Pastors But whilst the Gentlemen of the Clergy in the Court behold all Pastors equal they will lose their cunning in this multitude and although they be excellent in playing on the Organs yet they have not fingers enough to touch every Key If your Order of equality might or ought to be conserved if it should please God the French Monarchy should embraâ—e the Reformation it s a thing we will not touch but if that only were the obstruction we account you too wise and good Christians and such as would not hinder the setling of the holy Doctrine for maintaining a point of Discipline You then Gentlemen joyning to your Christian charity the French courtesie pardon our English Schollers who peradventure have brought with them from the Vniversity an humour a little affirmative and from the fresh remembrance of their Glorious Church retain yet an admiration of home things which is an humour Neighbour Nations observe in the English and which those that heretofore have known England will easily pardon Consider on the other side whether some of yours have not given them just occasion to be so sharp and bitter and to passe their limits in their affirmations it cannot be denied but we have met with spirits possessed with the reports of our adversaries who have been more ready to court you than we as alwaies those that have 〈◊〉 â—vil cause are ever more diligent to gain by faction that which they want and cannot obtain by right It may be also that your people have manifested themselves too rigid in their Opinions as well as some of ours upon points which touch not the principles of Religion and as it is ordinary for humane infirmity to turn custom into necessity you may not wonder that if some of yours maintain as necessary and perpetual which your wise Reformers established as arbitrary and for the present necessity as it is formally declared by the last Article of your Discipline We have placed in the Front of this work the Manifesto of the Late King Charles the First of Blessed and Glorious Memory in which he takes a religious care to satisfie you touching his Constancy in the Reformed Religion and of his Resolution to enlarge and strengthen it in all forraign Countries to the utmost of his power he could no more to manifest how much he valued your affection and good opinion and we following the example of our holy and Glorious Martyr labour here to knit with you a holy union which our enemies have so vigorously laboured to break and in these our great afflictions do take care to prevent your and to give you saving Councell Know then Gentlemen that your most holy Religion is much defamed by the Actions of these paraciâ—â— Zealots
change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authoritie so that all things be done to edifying XXXV THe second Book of Homilies the severall titles whereof we have ioyned under this Article doth contain a godly and wholsome Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the sixth and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understanded of the people Of the Names of the Homilies 1 OF the right use of the Church 2 Against peril of Idolatry 3 Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches 4 Of good works first of Fasting 5 Against Gluttony and Drunkennesse 6 Against Excesse of Apparel 7 Of Prayer 8 Of the Place and Time of Prayer 9 That Common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be ministred in a known Tongue 10 Of the reverent estimation of Gods Word 11 Of Alms doing 12 Of the Nativity of Christ 13 Of the passion of Christ 14 Of the Resurrection of Christ 15 Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ 16 Of the Gifts of the holy Ghost 17 For the Rogation daies 18 Of the State of Matrimony 19 Of Repentance 20 Against Idlenesse 21 Against Rebellion XXXVI THe Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of Edward the sixth and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and ordering neither hath it any thing that of it selfe is superstitious and ungodly And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the second year of the aforenamed King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered XXXVII THe Queens Majestie hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief government of all estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any forreign Iurisdiction Where wee attribute to the Queenes Majestie the chiefe government by which titles we understand the mindes of some slanderous folkes to be oâ—fended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only prerogative which we see to have been given alwaies to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Civil sword the stubborne and evil deers The Bishop of Rome hath no Iurisdiction in this Realm of England The Lawes of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences It is lawful for Christian men at the Commandment of the Magistrate to weare weapons and serve in the warres XXXVIII THe Riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as certain Anabaptists do falsly boast Notwithstanding every man ought of such things as he possesseth liberally to give almes to the poore according to his ability XXXIX AS we confesse that vaine and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Iesus Christ and Iames his Apostle So we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charitie so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in justice judgment and truth The Contents Chap. 1. OF the Seditious Liberty of the new Doctrines which hath been the principal means of the Covenant p. 1. Chap. 2. That the Covenanters are destitute of all Proofs for their war made against the King p. 12. Chap. 3. Express Texts of Scripture which commands Obedience and forbids Resistance to Soverigns p. 23. Chap. 4. The Evasions of the Covenanters upon the Texts of Saint Paul Rom. 13. and how in time they refuse the judgment of Scripture p. 28. Chap. 5. What Constitution of State the Covenanters forge and how they refuse the judgment of the Laws of the Kingdom p. 40. Chap. 6. What Examples in the Histories of England the Covenanters make use of to authorize their actions p. 46. Chap. 7. Declaring wherein the Legislative power of Parliament consists p. 50. Chap. 8. How the Covenanters will be Judges in their own cause p. 63. Chap. 9. That the most noble and best part of the Parliament retired to the King being driven away by the worser p. 65. Chap. 10. A Parallel of the Covenant with the holy League of France under Henry the Third Pag. 71. Chap. 11. The Doctrine of the English Covenanters parallel'd with the Doctrine of the Jesuits p. 72. Chap. 12. How the Covenanters wrong the Reformed Churches in inviting them to joyn with them with an Answer for the Churches of France p. 81. Chap. 13. The preceding Answer confirmed by Divines of the Reformed Religion with an Answer to some Objections of the Covenanters upon this Subject p. 101. Chap. 14. How the Covenanters have no reason to invite the Reformed Churches to their Alliance since they differ from them in many things of great importance p. 115. Chap. 15. Of abolishing the Lyturgy in doing of which the Covenanters oppose the Reformed Churches p. 122. Chap. 16. Of the great prudence and wisdom of the first English Reformers and of the Fool hardinesse of these at present p. 132. Chap. 17. How the Covenanters labour in vain to sow Sedition between the Churches of England and France upon the point of Discipline Of the Christian prudence of the French Reformers and of the nature of Discipline in general p. 145. Chap. 18. How the Discipline of the Covenanters is far from the practise of other Churches p. 156. Chap. 19. That the Covenanters ruine the Ministers of the Gospel under colour of Reformation p. 163. Chap. 20. Of the Corruption of Religion objected to the English Clergy and the waies that the Covenanters took to remedy them Pag. 167. Chap. 21. An Answer to the Objection That the King made War against the Parliament p. 176. Chap. 22. Of the Depraved and Evil Faith of the Covenanters p. 184. Chap. 23. Of the Instruments both Parties made use of and of the Irish Affairs p. 207 Chap. 24. How the different Factions of the Covenant agreed to ruine the King and contributed to put him to death p. 226. Chap. 25. Of the cruelty of the Covenanters towards the good Subjects of the King p. 232. CHAP. I. Of the seditious Liberty of New Doctrines which hath been the principal means of the Covenant A Compleat History of our Affairs since
condition they would commit new ones But when the honest and most understanding of the City came in a good number to petition the two Houses to hearken to peace and satisfie the King they were severely rebuked as seditious and these Gentlemen let them know that they loved no noise but of their own making Behold here the waies whereby the Parliament of London obtained their absolute power Behold the Foundations they laid for a most holy Reformation Posterity will be ashamed of the Actions of their Fathers all Forreign Nations will abhor these proceedings remorse and sorrow may in the end enter into the hearts of the Londoners when they shall behold themselves the sole object of publick Execrations and curses Those of Gaunt and Paris have only reason to pardon them when they shall remember their Baracado's and the estate of the Nobles during the holy League CHAP. X. A Parallel of the Covenant with the holy League of France under Henry the 3d. WHo so shall compare the holy League of France with the English Covenant shall find that they are sisters daughters of the same Father and that the younger is to the life after the Image of the Elder in both you shall find an Oath of mutual assistance to extirpate Heresie without the Authority of the King and which at last is turned against the King himself A Jealousie without ground of the Religion of their Soveraign and a War of Religion against a King of the same Religion which they would make the world believe was a Heretick A League with strangers and Armies raised in the Kingdom against their natural Prince who gave them no other occasion of the War but his too much Gentleness A King submitting himself to reason offering himself to remedy all the grievances of his Subjects and a people refusing to admit him to bring a remedy and resolved to give order without him the King driven from his chief City which he had honoured by his ordinary presence The fire of civil war blown about by seditious preachers The superstitious people tributary to the ambition of some particulars weak Conscience instructed to cut the throat of their King for the love of God and to gain Paradise fastings frequent Devotions doubled Prophetical Inspirations Examples of Angelical Holiness and all this to perswade the superstitious people that God favoured their Seditions as his cause and that their Leaders took Counsel of none but the Holy Ghost and had no other aim but the setting up of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Writers under pay to write scandalous libels against their King the people fed with lies to drain money out of their purses one while amazing them with fears where there was none another while flattering them with false hopes and with forged news A Parliament in the principal City but in it a smal number who wanting the Royal assistance support themselves by granting liberty to an inveagled people and by power of rich and foolish Citizens Nobility scorned Artificers and Banquerouts bearing the sway all Order Divine and Humane overturned the ancient Laws and Customes broken and new fundamental Laws never heard of before in their places In brief it appears at this day that the Devil marches abroad and walks in the same paths he did about fifty years since CHAP. XI The Doctrine of the English Covenanters parallel'd with the Doctrine of the Jesuits SInce the League of France and the English Covenant were both made upon pretence of Religion it 's not unworthy our paines to consider the conformity of the Doctrines they employed to maintain both the one and the other and how the Jesuits Maximes were the chief support of the Covenant Both in the League and Covenant the people were encouraged to take up Arms against their King by this opinion of Car. Bellar. who teacheth that in the Kingdoms of men the power of the K comes from the people because it 's the people that makes the King and that the people do never so transfer their power over to the King but they retain it in habitu and so that in certain cases they may in effect re-assume it again which was also the judgment of Navarrus whom the Cardinal highly extois And thus also the Author of the Observations upon the Kings Declarations who is the Master of the Sentences with the Covenanters teacheth us That originally the power is in the people who are the fountain and efficient cause and that the Authority is not in the Prince but secondarily and derivatively All these State Philosophers are full of School terms but little reason and he adds That this Authority founded by the people cannot be dissolved but by that power which gave it constitution Which is as much as to say That the people may take away the Kings power and authority when they please Another of the Sect but more antient tells us That Princes and Governours have their authority from the people who when they find it convenient may resume and take it from them again as every man may revoke when he please his own procuration or warrant but this reason shall by and by be examined and refuted The Cardinal explains himself more clearly in that which before he had written in covert Terms saying That a King such as he there describes may yea ought by the consent of all to be deprived of his Authority and Goodman is of his opinion That evil Princes ought to be deposed and that this alone belongs to the inferiour Magistrates to put in execution We learn from Doctor Charron that the French Leaguers eluded the strength of S. Pauls Texts which forbids the opposing of Soveraigns in saying That the commands had regard and respect only to the State of the Christians of those times because they were not then strong enough to make resistance I have before shewed how Bellarmine Buchanan and the Champions of Covenant make use of the same reason and exposition But to clear the way and make it smooth to come to deposing of Soveraign Princes These two parties are wont to absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance Emanuel Sa the Jesuite saith That the people may depose their Prince even after they have sworn perpetual obedience to him And Mr. Knox saith That if Princes prove Tyrants against God and his Truth their Subjects are free from their Oaths of Allegiance c. To the excommunication and deposing of the Prince ordinarily there follows execution according to the Authentick Bull That it s not Homicide to kill an excommunicated person The French League produced two examples in the persons of their Kings and this accords with the Doctrine of Buchanan That Ministers may excommunicate Princes and that a King after he is cast into Hell by Excommunication is unworthy to live or to enjoy life upon earth But observe in passing the Reformed Churches do not teach that the Excommunicatio Major do cast any person into Hell but onely excludes
must touch it But I am constrained to it by the frequent Declarations of the Covenanters who have nothing so strong nor so frequent for to move the people to take up Arms against their King as to propose to them the example of the French Churches as a pattern which they ought and are bound to follow Would to God that in leaving us there they would have given us liberty to hold our peace but since they will not give over publishing abroad and making all places ring with our calamities the remembrance whereof we rather desire should be for ever buried since they impute the actions of some few to the generality of our Churches and even to Religion it self and since that they alledge our errors for to exhort us to return to them again and since they change the subject of our repentance and sorrow into rules for their imitation and into precepts of the Gospel Is it not now high time to speak and prefer the Interest of Gods Glory and of the Truth of his Word above the credit of men whatsoever they be yea and of our own too Let God be true and every man a Liar Rom. 3.4 Confess thy fault and give glory to the Lord God of Israel Jo. 7.19 Mr. Rivet was not ashamed to call these our stirrings culpam nostrorum the fault of his Country-men and this was spoken as a Champion of the truth to confess it so freely that it was both to our sin and dammage wherein as he himself declares he agrees with Monsieur du Moulin who in his second Epistle to Monsieur Balzak makes the same confession in equivalent terms Such was the Piety and ingenuity of these godly and learned persons that all their care and pains was to defend the Truth only and not their persons It would be a great honor for the Churches of France with one consent publikely to declare that they judge all wars of Subjects against their Soveraign unlawful and to exhort their Brethren of England to Obedience and fidelity to their Prince then for to preserve the credit of some of their party and suffer their actions to serve as snares to the weak consciences of their Neighbours and of pretext to those who labour to corrupt the Doctrine of the Gospel My self being a member of the Reformed Church of France doubt not but I shall be owned and approved to give an Answer for them to the Summons of a strange Covenant It s a very great affliction to us to behold the famous Churches of Great Britain to destroy themselves for controversies without necessity and which might have been easily composed And that which toucheth us most is the danger of the Truth which is much weakned by these divisions for it s to be feared that in your contending and striving one with another you over-turn not the Candlestick of the Gospel and that God being provoked takes not away his saving Light which was not given to lighten you one to fight against another We will not enter into the causes of your quarrels and could wish that you had left out the remembrance of ours and had not imployed the unforâ—unate actions of your poor Neighbours which anguish and terrour produced to serve as example to your people to take up Arms against their King They were but the lesser part of our Churches that were involved in that party The signal testimonies of our fidelity to the Crown ever since the reducing of Rochel and other places which were moved in our hands do efface the memory of the troubles moved in their behalf and the cause of these motions being equitably considered by sober and moderate spirits would beget pity rather then hatred For if just fear could justifie Arms against their lawful Soveraign those of our Religion who bare Arms in this occasion could represent to you that when the King demanded back again the places that he had granted them for their security they had great occasion to fear that with these places they should lose the security of their consciences and lives in which they were happily deceived For the late King who was as gentle in making use of a victory as valiant in gaining one ever laboured more to comfort than to punish and compassion stifling his anger made them know that the strongest place for the security of Subjects is the Clemency and Justice of their Soveraign Oh these Royal Vertues were eminently manifest in him whom God had given you for your King Who being the Defender of the Reformed Christian Faith and publishing his most holy Profession with such protestations which gave us full satisfaction we cannot see how you can alledge the example of our taking up of Arms should they be the most just of the world having not the same subjects of fear The security of your consciences and lives were without question But you are not the first whom ease and long prosperity hath carried to the same impatience to which others have been driven by affliction And since then ye address your selves to us to give you advice We beseech you consider that to take counsel of your Friends it must not be when their swords are in their hands and their enemies before them but when they are quiet and at peace 'T is not from our Souldiers but our Divines that you should enquire whether you should draw your swords against your Prince if you refer your selves to them they will all conclude for the Negative For whilst our Wars continued whereof you have too good a memory not one of all our Divines maintained those dangerous Maximes which is now defended by your Sermons and Writings They that say most for their Party excuse it and lay it upon necessity 'T is not from any of our Books that ye have drawn these vile Maximes That the Authority of the Sovereign Magistrate is of Humane Right That the people is above their King That the people gave the power to the Prince and may take it away when they please That Kings are not the anointed of the Lord That if the King fail in performing the Oath at his Coronation the Subjects are absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance That if the Prince falls from the Grace of God the people are loosed from their subjection That for to establish a Discipline which they account to be the only Kingdom of Jesus Christ Subjects may take up Arms against their Prince That Kings are to be judged before their Subjects That the Civil Government ought to be formed according to the pattern of the Ecclesiastical which is not Monarchical This Maxime tends to the abolition of Royalty in all States In all the Writings of our Divines ye find no such matters but such as teach Subjects Loyalty Humility Obedience and Patience All agree together with the ancient Christians and say that prayers and tears are the weapons of the Church We never spake of deposing our Kings and do not believe that any man living
can depâ—se the King or dispense with their Subjects Oath of Allegiance If any of ours speak otherwise we are ready to disavow it Very often those that teach well are seduced to do ill being overcome by temptation and yet very few ever go so far as to teach ill to justifie their Actions God hath kept us hitherto from that And although it may happen unto us as unto others to break the Commandments of God Mat. 5.19 but we hope never so to be forsaken of him to teach others to do so Thâ—n is the evil desperate when vices become manners and yet more evil when the evil manners become Doctrines that poor souls are instructed to sin for Conscience sake Oh observe that there is not a more certain sign of a people forsaken of God than this Therefore with the same liberty you invite us to maintain your Opinions by a publike Association we earnestly beseech you to correct your own and condemn all your Maximes contrary to sound Doctrine Enemies to the peace of States Majesty and the safety of Kings taking heed of drawing reproach and persecution upon the profession of the Gospel and to render your neighbours suspected for the faults of others Also that you re-establish the use of the Lords Supper intermitted in divers places these many years that ye give order for children to be baptized and that there be no more aged persons rebaptized That they print not any more that all Churches which baptize Infants are a faction of Antichristians that none teach any more that the Sacraments are not necessary and that for a quarrel of State they dispossess not faithful Orthodox Pastors of their Benefices to put Hereticks in their places As for the quarrel ye have against Antichrist we should be very glad to joyn with you provided that ye observe these two conditions the one not to call Antichrist that which is not for we gather by your Epistles and Declarations that you give the Title of upholders of Antichrist to many of our Brethren whose confession agrees with ours and with whom you ought to bear and with Charity amend their faults on condition that they may deal the like with you The other condition is That ye fight against Antichrist by lawful ways prescribed in the Word of God namely by the Spirit of his mouth that is by the power of the Gospel for as they were not the warlike Engines of Joshua but the Trumpets of the Sanctuary that made the walls of Jericho to fall down so it is not the Cannon but the Trumpet of the Gospel which is required to pull down the walls of Babylon These are the weapons of our warfare which are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 they are not carnal And besides Divine Authority experience should have have taught you that God blesseth not these designs of pulling down Antichrist by the Sword It was the Epidemical Phrensie of Germany now sixscore years since which turn'd into smoak and confusion Indeed if our King should Covenant in a just quarrel against Antichrist and Lewis the 14th assume for the devisoe of his Mony that which Lewis the 12th stamped upon his Crowns at Pisa Perdam Nomen Babiloniâ— we would with a great deal of cheerfulness follow him in this War but we cannot approve of a Covenant or League against Antichrist made and agreed upon in spight of the Supreme Powers who chuse Chiefs other then their Soveraigns For such Leagues or Covenants are the open Rebellion of Subjects againâ—t their Prince Upon which the Observation attributed to Bullinger is very remarkable and which should extreamly move you That the Anabaptists began with the destruction of Bishops accounting as you the Office and dignity of Bishops was an appurtenance of Antichrist but they ended with the destruction of Magistrates Our Churches look upon the predictions of the fall of Antichrist and the establishment of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as objects of their Hope and not as Rules of their Duty They govern not themselves by Prophesies but by Commands and make Conscience of transgressing the Laws of God out of zeal to advance his Kingdom so leaving to God the execution of his counsels we keep our selves in a peaceable obedience to our Sovereign and in doing that we yield obedience to God who commands to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 and to pray for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.2 If we embrace your Covenant or make one like it we cannot obey these commands of the Gospel for to Covenant without permission of our Sovereign would be to Covenant against him to take up Arms in the Kingdom without him or against him comes all to the same thing What Cannot our sufferings which you remember so often to us perswade you from following so dangerous a Councel for we retain and persevere in the Instruction given us that we must not remedy an evil by sin nor defend Piety by Disloyalty God hath no need of our sins to defend his cause the preservation of the true Religion is the Cause of God and his work which he will never forsake and even then when all humane means seems to fail he watcheth for the preservation of his Church which if he is pleased to afflict it s our duty to humble our selves and when he is pleased also to raise her up we need not carry to his help Sedition and Rebellion In fine We love the King that God hath given us by duty and inclination trembling at the mention of your Covenant and the younger his Majesty is the more we account our selves bound to endeavour to preserve peace in his State hoping that when he comes of years he will acknowledge the services we have done him in his Minority and that he will consider with what Fidelity and Integrity his Subjects of the Reformed Religion have cast off the instant solicitations of Strangers conceiving they can never be good Christians without being good Subjects and that to obey their King and to offer up their Goods and Lives to his service is a great part of the service they owe to God The English Covenanters may receive this Answer as the Answer of the Churches of France until they have disavowed it by a publick Declaration CHAP. XIII The preceding Answer confirmed by Divines of the Reformed Religion with an Answer to some Objections of the Covenanters upon this Subject TO the end it may better appear that the preceding Answer for the Reformed Churches of France is drawn from the Model of their Doctrine behold here some few passages Calvin speaks thus If we be persecuted for piety by a wicked and sacrilegious Prince before all things let us remember our sins not doubting but God sends
take a reciprocal Oath and in a paction of such importance there should also pass some publick contract things which are not practised so that hereby it evidently appears that this imagination of the enemies of Monarchy have not any foundation neither in Law nor Custome Some persons think they speak very finely in saying that the Authority of the King is an Usurpation of the Sword confirmed by Custome that if they could gain their liberty by the sword and confirm it by custome their Right would be as good as his and upon this they Phylosophy upon the Resolutions of States which are in the hand of God and teach us to follow the course of his Providence But by speaking thus they commit a double errour against conscience and against prudence As for conscience the antient constitution of the State confirmed by so many ages Statutes Oaths of Allegiance do suffice to learn all Christians that live under this Monarchy that it was God that established it and that by the command of God they are bound to defend the State under which they are born and whom the Body of the Kingdome hath sworn to maintain These discourses of following the Providence of God in matters of Revolutions of States are then only seasonable when the Royal Blood is extinguished or when Usurpation hath gained prescription through length of years but not when they are neer to overthrow the Estate and ruine the King these considerations are good when the evil is done and out of remedy but not when they are acting ill and when the obedience and loyalty of the subjects may remedy all The providence of God will never serve for excuse of the wickedness of men let us do that which we ought to do and leave God to do what he pleaseth and above all these moralities of revolution of States are worst in their mouths who labour to make this revolution in the State for it 's their duty to prevent this revolution with all their power posterity may excuse themselves by the providence of God in following a new form of State whilst those that introduced it shall be condemned by his Justice Besides all this there is a great want of prudence in this reasoning for in quarrelling the Rights of the King as usurpations of violence and custome they teach the King to quarrel at their liberties and priviledges for the same reason yea and by one much greater for the Priviledges of Parliament are much newer then the Royal Authority and the King may say they were obtained by force after many long and bloody wars he might cast off all prescription gained upon the unlimited power of the first Norman Kings and put himself into all the rights of their Conquests by another Wise subjects who would keep their priviledges ought by all means to preserve peace for there is nothing renders Kings more absolute then war Under a Royal Estate the principal means to preserve the peoples liberty is to maintain the only authority of the King dividing it amongst many they do but multiply their Masters For it s better to have one evil Master then many good ones CHAP. XIV How the Covenanters have no reason to invite the Reformed Churches to their Allyance since they differ from them in many things of great importance WE wonder exceedingly how our Enemies dare solicite the Reformed Churches to Covenant with them From whence comes this great familiarity Is it because of their great resemblance one with another It s that we cannot find As for obedience due to the King which is the principal point of the Covenanters we have made it already appear that the Divines of the Reformed Religion are as contrary to the Covenanters as they are to the Jesuiâ—es their Brethren and Companions in blood and war This point being denied them they care not much for the society of any Church in other points of Doctrine This is the first and great Commandment of the Covenant to obey the people against their King maintain but this their fundamental maxime and they will give you leave to chuse your Religion but in many other things this faction differ from the Reformed Churches Concerning the Doctrine of the Lords Day they have a great quarrel against Calvin who is so far from constraining the Church to a Jewish observation of the Sabbath that he accounts that the Church is not subjected to the keeping of the seventh day a passage which Learned Rivet alledgeth and approâ—â—s and to both these doth Doctor Prideaux since Bishop of Worcester joyn who in a discourse of the Sabbath complains that the English Sabbatarians lean towards Judaisme and go against the common received Doctrine of Divines never considering into what captivity they cast themselves in establishing the observation of the seventh day under Christianity by the authority of a Mosaical Precept Master Primrose Minister of Rohan hath writ a very Learned Book full of profound knowledge upon this Subject wheâ—e amongst other things he proves at large how all the Reformed Churches are contrary to this opinion Although God hath no need of the errour of men to establish his service we so much love the reverence due to that holy day that we would not lightly quarrel at any thing thereupon Let every one enjoy his Opinion so that God may be served and the day which is dedicated to him be not violated neither by prophaneness nor superstition But since the Covenanteâ— in this point are so contrary to the Reformed Churches and have so often condemned it by their writings the Assembly at London did very ill to plead conformity with these Churches in this Article and complain to them of the Liberty the King gave to poor servants to sport on Sunday after Divine Service So also for the Festivals although Mr. Rivet declares his desire that those daies which carry the Names of Saints should be abolished in England because of the abuses of these Festivals in the Church of Rome nevertheless he acknowledgeth and commends the Protestation of the English Church hereupon that they observe them not for the Service of Saints but for to glorifie God in imitation of the Primitive Church by the memory of those whom God was pleased to serve himself by to build up his Church and exceedingly blames those who accuse them of Idolatry for this observation King James of happy and glorious memory speaks thus in his Confession of Faith As for the Saints departed I reverence their memory in honour of whom our Church hath established so many daies of Solemnity as there are Saints enrolled by the Authority of the Scripture The Festivals of Saints scarce exceed the number of the Apostles and Evangelists Monsieur du Moulin his Champion defends this Confession of his Majesty Indeed saith he we condemn not this celebration of the memory of Martyrs and Saints we find the custome good of the English Church who have daies set apart for the commemoration of the Apostles
And a little after he gives the reason why the French Churches do not follow their example Because living in a Country where Superstition abounds the people would be easily drawn to abuse them and be tainted with the common contagion The Prudent and Religious acknowledge with him That in this the Churches have liberty to govern themselves according to the exigencies of time and place and that if in the English Calender there be some festivals which might well be passed by and whereof there might be some fear of the consequence these things ought to have been fairly represented with the humility of subjects and the charity of Christians and not defame the reputation of the English Church as idolatrous and a member of Antichrist nor reform the Church and the King by the Sword since the Reformed Churches in this point acquits them and the example of the Primitive justifies them But although they make a great shew of their agreement with other Churches they make but use of them in some points where they like and approve of and spare not to accuse them of idolatry as well as others when they please 'T is that which they do without naming them then when they reject as gross idolatry the observation of the memory of the daies dedicated to the Nativity Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and the sending of the Holy Ghost into the Church Behold here the Opinion and Practise of the Reformed Churches declared by that Godly and Learned Festus Hominius It s a thing of very great profit to the edification of the Church to commemorate and press solemnly to the people at certain ordinary times the principal manifestations of God and his most signal Benefits to his Church since that the Primitive Church even in the times of the Apostles dedicated certain daies to the Anniversary Celebration of the Nativity Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and sending of the Holy Spirit It s very well done to retain the practise of the ancient Church in a thing which is not simply indifferent but singularly profitable to edification provided that none attribute superstitiously any Sanctity to be in the daies and impose not upon the consciences of Christians a yoke of absolute necessity contrary to the Liberty of the Gospel Our new Reformers cannot affirm in sincerity that the Clergy of England attributed any Inherent Sanctity to be in the daies or made use of them to impose a yoke of absolute necessity upon their consciences there was no need then to abolish them with such rigour not to scandalize so many pious souls nor resist a vain fear of superstition by insolence and prophaneness which is a remedy worse then the evil The day of the Nativity in the year 1644 was changed by an express publick Order into a Fast which was the first time since the Apostles that there was any Fast kept that day in the Christian Church and because many would not Fast they sent Souldiers into their houses a little before dinner to visit their Kitchins and Ovens who carried away the meat and eat it though it was a fasting day who were exempted from fasting provided they made others fast such insolencies were ordinary if we may call them insolent actions which were done by Authority And as for Easter day on which and the daies following the people are enjoyned by Act of Parliament to receive the Blessed Sacrament the devotion of the people in many places have been opposed by violence We have heard of a Parish where by main force the Bread and Wine was taken away from the people who were assembled at Church for this holy action Behold their wayes to change the times and to reform abuses which is to resist a supposed superstition with a true and manifest one and to make Sacriledge fight for Religion Le ts pass to other differences The Reformed Churches do not believe as they that all significant ceremonies excepting in the Sacraments are unlawful for then it would follow that to keep off the Hat and kneel at Prayer should be unlawful for these are ceremonies which signifie reverence whence many of the Covenanters for this reason refuse to put off their Hats or kneel at prayer without being taken notice of and reproved by authority Also the Reformed Churches do not believe as they that to be tyed to written prayers or forms of prayers in the Administration of the Sacraments is to binde the Spirit of God many of the Covenanters are come so far as to call the usage of forms of prayer idolatry yea even the use of the Lords Prayer which the most part of this faction refuse to say although by a special priviledge it s permitted the Minister by their Directory to make use of it if he please for it s not commanded him According to this Directory as they call it that is to say an instruction how the Minister should govern himself in the Church The Minister must not say the Apostles Creed nor repeat the ten Commandments of God whereby the people shall be without any form of what they are to believe or what they are to do therefore in the families of most part of this faction they reach noâ— their children neither the Creed the Lords Prayer nor the ten Commandments and as for the children which have learned these holy forms they teach them to forget them Above all things they take a special care that the Minister tyes not himself to any form of words as a thing of dangerous consequence and which hath a taint of Antichrist Henceforward then there will be no uniformity in the Divine Service nor no more help for the infirmity of aged Ministers nor for the understanding and memory of simple and dull Auditors who cannot comprehend at the first aboard what the Minister saith but had need to be well accustomed to him Also there will be no more bounds to devour phantastical spirits which is the principal vice of this Nation Every Church will have a particular Order or rather will have none at all for the Pastor hath liberty to alter it every time he pleases nothing being forbidden but to make use of the long established forms by the Authentical Acts of many Parliaments sanctified by the publick devotion of so many years and composed by the first Reformers persons excellent in piety and wisdome whose books these are not worthy to carry after them If these Directors had had any fear of scandalizing the Churches whom they invited to associate with them they would never have abolished the custome received in all the Reformed Churches and generally in all the Christian Churches of the World who have certain forms for the publick Service of God If they had born any respect to Antiquity and to the universal consent of the Christian Church in all ages and in all places they would not have begun in this age a custome so prodigiously singular as to banish out of the Church all forms
France nor the Low Countries we never knew or understood the least trace of dissention hereupon and if the fashion of some Particulars amongst us displease other Churches they do not less displease ours The Reformed Churches are better instructed than lightly to quarrel at the exteriour circumstance of Divine Service where the substance is whole and sound they have learned to speak after Calvin in the Confession presented in the Name of the Churches of France to the Emperour and Princes of Germany We acknowledg that all and every Church have this right to make Laws and Statutes and for to establish a common Policy amongst them provided that all things be done in the House of God decently and in order and they owe obedience to these Statutes so that they do not inthrall the Conscience nor impose Superstition and those that refuse this are accounted by us seditious and wilful Beza goes yet a little further and maintains that in the outward of Religion Many things may yea ought to be born notwithstanding they are not justly commanded St. Augustin hath an Epistle upon this Subject which is a Golden Epistle wherein he instructs Januarius of the indifferency of Ecclesiastical Observations as of the times of Fasting and the divers customs of receiving the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper All things of this kind saith he have their Observations free and for this there is no better of Discipline for a grave and prudent Christian then to do as he seeth them do in all the Churches whither he goes for that which is neither against faith and good manners ought to be held indifferent and ought to be observed according to the company with whom we live and converse and hereupon he reports how his Mother being come to Millan found her self in great perplexity because they did not fast on the Saturday as they did in the Church from whence she came and he to resolve he went to ask counsel of St. Ambrose Archbishop of Millan who answered him When I saith he go to Rome I fast on the Saturday when I am here I fast not on that day do ye the same Into whatsoever Church ye go observe their customes if you your self will not give offence to persons and will that no person should give you offence All Protestants of Europe except the Faction of the Covenant govern themselves thus in whatsoever place they are they joyn with the Reformed Church whatsoever their form of Discipline be which as some say is divers in all Nations To this grave counsel of S. Ambr. S. Austin adds a Character to the life of the imperious and scrupulous humour of our melancholy zealots whom one would think had an intention to paint them out I have oft perceived saith he with much grief and sorrow that many weak and infirm persons have been much troubled through their Contentions wilfulness and superstitious fearfulness at some of their Brethren for doing some things which could not be certainly defined by the Authority of the Holy Scriptures nor by the tradition of the universal Church nor by the utility that might thereby come for the bettering and amendment of our lives only because there is some matter for their conceptions to reason and discourse upon or because they think the farther they go or are able to separate themselves from the Customs received is the most exquisite and nearest to perfection moving such litigious and idle Questions that they make appear to all that they will never allow of any thing well done unless they do it themselves The Reformed Churches take and give this Liberty that every one form an outward Order of Divine Service according to their prudence and its more to be wished than expected that there should be one and the same order throughout all Churches But I know not any Church that reject and cast off all certain Forms as the Covenanters The Declaration following made some few years since by persons of account in the Churches of France is notable As for the Ceremonies and Customs of Ecclesiastical Service and Discipline no judge convenient to leave to every Church his own without altering or changing any thing One day when it shall please God to perfect and confirm amity amongst these Churches we may be able by an universal councel and consent to form a certain Liturgy which may be as a Symbole and Bond of Concord The Churches of the Covenanters ought to be exempted out of this Number for the Liturgy is become to them an Apple of Discord which hath made them quarrel with all Churches of the world being in this point like unto Esau whose hands were against every one and every ones hands against him Therefore the Directors refute themselves by a manifest contradiction then when by their publike Declaration they tell the people that it is to conform themselves to the Reformed Churches that they prescribe not an ordinary form of publike Prayers and Administration of the Sacraments Seeing that it is a thing most notoriously known that all the Reformed Churches have certain Forms of Prayers But they do as if they should apparrel themselves with Green and Yellow because the Ministers of France apparel themselveâ— with black 'T is the Doctrine of the Brownists which now predominate in England that for to have a Liturgie or Form of Prayers is to have another Gospel Now after all this Do they not well think you to court the Churches of France and to make a great noise of their conformity with them having so openly condemned them and their phanatical Phrensie in this point is proceeded so far that neither the Lords Prayer nor the Ten Commandements nor the Apostles Creed are repeated in their Churches nor are taught their Children in their Houses much less any Form of Catechism Behold here a Faction who reject the Books of Christian Religion An horrible and unheard of thing in all ages and in all Churches since Christianity entred the world And dare these people speak of Reformation and Conformity with the Reformed Churches CHAP. XVI Of the great prudence and wisdome of the first English Reformers and of the fool-hardiness of these at present IF these directors who boast themselves of a new Light had had at least the light of Prudence they would have considered that they had to deal with popular Spirits who were accustomed to a good and holy Liturgie but since on a sudden interdicted the use they could not but think they were suddenly transported into another Gospel for the people are dull and fastned upon the exterior and that if they be once fastened to a form of devotion which is good although below perfection there is occasion to praise God that the people have any tast of devotion even in any Form and it should be cherished and encouraged And if there be any thing in this Form to be amended it should be done so mildly and dexterously that the people be not exasperated and the
change made in the outward skin of Religion make not the substance distasted for the most part mens spirits penetrates not much further than the superficies as indeed no further did theirs who came to reform us with the sword It s a very dangerous thing to overthrow an Order wherein the Devotion of the people hath taken root For besides the disorder that follows commonly in the Church and State they shall find that in transplanting Devotion into a new soil they cause it to die some being prophane others desperate and atheistical For an exemplary conduct of Christian prudence in this great point of publick Reformation all after ages will admire the English Reformers under the Reign of Edward the Sixth who intrapt the people as Saint Paul beguiled the Corinthians who confessed that being subtile he caught them by guile for to establish the Doctrine so as it is contained in the Confession of Faith in English Church and agrees with that of other reformed Churches they kept themselves from going openly and suddenly against the inclination of the people above all in the exteriour which although it is of less importance hath notwithstanding a very strong influence upon the common people After the Reformation was concluded upon by the Prelates and Nobles Mattins were said in the Cathedral Churches at their accustomed hours with the same Garments they were wont to wear and the same ordinary singing but the Hymns and Psalms they read in English and their Scriptures were not read in pieces but by whole Chapters and Prayers were put to God only in the Name of Jesus Christ and in a known tongue a thing which did much content the people and much edifie them and being accustomed to these things they passed by the Mass Sermons became more frequent simply instructing the people in the Truth and Holiness without any bitterness or contest whereby they gained the spirits of the people by charity which is the only method for to decide controversies and in a short time that which Superstition had drawn over the Service of God was insensibly abolished and there was a general conversion of the Kingdom wrought without any noise This prudent way wrought better effects than all the combats of Religion whether fought by Armies or Letters which have been since above these hundred years Their enemies of the Church of Rome would much rather the Reformers had disputed concerning the Doctrine and Discipline and that they had set upon them with their utmost strength Our melancholy and peevish Zelots would have done no great good upon them by the waies they now take if this task had fallen into their hands for such a great work there was need of better notions of piety and prudence than the fundamental Maximes of the reformation at present That the purest Religion is that which hath least conformity with the Church of Rome That for to do well they must do quite contrary to that which the Church of Rome doth and hereby they make all that remains of the Institution of the Apostles to become Antichristian because the Papist hath practised them Maximes which are only proper for poor seditious Spirits whose nature is like the Crab-fishes who know not how to go but backward Religion consists not in negation the saving Truths are affirmative and it would be a dangerous rule to believe altogether contrary to that which the Devil believes which would oblige us to deny the Divinity For so high an enterprise which is equally as necessary as dangerous there is required clear seeing judgments firm stable ready charitable who are able to penetrate and dive into the inside of Religion and discern the meat from the shell who without bending the Truth to the times know how to accomodate their work to the nature of men and affairs and who have the discretion recommended by Saint Paul Prove all things hold fast that which is good wisely distinguishing betwixt the Apostolical Institution and the rust that is grown on it through length of time These excellent persons manifest to the world that they well understood this secret that the matter of Religion is a thing rather adored than known by the people but the Form and Ceremony is that their eyes are fixed upon and which fills their spirits and he that pleaseth them in the exteriour shall easily prevail with them for the inward of Doctrine Now it appears that Superstition is alwayes of the same Nature although she changeth her object for the Fanaticall zeal of the people of the Covenant being fleshed and egged on to destroy the exteriour Order perceived not in the mean while that they undermined the foundations of Faith For we find amongst our enemies many different Sects Some denying the Trinity the Incarnation of the Son of God and his Divinity who neverthelesse agree altogether to hate abolish our Lyturgie with the sword without contending amongst themselves for these essential differences neither are they moved for these monstrous errors which directly oppose the glory of God and salvation of men so much are men for the most part children yea brutish in matters of Piety fastening themselves upon appearances and not upon things considering more the garment then the body of Religion The vulgar being every where of this disposition God shewed great favour to the ignorant people in times of our Fathers to put them into so good hands who knew how to lead them mildly to the Truth without exasperating them for the Discipline For to provoke and irritate them was not the means to instruct them Let all the world judge if the Reformers at present follow this example and whether they search to instruct or to provoke the people for after we have made the best and soundest party amongst them to confess that the Doctrine of the Church of England was good and holy and they be demanded hereupon why they persecute the King and his people with such rage They pay us with this miserable reason that the people are affectionate to certain things as necessary which are not necessary and they would wean them from this opinion And must they for this drown three famous Kingdoms in bloud and snatch the Crown from off the Head and the Sword out of the hand of a good King We may well tell them that they undertake an impossible thing for there is no Religion no Nation nor almost person who is not lodged there but they themselves are they not more superstitious in this point than those whom they would correct For what greater superstition for to make a necessity to contradict and oppose things where there is no necessity yea to account the abolishing of things not necessary so necessary that for it they will massacre the King and bathe themselves in the blood of the Church and State Can there be in the world a more pernicious superstition No verily if they consider that this superstition kils the soul as well as the body For those
purely of Elect. It s great pity when men will be too wise and introduce Laws of Severity into the Church which God hath not required at our hands These men should meditate on the Text of Solomon Eccles 7.16 Be not righteous over-much neither make thy self over-wise why shouldest thou destroy thy self Or otherwise Why shouldest thou draw desolation on thy self Thus the Pharisees by an impertinent wisdome and affected Authority and a sublime Divinity of Chymeras were confounded in the vanity of their understandings and drew desolation upon themselves and their Church But yet there is a mystery of Iniquity under this scruple which doth deeply stain the Divines of the Covenant for their Masters foment them for to advance their affairs and it is easie to see that if they once become the strongest they will exclude from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper all those who cannot banish from their heart the love of their King and the Church wherein they were born and brought up In a Sermon preached before the House of Commons and printed by command we learn that their Party will no more communicate with the Antichristian Faction the Preacher explains himself and tells us he means all those that adhere to the King in this quarrel They have many times preached that none should receive the Lords Supper but those who had taken the Covenant yea they have spoke aloud that the Oath of the Covenant and the Lords Supper should be administred together so that the Communicants must swear upon the Body Blood of our Lord and upon the hope of their Salvation that they would be Rebels to their King as long as they live and the Blood of Jesus Christ must be imployed for the same use the cup of mans blood which the confederates with Cataline drunk round one to another in taking the Oath of Conjuration to murder their Superiours and ruine their country But this design is not yet ripe for execution they defer it for a time In the mean time these Gentlemen and the Spiritual Fathers deny themselves the Seal of their Union with Jesus Christ and hereafter they will dispose of this Sacrament according as the necessity of the Covenanters do require They forgot to put down this Article of their reservation in the Epistle they sent to forreign Churches but in inviting them in general to conform themselves unto them they exhort them to this amongst the rest What Must the Reformed Churches then abstain from the Lords Supper and chuse to interdict the Ordinance of Jesus Christ rather then put themselves in danger of administring to the unworthy Must the Universal Christian Church be gulled by their scruples composed of the folly of some and the malice of others Must all believers in the World hold their Faith in suspence and deprive themselves of the Sacrament of their Union with Jesus Christ until the Covenanters of England have found a proper time to make use of the Body and Blood of Christ to bind together a wicked faction and have made the mysteries of Salvation their footstool for ambition Rather then suffer by a criminal complacency that Religion should be so destroyed and that these horrible things should pass for Doctrines of the Reformed Churches let all those who bear this title defend the honour of the Gospel and thereby a publick detestation of so great a corruption Let all those who love God testifie by a just anger they hate the evil It matters not what fraternity these Innovators pretend with other Churches if they corrupt the Christian Religion and invite them to do the like Familiaris accipere haud familiariter let them manifest they have no fraternity with heresie and impiety repulse boldly the temptation of those who invite so basely to do ill that they may have no more courage to return But there is one consideration which should mitigate your indignation against them That amongst this most impious extravagansie there is a malady and disease of the spirit for many of this party have their brains dislocated and displaced Some whereof have taken their children and gone and sacrificed them pretending a particular command like that God gave to Abraham others have shut themselves up with a Bible and resolved to eat nothing because it is written That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Some have killed their cat because she had taken a mouse on Sunday but defer'd the execution until Munday And there are women and tradesmen amongst them who preach by the spirit without call knowledge or premeditation others who account the receiving of the Sacrament on their knees is to communicate at Mass and that the Surplice is the Smock of the Whore of Babylon the Publick Prayers Mass refined the sound of the Organs the Hoboyes of Antichrist ye need not wonder the Covenanters have so great a party since fools and Ideots are on their side The like weakness is seen in the Epistle of the Assembly to the Reformed Churches they highly aggravate the persecutions prepared for all those who would not bear the mark of the beast meaning by this mark their obedience to the order of Episcopacy and the use of the Publick Service for the King required no other thing of them but as beasts which being cast into the river ordinarily swim against the stream so many of these brutish spirits think they can never be saved but in going against the ancient received customes how good soever they be and make all their piety and honesty to consist in a sullen and dogged devotion fantastical and turbulent which will give no rest to themselves nor others This scrupulous humour hath produced strange effects witness he that killed his mother and brother in cold blood having no other quarrel against them but that they loved the Liturgy This was a preamble of the devil who the year after began this war for the same subject in which he made use of the melancholy humour of the people to cut the throats of their brethren for devotion according to the instructions before alledged out of Sions Plea and the Souldiers Catechisme In effect their spirit of contradiction and their bloody inclination which hath formed this maxime of the times that the Reformation must be made by blood are the productions of a sharp choler predominant in the Hipocondres or bowels whose vapours besiege the animal spirits which carries them into a savage rage which hath something of the nature of the Licanthropy There is alwayes in the worst parties excellent natures which are carried away with the stream and we know amongst the party of the Covenant some very brave men but the churlish zealots whose fierceness and number govern even the Governours themselves are of weak and malignant spirits whose temper is like that of Tiberius that is of dung kneaded and wrought together with blood these are men of sad sordid and reserved natures
of the service of the divers Sects of Religion they take no care of their Order but of their Liberty to convert all which will one day turn to their ruine and confusion when they shall have no enemy to unite them But in the mean while Religion is destroyed and all the world behold with astonishment that the English Reformers have left the Church without any discipline now these many years they have done much worse then he who began to build but was not able to finish for these have overthrown the antient order without ever considering what they would build in the place and yet they are not agreed thereupon they made a great noise of the building they would erect but this noise proceeded from their contestation and their building advanced like that of Babel that which the one builded the other pull'd down and in the end the division of tongues will make them forsake their work It 's an easie thing to ruine 't is a work of ignorance and insolence 't is the pastime of the devil and the occupation of his children Destruction and unhappiness is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known Rom. 3.16 And ordinarily those that burn down the house know not what it is to build it up and those who build up a Church or State proceed by wayes and rules quite contrary to those that ruine them the sharp and rigorous proceeding of our enemies wholly to raze the established order witness they want knowledge to build an order in the Church for to this purpose there is not only required to conceive an Idea of Reformation but to consider the matter they have in hand and how to frame it For as he is not the best Engenier who knows best how to make a Regular platform upon paper but he that can best accommodate his rules to the nature of the place which he fortifies and it would be a strange method to pull down and lay level the place for to build it again regularly But it s that wherein our new Reformers have laboured Certainly they neither understand the Theory nor the Practick of the work they undertake and their knowledge goes no further then destruction It 's true many of the Assembly desired the Scotch Discipline and to establish it courted the Scotch Armies We also respect these Armies hoping that God will one day touch their hearts to defend the rights and person of their Soveraign and we pray God for their prosperity But let them give us leave to tell them mildly our advice of their Discipline the wisest amongst us commend the subordination and concatenation of their Synods and do confess that that was wanting in the English Order judging that the Synodal Power is not incompatible with the Episcopal but in an order well made both the one and the other is requisite and it is impossible that the English Bishops excellent in knowledge and piety who have lived within these ninety yeares should not know this very well above all those who were imploid in the Reformation But behold that which hath hindred the ordinary use of Synods amongst us incontinent after the Reformation it had been to ill purpose to have given all the Clergy liberty to assemble in a Synod Papistry being not then well rooted out of the Priests and Curates and before the English Church was well healed of this old malady she fell into a new one and was infected with a fanatick and malignant Sect who made piety consist in overthrowing all order and superiority in the Church and to controle that of the Magistrate whereupon our Soveraigns and their Prelates beholding the body of the Church swollen with evil humours and mutinous superstition continually ready to break forth feared least the frequent use of Synods should not be made use of by the discontented to gather and associate a faction and therefore accounted the surest way to maintain peace and truth was to keep these violent spirits in their duty by the Episcopal rod assisted with the Royal Scepter and certainly this way would have had better success if they had not let the bridle too loose for such hard mouths The Synod is proper to make Ordinances and the Bishop is proper to cause them to be observed The Synod to hinder tyranny the Bishop to prevent confusion the Synod to determine in point of Doctrine the Bishop to maintain order and discipline the Synod to remedy inveterate evils the Bishop to suppress immergent evils and in the mean while both the one and the other serve to all these uses and ought not to be separated in a Church where there is freedom and where the estate upholds the Religion But in a Church which lives under a state of a contrary Religion order must bend to necessity and as it is not possible to have all the parts of Ecclesiastical Government also there is less need for common adversity unite affections and take away many occasions of scandal and disorder Such are the Reformed Churches of France where the order is sutable to their condition and the native piety and simplicity of their Discipline is commended even by those of a diverse Profession Now having had leisure to examine their Discipline we find not that it doth much resemble the Scotch discipline for the Consistories and Synods of France have not Ruling Elders whose voices alwaies carry it as they do in Scotland Their Elders pass not any sentence in matter of Doctrine neither have they the power of the Keys to determine Censures All that Calvin granted them was but praeesse moribus to have an eye to the manners and behaviour of the flock in which they served as Assistants to the Pastors and this was a commendable use But in Scotland the Elders command for the Lord of the Parish is ordinarily the ruling Elder of the Consistory and in some manner is a Lay Bishop and although the Minister is alwaies Moderator it s but for form for the Elders have the principal power and being Deputies to the Assemblies they keep there the same credit above all in the General Assembly where Dukes Marquesses Earles and Barons have their voices and decide the points of controversies and the censures of the Church We greatly respect the power of Synods but we require that it be purely Ecclesiastical and that it be managed by none but by those who are appointed of God lay persons have not to do but to assist them except the King who ought to have the exterior power which the Scotch deny him to convocate and dissolve their Assemblies to suppress disorders without medling himself with the interiour or spiritual for it seems to us a thing unreasonable and contradictory to it self that the other Laiques should be admitted to the full capacity of the spiritual power equal or above the Ministers and that the King only should be excluded and hath not so much as the exercise of his temporal and purely Royal power
they committed an execrable Murther 1 Sam. 11.12 And every Penny they levied upon them they committed Rapine employing their Robberies to maintain Murther and Rebellion If the Names of these crimes offend their ears the crimes themselves should much more afflict their Consciences these terms proceed not from passion but flow from the necessary consequence of this Truth That the war of the Covenanters is destitute of all Authority lawful and divine Oh that every Christian who hath drawn his sword in this sinful cause would seriously consider how he should answer it before God and man and that he may have horrour and dread in him for the evil he hath deserved and yet much more for that which he hath committed CHAP. XXII Of the Depraved and Evil Faith of the Covenanters BUT we cannot so slightly let them pass with their fore-alledged excuse for the War that they durst not trust the King The cause is evident which is because they had taken from him all the ground of reason that might be that he should trust them nothing being more to be distrusted than a Depraved and Ill Faith The King permitted them to perpetuate the Parliament as long as they pleased he committed himself wholly over to their Faith Affection and Conscience if any thing obligeth a man to be faithful it is to repose an entire and free confidence in him and there is nothing more odious and unworthy the name of man than to employ that assurance and confidence they have freely committed to us to deceive and ruine them They themselves after this signal favour without example often declared to the world that if they should abuse so great a trust to the dammage and detriment of his Majesty they should be unworthy to live upon the earth but this was before the Loyal Subjects had separated themselves from their company They are then condemned by their own confession for that most signal Act of Trust such as never King gave to his Subjects they returned him the most infamous and perfidious Acts and base ingratitude that ever Subjects rendred to their King He that said Fidelem si putaveris facies the means to make men faithful was to think them so was never known to these men In Conscience can ye believe that when the King committed to them this great power that he understood it thus That when he should refuse to do any thing they requested him he gave them liberty to force him to do it or to do it without him to take from him his Children to seize upon his Revenues to turn his Armies Navies and Forts against him to make a broad Seal and to break his to dispose of all the Offices of the Crown to levy Forreign Souldiers and bring them into his Kingdom to deprive his Subjects of their Goods and possessions to drive the Ministers of the Gospel from their flocks to rob the Church of her Revenues to overthrow the ancient Laws of the Land and to make a Religion all new After all this can any man wonder if they durst not trust the King For where is the Criminal or Malefactor that dares commit himself to or trust the Judge and where is the Cozener and Deceiver who being discovered dares trust him whom he hath cozened and deceived If by these vile actions they have violated the trust the King reposed in them and if by the Act for the continuance of the Parliament the King gave them a power to deal thus with him we refer our selves to the better part of the Parliament who withdrew themselves to the King abhorring such a prodigious violation of the publick faith and of the duty of Subjects and Christians unfaithfulness they committed the like to the people who deputed and committed to them the publick safety For doubtless in their choice it never enter'd into the Spirits of them who sent them to invest them with an absolute power over their goods and persons much less over their King for they could not give that which they had not nevertheless they have executed this power casting their fellow-Citizens out of their houses and possessions and gather'd together great treasure out of the rents of the King and his Subjects manifesting themselves very liberal of the goods of others But they defend these actions by a new Maxime of State invented upon this occasion Some of the principal Citizens of London being oppressed by their great and often Taxes came to the House and represented to them that it was their duties to maintain the Subjects in the propriety of their goods and beseeched them not to fall themselves into that inconvenience which they were bound to remedy The Gentlemen of the House of Commons answered them that in truth the Subjects might plead the propriety of their goods against the King but not against the Parliament to whom it appertained to dispose of all the goods of the Kingdom but to perswade the people to believe this is a very hard task who rather judged that the Parliament whom they had chosen had violated the publick faith and the trust committed to them and had taken that into their disposing which was never committed them Let these Gentlemen never hereafter speak so loud of their publick faith since they have lost it nor ever attempt to borrow more money upon so sorry a caution There were none in either Houses who had not often taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy by which they acknowledge the King their Soveraign depending of none and had sworn to him loyalty and obedience They moreover took the protestation made in the beginning of the Parliament and imposed upon the whole Kingdome wherein also they swear the same thing The Oath of the Covenant which was taken after renew'd the same promise and there they swore to defend the Person and Authority of the King and cause the world to behold their fidelity and that they would not in the least thing diminish his just power and greatnesse Consider here good Reader Oaths enough to binde them to perform and keep their promise But this multitude of oaths is a kind of proof of their ill faith for they that swear often manifest thereby that they think themselves unworthy to be believed and distrust that every one mistrusts them It had been better for them to have been faithful to their King without swearing for as in the Grammar Latine two Negatives make an Affirmative these on the contrary in stead thereof would seem to make two Affirmatives to make one Negative and that many oaths to be faithful to their Soveraign bound them to do the contrary for in effect these last oaths were solely imployed to ruine the antient Oath of Allegiance for if their intentions had been simply to be faithful to their Soveraign they needed have taken no other oath then the first Therefore after these two new oaths came the third which they called the Negative Oath in which they caused men to swear That they should neither
suit or cause might come unto me and I would do him justice 2 Sam. 15.4 In publick grievances good Subjects are wont to cast the blame upon the Ministers of State and rest satisfied in seeing some of them punished accounting it their principal interest to preserve the honour of their Soveraign and good Princes when they are informed that the Ministers of State have abused their Authority to the damage of their Subjects which is theirs are wont to examine them and judge them according to the Laws And in this the King did as much as possible they could require of him having submitted the persons of those whom the Covenanters complained against to be judged and tried by lawful and ordinary waies But whilst they tread under foot the Royal Authority the Power of Parliament and the Majesty of the Laws and that they were in open war against him what reason had he to submit his Servants and Ministers to the judgment of his enemies Being certain that whilst the War continued they would aim most at them who served him best Then when the Parliament was whole and entire there passed a Vote worthy the gravity of that great Court That the King could do no wrong and that his Officers and not he were guilty of the evil which was done in the publick Government But since those who loved the King departed and withdrew themselves to him those which remained at Westminster followed a way quite contrary for they cast upon the King all the faults of his Servants and made use of them against him whom they ought should have punished for having ill served him Then when they took in hand to examine the Ministers of State in stead of punishing them which were guilty they received them into favour yea after their â—aults proved against them and turned all the discontent of the people upon the King What a great noise was there in the House of Commons against the forgers of Monopolies One would have thought that hardly any should have escaped with their lives but there happened altogether the contrary For because the Monopolists and other accused persons made a considerable number in Parliament they made use of their faults to make a strong faction against the King terrifying and making them understand there was no way left to preserve them from utter ruine but to joyn with the new party which was forming and hereupon they were promised impunity for what evils they had done on condition they should do greater Some of these were sent to the King to Newmarket in the behalf of their companions to whom his Majesty said these words capable to convert them or to make their Indiâ—emenâ— at the day of Judgment Gentlemen lay your hands upon your Consciences Who are they which invented those Taxes by which you have so provoked my people against me For whose advantage and profit were those Imposts â—â—â—ied Were my Revenues encreased by them It was you that induced and moved me 〈◊〉 them for your own particular profit and now you return me a worthy recompence Other Parliament men guilty of many crimes were kept in the Parliament in hope of impuâ—ity the holy Covenant 〈◊〉 a Garment which covered a multitude of sins even to the violating of a great Lady and abusing her by own of their Members almost in the sight of the Parliament Behold these the Reformers of Church and State Others which were not of the Parliament but under censure for having been Councellours or Instruments in the Imposts and Taxes of the people were released by them and employed for the same business as persons who well understood the Trade who pillaged then with a good Conscience for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Those whose infamous life was the shame of the Royal Court were the honour of the Court at Westminster and the Pillars of the Covenant Likewise the Judges accused of corruption and the Ministers of a scandalous life in taking the Covenant obtained a plenary indulgence of all their sins for after that there was no more to say to them for those who washed themselves in this water returned as white as if they had been washed with Ink or with the second Baptism the Anabaptists use at this day But now let us look upon the Armies Our enemies cry aloud that the King made use of those of the Church of Rome to serve him in his Wars Upon which an excellent Writer makes this gentle Question to them How many were in their Armies or how many they would have had For if the common report do not much wrong them they employed divers persons of that Religion there were persons of Honour and Quality who assured us that they Prisoners of the same Religion served the Covenanters We refer our selves to their own Consciences if they gave not a Commission to my Lord Aston to levy Forces The Relation in notable the King being at York this gallant man accounted the most experienced and best Commander of War of his time came to present his Service to his Majesty the King gave him thanks and withal told him he was resolved to employ none of his Religion in his Army Well saith he I will go then to those who will employ me and indeed went presently to Westminster where he was received with open Arms and a Commission given him written and signed which he carried to the King Ye cannot wonder then that the King made use of him and others of his Religion whom before he was resolv'd not to employ although he had to take away all shadow of occasion from his enemies who sought somthing whereat to quarrel with him made a Proclamation that none professing the Religion of the Church of Rome should come neer his Court. After this the Covenanters used all their power to make them draw to the Kings Party well considering their party being so small would bring more hatred than help to the King and for this effect they treated them with great inhumanity forcing them to forsake their Houses and Lands and run and hide themselves under the Kings Protection and this the King could not refuse them for as they owed him their Subjection the King owed them his Protection so long as they governed themselves according to the Laws and accomplished the Conditions whereby they were permitted by Act of Parliament to live in the Kingdom By this reason of Reciprocal duty the King protecting them as his Subjects they were bound to defend him as their King and ye shall not find in all the Statutes which concern them that they are exempted to serve the King in his Armies neither is it reasonable that they only should be free from the perils of war whilst thâ—ir fellow Subjects venture their lives and are shedding their bloud for the defence of their Country The Covenanters made it appear sufficiently to the world that they judged that Religion ought not to exclude any from bearing Arms in the publick danger for
in their Armies they made use of all Religions yea that of the Church of Rome as we shall shew hereafter If it were lawful for them to make use of those who denied the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and of others that denied his Divinity and those who were re-baptized and denied Baptism to Infants and the Blessed Sacrament of the whole Church it were not less lawful for the King to make use of Souldiers of the Roman Religion and if those whom they now call Reformed embrace the Doctrine of the Jesuits touching the deposing and murdering of Kings and that persons of the Roman Religion reject this and joyn themselves with the Reformed Church in this point the King had reason to serve himself of the Last as well as of the First Moreover the King had but two Religions in his Armies which were too many And although the Roman is not tolerated by the Laws yet the Statutes give protection to the persons which make profession of it but the Covenanters Motly Army consisted of many Religions there can be no certain number of them for they multiplied and subdivided daily and these Religions had no tolleration by the Laws nor the persons which made profession of them But put the case that the Covenanters were a party Reformed uniform and illuminated since they have destroyed their King what Law Divine or Humane doth hinder him for using all means that God gives him to defend himself And if amongst his Loyal Subjects there be some who are blinded in matter of Religion why should he not make use of those who are blind to repress those who are illuminated and maintain his Life and Crown 'T is then a ridiculous Question which they demand of the King whether he will defend the reformed Religion with Souldiers of the Roman Religion for he makes not use of them to defend his Religion but his Person and Scepter which those whom they call Reformed would wickedly pluck out of his hands 'T is foolishly and unjustly done of them to complain that the King made them to kill the Protestants a name which they make a great noise with when they have lost the thing they were not Protestants but Rebels whom the King killed in his just defence The King was not to enquire of what Religion they were that made War upon him the true Religion gives not license to Malefactors to do evil and to binde the hands of the Judge that he should not punish them chiefly when the Malefactor fights against the Judge and he to whom God hath committed the sword to execute vengeance in wrath is constrained to make use of it to defend his life and authority the Malefactor who is instructed in a holy Religion is doubly guilty he is the evil servant in the Gospel who knows his Masters will but does it not and therefore he shall be beaten with many stripes This above written serves as an Answer to the eâ—clamations of our enemies That the King caused an Armie of Irish Papists to come over to kill the Protestants in England for it matters not what Religion the English be of if they be Rebels and who can blame him for employing Rebels converted against Rebels obstinate but onely those that perish by them But that which gives occasion of laughter in this Objection is that there were none and the Irish have not yet sent over their Army into England according to their promise to help the King We grant that the English are far more considerable to the King then the Irish suppose the difference be as great as betwixt a Son and a servant but if the Son prove unnatural and draws his sword against his Father who can blame the Father if he arms his servant were he a Barbary slave to defend his life 'T is not to purpose then for them so often to object to us that the Irish were the Executioners to cut the throats of a multitude of Protestants in Ireland and that it 's a horrible thing to bring them over into England to do as much here for at the worst they were but Executioners of Rebels Certainly civil War is a horrible thing where one destruction draws on another Abyssus abyssum advocat but since the enraged and implacable obstinacy of the Covenanters brought the King to this extremity that he could not quench the fire that they had kindled in his Kingdom but by ruine like those who would quench a Town all in flames with Cannon-shot what could we do other then call in the Irish to his succours having rebellions then on all sides Was it not wisely done of him to make an agreement with the most tractable and pliant and to serve himself with their Forces to make head against the others If the English would not have had the King made peace with the Irish why did they then refuse the peace and pardon which the King so often and so graciously rendred them And did he enter into Treaty with his Irish Subjects before he had a long time in vain sollicited his English to their duty Should he rather willingly have lost two Kingdoms to help his enemies to render themselves Masters of the third But say they the Irish shed abundance of Protestants blood in Ireland which should have been revenged in stead of granting them peace It s true they committed many fearful and strange cruelties but this blood hath been sufficiently revenged For for one which they put to death five of theirs have been killed since the beginning of the War And moreover this reason sounds ill in the mouthes of Christians who ought to leave vengeance to God We could not expect that the Covenanters would ever commend this peace which might have been so disadvantagious to them and might have supplied the King with many Souldiers if the Irish had kept their word The principal reason of their complaint was because the Londoners lost much hereby for they had advanced great sums of monies to the two Houses for which they were to have had the Irish Rebels Lands after they were extirpated which was to buy the Bears skin before he was killed and this partly was the cause of breaking up of the Treaty at Uxbridge for the Citizens of London would by no means hear of Peace unless the King would break his faith with the Irish and root them out for the quarrel that the English Covenanters had with them was not for their Religion or Rebellion but because they would not suffer themselves to be killed in a peaceable and quiet manner that thereby the Merchant Adventurers of London might have their Bargain And thus the Covenanters as much as in them lay justified the unjust arms of the Irish since they would by no means have peace with them And after all the King hath the sole power of Peace and War and if he will receive into grace and pardon his Subjects who have offended him he is to give account to none Yet nevertheless that it may appear
to all the Reformed Churches how much our good King departed loved his Religion he would not grant peace to his Irish Subjects on the conditions they demanded advantagious to their Religion which if he had accorded he might have had Legions in stead of Regiments and not wanted neither the help of his Subjects nor their neighbours but rather then he would buy their assistance at that price he chose to sink and fall under the oppression of the Covenanters after this piety or humanity ought to have converted the enemies of the King if he had had to do with persons who had either the one or the other But if the Gentlemen at London lost their monies which they advanced upon the Irish affairs they have cause to complain of the Gentlemen at Westminster who made use of this money not to reconquer Ireland but to make war upon the King who had a great desire to terminate that business and would have gone in Person but not to serve the avaritious and barbarous intentions of these Merchants of blood but to recover his Rights and to restore a number of his exiled Subjects to their possessions Those ruined and remaining Families of the general Massacre cried aloud in the ears of the King and Parliament For to help them there was a generall Collection through the Kingdom and the Ministers by Order of Parliament were to excite the charity of the people to a liberal contribution which was done and great sums of money were raised for the Irish War But to what was the charity of many pious souls imployed to make War against the King The Armies which the cries of the poor exiled Irish had raised and were ready at their Port to be shipped were called back and conducted against his sacred Majesty and although many in those Troops had their Interests in Ireland they were constrained to forsake them for unknown Interests and an open Hostillity against their Soveraign 'T is no wonder then if part of those Troops at the battel of Keinton turned to the King and took a bloody revenge of so great injustice For what a most horrible tyranny was this to make them fight against their King in England whilest the throats of their wives and children were cutting in Ireland We earnestly beseech the Covenanters that whensoever they curse the Irish Rebellion they would remember these two things the one that the Scots shewed them the way having before made a Covenant for Religion and levied Arms to maintain it and obtained by this way all that they desired The Irish seeing this was the way to obtain the liberty of their Religion presently followed the example of their Neighbours and as a judicious Writer saith pleasantly That if the Scots had not piped the Irish had never danced Let them remember also that the Irish as wicked as they were had without comparison more reason for their rising then either the English or Scotch for it 's most certain that the Irish were held in with a bridle which had a ruder bit then the other Subjects of the King Many of the Irish for their former Rebellions were dispossessed of their Lands and although the sentence was just the loss nevertheless was sensible moreover they had not the free exercise nor liberty of their Religion the English nor Scotch cannot alledge any thing like these Hardly shall you find in any History a raign of fifteen years more flourishing peaceable and mild then the fifteen first years of the Reign of the late King notwithstanding all the grievances the Covenanters reckon up to his disadvantage There never shined more happy days upon England and Scotland In effect they were Nations sick of too much ease When Subjects undertake to criticise upon mysteries of State and come to quarrel amongst themselves for subtilties of Religion or points of Discipline it s a symptome of an easie yoke and of excess of ease and prosperity Moreover the Irish fought against men of another Religion and of another Nation they fought not against the Person of their King cut not the throats of their Brethren nor ruined those of their profession imposed not necessity of Conscience upon others but only demanded publick Liberty of Conscience for themselves although many amongst them contented themselves with lesse for by the Articles of peace in Septemb. 1646. the King gave them no Toleration for the publike exercise of their Religion Certainly therefore as those of Niniveh shall rise up in judgment against the Scribes and Pharisees so shall the Irish against the English and Scotch Covenanters Further our enemies are very unjust to complain that the King assailed to bring over Irish Armies into England since they in effect a year and half before had brought Armies of Scotch into England to serve them If they take the boldness to entertain the Armies of strangers within the Kingdome of their Soveraign shall it not be lawful for the King to defend his person and Kingdom with his own Subjects which in this quality are not strangers in respect of him but the Scotch are strangers in regard of the English Histories furnish nought parallel to this crime to have brought the Scots into England and to move them to come gave them part of the Kingdom of Ireland but its easie for them to give that which was none of theirs with the same right the Devil offered to Jesus Christ all the Kingdoms of the world for they can produce their Authority no other where This Nation abounding in men living in a barren Countrey will be easily induced to plant Colonies in a more fertile soil and who will believe that having their weapons in their hands and being in England backed with their forces from Scotland they will govern themselves at the devotion of those that sent for them and go no further then they are comanded there is danger least it happen as to the fountain of Lucian which a student in Magick with certain words he had learn'd of his Master sent to fetch water to which the fountain obeyed but the poor apprentise knew not the words to make it stay which in the mean while went and fetched water without ceasing till it filled the house up to the windows Certainly our Mutineers had the wit to make the Scotch come to their help and there needed no great charm to perswade a people which had nothing and had nothing to do to come and fish in troubled waters in their neighbours pond But I have great fear that those which caused them to enter upon their March were ignorant of the charm to stay them that they should go no further and that the Scotch will not have done when the English have done with them It was not then an action of judgment to cause the Scots to enter England without having power to make them return and to hinder their coming again much less an action of piety for God needs not the wickedness of men to advance his Kingdom it was an
Doctrines have healed the mortal wound of the beast and hardned the consciences of men against the Sword of the Gospel which rarely penetrates with efficacy when it s welded with wicked hands That which comforts us in beholding you to 〈…〉 to make faith cease from being in the earth is that hereby 〈◊〉 advance the desired coming of Jesus Christ who hath marked that time for his return when he will deliver his Church from the bondage of seduction vanity blindness and misery for to invest her with liberty holiness and glory which he hath purchased for her by his blood In waiting for this happy deliverance if we must still behold Rebellion proudly domineer over the Supreme Powers ordained by God and sacriledge make havock in the Church and crimes turned into Laws and Doctrines of Religion we shall preserve our selves by the grace of God from murmuring at his Justice and the conduct of his Providence remembring that God punisheth us justly by instruments which are unjust and that he will assuredly manifest his just judgements upon them when he shall see it most expedient for his glory which â—e is used to advance by wayes contrary in appearance and makes as in the Creation light to shine out of darkness we will endeavour to learn in our calamity this divine wisdome of Solomon Eccles 5.8 If thou sâ—est the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher thâ—n they Being persecuted by a people who in destroying us pretend they do God service and who palliate their cruelty with zeal of his glory we comfort our selves in this holy promise as made expresly for our condition Isa 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you â—ut for my name sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed O our God we beseech thee forgive our enemies confound their pernicious designs and convert their erring consciences repair the hedge broken down of thy vine whereby the Wildbâ—ar out of the woods break down the branches and root up the tender plants wherefore shall they say amongst the heathen where is now their God Soli Deo Gloria El poder malamante adquirido no suale ser duradera FINIS ☜ Fuller Ans p. 7. * Vindiciae contra Tirannos De jure Magistratus * Accentus Athuach Goodman of Obedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buchanan de Jure Reg. p. 56 57. Observator defended p. 8. Bellar. de Poâ—t l. 5. Cap. 7. It was declared by the two Houses that the Kings coming to the House of Commons was Treason Caligula parum abfuit quin Speciem Principatus in Regnum converteret capiti diadema circumponeret Melchior Golodast Tom. 3. p. 124. Fuller Ans p. 21. Buchanan de Jure Reg. p. 57. Fullers Answer Full. Ans p. 6. l. 12. In his Oration before the Three Estates Jan. 15. 160â— Observations upon the Answers of his Majesty Dec. Aug. 12. 1642. Bodin de Repub. lib. 1. cap. 8. Bodin de Repub. lâ—b 1. cap. 8. De Repub. lib. 2. cap. 5. 2 Hen. 5. Ola. magna charta Diar Hen. 4. 3 Edw. 3. 7 Edw. 1. Ut igitur in naturalibus Capite de truncato residuum non Corpus sed Truncum appellamus sic in politicis sine Capite Communitus nulla tenus corporatur Fortescue cap. 13. Judge of Controversie cap. 5 p. 103. Anno 1641. This Story is related in the Kings declaration of August 12 Anno 1642. Bel. de Con. l. 2. c. 19 Gilby lib. de obedientia p. 25. 105. Bellarm. l. 3. De Pontif. cap. 7. Goodman p. 144. and 149. Charron in his Christian Discourse about the end of his Book of Wisdom Emanuel Sa in voce Tyranaus Knox to Engl. and Scotl. 78. Papa Urban causa 23. Qu. 5. Can. Excommunicatorum Buchanan de jure Regni p. 70. Hyparaspishes l. 3. cap. 10. Jesuita vapulans cap. 13. Sions Plea page 240. Anticorum Amphithâ—atrum Honoris The Souldiers Catechism composed for the Parliaments Army by Robert Ram Minister published by Authority page 14 15. of the seventh Edition Vindiciae Philadel Usurpations des Papes c. 5. pag. 81. The Epistle of the venerable Assembly of English Divines and the Deputies of Scotland to the Reformed Churches of France the Low-Countries and Switzerland c. Mulus Mulum fricat Liceat interim apud Fratres quos salutat haec Epistola dilectissimos innocentiae nostrae testimonium in sacris eorum coetibus quandocunque opus fuerit Apologiam obtinere The Scots Declaration in the year 1644. The Scots now feel it Usurpation des papes Jesuita vapulans cap. 26. Art 2. An Answer for the Churches of France A rare pattern for a Conquerour Buckler of Faith Sect 182. Vindication of the Royal Commission of Jesus Christ Buckler of Faith Sect. 182. Institut l. 4. C. 20. Art 29. Art 25. Com. upon Dan. c. 4. v. 19. Instit l. 4. c. 20. Sâ—ct ult Pet. Martyr Clas 4. loc 20. En fundum fundamentum totius paracidialis doctrinae Potestas à populo Regi data est fiduciaria Section 183. Tho. 22. qu. 10. Art 10. DominiuÌ„ praelatio introducta sunt ex jure humano Qu. 12. Art 2. Dominium introductuÌ„ est de jure gentium quod est jus humanum Casabon in epist. ad frontenem ductum Jesuitam Hunc ordinem Regendi inturbavit Nimrodus qui novo Titulo principatum acquisivit scit Jure Bello Nimrod arripuit insuetam primus in populo Tyrannidem Regnavitque in Babylone Hier. in Trad. Hebraic ad Gen. 10. v. 10. Neque unquam libertas gratior extat quam sub Reg. Pio. Calvin Institut l. 2. c. 8. Rivet Explicatione Decalogi precep 4. Rivet about the end of his Exposition of the 4 Command Disput 1. Thes 3. Senatus-Consulius scelera paâ—rantur Charenton the name of the Protestant Church at Paris In the Preface to the Directory Epistola ad Protectorem Anglia Bucer Scripta Anglâ—eana p. 455. Beza ad quosdom Anglicarum Ecclestarum fratres Confessio Ecclesiarum Gallicarum inter opusâ—ula Calvin In his Epistle before alledged Tom. 2. Epist ad Januarium Sententia Quorundam Ecclesiae id Gallin pastorum eximiorum edita à D. Johanne Duraeo Londini An. 1638. Barrow Refut 224 The Book called Christ upon his Throne p. 23. By Mr. Francis Cheynall A woman at Dover cut off her childs head and alledged this Scripture The Quaker that fasted and died at Colchester Enoch ap Evan neer to Shrewsbury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suet. Tiber. Buckler of Faith Sect. 124. Jacobus Lectius praescriptionum Theologicarum lib. 2. March 1591. In his Treatise of Episcopacy The Serpent Salve 111. Serpent salve p. 219. Reply to Whitgift page 181. Cartwright 247. Bodin Method Histor de Repub. Geneva Sermon 1. of Duells to the Templers August lib. 21. Contra Faustum Cap. 75. Husbands in his book of Declarations p. 557. and 663. This was written during the â—itting of the long Parliament in Anno 1650. Note that this book in the French was printed in the year 1650.
it 's a patched discourse made up of divers pieces altogether unlike one another and goes by leaps and skips as an empty Cart in a craggy and stony way I will not burthen my discourse with the faults of Children I will only give you a taste in the Margin For the Margin In the Title Litterae a Conventus Theologorum in Anglia a barbarous phrase The same Prout Ordinaverat Honoratissima Domus Communium Ordinare doth not signifie to Command but to put in Order Honoratissima is wholly barbarous In the first Page Diu est ex quo credidimus calicem hunc quem epotandum vindex Dei manus exhibuit vestris auribus insoâ—uisse Rare Tavern Eloquence to make the Cups and Goblets to sound In the second Page Reformationis impedimenta They would have said Hinderances of Reformation These Masters knew not that the Plural Impedimenta signifies Baggage In the same Eo usque profecit sceleratissima factio Surely they should have said progressa est for proficere signifies to advance in that which is good In the same period there is a Solecisme Eousque profecit ut oportet they should have said oporteat There is a Solecisme of the same nature in the third Page Hosce cum gens illa rejecerat they should have said rejecisset I wish these grave Divines would learn that the Prepositions ut cum govern the Conjunctive in the signification they give it In the second Page Coenobia Angliae tolerata this is another Solecisme for according to their sense they should have said in Anglia in these words there are yet more incongruities in the Truth than in the Grammar for both God and men know that it is false that there hath been any Convent or Monastery tolerated in England for above these eighty years In the third Page Missi hinc trans Alpes mandatari abi ipsa Roma recepti nuntii there can be nothing spoken more barbarous nor more false In the same Page Dicam dicere they have heard speak of Dicam scribere which signifies to appeal in Justice In the same Page Injurias in apricum proferre Excellent Elegance to put the injuries in the Sunne In the fourth Page Natio altera triumphasset in alterius sanguine they should have said de sanguine In the same Page Deus qui rodentem seusim tineam prius egerat rugientem Leonem induit that is to say that God had plaied the person of a gnawing moth which is a very strange conception Let these Divines correct either their sense or their Latine In the same Page where they would say the Principals of Ireland they call'd them Principulares which is a word of Campagne and doth not signifie that they would say and yet the true word is Principulos In the fifth Page Delitendum they would have said deliâ—escendum They should do well to read over their Conjugations again In the same Page undique in stead of ubique In the same Page Cluet in stead of Cluit and yet the word is nothing worth in prose In Page the sixth Sacratissimam the word is barbarous In the same Page Gladius Anglicam saginatus carne that is to say the sword fatted with the flesh of the English the word saginare is not proper but for a creature or beast that a man feeds it s a very extravagant fancy to fat a sword as a hog In the same Page That which the Irish had invaded by Arms they call quod nacti sunt as if they had met with it by chance or hâ—zard In the seventh Page Modo evenire possit ut Ecclesia redimeretur Its a Solecism they should have said redimatur This people are wholly out of Tense and Mood In the same Veritatis pedissequi sumus amasâ—i puritatis amasius is a dishonest word and pedissequi ridiculous and both the one and the other very improper Behold the sense in English We are Lacqueys of the Truth and Paramours of the Court of purity these are lofty imaginations fit to entertain the brave wits with A little after they enrich the Latine tongue with a new word Remonstrantias peradventure in their next Edition they will consider whether they should write Remonstrantias or Remonstrationes There is also a Solecism they make use of the Adverb utroque which is an Adverb of Motion as if it were an Adverb of Rest In the eighth Page Potestati sumâ—nus it s a barbarous word and is found in no good Author But I think not my self bound to write out all their faults the most part whereof hath this commodity that the intricateness and obscurity of their stile hinders our sight The next time they write to strangers in this stile I counsel them to send an Interpreter with their Letter for this Latine Monsieur Salmasius the Prince of Learning of this age could not understand And in the mean while these Gray Beards should do well to employ some time when their State-affairs will give them leave to learn their Grammar that strangers may not laugh at their childish Eloquence And for the present they are obliged in Charity for this their Epistle being printed and sent to seventeen States and Churches beyond sea to some stranger who out of compassion sent it good Latine but it was a year and half after 'T is pity he spoil'd their work for he should have left the form and the matter the one being sutable to the other Now should we impute their Latine to their want of knowledge did they not in this their Epistle tell us That they were a most venerable Company of excellent persons in Wisdom Learning and Piety The same also sufficiently proved by the Testimony of some of their company which were Members of the same Assembly in which the other are not behind them in requital and in magnifying their persons and actions to the Skies It 's the old custom of this Faction to commend one another and when they print any Book they borrow of one or two of their Friends Epistles and Prefaces in commendation of the Work wherein ordinarily they give the Author excessive praises Never did the Bishops assume half the Titles that they give one another As the Dunghil Cocks have the greatest Combs so the meanest spirits are most arrogant and proud taking on them many high Titles A great man in France compared such kind of persons to the old Writings full of abbreviations saying that where there are many Titles there is little Learning But we will labour to decypher their Latine so far as may serve our present purpose for which the last Interpreter will much help us They pray the Forraign Churches but almost in a commanding way that they would recommend their cause to God in their publick prayers and require it sine conditione without any condition and will not be refused and they would have them make Apologies for the innocency of the Covenanters in their Assemblies Must the Churches then of France for to