The Deprived and Silenced Ministers Arguments, Argument 5 – Argument 8
V. ARGVMENT.
IT is not to be forgotten, with what courage and good ſucceſſea)Impertinent Examples. Nehemiah ſpake for the materiall Ieruſalem, to Artaſhaſht an heathen and prophane King, Neh. 2.2. &c. as alſo how moſt vertuous and noble Q. Eſther, beeing indeed prouoked by poore Mordecai, aduentured her ſelfe, to ſpeake to the like conditioned King Ahaſhueroſh, in behalfe of the old people of God the Iewes, for preuenting of their bodily bloodſhed, notwithſtanding ſhe had not beene called vntounto the King in thirty dayes before, and notwithſtanding there were a lawe of the King, that whoſoeuer, man or woman ſhould come vntounto the King in the inward Court, not called, ſhould die, except ſuch as to whom the King ſhould hauehave held forth his golden rod. It is not (I ſay) to be forgotten, but religiouſly to bee remembred, how notwithſtanding the foreſaid danger and her former feare and weakeneſſe in that reſpect, yet at the laſt ſhee promiſed Mordecai to aduenture her ſelfe, ſaying, If I periſh, I periſh: and how alſo after prayer and faſting of her ſelfe & her ladies, and of the reſt of the Iewes in Shuſhan for her, ſhe entered to the King and ſpake for her people: and what gratious ſucceſſe ſhe had, notwithſtanding the power and might of their chiefe aduerſary, and his great grace and fauour with the king. Did theſe perſons ſo aduenture themſelues to ſpeake before ſuch Kings, and did the GOD of heauen giuegive ſuch gracious ſucceſſe in their attempts? And ſhall Chriſtian Noblemen and Gentlemen nowe aſſembled in high Court of Parliament: where they may ſpeake, and other in other places of authority and grace and fauour with chriſtian Princes, feare to ſpeake for theb)Afoule begging of the Queſtion: as if the Schiſme of a few, were-ſo iuſt and important a matter, as the deliuety of the whole church of God from intended certaine deſtruction. people of God, to a chriſtian King, whoſe education from the Cradle, in all piety, former raigne and gouernement, and religious profeſsion hitherto, do giuegive better incouragement? God forbid. And far be al ſuch feare & cowardlineſſe from all that profeſſe and know the Coſpell of Ieſus Chriſt. Yea if there be any ſo fearefull and cowardly, let them ſeriouſly conſider the ſecond words and meſſage of Mordecai to Eſter. Thinke not that thou ſhalt eſcape in the Kings houſe, more then all the Iewes: For if thou holdeſt thy peace at this time, comfort and deliuerance ſhall appeare to the Iewes out of another place, but thou and thy fathers houſe ſhall periſh. Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome, for ſuch a time. Eſter. 4.13. Let them (I ſay) wiſely and in the feare of God conſider this meſſage, to prouoke themſelues to the more zeale and chriſtian boldneſſe, with all humility and modeſty. Let them not thinke that they by their greatneſſe ſhall procurec)Theſe pure Angels of light, forſooth think all the world in darknes beſides themſelues. a better miniſtery of the Goſpell to themſelues and their houſes, then other hauehave. If it bee reſtrayned from other, as of late itd)An impudēt vntruth of a falſe Prophet. They made themſelues vncapable of any place in the Miniſtery. hath beene, they ſhall not long enioy more liberty thereof then other. Yea, if they at this time and in that place where there is ſuch freedome of ſpeech, hold their peace, and do not with al their gifts and graces of knowledge, wiſedome, zeale, compaſsion modeſty and humilitie, that may be, put forth themſelues in furtherance of thee)They meane their Presbitery &c ſincere miniſterie of the Goſpell andf)Note this. Theſe Suppliants would hauehave all the Biſhops remoued & depri. priued. remouing the lets and impediments thereof: ſurely helpe may come in theſe things vntounto the Church by ſome other meanes, but let them take heede that the Lord of Hoſtes call them not to an accompt and other reckoning for this their fearefulneſſe. Further to adde one other example briefely. If fearefull Ioſeph of Arimathea went boldly to Pilate and aſked the body of Ieſus: And if Nicodemus (before as fearefull as the ſaid Ioſeph) ioyned with him in the honourable buriall thereof, (when Chriſt was dead, and the whole ſtate beeing enemies vntounto him) had now preuailed and gotten that which long they had laboured for againſt him: yea, when all the Diſciples had forſaken him, and ſome of the chiefeſt Champions had denyed him, oh how diſhonourable with men and inexcuſable and vnanſwerable before God ſhall it bee, that ſo many hauing learned more of Chriſt then eyther Ioſeph and Nicodemus, or all the Diſciples themſelues had then learned, and hauing alſo before boldly profeſſed and promiſed much for him, and liuing in a Kingdomeg)If we profeſſe Chriſt & maintaine his Goſpell what do they plead for then? And wherefore hauehave they denied it al this while, pretending they labour for nothing but the Goſpell & miniſtery thereof. profeſsing Chriſt & maintayning his Goſpell, & vnderunder a moſt gracious religious King, and beeing in place of freedome of ſpeech, and now alſo aſſembled chiefly and principally for that end: (for what are all ſtatutes for the Common wealth, without regard of the Church) howe diſhonourable (I ſay) with men, and howe inexcuſable and vnanſwerable before God and his Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, when he ſhall come to iudgement, ſhall it be, that ſuch perſons, in ſuch a kingdome, vnderunder ſuch a King, in ſuch a place, at ſuch a time, ſhall not dare to ſpeake forhLo, now the Diſciplinarian ataxie, for which the Suppliants plead ſo much is whole Chriſt I ſus! Intollerable Blaſphemie. whole Chriſt Ieſus, riſen againe from the dead aſcended into the heauens, there ſitting in all power, glory and maiesty? Yea finally beeing ready to come to iudge both the quicke and the dead, both men and Angells? Oh therfore, ye that lone this Lord Ieſus Chriſt, take heede of ſuch fearefulneſſe: yea, feare ſo to bee afraid of ſpeaking for him, for his Goſpell & for his ſeruants.
Reſolution of the 5. Argument.
Many ſpake earneſtly: yea, and ſome hauehave aduentured their liues in behalfe of the Church of God, as Nehemiah, Heſter: ſo alſo did Ioſeph of Arimathea, and Nichodemus for Chriſts body.
Ergo. So ſhould the high Court of Parliament doe, for the Refractary Miniſters, and for whole Chriſt.
ANSWER.
I. To the Antecedent.
The zeale and courage of ſuch as hauehave beene earneſt, or aduentured their liues and eſtate in Gods cauſe, for defence of his eternall trueth and Church, is certainely much to be commended and imitated (to their vtmoſt power) of all ſuch as deſire to be called and be indeede members of the Church of God. But it would bee wiſely coſidered, that it were raſhneſſe and foole-hardineſſe, for any to aduenture hazard, or manifeſt danger, by intermedling in a friuolous and vnneceſſarie quarel, and much more for ſuch cauſe as can not be iuſtified by any probable reaſon. Wherefore I anſwere
II. To the Conſequence
1. THis Conſequence hath no coherence with the Antecedent. For there are great ods betweene theſe examples propoſed and the Refractarie Miniſters caſe.
I. In the time of Nehemiah, the Church of the Iewes, having bin long captiuated, was in great affliction and reproach, and the walles of Ieruſalem were broken downe. (Nehem. 1.3.) which was not ſo in the dayes of their fathers. But our Church having (by the mercies of God) now long continued in proſperous and flouriſhing eſtate, is (God be thanked) glorious ſtill, yea more now then euer it was in the dayes of our fathers.
Furthermore, Nehemiah, after he had wept, mourned, faſted and prayed (Nehem. 1.4.) ſpake vntounto King Artaſhaſte, an heathen and prophane man, and finding grace in his eyes, obtayned leaue to build vp Ieruſalem. (Nehem. 2.6.) But Sanballat, Tobiah, Geſhem and others deriding and deſpiſing the Iewes, laboured to hinder the worke, but preuayled not (Nehem. 2.19. and 4.7.15.) Then Nehemiah prayed, My God, remember thou Tobiah and Sanballat, according vntounto theſe their workes. (Nehem. 6.14.) So euen in the very beginning of our religious Soueraignes raigne, many worthy Nehemiahs finding grace in his eyes, hauehave moued his Maieſtie for the continuance of the proſperous eſtate of our Church, as it was in dayes of our late bleſſed Queene, albeit his Highneſſe was more ready to graunt their requeſt, then they to aſke it. And nowe, ſo many Sanballats, Tobiahs, and Geſhems, as there be Refractarie: Miniſters and Papiſtes, deriding and deſpiſing vsus, labour to hinder our Miniſtery, blaſpheming the ſame, either to be none at all, or adulterate and very corrupt, but (Godwilling) ſhal not preuaile. And we ſtill thinking that moſt of them do ſinne of ignorance, ceaſe not to pray vntounto God: O Lord, open the eyes of theſe men, and lay not this ſinne to their charge.
II. In the dayes of the noble and renowned Q. Heſter, all the Iewes ſhould hauehave bin ſwallowed vp by the manny of Haman, had not that vertuous Queene, by aduenturing her owne life, deliuered her people frō deſtruction. But I hope the Suppliants do not thinke our Church to be in ſo deſperate a ſtate, neither outwardly, nor ſpiritually. And if they do, yet none can be ſo fooliſh as to beleeue it.
III. The examples of Ioſeph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are altogither impertinent: for neither had Pilate any reaſon to deny the buriall of Chriſts body being dead: nor is the Miniſters requeſts concerning Croſſe, and Surplice any thing of ſuch importance, as was the buriall of Chriſts body. For it is not true that they contend about Whole Chriſt Ieſus, and the Miniſtery of the Goſpell, as the Suppliants here ſuggeſt.
2. The Errour is threefold. foreign. 2. foreign. 3. foreign.
VI. ARGVMENT.
LEt the great heauineſſe of manyaMutato nomine de te Fabula narratur. The Refractarie Miniſters ought to hauehave had compaſſion on theſe Sheepe, & not deſperately hauehave forſaken thē, for Croſſe and Surplice. Congregations Men, Women, children, Maiſters and ſeruants, of all ages and conditions, be pitifully conſidered. God regarded the weeping of bond Hagar, and reprobate Iſhmaell, in the want of the water of this life. Gen. 21.16. He graciouſly reſpected the poore women that complayning of the cruelty of their Husbands in forſaking them, and vexing them by taking other wiues, had covered his Altar with their teares. Malac. 2.13.14.
The Lord Ieſus alſo pitied the people. yea, his bowels yerned within him to ſee them ſcattered as ſheepe without abRefractary Shepheards run away and forſake their flockes. ſhepheard: Math. 9.36. Mark. 6.34 Yea he did graciouſly reſpect the petitions of many touching the bodily miſeries of their children, friends and ſeruants, yea the ſutes of ſome for bodily comfort of their children, though themſelues were not of the children of Iſraell but Heathen and Cananites & little better in that reſpect thencAbſurd. The woman was ſuch as that Chriſt himſelf teſtified of her, that he had not found ſo great faith in Iſrael Read the place. Dogges? Math: 15.12. How then ſhould the ſpirituall miſeries of many thouſands, partly alreadydAnd all by reaſon of the wilfulneſſe & ſuperſtitious obſtinacy of the paſtors themſelues. depriued, & partly like to be depriued of theire)Oh, wonderfull faithfull, that for ſake their flock in the plaine field. faithfull Paſtors, who hauehave broken the bread, and powred out the water of eternall life vntounto them, and performed the duties as it were of louingf)OnelyOnly Chriſt is the Hu…band of his Spouſe. Here the Suppliants blaſphemouſly papize. For I thinke they meane not this literally, if they do, they are (ſurely) very honeſt men in the meane time. husbands, and who by ſuch Paſtors & Preachers, hauehave beene turned from darkneſſe to light, and deliuered from the power of Sathan vntounto God, and who now therefore in the want of them, doeg)A lying Hyperbole. couer the Lords Altar with teares, and make lamentable mone (as the Turtle Doue, that hath lost her mate) for helpe to themſelues & theirs, against the preſent and future ſpirituall calamities: how I ſay ought all theſe things to wring, and wrest, pity and compaſsionh)If the Refractarie Miniſters be ſo vnkind and hard harted, that they wil hauehave no pittie vponupon thē, they may be otherwiſe releeued well inough, See the Anſwere. from all in auctority towards them? O therefore let not their mone and lamentation be neglected.
Reſolution of the 6. Argument.
Many Congregations, Men, Women, Children, Maſters and Seruants, of all ages and conditions, are in great heauineſſe for their Paſtours, and do make lamentable moane for them.
Ergo: The States of the Parliament must needes be Suiters vntounto his Maieſtie for reſtoring of them againe.
ANSWER.
I. To the Antecedent.
1. IF the Antecedent be true, as the Suppliants ſeeme confidently to affirme, then ſurely the more hard hearts hauehave thoſe cruell Tyrants, rather then Shepheards, that hauing no pittie nor compaſſion vponupon thoſe ſillie ſheepe, deſperately forſake their flockes, ouer whom the Lord had made them ouerſeers; and relinquiſh their vocation, for little or no cauſe at all.
2. Thoſe Congregations, Men, Women, Children &c. may ceaſe to mourne any longer, and comfort themſelues herewith, viz. that ſeeing their vnfaithfull and vngratefull Paſtours hauehave dealt ſo vnkindly and vndutifully with them; yet (God be thanked) the Lord hath ſtore of good and faithfull Seruants, which he will ſend forth into the Harueſt, who both can and will breake the bread, and poure out the water of eternall life vntounto them, and performe the duties of faithfull Shepheards, that will neuer forſake them, nor runne away when they hauehave moſt need of their helpe,
II. To the Conſequence.
1. The Conſequence followeth not from the Antecedent, but this rather: Ergo, The Paſtours must needs hauehave pitty vponupon their miſerable diſtreſſe, and obeying the wholeſome ordinances of the Church, returne againe and comfort them.
2. The Errour is, foreign.
VII. ARGVMENT.
TO regard theſe Miniſters hitherto ſpoken of, is to regard thea)Is a handful of Refractarie Miniſters the ſafetie of the whole land? whole land. For it is not to be doubted, but that it may be ſpoken of them, as well as of ſome other, that, they are the Chariots and Horſemen of England, as the like is acknowledged for Iſraell, not onelyonly of Elia by Eliſha, 2. King. 2.12. but alſo of Eliſha by Ioaſh a wicked King of Iſrael, 2 King. 13.14. If God be with vsus, who can be againſt vsus, Rom 8.31. And if the Almightie be our defence (as Eliphas ſpeaketh to Iob, Iob 22.25.) We cannot but be in peace and ſafety.
Now God hath not promiſed to be with any for their defence, but ſuch asb)As if God never had defended any Pagan in caſe of Iuſtice and Innocencie. But ſet this paſſe as impertinent to our queſtion. receiue his Goſpell. In the Miniſtery alſo of the Goſpell, conſiſteth the wealth and honor of every people, Pro. 3.16. Pſa. 46.12. And the glory of every kingdome, as the glory of Iſraell did in the Arke. 1. Sam. 4.21.22. And the peace of Nations. For therefore, as well as for other reſpects, the Goſpell is called the Goſpel of peace, Eph. 6.15. compared with Iſai. 2.4. and 11.6. and 65.25. Finally, the wholec)Outward proſperitie cō ſiſteth in pure worſhip. They ſpeake ſo profoundly, as an intelligent & ſenſible man cannot vnderſtand them. As if the vngodly flouriſhed not oftentimes as a greene Bay tree, and the outward proſperitie of the Perſians, and Romanes did not ſurpaſſe the meane eſtate of the Iewes, the true Church of God. outward proſperity of all Kings and kingdomes conſiſteth principally in the pure worſhip of God, and the meanes that commends the ſame 2. Chro 14.14.17.10.27. 6.24.26. 2. King. 18.7. Therefore they cannot be faithfull to Kings & kingdoms, neither to themſelues thatd)This cānot be applied vntounto our ſtate. Let the Refractarie faction looke into themſelues, that they do not thus, in forſaking their calling & vocation. neglect the true worſhip of God, and the meanes thereof. Therefore alſo, as Eſter ſaid of thoſe that provoked Ahaſhueroſh againſt the Iewes, ſo may it be ſaid of all thoſe that perſwade the ſuppreſsion of the Goſpel, & of the Miniſters thereof, Such aduerſaries cannot recompence the Kings loſſe. Eſter, 7.4.
If therefore yee will not reſpect the ſtate of Miniſters, their wiues & children, yet reſpect your ſelues, your wiues and children, yea, our King and whole kingdome, even touching the outward eſtate of your ſelues and yours, of King and kingdome. And if yee louelove the ſafetie, peace, wealth, and glory of King and Kingdome, and of your ſelues and yours, then ſpeake and do, what you all, and eueryevery one of you may, for thee)What is this ad Rhombum? So they will, though you had neuer excited them vntounto it. Goſpell and miniſtery thereof.
Reſolution of the 7. Argument.
To regard the Refractarie Miniſters, is to regard the whole land, the States of Parliament, their wiues and children, the King and Kingdome.
Ergo. If the high Court of Parliament louelove the ſafetie, peace wealth, and glorie of King and Kingdom, and of themſelues and theirs, they must ſpeake and do what they may, for the Goſpell and Miniſterie thereof.
ANSWER.
1. What can a ſenſible man make of this Enthymeme? The Refractarie Miniſters are the ſafetie of the whole land. Ergo; The Court of Parliament must ſpeake for the Goſpell.
2. The Antecedēt is very improbable, if not altogether falſe; both becauſe there be thouſands of Godly, faithfull Miniſters in this kingdom, which are not of their faction, that are as Charets & Horſmen: and alſo becauſe the Miniſters are therefore termed Charets and Horſemen, becauſe they are Gods inſtruments for gathering of his Saints by the exerciſe of their Miniſterie. But theſe men refuſe to exerciſe their Miniſterie, they have relinquiſhed and forſaken their calling; wherefore they can by no reaſon be termed Charets & Horſmen. And ſo farre are they from being the ſafetie of the Land, that would God they were not the Sores of the Church, and Sowers of Sedition, I meane, Schiſme and Faction.
3. For the Conſequence, I am ſure it is from a Topique place called A baculo ad angulum, from the Staffe to the corner, for it hath not the leaſt coherence with the Antecedent, except the Suppliants meane that theſe wordes, Refract arie Miniſters, the Goſpel, the Miniſterie of the Goſpel, be conuertible termes: which were abſurd and vnpoſſible.
4. The Errour is foreign.
IIX. ARGVMENT.
IT is the duety of all Princes and Magiſtrates, and alſo of their Courtes, to execute a)If Iuſtice be executed, how can Schiſmatikes looke for any fauour then? How well they plead for themſelues.iuſtice & iudgment in the morning, & to deliuer the oppreſſed &c. Ier. 21.12.22.2. eſpecially to do iuſtice towards the ſoules of men. Therefore this eſpecially doth belong to this high Court of Parliament, as being the higheſt Court we hauehave for iuſtice and iudgment vponupon earth. As Abraham therefore ſaid vntounto God, Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Gen. 18.25. ſo ſay I to this preſent Court, ſhal not the higheſt Court of all this Kingdome doe right? Yea, this is the more at this preſent to bee conſidered, becauſe this iuſtice that nowe I ſpeake of, is not onelyonly the Iuſtice of God, but alſo of this Land. For it is abundantly of lateb)By whome? proued, that all the late proceedinges, againſt the miniſters, in repreſſing of their miniſtery, and in depriving them of their free holds, isc)Moſt falſe. See the Anſwere. contrary to the lawes of this kingdome, both to Charta Magna, and alſo to many ſtatutes.
The ſame is to be vnderſtood of thed)Obiect againſt theſe, and you ſhalbe anſwered. oath ex officio of many of the late Canons, & of diuers other things. It is alſo againſta)Theſe men would bring all things to popular trial. reaſon, that the baſeſt Cobler and Tinker cannot bee eiected from his free hold of but ten ſhillings by the yeare, but by a Iury of 12. men, and before ſome of his Maieſties Iudges in ſolemne forme of lawe, andb)A ſenſeleſſe ſentence. How can a man in matters of eternall life be caſt out of his free-hold? that the miniſters & Ambaſſadors of Chriſt Ieſus, in the matters of eternall life, ſhould bee caſt out of their free hold, of what worth ſoeuer, by one man onelyonly, and not onelyonly without any Iury, but alſoc)The Eccleſiaſtical Iudge may proceede Ex officio. without any complaint or accuſation againſt them.
If it be obiected that this that I hauehave ſaid, to be the iuſtice of this Kingdome, is but thed)Directly againſt the Statute of. 1. Eliza. c. 2. opinion of ſome priuate perſons: Let the miniſters finde fauour with this high Court of iuſtice, to hauehave the former cauſes in the ſaid Court debated, as many the like hauehave beene heeretofore and dayly are. Shall priuat cauſes be reſpected by you: yea ſhall matters of pourueyors and ſuch like, of ſmall moment for the commonwealth, come before you, and bee ſo largely diſcuſſed and handeled by you, and ſhall not ſo many publique cauſes, of ſo many, of ſuch quality, & for thee)Begging of the Queſtion. Church, be regarded? yea not the cauſe of GOD himſelfe? Shall GOD and his ſonne Chriſt Ieſus, in the cauſe of his Goſpell and miniſters thereof, ſtand as is were at your Parliament houſef)As if they were not Preſident of that Religious Aſſembly already. An vnchriſtian ſuggeſtion. dore knocking, and craving to be let in, and to hauehave their cauſe heard, and ſhall not your dore be opened? Beware of this, leaſt ye knock alſo at heaven dore, and there be none found to open, or to anſwere vntounto you.
Reſolution of the. 8. Argument.
The Magiſtrate ought to execute iuſtice and iudgement and to deliuer the oppreſſed.
Ergo. Much more ought the high Courte of Parliament to do ſo, and to deliuer the Refractarie Miniſters.