Elections and that so many of those who were Elected do own the Hierarchy may be matter of Astonishment But Secondly No not of those if it be considered that in the late Election of Members to the Parliament respect was had to the Protestant Religion to which such sad things were designed by former Governours and since many of the Church of England as it is Denominat from its worst part not its Orthodox Faith but it Romish Government having Zealously appeared against Popery not a few of those were Chosen meerly upon that Account without any regard had to their Sentiments concerning Church Government And Secondly As to many of the Electors there might have been something of Policy in that Choise which altho' I do not Commend yet I cannot Conceal while they did consider how that the Prelats and Clergy had Strengthened the Hands of our Kings in Establishing an Arbitrary and Illegal Power by their Votes in Parliament and Preaching to the People the Unaccountableness of Kings for their Actings and that it was the Duty of Subjects to Obey their Commands not once Mentioning any Limitation and crying out against Defensive Arms as an Invention of the Devil for Involving all who durst own the same in the greatest Guilt of Treason and Damnation and thus hath put the late King in a Capacity to do all the mischief we Groaned under and feared thought fit to chuse such to destroy and demolish all those Pillars of Tyranny and Popery which their Party had Erected and thus might see what Teachers they had hearkened to and might be Convinced I will not say self-Condemned if they any more owned such Teachers and Guides and hence there may be yet some ground of hope that those Generous Gentlemen who have not yet appeared against the Hierarchy will in due time consider what Conscience Religion and their Honour calls for at their Hands But whatever hath been or may be their Carriage another Parliament may offer a better and more true Account of the Sense of the Nation Piscator ictus sapit Men will know whom they may and should Trust Object 3. Tush may the Prelats say we need not altho' we do fear having so many Acts of Parliaments Engagements Promises altho' none from the Scripture for our Security Answer But we hope the Acts of British Parliaments are not like the Laws of Medes and Persians which could not be altered altho' to the better and for the Emolument of Church and State we know who said we have a Law and by that Law Christ must die But Secondly What if many of those Laws and Promises were Founded upon a very Casual supposition and were no Engagements to Continue Prelacy in the Church but to Continue Benefices and Liberties with Prelates until their Office be found to be a Grievance and a great Obstruction of the Welfare and Happiness of Church and Kingdom 3. Thirdly But what do they Prattle what a Reproach is it to the King and Parliament to allege and yet not strange to find Prelats do so that it is not in their Power to Redress Greivances or to hearken to the sad Complaints of the Oppressed Reason Justice Conscience will say let Equity get a hearing before an Impartial Judge not Byassed by Constitutions Acts Deeds Custom Practices which can never say Lawyers prescribe against Piety Justice Truth or the Publick Good. Fourthly All Promises and Engagements Founded on a Legal Establishment if the Law be justly altered and Cancelled fall to the Ground with those Laws and no more oblige and whatever the Legal Provision be no Promise nor Engagement ought to be Vinculum iniquit atis nor can by any moved with the fear of God be alledged for obliging to do Evil or to obstruct the good and happiness of Church and Kingdom 4. Obj. But should there be no regard had of these Prelates who being sensible of the Evil of their way in complying with the late Kings in all their Methods for Establishing their Arbitrary Government and for Introducing of Popery at length Zealously appeared against Popery Ans 1. The Zeal of the Scottish Prelates against Popery appeared in their Address to the late King wherein they Proclaimed Him the Darling of Heaven and wished the Necks of his Enemies of the Prince of Orange and all his Army to be given to him and that he might find that success he had met with against Monmouth and Argyle But 2. As to the English Prelates as I abhor all Methods of Cruelty Severity Malice Revenge as being a reproach to the Gospel of Christ so I am far from desiring that any good Work should want a suitable Reward But 3. It may seem strange to hear any Sober Man boast of their Zeal against Popery Ah who since the Reformation from Popery have been the Patrons of Papists in Britain but Prelates by setting so many Weak Ignorant Debauched Scandalous Parsons and Curats over Congregations And thus disposing the People 1. to Atheism 2. to Popery and whatever Religion the Court would represent to them 3. By being a Tool in the Kings Hand for bearing down of those who stood in the Gap and were Zealous against all Popish Innovations 4. by Instilling in the People the Doctrine of Non-resistance and Absolute Obedience yea they came that length that one of them viz. Prelate H. in a Sermon told his Hearers That the Distinction between Active and Passive Obedience was founded upon Disloyalty and sounded an Alarm to Rebellion that if the Pope could lay as good a claim to Infallability as our King the World would hear of it And do not these Gentlemen well deserve to be accounted the Pillars of the Protestant Religion But Thirdly As to those few who did lately appear it would be considered upon what occasion they turned Sail. 1. Did any of them once mutter till their Hands were bound that they could no more Persecute the Innocent 2. Then their Indignation at the Liberty granted to Dissenters rather than their Zeal against Popery set them to work to which 3. add their selfish Zeal for their Carnal Interest when they perceived their Court to decline and that Popish Priests had the Kings Ear lay nearest his Heart and began to enter and posses their charges they supposed it to be high time to break off their Silence and Espouse the honest Plea of the Reformed Religion for securing their Places and Dignities and now to testify their Zeal for for the True Religion they must interpose for an Exemption from the Oath of Allegiance to a King Zealous for the Reformed Religion whom His Majesty must defend in all their pretended Rights though they will not acknowledge his Just Right and deserved Dignity But for Conclusion Those are times of great hopes and Expectation and our Grievances have made such a noise in Europe that all are waiting for such a Redress and Reformation as may Answer the Desires and Prayers of the Grieved and Oppressed But if this be all the Fruit that our Springs are again sent to Run in their former Muddy Channel and if as one lately complained Those who would destroy us be suffered to be our Instructors and our Common Enemies to Teach us our Politicks what will the World say of us And Ah! how may Rome Insult over us and Rejoyce If Hope defered maketh the Heart Sick Hope frustrated especially in such a promising Season must break the Heart But O what an Honour and Name of Renown will it be to such as God will make Instrumental in Reforming his Church and what Rich reward may they expect from their Master when all their Earthly Excellency will be laid in the Dust Now let us wait looking up to him who can put it in the Hearts of King and Rulers to do this thing which would be so wel-pleasing to God and so acceptable to his People FINIS
Capacity as formerly they said they were but the Church Commissioners for Sitting in Parliament to see that nothing there was concluded to the prejudice of the Church away with such unfaithful Trustees who neither regard a Commission from Church or State as not minding the good of either but would Cloak a Bastard Office with whatsoever pretence might best serve their turn but if his Majesty as our Kings formerly used to send a Commissioner to genera Assembles would be pleased to intrust and appoint some Noblemen or Worthy Gentlemen to be present at all Provincial and if it were thought needful Classical Meetings to see that Ministers kept themselves within their own Sphere and did not medle with Civil and State Affairs and for Maintaining a good understanding between Church and State the sweet effects and Fruits thereof might from Day to Day appear this course as it would prove to all intents and purposes more effectual for the Magistrates Security then Prelacy so it would be 1. An easie 2. A Cheap 3. A Safe and 4. A Lawful and 5. Laudable Expedient For 1. No difficulty appeareth in the thing 2. One Prelates Rent might Defray the Expence of all these Commissioners for who would refuse that Employment tho' they had but a small or no Allowance which would be rather an Honour then Onus And why should any Complain more then Elders formerly who had no Sallary notwithstanding their Attendance at Synods and Presbyteries and as Commissioners would not refuse to Attend these Meetings so faithful Ministers would heartily Welcome them being glad to have such Witnesses of their Integrity 3. Herein appeareth no hazard And 4. What can be Objected against such an overture which is not only so Plausible Seasonable and Rational But also 5. Complyeth with the constant Practice of the Church since the Magistrate became Christian except where Pope or Domineering Prelates have Exploded the Magistrates Inspection and Care of Ecclesiastical Matters and Persons and is no other then what was offered by the Waldenses to prevent the Calumnies of their Adversaries and was lately renewed by the French Protestants who in a Treatise with their King desired * Mr. Clerk from Mr. Mamard's Golden Apples pag. 90. that some one or other might be Deputed by him to be present at their Assemblies for preventing of State Jealousies and Vulgar Calumnies for which my Author Citeth John the 3.21 and much commendeth the Prudence and Candour of these Holy Men for making such a Proposal which to this Day hath place there and * De Polit. Eccles cap. 10. Banosius commends it as being no less expedient and profitable for the Church then desirable by the Magistrate and needful for Establishing a good Order Maintaining a good understanding and for preventing dangerous Jealousies and mistakes on either Hand If any Object the Eccentrical Motions of Church-men during the late Intestine War that doth not Quadrate with the present Case and doth not plead against but for this overture which then could have no place but since not a few Object the over-reachings and miscarriages of that time against the Government on which we find a Divine Impress such would consider that one Swallow makes not the Summer and for that one instance in Presbyters Mr. Pryn will furnish you with Hundreds in the Prelates to speak nothing of the great Prelate the Pope his Treading under Foot his Father the Emperour and making him not only hold his Stirrup but bow the Back and become a Foot-Stool for his Holiness while he Mounted up on his Horse 2. Who knows not that the Prelates then were the bane of Contention and whoever were Instruments they were the Cause and Occasion of these Tumults and being in the Chair did not could not prevent but their Place and Power brought on those Evils 3. Were not Parliaments and Civil Courts as deeply Involved in these as any Church Judicatory yet how Ridiculous were it from thence to Infer there should be no Parliament nor Civil Judicatories It is said his late Majesty Charles I. a gross Vulgar Errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which Seditions and Popular Principle and Practice all Wise Men abhor whatever may be said against Persons and Administrators who abuse their Power and Trust yet that maketh not against the Office and Ordinance whether Civil or Sacred if good and in it self Lawful but if the Abuses be as it were inseperable and the Office it self were Apocryphal both which as to Prelacy hold the Plea is Concludent I have Read of a Contingens raro plerumque vel ad utrumlibet but a Contingens semper seemeth to be a Repugnancy for what is semper must be necessarium per se and not contingent and by accident and that there the fault is in the Bone may easily be made appear for a Minister of the Gospel cannot have a Stomach to digest a Lordly Prelacy with its Concomitants till his temperature be so vitiate that it incline and dispose to all the fore-said Distempers 4. These things did appear while the differences continued between the King and his Subjects O but to see Presbyterian Government in exercise under his Majesty's Eye and Protection how good and pleasant were it How Beautiful then would Ordinances be How orderly Church Meetings How would Love and Concord abound when thus the occasion of Jealousies and Animosities were cut off Such as know any thing in History or what is now done in those places where the Prelates domineer know how the Mitre always doeth encroach on the Magistrate and Civil Powers which begetteth such distraction that often it breaketh forth into Tumults and Civil Wars But where is there such Order Beauty and Concord as in the Presbyterian Churches How exactly do they walk How tender are they of the Magistrates Authority not in the least encroaching on his Power and Priviledges Who can give but one Instance of any such Miscarriage in Presbyteries or Synods in France Holland and other Reformed Churches And wo's me that we only among the Nations who disown the great Prelate should be made to graon under the Hierarchical Yoke for though in some other Churches there be Super-Intendents yet they have no Civil Power Title or Place nay they have no Ecclesiastical Preheminence over their Brethren no power to censure them no Negative Voice in Judicatories c. yea and are nothing but meer Presidents in Synods and during the intervalls of these they in nothing differ from other Ministers So that the Government there may be called Presbyterian and in Swedland where they did sit in Parliament but otherwise differed not from other Superintendents Now as I am Informed they are cast off the State and are not permitted to Sit or Vote in any Civil Court Where ever the Prelate hath any Power or Civil Function that place will soon be made sensible of his unfitness and that he was not Created for such a work
What is alledged concerning the suitableness of Prelacy to Monarchy rather than any other form of Civil Government is a suitable plea for such a cause For 1. Who can imagine what that Service can be which the Prelate can do to a Kingdom and not to a Common-wealth or what the Prince could require of him which the States could not 2. How clearly is this confuted by the Experiences of all the Reformed Churches living under Monarchical or Princely Government And to speak nothing of the State of the Church of Scotland after the Reformation from Popery the Christian Religion was for many years setled before his Lordship got Footing here which was not till the fifth Century when Pope Celestine sent hither Palladius to create that New Order and with what difficulty that Church was brought to submit to the Prelate Historians show so that first and last his Lordship hath met with a cold welcome there and hpapy that Church bad been if it had never Couched under that Burthen 3. The pretended Similitude and suitableness which is alledged for the Foundation of that Institution is Ridiculous since our Prelats Confess their Government to be Aristocratical and not Monarchical Condemning in their Disputes with Rome the Pope his Aspiring to Monarchy and the Papal Government as Anti-christian because Monarchical so that if suitableness with the State must be the Foundation of Church Government Prelacy according to their own Hypothesis must suit better with Aristocracy then Monarchy and better with Holland then Britain But you may ask what Course shall be taken for Discovering what is the Right Government of the Church and for its Establishment Answer The saying is not more Common then True Artifici in sua arte Credendum a Man is to be Trusted in his own Art if Rulers were deliberating how an Army should be Ordered how a Fleet Provided a House Builded c. would they not consult expert Souldiers Marriners Masons c. And should not the Pious Judicious and most Unbyassed Pastors of the Church be Consulted concerning its Government And where was it ever settled and how can it be supposed that it can be done aright without their Advice Accordingly the English Parliament Anno 1643. when so many Grievances tho' not so many as now may be against the Prelates were Presented to them Wisely called an Assembly of the most Judicious Divines assisted with some sent from Scotland that ever met in that Church and thus a Beautiful Assembly Consisting of Persons of divers Perswasions of Presbyterians Prelatical Doctors Independents c. That all might be heard and the Truth the more clearly Discovered and the right Government Established upon the most solid Foundation yet so that as to the Number a Difference was made between the Grieved and those who had done the Injury and given the Offence but O if such a free and full Debate were now allowed and such a Meeting Called by King and Parliament this Proposal is so Rational that King Charles II. being Convinced how acceptable it would be to the then Church of England shortly after his Restauration Anno 1660. Reflecting on his First Missive to the English Parliament from Breda wherein he promised to Call with their Advice an Assembly of Divines for Settling of the Affairs of the Church Protesteth That the then Establishment of Prelacy should be no prejudice to that promise he being then as resolute to perform it as when he made it But that after that they had gotten some Tryal of Episcopacy as lately they had of Presbytery he would Call an Assembly of Divines who might without prejudice and by Experience Judge what Government was best and most convenient for the Church and now the Lord having set on the Throne that Illustrious Prince who did so Sympathize with Sufferers and was so Touched with our Grievances as to undertake an Expedition accompanied with so much hazard by Sea and Land and which required such great Preparations and vast Expence as may be matter of Astonishment to us and of Praise to God who stirred him up for such a Noble Work and followed his Pious and Magnanimous Enterprize with such admirable Success When I pray and by whom could we expect such a Redress of Grievances such a Reformation of Religion and Manners and such Order both in Church and State as while his Majesty now Sways the Scepter And by whom could we look for the Performance of the Solemn promise made by King Charles II. if not now by his Royal Nephew Set on the Throne Object 1. The Meeting-Houses are but few in Comparison of the Churches to which the Multitude as well as the Great Ones Resort and thus there may be more dificulty in getting the right Government of the Church Established then some apprehend Answer It is well known that the English stand so much upon the Formalities of Law and Order what ever those Laws be or the pretended Order that great and small pay such a deference to those as is scarce Credible in such a Judicious and Excellent People but once take away those Constitutions and let but an equal Liberty by Law be Allowed to Dissenters and Conformists and then it will appear who do Cordially own and will stand for Prelacy and who not But Secondly If once Presbyterian Government were Established by Law and Prelacy sent a Packing as Anno 1643. and if there were such a Nomination of Worthy Persons for Overseeing the setting up of Synods Presbyteries Classical and Congregational together with the Constitution and way of Election of Members to a National Synod as was * See the Form of Church Government to be used in the Church of England and Ireland agreed upon by the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament after Advice had with the Assembly of Divines Die Mart. 29. August 1648. Appointed by both Houses of Parliament Anno 1648. Then it would appear what Esteem the Conforming Clergy as such altho' otherwise there be not a few amongst those who for their Learning Piety and Zeal against Popery deserve to be had in Reverence would have in England and that the Church would not be troubled with their Meeting-Houses nor many concern themselves in providing a Maintenance for them Nay nay for when there was such Liberty for Petitions Remonstrances Complaints there was not so much as one Petion according to what I can learn offered in their behalf nor any Complaint made for Abolishing the Prelacy Service-Book and Rabble of Popish Ceremonies And then Secondly It would be considered what a disadvantage all this while the Presbyterians have been at because the Legal Stipends and Provision were settled on and secured to Conformists and that they were put to provide Meeting-Houses and Maintenance for Non-Conforming Ministers But Secondly Some may yet Object That the Sense of the Nation can hardly be known but by their Representatives in Parliament Answ 1. Thus not the Sense of the Nation but of those who had Vote in the