Appeal to the Parliament, To the reader
The Epistle to the Reader.
WEll affectioned Reader:
If ever soundnesse of minde, and sincere uprightnesse of heart were to be manifested for the Lord; now is the time especially, because this is the adulterous, Marc. 8.38.& sinfull generation, that the Spirit speaketh off; which is come to such a hight of impiety, iniquity, and prophanesse, that by sinne it stareth heaven in the face, & dasheth Gods people out of countenance, that they may be ashamed of the Gospell: we doe not reade of greater persecution, higher indignitie and indemnitie done upon Gods people, in any nation professing the gospell, than in this our Iland; especially since the death of Queene Elizabeth; witnesse, the silencing, fining, excommunicating, and casting out of the Ministerie; yea the pining of some of them, and sundry good people to death, whose blood we must know cryeth yet for revenge; for precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saincts: yea in some measure we have already payed for it; for how much Britan-blood hath the Lord sould for no price, within this ten yeares? and what for all our paines, meanes and losses, but the highest dishonour that could be thought on? yea who knowes yet what a deep Aceldama, or field of blood, our Land may be, if that blood be not expiated; but who is the main Impulsive cause of these evills of sinne, and judgement? Even those men of bloods, the Prelacie, as we have proved, whose dignitie (as the late King hath it in the preface of his Basilicon) smelleth vildlie of Popelike pride; yea they are a main part of him; bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Against this Hierarchie we do not commence, but renew our suite, for the recovery of the Keyes of Christ, and the veyle of his spouse: In the prosecution whereoff we intreat the help of all that love the Lord: First agree with God, by reforming at home; and then looke upon them, as they are clearly convinced, to be enemies to God, and the State; and so hate them with a perfect hatred; be not ashamed of Christ and his Word; that is, of standing for the Priviledges of his Kingdome, no, not among an adulterous & sinfull generation; that is, when Christ enemies are in their ruff, left Christ be ashamed of you. As for their swelling pride, feare it not. There are more with vsus, then against vsus: yea it is enough, that the Lord of Hostes is against them.
We may say truely of them, as an ancient said of the Prelates of his time: Omnibus terrori, amantur à nullo: they are a terror to all, and loved by none, except by such as stand too nigh them in a contiguitie of profitt, Poperie, or Prophanes; these indeed cannot see; because they will not see.
As for their traditions, whereby they support themselves, they are branches of the same root, condemned by the Word, Councils, Fathers; by all ancient, and modern, Orthodox writers: yea, and by the Positions of the Papists. But it is enough, (as D. Whittaker observeth): quod à Christo damnantur: Controv. 1. q. 6. p. 48.that they are condemned by Christ. The matter is of no lesse weight then the Kingdome of Christ; in the suppressing, or advancing whereoff, standeth the ruine, or reviuing of our Kingdomes: and therefore we commend it to your serious consideration: we have endevoured to clear Christs title, and the trueth of the Positions from the Word especiallie; as for other testimonies, let them have their owne weight: by that Intire word, as the Psalmist speaketh, and for it, we doe contend, Ps. 19.8. For it hath in it self foreign, Luc. 1.4. That infallible certaintie, which is foreign, by divine inspiration, and onelyonly of it self to be beleeved: Though in regard of our danger we have used freedome of speech, we neither hate their persons, nor envie their pomp, but we wish their con…sion, and safetie of the State.
If in stead of entertaynment, or of a legall tryall they turne againe, to teare this treatise, and trouble the maintayners of it, let them take heed, for by this trueth heer maintayned, they shall one day be judged: if they should also go about, to incense the Kings Majestie with a prejudicate opinion of this juste APPEAL, we hope it shall plead for it self (our infirmities excused.) That in uprightnesse of conscience we could not doe him better service: yea we are confident, if all that love the Lord (especiallie men of place) will do their part, we shall have our King, as an Angell of God in this particular: though Rome must fall by the sword, yet the word must both instruct Princes, that Babell cā no otherwise be healed, & also in arm them for her ruine. We thought the volume should have been farre lesser then it is; and therefore me made no chapters, nor Index; but considering the subject, it required both longer time, and a greater volume; An other edition may come forth in better order. Censure not a part, before ye have perused the whole, because diverse parts of the same matter, have their diverse places in severall Positions. Part not with a good title, though it be incumbered. Labour hard, by prayer, and practise, that God may have his honour; the King his right; and the Enemies of both their defert; and the Lord will dwell among vsus. It is not our intent in this treatise, to dispute at large every particular propounded and proved; for the subject would not suffer it; the volume would have beene too large; and the trueth of diverse particulars, is alreadie vendicated by whole volumes, from all gainsayers: But if any lift to be contentions in contradicting any point asserted, and proved, either directlie, or by consequence; we shall be readie at all times by Gods assistance further to make it good.
A DECADE OF GRIEVANCES; Presented and proved to the right Honourable and High Court of PARLIAMENT. Against The Hierarchye, or Goverment of the Lord Bishopps and their dependent Offices, by a multitude of such as are sencible of the ruine of religion, the sinking of the state, and of the plotts and insultations of enemies against both.
RIght Honourable and High Senators, you are not unacquainted, howe the affrighting and turmoyling troubles of the heart speake in the faces of all true hearted subjects, expressed often by their sighes and groanes,Deut. 32.35. and also vented by their patheticall complaints; the moving cause whereof is our Calamitie, partlie alreadye seized, & partlie making hast (as it is further threatned) to seize upon us. But to our shame and confusion of faces, wee must confesse, that of the provokinge cause of this calamity (namely sinne) wee are nothing so sensible as wee should be; Or if wee complaine of sinne, yet wee find not out that Ashtaroth or maine nationall sinne, which is the Conjunct or immediate working cause of all the evill that is upon us. When a bodye politique is runne all into one festered sore of sin & one benumming bruise of iudgment, then the universall and painefull distemper taketh awaye the discerning facultie of the Master sore that hath bred and fed all the rest, which indeede must eyther be sought out and removed,Rom. 1.18. (as the principall cause) or it will never prove a cure. Though the wrath of God be revealed against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes, yet for some one capitall sinne, especially the Lord departeth from a state,Hos. 4.17.5.12. & turneth it upside downe. This might be instanced in Israell joyning himselfe vntounto his Idolls, which made the Lord vntounto him as a moth, and vntounto the howse of Iuda as rottenesse. This principall Israel understood,Iudg. 20. when he fought againe & againe; & found out the cause why he fell before Benjamin. The same course tooke Ioshua in humbling himselfe, to find out Achan, and the excommunicate thing. He might have found out, and also removed manie other sinnes, yet if he had not found out the thing of the curse, he might have mourned his heart out, before he had prevayled with the Lord against the enemie. Howe to find out our Achan, or golden wedge and Babilonish garment, hoc opus, &c. For it is not obvious to every man. Yea this Spirit is neyther found out nor cast out, but by fasting and prayer. Yet woefull experience, the common schoolmaster hath formerlie discovered to the Chariotts and Horsemen of Israell, & now doth discover this verye same to be the verye chiefe cause of our Calamitie that wee pitch upon. Wee doe not seclude our owne sinnes, nor others sinnes, for manie sinnes, and manie inditements are against us; but this is the Master sinne (as wee conceive.) And that upon this ground, that the capitall sinne of a nation is not the highest sinne, abounding in the highest measure, (against which there is any lawe established;) but that is the maine & Master sinne, which is established by a law. And this is that frameing of mischiefe by a lawe, that the Prophet speaketh of, called in an other place, the Commandement of man establishing sinne:Ps. 94.20. Hos. 5.11. Now give us leave (right Ho:) to demād, what sin is established by a law in this cōmon weale, but the Hierarchye & their acoutrements? And therefore we verilie beleeve by the grievances following, offer to demonstrate that the Hierarchie and their howshold stuffe, is the capitall sinne and maine cause why all this evill is come vponupon vsus.