of Gods presence and the snafle that curbeth the pride selfe-conceit and presumption of vnstayed spirits who oft times in repining against Magistracy are authours in their owne destruction Thus haue you heard how Didoclauius and Philadelphus doe tilt at King and Clergy now you shall heare another bird of that same feather runne the wild-Goose chase at Councell and Court taking aime through a false looking glasse lately framed by a Scotish Separatist and steeled or put in a rauing stile at Leiden by an English Brownist Specul bell Sacr. pag. 97. A forme-changing Proteus saith this new Doctor a trecherous Seianus a time seruing Abiathar a Statizing Achitophel a calumniating Doeg are the only Councellours but Constantine tryed his Courtiers fidelitie to him by their piety towards God but now a man truly religious is thought vnfittest for state affairs a The Doctors reason because they cannot say he is an honest man but with this conditionall if he were not a ranke Puritan The first part of this bold vntrue calumny deserueth rather the examination of a whip then of a pen or of a pillory then of a reply yet I wish that the fond foole the Authour should know that his Maiesty hath moe truly religious wise learned loyall Councellours and Courteours then there be honest men Puritans of his opinion in the whole world in which large circumference I doe verily thinke there is not one On the contrary I may truly affirme that there be few Courts or Statesmen in Europe or elsewhere can paralell none exceed either the fidelity or integrity of those in great Britaine if all be not a like affected or any otherwise enclined then human eyes can see or the wisdome of a wise King preuent God must be their iudge and their conscience their witnesse A runnagate that hath put his hand from Gods plough This Lybeller was once a Minister but did lately cōmence Doctor of physicke at Leiden and turned Quackesaluer is not to censure those whom he ought not to name but with honourable humble respect The brethren of his owne profession whom he calleth truly religious and whom in all his applications hee thinketh the only able men to rule both Church Court and Campe are thought vnfit as he saith for State affaires To that part I answer that euery good subiect hath great cause to thanke God that our King is more wise then to admit any into his Councell or affaires of State whom all men besides themselues know to be fairded with false colours of religion and more fit to be fagots for combustion of State then to be helpers in supporting the heauy frame of Empire because diseases of this kinde are hereditary to most of this family infusing from one to another a taint or staggers in their vitall spirits as if they were bitten with a mad Dog which frenzie maketh them vnseruiceable either in Church or Commonwealth but specially to bee vncapable to bee vpon Councell of Kings who are the onely barres that impeach their proceedings for this cause they cunningly labour to induce the people to condole their yoke of obedience cast off such fetters and purchase their libertie The reason which the Doctor giueth is like his physicall receipts which trouble his patients more then the disease for certainly if we may call these Puritans whom this lybeller esteemeth to be so King Councell and Court haue iust cause to take exception at the very name which is but a staine of Puritanisme for my part if it bee lawfull to iudge men by their actions I may safely say that he can neuer be an honest man to God and to his countrey that conceiueth such damnable thoughts farre lesse he that publisheth such hellish positions and that besides all other poysonable trash euery where intermixt in this Doctors bitter pilles this one Colaquintida so corrupts all his other drugs that it proclaimeth him to to be an impudent rayler a Pseudo-puritan or rotten hearted hypocrite and not a Puritan of which number I wish my selfe and all others to be if human infirmitie might aime at such perfection so long as it is clothed with mortalitie But thus it falleth out that as well the best men as their best actions set and performed on the conspicuous Theater of the world are alwayes attended and entertained with blacke detraction and calumnie the deformed Brats of malecontents ignorance or enuy who loath the Nectar-like drops that fall from heauen vpon sweet flowers and delight onely to sucke the poysonable iuyce of gall and wormwood Hence it is that factious spirits violently agitated with outragious passion of singularitie enuy anger desire of rule and popular applause are onely quiet in commotions Stob. apud Plut. peaceable in tumults happy in calamities disaffecting no lesse amicable concord then regal power and authoritie thereby offring vnto Gods deputies and their iust commands the pests and poysons of their infected and ill affected minds imitating those barbarous nations who in their sacrifices did offer the gall and vilest parts of their beasts What can we call the malitious censuring of sacred persons or designes but a kind of sacriledge and blasphemy both against God and Kings of whom all discourse ought to be full of Religion reuerence and respect O mercifull God! what wit is able to sound the depth of those dangerous euils whereinto the malitious nature of scismaticall sedition vailed with religion is able to sinke it selfe rather then to acknowledge error in those things which it hath taken vpon it to defend Course of conformitie pag. 88. against the streame of publike resolution ranked in the eyes of singularitie with the most tyrannous gouernement that euer did see the Sun Miserum est peccare miserius delectari miserrimum excusare tum demum consumata amentia est cum ad studium malum opinio quedam pietatis accesserit The motto of Iacke Straw Wyat Kett was viuat Euangeliū now the pretext of conscience is a cullour of disobedience to euery casheerd Leuite or ignorant consistorian whose studies are by wresting Scripture to destroy vnitie beget a scisme in the hearts or subiects and make it their common place in writings discourse or in the Pulpit to leape from the liues of their flockes to enueigh against gouernment and presumptuously incroach without all reuerence vpon the affaires of Princes as they were able to demolish the walles of the Church shake the foundations of the State and liue Libertines without controlement When authoritie commaundeth any thing that is to be presumed not against but for aduancement of Religion I would gladly know who is to be confer whether the things commanded be lawfull or not or whether some singular contentious or malecontented spirits transported with wrong ends may oppose the Church in his Maiesties lawes giuing life vnto them If Authoritie at any time swerue from the strict obseruance of religion in its owne integritie in matters of discipline that remissenes ought to
what they can either by sophisticated wares false weights and measures or by any other close deuice sealed by yea and nay because it is a prayse worth part of their trade a mystery of their profession without which they cannot be thought to be good husbands or thought fit to deale in the world and for warrant forsooth they will tell you Mat. 10.16 with a whyning voyce Christ commandeth vs to be simple as Doues but wise like Serpents They are strict obseruers of euery dutie in the first Table which touch not the corruption of their profession but for workes of mercy commanded of the second Table they know not what they meane or perhaps thinke them superstitous though they heare God himselfe say Hos 6.6 I will haue mercy and not sacrifice They wil not sweare perhaps that is to open a sin for their purpose but if lyes wil 〈◊〉 their ill conditioned coÌ„modities they wil let none â—ye by theÌ„ nor none lye beyond them In a word they make no conscience to gaine by whatsomeuer course cloaked with a faigned show of deuotion The residue of the life allotted to this short taske should faile me if I should insist vpon the Antipathie betwixt their profession manners and life or if I should bring some of those best-masked hypocrites vpon the Stage I should neede no other colours to paint them nor pensill to delineate them but their owne but in distaste of the lauish scandalous Tongues and corrupted Pens of most of their profession I will forbeare and hold it Religion not to insult ouer any mans personall infirmities I loue better to point at publike diseases then to launce priuate vlcerous sores I haue no further ayme at any mans person then may conduce to the truth of this Subiect and vindicate wronged Innocencie from the inuenomed Shafts of forged Calumnie and Malice I balke secret Conuenticles Loue-Feasts Chamber-Exercises gauding Pilgrimages and seditious Exhortatories more vehement then if Turcisme or Iudaisme were set vp and Religion layed at the stake I could point at euery Mirmidon as well in their Presbiteriall as Consistorian Achilles at the Authors of the Instructions sent to Amsterdam for aduancement of the Catilinarian Workes of Didoclauius Anonimus and Philadelphus by what Conuoyes the brethrens Contribution was sent and who returned huge Volumes of seditious Libels printed at a dearer rate then the abaters would willingly haue bestowed eyther vpon Subsidie Hospitall or other more pious vses But I will not insist vpon those cauterized sores whose insensible estates I ought rather to condole and sollcite remorse then by vnfolding my knowledge animate authoritie so much prouoked and contemned Neither am I so vaine glorious apprehensiue as to thinke my selfe able to raise the least dust with other feet then my owne to worke vpon more excellent iudgements or with my weake Oratory perswade them to any course beyond their naturall inclination but if I should aime at what may bee obiected I should do no more then perhaps some would do if I were arraigned at the barre of their iudgement Therefore as it is no part of my secret meaning to draw any good subiect into contempt so neither will I set any fairer maske vpon the face of this cause then naked trueth will afford What I write is as far short of that which I might write as a shadow of substance scismaticall opinions from trueth bitter railing from Christian charity or a stopper of the shot which followeth Military errors are euer dangerous and oft-times irrecouerable but discourse curtailed or shrunk through want of instruction or meditation may bee regained by further search or lengthened vpon the tenter hookes of better opportunitie without preiudice of present inabilities What encrease scismaticall talents haue yeelded what confusion of order breach of the sacred bond of loue hath sprung from these contentions euery mans experience hath found the authors haue beene blinded with the beames of singularitie malice or ignorance and the world with pretext of zeale conscience and deuotion by them the sheepe haue beene taught to despise their Pastors the hearts of their Pastors alienated from the loue of their flockes Such wrangling hath so eclipsed the face of humilitie charity and common honestie that most men are now ignorant that the storehouse of the Church is full when she is rich in good works and when Christ her spouse is fed clothed and visited in his hungry naked and diseased members Our vnnaturall diuisions haue killed the vety heart of deuotion with-holden many zealous Pastors and dutifull subiects from the building of the Sanctuarie and the publike seruice Nehe. 4.17 or forced them with Nehemiah to build with one hand and oppose the violence of these times with the other The common people are so tossed betwixt error and trueth that their hearts are layed open and themselues made naked to receiue euery impression of corruption and vanity By reaping those bitter fruites of contention Separatists like blind guides straine out a Gnat and swallow a Camell they haue left the weightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercie and Fidelitie Math. 23.24 these things they ought to doe and these things whilst they contend about lesse they leaue vndone But happyer shall they bee whom the Lord when hee commeth findeth doing those things then those whom vnawares he shall surprise contentiously disputing either about those curiosities that are aboue heauen or vnder earth Res quam nec scire datum nec scrutari religiosum Flor. Scon. Embl. or about the outward frame of discipline and other friuolous questions so much agitate after publike determination In matters of the first kinde we are rather religiously to admire and reuerence those mysteries and secrets of Gods councel which he hath not reuealed theÌ„ fondly to looke vpon that Sun whose brightnes is able to dazle our eies perhaps depriue vs of sight if we approch too neere to those sacred fires whose scorching heate will rather consume then cherish our cold capacitie Vna quidem maxime laudabilis audacia hic nihil audere vnum acumen nihil cernere vna scientia nihil scire In matters of policie and externall gouernment questionable of the second sort it hath beene the wisdome of former ages to follow the wayes of peace to honour reuerence and obey next vnto the voyce of God the ordinances of the Church wherein they liued Si Ecclesiae non audiuerit sit tibi tanquam ethnicus publicanus But now Didoclauius and his brethren thinke themselues too glorious to stoope to so low an ebbe and are swolne so high that the walls of ordinary riuers are not able to keepe them within their bankes But glory be to God there is no iust cause why any man should hearken vnto the scismaticall voyce of exite or separate from the Church of Great Britaine euery article of whose faith is grounded vpon the sure rocke Christ Iesus and subiect to no battery she acknowledgeth no other
contra Donat. Both diuine and human lawes enable Princes to preuent confusion of opinions and scismes that infect the world with Atheisme and ouershadow the face of Christian simplicitie with selfe-conceit Tim. 6.20 schoole subtleties vaine babling and opposition of science falsly so called It is a fond arrogant presumption to intrude euery singular conception vpon the Church by railing and malitious aspersions and not by modesty and reason by which only diuine trueth will issue and be brought to light All contrary factious practises tumultuary motions and virulent inuectiues haue euer been condemned as arch policies to animate sedition and giue the vulgar people heartning to make God the authour of rebellion and themselues his deputies in the execution This assumed liberty dayly beaten in popular eares is onely a Circean song rather beseeming the hoords of Tartarians then commonwealth of Christians a paradoxe in which all Princes haue interest and an insolency incredible to posteritie if euery Aristarchus may censure euery Gracchus giue sentence or euery subiect sit in iudgement against soueraigntie They are bad States-men that vniustly take from the subiect to add to the prerogatiues or reuenues of Kings thereby they weaken soueraigntie depriue it of the loue of the people make the life of it troublesome and subiect to diseases but you like worse Statesmen touch the string of soueraignty with too rough a hand or rather breake it in pulling the natural feathers from it to enlarge popular libertie In aduancing this Anarchy you open a dore to all manner of euils which with licentiousnesse and disobedience rush into the commonwealth and make the great frame of soueraigne Empire vnproportionable vncomely and altogether vnseruiceable either for restraint of vice aduancement of vertue or for vniting of inward power against forraine force which are the main ends of royall institution The large and sure point of mediocrity is lost in the narrow compasse of your singularitie wherein few or none haue euer found it for if affaires bee not euenly ballanced without approach to extreames Church or State gouernment may erre vpon either hand and so fall into an anarchy or tyranny Fata si liceret mihi Fingere arbitrio meo Temperem Zephiro leui Vela ne pressae graui Strepitu antennae tremant Tuta me media vehat Vita decurrens via Quicquid excessit modum Pendet instabili loco As wisdome is the sacred worker of all things so is a modest carriage one of her chiefest effects arming the possessors with a wel composed orderly modestie as well to encounter the secret Ambuscados as open assaults of aduerse accidents Neither doth wisdome florish in any thing more then in the religious mutuall chast amplexures wherewith order vnitie and loue imbrace one another perfuming heauen and earth with a delicious fragrancy which shineth like a resplendent light in the firmament of the Church and common wealth Hieron ad Damasc Si quis in hac arca non fuerit peribit regnante diluuio si quis extra hanc domum agnum commederit prophanus est The sweetnesse of Musicke hath mastered mens fiercest affections and it is wittily emblem'd that harmony caused the stones of Thebes ioyne themselues in vniforme proportion of building If you picture or present to your selues the excellent blessings that will acrue to the cause of religion by the vnanimous ioynture of all true professors certainly you shall at once in the same measure graue in your hearts a religious reuerent respect towards that sacred bond of vnity and loue so much distracted by passionate distempers There is nothing more contrary to religion then that orderlesse anarchy sedition calumny strife enuy malice the rebels of heauen incensed by contention should be entertaind as most welcome guests to those who assume the sole title of purity But if you wil haue the world to be the Theater of your praises or dignifie your desert with so glorious titles consort your loue charitie wisdome and peaceable conuersation with those attributes wherewith now your actions show you but hood-winke the world In your long digging the barren desolate and vnfruitfull quarry of dissention you haue gotten nothing but vnseruiceable stones for the sanctuary and rubbidge of scandall for your selues but from the rich mines of obedience peace christian society you shall reap a golden haruest of those fruits of our faith which are onely able to direct vs towards heauenly Ierusalem O! then cal your actions to a reckoning examine the cause you haue taken in hand laying aside that bitternesse of gal wherewith hitherto you haue ouer-abounded and with meeknesse searching the trueth Thinke you are men and may erre Sift impartially your owne hearts whether it be force of reason or vehemency of passion that feedeth your opinions When you discouer the trueth seeke not to couer it with glosing delusions but acknowledge the greatnes thereof and thinke it your greatest victory when the same ouerruleth you Deceiue not your selues by thinking that staying 〈◊〉 our owne Countrey you may as well shake off your alleageance farre lesse inuest your selues in soueraigne Power which is a Note aboue Ela set to the Tune of Iohn Knox Geneuating in a wrong Diapason as some by running to Amsterdam make themselues Libertinos and Ciues alienae Reipublicae to their shame If others Separatists will follow their Sent or if perhaps their further contempt procure them a Mittimus or safe-conduct thither certainely the Church will be eased and the State disburthened of those vnquiet Spirits whose ensuing miserie will make them sensible of their vnaduised choyse in leauing Gods people committed to their charge and in prostituting themselues against eyther conscience or wisdome to bee slaues at least consorts to the impure Lusts of Iudaisme Sectaries or Schisme Neyther is it to be feared that the Nurseries and Schooles of Learning in Great Brittaine are so barren as Didoclauius impudently vpbraideth them that they cannot supply the Ministerie with Pastors euery way as able and in the point of conformitie to Gods Ordinances more fit to be Labourers in the Lords Haruest In your ordinarie discourse and in that poysonable Libell falsely entituled The Speech of the Kirke of Scotland you desire to haue a hearing that by reasoning matters in question may be determined and that the Lawes alreadie made may sleepe and haue no power ouer you till publikely you eyther confesse your error which is Aethiopem lauare or by sound reason draw others to your opinion If it might please his Maiestie vpon whose approbation the matter dependeth to condiscend so farre the cause of the Church maintained is such that it needeth not to shun any triall but rather appealeth to any solemne conference where in quiet orderly sort reason and not confused voyces of preiudicat opinions might haue place But certainly according to the reach of my slender iudgement your desire in this is but a glistring shew to dazle poreblind eyes and altogether dissonant from reason that