blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your minde and that ye put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Now if these and such like places of Scripture will not worke upon prophane worldlings and excite them to repentance and amendment of life I mean such riotous persons as have beene lately posted in our Streets being styled the Sucklington Faction or Sucklings Roating boyes I leave them to that dreadful doom pronounced by the Preacher Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heartche are thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement Eccles 11. Because sentence against an evill works is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill Though a sinner â—o evill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God There is a vanity which is done upon the earth that there be just men to whom it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked againe there be wicked men to whom is happeneth according to the work of the righteous I said that this also is vanity Eccles 8. But yet for the comfort of the godly which suffer for the Name of Christ and for righteousnesse sake we read in the 2 Pet. 2. When the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed being made an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly that God delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished But chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse and despise Government Presumptuous are they self-willed they are not affraid to speak evill of dignities whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord. I am perswaded that if godly understanding Preachers were sent abroad into the severall parts and corners of his Majesties Realms to tell the people of their sinnes and if good laws were put in execution for the punishing of offenders wickednesse and prophanesse would not be so much in fashion as it is I have often wondered that albeit the Parliaments of England which like learned and wise Physicians have alwayes been very diligent to provide choise Antidotes against the distempers of the Common-wealth by making good Laws and Statutes yet they never truly tooke into consideration and seriously weighed the miserable and deplored state of the Church so as to apply apt remedies for the redresse of those grievances before mentioned Surely I am even ashamed to thinke what horrible contempt and disgrace is cast upon the meaner sort of the Clergy those Reverend Pastors that have the charge of our souls and whose Callings are sacred How vilely are they accounted of in the Countrey by ignorant scoffing irreligious vaine persons who can afford them no better titles then these viz. poore journey-men schollers ragged priests sillyratts and the like But I am so far from casting the least blemish or aspersion of infamy upon the noble Professors of the liberall Arts and Sciences and especially I am so far from dishonouring of the Tribe of Levi the lot of Gods own inheritance that the Elders which rule well I account worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine For the labourer is worthy of his reward 1 Tim. 5.17 18. I could wish that the large possessions and the superabundant extravegant revenues of Bishops Deanes and Chapters or at least that part of them were bestowed towards the erecting of Churches and Chappels of ease in the severall parts and places of our Kingdomes where they are wanting And towards the maintaining of learned and godly Preachers for the better growth and increase of Religion And I could wish that those lay Parsons that hold Impropriations that the Lords and Tenants of Abbey Lands who pay no tythes and that That Ignavum pecui the Fraternity of sluggish Drones in our Universities I mean those Masters and Fellows of Colledges who mis-imploy their wealth which their Founders endowed them with all for the advancement of Learning and Religion And they themselves are no better than Sots whose filthy and ungodly lives I compare and paralell with the wickedness of the Monks and Epicures of old And I hold them fitter subjects to serve such a Master as that beast and monster of men Heliogabolus was than to lead such Frier-like and Monastick lives as they do making a vain profession of piety and learning under the most religious Christian Prince in Europe To say no more These men are guilty of one very soule fault which I will not mention for shame But they may guesse at my meaning in these old Verses as I finde them in Chaucer in the Monks Prologue which each of them may apply to himself as the case stands with him in particular And it is thus Thou wouldst be a trede foule a right Hadst thou as great leave as thou hast might To perform all thy lust in ingendrure Thou hadst begotten many a creature In truth I could wish that all those above-mentioned especially and that every one of us besides according to our severall abilities c. would contribute cheerfully and freely to this pious work of providing things honest for our spirituall Pastors and give them due honour and necessary allowance who do labour in the word doctrine And last of all I could wish that the honourable Court of Parliament by the direction of almighty God would consult about the promoting establishing and maintaining a faithful learned painful preaching Ministry
is the head the life and health of the Common-wealth and from the head this spirit and vivacity of health is transmitted and conveyed into the several parts and members of the body And againe we say that the King can doe no wrong Rex enim verè dici potuit vbique transferre perpetuò secum portare Scaccarium Justitiae in scrinio pectoris sui Atque veram intelligentiam perfectamque legis notitiam in animo suo semper habere For the King may truely be said every where to transfer and alwayes to carry about with him the Exchequer or Treasury of Iustice in the casket of his breast And ever to have the true understanding perfect Theorie or knowledge of the Law in his minde And the Kings Prerogative we know is bounded with the Rules of Gods Word and impaled within the limits of the Laws of the Realme For it is the honour and wisedom of a Prince to judge his people with righteous judgement and order his steps actions and whole course of life by the justice and equity of law and conscience For this is an old and true rule Neminem oportet esse sapientiorem legibus No man out of his Own private reason ought to be wiser than the Law which is the perfection of reason And albeit the King be as it hath been said the Fountain of Justice Yet this spring head may either be overgrown and shadowed by the weeds of naturall corruption and inbred infirmities always aspiring and advancing themselves against the perfect law of liberty erected in the heart by the holy Spirit Rom. 7.23 James 1.25 or it may be stopped by the rubbish of cares and troubles or at least the water of this Fountain may run thick somtimes by mixture of the gravell of a pre-conceited high opinion of the affections and hearts of the people or lastly this well or spring-head of Justice in the Sovereign may be so deep as that squint and blear'd-eye of the monstrous-sighted multitude I mean the grosse ignorance of the Common people cannot always discern and discover where it lyes onely those who believing Gods Word and confidently relying upon the truth of his promises do in humility of heart come unto the true Well of life and head indeed of the Church Jesus Christ our onely Mediator and Redeemer they onely I say by the bucket of grace shall be able to sound the depths of Gods mercy towards his Elect and continually do they cry God be mercifull unto us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us Selah That thy way maybe known upon earth thy saving health among all Nations Let the people praise thee ô God let all the people praise thee O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt judge the folk righteously and govern the Nations upon earth Selah Albeit in the scorching heat of Seditions Divisions Tumults Rebellions and Distractions of a Kingdom those streams of grace and favour that issue from that subordinate and inferiour fountain of justice a pious Prince provident and carefull of the welfare of his people are not so visibly and plainly perceived for in truth they doe not run so cleer then as at other times by the vulgar sort of men yet the best Christians his Majesties most faithfull and obedient Subjects under the protection of whose powerfull Arme they live and are governed do acknowledge Gods watchfull providence over them and these do joyntly confesse and say with the Psalmist God standeth in the congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the Gods For if the Angels are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation Heb. 1.14 Much more are the Potentates and Princes of the earth the servants of God to minister justice unto his people Shall not the Judge of all the world do right Thy throne ô God is for ever and ever and the scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of thy seat and thy mercy and truth shall be our shield and buckler Verily there is a reward for the righteous Doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth The Lord saith Counsell is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding I have strength By me Kings reigne and Princes decree justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth I love them that Love Me and those that seek me early shall find me Prov. 8. Mercy and Truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by mercy Prov. 20.28 When the Prophet Jeremiah by a false suggestion was put into the Dungeon of Malchiah For Zedekiah the King said unto his Princes behold he is in your hand for the King is not he that can do any thing against you And when Ebedmelech afterwards by suite had gotten him some enlargment Then Zedekiah the King sent and took Jeremiah the Prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the Lord and the King said to Jeremiah I will ask thee a thing hide nothing from me Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah if I declare is unto thee wilt thou not surely put me to death if I give thee counsell wilt thou not harken unto me So the King sware secretly to Jeremiah saying As the Lord liveth that made this soule I will not put thee to death neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life Hereupon Ieremiah counselleth the King by yielding to save his life as you may read at large in Jer. 38. This worthy pattern of humility gentleness and meekness in King Zedekiah who so courteously and friendly intreated the Prophet that sorewarn'd him of the evill impending over Judah and Jerusalem and his own person if he went not forth to the King of Babylons Princes according to the Prophets counsell and who likewise was so gracious and indulgent unto his Princes notwithstanding they were wicked Counsellors and none of his best friends as it did afterwards appeare by the event of their false suggestions This I say may be an example for all godly Christian Kings to imitate and follow him in these and the like vertues Read 2 Sam 18. 19. Chap. Ezra 1.6 7. Chap. Nehem. 1. 2. Chap. Ester 5.6.7 8. Chapters That famous and renowned Prince of ever blessed memory James King of Great Britain France and Ireland in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gave this in charge to Prince Henry I require you my sonne as ever ye think to deserve my fathers blessing to keep continually before the eyes of your mind the greatnesse of your charge making the faithfull and due discharge thereof the principall but ye shoot at it in all your actions counting it even the principall and all your actions but as accessories to be imployed but as middesses for the furthering of that principall And in another place of his golden precepts and instructions He saith thus And to the end my
suffice to be sâ—id at this time of the faculty and Science of Physick a profession I confesse that is altogether out of the Sphear of my Theory and out of the Verge of my activity and practise SECT IV. Of the Science of THEOLOGY BUt finding my soule in greater need of Physick than my body I shall passe by the other Schools and read my last Lecture in Divinity Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God that gave it Vanity of vanities all is vanity And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth The words of the wise are as the goades and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd And further by these my son be admonished of making many bookes there is no end and much study is a wearinesse to the flesh Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keep his Comandements for this the whole duty of mâ—n For God shall bring every work into iudgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill Eccles 12. 8 9 10. c. True Christians endeavour to go forward toward the marke of Christian perfection But if we should returne back into Egypt or desire to live in Babylon we should declare our selves neither studious of perfection nor of Christian Religion nor carefull to maintaine the reputation of our Nation How long shall we waver betwixt two Religions If God be God and his written Word be Truth then we are to follow him and to found our faith upon his Word If the Pope be the supreme God of this world and his determinations true then we are to follow the Pope and his Decretals No man Certes can allow Popery but he must condemne the Apostolicall Religion of Jesus Christ professed in this Church of England What communion saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. hath light with darknesse what concord hath Christ with Beliâ—l what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols As many therefore as believe that the Papists walke in darknesse and follow Antichrist living in idolatry â—nd infidelity wound their consciences if they grant any toleration or consent to it The test trust needs runne into the same danger unlesse they can answer the reasons brought to prove the Pope Antichrist and Papists to be false worshippers of God or else plaine Idolaters See 2 Thes 2. and 1 Tim. 4. And the 13.14.17 and 18 Chap. of the Revel we are to pronounce them Anathema which preach beside that which the Apostle preached as himselfe teacheth us Galat. 1. But the Papists preach the Pope and his decretaline doctrine which is both besides and contrary to the Gospell preached by Paul Christian Religion never called the Pope the foundation the head or the spouse of the Church as Bellarmine in his books de Pontif. Roman and other Papists do It is not therefore safest to retaine Christian Religion built on Christ Jesus and to reject Popery built on the Pope No religion is to be tolerated that leaveth the rule of faith that is the holy Scriptures which of all are called Canonicall and seeketh defence and succour out of other rules as Traditions popish Determinations School-mens Distinctions and such like leaden and Lesbian rules But Papists deny Scriptures to be the onely rule of faith as Bellarmine l. 4. de verbo Dei Cap. 4. and others commonly teach Thus we see how miserably the Papists are deluded and led into vanity by their blinde guides But touching faith and assurance of our salvation we Protestants with a joynt consent hold this Doctrine that True faith is a knowledge firme and certaine of the good will of God towards us which being founded upon the truth of his free promise in Christ is both revealed to our mindes and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost This is Eternall life to know thee to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 Againe which mysterie hath been hid saith Saint Paul Col. 1.36 since the world began and from all ages but now is made manifest unto his Saints And Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in love and in all riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mysterie of God even the Father of Christ And 2 John 3.14 And we know that we are translated c. We know All which places you see evidently prove faith to be a knowledge so doth even reason for how can we believe things which we know not Saint Peter knew it could not be and therefore joyneth faith and knowledge saying And we believe and know that thou art That Christ the Son of the living God For he yeildeth a reason why he and other of the Apostles believed in Christ namely because they knew that he was the Son of God Which being so it necessarily followeth that they believe not to whom those things are unknown that he hath revealed in his Word And therefore that tale of Popery concerning implicita fides an ignorant faith is most foolish for faith and knowledge are so knit together that they cannot be separated Trust perfectly in the grace that is brought unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Perfectly to trust excludeth doubting 1 John 5.13 14. We know we know c. excluding doubting I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8.38 The knowledge which we have by hope grounded upon Gods promises is so sure that it cannot be deceived as it is plaine Rom. 5.5 The perswasion that the Apostle hath in other places is also grounded upon good Arguments but here Rom. 8. upon the immutable Decree of God And it is good reason to prove that every Christian man which is endued with faith and hope may and ought to be infallibly assured that he is justified and shall be saved because the Word of God and his promise to all that believe in him and in faith call upon him cannot faile but be most infallibly true That we shall also persevere in the favour of God and so consequently that we are predestinated to eternall life the Apostle doth most plainly prove in this Chapter wherefore by the Spirit of Adoption and the effects of Gods grace agreeable we may have certaine knowledge that we shall inherit Gods Kingdome which none shall do but they that continue unto the end and were appointed unto it before the
Church and Commonwealth Why such a one as I so obscure to the eye of the world and so mean in many respects would adventure or dare once to peepe forth among the press of Wits that justle abroad by whole Troops and Bands like so many Armed Souldiers fit for Rencontre in this understanding eagle-ey'd literate knowing age To this I answer First albeit I am of green years and 't is true I am of a weak and raw judgement of small experience learning and ability yet it is now almost thirteen years since I was admitted a Scholar into the University at Oxford where I continued six years and upwards and sithence I have been resident for the most part in London and a Student in the Municipall or Common Laws of the Realm and some knowledge I have gained in Travell Secondly I have met with great oppositions and contradictions of the Religion which I professe by Papists Arminians selfe-knowing conceited men and others popishly affected in the Society wherein I live and in other places where I have been conversant And herein I would gladly quit my selfe of the prejudice and misprisions of mine Adversaries by protesting against them and their Tenets And thirdly only for holding and defending the Doctrine of the Reformed Protestant Religion as it is expressed in the 39 Articles of the Church of England and agreeable to Gods Word and for my obedience thereunto and likewise for maintaining the honour the Wisdome and Justice of the proceedings of the High-Court of Parliament against the malice and force of Ignorance and blinde Zeal against the rash opinions of unsetled vain-heads and against the intoxicating poysonous breath of malevolent Tongues This I had for my paines I was counted and esteemed of as a Time-server a Puritan a Brownist an Ignoranius if not a Separatist a Schismatick an Heretick and one that had the spirit of giddinesse These things I say were strong motives unto me to make this Apologeticall profession of my faith the sincerity of mine intentions and actions But the chief reason indeed that moved me to write this my Protestation was the faithfull and true discharge of my conscience For where God hath given a minde a will and in some measure abilities there ought not to be an unprofitable doing nothing But the Talents of Grace according to our Saviours precept are to be well imployed that when we are called to give an account of our Stewardships our Master Christ Jesus may receive from us his servants the glory and praise of his own grace And since I might not and in truth it were unseemly that I should bring a rough and unpolished Talent to the Common Gazophilacy or Treasury of Religion I deem it meet to cast this Mite into my Spirituall mothers lap the Church of England And though I am no Pilot to guide or to steer the course of our Church which like a ship tossed and blown to and fro with storms and tempests is floating in a Sea of Errours Schismes and Heresies yet as a Passenger being on ship-board I may put forth a hand to help take in Sailes when this great Vessell is either in danger of running a ground upon the quicke-sands of prophanesse or of being bruised by clashing against the Rock of Popery and Superstitions But I know that our Saviour Jesus Christ our onely Mediatour our mercifull Redeemer Head and Governour is both able to keep and he will preserve his Church the pillar and ground of Truth from a finall merging and sinking Now that I may draw to a period of this my Discourse I will cast anchor upon a Resolve Notwithstanding all the pestilent and wicked oppositions the malice envy and hellish projects whereby any Adversary powers do endeavour and plot our ruine and destruction yet let us be strong and very courageous let us resolve and say with Joshuah we will serve the Lord. And let us pray O Eternall God our heavenly Father graciously heare us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devill or man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of thy goodnesse they may be dispersed that we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Churh Through Jesus Christ our Lord. I will conclude with the usuall prayer of Martin Luther Confirme O God in us that thou hast wrought and perfect the worke that thou hast begun in us to thy glory So be it Now unto God alone who in his own Substance is Originall in and by himselfe the very Essence of all naturall created existences and beings and the Authour of all Order and Authority be ascribed all due Honour Majesty Might and Dominion by men here by Saints and Angels in the Heaven of Heavens Halelelujahs be sung evermore Amen Amen FINIS