yeare 1624. they have changed the oath of Curchwardens and sidemen as they call them into that forme that it is now become nothing ells but a rack for the consciences of men and may truly be called an injurjous and blooddy oath 2. What else is the ground why they have taken away all those Cannons that respect them selues that the people cannot see them but that they might more peaceably and freely prey on the bodyes and soules of men at their owne pleasures 3. What is the reason they doe of late use so many shiftes and trickes to maintayne their standings as they do by devising all the inchrochments upon the liberty of the subject the like whereof cannot beparalelled by robbing of the nobility of their honorus tytles offices and dignityes and conferring them on their owne heades or the heades of their favorites yea is it not matter enough if not a friend to the prelacy for any though otherwise deserving never so well to stand like a beakon on the top of a hill not respected 4. who seeth not that all the good and whollesomme lawes of the Common wealth is by them turned upside downe like a leaden wand bowed to every end that suits them selues be it right or wrong thus like horses are they prepared to battell with strong unresistible power to beare downe all before them that doth but mute against their cursed usurpations 5. what ranke or order of men comes not under their tyranny and oppression in their matchles extortions they sleight the rich in the height of their pride they regard not the cryes of the widdow and fatherlesse but like men voyd of compassion or bereft of humanity wring and wrest from all men in all causes abundantly more then is alowed them by their owne Cannons and Ecclesiasticall lawes and especially in the probats of wills and administrations they are as the Proph. Zeph saith 3. 3. Like the evening wolfs that leave not the bones untill the morning my brethre may not the Lord cōplaine against us as against his owne people Ier. 5. 26. that among his people are found wicked men that lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a trap to catch men as a cage is full of birdes so are their howses full of deceyt therfore they are become great wax rich also they Judg not the cause of the fatherlesse but as in the 29. shall not the Lord visit for these thinges shall not his soule be avenged on such a nation as this Therfore brethren and loving countrymen considering these things let me in a word speak to you all under these two ranks other as you are the called of God or as yet uncalled by him And first to you that are called of God let me speak to you in the words of the Lord by the Prophet Ierem. 2. 18. What have you to doe in the way of Aegypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thou to doe in the way of Assyria to drink the waters of the river Or for the fear of man to bee found in the way of Gilgall for all their wickednes is in Gilgall there doth the Lord hate them and for their iniquityes wil in his time arive them out of his house therfore come not at their courts obey not their summons sent out in their own names against the law of the land and honour of the King so that if the Kings Majesty were not very patient towards them and those that submit to their usurpations where were they Trust God with your goods and lives he is able to recompence all wth better ad not fire then to this altar of Baal neither by purse nor presence Walk not after these commaundemens of men lest Ephraim like ye he oppressed and broken in judgment and the Lord become to you as to him a moth or as he was to Iudah rottenes Hosea 5. 11. 12. My brethren be not affraid of man in Gods cause consider what the Apostle saith to Timothy 2. epist 1. 7. God hath not given to us the spirit of fear but of power of love of a sound minde Where observe this fear of man for the prevailing power therof is called the spirit of feare and is opposed to the spirit of God as power and love and a sound minde whence then we may learn That where ever his fear of man is residing in the strength and power of it there no sound power of godlines nor soundnes of judgment nor power of action is to be looked for Besides this fear of man will be a snare to you for the fear of man bringeth a snare but who so trusteth in God shal be sure Prov. 29. 25. Besides there is a lake prepared for the fearfull say not then wth the fainthearted spyes there be giants and walls up to heaven and we shall never overcome for we overcome in sufferring Consider also that God the Gospell and the people of God are more beholding if I may so speak to one constant sufferrer sent of God then to ten thousand fainthearted apostates and backsliders therefore my brethren looke what Gods worthyes have done and doe likewise as Paule to Timo. 2. epist 1. 8. so I speak to you all in his words Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimonie of our lord nor of me his prisonner but be you partakers of the afflictions of the Gospell according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling And to you my countrymen that are yet uncalled what shall I say to sett you a worke about the works of a living mā that have not a principle of life in you were but a vain thing I therefore say no more to you but thus Take courage to your selvs as you are men and know your own priviledges and stand to them consider the laws of a kingdome are the subjects inheritance and no subject can be deprived of them without manifest injustice therfore suffer not your selvs to be gulled in these things looke the Statute for the probate of wills and testaments observe the penaltyes upon all that shall extort upon the same the lawe saying directely in these words That if a Bishop or Archbishop or anie other ecclesiasticall jurisdiction shall extort or take of anie of his Mayestyes subjects either more or greater fees then is allowed them by law they shall forfeit to the party wronged three times that they take to the party greived and over and above they shall forfeit to the King ten pounds the which shal be levyed by way of trespasse or of debt recoverable by lawe in anie of his Majestyes courts of record against which action there shal be no appeale nor act of errour to be graunted but the monies so levyed shal be one half to the King and the other half to the partye wronged Or els thou must maintain thy right by an inditement at the common sessions of the quarter where the offence was committed Thus
A TRVE TABLE OF ALL SVCH FEES AS ARE Due to the Bishop of London and all his depending Officers as Commissaryes Registers Proctors and Apparitors as hath been given in to his Majestyes Commissioners in Starchamber under their own hands in the month of November M. DC XXX Whereto is added a true discovery of such fees ordinarily exacted by them upon his Majestyes good subjects contrary to this their own table and the statute laws of the land Published by STEVEN PVCKELL and sent as a love token for his countryes good Isa 8. 61. I the Lord love iudgment I hate robbery for a burnt offering 1. Thess 4. 3. with 6. For this is the will of God c. That no man goe beyond and defraud his brother in anie matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such Imprinted Anno M DC â—XX TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORDS of his Majestyes Commissioners for new erected offices and innovated fees and to all others that are doers and lovers of justice health and prosperity attend you in all your lawfull designes with all encrease of honour and favour both with God and men RIght honorable when I considered not onely the wisdom which God hath furnished your Noble Persons withall together with the power and authority putt into your haÌ„ds by his Majesty for the seeing and inquiring into all extorted and innovated fees it made me to conceive your honours were the men that God had appoynted to deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressour which did incourage me to seeke release under your honours protection against my cruell oppressours in which I freely confesse I found to Gods glory be it spoken more then ordinary successe by your honors means in that your honours effectually procured my peace for awhile in coÌ„maunding that Commissary my accuser to suspend his suite against me in the high commssion but yet it was but for a while in that my busy and malicious adversary getting something in respect of my conscience as your honours well know insenced against mee some high Commissioners as the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London who contrary to your honours order made did forthwith pursue me with such violence as if they thirsted for my bloud and nothing but my life would serve their turn for which cause I was inforced to leave my own native country to seeke shelter in forrain parts where through the Lords goodnes having found a place of breathing I have thought it my duty to speak according to my strenght from a farre and to present to your honours a brief discovery of some of their extortions I have taken knowledge of in their proceedings to give your Honours occasion to dive into this mystery of iniquity where I doubt not but your wisdoms wil soon finde out much more then my shallownes can extend to yet by this little I discern and discover they are no other then merciles oppressours intruders upoÌ„ the subjects rights and priviledges and who is appointed under God and his Majesty to curb them and to restrain their inordinate lawles courses but your honours but they having beeÌ„ much fleshed by prevailing against all sorts haply their insolency will not fear to atteÌ„pt to make an assault against yours honours in case you question them for their injustice and oppression in these or other their proceedings yet I trust they shall not prevaile but having begun to fall they shall fall more and more till their usurped power under which manie mourn be utterly overthrowne To call to your honours remembrance their late injustice in my own particular I have presumed once again to renue my complaints to your honours against them and for farther evidences every day affoards his just complaint against them wherever they keep their courts or excercise authority over his Majestyes subjects in anie part of his dominion If therefore God shall move your honours hearts to goe on with so good a work as to purge not onely them of these evills but free the churches and people of God of these strange offices God shall have much glory by you the Church and people of God much peace and freedom the land purged of manie a crying sin and the Kings throne established in justice and righteousnes which that your honours may be inabled to doe the God of truth and justice be with your honours and double the spirit of courage and wisedom on you I rest at your honours service to bee commanded STEVEN PVCKELL To the truely and wel affected Christian Reader CHristian Reader God by his wise providence ordering all things to his owne glory hath bene pleased after many and sore trialls to bring me the unworthyest of his servants to a place of more rest and safety in respect of my present condition then I either had or possibly could look for in myne owne land I therfore seriously consideringe by how many bonds I stand bound to Almighty God for those many great mercys â—nd strâ—nge delyverances which I have received from his mere goodnes and 〈◊〉 â—vidence as also well considering how nearly my soule is kâ—nt to you my â—â—ning Countrymen I could not but out of pitty to your presâ—nt estate and conscience of myne owne duty to God and you all answer your reasonable requests and earnest expectation in adventuring to put thes few lines to the open view of the world the which thing God who knowes my hart knowes I aime not at any mans person neither have I added any thing but have taken a true coppy of all the fees as they were presented before his Magesties Comissioners in Starchamber confirmed under every of their owne generall hands without adding any thing therto by the which the wise and discrete reader may in some sort from his owne experience who is the best scholemaster playnly see how treÌ„blingly these shoulders and posts by the which the kingdome of Antichrist is yet upheld in our Kingdom of England do tyranise not onely over the soules and conscieÌ„ces but over the bodyes and goods of his Magistyes loving subjects their Cannons and Constitutions Iniunctions and Decrees tending to no purpose but onely to be snares and gins to the soules and bodyes of men thus those who would be thought to be the prophets of England are all like those prophets in Israel Hosea 9. 8. the suare of a fowler is in all their wayes all their projects being how to grow great and maintayn their pomp and state allthough it be with the blood of the poore fatherlesse widdow yea though it be to the overthrow of King and state which I wil indeavour to clear by thes propositions For proofe wherof I will appeall to none other but to thyne owne experience First who seeth not that all their Cannons and Decrees both new and ould tend to no other end but the inthralling of the soules and bodyes of Gods people and the bringing of them under an Antichristian yoke wich appeares first that since the
Newgate Colehowse the Clincke or the Counter must be his dwelling one of these he cannot avoyd Good Reader if I should relate all the cariages in their commissions and purgations changes of pennance the like I should both weary thee my selfe too what devices turnings of things about there is I leave to thy owne experience to obserue what summes of monyes are taken for these things were intollerable to relate also their devices to bring men on bare crymes without proofe and what is daylie payd among them in these causes experience shewes the truth of For probats of wills administrations I have shewed before I will now procede to shew their sinfull abuse of that sentence of excommunicatiō among them which yet is the only weapon they fight withall by which not a litle profit gayne doth day lie acrew to them their depending officers and by which they hould mens soules in tyrannicall bondage by which they hooke not a litle profit to thē selves making it the very snare ginne to catch men as experience proves every man being so daunted at it as if inded what they so sinfully doe were ratyfied in heaven in which for thy better information I will open these things 1. I will shew what this censure is according to the ordinance of Christ in the Gospel 2. Who was the author of it 3. To what ende it was ordayned in the church of Christ 4. The greate benefit of it in the church 5. By whom it is to be administered 6. How it differs from this censure now in use among us For the first we must know that this censure is a solemne fearfull powerfull censure of the church cutting-off lawfully according to Gods word casting out of their publik socyety present followship all such as publikly offend in some greivous cryme or be obstinat cōtemners of the lawfull admonitions of the church for private faults that by such shame they may be drivē to repentāce and others by their example be kept from the infection of sin is warranted by these script Mat. 18. 15. 1. Cor. 5. 5. 6. 7. 2. Thes 3. 14. 2. For the Authour it was no other but the Lord Iesus Christ whose lawes ordināces are all unchangable by man to be kept pure unrebukable till the apearing of the Lord Iesus Christ as appeares by that 1. Tim. 6. 14. compared with Mat. 18. 17. where an expresse commaund is given to tell the church 3. The ende for which it was ordayned was three fould first in respect of the party offending it is for the destructiō of the flesh that the soule may be saved in the daye of the Lord 1. Cor. 5. 5. Secondly in regarde of others that by their example they may learne not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. Thirdly in regard of the whole body of the church that they may be purged from the old leaven of sinne as appears 1. Cor. 5. 8. and these are the ends no private respect 4. The benefite of these ordināces in the church appeares by this 1. By these ordinances the superfluous members of the church are kept from hurting and annoying the rest of the body for it is Gods pruning knife wherby he cutts off every branch in his vyne that bringeth not forth good fruite that so those which doe bring forth some fruit may be purged to the end they may bring forth more fruit Iohn 15. Secondly hereby are kept out all those that are openly discovered to be profane and wicked from polluting the ordinances of God by it the wicked sinne it selfe is greatly stopped in their course yea this is yet more the church is terrible to the wicked as an armye with banners for this ordinance of God being in the right use of it is as terrible as death it selfe Thirdly hereby is it Gods Church is fenced as with a wall that the wild boore out of the forrest the foxes that destroy the vines cannot enter or if they doe through their craft yet by this ordinance of God the church can be purged of them Thus Paule purged the church of Hymeneus Alexander 1. Tim. 1. 20. Fourthly The setting up of this ordinaunce in all the parts of it wold indeed make the church beautifull the glory of this secōd temple to exceede the first whose hart can choose then to be affected with the want of so usefull an ordinance as this is And who can see any man running to his owne howse letting the Lords housely waste not mourne for it alas the profane doe not now as in old com onely to the outer courte but into the holyest of all pollute all the holy things of God therin but oh the cvill tyme in which we are fallen in which peace plenty brings security every man running to his owne howse thinking that must be builded with hewen stones timber hewen by the skill of the builder but Gods howse may be builded with stones as they come out of the rock or trees as they growe in the forest without any difference a respect at all Fiftly the persons in whom it rests are the body of the church being met together in one place the grave elder being as the mouth of the rest in pronounceing of the sentence Sixtly the difference between this ordinance of Christ and that in use among them apeares in these things 1. In regard of the Authour the one being of Christ the other of Antichrist it being the same for nature administration now that it was when he ruled among us the same now in use in his owne kingdome therfore not to be respected nor submitted unto by the subjects of the kingdome of Christ seeing every subject ought to be governed by the scepter of his owne kinge that because he is his kinge 2. They differ in nature the owne is divine heavenly the other is sinfull and wicked the one is ahe truth of God the other a lye in the right hands of them that put them forth 3. They differ in the ende of them one is onely for the gaininge of sinners to purge the church of them the other to gaine monyes to Lord over the bodyes goods soules consciences of men 4. They differ in the maner of administration the one vsed as the last meanes for the gaining of a sinner when nothing els will therfore never used but for sins duly convicted obstinatly stood in the other used sinfully for toyes to get monyes by to be as a snare or net to catch men by 5. In regard of the manner the one is administred by the body of the church being met together in one place the other alone by some one man And by these things we may see what cause men have to feare this censure as if what they sinfully doe were confirmed in heaven God doth indeed poure shame contempt on them their