in the Assembly We could wish also that the power of their Consistories and Synods were a little more limitted for these Assemblies being Courts of Conscience which takes cognisance of all the offences of the Church they may enclose in their Jurisdiction all criminal and civil causes of the Kingdom there being no cause which hath not in it a point of Conscience And so hereby it may come that the sentences of Judges may be controuled in the Consistory and the Officers of the Crown questioned about their managing of publick affairs and so the Government of the State become purely arbitrary And the power of the Ecclesiastical Councel being such the most unquiet and ambitious will be ever pressing to be of it whereupon sidings and factions will abound revenge and particular interest will turn the ballance There they will form factions in the State and parties against the King for what is there that they dare not enterprise who have so vast a power which have no other limits than the extent of the flitting and moveable conscience of particulars which give account to none who pretend to have their authority only of Divine right and therefore are not subject to be controuled These are not conjectures nor suppositions but observations of long experience certainly that personal citation which was sent by the National Synod of Scotland to their King when he was in the midst of his Armies in England Feb. 1645. filled Forreign Churches with amazement and scandal And no less is the Authority they exercise even over their Parliaments which having demanded advice of the Synod concerning what they were to do with their King the Ministers concluded that they should not bring the King into Scotland and that the Kingdom of Scotland ought not to espouse his quarrel for to maintain his Rites in England and their advice passed for an Ordinance after this they cannot reprove the Bishops for being Councellours of State Monarchy which can endure neither Master nor Companion can hardly comply with this Court of Conscience which gives Laws but receives none unless themselves make them and limit the King but refuse to be limited by him but the Magistrates of an Aristocratick or popular Common-wealth will shift better with them for this Court pretending an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction purely Soveraign and Divine yet nevertheless admit lay men to the participation of this power The Lords never fail to be Members of this consistory and to govern there And thus the question touching the Ecclesiastical authority is Eluded Now although above all we desire to enjoy an Apostolical and Episcopal Discipline where the Bishop assisted with the Councel of his Clergy governs the Church and admits other Pastors according to their degree and quality to the participation of the power of ths Keies yet nevertheless if the revolution of the State brings in another Discipline our Ministers submit themselves to it not to be Actors there remembring themselves of their duties and promise made at their reception of Orders but to surfer themselves to be governed remembring that they are call'd to preach the Gospel and whether there be a good or an evil Order in the Church or even none at all the vocation binds them to feed the Flock and to maintain the holy Doctrine But indeed its great pity to be reduced to expect a Discipline of those that have none and yet make the Kingdom of Christ to consist in it for which they made such clamours in their licentiousness and overthrow of all Order and lawful Vocation in the Church The Reformed Churches of France who employ all their Zeal and Industry to maintain the purity of the Gospel without contending with any about the outward Discipline look upon with contempt and compassion the impetuous weakness of our enemies who overthrow the holy Doctrine and ruine Church and State for points of Discipline which is to lose the end for the accessaries yea although these accessaries are not good in this regard there being but two things to reprove in the Covenanters their end and the meanâ— which they employ to attain that end CHAP. XIX That the Covenanters ruine the Ministers of the Gospel under colour of Reformation ONE of the points of Reformation for which they laboured so much with Cannon shot was to abase and pull down the Clergy which is a work already done without proceeding further As for their greatness the only thing wherein it consisted was taken from them in the year 1645. Which was the Bishops sitting and having power to vote in the Lords House the rest is a smal thing As for their Revenues they are confiscated and sequestred and even the Revenues of the Bishops were such as might cause rather pitty then envy except four or five Bishopricks the rest were so poor that for to help them to uphold their Degree and pay their dues to the King Tenths and first Fruits his Majesty ever out of compassion gave them some other Benefices otherwise very few would have hazzarded the taking of them the Bishopricks of England being like the ruined Monasteries in some Countries which have nothing remaining but the wals with nothing in them The children of those parents who had formerly fâ—tted themselves by the Bishopricks have now swallowed the rest and yet labour to begger the inferior Clergy This is that they call Reformation and in truth 't is the Reformation of Scotland where the Tenths of the Clergy are possessed by the Ruling Elders above all by the Lords some of them having the Tenths of whole Provinces Therefore ye need not wonder they fight with such Zeal for a Reformation which is so profitable In England ordinarily the great Towns and rich Parishes are impropriated and in the hands of Lay persons the rest of the Benefices have but to provide in a Mediocrity for Students in Divinity Those who Reform the Clergy are those who possess the Goods of the Church and besides the Tithes that are alienated many of them even make use of the Tithes of the Clergy with which they are lawfully invested terrifyâ—g their poor Ministers with Sequestration too weak to contend against them and force them to injurious and damageable contracts How many Patrons are there who sell their Benefices to them who will give most And by the infamous Simony of these Gentlemen who make a noise of Reformation the door of the Church is shut to the Clergy unless they have a golden key to open it and thus they prefer profit before conscience 'T is well done of them to mend that which they have marred and they of all other have reason to take in hand the Reformation of Ministers because themselves have done what possibly they can to corrupt them Of all Liberal Professions Divinity is the poorest and have most Thorns in her way and therefore Parents find it more profitable to put their children to a Trade than bring them up in the Study of Divinity and yet after all this their very poverty
of the service of the divers Sects of Religion they take no care of their Order but of their Liberty to convert all which will one day turn to their ruine and confusion when they shall have no enemy to unite them But in the mean while Religion is destroyed and all the world behold with astonishment that the English Reformers have left the Church without any discipline now these many years they have done much worse then he who began to build but was not able to finish for these have overthrown the antient order without ever considering what they would build in the place and yet they are not agreed thereupon they made a great noise of the building they would erect but this noise proceeded from their contestation and their building advanced like that of Babel that which the one builded the other pull'd down and in the end the division of tongues will make them forsake their work It 's an easie thing to ruine 't is a work of ignorance and insolence 't is the pastime of the devil and the occupation of his children Destruction and unhappiness is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known Rom. 3.16 And ordinarily those that burn down the house know not what it is to build it up and those who build up a Church or State proceed by wayes and rules quite contrary to those that ruine them the sharp and rigorous proceeding of our enemies wholly to raze the established order witness they want knowledge to build an order in the Church for to this purpose there is not only required to conceive an Idea of Reformation but to consider the matter they have in hand and how to frame it For as he is not the best Engenier who knows best how to make a Regular platform upon paper but he that can best accommodate his rules to the nature of the place which he fortifies and it would be a strange method to pull down and lay level the place for to build it again regularly But it s that wherein our new Reformers have laboured Certainly they neither understand the Theory nor the Practick of the work they undertake and their knowledge goes no further then destruction It 's true many of the Assembly desired the Scotch Discipline and to establish it courted the Scotch Armies We also respect these Armies hoping that God will one day touch their hearts to defend the rights and person of their Soveraign and we pray God for their prosperity But let them give us leave to tell them mildly our advice of their Discipline the wisest amongst us commend the subordination and concatenation of their Synods and do confess that that was wanting in the English Order judging that the Synodal Power is not incompatible with the Episcopal but in an order well made both the one and the other is requisite and it is impossible that the English Bishops excellent in knowledge and piety who have lived within these ninety yeares should not know this very well above all those who were imploid in the Reformation But behold that which hath hindred the ordinary use of Synods amongst us incontinent after the Reformation it had been to ill purpose to have given all the Clergy liberty to assemble in a Synod Papistry being not then well rooted out of the Priests and Curates and before the English Church was well healed of this old malady she fell into a new one and was infected with a fanatick and malignant Sect who made piety consist in overthrowing all order and superiority in the Church and to controle that of the Magistrate whereupon our Soveraigns and their Prelates beholding the body of the Church swollen with evil humours and mutinous superstition continually ready to break forth feared least the frequent use of Synods should not be made use of by the discontented to gather and associate a faction and therefore accounted the surest way to maintain peace and truth was to keep these violent spirits in their duty by the Episcopal rod assisted with the Royal Scepter and certainly this way would have had better success if they had not let the bridle too loose for such hard mouths The Synod is proper to make Ordinances and the Bishop is proper to cause them to be observed The Synod to hinder tyranny the Bishop to prevent confusion the Synod to determine in point of Doctrine the Bishop to maintain order and discipline the Synod to remedy inveterate evils the Bishop to suppress immergent evils and in the mean while both the one and the other serve to all these uses and ought not to be separated in a Church where there is freedom and where the estate upholds the Religion But in a Church which lives under a state of a contrary Religion order must bend to necessity and as it is not possible to have all the parts of Ecclesiastical Government also there is less need for common adversity unite affections and take away many occasions of scandal and disorder Such are the Reformed Churches of France where the order is sutable to their condition and the native piety and simplicity of their Discipline is commended even by those of a diverse Profession Now having had leisure to examine their Discipline we find not that it doth much resemble the Scotch discipline for the Consistories and Synods of France have not Ruling Elders whose voices alwaies carry it as they do in Scotland Their Elders pass not any sentence in matter of Doctrine neither have they the power of the Keys to determine Censures All that Calvin granted them was but praeesse moribus to have an eye to the manners and behaviour of the flock in which they served as Assistants to the Pastors and this was a commendable use But in Scotland the Elders command for the Lord of the Parish is ordinarily the ruling Elder of the Consistory and in some manner is a Lay Bishop and although the Minister is alwaies Moderator it s but for form for the Elders have the principal power and being Deputies to the Assemblies they keep there the same credit above all in the General Assembly where Dukes Marquesses Earles and Barons have their voices and decide the points of controversies and the censures of the Church We greatly respect the power of Synods but we require that it be purely Ecclesiastical and that it be managed by none but by those who are appointed of God lay persons have not to do but to assist them except the King who ought to have the exterior power which the Scotch deny him to convocate and dissolve their Assemblies to suppress disorders without medling himself with the interiour or spiritual for it seems to us a thing unreasonable and contradictory to it self that the other Laiques should be admitted to the full capacity of the spiritual power equal or above the Ministers and that the King only should be excluded and hath not so much as the exercise of his temporal and purely Royal power
did very ill to address themselves to you since they hold a method quite contrary for they dishonour and massacre their King under a colour of devotion to God and undertake to set up the Kingdome of Jesus Christ by the ruine of the Kingdome of their Soveraign which is as if they would build the Temple of God with Cannon shot and defend Religion in violating it The truth of the Gospel was never advanced by these wayes but the patience and even the sufferings of the Christians was it which propagated the Christian Religion and rendered the Church mighty and glorious Those who suffered under the Pagan and Arian Emperours conquered both the Empire and Emperours and the Champions of truth purchased a Kingdome to Jesus Christ not in shedding the blood of their Soveraigns but in pouring forth their own for righteousness by a voluntary submission to their judgement He who cannot frame himself to this Doctrine doth not so much as God requires of him if he makes profession of Christianity for Christ tells us in calling us that whosoever taketh not up his Cross and cometh not after me cannot be my Disciple and commands him who would imbrace the Gospel to set down before and calculate the expence as if he were about to build Certainly he that cannot resolve to subject himself to his Soveraign for the love of God and never draw his sword against him to whom God hath committed it made an ill calculation before he dedicated himself to Jesus Christ for he ought not to take upon him Christianity if he were not able to go through with it and was not resolved rather to suffer then resist and to spend his goods and life to preserve himself in that subjection commanded by the Word of God For maintaining this holy Doctrine we have been banished and pursued with Armes and after we had defended our Soveraign with more fidelity then success we have been constrained to forsake our dear Country driven from our houses and spoiled of our revenues but yet we praise God for giving them since he hath done us the honour that we should lose them for his service and we ought this to our King of whom our lands held to abandon them for love of him For to enter into a Covenant against him peaceably to enjoy his and the Kings his Predecessors bounty and to betray the truth and our consciences to save our moneys we could never resolve Now since those who have done the evil began first to cry out and have spread their unjust clamours through all the Reformed Churches we 'll make the same journey with our just complaints and after the example of the abased Levite by the Sonnes of Jemini we send this recital of our grievances through all the quarters of Israel Judg. 19.30 Consider of it take advice and speak your minds The injury which doth touch us nearest is not our Exile nor the loss of our goods nor theirs of our nearest Relations but the extreme wrong done to the Gospel and the Reformed Churches to whom these new Reformers falsly impute their Maximes of Rebellion and hereby render our most holy profession suspected and hateful to Princes of a contrary Religion This Gentlemen toucheth you very near considering your condition and the Summons the Assembly at Westminster made to you to covenant with them or to make a covenant like theirs The Epistle was addressed to the Church of Paris in the name of all the Reformed Churches of France and with the Epistle they sent the Oath of their Covenant which concludes with an Exhortation in form of a prayer to God That it would please him to stir up by their example other Churches who live under the Tyranny of Antichrist to swear this Covenant or one like it This same Epistle together with the Oath being sent to the Ministers of the Church of Genevah stirred up in them a holy jealousie and drew from that excellent person Monsieur Diodati who is now in glory an answer worthy of him in the name of all the Church Repell this horrible scandal which so extremely wrongs Christianity in general wash and cleanse this filthy attempt of the blackest oppression which above all is imputed to the most pure profession of the Gospel as if the Gospel opposed and affronted by a kind of antipathy and secret hatred all Royal Power of Soveraign Authority Pacifie the exasperated spirit and too much provoked of your King and drive him not upon Pinacles and Precipices Blessed be God who touched the heart of this great person whose memory shall be for ever precious for rendring so open a testimony to the truth And because he have not suffered himself to be flâ—ered and perswaded by the complements of these enemies to his a Mjesty to applaud them in their evil actions such are these Refiners of Reformation as not content by their factious zeal to set their own country on fire but they labour also to cast the fire into their neighbours and to blow Rebellion through all Europe And of late the most enormous actions of the English drew from Master Salmasius Prince of Letters and the Honour of France a defence of the Right of Kings God was so pleased to raise up the Learnedst pen of these times to defend the best cause of the world in which this great person hath highly honoured his country But to speak right he more honoured himself and the Church wherein he was educated For if hereafter these malefactors dare be so bold as to say the Reformed Churches approved their actions they shall produce this book which condemns them and defends the Royal cause with such wisdome and efficacy of spirit suitable to the dignity of the subject and shall require them to produce if they can any one of the Reformed Churches who have in the least manner written in favour of their proceedings It should have been a strange and shameful thing if there were none found amongst the Reformed Churches who should not disown their wicked Doctrines and cause all Princes and people of the world to know that the Reformed Churches are very far from following their counsels and abhor their seductions to disloyalty from what part soever they come Heretofore indeed it was accounted the duty of charity and prudence to cover the faults of this faction and if corruption enter into Israel not to publish it in Gath but when the Doctrine of Rebellion disputed in corners ascends the Pulpit hold assizes in open Court sends forth Ambassadors invites the Reformed Churches to their party and imploy the Gospel Piety zeal of Gods Glory to raise subjects against their Soveraigns now 't is time or never to pluck off their mask of hypocrisie and shew where the evil lies and discover the wickedness of a party 〈◊〉 preserve from shame and disgrace the general and the rather since the Aphorismes of Rebellion and seducing people to sedition are reproached to the Protestants and imployed by the enemies of our
holy Religion to stir up Princes against the Church and the pure profession of the Gospel T is the duty of the Reformed Churches to speak aloud that 't is not we that teach the people are above their King and that endeavour by Letters and Intelligences a general rising but that it 's the Covenanters of England who attempting to cut off their King and Monarchy by the sword labour in vain to seduce their neighbours to encrease their party thereby to hide themselves in the multitude of their complices they came forth of us long since but were not of us and for their Doctrines and actions which are the only things evil in their Reformation they never received any countenance or incouragement from us We assure our selves Gentlemen in that Divine assistance which hath to this present upheld you that ye will never be seduced to defend evil neither by complacency nor contradiction but will follow the precept of the Apostle Saint James Jam. 2.1 My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of persons Ye will consider that those who chase us seek not your alliance but to strengthen their separation from us and not to imbrace good Doctrine or follow your councel which if they had asked and followed the one had never sold their King nor the other over massacred him Believe it Sirs they are your best friends at distance rather then neer and if ye never converse with them ye will never be weary of their company Your free meek and solid piety which feeds it self simply upon the substance of Religion without picking quarrels at the shell is very far from sordid superstition and the Hypocondriak and bloody zeal of these Covenanters who pretend to advance the Kingdome of Jesus Christ by cutting the throats of his Disciples and cementing his Temple with blood instead of the cement of charity and in the mean while make some petty circumstances the principals of Religion and cut out their holy Doctrine according to the Discipline which they are forging as he that cuts his flesh to make his doublet fit for his body By how much more these are wicked by so much the more are they worthy of compassion whom we must behold as people drunken with the Wine of Astonishment which they themselves confess in their Epistle they sent unto you they shall find the rest of their description in that place where they borrowed those words and shall there behold themselves set forth as a wild Bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord Isa 51.20 For as the wild Bull rageth when he feels himself intangled and intangleth and insnares himself more by raging so these miserable people who by an impetuosity without reason rid themselves out of all Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil are insnared in stronger bonds then before and by their bruitish fury are more and more intangled These these are the sad effects of the just wrâ—th of God who hath smote those with blindness who have abused the light of the Gospel and have given them the hearâ— of a beast Dan. 4.16 as he did to Nebuchadnezzar whâ— have cast off all humanity God by his mercy reduce to their senses and guide them and us in his paths and grant his peace to them that are far off and to them that are near Isa 57.19 For in civil wars that party that is neerest to God and right is yet very far from his duty Your wisdome will instruct you to profit by the folly of your neighbours and their evil actions teach you to do well they will let you see that to destroy the Ecclesiastical and Political Order by a bloody war to reform Religion is to commit the fault in the vulgar Latine Translation Evertit domum instead of Eveâ—rit Luke 15.8 That is to overthrow the house in stead of sweeping it the folly is the greater when its only to find a trifle and that they overthrow both Church and State for some particularity which were it good cannot recompence the general destruction You will also learn by the proceedings of these Covenanters that its impossible to alter the foundation of Church and State without pulling down the house which is the work of the blind as Sampson to over-turn the Pillars of the publick building that those that thrust them down might be crushed to pieces under the fall that those that take the Church and State apieces to cleanse it have not the power to put it together and in order again when they please and that all violent changes in a State as in an old body are alwayes for the worst We hope also that our good God beholding us with pity in this our weak condition will give you somewhat to observe and learn from us as that a Rebellion which pulls down Monarchy without thinking so lifts it up and fortifie't as a violent Crysis which if it takes not away the Patient contributes to his recovery For the insolence of the new masters doth mind the people of their duty to their lawful Prince and the unlocked for success of a new Obligarchy sowes dissention amongst the Usurpers The conduct of the Providence of God in the movings of States teacheth us that in chastising Kings by the rebellion of their subjects hereby he punisheth the people more then their Kings and those very Kings that God gives people in his wrath Hosea 13.11 are not taken away without his fury and the publick ruine which is then greatest when he takes from an ungrateful people a King whom he have given in his mercy the wise and fearing God should consider their sufferings under their Soveraigns as sinister influences of celestial bodies against which no man in his wits will draw his sword for both the one and the other comes from heaven and cannot be remedied but by humility prayers and veneration all other remedies are worse then the evil Also amidst your grief to behold the ruine of our not long since flourishing Churches you may comfort your selves in the weakness of our condition which now renders us less subject to the like dangers for as full and sanguine bodies are most subject to violent feavers and sharp diseases which those of weaker complexions are ordinarily free from so those persons who have power in their hands and are puffed up with a long prosperity ordinarily fall into most violent evils which seiseth not upon them but with too much strength Then when the Church hath the least lustre she oft times is neerest to God as the Moon is never neerer the Sun then when she is in the lowest degree of her declension and without light to our regard The Power of God is made perfect in our weakness and we hope to behold you subsist yea encrease and grow in bowing down under the storm whilst those that have so striven and contended against their Soveraigns shall be rooted out by their arrogancy By humility and submission under
who have particularly courted and invite◠〈◊〉 to Covenant with them and that your Churches are â—lemished in reputation onely because these men have dared to addresse their infamous complements to you a thing neverthelesse which ye could not prevent how great soever your aversion were from their wicked actions wherefore we beseech you as you love your subsistance and the honour of the Gospel which ought to be dearer to you then your lives that you exhort the general of your Churches to declare readily and vigorously by a publick Act against these false brethren and their pernicious Maximes for fear least the crime of men be imputed to Religion and that the innocent suffer not for the guilty Let it appear to the State under which ye live that the Reformed Religion for conscience sake upheld Kingly Authority and that it is the true Doctrine that maintains subjects in their duty and a Kingdome in peace You may also boldly advise the Gentlemen at Court to beware of them and that they give order to prevent that inundation that is threatned from our Ilands and let them be most assured that the Independent Armies have not lesse ambition to cause all people to rise and overthrow all the Monarchs of Christendom that to this effect Cr have often declared his intentions all the popular tumults in France are the productions of this Artist ever in motion infatigable swoln with successe who hâ—â—h his eyes and hands every where and gains in all places either by the sword or gold now in all changes of the State whosoever gains the Church loseth and the filth in all inundations resteth upon the vallies We are so near neighbours that the contagion of our evils cannot but passe to you therefore ye shall do prudently and Christianly to keep your selves from the contagion of our evils and since those of the Reformed Religion are better instructed then the other it is therefore for them first to begin to do their duty And 〈◊〉 â—his the considerations in this ensuing Treatise will encâ—â—rage you and our adversities will furnish you with better Councels then the prosperity of our persecutors Agrâ—e Fortunae sana Concilia we hope that this true and lively pourtraiture of their Rebellious Covenant that we present unto you will so strike the spectators with horror that they will become good Christians and good subjects by Antiperistisis THE ARTICLES OF RELIGION of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND I. THere is but one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passions of infinite power wisdom and goodnesse the Maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Son and holy Ghost II. THe Sonne which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and eternall God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the blessed Virgine of her substance so that two whole and perfect natures that is to say the Godhead and manhood were joyned together in one person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a sacrifice not onely for Originall guilt but also for actuall sinnes of men III. AS Christ died for us and was buried so also is it to be beléeved that he went down into hell IV. CHrist did truly rise again from death and took again his body with flesh bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature wherewith he ascended into heaven and thâ—re sitteth untill he return to judge all men at the last day V. THe holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne is of one Substance majesty and glory with the Father and the Son very and eternall God VI. HOly Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be prooved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beléeved as an Article of the faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those Canonicall Books of the Old New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books GEnesis Exodus Leviticus Numeri Deuteronomium Josue Judges Ruth The 1. Book of Samuel The 2. Book of Samuel The 1. Book of Kings The 2. Book of Kings The 1. Book of Chronicles The 2. Book of Chronicles The 1. Book of Esdras The 2. Book of Esdras The Book of Hester The Book of Job The Psalmes The Proverbs Ecclesiastes or Preacher Cantica or Songs of Solomon 4. Prophets the greater 12. Prophets the lesse And the other Books as Hierome saith the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine Such are these following The 3. Book of Esdras The 4. Book of Esdras The Book of Tobias The Book of Judeth The rest of the Book of Hester The Book of Wisdom Jesus the son of Sirach Baruch the Prophet The song of the three Children The Story of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The Prayeâ— of Manasses The 1. Book of Maccabees The 2. Book of Maccabees All the Bookes of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account them Canonicall VII THe Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ who is the onely Mediator betwéen God and man being both God and man Wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises Although the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian men nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to bée received in any Common-wealth yet notwihstanding no Christian man whatsoever is frée from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Morall VIII THe thrée Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Créed ought throughly to be received and beléeved for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture IX ORiginall sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam wheâ— by man is very far gone from originall righteousnesse and is of his own nature inclined to euil so that the flesh lusteth alwaies contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation And this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the flesh called in Gréek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the wisdome some sensuallity
some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation for them that beléeve and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupâ—scence and lust hath of it self the nature of sinne X. THe condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that we maâ— have a good will and working with us when we have that good will XI WE are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by faith and not for our own works or deservings Wherefore that we are notified by faith onely is a most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Iustification XII ALbeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after Iustification cannot put away our sinnes and endure the severity of Gods â—udgement yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do â—pring out necessarily of a truâ— and â— holy faith in so much that by them a lively â—aith may be as evidently knowen as a â—ree discerned by the â—â—utt XIII WOrks done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Iesu Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sinne XIV VOluntary Works besides over and above Gods Commandments which they call works of Supâ—rerâ—gation cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety For by them men do declare that they do not onely render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake then of bounden duty is required Wheras Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded to you say We are unprofitable servants XV. CHrist in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things sinne onely except from which he was clearly void both in his flesh and in his Spirit He came to be a Lamb without spot who by sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sinnes of the world and sinne as Saint Iohn saith was not in him But all we the rest although baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us XVI NOt every deadly sinne willingly committed after Baptisme is sinne against the holy Ghost and impardonable Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sinne after Baptisme After we have received the holy Ghost we may depart from grace given and fall into sinne and by the grace of God we may arise again and amend our lives And therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they live here to deny the place of forgivenesse to such as truly repent XVII PRedestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constanâ—ly â—ecâ—éed by his counsel secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour Wherefore they which be indued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the Image of his onely begotten Sonne Iesus Christ they walk relâ—giously in good works and at lengâ—h by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternall salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God So for curious and carnall persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods predestination is a most dangerous down fall whereby the devil doth thrust them either into desparation or into retchlessenesse of most unclean living no lesse perilous then desparation Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the Word of God XVIII THey also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Iesus Christ whereby men must be saved XIX THe visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duely minister according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same As the Church of Hierusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred So also the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in their living and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of faith XX. THe Church hath power to decrâ—e Rites or Ceremonies and authority in controversies of faith And yet it is not lawfull for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore although the Church be a witnesse and a keeper of holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same so besides the same ought it not to inforce any thing to be beléeved for necessity of salvation XXI GEnerall Councels may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmuch as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may erre and sometime have erred even in things pertaining unto God Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority unlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture XXII THe Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons worshiping
question which were the true Parliament that which acted with him or that which rose up and fought against him But alas since force and necessity hath constrained many poor Lords to return bow to their unjust power It would be too long to relate all the reasons that moved in the beginning so many persons of Honour to withdraw themselves from London in the general they loved their Religion their King and Country and could not consent to the general disorder of Church and State nor hinder it in gainsaying For a Sample of their proceedings which they used to drive them away we will only commend to the Judicious Reader the Petition 〈◊〉 the baser sort of people of London presented to the House of Commons and by that House to the House of Lords To exhort the Lords to sit no longer apart from the House of Commons but to make one whole and entire body together and to joyn with them and that they would agree to an equality in the State to procure an equality in the Church and for a while to forsake their power of Lords to subdue the pride of the King adding withal That if they gave not a speedy remedy to the obstructions which retarded the happy progress of the great pains they took they should be forced to have recourse to the Remedy they had in their hands and to destroy the Disturbers of their peace requiring the House that they would publickly declare to them who they were Judge ye in what Common-wealth these people lived who durst present such a Petition and if there appeared not a sworn hatred against all Greatness and Superiority and a design formed to change this Noble and Ancient Monarchy into a Common-wealth like that of Munster Oh what impudence to dare to solicite the House of Lords at one blow to lose both their Rights and Honours to consent to an equality in the State which was to debase them and even to put them in their shirts and oblige them to depose the King and to render him like to the meanest of the people For observe they would have an equality in the State like unto that of the Church where all Ministers are Companions The Royal Dignity they call pride and would seduce the Nobility which is the Kings right hand to mine the head from whence their honour takes life and motion and this urged with Menaces to destroy them and Bravado's that the lives of the great ones were in their hands Behold here that of the Prophet Isaiah fulfilled Isa 3.5 The base shall behave himself proudly against the Honourable These Petitioners in â—he Title of their Petition qualified themselves The poorest of the people and such indeed they were so little in their condition that a great person offended would have scorned to have taken notice of them and yet so strong in their number that there was neither greatness nor power that could resist them in this double regard they were chosen to speak aloud the intentions that their Leaders would but durst not otherwise make known and that they might bear the blame without danger as proceeding from the insolence and ignorance of a brutish and ill bred people Notwithstanding the charity of the House of Commons discharged this poor people of the blame and took it upon themselves For these Gentlemen did they not in a body themselves present this so unworthy a Petition to the House of Lords witnessing thereby that the Petition and the seditious souls of those people which clamoured at their doors was a work of their own Oh how will they palliate over this vile action All the water in the Sea cannot wash away their shame to favour so villanous a Petition in stead of making the bearers feel the effects of their just indignation This base multitude might have been frighted and dispersed by an angry look or word of this great and Noble House of Lords but this rascality had friends in the Parliament who emboldened them to rise thereby to make use of their assistance For the same day the seditious Rabble remaining there to serve them who sent for them the Ordinance to take the Militia from the King which had twice been cast out of the Lords House was again presented to them the third time by the House of Commons with threatnings giving them openly to understand that if the House of Lords did not joyn with the Commons in point of the Militia those amongst them that were of the Commons opinion should do wisely to make them publickly known that so they might distinguish their Friends from their Foes This being seconded by the great cries of the mutinous people about the House of Parliament the most part of the Lords arose and left their places and amongst the Lords who remained those who were for the Militia for fear or otherwise carried it by some voices Soon after many of both Houses withdrew themselves without ever returning it was time to part company when thy could not Vote without hazzarding their lives or Consciences For the Names of the Lords and Commons which pleased not the Zealous party were posted up to make them flee or to be torn a pieces by the enraged multitude And thus the small party of the two Houses drave away the greater as a few Hornets which dispeoples the whole Hive being assisted herein by the insolent hypocritical and meaner sort of people which were at their beck through the Industry of some seditious Preachers of the populous Parishes of London where the Brownists and Anabaptists abounded By the same Instruments the Lords had been before constrained to pass the Ordinance for taking away the Bishops Votes in Parliament By the same Instruments also the King was driven from his House and chief City when the Factious affrighted a peaceable and disarmed King arming the people and manning out Vessels of War on the Thames besieging the Royal Palace under colour of being a Guard to the six Members whom the King had accused of high Treason to conduct them to Westminster in spight of him but the King some hours before retired himself to save his life and returned not after In requital of the many good services of the people their Masters at Westminster permitted them all kind of liberty and indeed they taught the people that lewd licentiousness who before were kept in obedience by an excellent Government and could hardly be brought to become so vile and insolent but there is nothing but in time one may learn by exhortations and examples and it appeared by their actions how well they had profited in this Art for when the House of Lords would have reproved them the House of Commons were offended with the Lords and made this open profession to them That they should not discourage their friends and that they had need of their service And thus these Masters and the Factious people granted one another mutual liberty and they forgave the people their passed Insolencies on
content them without considering the salvation of their souls the safety of their persons make publick prayers in their Assemblies for the Covenanters Preach to the people that their War is lawful and holy and that after being questioned by the Magistrates of a contrary Religion constantly maintain that it is the cause of God whatsoever may happen to their Goods Lives and the profession of the Gospel But behold here that which is worse in the conclusion of the Oath of the Covenant which they sent with their Epistle to all the Neighbour Churches they invite them earnestly to take this Oath or the like And above all they invite those Churches who live under the power of a contrary Religion The Invitation is in form of a Prayer That it would please God to encline by their examples the other Churches that groan under the yoke of Antichrist's Tyranny to associate themselves with this Covenant or the like For to take then their Summons in their own sense that is to say That the Churches of France to please them would make a Covenant against their Soveraign expecting as a thing which they need not doubt that the English Covenanters would overcome their enemies in an instant and would be ready at the day appointed to succour their Confederates beyond the Seas with their victorious Armies before their King justly provoked should ruine them The Covenanters Declarations especially in the year 1642. flatter these poor Churches with this hope and through all their discourse clearly resolv'd to go forth and pull down Antichrist in all Countries and make a general conquest for Jesus Christ These are very like the Messages that John of Leyden sent to Munster to make all the Commons in Germany to rise and all the world if it were possible Not that the Leaders of the Covenant considering their strength and interest thought themselves capable of so vast a design but according to my opinion they had two ends in making this so open a profession The one to draw to their party the weak and passionate who in enterprises have regard to the lustre and promise of the design and not to the possibility of the execution Of such spirits the great Herd of the world is composed who in the great and publick Motions suffer their fancies to be bewitched with Poetical hopes incompatible with the nature of the affairs Such was the promise of another Declaration which lul'd the imaginations of the adherents That this War would bring them deliverance from all their sufferings and fears and be the beginning of a new world of joy and peace which God would create for their consolation For this new world of peace and joy which was but three skips and a stride off as they thought they found such besotted spirits who cast themselves headlong into a Gulph of evils without bottom or bounds The other apparent end was to gain credit to their party by the applause of Forreign Churches to fortifie themselves by the powerful association of the Low-Countries and to try whether the French of the Reformed Religion were so ill affectionate as to take up Arms against their King without ever caring what should come after when they were once engaged in a war wherein formerly they had ill success And these people were so void of charity and humanity that they were content to buy an unprofitable reputation to their party by the certain ruine of those they invite to alliance with them As he that cared not to cut down his Neighbours Oak were it but to make himself a pick-tooth For suppose that the French Churches should have suffered themselves to be gained by their perswasions In what condition were they in to succour them Could they have furnished Money Armes Men and Shipping Had they the means to put out the Fire when they had once kindled it All the Succours that these Gentlemen could give them would be to declare the Votes of the two Houses That the Armes of the Churches of France were Defensive and Just and those of their King Offensive and Unlawful Or have Declared his Majesty fallen from his Dignity and Crown of France as they declared those two Illustrious Princes Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice Sons of the late King of Bohemia excluded from Succession in the Palatinate which Vote shall take place when the Masters of the Covenant shall have Conquered the Palatinate by their Armes in spight of the Forces of France the Emperour and Spains and they become sole Arbiters of the Empire Before the Covenanters come to the end of this design a little too far off these brave Princes will have leasure to make their peace and many things may intervene which will induce their Judges to abate of their so great severity For to perswade these poor Churches to cast themselves headlong into ruine the Assembly at London in their Epistle labour to exasperate them by the remembrance of all that they had suffered and perswaded them that all Churches on this side as well as on the other side of the Seas were concluded to be ruined by the same Agents that after the Churches of England and Scotland should be devoured they would then fall upon their Neighbours and that it was not against the men but against the profession of the true Religion and against Godliness that their Enemies made War Whereby they would make the Neighbour Churches believe that King Charles confederated with the Pope to ruine the Reformed Religion and that after he had dispatched his own subjects he would do the like to his Neighbours of the same Religion There needs no great measure of the Gift of discerning Spirits to judge by what spirit these Grave Divines were led who take such pains to send their Brethren to the slaughter within and out of their Kingdome and to make the Doctrine of the Gospel a Trumpet of Sedition to arm subjects against their Princes and put all Christendome into a flame of bloody and unnatural wars And therefore they had reason to confess themselves thus to Forraign Churches they beseech them to excuse them that they had not writ sooner alledging according to the second Interpretation of their Friend That since they were assembled they found themselves so amazed with the Wine of Astonishment that God had given them to drink that they had wholly forgot their duty But in the Addition which they disperse amongst all the Churches they do not acknowledge themselves only Attonitos amazed but Ebrios drunken and both in the one and the other they had great reason Oh the force of Truth Oh the wonderful Providence and Justice of God to draw from these subtil and crafty souls their own condemnation How is it possible that so many choice and picked Divines whereof this Assembly was composed should be so blinded as to let pass from them so shameful a Confession in the name of all their Body and of all their Party to be divulged through all the Churches of
Europe And yet we are herein to praise God that in this their astonishment he hath given them a little interval that they came to their senses to make this acknowledgement They needed not to specifie to us in what they were forgetful of their Duty their comportments justifie their words that they had wholly forgotten it It appears also that they had forgot their duty to God their King their Countrey and to the Church from which they received their Ministry and to which they had sworn Obedience and towards them also to whom they write For if they had born any Brotherly affection they would not have been so forgetful as to write to them and in such a stile and by a publick Declaration They would have taken heed to render them odious and suspected without cause and to draw upon them persecution from which there could proceed no other fruit unlesse to make them Companions in their miseries for to render us Companions in their crimes we hope they shall never obtain But these Divines and their Masters who employ them shall find themselves deceived in their design to induce the Reformed Churches of France to shake off the yoke of their King under colour of shaking off the yoke of Antichrist The fidelity and peaceable conversation of these Churches doth take away even the shadow of such things from their Superiours whose justice is such that they will not condemn the Subjects of their King for the offences of strangers but will be more careful to protect the innocent then their ill neighbours are active to render them blame-worthy and unhappy The King and his Councel need not fear the French of the Reformed Religion will take the Oath of the Covenant to which they are invited with so much earnestness and craft For to speak of them in the terms of one of their beloved Pastors They take no Oaths to others but to their Soveraign Princes they cast not their eyes on a stranger they hold that it is not for a Subject to find occasion of disobedience in the Religion of his Prince making Religion a Match to give fire to Rebellion they are ready to expose their lives for the preservation of their King against whomsoever it be were it one of their own Religion whosoever should do otherwise should not defend Religion but serve his ambition and should draw a great scandal upon the truth of the Gospel This is the Doctrine wherein they are instructed this is the Profession in which all good Frenchmen of the Reformed Religion will live and die But if strangers whose heads run round with the wine of astonishment will force the Churches of France to drink of their Cup they will use the French freedome refuse to pledge them and behold their zeal to press them to do as they do with despite and compassion Let them not think it strange that they run not with them into the same excess of riot they do not offend them for whilst they have this strong wine in their heads they keep their sobriety and are filled beseeching God to shew mercy upon those who would seduce them Now as it is the custome of drunken persons who would draw others into the same excess with themselves and to drink according to their pleasure to make them believe that they have seen them themselves in that condition so the English Covenanters to defend their actions and augment their Party alledge very often to the French Churches their wars for Religion the remembrance whereof is very sad and to use this Argument to seduce them is no other thing then to counsel them to be miserable because they have been so and to go with their eyes shut and run the remains of their broken vessel against the rock where they were shipwrackt Moreover it s very unjust in them to impute to the whole body the actions of a party for in the late wars all the Churches on this side the River Loyre continued in their obedience and very neer the half of the other Churches The people were carefully preserved in their duties by their faithful Pastors This holy Doctrine which condemns the resisting of higher powers and commands to wait patiently deliverance from God and to suffer for righteousness sake was most pressed and urged in their Churches and whilst some of the Religion were in Arms during the minority of the King they preached at Paris Their strength was to sit still Isai 30.7 There fell lately into my hands an Epistle well penn'd which was sent to the State-Assembly of Rochel in the beginning of their sitting to encline them to peace and the obedience of his Majesty Behold here a passage of it I think it very profitable for you to be informed the truth what the opinions and dispositions of our Churches are by persons that have a particular knowledge of them You are now debating Gentlemen of the separation of your Assembly for to obey his Majesty or of its subsistence and to give order to your affairs I am bound to tell you that the general desire of our Churches is that it would please God to continue peace unto us under the obedience of his Majesty and that seeing the King is resolved to employ his Armies to make you obey they promise themselves so much of you that you will do what possibly you can to avoid this tempest and yield rather to necessity then enter into a war wherein the ruine of a great part of our Churches are certain and into a trouble wherein we may behold the entrance but cannot see the issue and that ye will take away the pretext from them who drive on the King to fall upon us Those that fear God desire that if we must be persecuted it should be in bearing the Cross of Christ and for the profession of the Gospel In brief I assure you that the greatest and best part of our people desire you to decline this unjust enterprise Here is not the Authority of a Single Person 't is the testimony of the greatest and best part of the Churches of France 't is a general Declaration of the Churches and of those amongst them who feared God that the duty of Christians persecuted is to bear the Crosse not Arms. It 's then very falsly and injuriously done that the example of the French Churches should be so often and importunately alledged by the Covenanters to justifie the Subjects resisting their Sovereign since that ever in the time of war the greatest and best part were against it A French Divine who loved both his Religion and King found himself so prick'd by this reproach made to the generality of his Party that he prayed us to insert here this expression of his judgement and of the soundest part of the Churches of France The war for Religion in this Kingdome is a wound yet fresh and ye can hardly touch it but ye will hurt it and make it smart and it s very sore against my will that I
us these scourges for our sins by this our impatience will be bridled by Humility Moreover le ts remember that it is not for us to remedy these evils and that all that we have to do is to beg help of God in whose hands the hearts of Kings and motions in Kingdoms are He said a little before That the Word of God bound us not only to be subject to Princes that are worthy of our duty but to all Princes whatsoever and howsoever they came to the Soveraignty and although they do nothing less then perform the duties of good Soveraigns In his Commentary upon Daniel Let us learn saith he by the example of the Prophet to beseech God for Tirants if it shall please him to subject us to their inordinate pleasure for what though they be unworthy of all Offices of Humanity yet neverthelesse because it is by the will of God that he commands it s our duty to bear the yoke patiently not only because of wrath as Saint Paul admonisheth but also for Conscience sake otherwise we are not only Rebels against them but against God This Lesson is of the same Authors Let this be ever in our memory that the same Divine Authority that gives Authority to Kings establisheth also the most wicked Kings Oh let never these seditious thoughts enter into our spirits that we should deal with the King as he deserves and that it is not reasonable to yield the duty of Subjects to him who will not perform the duty of King to us Which is notwithstanding the arguing of the Covenanters Peter Martyr an Italian but a Minister in those Churches our enemies invite to associate with them is not less contrary to them Expounding that place of the Proverbs By me Kings reign saith That under the name of Kings the Text understands also Tyrants Whence he collects this consequence Therefore learning hence that thy K. is established by God beware thou never conspirest any seditious thing in the State all that thou must do when thou art oppressed is to appeal to the Tribunal of God there being no other superiour power to whom a Tyrant ought to obey He saith also very pertinently worthy our best observation That then when God Would chastise the Kings of Judah for their sins he did not do it by the Jews but by the Babylonians Assyrians and Egyptians shewing by the conduct of his justice and providence that it is not for subjects to take knowledge of the faults of their soveraigns but that they ought to leave them wholly to God who hath other means in his hand to punish them and reduce them to their duty Surely if Calvin and Martyr had lived in these days and were benificed in England they would eject them out of their benefices for this troublesom doctrine which hinders the progress of the holy Covenant and fils their consciences full of scruples whom they instruct to rebel against their Soveraign for the Lords sake And above all Monsieur Deodatâ— would be very ill dealt with by them for being Author of that excellent Epistle sent from the Church of Genevah to the Ecclesiastical Assembly at London in which your good King is highly prais'd for the justice and clemency of his proceedings in this present quarrel the popular tumults condemned which forced him to retire from his Parliament and these Gentlemen earnestly entreated to dispossess their spirits of all factious inclinations and to wash off this foul spot by which they have and do defame the pure profession of the Gospel giving occasion for the world to believe that the reformed Religion hath a secret hatred and antipathy against the Majesty of Kings and soveraign authority against this Epistle our enemies vomited out many outragious words in their books maintaining that it was supposititious and invented by some prophane Atheist Behold here the thanks that this great and learned person and the reverend Ministers his brethren received for their charitable and truly Christian counsel And this is further to be observed that the Assembly at London having sent their Epistle and Oath of their Covenant to seventeen forraign Churches whereof the Churches of France made but one they make no noise of the Answers they received which doth evidently testifie they did not satisfie them and that they durst not produce them for fear of making it appear that the generality of the reformed Churches were ashamed of their actions and condemned the insurrections of Subjects against their Soveraign under pretence of reformation This Divinity of Rebellion being founded upon one only Maxime that the power of Kings is of humane and not divine right and that their right to the Kingdom is but a paction between them and the people It s much to purpose to produce here what the Churches of France hold hereupon and how they refuse the reasons of the Jesuits which are the same with the Covenanters Behold the last Chapter of the Buckler of Faith which is a garment so fit for the size of both parties that after the one hath made use of it the other may put it on they need change nothing but the persons Thomas the Prince of the School Divines saith that the power of Princes and Lords is but of humane institution and comes not from God to whom we may joyn Cardinal Bellarmine in his Book against Barkley and Monsieur Arnoux who upon the second Article of our confession cals the power of the Magistrate a humane law conformable to the Apothegme of reverend Father Binet the Jesuit who told Mr. Casaubon that it were better all Kings were killed than a confession should be revealed because the power of Kings is but an humane right but confession is of Divine right The Reasons they bring for this opinion are 1. That the first King that was raised in the world namely Nimrod was raised by violence and not by the ordinance of God 2. That the most part of the Empires and Kingdoms that ever have been came by conquest one Nation overcoming the other or by some Prince whose ambition moved him to pick an unjust quarrel with his Neighbour 3. That Emperors and Kings are established by humane ways whether they come to the Crown by hereditary succession or by election since there is no extraordinary revelation nor no rule in the Word of God that a Nation are bound to follow rather Succession which is hereditary than that which is by Election 4. That there is no express command of God to obey Henry rather than Lewis or to acknowledge this man rather than that for King 5. That for these considerations the Apostle St. Peter calls our obedience to Kings an Ordinance of man saying Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supream or unto Governours c. 1 Pet. 2.15 These are the ordinary reasons of the Covenanters if they should disavow them their Books would witness
against them for they are full of them But I would they could get them out of the Schools of the Jesuits and come and learn the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches which speak thus Wee on the contrary maintain that Obedience to Kings and Magistrates is of Divine right and founded upon an Ordinance of God for which purpose those passages serve which commands obedience to Kings and the higher Powers as to Persons whom God hath set up and whom we cannot resist without resisting God There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Rom. 13.1 2. Item We must be subject not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake V. 5 7. And Saint Peter in that place they object against us wills that we yield our selves Subjects to Kings for the Lords sake So that although Nebuchadnezzar was a wicked King and a Rod in the hand of God to destroy the Nations notwithstanding God speaks thus to him by his Prophet Daniel Thou O King art a King of Kings for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom power strength and glory Dan. 2.37 Moses the first Prince Lawgiver of Israel was established by an Ordinance of God and Joshua after him Num. 27.18 Saul the first King of Israel and David his Successor were anointed by Samuel and consecrated to be Kings according to the Ordinance of God 2 Kings 9. God sent to Jehu a Prophet for to anoint him King of Israel It s God that girdeth the loins of Kings with a girdle Job 12.18 God is he that governs or as our Translation read it God is the Judge he pulleth down one and setteth up another Psal 75.7 The Lord raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil that he may set him with Princes Psal 113.7 8. Certainly if the providence of God extends it self even to the feeding of Fowls and giving food to the young Ravens when they cry unto him Psal 147. Yea as to number the very hairs on your head so that not one of them falls without his Providence who believes that when God will establish or set up a man on the top of mankind and make him Head of Millions of people the counsel of God doth not intervene and that he leaves not all things to go at adventure and by chance The reasons they alledge against so evident and apparent a truth are lame and interfere 1. They say that Nimrod the first King in the World was raised by violence But that is false that before Nimrod there was no Soveraign Prince in the World Before Nimrod the Fathers and Heads of Families were Kings and Priests and Soveraign Princes of their Families For after the Flood men lived five or six hundred years So that it was easie for one man to behold five hundred yea a thousand persons of his Posterity over whom he exercised a paternal power and by consequence a Soveraignty for there was no other form of Royalty in the earth whose children servants being joyned together one Family could make a great Commonweal And even in the time of Abraham then when the life of man was shorter we read how Abraham was called by the Children of Heath a Prince of God Gen. 23.6 that is to say a mighty Prince and of his own Family he drew out three hundred and eighteen Souldiers to whom if we joyn the Maid-servants and those servants who were not fit to bear arms in war ye cannot but confess that although he had no children yet his own Family were capable to fill a good Town 2. They object to us also that the most part of the Empires and Kingdomes have had their beginning by Conquest and violence and therefore not by the Ordinance of God And that if the Conqueror had invaded the Country of another by the Ordinance of God the Inhabitants of the Country had offended God in opposing and resisting him Upon which I say that those Inhabitants in a Country whom a strange Prince will invade do well to oppose and resist him and if in this defensive war the Usurper is slain he is justly punished But if he become Master of them and if all the ancient Possessors of the Kingdome are extinguished and the States of the Country assembled contrive a new form of State and all the Officers throughout the Kingdome give to the new King an Oath of Fidelity then we must believe that God hath established such a Prince in the Kingdome then I say the people ought to submit to the Will of God who for the sins of Kings and People transfers Kingdomes and disposeth of the events of Battels according to his good pleasure 3. It matters not to say that Princes who enter Kingdomes by Hereditary Succession or by Election come in by wayes introduced by Custome and not by the Ordinance of God For the Question is not by what wayes or means a Prince comes to the Kingdome but whether if being once established by the Ordinance of God we are bound to obey him Our Adversaries indeed would have the Power of Parliament of Divine Right although the Members of Parliament enter by Election and oft-times by close and under-hand dealing and by some crafty Caballe Let them hold that the Parliament is by Divine Right it appears by their authentique Catechisme that they teach us this Doctrine Page 5. It 's a gross error to say that the King is the Supreme Power but that power appertains to the Soveraign Court of Parliament which not to obey is to resist the Ordinance of God But let us hearken to a better Author 4. That if there be no Command in the Word of God to obey Henry rather then Lewis c. It 's sufficient that there is a command for to obey the King and a command to keep our Oath and Fidelity we have sworn and by consequence to be faithful to the King to whom we have taken the Oath of Allegiance There is no more command of God found to injoyn us particularly to obey the Parliament that began November the third 1640 to which nevertheless our adversaries accounted themselves to be subject by Divine Right So that if this consideration should take place it would follow that none of them that are now in the world are obliged by Divine Right to fear God or to believe in Jesus Christ because the Scripture hath not particularly appointed Thibalt Antony or William that they should fear God and believe in Jesus Christ It sufficeth that the Word of God contains Rules which bind particulars without naming them S. Peter truly in the place before cited calls the obedience we owe to Kings a humane Ordinance and that either because Kings command many things which in their nature are not of Divine Right as their commands which forbid wearing of gold or silver or the like things on their apparrel or because they attain this
and orders of prayers the Apostles Creed and the ten Commandments There rests yet some Liturgies of the ancient Churches and Hymns used in the Publick Service as the eighteenth Canon of the Councel of Laodicea That the form or Liturgy of prayers Morning and Evening ought alwayes to be the same There hath not nor ever was there a Church who had not some forms of prayers but above all for the higher Powers but that being abolished in England by the Directors we need not wonder if many Ministers of the new Edition have long since forgot to make mention of the King in their prayers and those that pray for him do it in odious terms thrust on by a perverse and malignant zeal telling God a long story of the sins they impute unto their King as if they would poure all their choler into the Bosome of God If any amongst them should thus pray for his Father in the Pulpit Lord grant Repentance to my Father of all his extortions perjuries thefts murthers and adulteries they would account him a fool or exceedingly wicked but against their King all things were permitted Behold the fruits of abolishing the Divine Service and the liberty of the Prophetique Spirits of the times fomented by publick order CHAP. XV. Of Abolishing the Liturgy in doing whereof the Covenanters oppose the Reformed Churches AMongst their reasons for the Abolishing such good prayers in this time of Rebellion this none of the least because in the Liturgy there are divers clauses which â—each the people the Soveraignty of their Prince and the obedience they owe unto him There the King is called our most Gracious Soveraign This would give the Minister the Lie if after that he should call him a most cruel Tirant as it was their custom There they pray that it would please God to strengthen the King that he might overcome all his enemies which were to pray to God for the ruine of their holy Covenant there God is called the only Governour of Princes which would contradict the Doctrine and Practise of the times which gives other Governours to Princes besides God and subject the King to his Subjects There they pray to God that the Subjects of the King may duly consider whose Authority he hath namely Gods If his Subjects duly come to consider this they would lay down their Arms which they had taken up against him for fear of fighting against God and would reject the instruction taught them that the King holds his Authority of men There they pray that the Subjects of the King may faithfully serve honour and humbly obey him a prayer of a most dangerous consequence and would utterly spoil the affairs of the Covenanters if the Lord should hear them There they also pray the Lord would so bless the King that under him we may be godly and quietly governed but it is not under him but without him that they would govern us there being not according to their saying any means to live godly and quietly under his obedience In the same manner they pray for all those who are established in authority under him but according to the form of the State turned the bottom upward as the Presbyterians would have it they must now pray for all those established in authority over him 'T is also a most dangerous clause in that same Prayer which prays to God to punish all wickednesse and vice and to preserve true Religion and Piety For if this Prayer were once heard the Zealots of the State who draw their swords against the King and the Preachers of Rebellion would be constrained to make their Speeches to the people on the Gallowes and their hypocrisie would be unmasqued and they rendered the publick object of contempt and scorn and the Brownist and Anabaptist sent into the Islands of America Also the Prayer that God would give peace in our daies would be very unsuitable to the Intentions of the Covenanters who preach no other thing in substance then that Text ill applied Cursed is he that withholds his sword from shedding blood They have therefore voted it a point of prudence to lay aside the Liturgy out of their way which is so contrary to their politick intentions as for Conscience and the Government of the Church which is dislocated and dismembred by this Abolition of the Divine Service they will then consider of after these Gentlemen have served themselves of the general disorder to build themselves an Empire in the confusion It s most certain that in this change God is far worse served there are indeed some certain Ministers capable without the Divine Service to make prayers full of Edification and truly every Minister of the Gospel ought thus to be prepared but how many are there amongst them who for lack of being tied to certain prayers in publick abuse the patience of God and holiness of prayer If the Judicious Auditory at Charenton should but hear what tales and news these people tell God the insolent familiarity whereby they discourse and reason with him their Maledictions against their King their humorous mad and phantastical tricks which pass for sallies of zeal they would mark out lodgings for them in the petites Maisons with us here called Bedlam which might exempt them from the Chatelet but with us from New-gate Certainly as Liberty ought not to be a Cloak of maliciousness so it ought not to be a door open for folly The Libertine and capricious humour of the Climate in matter of the Service of God should have taught these Directors to have restrained this licentiousness rather than to have let loose the rains and the importunity of those that demanded this liberty should have the more induced them to refuse it But what those who accorded this most pernicious liberty were the same persons who only demanded it The prophane contempt wherewith they used this so holy Liturgy ought not to be imputed to the Insolency of the Souldiers but unto the Instructions which were given them The Parliaments Souldiers Catechisme published and recommended by special Authority teacheth them to tear it a peeces wheresoever they find it Pag. 22. Calling it a most Abominable Idol and a Nurse of Ignorance and blindness which foments an Idle Lazy and dissolute Ministry and that therefore they should reduce it to Ashes as Hezekiah did the Brasen Serpent as the occasion of much evil and an object of Idolatry But seeing in so great a change they oppose the general consent of their Church and that for one whom they please hereby they offend more than a hundred They labour to turn the eyes of the ignorant people towards the Churches beyond the Seas hoping as well they might that looking so far off they could not know what they did The Authors of the Directory affirm That by a long and sad experience they find that the English Liturgy is offensive to the Forreign Reformed Churches And they add a little after That it is to answer the
which a wild melancholy renders fearful superstitious suspitious and cruel and when all these ingredients meet together ignorance superstition presumption and wilfulness and a flitting and imperious humour all steeped in a black and hot melancholy they make the most malignant composition of the world pernicious to Church and State to families and all societies causing every where ruine and combustion like a Granado fired that makes all fly a pieces that is near it CHAP. XVII How the Covenanters labour in vain to sow dissention between the Churches of England and France upon the point of discipline Of the Christian prudence of the French Reformers and of the nature of discipline in general HItherto we have found no such conformity as might induce the Covenanters of England to invite the Reformed Churches to espouse their quarrel for they every where carefully administer the Lords Supper they take order that Infants be baptized they suffer none to be re-baptized they suppress heresies scandals the liberty of fanatique spirits they repeat to the people the ten Commandments of God the Articles of the Christian Faith they make use of certain forms of prayer in administring the Sacraments and other parts of the Divine Service They teach the people to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and not to resist Supreme Powers but to suffer for righteousness sake they are free from a capricious weakness in matters of indifferency which are peculiar to our enemies also these Churches approve of the English Liturgy and without scruple joyn with it in prayer when occasion serves what is there then which should oblige them to associate together The Reformed Churches say they have no Bishops but we demand of them whether all those Churches which have Bishops are not Reformed They incline doubtless to this opinion for in the title of their Epistle to the Reformed Churches they name but those of France the Low Countries and Switzerland they let the other pass under an c. If that be their opinion they have much forgot themselves in their Copies which they sent to particular States for they writ to the Churches of Hesse and those of Anhalt which are governed by Superintendents that is to say in our Language Bishops In all those Countries subject to the Crowns of Denmark and Sweden The Episcopal degree is kept so almost through all Germany this degree is preserved under the name of Superintendent and in some places as in Brene the name of Bishops remain although part of these Churches be Lutherans we will not refuse them the name of Reformed there wanting but a little charity in them to make both them and us to accord So likewise in the large Territories of Bohemia Polonia and Transylvania the Evangelical Churches are governed by Seniors as they call them who have Episcopal power They should not then boast of the consent of the Reformed Churches nor complain to them that the King would not admit a Reformation which pretends to abolish the Episcopal degree as an appurtenance of Antichrist which is in effect to condemn all Churches where there is any preheminence amongst the Clergy I forbear to speak of the Churches of Russia Grecia and India and of the rest of the world whose Doctrine is less known to us then the point of their Discipline which are all governed by Bishops But the Covenanters Magisterially prescribe their Discipline to all the World although they themselves have none vaunting themselves of a piety without pair and yet will not leave to other Churches any liberty Therefore their Declarations give all to understand that after they have planted it in England they will go and do as much beyond the Seas The Donatists shut up the Church within the confines of Africa which then was a small thing unfitly applying that Text of the Canticles Tell us where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon Cant. 1.7 but the French translation reâ—deth to rest towards the south At present the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is in danger to be confined within England whither other Nations must come and search it saying Tell us where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest towards the North. It 's easie to make the consent of the Churches named in the title of the Epistle to sound high because they have no Bishops but to prove their agreement with the Covenanters in this point they should do well to make these two things to appear the one that these Churches condemn the Episcopal Order as unlawful and Antichristian the other that these Churches do conform to the discipline of the Covenanters things which they will find false As for the first we see not that the other Churches quarrel at the Church of England hereupon but pray God to bless them in the order against this it matters not to alledge the thirtieth Article of the Churches of France confession of Faith We believe that all true Pastors in what place soever they be have the same authority and equal power under one head Jesus Christ and that for this cause no Church ought to pretend any dominion or Lordship over the other He that speaks for the General expounds this Article Ye must know saith he that the equality of Pastors in that which is of Authority to declare the Gospel and administer the Sacraments and for the use of the keyes is held necessary amongst all for Baptism the Lords Supper and the declaring of the remission of sins is of equal dignity in the mouth of Pastors whether they be of great or little Authority But as for Ecclesiastical policy we do not hold the equality of Pastors absolutely necessary we do not account this Order a point of faith nor a Doctrine of salvation we live God be thanked in brotherly concord with our neighbour-Churches which follow another form and where the Bishops have superiority In his disputations of Divinity in the University of Sedam this is one of his Theses We maintain that the Bishops of England after their conversion to the faith and their abjuration of Papistry were faithful servants of God and ought not to forsake neither the name nor title of Bishops Calvin himself spake as much before in his Epistle to Cardinal Sadâ—let speaking of the Church of Rome Let them saith he establish such an Hierarchy where the Bishops having the dignity refuse not to submit themselves to Christ and depend of him as their onely Head and refer themselves to him and let them maintain amongst them such a brotherly society which is not entertained but by the bond of truth Then if there be found any persons who refuse to respect such an Hierarchy with reverence and Soveraign obedience I acknowledge and confess him worthy of al sorts of Anathema's This passage serves for the Episcopal degree in general This other of Jacobus Lectius Professor at Geneva hath a singular regard to the Bishops of England He saith That those Bishops only were
seems superfluity in the eyes of envy and untill these hungry Harpies have caught that little which hath escaped the claws of Sacriledge they will never leave calling for the Reformation of the Clergy that is to say wholly to ruine them The devil who hates the Gospel labours to ruine iâ— by the poverty of those who preach it knowing well that the indigence of Ministers brings contempt upon the Ministry And that the Rewards being taken away the Study of Divinity will be neglected and then there will be none but the meanest of the people like to the Priests of Jeroboam Poverty abates the courage and clips the wings of conception and oft-times occasions evil designs and Councels in those whose means are too small for their Degree To do well in Pulpit and by Writing to build up indeed the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and to destroy the works of the devil they ought to have their spirits free and not oppressed through necessity Magnae mentis opus nec de Lodice paranda Attonitae They that require and would a man should do well and yet will not do well to him t is an unjust demand and many now in England pass the unjustice of Pharaoh requiring double the number of Bricks and yet give to them less straw If they alledge to us that Jesus Christ and his Apostles were poor we answer that so were their auditors and the condition of our Lord and his Disciples is a pattern as well for Layicks as the Clergy And if the Primitive Church of Hierusalem spoken of in the Acts ought to be proposed for an example of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Government of all Christendom the Clergy of England humbly beseech the Gentlemen our Reformers to imitate these pious souls who sold their possessions and brought the price and laid them down at the Apostles feet Let them sell their Lands and bring the mony to their Pastors to dispose of according to their discretion and the Ministers will part with their Tithes If we were now to speak to the Clergy of England we would exhort them to love their Office and their Benefice and now that God hath called them to the Cross and poverty to rejoyce in their conformity to Jesus Christ who made himself poor to enrich us expecting their reward in Heaven bearing patiently the spoyling of their goods accounting themselves rich enough if God be glorified and his Gospel purely Preached but these Exhortations have an evil grace in the mouth of them who come to plunder or Sequester them which is as if a thief in robbing a traveller should preach a Sermon to him of Christian patience and contempt of the world 't is the method of our enemies who driving their Ministers from their houses and Revenues read such Lectures of Divinity to them For the present some Ministers who have been the principall instruments of their party have means and honour and yet little enough considering the great service they have done them Peters their great and active agent had for a recompence given him but with great glory and ostentation two hundred pound 〈◊〉 Annum in Land But who so considers well the geniâ— of the Faction will judge that that little good they do now to their Ministers will not long continue It were a pleasant thing to consider if there were not greater cause of sorrow in it how of two Ambitions the simple serves the Ambition of the crafty for the Ministers who animated the people against their King are people impatient of subjection who would be every one of them Kings and Bishops in their Parishes and during these agitations they reign in the Pulpit a time bâ— they are set a work by those who manage the publique affairs who raise them up and flatter them to the people untill they have done their work with them for when these Gentlemen shal have done to destroy Church and State and built their Imaginary Throne of Jesus Christ upon the ruines of the Kingdom they will have so strict a hand of the Discipline that the power and the profit shall remain with them allowing their spiritual Fathers a portion purely spiritual and will discharge them of those cares which accompany the riches and honours of the world Before these Civil Warres the Bishops were profitable to all Ministers friends and enemies for those who submitted themselves freely to them enjoyeâ— their protection and those who opposed them were respected and secretly maintained by the adversaries of the Episcopal Order but now the Bishops are cut off there is neither protection nor opposition that can gain respect or support to the Clergy The stubborn and refractory Ministers have struck so violently at the root of that great tree which they have now made to fall after they had been a long time cover'd under the shadow of it but they may assure themselves that it will not be long before they themselves be crushed under the fall of it and draw upon themselves a just punishment They will then consider too late that they have been but Instruments to the covetousness and ambition of others and in the dissipation of the Goods of the Church they shall be dealt with as the Captain of Samaria to whom the King of Israel committed the keeping of the Gate where the Provision was to enter then when the people after a long Famine pressed to enter they shall behold the plenty but not taste of it but be trodden under foot CHAP. XX. Of the Corruptions of Religion objected to the English Clergy and the ways that the Covenanters took to Remedy them WEE will answer to the Objections against the King and his Party and will begin with the most ordinary Now they reproach us with corruption in Religion in such an accusation we must have regard to them that speak it it s those who turn the rising up of the people against their King into a Doctrine and Article of Faith it s those that have absented themselves from the Lords Supper for these many years those who summoned their King before them to give account of his actions those who have committed against his Sacred Person an execrable Paracide those who will employ the Body and Blood of our Lord to knit up a conspiracy against their King Those who neither teach the people in the Church nor their children at home the ten Commandments the Creed nor the Lords Prayer those who suffer and make use of all damnable Sects and punish none but those who â—each to suffer for righteousness and not to resist the Supream Powers to all these we might add many more hateful Truths but we will not without necessity publish the evil that may be hid for we love not to teach evil by representing it Whosoever shall consider their belief and practice will never wonder that such kind of People find something to say against our Religion God be praised that thus opposing us they make all the world to know that we are not guilty
of their evil opinions amongst men blame and praise take their force from him that gives them Those who accuse us of corruption in Religion should do well to tell us first amongst the scores of Religions that are what their Religion is for there are many Religions which are together with the Covenanters and live together as so many wilde beasts in the Ark who when they are gone out thence will devour one another or flee one from another but at present they all agree to tear us a pieces Now to these accusers of Corruption we present the thirty nine Articles of our Confession which they and we have sworn and subscribed and let their Consciences judge between them and us which of the two Parties have violated and falsified their Oath How have they observed the thirty sixt Article in which they acknowledged that the consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops used in England and confirmed by Act of Parliament contains nothing in it that is either Superstitious or Impious and yet now thunder out against this Order as a mark and branch of Antichrist Is this to want memory or conscience Can they upbraid us with any thing like unto this to have opposed in a Body and condemned an Article of our Confession The corruptions which they alledge against us are falsely so named or at the worst they are but faults of particulars But the Body of the Church hath kept and doth keep the Confession of their Faith inviolable If they produce any we would have brought in any new Doctrines or Customes who can produce others that have opposed them and that the Religion subsisted entire whilst they subsisted Let them not rob those Divines of their due praise who in the beginning of the Parliament laboured sincerely to confirm the Doctrine and to stifle the difference about Discipline We have before represented with what Wisdom Piety and Vigor many Bishops and Divines chosen by his Majesty had lead the two Parties to accord upon a certain number of Propositions which contained the Body of Religion and what great hope there was that the point of Discipline would be amiably composed and how a Faction enemies to the peace of the Church and jealous least any good should come by the means of the Bishops broke off that excellent accord which could never since be renewed persecuting the Prelates with all rigor never giving them rest until they had imprisoned them as Criminals although they were not guilty of any other crime then because they would have terminated the differences of Religion But this was to stifle the Covenant in the cradle and take away all pretext from this holy Rebellion It 's not then a wonder if this sin be not pardoned them it appears by the testimony of the Reverend Pastors of the Church of Geneva in what esteem our Religion was amongst our Neighbours for in their Epistle to the Assembly at London They beseech God that he would restore our Church and Kingdome to such a high degree of holiness and glory as it had shined in until that present By this they acquit us of the corruption which they impute to us and do obliquely accuse this Assembly and those that imploy them that by their means the Kingdom hath lost his glory and the Church her holiness Now put the case that the Corruption were as great amongst us as they make it yea put the case also that even in our Liturgie composed with so much piety and wisdome that there were something to mend as a Freckle in a fair Face and that the Discipline ought to be over-looked what could there be more expected of the King and the Clergy then to submit the Persons and things to be Reformed How often had the King offered to joyn his Authority to the Advice of Parliament and a National Synod to examine and punish the faulty and correct disorders yea and even the Laws themselves if there were need To these so reasonable commands behold here what obedience they yielded A part of the House of Commons having driven away the other by violence and popular tumults and put to flight nine parts of ten of the House of Lords besides the Bishops who represented the Body of the Clergy this small rest in lieu of a National Synod by lawful deputation of the Church chose some Ministers of their Faction for to make use of their Advice so far as it should please them These Ministers who had no Deputation nor Representation nor Authority from the Body of the English Church and having divers Lay persons joyned with them who wholly govern them mould a Religion all new defame the reputation of the Church and Confession to which they had sworn Obedience invite to their aid Forreign Churches as their brethren and ordain that which serves the intention of their Masters We know that amongst these Divines there were some men of Merit Persons which we know had it been in their power would have overcome evill with good but amongst pieces of gold there is many times a great deal of small money like unto our clipped half Testors they are the little heads without learning If the two Houses had assembled the body of the Clergy as was proposed to them by his Majesty they had found themselves filled with Orthodox Persons and they cannot complain if those persons whom they had most desire to received not the publike censure of the Clergy since they would not permit the Clergy to assemble themselves neither can they complain that any guilty hath gone unpunished for they have taken a sure course for by the universal ruine of the Deans and Chapiters they have involved the innocent with the guilty Hearken what the King said hereupon I was content to accord and render to the Presbyter that is to say to the Body of Pastors all the right which with reason and discretion they could pretend in their conjunction with the Episcopal degree but to suffer them wholly to invade the Ecclesiastical Power and to cut off altogether with the sword the Authority of this ancient Order for to invest themselves in it it was that which I accounted neither just in regard of the Bishops nor sure nor profitable in regard of the Presbyter himself neither any way convenient for the Church or State A right and good Reformation might have been easily produced by moderate Councils and I am perswaded such Councils would have given more contentment even to those very Divines who have been perswaded with much gravity and formality to serve the designs of others which without doubt many of them now acknowledge although they dare not make their discontent appear for finding themselves frustrated of their intentions I am very well assured that the true method to reform the Church cannot subsist with the perturbation of the Civil State and that Religion cannot justly be advanced in depressing Loyalty which is one of the principal ingredients and ornaments of true Religion for after the Precept
to fear God the next following is to honour the King I make no doubt but the Kingdome of Christ may be established without pulling down mine and in a time free from partialities its impossible any should pass for a good Christian who shews not himself a good Subject The Government of Christ serves to confirm mine and not to overthrow it for as I acknowledge I hold my power of him so I desire to exercise it for his glory and the good of his Church If any one had sincerely proposed the Government of Christ or understood in their heart what it required they would never have been so ill governed in their words and actions as well towards me as one towards another As the good ends cannot justifie the evil wayes so also the evil beginnings cannot produce good conclusions unless God by a miracle of mercy make Light to spring out of Darkness Order out of our Confusion and Peace from our unruly Passions This is spoken as a King as a Phylosopher and as a good Christian Our enemies to blind the eyes of their Neighbours made them believe a long time that they desired such a reformation as theirs but the hypocrisie of this profession appeared then when the King offered to assemble a National Synod and to invite the Neighbour Churches to it whom these people would seem to imitate And this the good King would never have named had he not an intention to defer much to their Judgement But of this his Majesty could never obtain an answer for it was that which the Independents feared above all and we see not that the Presbyterians did any way favour this proposition the actions both of the one and the other were such that it was the surest course for them to palliate them with Declarations sent a far off rather then to have them brought to light here at home in a Synod and they were very well content to receive their Neighbours to their Society but not to admit them to their Counsel They have hereby made it appear that it was not reformation but the revenues of the Church they pursued otherwise they would have imbraced the proposition of his Majesty and the request of the Clergy who desired nothing more then to be heard in a lawful Synod and to reform willingly that which was displeasing to some But this had untwisted the designs of their enemies who then should have had no pretext to ruine the Clergy and enrich themselves with their spoils and take from Monarchy the support of the Church if the Ecclesiasticks had been reformed Then let the rage and invective malice of our enemies greaten our faults in quality and number as much as they can let them make small spots imposthumes Let them paint us out in false colours and disfigure us like devils to the eyes of all the world All that the severest Justice can require of us is to amend and freely to submit our selves to the censure of a lawful Assembly and then when a great King who is subject to none but God shall come to them and offer to change that which hath been practised or tolerated and to lend his ear to receive better information O this was a grace capable to molifie hearts of stone and to turn the complaints of his subjects into acclamations of joy and praises But they will neither the grace of the King nor our amendment To these offers of the King so sincere and frequent they answered not but by complaints and blowes and they consulted not of means to correct us but to destroy us they will not take the pains to cleanse the Church they will cut it up by the root root and branch 'T is the Watch-word of the seditious whereby they pretend to know those that are of the godly party and they have also put an unnatural maxime in the mouth of the furious and blind people that the reformation must be made in blood This they call to renew or revive the Church but it 's as the Daughters of Pelias undertook to make their Father young again who to that end cut his throat to let his old blood pass out of his body but after it was not in their power to put in new God keep us from them who come to reform the Church their Mother with a Sword and that would cut our throats to make us young again Certainly beholding Chyrurgeons coming to let us blood with a Sword in both hands we have reason to withdraw into some safe quarter and to fear a healing which will not take away the evil but in taking away our life We dare say for our Clergy that if it should cost them their lives to redeem the peace of their King and State they would account them well imployed and willingly consent to be cast over-board with Jonas that their loss might appease the tempest This is of greatest anguish and affliction to see Murther pass for Piety then to suffer in their persons and they cheerfully wish that a potion of their blood could quench the heat of their bloody zeal This zeal appeared in the title of Sions Plea and in the book called Christ on his Throne The first pleads for the Presbyterian the other for the Independent Both of these books have this Text in the Frontispice Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should raign over them and slay them before me By enemies they understand those who will not imbrace their Discipline And their actions now have and do make a bloudy commentary upon the Text. That if our Lord Jesus Christ who poured forth his most precious bloud to spare ours put not a stop to this flux of bloud these Zealots will reform England as the Anabaptists reformed Munster and as the Spaniards converted the West-Indies Let all Christian Churches of the World then know that the English Church confesseth humbly before God her infirmities and acknowledgeth her self the defaults which peace and the length of time is wont to bring to the best established order and hath done her duty to reform submitting her self to a general Synod and the States of the Kingdome under the Authority and conduct of her good King and that a sacrilegious and murthering faction drunken with the bloud of their Soveraign and the goods of the Church Having oppressed the liberty of the Assembly of States snatched this holy work out of her hands and would hear of no other reformation but her total destruction introducing in the place of ancient and lawful order a Chaos of prophane and licentious Heresies destructive to Religion and State CHAP. XXI An Answer to the Objection That the King made War against the Parliament IT 'S the ordinary complaint of the Covenanters that the King made War against his Parliament a phrase which seems tacitly to imply that the King rebelled against his Superiours and indeed there are many that understood it so in good earnest conceiving the Parliament to be above the King And hereupon
suit or cause might come unto me and I would do him justice 2 Sam. 15.4 In publick grievances good Subjects are wont to cast the blame upon the Ministers of State and rest satisfied in seeing some of them punished accounting it their principal interest to preserve the honour of their Soveraign and good Princes when they are informed that the Ministers of State have abused their Authority to the damage of their Subjects which is theirs are wont to examine them and judge them according to the Laws And in this the King did as much as possible they could require of him having submitted the persons of those whom the Covenanters complained against to be judged and tried by lawful and ordinary waies But whilst they tread under foot the Royal Authority the Power of Parliament and the Majesty of the Laws and that they were in open war against him what reason had he to submit his Servants and Ministers to the judgment of his enemies Being certain that whilst the War continued they would aim most at them who served him best Then when the Parliament was whole and entire there passed a Vote worthy the gravity of that great Court That the King could do no wrong and that his Officers and not he were guilty of the evil which was done in the publick Government But since those who loved the King departed and withdrew themselves to him those which remained at Westminster followed a way quite contrary for they cast upon the King all the faults of his Servants and made use of them against him whom they ought should have punished for having ill served him Then when they took in hand to examine the Ministers of State in stead of punishing them which were guilty they received them into favour yea after their â—aults proved against them and turned all the discontent of the people upon the King What a great noise was there in the House of Commons against the forgers of Monopolies One would have thought that hardly any should have escaped with their lives but there happened altogether the contrary For because the Monopolists and other accused persons made a considerable number in Parliament they made use of their faults to make a strong faction against the King terrifying and making them understand there was no way left to preserve them from utter ruine but to joyn with the new party which was forming and hereupon they were promised impunity for what evils they had done on condition they should do greater Some of these were sent to the King to Newmarket in the behalf of their companions to whom his Majesty said these words capable to convert them or to make their Indiâ—emenâ— at the day of Judgment Gentlemen lay your hands upon your Consciences Who are they which invented those Taxes by which you have so provoked my people against me For whose advantage and profit were those Imposts â—â—â—ied Were my Revenues encreased by them It was you that induced and moved me 〈◊〉 them for your own particular profit and now you return me a worthy recompence Other Parliament men guilty of many crimes were kept in the Parliament in hope of impuâ—ity the holy Covenant 〈◊〉 a Garment which covered a multitude of sins even to the violating of a great Lady and abusing her by own of their Members almost in the sight of the Parliament Behold these the Reformers of Church and State Others which were not of the Parliament but under censure for having been Councellours or Instruments in the Imposts and Taxes of the people were released by them and employed for the same business as persons who well understood the Trade who pillaged then with a good Conscience for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Those whose infamous life was the shame of the Royal Court were the honour of the Court at Westminster and the Pillars of the Covenant Likewise the Judges accused of corruption and the Ministers of a scandalous life in taking the Covenant obtained a plenary indulgence of all their sins for after that there was no more to say to them for those who washed themselves in this water returned as white as if they had been washed with Ink or with the second Baptism the Anabaptists use at this day But now let us look upon the Armies Our enemies cry aloud that the King made use of those of the Church of Rome to serve him in his Wars Upon which an excellent Writer makes this gentle Question to them How many were in their Armies or how many they would have had For if the common report do not much wrong them they employed divers persons of that Religion there were persons of Honour and Quality who assured us that they Prisoners of the same Religion served the Covenanters We refer our selves to their own Consciences if they gave not a Commission to my Lord Aston to levy Forces The Relation in notable the King being at York this gallant man accounted the most experienced and best Commander of War of his time came to present his Service to his Majesty the King gave him thanks and withal told him he was resolved to employ none of his Religion in his Army Well saith he I will go then to those who will employ me and indeed went presently to Westminster where he was received with open Arms and a Commission given him written and signed which he carried to the King Ye cannot wonder then that the King made use of him and others of his Religion whom before he was resolv'd not to employ although he had to take away all shadow of occasion from his enemies who sought somthing whereat to quarrel with him made a Proclamation that none professing the Religion of the Church of Rome should come neer his Court. After this the Covenanters used all their power to make them draw to the Kings Party well considering their party being so small would bring more hatred than help to the King and for this effect they treated them with great inhumanity forcing them to forsake their Houses and Lands and run and hide themselves under the Kings Protection and this the King could not refuse them for as they owed him their Subjection the King owed them his Protection so long as they governed themselves according to the Laws and accomplished the Conditions whereby they were permitted by Act of Parliament to live in the Kingdom By this reason of Reciprocal duty the King protecting them as his Subjects they were bound to defend him as their King and ye shall not find in all the Statutes which concern them that they are exempted to serve the King in his Armies neither is it reasonable that they only should be free from the perils of war whilst thâ—ir fellow Subjects venture their lives and are shedding their bloud for the defence of their Country The Covenanters made it appear sufficiently to the world that they judged that Religion ought not to exclude any from bearing Arms in the publick danger for
Doctrines have healed the mortal wound of the beast and hardned the consciences of men against the Sword of the Gospel which rarely penetrates with efficacy when it s welded with wicked hands That which comforts us in beholding you to 〈…〉 to make faith cease from being in the earth is that hereby 〈◊〉 advance the desired coming of Jesus Christ who hath marked that time for his return when he will deliver his Church from the bondage of seduction vanity blindness and misery for to invest her with liberty holiness and glory which he hath purchased for her by his blood In waiting for this happy deliverance if we must still behold Rebellion proudly domineer over the Supreme Powers ordained by God and sacriledge make havock in the Church and crimes turned into Laws and Doctrines of Religion we shall preserve our selves by the grace of God from murmuring at his Justice and the conduct of his Providence remembring that God punisheth us justly by instruments which are unjust and that he will assuredly manifest his just judgements upon them when he shall see it most expedient for his glory which â—e is used to advance by wayes contrary in appearance and makes as in the Creation light to shine out of darkness we will endeavour to learn in our calamity this divine wisdome of Solomon Eccles 5.8 If thou sâ—est the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher thâ—n they Being persecuted by a people who in destroying us pretend they do God service and who palliate their cruelty with zeal of his glory we comfort our selves in this holy promise as made expresly for our condition Isa 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you â—ut for my name sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed O our God we beseech thee forgive our enemies confound their pernicious designs and convert their erring consciences repair the hedge broken down of thy vine whereby the Wildbâ—ar out of the woods break down the branches and root up the tender plants wherefore shall they say amongst the heathen where is now their God Soli Deo Gloria El poder malamante adquirido no suale ser duradera FINIS ☜ Fuller Ans p. 7. * Vindiciae contra Tirannos De jure Magistratus * Accentus Athuach Goodman of Obedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buchanan de Jure Reg. p. 56 57. Observator defended p. 8. Bellar. de Poâ—t l. 5. Cap. 7. It was declared by the two Houses that the Kings coming to the House of Commons was Treason Caligula parum abfuit quin Speciem Principatus in Regnum converteret capiti diadema circumponeret Melchior Golodast Tom. 3. p. 124. Fuller Ans p. 21. Buchanan de Jure Reg. p. 57. Fullers Answer Full. Ans p. 6. l. 12. In his Oration before the Three Estates Jan. 15. 160â— Observations upon the Answers of his Majesty Dec. Aug. 12. 1642. Bodin de Repub. lib. 1. cap. 8. Bodin de Repub. lâ—b 1. cap. 8. De Repub. lib. 2. cap. 5. 2 Hen. 5. Ola. magna charta Diar Hen. 4. 3 Edw. 3. 7 Edw. 1. Ut igitur in naturalibus Capite de truncato residuum non Corpus sed Truncum appellamus sic in politicis sine Capite Communitus nulla tenus corporatur Fortescue cap. 13. Judge of Controversie cap. 5 p. 103. Anno 1641. This Story is related in the Kings declaration of August 12 Anno 1642. Bel. de Con. l. 2. c. 19 Gilby lib. de obedientia p. 25. 105. Bellarm. l. 3. De Pontif. cap. 7. Goodman p. 144. and 149. Charron in his Christian Discourse about the end of his Book of Wisdom Emanuel Sa in voce Tyranaus Knox to Engl. and Scotl. 78. Papa Urban causa 23. Qu. 5. Can. Excommunicatorum Buchanan de jure Regni p. 70. Hyparaspishes l. 3. cap. 10. Jesuita vapulans cap. 13. Sions Plea page 240. Anticorum Amphithâ—atrum Honoris The Souldiers Catechism composed for the Parliaments Army by Robert Ram Minister published by Authority page 14 15. of the seventh Edition Vindiciae Philadel Usurpations des Papes c. 5. pag. 81. The Epistle of the venerable Assembly of English Divines and the Deputies of Scotland to the Reformed Churches of France the Low-Countries and Switzerland c. Mulus Mulum fricat Liceat interim apud Fratres quos salutat haec Epistola dilectissimos innocentiae nostrae testimonium in sacris eorum coetibus quandocunque opus fuerit Apologiam obtinere The Scots Declaration in the year 1644. The Scots now feel it Usurpation des papes Jesuita vapulans cap. 26. Art 2. An Answer for the Churches of France A rare pattern for a Conquerour Buckler of Faith Sect 182. Vindication of the Royal Commission of Jesus Christ Buckler of Faith Sect. 182. Institut l. 4. C. 20. Art 29. Art 25. Com. upon Dan. c. 4. v. 19. Instit l. 4. c. 20. Sâ—ct ult Pet. Martyr Clas 4. loc 20. En fundum fundamentum totius paracidialis doctrinae Potestas à populo Regi data est fiduciaria Section 183. Tho. 22. qu. 10. Art 10. DominiuÌ„ praelatio introducta sunt ex jure humano Qu. 12. Art 2. Dominium introductuÌ„ est de jure gentium quod est jus humanum Casabon in epist. ad frontenem ductum Jesuitam Hunc ordinem Regendi inturbavit Nimrodus qui novo Titulo principatum acquisivit scit Jure Bello Nimrod arripuit insuetam primus in populo Tyrannidem Regnavitque in Babylone Hier. in Trad. Hebraic ad Gen. 10. v. 10. Neque unquam libertas gratior extat quam sub Reg. Pio. Calvin Institut l. 2. c. 8. Rivet Explicatione Decalogi precep 4. Rivet about the end of his Exposition of the 4 Command Disput 1. Thes 3. Senatus-Consulius scelera paâ—rantur Charenton the name of the Protestant Church at Paris In the Preface to the Directory Epistola ad Protectorem Anglia Bucer Scripta Anglâ—eana p. 455. Beza ad quosdom Anglicarum Ecclestarum fratres Confessio Ecclesiarum Gallicarum inter opusâ—ula Calvin In his Epistle before alledged Tom. 2. Epist ad Januarium Sententia Quorundam Ecclesiae id Gallin pastorum eximiorum edita à D. Johanne Duraeo Londini An. 1638. Barrow Refut 224 The Book called Christ upon his Throne p. 23. By Mr. Francis Cheynall A woman at Dover cut off her childs head and alledged this Scripture The Quaker that fasted and died at Colchester Enoch ap Evan neer to Shrewsbury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suet. Tiber. Buckler of Faith Sect. 124. Jacobus Lectius praescriptionum Theologicarum lib. 2. March 1591. In his Treatise of Episcopacy The Serpent Salve 111. Serpent salve p. 219. Reply to Whitgift page 181. Cartwright 247. Bodin Method Histor de Repub. Geneva Sermon 1. of Duells to the Templers August lib. 21. Contra Faustum Cap. 75. Husbands in his book of Declarations p. 557. and 663. This was written during the â—itting of the long Parliament in Anno 1650. Note that this book in the French was printed in the year 1650.