and cannot be compelled to give an accompt to any but to God Against thee against thee onely have I sinned That is to thee to thee only must I give accompt Though I have sinned against Vriah by my Act and against my people by my Example yet against Thee have I onely sinned You cannot deprive or limit them in what you never gave them God gave them their Power and who art thou that darest resist it By me Kings raigne But his Crowne was set up upon his Head by his Subjects upon such and such conditions Why was the penalty upon the faile not expressed then Coronation is but a humane Ceremony And was hee not Proclaimed before hee was crowned Proclaimed but what A King And did not you at the same instant by relative consequence proclaim your selves Subjects And shall Subjects condition with their King or will Kings bind themselves to their Subjects upon the forfeiture of their power after they have received their Regall Authority But the King hath by Writ given his power to his Parliament and therefore what they doe they doe by vertue of his Power The King by his Writ gives not away his power but communicates it By the vertue of which Writ they are called Ad tractandum consulendum de arduis Regni To treat and advise concerning the difficulties of the Kingdom Here is all the power the Writ gives them and where they exceed they usurp the Kings power being both against the Law of God and the constitutions of the Kingdom Well but in case of necessity when Religion and Liberty lies at the sâ—ake the Constitutions of the Kingdom for the preservation of the Kingdome may suffer a Dispensation Admit that But what necessity may dispence with the violation of the Law of God the deviation wherefrom is evill and Thou shalt doe no evill that good may come thereon But we take no Armes against the King but onely to bring Delinlinquents to condigne punishment And who are they even those that take up Arms for the Kings which an unrepealed statute 11. Hen. 7. acquites But admit Statutes may be broken and you seek to punish them Who gave you the power so to doe The Law And what Law denies the King power to pardon Delinquents God that hath put power into the hand of Majesty hath likewise planted Mercy in the heart of Soveraignty And will ye take away both his birth-right and his Blessing also Take heed you doe not slight that which one day may prove your Sanctuary But the King being a Mixt Monarch is bound to his own Lawes There be two sorts of Lawes Directive and Coercive As to the first he is only bound to make his accompt to God so to the second he is onely liable to the hand of God Who shall say unto him what doest thou But Kings now a dayes have not so absolute a power as the Kings mentioned in the Scripture Who limited it God or Man Man could not limit the Power he never gave If God shew me where till then this objection is frivolous But when Kings and their Assistants make an affensive and a destructive warre against their Parliaments may they not then take up defensive Armes It is no offensive War for a King to endeavour the Recovery of his surrepted right however are not the members of a Parliament Subjects to their Soveraign if not what are they If Subjects ought they not to be subject Gods people the Iewes that were to be destroyed by the Kings Command neither did nor durst make a defensive War against his abused power untill they first obtained the Kings Consent But admit it lawfull though neither granted nor warranted that subjects may upon such tearmes make a defensive war does it not quite crosse the nature of a defensive war to assaile pursue and dispossesse Whâ— you shot 5 peeces of Ordnance before one was returned at Edge-hill was that defensive When you besieged Redding which you after slighted was that defensive When ye affronted Basing-House was that defensive The warrantable weapons against an angry King are Exhortation Disswasion wise reproof by such are nearest to him Petition Prayer and Flight All other weapons will at last wound them that use them The Second Example was lest us out of the New Testament by Him that is the true president of holy obedience Our blessed Saviour whose Humility and sufferance was set before us as a Copy for all Generations to practice by The temporall Kingdom of the Jewes successively usurpt by those two heathen Princes Augustus and Tiberius two Contemporaries was his naturall Birth-right descended from his Tipe and Ancestour King David Had not he as great an Interst in that Crowne as wee have in this Common-wealth Was not Hee as tender eyed towards his owne naturall people as we to one another Was not the Truth as deare to Him who was the very Truth and the way to it as direct to Him that was the onely Way as to us Was not He the great Reformer Had the Sword been a necessary stickler in Reformation how hapned it that he mistook his weapon so Instead of a Trumpet hee lifted up his Voice Was Plots Policies Propositions Prophanations Plunderings Military Preparations his way to Reformation Were they not his own words He that taketh up the sword shall perish by the sword Nor was it want of strength that he reformed not in a Martiall way Could not hee command more then twelve legions of Angels Or had he pleased to use the Arme of flesh could not Hee that raised the dead raise a considerable Army Sure S. Iohn the Baptist would have ventured his head upon a fairer Quarrell and S. Peter drawn his sword to a bloodier end No question but S. Paul the twelve Apostles and Disciples would have proved as tough Colonels as your associated Essex Priests did Captaines and doubtlesse S. Peter who converted 3000. in one day would have raised a strong Army in six Our Blessed Saviour well knew that Caesar came not thither without divine permission In respect whereof He became obedient to the very shadow of a King and whom he actively resisted not he passively obeyed I but there was a necessity of his obedience and subjection to make him capable of a shamefull death No his obedience as well death was voluntary which makes you guilty of a shamefull argument But He was a single person We a representative body what is unexpedient in the one is lawfull in the other Worse and worse If our blessed Saviour be not Pepresentative Tell me whereof art thou a Member woe be that body politicke which endeavours not to be conformed according to the Head Mysticall He preacht Peace Your Martiall Ministers by what authority they best know proclaime Warre He Obedience They Sedition He Truth they Lyes He Order They Confusion He Blessednesse to the
in the name of the God of truth too almost impardonably damnable Now Cal. Tell me how you like your Christian stratageme No wonder if your Samuels were not heard T is well for you God Eares were closed against their prayers Had he not been deafe in Mercy and mercifull to admiration and admirable in patience they surely had been heard in Iudgement to the terrible example of such unparalleld Presumption How often have your solemne Petitions set dayes apart for the expedition of your Martiall attempts in a Pitcht field or for the raising of a Seige How often have your solemnities been shewed in plentifull thanksgivings for the blood of those thousands whose soules without infinite mercy you cannot but conceive in one day dropt into the flames of Hell What Bells What Bonefires What tryumphs And yet for the successe of your oft propounded and sometimes accepted Treaties of Peace what one blessed hower hath been sequestred What Church doore hath been opened Which makes me feare and not without just Cause your Fastings and Prayers have been rather to Contention then to Unity and that they have rather been attractive for Iudgements then for mercies upon this blood-bedabbled Kingdom D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 284. lin 1. As for such as will not take out this Lesson let their eyes their tongues their teares their sighs their coates their prayers be what they will be their Carriage savoureth not of Zeale for God which thus casteth dirt and Myre upon the face of his Vicegerent and tendeth to the taking away the life of his life in his subjects hearts in which all good Princes desire as much to live as to enjoy their Crownes And if it be not lawfull thus to smite at their Persons with the tongue onely shall that be thought Zeale for God which seekes their deposition from that Crown which once a just free and absolute Title of Inheritance hath set upon their heads Cal. Doctor you are very confident of your own learning and definitive Judgment to tye every mans Zeale to your Rules and it seemes you are more tender in flinging Dirt as you tearme it in your Soveraignes face then in preserving his soule from the flames of Hell Neither do I conceive it a thing so he ynous to take his Subjects hearts from him as to unite them in the superstitious Bonds of Popery And as for your deposing him from the Crown which you falsely call his absolute Inheritance if he break the Covenants whereby the Crown is set upon his head he dissolves his own Authority and our Obedience and himself is become his own deposer Repl. Cal. It is not the Doctor that prescribes Rules to anothers Zeale but the holy Scriptures from whence he drawes his infallable principles and Conclusions And whereas you censure him for more prizing the cleannesse of his soveraignes face then the wel-fare of his soul your malice wrongs him in your hop-frog confutation wherein you make a wilfull preterition of that poynt whereof you censure his neglect in the wrong place And whereas you turne Deposition upon the default of Princes know kingdoms are neither Copyholds nor Leases subject either to forfeiture or Reentry Kings have from God their power of reigning from Man the Ceremony of Coronation To God they must give account not man on whose pleasure their Titles absolutely depend D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 288. line 4. In fine David thought him viz. that slew Saul worthy of no Reward but death and of this so worthy that instantly he gave order for his execution with this sharp sentence uttered Thy Blood be upon thine own head for thine own mouth hath testified against thee saying I have slaine the Lords Annoynted A memorable example and an Argument unanswerable against all King-killers and deposers of absolute Princes absolutely annoynted by just title as here with us Cal. Here revereud Doctor Your Simile limps First David was a Prophet and knowing the Crown so neare his head spared that life which he knew so neare a Period not willing to dabble his Conscience in such needlesse blood Secondly being confident himself was the next successor commanded present Execution to terrify his new Subjects from the like presumption Thirdly Though you deny it our Kings bold not their Crownes by such an absolute Title as those of Judah and Jerusalem Repl. Is the Doctors Simile lame Cal. Sure 't was your ill usage made it so But say was David a Prophet Had he speciall Revelations then doubtlesse his wayes and actions were the best presidents for us to follow But was he a Prophet Then sure he knew it a heynous sin to take away the life of Gods Vicegerent though an Idolater Had he speciall Revelations then questionlesse he knew death a just Reward for killing the Lords Annoynted though a wicked King But did this Prophets heart smite him for cutting off his Soveraignes skirt then sure God will not let him go unsmitten that takes his Crown from off his head or power from his hand But Cal. how truth will be confest by your unwilling lips which intimate the Prophets conscience had been dabbled in blood had the deed been done and his subjects guilty of presumption that should do the like And whereas you deny our Kings so absolute a power or title as the Kings of former times you should have done to better purpose to shew who limited it and when for your own single assertion is not Classicall D. Burges cap. 7. page 290. line 2. Authority is ever one of Envies eye-sores Subjection a yoake that Humane Nature loathes Although Inferiours cannot help it nor durst complaine Liberty Liberty is every mans desire though most mens ruine Cal. When Authoritie is put into a Right hand Subjection is no Burthen to a good heart But when Tyrannie usurps the Throne of Monarchie then the people may suspend Obedience and cast off the yoke of their Subjection We that are received into the liberty of the sons of God and made heires of an everlasting kingdome have too much priviledge to be enslav'd to men or made vassals to perpetual bondage If desire of holy Liberty be our labour here eternall Soveraignty shall be our Reward hereafter Repl. He that gives Authority knowes not where to place it The people were pleased with goodly Saul God was pleased to choose little David Tell me did the burthen-threatning hand of Rehoboam the son of Solomon the King of Israel and Judah or Ieroboam the rebellious subject of Rehoboam who made Israel to sin deserve the Scepter By your marks neither In Gods wisdome both The one to crush the liberty of the too proud subject The other to exercise the consciences of his chosen people In both to work his secret pleasure But Guild-hall hath wiser counsel and your Conventicling wives are fitter Judges for the setting up or pulling downe of Kings for regulating the power of the good or limiting the prerogatives of the bad But 't were fitting first to correct S. Pauls
Testament strongly confirmed by a Precept and an Example out of the New setled my opinion and established my Resolution The first Precept out of the Old Ieremy 27. v. 6. Where it pleased God to own Nebuchadnezzar his servant although a knowne Pagan a profest Idolater and a fierce Persecutor of all Gods children concerning whom he saith 8. They that serve not the King of Babylon and that will not put their necks under his Yoake I will punish them with the Sword Famine and the Pestilence till I have consumed them verse 9. Therefore hearken not to your Diviners and Prophets that say unto you You shall not serve the King of Babylon for they prophecie a lye unto you v. 10. But the nations that shall serve the King of Babylon and bring their necks under his Yoake those will I let remaine in their own land saith the Lord and they shall till it and dwell therein Can there be a stricter Precept or could there be a more impious Prince And yet this Precept and yet this Prince must be obeyed nay sub poena too Upon the paine of Gods high wrath fully exprest in Famine Sword and Pestilence not only upon the people but upon the Priests also that shall perswade them unto disobedience The second Precept is enjoyned us out of the New Testament Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers for 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 and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation This Power this King to whom S. Paul commandeth this subjection was Nero the bloudy persecuter of all that honoured the blessed Name of Iesus Christ. Gods Command should bee a sufficient Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is enough But when he addes a Reason too he answers all Objections But when he threatens a punishment no lesse then damnation upon the resistance thereof he hath used all meanes to perswade a necessity of obedience Let every soule be subject Not equall much lesse superiour And what is taking up of Armes but an implyed supposition of at least equality What are the hopes of Conquest but an ambition of Superiority What is condemning judging or deposing but Supremacie For it is against the nature of an Inferiour to condemne judge or depose a Superiour And lest the Rebellious should confine his obedience to a good Prince the next words reply For there is no power but of God Power in it selfe is neither good nor evill but as it is in subjecto the person If an evill King an evill Power If a good King a good Power God sends the one in mercy and we must be subject the other in judgement and we must be subject In things lawfull actively in things unlawfull passively If a good King he must have our praise and our plyance If an evill King he must have our Prayers and our Patience He that resists the Power whether good or evill for all power is of God resists an Ordinance of God Ordinances of men are not resisted without ruine and whosoever resisteth shall receive but what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damnation to themselves Now compare this place with that 1 Cor. 11. 29. Hee that shall eate this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damnation to himselfe If then there be proportion betwixt the Sin and the Punishment you may hereby gather the heynousnesse of disobedience the punishment whereof is the very same with his that is guilty of the Body and Blood of our Lord to the oâ—e for not discerning the Lords Body to the other for not discerning the Lords Annointed The Lords Annointed And who is he None but the Regenerate Christ is not Christ to any to whom Jesus is not Iesus Gods word answers your silly Objection not I Was not Saul Gods Annointed Was not Cyrus Gods Annointed and many more whom God acknowledges so and yet wicked Kings Cyrus is mine Annointed Yet he hath not knowne me The first Example for our Obedience the Old Testament proposes to our imitation Dan. 3. 16. Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babilon sets up a golden Image Shadrech Meshach and Abednego were commanded to fall down and worship it The King a known Pagan commands a grosse Idolatry Did these men conspire Or being Rulers of the Province of Babel did they invite the Jewes into a Rebellion Did these to strengthen their own Faction blast their Soveraigns Name with Tyrannie and Paganisme Did they endeavour by Scandals and impious Aspersions to render him odious to his people Did they encourage their Provinces to take up Armes for the defence of their Liberties or Religion Did they seize upon or stop his Revenues or annihilate his Power Did they estrange themselves from his Presence Murther his Messengers Or would they have sleighted his gracious Offers No being called by their Prince they came and being commanded to give actuall obedience to his unlawfull Commands observe the modesty of their first answer We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter and being urged mark their pious resolution in the second Be it knowne O King we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image thou hast set up The King threatens the Fornace They yeeld their Bodies to the Fornace and say God whom we serve will deliver us out of thy hands and not Hee will deliver Thee into our hands They expect deliverance rather in their passive Obedience then in their actuall Resistance But they were few in number and their Forces not considerable Admit that which all Histories deny Was not God as able to subdue Him with so few as to deliver them from so many Had their weaknesse lesse Reason for the Cause of Gods apparent dishonour to expect a miraculous assistance in those dayes of frequent Miracles then we after so long a cessation of Miracles Gods glory will not be vindicated by unlawfull meanes or unwarrantable proceedings I but we take up Armes not against the King but against his evill Counsellors Adherents ye meane A rare distinction And tell me whose power hath his Adherents The Kings By which appeares ye take up Armes against the Kings Power He that resisteth the power it is not said the Prince shall receive damnation Againe Where the word of a King is there is power God joyned the King and his Power and who dare separate them They that take up Armes against the Parliaments power you say take up Armes against the Parliament Doe not they then that take up Armes against the Kings power by the same Reason take up Arms against the King Now look back upon your intricate distinction and blush But if the King betray the Trust reposed in him by his Subjects they may suspend their obedience and resist him Kings are Gods Vicegerents
it We reade in the Scriptures of Elders which are members of a Presbyterie as it is written Titus 1. 5. For this cause I left thee in Creete that thou shouldest set in order things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appointed thee Also 2 Pet. 5. 1. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder By which it appears that Titus had instructions to set up a Presbyterie You take the Scriptures by snatches Had you read in Titus the next verse following but one you would have had Saint Pauls meaning with his words viz. ver 7. For a Bishop must be blamelesse as the steward of God not selfe-willed c. So that it plainly appeares that Elders mentioned in the 5. verse are expounded Bishops in the 7. Or had you compared Saint Peters first verse before mentioned with his fift in the same Chapter you would have found Elders no positive but a relative word no Office but a degree of Age. Ver. 5. Likewise the younger submitting themselves to the elder the Apostle here shewing what the behaviour of the Elder Ministers should be towards God and of the younger towards them So that if either of them had set up a Presbyterie it was suddenly pulled downe againe and Episcopacie which you so much dislike placed in the roome We are so far from disliking Bishops that where there is one we desire there were twenty nay that every Church in England and Ireland had a severall Bishop Diocesan Bishops we dislike Parochiall we allow How suddenly to crosse a setled and warranted establishment your windmill fancies can make an alteration Titus c. 1. 5. had a coÌ„mand from S. Paul to ordain Elders in every City which he interprets Bishops not in every Church or Parish which Ordinance the Church of England hath punctually observed from the Primitive times to this day But you have refractory and gaine-saying spirits spirits of contradiction that understand not the Scriptures but by your owne Interpretations alwayes stirring but never setled hating order despising Government and resisting all Authority But this Episcopall Government had her originall from Rome and being poysoned in the Root it cannot be wholsome in the Branch Ignorance is the mother of all Error Your Chronologie failes you If you carefully search Antiquities you will find your Objection against it a good Argument for it I confesse Episcopacie had her originall parâ—ly from Rome but in those dayes when we conformed according to the Church of Rome the Church of Rome conformed according to the Word of God Rome was then part of the Primitive Church not being above 187. yeares after Christ The Bishops of Rome were then so far from being Antichrists that most of them were Martyrs and dyed for Christ. But our Bishops have too great Revenues whereby they are occasioned to Riot pomp and glory Those Princely Benefactors whose bountifull Pieties thought nothing too much for Gods Ambassadours and therefore enlarged their Revenues so much well knew their places and callings requir'd it whose gates were to be open to all commers and bread to be given to all that wanted Their Places owe reliefe to the fatherlesse comfort to the widow supplies to the needy and succour to all that are afflicted and hospitality to all strangers No their great Revenues are greater Eye-sores then Inconveniences if not abused But these great Revenues might have been decimated and the Tenth part might have sufficiently maintained a preaching Ministry and the nine other parts might have been added to the Kings Revenues which would have made him the richest and most glorious King in Christendome and taken away the necessity of Subsidies from the Subject This is robbing Peter to pay Paul beggering the Keyes to inrich the Sword and the next way to bring a curse upon the King and all his people in generall by a generall guilt of Sacriledge The Shewbread must not be eaten but upon more necessity then God be thanked His Majesty was at that time put to The holy Oyle must not be put unto a Civil use But His Majesties pious and resolute refusall â—stereof hath in one word fully and fairely answered this Objection But Bishops have too absolute a power which gives them occasion and opportunity to be tyrannicall and to exercise an arbitrary Jurisdiction over their Brethren From the beginning I confesse it was not so neither stands it with wisdome or policy to suffer it to be so For the Government of the Church must have proportion with the Government of the State Government of severall natures in one Nation breeds confusion and that ruine We therefore being a mixt Monarchy necessarily require a mixture likewise in the Hierarchy which excledes all arbitrary power It is true absolute Monarchy and an unlimited Hierarchy are apt to fall into the distemper of Tyrannie and Democracie and a parity in Government is as apt to run into the disease of Tumult but of the two evils Tyrannie is the least by how much it is the easier to be cured A monster with one head is sooner overcome then a Hidra with many If our Hierarchy hath slipt into this irregularity it is great wisdome and reason for a Parliament to rectifie it But the King having the sole election of Bishops and so much favouring them will hardly consent to the abridgement of their power and greatnesse so that being his Creatures their power wil be upheld by him to the end that upon any difference betwixt him and his people they may be the more able to uphold him and ready to make a strong party for him so that the more their power is weakned the lesse his party will be prevalent whereby his Prerogative may want Advocates and the Liberty of the Subject no enemies His Majesty by his yeelding to the Bill of taking away their Votes in Parliament hath given a sufficient Earnest of a further Moderation of their power and no question was and will be ready to hearken to this or such like humble and reasonable Petitions for the extirpating this jelousie viz. That when any Bishop dyes or is translated he would give liberty to the whole Clergie and Freeholders of those Diocesses to choose nominate present foure learned and religious Divines most unblameable in liâ—e and doctrine able for government and diligent in preaching Of which foure His Majesty to prick one which maybe consecrated Bishop of the Dioces By which meanes both His Majesty and His People having an interest in him he will be equally engaged who in cases of difference may become rather a Mediator then Partaker and receiving just power from the King may execute it as uprightly amongst his people But they are Lords and lord it over Gods Inheritance Whereas 1 Pet. 5. 3. forbids it Be not Lords over Gods inheritance and Christ Luk. 22. 25. sayes The Kings of the earth exercise Lordship but
it shall not be so with you Our Bishops were Lords as they were Peeres of the Land and as Peeres they had Votes in Parliament which being taken away they are no more now then what the dignity of their Calling and their owne Merits make them As for that place in S. Peter thus it is meant Ye shall not be Lords over Gods inheritance that is Tyrants Lords and Rulers being at that time none but Heathens and Persecutors whose tyrannie made the very name of Lord terrible and odious So that in that place by Lordship is certainly meant Tyrannie Neither can this imply a Parity in our Church for without a Superiority and Inferiority there can be no Government A Parity cannot be considered in order of Government but onely in the work of the Ministry In this all are fellow labourers In the other some command and some obey S. Paul and Timothy had an especiall command and charge over other Ministers As for that place in S. Luke which you alledge The Disciples striving who should be the greatest among them our blessed Saviours answer was to this effect Let Kings exercise power and authority over their vassals as indeed their tyrannie made them little better but it shall be otherwise with you You are all fellow-servants to me that am your chiefe Lord and Bishop of your soules whilst I am here all superiority lyes extinct Christ was then the onely Governour and the Root of Government was in him But at his departure he gave some to be Apostles some to be Pastors c. and yet all those degrees were equall in respect of the work He himselfe said Ye call me Lord and so I am and yet Luk. 22. 27. I am among you as he that serveth whereby it manifestly appeares he intended a parity of the workers in respect of the worke not a parity in the government in respect of the workers Bishops whose office is to promote Religion and to advance the Gospel as is pretended and to encourage Prenching as the ordinary meanes conducing thereunto are so far from so doing that instead thereof they silence godly Ministers and put downe weekly Lectures which were set up at the proper charges and the piety of the people and to the great establishment of true Religion Here lyes a Mysterie being the most crafty advantage the devil ever took of popular piety Admit the piety of the honest hearted People was the first motive to these weekly Lectures how was that piety abused by those weekly Lecturers They were chosen by the people their maintenance consisting most of Gratuities came from the people which ebbed or flowed according as their Lunatick doctrines wrought upon the people Those Lecturers whose whole subsistance thus proceeded from the people must for their owne better livelyhoods please the people And what more pleasing to the people then the preaching of Liberty and how should Liberty be enlarged if not peeced with Prerogative Then down goes Authority and up goes Priviledge Downe goes the Booke and up goes the Spirit Downe goes Learning and up goes Revelation who gaining credit in the weak opinions of the vulgar grew the Seminaries of all Ignorance and the nursing fathers of all Rebellion These are those godly Lecturers that Bishops put downe who never lost themselves so much as in not setting up better and more orthodox in their roomes which had taken away the ground of this Objection Our Bishops being proud idle covetous and Popishly affected are therefore fit to be extirpated Admit some be so must therefore such among them as are humble diligent charitable and enemies to Popery perish Shall they that are bad have more power to pull downe a setled Government then they that be good to keep it up Did Moses the man of God extirpate the Government of Priesthood because Aaron had a hand in the peoples Idolatry Or will you undertake that the Elders in a Presbyteriall Government shall be all faultlesse Let the guilty receive their respective punishments and let others take their office But the innocent to suffer with the guilty is a point of high injustice But admit this Government by Bishops had nothing to plead for it neither prescription nor continuance without Intermission nor the Authority of Parliaments in all Ages yet considering it is now a Government in Being it seemes not consonant to Reason or policy to extirpate it or take it away before an other Government be pitcht upon To pull downe one maine Pillar before another be made to supply the place and to support the roome is the next way to pull the Roofe upon our heads Hath not Episcopacie been long voted downe And is not the Assembly at this time divided and in controversie nay puzzled what Government to set up in the roome of it By which means occasion is administred to all disorder Liberty lyes open to all Schismes Sects and Heresies and Sectaries grow bold to vent their giddy headed opinions without controlment confirming themselves in their owne Errors infecting others with their new fangled and itching doctrines the nature whereof is like a Tetter to run till it over-run the whole Body Have not our eyes beheld all this which if these unsetled times should long continue as God forbid would gather such head and strengthen this our confused Kingdome that if her issue of blood were stopt in one place it would break forth in another and like Hercules his Monster if one head were struck off another would arise to the utter confusion of the true Protestant Religion which already begins to be the least part of this tottering Kingdoms profession and rather conniv'd at then exerciz'd by some Are not complaints preferd against Brownists and Separatists unheard Nay are not men afraid to complain against them for feare of punishment Have not protest Anabaptists challenged our Ministers to dispute with them in their owne open Churches Have not their disputations been permitted nay unadvisedly undertaken by some of our Ministers who themselves are thought little better wherein they have made many Proselites and left many of the vulgar who judge the victory to the most words indifferent Have they not after their disputations retired into their Innes and private lodgings accompanyed with many of their Auditors and all joyned together in their extemporary prayers for a blessing upon their late Exercise How often hath Bow-river which they lately have baptiz'd New Iordan been witnesse to their prophanations How many daily make their private meetings and assemble in the City of London to exercise their Ministery How many have been convicted of Blasphemy and yet unpunisht How many times have their witnesses been taken against some of our most learned and religious Ministers for which some are plundered some sequestred and some imprisoned How many of our Ministers whose severity proceeded formerly against Fornicators Adulterers Drunkards Swearers and such like are now undone upon their revengefull witnesses and testimony appearing now for
the better colouring of their malice well affected to the Cause All which in time will so encourage all Sects Factions Hypocrites and make Heresie so bold strong in this Kingdome that the true Protestant Religion will be under the detestable name of Popery even turned out of doores for company or at least so little favoured that it will be forced to shrowd it selfe in corners as those Sectaries did before these troubles were I but when things are setled and Iustice done upon the Popish Faction these Sectaries with their Sects will vanish like the Mist before the mid day sun and a true reformed Religion will be establisht to us and our Posterity You seeme by this Objection but a young State Physitian and a meere novice in the curing of a disease of this nature In some cases where the undisturbed humors keep their bounds distempers are quickly evaporated and being scatterd through the whole body every part breathes out some and Nature being able to truckle with the disease by her owne power relieves her selfe and in a short time rectifies the Body But upon a continuall confluence and gathering head of lawlesse humors she is so weakned that she hath no power to resist and lesse heart to struggle with her enemy but is forced to yeeld But the time you prefixe for the subduing of these numerous Sects is first when all things are setled secondly when the Land is cleared of Papists 1. For the first It is all one as if you had said When the body is in good health you will easily find a cure A rare Physitian In the meane while you will connive at this continued confluence of humors which makes it at length incureable 2. As for the second Take heed while ye goe about to cure a Fever you run not the Body Politick into a Dropsie with too much Phlebotomie But you will first cleare the Kingdome of Papists And who be they In your Accompt all such as stand for Episcopall Government a Government coetaneous with this our almost out-dated Religion All such as approve of the Book of Common Prayer a Forme establisht by many Acts of Protestant Parliaments All such as are passively obedient and loyall to his Majestie a duty commanded by Gods own mouth Of the Clergie all such as will not preach for blood although Ministers of the Gospel of Peace All such as will not take the Covenant to suppresse Bishops although they have formerly sworn canonicall obedience to their Ordinary All such as wil not encourage Subjects to resist the power of their naturall Prince although having taken the Oath of Allegeance and the late Protestation And to conclude all that have not contributed willingly bountifully and continually to this Warre and in a word that have any considerable Estates to pick a hole in If all Sects and Sectaries be not supprest till then we are like to have a comfortable Reformation But in case you onely meane such Papists as owne and acknowledge the doctrine of the Church of Rome Tell me what course would you take with theâ— Either you must banish them or disinherit them or take away their lives 1. If banish them It must be done either with the Kings consent or against it If against it you resist the power and he that resisteth shall receive damnation Rom. 13. If with it you make the King guilty of perjury who hath sworne to protect all his Subjects in his Coronation Oath 2. If disinherit them It must be done either according to the known Lawes of the Kingdome or against them According to the Lawes ye cannot for there is no Law for it If against them you transgresse what you pretend to maintaine in all your Declarations 3. If take away their lives It must be done either for a Cause or without a Cause If for a Cause shew it that the world may be satisfied If without a Cause you are guilty of murther Which course soever ye take you have not Christ for your example who quietly suffered the two Caesars being Idolaters not onely to possesse that Kingdome but to usurp it because God permitted them and permissively placed them there When the Disciples askt our blessed Saviour Didst not thou sow good wheat Whence commeth it that there be tares His answer was The evil one hath done it His pleasure being demanded whether they should weed them up his Reply was No Let them alone untill the harvest and then he would separate them A good deed may be ill done when either against command or without warrant Though God hath permitted the evill one to plant Papists among us yet he hath not authorized us to root them up nor yet to take the lives of any untill their actions come within the danger and compasse of the establisht Lawes of the Land We have presidents for the rooting out of Idolaters in the Scriptures which warrant us to doe the like You finde it no where but in the time of the Law at which time God immediately commanded it which kind of Warrants are now ceased Again In the time of the Law some were accompted Strangers And strangers had not the priviledges that brethren have Vsury was lawfull to be taken of strangers not of brethren Now in the times of the Gospel Christ hath made us all Brethren and called us by his own name Christians and what was lawfull then to be done to strangers is unwarrantable now to be done to Christians We are brethren Then Protestantisme and Popery may be consistent in one Kingdom and Gods name may be harmelesly prophaned with Idolaetry and superstition in the same place where it is truly and sincerely worshipt Your inference is not good It is one thing for a Prince to protect his subjects and an other to be partaker with them or to allow of their superstitions Kings cannot enforce Consciences though pitcht upon a false Religion All that Magistrates can do against them unlesse for Seducing which a particular Statute made Treason is to punish their purses for not observing his Statutes respectively or for exercising their Religion contrary to his Lawes But well it were if such a necessity of Connivance had no such subject to work upon How happy had it been for this unlucky kingdom if his Majesties most prudent and pious offer two yeare since propounded to us had been accepted in this particular That all the Children of his subjects of that Religion should be taken from them and educated in the Religion of the Church of England By which means the whole Kingdom in a short space of time would have been peaceably reduced to an Vnity in Doctrine And if the same course were taken with othe Srectaryes an Vniformity in Discipline also But our Kingdom must not expect an universall and through Reformation in all particulars till Catechismes be more strictly used and the entercourse of Embassadours which cannot simply be avoyded and Legers be restrained and strict statutes made
maligned so maliciously calumniated that I have thought good to cast away some Inke upon him not in vindication of the Doctor whose Conscience enlightned by the Scriptures needs no Champion but to rectifie the abused vulgar who by the help of such Pneumaticall Fantasticks have turnd their leaden apprehensions into Quick-silverd Zeale which hath swallowed up and devoured their duty to their betters their faire demeanour to their equalls and their charity to all Relations This unwo thy Pamphleter in the Progresse of his more unworthy work against this worthy Member uses that method which Bâ—elzebâ—b the prince of Flyes prescribes him who like a Fly buzzes through his whole Larder blowing here there but leaâ—ing such fruitfull corruption that in short time his whole store nay if possible the very Bread of life moulded by the hand of heaven which hee hath set apart in his margent would grow unsavoury He begins at the Dedication Epistle repeating the Doctors words then poysoning them with his owne Calumnies whereunto if â—ur Patience equall Readers will admit me by the name of a Replyer you shall have all woven together in one Loome Wherein I purpose not to load your eares with those his frivolous preambles and impertinences which would swell this Pamphlet beyond your Patience but suddenly to rush into the List. D. Burges Dedication Title To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Earle of PEMBROKE c. Calumniator Popery and Superstition at the first dash Dedication is a meer Pâ—pish Ceremony begun by the Antichristian Hierarchy derived from deo and dicatio which is a vowing to God It was first used when Steeplehouses or Meeting-places were built which Papists call Churches dedicating them to God or to those they honoured as much Saints whereof some of them are now roring in hell under which pretence they juggled holyness into them more then into Barnes or Stables Now this Book the Doctor dedicates to the Earle of Pembroke whereby he secretly acknowledges him either a God or a Saint If a God he blasphemes If a Saint he lyes for he was a Courtier and preferd the King before the Elect whereas Saints imitate God and should be no Respecters of persons in whose eyes Kings and Subjects are alike Replyer When Ignorance hath shot forth her shady leaves how quickly Impiety budds and then how suddenly Rebellion blossoms Ignorance first taught thee a false Eâ—imologie of a word then Impiety suggests a slight estimation of a Church and then Rebellion insinuates a disreputation of a King Now one lash more at schoole would have helpt all this by curing that Ignorance and letting you know that Dedication is derived from De here taken perfective and dicatio which is an offering or a presentation which two words joyned carry the sense of a full or totall presentation of this Book to whom he presented it Now Cal. where 's the Blasphemie or where 's the Lye â—â—t them even both returne to the base mouth from whence they came And that one lash more which might have cured thy Ignorance in time might save Gregory some labour and thee some paines in an undedicated Meeting-place D. Burges in the Epistle Dedicatory It viz. this Treatise speaks of Fire But such as was made to warme and not to burne any thing unlesse stubble Cal. I knew what temper your fire your zeale had luke-warme Master Doctor apt to receive warmth or flame according to the times Rep. It is the devils custome to leave out halfe the Text Let mee supply your defect Cal. To warme solid hearts Not to burne any thing but such stubble as you and then the sentence is perfect D. Burges Here is no ground for an Utopian spirit to mould a new Common-wealth no warrant for Sedition to touch the Lords Anointed so much as with her tongue No occasion administred to Ishmael to scoffe at Isaac no Salamanders lodge themselves here Cal. An Utopian spirit is a word of your owne coyning whereof I confesse my ingenious ignorance But I perceive this opinion which you pin upon Pembrok's sleeve admits rather of an old Popish Government then of the moulding of a New by an holy Reformation It makes such an Idol of your King whom you falsly tear me the Lords Anointed that it brands that hand with the aspersion of Sedition and that tongue with the guilt of Impiety that touches him whereas Kings are but men and wicked Kings but Beasts in Gods eye and the righteous have Gods power and may touch them nay and scourge them too But I feare your Zeal burnes now onely to light your Doctorship to a Deanery What you meane by Salamanders I know not Repl. You professe Ignorance Cal. in the beginning and ending of your learned speech and discover Treason in the whole Body The first Ignorance you pâ—ofessâ— is of an Vtopian spirit wherein I thus informe you It is a fanaticall spirit even your owne spirit by which you pray Nonsense by the houre preach Treason by the halfe day and ejaculate blasphemies every minute Your last ignorance is of the Salamanders wherein I thus instruct you They are the fierie spirits that dwell within your flaming bosomes by which ye murther under the pretence of piety rob by way of Religion and fling dirt in the face of Majesty by colour of zeale No wonder Cal. those spirits are unknowne to you when ye know not of what spirit ye are As for the body of your speech we leave it to the judgement of Authoritis D. Burges But here 's a flame that will lick up all angry wasps and inflamed tongues that presumptuously and without feare speak evill of dignities and of things they understand not railing on all not so free as themselves to foame at the mouth and to cast their froth on all that are neare without difference Cal. This your Flame courtly Master Doctor lights us to understand that your saintly Patrone had then some remarkable Living in his Gift or power to make you one of the Kings Chaplains in ordinary strengthned with the hopes whereof you thus magnifie dignities that is Kingship Lordship and Bishopship And I am verily perswaded if Amalâ—ck or Esau whom God cursed were in being your liâ—sy woolsy Zeale would endeavour to vindicate them from that Curse Or if Caiphas the High Priest were placed in office here you have a Pensill to paynt his Wall white enough for Paul to curse Repl. Cal. I feare you are one of those angry wasps the Doctor 's Zeal licks up and his Pen now above 19 yeares old discoverd your nest being a faction now in power and prophesied of above 1500 yeares since whose malepert sawcy and slovenly Tenets were well known to him to be the Ivie of the true Orthodox and Primitive Religion whose ambitious and fiery spirits hating all Government both in Church and State casting their foame and froth in the face of Majesty and Hierarchie without respect of honour or place his conscience enlightned and instructed by the holy Scriptures hated
obeyed but once being violated their Covenants are broken and they are no longer Kings The safety of the people is the supreme Law and people were not made for the good of Kings but Kings for the good of People Repl. How this Doctors loyalty good Cal. offends you If he would temporize as you do abuse and slander Scripture for his own liberty as you do fly in the face of Majesty as you do indeavour to introduce a new Government in Church and State as you do Blaspheme God and the King as you do he were then a holy a well-affected man a Saint or any thing that 's good But now his Conscience is directed by the Scriptures his Judgement enlightned by the Scriptures his words warranted by the Scriptures especially in a Case of such Consequence Away with him He is a disaffected person a Malignant and what not that 's Bad But concerning Kings Know They represent Gods Person whether good or bad If good they represent him in his Mercy If bad in his Iudgments Christ hath a Rod of Iron as well as a Golden Scepter a Nebuchadnezzer as well as a Iosiah a Nero as well as a Constantine We must stoope to both He that submits not to the power of a bad King Kicks against Gods Judgments But he that resists snatches Gods Rod out of his hand and refusing Correction falls into DAMNATION We must submit to the Higher Powers Rom. 13. 1. And who are they Whether it be to the King â— Supreme or unto Governours that are sent by HIM 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. From whence necessarily this followes That Power which he warrants not we have no Warrant to obey and Those Ordinances his power signes not we have no Commission to observe As for your slighting and deposing Kings the Current of the Scriptures runs strong against you and all the examples of Gods children through the whole book of God bend another Course They know no deposing of Kings but by death no determination of Passive obedience but by fire But whether our Translation of the Scriptures be the same with former Ages or whether some strange light hath darted inspirations into these our later dayes which the Apostle denominated perillous I leave to the learned Synod who I hope will at length consult us into a Religion which shall need no future Alteration or that Alteration no further effusion of Christian blood D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 272. line 19. God made a Law to all Not to revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of the people which Law prohibiteth not onely Imprecations and seditious Raylings which is a hellish impiety though it be but in word onely be the Prince never so impious but even all rude bitter and unseemly speeches although in secret to himself alone much more in publique or in other places behinde his back Cal. What paynes the Man takes to pick out Texts to countenance his Idolatry-royall True Kings are called Gods But what followes They shall dye like men Concerning which dying not a word because it is so opposite to a Living which is the onely Butt he aymes at But marke the Doctrine his Court-ship raises from his well chosen Text Though Princes be never so impious yet to reprove them roundly which in his language is seditious rayling rude bitter and unseemely speeches is a hellish impiety and in his King-clawing Iudgment must neither be done in publique nor yet in private How ready are such Officers to light Princes to the Devill Repl. Cal. If he light Kings to the Devil by his poynt of Doctrine you take a speedy course to send his subjects after him by your use of exhortation But mark your own words you first intimate that he makes him a God then conclude He lights him to the Devil You that can so suddenly make Contraries meet reconcile the King and his two Houses The issue then of all is this You say He makes the King a God by flattering Idolatry and I say you make his subjects Devils by your flat Rebellion Calvin whom you confide in tels you That Princes though most wicked in their Government yet in respect of the dignity of their places their name and Credit must be spared But see a greater then Calvin Elihu the moderatour betwixt Iob and his miserable Comforters Iob 34. 18. saith Is it fit then to say to a King Thou art wicked and to Princes yee are ungodly Behold a greater then Elihu Solomon whom yee blasphemously lesse Credit then either for his partiality being a King sayes Eccles. 8. 4. Where the word of a King is there is power and who shall say unto him What dost thou D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 274. line 19. God hath engraven so large and fayre a Character of His Imperial Image in their foreheads viz. of Princes as must be sacred in the hearts of all and binde not their hands onely but tongues also to the good behaviour and that for ever Nor is this carriage onely due to good princes but universally to all Cal. Sacred a little further nay then make him Almighty too and even fall down and worship Make him your graven Image your Dagon and hoyst him up for a God but be sure the Ark â—e away Nay though an Idolator an Infidell sacred too Make him your Bell and Dragon but you do well to binde his subjects hands to their good behaviour for feare some Daniel be among them Repl. How now Cal. Is your fornace so hot you forget that he is Gods Vicegerent you make so bold with Remember there be birds of the Ayre and things with wings Had you lived in Nebuchadnezzers dayes you would have sav'd him much Fuell and his Officers some labour Questionlesse your fornace had consumed the three passively obedient Children and been too hot for the fourth to walke in D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 277. line 17. Invectives though but against an equall or infeferiour are ever odious but against a Prince intolerable Cal. If Invectives be so intolerable let Princes be so wise as not to give occasion and deserve them Repl. If all should have according to their deservings I feare Cal. the Psalme of Mercy would scarce advantage thee D. Burges cap. 7. pag. 278. line 6. An indefinite Reproofe of sin in publique is enough If this serve not to reforme a Prince forbeare More will make him worse Cal. Kings are past Children to be whipt on others backs The Scripture will shew you some Prophets that feared not to rouze the very persons of Kings by name and rattle them soundly and before their people too But Doctor you have either no Commission or are afraid to execute it You flee to Tharshish when you should go to Nineveh You whisper softly lest they should chance to heare yee and give your Royal Patients no Phisick but Cordials for feare it work and make their queazy stomacks sick Repl. The actions of Prophets which had immediate Warrants from heaven are no presidents for later times