More Full Answer to Exceptions, Text
A MORE FVLL ANSWER OF JOHN BASTWICK, Dr. OF PHISICK, Made to the former exceptions newly propounded by another wellwiller to him, againſt ſome expreſſions in his LETANY, with his reaſons for the printing of it.
All ſet downe as more Articles ſuperadditionall vponupon ſuperadditionall, againſt the Prelats.
This is to follow the LETANY as a FOVRTH PART of it.
Printed in the Yeare of the Engliſh Prelats malice, and crualty, againſt and upon Gods faithfull people, 1637.
The fourth part of the Letany, OF JOHN BASTWICK, Doctor of Phiſick.
ƲVorthy Sir,
AS I moſt kindly thanke you, for the many favours, you ſhewed me in my proſperity, ſo I do heartily, for your well wiſhes towards mee in this my captivity: and as I do cordially thanke you for both, ſo I do likewiſe promiſe all reciprocall endeavour in all Offices of love in way of remuneration: and ſo much the more your humanity deſerves it, becauſe you condole not onelyonly my preſent deſolation, but ſtudy to prevent further fury in my adverſaries, which will tend to my greater ruine as you ſay, if they have any juſt, or but ſeeming ground for it: and therefore you have freindly I thanke you advertiſed mee of ſome danger you feare will come upon mee, if my Letany ſhould be publiſhed, in regard of ſome expreſſions in it, as that I ſeeme to vilifie the Service of the Church eſtabliſhed in the Kingdome by Parlament, and that I call the Prelate of Canterbury VVilliam the Dragon, and his brrther of Yorke, the abby lubber of the North; now they being privy Councellors, ſuch ſpeeches will be adjudged ſcandalous as you ſuppoſe, and therefore that I ſhall be cenſured for Scandalum Magnatum. And withall you thinke it is a revillng thoſe in authority, which the Angel would not doe to the very Devill. And this is the ſumme of what you have to object againſt my Letany. To all which although I hauehave formerly anſwered in my letters to others, yet becauſe I know not whether you may ever ſee them, I thought fit in breife to reply as followeth.
And firſt whereas you ſeeme to intimate by your words, that I ſhould either totally ſuppreſſe the printing of my LETANY, or els take out thoſe words: I conceive neither of both by any ſound reaſon ought to be done: for that the LETANY is printed, the Prelats are the cauſe of it: and of the writing of it: for would they have let mee followed my owne imployments, I ſhould never have troubled my thoughts about them: for I moſt ingenuouſly confeſſe unto you, that nothing more greeves mee, the that I am conſtrained to make thoſe men a ſubject of my diſcourſe, that at other times I would ſcorne to make an object of my cogitations: but they I ſay, having by their unhuman and unchriſtian proceedings deprived mee of liberty, and all lively hood, and by this meanes ruined mee and all mine, and to all this threatned farther calamity and miſery unto mee, as the ſlitting of my noſe, the branding mee in the forehead, & the cutting of my eares, all which things being dayly related unto mee by others, I muſt confeſſe it, put me upon my devotions, and was the onelyonly cauſe of my Letany; and had not their thundering words come unto mee, I ſhould never have done any thing in Engliſh: but that my country men, might ſee ſomething into the Prelats well meaning towards the Church and State, and withall might be ſtirred up to a diligent, endeavour to prevent the miſcheif, as they feare God, and honour their King and lowe their religion and country, I writ that treatiſe, and ſent it to my good Angel, but hearing withall, that ſome evill Angells were abroad, and had miſinterpreted it, and the Prelats threatned me yet more cruelly for that: then I reſolved to make that publick which otherwiſe ſhould have been for my owne uſe, and the benefit of ſome few frends onelyonly: and this is one of the cauſes of the printing of it, and all my other ſuperadditionall articles againſt them: For at the making of it, I had never thought to have lived a day: the plague on every ſide environing mee about, and many poore people coming up to my chamber for cure with ſoares running on them: all the Phyſicians being gone out of towne: and therefore my danger being ſo great, and all poſſibility of eſcaping of it, being alſo taken away, I tooke my ſelf then to my Letany, and that it ſeemeth was not well taken by M. Preiſts & Prelats; neither could they conceale their venome, and evill intents, but muſt for the greater terror of others divulge them, and they as I ſaid coming frequently to my intelligence, for feare withall, that they ſhould adulterate my true copy, I therefore writ over another with my owne hand which I got to be copyed out, and ſo let ſome of my freinds ſee it, and ſuch alſo as had been many yeares in the High Commiſſion Court, and that knew very well I ſlandered them in nothing I ſaid: onelyonly out of their good affection towards mee, they feared, and that very much, that the Prelats would proceed to the extremeſt and rigerouſeſt puniſhment that by law could be inflicted upon mee. For their Kingdome was firſt by bloud begun and eſtablished, and by bloud hath hitherto been continued, and by bloud onelyonly shall be perpetuated, but for my bloud and life I ſtand not for that, ſo that the truth may be knowne, and their wickednes, plots, and cruelty be diſcovered, and truely next unto the eſpeciall providence of God, which allwayes bringeth good out of evill, I may thank the Prelats for the honour of this good worke (coſt it mee what it will) for they onelyonly were the cauſe both of the beginning and publiſhing of it: for if they had not breathed out threats againſt mee, preſaging their bloudthirſtineſſe, I ſhould never have ſtudied to dive ſo far into this buſineſſe; in the which through Gods bleſſing I have made ſo good progreſſe, as I hope all thoſe that either, feare God or their King, or love their countries, through the whole Chriſtian world, with all the Christian Kings, Princes and Emperors, and all free States will manifeſtly ſee, not onelyonly the little need of the Prelats Government in their Kingdomes and Countries, but the great miſcheife and damage they bring to all Common-Wealths and Nations where they dwell. And to ſay no more but the verity, there is as little need of them, and their juriſdictions in Kingdoms for the well adminiſtring of them, as is in our Chriſtian and holy profeſſion of the Service-booke, which yet never either begot grace or the feare or love of God, or increaſed any gift of God in any; and is well knowne to the whole corporation of thoſe that call upon the name of God in ſincerity, that it doth not onelyonly hinder goodnes, but doth hurt, and that abundantly, & indeed were there no other juſt cauſe of caſting of it out, but that it doth no good, this I ſay were enough to remove it: but eſpecially when it is a cauſe of much evill every way, it ought to ſtirre up authority to looke into it: for very reaſon teacheth us, that which is no way uſefull nor needfull for the ſalvation of men of that there can be no true need: now of the Service booke there is no need nor neceſſity, for if there had been God would himſelfe have appointed one, and all Chriſtian Churches would have had that, that had been needfull to their ſalvation: and therefore, when God hath neither appointed certain prayers to be daily read, nor other Chriſtian Churches which are daily ſaved, never had any: and when no man dare conclude that any man was ever excluded from heaven that never heard any Divine ſervice, it ſeemeth a ſtrange thing to mee, that ſuch a peece of ſervice in our Church ſhould be authorized that was taken out of the Maſſe booke; and of the which all the learned in reformed Churches where I have lived, wonder that ſuch a learned Prince as King Iames was, would ever admit it in his dominions; for they all had ſeene it, it being tranſlated into French, and this I was often an eare witnes of that the profoundeſt men ſaid, if ſo be they had a purpoſe to turne againe to Babylon, from which they were commanded to come out, they would for a ſpeedy way bring in the Engliſh ſervice and diſcipline; and then farewell immediatly all true religion and the intire ſervice of God, and by this meanes they ſhould give ſo great and ſtrong a weapen into their adverſaries hands, as they ſhould never be able to make good their proceeding, and withall ſhould in a little time breed ſuch a deale of ignorance in the people, as they would be eaſily ſeduced. For whereas many of them, had not time through their many occaſions in the whole weeke to reade the Scriptures, if they ſhould alſo on the Lords day be taken up in reading of prayers gathered and collected out of Popiſh Pamphlets, this would bee an abſolute meanes to extinguiſh that little knowledge they had already, and bring in blindnes in ſtead of it. And with all the correſpondency that was between them in rites, Ceremonies, and Service, would kindle a greater love in the Papiſts to their ſuperſtitious worſhip, and in the Proteſtant it would alſo upon the leaſt occaſion beget ſome deſire to returne unto their old errors: and therefore they proteſted as they tendered the honour of God, the ſalvation of the people, and the advancement of learning, they could never admit of our ſervice amongſt them: of all which they profeſſed they thought it an enimy, and they add farther, that if they had ever beleeved that ſuch formes of prayer had been for the advancement of the Goſpell, and the glory of God, and the edification of the people, they had thouſands in their Church that could make formes of prayer, and never be beholding to the Maſſe-booke for them.
And I can truely ſay thus much, I neuer yet met a Miniſter in France, were hee in neuer ſo meane a place, but he was a diligenr preacher, and able to inſtruct any flock, withall he was of ſo good literature, as I never ſaw yet Biſhop, or any high Prieſt in England to be compared to him for that, which I ſpeake to the eternall honour of that people, that giuegive vntounto their Miniſters ſuch ſingular breeding, and hauehave ſuch care in their elections that they be able and ſufficient men, and eueryevery way ſo accompliſhed for life & doctrine, as they cannot neither by feare, fauour or preferment be brought from their integrity, nor by all perſecutions, warres, bloudy maſſacres be in the leaſt daunted or deterred from their holy profeſſion. And of this Chriſtianimity is this people and many more, and of this ſound learning, where they neuer had a Letany or ſeruice book: or either in gouernment, diſcipline, or ceremonyes, were like vntounto the Papiſts, all which hauehave been euer dangerous if not fatall to all true religion: for when Chriſtians began to bring in Iewiſh and heatheniſh ceremonies, rites, and cuſtomes, and their inuentions, they then began to pervert true Religion and corrupt the ſound doctrine of our glorious and holy profeſſion. And King Iames himſelf though for ſome ends, he was willing for a time to retayne the ceremonyes, yet he profeſſed in the conference at Hampton Court, that if he did dwell among the heathens & Papiſts that then there was great danger in ſymbolizing with thē in any ſuch things, for it would much animate them in their ſuperſtition, by which they might be hindred rather then furthered in religion: but in regard that they had no Papiſts among them which might be hurt by them, he was the more willing to conniue at them, but had he liued vntill now, and ſeene what miſcheif both ceremonyes and ſervice hauehave done amongſt vsus, or did but King Charles ſee, or were but truly informed of the ignorance that is amongſt the people both in regard of their duty towards God and his royall Maieſtie, of the backſliding to Popery and ſuperſtition, which hath ever proteſted againſt, he would take ſome ſpeedy courſe for the remouing of all the occaſions of it which is nothing els bur the ſeruice booke and ceremonyes, with their corrupt diſcipline & Gouerners, & as by his autority & the autority of his royall Predeceſſors they were eſtabliſhed, ſo when the inconueniences of all ſuch conſtitutions are by dayly experience ſeene, which was euer ſufficient cauſe to abrogat lawes, and diſmiſſe Officers, they may well be remoued with the great good to the whole Church and ſtate and to his excellencyes immortall honour and the perpetuation of his Crowne and dignity. And thus much at this time ſhall ſuffice to hauehave ſpoken concerning the ſeruice book and the tackling belonging to that buſineſſe, becauſe I hauehave formerly ſpoken of it.
And now I am come to your maſter and capitall exception, where you thinke that they will heauily cenſure mee for calling the Prelat of Canterbury William the Dragon and the Biſhop of yorke the abby lubber of the North. Which you coniecture will be eſteemed ſcandalum magnatum and will cauſe a ſeuere puniſhment from autority, and which they hauehave alſo cruelly threatned vntounto mee for the ſame words, and therefore you would hauehave them omitted. But before I come to the diſtinct anſwer to that you now ſuggeſt, I thinke it fit to ſay ſomething for a proeme concerning this ſcandalum magnatum, and the orginall of it you very well know, that Kings hauehave euer been called and eſteemed Gods vponupon earth, and they indeed went before their people ſhining in vertues and goodnes, of which they were compoſed, & ſo farre they were from any commaculation of vice, that people were not to thinke euill of the King in their bedchamber, or to ſay what doſt thou? by all which is ſufficiently inferred, what excellency is in Princes and mighty potentates aboue other men. And as Kings had the ſupreme and firſt degree of dignity both for place and vertue: ſo next vntounto them, had the true Nobility and great Heroes their ſtation, whoſe firſt riſe to honours was their wiſdome and true ſeruice vntounto their Prince and good they did to their country, according to that of the heathen, fundamentum nobilitatis virtus eſt. So that the true and antient Nobility were ſuch as next vntounto their Kings and Princes were for all excellent endowments ſo ſingularly qualified, as they were not capable of any aſperſion, and if any had been ſo black mouthed as to hauehave layd any blemiſh vponupon their reputation, the euill alwaies returned vntounto themſelues, neither was their honour impeached by it, but rather illuſtrated, for the whole world was well acquainted with their goodneſſe. ſo that their traducers, were branded for calumniators amongſt the people, which was puniſhment enough and eternall ſhame vntounto them. And ſo ſarre were thoſe truly heroicall Spirits from making any lawes about ſuch a thing that they neuer thought ſo poorely of themſelues, as that any could ſpeake the leaſt thing to their infamy by which they could wound their reputations and vertuous life, And the ſame goodneſſe yet dwelleth in all the ancient Nobility and ſuch as are truely illuſtrious and magnates, ſo that they are like their Kings and Maſters whoſe dignity no blaſt of a foule mouth can contaminate among the really vertuous and heroicall: and ſo conſcious they are to themſelues, of their excellent integrity, that they will not ſo much as ſully their thoughts with what any clamorous tongue ſaith, much leſſe their eſtimation among the prudent, as to make them ſuppoſe that they are moued with railings which hurt them no more then the dogs barking againſt the Moone. Notwithſtanding ſince thoſe antient and truely honoured Nobility, there hauehave ſprung vp a new generation of Lords, who fearing the calumnies of the vulgar, as new Lords are a meanes of ſounding new lawes, hauehave obtained ſo much of prudent Princes and Kings who were willing to yeild vntounto their weakenes that ſuch lawes ſhould be enacted, but with no intent that the vices of ſuch men ſhould be ſmothered, or that thoſe ſhould be puniſhed, that were detectors and manifeſters of them, but onelyonly for both terror and punishment if they had vnworthily defamed their noble families out of their priuat malitious and rancourous minds; neither doth the eminency of place in any ſubiect warrant him ſecurely, to doe any thing againſt the honour of his King and Maſter, or the moleſtation of his Kingdome and ſubiects, or is the meaneſt ſubiect to be puniſhed for doing his duty in this kind, for the dignities conferred vpom them in ſuch proximity vntounto the King, is ſo much the greater tye vntounto them for the due hounouring of their Prince, and ſeeing that next vntounto him, whoſe place it is to protect his people they ſhould add their helping hands in ſeeking the ſafety and wellfare of them, and be indeed mediators betweene the King and the poore people, if they had fayled by frailty in their duty and loyalty to his Highnes. Now I ſay when all thoſe that are dignifyed with honours, do neither truly honour the King as they ſhould, and are ſo farre from making a ſweet harmony duplicate page duplicate page between the King and his people, as they continually rather put into his royall heart ſiniſter opinions againſt his beſt ſubjects, and traduce their beſt endeavours, & pervert their words to contrary meanings, and make their poore brother a prey for a word, as the Prophet I ſay ſpeaketh, and do not onelyonly move the King againſt them, but do in their owne perſons, and by the authority that they have given them, tyrannically abuſe the ſubject to their utter ruine and undoing, all ſuch I ſay are ſo farre from having any priviledge by the Law, as they themſelves are delinquents in a high degree of contumacy by ſuch demeanour, and are fallen from their dignity. Neither do I conceive that any King or people can take it ill at the meaneſt ſubjects hand for diſcovering any ſuch mens practices, when I ſay, they are ſo prejudiciall to the State. In the number of which men, to ſay nothing neither of the obſcurity of their parentage, the meaneſſe and the poverty of their breeding, the beginning of their order, and whoſe image they are, the uſurpation of their places, being by them the ſworne rebells of Chriſ…, and the curſed enimies of his Kingdome, as I have in diverſe books ſufficiently ſhewed, I ſay to ſpeake at this time of none of all theſe but onelyonly of their preſent proceeding towards the King their Maſter, towards the Church and Common-wealth in generall, and all the poore people, and my ſelf in ſpeciall, you will quickly perceive that the Prelats are juſtly to be reputed among the worſt of men, and not amongſt the Nobles, for ought I know they and they onelyonly are the cauſe of all the calamities in Church and State, which will manifeſtly appeare if wee looke either upon the King or true Nobles, ſuch as love God, the King, their Country and Religion. And for the Kings moſt excellent Majeſties owne perſon, to ſpeake but that equity and juſtice require, what were ever any precedent Kings in this or any other Kingdome renowned for, that is not in him, if you reſpect either vertues morall or theologicall, which are the onelyonly honour of Princes, I ſay name any thing for piety, wiſdome, learning, proweſſe, temperance, clemency, goodnes, bounty, affability, kindnes, or whatſoever els was in any other, do you not ſee it in him radically, nay doth he not ſeeme to be compoſed of goodnes? ſo that never was there any nation more happy in a King, then this our Nation is in ours. Againe to reflect our eye upon the whole ſecular Nobility either antient or moderne, I ſay to ſpeake of them in the generall, if you accoſt them, and by any occaſion have to deale with them, you ſhall find them ſo excellently inclined, and ſo favouring all vertue and goodnes, and of ſuch ſweet humanity and kindnes, and ſuch honourers and favourers of learning and true vertue, as they are exemplar to all other Nations; ſo that for King and Nobility no Nation or Kingdome can compare with ours, and yet nothwithſtanding all this, there is not in the world any Country that the ſubjects for the univerſality of them, groane under more preſſures, and are more tyrannically abuſed then amongſt us, if you reſpect either, bodies, ſoules or goods, having no certaine liberty for a day of either, as woefull and lamentable experience hourely teacheth us. All which proceeds not either from the King who is goodnes it ſelf, and knoweth not how to doe evill, or from the Lords or Peeres of the Kingdom, who are like their King and Maſter, and fabricated of humanity; from whence then I pray you proceed all the greivances of the poore people, but from the Prelats? who make a prey of the ſubject upon every triviall occaſion, and ſuggeſt into his royall eare both in publick and private ſtrange relations concerning them, as though they were the moſt diſloyall people unto his grace in the world, when I can upon my owne knowledge affirme that never King was more happy in a loyall and obedient people then the King is in them, never detrecting obedience to the loſſe of life liberty and eſtates, but as they were borne under obedience, deſire to live and dye in that condition, and are ever moſt willing to ſpend their beſt blouds for his honour, crowne and dignity, or in the cauſe of any of his allies, which is well knowen to the whole Chriſtian world. And yet notwithſtanding all this, their condition is moſt greivous, whether yea reſpect ſoule or body, liberty or meanes, they being every where deprived by the Prelats of their faithfull and true honorable Paſtors and diligent teachers, by which the keys of heaven are taken from them, and idle drones and Epicures put in their places, who neither feed the people themſelves with the bread of life, nor will let others doe it, or ſuffer them to provide for their owne ſoules good, but if they goe into any other pariſh to heare the word when they have none at home, then they hoyſt them up into the high Commiſſion, and there ruine and undoe them, or if the people for feare are deterred from hearing of ſermons, and ſeeking to be acquainted with the word of God, and if there chance a two or three neighbours to meet together for to conferre about holy things, or in every thing obſerve not all their vaine and needles, yea too too chargable and burdenſome Ceremonies, any of theſe things are matter enough to procure perdition and deſtruction unto them of body, ſoule and goods, as daily experience teacheth us. Neither can any ſecular man, Magiſtrat or Officer, be he Iuſtice of peace, Mayor, Bayly, or Conſtable, Iury-man, or witnes, or any other doe his office and duty in putting in execution the Kings Lawes, either for the honour of the King or his Religion againſt a delinquent Preiſt, or againſt any of their impious Officers, or write or witneſſe the truth againſt them or the common enimy, but they are immediatly hoiſted up in their Courts, and the King hath forthwith ſtrange informations given againſt them, as if they were notorious delinquents againſt King, Church, and State, ſo that they are not onelyonly deſerted of all help from his Majeſtie and Nobles, and the Lawes of his Kingdome, but made a prey to the mercileſſe fury of their enimies, and the Prelats being their enimies and parties, witneſſe, Iury and Iudge in their owne cauſe, ſit and give ſentence againſt them. And whereas Chriſt would be no Iudge nor divider, they howſoever they pretend to be his ſucceſſors, judge the poore people moſt cruelly, and divide not onelyonly their inheritance, but give away their whole eſtates, and commit their ſoules to the Devill, and commit their bodies to eternall priſons to the utter undoing of them, their poore wives and children, and that upon every triviall occaſion, and many times againſt all Lawes of God and nature, and captivate the poore people, and keepe them in a greater ſlavery both for ſoule and body, then ever Pharao did. And whereas Chriſt came to heale & cure, and ſpilt his owne precious bloud for the redemption of others, and no ſooner was Malchus his eare cut off, but hee put it on againe, they ſpill the blood of the people, and cut off their eares at pleaſure, yea with ignorance and cruelty murder them, ſoules and bodies, of all which no ſubject can be ignorant, that knoweth any thing, and I by woefull experience have found it; ſo that for my particular, I may truely ſay that, in reſpect of our gracious King and his clemency, I had rather live with bread and water under his regiment, then in all plenty under any Prince in the world, yet in reſpect of the Prelats tyranny who abuſe the authority committed into their hands, I had rather live under the grand ſenior, in the meaneſt condition then where they domineer, with all plenty, for by their cruell proceedings & curſed inhumanity, they ſo imbitter our lives, and make us ſo odious both in Court and Countrey, and ſuch a prey to every prophane Preiſt, that our lives are not onelyonly irkſome unto us, but our being and living a very burden, ſo that death is moſt welcome, for by that and that onelyonly we are ſet at liberty. And I dare preſume, that of what I now ſay, ten thouſand thouſands will witnes with mee of the truth of it: For it is the Prelats that have onelyonly enſlaved us againſt all the Lawes of God and the Land, and have made us hatefull to all men, and a ſpectacle of men and Angels, and yet they perſwade his royall Majeſtie, that they are his moſt loyall and faithfulleſt ſubjects, and all thoſe they accuſe for Puritans the peſt and plague of his Kingdome, and ſeek with Human the extirpation of them all. and by all manner of oppreſſions make thouſands of them fly the land, and others that have no abilities to ſupport them in ſtrange Countries to eate the bread of affliction, and live here with wounded conſciences, when they put upon them ſuch burdens of Popiſh Ceremonies, and force them upon payne of ſevere puniſhment to the obſervation of ſo many ſuperſtitious performances, which by their knowledge and in their conſciences, they are taught ever to abhorre, and by this meanes the people are made miſerable every kind of way. And all this intolerable bondage procedeth onelyonly from the Prelats who many times arme themſelves with his Majeſties authority pretending to his Highnes, that they onelyonly injoyne thoſe things for order, when there is no ſuch matter. And while they doe all this annoy to the kings ſubjects, can they challenge the name of Mag…es, and be counted among the truely noble Peeres of the Kingdome, eſpecially, when in their open Courts they renounce his authority, and challenge their owne preeminency and dignity …, and puniſh his ſubjects for writing againſt Antichriſt and the Church of Rome, which King Iames calls Babylon and Spirituall Egypt and Sodome, to the infinit diſhonour of King Iames of famous …, and the now King their Maſter? by all which proceedings they have made themſelves guilty of great contumacy againſt God and the King, and ipſo facto are all in a Premunire. by which they are fallen from all honour and dignity: and are at the Kings mercy as delinquents, and ſuch as for my part, ſo long as they continue in that condition, I never intend to honour. Neither have I cauſe for my owne particular to think any otherwiſe of them, then of n…cent members of Church and State, both by the warrant of King Iames himſelf, and for their carriage towards mee and the Kings beſt ſubjects: for when I was in the high Commiſſion Court, how ſuperciliouſly the Prelats carried themſelves towards mee all the ſtanders by can tell: and when the advocats ſaw the violence of his deportment towards mee, and earneſtly perſwaded mee to an humble ſubmiſſion, for otherwiſe they told mee he would utterly undoe mee which indeed ſo fell out. I then replying that I was not conſcious to my ſelf of any delinquency either againſt God or the King, or that deſerved convention before any Court of Iudicature in the world, and for my part I reſolved to dye rather then by baſeneſſe of ſubmiſſion to make my ſelf an offender. VponUpon which they demanded of mee if I would contend with their Lords grace, I then againe anſwered, that I contended with no man, but for the truth of God, and the honour of the King, my Country and Religion, and in that contention I would live & dye. Whereupon one of the cheifeſt Advocats in v court told me, that ye Prelat would kill me with his breath, which I conſes was ſuch a diabolicall expreſſion, and a ſpeech of ſuch arrogancy, as never I thinke before was heard of: and therefore upon that, I called him ever after VVilliam the Dragon, for the Dragon onelyonly killeth men with his breath as Hiſtorians do relate, and as the Apocalips witneſſeth, and had I not been a Phyſitian, and had an Antidote againſt it, what do you thinke would have become of mee, when his breath is poyſon? I muſt ingenuouſly confeſſe it, I thinke it is not ſafe that ſuch a breath ſhould come nigh the King, & who knowes but that he was the cauſe of this laſt yeares plague that killed ſo many, and that hee infected the ayre. And for the Prelat of York, he would have had mee knocked downe with club law, for maintaining the Kings prerogative royall againſt Papall uſurpation, and ſaid in open Court that hee was not beholding to the King for his Biſhoprick, for Ieſus Chriſt made him a Biſhop, and the Holy Ghoſt conſecrated him, when notwithſtanding he never performed the office of a Biſhop and true Paſtor of Ieſus Chriſt, but hath ever been a meere drone, and a hinderer of all preaching and teaching by all which he may well deſerve cenſure from the King and State, as being in a Premunire, and the title of an abby lubber. But you ſay, they are privy Councellors, and that the Angell would not revile the Devill, and therefore I have done amiſſe in that. To all which I will breifly anſwer and ſo conclude, as concerning their dignity, ſo long as they had not by their miſdemeanour made themſelves delinquents. I never impeached it or hurt their renowne in the leaſt, but they falling from grace & becoming contumacious againſt God and the King, and noyſome to all his poore ſubjects, in this condition where now they are, I conceive no honour due unto them, nor they worthy of any dignity, … they acknowledge their errors, & crave pardon of God and his moſt Sacred Majeſtie. And the truth is, it is great pitty, that there is none of the Nobles that will informe his Highnes of their wickednes, by which they have made themſelves unworthy of all honour, much leſſe to be of his privy Councell and moſt ſecret admiſſion, they are the privy members of the Clergy that ſtand up againſt all goodnes and adulterate the whole Church. And what miſcheife may not ſuch men doe, who have abandoned all good conſcience nay what miſery have they not brought all the Kings ſubjects into? For they when they are moſt diſloyall and pernicious to Church and State: yet make the King beleeve that they are his beſt ſubjects, and the ſupport of his Crowne and Dignity, and the onelyonly upholders of Government, & thus they prate alſo in open Courts: and this hath ever been the language of Antichriſt and his limbs, No Pope, no Church, No Pope, no King, but preſent confuſion upon all Nations where his Government is called in queſtion: when as it is well knowne to all thoſe that are not ſtrangers to the Hiſtories of times, that the Biſhops of Rome hauehave made Kings and Emperors their very Vaſſalls, and have been the bane of many floriſhing Kingdomes: and to this day inſlave all thoſe Chriſtian Princes, and their ſubjects where ever I ſay, they have power and authority, ſo that the Kings have onelyonly the name, but they command, and their Cardinalls Preiſts and Prelats, and are attended like Princes, their very meat being ſtood bare to as to Kings. For they ſay, Be uncovered my Lords meat is comming up, ſo that they captivate Princes, and make themſelves Lords, Neither can it be otherwiſe: for they have the breeding of all thoſe Kings & Princes: and they are reſolved to keepe them in a perpetuall ignorance: for they ſay that King Henries and King Iames his learning was the overthrow of the church, and ſo long as Princes and Kings were kept in blindnes they then held their poſſeſſions and honours in all ſecurity: but ſince that they began to looke indeed into learning, they found it fatall to them, & therefore, they have now decreed amongſt themſelves hereafter, that Princes and Nobles which they will have the breeding of, ſhall be acquainted with nothing but pleaſures, or at moſt with Grammaticall learning, Nay they ſhall be perſwaded, it is rather a diſhonour to a King to know letters, then a dignity, and that it is not fit for them to looke on a booke, it being enough for Kings to have learned men in their Kingdome: and a floriſhing clergie, neither is it for them to trouble themſelves about learning or religion, but to leave it to the reverend Fathers, and to put their authority into their hands, and they will caſe them of all cares that way, ſo that they ſhall in time find a ſweet content, for they promiſe to make them a people ſubject enough which indeed they doe, for they make them beggers and ſlaves, and moſt Kings that they have the tutoring of, either children or tyrants, and all the Nations where they have place but an unhappy people, for they keepe them ignorant, and deprive them of the liberty of their conſciences, and take away the right of the ſubjects from them. For all the Kingdome of Antichriſt is a monſtrous deformity of Government, and ſuch as advanceth it ſelf above all that is called God: and tramples upon all ſtates of men, ſo that it is a wonder to mee that all the Kings and Princes in the world do not joyne together to demoliſh that Babell, and to ruine the whore. But I much more admire, that in this Kingdome where there is ſo much light, & ſo underſtanding a Prince, that the Nobles and Gentry with the Commons do not joyne together to petition his Majeſtie, that we may be eaſed of this intolerable yoake of theſe Prelats that are now by their frequent uſurpations, enimies of his royall prerogative, moſt burdenſome to his poore ſubjects, and if there be not ſome ſpeedy courſe taken with them will ruine this floriſhing Monarchy. All which is ſo palpable as all men that ſee any thing in States affaires may eaſily behold it.
There is one thing, that I cannot but ſtand aſtoniſhed at, that ſo many wiſe men in a Kingdome ſhould not looke into, and perceive the inconvenience of it, and the wrong it doth to the whole Nation, and that is this. That the breeding of the Kings and Noblemens childeren, and the moſt illuſtrious Families through the Kingdome, ſhould be put into the hands of Preiſts; and ſuch men who as they are by nature and education men that never ſaw farther then a Cloiſter at Cambridg or Oxford, never knew what Heroicall and Princely vertue was, … never came where either breeding religion, or …d maners came: the Vniverſities themſelves …ing corrupted by them and, and educated to ſu…ſtition or prophaneſſe, and contempt of religion. And yet notwithſtanding theſe men I ſay, ſhould be made the tutors of Kings and Nobles children, who …ght to be brought up by learned and truely religious Gentlemen that have been bred up in Princes Courts, and are lovers of learning, piety, and vertue, … all which thoſe monkiſh fellowes are meere ſtran…rs, and are as fit to bring up Princes, as a cow is … a ſaddle: for beſides their deficiencies both na…all and morall, they are a very ignorant ſociety for the moſt part, not knowing well themſelves ordinary literature, ſo that they are commonly ridi…lous to other Nation, I muſt confeſſe, I thinke …his to be one of the principall banes of the Nobi…ity, and that they know no more in learning and States policy which is their art; and therefore if they will follow a poore mans counſell, I would wiſh them all, never to let a Preiſt or a Prelat breed …heir children: for all the Prelats and Preiſts are …bs of the beaſt and his image, and they bring up …he Noblemen and Princes in the hatred of true re…igion, and all them that feare the Lord, and brand … with Puritaniſme and adapt them onelyonly to ſuper…itious obſervations, and make them beleeve that …e hath religion enough that can bow at the name …f Ieſus, or crouch to the Altar, or turne to the Eaſt, …d doe ſuch other performances, with hearing of a …ttle ſervice: and that all thoſe that are not affected …ith this ſuperſtition, are enimies of Church and …ute: and ſo they make theſe worthy heroes, but …eir executioners and butchers to torment and af…ict the poore people whereſoever they have power. The truth is, The Prelats are the curſed enimies of …he Lord Ieſus Chriſt and his Kingdome, neither is … any rayling to call a ſpade a ſpade, the Scripture …alls their predeceſſors the Scribes, Phariſies, and High Preiſts, a generation of vipers, the Sonnes of the Devill, &c. and therefore by the ſame authority, wee may call them by the ſame names, for they are their ſucceſſors and the of-ſpring of Antichriſt, who is the enimy of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and by conſequent no lawfull authority, but an uſurping power, that is, an enimy to all Government appointed by God himſelf: and therefore they are not within the compaſſe of thoſe Saint Iude ſpeaketh of: being worſe then Satan, who when he was there rebuked, let the Angell bury Moſes, but the Biſhop of Rome will keepe whole Kingdomes from buriall ſix yeares together, and the Prelats have the ſame power to doe the ſame wickednes, yea they are not onelyonly not ſo obedient to God as the Devill, but they are greater cauſes of rebellion againſt God, and therfore worſe, then the Devill, and ought more to be deteſted: for the Devill, in tempting to ſin and bringing mē to evill, he hath buth a ſimple ſuggeſtion: But the Prelats they have a double power, for they can both ſuggeſt evill, and conſtraine us to doe it, as all Kingdomes & Nations know very well, who groane under the heavy burden of their unſupportable tyranny; and therefore I do abſolutly conclude, that there is no ſinne in ſaying, the Prelats are the little toes of Antichriſt, and in calling, the Pope of Canterbury VVILLIAM the DRAGON, and his Legatus a latere. the Bishop of Yorke, the ABBEY LVBBER OF THE NORTH, for they are enimies all of God and the King, and of all the Saints and Servants of God. And therefore to draw now to a concluſion, I could wiſh that all the world in our dayly LETANY would pray with mee, from plague, pestilence, and famin, from Bishops, Preiſts, and Deacons, Good Lord deliver us. Fare you well.
Yours moſt infettered In Lymbo Patrum IOHN BASTWICK. Heare ends the fourth part of my LETANY, the other foure are to follow, as alſo ſome of my Latine books are shortly to come out.
Nihil agunt Epiſcopi, ſine typho ſacriligae ſuperbia, ſine inflata cervice arrogantiae, ſine contentione lividae invidiae … aſancta humilitate, a pace Catholica, a charitate Chriſtiana,
Biſhops do nothing without the haughtines of ſacrilegious pride, without the ſwollen necke of arro…cie, without the contention of wan envy, far from holy humility, from Catholicke peace, from Chri…ian charity.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Bastwick, More Full Answer to Exceptions (1637)