it was in dayes of our late blessed Queene albeit his Highnesse was more ready to graunt their request then they to aske it And nowe so many Sanballats Tobiahs and Geshems as there be Refractarie Ministers and Papistes deriding and despising vs labour to hinder our Ministery blaspheming the same either to be none at all or adulterate and very corrupt but Godwilling shal not preuaile And we still thinking that most of them do sinne of ignorance cease not to pray vnto God O Lord open the eyes of these men and lay not this sinne to their charge II. In the dayes of the noble and renowned Q. Hester all the Iewes should haue bin swallowed vp by the manny of Haman had not that vertuous Queene by aduenturing her owne life deliuered her people froÌ„ destruction But I hope the Suppliants do not thinke our Church to be in so desperate a state neither outwardly nor spiritually And if they do yet none can be so foolish as to beleeue it III. The examples of Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are altogither impertinent for neither had Pilate any reason to deny the buriall of Christs body being dead nor is the Ministers requests concerning Crosse and Surplice any thing of such importance as was the buriall of Christs body For it is not true that they contend about Whole Christ Iesus and the Ministery of the Gospell as the Suppliants here suggest 2. The Errour is threefold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VI. ARGVMENT LEt the great heauinesse of many a Mutato nomine de te Fabula narratur The Refractarie Ministers ought to haue had compassion on these Sheepe not desperately haue forsaken theÌ„ for Crosse and Surplice Congregations Men Women children Maisters and seruants of all ages and conditions be pitifully considered God regarded the weeping of bond Hagar and reprobate Ishmaell in the want of the water of this life Gen. 21.16 He graciously respected the poore women that complayning of the cruelty of their Husbands in forsaking them and vexing them by taking other wiues had covered his Altar with their teares Malac. 2.13.14 The Lord Iesus also pitied the people yea his bowels yerned within him to see them scattered as sheepe without a b Refractary Shepheards run away and forsake their flockes shepheard Math. 9.36 Mark 6.34 Yea he did graciously respect the petitions of many touching the bodily miseries of their children friends and seruants yea the sutes of some for bodily comfort of their children though themselues were not of the children of Israell but Heathen and Cananites little better in that respect then c Absurd The woman was such as that Christ himself testified of her that he had not found so great faith in Israel Read the place Dogges Math 15.12 How then should the spirituall miseries of many thousands partly already d And all by reason of the wilfulnesse superstitious obstinacy of the pastors themselues depriued partly like to be depriued of their e) Oh wonderfull faithfull that for sake their flock in the plaine field faithfull Pastors who haue broken the bread and powred out the water of eternall life vnto them and performed the duties as it were of louing f) Onely Christ is the Huâ—band of his Spouse Here the Suppliants blasphemously papize For I thinke they meane not this literally if they do they are surely very honest men in the meane time husbands and who by such Pastors Preachers haue beene turned from darknesse to light and deliuered from the power of Sathan vnto God and who now therefore in the want of them doe g) A lying Hyperbole couer the Lords Altar with teares and make lamentable mone as the Turtle Doue that hath lost her mate for helpe to themselues theirs against the present and future spirituall calamities how I say ought all these things to wring and wrest pity and compassion h) If the Refractarie Ministers be so vnkind and hard harted that they wil haue no pittie vpon theÌ„ they may be otherwise releeued well inough See the Answere from all in auctority towards them O therefore let not their mone and lamentation be neglected Resolution of the 6. Argument Many Congregations Men Women Children Masters and Seruants of all ages and conditions are in great heauinesse for their Pastours and do make lamentable moane for them Ergo The States of the Parliament must needes be Suiters vnto his Maiestie for restoring of them againe ANSWER I. To the Antecedent 1. IF the Antecedent be true as the Suppliants seeme confidently to affirme then surely the more hard hearts haue those cruell Tyrants rather then Shepheards that hauing no pittie nor compassion vpon those sillie sheepe desperately forsake their flockes ouer whom the Lord had made them ouerseers and relinquish their vocation for little or no cause at all 2. Those Congregations Men Women Children c. may cease to mourne any longer and comfort themselues herewith viz. that seeing their vnfaithfull and vngratefull Pastours haue dealt so vnkindly and vndutifully with them yet God be thanked the Lord hath store of good and faithfull Seruants which he will send forth into the Haruest who both can and will breake the bread and poure out the water of eternall life vnto them and performe the duties of faithfull Shepheards that will neuer forsake them nor runne away when they haue most need of their helpe II. To the Consequence 1. The Consequence followeth not from the Antecedent but this rather Ergo The Pastours must needs haue pitty vpon their miserable distresse and obeying the wholesome ordinances of the Church returne againe and comfort them 2. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VII ARGVMENT TO regard these Ministers hitherto spoken of is to regard the a) Is a handful of Refractarie Ministers the safetie of the whole land whole land For it is not to be doubted but that it may be spoken of them as well as of some other that they are the Chariots and Horsemen of England as the like is acknowledged for Israell not onely of Elia by Elisha 2. King 2.12 but also of Elisha by Ioash a wicked King of Israel 2 King 13.14 If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom 8.31 And if the Almightie be our defence as Eliphas speaketh to Iob Iob 22.25 We cannot but be in peace and safety Now God hath not promised to be with any for their defence but such as b) As if God never had defended any Pagan in case of Iustice and Innocencie But set this passe as impertinent to our question receiue his Gospell In the Ministery also of the Gospell consisteth the wealth and honor of every people Pro. 3.16 Psa 46.12 And the glory of every kingdome as the glory of Israell did in the Arke 1. Sam. 4.21.22 And the peace of Nations For therefore as well as for other respects the Gospell is called the Gospel
those Ceremonies altogether that himselfe had once instituted and did o) What Not any No Sacraments nor other ceremonies not ordaine any in their place then consider I beseech you in your godly wisdomes how much more it behooueth all those Ceremonies ordinances which we e onely in vented by man to be p) They wold bring Cyclopicall ataxie into the church vtterly removed having especially q) False They are as it were the bondes of societie besides other vses for edification no necessarie vse but being rather bones of contention betwixt brethren and children of the same Father Mother and coheyres of the same inheritance as also people of the same Nation and subiects of the same King and Soveraigne Yea consider I beseech you againe the more seriously how necessary it will be thus to make r) If the Suppliants request were granted in the Ceremonies yet would the Refractary Ministers be restles still vntil they had altogether brought in their New Discipline peraduēture more restles then also then euer they were before peace not onely because this peace will be exceedingly beneficiall as hath beene shewed to King and kingdome especially the common aduersaries so now combining themselues against vs but also because it will be a worke most acceptable to God For Blessed are the s Sound and solide Peace will neuer be wrought but by recalling the Refractary Ministers frō Schisme and faction vnto perfect obedience peace makers for they shall be called the children of God Math. 5.9 Resolution of the 16. Argument The matters in question viz. Subscriptiō Ceremonies the strict Obseruation of the Booke and other Conformitie are not of any necessarie vse but are causes of diuision and bones of contention amongst vs. Ergo. They both conveniently may and ought to be taken away ANSWER I. To the Antecedent 1. IF the matters in question betweene vs be but Subscription Ceremonies c. as here the Suppliants ingenuously confesse wherfore then haue they hitherto mainely cried out that their contention was about the Cause of God his Word whole Christ and his Gospell the Ministery thereof and Saluation of the people 2. Albeit we also do not hold Subscription Ceremonies c. to be absolutely necessary to saluation nor to be imposed vpon euery Church for why should not other Churches vse their owne liberty yea and our Church hath power to alter these particulars yet we know that some Ordinances and Ceremonies are euen necessary for the gathering of assemblies establishing of a Church and be as it were the bonds and linkes of society 3. Yea euen these particulars Subscription Ceremonies c. being imposed by the Church and commanded by the Magistrate are necessary to be obserued vnder payne of sinne seeing he that resisteth auctority resisteth the ordinance of God Rom. 13. 4. And that they are things indifferent in themselues and may be vsed without sinne wee haue proued at large in a peculiar booke writtē of that Argument Lib. de Adiaphoris 5. Now that they are become the bones of contētion causes of diuision among vs is very much to be lamēted seeing the free course of the Gospell is somewhat troubled and the common Enimie aduātaged therby But the faulte tests on thē who of meere superstition and grosse ignorance cannot finde in their consciences to embrace the holsome Ordinances and Constitutions of the Church not any way preiudiciall vnto the Gospell nor repugnant vnto the word of God but most agreeable and consonant vnto the same 16. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Crimen falsi II. To the Consequence 1. The Antecedent being declared to be false the Consequence cannot be true 2. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XVII ARGVMENT IN the next place that I may heape vp many things together and contriue many arguments into one I do offer to your wise godly considerations the works of God amongst vs his workes of Iustice his works of mercy together with the a) They mistake the Ends as those Gentiles did who offirmed they were plagued because of the Christians contempt of their Gods ends for the which he hath wrought them before vs and the vses which he would haue vs to make of them First therefore be yee pleased to call to minde the late mightie and fearefull pestilence wherby in all places almost of the land but chiefly here in London the Lord made heapes vpon heapes Doth the Lord chastise particular persons that he may teach them in his lawe Psal 94 12. drawe them neerer vnto him and make them more plentifully partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 Yea that they may be more zealous amend Reuel 3.19 And are not these as well the ends why he chastiseth whole States Churches and kingdomes as the b) It is true the Lord correcteth vs for our sinnes the Refractary Ministers schisme is no meane cause of our punishment sinnes of whole States Churches and kingdoms are the causes that first moue him so to chastise them Yea is not this the more to be considered because this rod of God doth still remaine and linger as here in Londō so also in divers other places of the land for doth not the Lord hereby intimate vnto vs that yet that is not performed by vs which he looked for frō vs Againe is it altogether to be neglected that he hath so mittigated this his severity toward vs as he hath And that he hath in part commanded his Angell to put vp his sword and not to smite so many as before he had done And doth not the Lord by smiting vs in such sort threaten that if for all this we shew no better fruites of amendment he will plague vs yet seaven times worse Levit. 26.18 By healing vs also in part doth he not admonish vs that if we do not yet repent but continue still to sinne against him a worse thing shall come vnto vs Ioh. 5.14 O c) This Apostrophe shold haue bin more fitly applyed vnto the Refractary Ministers yee that doe now represent the body of this land consider of this matter What shall I heere speake of our late great danger by the late most bloudie horrible vnnaturall and monstrous conspiracie of the Papists as against all in generall so specially against you that are now essembled in this high Court of Parliament Would the Lord haue every person to prouoke his owne soule to praise the Lord for redeeming his soule from the graue Psa 103.4 And would he not have the whole land specially you that are now assebled in high court of Parliament representing the whole land and in speciall maner delivered to enter into serious consultatiō deliberatiō with your selues what to render vnto the Lord for al his benefits towards you Ps 116.12 Though d) I will not descant on the Suppliants meaning in alleadging this example The wise may consider it Hezekiah hauing recouered health wēt first into the
A Consideration of the Depriued and Silenced Ministers Arguments for their Restitution to the vse and libertie of their Ministerie Exhibited in their late Supplication vnto the Honorable States assembled in this present Parliament By Gabriel Powel Genes 13.8 Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me for we are Bretheren AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Thomas Adams 1606. To the Right Honorable the Lords Spirituall and Temporall the Knights Cittizens and Burgesses of the high Court of Parliament WHereas the Solon or rather the Salomon of this age and Monarchie our most gracious and peerelesse Soueraigne hath according vnto his singular wisdome and sinceritie of heart by all good means laboured the Reformation as of all his Subiects in generall which refuse to serue GOD with vs in such holy exercises of Religion as are already established amongst vs so especially of such our Brethren in the Ministerie as emulating forraine Noveltie refuse to conforme themselues vnto the ancient approued discipline and ceremonies of our Church whom therefore his Highnesse sought the more earnestlie to reclaime as he loued them dearliest by some correction of their obstinacie by Silence and Deprivation according to the laudable custome and sanctions of the Ecclesiasticall Courts in this behalfe Now Right Reuerend and Honorable there are which greatly complaine of this moderate Severitie and both vnfitly and vndutifully terme it by the most hatefull and odious names of Oppression and Crueltie which they do as well in their private talke in their publike Sermons and writings as also in a late Supplicatorie Pamphlet directed vnto your graue Wisdomes wherin the Auctor is not affraide to perswade and prouoke your Honourable Court these are his owne words to intercede with his Maiestie that he would compell the Reverend Prelates of this Church to surcease their rigorous and cruell dealing who haue soberly and temperately carried themselues in the execution of such Decrees and Sentences vpon them as their obstinate Superstition had worthily made them subiect vnto By which boldnesse he taketh occasion so to complaine and crie out as if the Gospell of CHRIST IESVS were banished out of this Kingdome GODS worship prophanely adulterated and our whole Ministerie strangely corrupted to the eternall perdition and destruction of many thousand Soules Which grieuous complainte seeing it cannot be vnknowne to any that liue within these Dominions to be vtterly vniust vntrue I can but wonder with what face he could once dare to present it to the most Reuerend Senate of your most Honorable and iudicious Court. For howsoeuer hee might perswade himselfe that some preiudicate persons would affect his cause and embrace his accusations yet could he never have the least hope so to abuse your Wisdomes who of your owne knowledge are able to convince him of malepert Sycophancie and manifest vntruth Notwithstanding all which this Auctor fearing no rebuke or shame for his vnconscionable dealing as speaking from Cimmerian darkenesse by concealing his name is enboldened to offer it even vnto your Honors to prouoke you to become suppliants and Suâ—ters vnto his excellent Maiesty in behalfe of their cause or else at leÌ„gth to Determine of it your selues before you dissolue your meeting This Discourse such as it is I was commanded by some in auctoritie to peruse briefly to refute which I confesse at first I was very vnwilling to take vpon me notwithstanding I saw the great aduantage I should haue of my BrethereÌ„ in the defence and maintenance of a most iust and holy Quarell For besides that I was exceeding loath to intermedle in these domesticall Controuersies and indeed as Abram said vnto Lot Gen. 13.8 Why should there be strife betweene them and vs for we are Brethren I saw many excellent witts sit quietly at their studies being better furnished and more able to deale in these cases then my selfe who come so farre behinde them in all sufficiencie for this purposse And specially waighing my owne weaknesse I iustly feared to practise this kinde of pleading in so high a Court and before such Iudges whose wisedomes can so easily discerne any which come before them But on the other side when I had throughly weighed the equitie of the Cause the quality of my Vocation the necessitie of the Church and the dutie of obeying the Auctoritie whereby I haue beene enioyned this taske I presently resolued with my selfe to stand in the gap and breach betweene our Bretheren and vs and according to my poore abilitie abilitie to performe a seruice so iust holy dutifull and necessarie albeit I knew my Brethrens affections to be somewhat vnkinde and their pens foule and shamelesse But seeing it lieth not in our power to make them modest and peaceable and that we are called to serue God and his Church which we are bound to do in good and euill report in honour and dishonour in wealth wo in life and death I willingly forgiue them any iniurie that may be done vnto me for this cause and pray our Heauenly Father that of his infinite mercie and loue in Iesus Christ he will not impute it vnto them So being satisfied of all scruples concerning this matter and knowing no sufficient cause to the contrary or other impediment to stay my course I haue not withdrawne my selfe no not for the estimation and reuerence I must needs haue of the grave iudgement of your Honours which I saw I could not escape but haue deemed this Defence to be my most bounden dutie to almighty God to his excellent Maiestie to your honourable Court and to this whole Church State Wherefore I haue presumed by your Honourable leaue and fauour to maintaine against this Plaintiffe to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his Church and the honour of the reuerend Prelates in their most lawfull proceedings against such as by their schisme and faction disturbe the quietnesse both of our Church and common-weale Thus having in all submission and humilitie rendred some reason of this my doing vnto your high and Honorable Court I come now to ioine issue with my Antagonist not doubting but that your Honors according vnto your rare Wisedome and speciall loue vnto Iustice as you do in all other Causes depending among brethren so in this will giue equall hearing vnto both parties and without partiality and preiudicate affection will iudge righteous Iudgment that is simplie absolutely according vnto the trueth The Title of the Supplication ⧠Certaine Arguments to perswade and prouoke the most honorable and high court of Parliament now assembled and also all other in any high authority or in any grace and credit with them that are in high authority to promote and aduance the sincere Ministery of the Gospell as also Zealously to speake for the Ministers thereof now Degraded Deprived Silenced or Admonished or afterward like to be called into question for Subscription Ceremonies strict observation of the booke of common prayer or for other
to these that I haue here written for the further whetting of the zeale of those to whom these causes principally appertaine yet seeing these doe arise to such a l) Is a triobolar Pamphlet such a huge quantity or volume It might seeme the pen-man of this Supplication was the worthy Author of many of the late two leand Libels quantity I thought it best to spare the further paynes of my selfe and of the reader hoping that these which I haue written shall be sufficient so to kindle the zeale of them that loue the Lord Iesus and his trueth that they shal be so full of matter as m) Such presumptuous selfe conceipted Elibues are these malcontent Ministers who take vpon them to instruct such as be wiser then themselues Vide Gregorin hunc locum Elihu speaketh of himselfe Iob. 32.19 that their spirit within them shall compell them and that their bellies shall be as the wine which hath no vent and like the new bottels that burst that so they may speake to take breath and open their lips for answer of them if any such do shew themelues that do oppugne or shall oppugne the sincere ministery of the Gospell In which hope I commend them to God and to the word of his Grace A Consideration of the Preface IN the Preface by way of Anticipation the Authors of this Supplication labour to expresse their meaning more plainely and to cleare some wordes and phrases which otherwise might seeme subiect to missinterpretation and as they speake to vncharitable construction which cautelous dealing verily is most necessarie in this carping age wherein the common Aduersarie to couer his own shame for his rebellious and traiterous Positions and Practises lieth houering in the winde ready to catch at any thing that may aduantage himselfe and preiudice our cause And surely for my own part I am so farre from taking any exception against my Brethren in this kinde Of the obedience of Precisians towards their Prince that I verily thinke that all wee professing the Gospell within this kingdome of England howsoeuer some haue folishly made a breach diuision amongst vs about Crosse Surplice c. doe as hartily and faithfully loue as dutifully affect and imbrace our Prince or King yea of whatsoeuer Religion and are as ready and willing to defend his Person and Honour against all aduersarie power or treacherous attempt whatsoeuer as any other people or nation vnder the sunne Wherefore as I cannot allow the opinion of such as giue out that these our factious Brethren are as dangerous enemies vnto the State as the Papistes those Antichristian and bloody Traytours that neuer are faithfull vnto any but vnto the Pope and the Diuell So I cannot but worthily commend that memorable apothegme of that reuerend and learned Prelate Doctor Elmer of happy memory sometimes L. Byshop of London who when this question was debated in his hearing grauely answered If I were in the company but of one Papist I might iustly feare the losse of my life but being amongst ten thousand Precisians well might I be affrayde of my Byshoprike but neuer of my throate And againe An Apothegme of Bishop Elmer The one would cut my coate and the other my throate Neither doe I speake this absolutely to free such as be Refractarie among vs from all disobedience vnto Magistrates but onely from suspicion of Treason and Rebellion For otherwise it cannot be denied That Precisians are Schismaticall and turbulent but that presumptuously and wilfully they contend with the Magistrate impugning his authoritie in things indifferent and soueraigntie in Ecclesiastical causes though not in the same sense and degree as the Papistes do and also that they make a faction and manifest Schisme in the Church of GOD which all of them do for carnall respectes And why some because they knowe not otherwise howe to be maintayned but by depending vpon that faction some to gratifie their Benefactors and Patrons and to please their Friends some for discontentment and want of preferment some for giddinesse of innouation some for pride of heart and self-loue some for hatred of order and restraint of their libertie some still to retaine the opinion of constancy in perseuering singular and others of mere ignorance which yet is wilful and affected seeing they will not learne the State of the Controuersie which they are bound to know and therefore cannot be excused But two things specially may be iustly censured and taxed in this Preface whereof the first is that herein they haue quite altered the state of the question in controuersie betweene vs which surely argueth a desperate diffidence to preuaile in their suite by declining the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or speciall matter of difference For whereas it is confessed by themselues aswell in the very Title as afterwards in the Booke it selfe Arg. 16. Arg. 18. that the whole controuersie betweene vs is but about Subscription Ceremonies the strict obseruation of the booke of Commen Prayer and other Conformitie vnto the Discipline and order of our Church for this I take to bee their meaning which are but matters of indifferency and of smal moment in themselues Now they seeme to accompt it forsooth the Cause of GOD the Ministerie of the Gospell the saluation of the people the maine cause of the land of all the States of this kingdome and all their posteritie and such a cause as is to be preferred before al other causes whatsoeuer either cōcerning any particular persons or the whole Cōmon-wealth as if all Religion and Pietie depended vpon refusing of Crosse Surplice and such other accidentall circumstances The Latter is that they boldly presumptuously and vndutifully censure his Maiestie for coldenesse in Religion in relinquishing his former profession or at least for deepe dissembling in seeming to pretend one thing to intend another as if he had bin trained vp taught in the Iesuits schooles to Equivocate which fault would God some of their factiō followers did so little practise as his Highnes abhors it Whereas his Highnesse religious heart is euidently and easily discerned to be fully seasoned with true pietie and devotion aswell by his present sincere profession of the Gospell and vnfained loue vnto the Ministers thereof as also by daily effects of saith and a good conscience which as sweete smelling fruites do liuely demonstrate the goodnesse and excellencie of the tree But I referre the farther consideration of this point vnto your graue wisedomes onely it suffiseth me to haue detected the license of their raving pens the restraint of which furie specially belongeth vnto your Honourable iudicious Court Which questionles your Honours will the rather performe considering what an vnchristian conceipt they haue aswell of your Honourable Assemblie as also of all other his Maiesties louing Subiects and Seruants who loyally obey him serue the Lord of Hostes according vnto the Religion established as is manifest by their instance and allegation