The Deprived and Silenced Ministers Arguments, Preface – Answer 1
A Conſideration of the Preface.
IN the Preface, by way of Anticipation, the Authors of this Supplication labour to expreſſe their meaning more plainely, and to cleare ſome wordes and phraſes, which otherwiſe might ſeeme ſubiect to miſſinterpretation, and (as they ſpeake) to vncharitable conſtruction: which cautelous dealing verily is moſt neceſſarie in this carping age, wherein the common Aduerſarie, to couer his own ſhame for his rebellious and traiterous Poſitions and Practiſes, lieth houering in the winde, ready to catch at any thing that may aduantage himſelfe, and preiudice our cauſe.
And ſurely for my own part, I am ſo farre from taking any exception againſt my Brethren in this kinde,Of the obedience of Preciſians towards their Prince. that I verily thinke, that all wee profeſſing the Goſpell within this kingdome of England, howſoeuer ſome hauehave foliſhly made a breach & diuiſion amongſt vsus, about Croſſe, Surplice, &c. doe as hartily and faithfully louelove, & as dutifully affect and imbrace our Prince or King (yea of whatſoeuer Religion) and are as ready and willing to defend his Perſon and Honour againſt all aduerſarie power or treacherous attempt whatſoeuer, as any other people or nation vnderunder the ſunne.
Wherefore, as I cannot allow the opinion of ſuch as giuegive out, that theſe our factious Brethren, are as dangerous enemies vntounto the State, as the Papistes, thoſe Antichriſtian and bloody Traytours, that neuer are faithfull vntounto any, but vntounto the Pope and the Diuell: So I cannot but worthily commend that memorable apothegme of that reuerend and learned Prelate Doctor Elmer of happy memory, ſometimes L. Byſhop of London, who when this queſtion was debated in his hearing, grauely anſwered. If I were in the company but of one Papiſt, I might iuſtly feare the loſſe of my life, but being amongſt ten thouſand Preciſians well might I be affrayde of my Byſhoprike, but neuer of my throate. And againe,An Apothegme of Biſhop Elmer, The one would cut my coate, and the other my throate.
Neither doe I ſpeake this, abſolutely to free ſuch as be Refractarie among vsus, from all diſobedience vntounto Magiſtrates, but onelyonly from ſuſpicion of Treaſon and Rebellion. For otherwiſe it cannot be denied,That Preciſians are Schiſmaticall and turbulent. but that preſumptuouſly and wilfully they contend with the Magiſtrate, impugning his authoritie in things indifferent, and ſoueraigntie in Eccleſiaſtical cauſes (though not in the ſame ſenſe and degree as the Papiſtes do) and alſo that they make a faction and manifeſt Schiſme in the Church of GOD: which all of them do for carnall reſpectes:And why ſome becauſe they knowe not otherwiſe howe to be maintayned but by depending vponupon that faction, ſome to gratifie their Benefactors and Patrons, and to pleaſe their Friends, ſome for diſcontentment and want of preferment, ſome for giddineſſe of innouation, ſome for pride of heart and ſelf-louelove, ſome for hatred of order and reſtraint of their libertie, ſome ſtill to retaine the opinion of conſtancy in perſeuering ſingular, and others of mere ignorance. which yet is wilful and affected, ſeeing they will not learne the State of the Controuerſie which they are bound to know, and therefore cannot be excuſed.
But two things ſpecially may be iuſtly cenſured and taxed in this Preface: whereof the firſt is, that herein they hauehave quite altered the ſtate of the queſtion in controuerſie, betweene vsus: which ſurely argueth a deſperate diffidence to preuaile in their ſuite, by declining the foreign, or ſpeciall matter of difference: For, whereas it is confeſſed by themſelues, aſwell in the very Title, as afterwards in the Booke it ſelfe Arg. 16. & Arg. 18. that the whole controuerſie betweene vsus is, but about Subſcription, Ceremonies, the ſtrict obſeruation of the booke of Commen Prayer, and other Conformitie vntounto the Diſcipline and order of our Church (for this I take to bee their meaning) which are but matters of indifferency and of ſmal moment in themſelues: Now they ſeeme to accompt it, forſooth, the Cauſe of GOD, the Miniſterie of the Goſpell, the ſaluation of the people, the maine cauſe of the land, of all the States of this kingdome and all their poſteritie; and ſuch a cauſe, as is to be preferred before al other cauſes whatſoeuer, either cō cerning any particular perſons, or the whole Cōmonwealth: as if all Religion and Pietie depended vponupon refuſing of Croſſe & Surplice, and ſuch other accidentall circumſtances.
The Latter is, that they boldly, preſumptuouſly and vndutifully cenſure his Maieſtie, for coldeneſſe in Religion, in relinquiſhing his former profeſſion, or at leaſt for deepe diſſembling in ſeeming to pretend one thing, & to intend another: as if he had bin trained vp & taught in the Ieſuits ſchooles, to Equivocate: (which fault, would God, ſome of their factiō & followers did ſo little practiſe, as his Highnes abhors it.) Whereas his Highneſſe religious heart is euidently and eaſily diſcerned, to be fully ſeaſoned with true pietie and devotion, aſwell by his preſent ſincere profeſſion of the Goſpell, and vnfained louelove vntounto the Miniſters thereof, as alſo by daily effects of ſaith and a good conſcience, which as ſweete ſmelling fruites do liuely demonſtrate the goodneſſe and excellencie of the tree. But I referre the farther conſideration of this point vntounto your graue wiſedomes: onelyonly it ſuffiſeth me to hauehave detected the licenſe of their raving pens, the reſtraint of which furie, ſpecially belongeth vntounto your Honourable & iudicious Court. Which (queſtionles) your Honours will the rather performe, conſidering what an vnchriſtian conceipt they hauehave aſwell of your Honourable Aſſemblie, as alſo of all other his Maieſties louing Subiects and Seruants, who loyally obey him & ſerue the Lord of Hoſtes, according vntounto the Religion eſtabliſhed; as is manifeſt by their inſtance and allegation of that example of the Emperour Conſtantius his Nobles, who became Idolaters and Atheiſts, to curry fauour with the Emperour: as alſo becauſe afterwards, in the 8. Argument, they boldly cenſure your Honours, as not regarding the Church, nor the cauſe of God, faining moreouer, how GOD and his ſonne CHRIST IESVS ſtand, as it were, at your Parliament Houſe dore knocking, and crauing to be let in, inſinuating thereby, that GOD is not Preſident of your honorable Aſſemblie, and that all your godly and Religious Acts hauehave beene hetherto decreed and concluded, I know not by what ſpirit. Now let vsus examine their Arguments.
Certaine Arguments to prouoke this preſent high Court of Parliament to zeale, for the Miniſters now ſilenced.
ANSWER.
THe maine Propoſition of this Supplication is this, All the Nobles and States aſſembled in the preſent Court of Parliament, are bound, zealouſly to ſpeake for the Miniſters now degraded, depriued, ſilenced, or admoniſhed, or afterward like to be called into queſtion, for Subſcription, Ceremonies, ſtrict obſeruation of the Booke of Cōmon Praier, or for other Conformity. This Propoſitiō being laid down almoſt in ſo many words, both in the generall title of the Booke, and alſo in the 16. & 18. Arg. the Suppliants labour to proue by XIIX. ſundrie Reaſons, all which, albeit they be Common Arguments (excepting one or two) and may be vrged for Poperie, or any other Hereſie what ſoeuer, which the learned know to be an intolerable fault in a Scholler, & were a ſufficient anſwer vntounto them all; yet we will examine thē ſeuerally.