onely ground of our good hope that the Sentence will go of our Clients side for 't is Causa Dei that is to be pleaded before you this day and 't is God is the Client pardon the word for so it is God although de Jure the great Patron-Paramount of you and of us all that yet as the matter is used now adays is de facto turned Client and makes you now his Judges who one day must judge you all high and low Then as at that day you look for Mercy at his hands do him this Justice I beseech you give Audience without prejudice or partiality with Reverence and Conscience hearken to God's Charge Thou that abhorrest Idols doest then commit Sacriledge CHAP. I. Of the Sacrilegious Malefactor TO begin with the first The Malefactor he is described here first in general by his Titles of Religion secondly in particular by his Titles of Office for to all these in the Context the Text hath a plaine Reference Sect. 1. First in general he is described by his Titles of Religion for 't is a Religious Malefactor he is a Professor nay a forward one a Zelot described first positively Behold thou art called a Jew verse 17. and restest in the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word a full word thou so wholly reliest upon thy bare profession of the Law as thou art utterly careless (h) Aret. in loc Securè legi indormiens de reliquo nil solicitus mean-while of the practice of or obedience to the Law as appears by the Text and Context v. 23. Thou that gloriest in or makest thy boast of God you may please to save me the labour of application change but the Names and you may have here a full Character of too too many men in our Generation Thou pretendest to know the will of God v. 18. thou approvest the things that are more excellent or as the Margin reads it (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Original bears it Thou that presumest to take upon thee the Office of a Tryer that canst try the things that differ that canst try Religions and in pretense chuse out the best Here is a forward one indeed and that not only thus positively a Zelot of the Law in his own Religion as he is tearmed Acts 20.21 But negatively too a Zelot against the contrary Religion one that not only abstains from but which may seem the very Quintessence of Repentance of and conversion from a sin one that abhors Idolatry that stops his Nose at the smell of an Idol so the Greek (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an utmost stink or the extremity of an ill savour Vorst q. d. propter foetotorem aversaris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 execror Budaeus unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc 21.27 Omnis generis atrocia peccata that can startle or shake with horrour at but the very sight of an Idol so the German renders it (l) Der du einen grewell hast an den gotzen raubest heilige dinge a Zelot indeed and yet behold this is the man Indicted here by the Apostle as a Malefactor Thou that abhorrest c. as if Saint Paul arguing ab absurdo had said thus How canst thou pretend to be indeed an Enemy to Idolatry as long as thou art a friend to Sacriledge a sin in the appurtenances of it as directly destructive of the first whole Table nay more of both Tables in the nature of Theft also and therefore full out as bad as Idolatry 2. But this is one of Satan's Deepest (m) Rev. 2.24 Depths when the Devil can hold men no longer in an old sin he is then wont thus to ring Changes or to shift his Weapon when he perceives men through Constitution Education or Profession converted and averse from an old Error he perswades them to some other new sinful course full out as bad as the old causing them to mistake such an * The Devil's converts Hypocritical Commutation of a new sin for and old instead of a sound Conversion as when men grow weary of Prodigality he converts them to Covetousness instead of an old carnal Lust he perswades them to entertain a new one as spiritual Pride or Singularity or Envy and in time to exchange this too for Schisme or Sedition or Rebellion To avoid Superstition he perswades them to utter Prophaneness the quite other extream as (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil instead of Idolatry to give over themselves to Sacriledge And as thus in the case of particular men's Conversions so through God's just permission yea Judgment against National Hypocrisie in the case of National changes too or Reformation of Religion Satan doth sometimes inlarge this his Depth and as easily as single men misleads into it whole Nations whole Churches when they are grown weary of a stale Errour he presents them with a fresh full out as rank as the former only sweetned over with some plausible pretence of Zeal or of the Purity of Religion 3. This was here the very Case of some of the preciser sort in the Nation of the Jews for the Parties here Indicted are not Heathen or Barbarians or Scythians but Jews which is a name (p) Verse 28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly c. of profession Professors of the then supposed old true Religion or if you will as (q) So the French and the Italian of Diodati some enlarge it to the Roman Converts also the Professors of the then Reformed Christian Religion The observation will be still the same either way That Zealous Professors may be deeply guilty of foul sins in general of this foul sin of Sacriledge in particular 4. But ex abundanti to reconcile both these Expositions into one why may not the Jews and Romans here be both one such as were those strangers of Rome or stranger Romans (r) Acts 2.5 expresly called Jews and Proselytes some of the old Jewish Dispersions mentioned by St. (s) Jam. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. Orationem Agrippae in Josepho James then converted by St. Peter's Preaching and now confirmed by St. Paul's Epistle for that those Roman Jews mentioned in the Acts were but Sojourners at Jerusalem and not Dwellers there is plain from that Text well examined so that those Roman Jews might by this time be returned Converts from Jerusalem to Rome and be the men in part to whom Saint Paul here directs this his Epistle This is very probable but whether they were or were not Jews unconverted against whom St. Paul directs his Charge it matters not Dato nedum concesso that they were meer Jews here lies the issue Sacriledge is here made a plain parallel sin and of the same nature with Adultery and Idolatry Ergo Sacriledge is a sin still under the Gospel as much as Adultery or Idolatry or else St. Paul says as good as nothing to his main drift and
repeat the so many several complaints of your own Gildâ—sses of old nor of late of your Gilpins Ridleys Latimers Tindals Jewels Hookers Andrewsses and of so many more nor their several sad Considerations Prophecies and humble Petitions put as it were up in their Sermons and Epistles yet extant and directed to their several Kings and Queens even then when this Serpent was but a Scorpion in the Egge what then would all those Å¿ Bern. Gilpin in a Serm. at Greenwich An. 1552. before Edw. 6. B. Ridley in his Le ter to Mr. Cheek July 23. 1551. from Fulham among the Letters of the Martyrs by Miles Coverdail p. 683. Lond. 1564. Latimers Serm. of Covetousness Grindals Manuscript Letter to Q. Elizabeth 1580. Jewel's Sermons on Hag. 1. v. 2 3 4. and on Psal 69.9 Hooker B. 5. of Eccles Polit. B. Andrews did much finde fault and reprove three sins too common and raigning in this latter age 1. One was Usury c. 2. Another was Simony c. The third and greatest was Sacriledge which he did abhor as one principal Cause among many of the Forreign and Civil Wars in Christendom and Invasion of the Turks wherein even the Reformed and otherwise the true Professors and Servants of Christ because they took GODS PORTION turned away it to publick prophane uses or to private advancements dâ—d suffer just Chastisement and Correction at Gods hand And at home it had been observed and he wished some man would take the pains to collect how many Families that were raised by the Spoils of the Church were now vanished and the place thereof knows them no more See the Sermon Preached at the Funeral of the Lord Bishop Andrews by the then Lord Bishop of R chester Anno 1626. forty years ago good men have said think you had they been so unhappy as to live to our Sacrilegious dayes to see this sin grown to the stature of a full Dragon indeed 4. But lest these being but Domestici testes should seem partial in their own cause therefore we intend to cite none but the Masters of the Reformation abroad whom you shall hear crying aloud against the Sacriledge of the Reformers in their several times and places charging them with deep Hypocrisie damnable Avarice and what not and that under pretence of Reformation they did but intend nay practice Robbery in the Usurpation of those Church Revenues that were Dedicated to God for the maintenance of his Ministers of such free and full strains their Writings are top full 5. And yet to prove all this we will only single out one eminent Triumvirat of such witnesses as we are confident even with these men we are pleading against will be most free from all exception They be Luther Calvin and Knox as it were so many Delegates for Germany France and Scotland the Three great Foreign Stages of the Reformation 6. According to their Seniority the first main Witness we produce in the behalf of our Cause is Luther who preaching on that ample Text of S. Paul to the Galathians t Quoties lego Pauli Adhortationes c. This Testimony being prolixe we will only extract the most Emphatical points in it and refer the Reader to the Author at large Summa homines videntur degenerare in Bestias Satan horrendissimum malum hoc vehementer urget per Impios Magistratus in Civitatib Nobiles in Rure qui BONA ECCLESIARUM ex quibus Ministri debebant vivere rapiunt c. Tangit autem acu mores Nostratium qui securissimè nostrum Ministerium contemnunt Praecipuè Nobiles qui pastores suos sibi tanquam viles Servos obnoxios faciunt nisi haberemus tam pium amâ—ntem veritatâ—s Principem Jam dudum ex his terris èxturbassent nos Exclamant quando pastores postulant aut queruntur Sacerdotes avarisunt Insatiabiles Tyranni subsannatores Dei videri tamen volunt Evangelici Puniet Deus acerrimum odium vestrum in Ministroâ— Ferox Nobilitas Cives Rustici cum periculum moâ—â—is Instabit sentient Comminationem quam rident Deus enim non irrideâ—ur Sint illa PAPAE BONA per meram Imposturam coacervata tamen Deus Spolians Aegyptios hoc est Papistas suis Bonis tranfert ea in locis nostris in pium usum Non quando Nobiles rapiunt transferunt in abusum sed quando ij qui gloriam Dei annunciant inde aluntur Sciamus igitur nos bonâ Conscientià posse fruâ— BONIS ECCLESIASTICIS See at large Luther himself on Galat. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things you may call this the Ministers Magna Charta indeed irrevocable by any humane Authority or Municipal Laws whatsoever for I hope none of our Religion will presume herein to shake hands wth the Pope to pretend a Power to dispense Contrà Apostolum Luthers Gloss upon St. Paul doth so fit our Meridian in almost all the particulars as if it had been penned but yesterday here in England not a hundred years ago nor so far as Germany St. Basil somewhere argues that the Holy Ghost was no doubt very God because he was present at the same time with Habakkuk in the Field Jeremy in the Dungeon Daniel in the Den witness the Concordance of their Prophecies I stand not now upon the truth of the Chronology but only I do observe that sure there is somewhat more then ordinary of Gods publick Spirit in this publick Cause of the Church seeing that all these men of several Nations at that distance of times and places yet still consort in a Harmony however their Descant do vary their Ground is one and the same and all of them joyntly constant unisones against this particular kinde of Sacriledge namely the Converting of the Lands and Possessions c. formerly given to Superstitious or Popish Uses unto Lay-Uses and that also which is worth the observing after those Superstitious Officers and Offices Mass-Priests and Popish Monks c. had by lawful Authority not so here the Bishops and Deans been abolished But now * It is to me a wonder how those Declaimers against such alienations of Cathedral Lands can with any forehead produce such eminent Protestant Authors as bearing witness for them against this practice after the Offices be all at an end Cornelius Burges in the Preface to his Sacrilegious Book where like another Goliah 1 Sam. xvii 10 he bids defiance to all Fathers Canonists Schoolmen Protestants though never so eminent if they dare cross his way to his Mammon of Iniquity by Cornelius Burges his leave let the Witnesses be heard to cite them with their reasons will be enough to confute him To begin with Luther if you please but tacitly all along to apply him to Cornelius Burges his Case †A Case concerning the Buying of Bishps Lands with the Lawfulness thereof presented to his Parliament Anno 1650. as a Prodromus to his Book for Sacriledge you
to Publick Spirits when fairly Called to it evermore far dearer than their own private Ease or Safety we are not so weary of our selves but especially in these Censorious yea Cruel times wherein whatever be the Arguments the longest Weapon carries the Conclusion we could have reserved to our selves so much Discretion as either to have sate still or else to have chosen a Theam somewhat more indifferent or more plausible than the World we live in gives us cause to think this will prove unto the Major part that through the Witchcraft of gain or guilt are commonly obdurate enough against such kind of Arguments But yet this one Comfort for our share we are already sensible of that as now to God to our own Conscience and to the present Age this acquits us from the base humour of Temporizing Surely he were of a very weak apprehension that as times are now especially with us here (c) This Treatise was published by Royal Command in the Siege of Oxford Anno 1646. should suspect us of it So likewise hereafter this will clear us unto Posterity from a stupid nay sinful (d) Negligere quid de se suaque causa quamvis falso calumniose dicatur praesertim cùm id ejusmodi sit ut in eo DEI MAJESTAS RELIGIONIS NEGOTIUM violetur hominum est dissolutorum ad Injurias divini Nominis securè atque Impâ—è conniventium Juell Apolog. Disregard of that Cause wherein already so much of Gods Honour and of the Good Speed of Religion and consequently the Security of the whole State and Nation chiefly upheld by Religion is so visibly ingaged If for all this any (e) What do these feeble Jewes will they fortifie themselves will they Sacrifice will they make an end in a day will they Revive the stones out of the Heapes of the Rubbish which are burnt Nehem. iv 2. base Sanballat the Horonite or Tobiah the Ammonite or Geshem the Arabian shall mock at our Pains or think it too late or to small purpose now to plead Gods Cause he is ignorant of our End which is hut to do our Duty in order to Gods Acceptance and in hope of his Blessing To use the Means unto the very last gasp that is our part The Success is Gods part To him therefore we still humbly Offer up the one and wholly leave the other And who knows but for all that through Gods Grace this Poor Peece may yet do the Church some Service at least with some to Restrain if not to Reclaim if not here elsewhere if not just now some other time hereafter when God may send again Molliora fandi tempora Nay who knows as once Luther stoutly but God may still help us even now for all their Scoffs for Potens est Deus Mortuòs Resuscitare Potens est etiam Causam suam Labentem sustentare lapsam erigere stantem promovere si nos non digni erimus fiat per alios (f) At prosternetur bona causa per Iram Dei prosternamur simul nos SED NON PER NOS Luther Ep. ad ad Melancht God is able to raise the Dead God is likewise able to uphold his own Cause when it is falling yea to lift it up when it is quite down yea to advance it more than ever when it is once up again if we be not worthy of it let him do it by others But if any should be so desperate as forsaking his own mercy to say still what neither you nor any man can nor indeed ought to say that for all that Certainly Gods own Cause must down then I say as Luther still Let us also down with it our selves but NOT BY OUR SELVES AND THROUGH OUR SELVES Let not us any longer by a cowardly Silence or wilful Negligence be accessory to the utter undoing of our selves and of Gods Cause with our selves but resigning both to God let us all every one within his own Sphere orderly move to the utmost of his Power Policy and Perswasion For our parts to the very last we shall do what we must do what we can as long as we can and let the Unbelieving World think or say what it will whether we Ruine or Recover as long as we are but doing our Duty (g) Luke xii 43. Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing However for our Sins or Gods own secret Ends God be pleased to dispose of us or of his own Cause whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are a Rebellious House (h) Ezek. ii 5. saith the Lord yet they shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them And when they have done all they can against the Truth yet again in the end the Event may force them to confess that (i) 1 Esdr iv 21. MAGNA EST VERITAS praevalebit Meanwhile maugré Men and Devils (k) Luk. vii 35. Wisdom will be justified of all her Children As for other Petty Exceptions to Matter or Form as we hope every favourable Judge may easily digest them so for Instance If they say the Pleader doth here extend his Attainder of Sacriledge too far upon all Church Lands whatsoever and therefore this Work will be unwelcome to all Quorum Interest in general and may be durus Sermo too to some weak Consciences in particular His Answer is that as here he walks not alone who is supported of either side with Scripture and Reason for what he saith and backt beside with such a Cloud of Witnesses of all sorts both Primitive and Modern So for weak Consciences he cannot be so uncharitable to them as to suspect they will be wilfully weak still after competent Information and Satisfaction given them from clear Scripture and sound Reason and from the Universal Current of Purest Antiquity yea for the main of it of all Christendom to boot Take in Geneva Edinborough and all But some may think this Tract too long and we may partly thank the malicious Adversaries for it or too Confuse or too Marginal c. If we may be but thus much longer we can answer all these for the Truth is It was not written for them that say so not for them only or chiefly but for all Capacities that may be concerned in this Matter mainly for those who through Ignorance or Wilfulness or a mixture of both in an Argument especially so much against the Hair and because of Mens Temporal Interest in it as subject to Obscurity and Elusion as Craft and Covetousness together can make it have need of (l) Isa 28.10 Precept upon Precept Line upon Line over and over as saith the Prophet But again it may be we could not mend it neither who were so far from having time enough to Contract that the Printer can witness really we had not so much time as to Copy it so as we hope our unwilling Precipitancy shall be nothing prejudicial to the Cause
justly receive from those that had just power to give yet these stout men say they can do it and also they are ready to justifie it if not by the Word for here you see they are gone yet by the Sword Mahomets Argument far from Christ his Rule If you will try it once more Da illis posse velle videbis 10. Time was when your more just Ancestors were so far from challenging such a Legislative Power above God Almighty that in open z At a Parliament held 25. of Edw. 1. Parliament they utterly disclaim it and they ground their Disclaim too upon Scripturè saying That Lay men and there they speak of themselves as a Parliament have no Authority to dispose of the goods of the Church but as the Holy Scriptures do testifie they are committed only to the Priests to be disposed of Thus they but the case is altered now our great Masters though meer Lay-men may dispose not only of Church Goods but of Church Lands too nay of Church men nay of the whole Church it self as if per omnes Casus the Church were no more indeed but as all other Lay Incorporations a meer Civil Corporation all over that had in them nothing Spirituale immediately held of God himself however in all other Secular yea and Ecclesiastical matters too for Order as well for Conscience sake the Church as all other Lay Corporations in the Common-wealth must and doth notwithstanding all this acknowledge it self still subject to the Sovereign Jurisdiction and ARCHITECKTONICK Power-Paramount of the Prince under God 11. By this time all may perceive that this fourth and last Pretence by such a vast Legislative Power ad Placitum to claim a kinde of Omnipotency which is high Sacriledge indeed to dispose of mens Estates and to deprive men nay whole Successions of men how innocent soever of their whole Livelihoods is so far of it self from deserving an Answer that upon due Examination it rather becomes an Aggravation of the Injustice when men will thus a Psal xciv 20. frame mischief by a Law without nay against all manner of just Precedent for it in all Christendom yea in all the whole world besides The worst we wish them is that they would speedily lay their hand upon their Consciences and before their tearm be quite expired seriously Comment on that sad Text of the Prophet b Isa x. 1 2 3. Woe unto them that Decree Unrighteous Decrees and that write grievousness which they have prescribed To turn aside the needy from Judgment and to take away the Right from the poor of my People that Widows may be their Prey and that they may rob the Fatherless for if they should go on at that rate as they did once begin some Clergy-men a good many may leave behinde them their Wives Widows and their Children Fatherless and both of them poor enough God knows But then mark the end of such men what will you do in the day of Visitation saith the Lord and in the Desolation which shall come from far to whom will ye then flee for help and where will ye leave your glory and there we leave them also May all those who finde or feel themselves concerned in this Arraignment of Sacriledge lay to heart this sad Item for an upshot of a full Answer to all their pretences And thus much for Matter of Confutation sufficient again to Non-sute the Adversaries whole Plea This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first main part in the Matter of Probation CHAP. XI That the Sin of Sacriledge is a great SNARE and also condemned as by the Divine so the Canon Civil Saxon Common and Statute-Laws FOllows now the second and last part of all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Matter of Confirmation of our own Cause 1. Upon which we shall be the briefer because as occasion was offered and Necessity required we have already by a kinde of Prolepsis prevented the greatest part of it in the preceding passages all along as we were delivering Matters of Declaration and of Aggravation 2. But yet the better to distribute the Remainder of our Evidence be pleased to take notice that of our Clients side which you must remember is God himself we have yet so much Clear Scripture so much strong Reason so much Law of all sorts founded on both the former and so much Testimony of all Parties beyond Exception such a Cloud of Witnesses of all ranks from all quarters as may leave them past all Excuse and joyntly rise up in Judgment against them that after all these fair Evidences brought forth against this Camel the sin of Sacriledge will yet resolve to Implead or to Impeach God and the Church in their Rights and Liberties 3. As for the first kinde of proof by Scripture one notable Text more against Sacriledge we may not omit to acquaint you with and thus it runs c Prov. xx 25. It is a snare for a man to devour that which is Holy and after Vows to make Enquiry In which words you have both the Nature of the sin and the Danger of it 4. The Nature of it consists of two Acts 1. To devour that which is Holy That 's the matter of Fact as it were and then 2. After Vows to make Enquiry that 's the Plea or the pretended Matter of Right 5. Touching the first the Matter of Fact The Act is to devour the Object is that which is Holy As for the Act 't is expressed in the d From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word which is used Psal cxxiv 3. They had swallowed us up quick c. Original by such a Metaphorical word as is borrowed from Ravenous Beasts that will not admit of so much Deliberation in Eating as to choose or to chew their meat but for very greediness do swallow it up all raw yea quick and whole too as they light on it A fit Embleme by the way of our late ROOT AND BRANCH-MEN 6. 2ly As for the Object Translations vary only about the word for they all agree upon the matter 1. Some as ours read it to devour that which is Holy That is saith Cajetan on the place to appropriate Holy Things such as the Holy Tythes and Offerings and other Sacred Tributes due to Gods Priests and Cajetan is counted one of the best of them ad Literam 2. Some as the Original by an usual Hebraisme putting the Abstract for the Concrete reads it to devour Holiness it self to note again as 1. The decay of holiness it self upon the Decay of holy means so 2. That those who make no Conscience of violating holy things they may pretend what they will but really they make no Conscience indeed of holiness it self but miscere Sacra profanis is all one with them 3. Some as the Vulgar reads it altogether in Concreto it is a snare to devour Sanctos that is saith an Interpreter on the place
of the Revenues of the Clergy Page 58 CHAP. VI. Of God's heavy Curses against Sacrilegious both Persons Nations Page 68 CHAP. VII The Confutation of the fair Colours of Religion brought in to Varnish over the foul sin of Sacriledge Page 113 CHAP. VIII A full Confutation of Three Reasons of State or Pretenses of Policy for the Practice of Sacriledge namely 1. Justice upon Delinquents 2. Publick Peace 3. State-Necessity Page 130 CHAP. IX Of the King's solemn Oath at his Coronation whereby the King is Obliged as in Point of Honour as he is a Man so in Point of Justice as he is a Magistrate and likewise in Point of Conscience as he is a Christian constantly to Grant Preserve and Defend the Rights of the Church Page 168 CHAP. X. The Confutation of the fourth Politick Pretense of a Legislative Power Page 174 CHAP. XI That the sin of Sacriledge is a great SNARE and also Condemned as by the Divine so by the Canon Civil Saxon and by the Common and Statute-Laws of the Realm Page 188 CHAP. XII A Cloud of Domestical and also a Triumvirat of forreigne Witnesses Luther for Germany Calvin for France and Knox for Scotland all deposing against Sacriledge Page 198 The Recapitulation of all Page 212 Sacriledge ARRAIGNED By SAINT PAVL ROM 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge INTRODUCTION Sect. 1. IN the Primitive Church there was a Godly Discipline That in Lent notorious Offendors were put to Open Penance that by this Temporal Punishment they might be reclaimed and so escape God's Eternal Doom This wholsome Course our holy Mother the Church doth wish (a) At the beginning of the Commination might be reformed again till when in some degree at least to comply with our Mother's Godly Intentions it might prove very good Service to the Church and to men's Souls too if at such a time and occasion as this we also would keep our Spiritual Lenten Assizes as I may say If every one of us that is called up to this great Place and Duty would for his Task lay hold of some such one notorious Offender and Arraign him by Preaching down the sin which to a guilty Conscience may prove a kind of Penance also But if then every man's Conscience would joyn with the Preacher to prosecute the Indictment and pass sentence upon it and accordingly submit it to due Execution Ah how soon might such a National Penitent course rid this miserable Land of all those National Sins that have pull'd down these National Judgments which now are Incumbent upon us till we all King Priest and People sink under the heavy weight of them 2. However to contribute my service towards so good a Work as the Removal of God's Judgments from this Nation I have singled out one notorious Offendor that deserves the open Penance as much as any 'T is Sacriledge a raigning Sin that seems to want nothing now but the Ceremony of Coronation I mean the Consent of the Crown The want whereof under God's admirable prevention is as yet the onely Bar in Law that hinders this Tyrant-Sin from becoming an absolute Conquerour over this whole Church and Nation and then from triumphing over and leading away Captive this Eldest Daughter of the Catholick Church For to omit at this time our other National sins of all other sins this sin of Sacriledge hath proved the fatal Passing-Bell to whole Nations whole Empires Very Paynims by the dim light of Nature could see this truth would you think that a Virgil or an Horace (b) Horat. Carm. l. Ode 6. Ad Romanos Britannos De moribus sui seculi corruptis would impute their National Changes Revolutions and publick Calamities as to sin in general so to this very sin of Sacriledge in particular yet is this their own Observation Take it in a Natural Sorites The sin of Sacriledge is in the Consequences of it Delicta majorum immeritus lues Romane donec templa refeceris Aedesque labentes Deorum Foeda nigro Simulachra fumo Diis te minorem quod geris imperas Hinc omne principium huc refer exitum Dî multa neglecti dederunt Hesperiae mala luctuosae Virgil. 2. Aeneid Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dî quibus imperium steterat first a Decay and then at last by degrees an utter overthrow of the Service of God The overthrow of God's Service provokes God to a Departure There needs no other Evocation from without V. de la Cerda ibid. Plin. Histor l. 28. c. 2. Macrob. Saturnal l. 3. c. 9. The footsteps of all which Evocations and Departures you have Ezek. 10.4.18 19. Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the House c. God's departure from a Nation is alwaies the forerunner of final destruction So did Joshua and Caleb conclude the period of the Canaanites (c) See Ainsw on Num. 14.9 Num. 22.6 Neptunus in Troade apud Euripid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their shadow that is God is departed from them and the Lord is with us therefore they are bread for us c. It were easie to accumulate National Instances witness the whole Jewish Church and Nation translated by the (d) 2 Chron. 36.4.17.21 Chaldees into utter Captivity for this very sin of Sacriledge expresly and particularly for the Sacrilegious prophanation of God's House and of the Seventh or Sabbatical year and for the other Natural Branch thereof the contempt of the Priest the greater Sacriledge of the two saith the (e) Gravius contra personam quam contra locum Aquin. 22 ae q. 99. School witness once more the Great Babylonian Monarchy for this very particular sin of Sacriledge saith God himself (f) Dan. 5.23 translated within less than the space of an hundred years (g) The Sacred Vessels were carried by Nebuchadnezzar Anno Mundi 3360. and the Assyrian Monarchy expired Anno 3430. according to some men's computation from those very Chaldees to the Medes and Persians I pray God that in these sad Stories I do not read out unto you your own Destiny To avert it for our part behold a direct Bill of Indictment preferred against that fatal sin of Sacriledge by one of God's chief Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou that sayest a man should not commit Adultery doest thou commit Adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge 3. In this Indictment you have these two plain natural Parts the Malefactor and the Crime 1. The Malefactor is described by his Religion he is a Professor yea a Zelot one that abhors Idols 2. The Crime laid to his Charge is Sacriledge Touching which we shall deliver 1. Matter of Declaration 2. Matter of Aggravation 3. Matter of Probation And by that time the Case is thus argued out we shall desire no more favour than shall be due to the fairness of our Evidence from clear Scripture and sound Reason the two Master-Pillars of a Just Cause the