Pro. 25.11 Let them not I say wash their hands off this argument because they haue no hand in any d) You should first haue proued the Proceeding vnlawfull proceeding against the Ministers or in restraining of their ministery sith it is all one so to proceed c. and not to helpe them that are so proceeded against by other especially when power is in their hands to helpe For it must never be forgotten which is written for an everlasting truth and a perpetuall instruction Curse yee Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie Iudges 5.23 In which place this is likewise worthy the obseruation of all men that they are esteemed not to helpe the Lord that came not out to helpe his people If there were so fearefull a curse pronounced by the Angell of the Lord against them that did not helpe his people against the mightie enemies of their outward state may they thinke themselues secure and without danger that helpe not the e) Stil they beg the Question Lord and his people against the mighty that oppugne the everlasting saluation of their soules Resolution of the 10. Argument God threatneth severely to punish the wrongs iniuries done vnto his children and Servants euen in their outward states much more the crueltie towards their soules Ergo The high Court of Parliament should neither proceed so hardly against the Ministers nor winke at others that do so proceed ANSWER To the Consequence 1. NEither did the Honorable Court of Parliament nor the Magistrates of this Land ever intend the least wrong to any Subiect in this kingdome much lesse to any of the Ministers of the Gospel no not in their outward estate much lesse towards the salvation of the peoples soules And certainly it is an vngrateful yea an vngratious part of these SuppliaÌ„ts to taxe that Honorable Assembly or any Magistrate in this land so vndutifully and vnchristianly for vniust cruell and mercilesse dealing 2. The Refractarie Ministers were never proceeded against for preaching the Gospel or for opportune and sober executing their Ministeriall function but onely for giddie innovation and noveltie for faction schisme and impugning the Magistrates auctority or disturbing the peace and quietnesse of the Church And would they request these vile enormities to be left vnpunished An vnreasonable Suite 3. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XI ARGRMENT PHarao in the time of dearth provided at his owne cost for the Idolatrous Priests of Egypt that they might not sel their land Gen. 47.22 Shall then so Christian a kingdome as this long time hath beene in the time of plenty proceede so hardly against the painfull ministers of the Gospell that they their a) Where Superstition sitteth Iudge there neither Nature nor Reason may dare to pleade the Cause Alas It is very lamentable that some men I knowe not for what carnall respects had rather currie fauour with others and be beholding vnto other men then conscionably liue of their owne They should well consider the saying of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5.8 wiues and children shall weepe and mourne for want And will no man open his mouth in their behalfe Were the Monks and Friers at the dissolution of their Idolatrous houses in the twilight of the Gospel provided for during their liues though they neuer had done any good And shall the ministers of the Gospell that haue converted many to God and spent themselues and wasted their patrimony first in fitting theÌ„selues for the worke of the ministery after by their sufferings and troubles so that they haue nothing left for their comfort in their â—ge be b) Alas Let them haue pittie vpon themselues and leaue their quarelling and they shall not be neglected neglected Though this hath not beene regarded by those that deprived them yet farre bee it from this most Honorable Court that any heart would bee found therein so hard and stony as not with commiseration to pity them Resolution of the XI Argument Pharao prouided for the Idolatrous Priestes of Egypt And the Monkes and Friers at the dissolution of their Idolatrous Houses were prouided for during their liues though they never had doone any good Ergo. Much more ought the Refractarie Ministers be provided for hauing doone so great good in the Church of God ANSWER To the Consequence 1. THe Argument doth not follow because of the dissimilitude that is in the instances or examples and the Ministers cause I. Pharao ministred dayly Foode vnto such Priestes as he thought professed true Religion and diligently obeyed him in the function of their Office A rate example of a bouÌ„tiful magnificent Prince though otherwise in Errour But the Refractary Ministers though professing true Religion yet do they obstinately being blinded by Superstition refuse to serue GOD his Church in the faithfull and diligent function and exercise of their Ministery II. The Monkes and Friers were depriued of al against their will for Sodomie Heresie and Idolatry which they had embraced in time of their ignorance But the Refractary Ministers are willingly depriued for obstinate Superstition in refusing sincerely to preach the Gospel of Christ with vs not being conformable vnto the Christian lawes of our Church and Magistrate III. The Monkes and Friers could not haue retayned their places and possessions no not by submitting themselues But the Refractarie Ministers may if they will but conforme themselues vnto the lawfull ordinances of our Church 2. For the Good which the Refractary Ministers haue doone in the Church of GOD I will no way extenuate their deserts but could haue wished that they had made greater coÌ„science of their Ministery wherby they might haue done more Good still and not like Ephraemites haue turned their backes in the day of Battaile 3. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XII ARGVMENT MVch also may the prayers of such ministers for this Court of Parliament and for every state and degree thereof and for other be a) True if they continue diligent in their vocation But being meÌ„bers rent and cut from the body of the Church of God in this land they are vnseruiceable for the same regarded for the prayer of the righteous availeth much if it be fervent Iames 5.16 And the prayers of the Saints are compared to Harpes and golden vialls full of odours c. Apoc. 5.8 God would haue Abimelech King of Gerar to make such accompt of this argument that for the same he would haue him to vse Abraham the better Gen. 20.7 Neither did the Apostle Paul onely for this cause most earnestly craue the prayers of the meanest Christians in those Churches to which hee wrote bâ—â—â—lso wicked Pharao did earnestly desire the prayers of Moses and Aaron Exod. 8.8 Darius also though an heathen King did therefore commaund all things necessary for the building of
conformity Them that honor me I will honor and they that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth Math. 12. â—0 Therefore Watch yee stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong 1. Cor. 16.13 To the Christian a) What here is pretended to the Reader in generall is indeed specially intended and directed vnto the Parliament as appeareth towards the latter end of this first Paragraph Reader Honorable Worshipfull c. TOuching these arguments following my humble petition to the b) This pretence vnto the Christian Reader is because they wold not seeme to be petitioners vnto the Parliament Christian reader of whatsoeuer sort and condition is this that they may not be taken as proceeding from one suspecting any religious Noble man or Gentleman of the Parliament house but rather from one as with all thanks to God acknowledging the godly forwardnesse of many in both houses so also earnestly desiring to quicken the zeale of the best and to provoke all other to take the cause heere handled to heart not onely as the cause of poore distressed men but as the cause of God yea to accompt it also the c) The Suppliants make the profession of the Gospell all Religion to consist in refusing cap surplice crosse c Great crie little wooll maine cause of the whole land of your selues and all your posteritie and therefore to preferre the same according to the dayly most godly prayer of your selues in your house of Parliament before al other causes whatsoeuer either concerning any particular persons or the whole common wealth Whereas I haue perswaded them to whom I haue directed these reasons to vse all meanes they may for the doing of any good I desire that my wordes may not be vncharitablie construed of any other meanes then such as are sutable to the cause viz. of good honest lawfull peaceable and agreeable to euery mans calling The like charitable construction I craue of any other wordes which some perhaps may maliciously wrest against my selfe and the cause Whereas also some may seeme to pretend feare of his most excellent Maiesties d) As if his Maiesty wold be displeased if any promoted a religious or honest cause A malepert presumptuous if not disloyal Censure displeasure to hinder their zeale and courage such I intreat to consider how dishonourable if not disloyall it is in good causes to feare the displeasure of a Prince who besides his most Christian education from his infancy hath e) I know not whereto all his whole paragraph tenddeth if the Suppliants deeme not his Maiesty to haue forsaken his first loue and to haue reuolted from Religion at least in shevv for a time long time publikly giuen so many worthy testimonies of his piety and godlinesse Loue thinketh no evill of any much lesse of such a Christian Prince It beleeueth all and hopeth all of euery brother much more of a religious King It is the glory of a King not only to finde out the secrets of other but also sometime to conceale his own Therfore it is not meete by preseÌ„t words or deedes whereof sometime there may bee a deepe reason alwaies to iudge of the mind Iehu pretended one thing when he proclaimed a sacrifice for Baal but hee intended another Ioseph a long time dealt roughly both in word and deede with his brethren yet in the end he shewed himselfe most louing and kinde vnto them Our Sauiour for the triall of the woman of Canaan seemed a long time to repel her sute for her daughter first by silence 2. by a sharpe reprehension of his disciples petitioning in her behalfe and 3. by a more sharp answer to her selfe At the last notwithstanding he did most graciously open the treasures of his rich compassion towards her and sent her away with aboundant comfort Constantius the Father of Constantine the Great as Eusebius reporteth lib. 1. de vita Constantini cap. 11. at his first entrance into the Empire made solemne proclamation that all which f) A malicious vncharitable vnchristian allegation to be applied vnto the whole state that loyally obey his Maiesty especially his Nobles and Seruants See the Answer serued him in his court should either worship Devills after the manner of the Heathen or giue ouer their places of dignity and honour and so to be banished from his court But by this meanes when he had tryed them that were faithfull then to the farre greater honour of his Princely wisedome and piety than if he had plainely and simply at the first professed the Christian religion He disgraced those that had so reuolted from God and rebuked them with a most Princely and religious rebuke saying That they were Traytors to GOD and vnworthy the seruice of an Emperour For how quoth he can they keepe faith vnuiolate towards the Emperour which are manifestly conuinced to be vnfaithfull to the most excellent and mighty God On the contrarie those that for conscience had forsakeÌ„ their places and giuen ouer their honors he most highly graced as those that would be faithfull to the Emperour because they had beene so vnto God yea he pronounced them worthy to be reckoned among the chiefe and principall friends of the Emperour and to be worthily much more esteemed then Treasuryes full of great riches Therefore also he preferred some of them to speciall attendance vpon his owne person and other some hee aduanced to the chiefe gouernement of the Empire vnder himselfe I leaue the g) For if they had particularly applyed these things their malice had bin the more manifest application of these things Onely I wish such consideration of them that men may not bee rash vpon any supposed apparences to iudge Christian Princes especially who in former times haue many wayes testified their sincere religion yea I wish lesse censuring h) No bolder and securer censurers of al sorts and degrees of men vnder the cope of heauen then these singular and selfe conceipted Refractaries of them and more earnest praying for them in secret before him that seeeth in secret and hath promised to reward openly yea as Dauid blessed the Lord God of Israell and the counsell of Abigail and Abigail her selfe for keeping him from sheading innocent blood 1. Sam. 25.32 c. so to omit what i) How prodigall they are of the Kings thankes thankes you may haue from his excellent Maiesty who also knoweth how euen they that for the present do most resist the matters hereafter pleaded for will in the end blesse God and your counsell and your selues for staying them from their proceeding in their hard courses against k) An euident slander of the State as if notorious manifest Schisme were the Ministery of the Gospell the ministery of the Gospell and the saluation of the people depending thereupon Finally albeit I could haue added many other arguments
A Consideration of the Depriued and Silenced Ministers Arguments for their Restitution to the vse and libertie of their Ministerie Exhibited in their late Supplication vnto the Honorable States assembled in this present Parliament By Gabriel Powel Genes 13.8 Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me for we are Bretheren AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Thomas Adams 1606. To the Right Honorable the Lords Spirituall and Temporall the Knights Cittizens and Burgesses of the high Court of Parliament WHereas the Solon or rather the Salomon of this age and Monarchie our most gracious and peerelesse Soueraigne hath according vnto his singular wisdome and sinceritie of heart by all good means laboured the Reformation as of all his Subiects in generall which refuse to serue GOD with vs in such holy exercises of Religion as are already established amongst vs so especially of such our Brethren in the Ministerie as emulating forraine Noveltie refuse to conforme themselues vnto the ancient approued discipline and ceremonies of our Church whom therefore his Highnesse sought the more earnestlie to reclaime as he loued them dearliest by some correction of their obstinacie by Silence and Deprivation according to the laudable custome and sanctions of the Ecclesiasticall Courts in this behalfe Now Right Reuerend and Honorable there are which greatly complaine of this moderate Severitie and both vnfitly and vndutifully terme it by the most hatefull and odious names of Oppression and Crueltie which they do as well in their private talke in their publike Sermons and writings as also in a late Supplicatorie Pamphlet directed vnto your graue Wisdomes wherin the Auctor is not affraide to perswade and prouoke your Honourable Court these are his owne words to intercede with his Maiestie that he would compell the Reverend Prelates of this Church to surcease their rigorous and cruell dealing who haue soberly and temperately carried themselues in the execution of such Decrees and Sentences vpon them as their obstinate Superstition had worthily made them subiect vnto By which boldnesse he taketh occasion so to complaine and crie out as if the Gospell of CHRIST IESVS were banished out of this Kingdome GODS worship prophanely adulterated and our whole Ministerie strangely corrupted to the eternall perdition and destruction of many thousand Soules Which grieuous complainte seeing it cannot be vnknowne to any that liue within these Dominions to be vtterly vniust vntrue I can but wonder with what face he could once dare to present it to the most Reuerend Senate of your most Honorable and iudicious Court. For howsoeuer hee might perswade himselfe that some preiudicate persons would affect his cause and embrace his accusations yet could he never have the least hope so to abuse your Wisdomes who of your owne knowledge are able to convince him of malepert Sycophancie and manifest vntruth Notwithstanding all which this Auctor fearing no rebuke or shame for his vnconscionable dealing as speaking from Cimmerian darkenesse by concealing his name is enboldened to offer it even vnto your Honors to prouoke you to become suppliants and Suâ—ters vnto his excellent Maiesty in behalfe of their cause or else at leÌ„gth to Determine of it your selues before you dissolue your meeting This Discourse such as it is I was commanded by some in auctoritie to peruse briefly to refute which I confesse at first I was very vnwilling to take vpon me notwithstanding I saw the great aduantage I should haue of my BrethereÌ„ in the defence and maintenance of a most iust and holy Quarell For besides that I was exceeding loath to intermedle in these domesticall Controuersies and indeed as Abram said vnto Lot Gen. 13.8 Why should there be strife betweene them and vs for we are Brethren I saw many excellent witts sit quietly at their studies being better furnished and more able to deale in these cases then my selfe who come so farre behinde them in all sufficiencie for this purposse And specially waighing my owne weaknesse I iustly feared to practise this kinde of pleading in so high a Court and before such Iudges whose wisedomes can so easily discerne any which come before them But on the other side when I had throughly weighed the equitie of the Cause the quality of my Vocation the necessitie of the Church and the dutie of obeying the Auctoritie whereby I haue beene enioyned this taske I presently resolued with my selfe to stand in the gap and breach betweene our Bretheren and vs and according to my poore abilitie abilitie to performe a seruice so iust holy dutifull and necessarie albeit I knew my Brethrens affections to be somewhat vnkinde and their pens foule and shamelesse But seeing it lieth not in our power to make them modest and peaceable and that we are called to serue God and his Church which we are bound to do in good and euill report in honour and dishonour in wealth wo in life and death I willingly forgiue them any iniurie that may be done vnto me for this cause and pray our Heauenly Father that of his infinite mercie and loue in Iesus Christ he will not impute it vnto them So being satisfied of all scruples concerning this matter and knowing no sufficient cause to the contrary or other impediment to stay my course I haue not withdrawne my selfe no not for the estimation and reuerence I must needs haue of the grave iudgement of your Honours which I saw I could not escape but haue deemed this Defence to be my most bounden dutie to almighty God to his excellent Maiestie to your honourable Court and to this whole Church State Wherefore I haue presumed by your Honourable leaue and fauour to maintaine against this Plaintiffe to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his Church and the honour of the reuerend Prelates in their most lawfull proceedings against such as by their schisme and faction disturbe the quietnesse both of our Church and common-weale Thus having in all submission and humilitie rendred some reason of this my doing vnto your high and Honorable Court I come now to ioine issue with my Antagonist not doubting but that your Honors according vnto your rare Wisedome and speciall loue vnto Iustice as you do in all other Causes depending among brethren so in this will giue equall hearing vnto both parties and without partiality and preiudicate affection will iudge righteous Iudgment that is simplie absolutely according vnto the trueth The Title of the Supplication ⧠Certaine Arguments to perswade and prouoke the most honorable and high court of Parliament now assembled and also all other in any high authority or in any grace and credit with them that are in high authority to promote and aduance the sincere Ministery of the Gospell as also Zealously to speake for the Ministers thereof now Degraded Deprived Silenced or Admonished or afterward like to be called into question for Subscription Ceremonies strict observation of the booke of common prayer or for other