God The ministers for the greater number you terme ignorant Asses filthy Swine Preface to the Deni Popish Priests haulting Neutrals Forlorne Atheists amongst whom when your spirite is Searcher nothing Gllby pa. 20. 3. 30. 53. 89. Epist Fr. Scot. before reform no enimy c. else is to be found but a troope of bloudy-soule murtherers and sacrilegious Church-robbers You controule the whole Commons and Inhabitants of this Realme who directed by the Churches publicke order doe make reuerent esleeme of auncient obseruances according to the religion now established 1. 2. admo And sentence not onely them but those also Danger posit l. 2. which goe vnto their Churches for Infidels By which meanes you make the Catholicks to bavvke our Churches There was neuer any State more Turckishly handled Surv. pa. 56 by vnchristian calumniations then this State hath beene and yet is by diuers of you our Geneuating passauantians For whereas the King in his princely perswasion of that profitable vse which the whole Church of this Kingdome may haue in the due obseruation of the Cannons and Constitutions agreed vpon hath by his Royall commaund commended them vnto our practise There are of you and is one speciall Archfactioner Rector ecclaesie Elaundunensiâ— amongst you who daily exclaimeth against them as Popish and Superstitious disclaimeth their execution as sinfull and damnable and as if he would strike vp the Drumme vnto Sedition doth vnder a high commanding forme adiure and charge his people to ioyne and holde with him what should make him so much to forget his dutie to the King humilitie to the Church charitie to his neighbours and mercie which he oweth to himselfe his wife and his children I will not now examine but if he had kept his orderlesse opinions priuate and not made them the common subiects of publicke discourses to frame in the harts of his hearers a dislike of the state present and fancie of his faction it would haue beene in my poore opinion though no way approuable yet more pardonable § 10 Such contumelious maledictions you the Maiors and Magistrates of his Highnesse Citties and Townes corporate doe heare many What may hinder that you will not or doth affright you that you dare not but make approbation of euery both speach and action whereof they giue you euidence is best knowne within your selues where no eyes doe shine but yours Your authoritie to see the Lawes of Gods worship Cartw. 1. â—eply duly executed and orders of the Church reuerently obserued hath the cleare light of generall acknowledgment And if it were so freely performed by you as it is fully permitted to you these ill-languaged Nouellists could not haue gotten such gentell audience in your publicke assemblies nor disobedience to Ecclesiasticall Constitutions so much tainted the reputation of your Cittizens It must not be denied you that our Fathers neuer had any societie so warrantable for institution or wise for gouerment that could retaine all her parts in due obedience Mans will is by Nature auerse from all obedience to the sacred Lawes of his Nature and in the deprauation of his minde would imploye all both witte and valour to the extremities of euill had not that wisdome which ordaineth order and regiment obseruable in pollitique affaires by Lawes prouided to frame our outward actions to that common good for which societies were ordained These Lawes are like so many instructiue Bridles to restraine the head-long course of selfe-will alwayes in loue with her owne councels and to guide it in the way which Iudgment with consent hath approued The Raynes are in your hands and had you euenly borne them Newfanglisme in going backward from the State could not haue gotten so farre forward in opposition to the State But too much or too little as too soone or too late hath alwayes beene dangerous in gouerment and your ill-carriage hath giuen some opportunitie to winne head of you whom otherwise you might haue brought and kept in an vniformitie of Raine \ To attribute this defect vnto your vnskilfulnesse in the mannage of publicke occurrents it is a disgrace I would no way giue to the simplest Vertuous men doe oftentimes erre and you may faile in this businesse not because you would but for that it is of more harde digestion then your vertue can well ouercome The Sleights of this Schisme are cunning the deuises subtle the panges vehement the affections earnest the passions vnrulie and attempts impetuous with contempt of your magistracie and despight to the lawfull ordination of our Cleargie All which are so palliated with a seeming grauitie in their behauiour and puritie of Gospell in their mouthes that to the tryall of it there appertaineth a great deale more then ordinarie conceipt can reach vnto The greater cause haue you for seeking your owne aduise in these things to cleaue vnto the Councells of those reuerend Prelates to whom the resolutions of doubts in these causes is by the Lawe of God and man referred as in other causes you would to the reuerend Iudges those Sages of the land And to attend the commaund of the supreame Commaunder whose soueraigntie must giue you warrant for the order in doing all things not onely appropiate to your Corporations but also pertinent to the practise of religion the due reuerence whereof bringeth with it the happy continuance of euery common-weale And sith his Iudgement by whom all other inferiour iudgements in congruitie of reason are to be ouerruled hath propounded this order of diuine seruice to be equally kept by all his louing subiects of this kingdome let it not greeue you as you reioyce to Zonaras in ValentiniaÌ„ see him sit in the throane to beare a little part with him in the burthen and within your precincts to see that regardfully performed which he hath royally established You are the Deputies of Maiestie and did you but remember this you would not suffer such impudent contempt of Church gouernment so directly commaunded by the most mature discretion of his royall decrees You would not giue tolleration to them who esteeme secret Corners and priuate Conuenticles the Schooles of maledictions against princes and rulers to be of equall vse with holy Churches for the publicke performance of diuine seruice You would not be silent when those holy Hymnes Venite exultemus Te Deum laudamus Benedictus are put to silence in your publicke assemblies You would not permit that peculiar Hymne of Christianitie the blessed Virgins Magnificat to be serued with a writ of eiectment out of your Churches You would not see your people whose Elders Auncients and Maiors you are to want their weekely Sacrifices of Prayer to God offered in the sacred Liturgies for the appeasing of Gods wrath and auerting of publicke euills due to our publicke sinnes \ You would not allowe the omission but indeauour the continued publication of the Apostolicall Athenasian and Nisen Creed those treasures of inestimable price to so many as haue not giuen
Sabinus with Photius and Origen with Berillus or to determine things doubtfull as the religious and graue reuerend Fathers did in their councels and Synods or to settle the Peace of the Church as in the colloqui at Ratisbonn An. 1541. An. 1603. Ia. 14. appointed by Charles the fift and it pleased his Maiestie in the late interlocutorie conserence with the Lords Bishops others of the clergie at Hampton Aust lib. 2. cap. 13. 14. contr Crescon Court hath alwaies had speciall approbation But yet if I may in the libertie of a humble spirit freely speake what some of you the Bretheren of the newfangled faction in the merite of your contentious disposition should patiently heare to liue in obedience to orders orderly by iudgment of decision established is more answerable to faith profitable for the Church and honourable for our calling By the first we bring light to the truth and confirme knowledge by the second we giue life to the truth and after our example direct others in the religious seruice of God a dutie amongst all Offices appertaining to man most excellent and most deserued whether we consider the bottomlesse graces wherwith Heauens hand hath embrodered our state in general or vnfould before our selues the vnspeakable blessings he hath enfolded vpon vs in particuler My priuate life hath giuen me the right hand of Opportunitie to read what hath been disputed and finding the christian cause become more contemptible for that the rules of Gouerment haue beene so disputable doe without all partiall construction of what I haue read in singlenesse of heart wish that the spirit of singularity in some particulars of you giuing place vnto publicke Iudgement had rather by dutious actions conformed it selfe vnto Authoritie then by vniust opposition endeauoured for licentious libertie Action is the best blazoner of vertues vertue The truest approuer of Learnings value The soundest witnesse of hearts desire and then worthy principall acceptation When it worketh by the Line not of opinion but of Iudgement not of priuate fancie but of publicke rule patternd vnto vs in the lawes both of God and men §. 2. The iust constitutions of lawfull Princes are the setled boundaries of duty vnto their Subiects and doe confine euery man within the lists of his particular obedience as the land-markes in the fields doe limmit out their inheritance He which * Deutr. 27. remoued these was held accursed Consider I pray you whether he who vncharitably offendeth against those can in his offence be reputed blessed The determinations of God are the vncontroulable warrants of power vnto Princes The infallable rules both of their duty vnto the highest ruler and authoritie ouer the greatest that are ruled Rules made knowne vnto them not so much by the dim light of nature as by the euerlasting director of holy actions in the euidence of Scripture wherein are the trulie honourable instructions for higher powers to commaund their subiects and most honest directions for Subiects to obey higher powers Vnto the King it is a patterne and carde to guide Austin lib. de vera relig cap. 31. vida lib. 2. de Reip. dignit by vnto the Subiects it is a light wherewith to iudge aright of the lawes vnder which they liue So that whatsoeuer is good in the lawes of Princes or commendable in the dutie of subiects That same is as it were coppied out of and iustified by the eternall lawe of God by whose powerfull grace Kings doe raigne and by whose gratious influence Princes doe Sap. 7. decree righteousnesse If you had made this lawe the chiefe head and principall ruler of your actions and held it so ordinary in your thoughts as it was common in your talke it would haue bred in your religious mindes a dutifull estimation of Princely offices and made you respectiue of publicke obseruances if your mindes be religious this being an Axiom inuincible that nothing is more auncient in the lawes of God nothing more pregnant to aduance common good then obedience First to God the supreame guide of this worldes masse to whose soueraigne power all flesh must stoope and to whose will all kingdomes doe owe conformitie in that he requireth Secondly to the King sent of God to be the * Rex dei figuram inter homines representat Diotogines lib. de reg representer of his Maiestie and the †Plutar. li de doctr principis Leutenant of his regencie The memorie of which subordination as it serueth to drownd all selfe conceipt that may hold the King with admiration of his sublimitie and strengthen him against all aduersary meanes which interrupt him in the exercise of that high dutie the deuine goodnesse requireth of him So it doth obedience to God preserued binde vs generallie without exception and particularlie without respect of person to obay him cheerefully without cunctation and readily without inquisition what he ought or may commaund vs to doe whether it be in causes Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill §. 3. That Princes may commaund the obseruation and practise of religion in their Realmes dominions and kingdomes according as God informeth their consciences by the direction of his alteaching spirit and rules of his sacred worde in the hands of those Priests whose lippes he hath sanctified to be the treasuries of his wisdome is by the vnited practise of all common-weales manifestly conuinced and hath euidence in the testimonies of the best common-wealths-men Amongst all things incident into the actions of men there is none more excellent then Religion saith a In Epinenide Plato In it our cheefest good consisteth saith b Lib. 3. cap. 10. Lactantius It is the vnmoueable foundation of Princely honour saith c Lib. de recta side ad Theodosium Cyrill The safest defence of publicke state saith d De conceptione digestorū Iustinian The richest store-house of mans felicitie saith e Neceph lib. 7. ca. 46 Constantine And therefore ought to be the f Inter caeteras solicitudines quas amor publi us preuigili nobis cura indixit precipuam imperatoriae maiestatis curam esse perspicimus verae religionis indagiman lib. legum Nouell tit 2. cheefest care of Maiesties Empire saith Valentinian In deed most worthy to be the highest care of all cares appertaining to Pincely rule both in respect of the Prince and of the People In respect of the Prince for by religion and * Rex orat habita in Senat. workes according therevnto God is moued to giue life vnto their councels perfection to their indeauours and settlement to their throanes for which cause the more eminent they are in regall Authoritie the more vigilant they ought to be in religious pietie In respect of the People for that the happinesse of our liues doth primarily and principally consist in the well ordering of our liues according to the rule of his will who did at the first imbreath life And when our wills doe yeeld to the regiment of his will
seuerall places haue the inquisition of these things giuen vnto you in charge If you be perswaded rhe cause why you were first instituted was that the truth might haue the better euidence if you knowe that you are chosen to be instruments of truth that you are intelligencers for the common-wealth that you are the eares and eyes of Iustices and Ordinaries If you marke how the lawes concerning these matters of the Church are opened before you and openly giuen you in charge at the times both of visitation and Session to the end not onely your selues may be truly enformed but euery other which heareth it may with God and Angels witnesse with or against you Take heed I beseech you how you neglect so great a dutie My eare did tell my soule a wonder when it heard that in such a setled State neither the Bishop in his visitation nor the Iustices in their Sessions could for these many yeares haue notice giuen them of such exorbitancie either by presentment or inditement But know ô know that when you lay your hands vpon the sacred booke to teueale vnto Iustice what is done amisse to the end that iudgment might reforme it The concealment of these misdone things shall be more deare to you then the penaltie can be greeuous to the partie indicted or presented for by you the partie delinquent may loose his mortall and fading both goods and liuings but you fill your liues with shame your state with danger your names with ignomie your houses with bloud your hearts with distrust and forfeit your Soules which by oath you haue pawnd to Gods diuine iustice But poore soules the motiue cause of this offence by concealment of things indictable and presentable is not in your selues it is the pleasure of your rulers which doth carry you as the winde doth driue Feathers which way they please and ambition of your Pastors who to couer their owne faults and vncontroulably to continue their faultfull practise doe labour to make you without conscience as Idolls without sence §. 8. The more worthy blame are you the associates of this Newfangled faction to mislead poore deceiued soules into such vnhallowed actions Dispence with their oaths you cannot and how you will excuse them of periurie I see not You hoodwinke your simple agents with facilitie of glozing speaches and beare them in hand that such and such Articles shall not be giuen them in charge And haue you indeed at any time indented with the Bishop or compounded with his Chauncelour or Archdeacon to limmit the charge which they giue according to the prescript of your content then haue you receaued too much fauour of them who haue least reason to allow disorder And it may be truly sayd such halfe-waking Gouernours haue giuen you both hart and hand to crosse the Lawe in practise with the practise of your lawes in deuise how euer you haue complotted with them The King is little beholding to you or them For eyther such Guardians of the spiritualties doe follow the execution of their offices onely as a Trade with vnconscionable thirst of gaine vnto themselues more then with desire to aduance the common good of the Church a Auâ—â—itia mater est omniuÌ„ malorum maxime cuÌ„ in animis non priuatorum sed magistratuuÌ„ innascatur Iustin Noâ—ell CoÌ„st 8 And nothing doth more dazell the eye of Iudgement or vnstrengthen the band of dutie then couetousnesse specially when she is soueraigne commaundresse in the minds of such ordinarie Maiestrates \ 2 Or they thinke these Cannons and Constitutions the due obseruation whereof is committed to Subdito fat non est legeÌ„ iniquitatis prostringere Vlpian their trust are not good And to accuse the lawes of that iniquitie which could neuer as yet be iustified by any their contumelious inuectiues is a defect vnbeseeming their Authoritie whether we consider their places in relation to higher powers whose hands they are and therefore with vnited hearts should set forward the execution of orders prescribed Or in reference to others whom Lawe hath confined within the borders of their iurisdiction amongst whom they should be fathers and fauters of vnitie and order 3. Or themselues are Puritans in heart and then they ride the roade waye of Athisme in keeping those their dignities Roomes and Offices so much contrarie to their puritanized opinion 4. Or they conceaue it skilleth not of what sort their religion be or with what different varietie they performe those religious duties which in reason and conscience they owe to God-ward And yet the very Turkes keepe themselues in one and Azor. 26. the same inuiolable vniformity of seruice to that one God whom they acknowledge not permitting Azor. 47. any dishonourable alteration Because they knowe that to swarue in the least points which they Azor. 13. are perswaded to be true is errour in it selfe and enmitie to God 5. Or it may be Iustice concealed or vniustice vnseene is all one or of small difference with them God forbid such an opinion should euer enter a mans vnderstanding who hath the honour to beare the name of a Diuine or Lawier If that were true a man need not to keepe in rule and order the operations of his soule which is the true seate of vertue but a Iudex non potest mutare penaÌ„ a lege statutaÌ„ l. final ne sanctum bapt iteretur onely endeauour to be iust so farre forth as it may come to the knowledge of men and from such no good seruice may be drawne or good expected For where Impietie is Iustice in the ruler all kindes of treacheries are open to the inferiour b Legislator minimas duntâ—xit mulctas Iudicibus coÌ„mittat Plato l. 9. de l. ne in rebus maioribus arbitrio proprio Iudices abutantur legibus sapientiores se este arbitrentur MartiaÌ„ lâ—ad TurpilianuÌ„ 6 Or they suppose their authoritie inuested with Power to pardon where the Law doth punish if their supposall runne vpon those penalties which the Lawe hath left attributary to their discretion the supposition is allowed The least amercements fines and penalties are left to them small things in the eye of the Lawe are as nothing And those not many least any man should seeme wiser then the Lawe and through libertie in small things abuse his will in matters of greater moment But where the Lawes with speciall words haue entailed a punishment vpon the fact committed against their rule they cannot without sinne remit or dispence in it The Lawes are aboue them as they are aboue others and must be Lords of men not men Lord of them c Leges hominuÌ„ non homines legum dominos esse oportet Pausanius apud Plut. Your actions my maisters of the faction may coulourablie giue our Rulers the imputation of such partiall and vnapprouable gouernment but howsoeuer you stroake and smooth your followers with comfort of your pretended interest In those rulers no man charitably minded wil
not exemption when the Apostle placeth euery soule vnder subiection Yee are questionlesse yee are marshalled within the listes of this order and whatsoeuer Priuiledge you assume vnto your selues you haue in this no pre-eminencie aboue others but are with like bands subiected vnto Soueraigntie Pleaseth it you to withdrawe your thoughts from the opinion which possesseth you and entertaine your studies with those fore-gone Examples of religious Church-men before time You may in their liues and Basil epist prima the histories of Gods Saints are the liuely examples of Gods common-wealths as in a Gallarie of pleasant Pictures see the viue Images of loyall spirites conforming them-selues with all submission Aaron to Moses Zadocke to Salomon Gregory to Maurilius c. Reuerend Priests to their lawfull Princes as they haue proceeded in Church businesse You may see the holy consort of Gods deuotiues with all humilitie defraying the tribute of their most due seruice to heauens Maiestie not as fancie conceiued but as the authoritie of their Superiours strengthened with his power who hath soueraigne superioritie in all causes prescribed You may see the Christian armies and Souldiers sacred vnto the seruice of our blessed Sauiour in the dissemination of his euerlasting truth though equalled in vnitie of Ordination and vnited in ministeriall equallitie yet performing their humble and vertuous obedience to them of their owne societie whom only Order the preseruer of all things had differenced in dignitie You may see our fatherly guides-men of honourable place auncient yeares reuerend behauiour gathered together in Counsells and Synods the assemblies of diuine Ordination to strengthen our spirituall commerce with the free vse of sacred consultations aduising vpon and prescribing orders for the Propagation of religious doctrine and establishment of holy discipline All which their sacred resolutions and holy sanctions were no sooner intimated vnto the Christian world but you may see them with vnquestionable obedience receiued by Princes as rules of their deuotion regarded by Priests as the Canons of their practique religion and followed by the People as the lights of their Christian conuersation What the reuerend Fathers of the Church decreed then was as much reuerenced by the best Princes as the best decrees of our reuerend Fathers now are basely contemned by the worse Subiects and with you of the faction the perswasion of your owne sufficiencie to know and performe the dutie which doth most fit you in your perochiall residences hath made them the more contemptible I know that Nature hath interessed euery perticular of you a Qui libet est rei suae moderator rector arbitrer in le in remandata mandati Lex respicit ordinem ad bonuÌ„ commune Aquin lib. 2. q. â—â— with abilitie to prescribe rules vnto your selues in your priuate actions but those rules are not lawes to binde others because they haue respect more to your owne priuate then reference to the publicke good and Natures selfe which hath preuiledged you with such prerogatiue doth disanull the libertie if your rules be repugnant to the lawes of Superiours which giues me hope you will make no more appeales from your Ordinaries vnto your selues but as men conformed to better aduise accept directions from our graue Prelates the most competent iudges of decencie in this case and with sobrietie performe the Offices of your Ministrie according to the prescript of holy rule It is safer to leaue the Paines of your conduct vnto the Lawe then vnto libertie and more honourable to order your designes with correspondencie to a stayed rule then irregularlie to worke by the prescript of fancie the mutuall impartment of Christian Iohannes de Turrecremata ciuillitie being then most rightly administred when it is communicated by the line and leuell of Iustice Wherefore sith it hath pleased God to endue you with capacitie of discourse and make you not seruilely subiect to commaund as beasts but voluntarily Eccles 15. inclinable to reasons dictates as men doe not suffer affection stubbornly to carry you away but as you are men of iudgement when iudgment doth not giue order and direction for the producement of your actions distaste the very Propension that leads you vnto the action Questionlesse you could not walke in this way of singularitie nor so irkesomely contend for things so much prohibited but that you permitte your vnderstanding too much reflexe vpon your selues and who will maruaile when the admiration of your owne skill shall holde you if the conceipt of your obedience be drowned in your owne conceipt But you are the true Philodoxes of your owne opinions and will I suppose rather hazard an opposition to the Good of the Church and peace of the Countrie then haue your zeale guided by the limmits of any lawes §. 6. The more eye-full ought you the ciuill Magistrates to be ouer this creeping and incroaching euill that errour by Schisme breake not what truth by authoritie hath builded To preserue the peace of the Church is a speciall prerogatiue belonging to the supreame power of the highest commander and all be it in his Royall person there be great excellencies his Princely minde being enriched with so many heroicke and diuine vertues yet because one as one cannot possibly gouerne many his Highnesse hath with Kingly indulgence communicated part of this royaltie with you and instiled you Iustices of peace that the mention of your names may put you in minde of your duties for the conseruation of peace a Sicut vita in homine ita pax in regno sic sanitas nihil est nisi temperantia humoruÌ„ sic pax est cum vnuÌ„-quodque retinet ordinem suuÌ„ et sicut recedente sanitate tendit homo ad interitum Sic discedente pace regnum tendit ad desolationem vnde vltimum quod attenditur pax est Vnde Philosophus inquit sicut medicus ad sanitatem sic defensor respub tendere debet ad pacem Aquin in mat cap 12 without which if so be it were possible that all other complements of common good might be had in their full perfection neuerthelesse the common-wealth that should possesse them diuorced from concord could be but a spectacle of commiseration Euen as that body which adorned with sundry admirable helpes wanteth health the chiefest thing that nature desireth Prosperitie honoureth Peace as her parent and the prosperous peace of all well ordered common-weales doth acknowledge religion for her cheefest staye as well in regarde of that blessed protection which Gods mercifull hand bestoweth vpon them who faithfully serue him as also for the seruiceable disposition which Religion worketh both in the gouernours and them that are gouerned When they from whose habilities the duties of commaund and seruice proceed doe with constant resolution of minde acknowledge Heauens diuine Empire ouer all and with assured confidence repose in the assistance of God Almightie that inflameth them which are in place of authoritie with desire to resemble God in the action of common good
their wisdome hart-fallen in their courage amazed in their spirits confounded in their councels and ouertaken in the issues of their owne consultations you may discrie the vapoures of their vnhappinesse arising from their backwardnesse in performing those most excellent and most deserued dutyes which God by the Ministrie of his Church had prescribed and Princes zealous of diuine glorye commaunded In consideration whereof the Church and common-weale are most earnest obtestants that as you are Agents for God in the Administration of Iustice and iusticed by the King their supreame head and Soueraigne defender to execute the iudgments of God the hand of Iustice guided by the eyes of your wisdome may secure them from the smartfull inconueniences of Atheisticall securitie and strengthen them in their mutuall Offices against their Anabaptisticall opposites whose mindes diuorsed from dutie doe stiftly refuse the rules of our religious duties proudly censure the validitie and priuitie of Soueraignes gouerment Odiouslie calumniate the religious function of holy Priesthood wilfullie shake of those good things which authoritie hath enacted to establish common good cunningly indeauour by shouldering out the Liturgey and holy Hymnes to bring the worship of God with vs to a meere preach and contentiouslie hinder the perfection of that vnitie which would make them with vs religious to God humble to the Church loyall to our Soueraigne and louingly peacefull amongst our selues if they did not hinder it In all these actiue and mouing errours of their deceiued mindes what else haue they aymed at but to wrong this body polliticke through contempt of the lawes both of honour and iustice both which you may see dayly violated with contemptuous breaches that of honour by affected derogation from Soueraigntie the other of Iustice by strong inforcement of their priuate fancie and when the mishaped disorder of some few shall distemper the welformed feature of the whole body when affectation of singularitie shall with vnrestraineable and head-long course of violent Schisme teare in sunder the vnseamed coate of Christ when audacious ignorance shall call into question the lawfull Ordinances which ripest iudgment hath decreed the fancies of priuate men wantonized with conceipt of purietic shall not onely denie their Obedience in holy offices lawfully imposed but with clamorous inuectiues traduce their honourable reputation whose place doth enioyne them to see the obseruation of that which Lawe hath appointed what may we else looke for my Lords but that proude popularitie giue the checke to monarchie and prophane vanitie doe weaken pietie if your zeale for the Lawes committed vnto your trust doe not adde validitie to 1. Eliz. cap. 2. 23. Eliz. cap. 1. strenthen them and feare from your hand by their due execution teach vs obedience in the workes of deuotion To the sollemne Actions of your Iudgment those sutable ornaments your robe your cloake your coife are a beautie and are the comelie vestures wherewith deuoute liberalitie hath apparrelled religion a staine vnto her That Priestly habite deuised and vsed by Priests of olde to celebrate the Actions of diuine worship with solempnitie and giue state vnto their Sessions when determination of Ciuill causes had dependant reference vnto their iudgement is an ensigne of honour vnto you my Lords and will retaine it auncient excellencie without imputation of blemish or note of blame to the first deuisers if you vouchsafe the Church this fauour to tender the magnificence of her seruice now the cognition of her causes in that kind is deuolued vnto you as Church men were formerly carefull to set forth the magnificence of your place and calling Sith then you haue receaued those abiliments from the Church and the world taketh speciall knowledge of your high place by the honorable ensigments of your such habitts Suffer not Nouelty to dishonour the Church in that wherein you are honored Leaue her not to goe naked that hath cloathed you but so negotiate her affaires in your Circuits and Sessions that her seruice in the Sanctuary may be performed with due and comely exhortations This if you doe you shall remoue occasion of offence taken by contrariety of Ceremonies you shall giue the holy worde and Sacraments a better rellish in their Iudgements who for the obseruation of some few Ceremonies do so much distaste them at a word you shall giue a blessing of happinesse vnto this Church if by one vniforme religious obseruation of things commanded as behooufull to Gods seruice you keepe vs one in the bonde of deuine worship A blessing not to be looked for in a Babilonicall confusion which presumeth to deuide and quarter a tongue of one speach but in the Church of God which retayneth the Vnity of the spirit in the bonde of peace §. 17 a Tanta est in repub de morú varietate diuersitas vt nemo valeat leges defēdere nisi terror videatur aliqua temperare Cassiodor 12. variarū epist It was a rule alwayes obserued by them who were good-husbands for the common-wealth that what vntractable men doe not vpon admonition they must he inforced vnto by compulsion howbeit his greatnesse knowing that b Prou. 20. Quaerēdae sunt ignoscendi causae non puniendi occasiones Ammianus Marcellinus l. 19. Proclā 16. Iulij 1604 Lex habet vim cogentem Arist l. 10. Eth. c. 9. pietie and mercie are the pillars of Princely rule the chiefest dowrie that God giues vnto Kings and precious ornament of Maiestie more desirous of cause to pardon then of occasion to punish doth earnestly wish there may neuer occasion be giuen to make proofe of seueritie but that his Princely declarations may haue equall force in all mens harts to worke an vniuersall conformitie by clemencie and weight of reason not by constraint and rigour of Lawe It is in his power to make himselfe feared he chooseth rather to make himselfe beloued which loue-full dutie if it were so happily performed by vs as by him is highlie merited his Maiestie should alwayes finde your concurrencie with him in the worke of Gods seruice and you should neuer feele that necessitizing disposition which the Lawe hath towards those who are resractorie and repugnant to this method of seruice The power of the Lawe-maker and the Lawe Plutar. Plato is the worke of the King to whose regall dignitie it appertaines to make Lawes should breed a feare in our harts how we speake or iudge in the worst part concerning that the vnaduised disgrace whereof may be no meane dishonour to him towards whom we professe all submission By excommunication to be shut out of the Church and bebarred of fellowship in holy duties is a correction more smartfull then that you should wilfully deserue it and so due to your disobedience that he which will not acknowledge the more then motherlie power of the Church may not enioy the preuiledge Innocentius Pontifex of a child to be nourished in the bowels and bosome of the Church Dereliction of your Pastorall cures will be so
or decline from the worke whereunto you are called If you be Salt season if lights shine if guides goe before and as the Apostolike fathers of former time did by there labour make many of prophane holy of ignorant learned of obstinate sinners penitent conuerts so doe you endeauour that by your industry others may change their affections and better their manners towards God with reuerence to performe their outward religious offices Contempt of religious dutie argues an irreligious contempt of deitie towards the Church with humilitie to conforme themselues to her holy ordinances in the seruice of god where dutie is submission opposition betokens pride towards the Kinge with loyaltie to yeelde obedience vnto his lawes A wilfull Lawbreaker would willingly breake the Lawgiuer towards religion decently clothing themselues with the garmēts of righteousnesse and redily casting of euery opposite thing that might hinder them in the exercise of christian duties It is a manifest wrong offered to Religion when the outward action doth not consent simpathize with the affected profession for albeit faith doth giue fashion and worth vnto workes yet workes giue the true tincture and lustre vnto faith wherefore I beseech you and in the bowels of Christ I beseech you affect the excellencie of constant course in the operation of those things which belonge vnto your ministry suffer not a matter of meere formalitie to distast the performance of your duty but submit your selues vnto the wisdome of Authoritie and because you plead for your selues ingenuity of spirit your pretended leader vnto these things striue to tend to that which is most exquisit in euery ingenious spirit truth in your opinion vertue in your action and peace in your conuersation §. 20. There is nothing more behoouful for the vse of life seruice of publike society then to proportion this shady terrestrial life to that most happy celestial where Angells the most industrious attendants one the supernall Maiestie and truly faithfull guardions of our much endangered saffety doe in the perfection of their obedience to God their immortall King in heauen set downe to vs the Idea of Loue Honour and duty to the King our mortall God vpon Earth †Rex orat habita in Senat. Of Loue with loue to repay that royall loue wherein his Highnesse doth more glory in our weale then in his owne perticular aduantage and with inseperable Vnion to Crowne the beauty of our Loue so visibly apprehensiue in the shine of his Glory * In principes veluti parentes beneuolentia nos affectos esse decet obedientes et venerantes nam patroni sunt ac domini ciuitatis ciuium salut Charondas in proemiis legum Of Honor humblye to acknowledge his Supreame soueraignty in the super-eminent excellencie whereof as he hath greatest conformitie with God so he cleareth the euidence of his greatnesse and potencie to effect those delectable and desirable good things which haue their dependencie vpon his greatnesse Of dutie cheerefully to performe the offices of our seuerall functions by the law proportioned as they doe the exercise of their high and admirable vertues to the glory of God and good of men They hould inuiolable the bond of fellowship wherin they are associated we should keepe fast the Linkes of Christian societie wherein we are combined by communitie of seruice and perticipation of Sacraments they vndeceauable assurances of Gods blessings the vnualuable pledges of Christ his goodnesse and venerable warrants of our future blessednesse in Angelicall happinesse They neuer incline to remit any part of their dutie we should not permit any eyther coulour of pleasure or baite of follie or pretext of fauour or vaile of Sanctitie to auert our conceipt from performance of those offices which by our owne consent and heauens immediate appointment he hath power to commaund vs but as they doe althings to fulfill and keepe the Lawe of the Almightie we should order the Actions of our liues vnto his Maiesties iust Commaunds the correspondence which is betweene the Actions of men in this estate of our mortallitie and their heauenly operations of eternitie doth require these things of all in generall but especially of vs who must appeare for others in the presence of God as Angels When the Church of God was attended on by those Apostolique Fathers whose industrious trauaile in the businesse of the Church did gaine them the names of Angels althings were carefullie performed for rhe continuation of the Catholicke peace In their Councels they determined all matters of doubt or difficultie which might disturbe the peace of the Church and what they determined was no more controuerted In their Synods they prouided by holy ordinances to reforme all trespasses repugnant to the Ancient holy Cannons and what they ordained was cheerfully obserued In their Sermons they laboured with graue exhortations to keepe their subiects in due allegance vnto their temporall Lords and what they councelled was religiouslie regarded In their Actions they did with reuerent humilitie make knowne their subiection to Christian Princes And Christian Princes amongst whom Religio iustitia politica mutuis stant non solum officiis sed beneficijs our Soueraigne doth associate with most honourable resolution esteeming nothing dearer then religion most willingly imployed their Authoritie to aduance all religious Actions and prouide for the Churches safetie by opposition to noueltie The mutuall reciprocation of these Christian offices was then the strength of their gouerment the Load-starre of their happinesse the Centor of their Peace And will be to vs that so much spoken of and much desired mother of our goulden world §. 21. The thoughtfull remembrance of this doth giue me hart to speake vnto you Right reuerend Fathers Epist ad vbique orthodoxos and to request as blessed Athanasius did those of his time so to strengthen your mindes in the liuely emotions of christian zeale the Garment that beautifieth the Stewards of Gods diuine misteries that those good things which the Church of God hath hitherto happily enioyed may not in your times vnhappilie be discontinued Many attempts haue ben made by many whose actions do witnesse they are impatient of gouerment apt to tumult zealous of nothing more then their owne conceipts though they be as the are vnwarranted by truth disclaimed by Antiquitie indeede the Mushroomes of yesterdayes Nouelty many attempts I say haue bene made to deface the beauty of the Church and weaken her strength by weakning your gouerment If their malice had bene so forcible as it was industrious and their Appellations so regardfully accepted as they were violently vrged your Authority your Dignitie should not now bene questioned but they should not now haue bene \ You haue hitherto with fatherly care restrayned your selues from the seuere execution of lawes made against them and meere compassion hath caused you to restraine your selues if the Church whose rulers you are had gayned a restraint of their vsusuall contradictions against the State
suppose such deiection of minde in men so graue so learned as to gleane in your fields what should releeue them or learne in your Schooles that which may direct them I looke more to the insight of their iudgment which cannot but see their owne fall in your rising their ebbe in your flowe their weakenesse in your strength their no-being when you are and therefore sithence Silence argues consent and sufferance of errour giues demonstration of errour in them that suffer it If I were worthy to counsell them who are so wise in all the counsels of the Lawe they should first with-draw the vayle wherewith you doe labour to couer the Lawe a CoÌ„sentire est facere cum possis arquere Glossa ad Rom. 1. He which smoothereth the light of the Lawe from others doth Ecclipse the light of conscience in himselfe b Qui alios ab errore noÌ„ reuocat seipsum errare demoÌ„strat Cap. qui alios de Haereticis Secondly see and procure so much as in them lyeth all and euery Cannons and orders of the Church to be in all points duly obserued He who in the extent of his Gouernment neglects the obseruation of that which the Lawe councells his endeuours haue their issue in vncurable inconueniences c Boni ipsoruÌ„ conatus in exitus imedicabiles de sinuÌ„t Ioseph in proemio antiq Iudaicarum Thirdly not spare to execute the penalties in them seuerally mentioned vpon any that shall wittingly or wilfully breake or neglect to obserue them The execution of the Lawe is the life of the Lawe and when the lawe of publicke constitution hath lost his place priuate fancie will breed disturbance of peace in euery place Fourthly not measure the validitie of ordinances by the sleight conceipt which you haue of things commaunded but by the common good for which they are propounded and published Vpon the head of the Lawe all specialties of common good are dependent He which remembreth this cannot but hate Opportet odisse illos qui scribuÌ„t decreta coÌ„tra leges Eschin contra Clesiph them whose pennes are ready to write decrees against the Lawes and with all industrie endeauour so to draw the Circumference of his gouerment that euery line of the Lawe may haue his vnion in the centor of obedience to the settlement of common good § 9. For my last counsell they are beholding vnto you whose thoughts floating vp and downe the faddomlesse bottome of your vnsteddy conceipts haue according to the modell enstamped the Crosse Learned disc pa. 122 the Fonte and the Surplesse with the note of trifles The more wantons haue you beene and the worse is your example so stubbornlie for trifles as you terme them to occasion the contempt of Authoritie and to raise such vnexcusable hote contentions Learn disc pa. 75. for trifles The quiet repose of the Church to which you ought to liue rather then vnto your selues requireth you First to accustome your mindes euen in trifles to regarde the authoritie of Lawes The long permitted contempt of lesser things doth giue heart of bouldnesse to the contempt of greater Secondly to compose your labours in subiection to his rule by whose supreame authoritie they are commaunded and vpon whose fauour next vnder God the flourishing estate of the Church and Gospell of Iesus Christ hath his dependencie Know you not Obedientia est praetiosa praeclarissima reguÌ„ veneranda corona sine qua noÌ„ veri reges sed vt priuati eruÌ„t reputabuntur sine corona Feretius de re militari pa 88. that the honour of the King consisteth in the loyall hearts of his people that their true obedience is his Crowne and dignitie then can you not but knowe he that hindreth or denyeth obedience deminisheth the dignitie of his crowne A vice which no good heart can so much as conceiue without horrour * Lear. disc pa. 76. A Schoolemaister of yours hath said It is the dutie of a true Pastor to obserue those things which are commaunded by the lawfull Authoritie of the Church concerning ceremoniall matters for order and comlinesse sake and edification and not to controule publicke Authoritie by his priuate iudgement If you would frame and modell your selues by assaye of action sutable vnto this lesson your obedience to the holy ordinances of the Church would giue vs a sound testimonie of your honour to the sacred worde by whose speciall warrant her lawes doe exact your obedience But herein you haue not as yet infeoffed your selues Therefore if I shall pourtray the substance of the discoursers iudgement and set it forth by those coulours vnder which you haue quartered your selues You must eyther by your disobedience conclude that the Authoritie of this Church is vnlawfull or by your inuectiues against the authorized ordinances of this Church exclude your selues from the number of true Pastors Take which you will the choyse is yours Vpon the first I thinke you will not aduenture and the second is too much vnpleasing vnto your expectation yet worthily cast vpon you by that good spirit which directeth your fierie toungs in the heate of your zeale scandalously to inueigh and malâ—partly to controule the State of this Church so happily established onely therefore because it concurreth not in opinion and sentence with you You controule the Government and censure it to Admo pa. â—5 Hay any pa 13. be Antichristian You controule the State and charge it with maiming and deforming the body of Christ You controule the Rulers and Princes and call Gilb. to Engl. Scotl. pa 5. 9. 11. them trayters destroyers of their spirituall Fathers Consumers of their country Rebellious children You controule the Lords of the most honourable priuie Counsell and accuse them of violent oppression Epis from Scotland before reform no enimy pa. 3. 4. of Gods Saints Yea you bragge that you dare controule them because you know of no power but from aboue and their power as all their force is bent you say to bereaue Iesus Christ of his gouernment You controule the Lawes and iudge them to be Fen. atque Bridges pa. 5. Suppl pa. 95. Sanctuaries of all wickednesse in this opposition against you You controule the Iudges and blame them as suffering impietie to beare sway against the maiestie of God You controule the Parliament and condemne it 2. Admo pa. 3. as a Court where all honest men shall finde lacke of equitie You controule the Conuocation house as a Throgin dia. 4. house of Deuils and account the Cleargie there assembled intollerable oppugners of Gods glory \ You controule Bishops and call them incarnate Hay any 28 Vdal dial 1 deuils bastardly gouernours enemies to God the reliques of Antichrist the plague of the Church and report Cartvv 2. repl pa. 414 the best of them to be lesse honest then the worst Puritane You controule the Ministrie and denie it to be Admo pa. 2. 4. a right ministrie of