ENGLAND'S FAITHFULL REPROVER AND MONITOUR LONDON Printed by E. Cotes for Richard Royston at the Angell in Ivie-Lane 1653. The Contents 1. TO the Church of England 2. To the inferiour Ministers of the Gospell 3. To the Nobility and Gentry 4. To the expulsed Members of the University and to those now abiding therein 5. To the Judges Lawyers c. 6. To the City of London 7. To the seduced of this Nation and to as many as have separated themselves from the Communion of our Church 8. To the whole body of this Nation 9. A Post-script to the Reader ENGLAND'S Faithfull Reprover AND MONITOUR To the Church of England ALthough I am not ignorant that many will hardly allow thee the honour of this Title in the present disorder and confusion of all things yet because thou hast a name that thou livest and e rt dead Apoc. 13.1 or supposing that there is yet remaining in thee some little spark or weak degree of life notwithstanding the whole head is sick Isai 1.5 6. and the whole heart faint and from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundnesse in thee but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores let me have liberty to speak unto thee as to a languishing and dying body neither let it seem strange if I powre Wine as well as Oyle into thy wounds seeing that a deep spirituall Lethargie doth possesse thy organ of sense and motion and there is need of a loud and shrill voice to rowse and awaken thee from sleep And because thou sayest Apoc. 3.17 I am rich and increased with goods and have neâ—d of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked I shall endevour to represent unto thee as in a glasse thy many deformities blemishes and defects not to shame thee but to humble thee not to reproach thy person but to reform thy life Although perchance the shame of the world and the reproach of men are generally more prevalent with thy children then the hope of heaven or the fear of hell then the love or the terrour of their Maker Wherefore if this my weak and imperfect labour shall be any waies serviceable for the discovery of thy maladies and the recovery of thy health or in any respect instrumentall to thy spirituall welfare I have the desired fruit and reward thereof and let glory be given unto him to whom alone it doth of right belong It was once the happinesse and glory of thy children that they had Pastours both learned and faithfull instructors peaceable as well as pure who adorned the truth of their Doctrine with the holinesse of their conversation and were carefull to preserve thy unity no lesse inviolable then that incorrupt But alas this thy goodnesse was as the morning cloud Hos 6.4 and as the early dew it went away And thy glory like that of Ephraim did flie away like a bird from the birth Hos 9.11 and from the womb and from the conception For the leaders of thy people soon caused them to erre and thy chief shepherds sent forth unskilfull and blinde guides among them who knew not the way of their steps or such who loved to wander themselves and by their lewd example drew others aside from the paths of righteousnesse and of peace or those who were sluggish and cared not for the flock but for the fleece only preferring their own bodily ease to the welfare of their brethrens most precious souls and the short pleasure of sin to the lasting comfort of a good conscience yea how many of thy children did love to have it so that there might be like Priest like people and being corrupted by long prosperity and peace or prepossessed with pride worldly interest covetousnesse and desire of gain or blinded with passion and prejudice against their Teachers or glutted with the common use and plenty of their spirituall Manna they could no longer endure sound Doctrine or those who taught is as the truth is in Jesus But after their own lusts 2 Tim. 4.3 heaped to themsolves teachers having itching ears who well perceiving the levity and inconstancy of some the pride and wantonnesse of others the leaven of hypocrisie with the spirit of contradiction and contention in all in thought it now no time to sleep but made use of so fair an opportunity and gratefull season of arriving to the haven of their respective desires and hopes Wherefore some of them strake sayle for their ambition others for their covetousnesse and not a few for their discontent and malice against the present government and governours although it was not possible only but probable also that some at least had a zeal of God in tais strange act of opposition and gainsaying but not according to knowledge As for the rest the contempt and reproach which lay on them whether for their poverty which is seldome or never without disgrace in flourishing and prosperous times or for the suspicion of being factious and disaffected to the then ruling power and unequall administration of justice and law both in Church and State the sure fore-runner of national calamities was no small incentive to set them on with greedinesse in those counsels and courses the sad effects whereof we see and feel unto this present day In the mean while the generall pretence and profession of all is that they desire and aim at nothing more yea at nothing besides then the true doctrine and discipline of Christ Jesus especially the latter And to this specious designe an open way seemed to be made by the great profanenesse and vicious living of the oppolite party who while they were zealous for conformity to the ordinances of men and thought a main part of Christian duty to depend upon the observation of them did allow themselves carnall liberty in violating the precepts and commandements of God And this they did as from that inbred corruption which is common to all men so likewise from a private spirit of opposition against the adversaries of their cause Thus while some were zealous indeed for the outward and formall discipline of thy sons but cold or lukewarm in the profession and maintenance of thy doctrine or denying it by their works though they did confesse it with their lips other zealous at least in shew for thy doctrine but slighting thy discipline or zealously bent against it even to a distemper sometimes of rage and violence and the greater part resting quiet in an indifferent or neutrall disposition and affection towards both the staves of beauty and of bands were soon cut quite asunder and broken in pieces even the covenant of truth order and peace with the entire bond of Christian brotherhood whereby many have made shipwrack of the faith and of good conscience to the extreme hazard of their immortall souls And many more are like to fall daily after the same example of misbelief errour and Apostasie For what other
fruits may we exspect from those roots of bitternesse which have sprung up amongst us I mean the contentions and divisions of thy children which have troubled our peace and whereby so many are defiled Heb. 12.15 Jam. 3.16 seeing that where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evill work The truth of which hath been for a long time exemplified not only in their strange disorder and chaos-like confusion of all things but also in their cruell demeanour and more then barbarous practises one towards another no lesse hatefull to God the author of order unity and peace the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort then pernicious to men created after his own image and likenesse And however more pretend to holinesse now then in former times And this indeed is the very soul of our Christian profession few of ordinary prudence and conscience are so weak sighted that they cannot look through their thin vail or fine web of hypocrisie and plainly discern this form of godlinesse from the power thereof For albeit they have the voice of Jacob and would be thought thereby to have the heart of Jacob also yet the roughnesse of their hands and their manner of hunting evidently shew that there is in them the profanenesse and cruelty of Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his birth-right and then purposed with himself to redeem it again with the price of his Brothers bloud Gen. 17. But what was the cause that they so carefully put on the outward disguise and mask of holinesse Surely to omit the great repute which they gained by this means at a very cheap rate with those of their own opinion and faction and those high titles of singularity and spirituall preheminence above others in the world generally accounted of by them as wicked and reprobate persons because not of their society and fellowship the which they usually received from their chieftains and leaders as properly belonging to themselves and their disciples and those worldly advantages to say no more which privately at least attended on their novell profession This perchance was not the meanest that they might thus check and shame the open profanenesse grosse impiety irreligion and sinne of their professed adversaries the which to speak the truth was so eminent oft-times and notorious in many of them as might startle a meer naturall conscience to hear or behold it and cause therein an abhorrency from their courses so opposite as well to right reason as to sanctifying grace much more in a minde enlightned though with the smallest ray of Evangelicall truth For what could be more strange or hatefull unto men in whom was any spark remaining either of common Grace or of morall Vertue and who were not wholly possessed with Atheisme and carryed on with fullest bent to Libertinisme and ungodly practise then to hear those that did professe themselves to be the followers of Christ to have communion with him by faith and to expect glory from him scoffing at the purest acts of his worship blaspheming or profaning his holy Name by causlesse oathes fearfull imprecations direfull execrations and such like speeches not to be expressed again without horrour and amazement and not only so but glorying likewise in this their abominable wickednesse and in other of like damnable nature namely 1 Pet. 4.3 4. in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine and of strong drink revellings wherein they thought it strange that others ran not with them to the same excesse of riot speaking evill of them What Christian eye could behold this and not melt with sorrow and indignation against it What pious heart can think thereon and not both detest it and sigh for it In the mean time how much did this their apparent and over daring impudence in sin commend and grace the seeming Saint-like conversation of their adversaries Many of which notwithstanding all their glorious profession and shew of godlinesse were no better then those Scribes and Pharisees against whom our blessed Saviour cloth denouounce so many curses for their inward hypocrasie and iniquity veiled with the specious dresse of outward sanctity Mat. 23. see especially vers 27 28. Luk. 11. where see vers 39 44. And this was sufficiently attested by their spirituall pride high disdain and contempt of others never so little differing from them in judgement or in practise by their spirit of contradiction and rebellion against the present power whether secular or spirituall unnaturall affection injustice and falshood in common commerce by their rigour and cruelty shewn upon all occasions to the diffenting Brethren In a word by their want of mercy and barrennesse of good works towards the indigent and needy not to mention the envie emulation strife and division with the corrupt fruits and effects which proceed from these very rife and ordinary amongst themselves As for some who gave them the right hands of fellowship we cannot without manifest breach of charity judge of them otherwise then that they were simple harmlesse and well meaning men who being offended and not without cause at the corruption of the times and scandalous lives of many in the sacred office of the Ministry and deluded by the fair speeches good words smooth carriage plausible pretences of religious aims and ends not warrantable only but necessary also of those who made it their businesse to cause divisions and offences between thy children were drawn first into a dislike of thy policy and afterward to a separation from thee if not in appearance yet in heart though at last in both when it was more safe and advantagious then before And indeed their strict conformity in other respects to the precepts of the Gospell with their constancy in suffering for the defence of their cause did argue as much to moderate men and not possessed with prejudicate hatred of their opinions and persons for such as these could never be induced to entertain a good conceit of them no not in the least measure but contrariwise judged their best actions to be counterfeit and false and thought their greatest sufferings to proceed from pride and contumacy of spirit rather then from blinde ignorance of the truth or from errour of conscience Now as it comes to passe between those who extremely hate one the other that they endevour as much as in them lyeth to be unlike each the other in their manner of life outward behaviour garbe and fashion and every thing for the most part which is pleasing to the one is displeasing to the other and oft-times for this reason only because his adversary taketh delight therein so it fared in this case for what the one party did approve and allow of in their practise the other would dislike and condemn upon this weak and causlesse ground and in like manner perchance as readily receive and embrace what the other did refuse and reject for the same reason or indeed rather want of reason For what can be more irrationall yea senslesse
by these mutuall combats and fiery skirmishes between their spirituall leaders They might happily learn from them to discourse and argue amisse concerning matters too high for them to live well they could not this being a businesse of action not of contemplation of reall practise not of verball dispute whereas had they both laid aside these sublimated differences or discussed them upon occasion with meeknesse and sobriety spending their time and pains in teaching the people those truths of sacred Scripture which all are bound to know all to beleeve and obey upon necessity in order to salvation both themselves and they who were instructed by them had without all question received much more comfort and benefit then they did or have done since these superlative mysteries or points of Theology first gave occasion to the doubtfull disputations afterward agitated between the learned of both factions Of a more inferiour nature but not unlike consequence have your eager disputes and furious contestations been concerning the Church-worship and outward ceremonies thereof Some of you crying them up above measure and beyond reason in your Sermons to the people others crying them down as much besides and without reason when opportunity served their turn and both neglecting in the mean while the more weighty duties of your calling By which omission and imprudence ignorance and faction secretly crept into the Church saith and a good conscience became vile and of little or no esteem with men while every one thought it religion enough to be zealous for his own party and quocunque modo to honour and advance it not considering whether the way were warrantable or no as it usually comes to passe in designs and actions of this nature And however some of you were much reputed of for your frequent and painfull diligence in the work of the Ministry yet what a pious Bishop of the first reformation said of Popish preachers in his time that happy were the people if such preached seldome the same may we say of you unlesse ye had more aimed at peace and holinesse then ye did in your ordinary and prolix orations to the multitude And here we may in no wise passe by without observation the strange levity and inconstancy that I may not call it treachery * see Zephan 3.4 of many of you who having just now as it were attested your approbation of the Churches Doctrine and Discipline both by orall profession and also by manuall subscription yea and some highly extolled the same in the congregation as perfect and exact in every respect presently without the least account given to the world of this sudden and unexpected change condemned both the one as erroneous in some points the other as vain and superstitious and what may seem yet more strange became as in a moment violent persecutors of their fellow Ministers who out of conscience of their duty kept their first faith and adhered to their former principles And yet these are the men who arrogate to themselves a greater measure of knowledge with sanctity of life above the rest of their brethren especially those of a different minde and judgement from them concerning externall rites of divine worship wherein they hypocritically and falsly complyed with them till they had gotten power into their hands to do without controll contrary to what they protested and practised before But the mercilesse cruelty which they had shewn to their fellow labourers in Gods harvest and their miserable families utterly impoverished or for ought they know or care perchance famished by reason of these bold unjust intruders into their lawfull possessions if there were nothing else besides doth sufficiently declare notwithstanding all their fair pretences and professions of holinesse that they are inwardly ravening wolves Mat. 7.15 how ever they appear outwardly in sheeps elothing This having been alwaies the garbe of false Prophets by soft words and smooth carriage to conceal their falshood and wickednesse the more easily to impose upon the ignorant and undiscerning people The Lord reform them that he may forgive them But although these men were so clamorous and loud in the Assembly against their adversaries and maintained the fight with more then ordinary resolution some of you were quiet enough and indeed more then enough I mean those silent yet not silenc't ministers whose character we finde Isai Isai 56.10 11. 56.10 11. For as in other respects there mentioned they were like unto those watchmen condemned by the Prophet so in this as well as in any that they all looked to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter and for the same end many times as they did expressed vers 12. They cared not for the flock so they might cloath themselves with the fleece every Benefice they had was unto them a fine cura for they carelesly deserted their congregations and either committed the oversight of them to men altogether unskilfull and unable to instruct them or if they lighted by chance upon men more sufficient and fit for this work who also made conscience of doing their duty and discharging their office according to that power wherewith God had enabled them labour they might but scarce eat for their pains so little encouragement were they to expect from from these hard taskmasters who did binde heavie burdens and grievous to be born Mat. 23.4 and lay them on the poor Curates shoulders but they themselves would not move them with one of their fingers And yet not a few of them were ingenious men and eminent for learning that we may well wonder how they do so much forget their own education and so little commiserate and regard men of the same habit and profession with themselves but chiefly that they did so much despise God from whom they received their office and trust and for which they were so straitly accountable to him at the last day For could they think it reasonable or in any respect warrantable from his Word that he who took not upon him the care of one Parish or Church should receive the revenues of two or more perchance upon occasion and these far distant each from other or if never so near adjoyning seldome visited by the owner and far removed from his thought and solicitude for their souls But the wisest men are not alwaies the best neither is learning the mother of grace at any time and many times destitute of this blessed corupanion wherefore God hath justly cast you forth of his inheritance with contempt and scorne from your enemies and turned it to others while divine chastisements are upon you for your ancient sloth formerly abused wealth and plenty and other high offences against his sacred Majesty And oh that ye were as sensible of your sins as ye are of your unishments Yea much more grieved for the miscarriage of your life and abuse of your calling then for the losse of your estates for that I am sure doth more concern you then this and
up that few had the knowledge thereof But granting some of you a primacy in the former I suppose many of you have cause to blush at the mention of the latter remembring what mistakes impertinencies tautologies inconsequencies to say no worse have passed from you in this rash and inconsiderate motion Although the better advised and wiser sort among you to avoid such inconveniences as these are thought to present us with composed formes of prayer many times yet so as they would have them taken of their Auditors for the issues of sudden meditation and indeed the phrase and language of the same intimate as much being for the most part more apt and elegant then that which they use in their popular Sermons Wherefore one of your faction and of your society heretofore well reputed of for his learning with you unto this day did not many years agoe privately impart his minde concerning this thing to a friend of his well known unto my self of whom also I received it and that to this effect to wit That he had so many formes of prayer lying by him or else committed to memory by the enterchangeable use of which notwithstanding the same for words or but little varying upon some speciall occasion he was thought by the people alwaies to pray without premeditation How warrantable this delusion may be with men I cannot tell but with God surely it cannot passe the note of hypocrisie and of vain-glory From which the Apostle was so free that he did forbear to say the truth in such a case as this tending to his own honour lest saith he any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be 2 Cor. 12.6 or that he heareth of me But be it so as ye would have it this cannot adde either to the efficacy of your prayers or to the acceptation of your persons in the presence of the Almighty albeit it is to be feared that some of you entertain this conceit thereof secretly in your hearts for otherwise they would not condemn at least so peremptorily as they do the use of set formes in other men Neither can good and diligent preaching advantage your souls without answerable living though ye never so frequently and fervently cry down in the Assembly self and flesh and nature and world with whatsoever appertaineth to their severall proprieties I know full well that ye are good at this in the Pulpit laying aside your affectation of new coined words unusuall tone and gesture the which some have in part relinquished for very shame but in your conversation ye are as other men especially when ye are called upon by your profession for contempt of the world in your practise and example Witnesse this the leaders and chieftains who brought and setled you where ye now abide For as they did displace at pleasure all those that did not yeeld to their demands so they wrought themselves into those places made vacant by them which were of greatest benefit and advantage at least most opportune for their private ends of covetousnesse or ambition And albeit this might seem a point of wisdome in them to the eyes of the world I am sure it was not that wisdome which descendeth from above and which they so much commend by their doctrine to the conscience of others but that which is from below even the wisdome of this world Jam. 3.15 or of the flesh of which see Jam. 3.15 And yet perchance it was a kinde of imprudence too in respect of the common cause which they did then maintain the which without doubt could not but suffer hereby some diminution of its former credit and repute with all indifferent men But it is an hard matter even for the deepest dissemblers to conceal themselves and not to put off their disguise in such concerning cases as these and therefore having so fair and singular opportunity of advancing themselves they accumulate places of honour and trust so high was their opinion of their own worth so immoderate their desire of worldly wealth and greatnesse according to the custome of their faction who are generally accounted provident ingatherers and layers up in store for the future but niggardly dispensers of what they have and can well spare to the necessities of their poor brethren whose mouthes seldome blesse you because their bowels are seldome refreshed by you but curse you often because of your frequent incompassion towards them The Lord forgive both you and them Yea some were known to be penurious and sordid towards themselves and their families and so cruell to their own bowels as well as to other men Now what good works will follow you after death according to this account I need not speak For your laudable pains in the work of the ministery cannot further you in the way of salvation 1 Cor. 9.27 without exemplary holinesse of life And here we may not passe by without just censure those men who have contrary to former oathes entred into others right and possessed themselves of their places violating hereby the statutes of the house which they had sworn ever to maintain One of them eminent for place among you though not for parts being urged upon a certain occasion with the statute of the Colledge by another who sought his right on this ground and disputed the case as warrantable and just from principles of this nature was not ashamed to reply in defence of the contrary part that no oathes could binde the conscience against the reformation a strange reformation that cannot be effected without the grosse and palpable perjury either of the reformers themselves or of them that are to be be reformed by them For indeed the licentious manner of living in these times even of the best is not capable of a strict conformity to Colledgestatutes formerly established so austere and rigid are they especially some of them and not suting with the long accustomed loosnesse of our age Insomuch as it were reformation enough and as most men would count more then enough if Popery and superstition laid aside men were exacted the obedience only of those statutes which concern morall duty and behaviour in common life one towards another But notwithstanding this mans great zeal for the reformation time hath since declared to the world that neither protestation league or covenant could sufficiently binde him for the work against his preferment profit and ease So little conscience do they shew in time of triall who most pretend for it in a more calm and quiet season As for your Elections I have not much to witnesse of them and yet some have feelingly complained in my hearing that desert whether of learning or of other parts findes as cold a welcome with you if poorly attended or elad as ever it did in times past and that preferment runs as heretofore in the corrupt channell of favour and affection not in that of equity and right But for this happily ye may be excused in part