wit that the Refractary Ministers quarell against the Church of England is the Ministery of the Gospel the Saluation of the people c. Whereas indeed all the contention is about Crosse Surplice and some other in different Ceremonies Actions in the Church And all these Argumēts do make specially against thē seeing they be onely disturbers of the sincere professiō of the Gospell worke of the Ministery yea seeing they forsake their calling moue so great concentions and brawles about so small matters Ioseph hauing interpreted the dreame of Pharaoh his chiefe Butler touching his reconciliation againe to the grace of Pharaoh and the recouery of his former place of honourable seruice before Pharaoh desired him to hace him in eemēbrance when he should be reconciled and restored Gen. 40.41 So it is recorded by the holy Ghost and acknowledged by the said Butler as a great fault that he had not remembred Ioseph but forgotten him Gen. 40.23 41.9 If it were so great a fault in Pharao his butler not to remember and speake for one Ioseph that had interpreted one dreame touching his reconcilement to a mortall Prince and the recouery of an earthly preferment neyther of which notwithstanding he knew not how long he shuld enioy at the most he could not enioy them any longer then during onely naturall life how great them is the fault of all those that neglect to speake for many ministers of the Gospell that haue not once but often and dayly interpreted many mysteries of God touching their reconciliation with God himselfe and their euerlasting aduancement in heauenly places Ephes 2.6 To walke in white with Christ Iesus yea to sit also with him in his throne as he himselfe sitteth in the throne of his Father Apoc. 3.5 21. Yea verily as the fault of the Butler was the lesse because being enlarged he had none to remember him of that duty so the fault of those shal be the greater that haue many b) Would God they were half so diligent in a good cause as they are importunate to sow schisme sedition amongst Bretheren But they deserue small cōmendation and thankes of any good Christian for their importunity and earnestnesse herein dayly to put them in mind thereof and to prouoke them therevnto and yet for all that doe hold their peace Resolution of the 3. Argument It is a sinne not to recompence a good turne receiued Ergo. The refractary Ministers are to be regarded spoken for ANSWER 1. It is true good deedes must be rewarded specially the Ministers faithfull labours The Apostle saith 1. Cor. 9.11 If we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing c. 2. But in that the Refractary Ministers haue looked backe and withdrawne their hands from the plough Luk. 9.62 making a manifest schisme and disturbing the peace of the Church this deserueth no recompence 3. The errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IV. ARGVMENT THe whole Armie of Israell spake with great courage in behalfe of Ionathan thus Shall Ionathan dye who hath mightely deliuered Israel God forbid As the Lord liueth there shall not one hayre of his head fall to the ground for hee hath wrought with God this day 1. Sam. 14.45 Were this common people that liued vnder the Lawe and which had not had so plentifull and cleare instruction as is now reuealed by the Gospel were this common people I say so a) Ionathans case and the Schismatical Ministers is altogether vnlike See the Answer And the vrging of this zeale hauing not the like cause seemes to be very dāgerous But I spare my Brethren zealous for Ionathan in regard onely of a bodily deliuerance from bodily enimies whereof he had not beene the Author but onely an instrument of God and shall not this high Court of Parliament now assembled being the chiefe flower of this whole Realme of England and representing the whole Realme bee zealous and earnest for many whom God hath vsed as his instruments and who haue wrought with God and daily would so worke with God if b) The greater is their sin whose Superstition wilful obstinacy hath restrayned their liberty made them vnseruiceable in the Church they may haue liberty for the spiritual deliuerance of many thousands frō spirituall enimies euen to turne them from darkenesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they may haue forgiuenes of sinnes inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Act. 26.18 Resolution of the 4. Argument Such whom the Lord hath made his instruments for the spirituall deliuerance of many thousands from spirituall enemies are to be respected and recompensed Ergo. The Refractary Ministers are to be remembred and restored ANSWER 1. This Argument is paralell vnto the former and is there fully answered 2. The Ministers in deliuering thousands from spirituall enemies did but their duty for which they deserue loue of the people and commendation of all men but they should still haue cōtinued faithfull in their Ministery and not shamfully haue forsaken their calling 3. Ionathans example alleadged by the Suppliants is vnlike vnto the Ministers case For Saul in deepe hypocrisie had made a rashe vowe that whosoeuer did taste any foode c. 1. Sam. 14.24 should be accursed and die the death wherefore the people iustly rescued him from the fury of Saul But the actions of our dread Soueraigne are not so exorbitant they are not rashe and heady but aduised and iust intended for vnity and quietnesse in the Church to preuent and represse phanaticall giddinesse schisme factions and innouation 4. The Errours of this Argument are aswell the same with the former as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the allegation of an impertinent Example V. ARGVMENT IT is not to be forgotten with what courage and good successe a) Impertinent Examples Nehemiah spake for the materiall Ierusalem to Artashasht an heathen and prophane King Neh. 2.2 c. as also how most vertuous and noble Q. Esther beeing indeed prouoked by poore Mordecai aduentured her selfe to speake to the like conditioned King Ahashuerosh in behalfe of the old people of God the Iewes for preuenting of their bodily bloodshed notwithstanding she had not beene called vnto the King in thirty dayes before and notwithstanding there were a lawe of the King that whosoeuer man or woman should come vnto the King in the inward Court not called should die except such as to whom the King should haue held forth his golden rod. It is not I say to be forgotten but religiously to bee remembred how notwithstanding the foresaid danger and her former feare and weakenesse in that respect yet at the last shee promised Mordecai to aduenture her selfe saying If I perish I perish and how also after prayer and fasting of her selfe her ladies and of the rest of the Iewes in Shushan for her she entered to the King and spake for her people and
conformity Them that honor me I will honor and they that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth Math. 12. â—0 Therefore Watch yee stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong 1. Cor. 16.13 To the Christian a) What here is pretended to the Reader in generall is indeed specially intended and directed vnto the Parliament as appeareth towards the latter end of this first Paragraph Reader Honorable Worshipfull c. TOuching these arguments following my humble petition to the b) This pretence vnto the Christian Reader is because they wold not seeme to be petitioners vnto the Parliament Christian reader of whatsoeuer sort and condition is this that they may not be taken as proceeding from one suspecting any religious Noble man or Gentleman of the Parliament house but rather from one as with all thanks to God acknowledging the godly forwardnesse of many in both houses so also earnestly desiring to quicken the zeale of the best and to provoke all other to take the cause heere handled to heart not onely as the cause of poore distressed men but as the cause of God yea to accompt it also the c) The Suppliants make the profession of the Gospell all Religion to consist in refusing cap surplice crosse c Great crie little wooll maine cause of the whole land of your selues and all your posteritie and therefore to preferre the same according to the dayly most godly prayer of your selues in your house of Parliament before al other causes whatsoeuer either concerning any particular persons or the whole common wealth Whereas I haue perswaded them to whom I haue directed these reasons to vse all meanes they may for the doing of any good I desire that my wordes may not be vncharitablie construed of any other meanes then such as are sutable to the cause viz. of good honest lawfull peaceable and agreeable to euery mans calling The like charitable construction I craue of any other wordes which some perhaps may maliciously wrest against my selfe and the cause Whereas also some may seeme to pretend feare of his most excellent Maiesties d) As if his Maiesty wold be displeased if any promoted a religious or honest cause A malepert presumptuous if not disloyal Censure displeasure to hinder their zeale and courage such I intreat to consider how dishonourable if not disloyall it is in good causes to feare the displeasure of a Prince who besides his most Christian education from his infancy hath e) I know not whereto all his whole paragraph tenddeth if the Suppliants deeme not his Maiesty to haue forsaken his first loue and to haue reuolted from Religion at least in shevv for a time long time publikly giuen so many worthy testimonies of his piety and godlinesse Loue thinketh no evill of any much lesse of such a Christian Prince It beleeueth all and hopeth all of euery brother much more of a religious King It is the glory of a King not only to finde out the secrets of other but also sometime to conceale his own Therfore it is not meete by preseÌ„t words or deedes whereof sometime there may bee a deepe reason alwaies to iudge of the mind Iehu pretended one thing when he proclaimed a sacrifice for Baal but hee intended another Ioseph a long time dealt roughly both in word and deede with his brethren yet in the end he shewed himselfe most louing and kinde vnto them Our Sauiour for the triall of the woman of Canaan seemed a long time to repel her sute for her daughter first by silence 2. by a sharpe reprehension of his disciples petitioning in her behalfe and 3. by a more sharp answer to her selfe At the last notwithstanding he did most graciously open the treasures of his rich compassion towards her and sent her away with aboundant comfort Constantius the Father of Constantine the Great as Eusebius reporteth lib. 1. de vita Constantini cap. 11. at his first entrance into the Empire made solemne proclamation that all which f) A malicious vncharitable vnchristian allegation to be applied vnto the whole state that loyally obey his Maiesty especially his Nobles and Seruants See the Answer serued him in his court should either worship Devills after the manner of the Heathen or giue ouer their places of dignity and honour and so to be banished from his court But by this meanes when he had tryed them that were faithfull then to the farre greater honour of his Princely wisedome and piety than if he had plainely and simply at the first professed the Christian religion He disgraced those that had so reuolted from God and rebuked them with a most Princely and religious rebuke saying That they were Traytors to GOD and vnworthy the seruice of an Emperour For how quoth he can they keepe faith vnuiolate towards the Emperour which are manifestly conuinced to be vnfaithfull to the most excellent and mighty God On the contrarie those that for conscience had forsakeÌ„ their places and giuen ouer their honors he most highly graced as those that would be faithfull to the Emperour because they had beene so vnto God yea he pronounced them worthy to be reckoned among the chiefe and principall friends of the Emperour and to be worthily much more esteemed then Treasuryes full of great riches Therefore also he preferred some of them to speciall attendance vpon his owne person and other some hee aduanced to the chiefe gouernement of the Empire vnder himselfe I leaue the g) For if they had particularly applyed these things their malice had bin the more manifest application of these things Onely I wish such consideration of them that men may not bee rash vpon any supposed apparences to iudge Christian Princes especially who in former times haue many wayes testified their sincere religion yea I wish lesse censuring h) No bolder and securer censurers of al sorts and degrees of men vnder the cope of heauen then these singular and selfe conceipted Refractaries of them and more earnest praying for them in secret before him that seeeth in secret and hath promised to reward openly yea as Dauid blessed the Lord God of Israell and the counsell of Abigail and Abigail her selfe for keeping him from sheading innocent blood 1. Sam. 25.32 c. so to omit what i) How prodigall they are of the Kings thankes thankes you may haue from his excellent Maiesty who also knoweth how euen they that for the present do most resist the matters hereafter pleaded for will in the end blesse God and your counsell and your selues for staying them from their proceeding in their hard courses against k) An euident slander of the State as if notorious manifest Schisme were the Ministery of the Gospell the ministery of the Gospell and the saluation of the people depending thereupon Finally albeit I could haue added many other arguments
of peace Eph. 6.15 compared with Isai 2.4 and 11.6 and 65.25 Finally the whole c) Outward prosperitie cōsisteth in pure worship They speake so profoundly as an intelligent sensible man cannot vnderstand them As if the vngodly flourished not oftentimes as a greene Bay tree and the outward prosperitie of the Persians and Romanes did not surpasse the meane estate of the Iewes the true Church of God outward prosperity of all Kings and kingdomes consisteth principally in the pure worship of God and the meanes that commends the same 2. Chro 14.14.17.10.27 6.24.26 2. King 18.7 Therefore they cannot be faithfull to Kings kingdoms neither to themselues that d) This cānot be applied vnto our state Let the Refractarie faction looke into themselues that they do not thus in forsaking their calling vocation neglect the true worship of God and the meanes thereof Therefore also as Ester said of those that provoked Ahashuerosh against the Iewes so may it be said of all those that perswade the suppression of the Gospel of the Ministers thereof Such aduersaries cannot recompence the Kings losse Ester 7.4 If therefore yee will not respect the state of Ministers their wiues children yet respect your selues your wiues and children yea our King and whole kingdome even touching the outward estate of your selues and yours of King and kingdome And if yee loue the safetie peace wealth and glory of King and Kingdome and of your selues and yours then speake and do what you all and euery one of you may for the e) What is this ad Rhombum So they will though you had neuer excited them vnto it Gospell and ministery thereof Resolution of the 7. Argument To regard the Refractarie Ministers is to regard the whole land the States of Parliament their wiues and children the King and Kingdome Ergo. If the high Court of Parliament loue the safetie peace wealth and glorie of King and Kingdom and of themselues and theirs they must speake and do what they may for the Gospell and Ministerie thereof ANSWER 1. What can a sensible man make of this Enthymeme The Refractarie Ministers are the safetie of the whole land Ergo The Court of Parliament must speake for the Gospell 2. The Antecedēt is very improbable if not altogether false both because there be thousands of Godly faithfull Ministers in this kingdom which are not of their faction that are as Charets Horsmen and also because the Ministers are therefore termed Charets and Horsemen because they are Gods instruments for gathering of his Saints by the exercise of their Ministerie But these men refuse to exercise their Ministerie they have relinquished and forsaken their calling wherefore they can by no reason be termed Charets Horsmen And so farre are they from being the safetie of the Land that would God they were not the Sores of the Church and Sowers of Sedition I meane Schisme and Faction 3. For the Consequence I am sure it is from a Topique place called A baculo ad angulum from the Staffe to the corner for it hath not the least coherence with the Antecedent except the Suppliants meane that these wordes Refract arie Ministers the Gospel the Ministerie of the Gospel be conuertible termes which were absurd and vnpossible 4. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IIX ARGVMENT IT is the duety of all Princes and Magistrates and also of their Courtes to execute a) If Iustice be executed how can Schismatikes looke for any fauour then How well they plead for themselues iustice iudgment in the morning to deliuer the oppressed c. Ier. 21.12.22.2 especially to do iustice towards the soules of men Therefore this especially doth belong to this high Court of Parliament as being the highest Court we haue for iustice and iudgment vpon earth As Abraham therefore said vnto God Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Gen. 18.25 so say I to this present Court shal not the highest Court of all this Kingdome doe right Yea this is the more at this present to bee considered because this iustice that nowe I speake of is not onely the Iustice of God but also of this Land For it is abundantly of late b) By whome proued that all the late proceedinges against the ministers in repressing of their ministery and in depriving them of their free holds is c) Most false See the Answere contrary to the lawes of this kingdome both to Charta Magna and also to many statutes The same is to be vnderstood of the d) Obiect against these and you shal be answered oath ex officio of many of the late Canons of diuers other things It is also against a) These men would bring all things to popular trial reason that the basest Cobler and Tinker cannot bee eiected from his free hold of but ten shillings by the yeare but by a Iury of 12. men and before some of his Maiesties Iudges in solemne forme of lawe and b) A senselesse sentence How can a man in matters of eternall life be cast out of his free-hold that the ministers Ambassadors of Christ Iesus in the matters of eternall life should bee cast out of their free hold of what worth soeuer by one man onely and not onely without any Iury but also c) The Ecclesiastical Iudge may proceede Ex officio without any complaint or accusation against them If it be obiected that this that I haue said to be the iustice of this Kingdome is but the d) Directly against the Statute of 1. Eliza. c. 2. opinion of some priuate persons Let the ministers finde fauour with this high Court of iustice to haue the former causes in the said Court debated as many the like haue beene heeretofore and dayly are Shall priuat causes be respected by you yea shall matters of pourueyors and such like of small moment for the common-wealth come before you and bee so largely discussed and handeled by you and shall not so many publique causes of so many of such quality for the e) Begging of the Question Church be regarded yea not the cause of GOD himselfe Shall GOD and his sonne Christ Iesus in the cause of his Gospell and ministers thereof stand as is were at your Parliament house f) As if they were not President of that Religious Assembly already An vnchristian suggestion dore knocking and craving to be let in and to haue their cause heard and shall not your dore be opened Beware of this least ye knock also at heaven dore and there be none found to open or to answere vnto you Resolution of the. 8. Argument The Magistrate ought to execute iustice and iudgement and to deliuer the oppressed Ergo. Much more ought the high Courte of Parliament to do so and to deliuer the Refractarie Ministers ANSWER I Am constrayned to dance as the Suppliants please to pipe They lead and I follow Hitherto they prayed your
againe like to be of any other Parliament Ergo. They ought to do good now by restoring the Deprived and Silenced Ministers ANSWER 1. BVt it hath not beene yet proued that to restore the Refractarie Ministers is to doe Good and not rather to doe hurt and to sinne by being cause of nourishing faction and dissention in the Church 2. The Errours be 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IV. REASON The Refractarie Ministers would be very glad if they were comforted restored and let alone Ergo. They ought so to be ANSWER SO would all Schismatiques Heretiques Papists Atheists yea all malefactors murtherers theeues cut purses be very glad if they were comforted deliuered and let alone V. REASON The House of Parliament by their mercy shewed towards the Refractarie Ministers shall not onely treasure vp comfort vnto themselues against the day of their death but shall also make their olde Age the more honourable and their names memorable amongst all posteritie Ergo. They ought so to do ANSWER 1. IF by Mercy they meane their reclaiming from Schisme and faction I grant the whole 2. But if they meane their Restoring againe they continuing still the same men they are now then is the Antecedent a foule begging of the Question and the Argument inconsequent 3. For contrariwise it may be concluded The House of Parliament by restoring Schismaticall Ministers to disquiet the peace of the Church shall not onely attract guilt and remorse of conscience but also preiudice their honourable Age and make their names reproachfull amongst all posteritie VI. REASON As Iael was blessed aboue other women dwelling in tents for driving a nayle into Siseraes head So should these Parliament Men be blessed aboue many former if they vtterly tooke away all the Whore of Romes ornaments yet remayning c. Ergo. They ought to do so ANSWER 1. THe instance is altogither different For Sisera was a speciall enemie of the Children of Israel and of the Church of God Iudg. 4.2 But the Ornaments the Suppliants speake of are the good Creatures of God hauing no hurt or ill in them 2. Neither were the Popish idolatrous Priestes ever decked with our Ornaments neither are they now 3. Neither were our Ornaments ever worshipped or abused to Idolatrie neither are they yet 4. Neither if they had beene is it absolutely necessarie to destroy the Substance of them togither with the abuse but the abuse is to be abolished and the true vse restored The reasons hereof and cautions to be vsed in this point I haue layde downe in another place Chap. 11. Lib. de Adiaph 5. The Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XVII ARGVMENT TO conclude therefore whilst ye haue time and whilest it is called to day feare that ye shal never hereafter haue the like time and oportunitie that now ye haue and therefore as Bathsheba said to her most princely sonne Lemuell Open thy mouth for the dumme and in the cause of all the children of destruction open thy mouth iudge righteously and iudge the afflicted and the poore Pro. 31.8.9 So say I to all them that by their place may any way do good to the Church of God and to any afflicted and poore members thereof Yea as the said Queene Bathsheba saith before giue yee strong drinke to him that is ready to perish and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart that he may drinke and forget his povertie and remember his miserie no more Pro. 31.6.7 So I doe wish all them that are of any authoritie or in any place of grace and favour especially this present high Court of Parliament to giue a plentiful boll of the strong drinke of their comfortable favour yea an whole flagon ful of the wine of their grace that they that are now poore and haue bin long heavy harted for the a) Beging of the Question Let the suppliants looke into themselues and bevvaile the corruptions they shall see there corruptiōs ruins of Syon that in the greif of their hearts are ready to perish may drink so deeply therof that they may forget their poverty and remēber their misery no more Iob said that he had not contēned the iudgmēt of his servāt neither of his maide when they contēded with him Iob. 31.13 How much lesse thē is the b) Impudent begging the Question iudgment of the ministers of the gospel yea of the mother 06 of vs al the Church of God yea of God himself of Christ Iesus of the holy Angels of our selues our posterity finally of king and kingdom as hath bin shewed to be neglected As Hamā said of the Iewes to Ahashuerosh that they were a people scattered dispersed among the people in al provinces of his kingdome having lawes divers from all people and not observing the Kings lawes and that therfore it was not for the Kings profite to suffer thē Ester 3.8 So I am not ignorant that these ministers of the Gospell of whom I haue now in these Arguments made so often mention are c And that iustly if you meane the state of the Church charged as enimies to the state perturbers of the Church seditious schismaticall c. But if it were lawfull and free for these men to expostulate with the state touching the former matters as David did with the Lords annoynted Saule they might not onely say with David Wherefore do ye giue eare to mens words that say behold David seeketh evill against you 1. Sam. 24.10 But they might also plead their innocency as David doth his verse 12. Vnderstand and see that there is neither evil nor wickednesse in vs neither haue wee sinned against you But in the meane time this they may boldly say that as the former hath bin an old accusation in all ages even against the best friends of the Church and state so it is answered by the D. King in his 42. lecture vpon Ionas pag. 171. out of Augustine that such accusations are rather by confiction then by conviction And therefore as our most gratious Queene of most happie memory Queene Elizabeth before she was Queene in her distresse in the dayes of Queene Mary wrot with her Diamond in a glasse window at Woodstocke Much suspected by me Nothing proved can be Even d Not so so may these men both speake and write the same of themselues As for such e An vniust calumnie accusers as are alwayes provoking all men especially Princes and Nobles against them I wish them to take heed of that fearefull cursse wherwith f As if Dauids case and the Schismaticall Ministers were the same David cursed those children of men before the Lord that had sturred vp Saule against him and that by that meanes had cast him out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serue other Gods 1 Sam 26.19 For my part I pray that God may giue them a better minde that so