exundans flamma deficientibus nutrimentis emoritur Though the affections may be more inlarged Jerom acâ— suriam p. 83. and dilated in sudden ebullitions raptures and passions as some women swell to an unusual bigness because they keep not themselves under the restraint of laceing and the waters that covered the earth at the first creation were shallower than when they were reduced into the bounded channels of the Seas The blood and spirits called forth into the outward parts of the body leave a lesser proportion about the heart to guard it from a delinquium and such feavorish distempers often prove mortal Yet may not those devotions which are performed by the standard of prescribed forms though they make not such a blaze like coals of Juniper preserve that heâ—â—â— longer which they have conceived May not these deliberate and rational services be more deep though they make not so much noise May not I pray with judgment understanding and intenseness of soul when I read as well as when I say a prayer without book when I open my eyes as well as when I shut them I pray read the true meaning of those words The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth as expounded by that good man Mr. Hildersham On John 4. Let 's not dispute so long about the mode of prayer untill we forget either what it is or that we owe any such tribute unto God As I have heard a wrangling Sophister so earnest in snatching at collateral and incident disputes untill he hath forgot the question in debate And I have seen some ill nurtur'd doggs so violent in questing after every little Bird that they have left the game behind them Let us offer up to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clo. Alew p. 717. the incense of a righteous soul let us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 converse with God and keep close unto him in the pantings and motions of our souls Basil p. 772 and then if this may be done by a form le ts be wise unto sobriety in hushing of unchristian quarrels and by joyning together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one consent in the same work of such regular prayers Now because some of you will condescend to a form as lawful and expedient yet you have no kindness for ours Just as I knew a Gentleman who had variety of drinks and those the best in their kind approved off by his neighbours round about yet he was alwayes out of conceit with his own liquors and sent his man far and near even to obscure places to buy or borrow what might better please his own palate The application is as easie as the story is realibut were it fabulous the moral would prove very pertinent We admire things at a distance and those that are far fetcht do best please such persons whose imaginations are stronger than their reason Were the Officers of Geneva or Amsterdam translated into England I 'le warrant you many nice stomacks for a time would make no bones of them nay how would they be imbrac'd and cry'd up not because they are better than ours but in that they would be novelties amongst us Although our usages and methods in Gods service have been commended and the harshest particulars practis'd by the most eminent reformers in the world ours have stood without any contradiction that I have met withal except it be such as the Moon meets with whose lustre may be bark'd at by whiffling currs but 't is farre enough elevated above the reach of their teeth That stratagem-that our Liturgy was taken out of the Mass-Book did execution in its season whilst it wâ—s managed by the brawny Arms of those enâ—ssaâ—es of Apolyon who were resolved to be strenuous in their calumniâ—s 't is yet uncertain whether â—â—s charge did proceed most from impotent â—â—â—lice of despâ—rate impudence This imposture is now so â—â—â—parent that the mearâ—â—t capacities begin to â—â—e thorrow it and discover the legerdemâ—â— thereof If to pray to God in our Mother â—â—ngue ☜ and not in latin 〈◊〉 to pray to him only in the name of Jesus Christ without any addresses to the Virgin Mary or any other Saint or Angel If to acknowledge but two Sacraments if to receive the Lords Supper in both kinds with a declaration against transubstantiation elevation and adoration If neither to respect the Popes Supremacy purgatory justification by works or prayers for the dead If those prayers which were compos'd by martyr'd Protestants against which the Pope sends forth his roaring Bull as if they were level'd directly against his Throne and will sooner dispense with his followers for hearing our Sermons than joyning with our prayers I say that I may put a period to this sentence which might easily be drawn forth into a whole paragraph if these things savour of the Mass-Book Praeflat culpam agnoscere guam deprecari I must confess before the Sun that I am a Papist that our Liturgy and Articles were fram'd out of the Romish mint But since there is nothing of this denomination once insinuated in our prayers Since the whole compages of our service is purg'd and fan'nd from all the rubbish and chaffs of Popish trash since we have recover'd those vessels which Nehuchadnezzar had carried out of Jerusalem Ezra 7.8 may not we bring them again into the house of the Lord May not we fetch the Ark out of the territories of the Philistines and carry it unto Shilo may not Lot be redeemed from the Kings of the Nations after he had been taken prisoner And may not the Creed Lords prayer ten commandments some excellent prayers and laudable usages which were usurp'd upon by the tripple Crown be restor'd to the service of the Church as a captiye Woman might be married to an Israelite after her head had been shaven her nails pair'd Deut 21.12 13. and the raiment of her captivity taken from her Especially seeing the beams and rafters of our Liturgy were in the Church long before there was any such thing as Popery in the World This Lyon being hunted out of your way this bug-Bear being devested of all its terrible vizzards Bishop Taylar Le ts see what in the next place affrights you And herein I could have said more to the purpose if I could have prevailed with any of you to have given me your particular exceptions to which you would have stood For I perceive there is almost as much variety in your exceptions as there is in your faces One pishes at and slites what another cries out against with a stentorian voice as an intollerable abomination But this I could never obtain either by my self or by the mediation of proxies whom I employ'd to the same purpose As if it were as difficult a matter to procure a catalogue of your objections against the Liturgy as 't is to get a list of the Churches traditions I cannot suppose that men of your pitch can be offended with those
Quicunque autem est subjectus alicui quantum ad id in quod est subjectus non est suae potestatis facere quod vult sed dependet ex potestate alterius ideo non potest se per votum firmiter obligare in his in quibus â—aâ—teri subjicitur sine consensu sui superioris Ad vnumquemque Ibid. Q. 88. Art 90. pertinet irritare juramentum quod a sibi subditis factum est circa ea quae ejus potestati subduntur Gregory de Valentia affirms the same In multis casibus constat juramentum promissorium non obligare Disp 6. Q. 7 de Juramento scilicet de Re illicita Nam ex eo quod juramentum praestatur homini superiores aut domini Reipromissae possunt irritare juramentum Non tenetur quis per media inutilia vel minus grata deo procurare divinum honorem ad implendo juramentum p. 5â—5 Our own Master Perkins doth but translate the sense of the Schoolmen into English An oath sayes he bindeth not if it be made concerning things which are not in our power as to swear to give away another mans goods And was not this our case did not you swear to take away the Rights of the Bishops nay the Rights of the King whose prerogative and jurisdiction it is to reform the Church and that after many of you had subscribed to the rights of the Episcopal government both when ye took degrees in the University and orders from the Bishops and had also taken the oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy Can a subsequent oath or Covenant so far bind us as to make void the former Juramentum factum contra prius votum Suarez l. 2. d Jâ—ra p. 62. juramentum aut promissum modo sit in re licita non obligat Doctor Cracanthorpe was no ordinary divine in his time yet he confirms this truth The Emperour sayes he swears at his Coronation to keep safe the Honours and Rights of his Kingdome Defence of Constantine c. l. p. 170. afterwarde he alienates them and takes an oath that he will not revoke them But since this latter oath was contrary to his imperial Oath at his Coronation it binds not being unlawful and so cannot be vinculum iniquitatis But notwithstanding such an oath he may revoke his grant Suppose a married man or woman after marriage should vow continency this is more than was in his or her power therefore such a promise is not to be fulfill'd Hoc enim quisa recta firma devotione solus promittit Fulâ—ewi p. 620. 623. quod sui tantum juris esse cognoverit Temerariese vovisse cognoscat debitum conjugi casta sinceritate Redhibet Doth not this rule hold as true betwixt Subjects who are bound by oathes unto their Princes as betwixt an Huband and the Wife of his Covenant Therefore why should not you return unto your first love I mean in making good these former promises and ingagements which you have made unto the Crown and unto those that are commissionated by the supreme authority Do you think that adventitious and contradictory vows of a later date for the making of which you never had any sufficient authority to warrant you will supplant and evacuate your former oathes There was a lawful power prohibiting you to enter into such a combination at first and there hath been since in declaring the Nullity of such a Covenant 〈◊〉 22. 〈◊〉 Will you still look upon your selves like that Ram which the Angel shew'd to Abraham as caught in a thicket by the horns whereas your setters are rather imaginary than real And herein you resemble some melancholy men who have separated themselves from common society fancying themselves to be Lepers Others have been afraid to speak lest they should low like beasts and to ease nature by letting go their water lest they should drown the whole Town wherein they dwelt Burtans Dâ—â—l incholies which conceit was cured by this stratagâ—m one cry'd fire fire Hereupon the melancholy person le ts go his water that he might extinguish the fire anâ— was healed Do not you hear the like out-cry in our dwellings by reason of our growing and wasting divisions at home and abroad Sirs let go the Covenant out of your clutches and all will be well and joyn your endeavours with us in helping to put out this common conflagration rectifie vour erroneous conceits cleer up your blood-shotten eyes look upon the Covenant thorow the true optick glass of loyalty and religion and I dare say you will not account your selves bound by it to endeavour the alteration of government in the Church Antoninus in vita sua l. 410. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you were once freed from the perturbations of your own heads the terrible bug-beares in your way would disappear and vanish If this physick will not work I shall give you the Casuists conclusion as another pill to chew upon Caput Melancholicum est diaboli balneum Boldmin p. 577. Were there any obligation in the Covenant we who never bound our souls with it maugre all the anathema's and terors of those that impos'd it have more cause then your selves to complain of the severity of the Parliament in injoyning us to declare that not only there is no obligation on our selves but also making us your compurgatours we must declare That no other person is obliged by that oath call'd the Solemn League and Covenant But instead of complaining and murmuring we gratefully acknowledge the wisdom of our Governours and their tenderness towards you for fearing lest you should hinder our happy settlement upon the Kings return hanging off from a complyance with our peace upon pretence of the Covenant They call'd in those that were free to relieve those that thought themselves bound those that stood upon firm ground to lend an hand to those that floated upon the waters that so by the interposition of our judgment and charitable assistance your supposed Gives and Fetters might like untimely figs fall from you and you might look upon your selves as free from any tye arising from the Covenant that so we might all concenter upon a legally establish'd foundation of peace and tranquillity O when will it once be that we shall see the long expected fruit of this labour of love When will ye know the things that belong to your own ours the Churches and the Kingdoms happiness If the ship sink we shall lye together in the bottome of the Sea that could not agree upon the deck Le ts therefore commit our selves to our experienc'd Pilots so we may arrive to the Haven where we would be Secondly The Covenant is unlawful in respect of the matter As for those things in it which concern a personal reformation of life and manners in walking more closely with and religiously before God in avoiding profaneness and scandal that so we might walk worthy of Gods mercies and deeline his judgments I have
not to the voice of their Father Sam 2.25 because the Lord would stay them p. 12. Nor would I have you to be like that heretical Raven as Prosper calls it that went out of the Ark and was so immers'd with the carrion that floated upon the water ut ad Arc am Eeclesiae redire noluit Many of you have now ease and rest more than enough take heed that you do not say Deus nobis haec otia fecit Be not like Deere in purlew-Woods which endure not afterwards to be coop'd up and confind within their own pale Jeromod Demetriadem p. 7â— until some Nimrod or other make a prey of them Morbidae oves suum relinquunt gregem luporum faucibus devorantur When Sheep faint and lagg behind their fellows the next news is they are seiz'd on by the Wolf Be not like those Crows in Arabia which if they be empty and want what they would have to fill their Craws they make a stridulous raucous and horrid noise What though every pin in the Sanctuary doth not stand point-size as you would have it must all Europe eccho with your bellowings Or must the whole structure presently be demolished will you presently run out of the Garden inclos'd never to return though it be full of fragrant Flowers living Fountains and hath in it the tree of Life because perhaps some particular herb or other is wanting for which you have some special kindness or grows there with which your nostrils are not delighted Must an unwarrantable Covenant hinder our cementing and sodering together Will you stand so stiffly upon that rash word which is gone out of your lips that rather than you will reverse it we must all go down together into the Chambers of death Is ambition so immortal that as Jerome notes inter lacrymas luclusque non cessat rather than men will seem to be indeed what they are obnoxious to errour and a peccant fallibility they will go down into the lowest vault in the valley of Bochim and chaunt forth the highest note to the tune of Hadadrimon You are not such strangers in our Israel as to be ignorant how the waters swell the winds blow the waves beat against the Ark of the Church and the ship of the whole Kingdom so that we may say Master Master we perish nay to leave Allegories and to speak the naked truth you have heard the Alarum of War you well know what confederacies and combinations there are abroad against our tranquility Geball Ammon This was waitten the cunâ— of the Dâ—â—ch Wâ—r Amaleck are all bent upon our ruine I wish you would also take notice whence our foaming adversaries took the first rise of their incouragement and then tell me as Elishâ— said to Gehazi is this a time to receive Sheep and Oxâ—â— 2 Kings 5â— 20 Is this a time for us to cavil one with another when the flame is coming towards us all and climbing up into our windows or as Absolom to Hushai is this thy kindness to thy Friend Is this your love to your Native Country That you had rather Barbarus has segetes that the Satyrs should dance here and forraigners inhabit our dwellings than you will come short of your own wills unfold your stubborn arms to receive them that are ready to rush into them rather than you will pay that tribute which is due to God and the King What must we dispute of trifles when Hannibal is at the Gates Are we so besotted Non tam Accersere quam urgere not so much to hasten but Court our ruine And though I will not at this juncture of time turn upon you the mouth of your own text Curse ye Meroz Judges 〈◊〉 23 Curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty yet give me leave to expostulate with you in a portion of the same Scripture verse 17. Why did Gilead abide beyond Jordan Why did Dan remain in Ships Why did Asher continue on the Sea shore and abide in his breaches Plutarelf in Aristides you come far short of Aristides and Themistocles for though they had been enemies one to another ever since they went to school together yet against a common enemy they desired to be reconciled one to another Pilate and Herod as bad as they were were made friends when in danger of a third person the King of the Jews Do you think like the Sea Pye to rise by going against the Wind or which is worse to rise by the fall of your Brethren to sprout up out of the ashes of the Church and Nation must the publick suffer and do you think to flourish in your private capacities you know the apologue The members conspired against the belly and were starved themselves 'T is impossible but private interests must sink when the publik falls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diou Cossius p. 83. When the Common-wealth thrives this is the way to prevent consumptions in particular Members Have we not had experiences enough of the miseres of War and the cursed fruits of resisting our superiours to make one Church and Nation wise for at least one Century of years Who would judge by your proceedings but that the supreme Magistrate were a bound less Tyrant who yet rules his people according to law and is so merciful as to pardon all former failour though many and great Who would think but the Church were a severe stepmother which hath dandled you on her knees and feeds her children with the sincere milk of the word when they see how inveterate you are against them both I have read of one Azdashir who besieged Alsawade in the City Masce Eâ—tichius parte secundâ— p. 37â— The Kings own daughter beholding from the wall the Assailants Army and being much inamour'd with the beauty of Azdashir she writes in a paper fastens it to an Arrow and shootes it into the enemies Camp Wherein she signifies to Azdashir that she would betray the City to him if he would marry her He accepts the condition and when he was master of the City instead of marrying her Azdashir asked her with what meat her Father fed her She answered with the best of the Milk the Honey-comb and Marrow Azdashir replied since thou hast so requited him How shall I put any confidence in thee May not the like questions be put to you How have have you been dealt withal under the Government of Kings Like the Peasant in France or the spunges in Turky have you felt the shaving of Selymus his beard or been subject to Dioclesians nod Whose Oxe or whose Asse was taken from him And with what meat did your mother the Church feed you Was it not the very kidnies of Wheat Butter and Honey And will you so requite her As with Gallio to stand as if you were careless when the is labouring for life Is it nothing O all ye that pass by nay it were to