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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80782	An abstract of some late characters. Or, how the principall means appointed for our reformation is become the maine fuell of our wickednes. Laid downe in sundry characters of L. Bishops. Dumb dogs. Non-residenciaries. Men-pleasers. Unpreaching ministers, that edify to damnation, by their scandalous living. false wresting. mis-applying the Scripture. So turning the truth of God into a lye, that they may discourage the godly; incourage the wicked. In which the blind world may see, to their shame, how Satan guls them with a multitude of misprisions, and false surmises against the godly; that so he may barricado [sic] their hearts against all good. Necessary to be knowne in these times of discovery.	Cranford, James, d. 1657, attributed name.; Craufurd, James, 17th cent, attributed name.	1643 (1643)	Wing C6851B; Thomason E67_35; ESTC R7704	68,958	47

the Bishops when they prevaile which I hope will never be will Prefer them to a Parsonage worth Five of it Indeed some And those no Small Fooles at the beginning of the Parliament when they had not the hopes they have now have been so Sofined that they have preach'd Recantation-Sermons and profest with tears in their eyes that should the times change never so they would now be honest But they have presently Hardned againe and Fied to Oxford Such are the Parliaments-Converts Well may they turne to flat Popery and there stay if the times should turne but never to the Truth For they bend their tongues like Bowes for lies but they are not valiant for the Truth Jer. 9 3. Object But you will say Peradventure these Anti-Puritan Preachers I call them so Because they thinke themselves so though I could easily prove themselves Arch-Puritans if time would permit have something to plead for themselves And it were good to heare their defenses before we cashiere them Answer I confesse they will help themselves very handsomely with a Distinction Yea they have devised a world of fleshly Reasons to maintaine and uphold corruptions For they beat their braines and spend their wits to Deface GODS Ordinances and Establish their Owne Traditions And if ever there were any time in which our Saviour CHRISTS words were verified where he saith If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect It is now There be such Goodly Colours and Showes made and set upon matters to hold the people contented in their ignorance So that all is good which they doe As why doe they thus preach and raile against the Godly and their precise walking For sooth for the Publike utility and the Churches sake for the Peace of the Church and for Obedience and Good Order When they have as great a Care of the Church unlesse you call Episcopacy the Church as Judas had a Care of the Poore For is it likely That the Enemies of the Crosse of CHRIST should Take care for the Church of CHRIST Even as likely As that The Irish Rebels The English Traitors A Popish Army And all the Theeves and Cut-purses that are now risen up against the Parliament should Fight for the Lawes and the Protestant Religion I am sure Saint James argues otherwise Whose words are Doth a Fountaine send forth at one place sweet water and bitter Can the Figtree my Brethren bring forth Olives Either a Vine Figs So can no Fountaine make both salt water and sweet Jam. 3. 11. 12. But every age hath had many such Hypocrites The Scribes and Pharisees cry The Temple of the LORD The Temple of the LORD whiles they Despi●ed and Crucified the LORD of that Temple The Jewes colour their Envie against CHRIST with their Duty to Caesar And many the like And the reason is this Error is so foule an Hagge that if it should come in the Owne Shape Nuda Facie A man would Loath it If Jezabel had not painted her face she had not gotten so many Doting Adulterers These Wolves come evermore in Sheeps clothing Matth. 7. 15. Sub Pello Ovina Lupus Rapax As the Fowler by the benefit of his Stalking-horse murders the Fowles Many saith CHRIST shall come in my Name Nomine meo non Suo Not in their Owne Name For then their words would not be taken Every man is an Hearty Patron of his owne Actions And it is a Desperate Cause that hath No Plea Yea the more Foule any Project is the Fairer Vizor it still seeks Come see my zeale for the LORD of Hosts saies Jehu His Words were for the LORD But his Project was for the Kingdome And Comets make a greater blaze then Fixed Stars Those Monopolists that undoe the Common-wealth have the most Colourable Pretences to Benefit it But as CHRIST said Qui vos recipit So in effect Qui vos Decipit me Decipit Even the Cut-Purse when one found his hand in his Pocket and asked what it did there answered If I had not had more Care of your Purse then your selfe it might have beene gone But if Sanballat and Tobiah put in for building of the Wall they will Daub with untempered mortar And it will prove but a rotten peece of work For they consult to Cast down CHRIST from his Dignity They blesse with their mouths but curse with their hearts Psal 62. 4. Object But in preaching against Puritans they speak not against any that are Religious But against Non-conformists which deserve to be blamed being a people that Disturb the Peace of the Church Weaken the Sinewes of Discipline Are Over-Fiery and stirre up Contention Answ Why then doe they Cast the Same Aspersion upon those that have nothing to doe with Subscription As Noble-men and Gentlemen Yea upon the Great Councell of Parliament So that however they fit Scriptures to their passion and pretend faire It is a sure signe that their Hearts are full of nothing but Pure Malice and Venomous Rancor against All Grace and Goodnesse It is true They will neither acknowledge their Owne Faults nor Others Vertues And so would be thought to Inveigh against an Error on the Right hand Too much Precisenesse Opinion of Righteousnesse and the like But their True meaning and utmost endeavour is To Dash all Holinesse and Sincerity out of Countenance and to pluck up all Power of Religion by the Roots A man that Truly hates Superstition will not Presently Cast himselfe into Irreligion But Fix upon the Meane If Two Mastiffes be jarring betweene themselves when the Beare comes They forget All Private Strife To Assaile the Common Enemy So if these did not Degenerate from Christians they would sometimes lay aside these Particular Differences in judgement touching Small Matters and Set upon foule Sinnes and Wicked Practises as Swearing Drunkennesse Profanation of the LORDS Day c. But this they never doe or not to any purpose Whereas both in their Sermons and Books and Discourse they doe with strong Reasons drawne from the Wisdome of the Flesh Defend Non-Residents Double-Benefic'd men Men of no Learning and worse Living in the ministery with sundry other Abominations as Crosses Altars Cringings and the like Now I wonder what could be thought of the Pope if he being at Fewd with England and seeing the Turk begin to invade should be so farre from aiding us that he joyned with the Turk against us Were he to be thought CHRISTS Friend No surely Even so it is impossible that they should beare any Love to GOD or CHRIST when they are so farre from Aiding the Godly That they Take Sins Part the Worlds Part and the Devils Part against GOD and the Children of GOD. The truth is They Pretend the Church and speak of Peace and Terme us The Troublers of the State But they are the Sole-Cause of all the Ignorance and Impiety in the Land and of these wofull Distractions and Distempers now on foot Resembling those Infidels in the Primitive Church who would raise mutinies and

the blood of the LORDS people in taking upon them to be their Captaines and Conducters and yet have no skill at all in managing of Martiall affaires But why should I speake to these Commonly when men are Dumb they are deafe too And admit they be more then ordinarily sensible of their bellies yet the belly hath no eares And therefore I will leave them to their Judge who hath already pronounced their doome Ezek. 22. 31. Zach. 11. 17. Jer. 23. 12. 15 19 20. 34. Onely I will afford them the priviledge to lead the Troupe as Judas led the Souldiers Secondly for Non-Residenciaries and Double-benefic'd-men whose number is very great some of them attending about the Court some in Bishops houses some lying in London and some in the Vniversities they can and lest they should lose their livings doe Preach But withall they are so idle and negligent that it is but about once a Quarter or once a Moneth And then to little or no purpose For as they neither aime at GODS glory nor the edification and conversion of their hearers but their owne credit profit and preferment So their people are neither instructed in the mysteries of salvation nor any whit reformed in their Lives Indeed That may seeme to make them more excusable than the former But in truth they are more criminall as the servant which knowes and is able to doe his Masters will if he doe it not is worthy of double stripes Neither are they lesse guilty of the peoples blood who are committed to their charge For what difference betweene Not-Saving and Destroying Not to water a Plant when it is dry is to kill it And the fire is as well put out by the Subtraction of sewell as by Powring Water upon it The Advocate that is retained to plead betraies the cause by his Voluntary Silence But Can they or Can they not Preach oftner If they Can They are Traytors to the people The Watchman that doth not ring the Allarme-Bell at the approach of danger betraies the City to the enemy If they Cannot They are Traytors to CHRIST He that will take upon him to be a Leader when he cannot instruct the people of GOD in the Spirituall Warfare betraies the trust that was committed to him and gives great advantage to Satan and his ministers who are farre more industrious in their generation Esay 5. 18. Matth. 13. 25. Rev. 14. 11. Indeed it 's most probable they Can but Will not preach oftner out of policy For as Demosthenes had a greater fee for being Silent in a Cause so many of them have gotten preferment by their Rarity or rather Nullity of preaching Object But they have Curates that preach for them to whom they allow meanes Answ They allow them meanes either because they cannot helpe it or to fulfill the Proverb Steale a Goose and stick downe a Feather As for their preaching by a Substitute It is as good a Discharge of their Charge as if one should marry a wife under hope to obtaine Issue of her by another man Besides The Hireling cares not for the Sheep Joh. 10. 13. They are not his owne And what minds he whether they be Fat or Leane A mercenary Advocate lookes onely to his Fee let his Clients Cause stand or fall it is all one to him so long as he hath his money Wherefore these that feede their flocks by their Deputies may justly feare that GOD will serve them hereafter as they serve him now They shall be saved by their Deputies but damned in their owne persons And is it not just that they serving GOD altogether by another should be saved altogether by another But this point of Non-Residency being so common and withall so gainfull is over-hard to be conccocted Yea Pallas with all the Graces may call Briareus with his hundred hands to bind this Jupiter and all in vaine For should CHRIST in his owne person admonish them as he did the covetous Pharisees they would laugh him to scorne Luke 16. 14. 3. The next in order are Men-pleasers which are of fundry sorts 1. Some whereof onely affect curiosity of matter As it is the foolish ambition of unblest understandings to be most prying into things that are secret and to slight that which they are injoyned to teach whose Metaphysicall Speculations Frothy Inferences Curicus Idle Absurd Brain-sicke Vaine Vnprofitable and Aenigmatique Questions and Intricasies so swarme in their braines and boyle out of their unscummed wits that they are without measure or end But by this meanes in teaching their people Mysteries before they know Principles both Pastor and People presuming to be wise above sobriety become Fooles as the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. 22. 2. Others are no lesse addicted to singularity And these as they can devise new and unheard-of Principles Doctrines not once mentioned in the Scripture So their braines are still travelling to bring them forth knowing that a new fashion doth not more take with your proud Gallants then a new Opinion doth with many ignorant hearers But it is the humility of the best judgements to apply their studies to the confirmation of received truths and the meeknesse of blest understandings to disaffect singularities 3. A third sort are your Antinomian Preachers who are all for Faith and assurance without once doubting nothing for Prayer Repentance and new Obedience These so preach CHRIST and the Gospel that they make the Law to be of no use and labour so much to set up Justification that they preach downe and quite overthrow Sanctification 4. Another sort are all for Order and Decency though themselves live most disorderly For the maintenance whereof they bestow their whole Talents of Time and Study Now these also are wise above sobriety But another way For as the Jewes were not content with such Rulers as GOD had appointed them but they would have a King like the Gentiles so these are not content with such Lawes as CHRIST hath appointed them but they will have Traditions like the Iewes Yea they can devise better Orders better Lawes better titles better callings better discipline c. then CHRIST hath devised himselfe But what saith our Saviour Every Plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Matth. 15. 13 Now if you note it These Ministers instead of pleading GODS cause plead only the Bishops and in lieu of feeding their flocks with the substantiall food of the Word they onely preach for Ceremonies and humane inventions And the reason is They gape for preferment and this is the way to it Indeed as Iudas would have his Covetousnesse taken for Charity Iohn 12. 5 6. And the Pharisees their Cruelty thought Piety Matth. 23. 14. So these Hypocrites pretend onely their great zeale of the Churches good Nor is this kind of preaching more generall and gainfull then it is popular For the multitude much applaud them for it which is all the use they make of such Sermons Onely it edifies them in their superstitious

for their profanenesse nor alone condemne such as they know vicious but think all the rest Ministers and Christians are such Save that they dissemble their hypocrisie and carry it more closely for they will argue as that strumpet did I wot not what books are nor what they meane by Wisdome and Philosophy quoth the Curtezan Lais but sure I am these kind of people knock as often at my gates as any other men Yea they make the way of truth evill spoken of as Peter hath it 2 Pet. 2. 2. For simple people will not onely condemne all good men for the faults of a few that are bad but their Religion too As the foulnesse of the glasse may cause men to dislike the good wine Read we not that the people abhorred the Service of GOD and became despisers of his worship because those profane sonnes of Eli were wicked and scandalous Nor was it the case of a few for Thirty Thousand and Foure Hundred of the people being scandalized thereby were destroyed 1 Sam. 2. 4. chap. From whence observe If Two scandalous Priests proved the ruine of so many what will a Thousand doe As there are not fewer in this Land if their number were taken You have another example in David whose sinne and scandall as it stumbled the good so it caused the enemies of GOD to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12. 14. Thus by reason of them the Saints are not onely reproached the truth disgraced and Religion it selfe scandalized but they give occasion to others to Blaspheme GOD and to doubt whether all Divinity be not meere Policy and the Scriptures a Fable wherein GOD himselfe and his Word suffers I confesse it ought not to be so No mans sins should bring the service of GOD into dislike For this is to make holy things guilty of our profanenesse and to offend GOD because he hath beene offended Yea to give him just cause to abhorre us because we abhorre his service unjustly Cannot the faults of men displease us but we must needs fall out with GOD But we see it is so The LORD pity us And thus you see That vicious and scandalous Ministers admit they be Good Preachers whiles they are Ill Christians doe the Devil service under a colour of serving CHRIST and destroy soules under a pretence of saving them that they sinne more by example then by act and with Samson pull downe those Pillars of Goodnesse that shall not onely quash themselves but be the ruine of many others Yea that they are such pernicious creatures that to damne their owne soules is the least part of their mischiefe For without Gods infinite mercy and goodnesse one of them will draw vengeance upon thousands as in the example of Eli his sonnes What their punishment will be may be collected from Exodus 19. 22. Levit. 7. 20. 10. 1 2 3. 22. 3. Luke 11. 28. 12. 47. Iohn 13. 17. Rom 2. 1. Luke 19. 22. What hope of pardon there is for a sinne of this nature may be gathered from 1 Sam. 3. 14 where GOD even swore unto Eli that the Iniquity of his house should not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offering for ever And how GOD abhors that a Drunken beast should be a Soule-keeper who is not worthy to be an Horse-keeper Or an Vncleane person or a Covetous wretch or any other Vnhallowed Divine of Vncircumcised lips and Vnwashen hands and that Hates to be reformed should Represent his Person administer his Sacraments and Preach his Holy Word we may easily discerne by his strict charge to the contrary and his heavy and severe judgements upon such as have presumed to doe it both under the Law and since the Gospel For which turne to Levit. 21. Ezek. 44. 9. Exod. 37. 23. 28. 30. Psal 50. 16. 17. 26. 6. Deut. 6. 6. 7. Jerem. 15. 19. Dan. 12. 3. Levit. 7. 20. 10. 1. 2. 3. 22. 3. 1 Sam. 3. 14. In the Old Testament And in the New to 1 Tim. 3. 2. to 13. 4. 12. 16. 5. 9. 10. Rom. 2. 1. 19 to 24. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 8. 10. 11. 13. Phil. 2. 15. 4. 9. Tit. 2. 7. 8. Matth. 11. 4. Luke 1. 16. 17. 12. 47. 22. 32. 1 Thes 5. 12. 13. Which Scriptures the Bishops might doe well to minde who admitted them into the ministery for they never came into it of GODS sending and who have many soules to answer for in that they doe not cut them off as rotten members and throw them out of the Church like dirt into the street by Excommunication when they will Honester men for not paying of Three Pence at Easter being as excrements and bad humours in the body of the Church that will never be at ease untill it be disburdened of them For which read Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thes 3. 6. 14. Ephes 5. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 20. In the meane time they ought not by Saint Pauls rule to be admitted the fellowship of the faithfull neither ought we so much as to eate with them 1 Cor. 5. 11. And so much of the First sort of Vnpreaching Ministers 2. There are another Sort of Ministers for so they are called though no otherwise then the Heathen Images were called GODS that Edifie to Damnation by their false wresting and misapplying the Scriptures And these doe farre more harme then the former Yea one of them will Vnpreach and pull downe faster then many good Preachers can build up Which they effect by imitating the false Prophets of old who in all ages withstood and contraried whatsoever doctrine the True Prophets were commanded by GOD to deliver As you may see 1 King 22. 6. 23. 24. Jerem. 5. 12. 13. 31. c. 14. 15. 8. 11. 14. 13. to 19. 26. 8. 9. Acts 13. 7. to 12. And 17. 18. to 21. 20. 29 30. Ezek. 22. 25 26. 28. Deut. 13. 3. Matth. 7. 15. 24. 5. 11. 24. 2 Tim. 3. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3 Phil. 3. 18. The summe whereof is this Usually the Children of Israel were marvellous wicked walking in all kind of vice despising the holy word of GOD c. And when the LORD sent his Prophets unto them calling upon them to forsake their wicked wayes and to turne unto him threatning the judgements and vengeance of GOD against them unlesse they did returne The false Poophets laboured as fast on the other side to flatter them in their sinnes and make them beleeve they were in good case For instance The LORD complaines often and grievously in these and the like words They strengthen the hands of wicked doers that none doth returne from their wickednesse They say still unto them that despise me The LORD hath said Yee shall have peace and to every one that walks after the imaginations of his owne heart None evill shall come unto you Jer. 23. ver 16. 17. They have healed the hurt of the daughter

my mouth Even so when we heare such a Sermon and finde it to excell their accustomed Orations in a Subtile kind of sophistry as though the Sea be in perpetuall agitation yet the Spring-tides rise higher then their fellows We may presently conjecture or rather conclude That Satan hath a speciall hand in this businesse And I doubt not if they would with her acknowledge the truth and neither Turne to the right hand nor to the left but they would confesse the same However Their zeale and fervency to defend the Devils cause proves it sufficiently 1 J●●n 3. 14. when in preaching for him or against the good and goodnesse they are like C●assus who even burst his sides in pleading for Pompey Or if neither of these It is enough we heare Saint James affirme That this Tongue full of deadly poyson issuing from a Corrupt heart fraught with Bitter envy and strife is set on fire from Hell And that this Wisdome is not alone Earthly and Sensuall but Devilish Jam. 3 6. 8. 14 15. Now put all together First Their Alleading GODS Word Secondly Their Mixing of truth with Falshood Thirdly Their Excelling in Wit and Learning Fourthly The Great Helpe and Supply they have from Satan And you will no whit marvell that their preaching so takes with men of the world who count that Preaching which saves soules no better then Foolishnesse For otherwise were not the danger more in the Men then in their Cause Had not these Two Great Curtizans of the world Profanenesse and Antichristianisme so Cunning Pandors I could not but wonder how they should get any but Foolish Customers where the Gospel in many Parishes is so purely taught But these false Prophets as they use the matter are able to seduce if it were possible the very Elect as our Saviour shewes Marke 13. 22. As let there be Two Ministers in the same Parish One a Simon-Magus that is Parson or Curate put in by the Bishop the other a Simon-Peter that is by a Speciall providence chosen Lecturer What 's the issue The one comes in CHRISTS name Therefore him they receive not The other comes in His owne name and him they receive John 5. 43. The Fore-noons man is Of the World and therefore speaks of the World And these men of the World Heare him 1 John 4. 5. The Afternoons man is Of GOD and they Heare him not because they are not of GOD verse 6. Simon-Magus his Sermons are made to Please But withall to Kill As All Poysons Kill not with Griping Torments Some cast into a sleepe Or make men Laugh till they fall downe Dead Simon-Peters to Profit Of whom the LORD speaks Jer. 3. 15. I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding The Doctrine of the former being like the Angels Book Sweet in the Mouth but Bitter in the Bowels Revel 10. 9. That of the latter like Mithridate Bitter to the Flesh but Soveraigne for the Soule Well knowing that a Mortall wound must be Throughly Searched ere it can be soundly healed And that no Purgative Medicine can bring Health without some Griping And where the LORD is pleased to place such an one It is the Greatest Blessing he can give to that Parish And the people are no lesse bound to him for the vertues he teacheth them then to their Parents for the life they gave them Yet woe is me Naturall and fleshly men are so blockish and withall so ingratefull That they are not onely better pleased with the former for his flattery then with the latter for speaking the truth But commonly they requite their faithfull Minister as Ahab did Micajah the False Prophets Jeremiah Herod John-Baptist and Demetrius Paul whiles they thinke nothing Too much for their Vn-preaching-minister It is not the Searching but the Soothing Ministery that carries away the peoples applause Because they had rather have their Itch clawed then Cured Counsels are like Faces That which is Faire pleaseth Yea for the most part it fares with Doctrines as it doth with meats Those that are least wholsome are most requested That pleaseth us which is sweete to the sense not that which is Wholsome to the Conscience Neither do the common people like these Wasps so much for the Hony in their Combs as for the sting in their Tailes wherewith they gall the godly For as their Memory is like the Boulter which casteth out all the Floure keeping onely the Branne And themselves like the Egyptians who behold the Sunne the Moone the Starres all the Glories of Nature without Admiration yea without Common Regard untill they espy a Crocodile an ugly Serpent and then downe on their Knees to worship it so they will passe over all wholsome Instructions applying whatsoever they heare especially Bitter Invectives and fearfull threatnings to others As This belongs to Puritans That to such and such an one not to themselves Even as one Monkie looking in a glasse things he sees another Monkies face and not his owne In a word These men will make no other use of what they heare then Spiders doe of what they receive Suck out all the Poyson and leave the rest And it is just with GOD it should be so Because they forsake my Law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voyce neither walked therein but have walked after the imagination of their owne heart and after Baalim which their Fathers taught them Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts the GOD of Israel Behold I will feed them even this people with Wormwood and give them waters of Gall to drinke Jer. 9. 13. 14 15. Againe more expressely 2 Thes 2. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved For this cause GOD shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve Lies That they all might be damned which beleeve not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse vers 10 11 12. This is a Sure but a Sore Judgement Will they not adhere to the GOD of Truth They shall be turned over to the Father of Lies Because Ahab will not beleeve Micajah Therefore a Lying Spirit shall deceive his Prophets to deceive him The Jewes had forbidden the Sober Prophets to prophesie Therefore they shall have Drunken Prophets that shall Propkesie of Wine and strong drinke and walke in the Spirit of Falshood Mica 2. 11. Jer. 5. 30 31. Isa 30. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. Such a people such a Prophet am I speaking of For 2. In stead of Converting he Perverteth his Hearers dealing with them as an Ill Physitian with his Patient that purgeth away the Good Humours and leaves the Bad behind them Or as Vermine doe by Poultry that suck out the best bloud from them and leave onely the refuse His Sermons being worse then so many infectious bits of meat For as that causeth all the wholsome food a man hath eaten to be vomited up so it selfe is vomited up with all

thirty or forty in a Shire were put out of their ministry at a time But who and what were they Dum-Dogs Or Non Residenciaries Or Men-Pleasers Or Scandalous Ministers Or these Serpentine-Preacherst No. Not One of them But such as were too Zealous and painfull That Preached twice upon a Sabbath day That had Tender-Consciences and would not Read and Allow of sporting upon the LORDS-day That were more Obedient to GODS Lawes then to the Bishops Canons Preferring an innocent and Holy Life before a White Surplice Such as were Flockt after As I have heard a Bishop at the High-Commission-Board Chafe at the Chaplaines in these and the like words Is it fit that such a one should be suffered to preach when all the Towne followes him He meant When so many soules were converted by him As who did feele the smart of their Censures so much as those Ministers who by their faithfull and powerfull preaching made their Hea●ers of Naturall men to become Christians Indeed such Courts were appointed for the Correction of Vices But now they Cherished Vice and corrected Vertue I may now blessed be GOD call A Spade a Spade Foure yeares since this Gall was so impatient of spurring that a Minister could not Speake the Truth without Hazarding the Pillory Whipping Post Losse of Eares slitting of Nostrils and Branding in the face The case of Doctor Layton for a Book that if wise men may be beleeved hath a world of worth in it As for Mr. Prynne Dr. Bastwicke and Mr. Burton they are fresh in memory And having silenc'd these Whom did they place in their roomes But such most of them that Even the Devill himselfe if he did make and send forth Ministers Could not finde worse upon the earth For if he would have worse he must bring them from hell The Synod of Constantinople out of experience did find that in those times among fifty Catholike Priests hardly one could be found that was not a Notorious Fornicator And that there was great want of Ministers onely for the Prohibition of Matrimony Which made Pius the second a Learned Pope contrary to his former practise leave this behind him in writing There is great cause why the Clergy should be deprived of Marriage But greater cause why they should be suffered to marry And doe not we in these times find by experience That among fifty of these Bishops-Priests hardly one can be found that is not a bitter Malignant to Holinesse and a Despiser of them that be good If he be not also a Rank-Whoremaste● or a Common Drunkard And that by this meanes there is great want of Good Ministers As hath beene plentifully proved to This Parliament and may be found upon Record Even such that if Holy David were now alive he would not admit A Man of them to be his Chaplaine I grant their wicked hearts help them to P●●tences that carry a Faire shew why they Silence so many Precisians and put in so many profane ones But their Consciences cannot but tell them of more and weightier Reasons why these should rather be Cashired and the Number of the other increased The Godly cherished and the profane curbed and utterly restrained But because they want honesty and ingenuity to confesse what they thinke I will declare them unto you 1. They ought to be Silenc'd First Because as I have shewne They are false Prophets and teach Lies in CHRISTS name Now if a man be opinionated against the Truth it is not Answerable Si quis docuerit But if a man teach such a Doctrine It is Abominable Or if they Preach not false Doctrine they will so sophisticate the Truth with the Leaven of maliciousnesse that there shall be no difference Like as if they should break the bread of life to the people and throw in Crooked Pins to Choak them Or we may say of them as Luther of the Popes They hold us out Bread on the point of a Sword And when we come nigh they beat us with the Hilt Or lastly If they deliver nothing but the wholesome Truth They will Turne it into a lie by misapplication And he is not worthy to be a Physitian who giveth Vomits in place of Cordials And Cordials in stead of Vomits 2. Because they infect almost all that heare their Sermons and make them as Bitter Malignants to Religion and scoffers at Holinesse as themselves as I have shewen And so in stead of becomming Instruments of their peoples Salvation they become as farre as in them lies Authors of their Damnation Now if one Breake the Law that 's a Personall-sin But if he Teach so that 's a Pestilent sinne 3. For that t●e Gospel and the Name of GOD is Blasphemed and an Evill scandall raised upon the Godly by reason of their slandring them and disgracing Goodnesse in their Sermons And how unsufferable this is in such as are GODS Ambassadors and have the charge of soules may be seene in the example of Eli's sons 1 Sam. 3. 4. chap. And in GODS dealing with Nadab and Abihu when he sent out Fire and devoured them for offering strange fire upon his Altar Giving no other ●eason but this I will be sanctified of them that draw neare me Levit. 10. 2. 3. Are such fit to succeed the LORD Jesus and have the charge of soules who preach lies in his Name even forcing GOD to speak for Baal the Spirit for the Flesh Or if they be connived at How fearfull shall their Reckoning be when they shall be summon'd to appeare before That High Judge at the great day of Accounts 4. Because so long as he supplies the Roome of a Minister he keeps out another that would Preach better and perhaps save those poore soules whom he destroyes An ill man in the Church is but like some Shrubby-Tree in a Garden whose shade not onely keeps better plants from growing but drawes away the nourishment from the rest that would beare us fruit Or as a great Oak in a Greve which not onely pines all the underwoods near it but spoyles the Grasse that should feed the Cattell So that it were better for the Perish to have no Minister at all then such a one For though it be miserable to want food for the soule yet better nothing then onely poyson A Blank doth farre better in a Roome then an ill filling 5. It is most just equall and proper That having so much abused their tongues they should in some sort lose the use of them We read That when Tiberius the Emperour past sentence at the barre upon a Great Talker and Railer with his Tongue he commanded that for part of his punishment he should not speak a word for the space of one whole yeare after but ponder upon what he had formerly spoken and study better how to speak when it came againe to his turne True Our Worthies in Parliament have Blessed be GOD taken the like course with many of them And I hope their many Eyes will find out

and entertaine his foes To such as onely measure their Right by their Power And therefore will doe injury because they can doe it To such Hypocrites as looke to small things as the Crosse Surplice Holy-daies c. And over-looke the Great as the Sabbath the second Commandement the due administring of the Word and Sacraments For certainly it cannot be said of them as our Saviour said of the Asse The LORD hath need of them Yea have we not found by experience That whiles these Mermaids dance and play It portends nothing but Destruction to the Mariners For though they call themselves the chiefe-Priests they are indeed CHRISTS chiefe-enemies And is there any reason that those should stand at the Sterne or be appointed the Champions of the LORDS battels who have embraced this present world and seeke after nothing but Gaine and Glory They fight for their Bellies and not for the LORD Once in Israel there were three Garisons of enemies alarmed with all manner of weapons for offence yet against all these the Israelites had but two Swords for defence Yet it pleased GOD that those two were enough So we have in our Land a world of enemies armed with all the strength and policy of hell If we have but two Swords One the Sword of the Spirit that is Doctrine The other the Sword of the Church that is Discipline I meane of CHRISTS own institution We need not feare but they will be enough to keep sinne and GODS enemies from domineering as they have done hitherto Which GOD grant for his CHRISTS sake 7. And lastly Their Craft is so great and their Number so many that unlesse they be Silenc'd CHRISTS faithfull Ministers shall doe little good or that good will little appeare 1. For their Number I suppose our times out-strip all former ages For though among the Jewes there were alwayes false Prophets 1 King 22. 6. 11. to 17. 18. 22. to 42. 2 King 10. 19. 25. Jer. 14. 15. 17. 6. 14. 23. 25 to 35. 2 Chron. 18. 5. Ezek. 13. 4. 22. 25. Micah 2. 11. Isa 30. 10. Zeph 3. 4. And in the Primitive times of the Gospel false Apostles and false Teachers who were enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST Phil. 3. 18. 19. And although most of the Fathers and Saints of GOD which have writ have in their severall times much complained of false and unprofitable teachers Yet the Holy GHOST speakes chiefely of these last and worst times Many shall come in my Name saith our Saviour Matth. 24. 5. And many false Prophets shall arise and shall deceive many vers 11. And againe There shall arise false-Christs and false Prophets that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect vers 24. And no wonder there be false Apostles and false Prophets when there are False-Christs I know saith Saint Paul that after my departure grievous Wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the flocke Acts 20. 29. And Of your owne selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them vers 30. 31. But the better to know their Number I wish there were a Survay made throughout the Kingdome and Dominion of Wales and a view taken first of such as have Great Titles and Roomes in the Church As Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons c. And yet feed not any flocks of Sheep or Lambs 2. Of such as apply all their great learning to get Livings and to Heap Benefice upon Benefice not at all caring for Soules 3. That you would number if you can those that goe under the Names of Preachers And doe either so unprofitably or so slenderly and unskilfully teach that their people are never the better 4. Adde to these Dumb Dogs Barking Curres Scandalous Ministers that pull downe either with one or both hands that is to say with their Lewd Lives or by their Devilish Doctrine 5. And lastly Such Serpentine Preachers as we are now upon whereof some are possest with a Dumb-Devill others with a Witty-Devill a third sort with a Flattering-Devill a Fourth with a Railing or Slandering-Devill a Fifth with a Foule and Vnclean-Devill a Sixth with a Lasie and Ambitious-Devill Some being able to preach but withall to Negligent that they will not Some would but are so Ignorant that they cannot or not to purpose Some neither Will nor Can for want of using their gifts Some are so Fearfull to Offend their Benefactors that they Dare not Some are so Wicked that they Should not c. Let these I say be Numbred And then you shall see that we may not onely Complaine as Iude of the Primitive Church That there are certaine men crept in which were before ordained to condemnation But many thousands of them crept in Secondly Set these aside and compare the Great Number of them with those few that remaine who faithfully labour to discharge their Trust and feed their people with wholsome doctrine and good life whom they terme Paritans And you shall see a miserable and lamentable face of a Church and be forced to acknowledge that The Harvest is Great but the labourers Few Matth. 9. 37. 38. And so few that there was small need that thirty or forty in a Shire should be taken away and suspended at a clap Be cause they taught their people diligently and as many of the former put in their roomes But I would aske these Lordly Prelats that suspended them a Question or two 1. Is it fit that one should have the Provender of it may be fifty labouring Oxen for lying like a Dog in the Manger both hindring the Pastors to feed and the Hunger-starved soules to eat Yea they Muzzle up the mouths of the Oxen and tie up the tongues of the faithfull labourers both from treading out the Corn and eating of the Corne. 2. I would know of them Whether the palpable ignorance of many Millions in this Land doth not arise from the want of meanes and removall of GODS faithfull miniders placing such over people as are not worthy to be set with the Dogs of the Flocke Iob. 30. 1. For Alliance Favour Simony c. have brought a thousand men of bad learning and worse living into the ministery 3. Let them tell me whether it will be a Good Plea at the day of Iudgement when CHRIST shall aske them Why did you forbid my messengers to deliver my message Why did you silence such as converted my people and set up others in their stead that perverted them when I had so plainly declared in my word 1 Thes 2. 16. That this forbidding to preach the Gospel was the very filling up of the sinnes of the Iewes as Oh the horror of this sinne And the fearfull evils ensuing on it To Answer They would not conforme to every Ceremony Or rather they had tender consciences Will this I say be a good Answer Indeed here your Arguments are infallible For if Popery will not satisfie a Prisen shall But There Truth and innocency shall take place