incite Church-men to deuotion and pietie to explaine the sense of Scripture with all humilitie to acquaint as well Princes as people with the will of God by preaching to turne the wrath of God from them by prayer that so obtaining a blessing vpon their labours they may by practise confirme such in the faith by their workes as they haue wonne by their words to embrace and beleeue it Ex pede Herculem the tree is knowne by the fruite and not by the florishing shadowes of substance Exclamation and railing howsoeuer personated in religious habit is not so much to the preseruation of religion as the Romans did superstitiously imagine the keckling of Geese was to the safety of the Capitolium Ambros serm de obed Contentious bitternesse is as opposite to the peace of the Church as oyle to the quenching of fire God is not in the bitter diuision or alienation of affections nor in the raging fire of seditions nor in turbulent tempests and whirlewinds of contradictions and discentions But his blessed Spirit is in the sweet gentle breach and still calme winde of peace and concord If any man say they are warranted by their conscience contentiously to impugne authoritie anull the lawes of a free Monarchy and make a Metamorhposis of religion at their pleasure when euery misconception tickleth their fancy I answer that they balke the high way wherein they ought to walke neglect the maine end at which they should driue and aime obliquely at priuate gaine vaine glory satisfaction of some base humour or passion If our conscience tels vs this or that and cannot proue what it tells but by shifts coniectures shadows then it is not cōscience at least no true but a lying conscience that so misleads vs no it is rather our fancy our peeuish preiudicate and forward conceit which we are bound to resist and subiect our owne peruerse crooked will to the will of God Melanch Epirom Philos who hath subiected vs to lawfull Magistrates whose hearts are so deepe and vnsearchable by reason of the multiplicitie of affaires and variable waies they are forced to walke for the weale of their people that oft times when they seem to erre to these who ought to bee holden in suspence or that vnderstand not the language of State their actions tels their wisdome to the world as well in protecting their subiects within as curbing their enemies abroad In consideration whereof the booke of publike determination once opened euery liege man is to acquiesse therein because Kings are Gods deputies to execute iustice and iudgement and to leuell singular oppositions by lawes established if they doe it not the fault is theirs to whom the preuention of contempt or animaduersion into such lawes doth belong When Micha will set vp an Idoll and assume a chamber worship to satisfie his erring conscience Iudg. 17.5.6 the reason is subioyned because there was no King in Israel but euery man did what seemed good in his owne eies Conscientia non est contra scientia sed cum scientia our conscience must bee ioyned with knowledge otherwise we Idolatrze vnto our owne hearts whilst we obay an ignorant or etring conscience howsoeuer it may seeme right in the eyes of scismaticks Prouer. 14.12 yet such a conscience is but a melancholy imagination or maleuolent inuention the end whereof are the wayes of death As the Lawes of God must guide our consciences in matters of Faith so the positiue Lawes of the kingdome must be the high way wherin euery good Subiect must walke in actiue obedience in matters not repugnant to that faith Againe Kings are dispensators and dilposers of the law but they are not holden to satisfie euery priuate contentious or curious head which pretend conscience for disobedience or answer euery delinquent with arguments if they did so their worke were infinite It is strange then in the eyes of sound iudgement that some rebellious factious spirits should thus roare range rage as if we had neither Prince Priest nor Iudge The Apostles and Fathers obayed Nero a Monster and Tyrant Dioclesian a cruell persecutor and Iulian an accursed Apostate When there was not a Christian King vpon earth Saint Paul commanded Titus to put the people in remembrance of their obedience to Princes and Rulers Neque aliud remedium proponitur priuatis hominibus tirannis subiectis preter preces lachrymas vitae mendationem There can bee no iust cause enabling subiects to arme against authoritie because a publike action must be warranted with a iust cause a good intention and lawfull authoritie the last whereof can neuer fall into priuate hands which are not to vendicate that cognizance which belongeth to the tribunall of heauen That transcendent Maiestie by whom Kings raigne hath reserued their audit to himselfe that they may be more carefull to keepe their accompts streight and rule with iustice The Iura Regalia of Kings are holden of heauen and cannot escheat to any earthly power farre lesse to a subiect The Law hath two properties the one to shew men what they should doe the other to punish the transgressors the king hath interest in the first but is not further subiect to the secōd then to his Soueraign in heauen whose deputie he is in this inferior Orbe of the earth All popular commotions vnreasonable railing vomiting of vnchristian scandall factious conspiracies and treasonable practices are the badges of disloyall and treacherous subiects who ought to testifie the patience of true Israelites and the obedience of true Christians Arma mea preces meae nec possum nec debeo aliter resistere saith Saint Ambrose Phil. 3.3 The Apostle tels vs That we are to doe nothing in the Church through contention or vaine glory but that in meeknesse of minde euery man thinke another better then himselfe Supporting one another through loue Ephes 4.23 endeauouring to keepe the vnitie of faith in the bonds of peace doing all things without reasoning and murmuring For the end of the Commandements is Loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience Phil. 2.14 Tim. 1.56 and of faith vnfaigned from which things some haue erred and turned vnto vaine ianglings Now in contempt of these Oracles of direction the discourse of religion doth so busie the world Epist histor the word that it hath well neere driuen the practice of it out of the world where charitie and trueth haue onely their being in termes as the Philosophers materia prima Religious discourse is now so canuased in the mouth of most men yea at the tipling table of euery Scoulding Drab vayled with the name of a Sister that any man might resolue that tooke notice of their zealous discourse patheticall griefes and not of their liues that there were nothing in their desires but the purchase of heauen and that they vsed the world as a reposing place towards their celestiall habitation when on the contrary their actions tell the world that
of Gods presence and the snafle that curbeth the pride selfe-conceit and presumption of vnstayed spirits who oft times in repining against Magistracy are authours in their owne destruction Thus haue you heard how Didoclauius and Philadelphus doe tilt at King and Clergy now you shall heare another bird of that same feather runne the wild-Goose chase at Councell and Court taking aime through a false looking glasse lately framed by a Scotish Separatist and steeled or put in a rauing stile at Leiden by an English Brownist Specul bell Sacr. pag. 97. A forme-changing Proteus saith this new Doctor a trecherous Seianus a time seruing Abiathar a Statizing Achitophel a calumniating Doeg are the only Councellours but Constantine tryed his Courtiers fidelitie to him by their piety towards God but now a man truly religious is thought vnfittest for state affairs a The Doctors reason because they cannot say he is an honest man but with this conditionall if he were not a ranke Puritan The first part of this bold vntrue calumny deserueth rather the examination of a whip then of a pen or of a pillory then of a reply yet I wish that the fond foole the Authour should know that his Maiesty hath moe truly religious wise learned loyall Councellours and Courteours then there be honest men Puritans of his opinion in the whole world in which large circumference I doe verily thinke there is not one On the contrary I may truly affirme that there be few Courts or Statesmen in Europe or elsewhere can paralell none exceed either the fidelity or integrity of those in great Britaine if all be not a like affected or any otherwise enclined then human eyes can see or the wisdome of a wise King preuent God must be their iudge and their conscience their witnesse A runnagate that hath put his hand from Gods plough This Lybeller was once a Minister but did lately cōmence Doctor of physicke at Leiden and turned Quackesaluer is not to censure those whom he ought not to name but with honourable humble respect The brethren of his owne profession whom he calleth truly religious and whom in all his applications hee thinketh the only able men to rule both Church Court and Campe are thought vnfit as he saith for State affaires To that part I answer that euery good subiect hath great cause to thanke God that our King is more wise then to admit any into his Councell or affaires of State whom all men besides themselues know to be fairded with false colours of religion and more fit to be fagots for combustion of State then to be helpers in supporting the heauy frame of Empire because diseases of this kinde are hereditary to most of this family infusing from one to another a taint or staggers in their vitall spirits as if they were bitten with a mad Dog which frenzie maketh them vnseruiceable either in Church or Commonwealth but specially to bee vncapable to bee vpon Councell of Kings who are the onely barres that impeach their proceedings for this cause they cunningly labour to induce the people to condole their yoke of obedience cast off such fetters and purchase their libertie The reason which the Doctor giueth is like his physicall receipts which trouble his patients more then the disease for certainly if we may call these Puritans whom this lybeller esteemeth to be so King Councell and Court haue iust cause to take exception at the very name which is but a staine of Puritanisme for my part if it bee lawfull to iudge men by their actions I may safely say that he can neuer be an honest man to God and to his countrey that conceiueth such damnable thoughts farre lesse he that publisheth such hellish positions and that besides all other poysonable trash euery where intermixt in this Doctors bitter pilles this one Colaquintida so corrupts all his other drugs that it proclaimeth him to to be an impudent rayler a Pseudo-puritan or rotten hearted hypocrite and not a Puritan of which number I wish my selfe and all others to be if human infirmitie might aime at such perfection so long as it is clothed with mortalitie But thus it falleth out that as well the best men as their best actions set and performed on the conspicuous Theater of the world are alwayes attended and entertained with blacke detraction and calumnie the deformed Brats of malecontents ignorance or enuy who loath the Nectar-like drops that fall from heauen vpon sweet flowers and delight onely to sucke the poysonable iuyce of gall and wormwood Hence it is that factious spirits violently agitated with outragious passion of singularitie enuy anger desire of rule and popular applause are onely quiet in commotions Stob. apud Plut. peaceable in tumults happy in calamities disaffecting no lesse amicable concord then regal power and authoritie thereby offring vnto Gods deputies and their iust commands the pests and poysons of their infected and ill affected minds imitating those barbarous nations who in their sacrifices did offer the gall and vilest parts of their beasts What can we call the malitious censuring of sacred persons or designes but a kind of sacriledge and blasphemy both against God and Kings of whom all discourse ought to be full of Religion reuerence and respect O mercifull God! what wit is able to sound the depth of those dangerous euils whereinto the malitious nature of scismaticall sedition vailed with religion is able to sinke it selfe rather then to acknowledge error in those things which it hath taken vpon it to defend Course of conformitie pag. 88. against the streame of publike resolution ranked in the eyes of singularitie with the most tyrannous gouernement that euer did see the Sun Miserum est peccare miserius delectari miserrimum excusare tum demum consumata amentia est cum ad studium malum opinio quedam pietatis accesserit The motto of Iacke Straw Wyat Kett was viuat Euangeliū now the pretext of conscience is a cullour of disobedience to euery casheerd Leuite or ignorant consistorian whose studies are by wresting Scripture to destroy vnitie beget a scisme in the hearts or subiects and make it their common place in writings discourse or in the Pulpit to leape from the liues of their flockes to enueigh against gouernment and presumptuously incroach without all reuerence vpon the affaires of Princes as they were able to demolish the walles of the Church shake the foundations of the State and liue Libertines without controlement When authoritie commaundeth any thing that is to be presumed not against but for aduancement of Religion I would gladly know who is to be confer whether the things commanded be lawfull or not or whether some singular contentious or malecontented spirits transported with wrong ends may oppose the Church in his Maiesties lawes giuing life vnto them If Authoritie at any time swerue from the strict obseruance of religion in its owne integritie in matters of discipline that remissenes ought to
what they can either by sophisticated wares false weights and measures or by any other close deuice sealed by yea and nay because it is a prayse worth part of their trade a mystery of their profession without which they cannot be thought to be good husbands or thought fit to deale in the world and for warrant forsooth they will tell you Mat. 10.16 with a whyning voyce Christ commandeth vs to be simple as Doues but wise like Serpents They are strict obseruers of euery dutie in the first Table which touch not the corruption of their profession but for workes of mercy commanded of the second Table they know not what they meane or perhaps thinke them superstitous though they heare God himselfe say Hos 6.6 I will haue mercy and not sacrifice They wil not sweare perhaps that is to open a sin for their purpose but if lyes wil 〈◊〉 their ill conditioned coÌ„modities they wil let none â—ye by theÌ„ nor none lye beyond them In a word they make no conscience to gaine by whatsomeuer course cloaked with a faigned show of deuotion The residue of the life allotted to this short taske should faile me if I should insist vpon the Antipathie betwixt their profession manners and life or if I should bring some of those best-masked hypocrites vpon the Stage I should neede no other colours to paint them nor pensill to delineate them but their owne but in distaste of the lauish scandalous Tongues and corrupted Pens of most of their profession I will forbeare and hold it Religion not to insult ouer any mans personall infirmities I loue better to point at publike diseases then to launce priuate vlcerous sores I haue no further ayme at any mans person then may conduce to the truth of this Subiect and vindicate wronged Innocencie from the inuenomed Shafts of forged Calumnie and Malice I balke secret Conuenticles Loue-Feasts Chamber-Exercises gauding Pilgrimages and seditious Exhortatories more vehement then if Turcisme or Iudaisme were set vp and Religion layed at the stake I could point at euery Mirmidon as well in their Presbiteriall as Consistorian Achilles at the Authors of the Instructions sent to Amsterdam for aduancement of the Catilinarian Workes of Didoclauius Anonimus and Philadelphus by what Conuoyes the brethrens Contribution was sent and who returned huge Volumes of seditious Libels printed at a dearer rate then the abaters would willingly haue bestowed eyther vpon Subsidie Hospitall or other more pious vses But I will not insist vpon those cauterized sores whose insensible estates I ought rather to condole and sollcite remorse then by vnfolding my knowledge animate authoritie so much prouoked and contemned Neither am I so vaine glorious apprehensiue as to thinke my selfe able to raise the least dust with other feet then my owne to worke vpon more excellent iudgements or with my weake Oratory perswade them to any course beyond their naturall inclination but if I should aime at what may bee obiected I should do no more then perhaps some would do if I were arraigned at the barre of their iudgement Therefore as it is no part of my secret meaning to draw any good subiect into contempt so neither will I set any fairer maske vpon the face of this cause then naked trueth will afford What I write is as far short of that which I might write as a shadow of substance scismaticall opinions from trueth bitter railing from Christian charity or a stopper of the shot which followeth Military errors are euer dangerous and oft-times irrecouerable but discourse curtailed or shrunk through want of instruction or meditation may bee regained by further search or lengthened vpon the tenter hookes of better opportunitie without preiudice of present inabilities What encrease scismaticall talents haue yeelded what confusion of order breach of the sacred bond of loue hath sprung from these contentions euery mans experience hath found the authors haue beene blinded with the beames of singularitie malice or ignorance and the world with pretext of zeale conscience and deuotion by them the sheepe haue beene taught to despise their Pastors the hearts of their Pastors alienated from the loue of their flockes Such wrangling hath so eclipsed the face of humilitie charity and common honestie that most men are now ignorant that the storehouse of the Church is full when she is rich in good works and when Christ her spouse is fed clothed and visited in his hungry naked and diseased members Our vnnaturall diuisions haue killed the vety heart of deuotion with-holden many zealous Pastors and dutifull subiects from the building of the Sanctuarie and the publike seruice Nehe. 4.17 or forced them with Nehemiah to build with one hand and oppose the violence of these times with the other The common people are so tossed betwixt error and trueth that their hearts are layed open and themselues made naked to receiue euery impression of corruption and vanity By reaping those bitter fruites of contention Separatists like blind guides straine out a Gnat and swallow a Camell they haue left the weightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercie and Fidelitie Math. 23.24 these things they ought to doe and these things whilst they contend about lesse they leaue vndone But happyer shall they bee whom the Lord when hee commeth findeth doing those things then those whom vnawares he shall surprise contentiously disputing either about those curiosities that are aboue heauen or vnder earth Res quam nec scire datum nec scrutari religiosum Flor. Scon. Embl. or about the outward frame of discipline and other friuolous questions so much agitate after publike determination In matters of the first kinde we are rather religiously to admire and reuerence those mysteries and secrets of Gods councel which he hath not reuealed theÌ„ fondly to looke vpon that Sun whose brightnes is able to dazle our eies perhaps depriue vs of sight if we approch too neere to those sacred fires whose scorching heate will rather consume then cherish our cold capacitie Vna quidem maxime laudabilis audacia hic nihil audere vnum acumen nihil cernere vna scientia nihil scire In matters of policie and externall gouernment questionable of the second sort it hath beene the wisdome of former ages to follow the wayes of peace to honour reuerence and obey next vnto the voyce of God the ordinances of the Church wherein they liued Si Ecclesiae non audiuerit sit tibi tanquam ethnicus publicanus But now Didoclauius and his brethren thinke themselues too glorious to stoope to so low an ebbe and are swolne so high that the walls of ordinary riuers are not able to keepe them within their bankes But glory be to God there is no iust cause why any man should hearken vnto the scismaticall voyce of exite or separate from the Church of Great Britaine euery article of whose faith is grounded vpon the sure rocke Christ Iesus and subiect to no battery she acknowledgeth no other