speake fauorably of them proceedeth for the most part not so much out of simple ignorance arising from the defect either of vnderstanding or meanes as out of an ignorance at the best in some degree of wilfulnesse and affectation in not seeking or not admitting such ingenuous satisfaction as they might haue by reason if not out of the poison of corrupt and carnall affections as they giue vs sometimes but too much cause to suspect of pride of singularitie of enuy of contention of factious admiring some mens persons By which and other like partiall affections mens iudgements become oftentimes so blinded that of vnwilling at the first they become at length vnable to discerne things with that freedome and ingenuity they should And so the Cases differ in regard of the Persons They differ thirdly in the practice of the Persons §. 23. III. In their practice There the Strong did eate because hee was well assured he might doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Verse before my Text and the Weake did no more but forbeare eating as indeed he might doe no authoritie interposing to the contrary But heere we conforme not onely because we know we may lawfully doe it but for that we know we must of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. necessitie doe it as bound thereunto in obedience to lawfull authority and in the b Not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Ibid. conscience we ought to make of such obedience And the refusers doe not onely de facto not conforme to the contempt of authoritie and the scandall of others but they stand in it too and trouble the peace of the Church by their restlesse Petitions and Supplicatioâ—s and Admonitions and other publications of the reasons and grounds of their such refusall And verily this Country and County hath been not the least busie in these factious and tumultuous courses both in troubling our most gracious iudicious and religious Soueraigne with their c Meditations on the Lords Prayer pag. 12. in the Margent petitions and also in publishing their reasons in a Booke called The Abridgement printed 1605. to their owne shame and the shame of their Countrey He who as I haue beene informed was thought to haue had a chiefe hand in the collecting of those reasons and printing of that booke was for his obstinate refusall of conformitie iustly depriued from his Benefice in this Diocesse and thereupon relinquished his Ministerie for a time betaking himselfe to another Calling so depriuing the Church and people of GOD of the fruit and benefit of those excellent gifts which were in him But since that time he hath vpon better and more aduised iudgement subscribed and conformed and the Church like an indulgent Mother hath not onely receiued him into her bosome againe but hath restored him too though not to the same yet to a Benefice elsewhere of farre better value Lastly § 24. IIII. In their behauiour there is difference in the faulty carriage of the persons and that on both parts especially on ours For though our Non-conforming Brethren condemne vs with much liberty of speech and spirit hauing yet lesse reason for it then the weake Romanes had for the Strong among them might haue forborne some things for the Weake's sake and it would well haue become them for the auoiding of scandall so to haue done which we cannot doe without greater scandall in the open contempt of lawfull Authoritie yet wee doe not despise them I meane with allowance from the Church if particular men doe more then they should it is their priuate fault and ought not to be imputed to vs or to our Church but vse all good meanes we can to draw them to moderate courses and iust obedience although they better deserue to be despised then the Weake Romanes did they being truely Weaks ours Obstinate they Timorous ours also Contemptuous Now these differences are opened betwixt the Case in my Text §. 25. Wee despise not our Brethren and the Case of our Church wee may the better iudge how farre forth S. Pauls aduice heere giuen to the Romanes in their case of eating and not-eating ought to rule vs in our case of conforming and not-conforming in point of Ceremonie And first of not despising then of not iudging The ground of the Apostles precept for not despising him that ate not was his weakenesse So farre then as this ground holdeth in our case this precept is to be extended and no further And we are hereby bound not to despise our Non-conforming Brethren so farre forth as it may probably appeare to vs they are weake and not wilfull But so farre forth as by their courses and proceedings it may bee reasonably thought their refusall proceedeth from corrupt or partiall affections or is apparantly maintained with obstinacie and contempt I take it we may notwithstanding the Apostles admonition in my Text in some sort euen despise them But because they thinke they are not so well and fairely dealt withall as they should be §. 26. Their grieuances propounded Let vs consider their particular grieuances wherein they take themselues despised and examine how iust they are They say first they are despised in beeing scoffed and floured and derided by loose companions by profane or popishly affected Persons in being stiled Puritanes and Brethren and Precisians and in hauing many iests and fooleries fastened vpon them whereof they are not guilty They are secondly despised a All benefit of Law being dâ—nyed them and they debarred of other meanes by conference or writing for their Defence Def. of Ministers reasons part 1. pref to Reader Wee doe accuse the Reuerend Bishops iâ— the sight of God and Man for their hard and extreme dealing towards vs. Remouall of imputations pag. 40. they say in that when they are conuented before the Bishops and others in Authoritie they cannot haue the fauour of an indifferent hearing but are proceeded against as farre as Suspension and sometimes Depriuation without taking their answeres to what is obiected or giuing answeres to what they obiect Thirdly in that many honest and religious men of excellent and vsefull gifts cannot bee permitted the liberty of their Consciences and the free exercise of their Ministerie onely for standing out in these things which our selues cannot but confesse to be indifferent To their first Grieuance we answere §. 27. and answered The first that we haue nothing to doe with those that are Popishly affected If they wrong them as it is like enough they will for they will not sticke to wrong their betters wee are not to bee charged with that let them answere for themselues But by the way let our Brethren consider whether their stiffe and vnreasonable opposing against those lawfull Ceremonies we retaine may not bee one principall meanes to confirme but so much the more in their darknes and superstition those that are wauering and might possibly by more ingenuous and seasonable
is but as another mans Person But Slanders and Contempts done to him as a Minister that is with reference either to his Calling or Doctrine are much greater then to another man as reaching vnto God himselfe whose Person the Minister representeth in his Calling and whose errand the Minister deliuereth in his Doctrine For Contempts Saint Paul is expresse elsewhere e 1. Thes. 4. 8 He that despiseth despiseth not Man but God And as for Slanders the very choyce of the word in my Text inferreth as much The dignitie of our Calling enhaunceth the sinne and euery Slander against our regular Doctrines is more then a bare Calumnie if no more at least petty f Wee haue heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses and against God Act. 6. 11. Blasphemie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As wee are slandered as wee are blasphemed That from the word Obserue thirdly § 7. OBSERV III. The best truths are subiect to Slander the wrong done to the Apostle and to his Doctrine Hee was slanderously reported to haue taught that which hee neuer so much as thought and his Doctrine had many scandalous imputations fastened vpon it whereof neither hee nor it were guilty As wee are slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say The best Truths are subiect to mis-interpretation and there is not thaâ— Doctrine how firmely so euer grounded how wariâ—â— so euer deliuered whereon Calumny wil not fasten and stick slanderous imputations Neither a Math. 11. 17 18 19. Iohns mourning nor Christs piping can passe the pikes but the one hath a Diuell the other is a glutton and a wine-bibber Though b Math. 5. 17. Christ come to fulfill the Law yet there bee will accuse him as a destroyer of the Law Math. 5. And though hee decide the question plainely for Caesar and that in the case of Tribute Math. 22. c Math. 22. 21. Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars yet there be that charge him as if he d Ioh 19. 12. spake against Caesar Ioh. 19. and that in the very case of Tribute as if hee e Luk. 23. â— forbade to giue Tribute vnto Caesar Luke 23. Now if they f Mat. 10. 25 called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold If Christs did not thinke wee the doctrine of his Ministers and his Seruants could escape the stroke of mens tongues and bee free from calumny and cauill How the Apostles were slandered as Seducers and Sectaries and vaine babblers and Heretiques and broachers of new and false and pestilent doctrines their Epistles and the booke of their Acts witnesse abundantly to vs. And for succeeding times reade but the Apologies of Athenagoras and Tertullian and others and it will amaze you to see what blasphemous and seditious and odious and horrible impieties where fathered vpon the ancient Christian Doctors and vpon their profession But our owne experience goeth beyond all The Doctors of our Church teach truely and agreeably to vnanswerable euidences of Scripture The g Act. 17. â—8 Esay 26. 12. effectuall concurrence of Gods will and power with subordinate Agents in euery and therefore euen in sinfull actions Gods h Rom. 9. 11. 15 18 c. free election of those whom he purposeth to saue of his owne grace without any motiues in or from themselues The immutabilitie of Gods i Ioh 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. 5. 9. 10. 8. 35 38 39. Loue and Grace towards the Saints and their certaine perseuerance therein vnto Saluation The k Rom. 3. 28. Iustification of sinners by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applyed vnto them by a liuely faith without the workes of the Law These are sound and true and comfortable and profitable and necessary doctrines And yet that impudent Strumpet of Rome hath the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarmine Gretser Maldonate the Iesuites but none more then our own English Fugitiues Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the rabble of those Romish hell-hounds freely spend their mouthes in barking against vs as if wee made God the author of sinne as if wee would haue men sinne and be damned by a Stoicall fatall necessitieâ— sinne whether they will or no and be damned whether they deserue it or no as if we opened a gappe to all licenciousnesse and prophanenesse let men beleeue it is no matter how they liue heauen is their owne cock-sure as if we cryed downe good workes and condemned charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blowne away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These imputations vpon vs and our doctrine are vniust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that thus mis-report vs know that without repentance their damnation will be iust It would be time not ill spent § 8. With the Causes to discouer the grounds of this obseruation and to presse the vses of it something fully But because my ayme lyeth another way I can but point at them and passe If seldome Truth scape vnslandered maruell not the reasons are euident On Gods part on Mans part on the Diuels part God suffereth Man rayseth the Diuel furthereth these slanders against the Truth To begin ordine retrogrado and to take them backwards First on the Diuels part a kinde of Contrariety and Antipathie betwixt him and it He being the a Ioh. 8. 44. Father of lies and b Eph. 6. 12. Prince of darknesse cannot away with the Truth and with the Light and therefore casteth vp slanders as Fogs and Mists against the Truth to belie it and against the Light to darken it Secondly on mans part And that partly in the Vnderstanding when the iudgement either of it selfe weake or else weakened through precipitancie preiudice or otherwise is deceiued with fallacies in stead of substance and mistaketh seeming inferences for necessary and naturall deductions Partly in the Will when men of corrupt minds set themselues purposely against the knowne truth and out of malicious wilfulnesse against the strong testimonie of their owne hearts slander it that so they may disgrace it and them that professe it Partly in the Affections when men ouercome by carnall affections are content to cheate their owne soules by giuing such constructions to Gods Truth as will for requital giue largest allowance to their practices and so rather chuse to crooken the Rule to their owne bent then to leuell themselues and their affections and liues according to the Rule Thirdly on Gods part who suffereth his owne Truth to bee slandered and mistaken Partly in his Iustice as a fearefull Iudgement c 2. Thess. 2 10 11 12. vpon wicked ones whereby their hard hearts become yet more hardened and their most iust condemnation yet more iust Partly in his Goodnesse as a powerfull fierie triall of true Doctors whose constancie and sinceritie is
bond the bond of Gods Law which to f Sinne is the transgression of the Law 1. Ioh. 3 4. transgresse is a sinne and the bond of particular conscience which also to g Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Omne quod fit contra consciâ—â—tiam aedificat ad gehennam c. 28. q. 1. Omnes §. Ex his transgresse is a sinne Whereupon there seemeth to follow an ineuitable necessitie of sinning when Gods Law requireth one thing and particular conscience dictateth thâ— flat contrary For in such a case a man must either obey Gods Law and so sinne against his owne conscience or obey his owne conscience and so sinne against Gods Law But neither in this case is there any Perplexitie at all in the things themselues that which there is is through the default of the man onely whose iudgement being erroneous mis-leadeth his conscience and so casteth him vpon a necessitie of sinning But yet the necessitie is no simple and absolute and vnauoidable and perpetuall necessitie for it is onely a necessitie ex hypothesi and for a time and continueth but stante tali errore And still there is a way out betwixt those sinnes and that without a third and that way is depâ—nere erroneam conscientiam He must rectifie his iudgement and reforme the errour of his Conscience and then all is well There is no perplexitie no necessitie no obligation no expediencie which should either enforce or perswade vs to any sinne The resolution is damnable Let vs doe euill that good may come I must take leaue § 27. The Rule applyed in two instances before I passe from this point to make two instances and to measure out from the Rule of my Text an answere to them both They are such as I would desire you of this place to take due and speciall consideration of I desire to deale plainely and I hope it shall bee by Gods blessing vpon it effectually for your good and the Churches peace One instance shall bee in a sinne of Commission the other in a sinne of Omission The sinne of Commission wherein I would instance §. 28. The former instance is indeed a sinne beyond Commission it is the vsurping of the Magistrates Office without a Commission The Question is whether the zealous intention of a good end may not warrant it good or at least excuse it from being euill and a sinne I need not frame a Case for the illustration of this instance the inconsiderate forwardnes of some hath made it to my hand You may reade it in the disfigured windowes and wals of this Church Pictures and Statua's and Images and for their sakes the windowes and walles wherein they stood haue been heretofore and of late pulled down and broken in pieces and defaced without the Command or so much as leaue of those who haue power to reforme things amisse in that kinde Charitie bindeth vs to thinke the best of those that haue done it that is that they did it out of a forward though mis-gouerned zeale intending therein Gods glory in the farther suppression of Idolatry by taking away these as they supposed likely occasions of it Now in such a case as this the Question is whether the intention of such an end can iustifie such a deed And the fact of a Numb 2â— 7 8. Phinehes Numb 25. who for a much like end for the staying of the people from Idolatry executed vengeance vpon Zâ—mri Cosbi beeing but a priuate man and no Magistrate seemeth to make for it § 29. Reserued from the rule of my Text. But my Text ruleth it otherwise If it bee euill it is not to bee done no not for the preuenting of Idolatry I passe by some considerations otherwise of good moment as namely first whether Statua's and Pictures may not be permitted in Christian Churches for the adorning of Gods House and for ciuill and historicall vses not onely lawfully and decently but euen profitably I must confesse I neuer yet heard substantiall reason giuen why they might not And secondly whether things either in their first erection or by succeeding abuse superstitious may not be profitably continued if the Superstition be abolished Otherwise not Pictures onely and Crosses and Images but most of our Hospitals and Schooles and Colledges and Churches too must downe and so the hatred of Idolatry should but Vsher in licentious Sacriledge contrary to that passage of our Apostle in the next Chapter before this a Rom. 2. 22. Thou that abhorrest Idols committest thou Sacriledge And thirdly whether these forward ones haue not bewrayed somewhat their owne selfe guiltinesse in this Act at least for the manner of it in doing it secretly and in the darke A man should not dare to doe that which he would not willingly either bee seene when it is a doing or our owne being done To passe by these consider no more but this one thing onely into what dangerous and vnsufferable absurdities a man might runne if hee should but follow these mens grounds Erranti nullus terminus Errour knoweth no stay and a false Principle once receiued multiplyeth into a b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. l. 1. Phys. â—ec 22. thousand absurd conclusions It is good for men to goe vpon sure grounds else they may runne and wander in infinit A little errour at the first if there bee way giuen to it will increase beyond beliefe as a small sparke may fire a large Citie a c â— King 18. 44 45. cloud no bigger then a mans hand in short space ouerspread the face of the whole Heauens For grant for the suppression of Idolatry in case the Magistrate will not doe his office that it is lawfull for a priuate man to take vpon him to reforme what he thinketh amisse and to doe the part and Office of a Magistrate which must needs haue bin their ground if they had any for this action there can be no sufficient cause giuen why by the same reason and vpon the same grounds a priuate man may not take vpoÌ„ him to establish Lawes raise Powers administer Iustice execute malefactors or do any other thing the Magistrate should do in case the Magistrate slack to doe his duty in any of the premises Which if it were once granted as granted it must bee if these mens fact bee iustifyable euery wise man seeth the end could bee no other but vast Anarchy and confusion both in Church and Common-weale wherupon must vnauoidably follow the speedy subuersion both of Religion and State If things be amisse and the Magistrate helpe it not priuate men may lament it and as occasion serueth and their condition and calling permitteth soberly and discreetly put the Magistrate in minde of it But they may not make themselues Magistrates § 30. The example of Phinehes examined to reforme it And as to the act of Phinehes though I rather thinke he did yet what if he did not well in so doing It is