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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76079	A declaration demonstrating and infallibly proving that all malignants, whether they be prelates, popish-cavaleers, with all other ill-affected persons, are enemies to God and the King: who desire the suppression of the Gospel, the advancement of superstition, the diminution of the Kings prerogative and authority, with the oppression of the subject. All which is evinced by strong proofes, and sufficient reasons. By John Bastwick Dr. of Physick.	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1643 (1643)	Wing B1061; Thomason E101_8; ESTC R1900	48,987	64

honour Neither did ever the Jews account of them as Scripture yea to this day they reject them Neither for these reasons onely are they distinguished from the Apocrypha but for many others the divinity purity sublimity appears in the Canonicall Scriptures the futility folly and falsity in the Apocrypha are too too manifest and is there any man so stupid and blockish to think that this age wherein we live cannot distinguish or discerne gold from lead without the Authority of the Fathers There is a vaster difference between the Apocrypha and the Canonicall Scriptures then is between gold and lead Every mans reason will tell him an apparant difference between brasse and beanes But if any be desirous of Authority to distinguish them will not Christs and the Apostles suffice The very Papists that have not abjured all honesty and goodnesse do freely acknowledge and confesse that those onely are Canonicall Scriptures which the Apostles did either write or approve of But they did never approve of the Apocrypha The Canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament did in shadows and figures set forth that which the new Testament clearly speaks They did adumbrate the new Testament expresseth in lively colours one and the same thing They consent one with another and yeeld each other mutuall aid and help Now the Apocrypha do neither foretell the new nor are by their authority and approbation illustrated and declared Christ commends Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes as books without all exception Luke 24. and grounds his doctrine upon them but never honours nor graceth the Apocrypha with his commendations or witnesse How then can the Prelates without great contumely unto the sacred Scriptures say they cannot be distinguished and knowne from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers especially after the judgement of Christ himself is given and hath passed upon the Scriptures for the authorizing of them to be the word and will of God The Fathers as the learned acknowledge were for their times many of them worthy of honour but yet they were subject not to a few errors and often agreed not with themselves and are ever at variance with others and have been indeed the originall and cause of almost all the controversies with which the Churches are now tormented And therefore to conclude this point the Defendant saith that the Prelates are disgracers and contemners of holy Scripture when against so much light of reason and Divine authority they say they cannot be distinguished and knowne from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers Neither is the third Thesis and Position freer from impudency and outrage against the Scriptures then the two former In that they say the meaning of the Scripture could not be knowne but by the Fathers For in this they doe as much as plainly affirme there is an other way to heaven then by the Scriptures which if it be not a contemning and disgracing of holy Scripture then there never was any Nay if it be not blasphemy the Defendant knoweth not what blasphemy is ●and therefore all those that desire salvation and to go to heaven must come to the Schoole of the Fathers and not to the Doctrine of the Scriptures And how then will the poor people doe to be saved that never knew what a Father was Nay how did all those goe to heaven that dyed before the Fathers For the Prelates say that the meaning of the Scripture cannot be knowen without the Fathers and without the knowledge of the Scripture there is no salvation It is most manifest by these expressions of the Prelates that they with their untempered morter would put out the light of the Scriptures and make them not onely inferiour to all mens writings but a very pack of Non-sense for wheresoever there is any sense there can something be gathered out of it especially if it be so large a Booke And howsoever there be many depths in Scripture there is also great perspicuity so that according to the ancient saying as an Elephant may swim a lamb may wade there also But if it should be so as the Prelates say that without the authority and interpretation of the Fathers the meaning of them could not be known and found out then the Defendant affirmeth they should be inferiour to all other writings yea to every Letter and Epistle that men pen with understanding for they ever carry their own sense end meaning along with them or to what end are they otherwise writ If the letter that discoverd the gunpowder Treason had not had a match and light of understanding in it that Popish plot had never been discovered till by its cruell flames it had declared it self and by the funerall of the whole Kingdome had been made known and left those that survived and lived in perpetuall mourning If every Letter writing and book then that is penned with judgement carry its own sense and meaning in it and the books for which the Defendant is now questioned and if all Proclamations Letters and Edicts of Princes are easily to be understood and carry their own interpretation with them so that none after their publication may pretend ignorance dare any man be so bold and adaciou as to say that the Letters and Proclamations of the King of heaven an God of the whole world cannot be understood when notwithstanding David saith they give light and understanding to the simple and that by reading and meditating in the Law and Testimonies of the Lord he grew wiser then his Teachers and Paul that Timothie knew the Scriptures from his youth 2. Tim. chap. 3 verse 13. and notwithstanding all this dare the Prelates affirme that the meaning of this Scripture cannot be knowne without the interpretation of the Fathers We have great cause to praise and blesse God that hath so graciously afforded us better Masters to be taught by It is good ever therefore to listen unto them Let us hear now then what the Prophets Christ and his Apostles have taught us concerning this weighty matter and of so great consequence and let us follow their example and instruction which lead us into all truth and not to listen to the contemners of holy Scripture They send those that are studious of the wayes to heaven to the Law and to the Testimonies Esai 8. to Moses the Prophets and the Scriptures not to the Traditions of the Elders and custome of Antiquity And they that bring any other doctrine are not to be listened unto neither may we bid them God speed The Word of the Lord is the way light and lanthorne to our Feet which send forth sufficiently the beames of truth and shines so clearly of it self as it may be both knowne proved expounded and unfolden by its own brightnesse They do as it were lend lustre unto the Sun from a smoaking snuffe that from the mist of the Fathers would bring light unto the Scriptures God is the Authour of the Scriptures who is the originall and fountaine of all light and

A DECLARATION DEMONSTRATING AND INFALLIBLY PROVING That all Malignants whether they be Prelates Popish-Cavaleers with all other ill-affected Persons are enemies to GOD and the KING Who desire the suppression of the Gospel the advancement of superstition the diminution of the Kings Prerogative and Authority with the oppression of the Subject All which is evinced by strong Proofes and sufficient Reasons By John Bastwick Dr. of Physick LONDON Printed in the Yeare MDCXLIII The simply Portrareture of Mr John Bastwick Dr of Phisick sate Captayne of a foote Company A Declaration of Iohn Bastwick Doctor of Physick infallibly proving that all who desire the suppression of the Gospel the advancement of superstition c. are enemies to God and the King THe said Defendant saving and reserving to himselfe now and at all times hereafter all advantages and benefits of exceptions to the incertainty and insufficiencie and other imperfections of the said Information For answer thereunto so far forth as concernes the said Defendant he saith He doth with all thankfulnesse acknowledge his Majesties great care and zeale at all times for the maintenance and defence of the true Christian faith and Religion and the service of Almighty God love charity and concord among his Subjects and withall that his people and all loyall Subjects have great cause daily to praise God for the happy government they have under him and for that they may for futurity promise unto themselves under his Royalty and Principality especially when he hath so graciously made knowne his pious intentions for the good and welfare of Church and State in that his Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects of the causes which made him dissolve the last Parliament published by his Majesties speciall command in which Declaration pag. 21. his Majestie thus speakes For we call God to record before whom we stand That it is and alwayes hath beene our hearts desire to be found worthy of that Title which we account the most glorious in all our Crowne Defender of the Faith Neither shall we ever give way to the authorizing of any thing whereby innovation may steale or creepe into the Church but preserve that unity of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queene Elizabeth whereby the Church of England hath stood and flourished ever since c. These words and solemne protestations of our most pious King cannot but stirre up the hearts loves and affections of all his true loyall Subjects both incessantly to pray for his happy life reign and preservation and also to the utmost of their powers to yeeld all subjection obedience yea and their lives and liberties for the honour of his Crowne and Dignity in the number of which Subjects the said Defendant professeth himselfe to be being willing and ready at all times and upon all occasions not onely to lose his liberty livelihood and estate but millions of lives if he had them in defence of his Empire and Prerogative Royall and doth againe and againe acknowledge and that with the thankfulnesse his renowned Highnesses zeal and care for the maintenance of the true Religion love charity and concord amongst his Subjects and beseech the King of kings and Lord of lords long to continue him among us and to put into his royall heart to remove all scandals in Church and State which have beene such hinderances of the propagation of the Christian Faith and true Religion established in his Majesties kingdoms of the which he is Defender in his dominions and the right instruction of the people in the same who alone are most of the Prelates in generall and the Arch-Prelates in speciall being so farre from seeking the right and due instruction of the people in the true Christian Faith and Religion as the Information would infer as they spend their whole endeavours to take away all the possibility and meanes of instruction which is the preaching of the word that is onely able to save our soules and without which no man can beleeve or come to life eternall as thousand places in sacred Writ witnesse and among other that in the 26. of the Acts where Christ saith unto Paul Rise and stand upon thy feet For I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and witnesse both of the things which thou hast seene and of those things in which I will appeare unto thee delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith which is in me And Paul was not disobedient to this heavenly vision but preached unto all men that they should repent and turne to God and do workes meet for repentance And this was and is the onely way that God hath appointed to save our soules by for Faith commeth onely by hearing and this preaching was all that Paul did I came not to baptise saith he but to preach the Gospel so that preaching is the effect of all the ordinances and in another place he saith Wo be me if I preach not the Gospel And in the sixth of the Acts the Apostles told the Church That it was not reason that they should leave the word of God and serve tables and therefore they resolved continually to give themselves to prayer and to the ministery of the Word And in the 4. of the Acts when the Rulers commanded Peter and John not to speak nor teach in the Name of Jesus They answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge ye for we cannot but speake the things which we have heard Here we see the whole office and care of the Apostles was to preach the Gospel and this is onely the work taske and duty of Ministers to publish the same word of life And Paul set his owne example before them for his sedulity in preaching day and night and commands them to follow him in that and chargeth Timothie and Titus and all Ministers in them to be instant in season and out of season in preaching the Word and they that neglect that duty are no Ministers of Christ nor of the Gospell Yea the Bishops themselves and all their Priests as they call them as we may see in the Booke of Ordinations solemnely promise before God and the Church that they will be diligent in the preaching of the Word of God and publishing of the Gospel And for the better stirring of them up to that Duty and Office they reade the 20. Chapter of the Acts concerning the charge that was given the Elders and Bishops of Ephesus for their diligent preaching of the Gospel And in most of all their Prayers before their Sermons they beseech God to blesse the two fountaines of all learning in this kingdome and that he would

with many other arguments proved that Presbyters were better men then the Bishop of Rome if there were any difference The sum of which he desireth this honourable Court to take notice of that they may more ponderously weigh the businesse in hand and see the vanity of the Information And for the arguments in brief they are these They who are most obedient to the Precepts Commands and Prohibitions of Christ and do most diligently obey the Apostles admonitions they are and so ought to be esteemed more worthy and excellent thou such as regard neither of both But the Presbyters are more obedient to the commands of Christ do more diligently obey the Apostles admonitions then the Romish Bishops Therefore they are more worthy and excellent For the major no man can deny that knows loyall and obedient Subjects to their Prince his Officers just commands are to be preferred before Rebels and them that regard neither of both Now Christ and his Apostles have commanded That all Ministers should feed the stock of Christ diligently in preaching the word and administration of the Sacraments and that they should not be Lords over his inheritance Both which precepts and prohibitions the Presbyters do more exactly observe then Romish Bishops for they neither preach themselves nor will let others and are Lords over Christs inheritance which the Lord Jesus and his Apostles have peremptorily forbid Ergo the Presbyters are more worthy then Romish Bishops Againe That name which is and hath ever been a name and title of dignity and honour is to be preferred before that which is a name of pain labour sollicitude But the name of Presbyter or Senior is and hath been ever a name of honour and dignity and a title of mighty Emperours and Princes and the name of Bishop is a name and title of labour and travell Ergo the title and name of Presbyter is to be preferred before that of the Romish Bishops For the major none that are truly noble and learned can deny And for the minor to omit many other places it will evidently appeare to any that will look upon 1 Tim. 5. There the Apostle saith The Presbyters that rule well are worthy of double honour So that it is apparent enough That honour and dignity is contained in that name which deserveth both reward reverence and respect And in the same Epistle the Apostle saith Rebuke not a Presbyter but honour him as a Father and speaking of Bishops he saith He that desireth the Office of a Bishop desireth a good work He saith indeed a good work but a work notwithstanding full of care watchfulnesse toile and labour From all which it is ratified That the name and title of Presbyter is a name full of dignity honour and splendour and the title of Bishop a compellation or name full of labour anhelation and solicitude and therefore to be preferred before the title of Bishop being far more excellent Again That name which whensoever it is joyned with the name of Bishop hath alwayes the first place and precedencie that name is most excellent But the name of Presbyter when it is joyned with the title of Bishop hath ever the precedencie Ergo it is to be preferred before it For the major the adversaries cannot deny it For they conclude and the precedencie and preeminencie of Peter before the other Apostles because he is often first named And for the minor the word of God declares it illustriously as may be seene in the 20. of the Acts and the first of Titus and the fifth Chapter of the first of Peter In all which places the names of Presbyter and Bishop being joyned together Presbyter is ever first named To all this Peter calls himselfe a Presbyter The same doth Saint John as if all Ecclesiasticall dignity were placed in that name But there are many Arguments yet remaining to prove the dignity of Presbyters to be above that of Bishops if there be any difference between them For They to whom in the most difficult controversies of the Church and greatest dissentions the Primitive Christians had ever recourse and who the Spirit of God did in a speciall manner assist and who made Decrees by which the Church of God to this day is to be regulated and governed and who the Apostles themselves made their sociates and companions in both Generall and Provinciall Councels and the which had the next place unto the Apostles in their Assemblies they are more worthy and to be had in greater honour and veneration thou the other Ministers of the Church which are neither by name nor place knowne in those holy meetings But the Presbyters are such and Therefore the Presbyters are more worthy and excellent then Bishops As for the major the adversaries cannot doubt of that which bestow dignity and honour upon their Bishops according to the place and degree they had in the first Councels And for the minor none can doubt of it who hath read Acts 15. and Acts 20. But they that desire to be satisfied concerning this Argument at large the Defendant desireth would read any of his books Lastly That the dignity of the Presbyters may yet appear above the title of Bishops it is thus evident Those to whom the keys of the Kingdom of heaven by name are committed those are more worthy and honourable then those that have not that privilege But for the Presbyters they have the privilege of the keys granted unto them by name Ergo the Presbyters are more honourable then Bishops For the major no good Christian will or rationall man can deny it And for the minor he that readeth the last of Iames shall finde it manifestly enough confirmed and proved By all which arguments the Defendant did sufficiently beat down the Bishop of Romes authority and by the very light of reason overthrew it For if that every Presbyter be by the word of God as good a man as the Bishop of Rome if not better and withall if the Presbyters neither can nor may usurp authority over their fellow brethren much lesse may they do it over Kings and Emperours and by consequence and necessity of reason it followeth that the Bishop of Rome hath no cause to arrogate such authority to himselfe over the whole Church as he doth and therefore that his rule and government is a meer usurpation and an abominable tyranny over the whole Church of God and ought of all men to be defied abominated and abhorred with all his complices as impious and blasphemous against God injurious to Kings and Princes and nocent to all the faithfull members of Jesus Christ The recapitulation of all the which Arguments this Defendant thought sit to make knowne to this honourable Court that their illustricities might in every respect see his innocency who first exempted all Bishops that acknowledge their authorities from Kings and Emperours out of the number of those against which he disputed and secondly never by name fought against any other but Romish

all ancient truth and the vetust est Bishops and by the whole Clergy of England in King Henry the Eights dayes as all the Learned and ingenuous doe well perceive and know both at home and abroad So that if the Informers with the Prelates will make this book a libell then let them make holy Scripture the Lawes of the Kingdome and all the ancient records of learned Bishops libells also for the Defendant in that hath said nothing concerning the Presbytery which is not agreeable to them all And for the matters in speciall he is charged with the information viz. That he hath causlesly enveighed against the oath ex officio and other ancient formes of proceedings in that Court and against the Sacred Hierarchy and orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons preferring a Presbyterian parity before it And that he hath falsly and scandalously defamed the witnesses produced against him and falsly and maliciously taxed the High Commission Court it selfe and the Judges therein in generall and some of them particularly and personally with cruelty and injustice with want of wisdome and temperance and that they are perswaders of his Majesty to bloodshed and are upholders of idolatry superstition Popery and Profanenesse and further most maliciously and falsly affirmeth that Canterbury London and Ely are disgracers and contemners of holy Scriptures and falsly traduceth them and the rest of the Bishops for Traytors and invaders of his Majesties Prerogative and that in the said booke there are contained divers other unlawfull and scandalous passages against the established government and setled discipline of the Church of England the Bishops and Clergy and their proceedings which being many and of various nature is delivered into his Majesties Court of Starchamber To all which things that he is here charged with the Defendant will answer with what brevity and the best Method he can and doubteth nothing but whatsoever he hath writ in his Apology against the Prelates and their proceeding shall be made evidently appear to this Court to be most true And to begin with the things laid to his charge in the last place that he accuseth the Bishops to be disgracers and contemners of holy Scripture to be invaders of his Majesties prerogative upholders of idolatry Popery superstition and profanenesse All which is most true for so they are as he hath sufficiently proved against them in that book and doth here also adde that they have greatly dishonoured the King their Master and King James his Father of perpetuall Memory all which he will briefly declare and demonstrate to this noble Court And that they are contemners and disgracers of holy Scripture what can be more manifest when they say that the Scriptures are the refuge of all Schismaticks Hereticks as much as if they should say the good Laws and Statutes of a Kingdom and the Kings Edicts Proclamations are the cause of all disorder wickednes withall what is it to be contemners and disgracers of the holy Scriptures if this be not to say That they can neither be knowne to be the Word of God nor distinguished from the Apocrypha and Prophane Authours nor to be understood and the meaning of them attained unto for their obscurity but by the Fathers If this be not to contemne Sacred Writ then all Orthodox Writers both in ours and all reformed Churches and King James himselfe have accused the Church of Rome most falsly whom they prove blasphemous against God and disgracers of the Holy Scriptures for the same assertions as all their learned writings witnesse with innumerable Arguments in them for proofe of the same The Defendant desireth to know what it is to prophane and contemne holy Scripture if this be not to slight and vilyfie the Authority of it and to preferre humane authority before it which the Bishops did blasphemously saying that they could not be knowne to be the Word of God without the help of the Fathers when every page and leafe of those Sacred monuments breath a Divine Spirit and they are called the lively Oracles Acts 7. verse 38. as if the Scripture had lost his ancient lustre life and Divinity by its antiquity and were inferiour to all other things both Naturall and Artificiall When notwithstanding there is such a Majestie and Splendour in the Scripture as it dazleth the eyes of all those that look into it with his transcendent and heavenly clarity and brightnesse the eyes of whose mindes the God of this world hath not blinded yea under the very law when there was a vaile before the eyes of men so that they could not so clearly see into them as now Christians may yet then such dignity and excellency was discerned in them that at the first reading of them men cryed out the voice of God and not of man and tore their garments for very anguish and fear of the threats in them and never were so ungracious and impious to say How shall we know these bookes to be the Word of God for the holy Scriptures had ever such an innate and Domesticall light beauty and goodnesse in them and carried such testimony and witnesse within themselves ever able to declare themselves divine and holy and to be the very word of the everliving God that they needed borrow no help from without them or fetcht in humane witnesse for the declaring of their divinity There was no need to send unto the Prophets or the Church in old time to enquire whether the Scriptures were the word of God amongst any that were but any thing acquainted with the language of Canaan as is manifestly evident in the 2. of the Kings 22. verse 8.10 and the 2. of the Chron. 34. verse 14 15 19. where it appeareth that when the Booke of the Law was found by Helchia the Priest in the house of the Lord he knew it at the first reading of it to be the word of God the same did the King they were neither of them told by the Church or any Prophets or Fathers that it was the Booke of the Law neither did the King send unto Hulda the Prophetesse to know whether it were a true and authenticke Copy all this needed not it needed then no Godfathers and Godmothers to Christen and give it the name of the Law of God and holy Scripture as without the which it could not have beene knowne there was no need of any such thing or any humane authority for the proofe of that in those times all that were then true Israelites knew it by its own testimony to be the word of God and shall any man now think that the Scriptures are more obscure and dark and harder to be discerned by their own testimony to be Divine and holy then when they had a vail before them and their sacred treasuries of Divine truths were muffled up in so many tipes and mysteries Certainly this is not onely great ingratitude to Gods bounty but very contempt and disgrace of holy Scriptures that their most excellent

is the greatest cruelty that can be exercised over miserable men and yet this is the daily occupation of the Prelates of which the whole kingdome can witnesse how that they have made most places desolate depriving them of the bread of life the preaching of the Gospell and taking away the key of knowledge from them and in stead of true nourishing food they give them the huskes of Ceremonies and vaine traditions and idle superstitious observations Neither do they onely extinguish and put out all their shining lights but they severely punish those that seek it or go after it where it is so that if one do but go out of his own parish where he hath no preaching and where perhaps there hath not been a Sermon seven yeares together as there are many such parishes in this Kingdome he is forthwith hailed into their Courts and tormented to death and is not this horrible cruelty yea if one neighbour do but go to another and that but to hear a Sermon repeated when he dare not goe out of his owne parish he is immediately hailed into their Courts as a keeper of Conventicles and miserably there tormented and is not this also great cruelty Especially when any of their lewd parishioners may goe from year to year out of their own parishes a drinking and quaffing and that on the Lords day and holy dayes as they call them and have their meetings in troopes and great assemblies in drinking Schooles tippling there to the great dishonour of God and many times to the great mischiefe of others and the prepetrating of many sinnes and all such though they never heare Service neither divine or humane finde favour in their Courts and serve for witnesses against the generation of the just and those that fear God and they are esteemed good Sons of the Church though in all other things they be also never so impious Neither is there any law against those children of Beliall neither can any man deny this that knoweth any thing for the defenders of such fellowes and tormentors of the most godly And if this be not also insufferable tyranny and cruelty let every reasonable man judge In this information his most excellent Majestie is truely and deservedly commended that he is an enemy to Popery and all innovation of religion as his Highnesse hath often declared himselfe and that he doth daily frequent the Church and is diligent in hearing of Sermons And this most eminent piety in our noble King and Soveraign we his loyall though poore Subjects heartily rejoyce at desiring the Lord of heaven still to enflame his Royall heart with a zeale for the glory of God and the propagation of the Gospel and to continue in him an increase a love unto his holy word Now all men know that Kings examples have been ever the paterne for their Subjects and it is the duty of all good Citizens and Subjects to imitate their King in all wel doing and men use commonly to say Regis ad exemplum the Kings example is ever to be followed and it is his royall hearts desire that his Subjects should imitate him in that his piety Now what a great and unexpressible cruelty is this in the Prelates towards the poore people and how great a dishonour is done to the King in it that they will not let his Subjects be good for it is good in the King and highly commendable before God and men to hear the Word of God often preached and to be diligent in the hearing of Sermons or else the Informers would not have set it down as so singular a vertue in our Royall King and yet they punish this good in his Subjects and it is a cause of the utter undoing of many of them if they goe to Sermons and when they are found to be diligent at the hearing of the Word and the going to a Sermon into the next Parish when they have none in their owne is matter sufficient to mount them up in the High Commission which is none of the smallest cruelties that holy and pious men groane under to the infinite dishonour of God and the King and the needlesse vexation and molestation of his dutifullest Subjects who desire to follow in that their godly Princes example In Saint Iohn Baptists time it is said That Jerusalem and Judea and the Region round about came all to heare him running after Sermons and so they did after Christ And it stands recorded in sacred Writ to their eternall honour and for our imitation For all the Saints godly examples are set downe for us to imitate and we never read that any were by the very enemies of the Gospel in those dayes the Scribes Pharisees and high Priests molested or troubled for the same and it is said of them that they tooke the Kingdome of heaven with a kinde of holy violence and their diligence in hearing the Word is related and told of them as a thing very honourable and praise worthy and so it is very well related in the Information of our gracious King to his immortall honour and great praise and so it is and ever to be honoured in his Majestie and his example in this to be followed of all his obedient Subjects And is it not a transcendent cruelty then in the Prelates that poore Christians in our age may neither obey the Commandement of God who injoyneth us to heare in season and out of season nor imitate the Saints of old in their pious indeavours in building up themselves in their most holy faith nor follow the good paternes of their Kings and Governours but they must be severely punished for it yea undone traduced for it as evill doers If this be not great cruelty and tyranny it selfe in the Prelates there was never none for they rob them of heaven and earth and all other comforts in as much as in them lieth Nay which is yet more to shew their cruelty injustice unrighteous dealing the Prelates in the Baptisme of infants constrain the Godfathers and Godmothers there solemnly to promise that they will call upon them that are baptized when they come to years of discretion often to hear Sermons and to this duty are also the baptized tied Now when they are come to yeares of understanding and in obedience of their promise they made by their God-Fathers and God-mothers and perhaps being stirred up also by their exhortation to this good duty of hearing the Word if they goe out to heare Sermons when they have none in their owne Parishes they are first punished in their purses and liberties and then given to the Devill for this good worke which they notwithstanding have tied them to by speciall promise in their Baptisme and if all this be not unspeakable cruelty tyrannie and injustice there was never none in the world and yet this is the dayly practice of the Prelates thorow the Kingdome as all men know And which is yet more to be observed in the same Sacrament