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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48309	A discovrse concerning Puritans tending to a vindication of those, who unjustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name.	Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.; Ley, John, 1583-1662.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1876; ESTC R212712	47,271	67

this suggestion is utterly false and impossible for such as the major part in Parliament is such are those that chose them and sent them thither and such are those that now approve their actions there and both in the elections of Parliament men and in the consultations of Parliament affaires the Kings party is as wise cautious and vigilant if not more as the other party and no subtilty could circumvent or cheat them out of their votes if the Puritans were so small and inconsiderable a side as now they make them No man of what capacity soever can admit this it is to all undeniable that the blame of a Parliament is the blame of a whole Kingdome But I returne to my Ecclesiasticall Puritan Though it be true that Ecclesiasticall Puritans are fewer now then heretofore they have been yet it is as true that Ecclesiasticall puritanisme is made a larger thing by farre then it was being now spread abroad like a net to ensnare the more as our many late additions and innovations testifie which have crept into the Church as may be feared for the vexation and molestation of such men as were not disquieted with former ceremonies It is generally suspected that our Prelates have aimed at two things in the novelties which they have lately induced into the Church first the suppression of those which are enemies to their pride avarice and ambition by them tearmed Puritans secondly their owne further ease promotion and advantage Both these ends seeme to be leveld at in sanctifying the Altar and unsanctifying the Lords day in advancing auricular confession and corporall penances by externall mortifications and crying downe lecturing and preaching for if we marke it these new Doctrines doe not onely serve to terrifie and scandalize tender consciences and thereby to deprive and silence many painfull good Ministers and to scare away into forreign Plantations whole troups of Laymen and to inwrap the rest in opposition but each of these doctrines besides hath a further reach in it of benefit to the Clergie The Communion Table hath lately gained a new Name a new Nature a new Posture a new Worship that Emperours and Kings may be brought againe to take notice how far the persons and offices of Priests excell in sanctity the persons and offices of Princes Theodosius within one hundred yeares after Prelacie began to arrogate to it selfe was presently taught this lesson for taking his seat in the Chancell according to the Easterne and ancient fashion a Deacon was sent to him in great state to let him understand that none but men in holy Orders might presume to set their feet on that sacred ground This was then the Bishops Law not the Emperours nor knowne in any other of his Dominions but Italy onely but sure it was fit discretion that much should be ascribed by Bishops to that place from which they were to derive much and which would be sure to repay their homage with so great an advantage of homage back againe Preaching is now also grown too burthensome and the Lords Day to Priests according to that sanctity which Puritans allow it it requires too much praying preaching singing which are not onely to them tedious but also apt means to encrease and foment Puritanisme amongst the people Auricular Confession also is a godly devise to bring the Laity into subjection and to make the people bow before the power of the Keyes and it may aptly force the consciences of Kings themselves to feare the scourges of gowned men Adde lastly Mr. Wats his bodily mortification to Mr. Sparrows confession and then Laymen will be soone inured againe to finde out the fittest penances especially Praesbyteris aeris advolvi and so in time their purses their bodies their consciences shall all bee made sensible of the spirituall Scepter of Priests It s no great wonder then if our Court Divines and their dependents doe what they can to draw us neerer dayly towards Popery under shew of Antiquity Uniformity and Charity for without all doubt of all Religions Popery is the most beneficiall to Priests most tyrannous to Laymen Neither is it strange that they pretend so much zeale and devotion to the Kings Crowne and Prerogative as things now stand in England as if none truly affected the same but themselves for its cleare that they cannot subject the people but by the King nor the King without the people and so long as they stand possessed of the Kings good opinion no man shall have power to confute them King Iames is a great instance for Antipuritans and a great prop to the Episcopall Cause it s alleadged of him that Hee hated Puritans for their hatred to Episcopacie and loved Episcopacie for its amity to Monarchie His Aphorisme was No Bishop no King Let us therefore appeale from King Iames in their words to King Iames in his owne In his Preface before his Basilicon Doron his words are The style of Puritans properly belongs to that vile Sect of the Anabaptists onely called the Family of love Such were Browne Penry Howbeit there are others which participate too much with Anabaptists contemning civill Magistrates c. It is onely this sort of men which I wish my sonne to punish in case they refuse to obey Law and cease not to stirre up Rebellion But I protest upon mine Honour I meane it not generally of all Preachers or others which like better of the single forme of Policie in our Church of Scotland then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England which are perswaded that Bishops smell of a Papall supremacie that Surplices Caps c. are outward badges of popish errour No I am so farre from being contentious in these indifferent things that I doe equally love and honour the learned and grave of either opinion It can no wayes become mee to pronounce sentence so lightly in so old a controversie Since wee all agree in grounds the bitternesse of men in such questions doth but trouble the peace of the Church and give advantage to Papists by our division These were the golden words of that peacefull just Prince upon his second thoughts ô that they were now duly pondred and taken to peeces word for word ô that they were esteemed and understood in their owne weight amongst us that they might reconcile our present differences and that the same peace which followed him to his glorious Urne might still blesse these our times ò how contrary are these mild words to the unnaturall suggestions of Antipuritans Such as daily accuse all good men for Precisians and all precise men for Puritans and all Puritans for the onely Firebrands of the World thus aiming the King against his Subjects and by consequence raising Subjects against the King Puritans here are described both what they are and what they are not the King had been misinterpreted before writing generally of Puritans now to avoid all mistake he expresses himselfe plainely and definitely A Puritan positively in King Iames his

A DISCOURSE CONCERNING PURITANS TENDING TO A VINDICATION of those who unjustly suffer by the mistake abuse and misapplication of that NAME Vivere qui vultis sanctè discedite Româ Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse bonum MANTUAN You who would guiltlesse be depart from hence No guilt is here so blacke as Innocence The second Edition much inlarged augmented and corrected by the Authour LONDON Printed for Robert Bostock 1641. To the Puritan Reader IF thou art such a one as doest confesse thy selfe a Puritan as the name is now unjustly used thou wilt soon find in this short Tract that my indevour has been to do thee right but not to humor thee to take off unjust aspersions from thee but not to insinuate by flattery into thee An Ambidexter I would not be in two contrary factions by seeking to please both neither would I be a Neuter if I could avoyde it but in things where I dissent I will depart from both sides rather then from that which I think the truth I shall not use the word Puritan factiously as if all Puritans were alike to be imbraced but cautiously as if that difference and contrariety might happen amongst Puritans in England as did once amongst the Disciples in our Saviours owne Schoole Charitie urges me not to censure any man in particular for an hypocrite yet wisdome teaches me not to free all men in generall from being hypocrites such charity may well stand and agree together with such wisdome and such wisdome with such charitie but if I doe not at all scruple any mans integrity this necessitates me not therefore to ascribe an infallibilitie for if I can easily yeeld to hope and think well of all Puritans yet it ought not to be expected that I should yeeld my consent to all Puritans in all things I am free and open in declaring my opinion aswell against the rigorous and necessary urging of Presbyteriall as Episcopall Government in all places and at all times but I relye upon proofe not meere phansie and my proofe being enervated by my clearer judgement it will be a pleasure to me to retract Variety of opinion and understanding some say has place amongst those glorious spirits in Heaven amongst whom no other kind of discord can have place and even the Apostles themselves though inspired by God yet when they spake not by inspiration they were not desirous to lead captive the beliefes of other lesse-knowing men Heat and acrimony amongst such as dissent in opinion has done more mischiefe in the Church of God then any thing that I can imagine besides and certainly 't is not the meere love of truth but some other sinister respect that workes thus violently in the minds of men so naturally dimme as we all are For why should I burn with indignation against another because he is lesse understanding then I am or why should I so farre presume upon my selfe if I think I am liable to errour as well as other men can the meere love of knowledge make me abhorre ignorance more in another then in my selfe or make me arrogate more freedome from errour to my selfe then to other men Sure truth has more affinity with charity then so and charitie with humility For my part I doe acknowledge my selfe not onely subject to much ignorance but to much scandalous offence too my greatest enemie shall not charge me of more staines then I will my selfe I will confesse my self the chiefe of sinners and that not only in regard of sinnes past as perhaps Saint Paul did but also in regard of my present sinfull condition but certainely since sin and ignorance are such things as cleave radically to all men and must be accounted sortis humanae therefore to beare mutuall reproofes and to forbeare all bitternesse and censure ought to be professed as vertues and to be accounted Sortis Christianae And since I my selfe notwithstanding all my other defects do not glory in them but confesse them to my shame and since I doe not maligne the graces of God in rigid Puritans but rather rejoyce thereat I am persuaded howsoever I appeare to the eye of God no man living ought to despise me much lesse to expunge me out of the booke of life If God does not give me so much grace as he does thee wilt thou say He gives me not that which he accounts sufficient and if I am not in this or that so unblameable as thou art wilt thou say my grace generally is not equall with thine if thou exceedest me in all other vertues and yet art by me exceeded in humility alone wilt thou upon this proceede to censure me Puritans have not made themselves more inexcusable by any thing then by condemning other men for though they see not as God sees yet they will often undertake to judge as God ought to judge and in this they have not been greater enemies to themselves then to the whole state of Pietie and Religion It does not appeare to the contrary but that the Pharisee in the Gospell of whom our Saviour put his case might be a good man and his cause might be good to praise God for not leaving him to the scandalous excesses of some other men but when he would undertake to judge particular men more righteous perhaps in Gods sight then himself we know what judgement he received himselfe And if it be not lawfull to censure a Publican much lesse will I censure a Pharisee except alone in that particular wherein hee is himselfe censorious and wherein our Saviour Christ condemnes him that doctrine therefore which I shall recommend to all men both Pharisees and Publicans is to be Charitable to be Humble to be Charitable because they are Christians to be humble because they are men The Times have lately received a very great and wonderfull change almost equall to that of Edw. the 6. and yet still there is the same use of Charitie as was before Lukewarmnesse that odious and nauseous bane of Religion was hitherto decored and guilded over with the title of Moderation but now we are in danger to suffer in the other extreme for Moderation that blessed pacificall vertue is now likely to be as much debased and defaced under the title of Lukewarmnesse Both wayes Charity is violated both wayes Piety is opposed and what difference is it to Satan if he prevaile by which extreme he does prevaile whether he sinks us by a Tempest or confound us by a calme For a remedy of all mischiefes then let us embrace Charitie and that Charitie may dwell amongst us let us all learne to censure despise and abhorre our selves more and other men lesse hereafter A DISCOURSE CONCERNING PURITANS ITis a common Maxim amongst Politicians that a State is maintained by Accusations but ruined by Calumnies and therefore saies Marquesse Malvezzi Happy shall the Subjects be of that wise Prince which countenances Accusations and checks Calumnies for the suffering of Accusations to goe lesse in

sense is He which imitates Anabaptists in rebellion turbulence and opposition to Law and such are liable to Law but negatively a Puritan in the acception of King Iames is not He which dislikes Episcopacie or the Ceremonious Discipline of England This King Iames protests upon his honour though to his great dishonour He be now often cited to the contrary As for those which rellish not Bishops and Ceremonies or the English Policie Wishes them to be at peace only with those of the opposite opinion Hee himselfe vowing equall love and honour to the grave and learned of either side and not taking upon him to be a Judge in so old and difficult a controversie He onely like a sweet arbitrator perswades both parties to peace and amity I wish our Bishops would now stand to this arbitration I wish they would neither condemne the Scots discipline nor urge the English I wish they would put difference betweene seditious and scrupulous Puritans and not inferre the one out of the other I wish they would either disclaime King Iames as a manifest favourer of Puritans or else imitate him in the same definition and opinion of them King Iames further takes notice that the reformation in Scotland was far more disorderly then in England Denmark c. whilst the mayne affaires there were unduly carried by popular tumults and by some fiery-spirited Ministers which having gotten the guiding of the multitude and finding the relish of government sweet did fancie to themselves a democratick forme of policy wherein they were likely to be Tribuni plebis That the Crown might be disincombred of these usurping ring-leaders the King advises the Prince to entertaine and advance godly learned and modest Ministers promoting them to Bishopricks but restrayning them heedfully from pride ambition and avarice These things then are hence observable First Scotland differs from England in turbulent Ministers Secondly this is imputed to the iniquity of the times not to Puritanisme as if by nature the Scots were more inclining to Puritanisme then other Nations Thirdly notwithstanding that iniquity of those times there was a number sufficient of worthy Ministers fit for preferrement Fourthly King Iames erects Bishops Sees in Scotland for peculiar reasons and therefore He speaks not of Denmarke c. Lastly notwithstanding that peculiar reason He advises the Prince to be indifferently at warre with both extreams alike as well to represse Papall Bishops as to curbe proud Puritans For sayes the King the naturall sicknesses which have ever troubled and beene the decay of all Churches since the beginning changing the Candlesticke from one to another have beene pride ambition and avarice and these wrought the overthrow of the Romish Church in divers Countreys King Iames knew well how apt Churchmen had ever beene to abuse their power and pompe what enemies the High-Priests had beene to our Saviour and what a tyranny Bishops had erected over all Christendome ever since Constantine almost and therefore though he dislikes a Democracie in the Church as Hee had reason yet Hee so limits and circumscribes his Bishops both in power and honour that they might be as sensible of their chaines and fetters as of their Miters and Crosiers I wish King Iames had particularly signified what bonds and bounds Hee thought fit to prefixe to Episcopacie to preserve it from corruption and what his opinion was of a Prelacie so active in secular affaires as ours is now in England and how it would have pleased him to see a Metropolitan amongst Protestants almost a rivall to the French Cardinall The world in my opinion hath little reason to doate upon a gowned Empire wee have all smarted long enough under it men of meane birth commonly beare preferment with little moderation and their breeding having beene soft and effeminate in their malice and cruelty they neerest of all approach to the nature of Women and by the advantage of learning they extend their power and win upon others more then they ought When the Church was at first under Heathen or Jewish Governours which sought as enemies to ruine it not as Fathers to protect it they which were within could not live in peace and unity without some Politicall bonds so at that time there was a necessity of some coercive power within besides that which was without The world is now unsatisfied what kinde of power that was whether Episcopall or Presbyteriall or what Episcopacy or Presbytery was in those dayes Yet me thinks what government so ever then was it is not necessarily precedentary to us now The Episcopall faction at this day takes advantage by the abuses of the Presbyteriall and the Presbyteriall by the Episcopall and most men thinke either the one power or the other necessary and some more favour the Episcopall as K. Iames some the Presbyteriall as M. Calvin but sure the Presbyteriall is lesse offensive then the Episcopall and yet neither the one nor other of necessity Kings may grant usuram quandam jurisdictionis either to Bishops or Elders but the jurisdiction it selfe is their owne property from which they ought not to depart nor can without wrong to their charge committed to them For the power which God gives the Prince is not given for his use alone but for the peoples benefit so that since He cannot let it fall to decay without making it insufficient for good and entire government which is mischievous to the people he cannot justly lessen it at all And it is manifest that except one supreme head be alone in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill humane nature must needs be destitute of those remedies which are necessary for its conservation since power cannot be divided but it must be diminished to him which suffers that division and being diminished it proves insufficient All confesse some government necessary for men in holy Orders to whom the power of the Keyes belongs but some account Princes but as meere Temporall or Lay persons and therefore conclude against their authority over sacred Ecclesiasticall persons as incompetent especially in cases meerely Ecclesiasticall For this cause spirituall Governours have ever beene in the Church to whom some have attributed a divine right depending from none but God and subordinate to none but God but this hath beene controverted by others and no little debate and strife hath followed hereupon But it seemes to me that Princes do receive from God a spirituall Unction whereby not onely their persons are dignified and their hearts prepared and enlarged with divine graces fit for rule but their functions also innobled and sanctified above any other whatsoever and higher advanced then the sense of Laick or Secular will beare To Princes an assistance of counsell is requisite in spirituall as in civill affaires but that that Counsaile ought to bee composed onely of persons Ecclesiasticall or that those persons ought to bee invested with all those Ensignes of Honour and Authority which our Bishops now claime as of divine right seemes not necessary Clergy-men are