understandings are soonest received into their hearts and aptest to excite and carry along with them judicious and fervent affections Nor doe I see any reason why Christians should be weary of a wel-composed Liturgy as I hold this to be more than of all other things wherein the constancy abates nothing of the excellency and usefulnesse I could never see any Reason why any Christian should abhor or be forbidden to use the same forms of prayer since he prayes to the same God believes in the same Saviour professeth the same Truths reads the same Scriptures hath the same duties upon him and feels the same daily wants for the most part both inward outward which are common to the whole Church Sure we may as wel before-hand know what we pray as to whom we pray in what words as to whatsense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same words our appetite and disgestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our daily bread Some men I heare are so impatient not to use in all their devotion their own invention and gifts that they not only disuse as too many but wholly cast away contemn the Lords Prayer whose great guilt is that it is the warrant originall pattern of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church I ever thought that the proud ostentation of mens abilities for invention and the vain affectations of variety for expressions in Publique Prayer or any sacred Administrations merits a greater brand of sinne than that which they call Coldnesse and Barrennesse Nor are men in those noveltyes lesse subject to formall and superficiall tempers as to their hearts than in the use of constant Formes where not the words but mens hearts are too blame I make no doubt but a man may be very formal in the most extemporary variety and very fervently devout in the most wonted expressions Nor is God more a God of variety than of constancy Nor are constant Forms of Prayers more likely to flat hinder the Spirit of prayer devotion than un-premeditated confused variety to distract and lose it Though I am not against a grave modest discreet humble use of Ministers gifts even in publique the better to fit excite their own the Peoples affections to the present occasions yet I know no necessity why private and single abilityes should quite justle out and deprive the Church of the joynt abilityes concurrent gift of many learned and godly men such as the Composers of the Service booke were who may in all reason be thought to have more of gifts and graces enabling them to Compose with serious deliberation concurrent advise such Forms of prayers as may best fit the churches common want inform the Hearers understanding and stir up that fiduciary and fervent application of their spirits wherein consists the very life and soul of prayer and that so much pretended Spirit of prayer than any private man by his solitary abilities can be presumed to have which what they are many times even there where they make a great noise and shew the affectations emptinesse impertinency rudenesse confusions flatnesse levity obscurity vain and ridiculous repititions the senselesse and oft-times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most tedious and intolerable length do sufficiently convince all men but those who glory in that Pharisaick way Wherein men must be strangely impudent and flatterers of themselves not to have an infinite shame of what they so do and say in things of so sacred a nature before God the Church after so ridiculous indeed profane a manner Nor can it be expected but that in dutyes of frequent performance as Sacramentall administrations and the like which are stil the same Ministers must either come to use their own forms constantly which are not like to be sound or comprehensive of the nature of the duty as Forms of Publick composure or else they must euery time affect new expressions when the subject is the same which can hardly be presumed in any mans greatest sufficiencyes not to want many times much of that compleatnesse order and gravity becomming those duties which by this means are exposed at every celebration to every Ministers private infirmities indispositions errours disorders defects both for judgment and expression A serious sense of which inconvenience in the Church unavoidably following every mans severall manner of officiating no doubt first occasioned the wisdom piety of the Ancient churches to remedy those mischiefs by the use of constant Lyturgies of publick composure The want of which I believe this Church will sufficiently feel when the unhappy fruits of many mens un-governed ignorance and confident defects shall be discovered in more errours scismes disorders and uncharitable distractions in Religion which are already but too many the more is the pity However if violence must needs bring in and abet those innovations that men may not seem to have nothing to do which Law Reason Religion forbids at least to be so obtruded as wholy to justle out the publick Lyturgy Yet nothing can excuse that most unjust and partiall severity of those men who either lately had subscribed to used and maintained the Service-book or refusing to use it cryed out of the rigour of the Laws and Bishops which suffered them not to use the liberty of their consciences in not using it That these men I say should so suddenly change the Lyturgie into a Directory as if the Spirit needed help for invention though not for expressions or as if matter prescribed did not as much stint and obstruct the Spirit as if it were cloathed in and confined to fit words So slight and easie is that Legerdemain which will serve to delude the vulgar That further they should use such severity as not to suffer without penalty any to use the Common-Prayer-Book publickly although their Consciences binde them to it as a duty of piety to GOD and Obedience to the Laws Thus I see no men are prone to be greater Tyrants and more rigorus exacters upon others to conform to their illegall novelties then such whose pride was formerly least disposed to the obedience of lawfull Constitutions and whose licentious humours most pretended Conscientious liberties which freedome with much regret they now allow to Me and My Chaplains when they may have leave to serue Me whose abilities euen in their extemporary way come not short of the other but their modesty and learning far exceeds the most of them But this matter is of so popular a nature as some men knew it would not bear learned and sober debates least being convinced by the evidence of Reason as well as Laws they shoulâ— have been driven either to sinne more againsâ— their knowledge by taking away the Lyturgy or to displease some faction of the people by continuing the use of it Though I believe they have offended more considerable men not only for their numbers estate
made choice of men as no way that I know scandalous so every way eminent for their learning and piety no lesse than for their Loyalty nor can I imagine any exceptions to be made against them but only this that they may seem too able and too wel affected toward me and My service But this is not the first service as I count it the best in which they have forced Me to serve My self though I must confesse I bear with more greif and impatience the want of My Chaplains than of any other My Servants and next if not beyond in some things to the being sequestred from my Wife and Children since from these indeed more of humane and temporary affections but from those more of heavenly and eternall improvements may be expected My comfort is that in the inforced not neglected want of ordinary means God is wont to afford extraordinary supplies of his gifts and graces If his Spirit will teach me help My infirmities in prayer reading and meditation as I hope he will I shall need no other either Orator or Instructer To Thee therefore O my God doe I direct my now solitary prayers what I want of others help supply with the more immediate assistances of thy Spirit which alone can both enlighten My darkness and quicken My dulnesse O thou Sun of righteousnesse thou sacred Fountaine of heavenly light and heat at once cleare and warme my heart both by instructing of me and interceding for me In thee is all fulnesse from thee all-sufficiency By thee is all acceptance Thou art company enough and comfort enough Thou art my King be also my Prophet and my Priest Rule me teach me pray in me for me and be thou ever with me The single wrestlings of Jacob prevailed with thee in that sacred Duell when he had none to second him but thy selfe who didst assist him with power to overcome thee by a welcome violence to wrest a blessing from thee O look on me thy Servant in infinite mercy whom thou didst once blesse with the ioynt and sociated Devotions of others whose fervencie might inflame the coldnesse of my affections towards thee when we went to or met in thy House with the voice of Iâ—y and gladnesse worshiping thee in the unity of spirits and with bond of Peace O forgive the neglect and not improving of those happy opportunities It is now thy pleasure that I should be as a Pelican in the wildernesse as a Sparrow on the House top and as a coale scattered from all those pious glowings and devout reflections which might best â—indle preserve and encrease the holy fire of thy graces on the Altar of my heart whence the sacrifice of prayers and incense of praises might be duly offered up to thee Yet O thou that breakest not the bruized Reed nor quenchest the smoaking Flax do not despise the weaknesse of my prayers nor the smotherings â—f my soul in this uncomfortable loneness to which I am constrained by some mens uncharitable deniâ—lls of those helps which I much want and no lesse desire O let the hardnes of their hearts occasion the softnings of mine to thee and for Them Let their hatred kindle my love let their unreasonable deâ—â—alls of my Religious desires the more excite my prayers to thee Let their inexorahle deafnesse encline thine eare to me who art a God easie to be â—ntreated thine eare is not heavy that it cannot nor thy heart hard that it will not heare nor thy â—and shortned that it cannot help Mâ— thy desolate Suppliant Thou permittest men to deprive me of those outâ—ard means which thou hast appointed in thy Church but they cannot debarre me from the comâ—union of that inward grace which thou alone â—reathest into humble hearts O make mâ— such and thou wilt teach me thou â—ilt hear me thou wilt help me The broken and â—â—ntrite heart I know thou wilt not despise Thou O Lord canst aâ— once make me thy Temple â—hy Priest thy sacrifice and thine Altar while from an humble heart I alone daily offer up in holy meditations fervent prayers and unfeigned tears my self to thee who preparest me for thee dwelle sâ— in me â—ad acceptest of me Thou O Lord didst cause by secret supplyes miraculous infusions that the handful of meal in the vessell should not spend nor the little oyl in the cruise fail the Widow during the time of drought and dearth O look on my soul which as a Widow is now desolate and forsaken let not those saving truths I have formerly learned now fail my memory nor the sweet effusions of thy Spirit which I have sometime felt now be wanting to wy heart in this famine of ordinary and wholsome food for the refreshing of My Soul Which yet I had rather chuse than to feed fom those hands who mingle my bread with ashes and my wine with gall rather torme nting than teaching me whose mouâ—hs are proner to bitter reproaches of me â—hen to hearty prayers for me Thou knowest O Lord of truth how oft they wrest thy holy Scriptures to my destruction which are clear for their subiection and my preservation O let it not be to their damnation Thou knowest how some men under colour of long prayrs have sought to devour the houses of their Brethren their King and their God O Let not those mens balms break my head nor their Cordialls oppresse my heart I will evermore pray against their wickednesse From the poyson under their tongues from the snares of their lips from the fire and the swords of their words ever deliver Me O Lord and all those Loyall and Religious hearts who desire and delight in the prosperity of my soule and who seek by their prayers to relieve this sadnesse and solitude of thy servant O my King and my God 25. Penitentiall Meditations and Vowes in the Kings solitude at Holmeby GIve eare to my words O Lord consider my Meditations aud hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray I said in my hast I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes neverthelesse thou hearest the voice of my supplication when I cry unto thee If thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is don amisse who can abide it But there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared therefore shall sinners fly unto thee I acknowledge my sius before thee which have the aggravation of my condition the eminency of my place adding weight to my offence Forgive I beseech thee my Personall and my Peoples sinnes which are so far mine as I have not improved the power thou gavest me to thy glory and my Subiects good Thou hast now brought Me from the glory and freedom of a King to be a Prisoner to my oun Subiects Justly O Lord as to thy over-ruling hand because in many things I have rebelled against thee Though Thou hast restrained my Person yet enlarge my heart to Thee thy grace towards Me. I
Cannon know any respect of Persons In vaine is My Person excepted by a Parenthesis of words when so many hands are armed against Me with Swords God knowes how much I have studied to seâ— what ground of Justice is alledged for this Wa against Me that so I might by giving just satisfaction either prevent or soone end so unnaturall a motion which to many men seemâ— rather the productions of a surfeit of peace anâ— wantonnesse of minds or of private discontents Ambition and Faction which easily find o make causes of quarrell then any reall obstructions of publick Justice or Parliamentary Priviledge But this is pretended and this I must be abâ— to avoid and answer before God in My owâ— Conscience however some men are not wiâ—ling to believe Me lest they should condemâ— themselves VVhen I first with drew from White-hall â— see if I could allay the insolency of the Tumulâ— of the not suppressing of which no account i Reason can be given where an orderly Guaâ— was granted but only to oppresse both Mine aâ— the Two Houses freedome of declaring and voting according to every mans Conscience whâ— obstructions of Justice were there further the this that what seemed just to one man might nâ— seeme so to another VVhom did I by powâ— protect against the Justice of Parliament That some men withdrew who feared tâ— partiality of their tryal warned by My Loâ— of Straffords death while the vulgar threatned to be their Oppressors and Judgers of their judges was from that instinct which is in all creatures to preserve themselves If any others refused to appear where they evidently saw the cur rent of Iustice freedom so stopped and troubled by the Rabble that their lawfull Judges either durst not come to the houses or not declare their sense with liberty safety it cannot seem strange to any reasonable man when the sole exposing them to publick odium was enough to ruine them before the cause could be heard or tryed Had not factious Tumults overborn the Freedom and Honour of the two Houses had they asserted their Iustice against them made the way open for all the Members quietly to come and declare their Consciences I know no man so dear to Me whom I had the least inclination to advise either to withdraw himselfe or deny appearing upon their summons to whose sentence according to Law I think every Subject bound to stand Distempers indeed were risen to so great a height for want of timely repressing the vulgar insolencies that the greatest guilt of those which were Voted demanded as Delinquents was this That they would not suffer themselves o be over-aw'd with the Tumults and their Paâ—ons nor compelled to abet by their suffrages â—r presence the designs of those men who agiated innovations and ruine both in Church â—â—ate In this point I could not but approve their generous constancy and catiousnesse further then this I did never allow any mans refractorinesse against the Priviledges and Orders of the Houses to whom I wished nothing more then Safety Fulnesse and Freedom But the truth is some men and those not many despairing in fair and parliamentary ways by free deliberations and Votes to gain the concurrence of the Major part of Lords and Commonâ— betook themselves by the desperate activity o factious Tumults to sift and terrifie away aâ— those Members whom they saw to be of contrary minds to their purposes How oft was the businesse of the Bishops enjoying their Ancient places and undoubted Priviledges in the House of Peers carried for theâ— by far the Major part of Lords Yet after fiâ— repulses contrary to all Order and Custome â— was by tumultuary instigations obtruded again and by a few carried when most of the Peeâ— were forced to absent themselvs In like manner was the Bill against Root aâ— Branch brought on by tumultuary Clamours â— schismaticall Terrours which could never pasâ— till both houses were sufficiently thinned aâ— over-awed To which Partiality while in all reâ—son Justice and Religion My conscience forbâ— Me by consenting to make up their Votes â— Acts of Parliament I must now be urged wiâ— an Army and constrained either to hazard M owne and My Kingdoms ruins by My Defence or prostrate My Conscience to the blind obedience of those men whose zealous superstition thinks or pretends they cannot do God and the Church a greater service than utterly to destroy that Primitive Apostolicall and anciently Universall Government of the Church by Bishops Which if other mens Iudgements bind them to maintaine or forbids them to consent to the abolishing of it Mine much more who besides the grounds I have in My Iudgement have also a most strikt and indispensable Oath upon My Conscience to preserve that Order and the Rights of the Church to which most Sacrilegious and abhorred Perjury most un-beseeming a Christian King should I ever by giving My consent be betrayed I should account it infinitely greater misety then any hath or can befall Me in as much as the least sinne hath more evill in it then the greatest affliction Had I gratified their Anti-episcopall Faction at first in this point with My consent and sacrificed the Ecclesiasticall Government and Revenues to the fury of their covetousnesse ambition and Revenge I believe they would then have found no colourable necessity of raising an Army to fetch in and punish Delinquents That I consented to the Bill of putting the Bishops out of the House of Peers was done with a firme perswasion of their contentednâ— to suffer a present diminution in their Rights and Honour for My sake and the Common weals which I was confident they would readily yeeld unto rather then occasion by the leaâ— obstruction on their part any dangers to Me o to My Kingdome That I cannot adde My consent for the totall extirpation of that Government which I have often offered to all fit regulations hath so much further tie upon My Conscience as what I think Religious and Apostolicall and so very Sacred and Divine as no to be dispensed with or destroyed when what â— only of civill Favor and priviledge of Honoâ— granted to men of that Order may with theâ— consent who are concerned in it be annuâ— led This is the true state of those obstruction pretended to be in point of Justice and Authority of Parliament when I call God to witneâ— I knew none of such consequence as was wort speaking of a VVarre being only such as Jâ—stice Reason and Religion had made in My ow and ther mens Consciences Afterwards indeed a great shew of Delinquents was made which were but consequeâ—ces necessarily following upon Mine or other withdrawing from or defence against viâ—lence but those could not be the first occasion of raising an Army against Me. VVherein was so far from preventing them as the have declared often that they might seeme to have the advantage and Justice of the defensive part and load Me with all the envy injuries of first assaulting them
above mine Own the salvations of mens souls above the presevation of their Bodies and Estates Nor may any men I think without sinne and presumption forcibly endeavour to cast the Churches under my care and tuition into the moulds they have fancied and fashioned to their designes till they have first gained my consent and resolved both my own and other mens Consciences by the strength of their reasons Other violent motions which are neither Manly Christian nor Loyall shall never either shake or settle my religion nor any mans else who knowes what Religion means and how farre it is removed from all Faction whose proper engine is force the arbitrator of beasts noâ— of reasonable men much lesse of humble Christians and loyall Subjects in matters of religion But men are prone to have such high conceits of themselves that they care not what cost they lay out upon their opinions especially those that have some temptation of gaine to recompence their losses and hazards Yet I was not more scandalized at the Scots Armies comming in against my will and their forfeiture of so many obligations of duty and gratitude to me then I wondred how those here could so much distrust Gods assistance who so much pretended Gods cause to the People as if they had the certainty of some divine Revelation considering they were more then competently furnished with my Subjects Armes and Ammunition My Navy by Sea my Forts Castls and Cities by Land But I find that men jealous of tue Jnstifiablenesse of their doings and designes before God never think they have hnmane strength enough to carry their work on seem it never so plausible to the People what cannot be justified in Law or Religion had need be fortified with Power And yet such is the inconstancy that attends all minds engaged in violent motion that whom some of them one while earnestly invite to come into their assistance others of them soone after are weary of and with nauseating cast them out what one Party thought to rivet to a setlednesse by the strength and influence of the Scots that the other rejects and contemnes at once despising the Kirk Government and â—iscipline of the Scots and frustrating the successe of so chargable more then charitable assistance For sure the Church of England might have purchased at a farre cheaper rate the truth and happinesse of Reformed government and discipline if it had been wanting though it had entertained the best Divines of Christendome for their advice in a full and free Synod which I was ever willing to and desirous of that matters being impartially setled might be more satisfactory to all and more durable But much of Gods justice and mans folly will at length be discovered through all the filmes and pretensions of Religion in which Politicians wrap up their designes In vaine do men hope to build their piety on the ruines of Loylty Nor can those confederations or designes 〈◊〉 durable when Subjects make bankrupt of their Allegiance under pretence of setting up a quicker trade for Religion But as my best Subjects of Scotland never deserted Me so I cannot think that the most are gone so far from Me in a prodigality of their love and respects toward Me as to make Me to despair of their return when besides the bonds of nature and Conscience which they have to Me all Reason and true policy will teach them that their chiefest interest consists in their fidelity to the Crown not in their serviceablenesse to any party of the People to a neglect and betraying of My Safety and Honour for their advantages However the lesse cause I have to trust to men the more I shall apply my self to God The Troubles of My Soul are enlarged O Lord bring thou Me out of My distresse Lord direct thy Servant in the wayes of that pious simplicity which is the best policy Deliver Me from the combined strength of those who have so much of the Serpents subtilty that they forget the Doves Innocency Though hand ioyne in hand yet let them not prevaile against My soule to the betraying of My Conscience and Honour Thou O Lord caâ—st turne the hearts of thâ—se Parties in both Nations as thou didst the men of Judah and Israel to restore David with as much loyall Zeal as they did with inconstancy and eagernesse pursve him Preserve the love of thy Truth and uprightnes in me and I shall not despair of My Subjects affections returning towards me Thou canst soone cause the overflowing Seas to ebb and retire back again to the bounds which thou hast appointed for them O my God I trust in thee let me not be ashamed let not my Enemies triumph over me Let them be ashamed who transgress without a cause let them be turned back that persecute my Soule Let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me for I wait on thee O Lord. Redeem thy Church O God out of all its Troubles 14 Vpon the Covenant THe Presbyterian Scots are not to be hired at the ordinary rate of Auxiliarie nothing will induce them to engage till those that call them in have pawned their Soules to them by a Solemne League and Covenant Where many engines of religious and faire pretensions are brought chiefly to batter or rase Episcopacy This they make the grand evill Spirit which with some other Imps purposely added to make it more odious and terrible to the Vulgar must by so solemne a charme and exorcisme be cast out of this Church after more than a thousand yeares possession here from the first plantation of Christianity in this Island and an universall prescription of time practise in all other Churches since the Apostles times till this last Century But no Antiquity must plead for it Presbytery like a young Heyr thinks the Father hath lived long enough and impatient not to be in the Bishops Chair Authority though Lay-men go away with the Revenues all art is used to sink Episcopacy and lanch Presbytery in England which was lately boyed up in Scotland by the like artifice of a Covenant Although I am unsatisfyed with many passages in that covenant some referring to My self with very dubious dangerous limitations yet I chiefly wonder at the designe drift touching the Discipline and Government of the Church and such a manner of carying them on to new ways by Oaths and Covenants where it is hard for men to be engaged by no less then swearing for or against those things which are of no cleare morall necessity but very disputable controverted among learned godly men whereto the application of Oaths can hardly be made and enjoyned with that judgement and certainty in ones self or that charity and candour to others of different opinion as I think Religion requires which never refuses faire and equable deliberations yea dissentings too in matters only probable The enjoyning of oaths upon people must needs in things doubtfull be dangerous as in things unlawfull damnable and no lesse
to in their opinion as too great a fixednes in that Religion whose judicious solid grounds both from Scripture and Antiquity wil not give My Conscience leave to approve or consent to those many dangerous and divided Innovations which the bold Ignorance of some men would needs obtrud upon me my people Contrary to those well tried foundations both of Truth and Order which men of far greater Learning and clearer Zeal have setled in the Confession and Constitution of this Church in England which many former Parliaments in the most calme and unpassionate times have oft confirmed In which I shall ever by Gods help persevere as believing it hath most of Primitive Truth and Order Nor did My using the assistance of some Papists which were my Subjects any way fight against My Religion as some men would needs interpret it especially those who least of all men cared whom they imployed or what they said or did so they might prevaile 'T is strange that so wise men as they would be esteemed should not conceive That differences of perswasion in matters of Religion may easily fall out where there is the fameness of duty Allegiance and subjection The first they owe as men and Christians to God the second they owe to Me in Common as their King different professions in point of Religion cannot any more than in Civill Trades take away the community of relations either to Parents or to Princes And where is there such an Oglio or medley of various Religions in the world again as those men entertaine in their service who find most fault with me without any scruple as to the diversity of their Sects and Opinions It was indeed a foule and indelible shame for such as would be counted Protestants to enforce Me a declared Protestant their Lord King to a necessary use of Papists or any other who did but their duty to help Me to defend My selfe Nor did I more than is lawfull for any King in such exigents to use the aid of any his Subjects I am sorry the Papists should have a greater sense of their Allegiance than many Protestant professors who seem to have learned to practise the worst principles of the worst Papists Indeed it had bin a very impertinent and unseasonable scruple in Me and very pleasing no doubt to My enemies to have been then disputing the points of different beliefs in My Subjects when I was disputed with by swords points and when I needed the help of My Subjects as men no lesse then their prayers as Christians The noise of My Evill Councellours was another usefull device for those who were impatient any mens counsels but their owne should be followed in Church or State who were so eager in giving Me better counsel that they would not give Me leave to take it with freedome as a Man or honour as a King making their counsels more like a drench that must be powred down then a draught which might be fairly and leisurely drank if I liked it I will not justifie beyond humane errours and frailties My selfe or My Counsellours They might be subject to some miscariages yet such as were far more reparable by second and better thoughts than those enormous extravagances where with some men have now even wil dred and almost quite lost both Church and State The event of things at last will make it evident to My Subjects that had I followed the worst Couucels that My worst Counsellours ever had the boldnesse to offer to Me or My self any inclination to use I could not so soon have brought both Church and State in three flourishing Kingdomes to such a Chaos of confusions and Hell of miseries as some have done out of which they cannot or will not in the midst of their many great advantages redeeme either Me or My Subjects No men were more willing to complaine than I was to redresse what I saw in Reason was either done or advised amisse and this I thonght I had done even beyond the expectation of moderate men who were sorry to see me prone even to injure My self out of a Zeal to releive my Subjects But other mens insatiable desire of revenge upon Me My Court and My Clergy hath wholly beguiled both Church and State of the benefit of all My either Retractations or Concessions withall hath deprived all those now so zealous Persecutors both of the comfort reward of their former pretended persecutions wherein they so much gloryed among the vulgar and which indeed a truly humble Christian will so highly prize as rather not be relieved then be revenged so as to be bereaved of that Crowne of christian Patience which attends humble injured sufferers Another artifice used to withdraw My Peoples affections from Me to their designes was The noise and ostentation of liberty which men are not more prone to desire then unapt to bear in the popular sense which is to do what every man likes best If the Divinest liberty be to will what men should to do what they so will according to Reason Lawes and Religion I envy not My subjects that Liberty which is all I desire to enjoy My self So far am I from the desire of oppressing theirs Nor were those Lords Gentlemen which assisted Me so prodigall of their liberties as with their Lives and Fortunes to help on the enslaving of themselves and their posterities As to Civill Immunities none but such as desire to drive on their Ambitious and Covetous designes over the ruines of Church and State Prince Peers and People wil never desire greater freedoms then the Laws alow whose bounds good men count their Ornament protection others their Menacles and Opression Nor is it just any man should expect the reward benefit of the Law who despiseth its rule and direction losing justly his safety while he seeks an unreasonable liberty Time will best inform my Subjects that those are the best preserver of their true liberties who allow themselves the least licentiousness against or beyond the Laws They will feele it at last to their cost that it is impossible those men should be really tender of their fellow-Subjects libertyes who have the hardinesse to use their King with so severe restraint against all Laws both Divine and Humane under which yet I wil rather perish then complain to those who want nothing to compleat their mirth and triumph but such musick In point of true consciencious tendernes attended with humility and meeknes not with proud arrogant activity which seeks to hatch every Egge of different opinion to a Faction or Schisme I have oft declared how little I desire My Laws and Scepter should intrench on Gods Soveraignty which is the only King of mens Consciences and yet he hath laid such restraints upon men as commands them to be subject for Conscience sake giving no men liberty to break the Law established further then with meeknes and patience they are content to suffer the penalties
but for their weighty and judicious piety than those are whose weaknes or giddines they sought to gratifie by taking it away One of the greatest faults some men found with the Common-Prayer-book I beleive was this That it taught them to pray so oft for Me to which Petitions they had not Loyalty enough to say Amen nor yet charity enough to forbear Reproaches and even cursings of Me in their own forms instead of praying for Me. I wish their Repentance may be their only punishment that seeing the mischiefs which the disuse of publique Liturgyes hath already produced they may restore that credit use and reverence to them which by the ancient Churches were given to Set Formes of sound and wholsome words And thou O Lord which art the same God blessed for ever whose mercies are full of varie y yet of constancy Thou denyest us not a new fresh sense of our old and dayly wants nor despisest renued affections ioyned to constant expressions Let us not want the benefit of thy Churches united wel-advised Devotions Let the matters of our prayers be agreeable to thy will which is alwaies the same and the fervency of our spirits to the motions of thy holy Spirit in us And then we doubt not but thy spirituall perfections are such as thou art neither to be pleased with affected Novelties for matter or manner nor offended with the pious constancy of our petitions in them both Whose variety or constancy thou hast no where either forbidden or commanded but left them to the piety and prudence of thy Church that both may be used neither dispised Keep men in that pious moderation of their Iudgments in matters of Religion that their ignorance may not offend others nor their opinion of their own abilities tempt them to deprive others of what they may lawfully and devoutly use to help their infirmities And since the advantage of Errour consists in novelty and variety as Truths in unity and constancy Suffer not thy Church to be pestered with errours and diformed with undecencies in thy service under the pretence of variety and novelty Nor to be deprived of truth unity and order under this fallacy That constancy is the cause of formality Lord keep us from formall Hypocisie in our own hearts and then we know that praying to thee or praising of thee with David and other holy men in the same formes cannot hurt us Give us wisdome to amend what is amisse within us and there will be lesse to mend without us Evermore defend and deliver thy Church from the effects of blind zeal and over-bold devotion 17. Of the differences betweene the King and the two Houses in point of Church-government TOuching the GOVERNMENT of the Church by Bishops the common Jealousie hath bin that I am earnest and resolute to maintain it not so much out of piety as policy and reason of State Wherein so far indeed reason of State doth induce Me to approve that Government above any other as I find it impossible for a Prince to preserve the State in quiet unlesse he hath such an influence upon Church-men and they such a dependance on Him as may best restraine the seditions exorbitances of Ministers Tongues who with the Keys of Heaven have so far the Keys of the Peoples hearts as they prevaile much by their Oratory to let in or shut out both Peace and Loyalty So that I being as King intrusted by God the Laws with the good both of Church and State I see no reason I should give up or weaken by any change that power and influence which in right and reason I ought to have over both The moving Bishops out of the House of Peers of which I have elsewhere given an account was sufficient to take off any suspicion that I encline to them for any use to be made of their Votes in State affairs Though indeed I never thought any Bishop worthy to sit in that House who would not Vote according to his Conscience I must now in charity be thought desirous to preserve that Government in its right constitution as a matter of Religion wherein both My judgement is justly satisfyed that it hath of all other the fullest Scripture grounds and also the constant practise of all Christian Churches til of late years the tumultuarinesse of People or the factiousnesse and pride of Presbyters or the covetousnesse of some States and Princes gave occasion to some mens wits to invent new modells aud propose them under specious titles of Christs Government Scepter and Kindome the better to serve their turns to whom the change was beneficiall They must give Me leave having none of their temptations to invite Me to alter the Government of Bishops that I may have a Title to their Estates not to believe their pretended grounds to any new wayes contrary to the full and constant testimony of all Histories sufficiently convincing unbiased men that as the Primitive Churches were undoubtedly governed by the Apostls and their immediate Successors first best Bishops so it cannot in reason or charity be supposed that al churches in the world should either be ignorant of the rule by thē prescribed or so soon deviate from their divine and holy patterne That since the first Age for 1500. years not one Example can be produced of any setled Church wherein were many Ministers and Congregations which had not some Bishop above them under whose jurisdiction and government they were Whose constant and universall practise agreeing with so large and evident Scripture-directions and examples as are set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the setling of that Government not in the persons only of Timothy and Titus but in the succession the want of Government being that which the Church can no more dispense with in point of wel-being then the want of the Word Sacraments in point of being I wonder how men came to look with so envious an eye upon Bishops power and authority as to oversee both the Ecclesiasticall use of them and Apostolicall constitution which to Me seems no lesse evidently set forth as to the maine scope design of those Epistles for the setling of a peculiar Office Power and Authority in them as President-Bishops above others in point of Ordination Censures and other acts of Ecclesiasticall discipline then those shorter Characters of the qualities and duties of Presbiter-Bishops and Deacons are described in some parts of the same Epistles who in the latitude and community of the name were then and may now not improperly be called Bishops as to the oversight and care of single Congregations committed to them by the Apostles or those Apostolicall Bishops who as Timothy and Titus succeeded them in that ordinary power there assigned over larger divisions in which were many Presbyters The humility of those first Bishops avoiding the eminent title of Apostles as a name in the Churches stile appropriated from its common notion of a Messenger or one sent to
facility and levity is never to be excused who before ever the point of Church-government had any free and impartiall debate contrary to their former Oathes and practice against their obedience to the Laws in force and against My consent have not only quite cryed down the government by Bishops but have approved and incouraged the violent and most illegall stripping all the Bishops and many other Church-men of all their due Authority and Revenues even to the selling away utter alienation of those church-lands from any Ecclesiastical uses So great a power hath the stream of times the prevalency of parties over some mens judgements of whose so sudden and so total change little reason can be given besides the Scots Army comming into England But the folly of these men will at last punish it self and the Desertors of Episcopacy will appear the greatest enemies to betrayers of their own interest for Presbytery is never so considerable or effectuall as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers will find as great a difference in point of thriving between the favour of the People of Princes as Plants do betweene being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberal dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clergy-men wil soon let them see what a poor carcasse they are when parted from the influence of that Head to whose Supremacy they have been sworn A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firm to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without passion might easily reform whatever the rust of times or indulgence of laws or corruption of manners have brought upon it It being a grosse vulgar errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which seditious popular principle and practise all wise men abhor For those secular additaments ornaments of Authority civill Honor Estate which My Predecessors Christian Princes in al countries have annexed to Bishops Church-men I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety who are fit to be in any degree of Church-Government also enablements to works of Charity and Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peaceable times is hardly payed to any Governours by the measure of their vertues so much as by that of their Estates Poverty and meannesse exposing them and their Authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners which persecuting times much restrained I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those incouragements and best able to use them if at any time my judgement of men failed My good intention made My errour veniall And some Bishops I am sure I had whose learning gravity and piety no men of any worth or forehead can deny But of all men I would have Church-men especially the Governours to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect which besides an innate principle of vitious opposition which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restrain them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian party which makes all Ministers equall and the Independent inferiority which sets their Pastors below the People This for My judgment touching Episcopacy wherein God knows I do not gratifie any design or passion with the least perverting of truth And now I appeal to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their KING and Soveraign as some men have endeavoured to do against al these grounds of My Judgment to consent to their weake and divided noveltis The greatest Pretender of them desires not more then I do That the Church should be governed as Christ hath appointed in true Reason and in Scripture of which I could never see any probable shew for any other wayes who either content themselves with the examples of some Churches in their infancy solitude when one Presbyter might serve one Congregation in a City or Country or else they deny these most evident Truths That the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as wel as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches wel-being when multiplyed sociated must also necesarily descend from the Apostles to others after the example of that power and superiority they had above others which could not end with their persons since the use and ends of such Government still continue It is most sure that the purest Primitive and best Churches flourished under Episcopacy may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyall passions had not so blown up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or primitive Patterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeal for Bishops Lands Houses Revenues hath set them on work to eat up Episcopacy which however other men esteeme to Me is no lesse sin then Sacriledge or a robbery of God the giver of all we have of that portion which devout minds have thankfuly given again to him in giving it to his Church and Prophets through whose hands he graciously accepts even a cup of cold water as a libation offered to him Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My judgment I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfulnes of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumniate I could soon with Judgement break that Oath which erroneously was taken by Me. But being daily by the best disquisition of truth more confirmd in the reason Religion of that to which I am Sworn how can any man that wisheth not My damnation perswade Me at once to so notorious and combined sins of Sacriledg and Perjury besides the many personall Injustices I must doe to many worthy men who are as legally invested in the ir Estates as any who seek to deprive thē and they have by no Law been convicted of those Crimes which might forfeit their estates livelyhoods I have oft wondred how men pretending to tendernes of Conscience and Reformation can at once tell Me that My Coronation Oath binds Me to consent to whatsoever they shall propound to me which they urge with such violence though contrary to all that Rationall and Religious freedom which every man ought to preserve and of which they seem so tender of their own Votes yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispense with and roundly break that part of My Oath which binds me agreeable to the best light of Reason and Religion I have to maintain the Government and legall Rights of the Church 'T is strange My Oath should be valid in that part which both My self and
all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against the very natural and essentiall liberty of our souls yet it should be invalid and to be broken in another clause wherein I think my self justly obliged both to God Man Yet upon this Rack chiefly have I been held so long by some mens ambitious covetousnesse and Sacrilegious Cruelty torturing with Me both Church and State in Civill dissentions till I shall be forced to consent and declare that I doe approve what God knowes I utterly dislike and in My Soul abhorre as many wayes highly against Reason Justice and Religion and whereto If I should shamefully and dishonourably give My consent yet should I not by so doing satisfie the divided Interests and Opinions of those Parties which contend with each other as well as both against Me and Episcopacy Nor can My late condesending to the Scots in point of Church-government be rightly objected against Me as an inducement for Me to consent to the like in My other Kingdoms For it should be considered that Episcopacy was not so rooted and setled there as 't is here nor I in that respect so strictly bound to continue it in that Kingdom as in this for what I think in My judgement best I may not think so absolutly necessary for all places and at all times If any shall impute My yeelding to them as My failing and sin I can easily acknowledge it but that is no argument to do so again or much worse I being now more convinced in that point nor indeed hath My yeelding to them bin so happy and successefull as to incourage Me to grant the like to others Did I see any thing more of Christ as to Meeknesse Justice Order Charity and Loyalty in those that pretend to other modes of Government I might suspect My judgement to be biased or fore-stalled with some prejudice wontednes of opinion but I have hitherto so much cause to suspect the contrary in the manners of many of those men that I cannot from them gain the least reputation for their new wayes of Government Nor can I find that in any Reformed Churches whose paterns are so cryed up and obtruded upon the Churches under My Dominion that either Learning or Religion works of Piety or Charity have so flourished beyond what they have done in My Kingdomes by Gods blessing which might make me beleive either Presbytery or Independency have a more benigne influence upon the Church and mens hearts and lives than Episcopacy in its right constitution The abuses of which deserve to be extirpated as much as the use retained for I think it far better to hold to primitive uniform Antiquity than to comply with divided novelty A right Episcopacy would at once satisfie all just desires and interests of good Bishops humble Presbyters and sober people so as Church affairs should be managed neither with tyranny purity nor popularity neither Bishops ejected nor Presbiters despised nor People oppressed And in this integrity both of My judgment Conscience I hope God will preserve Me. For Thou O Lord knowest My uprightnesse and tendernesse as thou hast set me to be a Defender of the Faith and a Protector of thy Church so susser me not by any violence to be overborn against My Conscience Arise O Lord maintaine thine own Cause let not thy Church be deformed as to that Government which derived from thy Apostles hath been retained in purest and primitive times till thâ— Revenues of the Church became the obiect of secular envy which seeks to rob it of all the incouragements of Learning and Religion Make me as the good Samaritan compassionate and helpfull to thy afflicted Church which some men have wounded and robbed others passe by without regard either to pitty or relieve As my power is from thee so give me grace to use it for thee And though I am not suffered to be Master of my other Rights as a KING yet preserve me in that liberty of Reason love of Religion and thy Churches welfare which are fixed in my Censcience as a Christian Preserve from sacrilegious invasions those temporall blessings which thy providence hath bestowed on thy Church for thy glory Forgive their sinnes and errours who have deserved thy iust permission thus to let in the wilde Boar and subtill Foxes to wast and deforme thy Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted and the dew of Heaven so long watred to a happy and flourishing estate O let me not bear the infamous brand to all Posterity of being the the first Christian KING in this Kingdom who should consent to the oppressions of thy Church and the fathers of it whose errours I would rather with Constantine cover with silence and reform with meeknesse than expose their persons and sacred functions to vulgar contempt Thou O Lord seest how much I have suffered with and for thy Church make no long tarrying O my God to deliver hoth me and it from unreasonable men whose counsels have brought forth and continue such violent confusions by a precipitant destroying the ancient boundaries of thy Churches peace thereby letting in all manner of errours schismes and disorders O thou God of order and of truth in thy good time abate the malice aswage the rage and confound all the mischievous devices of thine mine and thy Churches enemies That I and all that love thy Church may sing praises to thee and ever magnifie thy salvation even before the sons of men 18 Vpon Vxbridge-treaty and other Offers made by the King I Look upon the way of Treaties as a retiring from fighting like Beasts to arguing like Men whose strength should be more in their understandings than in their limbs And though I could seldome get opportunities to Treat yet I never wanted either desire or disposition to it having greater confidence of My Reason than My Sword I was so wholly resolved to yeeld to the first that I thought neither My selfe nor others should need to use the second if once we rightly understood each other Nor did I ever think it a diminution of Me to prevent them with Expresses of My desires and even importunities to Treat It being an office not onely of humanity rather to use Reason than Force but also of Christianity to seek peace and ensue it As I was very unwillingly compelled to defend My self with Arms so I very willingly embraced any thing tending to peace The events of all War by the sword being very dubious and of a Civill VVarre uncomfortable the end had hardly recompencing late repairing the mischief of the means Nor did any successe I had ever enhance with Me the price of Peace as earnestly desired by Me as any man though I was like to pay dearer for it then any man All that I sought to reserve was Mine Honour and My Conscience the one I could not part with as a KING the other as a Christian The Treaty at Uxbridge gave the fairest hopes of an hapdy
than from those who engage into religious Rebellion Their interest is alwaies made Gods under the colours of Piety ambitious policies march not only with greatest security but applause as to the populacy you may heare from them Iacob's voyce but you shall feel they have Esau's hands Nothing seemed lesse considerable then the Presbyterian Faction in England for many yeeres so compliant they were to publique order nor indeed was their party great either in Church or State as to mens judgments But as soon as discontents drave men into Sidings as ill humors fall to the dissaffected part which causes inflamations so did all at first who affected any novelties adhere to that Side as the the most remarkable and specious note of difference then in point of Religion All the lesser Factions at first were officious Servants to Presbytery their great Masters till time and military successe discovering to each their peculiar advantages invited them to part stakes and leaving the joynt stock of uniform Religion pretended each to drive for their Party the trade of profits preferments to the breaking and undoing not only of the Church and State but even of Presbytery it Selfe which seemed and hoped at first to have ingrosed all Let nothing seem little or despicable to you in matters which concern Religion the churches peace so as to neglect a speedy reforming an effectuall suppressing Errours and Schisms which seem at first but as a hand bredth by seditious Spirits as by strong winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heaven VVhen you have done justice to God your owne soule and his Church in the profession and preservation both of truth and unity in Religion the next maine hinge on which your prosperity will depend and move is that of civil Justice wherein the setled Lawes of these Kingdomes to which you are rightly Heire are the most excellent rules you can governe by which by an admirable temperament give very much to Subjects industry liberty and happinesse and yet reserve enough to the Majesty and prerogative of any King who ownes his People as Subjects not as Slaves whose subjection as it preserves their property peace and safety so it will never diminish your rights nor their ingenuous Liberties which consists in the enjoyment of the fruits of their industry and the benefit of those Lawes to which themselves have consented Never charge your head with such a Crown as shall by its heavinesse oppresse the whole body the weaknesse of whose parts cannot returne any things of strength honour or safety to the head but a necessary debiliatation and ruine Your Prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting rather then exacting the rigor of the Lawes there being nothing worse than legall Tyranny In these two points the preservation of established Religion and Lawes I may without vanity turn the reproach of My sufferings as to the worlds censure into the honour of a kind of Martyrdome as to the testimony of my own Conscience The Troublers of My Kingdomes have nothing else to object against Me but this That I preferre Religion and Laws established before those alterations they propounded And so indeed I doe and ever shall till I am convinced by better Arguments then what hitherto hath been chiefly used towards Me Tumults Armies and Prisons I cannot yet learne that lesson nor I hope ever will you That it is safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the Laws in which is wrapt up the publick Interest and the good of the Community How God will deal with Me as to the removal of these pressures and indignities which his justice by the very unjust hands of some of My Subjects hath been pleased to lay upon Me I cannot tell nor am I much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men while I retaine in My foule what I beleive is right before God I have offered all for Reformation and Safety that in Reason Honour and Conscience I can reserving only what I cannot consent unto without an irreparable injury to My owne Soule the Church and My People and to You also as the next and undoubted Heire of My Kingdoms To which if the divine Providence to whom no difficulties are insuperable shall in his due time after My decease bring you as I hope he will My counsell and charge to You is That You seriously consider the former reall or objected miscarriages which might occasion My troubles that you may avoid them Never repose so much upon any mans single councell fidelity and discretion in managing affairs of the first magnitude that is matters of Religion and Justice as to create in Your selfe or others a diffidence of Your own judgement which is likely to be alwayes more constant and impartiall to the interests of your Crowne and Kingdom then any mans Next beware of exasperating any Factions by the crosnesse and asperity of some mens passions humours and private opinions imployed by You grounded onely upon the differences in lesser matters which are but the skirts subbâ—rbs of religion Wherein a charitable connivence and Christian toleration often dissipates their strength whoÌ„ rougher opposition fortifies and puts the despised and oppressed Party into such Combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their Persecutors who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration which attends al that are said to suffer under the notion of Religon Provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Laws and Government or Religion established as to the essentials of them such motions and minings are intollerable Alwaies keep up solid piety and those fundamentall Truths which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartiall favour and justice Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion devour not all or the best encouragements of learning industry and piety but with an equall eye and impartiall hand distribute favours and rewards to all men as you find them for their reall goodnesse both in abilities and fidelity worthy and capable of them This will be sure to gaine You the hearts of the best and the most too who though they be not good themselves yet are glad to see the severer wayes of virtue at any time sweetned by temporall rewards I have you see conflicted with different and opposite Factions for so I must needs call and count all those that Act not in any conformity to the Lawes established in Church and State no sooner have they by force subdued what they counted their Common Enemy that is all those that have adheered to the Lawes and to Mee and are secured from that fear but they are divided to so high a rivarly as sets them more at defiance against each other than against their first Antagonists Time will dissipate all factions when once the rough horns of private mens covetous and ambitious designes shall discover themselves which were at first wrapt up and hidden under the soft and