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
declared from Pulpit and Press that the Religion and Worship established in the Church of England and maintained by the King was Popish and Idolatrous and that the Presbyterian was the only true Religion and that the King had actually invaded the Liberties of the Subjects c. and on this account this Article took in its limitations did in effect empower them to absolve themselves from their Allegiance and to take up Arms against the King So that if we consider this Covenant in these four circumstances the Subject-matter of it the Design and Occasion of it the Persons engaged in it and the manner of Imploying it it will appear to be Farewel Serm. p. 37. not only as Mr. Baxter calls it A dividing Engine an imposing on the Providence of God c. but as another Nonconformist called it A very nest of Villany and as another of them Nar. of the Covenant Mr. Phil. Nye Such a Covenant as was never heard nor read of nor ever the World saw and as yet this was made the Test of all such as were to be trusted or accepted And of the same stamp with these old Covenantiers are there great numbers at this day The certain men among us crept in unawares of whom Dr. Hickes gives this emphatical Mark Serm. at Worcest May 29. Preface That are for the King against his evil Councellors and for the Protestant Religion against the Church Of their barbarous Cruelties to'ards the Orthodox Clergy and others wherein they exceeded the Cruelties of the Donatists to'ards the Orthodox Clergy of those times see Aerius Rediv. lib. 13. Mercurius Rusticus c. No sooner had they battered down Episcopacy by their Westminster Ordinances and set up Presbytery in its stead but that beloved Discipline and Government whose settlement in England cost so many millions of Treasure and so many thousands of Lives in the turn of a hand was made sub to Independency and that soon dwindled into more Sects than ever old Donatism was such as Anabaptists Quakers Seekers High-Attainers c. Some of which would in all probability have become the prevailing Religion of the Nation had not the seasonable Restoration of King Charles the 2d prevented it By all which we are taught to look on it as what God hath written to us in Characters of Blood That no other than the Episcopal Government will comport with the Constitution of the English Nation And to shew yet further the agreement of these men with the Donatists and other Sectaries of old I shall conclude this Head with that Character which King James gave of them That tho they refused to be called Anabaptists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they partook too much of their humour not only agreeing with them in that general Rule the contempt of the Civil Magistrate and in leaning to their Dreams Imaginations and pretended Revelations but particularly in accounting all men prophane that agree not to their Fancies in making as much commotion for every particular question of Church-polity as if an Article of the Trinity were called in question in making the Scripture to be ruled by their Conscience and not their Conscience by the Scripture in accounting every one as a Heathen and Publican and not worthy to enjoy the benefit of breathing much less to partake with them in the Sacraments that denies the least jot of their ground And in suffering the King People Law and all to be trodden under foot rather than the least of their Grounds be impugned He stiles them the very Pests of the Commonwealth whom no deserts can oblige breathing out nothing but Calumnies and Sedition Aspiring without Measure Railing without Reason and making their own Imaginations the square of their Consciences Thus doth King James Characterize the Presbyterians of his time exactly agreeing in every clause of the Character with the Donatists and the rest of the Ancient Schismaticks To all which he subjoins in the form of a Protestation That one shall never find in any High-landers or bordering Thieves greater Ingratitude more Lies and Perjuries than among these Phanatick Spirits as he calls them And because the Novatians the Donatists and other Schismaticks of old as well as of late have had the Denomination of Phanaticks given them and because 't is a notion that I have observed to be grosly misunderstood even by many great pretenders to knowledg especially of the Dissenters I shall subjoin this brief account of it PHANATICISM THE word is used to signifie false pretensions to Divine motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Inspiration from God and is appropriate to those who in matters of Religion intitle God to Enthusiastick Fancies ascribe their whimsical perswasions unaccountable Humours and Phantastick Motions to the Suggestion and Impulse of the blessed Spirit of God that to defend an otherwise indefensensible Cause pretend to the aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some impulse or motion from God Thus Donatus when he had a mind to engage the Circumcellians in any barbarous design his custom was to pretend that an Angel had appeared to him and assured him of immediate Answer to his Prayers for the Confirmation of his Party Oravit Donatus respondit ei deus saies Optatus 1. The grossest sort of Phanaticism is of those who pretend to the aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the impulse of Gods Spirit for things in themselves sinful when men do intitle God to such Villanies as Fraud Treason Sedition c. As that of Donatus Aug. Ep. 165. passim who would pretend to conference with an Angel and Revelation from God telling the Circumcellions that he would seek God and give them Directions when he had a mind to put them on any Massacre Rapine or the like Of this sort was the Scotch Mrs. Mitchelson Spirit of Popery out of the mouth of Phanat. whom the Presbyterians of Scotland set up for a Prophetess She pretended to be inspired and that it was revealed to her by God that the Solemn League and Covenant was approved of by him and ratified in Heaven Speech at his Execution So Kid a Conventicle Preacher of Scotland hanged for Sedition in the year 1680 his calling the conceited strength and number of the Rebels the Lords power and presence and the strong hand of the Lord c. which is so far forth Phanaticism as it is an intituling the Power and Providence of God to Rebellion So also Coppinger in Queen Elizabeth's time after a strict Fast held for freeing of Cartwright Snape c. out of Prison and for success in promoting the Presbyterian Discipline in his Journey to'ards Kent he fancied Aeri Red. That he was admitted to a familiar conference with God that he received many Directions from him and particularly that God had shewed him a way to bring the Queen and all her Nobles to Repentance or to prove them Traytors to God c. Baker Chron. An. 1591. Of this Coppingers School
him making it as unlawful to recede from the Presbyterian Discipline as from the most Material Points in the Christian Faith 3. The Self-ends and Ambition of some Ministers affecting the Parochial Episcopacy or Supreme Ministerial Power in their own Parishes 4. The Covetousness of some Great Persons who thought thereby to raise to themselves great fortunes by the Spoils of the Bishopricks and for the attainment of these Ends they stuck at nothing whether the deposing of Kings or subverting the Fundamental Constitutions of all Civil States where-ever they came and it 's observable that that very thing which the English Dissenters at this day insist on as the Articulus Stantis vel cadentis Presbyter the very basis on which their Nonconformity doth stand as Popery doth on the infallibility was the main rule which Calvin went by in all his Reformation work viz. That there ought to be nothing and consequently no ceremony in the Worship of God Lib. 6. n. 3. which is not warranted and required in Gods Word or which hath not particular and express command in Scripture for its use An Error which Mr. Baxter himself hath soundly confuted by many substantial Arguments in his Defence of the Principles of Love Part 1. p. 97 98 99 100 c. Calvin having compleated the settlement of his new Discipline in Geneva about the Year 1541. thought himself of such grand assurance that no Church could be reformed without his interposal He offers his Assistance to Arch-Bishop Cranmer as soon as he heard of the Reformation intended here in England but the Arch-Bishop knowing the Man refused the offer whereupon he took Order with Martin Bucer at his first coming into England to give him some account of the English Liturgy which was no sooner done but he presently makes those Exceptions which afterward became the main ground of those many Troubles those horrible Disorders and Confusions with which his Faction had involved the Church of England from that Time to this Prevailing nothing with that Holy Martyr he tampers with the Lord Protector with the King himself and the Lords of his Council had his Agents in the City and Country N. 15 16. the Universities and Convocations all of them Practising in their Several Provinces to decry the use of Kneeling the Cross at Baptism c. and to bring the People to a dislike of the Common-Prayer-Book which at its first composure was looked on by the People generally as a Heavenly Treasure says Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monum Preface sent down by God in great Mercy to the English Nation all moderate Men beyond Sea applauding the Happiness of the Englanders in having such an Excellent form of Gods Publick Worship Lib. 6. n. 3. And an Act of Parliament declared it composed by the special Aid and Assistance of the Holy-Ghost But all Mr. Calvin could do would avail nothing nor could his Presbyterian Discipline get any footing in England till 1. Popery introduced it by Queen Mary's banishing most of the most Eminent of the English Protestant Divines into Embden Basil The first rise of Pres out of Popery Strasburgh Geneva Frankford and where the Presbyterian Discipline and Government was from whence they returned into England tainted when the Persecution was over Lib. 6. n. 14. and had preferment given them in the Churches whereby they got opportunity of preparing the minds of People for such innovations as they hoped when Time served to bring into the Church But the Fabrick of the State was joined together with such ligaments of Power and Wisdom that they were able to act but little and to effect less About this Time died Calvin having sat 28 Years in the Moderators Chair at Geneva and was succeeded in the same Year 1564. by Beza who tho at last he recanted very far at first endeavoured the settlement of the Presbytery in England with more Zeal and forwardness than Calvin had done He presently brought it to an open Schism and a resort to Conventicles which himself takes notice of in a Letter to Bishop Grindal Rem tandem in pertinax schisma evasisse Nonnulli tam seorsim suos caetus habent c. Bez. Ep. 23. Having by this means got some footing in England as also by the connivence of some Bishops and by the Queens indulgence to'ards them particularly in tolerating the French church in London where the Geneva discipline was exercised they became so insolent as to publish those pestilent Pamphlets called the Admonitions wherein they proceeded so far as to tell the Parliament that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them and that if they would not countenance the Geneva Discipline themselves would be their own carvers Lib. 7. n. 23. 24. Whereupon the Queen issued forth her Proclamation for the further suppressing of them so that by means of the Rigor of the Laws the Government being too strong for them their next Expedient was 2. To dissemble Conformity Lib. 7. n. 33 34 35. thinking thereby to breed up their Presbytery under the Wing of Episcopacy till it should be strong enough to subsist of it self Lib. 8. n. 24 26 Next they proceed to libel the Government with such ridiculing Pamphlets as Mar-prelate Ha' y' any work for the cooper the Epistle to the Confocation house c. in which they far exceeded the railings of the Donatists against the Catholicks calling the Arch-Bishop Pope of Lambeth and Belzeebub of Canterbury the rest of the Bishops petty Popes and cogging Knaves c. and the rest of the Clergy worse To stop the Mouths of these Rabshakehs there were several grave Refutals given but all in vain till Tom. Nash the Observator of those Times a man of Sarcastick Wit by some Pamphlets written in the same loose way such as the Pasquil the Counterscuffle Pap with the Hatchet c. stopped their Mouths for ever medling more in that way About the Year 1592. they were busie in petitioning the Queen Their Petitions were such as gave the Queen a full assurance of what restless Spirits they were Lib. 9. N. 22. and that no quiet was to be expected till they were utterly suppressed In order thereto a Parliament was called at their first Sitting the Queen signified it to both Houses that they should keep themselves to the redress of popular Grievances but that they should leave all matters of State to Her and Her Council and all Ecclesiastcal matters to Her and Her Bishops But contrary to her Command Mr. Peter Wentworth a Member of the House of Commons and a great Zealot for the Presbyterian Discipline with Mr. Bromley and others of the House of Commons deliver'd a Petition to the Lord Keeper Puckering desiring that the Lords would joyn with them of the lower House in becoming Suppliants to the Queen for entailing the Succession of the Crown according to a Bill which they had prepared At this the Queen was so displeased that Mr.