Roman communion his present groundlesse wars against the protestant Stars and sinful and foolish conjunction with the French not more regrated by the better sort then rejoyced in by the other the comprehending of all in the same indulgence may not onely perswade the inequality of favour by me remarked but further very rationally induce to beleeve that the more apparent latitude conceded to protestan dissenters is onely the better to cover the real advancement of the Popish interest the Principal designe of this contriveance and therefore in conformity to these grounds if my reflexions shall be also different seeming to straiten on the one hand and to enlarge on the other discovering the protestant to be onely tempted and snared and the Papist favoured and honoured I hope the palpable agreement of this procedoure to his Majesties own intentions will easily defend me from the censure of malice or calumny For preface then his Majesty with the fame truth and confidence wherewith we have heard him assert his zeal for quiet in his declaration of war commenceth this his indulgence against the truth by telling us that his care and endeavours for the preservation of the rights and interests of the Church hath been sufficiently manifested to the world by the whole course of his government O unhappy care that hath wrought such dismal alterations The true rights and interests of the Church of God are the purity of his worship and ordinances the protection of his Ministers the advancement of true Godlinesse Now that in exchange for any measure of these blessings which we formerly enjoyed since his Majesties return we have onely seen God's worship corrupted into vaine imposed formalities and the vilest of the people made priests in their place and wickednesse exalted by the most avouched perjury profanity that ever was known amongst men is a truth under the sense whereof every serious soul doth groan but in effect his Majesty hath been and is still so entirely bended to advance against the Lord proud supremacy and set up in the Church a wicked prelacy a debauched elergy and superstitious liturgy thereby to moddel and subject all the concerns of Religion to his own lusts and humours as I am confident that all the lovers of truth in lieu of being abused by this pretended care will onely reguard it as a seasonable warning to take the more diligent heed to the snare that may be and is couched in all it's proposals Thus for a demonstration he subjoins the frequent coercions he hath used upon dissenters and for composing differences in matters of Religion and whether this be more concludent on his Majesty's or on my behalfe I leave it to the impartial discerner However we may well observe that since his Majesty even in his gracious humour thinks his care of the Church principally commendable by his former severities which after the manner of the primitive persecutions are at present onely intermitted from feare and policy when these restraints are over we cannot but expect that he will resume his wonted methods and that with all the irritation wherewith his inward fretting at a forced liberty may probably impresse him But saith he it being evident that there is very little fruit of these forcible courses a fair conviction if well followed we think our selves obliged to make use of our supremacy And truely if he were seriously minding reformation and thereto applying his royal power which can never be more properly nor gloriously imployed we should the lesse scruple the error though he should mistakingly ascribe the extraordinary call of the present pressing exigence to the warrant of a pretended perpetual prerogative But seing we may here manifestly perceive that that power which at first did onely acclaime the Clergies civil dependence and then after becoming vaine of the Reformation wherein it was honoured did excresce exceede to the ordering of Church-Rites Goverment under the notion of externals doth at present presume to license and authorise all Rome's superstition do we not discover the wickednesse of that usurpation which pretends to as absolute a dispose in matters of Religion as was ever arrogat over worldly propriety Thus wee see the Scepter wristed out of the hand of his Christ and swayed in a perfect opposition to him designed subserviency to his grand enemy the Anti-Christ which as it ought to make our eye affect our heart while we see that Scripture fulfilled in our eyes that the Kings of the earth shall give their power unto the beast and make war with the Lamb so it concerns his Majesty while he invadeth the Mediators scepter to remember that he hath also a rod of iron in his hand to secure his scepter and avenge himself of such as do not strike to him in recognisance of his absolute supremacy In the next place his Majesty addeth his motives viz. that he issues out this declaration aswel for the quieting of the minds of His good subjects in these points inviteing of strangers in this conjunsture and the encouragement of all to follow their callings as also for preventing the danger of seditious conventicles Blessed is the man whose minde is staid trusting in the Lord for there is nothing here sincere what quietnesse from such a self-destroying assurance I do not mention it's mutability though all men know that the first meeting of the Parliament would remonstrat all this grace to nothing but vvhen to the establishing of ever jealous and persecuting prelacy the licensing of pernicious plotting popery is adjoyned certainly if we be lulled asleep with such a charme we deserve the sleep of death which it 's poison menaces As for the inviting of strangers French caterpillars we may indeed expect and swarmes of Romish locusts but to others who might have found some allurement in this liberty hovv much is it to be feared that our violence shall prove more disgustful then the motive attractive And as for Trades encouragement can any man be so infatuat as to beleeve that that vvhich in it's onely season of peace could never have vveight should novv be truely minded by such vvho have so little cared to involve us in the confusions and burdens of vvar What a golden indulgence must it be that vvill yet erect our trade under all these pressures But his Majesty doth indeed fear seditious Conventicles and may be something worse nam mala mens malus animus And although I neither knovv nor designe to increase his grounds yet in my affectionat desire for his vvelfare I earnestly vvish he vvould remember that in all ages a prince his ovvn inconstancy and oppression have proved his greatest adversaries are most to be feared and that they are indeed so fatal and funest that neither force nor policy could ever yet vvard of their mischiefe for he is above them vvho gives the blovv But I have too long retarded his Majesties benevolence vvhich in the first place declares his expresse resolution meaning and intent
to be so that we may blame our selves if vve be mistaken that the Church of England be preserved entire in its Doctrine discipline and goverment as now it stands established by law and that this be taken to be as it is the basis rule and standart vvhat place he assignes to the Scriptures of truth I knovv not of the general and publick worship of God and further that the conformable clergy enjoy their revenues and that no person be capable of any benefice who is not exactly conformable I need not enlarge upon the import of this passage what the Church of England here meant is and hath done wee all know if any man think that these roots of bitternesse prelacy and superstition remaining they will not again spring up into all that persecution vvhereof some may novv fancy themselves to be discharged he is but ill acquainted either with their nature or practises He who desireth to be informed may consult experience which will aboundantly satisfy hovv much better and more free accommodations have thereby been disturbed and frustrat Hovvever there is one part of this Royal resolution vvhich I cordially close vvith if candidly meant and that is that the doctrine of this Church may be effectually preserved I may not here stay to explain my reasons but he vvho shall be pleased to peruse our old homilies and compare them vvith that doctrine vvhich doth novv very much boast itself both in pulpit and print he vvill quickly understand our former profession to be so sadly depraved vvith Socinian Popish and Arminian Errors that this alone vvere enough to bring upon us all our feares As for the exclusion of all persons not exactly comformable from benefices although it be without doubt a mighty diminution of the favour of a just indulgence since it depriveth both of the encouragement and conveniency due to the ministers of the Gospel yet the master of these labourers having pledged his alsufficiency for their supply and the Church of God having alvvayes been truely richest when poorest I confesse it is a matter whereon I shall not spend my complaints however it be just matter of his repentance In the next place saith his Majesty wee do declare our will that the execution of all manner of penal lawes in matters ecclesiastical against whatsoever sort of Non-conformists or recusants be immediatly suspended and they are hereby suspended c. And this is the great jubile a proclaimed liberty to Atheists Socinians Papists Jesuits seminary priests Arminians Sects of all sorts and the grossest hereticks to contemne Religion commit idolatry impugne truth Blaspheme seduce and destroy souls uncontroulled It 's true the conscientious Non-conformist hath also his part in this exemption but as God did send forth his Gospel into the world in weakenesse and foolishnesse destitut of all humane advantages and onely by his owne grace and presence did sustaine and advance it against all the opposition that the malice or violence Potentats Authorities or powers of the earth could devise or execute against it to the effect that neither our faith nor his truth should stand in the help of man but in the power of him who hath promised to be with us unto the end of the World so I am perswaded that no man fearing and beleeving the same Lord God will judge all the favour that men can shew valuable at this rate I graunt the excesse of this indulgence doth not so corrupt the just relief that tender consciences may finde in it as to hinder them to partake lawfully of it's benefit but sure I am if my censure be right and true as certainly it is men should be so far from being deceived by the flattery of carnal ease either to embrace or acknowledge it as a favour or pursue it by any active compliance requisit for it's accomplishment that on the contrairy they should look upon the act in it self as a high provocation against God a feareful exposing and opposing of his truth and under the colour of a pitiful enlargement and reliefe to tender consciences a real and designed betraying of the Protestant interest But his Majesty proceeds to declare that to the effect there may be no pretense for the continuing of Conventicles he shall from time to time allow a sufficient number of places as they shall be desired in all parts for the use of Non-conformists But for a correction it is his expresse will and pleasure that none presume to meet in any place untill such place be allowed and the teacher of that congregation approved by him And lest any should apprehend difficulty in obtaining this allowance and approbation he further declareth that the same shall extend to all sorts of Non-conformists except Popish-recusants to whom he will in no wayes allow publick places but onely indulge them as to the common exemption from penal lawes and the exercise of their worship in their privat houses onely This being the summe of his Majesties concession over and above the release of penal staruts it were as ill nature and worse manners to offer to criticize upon my Princes bounty as it were folly to be fain of nothing And therefore I shall onely candidly represent such things as do obviously occurre and cannot be hid And 1. It is evident that there is nothing as yet graunted but onely a purpose declared which being in it self alterable and in the present case in order to the innocent Non-conformist assuredly elicit by our forraigne wars and domestick feares of what endurance it is like to prove may easily be resolved Secondly it is obvious that the effect of this indulgence is presently to cut of from and deprive all the faithful Ministers and people of the benefit of meeting either in the places where they have hitherto met or in their privat houses for the pure worship of God for these are the expresse words of the declaration To the effect there may be no continuing of conventicles c. and afterwards it is our expresse will and pleasure that none presume to meet in any place c. until these meetings be cast in this new mould and if the truely tender and conscientious Non-Conformist's dare not for the feare of God foresake the assembling of themselves together nor discontinue their meeting for worship till the Court be at leisure or think it convenient to make that assignement or if they should scruple this conveyance as no doubt a faithful minister will be far from an active compliance with such an enacted abomination then such have nothing to expect but the utmost of severity and thus wee see these bowels and the tender mercies of this declaration are unmasked cruelty Thirdly the places are to be desired of and first allowed by his Majesty and that this allowance may be lawfully sought upon the grounds of that duety of protection and assistance which his Majesty oweth to the Gospel without pleading this dissolute indulgence I make it no queston but on the other hand
THE ENGLISH BALLANCE Weighing the Reasons of Englands present conjunction with France against the Dutch With some Observes upon his Majesties Declaration of Liberty to Tender Consciences PROV 20 V. 18. Every Purpose is established by Counsel and with good advice make War PROV 24 V. 6. For by wise Counsel thou shalt make thy War and in multitude of Counsellours there is safety Printed in the Year MDCLXXII THE ENGLISH BALLANCE Weighing the reasons of Englands present Conjunction with France against the Dutch With some Observes upon his Majesties Declaration of liberty to Tender Consciences THE present aspect of affairs being obviously such as not onely amuseth all but really concerneth the greatest part of the Christian World and my own proper interest not more from pure incapacity then real choice and inclination being most precisely confined to that of religion and reason I presume that if by a few sober reflexions I break that common silence of my Nation which seems to proceed rather from a deep amazement then any other consideration I shall not therefore incurre the censure of singularity but if the fate of truth shall neverthelesse expose me to the hatred of any all I wish them is as little prejudice from their mistake as I intend of particular advantage by the following representation The subject then that moves me to this undertaking is briefly the allarume of war that soundeth every where the tendency of the French Armes against the united Netherlands and the apparent conjunction of the King of England with the French in this their invasion What may be the pretenses of the French just or unjust since conjecture of all things most dareing hath not hitherto adventured upon the discovery it were in vaine for me to attempt the research It is known that the Estats most interessed did addresse their inquirie unto the French King who certainly knoweth best and that upon the fairest account viz. all just and reasonable satisfaction and yet had no other returne save a slender notice of their acknowledgement of the favours received from his Antcestors with a structure upon their omission of his owne good deeds no doubt the dividing of the English Fleet by Beauforts imaginary assistance and then a hint at late innovations in trade visibly declining reason by ane insinuat reference to a neutral arbitration without so much as a condescendence upon the subject notwithstanding of the satisfaction offered concluding with a scrupulous formalizing at the Estats desire to be cleared about their evidently well grounded apprehensions of his Majesties extraordinary preparations as if it were boorish incivility to demand reason abroad from a Prince that makes his will to satisfy at home so that the King of France his tendernesse to abuse truth and unwillingnesse to derogat from the confidence of his great power by searching after a colourable pretext where there is none to be found appeares to be the most favourable account that his procedour will admit of It 's true the advance of his Romish superstition doth occurre as a very probable incentive but as both justice doth repugne and Policy disswade from declaring it to be the cause of this apprehended war so I confesse the manifest decay and neglect of religion every where this day in the earth with his Majesties not our addiction to his passions and interests above all other ingagements do rather incline me to think that it is the insolent Tyranny of these imperious Lusts pride and avarice that doth thus derobe a great Prince of his solid glories and pleasures and in lieu thereof with pain and hazard to himself and injury to his neighbours render him a slave to the motions of his insatiable appetit But though the candor I am resolved to use in this Discourse doth make me thus figure to my self the French King's incitements yet I am very far from thinking that the matter of religion is no more interessed in this war then intended To knit the consequences of war and victory either to the declared causes or influencing reasons of the undertakers is an error that both reason and the experience of all ages doth abundantly disprove but why should I here make any profusion of reason where common sense may be so convictive Can Popish Armes prevail and not establish Popish superstition Can this Popish Superstition have power and not both prosper and persecute These are consequences so natural and evident that it were superfluous either to challenge one instance dissonant from the thousands that confirme them or to reminde what and how successefully the present French King hath what by force and what by policy practised in his own dominions or lastly to adde that as the genius of Popery hath ever been most bent to seek to reenter where it hath been ejected so it cannot but in this invasion be animat by a great accession of vigour in the hope thereby to triumph in the conquest of the main fort and bulwarke of the Protestant interest And verily these things are of themselves so obvious that I almost blame their conduct if onely designed for clearing of this point who of late have caused Print a Letter to the Estats from their Resident in Vienna acquainting them with the King of France his intentions as by him communicat to the Elector of Mentz viz. to daunton the pride of the Estats General and compel them to the restitution of Ecclesiastick Lands and goods and that assurance hereof is long since given to the Pope As if the manifest hazard of the Protestant Religion from the French Armes and their approaches and its infallible prejudice in their successe not onely as to this restitution but the subversion of its truth and purity did need the accession of such a conjectural proof But it is indeed to be regrated that such at present should be the reguardlesse indifferency in the matter of religion of the neighbouring Protestant Princes and Estats that neither the undeniable evidences of all appearances nor all the arguments whereby they may be seconded seem sufficient to awake them from this dangerous slumber The time was when religion as the most precious concerne was also the most endearing bond of mutual alliance so that whereever it happened to be attacqued neither distance nor separation of other interests did exempt or excuse from the common defence But men have long since both in their hearts and lives cast it downe from its excellency and if there it hath lost its power and influence no wonder that it be little operative on publick transactions Whether for this cause the Lord be now arisen to contend first with these united Provinces and thereafter with all the Churches is no doubt a question which every man hath reason to move with trembling my hearts desire is that as God by his dispensations is threatning to punish aswel by the lose of temporalities sinfully overvalued and abused as by the removeal of his Gospel unworthily undervalued and dispised so his people may