light and treacherous Priests out thence Zeph. 3.4 who have polluted the Sanctuary and have done violence to the Law that is all the want which is want of zeale not too much zeale Be it knowne unto the world that these Reformers cannot bee too zealous though exceeding zealous for the Lord hath beene to them exceeding gratious and the adversary is exceeding proud and the Churches friends exceeding cold the Churches straights are exceeding great the Priests and their services have been and are exceeding abominable and the zeale of Church-men exceeding cold I sayd not well there zeale cannot be cold I meane these Church-men for the most part have no zeale at all for God but their zeale boyleth and runnes over against God Mal. 3.4 and those pleasant offerings which God hath commanded must and will have when all is done Therefore must Reformers now suffer themselves if they will shew themselves in any proportion answerable to be eaten up with an Holy zeale for the house and houshold of God The greatnesse of the provocation the excellency of the object the weight of the occasion beares out the soule not onely without blame unlesse from wicked and vile men but with great praise in such extasies of zeale seeming distempers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 Non amat qui non Zelat Aug. It is the glory of a Christian to be boyling in spirit to be carried with full sayle and as it were with the Spring tide of affection so long as the streame runnes in the due channell And if there bee great occasions for great motions then it is fit the affections should rise higher as to burne with zeale to be sicke of love to be more vile for the Lord as David to be counted out of our wits with Saint Paul hereby to further the cause of Christ and the good of soules It was a quicke answer that Luther gave Erasmus he told Luther you are too hot Luther Bee it so Erasmus in your judgement but the judge of all the world who hath loved mee with a love as strong as death for whose cause I am exceeding zealous will not tell me one day Martin thou wast too hot But it is to be doubted He will say rather Erasmus thou wast too cold Away with these midling men dangerous persons who say others have too much zeale because they have none at all Master * On Rev. 3. ver 15 16. Mediocritas hic est pessima nihil in te mediocre esse contentus sum totum summum totum perfectum de sidero Jero Ep. 15. ult 181. Vide Lact. lib. 6. ca 16. Min. Felix p. 25. line 36. in folio Brightman lessons them very well so doe two or three more they shall doe well to observe it that they may prevent a curse a spuing out I can but point to the Margin adding this to the line Blessed be God for those Governors of Israel who were the more forward in the cause of God the more backward others were that offered themselves willingly among the people And blessed bee God for the people that offered themselves so willingly also And for their zeale which shamed the Priests for it is much but the Lord encrease it yet more and make it yet more hot and more boyling in and for the cause of Christ for He is worthy How ever it fareth with the world it shall bee well with them for the hearts of all that are good are towards all such that have offered themselves willingly And which is their securitie the eyes of the Lord are towards them for good who would stand up for His cause against a crooked and perverse generation It shall be well with all such though they be smitten vvith the tongue and hand both yet it shall be well The Lord will remember all those for good Amen Now vve goe on In my understanding the state of Religion hath never been vvorse since the Reformation then this present yeare so the Doctor saith 1. I say first he answers himself in my understanding saith he he is but one man his understanding must not be a Standard vvhereat to measure the judgement of other men in so high and daintie a cause vvherein the glory of God is so much concerned Thousands there are vvho unde stand themselves as vvell as he vvho know it to bee cleane contrary 2. Seemeth the state of Religion never vvorse than now at this present time Yes So it vvas in ancient time know vve not this of old vvhen Israel vvas in Egypt They had never a vvorse opinion of their state then vvhen it vvas beginning to mend Then they vvere comming out of their furnace I say then vvhen they thought themselves plunged deeper in Then they exclaymed against Moses O how they sparkled and kindled against Moses just as vve doe against our Nobles and Worthies hee had done them the greatest vvrong and disservice that could bee done Why so Because Moses vvould bring them out of Egypt But vvho murmured so vvho vvas so uncivill The ignorant multitude True they did complaine of their blessings and murmured vvith meate in their mouth But upon enquiry you vvill finde that Aaron and Mirian murmured these strove also The Brother and the Sister contended and chid vvith Moses and if sisters chide vvith their brothers they will chide bitterly Adde vve hereunto What vvas intimated before and must needs cause a seeming confusion in things The Church-mans Idols are smitten at then vve must expect that he vvill rage as they did vvhen Stephen assured them touching the alteration of things the casting out of beggerly rudiments and how they had persecuted their brethren and Teachers Act. 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth VVe goe on as followeth So farre things are set backe 1. I answer first by questioning how farre backe Things are not set farther backe this yeare then as they have beene alwayes and ever vvill be vvhile Reformation comes on It pluckes downe first and casteth forth the rubbish and all this vvhile behold nothing but ruines Truely every mans Tabernacle as well as Davids if raised according to right order and rule must be raised out of ruins Certainly the building never vvent up before it vvent first backe and fell downe even to the ground and into ruins Touching this more anon 2. I aske againe are things set backe Certainly no that is a deceit the Doctor is quite mistaken Things doe not goe backe vve go backe The hearts of the children of men pull back the more strongly the more Reformation drawes on and vvith the more strength If Reformation comes on my heart drawes backe mightily and I cannot thinke I stand single in the vvorld My heart may be an embleme vvherein to behold the Cloyster and Colledge both I say againe things goe not backe Reformation is not set backe vvee turne backe like a deceitfull bow and the more
to the mind of God and understanding of the Godly THis will suffice for the former yeare and fill up two Columnes of the Pillar But what hath the Lord done for His people this present yeare which may now be recorded with rejoycing We must answer what ever adversary or friend saith to the contrary Great things therefore must the Citie continue the Records for behold mercies after mercies and loving kindnesses have followed loving kindnesses as the waves of the Sea It is asked where are they for hearke what a great Clerke saith and a Master in Israel Things are as they were nay much worse reformation of corruptions hath beene endeavoured with much zeale and diligence yet the end not attained Nay in some respects it is so farre set backe that in my understanding the state of Religion hath never beene worse since the first reformation then this present yeare What respects these follow in respect of first the greatnesse of destractions which have divided us all one from another then Secondly multitude of Sects and Sectaries c. Thirdly dishonours done to the service of God with so much scorne and scandall to Religion that in forraigne parts they question whether all this time we have had any so abruptly he breakes off Upon easie search we may finde these words towards the end of a Sermon printed very lately at Cambridge I must ponder them whether they hold weight at the Sanctuary whether the Doctor speake according to his charge as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 I say I must doe it for it is much against my spirit to fill up this yeare with Ciphers to make it a Leape yeare as if God had done nothing this yeare worthy to be written upon the Pillar the Citie stands charged to raise up now to the glory of her God We take then a second view of the Doctors words he saith Obj. Notwithstanding the much zeale of our Nobles and worthies he meanes and diligence things are much worse then they were Answ Here is a confusion indeed for here is much zeale and as much diligence and yet things much worse I hope things are but in an appearance so but I answer the much zeale first where that is there will be much diligence I will be pretty confident the Doctor doth not fault the zeale as too much But as the man of God a Master and Seer in Israel greatly affected with the House and Cause of his God hee would have commended the reformers zeale the more if it had beene much more more hot and boyling against the light Prophets and treacherous Priests their Idols and Idoll services That is his meaning we hope and we must deale tenderly therewith as with the eye and conscience and give the fairest interpretation thereof That it grieves him to the heart that the successe answers not that the end is not attained the filthinesse is not carried out of the Temple nor are those Priests cast out thence nor are their Idols defiled But touching all this he can consider and comfort himselfe in these words That as God hath accepted a zeale for the building of His house though nothing was done there 1 King 8.18 so will He accept much zeale for the reformation of corruptions there though the end bee not presently attained Surely the Lord takes it kindly that it was in the hearts of the reformers to do yet more for Gods house and to shew much zeale there Let reformers quit themselves in point of zeale and deligence that they have laboured in singlenesse of affection and uprightnes of heart then though their end should faile and the time should be deferred yet they shall not faile of comfort Men must part their care so as to take upon them onely the care of dutie and leave the rest to God They must make good their ends and the meanes they have used in confident assurance that God will make good the issue and turne all to the best And this is a comfortable consideration even now for they that have given all diligence about Temple worke have not lived to see the end attained And hee that had shewed much zeale there thought verily that his very zeale for God and His house would occasion his death Good man he thought himselfe left alone upon the earth 1 King 19. and O that his good Lord for whom hee was so jealous would take away his life and not leave his soule among Lions for them to teare the Cawle of his heart so dismaid and heartlesse have good men beene sometimes when they have beene upon Temple-worke contending for God against Baall and his Priests But note wee this here That never any man from that time to this day did comment upon Elijahs zeale saying It was too much and he was served in his kind that would contend with Princes and beare up against winde and tide No man was so mad and left of his wits and destitute of understanding that would blame the Prophets much zeale and diligence for God and His House when he was in his fainting fits No There is no other use of all this but that which the Apostle makes for the comfort of all those that have much zeale and are jealous for the Lord of Hosts Heb. 10.35,36 Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For yee have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God ye might receive the promise This is the Cordiall Reformers must take after they have taken much paines and have beene very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts when yet things in appearance seeme much worse In the second place I must answer those men who may be charitable men too yet not acquainted with the Doctors Zeale about Cloysters and Cloyster-men those Abbies and Abby-lubbers who eate the fat and drinke the sweet caring for the body onely and no farther what betides to the precious soules I say not acquainted with the Man and his known zeale concerning these places and persons they may read the Doctors words backwa d as if the much zeale of the Reformes grieved the Doctor more then the end not attained And that is it which pincheth others also and so they lay the blame upon much zeale that things are worse worse To these men I answer I hope not so things doe but seeme so to be in a worse condition then formerly but suppose they are so shall we blame Reformation or Reformers for this their much zeale and diligence God forbid If there bee any want as sure there is in the best man living it is want of zeale and of double diligence for the service of God which we shall never call the Liturgy The want if any is this that they have not wrought through worke in Temple-worke and for the cause of God That they have not carried out the filthinesse out of the temple which is the prime and chiefe worke ever and cast out those
THE CASE Of All Crucifixes Images c. Made with hands and for Religious use in the Case of Cheapside-Crosse is discussed VVhether their Militia the setting of them in a posture of Defence be according to Law The contrary is maintained by him who hath little Law against those who have as little Reason Notwithstanding the Dispute is carryed all along in a coole and orderly way so as the man in understanding may read himselfe here and the times That the Idol before the eye and in the heart hath made them fierce and perillous Yet blessed be God who hath given his servants hearts engaged upon the casting these Idols forth hath appeared with them hath wrought wonders for them and the Land which are briefly recorded for the Cities memoriall after a fragment of a * D. Holdsworth Sermon speaking cleane contrary to the mouth of God is Answered from His mouth JUDGES 6.31 Will ye plead for Baal Will ye save him If he be a god let him plead for himself because one hath cast down his Altars ECCLES 7.10 Say not thou What is the cause that the former dayes were better then these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Printed in the Climactericall yeer of Crosses and Crosse-men MDCXLIII BY WAY OF PREFACE To the Reader SHould I in rendring an account of this Case present thee with a Toy it might passe with allowance for experience tells us That a Toy sometimes makes a fuller discovery what mens inclinations are then a very serious matter can do But surely this Case will be granted to be sad and serious both if we consult with Papist Atheist or Protestant eyther And I verily beleeve of generall concernment also relating not onely to the Street-Crosse but Highway Church Chappell Chancell Window Closet Corner Brow Breast-Crosses all the Crosses in the world that are the worke of the cunning Crafts-man or otherwise made with hands and the fingers ends to helpe devotion or for Religious use And yet I have not named the Master piece nor the Master workeman this is the heart and that the Idol there set up in that place where God should have His Throne note in passage an Idolater dethrones God for in the heart the peace the love the feare of God should beare sway and in token of victory over the Idoll there beare away the Garland a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Palmam obtineat Col. 3.15 Hos 13.2 as the purpose of the word is Were all the forementioned Idols they are the worke of the Crafts-man according to his own understanding odious to God and good men b God will have no worship of our devising wee may onely doe what He bids us not bid what He commands not Never did any true piety arise out of the corrupt puddle of mans braine If it flow not from Heaven it is odious to Heaven Doctor â—…ils contempt lib 12. were they all cast out to the Moles and to the Bats the heart would fetch them in againe smooth them over and set them up before the eyes for not onely these piles of Abominations but every point of popery had their originall draught in the heart there they were first hatcht In very deed the heart is a Common stew no better therein you may finde the Popes Chappell and Masse-booke too Therefore though the Crosse in the street hath mooved the quarrell and it shall be served in its kind one man or more hath served defiled that Baal a little by the good word of God with me I shall defile it much c 2 King 10.18 But yet since the quarrell hath its rise onely thence with Gods helpe it shall be carryed on to the defiling the Master-worke and its workeman I meane the heart and the Idoll there for thereon will the Lord power forth the fury of His wrath and the strength of battle And there is mighty Reason why it should be so for to say all in a word That Idol hath not onely mated the God of Hosts setting up its selfe in His Throne but also hath doth and will move all the quarrels in the world Saint James his question can receive no other answer but his owne Whence comes warres and fightings among you d James 4.1 Hence even from your Idols your lusts that war in your members That hath beene the answer and that must be the answer to the worlds end Divels and Idols doe all the mischiefe in the world But yet wee will not beleeve this and it is a strange matter and as strange a conceit That we should feele our Crosses feele them smart and sore upon us and not beleeve that the Idol hath caused them It is a weake and fond conceit too as if we could thinke That affliction comes out of the dust Job 5 6. and trouble springs out of the ground that the rush growes up without mire the flag without water Job 8.11 I thought it very fit to mind thee Reader hereof on the threshold that thou mightest enter the house with more care and watchfulnesse for this will perswade thee to beleeve That the Crosses Case is a sad and serious case which now I shall open unto thee so farre as may be sutable to a Preface You are not such a stranger to our Occurrences as not to have seene or heard what a stirre there was some moneths since about the Crosse what crossing of shinnes and of heads and of backes and of hearts too What bloody noses and scratcht faces and back-blowes there were and all about the Crosse to maintaine it according to its dignitie in a posture of defence A man could not passe that way but he must declare himselfe whether for the Crosse or against it he must not conceale himselfe in the Crosses case as in good reason he might in such a presence but if he did he was Crossed as aforesaid One evening hearing a noyse thence as sometimes from Paris Garden I stept up the street to resolve my selfe whether there were any Bulls and bayting there and behold both for there they stood as dogs at a Bay bayting each at other who The Psalmist answers a company of spearmen carrying their weapons in their mouthes a Psa 57.4 the multitude of the Bulls with the Calves of the People b Psal 68.30 Lord rebuke them said I and away I trudged for truely I never liked to crowd-in amongst unreasonable Creatures that cannot tell when or how far to put forth their strength nor how to suspend or call it back But so every thing acteth according to its principles and I according to mine So soone as I returned home I examined the case seriously heartily and I issued the same or rather the sacred Scripture for me thus though I could not handle it altogether in the same order 1. That the defacing the Crosse is an act justifiable by the highest Law and in the Highest Court. Surely it was never questioned by sober men since
a Divell in Hell a Prince in the Ayer a partie on earth and a king over them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit so long Reformation will find a mightie opposition what the gates of Hell can make And if Reformation be so opposed as that which destroyeth defileth Idolls then it is quickly read how reformers are accounted of Eccles â— 9,10 The thing that hath beene it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sunne Is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new It hath beene already of old time which was before us They that have beene employed in Temple-worke and in defiling of Idols they have ever beene accounted factious seditious rebellious those that would turne the world upside downe Acts 17.6 I must adde c. for there is a great deale more yet we read all in these words Behold they belch out with their mouth Psal 59.6 what are their words very Swords are in their lippes they would slay the righteous man therewith for they call him by their owne name Exulem me de suo nomine vocat Cicer. Paradox and that is a devouring name as bad as can be their tongue is as an arrow shot-out Jer. 9.8 which malice ever drawes to the very head as Jehu drew his bow with his full strength 2 King 9.24 But none of all that is strange The righteous are not troubled at it their patience can digest more then this besides their Lord and master hath beene so reproached and Matth. 10.25 If they have called the Master of the House Belzebub How much more shall they call them of his houshold But what shall we thinke Can Reformation goe on Shall Idols be defiled even now Shall these Refiners prosper There is some resolution given hereunto as followeth SECT XV. Notwithstanding the contempt that is cast upon Reformation and Reformers yet both shall goe on and prosper I Will beginne with Questions and Answers Quest Shall this worke of defiling Images for that I call Reformation shall it goe on Answ Yes sure God wills and commands Images to be defiled and it must be done Quest At this time Answ There I am at a stand I cannot certainly tell that I thinke so but in Gods time it shall be done which time the Father hath put in His owne power Act 1.7 But the righteous they that walke in the truth that 3 Joh. 3.4 doe faithfully whatsoever they doe may say as their Brethren before them Neh. 4.2 our worke is Reproached and we are despised They may say so indeed but it is a very good signe that the worke goes on Idols shall be defiled even now It is I say as comfortable a signe as can be wished the divell and his party have great wrath Revel 12.12 therefore wee know they have but a short time Obj. But in a short time they may doe a length of mischiefe An. True but they are held short in a chaine which the Lord holds in His hand and they cannot proceed an inch farther then He lets it forth And a great good signe it is they shall not proceed much farther because the Almightie hath them in His fetters And they feele themselves checkt and curbed-in as a wilde bull in a net But they thinke their tongue is their owne and at liberty therefore they say as once they did Ob. What doe these men will they fortifie themselves Neh. 4 2. An. Yes that they will in the Lord and power of His might Eph. 6.10 for wisedome and strength are His Dan. 2.20 And He is a good Lord a strong hold in the day of trouble and He knoweth them that trust in Him Nahum 1.7 The adversary mooks on Ob. Will they make an end in a day Neh. 4.2 An. No nor in a yeare neither Temple worke the defiling of Idols there goes on more slowly then Romes work doth yet we know the proverbe and that Romes Leaven hath not sowred the whole lumpe yet and experience tels us that the heires of the beard or head wax not white altogether One Idoll is smitten now another to morrow in good time they shall all be defiled The adversary goes on much cast downe as formerly in their owne eyes for they perceive that the worke now also as then is wrought of our God Neh. 6.16 and is so firme and stable that a Fox cannot break it downe with all his cunning they must adde the strength of a Lyon to it too and therein is their hope Ob. That these feeble men shall not be able to goe on An. Thus the adversary reproached anciently the servants of the Lord who went on the better and more comfortably though indeed they were then and are now but a feeble folke so are the Conies too yet make they their houses in the rockes Prov. 30.26 A feeble folke that have the munition of Rockes for their defence and a Redeemer that sainteth not nor is weary They may doe great things for Hee is mightie and strong The Lord of Hosts is His name He shall throughly plead His cause That He may give rest to the Land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babilon Esa 33.16 40.26 Jer. 50.34 Againe we say their strength may well be wasted in all this time but they have a continuall influence and supply from the Spring head the God of their strength to whom they have a continuall recourse for as the waters neare them run from the fountain every morning and returne to it every night so doe they receive from God and returne to God so they renew their strength like Eagles and goe from strength to strength with the increase of God for as was sayd when they be at a low ebbe then they slow upward to their fountaine and spring head whereas these scorners are like waters wee observe running from the spring head and never returne againe and they are feeble men indeed but let them say what they have devised Ob. That these feeble men shall not be able to carry on the work and beare up any longer against the tide of opposition and contradiction of tongues so some say and vaunt too and good men feare An. I will answer first as Master Jewell whose face did shine in every mans eye but his owne in a case not unlike I have no skill saith hee in the wicked mans Almanack Gods will be done It is His cause whatsoever shall happen and His Name be blessed for ever for what He hath done But so vaunted the heathen against the faith of Christ Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani postea peribunt redibunt Idola redibit quod erat autea Verum tu cum expectas miser infidelis ut transeant Christiani transis ipse sine Christianis August In Psal 70. See Apâ—l pag. 26. These Christians are but for a