appear they were more than bare Bug-bear-words even Fatal Predictions of God's real and visible Judgments which without Repentance and Restitution the Offenders could never claw off for indeed the more immediate the offence is against God himself the sorer and the closer the Curse sticks to the Offender (g) 1 Sam. 2.25 if one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him for finiti ad infinitum nulla proportio 8. Enough to make it appear that the Curse rightly applied is more than a meer humane Curse that it is for Authority Divine and therefore indeed rather an Approbation or but applicative Declaration in particular of God's own Curse already denounced in the general against all sacrilegious Offenders than a new Curse of their own being Copied as I may say into their several Books of particular Donations out of the Original in God's own Book wherein you may read those Curses written on both sides I mean in the New as well as in the Old Testament 9. Take one or two proofs of each The first Curse we read of in this kind is as old as Moses (h) Deut. 33.11 whom we may observe in the very Act of blessing the Tribe of Levy suddenly to shift his foot from Mount Gerizzim to Mount Ebal where he fals a cursing all those that shall attempt to hinder Levi in his substance or to impeach him in the Work of his hands saying Bless O Lord the Substance of Levi and accept the Work of his hands but smite through the LOYNES of them that rise against Levi and of them that hate him that they rise not again A full and fatal Curse this wherein you may clearly observe 10. First of all that in the Enumeration of all the other Tribes there is no mention of Enemies to any but to these two (i) Verse 7. Be thou an help to Judah from his Enemies to the Royal Tribe of Judah and to the sacred Tribe of Levi It seems Moses and Aaron the King and the Priest must still be (k) Lam. 3.6 Fellow Patients pardon the word for so God himself joyns them in the Lamentation and so the Devil and his Agents too match them in the Persecution also It was against Moses and against Aaron that seditious * Num. 16.3 Corah and his Company gathered themselves together not against Moses alone nor against Aaron alone but against both at once He very well knew what belonged to his King-craft that said it (l) King James in the Confer at H. C. NO BISHOP NO KING for the self same in effect was the Oracle of another wise Emperour above a thousand years afore King James spake it (m) Maxima quidem in omnibus sunt Dona Dei superna collata Clementia SACERDOTIUM ET IMPERIUM illud quidem Divinis Ministrans hoc autem humanis praesidens Inter haec duo Consonantia omne quicquid est utile humano confert generi c. Authent Coll. 1. Tit. 6. Novel 6. in praef ad Epiphan Archiep. Patriarch Constantinop It seems those ancient Sages did conceive That the Influence of good Success upon a Nation Prince and People mainly depends upon the good Correspondence and bappy conjunction of all the Estates with the Priesthood A Maxime very memorable as full of Policy as of Religion and in experience as full of Truth as of both those That Harmony being indeed the onely ordinary way to maintain Correspondence with God himself namely to correspond with God's Priest because God's immediate Agent in spiritualibus in all matters 'twixt God and man Did this Nation ever thrive since it began to strive with the Priest Hosee iv 4. Justinian I mean These two the King and the Priest as they were of old Twins of Oyl as the Rabbins style them so are they still Twins of Destiny too they stand or fall together Therefore and it were but in Policy in point of Mutual Interest they had need support and assist each other against the common Enemy 11. But although Judah and Levi the King and the Priest have both their Enemies yet doth not Moses curse the Enemies of Judah neither so directly nor so vehemently as he doth the Enemies of Levi as if they were more or more full of Animosity against the Tribe of Levi than against any other Tribe whatsoever That we may all prepare my Brethren for Nil novum sub sole whether it be for Aaron's Rod the Priest's Power or for the flourishing of that Rod the Priest's Portion it seems 't is an old Grudge the mad World hath still to the (n) Laici semper sunt Infesti Clericis Covarruvias Clergy 'T is strange that of (o) 1. Thrice for water Exod. 15.24 and 17.2 Num. 20.2 2. Twice for the way Num. 11.1 Sol Jarchi and 21.4 3. Once for bread Exod. 16.2 4. Once for flesh Num. 11.4 5. Once at the News Num. 14.2 6. Twice at the Priest especially Num. 16.11.41 ten several popular Mutinies in that stiff-necked Jewish Nation upon six several occasions of the Persecution the Priest had more than his share twice over far above his Tenth of that to be sure that none will grudge him 12. Secondly Sacriledge whether personal or real 't is no matter either way 't is the sin cursed here must needs be an hainous Offence that moves meek (p) Num. 12.3 The man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth Moses that Mirrour of Lenity upon God's own Record 1. To fall a Cursing 2ly To extend his Curse through the very Loyns of the Enemies of Levi that is as it were to Intail the Curse upon their Posterity 3ly To aggravate this Curse with the Doom of a final Destruction praying unto God that such of all others may never rise again 13. And as if the Curse upon Sacriledge were always so fatal and final so runs King Darius his Curse also annexed to his Charter of Donation to the Temple (q) Esdr 6.12 1 Esdr 6.33 The God that hath caused his Name to dwell there destroy utterly destroy all Kings and People that shall put to their hands to alter and to destroy the house of God Here is utter destruction again and that to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To all Kings saith our Translation To all Kingdoms saith the Vulgar No respect of persons for Magnitude or Multitude all is one with God To whom in point of Revenge The Nations are but as a drop of a Bucket Isa 40.15.17 and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing Hear this Isle of Great Britain All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity 14. Goe to prophane World and mock on think as slightly of the Priest's Curse as you usually do of his Blessing To
to us in flaming Fire both by Sea and Land devouring us both by Plagues without example for their Rage and Ruine and also by the bloody Sword both at home and abroad Hath not God almost spent all his Arrows to warn and to reclaim us from our wickednesses when his Vocal word did not prevail because we still neglecting or abusing it Hath not God added his Real Word for God's Judgments have a Voice If we had the grace to hear it Hear ye the Rod saith the Prophet Micha vi 9. and who hath appointed it And are we grown better for all God's Mercies and Judgments What remains then but a fearful expectation of the final Judgment of God to utter destruction of which sad Catastrophe by very wise men's more than bare Conjecture Sacriledge may be thought though not the onely Sin yet the most demeriting sin if not also the efficient sin of most of our other sins and sorrows of our National Miseries So that when ever that terrible Destiny comes upon us which God in mercy prevent still mark it who will Sacriledge will prove the Leader which therefore to stop in its furious March and to incounter valiantly we have now again mustered up our Forces but with a considerable Recruit in this our New Muster-Roll 7. For though we purposely have retained much of the old Levy which may therefore represent here some passages as unseasonable albeit not at all impertinent and which we could not well leave out without some Sacriledge against the Truth it self yet we have done so partly to shew to the World we were then the same men we are now both for Judgment and also Resolution so that though Tempora mutantur nos non mutamur in illis Partly that by a wise comparison of the times past and present if they prove better now or hereafter then heretofore we may entertain them with all thankfulness to God and the King But if they should prove as bad or worse if worse may be as our Sins and Errors make us fear worse and worse Then Experience of the time past 1 Pet. iv 4. as well as S. Peter's Caveat for the time to come having sufficiently warned us in these last and worst days especially not to think any think strange concerning the fiery Tryal we may then like true Christians arm our selves aforehand with Faith and Patience backed with an assured hope of a better World the onely Armour of Proof 8. Yet to the Considerate Reader this Book will appear most-what a New Book both for Matter and Form For first as to the Matter of it it is in a great measure augmented as by our Experience abroad so by our Inquiry and discovery at home of such Books as since the first Edition have been published for or against this Subject Two whereof especially as to the main we have taken in here namely that of Doctor Cornelius Burges (b) No Sacriledge nor Sin to alien or purchase the Lands of Bishops c. By Cornelius Burges An. 1659. If such a Book for Sacriledge had the licentiousness of a Second Edition for filthy lucres sake can any justly blame us for fairly taking the license of a Second Edition against Sacriledge for God's sake and another of Mr. William Prynne (c) A seasonable Vindication of the Jurisdiction of Christian Kings c. as well over the Possessions as Persons of Delinquent Prelates c. By William Prynne Esquire Anno 1660. which latter came not to our hands till this Book was already a good way in the Press By which several oppositions this Work is increased with many Additions so that from a transient (d) That SERMON was Preached in LENT at CHRIST's CHURCH in OXFORD Anno 1646. Before KING CHARLES the I. Of Glorious Memory Sermon at first afterwards by Royal Command Printed into a short Treatise for (e) S. Austin gives this Reason of writing Books for reading Ut sic bonae Notiones quasi virgulis limatis figantur ne ut aves evolent That so good Notions may be held as it were with Lime-twigs and not like skipping Birds fly away as they often do when a man only hears them especially if he hear them with prejudice permanency it is now become a full Book Thus to phrase it with the Poet Amphora coepit Institui currente Rota cur Vrceus exit Horat. So that I have found by little and little though with no little labour that as the Wise-man saith Eccles xxiv 31. My Book is become a River and my River become a Sea This to the Matter and also for the Length of it 9. As to the Form of it whereas it was before Composed in a continued Discourse and therefore more tedious and probably less profitable to the common Reader It is now disposed into Chapters and Sections as it were so many short Stages a better Method to give both Light and Ease to the Reader learned and unlearned 10. As for the Delay of this Second Edition hitherto for which yet we must thank Providence which hath thereby occasioned those necessary Additions 'T is true we were divers times summoned to appear again against this Common Enemy of the Church by the multiplied desires not onely of many of the Clergie and some of them the Right Reverend Fathers of the Church but even also by some of the Noble and generous Sons of the Church men of the Laity For that sowre Leaven of Sacriledge though now very far spread yet hath it not through God's Providence so utterly leavened the whole lump God be thanked for it But as before the Kings Restauration to have followed this Truth too neer at the heels it might and that without success have ding'd out our Teeth if not our Head after so many more of our betters So since the Restauration I could not though I did both intend and also indeavour it over-take the opportunity Being in the year 1661. honourably ingaged and that still with the Royal leave in the Service of that valiant Achilles of Christendome George Ragotzi the II. Prince of Transylvania my late gracious Master who for the space of seven years had honoured me with the Divinity-Chair in his University of Alba-Julia the Metropolis of that Noble Countrey and endowed me a meer stranger to him with a very ample Honorary till in that very Year that Prince dying of his Wounds received in his last Memorable Battel with the Turks at Gyalu the care of his Solemn Obsequies was committed to my Charge by his Relict Princess Sophia whereby I was kept a year longer out of England my most desired Haven that other being but my Bay pro tempore That Function I did perform at least in part to discharge my duty of Gratitude towards the Dead for the Benefits received from him when living whose Memory shall ever live precious in my Breast and to whose Sacred Manes abhorring Ingratitude I could not but Dedicate this grateful Digression if it be
saying Caesar you have the Princes bound by their own promise to restore as if he would say you may sue out their Bond. Calvin addes moreover that there was a Book written on purpose touching the Restitution to give satisfaction about it so that this particular should be no hinderance to Consent in Doctrine Thus far Calvin for France 20. And so in the third and last place Knox for Scotland In the first Book of Discipline Anno 1560. he and all his fellow Ministers are very vehement in pressing the Lords of the Privy Council to Restitution of all the Church Revenues their words are to this effect We dare not flatter your Lordships but for fear of the loss of your souls and ours we desire to have all the Church Lands of the Friars and all other Mortifications restored back again unto the Church 21. And in particular Knox himself about the year 1572. in which year he died x Knox his History in a general Epistle of his from Edinborough where he was Minister unto the General Assembly then sitting at Striveling he there exhorts them all to joyn in Preaching against the sin of Sacriledge in words to this purpose Brethren we have had a fight against the Hereticks and God hath blessed us we have now a strong fight against the Sacrilegious and therefore be you couragious and God will give us an happy end This Doctrine from Knox you may the rather take notice of and believe too because it seems it was his DEATH-BED DOCTRINE 22. We omit to dilate farther in quoting their whole express Sermons such as was that of Mr. John Cragge Preached at Lyth Anno 1571. directly against the Sin of Sacriledge by all which you may clearly see that all those Reformers were as earnest as any of us can be in inveighing against but the beginning of that Sacriledge against whose progress nay almost conquest some Left hearted men now adayes think it strange that we dare open our Mouths 23. But what need I trouble you with any more single Testimonies If whole Assemblies as it were Agmine facto marching in a full Body against it have charged this sin through and through For behold as Leah said at the Birth of Gad a Troop cometh Genes xxx 11. To name no more The whole Assembly at St. Andrews we are in Scotland still which did Anno 1582. expresly injoyn a General Fast throughout the Realm for appeasing Gods wrath upon the Land directly again for the crying sin of Sacriledge And surely we of this Kingdom have much more cause to arraign our selves for this sin now then they had then So that even before I knew this example such a thing has been often times in my thoughts and wishes with humble submission to Authority Behold instances enough of all sorts as to Justifie our Charge to the full so to finish our matter of Probation and indeed our whole Pleading against the Sin of Sacriledge arraigned here by Saint Paul in these words THOU THAT ABHORREST IDOLS DOEST THOU COMMIT SACRILEDGE THE RECAPITULATION OF ALL. 1. AND now to contract this whole Mass of Matter and to binde up all our evidence into one plain Syllogism the most convincing way of Argumentation WHATEVER is of the same nature with Idolatry and Adultery that must needs be a Sin now under the Gospel as much as under the Law BVT Sacriledge is of the same Nature with Idolatry and Adultery ERGO SACRILEDGE IS A SIN NOW UNDER THE GOSPEL AS MUCH AS UNDER THE LAW Quod erat Demonstrandum The MAJOR is extra controversiam being founded upon a Maxime of Reason for Eorundem eadem est ratio The MINOR is expressed in the words of the Text and grounded besides upon the clear Scope of the Apostle in the whole Context which is all along by Induction at least à pari if not a Majori to convince both Jew and Gentile of gross Hypocrisie for y Therefore thou art Inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that Judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things And thinkest thou O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the Judgment of God Rom. 2.1.3 and so ver 21.22 committing those very sins of Idolatry or Adultery or as bad as those which they did condemn in others And if both the Major and the Minor also be true none but made men will deny the CONCLUSION This evidence in the behalf of Gods Cause is both so strong and so clear That the professed Adversaries of it are forced to confess it For the chief of them that Doctor of Sacriledge cited and confuted above in the X Chapt. in that very Book which he wrote ex professo in defence of Sacriledge spends an whole Chapter * C.B. Chap. 3 to prove it the Title whereof is That there is or may be Sacriledge committed now under the Gospel Albeit the same Author playing still the Prevaricator his best part in the very next Chapter before goes about to undermine this very Text Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge as if meant only of the Idolothytes the meats sacrificed to Idols which Cavil à male divisis c. hath been already confuted above Chap. II. p. 14 15 whereas by the Current of Interpreters z As 1. The Syriack renders it Dost thou spoil the Holy House 2. The Aethiopick Doest thou rob the House of God 3. The Arabick Doest thou steal the Vessels of the Temple 4. Bucerus upon the place Fieri potest c. It may be St. Paul here by Sacriledge did not mean the stealing of the money dedicated to Idols but the Rapine which the Jews did commit about their Sacred Things partly by Selling and Buying the Priesthood partly by intercepting the Sacred Offerings and the Money dedicated by the people to Religious Uses For which cause our Lord did cast out of the Temple those that bought and sold therein These things the Jews most impuden ly had long before begun to practise as also Jesephus himself doth witness Thus Bucerus 5. Ad verbum Templum Despolias Doest thou plunder or rob the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contemptus divinae Majestati◠per synecdochen speciei Pisc in loc To the same pu pose P. Martyr and others the sense is much more inlarged and this Text expounded directly of Robbing the true God by intercepting and interverting Religious Oblations and setting the same to sale The good work which C. B. in that Book undertakes to maintain thereby to justifie his own Sacrilegious Purchase But if it be Sacriledge as himself there doth confess to sell or purchase such transient oblations Then certainly by his leave with very good Logick any man indued with right Reason must needs conclude That by the Rule of Proportion it is much more and much greater Sacriledge to sell or to purchase the Permanent Oblations