Blood of men the best of men to destroy the Peace of the Church and to set up that Presbyterian Discipline which was no sooner up but down as that which will no more comport with the Constitution of the English Government than Popery or the Mussleman Faith And as this barbarous Regicidy so that which introduced it with so much Murder Perjury and Rapine I mean the Civil War which cost so many millions of Treasury and so many thousands of Mens lives was undeniably the effect of the Presbyterian Schism as is sufficiently acknowledged by the mouth of a modern Dissenter which is Mr. Baxter a dying man and therefore to be believed speaking to a Nonconformist whom he doth so orthodoxly and honestly write against Cathol Communion doubly Defended p. 31. If you know not saies he I do that the principles of Separation were the great cause of the Subversions and Confusions which brought us to what we have felt in England Scotland and Ireland for these forty years and if I may not have leave to say with Bradford Repent O England you should give me leave to repent my self that ever I preached one Sermon with any Biass of overmuch desire to please Persons of the accusing separating humour Thus Mr. Baxter in that late and last of all his Books But to proceed In conclusion of this War and Regicidy the men in Buff fell to Reformation-work in Churches which I cannot but take notice of in this place it being so exactly agreeable to the pattern of Julian the Apostate's reforming Christianity In Winchester Church Collonel Waller with some of his Regiment Hist of Presb. lib. 13. n. 23. threw down the Communion Table broke down the Rails and burnt them in an Ale-house strewed the pavement of the Quire with the Leaves which they tore out of the Common-prayer Book and whereas the remains of several Saxon Kings and Bishops had been by the care of Bishop Fox gathered into leaden Chests they scattered the Dust of their Bodies before the Wind and threw their Bones about the Church The very same that Julian the Apostate did to the remains of John the Baptist buried at Samaria He caused his Bones to be digged up and being mixed with the Bones of Beasts he burnt them to Ashes and scattered the Ashes before the Wind. N. 24 25. In the Cathedral Church of Chichester after they had picked out the Eyes of the portraitur'd King Edward the sixth saying in scorn That all the mischief came from him in establishing the Common-Prayer at first they fell to pillaging and plundering like the Goths at the Sack of Rome and when it was beg'd that they would leave but one Chalice for the use of the Sacrament it was answered A wooden Dish may serve turn The same words almost as of Faelix Colleague to Julian that renounced Christianity in complement to Julian who taking up the Communion-plate which the Religious Constantine had in piety bestowed upon the Church See here saies he in scorn what brave Cups and Vessels the Son of Mary is served in The Church of Exeter they turned into a Jakes leaving their filth on and about the Communion Table whereas the Apostate Julian did but piss against the Communion Table in a Church at Antioch and the Presbyter Euzoius reproved him tho an Emperor sharply to his face And in all this they wrote as after the Copy of the Apostate Julian so with the practice of the Donatist-Dissenters As Optatus relates that in Thipasa Opt. 55. ap Hist of Don. a City of Mauritania the barbarous Donatists assaulted an Assembly of the Orthodox Christians while they were at their Devotions and driving them out of the Church slew a great many of them the Bread of the consecrated Eucharist they threw to the Dogs who having eaten it by the just Judgment of God presently grew mad fell upon their Masters that gave it them and tore them to pieces But in the reforming the Church of Canterbury they exceeded Julian or the Donatists either N. 25. for finding there some Figures of Christ in the Arras-hangings in the Quire they did in the most literal Sence crucifie Christ in Effigie some swearing that they would stab him others that they would rip up his Bowels which accordingly they did so far as the Figures of Christ in the Hangings were capable of it The principal Instrument in framing this Reformation and Hammering out all that mischief of the War and Regicidy was a Tool called the Solemn League and Covenant as appears by the dying words of one of the chief contrivers of it Sir Henry Vane Speech p. 3. at his Execution on Tower-Hill That what the House of Commons did singly by themselves which was their Levying of War Murdering the King proscribing his Son Voting down Monarchy with much more which he saies lay yet in the breast of the House was but a more refined pursuit of the Covenant Thus Sir Henry Vane who being sent hence Commissioner into Scotland was one of the first Contrivers of it and therefore most likely to know the use and design of it and being then ready to die was most likely to speak truth But thus much is demonstrably true that the Covenant put them on altering the Government and that Alteration on the aforesaid Reformation as also upon Warring against the King and that War upon conquering and that Conquest upon Imprisoning and that Imprisoning upon Impowering a rude Conquering Army to Murder him So that their laying all on a rude conquering Army as Mr. Baxter doth is no other Plea for the Presbyterians not killing the King Plea for Peace c. than Pilates was for his Innocency in putting Christ to Death because he left the Execution of it to the Soldiers But to shew what an Engine this Covenant was against the Church what a Solemn piece of Perjury and what a snare of Souls what a mystery of Iniquity and what a bane of Monarchy 't is fit all Posterity should be instructed in these three Articles of it 1. That without respect of Persons they would endeavour to extirpate Popery and Prelacy i. e. Church-Government by arch-Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans c. and all this not only contrary to the Kings Proclamation strictly forbidding it but contrary to an Oath previously taken by a great part of the Covenanters 2. That they would endeavour the discovery of all such as had been or should be Incendiaries Malignants evil Instruments c. whereby they bound themselves and others as the event shew'd to bear false against to Condemn and Murder the Kings best Friends as those that stood most in their way as the Earl of Strafford Arch-Bishop Laud c. 3. That they would preserve the Kings Person in the preservation of the true i. e. Presbyterian Religion and the Liberties of this Kingdom Which was in effect a covenanting to Rebel against the King if not to Murder him in regard that the Covenanters had already
Wentworth was sent to the Tower Mr. Bromley and some others of the Commons committed to the Fleet. N. 25. In this Parliament it was enacted that If any Person should come to or be at any unlawful Assemblies Conventicles or Meetings under pretence of Religious exercise contrary to the Laws and Statutes made in that behalf c. that every Person so offending should be committed to Prison without Bail or Mainprise or depart the Realm at such time and place as was assigned with this Proviso N. 27. that if he departed not at the time appointed or come back without leave first granted he should suffer Death as in the case of Felony And when all other means failed these sharp Laws made against them and some severe Executions done upon them humbled the Ringleaders of them ruined the whole Machina of their devices and effectually promoted the Peace and Tranquillity of Church and State and the happy Preservation of Her Majesties Person to a prosperous and peaceable Reign And 't is believed that at King James's first coming to the Crown of England about the year 1603 the Presbyterians in both Kingdoms England and Scotland were brought so low Lib. 11. N. 1. that they might have been suppressed for ever without any great danger had that King held the Reins with a steady hand and not remitted so much as he did in the cares and severities of Government particularly in admitting the Presbyterian-petitioning and especially in that called the Millenary-petition because said to be Subscribed by a thousand hands when indeed it wanted some hundreds of it This Petition was for Reformation of sundry Ceremonies and Abuses viz. Cross in Baptism Church-Musick c. which occasioned the conference at Hampton Court where the King himself was present as Moderator N. 6. between the Episcopal and Presbyterian Divines the result of the conference was this sharp reprimand If this be all they have to say saies the King I 'le make them conform Conf. at Hamp Court p. 85. or I 'le hurry them out of the Kingdom or somewhat worse at the conclusion of the conference The Presbyterian Divines when they saw that they could not obtain their desires in such Concessions and Alterations as they disputed for they were notwithstanding not transported with heat and passion or any such bigottery as the modern Dissenters are on such occasion but ingenuously promised the Bishops their Antagonists That they would nevertheless reverence them as spiritual Fathers and joyn with them against the common Enemy Upon this Conference N. 8. the Kings Proclamation was issued forth commanding strict Conformity and admonishing all his Subjects of what sort soever Never after to expect any Alteration in the publick form of Gods Worship and things being accordingly put in Execution and the Government holding a hard hand upon them inconformity soon grew out of fashion again N. 10. Till the Gunpowder-Treason N 12. Presbytery out of Popery the second time from whence they took occasion to possess the People with fears and jealousies of new dangers from the Papists and by a shew of greatest Zeal for the Protestant Religion they got a Party in the House of Commons who by the specious pretences of standing for the Subjects Property and the Preservation of the Protestant Religion weakened the Prerogative Royal and advanced their own and by degrees got so strong in Parliament that at the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the first they were able to proceed from Council to Execution beginning their Embroilments first in Scotland by sending thither the English Liturgy and Book of Canons Sir R. Bak. Anno 1638. whereupon the Scots took up Arms declaring not to lay them down till the Presbyterian Religion was setled in both Nations they being incouraged so to do by some of the English Parliament Ibid. 1640. which the King understanding went to the House of Commons to demand five of their Members whom he accused of seditious Intercourse had with the Scots in that Insurrection And here began the first Eruption The King wanting Money to manage the War with Spain was forced to have almost continual Parliaments of which many Members being Scotized fell presently on Voting the Ship money unlawful the Convocation of the Clergy Illegal and their Canons void Bak. Chron. 1641. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passed a Bill for taking away the Bishops Votes in Parliament Which when the King consented to he saies he never enjoyed comfortable day after they passed a Bill for a Triennial Parliament c. All which they forced from the King by terror of the Scottish Army which they kept in pay nine Months on purpose And tho the Lords and others at York in their Declaration Bak. Chron. 1642. protested before God and testified to all the World as they had often done before that they were fully perswaded that the King had no intention to make War upon the Parliament but that all his endeavours tended to a firm Settlement of the Protestant Religion the just Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject c. yet they proceeded chiefly on pretence of the fear of Popery to wrest the Militia out of his hand as also the Tower of London the Navy Royal and all his Revenues using all Terror imaginable to affright his Subjects from Supplying or Assisting him In short a rebellious and most unnatural War being commenced which shed the Blood of so many thousands they reduced the King to consent to these and the like Proposals Baker Chron. Anno 1648. That the Presbyterian Discipline should be set up for three years in the interim of which they would endeavour the Settlement of Peace in Church and State That the Militia should be lodged into their hands for twenty years That the whole Government of Ireland both Military and Civil should be put into their hands That they should confer all Officers and all chief Magistrates of the Kingdom of England for twenty years And having thus got the whole Soveraignty to themselves they were willing on these most unnatural Concessions to comply with the King and voted a full agreement with him But alas too late they having by this time cut off his hands and feet empowered the Independent Army to cut off his Head And now when the Presbyterian Discipline was to be compleatly setled the Army which themselves had raised declare for the Independent Way and serve them as they had served the King turn them out of Doors and resolve upon nothing less then the Death of the King which was at first attempted by private Conspiracy with Poyson and Pistol by Captain Rolph Baker's Chron. Anno 1648. with the privity of Collonel Hammond and some other chief Officers of the Army But afterwards effected with such Hell-bred Solemnity and in such barbarous manner as to the everlasting reproach of the Protestant Religion Turks and Tartars have startled at Thus did they wade through the
the Catholick Martyrs and Orthodox Christians of the Primitive time and all in imitation of those Jewish Worthies Samuel Elias Phineas c. who living under a perfect Theocrasie had that real and miraculous impulse of Gods Spirit and that immediate Guidance and Commission from Heaven which the most fervent and daring Zealot in the Christian World never could without rank Phanaticism so much as pretend to And as their Principle so their Practice At the first starting of Presbytery in Geneva Anno 1535. When the Bishop of Geneva would not admit of the Presbyterian Innovations Viret and Farellus with their Followers presently turned Zealots drove the Bishop out of Town and set up Calvin in his stead disclaiming all Allegiance to their Duke and Bishop From Geneva the Presbyterian Discipline was sent into France where the Abettors of them called Albigenses propagated it at first by their Arch-Zealot the Earl of Tholouse's murdering Trincannel the Viscount and chief Governour of the City Beziers and dashing out the Bishops teeth In the Low Countries Presbytery was first set up at Embden in Friezeland by renouncing all Allegiance to their Prince and taking up Arms against him and setting themselves in form of a Common-wealth In Scotland the Earl of Bothwell and his Accomplices rose Forces to Depose and Murder the King under pretence of removing the Popish Lords and promoting the Presbyterian Discipline The Gowries Conspiracy to kill King James was so approved of by the Presbyterian Ministers of Edenburgh that they refused to give thanks for the Kings Deliverance tho commanded by the Kings Proclamation so to do And as the Circumcillian-Zealots of whom hereafter were taught these practices by their Donatist Bishops and Ministers so were these Presbyterian Zealots by their Ministers as may be seen in the writings of Knox Buchanan Willock the * Thes 358 368 147 136 151 c. Holy Commonwealth Of all which the Murder of King Charles the first the late Murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews and the late Conspiracy of 83. against King Charles the second are all most barbarous and bloody Comments In short that the Presbyterian Sectaries now called Dissenting Protestants are perfect Zealots Enthusiastick Zealots is evident from hence That ever since the Reformation from Popery there has not been in any Protestant Countrey any Rebellion Massacre Tumult Treason or Murders considerable but what Papists or Phanatick or both had a hand in as a means of Propagating their Religion on the same grounds and principles as all former Zealots did GNOSTICKS THese were the first and worse Schismaticks first and worst Rebels in the Christian Church * Dr. Cave on the Life of St. Paul The first Founder of them was Simon Magus who not being able to attain his ends of the Apostles in getting power to confer miraculous gifts resolved in discontent and revenge to make Schisms in the Christian Church So that as the first Schismatick in the World was a Devil so the first Schismatick in the Christian World was a Witch He began his Schismatizing first at Samaria the first place that embraced the Christian Faith Dr. Hammon Annot. Acts 8.12 14. Tho their Schisms and Errors were broached in the Apostles times yet they had not the name of Gnosticks till after when they assumed it to themselves on pretence of greatest Knowledg above other men and particularly in mystical Interpretations They pretended to be well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures to know all the Mysteries of the Old Testament which pretended knowledg is that saies Dr. Hammond which the Apostle charges Timothy to avoid Annot. on 2 Pet. 1.5 1 Tim. 6.20 calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. knowledg falsly so called from whence they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnosticks i. e. knowing Persons or the knowing Party And by a strange Liberty which they took in Interpreting the Scriptures brought in as the Apostle calls them damnable Doctrines such as resisting Magistrates Liberty in the exercise of Uncleanness for which they were called Borboritae whereby they greatly strengthened their Faction And as they pretended to greater Knowledg so to greater Piety and Holiness than others as * Dr. Ham. Annot. 1 Joh. 1.10 Let. H. Irenaeus saies they called themselves the Spiritual this is the Character of the Gnosticks saies he to live in all Carnality and Uncharitableness and yet pretend themselves to be the most perfect men But the greatest pretension was that Christian Liberty which the Gospel instated them in and on these accounts they separated themselves opposed the Apostles and Governors of the Church deposed the Orthodox Christians as Carnal and not having the Spirit and looking on all others beside their own Party as Ignorant they pretended to know more than the Bishops saith ‖ Dr. Ham. Annot. Preface to 2d Ep. of John Ignatius Yea than the Apostles themselves saies Epiphanius Against these Gnostick-Sectaries St. Peter St. Paul St. James and St. John direct their Epistles chiefly and St. Jude his Epistle wholly where in less then six verses he gives more than sixteen distinctive marks whereby they may be known Mr. Jenkins on the place 1. The first is their insolence against Government ver 8. They despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities i.e. were sawcy with the Government of Antimagistratical and Tumultuous Carriage to'ards Governours for which cause the Apostles press no one Doctrine in all their Epistles more than Loyalty and Obedience not only to the good and gentle but to the froward and wicked not to good Governors as good but to Governors as Governors and the Ordinance of God 2. A second mark the Apostle gives of the Gnostick-Sectaries is their discontent and murmuring against Governors Mr. Jenkins on the place ver 16. They are Murmurers Complainers never content with any Government The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports a secret muttering and grumbling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grunnio to grunt like a Swine importing a speaking against another secretly with hatred and impatience Like some now-adays who if for committing a spoil in Gods Harvest Justice takes them by the Ears with hideous outcrys they call all the compassionate Herd to condole their suffering and that they call Persecution and the suffering days of the Saints Are any of them cut off by the hand of Justice for their Seditious Villanies How doth their Party murmur against the Magistrate that they suffer wrongfully c. As the Rebels Korah and his company did against Moses and Aaron Numb 16.41 Ye have killed the people of the Lord the people of the Lord when God had declared from Heaven most miraculously that they were Rebels and that his Wrath was kindled against them on the account of their being so 3. A third mark is Erratick Zeal verse 13. Wandering Stars so called Dr. Manton on the place as for inconstancy and unsetledness pretending to be Stars and great lights that a reindeed