Beasts as these I shall easily believe the worst that he or his Complices can say of them But the truth is he is only disgorging his stomach all this while and now as I said is come to the last strain which brings up the foulest stuff of all For the highest words that the highest Sons or Fathers of this Church to use his phrase have spoken concerning Ceremonies are these t Bishop Bramhall 〈◊〉 his Romphaea chap. 11. p. 234. That they are advancements of Order Decency Modesty and Gravity in the Service of God expressions of those heavenly desires and dispositions which we ought to bring along with us to Gods House adjuments of Attention and Devotion furtherances of Edification visible Instructors helps of Memory exercises of Faith the shell that preserves the kernel of Religion from contempt the leaves that defend the blossoms and the fruit But the very same person who wrote all this immediately adds that if they grow over thick and ranck they hinder the fruit from coming to maturity and then the Gardener plucks them off When Ceremonies become burdensome by excessive superfluity or unlawful Ceremonies are obtruded or the substance of Divine Worship is placed in Circumstances or the Service of God is more respected for Humane Ornaments than for the Divine Ordinance it is high time to pare away excesses and reduce things to the antient mean So our Church hath done between whom and the Roman Church there is as wide a difference in this regard as between the hearty expressions of a faithful friend and the mimical gestures of a fawning flatterer or between the unaffected comeliness of a grave Matron and the fantastical paintings and patchings and powdering of a garish Curtesan And whereas this man would have you believe that there are those who are so enamoured of these few Ceremonies that they even dote upon them nay have set their hearts upon them more than upon Almighty God himself Another great Prelate u Bishop Sandersons Preface to the first Volume of Serm. sect 12. An. 1657. hath declared That he knew no true Son of the Church of England that doteth upon any Ceremony whatsoever opinion they have of the decency or expediency of some of them Nor doth this Gentleman I have reason to believe know such an one at this day For they have been told a thousand times over as that Bishop proceeds x Ib. sect 13. in the Sermons and Writings of private men as well as in the Publick Declaration of our Church that we place no necessity at all in these things but hold them to be merely indifferent 2. That when for Decency Order or Uniformity sake any constitutions are made there is the same necessity of obeying such constitutions as of obeying other Laws made for the good of the Commonwealth concerning any other indifferent thing And 3. That this necessity whether of the one or of the other arises not properly from the Authority of the immediate Law-giver but from the Ordinance of God who hath commanded us to obey the Ordinances of men for his sake And to add no more 4. That such necessity of Obedience notwithstanding the things remain in the same indifferency as before every way as to their Nature and even in respect of us thus far That there is a liberty left for men upon extraordinary and other just occasions sometimes to do otherwise than the constitution requires when there is no scandal nor contempt in the case A liberty which we dare not either take our selves or allow to others in things properly and absolutely necessary Upon which very account I mean the consideration of the indifferency of the things in themselves and upon this alone it was that those who did most sadly resent the voting down of Liturgy Festivals and the Ceremonies of the Church did yet so far yield to the sway of the times as to forbear the use thereof in publick Worship Which is a direct answer to that which this Apologist talks of about our omission of things required by Law in the late times p. 128. And he may find more full satisfaction if he be disposed in the same Bishops seventh Sermon to the people y First Volume of Sermons in Folio page 390. where he shews that since the obligation to those doth not spring from the things themselves nor immediately and by its proper virtue from the constitution of the Magistrate but by consequence only and by virtue of that Law of God which commands to obey them thereby a liberty is left in cases extraordinary and of some pressing necessity not otherwise well to be avoided to do sometimes otherwise these two things provided First that a man be driven thereto by a true real and not by a pretended necessity only and secondly that in the manner of doing he use such Godly discretion as neither to shew the least contempt of the Law in himself nor to give ill example to others to despise Government or Governours 7. This is the sum of what our Church-men high and low as he is pleased to distinguish them have declared about Ceremonies O but saith the Apologist why then will you not consent to a change nay a laying aside all those Ceremonies since you do not make them necessary in themselves Let them be removed whether nocent or innocent as they have been out of other Reformed Churches page 18. This he is at again page 131. and propounds this as a good means to keep the people from grieving and vexing the Magistrate by the breach of his Laws Remove the Law saith he and where there is no Law there is no Transgression p. 133. very right nor is there any obedience He hath found out a rare way for the Magistrate to ease himself wholly of his Office by letting the people do as they will and govern him For when they please to scruple any other Laws he must repeal them too according to this wise advice unless he will be vexed and grieved with the clamours and disobedience of his people who will not be contented unless in effect they make Laws for themselves King James indeed in his Proclamation in the first year of his Reign March 5. admonishes all men hereafter not to expect nor attempt so much as any further change in the common and publick Form of Gods Service from that which was then established For which he there gives such substantial reasons that my Lord Bacon z Cahala page 42. makes it his request to the Duke of Buckingham to read that excellent Proclamation as he calls it And if at any time there should be the least motion made for innovation to put the King in mind to read it himself for it is most dangerous in a state to give ear to the least alteration in Government But it is all one for that no matter what the King said or any one else they have been ever since and are not merely for alterations but for abolishings
same Office to continue in them and their Successors to the end of the World But suppose all our Church-men had been silent or that they are of no esteem with our Adversaries yet since this Opinion of the Divine Right of Episcopacy hath been asserted by other Divines whom they respect it ought not to have been reproached Bucer declares in his Book of the Kingdom of Christ as I find him cited above 60 years ago y Regiment of the Church by Mr. Tho. Bell chap. 9. just as our Book of Consecration doth that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost that one to whom the name of Bishop was peculiarly attributed should take the care of the Churches and preside over all the Presbyters And nearer still to the very words of our Book in his Treatise of the power and use of the Ministry as he is alledged by Saravia These Orders of Ministers have been perpetual in the Church and were presently in the beginning appointed by the Holy Ghost of Bishops Priests and Deacons He that will see more to this purpose may read Bishop Mortons Episcopacy Asserted Chap. 5. Sect. 4. Nay this is the Language of Antiquity and they may as well call St. Gregory of Nazianzum a Hector as any of us For he sticks not to tell his Auditors in plain words that he held his Office by the Law of Christ You may find the passage in his seventeenth Oration z page 271. where after he had exhorted all the People to obedience he turns his speech more particularly to the Rulers and Magistrates asking them if they will give him leave to speak freely As truly saith he I think I may since the Law of Christ hath made you subject to my Power and to my Tribunal 3. This you may think is very high but I must let you know they who seem to lay their claim lower and speak in a more humble stile as some love to call it differ but in a verbal nicety in the different manner of expressing the same thing rather than in their different judgment upon the substance of the matter So that excellent Bishop lately mentioned Dr. Sanderson hath clearly resolved a Episcopacy not prejudicial to Regal Power p. 12 13. For sometimes this term Divine Right imports a Divine Precept which is the first and most proper signification when it appeareth by some clear express and peremptory Command of God in his Word to be the Will of God that the thing so commanded should be perpetually and universally observed And that the Government of the Church by Bishops is of Divine Right in this stricter sense is an Opinion saith he at least of great probability and such as may more easily and on better grounds be defended than confuted But they that chuse to speak otherwise understand by Divine Right an Authority for a thing from the Institution Example or Approbation either of Christ or of his Apostles c. which is a secondary meaning of the term but not much distant from the former For the Observation of the Lords Day depends on this Divine Right and there is as much to shew as he saith p. 19. if not more for such a Divine Right of Episcopacy as for the Divine Right of that day So that whosoever they be that either wave the term Divine Right or else so expound it as not of necessity to import any more than an Apostolical Institution Yet the Apostles Authority b Ib. page 39 40. in the Institution of Episcopacy being warranted by the Example and as they doubt not by the direction of their Master Jesus Christ they worthily esteem to be so reverend and obligatory as that they would not for a world have any hand in or willingly and deliberately contribute the least assistance towards the extirpation of that Government but rather hold themselves obliged in their Consciences to the utmost of their power to endeavour the preservation and continuance of it in these Churches and do heartily wish the restitution and establishment of the same wheresoever it is not c Now that Episcopacy is of such institution and so of Divine Right he further adds c v. Ib. p. 18. is in truth a part of the established Doctrine of the Church of England and hath been constantly and uniformly maintain'd by our best Writers mark these words and by all the Sober Orderly and Orthodox Sons of the Church This is sufficient to shew that there ought to be no such distinction made as we find in this man between high and low Conformists since all have spoken to the same effect and yet were no Swashbucklers but in this great persons opinion the Sober Orderly and Orthodox Sons of the Church 4. But let us suppose there is some difference yet they that have spoken the highest words of Episcopacy never thought Aerius a greater Heretick than Arius nor had more Charity for those that deny our Saviour's Deity than for those that scruple the strict Jus Divinum of Episcopacy No this is a suggestion from the Father of lyes the Calumniator of the Brethren and seem to me to be the words of one whose tongue is set on fire of Hell For though our best Divines have called it the Heresie of Arius d Doctor Crackenthorp Defens Eccl. Anglicanae p. 241 242 to affirm that there ought to be no imparity in the Church or distinction between Bishops and Presbyters and determined that this imparity was instituted and approved by the Apostles yet they have declared withal that they who think as Aerius did are so far from being in a worse case than Arius was that they are not in so bad Let but obstinacy and perverseness be wanting it will be no Heresie and if it be Heresie being about a point of Discipline it will not be among those which St. Peter calls damnable Heresies e Bishop Andrews 3. Letter p. 56 57. These are the words of one who was as vehement an Assertor of the Divine Right of Episcopacy as any hath been and there are none among us but will subscribe to them who is so far you see from making Aerius a greater Heretick than Arius that his words plainly make him less 5. But these perhaps are such Hectorly Divines you may think that they mind not what they say so belike if it be true which he says just before that they prefer Arminius before St. Austin A very strange humour that these high Episcopal men should set a Presbyterian Divine above a great Bishop But suppose upon other scores they should be so phantastical yet this part of his accusation will contradict the calumny next before it namely that they prefer the Romish Church before the Reformed Transmarine Churches How can that be when the Arminians are among those Reformed Churches for whom it seems they have such a great affection and when the Pope himself as every one knows that understands these matters is against the Divine Right of Bishops nay
were the first in bringing him back If he will stand to this and not have it pass for a boast but for a serious Truth I will produce him the words of some of the heads of his party which I had rather spare that make it unlawful to attempt it Whereby it will appear that they at least were not for bringing him in again till they were forced to it by those who would not let them keep him out And now that he is in his Throne methinks it is no great sign of the contentment they take in the change that the Conventicles which are so frequent and numerous on other dayes are observed to be so few if any upon the day of this Kings Return or upon the day of the former Kings Death Look about you and consider all the private Meetings you know of on the Lords Day How many did you ever know or hear of that will vouchsafe at the appointed times to bewail the horrid Murther of the Father or to thank God for the happy Restauration of the Son For my part I have constantly observed that those which come within my knowledge do not assemble on those daies at all and many others have made the same Observation as well as my self As for the other thing the Conformists expressing more and greater Zeal against the Presbyterians than against the Regicides and more frequently and more fiercely arraigning and condemning the Covenant than the Ingagement the same Answer may serve which Bishop Sanderson gave to those who complained that the Visitation Sermons were more against the Puritans than the Papists g Preface to 1 Vol. of Serm. Sect. 7. 8. 1657. First we say it is not altogether true the Regicides have their share in the Publick Sermons of which I suppose he speaks as well as their Fellows as oft as the Text gives occasion or the file of their Discourse leads the Preachers to it And on those Daies I mentioned it is the General Complaint of your people that the Preachers speak too much against those King-killers and those Principles which led them to commit that Sin without Blushing But Secondly admitting it to be true to a tittle either our men are excusable in what they blame them for or they that blame them inexcusable who do the very same thing Do they not usually saith he in their Sermons fall bitterly upon the Papists and Arminians but seldome meddle with the Socinians scarce ever name the Turks I have been told often of their Declamations against the observing of Christmas that great superstitious thing but I remember not to have heard of much spoken against Perjury and Sacriledge and some other Sins wherewith our times abound Nay did not their Zeal even against Popery it self seem to abate when they had got most of the Pulpits into their Possession at leastwise in comparison of the Zeal they shewed against Episcopacy the Liturgy Festivals and Ceremonies in use among us These they cried down with all the Noise they could and with all the Strength they had But why I beseech you so zealous against them which were at the worst they could fansie them but lesser Sins and Errors in comparison with those greater which now were little talkt of I doubt not but they had some reasons wherewith to satisfie themselves for their so doing and be they what they will if they will serve to excuse them they will serve as well to justifie our men should they do as they are charged The best thing I think that can be alledged by a rational man for such a proceeding is this That where people are more in danger to be seduced by a less Error or Sin as it is conceived than a greater there more Pains and Zeal may be bestowed to keep them from that than from the other that is in it self more dangerous Thus our Saviour reproved the Scribes and Pharisees more frequently and with greater sharpness than he did the Sadducees though in themselves and in respect of their Matter the Errors of the Sadducees were worse than those of the other because the Pharisees by reason of their outside Holiness were grown into better esteem with the people than the Sadducees were and the generality of the Jews were better principled against the gross Errors of the Sadducees than the insnaring Doctrines of the hypocritical Pharisees All this is very good and is the very Plea which those may justly put in for themselves who express more and greater zeal against the Presbyterians than against the Regicides and arraign the Covenant more frequently than the Engagement there is more and greater need of it the people being in more danger to be misled by the one than by the other and having a greater abhorrence of those Crimes which are black and ugly than of those which are gilded over with specious pretences But this is not all the Hectorism he is guilty of he makes a large boast of their great indulgence and charity towards Episcopal men when they had power page 23. and desires me to Catechise my self why I charged them with rigour and severity without remembring their kindness to the Archbishop of Armagh and many others p. 151. I have obeyed him and for this once shall tell him what my answer is being ready if he long for it to tell him my mind in all the rest of those Questions If I had named their particular kindnesses to the Episcopal party I must have remembred how that great person as Dr. Bernard tells us h Clavi Trabales p. 50. was forced to fly from London to Oxford what roughness he met withal from the Army then in field against the King to the loss of some of his Books and principal Manuscripts never recovered how that maintenance was taken from him which had been settled on him by the King when he had lost all Ireland and that at length being necessitated to return to London he was Silenced a long time from Preaching unless in a private house and when with much ado he was permitted to Preach at Lincolns-Inn it was that Honourable Society which gave him a competent maintenance Well but the English Bishops saith the Apologist had two hundred pound per annum allowed them by an Ordinance Allowed Voted he should have said and that is true by the same token that they could never get it Hear Bishop Hall who had a larger portion than that voted him but as he himself complains i Specialties of his Life writ by himself was never the better for it Nay the Committee for Sequestrations at London saith he sent to the Committee in the Country an express inhibition to pay any such Allowance telling them that neither they nor any other Committee had power to allow him any thing at all Nor could he get the fifth part which they said should be allowed his Wife And which is worse they were not ashamed after they had sequestred the Profits of his Bishoprick sold all
fain to call it so because they cannot tell how to answer it otherways and they will not lay their hands on their mouths If better were within better would come out they are fain to throw out such words because they want a substantial Apology The same Mr. Baily I remember charges the strength of one of the Bishops Reasons to be black Atheism and much worse than Pagan Scepticism o Ib. 89. By which you may see it is their manner to censure boldly and tumble out frightful words without regard to Truth For if you would know what Doctrine it is which he calls by the name of Brutish and Atheistical Maxims that 's another of his civil words p. 90 it is this That it is not lawful for Subjects to plant that which they apprehend to be true Religion by force of Arms nor to take up Arms against their Prince merely for Religion This was all the Bishop had said and not without great reason But they are Brutes or Atheists divested of all Reason or Religion who prefer not their Enthusiastical Heats before the most sober and wise Resolutions They as the Bishop speaks in the end of that Treatise are more ridiculously partial than the men of China for they talk as if they only had two eyes and all the rest of the world were stark blind So one would think this Apologist supposed when he thought to put us off with such a wretched Reply to what was objected from the Practices of the Old Nonconformists who being silenced forbore to preach and justified their silence against the Brownists who accused them for their submission to the Ecclesiastical Censures His Answer is That the Number of the ejected Ministers then was not comparable to what it is now p. 6. Which is just like the Exposition which they sometime gave of that Scripture Rom. 13.1 I conceive saith one p Natures Dowry 1652. p. 31. that those Christians who lived under the Heathenish Emperours but wanted strength to defend themselves were by that precept let every soul be subject to the higher powers obliged to sit still and to endeavour nothing against those that had the sword in their hands For it would have discovered them to be of unruly Spirits in that they proceeded wholly according to passion and not according to sober judgment So that there was nothing of Christian Virtue in their subjection but only of humane Prudence and no great store of that was necessary for they had been arrand fools if they had made a stir when they knew they could do nothing It is not want of will it seems but want of strength that keeps these men from breaking those Laws that restrain them The old Nonconformists he would have you think would have done as they do now had they been as numerous Then they would have entred into strong Combinations and slighted that Authority to which they submitted But weigh their Reasons which I alledged q In the Continuation Edit 1. 345. and shall not now repeat and you will see he casts a blot on them as well as us for they are such as will shut up the mouths of a great many as well as a few But how few were they in those daies do you think that were ejected He tells you usually not one to one hundred to what it is in our daies Ib. It is notably guessed by instinct for I dare say he hath no Author to warrant his Assertion and for once as the forenamed Bishop speaks in another case his instinct hath deceived him According to the computation of Philagathus there should not at this rate be five and twenty in all the Kingdome whereas the Humble Supplication in King James his time r An. 1609. p. 26. 31. talks of sharpness and rigour for the silencing and removing of no mean number of the worthiest Pastors in the Land insomuch that the ordinary means of Conversion from blindness and infidelity was interrupted and crossed in that so many worthy Lights had been by the Prelates removed from shining in the Church Nay one would think by their words that all who were good for any thing were silenced for they say p. 25. in an indefinite manner The faithful Ministers of the Gospel are in all disgracive and unworthy sort discarded and removed from being any longer the Lords Sentinels and Watchmen Which they repeat again p. 28. And the Defence of the Ministers Reasons for refusal of Subscription Å¿ Preface 1607. tells you of so many turned out from that high and heavenly calling that for any means of maintenance left to many of them they may seek their bread Here is such a many that being divided into two parts rich and poor one of them makes a many and therefore the whole was a great many not a few as this man affirms Nay by that time the War was begun there was none of the best sort of Ministers left if we will believe the Dialogue I mentioned t Between a Netherlander and Englishman which saith the Bishops had stript all the Assemblies of their faithfullest Preachers In this stile they were wont to speak then as they do now though I have reason to think that some of these faithfullest Preachers and Watchmen stood more upon their Credit than any thing else when they refused Subscription For I find it recorded above 60 years ago by Mr. Tho. Bell u Regiment of the church Chap. 5. that he discoursing with a Preacher about the Canons just then made 1604. against which he could alledg nothing of moment was told by him that he would neither lose his living nor yet conform to those Orders And when he demanded how that could be was answered that he would have one to do it but not do it himself And again being told he might as lawfully do it himself as procure another to do it uttered these words How can I do that against which I have so often preached which saith Mr. Bell I told him savoured of the Spirit of the proud Pharisee not of the humble Publican I thought indeed before that all their Proceedings had been out of mere Conscience which now I perceive to be of Pride in a great many of them through which manner of dealing the simpler sort become disobedient and are deeply drowned in Error and our Church pitifully turmoiled with Schisms and dissention Honest Bernard Gilpin x See his Life p. 132. 133. was of another mind who being called to subscription in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign though dissatisfied in two points of the Articles of smaller consequence yet subscribed to them least thought he with himself if I shall refuse I shall be a means to make many others to refuse and so consequently hinder the course of the word of God But perhaps you desire to know the precise Number which were then ejected and if you give Credit to one of your own Authors this man is much out of the way for
those who despised them Augustus Vespasian Titus had prosperous Successes fortunate Reigns but the poor Christians the great enemies of their Gods were dragged continually by the Hang-man to be butchered suffered the most exquisite torments and for three hundred years together were most miserably harased and barbarously used And thus Parsons I remember disputes against all the Protestants from the unhappie success of those Princes which have in any sort opposed themselves to the See of Rome as you may read at large in his Apologetical Epistle e An. 1601 sect 7. none of which I shall now stand to transcribe This is sufficient to shew what may be expected from this New Undertaker who will appear I doubt not as lame in his other reasonings as he doth in this and prove as unfit to determine Cases of Conscience as to make Observations upon Providence For first he doth not fairly and candidly represent that which I said but accuses me of such Resolutions in matters of Conscience as never came into my thoughts I am beholden to him I confess for some good words and for his favourable opinion of me but I could have been well content to have wanted them on condition he would not have said that I am so unkind and so unconscionably untender as to account that no man who transgresses an Act of Parliament can be a good Christian f In the later end of the first page nor askt Whether indeed I think that every transgression of a Realm is no less then a deadly sin There was no occasion for this Question or for that Censure unless he be of the opinion that all sins are equal so that what a man saith concerning the open breach and contempt of one Law is to be applied to all transgressions whatsoever of any Law I never said that no man can be a good Christian that transgresses an Act of Parliament nor that every transgression of a Statute is a deadly sin These are inventions of his own upon occasion onely of a single instance which I gave of Defiance to a Law wherein some men live mark my words g Friendly Debate p. 3. Edit 1. From whence he draws an universal proposition that he might the better conclude me to be a man of no great depth h P. 3 of his Case that looks not to the bottom of a business which lies before him That may very well be true for it is no easie matter But I will try a little how far I can see into this Case concerning the transgression of humane Laws which as I take it depends upon this single point Whether humane Laws binde the Conscience that is whether we sin if we be not obedient to them In the resolving of which he that findes no diâ—ficulty may well suspect that he doth not fully understand it For if on the one side we say that Conscience is not concerned I beseech you what is Nothing but our common discretion to keep our selves out of the reach of the Princes Sword whose anger and power we may dread but whose commands we need not care a straw for And if on the other side we say that Conscience is concerned and obliged by their Laws then there may follow great perplexities when any thing is commanded that proves a common and an intolerable grievance More difficulties I need not mention of this nature there being no dispute about commands to do sinful things but immediately apply my discourse to the Question And for all that which was last said since there is no greater mischief then disobedience to Laws and nothing can so certainly secure obedience as a sense of duty we must determine that a man is bound to make a conscience of observing the Laws of his Governours which are not contrary to the Laws of God So the holy Scripture it self teaches us to speak when it requires us and makes it necessary to be subject for conscience sake and not onely for wrath Rom. 13.5 that is out of a sense that we cannot be innocent and preserve a good conscience before God unless we be observant of their Laws where we are not pre-ingaged by a higher Authority then theirs The very same is included in those words which require our submission to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 which if we do not yield it is manifest the disobedience is a violation of a General precept of God exacting our obedience to them Insomuch that to set a mans self in opposition to their Laws is by interpretation to oppose the Almighty according to that of the Apostle Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the ordinance of God Yes saith this Casuist but will you pronounce thus without any distinction Doth a man commit a deadly sin every time that he transgresses an Act of Parliament I answer That 's without the limits of the Question We are not speaking of the degrees of sin which are of more or less guilt according as the Law is of greater or lesser concernment and as a mans transgression of it is with modestie or with a high hand nor are we considering when and in what cases a Law may cease to oblige and quite alters its nature but whether while it doth oblige and is in force it lays a tye on the Conscience or no and whether all Laws do so or no. And to this we say Yes Laws while they are obligatory do binde the Conscience because the Scripture saith so and we say so indefinitely because that 's the Scripture-language also But stay a little this Gentleman cannot believe that The Scripture saith the Magistrate is Gods minister to us for good Rom. 13.4 Very true and the Apostle makes that an argument why we should be obedient to him because it is much for our profit and benefit But this Casuist turns the words quite another way and makes them an outlet to disobedience by taking that to include an Exception to the General precept of subjection which is in truth Nothing but a Reason to inforce it To countenance which interpretation he tears a little patch out of Bishop Taylor 's Rule of Conscience and would draw him into confederacie with him who accommodates indeed those words of the Apostle to the illustration of a particular case but never intended any such use of them as this man makes as is apparent from the entire Body of his discourse and shall be touched afterward Now let us hear this mans Exception If the Magistrate saith he command that which is for the peoples Good and welfare they are bound in conscience to obey him otherwise they are not bound in conscience but for wrath sake that is because they dare not do as they would and as they may Very well But who shall judge of that I mean whether a Law be for the Publike good or no His Answer is ready at his tongues end for he need not go deep for it The Magistrate must judge what is
we will rather therefore draw up the Solemn League and Covenant here and send up with you some Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministers that shall see it subscribed which was accordingly done The Covenant was cried up the Scots came into England and what did they come for It was saith the Preface to Mr. Knox his History to fight the Battels of the Lord i. e. to pull down Episcopacy and to set up Presbytery in its room according to the Covenant which League and Covenant saith Mr. Rutherford was the first foundation of the ruine of the Malignant party in England f See Toleration Discuss'd p. 117. but not of Episcopacy this Gentleman would have you believe for it was declared in the Assembly that the Covenant did not bind against a Primitive Episcopacy page 31. What they mean by a Primitive Episcopacy I will not stand to enquire but this is well known that the Three Ministers in their first answer to the Divines of Aberdeen positively affirmed That Episcopacy was not abjured by their Confession nor their Covenant g See Large Declara ion p. 117. which was averred by many other Covenanters to those who otherways scrupled to enter into their Covenant And I know that some declared the same in England and yet notwithstanding nothing would satisfie but the extirpation of Episcopal power and they laboured tooth and nail to settle the Government by Presbyters alone This the people thought was the great end of the Covenant and there is no doubt but the scope of the first contrivers of it was to destroy Episcopacy root and branch This was their first work after the War was begun to send a Commissioner to the English Parliament 1642. to move them to cast out Bishops not a word of limiting them and others to the King at Oxford to sign all propositions which because he would not do they resolve to assist their Brethren against him under the name of the Common Enemy h Second Fair Wa ning p. 185. But before they came they told the Commissioners of Parliament as I shew'd you they must covenant to reform Doctrine and Discipline conform to Scotland And accordingly the same Author informs me that their Covenant came into England with such a clause as this We shall reform our Church in Doctrine and Discipline conform to the Church of Scotland i Ib. p 383 of which the Independent Brethren cheated them making that be razed out and those words inserted which we now read in it However the abolition of the Office of Bishops was their great demand of the King as Mr. R. Baily expresly affirms adding that the unhappy Prelates had found it to be their great demand from the beginning of our troubles unto this day k Review of fair Warning 1649 chap. 12. p. 76. And he plainly affirms that to deny them this satisfaction was to conclude that the King himself and all his Family and three Kingdoms should perish Why so I beseech you It could not be otherwise notwithstanding all their fine words in the beginning for they had sworn to root them out and could not break their Covenant to save three Kingdoms And therefore at last Mr. Baily perswades himself the King did consent to abolish Name and Thing not only for three years but for ever Strange when his Majesty had so often clearly protested that he could not with a good Conscience consent to it Did they force him at last to do it against his Conscience or did they give him such satisfaction that he saw at last he might safely do it Alas we dull souls do not understand the mysteries which they can find in words His Majesty consented to lay aside Bishops for three years till he and his Parliament should agree upon some settled Order for the Church Now this saith he was tantamount to for ever it being supposed mark the jugling that they can never agree to admit Episcopacy again Why so For all and every one saith he l Ib. chap. last p. 8â— in both Houses having abjured Episcopacy by solemn Oath and Covenant observe that the Parliament could not agree with the King to erect the faln Chairs of the Bishops so there remained no other but that either his Majesty should come over to their Judgment or by his not agreeing with them yet really to agree in the perpetual abolition of Episcopacy since he had granted to lay aside Bishops till he and his Houses had agreed upon a settled Order in the Church This was an admirable contrivance especially if you call to mind as the Answer tells him how there was something else agreed viz. that twenty Divines of his Majesties nomination being added to the Assembly should have a free consultation and debate about the settlement of Church-Government after those three years or sooner if differences could be composed A very free Debate this was like to be in which all Reasons that could be given for Episcopacy were shut out of doors and concluded by an Oath to be put to silence But why should I trouble my self any farther The wider indeed the hole grows in the mil-stone the clearer a man may see through it but this mans Sophistry is visible enough already nor needs there more words to shew that this modest Braggadocio vaunts himself ridiculously in the merits of his party and that Mr. Vicars and such like were not the only men that reviled and calumniated They that pretend to humility modesty and seriousness cannot forbear it But if you desire a farther tast of his Spirit I pray have so much patience as to hear how he uses me In the Preface he accuses me of railing and in his Book p. 2. of reviling without taking notice of one word that I have said in answer to these calumnies They are resolved I see to be confident and to have their saying do or say we what we can For he tells you also of my jeering scoffing false accusation and mocking lightness and drollery p 90. 92 137. but not a syllable to make good the charge No that was a hard thing but very easie to say that I write sometime what might better become some Ecclesiastical Hudibras or a Doctor of the Stage than m p. 35. c. Just thus Mr. R. Baily was pleased to answer that excellent Bishop which this man commends Dr. Bramhall Concerning the 8th Chapter of whose Fair Warning he saith it much better beseemed a Mercurius Aulicus than either a Warner or a Prelate n Review p. 48. He charges him also with gathering together an heap of Calumnies c. though as the Reply tells him that heap was nothing else but a faithful Collection of Historical Narrations which require not the credulity of the simple but the search of diligent people if they distrust them The same I say for my self they must be beholden to a new light which no body can see but themselves to make Historical truth to be a slander They are