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A28185
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A Birchen rod for Dr. Birch, or, Some animadversions upon his sermon preached before the Honourable the House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, January 30, 1694 in a letter to Sir T.D. and Mr. H.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing B2941; ESTC R11041
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19,052
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32
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an Evidence of murmuring at least in a Man whose Nature was corrupted As for his odious Comparison P. 8. of commemorating our Saviour's Death by which he would seem to insinuate or at least illustrate our Obligation to an Anniversary Commemoration of that of K. Charles's I wonder that Men who are Divines by Profession are not afraid of profaning the greatest Ordinances of the Gospel by comparing them with such mean things But I confess I need not for it 's natural to Men of his Kidney and they who can pervert the Institution of Christ so far as to say Do this that you may keep an Ale-house or be an Ensign Lieutenant or Captain of Granadeers Dragoons c. whereas Christ commanded us to do it in Remembrance of him may say and do what they will Pag. 9. The Doctor tells us that to draw King Charles 's Image or venture upon his Character would require a Soul as great as his was and that it were a Profanation in any ruder Hand to attempt it which being compared with what he says of Saul p. 2. That his Obsequies were fit only to be solemnized by one like himself the known Inheritor of his Kingdom and Spirit would seem to infer that the Doctor himself has a mind to the Throne for in the following Pages he very boldly attempts King Charles's Character and warbles out his Elegy the best that he can so that either the Doctor must think himself to be the known Inheritor of King Charles 's Kingdom and Spirit or to have a Soul as great as his was or according to his own Proposition he is a profane Fellow to attempt his Character or the solemnizing of his Funeral-Obsequies But certainly the Doctor does not think so ill of himself as this last comes to and therefore it 's probable that he intends the former and if the Nation have a mind to chuse him for King the Doctor has one very good Qualification if you take his own word for it which according to him their present Majesties want that is he is a true blew Protestant the Religion which he tells you p. 23. K. Charles's Murder did force his Posterity out of and by consequence King William and Queen Mary who are both of his Posterity must be of that number who were forced out of their Religion Reader don't laugh for this is as good a Consequence as some of the Doctor 's Pag. 13. The Doctor quite outdoes David's Lamentation he did not so much as imprecate Vengeance upon the Amalekites tho one of that Nation had confess'd his Murder of the Lord 's Anointed and that the whole were ordered to Destruction by God himself he is satisfied with imprecating a remarkable stroke upon the Mountains where the Defeat of his Country happened But the Doctor seems to be very angry that England enjoys the Blessings of Dew and Rain that our Houses are safe from Fear and the Rod of God not upon us by which it would seem that the Doctor has a mind to pray in the French on whose Assistance the Jacobites lay the Foundation of their Hopes But his Choler is further enflamed that the Wicked do still live and become old and mighty in Power and that the old Arts as he is pleased to express it are still advancing to our Ruin The Doctor would do well to explain his meaning in this Exclamation for he 's very much concerned that some should still live much more that they should become old and mighty in Power In the late Reigns such Expressions might by Innuendo's have been made High-Treason for there 's no body that pretends to grow mighty and in Power but his Majesty and most honest Men are sorry that his Might and Power are not much greater than they are as they would certainly have been if Men of the Doctor 's Kidney had not obstructed his Measures and if by the Old Arts which are still advancing to our ruine the Doctor means any of the late Publick Acts which were denied the Royal Assent the Commons are mightily oblig'd to him for telling them so to their Faces Pag. 14. He tells us of Pliny's Peevish Creatures that had Gall in their Ears but the Doctor exceeds them by far for he not only had Gall there but also in his Heart Tongue and Pen nothing less will serve him than the cutting off of those whom he calls Wicked that they should not live And though to the Doctor 's grief a general Indemnity has secured their Persons yet that shan't take off his Pen from stabbing their Reputations and that of the Government too who spare the Wicked though God says there is no peace to them And then to give you a taste of his Charity he charges the whole Dissenting Party with being King Charles his Murderers and imparts his Noble Resolution to the World that they shall hear of it once a Year but hopes that it won't be taken for an Invective though you may be sure the Doctor designs it for one and the best that his Talent is able to furnish But I am afraid that some perverse People will give him Rowland for his Oliver and exhibite an Account of the Action thus When after our Reformation in which there was too great an Allay of Carnal Policy which is always an Enemy to Gospel Simplicity some of our lukewarm Protestants had begun to taste the sweetness of the Popish Ecclesiastical Courts and Dignities they did like so well of this Romish Broth that as Bonner prophesied truly they longed also for their Beef And though they abolished the Gross of the Popish Doctrine yet they retain'd what ever was gainful in their Discipline For as Pardons and Indulgences brought Money to the Pope Commutation for Penance brought Silver to our Churchmen and the Incomes of Doctors-Commons made their own Commons the better So that though in her Publick Liturgy she laments the want of the Antient Discipline yet she was resolved in her Practice never to admit it but would rather tear the Churches Body than their Popish Ephod Misrepresented all Enemies to their Ceremonies as Enemies to the Civil Government and join'd with the Papists in persecuting them as they did John Knox c. at Franckfort and would rather connive at a Liberty to Papists than Indulgence to Puritans insomuch that they not only forc'd some of their own to the Desarts of America where they found more Hospitable Entertainment from the poor Heathens than they found at home from the Ceremonious Protestants but they also fell foul upon their Neighbours in Scotland influenced their Kings to overturn the Church there as by Law Established whilst at the same time they couniv'd at their Prince's seeking for Popish Matches his taking off all Laws against Roman Catholicks permitting their Priests to swarm in his Dominions countenanced Plays at White-hall and the reading of the Book of Sports through all England on Sundays Join'd with the Papists to raise an Army to invade Scotland and Excommunicated
that Church whilst the Papists did cut the Throats of the Protestants in Ireland Preached up the Divine Right of Ship-Money Loan-Money and the King 's Absolute Power in England countenanc'd him in refusing to let those who were accused of Murdering his Father be brought to Trial whilst they rail'd against Queen Elizabeth for taking off his Grandmother according to Law sided with him in denying all redress to the Grievances of his People represented in Parliament and preaching up his Prerogative to such a height that the Parliament finding them the principal Incendiaries in those unhappy Troubles broke the Frame of their Hierarchy all in pieces After which they join'd with the Irish Cut-throats against their Fellow-Subjects and countenanced His Majesties Cessation of Arms with them whilst they assisted to carry on the War against his Protestant Subjects and in fine rendered his Majesty so deaf to all Proposals of Accommodation with his Parliament that though he was inclin'd of himself to listen to their Proposals yet they kept him from it though at the same time he granted to the Irish Papists that they should not be bound to swear Allegiance that all Laws against them should be taken away and that they should be independant on the Parliament of England and thus by the stubborness of our high-flown Church-men with whom Papists and Arminians and all who were Enemies to the Civil Liberties of the Nation herded His Majesty was overperswaded to his Ruine So that it was the Doctor 's Old Race of Saints that Preach'd and Pray'd the Nation into Confusion and Bloodshed and the Royal Martyr from his Crown and Life for had he been but as willing to secure the Parliament of England in their Just Pretensions as he was the Papists of Ireland in their unreasonable Demands the Parliament and he both might have been safe form the Fury and Insults of an Anarchical Crew who ruin'd them and him too Pag. 16. The Doctor alledges that the Chief Pillars of his Church and State were made perfect through sufferings So that I observe he is more cautious and afraid of profaning King Charles his Character than of profaning the Word of God and the chief Mysteries of the Gospel by his abusive Metaphors does the Doctor think that any but himself can suppose a Parity betwixt the Captain of our Salvation's being made perfect through sufferings and those of Laud Strafford and King Charles the First I wonder that the Doctor is not afraid of making such blasphemous Applications of Scripture Phrases which are applicable only to Christ alone In the next Paragraph the Doctor is very zealous for the Honour of his Established Church which he wishes may so continue and consequently bewrays his Apprehensions of Danger which is a malicious Insinuation against the Government as we shall see anon Ibid. He says She had always the same Enemies and the same Fate with her Kings they were ever Persecuted Oppressed Defamed and have fallen together her Obedience was a Nobler thing than to let them perish unattended But I suppose the Doctor was not aware of what Questions might be raised upon these bold Assertions As 1. Whether or not the Majority both of the Clergy and Laity of his Church did not comply with Charles the First 's Enemies when the King was no longer able to protect them 2. Whether the Presbyterians were not the Men who stickled most against Oliver for saving the King's Life and Interest as can be evidenced by the Petitions and Behaviour of the City of London where Presbytery was most predominant by the Behaviour of the Presbyterian Members of the House till they were excluded by the Army and forc'd to disperse some of them beyond Sea and others into the Country by the Opposition made by the Scotish Kirk Committee of Estates Parliament Army and Commissioners to the King's Confinement Trial and Execution protesting against them all as contrary to the Articles agreed on with them at the surrender to the Union of the Nations His Majesties just Right and the Solemn League and Covenant And lastly by Sir Thomas Fairfax's design to rescue Him after His Sentence 3. Whether the Majority of the Church-of England-Clergy did not comply with the course of the Times both in Church and State when of the Ten thousand Ecclesiasticks which are generally reckoned in England not above two thousand were Nonconformists after Charles the Second's Restauration 4. Whether the Church of England was oppressed persecuted defam'd and fell with the late King James and how it came that according to the Doctor their Obedience was not so noble then as not to let him perish unattended and why they did not follow the Example which he says was show'd to guide them hereafter if ever the like occasion return Perhaps the Doctor may rejoin that if K. James had been cut off they would not have let him perish unattended but they did not think fit to Abdicate with him But the Answer is easy he that won't be faithful in a Little will never be faithful in Much And to tell the Doctor the plain Truth If the Royal Martyr had imprisoned their Bishops fallen foul upon their Colleges and given Liberty to Dissenters he should even have had leave to perish unattended as well as his Son and therefore it were best for the Doctor to save his Breath and not brag so much of his Church's Loyalty to the Martyr they cut off his Grandmother because they were afraid that she would be their Enemy and they drove his Son from the Throne whenever he began to touch their Copy-hold tho they spent their Lungs in crying down the Bill of Exclusion so long as they thought that the Duke was their Friend And hence I conclude in spite of the Doctor that his Church will neither serve God nor the King for nought Pag. 18. The Doctor urges that he that resists receiveth to himself Damnation But I wish that he would a little explain himself whether this ought to be taken only in relation to Kings or other Governours also and if only to Kings then whether he does not allow of Rebellion against Republicks and if he does allow of the latter how he will reconcile it to the Divine Command 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them who are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-doers and the Praise of them that do well And I would fain ask the Doctor that seeing by this Text Obedience is due to other Governours as well as to Kings What becomes of the Divine Right of Monarchical Government exclusive of all others And seeing other Species of Government are of Divine Right as well as that Whether it must not be the Choice of the People only that can now determine which of them is most sutable to themselves And if the People can determine whether one or more Persons shall be