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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A16247 Boanerges. Or the humble supplication of the ministers of Scotland, to the High Court of Pariament [sic] in England Scott, Thomas, 1580?-1626. 1624 (1624) STC 3171; ESTC S102729 18,586 38

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Boanerges OR THE HVMBLE SVPPLICATION OF THE MINISTERS OF SCOTLAND TO THE HIGH COVRT OF PARIAMENT IN ENGLAND 2. COR. 4. 13. We beleeue and therefore haue we spoken Printed in Edenburgh 1624. 2. CHRON. 19. 6. Take heed what you doe for you execute not the iudgement of man but of the Lord and he shall be with you in the cause and iudgement A Preface or Introduction to the Supplication THere is a common saying among ours and Gods enemies the Papists that the Christian Church must be knowne by these Characters Visibility Antiquity Vniuersality and Consent but the Spirit of God sayes that all these are the marks of the Beast and persecution and paucitie the infallible signes of the true Church thus began the first prophesie I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed thus it continued in Iohns Reuelation Then the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandements of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ And thus could we spread the testimonies of Scripture like a mantle exposed to your view full of delicate resemblances wherein you might behold how the true Church of God hath been euer without any cessation subiect to scornes opprobry the malignant circumstances of time or fearfull persecution But withall we pray you remember that we make not our approches from Nebuchadnezars heating the oven seuen times hotter but the Dragons watching the Woman the Man that sitteth in the Temple of God as God those that be in Moses chaire such as were invested with Aarons ornaments and in plaine termes the continued persecution which we meane must arise out of the hate and malice of Christians yea Preachers themselues that are opposites to zealous professors and this we complaine of Oh reade reade for Gods sake the story of Ieremie and marke his persecutions and who were his greatest enemies Shemaiah a false Prophet and Zephaniah the chiefe Priest in stead of Iehoiada yea if you step a litle further you shal find that the king Zedekiah durst not iustifie his conference with Ieremie as being afraid of the Princes and Priests so that in truth he had no friends but Baruch the Prophet and Ebedmelech the Moore And as it was with him so it continued with all the rest vntill the comming of Christ and then wherfore did he call them generation of Vipers or who were those hypocrites that Christ exprobrated but the Scribes and Pharises who sat in Moses chaire and at last condemned the Sauiour of the world to an ignominious death so that it is apparant here was nothing but persecution And for visibility did not Eliah crie out he was alone and those that were the true seruants of God durst not iustifie their profession And after-terward he that was the Author of all truth was reputed an impostor and deceiuer of the world Oh marke what the Apostle saith For I thinke that God hath set forth vs the last Apostles as men appointed to death for we are made a gazing-stocke vnto the world vnto the Angels and to men Which place of Scripture driues vs to amaze when we consider the disparitie betweene the flourishing Churches ambitious Prelacie exalted Bishops and maiesticke glory of Clergie men in Europe and the pouerty persecution and disreputation of the true Church of God indeed as either it was in the time of the Apostles or must be according to this prophesie to the worlds end Reconcile vs then we pray you whether the Apostle onely meant the present time or from the Spirit of God by way of prediction had reference to after ages yea the end of the world but doe not come too neare our eyes to dim our sight or deafe our eares with the fearfull sound of the prerogatiue of Princes the high commanding voices of authoritie or the seeming flourishes of the orders of a Church but plainly out of coherence of Scripture rectifie our vnderstanding in this point For if the Apostles haue prophetically set downe and indefinitely concluded that this must be the estate of the true Church of God we shall neuer beleeue but that outward pomp pride wealth eminencie and the ill sounding accent of supereoritie ouer their brethren can decipher any other thing then Antichrist and so must loue such in our soules as either out of Pauls humilitie content themselues with that portion which God hath allotted or Dauids patience endure the Micols of the world to call them fooles THE SVPPLICATION OR PETITION IT SELFE Most gracious Lords WHen Paul came to preach at Ephesus and bring as it were the Arke of God into the Temple of Dagon that hee might breake his necke it is said the whole Citie was moued and Demetrius a siluer-smith who got his liuing by making of Images raised such a hurliburly amongst the people that they would not endure any motiue for their conuersion to Christianitie but cried out Great is Diana of the Ephesians Whereupon the Apostle afterward exclaimed vpon them that he had fought with beasts at Ephesus Thus is it with all kingdomes and setled gouernments though neuer so many thornes and thistles grow vp to choke the good seed yet if there be a desire to set a crowne of gold on the Priests head and take away his rags and deformed garments to bring some leprous offender to publicke view that it may be discerned whether he be vnclean or no to make the Priests to cleanse the Temple of filth and pigeons dung as you reade of Hercules who let in the riuer to cary away the ordure of Angens stable to search the vnswept corners of vicious mens soules and in a word to reforme the abuses of a Cōmon-wealth then shall some Amasiah tell Amos Bethel is the Kings Court and the Kings Chappell there is no preaching there then shall some Prince or Lord tell Zedechiah that Ieremy weakens the kingdome and disheartens the souldiers then shall Sandolet and the rest affright Nehemiah when hee attempts the discouery of foule enormities in a word then shall your great men and officers for feare some charming arme of Hecate turne their inside outward crie out of innouation sedition turbulencie or some hare-braind spirit But most gracious Lords we beseech you remember how worthily King Philip of Macedon entertained a petitioners presumption when a certaine woman kneeled before him to deliuer a supplication he reiected her suite and turned away in scorne from her the woman amazed yet boldly answered Then cease to be a King if thou deniest to heare thy subiects petitions The King hearing her voice but not vnderstanding what she said returned againe and askt her what she meant The vndaunted woman repeated the words againe and the magnanimous Prince not onely pardoned her but tooke her vp in his armes and as you shall reade that Dauid blessed Abigail for keeping him from shedding of blood so did King Philip blesse the woman