and disturbing the change is onely this from a cunning sharking Scotish Presbyter he is transform'd into the shape of a more impudent sawcy Secular Popish Priest in which capacity he rails as much at the Church of England though with much ignorance envy and falseness as he did when he was acting the part of a proud piert lascivious Presbyter And this is another such like Roman pillar who is likely to prove as great a Saint on that side the sea as he was to have been in the Kirk of Scotland CHAP. XL. THese great Impostors like cunning Juglers have deluded many Some as Children are easily puft up and enticed with every triviall blast of new doctrines and much taken with Babies toyes and trifles and sometimes those of elder Age grow doted and deluded It hath faln out thus with many wanderers of these times who afrighted out of their Religion and perhaps out of England wiâ—h the terror and effects of a Civil War have found out new faces new fancies and new resolutions at home and in other Countries where for better assurance of gaining ease or the hopes of plenty and safety they have parted with substances for shadows and truth for errors vaing loriously concluding into the bargain that they should get the names and reputations of good Roman Catholiques The greater numbers of these Converts and Revolters might yet follow Men and Women subjects more soft and easie and therefore more fit to be tamper'd withall as more thirsty after new fashions and so more capable of alterations and the dress a la mode But a decyphering of them and their interests might seem a work too tart and bitter therefore charity spares their characters And it is lesser wonder to see smaller Shrubs scorched and burnt up with weaker flames when seeming Oaks and Cedars so suddenly fall and tumble down overturn'd with the gusts and winds of a Civil War CHAP. XLI THe strokes of Afflictions are very sharp trying the very hearts and reins and as they engrave glorious marks and characters in religious Martyrs and patient Confessors who are well grounded in the faith so their smart lashes afright and drive away to any desperat mutation the light and giddy humors of unsetled minds This is a common experience in the History of the sacred Book of God where Iudas was as certainly affrighted with the news of our Saviours passion and therefore fear'd his own troubles and Persecution as tempted with the price of blood and the thirty pieces of silver that reward of iniquity Fear and Covetousness are very ill Commanders and lead on many ugly followers their company is infectious the design sinful and the end very damnable These two capital betrayers of worth and honesty fear of further loss and hopes of future gain inclin'd Iscariot not onely to forsake but to betray his Master and not only to fall from but to fall on Innocency it self There are some other Vipers which attend these horrid Monsters as Envy and Malice at others both parts and fortunes Ignorance and thereby a dull uncharitable measuring of others though of great abilities by the narrow scantless and short cubit of their own imperfect and ruder judgments Rashness and impatience cruelty and detraction keep the timorous alwayes company and it is most true oderunt quos metuunt men ever hate though without cause whom they fear It is no wonder then if timorous afrighted spirits forsake and fly from a Profession and Religion which may for the maintenance of its truth render the Pofessors either more miserable or less secure in their Plenty and Content It was even thus in the College of Christs own Apostles which was dissolved and they scattered when the great Shepheard of our souls was arraigned condemned and crucifyed One betrayd him but all forsook him and fled Mark 14 50. But except one Traytor who desperately dispatched and hanged himself Mat. 27.5 all the other holy Apostles speedily recovered themselves from fear and cowardise St Peter though afar off yet still followed his Master and though he sate without Mat. 26.96 yet even there was he within the Palace and when driven thence he went out into the Porch though he denied shamefully his Lord with his mouth yet he manfully defended him with his hand when he dared to smite off one of the High Priests servants ears The glorious company of the Apostles whose souls seemed to have been in deliquio almost quite melted for sorrow of Christs Passion quickly revived at the noise of his resurrection from the Grave and those who shew'd themselvs than men when Christ was crucifyed did put on the courage of Angels when they understood he was risen from the dead recoÌ„pencing the failing of their flesh with the great fortitude of their minds and the few minutes of fear with their whole age of better resolutions boldly professing that Truth which they followed to the Crosse and at last sealing with their blood what they preached with their tongues and published to all Nation CHAP. XLII THe many Demasses of this age who like frosted leaves have faln from that Tree that nourished theÌ„ with the juyce of truth surely have not beleeved this doctrine or not followed these examples but rather in these times of sharper trials like those dissemblers who pretended to be Christs disciples as neither willing though it were to save their souls in the ark of Gods Church to indure hard language nor hard labour much lesse to suffer the losse of their plenty â—ase coÌ„tent or safety St. John records the infamous Apostacy Iohn 6.66 From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Thus have too many disobedient children forsaken their Mother and as infected with the falling sicknesse of the times have in their distempers frothed out the vâ—nome of their disease The constitution of these lapsed Revolters is not much unlike the ignoble temper of Aratus Sicyonus in Polibius Lib. 6. Qui ad Civilia omnia mirificè vafer appositus trepidabat in bellicis nec exequi aut facere cor aut corpus ei firma Aratus was of an excellent wit very subtil and crafty and very active and prompt in Civil affairs but if call'd to Martial counsels or the businesse of War the Coward and Pultron trembled having neither a heart nor a body for such heroick enterprises but as that Historian goeth on hic autem ipse si quando in Aperto acie dimicare vellet segnis in Consiliis timidus in Aggressionibus nec aspectu quidem aut vultu pugnam tolerans If the great Politico were concern'd in a battel or a fight he proved flat and dull in his advice timorous and fearfull at the Re'encounter and durst neither see nor be seen in an Army ready to engage an Enemy CHAP. XLIII THus many verbal champions who in calm and serene days and more Civil times seemed to love truth impartially and for her own sake are fallen flat and tumbled into those
unclean labyrinths whence their forefathers were delivered by a great Providence that they and their children might worship God with more Truth and Devotion and lesse error vassalage and superstition It is almost an act of Mercy not to take notice but to passe by rather those many other Roman Proselites who have in these later times revolted from their Religion and that Church wherein they were incorporated baptized and confirmed It is S. Iudes counsel in his Epistle ver 22. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear absterrentes illos sanctâ severitate revocantes terrifying them with their present danger and so if possible recovering them with holy severities The Apostle proceeds with tender bowels ver 23. Pulling them out of the fire hating even the Garment spotted with the flesh It is even this divine consideration that perswadeth not to lay open the humors opinions lives interests and designs of the other Revolters lest their wayes and works discovered the Parties concern'd may grow more desperate as to themselves or more odious and scandalous to all who are not flatterers to their Apostacy The common wings whereon too many have fled away like the unkind Raven from the Ark are Fear and Covetousnesse which shapelesse Monsters under the shadows of security and plenty have bewiâ—ched some to a choice of new interests which if ripped up and sifted to the bottom it is to be feared too much chaff and tares would be found in the late Roman Professors conversations but it is better to leave theÌ„ to the examination of themselves that dealing impartially with their own hearts they may return to that truth from which they have after so many Oaths Vows Protestations Amens and holy Communion in the Sacraments parted so weakly or so wilfully CHAP. XLIV BUt although many deluded Persons are spared out of pity or the hopes of a Recovery from whence they are lost yet no fins ought to be conceal'd or smother'd that infatuate and deceive to wretched Apostacy It is an old rule jubet peccare qui non vetat that he is at least an Abettor that is not a Rebuker of fin And Philo taxed Flaccus sitting President at a Council in Alexandria when Agrippa was abused and scorn'd and no notice taken nor so much as a check 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he that did not at least rebuke if not correct an offence or sin did in some measure permit and tolerate if not command the Sin Cassiodore goeth neerer in the example of Theodahadus a King who aiming at the Reformation of his Subjects errors concluded A Domesticis inchoare * Cassiodor lib. 10. var. Epist. 5. volumus disciplinam ut reliquos pudeat errare quando nostris Cognoscimur excedendi licentiam non Praebere To begin his disciplin with those first of his own Family that Strangers might be the more ashamed to commit those offences which were so severely punished in his own Domesticks all liberty of excesse being utterly restrained CHAP. XLV THese Examples and Rules direct as agreeing with Christian Religion That it is not only tolerable but just and necessary to rebuke their Sinnes whose Persons are to be honoured or pityed otherwise what is a politique silence or a smooth flattery but a Postern-door or a fair Bridge to convey sooner souls in great danger to Hell it self Therefore that the Patient may recover if possible before the disease grow incurable it may be proper to lay open and discover the malignity of that poyson which if not prevented or master'd by Antidotes may irreparably destroy those who are infected therewith And whiles those nine * S. Toby Matthews Mr. Mountacute Dr. Goff Dr. Vane Dr. Baily Mr. Cressie Master Clawshaw Mr. Rowlands Mr. Simonet Active Ring-leaders are lookt on by all men as pernicious and dangerous Examples as having forfeited their Faith and Oaths to all things that might speak them either religious or moral It may not be unseasonable to have compassion on some others whom the Moderator hath presented to the world either at large or in his c. And whiles a self guilt condemns them for their dangerous new choice perhaps they may recover as some others †Mr. Hen. Cary M. Patrick Cary. have don to that Antient way that according to primitive examples may more securely lead them out of their errors and put them in a direct path towards Paradise Impartiall glances on sin are wholesom though not pleasant and a wise man or a good Christian takes it well when his disease is found out but much more when a remedy overtakes it or strives to keep it company CHAP. XLVI IT is not long since * 12 years De Negotiis Civilibus si quid statuitur nemo putat esse violandum praeceptum de Kellâ—gione calcabitur Amb. ad Valen. a visible Uniformity was backt and supported with a great Authority then the Presbyter and the Jesuit were chain'd up into more obscure Conventicles or darker Circles but when they once got loose they suddenly grew fierce and violent and like Watermen having got Oars to tug with they plyed at any stairs to get a Passenger The giddy multitudes perceiving a gap open to change thirsted and gaped * Humanum Genus est avidum nimis auricularum Lucret. Est mens nostra vaga novitate rerum laetissima Sene. Quis autem finis si semel carceres hos aperis ad innovandum Ibid. wide for an Alteration and the cunning Artists observing the Crisis for best advaÌ„tage made the raging waves to roar they made the Peoples ears and their fingers itch for Reformation The design was specious and had a shew of godlinesse the words Religion and Reformation are excelent terms and carry with them a silver sound in the peoples ears Thus a preâ—ence of Justice and a Religious Vow to be paid at Hebron 2 Sam. 15.11 drew away many hundreds in their simplicity but they knew not any thing Quòd saepiùs olim * Relligio peperit scelerosa Lacret atque impia facta Thus oft in Antient times Religion patronized horrid crimes CHAP. XLVII BUt though many innocent soules were drawn away in their simplicity yet others heightened the troubles and confusions which promised to foster and nourish their hopes and ends and were not only Passive but vigorous and Active in their new designs and aims Sunt quibus ingenium votum inclarescendi perturbarâ— On this score the Jesuits proceeded and wrought with double diligence resolv'd according to that great * Cardinal Richlieu Politicians Maxim That Angliam turbare to raise Tumults and to thrust England into commotions was the readiest way to their businesse It is true indeed many thousands simple ones were drawn aside but other Volunteers quickly shrunk on their own accord from their love to impartial truth and their first Principles and some gave themselves over to swallow a Covenant and so though lost ventured to travell in
meeting there a certain Sorcerer false Prophet named Elymas who seeking to turn away Sergius Paulus from the Faith Act. 13.9 St. Paul filled with the holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said O full of all subtilty and all mischief thou child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind not seeing the Sun for a season and immediatly there fellon him a mist and darkness These instances demonstrat a spirituall Power of Truth to rectifie erroneous and to punish and to have coercion for evil and seared Consciences for such there are 1 Tim. 4.2 Some speaking Lyes in Hypoorisy having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron And the holy Scripture lets us all know that the Holy Ghost appeared in fiery Tongues as wel as in the shape of a Dove Acts 2.1 2. Mat. 3.16 to signify to all the world that as it presented innocency and such are the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 so in the shape of fiery Tongues it presented judgement and indignation to those who resisted the motions of that blessed Spirit This is told often in the holy Scriptures but twice more emphaticatically in the Epistle to the Hebrews and that with great terror For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and of the Powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renue them again unto Repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.4 5 6. There is a second sting which is as equally sharp Let us hold fast the Profession of our faith without wavering and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching for if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins Heb. 10.26 27. but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries By this time it appears very evident that the unanswerable Texts of the holy Scripture so ill interpreted or so ill applyed doe not take away all Coercion in Religion because a Conscience may be erroneous and so ought to be rectifyed or very bad and seared and so ought to be coerc'd and punished yet these Proceedings are to be guarded with greatest spirituall care and cautions that the weak and erroneous Conscience may be directed and then comforted by the Word of God and the bad and seared Consciences refisting the good motions of Gods Spirit gathered by the conclusions of found reason and the right and true Applications of holy Scripture growing still more impenitent and hardened may be punished and that God may be glorified in his judgements where his truth and mercies have been despised CHAP. XV. IN the next succeeding Chapter the Author pleads against the constraint of Conscience pretending that all the godly and well affected of the Nation are of his Principle who is introducing Popery into the Countrey with his Arguments of kinness to a tender Conscience and to be more plausible and complacent with the Souldier he urgeth the Motto of the Armies viz. Liberty to all tender and oppressed Consciences by which device Mr. Birchley seems forward to shelter his Popish Arguments under their Banners and Ensigns But this spirituall abuse or rather chear is so palpable and visible that all ingenuous minds cannot but conclude such applications to be very odious and ridiculous as no way encouraging Popish aims or ends but rather an extirpation of Papall as well as Presbyterian Tyranny As for other arguments either from reason or Scripture they are not considerable the discourse of this Chapter being spun out with gross impertinent flattery or repetition of texts of Scripture as Rom. 14.15 formerly examined CHAP. XVI THe next tract is a discourse as it appears in the title of tender Consciences wherein the Author surely blushing for something said before seems to address himself to Excuses and Apologies confessing there that tenderness of Conscience is not an extravagant licentiousness for Blasphemy in Doctrine or Debauchery in manners This part is a large Negative description what tender Conscience is not then determining as the Doctor in the Chair he tels us It is a Proceeding bona fide without sinister Respects or dissimulation seeking before all things to know God and fearing above all things to offend him This description for it is not a Logical definition as neither having a proper Genus nor Differentia specifica is as large and wild in the Affirmative as the other part was in the Negative and thus M. Birchley after his great struglings telling us but confusedly what tender Conscience is not and not directly what it is Resolves for they are his own words Page 14. It is the only means God hath allowed our Nature to guide her Resolutions of judging of others in which result this Builder pulls down all the structure he had so artificially built up before for his positions were formerly out of misapplyed places of holy Scripture Iames 4.12 Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another c. And in this last clause the Sophister concludes God alloweth the nature of a tender Conscience to the Resolution of judging others and this Pill once swallowed other Physick is prepared in the signs of a tender Conscience which he reckons to be Regular lives no opinions of self-interest severity against corrupt nature steddiness of judgement constancy in their perswasions untill death dying not only in but for the faith suffering all things to be taken away patiently and for Christs sake These are indeed Evangelical Counsels and great perfections and well become all good Christians but when the Application of all these religious duties is more closely drawn to the Papists as it appears in Mr. Birchleys a Dialogue with his friend page 16. the secreted plots appear more plainly while it is insinuated to please some parties that tender Consciences have the power of judging others Mr. Birchley quickly determins that the Papists are the men of the Regular lives c. and in the end if his doctrin take place they must judge of all others which is the present tyranny of Popish usurpation where it rules and reigns As for the rest of the discourse of the tract of tender Consciences it is a tedious deviation to other matters as a complaint against the former Oaths of Supremacy and Allegeance or the present Oath of Abjuration in which murmuring dislike the Author fights most against himself pleading formerly for the Papists peaceableness and humbleness of submission
not like M. Birchleys Optio and wish though written in great Letters Anima mea sit cum Jesuitis But if he like that Prayer let him enjoy it without all envy or emulation CHAP. XX. IN the 53 Page the Moderator hath a fling and not without just cause and herein we agree against the violent and therefore short dominion of the Presbyterians saying that never were more cruel torturers of the Conscience than they never a more tyrannical Tribunal than their Jure Divino Assembly and Classical Inquisition The Author might as truly apply all this to the Papal Tyranny and have done no Injury to Truth at all The Moderator closeth his first Part Page 54. with a prayer for a General Act of Conscience-Indemnity which if once granted it is not to be doubted but Mr. Birchley and the Papists would be as high in their demands as they seem now humble in their supplications CHAP. XXI THe first Part of the Moderator thus impartially examined and the bottom of the businesse sounded The second may more easily and swiftly be waded over In the third line Page 55. the Author pretends to light which the Lord Christ hath infused into his soul then publisheth to the World his humblenes of spirit and then Jesuit-like offers and dedicates his discourse to the gracious Redeemer of Souls If there be true humility where there is such self-ostentation of light infused and a noise of all humbleness of spirit the meekest spirit may without him easily judge the rest of that Preface hath little more in it than a continuance of self-flattery Page 56. where the Papists apply the marks of tenderness of Conscience in themselves and tenderness of Spirit to others but with what truth this is spoken really let the Moderator himself be Judge who in Page 44. brings in an example of the Privernates an antient People of Italy who having rebell'd against the Commonwealth of Rome and being almost quite reduced by force of arms dispatcht Embassadors for terms of Peace The Senat sternly askt them what new Peace they could expect who had so insolently infringed the old To which they stoutly answered we must now take such conditions as you please to give if they be moderate you shall find us faithfull if too heavy we shall observe them onely till we may fafely break them It were an injury to the Moderator to leave out a tittle of this Story wherein by the example of the Privernates he sheweth to the life his own Picture as well as of his Popish brethren with what light they are infused with what humblenesse of spirit endued and how resolved to shake off all burdens they judge too heavy and violate all obligations which they will observe no longer than till they may safely break them CHAP. XXII AFter the Preface and Introduction to the second Part the Moderator Page 57. recites Petitions of some wel-affected in the County of Leicester and of some Churches in London but to what purpose it much matters not In the 58 Page he proclames that he waiteth on God in humility of spirit and presently after undertakes to clear the Papists of all obstinacy and non-submission to the present Government by representing an humble Petition of the Roman Catholiques to the House and then addes his Explanation and sense of their Humility Civil Society and Consistency with Civil Government And then sets down a platform of their belief but that being not done according to the Canon of the Council of Trent the Moderator surely much forgets his duty or else giveth himself a large dispensation for his present advantages From hence he wanders to a perswasion that many Papists of considerable quality are now in London as he is informed who are agreed in an explanation of what they beleeve concerning the Popes undervaluing and overvaluing of the Church Invocation of Saints and Angels Worship of Images their opinion of Merits of Justification and of the Morall Law These are questions of very great weight and consideration and surely the Moderator is too bold to tell the world that some considerable Papists now in London would undertake to explain and determin their private sense and judgement in points so exceedingly controverted on all sides by the greatest Professors and Universities Besides this Report is surely an injury to the faith and modesty of the Gentlemen who have such obedience to their Church as they presume not to differ with the weakest Canon of the Council of Trent which as it determines resolutions of Faith in many of these questions so it strictly requires beleef to them under an Anathema and a Curse CHAP. XXIII IN the 69. Page the Moderator â—resumes to affirm That many Papists were smarâ—ly punished for not taking the Oath of Allegeance and peremptorily concludeth That none were punished for not observing it which is a strange affirmation and cannot be consonant to truth if he had observed the proceedings in Civil Courts in times of Peace or the many evils of the late Civil Wars in another place he saith The utter ruine which now endangers the Papists whole estates proceeds solely from their performing to the late King that service which he called Allegeance and yet Page 18. of the first Part he saith That many Papists never did bear arms at all but only sculk'd in the Kings Garrisons for better security Immediately after he presseth to any indifferent Iudge to determine but upon suppositions neither proved nor granted 1. That the Papists beleeving all the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament And yet the Lay. Papists are not permitted to read them sine permissu nor the Clergy to receive a Translation not to beleeve a word but as the Church of Rome beleeveth be the doctrine never so palpably dangerous and erroneous besides how is it true that the Papists beleeve firmly all the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament when they prefer Tradition of their Church above Scripture and give equal authority as Bellarmin and others to verbum non scriptum as well as to the holy Scriptures penned by the holy Prophets and Evangelists 2. The Moderator urgeth That the Papists worship and adore onely one God and that is otherwise proved in the Tract of their Adoration of Saints and Angels 3. He urgeth that they rely on the sole mediation of Iesus Christ and yet in all their Letanies and at their daily Masses they invocate Angels and Saints and Martyrs and Confessors and Virgin as Mediators for them and plead their Merits in the close of the Collects of the severall Saints dayes as it is evident in the Roman Breviary and the Office of our Lady CHAP. XXIV IN the next passage Page 77. the Moderator sets forth his diligence and attendance at Haberdashers Hall wherin he sheweth his Active curiosity in prying into those passages which perhaps may least concern his superintendency and Page 78. he concludes That the Oath of Abjuration is not only against the Papists Consciences but