in the State thereof and if this was the guilt of the House of Lords by other practices and proceedings more than by an indifferencie and compliance with the Hamiltonian invasion to help the King to such a power I know not what to answer for them It is then undeniable that the third Article of that National Covenant was â—…ever meant by those that made it or that took ir to be opposite to the sense of the Oath of Allegiance but altogether agreeable thereunto What then the meaning of that Article is must needs also be the true sense of the Oath of Allegiance That Article then doth oblige you to preserve the Right and Privileges of the Parlament and the Liberties of the Kingdom in your Calling absolutely and without any limitation but as for the Kings person and Authority it doth oblige you onely thereunto conditionally and with a limitation Namely in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of this Kingdom If then the King did not give to the Representatives of the Nation that assurance which was satisfactory and necessary that their Religion and Liberties should be preserved none of his Subjects were bound either by their Allegiance or Covenant to defend his person and the Authority which was conferred upon him The Oath of Allegiance therefore was bottomed upon the Laws which the Representatives of the Nation in Parlament had chosen to be observed concerning their Religion and the Liberties of the Kingdom which he refractorily either casting off or seeming to yield unto in such a way that no trust could be given him that he would keep what he yielded unto the Parlament did actually lay him aside and voted that no more Addresses should be made unto him from which time forward he was no more an object of your Oath of Allegiance but to be look'd upon as a Private man and your Oath by which you were engaged to be true and faithful to the Law by which the Religion and Liberty of the Kingdom was to be preserved did still remain in force which if it may be the true substantial sense of the present Engagement which you think is contradictory to this Oath and to the National Covenant then you are to look well to it that you be not mistaken for to an indifferent eye it may be thought so far from being opposite to the true sense of either that it may be rather a confirmation of the ground for which both the Oath of Allegiance and the third Article of the National Covenant was then binding And then also this I am confident of to be able to let you see further that although you may think that the effect of this Engagement is materially contrary to some intention which you had in the third Article of the Covenant yet that by the Act of the Engagement you are so far from breaking your Covenant that except you take it and observe it faithfully you will not onely materially but formally break that very Article of the Covenant for which you scruple the taking of the Engagement For the words must be taken in the sense which they can directly bear â—…nd which do impart the main end for which the Covenant was taken for the main end of this very Article whereof you make a scruple was evidently to preserve the Parlament and Common-wealth for it self and iâ—… need so required also without the King Now this is that which the Engagement doth directly also require for which cause I say that by vertue of this very promise you are bound to take the present Engagement and if you take it not that you make your self a transgressor of that very Article which you pretend to keep for if you refuse to be true and faithful to the Common-wealth as it is now established you do what in you lyeth to make the remaining Knights of Parlament and the beginnings of our settlement void which though at first it was not intended to be without a King yet it was cleerly presupposed in the Article it self as possible to be without him and consequently that although he should not be yet that the Common-wealth by the Rights of Parlament and the Liberties of the Nation should be preserved which is all that now is sought for by the Engagement Where you may take notice that although you and I as private men ought not to make our selves judges of the rights which superiors pretend to have in and to their places yet that they are not without a Judicature over them in those places for the subordinate Officers belonging to a State are bound to judge of the Rights of those that are over them both by which they stand in their places of Supremacy and by which they proceed in their actings toward Subjects lest they be made the instruments of Arbitrary power and tyranny and then also the law-making power which in all Nations resides by the Law of Nature in the convention of the Representatives of the whole body of the people whether it be made up of the heads of families or of chosen Deputies who are intrusted with a delegated power from all the rest doth make or unmake Rights in all places and persons within it self as it from time to time doth see cause HAving thus surveyed the dangerous Positions and Principles of the Presbyterians their brethren that it may be evident to the world that the enemies of our Church are equally enemies to our Monarchy it will not be amiss to lay down some of the Principles of the Papists and the Hobbians In which not to multiply citations we will for one of the first of these take father White who is counted the most moderate of them in his Book Intitled the Grounds of Obedience and Government And for the next Mr. Hobbs himself in his Books one called Leviathan and the other de Cive which he so magnifies that he affirms that part of Philosophy to which the handling of the Elements of Government and Civil Societies belongs is no older than that Book Of the dispossession of a Supreme former Governour and of his Right by Mr. White a Romanist pag. 132. c. in His Grounds of Obedience c. NOw our Question supposeth the Governour not to have come to that extremity but either to have been good or innocent or that it is doubtful whether his excesses deserved expulsion or at least if they did deserve it of themselves yet the circumstances were not fitting for it but the expulsion hapned either by the invasion of a stranger or the ambition of a Subject or some popular headless tumult for these three ways a Magistrate comes forcibly and unjustly to be outed of his power And first if the Magistrate have truly deserved to be dispossessed or it be rationally doubted that he hath deserved it and he be actually out of possession In the former case it is certain the Subject hath no obligation to hazard for his restitution but rather to hinder
good they did to you when they were then in England they were the chief Causes of this Parlament that now we do enjoy and of all the good that hath been reaped by this Parlament as you may well remember By their coming in you know this Parlament was procured and their seâ—…ond coming in through Gods mercy may be a means to confiâ—…m this Parlament and to establish it and to uphold it in its dignity and in the privileges of it and to keep it from being ruined and if the Parlament be ruined you all well know that our Religion and our Liberties are ruined for the Parlament is the great Conservatour of Religion and Liberties and I may truly say s you know Caligula did once wish that all Rome were one nâ—…ck that he might cut it ofâ—… at one blow They that intend to ruine the Parlâ—…ment thâ—…y ruine your Religion and Liberties and all England at onâ—… blow Now I say as their first coming was a means to produce this Parlament so thâ—…ir second coming in through Gods blessing may be a means to 〈◊〉 it and to confirm it And when they were here you know how faithfully thâ—…y carried themselves and when they had done their work how willingly they went away without doing any hurt and I doubt not of the same faithfulness nay you ought all to believe that they will likewise when they have done the work they are calleâ—… to in England they will likewise with the same faithfulness depart for it is Religion that brings them here and the same Religion will make them willingly leave us and go home to their own Countrey when they have done that work for which they came I am assured that the great hope at Oxford is that they will never prevail for the getting of Money for to bring them in and if they once see the matter of Money effected and if they once hear of the Scotâ—… coming in it will work such a terror there as I am assured that it will through Gods mercy produce a notable complyance of that Party with the Parlament for an effectual peace such as all the godly of the Land shall bless God for I foresee there are many Objections that may be brought to hinder this work many mountains of opposition that will lie in the way And likewise that the Malignants will buz many things in your ears if it be possible to put some great rub in the way to hinder the effecting of this work but I hope the love you have to God and to your Religion and to the Gospel and to your wives and children will swâ—…llow down all these objections and conquer them all I le name some few objections and give you some short answer Some it may be will put you in mind to call in question the lawfulness of contributing towards the bringing in of the Scots to this Nation But for this I le give you an easie answer Certainly Gentlemen it is as lawful for the Parlament to call in our brethren of Scotland to their help as it is lawful for me when my house is on fire and not able to quench it my self to call in my neighbour to quench my house that is ready to burn down The Kingdom is all on fire we are not able with that speed to quench it as we wish we call in our brethren in Scotland to help us to quench the flames that are kindled among us It is as lawful as it is for the Master and Mariners of a Ship when it is ready to sink through a mighty Tempest to call in other Mariners to help to keep the Ship from sinking It is the condition of our Kingdom now it is ready to sink and it is our desire that our Brethren of Scotland would come in to our aid to keep it from sinking Others it may be will object and say to you it is rebellion especially to call in another Nation to your help But I beseech you give me leave to put you in mind that when the Scots came last into England there was a Proclamation out against them wherein they were called Rebels and there were prayers to be said in our Churches as you well remember in which we were to pray against them as Rebels and there was Money likewise contributed then for to hinder their coming in and to raise an Army to drive them out of the Kingdom and I doubt not but you may remember all the ill-affected did contribute Money to keep them out of this Kingdom and from tarrying in but it pleased Almighty God through his great mercy so to change and alter the state of things that within a little while the Nation of Scotland even by Act of Parlament they were proclamed and made the true and Loyal Subjects of the King and in those Churches in which they were prayed against as Rebels even in those very Churches they were pronounced the good Subjects of the King this I doubt not but you remember and I doubt not but through the mercy of God the Lord raising up our hearts I doubt not but the same effect will come of their second coming into this Kingdom and they that now tell you they are Rebels and you do an act of Rebellion in the contribution to the bringing of them in I doubt not but you shall see an Act of Parlament to call them his Loyal Subjects wherein I hope our King will concur with his Parlament and likewise Prayers made nay a day of thanksgiving as was after their first coming a day of Thanksgiving for the mercy of God in stirring up their hearts to be willing to come unto our help But it may be some others will object and say why should we that are Ministers engage our sâ—…lves so much in this business to see a Reverend Assembly of grave Ministers to appear here in so great an Assembly This it may be will be a mighty objection to some but I beseech you give me leave to give you a short answer did I not think that that shall be said this day would mightily conduce to peace for my part I would not have been the mouth of the Assembly did I think any other way to produce a solid and a setled peace a Religious peace I that am a Minister of peace an Ambassador of peace I would not have been a Trumpeter to this business this day the truth is if you would have peace with Popery a Peace with slavery if you would have a Judas peace or a Joab his peace you know the Story he kiss'd Amasa and then killed him if you would have a peace that may bring a massacre with it a French peace if you would have such a peace it may be had easily but if you would have a peace that may continue the Gospel among you and may bring in a Reformation such as all the godly in the Kingdom do desire I am concluded under this and am confident that such a peace cannot be
his Majesty Pag. 49. So hath Prelacy flatter'd it self finding such a party to stand up on it's side among the * rotten Lords and Commons the debauched Gentry and abused people of the Kingdom As thy sword Prelacy hath made many women childless many a faithful Minister peop'eless c. So thy Mother Papacy shall be made childless among harlots â—… your Diocess Bishop'ess and your Sees Lordless and your Places shall know you no more Come my Brethren I say and fear not to take this * Agag Prelacy I mean not the Prelates and * hew it in pieces before the Lord. Pag. 51. None can withdraw from much less oppose this Service but such as bear evil will to Sion and would be unwilling to see thâ—… ruine and downfall of Anti-christ which this blessed Covenant doth so evidently threaten Pag. 63. A fift Motive to quicken us to this Duty may be even the Practice of the Anti-christian State and Kingdom Popery hath been dextrous to propagate and spred it self by this means And Prelacy that * whelp hath learned this Policy of it's mother Papacy that Lioness to corrobate and raise it self to that height we have seen and suffered by these Artificeâ—… it being an inconfiderable number either of Ministers or People the Lord be merciful to us in this thing that have had eyes to discover the Mystery of Iniquity which these men have driven Pag. 64. * He that hath been a Malignant or Neutral let him be so no more for I protest against every man that after his striking of this so Solemn and Sacred a Covenant with the most high God shall dare knowingly to persist in any of these mentioned abominations that is adheering to the King c. he is an enemy to Jesus Christ a Traytor to the Kingdoms a State Murderer and a destroyer of himself and his Posterity and at his hands if they miscarry God will require the blood of all these Pag. 101. * It brings Letters of Testimonial with it c. The waters of this Covenant hath been a notable purgation to the Rebels there in Scotland it hath been a Shibboleth to discover them and a Sword in the hand of the Angel of the Covenant to chase or slay them The walls of Jericho have fallen flat before it The Dagon of the Bishops Service-Book brake it's neck before this Ark of the Covenant Prelacy and * Prerogative have bowed down and given up the Ghost at it's feet And what changes hath it wrought in the Church and State what a Reformation hath follow'd at the heels of this glorious Ordinance Pag. 65 66. Epist. Dedicat. Thousands of your Nation are preparing their Brotherly addresses to pay the same debt to the whole Kingdom now almost in as great an exigence as ever the Gibeonites were when their five Kings with all their united foâ—…ces were within few days march to take a bloody and unnatural Revenge for their entring into Covenant with Joshua onely we beseech you account it not our distrust or jealousie if sometimes you hear us complaining with the mother of Sisera Why are their chariots so long in comâ—…ng why stay the wheels of their chariots That is why come not in the Scotish Aâ—…my against the King Out of the Trial of Mr. Love before the High-court of Justice in Westminster-Hall Printed Aug. 1652. MAjor Huntington in his Examination as witness against Love says thus pag. 32. I was told by Major Alford that Bainâ—… another witness told them he was very sorry he should meddle in that business and that they would never prosper that had any thing to do with him meaning the King for that the sins of him and his father were so great Mr. Love told Adams a Witness against him thus That if the Presbyterians were in Arms again by the blessing of God the Cavaâ—…eering party might be prevented from getting the day Pag. 38. Mr. Love in his defence says thus God is my witness I never drove a malignant design I never carried on a malignant interest I detest both I still retain my old Covenanting Principles from which through the grace of God I will never depart for any terror or perswasion whatsoever c. I do retain as great a keeness and shall whilest I live and as strong an opposition against a malignant interest whether in Scotland or in England or in any part of the world against the Nation where I live and have to â—…his day as ever I did in former times I have all along engaged my estate and life in the Parlaments quarrel against the Forces raised by the King I gave my All And I did not onely deem it my duty to Preach for the Lawfulness of a Defensive War but unless my books and wearing apparel I contributed all that I had in the world I have at this day a great sum due to me from the State which is still kept from me and now my life endeavoured to be taken from me And yet for all this I repent not of what I have done though I could from my soul wish that the ends of that just war had been better accomplished c. Pag. 67. When I was Scholar in Oxon and Master of Arts I do not speak it out of vain ostentation but meerly to represent unto you that what I â—…as I am and what I am I was I was the first Scholar that I know oâ—… or ever heard of in Oxon who did publikely refuse in the Congregation-house to subscribe unto those impositions or Canons imposed by the Arch-Bishop touching the Prelates Common Prayers And for which though they would not deny me my Degree yet I was expelled the Congregation-house never to sit as a member among them c. About the beginning of the Wars between the late King and the Parlâ—…ment I was the first Minister that I knew of in England who wâ—…s accused of Preaching of Treason and Rebellion meerly for maintaining in a Sermon in Kent at Tenerden the lawfulness of a defensive War * at the first breaking out and irruption of our troubles I c. Tâ—…at have in my measure ventur'd my All in the same quarrel that you were eâ—…gaged in and lifted up my hands in the same Covenant that took sweet counsel together and walked in fellowship one with another c. Attourney General Prideaux in Pag. 102. Thus The Treason is in this The Scots come in with intent to subvert the Government meaning Cromwels Charles Sâ—…ewart to be made King to subvert the Government c. I have prayed unto God many a day and kept many a Fast wherein I have sought God that there might be an agreement between the King and the Scots upon the Interest of Religion and terms of the Covenant Pag. 125. Thus I die cleaving to all those Oaths Vows Covenants and Protestations that were imposed by the Two Houses of Parlament as owning them and dying with my judgement for them to the Protestation the Vow
Evangelium Armatum A Specimen or Short COLLECTION Of several Doctrines and Positions destructive to our GOVERNMENT BOTH CIVIL and ECCLESIASTICAL Preached and Vented By the known Leaders and Abetters of the pretended REFORMATION such as Mr. Calamy Mr. Jenkins Mr. Case Mr. Baxter Mr. Caryll Mr. Marshall And Others c. LONDON Printed for William Garret 1663. THE PREFACE TO THE READER AT this notable season and great crisis both of Church and State in which Parties are so high Factions so restless and Discontents so general I know none so likely a means to resettle and confirm our shaking Fabrick as to disabuse the People and to redeem their Understandings from a Captivity to those guides who have Preached and Lectured them into these miseries and confusions I have observed though it be true Piety alone that must save men yet it is the shew and pretence of Piety that governs them A maxim so verified by the late transactions among us that the great Basis and ground-work of all the Villany that has been acted upon the stage of these miserable Kingdoms has been to beget and fix in the People this Belief that the great Design drove on by the Actors of it was the advancement of the Purity of Religion and the Power of godliness So that the People were brought at length to digest Civil War the cutting of Throats wresting away Estates and the Murder and Banishment of Princes so long as all this was called Reformation But since it is not imaginable how men could quit the first infusions of honest education and debauch the known Principles of Nature and Religion so as not at first to tremble and start at these Villanies it follows that they must needs have been insensibly wrought up to them by some predominant Perswasion that by degrees lessened and at length totally subdued those preconceived Dictates of Nature and Religion to a compliance with such Practices And this was no other than a blind and Furious Opinion of the extraordinary Piety of those Teachers who pretending more intimate acquaintance with God and immediate possession by his Spirit as Plenipotentiary Commissioners and Embassadors from Almighty God animated the People to the late Rebellion And still they endeavour to captivate their Pity by a bold and impudent insinuation of these two things That they are the People of God and That they are persecuted For experience shews that the Opinion of Persecution naturally moves men to Pity and Pity presently turns into Love and whom men love they are easily brought to defend But I doubt not to any unprejudiced Reader so to divest them of these pretences and stripping them of their sheeps cloathing to represent them as naked as Truth as deformed as Error Seduction For the first of these Their being the People of God I demand whether true Piety is consistent with the known abetment of Principles and Practices directly contrary to the law of Nature and the word of God and then whether the Preaching taking up Arms and raising a War against our Lawfull Prince be not a sin deeply dyed with both these Qualifications That the latter of these is undeniable and the former justly chargeable upon them let the ensuing System of Principles speak which they vented from the Pulpit and their Auditors Commented upon by all the hideous massacres since acted by them in the strength of those Doctrines and assertions I say let men impartially read them over and see Whether that Religion can be called Pure that is so far from Peaceable And for a further Test of their Piety I demand Whether an Oath be not the most sacred and dreadfull Obligation that can be fastned upon the Conscience of man and whether their Oath of Allegiance were not such an one upon which Concessions I demand further what strain of Piety could warrant these Ministers to send their Congregations as the chief of them did with full discharge from the Bonds of that Oath to wage war against their King what Prerogative in Religion could authorise them to obtrude an Oath and Covenant contradictory to their former Oaths upon those Consciences that groaned with horror and reluctancy under the sense of their former Obligations Till they can here either deny the matter of Fact which has been writ in Characters of bloud legible to all the World or can reconcile these matters of Fact to Christianity I demand of them in the presence of God and man what account they will give before the great Tribunal of God for having with so much solemnity of Prayer shew of Piety and profession of Zeal deceived the People into these execrable practices enough to stink the Protestant name out of the World and what excuse the clear light of Reason and of the Word can leave to those who resigned themselves up to be deceived by them But as the Conscience being once broken up easily lyes open to any after Breach So they having deflowred it with the first perjury of the Covenant stuck not much at the Engagement a Promise as contradictory to the Covenant as the Covenant it self had been to their Oaths of Allegiance and Canonical obedience and lastly their recognising and doing homage to Cromwell who had setled himself with the Power though not the Title of King and with an House of Lords seemed no less to throw off and contradict their Engagement We see here the compass of their Religious swallow All oaths could down with them but none hold them out of all which they could with the greatest facility find a way to creep forth and interpret away the obligation of an Oath as easily as if it were an Act of Parliament But the only thing these thorough-paced swearers at length stick at is the Subscription lately required by Law made and enacted by Parliament and confirmed by the Royal assent that is by all the legislative Power this Nation owns This they cannot subscribe to why because they cannot renounce an Oath imposed by part of a Rebell Parliament without and against the Royal assent and by which they swore off all former lawfull Oaths binding themselves to prosecute that Rebellious War This they will not they cannot renounce and therefore desire only for a while to be dispenced with and Indulged till they come to be in a capacity once more to put it in Execution How far Persons owning such an obligaâ—…ion and venting such maxims and Doctrines as are here faithfully and truely represented out of their printed Sermons are like to advance or perhaps at all to comport with the Peace of the Kingdom is left to the serious Consideration of those with whom the preservation of that Peace is entrusted whose Prudence being alarm d with such spiritual fire-balls will we hope begin to look about to distinguish between Conscience Contempt If any should now plead their being instrumental to the reduction of his Majesty for their vindication from the charge of these assertions too notorious to be
denyed and too impious to be defended though I could answer that I am not at all beholding to a Chirurgeon for setting that leg which he himself first put out of joynt yet I desire them to remember that they never attempted the Restauration of his Majesty till they were visibly in the very jaws of the Fanaticks who were then seizing upon their Tythes and Churches the last morsell of the spiritual Revenue so that it is shrewdly to be suspected that had not the Tythe-pig cryed lowder in their ears than either their Conscience or the word of God they had never been awakened to attempt that which since it has been effected so many of them have not obscurely repented of And so much may suffice to answer their Pretences to Piety and the power of Godliness To their next plea that they are now persecuted I shall only make this reply That I desire the World to take notice that those Persons who turned almost all out of their livings that adhered to their lawfull Soveraign who sent sucâ—… with their Wives and Families a begging as durst not deflower their Consciences with down-right Perjury and having sworn Canonical Obedience to the most Reformed Church in the World durst not by a contrary Oath swear and endeavour its extirpation Those also who procured that murdering Order from a bloudy Tyrant and Usurper that every Episcopal Divine should not only be uncapable of a Benefice but also disabled to exercise any act of his ministerial Function as Preaching Baptizing or the like nor yet suffered to get some little subsistence by teaching School no nor lastly to live in any Gentlemans house who out of Pity might take him in to keep him from Starving All which are such unheard-of Instances of barbarous Tyranny that the Spight of the Heathen Neros Dioclesians Julians all circumstances considered was much inferiour to them Now I say I desire the World to take notice that those who were partly the Authors partly the Procurers of these hideous remorseless Actions are those poor gentle suffering Lambs of Christ that now bleat out Persecution Having thus answered their pleas or rather their Noise I shall in a word or two give an account of the following book It presents us first with a short Collection of the Sayings and Doctrines of the great Leaders and Abetters of the Presbyterian Reformation of their pious and peaceable maxims which like razors set with oyl cut the throat of Majesty with so keen a smoothness and then to bring up the rear of this spiritual Brigade and withall to shew further that the cause of our Church is so united to that of the Crown that the same who malign one strike as boldly at the other I have thought fit to bring the Papists and the Hobbians upon the same Stage as venting Doctrines no less pernicious to the Civil than to the Ecclesiastical State For a testimony of which I have here given a Taste of each of them of the first out of Mr. White of the second out of the Author of the Leviathan and great Propagator of the Kingdom of Darkness I selected the writings of Mr. White as being the most Compendious and effectual way of Probation For if He who writes and pretends enmity against the Jesuites for being Disturbers of the Peace of States and Kingdoms and underminers of the Prerogative of Kings and so by this catches at the reputation of being moderate I say if this Person shall yet be found a pestilent assertor of such maxims as eat out the Rights and Titles of all lawfull Princes then let men take an estimate of their known Treasons and King-killing Doctrines from the Poyson and Virulence of their very moderation And therefore I earnestly entreat the Reader diligently to peruse that Paragraph that exhibits to him the collection of Mr. Whites Principles I have this now in the last place to add that the Reader must not here expect a full rehersal of thesâ—… mens Doctrines but only a Taste or Specimen He that can endure the raking of Dunghils longer than I can let him have recourse to their Writings let him lanch out into the Ocean of the Presbyterian Pamphlets and Sermons an Ocean in which the Papists may see the face of their disloyal Doctrines as in a Glass and in which the Leviathan himself may sport and take his pastime There seems to be a more than ordinary Significance in that Saying of the Prophet that Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft and that I conceive not only for its equal malignity but also for its peculiar Analogy and cognation for if we reflect upon the late Instances of it amongst our Selves we shall find that the People could never be brought to Rebell till their Preachers had first Bewitched them But I hope the World will be so far unbewitched as to read this Collection with their farewell-Sermons lately printed together and exposed to sale with so much Ostentaâ—…ion Of which I shall say this that they may very properly be called Fare-well-Sermons since experience is like to manifest that their Con-gregations never fared so well as when such Seducers preached their Last Mr Edmund Calamies Theses Pag. 22. THE Lords and Commons are as the Master of the House 2. The Parliament whom the people chuse are the great and only Conservators of the peoples liberties p. 38. They are the chief Magistrate Custodes vindices utriusque tabulae p. 37. for they are the Ministers of God for good and revengers to execute wrath upon him that does evill Rom. 13. 4. which being by Saint Paul expressly spoken of the Highest Powers he applies to that part of the two Houses that sat at Westminster without nay against the Kings command p. 9. That all those that fought under the Kings banner against this Parliament fought themselves into slavery and did endeavour by all bloudy and treacherous waies to subvert Religion and Liberties p. 12. That the King that should have been a head of gold was an iron head to crush its own body in pieces p. 18. Those that made their peace with him at Oxford by returning to their Loyaltie were Judasses of England and it were just with God to give them their portion with Judas p. 13. Those that ingaged in this Cause and in the Covenant which was an oath for their goods were unjustly charged with Rebellion p. 38. That it was Gods cause and it shall prevail at last p. 29. That it is commendable to fight for Peace and Reformation against the Kings command These are Mr. Calamies Doctrines in his Sermon preached before the Lords Dec. 25. 1644. printed by â—…hristopher Meredith by his own appointment directly contrary to St. Peter who tells us that the King is the Supreme and not any one or two Houses of Parlâ—…ament without him contrary to St. Paul who â—…ells us that whosoever severally or conjunctly shall resist much more that shall fight against this Highest Power resist the ordinance of God and
Cause the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England and surely the publick Faith of Scotland will secure the publick Faith of England I speak now of secondary causes through Gods blessing I am informed by the Commissioners of Scotland that the Nation of Scotland are now takâ—…ng the Covenant that we took the last Lords day in this City And you know that a Scotch Covenanter is a terrible thing you know what mighty things they did by their last Covenant you know that the name of a Covenanter the very name of it did do wonders And I am assured by them that there is not one person in the Kingdom of Scotland that is not a Covenanter and there shall not one abide among them that wiâ—…l not take this Covenant and there shall not one of those 21000 that are to come over in this Cause not one of them shall come that will not take this Covenant but they must take thâ—…s Covenant before they come O that the consideration of these things might work up your hearts to a high degree of Charity to a superlative degree and that the Lord would make you more active and more liberal in this great Cause For my part I speak it in the name of my self and in the name of these reverend Ministers we will not only speak to perswade you to contribute but every one of us that God hath given any estate to we will all to our utmost power we will not only say ite but venite we will not only speak to you to lend but every one of us as we have already lent so we will lend to our utmost power and bless God that we have it to lend for indeed it is now a time of action and not of speaking only because it is an extraordinary business therefore here is an extraordinary appearance of so many Ministers to encourage you in this Cause that you may see how real the godly Ministery in England is unto this Caâ—…se The Gospel it is called a Pearl of price by our Saviour Christ and I hope all you Merchants will part with your goodly pearls to buy this pearl of prâ—…ce You Tradesmen the Gospel is called a Treasure hid in the field so our Saviour Christ calls it I hope you will be willing to part with your earthly treasures to preserve this blessed treasure that is hid in the field you have parted with some goodly pearls already I hope you will part with your other goodly pearls There is an excellent Story of one Nonius a Roman Senator that had a pearl that 〈◊〉 did prize above his life and when Anthony the Triumvir one that was then in great power when he sent to Nonius to have the pearl he would not send it him and he told him that if he would banish him he would be willingly banished so he might save his pearl if he would take away his life he would die with his pearl he did not regard his Countrey so he might have his pearl he regarded nothing so he might have his pearl but he would not part with his pearl what-ever he parted withall This pearl it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you have professed in this City and I hope you have professed it with power and certainly you have the name of those that have professed the Gospel in the greatest purity of any under heaven This pearl is this Gospel I hope you will part with all willingly and cheerfully rather than part with the Gospel though you go to prison carry the Gospel with you nay though you lose your lives it shall be with the Gospel and for the Gospel I hope so There is one Argument more and then I have done and that is from the inveterate hatred they have at Oxford against the City of London and against you for your good because you have been so well-affected to this Cause Gentlemen I beseech you give me leave that am no Statesman nor acquainted with the affairs of policy yet give me leave to put you in mind of this that surely the plundering Army at Oxford conceive that they shall find a great treasure here in the City though many pretend they have no money Though certainly you have done well and lent much yet the plnndering Army give out that if they get possession of the City they shall find a treasury to be able to pay all they have been at And if ever you should be driven which God forbid to make your peace it would cost you twenty times as much then to procure your peace and such a peâ—…ce it may be that would be rather a War than a Peace and a death better than that peace which now you may have for a very little a most happy Peace There is a famous story of Zelimus Emperour of Constantinople that after he had taken AEgypt he found a great deal of treâ—…sure there and the Souldiers came to him and asked him what shall we do with the Citizens of AEgypt for we have found a great treasure among them and we have taken their Riches O saith he hang them all up for they are too rich to be made slaves and this was all the thanks they had for the riches they were spoiled os And it may be though some of you that stand Neuters or some of you that are disaffected to the Cause of the Parlament may think that if the Lord for our sins should give up this City unto the Army that is with the King you may think that you shall escape yet be assured that your goods will be Roundheads though you be not your goods will be Gybellins though you be Guelfs as the story is Certainly there will be no distinction in the plundering of your goods between you and others and therefore let me beseech you that as the Lord hath made you instruments to do a great deal of good already for indeed you are the preservers of our Religion and you are the preservers of our Parlament by your liberality and by your former contributions and by your assistance and the Lord hath made you mighty instruments of our good let me beseech you that you would persevere and now we are come to the Sheat Anchor we are now come to the last cast I beseech you you would persevere and hold out and O that my words might add somewhat to help forward this contribution It hath pleased God to make me a setled Minister in this City and I have now been here almost five years in this City and though I had never â—…one any good in my place I should now think it a great fruit of my coming to this City if after five years unprofitableness I might speak somewhat this afternoon that might enlarge your hearts to a greater measure of liberality All I will say is this We Divines say that Perseverance is the onely grace that Crowns a Christian Methushelah lived nine hundred ninety and nine years if he had fallen away from
Now is Christ set upon his throne Pag. 21. * Noble and resolute Commanders go on to fight the battels of the Lord Jesus Christ for so I will not now fear to call them Pag. 21. * All Christendom except the Malignants in England do now see that the question in England is whether Christ or Anti-christ shall be Lord and King Pag. 21. Ten thousand times cursed are they who have provoked Our Soveraign to raise Arms to destroy his Nobles and Commons and Divines and this most honoured City and even all who have been faithful Pag. 28. Mr. Stephen Marshal after Naseby fight in a Thanksgiving Sermon on Psal. 102. 18. ALL the Countries where the Gospel had prevail'd have faithsully stood to God in his cause the rest nurst up under Popery and Superstition both Lords Commons and Gentlemen and whole Commons did endeavour to fight themselves into slavery and labour to desâ—…roy the Parlament that is themselves and all that is theirs Mr. Marshal in his Sermon on Micah 7. 1 2. 1644. BElieve this cause must prosper though we were all dead our Armies overthrown and even our Palaments dissolved this cause must prevail Mr. Edmund Calamy in his Sermon before the House of Peers June 15. 1643. on Joshua 24. 15. REligion is that which is pretended on all hands The defence of the Protestant Religion this news we hear daily from Oxford and for this purpose there is an Army of Papists to defend Protestant Religion just as the Gun-powder Treason that would have blown up the Parlament for the good of the Catholike Religion Pag. 24. Few Noblemen and Gentlemen appear on the Parlament side not many mighty not many Noble thus it was in Christs time the great men and great Scholars crucified Christ. Pag. 30. The Cause you mannage is the Cause of God the glory of God is embark'd in the same Ship in which this cause is and you may lawfully say as Joshua does Josh. 7. 9. What wilt thou do unto thy great name and Numb 14. 15 16. And as Joshua said to Israel Numb 14. 7. So doth God to you fear not fear not the people of the land for they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not Pag. 53. I may say without uncharitableness you have the major part of Gods people on your side Pag. 55. He that dies fighting the Lords battel dies a Martyr Pag. 57. Mr. Thomas Case in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Commons House in Parlament before his Sermon on Ezek. 20. 25. GOd in you hath graciously begun to make good that Evangelical promise Zech. 12. 8. In defending this his English Hierusalem he hath made him that was weak among you as David you have conquer'd the Lyon aâ—…d the Bear and shall not that uncircumcised Philistine that numerous Beast who hath not ceast to blaspheme the Armies os the Living God become like one of these behold â—… he lies groveling at your feet there wants nothing but cutting off his head They cryed down the Sâ—…bbath as a ridiculous or at least a superfluous Ceremony Pag. XI * thus they make the King glad with their wickedness and he that could bring Jeroboam an argument to justifie his Idolatry he was a well-come man at Court Pag. 12. Mr. Case on Ezra 10. 2 3. Preach'd before the House of Commons SOme have sinn'd seducingly and Jesuites could never have been more desperate I am sure they might have been less guilty they have sinn'd against their light murthered their Principles they have suck'd in with their Mothers milk* spare them not I beseech you though they crouch and cringe and Worship you as much as they have done their high Altars Pag. 15. Ah Brethren I would not have you redeem their lives with your own heads Pag. 16. How the Presence and Preaching of Christ did scorch and blast those Cathedral Priests that unhallowed generation of * Scribes and Pharisees and perfected their Rebellion into that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost Pag. 33. Mr. Case on Dan. XI 32. 1644. Before the House of commons on a day of Thanksgiving for the Victory given to Sir William Waller against the Army of Sir Ralph Hopton HAd not the Spirit of the Lord wrought to a wonder of wisdom and power we might have sate down long before this made our Wills anâ—… bequeath'd our poor children every one of them Popery and Slavery for their sorrowful Patrimony Pag. 9. Cursed be he that withholdeth his Sword from blood that spares when God saith strike that suffers those to escape whom God has appointed to destruction Pag. 24. Mr. Case on Isa. 43. 4. In a Thanksgiving for taking Bridgwater and Sherbourn * WHat a sad thing is it my Brethren to see our King in the head of an Army of Bahylonians refusing as it were to be call'd the King of England Scotland Ireland and chusing rather to be call'd the King of Babylon Pag. 18. Prelacy and Prelatical Clergy Priests and Jesuites Ceremonies and Service-Book Star-Chamber and High Commission Court were mighty impediments in the way of Reformation God hath mightily brought them down Pag. 19. * The Father having given to him Vid. Christ all power both in heaven and in earth and the rule and Regiment of this Kingdom he hath committed to Monarchies Aristocracies or Democracies as the several combinations and associations of the People shall between themselves think good to elect and erect God leaves people to their own Liberty in this Case Pag. 26. Mr. Thomas Case Psal. 107. 30 31. in his Thanksgiving Sermon for Surrender of Chester * ALas alas they have put out the eyes of his Majesty and carried him away Captive our King is in Babylon among Idolaters and Murtherers we have no King Mr. Joseph Caryl in his Sermon on Nehe. chap. 9. vers 38. Preach'd at the taking of the Covenant Octob. 6. 1643. THere is much sin in making a Covenant on sinful grounds and there is more sin in keeping it but when the preservation of true Religion and the Vindication of just Liberties meet in the ground-work yea may swear and not repent yea if you swear yea must not repent Pag. 18. Take the Covenant and ye take Babylon The Towers of Babylon shall quake and her seven hills shall move Pag. 21. It is Shiboleth to distinguish Ephramites from Gileadites Pag. 22. When we provoke God to bring evil upon us he stays his hand by considering the Covenant Gen. 9. 15. Now as the remembrance of the Covenant on Gods part stays his hand so the remembrance of the Covenant will be very effectual on our part to stay our hands tongues hearts from sin Pag. 27. Not onely is that Covenant which God hath made with us founded in the blood of Christ but that also which we make with God Pag. 33. Mr. Caryl on Revel XI vers 16 17. before the House of Commons April 23. 1644. OUr war has been proved over and over to
days by Rome Anti-christian Pag. 8. Have not we of this Kingdom been bought and sold hath it not been attempted yea effected in great measure to bring us as Joseph into Egyptian Slavery were they not English Prelates that conspired to selâ—… their Brethren into Romish Slavery Pag. 12. Some of your Brethren have come in and submitted to you Stars of the first Magnitude and may it not be expected the Sun and Moon nill do so too if they do not they may do worse if they do not it will never be worse for you Pag. 20. Mr. Samuel Faircloth on Josh. 7. 25. before divers of the House of Commons MOses fell on his fâ—…ce as Joshua here and makes God cry out Let me alone will this Cure it no Moses sees for all his prayers Israel will not be cured without a full and total extirpation of all the accursed things and Persons also Pag. 25. * The Lord rent the Kingdom from Saul for sparing one Agag and for wâ—…nt of thorow extirpation of all the accursed things he lost both thanâ—…s for what he had done and Kingdom also Pag. 27. 'T is not partial Reformation and execution of justice upon some offenders will afford us help except those in Authority extirpate all Achans with Baby lomsh Garments Orders Ceremonies Gestures be rooted out from among us Pag. 28. * To you of the Honourable House Up for the matter belongs to you We even all the Godly Ministers of the Country will be with you Pag. 29. Think of it in your Committees to save them and theirs from trouble by troublâ—…ng them as Joshua to wit by a thorow abolishment and extirpation of them Pag. 29. The East wind did not sooner cure Egypt of the Frogs of Nilus than this course would England of all the Achans and Frogs of Tiber There being no vertue wherein men resemble the Lord more lively as in executing of justice and in extirpation of those Achans you will cut off the wicked and procure the felicity of the chosen Pag. 34. Trouble they will bring upon us for time to come if they be not now cut off all may see that an Universal destruction extirpation of Us our Religion Peace and Laws was intended by them and shall not Joshua justly extirpate Achans eye for eye tooth for tooth that justice may measure them the measure they would have measrr'd to us is not onely 〈◊〉 but necessary if ninety and nine were taken away and but onâ—… Aâ—…han left he would trouble us Pag. 36. Consecrate your selves to day unto the Lord and if all Achans could be hang'd up coram isto sole let none remain until too morrow however Pag. 47. The Lord is persuing you if you execute not vengeance on them betimes Pag. 48. Why should life be further granted to them whose very life brings death to all about them Pag. 50. Mr. Will. Bridges on Revel 4. 8. BAbylon is fallen as Rome in her Latitude with all her Merchants and those that Symbolize with her is here to be understood Pag. 6. Worthies of Israel it lies on you to enquire out this Babylonish company and to repay them an eye for an eye tooth for tooth burning for burning ear for ear liberty for liberty and blood for blood Pag. 10. Though as little ones they call for pitty yet as Babylonish they call for justice even to blood Pag. XI If a thing be indifferent in it's own nature and the doing thereof offensive to a weak Brother Authority can not write jus divinum upon it for to offend a weak Brother is to destroy him Pag. 15. Whensoever you shall behold the hand of God in the fall of Babylon say True here is a Babylonish Priest crying out alas alas my living I have wife and children to maintain I but all this is to perform the judgement of the Lord. Pag. 30. There shall be who when the Vial shall be poured out on the beast shall gnaw their tongues and blaspheme the God of heaven Pag. 33. Nath. Homes Doctor in Divinity on 2 Pet. 3. vers 13. 1641. AN ill Scholar is not said to be gone from the University till he be gone eum pannis with his clothes no more is enormity gone from the Universality of Ecclesiasticks till it be gone cum pannis not a rag of Superstition left behind Pag. 31. This Position That humane honest Intention may devise forms of devotion hath brought all the Judaism Turcism and Papism into the Church Pag. 33. These Ecclesiastical Offices Ceremonies and Discipline are set up by the Pope and are an appendix or tail of Anti-christ Pag. 33. Now is the promised time of the Churches Reformation in Christendom P. 34. Mr. H. Burton in his Sermon on Psal. 53. 7 8. Jun 20. 1641. AFter the first-born of Egypt were slain the children of Israel were deliver'd and for the chiefest of these Incendiaries certainly the Primogenit being taken away we may well hope for a glorious deliverance Pag. XI * God 's people lie under bondage of Conscience in point of Liturgy Secondly In bondage of Conscience under Ceremonies Thirdly Of Conscience under Discipline Fourthly Of Conscience under Government Pag. 21. Mr. S. Sympson on Prov. 8 15 16. By me Kings Reign * LEt no Law hinder you si jus violandum and if Law be to be broken it is for a Crown and therefore for Religion Pag. 23. * You are set over Kingdoms to root out pull down destroy and throw down do it quickly do it thorowly Pag. 24. * That which is best though evil will be counted good after Reformation as he is counted innocent who scapes at trial Pag. 25. * Among the Jews all were in the Church that were fit to live now none must be but Saints Pag. 29. One thing that has hindred the Church hath been too much respect to Antiquity Pag. 30. An other thing that hinders the Church hath been a desire of Uniformity by this Judaism and Gentilism got into the Church that they might accord together Pag. 31. Mr. Case in his Sermon on 2 Chron. 19. 6 7. Concerning Jehosaphats Caveat to his Judges Preaching to a Court Martial YOu know said he how the Midianites the King and his Party with whom you have to do have vext you with their wiles and laboured to obstruct you yet to cut Us all off in our passage into the Land of Promise that blessed Reformation which the Parlament Consult for Assembly Dispute for Armies Fight for and all good Christians Pray for Oh! therefore do you honour God in avenging your Brethren upon these Midianites in doing execution on the enemies of Christ and the Kingdom Out of the Book called Scripture and Reason pleaded for Defensive Arms or the whole Controversie about Subjects taking up of Arms Published by divers of their learnedst Divines and ordered to be Printed by the Committee of the House of Commons April 14. 1643. Which Order is subscribed by John White TO Doctor Fern 's Objection That though it
be said they intend not to hurt the Kings Person yet might I not as well have hurt his Person in the day of Battel aâ—… any of them that were swept away from abâ—…ut him by the fury of the Ordnance which put no difference twixt King and Common Souldiers Pag. 19. They answer by faying That though this is the hardest case that can be put against Defensive Armes yet first By what Rule of Conscience or God is a state bound to sacrifize Religion Laws and Liberties rather than endure that the Prince his Life should come into any possibilities of hazard by defending them against those that in his Name are bent to subdue them Pag. 18. Secondly If he wiâ—…l needs thrust himself upon the hazard when he needs not whose fault is that And a little after in the same Answer As if a King disguized should offer any private violence a watchman that would not or even might not hurt him being known were without blame if he knock'd him down or killed him as he might in like case a disorderly private person Now in Battel to many or most and especially to the Gunners that give fire to the Ordnance he is altogether disguised and so they are blameless in reference to his personal hurt that fault is wholly his own and those wicked Counsellors that have thrust him upon the fury of the Battel Pag. 20. To Doctor Ferne's saying It is a marvellous thing that among so many Prophets reprehending the Kings of Israel and Judah for their Idolatry cruelty and oppression none should call upon the Elders of the people for this duty of resistance They Answer That even in the reign of the best Kings not onely the Peoples hearts were usually unprepared and in their greatest seemings hypocritical and treacherous but also the Princes Elders and Nobles were exceedingly corrupt Now if they were so bad in good times who can marvel if they were stark naught where the King was naught and helpers forwarders of his Idolatries Cruelties and Oppressions And why should it then be expected that the Prophets should call upon them to resist the King being on their side and they on his Pag. 20. 21. It is not absolutely true that men are bound Universally as by an Ordinance of God to set up live under Government in the Doctors sense that is absolutely and without power to resist Pag. 31. Either all mankind are not bound to be under Government and all the Doctors teâ—…ts and reasons are alleged in vain or else Kings and Monarchs are also under some Government at least of the Representative Body of their people according to what was before alleged from our Lawyers Rex non habet superiorem praeter legem Curiam Comitum Baronum c. Pag. 32. We argue not that the people have power to recall that Regal Authority wholly upon any Case of Mal-administration All that we plead for is Power to administer a part of it upon Necessity which he will not administer for good but rather for evil And there are not many things that were altogether ours and in our disposing before we part with them but are still so far Ours to use them again in our Necessity for that turn at least Pag. 35. A Prince onely inherits what was given the first of the Nation or others since by consent of the people and by written Law or Custome he must claim any power he will exercise or else he cannot plead any right title to it and his qualification of power admits of Increase or Decrease as he and the people agree and consent His power is altogether derived by Election and Consent first and last whence I will infer no more but as before that therefore in Case of necessity the people may use so much of it as may suffice to save themselves from Ruine Pag. 39. The late Usurpers own'd as a Holy State set up by Almighty God MAster Sam. Slater in a Sermon Preached at S. Edmunds Bury in Suffolk upon the 13. of Octob. 1658. Being a day set apart for Solemn Fasting and Humiliation and seeking a blessing upon His Highness the Lord Protector This Sermon he intitles The Protectors Protection or the Pious Prince guarded by a Praying People In this Sermon Pag. 57 58. He hath these words Oh! pray for your Governours and in a more special manner for him whom God hath made chief over you and by his Providence called to the Supreme place of Magistracy in the Nation God hath been pleased of late to make a sad breach among Us taking away from Us our former Pilot the late Renowned Protector who when he had fought the Nations Battels carried us thorow the wilderness preserved us from the rage and fury of our Enemies and brought us within sâ—…ght of the promised Land gave up the Ghost laid down his leading Staff and his life together with whose fall the Nation was shaken his death covered all the faces of sober and considerate Persons with paleness and their hearts with sadness as if Peace Prosperity Resormation the Gospel all lay drawing on and would be buried in the same grave with him But bâ—…essed be God Divine Grace vouchsafed to cast an eye towards us and to visit us in our low estate there is another Pilot placed in his room VVhile he directs the Course let us fill the Sails with our Praying breath Moses it is true is dead but we have a Joshua succeeding him let us pray that what the other happily begun this may more happily finish and bring the accomplishment of all your right-bred hopes and what they said to Joshua let us say unto his Highness According as we hearkned unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee onely the Lord they God be with thee as he was with Moses Jos. 1. 17. And pag. 60. Our Prince riseth gloriously pray that he might nâ—…t set in a cloud Our hopes concerning him are great pray that they may not be blasted Thus He. Mr. Baxter in his Five Disputations of Church-Government and Worship in the Epistle Dedicatory to Richard Cromwel He delivers the sense of his Party in these words MAny are perswaded you have been strangely kept from participating in any of our late bloody Contentions that God might make you a Healer of our Breaches and imploy you in that Temple-work which David Himself might not be Honour'd with And he adds This would be the way to lift you highest in the Esteem and love of all Your people and make them see that You are appointed by God to be an Healer and Restorer and to glory in You and to bless God for you as the Instrument of our chiefest good My earnest Prayers for your Higness shall be that you may rule us as One that is ruled by God c. The same Mr. Baxter in his Holy Common-wealth in the Epistle Dedicatory or Preface to the Army pag. 6. He call'd those Usurping Powers that