the Kingdome even by the Leaders Guides of Christ's Flock are more greater than it is possible for any to conceive or foresee Such a Notorious Contradiction of your own past Preaching Practice must I fear render you very cheap amongst those People which you have drawn into a Snare by a very sinfull Example who have too much sense not to discern the illness thereof tho they want Courage to resist it I am sorry that the necessity which I am put to of delivering my Soule constreins me here to declare thus much and that you have very often in my Presence preach'd false Doctrine if your present Proceedings Compliances are justifiable It 's now a more seasonable time than it was a year agoe for us Ecclesiasticks who cannot swallow implicite Faith to teach our Hearers to beware of implicite Obedience If it were dreadfull dangerous while we liv'd under a gratious Prince of an undoubted Title whose excessive Goodness Forwardness to rely on his Subjects hath prov'd his Ruine is it become otherwise under the Government of a Prince who hath by Violence wrested a Crown from the very Father of his own Princess his own near Relation who by such an act of unparaleld Injustice inexcusable palpable defect of Veracity in having at his first Entrance grossly contradicted his own Declaration gives more just Grounds than both his Uncles or his Grandfather ever did of Jealousy Fear to conclude that he intends to Rule as he Conquer'd the Kingdome proposing to himselfe no other motives in his future Government than he did in his first Invasion And what they were it will be needless to recite to any but those who were during the months of Oct Nov last fast a sleep And what will become then of our Religion Libertyes Lavvs it will be easy enough to devine O Fortunatos nimium bona si sua norint c. The Review of our past Felicity those very Blessings we enjoy'd and sadly overlook'd during the Reigne of our present Soveraigne must needs greivously torment our Hearts give us occasion of pining away with just vexation anger at out selves Since it is not possible now for us in all humane apprehension to swimme back to such our sottishly neglected lost Happiness but through that sea of blood which Tyrants Usurpers commonly shed in prosecuting accomplishing their Machiavellian Designes And it is matter of no small moment for men especially Churchmen to examine thoroughly impartially how much of the Guilt will lye at their own Doores As a great measure thereof must it is without all Dispute rest at the door of every one who hath knovvingly and vvillfully contributed to the Fall Banishment of his Lawfull Prince whereby he is put under a Necessity out of Justice to his son to recover his own by the Sword which by Force Violence as well as the abhorr'd Treachery of his own Subjects were taken from him And I do beseech You to be assur'd that in now recommending to You whom God hath plac'd under my Authority so Seasonable necessary a Task as this sort of SELFE-EXAMINATION I do manifest that I am as I have done often in other matters your faithfull Friend as well as Roüen Aug 15. 1689. Your affectionate Brother DENIS GRANVILLE FINIS To the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Durham REVEREND BRETHREN Among the many applications which upon my withdrawing and leaving the Nation I have been oblig'd out of common decency as well as good conscience considering the publickness of my circumstances to make to my Relations Naturall Spirituall I might without censure or blame omit all Laborious penning down of my thoughts for You the Clergy of my Archdeaconry having for more than twenty years together with the greatest industry best zeal I was able from year to year by word letter sometimes in Print not only incited you at my Visitations faithfully diligently to execute your offices but plainly fully deliver'd my soule at my last more memorable Visitation on the 15 of the never to be forgotten month of Nov 1688 ten dayes after our late Dutch-Protestant Gunpowder-Treason Brotherly advising nay earnestly pressing you to stand the Test in that great day of tryall that you might not have lost either the honour or reward of Confessors for a Righteous Cause in Asserting whereof I am willing and resolve by Gods grace to sacrifice my life as I have done my Revenue if the wise God should thinke fitt to call me to the one as he hath done to the other To demonstrate undeniably to your selves all that hear'd me that day that I was not among all my weaknesses afraid or ashamed to owne my past life Doctrine to compleat the Office of a Visitor as honestly heartily as I began I chose you may remember to lay before you the cheife heads of all the Good Counsell Advice which I had given you at the former Conventions of the Clergy of my Jurisdiction for four years together even the four last extraordinary years that is to say ever since his gratious Majestie our Liege Lord Soverigne King Iames the 2 mounted his Throne tho I had too much reason then to apprehend by your long neglect thereof running counter to the principles practice of your Archdeacon it would badly suite with your palates which at that time to my greife appear'd since without all dispute are found not only vitiated but poison'd by the Leaven Magick of the Age. It was ever my hopes that his Majestie 's Loyall County of Durham the appellation which my gracious Master King Charles the 2 was wont as I have often minded You to afford Us would have resisted longer than any Diocess in England by vertue of the Good Government which was very seasonably more effectually than else where therein set on foot at his joyfull Restauration How little prevalent unsuccessfull soever my poor weak endeavours prov'd towards your establishment I could not imagine that the Clergy of the Bishoprick of Durham could have so soon forgotten much less have frustrated the precepts Example given them by so great a Confessor and stout Champion of the old orthodox Church of England as had happily reviv'd good order conformity to the Churche's Rules among them But since we find by sad experience that it is so that even the very Leaders have apostatiz'd from their Duty to God and the King It becomes me who dare not follow their Example to do all that I can to prevent the People of my Archdeaconry from being seduced thereby You know I have labour'd faithfully with zeale more than ordinary to assert the King's cause from the yeare 1678 through all the Combustions occasion'd by an Infamous Impostor home to the Dutch Invasion at that very time even on the 15 of Nov. 1688 brought all the wholesome advice
Rebellious Age. Indeed I am so farre from being ashamed that I am tempted to a little kind of Pride to thinke I brought this some other like Points to discussion last summer the General Eviction whereof however they vere despised Opposed would have stopt Multitudes from running with full Career to put their Necks by the Expulsion of their owne undoubted Gratious Soveraigne under the Yoke of Afforreign Power And it may not bee Alltogether unworthy of their Thoughts who were so angry with them made so much Noise about them whether their Anger did not proceed from the serviceablenesse of my Doctrine to the Kings Interest which they were about to destroy those propositious which I asserted striking at the very Root of the Controversy betwixt the King Subjects of England that is whether the supremacy should bee in the King or in the People A Galled Horse Pardon the similitude shewes where he is sore by his unwillingness to bee handled And the Serpent directs where a man should strike by defending his Head. But how greatly soever I was hereby Exposed to censure made the Talke scoff of some Divines others over their Cups of Coffee upon the Interception of a letter to my Ever honored Freind ***** and other treacherous publication of some Queries which were canvassed up and down about a yeare agoe under the name of the Dean sometimes falsely under the name of the Bishop of Durham I am very well pleased and greatly comforted thad I had then somuch honesty courage as notwith standing great Opposition Powerful Examples perswasions to the contrary to assert the Prerogative of my King to make an Attempt towards the Conviction of Others committed to my Charge Which were the Only persons for whom those Queries were first designed being certain propositions of the verity of which I made no doubt containing the Reasons of my forwad Compliance with his Majestie which I drew into Queries for the Private Consideration of some young Divines I had under my Roof requiring them effectually to answer them in writing with reasonnings which would Beare the Eye or to comply as I had done with the King. Which Honest loyall Queries tho Good sense I am sure when they were first stole out of my study at Durham being after passing through divers hands I know not how disguised and by some stiled the nonsensical Queries of the Deane of Durham I shall crave leave also to publish in the postcript of this letter giving you no more trouble till then about them or my own Justification But craving pardon for so long a Digression returne proceed in my intended narration of some farther transactions relating to his Majesties service mine own Escape out of England in order to repaire to him Notwithstanding then all that I had done recited in the beginning of this letter upon the first Allarum of the Prince of Oranges designe to invade England tho I had God bee thanked honestly discharged a Good Conscience in Opposing by my Words Actions to the uttermost of my Power the then Growing Rebellion as I had all along the Increase of that Temper which was at that time Burst out into A Dreadfull flame whereto I discerned my selfe too weake to make any farther Opposition many of my owne Brethren Deserting nay opposing mee I say notwithstanding all this I could not satisfy my selfe without sending away a faithfull servant to his Majestie Expresse vvith an account of that County together vvith A Duplicate of those papers before mentiond vvhich vvere intercepted letting the King understand that I despaired as things vvent and so did those fevv loyall frainds vvho Concurred vvith mee of doing his Majestie any further service in that Place Having done all that lay in my Povver in all my Capacities by my most vigorous Endeavours tovvatds the Support of the Crovvne the Church of England and seeing my selfe absolutely uncapable to Act further for his Majestie as I had done to discharge my Conscience there in soe Metamorphosed a Place I resolved after earnest prayer to God to direct mee to preserve my Innocency by fflight since I could not doe it by sitting still staying in Durham if I should escape the Jaole vvhich I had litle Reason to hope after an honest Loyall activity vvhich God had given mee the Grace to practice especially during the Yeare past therefore bethought my selfe of flying avvay secretly to the King to Ovvne his Cause vvhen I could not othervvise serve him Commending my Charge fflock both in Durham Elsvvhere in the Bishoprick to Gods Wise Gratious Protection signifying my mind by letter to my Deputies both in Durham the Country Hoping to Edifye them more by such Expression of my Loyalty Religion in adhering to my Soveraigne vvhen the Defection began to bee generall than I vvas like to doe by svch Sermons or Example as the nevv Authority vvould permitt mee to give them And accordingly on the 11. of Dec. at midnight by the helpe of tvvo faithfull servants vvhich I did dare trust I got my horses prepared and vvas conducted by one of them that night to Heâ—cam vvhere I procured an honest Guide to Carlisle the nearest of the Kings Garnisons the most Considerable Place as I conceived vvhich then held out for the King Hull being reduced the vveek before I had no sooner got to Carlisle vvhere I vvas very kindly received by Mr. Hovvard the Governour Coll Purcell Capt Hern others Officers there but the very day after being Saturday the Post brought in the Dismall Nevves of the defeat of some of his Majesties Troopes at Reading others deserting in such sort that hee vvas forced to vvithdravv out of the Kingdome together vvith some intimations to the Governour that it vvas to no purpose for him to hold out the Place but that hee being a Roman Catholick it vvould bee most prudent not displeasing to his Majesty for him toretire leave the Government to the old Governour tovvit Sr. Christopher Musgrave vvho came into the Tovvne on Saturday night Enter'd on the Government appearing in the Governours seat on Sunday the 15. in the Cathedrall This Direfull Catastrophe vvhich did both astonish and afflict mee to see our Soveraigne a Gratious Prince treated with somuch brutality betrayed by those hee thought his best freinds deserted by his Nearest Relations forbidden his ovvne Palace forced out of his Kingdome did Immediately vvithout much consideration incline mee to leave it allso to manâ—fest my Just Indignation against Rebellion treachery vvhich had then spread themselves allmost over the vvhole Nation And did resolve accordingly to hasten into France to share vvith my Soveraigne in his Misfortunes In order vvhereunto after I had visited the Bishop of Carlisle at Rose Castle craved his Benediction deposited vvith his Lordship some solemne assurances of Living Dying in the right Church of England Religion I departed from
awhile here at Roüen I did presume to informe his Majestie by a Packet I sent into Ireland to my Lord Melford of my Arrivall in France the manner of my escape with an Assurance of my unalterable Loyalty and that I should espouse his service with the same zeale during his Exile adversity as when hee was on the Throne I did also according to the Duty of a Loyall subject pay to the Queen Prince all those respects which I could at a Distance informing her also by the assistance of my Lord Waldegrave of my Arrival with assurances that I should never faile to render her Majestie the Prince all the duties which were incumbent on a subject of the King of England And that since I had not the felicity which I came for of being neare his Majestie I was in the next place desirous to bee neare herâ— and accordingly would hasten to St. Germaines as soon as the indisposition of my Body would permit Taking a great Delight to bee nigh the Royall Famliy when I cannot Otherwise serve them never thinking my selfe any wayes absolved from the observance I owed my Soveraigne her Majestie all the bloud Royall by the difference of Religion HAving Sr thus given you the Trouble of so particular an account of my selfe deportment from the time that wee were first allarumm'd with the news of the wicked intentions of the Dutch to invade vs home to this present day I thinke my selfe no lesse obliged to give you some Information Concerning my present Temper of mind future Intentions And which I am the more willing to embrace this Opportunity of doing by Reason my infirmities of Body do in such sort increase that I have small reason to immagine that I shall bee a long lived man they administring to mee too many Grounds of Feare if I were to undergo no other hazard that I may scarce live to see my Freinds in England any more unlesse the air of France motion bee by Gods Blessing a meanes of my Recouery Cure of that disease which I have contracted by à sedentary life since my Installation into the Deanery of Durham And here I do in the first place declare with all sincerity that I am resolued by Gods Grace to live dye a true son of the Church of England Whereof King Charles was King Iames 2. not the Prince of Orange is under God supream Head Governour beleiving her to bee for the Purity of her Doctrine the decent Regularity of her worship the wholesomnesse of her Discipline well executed the best and most Approaching to the Primitive Times of any Church in Reformed Christiendome And I do openly affirme to all the World that however her children or rather those who have pretended to bee soe have behaved themselves Either heretofore or of late to the scandall of the world Reproach of her Constitution I am assured she will bee found upon thorough and serious Examination A Church which doth not Countenance Rebellion or indeed any sin or wickednesse whatsoever I have given no just reason I thanke God to any to thinke mee of another Opinion And if some men have been soe uncharitable as to Censure mee for ever deviating from her it hath been only for such Carriage of mine as may best demonstrate that I am A right Genuine thorough paced tho very feeble Member of Her I meane for my Exact Conformity to constant Observation of the Excellent Rules of her Incomparable Liturgy without any variation and my Constant zeale in asserting the Kings Prerogative and her Excellent Doctrine of non-Resistance Subjection to Authority in both which perohance I have been thought sometimes a litle singular But if I have been soe I am sorry for it I meane that I should want company in so laudable Christian a Cause Practice For I must still affirme that the first is the Indispensable Duty of Every Church man and best meanes to preserve her the last which way soever it fled at the Prince of Oranges Invading England the very Flour and Glory of our Ch which neither losse of Estate nor life shall by the assistance of the Almighty cause mee to Renounce I do therefore humbly intreat your selfe and all my Relations no wise to suspect mee as if Wavering from my Obedience to my Mother the Church for my immoveable Adherence to the cause interest of the Father of our Country and my innate Abhorrence of Disputing Contesting or rudely Capitulating with my Prince even-then when hee commanded things very contrary to my sentiments which I did Judge not only inexpedient but prejudiciall to the Flourishing condition of our Church Had I fail'd as too many did in that Iuncture or in paying the very same duties ef Allegiance Honour to my Present Soueraigne When hee came to the Crowne as I had performed to the late King his Royall Brother my Gratious Master of Blessed memory because his present Majestie declared himselfe of the R. Cath. Religion I might indeed have been lyable to Censure for that was a bad mark of a son of the Church of England But God having enabled mee to Resist this Temptation which hath so mightily prevailed in the Nation I would not have you Feare that I shall bee Ouerthrowne by any other I am I confesse fled out of the Nation to assert the Cause of a R. Cath. Prince I live at present in à R. Cath. Country But sure I am that the right-Church of England Religion doth not only injoyne mee to do the first but considering the circumstances of England the neighbouring Protestant Countries at present to do the later And why I other loyall subjects should choose France rather than any other Nation to Reside in may quickly bee put out of dispute if our Censurers would bee pleased to consider how kindly the most Christian King received his Majesty of England and doth still entertaine those who have Evidenced their Fidelity to him as also reflect on the innate Civilily Hospitality of the French Nation towards strangers never more Visible than in this time of Distress when all are Wellcome espetially English men unlesse they are conceived to bee Spyes or Creatures of the Prince of Orange or other their Enimies As for my own particular Common Justice doth Oblige mee to acknowledge that I meet whith as much Curtisy now in France among the R. Catholicks as I have done heretofore among the Protestants And am permitted to live as quietly and securely tho I do no wayes diâ—oâ—ne my Religion as any of their own Nation THis breif declaration I have made will suffice I hope to assure all my Freinds in England of my stedfastnesse in the Excellent Religion of my Fore-Fathers The next duty incumbent on mee will be to give my Family you our Cheif some fresh assurance that I am by the Grace of God Resolued to endeavour for the future as I have begun
to speak out have to their everlasting shame scandalously neglected And by the neglect whereof in a word have betrayed their Mother the Church of England the Head of Reformed Christendom A very Odd kind of way to accomplish what people pretend the Support of the Protestant Religion DIRECTIONS VVhich Dr. Granville Archdeacon of Durham Rector of Sedgefeild Easington enjoins to be observ'd by the Curates of those his Parishes given them in charge at Easter visitation held at Sedgefield in the yeare 1669. THAT the Mattens Even-Song shall be according to the Rubrick said dayly in the Chancells of each of his Parish-Churches throughout the yeare vvithout the least Variation That the houres for dayly Prayer on VVorking-dayes shall be six in the morning six in the evening as the most convenient for labourers men of business Except as folloveth On all Vigills Holy-day-Eves as also on all Saturday-afternoons which anciently were half-holy-dayes three of the clock shall be the houre for Evening-Prayers On all wensday friday-mornings both throughout Advent all Lent and on the three Ember-Dayes in each Ember-week the hour shall be nine On the Rogation-Dayes one houre at least earlier by reason of the Perambulation That allvvayes as nine of the clock three of the clock-prayers aforesaid vvhen there shall be some additionary exercise of Devotion requiring a greater number than ordinary tvvo bells shall chime to intimate the same to the People That at fix of the clock-prayers one bell only shall toll beginning a quarter of an hour before That there shall be allvvayes Catechisings after the second lesson on sunday and Holy-day-Afternoons vvith some explanation of the Church-Catechisme after the third collect lighten our Darkness unless there be some exposition of the Scripture or Rubricks some profitable exhortation or discourse de tempere dravvn from the service of the church or else that the 39 Articles of Religion or Canons are to be read according to Order That one quarter of an hour is sufficient for such Exposition Exhortation or Discourse that it never shall exceed an halfe hour That on all aforesaid dayes vvhen there are prayers at nine in the morning tvvo bells chime there ought to be some additionary exposition or discourse to the people if de tempore the better vvhich ought not to exceed the time appointed for the explanation of the Catechisme That there shall be sermons on all Festivalls or Holy dayes Except there be an Homily vvhich shall not be oftenner than to countenance the book or assert the King s supremacy according to the Canon vvhich may very commodiously be done in some of the Homilies Concerning Obedience or against Disobedience being the very vvords of the Church vvhich sermons shall never exceed an halfe hour That the sermons even on Sundayes shall be shorten'd to an halfe hour vvhen there happen's any concurrent offices vvhich require it but never the least omission of one tittle of the service or variation from the Rubricks That the Curate vvhen he bids Christmass Easter or Pentecost vvith their Festivalls as also vvhen he gives notice of Ember-vveek Passion-vveek or Perambulation on Rogation-dayes or other times extraordinary he shall come dovvn to the desk after the Niceene Creed do it in a more solemne manner than vvhen he bids the ordinary Holy-dayes at the table making a short speech de tempore to quicken the People's Devotion That on Advent-sunday Quinquagesima-sunday he shall do the like to prepare the People for the Devotion of the follovving holy seasons That besides the severall Sacraments at Christmass Easter-day Holy-Thursday Pentecost there shal be at least 5 other Sacraments vvhich Sacraments shall be administer'd on the severall dà yes here nominated viz on Nevv year's-day on the first sunday in Lent on the first Sundays in July October November That Easter shall be the time alvvayes for admission of Youth first at the Communion vvho are never to be admitted till they have repair'd upon summons to the minister to receive private instruction on vvenssday Fryday-mornings after service during Lent. That the young people be confirm'd after due instruction before they receive if possible but vvhen that cannot be contriv'd by reason of the Bishop's absence or othervvise that they their friends be enjoyn'd faithfully to send them to the first confirmation vvhereof they shall have notice That none shall be admitted to the Sacrament till 16 years of age unless the minister shall see extraordinary cause for the same That the 39 articles Cannons be read according to Injunction That the Canon about Excommunication be read excommunicates denounced according to the said Canon That his Majestie 's Directions to preachers be read in the Congregation at least once in the yeare vvhich I by my ovvn authoriâ—y take upon mee to injoyne as Ordinary of the PLACE That vvhen Citations Excommunications or Absolutions are read the Curate shall consider vvhether he may by any occasionnall reflection out of the Desk or from the pulpit improve the same to the People to the deterring of them from the like offeâ—ces for vvhich the persons mention'd in the said Acts of Court are proceeded against That the Curate do summon the Church-vvardens tvvice at least bevveen visitation visitation to read consider the visitation-articles to quicken assist them in the due discharges of their offices That he doth in particular frequently mind the Church-vvardens to go out of the Church at convenient times for the prevention of disorders in tovvn and ale-houses during SERVICE That the Curate takes a particular notice of the Absence of Church-vvardens from the Church on sundays festivalls and signify the same to the Rector their Archdeacon That vvhen the Church-vvardens are negligent suffer irregular behaviour during Divine service that he admonish them of such their neglects cause them to go out of their seats sometimes in the very time of service to mind people publickly of their disorder so shame them into a compliance if milder private admonitions prove ineffectuall That the Curate makes enquiry oftentimes of the Church-vvardens vvhat persons are sick or detain'd from the Church by any infirmity people being negligent to informe the Minister voluntarily to repair to them accordingly tho they should not give notice to assist them in reference to their spirituall estate That the Curate shall on sundayes Holy-dayes at least observe a course of personnal application according to his promise at ordination to the vvhole as vvell as sick visiting after evening-prayer one family if not more on that account observing as far as hee shall be able the venerable Mr George Herbert's method rule to that purpose prescribed in his Country-Parson or Character of an holy Preist VVhich book as I recommend to all the Clergy in my Jurisdictions so do I more especialy to my Curates for their rule direction in order to the exemplary discharge of
such a hearty application and such plain Reproofs even in the very language of the letters became so necessary that hee could not in good Conscience have wav'd them And therefore he conceiv's that people have the lesse reason to be disturbed thereby Thirdly after the authour had made a considerable progress in printing the letters and other discourses he was forced to undertake a hazardous Journey into England Feb. 1689 whereby hee got a small suply of money to subsist a while abroad without defiling himselfe with any Oath of fidelity to the Prince of Orange tho with much trouble and Danger occasion'd him by an impertinent and malitious Postmaster who discover'd him in Canterbury Which voyage made it absolutely necessary to lay aside till his returne his designe of publishing the papers he had penn'd at his first Coming over unless he would willfully and unavoidably have run his neck into a halter Which all know was the Fate lately of a right honest and loyall man. THIRDLY all sorts of Readers may hereby be informed that these papers are at this time the more hastily published without polishing because the authour hath had this summer after a long intervall some returne of those infirmities that he brought out of England which being seasonable memento's of the mortality of his condition and uncertainty of his life have caused him without any more ado or longer delay thus plainly and honestly to deliver his soule the comfort of which doth to him abundantly ballance the uneasiness of any obloquy which may accrew from the provoked friends of the new government in England where he desires to appeare no more unless it please God to restore his Soveraign as all may be perswaded easily to beleive by his present manner of proceeding Fourthly All those who shall blame the Dean's undertaking may in a word satisfy themselves that hee had never thus exposed himselfe to their censure if hee had beleived that a a Dignified Divine in his circumstances being the onely one here abroad out of the Reach of England and whose Conscience would not permit him to swallow any new dispensatory oathes or distinctions could without the just censure of all right Church of England-men and loyall subjects to King James 2. have remained silent Since hee hath not now those prudentiall considerations that others have to stop his mouth or stay his pen His own person being secure his Revenue lost Whereas honest Divines men in England where hee hopes there be many that never bovved the knee to Baal tho hee be ignorant who they are cannot attempt what hee does without the hazard of their lives or ruine of their familyes And therefore concludes that a weak and bad performance as this of so good spirituall a designe the more incumbent on him would be better than none at all and be gratiously accepted through JESUS-CHRIST by that ALMIGHTY GOD who can make the poorest enterprises in his name successefull to accomplish his will. Fiftly lastly the Dean's innate indignation to many former late preposterous unaccountable procedures in the Subjects of England to wit First the Non-conformity or rather Semi-conformity of the Clergy who did with zeale more than enough sometimes too bitterly inveigh against nonconformists which ingendred that Brood which are the authours of our Misery Secondly their Forvvardness to dispense throughout the Nation with the Church-Discipline as they pleas'd where when there appear'd no necessity nay with the very Rubricks of the Liturgy whereto they had all since the late review given a solemne Assent Consent sadly presaging that in time of distress they would as they have done dispense with the very Doctrine tho they would not allow his Majesty in extraordinary cases à less dispensing Power Thirdly the Pragmaticallness of most Common-Lavvyeâ—s whose duty and intrest it was as well as of the Ecclesiasticks to joyne in the support of the crown of their Soveraign the Fountaine whence all their Law did proceed in endeavouring industriously by all manner of quirks to diminish the King's Prerogative Authority even coining wicked distinctions taking up obsolete lawes to dethrone him when there were enough of such which they would not willingly have reviv'd against the People or themselves nay flying to the Reign of an Usurper for Acts of Paâ—iament to justify and colour over their fullsome proceedings as if a Dispensing power in the People was like to be found more tollerable than in the King or that such a kind of supremacy as the multitude contended for and which must be either in Prince or subject is less liable to Tyranny and other abuses when it is in the subject than in the Soveraign These and the like perversions of Law and Religion did cause the authour professeth is desirous to proclaime so much disgust in his Soule as hurried him over all the difficulties and dangers that he met with in his way to this publication in such a degree that the consideration of his book 's reflecting on the new Government which was designed to edify the people within his own province hath push'd him on instead of deterring him to send it forth into the light committing it and his reputation to the mercy of a Gratious God amidst a crooked and perverse Generation which hee is willing may learne thus much by his boldness or fool-hardiness as it will be possibly termed to wit that God hath given him among a multitude of infirmities the Grace not to be afraid or ashamed to do his duty or discharge his offices faithfully who ever may be rebuked by the doing thereof and that hee is sure hee had done neither if hee had not as hee hath done deliver'd his soule without mincing in such plaine and intelligible language at such a juncture as to allot every thing its right epithet appellation giving the very names of REBELLION USURPATION to what hee was perswaded in his conscience deserv'd such denominations and that are so even REBELLION USURPATION if ever there were such things in the World. Yea such a REBELLION USURPATION that no good Christian can hee is also satisfied in his Conscience joyne in the first or uphold the later and consequently that no body can receive the communion without injury to his soule in the use of those prayers which pray for the maintaining of both since hee that receives the blessed Supper of the Lord in the office of any Church sets his seale to all the corruptions that are crept into that Church and doth in a higher manner profane Gods sacred name by using that holy ordinance to so impious an end as to beg of God by vertue of his saviours body and blood the distruction of his lawfull Prince than hee that barely swears allegiance to an Usurper Which yet by the way who ever does let him understand doth in a manner Abjure his lawfull Soveraign Which is a Case of Conscience that the Authour will in Gods name now venture here publickly to decide as hee hath long since don to some in private and put his name to the decision what ever comes of it since no body else hath done so for the sake of those many thousands of soules under his authority in the Jurisdictons belonging to the Archdeacon Deane of Durham whereof none can deny but that hee hath a Call from God to take care And consequently to undertake this difficult province since no body else doâ—â— Who if they are not satisfied with his Judgement in this particular which as poor as they may esteeme it will yet hee trusts in reference hereto be found Orthodox ought to consult as it concernes them some abler Casuist without being scared as heretofore in some other cases with frightfull consequences administred by the Universality of the DEFECTION such like considerations to wit Empty Churches thin Altars For if it be a wholesom truth which is recomended by the Authour to their thoughts it cannot he is sure in the conclusion produce ill effects to be repented of And he begs pardon if he cannot prevaile with himselfe to judge the last recited effects to be ill as matters go things stand For hee makes no doubt but that the Churches in England must become Empty the Altars thin c. before his Soveraign is like to return to Whitehall Introduction Fidelis vox est non desperati non eiulautis Luther Plangiâ— affectus sed fides exultat id Natural Quest l. 2. c. 37. Cum crescerit Gratiae time â—uÌ„ abierit time eum revertetur time S. Bern. Lib. Cur bonis viris mala accidunt c. 4. Ps 66. v. 12. Applicaâ—ion A cessation granted in order to treat * Nâ— Dec. 11. 1688. * Gandelop Introduction D B. Dr. Hen. Hamond * The crovvn offer'd to the Prince of Orange on Ashvvensday * Cromvell declar'd Protector on Ashvvensday 16â—3 * Prince of Orange's Declaration * Preachers in the Cathedrall Church of Durham as vvel as elsevvhere began to Caution their hearers against implicite Obedience vvhereby they did at that time meane all Complianâ—s vvith K. I. Iames. 2. * Bishop Cosins * Bp. Gunning Bp. Cosins * Cornvval * Kilkhampton * The-Granvilles * Sedgefield * Note That the Dearn's injoyning here in some other places things vvhich vvere before expressly commanded by the Church vvas to declare that the judged them of such moment as that he vvould never dispense vvith the non performance of them in his ovvn Parishes hovvever others did too frèqnently elsvvhere * As people grevv more fond to hear Sermons than to amend their lives Homilies vvere morâ— frequent * This practice changed into a monthly Sacrament at the Combustions in the yeare 1679. * Mr. Ashton