in their stead They have been false in much how then can they be faithfull in a little They have not well governed their own house how then can they govern well the house of God 1 Tim. 3. 4. 5. And so I come again to his own words fo 9. viz. Thirdly because that which is or seemeth to p be a prejudice now â— Author may in Gods good time prove a great benefit We many times earnestly pray for those things which afterwards we give God thanks for not q granting our requests and this hath many times been for the removall of our present afflictions I am confident if there were good care taken as there may be that r good men may be made Bishops we shall never p repent of their lawfull office or place for s greatnesse with goodnesse will much advance the cause and welfare of the Church and commonwealth And further I know it is possible for some t inferiours to execute the Law and the Gospel likewise in a farre more imperious and tyrannicall way then some Superiours have done True it is that many things which seem p hurtfull at the Answer first may in due time prove very good in taste they may be bitter but in digestion profitable But it must be considered whether things be simply evill and fundamentally or by occasion and accidentally Now what is simply evill and fundamentally can never prove good nor produce any otherwise then God by his all ruling providence shall dispose it but that is not thank-worthy to the instrument And such is the power and jurisdiction of the present Bishops and therefore both we and ours need never fear p repentance for seeking to have them removed but q heartily praise God if it may be granted I know it is possible to have r good men for Bishops but then they must be chosen according to the rule of the Gospel and not after the Articles of their Doctrine Act. 1. 15. 24. to the end and 14. 23. and not one Bishop be elected by another as they are receiving the holy Ghost from such as may be suspected never had it And my Author and the whole world in my opinion do mightily mistake whilest they imagine that such externall s state and greatnesse is requisite in the Ministers of the Church This was that delusion wherewith the devill blinded the eyes of the poore Jews they looked for a triumphing Messias with stately attendants and in pompous trappings but lo he cometh meekly riding on an Asse Surely if outward state and glory had been expedient for Christs Church He himself being her head and husband would have put it on and left it for a rule and an example to his Apostles and their successours especially at that time when he came from heaven to marry her and occupied the place of a Bridegroome Matth. 9. 15. But we do neither find it in his person for imitation nor in his doctrine for direction nay his rules are contrary and so were his Apostles practises Paul that Architect in the house of God and chief Planter of Churches although most worthy if any more then other was content to live in mean estate not seeking his own but the good of others I find not in all the new Testament that any of them had either lands or livings I am sure not glebe or Ecclesiasticall as they call them if they had other they did sell and communicate them Act. 2. 45. and 4. 37. no nor set allowance Indeed they eat of the fruit of their labours as is most just according to that in the 1 Cor. 9. 1. to the 24. and it is our duty to take care for them Rom. 15. 27. Gal. 6. 6. But I know no precept for any positive means The Leviticall Law is abolished tithes and tents are certainly ended the Priesthood being changed their rights are likewise changed Hebr. 7. 12. and for certain the Apostles were not ignorant both of the force and extent of this Law I speak not this to abase the Ministerie or encourage any in their neglect or disrespect toward them The Labourer is worthy of his hire and God forbid but they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 14. and that comfortably void of care For if the servant of the old Law was so honourable much more is the Minister of the new How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of salvation Isa 52. 7. But again I say I conceive neither rule nor reason why they should have so many thousands and so many hundreds per annum tithe of all even to an egge yea and all will hardly * Witnesse that unreasonable demand and unsatiable pursuite of 2. s. 9. d. in the pound suffice being most of them too much like those greedy dogges in Isaiah 56. 11. for by these means they become puft up and set themselves in competition with the men of this world contending for preheminence and priority forgetting that godlinesse is great gain and that they ought to teach the Gospel of a * Christus ob gratiam Christi non muneris mundi praedicandus est ready mind and not for filthy lucre they plough not in hope they thresh not in hope as the Apostles did 1 Cor. 9. 10. But they will be at a surer lock they wil know before hand what they shall have like Judas quid dabis and if their own termes and conditions be not fulfilled they wil neither * Witnesse Mr. Finch Mr. Hutton Mr. Davies Mr. Swadling c. cum multis aliis quos jam praescribere longum est preach pray with you administer the Sacrament to you nor bury your dead nay if a man put not into their mouthes they prepare war against him Mich. 3. 5. Thus by practise making good the old popish Proverbe No peny no Pater noster These things have caused them to mind the Fleece onely and not the Flock and given them horns to gore the poore Saints of God And besides for these * Quisquis ad praemia velox things sake have many crept into the folds who have not been shepherds but ravening wolves And I have observed that corruption came first into the primitive Church by the doore of ambition and the coveting of worldly pomp and dignitie was the very Basis of the Seat of Rome and the first step of the Beast his throne for under the colour that exterior wealth and power would elevate and advance Religion crept up that man not of God but of sinne with all his lordly train But some will say was it not for these incouragements few or none would apply themselves to the Ministerie I commend incouragement it is not the use but the abuse not the end but the excesse and unequall disposing of it I condemne And fear not labourers whilest there is a harvest for God hath promised to send or thrust forth Labourers into his harvest and to that end hath he
THE PETITIONERS VINDICATION from CALVMNIE and ASPERSION And the Young Mans Animation to the building up of ZION Published in their Defence against a scurrilous Book or Pamphlet lately written against them by I. W. and scandalously intituled Petitions against Bishops and their Votes in Parliament Subscribed unto after a Clandestine delivered after a tumultuous manner and falsly going under the name of a whole County or Town proved to be both contrary to our late taken Protestation as also utterly unlawfull by many other cleare and evident Reasons Now answered and refuted and Petitions delivered unto the PARLIAMENT by impregnable reasons proved to be both lawfull and according to the Petitioners duty and the late taken Protestation With many other remarkable passages worthy of observation By T. Robinson Veritati Devotum Prov. 26. 24 25. He that hateth will counterfeit with his lips but in his heart he layeth up deceit Though he speak favourably beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. and are to be sold at the Castle in Cornhill 1642. COurteous Reader for your better understanding of this Book I have first recited the Author of the book I answer his matter with the folio of his book wherein it is then as I handle his particular sayings or assertions I denote them alphabetically both in his matter and mine as for example In his Ingression or entrance fo 2. of this book he saith viz. For him who is but a private subject and no Law-maker to give his hand in a factious way c. I first undertaking to clear that scandall set the letter a at the words factious way and so likewise in my answer thereunto And thus throughout the whole Treatise that wheresoever a letter by it self is in any part of my Answer you may look back to the same in my Authors argument just precedent and discern more plainly the thing by him affirmed or implyed and by me refuted And if I had not so done I know not how you would rightly have understood him For he hath observed neither rule or method in his discourse or argument but heapeth up many things confusedly together thereby to perplex the mind and darken reason that so like a cunning Merchant he may the better in a bundle put off his suffisticated ware for sound and currant unto men T. R. THE PETITIONERS VINDICATION FROM Calumnie and Aspersion And the Young Mans Animation to the building up of ZION THe Author of the aforesaid book folio 1. doth by way of Introduction first imply the importuning will of some friend by him there called Mr. Cachisme for his hand to a Petition such as by his discourse appeares have of late by severall parts and persons of this Kingdom been delivered to the Honorable House of Parliament Secondly his unwillingnesse to subscribe the same and willing mind to satisfie him therefore albeit as he saith he shall be alwayes readie and willing not onely to give his hand but his heart and purse likewise for the good of the Common-weal County or Parish wherein he lives and for that cause hath been both active and passive severall yeers together Where he properly liveth or what his proper name is I know not nor hath he declared it may be he doth here but reside or sojourn upon some negotiation and his true living may be in Spaine France Flanders or elsewhere and so what he hath apologized may be * For the good of the common weal County or parish wherin he lives good otherwise the sequell of his writing in my judgement doth plainly render him evilly affected to our good viz. to the Republique of this our England and the common cause in hand For his pretended satisfaction tends meerly to the diminution of the courage and constancie of good men the freezing of the cold and the incouragement of the wickedly bold And his Ingression But for me who am but a private Subject c. is palpably a slye insinuation of a matter of * The best glosses are often put on the worst commodities and the worst wine into the purest glasses The Authors Ingression conscience for the not subscribing his friends Petition the better the reby to gain credence and perswâ—sion from the hearts of people and that principally from the greater multitude the ignorant and indifferent But by the way a word of that viz. But for me who am but a private b subject a c Protestant and no d Law-maker to give my hand in a factious a way and without e command from Authoritie to will that there should be f no Bishops and that they shall have no voice in the House g of Peers is against my h conscience and that i light of reason and understanding which I have received And I dare not comply with the k distempers of the people and follow the streame of a multitude to do evill on these grounds follooeing Ye have him in his own words verbatim Lo here he concludes both Petitions and Petitioners to the House of Parliament to be a * Mark doth he not impudently asperse the whole Parliament hereby as if they did countenance both factions and factious persons for they accepted both the Petitioners and their Petitions factious a phrase wholly scandalous Answer and used to deter others For what disturbance or commotion was thereby either plotted or practised through them either against King or State what breach of Law or publique peace only as members sensible of the great jeopeardy the whole Body was in they humbly fought for redresse to the Fountain of succour and justice And every one as a private b man hath an interest in the publique state and cause of the Land For it is not onely one mans cause but every ones and we are all members one of another And as every particular member doth participate of the universall health or sicknesse of the body and as every member naturall doth grow and prosper according to the distemperature or sound constitution of the heart or brain from whence and on which its whole life and motion doth depend so is it in every member politique And as the members corporall being hurt sick or any wayes grieved do by a naturall instinct and way inscrutable forthwith look and send unto the prime parts before named for strength and comfort yea and secretly excite all the other parts also to be assistant So questionlesse may the members of the Body politique finding themselves wounded weakned and many wayes grieved by their oppressive foes and distractive fears lawfully look up and by humble Petition sue unto the King and Parliament both which are one the verie heart and head life and being of this pristine land and Nation and of every true member of the same yea and invite others also to assist them therein The woman in her distresse cried to the King of Israel for help when it was not in his power to help 2
King 6. 26 27. And shall not we pray help my Lord O King Nay help O ye Noble Senators ye Parliament in whose power it is through Gods good hand upon them to help us For blessed be our God our case is not yet like the womans And if mine Author be a c Protestant as he boasteth himself and that in re and not onely nomine he ought the rather to sue in the Protestants behalf and be the more forward in promoting their cause unlesse he be a withered branch and live insensible of the generall calamitie and so more fit to be cut off then nourished Who will seek and sue if the Protestant do not neither the Papist nor the Atheist nay who should seek but the Protestant For his cause it is even his onely But mine Author is like the men of Ephraim that being called would not go Judg. 12. 2. and will abuse his brethren for going ver 4. But let him take heed as like as he would seem to be a * Anguis later sub herba Gileadite he will be found but an Ephraemite he pronounceth Sibboleth for Shibboleth ver 6. And if none but d Law-makers ought to petition then the Parliament men themselves should onely petition and what needed that know they not their own minds and if the thing to wit petitioning be ipso facto unlawfull as he argueth against the Petitioners then I conceive it is much more unlawfull in the Law-makers as in Majore then it is in others But if it be lawfull in the Law-makers as by that word d Law-maker he inferres then it is also lawfull in others and so in the Petitioners Besides freedome of information and to make our grievances known is a chiefe priviledge of Parliament and of us by the Parliament And what e command more authentique then liberty confirmed by Law And although many have petitioned that there may be f no Bishops yet have they but done what they ought and what their oath doth require For both their standings and present titles as shall hereafter be fully proved are altogether Popish and unlawfull and to will that these Prelates may have no Votes in the house g of Peers who can deny it to be a thing not onely lawfull but expedient for can a man serve two Masters no more can they serve two offices And therefore all this sure can become no such heavy burthen to my Authors h conscience especially having received so much i light as he boasteth of Nor need he fear to comply herein with the people for these their humble supplications cannot by any judicious Doctors be accounted k distempers Indeed well he may do not to follow the l stream of a multitude to do evil for at this time it is so violent and strong as that perhaps it may suddenly carry him to ruine headlong But the Petitioners part is not this multitude for comparatis comparandis comparing them with the Adversaries they are but a manuall And it is certain they are fewer in number that desire the good of Zion and of the Citie Jerusalem then they that hate it But all this by the way upon his Exordium or Entrance Now to his grounds and I will repeate them in his own words as followeth fol. 2. of his book viz. First because I have by the example and recommendation of the The Authors 1. ground Parliament solemnly m taken the Protestation whereby I have seriously protested to maintain and defend so farre as lawfully I may the o true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England against all n Poperie and Popish Innovations contrary to the said doctrine Now in the 36. Article of the said expressed doctrine the office of Bishops is inclusively confirmed Here he confesseth himself solemnly to have m taken the Protestation for the maintenance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion Answer and yet is his writing against all such as according to this Protestation and their conscience do arise and apply themselves to the maintenance and defence of the same Religion making the Protestation which is the very ground and strongest obligation of the Petitioners performance his prime argument to dehort them therefrom so perniciously inverting the end of the Protestation as if it had been ordained and by the Worthies of the Land taken and to us commended rather for the quenching that little love of the truth and zeal of Gods worship which is in men then any wayes to inflame and excitate the same and for the shutting men up in silence and tying them up from action rather then to imbolden and strengthen them both by word and deed to further the work of Reformation and the building up of the house of God And although he hath sworn to defend this Religion against all n Poperie and Popish Innovations yet he maketh his oath the cause of his refusing to joyn with others in lawfull means for the defence thereof and thus he overthroweth his first * As read and mark it ground and plea from thence For if the Protestation doth bind a man as indeed it doth and so himself confesseth to defend the true reformed Protestant Religion and to oppose all Poperie and Popish innovations how then is he left free what excuse can it be to him not onely for his sitting still and giving way to Poperie for he that is not with us is against us but also for his opposition against such as in discharge of their oath do stir in defence of the true Protestant Religion and expulsion of poperie and popish Innovation The Protestation hath not Twinnes in it it comprehends not contraries nor doth it leave a man to his own pleasure Therefore being thus taken by him it doth for his negligence and aversenesse plainly condemne him and better had it been for him never to have taken it then having taken it not to keep it Eccles 5. 4. for the oath is not with man but with God When the people of Judah and Benjamin had sworn and entred into covenant with God Ezra 9. 5. so soon as the Priest had told them their sin and what they should do to glorifie God they presently consent and put it in practise ver 10 11 12. We have sworn and entred covenant with our God and our Priests the faithfull Ministers of God have told us our sin and what the strange thing is we must put from us that God may be glorified by us and is it not lawfull for us to sue for a Bill of divorcement yea to divorce our selves For we have loved our strange Ceremonies and Service as well as ever the Jews loved their strange wives And although we lay not hands upon vain crosses and pictures Copes and Surplices Organs and Cornets and the rest of the Whores Dresse yet give us leave at least to petition that they may be all abolished and that with all Israel 2 Chron. 31. 1. we may now at length break down all the
it is much more easie to prove both altogether unlawfull and utterly to be abhorred and abandoned And that for the a present particular offences of some the innocent posteritie should suffer we have many presidents both Divine and Civill ancient and modern especially where the offence is of so high a nature as to strike at the publique authoritie and honour of God and the very being or well-being of his people Witnesse that ever dreadfull ingurgitation of Corah Dathan and Abiram with all their families Numb 16. what there had the poore infants and children done So likewise that universall desolation of Amaleke 1 Sam. 15. 3. and that of Edom Obediah ver 10. Both which Nations were wholly destroyed as well young as old children as parents for the iniquitie done not by them but by their Progenitors to the people of God many ages before they had any being Touch not mine anointed that is my chosen saith God and do my Prophets no harme God will not endure that his people shall be vexed and troubled in the way of his worship this was the ruine of Pharaoh and of all his hoste and shall be of the stoutest Prince or Potentate under the Sunne and of all his force Psal 76. 12. if he will not let Israel go to worship the Lord their God even Kings will he reprove for their sake Psal 105. 14. Amongst our selves is it not a Law and held for reason that he who seeks to ruine an innocent posterity should have his innocent posteritie ruined this is also ratified by Gods Word Because Agags sword had made women childlesse therefore shall Agags mother be childlesse amongst women 1 Sam. 15. 31. And thus was it done to Haman Esther 9. 10. he and all his sonnes perished and his goods were given to others yet he alone contrived that lethall plot against the Jews Esth 3. 8. 9. And truly it is equivolent to the rule of proportion that what measure they meet unto others should be meted unto them again this even dealing was Adonibezeks portion Judg. 1. 7. True it is there is some exception in that of Amaziah 1 King 14. 6. But it is where the wrong is personall not Nationall and principally concerning man not God But perhaps my Author here meaneth not this manner of suffering but that for the faults of these Bishops future posteritie should be deprived of the like state and preferment power and revenews Truly custome is no sound plea for the continuance of an evill cause And seeing these men have usurped the place and authoritie not due unto them and have enjoyed more wealth and honour then hath been fit or profitable for them all which meerly tend to insnare and corrupt men of holy function fraighting them full as experience plainly proveth with all manner of pride and insolence impietie and idlenesse It cannot be adjudged either improvidence or injustice to abolish these exorbitant usurpations of honour authority and power in them and to convert their superabundant rents and revenews to some more necessarie and pious uses that so the like enormities which in these persons have by these means hitherto accrewed may in succeeding ages be prevented And this can be no suffering to the future generation because they are spoiled of nothing But this I humbly refer to them whom it doth more principally as Judges concern Onely thus much for answer herein to my Author and so I come to his other matter I deny not but there have been godly b Bishops and many of them Martyrs but not because they were Bishops * Nor for the Service Book though sir Ed. Deering implyeth so and the martyrdome of those men doth no more hallow and uphold their standing therefore then Naamans conversion doth justifie his Idolatrous action 2 King 5. 17 18. or Luthers persecution and * For a man may be martyred living martyrdome his idolatrous transubstantiation And in charitie I will hope with him though few tokens appeare in assurance that there are some of them still godly Protestants But as he will not have the impietie of the person to abrogate the c office So I hope the pretended piety of the person shall not justifie the impietie of the office And as for the conviction of his d conscience it is a work onely proper to Gods holy Spirit and when he comes into his heart he will convince him Joh. 16. 8. In the mean time I will do my good will to inform him And so I proceed to his own words fol. 8. viz. Secondly though time of e prosperitie hath made some of them The Author guiltie of f foule offences and it may be with the children of Israel they have not worshipped the true God as they ought and have inclined to Idolatry and thereby justly provoked the Almighty to wrath and indignation against them Yet I am perswaded that for the very execution of their h office and the g Ecclesiasticall Laws for the k unity and peace of the Church they suffer instrumentally by divers ill l affected to government or by such as have been punished by them for doing i contrary thereunto and if the like proceedings may be suffered against all m Judges and other n executioners of the Laws of the Kingdom there shall be no o secure execution of the Laws against offenders and so we shall live lawlesse and let in all manner of disorder and vice murther rapine and the like Those Bishops rather under correction that have done contrary p to the Law are to be punished by the Law on due and true proofs and not according to your wils In this instance and what followeth you may plainly see Answer what stamp my Author is of what I all the way feared he hath here verified For he is a worshipper of the great gods of these times the ambitious Prelates who lifted up themselves above all that is called God But as they have been exalted so blessed be God have they lately been humbled But he saith that e prosperity hath made them faulty it is true For many of them before they were Bishops were daily and diligent fishermen drawing many unto God but having caught what they fished for the world and preferment they presently left both their nets and the waters their Ministerie and the Word and forthwith fell to drive men from God with Demas giving themselves up to the present world Howbeit in as much as their exuberancy of wealth and lordly power instead of advancing them forward hath become an impediment to the discharge of their duties and are the chief means to canker and corrupt them the grave and gracious Parliament I beleeve as is most meet will impaire and lessen them that being rid of so great a clog they may the better gird up the loyns of their minds and be more watchfull and sober And I pray note that my Author himself pronounceth them f foule offenders false worshippers of God and idolatrous a thing which themselves vile
deserved a bitter curse for not coming forth to help the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5. 23. a place considerable Much more then deserve they to be cursed that help against the Lord and take part with the mighty against his people Even so let thine enemies perish O Lord But they that love him shall be as the Sun when he riseth in his strength And so I return to the words of mine Author as followeth fol. 11. viz. I am to judge charitably of the z actions and intentions of my The Author Governours what I think a peradventure is for my hurt may be b intended at leastwise turned to my good I must walk by the c rule of Gods Word and follow the d examples and precepts of my Saviour To pray for them that hate me and do good to them that persecute me and not to forget to pray for all that are in authoritie that I may live a godly life under them in all peace and quietnesse Why may I not suspect that this long enjoyment of the Gospel in peace and plenty hath produced e ill effects in me as well as in my governours But be my governours what they will I have learned to obey all their f lawfull commands and g thank God that I may live under so happy a command If they command me to do no otherwise then what is just and right I must and will willingly do it neither dare I h neglect my duty to them though they forget theirs to me For their offences and neglects to me shall not excuse me to God for them for my offences and non performances of mine to either of them We are not onely to judge charitably of the z actions and Answer intentions of our governours but of the actions and intentions of other men also yet with this proviso that they be not obstinate and persist not in their actions and intentions when as they see or are informed that either in themselves or the issues of them they are evill and ungodly and that they do it of ignorance and misunderstanding and not of wilfulnesse despight and malice as many of the Bishops works and plots yea and of others in authority too have been and are proved Nor must we go upon a peradventures in cases so fundamentally adverse to the universall good For it is not peradventure but most sure that he which seeks to raze the * And by the Bishops and their faction the very foundations both of Church and State have been shaken foundation of an edifice seeks utterly to subvert it nor will any man be so charitable as to let him alone saying he perhaps may intend some better structure or other work to it Nor is it wisdom in any man to suffer a known evill if it lie within his power to avoid it in hope or meer conceit it may be well b meant or at least so prove This is a tempting of the most holy One. We know God turneth all things to the best of his chosen but ought not therfore his chosen to use the lawful means for the avoiding those evils which palpably threaten them or the State and Nation wherein they live or whereof they are members Yes sure Otherwise Mordecai and Esther might have done well to have sate still and said in secure charitie or uncharitable securitie sure Haman intends not such deadly mischief against us as he seemeth or howsoever it may peradventure turn to our greater good But they took another course or else they had been in a dolefull case and all their people And even so had we and this whole Land if we had not used the means God called us to Mine Author saith he must follow the c rule of Gods Word I wish he may for as yet in this he hath not to call evil good and good evil and the d examples and precepts of our Saviour who teacheth us to pray for them that hate us c. and for all that are in authority that we may live godly c. that precept of praying for our enemies is as I conceive principally meant as they are private enemies to our persons onely so prayed Stephen for them Acts 7. 60. not as they are publique and irreconcileable foes of Christ and his Church Anathema Maranatha saith Paul to all that love not the Lord Jesus And for praying for all Governours I agree with him provided they be in lawfull authority and with his own conclusion that we may live godly under them in all peace and quietnesse the which we must not expect under the Bishops That long peace and plenty under the Gospel hath produced e ill effects in us as well as our Governours is undeniable And we are all like a ship that hath laine long still in harbour over grown with the mosse and slime of corrupting securitie and what then Must we therefore any longer abide therein God forbid Let us up rather and be doing and the Lord will prosper us Let our sleeping Commanders be either rowsed or with supine Jonas be cast over board better they then the whole vessell the Nation perish And let our great Barke of Church and State be careined have her very keele turned upward scraped searched calked rigged and trimmed and so faithfully maned out again to the astonishment of our foes and the rejoycing of all those which are imbarked in her and wish well unto her And although the f lawfull commands of evill governours are to be obeyed yet it argueth not that evill Governours are to be tolerated And indeed it is well nay a Miracle and a man hath speciall cause to g thank God if his Governours being evill command nothing but what is lawfull But can an ill tree bring forth good fruit raro aut nunquam very seldom or do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles if it be so is it not by an overruling hand are not the wicked tethered doth not the Almighty turn their wrath to his praise and restrain the rest of their rage Psal 76. 10. yea and bridle their thoughts too But we have much more cause to praise God when our Governours be good men of courage fearing God and hating covetousnesse Exod. 18. 21. then may we with boldnesse expect both good commands and good effects and blessed are the people that are in such a case Eccles 10. 17. True it is that we must h do our duty and perform on our parts though the Governours be wicked and fail on theirs for their neglect shall not excuse ours every vessell shall stand on his own bottome Yet for such Governours as are not lawfully constituted and authorised as the Bishops it is a Quaere what duty is there due whether any So I come to what followeth fol. 11. videlicet Fifthly I dare not but look at the hand of God and not at the instrument The Author onely of my afflictions I know nothing can come to passe but by his permission I am
assured that i sin is the prime cause of all my sufferings and I fear that ingratitude in not being thankefull and walking worthy of those great mercies received hath been a principall cause why God hath shut the hearts of some of our Governours at this present as is much feared This whole argument is good and godly let the Devill have Answer his due and worthy of practise in all Protestants yet it tends nothing to prove that the Petitions against which my Author hath undertaken his discourse are unlawfull or that the authors of them hath therein acted any thing either against God or man And I do confesse that for the wickednes of a people God sendeth wicked Governors and that i sin is the prime cause of all our miseries But that ingratitude or other sin of the people is the principall cause why God doth shut up the hearts of Governours I do deny that is their own wickednesse Witnesse Pharaoh and Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. 26. Many people have suffered for their Governours but to my knowledge I never read that ever any Governour suffered for the people Saul the hypocrite dealeth falsely and slayeth the Gibeonites but the people endure three yeers famine for it 2 Sam. 25. 1 2. So David sinneth but the people are plagued 1 Chron. 21. 7. 17. For the sin of Manasseh the King was all Judah carried captive 2 King 24. 3 4. And were they not the high Priests and Elders that crucified Christ yet was the whole Nation therefore destroyed And that it is the Governors own sin that causeth God to harden them I further prove it thus They having a will to fin and no regard unto God nor unto his word therefore doth he in his just judgement give them up to a reprobate mind to do things that are not convenient Rom. 1. 28. 30. Had Gods Word been by Saul regarded Saul by God had never been rejected And thus fall they to sin the more freely and abuse their authoritie eating up Gods people as bread untill God by their hand hath sufficiently punished them and then doth he break those rods in peeces and consume them in his wrath for the evill of the people shall not excuse their ungodly government no nor extenuate their judgement And so I proceed again as followeth fo 12. viz. Sixthly I know God will correct his children for their sins and in The Author the exceution of his judgements on the world he will begin at his own house either to work out sin or to work in grace or to make that grace more manifest which is already wrought I know that the end of Gods correction is reformation till then if smaller afflictions will not prevail greater shall if not one kind then another if the sword of our enemies do not the swords peradventure of our own amongst our selves shall if not they peradventure the pestilence or the famine or some other shall sundrie of which sometimes come together to let the world know that our afflictions come not immediate from any one k secondary or instrumental cause but that it is from the will and pleasure of the Almighty so to order and to dispose it who will not take off his judgements as the effects till our sins as the cause be removed Herein likewise is nothing to be gainsaid Onely I must still Answer notifie that whatsoever is here alledged doth not justifie mine Authors clandestine aspersions against the aforementioned Petitioners and Petitions or any wayes condemne therein either their actions or persons That our afflictions come not immediately from any k secondarie cause who knoweth not Is there evill in the City and God doth it not Amos 3. 6. Lam. 3. 38. Yet this doth not therefore prove that such instruments as aâ—â— manifestly the secondarie causes of our troubles either justifiable or tolerable And as mine Author would not have us account the Bishops the immediate cause of our perturbation and affliction so I wish he would advise them not to take us for the onely cause of their shamefull fall and confusion but their own detestable impietie and abomination the which the righteous Lord hath justly brought on the heads of them to the astonishment of the whole earth So I come again to his own words fo 13. viz. Seventhly I dare not l use any unlawfull means to ease mine The Author affliction I know no better way then by m humiliation and prayer to God for a sight of those sins whereby I had provoked him to wrath and for grace and true repentance for the same and remission by the merits of my Savâ—our Jesus Christ And then to apply my self with all diligence to all lawfull means to remove them yet I am not to put too much n confidence in them I could never yet find any benefit by o impatience under the hand of the Almighty I have found more afflictions procured thereby and I am assured that the Church and children of God never lost by their p patient suffering What this man l dare not do I am sure as yet we have not Answer done as hath been plainly proved albeit he secretly involves our rebuke in his dare not For as not he so no man can prove a petitionary way unlawfull and other means then humble petitions and modest solicitations there hath been none used by us excepting that principall means of m humiliation by himself so much preferred the which by the goodnesse of our King and Parliament hath rather been president then subsequent to our other endeavours And I verily beleeve men have been so farre from putting too much n confidence in the use of means as that they have not given due credit to the promise of God made unto them For how many but a while since did even despaire * Witnesse every mans arming himself and standing upon his guard notwithstanding the means used And of o impatience who can reprove us what people have so easily subjected their necks to such grievous yokes as we have done and that not for daies but yeers illegal taxes impoverishing Patents forcible impositions popish Inquisitions cruell censures and bloody sufferings And now the waters are moved God hath sent his Angel to cure us shall we not stir shall we not enter shall we not lay hold upon so happie an occasion if we cannot make means our selves we may with the lame man at the pool of Bethesda sit still long enough there are none so charitable many otherwise to make means for us We have not with the traiterous Papists rebelled for our oppressions but like a woman with child patiently waited though in great anguish the Lords appointed time for our deliverance and it being come and we in pain may we not seek for help to the Midwife of our heavy burthens the skilfull Parliament yes doubtlesse lawfully and ready and willing are we to undergo whatsoever charge or trouble they shall enjoyn and put upon us so that we