The Profest Royalist HIS QVARRELL WITH THE TIMES MAINTAINED IN THREE TRACTS viz. The Loyall Convert The New Distemper The Whipper Whipt Opus Posthumum HEB. 11. 4. He being dead yet speaketh OXFORD Printed in the Yeere 1645. TO THE SACRED MAJESTY OF KING CHARLES My most dear and dread Soveraign SIR BE pleased to cast a gracious eye upon these three Tracts and at Your leasure if Your Royall Imployments lend You any to peruse them In Your Three Kingdoms◠You have three sorts of people The first confident faithfull The second diffident and fearfull The third indifferent and doubtfull The first are with You in their Persons Purses or desires and good wishes The second are with You neither in their Purses nor good wishes nor with their desires in their Persons The third are with You in their good wishes but neither in their Persons nor Purses nor Desires In the last entituled The Whipper Whipt these three sorts are represented in three Persons and presented to the view of Your Sacred Majesty You shall find them as busie with their Pens as the Armies are with their Pistols How they behave themselves let the People judge I appeale to Cesar. Your Majesties Honour Safety and Prosperity The Churches Truth Unity and uniformity Your Kingdoms Peace Plenty and Felicity is the continued object of his Devotion who is SIR Your Majesties Most Loyall Subject Fra Quarles THE LOYALL CONVERT VIRG. Improbus haec tam culta novalia miles habebit Barbarus has segetes HOM. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1645. To the honest hearted Reader READER I Here protest before the Searcher of all hearts that I have no End either of Faction or Relation in this ensuing Treatise I am no Papist no Sectary but a true Lover of Reformation and Peace My pen declines all bitternesse of Spirit all deceitfulnesse of heart and I may safely in this particular with Saint PAUL say I speak the truth in Christ and lye not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost that I neither walk nor write in craftinesse nor handle the holy Scriptures deceitfully Therefore if thy Cause be Iesus Christ in the name of Iesus Christ I adjure thee to lay aside all wilfull ignorance all prejudice all private Respects and Interests and all uncharitable censures Deale faithfully with thy Soule and suffer wholesome admonitions Search the severall Scriptures herein contained and where they open a Gate climbe not thou over a Stile Consult with Reason herein exercised and where it finds a mouth find thou an eare And let Truth prosper though thou perish and let God be glorified although in thy Confusion THE LOYALL CONVERT THE Kingdome of England that hath for many Ages continued the happiest Nation on the habitable earth enjoying the highest blessings that heaven can give or earth receive the fruition of the Gospell which setled a firme Peace which Peace occasioned a full Plenty under the gracious Government of wise and famous Princes over a thriving and well-contented People Insomuch that shee became the Earths Paradise and the Worlds Wonder is now the Nursery of all Sects her Peace is violated her Plenty wasting her Government distempered her People discontented and unnaturally imbroyld in her own Blood not knowing the way nor affecting the meanes to Peace Insomuch that she is now become the By-word of the Earth and the scorn◠of Nations The Cause and Ground of these our Nationall Combustions are these our Nationall Transgressions which unnaturally sprung from the neglect of that Truth we once had and from the abuse of that Peace wee now want Which taking occasion of some differences betwixt His Majestie and His two Houses of Parliament hath divided our Kingdome within it selfe which had so divided it selfe from that God who blest it with so firme a Truth so setled a Peace and so sweet an Vnity As that sinne brought this division so this division sharpned with mutuall Jealousies brought in the Sword When the Lyon roares who trembles not And when Iudgements thunder who is not troubled Among the rest I who brought some Faggots to this Combustion stood astonisht and amazed to whom the mischiefe was farre more manifest then the Remedy At last I laid my hand upon my heart and concluded It was the hand of God Where being plundered in my understanding I began to make a scrutiny where the first Breach was made that let in all these Miseries I found the whole Kingdome now contracted into a Parliament which consisted of three Estates A King a house of Peeres and a house of Commons by the Wisdome and Vnity whereof all things conduceable to the Weale-publique were be advised upon presented and established I found this Vnity disjoynted and growne to variance even to Blood The King and his Adherents on the party and his two Houses and their Adherents on the other The pretence of this division was the true Protestant Religion which both protested to maintaine the Liberty of the Subject which both protested to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament which both promise to protect Yet neverthelesse the first never profaned the second never more interrupted the third never more violated Standing amazed at this Riddle I turned mine eyes upon his Majesty and there I viewed the Lords Annointed sworne to maintain the established Lawes of this Kingdome I turned mine eyes upon the two Houses and in them I beheld the Interest of my Country sworne to obey his Majesty as their supreame Governour I heard a Remonstrance cryed from the two Houses I read it I approved it I inclined unto it A Declaration from His Majestie I read it I applauded it I adhered to the justnesse of it The Parliaments Answer I turned to the Parliament His Majesties Reply I returned to His Majestie Thus tost and turned as a Weather-cocke to my own weaknesse I resolved it impossible to serve two Masters I fled to Reason Reason could not satisfie me I fled to Policie Policy could not resolve me At length finding no Councellour but that which first I should have sought I hyed me to the Booke of God as the Great Oracle and ushering my Inquest with Prayer and Humiliation I opened the sacred leaves which not by chance presented to my first eye the 20. of the Proverbs v. 2. The feare of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon and who so provoketh him to Anger sinneth against his own soule Now I began to search and found as many places to that purpose as would swell this sheet into a Volume so that in a very short space I was so furnished with such strict Precepts backt with such strong Examples that my Iudgement was enlightned and my wavering Conscience so throughly convinced that by the Grace of that Power which directed me neither Feare nor any By-respects shall ever hereafter remove me unlesse some clearer light direct me But above all the Rest a Precept and an Example out of the Old
dum opprimitur proficit dum laeditur vincit dum arguitur intelligit tunc stat quum superari videtur OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1645. THE NEW DISTEMPER AS it is in a Principality or in a Republique The further it swerves from the first Constitution and Fundamentall Principles the faster it declines and hastens towards Ruine So is it in the Church The more she deviates and slips from her first Foundations the more she growes into Distempers and the nearer she comes to Desolation It hath been the wisdome of all Princes and Free States of former times to carry a watchfull eye upon the growing Inconvenients of their Kingdomes and Republiques That as evill manners daily breed diseases so the continuall making and execution of good lawes should daily be prescribed as Remediesâ— lest by too long neglect and sufferance the Body of the Commonwealth should grow so foule with superannuated evils and the humors waxe so prevalent that the desperatenesse of the disease might enforce them to as desperate a Remedy It is no lesse prudence and providence in those that are appointed by the Supreme power as under him chiefe Governours and Overseers of the Church to be very circumspect and not onely faithfully to exercise their Ministeriall Function by due and careful preaching of the Gospel but likewise diligently to discharge their office in governing that is in making wholsome Ordinances and duly executing them That the Inconveniences that grow daily in the Church may be daily rectified lest by too long forbearance they gather head and so become either incureable or else capable of Remedy with too great a losse The naturall Affection I so dearly owe to this my native Country to which my soule alwayes hath doth and will for ever 〈◊〉 as much happinesse as heaven can please to give permits me not to think our Church in so forlorne and desperate a Case but that it may be capable of a wholsome Cure Yet Sense and Reason flying with the naturall wings of Love and Duty bids me feare that those unnaturall Humors Pride Negligence Superstition Schisme and that Harbinger of Destruction Security have so long been gathering and now setled in her that she cannot without long time and much difficulty or else especiall providence and divine mercy be restored For the hastning whereof accuâ—sed be that unworthy Member that shall not apply the utmost of his endeavour and diligence and not returne the best of those Abilities he suckt from her in health to her advantage in this her great and deplorable extremity of Distemper The wearyed Physitian after his many fruitlesse experiments upon a consuming Body advises his drooping Patient to the place of his birth to draw that Ayre he was first bred in The likelyest way to recover our languishing Church is to reduce her to her first Constitutions that she may draw the breath of her first Principles from whence having made so long a journey her returne must take the longer time The Physitian requires not his crazie Patient to take his Progresse thither in a rumbling Coach or a rude Waggon they are too full of motion for a restlesse body nor to ride Poste the swiftnesse of the passage makes too sudden an alteration of the Climate but in an easie-going Litter the flownesse of whose pace might give him a graduall change of Ayre The safest way to reduce our languishing Church to her first Constitution is to avoid all unnaturall Commotions and violence in her passage and carefully to decline all sudden alterations which cannot be without imminent danger and to use the peace-ablest meanes that may be that nothing in her journy may interrupt her and prove too prejudiciall to her journyes end The disease of our distempered Church Cod be praised hath not as yet taken her principall parts Her doctrine of Faith is sound The Distemper onely lyes in her Discipline and Government which hath these many yeeres 〈◊〉 breeding and now broken forth to the great dishonour of her Mysticall Head Christ Jesus to the unhappy interruption of her owne Peace the Legacie of our blessed Saviour to the great disquiet of our gracious Soveraigne her Faiths Defender to the sharp affliction of his loyall Subjects her faithfull servants and to the utter ruine and destruction of this Kingdome the peacefull Palace of her Glory 1. As for her Discipline In the happy dayes of Edward the sixt when all the Romish Rubbish and Trumpery was seavengerd out of this the new Reformed Church and the wholsome doctrine of undubitable Truth was joyfully received into her gates being for many yeeres cloâ—'d with Ignorance and Error the piety and providence of her newly chosen Governours whose spirituall Abilities and valour were after characterd in their owne blood thought good in the first place to make Gods Worship the subject of their holy Consideration To which end they met and finding in the Scriptures no expresse forme of Evangelicall Discipline in each particular and therefore concluding it was left as a thing indifferent to be instituted according to the Constitutions of every Kingdome where Religion should be astablisht they advised what Discipline might best conduce to the glory of God and the benefit of his people They first debated and put to the question Whether the old Lyturgie should be corrected and purged or whether a New should be contrived Cranmer then Archbishop of Canterbury a pious moderate and learned Father of the Church and not long after a glorious Martyr finding that the old Lyturgie had some things in it derived from the Primitive Church though in many things corrupted conceived it most fitting for the peace of the Church not to savour so much of the spirit of contradiction as utterly to abolish it because the Papists used it but rather enclined to have the old Garden weeded the Errors expunged thereby to gaine some of the moderater sort of that Religion to a Conformity But Ridly Bishop of London a man though very pious yet of a quicker spirit and more violent and not many yeares after suffering Martyrdome too enclined to a contrary Opinion rather wishing a totall abolition of the old Liturgie and a new to be set up lest the tender Consciences of some should be offended The businesse being thus controverted it was at length voted for the purging of the old to which service were appointed Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Martyr Goodrick Skip Thirlby Day Holbeck Ridley Câ—x King EDWARDS Almoner Taylor Heynes Redman Bishop of Ely Hereford Westminster Chichester Lincoln Rochester Martyr after B. of London  Deane of Lincoln Martyr Exceter Westminster Master Robinson Archdeacon of Leycester Mense Maio 1549. Anno Regni Edwardi sexti tertio Whereof three were famous Martyrs and the rest men of unquestionable sanctity soundnesse and learning which being done was authorized by Act of Parliament in that blessed Kings reigne Edw. 6. and with a full Consent received into the Church of England confirmed by
Peace-makers They courage to the Persecutors He Blessedness to the persecuted They brand them with Malignity that call them blessed God was not heard in the whirlewind but in the still voice But his thoughts are not as our thoughts neither are our wayes like his wayes But whence proceeds all this even from a viperous Generation which hath long nested in this unhappy Island and those encreased Multitudes of simple soules seduced by their seeming sanctity who taking advantage of our late too great abuse of Ceremonies are turnd desperate enemies to all Order and Discipline being out of charity with the very Lords Prayer because it comes within the Popish Liturgie How many of these have lately challenged the name of sanctified Vessels for conteyning the poyson of unnaturall Sedition How many of these have usurpt the stile of well-affected for disaffected Peace How many of these have counterfeited the honour of good Patriots for largely contributing towards the Ruines of their Country How many does this Army consist of How for their sakes is Blasphemy connived at Sacriledge permitted How for their encouragement are Lyes and brasle-browd Impudencies invented nay publisht nay published in the very Pulpits and tolerated if not commanded even by them who perchance were this quarrell ended would throw the first stone 〈◊〉 them How many of our Learned Religious and Orthodox Divines who by their able Tongues and Pens have defended and maintained the true ancient and Catholique Faith and vindicated the Reformed Religion from the aspersions of her potent Adversaries are now plundered in their Goods sequestred in their Livings imprisoned in their persons if not forced in their Consciences whilest their wives and poor children begging their Bread are left to the mercy of these unmercifull times even for the encouragement of them whose pedanticke learning durst never shew her ridiculous face before an easie Schoole-man whose livelyhoods they unworthily usurpe not dispensing the bread of life but the darnell of giddy-headed fancie and sedition abhorring the way to peace and maligning those that ensue it I but we desire Peace so we may have Truth too What mean ye by having Truth The preservation of the Old Truth or the Institution of a New If ye feare the alteration of the Old having your Soveraignes Oath which you dare not beleive what other Assurance can you have The Blood you shed is certaine The change you feare is uncertaine It is no wisdome to apply a desperate Remedy to a suspected disease If the enjoyment of Peace depends upon a full Assurance of Truth our discords may beare an everlasting date God hath threatned to remove his Candlesticke and our wickednesse justly feares it And so long as we feare it shall we abjure Peace the blessed meanes to prevent it He that seeks to settle Truth by the sword distracts it Or is it a Truth ye want If so Is it of Doctrine or of Discipline If of doctrine Actum est de nostra Religione Farewell our Religion Or is it of Discipline Discipline is but a Ceremony And did the Lord of the Sabboth dispence with a morall Law for the preservation of an Oxes life or an Asses and shall we to alter some few indifferent Ceremonies allowed by the Parliaments of three pious and wise Princes and the practice of many holy Martyres who sealed the true Protestant Religion with their blood cry downe Peace and shed the blood of many thousand Christians Our seduced Protestants will have no set Formes of Prayer but what proceeds immediatly from their own Fancies This is their Truth Our Semi-Separatists will heare our Sermons if they like the Teacher but no Divine service This is their Truth Our Separatists will not communicate in our Churches nor joyâ—e in our Congregations That is their Truth Our Auabaptists will not baptize till yeares of discretion and rebaptize That is their Truth Our Antinomians will have no Repentance This is their Truth Our Independants will have an universall Parity This their Truth Good God when shall we have Peace if not till all these Truths meet But Christ sayes I come not to bring Peace but the Sword therefore for the propagation of Peace it is lawfull to use the Sword So He is termed a stumbling Blocke and does that warrant us to stumble So He sayes All you shall be offended because of me and does this patronize our Offences The Law is good and just Because then we had not knowne sin but by the Law is it therefore lawfull for us to sin God forbid Our Saviour brings the Sword among us as wholesome meat brings sicknesse to a weakely sicke stomack or physick to a body abounding with Humours not intentionally but occasionally Thus by your erronious and weak mistakes you make the Prince of Peace the Patron of your unnaturall Warre and the God of Truth the president of your unexamined errors But Almighty God the Champion of his own Truth and maintainer of his own Cause hath to more then common admiration appeared in this great enterprize He that delivered Israels handfull from the hand of Pharaohs Host hath shewed himselfe in the almost incredible proceedings of this heaven-displeasing Warre the briefe relation whereof may move those hearts that are not scared or stone to melt into a thankfull Acknowledgement of his Power and remaine as Monuments of his Mercy that children yet unborne may say hereafter God was here viz. The two Houses of Parliament made first a generall seizure of all the Armes Ammunition Castles Forts Magazines and Ships being the whole visible strength of this unhappy Kingdome to whom having now setled the Militia both by Sea and Land in their own hands tides of Proposition gold came in upon the Publicke Faith Monie like blood from the Liver conveyed through all the veines issued to make a large supply and where it stopt awhile mountaines of massie Plate from the vast Goblet to the slender Thimble this Faith removed into their safe possession And when the great Milch Cow began to â—lake they prest her Nipples and by hard streyning renewd the streame As Physitians evacuate the Body sometimes by Vomit sometimes by Purge sometimes by Phlebetomie sometimes by sweating sometimes by sluxing sometimes diuretically yet purge but the same peccant humour So did they first by Proposition then by way of Contribution now by way of Loane then by way of Subsidie no lesse then 50 at one time hereby way Assessement there by way of Twentieth part then by way of Excise one while by way of Sequestration then by way of Plunder but still the issue MONY And to work the better upon the Affections of the Multitude all this for the behoofe of King and Parliament for the pretended defence of God knowes what Religion Insomuch that Men came in like Swarmes to the next Tree or rather like treacherous Decoyes with their innocent Multitude into the Net and Horses without Number Thus were they supplyed with all necessaries which
the Arme of flesh could provide for the waging of an inconquerable warre whereon the money already expended makes no lesse figures then 17. Millions Sterl besides the Revenues of the King Queen Prince Duke of Yorke and the whole Estates of all such that take up Armes against them besides free Quarter and Souldiers yet unpayd His Majesty on the other side driven away with a few Attendants not having among them so many Swords and Pistols as these had Cannons wanting both Mony Horses and Ammunition onely what hee received from the piety of some beleiving Subjects whose eares were Pamphlet-proofe against all defamations and scandals cast upon sacred Majesty finding slender Provision in his own Dominions and that stopt or seized which came from forreigne parts No Shipping but what he purchast with the precious and extream hazard of his few but valiant Subjects No Armes but what he gained by the couragious venture of his own neglected life the subject of our continuall Prayers Yet hath God covered his head in the day of battaile and blest him with such successe that He is by the Divine Providence become a great Master of the Field and almost able to maintain fight with his own Ships at Sea The God of Heaven blesse him and prosper him and make his dayes as the dayes of Heaven that being here the Faiths defender he may still bee defended by the Object of that Faith Nor is the providentiall hand of God more visible in prospering him then in punishing his Enemies whose ruines may remain as Sea-marks to us and Pyramids of Gods Power whereof a touch Sir Iohn Hotham then Governour of Hull who first defied and dared his Soveraigne to his face what is become of him How stands he a Marke betwixt two dangers having nothing left him but guilt enough to make him capable of a desperate Fortune Master Hambden that first waged Law and then Warre against his own naturall Prince hath not he since these unhappy troubles began been first punished with the losse of children nay visited to the third Generation to the weakning if not ruining of his Family and then with the losse of his own life in the same place where hee first took up Armes against his gracious Soveraign was it not remarkeable that the Lord Brooke who often excepted against that clause in the Lyturgie From sudden death good Lord deliver us was slaine so suddenly who was so severe an enemy against Peace should perish in the same Warre he so encouraged Who so bitterly inveyed against Episcopall Government should be shot dead out of a Cathedrall Church who labouring to put out the left eye of establisht Government his left eye and life were both put out together How is Duke Hamilton scarce warme in his new Honour taken in his own snare having entangled his Lord and Master in so many inconveniences How is Holland whose livelyhood was created by his Soveraignes favour branded with a double treachery and like a Shittlecocke fallen at the first return and scarce able to raise himselfe by a sorry Declaration Is not Bristoll Fines who at his Councell of Warre condemned and executed innocent blood himselfe condemned pleading innocence at a Councell of Warre from the mouth of his owne Generall though finding perchance more Mercy then he either deserved or shewed But that blood that cryed to him for Mercy will cry to Heaven for vengeance And are not many more ripe for the same Iudgment whose notorious Crimes have branded them for their respective punishments How many of those blood-preaching Ministers have died expectorating Blood whilst others at this time labouring under the same disease can find no Art to promise a Recovery All whom I leave to possible Repentance and passe over Cromwell that profest defacer of Churches witnesse Peterborough and Lincolne c. and Rifeler of the Monuments of the dead whose prophane Troopers if Fame has not forgot to speake a Truth waterd their horses at the Font and fed them at the Holy Table that Cromwell Sandes whose sacrilegious Troopers committed such barbarous insolencies with his at least connivance in the Church of Canterbury and used such inhumane tortures on the tender brests of women to force confession of their hidden goods the golden subjects of their Robbery What can the first expect and what reward the other hath found I neither prophecie nor judge If these and such as they doe fight for the Reformed Religion God deliver every good man both from them and it Cursed be their wrath for it is fierce and their Anger for it is cruell These and of such many are they that whilst they pretend a Reformation need first to be reformed Nor do I in taxing this Army of such impious Barbarismes excuse or rather not condemne the other whereof no question too great a number are as equally profane whilst all together make up one body of wickednesse to bring a ruine on this miserable Kingdome for whose impieties His Majesty hath so often suffered I but His Majesties Army besides those looser sorts of people consists of numerous Papists the utter enemies of true Religion To whom the King hath sworne his protection from those hee may require assistance But unto all his people as well Papists as Protestants hee hath sworne his protection therefore from all his subjects as well Papists as Protestants he may require assistance Neither does he call in Papists as Papists to maintaine Religion as himselfe hath alwayes manifested but as subjects to subdue or at least qualifie Sedition The ayde of the subject is either in his person or in his purse both are requireable to the service of a Soveraigne Put case His Majesty should use the assistance of none but Protestants tell me would ye not be apt to cavill that he is favourable to the Papists neither willing to endanger their persons nor endammage their purses or at least that they are reserved for a last blow Or in case Papists should largely underwrite to your Propositions send in Horses Armes or other Provisions would you not accept it and for its sake their persons too Are you so strict in your Preparations as to catechize every souldier Or to examine first every Officers Religion Or having the proffer of a good Popish or debaucht Commander tell me should he be denied his Commission Remember Sir Arthur Ashton whom His Majesty entertaines by your Example These things indifferently considered it will manifestly appeare that the honest minded vulgar are meerly seduced under the colour of piety to be so impious as by poysoning every action of their lawfull Prince to foster their implicite Rebellion But in case your side should prosper and prevaile what then would then our Miseries be at an end Reason tels us No God keeps us from the experience Think you that Government whether new or reformed which is set up by the sword must not be maintained by the sword And how can Peace and Plenty bee consistent with perpetuall
divers Acts of Parl. in the dayes of Q◠Eliz. King Iames and King Charles our now gracious Soveraigne whom Almighty God long preserve But this establisht Discipline had no sooner being but enemies of which sort the devill hath alwayes instruments to nip the Plants of Religion in the Bud whose number daily since encreasing grew hotter and hotter in opposition and stronger and stronger in faction being too long for peace fake conniv'd at and at last too unseasonably and violently opposed insomuch that the disease in these our late dayes grew too powerfull for the Remedy so that the Distemper of our Church in that respect is growne so high that I feare Phlebotomy will rather produce a further languishment being already come to Madnesse then a Cure Nay so far have the Enemies of this establisht Government and Discipline given way to their exorbitant and refractory Opinion that they will neither allow the Matter nor the Forme nor the Authority and testimony of the Composers 1. Not the Matter though they cannot but acknowledge it in the generall to be very good yet because it was unsanctified by superstitious lips 2. Not the Forme because set and composed by Humane Invention 3. Not the Composers because Bishops and so though Martyrs for the Cause of God and his true Religion Members of Antichrist 1. As for their Exceptions against the Matter how ridiculous they are let Reason judge Have not superstitious tongues and eyes viewed and read the Scriptures in their very Originall and purity Shall therefore the Scriptures be disallowed Have not superstitious persons profaned our Churches with their Popish Doctrines Sacraments and Ceremonies and shall our Churches therefore be cryed downe or shut against the Ordinances of God because those Poets were Heathenish was S. Paul afraid to use their sayings Was the Spirit of God too blame to endite them Good things abused work evill effects upon the abusers but lose not their goodnesse by the Abuse 2. As for their Exceptions against the Forme being set and not conceived the Authority of the Scriptures I hope will answer God the Father warrants it God the Son prescribes it God the holy Ghost allowes it 1. God the Father warrants it in the Old Testament at the time of the Law by his command to Moses Numb 6. 21. where he gives him a set forme and words to blesse the people The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee 2. God the Sonne prescribes it in the New Testament in the time of the Gospel Whe◠S. Iohn the Baptist had taught his Disciples to pray the Disciples of Jesus Christ whose house was called the house of Prayer humbly requested the fame boone from him who prescribed them that Forme which he had formerly used in the end of his Sermon Mat. 6. 9. which he intended not as a Model as some would have it but a very Prayer it selfe to be used in those very words as they were delivered Luke 11. 2. not After this manner but when ye pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say That he will'd the same words to be used is evident For his Disciples would be taught as Iohn taught his And how were they taught S. Iohn taught them the words onely he could not give them the Spirit to make an extemporary descant upon them So that being a direct Set Forme it warranted Set Formes which were used from the beginning of the Primitive Church from whence this part of our Discipline had her originall 3. God the holy Spirit allowes it Who dare question that the holy Spirit inspired S. Paul in all his Epistles written to the Churches In all which Epistles he concludes with this one Prayer The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. 3. As for their exceptions against the Composers of this Lyturgie who were no lesse then holy Martyrs and by Fire-light saw more Revelations then these Objectors did by day-light men of approved learning and true piety though some have impudence and spirituall pide enough to think their owne abilities and inspiratious to flye a higher pitch and Ignorance enough to acknowledge greater knowledge in themselves yet the most humble able and truly sanctified minds have alwaies had Martyrdome in so high reverence that they conclude that God that made their blood the seed of the Church and gave them the courage and honour to dye in the maintenance of the Truth would not permit that seed to bring forth such darnel of superstition or them to die guilty of those Errors they so resolutely cryed down with their dying blood 2. As for her government by Episcopacie the extirpation wherof being a great addition to her Distemper It hath as much or more Ius Divinum to plead then that which endeavours to demolish succeed it Presbyterie Both are but mentioned in the Scripture at large but no particular Rules for the executing the office of either which being left wholly as arbitrary it rests in the power of the Supreme Magistrate whom God hath constituted his Vicegerent to choose and establish which may best be found consistent with the Constitutions of the Kingdome and stand to most advantage with the civil Government But admit the Civil Government will stand with either When the Balances stand eavenly poised the least Grain turns it In things indifferent the smallest circumstance casts it This Island of Bitaine if we look back above 1400 yeares being a long Prescription when she first received the Faith was then governed by King Lucius whom God made a great Instrument for reducing of this Kingdome from Paganisme who sending to Rome and accommodated from thence with two Christian and learned Divines by their labours and Gods assistance upon them planted the Gospel At the beginning of which plantation Arch-Flamins and Flamins were put downe and in their roome Archbishops and Bishops were introduced which Government successively continued and flourisht through the reigns of many wise Princes confirmed by many Acts of Parliament since the Reformation exercised and approved by holy Martyrs and allowed of as most fitting until the yeare of our Lord 1641. At which time multitudes of the lower sort of people throughout this Kingdome petitioned and tumultuously troubled the Parliament so that some of the Members perchance according to their inclination and others for quietnesse sake consented to the abolition and extirpation of Episcopacy the unadviz'd Contents of their clamorous Petitions Now if these Governments Hierarchicall and Presbyteriall be indifferent these Circumstances First of the time when Episcopall Government began Secondly of the unintermissive continuance for so many Ages Thirdly the credit of the persons confirming and approving it me thinks should cast such a kind of necessity upon it that the other being an untry'd Government and having no consent or approbation from the Supreme Magistrate and being onely cryed in by the Ignorant multitude affected to novelties and change should have no wise friend to plead for
and executed against sectaries But to returne to our first matter Admit Episcopacy were a Government accidentally inconvenient and that a more fitting Government were discovered prepared and made ready to be set up It would be but a new untryed Government and not experimentally known what proportion it would beare without temporall Constitutions A horse may be well metled and conditioned and every way commendable for the saddle yet not draw well in a Coach or Chariot A great part of our Common-Law is built upon the Cases of Bishops insomuch that if that Government be changed there must be a necessary alteration of many Lawes of the land And what inconvenience may arise from such an Alteration I leave to the Judgment of Lawyers being not unworthy of some Consideration But let these things be accompted not Inconveniencyes and that the Hierarchicall Government is fit to be demolished either for the abuse of it by some few exorbitant Prelates or for the mischiefes that follow in respect of it self in that it administers such occasion of offence yet the too sudden Execution of a busines of so great a consequence and concernment gives a livelier testimony of passion then discretion if Polititions may have credit and savours of extremity which is opposite to all virtue and too much rashnesse the distemper of all serious and honorable undertakings Too sudden an Alteration in matters of small moment passes not without some inconvenience but in things of such a nature as a Government nay a Church government too the nursery of the whole Kingdoms happinesse or misery it cannot be without imminent danger but the sudden alteration of a fundamentall Government of the Church which necessarily carryes the State with it threatens nay brings no lesse then unavoidable ruine to both A Rashnesse too much we feare relishing of private ends to demolish that government in twelve moneths which hath been setting up and maintained by as wise generations as ours above fourteene hundred yeeres How happy had it been for this at that time prosperous but now miserable Kingdome had we taken the advantage of that greatest blessing that ever gracious Prince conferred upon unthankfull Subjects the Trienniall Parliament wherein we might every 3 years have inspected this new recoverd Kingdome and kept it alwayes in a perfect Crisis the approaching Terror whereof would not have afforded popular evils so long a time or liberty to root themselves or gather head against the peace and welfare of our happy Government through the benefit whereof we might have taken an advantageous leisure and mature deliberation to ripen every Bill and by degrees to rectifie every nonag'd Grievance and indeed what happines was there which we had not then an offerd opportunity to bring upon this now unhappy Land The Government of the State as in many things it was reduced into an excellent temper so questionlesse had not this unnaturall difference interposed it had in all things by the continued goodnesse and favour of His Sacred Majesty been perfected to the comfort of us and the happinesse of succeeding Generations The Government of the Church likewise might by the vertue of the granted Trienniall been narrowly and exactly searcht into The Governours strictly observed The Bad turned out and changed for better They that deserved punishment punisht according to their misdemeanours Others lesse offending through some neglect reproved and checkt and upon no amendment the next Trienniall proceeded against accordingly The Fig-tree was not presently cut downe Root and Branch but suffered till another yeare And punishments before an Admonition are too rashly and severely inflicted Thus by this graduall and Trienniall Course Mercy and Justice would have incorporated the Government of the Church had been establisht the peace of this Kingdome had been secured the bad Governours had been rectified or removed the good encouraged and honoured and Peace and Truth had kist each other But the multitudes of these our nationall sins were too great to permit so great a Blessing on this Nation as the benefit of this Trienniall Prrliament God suffered Abraham to see the holy Land but for the transgressions of the people not to possesse it God shewed us a glimpse of that mercy which our sins made us unworthy to enjoy and snacht it from us In which respect we are now left to our owne wayes and governed by our owne Inventions and what is worsâ— we are neither penitent for our nationall sins nor our owne nor what is worst of all sensible of Gods Iudgements nor our owne miseries How often have our Moderne Ministers in their unmeditated prayers before the open Congregation given God joyfull thanks for these blessed times Whereas if their hearts had not been hasty to utter any things before God they might have rather petitioned for a removall of these his terrible judgements How often have they prayed for the continuance of these happy dayes â— whereas had not their mouthes been rash they might better have deprecated those miseries How often have they in their Sermons blasphemously challenged God upon the forfeiture of his Justice to crowne their Cause with Victory How often instead of wholsome doctrine have they delivered such reports as their Consciences knew Fables and were before next Sabboth Lyes upon Record How often have they preached downe Subjection to Princes and encouraged the Sword to grow warme in the blood of Christians How often have they Articled against Orthodoxe able and learned Divines and crowded themselves into their Livings who upon my certaine knowledge some of them can neither make true Latine nor write good English and then lay their preferment upon the wisdome of the Parliament How many children above a yeare old because their fathers are suspected to be loyall to their Prince continue unbaptiz'd many parishes can witnesse How long time is it since the last Sacrament of the Lords Supper was administred let the people tell if their memories be so good and then the Elements deliverd in their owne new devised words These are now the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel of Peace These the Ministers of this blessed Reformation These the men that must pull downe Antichrist out of his seat and set up Christ Iesus in his throne Nay rather these are they that for filthy lucre carry men about with divers and strange doctrines These are the men that in former times separated themselves sensuall having not the Spirit These are they that despise dominion and speak evill of dignities These are such as have gone the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and have perished in the gaine-saying of Core The feare spyes in your feasts of charity feeding themselves without feare clouds that are without Water carried about with the winde rageing waves of the Sea foâ—eing out their own shame to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Is not this a blessed Priesthood Are not these rare materialls for a hopefull Presbytery 〈◊〉