full of Arrians and the Laws of Valence his Unkle making for them fearing some general Tumalt if he should prefently destroy so many gave leave That every Religion might have Churches and Oratories with Freedom and Immunity But being once settled and joyned with Theodosius he commanded that all Heresies should keep silence for ever as interdicted by the Law of God and Man That none should any longer teach or learn prophane Doctrin Cod. 1. Tit. 5 lege emnes The same prohibition did Arcadine and Honorius continue with great severity Let all Heretacks understand that all places must be taken from them as well Churches as other places and of private Houses also In all which let them be debarr'd from senvice both by night and by day the Lord Deputy to be fined 100 if he permit any such thing in sight or in secret Ibid. lege cuncti Theodosius the younger and Valentinian his Cousin comprising a long Bed-roll of sundry sorts of Heresies appointed That no where within the Raman Empire their Assemblies or Prayers be suffered and that all Laws made to prohibit their meeting should be revived and stand good everlastingly Ibid. lege Ariani The Papists in the time of Queen Elizabeth wrote divers Books and used many Arguments against the Oath of Supremacy and for a Tolleration of their Religion alledging the Examples of other Countries and admonishing Her Majesty that she must answer to God not only for things done by her command and knowledg but for whatsoever is done unjustly by her Name and Authority though she never knew thereof but Her Majesty respecting her duty and account that she was to make to God of all things done in the flesh whether they were good on evil denied to bear the burden of their wicked abuses and poisoned errors which no civil Magistrate are can avoid that permitteth their sinful Masses and licenceth their wicked Rites because the seeing and suffering their Impieties having power to suppress and hinder them is a plain consent and in a manner an open Communion with their unfruitful works of darkness The downfall of Ely a dear Servant of God once a Judg in Israel for Connivence only and foolish Pity where even Bowels of Nature might seem if not to dispence with severeties yet to excuse his lenity Scriptures have Registred for our warning and terror And if Religion be not as meer a Fable as any in Aesop the greatest Governments in the World will one day be called to a most severe Account for their so doing § That other Countries and Kingdoms otherwise affected in Religion than themselves were nevertheless contented to suffer their service vvithin their Dominions prevailed not vvith Queen Eliz. she vvell considering that their doings could be no warrant nor discharge for her who was not to imitate the Vices but the Vertues of Princes Besides that in such tolleration they did well ought first to be proved before their Examples should be urged as they were in her days It being the duty of every Prince to consider and do what every Prince ought to do by Gods Law and not regard what other Princes please to do what seemeth best in their own Eyes And Her Majesty for so refusing to countenance their Religion deserved more countenance and protection with God and praise with Men for that in guiding her people she rather embraced Christian Piety than irreligious policie and chose rather to walk by Gods Precepts than by the ill Example of other Princes Besides Her Majesty well knew that amongst the Germans and Helvetians Examples in their Writings urged many Dukes Landtigraves Marquesses Counts yea Bishops Barons Abbots and Gentlemen had Regal Jurisdiction within their respective precincts And it is no news to see divers Laws under divers Lords and divers Religions under divers Regiments As for any other Countries or Kingdoms as Polonia Hungaria c. not able without Blood and War to reduce their Countries to the profession of the true Faith neither may we reprove them as negligent nor the Papists alledge them as warrantable Examples since not their own fault but other mens force keepeth them from attempting any redress by their Princely power which the Nobles restrain and the Commons receive with this Proviso that their accustomed freedom of Conscience be no ways prohibited nor interrupted Other Examples of Turks Pagans Arrians and the like are unfit for Christians David Josiah and other Kings of Judah are to be imitated in this not Sarazins Moses and other Holy Writers are very plain and positive against this dawbing with untempered Morter Exod. 23.13 32 33. Deut. 12.2 3. Deut. 13.6 Jer. 15.19 Deut. 12.10 Come out from among them and be ye seperate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Levit. 36.12 Isa 52.11 Was not the Church of Thyatira otherwise beautified with many Graces highly blamed for suffering the false Prophetess to teach and to seduce I know thy Works and Charity and Service and Faith and Patience all excellent Graces notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that Woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and to seduce servants to commit Fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols Rev. 2.19 20. which fearful Effects made Constantine to decree That all Temples of Hereticks should without any denial be overthrown and in no place publick or private should their Assemblies be suffered Jovinianus refused to govern those that were not found in Faith Socrat. lib. 5. c. 1. The privateness of the place when the fact is ill acquitteth not the doer from sin nor excuseth the permitter from negligence No Corner so secret no Prison so close but their Impieties there suffered do offend God infect others and confirm their own frowardness Private permission of error is unlawful as well as publick if Popish Religion be good Why should it lack Churches If it be naught why should it have Corners St. Paul hath put in a Caviat against that slight of permitting which in truth is consenting Rom. 1. Ely reproved his Sons yet was sharply punished of God for his Indulgency which is all one with Connivance 1 San. 2.22 St. John saith He that receiveth into his house or biddeth an Heretick God speed is partaker of his evil deeds Eph. 2 1011. How then can Kings bear with your Sacrilegious prophaning of the Lords Supper and forbidding Gods own Word to be read and licence the rest of your Impieties and Blasphemies and hope to be free from your plague When Valentinian the younger was requested to wink at the renewing of an Altan for the Pagans in Rome St. Ambrose disswaded him in these words All men serve you that be Princes and you serve the Mighty God He that serveth this God must bring no dissimulation no Connivance but faithful zeal and devotion he must give no kind of
and E. 6. either by preaching writing reading or arguing taught all people to condemn yea to abhor the Authority of the Pope for which purpose they had many times given their Oaths publickly against the Popes Authority and had also yielded to both the said Kings the Title of Supreme Head of the Church of England next under Christ and yet they refused to allow Queen Eliz. the Title of Supreme Governor though to gratifie them she omitted the very Title of Supreme Head at the begin of her Reign and this is demonstrable by many of their Books and Sermons against the Popes Authority printed both in English and Latin to their great shame and reproach to change so often but especially in persecuting such in Queen Maries days whom themselves had taught and established to hold the contrary in H. 8. days a sin bordering on the sin against the Holy Ghost scarce to be forgiven And shall we be gull'd again by such Sophisters Was Queen Eliz. ever the more safe in her person or her Dominions the more secure from Troubles Insurrections or Rebellions because some few protested Loyalty Let all Impartial Histories and their and our own Memories be Judg. Come out of their fellowship and you will not partake of their plagues else they that will ship themselves with the Devil must Sail with him But why trouble I my self or the Readers with this frivolous Argument when it cannot be the least dust in the Ballance to perswade That upon this Dialogist Warrant or only Intimation rather he and his Seculars and who those are we know not and not possible for us to distinguish shall use loyal and peaceable behaviours nay what if they should be as good as their Word deny the Popes Exorbitant powers and swear Allegiance maugre the Popes Mandates to the contrary Is this an Argument prevalent enough to perswade us to nurse and nuzzle up the Popes Imps whose Seeds-men and Legates are both Priests and Jesuits and suffer him that hath already cursed Her Majesties person and in her all her Successors removed her Crown discharged her Subjects invaded here Dominions * In the days of H. 8. the Earl of Desmond profered Ireland to the French King the Instrument whereof yet remains upon Record in the Court at Paris and the Pope afterwards transferred the Title of all our Kingdoms unto Charles the 5th which by new Grants was confirmed unto his Son Philip in the days of Queen Eliz. with a resolution to settle this Crown upon the Spanish In. fanta Bishop Ushe S Spech at Dublin f. 12. and given them away to others and now to suffer them to steal from our Kings and Queens their peoples Hearts and reconcile them to that Mother of Abominations that dares call light darkness and darkness light dock Communions and Decalogues and worship Idols whose Brow is Brass and whose Heart is harder than the neather Mill-stone that hearing will not hear and seeing will not see nor understand charm the Charmer never so wisely never so sweetly and all this under the vizard of Catholick Religion and feigned Devotion which in truth is nothing less but is superstitious Idolatrous and Abominable the Tolleration and Allowance of which cannot possibly be Indulged without manifest breach of Gods Law against which there is no plea or excuse to be allowed joyned with the subversion of the Crown and Royal State For how is it possible that light should agree with darkness God and Belial Christ and Antichrist the same Moment any persons is reconciled to Rome the same Mom ent he is become a sworn Votary and Vassal to Rome subject to another head Were this humble Petition and desire only for Earthly and not Heavenly things and did it not concern Christs Glory but the Indempnity of our Kings and people what a pittiful toy is it for a few Friars well versed in the Arts of Equivocation to think themselves meet Pledges and Hostages for the security of so great a Prince and people Submission to God and your Prince would be more preswasive and authentique and would better become you It is not enough to renounce the exorbitant powers claim'd by the Pope except withall you renounce the Idolatrous Worship of Rome and her Doctrins of Infallibility and of probability of Transubstantiation Demy-Communions praying in an unknown Tongue debarring the people the use of the Bible and a thrave of other false and Heretical Doctrins and practises having only lowd and bawling Impudence for their Justification without either Sense Reason or Scripture The most Honourable and Grave Sages of this Nation understand you so well that I believe you find they will not easily be cheated with kanting words or specious pretences made use of only to obumbrate and shadow the clearness of their long and grounded Experience purchased by clear demonstration and matter of Fact at the dearest rate and expence of Blood and Treasure I do heartily joyn Issue with this Dialogist and believe as he doth That it is not for the safety of our Church to receive those who do not believe as we do In this we are good Friends but I doubt he will be as angry with me as with the seasonable discourser for accounting the Popish Religion to be Superstitious Idolatrous and Absurd and the Protestant to be the True Antient and Apostolick Religion Neither shall I much differ with him in some other of his Concessions viz. That it is the right of every National Church to provide for the particular concerns thereof and and without his Peradventure that the Church of England hath preserved the face of a continued Mission and uninterrupted Ordination which is impossible for the Romanists t do their Doctrin of Intention being allowed for currant that here moderation in Doctrin is great that her Discipline preserves Episcopal Government He concludes may we not therefore because the Popish Religion is accounted stupid be permitted to say our prayers in private which is all the Indulgence allowed us and that sure it is no part of the goodness of the Protestant Church to hinder others from being as good as they can and the worse our Religion is the more need we have of praying to make us better § As it is no part of our Doctrin to hinder prayers and devotions that are in truth so according to Christs Constat or men to be as good as they can so it is no part of our practise and it looks too like a slander to intimate it and it is our belief that the worse the men and their Religion are the more need they have of their own and other mens prayers to make them better but then they must be made to God and his Son and not to Pictures and Images nor yet to Stocks and Stones and those in a Language to themselves Intelligible It is is indeed the desire and design of our Souls that being converted our selves to strengthen our Brethren and to hinder some scabbed Sheep from infecting the
establish or tollerate by Law Popery in their Protestant Dominions For as self-preservation by the very Law and Light of Nature is the Suprema lex of every Individual and consequently of every Prince considered only as a single person So Salus Populi wherein the Prince himself is also included and involved even politically and in respect of Magistracy considered is the Suprema lex also And the first and principal thing Magistrates are to look after is to preserve Magistracy and the Authorty they are intrusted withall for the good of the Governed in its full power and prerogative And for this great reason also it is wonderful absurd to suppose a Magistrate obliged to tollerate any thing destructive to the very being of the persons and Authority of him and his people for whose wellfare he is intrusted And of such a Nature is Popery and is the design of Papists and no pretence of Conscience whatsoever is in such a Case to be hearkned unto or endured it being against the very Light of Nature and in truth nothing else but to pretend Conscience the better to enable them to destroy not Religion only but even Protestant Mankind For the very Light of Nature abandons all such principles from the leost Tolleration they making men cease to be true Subjects to the State or good Common-Walthsmen in relation to others Though I have thus justified the Act of Parliament by the confessions of Papists themselves by matters of Fact Reasons of State and warranty of Scripture yet I can give no Vote or Encouragement for Sanguinary Laws meerly for matters of Religion abstract from treasonable and capital crimes and practises nor yet to imitate our Adversaries in Inquisitions fleaing with Stripes starving with Hunger Cold and Nakedness plunging into loathsom Dungeons full fraught with stinking Natines and with Toads Serpents and other venomous Creatures nor yet for unnecessary pecuniary Mulcts And I am confident that such true English generous Blood runs in the Veins of English Parliaments that they naturally pity the distressed and abhor cruelties that they will not use Extremities not put in Execution the utmost of the Penal Laws but will mould them as gently as the peace and safety of the Nation will bear and permit And I am verily perswaded That if their over busie and fiery Priests had not been over Active the Review and Revival of any severities against them had never been thought of and if any new Acts do ensue it is but what they have brought upon themselves and for which none may be blamed but themselves and their Layety only because they suffer themselves to be led blind-fold by their Noses by them who have no Authority so to do for which they are much very much to be commiserated there being a vast difference between the Seducers and Seduced But if any more severe Laws than other ought to be put in Execution certainly they ought to be inflicted on Idolaters and Blasphemers That the Papists are Idolaters hath been demonstrated by many Pens and that they are Blasphemers is as evident For accordin gto the Notion of Blasphemy even in the New Testament He that assumes and appropriates to himself a property Divine is a Blasphemer and in truth a setter up of more Gods than one and of such a Nature is their Doctrin of Infallibility this is most Evident from Luke 5.20 21. when the Jews Taxed Christ himself for speaking Blasphemy who did not rayl but only said to the Paralitick Man They sins are forgiven thee Yet they not acknowledging him to be God did account it Blasphemy in him to take upon him to forgive sins which is a property meerly Divine For who said they can forgive sins but God alone so Rev. 2 9. I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Much more he that says he is Infallible a property Divine when he is not So John 10.33 For a good Work we stone tee not but for Blasphemy because thou being a Man makest thy self God What was this blasphemy even because he said I and my Father are one v. 31. Whereby it is apparent that the Popes assuming to themselves a property Divine make themselves guilty of Blasphemy and indeed of making more Gods than one which is undeniable Idolatry To which if their Luciferian Dogma's be added it will not mince the matter at all viz. Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam non potuisse statuere prout statuit Haereticum censetur Extravag Johan 22. cum inter nonnullos gloss ibid. declaramus Idem est Dominium Dei Papae Augustus Ambonitanus q. 45 35. Dominus Deus noster Papa Clement in proem in Gloss ibid 121. Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium Extravag de Majoritat obedientia But let these pass In the Church of Rome the Popes were the first Preachers of force and violence and that their St. Dominick was one of the first that I read of that preached the Doctrin of Death and Tortures for opinions in Religion He was the founder of the begging Order of Friars preachers and therefore in Honour of him the Inquisition is intrusted only to the Friars of his Order And if they will believe their own Legends his own Mother the night before he was born dreamed that she was brought to bed of a Mastiff Dog with a Fire-brand in his mouth The Hieroglyphick whereof I leave to every Reader to make Only his deportment towards the Albigenses is storied to be as mad as that of Dogs so that one saith of him Aeo quidem ut Centum Haereticornm Millia ab Octo Millibus Catholicorum fusa interferta fuisse perhibeantur That a Hundred Thousand of them were put to flight and slain by 8000 Catholicks and of those who became Captives 180 were burnt to death the first Example that I find in the Church of Rome of putting dissenting Brethren to death for Religion Though my particular Confession engages me Experimenta per mortes Agere yet I abhor to be of the Colledge of Blood-suckers whose Bellies like those Canes Sepulchrales of the Romans are never satisfied with the Blood of Saints I have learnt better things from Isa 27.4 Fury is not in me And from Psal 11.5 Him that loveth violence his Soul hateth lest God should return Blood upon me in fury and in jealousie Ezek. 16.38 I Conclude with St. Cyprian Quid facit in pectore Christiano Luporum feritas Canum Rabies venenum Serpentum cruenta saenitia Bestiarum Gratulandum est cum tales de Ecclesia separantur ne columbas ne Oves Christi Soeva sua venenata contagione praedentur What hath the fierceness of Wolves The madness of Dogs The venom of Dragons and the Bloody Cruelty of Wild Beasts to do in a Christian Breast There 's joy and gladness when such are seperated from the Church lest the gentle and innocent Doves and Sheep of Christ be made
to Swear by the Lord and Melchom to hear as Protestants but believe as Papists to cry the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord boasting of the high Priviledges the Gospel hath and doth afford us and yet not to walk by the Rules and Precepts thereof which in plain English is to talk indeed like Saints but in truth to do like Devils Why then should we hazard the Eternal wellfare of our precious immortal Souls upon nice points of Logick upon peradventures and come at last and when it is too late unto an Had I wish'd Remember Nehem. 13.23 26. Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet amongst many Nations was there no King like him who was beloved of his God and God made him King over all Israel nevertheless even him did strange Women cause to sin § Moreover it hath been the practise of the Church in all Ages to cast out the Leaven of contrary Doctrins and Profession In the time of Enos before the Flood the Servants of God began to worship God by themselves apart from the prophane Generation of Cain Ishmael was cast out of Abrahams House because he was a scorner of Isaack Jacob reformeth his House and putteth away the strange Gods Gen. 35.2 Joshua maketh the Gibionites hewers of Wood and drawers of Water for the House of God Josh 9 13 David expelleth the Idolatrous Jebusites out of Jerusalem 2 Sam. 5 8. Asa put Maacha his Mother from her regiment because she was an Idolatress and brake down her Idols 2 Chron. 15.16 Josias put down the Chemarins a Sect of Idolatrous Priests 2 Kings 23.5 Zerubbabel would not suffer the adversaries of Judah to build the Temple with them but refused their service which they offered Ezech. 4.3 This was the Law Thou shalt make no Covenant with them nor with their Gods they shall not dwell in the Land lest they make thee sin against me Exod. 23.32 33. Deut. 7.2 3 4. The Graven Images of their Gods shall ye burn with fire Thou shalt not desire the Silver and Gold that is on them nor take it unto thee lest thou be snared therein for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house least thou be an accursed thing like it but thou shalt utterly detest it and thou shalt utterly abhor it for it is a cursed thing Deut. 7.25 26. Neither shalt thou set up any Graven Image which the Lord thy God hateth Deut. 16.22 Where Gods Ark is there Dagon shall be thrust out of his place and fall down before it 1 Sam. 5. § One kind of vile and base Idolatry when Men Worship their own Fancies as Papists Quakers and Enthusiasts amongst others now adays do observing that for a Religion which their deceived minds imagine then may not Princes wink at corrupt and vitious Religion which is an inward and ghostly worship of Idols seeing no man and therefore no Prince can serve Two Masters Mat. 6.24 Luke 16.13 And the Service that Princes yield Christ in respect of their Royal vocation consisteth in making Laws for Christ which if they do likewise for Antichrist it cannot be salved but that they serve God and Mammon or rather cease to be Servants of Christ in that they renounce their Master by serving his Adversary And they cannot but know that silence provoketh and sufferance imboldeneth their Subjects to forsake God and his Church Even as in civil Affairs the slacking of Justice doth maintain disorder the life of the Law is penalty when duly executed wherefore the great Law-giver to his own Israel useth such enforcements Every state and Kingdom hath Refractories whom nothing restrains but penalty indeed penalties executed do scarce reform yet is Treacle made up of such Vipers for preserving others All Israel shall hear and fear Deut. 17.13 and do no more presumptuously Servility is much in men of best inclination they are not always led by the Spirit of Ingenuity Psal 51.12 Draco his Laws are yet extant their severity is deemed over rigorous providing death for least offences lenities in some enormities is no less blamable whilst Adultery laughs at the white sheet or secures it self of redeeming that shame with purse or power As offences grow though but in circumstances so ought Penalties Num. 30.32.35 Maxima peccandi Illecibra est impunitatis spes There is no greater encouragement or enticement to sin than hope of Impunity Some wise Men begin to think as that Sage Politician spake by occasion of Nerva's remissness in Government Praestat vivere ubi nulla quam ubi omnia sint licita It 's better to live in that state where nothing than where all things are lawful David was so far from suffering the worship of any strange God within his Realm that he protesteth Their offerings I will not offer neither make mention of their names within my lips Psal 16.4 When would he think you confirm their Honour and Service with his Royal Authority that thus disdained them common civility he had a more Ennobled Spirit more Divine Principle and would shew it by the sublimity of his Actions Quo major suum eo plus laborabo as the Sun Josh 23.7 Deut. 12.3 Num. 32.38 scorned to know wicked persons or to let them tarry in his sight he was engaged to do something more than ordinary being called to be Gods own Anointed and that the observation of Gods Laws was the noblest Ornament of His Majesty and that the Law was express against it Make no mention of the names of other Gods neither let it be heard out of thy mouth Exod. 23.13 The good Kings of Juda were favoured and blessed of God for walking in the Ways of David their Father and purging the Land from all Sacrifices and Ceremonies not prescribed by Moses's Law Contrariwise Solomon was rejected for admitting other Gods to be served within his Dominions besides the God of Israel though this tolleration was granted in respect of his own Wives that were strangers Nehem. 13.36 Jerohoams politick devise to Worship the same God in Dan and Bethel after a new manner turned to the destruction of himself and his Posterity Therefore Jehosaphat reproved by Jehu visited his Kingdom from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought his people back unto the Lord God of their Fathers 2 Chron. 19 2 3. That the false Priests and Prophets did so over-bear the true Prophets of God Jeremiah Ezechiel c. to the ruine of the City and Kingdom was the fault of Jehoiakim and Zedebiah And at this day it is the fault and folly of Christian Kings that suffer the grand Seignior of Rome to impose upon them and that the Church of Rome is not either reduced to her primitive truth and purity from which she is degenerated and brought to better conformity vvith the truly Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church or else demolished as the Jewish Synagogue vvas § Gratian at his first entring finding all places