of expedition the Trumpets may need to be blown sometimes suddenly sooner then divers can well meet and agree upon it too Partly avoiding of distraction The two Trumpets may be blown two divers ways if they be in two hands and so shall the Trumpet give an uncertain sound 1 Cor. 14 8 and how shall the Congregation know whither to assemble Nay a worse matter yet then all that so may we have Assembly against Assembly and rather then so better no Assembly at all Therefore as God would have them both made of one piece so will be have them both made over to one person for Tibi implieth one Who is that one It is to Moses God speaketh to him is this Tibi directed Him doth God nominate and of his person make choice first to make these Trumpets no man to make no man to have the hammering of any Trumpet but he And there is no question but for Aaron and his sons the Priests they are to call the Levites to call the people together to their Assemblies How shall they warn them together unless they make a Trumpet too But if there be any question about this Gods proceeding here will put all out of question For to whom giveth he this charge Not to Aaron is this spoken but to Moses Aaron receiveth no charge to make any Trumpet never a fac tibi to him neither in this nor in any other place To Moses is this charge given And to Moses not Make thee one one for secular affairs that they would allow him but fac tibi duas Make thee two make both Well the makeing is not it One may make and another may have Sic vos non vobis You know the old Verse When they be made and done then who shall owe them It is expressed that too Et erâ—nt tibi They shall be for thee They shall be not one for thee and another for Aaron but Erunt tibi They shall be both for thee thâ—y shâ—ll be both thine A third if they can find they may claim to that But both these are for Moses We have then the delivery of them to Moses to make which is a kind of Seisin or a Ceremony investing him with the right of them We have beside plain words to lead their possession and those words operative Erunt tibi That as none to make them so none to own them being made but Moses And what would we have more to shew us Cujus sunt tubae whose the Trumpets be or whoâ—e is the right of calling Assemblies It is Moses certainly and he by vertue of these stands seised of it To go yet further But was not all this to Moses for his time only and as it begun in him so to take end with him Was it not one of the same privilegia personalia quae non trahuntur in exemplum A priviledg peculiar to him and so â—o precedent to be made of it No for if you look a little forward to the 8. verse following there you shall see that this power which God here conveyeth this Law of the Silver-trumpet is a Law to last for ever even throughout all their gene aâ—ions not that generation only And there is great reason it should be so that seeing the use should never cease the power likewise should never determine Being then not to determine but to continue it must descend to those that hold Moses place I demand then what place did Moses hold Sure it is that Aaron was now the High Priest anointed and fully invested in all the rights of it ever siâ—ce the eight Chapter of the last Book Moses had in him now no other right but that of the chie Magistrate Therefore as in that â—â—ght and no other he received and held them So he was made Custos utriusque Tabulae So he was made Custos utriusque Tubae But who can tell us better then he himself in what right he held them He doth it in the third verse of Deut. 33. read it which way you will Frat in Jeshâ—une Rex or in rectissimo Rex or in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis dum congregaret Principes populi Tribus Israel All come to this that though in strict propriety of speech Moses were no King yet in this he was in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis that is in this had as we say jus Regale that he might and did assemble the Tribes and chief men of the Tribes at his pleasure Herein he was Rex in certitudine for this was rectitudo Regis a power Regal And so it was held in Egypt before Moses even in the Law of Nature that without Pharaoh no man might lift up hand or foot in all the Land of Egypt suppose to no publique or principal motion And so hath it been holden in all Nations as a special power belonging to dominion Which maketh it seem strange that those men which in no cause are so fervent as when they plead that Church-men should not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is have dominion do yet hold this power which hath ever been reputed most proper to dominion should belong to none but to them only Our Saviour Christs Vos autem non sic may I am sure be said to them here in a truer sense then as they commonly use to apply â—â— To conclude then this point If Moses as in the right â—f chief Magistrate held this power it was from him to deâ—â—end â—â— the chief Magistrates after him over the people of God and they to succeed him as in his place so in this right it being by God himself setled in Moses and annexed to his place lege perpetuâ by an Estate indefeisible by a perpetual Law throughout all their generations Therefore ever after by Gods express order from year to year every year on the first day of the seventh moneth were they blown by Moses first and after by them that held his place and the â—east of the Trumpets solemnly holden as to put them in mind of the benefit thereby coming to them so withall to keep alive and fresh still in the knowledg of all that this power belonged to their place that so none might ever be ignorant to whom it did of right appertain to call Assemblies And how then shall Aarons Assemblies be called with what Trumpet they God himself hath provided for that in the tenth verse following that with no other then these There is in all the Law no order for calling an Assembly to what end or for what cause soever but this and only this no order for making any third Trumpet under these two therefore all are comprised This order there God taketh that Moses shall permit Aarons sons to have the use of these Trumpets but the use not the property They must take them from Moses as in the 31. Chapter of this Book Phineas doth But Erunt tibi Gods own words Erunt tibi must still be remembred His they be for all that
Moses the owner still the right remains in him their sounding of them deprives not him of his interest alters not the property Erunt tibi must still be true that right must still be preserved It may be if we communicate with flesh and blood we may think it more convenient as some do that God had delivered Moses and Aaron either of them one But when we see Gods will by Gods word what it is that Moses is to have them both we will let that pass as a revelation of flesh and blood and think that which God thinketh to be most convenient Now then if the Trumpets belong to Moses and that to this end that with them he may call the Congregation these two things do follow First that if he call the Congregation must not refuse to come Secondly that unless he call they must not assemble of their own heads but keep their places Briefly thus The Congregation must come when it is called and it must be called ere it come These are the two duties we owe to the two Trumpets and both these have Gods people ever performed And yet not so but that this right hath been called in question yea even in Moses own time that we marvel not if it be so now and both these duties denied him even by those who were alive and present then when God gave him the Trumpets But mark by whom and what became of them The first duty is to come when they be called and this was denied in the 16 Chapter following ver 12. by Core Dathan and their Crew Moses sounded his Trumpet sent to call them they answer flatly and that not once but once and again Non veniemus they would not come not once stir for him or his Trumpet they A plain contradiction indeed neither is there in all that Chapter any contradiction veri nominis truly and properly so to be called but only that You know what became of them they went quick to hell for it And wo be to them even under the Gospel saith Saint Jude that perish in the same contradiction the contradiction of Core The second duty is To be called ere they come This likewise denied even Moses himself that they in his place might not think strange of it in the 20 Chapter of this very Book Water waxing scant a company of them grew mutinous and in â—umultuous manner without any sound of the Trumpet assembled of themselves But these are branded too the water they got is called the water of Meriba And what followed you know none of them that drunk of it came into the Land of Promise God swore they should not enter into his rest Now as both these are bad so of the twain this latter is the worse The former that came not being called do but sit still as if they were somewhat thick of hearing But these latter that come being not called either they make themselves a Trumpet without ever a fac tibi or else they offer to wring Moses's Trumpet out of his hands and take it into their own Take heed of this latter It is said there to be adversus Mosen even against Moses himself It is the very next forerunner to it it pricks fast upon it For they that meet against Moses's will when they have once throughly learned that lesson will quickly perhaps grow capable of another even to meet against Moses himself as these did Periclitamur arguiseditioâ—is saith the Town-Clark we have done more then we can well answer We may be indicted of Treason for this days work for coming together without a Trumpet And yet it was for Diana that is for a matter of Religion You see then whose the Right is and what the duties be to it and in whose steps they tread that deny them Sure they have been baptized or made to drink of the same water the water of Meriba that ever shall offer to do the like to draw together without Moses's call And now to our Saviour Christs Question In the Law how is it written How read you Our Answer is There it is thus written and thus we read That Moses hath the right of the Trumpets that they to go ever with him and his Successors and that to them belongs the power of calling the Publick Assemblies This is the Law of God and that no Judicial Law peculiar to that people alone but agreable to the Law of Nature and Nations two Laws of force through the whole world For even in the little Empire of the Body natural principium motus the beginning of all motion is in and from the Head There all the knots or as they call them all the conjugations of sinews have their head by which all the Body is moved And as the Law of Nature by secret instinct by the light of the Creation annexeth the Organ of the chiefest part even so doth the Law of Nations by the light of Reason to the chiefest person and both fall just with the Law here written where by erunt tibi the same Organ and Power is committed to Moses the principal person in that Commonwealth The Law of Nations in this point both before the Law written and since where the Law written was not known might easily appear if time would suffer both in their general order for conventions so to be called and in their general opposing to all Conventicles called otherwise 49. Afterwards he shews how practise ran in this point and shews that Joshua the next to Moses in chief Magistracy succeeding in execution of this power When he not Eliazar assemble all the Tribes Levi and all to Sichem Josh 24 called them together at the first verse dissolved it at the 28. Which being in a matter Ecclesiastical he doth as he says particularly note because it is by some objected concerning Moses that for a time he dealt in matters of the Priests Office Then he doth descend to the state of their Kings and shews particularly how they used this power till the Captivity In which he shews how it was used by Mordecai when he came in place of authority appointing the days of Purim and calling all the Jews in the Province together to the celebrating of them After the Captivity he instanceth in Nehemiah his using of it and so falls to the Maccabees and proves it used by those that were then chief Governours Afterwards he tells how this power was exercised by Christian Emperors and Kings upon their first receipt of Christianity and instanceth in general and National Councils and Assemblies Amongst whom we may not onely say that not onely Constantine Jovianus and others the prime Founders and Restorers of Christianity dâ—d not come in by the election of the Senate the way which was then held lawful but that they and most others were brought in by the force of a prevailing party nay commonly at first set up by one part of the Army only and yet the Christians in those times gave them always the
they have also condemned whatsoever is by me done in conformity to any present Establishment in the outward profession of Religion as not deeming what was before setled in that kind by the former Higher Power can be legally abrogated by this In answer to all which I shall desire it may be considered that I undertake not to write as a Servant but as a Subject and of the duty of subjection and obedience as indefinitely put and abstracted from all personal regard It was not the scope of my intention to compare person with person or to shew which of them I was most obliged unto or would for my own part have chosen either for my Prince or Master but to set forth that duty which became me and all men else as considered in the common relation of Subjects which being impartially done I doubt not but it will to others as it hath done to my self appear that in order to the manifestation of Gods glory all the means for mans preservation ought to be endeavoured that mans preservation peace and charity having a necessary dependance on submission to the authority of some one that shall be in all causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil next under Christ supreme Head and Governor it could not but follow that he only was to be obeyed in things of this nature And that the means to Peace Vnity and Charity may at no time be wanting I have determined obedience to be given to him that shall be from time to time possessed of this high place of Supremacie and power And these things I have made the Arguments of the three Chapters of this Treatise The first to shew the true rise and scope of Religion the next to shew what the nâ—tion of Church doth import and of the power of him that shall be Head thereof and lastly to shew that no imputation of defect of Title can take off our duty of subjection All which being cleered I presume that those censures which passed on me and others for hearing or receiving where Common-Prâ—yer or other Ceremonies were not used or for hearing of such as I might suspect at least were not ordained as heretofore and the like would be found to be grounded more on prejudice then reason In the first larger Book of Government and Obedience having as I said an especial aim to the satisfaction of such as were neither convinced in the right of Kingly government nor of that fulness of power that belonged thereunto I made use of no authority in proof of what I said save that of Scripture and Reason both because these were not only the best and true authorities as also for that generally with them all humane authority was not regarded But now being put to question what are the true Principles of the Cavalier or Royalist to the end it may be known whether I in my conformity or others in their recusancie have best followed them it must be expected I should quote some of the most Reverenced and Orthodox Authorities in our Church that have treated of things of this nature And if in any thing in this Treatise I shall be conceived short of the proof intended recourse may be had to the former Volume where most of the same questions are more largely handled unto which this was intended as a supplement in some part only And for fear any should mistake or conclude me disrespectful to the Service-book or former Ceremonies because I am now perswading to conformity in alteration I shall in this case also desire them to consider that I am not now taking upon me the part of a Judg or Law-maker and comparing those Forms and Rights with any other of like kind so as to estimate which were best and most convenient to be received as to separate worth in themselves but writing now as a Son or Member of a Church in things determined by her authority already the case will be found much different As I am not so partial to my self as not to conceive my own insufficiencie may be a cause why in many particulars my Proofs and Reasons are no more satisfactory and convincing So on the other side again being to write in defence of Authority and to perswade to Obedience I must expect that both my self and work shall be vulgarly entertained with a Censure suitable to what Mr Hooke armed himself against when he wrote against the Nonconformists of his time viz. He that goeth about to perswade a multitude that they are not so well governed as they ought to be shall never want attentive and favorable hearers because they know the manifold defects whereunto every kind of Regiment is subject but the secret lets and difficulties which in publâ—que proceedings are innumerable and inevitable they have not ordinarily the judgment to consider And because such as openly reprove supposed disorders of State are taken for principal friends to the common benefit of all and for men that carry singular freedom of mind under this fair and plausible colour whatsoever they utter passeth for good and current That which wanteth in the weight of their speech is supplied by the aptness of mens minds to accept and believe it Whereas on the other side if we maintain things that are established we have not only to strive with a number of heavy prejudices deeply rooted in the hearts of men who think that herein we serve the time and speak in favor of the present State because thereby we either hold or seek preferment but also to bear with such exceptâ—ons as minds so averted beforehand usually take against that which they are loth should be poured into them The grounds of prejudice and aversion are I must confess naturally strong and pressing especially when they come to that height as mine did to be thereby deprived of all But when we shall have laid that passion aside which might arise from the thoughts of our former condition and consulted with Reason of what in conscience and prudence is fittest to be resolved on in the condition we now stand I doubt not but those Motives that have prevailed with me will prevail with others also that the remainder of our life may be led with more comfort Vpon which hope I have thus exposed my self to publick view as mindful of that admonition of our Saviour to S. Peter And thou being converted strengthen thy brethren Which God Almighty grant CHAP. I. Of Religion in its true ground and foundation THings that have life are essentially distinguished from those that want by particular sensation of their own perfections and enjoyments And as they are again specifically distinguished and differenced from one another by degree of perfection and beatitude so also by degree of vigor and relish in fruition For as it is an abatement to happiness to have sense of loss or pain intermixed so is it also an increase thereunto to be perceptible thereof in the highest degree of satisfaction and assurance In which regard
marks And so the Act goes on prescribing still greater punishments for the second and third offences by way of mulct to the Queen and her Successors 34. But now what if her Successors come to enact against the use of it and be themselves Compellers and Threateners may we not then conclude that they may lawfully interrupt or at least the other be excused for being interrupted where before in a Subject it was unlawful to interrupt or let any Parson in the doing what was by the then Law established So that by this very Act as I conceive such as have a reverend esteem and willingness to use it are not only freed foro interno but by the Clause following enacting That no person shall be at any time hereafter impeached or molested of or for any of the offences above-mentioned hereafter to be committed or done contrary to this Act unless he or they so offending be thereof indicted at the next General Sessions to be holden before any such Justices of Oyer and Determiner or Justices of Assise next after any offence committed or done contrary to the tenor of this Act we may conlude he is freed foro externo also and may for ought I can find rest free from all danger while obedient to the Queens Successory she dying without an Heir 35. And if by reason of any Oath or Obligation received at Ordination or taking degrees some should think themselves farther bound They are also to consider that as neither any derived power can go beyond that which impowers it so are they also to presume that their intentions are alike even to maintain Peace and Order by Uniformity to what is enjoyned and not to raise disturbance by opposition And surely if Oaths Vows or the like were to be held of force in such a case I see not how any Jesuite or Priest could in reason no nor in Conscience be perswaded to recede in any thing from their obedience and conformity to the Papall Sea and Ceremony when as their Promises are not only more strict but confirmed by Laws more ancient and general and which are still in the same force 36. It is also farther to be considered that when after in the Preface to our Bibles it is set down That where heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in Churches within this Realm some following Salisbury use some Hereford use some the use of Bangor some of York and some of Lincoln now from henceforth all the whole Realm shall have but one use And when in the directions following that Preface it is set down That all Priests and Deacons should be bound daily to say the Morning and Evening Prayer either privately or openly except they be let by preaching studying of Divinity or some other urgent cause We are still to conceive that both Uniformity was aimed at and that the duty of Preaching was in the first place held necessary 37. And if we go to experience in their practise of this precept of reading of the Service Book then we shall find it apprehended as an injunction that did onely bind them ad semper velle but not ad semper agere as Mr. Hooker elsewhere speaks of Gods affirmative Precepts as Pray continually and the like and that thereupon few could give account of their daily use of it even when the hindrance of preaching studying or the like could not well be alledged as before noted And therefore if in a time when it was commanded the use of it might be forborn rather then preaching be omitted what may we think of them that in a time it is taken away will yet rather omit preaching then it to the great discouragement and scandall of many a man in his Christian obedience and Communion and to the great detriment of the nation in generall who in a time of scarcity are much wanting of that instruction which might be had from men of their abilities In which respect as I am my self a true lover of many of them for their learning and gifts in that kinde so hath the sence of mine own losse as well as that of others now made me thus large in this particular 38. But besides this and the want of satisfaction how they can in this condition uphold the Church of England in her former sentence against non conformity if upon the same score they shall slight her authority themselves They are next to consider what answer for their present Recusancy they can bring which on the other side shall not withall justifie the Recusants themselves in their separation from our Communion also For plain it is as I said before that as the drift of all the arguments brought formerly by the Papists against our Churches authority was in respect of usurpation in our Princes and want of succession lawfull ordination and the like in our Priests so was the sum of all their Doctrine that wrote in defence of what was done by us brought to this issue That these things were not essentiall to Salvation or to the being of a Church That each Christian Church having as heretofore set down a power within it self for ordering its own affairs had as well power to abbreviate or abrogate what was in former times or by other Churches instituted before as to institute that which was new so that the casting out from our Service Book and leaving out of our publike Forms of Worship all such Prayers Ceremonies and Observations as in the opinion of those that then had power in the Church had on the one side little or no footing in Scripture and which had on the other side greatest Superstition cast towards them was then held lawfull as by that Declaration annexed to our Bibles concerning Ceremonies why some be abolished and some retained may appear And if it was then held agreeable and the Church thought a fit Judge wherein Superstition was most to be feared and what was the best way of Reformation how can we now change our Principle unlesse we joyn with the adversary to dâ—â—â—de the fact as done by the Civil power and Magistrate and with them neither own England for a Church nor him for head thereof Let us hear a little what Father Not the Jesuite in his Book called Charity maintained doth to this purpose alledge in his answer to Doctor Potter after some dispute Chap. 6. about the truth of our Ministery for want of Succession visibly derived from the Pope and Church of Rome he saith at last Sect. 20. But grant their first Bishops had such Authority from the Church of Rome after the decease of those men who gave authority to their pretended Successors The Primate of England but from whom had he such authority And after his decease who shall confer authority upon his Successors The temporall Magistrate King Henry neither a Catholique nor a Protestant King Edward a child Queen Elizabeth a woman an Infant of one houres age is true King in case of his Predecessors decease
and thereupon render the abolition of it both just and reasonable Now as the abolition of the Masse Book was formerly in respect of like superstition cast towards it For the late Archbishop sect 35. num 7. punct 5. affirmeth that himself had heard some Jesuites confess that in the Lyturgie of the Church of England there is no positive Error And being pressed why then they refused to come to our Churches and serve God with us In like manner as now Conformists may be asked now when no positive error can be objected neither They answered saith he they could not do it because though our Liturgy had nothing ill yet it wanted a great deal of that which was good and was in their Service So that if this answer were not valuable to excuse Refusants then I see not how the like can excuse any now 41. All which well weighed I know no effectuall answer to be made to such as have been Recusants or Non-conformists if we fall from that principle of acknowledgement of that Supremacy which the Church then gave the chief Magistrate amongst us accounting him in all causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil supream Head and Governour If upon any pretence we forsake this hold we not only lose the direct way to unity and peace but do let in error on every side to over master and confound us And although this power were formerly given to the chief Magistrate while they had the stile of King or Queen yet if we shall impartially consider the intention of that Act whereby this power was exercised by the King we shall finde that it like all Laws having a regard to the perpetuall conservation of Peace Order and Unity did not limit it to persons so stiled onely but that it might be kept for ever did for ever unite it to the Imperial Crown of this Realm that is to the Monarch thereof although no King nor more crowned nor anointed then some of the Roman Emperors were and accordingly we shall find Mr. Hooker to understand and apply it for reckoning up the Subject whereof his eight Books are to treat He saith The eight is of the power of Ecclesiastical dominion or Supream Authority which with us the highest Governour or Prince hath as well in respect of domestical jurisdictions as of that other forrainly claimed by the Bishop of Rome In which expressions of Highest Governour or Prince Prince signifying the same with Highest Governour or Governour in chief we may presume he meant it due to the King as Monarch and not to the Monarch as King And a great pitty it is that we had not the Book it self to have been further satisfied herein and in the power belonging to him But for want thereof we will adde the judgement of such others as have been generally held most famous in their generations 42. Bishop Andrews in his Sermon upon that Text of Touch not mine annointed proves at large that all persons in Supream Power are to be esteemed Gods annointed although material Unction and other Ceremonies be wanting as primarily he saith It was meant of such as were Patriarchs For saith he fol 798. in the first World the Patriarchs were principal persons and as I may safely say Princes in their generations and for such holden and reputed by those with whom they lived I may safely say it for of Abraham it is in expresse terms said by the Hethites Audi Domine Princeps Dei es inter nos Thou art a Prince of God that is a mighty Prince here among us As indeed a Prince he shewed himself when he gave battel and overthrow to four Kings at once Of Isaac no less may be said who grew so mighty as the King of Palestine was glad to intreat him to remove further off and not dwell so neer him and then to go after him in person and sue to him there might be a league of amity between them And the like of Jacob who by his sword and bow conquered from the Amorite the mightiest of all the Nations in Canaan that Country which by will he gave to Joseph for possession It was neer to Sichar well known you have mention of it Joh. 4. 5 Great men they were certainly greater then most conceive But be their greatness what it will this is sure they were all the Rulers the people of God then had and besides them Rulers had they none And that is it we seek Pater was in them and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too Fatherhood and Government And these two made them Patriarchs unctos ante unctionem saith S. Augustine anointed before there was any material anointing at all And as he said it to be properly due to such and none but such as were Rulers of the people of God so because Christian Magistracie in the latter ages was mostly executed by and under the notion of Kings so doth he afterwards prove how they were to succeed in this right Which done he proceeds to censure that usurpation of power foreignly claimed by Pope and Cardinals who under pretence of this title would enter common with Christian Kings proving that thirty three times in Scripture the terms of Gods anointed are used and no where to be applied to any but Patriarchs Christ himself or of Kings all shewing farther that others Priests Prophets or the like although they were anointed and might be so called yet were never stiled the Lords aâ—ointed it may be uncti but not Christi And then setting forth the Kings more proper claim to this title as being chief Christian head he after asks Who be they If we go by the book Princes why then touch not Princes that is such as are in principal power or Rulers in chief And thereupon he after adds to take their supposition off that thought this Authority depended on the Ceremony of Unction or the like fol. 800. This claim by the Ceremony is clean marred by this Text For when these words here were spoken there was no such Ceremony instituted it was non ens no such thing in rerum natura that name not up til Moses Now these here in the Text were in their graves long before Moses was born no meos then no claim by the Ceremony And after it came up no Priest went out of Juâ—â— to Persia to carry the Ceremony to Cyrus yet of him saith Isaiah Haec dicit Dominus Cyro Christo meo Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus mine anointed And yet never came there any oil upon his head So that even after it was taken up yet the Ceremony and the claim by it would not hold The truth is the Ceremony doth not any thing onely declareth what is done The party was before as much as he is after it Onely by it is declared to be that he was before and the which he should have been still though he had never so been declared The truth may and doth subsist as with the Ceremony so without it It
the State in quiet also and prevent all those mischiefs we now so much complain of through changes therein The which of latter times have from hence chiefly taken their rise when such as are seeking to make themselves more glorious or powerful do daily make use of mens too great zeal and credulity in this kind as the ordinary Stalking-horse hereunto The instances whereof are plain enough in Christendom especially since it became so divided into Sectâ— for the advance of any of which as Gods Truth we shall ever find the notion of Reformation cried up and alledged but alteration in the State and those that are in rule therein is really brought in If we do but reflect on some more remarkable passages among our selves we may from that smal difference which was in the six Articles themselves from the Roman Doctrine well conclude that the preservation of the Popes power as Head of the Church here was more aimed at then truth of Religion insomuch as a dispensation was ready to be granted for every thing save for taking the Oath of Supremacy When on the other side again both Henry the Eighth and his Successors looked upon this foreign acknowledgement as a sure testimony of ill affection to them and their Government Nay the Law it self came to be resolute in that point â—oo accounting Popery to consist in the alienating and withdrawing of Subjects from their obedience to their Prince to raise sedition and rebellion c. 58. And so now also we find that presumption of malignancy and disaffection to the present Government and Governor is most taken from that great affection which is cast to the use of this book because in so doing they manifestly decline those acts and alterations which are made by him and do submit to what was done by another I have not heard that any man hath been particularly forbidden to read this Book that did in the use of it pray for the present Sovereign power according to the foâ—m therein set down and as always hath been used to be done towards them onely that were in present Authority If that be not done doth it not too plainly argue that some affection and zeal beside that of the Book it self doth guide them in this choyce Doth not the Scripture look to the present when it enjoyn obedience to the Powers that are and commands to pray for Kings and all that are in authority Doth it any where in this case leave us to a choice by distinction saying such as should be in authority or the like And is it not a general rule that where the Scripture makes no distinction neither should we No in this case we may presume that the present higher Power and Kings were meant without such distinction both for that they were aâ— that time such as might that way have been excepted against and also for that the words following that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable lives c. must determine the prayer to be made for that present Auâ—hority which we do live under and are subject unto Nor do I find that ever any Orthodox pen but did confess prayer for that person under whose protection they lived to be a duty incumbent upon all Christians without referment of them to distinctions and qualifications Nay doth not the Book it self in that prayer for the whole state of Christs Church militant here on earth interpret this Doctrine of the holy Apostle to include all and accordingly appointed us to pray for all Christian Kings Princes and Governors and when it comes with an especially for that person who shall be at present our Governour â—â— iâ— said because he is the right Heir or hath best Title or the like no it hath still respect to the divine authority of the Apostles precept and therefore presently gives the same reason that under him we may be godlily and quietly governed In which respect I cannot by the way but highly commend that those frequent and full expressions which were made for those persons that were still in chief power amongst us as proceeding from good principles even the sence of honor and esteem which was owing to that God whose Authority he did represent amongst us when as now we may observe that those that have been possessed of the same party with the Protector do yet either wholly neglect to pray for him at all at least to mention him therein and then do it so coldly and fumblingly that partly by the falling of their voyce partly by the conditional qualifications they mention in their prayer for him they give but too just cause to suspect they are not so rightly principled and perswaded concerning that high duty and respect which is â—â—e to him in this his relation for as it becomes not them in publick especially to censure him so also not to insinuate any thing that might give occasion for others to do â—o for this will be â—o pray rather against then for him But to return to the consideration of the Service Book I say that to prevent those jealousies and dâ—ngers which might happen to some amongst us through too much forwardness to read or abuse and partialy in reading it the said Book I have made all the foregoing Discourse both â—o shew what is truly fundamental and necessary in our Christian Faith and what rule to follow in our Christian Obedience and to give satisfaction in that particular of taking away the Service Book the thing for ought I see now most insisted upon I have to that end striven to evince that continual power which is continually residing in the Head of this and each other Church to abrogate as well as impose in things of that natuâ—e Unto the confirmation whereof I shall now onely by way of conclusion add that Testimony of the Universiâ—y of Oxford printed in the year 164â— who in their reasons against the Discipline and Directory in place of the Service Book fol. 32. say We are not satisfied how we can submit to such Ordinances of the two Houses of Parliament not haveing the Royal assent as are contrary to the established Laws of this Realm contained in such Acts of Parliament as were made by the joynt consent of King Lords and Commons Nor so onely but also pretend by repeal to abrogate such Act or Acts for since ejusdem est potestatis destruere cujus est constituere it will not sink with us that a lessor Power can have a just right to cancel and annul the Act of a greaâ—er Especially the whole power of ordering all matters Ecclesiastical being by the Laws in express words for ever annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm And upon what head that Crown ought to stand none can be ignorant In this we see their plain concurrence in yeelding the power of abrogation of this Book to such as instituted iâ— even to him that should hold the Imperial Crown of this Realm And as for the words following which by